62% of America is obese. If the person to the left, or if the person to the right of you aren’t a little chubby, then chances are you are obese. So if everyone is obese, why should you care? More to love right? Sure except that obesity can cause:

• Cancer
• Heart disease
• Strokes
• Diabetes
• Depression
• And more!

The more studies we do, the more we see that obesity is an extremely dangerous thing, so why are we all still so big?

Because exercise and diet is a change in our lifestyle, and change is hard. On top of that exercise by its very nature is exerting energy, which is hard. But making excuses is easy. Sitting on the couch, or in front of the computer is easy too. Fast food is easy. Dieting takes self control. All of this is excuses, plain and simple.

Let me try and help by debunking some of the more common excuses I come across:

I don’t have time

We make time for what’s important. When NBC adds a new comedy we make time for it. When the newest blockbuster hits theaters, we make time for it too. I’ve gone into detail on a lot of ways to save time and finding time to work out, try looking at that article for a few tips to fit a few extra minutes for exercise into your day.

I don’t like weight lifting or running

Exercising doesn’t need to be limited to a pair of running shoes or a gym. It can be as simple as going for a bike ride with your kids, or joining the company softball team. The key is to get out and get your heart rate up. Start taking the stairs and skip the elevator is a great place to start. Don’t limit yourself on what you can do, find something you enjoy and go do it!

I’m too tired

When you exercise, you actually force your body to start tapping into its energy reserves (fat). What this means to you is that exercising will actually increase your energy! In the same way that getting up and walking around a bit will keep you from falling asleep at your desk, exercising will keep you energized throughout the entire day.

I don’t lose weight from diet and exercise

This is a topic which touches close to home for me. Doctors have become better at determining uniqueness in patient conditions which lead patients to believe that they are a special/unique case and that special treatment is needed. Drug companies have made fortunes many times over on those people in order to sell a niche drug. Simply put, if you eat fewer calories than you burn in a day you will lose weight. It’s cold hard physics that even a your overactive/underactive/genetic/whatever condition can’t overcome.

Gyms are too expensive

With the economy barely limping along its very true that people need to cut back on expenditures. Honestly, their gym membership can be one of those. As I said earlier, exercise doesn’t need to be limited to a gym. Go for a hike, play with your kids outside, ride a bike, do pushups and sit-ups and all sort of other at home exercises. Basically there is no reason you need to spend money to get into the shape you want.

If this article has come of a little harsher than usual, I apologize. There are millions out there struggling with their weight and I deeply empathize with them all. With so much out there like fast foods and TV which are holding us down the last thing we need is to hold ourselves down as well. Hopefully this article was a little boot in the butt to help you up of the couch and into a healthier life.

When was the last time I posted a healthy recipe?… Yeah I’m not sure either, sorry.

Let me make it up to you! Here’s a recipe for low fat meat loaf that actually tastes good.

1/4 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup each finely diced carrots, red pepper, celery, and onion
Salt and black pepper
1 pound 90 percent lean ground beef
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 large egg
1 cup cooked brown lentils
2 cups packed spinach leaves, steamed, drained, and chopped
Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and all vegetables except spinach and saute for 4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, break up beef well with your hands. Stir in cooked vegetables, Parmesan, broth, and egg. Add lentils and mix. Add spinach and mix again. Season with salt and pepper.
Coat a 3- by 8-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Place meat mixture in pan and push down. Bake 35 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 140°F.
Let meat loaf rest in the pan for 15 minutes before slicing.

5 servings
345 calories/serving

So I feel like all I ever talk about is how we all should be eating healthy and that it’s the real key to any success in losing weight and getting fit. I know I’ve said in the past to worry more about proper portion control and getting rid of foods that are bad for you, but for some people calorie count is an all encompassing number. So I suppose I should get around to how many calories do you really need?

There is a quick way and a long way, lets start with the quick one:

First decide if you are non active, moderately active, or very active (moderately would be working out 3 time a week)
• Non active: Bodyweight ( in lbs) X 14 = approx calories per day (cal/day)
• Moderate: Bodyweight X 17 = approx cal/day
• Active: Bodyweight X 20 = approx cal/day

For those that want to be more accurate, we are going to have to find 3 numbers and add them together:
1. BMR
2. Energy spent during exercising or physical activity
3. TEF (Thermic Effect of Food) the energy your body uses to digest your food

1. BMR changes from person to person depending on their build. But a good estimation is:

Men: Bodyweight X 10, and then add double the body weight to the number
Women: Bodyweight X 10, and then add the body weight to the number

For example: 180 lb man = 180×10= 1800+2*180 = 2160 cal/day

2. The level of activity can change day by day, but you can determine what yours should be using this calculator , created by the fitness jump site.

3. Finally you TEF is 10% of the amount of calories you eat.

For example: 200 cal apple = 20 cal TEF

Sum these 3 numbers together and you will get the total number of calories you will burn in one day.

Now, in order to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. 1 pound of fat is made up of 3500 calories. If you’re feeling fancy, go ahead and figure out how many calories you need to burn in order to lose the weight you want to. Next divide that over the period of time you want to lose it in, and find out how much exactly you need to eat and burn!

Final Example: A man is 180 lbs and wants to lose 15 lbs. If he runs for 30 minutes every day at 5 miles per hour, and eats only 2000 calories, how long will it take to lose the weight?

We already know from the first example that the man’s BMR equals 2160 cal/day.

We also know he is sticking to a 2000 cal a day, including the TEF, this means he is eating 1800 cal/day.

Using the calculator I linked to, he is burning 327.2 calories.

This means his total amount of calories coming in and going out is:
1800 – 2160 – 327.2 = -687.5 calories he is burning every day!

Since he wants to burn 3500 X 15 = 52500 calories total, it will take
52500/687.5 = approx 76 days to lose the weight!

I know math may not be everyone’s strong point, so I include this calculator, all you need to do is download it, save it, then enter in what it asks, and it will crunch all the numbers for you! (Aren’t I awesome?)

Last week I posted a 5x workout and I thought that some of you might want a workout that focused on specific areas. This week I’ll post a Upper body focus.

Here you go:
Upper body focus

Happy new year!