Tonight I got inspired to write a little bit about fitness progress. I realize I LOVE seeing people reach their goals. Something about it not only inspires me but makes me super happy.
I know a lot of women who see or compare themselves other women and instantly feel terrible (I think we all indulge in that pity part every now and then.) The thing is when I want a little boost I always find myself looking at pics of everyday women who have taken charge of their bodies and transformed themselves.
Before and after pics are a little bit of an addiction to me. I can get sucked into reading every story of every person's journey so easily! The thing is it never makes me hate my body or gets me down. I always feel a surge of confidence when I see how far others have come, especially people who've transformed even more then I have.
Seeing others and their progress always puts things into perspective for me. I find myself doing a little mental check list of my goals and asking myself if I'm on track. Also it helps me to stop myself from emotional eating and can even pump me up for my own workouts. I don't look to athletes as much as I look to my own peers!
I think it's a really fantastic way to look at fitness too. An athlete or anyone in a fitness magazine is paid to look amazing. Their whole life revolves on strict diet and exercise, they should look incredible! But the single mom, the overworked college student, the married couple that decides to motivate each other, these are the people I look to for most of my inspiration. These people have a life filled with all the complications and headaches we all face and they aren't paid to look awesome. I always find myself saying "If they can reach their goals so can I!"
My life will always be stressful. I'll probably always be operating on just not enough sleep. I'm almost always sore and yes I will always love chocolate, but these things don't have to be the reasons I can't take care of myself.
Fitness is a part of life, it shouldn't be viewed as a luxury. You don't need a fancy gym to workout and you don't need a nutritionist to eat clean whole foods. Sure you might need a motivation boost every now and then and for that I say look to all the other people out there who at one point said, "I'm done looking and feel terrible I'm changing." It's that simple and seriously always get's me going with a smile.
Showing posts with label healthy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Protein Sources Vegetarian Style
I get a ton of questions about what I eat specifically when it comes to protein.
First, fellow veggies, read. You have to read everything. Not just labels but also about the proteins you are ingesting. The more you understand your food the smarter you can be about your choices. You need a combination of proteins sources, which means thinking ahead.
When I decided to change the way I ate as a veggie I read constantly. I made it a priority to find where and how I could get my sources of protein. I have to always be thinking about what that source is and how much I need. I've written posts in the past about how being a healthy veggie is work. You chose to eliminate foods that could make your weight loss and muscle gain much easier. The thing is if you're smart and do some research, you can be healthy and it becomes routine and not a chore.
I recently wrote down a list of proteins and the companies I usually purchase them from for a friend who is training people with this diet choice. It's very tough to tell someone just to eat protein that doesn't even know what their choices are!
I want to preface this list by say a few things. 1: I'm not paid by anyone to say the following, I don't have stock in any of these companies nor would I continue to use their products if they drastically changed the way the were made or their ingredients. 2: I know what I like may not suit every one's tastes. 3: I'm not a dietitian, I just know what I eat and how it's helped in my success.
Turtle Island Foods (tofurky.com)
These people are really better known as the "tofurky" people :P They make a really super selection of Tempeh products I like which is made from soybeans. They also make many other items as well.
Fresh Tofu Inc. (http://www.freshtofu.com/)
This company is my main go to for tofu. They are an organic company that has very high quality products.
LightLife (www.lightlife.com)
This company is ok for somethings. I'm not to keen on their taste, but their Smart Strips are good in stir-fry medleys. Also the plain cutlets are probably the best as you can flavor them anyway you like. They also make Tempeh that is either soy or grain based, it's in "brick" form which means you can cut it anyway you like!
Boca & Morningstar
I hesitate to put these companies down and I don't really consume them very often. They tend to be overly processed for me and usually contain a lot of salt and too many carbs for the protein you do get. That being said if you want a veggie burger the bare bones "plain" ones aren't horrible. I also get the "crumbles" if I want to make tacos or something that needs a ground beef substitute.
Optimum Nutrition (http://www.optimumnutrition.com/)
I put this company down as it's the one I use for my protein powder and bar supplements. They are the high quality you'll get for the price and the most tasty as supps go. I know this can be scary for women as supps seem like a very "male" thing, but I swear by the PRO COMPLEX formula as it is made from a combination of proteins and has a fantastic blend of vitamins, minerals and BCAAs. 1 scoop is 30 grams of protein and less then 135 calories. I never usually do 2 scoops as suggested unless I just killed myself working out. 60g of protein at once is a bit much.
MHP (Maximum Human Performance) Power Pak Pudding:
This is something I just recently found because it's a very very new food and expensive. The thing is it's the perfect "cheat" food without really cheating. I have a chocolate tooth. I've given it up mostly, but there are times when I need something. This pudding is the most amazing find in my protein sources. It's also lactose free and sugar free. If you could manage to eat a whole can (which I can only usually do half because it's soooo filling) it's stats will surprise you. 190 Calories, 4.5 fat, 9 carbs, 30g of protein. This is literally almost a meals worth of protein in pudding form. If you're going to indulge be smart, I don't need another chocolate bar as long as I live while this stuff this on the market.
Organic Eggs & Raw Nuts
I eat plenty of free range organic eggs and fair amount of nuts - usually no more then a fourth of a cup of any 1 type of nut and ALWAYS raw unsalted. Almonds, Walnuts and Soynuts are my staples and I get them raw in bulk at Whole Foods.
I hope this helps little bit as even just a starting point. I know depending on where you live you may not have access to all of these companies, but find out where you can get proteins like these and send requests to your local grocery if you can. A lot of places are willing to order items for you, or try a line if a customer requests it. You can also order just about anything online these days, alternate protein sources can be an added expense, especially organic ones. It's your health though, which I personally feel your can't put a price on :)
First, fellow veggies, read. You have to read everything. Not just labels but also about the proteins you are ingesting. The more you understand your food the smarter you can be about your choices. You need a combination of proteins sources, which means thinking ahead.
When I decided to change the way I ate as a veggie I read constantly. I made it a priority to find where and how I could get my sources of protein. I have to always be thinking about what that source is and how much I need. I've written posts in the past about how being a healthy veggie is work. You chose to eliminate foods that could make your weight loss and muscle gain much easier. The thing is if you're smart and do some research, you can be healthy and it becomes routine and not a chore.
Being veggie really isn't different then being an omnivore. I tend to choose a main protein and then multiple veggies that I just steam and flavor differently with spices. I know that might sound boring, but it's extremely easy to eat that way and very quick. Steaming or sauteing veggies usually takes less then 5 to 10 mins at most and because of the nature of vegetable based proteins they take less time to cook then meat.
As you might imagine there can be some really overly processed stuff out there that isn't that great for you in the long run. The one thing is to really watch your salt intake. This is something I'm constantly checking labels for and a lot of "mock" meats contain very high levels of sodium. Obviously salt can't be totally avoided, but I try to choose the best and I can and also drink tons of water just to flush my system.
I recently wrote down a list of proteins and the companies I usually purchase them from for a friend who is training people with this diet choice. It's very tough to tell someone just to eat protein that doesn't even know what their choices are!
I want to preface this list by say a few things. 1: I'm not paid by anyone to say the following, I don't have stock in any of these companies nor would I continue to use their products if they drastically changed the way the were made or their ingredients. 2: I know what I like may not suit every one's tastes. 3: I'm not a dietitian, I just know what I eat and how it's helped in my success.
******
WestSoy
This company makes milk as well as my most consumed protein Seitan. It comes in many forms (cubed, crumbled, strips) and you can do almost anything with it. I usually just add a bit of olive oil to a pan and cook it till it's golden brown. It's very hard to screw up cooking it because, it's already cooked when you get it. You could bake it or microwave it just as easily. Just know that Seitan is not made from soy beans, but Wheat Gluten. That's its only downfall if someone was sensitive to gluten. Good thing, this is the highest concentration of protein to carbs I've been able to find. It's low in sodium, low in fat and very filling. This is my number 1 source of protein besides eggs.
Fieldroast Grain Meat Co (http://www.fieldroast.com/)
This company makes amazing sausages, but other products as well. They are a little higher in calories, but on days I work out hard I make sure to eat 2.
Turtle Island Foods (tofurky.com)
These people are really better known as the "tofurky" people :P They make a really super selection of Tempeh products I like which is made from soybeans. They also make many other items as well.
Fresh Tofu Inc. (http://www.freshtofu.com/)
This company is my main go to for tofu. They are an organic company that has very high quality products.
LightLife (www.lightlife.com)
This company is ok for somethings. I'm not to keen on their taste, but their Smart Strips are good in stir-fry medleys. Also the plain cutlets are probably the best as you can flavor them anyway you like. They also make Tempeh that is either soy or grain based, it's in "brick" form which means you can cut it anyway you like!
Boca & Morningstar
I hesitate to put these companies down and I don't really consume them very often. They tend to be overly processed for me and usually contain a lot of salt and too many carbs for the protein you do get. That being said if you want a veggie burger the bare bones "plain" ones aren't horrible. I also get the "crumbles" if I want to make tacos or something that needs a ground beef substitute.
Optimum Nutrition (http://www.optimumnutrition.com/)
I put this company down as it's the one I use for my protein powder and bar supplements. They are the high quality you'll get for the price and the most tasty as supps go. I know this can be scary for women as supps seem like a very "male" thing, but I swear by the PRO COMPLEX formula as it is made from a combination of proteins and has a fantastic blend of vitamins, minerals and BCAAs. 1 scoop is 30 grams of protein and less then 135 calories. I never usually do 2 scoops as suggested unless I just killed myself working out. 60g of protein at once is a bit much.
MHP (Maximum Human Performance) Power Pak Pudding:
This is something I just recently found because it's a very very new food and expensive. The thing is it's the perfect "cheat" food without really cheating. I have a chocolate tooth. I've given it up mostly, but there are times when I need something. This pudding is the most amazing find in my protein sources. It's also lactose free and sugar free. If you could manage to eat a whole can (which I can only usually do half because it's soooo filling) it's stats will surprise you. 190 Calories, 4.5 fat, 9 carbs, 30g of protein. This is literally almost a meals worth of protein in pudding form. If you're going to indulge be smart, I don't need another chocolate bar as long as I live while this stuff this on the market.
Organic Eggs & Raw Nuts
I eat plenty of free range organic eggs and fair amount of nuts - usually no more then a fourth of a cup of any 1 type of nut and ALWAYS raw unsalted. Almonds, Walnuts and Soynuts are my staples and I get them raw in bulk at Whole Foods.
I hope this helps little bit as even just a starting point. I know depending on where you live you may not have access to all of these companies, but find out where you can get proteins like these and send requests to your local grocery if you can. A lot of places are willing to order items for you, or try a line if a customer requests it. You can also order just about anything online these days, alternate protein sources can be an added expense, especially organic ones. It's your health though, which I personally feel your can't put a price on :)
Friday, June 10, 2011
LISTEN UP YOU VEGETARIANS!
I'm back to the blog and I just wanted to say that I'm still training and trying to rev up a little more this June with diet. I'll be writing specifics on this possibly this weekend, but today I wanted to get into my overall diet and lifestyle choice.
The reason I'm doing this is because in the past few days I've met some new people in my bootcamp class who claim vegetarianism as their diet and lifestyle choice {exciting :D }. I've been a vegetarian for 15 years, longer then I've eaten meat, and through this dietary choice I've learned, adapted and changed.
So a bit of body composition first! If you want your body to be what the world refers to as "lean or tone" what you're really saying is "I want more muscle then fat on my body". No matter how you want to look at that, you need to build muscle.
Building your muscles is a two step process.
First you need to tax those muscle fibers, which means you constantly have to work them harder then you worked them before. Your body gets use to the work you make it do, if you don't challenge your muscles you eventually will plateau in your progress!
Secondly you need to eat to fuel that muscle reconstruction and growth. Growth believe it or not is what makes you tighter and leaner (speaking from experience!) I'm not the hulk and I don't want to be, but I do want to be tone so I work and feed my muscles accordingly. If you want to get lean you have to replace some of that fat with something!
Protein is the fuel that makes a lean body possible. It's the main macronutrient that everyone should be focusing on :)
Vegetarianism is often viewed as unhealthy because most don't have a varied or nutritious diet. It's much more difficult to live this lifestyle and you have to be dedicated and creative to be healthy living it. As with any diet if it's not balanced it's not good for you.
So how do I get my protein?
Well first I had to do a lot of research on protein sources and the company's manufacturing them. I say this because if you're not careful, you can end up eating a lot of "meatless" alternatives that are so processed you might as well just be eating pure salt and sugar.
As with anything "boxed" you HAVE to read the label. Vegetarians often don't realize their sodium, fat and carb intake is off the charts!
I've finally found a few companies to whom I'm very loyal for my protein sources. These are products where the protein content is high and the processed content is low. I also try to find these sources in their most "pure" form because the more it's flavor or "shaped" the more it probably contains things that aren't super great for you.
I also don't recommend, but insist that vegetarians need to have a source of powder protein in some form. Whether it be whey, rice, egg, or an isolate blend. It is sometimes the only way I can make sure I reach adequate protein ingestion without having to eat a mountain of food. It also is one of the EASIEST ways to get a high dose of complete proteins into your system after a good workout. (Adding to that growth and lean muscle I talked about earlier!)
Also everyday I make sure to try and get a decent combination of proteins. I don't JUST eat tofu, in fact I've lowered my soy intake for the sole fact that as women, not getting any younger, it's not great to ingest copious amounts of soy.
I get protein from eggs, nuts, legumes, setain, soy, whey, casein, protein isolates and on extremely rare occasions yogurt and cheese. Being partially lactose intolerant I don't dapple much in the dairy department and you also have to be careful you don't eat too much dairy because it's very high in fat. The key is always moderation.
While that list doesn't seem as big as the animal kingdom, it's far more varied then people may realize. The legume and soy family alone is gigantic and make great additions to a lot of recipes in place of mountains of grains. I actually eat very little in the way of rice, bread, oats or pasta. Most if not all of my carbs come from vegetables, fruits, and usually are a part of my protein sources.
It is very easy to be a lo carb vegetarian and not tired all the time, you just have to be willing to want to eat that way :)
Oh and bottom line you need to cook. I don't even want to hear you don't have time because it takes less then 15 mins to make an awesome meal. Even when I was at my breaking point with no time, I would make all my food on Sundays so that I never had to think about cooking. Remember fresh veggies are best, but frozen is "cool" too <<<sorry bad pun. Sometimes I can't always get fresh, so I have loads of organic frozen veggies for emergencies. No salt added, just 8 mins to steam. YUM!
You cannot always rely on outside sources for your meals because as a society of omnivores places often don't offer protein options based on a vegetarian lifestyle. New York City is an exception as I imagine San Fran is too, STILL as a veggie you should always be carrying food. I pack my breakfast and lunch almost everyday I go to work and if the event I've forgotten or can't I'm sure to throw something protein based in my bag, (usually eggs, raw nuts & protein powder), so that I get something if my lunch is mostly veggies.
You also have to except that you will have to supplement your diet. I firmly believe that my losses would not have been so dramatic if I hadn't been consciously supplementing, not only with a protein powder, but also with daily vitamins. It's a must to make sure you're hitting your B12 and iron, you don't want to be sick or tired.
I also tracked my eating habits for a long time to understand how much protein was enough. The tighter I honed my diet to include more protein combinations the easier it's been to see progress physically.
It's very possible to be a healthily vegetarian. As one I've excepted responsibility of my choice not to eat meat and believe me it is a responsibility. I don't care what your reason is for being one, with that choice you ultimately made "eating" a conscience part of your life. If it's too much work or too much of a stress, it's worth reconsidering why you chose to be one. Doing yourself bodily harm because you love animals seems like priorities need readjusting and I can say this because I feel a moral connection to animals that I cannot overcome. I could not bring myself to kill one, so I feel obligated not to take part in consuming them.
I find my choice to be a veggie was right for me. I'm happy, healthy and can see progress in my fitness goals even with the diet I've chosen. I'm not afraid to adapt or change ratios in the foods I do eat and I'm always aware of my health first.
So to all veggies out there, do your research and eat your protein!
The reason I'm doing this is because in the past few days I've met some new people in my bootcamp class who claim vegetarianism as their diet and lifestyle choice {exciting :D }. I've been a vegetarian for 15 years, longer then I've eaten meat, and through this dietary choice I've learned, adapted and changed.
So a bit of body composition first! If you want your body to be what the world refers to as "lean or tone" what you're really saying is "I want more muscle then fat on my body". No matter how you want to look at that, you need to build muscle.
Building your muscles is a two step process.
First you need to tax those muscle fibers, which means you constantly have to work them harder then you worked them before. Your body gets use to the work you make it do, if you don't challenge your muscles you eventually will plateau in your progress!
Secondly you need to eat to fuel that muscle reconstruction and growth. Growth believe it or not is what makes you tighter and leaner (speaking from experience!) I'm not the hulk and I don't want to be, but I do want to be tone so I work and feed my muscles accordingly. If you want to get lean you have to replace some of that fat with something!
Protein is the fuel that makes a lean body possible. It's the main macronutrient that everyone should be focusing on :)
Vegetarianism is often viewed as unhealthy because most don't have a varied or nutritious diet. It's much more difficult to live this lifestyle and you have to be dedicated and creative to be healthy living it. As with any diet if it's not balanced it's not good for you.
So how do I get my protein?
Well first I had to do a lot of research on protein sources and the company's manufacturing them. I say this because if you're not careful, you can end up eating a lot of "meatless" alternatives that are so processed you might as well just be eating pure salt and sugar.
As with anything "boxed" you HAVE to read the label. Vegetarians often don't realize their sodium, fat and carb intake is off the charts!
I've finally found a few companies to whom I'm very loyal for my protein sources. These are products where the protein content is high and the processed content is low. I also try to find these sources in their most "pure" form because the more it's flavor or "shaped" the more it probably contains things that aren't super great for you.
I also don't recommend, but insist that vegetarians need to have a source of powder protein in some form. Whether it be whey, rice, egg, or an isolate blend. It is sometimes the only way I can make sure I reach adequate protein ingestion without having to eat a mountain of food. It also is one of the EASIEST ways to get a high dose of complete proteins into your system after a good workout. (Adding to that growth and lean muscle I talked about earlier!)
Also everyday I make sure to try and get a decent combination of proteins. I don't JUST eat tofu, in fact I've lowered my soy intake for the sole fact that as women, not getting any younger, it's not great to ingest copious amounts of soy.
I get protein from eggs, nuts, legumes, setain, soy, whey, casein, protein isolates and on extremely rare occasions yogurt and cheese. Being partially lactose intolerant I don't dapple much in the dairy department and you also have to be careful you don't eat too much dairy because it's very high in fat. The key is always moderation.
While that list doesn't seem as big as the animal kingdom, it's far more varied then people may realize. The legume and soy family alone is gigantic and make great additions to a lot of recipes in place of mountains of grains. I actually eat very little in the way of rice, bread, oats or pasta. Most if not all of my carbs come from vegetables, fruits, and usually are a part of my protein sources.
It is very easy to be a lo carb vegetarian and not tired all the time, you just have to be willing to want to eat that way :)
Oh and bottom line you need to cook. I don't even want to hear you don't have time because it takes less then 15 mins to make an awesome meal. Even when I was at my breaking point with no time, I would make all my food on Sundays so that I never had to think about cooking. Remember fresh veggies are best, but frozen is "cool" too <<<sorry bad pun. Sometimes I can't always get fresh, so I have loads of organic frozen veggies for emergencies. No salt added, just 8 mins to steam. YUM!
You cannot always rely on outside sources for your meals because as a society of omnivores places often don't offer protein options based on a vegetarian lifestyle. New York City is an exception as I imagine San Fran is too, STILL as a veggie you should always be carrying food. I pack my breakfast and lunch almost everyday I go to work and if the event I've forgotten or can't I'm sure to throw something protein based in my bag, (usually eggs, raw nuts & protein powder), so that I get something if my lunch is mostly veggies.
You also have to except that you will have to supplement your diet. I firmly believe that my losses would not have been so dramatic if I hadn't been consciously supplementing, not only with a protein powder, but also with daily vitamins. It's a must to make sure you're hitting your B12 and iron, you don't want to be sick or tired.
I also tracked my eating habits for a long time to understand how much protein was enough. The tighter I honed my diet to include more protein combinations the easier it's been to see progress physically.
It's very possible to be a healthily vegetarian. As one I've excepted responsibility of my choice not to eat meat and believe me it is a responsibility. I don't care what your reason is for being one, with that choice you ultimately made "eating" a conscience part of your life. If it's too much work or too much of a stress, it's worth reconsidering why you chose to be one. Doing yourself bodily harm because you love animals seems like priorities need readjusting and I can say this because I feel a moral connection to animals that I cannot overcome. I could not bring myself to kill one, so I feel obligated not to take part in consuming them.
I find my choice to be a veggie was right for me. I'm happy, healthy and can see progress in my fitness goals even with the diet I've chosen. I'm not afraid to adapt or change ratios in the foods I do eat and I'm always aware of my health first.
So to all veggies out there, do your research and eat your protein!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Life & Taxes
Had my taxes done this weekend and it's time for a little venting.
I don't want to really bring in politics into this blog because that's not what it's about. That being said this is a blog about exercise, taking care of yourself, etc. and I think it's really strange that there are no incentives for Americans to be healthy.
I'd argue myself in saying, healthy means you live longer and you feel better physically and mentally. That should be enough of an incentive, but it also means you are less of burden on the rest of the nation. You won't have to see the doctor as much, or have as many tests done. The odds of you having to take tons of medicine are lowered because your body functions the way it's suppose to.
Americans being the most out of shape, overweight and sickly of the great nations you'd think the government would offer tax breaks to people who actually take care of themselves. You can write off anything medical, you can use pre-taxed money to pay for it using flex spending. Yet when it comes to gym memberships, training, classes, buying workout equipment (all which are an added expenses) there is no relief for being able to keep it up.
"But Diane you can't PROVE that because someone has a gym membership they are using it."
It's true. You can't prove that because a person buys the treadmill that they use it. Tons of people feel motivated at first and then the feeling dies out. Though if there was a way to measure physical fitness by a test, against yourself - say an end of the year physical to prove you're making improvements. I think a lot of people would be willing to do this for a nice write of on their taxes.
My job actually started something just like this for lowering the rate I have to pay on my insurance. I take a blood test once a year and if all my levels stay within a certain range OR improve I don't have to pay as much into my insurance for staying healthy. Also it's a good way to possibly catch something if I need to really be concerned. It's a simple blood test and it's totally optional. You don't have to do it and even if you do you aren't penalized if your don't improve.
I'm not into government controlling everything, but I think if you get write-offs for having children, or buying a house, or even being on tons of medication, you should also be rewarded for taking care of yourself. Taking care of yourself does effect others, you're setting a really great example to the people around you. I know many people that started changing their lifestyles once they saw the progress I was making (my mom included).
We talk about nutrition and our workout routines. We keep each other motivated. Exercise and good nutrition is contagious. Not for everyone, but the more people are against the community candy bowl the less it's likely to get filled. People don't want to be the only ones, it's a lot easier if they know others around them are also on their side.
If America was really seriously about getting people to be healthy, they'd stop trying to ban bad food and start rewarding for good behavior. We all have to make that choice and no one can force you not to eat Twinkies. The thing is I bet that sprig of asparagus would look a lot more appetizing with the notion that you'd be able to get something back from Uncle Sam.
People would know that actually using their gym membership wouldn't just benefit their bodies but their pocketbooks. This also helps out the private sector a lot. More people would be buying workout gear, paying trainers and participating local events. Also it would lower the count in the emergency rooms which hurts everyone in wallet.
All I'm saying is it's something the American government should think about. Michelle Obama is all for children's health, it's her cause so to speak. It shouldn't just be for children's health, but the health of all Americans. If it takes money to get people excited about being healthy it will only be the catalyst, once they realize how they feel and how great they look, they'll want to keep it up. Least in my perfect world :)
I don't want to really bring in politics into this blog because that's not what it's about. That being said this is a blog about exercise, taking care of yourself, etc. and I think it's really strange that there are no incentives for Americans to be healthy.
I'd argue myself in saying, healthy means you live longer and you feel better physically and mentally. That should be enough of an incentive, but it also means you are less of burden on the rest of the nation. You won't have to see the doctor as much, or have as many tests done. The odds of you having to take tons of medicine are lowered because your body functions the way it's suppose to.
Americans being the most out of shape, overweight and sickly of the great nations you'd think the government would offer tax breaks to people who actually take care of themselves. You can write off anything medical, you can use pre-taxed money to pay for it using flex spending. Yet when it comes to gym memberships, training, classes, buying workout equipment (all which are an added expenses) there is no relief for being able to keep it up.
"But Diane you can't PROVE that because someone has a gym membership they are using it."
It's true. You can't prove that because a person buys the treadmill that they use it. Tons of people feel motivated at first and then the feeling dies out. Though if there was a way to measure physical fitness by a test, against yourself - say an end of the year physical to prove you're making improvements. I think a lot of people would be willing to do this for a nice write of on their taxes.
My job actually started something just like this for lowering the rate I have to pay on my insurance. I take a blood test once a year and if all my levels stay within a certain range OR improve I don't have to pay as much into my insurance for staying healthy. Also it's a good way to possibly catch something if I need to really be concerned. It's a simple blood test and it's totally optional. You don't have to do it and even if you do you aren't penalized if your don't improve.
I'm not into government controlling everything, but I think if you get write-offs for having children, or buying a house, or even being on tons of medication, you should also be rewarded for taking care of yourself. Taking care of yourself does effect others, you're setting a really great example to the people around you. I know many people that started changing their lifestyles once they saw the progress I was making (my mom included).
We talk about nutrition and our workout routines. We keep each other motivated. Exercise and good nutrition is contagious. Not for everyone, but the more people are against the community candy bowl the less it's likely to get filled. People don't want to be the only ones, it's a lot easier if they know others around them are also on their side.
If America was really seriously about getting people to be healthy, they'd stop trying to ban bad food and start rewarding for good behavior. We all have to make that choice and no one can force you not to eat Twinkies. The thing is I bet that sprig of asparagus would look a lot more appetizing with the notion that you'd be able to get something back from Uncle Sam.
People would know that actually using their gym membership wouldn't just benefit their bodies but their pocketbooks. This also helps out the private sector a lot. More people would be buying workout gear, paying trainers and participating local events. Also it would lower the count in the emergency rooms which hurts everyone in wallet.
All I'm saying is it's something the American government should think about. Michelle Obama is all for children's health, it's her cause so to speak. It shouldn't just be for children's health, but the health of all Americans. If it takes money to get people excited about being healthy it will only be the catalyst, once they realize how they feel and how great they look, they'll want to keep it up. Least in my perfect world :)
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