Staying healthy and creating new eating habits that will help you with your weight loss can be easier than you think. Start by using any of these easy and FREE websites.

Fitday gives you a free online journal to start tracking your foods, exercises, weight loss, and goals. Join over 2 Million FitDay members using their site to take control of their diet and lose weight. 

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• Track your Foods, Exercises, Weight and Goals 
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CalorieKing has tons of success stories and offers weight management information. Quit dieting and lose weight permanently. CalorieKing will bring you step-by-step through the stages of weight loss and show you how to control your weight for a lifetime.

It's all about you. Your schedule, your goals, your program.

• Build and follow a realistic, achievable plan that's based on your body-type, lifestyle and goals
• Use interactive tools, like the drag-and-drop Food & Exercise Diary that incorporates our complete industry-leading Food Database and library of Healthy Recipes
• Learn how to plan meals using sample meal plans that fit your calorie goals 
• Be inspired, informed and guided by easy-to-use interactive features and tutorials 
• Get involved in an active online community that's ready to welcome you with friendship, support and motivation.

 

Rehab on the Rise

It all started with a pothole. I was almost at the end of a four-mile run, focused on finishing and getting on with my day, when suddenly I was tripped up by a large crack in the asphalt and landed hard, smack on my right knee. Even though the knee throbbed for days afterward, I pushed through my usual workout routine, figuring it would get better on its own. Only, it didn't. When I finally made my way to an orthopedic surgeon for an exam, it turned out that one of the tendons holding my kneecap in place was seriously swollen. The Rx: physical therapy.

I was skeptical. Wasn't PT reserved for hard-core athletes and the elderly recovering from hip replacement surgery? To my surprise, the rehab center my doctor recommended was full of women just like me -- young, fit, and trying to get back to the activity they loved. "Judging from the increase in physical therapists, it's estimated that the number of people receiving PT services has grown from about 1.2 million per day in 2000 to 1.6 million per day in 2008. This is a jump of almost 40 percent in less than a decade," says Andrea Avruskin, DPT, a spokesperson for the Nevada Physical Therapy Association. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the industry will grow by nearly a third by 2016 -- about three times the national average -- outpacing similar professions, like nursing and emergency medical services.

Part of the reason for the increase is that sports injuries themselves are on the rise: Close to 20 percent of us got one in 2008, up from 14 percent in 2000. At the same time, there's been a shift away from the idea that plain rest is best for recovery. "We used to treat these injuries with the RICE method -- rest, ice, compression, and elevation. There's still some of that, but studies show that the best way to speed up recovery is to get you moving as soon as possible," says FITNESS advisory board member Vonda Wright, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "Say you sprain your ankle. You still have two good arms and one leg to work with. If you sit at home doing nothing until it's healed, your ankle will be stiff and weak, and the rest of your body will also be out of shape." For this reason, doctors now prescribe physical therapy to keep you active and prevent the injured area from atrophying.

“The stress at work is sending my blood pressure through the roof,” a patient told me. His instinct was good, because experts who study stress are increasingly seeing how it connects to illness. Stress affects your heart, weight, and skin. It’s also linked with physical training, an increased risk for developing depression, the common cold, and influenza, as well as associated with increased symptoms among those with chronic illnesses,” says Dr. Sheldon Cohen, a professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Confronted by sudden danger, the human body instantly pumps the bloodstream full of adrenaline. This hormone, along with cortisol raises your:

• blood pressure
• heart rate
• blood sugar

temporarily giving you additional strength, speed, and stamina. In emergency situations, stress can save your life.

But ongoing stress—the kind you might face when you’re experiencing marital, financial, or work-related problems or are caring for a sick relative—influences your ability to function and may lower your immunity. Even your genes can be affected, says Dr. Elissa Epel, a health psychologist at UC, San Francisco, because stress changes “the protein output of our DNA.” That’s like saying it affects the core of what we are made of.

Here’s what else we know about stress and sickness.

Heart

“There is overwhelming evidence that stress creates an environment where heart attacks and even sudden death become more likely,” says Dr. Joel Dimsdale of UC, San Diego, in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Job stress has been found to increase cardiovascular risk by up to 50%. In addition, stress lowers estrogen production, which reduces protections against heart disease in women, explains Dr. Stephen Manuck, a professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh.

Headaches

Stress appears to change the balance of chemicals in the brain in a way that may contribute to the narrowing of blood vessels—one theory for why we get migraines. Stress also is a factor in tension headaches. And physical reactions to stress—such as tensing the neck and shoulders, grinding teeth, or clenching the jaw—may make headaches worse.

- Don't go to a party hungry - this will cause you to make poor choices and pile too much food on your plate.  Be sure to eat a nutritious breakfast and lunch that day to avoid overeating at the party.  If the party starts late, have a healthy snack prior to attending to hold you over until the main course arrives.

- Choose your cheat - instead of going crazy and having wine, pasta, bread, and dessert, just pick one!

- Limit high fat items - party food is usually high in fat since there is always something that contains mayo or sour cream.  By avoiding the high fat items, you will keep your calories in check for the day.

- Watch your portions - Go for smaller portions and take more if you are still hungry.  Consider sharing a meal if the portions are large.

- Limit your alcohol and caffeine intake.  Many of the holiday drinks have "empty calories", calories that don't fill you up.  In fact, some margaritas have almost 700 calories in one serving.  Try a dry wine, bloody mary or something with a diet mixer to keep the calories down.  You can always enjoy a glass a sparkling water with a lemon or lime in between your cocktails to keep the calorie count down as well.

- Drink plenty of water since alcohol and coffee can dehydrate your body.

- Remember...everything in moderation!

Of course all these tips and a one 30 minute workout per week will have coasting worry free through the holidays.  Call us at (281) 419-3900 or email us today to experience effective personal training.