LuuLuu's New Belly Dance Instructors

New Belly Dance Instructors – I am so pleased to announce LuuLuu’s Belly Dance Fitness newest instructors Kim Simmons and Gretchen Murray. Many of you know them through my classes in CCH primarily. They are always ready to lend a helping hand. This will allow more days and locations for LuuLuu’s Belly Dance Fitness Class throughout the Chicagoland area. I will visit the new locations periodically but these are their babies. Kim Simmons first class will begin in January. Stay tuned for complete info. Instructor training will begin in January. If interested please let me know.

Food, fall and fitness...

…the three Fs of the moment.

Food. My food situation at the moment is, well, bland. It’s to the point where I dream about food. At night, I literally dream of going to Kroger, filling my cart with foods I read about on my favorite food blogs like Snackface and Graze With Me. I dream about having the means (i.e., a kitchen of my own) to whip up creative concoctions that somehow manage to be delicious at the same time. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: I can’t wait until next year when I have a kitchen so I can cook my own meals. I’m getting tired of the same old, same old. It’s good, but it’s repetitive. I’m definitely making an effort to try new snacks, though, because I do have some control over that.

Fall. Monday was the first day it really felt like fall. I finally busted out one of the shirts I bought on my Great Pennsylvania Excursion, and wore another one today…er, yesterday, at this point. I tried chaider (chai tea with apple cider instead of milk)  from my favorite coffee shop for the first time and found it to be good, but much too sweet for me to have very often. It was a wonderful fall drink, though. I really enjoy summer, but fall is probably my second favorite season…maybe just for the clothes :p And pumpkin everything!

Fitness. Well…I dropped badminton. I know, I know, I was so excited about it. But it was at a really inconvenient time for me and now I’ll have more time to do the insane amount of reading I have for history. I went to a core class at the gym tonight, and it kicked my ass because this one was more focused on lower-body strength, which I lack. The last one I went to had more upper-body exercises, and I was able to do those better because of four years of tennis in high school. It was definitely a good workout though, despite the fact that my legs feel like they weigh five million pounds. Next Monday I’m adding Pilates into the mix of the classes I take (core on Tuesdays and a cardio class on Fridays).

Well, I’m going to head to bed now. Let’s hope my dreams don’t involve more grocery store trips.

Just In @ The Body Temple: BodyBlades!

The BodyBlade is an awesome new toy that we recently picked up for the gym. Is it the only training tool you’ll ever need? Probably not. Is it an insanely fun (and functional) element to add into your current workout plan? Hell yes! You really have to try them for yourself to appreciate how great a workout it really is. Please enjoy the super cheesy music in this little promo video I found on youtube.

10K Run for Cancer Research UK

I have signed myself up for a 10K run in aid of Cancer Research UK for Sunday 18th October in a local park. This is the thrid time I have jogged to raise money for this charity and I have done so each year since my mother passed away from lung cancer almost three years ago. I had been training well until the summer holidays broke my rhythm and then Ramadan totally took out any fitness I had built up through training.

Ramadan is now over, my recent cold gone and I started back jogging. I only have three weeks left to get into shape so a bit of a challenge I guess!

I live opposite the park where the run is going to be held, so I have that advantage but I was very disappointed in my performance, but understandable considering the last time I ran. Then, in July I hit a lap time of 17mins 50secs and 16mins 29secs – not bad I thought – although I am not sure of the distance, about 2.5km at a rough guess.

Yesterday I was doing 18mins 35secs and 19mins 9secs and I am taking that as a good 2mins down on what I would prefer to be at. I will need to plot my training carefully over the next couple of weeks, and although timing is not going to be something I will worry about, at least I should see some improvement between now and then. But, I felt so good jogging and even the morning after I feel good, so that is encouragement and motivation enough for me!

If you want to donate to my fund, then go to: http://www.run10ksponsorme.org/dawudmarsh

Revelation

After a great weekend, I’ve vowed to make this week a huge success. The family and I took a little day trip and did some walking. I did have one slip up with food, however. I forgot to bring some snacks so I was super hungry by the time we got to Arby’s.

I’m starting to find out that my biggest issue is going to be with snacking at night. I think I’ve figured out some ways to control that. I bought string cheese and baby carrots to snack on. I figure you can’t go wrong with veggies and protein so those are going to be my snacks.

I’ve printed out some food diary pages from Microsoft Office so that I can keep track of what I eat during the day. It’s easier for me to write it all down during the day because I don’t have much time to add it all to SP.

My work schedule is crazy right now due to the launch of several marketing campaigns and a new service. As a result, I’m always in front of my computer, including for lunch. However, I’m going to work hard to change that. My 5 year old gets off the bus at noon so we’re going to start eating lunch together. We usually eat lunch together, in the same room, but not actually together.

During our ride on our day trip yesterday, I took my cooking light cookbook with me. While enjoying the ride and thumbing through the cookbook, I had a revelation. It’s something I’ve always known but never really put much stock into it. I realized that I have to take care of myself.

Our trip was very successful in more ways than one. My husband is so supportive. I’m so lucky to have such a wonderful family. So now it’s time for me to get myself in gear so I can make myself and my family proud.

B

Half-Marathon Training: 41 Days To Go

Completed half of a half-marathon on Saturday. Well, about half. Did 6.35 miles (actual half of a half marathon would be 6.55 miles).  Completed in 1:10 (hour and ten minutes).  I felt pretty strong. You can see my 6.4 mile run on RunKeeper here:  http://bit.ly/23X2m

I certainly have the lung and heart power to complete the run, it’s just a question of taking care of my feet.  Therefore, I have started a program in which after a long run, I will take some time off to preserve my feet and avoid injury.  So today, Sunday, had a lighter day.  Did some stretching, boxing, and weight lifting.  Tomorrow will do spinning (cycling class).  Great cardio workout without (much) impact.

MaxGXL TV starts next week. Are you ready?

MaxGXL TV premiers next week on September 28th, providing you with an unbeatable opportunity to share our products and opportunity with your contacts around the corner or around the country. Are you ready to leverage this prime-time exposure and give your Max business a boost?

Five Ways to Watch
Beginning on the 28th, MaxGXL TV will broadcast on Monday nights at 10 p.m. Eastern time, 7 p.m. Pacific on DirecTV channel 318 and channel 92.

If you don’t have DirecTV, you can view MaxGXL TV on-line, in short segments, at the same time–10 p.m. Eastern time, 7 p.m. Pacific. View it on the Max Media page of our website, http://www.max.com/maxmedia/ on or on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/MaxInternationalLLC. You can also watch the full one-hour video on www.max.com/maxgxltv.

Starting on the 28th, you will also be able to purchase the first installment on DVD. Details on how to do so will be announced Monday.

What You Will See
Steven K. Scott and Shawn King will host the premiere episode, which will repeat throughout October. Their guests in this episode include:

• Former NFL quarterback Bruce Mathison
• Heisman Trophy-winner Johnny Rodgers
• Diamond Associates Scott and Darlene Unclebach
• Dr. Daria Davidson
• Julie Clinton of Extraordinary Women
• Bill Gillespie, bench press world-record holder

Contact your prospects now and invite them to join you for the broadcast in your home. When they leave, send them home with a supply of MaxGXL®. If Monday night isn’t convenient for them, give them options. You can always record the broadcast on DVR or tape, and schedule a better time for viewing. You can also visit your friends and watch the broadcast on-line with them. You may also find it effective to give your prospects the links to the on-line content and let them watch at their own convenience. Be sure to follow up afterward!

MaxGXL TV is another compelling and professional way for you to share the Max International message. Prepare yourself now and let this exclusive tool help you build your business in ways you have only dreamed of.

MaxGXL TV FAQ

Q: How long are the MaxGXL TV episodes?
A: Each episode is one hour.

Q: How often do new episodes air?
A:The premiere episode will air every Monday for a month, and then the second episode will air for a month, and so on.

Q: What is the content of MaxGXL TV?
• Founders Briefing – Max International founders talk about the company, the products and the direction.
• Athletes Corner – Testimonials about MaxGXL from world class athletes and coaches
• The Doctor is in – Discussions with Max medical doctors and research scientists.
• Associate Spotlight & Recognition – Spotlight on various Associates and their efforts.

Q: How will Max capture leads from interested viewers?
A: www.max.com will feature link for people who viewed the program to provide their contact information.

High time to track fitness, especially for obese and sedentary

Physicians should consider lack of fitness an independent cardiovascular risk factor, measure it routinely, and help patients avoid being in the least-fit category, write cardiovascular specialists from the William Beaumont Hospital in suburban Detroit.

A regular walk may be the easiest and least expensive preventive strategy for obese patients, they add.

Search term: exercise cardiovascular risk

RESULT: Cardiorespiratory Fitness: An Independent and Additive Marker of Risk Stratification and Health Outcomes
Mayo Clinic Proceedings | Sep 1, 2009

A report in the same issue documents that fitness is a better marker of cardiovascular mortality risk than body mass index among women with impaired fasting glucose or undiagnosed diabetes. The study involved more than 3000 women observed over the course of 16 years.

RESULT: The Association Between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Risk of All-Cause Mortality Among Women With Impaired Fasting Glucose or Undiagnosed Diabetes Mellitus
Mayo Clinic Proceedings | Sep 1, 2009

_______________________________________________________________

OTHER RECENT SEARCHES

Search: prostate cancer

RESULT: Controversies in the Management of Localized Prostate Cancer: After the Rhetoric
Cancer Network | Sep 11, 2009

Experts face off this month and next on the best ways to manage early prostate cancer.

(To reach page 1 of this article, after clicking on the article result scroll to the bottom, look for the numbers 1 and 2, and click on the number 1.)

Search:  hypertriglyceridemia

RESULT: Heparin Treatment for Severe Hypertriglyceridemia in Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Archives of Internal Medicine | Aug 10, 2009

When all else fails, administering intravenous heparin may reduce severe hypertriglyceridemia in ketoacidosis, and may reduce the risk of acute pancreatitis.

Search: halitosis

RESULT: Mouthrinses for the treatment of halitosis Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | Aug 11, 2008

Antibacterial mouthwashes can improve bad breath but may stain the teeth, according to an evidence-based review.

______________________________________________________________

SEARCH TIP: Evidence-based Articles

This article category is filtered to offer only systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomized trials.

finishing touch to school

walked around a lot today to run errands, finished withdrawing from school finally! before i went though i went on a download spree using university wireless haha. got some new material to watch and a new album to listen to, plus rented “waltz with baashir.” oh yeah never got around to watching the wire last night haha got too distracted. picked up the serfas fp-200 pump from rei also which was on my to-buy list for a while.

watching a graf movie right now, the whole graf lifestyle is so fucked up and crazy i could never be a writer haha. they are just relentless its like a totally different, almost sociopathic mentality. its awesome though i respect it a lot and i love being an outside observer haha.

did chest+back today, my body is so sore! my journey into fit continues though and i fucking feel great.

-k

Thoughts from my Morning Ride

I logged 14.75 miles today and I also made some observations, presented to you in a handy dandy bullet list, whee!

• How is it that my route felt like it was uphill both ways?
• To the lady coming out of the dog park with her dog on a 10′ lead.  It is not cool to stop to talk to your friend while you allow your dog to cross the path using the entire length of the leash.  Then when you saw me, you still moved at a snail’s pace to cross, making me slow from 12 mph to zero on crushed limestone.  You suck.
• Acorns make traction on crushed limestone a little dodgy.
• When walking three abreast towards me while taking up the entire path, please step back to your half of the path for the 1.2 seconds it will take me to pass you.  I do not want to go on the grass.  There is a reason it is called a forest preserve.
• Why are the buttons from some crosswalks over 15′ away from where I need to stop to cross?  By the time I push the button and get back in position, the light is yellow.  WTF?
• To the lady who turned left in front of me to get to the bank.  You suck.
• To the man in the van waiting to get buzzed into the private drive, thank you for pulling up to give me more room to get around.  I said thank you, I hope you heard me.
• To the city of Naperville.  Why install a crosswalk button that doesn’t work?  I pushed it and waited two light cycles before I gave up and crossed on the red, hoping that the opposite direction traffic didn’t get the green when I was halfway across.
• To the lady who let me turn left at the 4-way stop without requiring me to come to a full stop, thank you.  I was willing to stop, and was hoping that you would let me go, but didn’t expect it.

I spent a good time yesterday cleaning my chain & derailleur (it was neglected for a while) and adjusting the brakes.  Sadly though, you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.  Or as my husband likes to say, you can’t polish a piece of shit.  For a whopping 5 minutes, my brakes were quiet, then they started chattering again.  I probably could use new brake pads.  The loud brakes work to my advantage though when I engage them to slow before passing someone.  They make my presence known.

Detoxification Eve

I sit here on the eve of my detox, a caramel apple on my plate. I forgot I had it in the fridge, and I just couldn’t bare throwing it away before embarking on my 28 day raw food diet detox. I figure I have a good 30 minutes before the stroke of midnight to indulge… (takes huge bite of caramel apple)… Damn, this tastes good!

Lately, I’ve been feeling the adverse effects of a poor, low fiber, high sugar, salt, and fat diet. I am typically quite disciplined, and hold to a fairly strict diet and workout routine. Somewhere along the way, I lost it. I seriously LOST IT. I lost my sense of being, awareness, energy all messed up, and stagnant. We all go through it. Some people more than others. Some of us are in a permanent state of this, that they don’t know any different. I, on the other hand DO.

I am in the process of “Job acquisition”. I decided to call it that because I felt it had a more positive flare, rather than job “hunt”, or job “search”. Both of those descriptions allow for negativity to seep in. As though the ability for you to not get a job, is actually plausible. To me, I don’t want the thought of me NOT getting a job to be a reality. So, job “acquisition” it is!

Anyways, for almost a month now, I’ve been struggling to reach some point of normalcy. However, I’ve allowed myself to slip even further down a dark hole in the process. I cam to the realization that. I NEED HELP! All kinds of help. Mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, you name it, I need it! At the same time, I also realized that the only person who can help me, is me!

This, is where the overwhelming feeling come over you, because you don’t even know where to start. You’ve convinced yourself to this point that you are in the state of being you’re in, because of outside forces. It’s x, y, and z’s fault, not mine. Oh boy. Well, for me I now see that it’s all me. The opposing, negative, SOB forces will always be at play. They will always be there to try and sink they’re sharp, toxic, and ravenous teeth into you. Either you stand there and let it happen, or you run like hell! I guess I just layed down and closed my eyes, because I got eaten up like a bag of lays potato chips! I allowed myself to be where I am today, and I’ve now made the decision to 1. enroll in this detox for 28 days 2. start back working out, with a combination of pilates and yoga. There are other personal goals I will share later, but those are the two that take precedent. I have to regain balance, inside and out. I need to put the best foods in my body, cleans out the garbage inside, and mentally and spiritually cleanse. It’s all connected. From there, I will work on other goals.

Tomorrow, I am waking up at 6:45am to meditate, and start my day with intent. This is what we were told to do for the detox. Then I will take a crap load of these herbs. I will take my shower, eat a piece of fruit for breakfast, get my daughter ready for her first day at her new school, and be on my way.

Wish me luck. I know the first week will be ridden with withdrawals of various foods, especially my addiction to sugar! I will keep you updated daily as to what I’m experiencing and feeling.

Goal Setting

So yesterday I completed my third day of workouts. I have my December goal clearly in my sights but there is a need to focus on some shorter and intermediate term goals. I am afraid if I don’t focus on the shorter term goals I will get frustrated and lose sight of my overall objective. I have to keep in mind that in goal setting, which I’m better at giving advice than putting in practice, it is important to set achievable goals. So this week  I will focus on my workouts and my food intake with an achievable goal of dropping down to 162 pounds.

Now this is not going to be as easy as it seems. I will be flying and out of town for four of the next seven days. Any road warrior can tell you that finding healthy food and a decent place to workout while traveling is in of its self a challenge. Tomorrow is going to be troublesome; do I get up crazy early, 5 am,  so I can get in a two hour workout or do I try to find an affordable gym in Salt Lake City. Personally I am leaning for the early workout. Tuesday presents another challenge. I pull a 12 hour duty day with 7 hours and 30 minutes in an airplane. When I get home I will be tired and not really motivated to hit up Lifetime. However I will keep both my daily goal and weekly goal in mind and drag my tired ass to Lifetime.

Current: 164 LBS

Daily Goal: Burn no less than 1000 calories per day through fitness training

Weekly Goal: On September 28 weigh in at 162 or less.

Long Term Goal: December 1st weigh in at 140 LBS.

I’m off to Lifetime I’ll catch you tomorrow

Cheers!

shop til’ you drop

Shoe shopping success!

My beloved, ragged, dirty Asics 2130s have been replaced with a brand spanking new pair of 2140s.

I am so in love. Look at the pretty blue. Not that they will stay that way for long. But the CUSHIONING! Ah, the CUSHIONING. My feet were jumping up and down for joy. Literally. I jumped around in these suckers. In the store.

After I purchased those I snacked on a Larabar,

and then I met the ladies for dress shopping, also a large success.

You guys will be pleased to know that I will not be wearing a rust colored, mid calf monstrosity and I could not be happier.

I fed my happiness with Starbucks.

Grande nonfat latte with 2 pumps of pumpkin spice + a blueberry oat bar.

I few hours later, I fed that happiness again.

Roasted potatoes and carrots, bread and salad. Seconds on the salad and two thumbs up!

Don’t worry, I didn’t forget dessert.

Chocolate chip cake!

No freaking lie, I had two slices. It was SO GOOD.

****

Look what came in the mail today!

All my race stuff for the 5k! I am getting so pumped for my FIRST race of the season!

Avast, me hearties!

Did you know today is National Talk Like A Pirate Day?

If you know nothing of talking ‘pirate’, well here are some wonderful instructional videos.

I feel certain ye shall find these very helpful. Or not.

ARRRRRR and a yo ho ho!

*****

In celebration of National Talk Like A Pirate Day, I ran 12 miles this morning. I actually think it was a little longer than that, because I felt more beat after this run than I even began to feel after my half-marathon.

Before my run I had a piece of toast with almond butter.

During my run around miles 5 and 10 I snacked on dried bananas and apricots.

Currently I am icing my knees,

and chilling.

After my icing is done I feel certain that I will shower, but more importantly I am going to get new shoes before I meet the girls for dress shopping.

Have a great day, and don’t forget to Talk Like A Pirate!

PS: You may have noticed a new section on my blog titled ‘Bestes Von’. Supposedly that’s German for ‘Best of’. Don’t ask why I chose German. I just did. Anyway, that’s where you can find the ‘Best of’ WHIT! Go check it out, matey!

Get rid of Cellulite

Hi world, this is my very first blog. Today i want to talk to you about Cellulite, all the girls out there know what this is, it’s the dimply look in the skin usually around the backside and thighs. Without going into too much detail because it would take all day, the following are things you can start on straight away to get rid of this menace.

• Proper eating
• Drink more water
• Move more
• Stress Less
• Get a regular massage

There are many Lotions, Pills and Treatments out there that promise the world and usually cost the world as well.

The best, the safest and the healthiest way is to do the above, especially weight training work in the lower body muscles. Fat is like a candle, when the body is hot, the fat melts down like candle wax and is transported around the body to be used for energy. By shifting the underlying fat and increasing lean muscle mass, you will give the area a taught toned look and get rid of the dreaded Cellulite.

If you live in the Essendon or surrounding area’s that are close to my Personal Training Studio, and you want to do something about your Cellulite problem, please contact me via Email and i will be happy to help you further.

niddrie@newlevelpersonaltraining.com

iFitness Hack

The iFitness smartphone application is one of the best and most popular iPhone/Blackberry apps for fitness junkies.

• It has a huge exercise database that provides clear instructions and pictures of hundreds of exercises.
• It has all sorts of pre-designed workouts based upon your individual fitness goals.
• It also lets you design custom workouts
• You can even create new exercises and upload pictures.

But, it isn’t perfect.

What I would like to see is an iFitness hack where people like me (trainers) could design custom iFitness workouts for other iFitness subscribers (my clients).

But, you can’t do that.

And since I have had no success in contacting iFitness (email, phone, carrier pigeon) about this issue, I thought that I would throw my request out onto the internet.

So, is there anyone out there with the computer skills to help me design a better iFitness-esqe app?

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Text only. No markup allowed.

And for those of you who have no idea what iFitness is, here is an introductory video

Weight Training For Healthy Bones and Enhanced Aging

As we age, the importance and numerous benefits of weight training, becomes increasingly significant. Endless research has been done on this topic, and as a result of these studies we now have hard evidence that as we age our bone density declines or weakens, but unlike some degenerative conditions, there is something we can do to battle one of the most common negative effects of aging.

Medical studies have shown that by keeping stress on the bones and keeping the joints moving, we can maintain healthy bone density and problem free joints as we age. Why weight training? Simply put, the process of lifting weight causes the muscles and tendons to pull against the bone, this process stimulates the cells in the bone to produce more bone, thus increasing bone density; most people don’t realize that bone is living – growing tissue.

There are several other considerable benefits to weight training besides increasing bone density; weight training has also been proven to reverse the natural decline in your metabolic rate which begins around the age of 30 and becomes very apparent by the age of 40. To help combat a slowing metabolism and control weight, weight training builds muscles and muscle burns way more calories than fat, so the more lean muscle you have, the more totally calories you burn throughout the day.

Weight training or as it is some times called ” strength training, load-bearing or weight- bearing” exercise (exercises in which your muscle move against resistance) can very well be called the “Fountain of Health”.

Unfortunately, due to a common old school misconception regarding lifting weights, many people have shied away from weight training in fear of getting muscle bound or getting a muscle beach, body builder physique. Let me put this thinking to rest right away. The average person would have to lift an insane amount of weight and train for hours a day (or ingest dangerous steroids) to even get close to having to buy triple x shirts. Women in particular fear lifting weights, afraid of the muscle bound myth, but the fact is that weight training will tone their bodies (especially that troublesome flab under the arm, that so many women complain about) and by strengthening their bones through weight training, they will be greatly reducing their risk of developing osteoporosis. While women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease, don’t be fooled, men also can also suffer from osteoporosis. Over 28 million Americans suffer from this present day health threat.

In regards to seniors, adults 65 and older, weighting training not only helps with bone density issues, but also increases muscle strength as well, thereby improving range of motion and balance, providing them with a safer and higher quality of life. Every 18 seconds, a senior has a fall. Every 35 minutes someone in this age group dies as a direct result of their injuries caused by a fall. Falls are the leading cause of injury related deaths. In one year alone more then 1.8 million people 65 years or older were treated in emergency rooms, 20-30% of seniors who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries such as bruises, hip factures and trauma. Much of this could have been avoided with increased senior physical conditioning through weight training and other exercise.

Good nutrition also plays an important role in keeping bones healthy. Bones are made up of about 65 percent minerals and a large percentage is made up of calcium. Just as keeping a load (weight or resistance) on bones is important, calcium is also critical to maintaining healthy, growing, dense bones. Other important nutrients needed are: Vitamin D, which aids the body to absorb calcium. Phosphorus that with calcium creates the bonding glue that provides the bones strength. Magnesium, works with calcium and impacts structure. Certain vitamins and other minerals also have active roles in bone health, such as vitamins like C, A, K and minerals copper, zinc, manganese.

Been kind to your body, treat it with the respect it deserves and it will serve you well for years to come. As with all exercise programs, before embarking on a new program consult your medical provider, and to avoid injury and learn proper mechanics seek the guidance of a certified personal trainer for the ultimate experience.

__________________________________________________________

Have a question? Ask a fitness professional: info@thefitnessunderground.com

Visit THE FITNESS UNDERGROUND-LOS ANGELES: http://www.thefitnessunderground.com

This weeks fitness session was...

In case you missed it, this is the circuit we did at this weeks fitness session.  We went 3 times round…

Box Jumps

Shoulder Press

Skipping

Shuttle Runs

Side Plank - On your left side

Overhead Lunge

Upright Row

Star Jumps

Side Plank - On your right side

This was a nice mix of everything today, with the goal being “do as many reps as possible”.

Because there was 9 of us and 9 stations, there was always someone doing the running, so we used them as our timer.  We would move on when they had finished their runs.

This was nice when there was a good runner (we were able to move on quite quickly), but not so nice when there was a slow runner!  Because i’m a pretty rubbish runner, this gave me the drive i needed to try harder and go faster.

Perfect!

NOBODY was bored!

Don’t you wish your PE lessons were fun like this?

Yeah! We wish!

With an instructor whom we affectionately known as Mr Green, our gym ball chillers toured the mall last weekend giving shoppers tips on making full use of the gym balls that the mall is giving away.

Mr Green and his gym ball chillers annoucing their arrival They received curious stares  

Let's start with the neck stretch

Now the back stretch

 

Beep beep....stretch!

 

The gym ball chillers danced to the music of "NOBODY" by Korean Girl band - Wondergirls. We are pretty sure, NOBODY was bored by it

 

 

They also played games with the shoppers.

 

And gave away gym balls to whoever can balance on them

 

The Gym Ball Chillers with Mr Green and our weekend roadshow emcee, Denish

It was a tiring day but everyone enjoyed it!   You may have missed the fun we had, watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzgpyTyd89U&feature=related   We have also prepared more fun for you this weekend with the Hula Hoop Challenges by KETTLER and dance workouts by Amore.   We are still giving away gym balls, simply spend a minimum of $120* (max. 5 same-day receipts) at Tampines 1 to redeem a gym exercise ball. (U.P. $55). One of the purchases must be made at a sports shop. See http://www.tampines1.com.sg for details.   See you @ Tampines 1!   Love, Tampines 1

Reminder: FREE Nutrition Lecture

You are coordiately invited to attend our Nutrition Lecture with Martha McKittrick, RD, CDN, CDE – a New York City based registered dietitian/certified dietitian-nutritionist and certified diabetes educator who has made it her mission to help people understand food and nutrition.

Date: Thursday, September 17th

Time: 6:30 PM

Location: Central Park – 97th And 5th Avenue

If you are attending, and I highly suggest you do, please make sure to RSVP at stacy@nycadventurebootcamp.com so I can know how many of you to expect. Feel free to bring a friend (woman) if you like as well.

Committed to your success,

Stacy Papakostas

 

NUTRITION MATTERS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

~ Lao-Tzu

I want to encourage each of you not to worry about what you think you CAN’T do. Instead, focus on doing something that you CAN do.

018. Jillian, burgers, and strength training

Biggest Loser premiered back in the U.S. today (er, yesterday for me??? Wow. That’s not confusing at all…) and I’m sad to have not been able to catch it. I’m hoping someone will *cough* kindly upload it to YouTube so I can catch it without having to wait the week that NBC takes to put the videos up. Either way, at least I can see it eventually.

Which is good! Because I’ve been missing my doses of Jillian since her radio show disappeared this summer. I LOVE listening to the podcasts of her show while I run. It is so empowering and motivating for me. If you haven’t listened to her show, or if you have missed some episodes, you can check them out here.

After this morning’s Maria Muffin, a yogurt, and some iced coffee, I headed out for a two-mile run (which is what I’m currently running on my “short run” days).

I felt pretty good before I left for my run.

Not too far into the run, maybe half a mile, I realized I had probably waited too long between eating breakfast and taking off because I had no energy and felt very sluggish in general.

But, I made it. I did my two miles, came home and did a little bit of upper body and abs strength training, showered and then made myself this yummy lunch:

I’m actually a little impressed that I thought to make this because my creativity in the kitchen is pretty limited. But, we have some English muffins that needed to be eaten before they went bad and I was already thawing a package of beef for tonight’s tacos. I threw on some spinach, onion, ketchup, and mustard and there it was: the first all-beef burger I’ve had in Japan. Had a handful of grapes and water to round out the meal. It was yummmmmmmy!

I mentioned I did some ST today, but in all honest it was a pretty pathetic attempt. I did two sets of 12 pushups (some were girly-style), tricep dips, 20 bicycle crunches, and 10 leg swings. Not great, but at least I am trying, right??? ST is a little tough right now because I have no hand weights or resistance bands. I’m hoping to invest in some soon, though, along with a few ST-type videos. Ugh, let’s be honest here, folks: I am not the biggest fan of strength training. If I could do all cardio and get the hard, toned body I desire, I totally would!

I’m thinking of purchasing a few of these videos:

Or, maybe some of Jillian’s new(er) videos.

Have any of you tried these or have other suggestions?

Or, even better, do you have a ST program that requires no equipment?

Dusting off my trusty Wii, healthy shopping, & a new recipe

I’m finally feeling better, after last week’s nebulous sickness.  Something between a flu and a cold.  Whatever it was, it sapped me of my energy and made working out improbable if not impossible.

So I was really looking forward meeting Jimmy for our 6pm training session today, because all day I felt great – light, energetic, and so happy about life in general.  When I got home I got a text from him telling me that now HE was sick and he thought it was the flu.  So… back to the drawing board.

I *could’ve* gone to the gym, but I also needed to go to the grocery store, grade some essays, and get dinner going.

Instead of skipping a workout, as I might have done in the past, I decided to dust off my Wii Fit and EA Sports Active and give those a whirl.  I think I got out of the daily habit of jumping on my Wii for a little Fit/EA Sports Active right about the time that I started with the personal training sessions.  Not sure how they’re correlated, exactly, except to say that I have been expending so much energy at the gym that I don’t have the time/wherewithal left most of the time.

It felt good to get back on the Wii.  I really enjoyed my morning routine in the early part of the summer when I’d start making the coffee and then play the Wii Fit for 20 minutes or so before I started reading the paper/having breakfast/drinking coffee.  It wasn’t that I burned a lot of calories, but it was a good way to get active first thing and it helped me feel like I was doing something to get my blood pumping right off the bat.

Now that I have a 1st period prep every other day, I am going to start that habit back up.  This way, I can keep waking up at the same time each day, but I can fit in this type of workout 2-3 times a week.  In fact, since I wake up at the ungodly hour of 5:20am, I should be able to fit in both the Wii Fit and the EA Sports Active before I get ready on those late mornings.

_________________

After the workout, I headed to the grocery store to pick up a bunch of produce and a few other items.  Things like bok choy, edamame, whole wheat pasta, granny smith apples, nectarines, strawberries, Oikos honey-flavored Greek yogurt, Yoplait yogurt (I’m a sucker for the breast cancer pink lids), and a HUMONGOUS container of organic spinach.

As I was in the checkout line, I noticed the woman ahead of me looking at the items as I placed them onto the belt.  She said, “wow, you’re buying so much healthy stuff!  It all looks so good and so fresh.  That’s wonderful!”  I told her I was on WW and really enjoyed eating this way.  She said that she had been thinking of joining, but wasn’t sure about it, but after seeing my groceries and being impressed, she was going to look into finding a meeting.

I can’t tell you how good this made me feel!  First of all that someone noticed my healthy choices, but also the fact that my simple shopping trip at Safeway inspired someone to possibly join WW.  So cool!

_______________________

When I got home, I made one of the best dinners I’ve had in a long, long time, which you can find below this post.  It was so hearty, satisfying, and delicious.  I hope you try it out.

How to Start Running

Okay now that you maybe thinking of trying to give this running thing a “shot”, the next question usually comes….where do I begin?  I found a great article in the September 2009 issue of Women’s Health magazine.  It really points out the basics of what you need to get started in the sport of running and it really isn’t that much.  The two most important things you need to get started is “a good pair of shoes and a little determination.” I recommend going to a running specific store to get fitted for a good pair of running shoes.  You don’t have to get the most expensive ones, but listen to the salesperson in the running store, they are speaking from running experience, which is why I recommend going to a running store in your area vs. Sports Authority or a multi sports store for your running shoes. 

Getting started is the next task…this is very important!!!!  It is okay to start out slow.  Again, IT IS OKAY TO START OUT SLOW!  Easing into it is the key to staying healthy and injury-free.  It is very important that you have a positive running experience, otherwise I highly doubt you will want to take up the sport of running.  This is for fun remember, not a chore!!  Below is the link of the article.  If you are remotely interested in giving this awesome sport a try, I highly recommend reading this article first.

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/start-running-0

It's only money, right...

** My Sweet New Ride **

It started out like any other Saturday. Sleeping in the morning after a night shift, dropping the girls off at a birthday party, checking out the Farmers Market, lunch with Mark, and looking around the Bike Barn. Actually that was a pretty good Saturday, not too common I suppose.

We went to the Bike Barn http://www.bikebarn.ca/  to see what kind of bikes they have in stock. Since my first triathlon Mark has developed beeinbonnetitis with regards to me getting a better bike. It was really fun at the Bike Barn; we talked to some friends of ours and then started looking at the road bikes.  Right away one of the employees started helping us and then another guy came up and offered his opinion and then they all started talking in tongues, Mark and the Bike Barn dudes.  I just sort of stood there grinning, trying to not look too stupid and pretended to understand their strange language (BB30?  Compact Cranks?  150 somethin’ or other?  What?)

Well we decided on a nice Cannondale CAAD 9, it is silver, with black, red and white accents. Guess what?  It has a BB30 AND Compact Cranks… oh, and it goes super fast!  I am going to I am going to call it Vegas because it was either a trip to Vegas or a bike. Of course I needed shoes and pedals so the second dude takes me to the shoe area and spend quite a bit of time helping me pick some shoes. As he was helping me I was wondering why he looks so familiar, had we met before. Oh well he was very nice and super knowledgeable. We got to the till and started talking to Will the owner of the Bike Barn. Risking the sale he suggested I try on a different type of shoes. Hmmm. Luckily for him they were shoes I had tried on 6 months earlier and really liked. He swayed me with the story that he wished he had encouraged his wife to buy these shoes instead of the ones she got. They are actually mountain biking shoes therefore they are easier to walk on when you are off the bike, good for the novice. When we got to the till Will told the other dude how he swayed me to choose these shoes instead of his suggestion, the wife example. Dude # 2 said well maybe I should have used Jill as an example, as in Jill Savege the Olympic triathlete. Hmmm I think I know why I recognize this guy…It was Jordan Rapp, winner of the Subaru Ironman Canada 2009! Check out his blog  http://blog.rappstar.com/

OMG no wonder he knows so much about the sport. I have to say it was a truly wonderful experience shopping at the Bike Barn. All of the staff members were engaging, smiling, making sure we were taken care of.  Will has a great memory; we met more than 3 months ago when his beautiful baby was born and he recognized me and remembered my name. That is a good business man.

I know this sounds like and ad for the Bike Barn, but customer don’t often talk about their good shopping experience, they are more likely to complain about their awful experience. I choose to applaud good service.

I wonder how much time I can shave off my bike time now?  Woo hoo!  No stopping me now.

How do fighters get their body so lean?

I happen to like this question and the answer is very simple. They do three very important thing. One: they run a lot. Two: they keep a healthy diet rich on lean protein. Three: They do circuit training so to not add much bulk to their body.

Fighters might run twice a day. Before breakfast and before diner. They do this so that they can jump start their metabolism and make it take full advantage of all the nutrients they are about to eat. I for example get up and jog for 30 min in the morning which is about a good 3 or 4 miles at a good pace.  Then I go out and run again for another 30 min before diner (I do this only during competition time).

For fighters it is very important to keep a healthy diet. Their diet has to be rich in lean protein because of all the wear and tear on the body and the intense training they put their bodies through. I eat every 3 hours a small meal that has at least 15 grams of protein. It’s usually chicken or tuna. They also need to drink a lot of water. Water is probably a fighters best friend.

Circuit training is a very efficient way to minimize your time in the gym, burn a ton of calories, build muscle,  put your body to the test, and also lose fat. Circuit training is when you really take little to no breaks in between set and/or exercises. The most rest you should get during circuit training is 30 seconds.

Here is an sample made by Arnel Rincafranca:

1a.push up 1b.DB Squats

2a. chin up 2b. forward lunge

3a. shoulder press 3b. hamstring curl

4a. mountain climber 4b. plank

You do 1a and as soon as you finish you do 1b and thats one set. You do three sets of each with no more than 30 seconds between each set, preferably no rest. Each exercise should be 8-10 reps if you want to build muscle with heavy weights or 15-20 reps if you just want to tone up more than build muscle. Planks should be 30 seconds. This should only be done three times a week.

I hope this helps whoever reads it, for more information or any questions leave a comment or e-mail me at maxQandA@gmail.com

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

How Does Fat Leave Our Body

Of course now that I am thirty, over the past 6 months I have been working towards being in the best shape of my life in my 30’s. I have always been into being fit and athletics, but naturally that slowed down in my 20’s. There are so many people I look towards for inspiration, but very few that I know myself, many people say they want to look like “A” but very few actually stick to it and do it. Jada Pinkett-Smith is my girl, and I love that woman. So, to describe where I am trying to be and trying to get to is “Getting’ my Jada Pinkett-Smith On.”  I am very confident in my body and I love it, but I want to look in the mirror and see my body in a way I have never see it before, Slim and Chiseled!

So, before I head out to the gym I was thinking about how exactly the fat leaves your body. I have heard you expel it in your urine and sweat. That sounds good, but I kind of what the exact full details and all the options in which it “disappears” as we lose weight. I know that fat cells remain in your body once they’re there, they only shrink. This is why people get Lipo, to remove the fat cells completely. Fat remains stored in our body so that we have a defense in case we are unable to nourish our bodies, the stored fat will be used like a generator. I think that was pretty darn smart of God, to add that lil feature to us, don’t you?

This is what I have found on my E-research!

-Fat goes through a transition throughout the body.

-Fat changes and breaks down into different compounds and enters the bloodstream.

-When The Fat composition (all the technical mumbo jumbo that the fat breaks down into) enters the Liver and Muscle Cells.

-The process of which Fat is used as energy takes place.

-During this process the composition from the Fat is broken down again into Carbon Dioxide, Heat and Water.

-The Carbon Dioxide is release from our Lungs (exhalation).

-The water leaves the body in the form of Urine and Sweat.

-The heat that is generated from the fat is used to warm the body and keep it at 98.7 degrees and completely energize the body and heart.

 

So, now we know, in a very simple form. So, you know what that means! We all need to pee and sweat as much as possible *wink*

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

Did You Play Today?

The U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council today launched a new series of PSAs designed to address childhood obesity. Featuring characters from the upcoming film Where the Wild Things Are, the PSAs are an extension of HHS’ Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention campaign with the Ad Council, which encourages children and families to lead healthy lifestyles.

These PSAs cost millions of dollars.

But do they work?

Will this PSA get your kid to put down the Wii controller and go outside and play?

View This Poll

online surveys

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If you like what you see here, click here for updates

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• How the Free Market makes you FAT and why “Big Food” likes it that way
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• Nutritional Information on Restaurant Menus – Does it make any difference?
• The Future of Fast Food
• The status-quo is broken…We need a new model for burning fat and getting fit

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

THE ANAL LOCK- THE KEY TO LIFTING!

Yeah, I know, my bad punning habits die hard, but the Anal Lock is an important maneuver every gym-goer and lifter should know perfectly.

But, first, a test. Push or pull a heavy object (a heavy box, your bed, or a dumbbell). Now, repeat the same move after blowing out the air in your lungs through your mouth. In other words, at this point in the test, you have no air in the chest. See how difficult it is to move the heavy object? 

The difference lies in the fact that when you blew out the air in your chest, your intra-abdominal pressure is low. Any muscular effort in such a situation is doomed to be weak and futile. Watch any experienced lifter during a squat or a deadlift: at the beginning of the lift, he fills in air inside his chest, and his belly goes out (lifters mistakenly call this as “filling your stomach with air”). He holds his breath, and lifts. The breath is expelled at the end of the lift. 

Among the various muscular events resulting in a successful lift is the Valsalva Maneuver. The entire body becomes rigid and in a state of high muscular tension, with the breath held inside a closed glottis (larynx) and the anal sphincters tightly clenched along with the glutes. The abdominal muscles are also braced as if for a punch.

During the Valsalva, the intra-abdominal pressure becomes very high, and the nervous system excited. Indeed, the phenomenon of hyperirradiation is evident– when all the muscles are tensed by the nervous system, the ones responsible for the actual lift are more efficiently and strongly stimulated. Try lifting a weight with one hand while clenching the other hand strongly, while also tensing your glutes and tightening your anal sphincter. Then try to do the lift with all the muscles relaxed. The difference will be clear and evident. 

The difference between a good lift and a failed one is often the lack of hyperirradiation and failed maintenance of the anal lock. Clearly, a Valsalva maneuver is essential to lift a heavy load. Concentrate on this technique of forced expiration against a closed throat (often the breath escapes in a grunt), and you will be able to lift more. 

One could do something like a Valsalva while not tensing the glutes and locking the anus. Why not do that? It is commonplace for untrained people to forget the glutes and anus while focussing on the technique of the actual lift. This has the disadvantage of a less efficient nervous system stimulation (less hyperirradiation) and on top of that the creation of a complication.

There is not much mention amongst trainers and coaches about an important consequence if you fail to maintain the anal lock during a heavy lift. The raised intra-abdominal pressure translates into raised intra-rectal pressure. The pressure in the anal veins increases and they prolapse out of the anus, leading to an internal tear of the veins under the perianal skin. This results in a perianal hematoma, also known as thrombosed piles/hemorrhoids. This is a painful condition that will stop you lifting for a few days, and may even need hospitalisation for evacuation of the blood clot (a surgery). However, most cases are self-limiting and resolve in a couple of weeks. Cold and later hot  Sitz baths are useful, as may be the application of anesthetic ointments (like 5% xylocaine/lidocaine) and the intake of oral pain-killers.

Trainers and athletes need to be aware of this complication, and remember the importance of the anal lock.

An important point– the Valsalva maneuver may be dangerous for certain people. For example, people with hypertension or a propensity for strokes may have intracranial bleeds because of sharply raised blood pressure. A physician’s help should be sought in case there is any doubt if you should do the maneuver or not.

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

yessssss

all my transfers got approved!!!! now only time will tell if im done with bu. i went to classes today and it sucked haha, no surprise. hopefully i can drop them. soon.

went to go ride at camb today and then went to practice. ran a bit, 2 sets of 3/4 mile. headspin toprock and elbowspin all day since im taking it easy on my wrists. no transfers for a while which SUCKS since i have so much new shit to try out in that department.

bout to buy dumbbells so i can do complete p90x at the apt. ohhh shit

-k

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

better...

one day at a time.  one day is all it takes, sometimes.  today, i feel SO much better than i did yesterday.  first, i must have dropped some water weight that i gained over the past week, because while i was at 166 yesterday, i was 163 this morning.  i’ll take it.  up from last week, but what’s done is done, so we move on from here.

my workout this morning was great.  i always feel so amazing all day after working out.  we laughed quite a bit this morning, which helps to make it fun.  i struggled with some of the leg exercises – mostly the extensions and leg press, but i gave it all i had, so i know my muscles were totally spent by the time i was done.

we changed back from the pull down to the shoulder press again.  i’m guessing it’s a good thing to keep changing it up.  other than that, it was pretty routine.  seems like i struggle to get started, then once i’m going, i’m good.  it’s that first push that is hardest, especially on the leg machines.  biceps are funny for me.  the weight feels too light for a few reps, then i totally hit a wall.  it’s so abrupt, not that it starts to get difficult, but more like one rep is fine and the next is hard.

it seemed like two weeks since i was there, although it was really only an extra two days.  but i guess with a vacation in the middle, that distorted my perception of time a little bit.  fortunately, i don’t think my muscles suffered from being on vacation…at least not nearly as much as my weight did!

i keep posting these measurements, although they don’t seem to change all that much.  some are a little higher this time than last, but i guess that is to be expected.  they’re more in line with where i was when i was at this weight before, so i guess that really does make sense.  so anyway, here they are…

 

  5-Aug 12-Aug 19-Aug 26-Aug 31-Aug 9-Sep RHR 50 59 53 54 53 62 weight 162 162 161 159 160 163 calf 13.25 13.25 13 13 13.25 13.25 thigh 22.25 22.25 22 21.75 22 22.25 across hip bones 40.75 40.75 40.75 40.75 40.75 41 widest belly point 39.75 39.5 39.5 39.25 39.25 39.75 natural waist 33.25 33.5 33 33 33 33 chest 39.75 40 40 39.75 39.75 40 neck 13.5 13.5 13.75 13.75 13.75 13.5 bicep 12.25 12.5 12.25 12.25 12 12

[Via http://cdk09.wordpress.com]

Strength Training

Strength training has been something I’ve avoided for a few weeks, which is probably one of the main reasons why I’m stuck at 64kg.

There’s no real reason I avoid it I just find it a bit boring and somehow hoped my muscle’s would develop with my cardio work. However I have now realized that strength training and weight’s should be and are an important part of fitness and weight loss.So I’ve dug out the 2kg hand weights and with the help of exercisetv.tv  workouts today I did a 40minute strength session.

Exercisetv.tv has great free length full workouts I love trying before buying it’s great, today’s workout was ” Make me over 40min workout” with Steve Maresca.   Steve also used a medicine ball but I didn’t have one so used 1 of my weights instead. I enjoyed this workout, a mix of arms’s and legs at once which meant my heart rate stayed up there.  Lot’s of squats and lunges combined with row’s and lifts and then some floor work for abs and the three girls he had doing the workout with him were from some weight loss tv show and were real women, not the stick thin fit lean toned girls usually on these workouts.  Not that I mind them they give me inspiration but it was great to see real women doing the workout.

So thanks to Steve and his 40minute strength workout I’m now feeling exhausted and my muscles have that nice “I’ve worked hard burn” which is good.

So the daily goal’s of  exercising, getting something productive around the house and updating the blog are progressing well (I am only two days in but so far so good)  and I may even go to yoga this afternoon to top the day off.  I really enjoy Bikram and while it burns 700cal’s a class I find it more of a relaxation/time out than a workout.

I’ve decided strength training needs to be a part of my weekly routine and to do at least 2 sessions a week to start with.  Now I just have to keep to the plan and work myself up to enjoying strength training, I think I’ll keep looking for at home weight training idea’s to make sure boredom does not set in.  Anyone have any idea’s?

xox

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

Quote of the day:

Gym lockers at health stream needs a two dollar coin, in order for one to be able to use the locker.

My wallet had two one dollar coins, what should I do? what should I do?

Me- “Hi, i need to change some coins to a two dollar coin?”

“So you would like to change some change for some change? Yup, I could most definately do some changing for ya!”

After that, I just stared at her… I didn’t want to seem so blur (didn’t know why i was so blur then, well i’m always blur HAHA), so I just smiled and said, “YEA” but in my head it was more like a, “GYM LADY, SAY WHAT!?”

That goes for my “QUOTE OF THE DAY”. Hopefully, this could be a “daily” or “fortnightly” segment, depending on my social interaction of the day.

Peace out xx

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

Causes of Diabetes

There are many reasons why people develop diabetes. They can be infection of the pancreas, weight, stress, inactiveness, age, family history, race, high blood pressure, poor nutrition, and gender. Some people can develop diabetes but their blood sugar level may not be high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. In this case if it is not caught it may turn into type 2 diabetes.

Sometimes diabetes can be caused by an infection in the pancreas. When this happens the pancreas will not produce enough insulin and sugar can build up in the blood stream. Then the sugar will not carry over to the cells.

It has been stated by health researchers that if you have a waist size that is larger then thirty five inches then you have a risk of developing diabetes. Inactive people are at a high risk more so than in people that exercise two to three times a week. Going to the gym is not need but just a good brisk walk for thirty minutes can help.

Risk of developing diabetes grows as you get older. There have been studies done that prove that eighty percent of people who develop diabetes are over the age of forty five.

Your family history has much to do with diabetes also. If you have a parent or a relative that is close that has diabetes then that means that you are at risk for developing diabetes. It is unfortunate but you share the same genes but it can be reversed if you take some preventive measures.

Many reasons are behind developing diabetes. With so many people in the world being diagnosed with this disease that can be in fact prevented in many cases; People need to start doing something about it. In trying to prevent diabetes there are so many options that could be taken. It is a good thing to do some research about diabetes.

Diabetes hits home for many people. Getting some good excercise is a big help with blood sugar. If you are interested in cycling, which is a great low-impact form of excercise, check out the author’s website about mountian bike helmets. Rodney Hammond usually wears Giro Atmos helmets.

[Via http://thecausesofdiabetes4.wordpress.com]

I rose, I shone, I ran

What a perfect weekend to get out and run! And like my Shredheads sisters, Karianna and Kristen, I did! I ran my first 5 K race and my first foot race in over 12 years this Saturday at Ripon’s annual Color the Skies event.

The morning was sunny, clear, mild with Delta breezes that kept the balloons grounded but proved to be very friendly for running conditions. I was up and ready to roll earlier than expected which proved to be a good thing because Bill and I, as well as most of humanity it seemed crawled for well over fifteen minutes off the freeway and a just 1 mile down the road to where the event was taking place. But in spite of the poor traffic control, the rest of the event was well organized. With Bill following me around I tried to warm-up without letting my nervous energy get the best of me. The previous week I had suffered a calf strain during what was supposed to be an easy run and found myself limping in a lot of pain for a few days. Honestly, as this 5K approached, I was very worried if I would even be able to complete it. But the forced rest proved to be a very good thing as I was able to taper my training this past week leading up to the event just as running experts suggest.

Somewhere in this crowd I was as the race got off to a pretty fast start. It would have been easy to let the rush of adrenaline take over but I held back at a nice easy pace unsure of how my calf would handle it. I looked around and picked out a couple folks running at a similar pace and set myself to stay with them.  The group I was running in was a friendly bunch enjoying the cool breezes and the scenery as we ran through the almond orchards in the area. As we appraoched the halfway point of the 3.1 mile run,  the front runners sped past us in the ooposite direction to clock in around 16 and 17 minutes at the finish line. SHEESH!

Just as I could feel myself slowing, I approached the water station manned by local cub scouts. Way to go kids! The water was just what a I needed. I slowed a little to gulp down some water then picked up the pace quickly catching up to powder blue running skirt and the pink running lady. As we looped back past the water station I slowed down and drank a little more water. What can I say, I had to give some love to those hard-working scouts! I thanked them and soon took off catching up very quickly again with pink running lady but powder blue running skirt disappeared.  It was all good though because soon enough we were again running out of the almond orchards and headed back to Mistlin Water Tower and the finish line. Folks were lined up cheering us on and encouraging us all the way.

Pink running lady was still in my sight as we approached the finish line. I was almost there!

For my next race I am going to work on how I look when running so I won’t look like I am dying. Honestly, I was feeling a helluva lot better than I look.

I crossed the finish line at 33:02 which was absolutely thrilling. My average time running the same distance when training for this 5K was about 7 minutes slower. Yeah for adrenaline, a flat course and friendly Delta breezes at my back!

Even more thrilling, I felt great! My legs felt fine. I don’t believe that I could turn around and run the whole thing all over again but I have no doubt that I could certainly walk it. That was a very good thing because about 9 hours later I was at work ready to work a twelve hour night shift.

All in all, I am very proud of my first effort and more than ready to run the next race,  and the next as I get ready for the Disney Princess half marathon aka the birthday/tiarathon.

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

Got my Camelbak, bak.

So I just finished 30 day shredding with Meredith. It’s 12 am on Sunday. What was I thinking? Or better yet, what was Meredith thinking? She made me do it. I am such a slacker. I wanted to skip.

I figure since I am up I will fill you in on the happenings of my Saturday.

I bought a Camelbak!

According to the website this is the Hydrobak which is perfect for short torsos. That’s me! I actually bought it because it was the most comfortable. I read on the website that it is great for cyclists, but who’s gonna call me out for wearing it running?

After my Camelbak buying I headed to the lake.

Hello lake!

Upon arriving there, the first thing on my mind was FOOD, as I had not eaten anything since my gummy bears this morning.

I found this box of crackers.

Wisconsin, holla!

I paired them with a kiwi and a nectarine that I found in my purse of all places!

nom, nom, nom.

I took my foodies to the hammock and spent some time like this:

Until I fell asleep. I was quite exhausted from my 10 miler!

Upon awaking from my nap, food was once again on my brain.

 

I discovered this cup of ice cream in the freezer and ate it. It was seriously in the freezer in the cup, not even a carton and I ate it. Just goes to show how ravenous I was. Or craving dairy.

Later I had dinner.

Sweet potato + green beans + slaw.

Also a cookie for dessert.

Make that two cookies for dessert. They were quite good.

Alright, I am off to bed, and then church, lunch and lake tomorrow. I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I will be sure to let you know what happens.

[Via http://whitsgettingfit.com]

Bottled Water Debate - Day 1

There is much debate about the usage of bottled water vs. tap water. The main question people ask is if my tap water is safe why buy a product that I already get free? In most of the US tap water is safe to drink and provides no ill effect. But lets look at reasons to buy a superior product, that just happens to be bottled.

What sets ANGEL FIRE WATER apart.

1st AFW is super oxygenated – the body needs oxygen to survive, but why does AFW provide more to the body than regular H2O? Because the extra Oxygen is bonded to the water molecule the oxygen diffuses straight into your cells through your stomach lining, intestines and into the blood stream. This is great news, your heart and lungs dont have to work nearly as hard to provide the body with oxygen!

2nd Research shows that most people are dehydrated on a regular basis. For every cola you drink it takes 35 glasses of water to rehydrate your system. Wow thats a lot of water! Due to the molecular structure of AFW, you can begin and complete the rehydration process with half the amount of water and half the time it would normally take you to drink 35 8oz glasses of water! AFW comes in 1 liter bottles, and the great thing is unlike soft drinks which can lead to weight gain and other health issues, AFW does not cause any harm to the body it only helps, even if you are fully hydrated, adding more oxygen to your body helps with brain and body function!

Stay tuned we will continue the water debate.

visit AFW

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

Back To Body Weight Exercises

Well, my buddy has decided he can’t do the triathlon in December after-all; so if doesn’t need me for a training partner anymore (he had a bad spill on his bike and won’t heal from a separated shoulder), so I’m going back to the Turbulence Training / Monkeybar Gym protocols to continue to reshape my body from the couch potato to a reconstructed athlete.

I’ll still use the swimming and bicycling for the cardio work, but in an effort to give the knee more time to recuperate – I’ll suspend any running for now until it’s better able to handle the shear stresses.

Look for two days of upper body sessions (Monday & Thursday), two days of lower body sessions (Tuesday & Friday), and two days of basic Yoga sessions and Interval Cardio work (Wednesday & Saturday), with Sunday as a day of active rest and recuperation.

The upper and lower body workouts will consist of Body Weight Exercises, aided by the best body weight training tools available:  the TRX Suspension System (check out http://bit.ly/LmK7u), the Perfect Pull-up Doorway Set, a Stability Ball, a Jump Rope, and a Yoga Mat.

Diet will continue to be primarily a paleo/primal protocol; with some early emphasis during September on eliminating any carbs – sort of a reverse-vegan program.  No flour or flour products, no corn or corn products (including HFCS, corn syrup, etc.), no sugars or sugar substitutes.  No breads, no cereals, no pasta, no pastries, no sweets.

Mostly, I will eat lean proteins (eggs, fish, chicken, beef), a limited amount of fresh veggies – broccoli, steamed, raw celery, carrots, onions, and tomatoes.  Fats will include avocado, olives, unsalted butter, EVOO, and almonds.  Other foods will be an occasional banana, handful of grapes, oranges, and watermelon.

The WOE (way of eating) will follow Jay Robb’s formula coupled with Break Free Life (get the book at http://bit.ly/8vTUQ)  and the use of IF (Intermittent Fasting) one or two days a week.  Basically, I’ll eat two meals a day with no snacking between meals.  First meal will be between 11:00AM and 1:00PM and the second meal between 5:00PM and 7:00PM with at least six hours between meals.  (Wow, that was a lot of “betweens”, huh?)

The Body Weight Exercises for the Upper body will be push-ups, body rows, dips, chin-ups and ending with set of rollouts with LifelineUSA’s Power Wheel (get yours from MonkeyBarGym.com), and the Upper body exercises will be squats, leg curls on a SB, lunges, calf raises, and another session with the Power Wheel.

Yoga sessions for September will be a series of classic Sun Salutations and some work with the Eischens yoga for body alignment.  Those days will also include the cardio work, sometimes in the pool, sometimes on the bicycle, with walking for 15-30 minutes every day a major part of the weekly program.

Follow on this journey back to fitness and health; maybe even join me and Twitter with me about it (www.titter.com/chuckpruitt) via Direct Message.

Faith, Chuck

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

Getting Healthy through the Glycemic Index

Getting some exercise in can be quite a experiment taking into consideration the fact that many of us possess an particularly tiring schedule.  Not simply that, nearly everyone of us don’t in reality like todo exercises in the first place that can build it challenging to stay excited at the sports club.  We all comprehend that doing a work out is one of the top traditions for us to keep lean and vigorous.  Which doesn’t suggest, though, that it is the lone approach for us to do so.  If you make a fair amount of exercise all through the week naturally, you may be capable to make athletic simply by eating in the right manner.

One drawback which several people run into when it comes to eating properly is that they follow to a lot of different programs.  Even if it is a good idea to boast a program in mind at any time you get on your way eating for wellbeing, being too drastic or jumping from program to program will not help you at all.  An extra thing that numerous people tend to do whenever they go on a diet is to cut something out of their eating habits which the body wishes.  It is complicated to approximate how various people have injured their metabolisms as a end result of yo-yo dieting because of minimal carbohydrate or low-fat intake.

If you in fact want to stay vigorous, it is complicated to beat the profit which you get from consumpting a low glycemic diet.  The method that you would do this is in reality fairly easy to recognize.  The glycemic index is a catalog of foods which are arranged according to how swiftly the sugar that is in them is released into our system.  The top on the list the food resides, the earlier the sugar is going to be dumped.  This can cause our pancreas to excess us with insulin, a thing which is going to end up packing up overweight on your body.

By eating a on top form diet that includes five to six little meals every day, you can actually make your metabolism functioning at maximum velocity.  Make sure that you take in a protein, legume and heaps of low glycemic vegetables at every meal, if possible raw.  If you eat this way for two weeks you are going to be able to witness the differentiation in your garments and every time you get up on the scale.  It is a trouble free manner to make in shape with no doing exercise.

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

Personal Trainer in Sydney's North Shore weightloss Programs.

A lot of people participate in personal fitness training to achieve a fitness level for a special occasion. I always wonder… Is it for improved physical appearance? Is it to loose weight? Or is it to keep stress at bay? All of the above are answers most people you know would give when asked this question. However, are they the only reasons?

While all the above are true, there are deeper and more useful benefits to be gained from personal fitness training, and most times the people that employ me as a personal trainer become aware of these benefits , such as health, agility and less incidence of disease.

Personal Trainers available on the North Shore with leading North Shore Exercise Personal Training Company.

We are a Personal Fitness Training business located on the North Shore of Sydney specialising in high quality and results orientated Personal-Training services.

We are one of the North Shores and Sydney’s leading Personal fitness Service.

All our sessions are conducted by one of our experienced North Shore Personal Trainers. As experienced Personal Fitness professionals, we can help you with fat loss and get you to your health potential.

Personal Trainer North Shore Sydney Australia

[Via http://jenny1988a.wordpress.com]

Kardashians Promote of Non-FDA Approved QuickTrim

She knows she's hot!

Kim took to her Twitter and uploaded this picture of herself half naked with the caption:

‘A sneak peek at our Quick Trim photo shoot!’

Kim and her sister Khloe both promote the weight-loss product QuickTrim.

Although the product is not FDA approved, The Kardashians are giving props to QuickTrim for  their weight loss and  suggesting their fans should try it.

Kim’s sister Khloe also took to Twitter the other day and wrote:

“Quick Trim comes out today! Buy or die!”

Hmmm, I wonder if that stuff really worked for them.  Personally, I’m not very fond of diet pills.  I don’t think I know of any weight-loss pills that are actually FDA approved.  Healthy Diet and Exercise is the best way to go.  It works scientifically and it’s not a gimmick.  What are your thoughts?

[Via http://girltalk247.wordpress.com]

P90X Reloaded (round 2) - Days 71-73

Day 71 (Monday) Chest & Back and Ab Ripper X…..69 total pull-ups, 330 push-ups and 368 ab exercises!  Brought it, Baby! 

Day 72 (Tuesday) Plyometrics, including the bonus…..Domi ain’t nothin’, I hung with the boy throughout!

Day 73 (Wednesday) Shoulders & Arms and Ab Ripper X, including the bonus…..76 total chair dips, 156 total side tri-rises and 368 ab exercises, plus all the other goodies.

I completed a 6:30 AM bicycle ride.  The temperature and the traffic were not too bad.  I had to clear my mind for today’s upcoming events.  I’m ready, BRING IT!! 

[Via http://tscfitness.com]

Regain Energy with Healthy Habits

Regain Energy with Healthy Habits

A full 85% of the people I saw in clinical practice shared the same

complaint: fatigue. People feel tired. What are the reasons for the

epidemic of fatigue? What are some strategies for coping with low

energy? What mindset may help us change the course of relentless

fatigue before it is too late?

Read more about the message of fatigue at http://internet-tales-and-tips.com/viewtopic.php?t=3196

Shauna Link, Internet Marketing Entrepreneur

TriVita Affiliate ID #13229094 http://trivita.com/13229094

http://www.vitamins-health-nutrition.com

http://emailmarketing.businessservicessite.com

http://www.trafficwave.net/members/shaunalink

800-978-0897

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

To machine or not to machine!

What exercise should you do when you join a gym?

There are all these machines and I dont really know what to do. I see other people doing stuff so I copy them. Is that the right thing to do?

The whole concept of the need for gyms is because we are a society of non- movers. We sit at a desk all day, we sit in our cars, We sit in the couch or behind the computer. We really dont move much. So to join a gym and sit in a “machine” is really counter productive.

Our exercise selection should be able to help us improve our movement patterns that have maybe died because we don’t use those muscles. If you cannot do simple bodyweight exercises then why would you try things like a machine ab crunch or a machine leg curl which don’t utilise the joints properly.

This article will not address the full scope of why I think machines are not even necessary for the majority population save a very small amount who need it due to their disabilities.

So here is a basic order that one should follow to progress from “no movement” to advanced exercises.

One- Be able to perform basic body weight like pushups, pullups, lunges, squats and chops.

Two- Be able to perform basic dumb bell and or kettlebell exercises including some of the bodyweight ones.

Three- Be able to perform basic Barbell exercises (need balance in both limbs to do this)

Four- At this level you should be able to perform fitball and suspension training with medium difficulty

Five- Higher level body weight single limb and explosive exercises are at this level.

The premise that- I need to get strong therefore I use machines first- will set you up with false strength. You will gain strength but only in the machine. Outside of that when you wish to use those muscles, the stabilisers that you will need to recruit will be untrained and you are at a higher risk of injury.

So the premise is to train with a long term picture in mind, always assessing how this program will allow me to progress on to the next level.

Simple test Can you do 15 toe pushups?

Can you do 30 squats?

Can you do 20 lunges each leg?

Can you do 15 pullups under a bar with your feet on the ground?

If not then you are not ready for machines!

Tim James CPT AKI

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

How to Avoid Premature Ejaculation - 3 Tips That Really Work

Every man would like to last just a little bit longer in bed. Premature ejaculation is a slightly embarrasing problem that men face. When you know it’s over after only a few minutes you feel how shameful it can be. Even if the woman your with tried to console you, there’s nothing she can do. Fortunately, I have 3 great solutions to help you last longer in bed.

Stop – Go Method

Nothing is simpler than the stop – go method. During love making, all you have to do is stop when you feel the need to ejaculate. At first it can be very frustrating so keep practicing. There are some times when you will finish even if you don’t want to. This is a common occurrence, but it should not bring you down.

Practice

When you masturbate, don’t just do it for the pleasure, start masturbating to improve your sex life. Try to finish as quickly as possible, but hold back the ejaculation as many times as you can in a single sitting. This will work to strengthen your resolve. Also, you could try to put an extra large amount of pressure on your penis. This will reduce sensitivity and help you last longer.

Open Communication

I know talking about the problem with your lover is hard, but if it really bothers you she won’t mind. Tell her that you need to stop every few minutes. Woman don’t know how sensitive your penis is to ejaculating. Some men who want to try to stop – go method will fail because the woman tells them to keep going faster. This is something you want to avoid. You can pleasure a woman just as well with slow sensual intercourse. Once you’ve lost some sensitivity you can speed up.

Bonus Tip: To give your girl the Multiple MIND BLOWING orgasms she wants, you need to last longer. There is a special step-by-step technique that will help you last 20+ minutes longer:

[Via http://clickbank2010.wordpress.com]

10 Tips to Looking and Feeling 10 Years Younger, part 1

“How To Get Maximum Weight Loss & Fitness Results In Minimum Time”

Set realistically attainable goals. You must have tangible short-term and long-term goals for your fitness program so that you can gauge your progress and stay motivated. It’s crucial to have a “baseline” before you begin so that you can measure your success. A qualified personal trainer (like me) can give you a complete fitness analysis that will aid you in developing a personalized fitness program which addresses your particular needs. Having goals, particularly short-term goals, allow you to track your progress and keeps you motivated when times are tough and you don’t feel like exercising. Keeping a journal of your cardio and resistance training workouts, as well as tracking what you eat is truly a fitness success “secret.” Just remember that your goals should be realistic and attainable. The best way for you to understand what is realistic and attainable for you is to talk to a fitness professional – not to buy into the “hype” of infomercials or diet and fitness products that blatantly mislead.

In the beginning your fitness plan should not be overly aggressive. One of the biggest problems most people encounter when starting a fitness program is rapidly depleted motivation after only a few weeks due to an overly ambitious fitness plan. Two days per week of 20-minute low-intensity cardiovascular exercise (walking, jogging, biking, swimming); and two days per week of 30-minute light resistance training (using weights or resistance machines) is adequate in the beginning. As you become acclimated to the lifestyle “shift” you can add more days and get improved results. But beware: if you try to do too much too fast, you may end up quitting altogether. If you’ve tried and failed doing it alone then I suggest you get a training partner or personal trainer who will help you sustain your motivation and accountability.

Eat regularly throughout the day. Fasting or overly restrictive diets will enable you to lose weight – in the short run. Because the weight you lose is primarily water weight and lean muscle tone. But in the long-run it has exactly the opposite effect you want. When you restrict your diet, your body instinctively thinks it’s being starved and shifts into a protective mode by storing fat. Your body’s energy expenditures will be fueled by your lean muscles causing your body fat to remain essentially the same while you lose vital fluids and muscle. The less muscle you have, the slower your metabolism becomes, and the less fat you burn. You should be eating three nutritionally balanced meals each day, and you should have at least one or two healthy snacks. Avoid fried and processed foods at all cost – talk about dead calories! Here’s a good rule of thumb: make sure that you are consistently “grazing” on health foods about every three hours. This includes at least half a gallon of fresh water every day. This keeps your metabolic furnace firing, so you burn more at a faster rate.

There you have it. Ten essential strategies for an effective weight loss and fitness program that will have you looking and feeling better than you have in years – maybe ever! I realize that starting (or re-starting) a productive and effective weight loss and fitness program is not easy. That’s why I encourage you to get help.

…because the hardest part is just getting started and sustaining your motivation until fitness becomes habitual. Once you develop the habit, which can take as little as thirty days, your whole life will change for the better.

Please visit my web site to initiate your subscription to my free health and fitness newsletter or to obtain any additional information you may need.

Thank you for reading my blog and taking an interest in your health and fitness.

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