Fantastic video. The average American watches 5 hours of tv every DAY…compared to that, 30 minutes of daily movement seems rather attainable.

NYTimes: “Brown Fat, Triggered by Cold or Exercise, May Yield a Key to Weight Control”

…so if brown fat burns calories when it is triggered by cold or exercise…then exercising IN the cold is the solution to the obesity epidemic! boom. you’re welcome.

(might be a tough sell, seeing as we can’t even get people to exercise in the comfort of a gym, or when the weather is WARM)

please…walk awayyy from the juice…

be honest-are you using the holidays as an excuse? this year, resolve to get back on track BEFORE the new year. Ready…set…go!

The 20 Most Overrated Nutritional Supplements

I love debunking this crap. Seriously, it’s all crap, save your money and EAT FOOD.

New study hot off the press from Darius Mozaffarian et al at Harvard. This study followed over 120,000 subjects for 12 to 20 years to see who gained weight and what behaviors were associated. We know the average adult gains about 1 pound per year, and this study suggests that long term weight gain may be more related to the TYPES of foods we eat rather than the simplistic “calories in, calories out” answer. Here’s what they found:

Foods associated with the greatest weight GAIN:

• potato chips (for each one increased daily serving, +1.69 lb more weight gain every 4 years)
• potatoes in general (+1.28 lbs)
• sugar sweetened beverages (+1.0 lb)
• unprocessed red meats (+.95 lb)
• processed meats (+.93 lb)

Foods associated with PREVENTING weight gain:

• yogurt (for each one increased daily serving, .82 lb fewer added pounds every 4 years)
• nuts (-.57 lb)
• fruits (-.49 lb)
• whole grains (-.37 lb)
• vegetables (-.22 lb)

Other significant associations:

• those who exercised more gained nearly 2 lbs less every 4 years than those who exercised least
• each increased alchoholic drink per day = +.4 lbs
• each increased hour per day of tv watching = +.32 lbs
• sleeping less than 6 hours or more than 8 hours was associated with weight gain

Hmmm…I’m thinking some yogurt with nuts and fruit is sounding like a pretty good breakfast.

Here’s the Washington Post summary of the study:

Potatoes bad, nuts good for staying slim, Harvard study finds

Really interesting study—more research is coming out lately that simply NOT SITTING is extremely beneficial to health. We’ve known for a few years that people who move more throughout the day (things that count: taking the stairs a few times, talking a stroll to the grocery store, taking 30 minutes to cook your own dinner, even fidgeting) tend to weigh less. This current study shows that these activities ALSO improve cardiorespiratory fitness level—and we aren’t talking about people who are working out at the gym. Previously, it was thought that you had to get your heart rate above a certain level in order to see gains in VO2max. So start wearing comfier shoes to work, and take as many trips as you can to the water cooler that is farthest from your desk!!

Personal proof: three weeks ago my brother started walking a few days a week about 2 miles from his house in Arlington, VA to his job at Georgetown University instead of driving every day. He has already lost 8 pounds. In his words: “bam!”

Article from the NYTimes “Well” blog on 2/28/11:

Go Easy on Yourself, a New Wave of Research Urges

Brief excerpts from the above article:

“Do you treat yourself as well as you treat your friends and family?

That simple question is the basis for a burgeoning new area of psychological research called self-compassion — how kindly people view themselves. People who find it easy to be supportive and understanding to others, it turns out, often score surprisingly low on self-compassion tests, berating themselves for perceived failures like being overweight or not exercising.

The research suggests that giving ourselves a break and accepting our imperfections may be the first step toward better health. People who score high on tests of self-compassion have less depression and anxiety, and tend to be happier and more optimistic. Preliminary data suggest that self-compassion can even influence how much we eat and may help some people lose weight…

…”Self-compassion is the missing ingredient in every diet and weight-loss plan,” said Jean Fain, a psychotherapist and teaching associate at Harvard Medical School…“Most plans revolve around self-discipline, deprivation and neglect.” “

my comments:

This article in the New York Times “Well” blog resonated strongly with me. As a personal trainer, I could not agree more with what this new research is finding. If I have found one common thread among my clients who have successfully lost weight compared with those who haven’t, it is this: those that lose have come to terms with themselves, their bodies, food, and exercise. They are facing everything head on, with a clear, open mind—and they aren’t STRESSING about it. Yes, it is a challenge, yes, sacrifices are made—but when setbacks occur, they don’t berate themselves, feel guilty, or avoid it. They own up to it, and then they move on. If they had a motto, it would be this: Today is a new day.

There are various “styles” of personal trainers. The one that most readily comes to mind is the Jillian Michaels, Biggest Loser brand: screaming, in your face, no holding back, hardass. This trainer WANTS you to cry, because it makes good tv. In real life, this is the worst way to be treated. Trainers, and whoever else is part of your support system, should make you feel better about yourself, no matter what. You slept in and missed a spin class? No worries. There’s still the rest of the day, and guess what—it’s getting warmer out, so you can go for a 45 minute walk after work. You had a friend come to town and you went out and ate something called “Death by Chocolate”? Sounds amazing. It’s probably well on its way through your small intestine by now, so let’s clear the slate and start anew—make plans to swing by the farmers market this weekend, see if there’s any new and unusual veggies to experiment with. This is your life—figure out what makes YOU happy and makes YOU feel good, and even if that involves Death by Chocolate, I guarantee you will have more success with your goals than ever before. Seriously, who cares what ab workout Jennifer Aniston does—unless you also have the means to hire her personal chef and celebrity fitness trainer, and you would like to take on a slew of paparazzi analyzing your body at every second, it isn’t going to work for you.

If you are frustrated that you can’t seem to find your groove with fitness and eating well, try this exercise: make a list of the things you would rather do besides exercise (you can’t say “anything!!”). We’ll use “watch tv” as an example, because that is a common one. Now think about how you feel after a marathon of Project Runway. Empowered? Fulfilled? Energized? meh. (The bag of tortilla chips you ate probably isn’t helping the cause.) Now, think about how you feel after a long walk, a fitness class, or a gym workout. Probably pretty good, body AND mind. So, next time you are planning your evening or weekend activities, ask yourself “How am I going to feel afterwards?” If the answer at all involves the word “GUILTY”, come up with a new plan, stat.