Weight Loss Journal

Our elbows go through hell on a regular basis, and we may not even realize how much stress we put on this poor joint every day. Whether you are playing tennis, basketball, baseball, golf or pretty much any sport that requires arm movements, you are running the risk of injuring that elbow. Let’s look at a few ways that you can keep your elbows happy and tickle your funny bone instead of breaking it.

1. Wear a proper brace.

If you are playing tennis or if you have a history of tennis elbow, you’ll need to get outfitted with a brace. Once you’ve strained this joint, it’s pretty likely that it’s going to happen again. A brace can greatly reduce the odds of re-injury and it will generally just feel better. You’ll be able to do more if you aren’t hampered by a sore elbow.

2. Warm up properly.

Brace or no brace, you’ve got to get stretching before you do anything. Your elbows are subjected to a lot of daily abuse and daily stretching can be very helpful for those that suffer from chronic elbow pain. Make sure that you never skimp on your warm up, you will regret it later.

3. Know your body.

Let’s say you’re playing baseball and you’re really giving it all you have. After a few throws, you might start to feel a dull ache in your elbow. As you keep throwing, it only gets worse. If you try to push past that pain and keep going, chances are pretty high you’re going to sprain or strain it. You need to know how to listen to your body and pay attention to these warning signs. You can look at this way, you can try to struggle through 15 more minutes of throwing, and risk not being able to exercise for six weeks, or you can quit after you feel that first ache and avoid injury.

4. Change up your routine.

Elbows are at such a high risk for injury because this joint is used so frequently and often in a repetitive fashion. Going back to our baseball analogy, if you keep throwing the same pitch for several minutes straight, your elbow is going to protest. Try changing up your routine so that you’re not using that elbow in the same way every time. Taking short breaks will help you exercise longer.

5. Wrap it up.

If you don’t have a brace, but you know you’re going to be using your elbow a lot, wrapping can be very beneficial. However, wrapping only works if it is done properly. Otherwise, you may actually increase your risks for spraining it. Ask your personal trainer or even a physical therapist to show you how to wrap your elbow. You may need someone else there to do it properly until you get the hang of doing it one handed on your own.

Even though our elbows are prone to injury, you can greatly reduce the risk by following the points above and knowing when to say when.

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When we need to lose weight, it's really common to get swept up into the mindset that we need to make radical changes. While this may be true, it may not be healthy to make such a drastic change in the way you eat. In fact, you may be increasing your odds of failure by picking a diet that is simply too hard to maintain. While we all want to lose weight as fast as we can, it's best to stick with 2 pounds a week, and never more than 4. (Doctor supervision not withstanding.)

This is frustrating - and it will take a little longer to see results. However, by making easy diet changes and gradually pumping up the pressure, you're going to be more apt to lose that weight and keep it off. There is no point in starting a diet, if you're simply going to undo all of your hard work in a few months. You need to commit to making a lifestyle change that will last you for many years to come.

That is really the key towards getting healthy and hitting your target weight. By understanding what parts of your lifestyle are making you unhealthy, you can begin to diet the natural way. Let's start out with something that is really easy to cut out of your diet - soda. This is the worst, empty calorie, horrible food that is responsible for many of us being overweight and we really don't even know it. A simple serving of soda can have as much as 150 calories. A bottle or can will have a lot more.

Completely cut this one thing from your diet for two weeks but don't change anything else. Try not to substitute with sugary drinks. If you need caffeine, go with black coffee or sweeten it with Splenda. In two weeks, you should lose significant weight, depending on how much soda you normally drink. See how easy that was? One little easy change and you're already losing a lot of weight.

Now, you'll need to step it up. Find another food that is bad for you, the food that you simply love. Cut this out from your diet completely and you'll notice the same thing happening. Once again, you may need to find a healthier alternative to keep from feeling deprived, but the general premise is the same.

By making these really easy and simple changes, you can get on the road to healthy weight loss and still see real results. You're getting rid of the foods that are making you unhealthy and you're making those lifestyle changes that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Try it for two weeks and see the difference you feel. You may feel a bit cranky for the first few days, but ride it out and stick with it. You will get results.

By gradually getting rid of the items in your diet that are not good, you're making a it a lot easier on yourself and you're losing weight at the same time.

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