Our episode of Parks and Recreation aired last night on NBC! In case you missed it, you can watch it above. We’re psyched that we got to share our scene (around the 10:40 mark) with DJ Roomba.
The latest reports show that 2/3 of American adults are overweight or obese. As a result, we suffer health problems like diabetes and heart disease. The most common reasons we struggle with our weight:
1. Not doing the right kind of exercising. Exercises that build muscle are critical. Strength training keeps your metabolism going strong.
2. Not doing enough exercise. The body is designed to move, to work. Take the stairs, bend over and pick up trash, pull weeds, climb trees, play tag, make love; whatever you can do to activate your body. Becoming more physically active not only burns calories, it improves energy levels, sleep and mood.
3. Don’t drink soda pop. Eliminate it entirely from you life. In one study, researchers removed only one food item from the subject’s diets. Soda pop was the only removed item that caused weight loss. Avoid anything containing HFCS, High Fructose Corn Syrup. It’s in many prepackaged foods, even some breads.
4. Eating the wrong foods. Avoid sugar and anything made with refined flour. When you want something sweet, eat fruit. Eat a LOT of vegetables but avoid creamy dressings. Eat meat sparingly. Eat whole grain breads and cereals. Eat slowly. Eat with family or friends when possible. Don’t fight at the dinner table; a habit in too many families. Don’t eat in front of the TV, although that’s better than stabbing each other with forks should the conversation heat up.
5. Eating too much. That’s so obvious but everyone needs to know how much is too much. It’s a lot less than most people think. One thing that helps is to use smaller plates and bowls. Here’s a rule of thumb (not the rule that you can’t beat your wife with a stick bigger around than your thumb): Half your meal should be vegetables, a quarter protein and a quarter whole grains or starch (potatoes/pasta/bread).
6. Get enough sleep. The connection between sleeping more and weighing less is well established.
7. Do not go on rigid diets. Very low calorie diets lower one’s metabolism by causing the body to lose muscle, thus gain fat on fewer calories. Low calorie diets don’t work. Diets that eliminate entire categories of foods can lead to vitamin deficiencies. Fast food dining should be avoided. Take pleasure in preparing fresh locally grown foods and eating with friends and family.
Chances are you or someone you know has provided TMI by way of Facebook’s 25 Random Facts About Me. Given that most people don’t actually know every one of their Facebook “friends,” it’s pretty amazing what people will share. Facts like “sometimes my pee smells like Cheerios.” Really???? Thanks for that. Cheerios used to be a part of my healthy breakfast.
Maybe the people who started this chain letter of over-sharing are on to something. Over 5 million posts went up in ONE week! In that spirit, I’ve come up with my own list. 25 things you should know. Hopefully, this one will be informative (but not too informative) and it won’t get you fired or divorced.
1. A kick-ass iPod mix makes exercising a lot more fun. This one was voted on by 1000 readers of Self Magazine. This one is totally awesome too!
2. You can make happy hour healthier by adding anti-oxidant rich fresh fruit or fruit juice to your cocktail. And limiting your intake to two. Better for your health and it will prevent you from over sharing. Or kissing that married guy in the next cubicle. Again.
3. According to the American Journal of Public Health, woman who are happy with their appearance regardless of their weight, are sick 30% less often than those pining away for an unrealistically skinny body. Focus on how you feel, not how you look. Looking like a celebrity is a full time job. So unless you can quit your’s and pay some guy in spandex to tell you what to do all day, it’s time to surrender the fantasy.
4. A dog is a great motivator. A puppy will not let you be lazy. You will walk every day. Walking is a great way to start exercising. And you’ll walk. A lot. Whether you want to or not. And sometimes at night. In the middle of the night. Anyway, you won’t be lazy. Ever.
5. Looking up at a television while running on a treadmill shifts your weight making it harder to run. Load up an iPod with kick ass tunes instead. Listening to music while running can help distract you from how tired you are. Most people exercise 15% longer when they are listening to music.
6. Tanning and tanning beds can cause skin cancer, but the Journal Cancer found that aesthetic issues were scarier for most people. Fear of wrinkles and brown spots reduce tanning bed use by about 35%. Kind of troubling that people are more worried about their looks than the big C. Whatever works I guess. Embrace your pale already people! Orange isn’t pretty.
7. Your running shoes need to be replaced every 350-500 miles. Treat yourself to a new pair.
8. Not enjoying your workout? Try something new. Biking is a great workout. Need a bike? Visit Kona Africa Bikes. For every 2 bikes sold, one is donated to a health care worker in Africa. It will be used to carry supplies to HIV/AIDS patients.
9. You can join FitFiend.com for free. Post questions, browse products and network with other people who are talking about fitness. Finally, you can use your computer for something other than stalking your ex.
10. Pressed for time? Try Crossfit. It takes less than 20 minutes. Your workout is their warmup… not for the faint of heart.
11. Remember how your mother always told you to sit still and quit fidgeting? Well, you probably didn’t listen to her then and you shouldn’t now. A study by the Mayo Clinic found that lean people spent up to two hours a day fidgeting…. you can burn up to 350 calories a day with that shaky foot that is driving everyone around you nuts.
12. Sun exposure and lack of antioxidants can contribute to macular degeneration. Up your intake of antioxidant rich foods like leafy greens, pomegranates and oranges.
13. Kissing is good for you! Who knew? It can help prevent tooth decay and aging and even burns some calories. Now maybe overdoing #2 won’t be all bad.
14. You should be eating several times a day. An apple, yogurt… something small & healthy. Not only will it keep you from becoming so hungry that you pig out at dinner, but it also keeps your metabolism at a higher rate.
15. You probably know that organic produce is healthier for you and the planet, but maybe you can’t always afford the higher prices. A good rule of thumb if you want to save money is to skip organic for anything that you peel like an orange or banana. Organic is much more important for things like greens or apples.
16. Eating just 20 almonds a day may cut the risk of lung cancer by 53%, in both smokers and nonsmokers. How easy is that?
17. Catechins, an antioxidant found in tea, may help increase fat burn. Green and white tea contain the most. Another reason to give up that $6 drink from Starbucks that has more calories than you need in a whole day. Mocha-chocha-latte-no-no :(
18. One of the best ways to increase your metabolism is by working your lower body. Your legs and butt have a big muscle mass and working this mass increases energy, raising your metabolism post-workout. So, stop saving for that butt implant and get moving!
19. Want to get in shape and do a good deed? Sign up for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer today. Money raised goes to the uninsured and under-insured for screenings and treatment. It also helps fund research.
20. Marijuana is being used to treat anxiety. Sounds a lot better than the multitude of side effects that come along with pharmaceutical “cures.” Of course, I’m not encouraging you to do anything illegal ;)
21. Your body is made up of 60 to 70% water. Water helps regulate your body temperature, transports oxygen throughout your body, removes waste and cushions your joints. To get an idea how much you should be drinking, divide your body weight in half. That number is the number of ounces you should be consuming. Add 8 more ounces for every 20 minutes of activity. And if you drink alcohol, drink at least the same amount of water. And, no, the ice in your cocktail doesn’t count.
22. Do you keep telling yourself, “I’ll start that new workout program soon” or “I’ll start eating better next week?” You could have “Someday Syndrome.” The name is a little silly, but the tips for getting past it are clever and totally doable.
23. One of the best things you can do for yourself at work is to bring your own lunch. Sandwiches and salads (dressing on the side) travel pretty well. And you can avoid the mid-day drive through run and the late afternoon vending machine assault.
24. Soda is terrible for you. Even diet soda. I’ll have the double bacon cheese burger, large fry and diet soda. C’mon, who are you kidding? You should be drinking water, but if that isn’t strong enough for you, here are some healthier alternatives.
25. Sometimes it’s important to give yourself a break. Don’t push too hard. Which is what I’m doing with this lame excuse for a 25th Random Thing.
I used to go to the gym… I went almost every day for a year or two. First during the day and then at night. During the day, the personal trainers “trained” the Hooters Girls (yes, my gym had actual Hooters Girls), and the serious body builders glared at anyone who dared enter the freeweight area. Groups of young girls in $200 sneakers and way more makeup than I wore at my wedding giggled and gossiped in the cardio areas. I stuck to the perimeter, did my own thing and got the hell out of there. Kind of like high school.
Eventually I switched to nights because I thought it would be less crowded. It was, but it wasn’t any better. In fact, it got worse. Enter the night shift, a group of young men who showed up every night without fail. I’m not sure what these guys were doing at the gym, but it was definitely not to work out. Swear to God they were dressed in street clothes, a la Night at the Roxbury, and sporting enough cologne for a football team. OMG WTF!!!?! These spiky haired clones looked ready to troll the nearest meat market for easy prey. Ok, so they did use a few of the machines (mainly the ones I wanted to use!), but not for working out. Instead they sat on machines making what I can only guess were booty calls. After about a week, I decided to call it quits. That’s how I became a drop out. I’m happy to say that it hasn’t taken much to continue my workouts at home. Just some hand weights, good music and a pair of sneakers. Now my workout doesn’t feel so much like work.
I started out wanting to write a blog post about great workouts and got totally distracted by these workout video gems…….enjoy!
This is Greer Childers doing a very odd face workout. She was another 80’s wonder. Just wow.
Jazzercise was hot in 1982. This is Judi Sheppard and friends putting the last nail in the coffin for this 80s workout trend…..”Boogie to the Music.”
The Poodle workout…those dog heads are real! This video was made by Nagi Noda for the 2004 Athens Olympics. It’s really weird and sort of scary. And by “sort of” I mean someone put this person in an institution.
Bas Rutten…..OMG, this guy is crazy! If you follow his advise, you’re sure to end up in prison. Seriously though, this guy does have legit workouts and has quite the following. He’s into martial arts, kickboxing and a undefeated UFC heavyweight champion. I even heard that he Whupped Batman’s Ass.
Alex Astilean previews the world’s first manually operated, outdoor treadmill. Doesn’t this kind of defeat the purpose of running outside?
Chair Dancing Around the World with Jodi Stolove. The paper plates….great resistance for the upper body.
Take the “work out of your workout” with Hawaii Chair. Yeah right….like it’s possible to type and pick up the phone while using this thing. This seems like the kind of chair that would lead to an HR problem…
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