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BeachBody P90x

Maybe you’ve seen the late-night infomercials with Tony Horon talking about P90x.

I have decided to change the blog and do a daily diary of working out for 90 days with P90X. I’m hoping it’ll serve two purposes.

1. Making me accountable to someone so I finish up 90 days.

2. To let everyone see the progress you can make with P90x.

If you have seen the infomercials you can see the progress that some of the people in that commercial have made. As with all infomercials on the little skeptical. Now you can see it from a real person’s point of view day by day. I am not an actor. I just want to lose weight and feel better.

As for starting point I am very out of shape. To be honest I thought I was not going to pass the pre-test that they have you take before. I did pass, but just barely. I will post my pretest numbers which will include all my measurements and my weight as well as pictures. I would post them all today but they are a little embarrassing and really disgust me. Let me get be few days of this under my belt before I post how far under the rocks at rock-bottom I am.

Jennifer my wife will be joining me, and doing P90x right alongside me. Jennifer or I will post every day for the next 90 days. This will include photos, videos, food logs, exercises and our thoughts about the program. Feel free to subscribe to get daily updates e-mail directly to you.

Wish us luck! I have a feeling this is going to kick our butts.

Steve

FYI - the post that you’ve been seeing in this day with the exception of a few were done by a posting service. They were supposed to give you information about weight loss and vitamins and different topics but it seem like they have just been promoting their own agenda. Those post stop today. I may have guest posters here from time to time but for at least the next 90 days the only post you will see are from Jennifer and I. All those old posts have been deleted.

Finding Time to Work Out

Quite a few years ago before, I owned my own business. I worked in the 9-to-5 corporate world.  My biggest fitness problem was trying to find time to hit the gym.  I live in Chicago and had  a long commute to work in the mornings.  So unless I decided to get up at 4:30 in the morning.  A workout early in the day was almost impossible.  By the time I got home after dealing with the same commute on the way back, I was exhausted. The last thing I wanted to do was head to the gym and work out.

So just like everyone else, I put it off until tomorrow.  This led to a vicious cycle of me putting on a few pounds getting more tired.  Not wanting to work out, and so on and so on.

Then walking past one of the conference rooms, during lunch one day I noticed a few people that I work with holding a makeshift exercise class.  they were playing one of those exercise videos, and following along with the instructor on TV.    I thought that was pretty unique, aa little crazy, and not necessarily the way I would like to spend my lunch.

I knew I had to do something so I thought I would give it a shot anyway.  It was probably one of the best decisions I ever made. I ended up losing all that extra weight I was carrying around and felt better than I had in months.  I even joined a Virtual Health Club for ideas and chances to win cash.

Like I said, that was probably six or seven years ago and I had completely forgot about it until I saw this video. 

www.BusyFolksGetFit.com

It’s funny how you can see something in passing, and it will bring back a flood of memories.  This is the only time I’ve ever seen anyone do this at work until, I saw this video. I guess it goes to show, what we were doing wasn’t that unique after all.

The reason for this post was to show you that if you thought about it long and hard enough.  You really do have time to be able to grab a quick workout, and even have a unique relationship with some of your coworkers.

If you can’t find any coworkers to work out with there are some virtual workout partners you can grab from some of the websites out there.  This is actually a pretty cool way to “share the pain”.  There are even ways to get paid to lose weight.

If you do find the site that pays you to lose weight you can share the info with your coworkers and have more chances to win.    It could pay for a healthy lunch on one of your off days.
 
All you have to do is get a workout video that appeals to the group. Grab an empty conference room with a TV and DVD player. and like the Nike commercial says just “go for it”.
 
I think you’ll be surprised at how much better you feel, and the feeling of camaraderie  you’ll get with your workout group.
 
Just don’t forget about it for as long as I did.

Steve

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers and yet is the most preventable of all cancers. It can hit anyone and builds upon childhood. More than half of all the sun exposure someone has in their lifetime is typically done before 20 years of age.

Therefore, it is so important to learn the signs of skin cancer early and start good sun protection habits early in life. Sunscreen of 15 spf or higher should be used at all times, generous reapplications of the sunscreen is important, wearing a hat and sunglasses can help, but avoiding the sun from 10 am to 4 pm is best. Skin cancer can grow slowly or quickly, so early detection is key.

A family history can indicate if someone is more prone to the most serious form of skin cancer called Melanoma. This form can be life threatening if not treated early. Non-melanoma skin cancer is less dangerous but still can be avoided.

Someone can also get skin cancer if they are exposed to coal tar, pitch, creosote, or arsenic compounds and radium. Existing moles should be closely watched for changes in size and color. New growths that are darkly pigmented, have a bump or nodule, have oozing, bleeding or scaling should be looked at immediately by a doctor.

Read more about Skin Cancer at: http://www.pillfreevitamins.com/articles/articles/13255/1/Signs-of-Skin-Cancer-Symptoms/Page1.html

There is no cure yet for Rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, they still really do not know what causes it or who is predisposed to get it. However, they do have theories and there is lots of evidence to what symptoms it causes. It first attacks the wrists, shoulders, hands and feet often all at the same time. Then it develops to the elbows, achilles tendons, scalp, lungs, salivary glands, heart and sometimes the tear duct glands. The lumps on the inside organs are not typically painful, yet the swelling and stiffness in the joints often is very achy or painful. It can cause a low-grade fever, chronic fatigue, deformity of the joints, and sometimes the inability to pinpoint why they fell bad.

Theory is that there is an infection or inflammation and the body’s natural response is to send white blood cells to these areas. However instead of attacking the bacteria or virus, the body attacks the joint lining instead. Women seem to have a higher risk of developing the disease, as well as individuals between the ages of 20 and 50. However, children, men and people over the age of 50 are not immune to getting Rheumatoid arthritis. With proper treatment, lifestyle changes and a plan to prevent joints from deforming, a person with rheumatoid arthritis symptoms may still be able to live a productive and long life.

For more information on: Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms

Steroids and Teenagers

Teenagers need to understand that the risks and dangers of taking steroids far outweigh the benefits.  If they are kept in the dark, they can often be lured into taking it based on their professional sport role models’ behaviors.  The facts are that it is often too late once they start taking it to stop the damage it will cause their bodies.  Steroids were created synthetically to promote testosterone in the human body and promotes the growth of skeletal muscles.

Some lawful uses for steroids are for some impotence, delayed puberty, and to help the body fight wasting diseases such as HIV.  However, there has been a huge black market for this drug and often the manufacturing or use of it is not sterile or regulated.  Thus, many infections such as Hepatitis B & C, HIV, other viruses and even a bacterial infection which causes inflammation in the heart have been linked to an unwhitting of taking non-sterile steroids.

Skin problems, oily hair, liver tumors, heart attacks and even strokes have also been linked to sterile use of steroids.  Teens need to know that sometimes, one time is one too many.

Therefore, they need to build their muscles and sports performance the old fashion, natural way.

Exercise and Injuries

We all know that exercise injuries are most common in those individuals who are new to working out. However, the daily walker can report knee injuries and shin splins just as easily as a jogger. In fact, they can even develops osteoarthritis from walking too much. Many people do not know how to judge the amount of exercise they should be doing based on what their bodies are telling them. Often, they push themselves to exhaustion or to the point of euphoria through a runner’s high.

Exercising to these points can lead to many health problems from muscle damage to heart problems. Exercising should be done as a way to relax, have fun and be pain free.

It needs to start out slow without rushing into anything and gradually be worked up to 45 minutes to 1 hour a day, four to five days a week. Anything over that will not leave you feeling fresh and energetic without injury.

For more information visit:  Exercise and Injuries

Caffeine and Migraines

Those that suffer from migraines do not always know what triggers them, just that they do not want it to repeat.  Often times, we overlook caffeine as the possible culprit. 

Complete abstinence from caffeine is hard to do, but would ensure that a migraine is not triggered from it.  Caffeine is found is many things such as chocolate, coffee, soda, and some medications.  The more realistic way to ensure that a migraine is not triggered by caffeine is to regulate the intake amount of caffeine to regular intervals.  This does not need to be precise, however a detailed journal would help. 

Basic knowledge such as how much caffeine is in a 12 oz Mountain Dew, Diet Coke, or caffeine tablet will help you estimate your intake on a daily basis when keeping a journal is not realistic.  Looking for non-caffeinated versions of foods, drinks and medications can assist with those who are willing to make a conscious decision to abstain from caffeine. 

These are not always easy to find, but would help make the daily calculations in your head easier if you’re working without a journal. To find more information on this subject and the amount of caffeine in popular soft drinks, please visit:

Caffeine and Migraines

Alzheimers Disease

Anyone who has experienced Alzheimers with a family member knows how heart breaking this disease can become.

There have been great advances and drugs to help, yet 4.5 million people have the disease. Because the disease progresses slowly at first, often people don’t realize what is going on. It is often when the person gets to the point that they are having trouble dealing with everyday problems, planning, and judgement is when most will identify what is happening.

It is not uncommon that those with Alzheimers may occur a personality shift and develop depression. It is best when dealing with someone who has Alzheimers that an enormous amount of patience and love is given. Little things such as putting up a bulletin board identifying who has been visiting the victim and when can helps others around the person figure out what is occuring to their family member. Survial rate after the disease has become rampent varies from person to person.

The average rate is eight years. Some fewer and some as long as 20 years. Eventually some people may end up in long-term care facilities because they will no longer be able to take care of themselves nor will their relatives be able to take on high maintence of a victim of Alzheimers. Early awareness and prevention is the best remedy at this point in time for this disease.

To learn more about early awareness and prevention, check out
 Alzheimers Disease

Even though a lot of people don’t actually realize it, a lot of antioxidant foods that we consume are from vegetables. Vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, and peppers are all excellent choices with some great benefits for your body.  When consuming vegetables, you should always go for those that are rich in color, as they are high in what is known as phytonutrients.

Phytonutrients are nutrients found in the skins of several fruits and vegetables, which give the food color as well as flavor and scent. Phytonutrients are quite simply the best types of antioxidant foods that you can find anywhere. If you are looking for a supplement value, the coQ10 offers you a high level of antioxidant value.

Although fruits and vegetables are the best sources for antioxidants, the problem with them is that they are produced by the use of chemical herbicides, pesticides, and different types of fertilizers.

Over the years, studies have shown that fruits and vegetables which are organically grown are high in antioxidants, and boast a much higher concentration than those that have been produced commercially.

In the busy world of today, it is difficult to eat like we should, nor can we eat organic fruits and vegetables all the time. If you can’t or don’t have access to organic fruits or other sources of antioxidant foods, you should look into nutritional supplements that offer you the phytonutrients you need in your diet.

Supplements that contain phytonutrients do have advantages when compared to certain fruits, such as carrots - which can elevate your blood sugar level to a very high level. Phytonutrients found in supplements are the extract of pigments where nutrients are concentrated, meaning that they draw the best fromantioxidant foods, leaving the calories and sugar behind.

Don’t get the wrong idea here, fruits and vegetables are indeed good for you. They are high in antioxidants, although those that are produced commercially generally come with chemicals and such that aren’t so good for you. Canned fruits and vegetables come with high levels of sugars and calories, which antioxidant supplements don’t have. The supplements offer you the levels you need, without any chemicals, sugars, or calories. This way, you don’t have to worry about consuming anything that isn’t good for you.

No matter how you look at it, healthy eating for your body starts and end with foods that contain antioxidants. There are several types of foods that contain antioxidants, although fruits and vegetables contain the most amounts. Steak and meat are also great sources of antioxidants, along with other great benefits, such as protein. Anytime you can’t get foods that contain antioxidants - you can count on supplements to deliver the amount you need to stay healthy.

Antioxidant Supplements

I hear about antioxidants and how this food has this amount and that food has that amount.  However, it is still a mystery how they work.  It is just known that they do work and are critical for our bodies.  They make our cells strong. 

Strong cells help us bounce back from injuries faster and ward of diseases.  Antioxidans come from food and supplements.  Non synethic ones, such as food, are the best for your body because it can be simulated easily and quickly. 

Most food sources available, however, have very low nutritional value.  Therefore, it is important to supplement a diet with natural vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  These do not replace the need for a healthy diet, nor does a healthy diet by itself give you all you need. They must go together for optimal health. 

To learn more about antioxidants and non synethic supplements visit:
http://www.pillfreevitamins.com/healthy/antioxidants/index.php

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