Learn How To Lose Weight From Twin Winners Of “The Biggest Loser”

August 2, 2009 | 1 Comment

Remember the identical twin brothers who won season four of “The Biggest Loser” … Bill and Jim Germanakos?

If you are a fan of the show such as I am, you may recall that Bill won the grand prize of $250,000 and brother Jim took home the eliminated players “at home” prize of $100,000. Quite impressive!

While first the nation watched them fight obesity by losing an amazing amount of weight on national television, the famous twins can now watch their viewers do the same by applying to their lifestyle Bill and Jim’s advice. In June, Bill and Jim released their Rapid Action Metabolism Program, which is a healthy weight loss plan that teaches people how to reach their weight loss goals using the same system the twins used during the show to lose weight, and after the show to keep the weight off.

Being a big believer in eating healthy and exercising regularly for losing and maintaining weight, there are a couple of things I really like about Jim and Bill sharing this program with us. (1) First seeing them achieve their weight loss goals on TV provides us living proof that they know how to do it, and (2) they use a common sense change-of-lifestyle approach without any diet fad attached. And, I might add, they provide their knowledge at a reasonable price too!

Click here to go to Bill and Jim’s weight loss plan website.

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Posted by Julie | Filed Under Blog, Celebrities, Weight Loss

Finding Strength To Conquer Stress

May 25, 2009 | 1 Comment

ellen and levi

Originally uploaded by noahstone

How does a person keep stress in check?

This year is not quite halfway through yet, but I can honestly say it certainly has been one of the most difficult and challenging years I have ever encountered. And while I have managed to ward off any depression setting in, I definitely had to work hard at keeping my stress in check.

Here’s a touch of what’s been going on in my little corner of the world:

After a couple of long stays at the hospital with serious heart and lung problems, my Dad was finally released with these departing words from his heart doctor: “Your heart is only functioning at 30% and will never get better. You may live up to 10 years, or you may live only 10 days.” Not quite the encouraging words we had hoped for, but they could have been much worse I suppose. The doctors then told this 75-year-old workaholic to go home and sit in front of the TV. Instead he went home and fretted over completing repairs on his house which my Mom would have to burden alone should the worst happen to him. Therefore, my siblings and I are hurriedly doing the repairs for him (if we don’t, he’ll do them himself), while still somehow trying to maintain our own households. We’ll be replacing his roof soon and I can’t wait to get that over with. (Here’s a bit of strength training info: My Dad has always been an extremely strong man. When he first entered the hospital, the doctors said they were surprised he hadn’t died of heart failure yet. They claimed it was due to the fact that his body was so strong.)

Before the health issues with my Dad popped up, my husband and I were already burdened with concerns over my husband’s business which quickly went from thriving to dying due to the economy. We’ve had to temporarily find other ways to make an income. Business has picked up again (yeah!), but it certainly set us back a huge step.

Outside of my home:

I watched a friend suffer through agonizing surgeries after having his kneecap removed due to an infection which consumed his entire leg. He finally received an artificial knee and is healing well now, but, Yikes!, the pain he endured. Luckily, he was in the same hospital as my Dad so I could visit the two in one trip. And, luckily, he didn’t lose his entire leg.

And, sadly, just last week a wonderful and loving neighbor lost his battle to cancer. Such a tremendous loss for us, but who can blame God for wanting to take such a loyal servant to finally serve in his Heavenly Kingdom.

Now, not everything is bad in this little spot in the middle of the U.S. I do have good news too. My daughter announced early in the year that she is getting married … in June! This is great news, but how do you pay for a wedding on such short notice when your business suffered so tremendously? The timing could have been better. And how do you help one person, my father, get through a difficult stage of his life (preparing for death) while cheerfully helping another person, my daughter, start a new and exciting stage of her life (a family of her own)? From roofing clothes to wedding clothes, it seems I’m constantly going from one extreme to the other … that being from sadness to gladness.

When I think back to being in my 20’s, I’m certain that dealing with just one of the struggles mentioned above would have put me into a depression that would have taken me weeks to overcome. But while my motivation for the goals I have set for myself is definitely slacking, a depression is not yet overtaking.

What do I have that gives me strength now that I didn’t have in my 20’s? Well, two important things give me the strength I need to fight stress.

First of all, in my 20’s, I was not a born-again Christian. While I had my heart set on earthly goals, I did not have my heart set on more important heavenly goals. I did not have in my life an awesome preacher whom I have today to help me keep my eyes on the ultimate goal. Being a born-again Christian sure seems to make troubled times seem not so troubling.

Secondly, while I do occasionally lose track of some of my earthly goals (such as this blog), I never lose focus on my health goals. Day-after-day I continue to arise at 5:30 a.m. to take my daily dose of cardio, weight lifting, boxing, and/or abdominal crunches. There is no doubt in my mind that exercising has played a major role in fighting off depression and possibly other health issues. By pumping up endorphins, exercise improves one’s mood. It gives self-confidence, which empowers a person to tackle the worst situations, and it lessens the symptoms of depression. It helps you sleep better and it helps ward off other illnesses that may try to set in.

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10 Important “Don’ts” To Ensure A Successful Workout

April 8, 2009 | 11 Comments

Photo by thejonoakley
When I first got serious about exercising, I just kind of jumped in and learned as I went along, putting all my faith into the person leading my workout class. But believe me, as time went on, I came to realize there were plenty of things I was doing, or not doing, that were preventing me from having a successful workout. So I want to share some “don’ts’ to follow if you want to have a safe, successful, and injury-free workout. I guess my first “don’t” is don’t always rely on the instructor leading the class, as she usually has new people coming in all the time. Unless you are lucky enough to have a personal trainer, you may be missing out on small, but important, things you need to know.

Here are 10 other important things to know to ensure you will have a successful workout:

Don’t wear improper footwear. Improper footwear increases the pounding on your joints and can lead to injury. When purchasing shoes, shop at stores that specialize in athletic shoes and choose shoes specific to your activity. If you don’t know, then ask the salesperson. And always replace the shoes as soon as they begin to show signs of wear.
Don’t try to burn fat only in an isolated area. You can firm muscles in an isolated area, but you’ll be unsuccessful if you attempt to isolate fat burning to one part of the body. Such as your stomach, thighs, hips, or arms. Incorporate cardio into your workout with the goal to reduce all over body fat. That being said, unfortunately, the areas that gain fat the fastest will be the most stubborn areas to let it go.
Don’t stretch before your workout. Like me, you probably grew up being told to always stretch before a workout. Now experts are saying that is wrong! Your muscles should never be stretched while they are still cold as this puts you at risk for pulled or torn muscles. Go straight for the warm-up. Which brings me to the next “don’t”.
Don’t skip a warm-up before your workout. Or you will increase your risk of injury. If you skip a nice warm-up before a cardio workout, you raise the heart rate too fast. And skipping a warm-up before lifting weights could result in torn muscles. A 5-10 minute warm-up is needed to get the oxygen and blood flowing.
Don’t assume cardio is enough. Cardio is a great fat burner, but don’t forget strength training. Keep in mind that we begin losing muscle at age 30. And strength training builds muscle, which increases metabolism, which burns more calories. It is very important to do both.
Don’t use bad form on cardio marchines. Never set the resistance so high that you have to hunch over or hang on to the handrail with a death grip. Doing so is preventing your body from a good workout and it can throw off your alignment, which jars your spine, shoulders, and elbow. And never read while using cardio machines, as this will take away your focus on form. No matter the exercise, you’ll never have a successful workout if your form is bad.
Don’t think “no pain, no gain” is always true. Yes, some muscle aches and pains are normal and should be expected. But sometimes pain is your body telling you to back off. Joint and bone pain, muscle strains, or ligament and tendon strains are all signs that something is wrong. They will only get worse if you choose to ignore them because of the “no pain, no gain” theory.
Don’t think drinking water during a workout causes cramps. Quite the opposite is true. If you are thirsty, you are dehydrated, and this actually increases your risk for cramps. Always stay well hydrated.
Don’t skip the cool-down. Just like you should take 5-10 minutes to warm-up, you should also take 5-10 minutes to cool down giving your heart rate a chance to slow down properly. Never just come to a sudden stop at the end of your workout.
Don’t let loss of motivation put an end to your workouts. You may be pumped up about your workouts for a long time, and then suddenly feel unmotivated. Loss of motivation is a sign of over training. When this happens, take a break or change the pace. You may skip the weights and only do cardio for a while. Or rest a day between workouts. Another option is to reward yourself with a massage or new workout clothes. (That sounds good to me!)

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Posted by Julie | Filed Under Blog, Fitness

Bench Press: The Best Of All Chest Exercises

March 30, 2009 | 7 Comments

Many women avoid chest exercises for fear they will over train their chest and gain a gorilla-like posture. And for such reasoning, the bench press is normally not considered an exercise for women. But there are benefits for women who get a good pectoral workout. And while there are many different ways to get a good pec workout, the bench press is considered by many weight lifters to be the best of all chest exercises.

Here are the benefits of a good pec workout:

Most of us have relied on our chest muscles our entire life for pushing and pulling heavy things. When we have good upper-body strength we have more strength for activities such as lifting and holding our children, pushing lawnmowers, and rearranging our furniture. And with strong chest muscles we are less likely to injure ourselves while doing such activities.

What a good pec workout won’t do.

Don’t think that with a regular bench press workout you will turn your A cups into double-Ds. It just won’t happen. But with a little dedication, it can give you nice athletic cleavage. And because it works the delts and triceps, it will give you nicely shaped arms and a better athletic frame. Simply put, you will be in better overall shape.

How to bench press:

Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor. Grab the barbell so your arms are evenly spaced a few inches wider than shoulder-width apart. Arch your back just slightly. Lift the bar off the rack and hold it at arm’s length over your chest. Straighten your arms, but don’t lock your elbows. Slowly lower the bar to your chest. Pause, and then push the bar back up. During this exercise, be sure to pull your abs in tight, exhale as you press the bar up, and inhale as you lower the bar down.

If you want to focus on your upper chest, then incline the bench to a 45-degree angle. Or if you really want to get strong, decline the bench 30 or 40 degrees.

Don’t have a barbell?

Then do pushups! Start in a pushup position, hands shoulder width apart. While keeping your back straight, bend at the elbows until your chin almost touches the ground. Push back up, and repeat.

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Posted by Julie | Filed Under Blog, Strength Training

Joining In The Fun At The Ultimate Blog Party 2009

March 20, 2009 | 24 Comments

Photo by stilinberlin.de
Are you here for the party?

Last year I missed out on The Ultimate Blog Party, a virtual party hosted by 5 Minutes For Mom specifically for women bloggers, who can participate by throwing their own blog party. But this year, 2009, I am sure to participate. Afterall, there are prizes to be won at this party!

If you are new here and/or have arrived through Janice and Susan’s Ultimate Blog Party 2009 … Welcome to my little corner of the party! I am grateful you are here. I am Julie, the owner of The Health & Wellness Post. And this is a strength training blog to help women (and men!) improve their health and lose weight. Besides being a health blogger, I am also an independent distributor for the superjuice Vemma.

Here at The H&W Post, I rarely take time away from exercise to have a party, but I’m never above putting a little party into my exercise. So before you move along with your blog party hopping, let’s join Chalene Johnson in a little hip hop dance. But first, as requested by twins Janice and Susan, here are my top 3 party prize picks:

Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer provided by Moms Who Think (#58). (Can you believe I’m 44 and have never had a mixer!)
Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD and The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook (#49) provided by Pudget: Losing Weight On A Budget. I’m a big fan of Jillian’s!
Simply Precious Photo Tile Necklace (#41) provided by Elemental Memories. This is so precious!

Other preferences: Nos. 15, 19, and 21. Now, let’s exercise … um, I mean party!

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Posted by Julie | Filed Under Blog, Strength Training

Nuru “Exercise Anywhere” Cards

March 15, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Yes, yes, I know. There are many of you out there who want to exercise, but just don’t care to join all us crazies at the gym. And when you workout at home, you may feel like you are at a loss as to what to do.

Well, here’s something that can help you build a better body in the comfort of your own home.

Crystalee at nuruplanet.com recently provided me with a deck of Nuru Exercise Anywhere cards for my review. Quite frankly, this is a nice little deck of cards. And I’ll share with you my reasons for being so fond of this sweet little item.

First of all, the Nuru deck is right in step with the type of training which I share on my blog, strength training. It illustrates various ways you can exercise using your own body weight as resistance (which in turn will burn calories and tone muscles) thereby making it easy to exercise anywhere. It targets all the major muscle groups … abs, chest, back, shoulders, arms, and glutes. And it is for everyone, from the beginner to the advanced.

Next, this item consists of 30 cards, bound together with a small metal ring, which fit nicely into the palm of your hand and easily in your purse. It doesn’t take up much room in your home and is perfect for traveling.

Lastly, it comes with a decent price making it affordable for everyone. You can get the Nuru Exercise Anywhere cards for under $10 as shipping is free. Don’t we all love free shipping!

Here’s a sample of what you will find in a Nuru deck of cards. (Photos provided by NuruPlanet.com.)