Food, food, food, and exercise!

So, I used to be way over weight, I've been battling weight issues for most of my life, except for now. Why the big change now that I'm  in my 40's? Well, to paraphrase a now seemingly genius past president, it's about the food, stupid! Until this not so little point gets driven into your skull your body won't change too fast.

You can do what I did for years, exercise like crazy and not change your eating habits and watch the scale and your clothes not change. You can not exercise, and not change your eating habits and buy new, bigger clothes a couple times a year. Or, you can change the way you eat and exercise a moderate amount and see drastic changes. The "Biggest Loser" type weight loss occurs when you you watch very carefully what goes into your body and exercise A LOT! 

Having become quite hooked on running and cycling I spend a great deal of time talking with people that understand the ratio listed in title of this post. Food is about 75% of the battle, exercise being about 25%. However, I'm a bit in the bubble, and I sometimes don't realize just how many people don't get this. So, if you've heard this over a hundred times you can fall asleep now, but if not read on. Here are a few tips that will make changes in your body with out too much pain:

• More colors on your plate - Yes, this means fruits and vegetables, get over it!
• Limit soda - Diet included. Water is what your body needs, diet soda is just plain nasty stuff.
• Limit sugar - Sugar is terrible for you. Our obesity epidemic and the wide use of sugar coincide, coincidence? I don't think so!
• Limit fried foods - Fried Snickers, seriously, c'mon!
• Limit dairy - It's basically liquid beef, and as a protein source there are better choices
• Shop on the outside walls of the store - If it comes in a box or can, it's processed. Processed means you can't pronounce ingredients, this is never good!

These just scratch the surface, but they will effect huge change in your body without deprivation. Diets don't work, it's got to be a permanent change. It's not that hard really, you just have to be consistent and committed. Can you still have chocolate cake, buffalo wings and beer? Yes, but every once in awhile, truth is as time passes, these foods don't taste as good as you remember. The only person that won't be happy about these changes is your doctor. Of course, you be seeing them near as much so does it really matter?

Eat right, play hard and enjoy life, for a long time!