iTrain - An easy way to lose the fat
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ITrain has to be the easiest way to exercise with the use of an iPod and personal trainer. I started to get back in shape (of course my wife told me I already was in shape, round) around November. Terrible time to try and lose weight since holiday time was here with all the meals and extras, like candy platters, office parties and going to relative’s homes. I wasn’t going to be swayed this year and had a treadmill that was gathering dust. I pulled it out and starting to use it, but found that I got bored in about 2 days. I needed something to listen to since this would make the workout go faster and I wouldn’t be staring at the time I was going by so slow.
I started to search the internet for songs that I could have an easy beat to get into a rhythm while I pumped my legs. I found some songs, but they were not so great since many were just things thrown together with no purpose. I looked at dance or disco tunes since I thought the beat would help, but these didn’t do it for me either. Then I started to see some ads for iTrain. I had questions as to what this was all about and here are the answers:
What is this iTrain that everyone is talking about? iTrain is an entire compilation of MP3 music that when followed will help anyone from beginner to expert with a workout routine. If you’re doing an exercise program you will enjoy the fact that an expert in exercise along with some great songs will help you with your workout.
How does it work? The process is very simple since all you do is sign up on their website, choose the product that you’d like and then download it to your MP3 player. Turn on your player and get set for a complete workout from warm up to stretching.
Who is this program really for? It is for anyone that wants to lose weight and get fit. Teens as well as senior citizens can use this program as long as you know how to use an iPod or any other player.
How much does it cost? Well it can be as little as $0.99 for a single workout (most are around $10.00) with an A La Carte or you can get monthly or year plans for more based upon what you want to do.
All of those sounded pretty easy to follow so I signed up for a program and purchased some A La Carte workouts specifically for the treadmill. The download was very easy here’s the best part, if you lose the workout you can go back and re-download as it keeps track of you purchase. I dropped the workouts into my iPod and got the treadmill out and turned it on. Immediately the music starts and Grace Lazenby comes on like a personal trainer and puts you through a very energetic exercise for the treadmill. She has you speed up, slow down and climb hills and before you know it over 40 minutes have gone by. The programs will work for anyone at home or in a gym. I brought my iPod to the last trip I was on and got a Grace Lazenby workout while on a treadmill in my hotel.
You really can’t go wrong with this company. The music and coaching is great and the cost is little to the workout you get. Oh and how am I doing since I got this last November? I’ve been able to drop 40 pounds just by hitting the treadmill 5 times a week.
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Being Overweight Sucks
You roll out of bed in the morning and feel as tired as when you laid down last night. You shower and primp in the mirror and wonder what item of clothing to choose will hide more than it shows. You walk to your car for your commute to work and know that you could have saved some money with a compact, but the seats are just too small. Your size has again made you realize that being overweight sucks.
You’re now the average person in America since over 66.3% of adults (age 20 and older) are overweight or obese. These statistics are taken from the National Center for Health Statistics. Of course the statistics are only one way of looking at this epidemic, since emotions usually aren’t factored in. Millions of people are affected by this fat problem and it’s broken down in 3 major areas:
Health - The data is in and being overweight or obese leads to or causes a number of medical factors that those in a healthy weigh category don’t see as epidemic. Here are some stats on those factors of overweight or obese individuals taken from the Surgeon General’s website.
- Premature death - An estimated 300000 premature deaths are attributed to overweight. Individuals that have a BMI > 30 have a 50% to 100% risk of premature death. BMI stands for Body Mass Index and you can see a calculator at the Center for Disease Control
- Heart Disease - Incidents of heart disease (heart attack, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, angina, chest pain, and abnormal heart rhythm) is dramatically increased with a BMI > 25.
- Diabetes - Over 80% of all people with diabetes are there because of their overweight condition.
- Cancer - Overweight or obese increases your risk for different types of cancer to include; (cancer of the lining of the uterus), colon, gall bladder, prostate, kidney, and postmenopausal breast cancer.
- Breathing Problems - Sleep apnea and asthma are associated with weight increases.
- Arthritis - For every 2 pound increase in weight you increase the risk of arthritis by 9% to 13%.
- Reproductive Complications - Overweight mothers to be have a 10 times greater increased in high blood pressure, low blood sugar and death to mother and baby.
- Additional Consequences - Gall bladder dieses, incontinence, depression, increased surgical risks, joint (especially knee) problems.
Financially - The finances associated with being overweight or obese is staggering. The weight loss industry is in the billions of dollars so there must be a target audience that they’re going after. Here are some of the items that are connected to this issue.
- Health Care Costs - The staggering dollar amount for caring for those individuals who are fat are associated with all the health related items above, but also take on issues like oversize beds, wheelchairs, toilet seats, scales, etc. and this doesn’t even take into account the lost time at work and increased doctor visits.
- Transportation - As I stated in the beginning, larger cars have been manufactured so that individuals can sit in them comfortably. The increase I n size has also increase the cost and cost to fuel since most are made with larger engines to haul people around. Airlines, trains and ships have all had to make changes to increase the room necessary for a larger society.
- Home Living Issues - Increase in the size of furniture has increased cost in order to reinforce the padding and structure. Refrigerators, Washers Dryers and other appliances had to be increased in order to account for more in them.
- Feel Good Items - Those things that are made specifically for the extra large person that attempts to work on their psyche. Stores that cater to Big Beautiful Women (BBW) or oversize men. Dining out from fast food to fancy where extra size is normal fare. Jewelry with extra links, shoes with extra widths.
Emotionally - As was stated in the Health related category, depression is a large problem for those that are overweigh and obese. These problems are also enhanced by how others look at these individuals and the rejection that comes from being in this condition. We have included oversize, extra size, double extra large, and supersize as new words in our vocabulary.
- Job opportunities - Even though this is considered a protected class of individuals now, discrimination exists when applying for a new job or seeking a promotion based upon weight problems. Some managers say “If they can’t control their weight, how can they control any aspect of business?”
- Relationships - If you seek a significant other as a partner in life, you may find that your personality is not all you can get by on. The perspective mate pool dries up fast with the stigma that comes with being overweight.
- Activities - This is related to health as well, but large people get excluded in certain activities like sports, dance, drives, etc. because of the ability to keep up or even participate.
- Insults - There are more insults projected at overweight and obese then at any other stereotype. The reason is that most people in this condition take it or practice self deprecating rather than demanding this practice stop.
Being overweight or obese really does suck for the millions of individuals dealing with this problem. The reality is all the items above that show what you go through if you have this excess fat. One shining ray of hope is that you can do something about it. Once you start to shed some of the additional pound you can reverse health and emotional factors. The financial situation will eventually correct itself as well. The time to start is right now, not tomorrow. If you took the time to read this article you may feel you’re in this number. Get some help and get well again.
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Don’t let a Holiday Weekend Ruin your Diet
It’s late Memorial Day evening and the coals are just starting to dim on the barbeque where you and all your relatives just got done making Smores. The local ice cream truck’s music is fading into the darkness. You have that perfect glow when your belly is full on decadent food and drink. Now is not the time to ruin that feeling and start to feel guilty from the calories you piled on or the lack of exercise during these past 3 days. You can take solace that you are not alone on this and that I’m writing this for many people that find themselves in a similar position.
The average human being needs around 2000 calories a day to maintain their current weight. This number is just an average meaning that it is adjustable throughout the year by certain factors. Remember when you were sick for 3 days in the winter with a cold? Or maybe you had a tooth pulled or some other surgery that made it almost impossible to eat anything. You might have helped your neighbor pull a big tree from his property and you exerted so much that the sweat poured down your face. Those episodes are the balance when you eat too much of the wrong foods and help to maintain that push and pull of diet and exercise.
In order to not be caught up in excessive weight gain you have to know knowing that the honey dipped chicken wings may have tasted really good, especially with those frosted mugs of beer, but should not be eaten every single day. What I’m really saying is that you can party and go a bit excessive from time to time. You just need to understand the difference between party time and good diet time.
Now another item that you need to be sure you take under advisement is to get back on the treadmill, exercise bike, elliptical or what other machine you use and get it going again. Before sitting and talking and eating becomes so much of a habit that exercise becomes a thing in the distant past.
Remember that glow I talked about in the beginning of this post? Well you can get another type of glow by getting into a rhythm of exercise at least 5 times a week for about 30 minutes each time. The feeling comes from the workout your body has just gone through and the blood and oxygen getting to your muscles.
I hope you took pictures to remind you of the good time you had so that you can look back when you’re a good deal older. The exercise food choices will help you reach those golden years.
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