The Daily Gain 
Gain knowledge, not pounds! A generous portion of news, tips, and highlights from the world of health.
Companies incorporating health and wellness in the work place
Posted by WeightlosswarsBonusPrizes4YOU on August 30, 2010
The phrase "team-building exercise" has a literal meaning for the IT staff at JM Family Enterprises Inc.
A group of tech workers plays pick-up basketball in the company's parking garage in an area that executives have agreed to keep clear for the hoop and the regular lunchtime games. Another group of IT workers heads out to run together, while another works out at the same time in the company gym.
This commitment to on-the-job fitness isn't just tolerated by IT executives there -- it's encouraged.
"It allows folks to stay fit, burn off some stress, to work together and build relationships," says Shawn Berg, vice president of technology operations at the Deerfield Beach, Fla., company.
It's really a trickle-down phenomenon. If it doesn't come from the top to encourage the associates to stay healthy, then it's not going to happen.
Richard Luceri, M.D., vice president of health care services, JM Family Enterprises
Companies with corporate fitness and wellness programs have a diverse selection of offerings for their workers, from health fairs during business hours to 24/7 corporate gyms to on-site medical services. While these programs benefit all workers, program leaders and IT executives say getting the company's tech staff on board presents some challenges as well as opportunities.
"In our IT services, folks are for the most part sedentary, so there's a lack-of-activity issue. They are exposed to a high degree of stress. And they're so diligent and passionate about what they do that the day or night goes by and they haven't gotten up to do anything for themselves," says Richard Luceri, M.D., vice president of health care services at JM Family Enterprises. (Read more about IT's on-the-job health hazards.)
Luceri says he works with managers in all departments to make sure they encourage their workers to make time to take care of their health.
"It's really a trickle-down phenomenon. If it doesn't come from the top to encourage the associates to stay healthy, then it's not going to happen," he explains.
A Department Priority
IT managers are getting the message. Berg says his department discourages using e-mail and holding meetings after 5 p.m. so workers feel like they can move on to their own activities. ("It sounds goofy but it makes a big difference," he says.) Lunch meetings are also discouraged, he says, to keep that time free for those pick-up basketball games, daytime runs and midday gym sessions (followed up with showers in on-site locker rooms).
Berg isn't just paying lip service to the topic. IT managers really do help workers make their own health a priority.
Jason Schell, director of product administration for information technology services at JM Family Enterprises, works out early in the morning, regularly getting in around 5:30 a.m. to exercise before getting an egg-white omelet from the cafeteria and heading to his desk.
Schell says the on-site 24/7 gym helps him fit exercise into his day, and he says he often bumps into IT workers getting off an overnight shift who are doing an early morning workout before heading home.
"It's all about convenience," he adds.
Other companies are making a push to integrate health and wellness into the DNA of their IT departments.
"Our IT workers do have a challenge fitting work/life balance into their schedules, but I can tell you that the IT workers are highly engaged in our wellness program," says Bob Merberg, wellness program manager at Paychex Inc., a payroll services company headquartered in Rochester, N.Y.
Merberg says there's no single program that attracts techies. Rather, the company and the IT leadership had to build a culture that made health as important as other components of the IT lifestyle.
Walking the Walk
Laurie Wright, a database administrator at Paychex, says she has seen an evolution in how her department regards health and wellness programs.
"There was probably initially a lot of hesitation, not because they were concerned that we wouldn't get our work done but because we support production and they were concerned that something might happen when we were out running," she says with a laugh. "But we showed we could handle ourselves. If you work in a stressful kind of environment like IT, you know you have to rely on your co-workers and you can work out plans that can fit everyone's needs."
Wright's an example of that. A 20-year veteran of IT, she led a team of Paychex IT workers that logged the highest number of average steps in the northeast division in the company's most recent eight-week Eat Well, Live Well challenge. Wright says she started wearing a pedometer when she first got involved in the company's wellness program.
"I was surprised to learn that I didn't even walk 2,000 [steps a day]. Now on a normal day I can get 10,000," she says, attributing the improvement to both little changes like taking the stairs instead of the elevator and using the company's outside walking track. She even walks around her office as she talks.
Wright, who has lost 40 pounds and lowered her blood sugar level, says she has seen some changes in management's attitude toward health and wellness. She says at least one manager is likely to suggest walking the track while meeting with others.
Indeed, rank-and-file employees, wellness program administrators and IT leaders themselves agree that the best way to get techies to participate in a company's fitness regimens is to make it part of the department's culture.
"It often comes down to breaking down the barriers as to why people aren't doing it on their own," explains Debbi Brooks, the company's employee wellness program expert. Companies need to make it convenient for workers, offer incentives and find the programs that appeal to particular groups and individuals.
Brooks says she finds that IT workers tend to "feed off each other and cheer each other on," so they like to exercise together and compare results. They like their gadgets, so social networking tools and smart phone programs that let them track fitness progress have been popular, too. And considering the demanding hours that IT often works, flexibility is key.
Telecommunications analyst Tom Walsh says that last one really helped him. He took part in a 10-week nutrition and wellness program offered through his company, Health Care Service Corp.
"Having it at work made it much easier to be part of it," he says. As did his manager's support, he says. His manager adjusted his morning start time by a half-hour to accommodate morning workouts. The ROI was impressive: Walsh dropped 60 pounds, came off his blood pressure medicine and is looking at getting off his cholesterol and diabetes medicine, too.
Pratt is a Computerworld contributing writer in Waltham, Mass. Contact her at marykpratt@verizon.net.
Your Best Work Posture
The market for ergonomic products has come up with some healthier alternatives to the traditional desk. There's the desk that lets you stand up. There's also a treadmill desk, which, as you can imagine, allows you to exercise while you work.
But Tom Revelle, vice president of marketing at Humanscale, which designs and manufacturers ergonomic tools in New York City, says the best desk is one that adjusts to your own individual needs so you can maintain the best posture you can throughout the day.
That doesn't mean you should be sitting ram-rod straight at your desk. Rather, you want to be reclining slightly in your chair, so that the chair takes the weight off your back, he says.
To do that, try the following:
* Move the keyboard off your desktop; instead, put it on an adjustable shelf below the desktop or put it in your lap.
* Get a good ergonomic chair that allows you to lean back and adjust the tension on that back support. (It should be adjustable for height, too.)
* Move your monitor up to the front of your desk when you're working on the computer and move it back when you need desk space, so you're not leaning forward to see the screen.
* And get some really good task lighting for your desk. Very few people need to stand up all day, Revelle says. And he suspects most people may have a hard time working and walking on a treadmill simultaneously.
But if you can make those moves outlined above and get up and move throughout the day, that desk job won't be such a pain. -- Mary K. Pratt
Companies incorporating health and wellness in the work place
Posted by viviansumpter on August 29, 2010
The phrase "team-building exercise" has a literal meaning for the IT staff at JM Family Enterprises Inc.
A group of tech workers plays pick-up basketball in the company's parking garage in an area that executives have agreed to keep clear for the hoop and the regular lunchtime games. Another group of IT workers heads out to run together, while another works out at the same time in the company gym.
This commitment to on-the-job fitness isn't just tolerated by IT executives there -- it's encouraged.
"It allows folks to stay fit, burn off some stress, to work together and build relationships," says Shawn Berg, vice president of technology operations at the Deerfield Beach, Fla., company.
It's really a trickle-down phenomenon. If it doesn't come from the top to encourage the associates to stay healthy, then it's not going to happen.
Richard Luceri, M.D., vice president of health care services, JM Family Enterprises
Companies with corporate fitness and wellness programs have a diverse selection of offerings for their workers, from health fairs during business hours to 24/7 corporate gyms to on-site medical services. While these programs benefit all workers, program leaders and IT executives say getting the company's tech staff on board presents some challenges as well as opportunities.
"In our IT services, folks are for the most part sedentary, so there's a lack-of-activity issue. They are exposed to a high degree of stress. And they're so diligent and passionate about what they do that the day or night goes by and they haven't gotten up to do anything for themselves," says Richard Luceri, M.D., vice president of health care services at JM Family Enterprises. (Read more about IT's on-the-job health hazards.)
Luceri says he works with managers in all departments to make sure they encourage their workers to make time to take care of their health.
"It's really a trickle-down phenomenon. If it doesn't come from the top to encourage the associates to stay healthy, then it's not going to happen," he explains.
A Department Priority
IT managers are getting the message. Berg says his department discourages using e-mail and holding meetings after 5 p.m. so workers feel like they can move on to their own activities. ("It sounds goofy but it makes a big difference," he says.) Lunch meetings are also discouraged, he says, to keep that time free for those pick-up basketball games, daytime runs and midday gym sessions (followed up with showers in on-site locker rooms).
Berg isn't just paying lip service to the topic. IT managers really do help workers make their own health a priority.
Jason Schell, director of product administration for information technology services at JM Family Enterprises, works out early in the morning, regularly getting in around 5:30 a.m. to exercise before getting an egg-white omelet from the cafeteria and heading to his desk.
Schell says the on-site 24/7 gym helps him fit exercise into his day, and he says he often bumps into IT workers getting off an overnight shift who are doing an early morning workout before heading home.
"It's all about convenience," he adds.
Other companies are making a push to integrate health and wellness into the DNA of their IT departments.
"Our IT workers do have a challenge fitting work/life balance into their schedules, but I can tell you that the IT workers are highly engaged in our wellness program," says Bob Merberg, wellness program manager at Paychex Inc., a payroll services company headquartered in Rochester, N.Y.
Merberg says there's no single program that attracts techies. Rather, the company and the IT leadership had to build a culture that made health as important as other components of the IT lifestyle.
Walking the Walk
Laurie Wright, a database administrator at Paychex, says she has seen an evolution in how her department regards health and wellness programs.
"There was probably initially a lot of hesitation, not because they were concerned that we wouldn't get our work done but because we support production and they were concerned that something might happen when we were out running," she says with a laugh. "But we showed we could handle ourselves. If you work in a stressful kind of environment like IT, you know you have to rely on your co-workers and you can work out plans that can fit everyone's needs."
Wright's an example of that. A 20-year veteran of IT, she led a team of Paychex IT workers that logged the highest number of average steps in the northeast division in the company's most recent eight-week Eat Well, Live Well challenge. Wright says she started wearing a pedometer when she first got involved in the company's wellness program.
"I was surprised to learn that I didn't even walk 2,000 [steps a day]. Now on a normal day I can get 10,000," she says, attributing the improvement to both little changes like taking the stairs instead of the elevator and using the company's outside walking track. She even walks around her office as she talks.
Wright, who has lost 40 pounds and lowered her blood sugar level, says she has seen some changes in management's attitude toward health and wellness. She says at least one manager is likely to suggest walking the track while meeting with others.
Indeed, rank-and-file employees, wellness program administrators and IT leaders themselves agree that the best way to get techies to participate in a company's fitness regimens is to make it part of the department's culture.
"It often comes down to breaking down the barriers as to why people aren't doing it on their own," explains Debbi Brooks, the company's employee wellness program expert. Companies need to make it convenient for workers, offer incentives and find the programs that appeal to particular groups and individuals.
Brooks says she finds that IT workers tend to "feed off each other and cheer each other on," so they like to exercise together and compare results. They like their gadgets, so social networking tools and smart phone programs that let them track fitness progress have been popular, too. And considering the demanding hours that IT often works, flexibility is key.
Telecommunications analyst Tom Walsh says that last one really helped him. He took part in a 10-week nutrition and wellness program offered through his company, Health Care Service Corp.
"Having it at work made it much easier to be part of it," he says. As did his manager's support, he says. His manager adjusted his morning start time by a half-hour to accommodate morning workouts. The ROI was impressive: Walsh dropped 60 pounds, came off his blood pressure medicine and is looking at getting off his cholesterol and diabetes medicine, too.
Pratt is a Computerworld contributing writer in Waltham, Mass. Contact her at marykpratt@verizon.net.
Your Best Work Posture
The market for ergonomic products has come up with some healthier alternatives to the traditional desk. There's the desk that lets you stand up. There's also a treadmill desk, which, as you can imagine, allows you to exercise while you work.
But Tom Revelle, vice president of marketing at Humanscale, which designs and manufacturers ergonomic tools in New York City, says the best desk is one that adjusts to your own individual needs so you can maintain the best posture you can throughout the day.
That doesn't mean you should be sitting ram-rod straight at your desk. Rather, you want to be reclining slightly in your chair, so that the chair takes the weight off your back, he says.
To do that, try the following:
* Move the keyboard off your desktop; instead, put it on an adjustable shelf below the desktop or put it in your lap.
* Get a good ergonomic chair that allows you to lean back and adjust the tension on that back support. (It should be adjustable for height, too.)
* Move your monitor up to the front of your desk when you're working on the computer and move it back when you need desk space, so you're not leaning forward to see the screen.
* And get some really good task lighting for your desk. Very few people need to stand up all day, Revelle says. And he suspects most people may have a hard time working and walking on a treadmill simultaneously.
But if you can make those moves outlined above and get up and move throughout the day, that desk job won't be such a pain. -- Mary K. Pratt
Posted by viviansumpter on June 15, 2010
Just wanted to throw out some cool names I heard for a weight loss challenge:
1. The Sore Losers
2. Grooving, Moving, Improving Dames
3. Mission: Slimpossible
4.
Any others? Post them as comments!
Posted by Mom24Boys on May 13, 2010
Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. -Jim Ryun
Weight loss is a challenge. Really, I am the first to admit that it's NOT easy. I reflect on my own "weight loss journey" as fighting for my life.
At 28 years old I found myself tipping the scales at just over 200 lbs on my 5'2" body. Was I pleased? Absolutely not!! Did I know what the hell I was going to do about it? Of course not. I just wanted to be that thin person I knew must be in there somewhere.
I had spent my entire adult life being overweight. I gained my weight during my 4 pregnancies and never lost anything after my kiddos were born. I also had spent my entire adult life in a Have-Be-Do cycle. If I HAD the time/money/energy/gym membership/personal trainer/personal chef [insert your excuse here] etc etc etc.... I would BE able to do what it takes to lose weight and I would finally DO it!! It wasn't until I reversed the cycle that I found my success. I resulted to BE that thin person... to eat like a thin person, exercise like a thin person, value myself as a thin person and THEN... I found success. BE, DO, HAVE! So much better! :)
Anyway.. back to motivation and habit. Motivation... we all have it at some point. Maybe it's what brought you to this site. We all thrive on motivation. We cling on and pray it sticks around a while. Motivation truly is what gets us started OVER and OVER again. But I think we give more credit to motivation then necessary.
Weight loss is fairly simple. Regardless of what approach you take it's all about replacing bad habits with good ones. Habits are what control our lives. If you are in the habit of doing the dishes every evening after dinner, 9 times out of 10 you are going to do just that. Occasionally you will feel "unmotivated" and let them sit for an hour or two.. maybe even over night but bottom line... those dishes will wait and eventually you will have to face them! :)
So here you are at the beginning/middle/end of a journey to create new habits and YOU are the only person standing in your way. Maybe you are TERRIFIED. Maybe you are excited. Maybe you have no idea what the hell you are going to do! ;) Change your focus. This journey is NOT about a number on a scale. This journey is about gaining health. This journey is about developing NEW habits that will give you success. This moment defines where you go from here. Be it!! Do it!! and Have success!
Posted by julesjules on April 14, 2010
Don’t roll your eyes! The potion for losing that excess body fat is all around you. It covers two thirds of the planet. If you eat right and exercise at the intensity, frequency and duration proper for you, but still can’t get rid of a little paunch here and there, you’re probably just not drinking enough water.
No need to get defensive. You’re actually quite normal. Most people don’t drink enough water. Most people are also carrying around a few more pounds than they would be if they did drink enough water. If you can’t seem to get that weight off, try drowning your sorrows in nature’s magical weight-loss mineral. It works, and here’s why:
“What on Earth is 'metabolism', anyway?” People use the term all the time, but ask them what it means and you’ll get all kinds of answers. Merriam Webster defines it as, “The process by which a substance is handled in the body.” A little vague, but that’s really all it means.
There are many forms of metabolism going on in your body right now, but the one everyone is talking about it the metabolism of fat. This is actually something that the liver does when it converts stored fat to energy. The liver has other functions, but this is one of its main jobs.
Unfortunately, another of the liver’s duties is to pick up the slack for the kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do their work along with its own, lowering its total productivity. It then can’t metabolize fat as quickly or efficiently as it could when the kidneys were pulling their own weight. If you allow this to happen, not only are you being unfair to your liver, but you’re also setting yourself up to store fat.
“I’ve tried it and I couldn’t stand it!” The problem is that, though many decide to increase their water intake, very few stick with it. It’s understandable. During the first few days of drinking more water than your body is accustomed to, you’re running to the bathroom constantly. This can be very discouraging, and it can certainly interfere with an otherwise normal day at work. It seems that the water is coming out just as fast as it’s going in, and many people decide that their new hydration habit is fruitless.
Do take heed , though. What is really happening is that your body is flushing itself of the water it has been storing throughout all those years of “survival mode”. It takes a while, but this is a beautiful thing happening to you. As you continue to give your body all the water it could ask for, it gets rid of what it doesn’t need. It gets rid of the water it was holding onto in your ankles and your hips and thighs, maybe even around your belly. You are excreting much more than you realize. Your body figures it doesn’t need to save these stores anymore; it’s trusting that the water will keep coming, and if it does, eventually, the flushing (of both the body and the potty) will cease, allowing the human to return to a normal life. It’s true. This is called the “breakthrough point.”
One recent finding, as irresponsible as it may be, that caffeine increases the body’s fat-burning potential has many people loading up on coffee before going to the gym. This finding may hold some degree of truth in it, but caffeine is, in essence, a diuretic, and diuretics dehydrate. Caffeine may increase the heart rate, causing a few more calories to be burned, but this is at the expense of the muscles, which need water to function properly. This isn’t doing your heart any favors, either. It’s already working hard enough during your workout. Never mix caffeine and exercise. In fact, your best bet is to stay away from caffeine all together. It’s a big bully that pushes your friend water out of your system.
Water is the best beauty treatment. You’ve heard this since high school, and it’s true. Water will do wonders for your looks! It flushes out impurities in your skin, leaving you with a clear, glowing complexion. It also makes your skin look younger. Skin that is becoming saggy, either due to aging or weight loss, plumps up very nicely when the skin cells are hydrated.
In addition, it improves muscle tone. You can lift weights until you’re blue in the face, but if your muscles are suffering from a drought, you won’t notice a pleasant difference in your appearance. Muscles that have all the water they need contract more easily, making your workout more effective, and you’ll look much nicer than if you had flabby muscles under sagging skin.
“Eight glasses a day? Are you kidding?!” It’s really not that much. Eight 8-ounce glasses amount to about two quarts of water. This is okay for the average person, but if you’re overweight, you should drink another eight ounces for every 25 pounds of excess weight you carry. You should also up this if you live in a hot climate or exercise very intensely.
This water consumption should be spread out throughout the day. It’s not healthy at all to drink too much water at one time. Try to pick three or four times a day when you can have a big glass of water, and then sip in between. Don’t let yourself get thirsty. If you feel thirsty, you’re already becoming dehydrated. Drink when you’re not thirsty yet.
Do you think water is yucky? Drinking other fluids will certainly help hydrate your body, but the extra calories, sugar, additives and whatever else aren’t what you need. Try a slice of lemon or lime in the glass, or if you really think you hate water, try a flavored water. Just make sure you read the labels. Remember that you’re going to be consuming a lot of this fluid.
It’s probably a good idea to stop drinking water a good three hours before you go to bed. You know why.
“How cold should it be?” This is debatable. Most experts lean toward cold water, because the stomach absorbs it more quickly. There is also some evidence that cold water might enhance fat burning.
On the other hand, warmer water is easier to drink in large quantities, and you might drink more of it without even realizing it. Do whatever suits you, here. Just drink it!
When you drink all the water you need, you will very quickly notice a decrease in your appetite, possibly even on the first day! If you're serious about becoming leaner and healthier, drinking water is an absolute must. If you're doing everything else right and still not seeing results, this might just be what's missing.
Which are your big weightloss motivators?
Posted by julesjules on March 17, 2010
Which motivate you most?
1. Competition?
2. Excitement?
3. Trash talk?
4. Support?
Here's what a couple members of http://www.weightlosswars.com said recently.
Kim Harris said this: Trash talk! Followed by competition. (they kind of go together)
Karilynn Adams said this: Competition pushed me to lose over 75 lbs... but I think the LIFESTYLE CHANGES I adopted are what helped me succeed! (But winning over $900 wasn't too shabby either!)
We're exploring these at http://www.weightlosswars.com
Posted by juleslein on August 03, 2009
The school year is fast approaching and we all know that life gets a lot busier with everyone's schedules in full force. Don't think you can't have a healthy meal even if you are short on prep time. Here are some great ideas:
Pancakes made from whole grain store-bought mix, canned applesauce, milk.
Microwave-warmed tortillas filled with shredded cheese, canned black beans and salsa. Serve with green pepper strips
Make your own sandwich buffet. Use whole wheat bread or rolls, cheese, leftover turkey or chicken, green or red peppers, cucumbers, mustard, etc.
The "everything-but-the-kitchen sink" salad. Combine any of the following: a can of tuna, raisins, sunflower seeds, sprouts, leftover rice or pasta, shredded cheese, drained canned chick peas, leftover tender cooked broccoli bits, etc. Serve with a loaf of fresh baked bread from the bakery or bake muffins from a mix (or scratch) while you pull together the salad.
Stuffed pita bread A great catch all for leftovers including roast chicken or meatloaf. Try a Vege Pita, using humus, tomato slices, sprouts and other vegetables. Or, try a Fruit Pita, combining cottage cheese, fresh berries and crushed pineapple.
Pasta Serve pasta with a good bottled spaghetti sauce, some non-fat ricotta cheese and sprinkled parmesan cheese on top. Toss with broccoli steamed in the microwave for a few minutes. Serve with a side salad.
Fruit and soup. Warm up leftover or canned soup; and serve with crusty wheat rolls and sliced fresh fruit.
Pizza. Use a store-bought ready made crust or a bagel. Then add bottled sauce and low-fat cheese. Go easy on the meat toppings to limit fat intake, and go heavy on the veggie toppings like green or red peppers.
Grilled boneless chicken breast brushed with bottled Italian salad dressing, couscous, and cooked, frozen vegetables.
Veggie Burger (or lean hamburger), sweet potato, and red pepper strips.
Desserts: High quality frozen yogurt, low-fat store-bought cookies, fresh fruit, yogurt.
Posted by juleslein on July 20, 2009
Eating smaller portions of food is one of the easiest ways to cut back on calories – but it can also be one of the most challenging, especially with the current trend of super-sizing.
Oversized portions, all-you-can-eat-buffets, and extra-large “single servings” of chips, candy bars, and other snack foods are all contributing to an overeating epedimic. Even if you’re not attempting to lose weight, you should be aware of portion sizes. Research has shown that Americans often overestimate the portion sizes for several foods and underestimate how many calories they consume each day by as much as 25%!
Try pouring out your usual portion of pasta or cereal and measuring it. Now, compare it to the portion size written on the label. Chances are, you’re eating two, three, or four times the amount on the label.
The best way to determine the amount of food in a serving is to look at the food label and measure it out. For example, fill a measuring cup with a correctly sized portion of vegetables and then empty it onto a plate. This will help you learn what a serving size looks like and soon you will be able to “eyeball” the amount of food and know whether there is too much or too little.
To help you better visualize the amount in a correct serving size, compare a serving size to an object you recognize. Quit memorizing lists of ounces, cups, and tablespoons and start comparing your servings sizes to familiar objects. For example, a single serving of fruits and vegetables is about the size of your fist. Here are some more specific examples:
A single servings of _______ is about the size of _______.
An apple . . . a baseball
A potato . . . a computer mouse
A bagel . . . a hockey puck
A pancake . . . a CD
According to the USDA, 1 serving equals:
GRAINS
1 slice of bread
1/2 hamburger roll, bagel, English muffin
½ cup of cooked rice or pasta
3-4 small crackers
1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal
2 pancakes, 4” in diameter
2 medium-sized cookies
FRUITS
½ cup cooked or raw fruits
¾ cup of fruit juice
1 medium apple, banana, orange
½ grapefruit or mango
½ cup of berries
VEGETABLES
½ cup cooked or raw vegetables
¾ cup of vegetable juice
½ cup of mashed potatoes
4 leaves of lettuce
1 small baked potato
DAIRY
1-1/2 cups of ice cream
1 cup of yogurt or milk
PROTEIN
2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish
¼ pound of hamburger
1 egg
½ cup cooked dry beans
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
1/3 cup of nuts
Tired of Your Same Old Cardio Routine?
Posted by juleslein on June 22, 2009
Try this hot new game that is fun, easy to set up and burns a ton of calories!
What: Speedminton
Calories Burned: About 400 per hour
Body Benefits: Tank-worthy arms. This hot new game is a cross between racquetball, badminton, and tennis but with no nets or walls involved. Players bat a speeder--which looks like the birdie used in badminton--back and forth using lightweight racquets.
"If you can swing a racquet, you can learn to play, and it's great cardio," says 30-year-old Christina Higgins of San Diego, mother to a newborn and a toddler. "The results are similar to those in tennis--sculpted arms and back, toned legs, and better hand-eye coordination."
Weekend Benefits: Time with friends. "Our neighbors introduced my husband and me to the game, so now we all play in our cul-de-sac," Higgins says. "The speeder glows, so we can even play well into the night."
Cost: You can purchase equipment for $30 to $50 at sporting goods stores or at Amazon.com.
How to Play:
Step 1
Set up your court. A speedminton court is made of two 18-inch squares that are 42 inches apart. These are the same dimensions as half a tennis court and can easily be played on one by extending the center line to the back of the court with tape, though no net is needed. You can also set up cones in these dimensions anywhere there's enough space for it to create a court. Some speedminton kits come with the necessary equipment to do both of these things.
Step 2
Choose who will serve first. This can be done by any means to begin the game with service changing every three serves. In subsequent games the person who lost the previous game serves first.
Step 3
Serve the speeder. When serving behind the front line of the square you must hit the speeder below your waist with the head of the racket below your hand. An overhead serve can be done from behind the back line of the square.
Step 4
Hit the speeder back and forth until someone scores a point. A point is scored on every serve and is counted when the speeder lands in the opponent's square (the line is considered in bounds), it lands out of bounds, it hits a person, or it's hit twice consecutively by the same person. A game is won by reaching 15 points first and must be won by two points. Players switch sides after each game. The player who wins three out of five games wins the match.
If you are in a bit of a rut with your workouts, try this fun new game and watch your weight start to drop again!
Posted by juleslein on May 25, 2009
Weight Loss Includes Fat, Muscle and Water
When we lose weight we don't just lose fat. We lose a combination of body fat, and muscle tissue. For example, studies show that when we diet, the weight we lose is on average 75 percent fat and 25 percent muscle. Furthermore, a relatively high percentage of this weight loss is likely to be water loss. Remember, water accounts for about 70 percent of the total body weight of an average person, with muscle tissue containing roughly 75 percent water (plus 20 percent protein and 5 percent minerals), and body fat containing roughly 50 percent water.
Factors That Affect Speed of Weight Loss
The human body does not lose weight at a regular or uniform speed. Different people reduce weight at different speeds. This is because weight reduction is dependent on various factors, including: weight; diet and lifestyle; level of physical activity; health and genes (inc. metabolic rate); the level of stress experienced.
Weight Loss is Not an Exact Science
As you can see, not only does weight loss include other things besides fat-tissue, the actual speed of weight reduction is determined by a variety of individual factors. So it's difficult, if not impossible, to give a precise answer to the question "how fast can I lose weight?" However, as a rough guide, here are some basic guidelines for maximum weight loss.
What is the Most Weight You Can Lose?
It is possible to lose anything up to about 20 pounds of weight per week, but most of this is likely to be water. It will therefore be regained as soon as normal eating resumes.
What is the Most Fat You Can Lose?
The maximum amount of body fat a healthy person can lose is about 3-4 pounds per week. Typically, only obese people are likely to be able to lose this amount of fat. By comparison, a woman of average weight (about 140 pounds) is likely to lose a maximum of about 1-1.5 pounds per week.
Why You Can't Lose More Weight
The human body is not designed to shed weight. It is designed to survive! Our basic body chemistry endures from prehistoric times, when famine, rather than obesity, was the biggest threat. This is why it won't lose excessive amounts of fat in a short period of time. In fact, if you drastically reduce your calorie-intake, your brain takes active steps to slow down your metabolism, in order to conserve calories. This is one reason why we encounter a weight loss plateau.
Side Effects of Losing Weight Too Quickly
Too rapid weight loss (eg. after bariatric surgery) can lead to unpleasant side effects. The two most common effects of over-rapid weight reduction include:
Appearance of Loose Skin
If you reduce weight too quickly, your skin does not have time to shrink to your leaner body shape. The only effective treatment for this is surgical intervention, such as Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck).
Gallstones
Studies have shown that people who lose excessive amounts of weight very quickly, have a greater risk of developing gallstones than those who lose weight at slower speeds. Too rapid weight reduction may also cause "silent" gallstones to become active.
Weight Regain (Weight Rebound)
Sudden fast weight reduction is usually caused by artificial changes to our eating habits as a result of (eg) very-low-calorie diet plans, or bariatric surgery. Not surprisingly, this does not give us enough time to learn new eating habits. So although our physical weight may have changed, our mental approach to food and eating remains the same. In the absence of medical supervision, or other support, we commonly find ourselves unable to sustain the new dietary habits required to maintain our lighter weight, and regain all our lost weight.
source: http://www.annecollins.com/rapid-weight-loss.htm