You probably know that the double bacon cheeseburger value meal is not the healthiest choice on the menu. Fried foods, high-fat meats, and casseroles oozing with butter are easy to recognize as foods you should eat less often. But, choosing healthy foods can be tricky. As shown in this video, many foods that are labeled "low fat" or are made with healthy ingredients (like fruits and vegetables) can cause you to quickly blow through your daily calorie budget.   

Here are a few more "healthy" foods that may be higher in calories* than you think:

• Bagels - One plain Einstein Bros. bagel has 290 calories (close to 4 times the amount of calories in a slice of bread).
• Granola cereal - With over 500 calories per cup you should consider choosing low-fat and limiting your portion to 1/2 cup.
• Trail mix - One-half cup (or half your fist) can contain 350+ calories. Watch out for chocolate pieces, candy covered fruit and nuts, and fried chips.
• Low fat yogurt with crunchy cookie pieces - YoCrunch "Fun Crunch" yogurts pack 200+ calories into 6-ounce containers!
• Vegetable chips and crackers - While some do contain small amounts of tomato puree, spinach, and carrot, most are made from fried starch (potatoes, rice, corn or soy) with powdered vegetables tossed in. That means they have just as much salt, fat, and calories as regular chips.
• Organic frozen meals - Don’t assume that a product labeled “organic” or “all natural” is healthy. Oftentimes, the artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives that are removed from these meals are replaced with unhealthy fats and sodium.
• Low sugar/Low carb sweet treats - Sugar-free doesn't mean fat- or calorie-free. In fact, in many products the sugar is removed and replaced with unhealthy fats, leading to just as many (if not more) calories than the original. 

What other high-calorie "healthy" foods would you add to this list?

*Nutrition information provided by www.calorieking.com.

You have heard the expression, “you have to move it to lose it.”  It’s a no brainer that regular physical activity teamed with a reduced-calorie diet leads to weight loss in most people.  Now a new study confirms that physical activity – a lot of it – is critical to preventing weight regain in women who have previously lost a significant amount of weight.

In this study, women who lost at least 10% of their initial body weight were much more likely to keep it off after two years if they exercised on average at least 275 minutes per week.  That comes out to about 40 minutes every day or 55 minutes if done five days of the week.  Ouch!  With today’s time-starved lifestyles, who has the time to devote to something that many people don’t see as “productive time?”  

But it is not as dire as you might think.  Here are a couple of scenarios that demonstrate that there are many ways to add in and add up minutes of physical activity each day.

“George”

• Walks his dogs for 10 minutes before leaving for work.
• Parks at farthest point from his office and walks seven minutes.
• Takes a five-minute morning “head clearing walk.”
• Walks 10 minutes at lunch.
  Takes a 40-minute salsa dance class after work.
        Total Physical Activity = 72 minutes

“Gina” 

• Works out on an elliptical trainer at a local health club for 45 minutes in the morning before going to work.
• Her job as a customer service rep keeps her sedentary the rest of the day.
• Walks to the park with her kids (walking time = 20 minutes).
        Total Physical Activity = 65 minutes

How can you fit in 60 minutes of at least moderate-intensity per day on at least five days a week?  Include your ideas in the comments section below.

In the past week, have you eaten for reasons other than physical hunger? If you're like most people, you'd answer, "YES!". True physical hunger is defined as discomfort, pain, or weakness caused by your body's need to eat food for energy or fuel. On the other hand, psychological hunger is the desire to eat for nonphysical reasons and is often triggered by the environment around you (external triggers) or your moods and emotions (internal triggers).

Which of these triggers lead you to eat when you're not truly hungry?

External triggers: Food-focused festivities like parties, get-togethers, and sporting events, the weather, busy schedules, and fatigue

Internal triggers: Loneliness, depression, feeling overwhelmed, and irritability 

While it is important to recognize and find other ways to deal with both external and internal triggers, researchers are particularly concerned about the affect of internal triggers on people trying to manage their weight. 

Researchers at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University/Miriam Hospital recently analyzed responses to an eating inventory questionnaire that assessed eating due to a variety of internal and external cues/situations. In a group of 286 overweight men and women who were participating in a behavioral weight loss program they found that the more a person ate for internal reasons, the less weight they lost over time. Likewise, in a group of over 3,300 adults who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least one year, the researchers found that those who reported emotional eating were more likely to regain weight over time. These results suggest that eating in response to internal cues is associated with poorer long-term weight loss outcomes. 

So, if you are an emotional eater, it is important to identify which thoughts and feelings (internal triggers) cause you to eat when you are not physically hungry. Then, you can develop a plan to handle these triggers without relying on food. Often, stress management techniques like deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation (where you tighten and relax various parts of your body) can help you cope when you're in a stressful circumstance. Don't forget that physical activity, too, is an excellent alternative to eating when stressed. And, if done regularly can actually help your body better deal with stressful situations.   

Niemeier, H.M., Phelan S., Fava, J.L., Wing, R. (2007). Internal disinhibition predicts weight loss regain following weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Obesity, 15(10), 2485-2494.

We have previously blogged a bit about the importance of having neighborhoods and living environments that support - even encourage - calorie burning through active living. Walking or biking for errands or commuting is a great way to use calories, reduce pollution, and save on gas. It has been a common practice in Europe for decades. Is it possible that people in the U.S. will want to live in environments that support being physically active? Now there is a website, www.walkscore.com,  that will help you find a walkable place to live.

How Does It Work?

After you enter an address for a home or business, you get a “Walk Score” from 0-100. The higher the score, the easier it is to live without a car. The score is determined from a patent-pending algorithm that assesses and compiles 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 to the things you need and want.

But don’t depend solely on a neighborhood’s “Walk Score” before you plunk down a down payment on a new home. You will need to visit the area because while a “Walk Score” will give you a good idea of the proximity of lifestyle amenities, it doesn’t take into consideration other factors that are very important for overall “walkability.”  These include things like: 

• Street design – The sidewalk width and condition (or even if they are present!), curbs, street crossings, signage, trees and green space all add up to a pleasant – or not! – walking experience.
• Topography – Hills, flash flooding zones, and other landscape features can make walking more difficult, if not downright dangerous.
• Safety – Crime rates, lighting, and traffic patterns are features that you will have to scope out on your own.
• Weather – You will need to ask yourself if walking is even an option because of a predominance of harsh weather conditions. 

Give It a Try!

The neighborhood I live in got a “Walk Score” of 45 meaning my area is “Car Dependent.” After a three-mile walk this morning with my dog followed by another three-mile walk by myself in the opposite direction, I would rate the “Walk Score” of my neighborhood much higher than 45. It has lots of trees and varied landscape, is adjacent to a university campus, has seven parks within 1.5 miles, and, depending on the route I take, there are places to get a drink of water and go potty. I can walk to a grocery store, Starbucks, and numerous restaurants if desired. Are they just around the corner (“Walk Score” gives the highest score to amenities that are less than 0.25 miles away)? No, but I look at the extra distance as a way to burn more calories.

Fun Facts

Still, we think the “Walk Score” is a great way to learn more about a neighborhood’s proximity to important retail and service amenities, especially if being less car dependent is your health and lifestyle goal.  According to www.walkscore.com, the top three walkable cities in the U.S. are:

• San Francisco  - Walk Score = 86
• New York City - Walk Score = 83
• Boston - Walk Score = 79

The least walkable? 

• Charlotte, NC - Walk Score = 39
• Nashville, TN - Walk Score = 39
• Jacksonville, FL - Walk Score = 36

Check out the Walk Score site and come back to this Stand Up & Eat blog to report your score in the comments section below.

Can you imagine being told to take in 10,000 calories each day? According to Michael Phelps (on an NBC-aired interview), that is the amount of calories he must consume to maintain his weight and maximize his performance. In contrast, a sedentary person of Phelps' stature (6'4" and 195 pounds) needs only 2,179 calories per day (according to our Calorie Needs Calculator).  

What does 10,000 calories in one day even look like? For Phelps, it's reportedly:

Breakfast: 3 fried egg sandwiches with cheese, a 5-egg omlete, a bowl of grits, 3 slices of Fench toast, 3 chocolate chip pancakes, and 2 cups of coffee

Lunch: 1 pound of pasta, 2 large ham and cheese sandwiches, and 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks

Dinner: 1 pound of pasta, 1 large pizza, and 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks

Wow! If you've ever said, "I wish I could eat whatever I want and not gain weight," here's the answer. Every day spend five hours in the pool swimming seven miles in the water! Not realistic? Well, maybe you could try 30 minutes of swimming and burn 250 calories - allowing for a small splurge or mid-day snack.

Believe it or not, though, Phelps and other elite athletes see eating as more of a training regimen than a pleasure. They recognize that food is fuel and that if they don't fuel their bodies with the right mix of nutrients their performance will suffer. What are the key nutrients for athletes to consider? Water (yes, water is one of the six essential nutrients) to prevent dehydration; carbohydrates like bread, fruit, and cereal for lasting energy; protein like lean meat, fish, poultry, and dairy products for muscle recovery and repair; and vitamins and minerals, as found in a variety of healthy, colorful foods.

The Stand Up & Eat web site is dedicated to helping people stand up more and eat better. And we’re not a moment too soon, given new data that confirms that Americans are more sedentary than we thought.

In a study published earlier this year in the American Journal of Epidemiology, accelerometers were used to objectively measure the physical activity levels among 6,329 people six years old and older.  An accelerometer is a small device worn on a subject’s waist which measures and stores information about the intensity of a person’s body movement.  Previous attempts to assess the physical activity and sedentary habits of a representative sample of Americans have used self-report questionnaires, a method that is easier but much less accurate. 

Researchers found that on average, children and adults in the U.S. spent almost 55% of their waking time (nearly eight hours) in sedentary behaviors.  Study participants didn’t record what they were doing when they were not active, so there is no way to know how much time was spent watching television, commuting to and from work or school, sitting a desk, etc.  But these data clearly show that we do an awful lot of nothing all day long – at least when is comes to moving around.

This study also supports research findings that we cited in an earlier blog - children become more sedentary as they enter adolescence.  Researchers also noted that from about age 30 on, there was a steady increase in sedentary time, with people 70-85 spending two-thirds of their time being sedentary.  Mexican-American adults were less sedentary than other adults.

Given our hectic days and technology-aided lives, what are ways we can be less sedentary?  Remember, you burn 33% more calories standing than you do sitting.

In last week's post we described the impact of labor-saving devices (e.g., washing machine, elevator) on calories expended throughout the day. We suggested that new technologies are causing us to be less physically active and gain weight because calorie intake is often not adjusted to balance the sedentary behaviors. But, we also posed a question: can technology support or promote an active lifestyle?

We (and others) believe "yes." Here are some of the ways technology can provide or facilitate most of the types of support that someone trying to become or stay physically active needs. 

• Information Support - The World Wide Web provides a tremendous amount of information for people of all fitness levels - beginner to athlete. You can find everything from stretching and strength exercises to walking trails where you live/work to tips for finding the right footwear. Workout DVDs and downloadable Podcasts can also walk you through a cardiovascular or strength training segment.  
• Buddy Support - A buddy is someone who will be physically active with you, hold you accountable, and/or remind you to fit in your daily physical activity. Transportation and fitness centers make it possible to find fitness buddies if your neighbors are not on board. Virtual coaches can send you signals to be active through emails and text messages and hold you accountable by reviewing the physical activity logs you send them. Also, there are many web sites (like www.mypyramidtracker.gov) that allow you to track and monitor your own progress. 
• Listening Support - Whether it's a friend on the phone or a posting to your Face Book page, technology allows you to share your activity successes and struggles with friends and family members around the world. If the people surrounding you aren't supportive, you can easily tap into a "community" of people that are working toward a similar goal.
• Practical Support - Technologies like iPods, Dance Dance Revolution, and Nintendo Wii Sports make physical activity fun. Step counters and accelerometers (which measure intensity and distance) allow you to gauge your activity level at any time and set goals that can be easily tracked. Home and gym fitness equipment make it possible to stay active when weather's bad.

If you take time to think about it you'll realize that technology can, in many ways, reduce barriers to physical activity. As you work toward increasing your physical activity level we encourage you to not "say no!" to all technologies, but to think twice before choosing the "lazy way."  

No, we are not talking about the colorful, roly poly children’s television characters.

We’re talking about television watching and overweight Americans.  There is a growing mountain of research that has found that the more time children and adults spend watching television, the greater the likelihood they will be overweight or obese. 

One study dug a little deeper into this important question and found that nearly 60% of adults watched more than two hours of television per day.  These adults had a much higher body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fatness based on height and weight, than adults who watched less than one hour of TV per day.  Older adults and those with lower educational and income levels were much more likely to watch two or more hours a day of television.  African Americans were more likely than other racial and ethnic groups to watch at least two hours of TV a day.

A reason why regular television watching may be so strongly associated with obesity risk is because the time people are sitting on the couch watching reality shows, sports, sit coms, or crime dramas is time they could be burning a lot more calories doing physical activities.  But research has also demonstrated that people who watch more than two hours of TV also eat more calories than people who watch less television.  And the extra calories come primarily as regular soft drinks and calorie-dense snack foods, likely consumed while sitting in front of the tube.

This is not good news, especially in light of the plethora of television options that are now available to us.  Hundreds of channels, record and watch it later DVRs, and even streaming video on our computers make it really, really easy to watch television – and be sedentary – any time we want.

Possible solutions?  How about:

• Setting up an exercise machine in your TV room.  Promise yourself only to watch while you are moving.
• Capturing the energy you produce while exercising to power your television.  Check out this websit:  http://www.los-gatos.ca.us/davidbu/pedgen.html
• Making it a rule in your house that there is no snacking while watching television.

What ideas do you have for reducing sedentary TV time or increasing energy expenditure while watching TV?  Share them in the space provided below.