According to americanfitnessindex.org:

The top 10

1. Minneapolis, MN

2. Washington, DC

3. Portland, OR

4. San Francisco, CA

5. Denver, CO

6. Boston, MA

7. Sacramento, CA

8. Seattle, WA

9. Hartford, CT

10. San Jose, CA

The bottom 5

1. Memphis, TN

2. Louisville, KY

3. San Antonio, TX

4. Detroit, MI

5. Oklahoma City, OK

Is your city on here? What makes a city fit?

I am surprised to see my city of Seattle, WA on here at 8. I suppose it helps to have a lot of biking, walking, running and hiking trails around the region. So that begs the question: if Seattle is so fit, where did us VSG Seattleites go wrong? Bariatric surgery business is booming here and it seems like everyone is always on a diet.

Do you agree with this list?

Let's hear your thoughts and theories.

In 1997 when I moved to Rhonert Park (outside Santa Rosa) from lake Arrowhead' date=' Ca I was also convinced I was the fattest person in town. Now I live in OR and the farther north I go, the skinnier everyone gets![/quote']

Until, of course, you hit Seattle where I tipped the scales at 360 in my pre-VSG days. Maybe I was an anomaly in Seattle. Others certainly made me feel like one. Life is completely different for the better now as a fit and thin individual.

According to americanfitnessindex.org:

The top 10

5. Denver, CO

Do you agree with this list?

Let's hear your thoughts and theories.

Waving from Denver!

It's funny because my surgeon actually talks about this in his seminar and I'll be darned if I can remember exactly what he says. Because even being #5 on the list, and knowing all the running jokes about having bikes and skis attached to cars that are worth more than the cars they are strapped to, I will tell ya what, my surgeon brings the crowds when does his seminars. I think he basically talked about the data and how's pretty skewed because it's still a LARGE % of Amercians that are overweight/obese/morbidly obese and beyond.

I will say one thing about Denver, there are a lot of health nuts here (waving to Boulder... ) and honestly we get so much sunshine it's hard not to be addicted to getting outdoors. I think we have a really high number days of sunshine per year...300+ I believe. :wub: Even on the snow days sometimes we all just wait for the sun to come melt the snow. We're all slightly addicted to that because people here get grumpy about more than 2 days of no sunshine. Not sure if that helps put us up higher on the list, but thinking there might be a correlation.

Waving from Denver!

It's funny because my surgeon actually talks about this in his seminar and I'll be darned if I can remember exactly what he says. Because even being #5 on the list' date=' and knowing all the running jokes about having bikes and skis attached to cars that are worth more than the cars they are strapped to, I will tell ya what, my surgeon brings the crowds when does his seminars. I think he basically talked about the data and how's pretty skewed because it's still a LARGE % of Amercians that are overweight/obese/morbidly obese and beyond.

I will say one thing about Denver, there are a lot of health nuts here (waving to Boulder... ) and honestly we get so much sunshine it's hard not to be addicted to getting outdoors. I think we have a really high number days of sunshine...300+ I believe. :wub: Even on the snow days sometimes we all just wait for the sun to come melt the snow. We're all slightly addicted to that because people here get grumpy about more than 2 days of no sunshine. Not sure if that helps put us up higher on the list, but thinking there might be a correlation.[/quote']

Denver sounds like a really great place to visit as an avid hiker. I have only been there once as a transfer between flights. Maybe it would make for a good road trip to visit a few of those outdoor hotspots around Denver (boulder, Vale, etc). What is the best known hike that you know of around Denver? Perhaps something on the continental divide.

Denver sounds like a really great place to visit as an avid hiker. I have only been there once as a transfer between flights. Maybe it would make for a good road trip to visit a few of those outdoor hotspots around Denver (boulder, Vale, etc). What is the best known hike that you know of around Denver? Perhaps something on the continental divide.

Oh my gosh there are too many to list. There are a lot up by the divide, but you have to be careful. Denver's weather can be unpredictable. The old adage around here is "if you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes, it will change." One that is close to by where I live is called Castlewood Canyon and there are several trails to take (no boredom) that are clearly marked with varying degrees of difficulty.

http://www.parks.state.co.us/parks/castlewoodcanyon/Pages/CastlewoodCanyonHome.aspx

Another that I have heard about (but never done) is up near the Continental Divide (that is an area where the weather is also several degrees cooler than whatever the temp of the day is down in Denver) We pass by this all the time because while we live in Denver, my whole family lives between Glenwood Springs and Apsen, so we DRIVE by it and never stop to hike it. Prob. need to change that.

http://funcoloradohikes.com/tag/continental-divide-trail

Anyway, there are hiking trails just about everywhere you look. It's really just a matter of preference. We also have over 53 "Fourteeners" that are coveted by the hiking enthusists.

http://www.14ers.com/

Sounds like Denver would be worth more than a stop thru the airport for you Fiddle...

Sounds like Denver would be worth more than a stop thru the airport for you Fiddle...

For sure! Simply beautiful locations. Thanks for sharing the links. I love hiking in the alpine here in the Cascade mountain range, but now I am super excited about coming out there. Maybe next summer!

For sure! Simply beautiful locations. Thanks for sharing the links. I love hiking in the alpine here in the Cascade mountain range, but now I am super excited about coming out there. Maybe next summer!

OH and I forgot to mention...so on that drive from Denver to Glenwood Springs, I CANNOT tell you how many insane...er biking ethusiasts I see biking over the moutain pass from Vail to Silverthorne and vice versa...OMG, that moutain pass taxes CARS and I cannot fathom being out there on a bike. It's humbling to watch, really.

Let me know if you are ever in the area!

Hey Zare!! I used him too!!!

I just looked at your first post

Yay! Did you have a good experience? I like him. Just went in to sign all of the consent paperwork and pick up that scrumptious liquid diet on Thursday. Will be starting it on Tuesday for 2 weeks until my surgery on the 19th!

I'm also in Denver/Aurora area. I've been here 14 years, never really been hiking, wasted alot of time being overweight... That is changing!

Yay! Did you have a good experience? I like him. Just went in to sign all of the consent paperwork and pick up that scrumptious liquid diet on Thursday. Will be starting it on Tuesday for 2 weeks until my surgery on the 19th!

He was (is) great. I know when I was wheeled into the OR it hit me what I was doing! I suddenly felt panic taking over, I looked around in horror at what i was about to do! We locked eyes, and he saw the panic. While everyone else was scurrying about, he just stood there and rubbed my shoulder telling me it was going to be ok until I drifted off... Small thing I know but it meant the world to me

Yeah he's good and it was (is) a good experience.

Hehehe... Sorry fiddle for the hijack!

Vale pass fun to go DOWN

Laura, you are always welcome in my threads. wait a sec, that sounded kinda bad...lol.

Laura' date=' you are always welcome in my threads. [/quote']

Thanks Andy! I love the new picture, blue suits you

Thanks Andy! I love the new picture' date=' blue suits you [/quote']

Yes, everyone tells me that (in my family). Must be my blue eyes. Thanks for the compliment.

Cool....I'm either moving to Portland or Northern Cali so this is good news. I'll be glad to be around more like minded people.

Hey Butter- Laura and I are both in the South Bay. My vote is for NorCal!

Lynda

BTW, These cities were selected based on personal health habits, community resources and access to health care. Residents in cities with the highest rankings tended to have higher levels of physical activity and low rates of heart disease and diabetes. They also had more parks per capita as well as advanced state requirements for physical education classes. So we may have a lot of fatties, but we are healthier fatties!

Here's the original article, where I found the details above: http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/05/30/fittest-u-s-cities-of-2013/#ixzz2ax7JE8IC

Lynda