Drop the denial and the pounds

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

You're late.

Blair and Fiona Hoashi do stretching exercises, key to any workout plan, in Kapi'olani Park. Their 7-month-old son, Zachary, is in the carriage. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

You take a breath. As you sink into the mundane details of another workday, you convince yourself of two things: One, skipping breakfast means you can splurge on lunch. And two, that sprint to work counts as cardio.

And you skip kick-boxing after work. You deserve a break, you tell yourself, as you make plans to spend the next few hours drinking Sam Adams Cream Stout (195 calories per drink) and munching on pretzels (150 calories per cup).

You can always work out tomorrow morning, you think. If you get up early enough.

That scenario sounds familiar because it is. Often, we convince ourselves that working out and eating right are painful chores, obstacles in our path toward happiness. And fulfillment? We associate that with the quick and easy buzz supplied by fast food and after-dinner drinks.

Here's your wake-up call: We can't have our cake and eat three slices in one sitting.

"For some people, it's about facing the facts," said Dennis Kaaihue, lifestyle program coordinator at Kaiser Permanente and former triathlete. "I like to use the term, 'Drop the denial.' "

Not exercising is the second-leading cause of preventable death, Kaaihue said. "Only smoking is deadlier."

Only the truly insane wake up at 5 a.m. to jog around the block before work — right? Lifeless losers skip after-work drinks to do Pilates. At least that's what we tell ourselves to make us feel better about missing yoga or eating the entire bag of Funyuns.

We say we want to lose weight or run a marathon, or just fit into our clothes again. But until that goal becomes a priority — over Saturday shopping excursions and "Seinfeld" reruns — it'll never happen.

Meanwhile, medical experts are calling the nation's obesity problem an epidemic.

According to the American Medical Association, 55 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese. Worse yet, nearly 15 percent of American children are overweight — double the percentage in 1968. Healthcare costs for treating obese adults last year in the United States alone soared to $238 billion.

And we thought we were so healthy, pushing for bike lanes and hiking trails, buying fat-free everything, counting calories, writing food journals, going organic.

"Obesity is a big, big problem in Hawai'i," said Dennis Chai, associate professor of kinesiology and leisure science at the University of Hawai'i. "And the answer to that problem is simple: healthy eating and moving around. It's a simple answer. But getting people to eat healthy and move more regularly, that's the tough part. How do we change an entire mindset?"

The Atkins, the Zone, Weight Watchers, Slim Fast — just money-making gimmicks. There is no easy, painless way to lose weight. You will have to suffer. That's the cold, hard truth.

No more cake batter. No more late-night snacking. No more paying membership for a gym you step inside once a year.

And aerobic bitching? It's not a sport.

What we have to do, experts say, is get moving.

"The first thing — and the hardest thing — to do is to get started," said Richard Cotton, chief exercise physiologist at MyExercisePlan.com and former spokesman for the American Council on Exercise, the world's largest nonprofit fitness certifying organization and consumer resource for health and fitness information. "You have to establish some form of consistency. That's your first goal."

Walk around the block. Bike to work. Take the stairs.

Experts suggest just doing anything that gets your body to move.

"It doesn't really matter how much you do, as long as you do something," Cotton said. "In fact, it might be better to do a fair amount less than you actually think you're able to do. That way it won't hurt as much."

But complaining about your holiday weight gain, your flabby arms or your love handles won't get you any closer to your goal of losing them.

"What people need to understand is they're doing it for themselves," Kaaihue said. "When they come to realize that, that's when they 'flip the switch,' where their desire to exercise or lose weight becomes more important than their desire to overeat."

It's about prioritizing fitness and nutrition in your life, making healthful choices a habit, committing to a workout plan that doesn't kill you but keeps you moving.

You can have your cake. Just don't eat it.

Reach Catherine E. Toth at 535-8103 or ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.

Eliminate excuses, set reachable workout goals

Look over those New Year's resolutions again.

Yes, you did write "lose weight."

Are you there yet?

Don't worry. You're not alone. Millions of Americans are overweight — and feeling it.

And with May here — it's National Physical Fitness and Sports month — the pressure to get in shape is back.

And that's a good thing.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults should engage in moderate-intensity physical activities for at least 30 minutes, five or more days a week. And that could be taking a walk, moving the lawn or dancing at Oceans. Take your pick.

Here are some ways to motivate yourself to move this month:

• No excuses: You're busy. We all are. But if you prioritize working out in your daily schedule, up there with "Eat lunch" and "Wash clothes," it might become a lifelong habit.

"The most common excuse is, 'I don't have the time,'" said Richard Cotton, chief exercise physiologist at MyExercisePlan.com. "You really need to look at your day ... and fit exercise in."

Wake up a half-hour earlier and go for a brisk walk, or head to the gym on your lunch break. Find time to exercise because, experts say, the health benefits are well worth it.

• Think small: Experts suggest first-timers set reachable goals to ensure they stick with their fitness plan. Don't tackle a workout regimen that you can't handle. There's no way you can run a marathon tomorrow.

Cotton suggests starting with a 10-minute walk, gradually increasing time — not intensity — until you reach 30 minutes.

"You should build your time before you start increasing intensity," Cotton said. "It's another way to keep it comfortable."

• Three's the charm: Your workout should incorporate three components: cardio, strength training and stretching. Calorie-busting cardio is just a third of a comprehensive fitness plan.

Strength training builds muscle, which burns calories even when you're not working out. Stretching promotes flexibility. Both decrease the risk of injury.

• Keep a log: Writing down what activities you do and when you do them will help you keep track — and be accountable — for your workouts.

"It puts that subtle pressure on you, which could potentially work," said Dennis Kaaihue, Lifestyle Program coordinator at Kaiser Permanente.

Experts recommend marking your calendar, either at home or at the office, every time you exercise. You'll feel guilty when you don't. And what works better than guilt?

— Catherine E. Toth