Staying In Shape Doesn't Have To Hurt

America is one of the most overweight, most out of shape countries on earth. And in a way that's good, we have the highest standard of living, abundant food and lot's of leisure time (not as much as people in Europe, but that's another article). Unfortunately this high standard of living also leads to most Americans being the most sedentary creatures on the planet, which also put's us at number one for heart disease, diabetes and obesity, along with a whole host of other deadly, yet wholly preventable maladies.

What I want to do with this blog is educate you about exercise and nutrition, while dispelling many of the myths that surround weight loss and healthy living. Saving you, time, money and disappointment along the way.

Because it really is true that staying in shape doesn't have to hurt, it's simpler than you might expect.



Let's Talk Food

You love to eat right? Yeah, me too! And like everyone I sometimes over do it, and that's ok, it happens to all of us. Quite frankly, no one short of a Buddhist monk or Spartan warrior can maintain 100% discipline 100% of the time. The trick is to not fall off the wagon and just lay there, but to get back up and keep going when you do. You also have to change the way you think about food. Learn to feed your body, not your mouth.

When I was competing in Bodybuilding and dieting for a contest, what I ate and when I ate it was just as important if not more so than actually training with weights and doing cardio. During one phase of my pre-contest diet I would be up at 7 am running or riding the lifecycle and my first meal of the day was a large piece of tuna and brown rice. That's not very breakfast now is it? No, but I knew that I needed the 30+ grams of low fat protein and carbs to start my day right- I was feeding my body, not my mouth. Food can have an almost drug like effect on your body if you know what you are doing. Once you get your mind around this concept it is much easier to eat healthier and wiser without feeling deprived or cheated.

So throw out all these fad diets such as Atkins and the like. Eating healthy in moderate proportions and eating more often through the day is the right way to go about losing weight while not feeling run down or tired- feeling run down and tired all the time is a sure way to get anyone to chuck the whole idea and go back to the unhealthy habits that caused them to gain weight in the first place.

You don't have to kill yourself to look better and feel better, you only need a little willpower, prior planning and common sense. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it almost always is.

In my next post we will discuss training and exercise to start burning off those pounds, and as we progress look for links to resources for equipment, recipes and a way you can contact me directly to address your specific questions.

You can look forward to all that as well as product reviews, insight and busting the myths about weight loss and exercise.