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Despite the title, this newsletter is not a hall pass to sit on the couch and be sedentary. Instead, I hope it encourages you to get off your tush and move frequently but for reasons other than weight loss.
Exercise is imperative to our health, especially as we age. It protects us against many chronic diseases that rob us of quality of life namely heart disease, type II diabetes, certain cancers and even cognitive decline. Staying active also relieves pain and stiffness associated with arthritis, improves bone density, wards off depression and anxiety, fights fatigue and helps us maintain our weight. So please do not stop being physically active and if you're inactive consult with your doctor and start an exercise routine immediately. Our bodies were meant to move. Sitting takes years off our lives. As I say to my clients, some exercise is good, more is better and everything counts including walking, tennis, house cleaning, dancing, golfing (walking not carting) skiing, paddle boarding, running etc. Look for ways to be more active not less. Why not walk to that meeting rather than take a cab, or walk up (or down) a few flights of stairs instead of instinctively pushing the elevator button. For continued good health especially later in life, keep moving throughout the day. That said, increasing our aerobic exercise or starting an exercise program isn't an efficient way to lose weight. To regain that 20 something body of yesteryear, and ward off those unwanted pounds after 30, we're far better putting our time and energy into eating properly than exercising more. Why? Roughly 70% of our body composition is determined by the food we consume not by the number of hours we log "working out." How can this be? Keep reading ...
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more calories than you consume, for anyone that has tried it, it is a miserable and unsustainable way to drop pounds. It also can compromise your metabolism and muscle mass. Following such advice often leaves us hungry, tired, frustrated and feeling deprived and hopeless. All too frequently we abandon our weight loss efforts, go back to our old diet and lifestyle habits and gain back the weight we've lost "dieting." Sound familiar?
The hard truth is 
Put another way, it's far easier to eat calories than to burn them. For example, 
Strength train: Resistance training slows the natural, age-related progression of muscle to fat, which starts to occur in our 30s and progresses more quickly after 50. Muscle protects our bones, maintains our metabolism and helps our body burn more calories. 
crackers, pretzels, chips, pizza, pastas, most breads, baked goods, sweetened drinks, frozen desserts, dried fruit, and our beloved nightly cocktail(s). These calories increase blood sugar and insulin levels and convert to fat quickly in our bodies. They also increase our risk of chronic disease, and wreak havoc on our energy, mood, and hunger.