Well, wouldn't it be great if we paid equal attention to exercise, eating more whole, less refined foods, as well as to our positive, internal self that affirms to us, that we cognitively tell ourselves like the Black Eyed Peas say, Today's gonna be a good, good day ;-) However, we usually don't build the wheel with perfectly balanced spokes. And that's ok. I am better in the eating department, my hubs in the exercising venue, and my best girlfriend could wake up in a snowbank w/her socks missing, and go, isn't it gorgeous here ? So my question is, if your wheel is too lopsided, will you eventually fall short in permanent weight maintaining and longterm health? And what if there is the chance for illnesses to crop up, even if you are in your 20's, 30's??? Exercising and all.
And by the way, PLEASE show me REAL people in say, their 40's-60's in the weight exercise videos, the ads for equipment, etc. Smile. What you learn here, right now, if you are younger, will carry you through the times metabolic rate drops, ( and it will, trust me, w/ea birthday) when you just plain can't just run and keep the weight off, because hormones are changing, stress increases, or any number of factors! So read on!
So the bottom line is: while Exercise is crucial to living longer, and leaner, if I had to choose, if I could just do one, which would I??? I would want to do the whole wheel, but I would pick..........the whole, live, foods eating for the rest of your life!
Why? Because while Exercising has many benefits, and we'll discuss that, but even if you are a marathon runner, and look lean and healthy, if you body doesn't receive the nutrition it needs to stay immune empowered, to keep arteries clear, to protect you from your "genetic time bomb" as I call it, you still could fail on living to longevity w/robust, disease free, HEALTH! Exercise, without an emphasis on LESS (really less) refined, non-nutritional, dead foods (boxed, all cooked, lots of meats, convenience foods, simple carb, sugary foods) is like truly "spinning your wheels," in some ways. Now conversely, to eat w/an emphasis on fresh foods daily, as well as complex carbs mostly, with moderation of animal products, and lots of pure clean water and no regular, two part exercise would be unwise. But let me give you an example: I broke both of my ankles a decade ago. Had I not been on a whole food, well balanced food regime that was my regular lifestyle, because I couldn't even walk a block for a year, I'd surely have gained at least a dozen pounds. I did not. I stayed as active as I could, but just continued my regular good eating, and was able to manage my weight. So let's at least agree that we don't want to do a one legged race. If we want the benefits of LONG TERM wellness and an acceptable weight, it's about going for it all! Finding a variety of exercises we can do that we enjoy, regularly, and forever. No fads. And the same with the food aspect. We keep enjoying food, we just become educated how to SPECIFICALLY trade out and substitute, the whole live versions for the refined, disease and fat producing ingredients!
EXERCISE: My husband has been a regular exerciser for almost 40 years. He worked as a Tai Chi instructor/aquatics teacher for 24 Hour Fitness for a decade or more. And here is his belief on the best exercise program you could do. But again, remember, it is WHAT YOU WILL DO, forever! Not just a sprint. He likes the gym, the pool, the Insanity Workout. I like to walk the neighborhood, use water bottles to use as my dumbells and I like to go up and down the stairs in our house, walk from the furthest part of the parking lot. He advocates the following:
Cardio: That would be walking, running, treadmill, etc. And while he finds cardio crucial to heart and lung health, stamina, and some weight maintaining and toning, and he does his cardio each day, he does not believe it's a whole package when it comes to exercise. And by the way, here's a tip about females walking or running to lose weight around the middle, belly fat, or visceral fat. CHANGE IT UP! Walk some, then put some jogging in. Run backwards and then catch up w/your walking partner. Go up hills. If you use a treadmill, get off for awhile and do some stairs. If you do this, you can lose up to double the belly fat than just running a steady pace, or walking the same gait. A rise and fall in intensity can trick the body into giving more weight up!
But Lloyd suggests that Cardio must be incorporated with weight resistant exercising. Your average Cardio walk/run/workout will raise the metabolic rate for a bit, but IF you eat enough portion of your food that day in refined, white foods, you basically are at square one...BUT if you do weight resistant, machine or free weight, be it my 32 oz water bottles I do...lol...regular free weights, machines, then the purposeful stress to the muscles, causes them to repair themselves, it generates heat, and raises the metabolism for a longer period of time. And of course muscle mass is created very nicely, if one is lifting or working with weights, repeating in repetition, and in sets. And again, changing it up is important. Swimming is a great exercise, because while we mainly think of it as cardio, the push and pull against the water, and resistance is excellent. I highly suggest saline pools over chlorine pools.
In conclusion, why not make your exercise count??? Usually when I had people losing weight in my classes, and they were exercising, they would look at a white bagel, or a cupcake, and go, not today...I don't want to take the chance to negate my exercise. Now be realistic. Of course you are not seeking perfection in your eating, but if it is a pattern, of mainly refined carbs, sugary foods and drinks, fatty meats, fast food, and lots of dairy, then a pattern of less muscle, less permanent weight maintaining may be the result, even if you exercise somewhat. Exercise is a valuable part of the wheel. But remember, without your health as well, from the bounty of whole live foods substituting your meals, your snacks, your eating out, well, the wheel could definitely go flat. It's all about balance. We suggest a complex carb before working out for energy release to the muscles. Brown rice would be an example. Or some gluten free item. Maybe some berries whirred in some cold rice milk... After working out, a protein is nice. Eggs, a KIND Nut bar, (Plus type) etc. I have a complete list in the book. But whatever you do, don't sell yourself short by just putting all your eggs in one basket. Work on the trio of healthy living together. PROPER EXERCISE, MORE WHOLE LIVE FOODS THAN PROCESSED/REFINED ONES, and A COGNITIVE, POSITIVE, GRATEFUL MINDSET. Go step by step. Rome wasn't built in a day. It is NORMAL to falter, just pick yourself back up and give it your best shot again. Our goal: To Live to be a 100 and ENJOY getting there. Doesn't it make sense? CHEERS and G'night. Don't forget comments or questions. 
So brown rice is gluten free? Does everything I eat have to be gluten free?
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