Mixed Bag of Fitness
Snippets
By Michele Batz
Readers, today I have quite a variety of information to share
with you. As I
was running on the treadmill this morning, I had so many ideas
that came to
me that I could not just focus on one. I have that feeling of mixing
old with
new ideas, reorganizing, de-cluttering, all that stuff!
So, here is my attempt to get my thoughts organized for you, the
reader to
enjoy! And a way we go...
First, have you noticed of late that your motivation may be lagging?
You
were all gung ho at the start of the New Year and now that it is
February, you're
like... okay, I only lost a few pounds, what's the point? The point
is that
you have been exercising the past month and that is wonderful for
your body,
your spirit and your mind. Don't give up now, all that hard work
done last
month will be lost. Come on now, get excited about your commitment
to exercise
and start resetting your goals. Don't just focus on the scale for
heaven's
sake. Stop focusing on those beautiful Desperate Housewives (have
you noticed, in
your circle of friends..does anyone's wife or husbands for that
matter, look
like these people?... okay, didn't think so.)
Back to reality, my
point is to
strive for better health. I mean, better health so that you look
and feel
great. Your energy level is up to enjoy life, go to work and
come home after work,
put laundry in, take care of your family in whatever way you
are able. That
is energy, that is real life. Not someone standing around waiting
for the
cameras to roll. It's your life and enjoy it.
Get out your walking or running shoes... hit those treadmills
or the pavement
outside your door to enhance your life. That is what a healthy
lifestyle
is... you are creating a better you. You have energy, your outlook
on life is
positive, little things in daily life will not upset you like it
used too. It just
rolls off your back. Why? Because, you have set priorities. Those
priorities may include stopping smoking, going lighter on the drinking,
focusing on
you and your family. This is a wonderful thing! You should be excited
with
your decision to get fit and stay healthy. So, don't stop now!
You are on the
right path and don't throw in the towel... especially now — you've
laid down the
foundation this past month. It's going to be spring soon. Short
sleeves,
shorts, SWIMSUITS... see, no time to panic. Just keep striving
ahead! You can
do this.
Whew. I'm glad I got that off my chest... next on the agenda
of my mind.
Metabolism testing. Yes, I did it! It is so easy and inexpensive
to have
done. You will fast for four hours prior to the test. That also
means no exercise
4 hours prior to the test and if you are a smoker, no smoking 4
hours before
the test. The test itself is administered by a qualified HealtheTech,
who
will have you relaxed in no time.
You must sit down with little
activity for
10-15 minutes. The mechanisms that you breathe into is small
and the mouth piece
reminded me of a football players mouth guard. A plastic device
is placed on
your nose so that you are breathing through your mouth for about
10 minutes.
The readout is done and you take the results to a computer software
program.
You now have a blueprint on what your metabolism is doing. Mine
was 1480,
which means my body at rest burns 1,480 calories per day to just
function.
I
took that reading and placed it into a computer software called www.balancelog.com.
It tells me how many calories to consume per day and then I
plug in
that
number, along with what workouts I did. It is truly amazing.
I love it. It
does the math for me and my goal is to lose a little more weight!
I will do
it. If you would like the name of the individual that I went
to, please contact
me through e-mail.
See? We all need motivation and inspiration. We can support each
other.
You need that support in order to succeed. Speaking of support,
a great
company is Weight Watchers. You've seen the ads and the testimonies.
I want to
hear from you in our neck of the woods. Do you have a success story
to share?
If you do, please send it in to me! Dear Michele... you can e-mail
me at
mbatz78@hotmail.com or write me at P.O. Box 324 Winthrop Harbor,
IL 60096. Yes,
I truly want to hear from you and we will print your story.
I think I must come to a close for now and next week I will talk
more about
walking. I need your support for the AvonWalk... I have a team,
let's do this
together on June 4 an 5 in Chicago. •
© 2005 Michele Batz
 About the Author
Michele Batz has an extensive 25 year career in sports education. She writes her own column for a Chicagoland newspaper and for eFitness.com and eDiets.com. Her book — What's Holding You Back? A Woman's Beginning Guide to Fitness is available through Amazon.com.
02/26/05
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