Whose fault is child obesity?

Question of the week:
Whose fault is it that kids today are obese?

My answer:

Although I don’t think it’s fair to point fingers, in this case, I do believe it’s the parent’s fault. I know that there’s a lot of pressure from media to eat at Burger King, KFC and Dairy Queen, but who said that it has to be a weekly event? When I grew up, my parents took us out maybe once every 3 months! And when we did go to McDonalds, we were allowed a burger, fries and a drink – no supersizing back then.

We were also told to “go play outside”. But more often than not, my parents came with us. I remember hiking through the back woods, swimming at the local YMCA, and biking through the neighbourhood.

My parents cared enough to say “no” to regular food outings and “yes” to exercise. They cared enough to say “no” to video games and “yes” to veggies.

What are your thoughts on child obesity? Is there something that can be done about it?

Can I exercise while pregnant?

Question of the week:

Should women who are pregnant diet or start an exercise program?

My answer:

The pre/post natal woman should not try to restrict calories, but on the other hand, they don’t need to overeat either. Dieting during pregnancy can lead to low weight gain, which in turn, is associated with a lower birth weight. Most women will gain between 25 and 35 pounds.

Exercise is important for both the pre- and post-natal woman. Women experience some calcium loss from their bones during pregnancy because of its transfer to the developing fetus and this can result in a calcium deficiency if sufficient calcium is not replaced in the diet. Exercise will help to strengthen bones by strengthening muscles, and this can help to counteract the effect of calcium lost. Regular exercise will also keep the pre-natal woman in shape for labour and delivery. After delivery, exercise will help to gain much-needed strength and endurance, boost energy and decrease stress.

The pre/post natal woman enjoys the same benefits from fitness as the “normal” person. However, this is not the time to try to increase fitness by increasing workload. Participants should be encouraged to monitor their own effort and comfort in order to stay aerobic and injury free.

Do you have any tips to share for pre- and post-natal women?

Thanks for Participating in the Giveaway Blog Hop

The 1st John 3:16 Giveaway Blog Hop is now over!

As one of the members of this great network of Christian Authors, I was excited to participate in this event! We came together this last week to showcase our books and to give you, our readers, a chance to win some great prizes as you "hop" from blog to blog.

Let's thank the following John 3:16 Authors for sponsoring our 2 free Kindles

Deborah McCarragher Joy Hannabass, Rose McCauley Elaine Cooper

Amanda Stephen Tom Blubaugh Paulette Harper Theresa Franklin

Susan Craft Carol Brown Lynn Dove Martin Roth Saundra Dalton-Smith

Katherine Harms Heather Bixler Lorilyn Roberts Laura Davis

Bob Saffrin Sid Frost Sammie Chandler Donna Dawson

Congratulations to the Grand Prize winners:

 Marnie Pohlmann

Patricia Day

Winners of our two Kindles from the John 3:16 Marketing Network Giveaway Blog Hop!

Thank you to all those who participated last week!  Also, if you signed up to win some prizes at the other participating blog sites, winners have been announced and if you were a winner, you will be notified by email within the next couple of days.

Names were selected using random.org

ALL HOPPERS WHO LEFT A COMMENT WITH THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS RECEIVED 1 OF 3 FITNESS E-BOOKLETS AND WERE ENTERED IN A RANDOM DRAW TO WIN FIT FOR FAITH – 7 WEEKS TO IMPROVED SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH E-BOOK


Congratulations to the Winner of Fit for Faith - 7 weeks to improved spiritual & physical health:

Susan Baganz!

Happy blog hopping!
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What is the set point in weight loss?

Question:
I've heard of something called a "set point" in relation to weight loss. What is it? Another real and mysterious part of losing weight, or nothing to be concerned about?

My answer:

The “set point” is the range of weight at which your body is most comfortable.

Your weight is the sum total of your bones, organs, fat, muscles and other tissue. You can have influence over the weight of fat and muscle in your body, but generally not the weight of your organs and other tissues.

Your body builds fat cells as a baby, in puberty and again in pregnancy. Once we have a fat cell, we cannot get rid of it. The number of fat cells remain the same. What we have control over (through exercise and healthy eating) is the amount of fat each cell contains.

However, we need to take the emphasis off the number on the scale and focus on body composition – fat compared to lean body mass. Two people can weigh exactly the same on a scale and yet be tremendously different in body composition. Since muscle weighs more than fat, the scale weight can be deceiving. Instead, pay attention to how you feel and how your clothes fit.

The Diet Channel offers an article on 3 ways to defeat your set point.


Have you found a good way to defeat your set point?

Are Christian diet plans as good as others?

Question:

I've heard of "Christian" diet plans. Are they just as good as any other?

My answer:

When you rely on God totally, for everything – including such things as losing a few pounds – He will bless you.

However, any diet plan, whether “Christian” or not, that eliminates whole food groups compromises your nutritional status. These diets are usually nutritionally inadequate and do not address the need for lifelong changes in food habits.

Also, any diet program that restricts you to fewer than 1200 calories per day is unsafe and ineffective. Although following such a diet can help to lose large amounts of weight, the weight lost is muscle mass and water, not excess body-fat. If you lose weight too fast chances are you’ll gain it right back.

Losing one or two pounds a week is a realistic goal and will result in long-term weight loss if combined with exercise. The slower the weight comes off, the less likely it will come back. Eating several mini-meals will increase your energy, add variety in your diet and help maintain your weight.

Food touches every aspect of your life and affects how you feel. Healthy eating helps you to take care of yourself on the most basic level. God created a variety of foods that you can enjoy to meet the needs of your body.

What are your thoughts? Have you found a good diet plan to follow?