Weight Loss Journal

We all know that eating poorly and failing to exercise is the best way to stay fat, but there are other factors that can lead to excess weight gain. While some of these factors may be out of your control, there are a few that you can address, starting today. In many cases, until you make these changes, your dieting efforts may not be as successful as they could be. Let’s take a look at just a few of the things that may be making you fat and how to nip them in the bud.

Problem One - A Lack of Sleep.

Studies have shown that a lack of sleep can lead to excess weight gain for a number of reasons. First, your hormone levels are thrown off when your body does not get the sleep it needs. Many of these hormones are responsible for weight gain, especially around the middle section. Second, when you do not get enough sleep, your body needs additional fuel to keep going. This leads to eating more than you should and before you know it, you’ve got a real problem on your hands.

Solution: These studies recommend getting around eight hours of sleep a night. If you are finding this difficult, you may need to take a hard look at your schedule. Granted, there may be a few things that you cannot control, but on the other hand, many of us waste quite a bit of time each day. Try turning off the television for a week and see just how much extra time you have – that could be devoted to recharging your body.

Problem Two – An Excess Amount of Stress.

This is a huge problem for millions of people and if it is outside stress, it may be difficult to control it. When you are under stress, your body is producing more cortisol, a hormone that has been blamed for weight gain. Once again, you have a similar problem as the one mentioned above. Continued stress may also lead to stress eating, and a host of other problems.

Solution: Learn to channel bad stress into good stress to combat this issue. Adding physical activity each day can help your body get rid of that stress and you’ll feel refreshed and you will be less likely to succumb to stress eating. Try to limit your stress as much as possible by managing your time more effectively, finding a different job or by finding ways to decompress at the end of every day.

These are just two common problems that can lead to weight gain. See how many trigger areas you have in your life that may be the culprit behind that spare tire you’re carrying around. Once you’ve identified them, you can work to resolve the issue and get healthier. It won’t happen over night, but by reducing your stress levels and sleeping more, you will notice a difference not only in your weight, but in your overall health.

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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 it comes to finding the right workout plan, it may be a good idea to consider giving swimming a try. As the nation watched Mark Phelps make history in 8 swimming events, more people started getting interested in just how good swimming can be for your body. As you can see from the shape that professional swimmers are in, it certainly can do a body good, especially when you take it seriously.

Let’s take a look at why many consider swimming to be the ultimate exercise.

First, it is one of the few exercises that truly works every part of your body, arms, legs, neck, lungs, heart, everything is working together to propel you through the water. It’s no secret that swimming is one of the best exercises to help you burn calories quickly, and that is due in a large part to how your body functions as a whole during this exercise. When you’ve got everything working at the same time, you enter that perfect zone for weight loss and calorie burning.

Next, swimming is popular due to the fact that there is a low overall chance of injury, unless of course you’re planning on adding diving to the mix. It’s often used to help injured athletes get rehabilitated, and is usually used as part of physical therapy for medical patients. When you have an opportunity to take advantage of an exercise that doesn’t put stress on your joint and that has virtually no impact, it just makes sense to take advantage of it.

Swimming is also considered to be the ultimate exercise because it has a calming effect on many people. There are even studies that have shown that swimming has the ability to help lower blood pressure and help people stay calmer. Whether it’s due to the total body workout aspect, or the calming effect that warm water has on the body, swimming is considered by many health professionals to be an ideal form of exercise.

Lastly, many people find that they simply don’t have to work as hard to lose weight when they are using swimming as their main form of exercise. You can burn hundreds of calories in an hours time and at the end of the session, chances are you won’t feel as tired or worn out as you would if you had run the entire time. Swimming is easier on the body, even though it requires more physical effort.

If you have a gym nearby that has an indoor pool, or there is one in your area, consider giving swimming a try for a week. You can also get above ground lap pools for home use if you prefer to exercise in private or at home. More permanent solutions are also available. Stick to a regular routine and see if you don’t notice any changes in how you feel, and how much weight you lose. Chances are, you may start to look at swimming as the ultimate exercise as well.

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Jogging injuries are very common and can strike everyone from beginners to seasoned pros. One area of the body that is frequently injured during jogging are ankles. Few of us think about our ankles until we’re hobbling around, incapacitated due to a strain, sprain or crack. You rely on your ankles every day and you owe it to them to practice sound techniques to avoid injury. Here are some tips on how to protect those ankles while you’re jogging. Before you even start running, focus on lower leg stretches. A lot of runners make the mistake of focusing more on their quads and upper legs, but your lower legs and ankles will need some time as well. You can also work on stretches outside of your workouts to increase ankle strength and mobility. One of the best stretches to try involves standing a on a slightly raised surface, with one foot on the ground and one up on the surface.

Raise yourself up on the higher leg and then slowly lower yourself back down. Repeat this a few times and then switch legs. You can also ask your personal trainer or coach for more stretches that will target the ankle area.

Proper footwear also plays an important part in keeping your ankles free from injury. Make sure that you are using a shoe that is made for running, and not other sports. These shoes will have more padding and will be manufactured to handle the stress of repeated impact. If you are running in just any old shoe, you are greatly increasing your risks for an ankle injury.

Where you jog can also have a big effect on your chances for injury. For example, if you are jogging on a nature path that is not paved, chances are you are going to come across different terrain that may be uneven. If you’re not prepared for sudden rises or dips on a path, you can easily twist an ankle. It’s best to walk a path for the first time, before you run it. Take note of terrain changes and build a mental map of where you should be running.

Jogging on pavement can also be stressful for your ankles, especially if you have injured them in the past. For this type of running, you may benefit from wrapping your ankles or wearing specific braces that will help absorb impact. The key is doing all that you can to protect your ankles from injury. Handling them later on is painful and once an ankle is injured, it may be predisposed to future injury, regardless of how careful you may be.

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If you are just getting into exercising or you are an old pro, injuries can happen at any time. It doesn’t take much to injure our joints or muscles and exercising improperly only contributes to the problem. Before you go out to do your next workout, remember these tips to ensure that you won’t be running the risk of an injury.

1. Find the right balance.

Repetitive exercises will wear down your joints, especially if you are doing several sets in a row. It is important to change up your routines to avoid putting too much stress on the same joints for a long period of time. For example, if you like to run for thirty minutes, go for ten, stretch for ten, and then complete your run for the next ten minutes. If you’re at the gym, switch machines for a few minutes before going back to your favorite one. This can really help you avoid injury.

2. Make sure you are using proper form.

One of the best ways to injure yourself while exercising is to do the exercises wrong. Make sure that you know what the proper form looks like and frequently check yourself to make sure you are doing it the right way. For example, your knees should always be aligned with your feet, your torso should be straight and your neck should not be bent forward. Finding the right form will actually improve the effectiveness of your workout. If you’re not sure if you are doing an exercise correctly, you may want to ask a trainer to give you a few tips, or take one lesson with them to see what you need to change.

Also be sure to wear proper clothing!

3. Take a break.

It sounds simple, but it is important to schedule brief breaks during your workout, especially if you are really going at. Allow a few minutes in between exercises to get your strength back and allow your muscles to relax. However, don’t wait too long, or you’ll need to stretch again to warm your muscles back up. Just a breather here and there can make a big difference in preventing injuries.

4. Follow the 10% rule.

Once you start working out and seeing results, it is very tempting to keep amping up your workouts. However, you need to give your body time to adjust to all of this new activity. Don’t go from 30 minute workouts one day to 45 minute workouts the next. Instead, use the 10% rule and add 3 minutes a day until you get up to your desired length. This helps your body get accustomed to the new level of activity and your muscles will thank you.

While many of us have been trained to “feel the burn” and accept pain, sports injuries are no laughing matter. Listen to your body – if it feels wrong or you are in pain, you need to stop immediately. There is a difference between working your muscles and overworking them and it is vital to be able to tell the difference.

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