It appears to me that the obese people on the show are surprised and clueless about how they got to be this obese (and unhealthy). I get the feeling that they didn’t know there was actually effort involved in staying fit and healthy.

So, if you are one of those people that never thought about what it takes, no matter what your current weight or level of fitness is, I want you to wake up now!

Except for a tiny percentage of people that are genetically gifted, you have to take care of yourself in order to lead a long, healthy life.

Seriously, it is not enough that you work full-time, are raising your children, taking care of your husband and elderly mother, etc. You actually have to take care of yourself too.

There’s no question about it, exercise is a must. Particularly weight lifting is essential if you are not planning on having brittle bones and being too weak to carry your own grocery bag by the time you are 65.

There are no short cuts and no alternatives to the proper maintenance of your body (and mind).

Here are 5 simple rules you must follow in order to lead the quality of life that you deserve:

1. Work out (cardio and weights) on 3 – 5 days a week. Involve your family, they need it too.
2. Eat 3 – 5 small meals a day consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein sources. If your great-grandmother wouldn’t know what it is, don’t eat it!
3. Get an adequate amount of sleep every night. Most people function best on 7.5 – 8 hours of sleep. For me personally it is more like 8 – 8.5 hours.
4. Fight stress with breathing, meditation, yoga, walking, etc. Nothing ages you faster or makes you gain weight faster than stress.
5. Study everything you can get your hands on about nutrition, exercise, and longevity. You are the master of your health, not your doctor.

So there you have it. For many the above might be common sense already, but I hope to reach the few (or many?) that needed a wake-up call.

What’s your opinion? Have you taken charge of your own health? What can I do to help you do that?

Technorati Tags: health – fitness – nutrition – longevity – motivation – women’s fitness

June 20, 2008:

I came to Biggi a truly broken woman from the standpoint of my physical health, self-confidence, and happiness-energy quotient!  My weight was at an all time high 188, my muscle mass was declining to the point of making it hard for me to climb and descend stairs, due to the very weak muscles surrounding my knees, my weak front and back thigh muscles, and my weak calf muscles.  My arms were so out of shape that I refused to wear short sleeve shirts, even in the summer, and my back was starting to accumulate fat under my shoulder blades down to the increasing evidence of the development of some unsightly love handles.  Have I mentioned that my breasts seemed to be dissolving into my abdomen due to the growing size of my stomach?  Basically I was losing major definition everywhere and with it my confidence.

My youngest sister recommended training with Biggi and as desperate as I was I felt that I could make the commitment to at least go for the first day and have a free evaluation of my body.  Well let’s just fast forward 4 months to let you know that now I weigh 158 and still losing my goal is to weigh 118 by December 2008.  I have lost since my last measurements two months ago  6 inches from my waist, 2 inches from my hips, 1 inch from thighs, 1 inch from my arms and have come down one bra cup size ( 34 D to 34C).

I am sleeping longer and more soundly at night and my happiness-energy quotient is much higher: I am more outgoing and wearing much more revealing clothing (wore my first short sleeve shirt last week and walking shorts to show off my developing calves), my neighbors are commenting that I am melting away and I have gone from a size 16 pant to a size 10 and am in some size 8 dresses and skirts.  I have no trouble racing up stairs and running on the treadmill at a speed of 6 and incline of 3.5 for 2-3 minutes while having my usual discussion with Biggi about life, entertainment and global news.  My dogs and I walk 90 min-2 hours each day and I am even going to start riding my bike next week.  Oh almost forgot that my love handles are almost none existent and my abs are fit enough to handle my increasing number of crunches (currently 200) and I can now distinguish nicely between my chest and stomach…my waist is back and coca cola bottles will have nothing on me in a few months.  By the way my back is becoming “a lean mean push lateral pull machine” and is looking almost good enough to take to the beach:)

Now you might be thinking could I have accomplished all this by going to a club or gym and I can tell you emphatically “NO WAY!!!”  I had a membership that I wasn’t using because I was too embarrassed about my body to go regularly and when I did go did not get personalized and customized attention that Biggi gave me.  She evaluated my body and health level and then listened to my goals and dreams (having the body that I am starting to get did seem like a dream at the time and is quickly turning into a reality!) and we discussed my nutritional regime and then she started developing my plan.

I have never been bored with the training plans that Biggi develops since they change each time and she even has developed her own techniques that you will not find anywhere else!  Biggi also tries to make the routines as fun as possible and when you are not able to do certain movements she quickly adjusts the routine to ensure that you are able to work the muscles the routine is supposed to target. I started out very slow and only did two days a week.  When I saw the results I decided to up the ante and have been doing 4 days for the past 2 months.  For me it’s worth the investment.  I have learned to treat my body and health as a priority…we do the same thing to keep our cars running by investing money to get our cars on a regular maintenance schedule to ensure they stay in working order for as long as possible and let’s not mention their beauty regimes of washing and waxing.  So why not our bodies?  Should we not ensure that they stay in working order as long as possible to avoid losing our independence of movement and to keep them as beautiful as possible for as long as possible?

Now that I am looking and feeling better I will eventually use my club membership again but as an addition to my training with Biggi not as a substitution…no one can take the place of Biggi in maintaining a high functioning body and spirit.  Hope you’ll have a chance to experience her work outs!

A very healthy and pleased client,

Phyllis W.

Technorati Tags: diabetes,obesity,diet,exercise,testimonial,health,personal training

What Doctors don’t know will kill you! Doctors are trained to diagnose illness and disease, perform surgery, and prescribe drugs. That means, Doctors are much needed when your appendix is infected or your hip is broken. However, they cannot help you stay healthy. That’s not their job and not their field of expertise! So, how much time and money are you spending on your health care or shall we call it sick care? With so many diseases related to our sedentary lifestyles and nutrition habits, I once again guarantee you, that sooner or later you’ll pay the price for not taking care of yourself.

It’s funny that it is so hard for people to make themselves and their health a priority. How many people do you know, or are you one of them, that spend lots of time and a near fortune on their dogs? They know it’s important to exercise the dog and often even feed the dog much better than they feed themselves or their children!

Or think about the money that is spent on your annual vacation. A vacation is nice, if you don’t mind the stress prior and after it and the dreadful feeling of having to go back to work. Do you know that what people typically spend on a 10-day vacation can buy you half a year of Personal Training twice a week? The benefits of six months of twice a week training far outweigh the benefits of any vacation you will ever take! Again, not an easy choice, though, is it? However, if you think about it, the right choice is typically one of the hardest to make in any area of our lives.

Keeping people healthy and fit is my area of expertise. Wouldn’t you like to be healthy and happy, free of pain, feel good in your body, have less stress and improve your mood, have more energy, and be able to play with your kids? What are you waiting for? Make the right choice now and contact me!

Technorati Tags: health,fitness,personal training,priorities

I wonder how I survived growing up in Berlin, Germany, where the winter lasts 6 months. So, it’s definitely not something someone gets used to. Now what are some of the options to dealing with this kind of depression?

1. Light bulbs. Full-spectrum lights have a bluish glow and reflect a broad range of colors that are very similar to natural sunlight. These lights can improve your mood, your immune system, your sleep, and even enhance mental concentration.
2. Exercise. One of the most beneficial exercises in fighting depression is walking. Get outside and get some exercise. I also recommend more strenuous exercise like cardio and strength training to get the mood enhancing endorphins going.
3. Nutrition. Another way to beat the winter blues is to stick with good nutrition. While your body might be craving comfort foods, it will ultimately be much better for your body and your mood to stick with healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. So resist the urge to snack on sweets and starchy foods. How about fixing a comforting yet healthy chicken-vegetable soup?
4. Supplements. There is a wide range of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs that can help alleviate depression. Many of them support brain function and specifically serotonin levels. Others support normal hormone balance, specifically of the thyroid and adrenal glands.
   • A good quality multi-vitamin / mineral supplement.
   • 5-HTP (5-hydroxy-tryptophan) is used by your body to make serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter.
   • St. John’s Wort is an herb that can fight depression. However, it needs to be taking consistently for a month to two to show results.

I hope some of these tips will help you feel better this winter and bring back your motivation to become stronger, healthier, and happier.

Technorati Tags: depression,mood,winter,full-spectrum,exercise,nutrition,supplements