Best Alcoholic Beverage to drink for Fat Loss in New Orleans

Are you going out with your friends in New Orleans and hitting the bars? With a little planning and foresight you can somewhat avoid this diet disaster, and below i have listed some low calorie alcoholic drinks you should look at.

However, Alcoholic Drinks seem to be always overlooked as a culprit of weight gain…especially when you go out and consume them back to back.

Some Alcoholic Drinks contain just as many unhealthy calories as a McDonalds Hamburger… can you image what eating 4-6 of those in a couple hours will do to encourage some weight gain?

Ok Now onto the list…

Let’s Look at Beer First

The Worst Low Calories Beers.

- Anchor Porter, 209 calories per 12 oz serving

- McEwans Scottish Ale, 295 calories per 12 oz serving

The Best Low Calories Beers

-Pabst Extra Light Low Alcohol, 67 calories per 12 oz serving

-Molson Light, 82 calories per 12 oz serving

-Anheuser Busch Natural Light, 95 calories per 12 oz serving

Now onto the Wine..

The Worst..

-Ruby Port, A staggering 185 calories per 4 oz glass

-Port, 170 calories per 4 oz glass

-Ginger wine, 190 calories per 4 oz glass

-Martini Rosso, 192 calories per 4 oz glass

The Best….

- White Zinfindel, 80 calories per 4 oz glass

-Chardonnays, 90 calories per 4 oz glass

-Dry Red wine, 83 calories per 4 oz glass

-Dry white wine, 77 calories per 4 oz glass

-Champagne, 96 calories per 4 oz glass

As you can see..Wine can be just as bad if making the wrong choices..

Now, let look at the Liquor.

Liquor can be a little tricky because it usually involves making a cocktail which can REALLY pile on the calories…so it’s kind of difficult to get exact number’s but!

The Worst..

-Long Island Ice Tea, packs 780 in calories per drink!

The Best..

-Blody Mary or a Manhattan, usually reach the mid 100’s calories per drink

-The Mojito and Mowscow Mule are anothe 2 that are on the Lower calories spectrum.

In closing If you are planing on drinking on the weekends you better plan ahead because as you can see drinking a couple innocent Long island Ice teas or other Alcholic beverages sure can pack on some extra calories that will put your Fat loss to a halt in New Orleans.

I would recommend that ANYONE that is trying to lose weight anywhere from 8-20+ pounds of wieght should NOT  be consuming  alcohol because It taxes your system and it fights the progress you may be making in any exercise program or Boot Camp in New Orleans.

Let me know what you think, I love to hear your comments

P.S. I recently had one client in My New Orleans Boot Camp who decided to quit drinking for 20 days and dropped a extra 25 pounds on top of the previous 18 pounds from doing the boot camp the month before…She is a VIP boot camper now where she saves 33% off the price of boot camp a month!

She’s on the path to unstoppable Fat Loss…Click here to Get on the VIP New Orleans Boot Camp program!

Don’t Forget..Let me know what you think, I love to hear your comments

New Orleans,Vampires,Eclipse, True Blood and Fitness Tips!

Hey – Jonas here, and I’m about to see the movie “Eclipse” No, I didn’t read the books!

BUT, I love vampire movies, I think they’re Awesome…Especially since a lot of them are shot in New Orleans or in the bayou.

Actually, One of my friends is always Photo-shopping my face into Twilight movie posters because he thinks it’s pretty funny to post them on my face-book profile when I’m sleeping lol! These photos are his handy work! What you think pretty funny right?

I think it would be kind of cool sometimes to be a Vampire or a Werewolf
Btw… Do you watch “True Blood” on HBO?
I LOVE that show too!

Anyway, I wanted to share with you 4 awesome New Orleans vacation fat loss tips since it is summer and that’s when most of us go on vacation!

Tip One: Have a Plan

Vacations are the perfect place to gain weight since it’s the last thing on your mind. Your best line of defense is to keep your fitness goals at the forefront of your mind. Before you leave for your trip sit down and set a goal.

A realistic goal is to maintain your current weight or to lose a pound or two. Get the whole family on board and keep each other accountable throughout the trip.

Tip Two: Make Exercise a Must

So often exercise is looked at as a chore, but vacations are the perfect time to really enjoy a good workout. You won’t be rushing home from work trying to squeeze in a few minutes at the gym, rather the vacation workout can be a relaxing and enjoyable experience.

Virtually every hotel these days has some type of workout room equipped with cardio machines, dumbbells and a universal machine. If you are taking a cruise then you are in for a real treat – most workout facilities on cruise ships have huge windows that look out onto the ocean.

Tip Three: Maintain your Metabolism

When traveling it is easy to go for hours without a meal-between flights and long drives food sometimes isn’t readily available. The problem here it two fold. First your metabolism slows from the long absence of food. Secondly you are more likely to indulge in a high calorie meal when you get around to eating next.

Avoid this yo-yo of starvation and overindulgence by carrying healthy snacks with you and eating something every three hours. A handful of almonds, a piece of fruit or a small protein bar are fantastic options to keep on hand.

Tip Four: Eat Smart

While we all know that eating in is usually healthier than eating out, on the road you simply don’t have a choice – all of your vacations meals will be eaten out. So take the time to order with your health conscious mind, and not simply your taste buds. Watch out for extra large portions-don’t be afraid to take a doggie bag back to your room (assuming of course that you have a refrigerator).

Another thing to keep in mind is to keep fried food consumption to a minimum. Fried foo ds co ntain more fat and calories than other options, they are also likely to give you heartburn and indigestion-two things you don’t need spoiling your vacation. Stick with dishes that contain veggies, lean meats and whole grains.

Enjoy your vacation! Keep the following tips in mind as you embark on your summer adventure an d you may come home fitter than when you left. And when you get back into town sign up for my New Orleans fitness and fat-loss boot camps and I’ll you  get the body that you deserve – in less time than you think.

I would love to hear your comments below!

The Glycemic Index

A unique tool for achieving a healthy weight in New Orleans

This is a Guest fitness Blog post by Laura Kalina, RD, MAdEd, a registered dietitian and author of Low GI Meals in Minutes Cookbook

The obesity epidemic is the greatest health care crisis to hit the modern western world.  Even more alarming, it is now predicted that over 30 per cent of the next generation will develop diabetes sometime in their lives.  We have become an overfed, undernourished nation because of poor lifestyle habits.  High glycemic index (GI) diets and lack of exercise are largely to blame.

What is the glycemic index?

Dr. David Jenkins, a Canadian nutritional sciences professor, developed this index in the early 1980s. It ranks carbohydrate-rich foods by how much they raise blood glucose levels in comparison with glucose or white bread.

When you eat food that contains carbohydrates, the sugar (glucose) breaks down during digestion and gives you energy.  After you eat, your blood glucose level rises.  The speed at which food increases your blood glucose level is called the glycemic response.

The glycemic index ranks carbohydrate-rich foods according to this response.  Those that raise blood glucose quickly have a higher GI rating.  Foods that do so more slowly have a lower one.  Generally, the lower the rating, the better the quality of carbohydrate and overall nutritional benefit.

Low GI foods are usually low in calories and fat, while high in fibre, nutrients and antioxidants.  Choosing low GI foods more often has many health benefits.

What are the benefits of eating low GI foods?

Prevent obesity – Low GI foods digest more slowly and stay in your stomach longer.  This makes you feel full longer.  As a result, you may eat less and consume fewer calories making it easier to control weight.  In addition, low GI foods do not spike your blood glucose.

Prevent type 2 diabetes – High GI foods may increase the body’s demand for insulin and raise the workload of the pancreas.  Some researchers think that eating a diet rich in high GI foods for many years may wear out the pancreas wear out, resulting in type 2 diabetes.  Eating low GI foods can ease the demand on the pancreas, so it does not work too as hard.

Manage diabetes better – Eating low-GI foods helps control blood glucose and improves the body’s sensitivity to insulin.  These foods do not break down into sugar as quickly and so may keep blood glucose from spiking.  Your body is more able to keep up with insulin demands.  Controlling blood glucose levels is particularly important for helping those with diabetes to avoid serious complications of the disease.

Avert heart disease – Elevated insulin levels may be one driving factor for heart disease.  High GI foods spike blood glucose levels and insulin demand.  This may raise cholesterol and triglyceride levels, contributing to heart disease.  In contrast, consuming low GI foods keeps blood glucose and insulin levels in check.  Some evidence suggests this reduces total blood cholesterol and bad LDL cholesterol, while increasing your heart-friendly, good HDL cholesterol.

What are some simple ways to include lower GI foods into my diet?

Start your day off with a Low Glycemic Shake such as Usana’s Nutrimeal.  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and  high glycemic choices can trigger you to eat 80 percent more calories all day!

-Choose breads that contain a high proportion of whole or cracked grains, stone-ground whole wheat flour, oats, bran and seeds.  The lowest GI (and recommended) bread is made from whole sprouted wheat.

-Select unrefined cereals like large-flake rolled oats, oat bran, wheat bran, muesli and cereals made with psyllium.

-Serve brown, wild, Basmati or converted (parboiled) rice.

-Try sweet potatoes or yams for dinner instead of regular white potatoes. (See recipe for Sweet Potato Fries.)

-Eat fresh fruit and vegetables.  They have a low GI and break down into sugar slowly.  Canada’s Food Guide recommends five to ten servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Enjoy a variety!

-When baking, choose recipes that call for whole grain flours, oat bran, wheat bran, rolled oats or ground flaxseeds instead of, or along with, all-purpose flour.

-Snack on fruit, vegetables, yogurt or a handful of nuts. (Almonds, preferably (non-salted) peanuts and walnuts are good choices because they also add healthy fats to your diet.)

-Choose fruit- and dairy-based desserts, such as berries with low-fat ice cream.

-Enjoy more whole grain pasta, legumes, vegetables and low-fat dairy products.

-Try tofu, barley, quinoa, and bulgur. (See recipes for Quinoa Corn and Black Bean Salad and Tofu Pizza.)

-Use vinaigrette instead of a creamy salad dressing.  It is lower in fat, plus the acidity of the vinegar slows digestion, lowering the meal’s GI.

-Try to include at least one low GI food at each meal.

Choose wisely

Select low and medium GI foods more often than high GI foods.  A GI of 55 or less ranks as low, a GI of 56 to 69 is medium, and a GI of 70 or more ranks as high.  Use the chart to help you make healthier choices.

Low glycemic index foods (55 or less) – choose most often

Usana’s Nutrimeal
Usana’s Nutrition Bars
Skim milkPlain yogurtSoy beverageApple, plum and orangeSweet potatoSprouted wheat bread or tortillaPumpernickel bread
Oatmeal (slow cook oats)All-Bran™
Barley
Bulgar
Quinoa
Lentils, kidney and baked beans
Chick peas
Vegetables

Medium glycemic index foods (56 to 69) – choose more often

Banana
Pineapple
Raisins
New potatoes
Split pea or green pea soup
Brown and Basmati rice
Couscous
Shredded wheat cereal
Whole grain bread (coarse)
Rye bread
Pasta and noodles, cooked to al dente (firm)

High glycemic index foods (greater than 70) – choose less often

White and whole wheat breads and bagels
Instant mashed potatoes
Baked white potato
Instant rice and noodles
Corn Flakes™
Rice Krispies™
Cheerios™
Soda crackers
Jellybeans
French fries
Rice cakes
Pretzels
Popcorn
Cookies
Cakes
Table sugar (sucrose)
Fruit juice
Dried fruit

WRITTEN BY:  Laura Kalina, RD, MAdEd, a registered dietitian and author of Low GI Meals in Minutes Cookbook which can help you put healthy eating into action.
More than a cookbook, this healthy lifestyle guide teaches a quick prep method, and also contains a menu plan, shopping lists, fridge and pantry makeovers and success stories.

To find out more about Laura and how to order her cook book visit –> www.lowgimeals.com.

BONUS: Awesome Tofu Pizza Recipe!

Makes 3 servings   Calories 200 – CARBS 8g • PROTEIN 16g • FAT 11g • FIBER 2g
12 oz (350 g) extra firm tofu
2/3 cups (150 mL) chunky black bean salsa
¼ cup (60 mL) black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped (optional)
½ cup (125 mL) grated cheddar
¼ cup (60 mL) feta, crumbled
2 green onions, thinly sliced
¼ tsp (1 mL) dried oregano

1. 1. Place oven rack in top third of oven.  Preheat to 400 F.
2. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
3. Turn tofu block on edge and slice into six thin slices.  Place tofu slices on cookie sheet.
4. In a bowl, stir salsa with olives and green onion, then spoon over tofu and spread to edges.  Sprinkle with cheddar, feta and oregano.
5. Turn oven to broil and cook until cheese melts, 6 to 8 minutes.
   

   Make Sure you leave a comment Below! I love to hear your thoughts!

   
   

Why Steady State Cardio Actually Sucks in New Orleans(as a primary fat loss tool)

There are 2 major reasons in my book why standard cardio is a big loser for fat loss.

Reason 1

The first is EPOC. EPOC stands for Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption. Basically what EPOC does is tells us how long it takes the body to return to its pre-exercise metabolic rate. So after a bout of intense exercising your body will continue to burn extra calories for a certain period of time. From a fat loss perspective, the longer the EPOC the better. Some activities like weight training have an EPOC of 30 plus hours. The EPOC for steady state cardio is approximately zero. Yessir, give or take when you step off that treadmill or bike you are done burning calories – done.

You should think of exercising like investing your money. Let say you have a pile of money (you do right?) You are far better off investing it in a high yield account than you are burying it beneath the dog house out back. You want a return on your investment right? The same is true for exercise. If you are going to spend the time, get a high return on your investment and that means a high EPOC. You want to continue to burn extra calories for as long as you can post exercise. There are simply better choices than boring cardio.

Reason 2

The second reason cardio blows for fat loss is the adaptation factor. Your body is wonderful at adapting to various stresses. In general that is a great thing – it has allowed us to survive and thrive for hundreds of thousands of years as our world has changed. From a fat loss perspective it is a giant pain in the ass. Our bodies adapt to certain exercise quite rapidly, and that can bring fat loss to a halt.

As your body becomes accustomed to the activity, it becomes more efficient at doing it. With cardio that means that while walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes once burned 500 calories, 3 weeks later it only burns 300 calories. So for the same amount of work you are now burning 200 less calories per session. Sound good? I didn’t think so.

Real World Example

This has been proven in multiple studies but my favorite example is a client that came to see me a few months back. This is an absolutely true story. She was a woman in her 50s who had 30-40 pounds of fat to lose. She began to walk around her neighborhood to lose weight. At first it worked great, but then the weight loss stalled. So she walked more. Then it stalled again, so she walked more again. After she told me this I asked her how much she was currently walking per day. She said 3 hours per day. I kid you not. 3 hours per day. My jaw hit the floor. Can you imagine working out 3 hours per day and seeing no results for your efforts? I have clients who barely do 3 hours per week and have fat falling off them.

Here’s what happened: her body adapted AND there was zero EPOC. So first off the very second she was done walking she was also done burning calories. There was no carry over to the rest of the day, thus no metabolic increase.

Then as she continued to walk day in and day out her body figured out what was going on and made the appropriate adaptations. Initially that meant weight loss. But that did not last long.

So she had to walk more and more for the fat loss to continue. Eventually her body became very good at using fat for fuel – she was an efficient fat burning machine. While this might sound cool, it is most decidedly not cool.

We want our cars to be efficient at using fuel, the less gas we use the better. But since the goal is fat loss we want our bodies to use as much fat for fuel as possible- we want our bodies to be fat Inefficient . Her body was using less fat per unit of time while working out. Not only that, it taught her body to use less fat during the rest of the day too.

The end result was stalled weight loss. The only method she knew to re-start the weight loss was walking more. But to what end?

There you have it, in a nutshell the reason why at my New Orleans Boot Camps we do not use steady state cardio as a primary fat loss tool.

Now I just spent over 100 words tell you how useless cardio is, but I will say it does have its place in certain fitness programs. But if your main goal is fat loss, steady state cardio should be very low on your to-do list!

Make Sure you leave a quick comment Below!

Don’t Drink Yourself Fat in New Orleans

“Watch This Free Presentation on How To Transform Your Body Without Eliminating Carbs, Ditching Fat, or Starving Yourself.”

Extended Registration, 
Start anytime Between April 26th and May 3

REAL  New Orleans Slimming Secrets from the Supermarket:
“The Top 4”

This “negative” can be very positive.

Most of us don’t just want to lose “weight”. We want to lose body fat. This is what really concerns us, cosmetically speaking, at least.

Body fat, referred to by scientists as adipose tissue, is the stuff that can hide shapely, defined muscles from view, make your bikini fit awkwardly (or not at all), put rolls on your belly, and so on. To lose body fat and prevent it from finding you again, you must burn more of it than you store. When you achieve this scientists say you are in negative fat balance, and it can be a very positive thing.
Indeed, if you stay in negative fat balance long enough, then you will unquestionably lose body fat.

The supermarket is a great place to go for things that can increase body fat. But it’s also home to some of nature’s most powerful tools for helping you lose it. In this exclusive report we reveal 4 natural “slimming secrets” that can immediately increase your calorie-burning rate, the first and most critical step toward achieving a negative fat balance and fitting into your swimsuit properly again.

1.   Coffee (caffeine)
While the proportions may shift from moment to moment, your body always burns a mixture of three fuels: carbohydrate, fat and protein. Thus, if you increase your overall calorie-burning rate (a.k.a. metabolic rate), it’s pretty much guaranteed that your fat-burning rate will go up, bringing you that much closer to the negative fat balance territory where real slimming occurs.

About 75% of the caffeine consumed in the United States comes from coffee, a product that no supermarket can be considered complete without.
Caffeine is recognized worldwide for its ability to enhance alertness and performance. However, it also displays fast-acting calorie-burning properties.

For instance, a study involving lean and overweight (obese) subjects reported that a single 100-mg dose of caffeine (equivalent to a little over 1 cup of coffee) was enough to raise their calorie-burning rate by up to 4% for 2.5 hours.
While a 4% increase may not seem like a big deal, it can turn into one. The scientists who conducted the study explain, “…if it is assumed that there is no compensatory increase in food intake, the increase [in calorie-burning rate] after caffeine would represent an energy deficit of 75-110 kcal/day. These changes may be small but over several months could accumulate and lead to substantial changes in body weight.”

But wait. Regular coffee drinkers know all too well that you can become tolerant to its energizing effects over time. Won’t the same thing happen here? Fortunately, evidence suggests that caffeine’s calorie-burning effects persist with repeated exposure. Case in point: The subjects in the above study were all mild to moderate consumers of caffeine, consuming anywhere from 250-500 mg per day, equivalent to ~3-6 cups of coffee. Yet they all enjoyed a calorie-burning boost from the relatively small dose given to them.

2.   Hot Pepper (capsaicin)
The waiter places a delicious meal in front of you that includes a spicy curry sauce. You devour it. For the next 30 minutes your calorie-burning rate is cruises at 10% above baseline, equivalent to burning an additional 129 Calories per day, or 27% of the caloric value of the entire meal. Sounds too good to be true? This fictitious scenario became a reality at Kyoto University in Japan when scientists gave young women a 481-Calorie meal consisting of a yellow curry sauce containing 3 mg of capsaicin.

Capsaicin is the compound responsible for the sharp, and for some of us, intolerably painful, sensation produced by eating hot red peppers. It’s also to blame for the beads of sweat that appear on your forehead as you do so. Thus, it may come as no surprise to learn that deep inside the body capsaicin can increase your calorie-burning rate by stimulating a process known as thermogenesis.
Thermogenesis essentially involves the release of calories in the form of heat. Once released, they can no longer be stored as body fat. In addition to increasing thermogenesis, capsaicin has been found to improve meal satiety (i.e. how full you feel after eating), thereby reducing your risk of overeating. In animal studies it has been reported to increase calorie-burning rate and reduce body fat.

Of course, the single most powerful way to increase your calorie-burning rate and get into negative fat balance is to exercise. Here, too, capsaicin may boost your slimming efforts. When scientists gave healthy subjects capsaicin an hour before performing low-intensity exercise (stationary cycling), they burned more fat. The increase was impressive enough that the scientists suggested capsaicin be used as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of elevated blood lipid levels and/or obesity.

3.   Cinnamon
Cinnamon often serves as a flavorful addition to carbohydrate-rich meals. How great is it, then, to learn that it may help “push” more of those carbohydrates into lean muscle and away from fat cells (adipose tissue)?

Most of the carbohydrate calories you eat are eventually converted into glucose (a.k.a. blood sugar). The hormone insulin helps direct glucose into your body’s cells, including muscle cells. The more sensitive your muscle cells are to insulin, the more efficiently they can scoop up glucose and store it for later use, such as providing your muscles with energy during exercise. All other things held constant, this leaves less glucose available for your fat cells, which might otherwise use it to make body fat.

Of the many plants studied to date, cinnamon has been reported to be among the most powerful in terms of its ability to enhance insulin sensitivity and keep blood glucose levels in check. When added to a carbohydrate-rich meal, it reduces the rise in blood glucose normally experienced afterwards. While the effects on insulin sensitivity may take a couple of weeks to manifest, the improvements in blood glucose control appear virtually immediately.

So cinnamon increases insulin sensitivity and improves blood glucose regulation. Great. However, does this mean it can help you lose body fat more quickly? In fact, this ancient spice might help you do more than that. Dr Richard Anderson (Ph.D.) at the US Department of Agriculture has conducted numerous studies on cinnamon.
He says that if cinnamon is consumed long-term, it can enhance lean body mass (this includes muscle) and reduce body fat, something he and his scientific colleagues demonstrated in a study performed in 2006.

4.   Green Tea
White, green and black varieties of tea all contain caffeine (anywhere from ~14-61 mg per 6-8 oz serving). But it’s green tea that seems to get the most attention from scientists when it comes to burning fat. And its fat-burning effects are due to more than its caffeine content.

In one frequently cited study, healthy young men were given a green tea extract three times per day. Their 24-hour calorie-burning rate was 3.5% higher than that of subjects taking a placebo. This was equivalent to burning an additional 200 Calories per day -more than enough to eventually produce substantial weight loss and reductions in body fat.

Not only did green tea cause the subjects to burn more calories, but a larger proportion of the calories burned were determined by the scientists to have come from fat. That is, green tea was pushing them closer towards negative fat balance territory, if not pushing them right into it. Based on the scientists’ comments (they used the term “remarkable” to describe green tea’s effects), they seemed to be quite impressed.

Indeed, green tea’s thermogenic effects in this study were as powerful as much larger doses of caffeine.

Summary: The “Top 4” REAL New Orleans Slimming Secrets

Nothing worthwhile comes without  hard work, and that includes building a swimsuit-ready body.
That’s why it’s important to make use of whatever tools nature has available to help you safely and effectively lose body fat and avoid regaining it.

There may be more “slimming secrets” out there waiting to be discovered, but the top 4 revealed here –coffee (caffeine), hot red pepper (capsaicin), cinnamon and green tea are among the most powerful studied to date.

Individually, their calorie-burning effects are virtually immediate. Combined, they may greatly simplify even the most formidable of New Orleans Fat Loss Challenges.

Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
Dulloo et al. (1989). Am J Clin Nutr 49:44.

Matsumoto et al. (2000). J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 46(6): 309.

Shin and Moritani (2007). J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 53(2): 124.

Hlebowicz et al. (2007). Am J Clin Nutr 85: 1552.

Solomon and Blannin (2009). Eur J Appl Physiol 105(6): 969.

Ziegenfuss et al. (2006). J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 3:45. Dr. Anderson’s comments were provided during personal communications conducted in March 2010.

Chim et al. (2008). J Anal Toxicol, 32(8): 702.

Dulloo et al. (1999). Am J Clin Nutr 70: 1040.

Are Your Kids Exercising in New Orleans?

A recent study from the University of Washington showed that more and more 2-year olds are regularly watching television. This sets the stage for a sedentary life with an increased risk for obesity and heart disease.

Now that last statement wasn’t from the study – that was my own prediction.

But really, the statistics don’t lie – a study done at Johns Hopkins concluded that a child’s weight increases with the number of hours they spend in front of the television each day.

Are you cringing yet? What parent hasn’t popped in a DVD to occupy the kids for a few hours?

And what about your child’s diet? How often do you find yourself in the drive thru line ordering another cheeseburger and fries?

Childhood obesity is now described as an epidemic. It puts your child’s health at risk, and makes them more susceptible to problems involving their cardiovascular systems, endocrine systems, and even their mental health. Type 2 diabetes mellitus, depression, and low self-esteem are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problems looming over the heads of overweight children.

I’m not telling you anything that you don’t already know. It doesn’t take a study done at Johns Hopkins to discover that kids today are putting on weight in ways that we never did – you just have to open your eyes to notice.

The ‘why’ is simple. It goes back to the basic equation for weight gain: energy in versus energy out. Kids eat too much and do too little.

But I have to ask… are you setting a good example by your eating habits? This may be a painful question to want to answer – but the truth sometimes hurts (and is good for us).

Maybe you’ve noticed that your child has begun to put on a little extra weight – what do you do about it? No matter what age your child is – weight is a sensitive issue.

What do your kids eat?
Think about your child’s diet. Do they eat three balanced meals a day? Do they eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day? Are they limited in their servings of fried, processed, and sugary foods?

Maybe you aren’t sure what your kids are eating. Do some investigation by observing and talking to them about what they eat.

Identify the foods your kids are eating that are rich in calories but lacking in nutritional value. Examples: candy, fast food, chips, cookies, soda pop, and pizza. Replace these foods with fresh nutrient dense foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats and low fat dairy.

How much activity do your kids get?
Computers, video games, and satellite T.V. are our children’s latest and greatest toys. Who has time to play outside when you are about to beat the hardest level, or your favorite show is about to start? Our kids participate in less physical activity and are more sedentary than any generation before.

Do you know how much physical activity your kids get each day? Some parents may think that kids are getting an hour of P.E. each day, only to find out that the school has dropped its P.E. classes.

A great way to encourage activity is to limit the time your children spend on sedentary activities, such as T.V and video games. Sign your kids up on a local sports team so that they can run and be active with other kids. Take the whole family to the park on a weekend instead of gathering in front of the T.V.

Monkey see monkey do
This issue really boils down to one factor: Parental Example. Your kids watch what you do even when you wish they wouldn’t, and this is certainly true when it comes to diet and exercise.

Do you model good eating habits, or do your kids see you indulge? Do you exercise regularly, or do your kids see you on the couch in front of the television all weekend?

As a parent, it is your unique responsibility to teach your children the habits that lead to good health. Since you know that obese children have a greater chance of remaining obese into adulthood, thus greatly increasing the likelihood of serious health problems, this isn’t a responsibility that you take lightly.

If your eating habits and activity level have slipped it may be time for you to turn things around. It’s never too late to set a positive example for your kids – the key is to act now.

If you are interested in Starting a New Orleans Exercise Program Contact me today to get started on a program that will transform your body and renew your lifestyle. There’s nothing better for motivation than dropping a few sizes!

Make sure you Leave A Comment Below..I love to here your thoughts on Kids and what they eat.

Backwards Fitness in New Orleans?

As you can imagine, I hear a ton of excuses from people on why they don’t exercise.

Sometimes the reason is self inflicted: I don’t have the time.

Other times the reason is procrastination: “I’m going to start as soon as tax season ends.”

And occasionally the reason is downright ridiculous: “The dog ate my gym shorts.”, “I can’t handle waking up early to workout” , “I don’t like working out during the winter”, “it’s too cold”, “it’s too hot”..

I usually point out to these well meaning folks that, despite their reason, exercise is a very important activity that will dramatically improve their life. I bring up the health benefits and describe how many of their physical ailments would improve. I talk about how great they will feel dropping excess weight and rediscovering a slender figure.

However, there was always an excuse that would get me.

The devious excuse of ‘being active’: Oh, I don’t need to exercise in a gym – I’m very active. I play tennis and hike in the summer and I ski in the winter.

Well, they have a point, right? Tennis, hiking and skiing are all active sports that burn calories. Maybe they can be fit without doing any other exercise, especially if they are at a reasonable weight.

Then I started to notice a trend.

The ‘active’ people couldn’t touch their toes in a simple flexibility test. The ‘tennis players’ couldn’t jump rope for 60 seconds. The ‘hikers’ needed a week to recover from a one mile jog. The ’skiers’ encountered injury after injury. And then it hit me.

You don’t become fit by simply being active. That’s backward fitness.
Only by being fit can you become more active.

To become and maintain a level of fitness there is no replacement for a consistent exercise program. It’s the only way.

True fitness is when your body can do whatever you ask of it. This means having flexibility, strength and endurance.

-Do you exercise? Or are you fooling yourself with the excuse of ‘being active’?

-How happy are you with your level of fitness?

-Are you able to meet all of the functional demands of life?

-Do you find yourself opting out of experiences or situations that you know would be too challenging?

If you’ve used the excuse of ‘being active’ in the past, it’s time to reconsider your options. Don’t practice backward fitness with the hope of true results.

Contact me to get started on a Fitness program in New Orleans that will make you truly fit. And if you’re furthest from active and simply want to lose those extra inches and pounds, make the decision to take action today.

After all, there’s no trial run in the game of life.
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