Get Fit this New Year, and don't worry about the weight number.

Just wanted to share some interesting discussion I have been apart of on a discussion board I take part in at SomaSimple.com.  The topic thread is "The Cause of Obesity?", it was started by Anoop Balachandran from an article he wrote on his blog at EXERCISE BIOLOGY - The Science of Exercise & Nutrition here is his post The Cause of Obesity.

Also posted recently in the New York Times was an article by Tara Parker-Pope called "The Fat Trap".

Interesting reading for those thinking about trying to lose some weight for the New Year or if you know someone that is thinking about trying to lose some weight.

I think the important take home for everyone is let the New Year be a year to improve your fitness and health and worry less about fatness and the weight number.  Anoop's first three recommendations in his article are excellent:

1. We should focus more on health than weight or the cosmetic aspects.
2. It is clear than moderate weight loss of 10-15 lbs of weight loss in obese people can have dramatic improvements in their health.
3. It is also very clear that eating healthy and exercising has a beneficial effect on health independent of the change in body weight.

The hard part is society tells us the opposite story, "Just get thin and you are in".  This often leads to many diet and exercise plans that are not healthy and lead to failure 90-95% of the time in a vein effort to try and get thin.  But when has society every been right about much of anything. 

Romans 12:2 (Gods Word Translation): "Don't become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants-what is good, pleasing, and perfect."

Instead of trying to be thin (people of this world), try being healthy (good, pleasing and perfect). 

1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV): "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;"

Something that is Holy by definintion is something that has been set apart as something special.  If the Holy Spirit is in you, and it is in all of us, then you have been set apart as something special.  Let's make that temple the most healthy it can be.  Let the weight number fall where it will naturally and don't worry so much about it, but put your efforts into something you have the most control over and do what you can to be more fit and healthy: eat a little better, exercise a little more and stress less. 

Have a Happy HEALTHY New Year everyone!!!!!