Overcoming Obesity

On a typical Saturday afternoon for Dustin Cabral you can find him over at Fitness Evolution. He begins his warm up with cardio before he heads over to weights, but his weekends haven’t always looked like this. Dustin used to be overweight
Dustin started out at 378 pounds, and since he began his weight loss journey a little over a year ago he has lost over 140 pounds. Life hasn’t been quite the same since.
“Just the ability and the changes I haven’t felt before like I can run longer, I feel better,” Cabral said. “Honestly, the best thing is when you get to buy smaller clothes.”
But as Cabral realized he needed to fix his diet and exercise habits, many people in the United States still have not.
From the year 2000 to 2015, obesity has climbed from 30.5% to 37.9%. Those living with obesity face many problems. Obesity shortens life expectancy by ten years, that’s about the same amount of time a lifelong smoker will lose. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, people who are overweight also risk increased chances of heart disease, type two diabetes, high blood pressure, certain cancers, and other conditions.
Fitness Evolution district manager, Brandon Berona, says obesity has become a big problem because people have no clue where to start.
“A lot of people don’t know what to do in a gym and that’s just the problem right now,” Berona said. “People aren’t reaching out and are just in this barrel that they become unhappy, depressed, overweight whatever it is they just feel trapped.”
For Dustin, it was a friend who came to the rescue and motivated him to change his life.
“Last year,” Cabral said. ” I told my friend that I couldn’t go to six flags never been since like 2009 because I was too big for the rides and he was like were gonna get that done and we started working out”
Doctors recommend thirty minutes of exercise per day, but based on the individual, it can depend. However, exercise is not the only tool you need to lose weight. Weight loss is 75% diet and 25% exercise.
Fresno State dietitian Erika Ireland stresses the important eating is in healthy living.
“Diet to me, is everything,” said Ireland “You see that there’s quotes out there that food is medicine, but honestly everything we do and put in our mouth can affect our body.”
The USDA Center for Nutrition and Policy says that healthy living starts with small changes.
They say focusing on your fruits, Mix up your veggies and making half your grains, whole grain. Another tip is try changing to low fat and fat-free dairy while also vary up your proteins. Another key would be making smart decisions with your saturated fats, sodium, and sugars and not consume too much.
Dustin also attributes eating right to why he has been so successful.
“You can go to the gym anytime, that’s only going to make you stronger,” said Cabral. “But if you want to start cutting the fat you got to start with what you’re eating.”
Even something small as cutting out soda can help change your health drastically, but thats just some food for thought.