Big & Beautiful?...Maybe not

Lately I’ve been reading a lot of empowering “curvy is beautiful” stories in the press and seeing TV segments devoted to why it’s healthy to have a “real woman’s body,” all of which is code for the “overweight is OK” movement. And you know what my reaction is? Why are we telling people—and women in particular!—stuff that simply isn’t true?

The truth is, it isn’t OK to be overweight—even just 20 pounds overweight. And not just for the usual reasons everyone has heard before—that pudginess increases your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc.

What you should know is that being “a real woman” or “curvy,” as some like to call it, makes it more likely that you’ll get lousy medical treatment. That’s right: You may have a harder time getting health insurance or you may have to pay higher premiums for having a not-so-flat belly. You’re also less likely to have cancer detected early—and if they do find cancer, you’re less likely to get the best treatment for the disease.

Get more information on this subject from Healthychics.com

Muscles are a good thing

While on a weight lifting program, the right hormones (testosterone) are necessary in order to bulk up. Women’s testosterone levels are much lower than men’s, so in most cases, they are not capable of building large muscles. In fact, since muscle takes up less room than fat, women tend to lose inches when they strength train. So in addition to the physical benefits (increased metabolism, decreased risk of osteoporosis, increased strength), strength training will help you slim down too! Women, in fact, are more likely to tone up from strength training rather than bulk up. Research shows that women can add up to 30% lean muscle and end up looking thinner, feeling stronger and being firmer.

Our society and pop culture seem to associate weight training with oversized muscles, but that’s just one avenue, which is extremely difficult for most people (including men) to achieve.

Women with an intense fear of becoming large (likely due to these images and myths) as a result of weight training are at a disadvantage when it comes to their health. The problem most women run into isn’t building too much muscle, but not building enough. This sets them up for increased risk of osteoporosis later in life, as well as a reduction in muscle mass of about 2-5% per year, which has an adverse affect on metabolism (and can result in weight gain).

For more information on this subject visit Musclehealthcenter.com

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The Weekend Beat Down

It's on for 7 whole weeks...check out some of the pictures & videos from the 1st day.
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Unassuming Victim

The bible tells us to pray without ceasing for many reason. One reason he tells us to do that is for the fact that the devil goes to and fro throughout the earth seeking whom he may devour. Let me tell you something, the devil has been devouring alot of women fitness wise. Many times its through ignorence...one way is through the women's heart. So precious is the heart...so precious, that the Lord God spoke through king Solomon and said, "Guard your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life". Boy was he right, our heart is so important for every part of our lives for example: we need our hearts in family situations, children, husband, Mom, Dad, our jobs, church, especial functions, especial occasions and last but not least to live.  You see, the heart is one of the most unassuming killers in women's lives because most women find it very hard to detect an on coming heart attack. He are some pretty alarming facts and info's on this matter:

When it comes to women and heart disease, subtle signs may precede a heart attack by one week to many months, even six or more. Even though the following symptoms may be—and often are—caused by other medical conditions, they also could be pieces of a puzzle that say your heart is in trouble. These include but aren't limited to:

Chest pain that occurs in a predictable pattern (from stress, activity, etc.)

Unusual and unexplained fatigue

Sleep disturbances

Shortness of breath

Indigestion that may or may not be related to eating

Pain in the left shoulder blade or upper back

Anxiety or feeling of uneasiness or impending personal doom

Personal risk factors include but aren't limited to:

Stable angina. Although additional information is needed and further testing may be required (such as EKG, a pharmacologic stress test, electron beam computed tomography heart scan, and/or others), the aching chest pain you are experiencing may be a condition known as stable angina. If present, this type of heart pain happens in a predictable pattern and puts the affected person at a higher risk for a future heart attack.

Shortness of breath. While there are many reasons for this symptom to occur (asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, etc.), I am concerned because your shortness of breath occurs along with left shoulder and arm pain, which is often a symptom of serious heart trouble.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure. No doubt about this one, as your pressure is not controlled. High readings definitely are linked to an increased risk for heart attacks and strokes. I would encourage you to keep a blood pressure diary for two weeks. Check your readings at least two times per day with a portable machine that has been verified as similar to the measurements at your doctor's office. If your blood pressure is indeed too high (greater than 120 as top systolic number and/or greater than 80 as bottom, or diastolic number), the dosing of your medications needs to be adjusted, or even changed. Your high blood pressure absolutely needs to be controlled and lowered to a safer range.

Family history of cardiovascular disease. Your brother had significant heart disease, requiring a quadruple bypass at the young age of 41. This puts you in a higher risk category for heart disease.

While you did not mention your cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride or HDL levels, I am hoping you have had them checked and they are in a healthy range. If not, that would add to your risk for cardiovascular disease. Other cardiovascular risk factors that need to be considered include:

Age 55 and older

Smoking

Excess alcohol (more than one drink per day for women)

Diabetes

Metabolic syndrome

Physical inactivity

Waist measurement greater than 35 inches

Obesity (check body mass index to calculate your personal category)

Race (black women have a greater risk of heart disease and stroke than white women)

Overwhelming stress

Many people think heart attacks happen in the familiar television fashion: A person clutches his chest from the pain and drops to the floor after passing out. Even though chest pain is the most common symptom, women are more likely than men to have a heart attack without this pain. In fact, many women have other or "atypical" symptoms that require prompt attention. These symptoms include but aren’t limited to:

Chest sensation described as an ache, tightness or pressure

Unusual and unexplained fatigue

Shortness of breath

Indigestion, nausea or vomiting

Pain in the neck, shoulder or back

Sudden weakness, dizziness or lightheadedness

As we have learned from the large, ongoing study known as the Women's Health Initiative, along with other research on women's cardiovascular disease, a woman's heart has its own way of communicating in the face of illness. I highly encourage you to visit a family physician, general internist, cardiologist or other health care professional skilled in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of women's cardiovascular disease as soon as possible.

Additional information is provided at http://www.healthinfo.com/.

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And So You're Baby is here

You may be in a hurry to drop your baby weight, but remember: It took nine months to put it on. And you’ve probably already dropped a substantial amount just from giving birth. But expect to lose the rest more slowly.

If you’re breastfeeding, those last few pounds may hang on until you stop. This is because the body keeps a small fat reserve as energy to fuel the process. But don’t let this stop you from breastfeeding. Experts agree that breast milk is more healthful for your baby than formula.

There’s another good reason to slim down gradually. Fast weight loss usually has tremendous downsides, including bone and muscle loss.

Most women are advised to wait six weeks after birth to resume exercise because many of the internal and anatomical changes to your body from the pregnancy still persist. Your ligaments may remain overly flexible and your joints may be loose and less stable because of the hormone relaxin.

What’s more, your pelvic floor muscles may be weakened and you may have episiotomy stitches. If you had a Caesarean section, more profound tissue healing is taking place during this period—which will most likely prolong your return to strenuous activity.

Plus, you may have lost a bit of your strength and cardiovascular fitness (depending on how active you were during pregnancy). Therefore, it’s a good idea to ease back into regular workouts.

Mind Games

No excuses: The most important part of getting fit is to stop making excuses not to, Dixon says. We all are crunched for time, sore, and just looking for an excuse to stay in our jammies. But no excuse is good enough for you not to take care of your health. Start taking a "no-ifs,-ands,-or-buts-about-it" attitude toward fitness.

Be flexible: You don't have to pack your work out into just one time slot. If you need to, break your workout into two or more smaller workout sessions spaced throughout the day. You'll get great results and will still have time for the rest of your responsibilities.

The List

Today's Fitness Tip
Make a list of all the positive benefits exercising can & will have on your life. From giving you more energy to reducing your health ailments and beyond. The list should be pretty long especially if your just getting started in a fitness regiment. Post it somewhere that you will see it regularly and it can serve as a reminder to you as to why you need to workout. Treat this list like a diary for example; right after a workout write down how you felt. You see, writing things down can be very powerful. For instance, the day you don't feel like working out refer to your list you might find a feeling that trigger the urge for long run.

Warm-ups & Routines

Here's some warm-ups that can be implemented in a lower & upper body work out:

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These are some of the exercises that can be useful as a starting point for any routine.  Each warm-ups are very simple and understandable whether your a beginner or  exercise at an advance level. Please always consult a physician before starting any exercise program.

Quality time

The most important thing to a new mom is for her new born to be healthy and well taking cared of. Do you know that 3 out of 10 new mom's are really depriving the baby of what it needs the most. What's that you ask? The answer...a healthy mom! Most new moms spend most of there new born's early months just taking... care of the baby and not to mention house chores. Ok, Ok...I understand "that's my baby I have to make sure everything is right" so you say, that's very true. I know because I'm married and I watch my wife do this very thing that I'm talking to you about. I want you all to understand that baby's are needy, that's the complete truth and don't get me wrong I love my son's. I just want you lady's to take some quality time out. Did you know that most new moms spend lest then 5 hours a day sleeping. Believe me your body needs to rest if you plan on losing any baby fat at all. Study's show that if your not getting at least 7.5 - 8 hours of sleep per night losing weight will be near to impossible. Check out these important facts:

Hormone function affects the way fat cells respond to the food we eat. Cortisol is a hormone that is commonly released in response to physical or emotional stress. When we are deprived of sleep, cortisol is released at an increased level and makes us feel hungry even if we are full. As a result, people who continue to lose sleep on a regular basis will tend to experience hunger even when they have had an adequate amount of food.

Sleep loss results in less deep sleep, the kind that restores our energy levels. Losing deep sleep hours decreases growth hormone levels. Growth hormone is a protein that helps regulate the body’s proportions of fat and muscle in adults. With less growth hormone, we reduce the ability to lose fat and grow muscle.
 
Think about it if your not getting enough sleep your focus is usually out of whack. You'll find yourselves being very forgetful, snappy and very moody so exercising for any amount of minute with someone giving you instrctions will be a chore. Here are somethings you can do to ensure that you add to your sleep total and possibly a 30 to 40 minute work out:
 
1-When your baby's taking a nap in the middle of the day, you take a nap in the middle of the day and then pop in exercise video. Believe me most new born's will sleep for at least 2 and a half hours or more in the middle of the day. Enough time for you to do your thing.
 

2-Turn on Loud music at certain time when you feel drain and need some rest. Study's show that loud noises will put most babys to sleep so that leaves you the chance to get some quality nap time.

 
3- At night when you want the baby to sleep, make sure their sleeping area is very dark and talk softly in a soothing fashion and keep the music at a reasonable level. Once they fall asleep you hit the sack with them.

 

Beleive me we try these & they worked for us so, these answers might just be your jump start to a healthier new mommy. Let's start with sleep and cover the next very important part on our next chapter.

But, Jesus

Continuing our endless journey to health, remember the test, trials come to make you strong and so that you may also help someone else be an overcomer. I have seing lots of obesity and people struggling with health issue but it's even more prevelant now. Have you ever ask yourself why? No..., truly ask... yourself why I'm I like this? Think about it...if you have look at yourself in the mirror and decided within yourselves I have a propblem than you have to ask why? What happen to you? Where did I go wrong? Start by thinking back some may think back as far as 10 years, 20 years, or 3 years, 5 years. After you've done that, think about what was going on at that time. For some you it may be that you were very much in great shape, somewhat fair shape and or, lively and took very good care of yourself. For some it may be that as far back as you could remember you've been on the unhealthy side. The question still remains, what happen? Was it something a family member said or did? Were you sickly as youngster? Were you teased at school? Was there a relationship with a spouse or significant other that went sour? Was there death or tragedy around you? Are you fearful of certain things? Did work get in the way? Or, was it just pure laziness? The reason I'm asking all these questions is because I believe something side tracked you and caused you end up hear. You see, Satan is pure evil the bible said he comes to steal, kill and destroy you he will use anything to try to stop you. Nevertheless, I'm hear to tell you that nothing has befallen Jesus Christ that he has'nt overcome. It does'nt matter what has brought you to this point in your life know this...Christ is the only one that can help you conquer the demons that seek to destroy you. Get intouch with Christ...just incase you did'nt know this is a spiritual battle it's not just physical God has you on his mind and he's waiting for you to ask him for help.