Fall has finally arrived here in Austin, Texas (a few weeks later than usual), with cool, crisp mornings and beautiful, sunny afternoons. It's the perfect time to take your activity outdoors. I've taken my clients out of the gym for their workouts, from walking (it sure beats the treadmill) to jumping (with JumpSnap of course), to lunges, squats, and working with resistance bands.

Of course, fall activities are more than just gym workouts. Picking apples, a great activity for the whole family, can burn about 150 calories an hour (and it's a great way to get your stretching in). Raking leaves can burn up to 300 calories per hour. Walking around fall festivals--about 150 per hour. General yardwork--150 to 300 calories per hour. And don't forget about hiking--up to 300 calories per hour, and the perfect way to view the fall foliage. All of these work muscles that you're often not used to using in these ways, so remember to take it easy, and stretch afterwards. And drink plenty of water (we tend not to drink enough when the weather cools off) to stay hydrated.

I read so many articles about new "healthy" foods becoming available. It's hard to keep up with all of them, and it becomes very calorically expensive to try all of them myself. I'd like to share some of my favorites:
Lean Cuisine panini sandwiches (especially the Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom)--these are great, and under 300 calories. The bread gets nice and crispy, the way a panini should be. While you're supposed to eat it like a sandwich, I eat it open-faced. That way, I get 2 sandwiches.
Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches--I think that everyone knows about these (and you'd think so too, judging by the empty space in the freezer section), but I'm always surprised by how many of my clients don't know about them. They're really big, and really creamy, for only 160 calories. Just before Christmas, they also come out with limited flavors. Don't bother with the "copy-cat" ones; they're not worth the money or calories.
Fiber One chewy bars--they come in 2 flavors, Oats and Chocolate (my favorite) and Oats and Peanut Butter. Each are 140 calories, and contain 9 grams of fiber. You should get about 25 grams a day, yet many of us get fewer than 5. These bars are chock-ful of fiber.
All Bran crackers--these contain 5 grams of fiber per serving, taste great, and are trans-fat free.
Remember that there is no such thing as a perfect food, and these all have some sort of short-coming. But for those of us trying to watch our calories (and who isn't?), but need some quick and convenient foods and snacks, these are worth a try.

Is losing weight your goal….again? If so, you’re not alone. Getting in shape and losing weight are the most common resolutions people make each year. You may start out gung-ho, but within days or weeks, your willpower and motivation sag, and before you know it, you’re back sitting in front of the t.v. with the bag of chips in your hand. You can change that, and here are some ideas to help: Set realistic goals. Most people try to change too much too fast. They decide they’re going to completely change everything at once. Do you set goals of losing 2 pounds per week, and exercising every day? Those are probably not realistic. How do you know if a goal is realistic? Look at your past history. Have you been able to achieve these goals before? Start small. For example, for most people, a weight loss goal of ½ to 1 pound per week is realistic. And, start with setting a goal of exercise a few days a week, not every day. You can build up as you get better and start seeing success.

Set specific goals. Often times, people set a goal of “lose weight” or “exercise more”. While good goals, these are not very specific. Focusing on the actions you’re going to take helps increase the likelihood of your success. For example, eat 250 calories per day less or walk 20 minutes Monday through Friday are more specific, and therefore more attainable, goals. Remember, make them small, realistic behavior changes; you’ll be able to stick with them.

Expect setbacks and disruptions. Success rarely moves in a straight line forward. No one is perfect, and often your best-laid plans are interfered with. This doesn’t mean that you’ve failed or that the goal can’t be achieved. Get back on track as soon as possible.

Set short-term goals. Setting a 2-month goal or longer allows time to procrastinate before working on the goal, which then becomes an unrealistic one. Set short-term (one- or two-week) goals along the way.

Posted by Fran Werner, certified Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant, certified Personal Trainer, certified Healthy Lifestyle Coach, owner of Lifestyle Consulting.

I’ve been reading Dan’s and Brad’s posts about childhood obesity. There’s no doubt it’s a HUGE problem (no pun intended) and growing (ok, so the puns ARE intended). I read that Kellogg’s is going to stop advertising their sugary cereals to kids, and many cereal manufacturers are increasing the whole grain percentage in their cereals. The state of Texas (where I live and work) has just offered grants to schools in economically disadvantaged areas for increasing the physical education component in schools. Apparently, PE is only required half the time!

What I see as the biggest problem with all this is that we’re not effectively targeting the parents. These are the people, 66% of whom are overweight, who control what’s in the house for the kids to eat, what’s purchased at the grocery store, what the kids do after school and in the evenings, etc. Targeting kids is important, don’t get me wrong, but targeting the adults is more important and more urgent. Kids model what they see, and what they’re seeing is overweight parents, teachers, relatives, etc. We need to keep setting better examples for our kids.

I’ve been working with adults and teens teaching them to lose weight and keep it off for over 25 years now. I’ve seen a lot of success, and the best part is not just that my clients lose weight, but that their entire families are now healthier and thinner, due to lifestyle changes that they’ve made. The entire family has incorporated these changes and, as a result, they’re all happier and healthier. You can find some examples on my web site, www.lifestyleconsulting.com.