The Vicious Cycle of Those Darn Calories

Today I enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving feast with my family. They say that during an average Thanksgiving dinner that we consume some 3700 calories.  I'm sure mine was every bit of that. My son makes the very best buttery mashed potatoes, whipped cream drenched fruit salad, and homemade cookies. My oldest daughter made her classic green bean casserole, super yummy candied sweet potatoes, and a variety of home baked pies with whipped cream. My middle daughter provided homemade butter topped whole wheat rolls, cranberry sauce, and more pie. She also brought a 30# roasted turkey (a real show piece)  that she had raised herself. I supplied more turkey (not that we needed it), the dressing, sweet carrots, and the gravy.

Thanksgiving day is the one day out of the year where no one seems to care about the calories. Every other day of the year it is a constant battle between our appetites, the likes of our taste buds, and those darn calories that need to be burned off to avoid weight gain.

I used to never have a problem with my weight. I was tall and thin and I could eat what I wanted without gaining weight. While I am still tall I am not thin! In fact, I have a good amount of weight to lose. Somehow it doesn't seem fair. If our bodies metabolism slows down with age wouldn't it make sense for our appetites to lessen and our taste buds to water for such things as celery sticks and alfalfa sprouts!

To add to our calorie burning issues there are the aches and pains that come with age that limit our activity. Aching hips, knees, backs, legs, and feet to just mention a few. My recent activity has been very limited while trying to nurse my shins and hips back to good health after an injury last summer. I have recently began walking and taking short bike rides. So far, it is going well. I hope to work up to going to the gym again.

While it will be some time before I can do an Extreme Body Workout I can take baby steps to burn off calories, build muscle, and to increase my endurance. While I may never have a Beach Body again I would be just as grateful to have a body that can run and play with my grandchildren without pain. I know that exercise (90 day review) is the biggest key to making that happen. So, until there is that magic pill to make our taste buds water for those celery sticks and alfalfa sprouts and give to us back the metabolism of a 18 year old all I can do is eat the best I can and get the exercise needed to burn off those darn calories I consume everyday!

This is a guest post provided by Fitness Alliance