The ability to take it easy is something you earn

If you sat around and did absolutely no physical activity, how quickly would it affect your fitness level? Most people would correctly say, “A whole bunch, Darryl.” Thank you for playing. Now, tell me specifically how quickly and how severely your fitness level would suffer?

You can stop saying “um”. I have some answers.

First, if you are a gold medal winning, Olympic athlete who trains for 20 years, you would think you have bought yourself some anti-fatty insurance. Sorry. Studies of this group show that if they stop all physical activity in their later years, they are at the same risk as other mortals. Enjoy your medal—and your bypass surgery.

Second, it happens quickly. People who perform high intensity activity start to lose their gains in strength and endurance in a matter of weeks (about 10-12% in the first month). This includes 20-somethings who have been training hard their entire life. This is your body’s reaction to you telling it that you don’t “need this stuff” anymore.

Third, loss in proficiency, strength and endurance can be maintained relatively well with a tapered, maintenance program. You will not stay at the top of the summit, but you will remain close to the top of the mountain. Since you enjoyed this view before, I suggest you try staying there.

Exercising at a moderate level as little as once per week has been shown to maintain most of the strength and endurance gains you have worked hard to achieve. However, that is the catch: you have to get into great shape FIRST. You have to earn the right to keep your gains with less work.

No shortcut. Sorry.

Keep one more thing in mind: this does not mean you get to eat the same. Michael Phelps famously brags about his caloric intake that exceeds 12,000 calories a day when he is training. That is not a typo. That is what his body needs to fuel that level of performance. When he lowers his level of effort one day, I hope he divides that number by six and devotes himself to maintenance programs. Otherwise, he is going to start looking less like a swimmer and more like something you see while you are swimming.

But, it’s just a mini cupcake

Back in 2008, the New York City Board of Health started requiring all food establishments with more than 15 locations to start prominently listing calorie counts on all food items for all the world to see. I am quite sure the next morning, many waiters and cashiers were a bit tired of hearing people scream, “WHAT? How many is in that?!?” the day after  the curtain came up.

Interestingly enough, it did not have the effect they had hoped for. A study conducted a year later concluded that while it made people more aware what they were eating, it did not change what they chose to buy.

In fact, it seems that people are more price elastic than calorie elastic (almost a pun, but not quite). People, especially those in lower income classes, tend to decide what’s for lunch based on their wallet instead of their daily grease quota .

Food establishments saw this as an opportunity: what if we made the portions smaller and charged more for the “low calorie” option? The per calorie profit goes up. This was the genesis of the “mini-cupcake” you see in the display case at Starbucks.

However, just because you can place this cute little thing  in your mouth with two fingers instead of cramming it in with your whole hand does not make it a good option. Check out the facts: it is 190 calories and looks like it is about 10 feet away even when you hold it in your palm. You really need to decide if that is worth 10% of your daily caloric intake.

Chomp. Chomp. Gone.

There goes a tenth of the food you get to have today. No thanks. In case you were wondering, chomp chomp gone equals 25-30 minutes of work on a stationary bike.

Foods like this are calorie dense. It is OK for a treat every once and a while, but do not fool yourself that they are a better choice because they are “cute”.

Thinking about taking a day off?

This vet can’t.

I saw this at my gym yesterday at almost the exact moment I was deciding whether or not I was too tired to do some cardio after a heavy weight lifting workout.

I did an extra 30 minutes. So can you.