WASHINGTON,March 7 (Reuters) – U.S. companies and other groups that have made attempts to reverse the nation’s rising childhood obesity rate are starting to see results as more American kids exercise and have better access to healthy foods,they said on Thursday.

More than 1,700 U.S. cities have promoted exercise to get nearly 3 million more kids moving in the last year,according to a report by the Partnership for a Healthier America,a nonprofit that works to get private companies and organizations to pledge specific action to fight the weight epidemic.

Still,if left unchecked,about half of all Americans will be obese by 2030,according to the group,whose partners range from Darden Restaurants Inc and Walmart Stores Inc to the YMCA and the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Some health advocates welcomed the findings but said more effort was still needed,including government action.

Already,one in three U.S. youth are obese and another third are overweight. Experts are worried because heavier children are more likely to remain overweight as adults,and suffer a higher incidence of diabetes,heart disease and other conditions.

“We’re seeing pockets of progress toward reversing the childhood obesity epidemic,” said Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “For progress to reach every corner of our country,we must redouble our efforts: parents,schools,nonprofit organizations,government at all levels,and the private sector.”

Childhood obesity carries significant healthcare related costs and even poses national security risks,experts say,by reducing the pool of those fit for military service.

Some of the partner companies have pledged to change food offerings on restaurant menus or work to get more children into activities like soccer or tennis,according to the group,which released the report as part of its annual conference in Washington that also headlined First Lady Michelle Obama.

The group has said it wants to help 10 million Americans gain access to healthier foods, saying 23.5 million people in the United States – including 6.5 million children – have no nearby access to options like fresh produce or cannot afford to buy it.

Already,141 grocery stores have been built or renovated in so-called “food deserts,” often low-income urban neighborhoods without nearby grocery stores,helping more than a half-million people,it said.

“In places like Philadelphia,New York City and Mississippi – places where folks from every sector are working together – we’ve seen childhood obesity rates begin to come down,” said Obama,who has made tackling obesity her signature issue while in the White House.

Fruits and vegetables,meat and other whole foods can often be more expensive than processed ones that contain subsidized ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup.

Some health experts have been critical of the food industry for offering unhealthy products. Manufacturers have long pointed to consumer choice,but many have begun to change their offerings in recent years as more U.S. consumers become health conscious.

Newark,New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker, another honorary vice chairman and a Democrat,told MSNBC the annual progress report is important for holding companies accountable to their commitments to change.

On Thursday,several more companies joined the partnership,including GE Healthcare,part of General Electric Co,and Cerner Corp, among others.

I never hear anyone talk about losing body-fat, and since thats the real culprit, I thought it’d be cool to do a series on destroying body-fat.  If you are in a healthy range, you’ll be at a healthy weight.  So here’s part I “Eating too many high-calorie foods that don’t fill you up”.

Choose foods that help to fill you up and avoid those that deliver calories but have little filling power.  Factors that cause us to eat too many high-calorie foods include:

*Drinking your calories — Beverages aren’t very filling. So if you’re drinking your calories through regular sodas, energy drinks, blended coffee drinks, and large amounts of juice, chances are that you’re adding rather than substituting calories. Stick to lower-calorie fluids

*Not eating enough whole fruits, vegetables, salad, and whole grains — Fill up on these foods. They get the green light because they are lower in calories and higher in fiber.

*Not eating carbs with protein —Carbohydrate foods in combination with some protein can be more satiating or filling than carbs alone.

It’s not wise to take a single approach to getting stronger and becoming healthier.  I’m confident believing there’s no single activity or modality that will serve as dome “a ha” moment.  But if you stack good days, stack hard efforts you will see a difference.

This brings me to a training philosophy that, if done correctly, will make huge difference in the results you see.  High Intensity Interval Training.   The secret to succeeding with a H.I.T.T. program begins with having the right tools, right focus, right time, and right commitment.

Right Tools: you gotta have a heart rate monitor.  Don’t rely on the gym.  Most of the cardio equipment needs to be recalibrated.  Find the appratus best suited for you physically.  

Right Focus: it’s not about appearances, but results.  Don’t worry about panting in public, or looking as if your last meal, will be your last meal.  Train hard, recover well.

Right Time: understand when your body is ready to train.  Some are good with a morning workout, others afternoon or at night.  Learn when you burn.

RIGHT Commitment:  you can’t train if you don’t show-up.  Make cardio a daily ritual.  Find, no, make time to train and ditch excuses.

High intensity means, high intensity.  Tell your mind when it’s time to rest.  Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you are working out when you are casually moving legs, arms etc. 

Make no mistake, it’s not easy losing weight, or becoming healthy.  But, once you begin stacking good days, you’ll be amazed at the result.

This one cat was super frustrated about not losing much weight and couldn’t understand why, if he was riding more why wasn’t he losing more.  Of course, my 1st question was “what are you eating”.  1st thing he said was salad and then something about a liquid diet.  Now, he was definitely 2 bills, maybe 230 with no real muscle tone.

I kept thinking about what he said as we rode over some hills and into some wind.  I understand his frustration, but he’s focusing on the wrong objective.  He’s trying to take in less calories and burn more, but he’s sending his body into survival mode.  I tried to explain without sounding like a know-it-all, that a lot of times people fail to take on enough calories before the start burning them.

The wife has this friend who was trying to eat 2k calorie diet.  She was burning 700-800 cals working out and after a few weeks noticed she had gained weight.  Well, of course since her caloric deficit was actually a caloric hole.  At some point, your body is going to start hoarding food instead of releasing it as fuel.  You gotta eat, but it’s what you eat, but the kicker is even if your diet is healthy, the cals have to be there.

After talking about this,  the guy said “that’s not what I’ve read”.  Ok, so what.  Try something different and pay attention to what happens.  Getting good calories and more water will push you to that next level.  Stop eating junk cals and figure learn your body.  I rode to the front of the group but kept looking back at him.  I thought, sometimes doing better getting out riding is not getting you better health wise.

To make it a little healthier/lower fat.  Use red onions in place of the green ones and sautee’ them in olive oil instead of butter.

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup sliced green onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach , thawed, drained and squeezed dry

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

10 (6 inch) corn tortillas

1 (19 ounce) can enchilada sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; cook for a few minutes until fragrant, but not brown. Stir in spinach, and cook for about 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat, and mix in ricotta cheese, sour cream, and 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese.

3. In a skillet over medium heat, warm tortillas one at a time until flexible, about 15 seconds. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture onto the center of each tortilla. Roll up, and place seam side down in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining cup of Monterey Jack.

4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbling and cheese is lightly browned at the edges.

There’s no need to inform you of how sweetened beverages helps contribute to weight gain, or how schools across the country are trying to keep sugary drinks out if the buildings.  But, if you need a refresher, here it is:

“A substantial body of research has emerged linking the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages,even in moderate amounts,to obesity-related health conditions. For instance, people who consume just one or two sugar-sweetened drinks a day have a 26 percent greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people who rarely drink these beverages. Men who average one sweetened beverage a day have a 20 percent higher risk of having a heart attack than men who rarely consume them”.

Now there’s nothing about kids in that blurb, but use your imagination.  So, on the one hand we want kids to play more, but on the other we are fattening them up, so they’ll play less.  Wow, talk about pissing on the fire you made.  But in other news, people are talking about the game and sponsored half time show. 

Thanks NFL.

Welcome back is what I heard, what I felt and the goosebumps only confirmed to me that I was happy to be riding strong again.  Riding with a purpose and more importantly, free of distractions.  This was not my first ride of the year, but in so many ways it eas my first ride since Hotter n Hell. 

This morning was full of enthusiasm, reminding me why I fell in love with riding.  Feeling lactic acid build, seeing the sweat drip, hoping you recover before the next hill or sprint.  This is when you know are alive, that you are doing something that benefits you, and does not take from someone else.

It feels good to be back, and I’m going to have a hell of a good time.

There are times I think we all loose perspective and we need something to bring us back to center, back to being present.  I can get my form back, stay on top of my health goals, but it feels damn good jumping back on that horse, my machine.

I’m starting to think about my next big idea, but until it hits me, I’m going to write a little about my quest to not only get back to my form prior to my crash, but also write about health and fitness and why it’s important.  I have some recipes to rollout and hopefully something more.

I’m going to rock out in the gym tomorrow and do some really despicable things to my legs.  I’ll also resume my luv/hate relationship with the stairmaster.  Remember…it may not be fun but it’s necessary.

HHH didn’t end like the dream in my head, but that probably is what made the experience so special. Encountering adversity always exposes ones character and my effort to celebrate Shiloh turning 5 would not be complete without some downs. From the training schedule, to encouragement, to the event there were so many opportunities to give up.

I’m happy I pressed forward and even force the issue with myself at times. iRide4Shiloh raised over $1300 and we rode and received mileage pledges for over 7,500 miles. A lot of caring, a lot of exercising. I’m proud to have been a part of this celebration. It’s the journey, not the destination that’s important.

My many thanks to everyone who made donations and supported us. Thanks to everyone from the training rides, cycling classes, and rallies who patiently listened as we talked about our son.

The end is the beginning and although I don’t know what i’ll be doing to celebrate Shiloh turning 6, next up is World Prematurity Day on November 17th.

Thank you