Are you fit or fat? There are any number of devices to help you determine what you should already know. Commentary from the “What’s your excuse?” FACEBOOK fit mom, or stick figures which could double as wire hangers, need not apply. From body mass index to waist to hip ratio, skinfold measurements to scales, choose your poison.
Equally, there are just as many apps and gadgets which measure heart rate, count your steps, map your run, etc., to get you fit. Yet the question still plaguing me is this: Why do we still, have such difficulty losing weight? AND keeping it off?
This is my third installment regarding women & heart disease. Therefore, I’m really interested as to why women, more so than our male counterparts, still end up on the losing side of this struggle. I realize men face their own issues. Not making light of that. Women however, as I’ve stated before, are woefully understudied. However they succumb to complications of heart disease as much if not more than men. Why? And why are we endlessly pursuing the “weight quest” with marginal success?
STOP & DROP
I realize this topic goes beyond that of a fitness blog, even for a registered nurse. Who better though, to address the correlation between weight, stress, women, and heart disease–if not a registered nurse AND personal trainer?
As covered last post, we face unique stressors. Starting at puberty and ending with menopause, and for many of us pregnancy, women face many challenges. But we already knew that. It often translates into weight woes. But does it have to be this way? Does this extra baggage carry more ominous repercussions? More than disliking ourselves in a dressing room mirror? Yes it does. Does it have to be that way? Absolutely not. If you stop and think, you drop the link. Let me explain.
There is a correlation between insulin resistance and obesity. Insulin is what keeps your blood sugar in check. For every pound for which you are overweight, your insulin sensitivity shifts to the negative; meaning resistance. That is the link/theory behind Type II diabetes and being overweight. For every few pounds you drop, your insulin sensitivity rises. What does this mean to women specifically? Some research suggests obese women are more insulin resistant than men. While theories abound as to why, the above mentioned, uniquely female stressors may play a role. For me, this represents PART ONE of STOP AND THINK.
What is PART TWO? Tune in next time, for discussion of one of my favorite things. BBQ ribs and sweet potato pie will have to wait. Let’s get the weight off first. Then..we can talk.
All for now. Keep up and keep at it.
Questions? Comments? Contact me at serrenity.c@gmail.com
LIFE TRAINING WITH CRYSTAL 