According to this study, 58% of the volunteers following exercise, but in 42% it showed no improvement or, in a few cases, may have got worse. In the study, 742 people from 213 families were put through a strict 20-week endurance training program. Exercise on stationary bikes was gradually increased so that by the last six weeks the volunteers were exercising for 50 minutes three times a week at 75% of the maximum output they were capable of before the study.

But I noticed the article doesn’t mention weight loss. Instead, it uses oxygen consumption, a measure of a person’s ability to perform work, as the barometer of success of the volunteers. The average increase in consumption was 17%. But the most trainable volunteers gained over 40%, and the least trainable showed no improvement at all.

I think this is an interesting study, but it raises questions in my mind: Did the volunteers lose weight, or at least gain stamina? Let’s say I volunteered and I was able to ride a bike twice as far as before, wouldn’t that be successful, even if my oxygen consumption remained the same? This study makes it sound like exercise is a bad choice for almost half the population, and I don’t think that’s valid. I think everyone can benefit from exercise, even if you don’t see dramatic improvements.

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package taco seasoning
3/4 cup water
1 large tomato
2 cups shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
4 cup shredded romaine lettuce
8 baked taco shells (or tortillas)

Grill chicken breasts on grill. Cut into strips or cubes, and combine with water and taco seasoning in skillet and bring to a boil. Simmer and stir until desired consistency is reached. Heat taco shells according to directions on package, but plain corn tortillas have fewer calories than prepared taco shells. Dice tomatoes, shred cheese, and shred lettuce. Divide chicken mixture into the 8 taco shells and top with tomatoes, etc, as desired.

Each taco has 183 calories