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I used to notice folks in the store at the register with the cart full of chips and soda and Little Debbie's and the like...not a veggie or fruit to be had....and they paid for it with food stamps. That was 20 years ago and I doubt much has changed...makes economic sense to them. Those things are cheap and filling. Those are the first things to go when the SHTF as well...chips, etc. People don't think long term, just immediate. But I digress

I have known folks who had stomach surgery to lose weight, one diet fad after another and the ones who seem to lose weight and keep it off, started with the same thing...they just started walking. Little here, little there...further each time. One woman I know didn't do it for weight loss, she did it to help her with depression but in the end, she lost 50 pounds. the good feeling made her more conscious of what she ate. She told me while she walked, she started noticing more small things like flowers she passed or how nice neighbors landscaping was. So the feeling was so comforting to her, she wanted to do it more and more and how she would find herself down-in-the-mouth if it rained and she was unable to walk.

I think a key is doing something other than thinking about food. We do a lot of comfort eating. I know several folks who were abused as children and to the letter, all are overweight. Makes me wonder if the poorest among us eat "bad" foods as comfort as well

All good points. I think the key to consistent light aerobic exercise is not to do much too fast, but to do it everyday. Not getting too sore or injured and then having to force yourself to do it is a big part of being able to keeping it up. Only increasing the intensity or duration a tiny bit at a time also helps. Like you say, exercise becomes a good habit with the endorphin release and you actually get to want to do it.

Freegards

“....one diet fad after another and the ones who seem to lose weight and keep it off, started with the same thing...they just started walking.”

BINGO! There’s no doubt that regular physical activity counteracts a whole gamut of diseases, and the lack thereof is likely one of, if not THE leading cause of obesity. When I was a kid, I don’t remember seeing any other kids who were overweight except for just a few. Now, when I go to the grocery store I see many children who are starting out in life dealing with weight issues, and I suspect that it’s primary cause is lack of physical activities. I can testify for myself that even when I’m eating very healthy, which I usually do, if I go through a period where I’m getting sedentary, I not only start to put on a few pounds, but I start to feel physically bad. Likewise, when I get into the routine of taking my early morning walks (usually about 4-5 miles), my weight goes down to where people wonder if I’m eating enough, despite eating plenty, but the biggest ‘reward’ I receive from the daily walks is the overall sense of physical, emotional, and spiritual sense of wellbeing.

It’s so easy to do, but it takes a commitment. In the past when I’ve had a dog or two, it was an easy excuse to go for a walk. I’d just pick up that leash and watch my friend get all excited knowing we were going for a walk. Now, without having any dog in my life, I use the ‘excuse’ (as if I really needed one) that the time spent on a walk is one more time set aside for God to be used for prayer and meditation with Him. There’s certainly many of other ways to incorporate some physical activity into one’s life, but taking a walk is something that most everybody can do without needing any additional equipment.