FIGURE COMPETITION SHOES - OUCH!

Okay so years ago I traded spike heels for more....comfortable types of shoes. I never quite warmed to old lady shoes but have always treated my feet well by wearing good well made shoes rather than fad shoes which inevitably look great but cause a lot of foot problems.

I bought competition (body building - figure competition) shoes early on in my training. The buying experience alone was interesting. Guess where you get them other than the Internet? In my area it is a store in Kelowna called "Wild Kingdom."

Now I have not led a sheltered life but I honestly always thought it was some kind of pet store. Ahem. Not. So okay. You find them in adult 'love shops'.

The black ones as well as the cinderella ones with the impossibly high heels. I was told that it was wise to start practicing posing in them early on - no kidding. The women on stage make it look easy but it is certainly not. I always have the sense of falling...a long way.

I used them just the other day and believe me I have not practiced nearly enough! So if you are going to compete - I would wear them very short periods occasionally to get used to them but don't overdo it or you will wreck your feet!

I wonder. Did men make the rules for competition? It certainly would not have been someone who has to wear them!

Body building category is almost starting to look easier :)

I see that Dr. Scholls (link) has insoles for high heels - I will be checking those out

If you buy on line you will have to order well in advance - they really are an individual fit.

WEIGHT LOSS TIP # 3 - THE NUMBER ONE FITNESS MOTIVATOR! MUSIC - OXYGEN MAGAZINE READERS AGREE

The December issue of Oxygen Magazine published a customer survey confirming that for 80% of responders, music was the top motivator. It is the one thing they can't live without when working out.

During personal training sessions I never could get quite the same intensity in my workouts as I could when I was alone with my music blaring. For obvious reasons I couldn't blare music or wear headphones during the traning sessions.

I have an ecletic taste in music but when it comes to working out - I download mostly top 20 tunes or 70s upbeat stuff....Using my Ipod and itunes I can get only the music I want and keep my music list fresh inexpensively.

There are mixed reviews in studies on the effect of music on exercise. Overall though it is highly recommended.

Music can be:
• a terrific motivator
• lets you shut off from the outside world
• music is known to affect concentration and improve cognitive function – you will be more able to concentrate on your workout – at the least it is a creative distraction
• music improves mood - looking forward to your workout music will help you look forward to your workout making it a positive experience and leading to better compliance with your program
• the effect of music on your mind and emotions significantly helps to decrease the feeling of strain during exercise and helps you to concentrate on your workout
• some research found that upbeat music actually increases muscle tension which makes it easier to do your exercises without feeling strain
• on the other hand sedating music has a negative effect and it is better to have silence than sedating music for workouts
• some studies found that music may stimulate motor functions in the brain
• enjoyable music automatically brings a person to a happy and positive mood
• music is being used therapeutically and is found useful in rehabilitation for gait abnormalities to improve gross motor skills and improve mobility
• personal trainers have found upbeat music can slightly increase the respiratory rate and heart rate as well as prepare the clients better mentally for the anticipated workout
• upbeat music is a great distraction allowing us to forget about time and breeze through our workouts.

My pick:
Apple Ipod. Itunes software (free from Apple)downloadable from the Internet. You can buy individual songs for 99 cents to around $ 1.29 without having to buy a whole album. You can download your CD s to the program and mix it up. I put the songs in playlists so I don’t get tired of listening to the same ones all the time.


Music:
Music is a very individual choice. When my husband and I used to use our gym together, I had to get an IPOD and wear headphones so that I could be motivated by music I love. He likes 50s music and country - I would rather rip my hair out. . I am an anomaly for my age. I love the top 20. I listen to satellite radio on my commute. I write down the songs I like and which I find motivating. About every two weeks I go onto Itunes and download a new playlist of around 15-17 songs.
If you don’t know how to download the IPOD – buy it at a reputable place with support or find a niece, newphew, son, daughter, grandkid or neighbour kids to help you with it. It is quite easy – must be - I learned it at 58.

FEMALE FIGURE COMPETITION

I have provided numerous resources on this site that will give you all the info you need for weight training and body building in general.

Train yourself with these valuable resources or sign on with one of the authors for online training now or closer to competition.

Whether you have a year to train or more it is not too soon to start planning.

The programs are listed down the right side of the blog.

The information covers but is not limited to:

How to eat prior to contest.
How to eat to maximize muscle gain.
How to get at those body parts which are slower to get to competition stage.
All the tricks from one year prior to competition right up to the day of..
How to lean out and reduce body fat safely.
How to tan.
How to find out about competitions.
Common mistakes of body building competitors.
How to plan out your training regime milestones by counting backwards from your competition date.
How to tailor your nutrition for the best body.
How to adjust your cardio during building as well as during leaning out.
All about carb cycling.
All about HIIT.
What supplements you may wish to consider.
The right protein, complex carb, fibrous carb, fat ratio.
When to eat.
What to eat.
Why you may not be eating enough.
When to work out.
When to do cardio.
Competition suits.
Competition shoes.

I have found Karen Sessions E Books to be comprehensive and valuable. She is experienced in women's competitions and will take online clients. Her prices are very reasonable and it is a cost effective way of having a professional trainer.

Nick Nilsson also known as 'the mad exercise scientist' is a genious at coming up with ways to better target muscles, increase and maximize muscle development and target hard to get at areas. As well as his general book, he has many other books including those which target specific areas such as butt, chest, abs.

He recently came up with a great exercise to target the inner pecs giving a boost to cleavage. You certainly can feel the exercise working on that muscle!

I love finding out what he will come up with next.

FITNESS MAGAZINES

I often read blogs and articles by fitness trainers criticising fitness magazines while in another breath they anxiously report being unable to 'break in' as an author for the same magazines they trash.

The prime complaints I have heard and read:

1. They advertise harmful supplements.

2. They present unrealistic bodies (meaning that fitness models usually lean out for photo shoots so their muscles will show) and of course tan to accentuate the muscles.

They are all airbrushed to perfection.

3. Their articles are boring and uninformative.

1. I think they are wrong. Sure they advertise all sorts of things - how else can they support the magazines. Have you seen a magazine without ads? I have seen my share of Cialis and antidepressant ads. I think readers will come across these supplements at many other venues and are adult enough to decide not to put garbage in their bodies.

2. Well duh....of course the bodies are gorgeous - I don't think it would be motivating to see unfit bodies in a magazine which promotes fitness. I don't even mind that most of the models are younger - at least Oxygen does a layout of Tosca Reno every so often which is quite motivating as well. They have to give what the readership wants.

Sure they are airbrushed. Photographs often bring out and accentuate flaws which are then frozen in time and not apparent in person when you see the three dimentional view of the person as well as their personality and character. Nothing is as mean as a photograph. The photographer puts the personality back in to some extent. Again, whether airbrushed or not, great bodies are motivating. I think we are mature and educated enough to know that perfection is rare rather than the norm. I think the muscular fit bodies are not as harmful as the waif model bodies of the past.

3. To the lay person (like me) I find the articles very informative and not the least boring. Fitness magazines have kept me going and have kept me informed in the absence of having a personal trainer. Only the stars can afford a personal trainer forever. It is not my only source of research but an important one.

During the beginning of my fitness adventure the personal trainer introduced me to a women's fitness magazine. Now that one was boring. I seached the shelves for alternatives and initially bought 3 or 4 different ones. Currently I only buy Oxygen Magazine because I like it. I have tweaked many of my own fitness programs with ideas from the pages of Oxygen.

So how do trainers break in to women's fitness magazines? Well first off quit criticising them publicly ! Or, provide constructive helpful opinions to the editor. Your blogs are public you know?

CELLULITE - THE LEAST EXPENSIVE WAY TO REDUCE THE APPEARANCE OF CELLULITE - THE FOAM ROLLER: CELLULITE TREATMENT, MUSCLE RELEASE, STRETCHING EXERCISES

This medium density green 36 x 6 is the most often recommended

see at

http://www.athleticaffair.com/custom.em?pid=858825

First try your local fitness store.

The prices vary from seller to seller - from about $25 to $35. I have included more links at the end - free demos as well as books you can purchase. You should check your local fitness store to see if they have one or can order one in for you.

About the foam roller:

Massage is known to be of benefit for many reasons- relaxation, trigger point treatment, muscle spasms, tight muscles, improved circulation, lymph health, pain treatment just to name a few. Body builders often have weekly treatments to improve their overall muscle appearance.

Nothing can replace a great massage by a qualified registered therapist. I attend massage for overall health as often as I can, sometimes weekly, but as an adjunct to that I use a foam roller, the < $30 self- massage or self-myofascial release tool. I used one since quite early on in my fitness training for tense or sore muscles as well as for stretching and the reported reduction in the appearance of cellulite. I would like to pass on the information I have learned and hope you can make this inexpensive addition to your home gym. This is one tool you can use while watching Tv!

· A foam roller is thought to increase body awareness – sure does – it really hurts –but in a good way – it often points out tight areas you did not even know you had

· Is a form of ‘myofascial release – loosening tight muscles

· It is reported to reduce the appearance of the dimples of cellulite

· Breaks down adhesions or scar tissue

· Increases blood flow and circulation to soft tissues

· You will notice some of the attached foam roller exercise routines are very ‘plank like” so the activity involved in using the tool is beneficial exercise.

I am sure you are anxious to begin. Here are several sites on how to use the tool.

http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/self-myofascial-release.html (scroll to bottom of article for animated routine)

excellent video http://www.mypypeline.com/store/video/prehab-foam-roller-stretch/ it shows how to increase the resistance as well

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnEiYxbzM4Q from the workout muse

http://www.willpowermatrix.com/public/126.cfm

(for part two of the above article you have to sign up and pay a membership fee - don't bother - the first part provides an overview and there are plenty of free resources on the topic).

http://www.smiweb.org/roller.pdf

http://www.pulsept.co.nz/Why-I-Fell-for.1103.0.html

http://www.optp.com/userfiles/file/V23%20PDF

http://www.runjunk.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=461

http://www.ballsnbands.com/proroller_foam_rollers.html

AUSSIE FATBLAST and The Truth About Fat Loss Gimmicks and The One FAT LOSS 'PILL' That really works

Daniel Munday an Australian Fat Loss Expert is one of my favourite trainers and authors. He has produced an E program which capitalizes on workouts at home and body weight exercises - so.. little or no equipment and no gym fees. As well as being one of the nicest people around, he seems very ethical in his business dealings and most of all he has a sense of humour. Ethics in advertising is very important to me. If I am aware of any false advertising, an author's product will not appear on this site.

Research, time and experience in fitness training leads to changes in a trainer's formerly held beliefs. It is called education and personal growth. I don't care for it when trainers blast other trainers for some of their fitness methods and beliefs when you know darn well they promoted the exact same thing in the past. This is pure arrogance.

What is impressive about Dan is that he is not afraid to say that he is always learning and growing and when he provides critiques he readily admits the occasions that he may have promoted some of the same sort of thing in the past.


I bought and read every word in his E program and find that it is a keeper. I would be remiss in not adding it back during my site reconstruction. His exercises are invaluable to me when I am on the road - I hate using poorly equipped hotel gyms or going where the 'muscle heads' go :)

You can read more about Aussie Fatblast by clicking here.

Enjoy Daniel's article below:

The Truth about Fat Loss Gimmicks and the Magic Pill That Actually Does Work! By Daniel Munday BHSc

I have seen everything when it comes to the so called latest and greatest way to rip money out of your pocket. Sorry, I mean to get the fat loss results and the supposed body that you have always desired.

First came the Ab Roller, followed by the Ab King Pro, the Vibratron 3000 and a bunch of other useless pieces of dust gatherers which promised the world but delivered little in terms of real world fat loss results without the big asterix leading to a disclaimer that says you actually had to eat right. You may have missed that in the ads as it was so small I only found it when I had my glasses on.

Sure, I may have had a little bit of creative author’s license with the Vibratron 3000 but I think you get the point. All of these gimmicks were designed to get us the fat loss results while we do not much at all.

Which is what most people want in life. A quick fix for everything.

The truth about fat loss is that if it sounds too good to be true, than it probably is. In most cases. I am about to share with you the fat loss secret that is actually as good as it sounds.

Did you know that there is actually a pill that will let you burn fat while you sit on your backside? I am being serious here. Sure, a pill is a strange way to label interval training but that is what it basically is.

When taken correctly as directed, this pill can boost your metabolism for up to 48 hours after you finish training and no, that is not a misprint.

This is because of a scientific theory called EPOC, which stands for Excess Post Oxygen Consumption. I will not get too technical here but basically you burn more calories after doing intense exercise than your mate at the gym who is doing the traditional aerobic training session (long boring cardio).

The best way to take your interval training pill is to do short bursts of high intensity exercise followed by recovery, or periods of less intensity. Perfect examples are hill sprints where you walk down the hill for recovery, or sprints on an exercise bike followed by slowly turning your legs over for the designated recovery period.

This pill gains superhuman results when you combine the interval training with another great form of exercise, the supersets method of resistance training.

The supersets method is where you perform one exercise for one body part, followed by another exercise for an opposite body part straight after without a rest.

Some people may choose to use an upper body exercise followed by a lower body exercise. Some people may choose to use a chest exercise followed by a back exercise or to use two full body exercises back to back.

Whatever method you choose will depend on your current fitness level, but the end result of supersets training is increased fat loss results and the boost in metabolism for up to 48 hours after your training session.

The only catch is you have to work hard and sweat your backside off but at least you will finally achieve the long lost fat loss results that you have been looking for.

Don't let fear hold you back. Take the next step.

Daniel Munday is a Sydney based Fitness Conditioner and creator of the Aussie Fatblast training method that gives busy corporate professionals the fat loss results they deserve in short workouts. It is the ideal fat loss solution for the busy person who does not have the time to exercise the traditional way.

Learn more about EPOC and Interval Training and blast your way to a new body with the Aussie Fatblast Secrets Revealed FREE audio and eBook report that will address the 5 reasons why you are not achieving the fat loss results that you deserve. Simply visit AUSSIE FATBLAST to download your personal copy today

MAXIMIZE YOUR BICEPS WITH NICK NILSSON'S TOP TIP

Nick Nilsson is always coming up with imaginative ways of making exercises more effective just like in his THE BEST EXERCISES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF

Now he tells you "How to REALLY Do Incline Curls To Mass Up Your Biceps FAST!" CLICK HERE for a free demo.

I will be giving it a try in my workout tomorrow.

FACIAL REJUVENATION WITHOUT PLASTIC SURGERY

I have found you can exercise anything - your body, your eyes, your mind, your teeth/jaw.

I had stabismus as a child - in those days they did not cut the muscles and try to correct them. I was given simple exercises following my finger out beyond my nose and back again - it completely corrected.

At one point I had TMJ. I had numerous dental filings, drillings and splints. In the end - exercise cured it.

I remember a long time ago I was told - don't pull on your face or it will stay like that. Don't frown or you will get deep furrows. I have always been gentle with the area around my eyes - it is delicate tissue there and I have taken good care of my skin. Before I was out of my teens I considered that in the future it would be necessary to have a face lift. Each decade I delayed it. I am now 61 and was able to improve my body significantly. Why could I not do the same for my face?

An esthetic physician told me it was essential I have Botox preventatively to avoid wrinkles. Even though I understand it is an inactive toxin I declined for several reasons. It is not natural to the body and it is a paralizing agent and is not without risk. And most of all, I dislike the unnatural expressionless face. I think facial expression makes the person.

A while back I came across a facial exercise program. I used it and had results but instead of doing the maintenace part I put it aside and eventually forgot about it. Then I came across it recently in a very timely way. I had been reading numerous articles about the benefits of facial exercise. While reorganizing my office I found my program. Of course! The face has muscles just like the body. I sure needed to resume the program.

I happened to contact the author and found the program was now available through the Internet. I did not buy the creams and facial products because I have my own repertoire of products I am happy with so I cannot give you feed back on those but the exercise program is a keeper. I might try the lip product. I will keep you posted if I do.

Before you undergo the risks of plastic surgery, check it out - Facial Magic Exercise Program! It can be done in minutes a day increasing to 10 minutes when you have incorporated the whole plan as designed. Do it 6 days/week for 9 weeks, then continue the maintenance three times per weeek. You can easily incorporate it into your daily beauty routine.

Don't forget though that whole body exercise, excellent nutrition, sun protection, cleansing and moisturizing contribute to healthy skin.

FACIAL MAGIC

SOME LAST MINUTE GIFTS FOR THE FITNESS ENTHUSIAST AND WHAT NOT TO BUY

In no particular order and variable price ranges.
Water Bottle - help stop polution caused by plastic bottles.

Here is a link about the types of 'green bottles.'

IPOD - get a gift certificate for the ear buds though - earphones are really individual taste - and the price varies from around $10 to well over $100.

Heart rate monitor. There are many price ranges and many features. Some calculate heart rate, estimate calories, act as stop watches, have alarms for various rates to tell you to pick up the pace. Some more elaborate ones can be connected and downloaded to the computer to graph your workouts.

Here is a link with some comparisons for monitors.

Green Tea - Antioxidant and weight loss accelerator.

A subscription to Oxygen Magazine. Full of interesting articles, workouts, recipes. I look forward to every issue.

Any of Tosca's books. I have given so many as gifts I have lost count - as well as the Eat-Clean Diet Books she has workout books.

Myotape - you can buy one for around $8 from Bodybuilding.com or from GNC.

Why do you need one. Measurements are more accurate that weighing for charting your progress. This tape is easier to use for self-measurement - the end hooks into the body of the tape and it is spring loaded to tighten just right. A great stocking stuffer - you can't have too many - might drop a weight on one or something.

Equipment: Weights, weight gloves, medicine balls. bosu balls etc

Bonus big gift - particularly in cold climates - treadmill!!!!! Make sure it has a good deck as well as the ability to add hills, a good motor, and warranty. Sometimes the bells and whistles for choices of computer programming, stereos and tv screens are not as important as the structural integrity, mechanism and motor. Size and foldability may be an issue for some.

Things not to get (unless asked for):

gym membership - that is really personal choice - which gym or no gym - might be insulting as well if the recipient had not planned on joining a gym

personal training - no no no - boy - did my husband and I make this mistake! ...people are not motivated when someone buys them the gift, they may be insulted, they likely want to choose their own trainer, they will feel pressured and resentful to try to meet your expectations for success.

WI fit - come on!!! if you want to buy it as a game - great. There is no research supporting that this game will contribute to an improved fitness level...and it still encourages computer and tv use rather than real outdoor activities! Get snowshoes or something instead - see your great country.

WEIGHT LOSS TIP # 2 USE STRESS AND ANGER CREATIVELY

I was disappointed in a situation as well as quite angry the past few days. My old self would have gone to the fridge to eat 1/2 gal of chocolate ice cream.

Instead I did a cardio workout - 25 minute interval and 20 minute steady state. By the end of the session I felt great and decided to do a dance work out later.

By the end of the cardio my anger dissipated. I decided to forgive the perpetrators and not let their negative energy impact me or my health. And...the action will improve my fitness level as well as remove the cortisol effect from stress.

Kind of a win win situation.

There are so many hassles in life for all of us. Too many to count sometimes. Direct your negative energy from these potentially devastating situations into a positive experience!

BEFORE PICTURES. Fat loss - do not be surprised if nobody recognizes you.

Ok. This was me at my largest in 2007. Don't know how the photo survived the scissors but my family is resourceful.

I guess I must have been complaining again about running into 'so and so' and they walked right by me.

My husband threw a couple of pictures at me the other day. "There." he said. "That's why people are ignoring you. They don't recognize you!"

One of the pictures was a 'before photo.' I guess one which was unable to escape from my destruction of every picture of me ever taken between 1989 and 2007. And of course one since my transformation. Ok. I get the point. I find that often I have to reintroduce myself.

I guess my point to you, is that no matter how painful it is, take the before picture and post it somewhere private. Each time you think you would like to give up, look at it and remember that it is not really you. You are hiding under the distorted facade of obesity waiting to come out. Keep going. It gets easier and with the right attitude - extremely enjoyable.

ARE YOU OBESE AGAIN?

No. Not me. Got rid of it in 2007 and I am never going back. Recently I was thinking. “Why did I have success when others, even those who hired the same personal trainer did not?" There were some who got some results but not as good as mine; some who got no results and others who got results but soon ‘reoffended.’ Why?

I had an epiphany not long ago (I am sometimes a bit slow at coming to conclusions). I had given all the credit for my success in finding great health and a new physique to my personal trainer - although he was great, obviously he was not the magic bullet for some others to achieve the same type of success. Could I have had the same success with a different trainer? Maybe, but does it really matter? I would have paid any price and given him my first born for the great results I got. The training was incredibly valuable. I found out what I was doing incorrectly, learned proper form for weights, had someone with expertise blow my previous beliefs that I was too old to get fit right out of the water - but I did not give nearly enough credit to my part in my transformation.

Since then I have had 12 weeks away from training in 2008 due to major abdominal surgery and 16 weeks away from training in 2009 due to a serious shoulder fracture. Both times, I did not gain weight during the hiatus. I stayed on my clean eating nutrition plan, and did what I could within my limits. Sure there was some loss of muscle bulk, higher body fat and less lean muscle tissue. But both times I came back with a vengeance, alone, no trainer in sight. So how am I achieving prolonged success and why not everyone else?

(I am noting the following reasons simply because they were the reasons for my failures before... with one exception - booze - I am not a drinker)

• Maybe they really don't want to.
• Belief that everyone likes you the way you are.
• Hiding the problem by avoiding mirrors and wearing oversized clothes.
• Blaming health issues for not being physically active.
• Suffering from an untreated or improperly treated major depressive disorder.
• Not going into the fitness journey with the mind-set that it is for life – a lifestyle change.
• Having previous trainers who failed to 'teach you to fish'
• Having the wrong catalyst to ‘down-size’ such as a short term gain for example looking good to attend a high school reunion or wedding.
• When the latest health scare is over, old bad habits return.
• Belief that their genetic profile makes obesity inevitable.
• No association with the bad habits and future damage. Immediate gratification is not overcome.
• No self motivation - once the personal training segment is done, they can’t continue without a whip.
• They set themselves up for failure by wanting results too fast. This interferes with the process of making a lifestyle change. It is NOT magic. It is hard work.
• Using expensive alternatives such as purchased pre-packaged food plans. Money runs out and once they have to eat ‘normally’ they have no idea how. These foods are not nutritious, they are usually just portion control plans. Only whole foods will give the health boost needed to know how great you can feel.
• Too many people ‘diet’ not knowing that significant reduction diets do not work and are not sustainable long term. Many do not realize that one can actually eat more eating clean and never be hungry and that they will really taste food for the first time once all the crap is out of their diets.
• Many refuse to give up their booze, French fries etc using these types of foods as rewards for 'having to work out.' You can't out run French fries.
• Many undo a whole week of clean eating and exercise with an overindulgent eating and drinking fest. (Eat clean for a sustained period and then use moderation when having a treat. Once you have eaten clean and felt the benefits, you will immediately notice the difference in how you feel and you will be much less likely to do it again).
• Deprivation. Totally removing yourself from social activity to avoid the temptations will soon lead to failure. (There are lots of healthy choices even at social events. Make it a challenge to find tasty but healthy foods on menus when out to dinner)
• Impatience - many jump from fitness plan to fitness plan and diet to diet, never giving enough time to measure or see results.
• Lack of record keeping and estimating food intake and guestimating progress with cardio and weights leads to failure. Measuring will help track even small changes keeping you motivated.
• Most do not change the attitude toward good nutrition and exercise going at it as if it is something horrible instead of using visualization, rewards, and other methods to truly learn to love exercise and good food. Associating pleasure with feeling and looking great instead of with deep fried foods and lying on the beach goes a long way. If you don’t change this one thing, you will not be successful for very long.
• They hang on to their fat clothes, telling themselves psychologically that they are going to fail.
• They are not willing to spend as much on maintaining their health and bodies as on their house, cars, vacations and toys.
• They fail to research and learn all they can about their health and fitness so that without a trainer, friend, diet outfit or other structure, they cannot succeed on their own.
• There is too much television and computer use in their lives.
• They don't increase activity to compensate for a sedentary job.
• They downsize in summer and upsize in winter totally screwing up the metabolism.
• They yoyo diet.
• They fail to believe in themselves.
• They play the martyr always putting others first.
• Too much cardio and insufficient or no resistance/weight training.
• Start too aggressively and get injured.
• They always go back to an old fitness or diet plan. If these programs really worked, they would be part of the lifestyle and not something to return to when weight is regained.
• They don’t pay attention to what they ingest, scarfing food down indiscriminately to ‘fill the hole’ rather than nourish the body.
• They don’t stay on a nutrition plan long enough to lose cravings.
• They associate success with the scale instead of how they feel and how clothes fit and feel. Weight can fluctuate significantly and one can be still on the right track.

The only other thing I can think of as to why I finally succeeded is because I was tired of failing and tired of being tired, ugly and obese. Not to forget when I was unable to avoid a camera I actually saw what I looked like and it was nobody I recognized.

I guess until you reach your saturation point and you stop accepting your condition as irreversible and not in your control, you won't succeed.

You are the only one who can find the determination within yourself to change to a better healthier life.

WEIGHT LOSS TIP # 1 TIME

Time.

Believe me. You have the time. It is simply a matter of changing your priorities.First get organized and schedule your meal shopping planning and execution as well as your fitness time. This is the time for YOU. Put it first and fit everything else in. In the end I promise you will have so much energy you will be able to accomplish more than you ever have.

Next delegate. It is time you stopped being a martyr.

Prioritorize. Just like when you clean house and downsize, downsize your unnecessary activities. How much TV do you watch? Try watching the first few and last few episodes of your favourite reality show for example. They repeat enough of the information - you won't miss anything. Exercise will be your new way of unwinding in short order and you will get much more benefit from it.Identify all your barriers and find creative ways to overcome them.Identify your time wasters and get rid of them. Avoid busy line ups for example by changing your timing a bit. I love driving through Tim Hortons for coffee on my commute but I just don't line up - if I am occasionally later and it is a busy time - I skip it. I want to get to work and then get home for my work out time - not spend it in long line ups.

Meal planning goes a long way to save time in the long run and saves money too. Always have a cooler to take to work or on a trip so you can have a variety of health snacks at hand.

Friends and Family. Combine some of your fun weekend cardio with your family - so you are sure to spend time with them - you can always make your particpation more active.

Workout Alone - I really don't promote working out with anyone - you really need time for you. Playing to someone's schedule, will only waste your time. If you attend a gym, say your hellos, then get down to business. Put on your music headphones and politely go do your thing.

Working out at home can save you time (no commute) or waiting for equipment or trying to fit the gym schedule to your own.

Meal prep - you don't have to cook entirely separate meals from your family. You can learn easily to adjust and adapt your portions and meals along with the regular meals with a few changes. Who knows maybe your family will join you with eating clean.

Double up - there are many things you can do while doing another task to save time(we women are good at multi tasking). I get caught up on things I have to read during the car wash, while stuck in construction traffic zones etc - always be prepared.

Your job - you say you have to work extra to get ahead at work. I think that you can examine your day at work too. How much time do you waste chatting and visiting - go round and say good morning then goodbye at the end of the day. When you are at work - give it all you've got - then get out. Some people are promoted because they are hard workers but often it is a) who you know b) your personality c) luck d) education. Don't be a martyr

NEXT TOPIC: ONE OF THE BIGGEST EXERCISE MOTIVATORS - STAY TUNED

Chronic Neck Pain and Exercise

According to A Denmark Research Center, chronic neck pain can be reduced by 80% in less than 12 weeks by strength training.

The recommendation is for 2-5 lb dumbbells - 3 sets of eight reps - three times per week (non sequemtial days) of the following:

Shoulder shrugs

DEMO

Reverse Flies (with a band)

DEMO

Reverse Flies (with dumbbells)

DEMO

Upright row

DEMO

THE EAT CLEAN DIET - ANOTHER TOSCA RENO EAT CLEAN CONTEST

Tosca Reno is having another eat clean contest challenge. I really encourage you to partipate - even if you do not win the contest - you will have won back your life. You will feel great, look great and 'ace' your next medical.

Remember sound nutrition along with resistance/weight training and cardio activity can reverse aging, increase general health, endurance, strength and give you healthy hair, skin, nails, bone, joints and organs. Healthy inside and out.

It is not only a 'diet' but a true lifestyle change. Before you know it your nutrition will be non-negotiable and you will be carrying around the obligatory cooler so that wherever you go you won't be stranded without healthy food choices. There is just no going back! Enjoy.

I have provided the link below for the contest page as well as the link to my story.

EAT CLEAN CONTEST!!!

MY STORY

FEMALE COMPETITION PHYSIQUES: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FITNESS, BODY BUILDING, FIGURE, FIGURE MODEL

Link to the topic

MACHINES VS FREE WEIGHTS (2)

A while back I wrote an article about the controversy about machines vs free weights. Link to the article listing the pros and cons of each

Although overall - professional trainers recommend free weights for serious muscle training I remembered that machines certainly have their value.

I have both because when I started out, I was a newbie at weight training (at least I hadn't done any for over 20 years) it was the safest way for me to start.

More recently I recalled one of the values of machines - training after an injury. I had a serious injury back in April and after 16 weeks of not being allowed to do anything of value in training I started my long climb back. I was struggling a bit but remembered it is probably a good idea to go back to the machines while regaining strength and muscle. I have some muscle wasting but the tone is coming back. I was careful with my nutrition so I did not gain any weight to speak of but my body fat/lean muscle composition changed somewhat. I am changing that ratio with nutrition, cardio and weight training.