Saturday, December 31, 2016
Friday, December 30, 2016
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Monday, December 26, 2016
Sunday, December 25, 2016
BLOG 92 HOLIDAY WEIGHT
BLOG 92 HOLIDAY WEIGHT
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. From Halloween to
the New Year, our fitness journeys are tested, our will power is in a battle,
and our decision making is challenged to stay on course. As we enjoy the good
company of others, we face treats, sweets, and feasts galore. Most have
accepted that they will put on weight during this time, BUT this doesn’t have
to happen. In the spirit of the holidays, let’s explore this topic.
The truth is that most people don’t gain a tremendous amount
of poundage on the scale. The setback is the loss of exercise and routine that
comes with increased distractions during the holidays. Thus,
“In actuality, normal-weight people typically gain about one pound over the holiday season. This may not sound like much weight gain, but a recent review published in Physiology & Behavior found that most of us never lose that pound – and year after year, this annual holiday weight gain can lead to health problems such as obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes” (http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2015/11/25/does-the-holiday-season-equal-weight-gain). Most believe they can just hit the re-set button when January 1 rolls around. As you know, we are making sustainable healthy lifestyle choices so we shouldn’t have an “off” button if we are always “on”. You don’t have to be perfect, but don’t let your choices spiral out of control because the upward battle will be much steeper than intended to get back on track.
“In actuality, normal-weight people typically gain about one pound over the holiday season. This may not sound like much weight gain, but a recent review published in Physiology & Behavior found that most of us never lose that pound – and year after year, this annual holiday weight gain can lead to health problems such as obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes” (http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2015/11/25/does-the-holiday-season-equal-weight-gain). Most believe they can just hit the re-set button when January 1 rolls around. As you know, we are making sustainable healthy lifestyle choices so we shouldn’t have an “off” button if we are always “on”. You don’t have to be perfect, but don’t let your choices spiral out of control because the upward battle will be much steeper than intended to get back on track.
The general consensus is that people gain 5-10 pounds over
the holidays. And this may be true for some. My concern is that one’s
vulnerability is reintroduced to sugars, alcohol, and portion distortion.
Exercise is less of a priority and the cold weather (even for us Californians)
makes staying under the covers more appealing. Folks stop logging their food
and say it’s too hard because they are eating so many different items or it was
just so bad there was no point in logging it. Again, I hear that the New Year
will be their re-set. I get really concerned and antsy during this time period
as people begin to travel and start to slowly step away from what was once a
major priority. The stress of the holidays is revealed as well. There is a
sense of pressure to be happy and social. We are taught that food means
celebration.
Studies reveal that is difficult to take off even that one
pound that was gained. It wasn’t muscle that was gained, rather pure fat (and
that my friends is tough to get rid of). The trouble is that the re-set button
doesn’t always last and the 100% full-fledge ahead January 1st
coincides with unrealistic expectations and goals that lead to failure before
even trying. As such, “The problem is that most people tend to keep the weight
on, and then the next year gain one or two pounds more again. Over 10 years,
you can gain 20 pounds without even trying” (http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2016/11/30/gq-holiday-weight/ ).
By all means, enjoy yourself and the company of others. Just
like gifts, think of your exercise in terms of quality not quantity and make
the most of your time and smaller portions. Don’t keep letting yourself say
that you are going to get back on track January 1st. Celebration doesn’t have to equal food. Good
company is good company no matter how many bites or sips you take. I’m the
voice of reason on your shoulder and we know that the scale doesn’t define our
success, rather, being healthy and FIT is a way of life we want to emBODY all
12 months of the year.
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Friday, December 23, 2016
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Monday, December 19, 2016
Sunday, December 18, 2016
BLOG 91 STEVE NASH
BLOG 91 STEVE NASH
This Blog was a must since we have our very own Steve Nash
at Every BODY’s Fit. He must be a pretty special guy if I named my pug after
him. Steve Nash is a legendary NBA player whose leadership and talent not only
earned him MVP status but also helped better the careers of many of his
teammates around him.
Steve Nash was born in South Africa in 1974. His father was
actually a semi-pro soccer player there. His brother was also a professional
soccer player. But Nash was primarily
raised in Canada. Nash received a basketball scholarship to Santa Clara, which
wasn’t known as a powerhouse sports school, but none the less he proved himself
there. Nash entered the NBA draft in 1996, the same year players like Kobe
Bryant and Allen Iverson hit the scene. He was pick 15th in Round 1
to the Phoenix Suns. It was hard for him to find his groove on a team with such
dominant point guards including Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd. Playing time was
scarce when you had super star veterans like these on your time.
So he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. It was here that
was his time to shine. Playing alongside Dirk Nowitski, Nash took pride in
creating plays for others and being the playmaker. His assist game was
phenomenal and his leadership was outstanding. As such, “Nash had an uncanny
gift for driving into the key and discovering new, seemingly impossible,
passing lanes, and the new rules made Nash’s approach more effective than ever
before as he led the league in assists per game five times (including his
career-high 11.6 assists per game in 2006–07) during the eight years of his
second stint with the Suns” (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Steve-Nash).
In his personal life, Nash had a family of twin daughters
and a son. He to this day owns the Steve Nash Foundation in which his website
thoughtfully states “Assists Matter” (https://stevenash.org/).
The organization aims to serve underprivileged children with health, education,
and personal development.
Magic Johnson put it best, ““Steve Nash is an iconic point
guard who has always made his team mates better, just like Larry Bird and
Michael Jordan did” (https://stevenash.org/about-steve/).
Here are his stats (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/steve-nashs-achievements-on-and-off-the-court/article23575593/)
:
- Steve Nash was named MVP of the NBA not just once, but twice – in 2005 and 2006 – making him one of only 10 players to win the award in back-to-back years
- Led the league in assists for five seasons, and is third in the league overall, with 10,335 assists
- The best free-throw shooter in NBA history, at 90.4 per cent
- Averaged 14.3 points per game in his 18-season career with the NBA
- Named an NBA all-star eight times
- In 2006, he was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world
- Represented Team Canada both at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and in 2004 in Athens
As a point guard throughout my basketball career, Steve Nash
was a role model for me. Making other players around me better and being the play-maker was my goal. I was captain of Varsity all 4 years because I led by
example…. a trait I still hold true of myself to this day. Leadership doesn’t
have to be loud and that is what I liked about Nash. So now you know why I
named my pug after this incredible player and why Nash is my little leader at
the studio.
Saturday, December 17, 2016
Friday, December 16, 2016
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Monday, December 12, 2016
Sunday, December 11, 2016
BLOG 90 MARION JONES
BLOG 90 MARION JONES
Fast, fierce, and determined are words that describe former
Olympic track runner, Marion Jones. But her running career was unfortunately
marked by lies, jail, and deception. The world of sports is not always what meets
the eye, and Marion’s story brings this concept to light. So let’s take a look
at this athlete’s life and find out her story.
Marion Jones is from Los Angeles, CA and born in 1975. By
the age of 12 she was already a track star and competing on the international
scene. In my research, there wasn’t much said about her upbringing, rather the
media, of course, focus on the drama of her drug testing. She did have a
basketball career in addition to track. While in high school in California she
was the 1993 Division 1 Player of the Year. She attended the University of
North Carolina and also played basketball there on scholarship. After recently
watching ESPN’s “30 for 30: Marion Jones: Press Pause”, her basketball
teammates loved and supported her through her track career and her coach spoke
extremely highly of her talents. While at UNC her team did win a national
championship. She did not play all 4 years, deciding to focus on track. In 1996
she went to the Olympics in Atlanta. When she came back in 1997, she decided to
play basketball again, resulting in being named the 1997 Most Valuable Player
of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. Ok, ok, so maybe I need to talk
about track now since I’m a little biased with the basketball haha.
In 2000, Marion went to the Olympics in Sydney and won the
gold in the 100 meters, 200 meters, bronze in the 4x400 relay, bronze in the
long jump, and bronze in the 4x100 relay (http://www.britannica.com/biography/Marion-Jones)
. Wow!!!! Her racing was put on hold when she decided to start her family. Her
races upon returning were not of the same caliber.
And then the suspicions rose about steroids. In 2003, a
federal investigation took place that Jones had used steroids provided by the
Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO). Marion had always tested clean so she
continued to deny the allegations. But in 2007, she admitted to taking
steroids. As a result, “In November 2007 track and field’s international
governing body- the International Association of Athletics Federation –
annulled all of Jones’s results since September 2000, including her Olympic
titles” (http://www.britannica.com/biography/Marion-Jones).
She then served 6 months in jail for making false statements to the federal
government. In her interviews, Marion took total responsibility for the choices
she made, stayed positive about the situation, and took the punishment as
rightfully deserved.
In 2010, Marion returned to the world of sports and joined
the WNBA. She played for the Tulsa Shock but was later cut in the 2011 season.
She worked really hard to return and show herself capable of great athletic
feats.
In the ESPN “30 for 30”, I was stunned to see an 8x10 photo
of her finishing a 100 meter race. The picture showed the neck and neck 4 girls
crossing the finish line. Marion…. well, you couldn’t see her in the 8x10
because she was off the page that far ahead of everyone else. It begs the
question whether or not if she could have still won races, not by a landslide,
but just by a neck. A win is a win in a race, but one will never know the
answer. Today, she is raising her family and doing a lot of public speaking
especially for children and making good choices.
I definitely have mixed emotions when it comes to Marion
Jones. On the one hand, I think it is admirable that she took responsibility
for her actions. But on the other hand, what she did was not okay especially
when affecting the athlete’s she competed against and in a position as an
Olympic athlete. Just like on our fitness journeys, the easy path doesn’t make
it the right path for the BODY. Honesty is always the best policy in the end.
Maybe that’s why the road less traveled always leads to great results.
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