A Riddle

There is an old (read "ancient") riddle that says, "What do John the Baptist and Winnie the Pooh have in common?"

The funny thing about riddles is that generally, the more intelligent you are, the more difficult they are to solve. We search for the answer - dig through our extensive knowledge - and sometimes, even when told the answer, we scratch our heads in puzzlement. But frequently, children come up with the answer - then laugh in delight when they do.

Unfortunately, we sometimes treat the whole nutrition / diet thing like a riddle - only it isn't cute or funny. The bottom line is - if you put out more calories than you take in - you will lose weight. No trick - no gimmick. But if you take in more calories than you put out - you gain weight. It's really not rocket science.

It isn't as hard as it sounds to increase activity (and therefore put out more calories). I try to get up and walk to someone's desk instead of sending an email. I set an alarm (I have to do this - otherwise I forget) to remind myself to get up and walk a little. (I do that four time a day at work.) I stand up while I am on the telephone. None of these require a great deal of effort, but the little bits add up. I know full well that there are circumstances and health issues that may keep these things from happening, but I am making little changes and I'm really seeing the difference.

Oh, and John the Baptist and Winnie the Pooh share the same middle name. Think about it.