April 2009

Where Did Kirstie Alley Go Wrong?

by Eartha

kirstiealley

Kirstie Alley was on the Oprah show today and they were discussing the causes of her falling off the wagon. If you didn't know, Kirstie Alley used to be the Jenny Craig spokesperson and lost a lot of weight. She has since put on all of the weight she lost and what happened to her is nothing uncommon.

Many people have lost weight only to put it back on. Since she is in the public eye, and was recently promoting Jenny Craig, every pound she gains is scrutinized. Here are some of the things that caused her to fall off the wagon:

She Stopped Exercising

While she was still on the Jenny Craig program, she kept all of her exercise equipment in her house (dining room area) and worked out regularly. Eventually, she stored all of her equipment in her garage and stopped exercising all together.

No Longer Accountable

Kirstie mentioned that it was easier to keep the weight off when she was a spokesperson because of the pressure placed on her from the legal standpoint. She had to lose weight because of the business agreement between her and Jenny Craig. She was weighed in all the time and being under that kind of pressure forced her to meet her goals. Once the pressure was taken off, it was all too easy to indulge in the wrong foods and slack off.

How She Could Have Stayed On Track

I do think her big mistake was stopping the exercise. When you slack off on exercising, it's all too easy to regain the weight and even harder to get motivated to exercise again. Even if she wanted all of her exercise equipment out of her dining room, she should have continued to exercise.

It seemed like she did better at exercising and eating the right foods when she was under some type of pressure. Maybe it would have helped to answer to someone like a personal trainer.

One thing I noticed was that she kept apologizing for letting people down. I don't feel she needed to apologize for that at all. If anything, people who have dealt with weight issues should know where she is coming from.

Another point that Oprah made was that we usually give ourselves 5 pounds to play with. The problem is that gaining 5 pounds can easily turn into 25 pounds if you're not careful.

Did you watch the show? What do you think?

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Is Your Metabolism Too Slow? Chances are It Probably Isn’t

by Eartha

I was surprised to learn that having a slow metabolism is actually rare. It's not uncommon to blame metabolism for weight gain but since it is a rare ocurrance, weight gain is still likely caused by eating too many calories and not burning enough of them through physical activity.

Metabolism does slow as we get older so eating less calories or increasing physical activity is probably a wise thing to do as we age. For the most part, the more lean muscle we have, the more calories we'll burn at rest. The amount of calories we burn at rest is known as our BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate.)

This is why strength training is so highly recommended in terms of losing weight. Our muscles burn calories even after we are done working out and muscle burns more calories than fat. Strength training burns fat and builds muscle which is what helps to boost metabolism.

Another reason for a slow metabolism is dehydration. When we are dehydrated our body temperature can drop slightly and this causes our bodies to store fat in order to increase the temperature. This is another reason to drink more water.

Having a slow metabolism is rare so you have a good chance of boosting it by exercising and watching your caloric intake.

Sources:
Mayo Clinic
About.com

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Best Ways to Strengthen Quads and Hamstrings

by Eartha

Young man lifting barbell, low angle view

After thinking about my last post on knee injuries, I thought it would be a good idea to find out some of the best exercises to strengthen up the quadriceps and hamstrings. Keeping these muscles strong can help to prevent knee injuries. Of course, if you have already experienced any type of injury, find out the proper exercises to perform from your doctor or physical therapist.

The Squat

This is one of my favorite exercises and when done properly you will feel the burn throughout your quads. It can be performed with or without weights. The muscles that are working in the squat include the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves.

Hamstring Curls

The hamstring curl is a popular exercise in terms of protecting the knee from injury. There are various ways to perform the exercise. It works the hamstring and glute muscles. Most people use the machines at the gym, but if you don't have acces to those, you can also use a stability ball.

There are other various exercises that are good for both quads and hamstrings. Some of them include:

  • Deadlift
  • Lunges
  • Bridge

There are variations on most of these exercises as well but for the most part the squat and hamstring curl should be good exercises to get started on strenthening those quads and hamstrings.

Do you have any suggestions for these muscles?

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Common Knee Injuries – Prevent a Knee Injury When Working Out

by Eartha

FILE0147
Creative Commons License photo credit: bhtcbtech

It's important to try and avoid any injury while exercising but I wanted to focus on the knees because the knees are one of the most injury prone parts of the body. I've been told that knee surgery is no joke and from the description I got, it sounds pretty harsh.

The Most Common Types of Knee Injuries

Any type of knee pain should not be ignored. Even if it is minor, it is a good idea to have it checked out by a doctor.

  1. Runner's Knee (Patello-femoral Pain Syndrome) - This injury originally meant that the cartilage under the kneecap has become soft, however, over time it is now used to describe any type of pain that occurs in the front of the knee. The causes vary but the primary cause is overuse.
  2. Ligament Injuries - These are more serious injuries and may require knee surgery depending on the extent of the injury. The most common ligament injury in athletes is the ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament). Others include the PCL (Posterior Cruciate Ligament) and MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament.)
  3. Patella Fracture - A broken knee cap which means some type of force was applied to the knee strong enough to fracture it. It could be just a crack or the knee cap could be shattered.
  4. Patella Tendonitis (Jumpers Knee) - This injury can occur with constant jumping and landing movements. The patella tendon becomes strained and over time the damage can cause inflammation.

How You Can Prevent Knee Injuries

There are various ways to help prevent knee injuries depending on your situation. Here is a list of things you may want to consider to help protect your knees.

  • Stretch daily and improve flexibility
  • Strengthen quadricep and hamstring muscles
  • Wear good running shoes
  • Avoid activites that require jolting movements
  • Weight reduction (excess weight causes pressure on the knees)
  • Protect your knees with knee pads when needed
  • Use proper form when exercising
  • Switch to low-impact activites

Get more information at: Knee pain: Symptoms - MayoClinic.com

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False Fitness Beliefs That are Holding You Back

by Eartha

I'm running as fast as I can...
Creative Commons License photo credit: Ed Yourdon

We can all come up with numerous excuses for not working out but for some people, it comes down to false beliefs that they may hold about themselves. When it comes to getting into shape there are tons of myths out there that many people hold on to and it keeps them from becoming healthier.

I Don't Have Good Genes - While genetics does play a part in the type of physique you can develop, it is a poor excuse for not attempting to get into shape. You may not make the cover of a fitness magazine, but you will still feel and look good.

I Have to Join a Gym - This is a common excuse for putting off fitness which is absolutely false. Gyms have never been necessary for getting into shape. You know that you can start anytime, even in the smallest of spaces.

I'm Too Old - Fitness knows no age limits so don't put one on yourself by using your age as an excuse. Check out the 81 Year Old Marathoner.

I'm Not Athletic - You do not need to be an athlete to get into shape. I was never good at sports growing up and I'm not today for that matter, but I don't need an athletic background to run or lift weights.

I'm Too Overweight - Nobody's excess weight is a lost cause even in cases of extreme obesity. With the right guidance, exercise can be performed even if it is something simple.

I'm Already Thin - Being at your ideal weight is great but it doesn't mean you are in shape. Can you run a block without being winded? Do you lack energy? Thin and in shape are two different things. Exercise will benefit anyone regardless of current body size.

Don't let false fitness beliefs hold you back.

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