I'm back, baby!

So sorry about the delay between posts. I had some major blogger-related technical difficulties, but things now seem to be operating smoothly again.

Anyway, I have an interesting topic to discuss today. What do you think is more important when it comes to weight loss efforts - diet or exercise? I ask because
according to a recent Fortune magazine story, PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi said obesity "wouldn't exist" if people exercised. That statement came during a discussion of how Nooyi wants to boost sales of the company’s "good-for-you" foods to $30 billion in 2020 from $10 billion now.

"If all consumers exercised, did what they had to do, the problem of obesity wouldn't exist," she said.

And that's where I might have to disagree with her. A growing body of research claims that although exercise burns calories, it can also stimulate hunger. And not only do people tend to eat more after exercising, but these post-workout rewards often feature high-fat, calorie-rich snacks like muffins, Gatorade, ice cream or chips. For example, researchers from Children's Hospital in Boston recently discovered that when the 538 kids involved in their 18-month study began to exercise, they wound up eating an average of 100 calories more than they had just burned. And a recent JAMA study found that women already at a healthy body weight had to get the equivalent of an hour a day of moderately intense exercise to avoid putting on weight over the years. Exercise had little effect on weight gain among women who were already overweight or obese. As one scientist and weight loss expert recently told the New York Times magazine, "In general, exercise by itself is pretty useless for weight loss."

Still, there are a lot of advantages linked to physical fitness, including a lower risk for various diseases including cancer, diabetes and heart problems. In addition, exercise improves mental health and cognitive ability. But many obesity experts now believe that frequent, low-level physical activity actually works better than high-impact, sweat-inducing rounds of vigorous exercise.

So here are my thoughts, for what it's worth...keep exercising. But if you're trying to lose weight, focus your efforts on food rather than physical fitness. And remember, a sugar-free diet can help shrink the waistline over time. For example, switching from a regular 8-ounce cola to a diet version could save 100 calories each day - and result in a loss of up to 15 pounds throughout the year. Either way, you will find that making small changes and turning to low-calorie foods and beverages can have a huge impact on weight over the course of the year. Finally, check out this Calorie Control Council calculator to determine how many calories you’re burning based on weight and activity.

Now, please excuse me while I go search for a Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry!