Calories in - calories out

OH NO!!! There's that controversial word "calories"! Calories are equated to the energy our bodies need to function and perform. Everyone has an opinion about calories -- how many and if we even need to know that and it's hard to know what is truth.

And so, I, too have an opinion -- a bit different than some and probably related a bit differently.

My life as a child was very busy and active. I tromped hay as it was pitch-forked up on the wagon. I walked almost everywhere - except when riding my horse or my bike after I got one. I played dodge ball, softball, tag, and worked weeding and harvesting. The point of all this is calories were being used by the dozens.

As older life changes came, along with more modern conveniences and less activity, I desired my old body back and my "feel good". My study lead me to a couple of life impacting lessons.

I read about those who were considered at the time "extreme" health nuts. They were too skinny -- looked like they might even be starving. However, many of those people were in their 80's and 90's -- hiking the Himalayas and on the go constantly -- actively enjoying life!!! They were eating whole foods -- according to what they felt their bodies needed. I was very surprised when I learned that most of the time their calorie intake was about 800 calories a day. Of course, my thoughts went to every can on the grocery store shelves which talked about 2000 calories a day. I also knew if we weren't very active that needed to be adjusted but for me and my size, that still would be at least 1600 calories a day. My word -- how could these people live?!

I then began a journey to better health. I did not do it the way these people did but I ate a bit less and began exercising. I looked good and I felt better than I'd felt in years. I remember the day, in church by the way, when a friend asked me what I was doing. Of course I was excited to share! Before I even got finished and could tell her how wonderful I felt, she said, "You look too thin. You don't look healthy." I've thought about that for years and why did she not think I looked healthy when I felt absolutely WONDERFUL - the best I'd felt in years!!! It's because I'd lost my plump. Here I was in a more healthy spectrum and seen just as I saw those health nuts years ago.

I decided to do a study on me -- just for grins and giggles. How many calories did I burn in a day? I was doing a moderate exercise program at the time. I found a site on the internet and it listed everything you could imagine -- sleep, going to the bathroom, sitting, reading, eating. I charted my day and I even vacuumed and did lots of those sort of things to get my calorie usage up. Reality, though, says that even though I do these calorie using things, a lot of my time is spent doing computer things -- sitting on my you know what. I was very surprised when I did the total calories used for the day ----- a whopping 750 -- and remember, I was doing a moderate exercise program. What a powerful impact that made on me.

I've often wondered where the needed calorie count originally came from. It was made during a time when people physically worked and many calories were needed for energy. How times have changed in what we do to expend energy but times have not changed on what we put into our bodies for energy. We are for the most part on overload and our health shows it.

And why did I post this? I don't really know except I felt I should. We not only need to eat the good foods but we also need to be moderate in our eating -- even with the wonderful foods God created for us. How much "energy" does our body need -- compared to how much we expend? Honesty with ourselves is a key factor.

Basak