Health and Nutrition That Is AboveNBeyond

Summer comes and goes ever so quickly.  Some of my summer is always planned for I’m almost always on the road.  Running that is, pounding the pavement mile after beautiful mile.  Wouldn’t it be neat if you could have your summer all lined up now instead of ending up in August looking back and thinking, “Where did the summer go?”  See what happens when you get active?  You already know part of where your summer will be going.  So, for you couch bound potato heads, perhaps this is the time to get peeled into a new lifestyle!  Hey, just to let you know, I was one once too!  All the TV is, is a brain-rotter.  You’ll get a better view outside then from the couch. There is so  much to choose from when it comes to being outside.  There have been times that I’ve considered something called cross-training.  For me that would be combining running and biking.  Some days, I’d run and some days I’d ride bike.   As I’m writing here, that sounds good, perhaps I may just do that this year?  For me the problem is I just love running and I tend to forget my bike.  It doesn’t have to be running or biking.  It can be anything like walking, fishing, boating, swimming you name it.  Anything that gets you out the door and to being active.  Oh, yes, you work every day, and you are tired when you get home right?   If this sounds like you, you’ll get no sympathy from me for I do that too!

At the very least, find a local gym and get involved!  I was a member for 9 years until we moved.  This is how I got involved with running and I never even planned on becoming a runner when I joined the gym.  Isn’t it time to put the WOW back into your life?  For those who have, the  WOW has begun, for those who haven’t yet, the WOW is waiting.

For those who are acute workaholics that see more office than sun itself, get a group of co-workers together and do something construct-active   After all,with an after work activity, you may be prone to getting the job done sooner to get out there.  Not to say that this has to be everyday.  Being a part of a group, may motivate you to increasing your fitness level then if by yourself.

See also:

Find Your Focus and Do It  – Part #1 and Part #2

Wow!  What a great day for a run!  It was cool and you could feel the warmth from the sun.  With temperatures in the 60’s and sunny skies, who could pass this up!  Oh, and while I haven’t yet brought this up, a run like the one I just had is worth 6 points on the Weight Watchers Point system.  And, I don’t mean the points you take off, but, the ones you earn.  That’s right, the ones you earn so you can eat that extra food you love so much!  This was an awesome day and I took full advantage of it.  I ran a distance of 3.1 miles equal to that of a 5k race.  There was some walking involved since my running did take a dive for a while.   But for the most part, the legs are in full working order.  I did two sprints which went really well.  While running is what I love to do, the moral of the story is get out, get active doing what you love to do!  Here is the post I wrote in my fitness blog.  So, I ask you, which is better, the couch or the pavement?  I know my answer, do you?

Running is the  easiest and accessible sport for everyone to take advantage of today.  Unfortunately, there are many who don’t take advantage of it.  In fact, many don’t get active at all with any kind of sport.  This is a shame too.  Chronic inactivity and obesity are known to yield many diseases, which could be avoided simply by getting active.  Getting away from being inactive can lead one into a fun and exciting new reality.  If you excuse the saying, “Just because you grow up, doesn’t mean you can’t have fun anymore”.

Let the little kid in you escape.

Having a healthy diversion is good for everyone.  Getting active yields many benefits, such as, mental clarity, weight management, & muscle tone.

What’s a matter?  Are you afraid someone will see you out on the road running when you could be on the couch all comfy?  When I started running, it was right smack in the middle of when I was depressed.  Talk about being very hard to get out there, but, I did! Got sneakers? Can Run!

Now, if weight is not an issue for you, sure, you’re lucky, but, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be active.  You don’t want to fall under the realm of chronic inactivity.  Ironically, there is some truth to the saying “All work and no play, makes {you} a dull person”.

There are some videos in the video vault regarding running.

If you are not sure what you want to do, you can check out NEWU or refer to other posts on running.

Wow, this week we hit the ground running with 2 great posts on How To Start Running.  I’ve been running since April 1997 and haven’t considered quitting anytime soon.  With this being February, I thought this would be a great time to devote some articles on the sport of running.  Especially since, if one would get started now, by the time Summer would get here, the newbie runner would have some time invested in the sport and would be able to start  having a summer filled with running.

I know when I haven’t been running in a while.  My attitude changes, as well as my outlook.  Running changes everything for me and I  end up paying for it if I am not running.  Running is my outlet and there are those times where tuns of frustrations get dealt with during a good run.  I run any distances ranging from 2 miles up through and including 8 to 10 miles depending upon my motivation.  My favorite distance has to be 4 miles.  It’s just that I am the most satisfied after returning from a run after doing this distance.  If I do any distance shorter than 4 miles, than it’s like I missed something or was short changed.  Though, there are times I have no choice and don’t have the time to run longer runs.

For those who are a bit aggressive, be warned, there have been times that my focus changed to the point where running wasn’t fun, that I was only training to do races and it became like a job after a while.  So drops the motivation when this happens.  But, it’s what you want out of running that matters.

I finished a good run today, roughly 2 miles, and just wanted to share that running can be a good head clearer. It’s like pressing the reset button.

If you’ve been interested in running and haven’t yet gone from your fanny to your feet, get started now and please don’t wait as long as I did to start running.   I didn’t start running until I was 35 years old and let me tell you, I wish I got into running long before that, but, that’s another story.  Running is the easiest and cheapest sport on the planet to get involved with.  Just grab a pair of sneakers and appropriate clothing and head out the door and you are on your way.  Is it really that easy to get started?  For the most part, yes!  But, there are some things to consider before you get on your feet.  Let’s create a checklist to get you started:

1.  See a doctor to see how you stand

You really need to have yourself checked out before getting into running or any other sport. You don’t want any unexpected issues tripping you up while you are out there. In addition to seeing what may or may not be an issue, your doctor may even give you a starting point as to where he or she would like to see your numbers at to give you an idea of your overall health. This is a great starting point. Not only that, this can be a good gauge to see how you stand each year on your road to improving your health.

2. Find a pair of sneakers.

In a pinch, just about any kind of sneakers will do, but, for best results, you should get a pair of sneakers tailored for running. It’s what’s under your feet that matters while you are out there. Not sure what kind to get, just ask the associate at your favorite sports store for a good pair.

3. Seasonal or weather appropriate clothing.

You want to be comfortable when you head out there to enjoy your run. It took me a long time just to adapt to running in the rain. I couldn’t see myself running in the rain, when I could be inside and dry. That was until I realized that if you run, you sweat, therefore you are wet! Consider your weather conditions when deciding what to wear before heading out. For cold weather, layers are good.

4. Start out slow.

Remember, you are just starting out. You are not trying to win a race yet, or you shouldn’t be at this point. In addition to running, you should be doing some exercises too. A good resource for exercises for runners is runnersworld.com, they have some really good training videos.  If you push yourself too soon, you may over do it and get turned off by the sport, or worse, end up getting injured.

These for steps will get you out the door and on your way as a beginner, but, as the last step points out, start out slow.

Well, it just goes to show you that taking a break isn’t always a bad thing.  I have had kind of a semi-forced 4 1/2 month break from running due to various personal issues ranging from a back issue to a severe cold and a soar lower back.  These issues basically kept the sneakers off until yesterday.  The sky was blue, some sun and it was 40 degrees out.  I just had to do it.  I got on my running attire and put on my mp3 player, opened the door and out I went.  Since I was off for a while, I decided to take it easy and I only ran 2 miles.   It was a very satisfying 2 miles.  During the run, I found out that my legs are very much still up to the challenge in running and when I was finished, the only problems I experienced was some coughing due to the wind and my legs did feel a little wobbly from not running for a while.  Other than that, nothing bad to report.  This was just an extra post that I thought I’d add this week.

Today, I am finding that my urge to go running has strengthened and I will be heading out again this week.  So you see, breaks can be a good thing.  If any to rest you up for more later.  I can’t stand it when it’s nice out and I cant run.  I am kind of insane at times, I love it when it’s warm out to run, I enjoy the sport better during the warmer months.  Even when it’s humid, I just head out earlier in the day.

In recent articles, I talked about the importance of getting active. Ok, now I am going to put you on the spot here.
Are you one that goes to work every day, come home, watch TV and/or go out with the guys/girls now and then? Is that kind of what describes your week? You can still do that, but, why not change your activity? Getting active can be even more intense if you do it with a group of people. There is more to activity than just the hand and elbow coordination at your local bar or where ever. I’m not suggesting to stop certain activities, though that would be a bonus.

Regardless what you are doing each week, there are many ways to get active and have a great time. Wouldn’t it be neat to find an activity that you have fun doing and burn calories at the same time especially if it is with a group of friends? Not to say that you can’t do something by yourself, but with some friends it only magnifies it’s effectiveness. This is one of the reasons why I like running in races. I run with lots of people and it’s competitive too.

If you are able to get active with friends, you are even more likely to continue getting active then if you are doing it alone. Though, that never stopped me. Think of the calories you’ll burn off during your activities.

So, regardless of your activity, doing it solo or with friends, getting active can really aide in loosing those pounds thus helping with weight management. Best of all, some activities don’t cost a thing to do. It doesn’t cost me anything to go for a run except the time it takes to do it.

So, what’s your next move?

Some give lots of effort and some don’t on loosing weight and burning fat. The truth is, until the individual has a strong mind set and has mentally committed to the effort to loose the weight and burn off the fat, the battle will continue on. You have to take control and make changes to bring about results to achieve your goals. Until you get their “mentally”, you are not there and won’t get there. It all hinges on the brain, your control or command center of your life. You have to decide where you want to be. One’s mind set is any of the following: a) wants weight loss bad, b) dreams of weight loss, c) happy, or d) doesn’t care. These are just some possibilities of where someone is mentally on this subject.

But as I said, until you make that all important decision to get it done, you’ll never be done.

It’s not just about loosing the weight, it’s about changing your life and creating a new lifestyle. If you don’t change your habits, you’ll only end up right back where you started from or worse. Ask yourself this question “If I figured out how to do something good for myself that works, why would I stop?”

For the weight loss issue, there are many options to choose from. You could do any of the following:

1. Exercise, portion control and getting proper nutrition
2. Herbalife weight loss, exercise, portion control
3. Weight Watchers, exercise and portion control
4. Other weight loss method, exercise and portion control.

If you haven’t gotten the drift yet, it’s all the same. The key factor is what works for you. What you want and need is what works and is nutritious for you. You don’t want something that is less-healthy for you. You’ll notice that each option above includes exercise and portion control. It’s just that you need exercise to burn off calories as well as to tone up. You need portion control to aide in the decrease of calories consumed. You don’t need to eat more than the body needs to sustain itself. If you eat a sensible portion and wait 20 minutes before deciding to have more, odds are you wont’ eat anymore because you’ll start to feel satisfied since the body would have caught up with what you just ate.

You’ll notice that AboveNBeyond4u.com is not affiliated with any one weight loss company. The reason for this is because what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work another. I used both Herbalife and Weight Watchers to achieve my goals. However, just because I had success with these two companies, doesn’t mean everyone will. You may find something else either through this site or on the Internet that you prefer. The main thing is that you find what works for you. As long as what you find is healthy and nutritious and works that is all that matters. As I find other options I will post them throughout this site.

Ok, there is a huge number of those who are NOT active.  Oh yes, they’ll say, not active?  Hey, I work, I do chores around the house, help the wife/girl friend, I do this, I do that and so fourth.  Well, then why are they loosing the battle of the bulge?  Yes, Weight Watchers does count some of this activity towards your efforts to loosing or managing weight.  So, what’s the problem?  The problem can be attributed to a number of things.  Either one is consuming some of the wrong foods & drinks or the activity is not enough to burn off the calories being consumed or both.

I tell you the truth, if I did not run and exercise and only relied on nutrition and weight management, it would be much harder for me to control my weight.  Having an active life (in addition to your “other stuff”) really takes a bite out of your weight!  So, if you are not active and am having issues controlling your weight, you need to realize what you are doing or not doing about it. If you are active enough and are still having issues, then activity isn’t your problem.

If activity isn’t the problem, then it’s likely that portion control is. Unless you are the type that subscribes to the theory “oh, I don’t haven any problems controlling what I eat, I can eat anytime”. Then that’s the problem. Recently, I have posted more articles on portion control. This is a topic that has a great impact on weight management efforts. Portion control doesn’t only apply to your meals, but, also other items such as drinks, candies, cakes etc.

I’m sure that you seen this, people who seem like they never gain weight. It can drive one nuts to wonder why this is. Well, one issue is metabolism, everyone’s is different. Some suggest smoking as a factor, once they quit, they gain weight. I can’t comment on that but, that’s what I’ve heard. Weight management can be a balancing act to keep it where you want it.

We all usually get the right start in school with having access to a physicall education class, i.e: Gym class. After one gets out of school, fitness becomes less of a reality for some. This is unfortunate since by adding a fitness / active life can really be fun too in addition to it’s impact on ones overall health.

See other articles on – portion control