I can't believe that it is already Week 3 of the Lean Team Challenge and I am still at it!
In addition to maintaining my 3 times per week workouts, this week I took in the wonderful lectures offered by Deb Smith.
Did you know that:
1 in 3 kids born today will be diabetic sometime in their lifetime.
Read that again.
1 in 3 KIDS BORN TODAY WILL BE DIABETIC SOME TIME IN THEIR LIFETIME.
66.3% of Americans> 20 years are overweight
32%>20 are obese
17% age 12-19 are overweight
19% of children ages 6-11 are overweight
Sounds hopeless, doesn't it? What does it mean to you? Well if you have kids and you are one of the 66.3% of adults who are overweight, you want them to see you making good choices and being a good example so that they don't develop into the 17% of kids who are overweight or the 32% who become obese.
Deb shared some fantastic strategies. She explained that being overweight can affect not only your physical but also your emotional health. It also increases your risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure and as we mentioned before, diabetes. If you are overweight, your mobility will be affected and you won't be as vital as you could be...no chasing kids and grandkids around! You probably won't live as long either.
Here are some of my favorite tips from Deb:
1. Losing weight should not be your primary focus. What? I thought it was all about that number, you say! Not so. Your ultimate goal should be to have a healthy lifestyle, accept yourself and move toward a more positive self image by capitalizing on your strengths, skills and talents. It's NOT about the number on the scale.
2. Maintain Balance: She's talking about everything here. You want to a eat a variety of nutrient dense foods from every food group. She had a great visual. Look at your whole hand. Put that many veggies on your plate. Now make your hand into a fist. That's how many fruits you should eat. Your palm represents the size of your meat, and your thumb is the fat. I can remember that!
3. Move More! Yes, that means exercise. But here's the key-DO WHAT YOU ENJOY! There has to be something and the YMCA has so many classes and programs to try out. They have a pool and a track, a weight room and cardio suite. There is bound to be something. Do you like to swim? Do Tai Chi? In addition to burning calories, you will also reduce stress and improve your mobility. Deb gave us a simple calculation for losing a pound per week...that is a manageable and healthy goal. There are 3500 calories in a pound. To lose 1 pound per week, you need to eliminate 500 calories per day (7 days in the week x 500 calories per day=3500.) So, you either burn them or reduce them (or do a combination) in your meals. You can do it and probably won't even miss them until your clothes start to get looser and looser.
4. Attitude. This can make or break you. Thoughts lead to words lead to habits...Smile! Love yourself! Eat off of a beautiful plate (make it smaller than a traditional dinner plate though!). Take your time and enjoy your food.
Here's one habit that moms especially are guilty of: DO NOT EAT WHAT SOMEONE ELSE REJECTED! Your kid, spouse, friend didn't finish what was on their plate? Leave it! They didn't want it, why should you feel compelled to eat it? You are worth food that is beautiful, colorful and fresh...not someone's rejects.
5. Drink water. It's the best. Gatorade and sports drinks have 11 grams of sugar. That's not healthy by any means. And power bars were designed for athletes, not regular people. We really don't need them!
6. Join Us In the Lean Team Challenge. There's still time! You'll get one on one attention to get on track for a healthier life and be able to hear in person these fantastic lectures by Deb. This was just the tip of the iceberg. Debi went in great depth about the proportion of foods, types of foods and more. The Mediterranean Food Pyramid? Ever hear of it? Deb can tell you all about how wonderful it is and the benefits.
Check out the YMCA for a complete list of programs and classes. There's something there just for you!
Here's a picture of the Grand Reopening and Ribbon cutting Ceremony.
* I received my Lean Team Challenge entry fee for the purpose of this review.
Macaroni Kid Johnstown/Laurel Highlands/Altoona is a free weekly newsletter and website focused on fun family events and information in the greater Johnstown area. We gather together all kinds of local family events and activities each week, and add useful information about classes, family-focused businesses, book and product reviews, recipes, crafts, school and camp guides and more. We proudly serve families in Johnstown, Ligonier, Ebensburg, Hollidaysburg, Altoona and other surrounding communities.
In addition to maintaining my 3 times per week workouts, this week I took in the wonderful lectures offered by Deb Smith.
Did you know that:
1 in 3 kids born today will be diabetic sometime in their lifetime.
Read that again.
1 in 3 KIDS BORN TODAY WILL BE DIABETIC SOME TIME IN THEIR LIFETIME.
66.3% of Americans> 20 years are overweight
32%>20 are obese
17% age 12-19 are overweight
19% of children ages 6-11 are overweight
Sounds hopeless, doesn't it? What does it mean to you? Well if you have kids and you are one of the 66.3% of adults who are overweight, you want them to see you making good choices and being a good example so that they don't develop into the 17% of kids who are overweight or the 32% who become obese.
Deb shared some fantastic strategies. She explained that being overweight can affect not only your physical but also your emotional health. It also increases your risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure and as we mentioned before, diabetes. If you are overweight, your mobility will be affected and you won't be as vital as you could be...no chasing kids and grandkids around! You probably won't live as long either.
Here are some of my favorite tips from Deb:
1. Losing weight should not be your primary focus. What? I thought it was all about that number, you say! Not so. Your ultimate goal should be to have a healthy lifestyle, accept yourself and move toward a more positive self image by capitalizing on your strengths, skills and talents. It's NOT about the number on the scale.
2. Maintain Balance: She's talking about everything here. You want to a eat a variety of nutrient dense foods from every food group. She had a great visual. Look at your whole hand. Put that many veggies on your plate. Now make your hand into a fist. That's how many fruits you should eat. Your palm represents the size of your meat, and your thumb is the fat. I can remember that!
3. Move More! Yes, that means exercise. But here's the key-DO WHAT YOU ENJOY! There has to be something and the YMCA has so many classes and programs to try out. They have a pool and a track, a weight room and cardio suite. There is bound to be something. Do you like to swim? Do Tai Chi? In addition to burning calories, you will also reduce stress and improve your mobility. Deb gave us a simple calculation for losing a pound per week...that is a manageable and healthy goal. There are 3500 calories in a pound. To lose 1 pound per week, you need to eliminate 500 calories per day (7 days in the week x 500 calories per day=3500.) So, you either burn them or reduce them (or do a combination) in your meals. You can do it and probably won't even miss them until your clothes start to get looser and looser.
4. Attitude. This can make or break you. Thoughts lead to words lead to habits...Smile! Love yourself! Eat off of a beautiful plate (make it smaller than a traditional dinner plate though!). Take your time and enjoy your food.
Here's one habit that moms especially are guilty of: DO NOT EAT WHAT SOMEONE ELSE REJECTED! Your kid, spouse, friend didn't finish what was on their plate? Leave it! They didn't want it, why should you feel compelled to eat it? You are worth food that is beautiful, colorful and fresh...not someone's rejects.
5. Drink water. It's the best. Gatorade and sports drinks have 11 grams of sugar. That's not healthy by any means. And power bars were designed for athletes, not regular people. We really don't need them!
6. Join Us In the Lean Team Challenge. There's still time! You'll get one on one attention to get on track for a healthier life and be able to hear in person these fantastic lectures by Deb. This was just the tip of the iceberg. Debi went in great depth about the proportion of foods, types of foods and more. The Mediterranean Food Pyramid? Ever hear of it? Deb can tell you all about how wonderful it is and the benefits.
Check out the YMCA for a complete list of programs and classes. There's something there just for you!
Here's a picture of the Grand Reopening and Ribbon cutting Ceremony.
* I received my Lean Team Challenge entry fee for the purpose of this review.
Macaroni Kid Johnstown/Laurel Highlands/Altoona is a free weekly newsletter and website focused on fun family events and information in the greater Johnstown area. We gather together all kinds of local family events and activities each week, and add useful information about classes, family-focused businesses, book and product reviews, recipes, crafts, school and camp guides and more. We proudly serve families in Johnstown, Ligonier, Ebensburg, Hollidaysburg, Altoona and other surrounding communities.
