Eating N Exercising Working 2gether!

Exercise and eating healthy should go hand in hand. Eating is apart of our daily lives it is necessary to survive and prosper in life. Food is the sustenance that people consume to fill the voids that they might be having in life. For some it consumes them and for others it burdens them. The same thing goes for individual weight gain or loss. We can sit and blame the environment that we have worked so hard to build or the availability for low cost high fat foods but the bottom line is that everyone is in control of what they are consuming whether that is good or bad. I think there are many contributing factors when it comes to weight gain and obesity in America’s society today everything from the dollar menu to the celebration of the good and bad times in the workplace or home life. I don’t think that people want to be unhealthy, after all, there are many people, that each year, have a New year’s resolution that consists of either exercising more, losing weight and/ or to quit smoking, all of which, are along the thought process of getting healthier. I think that the failure to follow through and continue this path of positive thinking is the fact that it is often times too hard to stick to the regimented restrictions. I don’t think that we wake up everyday planning to fail. As a society we are over worked and underpaid. Too tired to take a after dinner stroll or be bothered with prepping the best home cooked meal out of one of those quick and easy cookbooks. It is too easy to pick up drive thru or have something delivered hot and ready to eat. Exercising is the last thing on the check list to do after working all day and doing the whole “parent thing.” We all want to take time for ourselves and relax on the couch. Maybe sip a bit of the liquid relaxer, pop in a movie, or get a few extra zzz‘s. Often times then not you will hear from people who don‘t exercise that they, “don‘t have time for it.” I am not sure if it is they don’t have time for it or if they don’t want to make time for it. What we want and what we need are two different scenerios. A lack of exercise is probably one of the main contributing factors when it comes to thinking about obesity but also food choices are the next. I think another reason for obesity in America today might be the idea that in order to lose weight we have to be on a stringent diet and not only are we torturing ourselves with the idea of exercise and sweat but then we are having our comfort foods taken away at the same time. Many people spend thousands and thousands of dollars on supplements, weight loss videos, appetite suppressants, and gym memberships only to fall short with few lastly results. Exercising for some people is not the number one priority. But unfortunately, it is something that we might need to focus on. Our children look to their parents, family and friends for good role models and examples. So I am sure that the Big Mac with super-sized fries might put a smile on the face of the one buying and eating it but it is frowned upon by our bodies and that is what is paying the price. Paying less for the purchase now but more for it later. Our children are like sponges soaking in all that we do so if we are not exercising or eating right chances are they are not eating doing either. I have noticed that more sports are available for kids in the younger levels. Also, at the schools in this area, at least in the lower levels, they have a weekly walks called “aces” and then kids always look forward to that day. My other son in middle school also has to have two semesters of PE so I am sure that helps in trying to keep kids physically fit. Granted this could be the only exercise that may be getting all day or for the week but at least it is an improvement. I am not sure what is going to jump start America into the idea that healthier is better but harping exercise is obviously not doing it. We know exercise is good for us and that we have to eat all our vegetables to be healthy that is a given. Maybe we need to get our personal lives in order first and prioritize what is important and feed that need before we start feeding anything else. I think that a lack of exercise, an increase in unhappiness and stress are what is contributing to the obesity in today’s America. If you get us our own personal chefs and trainers then we could all be healthy looking like the lastest and greatest of “Muscle and Fitness” models on the front magazine covers.