Hi, this is Mitch, Shannon's husband. I wanted to post about nutrition and exercise. Notice I did not say "diet, or "work outs". There are reasons, not the least of which are that most people are turned off by those terms. This may seem like semantics, but I feel they are important distinctions. Everybody can live with adjusting their nutrition and exercise,it feels like a life long commitment, but almost everybody gives up on diets and working out. Most people look at these as temporary fixes. Usually to get ready for a wedding, cruise, picture, reunion, you get the idea. So please try to make the adjustment and use different terms for the changes you are making in your life, for the rest of your life.

Merriam-Websters Dictionary defines nutrition as- the act or process of nourishing or being nourished ; specifically : the sum of the processes by which an animal or plant takes in and utilizes food substances. When a person goes on a diet the thought process is almost always "man I've gotta cut out the calories". This is true, in order to lose weight you must be in a caloric deficit. All that means is that you are burning more calories than you are taking in. Americans eat waaay too many calories, specifically processed carbs, and most people approach it the wrong way. What happens is we cut back on calories AND nutrients. This is bad news. There are three basic categories of macro-nutrients, and they are; protein, fat and carbohydrates, and we NEED all three.
Dr. Sears (The Zone) advocates that we eat foods from all three groups in a precise balance. This is different from most diets on the market that restrict certain foods like fat, carbs, whatever. Following a nutrition program like the Zone there are really no holes in the macro-nutrients that you are taking in. He allows you the freedom to make your own choices for the foods you eat. That being said, if you choose unwisely, you won't get as much, and trust me you will not feel as good as if you had made good choices. The important thing is YOU get to decide. Also while following a program that is structured this way, you cut way back on calorie intake, not nutrient intake. VERY important.
I am not a scientist, I can only give my opinion on the information I've taken in. From what I've read and think that I understand, we need all three macro-nutrients for everything from managing our hormonal systems, repairing tissues after hard work and exercise, and even things like managing stress. So please if you read this and take anything from this about nutrition it would be; we need to eat all three foods in balance. That and The Zone is the way to go.

Exercise. Try to not think of it as working out, work outs are usually a temporary fix also. Exercise is something people do for their entire lives. Being a parent I know how hard it is to "find" time to exercise. First mistake, you will NEVER find time to exercise, you've got to make time to exercise. Look, I've always been bad about nutrition, but when it comes to exercise, I find some time somewhere in my schedule. I look at it like brushing my teeth, taking a shower, it is something that I have to do daily. A lot of people look at it as selfish, I disagree. When you exercise you are investing in your future, as in living longer, and being able to be active.
Everybody has different levels of fitness, so it is a good idea to start out slowly and increase your work load weekly. Look people, for tens of thousands of years, humans have had to have excellent levels of physical fitness in order to survive. The last century has wreaked havoc on our bodies. We are not so far removed from having to be the strongest in order to survive. Our bodies are tools that are meant to be used. I am not kidding, but I am also not advocating becoming a steroid using meat head. Just look around the next time you are out. How many people are overweight? How many people look ill? Are you overweight? If you are on medications, how many? How much have they helped you? If you are overweight and on medication(s), are you feeling better? Are you closer to getting off of the medication(s)? I know that I am not, but I will be. I'll be able to attribute this to eating clean, and exercising. There are no magic pills. There are no big secrets. There is only commitment. Commitment to making balanced meals, and making time to exercise daily. Commitment to being healthy for you and your family. Are you ready to make necessary changes in your life? Where will you start?