Last and First

Scott Schwab:
We want to take a moment to thank everyone for a great year. 2010 is over, now what are you going to do about it? Learn from the year you had so you can earn in 2011. Happy New Year. May everyone be prosperous and blessed.

Overcome the uncomfortable

Scott Schwab:
I spent a little time today making phone calls that I did not necessarily want to make. Through the years we pick up annoyances and sometimes even grudges along the way. The goal is not to harbor the feelings and let them turn into something more. I decided that I would start 2011 fresh and clean from any negative or unfriendly feelings.
The calls have been very awkward and a couple of times I have caught people off guard which only makes the situation more awkward. However, I am the type of person who needs closure. It is dumb, I know, but for me I would rather get rid of the feelings, than hold onto something that is purely based on opinion. In many of the disagreements that I have had, I don't even think a person realizes that I may have been offended. People move on and unfortunately we get left in the dust when we hold onto resent or hurt.
When we think negatively on a situation or in reference to an interaction, it takes energy away from us. Emotionally it can put us in a position where we choose to replay the situation until we get it just right in our head. Granted there are situations where we are not in the wrong, but usually every story has two sides. My advice is to take care of the negativity immediately. Don't let it fester and don't let it harbor.
You may not even know what to say. I didn't, but I stumbled my way through a, "the past is the past and I wish you the best going forward". It is hard and again uncomfortable, but I do feel as though I have let some situations go that when the perfect storm arises, I have thrown some great pity parties. Most of the time they are simple and dumb. When they do get large and you have reason to get upset, you will already be in the habit of moving past it. You will feel better and it has some great benefits on your overall health.

Remember to stretch...Here's Why

Chandi Schwab

Benefits
Stretching is necessary to increase range of motion. Sudden forceful movements can cause serious injury to muscles and tendons. Stretching releases synovial fluid stored in the joints. This fluid lubricates all the joints, protecting them from friction and injury. Stretching brings blood supply to the soft tissues. This improves endurance so you don't tire as easily. Stretching also helps to elongate muscles, provide flexibility, promote healing and prevent future injury.

Effects
Failure to stretch before your workout may result in decreased performance. Insufficient blood flow makes the muscles sluggish and decreases mobility.Your muscles may feel sore at the end of your workout because of the strong contractions gained from sudden, forceful movements. Soft tissue tears may occur in the muscles, tendons and ligaments as well as sprains and strains resulting from lack of flexibility and endurance.

How to stretch
Do not overstretch or stretch to the point of pain or discomfort. A low-resistance, sustained stretch is preferred to high-resistance stretch with quick, bouncing movements. Stretch gradually. If you stretch the muscle too quickly, it responds with a strong contraction which increases tension. If stretched slowly, the contraction is avoided, muscle tension falls and you can then stretch the muscle further. Hold each stretch for 30 to 40 seconds. To gain the most benefit from stretching, do a short warm-up first, then stretch.

Considerations
There are some arguments against stretching cold muscles, but experts say this can be done as long as you are careful to start gently and move gradually into the stretch. By incorporating regular stretching into your workout program, you will see a reduction in soreness and improvement in your workout.

Supplement test

Scott Schwab
Today I wanted to put fat burners to the test. Many people take them and can swear by them, but is it really the most beneficial thing for you? I have taken fat burners and tried weight loss pills and can definitely say they are not all created equal. I have taken hydroxycut and saw minimal results. I took Xenadrine and did not finish the bottle. It is important to remember that there is not a magic pill that will do all the work for you. However, I do suggest if you are going to take something that you get a couple of ingredients at the top of your list.
Thermogenic
A thermogenic by definition is the production of heat by metabolic processes. Weight loss pills today can increase the bodies temperature by stimulating the metabolic process. In this way your body becomes an oven and can burn fat more rapidly regardless of whether you are working out or not.
Appetite suppression
Many of us including myself struggle with portion control. Again appetite suppressants can drastically reduce caloric intake. This should never be used in a way that a person does not eat. The intention is to reduce the intake and not eliminate it. You need fuel or food to have the energy for your body to burn fat. Some of the ingredients that are most popular in appetite suppression is ephedra and caffeine. Ephedra was taken off of the market, but has now been cleared to be back on the market. Caffeine has a natural form called cassine, which the body digests more easily and does not have the crash syndrome.
Beta-Phenylethylamine
Beta-phenylethylamine can resduce stored fat by concentrating on the lipolysis, which is our stored fat. This happens through enzyme and hormone interplay that focus on the receptors being sent by our body. Catecholamine; AKA, the adrenaline will help breakdown the stored fat and is sensative to lipase, or fatty acid mobilization. Essentially, imagine the enzymes released by the pill, go to work eliminating the storage sites for the fat and through adrenaline release will send receptors so the body does not store fat in excess.

Anyway there is a lot of science behind many of the products. Weight loss is a billion dollar industry. The goal is not to have immediate results, because they are not sustainable. Sustained results happen as consistency is the gas and determination is the vehicle. I suggest fat burners only to help get things jump started or to get back on track with your weight loss goals.
If you make the goal to lose 2 pounds a week, you will lose 16 pounds over the course of a challenge. It may not be a lot, but if you keep that course for 6 months which is just three 8 week challenges, you will have lost 50 pounds. It is a battle, but one that can be won, if you are willing to have the slow and steady successes. Like the tortoise and the hare. Slow and steady wins the race!
If you are are thinking about a fat burner to kick off 2011, I would suggest a product called VPX meltdown or RX6. Both have a great amount of research behind the products and will give you safe results. Both can be found on the website at www.mixersnutrition.com

Fuzzy teeth and avoiding sweets

Scott Schwab
As we go into this Holiday season, rich with goodies and treats. Have a plan to help combat the high levels of the good stuff. We have all worked to hard to let our Holidays kill us. We are going into the gauntlet and need to be ready. It seems that every knock at the door is more goodies. Here are some tips to make sure you can still indulge and avoid the calories that will set you back a couple of weeks.
Tips
1- Sample a small bite of the goodie. This helps avoid the feeling that you cant have something that you want. You simply go into the experience knowing how much you will eat.
2- Brush your teeth. The fuzzy feeling of sugar and plaque build up can quickly be removed by a good brushing. The feeling of clean teeth will naturally help you avoid the sugars the salts and the drinks. Having clean teeth will also promote great oral health which has multiple benefits.
3- Drink ice cold water. A great way to avoid the drinks plentiful in sugar and harmful agents is simply drink a nice full filling glass of cold water. The colder the better as it will take you more time to drink it, but will give you the refreshing feeling. This can also work as an appetite suppressant.
4- Avoid it all together. It may be considered rude to not try it or throw it away, but try the idea of re-gifting or just sample it so you can tell the person how good it was and then trash it. The feeling that most people have after they have eaten a lot of sweets is not worth it. Having it in front of your face is a continual battle that most of us would lose. So get it in the trash and don't deal with it.
5- Replace the goodies with goodies. Have fruit and nuts available. Make a dip out of yogurt and dip the fruit for less calories. Oranges and apples are great as well as almonds and blueberries.

Quote of the day

Scott Schwab
We can stack up a lot of unfinished projects and tasks. However, eventually those seem to have an influence on who we become and the commitment level that we can expect from ourselves and what others can expect. Rise to the occasion! Here is a quote for perspective.




"There is nothing so fatal to character as half finished tasks."

-David Lloyd George-

MERRY CHRISTMAS

We want to wish everyone a bright and Merry Christmas. Enjoy your friends,love your family, and become the person that you envision becoming. Life is too short to harbor feelings of hate or malice. Make it a goal to turn enemies to friends and repair the disagreements that have prevented growth. Take the energy you feel now and roll it into the New Year.

Find yourself

Scott Schwab
This time of year often leads people to reflect on their lives and analyze the areas for improvement. The goal would be to see who you are and further develop yourself. This can occur only when you will realistically look at the situations from the past year. If you find yourself always in the right never in the wrong, there is room for growth and opportunity. Take ownership from the fact that everyone does wrong and everyone can improve.
The daily battle is daunting at times, but the best way to set in motion practical improvement,is to record your thoughts and actions. Recording your life will allow you to be more familiar with your thoughts and actions from another perspective. When we are in an issue, we are generally emotional and can make decisions that are not thought through. This is normal. The benefit to writing the feelings and experiences down, is the benefit of reflection. Through reflection, we can achieve growth and obtain development.
If we are not growing, we're dying! Development and growth is as much responsible for our overall health and development as eating properly. This coming year record the thoughts and experiences you have. Then you will start the process for which one can expect growth and opportunities for development. Our memories may be great, but writing them down can provide closure and perspective that will educate.

Simple tips

Scott Schwab:
When going to the gym, there are a couple of things that can help you complete a good workout. I wanted to post a couple of ideas and see what ideas you have that make you successful.
Top #10
#1 Avoid having a phone while you work out
#2 Avoid long discussions with others that take you out of rhythm
#3 Change up your workout often to keep thing interesting
#4 Focus your mind. There are phenomenal results from mental focus and exercise
#5 Supplement with safe products that will improve your workouts
#6 Set the gym as a priority and schedule the time daily the night before
#7 Listen to music. It helps time go faster and can offer motivation
#8 In your exercising; count down rather than up. Mentally it helps push through the challenge and it helps when seeing the exercise through
#9 Set daily and weekly goals that you will be accountable for
#10 Do core exercises daily, it helps with posture, overall health, and keeping your workout fresh

This list is not in an order of importance. It is also not the final list. You can substitute things in or out. The main theme is to make exercising a priority and schedule it. There is a saying that helps me.

"Schedule your priorities, not prioritize your schedule."
-unknown-

Love and Hate relationship

Scott Schwab:
When looking at how we perceive things, I started to think about the things I love and then also the things I hate. Both are on a level plain and could be looked at in a supporting role. What I mean by that is, we have to do things we don't like, or things we hate, so we can enjoy the things we enjoy or love. If we live our life surrounding ourselves with the things we love, we will be happy, have success, and also do some of the things we hate. Let me explain.
Love Vs. Hate
-I love to feel healthy, but I hate pushing myself to exhaustion.
-I love being active and involved in recreation, but I hate the thought of losing mobility.
-I love being productive and getting things done, but I hate waking up early
-I love the feeling of achievement from a run, but I hate running distance
-I love to have something that I do daily, but I hate the guilt of missing a workout
-I love food and gatherings, but I hate having to avoid the good stuff

There are so many of these love and hates in our life. It keeps things interesting and will give us the ability to keep a healthy balance. Life's motto should include, I do things I hate, so I can love. It is hard to sacrifice, it is hard to push yourself, and it is hard to be dedicated. However, by doing these very things of sacrifice, pushing yourself, and dedicating yourself; it is impossible to fail! Keep your head up and remember that anything that is worth it will be hard. I would also add that you may hate it, but there is a certain love to the hate.

Helping out Jack

Scott Schwab:
Frost that is. My buddy Jack is looking for some friends. He is not great on the computer, so facebook has never really been an option for him. As evidenced by the picture above, he is a catch. Ladies, he is looking for a special somebody to settle down with this holiday season. He is a hard-worker and keeps his hands smooth with his gloves that he wears. He does have a little junk in the trunk, but who doesn't like a little junk. I have never seen anything but a smile on his face and he has great green eyes, that cant really be seen in the picture. He is in touch with his feminine side, (pink scarf), and is not afraid to watch a little twilight and shed a couple of tears. He has got a cute little nose and can be reached at 555-snow
Got Outdoors?
The little story represents the need to get out and enjoy the white stuff. I wanted to throw some stats your way with calories burned while out in the snow. There are many benefits to being outside, especially when it is winter. So bundle up and get out and enjoy Jack Frost and every activity that snow brings.
Sledding-
Depending upon your weight, height, and age you will burn different amounts. It is also important to consider the slope of the hill that you will have to walk up after you get to the bottom. On average, an hour of sledding will burn 346 calories. That is great. Think of the muscles that are worked as well. It is a full body workout that has great benefits.
Shoveling-
Snow removal no matter how annoying it may be, is one of the best exercises. Depending upon the moisture content and weight of the snow you can plan on burning 370 per hour. This does require you to put your back into it, but is a great way to strengthen the core and arms.
Snowmobiling-
Surprisingly you can burn a good amount of calories when out for the day snowmobiling. Especially when snowmobiling in deep powder or areas where you may be proned to get stuck. Plan on burning about 170 calories per hour.
Downhill Skiing-
Skiing is a great workout and will work your back, chest, arms, and especially legs. The moving of your body as you go down the hill is a constant movement and will burn a great amount of calories. On average plan on 290 calories burned per hour.
Cross Country Skiing-
The ultimate burning machine is cross country skiing. Largely due to the constant movement and effort of the entire body. Plan on 410 calories being burned at an average speed. Realize as well that if you pick up the pace and challenge the terrain, you will burn double the amount of calories. This is also the ultimate exercise outdoors during the winter.
Snowshoeing
Is another very good exercise. You can plan on having a good time and burning about 400 calories. Again this depends on your pace, but having the extra weight of the clothes and awkwardness of the baskets on your feet it is a challenging exercise.
Skating-
Next time you are on that date thinking I cant skate unless it is in line or with my hockey stick, think again amigo. You will burn 260 calories per hour, just messing around holding hands around the ice. OK maybe not holding hands, it can be hazardous in the event of a fall, but I do hear that the snowball is a great way to fuel some fires.
The next time you don't feel like getting out and enjoying the white stuff, think about the benefits with the calories burned, but also realize there are many benefits for your mental capacities. Being outside helps improve your focus and has a similar effect of meditating. It has also been hypothesized that being outdoors in the winter will combat the feeling of being cooped up and reduce mental fatigue.

Supplement For Success!!

Everyone wants to obtain a certain look, feel, physical capability etc etc. Everybody wants "that body". Everybody wants to be in great shape. The main problem with most people is they don't have or know the tools that they need to help reach their goals. In this short blog I will touch upon some supplements that I have dealt with for quite some time that have helped me reach or come close to the goals that I have set before me. In essence, supplements for me are a way of convenience. Supplements give me the ability to take in certain nutrients that I might not necessarily come across on an everyday basis or I might just not have enough time to get from whole foods. Here is a list that I believe everyone should at least try for the next 8 week challenge. They will help you reach your goal at a faster rate and will give you the ability to train like you've never trained before. I have worked in the nutrition field for over 7 years now, so I have come pretty close to sorting out the garbage mainstream media advertised supplements.

Protein ; for those of you that are striving to burn fat and gain muscle (lean out) I urge you to try the dymatize elite gourmet protein. It has 22 grams of protein per serving and less than 150 calories. Imagine if you cut 2 meals per day that average 300 calories and substitute it with a simple protein shake. You will be reducing your caloric intake by 300 calories per day!! Not only that but you will be supplementing with something that will be feeding your body the proper nutrients to build muscle and burn fat.

Creatine : Maximize v2 by iforce nutrition. Now this supplement will give your body the ability to workout longer and harder than you ever have before. Say you workout 5 times per week, 30 minutes longer than previously. That is an extra 150 minutes of fat burning hard work that you expend per week. That is over 600 minutes per month!! It's a simple method of compound interest put into a body formula. The longer and harder you workout throughout the months the faster results come!!!

Aminos : While cutting calories during a diet you typically lose muscle mass due to the simple fact that you are taking away nutrients. An easy way to spare or build muscle while cutting is by supplementing with amino acids. Amino acids are called upon for muscle building/recovery. When the body is starved of certain building blocks of muscle your body will actually utilize real muscle tissue for energy. By taking a concentrated version of aminos your body is actually able to store or build muscle even though you are restricting calories to burn fat. The best supplement in my opinion is VPX Power shock!

In closing, with what scott posted in the previous post and these supplements that I have listed here can be a great combination to help you attain the goals that you strive for. Give it a shot, what do any of you have to lose?! You now have the tools and knowledge so there is no excuse anymore! Go out there and attain the goals that you have set for yourself.

Protein : dymatize elite gourmet
Creatine / pre-workout : Maximize v2 by Iforce
Amino: VPX powershock

Quote of the day

Scott Schwab
I wanted to send a shout out to the optimists of the world. Here is some health related information that we can all benefit from.

"Pessimism is bad for your health. It lowers your immunity! Your health at the age of 60 is strongly related to your optimism/pessimism at age 25. Pessimists are more prone to isolation because people don't want to be around you. Pessimists don't stick to health regimens or get medical advice."

-Martin Seligman-

Peace and Love

Scott Schwab
Today make the time to see someone or call someone that you have not spoken to in awhile. Some of the best ways to strengthen your heart is to serve other people, do something nice for someone, and/or reconnect or connect with someone you love. People who are happy and involved in other peoples lives, not talking about other peoples lives, are statistically more happy and healthy. I know it may sound strange, but I have done the research and there are many articles about the benefits of being a happy person who helps others.
This time of year we have plenty of opportunities if we just look outwards and than inwards rather then live inwards and look outwards. Life is short and there is so much to worry about if you don't watch yourself. Losing yourself in the lives of others, helps the time go by faster and helps you find the simple joys and pleasures in life. When you do call that person or see that person, let them know how you feel about them. Leave no doubt in their mind about how you feel.

Supplements

Scott Schwab:
I wanted to write and talk about some of the supplements that all of us should be taking no matter what our dedication to the gym is. I am a firm believer in supplements and have seen the drastic results when using them. There is a little research that needs to go into your decision and you should not assume that just because it is sold on the Wal-mart or Costco shelf, that it is good for you.

Multi-vitamin
Vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients are the body's fundamental building blocks. They support a strong foundation and are responsible for our energy levels, performance and vitality. You want to always make sure that the A,B,D vitamins are included. However, it is also important to have Zinc, fish oils, magnesium citrate, potassium, and calcium as ingredients included. My pick for one pill rather then popping 5-10 that all do different things is Opti-men and Opti-women. The performance is legitimate and there is plenty of research and time on the market to back this product up. You can find it at: www.mixersnutrition.com

Fiber
As we age our bodies naturally start slowing down. The key for any metabolism and the health of your inner-body is to have some fiber to keep things flowing. Benafiber is a good product, but there are better out there. Find a fiber that not only helps to keep things moving, but will repair with digestive enzymes. Additionally find a fiber that will deliver a pro-biotic that keeps you healthy and will supply an army of antibodies that will eliminate bad bacteria and produce good bacteria. I know that sounds weird, but our bodies need bacteria to help the body fight off flu and sickness. My pick for the fiber of all fibers is by Myogenix. The product is called Pro-Fiber and Chandi and I personally take this product daily. You can find it at: www.mixersnutrition.com

Protein
One of the biggest myths about protein is that all are created equal. Nothing could be further from the truth. Protein is delivered in drink form, powder form, and even pill form. The form is not necessarily the key. The main objective is to look at the sugar and calories and compare it to the amount of protein that you are getting. Another myth is that proteins all taste bad. Again many taste chalky and gritty, but with the advancements in flavor extracts, you can get good flavor and not have to take on sugar, fillers, and calories. You need to understand that many of the proteins serve as a meal replacement. It is the best way to incorporate the plan of doing 6 meals. When you are busy, you simply throw some protein in a shaker with water or milk, and enjoy. One key is to have a protein that is an isolate so it mixes well.
The last myth reveled is that protein will make me bulk. Not true! There are proteins that are meant to help people bulk, with pre or post-work out additives. However, in its basic form it is meant to give you more of the stuff that your body needs. As a body works through the protein that it has in storage, the body will start burning muscle and break down the bodies health. Protein is your fuel and you need to give it as much as you can. Protein is a huge difference maker and you should be taking the best stuff available. My pick is Dymatize Elite Gourmet. It is a high quality blend that actually has time-release agents to give you releases during the day. It also mixes very well and the gourmet is a great tasting product. You can find all the flavors and blends at:
www.mixersnutrition.com

In conclusion, you will have better results, quicker, by taking something that will naturally help the body to act. There are thousands of products and based on your level of commitment and desired results, we can suggest other products. However, regardless of whether you do nothing in the exercise department or you go frequently, these are the building blocks for a strong foundation.

Dr. OZ (This can save your Life!)

Chandi Schwab




We all think eating fruit means just buying fruit, cutting it up and popping it into our mouths. It's not that easy. It's important to know how and when to eat fruit.

What's the correct way to eat fruit?

IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUIT AFTER A MEAL! FRUIT SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.

Eating fruit like that plays a major role in detoxifying your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.

FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD.

Let's say you eat two slices of bread, then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it's prevented from doing so.

In the meantime, the whole meal rots and ferments, and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach, and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.

Eat your fruit on an empty stomach, or before your meal! You've heard people complain: Every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat during my stomach bloats, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet, etc. This will not happen if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. Fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas. Hence, you bloat!

There's no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruit becomes alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruit, you have the Secret of Beauty, Longevity, Health, Energy, Happiness and normal weight.

When you need to drink fruit juice drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT the concentrated juice from the cans. Don't drink juice that has been heated. Don't eat cooked fruit; you don't get the nutrients at all. You get only the taste. Cooking destroys all of the vitamins.

Eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit-fast to cleanse your body. Eat fruit and drink fruit juice for just 3 days, and you will be surprised when your friends say how radiant you look!

KIWI: Tiny but mighty, and a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E and fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange!

AN APPLE a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants and flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C, thereby helping to lower the risk of colon cancer, heart attack and stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits and protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

EATING 2 - 4 ORANGES a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent and dissolve kidney stones, and reduce the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. Also a key source of lycopene, the cancer-fighting oxidant. Also found in watermelon: Vitamin C and Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene, good for your eyes.

Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer!

Can you believe this? For those who like to drink cold water, this applies to you. It's nice to have a cold drink after a meal, however, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you've just consumed, which slows digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks.

HEART ATTACK PROCEDURE

Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw. You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. Sixty percent of people who have a heart attack while they're asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Be careful, and be aware. The more we know, the better our chance to survive.

A cardiologist said if everyone who gets this mail sends it to 10 people, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life.

It can even be your life!








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7 Harmful effects of Sugar

Chandi Schwab
I needed to read this article...Check it out!

Humans are born with a sweet tooth. From birth the newborn baby smells and taste the milk of his mother. As adults it is not different. We grow up with many cravings for something sweet. One Can of Coke has 10 Teaspoons of Sugar

The average North American consumes more than 130 pounds of sugar and related products every year. That may sound impossible but when you consider that one can of Coke has 10 teaspoons of sugar; you see that it is not that hard as the average American also drinks about 1 or 2 sodas per day.

When it comes to refined sugar, the bottom line is that as intoxicating as it maybe, it is addictive and there is little room for it in a healthy diet. It is by far more damaging than helpful. It is lethal when ingested because it provides what nutritionists describe as “empty” or “naked” calories.

There are many ways that sugar can harm the body and it would literally take a book to discuss the harm.

How is Refined Sugar Harmful to the Body?

Here are seven ways that this refined sweetener is harmful to the body.

1. Sugar Depletes Body of Vitamins and Nutrients
Because it depletes the body of vitamins and nutrients, sugar suppresses the immune system, leaving the body little room to defend itself.

2. Sugar Feeds Cancer Cells
Sugar feeds cancer cells and has been linked with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, biliary tract, lung, gallbladder and stomach.

3. Sugar links to tooth decay
Sugar has a high acidic content and as a result, it has a direct link to tooth decay and other dental problems.

4. Sugar Links to Diabetes and Blood Sugar Fluctuations
Refined sugar has a direct affect on your blood sugar levels and is a main cause of diabetes.

5. Sugar and Obesity
With the zero nutritional value and no fiber content in sugar, it's clearly implicated in obesity, which can cause many other illnesses and conditions. .

6. Sugar and Anxiety Disorders
Sugar can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children and even adults. One of the first things that a person diagnosed with anxiety disorder is told to eliminate is refined sugar.

7. Sugar and the Aging Process
Another result that stems from the fact that sugar has no nutritional value, is that it accelerates the aging process. In order for a body to remain healthy it must have the necessary vitamins and minerals needed to maintain vigor and energy. Again, sugar is not only void of nutrients, but it also zaps the body of the good stuff that is already there.

All-in-all sugar is the one of the worse substances you can put in your body. However, the fact that there are sweet taste buds on the tongue still leaves the desire for something sweet to be consumed. It makes one wonder what to do if sugar is harmful to the body.
There are so many other alternatives out there to satisfy the sweet tooth. Literally the earth is full of many natural sweet options. Fruit is a wonderful alternative to satisfy your sweet tooth and you have a bounty to choose from. As far as sweeteners you can try stevia or agave nectar. They are both great choices for baking, sweetening tea and whatever you use sugar for.
Sugar is addictive and very damaging to the body. The wisest choice that you can make in deciding what to do about sugar is to simply decide to get it out of your pantry.
(articles base.com)

A simple workout with results

Scott Schwab-
Many of us strive to have good workouts and to be effective, but time and responsibility can take away from that goal. There is a workout though that if done correctly, can give you everything that you need and allow you the time to do other things. Furthermore this group of exercises can be done at home, in a hotel, or even at a gym.
The key to getting a good workout, is not only burning calories, but working muscles that will release the greatest amount of testosterone. The releasing of testosterone, whether you are male or female, is the biggest contributing factor for fat burn. That being the case, we need to work the groups of muscles that are largest. Your largest muscle groups are your legs, your core, and your upper body. With so many different exercises, it is hard to work all of these areas and get an effective workout. Or is it?
Push Ups
Push ups are some of my favorite workouts and are responsible for the working of the shoulders, chest, biceps, triceps, forearms,etc. All one needs to do to have a different muscle group worked is change the position of your hands or the width at which you have as your ready position. Now it is great to pound out a lot of push ups, but it is even better to have proper form. Get in ready position and do nice, slow, effective push ups. Go as low as you can go and push up to the starting position as slowly as you can. Whether on your knees or on your feet, the exercise is great. Do as many as you can do and then have that serve as your benchmark for the next 3 sets. Have a goal of getting to 10 push-ups to start out with, but don't stop there.
Jogging
I think the word jogging was created to represent a mix between running and walking. You may not be able to go out and run 1 mile, but you can definitely walk a mile. All this will require you to do is change your pace through out the mile. Ideally the goal is to go a quarter of a mile and then do the push ups and other exercises to break up the distance. Four equal parts of the jog, will divide up the other reps into four equal parts. Work at increasing and improving your speed, rather then maintain a slower pace. Although it is important to have a good pace, it is more important to get your heart rate up and push yourself.
Squats
This is one of the best exercises that you can do. Even if you do not have weight, your body weight alone will give you a workout. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and put your hands behind your head and fingers interlocked as if you were being searched by the police. Slowly start the sitting process so you go as low as you possibly can go. Keep your hands behind your head and as you slowly make the ascent you will go until you are on your tip toes for a complete leg workout. Look to hold your stance in the tip toe position for 5 seconds. Return to the starting position and repeat again. Whatever number you choose, hold yourself accountable to repeat that number four times. Again, do this exercise with the push ups at each quarter mile. Try to do 15 at each quarter mile.
Abs
There are so many exercises to do with your abs, but I am a huge proponent of working your abs everyday. Don't do the same exercise everyday, but mix it up so other areas of your abs get some love. It will prevent boredom and work the other areas of the abdomen. The ones I like the best for this exercise is to incorporate a couple of movements. Do the normal crunch until you have sufficiently worked the middle area, then slowly bring your legs until they are elevated at a 30 degree angle. Hold that for as long as you can, but also incorporate vertical scissor kicks and horizontal kicks. Doing this for a time as apposed number of reps will help you do more. Remember to keep your feet up off the ground and your head elevated for some absolute results.
You may be worried about not doing things perfect or looking silly in your neighborhood as you do the quarter scenario. However, if you can do one thing, stop caring what people think as you do the very thing that will give you great results. I for one can say I look ridiculous at times in the gym. However, I am not there for anyone else but my personal needs. If we worry what others think, we will miss out on having a great workout and taping into the process of improvement and sustained results. This exercise group can be done by everyone. Don't focus on your time, focus on completion and then work from there.

Quick Cleanse (With Sea Salt)

Chandi Schwab
Just as you wouldn't expect a car's motor to run efficiently without an occasional oil change, you can't expect your body to work properly if it isn't cleansed internally, too. The liver, along with the kidneys and the intestines, are the organs responsible for cleansing our bodies internally on a daily basis; however, they sometimes become sluggish for many reasons. That's when a sea salt and water combination can help

What you need to do
-I like to do it first thing in the morning on an empty stomache when I feel, well...just plain cruddy
-I fill(usually a canning jar) up with 25-32 oz of warm water and put 2 tsp of un-iodized all natural sea salt
-Drink it as fast as you can (try to pretend it is broth)
- Drink some normal water on top of it to flush it down
-For me it is immediate,for others it can take 30-60 minutes to take affect
-Plan to be off and on the pot for about an hour maybe 2 to be safe
- Go about your normal activities but drink a ton of water to stay hydrated. Salt can dehydrate your body

Why Un-Iodized Sea Salt?>
•Due to its coarseness, and its salt benefits (drawing out impurities), sea salt is often used as a body scrub for dead skin detoxification. But it has another helpful purpose: It can aid in internal body detoxification, too. Just as the salt can rid the exterior of the body of dead skin cells, sea salt can also rid the inside of the body of impurities within it.

Sea Salt Cleansing Process
•Ingested into the body---usually in a quantity of two teaspoons per quart of water---the liquid sea salt and water combination travels the entire digestive system sweeping toxins and other left-behind waste from the body. This process, initially done daily for a specific period of time (like several days), can be repeated on occasion later (when needed to address recurring digestive sluggishness) once the original detoxification has been achieved.

Body Toxins
Our liver, kidneys and intestines strive to rid our body of all the toxins it ingests through air or food: pollution, pesticides, food additives, drug and alcohol-related toxins and undigested food that has rotten inside our digestive system. However, these organs sometimes get overwhelmed, especially when stress is high and our diets are poor---and we don't exercise or take care of our bodies properly. That's when detoxification through external means can help, like a sea salt cleanse.

Side Effects
Cleansing the body of toxins, left-behind food particles and pollutants can appear to make the individual feel worse than they did before, initially. This is due to the fact that as these toxins are being removed from the digestive system, they are traveling through---and having an impact on---the other internal body systems, like the blood stream and other body components.

However, these side effects (headaches, acne, fatigue, aches and pains, malaise, allergies and symptoms that are similar to those experienced with a cold or the flu) are only short-lived and disappear after the detoxification is complete.
(ehow.com)

Quote of the day

Scott Schwab:
Life is hard and the world would have you think that it has the upper hand. Though we have an uphill climb, dig in deep and push until you cannot give anymore. That, is when you will see that you have fought opposition, created success, and found love. Here is a great quote from someone who can say it much better then me. Have a great week this week and do not give up. Holiday parties are everywhere and there are chances for you to stop, give up, and say "I will start at the first of the year." The challenge is on now so you can have success. It will be worth it!


"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else; means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting."
-E.E. Cummings-

Holiday 8 week challengers

Arianne Pfleger













Goals
1. Exercise 5 days a week.
2. Eat 5 times a day. Two of those times fresh fruits and/or veggies only and nothing after dinner.




Sam Swenson








Goals

1. Current weight= 213......by Feb 1 weigh 195-200(tone muscle and loose fat)
2. No carbonation from now until the end of 2011.
3. Drink more water and eat more healthy.






Nicole Berry

















Goals
My goals for the eight week challenge are to eat ample amount of vegetables and fruits. In take more protiens and fiber and only allow sugars once a week. I am also making it a goal to consume more water and keep a proper schedule for my workout and during that time workout with consistency. I am going to try so hard to not skip a workout routine and work with full dedication. Hopefully by applying my goals I can lose 15 stubborn pounds.


Mark Pittard















Goals
1) Lose five pounds.
2) Run four times a week
3) Weights three times a week
4) Woop up on Scotty in Racquet Ball
5) Do not over eat during the holiday
6) Learn from my last eight week challenge and make sure to do some type of physical excercise everyday beside Sunday

I am going to kill Scott in racquetball

Sam Woods









Goals
1) Spend 50 hours or less at the office each week
2) 5 workouts each week
3) lose 1-2 pounds each week
4) go on a date with a girl each week (4 options my wife or 3 daughters)

Holiday Challengers

Jeff Hadlock








Goals

1 - Running at least 3 times a week.
2 - Weight training at least 3 times a week.
3 - Spend more one on one time with each child per week.
4 - No eating after 7pm.
5 - Cut soda out of diet.
6 - Eat healthier.

I hate to put a goal weight but i feel that dropping 20lbs would be perfect. On top of running and weight training i will be doing P90X workouts twice a week. I tend to get bored with running on a treadmill so I will be constantly be looking at this website to get more ideas on mixing it up.

Aubrey Fullmer





Goals
1. Loose my last 10 lbs of baby weight
2.Read 2 books
3.Personal scripture study for 20 min every day
4.Cardio 3 times a week; weights twice a week
5.Do my first half marathon in January
6.Start training for my full marathon in January
7.Spend more time with my kids individually
8.Help my daughter learn her sight words and reading
9.Eat more healthy; only one day a week I allow sugar
10.More patience with myself and my family
11.Serve one person per week

James Hansen








Goals
1. I'm gonna keep with the awesomeness of the last 8 week challenge and lose ten more pounds and reach 170.
2. I'm going to exercise at least six times a week.
3. Eliminate fast food.
4. Finish the first draft of my novel!

Daric Hartle








Goals
Since the last challenge I was able to lose 5 pounds and start some consistency. I am currently at 207 lbs and would like to be down to about 190 ideally. However, for this challenge I think it is realistic to try and get to 195. I am going to accomplish this by using a diet that is supposed to jive with my blood type. In other words, I should not eat certain foods due to my blood type. I will try this method while also cutting back on my bread and sugars consumption. I need to get some Z's at night and will start setting a time that I want to be in bed and asleep. The bad habit is killing me the next day. I have also started a soccer league and realized that it is kicking my butt running constantly. I plan to get in underwear model shape and get my sexy back.

Drew Cavner










Goals
1) Drop 3% points of body fat
2) 100 push-ups in 2 minutes
3) Run a 6 minute mile
4) 40 pull-ups in 2 minutes

Holiday Challengers

Leslie Bjorklund




Goals
1. Be able to run 5 miles to be ready to start half marathon
training.
2. Make it to the gym at least 3 times a week.
3. Only drink soda at family parties during the holidays.
4. Be able to truly wear my favorite jeans.
5. Find 1 things I am grateful for each day AND write in down.
6. Focus on 3 activities each week to help my daughter educationally.
7. Become more focused on my personal religious studies.

Brittney Schwab


Goals
1. Eat healthier by eating a balanced diet and not after 8 pm
2. Limit my sugar in take to 2 days a week and Holidays
3. Start p90x and be faithful to the workouts
4. Start and finish a book
5. Be a better mother...listen more, spend more time with them, be more patient, be more involved, love them no matter what

Megan Porter



Goals
1st - Lose 6 pounds during this next challenge
2nd- Running the half marathon in under 2 hours
3rd- Eating more healthy. Living in the city and working long hours makes it very difficult to get home and want to cook. I'm determined to make more dinners at home
4th- Continue with no diet coke as my original goal was to only stop drinking until Christmas but I want to continue
5th- Working out twice a week in the morning.

Jessica Taylor



Goals
Cleanse Mind ( Finish BOM ) , Body ( 120 ) , Soul ( Tai Chi ) – Will be on Dec 26th – Jan 2nd at the Ann Wigmore Center ( Raw / Vegan /Holistic Center ) in Ricon Puerto Rico.

Amanda Hollist


Goals

-Read more spiritual books
-Tone my stomach through workout videos
-More individual time with the kids

Jenny Bowen




Goals

1. Walk dogs min 3x per week (and love them more)
2. More structured play/quality time with my daughter
3. Cut out sugar except for Sundays and special occasions
4. Don't have soda every day and nevermore than 24 oz. in a day
5. Drink minimum of 64 oz. water every day
6. Wake up no later than 6:30 every day
7. 30 minutes personal study time every day


Austin Taylor








Goals

1)Get a six pack
2)Do well in school
3)Improve my drive and motivation
4)Dedicate myself to consistent workouts
5)Read a good book

Holiday 8 week challenge

Chandi Schwab














Goals

- Read 2 more books
- 1/2 hr personal study and learning time daily
-1 mile swim under 40 minutes
-5k 20 min. or under
- long runs twice a week, start marathon
training Schedule in January
-Pay more attention to my children individually.
spend more "quality" time with them, teaching
them, and playing with them. Help them develope
their talents.

Aaron Crandall

















Goals


1) Get to 158 lbs 10% body fat from 164 lbs 15% body fat
2) Sell 25 alarms
3) Read a book on nutrition
4) Read scriptures with my wife everyday
5) Run 20 miles a week to start preparing for triathlon



Amanda Coltrin










Goals
1) work out 5 days a week.
2) read 2 books a month
3) eat healthy everyday (one cheat meal a week)
4) study hard to pass my tests

Holiday 8 Week Challengers

Diedre Sloan



-Lose 10 lbs
-Tone muscles especially my abs
-eat healthier
-exercise every day
-Start and finish a book
-Personal prayers every morning and night
-Family scripture study every night
-Go to Temple at least once a month
-Organize house

Brandon Sloan



Goals

-Lose 35 lbs
-exercise everyday for at least 1/2 hour
-Eat healthy meals
-Start and finish a book
-Personal prayers every morning and night
-Family scripture study every night
-Go to Temple at least once a month

Derek Taylor


Goals

-Read 2 books
-Run 2 miles at 12:30 or under
-muscle training 3 days a week
-find a part time job
-study the scriptures daily


Hilary Thompson


Goals
1. Cardio workout 4x/week, pilates or yoga other 2 days. Work up to 10 miles on level 3 of the elliptical, and be able to jog 3 miles on treadmill.
2. Tone problem areas, i.e., butt, thighs, triceps and muffin top!
3. Complete Liver Cleansing Diet, strictly for 8 weeks with the exception of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Lower my elevated liver enzymes (next test is in March)
4. Only one carbonated soda per week, and Stevia soda only
5. Clean out closets and add to box for garage sale/donation
6. Sell unneeded stuff on KSL (I've been meaning to do that for 6 months!)
7. Play with my little girl more every day (focus less on the "business end" of motherhood)

Meredith Gregory


Goals
-Workout 5 days a week in preparation for olympic triathlon training starting in February.
-Drink a green smoothie everyday
-Be in bed by 11pm every night
-Have a relaxing but productive time during my kids naps
-Get down to 135-139lb range (currently 145)

Kevin Pfleger



Goals

1. Get down to 180 lbs. Right now I weigh about 188 or so. I plan to achieve that goal by not eating after dinner and significantly increasing my fruits and vegetables.

2. Do cardio three times a week and lift weights three times a week.

10 Healthy Eating Tips

Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible– all of which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and using them in a way that works for you.

Healthy eating begins with learning how to “eat smart”—it’s not just what you eat, but how you eat. Your food choices can reduce your risk of illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, as well as defend against depression. Additionally, learning the habits of healthy eating can improve your health by boosting your energy, sharpening your memory and stabilizing your mood. Expand your range of healthy food choices and learn how to plan ahead to create and maintain a satisfying, healthy diet.

Healthy eating tip 1: Set yourself up for success
To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic change. If you approach the changes gradually and with commitment, you will have a healthy diet sooner than you think.

Healthy Eating tip # 2:Think of exercise as a food group in your diet
Find something active that you like to do and add it to your day, just like you would add healthy greens, blueberries or salmon. The benefits of lifelong exercise are abundant and regular exercise may even motivate you to make healthy food choices a habit.

Healthy eating tip 3: Moderation is key
People often think of healthy eating as an all or nothing proposition, but a key foundation for any healthy diet is moderation. Despite what certain fad diets would have you believe, we all need a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy body.

Healthy eating tip : It's not just what you eat, it's how you eat
Healthy eating is about more than the food on your plate—it is also about how you think about food. Healthy eating habits can be learned and it is important to slow down and think about food as nourishment rather than just something to gulp down in between meetings or on the way to pick up the kids.

Healthy eating tip 5: Fill up on colorful fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet—they are low in calories and nutrient dense, which means they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Fruits and vegetables should be part of every meal and your first choice for a snack—aim for a minimum of five portions each day. The antioxidants and other nutrients in fruits and vegetables help protect against certain types of cancer and other diseases.

Avoid: Fruit juices, which can contain up to 10 teaspoons of sugar per cup; avoid or dilute with water. Canned fruit is often in sugary syrup, and dried fruit, while an excellent source of fiber, can be high in calories. Avoid fried veggies and those with dressings or sauces—too much unhealthy fat and calories.

Healthy eating tip 6: Eat more healthy carbs and whole grains
Choose healthy carbohydrates and fiber sources, especially whole grains, for long lasting energy. In addition to being delicious and satisfying, whole grains are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, which help to protect against coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes. Studies have shown people who eat more whole grains tend to have a healthier heart.

A quick definition of healthy carbs and unhealthy carbs

Healthy carbs (sometimes known as good carbs) include whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Healthy carbs are digested slowly, helping you feel full longer and keeping blood sugar and insulin levels stable.

Unhealthy carbs (or bad carbs) are foods such as white flour, refined sugar and white rice that have been stripped of all bran, fiber and nutrients. Unhealthy carbs digest quickly and cause spikes in blood sugar levels and energy.

Healthy eating tip 7: Enjoy healthy fats & avoid unhealthy fats
Good sources of healthy fat are needed to nourish your brain, heart and cells, as well as your hair, skin, and nails. Foods rich in certain omega-3 fats called EPA and DHA are particularly important and can reduce cardiovascular disease, improve your mood and help prevent dementia.

Add to your healthy diet:
Monounsaturated fats, from plant oils like canola oil, peanut oil, and olive oil, as well as avocados, nuts (like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans) and seeds (such as pumpkin, sesame).
Polyunsaturated fats, including Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and some cold water fish oil supplements. Other sources of polyunsaturated fats are unheated sunflower, corn, soybean, and flax seed oils, and walnuts.

Reduce or eliminate from your diet:

Saturated fats, found primarily in animal sources including red meat and whole milk dairy products.
Trans fats, found in vegetable shortenings, some margarine's, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Healthy eating tip 8: Put protein in perspective
Protein gives us the energy to get up and go—and keep going. Protein in food is broken down into the 20 amino acids that are the body’s basic building blocks for growth and energy, and essential for maintaining cells, tissues and organs. A lack of protein in our diet can slow growth, reduce muscle mass, lower immunity, and weaken the heart and respiratory system. Protein is particularly important for children, whose bodies are growing and changing daily.

Healthy eating tip 9: Add calcium & vitamin D for strong bones
Calcium and vitamin D are essential for strong, healthy bones—vitamin D is essential for optimum calcium absorption in the small intestine. Recommended calcium levels are 1000 mg per day, 1200 mg if you are over 50 years old. Take a vitamin D and calcium supplement if you don’t get enough of these nutrients from your diet.

Healthy eating tip 10: Limit sugar, salt, and refined grains
If you succeed in planning your diet around fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and good fats, you may find yourself naturally cutting back on foods that can get in the way of your healthy diet—sugar, salt and refined starches.


Reference (Helpguide.org)

The guide for the challenge

Scott Schwab

Tasks:
Set goals for obtainment and achievement. This will happen by putting the pen or pencil to the pad. Have your goals where you can see them. You have to know what your goals are, as they are set by you.
The other trick is to tell 5 people about what you are doing, so that you are held accountable. It is recommended to tell people in different circles so that it is not just one person or group. For example, a co-worker, a family member,(not your spouse or love interest), your spouse or love interest, a friend, and someone that you interact with regularly.
Have a couple of different goals so that your success doesn't hang on one thing. Do something mental, physical, spiritual. Your goals can be anything, but they should mean something to you and be something that you will work for no matter what.
Stand up and make it happen. A lot of time we spend so much time thinking and planning that we forget the key element, action!
Put yourself in a position to succeed. If you struggle with the goodies in the cupboard, get rid of them. Don't keep them around for an emergency, take a cold shower in the event that you cant control your craving. There are other ways to control your thoughts, desires, and actions, then by having a reserve just in case.
Starting point:
We have heard many times and I have experienced it myself, with weekends being the hardest time. Many of us have date night and events that food is all around in large numbers. Reduce the amount that you eat at a restaurant by half. The average portion size at a restaurant is twice what you need.
For an exercise routine to work, you must control your intake. Have the goal to eat slower and divide your meal in half and box it or share it. You will save money and you will realize that you will be just as satisfied. It is a fact that it takes the body 15 minutes to register that it is full, so keep that in mind.
Get out and walk, run, bike, swim or something that will exert yourself and give you a starting point.
Once you have a starting point you can begin with a weekly benchmark. From that benchmark, you can set appropriate goals and adjustments along the way. change things up so you don't get bored and think you are wasting your time. Give it all you have. Many of us have time constraints and so when you are getting exercise get in the zone and make it happen.
Cleanse:
Remember that when you start a new routine it is best to start fresh. Fresh being that you can eliminate some of the toxins, sugars, etc., from your body. If your body starts and remains clean of the processed foods, and other garbage we feed it; you can start and remain with carrying less baggage. Beginning the 8 week challenge with some type of challenge will help propel you to better results.

Let the fight begin

Scott Schwab:
On this, our first day of the new challenge, I wanted to welcome everyone to the challenge and wish you the best. For you to have success there are many things that will have to happen. The reason that we do not post a specific diet or regiment, is that everyone is different. Each of you know what your temptations, weaknesses, and justifications are. With that in mind, we hope you will set realistic goals and that you will not get into the habit of giving up or taking a break.
All of us have a propensity to celebrate, to divulge, and even pig out. There really isn't a problem with that, if you keep all things in moderation and reduce the frequency of going overboard. We encourage lifestyle adjustments and incremental improvements. The goal is to set specific goals for specific results. Be realistic! It is great to want to lose 20 pounds or stop eating candy, but that may not be realistic or possible within 8 weeks.
Usually people know what they struggle with, and that is what you need to fight. We spoke to a lady at the gym who is in her 50's and in great shape. She mentioned of the fight that she has everyday to improve. I thought about this with life and realized that anything that is worth it, will be a fight. Don't give up the fight because it is hard, but press forward because it is worth it.
Fighting for life and for what you want requires effort and motivation that sometimes you don't want to give. Remember the alternative though. You will be more happy, achieve more, and accomplish goals; by having a balance of health and fitness.
Mental health is a large part to how you feel and even how you look. Regardless of your size or stature, you need to be happy with what you got! Don't spend a lot of time wondering what it would be like if you looked like sue or Connie or Brenda, (if you even know anyone with those names). The point of mental health is to be happy in your own skin. If you are happy now, you will be happy when you lose the weight. Plus the stress that you put on yourself, is difficult for your body to cope with and produce results. You will not be happy "if" and "when" unless you are happy now.
For those of you and I who have ever thought about "cant", watch this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xhVaoi7_TI

Tis' the Season to Treasure the Treadmill

Chandi Schwab

Most people will agree that running on the treadmill can get pretty boring and monotonous. I used to be in that category myself and refused to run on it because I loved and was used to my outdoor runs. I now use the treadmill quite a bit for my speed training, and am hooked. When conditions are unsafe or unfavorable to run outside, treadmill running is a great alternative, and there are many ways you can make it more enjoyable. There was so much I wanted to share so at least read the Bold because it is all important.


Run with a friend: If you and a friend belong to the same gym, get her to run on the treadmill next to you. You can motivate each other and provide distraction to make your workout time go by faster. And one great thing about treadmill running with friends is that you don't have to be the same pace, so you can run with friends who you wouldn't normally run with outside.
Try an interval workout: Rather than running at a constant pace, mix up your run with hard and easy segments. It can be as simple as: A five-minute warm-up followed by three sets of four-minute intervals (two minutes of hard running and two minutes of easy running), followed by a five-minute cool-down.
Mix it up with strength-training exercises: After a 5-minute warm-up, run at a comfortable pace for five minutes, then step off the treadmill and do two minutes of strength-training exercises, such as crunches, push-ups, side-crunches, lunges and dips. Try doing four sets of running/strength-training.
Zone out:Unlike running outside, treadmill running doesn't require that you pay close attention to your surroundings and watch out for cars, cyclists, dogs, and other hazards. You don't even have to think about your route. So running on a treadmill gives you a chance to lose yourself in the rhythm of your breathing feet or your pounding feet. Try blocking out everything around you and enter a peaceful, relaxing state.
Do a pyramid workout.: The time flies by during this treadmill workout because you're paying so much attention to your interval times. After a 5-minute warm-up, run hard (5K pace) for one minute, recover one minute; run hard two minutes, recover two minutes; run hard three minutes, recover two minutes; run hard four minutes, recover two minutes; run hard five minutes, recover two minutes. Then work your way back down the "pyramid" and run hard four minutes, recover two minutes; run hard three minutes, recover two minutes; run hard two minutes, recover two minutes; run hard one minute, recover one minute. End the workout with a 5-minute cool down.
Listen to music:Although using headphones while running outside is not safe, listening to music on the treadmill can be a great way to combat boredom and run longer. Choose motivating songs and create a play list for your workout -– it will help prevent you from continually checking the clock to see how much more you have to go.


*The treadmill is a great alternative to running outdoors, but here are some pointers to keep your runs safe and effective.

Use a slight incline: Set the treadmill inclination to 1% to 2%. A gentle uphill better simulates outdoor running and will reduce your risk of injury.
Don't make it too steep: At the same time, don't set the incline too steep (more than 7%) -- this may lead to Achilles tendon or calf injuries. Also, don't run at an incline of more than 2% for your entire run.
Don't hold onto the handrail or console: Some people assume that they need to hold onto the handrails when walking or running on a treadmill. The handrails are only there to help you safely get onto and off of the treadmill. When running on the treadmill, practice proper upper body form by keeping your arms at a 90 degree angle, just as you would if you were running outside.
Make sure you warm up: Run or walk at a slow, easy pace for 5-10 minutes. It's tempting to just jump on the treadmill and start your workout, but you should allow time for a warm up.
Don't forget your cool down.: It's also easy to hop off the treadmill when your workout is done and your heart rate is elevated. Spend 5 minutes doing a slow jog or walk at the end of your run and allow your heart rate to go below 100 bpm before you get off. Cooling down will help prevent dizziness or the feeling that you're still moving when you step off the treadmill.
Don't lean forward.
Make sure to keep your body upright: It's not necessary to lean forward because the treadmill pulls your feet backward. You need to pull your feet from the belt before they are driven away by the belt.
Pay attention to your stride.: Keep your stride quick and short to help minimize the impact transferred to your legs. Try to maintain a mid-foot strike to make sure you're not heel striking and sending shock to your knees. You may need to exaggerate the heel lift because the lack of forward momentum means your feet won't be moving in a circular path.
Work on improving your stride count.: The more steps you take per minute, the more efficiently you'll run. Elite runners run about 180 steps per minute. Determine your stride count by counting how often one foot hits the belt in a minute and then doubling that number. Try to improve your stride count during your run by focusing on taking shorter, quicker strides and keeping your feet close to the belt. This exercise will help you deal with boredom on the treadmill and even improve your outdoor running.

*There are pros and cons with running on the Treadmill

Pros

Speed Work/Interval Training: Successful interval training depends upon running the repeats at a fairly precise speed and at a precise distance. It is hard for most runners to accurately judge pace while training at the track and becomes even more difficult when training on the open road. When training on the track, you at least know the exact distance you are running, but on the open road, it is all guesswork. There are some fairly accurate GPS training watches available that use satellite information to give you your pace and distance. These have proven to be fairly accurate, but are still not as precise as treadmill running.
Easy Runs:Most competitive runners like to run fast. They love their speedwork and tempo runs. But you cannot run hard and fast all of the time. Your muscles need time to rest and recover. Without that recovery time, you will not be able to complete your harder workouts at an optimal pace and quality. Running easy is hard. In fact, running easy is one of the hardest things to do for many runners. Easy runs are necessary to allow your muscles to recover from hard, intense or long running sessions, but it can be very difficult to run at a pace easy enough to allow for muscle recovery. It can feel very slow and therefore many runners have a tendency to perform their easy runs at too fast a pace. The treadmill fixes this problem. Once you determine your easy pace, it is a simple matter to set the treadmill at that pace and jump on. As long as you don't give into temptation and increase the speed of the machine, you will stay at your easy pace for the duration of the session. Maintaining an easy pace on your rest days will allow your muscles to stay fresh and will improve the quality of your harder training runs and avoid over training problems.
Hill Training:Hill running is one of the best and most efficient workouts for building running strength, running economy and improving race performance. The problem is that many runners live in areas that have few hills, if any. So, what do you do if you live in a hill challenged area? Simple - get on your treadmill. Most treadmills will elevate from 1 percent to 12 percent. Some elevate as high as 15%. There are some newer models that also decline 2 or 3 percent, which would be great training for races with some downhill sections, such as the Boston Marathon or trail races.
Long Runs:The term long run brings up visions of running long distances in parks, on roads or urban trails. There are many great benefits of doing long runs on that type of terrain. However, more and more runners are doing at least some of their long runs on the treadmill. Many do all of their winter long runs on the treadmill to avoid weather related problems. Running on a treadmill for two or three hours sounds boring. But for that matter, so is running outside for long periods of time. When doing long runs on the treadmill you can watch television or listen to music to help alleviate boredom.The quality of your long runs can also be improved by running on the treadmill. The precise pace control will allow you to keep the pace down when necessary. It will keep you from running too fast during the first part of your long run. It will also keep you at a quality pace if you are doing goal pace long runs. It can be very difficult to maintain that quality goal pace in the later stages of your long run.
Injury Prevention/Rehabilitation: Running on concrete and asphalt day in and day out places a lot of stress on the connective tissues in your legs. This can lead to potential overuse injuries. High quality treadmills that are produced today give you a stable, but more forgiving surface. Treadmills are available in a fairly wide range of surface softness. The firmness of the treadmill is determined by a combination of the running deck and the suspension system. Some are designed to more closely mimic the firm asphalt or concrete surface of the road and others are designed with a lot of "give" in order to provide a very soft ride for heavy runners or those with injury problems. There are even some machines available that are adjustable to different levels of shock absorption.
Mental Toughness:The sport of running is a solitary activity that requires self- motivation, discipline and commitment along with both physical and mental toughness. These are all attributes that must be learned and practiced. Running on a treadmill is comfortable, efficient and safe. But, it is not psychologically easy. It is really quite difficult to run and maintain pace on a treadmill. This is due, in part, to the perception that you are not going anywhere. You do not have the psychological cues that you are making progress, such as the wind in your face and the objects and scenery moving by. You also do not have other runners around you to keep you motivated.
Since running on the treadmill is usually a solitary activity, it helps build self-motivation and commitment. Running and maintaining your pace on the treadmill builds a mental "toughness" that will help you in your races and outside training runs.
Great For Beginners:The treadmill is ideal for beginning runners. Many new runners feel a bit intimidated by the sport and by more experienced runners. There is no reason for them to feel this way, but many do none the less. The treadmill gives these beginners a great place to start and to gain confidence in themselves so that feeling of intimidation melts away. Most new runners start with walking. The treadmill is a great tool for incorporating those first running steps into a training program. It is very easy to add in very short surges of running. The treadmill provides them with a stable, level and dry surface in which to practice those first running steps.


Cons

Lack of Specificity: One of the "laws" of training is the law of specificity. This simply means that your training should be as specific as possible to your training goal. In other words, your training should match your goal as closely as possible. You are training to run outside on the road, trail or track and run races, not to run on a treadmill. Treadmill training has been proven, in scientific studies, to have very similar physiological effects, to outside or free- range running. In simpler terms, treadmill training gives you very similar training benefits when compared to free-range running. However, even though the physiological effects are very similar, it is not specifically the same as running outside. There are physical differences, which include lack of wind resistance, lack of changing terrain, running on a moving belt, bio-mechanical differences and psychological differences.
Lack of Wind Resistance: When running on the treadmill, you are obviously running in place. You are not running through the air. When you run outside you are running through the molecules of the air, which create resistance. The faster you run, the more of an effect the air resistance has on you. Studies have estimated that air resistance creates an increase in your running workload of between 2% and 10%, depending upon your running speed. The faster you run, the more of an effect the wind resistance has. You can compensate for the wind resistance by elevating the treadmill, one or two percent.
Running Bio-Mechanics: In addition to the wind resistance problem, there is some evidence that running bio-mechanics are different when running on the treadmill. There have been very few conclusive studies done on the running form differences between treadmill and free range running. The studies that have been done have presented some rather conflicting data. Here is a brief summary of the reported running mechanics problems that have been associated with treadmill running.
Stride Length: There have been reports of stride length being both longer and shorter than outside running. One study on the effects of treadmill running came up with some very interesting data. The study used one group of subjects that were very experienced runners and compared them to a group of new runners. The results showed that the more experienced group had longer strides when running on the treadmill, compared to their same pace when running outside. The interesting part is that the inexperienced group had the exact opposite result. They had shorter stride lengths on the treadmill than they did when running outside. More research is needed to determine why this happens and if it happens consistently to a large group of runners.
Longer Support Time: Support time is the amount of time that your support leg spends on the ground. Some runners tend to spend more time on their support leg when running on the treadmill. In order to maximize your running efficiency your support time should be kept at a minimum. If your support leg is on the ground longer, you are probably not running as efficiently as you could be. This increase in support time is probably caused by an unconscious desire to provide a more stable running base on the moving and somewhat unstable treadmill.
Less Forward Lean: Some studies have determined that some athletes run with less of a forward lean when running on the treadmill. This can cause more energy being wasted on up and down motion and less energy focused on forward momentum.
Running Surface:The even and soft surface of the treadmill is an advantage in many ways, but it does present one major disadvantage. When running outside you encounter uneven surfaces, stones, soft areas, hard areas, dry areas, wet areas and various combinations of these surfaces. So you aren't gettting the true training that you would need for your actual race, and are more prone to injury because you haven't built up your muscles tolerance to those things.
(Running planet.com)

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