Improvement #1: Fitness & Diet

I have had pretty low self-esteem for a while now, and I believe a lot of that has to do with the way I look. I can’t really remember the last time I felt really comfortable in my own skin. Going through grade school I played a lot of sports (even though I was never really an athlete) and I didn’t feel good about how I looked, and now that I’m no longer a part of any organised team or group to keep me active my fitness situation has only gotten worse. I get depressed when I look at myself, I get depressed when the clothes I wear don’t fit right and I get depressed when I realise how out of shape I am. I’m not dangerously obese, but this cycle of depression makes me feel like I am. Everything is a mess.

It’s time to put an end to that mentality. If I don’t like the way I look and feel, I guess I better change the way I look and feel. I’m going to start getting myself used to the idea of actually being in shape, and I’m going to do it through hard work and discipline. No drastic surgeries, no magic weight-loss pills or powders and definitely no infomercial brand ab-crunchers, ab-twisters, ab-burners, ab-destroyers, ab-attackers or ab-fuckers.

I’m going to be using a slight variation of Rippetoe’s “Starting Strength” program taken from Sean10mm’s fitness blog. I have no idea if it will work, but it seems like it comes from a pretty credible source and should be a good starting point towards getting to where I want to be.

For the safety of any pregnant women reading this, I’ll refrain from posting a picture of myself today, but if somehow manage to get a body that I can at least not be embarrassed about, then I’ll post the before and after. I’ll be updating this occasionally to keep a record of how the fitness thing is going, so hopefully that will give me enough motivation to keep going. This is without a doubt the most important improvement on my long list, so if I fail this, I can’t consider any of my self-improvements a success (more will be added to this list soon).

If anybody has any tips or anything for a beginner gym rat, leave me a comment.

[Via http://pursuitofsomething.wordpress.com]

Yoga meditation

In the world of fitness lifestyle, doing an exercise is not always enough becasue you also need to control your eating habit and also in some cases you need to control the way you breathe too. While appetite suppressants helps you control your eating habit, yoga meditation on the other hand can help you control your breathing and correct body posture.

Many are confused when they hear the term yoga meditation. They think of a yoga teacher or a monk instructing a group on how to meditate when they hear the term yoga meditation. This is however not the case. In this article we will look at what is yoga meditation and what are the benefits of incorporating this practice in your life. Now there are many different types of yoga meditation but they all lead to the same thing.

You may attend yoga meditation classes where you will be taught by a yoga teacher by doing some form of meditation. You will however develop a favorite method of yoga that you will enjoy. Now your favorite method will be something that will get you results. Yoga meditation cannot be forced, it will happen with some focus and with no effort. The main focus of meditation is being aware of your breathing.

Breathing exercises are taught to most of the beginner yoga and meditation students to get them to realize the benefits of meditation. To breath properly, you have to sit straight in order to align your spine. Your posture is very important in meditation. Yoga students will have to learn to sit straight on the floor without a chair back to lean on. Some cultures have no trouble sitting on the floor while others are use to sitting on chairs so it can be difficult for some students to get used to sitting straight without any back support. You don’t have to use the floor if you want to meditate, you can always use the chair for back support. If you are sitting on the floor and be uncomfortable you won’t be able to get anywhere with your meditation as you will be concentrating on the discomfort.

Some classes do allow chairs to be used as yoga meditation prop to help students get good back support and be comfortable so that they achieve meditative state. Another popular way of using the chair is by placing your lower legs on the chair while lying flat on the floor. You will have to lie down on your back and place your lower legs on the chair and make sure that it is parallel to the floor and your upper legs are perpendicular to the floor. These are just and introduction about yoga meditation and will be further discussed in future

[Via http://fitnesslifestlye.wordpress.com]

The Facetarian Decade?

In-Vitro Meat in 3-10 years?

This prediction sounds absurdly early to me, but H+ is a respected Internet magazine devoted to thinking about the future, so I’ll quote a recent article that it had on the subject:

In-Vitro Meat — aka tank steak, sci fi sausage, petri pork, beaker bacon, Frankenburger, vat-grown veal, laboratory lamb, synthetic shmeat, trans-ham, factory filet, test tube tuna, cultured chicken, or any other moniker that can seduce the shopper’s stomach — will appear in 3-10 years as a cheaper, healthier, “greener” protein that’s easily manufactured in a metropolis. Its entree will be enormous; not just food-huge like curry rippling through London in the 1970’s or colonized tomatoes teaming up with pasta in early 1800’s Italy. No. Bigger. In-Vitro Meat will be socially transformative, like automobiles, cinema, vaccines.

But I also would note that an article at Slate last year put In-Vitro Meat perhaps decades away:

Despite considerable hubbub over the technology in recent months, we’re still years—or, more likely, decades—away from affordable lab-grown meat. The current experiments are taking place in bioreactors that measure only a few hundred milliliters in volume, and the longest complete muscle tissues are just 2 centimeters long. Researchers are nowhere close to scaling up their production to market-ready levels, to say nothing of market-ready prices. A Dutch team’s lab-grown pork, for example, would cost around $45,000 per pound—assuming they could make an entire pound of the stuff. Bioreactors may be energy-efficient when compared with cattle, but they’re also expensive to design, build, and maintain. They also require highly skilled personnel to manage, in order to preserve aseptic conditions.

So which is it? Has the past year seen breakthroughs in the science and economics of In-Vitro Meat that will bring it along sooner rather than later? And will In-Vitro Meat make everybody, if not exactly vegetarians, at least facetarians (what I would call people who don’t eat anything that has a face)?

[Via http://santitafarella.wordpress.com]

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Recommended Reading: Excelsior

Excelsior offers expert advice, coaching support and preparation to athletes, teams and coaches alike.

This is how James describes his sports strength and conditioning company.  I have been an avid reader of his blog for a couple of years now.  I love the way he constantly reminds me that the way to get results from training is not from “going through the motions” or buying into the latest fashion or gimmick, or by spending hours reading muscle mags and copying bodybuilding exercises.

It is by putting your mind on the job and doing things that WORK, not just what the advert told you to do.

I learn more from just the few sentences that he writes than I do from a dozen muscle mags and forums.

Excelsior – http://excelsiorgroup.blogspot.com/

[Via http://cerin.wordpress.com]

I'm bad at blogging...

… but not working out. Things certainly have not gone as I planned in terms of blogging the second month of Insanity. Life has been too hectic for blogging it seems. I’m a dad, husband, full-time office monkey, musician, and like to occasionally pretend I have a social life. I’m lucky most days to just work in time for exercise, much less time to update the blog.

But with a few exceptions lately (more in month 2 than in month 1), I have stayed on schedule. Twice now I’ve decided been forced to take an extra day of rest and push the schedule back one day. Some nights I manage to get my workout in as soon as I get home while my girls are napping. Other times its more like 10 or 11 at night. With the Max workouts being 10 – 15 minutes, on average, longer than the month 1 workouts I’ve often found myself cooling down and showering at midnight or later. This is far from ideal but those nights in particular I’m very glad that I found the motivation to still get that workout in.

And I have to say, at this point in the program it is starting to pay off:

- I’ve lost a full 2 inches off my waist since starting Insanity

- dropped 3 – 4 pant sizes

- fit back into 2 old pair of pants I had “outgrown”

- starting to have people ask questions like “Have you lost weight?”

Speaking of weight, last check (around the halfway point) I had only lost maybe a 1 – 2 pounds but I’m satisfied with that number because I’ve put on a lot of muscle especially in my legs. I think weight loss will really occur as I finish out this 2nd month and the weeks to follow, and of course if I decide to go for round 2.

Now, I know in my last post I promised results from Fit Test #3, pictures, and in-depth reviews of the Max workouts. However, I have yet to delivery any of those obviously. Yesterday’s workout included the 4th Fit Test so now I’m really behind. I do hope to get both results up soon. As far as pictures go, I’m just going to wait until Round 1 is finished completely.

In regard to the reviews of the Max workouts, I’m not going to elaborate much beyond what I’ve already said, “They’re super tough”! They’re long, extremely challenging and painful at times. Rather than rehash each workout in great detail, I’m going to link another site that has already done a great job of detailing each Max workout. The website is Extremely Fit and in addition to the Insanity reviews they have some great information on some of the other Beachbody programs. Here are the links for each workout:

Max Interval Circuit

Max Cardio Conditioning

Max Interval Plyo

Extremely Fit did not review Max Recovery so I’m going to refer to Wellspere.com ’s review of it:

Max Recovery

[Via http://workoutinsanity.wordpress.com]

Libro Culturismo Sin Tonterias Gratis - Queres saber donde bajarlo?

Últimamente, el libro Culturismo sin Tonterias Gratis ha adquirido mucha popularidad. Por eso es que la gente se pregunta de donde se puede bajar, si es o no free, o si pueden hacer un download de Taringa o de Megaupload.

Como este ebook no es gratis, antes de decir si comprarlo o no, hay que saber que temas trata.

Este libro lo escribió Vince del Monte, un campeón del fitness Canadiense que es parte de esta nueva generación de fisicoculturistas.

La guía Culturismo sin Tonteria va a tratar de responder todas las preguntas que se esta haciendo la gente con respecto al deporte del fisicoculturismo. Como aumento mis músculos? Como pierdo la grasa? Sirven los esteroides y los suplementos? Que dieta tengo que hacer?

Si alguna vez entrenaste para aumentar tu masa muscular o si lo hiciste para levantar pesas, ya sabes que en la industria de este deporte hay un montón de revistas que tratan estos temas. El problema es que estas revistas están pagadas por sus sponsors que, generalmente, son empresas que venden suplementos y esteroides, así que cuidado! porque no toda la información que brindan puede ser verídica.

Entonces, que tiene este libro Culturismo sin Tonterias Gratis que te puede ayudar?

Simplemente, todo. Dietas, planes alimentarios, ejercicios, rutinas, series, repeticiones, y todo lo referido al mundo del fisicoculturismo.

Además, esta lleno de información para entrenar como lo pueden ser rutinas para entrenar durante 51 semanas, y planes alimentarios (dietas) para saber que comer durante 84 semanas.

Esto hace que ganar músculos sea fácil, ya que la mayoría de las personas no comen bien y saludablemente. De esta manera, la gran llave para aumentar tus músculos se te entrega con este libro.

El gran mensaje que trata de explicar este ebook es que hay que escuchar muy bien a nuestro cuerpo y mente para poder alcanzar los resultados que esperamos. Y para esto, trae consejos para llevar a cabo un registro dia a dia de nuestro progreso.

Probablemente, estés interesado en conseguir mas información del libro así como también saber donde lo podes obtener. Así que te recomiendo que para aprender mas sobre el fitness, sigas el próximo link con mas info sobre el libro Culturismo sin Tonterias Gratis.

[Via http://fisicoculturismosintonterias.wordpress.com]

Stability Ball by GoFit 55cm Professional Grade. 1200lb Test

The GoFit Professional Grade Core Stability Ball is a fun, yet challenging way to stretch, tone and tighten your body. What makes the GoFit Core Stability Ball so challenging? Unlike training on a stable, flat surface, the ball is a round, unstable surface, so you not only train the primary muscle groups, but also the smaller stabilizing muscles as well. The stabilizing muscles are small, yet very important muscle groups primarily used for balance, alignment and posture. The ball total body workout is very efficient, allowing you to see the results you want in a much quicker period of time. Combine the ball workout with the GoFit cardio vascular jump rope program and resistance tube training and you have a complete workout that can be done anywhere, anytime, and at a very affordable price. As a general rule, the exercise ball should be large enough so that when you sit on it, your knees bend at a 90 degree angle. The Professional Ball has a 1200lb rating and is ideal for core training routines.  Each ball comes with: A Core Performance Stability Ball Training DVD and Training Manual 2 ball plugs  A dual-action hand pump to inflate the ball. GoFit Stability balls are made of PVC plastic and contain no Latex.

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[Via http://suhitha.wordpress.com]

Enzymes and Raw Food

I’m going to be a bit radical here, but know that I’m only encouraging you to question and think and ideally do your own research, both theory and practice. I’m pretty confident that you’ll thank me for it.

WHAT IF THE SO-CALLED ‘AGING PROCESS’ WAS A CHOICE?

Clearly, we can’t stop time from moving on. When we have a birthday, we are another year older. That’s a fact that, for the moment at least, we cannot change. But what if the weakening organs, bones and tissues and all the ‘usual’ signs of old age were not actually a part of the aging process we’ve come to accept as ‘normal’? Have you ever considered that these conditions are simply symptoms of us mistreating our bodies over the course of our lives to date? Wouldn’t our senior years be a whole lot more fun if we were pain and disease free and could jump around with the energy and vitality of a teenager?

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

That this is a crazy, impossible idea borne out of fantasy? Or are you willing to open your mind and accept that actually, if you treat your body right and nourish it properly, it may in fact be possible? And this is where Enzymes come in…

In his book Intuitive Eating, Dr Humbart Santillo MD writes:

“A human being is not maintained by food intake alone, but rather by what is digested. Every food must be broken down by enzymes to simpler building blocks. Enzymes may be divided into 2 groups, exogenous (found in raw food) and endogenous (produced within our bodies). The more one gets of the exogenous enzymes, the less will have to be borrowed from other metabolic processes and supplied by the pancreas. The enzymes contained in raw food actually aid in the digestion of that same food when it is chewed. One can live many years on a cooked food diet, but eventually this will cause cellular enzyme exhaustion which lays the foundation for a weak immune system and ultimately disease.”

Put simply, we are born with a finite supply of endogenous enzymes. It should be enough to last us a lifetime based on current life expectancy, but if we don’t supply some exogenous enzymes through our diet, we will use up our original supplies and that’s when we become susceptible to the accepted ’signs of old age’ including premature death! And the fact is that when we cook our food, we kill all enzymes instead of allowing them to boost our immune system, our brain function and our energy levels.

Another doctor, Edward Howell, has written a book called Enzyme Nutrition. In it, he says:

“Humans eating an enzyme-less diet use up a tremendous amount of their enzyme potential in lavish secretions of the pancreas and other digestive organs. The result is a shortened lifespan (65 years or less as compared with 100 or more), illness, and lower resistance to stress of all types, psychological and environmental. By eating foods with their enzymes in tact and by supplementing cooked foods with enzyme capsules we can stop abnormal and pathological aging processes.”

THESE SCIENTISTS ARE NOT CRACK-POTS WORKING ALONE

The raw food movement is gathering pace and the practice is becoming more mainstream now. In her book You Are What You Eat, Gillian McKeith places raw or living foods at the top of her list of Good Foods and has a section entitled The Case Against Cooking. Now don’t get me wrong; I’m not suggesting that you switch overnight to a 100% raw food diet. Though plenty do and never look back, it’s not always wise. Instead I would give the same advice as Gillian in urging you to eat something raw with every meal.

Just before I sat down to write this, I ate a yummy Quinoa Avocado Salad which other than the cooked quinoa was loaded with raw, enzyme-, EFA- and nutrient- rich foods. I ate it on its own, but you could serve it alongside a piece of grilled chicken or fish instead of dead, heavy, sugar-rush potatoes which do little more than bloat you up. Find the recipe on my Blog at http://claireraikes.blogs.com/claires_blog/.

Claire Raikes is a Wellbeing Coach, Speaker and Writer who ‘cured’ herself of a chronic, disabling and potentially life-threatening bowel condition without the use of steroids, surgery or any other traditional medical intervention. She now shares her passion for natural and vibrant health through coaching, speaking and writing about the importance and power of a truly healthy diet.

She publishes a free weekly eZine, In Essence and is compiling an eBook of Healthy Fast Food with 25% of the proceeds going to The Cancer Project, a charity set up by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and nutritionists to educate the public on the benefits of a healthy diet for cancer prevention and survival. If you have a recipe you would like to submit, visit http://www.LiveInEssence.com for further details. To book Claire to speak at your event, email her at Claire@LiveInEssence.com.

[Via http://suhitha.wordpress.com]

So my one day off...

turned in to four last week. Somehow. NOT COOL.

I’m hoping that I can make this week better. I ran Tuesday, Wednesday, and taught Spin on Thursday night (I kicked their ass for an hour’s worth of intervals). Today is a rest day. It wasn’t going to be. I texted my friend Scooby this morning at some ridiculous hour to tell her not to call me at 5 am because it was supposed to be almost 60 degrees today. So yay, an outside run, right? I packed my gym bag, got everything all ready to go… and left that fucker on my living room floor. I discovered this when I got to work and tried to get my gym bag out of the back seat. Boo.

So anyhoo, tomorrow I will run. Some of my kick ass sistergirlfriends are also trying to shape up and get their asses in fine(r) forms. We’ve all promised to help each other out by keeping up with our blogs, encouraging and helpfully kicking each other’s virtual asses to get us going. You can see their blogs down in my blogroll.

Tomorrow I will get outside, for about a 5 mile run. Sunday I hope to do 6-7. And maybe some yoga at some point. We’ll see. I have a lot of football to watch on Sunday, so I should probably make up some sort of kick ass weight workout to do during the football games. It will go well with my cardio of jumping around like a jackass and screaming.

Cultured Fresh Water Pearl Magnetic Wrap

• Versatile magnetic jewelry can be worn in a variety of configurations
• Magnetic jewelry is sexy, sophisticated, playful and fun
• Beaded strand handcrafted with colorful cultured freshwater pearls and require no clasp
• Magnetic wrap comes with a black silk pouch
• When used as a necklace these beaded strands can be wrapped in any way and every way to get the perfect look for you
• Wear it as a choker or wrap it more loosely to rest just above the collarbone
• Looks great when worn with a button collar for a bolo tie effect or draped down the front of a turtleneck
• For those backless evenings, wrap it as a choker in the front and let the ends fall down your back
• When used as a bracelet the hematite magnets align perfectly to hold the bracelet in place
• Wrap it more loosely for a bangle effect
• Amazing bracelets are lightweight and comfortable
• When this is used as an anklet you will get the perfect fit every time
• Wrap these beaded designs around your ankle for an eye-catching look
• Dress up a summer sandal or accent an evening pump
• Don’t forget about your furry friends with these magnetic wonders

All carat weights and measurements are approximate and may vary slightly from the listed dimensions. Treatment code D. See Gemstone Treatments for further information.

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Maxicam Seated Lever Row

Shipping included. $940 + $149 = $1089 By common carrier • Unique design provides smooth cam-like action.• Adjustable angled body pad eliminates chest strain.• Seat height is easily adjustable. Commercial products are special orders, a 25% restocking fee will apply to all orders cancelled. The buyer is responsible for all shipping back after an RMA is received.The Maxicam Equipment is available with any of the following colors Frame ColorsPad ColorsRed BaronDove GrayBlue StreakSandCam SilverSpace BlueCal GrayRoyal BlueBumper BlackGrotto GreenBlack TextureClaret RedWet WhiteAmerican Red-B

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Healthcare finance

Healthcare finance is a hot topic for many recently. As current medical expenses increase rapidly, healthcare finance is drawing additional attention. There are several healthcare finance programs being developed to help people plan and prepare for the likelihood of a serious illness or unexpected accident. However there is one area where healthcare finance is already common and can be utilized simply for the cosmetic reason.

Healthcare finance for cosmetic surgery is one that has been in place for a many years now. In this area of healthcare, cosmetic surgery has originally been financed through banks for individuals with specific medical conditions requiring attention. As Cosmetic Surgery is often an expensive, and difficult field of healthcare, it was one of the riskiest choices for healthcare finance. This has been one successful option for the doctors, the banks and the people utilizing the healthcare finance. This option for healthcare finance has allowed some of the uniquely deformed and unusually disproportioned individuals to undergo needed treatment for the restoration of general health.

With this in mind, there are some banks and other financial institutions looking into expanding this service from simply cosmetic healthcare finance to a general surgical healthcare financing option. As talks about healthcare finance are being conducted the various entities involved in the development of the program are still at odds. There are some details that have been working effectively for the enforcement of the healthcare finance repayment that may or may not work in other areas. Healthcare finance is increasingly needed for many reasons. Specifics have not been released, however sources within a number of the banks involved are mentioning that the discussions are progressing effectively, although a universal healthcare finance option is still some time in the future.

Other options being discussed or enacted regarding healthcare finance include healthcare savings accounts; healthcare prepayment and healthcare discount programs. Some of these programs are being used currently with an effective application. The healthcare finance options have been made to be useful for the doctors and the patients, as the amount of money that is defaulted on in healthcare is finally beginning to plateau instead of grow rapidly. With so many other promising options for healthcare finance, being discussed it is only time before the cost of healthcare begins to drop again. A number of people are being vocal with several other ideas, and with time and effort the healthcare finance question will be and can be answered effectively for everyone involved in the healthcare industry, as well as their patients.

Star Trac P-TBT Total Body Trainer

Now you can have it both ways. The Star Trac P-TBT Total Body Trainer™ is the first machine to integrate strength training into a cardio workout. The product of Star Trac’s partnership with BMW Group DesignworksUSA, the P-TBT Total Body Trainer gets your heart pumping and your muscles moving like nothing else. Features: Soft Trac® pedals provide ultimate shock-absorbing comfort throughout the entire workout. Efficient footprint and approachable, stable platform with minimal step-up height for easy access from all angles. Star Trac’s popular adjustable personal fans create a more rewarding workout. User-friendly console features a large message window, motivational track, 8 user-specific workout programs, personal fan and multiple cup and accessory holders.

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Team 40/10

As many of you know (if you’ve been paying attention) I will be running the Turkey Trot with my husband Alex, my friend and her husband.  What I haven’t shared with you is the big picture…the big, giant, humungous picture.  Spurred on by my friend Julie (Turkey Trot partner), we have created Team 40/10 (we all turn 40 in 2010) to run the Chicago Marathon in October next year.  You can stop laughing now if you’ve been reading my Tweets that declare a personal best of 2 miles non-stop outside and a first 5K non-stop on the treadmill.

I am practicing the fine art of finding motivation to keep up my running workouts.  I won’t disclose the identities of my fellow team mates, but I will say we are a collection of 4 high school friends. We have all been to each other’s weddings, our kids have grown up playing together, and apparently we are all equally delusional. If I think long and hard about our end goal of surviving and making a good showing at the marathon, I get breathless.  If I think about how tough the first 5K on the treadmill was and multiply it by 9, I get panicked.  If I look at the faces of friends when I tell them of this ultimate goal, I feel embarrassed.

I am not a runner.  I will become a runner.  I don’t run because I enjoy it.  I didn’t run at all before this proposition.  There is a famous saying, “If you see Toni running you better run too because something/someone is chasing her.”  The point being that I don’t run for the sake of running.   I am now running toward a goal.  I cannot express fully what a huge difference this has made in my workout mind.  My focus is different.  I’m always looking to improve something about my run.  I’m looking to improve my speed, distance, heart rate, endurance, strength, and injury prevention.  I understand I am very early in the process and a whole slew of obstacles could and probably will pop up over this training year.  But…hold on to your hats….I am ENJOYING running!!! I don’t think I’ve experienced the rumored “runner’s high” just yet. I think you have to run longer, but I’m really looking forward to making small improvements every week so that I can feel that “high”.

Team 40/10 is a thing of beauty.  We share our workout logs, our triumphs and challenges.  We encourage one another and share tips and info that we find on-line or from experience.  There is something to be said for community.  Our little community has kept us honest with our workouts and kept us belly laughing at our dilemmas.  I am not suggesting to anyone to take on this challenge.  This is my challenge to you- Figure out what will give structure and focus to your workouts.  What will light the fire under your feet to get you up and out of bed on those dark mornings? What’s going to make it worth it for you to get off the couch and move with a purpose?  Will it be emails to a workout confession friend, a personal trainer, Weight Watchers, a workout journal, or your version of Team 40/10? Whatever it takes, figure it out and do it.

Now what you all have to look forward to is updates on the trials and tribulations of Team 40/10 in addition to the follies of the Kuhel family.  Wrestling season has just started for my Evan and Jared, Renee has returned to her Jazz dance class and Alex has a renewed spark to begin running. The stories are about to get very good, or at the very least, very entertaining.  I’d love to hear about any goals you are setting.  You can do anything. My immediate goal is to complete the Turkey Trot non-stop with Julie – vertical and smiling at the end. I’m off to add another 5K onto my running shoes – gotta report to the team later and I’m not prepared to fess up to missing a run.

Until next time…Live Well! – Team 40/10 ROCKS!!! – Toni Kuhel  

Cross Keys Gym Provides 24-Hour Service to Customers

    A 24-hour, seven-day-a -week gym recently opened in late October of this year.  Located at 611 Berlin Cross Keys Rd in the Shoppes at Cross Keys in Gloucester Township, New Jersey, Anytime Fitness is the only gym of its kind in the southern half of Gloucester Township. 

    According to General Manager, Timothy Brickner, the fitness center appeals especially to emergency responders because of the gym’s easy accommodation to shift work. “We have many firefighters, police officers, and Emergency Medical Technicians that joined our gym because they like the idea of being able to work out around their shift schedules.” Brickner added, “We value all of the emergency responders of the community and reward them with a 10 percent hero discount.” 

    Anytime Fitness prides itself on being a “specialized boutique fitness center.”  The most popular forms of exercise according to Brickner include cardio weight training and Zumba classes.

    Brickner believes that Anytime Fitness stands out from other clubs located along the Cross Keys Road corridor because of its dedication to customer service. According to Brickner, “We concentrate more on customer service and offer a more hands on approach in helping our members achieve their goals.”

           

medicine that damages more than cure

My cousin who’s suffering from Cavernous Angioma (story posted here) is taking Depakote to prevent seizures.   No one researched on the medicine until today.  We were all for what the doctor said – prevent the seizures from happening.  She has been taking this medicine for almost a month.  Days ago, my cousin was complaining that she gets extremely sleepy.  So, they went to visit the doctor again and he prescribed another medicine.  They bought it and my cousin was about to take it when they noticed a long list of negative side effects.  Only when I was advised by my mom of the first medicine did we come to realize how dangerous the previous medicine was (the second one, equally alarming).

 

If you check this page, you will see this list.    The following are the  common side effects:

• Shakiness (tremors) — in up to 57 percent of people
• Nausea — up to 48 percent
• Headaches — up to 31 percent
• Drowsiness — up to 30 percent
• Vomiting — up to 27 percent
• Weakness — up to 27 percent
• Dizziness — up to 25 percent.

Some other common side effects, occurring in 5 percent to 24 percent of people, included:

• Hair loss (see Depakote and Hair Loss)
• Abdominal pain (or stomach pain)
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Flu symptoms, such as a fever or chills
• Infections
• Double vision
• Insomnia (see Depakote and Insomnia)
• Indigestion or heartburn
• Blurred vision
• Nervousness
• Weight gain (see Depakote and Weight Gain)
• Back pain
• Coordination problems
• Uncontrollable eye movements
• Swelling or water retention in the arms, legs, or feet
• Memory loss (amnesia)
• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• Increased appetite or loss of appetite
• A fever
• Emotional problems
• Weight loss.

Serious Side Effects:

• Depression
• Signs of liver damage, such as yellow eyes or skin (jaundice)
• Signs of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), such as:

• • Severe abdominal pain (or stomach pain)
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Loss of appetite

• Worsening of seizures
• Low body temperature (below 95 degrees F), known as hypothermia
• Unexplained bruising or bleeding
• Signs of an allergic reaction, including unexplained rash, hives, itching, and unexplained swelling
• Suicidal thinking or behavior (see Seizure Medications and Suicide).

 

The medicine is for seizure prevention and yet its side effects listed that seizures can worsen.  More than that, the list is long enough for us to be doubtful whether or not we should let my cousin drink it.  I mean, would you let your child drink a medicine such as this, if it seems more harmful than useful?  The doctor sure knows what he is doing but it doesn’t mean that he knows better.  Yes, he is trying to cure/prevent seizure because this is the current main complaint.  He will find some other medicines when my cousin will complain of hair loss and then another, when my cousin complains of loss of appetite or the opposite thereof and yet another, when my cousin complains of loss of memory and the medicine would go endlessly.

 

Sometimes, it’s better if we just let  things be there rather than do something that could worsen it (cause more damage).  But then, it’s a matter of trying also.  But trying can sometimes be dangerous   (i.e. we will never know if my cousin will have memory loss/amnesia until she’s there.)

 

There are only two things to do now – take it or leave it.  Tough one!

 

(P.S.  We have not decided yet whether or not to push through with surgery.)

Nov. 11, Mile 11: Speed Bump

Over the years I’ve had fitness clients get blown out of the exercise water for one reason or another.  Only a few of the justifications I’m told are actually legit but most are just excuses they want me and themselves to believe.  When I hear an excuse from clients & myself I remember a poem that my husband was trained to memorize & recite in his college fraternity.  I googled it, turns out there are many poems they have to commit to memory for different purposes. 

Excuses (a poem you`ll have to recite if your Dean or a member thinks you`re giving an excuse to something) “Excuses are the tools of the weak and incompetent.  Used to build monuments of nothingness.  Those who excel in it seldom excel in anything else but excuses.”~ unknown   It’s Wednesday again…. the busiest day of the week in my world.  So I had a ton of excuses.  Not to mention my swollen knee.  But, like I tell my clients when they sprain an ankle, pull muscles, or incur other injuries… Stop seeing these things as Road Blocks to your destination/destiny.  These are only Speed Bumps to slow you down to learn lessons and habits along the way that you’d miss if you were going too fast.  Today is my opportunity to exercise creativity, committedness, determination, and the ability to shift.  Instead of giving up, today I altered and ran on my mini trampoline.   Walking Pedometer Steps Equivalents 1 mile = 2000 average steps (range 1900-2400) Did you know that jumping rope for 10 mins. is equivalent to a 12 min. mile?  Here’s a huge list of pedometer equivalents http://walking.about.com/od/measure/a/stepequivalents.htm   11 miles done, 19 to go.

Good Old LA Fitness

Went to LA Fitness for the first time in a W-H-I-L-E. My husband and a bunch of his friends go together so it was nice going with some people you know for a change. Julie and I have our first body pump class this Wednesday (after our rocking kickboxing instructor had an injury and stopped teaching) and I thought I’d go ahead and warm my muscles up a bit… I took it pretty easy and today I’m sore

It’s raining and cold so we’ll see if I make it out of the house this evening! Lol!

 

Interesting blogs

Here are links to some interesting articles I have come across recently:

The Hindu Push Up – a variation on the old classic

Eating quickly is associated with overeating – and overeating associated with…

The human body is built for distance – on a hot day a human can outrun a horse over a marathon

Moderate amounts of protein best for building muscle – over 30g may be a waste of your time

Baseball – head first slide is quicker – and more likely to result in your head hitting baseman’s/catcher’s knees!

 

 

The Twelve Tips and Tools for the Holiday Season, Part I

C.H.A.R.G.E. #021

“Concentration is the secret of strength.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

‘Tis the Season to be careful, if you want to stick to your wellness program during the holidays.  With all of the parties, shopping excursions, vacations, family gatherings, and opportunities for nutritional nightmares it’s no wonder that New Year’s Resolutions follow shortly thereafter.  As stress and depression escalate and wellness program participation diminishes, the need for concentrating on your health becomes of the utmost importance.   To help you stay focused, here are the first four of my “Twelve Tips and Tools for the Holiday Season”:

1. Practice mindfulness.  If you’re looking for an opportunity to become more mindful, this is it!  Increasing your awareness and attention to your health and wellness is essential for success during the holidays.  It’s easy to get caught up in the “Holiday Spirit”, tempting you to indulge on delicious treats, or skip workouts to go shopping.  This is not a time to be self-critical, but rather an opportunity to consciously make choices that support your health.  Write down your goals and read them daily to stay focused and away from the eggnog.
2. Create a reward system for yourself.  It happens all of the time, people slack off of their exercise and nutritional program when the rewards/benefits are not apparent.  Keep in mind that regardless of whether or not you are visually seeing results, you are reaping the health benefits of your efforts.  Identify something you truly find enjoyable and treat yourself when you stick to your wellness plan.  Remember, for it to be a reward you must earn it!
3. Ask someone close to you to hold you accountable.  This can be a spouse, close friend, or family member, but they must be willing to hold your feet to the fire.  Give them a list of your goals and be honest about your progress.  Make sure this person understands that accountability is free of judgment and criticism.  Most importantly, they need to encourage you to learn and grow from your experiences.
4. Find a group of like-mind people who are trying to stick with their wellness program during the holidays.  This is similar to finding someone to hold you accountable, but with a like-minded group, you can share different ideas and learn new ways to succeed during the holiday season.  Also, you know you’re not alone, and there are other people experiencing the same challenges.  Ideally, you would spend a lot of time with this group … “You are the company you keep”.

Next week we will look at four more ideas to help you stay on the straight and narrow over the next couple of months.  Don’t create a situation that will require desperate New Year’s Resolutions.

C.H.A.R.G.E. Questions:  What situations do you foresee being stumbling blocks this holiday season?  What strategies can you employ to help from experiencing setbacks?  What exercises can you perform to help increase your mindfulness?  Who can hold you accountable for your wellness?  What are some things you could use to reward yourself?

True Life Client Results

I recently prepared a Report for a client detailing her progress to date, I thought it would be worth sharing, I have removed her name to maintain client confidentiality:

Prepared by: Stephen Davies

 Progress Report for Bxxxx

 Bxxxx is a 68 year old female, Bxxxx started a 1to1 Personal Training programme in September 2008, at that time her weight was 204lbs and her measurements totalled 195.5” (see table below for break down). Her BMI was 32.3 which falls in the obese categorisation.

We started training once a week for 50 minutes at a time; this was increased to 2 sessions per week in March 2009.

  When we initially started training Bxxx found it difficult to maintain a constant work rate for longer than 5 minutes at a time, without feeling out of breath and increased pain in her right knee, overtime we have strengthened the leg and knee area and Bxxx is now able to undertake squats and running without suffering any knee pain, she is also able to maintain a high intensity work rate for the full 50 minutes.

 On the 27th October 2009 her weight was 178lbs, a weight loss of  26lbs, which is a steady weight loss across the period of training, Her total measurement are now 173.25”, reflecting a loss of  22.25” (see table below for break down), and her BMI has fallen to 28.8, which has moved Bxxx into the Overweight category. Although Bxxxx has made massive strides forward I feel she could have achieved a little more to reflect the hard work she puts in during the training, we have discussed, and agreed that Bxxxx will keep a food diary, so we can analyse her eating habits in more detail. (update: I weighed Bxxx this week and she has lost an additional 3lbs, in 1 week, since keeping a food diary).

 In July, I introduced walking into the programme on a regular basis, with the intention of building up to some running, Bxxxx has done exceptionally well with this, and we now walk/run once every week, Bxxx is now completing a brisk 35 minute walk followed by 1.4km of continuous running, and we increase this every week, which is superb.

 Her functional fitness has improved immensely, so activities in every day life have become easier and more enjoyable, like keeping up with the grand children, gardening, training her dogs etc.

 Overall all I am very pleased with Bxxx’s progress, and more importantly I know she is happy with her own achievements to date.

Arm Chest Waist Hips Thigh Mid Thigh 14 43.5 42 48 26 22 12.25 39.5 37 41 24.5 19

Another success

Well, as promised, I weighed myself this morning. And true to form, I’ve lost yet another two pounds meaning I’m now at 283 pounds! That makes my total weight loss since Oct. 15 to be 5.8 pounds! At the rate I’m going, by the time I see Dr. Rustveld again at the beginning of December, I’ll have lost at least 12 pounds or more. Not too shabby if I say so myself!

It’s great to see the progress. Little by little, but it seems that it’s coming off quicker than expected. It’s hard to believe that in just two months I’ve already lost 15 pounds. At this rate, I’ll be 268 pounds by January, 253 pounds by March, 238 pounds by May, 223 pounds by July, 208 by September. Well, I missed the goal by this time, however, let’s see how much longer it’ll take… 193 by November, 178 by January 2011. I can already smell the leather of those seats in the BMW!

Whew! It looks like a long time though   I wonder if I can speed up the process somehow. Like I said, on the one hand, it seems the pounds are just coming off, but when I look at how far there’s left to go, it seems like it’s going to be a long haul ahead — 14 months to go. I guess the good thing is that at least there’s an end in sight That’s at least some small consolation. No matter, I need to stay focused and not let this sway my resolve especially with the holidays quickly approaching. I need to remain cool and calm.

What else can I say? I made the mistake last night of putting wheat germ on my salad (two tablespoons) and then putting the salad dressing on top of it. It was really nasty. That’ll be the last time I do that. Needless to say, I consumed lots of water washing down the lettuce and tomato since it tasted so bad. I had my three ounces of chicken dabbed in parmesan cheese and cooked in olive oil, a baked potato and some green beans. Nothing fancy, just a little something.

Today, I’ve been a bad boy since I didn’t make anything to bring with me to work. I ended up having a Full Bar for breakfast, one for my morning snack and again for the afternoon snack. For lunch, I had my usual turkey Subway with all of the vegetables on oat bread (no pickles, cucumbers or jalapenos — can’t stand them). Other than that, it was good to go. Plus, I had some Sun Chips. I’m trying to get my multi-grains in somehow.

Tonight, we’ll see what happens. I forgot to mention that the other night, my fiancee and I went to one of our favorite old haunts — a Mexican food restaurant. Talk about practicing restraint — it’s the first time I’ve been there since beginning my diet. Whew! I used to get a dinner, and I mean a DINNER that came complete with three cheese enchiladas, rice, beans a la charra, chalupa, crispy taco, guacamole and a portion of queso dip to go with the chips. I’d be really stuffed afterward, but it was fantastic! This time, I just had one cheese enchilada, a chalupa and crispy taco — basically one-quarter of what I’d usually eat. I certainly wasn’t overstuffed that’s for sure but felt satisfied, and it hit the spot.

I also split a turkey sandwich with my honey the other night as well from one of those famous ham joints. It was good — of course, no vegetables or other heathly items to go with the meal other than a pickle and water. The sandwich had the meat, cheese (real cheddar) and mayonnaise. Of course, I gave the bacon to my fiancee for her to enjoy so at least I got rid of some of the fat.

So that’s what is going on from my corner of cyberspace. Take good care, enjoy the cool autumn days and evenings.

Be well and eat healthy!

Robert M.

Stretching: Why, what, when and how.

Streching:  Why do it?

We all know stretching is good for us, and most of us ignore it or just go through the motions. 

Here are a few things stretching is good for:

Group Stretching

• To increase the length of a muscle.
• To reduce risks of injuring ourselves.
• To help improve healing muscles/ligaments/tendons.
• To increase the range a joint can move through.
• To improve physical/athletic performance.
• To reduce aches/pains and joint stiffness.

So whether you are a couch potato, a healthy, normal person or an elite athlete, you can benefit by stretching.

What stretches are there?

There are 4 main types of stretches.

Static Stretch

These are:

• Static.
• Dynamic
• Ballistic
• PNF (propreoceptive neuromuscular facilitation)

Static Stretches – These are the stretches most people think about and  are characterised by not much movement.  They are good for increasing the length of a muscle and flexibility of a joint.

Dynamic Stretches – These are characterised by big, rolling, flowing movements.  You take a joint through its entire range, in all directions and all planes.  They are good for preparing the body and mind for activity/exercise.

Ballistic Stretches – These are characterised by small, bouncing moves at the extremes of a joints range.  These have a much higher injury risks associated with them and as a general rule should be avoided unless you have a definite, specific need for them.  Examples include:  Touching your toes with a bouncing action.

PNF Stretches – These are characterised by the use of a partner to help.  These are probably the most advanced type of stretch and can be ignored by beginners.  These are the best for increasing the length of a muscle and flexibility of a joint.

When to stretch.

Dynamic Stretch

Dynamic Stretches – as these are “preparatory” stretches and are “movement “ based, they are best done:

• Before exercise/physical activity.
• In the mornings.
• At start of the day.
• When you want to “wake up” the body/mind.

Static/PNF Stretches – as these need to be done when you are already warm and not feeling stiff, these are best done:

• After exercise/physical activity.
• In the afternoons/evenings.

While there is no real harm in doing static stretches before exercise, you may not want to bother because:

• This is the least effective time to do them.
• They tend to cool you down and lower your heart rate because you are basically sitting/standing still.
• They reduce the power output of your muscles in the short term.

How to stretch

Static Stretches.

• Gradually stretch muscles close to their limits. 
• RELAX and breath naturally. 
• Gradually increase stretch and hold for 15-30 seconds. 
• Come out of stretch completely, shake off limbs and repeat 4-5 times. 

Examples include:  Touching your toes, splits etc.

Dynamic Stretches.

• Priority on big, expansive, rolling, continuous movements.
• Start with smaller joints (fingers, wrists, ankles etc) progressing to bigger joints (shoulders, hips etc) finally full body movements.
• Try to avoid situations where you are motionless.

Examples include:  Arm swings/rolls (upper body), high-knee steps and bum kicks (lower body), getting up/down from the floor (full body).

PNF Stretch

PNF Stretches.

• Use a partner to stretch a joint until you feel a tightness in the target muscle.
• Then contract the target muscle while partner resists with equal force (so your limb does not actually move).  Keep contracting for 3-10 seconds.
• Relax and have your partner stretch and hold your limb for 15-30 seconds.
• Repeat up to 5 times.

Important:  With PNF stretches, you do run the risk of injury if you/your partner are not sensible or don’t know what you are doing!

Please get expert help before you do these!

And finally…

Everyone can benefit from stretching, regardless of age.

A very important factor to consider is frequency.

You should make stretching part of every workout you do, but also you should try to do “mini-stretches”.  These can take the form of 30-60 seconds of your favourite dynamic stretches, repeated several times throughout your normal day.

This helps keep your joints mobile and loose, keeps your nervous system firing on all cylinders and is a great way to keep your brain awake while your at work/school!

For more information about your Health & Fitness, contact us today for a free consultation.

Depression Linked to Processed Foods [Down & Out Cuz You're Always Eating Out?]

Per BBC News, data on diet among 3,500 middle-aged civil servants was compared with depression five years later, the British Journal of Psychiatry reported.

The team said the study was the first to look at the UK diet and depression.

They split the participants into two types of diet – those who ate a diet largely based on whole foods, which includes lots of fruit, vegetables and fish, and those who ate a mainly processed food diet, such as sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products.

After accounting for factors such as gender, age, education, physical activity, smoking habits and chronic diseases, they found a significant difference in future depression risk with the different diets.

Those who ate the most whole foods had a 26% lower risk of future depression than those who at the least whole foods.

By contrast people with a diet high in processed food had a 58% higher risk of depression than those who ate very few processed foods.

It is not yet clear why some foods may protect against or increase the risk of depression but scientists think there may be a link with inflammation as with conditions such as heart disease.

Dr Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said: “This study adds to an existing body of solid research that shows the strong links between what we eat and our mental health.

He added people’s diets were becoming increasingly unhealthy.

“We are particularly concerned about those who cannot access fresh produce easily or live in areas where there are a high number of fast food restaurants and takeaways.”

I believe this study holds a lot of truth.  Whenever I start a healthy diet, I always feel better inside and out. Processed foods or Junk foods always end up making me feel heavy and lazier than usual.  Whenever I eat lots of fruits and salads, I feel lighter relative to my body and also my mind.  It’s not hard to believe that Junk foods give negative side effects to one’s mental abilities – you are what you eat, right?

How I lost 70 pounds and how you can too.

I lost 70 pounds, which is 5 stone in UK measurements or 31.75 kilograms. I am in my 7th decade of life.

How did I do that?

• First off, I did not do it rapidly. I ate a sensible diet and it took me 2 years to lose that weight.
• Second, I exercised steadily, got a whole lot stronger, and as a consequence, I look a whole lot better. People treat me with a great deal more respect.

I’m not an Adonis, nor do I have any outstanding physical prowess.

How and why I did it will be the subject of some coming posts in this category.

Most people can achieve a sensible weight and level of fitness. I’ll be giving some hints and will welcome questions.

But the first thing you must do, especially if you’re older, is get an okay from your doctor. Get your heart, lungs, blood sugars, etc checked and a doctor’s okay before you start. That’s the most important thing. I’ll be talking about consulting doctors later on.

Regards,

Alan OldStudent