Exercise???

Anybody else read this article in Time Magazine?

Well I did and let me just tell you it made me pretty angry. If you took the time to read it and you're struggling with a weight problem you'll probably think, "Yeah this is exactly how I feel."

Do not buy this crap. These are just excuses and a perfect example of how one study gets blown up to show that not exercising is good for you. I wish they would have shown the studies of people who lose weight by diet alone vs. diet and exercise and how long they keep it off. Our society is just lazy and looking for an excuse to not have to exercise.

If you really want to know how I feel I'll tell you. Stop making excuses for yourself and why you're not healthy. It's not genetics, exercise, or your metabolism. We are trying to analyze this and make it extremely difficult. News flash it's not. Stop eating so much food and get moving. I do agree that when you work out it's easy to think that you deserve a treat and to blow the calories you burned, but this is not an excuse to stop working out.

Wanting to lose weight? It's not as hard as we make it out to be. Stop trying to make it such a huge battle. Exercise period. Every day preferably. Be more active in general. Stop sitting on the couch and at the office. Eat healthy. Write down what you're eating. Increase fruits, veggies, whole grains, and cut back processed junk food. Cut back your calories. Don't indulge on everything, but still allow for treats. Make it a lifestyle change. It's not a one time thing. It's a way of life.

And stop pointing the finger at everyone else except for yourself. If it took you ten years to gain the weight it's going to take some time to get rid of it. Be patient and work hard. There is no quick fix, but it is possible.

p.s. If you're asking yourself what does Kim know about losing weight? She's never had to struggle? Correction I have. Freshman year of college I packed on weight and at my heaviest I was 175. I'm now around 140-145 so that's 30 pounds. I've done it too!

Are pets good for your health?

I'm a dog owner and I absolutely love it. Gunner is such a great little friend and he brightens my day in so many ways. He's always full of affection and loves even if I've had a rough day or I'm upset about something. He plays with me and loves to follow me around the house and check on what I'm doing. Right now as I'm typing this up he is napping at my feet. What a special little friend he is to me and I never realized the bond a person can have with an animal until I got my very own. This has got me thinking recently about the pet/human connection.
There are so many positive things about being a pet owner. I was very excited to share some of the things I found out...
According to the CDC pets are good for cardiovascular health. Owning a pet can lower your blood pressure, your cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
Studies have also found that pet owners are more likely than people without pets to survive after hospitalization for a heart attack, and that owning a pet lowers anxiety and decreases feelings of loneliness and depression.
Pets also keep their owners fit from walks and chasing them around the house. Owning a pet increases the opportunities for outdoor activities and more exercise. (I know Mike and I like to do certain things outside so we can take Gunner along.)
A pet can give their owner a sense of meaning and purpose, companionship, and protection. This is especially great for empty nesters or older people who feel a void after a loved one passes away or all of their kids have moved away from home.
Take home message...if you're thinking about getting a pet find the one that is best for you and for your lifestyle. (The last thing we need is an impulse buy and more pets in animal shelters.) But hopefully after reading this article you wont just think of pets as annoyances that potty where they shouldn't and leave messes. They will become your best friend and along the way help you become a little more healthy without you even having to lift a finger.

An interesting new study...

There's a new study that suggests the the way you think can lead you to a healthier lifestyle. It's called "Directed Thinking" and this is something I've always believed in so I was so excited to find research that it's been tested.

A group of 61 inactive college students were asked to think about ideas that fell into either "actions" or "reasons." Some of the students were asked to think and list reasons to increase cardiovascular performance and the other students were asked to list actions needed to do more cardio.

For eight weeks those that brought to mind the list of actions had an increase in their exercise routines whereas the group that thought of the reasons to workout didn't have an increase in their time spent exercising.

The mind has a greater impact on our body than we might think. I believe when you think of reasons to exercise we all probably think to be healthy, to lose weight, to feel good. These are all great things, but sometimes this can feel overwhelming especially if you are out of shape. By thinking of the actions such as join a gym, get a workout buddy, buy a new workout video, etc. These things motivate you to action. They get you moving. Instead of just thinking about the goal you break it down into what you can do.

Take home message: Don't underestimate the power of the mind. If you tell yourself over and over again working out is hard, you don't have time, you can't do it...it's very likely you're not going to. Use that brain power to your advantage and think of some ways to take action on your fitness goals and get moving!

Weight Watchers vs. Fitness Centers

Which one is better you might ask yourself? I found a great study recently that tested weight watchers against the gym. What was the result? Well their were actually pros and cons to both. They found that people on Weight Watchers (WW) lost more weight, but they actually lost quite a bit of actual lean body mass. Lean body mass or muscle is not a good thing to lose because it increases your metabolism and helps you to burn more calories throughout the day. A pro however is that WW participants were more likely to stick with the program and didn't drop out in comparison to people who were involved in a fitness center. Almost half of the people who start an exercise program on their own will quit within six months. The pros of the gym goers was that they increased muscle and lost more stomach fat (which is a huge plus in reducing health problems), but they didn't lose as many pounds overall in comparison to the WW group.

Take home message: I'd like to think one over the other is not necessarily better, but a combination of the two. You can't lose weight without exercising and you can't exercise and lose weight if you're not tuning into you calorie intake and cutting back. Also it is extremely helpful to set up a support system. With a program like WW you have weekly weigh ins and a group of people to lean on. Apply this to your personal weight loss journey even if you're not a member of WW. Start a program with a friend or find someone to be accountable to. By combining the best of both programs you will be more likely to succeed at reaching your goal.

Pancakes for Breakfast...Count me in!!!

There was a study released June 17th that is helping to show the importance of eating breakfast and actually that by taking it to the next level and consuming about 600 calories for breakfast you can lose more weight. It's called the Big Breakfast Diet. When I first heard about this my initial thoughts were pancakes, sausage, bacon, etc. It's just another gimmick diet and there's no way this can work. But after doing a little research I liked some of the things I saw.

They had two groups on separate diets. One group followed a low calorie/low carb diet and the other group was on the low calorie/big breakfast diet. Here's the overall breakdown:

Low Carb Group

about 1000 total calories with 290 calories for breakfast

Big Breakfast Group

about 1200 total calories and 610 for breakfast

What were the results? After the first 4 months the low-carb diet had an average weight loss of 28 pounds while the big breakfast diet group lost an average of 23 pounds. It was after eight months, however, that the true benefits of a big breakfast diet became apparent. After eight months the low-carb dieters had regained 18 pounds. The big breakfast diet group continued to lose weight, losing another 16.5 pounds on average.

This is a substantial difference worth talking about. I always encourage my clients to really think about breakfast and make sure they get in a solid meal to start the day. One of my philosophies is eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. This way you are tapering off the food as your body is winding down and you're not consuming extra calories that you don't need.

Take home message, evaluate what you're doing for breakfast and 600 calories might seem a little high for some, but 350 should be doable and your body and metabolism will thank you later for it.

(sample 600 calorie breakfast would be: 1 slice whole grain toast, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 cup milk, 1 cup orange juice, 1/2 banana, and 1 hard boiled egg)