Out Of Work And Out Of Shape, Woman Seeks New Beginning For The New Year

Dear Tazi-Kat:

The New Year will soon be upon us, and I am feeling quite down about it. I have been out of work for the past year and unable to find work no matter how hard I look. I have not even been able to secure a single interview. Because of this, I have spent a lot of time sitting at home, bored out of my mind; and in order to reduce the boredom, I have taken up snacking. When I tried to fit into my favorite party dress in anticipation for New Year's Eve, I was horrified to find that it did not fit! It is not simply a little tight; it won't zip past my waist!

I had not realized how much weight I have gained these past several months because I have been living in sweat pants, completely unmotivated to even get dressed; but now that I see it, I want to do something about it on the off-chance that I find an interview! I need my clothes to fit! I cannot afford a gym membership - even at one of those $10/month places - and I do not have any home work-out equipment. Do you have any advice on how to get myself back into shape, in spite of my dire situation?

Signed,
Plumped Up

Dear Plumped Up:

My condolences on your extended unemployment. I have noticed that unlike cats, most humans cannot stand to be idle for prolonged periods of time. I can see why this would drive you straight into the snack cabinet in an effort to keep busy. Your first step to losing the weight you have gained will have to be to put a lock on the snack cabinet, unless you feel you can control your desire to snack. This should put a stop to some of the weight gain, but not all of it.

You write that you have been "sitting at home". Nothing puts on weight like sitting around doing nothing, except the combination of sitting around doing nothing and eating; so in addition to the lock on the snack cabinet you have to get up and get moving. Do you have a flight of stairs in your home or apartment? If so, I suggest that you start steppin', because you have a manual StairMaster! As a cat, I love running up and down the stairs at a record pace - it gets my heart rate up and burns calories. As a fellow mammal, I know this kind of exercise will have a similar effect on you.

If you truly cannot tolerate the stairs, there is always walking - outdoors if the weather is nice, indoors - like at the local mall - if it is not. Try to walk for three miles a day at a pace of at least 3.0 mph for a cardio workout. If walking is not your thing, either, then there is always good old-fashioned calisthenics; the workout that requires no equipment - just your body, and actual effort.

If any kind of physical activity at all is something that turns you off, I suggest you get screened for depression. Your prolonged unemployment may have brought on such an ailment; and your job search might be being unintentionally curtailed because of it.

Snuggles,
Tazi

When Done Right, Diet And Exercise CAN Be Fun!

Dear Tazi:

I have man boobs and I hate them. I am 17 and overweight. I would like to start working out, but don’t have any room for a home gym and don’t want to use the gym at school where all of the athletes work out because I am afraid they will make fun of me. Since I am under 18 I can’t join a gym and my parents won’t sign for me because then they would have to drive me there in order for me to get there and then come pick me up after I am done working out.

I don’t like cross-country running or track – my man boobs jiggle too much – so I can’t lose weight that way and dieting alone doesn’t work and I always end up cheating on a diet anyway. I really want to lose weight (and my man boobs) but I don’t know how. I have talked to a nutritionalist at school about eating healthy, but it’s hard to do that at school when everyone around you is eating pizza and fries and soda and you are stuck eating a salad and bottled water.

I am going to be a senior in high school this September and I want my last year of school to be fun, and memorable for good reasons not for bad ones. Can you think of a way I can lose weight over the summer and start the new school year a new me? Looking like I do is starting to depress me.

Signed,

Boob Man

Dear Boob Man:

I suggest that you make an appointment with your physician for a full check-up. If your parents have to do this for you because of insurance or payment issues, ask them. In fact, insist on it. You need to rule out the possibility of a health issue (other than being overweight) that is causing your breast tissues to enlarge. There are several simple, non-threatening reasons this could be happening, including a slow thyroid gland, and medication could help reverse things.

In addition, you need to start eating better and exercising. I know it is no fun to be eating rabbit food while everyone else is eating junk food, but you don’t have to live on either extreme – you can find a place in the middle that offers you healthy choices while eating tasty food. A diet that makes you feel deprived is not a diet that anyone can stick to, so moderation is the key to success. Does your school cafeteria serve veggie pizza? You could get a slice or two with mushrooms, peppers, olives, broccoli, and the like rather than greasy pepperoni; instead of a side of fries you could have a side salad, and you can jazz up your bottled water by adding a sugar-free drink mix to it (single serve packets will fit in your pocket and are portioned for a ½ liter bottle of water). Doesn’t that sound tasty?

Exercise does not have to take place at a gym to be exercise! My Mommie likes to work in her garden, go for walks and bicycle rides (sometimes alone, sometimes with my Daddy), and is currently saving money for a nice pair of roller blades! If you really want to join a gym, is there one within biking distance of your house? A brisk bike ride to the gym could be your warm-up before your workout and a leisurely ride home could be your cool-down after you are done. If this is not an option, you could put a small set of free-weights in your bedroom; I know many people who do this, storing them under the bed when they are not using them. As a last resort, you could ask one of the athletes you know from school or even one of the coaches to assist in your training. When you have someone like that on your side, nobody will dare to tease you.

Weight loss does not happen all at once; it is a gradual process so try not to get discouraged if you are not losing weight – and your man boobs – as quickly as you would like. Any goal worth pursuing is worth committing to for the long haul.

Snuggles,

Tazi

Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.

Morbidly Obese Child Needs Acceptance, Love,...and A Healthier Direction

Dear Tazi:

My son’s mother and I are divorced and we share custody. “Justin” is eight years old and of average height, but he weights almost 120 pounds. The boy is morbidly obese, and I am deeply concerned about his health. With regard to his upbringing, this is the one issue over which his mother and I disagree; unfortunately, that disagreement spills over into several areas.

When Justin is at my house, I make sure he eats healthy foods; plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and low-fat foods. Justin is not happy with this arrangement, but he has learned the hard way that if he does not eat the food he is given less nutritional alternatives will not be offered. When Justin is with his Mom, the opposite is true. She has given in to Justin’s desires for poor dietary choices like macaroni and cheese, Raman noodles, hot dogs, and sugary foods.

We have only been divorced for two years, and Justin’s weight has more than doubled during that time. His pediatrician has ruled out any glandular problems, and agrees with me that Justin’s weight problem is related to diet; my ex-wife insists that it is “just baby-fat” and that he will lose it as he ages. I am afraid that my son will not be aging well and will die young if his diet is not overhauled now. He gets absolutely no exercise at his Mom’s house, since she allows him to sit around and play video games whenever he is with her. I try to make Justin exercise, but the effort it takes him just to ride his bike up and down the street is heartbreaking, and he is soon sweating, out of breath, and begging for a Gatorade.

My ex-wife could easily afford to buy healthy food for Justin – I have offered to purchase it for her myself, but she refused, telling me that money is not the problem; the problem is that at the end of the day she lacks the energy to argue with Justin over what he will and will not eat. She thinks it abusive to allow him to refuse a meal until he realizes that healthy food in a reasonable portion size is all he is going to get. (Portion size is something else his mother refuses to control; last Halloween she allowed him to eat an entire pound of chocolate in one night to make up for the fact that he did not have the energy to go trick or treating.).

I am considering suing for full custody of my son, a commitment I am willing to undertake to save his physical health, but I do not wish to take him away from his mother. I just want his mother to be a more responsible caregiver. Can you think of any other way to motivate her, short of taking our son away from her?

Signed,

Fit And Frustrated

Dear Fit And Frustrated:

Your letter leaves me feeling a deep concern for your son. It is obvious from his choice of food that he is being malnourished while at the same time being fed to death! From the sound of his diet he is not receiving the nutrients he needs to fortify his growing body, and at the same time is receiving too much of nutrients meant to be taken in sparingly. A single serving of Raman noodles in sauce has over 1,200 mg of sodium; if Justin is eating the entire block of noodles, that is two servings – and more than a full day’s worth of sodium and carbohydrates, with little to no other vitamins or protein.

From what you say, your son will eat nutritious food in proper portions, he just prefers junk food. Since your ex-wife is worn-out at the end of the day and caves to Justin’s preferences, a plan that works for her will be the plan that is most successful. Her comment that Justin’s extra pounds are “just baby fat” is obviously a denial of the reality that is before her eyes. Rather than sue for full custody – a serious and dramatic step – try other options first.

Together – as a family – the three of you should see a Nutritionalist. Showing Justin a united front on this issue may be what he needs to realize the severity of his problem, and will also show that he can no longer pit one parent against the other. A Nutritionalist will teach you – as parents – proper meal planning and foods appropriate for a growing boy who needs to lose weight. S/he will teach Justin the definition of portion size and tasty substitutes for his favorite foods. For example, turkey hot dogs are fat free and make a delicious substitute for beef or pork frankfurters; fresh fruit can be sweeter than candy.

Justin also needs to start exercising. Nobody likes to exercise alone, so as his parents you need to make it a point to exercise with him. Since Justin likes video games, the Wii Fit or other game system that requires physical movement to play would be an excellent investment made on his behalf. Justin did not double his weight overnight, and it will take a while for him to lose it.

Making diet and exercise a punishment will only discourage him from following such a regimen, so I do not suggest that you withhold food from him. Rather, try to find compromise. Both you and Justin’s mother should try meal planning, and include Justin in the process; if he feels involved in deciding what’s for dinner every night there will be no battles to fight with him at the end of the day. In the end, you need to make Justin’s journey a journey towards better health and more energy, not about making him feel badly about himself.

Snuggles,

Tazi


Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.