My brother and sister-in-law climbed a mountain on Saturday. Mt. Hood to be exact. The highest peak in Oregon at 11,246 feet. That’s Jeanie on the summit in the photo above. They burned a lot of calories in the process.  Rich – approximately 3,300 calories – Jeanie – about 2,500 calories.  And all before breakfast.  How did they get to the top?  The same way a couch potato becomes a walker – or runner – or cyclist – or mountain climber. By, Setting a Long-Term Goal – As we have stated in an earlier blog on goal-setting, good goals are personal, realistic, specific, and

We told you in an earlier blog about www.walkscore.com, a web site that uses a patent-pending algorithm to assess and compile the distances to different lifestyle-related features in various categories (stores, restaurants, coffee shops, schools, parks, libraries, etc.).  The Walk Score web site is a really neat way to scout potential living areas that have easy access (i.e., short walking distance) to the things you need and want.   The new American Fitness IndexTM (AFI) is another way to judge the state of health and fitness of your current – or future – hometown.  Developed by the American College of Sports Medicine, the

  Low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods like fruits and vegetables are staples in a calorie-controlled diet. While a variety of fresh, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables can be found at most grocery stores, many people find pleasure in growing their own. Others, however, lack the time, space, or know-how to build and maintain a fruit/vegetable garden. If that's you, consider a community garden. A community garden is any piece of land gardened by a group of people. It can be urban, suburban, or rural; it can be one community plot or several individual plots; and it can be anywhere – a school, a hospital, a

The growing obesity epidemic in the U.S. and around the world is a stark reminder that that our calorie balance is out of whack.  The fact that most people who lose weight gain it back indicates that it is extremely difficult for people to sustain major changes to their calorie (food) intake or energy expenditure (i.e, physical activity).  So maybe the solution is not in helping those who are already overweight to lose weight but helping everyone – lean and overweight – prevent further weight gain.  And that, according to one prominent obesity researcher, would only require small changes in

Wondering how often you should weigh yourself to determine whether you're in calorie balance? Some research has shown that people who have lost weight and weigh every day are less likely to gain back the weight. But, daily weigh-ins may not be helpful for everyone. The advantage to daily weigh-ins is that it is easy to catch small weight gains and get back on track with eating and physical activity behaviors, if needed. On the other hand, daily weigh-ins may frustrate some dieters who are working hard but see increases on the scale. A scale can't differentiate between gains or

Get a picture in your mind of a family member or friend who is sedentary. When do you think was the last time this person’s doctor gave them advice on their physical activity level? Or better yet, took enough time to map out a physical activity goal and plan with them? Chances are your answer is “never.” Unfortunately, many primary care physicians do not promote physical activity to their patients beyond the perfunctory, “Get more exercise” admonition. Studies have shown the reasons for this to be lack of: time reimbursement for time spent doing exercise counseling confidence in their ability

  From time to time we expose the calorie content of certain foods to enable you to make educated decisions when eating out. While some restaurants choose to (or are required to) provide this information, many don't . And without knowing how many calories you are consuming, how will you know if you've run over your daily calorie allowance? This week we're revealing the min, the max, and the Ay Dios Mio! (oh my gosh!) of calories found in various Mexican foods. We'll also provide some simple strategies for cutting calories when eating Mexican fare. Lower Calorie Chioces*: Chicken tortilla

Moderate-intensity physical activity. We’ve used this phrase throughout the Stand Up & Eat blog. Why? Current recommendations for adults are to do at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week (or some combo of the two). Just what does moderate-intensity feel like? Well, if you’re an exercise physiologist, moderate-intensity is equal to 3.0 to 5.9 METs. A MET is a way of describing the amount of energy (calories) the body is burning relative to energy burned at complete rest. So 1 MET is rest, 2 METs means the body

Spring and Summer-like temperatures are here, which means more opportunities to get outside and be active and more choices (and cheaper prices!) for fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the quintessential nutrient-rich, low-calorie foods. So why do so few people eat the recommended amounts? Here are some frequently cited barriers: They're too expensive. My small grocery store only sells apples and bananas. I don't know how to select fresh fruits and vegetables. They don't taste good. I can't cook. Sound familiar? Fortunately, there are some great resources out there that can help you overcome these barriers. Farmer's Markets. In addition

OK, so the brain is not a muscle.  But your muscles and your mind are connected in many, yet to be fully understood, ways.  To date, the data suggest that people who are more active have better cognition or simply, better ability to think.  Many researchers are working to unravel the mysteries of how moving more may help keep our brains limber as we age. One of the challenges is accurately determining just how active people are.  Researchers have used recall questionnaires or interviews to get study participants to describe their physical activities.  Self-reporting one’s physical activity level usually relies