Health motivators

[Leam]

I am trying to build the case to convince myself that being healthy is more valuable than that bag of peanut M&Ms. As much as I "know" in my head, getting my over-weight body to follow along has been a losing proposition. If you can add to my list of reasons hopefully we can find something that will help me "Just say no".


General Health:

1. Fewer heart issues
2. Fewer stress related issues
3. Smaller dive suits
4. More resistance to weather based illnesses
5. Fewer medications required

Diving Specific:

1. Better gas consumption
2. Decreased risk of DCS
3. Reduced risk of in water cardiac failure
4. Fewer physical "panic stimuli"
5. Better upper body strength to weight ratio for eventual sump diving

Any more ideas? I am currently at 37% BF and targeting 24% as my first big goal.



Thanks!


Leam

[JamesK]

Less lead needed as you lose body fat.

[MORGAN]

Less joint pain (especially knees and hips) and less chance of needing total joint replacement surgery.

[Leam]

James, even with empty Sidemount AL 80s in my swim suit I'm negative with no weight.

However, there will be tight squeezes I will be better able to get in to, once Full Cave is reached.

[whodunit68]

You can change your cdf name to Lean or Lean Leam.

[stairman]

Good overall health in a sport like cavediving makes sense. You already know the common factors of not smoking or drinking in access. Over eating the wrong foods and lack of exercise are 2 big culprits. It takes discipline and motivation and it starts at the grocery store. If you dont buy it, you cant eat it. Lastly IMO, most modern humans dont get enough exercise. Try jogging or at least get a rebounder and USE IT!!! They do make dandy gear hangers when propped up against the wall though.

[Leam]

Long ago in a life far away I signed up for a Rescue Diver class. I have yet to complete the class since I could not make the swim requirement and I was ill when the dive portion of the class was going on. I am signed up at the aquatic center and can do 250 meters in 8:47. Which is to say, slow but doable. My first goal is 6:00 and I'm at the 2-4 times a week attendance level.

On the down side there are free snacks at work and they keep the peanut M&Ms stocked well.

"Lean Leam" sounds much better than "Old Fat Guy"!

Leam

[Mark Vlahos]

A couple of years ago I lost 50 pounds, from 225 down to 175. I did it nice and slow, no crash diets. As it turns out this choice was probably the best choice I have made in my entire life. The weight loss was coupled not only with a more appropriate diet, but it also included a daily exercise regimen.

After loosing the weight, with a proper diet and daily exercise well established I was diagnosed with Lymphoma. My treatments were completely successful, and every indication is that the cancer is gone, and that it will stay gone. My Oncologist was thrilled with my physical condition at the beginning of chemotherapy. He said that because I was in such good shape he was free to treat the cancer aggressively. He said that all too often he needs to moderate the treatment for patients that are in poor general health. This severely limits his ability to treat cancer. If the treatment kills the cancer, but also kills the patient he has not done his job properly.

Get healthy now, and stay healthy. When eventually you do start to have health problems it may be too late.

One thing I learned is that you don't go on a diet, you need to change your diet. Once you have lost the weight and gotten into shape you can modify the changes you have made to get you there, but you can never abandon them. It is your current diet and exercise that has gotten you into the physical condition that you are in now. If you go back to eating what you ate last year, you will go back to looking like you did last year.

Good luck,

Mark Vlahos

[K Mejean]

Here is a motivator for you. Doctors say for every 40lbs you lose you gain a half inch to an inch on your man parts (hope I said that in a not too dirty way for the moderators). I know it sounds like a load of crap but to be as scientific about it as I can be....... you aren't really gaining but losing the fat that surrounds that area so over the course of time you can see a significant difference if you are a hefty person. That is how it was explained to me by a doctor anyway.

It could be total BS but I would think it is worth a shot right?

[TONY CHANEY]

Hi, Leam it been a long time since we dove together. Anyway, with weight loss you will see much better a SAC rate. Lungs only grow with height and not weight. From a healthcare provider aspect: You can have almost any disease, put obesity on it and you complicate the situation. Take care and stay strong.