By Mark Young
Some recent stuff written by a friend and colleague has gotten me thinking about the use of diet records. He stated (I’m paraphrasing here) that nobody really likes them anyway and that they’re basically a giant pain in the rear. Truth be told, I couldn’t agree more. Writing down everything you eat and drink is a big hassle. I hate it. Everyone hates it.
But here’s a plain and simple fact. People who have lost a significant amount of body weight and maintained that weight loss over the course of one year have several factors in common, and one of them is that they record what they eat. As we all know, losing weight is tough, but maintaining it is really where the big issue lies. Anyone can lose weight, but statistically most people put it back on. That’s why almost any personal trainer can show you a list of people they’ve helped to lose weight. The best ones just have a higher number of people who have actually kept it off.
Secondly, I find that the more you know about your body and food the easier it is to make better choices. People who are asked to report their intake typically underestimate what they actually ate and overestimate the amount of exercise they’ve done. By writing it all down you learn exactly how much food you’re taking in and how much energy you’re putting out.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that you need to count calories or estimate calorie output here. All I’m saying is that writing it down keeps you accountable to someone, even if it is only yourself. And you don’t necessarily have to do it forever. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with your plan and it has become a routine you can possibly give up your food log. However, if you start to slip I’d suggest writing things down until you get back on track.
July 29th, 2009
By Stacey Nolan Young
The “GreenGym” has made an appearance at a local park here in Hamilton. Woodlands Park on Barton St.E is now the proud owner of 5 pieces of specially made outdoor exercise equipment designed for those of all ages. It features machines like a leg press, a rowing machine, an elliptical, a shoulder press and more. Enjoy the benefits of a gym workout in the beautiful outdoors. And best of all it’s free! A good friend of mine takes her 3 daughters there at least twice a week and they have a blast. No more excuses people!
Check out the Spectator article HERE.
July 22nd, 2009
By Mark Young
Okay…so the summer is here and you know you should get out and do more, but you’ve grown tired of the same old stuff. Here are some ideas to get you moving this summer.
1. Check Out a Rec Centre
Many rec centres in Hamilton have an incredible array of aquatics classes and open swim times for you and your family. If you don’t have a pool in your back yard you can pay $3.75 for one visit to a public pool or $7.25 and take the whole fam. In fact, an annual fee for one adult is only $83.50 which is only a fraction of the cost of a private fitness centre with a pool. Many of these centres have aquafit classes, adult swim classes, open swims, and even classes where you can take your newborn (as young as 3 months) to get them involved in being active at a young age.
If being in a bathing suit in public is not your idea of a good time, many of these same facilities offer other activities from basketball and volleyball leagues right on down to aerobics classes and boot camps.
Check out the link HERE for a list of centres and their schedules.
2. Visit a YMCA
Sing it with me now…
”It’s fun to say at the Y-M-C-A. It’s fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A.”
In all seriousness, the YMCA is a great place to get in some physical activity. Check out a list of some of the activities they have going on.
Adult Swim Lessons
Aqua Ease
Aqua Fit
Aquafit Boot Camp
Basketball
Boot Camp
Calisthenics
Cardio Challenge
Cardio Kickboxing
Circuit Training
Core Strength & Stability
Cyclefit
Fusion Flow
Judo
Karate
Line Dancing
Masters Swim
Pilates
Racquetball League
Soccer
Squash
Stretch & Tone
Total Body Tone
Yoga
And these are just SOME of the programs. This is not to mention the huge number of activities for kids and families. Some locations even offer child care.
Check out some locations in and around the Hamilton area HERE.
3. Go For a Walk
If you’ve lived here for a while there’s no doubt that you know some of the popular walking spots in Hamilton. Maybe you’ve been there and you’re just tired of the same old scenery or maybe you’ve been meaning to go, but you keep putting it off. Either way, the Hamilton Walks website can give you a list of places to try walking.
On this site you can find local walking groups that often walk weekly so you can become a member of a like-minded group of people trying to get active. Some walk in malls and others walk outside. And even if you’re shy at first, you’ll end up building friendships with people who are moving more and sitting around less.
If walking with others isn’t your bag, that’s okay too. You can just get some ideas as to some great places to walk. You can hit the bayfront, the rail train, the bruce trail, or visit the Eramost Karst which is home to Hamilton’s newest conservation area and some of the largest caves in Ontario.
Check out the Hamilton Walks website for some great ideas HERE.
4. Visit a Waterfall
If you don’t already know this, Hamilton is home to some of the most spectacular waterfalls you’ll ever see. You might have seen one or two of them, but if that’s all you’ve seen you’re definitely missing out.
On the Hamilton Waterfalls site they not only have photographs of the various waterfalls in our city, but a list of self guided walks and cycling routes to take you to some of these spectacular sites. On the descriptions of the walks they also have driving directions, the distance of the walk, ease of access to the falls, and even city bus routes to the falls (if they exist).
Check out this incredible site HERE.
5. Scare Yourself
So this one really isn’t promoting exercise per se, but it beats sitting around on your butt in the evening watching TV. If you like scary movies, then maybe you’d consider a Chost Walk put on by Haunted Hamilton. They do various walks through areas like Dundurn Castle or the Hermitage and tell you stories of the spirits and ghosts reported to have been seen in the area.
If you need to get moving and you’re looking for an alternative to a night in check out the Haunted Hamilton website HERE.
And there you have it. Five more ways to get active this summer. Now all you need to do is get out there and do it.
July 16th, 2009
Mark Young and Stacey Nolan Young are proud to announce that they are expecting a new member to the Nutrex Team! Baby Girl Young’s anticipated arrival is in late November. Soon-to-be Mom and Dad are eagerly (albeit somewhat nervously) awaiting her entrance into this world!
July 10th, 2009
