Life is interesting and always keeps us on our toes.  I met on the weekend with a friend and fellow business owner.  We talked about the excitement of owning and running your own business.  We also talked about the work involved and at how at times you can feel you are alone with your problems.  But, we also talked about the joy both of our businesses bring to our lives and how the satisfaction of helping others and hopefully bringing positive change to someone else's life is worth it all.

As our coffee cups slowly emptied, it became evident that she was at a crossroads with both her business and her life.  Her business is at the point where you need to make a decision to allow the business to grow and take on staff to help run or keep it manageable with just yourself.  She is also at a crossroads in her life and what direction she wants her own life.  Are you at a crossroad in your life?  Maybe you have been coasting along wondering about making changes in your life.   Maybe the possibility of starting a fitness program or increasing a present fitness regime is in the forefront of your mind.  Have you been looking at your nutrition lately  wondering how to start or make changes to your lifestyle?

It is not always easy to figure out the next step.  I think first you need to decide what is important to you and what your priorities are.  If your health and well being is important, and you are willing to make it a priority then you have taken the first step to success.

Step Number 1 is making a commitment to yourself and dedicating the time necessary to realize that goal.  You must make you a priority.  You must make your health and wellness No. 1. When you make the decision that you are ready for change and willing to embrace the work necessary to make those changes happen, you are already well on the road to success.   Our clients at Victoria Wellness have made that decision and have taken the steps
necessary to make their goals a reality.  Surrounding yourself with like minded people and having a support system in place are all necessary ingredients in order for your fitness program to be successful.  You must have everyone on board with you.

As the old saying goes, "Nothing good in life comes easy" and good health, a strong and fit body are no exception.  Hard work in all areas (strength training, cardio training, nutrition, recovery) is required in order to make any appreciable change in your body composition.  So, if you are at a crossroads in your life – now is the time to take control, seek out support and make those changes happen!

Till next time,
Narina
"Monitoring, Mentoring, Motivation"

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Unless you have just come in from living in the woods, you will have heard of The Biggest Loser.  This reality show features morbidly obese individuals striving to lose weight and change their lifestyle, all under the guidance of "expert" trainers and staff.   Now, this show has been on TV for a few years now and I can honestly say I have seen  some of the early episodes during its first season.   I tuned in during the first season more out of curiosity more than anything.  I  had clients ask about the show and the variety of workouts they perform, so I thought I should at least see a few shows to be able to make an informed comment.  I wish I had something positive to say about the show, I really do.

But, sadly I cannot find any redeeming qualities in the show at all.  First off let's talk about the contestants.  They are all what is classed as "morbidly obese".  Obesity is defined as:

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse affect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy.  Morbidly obese individuals will have a body mass index greater than 40.0.  Some of the medical conditions associated with obesity are:  heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis,  low back pain, poor mobility, asthma, sleep apnea, various cancers, diabetes, GI reflux disease.  These are just a few of the hundreds of medical conditions associated with obesity.  The items that stand out in my mind as a fitness professional are:  heart disease, high blood pressure,  osteoarthritis, low back pain, poor mobility, asthma, reflux.  All of these conditions will not only determine an individuals' ability to exercise safely, but also will dictate what type of exercises that would be selected.

So, you can imagine my thoughts as I watched this show.  Obviously no regard for the health of the contestants.  It was just one dangerous exercise followed by another  All, while their "expert" trainers yelled and belittled them to work hard, push more, go faster or further.  The saddest part of this show I find, is that the trainers on this show are viewed as experts in their field.   Now, I can't claim to know anything of their education or background.  I do know that they both have appeared on other TV shows as guests and also both have books out.  So, they must know what they are doing, right?    So, you are probably wondering what prompted this rant? 

Well, it first came to light early this morning as I was reading an article on the blog of  Strength Coach, Mike Boyle.  Here is the link to his article:

http://mboyle1959.wordpress.com/2009/04/15/the-biggest-loser/

This is not a new blog post.  But sadly, things have not changed that much with this show.  The article basically commented about a contestant having to leave the show because of a stress fracture in her hip. Now, from past discussions I have had with other Strength Coaches in the U.S., this is not the first injury that has occurred on the show.  There have been reports of various knee injuries, herniated discs; although most never make it to the public arena.  After all, that wouldn't be good public relations for the network.

For those of us that do take our profession seriously, most of what you see on The Biggest Loser would never occur in our facilities.   We take months to prepare clients to perform advanced exercises (lunges, push ups, etc).  It may not be as glamorous as being on TV, but I think it has its own rewards in our clients' health and well being.

Till next time,

Narina Prokosch

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The Muscle Building Fat Burning Video Blog #115 November 30, 2009

What's on my mind today? Day 767 Day 77 of 995 Today’s video contains a discussion about my current body building situation and how I am doing with that.  I also discuss my carb cycling strategy and why it is working for me.  I finish off by giving out a great tip on how to stay compliant and get through the holidays. Please note that I have drastically changed the blog this time around.  Pictures will get published one time per week on Sunday.  I will also give a recap of my training for the week on Sunday as well.  You will see daily videos posted along with a very brief commentary on what is contained in the video.  I hope you enjoy the new format.

Follow the Muscle Building Fat Burning Machine on Twitter!   Get the Cure for Fitness Information Overload Now! Feeling overwhelmed by the information you get on the web?  Not sure if that guy is a “guru”?  The answer is finally here! Free eNewsletter and basic fitness eCourse just for visiting! https://www.fitnessexpose.com

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