GO from Fat to Fit in as little as 90 days and stay fit! Real life transformation to health and fitness through proper nutrition and exercise based on the extreme home fitness program P90X.
Are you battling sleep deprivation? Some of the symptoms you may feel are sluggishness, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, clumsiness, poor memory and may be gaining weight or have trouble losing weight. I've struggled with these issues for several years. It got so bad that I finally and reluctantly had my medical doctor refer me a few years ago to a sleep specialist. They wired me up and I tossed and turned the night while they diagnosed my condition. Turns out I had sleep apnea. My wife already knew how much of a problem it was when I'd stop breathing in my sleep, only to take a huge gulp of air and a lot of snoring. It was as much of a health issue for me as it was to her sleep patterns. The specialist said I would need a CPAP machine to help keep my restricted airway open while sleeping. My medical doctor said the machine would help, or I could lose weight and that my condition would likely improve and correct itself.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010), over 25 percent of Americans experience sleep deprivation. For some, disrupted sleep results from the hectic nature of busy modern lifestyles. For others, serious sleep disorders affect both rest and health. Sleep plays a vital role in health and wellness. Most people know that eight hours of sleep per night is desirable. People who got very little sleep ate more, but did not necessarily burn any extra calories in a new study that adds to evidence supporting a link between sleep deprivation and weight gain. The new findings from the University of Pennsylvania show that “sleep should be a priority,” said Michael Grandner, who studies sleep and sleep disorders at the University in Philadelphia. “If you’re trying to be healthy, don’t forget that getting healthy sleep is probably an extremely important part of being healthy,” said Grandner.
In a separate study, the department of Neurology at Northwestern University in Chicago linked obesity to sleep duration. The study also found that people who sleep later into the day and eat later in the day had a higher body mass index. What they found was that late sleepers consumed 248 more calories a day, mainly at dinner and later in the evening. They ate half as many fruits and vegetables, twice the fast food and drank more full-calorie sodas than those with earlier sleep times. "The extra daily calories can mean a significant amount of weight gain - two pounds per month - if they are not balanced by more physical activity," said co-lead author Kelly Glazer Baron, a health psychologist and a neurology instructor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “The research findings could be relevant to people who are not very successful in losing weight,” said Phyllis Zee, M.D., the study’s lead author. "The study suggests regulating the timing of eating and sleep could improve the effectiveness of weight management programs."
As a youngster, and even into adulthood, I have pulled many an all-nighter. There is always a price to be paid the next day: trouble focusing, a fuzzy memory and other cognitive impairments. When I improved my diet and lifestyle to healthy eating and started exercising, the sleep apnea began to minimize and eventually virtually eliminated. I now get a sound nights sleep, as does my wife. I'm able to function at what I feel is a much higher level of cognition. I think clearer, have more energy and vitality, feel stronger and don't get the sleepiness or feel sluggish. I no longer feel fatigued and my weight is now ideal! Sleep deprivation leads into a cycle that seems to spiral out of control, if we choose to let it. I took back the control through proper nutrition and exercise and my sleep deprivation was reversed.
Is sleep deprivation holding you back in life? Nearly everyone knows that good nutrition and regular exercise are key ingredients to a healthy, happy life. However, nutrition and exercise are not the only foundational elements of well-being. Without healthy sleep, my overall health was utterly compromised. Fast forward from three years ago, and thus, nutrition, exercise and sleep became a key factor in the success of my well being. It is absolutely imperative to be educated and understand the importance of these three foundations. I am a testament to its impact on my life. I hope my blog post today will help empower you to live life to its fullest.
If you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me. I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts. I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes. So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!
Since February 1st, 2011 I have embarked on a journey of health and wellness. Today I'd like to very briefly share the kind of lifestyle and dietary changes I made and the significant impact it's had on me.
For the past four and a half months I have gone from being an obese individual to a healthy weight. People who have not seen me in several months are amazed at the transformation. I am amazed myself. The question they all predictably ask is, "how did you do it?" The answer is surprisingly common knowledge, but not commonly practiced. and when it is practiced, it is a struggle for most to maintain the practice. Even though many people are aware of this knowledge, they fail to take those corrective actions in their life. I know because I was one of those people who ignored the facts and statistics and didn't know who or where to turn to for help because I really didn't think or believe that I had a problem.
We all need food to survive. Food is instinctively a necessity to maintain and support life. The moment we are born, we instinctively eat. Nutrition to a newborn is critical for growth and development. It should come as no surprise then that nutrition is continuously needed to maintain growth and development of the human body. Without nutrition, the body begins to show signs and symptoms of weakness and failure. The body can only withstand so much abuse before it starts to misfire and shutdown.
Eventually I reached the point in my life at the age of 48 where I began to misfire. Thankfully my body wasn't so far gone that it was shutting down. A 47 inch belly, a 46 inch chest and hips were the result of years of bad habits and a mostly sedentary lifestyle. Among the bad habits was a dietary plan, not really a plan, but a diet that consisted pretty much of whatever flavors and pleasures appealed to my taste buds and filled what seemed like a bottomless pit in my stomach. I loved to eat red meat. I loved to eat fatty foods, french fry's, greasy burgers, milk shakes, sausages, and the list goes on! I'd come home from a full day of work and want to watch TV or play video games while filling up on pop and chips. When we would go out for dinner, I'd binge at buffet's eating as much as possible to the point where I would literally have to loosen the belt a notch to take the pressure off the belly! Full to the stomach but still a hunger that went unsatisfied.
The so-called magic pill does not exist! There is no magic remedy. Starvation does not fuel your body with the nutrition it needs. Over feeding your body with less than nutritious food does not fuel your body to prevent it from misfiring and shutting down. You reap what you sow! Bad fuel in equals no power out. Good fuel in equals high performance. If you keep on doing what you've been doing, you'll keep on getting the results you've been getting. Only will a significant dietary and lifestyle change bring results for growth and development. So at the age of 48, my mind and my heart where ready to decide and commit to such a change. The rest you could say is history, but history is written in the past and I am writing my future, so this is to my success and lifelong journey with health and wellness!
At the recommendation of a coworker, I was introduced to a training program called P90X. The periodizational training changes with three training blocks over the course of 90 days and does not require a gym or club membership or any specialized equipment. The strategy of P90X helped me to stay focused as I exercised right at home in my living room. Here is the mother of all workouts called Plyometrics, or jump training!
I am now into my second round and 19th week of P90X and I feel great! My belly has gone down to 36 inches and both my chest and hips are down to 40 inches. I've lost a total of 57 pounds todate!
No magic pills, no magic cures, no special blend of herbs or spices. By eating less red meat and more fruits and vegetables together with rigorous daily exercise I have been able to restore my body to peak performance! No misfires and have significantly reduced my chances of a premature shutdown. If you want the straight dope on fueling your body with nutritious food and what to avoid, I'm here to help and it won't cost you a penny for the free advice based on my own experience and what has worked for me. I hope you'll follow my blog and provide me with some feedback on my posts. I'll be catering good choices that include both dietary and lifestyle changes. So if you could use a boost to your engine, buckle up for the ride of your life and let's get started!
