Eat Slow Walk Fast

Weight Loss Success Stories Without The Hype

2012-05-31T19:00:00.000-04:00

It can be quite difficult to muddle through all the hype and marketing messages when trying to get good quality information about weight loss. After all its a $42 billion plus industry where a plethora of product manufacturers and service providers resort to every possible tactic to hawk their wares with almost everyone of them claiming fantastic results in a short period of time. While some programs are legitimate, many are not...but they all claim to be the best!

If you are struggling to lose weight, you will want to run from the commercial sector as fast as possible (exercise is healthy you know) and search out sources of good quality weight loss information that is based on real life success, not on product marketing messages.

A great place to gather this kind of data is the National Weight Control Registry. Established in 1994 by Rena Wing, Ph.D. from Brown Medical School, and James O. Hill, Ph.D. from the University of Colorado, it's the largest prospective investigation of long-term successful weight loss maintenance. Given the prevailing belief that few individuals succeed at long-term weight loss, the NWCR was developed to identify and investigate the characteristics of individuals who have succeeded at long-term weight loss.

Currently, the NWCR is tracking over 10,000 individuals who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off for long periods of time. Detailed questionnaires and annual follow-up surveys are used to examine the behavioral and psychological characteristics of weight maintainers, as well as the strategies they use to maintaining their weight losses.

You can see some of the data collected by the NWCR here on my website, in fact it pretty much describes my methods for successfully losing and keeping off the weight. Before you embark on any program, read some of the success stories and study the data to see what the real facts are instead of being swayed by sales hype.

Too Much Weight? - You Are What You Eat

2012-05-10T13:00:00.000-04:00

The best weight loss stories (in my opinion) are the ones where ordinary people do it their way without anything extreme. Lots of lessons that can be learned and applied to creating a program that works for YOU.

Lisa Jones of Wilmington, NC is a perfect example. In a Star News article by Mike Voorheis, she is profiled for her 30 pound weight loss. What I found particularly interesting was a comment by one of her fitness instructors: "...what your body looks like is 70 percent what you eat and only 30 percent how you exercise." That was a turning point for Lisa, as she had been focused on exercise, but not food, and as a result had been unsuccessful losing weight...up till that crucial turning point.

It's a great weight loss story worth reading and illustrates the key theme I continuously try to drive home: weight management is all about lifestyle management, you have to balance what goes in with what goes out (via exercise) to be successful.

Gastric Bypass Surgery - Is It Really A Magic Pill For Weight Loss?

2012-05-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

I have a friend who underwent Gastric Bypass Surgery several years ago and successfully shed a huge amount of weight, as expected, during the first year following the procedure. In the months that followed things begin to level off - again, as expected - and for awhile he was able to maintain that new level of reduced fat. But then he begin to experience a small but consistent increase in pounds, until he has now reached a point where is looking into a different form of bariatric surgery - The Lap Band. He is quick to defend his situation by claiming that the Gastric Bypass procedure didn't really work... right!

What didn't work was him following the post-surgery guidelines for keeping the weight off. The reality is that he treated the whole thing as a "Magic Pill" meaning he was going to do as little as possible to support the process. He still eats horribly and continues to shovel in as much food as he can, which is gradually stretching out his stomach, which in turn allows him to consume more food - you can see where that cycle is going. And if you mention exercise...wow, that's like two 4 letter words joined at the hip.

Bottom line, this individual was given a second chance and blew it because he didn't want to change his bad habits and engage in a healthier lifestyle that would allow him to maintain his initial weight loss from the surgery. Turns out this is not as uncommon as it might seem, as ABC News found out in a story they did on the subject of weight gain after gastric bypass surgery.

One of the things that I incorporated into my weight loss was the post-surgery lifestyle plan that goes with Bariatric Surgery. Using the basis of that plan alone, without the surgery, helped me drop 70 pounds over 10 months or so with the first 50 in five months, something I covered in my book - Eat Slow Walk Fast. And more importantly, I have kept it off for over five years.

I'm not a Doctor and am not handing out medical advice, but if you are considering the surgery, make sure you understand and can commit to the post-operative lifestyle plan. And if you are 100% sure you can, then consider trying to adopt it before undergoing surgery (unless of course you are in a life-threatening situation) and see how much weight you can drop on your own. Remember that the surgery is a tool to help jump start your efforts, but if you can't use it properly, you may just be wasting your time and money. THERE IS NO MAGIC PILL!

Diets For Weight Loss - I Just Don't Get It

2012-04-28T13:00:00.000-04:00

I came across a study presented by the Cancer Therapy & Research Center concluding that an intermittent low-card diet could be better than a standard low-calorie Mediterranean diet. Ok, I'm already lost cause I don't know what a Mediterranean diet is! So I will try to ignore the specifics and focus on the generalities.

Anyway, all that aside, the report compared three diets:

1. Calorie-restricted diet - 650 calories - with low carbs for 2 days per week.

2. Low Carb diet that allowed unlimited amounts of proteins and healthy fats for 2 days per week.

3. Standard Mediterranean Diet - 1500 calories - every day.

Diets #1 and #2, which are more carb focused beat, beat Diet #3 which was strictly calorie based, in both weight loss and improved insulin resistance. Though the time frame was not given, participants in the low-carb groups lost an average of 9 pounds, while those in the low-calorie group dropped about 5 pounds.

So when you read this do you get a bit confused as to how all this works? I just can't see having to deal and keep up with specific foods on specific days. Plus I can see where you might feel that you have free rein on the off days, which could easily negate the positive effects of the "diet days". Can you sustain that correctly and successfully for the long term?

I really don't like complex and restrictive diet plans, instead preferring EASY! I simply cut way back on how much I eat in conjunction with increased exercise. I still eat most of what I like, though as I lost weight I did start eating better, as my focus expanded to include better health, not just lost pounds. Thus, I am not a fan of diets because they just don't work well in the long term for most people.

Congratulations to those participants in this study who lost weight... but for me, I just don't get it... there really is no need to make something so simple into something so difficult.

Wanna Lose Weight? - Got 20 Minutes?

2012-04-26T19:00:00.000-04:00

Hmmm, that sounds like the opening headline for another one of those weight loss scams getting hurled around the internet and plastered on TV. But not in this case. (Like that is reassuring...) But for real, researchers have found that if you engage in certain patterns of exercise for 20 minutes per day, you can make a significant improvement in your health and lose weight.

In an article by Leslie Barker Garcia this concept is explored in great detail, with the key factor being "how" the 20 minutes is utilized. For example, a leisurely walk for 20 minutes is much better than sitting, whereas a power-walk is better than a casual one. (A power-walk has been proven to burn as much calories as a medium jog.) And of course if you add another element of effort such as steps or hills, you get that much more benefit for the 20 minutes of effort.

The article is worth the read if you are seriously looking to lose weight the right way, which means a lifestyle change that you can live with forever, not a short term approach. But don't get too bogged down in the details when it comes to stuff like interval training. The most important thing to take with you is that "not having the time" is not a reasonable excuse. You can accomplish a lot in a little if you are smart about it.

Oh yeah, start with BABY STEPS! Don't try to do too much too soon or you will give up. Successful weight loss is a gradual thing, and if you can get to the point of losing 2 pounds a week, you are on the right path. It doesn't sound like much until you put it into perspective. If you had started your program a month ago, you could be down 8 pounds by now.

Lose Weight, Live Forever!

2012-04-24T19:00:00.000-04:00

OR NOT... But the headline certainly sounds good and its one of my enduring goals, as I have found that my health has improved 1000% since I got rid of a large amount of fat. Though I have no illusions about living forever, my expectation is that I have increased my chances of living longer. And its not just wishful thinking as data from various Agencies shows that Americans who control their weight through proper diet and exercise really are extended their life.

For example, in my area of the country, Wilmington, NC, estimates released from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation show that men could expect to live 5 years longer in 2009 than they did in 1989. Of course its not just from weight management, but rather a combination of healthy initiatives like quiting smoking, eating better, staying active, etc. To learn more, read this article written by Jim Ware of the Star News.

If you are under 40, you probably don't pay a lot of attention to the concept of getting old and running out of years. But once you pass that mark, your perspective may change greatly as you realize you are probably at the halfway point of your life or maybe past it... depending on your health. This has been a driving force for me!!!!! I cherish every day that I get to feel the sun on my face, breathe in the air around me and enjoy my time with family and friends, but I also hear the clock ticking.

It's kind of like the movie In Time where the people have a time clock built into their wrist and can see it ticking away. Once it hits ZERO they are dead, but they can recharge the clock by buying time credits. As long as they are continuously getting new credits, they are thwarting the inevitable.

So I know very well, that genetics and wayward trucks slamming into my car are factors I have no control over. But for the things I can control, I focus on everyday! And I have made a huge improvement in my health! Key indicators:

Resting Pulse Rate - 41

Blood Pressure - 118/72

Sleep Apnea - GONE

Knee Pain - GONE

Ankle Pain - GONE

Energy - Extreme

Sick Days - Rare

So maybe that is the motivation you need - one more day doing the things you love with the ones you love. Its never too soon to focus on weight loss and health management, but it can easily become too late if you don't pay attention!

Lose Weight And Have Fun Doing It

2012-04-22T13:00:00.000-04:00

Anyone who says that losing weight is a painful experience, doesn't really understood how to lose weight. Yep, it does require exercise - which so many people abhor - but exercise doesn't have to be a horrible experience, because there are plenty of fun options available. I for one, have never set foot in a health club, don't have a home gym, haven't used a personal trainer, yet I managed to lose 70 pounds. Some secret diet or magic pill? Nope, just a balance between calories in and calories out.

My main exercise of choice has been walking, which grew from a tiring 15 minutes per day, three days per week, to a fast paced 5 miles per day, six to seven days per week. The key is finding great places to walk that have enjoyable views among other things.

And now I have added yet another fun option to my exercise choices - Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP). For the uninformed, SUP involves an over-sized surf board and a long paddle, and of course some water.

I bought my first board, a beginner model, from Imagine Surf several weeks ago. But because I had some minor surgery with a lot of stitches and strict instructions not to get them wet, my wife wouldn't let me go out on the open water with the board. Instead I paddled around my pool when she wasn't looking...

But this week, I finally had the chance to get a real taste of paddleboarding. I launched under the drawbridge at Wrightsville Beach, NC and headed up the waterway to Lee's Cut. A mile later, against the wind and tide I finally made it to the Salisbury Street bridge. Then it was time to turn around and enjoy some extra speed courtesy of flowing with Mother Nature instead of against. On the return route I steered over some shoals, where the water was only 1 to 2 feet. It was so clear you could see the bottom, where there was a variety of sea life such as crabs and small fish flitting about. At one point I startled a sizable flounder who quickly broke loose from his perch on the bottom and glided away to find a more secluded spot.

It was great ride, very peaceful with just the sounds of the gulls, and the paddle breaking the water. And of course, the views were fantastic. And even better, with all the arm action, it was definitely a calorie burning experience! In fact, when I went for speed, I could feel a lot of muscle action in my legs as well.

So I realize this is not a sport for everyone and it does require equipment and location, but it's a great example of making weight loss fun and enjoyable, so that you look forward to your exercise regime rather than dreading (and avoiding) it.

If you haven't been successful with weight loss, its probably because you are approaching it entirely wrong!

Drunk Diet? Now Thats A New Twist

2012-04-06T13:00:00.000-04:00

Diets come in all shapes and sizes, and I never cease to be amazed at the angles that pop up on a daily basis. But this one really takes the cake... keg... The Drunk Diet: How I Lost 40 Pounds...Drunk, A Memoir By Luc Carl.

(It sounds like a subject for my other website - The Ultimate Margarita)

The title certainly caught my eye, and a brief review suggests that there is a lot more to the book than a bunch of drinking stories. Which is a good thing, cause I'm not quite sure where alcohol fits into the picture, unless you are in to "splurge and purge". But really it seems like a fun read which is just the angle a lot of people need to get started down the weight loss path, the same approach I took with my book Eat Slow Walk Fast.

For the record, I lost 70 pounds without getting wasted, but I will say that I still drank what I wanted, when I wanted. Yes, margaritas tend to be high in calories, but I can find ways to fit them in without going too crazy. You certainly can't alter your lifestyle so drastically that you hate your life and that point seems to be made in the The Drunk Diet book as well.

Of course, that also is why I don't believe in diets, as they usually can't be sustained for any significant amount of time... such as THE REST OF YOR LIFE, because that is the only way you will manage your weight.

But what the heck, grab a cold beer and check out yet another angle for busting some pounds...

Got Rid Of Those 10 Pesky Pounds!

2012-03-31T11:00:00.000-04:00

So about 5 weeks ago I made mention that I had picked up 10 pounds over the winter, something I do every year cause I have a tendency to slack off on exercise (I'm an outdoor power-walker) and ramp up on the margarita and TV Time. Such is life - I pay close attention to my body and manage any slight gains (I consider 10 pounds to be a minor nuisance) pretty well.

Lest you think I am bragging, I am not! But since I did manage to lose 70 pounds totally on my own without any crazy diets, gym memberships or paid programs, I am quite confident in my abilities to manage my weight long-term and now that I am approaching 6 years of success I have a pretty good handle on the ins and outs of weight management, at least in terms of MY body.

Well anyway, I made some minor adjustments... actually I simply got back into my normal daily routines and started dropping an average of 2 pounds per week, and am now back where I need to be.

One of the real peculiar things about weight loss is that you reach thresholds pretty quickly where you can't lose any more weight. In other words, the actions that caused me to lose 2 pounds per week don't cause the same amount of decrease indefinitely. Thus, I don't expect to see much more pounds lost now that I am back in my normal routine. This particular balance of food and exercise seems to work fine for getting me to and holding me at a certain level (70 pounds lost) but doesn't take me any further. In order to kill another 10 pounds, I would have to make significant changes to burn off more.

That was one of my early lessons with weight loss. When you hit a plateau, you have to up your game plan in order to move beyond. And eventually one day you will max out again, or at least reach a level that you are comfortable with the balance between effort and results.

And that is why weight management is truly all about sustainable lifestyle change! If you are going to do it, do it right or don't do it at all.

I Used To Look Like You!

2012-03-22T19:00:00.000-04:00

When I'm out putting in my daily power-walks, I usually see quite a few overweight people struggling to get into a walking or running routine. Of course I applaud there efforts for getting off the couch and doing something about that unwanted fat. But here is my dilemma - I want to encourage them to keep up the good work, but am not sure how they would react.

Being that I used to be fat myself and am still a far cry from skinny, I remember that in heavier times, I tended to ignore the state of my body. Yeah, I knew that I needed to lose weight, but since I really couldn't see me as others did (avoided mirrors) it was easy to convince myself that I wasn't really all that overweight. And to reinforce that fact, I tried to blend in to the background in hopes of going unnoticed.

Thus the concept of being acknowleged as being overweight is not something that most fat people welcome. So, if I encourage someone to keep on track with their exercise, someone who is clearly in the obese category, then I am for sure acknowledging their body size, so am I helping or hurting... I don't know?

Me personally, I want anyone and everyone who is seriously trying to lose wieght to know that I too went through that and am always willing to share my story as well as tips and tricks for staying on track. But on the flipside, hearing that from someone several body sizes smaller, may not be more depressing than inspiring.

So what do I do? Speak up or keep my mouth shut? For now, I lean towards the latter... just wonder if that is the wrong thing. If I could just help one person... that would be so awesome.

I still don't think losing weight is all that hard - its the lifestyle change that will kill you... initially!

If You Give A Kid Healthy Food He Will Eat It... Right?

2012-03-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

Seems like every week, there are new "kid oriented" food standards being introduced by the Government. So while the concept of eating better is good, sinply making new rules doesn't do much for making anything happen, except that the Government Adminstrators and Players get to pat themselves on the back.

Simple fact - if people don't like it they won't eat it. And what you like, I might hate! Sure, my parents cooked healthy meals and tried to get me to "eat all my vegetables" but I didn't... cause there were some things I simply didn't like and eating them would make me gag. Thankfully, I didn't get sent to bed without dessert cause I didn't eat all the veggies on my plate, as that would have made me hate them all the worse. But in the grand scheme of things, we must be careful, creative and even a bit tricky when trying to get kids to eat right. And sometimes, despite our best efforts, its not going to happen and here's why.

Beside that fact that all taste buds are not created equal, there are other things that can make different foods repulsive for different people. In my case, I am very sensitive to how something "feels" in my mouth. Mushrooms for example can make me gag. Thus I can't eat them and it has nothing to do with taste. Smell can be a real killer as well, and I am one who has a very powerful nose. I think its because I have such bad vision, that my sense of feel and smell are so strong. And in many cases, just ugly looking food is enough to make someone dump it in the nearest trash receptacle.

So my point is that if we want to make our kids eat better, then we need to craft an approach to make healthy food more appealing, rather than just taking away the bad stuff and slopping on the good. As a kid, the few times I got stuck with a "healthy" school lunch, I chose not to eat... of course, that potentially can lead to weight loss, but starving our children is not a great way to fight childhood obesity.

At the end of the day, the key to weight management is personal responsibility, not the Government stepping in with a bunch of rules and regulations to modify behavior, when food choice is as much taste, smell, feel and look as it is anything else. Adults and kids alike need to learn (from an early age) that they are responsible for their lives and only they can make the best choices for the best outcomes. Nothing wrong with our Government forcing restaurants, food producers and manufacturers to post calorie levels and food ingredients, as that helps us to make choices, but I have major concerns when they start deciding what is best for us to eat to the point it gets too restrictive. Instead teach people how to count calories and understand how much energy/activity is required to counterbalance against food intake.

I had to learn all of this on my own in order to shed 70 unwanted and unneeded pounds. Would have been nice to have had some really good education on the subject, presented in a clear, conscise and fun manner, so I could have maybe avoided those pounds in the first place. Instead I got trays full of horrible, unappealing foods in the elementary cafeteria line and lectures about the basic food groups...

Ok, done with my soap box... for now.

Healthy Fried Foods?

2012-03-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

When I first started the weight loss thing, I carefully inventoried the range and types of foods I was eating to see what needed to be "modified". As I've said many times before, I knew I wouldn't be successful if I gave up everything I liked and was fully focused on the fact that whatever path I chose in regards to food I would have to maintain for the rest of my life. Thus, I had to seek balance between, the good, the bad and the ugly. Plus, I decided to look beyond just losing weight and also focus on being healthy.

Well, right there on the top of my "everyday" food list was something quite obvious - a bunch of fried foods. Being from the South, it was a normal staple of life - fried chicken, bacon, sausage, french fries, fried fish, fried seafood, even fried vegetables... But everything I was reading said frying was bad. So how do you give it all up - cold turkey? You don't!

Step one is moderation. Cut back on those things that are obviously unhealthy, but don't toss them aside, or the cravings will be so strong that you will probably give in and fail on your mission to lose weight and/or improve your health. And you can gradually decrease consumption over time. For example, I eat very little in the way of fried foods anymore (several years later) but still can't eliminate french fries completely... (TIP: Eat slow like the website says - you will fill up quicker!)

Step two is alternative cooking. As it turns out, with frying its not so much the cooking process as it is the ingredients used in the process. Proven fact: using olive oil or sunflower oil for frying foods is a healthier alternative than using standard vegetable oils and such wonders as "lard". This is a huge key for supporting your weight loss efforts - alternative cooking solutions. Though it's kinda hard to make a bad thing good, you can certainly make not so good things better... with a bit of culinary creativity.

A study published in the British Medical Journal supports the concept of preparing fried foods using healthier alternatives. In the study, 40,000 Spanish adults (I love Spain - didn't see many fat people there either...) age 29 to 69 were followed for an average of 11 years and interviewed about their cooking habits. Long story short, it was found that eating fried foods cooked in olive, sunflower or alternative oils was not associated with incident coronary heart disease, or coronary heart disease events, even after adjusting for factors such as calorie intake, sex, age, body mass index and high blood pressure.

So two key factors for modifying how you eat - moderation and preparation. But don't lose sight of the fact, that you still may be eating unhealthy, even with alternative cooking methods, so always pay attention to the big picture. I'm not sure that bacon will ever fall into the category of healthy eating...

What Is The #1 Single Source Of Calories?

2012-03-17T10:30:00.000-04:00

"Sugar-sweetened beverages are the #1 single source of calories in the American diet and account for about half of all added sugars that people consume." That statement from Rachel Johnson, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association and a nutrition Professor at the University of Vermont should get your attention.

And this is not limited to soft drinks which is usually the assumed culprit when all the finger pointing starts to happen. Energy drinks, sports drinks, sweetened bottled waters, fruit drinks (not 100% fruit juice), coffee, sweetened tea and flavored milks are all included in the category of sugar-sweetened beverages.

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 36 ounces or about 450 calories of sugary beverages per week... so what does that mean? Let's put it into perspective.

Enjoy a cold, rich glass of chocolate milk as a late night pleasure - that's about 200 calories per cup (serving size). Like to start each day with an invigorating espresso drink from your favorite coffee shop? A Starbucks Caffe Mocha is 260 calories.

Prefer a sports drink after a workout? An 8oz serving is 50-100 calories depending on the flavor. Can you buy one that small????

Don't understand why you can't lose weight and/or keep it off? The answers are in your face, or at least on the labels. The key is moderation! No need to give up what you love in order to rid yourself of those unwanted pounds, rather scale back in order to reduce your calorie intake. It is the one of the keys to my success (70 pounds gone for ever 5 years) and it does work!

So... pay attention to what you are putting in your mouth!

The Diet Coke Dilemma

2012-03-17T09:30:00.000-04:00

I have one real addiction in life - Diet Coke. But I guess in the grand scheme of things, that sure beats cigarettes, alcohol and drugs... However, the reality is that a lot of reports peg diet drinks as unhealthy due to the ingredients. Sure they have zero in terms of calories, but plenty of other bad stuff to make up for it. Kind of seems like everything (man made) that fits the description of low calorie, has a bunch of negative elements floating around in the background.

On a positive note, I will attribute Diet Coke as a key factor in my weight loss journey. The day I switched from regular soft drinks to this particular brand, I saw a difference. Of course, I was consuming huge amounts of regular soda on a daily basis at the time, thus it was only natural that I would see a few pounds disappear when going to a zero calorie version.

So I have stuck with Diet Coke religiously (Coke Light when traveling in Europe) for many years, to the point that its just about the only thing I drink... and that is a bad thing.

The first negative is the high level of sodium which is bad on several levels, but from a weight loss perspective, sodium can cause "water retention" which means some potentially unwanted pounds refusing to leave your body. As per my primary care physician, getting rid of soft drinks altogether, even the diet ones, can result in several pounds of retained water being un-retained.

Beyond that there all kinds of "other" chemicals which may not be ideal for your body's needs. Is it dangerous? Most of what I have read (from sources like the Mayo Clinic) says that the dangers of developing cancer from diet soft drinks is overblown and that there probably is very little heath risk from the sweeteners used in production. But that doesn't mean its healthy either. A nice article by Marcelle Pick puts things into perspective quite well. Though its geared to Women, her posting has a lot of great information that applies to guys as well, so give it a quick read if you too are addicted to diet soft drinks.

Ok, so I have decided its time to kick the Diet Coke habit! I'm easily putting down six cans per day (or more). My Doctor has suggested that every other time I have a craving for Diet Coke I reach for a glass of water instead... ICK! I hate water. I wanted to go with Gatorade, but she pointed out that it too has a high level of sodium and since a primary goal is reducing sodium, that switch really wouldn't solve anything... so back to the water thing.

Let me tell you something, every time I have tried to drop Diet Coke in the past, I have failed. For me its harder to switch to water than it was to lose 70 pounds! But I figure that if I can apply myself the same way, I can conquer this too.

So here goes... the beginning of my Diet Coke reduction plan... right here, right now... or maybe tomorrow would be better...

Wish me luck!

Walk It Off Between Flights

2012-03-02T12:30:00.000-05:00

I get so tired of hearing people complain about not having the time to exercise because of their hectic travel schedule. I fly on business almost every week and have turned those trips into great calorie buring experiences. As it turns out, most large airports offer up plenty of intense walking opportunities between (or prior to) flights. Instead of sitting in an overly crowded waiting area, why not pound the pavement between concourses.

Today I am profiling the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, as I fly through there periodically, along with thousands of other people. The layout is almost perfect for power walking, as most of the concourses are "beyond" security, so once you get through, there are no restrictions. But even on the "street side" of security, there is a rather large shopping concourse, which means even if you are waiting on someone to arrive, you can still get some good foot action, with plenty of distractions to boot. (Some people need distraction so as to forget they are doing something healthy...)

If you are in the main terminal building, which houses concourses A, B, C, D you will find a nice wide open walkway that joins all of the individual terminal councourse. (For the record there are two concourses for A and two for B.) For those that are lazy or in a real hurry, there are moving sidewalks, but I avoid them at all costs - the more steps the better.

To get a good perspective on just how much walking you can do, it measures out to about to 5300 steps (down and back) to cover all the A and B concourses (on my pedometer), which with my stride equates to a little bit over two miles.

As another example, I covered the entire distance between Gate A12 and D6 (round trip) which worked out to 7100 steps, about 3.5 miles.

So there you have it - another opportunity to keep on track with your weight loss. Don't look for excuses - find solutions. There is nothing stopping you from exercising everyday, no matter where you are.

Oops - Gained 10 Pounds Now What???

2012-02-25T09:23:00.000-05:00

I know my body pretty well and can feel when a couple of pounds decide to crash my weight loss party and really don't need the scales to confirm it. I'll be honest, in spite of my best efforts to keep those 70 pounds at bay, weight management is something that is always in flux, meaning that its natural to see some pounds come and go, with the operative part of success depending on the "GO" part. Luckily for me, I decided in the beginning to go with a lifestyle change that I could sustain for the rest of my life, thus I don't worry too much when my weight swings up.

Ok, so you might be thinking, that if my weight loss plan is so good, then why am I gaining weight?? Very simple, I slacked off a bit during the winter. In fact, I typically end up doing that every winter. A little less exercise and a little more time in front of TV drinking margaritas. Bottom line, more calories in and less out, which equals - FAT!

I weigh myself every week and could see a slow trickle of increase over the past three months or so. I would just sigh and say "when is it going to warm up outside" as most of my exercise is for outdoor activities, primarily power-walking. I really wasn't too concerned as knocking off pounds isn't all that hard for me - at least not anymore. But now that I have hit the 10 pound mark its time to put away the margarita machine and get focused on getting back into my normal routine. (Thankfully spring came early!!!!)

Let's see - 10 pounds - bet I can kill it in 5 weeks or less without doing anything crazy. I will just simply ramp up the exercise and back off on the high calorie stuff so that I have a net positive burn every day.

My whole point with this discussion is that choosing to establish and live by a weight loss program that you can easily sustain for life is the key to losing pounds and keeping them under control. Yes, you will have some weight varations as well, but as long as you are in control and understand how to make adjustments in your dialy living, you will be fine.

The daily changes that I am going to make are fairly minor, nothing drastic, as my body seems to like that 70 pounds (lost) mark and I know what it takes get back there and stay there - which is actually my normal routine, I just let myself stray during the winter.

Cleaning Up Your Act With A Bit Of Exercise

2012-02-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

Exercise - the word sends shutters down the spines of those who are looking for get-skinny-quick solutions, invoking visions of mind-numbing calisthenics such as sit-ups, chin-ups, push-ups and jumping jacks. Nothing fun, exciting or encouraging about that! But like it or not, exercise is a key ingredient in a successful weight loss strategy, but luckily there are so many options that anyone should be able to find something that fits their needs.

But exercise goes way past just burning calories, and ultimately your goal should be "getting healthy" not just losing weight, as the two go hand-in-hand. As you start shedding pounds (the right way with proper diet and exercise) you will find that your energy levels will climb, age-old aches and pains will start to decrease, (possibly going away altogether) and you will get sick less often. This in turn will give you more incentive to put more effort into your weight loss / get healthy program.

So on the surface, you can literally feel the effects of effective exercise, but interestingly there are a lot of things going on below the surface that you can't see, but which have just as much benefit as the more obvious outward effects.

An article by Gretchen Reynolds (NY Times) looks at research published in the journal Nature. The study, conducted by scientists at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center suggests that exercise speeds the removal of icky stuff (physiological garbage) from the body's cells. Long story short, if the body does not remove such cellular junk on a routine basis, it can cause cells to malfunction or die. Many in the scientific community suspect that this in turn can contribute to the development of a range of illnesses including diabetes, Alzheimer's, cancer and muscular dystrophy.

Though it's still being researched, the initial findings suggest that exercise can have a positive physical effect on attaining improved health.

Thus, you need to find and embrace something that works for you. For me, its 5 miles or more of walking per day. I started out at 15 minutes on a treadmill over 5 years ago and have worked up to where I am today. I can maintain speeds of up to 5 miles per hour for over an hour... but it didn't happen overnight. It may not work for you and that's ok, but you have to find something you can do easily everyday so you don't fall into the chasm of "making excuses not to do it."

Good luck!

Low Calorie Margaritas For The Big Game

2012-02-05T14:00:00.000-05:00

Well its game day and Super Bowl Sunday ranks as the second highest calorie intake day of the year (In the U.S.) right behind Thanksgiving. It's really amazing just how much impact the Super Bowl has on our social lives, as its become more about an excuse for over-indulgence than in celebrating the game itself.

So how will you spend the big day? Eating and/or drinking too much or watching everyone else do it, while miserably crunching on some carrots in a dark corner of the room?

Losing weight doesn't mean giving up everything you love to eat and drink, rather its all about modifying how much goes down your throat combined with modified versions that still have all the taste, but not all the calories.

Take margaritas for example. Definitely a weakness for me! I don't drink to excess, but I do love a good margarita. In fact, I sample and rank margaritas on my other blog - www.theultimatemargarita.com. As it turns out, the average margarita easily has 500 calories or more, so this becomes a serious fat building issue if you aren't careful.

For my part, I focus on balancing daily calorie intake with calorie burn, so I just have to walk a few extra miles every time I drink a margarita! Or just quit drinking margaritas - NOT! On the other hand, I can just make the majority of my margaritas at home - which gives me total control on the ingredients - and focus on creating great taste with less calories.

If that sounds like you, checkout some healthy margaritas recipes and start drinking more with less.

And for those times when you want a great margarita on the road, just counter balance the calorie intake by more exercise or maybe just skip the food and stick with the drinks! There you go, a margarita meal... And drop in on www.theultimatemargarita.com for my latest reviews. By the way, my rankings don't take calories into account! You're on your own with that aspect...

Weight Loss Should Be Enjoyable, Not Painful

2012-01-11T17:00:00.000-05:00

Are you caught up in the New Year's Resolution fad? Gee, I hope not... such a waste. The reality is that if it's worth doing you should start doing it immediately, rather than waiting until some designated starting point.

And what do you think one of the top resolutions is for 2012 or any other year for that matter? Losing weight off course. It's something everyone feels a need to do, but very few actually accomplish. And the more someone fails at something, the more likely they are to avoid it in the future, which translates into: if I don't lose the pounds quickly and easily the first couple of times I try, I'm not going to ever try again.

I've said it a hundred times (as have many others) you have to incorporate a long term (forever) lifestyle change that you can live with, if you are serious about losing weight. Bottom-line if you can't live happily with your program, you won't stick with it and won't be successful. In fact, a successful weight loss plan should actually be enjoyable!

Thus, you must figure out what works for YOU. Beware of some celebrity spokesperson pitching a commercial plan. (Nothing wrong with a LEGITIMATE commercial plan, as long as it fits your lifestyle and delivers the results you need.) And avoid programs that claim quick weight loss, as they are not long term solutions.

For me, as a meat-and-potatoes guy I wasn't about to give up the food I liked, though I knew that most of it wasn't all that healthy. So I made a slow transition into eating much smaller portions and along the way I also started (gradually) eliminating some of the really bad stuff. (Much more info in my book.) Eating slowly was a huge part, as it allowed me to fill up much quicker.

Exercise was also key and I knew that a gym was NOT the right choice for ME. Nothing wrong with a gym if it works for you, it just wasn't my thing. Plus, with all of my travel, a gym certainly wasn't practical as I needed something that could be done anywhere, anytime. That something turned out to be walking. I have progressed from 15 painful minutes per day on a treadmill to 60-90 minutes of enjoyable outdoor power walking. And no matter where my journeys take me, I can find the opportunity to walk - airports are a big favorite.

But it's not about what works for me, but what works for you. Lifestyle is the key ingredient of a successful weight loss program! A great example of this concept was profiled in an article by Abby Ellin that focused on overweight Big Rig Drivers.

When you take a minute to think about it, someone who makes their living driving a truck spends a good part of their life sitting behind the wheel of a vehicle, barreling down the highway. How many calories does that burn? Combine that with a bevy of fast food meals, and you have the makings for an extremely sedentary, overweight human being.

Driver Roy Williams 70 pound weight loss is chronicled in the article, which is a perfect example of making a beneficial lifestyle change. Gone are the days of eating in Truck Stops and guzzling down sugary drinks and snacks, replaced with healthier meal and snack choices. Plus he keeps a fold-up bicycle in the cab of his truck so he can get exercise during rest stops. It's the kind of story that everyone can learn from.

So, for 2012, avoid the hype, the ads, the promises and the pitches, focus on how you can increase your exercise (in a fun way) while decreasing your caloric input. And put an emphasis on making it enjoyable, not painful which will help ensure that you can stick with it forever.

Which Is Better - Running Or Resisting?

2012-01-09T17:00:00.000-05:00

Sounds kind of like a plot from the TV Show Cops, huh? But in this case, I'm talking about pounds, not the police and specifically the pounds that are associated with belly fat. Visceral fat (also called liver fat) is the nasty stuff that's deep within the abdomen, filling the spaces between internal organs. It's considered the worst of the worst and is associated with an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and certain forms of cancer. Thus, it should be a prime target for focusing your fat-busting efforts.

So in choosing an exercise/lifestyle program to target belly fat, which is the best choice - aerobic (running) or resistance (weight training)? For one thing, choosing something you can commit to forever is a prime factor in choosing any program, as there will be no benefit whatsoever you don't stick with it.

But beyond that tidbit, researchers have found that aerobic exercise beats out resistance exercise for reducing that icky belly fat. In addition, it resulted in a significant improvement in terms of heart disease risk factors, liver enzymes and triglyceride levels.

Certainly, resistance training is not a bad thing, as it improves strength and lean body mass, but aerobic exercise burns more calories - 67 percent more.

The eight month study done by Duke University Researchers utilized 196 overweight adults, aged 18 to 70. The participants in the aerobic group did the equivalent of 12 miles of jogging per week at 80 percent maximum heart rate, while those in the resistance group did three sets of eight to 12 repetitions three times per week.

Walk Faster - Live Longer

2012-01-06T17:00:00.000-05:00

I'm already hooked on the benefits of walking, as it has been a key part of my weight loss. I'm now at the point that I shoot for a minimum of 5 miles per day, though on many days I go much further. And over the years my pace has gotten much faster, both with normal everyday walking and focused fitness walking. I can easily sustain a speed of 4.5 mph for 90 minutes without much trouble and I routinely reach the 5.0 mph threshold. And since I can walk anywhere, anytime, I can stick to my plan without too much trouble. End result is 70 pounds lost and kept off for over 5 years.

Without a doubt I have seen and experienced the positive results of walking in terms of weight management. But it turns out there are even more benefits to walking, especially fast walking.

Several recent studies have concluded that faster walking speeds are reliable indicators of longer living. An article in USA Today by Janice Lloyd reveals that the predicted years of remaining life for people age 65 or older increased as gait-speed increased, with the most significant gains coming after the age of 75.

In addition, it was found that predicting longevity based on gait speed was as accurate as predictions based on age, sex, chronic conditions, smoking history, blood pressure, body mass index and hospitalization.

Here is a summary of the information compiled from nine different studies involving 34,000 people:

How fast a person walks is a good predictor of longevity. An 80-year-old man who clocks 1 mph has a 10% probability of reaching 90, while a woman of the same age walking at that pace has a 23% chance. The median life expectancy for the 80-year-old man is four years. For the woman it is seven.

Up that speed to 3.5 mph, and the 80-year-old man has an 84% probability of reaching 90, while a woman would have an 86% chance.That translates to a median life expectancy of 14 years for the man and 17 for the woman.

Ok, so you might be thinking "I'm not anywhere near that age, so why do I care?" Simple answer - it will be here quicker than you think, so it's never too early to start down the path towards better health and fitness. Plus, the later in life you wait to improve your health, the harder it is to do, and if you wait too long, it might be too late...

Whats The Best Diet? - Wrong Question!

2012-01-04T17:00:00.000-05:00

I was chatting with with a Business Associate the other day and we got onto the subject of my weight loss. He was impressed that I had lost 70 pounds and kept it off for over five years and then asked the million dollar question "what's the best diet and which one did you use?" After I finished laughing (in case you didn't know I don't believe in diets...) I launched into a series of questions for him.

ME - "Are you interested in losing weight?"

HIM - "Yes"

ME - "Is your goal short term or long term?"

HIM - "Long term of course."

ME - "Then why are you interested in a diet?"

Wow - you should have seen the look of confusion on his face. This is a very intelligent, business professional who in spite of his incredible brain power, just didn't get it when it came to the subject of weight loss. Much like the rest of the population, he associated losing weight with some form of specialized diet program.

I don't believe in diets (and never used one) for one simple reason - they aren't sustainable. Pay close attention to what I just said! I didn't say you wouldn't lose weight with a diet plan, I'm saying that in almost every case, diets are not something that the average person can live with for the rest of their life.

To be honest, I have not evaluated many of the 14000 diet plans that exist out there, but for sure the majority are focused on a specified set of food restrictions over a given period of time. If strictly adhered to, most of them will deliver what they promise - some form of weight loss.

But what happens when the diet ends? Being that the diet itself was the catalyst for losing weight, once it ends, the weight tends to come back. It's a known fact that most of the people who lose weight gain it back and the reason is very simple - weight loss must be a long term commitment - something you can sustain for the rest of your life. Short term diets simply don't fit the bill... they only deliver short term results.

So my response to anyone who wants to know my secret is that you have to find a good combination of food and exercise that you can live with forever and that ensure that you burn more than you eat. I have tons of information on this website and in my book on the details, so do the research and find something that works for you.

Avoid the hype and ignore the celebrity endorsements - study the successes of average people who successfully lost weight on their own, and then kept it off.

Pass The Salt Please

2012-01-02T17:00:00.000-05:00

Losing weight for the sake of losing weight is a great first step, but ultimately you should be focusing on an all-encompassing plan to improve your health. Certainly, you don't need to overwhelm yourself in the beginning, but as you slowly make progress changing your lifestyle in such a way as to burn off pounds instead of add them on, you should also start taking notes on exactly what all is going into your mouth. Sodium is a great example.

Sodium (salt is the main source) is long associated with contributing to high blood pressure, but it really has a lot more far ranging effects on your body. A recent study found that a diet high in sodium can lead to all kinds of medical issues including heart disease. An even more important aspect of the study was a finding that the ratio of sodium to potassium was even more important, than just the amount of sodium consumed. A comparison of people who had a high sodium-to-potassium ratio versus people who had the opposite ratio, found that those in the first group were nearly 50 percent more likely to die from ANY cause, and more than twice as likely to die from ischemic heart disease. (Results were over a period of 14.8 years)

Considering that 90% of the consumed sodium in the U.S. comes from salt, and 75% of that comes from processed and restaurant foods, it certainly makes a case that what we eat could be killing us. It's already a known fact that those same foods tend to be high in calories, fat and cholesterol, so here is yet another reason that closely controlling what you eat can have a huge impact on not only your weight, but also your health. (Salt added via home cooking only accounts for a minor percentage of the daily sodium intake.)

Another great example of where sodium finds its way into our bodies is soft drinks - even the diet versions. My Doctor told me a few years ago, that consuming a lot of diet soft drinks can lead to water weight gain. Technically its temporary, as the body can flush it out, but if there is a consistent flow coming in, then there tends to be a consistent amount held. This becomes a case for drinking more water (which will flush out the retained water) and less beverages that contain sodium - sports drinks, tea, lemonade, soft drinks, etc.

The same concept applies to all foods, not just soft drinks. Large quantities of sodium from any source can cause water retention which yields extra pounds. (NOTE - Sodium in and of itself is not fattening and does not cause weight gain.)

Reducing your intake of sodium is just another piece of the overall healthy lifestyle puzzle. Focus on "baby-steps". If you are like me, and tend to drink a lot of diet soft drinks, try to gradually switch over to water by substituting water every other time you reach for a beverage. You may never completely kick the soft drink habit, but you can easily reduce your daily intake significantly. In addition focus on staying away from restaurants, especially fast food ones, and preparing more meals at home using fresh natural ingredients where possible. And instead of using salt to enhance the flavor, experiment with herbs and spices that add zest without harmful effects.

So next time someone asks you to "pass the salt" go with a Hail Mary throw, over their head and into the closest trash can. Lose the salt, save a life...

For more information on this subject, read the article by Jane E. Brody of the New York Times News Service.

How Much Wine Is Too Much Wine?

2011-12-31T13:00:00.000-05:00

Whether its a holiday get-together, a gourmet meal or a romantic dinner for two, wine adds a special flair to many of our special occasions. But do you ever stop and ask the question "how much is too much?" In terms of getting behind the wheel of a car, you hopefully pay close attention to your consumption, but what about the calories?

Wine is one of those things that fits the bill of a Calorie Terrorist, meaning that it quietly sneaks up on you and then BAM suddenly you have just downed 600 plus calories without even realizing it. Liquids are notorious for that, as we tend to associate calories with solid foods since you can feel them piling up in your stomach. But at the end of the day, it's what's INSIDE the food rather than the physical makeup of the food that creates weight problems.

Here are some general calorie values associated with wines:

8 oz Glass
Red Wine - 170 calories
Dry White Wine - 170 calories
Rose Wine - 180 calories
Sweet White Wine - 240 calories

If you want more specific information for calories in wine, click here.

The troublesome thing with wine, is that most bottles really don't give you much info in terms of caloric content, thus you don't really know what you are consuming. At least with products like beer (50-200 calories in 16oz) you can find the info on the label.

Liquor is another product that will get you in trouble in terms of calories (and other things as well) as again its a lightweight liquid and the containers rarely tell you anything in terms of calories. Considering that a typical shot runs 50-60 calories, that can add up quick, especially when you are mixing up concoctions that use high calorie accessories such a fruit juices and soft drinks.

So the next time you get ready to uncork that bottle of wine, remember that you may be opening yourself up to an excessive flow of calories.

Low Calorie Sangria For The Party

2011-12-30T17:00:00.000-05:00

When it comes to Party Drinks, you can pretty much count on two things - first, if you drink enough you will get drunk - second, every sip comes at a high cost in terms of calories. Of course if you drink enough, you won't even care about the calories... until the next day. And if you are one of those New Year's resolution kind of people, New Year's EVE is a blank check for doing whatever you want, since you have until the net day to implement your new strategies.

Ok, for all the rest of us, who take notice of calories on a full-time basis, the concept of a low calorie drink option for New Year's Eve has some appeal and Rocco DiSpirito comes through with his Guilt-Free Sangria. Not only is it low calorie, its also alcohol free.

Here is his recipe:

Start to finish: 15 minutes active, plus chilling
Servings: 4

1 cup water
3 bags pomegranate tea (such as Yogi)
3 bags hibiscus and rosehip tea (such as Teekanne)
6 packets stevia sweetener powder
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon aromatic bitters (such as Angostura)
1 1/2 cups fresh cut up fruit (such as citrus, grapes, apples, berries and melon)
5 sprigs fresh mint
2 cups seltzer water

In a small saucepan, bring the 1 cup of water to a simmer. Remove from the heat and add all 6 tea bags. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags, pressing them to extract as much liquid as possible. Stir in the stevia, agave and bitters. Add the fruit and 1 sprig of the mint. Cover and chill 4 to 24 hours.
Fill 4 tumblers with a third of the way with ice, then divide the chilled tea between the glasses. Add 1/2 cup of seltzer water and 1 mint sprig to each cup.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 43 calories; 0 g fat (0 percent calories from fat) (0 g saturated); 0 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrate; 0 g protein; 1 g fiber; 2 mg sodium.

For more information, read his tips on this special concoction.