Fitness Friday: an obesity FORECAST?!

i know

i read that and went "really?"

and the article is here, should you want to read what sparked this post.

i think the line that got me the most in this was the following:

The lifespan of an obese person is up to 8-10 years shorter than that of a normal-weight person, the OECD said, the same loss of lifespan incurred by smoking.

um, wow?

but truly, it's good that studies are being done

i live in tennessee, which is (according to recent calculations) the 2nd fattest state in the nation.

yikes.

that's not ok

thankfully, our governor sees this as the huge problem it is, and has unveiled a plan to make some pretty major changes

more sidewalks, taxes on soft drinks, more frequent PE classes

among other things

hear me say:

i'm not at an ideal weight

but i am working toward it

i got a little out of control

and i can certainly see how that happens

but seriously

to be the fattest nation on earth

when we have the access to amazing, local produce

(or at least fresh-ish produce for those of you not near great farmers markets and groceries)

and we have the whole world literally at our fingertips

to research how to eat healthful and real food meals

exercise plans for every level of ability and need

what's our excuse?

really.

what will it take for us to take the doritos off our regular buying list

and replace them with (for the same price) a week's worth of crunchy vegetables and hummus?

when will we put down the expensive packaged cookies

and for a fraction of the cost, make a better and more healthful version?
(ahem -- it kind of drives me crazy when people complain about the cost of healthy food
when junk food is incredibly expensive!)

it's not about deprivation

it's about making smart choices

and yes.

i occasionally buy a bag of doritos

but it's not even once a month!

and i bought oreos for the first time in about 2 months yesterday

but i'm sure the cashier was a bit surprised by that addition to an otherwise healthy basket.  ha!

i guess the real question here

is when will we get off our (literal) butts

and start making our health a priority?

(i'm asking myself too)

for me...i need to learn that happy medium.  after struggling with eating disorders for years upon years

i started eating what i wanted 

i embraced recovery

and as i stated above, i got a bit out of control!

but now that i'm learning more about what my body actually needs

how it was designed to function

and how i can eat really good food

and still be healthy?

why would i NOT prefer that over a drive-thru?

all things in balance

all things in moderation

it's not about never eating anything unhealthy

-- unless you're a stronger person than i!

it's about learning to make that the exception rather than the rule.

(and for me...a cheeseburger tastes SO MUCH better when it's been weeks since i've ordered one!)

i'm still working away at my weight loss challenge

(which reminds me...must make an update post about that next week)

my goal is to be at a weight that i'm happy with

and want to maintain

by the time i'm shopping for wedding dresses.

that's my clear and eventual goal

to be thrilled with my body on my wedding day

and beyond

it's a tangible goal

beyond that, i want to raise children

who never have the same body image issues i did

who learn how to have that balance and healthful attitude

that i'm currently striving for

what about you?

you know...we could prove that forecast wrong.
i'm just sayin'

Thursday's Ten: lora is

something i like to do once in awhile -- and i thought, hey why not? this way you all can play if you want.

simply google (or blackle -- it's the 'green' google!) your first name and the word "is"...it's funny to see what comes up. i always thought i'd get nothing since my first name isn't the common spelling, but guess what? here 10 i got...

1. Lora is one of the 51 union councils of Abbottabad District in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan

(who knew?!)

2. LORA is a great place to get away from all the worries of every day life

(i don't know about a place, but i'm willing to look for a place with you!)

3. Watch LORA IS BIG and hundreds of other videos about gym, biceps, buff, amazon, women, muscular, bodybuilder, female, tall, sports.

(ummm...)

4. Lora is a seasoned trial lawyer

(where's that seasoned trial lawyer salary?)

5. LORA is available at all hours

(yeah, pretty much)

6. Lora is a solo handbell performing artist

(funny, i've actually played handbells several times in my life but have no aspirations of going solo!)

7. lora is dead

(not last time i checked, which is now)

8. lora is eagerly awaiting lunch because

(generally speaking this is true)

9. Lora is known online

(by you guys at least!)

10. Lora is a certified world-class shmoozer

(hmmm)

and your bonus:

LORA is one of my top 100 of 100% Hot Chick!!!

(well, duh)

so? you KNOW you want to play. join in!

Five Fun Facts

Lucy is hosting a game which I've always called "bull crap" or some variation of it :) Here's the deal. I'm going to list 5 "facts" about myself, but 2 of them are false. You have to guess which ones are false! (this should be fun before I list out my 100 things post! by the way...you still have a few hours to ask questions. I've had some fun ones so far!)

So here's my 5. Leave a comment on which 2 you think are false. I'll reveal later! Also, head over to Lucy's blog and link if you want to play...but please let me know in your comment so I can come play too!

1. My favorite food is ice cream, followed closely by chocolate.
2. I have nieces and nephews that are older than me.
3. I entered college as a music education major, flute as my applied instrument.
4. I grew up in one of the largest cities in Indiana.
5. I taught middle school for 4 years and loved most moments of it.

"A" challenge

My blogging friend Leslie posted a challenge the other day. My letter is "A", so this blog will contain 10 things that begin with this letter. I'm afraid it's going to be harder than it looks!

If you want to play along just leave me a comment and I’ll assign a letter for you and then you too can post a blog that lists 10 things that you "love, like or lust for" (Leslie's words) that start with that letter…and why you chose them!

Ok, these aren't going to be in any particular sort of order...and I feel it would be cheating to include people in this (several friends and amazingly enough a boyfriend whose names start with "A"!), so I'm leaving them out. So if you're reading this and you're one of those A friend, never fear...I still love you. I also think "a comfortable pair of flip-flops" or "anything good to eat" would be stretching it a bit...although don't think I wasn't tempted!

Animals
well, that one was easy. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for all creatures...except snakes and slugs and other such things.

Arias
This may be an odd one for some of you...and strangely enough I don't always love *hearing* arias, but I love to sing them. Guess all that classical vocal training in college really DID pay off. :0)

Art
In pretty much all forms. I love visual art--Impressionism, especially Monet, is my favorite. But as a musician and occasional actress (see this blog entry) I am also interested in the performing arts. I can get lost in the Frist Center just as easily as TPAC...or a rock concert, or the symphony. When I say I appreciate it all--I mean it. When I say I love most of it--it's completely true. And then there's the whole artistry of interior design and decorating. And cooking--it's an art form of it's own! Yeah. I love art.

Animated Movies
not all of them, but some are just too wonderful to pass up. For example, my boyfriend just introduced me to Wall-E about 2 weeks ago. What an incredibly sweet and romantic film! And let's face it--Lady and the Tramp and the Aristocats are just precious.

Airplanes
I had never flown on an airplane until my sophomore year of college...and I flew from Nashville to Miami to San Juan, PR. (It was also the first time I saw the ocean--and what a way to see it!). When the other people on the missions trip with me found out it was my first flight they were shocked. They said they'd never seen anyone so calm who had never flown before. I have definitely developed a love of flight. When I can, I fly domestically (unless the drive is 5-6 hours...then I can't justify it), and I've also flown to Europe. This is somewhat amazing, as I have a serious fear of heights.

Albums
This is a creative way for me to get my love of pictures, photography and scrapbooking into a blog that has nothing to do with "p" or "s". :0) But I do love displaying photographs of those I love in albums. I have some informal ones stashed around the house, but I also have the more elaborate scrapbook albums for display.

Avacado
Mmm. I've always loved a good guacamole. But when I was in California this past year I discovered the appeal of FRESH avacado slices. It's a regular item on the Subway bar there. And available everywhere. Yeah. I'm loving avacodo. Now, TN doesn't really get the freshest, but they'll do until I make it out to sunny CA again.

Aromas
I suppose I should specify *good* aromas here. Like the smell of a wonderful meal in the oven (my Greek meatloaf last night for example), cinnamon, vanilla, snow, the air after a good summer rain, freshly cut grass, cinnamon and vanilla combined :0), guy's cologne, coffee, etc, etc, etc.

Amazon.com
I guess this is technically free advertising for them, but seriously. Anything in the world you could ever want is on that site. I pretty much buy all my books there now, as well as any music that I don't download. And that's saying a lot. Because if this was a "b" list, Bookstores would be on it. I've also found cookware, clothing, yoga stuff...it has everything!

Advent
and the other beautiful liturgical pieces of the Christian calendar. I think Advent is by far my favorite--something so beautiful about the season of waiting with great anticipation and expectation. Of course, I celebrate Lent, I observe other Holy Days as well. And since I go to a church that rarely mentions these things (not a part of their tradition) I've become creative in how to personally celebrate them in my home. I have found that it makes them even more meaningful to me that way.

Ok. That was really hard! Your turn...
:0)