|Energy Gap

The following article in Time magazine prompted me to post some links on a topic that three people have talked with me about recently--weight loss.

Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin (John Cloud, 09 Aug. '09)

This article basically argues that diet (or caloric intake) is more important than intense workouts for managing weight, though it concedes that exercise is important for many other health issues.

I'm not a nutritionist or a health scientist, so take this with a grain of salt, but it's my understanding that a number of other factors also impact body mass, for example:

• Stress (Stress, Hormones, and Weight Gain & Cortisol)
• MSG (MSG: The Hidden Cause for Weight Gain)
• Food allergies (Weight Gain and Food Allergy & Food Addiction, Food Allergy)
  
• Intestinal Flora (Intestinal Bacteria May Cause Weight Gain) I listened to a piece on NPR about this topic this summer, but I can't find it online now.
  
• Thyroid (Fatigue, Weight Gain, and the Thyroid)
  
• Others???

I'm not saying those links are the best; they are simply the ones I could find the quickest during a Google search. People who know more about this issue could suggest better links and resources. I just want to say I think it's more than just diet and exercise, though those just might be the 2 biggest factors for the largest segment of the population. I really don't know.

I do know that Charissa and I lost 20-30 pounds together when we moved and started school. We credit this to lifestyle changes--walking and riding to work and school, not having money for juice, virtually eliminating refined sugar from our diets, keeping very few snacks in the house. But the list above tells me that someone could do those things and not lose weight for a number of reasons.

Advice once given me by a most wonderful naturopath: "Eat 90% for your body and 10% for your soul." May we each live with peace and contentment and health.