A new look and a different title for the blog

A person can only write so many blog posts about weight loss, at least that was the way my mind works. So I decided to change the title of the blog to Your health, your body, to cover a much wider range of health topics. While fitness and staying in shape will still remain the main focus of the blog, I think that it is time to have a much more realistic goals of just staying healthy rather than trying to look 20 again.

The overall look of the blog will be slowly changing as I experiment with the new format of Blogger and the templates they have, really nice ones too. The nice part about them is those pages (at the top) that I can add. I also like to add that my visitors have increased along with the comment spammers. Thank goodness I don't allow automatic comment approval otherwise I would have had 15 comments about a xerox phaser 8560, and I don't even know what that is.

I do plan on blogging more frequently as time will allow but we will have to see.

I got a compliment from a stranger

My local discount store was having a big sale this morning. So I got there early to see what might interest me. Since it was the end of the summer season, all of the swimsuits were now priced at 90% off what they use to be. I debated with myself and then gave in and got a one piece.

When I got to the check out and the gal at the cash register was using the barcode scanner on my suit, I made the remark that I was too chicken to get a bikini. At which she said, "why, you have a great figure, you should show it off."

That took me by surprise and I must have blushed 2 shades of red! That was the first time a stranger had ever remarked about my body. No, I did not go back for the bikini but I did say thank you to the cashier for the fab compliment. 

Good clean air

In order to stay healthy we must keep ourselves safe from exposure to harmful chemicals, toxins and known carcinogens. There are 3 ways that the human body can be affected by those elements, they are absorption, ingestion and breathing them in. Ingestion is the simplest one to control, simply know what you are eating. Absorption can be limited to wearing protective clothing when around or working with harmful elements. Breathing or inhalation is another matter entirely.

Often we are not told if there is something harmful in the air we breath. That is evident with all of those ads on TV for Mesothelioma cancer attorneys. Someone did not inform them of the asbestos in the air. But asbestos is just one of many elements that can cause problems. Indoor air can be very toxic if there is no fresh air circulation in the room. Toxins are given off by the foam in cushions, couches and even that brand new bed mattress.

You can use air purifiers and filters all you want but the best solution is good old fresh air, so open a window.

Electronic gizmos to help you stay healthy

It use to be all you needed was a stop watch when you worked out. The watch helped you track your running time, your pulse, and your respiration. The fancier ones tracked laps and other stuff.

Now you can just stop by your local Best Buy and pick up a Wii or a Playstation Move and "play" your way to a newer, fitter you. But it doesn't stop there, you can get electronic calorie counters, diet planning software and of course lets not forget the MP3 for the music you have to listen to just to get through the workout.

Whatever happened to just going for a brisk walk? Playing catch with your kids? Walking to the store instead of taking the car? Going for a bike ride? Do we really need more gizmos?

The Obama health plan

I am still uncertain as to what will happen to my own health care situation under the Obama plan. I can say for certain that I do like the idea of no pre-existing conditions coming into the factor for health insurance. At one point a family member could not get medical insurance because he had a bone operation within 2 years of applying for a new health plan.

I wonder if the new health plan will spill over on to other types of insurance. I do know that many types of term life insurance no medical exams but what about other insurance types? For example will car insurance companies not cover medical portions of their coverage because everyone is suppose to have medical insurance already?

I guess we will find out, soon enough.

Take care of your muscles after a workout

Do you know how to do a proper cool down after you workout? Did you know that not allowing for a proper cool down routine as part of your workout will result in sore, cramping muscles? A proper cool down involves exercises and not just a trip to the hot tub. You can use a treadmill to cool down or just walking. Your aim is to keep moving until your pulse is just slightly elevated and that you have stopped sweating profusely.

Ignoring a proper cool down will result in pain, tight muscles and your tendency to avoid workouts all together. You will then be concentrating on how alleviate your pain, either by pain pills, heated mattress pads, ice packs or massage. It would be much easier just to spend 5 minutes at the end of your workouts to just learn to do the right exercises for cool downs.

Your health and sports

The one thing I always encourage is to keep active. No matter what age you are there is a sport that will not only help you keep your body fit but also keep your mind active.

When we are young, the sports tend to be more daring. The sports also tend to have a higher body impact such as football, atv racing, or skydiving. Even leisurely sports such as horseback riding is considered a high risk sport.

As we age, golf, hiking, power walking and bowling tend to replace those high energy demanding sports.They keep our interest and get us out of the house. The added bonus is that they also help us socialize, thus keeping our minds active.

No matter what your age, get out, meet people and get active.

Public places cater to the skinny

You have no doubt heard about those new "saddle" seats that the cut rate airlines plan on installing on short flights. It is just another way for companies to literally put the squeeze on people. Pack them in like sardines and to hell with comfort or safety. It is almost the way I sometimes feel in some of those public toilets, where there they seem to have been built for people that are as thin as skeletons.

What has happened to the architects of these places? Have they been told to fit "X" number of people in "X" number of square feet?

Yes the world is built for skinny people.

Let's talk about Halloween

It used to be that I would love to dress up for Halloween for parties and work. That was until I started getting plump. Then all I could think of was how to hide being overweight in a Halloween costume. One year I went as a pumpkin and didn't need any stuffing for the costume! The next year I was a "dead bride" so the old wedding gown would hide most of my size. My problem was not with just being overweight as much as it was being out of proportion. You see, my weight tends to gather in my tummy and boobs, so that I looked pregnant when I am overweight.

Nowadays they cater to the plus size gal for Halloween. They have the most gorgeous sexy halloween costumes but with one problem, they are for the proportioned overweight gal. Let me show you a couple of photos to make my point:

Here is a sexy plus size costume modeled by a well proportioned model. She has a flat tummy and her hips are not flowing into her shoulder, she has a waist. Below is a whole selection of plus size models that have big bodies but no extra rolls of fat here and there, they are bigger but not really "out of shape" so to speak. They can still wear sexy clothes and make it work for them.

The bottom line is......a model still looks good whether she is a plus or not, the rest of us are just .......

One of the greatest joy of losing weight

The shear thrill of fitting into clothes that have hung in the closet for years while waiting for me to lose weight is a high for me. Just putting on a pair of running shorts that don't feel like a throng that is cutting me in two was a great feeling. My oversized t-shirt tops are now regulated to become pajama tops until they are worn out enough to throw out. 

After a wardrobe thrill like that, I fully never intend to go back to 2X or X anything.

Our bodies change as we age

As our bodies age, it becomes harder for us to lose extra pounds. Our metabolism slows down because our bodies want to hold on to those pounds in preparation of a famine. It is a throw back to harder times and is genetically programed into us. It is just like getting gray hair and age spots, it is something that cannot be avoided. What you can do is learn to eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of fluids and get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.

What are great fat burning exercises

If you listen to most people that promote the latest fad diet system, you will hear which exercise that they say will burn fat. In reality the best fat burners are muscle tissue. If your body has more muscle then it will require more calories to support that muscle tissue. To get those calories, your body will draw on your fat reserves to supply the needed energy and nourishment your muscle tissue needs.

So the best exercises that will burn fat are the ones that build muscle. Cardio workouts like the treadmill are a great way to warm up your muscles for the real workout.

Foods that help you lose weight

I am often asked "what types of food should I eat to burn calories?" I just hate to tell them that there is no such thing as fat burning foods. I remember when I was young, my mother would religiously eat one banana and drink a small can of grapefruit juice for lunch everyday, to try and lose weight. She claimed that those foods burned off the fat in her body. I was just a kid and didn't know any better, so I took it as a fact.

When I got older and had more nutritional education, I realized that it was not the foods she ate but the small amounts of them that she ate. Both the grapefruit juice and banana amounted to about 200 calories for lunch. Topped with a small dinner of less than 800 calories and almost nothing of a breakfast, no wonder my short 5' mom was able to stay slim and tiny, she barely ate much at all.

The high cost of health insurance

If you have ever gone shopping for your own health insurance you would know the fact that age and weight often figures into the premiums. With the new Obama health insurance plan in the works I am not really sure how the new insurance quotes will be based. I would love to see everyone get the same rate no matter what age, size or credit rating they had. I can't help it if I am getting older just like everyone else or that I may have asthma, which was not my fault, so why should I pay more than someone 4 years younger than me? I guess I will be waiting to see how this all pans out - just like you are.

Your weight and looking for work

Our society (in the USA) is unfortunately one of being superficial. This fact is often more apparent when a woman (yep this post is aimed at the women readers for now) is looking for a job. While men are judged on their previous work history or education, women are judged first on their looks then their education and work history. It is not uncommon for men to be hired over the phone for a job without having that interview in person, but a woman is often called to come in for that interview.

Employers want to see what that prospective women employee looks like before they hire them. Employers are often more critical of a woman's looks for sales jobs, receptionists or other high public contact position. They claim that those positions are more as company representatives and they want to put out a good impression to the public. I say BS. It is just their method of discrimination, but how to you prove it?

Since the job market is very tight right now, women are getting their faces lifted, having tummy tucks done and above all else, going back to the gym for working out. While plastic surgery is very expensive and I don't recommend it at all, getting your body in shape, the cheap old fashioned way of working out, will not only benefit you but might increase your chances of securing that job you have wanted.