Matt Metzgar

And Then There Were Two

This last Sunday when I went to the gym, I couldn't believe my eyes.  I walked in and the place was literally empty.  I looked around to make sure it wasn't closed or a holiday, but it was definitely open and operational.

In the back, I did see one other person lifting weights.  And there were a couple of women upstairs on the exercise bikes.  But that was it.  This was in comparison to the beginning of the year in January, when people were pouring into the gym.  Now it's late February and they are seemingly gone.

I guess this shouldn't surprise me, as the last 15 or so years I've been going to gyms I always see the same thing.  A big burst of activity in January, and then a slow fade-out for 6 to 8 weeks.  This is obvious evidence that the traditional diet-and-exercise plans that people attempt aren't working.

At any rate, I started my workout with squats where the other guy happened to be.  So that was all the action in the gym, two guys on the squat rack and the rest of the equipment gathering dust.  It was both strange and sad at the same time.

The Insulin Double-Whammy

I've posted before about the combination of being overweight and tiredness in people.  It's easy to think that the excess weight is what makes a person tired, but that's not necessarily the case.

This study looked at the relationship between daytime sleepiness levels and insulin.  Higher fasting insulin levels were positively correlated with sleepiness.  This is why refined carbs are so deadly: they increase hunger which leads to weight gain, and they also make people more sluggish and less likely to exercise.

Smile!

Here's a neat study(pdf) I just came across.  The intensity of a person's yearbook smile at age 21 predicted happiness levels up to 30 years later.  The study gets into the mechanics of it, but it appears that allowing the expression of positive emotion yields real-world benefits.  And the greater intensity of the smile (the more expression of positive emotions), the greater the benefits.

It's good to be happy!

Out of Season

Recently, I've been looking into how different sugars affect the body.  In the course of this, I realize that I have been consistently eating fruit almost every day for some time now.  Yet in ancient times, fruits would only be available during specific seasons.  And so I wonder if continual fruit consumption has any detrimental effects.

All this might be splitting hairs to some degree.  For the average person switching from junk carbs to fruit carbs would be highly beneficial.  But I do wonder if it's best to consume fruit intermittently, in accordance with the seasons.

The fructose in fruit is digested differently than the glucose that comes from other carbs.  Perhaps it may be of use to give this metabolic pathway a rest every now and then.  At some point this year, I will try a week of no fruit just to see what happens.

Tools for Weight Loss

Here's a problem I've been thinking about quite a bit.  For the sake of argument, let's assume that if a person avoids refined carbs, they will lose weight and their health will improve.  So what kinds of tools are needed to do this?

First, I think it would be better to phrase it in the positive than the negative.  In other words, saying "don't eat refined carbs" probably isn't the route to go.  Instead, you would want a person to focus on eating healthier foods more than avoiding bad foods.

Second, social support always comes up big when looking at behavioral change.  This may be more important for women as compared to men.

Beyond this, I have some other thoughts but nothing concrete.  It's something I will be looking into more in the near future.  If anyone out there has any other ideas, please feel free to share.

Should've Been A Trainer?

A lot of times when I go to the gym, I just have tons of energy.  Sometimes if I see someone with low energy or a person who is a good bit overweight, I naturally want to help them. 

I don't have any personal trainer certifications or anything like that, and I don't pretend to know all the physiology behind each exercise.  But I do have an authentic desire to help people, and I think that in itself is valuable, at least when combined with adequate knowledge.

I am still figuring out the muscle-building stuff, but I am pretty confident I could guide a person to lose weight if they wanted.

Back from Texas

I'm back from a short trip to Southeast Texas.  It was a good trip - it's always interesting to see new parts of the country.  It isn't exactly what I'd call a booming area, but there was some development in spots.

I managed to get in a lightning-quick workout while I was there.  But it's tough to eat healthy when on the road.  Or at least it's difficult if you don't put some preparation and effort into it.

One idea I had while flying was this: when is an airline going to have the guts to say, "we will no longer serve junk food."  That would mean throwing out the cookies, crackers, and soda they offer.  Are they afraid of a boycott?  Who would boycott them, the people who are unhealthy?  They might lose business in the short-term, but they could gain a more loyal group of health-conscious customers in the long run.

Beaumont TX

Silsbee TX

Baytown TX