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Who's She Calling A Loser!?!?

This is a guest post from my amazing friend Kristi Bush...who I might add is having a Birthday TOMORROW!  (Happy Birthday Kristi!!!)

Find out her thoughts on changing your body, The Biggest Loser and learning to love yourself.

Being in the fitness business for twenty years now people assume I must watch and love the show The Biggest Loser. Don’t watch it and don’t love it. Truth is… it’s a bit unrealistic. The trainers have a short, unrealistic amount of time to produce results in the contestants and they yell and scream at them (I think they yell and scream because they want to be the winning team trainer). In my line of work, most people would walk out if I said and acted that way. I can be tough if I need to be, but I still have to be respectful.

 I do like a few things about the show. It does give people hope that a new body is achievable. But the main reason contestants are losing weight is not because Jillian Anderson is yelling “one more, come on you can do it” in their faces but because they have made a complete shift in lifestyle. And that is the key to permanent weight loss and a healthy, fit body.  And since most of us will not be plucked out of everyday life and forced to instantly change our lifestyle in front millions of viewers, here is what we can do; change a few things by setting small, realistic and achievable goals for yourself. Positive results from those little changes spark more and more little changes until you wake up one day and realize you have a new body.  Making slow, permanent life style changes is the only way to completely turn your health around. The Biggest Loser gives us hope and shows us that it is possible to completely turn your life around. But only if you change your lifestyle! And remember this: the slower it takes for the weight to come off (about 1-3 pounds per week) the more permanent the change! Now that is realistic.

Take care of yourself and love, love, love your body! It’s the only one you’ve got!

Kristi

On Simplicity

I love simplicity... the more stuff and clutter around me the more agitated and distracted I become.  I find that in our world simplicity is often something that has to be worked hard for every day.  There is ALWAYS something new for us to buy, better for us to get, greater for us to have.  We are constantly bombarded with images and adverts telling us that even though we may already HAVE such-and-such product...it's now outdated, old, obsolete and makes us look foolish for not having the latest version.  I found an article my friend Eric Hamm wrote on his blog and I would like to share it with you...

"Let’s say you’re looking to buy a new office chair.  You’re standing in the store, staring at your two options.  Very similar in shape, size and color, these two chairs have much in common.  You sit down in the first one…fits like a glove!  You then peruse its options and find that it can change height, it swivels with ease and that’s about it.  You then look at the price tag and see that it can be had for less than a hundred dollars.  Now you sit down in the other chair.  Just as comfortable and with the same basic features.  Then you notice some buttons on the arm rest.  Wow, this baby has a built in massager and can be adjusted electronically.  Also, the back has heat capability and there’s even a flip up cup holder on the right side.  Excited by the bells and whistles, you check out the price tag and take a second to adjust to the fact that it’s more than double the cost of the first option.  Which one should you buy and how does simplicity play a role in making such a decision?"

Click Here to go to his article and continue reading.

Strong and Black AND Good For You?

As a lot of you may already know... I have always been very PRO-Coffee.  I enjoy a few cups in the morning to wake up and I tend to sip a cup of it all morning and will sometimes enjoy a French Press in the afternoon for a little pick me up.  Now, finally the scientific community has decided to back me up and prove that I'm right!  In a recent article in the L.A. Times... here's what they had to say.

"The heavenly brew, once deemed harmful to health, is turning out to be, if not quite a health food, at least a low-risk drink, and in many ways a beneficial one. It could protect against diabetes, liver cancer, cirrhosis and Parkinson's disease."

Before we get started let me just mention that the article does say that pregnant women and people with hard-to-control hypertension may want to stick to decaf, or at least limit their consumption of caffeine.  Here is a summary of how scientists believe coffee can be good for you...

"Diabetes: Twenty studies worldwide show that coffee, both regular and decaf, lowers the risk for Type 2 diabetes, in some studies by as much as 50%... 

Heart disease and stroke: Recent studies suggest that frequent coffee consumption does not increase the risk of either condition. In fact, coffee might -- repeat, might -- slightly reduce the risk of stroke...

Cancer: Coffee research has come up empty here -- with one big exception: liver cancer. Research consistently shows a drop in liver cancer risk with coffee consumption, and there is some, albeit weaker, evidence that it may lower colon cancer risk as well.

Cirrhosis: Coffee seems to protect the liver against cirrhosis, especially that caused by alcoholism. It's not clear, either for cancer or cirrhosis, whether it's coffee or caffeine that may be protective.

Parkinson's disease: With this progressive, neurological illness, it's the caffeine, not coffee, that carries the benefit. No one knows for sure why caffeine protects. Several studies show that coffee drinkers, men especially, appear to have half the risk of Parkinson's compared with nondrinkers....

Athletic performance: It's clear that caffeine, not coffee per se, delivers the big boost here, said Graham, the researcher from Ontario. In fact, caffeine was once deemed a controlled substance by the International Olympic Committee..."

To get a little more in-depth, go check out the article in the L.A. Times.  But before you go to your favorite coffee shop to grab a cup and read the article...  remember that we are talking about COFFEE here.  Coffee is NOT a venti-sugar-mocha-choco-cinna-dolce-frappe-covered in whip cream and powdered sugar-MESS.  It is a cup of coffee, ideally without sugar or cream....or, unfortunately, Baileys or Kahlua.

When We Know Better...Will We Do Better?

A bill has been introduced that would require fast-food and other chain restaurants to post information about their food on the menu boards and food display tags.  They would also have to post information about calories, carbohydrates, fats and salts.  

The hope is when faced with the actual nutritional information in the food they are about to get, informed consumers will be more likely to make healthier, more responsible choices.

"Consumers play an impossible guessing game trying to make healthier choices in restaurants," said Margo Wootan, nutrition policy director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "Who would guess that a large chocolate shake at McDonald's has more calories than two Big Macs or that a multigrain bagel at Dunkin' Donuts has 140 more calories than a jelly doughnut?" 

As more and more people are eating out on a regular basis, this kind of information is absolutely critical in my opinion.  Restaurants and fast-food chains spend lots of big money marketing their food to people who really have no idea what is healthy and what is not.  They put healthy sounding words in the name of the product, maybe even show a picture of some thin, gorgeous people enjoying it or whatever it takes to make someone buy it, but in reality it is usually HORRIBLE for you.  I am sure there will be flaws in whatever eventually gets rolled out but I do think it's a great start.  Also, as usual, at the end of the day it still comes down to personal choices...but it's a lot easier to make choices when we have more information.  

Grab Your Sneaks And Ditch The Scams!

Let's be honest for a moment. You've seen the advertisements for weight loss pills-you know the ones with those amazing before and after pictures-and you've wondered to yourself...do they work? 

Diet pills are everywhere, they tempt from store shelves, from infomercials and from glossy magazine pages. You probably know someone who is dabbling with diet pills or maybe you've tried them yourself. Have you ever wondered how they work? 

Weight loss pills can be broken down into 3 basic categories:

1. Appetite Suppressants: These work just like it sounds. The appetite-regulating region of your brain (the hypothalamus) is tricked by blockage of the re-uptake of serotonin and norepinephrine. As a result you feel like you've just eaten a big meal, so you're less likely to overeat.
2. Stimulants: These types of weight loss pills used to contain a combination of ephedra and caffeine to raise energy expenditure (thermogenesis) while also reducing appetite. You're probably aware that these pills were proven in some cases to be deadly, so ephedra was taken off the market. Stimulant pills now contain other ephedra-like substances, vitamins and caffeine. The idea is to increase energy and boost metabolism.
3. Fat Blockers: These pills inhibit the action of the enzyme lipase, which is responsible for breaking down fat during the digestion process. The goal is to prevent a percentage of the fat you've eaten from being absorbed into your system.

So we return to our burning question. Do the pills work? Here's what the diet pill companies say:

• "You'll lose 30lbs in 30 days"
• "Achieve rapid weight loss results"
• "Burn calories and fat 24 hours a day"
• "Fights fat and delivers rapid weight loss"

Those claims are amazing...too bad they are just that-claims. It's so tempting to imagine that those benefits could be gained just by swallowing a pill. Tempting enough to make diet pills a multibillion dollar a year industry. Hmmm, makes you wonder that if that many diet pills have been taken then why don't we all look like swim suit models yet? 

While diet pills showcase a few star subjects, none of whom live on your block, the world is full of real people who have lost weight and improved their lives with exercise and healthy eating. Check out these proven benefits of exercise:

Increased Weight Loss Strengthens Heart and Lungs Improved Sleep Pattern Increased Strength Improved Coordination

Raised Self Esteem Renewed Confidence Feel Good Endorphins Feel Younger Than Ever Improved Mood

A pill may slightly increase your metabolic rate for a time or may suppress your appetite, and you may lose a few pounds. However, a pill alone cannot produce serious or permanent weight loss. A pill cannot deliver the same results as healthy nutrition and regular exercise. 

And weight loss pills have been known to give the following side effects:

• Raised blood pressure
• Increased risk of heart attack
• Cramping, gas and diarrhea
• Constipation
• Headaches
• Dry Mouth
• Insomnia

The bottom line is that true weight loss can't be achieved by a pill. 

If you really want to lose weight, if you're looking for long term health benefits then look no farther than your sneakers. That's right, lace them up and go for a jog.

What's Making You Hungry?

As I'm sure we all know one of the keys to successful weight loss is controlling how MUCH we eat.  Sure, that sounds good on paper doesn't it?  But to put that concept to practical use in the real world can be, well, about as tricky as the paparazzi getting a picture of most young Hollywood starlets today wearing panties.  So, what is it that makes us WANT to eat?  What mysterious power in the universe compels us to keep putting food in our mouths when we're not really even hungry to begin with?  Is it the same mysterious power that makes white people line dance...AND think they look good doing it? 

If you've ever found yourself eating and really didn't know why... check out Time's What Makes You Eat More Food.  The article takes a look at "7 ways our bodies tell us we're hungry, even when we're not"  

The following is a quick rundown of the reasons we tend to want to eat.  Some may surprise you and some will probably seem pretty obvious.  Successful weight loss is really just like anything else... it takes commitment and perseverance.  If getting your diet under control is one of your big stumbling blocks towards that goal... maybe this  will help to identify some of triggers that tend to make you want to eat or to eat more and you will be a little more equipped to handle them.

1.  Time Of Day

2.  Sight

3.  Variety

4.  Smell

5.  Alcohol

6.  Temperature

7.  Refined Carbs

Go check out the article for a little more in-depth analysis as to why these 7 reasons could be contributing to you not being able to walk away from that box of Krispy Kremes.  

While you do that... I'm still going to try and figure out that whole line-dancing thing... ewww.