Start small, gain big

One day, you’re sitting on the couch eating Cheez-Its and Oreos. You look around at the soda cans littering the coffee table, the empty fast food wrappers, and look down at the crumbs in your lap. You get exhausted just walking to the mailbox and have a hard time breathing in general.

You get inspired to make some lifestyle changes. You can’t live like this anymore. It’s not fair to you and it is not fair to your family.

Congratulations! That’s the first step. Then, you make the second and start walking around your neighborhood every night. You gradually decrease the fast food and replace it with home cooked, healthier meals. Fantastic. You do that for a while and then decide to take the next step and go to the gym. This is where everything falls apart.

You suddenly feel self-conscious, the machines are intimidating, and there are other members of both genders lifting heavy looking weights. You don’t know where to start, so you give up and go grab a burger for comfort.

Don’t do that! The easiest starting point is still at home. Bodyweight exercises are simple and can even help your balance and coordination improve before getting to the equipment in a fitness center.

Once you get to the fitness center, don’t be afraid to ask a staff member about how to use the machines, if you don’t quite feel comfortable using free weights just yet.

Let’s get back to those body weight exercises. I’m going to give you a few just to get you started. These are basic, beginner exercises that shouldn’t be too difficult.  Push yourself, though, and don’t give up.

Note: For how to perform, I’m going to be borrowing some YouTube videos because seeing the exercise is often better than trying to follow typed instructions.

1) Wall Sit - Works quadriceps, glutes, and calves. Hold for 20-30 seconds, increasing by 5 seconds, 2-3 times each.

  

22) Reverse Crunch - Works lower abs (an area often left out). Do 12-15 reps and 2-3 times.

3) Plank Pose - It is simple enough to perform anywhere, and it works your body’s entire core. It also can help to elongate the spine, strengthen the arms and wrists, and increase balance. Repeat 2-3 times.

4) The Superman Pose– The Superman Pose targets the three main muscles that run along the spine and helps to prevent injuries, improve posture, and eliminate back and neck pain. Repeat the exercise 2-3 times.

These are just four basic exercises to get you started. Don't give up and if you need to, get a friend to start 

your journey with you. In that case, don't let each other give up. You can be successful. It just takes time 

and a little bit of pain.

Just remember, sweat is just fat crying its way out of your body.

Beware the snake oil salesman

          Diet Pills and Supplements are not a quick fix or suitable substitute for proper nutrition gained from fresh foods. The herbal supplement industry is a $5 billion dollar industry in the United States. It is also an unregulated industry. From multi-level marketing to supplements sold by GNC, Wal-Mart, and other stores, if you take supplements, do you know what is really in them? What about the people who push them?

Let’s look at some of these snake oil salesmen.

Kevin Trudeau is possibly the most known salesman. He’s currently in jail until 2022, but he originally got in trouble in the early 1990s with his weight loss book and false health claims in his infomercials. His 30-day supplement sold for $100, yet the ingredient list wasn’t readily available, nor were independent tests. That is a huge red flag.

[Insert name of Mult-Level Marketing company here]…just pick a name. Really, do it. Then go look at their website. They all claim that their supplements will improve your health. They also have a disclaimer that the supplements are not FDA approved and not meant to prevent, treat, or cure any diseases. Although not FDA approved, many of them claim independent testing and creations of specific formulas for weight management, sleep issues, energy, and more.

One company even goes as far as to state, “Our team of researchers, nutritionists and scientists (Edit: That’s the company’s team, not some independent researchers), can include supplements that can help relieve symptoms of a variety of a medical conditions you might have.” Again, not FDA approved. They claim to base their individualized program on a HIPAA Compliant online assessment that the individual takes. All I can think of is the show House when he states, "Everybody lies." Looking at their team page, they don’t list any board certified medical professionals, nor truly independent testing on their products. Oh, I can’t forget to mention that the CEO of this particular company has been involved in a few lawsuits regarding pyramid schemes and false advertising pertaining to his previous ventures.

               MLM supplements are EXPENSIVE to boot. They are marked up about five times higher than retail supplements.

Don't even get me started on the quack Joseph Mercola. He's worse than Kevin Trudeau. Mercola has already been in trouble with the FDA several times for making false health claims of his supplements.

Key point here: Do your research and be cynical.

What about the actual ingredients?

 As a generalization, a lot of people will try anything that seems like as quick, easy fix to a complicated problem. Supplement companies prey on this behavior and it is paying off for them. Unfortunately, it is harming their customers physically and financially.

In a study published in BMC Medicine in Canada, 30 out of 44 tested supplements had product substitutions. Only two of the 12 companies had zero substitutions. The majority of the supplements consisted of poor quality ingredients in the first place and substitutions consisted of nothing more than powdered rice or weeds. For instance, bottles of St. John’s Wort was actually found to be 100% powdered rice and one bottle had Alexandria Senna, a powerful laxative. Gingko Biloba had black walnut added as a filler. Fillers consisting of wheat, rice, and soybean were also found in other supplements. These were not listed on the ingredient label of the supplement.

The study can be freely accessed at: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/11/222

            People spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars a year on supplements and take thousands of pills, powders, etc. They may feel good for a while and may see results, but ultimately, it is a band-aid.

Let me add this about supplements. Not all supplements are bad. For instance, I take a specific vitamin pack that my neighbor sells through an MLM company. Now, I did have my primary care doctor check it out before I took it, and she says it’s a good one. I also see a naturopathic doctor, because I had been on so many different big pharmaceutical medicines over the years, I started fearing negative side affects on my body. They were also just giving temporary relief. A friend recommended naturopathic medicine and so far, I don’t have any complaints. The supplements the ND prescribed cannot be bought online, off store shelves, or through MLM. Before taking them, I did extensive research on the manufacturers and they are higher quality. They can only be obtained through prescription. Oh, and my ND went to medical school and obtained her medical doctorate. Naturopathy may not be for everyone. It’s up to the individual.

So, if supplements are not necessarily good, what can I do?

            In short, exercise and put all that supplement money towards healthy, fresh foods. A lot of people would say, “But it is so expensive to eat healthy and organically.” Let’s do the math:

Average monthly cost of high quality supplements – around $180, because most people don’t take just one. That’s $2,160 annually.

Cutting out some processed foods and replacing them with fresh/organic foods per month might add $60-$70 per month to your grocery bill if you budget and plan properly. That’s $720-840 per year. Realistically, a person isn’t going to replace all processed foods in one fell swoop. It’s a gradual change. I’ll be honest, we haven’t completely eliminated processed foods. I also still eat fast food or eat out on occasion.

That’s still an annual savings of up to $1,320.

My personal gradual changes have included adding fresh, wild Salmon and Halibut in place of beef products (I still eat grass fed beef, not as much though), more fresh fruits, free range chicken, and certified organic oatmeal. Fried foods and gravies have been cut back a lot. I stopped buying lunches from the food trucks and cut down on eating out. It only increased my grocery budget a little, but my eating out budget was decreased substantially so it evened out. Other than the recent supplements from my ND and a vitamin pack, I’ve never been one to take supplements because it is just a money sink. 

TL:DR – Don’t rely on supplements. Eat healthier and exercise. The nutrients in fresh/organic foods help your body heal and repair itself better than an over-priced pill or powder. 

If you are determined to take supplements, please consult your physician beforehand so they don’t have adverse effects on any pre-existing conditions or counteract any medications you may be taking. Also check food labels so you don’t overload on a specific supplement. Too much can cause liver damage, kidney failure and other health issues.