Fitness News & Views

A Publication of Graham Fitness

July 15, 2014

1 Corinthians 6: 19-20

 

Referrals Get You Cash

 

As I mentioned in the June 2014 Newsletter,I'm now offering cash for referrals.

 

To keep it simple, here's what I'll do: If you send a referral to me who purchases 20 sessions or more, I'll send you $100 cash.

 

The only stipulations are the referral has to contact me and he or she has to purchase the 20 sessions up front. The 20 session package is the most commonly purchased starter package.

 

This is a one-time reward per new referral but each new referral nets you an additional $100.

 

Can't get much simpler than that.

 

 

 

Statement of Faith

I have a "Statement of Faith" on my website. It begins, "I am a Christian. That is, I believe that the historic Jesus who lived on this earth about 2000 years ago is God incarnate, God in the flesh."

 

This Statement of Faith is the core of who I am, and I'd like you to read it. You can go to my website www.grahamfitness.com  and click on the "Statement of Faith" page or use the link below:

http://www.grahamfitness.com/statement-of-faith.htm.

I welcome your comments. God bless all of you!

 

                                                          Tim Graham

 

 

      I recently ran across an article by Lindsay Holmes on the

Huffington Post website entitled "7 Easy Ways to Make Someone's Bad Day Instantly Better." By implementing a few of these every day, you'll not only make someone else's day better, you'll make yours better too.

 

  1. Flash a smile. It's so simple and yet so effective. By simply making eye contact with a stranger on the street or in a store, you'll brighter their day and yours too.
  2. Write a note. Leave a post-it note somewhere to lift the spirits of someone you care about. It's amazing how inspiring a simple hand written note can be. If you want to take this to another level, write a short paragraph to someone and drop it in the mail. If you're short on time, a text or email can still do the trick.
  3. Give some flowers. Why wait for a special occasion? Nothing says "you're special" like a bouquet of flowers. And who doesn't like to feel special?
  4. Offer a compliment. Compliments sincerely given are worth more than cash. You can compliment your spouse or a friend, but a compliment offered to a complete stranger will not only make their day, but their week as well. If you've ever received one of these out-of-nowhere compliments, you know what I'm talking about. Best of all, it will make you feel great too.
  5. Hug someone. If someone you know is having a bad day, a simple hug may be all they need to turn it around.
  6. Hold the door. This may be the simplest act of all, and it's just common courtesy, but it may be just the thing to turn someone's day around. Combine it with a smile to increase the effect.
  7. Pay it forward. Pay for a stranger's coffee or purchase in a store and you'll feel good all day. This act can also be contagious. I recently heard about someone who paid for the car behind them in a fast food drive-thru and the next 18 cars did the same!

 

 

     You may have already taken your vacation this summer, but in case you haven't, may I suggest you add some activity to it. It's amazing how fast we lose the benefits of exercise when we take a little time off from it. Here are some facts which may surprise you:

  • Aerobic conditioning can decline 5 to 10% in just three weeks.
  • All your gains could be gone after just two months of inactivity.
  • The fitter you are, the faster you lose your fitness. Now how is that fair?

·         Aerobic conditioning declines faster than muscular strength.

     A week's worth of inactivity won't hurt you too much, although even that will make it more difficult to crank it up again. It's surprising how fast bad habits set in. But any more than a week and you'll notice some physical loss, especially aerobically. So why not sprinkle some activity into your vacation.

     I've found that exercising while on vacation can really be quite enjoyable. Just getting away from the normal routine or your regular gym can add variety. Running or walking in different areas can be fun, and anywhere you go will offer lots of new vistas. If nothing else, a few crunches, pushups, and squats in your hotel room can get the day started off right.

     One other thing: Watch your eating while vacationing. You don't have to deny yourself the delicacies of the local fare - we're going to Memphis and I'll be sampling a rack of dry-rubbed ribs - but some moderation is still in order. You don't have to pig-out every meal, you know.


     Some things that we would never expect can be factors in weight gain. Here are a few of them: 

·         Air conditioning. Our bodies use a lot of energy just keeping us cool on hot days or warm on cold ones, but when we use the a/c or central heating, our bodies don't have to work nearly as hard. Here in the south, air conditioning is a necessity, but it's worth noting that the southeast leads the nation in obesity.

·         Working moms. Several studies have shown that the kids from families where the mother works are overweight more often than those from families with stay-at-home moms. The reasons vary, but one reason is that on average, kids who come home to empty houses tend to stay in the house while other kids are more likely to play outside. 

·         Lack of proper sleep. Not getting enough sleep can cause hormonal changes in the body that might result in long term weight gain. In addition, being tired from sleep deprivation results in decreased activity during the day meaning fewer calories are burned than would be the case if we weren't tired.

·         A night light. A recent study showed that mice exposed to a dim light at night gained 50% more weight than mice that slept in total darkness. This is probably because those in total darkness get a deeper and more restful sleep and therefore are more active the next day.

·         Your genes. Scientists have identified 18 genetic markers that play a role in obesity and l3 that determine where we carry our excess fat.

·         Medications. Many medications may affect weight gain. Among the most common are those for birth control, depression, diabetes, and blood pressure


     What state has the highest rate of obesity in the U.S.? Which state has the lowest? Answers: Louisiana has the highest obesity rate at 34.7%. Colorado the lowest at 20.5%.

     Thirteen states have rates of 30% or higher. They are all in the Midwest and South: Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and, yes, South Carolina.

     The states with obesity rates at 25% or less are Hawaii, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts. All the other states are somewhere between 25 and 30%.

     These numbers are compiled by the CDC and are based on trends tracked via the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, or BRFSS.

     The obesity rates are highest in Blacks with 44.1%. Hispanics are next with 37.9%, and Whites are at 32.6%.

     No matter which group you're in or, for that matter, which state, the numbers are way too high and they've been climbing each year even with the added emphasis on healthy eating and exercise.   


     I don't think I've ever written an article about skin cancer before, but since I recently had three basal cell skin cancers removed and I now have a hole in my scalp the size and depth of a quarter, maybe it's worth a paragraph or two.

     We all know that too much sun can cause skin cancer and we should take certain precautions against prolonged exposure to the sun's harmful rays. But too often, vanity supersedes good sense. I know that's been the case with me.

     So here's the thing, wear sunscreen when you're out in the sun or better yet, wear protective clothing including a hat that protects your face. Stay in the shade as much as possible and don't go out in the sun during the heat of the day. And stay out of tanning beds. At least I never did that.

     Skin cancer is not usually dangerous, but melanomas are more frequent now than they have ever been, and that is a very serious type of cancer. But even the more common squamous and basal cell carcinomas need to be treated, and the treatment can leave scarring as I can attest too with this hole in my head. I'll be wearing a hat to cover the wound until it heals in a couple of months, and even after it heals, I won't be able to grow hair where the scar is. Just a word to the wise. Take it or leave it, but don't complain when you're my age and making frequent trips to the dermatologist.


     A client of mine works in an office where several people are currently on diets. She told me that one of her co-workers said her goal was to lose 10 pounds in the first week of her diet. That got me to thinking about just what it would take to lose 10 pounds in a week.

     Since you need a 3500 calorie deficit to lose a pound of fat, in order to lose 10 pounds of fat, you need a 35,000 calorie deficit. In other words, you would need to burn 35,000 calories more in a week than you take in. That's a daily deficit of 5000 calories. So if you burn 5000 calories a day and don't eat anything, you could do it. But in order to burn 5000 calories a day, you would need to run about 7 hours a day at a 9 minute per mile pace. And remember, no eating.

     Weight loss programs that offer amazing results in a hurry are based on water loss, not fat loss. Water makes up about 50 to 60% of your body weight. So if you weigh 200 pounds, as much as 120 pounds of that weight is water. It makes sense then that if you lose water, you lose weight. However, dehydration is not real weight loss, because you've got to replace that water loss sooner or later, preferably sooner. If you don't, weight loss will not be your primary problem.

     If you want to lose weight, please learn this if you don't learn anything else: A healthy weight loss goal is one to two pounds a week or about 1% of your total weight. It is possible to lose more than that over a short time, but not without severely restricting your calories, and there are a host of reasons why very low calorie diets are not healthy and not advisable. With weight loss, be patient. If you combine healthy eating with proper exercise, the weight will come off, and better yet, you'll be able to keep it off.


     Just in case you didn't see it when it was in this newsletter the first time, here's a joke I made up a few years ago:
Question: What does a schizophrenic alligator have?
Answer: A reptile dysfunction.

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