Archive for March 25th, 2009

The Magic of Gold’s Gym Venice!
by John Romano

Motivation is the key to bringing any of your physical aspirations to fruition because it’s consistency, above anything else, that brings on results. It’s always easy in the beginning, but after a while everyone finds the urge to get-up-and-go to the gym waning. For some it’s a passing thing – like a cold or the flu – for others, it’s their downfall; something they can’t escape. It beckons them to the couch like Mohamed to the mountain; the remote gets stuck to their hand, their muscles shrink and their bellies swell… it’s not pretty.

It’s frustrating if you get to that point, waxing poetic your past personal accolades – “I used to look like that,” “I used to go to the gym,” “I used to be a bodybuilder.” “When I was a ……… I used to lift………” even if it was only a few months ago. How could anyone let themselves go? Baring any true physical impairment, it can only be due to lack of motivation or a motivational element.
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America’s Unhealthiest Restaurants
By David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding

Your favorite fast food restaurant is often like your favorite city: Visit some neighborhoods and you live the high life. Visit others and you’re just plain asking for trouble. And that’s where Eat This, Not That! comes in: We’ve analyzed and graded 66 different chain restaurants—fast food and sit-down—to determine which ones have healthy options, and which could turn out to be diet disasters.

What we found will surprise you. Specifically, some of the fast food joints you’ve come to think of as terrible for you actually ranked alright—McDonald’s scored a B+, for example, so the Micky D’s drive-thru just might be your fast-lane to weight loss. Something even more shocking, though: more than half of the sit-down restaurants we graded ended up with our lowest scores!

To separate the commendable from the deplorable, we calculated the total number of calories per entrée. This gave us a snapshot of how each restaurant compared in average serving size—a key indicator of unhealthy portion distortion. Then we rewarded establishments with fruit and vegetable side-dish choices, as well as offering whole-wheat bread. Finally, we penalized places for excessive amounts of trans fats and menus that tempt you with fat-laden desserts. Hey, if the neighborhood is crowded with shady characters, sooner or later, one of them will jump you.
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