Exercise More When You "Cheat"

I think we are all guilty of this MYTH! How many times have you "cheated" on your lifestyle ( ie: diet. I just hate that word) and in return tacked on an extra 10, 15, 30 minutes or more of exercise to "offset" the damage?

This myth causes many of us ( yes YOU) to equate physical activity with punishment for eating. This is why many people hate to exercise in the first place. They see it as a negative and not a positive thing. They might use exercise to earn the right to eat as well. This is not a very good mind set to have.

Although your weight is determined by your overall calories in versus your calories out, exercise is only part of that equation. Exercise has many faces of benefits. Try to sees exercise for good and not evil. Put the focus on how great you feel, upped energy levels, more restful sleep and how much healthier overall you are becoming. Wouldn't you rather do something good for your body because of how it makes you feel (GREAT) instead of because you feel forced to do it?!?

I would and I do!!

Pedometers and Kids!

My daughter was recently given a pedometer as a gift. After learning what it was for she was very excited to try it out. The first day she put in almost 5000 steps! Not bad for a 5 year old...or so I thought! ( personally, I think it's GREAT!) I looked up a few sites on the Internet about kids and pedometers.

*Studies showed that for 6–12 year olds, girls needed 12,000 steps/day and boys needed 15,000 steps/day to stay in a healthy Body Mass Index - BMI. The study reviewed research of almost 2000 children in the USA, Australia, and Sweden. The study was published in the June, 2004 "Preventative Medicine" by Catrine Tudor-Locke Ph.D. and associates.* click here for full article.

I know Amara is 5 so the study does not necessarily included her, but still! It took her quite a few trips up and down the steps with 10 jumping jacks thrown in each time to get over 5,000 steps! This was with her being active in the morning, at school playing inside and out and also being active at home. Whew!

A study put out by the same Catrine mentioned above came out with this pedometer walking guide:

Classification of pedometer-determined physical activity in healthy adults:

1) Under 5000 steps/day may be used as a "sedentary lifestyle index"

2) 5,000-7,499 steps/day is typical of daily activity excluding sports/exercise and might be considered "low active."

3) 7,500-9,999 likely includes some exercise or walking (and/or a job that requires more walking) and might be considered "somewhat active."

4) 10,000 steps/day indicates the point that should be used to classify individuals as "active".

5) Individuals who take more than 12,500 steps/day are likely to be classified as "highly active".

I think that giving a pedometer to a little person is a great idea. They can see the numbers immediately ( although you might get a little annoyed when your child asks you every 3 minutes how many steps now!?!? ). Giving them goals to reach is a fun way get their bodies moving. Amara really liked it when I suggested doing jumping jacks when she reached the top of the stairs. She decided to do them when she reached the bottom as well. I caught her doing them the next day as well without my suggestion. Her new goal is 6000 steps! I have no doubt she will make it either.

School is in session!! How to start the day off successfully

Now that Amara is in school everyday I need to make sure she has a good breakfast and a hearty lunch. She attends school Monday-Friday from 12:30-3:35.
Lunch time will come about an hour earlier than usual in our home now. There are things that, we as parents can do to raise the chances of school success. A full night's rest and breakfast are a good start to the day. Carbohydrates give the brain energy yo work, so choosing cereals and breads made with whole grains and add protein rich foods ( milk, peanut butter, eggs and turkey) for staying power. Research also shows that physically active students get better grades. "You can't play until you've finished your homework." may no longer be considered good parenting. Ongoing research from the American College of Sports Medicine has determined a link between kids' exercise and kids' academic success. Exercise increases memory capacity, cognitive thinking and stimulates the mind. Free play is the best type of exercise!

I am glad that Amara has time to play before school to get the blood flowing to her brain!

She does get a little snack during her short day, but I know that it is not something she would get at home ( Teddy Grahams--eek!). We are phasing out high fructose corn syrups in our home. I guess I have to loosen my control reigns for the time being. At least the HFCS was not the first ingredient! There is a positive! And Amara was quite excited to receive them. I might add she dropped more than half on the ground. I felt bad that I smiled when this happened!

Kind of....

Here goes nothing....

There comes a time in life when you have to say " Enough is enough!"
I am on a mission to raise a healthy and balanced family even if it kills me!! I am sick and tired of feeling as if I am differnent because I don't take my kids MacDonald's Playplace for lunch ( not to mention how dirty those places are) and don't feed my children Yo-Go's ( high fructose corn syrup anyone??).
I used to just give in and and let my daughter eat crap just so my friends and family would not give me grief and tell me that I deprive her of all the good things in life ( ie: fast food and processed meals). Since when is wanting my family to be trans fat free a bad thing?? I sure don't turn my nose up or make unsolicited comments about what you're putting in your kids mouth am I?? So what gives you that right to say stuff to me?
I also know that raising a healthy family is about balance. Moderation is the key. When I do go though the BK Drive-thru and order that Big Kids Meal w/ fries I allow my 4 year old to eat about 10 of the french fries. I want her to know that this is considered a treat that we partake in about 1-2 times a month. I won't lie. She looks forward to this "treat," but she is also understanding that we do not do this all the time and that it really is junk food. And for the record she gets a side of broccoli or carrots ( from home) to eat with the junk!
So won't you join me on my adventure of trying to keep my sanity while trying my darndest to raise my kids ( Amara is 4 and Miles is 10 months) and husband to have a healthy and balanced relationship with food ( my #1 love) and physical activity(my other #1 love) w/o being overly neurotic and without going completely insane!