A DOSE OF HCG FOR YOU?

Have you heard about the latest diet program? It's HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), a hormone naturally produced by pregnant women. It's also commonly used as a treatment for infertility.

Apparently, one puts drops of the HCG on their food each day, follow the prescribed diet (low fat), and drop pounds quickly. Sounds great, doesn't it?

Here's the kicker. The prescribed diet is 500 calories a day. There is no one on the planet who will not lose weight on 500 calories a day. No One. Not one person (except, I suppose for the famine victim somewhere for whom 500 calories a day might be an increase in food intake.).

I can't knock this too badly because I haven't tried it. But, I have a brain and I know that it's not the HCG that's causing the weight loss. It's the severe calorie restriction.

If the HCG program motivates a person to strive for a healthier weight, that's all good. I hope that those who participate in the HCG program will consider adding aerobic exercise like walking to their daily routine since the 500 calorie diet cannot be maintained throughout one's life and it's unlikely that it's a good idea to take the HCG every day for the rest of one's life. But, you can walk every day, one way or the other.

That will lead you to a healthier life if you never lose a pound. But, good luck with that.


***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.

OLD BRAINS?

How old is your brain? Would you like it to be younger? Well, who wouldn't??

According to an article published in the February 3, 2011 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, a study of 120 people between the ages of 55 and 80 were divided into two groups, one who walked on a flat track three times a week for 40 minutes each time. The other group began and stretching and weights program.

Before, at the half way point, and after the exercise regimens began, the participants gave blood samples, performed spatial memory exercises, and were given brain MRI.

The walkers demonstrated a 2.12 percent increase in the size of the hippocampus, a part of the brain where memories are stored. The other group demonstrated a 1.4 percent decrease in the size of the hippocampus.

So, for all my friends out there who are lifting and trying to get me to go to the gym, I'll walk instead. In fact, I might actually remember where I'm walking while the lifters (and stretchers) might not recall how to get to the gym. (I really do hope that is not the case!)

One more reason to put on your shoes and get walking!



***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.

SLIP SLIDIN'

The weather in St. Louis has been cold and dangerous the past weeks. Some say it's the worst weather since 1982. In 1982, I had only one child, played racquetball every day, and had no idea that I'd ever need a knee replacement, have three kids, or care if the sidewalks were safe. Really!

But, three kids, two knee replacements, and many years later, racquetball has given way (begrudgingly) to walking and I feel completely justified in complaining about crummy St. Louis weather that keeps me hunkered down at home, unable to get to work or to the mall to walk or to the studio to dance.

Yesterday was the worst. Nothing was open. My husband and I stayed home together all day, unable to even agree on a household project to work on because we needed this or that from this place or that place to forge on. Those places required driving.

I took the opportunity of a snow day to call an old friend I knew would also be hunkered down with her two kids as she's a teacher and it was a snow day. She and I talked for about an hour, catching up on her tots and my grown kids. While I was chatting, I moved away from the room occupied by my husband so he could continue to heed the TV's endless warnings and 'breaking news' of bad weather. Really? Look out the window, dude.

I moved to another room which happened to contain my recumbent bike. After a few more minutes of chatting, I climbed on the bike and started to pedal (I wish away, but, no, just pedal). By the time our phone catch-up had concluded, I had ridden for a half hour!

So much for bad weather keeping me from my goal. It was really effortless. Just talk, listen, and pedal. I'll live to walk another day......




***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.

NEED MORE "PROOF"?

Should you need more 'proof' that walking is good for you, here's a quote from the February 7, 2011 issue of Time Magazine:
"20% = Percentage improvement in mobility among older obese adults who walked and lost weight"

So, you're not obese? Not older? Don't want to lose weight? Don't want to think about it?

Don't do it, then. But, if you are a human of any age, weight, and condition, walking may well improve your mobility by 20%.

Worth a try? Not much to lose. Go for it!





***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.

THE HARDEST PART OF A WALK

I've just finished a fluffy little book by Claire Cook called The Wildwater Walking Club. It was fun to listen to while driving my normal route to and from work. I think it was just 7 CD's so not a Russian novel.

The story is about a woman who has just been fired from her executive job at an athletic shoe company (like Nike) and dumped by her boyfriend. She doesn't know her neighbors, is experiencing middle-aged spread, and is generally miserable. With her little silver parachute comes the income to spend her days on the sofa, wallowing in her pity. After a few days, she decides to go see if her employee badge will still get her a discount at the company shoe store. It does, so she buys all the walking shoes in her size, is given a free pedometer and begins her walking journey. Along the way, she picks up two neighbors and a new attitude. She and her friends find the pedometer to be inspirational and come up with good ways to motivate themselves. I'll save the details for your reading pleasure.

At one point later in the book, the writer inserts this tiny but huge phrase. "The hardest part of any walk is putting on the shoes." I know, I know. We've all heard that the journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step. Yes, it does. But, you can't take that step in your bare feet can you? So, every day when you get dressed, put on some comfortable shoes that will take you on your daily walk - however long that is. No excuses!

Note: I carry a pair of walking shoes and good socks in my car with me every day. I don't have to rely on those shoes very well. I'll warn you that they age poorly. The soles become hardened and slick before you know it. So, now, every time I put on a new pair of shoes, I put the most recent old ones in my car and change them out regularly.



***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.