Nutrition And Exercise Plan Paper

Personalized Nutrition and Exercise Plan
Axia College, University of Phoenix
SCI 241 Final Assignment “48 and Overweight.” This may sound like the title to a new reality television show, but the true reality is that this is my current life status. Thanks to eating and drinking too much of the wrong things and leading a mostly sedentary lifestyle, I found myself weighing 215 pounds, which is 50 pounds heavier than my target weight. I currently experience pain in my knees for the first time in my life, and become winded quite easily while doing minimally strenuous activities. I was always an active child, teenager, and adult, and was mostly underweight most of my life. When I turned 40, my weight increased at a rapid pace, and
I currently find myself at the heaviest I have ever been. Losing weight has become increasingly difficult. Over the past few years, I have purchased exercise equipment, including a treadmill, recumbent bicycle, a home gym, and most recently, an exercise ball. Because I did not know the correct way to eat of exercise, I did not lose the weight I wanted, became discouraged, and eventually went back to my old ways of virtually abusing my body even further. This class, along with the fitness/nutritionist at my job has helped me to see the error of my ways, and understand that it is not too late to implement a healthy living regimen that consists of eating right and physical exercise that will keep me healthy and energetic. This could not have come at a better time in my life! I am not aware of any weight-associated diseases or physical disorders in my family. My father, who was a meat cutter and was in excellent physical shape all through his life, died of emphysema and lung cancer brought on by a lifetime of smoking. My mother died of a very rare blood disease, Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia. This condition has no known cause, and though scientists believe that genetics may play a role, none of my relatives or descendants was known to have contracted the disease. My older brother recently found that he is diabetic but was never overweight. My main goal regarding my health is to lose 50 pounds, hopefully by this time next year and keep the weight off by eating smart, cutting down on alcoholic beverages, and starting an exercise program that will increase my metabolism, burn calories, increase muscle mass, and give me more energy. I currently work at Vita-Mix, a company that produces blenders, and promotes healthy living. The founder of the company was instrumental in popularizing the fruit and vegetable smoothie back in the 1950s. They have a professional quality fitness facility on site, and Sue Jordan, R.N. a local fitness trainer/dietician that leads boot camp, circuit training, and personalized fitness classes twice a week, and gives lecture and demonstrations on healthy eating for the entire work staff. My main problem is consumption of too much of the wrong thing and not enough of what my body needs to function at its fullest. I am guilty of eating unhealthy food, drinking too much beer, and constantly snacking on chips and beef jerky. I have worked through employment agencies for the last few years, and most of the places that I have worked have an overabundance of food, snacks and sweets, and I am guilty of overindulging in all of the above. I will start by listing my vital statistics and life situation.
I am 48, my height is five feet eight inches tall, and I currently weigh 215 pounds. My body mass index is 32.7, which is considered obese. My daily life consists of going to work, coming home, eating dinner, doing what I can around the house, doing class assignments, and going to bed. My band rehearses one night per week, and performs on most weekends. My only exercise besides moving musical equipment and playing gigs is two 30 minute workout sessions per week at my job during my lunch hour. My wife has high blood pressure and is a brain aneurysm survivor. Our family attempts to eat low sodium meals, but if she does not prepare meals from scratch, it can be difficult to avoid consuming too much sodium. Because I am currently classified as obese, and I am African American, the possibility of developing hypertension and diabetes is very high. Even though it does not run in my family, the chances of developing hypertension and diabetes increases as one ages. According to the MyPyramid Tracker website, I am not obtaining the daily requirements of most vitamins, minerals and nutrients my body needs to function at its best. I am also not getting the necessary exercise my body needs to burn calories, build muscle, and stabilize my metabolism. Although I am making small strides in working toward my goal, I realize I have to do much more. I have devised a healthy living plan that consists of healthful eating
and exercise. I have four goals I am working toward; two nutritional and two physical. The first nutritional goal is keeping my daily calorie count down while eating the required amounts of foods from the Food Guide Pyramid. From the five major food groups, I am deficient in all except the meat and beans group. I plan to overcome this hurdle by eating more whole grains, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and drinking milk. For breakfast, I plan to eat more fresh fruits, and try to stay away from eating too much cooked food like bacon and sausage. I plan to make fruit and vegetable smoothies, which should increase my intake of those foods. Decreasing my meat intake will be require me to stop snacking on beef jerky, and replace it with veggies, nuts, and popcorn. Sue Jordan R.N., the fitness trainer and nutritionist at my job urges me to drink half of my body weight in ounces of water. I will also limit my consumption of caffeine and alcohol, because they are diuretics and dehydrate the body. Doing this should give my body the correct amount of fuel to function properly. My second nutritional goal is to decrease my consumption of sodium, cholesterol, and fats. I am guilty of eating too much processed food, fast food, and fried food. I have already started to eat less fried food, and more baked and grilled food. We barbecue different meats, and freeze them with our FoodSaver. It keeps the food fresh, and we reheat them by steaming. My family now only eats fast food at last resort, mostly if we are out of the house, without time to cook. My family has no history of heart disease, but overconsumption of fatty foods is linked to heart disease (American Heart Association, 1997.) I have two physical exercise goals, one short-term and one long-term.
My short-term goal is to decrease my waistline from 38 to 36. My long-term goal is to lose 50 pounds in one year and lower my body mass index from 32.7 to 24.9. I plan to accomplish these goals by starting a daily exercise program, of 30 minutes of cardio, weights, and core workouts. These workouts are similar to two workout programs offered at my job every week. One workout is circuit training, which is a combination of high-intensity aerobic and resistance training, which targets fat loss, muscle building and heart-lung fitness. Because my schedule is very tight, the best time to work out is when I get home from work. The other is boot camp workout, which includes calisthenics, weight training, cardio, and core training, moving from one exercise to the next with no rest in
between. Because my schedule is very hectic and at some times tight, my main difficulty would be fitting in time to exercise at home. That can be achieved by making a weekly schedule, and sticking to it. The most convenient time to exercise would be as soon as I return home from work, right before dinner. From participating in the circuit training and boot camp workout since September, I know what I need to do to achieve results, and I have basically the same exercise equipment at home. To speed up my body’s metabolism, I plan to constantly fuel my body by eating every three to five hours per day. It does not have to be a full meal; it can be a 150-200 calorie snack, like fresh fruits or vegetables. If I do this, I can eat my regular meals in smaller portions. This will give me energy throughout the day, and keep me from feeling sluggish after a big meal. First thing in the morning, I will drink eight ounces of water, and continue throughout the day. Because I am in my late forties, I have to start preparing myself for the requirements of an older adult. I will start increasing my intake of fiber, Vitamin D and B-12, and calcium. My workouts will consist of alternating with cardio exercise on the treadmill or recumbent bike, calisthenics, weight training, and core workouts on my exercise ball and elastic resistant bands. Alternating the exercises will keep the workout fresh, and keeps me from becoming bored, which discouraged me from working out previously. At work, the boot camp workout burns calories at a rapid pace, and tones muscle. Circuit training helps increases endurance and burns fat, and weight training builds muscle. Walking outside is good exercise, but on rainy days or winter here in Cleveland, Ohio, my treadmill will suffice. My wife’s doctor told us that when one starts a nutrition and exercise plan, weekly weight tracking may be more effective than daily. Progress should be gauged by how well clothes fit, and how much energy level is increased. You may reach a plateau where you stop losing weight, and start building muscle, depending on your body metabolism. The most important thing to remember is keep moving forward, do not turn back. By following the goals and guidelines I have set for myself, I am certain I have the capability to lose 50 pounds, keep it off, and continue to lead a healthy and productive lifestyle well into my golden years.