An Introduction - 240 lbs

Twenty years ago, at the beginning of medical school, I experienced a prideful moment regarding my health. 

Someone was doing sports physiology research, and wanted volunteers from the class to undergo a series of exercise related testing. At the first station, our vital signs were checked. I was asked if I felt OK and replied that I did. She stated my blood pressure and pulse were unusually low and whether I exercised a lot. At the time I had been cycling and inline skating quite often, which accounted for my 54 bpm pulse and 90/50 blood pressure. My weight was 147 lbs, height 5'9" which gave me a BMI of 21. I was told that my cardiovascular health was that of an elite athlete and that my lower body strength was excellent as well. (We won't talk about my pathetic bench press results!)

Bottom line though, was that I was in good shape.

In medical school I tried for a while to keep fit, but as classwork demands increased, the time I spent exercising decreased. I also began to eat a lot of comfort food (a.k.a. junk food) while up late studying or when on call at the hospital. When I hit my clinical rotations, especially surgery, the residents would often take us down to the cafeteria after early morning rounds saying, "you'd better eat now, because you may not get a chance to later."  Most days we did get some time for lunch, and the same mantra was repeated. If I was on overnight call, we often ran downstairs at 9PM, just before the cafeteria closed, with the warning that "it may be a long night, you'd better get something to eat now".  I should mention that the food service was run by the local Johnson & Wales Culinary School, which meant that there was always something good to eat. 

Fast forward to today.  

I weigh 240lbs, and get winded if I have to climb several flights of stairs. Although I am on my feet all day, I get very little real aerobic exercise. I tried skating with my kids recently at the local rink and had to sit down after just a few laps, compared to the miles I used to skate. The extra weight put also stress on my ankles I had never felt in the past. 

In my job as an OBGYN, I am asked several times a day by patients about weight loss. I expertly discuss the recommendations for 10,000 steps a day, small frequent meals,  reducing processed foods, etc, etc, but am hardly a good example of that, and feel like a bit of a hypocrite. Like 99% of my patients, I want to do these things but can't seem to do it on a consistent basis.

The Cockroach Experiment

Not long ago, I was told about some research, which showed that cockroaches performed better when observed by other cockroaches. This involved a clear plexiglass maze which the roach had to navigate, and the presence or absence of his or her buddies outside, observing (or whatever cockroaches do in this sort of situation). This "observer effect" clearly applies to higher species, and is explains in part why we humans tend to perform better when we know that others are aware of our performance. 

Given that the internet is the biggest plexiglass box imaginable, I am hoping that the presence of readers will help me reach my goal - to become more healthy &  lose weight.  Perhaps, if I can set a good example, others may benefit as well. Time will tell.