Our Top Fitness Stories

I know your time is precious. Therefore, as a public service, I have ripped this week’s health and fitness headlines from my computer and condensed them into one easy-to-read blog post for you. Complete with commentary. What a deal.

In the spirit of Subway ala Jared, Taco Bell has announced its new Drive Thru Diet. They have hired Christine Dougherty as a spokeswoman, who claims to have lost 54 pounds over two years eating at Taco Bell. As proof, a commercial juxtaposes a picture of chunky Christine with the now-svelte Christine fresh off the Taco Bell diet.

Not to be totally suspicious of their motives or anything, but do you think maybe this is more of just a slick marketing campaign rather than concern for the increasing number of obese people in the U.S.? I mean, isn’t Taco Bell the same company who tried to get us to their restaurants more often by introducing “the forth meal”? And aren’t their drivethru’s open “way past midnight?”

If you go to their website you may notice the teeny-tiny print on the bottom where it says,

Exceptional experience based on an average intake of 1250 calories a day, with average daily reduction of 500 calories over 2 years with sensible food choices. For a healthier lifestyle, pay attention to total calorie and fat intake and regular exercise. “Drive-Thru Diet®” is not a weight loss program. Fresco can help with calorie reductions of 20 to 100 per item compared to corresponding products on our regular menu. Not a low calorie food.

I’m sorry…did Taco Bell just say that the Drive-Thru diet is NOT a weightloss program. Is anyone else confused here?

To be fair, I’m not saying you can’t work an occasional Taco Bell meal into your over-all healthy eating plan. But let’s be clear: you cannot get all the nutrients you need by eating at the Taco Bell drive through every single day. Diets of this sort are restrictive, confusing and very difficult to maintain for the rest of your life.

Not to mention the fact that it won’t be long before you’ll start eyeing the new half pound Nacho Crunch Burrito with extra sour cream, a nice plate of Nachos Bell Grande and some Cinnamon Twists for dessert.

mmmmmmm…….

I’m not the only skeptic. Larry D. Woodward (who has absolute no credentials relating to health, but does work for ABC News) puts it best when he says, “I have a hard time believing that dieters belong at Taco Bell. If the local adult bookstore opened a children’s section, would you let your child go there? If the corner liquor store served fresh squeezed juices and egg-white omelets, would it be a suitable place for an alcoholic? “

Oh Larry, you make me chuckle.

In equally mind-numbing news, Mediapost has reported that the doctor behind the Cookie Diet has sued celebrity Kim Kardashian for allegedly defaming him on Twitter.

The reality TV star allegedly tweeted in October that Dr. Sanford Siegal was “falsely promoting” that she was on the cookie diet.

“Not true! I would never do this unhealthy diet! I do QuickTrim!,” she allegedly said via Twitter. “If this Dr. Siegal is lying about me being on this diet, what else are they lying about? Not cool!”

A. Not to be mean or anything, but who ARE you, Kim Kardashian, and why do I can what diet you are on?

B.The Cookie Diet? Are you kidding me? Trust me, I was ON the cookie diet (Christmas cookies) for a few weeks over the holidays, and it does NOT work. Not cool!

According to Hometownannapolis.com, the American Council on Exercise announced the top 10 fitness trends for 2010 based on an annual survey of personal trainers, group fitness experts and others.

The key words in the up-coming year are “unique” and “efficient.”

“We understand that people are busier than ever and will look for workouts that offer the results they seek while fitting within their already jam-packed schedules,” said the council’s Cedric X. Bryant.

So, according to a council news release, here are a few things to look for…

~Cost-conscious workouts at fitness clubs and at home.

~Individuals scaling back on personal training sessions to take advantage of small-group training and group class participation.

~Time-efficient workouts: Shorter with higher-intensity.

~Exergaming: That’s right! Think Wii Fit at the gym.

~Baby-Boomer-specific programs.

~More health and fitness awareness.

~Specialty exercise classes such as ethnic dance, hooping, pole dancing and Zumba.

~Fitness training tools, like tracking gadgets, online tools and meal plans that people can access 24-7, as well as mobile applications which will bring fitness on-the-go through iPhone applications and other downloadable programming.

So in a nutshell, where is fitness going in 2010? Well, people basically, people want to sweat, get it done quickly and not spend a lot of money.

Amen to that.

And they want to learn to pole dance, apparently. You didn’t think I’d let that one slip by, did you?

Questions:

1. Do I take a pole dancing class at the gym or is this something I do in the privacy of my basement?

2. And with my three young children often joining me in my work outs, how will pole dancing affect their psyche for the long term? I’m thinking specifically, my girls. Well, now that I think about it, my boy also.

3. If one of my kids wants to exercise with me, how do I explain that pole dancing is just for grown ups?

4. We don’t own a pole. Will the columns holding up the ceiling in my basement affect the integrity of the pole dancing moves?

5. Is “integrity” a word that even belongs in the same sentence as “pole dancing?”