I'm Injured

Well it finally happened dear readers; I managed to hurt myself on Sunday. I took a basketball to the park and spent an hour with my boyfriend shooting hoops. I was having a great time. Jumping and shooting and dribbling and running and jumping and jumping and......................ARG!!  I felt a cramp in my left side after one of the jumps.  I thought nothing of it.

 

About 10 minutes after shooting hoops, my lower back seized up; all the muscles tightened and cramped together into one painful knot.  Pain was radiating out towards my hips and twinges down my legs. I felt marvelous!!!

 

Not really!!!!!!!!

 

Me, being me; I chose to ignore it the rest of the day and carried on with my dinner plans and other plans.  Well Sunday night I hobbled into bed and decided I should probably call the doctor in the morning, just to be sure I didn't do any really serious damage.

 

The next morning; I limped over to my doctor where she confirmed that I had seized up the muscles in my lower back.  She said it was a result of a build up of lactic acid that normally the muscles will release but this time they did not. She told me to use alternating heat and cold to help relax the muscles. She gave me prescriptions for an anti-inflammatory and a muscle relaxer.

 

So now, I lie on my back with my knees raised typing this blog entry. Yesterday was quite painful. Today is a bit better. Sitting is difficult. I haven't been to the gym since Friday, which is really bugging me, as I really enjoy my gym visits.  I am to "relax" with the hope that by Friday there will be improvement. If no improvement, I am to call my doctor again. 

 

Its only been 36 hours and already I'm going stir-crazy not being able to be active.  My doctor said walking will help, so I do plan on doing that today.

 

Injury does happen, and probably will happen if you are active. That does not mean that you should not try things that might be out of your zone. The body does heal and for me, I can only learn my limits once my body decides to tell me I've reached them.  I don't consider my age ever, I figure since I'm working out 5 days a week I should be able to play an hour of hoops without worry. 

 

What I learned is that even with 5 hours of gym time a week, I'm still not as fit as I'd like to be. SO now, I plan to continue my workouts; once I am okay to do so, and improve my core strength so that I can minimize and hopefully eliminate injury.

I will post again on Friday to let you know my progress.

In the meantime; don't sweat the small stuff!!

Cah Productions Designs On-Line

How to Lose Belly Fat

So here it is; the sure-fire way to lose that annoying belly fat. But wait!! There are a few things you require first:

1) Be willing to work hard

2) Determination

3) Never give up


If you have those three qualities then this method to losing belly fat will work:

1) Regular exercise; at least 5 times per week for 1 hour each session. Include minimum of  20 minutes of vigorous cardio combined with weights, core training and abdominal exercises. (ideally you should try to do 30-40 minutes of vigorous cardio during 3 of the 5 visits to your gym per week and 20 minutes of cardio twice per week during your session)

2) A nutrition plan that is high in lean protein and low in fat and carbs and schedules your eating into 5 small meals per day (ideally you should try to focus on smaller portions more frequently throughout the day; this will help to boost your metabolism)


Now I need to tell you, I am not a doctor, nutritionist, professional trainer or any expert whatsoever. So how do I know the above advice works?? Well, I followed and continue to follow the above advice and it is working for me.

The results:

• I lost more than 6 inches from my waist in 12 months. 
• I have increased muscle mass (which helps to burn calories).
• My overall strength and endurance has increased significantly. (I now pedal 5km on the elliptical in 16 minutes, when I started 12 months ago it took me 40 minutes)
• My energy level has improved
• I sleep better
• My overall mood is happy and content

I welcome you to give it a try for yourself. Be patient. It takes several months before you see any real results. That's where the "determination" and "never give up" qualities come in.

Take a picture of yourself before you start. Then, take another picture three or four months into your program. You will see the difference. You will feel the difference.

Good health is not just about your body.  Having good health will affect how you feel about yourself. Your improved self-image will positively impact your life. You will be happier and more willing to try things because of the increased self confidence. It really is quite amazing how one small change can so greatly impact and improve the quality of your life.

I wish you all well.

Todays Workout and Fitness Update

Well, it certainly is a beautiful Friday morning in May here in Hamilton. My workout this morning combined 30 mins of cardio with 30 mins of abdominal work  and some weight training. I've been getting alot of positive remarks lately on how I look. Everything from; "your skin looks so good since you've quit smoking", to "I hardly even recognize you, you look great, what are you doing different?".

Its nice to get positive feedback. I am incredibly self-critical, so hearing great things from people around me tends to cut through my own self-talk and brighten things up. I think one of the unexpected perks of exercising regularly and eating healthy is that even when things are worry-some or troubled in your life, you are able to manage the challenges more easily. I think that the reason for this is because exercise and healthy eating help to stabilize your body; sort of a buffer-zone to stressful events that occur in your life. The discipline, energy and determination that you "exercise" while exercising all overflow into your day to day life.

Its tough to describe completely, but if you are someone who has made healthy diet and exercise a regular part of your life, you know what I mean.

Next week, I plan on posting some updates on my Belly Fat challenge, including pictures. Yes, the dreaded pictures!!! But I think that the progress I've made is truly noticeable now.

Reality Check:

I just want to say one big thing about the hype you read and hear about diet and exercise. There are so many different products out there from miracle teas and pills to exercise machines that guarantee results!! All of these products have one thing in common: they promise huge results quickly. 

Seriously; do you, as a human being and informed consumer really think that in just 3 weeks all your fat will melt away like magic?????????????????????????

Think about it logically. Did it take three weeks for you to gain those 50lbs??? Probably not. I know when I was expecting my first child, I gained 80lbs over a 40 week period. It took me more than 10 years to lose the first 50lbs.(without trying)  The other 30 I only started losing since I adopted my exercise program two years ago. Of course, some people may have a quicker metabolism. But NO ONE has a metabolism that can burn 20lbs in 3wks. You would have to work out 10hours a day every day and diet like there's no tomorrow.  Definitely a very unhealthy way to lose weight.  

The hard truth is that achieving good health requires commitment. You need to commit time and effort. And you need to be determined to stick to it. A health program that helps you to lose weight, tone muscle, and eat healthy requires a lifetime commitment. Once you have achieved your goal (whatever you think is your "ideal" body/health) then you need to continue with the healthy lifestyle to maintain your health. Its not temporary. Its not a quick fix then-I-can-go-back-to-eating-burgers-and-fries-and-1000-calorie-shakes thing.  Its a new lifestyle. That means "for life". Embrace it. And Enjoy it.    

Until next time; don't sweat the small stuff...

Quit Smoking Update: 5 Weeks

Yep, I did it. 5 weeks no cigarettes, no nicotine. Done, fini.
Easy???  Heck NO!

And you don't even know the half of it!!! My personal life has taken a major tumble in the past 9 months. Most people would definitely not even consider quitting smoking. My own doctor was shocked that I did it. My timing was certainly not good, and I put alot of extra stresses on myself; both physically and psychologically. But I would still encourage anyone anytime anywhere to quit smoking. The final act is liberating. No longer am I a slave to nicotine. Constantly buying cigarettes, making sure I have a lighter, making sure I have them with me................like some kind of ...............addict!!!

I still very occasionally think about smoking. But the thoughts are fewer, last mere seconds and are farther between each other.

I think that the saving grace for me was sticking to a daily exercise program and adding a nutritional plan. These two things help to re-balance things for me physically and psychologically.

Please, if you are considering quitting but need that extra push, just drop me a line or post a comment here and I will respond.