What are you're thoughts?

[michaelosborne]

So I work at a small cafe in a hospital which often gets confused with ours in cafeteria to guests first entering the hospital. We have a very small selection for actual food (small salads, cold sandwiches, puddings, etc.) and while the main cafeteria has all the bells and whistles of hot, complete meals. What I find astounding is when people get disappointed with our selection and ask where the main cafeteria is, they don't want to walk "all the way" to the cafeteria. Due to this frequent occurance, I've timed the walk. It takes 4 minutes! Now my question is, is this really where Americans are these days, or all over the world for that matter? Where a four minute walk is unthinkable. I'm having trouble wrapping my head around this! Considering many of you have walked thousands and thousands of miles I thought it would be interesting to hear your thoughts.

[Malto]

Yup, sounds about right. Love watching people wait minutes for a parking space 50' closer. I love when I pass them in my car, park and them pass them still waiting walking by.

[fiddlehead]

I have a good friend who looks seriously out of shape.
I'm always trying to get him to walk for exercise and one day last fall, he actually said yes and we went on an aprox 2 mile brisk walk together.
Turns out, he walked fast and surprised me.
I asked why he doesn't do this more often and he replied: I just don't like it!
Up to him.
He'll probably die younger than he should be is like my father who knew salt and cigars were bad for him, but continued their used up to a week or two before he died.
Don't stress over it.
If everyone liked to walk as much as most of the people on here, the trail would get so crowded we'd have to find something else to do.

[aficion]

A trip to Walmart is the equivalent to a trip to the gym for many. It is a big store to have to walk all the way from the junk food to the pharmacy.

[lonehiker]

A trip to Walmart is the equivalent to a trip to the gym for many. It is a big store to have to walk all the way from the junk food to the pharmacy.

Wrong on that one. They use those electric carts.....

[johnnybgood]

I also work in a hospital, and hear my colleague's complain about how far they must park, then walk to the hospital. Realistically, it's probably 300-500 ft. from B1 to B 7 parking lots to the door. I walk fast and it takes me 2 minutes, maybe less to do. BTW,many NEED to walk more to get into shape. I see the ever increasing obesity problem in this country starting younger and younger with children not getting the exercise needed and then it gets compounded by a poor diet.

[LionDog]

If you haven't taken a trip to Disney lately all I can say is shocking!
Hotel bathroom even had a needle dispenser for used insulin needles for diabetics to dispose of.
Again shocking.
I'm a city slicker so it was a real eye opener for me.
Everyone just needs to get out and hike!

[mak1277]

What are my thoughts? My thought is that if everyone paid as much attention to learning proper English as they do to telling other people how to live, then we'd not have a nation of people that don't know the difference between your and you're.

[aficion]

What are my thoughts? My thought is that if everyone paid as much attention to learning proper English as they do to telling other people how to live, then we'd not have a nation of people that don't know the difference between your and you're.

We can only hope for change.

[michaelosborne]

What are my thoughts? My thought is that if everyone paid as much attention to learning proper English as they do to telling other people how to live, then we'd not have a nation of people that don't know the difference between your and you're.
I was in no way telling people how to live, if you paid as much attention to fully reading and understanding the context of a post as opposed to grammar that might help a bit. I was simply making an observation not telling anyone to do this or that. And I'm well aware of the difference it was my trusty iPhone that changed it and I didn't notice, my sincere apologies :p

[bamboo bob]

I have seen people drive to the end of the driveway to get the mail. But.. not everyone with a gut is a clueless slob. I often start a trip with more then a few pounds on me. It melts away in the first month and it's as good as lightening my pack.

[HikerMom58]

I was in no way telling people how to live, if you paid as much attention to fully reading and understanding the context of a post as opposed to grammar that might help a bit. I was simply making an observation not telling anyone to do this or that. And I'm well aware of the difference it was my trusty iPhone that changed it and I didn't notice, my sincere apologies :p

No worries! :)

Hey- have you heard about thru-hikers, themselves, not wanting to walk very far to get to places etc.. off the trail? I have :p

[dmax]

No worries! :)

Hey- have you heard about thru-hikers, themselves, not wanting to walk very far to get to places etc.. off the trail? I have :p

Ya, like I better skip the approach trail. I already have too many miles to hike. ...
On the flip side, they could put plum orchard gap shelter closer to the trail...

[michaelosborne]

Ya, like I better skip the approach trail. I already have too many miles to hike. ...
Hiking 2,185 miles is easy, it's that extra 9 miles that gets ya! :D I'm including the approach in my thru hike this year, the experience is worth it.

[mak1277]

I was in no way telling people how to live, if you paid as much attention to fully reading and understanding the context of a post as opposed to grammar that might help a bit. I was simply making an observation not telling anyone to do this or that. And I'm well aware of the difference it was my trusty iPhone that changed it and I didn't notice, my sincere apologies :p

I read your post. You clearly implied that you think there is something wrong with people that don't want to walk 4 minutes. If that wasn't your implication, then your original post was just useless (but I don't think that's the case).

[Carbo]

I'd gladly hike all day, but it really ticks me off to have to get up to change the channel when I can't find the remote.

[Dogwood]

Although many possible factors exist, one very significant factor that often determines a populations daily/annual walked miles is the abundance/lack of automobiles. Guess where the U.S. ranks in the world in this category? Something like every 4 out of every 5, or 80%, of U.S citizens own automobiles. The U.S. has been #1 -#3 in the world in total automobiles owned and per capita for some 25 + yrs. It heavily factors into why the U.S. is so oil dependent as well consuming something like 40-45 % of the world's annual petroleum production(at least the last time I looked which was a couple of yrs ago). This stat can be skewed though in several ways depending on how it is derived. U.S. citizens usually rank dismally low in avg daily miles walked compared to may other countries. The U.S. is also a wealthy country so it's citizens are able to afford many electronics like TVs and ahem computers with around the clock 365 days a yr non stop entertainment and news through these electronics that keep us seated leading to living more sedentary lifestyles. Couple this with the typical U.S. citizen(American) diet high in fat, low in fiber, blah, blah, blah and.....

I read a study posted in Readers Digest several yrs ago(paraphrased here a bit) that followed a random sampling of a large number(I think it was more than 22K) U.S. citizens daily/weekly walking habits. In 1997 the avg U.S. citizen in this study walked an avg of about 10 miles per wk which included walking at both work and not at work seven days a wk. The study was conducted again in 2007 under the same conditions with about the same number of random sampling of U.S. citizens and the avg distance walked per wk had fallen to about 2 miles/wk. But recently I've been seeing daily avg quotes as high as 2 miles/day for U.S. citizens.

Regardless on the various quoted numbers(various studies have different ways they measure these things which can make comparisons ridiculously complex and often lead to half truth conclusions), U.S. citizens are walking less than they were a couple of decades ago. So, to answer your question YES it has gotten that bad. The avg U.S. citizen doesn't like walking and certainly, no appreciable distance. They like driving though!

[aficion]

n U.S. citizens are walking less than they were a couple of decades ago. So, to answer your question YES it has gotten that bad. The avg U.S. citizen doesn't like walking and certainly, no appreciable distance. They like driving though![/QUOTE]

[aficion]

Love driving, walking too
Both are great and so are you
hope you never change

[4eyedbuzzard]

Hiking 2,185 miles is easy, it's that extra 9 miles that gets ya! :D I'm including the approach in my thru hike this year, the experience is worth it.If you fall 9 miles short of completing your thru-hike you are really going to be kicking your self in the @$$ though . . . ;)

[HikerMom58]

What are my thoughts? My thought is that if everyone paid as much attention to learning proper English as they do to telling other people how to live, then we'd not have a nation of people that don't know the difference between your and you're.

I call foul on this statement, mak1277. He's not telling people how to live, he's questioning their "mindset". There's a huge difference, IMHO. He's trying to understand why they don't want to walk 4 minutes to get something else. I question that myself. :D

[importman77]

If you haven't taken a trip to Disney lately all I can say is shocking!
Hotel bathroom even had a needle dispenser for used insulin needles for diabetics to dispose of.
Again shocking.
I'm a city slicker so it was a real eye opener for me.
Everyone just needs to get out and hike!

I was at Disney World in 2012. I was amazed at how many of those electric carts there were running around. It seemed like every time we got on/off the monorail we had to wait for the crew to put down the ramps to let people load/unload. It had only been 2-3 years prior that we were there and it was nothing like that. I believe those carts are very important to people who are handicapped or injured but the majority of people I saw riding them didn't appear to fit either category. To put it bluntly, they were fat. I also see it all the time at Walmart. Huge people riding the scooters with 50 lbs of butt meat hanging off each side of the seat. One time I even saw and husband and wife that probably would have a combined weight of 700 or more riding scooters with the man following the woman in and out through the short isles near the pharmacy. It was kind of comical but sad. Meanwhile, my 80 year old mother whose a poster child for someone who should be riding one, refuses to. She's got rhematoid arthritis, emphesema, osteoporosis, heart trouble, a replaced hip with problems and an ankle that was shattered and rebuilt after a serious car accident several years ago. The ankle still gives her a great amount of trouble and will never heal. She has to use a cane to walk with but she won't use the cart. I'd guess that 75% of the people I see riding them are simply overweight and whatever ailments they have are stemming from that. Of course these are just my own observations. YMMV

[daddytwosticks]

I get a kick out of the people at my gym who will battle for a front door parking space, then go into the facility and spend an hour on the treadmill! I think Bill Bryson talked about this subject in A Walk in the Woods. :)

[Coffee]

Surprisingly, living in an urban area is good preparation for hiking. I have a car but only use it once a week. It is easier to walk everywhere for day to day errands. I hate driving in a dense city, paying for parking, dealing with aggressive drivers, and worrying about speed cameras and other traps. I probably walk a few miles a day most days of the week in addition to my running. I probably would not walk anywhere on a day to day basis if I lived in a suburb or a rural area.

[LIhikers]

No worries! :)

Hey- have you heard about thru-hikers, themselves, not wanting to walk very far to get to places etc.. off the trail? I have :p

There's a shelter in CT, that I can't remember the name of, that's in an absolutely beautiful location but most thrus will never see it because it's something like a half mile, and down hill, off the trail.

[slbirdnerd]

I park out in the wide open places of the parking lot, and I take the stairs up 4 office building stories at work, among other thing... But that's the kind of stuff that makes us hikers and others not so much. :)

[marti038]

We had a traffic nightmare here in Birmingham, AL last week which left thousands of people stranded at either their places of work, school, closest hotels, etc.

Naturally after the thaw everyone is eager to share their dramatic experiences with others. I parked my car and walked about 7.5 miles to my home in about 3 hours, which was about 4-8 hours faster than those who drove. When I tell people that I walked 7.5 miles (with no pack mind you) they look at me like I'm some sort of freek.

Given the amount of stupidity and vehicle carnage I saw along my walk, I've felt really good about the decision I made. Somehow people think it's wiser to play bumper cars in the ice for 6-10 hours than to take a 3 hour walk in light snow with temps in the upper 20s.

It's been pretty revealing and disappointing all at the same time. It's one thing for a city this far south not to invest a lot in snow/ice equipment that would rarely get used, it's quite another for people to feel so incredibly powerless without their automobiles. Just sad.

[Weather-man]

I had a rule that I used with my kids growing up. That was to park, in any parking lot, at the farthest point and walk or jog to the building or store. They learned early that exercise is a gift that should be treasured.

[Odd Man Out]

I was at Disney World in 2012. I was amazed at how many of those electric carts there were running around. It seemed like every time we got on/off the monorail we had to wait for the crew to put down the ramps to let people load/unload. It had only been 2-3 years prior that we were there and it was nothing like that. I believe those carts are very important to people who are handicapped or injured but the majority of people I saw riding them didn't appear to fit either category. To put it bluntly, they were fat....

I went to see the movie WALL-E a few years ago with my daughter (college age). After the show we were at our large local supermarket and saw a couple of very overweight people in these carts. We looked at each other and realized without saying anything that we were both thinking exactly the same thing.

[tiptoe]

Here in the burbs, people fire up their SUVs to drive their kids maybe 50-100 yards down the driveway to the main road to catch the school bus. The vehicle idles while they wait, and when the bus comes, back they go. This happens whatever the weather. Not to mention that the bus stops at every driveway.

[squeezebox]

You need to realize that obesity is an addiction. It's really hard for someone to dig theirself out of it. My sister-in-law is at least 100 lb overweight,has tried lots of dieting and falls back in. Look at alcoholics and potheads. Food can get hooked in the addiction part of your brain. Yes it's sad , and yes we need better food that does not have an addiction hook attached.
Your job is to eat well, exercise, play with your kids outside, get rid of cable. And when others ask why you are healthy and they aren't you calmly tell them why. Invite the fat guy to a 20 min walk, give the person who goes to burgerX every day offer them a bit of your lunch. Stick your nose out there and be a mentor.

[Odd Man Out]

I recall reading a couple of relevant anecdotes. I think they were from Bryson's book.

The people in Hanover NH were complaining that there wasn't enough parking by the town recreation center. It seems that they all needed to drive a few blocks so they could work out.

Also he also wrote about the time he was staying at a hotel during a resupply stop during his hike. He found it was almost impossible to walk to the grocery store (even though it was only a half mile) as Part of the walk took him down a busy highway with no sidewalks or shoulders.

And my own experience: I was checking our of a hotel in Washington DC. The desk clerk asked if I needed him to call for a cab. I said that I would walk (about 1/2 mile) to the subway which would take me to the airport. He asked "Are you sure you are an American?"

[WorldPeaceAndStuff]

Obesity is an addiction same as drugs. The My 600lb Life show really puts it in perspective.

[RangerZ]

If you haven't taken a trip to Disney lately all I can say is shocking!
Hotel bathroom even had a needle dispenser for used insulin needles for diabetics to dispose of.
Again shocking.
I'm a city slicker so it was a real eye opener for me.
Everyone just needs to get out and hike!

What's wrong with providing proper means of disposal? It's better than having syringes, needles or pen needles in the regular trash.

Don't forget that it's not some diabetics 'fault' that they are diabetic, especially Type 1s.

[squeezebox]

what's wrong? Some untrained person could put their finger in the dirty container and get stuck with a dirty needle. do not underestimate stupidity.
Every needle dependent person has been very, very,very trained about how to safely dispose of sharps.and MUST bring their own sharps container.
I would never use a hotel/motel sharps container without knowing their process of disposal. My RN license would be at stake for malpractice.

[magneto]

You need to realize that obesity is an addiction. It's really hard for someone to dig theirself out of it. My sister-in-law is at least 100 lb overweight,has tried lots of dieting and falls back in. Look at alcoholics and potheads. Food can get hooked in the addiction part of your brain. Yes it's sad , and yes we need better food that does not have an addiction hook attached.

Your job is to eat well, exercise, play with your kids outside, get rid of cable. And when others ask why you are healthy and they aren't you calmly tell them why. Invite the fat guy to a 20 min walk, give the person who goes to burgerX every day offer them a bit of your lunch. Stick your nose out there and be a mentor.

What squeezebox said is true - once you are morbidly obese (100+ lbs overweight), getting to - and maintaining - a normal weight might as well be impossible - very few, if any, do it. It takes something drastic and metabolism altering like bariatric surgery, which is what I did as a last-ditch effort to save my life. It worked so well that I lost 50% of my body weight and was able to take up hiking, climbing and now mountaineering.

I am constantly motivated to maintain my new-found fitness by contemplating how cool it is to do extraordinary things involving shoes with spikes, large piles of rock, lengths of rope and various sharp and pointy ice tools. I've always been a boy who likes to play in the mud and snow.

When I was 400+ lbs, I it was painful to walk any more than a few steps. Now I relish walking everywhere - miles upon miles.

[4eyedbuzzard]

I have two female relatives from different sides of my family, the same age, 77 years old.

One always looked for the closest parking spot, never walked for any reason even at work (she literally rolled around through hallways in her office chair), always eats take out and crap food, always looked for the easiest way of doing anything, and thinks that pills and medical "treatment" will solve her health problems. For decades we kept telling her to get out and walk with the local neighbors, park in the furthest spot, etc. She never listened. She now has a cane, a walker, wheelchair, lift chair, handicap bars everywhere, has been rescued by 911 several times because she "has fallen and can't get up". She can now barely go anywhere or do anything and is headed for a miserable time in her waning years.

The other always was out walking when possible, doing yard work, volunteering at her church and the city zoo, bowling, etc. - anything to keep busy and going. She recently complained to me that she just doesn't have the energy she used to - she has had to reduced her volunteer days/hours a bit, is having trouble keeping up with the 3 acre property, had to go to a 14 pound bowling ball as her average dropped to 165, etc. She travels several times a year with her younger sister and is out there really enjoying life to its fullest.

NEVER STOP MOVING AND DOING!

[Son Driven]

Yep, I was at the Mall of America when it first opened, wanting to go to Radio Shack to buy my father a gift, I went to the mall directory. There were two Radio Shacks listed on the directory, at opposite ends of the mall.

[Old Hiker]

Worked for 5 years at the Pentagon. From where a lowly E-5 could park (me) to my office in the basement was 1/3 mile, physically measured. From my office to the computer room: up a flight of stairs, half way around the Pentagon, up 3 more flights of stairs to the main floor and then down one to the computer room. Several times a day. 1/3 of a mile back to the parking space.

It was funny to see people try to justify a closer space.

[Seatbelt]

I have an amazing number of friends my age or younger who have pretty much "given up" on taking care of themselves. As a result, they are having numerous joint replacements, heart attacks, strokes, etc. When discussing one of my backpacking trips, they almost always say to me: How do you do it? I just tell them--Ya got to get started somewhere, sometime--how 'bout today? But there's always an excuse.

I talked to a man the other day who was substantially overweight and he told me that his wife keeps telling him he is digging his grave with his fork. His reply? "If I die because of overeating, at least I'm doing what I love to do" To each his own I guess.

[George]

if it does not count for trail miles, hikers often do not want to walk either

[George]

. She recently complained to me that she just doesn't have the energy she used to - she has had to reduced her volunteer days/hours a bit, is having trouble keeping up with the 3 acre property, had to go to a 14 pound bowling ball as her average dropped to 165, etc.

likely a pacemaker would fix that right up

[4eyedbuzzard]

likely a pacemaker would fix that right upI'm sure if she needs one her cardiologist will talk to her about it. She just isn't willing to accept that at 77 she isn't 27 anymore ;)

[Pedaling Fool]

Walking sucks, too time consuming. I use only two modes of transportation: I either Bike it or Run it.

[Drybones]

What are my thoughts? My thought is that if everyone paid as much attention to learning proper English as they do to telling other people how to live, then we'd not have a nation of people that don't know the difference between your and you're.

Thanks for you're opinion.

[Drybones]

What's wrong with providing proper means of disposal? It's better than having syringes, needles or pen needles in the regular trash.

Don't forget that it's not some diabetics 'fault' that they are diabetic, especially Type 1s.

The fact that so many need it. The fact that we have become a unhealthy society.

[johnnybgood]

[QUOTE=Pedaling Fool;1844670]Walking sucks, too time consuming. I use only two modes of transportation: I either Bike it or run.
Lucky you. Not every metropolitan area are there bicycle lanes to accommodate such means of travel. To even run along surburban roads is a dangerous proposition . Unforunately, the designers of our roadways didn't ask us for our two cents, nor will they when propagating ideas on these matters. It makes perfect sense to maybe you and I but the reality is it's a waste of taxpayers money to the average citizen paying taxes.

[Mags]

I get a kick out of the people at my gym who will battle for a front door parking space, then go into the facility and spend an hour on the treadmill! . :)

There's something wrong with a society that drives a car to workout in a gym. -Bill Nye, the Science Guy

[Pedaling Fool]

[QUOTE=johnnybgood;1844696]

Lucky you. Not every metropolitan area are there bicycle lanes to accommodate such means of travel. To even run along surburban roads is a dangerous proposition . Unforunately, the designers of our roadways didn't ask us for our two cents, nor will they when propagating ideas on these matters. It makes perfect sense to maybe you and I but the reality is it's a waste of taxpayers money to the average citizen paying taxes.
Many consider Florida to be the most dangerous state for cyclists/pedestrians. And Jacksonville is in the top 3 of all cities in the U.S.

Excerpt:


According to Transportation for America (http://t4america.org/resources/dangerousbydesign2011/) , these are the 10 most dangerous metropolitan areas in the United States:
1. Orlando/Kissimmee, Florida
2. Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida
3. Jacksonville, Florida
4. Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Pompano, Florida
5. Riverside/San Bernardino/Ontario, California
6. Las Vegas/Paradise, Nevada
7. Memphis, Tennessee
8. Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, Arizona
9. Houston/Sugar Land/Baytown, Texas
10. Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington, Texas


Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/10-most-dangerous-cities-for-biking-and-walking.html#ixzz2sUAE2pNr




DISCLAIMER: It's safe for me to bike, because I'm a bad ass. If you're not a bad ass, don't cycle :D

[Odd Man Out]

I've let my weight get out of hand over the past few years. So I did the New Year's resolution like everyone else. My target gets me to "not overweight" (185 lbs for a 6'0" frame) by July 30. After a month, I'm ahead of that pace. The system, eat three healthy meals a day and nothing else. Walk 30 minutes on the treadmill every evening. Weigh yourself every morning and graph your progress. Publish your graph every week on your Facebook page (motivation). I'll set aside a week this summer for a hike. I hope to be in much better shape by then.
25830

[Pedaling Fool]

Whenever this topic comes up you see people complaining about American lifestyle, but really has less to do with our standard of living and more to do with Animal Behavior. You take an animal out of the natural world and feed that animal it will not exercise and tend to lay around more; that's just basic animal behavior. This is not an American phenomenon, it's an human thing, or to be more precise, it's an animal thing.

Not long ago Mexico surpassed us as the Fattest coutry in the world. And now many European countries are dealing with this issue, here is just one example: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/feb/04/two-thirds-adults-overweight-england-public-health

One of the problems with this discussion (on the whole, not just this thread) is that people are too concerned with weight loss and less concerned with fitness. Many that lose weight only become one of those Skinny-fat people that still have many health concerns.

The focus on reducing obesity is all about increasing health, but to truly be healthy one must be phyisically fit. Not saying one has to run a marathon or anything, but 30 minutes per day/4 times per week on an elliptical isn't going to do it; nor is doing one simple exercise. When I first started cycling over 25 years ago, I thought I was settled for life with respect to health --- Wrong!

That's just a fact of life; don't blame me that's mother nature's rule.

[squeezebox]

great story Magneto. great job you did/doing. You should be a wt. reduction poster person. Maybe go the local bariatric hospital, and offer your services as a consultant.

[magneto]

great story Magneto. great job you did/doing. You should be a wt. reduction poster person. Maybe go the local bariatric hospital, and offer your services as a consultant.

Hey - thanks! I have tried to encourage others to "do the extraordinary" with their new post-op selves, but it does not always work. It probably has to do with my personality type - I am not risk averse - getting fit has given me a chance to take on new risks. Not everyone is like that. As the popularity of bariatric surgery rises, I remain an example of what is possible, but probably not of what is probable.

[Pedaling Fool]

I know I talk a lot about fitness when these topics come up, only because it's been so successful for me (WRT health, not weight control).

I can NOT exercise enough, despite living a very active lifestyle, to keep the weight off; no matter how much I exercise I will gain weight, unless I make a conscious effort to eat less. It is a constant battle for me, because I do love to eat, no amount of walking in is going to keep it off; I suspect that is true for most.

As I've said before, one of my most important lessons I learned from the trail is that our bodies are amazingly efficient; however, most don't realize this because they have never had to opportunity to exercise as we do on the trail, at the same time rationing our food in a very extreme manner.

And it is why I have been able to keep the weight off (for the most part;)) to this day. It has very little to do with all the cycling/running/strength training and everything to with portion control. It seems people have this attitude that going a little hungry is a bad thing. I see it as a good thing, because it keeps the body efficient. And most people do NOT have efficient bodies and that is exactly why common advice is to not eat a large meal prior to exercise. However, that is exactly what I do; I eat a large baked potato with all the fixins' just prior to a run. If I've eaten too much in the time prior to eating the potato, then I will suffer with nasty bouts of heartburn during my run. But I never get them anymore, because thru practice I've got it down pretty good. Just a recommendation to anyone that finds counting calories a PITA, as I do and never count them.

[futureatwalker]

During these cold months, I've been reading a book that deals with this issue: The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease (http://www.amazon.com/The-Story-Human-Body-Evolution/dp/0307379418)

The author, Daniel Lieberman, argues that many of our current diseases are the product of a mismatch between our paleolithic bodies and our modern lifestyle. It's only in modern times that the majority of people have largely sedentary lives, and have access to so much sugary and fatty foods. Our bodies have evolved to move, not sit.

[HikerMom58]

I know I talk a lot about fitness when these topics come up, only because it's been so successful for me (WRT health, not weight control).

I can NOT exercise enough, despite living a very active lifestyle, to keep the weight off; no matter how much I exercise I will gain weight, unless I make a conscious effort to eat less. It is a constant battle for me, because I do love to eat, no amount of walking in is going to keep it off; I suspect that is true for most.

As I've said before, one of my most important lessons I learned from the trail is that our bodies are amazingly efficient; however, most don't realize this because they have never had to opportunity to exercise as we do on the trail, at the same time rationing our food in a very extreme manner.

And it is why I have been able to keep the weight off (for the most part;)) to this day. It has very little to do with all the cycling/running/strength training and everything to with portion control. It seems people have this attitude that going a little hungry is a bad thing. I see it as a good thing, because it keeps the body efficient. And most people do NOT have efficient bodies and that is exactly why common advice is to not eat a large meal prior to exercise. However, that is exactly what I do; I eat a large baked potato with all the fixins' just prior to a run. If I've eaten too much in the time prior to eating the potato, then I will suffer with nasty bouts of heartburn during my run. But I never get them anymore, because thru practice I've got it down pretty good. Just a recommendation to anyone that finds counting calories a PITA, as I do and never count them.

I agree with you on this. ( I agree with most everything you say on this subject) Portion control is HUGE. You can't out run your fork... true dat. ;)

I was looking for a place to brag on myself. :eek: Here goes my bragging-- Yesterday I ran 3.45 horizontal miles, I did 1040 stairs. I took the stairs for 20 floors. (going up and down) Yeah, baby! ( I know I can do the approach trail now! ;)) But, the most important thing of all, I had FUN! Whatever you choose, as your way to move, have fun!

I highly recommend living in Roanoke VA. The Mountain Junkies put on some of the BEST events EVER! (shameless plug for my city..lol)

[Pedaling Fool]

During these cold months, I've been reading a book that deals with this issue: The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease (http://www.amazon.com/The-Story-Human-Body-Evolution/dp/0307379418)

The author, Daniel Lieberman, argues that many of our current diseases are the product of a mismatch between our paleolithic bodies and our modern lifestyle. It's only in modern times that the majority of people have largely sedentary lives, and have access to so much sugary and fatty foods. Our bodies have evolved to move, not sit.
Interesting article on how we are now infecting people suffering from various autoimmune disorders with parasites http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130422-feeling-ill-swallow-a-parasite


Excerpt:

"In 1989, David Strachan, an epidemiologist at St. George’s University in London, published a landmark study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1838109/) proposing that improved hygiene in the developed world could explain trends in hay fever incidence. Strachan’s idea was that changes to sewage treatment, availability of clean water and food, and a shift away from farming lifestyles decreased our contact with soil, faeces and contaminated food where bacteria and parasites like helminths live.

The so-called "hygiene hypothesis (http://scienceblogs.com/aetiology/2010/02/22/what-is-the-hygiene-hypothesis/)" quickly took off, but in recent years a growing number of scientists have said the picture is more complex (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1774411/). The rise in allergies and inflammatory diseases may not necessarily be caused by a general lack of microbes in hygienic environments, but rather by a lack of certain organisms that have, over the course of evolution, trained our immune system to be more tolerant.

One of those organisms could be the worm-like parasite. Many of our human ancestors would have been infected with helminths, as are large numbers living in developing nations today. When helminths infect individuals and attach themselves in their hosts’ gastrointestinal tracts, the immune system launches an attack, while at the same time issuing a chain of anti-inflammatory orders to ensure the response does not get out of hand. People who survived infection have passed on immune advantages to future generations. In the modern, developed and sterile West, the theory goes, immunoregulatory effects no longer develop normally, leaving some particularly vulnerable to allergies and inflammatory diseases.

“It’s not that you’re diseased or abnormal, it’s just that the world has changed,” says David Elliott, hepatologist at the University of Iowa, and Weinstock’s research colleague."

[daddytwosticks]

This stuff reminds me of something I read a while ago where they were curing peoples gastrointestinal ailments by transplanting somebody elses poop into the sick person's body. No, I'm not drunk now, nor was I when I first read about it. Seriously. :)

[4eyedbuzzard]

This stuff reminds me of something I read a while ago where they were curing peoples gastrointestinal ailments by transplanting somebody elses poop into the sick person's body. No, I'm not drunk now, nor was I when I first read about it. Seriously. :)Yes. You're not going mad. I read that too. I think it has to do with good gut bacteria/microbes and such in there.

[Sierra2015]

This stuff reminds me of something I read a while ago where they were curing peoples gastrointestinal ailments by transplanting somebody elses poop into the sick person's body. No, I'm not drunk now, nor was I when I first read about it. Seriously. :)
Yeah! I read that a few months back! Some chick from Australia, right? She says it helps with IBS and colon cancer and can also help with obesity.

She says it's science based... which would seriously blow my mind if that's right.

[Pedaling Fool]

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/06/why-i-donated-my-stool/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0


http://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/2012/01/17/using-fecal-transplants-to-treat-recurrent-clostridium-difficile-infections-cdi/

[daddytwosticks]

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/06/why-i-donated-my-stool/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0


http://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/2012/01/17/using-fecal-transplants-to-treat-recurrent-clostridium-difficile-infections-cdi/
Crazy! Thanks for finding that. Knew I read it somewhere. :)

[kayak karl]

Obesity is an addiction same as drugs. The My 600lb Life show really puts it in perspective.
All generalizations are false, including this one.
Mark Twain

[michaelosborne]

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/06/why-i-donated-my-stool/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0


http://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/2012/01/17/using-fecal-transplants-to-treat-recurrent-clostridium-difficile-infections-cdi/
When you think you've heard it all...