Know the 5 Fatty Fat Traps

These five fat traps jeopardize our ability to have healthier lives. But, with some planning and being mindful of these traps, you can reduce your cardiovascular risk factors like obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stress, and lack of exercise.

1. The Couch

Our Televisions, computers, and electronics games have our whole families glued to the screens for several hours.  We have no reason to move and are increasingly out of shape.

Solutions:  Limit your electronic times; children should have no more than 2 hours a day.  Make a pact with the family, we all get up and move, play basketball together.  Move while doing computer work or exercise between commercials.

1. Snacks

Fast food, coffee/pastry shops, and pizza at our beck and call anytime, make it an easy trap to fall into.  Chips, soda, and cookies, a sugar addicts high, right at your reach as you walk into the grocery store (most likely hungry.)

Solutions:  Plan your meals ahead of time, never shop hungry, and keep

healthy snacks available. Avoid skipping meals, hunger creates poor choices.  Keep healthy snacks at reach, like apples, grapes, carrots, yogurt, popcorn or trail mix.

1. The Job

Many jobs are sedentary; you’re stuck at a desk and on a computer for eight hours.  We email to communicate instead of getting up and talking to a coworker.

Deadlines create stress and often skipped breaks.

Solutions:  Make a point to get up from your desk and move around.  Take your fifteen minute breaks and take a brisk walk.

1. Alarm Clocks

Our lives are so busy the first thing to go is enough sleep time.  We know the sleepier we are the more food we eat to stay awake to fight the tiredness.  Poor food choices are likely and to tired to exercise.

Solution:   Don’t sacrifice your sleep, make it a priority. Get 7-8 hours sleep every night; restore your body’s energy to avoid the trap of sleep deprivation.

1. Money

The economy being so poor and job losses all around make for very stressful lives.  Stress makes us over eat, reeks havoc on our families, and health.

Solution:  Don’t let the stress eat you up, exercise!  Get up and move,  no need for a gym membership, walk your park trails or neighborhoods.  Check out a DVD workout from your local library.  Ride your bike or play basketball with your family and friends.