Want to feel relaxed more often? Go for a run.

My favorite, most brilliant therapist I know, Renee Branson, wrote a great article on her attempt to relax over the weekend by running through barbed wire, fire and mud. This was not an audition for a Mad Max sequel. She was a contestant in the Warrior Dash: an arduous, 3.5 mile race through the woods with obstacles galore. I am sure she is still sore and cleaning mud out of her car. And, she is more relaxed.

Her article talked about the importance of managing the stress hormone, cortisol, that is part of everyone’s lives. It is a necessary, life preserving hormone. When a bear appears in your campground, it is what allows your fat little butt to run a five-minute mile. However, it takes a toll on the body. No free lunch, folks. You have heard that many times from me before.

Cortisol is a steroid. Like other steroids, it can produce a benefit from inhibiting certain body responses, but it comes with a cost. Increased cortisol levels are associated with lowered immune system efficiency, decreased libido and accumulation of belly fat. Lovely. By the way, you may have noticed that cortisone, as in cortisone injections, sounds very similar. And, it has similar effects.

Our daily lives are filled with stress. Unexpected stress that we are not used to handling makes our bodies start pumping cortisol into the bloodstream by the shovelful. However, after we become accustomed to stress that is part of our routine, cortisol production is decreased. That is why an military pilot can handle the stress of landing on an aircraft carrier at night (over and over and over again), which is something that would make most people paralyzed with fear.

Research has also shown the same to be true with exercise. I found a great article that addressed this on livestrong.com. Cortisol levels will be elevated in response to new stress on the body. The first time you attempt a 3 mile run, you can expect a hormone party. Once you can easily do 8 miles, the shorter run has almost no effect on producing cortisol.

Interestingly, the benefits from managing cortisol production through exercise seems to have an effect on keeping hormone levels lower during times of emotional upheaval.

Rest when your body needs it. However, your mind may need to go for a run.

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.

Taking a week off isn’t so bad

I am currently on the plane returning from vacation in Ireland. It is the first full week off work I have taken in quite some time. It is also the first time I have not worked out for six days since I probably was about 14 years old.

I had the best of intentions. I brought five days worth of workout clothes, running shoes and exercise DVDs. I set my alarm. I even took it easy some nights (not many) and came home from the pubs at a reasonable hour.

However, after a couple of days, my body actually felt a little better than it did last week when I was sometimes exercising twice a day. I’m not exactly at my best, but I think with a few days of getting back into my routine, I will be better than before.

The mind needs a rest from routine sometimes. The body needs a break from the abuse. And, its nice to know you can turn the discipline/intensity off and then back on again.

That’s the true sign of dedication as opposed to obsession. So, give yourself a break every now and then. Just don’t do it TOO often.

More tips and tricks for the gym

I decided that it was time for a sequel to my post on 10 Things You Could Be Doing Better at the Gym. I am not guaranteeing that the sequel is better than the original.

Here are some other workout nuggets you may find useful. They include terminology, training tips and general pontifications by me on workout philosophy.

1. Weightlifting gear is for cheaters. That may be harsh, but any equipment you wear makes the exercise easier. Belts, straps, wraps and the like all lessen the stress on the body. If you are injured, use them temporarily until you recover. However, overusing them when you are healthy can make your joints weaker and more prone to injury since they are always being “coddled”.
2. Weightlifting gloves are the exception to the above. Most people don’t want bricklayer hands (like mine).
3. More or less. Ladies, when lifting weights, use 10% more resistance than you think you can. Guys, use 10% less. That is just a general observation from 25 years of training…
4. It’s not a book club. You cannot use a resistance machine and read a book at the same time. If you can, you are not working out hard enough. I see this all the time at the gym (especially on the leg extension machine for some reason). Hardcore runners would argue the same thing about a treadmill, but I will leave that up to you.
5. Ab/Add. People mix up what their abductors and adductors do, which is important when the exercise plan tells you to use that machine. There is an easy way to remember. Abductors (muscles on the outer thigh) move your legs outwards. Think of the prefix “ab-“ denoting going away (as in a “king abdicates his throne”). Adductors (inner thighs) bring your legs together like you were “adding” them together.
6. Muscle belly. Doing too much or too heavy of abdominal work can make your abs protrude. It’s a muscle, and that’s what happens when you train your core really hard. Yes, your abs, too. Take a look at any Olympic weightlifter if you need proof. Please don’t make me get into a discussion of how it is impossible to lose fat in one area of your body by exercising that area a lot.Take a look at any typist with pudgy hands for proof of that.
7. Pause, then eat. Don’t chow down everything in sight after a workout. It is natural for you to be famished afterwards, and, thus, overeat. Wait 15-20 minutes after your workout to have a light snack. This should be rich in protein if you lifted weights or rich in carbohydrates if you did endurance/cardio work.
8. Let go. When you are using a cardio machine, you should be able to raise your arms over your head and maintain the same pace for 30 seconds. If you can’t, you are leaning or holding onto the machine to maintain your speed. That means the machine is doing the work—not you.
9. Keep those shoulders down. When doing bicep curls, push your tongue against your bottom teeth. This inhibits your ability to hunch your shoulders and hurt your neck.
10. Train what you can’t see in a mirror. People tend to work on the front of their body---chest, biceps, quads. However, if you don’t pay attention what you can’t see, you can end up with imbalances that can lead to injury. For every exercise you do in the front (e.g., bench press), make sure you do one in the back (e.g., lat pulldowns).
11. Calf work. Basic anatomy lesson: if you are doing standing calf raises, you are using your gastrocnemius (the one you can see). If you are doing seated calf raises, you are working the soleus (underneath the gastrocnemius). Where these muscles attach to different spots on the leg makes them almost impossible to work at the same time on a machine. That is why you need to do both.

The nutrition cheat sheet

It takes years and years of schooling to become a registered dietician. I am not one—not even close. However, there are some basic tips and tricks I can share with you that I have picked up over the years that you can use to make sure the food you are ingesting is healthier, leads to greater physical performance and helps maintain an appropriate body weight for your frame.

1. Stick to the walls in the grocery store. Think about what lines the walls of a typical supermarket: fruits, vegetables, milk, seafood, fresh cuts of meat and bread (whole wheat, please). The nasty, processed stuff all tends to be in the middle aisles of the store. Fill your cart with items from the perimeter, and you will have a healthier fridge and cupboard.
2. Look for “radioactive” elements on the label. If you pick up a food that has the words “high fructose corn syrup” on it, throw it out. It is loaded with calories and provides almost no nutritional value. In other words, it is a incredibly effective way of getting fat quickly. You don’t want it.
3. Eat things that spoil quickly. This means that it is natural and free of most preservatives. Yes, you will have to shop more often and monitor the sell by dates. However, fresh food equals good food.
4. Shop for things grown by a _____ farmer. You have heard of a potato, poultry and dairy farmer. You have never, ever heard of a Twinkie farmer because there is no such thing. Shop for foods that are picked off a tree, out of the ground or raised on a farm.
5. Eat foods without multiple “layers”. People add too much to basic food, and they ruin its nutritional value in the process. For example, eating potatoes (single layer) is fine. Eating one with butter, cheese, bacon bits and sour cream on it (5 layers) is not. Try to eat food as close to its natural state as possible. Lemon juice, salt, pepper and other spices do not count as extra layers, but they do add flavor.
6. Measure your portions instead of guessing. How many calories does a 1/2 cup of cooked rice provide? 50? 100? Try 200. When is the last time you consider a half-cup of rice as a serving? Most of us severely underestimate how many calories we are eating due to improper portion control. Get a scale or measuring cup and do your homework.
7. Learn about the law of thermodynamics. Instead of turning to an organic chemistry textbook, just remember that for the most part, weight gain/loss/maintenance is controlled simply by the ratio of calories in versus calories burned. Don’t over think it. Smarter people than us have been researching this for 200 years. Some foods are better and more efficient than others (think of the analogy of premium versus regular gasoline), but don’t let being worried about the details mask the adherence to this basic concept. You eat more calories than you burn whether they are from carbs, proteins or fats, you will gain weight. The opposite also is true.
8. Pretty, flashy packages are hiding something. Ever see a flashy label on a bag of potatoes? How about a box of Cheez-Its? My point exactly.

Think obesity is not an epidemic?

Take a look at this map and let it load for a few seconds.

http://wwwimage.cbsnews.com/images/2010/01/07/image6069005.gif

We will ALL be paying for this one day, especially if there are major changes to the way health care is provided in the United States. Do your part:

1. Take pride in becoming a healthier, more fit person in 2010.
2. Insist your kids exercise and participate in sports. Limit computer and video game time.
3. Make your kids go outside and play. Despite what you hear on the news, there is NOT some rampant kidnapping problem in America.
4. Insist that your company provide wellness benefits as well as incentives to be healthy. Look at other benefits that are NOT used by the majority of employees as potential sources of funding.
5. Ask your company to stop providing free soft drinks (non-diet), candy, Monday morning bagels and other things that lead to day long grazing and weight gain.
6. Stop making excuses.

We all get older, busier, more stressed and burdened taking care of others. Don’t let time push you around. Push back.

Military fitness: is it for you?

I know, I know. Darryl has gone completely off the deep end this year with all of his workout recommendations. Deadlifts, maximum strength testing and now MILITARY style workouts? Isn’t this all a bit much?

Not at all.

The military is very black and white in its approach to the world. It has to be since there are only two types of soldiers, sailors and marines: live ones and dead ones. That may be a harsh statement, but it reflects the harsh reality of serving in our Armed Forces. Thus, they have an incentive to find methods and techniques that actually work instead of being just the hot “new thing” in the industry.

Also, think about the typical person who joins the military. They typically are in their early twenties, but one of the fastest rising demographic groups is the over 35 crowd. They also are not typically Olympic athletes who just have nothing else to do. They are our sons, daughters, friends, neighbors and co-workers. In other words, they are average Americans, just like you and me.

So, the military has spent decades on creating and testing physical fitness routines that give tangible results, use minimal equipment and can be easily understood by the average Joe.

Sounds like they know what they are talking about, and they have designed it just for you. Since you are paying for it with your tax dollars, you might as well take a look.

http://www.military.com/military-fitness/

Modern Man: What a Wimp

I didn't say it. Australian anthropologist Peter McAllister did. He is the author of a book entitled, Manthropology: The Science of the Inadequate Modern Male. Now, before all you ladies start nodding your heads, let me put this in context. He was doing a comparison of our ancestors of the Neanderthal variety. They were physically superior specimens when compared to modern man. Although modern man has dispensed with using their mate's hair as a transportation method, so I think it all equals out.

Why is this the case? The demands placed on our bodies are much lower. Our bones are thinner because there is far less stress placed on them. We are slower since we rarely have to chase things to eat or run from things who want to eat us. Our ancestors all could probably beat Usian Bolt in a footrace without breaking a sweat. In fact, day to day life was probably more stressful of a workout than even the most elite athlete today.

Tens of thousands of years have decayed the performance capacities of our bodies. However, if you are someone who sits in a chair all day and does not bother to make time for exercise, you can see this decay in a matter of weeks. Our bodies are meant to adapt to our environments and the stress we place upon it. If you live like a couch potato, you will eventually become one.

I challenge you to make the most of your "inadequate" status. Make sure you are doing the following:

• Do at least 30 minutes of activity every single day. Some people think that doing moderate activity 3-4 days a week is enough. I think your body is designed to more. Our ancestors did not have the luxury of taking days off.
• Constantly challenge yourself. You must continuously increase the intensity and variety of your workout routines as you become more fit.
• Be aware of the SAID principle. SAID stands for "specific adaptations to imposed demands" and is one of the seven granddaddy laws of fitness. Your body is very efficient and will conform to the lifestyle you choose to live. If the most demanding thing you do is get up from your office chair to get a donut, that is the body you will create for yourself.

If you are feeling inadequate, it may be your body, and your more thoughtful mind, telling you that you are not living up to your potential.

I know exactly how many calories you can eat in a day and not gain weight. Do you?

I would argue that guessing, and erring on the side of easier, is most people’s greatest enemy when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight. People underestimate the size of their food portions, how many calories are in them, and how much extra stuff (butter, dressing, etc.) they put on it.  Many people also overestimate their activity level, how many calories they are burning on the elliptical trainer and how many calories they need to eat in a day.

Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is fat and unhealthy.

It is kind of like not having a speedometer in your car and then wondering why you keep getting speeding tickets. You can moan and groan that you “thought” you were going the right speed. Maybe you might even say, “Well, I don’t care what speed I am going as long as I’m comfortable with it.” Do these arguments sound familiar? The inescapable fact is that you eventually have to face the consequences whether that is Judge Harkins at traffic court or Mr. Love Handles and his sidekick, Diabetes.

Don’t guess; ask the right questions.

Check out these calculators that will help you find out exactly what you need to manage your personal health and wellness regimen. You can even add an application to your Google home page to quickly calculate what you need to do. Some things you might learn:

1. If you know how many calories you can eat, it also lets you know how many you CAN’T eat if you want to lose weight.
2. You may like that elliptical machine, but it comes at a price: you only burn about half the calories as running in the same amount of time.
3. What does it take to lose a pound of body fat? The loss of 3500 calories. Burn it, don’t eat it, whatever. Lose the 3500 or keep the pound.
4. Your genes are influential on how you look and where you store fat. However, except in rare medical cases, everyone can lose their excess body fat. If I put you on a desert island for 45 days with limited food and increased activity to survive, I guarantee that you would lose a tremendous amount of weight.
5. Number 4 evidently does not apply to that one character on the TV show, Lost.

Some people may say this is too complicated Who said this was going to be easy? Has ANYTHING you have ever achieved in your career been easy? What would your response be to a young associate who did not want to complete a project because it was “too complicated”? Remember that look of disdain on your face when you think about skipping over your own planning and preparation.

Fitness still a priority for recession victims

For a great number of people, being laid off (or made redundant for my European friends) is once of the scariest things that could happen to them. The uncertainty of how the bills will be paid and the loss of identity that accompanies one’s career makes this life event one of the top five stressors anyone can endure.

It can also be the best thing to ever happen to you.

Think of your friends and colleagues that became victims of an economic slowdown. What do they do with all of this time? They spend time with their kids. They help their spouse around the house. They tackle all those projects that have been sitting in their ambition’s peripheral vision for months. And, they exercise more than ever.

A recent study shows that memberships at local health clubs are one of the last things that people cut back on when they are financially stressed. People that do not belong to a gym consider joining one. Even those newly liberated individuals who would never set foot in a wellness oriented facility invest more time running, doing yoga or home based activities.

Here are some things to think about if you find yourself with some with extra time on your hands to get fit:

1. You got laid off, not named to the U.S. Olympic team. Please do not go from your 50 hours per week of sedentary office life to trying to run 10 miles every day. This also applies to people who could run 10 miles day at one point of their life. Consult a trainer, start slow, and set a goal of improving 10 percent a week.
2. If you are going to make a change, make a CHANGE. You have a wonderful opportunity to remake your schedule, establish new priorities and make permanent, healthy lifestyle changes. So, don’t go half way. Review your exercise plan, diet, sleeping habits, alcohol intake, vices and addictions and your wellness goals. Do it all now since you will eventually be back into the daily grind.
3. Network with the sweaty. Every person you meet is a potential new route to your next career. OK, maybe not the crazy guy with two tone hair and the weightlifting belt in the free weights area, but you never know. There is a direct correlation between high exercise commitment and education level. There also is a correlation between educated level and successful, working people. Introduce yourself to that person you have seen at the gym every day for the past two years. Repeat often.
4. Make working out part of your job hunting routine. I think it helps people to exercise first and then go straight to a local coffee shop to do a couple of hours of research and contact potential employers. The workout charges you up and puts you in a frame of mind that has been pre-set for accomplishment.
5. Don’t hide in your fitness routine. Just because you have extra time does not mean you should meander around the club for three hours. You should emphasize discipline and intensity. If the workout that used to take you an hour now lasts 90 minutes, you are avoiding the work you need to be doing to take that next step in your career.
6. Have a slap down with your fridge. You are going to be home more than you are used to, and those snacks in the fridge are going to try and become your best friend. You don’t need friends like that, and they should not be hanging around your house. Take the time to get rid of foods that you know are bad for you and replace them with healthier choices.

Setbacks in a career happen to everyone. However, not everyone takes advantage of what you can do to make yourself healthier during a lull in your eventual rise to the top. What you do in the weeks that you have your life all to yourself can change your health for the rest of your life.

Getting weaker a sign your body is trying to help you. Fight it.

What? For many people, that just does not sound right at all. Your body should be constantly trying to better itself, prepare for the next challenge and accumulate life skills to make you an invincible being.

Sorry, your “body” does not read self-help books and attend Anthony Robbins seminars. In reality, your body is constantly shedding things it does not need. This is a self-defense mechanism that you can thank your hairier, less erect ancestors for bestowing upon you.

On the good side, this can be extra fat when you eat less and exercise more. Your cave dwelling relatives did not have Sam’s Club and meat freezers a million years ago, so their bodies would use fat stores to keep themselves going in times of not so plenty.

However, this can be a negative (for today’s alpha male/female) process, too. Consider the following:

1. Losing muscle. If you are not using it, voluntarily or involuntarily, it is a drain on your body. Why would your body keep muscle it does need? It burns more calories, makes you heavier and is completely useless absent regular movement. Hello atrophy.
2. Specific sports and fitness skills. Have you ever gone a couple of years without skiing and then try to hop back on that double diamond? I am sure the people in the ski lift enjoyed the show, but you were probably not so happy with the results. You lost the skills and muscle memory because your body no longer needed them. It focused its resources somewhere else. It comes back fast, but it goes away fast as well.
3. Joint stability. See both of the above items for a continuation of the basic premise. Joints that are not stressed lose their stability since the connective tissues start to atrophy. This leads to an increased risk of injury even though your body is actually being more efficient. However, if you are the one telling it you don’t need the support, you really can’t blame it.

So, you now know your body has a finicky, efficiency expert in charge. You must make sure that when that expert asks you, “Do you still need this?” that you can claim, and demonstrate, that you do.

View from the top

My good friend, Larry Bodine, is a brilliant business development coach and visionary on using the web to increase your exposure. He also happens to be a guy who constantly is looking for new challenges and experiences.

A few months ago, he asked me for some help on being able to do something basic: more  pull ups. We talked for a while, and I gave him some routines that I thought might help. A few weeks later, he let me know that his results improved dramatically. He also was filled with a sense of pride that he continued to improve week after week.

He recently sent me this note from his latest adventure (picture included):

I’ve been hiking a lot lately, and yesterday made it to the peak of Ventana Canyon.  It’s an 8-mile round trip, climbing up 1300 feet to the top, at 4240 feet.  At the end, the “trail” was a pile of rocks. I have a blister on my left foot, a sunburn, sore quadriceps, and a real sense of accomplishment.

Larry Bodine, Esq.
Apollo Business Development

Larry has a son out of college, a very busy consulting practice and is on the road constantly. However, he finds time for his next fitness challenge and accomplishment. Good for you, Larry.

Some people only have a two dimensional view of the world. They read about it in books or see pictures of it on the Internet. Larry has a 3D perspective of the world: he was there. And, the view is better from the top.

The First Lady’s first class arms

Talk about a great role model. The 44 year old first lady of the United States looks like she is 15 years younger. What is the secret to her success?

1. She works out for 90 minutes, 3 times per week
2. She has a personal trainer help her with her program
3. She eats a balanced diet despite being tempted by lavish state dinners
4. Her day starts with exercise as part of a standing routine

Intensity, discipline, consistency and focus. It really isn’t a secret. Read more here.

Teledieting

I know a number of people who have great intentions when they start a new fitness program, but they soon fall off the wagon. This is more pronounced during the weeks of February when New Year’s resolutions lose their influence on people.

There are many reasons for quitting: lack of results, lack of time or even lack of energy. However, I think a big part of it is lack of comfort. I am not talking about being sore. It is a lack of comfort in being the “out of shape” person that doesn’t look like they know what they are doing. It is kind of like going to a singles bar, alone, over and over again, and never meeting Mr. or Miss Right because you don’t have a great opening line. After a while, you just give up.

I know it is hard to get motivated to work out on some days. I have found most of this time that if you can get there, change clothes, and spend just 5 minutes exercising, you will complete your workout. If after 5 minutes you still don’t have it in you, leave.

Some people also hire personal trainers to help them through this initial phase, but you still have to walk through that gym door Perhaps there is a better way. A recent Dutch study showed a significant increase in weight loss success from the simple act of a counselor calling people up and encouraging them to continue. Some people might see this as nagging, but I call it coaching.

If you cannot afford such a service, find a friend who is also trying to improve their fitness level to be your counselor. Talk through your frustrations and make a follow up time to talk AFTER your next session. It will be hard to make that call if you have done nothing.

Need a challenge?

Some people need a goal to get moving. There is a nationwide initiative called The 50 Million Pound Challenge that is encouraging people to join together to lose the weight they want to take off. Whether you have 10 or 100 pounds to lose, experts agree that having a support network is a great tactic to help you stick with your program.

Some of the facts about the seriousness of the obesity problem in the United States are breathtaking:

• Two out of every three adults are considered to be overweight or obese
• 17% of all children in the U.S. are overweight
• Certain groups, such as African Americans, are suffering even more (80% of adult women and 67% of adult men are overweight)

This program is free and provides materials to help you design diet plans, track your progress and keep the weight off. It is sponsored by State Farm Insurance, and I think this validates the program even more. Who has more to gain from your weight loss than a company that provides health and life insurance???

Actually, you do.

Wisdom at the gym

Henoch ("Henry") Frydman just celebrated his 100th birthday in November by hitting his local gym. He has not missed a workout there since 1977, and I don’t think he plans on disrupting his six day per week regimen any time soon. He is an inspiration to those around him, and he certainly is to me.

Henry is not seeking glory, trophies or attention. He just wants to continue to live an active and healthy life despite what the calendar tells him. I think if more people were like him, there would be a whole lot less people in this country who are stuck on their porches wistfully thinking about the vigor of their youth.

You can read more about him here. The lesson is that fitness is a state of mind as well as a sense of commitment. What have you done today that would inspire Henry?

My diet beats your treadmill

I am glad that many of you have joined health clubs or restarted your exercise routine after the New Year. You can almost smell the turkey and cookies melting away in the cardio center of my place. However, if you have not made significant changes to your diet, it might be a wonderful exercise in futility. A recent Loyola study found that despite all of your hard work, you can’t compensate enough for the pounds you pack on from a bad diet. I thought this passage was particularly simple to understand and to the point:

“…researchers from Loyola University Health System and other centers compared African American women in metropolitan Chicago with women in rural Nigeria. On average, the Chicago women weighed 184 pounds and the Nigerian women weighed 127 pounds.

Researchers had expected to find that the slimmer Nigerian women would be more physically active. To their surprise, they found no significant difference…People burn more calories when they exercise. Thing is, they compensate by eating more…

"We would love to say that physical activity has a positive effect on weight control, but that does not appear to be the case," Cooper said.

Diet is a more likely explanation than physical activity expenditure for why Chicago women weigh more than Nigerian women, Luke said. She noted the Nigerian diet is high in fiber and carbohydrates and low in fat and animal protein. By contrast, the Chicago diet is 40 percent to 45 percent fat and high in processed foods…”

The reason is simple math. Let’s assume that you have decided to “get into shape” for good this year. You weigh 160 pounds, and you are going to jog for one hour per day on a treadmill, five days a week. Congratulations! You will burn 2920 calories. However, any ONE of the following combinations will quickly negate your efforts:

One beer per day (7 x 142 = 994) and one Chipotle burrito (1179) in one week.

One order of cheese fries from Outback Steakhouse (2900)

A Grande, White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks every other day (4 x 720 = 2880)

The point is that you cannot ignore your diet. I admire your tenacity at the gym. Keeping up with five days a week on the treadmill, or any other activity, is a noble effort. You will get quickly frustrated from a lack of results from the hurricane level damage that you can do in just a few minutes with a fork in your hand or straw in your mouth.

What should you do?

1. Know what you are eating. I provided the links to the foods I used in the examples above.
2. Make a plan to compensate for days where eating badly cannot be avoided. I do not expect you to miss every Super Bowl party or cocktail event at work, but you need to compensate for it throughout the day by eating lighter and making good choices.
3. Come to grips with reality. There is a limit to how much exercise you can do. There is almost no limit to how much, or how badly, you can eat. If you think your bullheaded will power at the gym will make up for that “love of wine and cheese” issue that you have, think again.

The minefield in the supermarket

A number of people make great resolutions to eat healthier at the start of a new year. One of the ways they do so is to swear off eating out in restaurants and cook more meals at home.

However, you need to realize that the same tricks that restaurants use to make dishes more appealing are used my food manufacturers.

1. Pretty packaging attracts us to one food item over another. However, the most important part of a package is the Nutritional Guidelines box on the back. Ever wonder why it is so plain and standardized on EVERY food item? It is just objective information for your protection.
2. Deceptive “healthy” or “all natural” labels are all the rage. You will see foods labeled as “No Cholesterol!” and think that means healthy. Well, sugar cubes (since they have no animal products in them) are cholesterol free as well, but I do not think you should eat them all day. Likewise, “100% natural” and “organic” labels do not mean a great choice. Take a look at the calories in a large packet of granola the next time you are at a store…
3. Hidden serving sizes are a new way to hide the ugly truth. I picked up a small container of Kung Pao chicken the other day because the label said it was only 380 calories per serving. Too bad there were 5 servings in this tiny package.

Don’t feel duped. Get informed. There is always a healthier, viable choice to most meals. Check out this article from the Today show about the worst supermarket choices. Each has a substitution that may not be as good as the original, but it is better than running an extra 5 miles a day on the treadmill to compensate for 5 minutes worth of pleasure.

Set a monthly reminder

I went to my health club today, and it was packed with people getting started early on their New Year’s resolution to improve their health and wellness. Actually, they probably all just feel guilty about the case or two of cookies, sweets and stuffing they had in the last 8 days. Hey, we all do it---including me. I have been paying for it at the gym, trust me.

However, I know that in early February, the club will clear out again, and the regulars will still be there. If this sounds like it could be you, take a simple step to remind yourself once a month to stick with it.

Subscribe to a health, fitness or wellness magazine. Once a month, it will arrive in your mailbox with a picture or some hard body on the cover. Inside, you will find recipes, routines and tips to get healthier. For less than $15 a year, it is an easy way to get a nudge and a refresher once per month. Here are some of the ones I like:

• Men’s Health
• Men’s Journal
• Shape
• Prevention
• Self

These are just a few examples, and you can find a more comprehensive listing here.

Trash day

I have a simple task for you today, but you are probably not going to like it. There is a conspiracy going on. It is in your cupboard.

There is a bunch of snacks, treats, and goodies that seem very innocent, but they are secretly plotting against you. They want to keep you fat, your energy level low and continue to challenge your self esteem. Too bad you have hands, and they don't.

Open up your cupboards RIGHT NOW and throw out every single thing that should not be in a healthy person's house. These are the excuses I expect to hear (and why I am not listening to them):

1. Yes, food is expensive, but you are successful and can buy more.
2. Yes, everyone deserves a treat now and then. But, you are purging and starting over. Go replace it with healthier alternatives tomorrow.
3. Yes, you can do it later, but you won't. Do it now.
4. Yes, it seems wasteful, so go write a check for $100 to your local food bank to make yourself feel better.
5. Yes, this is extreme, but all change starts with a sudden transformation.

Trust me, you will feel better starting tomorrow.