Mark Stoller moved to Falcon in 2007.†He and his wife, Andra, both U.S. Air Force veterans, enjoy life with their daughters, extended family and adopted rescue dogs in Latigo. Mark savors the privilege of his wife and daughters being his muse for topics, people to meet and places to investigate.
We made it through the transition to ìnormalî during January and are back to the grindstone until Halloween.J.D. Robb once wrote, ìEven though February was the shortest month of the year, sometimes it seemed like the longest.îFebruary is for maintaining or creating momentum on the goals we set for the new year. Many people have likely written that cringe-worthy, four-letter word in their 2020 goals ñ- D I E T. The word conjures feelings of hopeless deprivation; and, as my dad used to say, ìIf it tastes good, spit it out.îI, on the other hand, prefer a different mindset on calories and attempted weight loss ñ- Meal Plan.Losing weight is something I have battled for decades. Gone are the high school days when I was 155 pounds. Gone are the Air Force days when I hovered around 200 pounds ó OK, give or take another 15 pounds while deployed to Italy! Nope. That was 75 pounds ago!The Center for Disease Control and Prevention published the statistic that 39.8 percent of Americans (93.3 million) are obese. Hmm. I may resemble that remark! The problem is that prolonged obesity can cause heart disease, stroke, Type II diabetes and certain types of cancer.In the last couple of weeks, I have kept a close eye on people I pass in the store and gas stations. Men, in general, are carrying 20-50 pounds of excess weight on their bodies and their faces are puffy. All the women I have seen, of course, look lovely. I wouldnít change a thing ó unless they wanted to?My internet research has garnered a plethora of meal plans and programs. Some examples: Keto, 30/10, calorie reduction and Whole30. You can also find a lot of these programs on Pinterest with easy 14-day starter plans.From Healthline.com, the ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. This is a variation on the Atkins diet.The 30/10 program is guided by nutritionists and consists of 30 g of protein/10 g of fiber in daily meals. From the 30/10 website, ìThe 30/10 Weight Loss for Life program is based on accountability, diet, behavior modification, and education ñ- learning about what food does to your body. Each plan is individualized based on your specific needs.îCalorie reduction is another technique. In the January 2020 issue of Menís Health, a man who weighed 375 pounds researched and discovered he needed 4,100 calories a day to maintain that weight. He chose to take in 2,400 calories per day, ate whatever he wanted while not breaking the 2,400-calorie limit, and lost 75 pounds in six months. Studies show sedentary males between the age of 30-50 should only consume 2,200 calories each day.Whole30 is a new fad for the old practice of cleansing. For 30 days, you can eat meat, seafood and eggs; vegetables and fruit; natural fats; and herbs, spices and seasonings. Do not ingest added sugar (includes honey and maple syrup), dairy, alcohol, grains, legumes, baked goods, junk food; and do not weigh yourself during those 30 days. As they say ó itís about the journey.At the end of the day, it comes down to hard work, self-discipline and the true desire to change. We must take control of our food intake to feel better and accomplish more. Say goodbye to inflammation, brain fog, body aches, and feeling sick. Combine good eating habits with exercise, and youíre on your healthy way to the next new adventure.
