Healthy Weight

Hi everyone! 

Have you heard of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation?  The HWCF is a CEO-led organzation with more than 80 of the nation’s retailers, food and beverage manufacturers, sporting goods, insurance and other non profit and trade associations as members.  The focus is to reduce obesity by 2015.  The HWCF wants to help consumers lead healthier lives by making energy balance–calories in balanced with calories out–a daily habit.

That is what ICount is all about!  We make it easy to set, track, achieve and reward activity, nutrition and other wellness goals. 

So, people ask me how I stay slim.  It is because I spend 10-15 minutes each day tracking.  I know what my calorie burn is as well as my calorie intake.  So, it is pretty hard for me to fall out of line.  It is now a daily habit to track.  It so works!!!

Anyway, the HWCF just launched 3 great websites.  One for educators, one for parents and one for small businesses.  Our solution, ICount Wellness, is the turnkey solution for businesses!  Check out their new sitewww.yourwellnessadvantage.com.

Let’s Leave a healthy footprint!

Blue Hair and Mental Wellness

Hi.  I was on a late flight last week working a tough crossword.  If I can’t be physically moving, might as well keep mentally fresh.

While changing planes at O’Hare, I went to the restroom.  As I was washing my hands, I happened to look in the mirror.  I screamed as did the woman next to me.  Apparently, my blue pen had leaked all over my hands.  For some reason, probably thoughtfully pondering a word choice, I had run my left hand through my hair…over and over again.  The hair on the left side of my head was as blue as the bluest sky.

I didn’t arrive at my hotel in the DC area until about 2am.  Except for the woman in the restroom, no one said a word.  Not my seatmates on the next flight, the flight attendent, the rental car guy, the hotel receptionist…no one.  The next morning, it would not come out and I gave my talk to a distinguished group of people…with my blue hair and little business suit.  Apparently, the smurf look is quite acceptable.

Anyone else have any travel stories to share?

The Bay Breeze 5k

Hi everyone!

Occasionally, we are fortunate to have a day when we smile until it hurts.  Saturday was one of those days for me.  It started early.  Alarm at 4am.  Yes, on a Saturday!  Drove to LAX and caught a Southwest flight to Oakland.  My dear friend Dina picked me up and we went to meet a group of students and staff from San Jose Job Corps who were walking/running a 5k race.in San Leandro.

An amazing campus faculty member, Holly, had organized 20 students and 10 staff to get up early and do this race together.  This is all part of their ICount Wellness efforts.  Despite the early hour, everyone was so excited!  I learned so much.  One staff member has lost 61 pounds since we started our healthy lifestyle focus.  One of the students is getting other students together in the evening and they dance and dance to get in more steps.  This is instead of watching TV!  They talked of having more energy, building new relationships, and seeing a successful future.

After the race, they were proudly showing off their completion medals.  I was immediately asked if there would be more races in which they could participate.  The smiles were endless.

Oh, and after doing the race, walking through a mall with Dina afterwards, and more steps in the airport, I ended up with 16k steps that day.  A very special Saturday, indeed!

Join the ICount Movement

Doing simple healthy things each day and supporting others to do the same, is what ICount is all about. To that end,  we are excited about launching the ICount Movement!  With all that is going on with health care reform, one thing we can commit to is to lead healthy lifestyles.

50% of our health is our lifestyle!  So, let’s all rally and say ICount, together.  It doesn’t matter at what fitness level you start at because it is all based on incremental improvement.  Everyone counts!  We all just need to set simple goals and track.  And, we need to support each other.  That is what the ICount Movement is all about.  Just tell your friends, family and company to sign up at www.walkstyles.com   Our simple steps collectively will equal one big step forward for mankind!

Thanks for being part of the ICount Movement!

Shoes made for walking

In this article, A New York Times travel reporter documents his search for the perfect pair of walking shoes. He’s searched for ones that are “rugged enough to handle the backcountry but stylish enough to pass muster in urbane settings”. He recommends several pairs including the ones he finds closest to perfect.

Turn up that music to turn up your workout

MSNBC reports that women who increase the volume of their favorite music could improve their workout. According to a new study, a slight increase in volume of high-energy tunes motivated women and helped them to perform more repetitions when lifting weights. For the full article, click here.

Summer-Proof Your Workout

Keep your cool when exercising outdoors with tips from fitness editor Nan Kappeler. Nan suggests dressing for warmer temps, avoiding the sun’s peak hours and hitting the pool. For more tips, read on!

Dieting and Drinking

Is your daily alcoholic drink ruining your diet? Probably not. While certain drinks are loaded with calories, there are smarter choices that actually might offer some health benefits. The key is – stop at one! Read more at US News and World Report.

Wellness Article: How much water do you need?

In July’s nutrition wellness article, WalkStyles editor Dana Denis explores the topic of drinking water. An essential nutrient, water is a surprisingly complex topic, raising questions ranging from the amount we need to where it should come from.

For Dana’s insights and tips, click here.

Walking News: I’m too busy to exercise…and other excuses

The most common excuses for not exercising are refuted. These excuses include, “I’m too busy”, “I’m too old”, “My kids get in the way”, “I’m too fat”, and “I’m thin already”. Stop making excuses and get moving! To see the excuses that top the list, check out US News and World Report’s slide show here.