Starting a New Exercise Program is not a Luxury

The information posted below was copied from an online article here. Dr. Dennis Godby says it better than I can!

Because “not having time” is the No. 1 reason people give for not exercising regularly (3-5 sessions per week), below are a few reflections on an effective, practical, time-efficient exercise regimen that comes from cutting edge scientific research and experience:

1. Exercise is not a luxury. It is absolutely essential for optimal health. The American Amish, who walk an average 16,000 steps in their daily lives (compared to the average American's 2,000 steps), are rarely diabetic or overweight. Since most of us don't have physically demanding jobs, it is critical to schedule exercise time and make it a priority. If it is not scheduled, it will usually not happen.

2. A common way to sabotage success in a new exercise program is to over commit oneself in the beginning. Enthusiasm is essential, but it is just as critical to be smart. Starting gradually, and not overdoing it will reduce chance of injury, soreness, and burning out. What’s most important is to exercise for the long haul, rather than being the hare and exhausting oneself after a few weeks or months.

3. If you don't have 30 minutes a day to exercise, do 20, if you don't have 20, do 10, etc. The point is: START today, and get moving. "A body in motion tends to stay in motion." Certainly you have 10 minutes. Walk at home, or around the block, stretch your muscles, etc, but get going! Once you start, you will no doubt continue to expand your commitment to dedicated exercise time.

4. Train smarter, not longer or harder. In future articles, I will be elaborating on cutting edge research and training techniques, that I believe are much more efficient and effective ways to exercise than the way people have been taught.

To give a hint: Do "interval training" rather than same-paced "aerobic activities." If you like to walk, run, swim, or other "aerobic" activities, vary the intensity. For example, if you normally walk at 3 miles per hour pace, for a half hour, try walk/jog for several minutes at a faster pace, then slow to the 3 miles per hour you are used to and speed up again.
If you do weight training with light weights and many reps, switch to heavier weights with less repetitions.

Exercise is as natural to the body as breathing or eating. Preventing disease may be what motivates people to start an exercise program; what sustains people over the long haul with exercise, is feeling fully alive, and improving one’s quality of life.

Two Words Peeps: WEIGHT LIFTING

If you want to burn fat, boost your metabolism, and sculpt/tone any part of your body, it’s imperative you do some strength training. And I don’t mean using some “two-pound-my-bra-weighs-more-than-your-dumbells” kind of weight lifting. I want you to push yourselves outside the “heavier weights = bulkier frame” mindset. I’ve been following the ChaLean Extreme (www.beachbody.com) program for a couple of weeks (three mornings per week, approximately 30-45 minutes each set) and I’ve seen metamorphisizing results already. My cousins Sunny and Mandy are currently in different cycles of P90X (www.beachbody.com) which I have followed in the past and let me tell you, it produces the same results.

Muscle truly does burn fat! It was hard for me mentally to imagine that lifting 20-30 pounds for each exercise wasn’t going to turn me into She-looks-like-a-He-Man and it was physically hard for me to lift that much weight but the goal is to exhaust your muscles after only 6-8 reps. And it works! My foopa/apron/tube of biscuits belly is actually starting to shrink, yeehaw!

But get real. If you haven’t worked out other than getting off the couch to change the TV channel because the batteries in your remote went dead, please don’t plunge into this intense kind of workout program. Exercise is something you want to ease into, make small commitments and stick with them, then up your anty by adding more days per week, more challenging routines, and heavier weights.

I know from personal experience that you have to keep “tricking” your body by doing different things to see results. If you run all the time (which is of course a great way to exercise), you occasionally need to break that cycle and try a group fitness class or workout DVD at home. Same goes for group fitness (which is my personal choice for a cardio workout………..running is something I truly try to avoid unless I’m being chased). However, I occasionally run stairs or run on the beach (easier on the left knee) giving that dreaded exercise “plateau” a big ol’ kick in the face! ARRRGGGGHHH! (That was my Pirate yell, hahaha).

So what are y’all waiting for? Get moving and lifting, and don’t forget to shake that booty!

Struggles, Temptations, and Splurges

Ever have this problem? One of the hardest aspects of losing/maintaining weight for me is not splurging and giving into cravings! And when I do give in, not letting it turn into days/weeks of bad eating and not exercising. I have really been struggling with this lately and am trying to conquer it.

For the last month or more I have been letting myself repeat this vicious circle that I have created. Every week I start out by eating healthy and exercising daily which is what I know is successful for me. This lasts for 3-4 days and during this time I usually lose 6-8 pounds. Then for one reason or another, I give in to temptation the last few days of the week and don't exercise which in turn causes me to gain all the weight back that I lost earlier in the week. I know that my lack of willpower is what is causing me to re-live this situation over and over again but I just haven't completely figured out how to successfully resist these temptations. We all know there will be temptations in life but learning to deal with them properly is the difference between success and failure.

In my situation, I let a number of things steer me off course. If I know that we have plans for dinner out or any sort of special occasion that is going to be an excuse to eat badly, I either turn that whole day into a "splurge day" or turn several days into "splurge time". This is where my problem lies. If I could just be bad for the one meal or even just the one day, I would probably be ok. Portion control has never been my strong suit and this issue relates directly to that in my opinion. Once I start, it is really hard for me to stop and get back on track.

I can look in the cupboard and see all of these unhealthy things to eat and not really even want them. As long as I don't try them I am usually fine. But, if I happen to give in and have even just one bite of something I shouldn't then it is like the flood gates are open. I proceed to eat every bad thing in there that I have been wanting and think of other foods I have been wanting that I can splurge on since I have already ruined my diet for the day. I know that I am going to feel miserable when I am done and still not feel satisfied but I do it anyways.

This is a constant battle for me and one that I am working extremely hard to try and conquer. I know there will always be temptation and that it is going to take sheer willpower to successfully defeat it. Weight loss isn't ever easy and there is no magic pill or surgery that is going to change that. If anyone else shares these same struggles, I would love to hear your take on them and your advice on how you handle temptation. What causes you to backslide? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Enough is Enough - Rachel

I think I’ve been mentally in that state since birth. Chubby, fat, obese, roley polly, fluffy, big-boned (yeah, I love that one); whatever you choose to call it…..I’ve lived it. I can never remember a day in my life, childhood included, where I’ve been at a society labeled “healthy” weight. I feel that my mom and dad had probably just feasted at one our infamous family gatherings when they conceived me.

Skip ahead: High school. Ahhhh, how high school can change your life…..its mind boggling in so many ways. I’m not certain if it was the threat of being teased, being left out of social functions, being left behind, or being labeled that prompted me to see through my wall of chubbiness. But high school was one of those defining moments; therefore, I was going to tackle the immense challenge of changing my body. At the time my mom was exercising and following Weight Watchers. I started following the Weight Watchers program, faithfully ran two miles at least three times per week, ran stairs (a very long, steep set leading to the beach), went to step aerobics twice weekly, and was an active football and basketball cheerleader. I danced, I ran, I climbed, I ate very little. And yes, I lost weight……but seriously peeps……I was still a size 8 or 9! AND….I had youth on my side! I still thought I was fat and it’s sad because realistically I was probably at a maintainable weight for my body.

Skip ahead: Marriage (which for me =weight gain). Apparently being comfortable with someone can make you lazy. I was cooking huge meals for just two people and exercising rarely. Portions were outrageous! I can remember at family gatherings heaping my plate with food containing more calories than I should have been consuming all day……..and then heaping it AGAIN!

Skip ahead: Pregnancy. I had actually rejoined Weight Watchers and was exercising moderately before conceiving my daughter. I had lost some weight…and then bam I was pregnant. It was also at this time in my life I was diagnosed with PCOS (which Sunny and I will whine about in detail later) but let’s just say….not our friend and definitely a major factor in our weight issues. I was lucky. Due to the lovely joys of vomiting (extreme pregnancy morning, noon, and night sickness for 9 months), I only gained 15 pounds and had lost 36 pounds 6 weeks after I delivered. If only I had started an exercise/eating program then I might not have had another “up in weight” moment in my life. But I was tired……and stressed……and I think a bit depressed. Caring for a newborn, especially a colicky active newborn, is mentally AND physically demanding. I ate too many calories and wasn’t exercising. Up came the weight. I think at my heaviest, I weighed more than I had 9 months pregnant. Not a good moment for me. I, like Mandy, thought of my child when the light bulb came back on. As a mother, you ARE role model for your children. You have NO CHOICE. It’s inherent. I looked down at my small, adorable, active daughter and said…….I NEVER want her to have to struggle with herself like I have.

That was when I joined Turbo Kick (kickboxing instructed by a high school friend) and have NEVER looked back. Well, that’s not entirely true….I sometimes think about my old ways, but only to remind myself and others that going BACK to that is not an option for me. Each time I drop a size in clothing, I give those clothes away. I don’t save them (you all know what I’m talking about…those fat pants, that baggy sweater). I step on a scale every morning and often at night. I can visually see my progress…or an occasional defeat. But it keeps me accountable…..and gives me NO reason or excuse to save anything related to my old ways. This is a journey where you really can’t throw the white flag. You battle….you have wins and learns….and you dust yourself off from those learns and let them not defeat you.

Enough is Enough - Sunny

Unlike Mandy, I can't point to a day that I said, "From today on I change." I can, however, point to a personal low...December 25, 2006. Dad, Andy and I were hiking at Coquille Falls. It's 0.5 miles downhill to see the falls. Did downhill just fine. Coming back out my blood sugar got low, I was fat and out of shape, and that half mile was hell. At one point, I just sat down in the rain and the dirt and cried. Andy tried to cheer me up, "You are doing what you like with people you love." Didn't matter...it wasn't fun anymore.

I had just left an organization that required much of my free-time. Later that day Dad suggested, if I could devote that much time to the organization before, maybe now I could devote that time to me.

I will never know what my highest weight was...I refused to own a scale. And, it would take another 9 months before I got "serious." I tried counting calories over the summer, although I'm not sure how effective that was. I do think it got me in the right frame of mind. I also know jealousy played a role. At our annual August family reunion everybody was excited about Mandy losing 40lbs since April. What the hell? I could do that. I didn't want her to be the only "skinny" one!

At the same time we got a dog and I started Weight Watchers. A dog with lots of energy that needed walks everyday. At first we just went around the block. That's all I could handle. Then pretty soon it was half a mile and by the end of the winter we were walking 2-3 miles in the morning and more in the afternoon. The dog had to leave but the exercise and Weight Watchers stuck.

I too believe that without exercise I would never have lost the weight. I have friends that are into riding bikes. I already rode to work each day (1.5 miles round-trip) but I started added grocery shopping, going to church, other errands, etc. to my daily rides. It's a form of exercise that doesn't feel like exercise to me. I even managed to ride 41 miles on Labor Day 2008! A year before that I had rode 3 miles to church. As soon as I got there, I called Andy and asked him to pick me up after church. I just couldn't imagine riding the 3 miles home. Seriously, I thought I was going to die. What a difference! From sitting in the dirt crying in the rain in the woods to riding 41 miles. I haven't "arrived" and I don't think I ever will...it will be a daily struggle. It has to be - day by day.

Enough is Enough - Mandy

It was April 17, 2007, when I finally decided enough was enough! I had always been overweight for as long as I could remember and I didn’t want to be that way anymore. I had always been pretty healthy and active so I didn’t even realize how much my weight had gotten out of control until it was too late. I will admit I was always one of those people who looked at severely obese people and thought to myself how could they let themselves get that big? I would never let myself get that big. I finally took a step back, looked at myself, and realized I had done exactly the same thing. I just gradually put on more and more weight until I was considered “morbidly obese” by all the weight charts. My kids were a huge motivating factor and just what I needed to get started! I didn’t want my kids to be teased for having a fat mom or for them to be embarrassed to have me around their friends because I was so big.

In the past whenever I was thinking about trying to lose weight, I would tell myself I would start the next day or the beginning of the next week, or the beginning of the next month. It never worked. I was always finding reasons to prolong doing what I really needed to do which was eat healthier foods, smaller portions, and EXERCISE. Exercise in my opinion is the most important part of my weight loss strategy and the only way I will ever be able to maintain this weight for the rest of my life. On April 17th, I decided to start because it was in the middle of a week, the middle of the month, and was as good of time as any to get my life on track. I was finally ready to make a huge change in my lifestyle and have seen great success since that day!

This is not an easy process and it isn’t something you can just do for a little while and then go back to your old ways. You have to be committed to changing your life forever if you want to be successful. You have to find what works for your unique body and be committed to sticking with it even when it is tough because there are always times that make it really hard not to give up. Willpower and determination to lose the weight and get healthy are the keys in my opinion.

Cast of Characters - Our Debut!

We are three cousins who grew up together and who have always struggled with weight. Our family loves food - no family event would be complete without our Grandma's cookies in her iconic tupperware containers. We're all active right now and we're all in different places with our weight. Share our struggles, defeats and accomplishments. Get to know us a little better and see if you can relate.

Rachel – Married, mom to one very active little girl, den mother or actually office manager for Bandon Police Department. Probably the most girlish of the three. In addition to struggling with her weight, Rachel has polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This makes it just a bit harder to lose weight. No really, a lot harder. We describe it as your body giving you the finger. You know which finger. Currently she is working her ass off and teaching Hip Hop Hustle. Rachel has lost 40lbs. She would like to lose another 50 lbs.


Mandy – Married, mom to two active boys, runs a day care from home. Mandy is the athletic one. Lost most of her weight by exercising like a fiend. No PCOS here. Mandy has lost 107lbs. She would like to lose another 5lbs. Really she wants to just be more trim.


Sunny – Married, no kids, works outside the home for the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Sunny's body also likes to give her the finger. Yep, she has PCOS too. Seems it runs in families. In addition to this, Sunny has found that wheat, dairy and sugar are just plain bad. Exercises some. Hates it. Rides her bike as much as possible to avoid other forms of exercise but has come to the realization that she has got to do more to make the weight come off. Sunny has lost 50 lbs and wants to lose another 34 lbs.


Now you have an idea of our backgrounds. Expect different information from each of us. We have lots of methods in common and lots of different ways that we have approached our weight loss. What has helped each of us the most is community, hard work, and eating right. So join us or find your own community. Either way, know it can be done...one day at a time!