HEALTHY LIVING FOR THOSE LESS WILLING

Contributed By Sandy | Published: Jul 19, 2005

by Jackie Rouse

America is preoccupied with the subject of weight – more specifically about too much of it being attached to our bodies due to the over-consumption of food, and too little exercise and rightfully so. Too many of us are saturated fat-eating, overweight, sedentary creatures, statistically speaking that is. This article however is not about obesity or the joys of exercise, this is by no means that profound. This is for those of us who know we are overweight, don't exercise and disinclined to do anything about it, translation, we're lazy. Summer is coming, the beach will beckon and we will oblige, exposing much flesh. So now is the time to get serious about exercise, and here are the facts. "All exercise burns calories for they involve movement and energy is required for every movement. The calorie burning ability of each exercise depends on the speed and/or force at which the exercise is performed. This proves the calorie burning potential of an exercise can be increased depending on an individual's motivation for that movement. Imagine you want to run to get to a shop before it closes. The desire to run fast will be low because the importance is low, after all if you don't make the shop in time you can always go another day. As the importance is lower the calorie count will be far less compared to a sprint needed to escape a dangerous situation. The reason for this is simple, there is now a great desire to run fast in order to survive. An intense effort produced the desired effect – faster leg movements, all down to the motivational level of the individual." You got that right?

Now for my exercise regiment, but before I begin, I must inform you that due to the frequent absence of motivation the plan has been thwarted on more occasions than I care to mention, however this week is looking pretty good.

On Mondays if I am feeling especially spunky I will leave my car at a nearby shopping center and walk, about 1/2 mile to and from my commuting point, clever huh.

On Tuesdays I stop at the recreation center on my way home, which is free to county residents, and use their universal gym. (I couldn't afford a real gym's membership if I wanted to and I don't want to.) After about 40 minutes or so I feel the urgency to leave – haven't quite figured out why that happens, but I go with it.

On Wednesdays I usually feel the need for a break. However, I do at least walk up the 50 moving steps to exit the metro station, that's something – work with me people.

On Thursdays I power walk with Leslie Sansone on her 20 minute "1 Mile - Walk Away the Pounds" video tape. I am not sure if any pounds have actually walked away, but I remain hopeful.

I have claimed Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays as my days of rest and that's final.

Check with me next week or perhaps the week after that for my next exercise regiment, I have a sneaking suspicion that motivation may be missing in action once again.

While we are in this healthy living mode let's check out the food groups recommended by the USDA.

"The best way to give our bodies the balanced nutrition it needs is by mixing up the choices within each food group."

Consume a sufficient amount of fruits and vegetable while staying within energy needs.
Two cups of fruit and 2 and 1/2 cups of vegetables per day are recommended for a reference 2,000-calorie intake, with higher or lower amounts depending on the calorie level.
Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables each day. In particular, select from all five vegetable subgroups (dark green, orange, legumes, starchy vegetables and other vegetables) several times a week.
Consume 3 or more ounce-equivalents of whole-grain products per day, with the rest of the recommended grains coming from enriched or whole-grain products.
In general, at least half the grains should come from whole grains.
Consume 3 cups per day of fat-free or low-fat milk or equivalent milk products.
And finally choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry, and prepare by baking, broiling or grilling.
Vary your choices with more fish, beans, peas, nuts and seeds.

Armed with this information, healthy living is just a sprint and a turkey burger away.

Unfortunately, my plan for healthy eating is now useless. After extensive research I was saddened to learn that KFC and Ben & Jerry's did not make the list of recommended food groups. However, I will begin working on my healthy diet plan very soon but, right now the Colonel is calling.

Post Script - A reprieve is taken from all nutrients on the weekends. There will be no details forthcoming because it could get ugly.

Disclaimer – For those persons seriously looking to improve their health please disregard most of what you have just read and employ a legitimate exercise regiment and diet that suits your needs.

About the Author

I am a new writer and I enjoy writing, somewhat humorously about many issues, most often women's issues. I think we need to take ourselves less seriously sometimes and embrace who we are and where we are now.

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