In the News: Letters for Obese Children on Halloween

There is a woman in South Dakota that plans on giving letters, instead of Candy, to children she deems obese. In the letter she says "you child is, in  my opinion, moderately obese and should not be consuming sugar and treats to the extent of some children this Halloween season. My hope is that you will step up as a parent and ration candy this Halloween and not continue these unhealthy eating habits." You can see the article HERE.

I imagine almost everyone's reaction to this woman is something on the lines of, in the spirit of Halloween, "what a mean witch". At the very least, something feels very wrong about her doing this.

First of all, this doesn't even have to be about obesity to feel wrong. I had no idea, before becoming a parent, of the full contact sport of "perfect parenting". I imagine the sport has gained strength and popularity with the advent of social media, non-stop news stories, and especially blogs.  We are all now so very aware of all the ways to parent and the very strong opinions behind them.

"Perfect parenting" is what creates the contention between people with different parenting styles..."oh, you cry it out? I would never let my baby just cry". It's what makes someone give a snarky comment at the check out line, or scathing blog post against moms that take time to exercise, or why the news picks up stories of a mom that's doing something unique like facebook shaming their child. For some reason, people have taken "it takes a village to raise a child" and turned it into, your parenting is up for public discussion and I can tell you what you're doing wrong. 

This woman could have handed out letters to mom's like me who's kids hair is a mess and have food on their face at the store, or she could stand outside a daycare and hand letters there, or she could stand by the formula at the store and hand out letters. None of these would be appropriate either. We have too much arrogance of parents and non-parents that think they know best. What we need more of is cooperation and kindness and overall less comparing.

Childhood obesity is such a complicated and sensitive problem. First let's consider what good could come from her letters. I'm not sure if she is deluded enough to think that a mom or dad will read the letter and think "Holy Cow, she's right. My child is obese. I'm going to takes steps right now and fix this." It my experience that as humans, we don't respond to negative messages very well. We tend to get defensive and maybe even rebel. I kind of think this woman is more interesting in passing judgement and delivering a blow than actually helping the obesity problem. She could have just handed out bouncy balls instead of candy if she really wanted to be helpful.

What harm can come from a letter like this? What harm would come if a parent actually kept their child from trick or treating? Depending on the age, and arguably kids at all ages, the issue of weight needs to be handled very carefully. Kids are kids and weight and body image are what I would call an adult issue. You would never want your child to mistakenly get the message "there is something wrong with me", "food is bad"or "my worth is tied to my weight". I realize people could disagree with just how open you are with your child about their weight, but I think you can successfully help your child without singling them out or even having to ever talk about their weight.

The best way to help an obese child is to make changes as a family. Because the changes that will help your child struggling with weight, will be beneficial to the entire family. Make it positive "we're going to get healthy because it will make us feel good!" Here are some areas you might want to focus on:

•  Limit junk food brought into the house. Save them for special occasions, like Halloween.
• Provide healthier meals--more vegetables, less prepackaged foods.
• Limit meals eaten out. 
• Watch snacking. Consider limiting or excluding snacks all together, or only allowing fruits and vegetables as snacks.  
• Sit down together to eat dinner as a family. 
• Limit screen time (for everyone). 
• Send your kids outside to play. 
• Put them in a sport or dance class they would enjoy. Try different sports or activities until they find one they like and support them in this.
• Go for walks, hikes, bike rides as a family.  Go to the park as a family.
• Have your children walk to school, when possible.
• Buy toys that encourage movement over toys that encourage being sedentary (basketball hoop, bicycle, scooter vs video games)
• Make sure your child is getting enough sleep.
• Be a good example. 

You might find after all you have done, your child is still struggling with overeating. There is likely something else going on and it would be helpful to consult a doctor or even a child therapist to help figure out what deeper emotional issues need to be addressed. A therapist would be able to help them identify what they are feeling and come up with a positive way to cope.

Of course we all have areas for improvement, but I think most of us take steps to promote our own and our children's health. You wouldn't be reading a blog like this if it wasn't on your mind. Have a Happy Halloween and make sure your kids can be kids and have lots of fun!

"There's no way to be a perfect parent. But there are a million ways to be a good one." 

Exercising with kids

As a mommy, finding the time, means, and even energy to exercise can be challenging. I believe strongly that it's important for us mamas to take care of ourselves. There was an opinion article written about six months ago that was extremely exasperating--the gist was that moms that are fit are selfish. The article seemed more like the woman was being defensive about why she, personally was not fit (too busy being a good mom, good neighbor, helping others). I would argue that, in this day in age when obesity is a very big problem, being a good example to our children is critically important.

The biggest obstacles to mom's exercising are 1) what to do with the kids 2) limited cash 3) limited time. I came up with 15 different ideas of ways you can exercise by either taking your kids with you or going on your own. I've tried many of these, while some I have not. Some of these require money, either an initial purchase or paying on a continual basis, some don't. My hope is that if you are feeling like you can't exercise in your current situation, you'll get an idea of something you can do.


1. Bike with a trailer
This is has been one of our favorite ways to exercise with our kids because it's the most fun. One of our favorite Saturday activities is to ride together as a family on one of the many bikes paths in the area. Pulling the trailer is more work and so more of a work out. I love using the bike and trailer as a mode of transportation to get to the park and library or to a neighbor's house. The kids enjoy it, I'm getting exercise and saving money on gas. Trailers come for one child or two.


Costs:

• Trailer--$100-$650. If you want a better quality trailer, pay $250 or more. 
• Helmets--$15 and up.
• Bikes-- $100 and up. The most basic models of quality brand bikes start around $400.
• Bike and trailer maintenance. Our trailer has only ever needed flat tires repaired and bike tubes are extremely cheap.

Tips:

• There are always used bike trailers for sale at virtual yard sales and other classified websites. You can potentially get great deals on very nice trailers at these websites if you keep your eyes open. 
• Look for a trailer that has a hard seat, especially if you are having two kids ride in it. If the seat is soft, essentially fabric hanging across the bottom of the trailer, the kids will slump together and not be as comfortable. The cheaper bike trailers tend to have soft seats.  
• Here are some tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics on riding bikes with children. 

Our bike trailer (with the top cover off) was $240 from Costco. I've been satisfied with it for the price. I think I will go with a more expensive trailer our next one just because of how much use we get out of this one.  



2. Bike with a baby seat.
 The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a bike trailer over a seat. This is likely due to the height difference--in an accident, a child would fall from a height of about 3 feet in a child seat compared to about a foot in a trailer. Also, trailers have a solid frame that may offer protection. This does not mean bicycles seats are out of the question-- I would consider using one depending on my circumstances. You may want to consider a baby seat if you are (1) transporting only one kid (2) funds are limited   (you can get one at Target for about $31) (3) biking in a city or traffic--trailers are low to the ground are more difficult to see. Children must be over 12 months to ride in these. The upper weight limit for a typical seat in the U.S. is about 40 lbs. There is no evidence that a rear seat or front seat is safer than the other. Front seats have lower weight limits than rear seats. 

Costs:

• Seat--$30-$150.
• Helmets--$15 and up.
• Bikes-- $100 and up. The most basic models of quality brand bikes start around $400.
• Bike maintenance

Tips:

• Here are some tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics baby seats and on riding bikes with children.  

                                                   
                                                    photo credit: google



3. Bike with a tandem bike trailer. 
These are relatively new--I remember seeing the first one maybe on 2-3 years ago. They go by different names depending on the brand (add-a-bike, trail-a-bike). Sometimes they are just called trailers. Some trailers have seats for two children. My interest in these trailers is that it allows for a child to get a feel for being on a bike. This is a good option for a child that has outgrown a regular trailer, but can't bike fast enough on his own to keep up with the family.  These trailers are generally for children ages 4 and up (until the upper limit of the bike).

Cost:

• Tandem Trailer-$100- $350
• Helmets--$15 and up.
• Bikes-- $100 and up. The most basic models of quality brand bikes start around $400.
• Bike maintenance

Tips:

• if you are very tall or very short, make sure the trailer is going to fit your bike. You will need to know the size of your bike frame.
• Make sure the trailer will fit your child before purchasing. 

                                                  
                                                   Photo credit: google




4. Run or walk with a jogging stroller (or regular stroller).
This is many mom's go to move for exercise. It's an easy way to get out of the house, put the baby to sleep, or maybe visit with a friend as you walk. Get a double or even a triple and you can wheel around your entire crew. Some companies design the jogging stroller so an infant carrier can snap into it so a stroller is a great option for exercise the first year after baby is born.

Cost:

• Single strollers: $100-$350
• Double strollers: $200-$600

Tips:

• If you are tempted to take your stroller to walk or run around your local high school's track, please don't. Track rubber is susceptible to wear and resurfacing a track is very expensive. If you want to run or walk at your high school's track without a stroller (go for it!!), please use lanes 4-7, as they are used the least. Some schools have non-rubber, paved tracks which are okay for strollers. 
• Check classified websites for used strollers. I got my  just like new Kelty double stroller, that was normally over $500, for about $250. 

                                             
                                          My Kelty double stroller



5. Hike with your kids
 I love hiking with my kids. I love that they are out being a part of nature, completely disconnected from technology. They make wonderful backpacks that allow you to carry babies, toddlers, and even preschoolers. A good backpack is designed to be comfortable to wear with straps around the waist, similar to a backpacking backpack. 

Cost:

• Backpack--$100-$300

Tips:

• Be prepared--bring extra water, snacks and extra clothes if it's cold, sunscreen, bugspray.
• Be safe--hike with another adult or tell someone where you are going. Be familiar with trails before going on them (difficulty, where they go). Check the weather before you go--storms or higher or lower expected temperatures can become big problems.
• Lower your expectations--hiking with small kids means you will not be making it to the top of mountains. Find joy in the hiking and forget about how far you've made it. 
• Kids need to get in shape too--for your kids that can walk, the more often you hike, the more used to it they will be and the farther you can go. Sometimes the limiting factor in how far you can hike is not their ability, but their attitude. Make hiking fun--pretend their dragons along the trail or play hide and seek a long the trail. Bring a scavenger hunt list of things they need to find on the hike (there's tons of these online). I usually have a sucker or some candy to help with the trip down (dum dums are perfect for little kids on hikes).
• I bought my Kelty child carrier for about $240. I've used for two kids now and there are still no signs of wear on it. I can imagine it lasting for all of our children.

                                          Hiking in Bryce Canyon





6. Go before they wake up. 
After becoming a mom, I got on a schedule where I would try to get as much sleep as possible and not get out of bed until my kids got up. Last year, I wasn't meeting my fitness expectations for myself. Part of the problem was exercising during the day with kids wasn't working--my oldest was too big for my double stroller. Exercising in the evening was hit and miss because sometimes I would just be too exhausted to go out. I decided to try to get up and exercise before my husband left for work. At first, it was really difficult to get up earlier. But after a while, my body got used to the new schedule and the morning became my new favorite time to exercise. Consistent, daily exercise got me back into shape and my weight down to my wedding weight. Now my husband leaves for work at 6:45 in the morning so I've got to be on the road by 5:45 to get my work out in.

Cost:

• Free

Tips:

• Many women I've talked to are scared about walking or running alone in the dark. It is dark in the morning for several months of the year and in the evening. I say the biggest risk in exercising in the dark is getting hit by a car, so wear reflective material and carry a light. My rule is to assume the car can't see me at all so I never cross in front of a car and I move off the road if a car is coming. At 6:00 in the morning, there aren't a lot of cars where I live. As per being attacked, I've never felt that was a danger running through neighborhoods. I would suggest you do not run alone at night or early in the morning on popular running trails, because that's where someone that would want to grab a jogger would be. Don't run the exact same route at the same time every day just in case someone does notice you. Carry pepper spray or run with a dog. Take a self-defense class to boost your confidence. 

                                         

7. Go in the evening.
If you are a night owl, you may find your best time to exercise is after the kids go to bed or whenever your husband is home and can watch the kids. I imagine I am like most people--I waste so many hours in the evening watching TV. Imagine if you got up off the couch and did sit-ups and push-ups while you watched. Or went out for a walk. Or went and did a aerobic class at a gym. If you complain you don't have enough time to exercise, look closely at how well you are using your time in the evenings.

Cost:

• Free

Tips:

• One of the problems with exercising in the evening might be falling asleep afterward. When I play basketball in the winter, many of our games don't finish until after 10:00 pm. It takes a very long time for me to get my heart rate down and settle down enough to fall asleep. One thing that keeps you from sleeping is your body's warmer temperature after you exercise--you sleep better when you're cool. Try a cool shower or other things to lower your body temperature. Try eating a carbohydrate snack (low in protein) to help you get sleepy.

8. Join a gym with childcare.
I don't have any personal experience with this yet, but I have several friends that use the childcare at a gym and have loved it. The appeal to this is that you get a quality workout of your choice, flexibility of what time of day you exercise, and some kid-free mommy time.

Cost: The cost  varies so widely based on the type of gym, how long of a contract you have signed up for, or if you have a family pass. You might try your city rec center for a cheaper option. Some cities have very nice rec centers that have everything a place like Golds Gym has to offer for lots less. Do a little research and see what gyms are in your area and what they have to offer. You may consider going to another city's rec center too. Also consider doing a monthly membership if you think you're only going to use it for a short time (say the winter months). Here are the two closest gyms to where I live to give you an idea:

• Gym membership (one person):  My rec center: $160/year   Gold's Gym:  $205/year

• Childcare: My city rec center costs $1/ half hour, they offer a discount punch card of $36/20 hours. Gold's gym has free child care with your membership.

Tips:

• Do your research to find the best gym for you--are you going to be swimming? aerobic classes? spinning? Take up a gym's offer to visit to get a feel for it. If you have never lifted weights, have personal trainer show you how or you can even ask a friendly person to help show you. Don't sign a contract for a really long length of time (say longer than 2 years) just for a good deal, especially if you have never used a gym before. You don't know what you'll be doing in 3 years or if you'll use the membership enough to get your money's worth.

                          
                           Photo credit: google


  
9. Do a babysitting swap with another mom.
The gist of this set-up is "you watch my kids for an hour so I can go exercise kid-free and I'll watch your kids for an hour so you can exercise kid-free". This can be a great option if you are low on cash for something like a gym membership or if you'd feel more comfortable having a friend watch your kids. 

Cost:

• Free

Tips:

• Make sure you are on the same page with the other mom about when, how often, and how long you will be watching their kids and vice versa. Do a test drive before you enter into a bigger commitment, especially if you haven't watched her kids before--they might be "difficult" to watch and not worth the arrangement.

10. Play video games.
 Many families have gaming systems--why not take your turn? The appeal to fitness type games is that you can do them anytime of the day, you can wear your pj's and they are lots of fun. The advancements of motion detection technology (Wii and Xbox Kinect) have been great for doing workouts at home. We have an Xbox Kinect and I love doing Zumba-with my lack of grace, there's no way I'd do aerobics in front of other people. Wii offers many fitness games as part of their Wii fit system. If you have a gaming system, check out what games are out there.

Cost:

• Games: varies $15-$45  
• Motion detection system attachments: kinnect  or wii fit board   $90-130

Tips:

• Before buying an Xbox Kinect, consider how large your living room space is. You need several feet of clearance so the sensor can see you. There are some options you can purchase if you don't have enough space. 
• I've tried both Wii and Xbox systems. I find Kinect to be a superior system as related to fitness, just because of the flexibility of the system. The wii fit told me I was old and out of shape because I can't balance one leg, but I'm not bitter.

                                         
                                          photocredit: google


11. Do workout videos.
Growing up, I remember my mom doing her one work out video. If I remember right, there was a lady with a head band in a shinny green leotard on the cover . Today, there are an infinite number of work out videos, of every variety.  The appeal of work out videos is that  you can do them any time of the day in the comfort of your home. There are so many options;  you can spend a lot or a little money or find them free online. Some require equipment (weights, steps, mats) and some you need nothing at all.

Cost:

• Free-$250

Tips:

• Work out videos are not all created equally. Have fun and spend time trying new ones online for free. The trick is to find one that challenges you but isn't too difficult to follow.Read reviews before buying one if it's expensive or find it cheaper used. Have a variety of videos you do to keep things interesting. 
• You can find so many videos online for free--try you tube. Search "yoga" or "cardio work out".

                                     
                                        Photo credit: google


12. Find something public.
Every year, my church has a season of basketball and a season of volleyball for women. It's great to be able to play sports and make friends with other women. The games are late enough in the evening, my kids are asleep. They also offer aerobic classes in the morning once or twice a week. Kids can run crazy in the gym while you get a work out in. It's all free. Depending on how awesome your church or town is, they might have similar free options--it's worth looking into or making it happen. Another option is to join a city league for a sport but then you'll need to make sure you have someone to watch your kids. I'm sure if you are willing to do some research, you can find something you can do in your area where you can be with other adults and meet new people.

Cost:

•  Free 
• It's my experience that adults leagues for sports are quite expensive. Usually you need to come up with a team and there is a fee of say $500/team. This will vary by city. Other options would be private leagues, such as an indoor soccer arena's league.

Tips:

•  If you are shy about going to play sports at church because you don't consider yourself very good, don't worry! I've been doing it for many years and no one cares if you used to play professionally or have never picked up a basketball in your life. We are always running short on people so we could really use you there.
• League sports can be so much fun. Some leagues are more competitive than others--you can tell by the cost (more expensive) and how often the games are, how long of a season (more games, longer season) and if the games are in different cities. 

                                        
                                          Photo credit: google

13. Circle a park.
Some parks are designed with a walking path the circles a playground. Depending on the maturity of your kid and how well you trust other kids at the playground, you can send them to play while you do laps around them. This is great because you and your kid both get exercise.

Cost:

• Free

14.  Purchase home workout equipment.
If you've got the money and space in your home, you may want to consider purchasing a treadmill, elliptical or weight machine. This would give you the flexibility to exercise whenever you want while being able to watch tv, movies or if you are really skilled, read a book.

Cost:

• Elliptical: $100-$600
• Treadmill: $100-$2000

Tips:

•  The "calories burned" option on these machines are not accurate and tend to overestimate your calories burned, especially on an elliptical. (Unless they've changed this in the last few years.)
• People are always trying to get rid of exercise equipment--you are likely to find a good quality machine for cheaper if you search classified sites.

                                                                      
                                                                       Photo credit: google



15. Play with your kids. 
Of all the activities listed, this is one is probably the most overlooked but ultimately the best one for everyone. Have you ever played follow the leader with your child? Did everything they did, went this way and that, sit down, get up, jump, crawl, climb over things? Do this at a playground for 30 minutes, and you will have gotten a great workout. Run and play with your kids. Play sports with them (not just kicking the ball back and forth, run!) Have dance parties. Play tag. Race. Wrestle. Give horseback rides. Swing your kid in circles. Play hopscotch. Jump rope. Not only will you burn calories, but you will feel younger and your kids will think you're awesome.

Cost: Priceless

Have ideas that I didn't include here? What's your preferred way to exercise? How do you make it work? What's your biggest obstacle?

Thanksgiving Race

Growing up, on Thanksgiving my family would do the local Turkey Trot 5k. It was a generous race in New Mexico and being a family of runners, we would sometimes come home with multiple turkeys or pies (prizes for top finishers in each age group). I love that tradition--there's something really right about balancing out the feasting of the day with some good physical activity in the morning.

This year, I'm trying to get as many people as I can to do the race in Idaho Falls, where we'll be for Thanksgiving. So if you'll be in the Southeastern Idaho, come join us--bring your family too! You can find race info HERE or HERE. The last day to register at a reduced price is in a couple of days, on October 11th.

2 Months

Today I'm 2 months pregnant. Or if you keep track in weeks, I'm almost 10 weeks pregnant.

The Good:

Feeling pretty good. Some days I can get by with one nap, others I need two or even a third nap. Only had one week where food was the grossest thing on the planet. I usually have a problem with catching colds frequently when I'm pregnant and they linger for quite sometime. I did catch a cold, but I had it for only a couple of days (far shorter than others in my family). I attribute that to my running outside--exercising outside all winter long seems to help with this.

Running is going really well. I never could have anticipated that I'd still feel so good when I run. I can tell when I do run, my pregnancies symptoms seem better, except for hunger. Exercising 45 min or more a day makes me really hungry.  Some days I go faster and some days very slow. Yesterday was the first day I felt like walking for a bit.

A few days ago, I was pleasantly surprised to be feeling fetal movement. Some people would dispute feeling movement that early, but I know what a baby moving feels like and this baby seems to be sitting high and up front so I can feel it. It's so strong of a movement, I could question if I'm not further along than I think, but that would be impossible.

The Bad:

I had a goal of gaining 5 lbs or less the first trimester. I still have three weeks and I've already gained 5 lbs (probably more) so not likely to meet that goal. Part of me can blame my overeating (see paragraph below) and be disappointed in myself. But the wiser part of me sees how my body is changing and thinks "this is what we are supposed to do, this is beautiful". I will have to balance not wasting time feeling bad and making sure I'm not eating too much. In the end, when I feel strong enough to run 6 miles at a time, I guess I don't care what a scale says.

The past month has been rough. Looking back, I had no good reason to have been as miserable as I was (things have been going really well for our family).  So the only explanation was a short depression. Depression/anxiety runs in my family and I see it in myself a few weeks of the year, usually in the winter. This will be the first time I noticed it associated with pregnancy hormones. I'll have to watch for it after baby comes too. For me, depression looks like 1) being detached -- spending lots of time on the computer, ignoring my family 2) feeling overwhelmed--really, it would take me 30 minutes to clean the kitchen but it just seems too daunting of a task so I'm just not going to do it.  3) not embracing life--I love getting out and going to parks, hikes, doing fun things with my kids. When I'm depressed, doing stuff like that doesn't sound appealing. 4) Eating--eating makes me feel better

I've felt really good the past few days so I'm hoping it was hormonally caused and that it's over now, but I worry it will come back. It feels pretty helpless to not be able to "snap out of it". I'll have to watch for it especially as we go into the gloom of winter.

Words of Wisdom

"You manage what you measure."
                        


There have been different variations of this business management quote, I believe the original was closer to "you can't manage what you can't measure". 

You can't manage your weight, if you never weigh yourself. How will you know to get a grip on things if you have no idea you've gained 15 lbs.

Weight loss has been proven to be more affective if you simply keep a record of what  you are eating and your best guess of how much. Just being more mindful of your actions will help you make better choices.

 Keep track of how much time you spend exercising and how far you've gone as a great source of motivation. There are great websites and apps* that help you keep track of that so you can know "I've walked a total of 58 miles this year so far!" or "I ran that mile faster than I ever have before!"

The most powerful weight loss combination is when you know how many calories you need*, know how many calories you burn when you exercise, and know how many calories you've eaten and can see you are losing weight. This takes the mystery and hokus pokus out of weight loss and makes it a mathematical equation that you are in control of.

Happy measuring!

*Future posts on these topics to come.

Be a Skeptic

A friend posted this article the other day and it goes well with something I've been planning to talk about. 

The gist of the article is that because of one man, Linus Pauling, the nation embraced the idea that the nutrition we get from food isn't enough and that we could cure disease through the use of vitamin supplements, specifically larger than recommended doses. Pauling is the reason you think you need to take a bunch of vitamin C when you get a cold. Unfortunately, over time researchers have found that vitamin supplements use can be harmful, specifically increasing the risk of heart disease and cancer. 

It reminds me of another man, Andrew Wakefield, who's fraud regarding the MMR vaccine made everyone question the safety of all vaccinations given to children. The consequence is now the resurgence of diseases that we shouldn't be seeing at all, such as pertussis. Again, researchers have continued to show vaccines are safe, but the damage has been done and there is a large movement of parents that refuse to vaccinate their children.

                                               
                                                 An infant with pertussis, photo credit: google

There is a phrase that comes to mind when I think of these two men, as well as a host of other companies and people in the food, nutrition and health world--"conspiring men". Forgive me for using a religious reference, but I believe there is great wisdom in this principle. There is a section in our scriptures, we even call it "the Word of Wisdom", that teaches about what foods will promote health and what things to avoid that could be harmful. It's why Mormons don't drink alcohol or use tobacco. At the beginning of the section scripture, it says:

Behold, verily thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation.

The point of this scripture is to warn us that there are people that will present information, ideas, or even products, that will not be truly health-promoting and might even be harmful. My take home message from it? Be skeptical.

When the motive is to make money (the weight-loss industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and I've seen the number estimated as high as 66 billion) it's easier to smell a rat. My own home, Utah is the supplement capitol of the world with so many fruity drink supplements. Here is a checklist of things that instantly make me skeptical:

1. If it's new. I seriously doubt our weight-problems are going to magically be solved by a new product or a new diet.
2. If they're selling a book. I'm skeptical of any diet that requires you to buy a book to learn how to do it. 
3. If there's a buzz-word on the packaging (i.e. natural, organic, gluten-free, detoox) Companies love to cash in on new health trends. Just because something is trendy, doesn't mean it is correct or works.
4. If it guarantees substantial weight loss. Real life isn't like the biggest loser. Healthy weight loss is slow (1-2 lbs per week). Be very suspicious of anyone selling something that will make you lose 5-10 lbs or more a week. 
5. If it guarantees the miraculous. I believe God has a monopoly on the miracle business.

                        
                          I'd be very skeptical of any product that looks like this. Photo credit: google

Sometimes the motive isn't about making money. Sometimes it's less defined, like notoriety or attention. Sometimes it's driven by it's own form of skepticism--there are many groups of people that I'll call conspiracy theorists and hobbyists. They have a theory or something they are passionate about, such as proving GMO's (genetically modified organisms) are dangerous or the gluten-free, casein-free Autism diet people. Their ideas are powerful and find their way into the main-stream way of thinking.  Here is my checklist for things that make me skeptical:

1. They speak negatively of the government. There is a big difference between politicians and programs like the USDA and anything in the department of Health and Human Services (i.e. FDA, NIH, CDC). If someone seems to be lumping it all together into "the government" as in "the government is lying to us" I instantly suspect what they are saying of being skewed. Personally, I trust the information that comes from government programs like the NIH and CDC.
2. They speak negatively of doctors, the healthcare system, or pharmaceuticals. This is a tough one because there is a lot of room for improvement in our health care system and I know exactly why people would be unhappy about it. However, if someone seems to be throwing it all under the bus, I doubt they are seeing things objectively. Our doctors can do some amazing things--in my immediate family I can think of a knee surgery that means I can still play sports, a c-section that without my sister and baby would have died in the old days (cephalopelvic disproportion), and a extremely complicated and massive day long surgery to remove the tumor in my Dad's neck. I distrust anyone that isn't objective enough to acknowledge the good in modern medicine.
3.  They don't use legitimate peer-reviewed research to support their claims. Either there is a complete lack of research, or they are citing a poorly done research (small sample size, conflict of interests, poorly designed study, not published in a peer-reviewed journal). Anecdotal evidence doesn't count.
4.  If it touts being holistic or natural. This is not because I don't believe there is potential value to herbs and alternative treatments. This is because of the lack of accountability and research to prove safety or effectiveness. Herbs and supplements do not have to go through the same process as drugs do to prove safety or efficacy (Thank Orrin Hatch and DSHEA for that)
   
5. They have a blog or comment board. Hopefully, you catch the irony of this one. Be careful of things published from positions of opinion. 

These check lists are not going to catch every bad idea that comes up. Sometimes it takes a long time to see we were just plain wrong about something--the attitude about breastfeeding in the first half of the 1900's comes to mind.

Unfortunately, we are most vulnerable to incorrect ideas when we are desperate and that's what makes some "conspiring men" the most despicable. They prey on people's hope. When a person is desperate for solutions because a child is ill, desperate to lose weight, desperate to cure a terminal illness, or desperate to stop aging, they are willing to try or believe anything.

I remember when my Dad had cancer, a well-meaning neighbor told me (I was probably 19 at the time) about a herbal shake that had shown great success curing cancer. My personality has always been very pragmatic and even in that desperate time and at a young age, I was skeptical and even a little offended that she would offer false hope in drink.

Don't be a victim of misinformation or bad ideas. Educate yourself. Find reputable websites, take a college class,or  buy a used text book about subjects like pathophysiology or nutrition. The more you understand the processes and key characters of  what happens in the body, the easier it is to spot lies and half-truths. I laugh at the made-up scientific words some people use to promote their products. Educate yourself in the scientific process--what makes good research. Embrace published, peer-reviewed research while at the same time scrutinize it. Try to let reason lead over emotion, especially if you are desperate. Question a source's motives. Check your fears against reputable sources and reality. Be objective. Be skeptical. Hopefully it will save you money, time, or even your own health.

And so it begins

I haven't exactly been secretive that this would be coming. My husband and I are very grateful and excited to add another person to our family. I am due at the beginning of May.  I am 6 weeks pregnant right now.

You may or may not be wondering, but I did run a half marathon 5 weeks pregnant. I don't know if that is shocking to people, but it shouldn't be. I'm very used to running for 2 hours straight. I don't get particularly strong pregnancy symptoms and they don't show up until about 6 weeks.  I did show a great deal of self-control and went slow, resisting the urge to compete or race.

The primary purpose of this blog is to hold me accountable during my pregnancy, so here are my goals for this first trimester:

#1) Continue to exercise 5-6 days a week for 30-60 minutes/day (usually 45 minutes). 

Hoping a typical week looks like this: 
Mon-Run 4 miles 
Tues-bike 45 minutes 
Wed-Run 4.5 miles 
Thursday - Run 3.5 miles
 Friday - bike 45 minutes 
Saturday - Run 6 miles.
This will go for as long as I feel good enough to do it.

I've already noticed the need to slow way down to be comfortable. 

#2) Gain no more than 5 lbs the first trimester. My official starting weight for this pregnancy is 170 lbs. 

I haven't in past pregnancies had difficulty with gaining too much weight the first trimester. 

For fun, here is a starting picture and a picture at the end of my last pregnancy to see what I have to look forward to. (But 30 lbs lighter 25-35 lbs lighter if I meet my goal) I apologize for the awkward picture--my four year old took it and it was the best he could get.