Weight loss is an almost always an engaging topic, even in China, where many people are sizes that are impossibly small. It’s a topic about which there are more myths and false ideas than one can imagine. I was trained as a nurse, and my studies demanded that I understand how nutrition and the body work together. I’m sometimes very surprised when I hear what some people believe about how they might be able to lose weight. Sometimes I’m concerned when I hear how little some say they are eating in hopes of dropping a few pounds…or kilograms.
So when a friend asked me to join him in sharing about how to lose weight in a healthy way at LifePegs, I jumped at the opportunity. This would be a good chance to dispel some of the rumors that seem to be floating around. As I prepared for the teaching activity, I thought carefully about some of the comments I’d heard from my own students here in China. Most of the students who ask me for advice on how best to shed weight balk when I tell them that exercise is half of the formula. “It makes me too tired!” they say. I knew this could be an area to emphasize in our presentation.
My friend and I spoke with the students about the two most effective and healthy methods of losing weight and keeping it off: eating a balanced diet and doing cardiovascular exercise. We shared from two different angles, one of personal experience and one from a health-profession background. Some of the students acknowledged that they had learned the information before, yet admitted there was still a need for application of the principles. Many came with detailed questions for us.
“I’ve been working on losing weight, but I seem to be at a plateau in my progress”, one asked. “How can I push past the plateau?” We described the weight-loss process as a mathematical equation. If calories in are more than calories out, weight is retained. If total calories in are less than the amount of calories expended, weight decreases. The student was encouraged to continue with her exercise, and to add more to her routine to increase energy expenditure.
Others asked detailed questions about the type of exercise that should be done. Someone asked me after the presentation, “What about those who are genetically inclined to be heavier? Is there a difference in the way to lose that kind of fat?” My answer to him was that no matter where the fat comes from, fat is fat and it goes back to our previous mathematical equation: to lose weight, calories out must be less than calories in.
We didn’t just sit and talk the entire time. After sharing these principles, we involved the attendees in some activities to demonstrate to them that physical exercise can be fun. Healthy snacks were shared with each participant. And our personal stories about exercise proved to be a helpful point in the talk. Before I left, I chatted with a student who is also a good friend of mine. I shared about how I enjoy jogging for the positive emotional benefits it brings. “Tomorrow morning”, she said, “I’m going to get out my tennis shoes and go running”.
Guest writer Jill, Volunteer from China