New Toy Alert: Trek 4500 Mountain Bike

I've been meaning to get a bike for quite some time now and after having a most wonderful time last weekend riding the Capital Crescent Trail from Bethesda to Georgetown I finally decided to bite the bullet. I wasn't going to spend $1000 on my first "real" bike (even though it's exteremely easy to do so), so I did some researching and came up with 3 brands under $500. I was choosing between a GT Avalanche 1.0, the Trek 4500 and the Specialized Rock Hopper. In the end I went with the Trek 4500 mostly because it got a lot of reviews from 200+ lb guys (like myself) and it's made in the USA (well mostly anyway). Here's a pic of my new toy. Mine is the same color and style as the pic except I subbed out the tire rubbers for a less aggressive tread for riding on paved trails and sidewalks.

The One True Diet (TM)

Diets: almost every person in North America has tried one but does anyone actually stay on them? The thing about diets in the U.S. is that they all promise quick results *if* you can stay the course. But we all know what happens to most "dieters": They stay on their diet for about 6 weeks, lose 20 lbs then go un a feeding frenzy eating all those foods they were restricted from while dieting and gain back 10 lbs more than when they started. Obviously what people need is not another "diet plan" but a realistic eating plan that is rooted in basic principles of adequate nutrition and healthy eating and can become a solid habit that people will WANT to follow for the rest of their lives.

It may be oh so cliche these days to blame the media and pop culture for things but they are at least partially responsible for the obesity problem in America. How many people have actually looked at the labels at many so-called "Low-Fat" or "Low-Carb" meal choices out there? Until the general public can wise up and learn how to ration BOTH the percentage of gross macronutrients (carbs, proteins, fats) and total calories in their everyday meals the situation will not change. Low fat diets can work so can Low Carb diets. They both have their place and purpose, but blindly following a low-carb or low-fat diet without more knowledge than a list of good/bad foods is just plain silly. It is amazing to me how many people will spend hours agnozing over which type of new car to buy but not spend any time whatsoever counting calories or analyzing the foods they eat everyday. To me it's just like making a budget for yourself: you must analyze your existing eating habits before you can set in place a plan of action for improvement.