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!

Do it yourself...

Okay so I love these things. Snacks, treats, crackers, etc. made into these cute little 100 calorie packs so you won't overeat or overindulge. Whoever thought of these things was on the right track because our portions are out of control these days and we all know it's hard to eat only two cookies when the whole bag is sitting there staring at you. (Please tell me I'm not the only one this happens to!)

The only downside...you pay extra for the packaging and in these economic times who wants to pay 2-3 extra dollars when you don't have to. I say do it yourself. This is just a reminder that with a little bit of planning you can make the same thing at home and save lots of money in the process. So next time your at the store pick up some of the snack size Ziploc bags and start portioning out your favorite snacks ahead of time.


ADD MOMENT: Along these lines, if you want to read an interesting study on fast food portions click on this link. It's shocking to see how much extra food we consume now compared to just 20 years ago.

Just get moving...

Did you know that when sitting at a desk typing and doing general office duties you burn on average 112 calories a hour? Compare this to taking a walk at 3.5 mph on a level surface which burns 258 calories per hour. (These figures are based on a 150 pound person. The calories burned will vary depending on a person's weight. The more you weigh the more you'll burn...)

Oftentimes we feel that to be healthy and especially to lose weight we have to do intense vigorous exercise for hours on end. I have really GREAT news! Just get moving. Do anything. I enjoy getting outside because there are so many things you can do jog, walk, bike, garden, hike, fly a kite, throw a frisbee, walk your dog, mow the lawn, fish, ski, etc. Are we getting the point yet?

A study from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention found that more than one-third of U.S. adults-over 72 million people-were obese in 2005-2006. This includes 33.3 percent of men and 35.3 percent of women. I believe there are lots of things contributing to this overwhelming number of people who are obese but inactivity in my opinion is one of the number one contributing factors.

We live in a fast paced society. We drive everywhere even if where we are going is just half a mile away. Most of us have office/desk jobs where we are sitting in front of a computer screen all day and when we get home the last thing we want to do is go to the gym. Fast food is everywhere and quick processed food is what we turn to when we do cook because it is quick and easy. These are just a few of the changes in the last 30-40 years, but what we need to do is recognize them because I'm sure things are going to continue in this same direction into the future.

I WANT TO ISSUE A CHALLENGE. Make a few small changes in your life and they will impact your lifestyle and health in a big way as they add up. You can't change your job and sometimes you might have to head to Wendy's, but you can be as active as possible and cut back on eating so much. Park you car farther away from the entrance at the grocery store or mall, use stairs instead of the elevator, take breaks at work and walk up and down the hall a few times or take a walk during your lunch break, add more fruits and veggies into your diet, cut out soda, or just say no to super sizing your meal.

There are lots of temptations and things that make it hard for us at times to be active, but I also know there are lots of simple changes we can implement into our lives until they become second nature.

Check the website below to find other activities and the calories burned per hour:
http://www.calorie-count.com/