Input vs. Output

First, a little disclaimer: I am not a doctor or nutritionist, nor have I ever received any formal training in any areas that relate to what is stated below. This post is simply a reflection of my opinion of what I’ve observed and in should no way be considered valid medical advice or utilized as possible treatment for any medical symptoms or conditions. That said…

At lunch today my coworkers and I were talking a bit about diet, mostly because I’m on one and have lost almost 20 pounds in the last month. Someone brought up that there was a report in the local paper lately that basically said that increasing exercise alone without changing dietary habits will not generate weight loss. They listed a couple of reasons for this, but the main cause was that if workload increases, appetite generally increases as well. Seems right to me as the body seeks balance.

I see it like this. It’s a matter of Input vs. Output. The more we put into our bodies, the more we have to work (generate output) to achieve balance. If we work less than we consume, then we gain weight. If we work more than we consume, then we lose weight. It really is rather simple.

Of course, there is also a quality factor to consider. If our 2000 calories of intake come from lousy sources, then our ability to generate output can be hindered. Bad food makes us lazy and unhealthy. High quality, natural, unprocessed, non-manufactured food not only makes us healthier, but can increase the efficiency of our output.

I also think this carries over into other aspects of total health. On a basic level, all forms of stimulation can be considered input. Everything we sense is input to our physical and mental being. If we don’t have sufficient outputs for the various types of inputs we receive, then we’re knocked out of balance and suffer from stress or overload or burnout. In severe cases this can manifest in disorders like ADD or depression.

So, to bring down the weight and bring up the health, we need to break old habits and adopt high-quality forms of input matched with meaningful and efficient outputs.