Losing weight is not as simple as counting calories

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We wanted to mix things up for all Lifexcel Carolina’s followers out there! My name is Sallie Roberts and I am currently a dietetic intern at Winthrop University. What is a dietetic intern you ask? A dietetic intern is one of the last pieces in the Registered Dietitian puzzle. I have had the opportunity to work with the skilled team at Lifexcel Carolina over the past two weeks. During my experience I have noticed most individuals think losing weight is as simple as counting calories. This is just not the case…nutrition is a balance between mental and physical state. Counting calories is useless unless YOU are mentally prepared to make it a lifestyle change. Lifexcel Carolina exemplifies this philosophy by taking different approaches depending on the individual.

Let’s face it we do not live in a cookie cutter world so why would they take that approach to patient care? Today I was able to participate in one of Sherri Clarke’s personal training sessions. Now I go to the gym…sometimes…occasionally…okay rarely. I am fully aware of the benefits exercise provides but getting myself there after a long day at work is an ongoing battle. As the shorts, summer dresses and dare I say it swimsuit season fast approaches I have committed myself to making exercise part of my daily routine. Sherri Clarke invited me to a personal training session to give me some pointers and see what CPT’s do. I was not physically nor mentally prepared for this session. Sherri made it compelling by starting out slow with some stretches, easing into cardio, and then finishing with some more stretches. The balance of this workout made the time fly right by but you absolutely felt “the burn” the whole time. I gained a new respect for personal trainers by seeing what they provide to clients. Having a personal trainer allows you to stay motivated, mix up the routine, work out all areas of the body (even places you did not know you had), and do exercises the right way. Keep in mind when you look at me I look as though I am physically fit due to my physique. This is certainly not the case! Going up stairs winds me… embarrassing I know. It is important to remember not to base someone’s physical appearance off of how healthy they are. Someone twice my size could probably run circles around me.

The president’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition puts physical activity in the United States into perspective. Statistically speaking:

  1.  Less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day
  2.  Children how spend more than seven and a half hours a day in front of a screen
  3. Only 6 states (Illinois, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, and Vermont) require physical education in every grade, K-12
  4. More than 80% of adults do not meet the guideline for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities

All I can say is WOW!!! Do not place yourself into these statistics. Get up and moving. Incorporate physical activity into your everyday activity. How you can do this???

  • Wear a pedometer and try to walk 10,000 steps or more per day
  • Park your car further away from entrances
  • Take the stairs
  • Join a sporting league
  • Take a walk after dinner
  • Instead of calling or emailing a colleague walk to their desk
  • Do errands by foot instead of car
  • Take a few laps around the mall before shopping