Promoting Exercise is Great, But....

It is great to promote exercise. The problem is, we are promoting other habits as well. It isn't enough to add the positive. We have to eliminate the negative.

Success Story: From 300+ Teen "Fatso" to Fit College Guy.

I love "Success Stories," they help keep me motivated. Here is one quoted from CNN:

(CNN) -- When Jamil Macias looked down at his new sports uniform, he felt embarrassed by the size on his tag -- he knew it was the largest one on his middle-school baseball team. Still, Macias' friends called him a giant "teddy bear," and he had gotten used to being one of the bigger kids.

But by seventh grade, his lifestyle was changing dramatically because of his weight. After years of team sports, he started looking for excuses to skip practice and games. As his interest dwindled, he chose to drop out altogether -- first from baseball, then, soccer and finally basketball. From then on, the gain accelerated. As a junior in high school, he weighed more than 300 pounds.

While his peers were trying out the latest Abercrombie & Fitch fads, he was trying to find pants large enough to fit his 44-inch waist.

"I felt a little bit isolated from society," he said. "After school, people would get ready for sports practices, and I would go home and do homework."

Yet it wasn't until Macias vacationed in Hawaii at age 17 that he really grasped the reality of his size.

While looking at the digital photos from the trip -- initially intending to show them to friends -- he was shocked by his appearance.

"I never took very many pictures of myself," he said. "When I looked at them, I was too embarrassed to post them online. ... I (thought), 'Whoa, this is what I look like?' "

And soon after, during a routine physical, the doctor's scale showed 313 pounds.
That number, and the Hawaii photos, convinced him that he had to change.

But resolving to lose weight was nothing new -- on previous visits, his doctor had talked to him about going on a diet or getting a referral for a dietitian. Throughout high school, he'd sporadically headed to the gym, aware of his expanding size, except the habit never stuck.
But now he had motivation. Macias went home that night and began exercising in his garage to avoid being seen at a gym.

Unfortunately his third session on the elliptical ended badly; the strain of his weight broke the machine almost in half and landed him on the floor. His family wasn't there to witness it, but he felt humiliated when he thought about going inside to face them.

"I was really embarrassed because I had never thought in my mind that I would be big enough to break an exercise machine," he said.

So he began to work out by walking at night. After the disastrous session with the elliptical, he was careful to keep a cover between himself and any potential stares.It was on one of his first evening jogs that Macias specifically remembers feeling hurt as teenagers in a truck drove by and called him, "Fatty."

"Stuff like that wasn't common, but it did happen," he said. "I used that as a motivator to keep going -- I wasn't going to let something like that stop me."

Macias pushed himself further each night, progressing from walking to running, in addition to eliminating fast food and replacing processed, sugary foods with fruits and vegetables. His family -- especially his mother -- was supportive, keeping track of the number of pounds lost right along with him.

"I did the research on my own," he said. "I never followed a specific diet or book. ... I explored other (food) options that I knew were better substitutes."

He starts out breakfast with protein-rich dairy, such as cottage cheese and yogurt. Lunch and dinner always include salad and vegetables in addition to an entrée that's high in protein.

"I didn't have a set amount of how much I wanted to lose -- I just wanted to keep going until I felt good about myself," he said.

After about three years, Macias had dropped nearly 130 pounds and weighed in at 185 in September 2010. "I felt really good," he said. "It took me awhile to really understand my body and know what I can do to it, change it, help it grow and become stronger."

Moving forward

Every day of the week at 5:30 a.m., Macias, now 22, wakes up to hit the gym, usually running for about half an hour on the treadmill and then lifting weights.

Since graduating from college in April, Macias has gained 10 pounds of weight from training to build up muscle. He ran a half marathon in February and is training to run another in August.
"We can all make time to exercise," he said. "You have to stay motivated and positive and pretty much eliminate the excuses."

Besides his physical appearance, Macias said, his lifestyle changes have affected how he interacts with people.During high school, he would have described himself as reclusive -- shy and unengaged.But thanks to a healthier lifestyle, Macias said he feels a higher self-esteem and -- if placed in a group -- would immediately identify himself as the leader, filled with confidence he once lacked.

"That was really the theme that kept me going -- I wanted to be more engaged in life, and I knew that (losing weight) would help me do it," he said.

Why America is Fat: An Infographic

Here is a neat graphic that is worth a closer look or a place on the wall close to your treadmill.

Walk-in Bathtubs: Not Just for Fat People Anymore?

Walk-in bathtubs are marketed to people who can't get in and out of a regular bathtub, because of weight or joint conditions. But some of them look really cool, almost like sitting in a car. I can envission a large screen TV and bath time being transformed into a drive-in movie experience.

You don't have to be obese to enjoy these. So, lose those pounds and enjoy your walk-in tub as a bit of excessive bathroom luxury.

Is it really the olive oil?

Is this really true?

"...people who used a lot of olive oil had a 41 percent lower risk of stroke than those who never touched the stuff."

The results of a study of 7,000 people in France seem to show that olive oil helps a LOT in avoiding heart problems.

But, my question is this: If wealthy, trendy, health conscious people eat more olive oil than poor, non-health fad following, health negligent people, how can you tell if it is the olive oil or the other factors that are making the difference?

Well, true or not, maybe using olive oil wouldn't hurt. Even if it doesn't, you might feel good about doing something positive for your health and that positive attitude could be the plus that extends your life. Sometimes things that don't work, work anyway due to the workings of our complex and intriguing mind.

What women notice at first...about other women.

According to a study of 2,000 women, the first thing a women notices about another woman is her weight. The other things on the list are interesting too.

It might be a shallow to exercise and lose weight based on this motivation, but if it gets the job done, you will be a healthier shallow person with more years in your life to work on getting deeper.

The Dukan diet: Simplify, Adapt or Abandon?

What is the appeal, besides the ordinary promise of quick weight loss, in the new "Dukan" Diet?" In spite of health warnings and odd side effects, such as "bad breath and fatigue," its popularity is growing.

I think the attraction is in the variety and the complexity. A lot of diets are simple, but boring, and are abandoned before giving the results they are capable of producing. The complexity engages the mind and provides a script to follow, making the dieter conscious of exactly what is being eaten. This is not for me. I would rather read a book than think about my food.

I like simplicity myself. If you want to try the diet, you can "uncomplexify" it and save your money. It is basically just a low-carb, hi (low fat) protein diet, with a bunch of oat-bran and water tossed in. So, just eat low-carb meals and have a Fiber-One or similar oat bran bar for a between meal snack and keep hydrated.

Why make things complex when you don't need too? There is no good reason, except maybe to fill the pages of a new diet book and have something to sell. Save yourself some money. You can do this yourself.

Consumer Reports Rates the Diets. Who Won, Lost?

Dr. Jennifer Ashton gives a video interview about the results of the Consumer Reports rating for the big name diets for effectiveness. There are some surprises. Take a look:

7 Myths about Caffine

Are you annoyed by people who try to change your coffee drinking habits? I know I am. Well here is a good article debunking a lot of the myths believed in and touted by your well meaning, but sadly misinformed friends.

Can a Big Rubber Band Make Your Big Stomach Smaller?

A good article came out recently about "gastric bands." The concept is simple: Make your stomach smaller so you will eat less and lose weight. The sounds nice. Unfortunately, it often only succeeds in making your wallet smaller. It can also reduce your muscle mass along with any fat loss. Overall, your health suffers. At best, you lose some weight, but it comes at the expense of your health, strength, and your money.

A more likely outcome is that the weight drops for a period and then creeps back up. After you just spent time and money in the hospital, this can be devastating. after all, if a medical procedure can't help you, what's left?

Maybe you should take a long walk and think about it. If you take a long enough walk, often enough, you just might walk yourself right out of the problem all together.

"Eat an apple on going to bed, and you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread,"


This is an older version of our more familiar proverb "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." It first appeared in print in 1866. Today, in 2011, we are still reading about the health benefits of apples. A new study shows they can lower cholesterol and provide some weight loss. The numbers are not big numbers, but something as simple as adding an apple or two a day to your diet definitely pays a health dividend.

Not only does it bring you a health benefit, but when it comes time to share your secrets of success, you can be a little smug about showing how tapping into the age old wisdom of your ancestors made a difference in your circumference.





Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20053114-10391704.html#ixzz1JLzK6Kf6

Somethings shouldn't be done in public...

This is how I think I look running around the neighborhood. I think if I had a treadmill I just might put in a few more miles every day. Even if I did the same amount as before, I would deprive my neighbors an opportunity a snicker at my expense.

Horizon Fitness T101 Treadmill

More Evidence of Coffee Helping People with Diabetes

Does Coffee Protect Against Type 2 Diabetes?  

Clay Wirestone
Feb 19, 2011

Folks who need that morning cup of coffee to get going may be protecting themselves from type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. UCLA researchers wrote in the journal Diabetes last month that drinking four cups of coffee a day reduced women's chance of developing type 2 by a bit less than half. What's more, the scientists point to a specific reason why all that java has a beneficial effect: a protein known as sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). Scientists have suspected for some time that SHBG was connected to diabetes development.

What about those coffee jitters? Folks hoping to cut their risk through this method may have to endure them. (Who knows? They may learn to love them.)

"Consumption of decaffeinated coffee was not significantly associated with SHBG levels, nor diabetes risk," said the study's lead author, Atsushi Goto of the University of California, Los Angeles. "So you probably have to go for the octane."

This isn't the first study looking at diabetes and coffee consumption. Past work has produced conflicting results, so you may want to weigh the data before mainlining Starbucks.

An Archives of Internal Medicine paper from 2006 showed that women who drank decaffeinated coffee had the most protection from type 2 diabetes (they were 22 percent less likely to develop it). Those who drank the regular stuff also received some protection, the earlier study said, but not as much.

Other studies have cast doubt on coffee itself, suggesting that the beveragemakes it harder for the body to break down sugar.

The UCLA study looked at 359 postmenopausal women with new cases of type 2 diabetes and compared them with 359 women who didn't have the disease but were otherwise similar. In addition to the researchers from UCLA, scientists from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School contributed to the study.

Your Health on Coffee: 7 Facts To Change Your Perception

“Coffee Reduces Your Risk of Diabetes”

7 facts about Coffee - 3 good, 4 bad. But the good might outweigh the bad depending on your situation. Read the link and ponder your coffee addiction. Is it time to give it up or ask for a refill?

— Your Health on Coffee: 7 Facts To Change Your Perception - Planet Green

Breakfast On A Stick

The “breakfast on a stick” idea sounds fun, but I thinks they’ve got the food in the wrong order.

I am afraid just saving time by making food faster is making us all fatter and more prone to diabetes. It is time to slow down a bit and put more time into breakfast.

"Sugar, Sugar" for students with a sense of humor, or just desperate to pass the test.

Remember the “Sugar, Sugar” song? Well, here is comic version medical and chemistry students might find useful before that big exam.

Stealth Health + 7 ideas to get you started

The “Stealth Health” movement is dedicated to sneaking healthy habits into our daily living. It is easier than you might think.

“You can infuse your life with the power of prevention incrementally and fairly painlessly, and yes, doing something, no matter how small, is infinitely better for you than doing nothing,” says David Katz, MD, MPH, director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center and of the Yale Preventive Medicine Center. Katz is also co-author of the book Stealth Health: How to Sneak Age-Defying, Disease-Fighting Habits into Your Life without Really Trying.

From your morning shower to the evening news, from your work commute to your household chores, Katz says, there are at least 2,400 ways to sneak healthy activities into daily living.

“If you let yourself make small changes, they will add up to meaningful changes in the quality of your diet, your physical activity pattern, your capacity to deal with stress, and in your sleep quality — and those four things comprise an enormously powerful health promotion that can change your life,” says Katz.

And yes, he says, a nap on the couch can be a health-giving opportunity — particularly if you aren’t getting enough sleep at night.  Sleep is so important that being rested gives you energy to do so much more.

Nutritionist and diabetes educator Fran Grossman, RD, CDE, agrees. “You don’t have to belong to a gym or live on wheat grass just to be healthy,” says Grossman, a nutrition counselor at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York. “There are dozens of small things you can do every day that make a difference, and you don’t always have to do a lot to gain a lot.”

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7 Sneaky Ideas. Here are some from my personal list:

1 While brushing my teeth: I put one leg on the toilet and stretch,.

2. Shaving: Stand on toes.

3. Watching TV: I do 500-800 steps while watching the first half of “The Biggest Loser" and rest during the 2nd half of the show.

4. At the Mall: do 1 or 2 laps without stopping before entering any stores..

5. I alternate sitting and standing activities so I can keep working longer longer without stopping. ex: 1. Do a 800 step exercise. 2. Answer e-mails, pay bills. 3. Go to Mall: do two laps and then shop.  4.return home: Study, grade papers….etc.

6. Take the stairs whenever possible. Park in the parking garage and take the stairs to the level I want.

7. Walk up escalators instead of riding them.

Got any ideas of your own? Please list a few.

Lose fat-lose the diabetes: 50 Fat Burning Tips from CBS News

CBS Health has a very good "50 tips" articles for burning off that extra fat in 2011. The article is presented in "gallery view" which I find annoying, but the information is good and you can learn a few new things there. I like number #38, which fits in with my strategy of eating smaller, but more frequent meals:

"#38 Stop Gorging" Your body can only handle so much food at a time, so stick to 600 calories or less per meal to maximize fat-burning, says Leslie Cooper, co-author of Flip the Switch: Proven Strategies to Fuel Your Metabolism and Burn Fat

2 glasses of water before meals = 14.5 Lbs a year weight loss...big deal or big yawn?

14.5 lbs a year seems to be a very boring rate of weight loss...but on the other hand, water is free, good for you and 14.5 pounds a year can get you to your ideal weight eventually without changing very much else in your life.

I don't see a lot of people adding a 2 glass per meal water habit to their daily routine. It seems such a "tame" method. Now, if the article mentioned adding green tea to your diet with ginseng and honey, etc., a few converts might be expected. Perhaps this is why articles abound concerning the health benefits of coffee, tea, soups and certain juices. It may be just the simple act of taking in more water every day is making people healthier.


I believe I will try and add some more of that green tea to my diet. I especially like the mango flavor. I don't mind adding more water if I can spice it up a little.

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The CNN Health report highlights these facts: 

"Dr. Brenda Davy, associate professor of human nutrition, foods and exercise at Virginia Tech, presented  a study at last year's obesity conference in Phoenix, Arizona, showing that people who drank two glasses of water 20 to 30 minutes before every meal lost weight more quickly initially and lost significantly more weight than those who didn't.

In another study by Davy and her group, published last year in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, she found that people who drank water before meals ate an average of 75 fewer calories at that meal. This may not seem like much, but if you ate 75 fewer calories at lunch and dinner for the next year, you could lose about 14½ pounds! In addition, being even 1 percent dehydrated can cause a significant drop in metabolism, which can also interfere with weight loss."

Can Exercise Makes You Smarter? Science Daily says "Yes"

What ever happened to the stereotypic dumb jock? He might be smarter than you thought.


 A  study presented to the Radiological Society of North America this year contained these interesting points: People who walked between 5-6 miles a week had greater brain volume and a slower rate of memory loss as they aged when compared to people who did not walk as often or as much.