I ATE PIZZA AND ICE CREAM BED, WOKE UP LESS FAT

Loasaur

There's a difference between "losing weight" and being "healthy." Of course you can lose weight eating McDoubles and Pizza. Any idiot can see that. As long as you're at a calorie deficit, it's only logical. But completely fit people can be UNHEALTHY. That is the difference and THAT is why people eat vegetables. You, sir, have missed the point.

wwwdotcr

If you lost 4 lb sorry your weren't doing it right. I can't explain it, might want to get a blood test and see if any irregularities show up. Did you get a DEXA scan before you started to get an accurate LBM? Most people wildly underestimate their body fat, thus screwing up their macros.

IE. I thought I was 17% more like 23% when I started. Imagine putting your macros based off 17%, no fat loss at all.

I was eating 2000 cals thinking that was enough to cut, no an accurate count was 1600 + PWO. And I run on top of that with +500 burn 5-6 days a week. With this combo I am still going at 0.75 lb a week consistent loss with very low loss on muscle strength (AllPros Lifting Cycle 3).

It has been proven that an anabolic diet is not optimal for muscle gain.

Again for girls it probably doesn't matter at all depending on their goals, but for guys an anabolic diet is great for cutting real crap at bulking.

In Keto you are suppose to compliment your stomach cravings with tons of veggies, aka broccoli and company. That's how you stave off hunger, you physically can't stuff more into your stomach + stable sugar levels. (In my experience anyways).

Keto is definately not for everyone. Its a lifestyle change. Its for people who have discipline, wont cheat, and stick to it. But everyone should give it a shot and see if it works for them. Evidently it didn't work for you.

I stand by keto is the most EFFICIENT way to lose weight without losing LBM (aka muscle mass is a keto cut). Then again if your just looking to be skinny fat then any low cal diet will do.

I plan on tossing out keto once I start bulking.

There must be some meaning of "compliment" with which I am unfamiliar. Please to explain.

So, are you saying that I did not change my lifestyle? That perhaps I didn't eat all kinds of vegetables and meat (they called me "The Spinach Assassin"!)? That I wasn't lifting heavy several times a week and doing HIIT cardio? That I was skinny fat? I'm not sure what it is that you're suggesting was my failing, since there is no way it could be that I complied with the lifestyle, but it just did not agree with my body and brain chemistry. :huh:

I also lost a whopping 4 frackin' pounds during the whole fiasco. It was SOOOO efficient.

Listen, I'm not trying to say it isn't really good for some people. The science behind it makes sense to me. I WANT it to work for me. But I never got the results that were promised, and continuing to do the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.

If it's so great anyway, why are you scrapping it when you start bulking? Why not just use the MANS diet or some other low-carb anabolic diet?

Fullsterkur_woman

Did you get a DEXA scan before you started to get an accurate LBM?

Twice. I also got my RMR tested. (I have access to a major research and athletics university's sports labs) I get my blood tested quite regularly. My thyroid was fine, my HDL is greater than my LDL and total cholesterol is lower than most people's LDL. Not medicated, I just appear to have the gene for very low cholesterol.

But that is clearly not relevant since it must be me that did it wrong, or it would have worked for me. That, sir, is what we call "begging the question."

Fortunately for me, I am not a girl, I am a woman, so your statement doesn't apply to me. Besides, I am making a very, very narrow statement about what applies to me in my N=1 experiment. I am not making any general claims at all. However, I just remembered that you frequently make general claims without backing them up with peer-reviewed published journal articles. Anyway, I just made a n00b mistake, because I forgot that I had previously ignored you.

Good day to you.

SoDamnHungry

Disappointed not to learn what an ice cream bed is.

Seriously let down. =(

bbbgamer

came for the ice cram bed, stayed for the entertainment!

seriously, I have to give this thread some credit, I usually don't make it past the first couple of pages... but this one, two thumbs up!

wwwdotcr

You have issues. Get Help. That is all.

Did you get a DEXA scan before you started to get an accurate LBM?

Twice. I also got my RMR tested. (I have access to a major research and athletics university's sports labs) I get my blood tested quite regularly. My thyroid was fine, my HDL is greater than my LDL and total cholesterol is lower than most people's LDL. Not medicated, I just appear to have the gene for very low cholesterol.

But that is clearly not relevant since it must be me that did it wrong, or it would have worked for me. That, sir, is what we call "begging the question."

Fortunately for me, I am not a girl, I am a woman, so your statement doesn't apply to me. Besides, I am making a very, very narrow statement about what applies to me in my N=1 experiment. I am not making any general claims at all. However, I just remembered that you frequently make general claims without backing them up with peer-reviewed published journal articles. Anyway, I just made a n00b mistake, because I forgot that I had previously ignored you.

Good day to you.

bbbgamer

I have almost finished my ice cream bed!

KAS0917

what about nutrition?

That doesn't factor in with a lot of the people in the General Diet and Weight Loss Help and Food and Nutrition forums on mfp. If you eat garbage and lose weight you're doing it right, regardless of what havoc it may doing to other facets of your health. You will get flamed mercilessly for being concerned about your overall health vs. dropping a pound or two.

It's truly a crazy phenomenon, isn't it? There's so much defiance from those that eat junk food and lose weight, that those of us that try to eat healthy (most of the time) are doing something 'wrong.' Yes, my thyroid is fine. Yes, I understand that calorie deficit is king, and I can get that eating cheeseburgers and pizza every day. But I'm trying to do more than just lose weight, and since I think it's important to be healthy (which includes being at a healthy weight, but is more than just tha), that's what I would advocate for others if they asked for my advice. If they choose to do it on a steady diet of McDonalds and Burger King, then great for them. I just can't recommend it with a good conscious - that's how I got fat, and I'm sure what contributed to my dad being obese, and my mom (not obese) having a heart attack and stroke before age 50.

onyxgirl17

I want an ice cream bed!!!

Achrya

what about nutrition?

That doesn't factor in with a lot of the people in the General Diet and Weight Loss Help and Food and Nutrition forums on mfp. If you eat garbage and lose weight you're doing it right, regardless of what havoc it may doing to other facets of your health. You will get flamed mercilessly for being concerned about your overall health vs. dropping a pound or two.

It's truly a crazy phenomenon, isn't it? There's so much defiance from those that eat junk food and lose weight, that those of us that try to eat healthy (most of the time) are doing something 'wrong.' Yes, my thyroid is fine. Yes, I understand that calorie deficit is king, and I can get that eating cheeseburgers and pizza every day. But I'm trying to do more than just lose weight, and since I think it's important to be healthy (which includes being at a healthy weight, but is more than just tha), that's what I would advocate for others if they asked for my advice. If they choose to do it on a steady diet of McDonalds and Burger King, then great for them. I just can't recommend it with a good conscious - that's how I got fat, and I'm sure what contributed to my dad being obese, and my mom (not obese) having a heart attack and stroke before age 50.

Proof? Or simply baseless conjecture?

rickvw1970

That's the way to do it for me too. I'm good 6 days a week and I enjoy myself on one of my exercize days. Last one was filled with pork belly, tiramisu and a whole bottle of wine. And I feeeeeeeel goood.

shortmomma81

I had a professor in college who did the experiment of 1200 calories a day eating only twinkies for two weeks and lost weight. Calories are calories. On the other hand, I saw photos of after surgery of a really skinny person and their insides had more fat than normal. That's why I firmly believe is not how much you eat but what you eat that determines good health. If I eat dairy at night I wake up weighing less. Great post.

KAS0917

It's truly a crazy phenomenon, isn't it? There's so much defiance from those that eat junk food and lose weight, that those of us that try to eat healthy (most of the time) are doing something 'wrong.' Yes, my thyroid is fine. Yes, I understand that calorie deficit is king, and I can get that eating cheeseburgers and pizza every day. But I'm trying to do more than just lose weight, and since I think it's important to be healthy (which includes being at a healthy weight, but is more than just tha), that's what I would advocate for others if they asked for my advice. If they choose to do it on a steady diet of McDonalds and Burger King, then great for them. I just can't recommend it with a good conscious - that's how I got fat, and I'm sure what contributed to my dad being obese, and my mom (not obese) having a heart attack and stroke before age 50.

Proof? Or simply baseless conjecture?
[/quote]

You seriously need proof that a steady consumption of fast food and total crap eating is/was a contributing factor to my dad's obesity, or my mom's heart attack and stroke before age 50? I forgot about the Type II diabetes she was dx'd with while in the hospital after the stroke. Do you want me to get their doctor to write a note for you? There isn't a family history of obesity or heart attack and smoking/drinking isn't a factor for either of them.

There's a million studies that would tell you it's a logical assumption. Or you could just use common sense. I'm honestly not even sure what you're questioning.

Achrya

It's truly a crazy phenomenon, isn't it? There's so much defiance from those that eat junk food and lose weight, that those of us that try to eat healthy (most of the time) are doing something 'wrong.' Yes, my thyroid is fine. Yes, I understand that calorie deficit is king, and I can get that eating cheeseburgers and pizza every day. But I'm trying to do more than just lose weight, and since I think it's important to be healthy (which includes being at a healthy weight, but is more than just tha), that's what I would advocate for others if they asked for my advice. If they choose to do it on a steady diet of McDonalds and Burger King, then great for them. I just can't recommend it with a good conscious - that's how I got fat, and I'm sure what contributed to my dad being obese, and my mom (not obese) having a heart attack and stroke before age 50.

Proof? Or simply baseless conjecture?

You seriously need proof that a steady consumption of fast food and total crap eating is/was a contributing factor to my dad's obesity, or my mom's heart attack and stroke before age 50? I forgot about the Type II diabetes she was dx'd with while in the hospital after the stroke. Do you want me to get their doctor to write a note for you? There isn't a family history of obesity or heart attack and smoking/drinking isn't a factor for either of them.

There's a million studies that would tell you it's a logical assumption. Or you could just use common sense. I'm honestly not even sure what you're questioning.

I'm questioning the suggestion that it was fast food specifically and that an over consumption of home cooked food couldn't have also lead to obesity and health issues.

The question remains: Can you prove it was fast good, or was it merely over consumption? If you can find me a study that says that fast food itself, as part of a normal balanced diet, causes health issues and doesn't point to over consumption as the source of problems I'd be interested to see it.

So. Yeah. Seriously.

melindasuefritz

Although it is good to eat in moderation, in order to become a healthier being, some foods are better for you than others. Many foods, such as baby carrots, have fat more vitamins and other good nutrients than ice cream, pizza, and burgers do - weight loss and becoming healthy isn't only about calories.

Achrya

Although it is good to eat in moderation, in order to become a healthier being, some foods are better for you than others. Many foods, such as baby carrots, have fat more vitamins and other good nutrients than ice cream, pizza, and burgers do - weight loss and becoming healthy isn't only about calories.

But I already got all of my Vitamins and minerals in today, and I hear you don't get extra credit for getting more than your daily allotment (In fact I hear you just pee out the extra.)

Not to mention I had 400 calories left over after dinner. Am I supposed to eat 400 calories in baby carrots? Do you know how many baby carrots that would be? Over 1000 grams! 1000 grams of what is basically empty fluff, since I've already maxed out all of my 'good stuff' today! Or I could have a cup of ice cream.

KAS0917

I'm questioning the suggestion that it was fast food specifically and that an over consumption of home cooked food couldn't have also lead to obesity and health issues.

The question remains: Can you prove it was fast good, or was it merely over consumption? If you can find me a study that says that fast food itself, as part of a normal balanced diet, causes health issues and doesn't point to over consumption as the source of problems I'd be interested to see it.

So. Yeah. Seriously.

Where did I say anything about them eating a normal balance diet?!? It wasn't possible for them to over consume home cooked food because they didn't cook much. It's sort of a logical conclusion for MY parents. YMMV.

I had Burger King for dinner. I'm not saying that you can't have fast food ever. I'm saying that it's a logical conclusion, based on how MY parents ate, that a steady intake of crap foods has been a contributing factor to my dad's obesity, and my mom's health problems. I didn't say it was the only factor. I acknowledged in my first post that you can lose weigh at a calorie deficit, but it isn't all about just dropping pounds, to ME personally. I'm a little confused as to how you can argue what I know about my own parents since you don't know anything about them. You seem to be confusing a calorie deficit with being healthy. They are not the same thing to me.

But here's the risk factors for heart disease that can't be controlled:

Male sex
Older age
Family history of heart disease
Post-menopausal
Race (African Americans, American Indians, and Mexican Americans are more likely to have heart disease than Caucasians)

Here's how many of those risk factors my mom had: 0

The rest of the risk factors are things that a person CAN control to some extent:

Smoking.
High LDL, or "bad" cholesterol and low HDL, or "good" cholesterol.
Uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure).
Physical inactivity.
Obesity (more than 20% over one's ideal body weight).
Uncontrolled diabetes.
High C-reactive protein.
Uncontrolled stress and anger.


And here's some of the ways you can reduce your risk of heart attack - as you can see, most of them have to do with eating a balanced diet, limiting saturated fats (quite high in most fast food), being at an ideal body weight, etc. My parents weren't eating salads with dressing on the side every day, clearly. Most people don't.

Improve cholesterol levels. The risk for heart disease increases as your total amount of cholesterol increases. In general, your total cholesterol goal should be less than 200 mg/dl; HDL, the good cholesterol, higher than 40 mg/dl in men and 50 mg/dl in women (and the higher the better); and LDL should be less than 130 mg/dl in healthy adults. For those with diabetes or multiple risk factors for heart disease, LDL goal should be less than 100 mg/dl (some experts recommend less than 70 mg/dl if you are very high risk). Interpretation and treatment of cholesterol values must be individualized, taking into account all of your risk factors for heart disease. A diet low in cholesterol and saturated and trans fat will help lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk for heart disease. Regular exercise will also help lower "bad" cholesterol and raise "good" cholesterol. Medications are often needed to reach cholesterol goals.

Control high blood pressure. About 60 million people in the U.S. have hypertension, or high blood pressure, making it the most common heart disease risk factor. Nearly one in three adults has systolic blood pressure (the upper number) over 140, and/or diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) over 90, which is the definition of hypertension. Like cholesterol, blood pressure interpretation and treatment should be individualized, taking into account your entire risk profile. Control blood pressure through diet, exercise, weight management, and if needed, medications.
Control diabetes. If not properly controlled, diabetes can contribute to significant heart damage, including heart attacks and death. Control diabetes through a healthy diet, exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and taking medications as prescribed by your doctor.

Get active. Many of us lead sedentary lives, exercising infrequently or not at all. People who don't exercise have higher rates of death and heart disease compared to people who perform even mild to moderate amounts of physical activity. Even leisure-time activities like gardening or walking can lower your risk of heart disease. Most people should exercise 30 minutes a day, at moderate intensity, on most days. More vigorous activities are associated with more benefits. Exercise should be aerobic, involving the large muscle groups. Aerobic activities include brisk walking, cycling, swimming, jumping rope, and jogging. If walking is your exercise of choice, use the pedometer goal of 10,000 steps a day. Consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Eat right . Eat a heart-healthy diet low in salt, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and refined sugars. Try to increase your intake of foods rich in vitamins and other nutrients, especially antioxidants, which have been proven to lower your risk for heart disease. Also eat plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.
Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight puts significant strain on your heart and worsens several other heart disease risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol and triglycerides. Research is showing that obesity itself increases heart disease risk. By eating right and exercising, you can lose weight and reduce your risk of heart disease.

Achrya

I'm questioning the suggestion that it was fast food specifically and that an over consumption of home cooked food couldn't have also lead to obesity and health issues.

The question remains: Can you prove it was fast good, or was it merely over consumption? If you can find me a study that says that fast food itself, as part of a normal balanced diet, causes health issues and doesn't point to over consumption as the source of problems I'd be interested to see it.

So. Yeah. Seriously.

Where did I say anything about them eating a normal balance diet?!? It wasn't possible for them to over consume home cooked food because they didn't cook much. It's sort of a logical conclusion for MY parents. YMMV.

I had Burger King for dinner. I'm not saying that you can't have fast food ever. I'm saying that it's a logical conclusion, based on how MY parents ate, that a steady intake of crap foods has been a contributing factor to my dad's obesity, and my mom's health problems. I didn't say it was the only factor. I acknowledged in my first post that you can lose weigh at a calorie deficit, but it isn't all about just dropping pounds, to ME personally. I'm a little confused as to how you can argue what I know about my own parents since you don't know anything about them. You seem to be confusing a calorie deficit with being healthy. They are not the same thing to me.

But here's the risk factors for heart disease that can't be controlled:

Male sex
Older age
Family history of heart disease
Post-menopausal
Race (African Americans, American Indians, and Mexican Americans are more likely to have heart disease than Caucasians)

Here's how many of those risk factors my mom had: 0

The rest of the risk factors are things that a person CAN control to some extent:

Smoking.
High LDL, or "bad" cholesterol and low HDL, or "good" cholesterol.
Uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure).
Physical inactivity.
Obesity (more than 20% over one's ideal body weight).
Uncontrolled diabetes.
High C-reactive protein.
Uncontrolled stress and anger.


And here's some of the ways you can reduce your risk of heart attack - as you can see, most of them have to do with eating a balanced diet, limiting saturated fats (quite high in most fast food), being at an ideal body weight, etc. My parents weren't eating salads with dressing on the side every day, clearly. Most people don't.

Improve cholesterol levels. The risk for heart disease increases as your total amount of cholesterol increases. In general, your total cholesterol goal should be less than 200 mg/dl; HDL, the good cholesterol, higher than 40 mg/dl in men and 50 mg/dl in women (and the higher the better); and LDL should be less than 130 mg/dl in healthy adults. For those with diabetes or multiple risk factors for heart disease, LDL goal should be less than 100 mg/dl (some experts recommend less than 70 mg/dl if you are very high risk). Interpretation and treatment of cholesterol values must be individualized, taking into account all of your risk factors for heart disease. A diet low in cholesterol and saturated and trans fat will help lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk for heart disease. Regular exercise will also help lower "bad" cholesterol and raise "good" cholesterol. Medications are often needed to reach cholesterol goals.

Control high blood pressure. About 60 million people in the U.S. have hypertension, or high blood pressure, making it the most common heart disease risk factor. Nearly one in three adults has systolic blood pressure (the upper number) over 140, and/or diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) over 90, which is the definition of hypertension. Like cholesterol, blood pressure interpretation and treatment should be individualized, taking into account your entire risk profile. Control blood pressure through diet, exercise, weight management, and if needed, medications.
Control diabetes. If not properly controlled, diabetes can contribute to significant heart damage, including heart attacks and death. Control diabetes through a healthy diet, exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and taking medications as prescribed by your doctor.

Get active. Many of us lead sedentary lives, exercising infrequently or not at all. People who don't exercise have higher rates of death and heart disease compared to people who perform even mild to moderate amounts of physical activity. Even leisure-time activities like gardening or walking can lower your risk of heart disease. Most people should exercise 30 minutes a day, at moderate intensity, on most days. More vigorous activities are associated with more benefits. Exercise should be aerobic, involving the large muscle groups. Aerobic activities include brisk walking, cycling, swimming, jumping rope, and jogging. If walking is your exercise of choice, use the pedometer goal of 10,000 steps a day. Consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Eat right . Eat a heart-healthy diet low in salt, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and refined sugars. Try to increase your intake of foods rich in vitamins and other nutrients, especially antioxidants, which have been proven to lower your risk for heart disease. Also eat plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.
Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight puts significant strain on your heart and worsens several other heart disease risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol and triglycerides. Research is showing that obesity itself increases heart disease risk. By eating right and exercising, you can lose weight and reduce your risk of heart disease.

I can hear the actual whoosh as you miss the point. You want to attribute your parents medical issues to fast food specifically when, in reality, it was over consumption. Fast food in neither inherently bad or unhealthy so you can't say 'fast food contributed to XYZ' when over consumption and an unbalanced diet was the issue.

Let's take the opposite stance for a moment: I was an obses teenager who was never allowed fast food. My mother cooked at home, usually from scratch, every night. And I ate all the things, and got to be 200+ pounds by 15. When I was in the Navy I ate fast food nearly every day and was healthy (all of my blood tests were optimal and my fitness level has never been better). Ergo Fast Food made me healthy. Makes sense, right?

And you don't know what I think regarding calories deficits and their relation to health, so you shouldn't make even more assumptions based off faulty knowledge.

Carnivor0us

MFP: Eat all the crap you want in moderation, get thin, but never healthy.

MyChocolateDiet

I'm questioning the suggestion that it was fast food specifically and that an over consumption of home cooked food couldn't have also lead to obesity and health issues.

The question remains: Can you prove it was fast good, or was it merely over consumption? If you can find me a study that says that fast food itself, as part of a normal balanced diet, causes health issues and doesn't point to over consumption as the source of problems I'd be interested to see it.

So. Yeah. Seriously.

Where did I say anything about them eating a normal balance diet?!? It wasn't possible for them to over consume home cooked food because they didn't cook much. It's sort of a logical conclusion for MY parents. YMMV.

I had Burger King for dinner. I'm not saying that you can't have fast food ever. I'm saying that it's a logical conclusion, based on how MY parents ate, that a steady intake of crap foods has been a contributing factor to my dad's obesity, and my mom's health problems. I didn't say it was the only factor. I acknowledged in my first post that you can lose weigh at a calorie deficit, but it isn't all about just dropping pounds, to ME personally. I'm a little confused as to how you can argue what I know about my own parents since you don't know anything about them. You seem to be confusing a calorie deficit with being healthy. They are not the same thing to me.

But here's the risk factors for heart disease that can't be controlled:

Male sex
Older age
Family history of heart disease
Post-menopausal
Race (African Americans, American Indians, and Mexican Americans are more likely to have heart disease than Caucasians)

Here's how many of those risk factors my mom had: 0

The rest of the risk factors are things that a person CAN control to some extent:

Smoking.
High LDL, or "bad" cholesterol and low HDL, or "good" cholesterol.
Uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure).
Physical inactivity.
Obesity (more than 20% over one's ideal body weight).
Uncontrolled diabetes.
High C-reactive protein.
Uncontrolled stress and anger.


And here's some of the ways you can reduce your risk of heart attack - as you can see, most of them have to do with eating a balanced diet, limiting saturated fats (quite high in most fast food), being at an ideal body weight, etc. My parents weren't eating salads with dressing on the side every day, clearly. Most people don't.

Improve cholesterol levels. The risk for heart disease increases as your total amount of cholesterol increases. In general, your total cholesterol goal should be less than 200 mg/dl; HDL, the good cholesterol, higher than 40 mg/dl in men and 50 mg/dl in women (and the higher the better); and LDL should be less than 130 mg/dl in healthy adults. For those with diabetes or multiple risk factors for heart disease, LDL goal should be less than 100 mg/dl (some experts recommend less than 70 mg/dl if you are very high risk). Interpretation and treatment of cholesterol values must be individualized, taking into account all of your risk factors for heart disease. A diet low in cholesterol and saturated and trans fat will help lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk for heart disease. Regular exercise will also help lower "bad" cholesterol and raise "good" cholesterol. Medications are often needed to reach cholesterol goals.

Control high blood pressure. About 60 million people in the U.S. have hypertension, or high blood pressure, making it the most common heart disease risk factor. Nearly one in three adults has systolic blood pressure (the upper number) over 140, and/or diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) over 90, which is the definition of hypertension. Like cholesterol, blood pressure interpretation and treatment should be individualized, taking into account your entire risk profile. Control blood pressure through diet, exercise, weight management, and if needed, medications.
Control diabetes. If not properly controlled, diabetes can contribute to significant heart damage, including heart attacks and death. Control diabetes through a healthy diet, exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and taking medications as prescribed by your doctor.

Get active. Many of us lead sedentary lives, exercising infrequently or not at all. People who don't exercise have higher rates of death and heart disease compared to people who perform even mild to moderate amounts of physical activity. Even leisure-time activities like gardening or walking can lower your risk of heart disease. Most people should exercise 30 minutes a day, at moderate intensity, on most days. More vigorous activities are associated with more benefits. Exercise should be aerobic, involving the large muscle groups. Aerobic activities include brisk walking, cycling, swimming, jumping rope, and jogging. If walking is your exercise of choice, use the pedometer goal of 10,000 steps a day. Consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Eat right . Eat a heart-healthy diet low in salt, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and refined sugars. Try to increase your intake of foods rich in vitamins and other nutrients, especially antioxidants, which have been proven to lower your risk for heart disease. Also eat plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.
Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight puts significant strain on your heart and worsens several other heart disease risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol and triglycerides. Research is showing that obesity itself increases heart disease risk. By eating right and exercising, you can lose weight and reduce your risk of heart disease.

The race card...