Steps to Success

1-Set your schedule and stick to it - pick a time of the day and don’t vary. Consistency builder habit which leads to great results. Set your goal for at least 3 weeks. In 3 weeks, a habit is learned.

2-Set realistic goals. It is important to set a goal and achieve it, adding difficulty as you can handle it.

3-Chart your progress. Place it on the refrigerator where you can see it often. Put a picture of your favorite ‘in shape person’ next to the chart to remind you where you’re headed.

4-If you fall off the horse, collect yourself and get back on! That’s OK. Just re-evaluate your goals if required, but by all means, begin again!

5-Begin each session by stretching and loosening your muscles through a warm up routine.

6-Do the exercises slowly and in a controlled smooth and fluid manner. Steady effort will build strong muscles.

Are you Walking for Good Health?

My husband ordered myself and he a Pedometer…now what in the world is a Pedomter? But something that helps you keep track of how many steps you take a day…and the ‘magical number’ we’ve heard to help keep you healthy is ‘10,000 steps per day’! And today, being my first day with the Pedometer, I took 6,818 steps…and that is with walking a little over a mile on the treadmill…so what if you don’t do a mile on the treadmill? Well, that means, in order for you to get that ‘10,000 steps per day in’ you are going to have to do a lot more walking…

But when you have something like the Pedometer, which costs about $20 to $30 - it helps make you accountable, and if that is what you are looking for, the Pedometer is for you. You set your settings, then clip it to your belt and away you go. You don’t really think about it unless you want to see how many steps you have taken, and believe me, you take more steps than you think when you are up and about. But can you make a point to get your ‘10,000 steps in a day’? That is the question.

By having the Pedometer on, it tracks how many steps you take a day and if you are not at the magical ‘10,000′ then you can do extra walking to get there. You can get out in the evenings, take the kids to the park to play while you walk around the track. One mile gets you about 2,500 steps. That means you are one quarter toward your goal. You’ll need to think of other ways you can get where you want to be. Parking in the ‘back 40′ of a parking lot is a good way, go to the mall and just walk and window shop is another good thing to do. Also, making a couple of trips around the grocery store before finally grocery shopping works. Start a social group, get family and friends together at a certain time to walk, it makes it much more interesting and accountable.

And just think, if you can get to 10,000 steps per day, what great condition, health and fitness, you will eventually be in, and all by just taking steps. No hard work out or big time running, just walking 10,000 steps per day!

What better way to do it than just do it - Take the first step!

8 Ways to eat more healthy

How The Biggest Loser Contestants Eat

Like most overweight Americans, many of The Biggest Loser contestants have a history of eating and drinking the wrong types of food and beverages, and consuming too little of the right kinds.

At the ranch, the contestants learn to:

1. Veggie-load in every way possible.

2. Amp up their fruit intake by skipping sugar juices and adding fresh fruit to nutritious smoothies.

3. Learn to love (and pronounce) quinoa (KEEN-wah)—it’s a grain and a protein!

4. Eat lean cuts of meat and poultry.

5. Eat sandwiches with one slice of Ezekiel bread, which is full of fiber.

6. Select whole grains such as brown rice and whole wheat noodles.

7. Eat fish several times a week.

8. Minimize consumption of red meat and high-fat dairy foods.

Courtesy of enews@biggestloserclub.com

How to Increase Exercise in Daily Life

Member

By Summer Banks
User-Submitted Article

Exercise is important in daily life, as it serves to maintain a healthy body. Therefore, you stand a better chance of fighting off diseases that are brought on by stress and lack of exercise.

Instructions

Step 1

Start slow. Begin by engaging in less stressful exercises like, walking for 30 minutes a day and walking up and down the stairs.

Step 2

Add flexibility exercises. Begin and end your walking sessions with some stretches to increase flexibility.

Step 3

Add strength training. Strength training can also be incorporated into your daily routine by holding 3lb dumbbells as you walk.

Step 4

Add calisthenics. Sit-ups and push-ups are also advisable, starting with five then moving the target higher with time. The sit-ups help in reducing fat stored around the stomach, while push-ups burn fat on the upper back and the upper arms.

Courtesy of www.ehow.com

What is really in you Hot Dog?

Beef and Port - Both are high in protein - and in unhealthy saturated fat and cholesterol; the meat could come from pig and cow skeletal muscle and by-products.

Mechanically Separated Turkey - A pastelike substance produced when tissue is removed from bones through a high-pressure sieve. This product is versatile and cheap - and not just for turkey dogs.

Read the story »

Are you Walking for Good Health?

My husband ordered myself and he a Pedometer…now what in the world is a Pedomter? But something that helps you keep track of how many steps you take a day…and the ‘magical number’ we’ve heard to help keep you healthy is ‘10,000 steps per day’! And today, being my first day with the Pedometer, I took 6,818 steps…and that is with walking a little over a mile on the treadmill…so what if you don’t do a mile on the treadmill? Well, that means, in order for you to get that ‘10,000 steps per day in’ you are going to have to do a lot more walking…

But when you have something like the Pedometer, which costs about $20 to $30 - it helps make you accountable, and if that is what you are looking for, the Pedometer is for you. You set your settings, then clip it to your belt and away you go. You don’t really think about it unless you want to see how many steps you have taken, and believe me, you take more steps than you think when you are up and about. But can you make a point to get your ‘10,000 steps in a day’? That is the question.

By having the Pedometer on, it tracks how many steps you take a day and if you are not at the magical ‘10,000′ then you can do extra walking to get there. You can get out in the evenings, take the kids to the park to play while you walk around the track. One mile gets you about 2,500 steps. That means you are one quarter toward your goal. You’ll need to think of other ways you can get where you want to be. Parking in the ‘back 40′ of a parking lot is a good way, go to the mall and just walk and window shop is another good thing to do. Also, making a couple of trips around the grocery store before finally grocery shopping works. Start a social group, get family and friends together at a certain time to walk, it makes it much more interesting and accountable.

And just think, if you can get to 10,000 steps per day, what great condition, health and fitness, you will eventually be in, and all by just taking steps. No hard work out or big time running, just walking 10,000 steps per day!

What better way to do it than just do it - Take the first step!

8 Ways to eat more healthy

How The Biggest Loser Contestants Eat

Like most overweight Americans, many of The Biggest Loser contestants have a history of eating and drinking the wrong types of food and beverages, and consuming too little of the right kinds.

At the ranch, the contestants learn to:

1. Veggie-load in every way possible.

2. Amp up their fruit intake by skipping sugar juices and adding fresh fruit to nutritious smoothies.

3. Learn to love (and pronounce) quinoa (KEEN-wah)—it’s a grain and a protein!

4. Eat lean cuts of meat and poultry.

5. Eat sandwiches with one slice of Ezekiel bread, which is full of fiber.

6. Select whole grains such as brown rice and whole wheat noodles.

7. Eat fish several times a week.

8. Minimize consumption of red meat and high-fat dairy foods.

Courtesy of enews@biggestloserclub.com

Label Lingo: Natural

Americans are shelling out more for “natural” foods than ever before - but does the label guarantee healthier picks? Not Always! Here is what you need to know:

TRUST IT - when its on meat and poultry packaging, The USDA requires these products to be free of artifical ingredients, colorings, preservatives and unnecessary processing.

USE CAUTION - when it is on anything else. Products can be packed with sweetners or flavorings and still carry a natural sticker.

OUR ADVISE - Check the nutrition label. All of the ingredients - good for you and no so good - are listed there. Our Rule of Thumb: Avoide anything you cannot pronounce!!!

Tips for Exercise and Weight Loss

Keep a food journal. Write down what you eat, when you eat it, and most importantly, what feelings seem to drive your “hunger.”

The opposite of exercise is innercise — taking a look inside and working on your emotional and spiritual health.

You can find humor in the midst of stress. This is when you really need it and when your sense of humor seems to abandon you.

Say “thank you” after a compliment instead of your natural reaction to discount it. Remember if someone were to give you a gift you would say “thank you.” Be gracious, accept the compliment, and take it in. Read the story »

4-30-09 Exercise of the Week - Ab Crunches

Teresa Mullis, personal trainer at BodyPlex of Jasper, shows Beth the proper way to do the Ab Crunch on a stability ball with a weighted medicine ball.  Roll down the stability ball with feet shoulder width apart, lower back on the ball - hold ball up toward the ceiling, chin up and looking toward the ceiling, contour your back around the ball and pull up with the abs - always looking toward the ceiling - crunch, pulling the lower abs to the spine.