Week 9: Commit 2 Be Fit / A Fitness Instructor

A FITNESS INSTRUCTOR

The next time you take a fitness class, don’t assume that the instructor has never struggled with her weight… or even that exercise has always been such a big part of her life. Take the instructors at 241 Fitness for example:

MY STORY......Ally

I’ve never really told my story before. I think very few people know it. I’ve often heard people say you must have been healthy and fit growing up. Especially when I’d introduce my parents at the gym or my Mom in a group fitness class. Well the truth is…YES and NO.

I was blessed with genetics that made me very strong and fast and I was pretty athletic taking dance, gymnastics, horseback riding lessons, swimming, running and cheerleading. I would even beat the fastest boys before they hit puberty. Growing up I lived on 4 ½ acres of what I’d call a Cape Cod farm. My Dad had a huge garden with everything you could think of in it. We had pigs, chickens, ducks, rabbits, a goat, a cat and my sister and I each had a dog and a horse. Yes, we ALL lived at home. My Grandmother lived next door and she had a beautiful in-ground pool. There was no shortage of fruits, veggies, eggs, meat and exercise. We all ate what (and as much as) we wanted. My Mom is a great cook and my parents prided in making and storing a lot of what they had.
I can remember, I’d eat four donuts at a time or seven pancakes at my friends house. Now that I think of it, it was not an issue until the summer before my junior year of high school when I wanted to slim down to wear a bikini. I just cut back on some snacks and presto “rocked” the bikini that summer. That worked a few more times. Then I graduated high school and went on to a business school where I majored in Travel & Tourism. The end of the summer I met my husband Bob. We hit it off right away and it was a whirlwind of dating, dining, drinking and more late night dining. I no longer had any exercise in my life but a lot of calories so you can guess I gained weight. Bob and I dated and it wasn’t long before we got engaged. We set the date for the wedding a year and a half out. It was then I started to think “perfect bride” I got on the scale and saw that I weighed much more than I had ever weighed. I remember thinking if I keep gaining weight at this rate at my young age of 20 at 5’4” I will have gained about 120 pounds by the time I was 30. Yes, this could be done and my lifestyle was heading in that direction. Well, if cutting out snacks worked before I’ll try that again and I’ll stop drinking too. Well, I did lose a little weight and people started to say they noticed. That was SO good to hear! But I soon hit a plateau and added exercise classes with my Mom. It worked - I started to lose more and more and more, as the complements rolled in. Then I hit yet another plateau. That is when I started to get obsessive with the diet and the exercise. I started to count calories and vowed to get rid of every single one I took in. I did everything I could to take out all the fat I could find and limited my calorie intake to some extremely unhealthy low levels. (Oh no! I know now that is BAD! ) Well, I did lose even more weigh and felt like I was in great control. However, instead of compliments now people started to say how skinny I looked. I thought GREAT that was my goal! I remember squeezing lemon or vinegar alone on my salad...yuck! The next thing I recall is waking up one morning starving. (hmmm imagine that!) There was some cheese Danish in the kitchen, my weakness. I though I would cut a small bite and only eat a little, just a taste. Then I thought wow that was great! I need a little more. Soon I had eaten all of the Danish in the box. I felt weak after being so strong. I realize now that I just had a binge, a food frenzy if you will. I set myself up for that. I felt so horrible I snuck into the bathroom and did the unthinkable. I was ashamed and out of control. I cried I knew this was insanity. They say everyone has a bottom. This was mine.

I recall looking at a picture of myself and thinking wow, I may look too skinny, a bit frail and gaunt. Bob referred holding me to the feeling of holding a 10 year old boy when explaining to me I need help. I could only imagine that might feel pretty creepy for him. It was a blessing that I realized I needed help.

Realizing I had a problem was key for me. The next step was allowing myself to pick and maintain a healthy weight for me. I started educating myself on the Basil Metabolic Rate (BMR) the actual amount of calories I needed to gain then eventually maintain weight. I also used the food pyramid guide to create a healthy meal plan each day. This says you need a certain amount of non-saturated fats, which I wasn’t allowing myself. I made a lifestyle change. I used my own strategies to help me. I never skip breakfast and eat about every 3 hours 4x per day. Dividing my breakfast and lunch. I don’t have seconds. Instead I might have a little treat after dinner. When I find myself board or stressed and wandering around searching for food I ask myself; do I feel hungry or am I just bored, stressed out or maybe even thirsty? If I’m not hungry I can distract myself by reading, exercising, or enjoying a cup of herbal tea. I keep my unhealthy binge foods out of the house. If it’s something that will haunt me until it’s gone I don’t even bother buying it to torture myself.

By the time my wedding day came I had gained some healthy weigh back. I looked and felt healthy. It was a beautiful day. I look back at pictures and Bob and I looked amazing. Two kids and 20 some odd years later I have maintained my current weight and I feel great. I have my 5 pound range. If I go below I increase healthy calories and if I gain I decrease calories and increase exercise. A balancing act that I will continue for the rest of my life. Along my journey I have been blessed to have met some wonderful and influential people. I have fallen in love with fitness. It has become my passion to continue to share my love for health and fitness with others.

MY STORY......Wendy

Even as a young child, Wendy constantly struggled with food and ultimately her weight. With roots stemming from a meat and potatoes father and his 12 siblings who were fondly referred to as "big boned" and an Italian mother with culinary talents fit for the Gods, the odds were already stacked against her. From the beginning food was the center of the universe, the symbol of love, friendship and family. During grade school clothes shopping began in the "chunky" department and by middle school, gravitated to the polyester stretch pants and smock tops of the "woman's" section that had to be severely hemmed. By high school, even though she was unhappy with her weight and how she felt about herself, Wendy continued to turn to food for reward, relief, and comfort. Rock bottom hit when she had been labeled as obese during a physical exam.

Obesity by definition is the state of being well above one's normal weight. A person has traditionally been considered to be obese if they are more than 20 percent over their ideal weight. That ideal weight must take into account the person's height, age, sex, and build. Obesity has been more precisely defined by the National Institutes of Health (the NIH) as a BMI of 30 and above. (A BMI of 30 is about 30 pounds overweight.)

That is when the decision was made to do something about her weight. But back in the day what we knew about diet and exercise pales to what research has uncovered today. Where to begin? The grapefruit diet, the soup diet, the no carbohydrate diet, the Atkins diet, the ice cream diet....or maybe the magic was in the diet chocolates, diet pills, anti-cellulite creams, plastic exercise suits, or latest infomercial. Not knowing where to begin and not seeing any results with any of the diets that her diabetic mother tried, the decision was made to just cut out all desserts from her diet, except for on Sunday (however, if the Sunday came and went and a dessert was missed, then she would wait until the next Sunday to indulge). Now that is a big nut to crack at any age! But the goal had been set, the vow had been taken and what did she have to loose if it didn't work out? But low and behold, the calorie deficit created by the lack of these simple carbohydrates equals about a pound a month! Knowing that she was onto something, a second goal was set to eat smaller portions. Back went the dinner plate and out came the luncheon plate at meal times. This was interlaced with the purchase of her very own 12 speed bike to get from Point A to Point B. Now an element of exercise was injected into the equation and we are talking more like a 3,500 calorie deficit or a pound every two weeks!

Brace yourself, here comes a pitfall: If a little is good, a lot has to be better. Right? WRONG. It had gotten to the point where if a couple of pounds needed to be shed, or a dress size dropped, skipping meals or even starvation worked wonders. After the initial pangs of hunger came and went you learned to ignore the feelings of deprivation, dizzy spells, headaches and heart palpitations. That is until the day came that she passed out and broke her nose while visiting a friend in the hospital from not eating. Intervention was imposed and adjustments in diet, exercise, self perception and the thought process were made. That is when Wendy found her first love in Group Fitness. It started at Gloria Stevens, when the leader came and grabbed you off of those damn torture machines designed to shake, rattle and roll the fat off of you and do exercises together in the middle of the room.

Even though I entered the fitness industry right after that hospital experience I was still riding the weight roller coaster throughout the years. It wasn't actually until I joined Weight Watchers with a friend that I found the final key to successful weight loss and weight management. I would punish myself in the exercise arena in hopes of shedding a pound or two only to immediately consume them again by making bad food choices. But with the exercise knowledge I obtained working in the fitness industry and the WW program I managed to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Is this to say that I have totally attained? Heck NO, not at all. I still suffer from food amnesia and have weight loss goals, like shedding those few pesky pounds that snuck up on my belly and thighs when I wasn't journaling my food and sticking to my exercise program. It might not seem like much, but past history reminds me that 5 pounds can turn into 25 or 50 much too quickly.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't have to think about what I am eating and why. Then there is the knowledge that exercise will always be an intricate part of my life, so I'd better find something I like doing or I'm not going to stick with it. Group fitness is my first love because there we are all on a level playing field, dealing with the exact same issues. A place where we are able to have fun while sweating and reaching our "health and fitness" goals together. There are no quick fixes or short term answers. This physical pursuit is a lifelong commitment of healthy eating habits and fitness practices.

Come take the journey with us.

Ally & Wendy

241Fitness

Week 8: Commit 2 Be Fit / Stop Stress

7 Ways to Stop Stress Now

Someone once said, "A diamond is just a lump of coal that has withstood a lot of pressure."

Sure, stress can motivate us to get things done — that's the upside. But the downside can be ugly. Is YOUR stress spiraling out of control? Four major sources of stress (especially during the holidays) are: fantasies, family, food and finances. Stress, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, can lead to physical problems such as ulcers, headaches, hair loss, high blood pressure, and can accelerate some effects of aging. We also know that stress may contribute to emotional upheaval — irritability, anger, binge eating and even depression. During these next few weeks the temptation is to want it all. We often get so caught up in the eating, drinking, partying, and shopping that there is no time left for spiritual reflection and quiet nurturing.

Here are 7 easy strategies — one for each day of the week — to help you meet stress head-on and conquer it:

1) Breathe: Yes! It's that simple. Breathe deeply, but don't hyperventilate. Inhale as though you were sniffing a delightful scent. Then stre-e-e-tch your arms high over your head as you slowly and completely exhale. Paced respiration (taking a deep breath in to the count of 4 or 5 and slowly exhaling) is a new behavior modification technique that can decrease the frequency of hot flashes by up to 80 percent! Breath work is promoted by the North American Menopause Society and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, who emphasize that it is free and has no side effects.

2) Set boundaries: Just like the stressed-out mom who sat in the playpen to keep away from the children, you can erect some barriers. Decide WHAT you will do — and WHEN. Better still, decide what you won't do and dare to say "NO." Try to avoid anything and anyone, who you know can push your buttons. Sometimes easier said then done....especially this time of year with work obligations, parties and family gatherings. Try to keep your sense of humor and wits about you. Ho-ho-ho....

3) Clarify your goals: Decide exactly what needs to be done and plan a smart way of accomplishing each task. Then give yourself a pat on the back every time you achieve even one of your goals, no matter how small.

4) Put yourself first: That's right! If you aren't functioning at your peak, your work and your relationships will suffer. Find time for yourself, and try to do at least one relaxing thing each day: Take a bubble bath, or read a chapter of a favorite book, sit still for 5 minutes or put your feet up, call a friend for a short pep talk, take a lunchtime walk, schedule time for an exercise class, a massage, a movie.......the possibilities are endless.

5) Give yourself a break: It's okay to goof off, take a mental health day, do lunch, miss a deadline, pop the cork every now and then. In six months or 10 years, who will remember? Who have you every heard say, in the "golden" years of their lives, that they wished they had worked, worried or stressed more? NO ONE, so just give yourself permission to LIVE LIFE in the moment!

6) Get spiritual: Get in touch with your spiritual values, and align your plans and activities with them. For instance, read an inspiring book, then figure out how to incorporate what you learned into your day-to-day life. Sign-up for a daily e-mail inspirational message or invest in a tear-away daily calendar with inspiring quotations or a thought of the day. Music can play a spiritual part in de-stressing your life. Put on a soothing instrumental or nature inspired CD, close your eyes for just a moment and let the music take you away. Go outside and smell the air, the flowers and the trees. Feel the wind, sunshine or rain on your face. Listen for tiny sounds. Light a candle, or two, or three... and watch them flicker. Take a moment every day to marvel at the wonders all around you.

7) Take five: Right now, stop what you are doing to cherish the moment. The most constant element in our lives is change. What happened five minutes ago can't be re-lived and what will happen five minutes from now is promised to know one. We continually struggle to change, control and manipulate what has happened, what will happen, or other people and their emotions or actions. The only person you can change is yourself. The only thing that certain in our lives is what is happening in the here and now. Despite how cliche' that may sound....it's the indisputable truth leaving me with no more to say.


Silence is loud.

Research from : John Hopkins University Press - Menopause Matters by Julia Edelman, MD

Articles by: Sally Hammond and Estelle Sobel - Quote from psychotherapist: Mark Gorkin

Week 7: Commit 2 Be Fit / Measure Your Exercise Intensity

Measuring Your Exercise Intensity


In November of '99 the US Surgeon General Office released its very first report on Physical Activity and Health that stated: "Lack of physical exercise is detrimental to your health." The report went on to site that more than 60 percent of adults do not achieve the recommended amount of regular physical activity. In fact, 25 percent of all adults are not active at all. Statistics revealed that sedentary living is comparable to smoking 1 pack of cigarettes a day. According to the report 250,000 persons suffer death annually due to lack of physical activity (approximately the same number who die prematurely from smoking) and those numbers are nearly doubled a decade later. Further research has shown that poor diet and lack of physical activity has lead to 65 percent of the American adult population being obese. However, through a decrease in caloric intake and an increase in daily activity, most Americans can improve their health and quality of life.


What it takes to improve quality of life all depends on where your starting from. The American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for aerobic exercise is a minimum of 20-60 minutes of continuous aerobic activity, 3-5 days per week at 55-85% of your heart rate reserve (based on resting heart rate). I know that you have heard this from me before, but the reason I am mentioning it here again is because there is a parallel relationship between cardiovascular fitness and your resting heart rate response. Periodically checking your resting heart rate, for one full minute prior to rising in the morning, will help to establish the strength and efficiency of your stroke volume as well as the efficiency of your exercise program.

Karvonen Heart Rate

To find your personal target heart rate subtract your age from 220 (maximum heart rate), subtract your resting heart rate, multiply by the desired range (55% - 85%), add in your resting heart rate, divide by 6 to obtain a ten (10) second count.

Age ___________ Resting Heart Rate (RHR) __________

1) 220 - ______ age = ________ Maximum Heart Rate
2) ______ MHR - ______ RHR = _______ Formula Heart Rate
3) ______ FHR x .55 = ________ Intensity / Low End
4) ______ I/Low + _____ RHR = _______ Target Heart Rate /Low
5) ______THR ÷ 6 = _________ 10 Second Count

Repeat steps #3, 4 and 5 for High End.

3) ______ FHR x .85 = ________ Intensity / High End
4) ______ I/High + _____ RHR = _______ Target Heart Rate/High
5) ______ THR ÷ 6 = _________ 10 Second Count


Your personal cardiovascular target heart rate zone is between
____________ to ____________ beats for a ten (10) second count.


Although use of the Karvonen formula is the most accurate way to determine your actual training heart rate, it may not always be practical. The following are two other forms, although less accurate, of determining whether or not you are training efficiently.

Rate of Perceived Exertion

How hard do you think your working out? In 1986, the American College of Sports Medicine released the revised BORG scale or RPE scale that follows a scale of 1-10 (much like a doctors pain scale).

RATING / DESCRIPTION
0 - nothing
1 - very light
2 - light (walking)
3 - moderate
4 - somewhat hard
5 - heavy (feel it but can continue)
6 - " " "
7 - very heavy(very strenuous)
8 - " " "
9 - very, very heavy (fatigued)
10- sub-maximal (can't continue)


If you still can't figure the above RPE scale out, here it is in layman terms:

RATING / DESCRIPTION
1 - I'm watching TV and eating bon bons
2 - I'm comfortable and could maintain this pace all day long
3 - I'm still comfortable, but am breathing a bit harder
4 - I'm sweating a little, but feel good and can carry on a conversation effortlessly
5 - I'm just above comfortable, I'm moist around the edges, but can still talk easily
6 - I can talk, but am slightly breathless

7 - I can talk, but I don't want to. I'm sweating like a pig
8 - I can grunt in response to your questions
9 - I am probably going to die
10-Too late...I'm dead

Talk Test

This is a simple but effective adjunct to heart rate or RPE methods. You should be able to talk and breathe comfortably, deeply, and rhythmically during any and all portions of the aerobic activity.

Although these are fairly easy assessments of exercise intensity, most people generally OVER ESTIMATE how hard they are actually working out. Therefore, the tried and true method still involves your heart rate response. So take your pulse and do the math. Find out how hard you should be working and how hard you are actually working. Time is precious and when it comes to exercising there is no sense in just spinning your wheels!



Written by: W