So many people constantly ask me, “Why am I not losing weight?”

The answer - You are not losing weight because you are not creating a caloric deficit. You are PERFECTLY in balance. When you want to lose weight, you have to eat LESS calories than your body requires on a daily basis. It’s simple math.

So, to figure out what you are doing wrong, write it down. Yes, yes, yes, I know you have heard me say this before, but the diary is the KEY to your success and to keeping the weight off once you have lost it.

Give it a try.

Jim

Just now, GMA did a segment on the best foods to live a long, healthy life.

In the report, they say that you should eat 2-3 tablespoons a day of olive oil. That’s 360 calories from oil. It’s insane.

Dr. Oz, Oprah’s guy, says one teaspoon a day is fine. I totally agree. PLEASE but back on olive oil as it is 100% fat and 120 calories a tablespoon.

Jim

Air has elevated cancer risk in 600 neighborhoods

By DINA CAPPIELLO, Associated Press Writer Dina Cappiello, Associated Press Writer – Wed Jun 24, 12:01 am ET

WASHINGTON – Millions of people living in nearly 600 neighborhoods across the country are breathing concentrations of toxic air pollutants that put them at a much greater risk of contracting cancer, according to new data from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The levels of 80 cancer-causing substances released by automobiles, factories and other sources in these areas exceed a 100 in 1 million cancer risk. That means that if 1 million people breathed air with similar concentrations over their lifetime, about 100 additional people would be expected to develop cancer because of their exposure to the pollution.

The average cancer risk across the country is 36 in 1 million, according to the National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment, which will be released by the EPA on Wednesday.

That’s a decline from the 41.5 in 1 million cancer risk the EPA found when it released the last analysis in 2006. That data covered 1999 emissions.

“If we are in between 10 in 1 million and 100 in 1 million we want to look more deeply at that. If the risk is greater than 100 in 1 million, we don’t like that at all … we want to investigate that risk and do something about it,” said Kelly Rimer, an environmental scientist with the EPA, in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Parts of Los Angeles, Calif., and Madison County, Ill., had the highest cancer risks in the nation — 1200 in 1 million and 1100 in 1 million, according to the EPA data. They were followed by two neighborhoods in Allegheny County, Pa., and one in Tuscaloosa County, Ala.

People living in parts of Coconino County, Ariz., and Lyon County, Nev., had the lowest cancer risk from air toxics. The counties with the least toxic air are Kalawao County, Hawaii, and Golden Valley County, Mont.

“Air toxic risks are local. They are a function of the sources nearest to you,” said Dave Guinnup, who leads the groups that perform the risk assessments for toxic air pollutants at EPA. “If you are out in the Rocky Mountains, you are going to be closer to 2 in a million. If you are in an industrial area with a lot of traffic, you are going to be closer to 1100 in 1 million.”

The analysis predicts the concentrations of 124 different hazardous air pollutants, which are known to cause cancer, respiratory problems and other health effects by coupling estimates of emissions from a variety of sources with models that attempt to simulate how the pollution will disperse in the air. Only 80 of the chemicals evaluated are known to cause cancer, EPA officials said.

The information is used by federal, state and local agencies to identify areas in need of more monitoring and attention.

The data to be released Wednesday covers pollution released in 2002.

I am just reading about our President and the new smoking laws he has put into effect.

We also must realize that, to the best of our knowledge, the President does still smoke from time to time.

I know that VERY few of the people I am around smoke and when they do, many people make faces of simply ask them to stop.

But when someone pounds an entire cheesecake, or eats a burger and fries, or downs a big gulp, no one seems to comment.

That is the problem with the way the majority of Americans eat. Overeating is all the rage….67% of our population is overweight, so they are in the majority.

Only 20+ percent of Americans smoke, and it generally crosses certain socioeconomic lines or certain industries.

So, we SHOULD make a stance about overeating the same way we do about smoking.

Look, I smoked for 8 years, and then had a few short-lived relapses after that. But, I clearly know that smoking will shorten my life.

BUT, so will being overweight. It is almost the same thing and at some point, the government should realize that.

We, as Americans, should too.

Jim

I am reading “Woman’s Health” and a new writer says that 1200 calories a day stalled her metabolism.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

For most women, 1200 is the KEY to weight loss.

What is equally important is how much protein. I find that women in general don’t eat as much protein as men, so they don’t feel full.

You can eat pasta, bread, rice, etc., all day and never feel full, put hit the grilled chicken, poached salmon, yogurt, cottage cheese and some nuts and you will be full all the time.

Just couple that with veggies and some fruit and the weight will fall off…..if you include the strength training.

Jim

Recent survey of 1,026 women showed that:

55% felt calories DON’T count during celebrations

39% felt calories DON’T count when traveling

30% felt calories DON’T count when eating on the go

27% felt calories DON’T count when eating at a buffet

Okay, what’s left.

This clearly shows how women, who are generally smaller than men and have lower metabolisms, are killing themselves with food. The average woman in her 30s is something like 25 pounds heavier than she was a few decades ago.

The average woman is also eating around 300+ calories a day than she did years ago.

So, the lesson? Count each and every calorie at each and every meal. It’s not nearly as hard as you think.

Jim

It’s the beginning of the weekend and for most, that means eating and drinking a lot more than you did during the week.

So, I urge all of you to do the following:

1. Pound water. I mean right now, drink a big glass of water (preferably on ice, which boosts your metabolism), then refill it and drink it again. The more water you drink, the more weight you will lose AND you will feel a great bump in your energy.

2. Make a big container of tea. I do this everyday and then I drink it over ice. Just like the water, the more tea you drink, the more weight AND fat you will lose plus your muscles will repair faster from the strength training.

3. Plan your meals. Look right now at what you are going to do for dinner tonight, and all meals on Saturday and Sunday.

4. Get the “wheaty” carbs out of the house. I know I just can’t have pretzels, chips, etc., in the house or I will start to eat them. The only thing we do is the 250 calorie microwave popcorn. Since I know the portion size, I don’t get into trouble, but I do drink tons of water with it since there is a lot of sodium in the popcorn.

5. SLEEP - Use the weekend to catch up on your sleep. I know it’s best to sleep more every night, but if that is just not realistic, then make up for SOME of the lost sleep on the weekend. Don’t forget, when you snooze, you lose!

Good luck,

Jim

According to “Chicago” magazine, these are the newest options available at Wrigley Field, which for those of you who don’t know, is our base ball field:

1. A 2 pound soft pretzel

2. A two foot meatball sandwich with 12 golf ball sized meatballs weighing in at three pounds

And they CLAIM that these items are meant to be shared.

It’s portions like this that should be outlawed.

That’s why I like it when all food is labeled and the calorie count is readily available. You would think twice if you really knew what you were putting into your mouth.

Jim

Okay, that post got a lot of comments going, so I just wanted to make another point.

Love her or hate her, MeMe Roth is getting attention. In our celebrity obsessed media world, being smart, and research based and clear will get you….well……no where.

Right now, the media wants the type of “crazy” that MeMe brings to her position. Again, I am not saying that I agree with her methods and all of her messages, but someone has to say “Enough” when it comes to what is going on with our kids.

Here are the facts:

1. One-third of all kids are now overweight or obese, and that number is growing everyday.

2. Children born in the year 2000 (my son included) have a one in three change of suffering from diabetes and black and Hispanic children have an over 50% chance.

3. Liquid calories are killing us all. No one should be drinking juice, real soda or sports drinks. They are lethal.

4. Kids don’t need all the crap that is served at parties. I’ll go a step further, parents and all adults don’t need the crap.

5. Martha Stewart just wrote a bestseller on cupcakes. Did we really need that? More variety of food only leads to overeating.

Years ago, parties were rare. People ate out on their birthdays and anniversaries. Now, the average American eats out something like 5 times a week and they have NO idea how many calories are in what they are eating. Even the New York University nutritionists underestimated the calorie count of most restaurant meals by 32% and they are PROS!

We are in a major death spiral…..Americans are heavier and getting more unhealthy everyday….and yet the government focuses on health care for everyone instead of prevention for everyone.

That is what MeMe, in her own way, is trying to do….prevent her kids from the inevitable health issues that will hit the vast majority of our children if we don’t stand up and take a position. Sure, it’s extreme, but her message is being heard.

My position:

Kids DON’T need treats everyday. My kids eat sweets and some fast food, but it is rare. My house is packed with fruits and vegetables from Costco, which makes it affordable.

Kids have to move. I know a ton of kids that do not get an ounce of activity. It’s up there with child abuse to not have your child moving.

Bottom line, most parents are to blame. My kids don’t have the money or the ability to go into a store or fast food restaurant and buy food. An adult has to take them. Stop taking them to these restaurants and they will stop eating the wrong food.

Start taking them to classes that promote movement, like ballet, karate, tumbling, soccer, you name it and that exposes them to activity and FUN.

Okay, I am getting off point, but really, when will we start to take responsibility for our actions.

Some of you may not like this post, but I do think we have to start taking a stronger stand because what we are doing isn’t working.

Jim

A new study indicated that people who slashed their caloric intake by 30% saw a huge boost in memory.

Also, consuming a HUGE meal in the middle of the day has the same effect on afternoon productivity as a couple of quaaludes.

SO, think before you eat, especially if you have a lot to get done in the afternoon.

This info was from “GQ” magazine.