WEIGHTLOSS FACTS

Supplements are only supplements; the real "magic bullet" is exercise.

Health and fitness magazines are full of advertisements for dietary supplements that promise to melt fat, grow muscle and fight fatigue. While many of the ads support their claims with a combination of customer testimonials, photos and related scientific data, the overall message often portrays the products as magic bullets instead of the supplements they are.

Fitness professionals should be able to provide clients with information, advice and guidance to sort through the maze of conflicting fitness and nutrition information. Unfortunately, keeping up-to-date on the latest information on dietary supplements can be a full-time job. So a simple fact to remember is that a dietary supplement is meant to supplement an otherwise balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. Although many dietary supplements can be a helpful addition to fitness programs, they will never be the "quick-fix" solution that many manufacturers would lead consumers to believe. With this crucial fact in mind, some supplements might be helpful for a particular client, while others can be ruled out right away.

Why are supplements so popular?

The dietary supplement market owes a large part of its recent success to the desire of the American population for a quick fix to many health and fitness goals. "Magic bullet" solutions tend to be particularly prevalent in the toughest fitness areas, such as losing body fat, building muscle mass and maintaining energy levels. But it's not just an alluring promise and a gullible customer that's driving record sales of dietary supplements -- it's that some might actually work. Other reasons for the phenomenal interest in dietary supplements can be attributed to the factors below.

Big bucks. The nutritional supplement market has an estimated annual income of $12 to $14 billion, and it is growing about 10 to 15 percent each year. This makes it an attractive business for vitamin makers, pharmaceutical companies and food manufacturers. The growth, however, is being driven by more than money, with various societal trends such as a higher percentage of older adults and the public interest in natural self-care methods expected to continue.

Public acceptance. The majority of Americans report consuming at least one dietary supplement, whether it be vitamin C, a multi-vitamin or an herbal supplement. A large part of the widespread acceptance and use of supplements stems from the generally positive publicity that supplements enjoy in the mainstream media. News reports tell of the latest results from medical and nutritional research studies linking nutrient intake with disease risk. As such, more people are aware of the relationship between diet and health, and supplements are viewed with growing levels of acceptance and popularity.

Emerging research. As public interest in supplements grows, scientific investigations are just beginning to sort the genuine benefits from the bogus claims. Innovative and often aggressive supplement manufacturers, however, are frequently well ahead of the scientific consensus -- meaning that answers to supplement questions can't always be found in mainstream medical journals. Funding support for supplement and herbal research is starting to come from a variety of sources including government agencies, universities, and public and private corporations. These results are then reported by various media, including television, radio, newspapers, and both general-audience and special-interest magazines. Unfortunately, the proliferation of media coverage for supplement research often confuses as much as it informs the public. Partly in response to the growing popularity of dietary supplements and self-care, two offices have been established at the National Institutes of Health: The Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM) and the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS).

Flexible regulatory landscape. In 1994, Congress enacted the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), which established regulatory guidelines for dietary supplements. DSHEA is viewed by many in the supplement industry as a double-edged sword because it allows responsible supplement manufacturers to market products that consumers want, but it also opens the door for unethical companies to make unsubstantiated health claims or to cut corners in research and safety testing.

Availability. Due to their popularity and profitability, millions of American consumers are exposed to dietary supplements every day. Supplement exposure was once the exclusive domain of health food stores and organic markets, but has spread to large chain stores, the local grocery store and the Internet.

Population demographics. As the largest demographic group in America, the boomers are starting to turn 50 (about one every seven seconds). At this rate, people over 50 will account for more than 40 percent of the U.S. population within 20 years (about 130 million people). Why is this important? Mostly because folks in this demographic group tend to be concerned with maintaining their youthful activity levels by preserving their health and fitness -- which often includes regular exercise and nutritional supplements.

The self-care and prevention trend. The concept that it's better to stay well than to get well has taken hold over the past decade. Along with exercise, over-the-counter nutritional supplements represent a way for people to take responsibility for their own health and well-being.

How exercise compares

When debating whether to use supplements, remind clients of the many health benefits they are already getting from their exercise programs. Although it's easy to take the benefits of exercise for granted, it would be impossible to find a dietary supplement that can deliver the myriad of perks that can be had from regular exercise. At the start of each new year, Fitness Management publishes a "reasons to exercise" poster, displaying some of the top reasons and benefits of exercise. It's hard to imagine a dietary supplement that promises more than a handful of the 99 benefits on this year's poster.

Your role in sports nutrition

When it comes to dietary supplements and sports nutrition, there are a few ways to view supplements. At one extreme, someone could believe everything that they read and recommend that clients reach their health and fitness goals by swallowing pills and powders and spending hundreds of dollars on supplements each month. At the other extreme, someone could dismiss everything they read about supplements as hyperbole, and pass this cynicism along to clients by telling them that they're fools to consider any supplements. Clearly, neither extreme is the kind of thoughtful information that helps anybody.

Taking the middle ground, a person could try to balance the optimistic supplement claims with their own healthy skepticism by using the academician's way out -- saying that more research is needed before making a recommendation. Still another, more useful, approach is to use professional training and experience to appeal to a client's sense of logic. For instance, let's say that a client has been strength training on a regular basis for the past four months and now says that he read how HMB supplements (hydroxymethylbutyrate) can help him maintain muscle mass. Without knowing anything about HMB specifically, rely on training and experience to help the client weigh the pros and cons of starting a supplement regimen.

Although many supplements have been shown to be effective under certain conditions, set aside for now whether it can actually deliver on its health and fitness promises. Instead, try to focus on, and help the client understand, that an intelligent approach to exercise and diet are going to provide a much bigger "bang for the buck" than virtually any dietary supplement. Without the exercise program, the supplement is almost certain to fail in its promises. With the supplement, there may be an added benefit, but the magnitude of the effect will depend on a number of other factors related to exercise type and intensity, the adequacy of the individual's overall nutritional intake, and the body's response to the supplement.

Hot herbs and nutrients

What is it that makes one herb or supplement popular with the general public? The vast majority of dietary supplements, particularly herbals, had a long history of medicinal and therapeutic uses long before public interest became widespread. While there has certainly been a significant upswing in both the quantity and quality of scientific research on dietary supplements, the results from such studies generally serve as the basis for developing product claims relating to the function of the supplement in the body. Even though the specific ingredients and the research behind those compounds are important for detailed understanding of how and why dietary supplements may be beneficial, the most significant driver of public awareness of supplements is the media.

Top "fitness" nutrients

Fitness professionals recognize the importance of both training and nutrition for physical performance. The right balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, water, vitamins and minerals is necessary for optimal adaptations to training, yet many clients fail to eat the kind of diet they should. In some cases, a dietary supplement such as a daily multi-vitamin might be warranted as nutritional insurance, while in other situations, supplements may be used to induce very specific physiological effects, such as using ginseng tea as an afternoon pick-me-up. Outlined below are some of the more popular fitness-oriented supplements likely to be encountered.

Amino acids. Amino acids and various purified protein supplements are generally marketed to those trying to build muscle mass. More recently, however, high protein diets have again become popular, and protein-fortified products are available to promote weight loss and boost energy. Increasingly high doses of individual amino acids are touted for benefits outside of their traditional nutritional role in protein metabolism such as producing neurotransmitters, reducing inflammation and speeding exercise recovery.

Antioxidants. Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, as well as a variety of phyto-chemical extracts from grapes, tea leaves and even pine trees, are often promoted as a way to combat the damaging effects of free radicals generated by intense exercise. Free radicals, which are reactive molecules produced in higher amounts during high-intensity exercise, have been shown to contribute to muscle damage, inflammation and perhaps muscle soreness. The theory behind antioxidant supplements is that they may aid in exercise recovery by interacting with free radicals before they can do their damage.

B-vitamins. B-vitamins are often recommended to athletes and avid exercisers because of their role in carbohydrate and protein metabolism. Sometimes positioned as "energy-formulas" or "stress-formulas," daily needs for certain B-complex vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin B-6, are often elevated for regular exercisers.

Iron. Iron is a popular supplement among athletes because of its role in transporting oxygen (via hemoglobin in red blood cells) in the blood. Although iron-deficiency anemia results in well-documented reductions in physical performance, most fitness enthusiasts are unlikely to require supplemental iron. It is generally ill-advised to supplement with iron unless iron deficiency is documented with a serum ferritin analysis. Even those at highest risk for low iron status (i.e., normally-menstruating female athletes) should consider having their iron status evaluated before taking iron supplements.

Hot sports supplements

When it comes to dietary supplements for improved fitness and performance, there are several that vie for the title of "most-hyped" sports supplement. Among the contenders are creatine, HMB (hydroxy-methyl-butyrate), HCA (hydroxycitric acid), pyruvate, carnitine, DHEA (dihydroepiandrosterone), vanadyl sulfate, chromium picolinate, whey protein, androstenidione, and ginseng -- among hundreds of other supplements and herbal preparations specifically touted for performance, weight loss, muscle building or general wellness. While supplements can be helpful if they are supported by a strong rationale, validated by controlled scientific trials and there is a clear need for the supplement for a given individual, they should be viewed with skepticism. [See related article, "Pills, Powders and Potions," page 50.]

For example, a relatively sedentary woman may be interested in using chromium picolinate because she saw ads touting it as a "fat burner." Without question, anybody doing little or no regular exercise can reap huge weight-control benefits from the right training program, which would be the obvious first step for this woman (instead of the quick fix promised by the supplement). After a few months of dedicated training, however, her weight-loss progress may begin to plateau. If this weight loss was slowing because she was having difficulty adhering to her diet late in the day, chromium supplements may help keep those late-day sugar cravings under control -- not a magical fat-burner, but often a helpful addition to a healthy diet and exercise program.

Exercise vs. supplementation

Although some of the popular dietary supplements may be helpful in specific situations for certain people, most pale in comparison to the benefits achievable through a regular fitness program. In most cases, the fitness plan, not the supplement, is responsible for doing the "heavy lifting" when it comes to delivering the key health benefits. The supplements may be delivering that "little something extra" that many need to get over a plateau or spur to a new level of fitness, but the supplements should always be viewed as just that -- supplemental to the larger program of diet and exercise. Saying that supplements are "good" or "bad" is overly simplistic. People should consider supplement use in the proper context of each individual's unique circumstance. FM

REFERENCES

Burke, L.M., et al. Dietary supplements in sport. Sports Medicine 15(1): 43-65, Jan 1993.

Chandler, R.M., et al. Dietary supplements affect the anabolic hormones after weight-training exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology 76(2): 839-845, Feb 1994.

Clarkson, P.M. Effects of exercise on chromium levels. Is supplementation required? Sports Medicine 23(6): 341-349. Review, Jun 1997.

Johnson, W.A., et al. Nutritional supplements: Fact vs. fiction. Adolescent Medicine 9(3): 501-513, Oct 1998.

McBride, J.M., et al. Effect of resistance exercise on free radical production. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 30(1): 67-72, Jan 1998.

Mujika, I., et al. Creatine supplementation as an ergogenic acid for sports performance in highly trained athletes: A critical review. International Journal of Sports Medicine 18(7): 491-496, Oct 1997.

Nielsen, P., et al. Iron supplementation in athletes. Current recommendations. Sports Medicine 26(4): 207-216, Oct 1998.

Vukovich, M.D., et al. Effects of a low-dose amino acid supplement on adaptations to cycling training in untrained individuals. International Journal of Sports Nutrition 7(4): 298-309, Dec 1997.

Williams, M.H., et al. Creatine supplementation and exercise performance: An update. Journal of American College Nutrition 17(3): 216-234, Jun 1998.

Williams, M.H. The Ergogenics Edge: Pushing the limits of sports performance. Human Kinetics: Champaign, Ill., 1998.

THE JET7 FITNESS CHALLENGE 2008

CATEGORY LIMITS	SQUAT MAX REP	BENCH PRESS MAX REP	DEADLIFT MAX REP	SHOULDER PRESS MAX REP	CHIN (FREE STYLE) BODYWEIGHT
55KG/123LBS	135LBS	120LBS	135LBS	85LBS	BW
60KG/132LBS	145LBS	130LBS	145LBS	90LBS	BW
67KG/148LBS	160LBS	150LBS	160LBS	105LBS	BW
75KG/165LBS	180LBS	165LBS	180LBS	115LBS	BW
82KG/181LBS	200LBS	180LBS	200LBS	125LBS	BW
90KG/198LBS	220LBS	200LBS	220LBS	140LBS	BW
+90KG/+198LBS	240LBS	220LBS	240LBS	155LBS	BW
WOMEN OPEN	110LBS	90LBS	110LBS	55LBS	BW
BAR & COLLAR INCLUSIVE :55LBS
vétérans (+45ans) auront 10 points de plus comme handicape

Les athlètes auront à faire le maximum de répétitions d’après les charges respectives selon leur catégorie.

Celui ou celle qui réussira à totaliser le plus de répétition toutes catégories confondues sera le champion

Nutrition and fitnesss tidbits

The human body requires energy to move and function. The source of that energy is the food that an individual eats. Sound nutrition involves providing the human body with the six required nutrients in appropriate amounts. Unfortunately, considerable misunderstanding exists concerning what "sound nutrition" actually means. These 50 facts about nutrition are intended to provide insight into what constitutes proper nutrition, how to select particular foodstuffs to enhance nutritional levels, what some population subgroups like to eat, what role some foods play in preventing specific kinds of illnesses and how to lead a more nutritionally sound lifestyle.

1 Exercise trade-off. Expending 100 calories by exercising is the equivalent of burning two Oreo cookies, eight Saltine crackers or four cups of plain popped popcorn. You can burn 100 calories by cycling vigorously for 20 minutes, walking briskly for 25 minutes, playing 10 minutes of squash or racquetball, or bowling for 45 minutes.

2 Lighten up. Food that is labeled "light" must have 33 percent fewer calories, or 50 percent less fat or sodium, than the regular food item.

3 Steamed rice is nice. In order to eat healthy in a Chinese restaurant, avoid deep-fried foods such as fried noodles and egg rolls, and choose foods that have been boiled, steamed or stir-fried. For example, a cup of fried rice has 320 calories and 13 grams of fat, while a cup of steamed rice has 170 calories with 0 grams of fat

4 Daily stimulation. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the average American consumes about 200 milligrams of caffeine a day -- the amount found in approximately two or three cups of coffee.(no data available for mauritius)

5 Sugar fact. Six teaspoons of sugar in an eight ounce glass of water is equivalent to the concentration of sugar in some soft drinks.

6 Don't mess with stress. During stressful times in your life, try to eat enough protein. Stress may cause your body's tissues to break down faster and mend more slowly. Protein is important because it helps to repair tissue. Foods that serve as good sources of protein include fish, poultry, lean meats, milk products, dried beans and seafood.

7 Salt sense. The National Academy of Sciences suggests that you limit your daily intake of sodium to 1,100 to 3,300 mg (about one teaspoon of table salt). Merely bypassing the salt shaker is not enough. You also need to examine your intake of processed foods, which are often loaded with sodium in several forms.

8 Spread it thin. Butter and margarine have the same caloric content -- about 100 calories per tablespoon. Although butter has more saturated fat than margarine, saturated and unsaturated fat have the same number of calories. Because butter is an animal product, it also contains cholesterol, which margarine does not.

9 Sweet tooth. Chocolate is the food both men and women crave most often. In fact, the average American consumes about 12 pounds of chocolate each year, equaling approximately 28,000 calories.

10 Give it time. When you have a food craving, eat the food slowly. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes after you've eaten for your stomach to signal your brain that your craving has been satisfied.

11 C-mingly helpful. Some experts believe that vitamin C may help protect against the common cold and certain forms of cancer (e.g., esophageal and stomach). Vitamin C is found in its natural state in many types of fresh fruits and vegetables, including grapefruit, strawberries, green and red peppers, oranges, cantaloupe, tomatoes, broccoli, sweet potatoes and dark leafy greens.

12 Bugs Bunny had a good idea. One carrot a day has enough beta-carotene to lower the risk of cancer, particularly lung cancer. Other vegetables high in beta-carotene are beets, broccoli, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.

13 Egg-xactly. The white of an egg is almost pure protein. All of the fat and cholesterol is in the yolk.

14 Almost a ton. The average American teenager eats 1,817 pounds of food in a single year.

15 Beerly 80 percent of normal. Light beer typically has 20 percent fewer calories than regular brew.

16 Heart smart. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils appear to be protective against heart disease, probably by cutting blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels -- both significant factors for heart disease.

17 Good and lean. Meat, poultry and seafood which carry a lean label must contain fewer than 10 grams of fat per serving, with only up to four of those grams of fat being saturated.

18 A lot of fizzle. Americans drink carbonated soft drinks at the rate of 42 gallons per year. That's an average of 486.2 cans a year for every man, woman and child.

19 Less is better. Use common sense when ordering at a fast food restaurant. A single burger should be ordered rather than anything that is "double," "jumbo" or "super." Smaller portions are preferred over larger portions. For example, a large order of french fries has 400 calories and 22 grams of fat, whereas a small order of french fries has 220 calories and 12 grams of fat.

20 Coffee sense. For those of you who want to reduce the amount of coffee-derived caffeine you consume, merely switching to an alternative form of coffee can help keep your caffeine intake within an acceptable range. For example, percolated-brewed coffee has less caffeine than drip-brewed coffee, while instant coffee has less caffeine than brewed.

21 When the numbers don't jibe. The amount of fat in milk varies significantly. For example, 48 percent of the calories in whole milk comes from fat, 34 percent of the calories in "2 percent" milk comes from fat, and 5 percent in skim milk comes from fat.

22 Color-coded nutrients. In general, the darker the food, the more nutrients it contains. Pink grapefruit contains more than 30 times the vitamin A of white grapefruit. Romaine lettuce has twice the calcium and iron, eight times the vitamin C, and more than 10 times the vitamin A of iceberg lettuce.

23 Healthy to the bone. You can easily add calcium to your diet. Two tablespoons of nonfat, dry milk added to half a glass of skim milk boosts the calcium level in the beverage by 70 percent (from 150 milligrams to 255 milligrams). By eating a banana, you gain a generous portion of both potassium and calcium.

24 Less jolt. For coffee drinkers who prefer lattes, a two-ounce shot of espresso in a latte has less caffeine than an eight ounce cup of drip-brewed coffee.

25 Sweet unknown. Food labels should be checked for sugar content. Sucrose, or table sugar, is not the only form of sugar that can be added to a food product. Other forms of sugar include barley malt, corn sweetener, corn syrup, grape sugar, dextrose, fructose, glucose, honey, lactose, maltose, mannitol, sorghum, sorbitol and maple syrup.

26 On the road again. More than 46 million Americans patronize fast food restaurants every day, usually consuming foods high in fat and calories.

27 Cooking smart. Stir-frying is one of the best methods for retaining nutrients while cooking vegetables, followed by pressure cooking and steaming. Boiling is one of the worst, as is deep-frying.

28 Not so obvious. A bread with jelly is a somewhat healthier choice for breakfast than a american sandwich. A bread with one teaspoon of jelly has about 200 calories and one gram of fat, while a sandwich has about 273 calories and 12 grams of fat.

29 Hidden salt. When eating out, watch out for terms that indicate a lot of sodium: au jus, in broth, cocktail sauce, pickled, smoked, soy sauce or teriyaki sauce.

30 Protein matters. An average-sized man needs about 63 grams of protein a day (slightly more than two ounces) and an average-sized woman needs 50 grams (slightly lest than two ounces).

31 Listen to Linus (Pauling). The RDA for vitamin C is 60 mg for adults (age 19 to 50), half of what you get from one eight-ounce glass of fresh orange juice.

32 Fighting radicals. Consuming a diet high in antioxidants (i.e., vitamin C, vitamin A and beta-carotene) may help protect the body's cells from damage by neutralizing free radicals. In general, green and orange fruits and vegetables are good dietary sources of antioxidants.

33 Vegetarian's delight. Soybeans have an abundant amount of all nine essential amino acids, and are consequently an excellent source of protein for those who avoid all products of animal origin.

34 Almost faster than a speeding bullet. Alcoholic drinks are absorbed so fast and so efficiently that about 20 percent of the alcohol in a drink reaches your brain within seconds after you have consumed it.

35 Flushed away. Vitamin C and the entire list of B vitamins all dissolve in water. This means that you cannot store large amounts of these nutrients in your body. If you take in more than you need, you will urinate away the excess.

36 Water logged. Your body is mostly (50 to 70 percent) water. Exactly how much water depends on how old you are and how much muscle and fat you have. Muscle tissue has more water than fat tissue.

37 Where's the beef? The average American eats three hamburgers a week while Americans consume 40 billion burgers annually. The number of hamburgers and cheeseburgers consumed in restaurants has jumped by nearly a fifth since 1990.

38 Variety is the spice of life. No one food or class of foods, regardless of the benefits, can give you all the nutrients that you need. A healthful diet means variety and eating foods from all five food groups -- grains, vegetables, fruits, milk products and meats.

39 Less than imagined. You may not be absorbing the bulk of the nutrients you take in. Even under the best conditions, calcium uptake rarely exceeds 50 percent of intake, and maximum iron absorption from certain foods may be only 5 to 15 percent.

40 A matter of gender. A 140-pound man can keep his weight steady while eating about 10 percent more than a 140-pound woman, who is the same age and performs the same amount of physical work. Why? Men have more muscle tissue than women and, consequently, burn more calories than women both at rest and during activity.

41 Keeping things in perspective. Even if you are watching your calories, eating a few "goodies" once in a while is not a crime. The following snacks have only 50 to 60 calories each: two chocolate kisses; eight chocolate-covered mini grahams; one low-fat, sugar-free ice cream bar; 12 jelly beans; one mini peanut butter cup; and one cracker "sandwich" filled with peanut butter or cheese.

42 Fiber fills. Fiber-rich foods, such as many fruits and vegetables, tend to be bulkier and help you feel more full on a low-calorie diet.

43 Fat-free doesn't mean calorie-free. If a food package label says the food is fat free, the product must contain fewer than 0.5 grams of fat per serving. Calorie-free items must contain fewer than five calories per serving.

44 Swift delivery. Cooked vegetables should be served quickly. After 24 hours in the refrigerator, vegetables lose about one-fourth of their vitamin C, and after two days, nearly half.

45 Unwelcome occurrence. Almost three-quarters of all allergy reactions to food are caused by three foods: eggs, milk or peanuts.

46 Cancer buster. Cabbage-family (cruciferous) vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and cabbages, appear to protect you against colorectal, stomach and respiratory cancers.

47 Perfect partners. If you take vitamin and/or mineral supplements, you should take them with food. Food helps improve the absorption of nutrients. If fat-soluble vitamins are consumed on an empty stomach, they are not efficiently absorbed.

48 Think zinc. Just as women lose iron during menstrual bleeding, men lose zinc at ejaculation. As a result, men who are extremely active sexually may need extra zinc. Zinc is found in a variety of breads and cereals, meat, poultry and fish. The RDA for zinc is 15 milligrams for men and 12 milligrams for women.

49 Keep it coming. You need a fresh supply of water every day to replace what is lost when you breathe, perspire, urinate and defecate. On average, this amounts to approximately 12.5 cups a day.

50 The great pyramid. According to the Food Pyramid developed by the Food and Drug Administration, the majority of what we eat daily should come from grains such as bread, cereal, rice and pasta. The recommendation is for six to 11 servings of grains a day (six servings for a small female and 11 servings for a large male).

Body Image :strategies for developing a positive body image.

Body image, the way you think and feel about your body, exerts a strong influence on your self-confidence and quality of life. Many people have a negative body image, judge their bodies to be below acceptable standards for appearance, and spend enormous amounts of time, energy and money worrying about how they look. While it is normal to be concerned about your appearance, spending a great deal of your time worrying about your weight and how you look can cause stress, anxiety and depression, and prevent you from enjoying life. In extreme cases, worrying about your appearance can lead to harmful behaviors, including eating disorders and drug abuse.

Doesn't some concern about appearance and weight help you to develop a healthful lifestyle? Wanting to look good can motivate you to do the right things: eat right, exercise, get enough sleep and manage stress. But if you feel bad about yourself, you may not be able to summon the energy to stick to your healthy lifestyle resolutions. Living well depends on good self-regard. You will be more successful at changing your habits when you approach lifestyle change from a position of strength.

Why is it that some people make peace with their less-than-perfect bodies, while others become obsessed with achieving an impossible perfection? Researchers have compared these two groups and have found several behaviors associated with body image resilience, or the ability to feel good about your appearance despite falling short of society's standards of perfection.

Challenge beauty standards

This is a nice time in history for women who are naturally slender to be alive. A hundred years ago, they would have been the ones disappointed with their bodies! Fashions come and go, and, at this point, few of us fit the fashion ideal. No matter how much we exercise and diet, we may never achieve a "perfect" physique. Fashion helps sell products, and encourages us to feel dissatisfied with our appearance, so we will buy clothes, makeup and other products.

Challenge irrational thoughts

Many people fall for the "myth of transformation." They think, "If I were thinner, I would be happier," or "I would have the perfect mate," or "the perfect job," or "more money." In many cases, people put their lives on hold, waiting until they lose weight to look for a better job or pursue an interesting hobby or travel. Other people harbor irrational ideas, such as, "No one will love me unless I look perfect," or "I must be a bad person since I can't lose weight."

You may need to replace such irrational beliefs with more realistic and positive thoughts. Focus instead on health, and developing a healthful lifestyle to look and feel your best, but not because you must attain perfection. Appreciate all your body can do.

Enjoy physical activity

Active people tend to have a more positive body image. They exercise for positive reasons — to reduce stress, anxiety and depression — and to increase energy levels, sleep better and feel stronger. Find activities you enjoy, and relish your body's strength, power, health and vitality.

Make peace with your genes

Make the most of what you have. If you need to lose weight to be healthier, set realistic goals — usually, no more than a 10-percent weight loss that is achieved in a healthful fashion, and stays off.

Develop your personal style

The impression you make has a lot to do with posture, confidence and personal style. Wear clothes that you love, that are comfortable, and that make you look and feel good.

Strive for healthy families

Your family exerts a strong influence on your body image and self-esteem. If you are a parent, help your family develop healthful eating and exercise habits. Model self-acceptance and a positive attitude. Help children get involved in productive activities that build self-confidence. Reduce the focus on appearance. Encourage children to develop "media literacy" — an ability to critique the messages commercials send to sell products, and the sociocultural messages embedded in movies, TV and other media.

Cultivate effective coping strategies

Life is not always easy, but don't blame your problems on appearance. Cultivate effective strategies for coping with stress. Develop friendships that make you feel good about yourself. And get a life! Recognize that health and fitness are means to an end: a life well lived. Get involved in work, recreation, family and community. Use your talents to make the world a better place.

FAT LOSS (1b) YOUR BIGGEST MISTAKE

VERY LOW CALORIE DIET ; FAT LOSS SABOTAGE

When we're bombarded with images of gorgeous celebrities who seem to lose weight in record time, it's no wonder we're often tempted to cut our already low calorie intakes in an effort to shift an extra pound or two each week.But surprisingly, rather than helping us to reach our target weight more quickly, severely restricting calories actually prevents our bodies from burning unwanted fat stores effectively - and unfortunately, this means that weight loss slows down.

Why does a very low calorie intake slow down weight loss?

Quite simply, your body goes into 'starvation mode'. This mechanism, which is thought to have evolved as a defence against starvation, means the body becomes super efficient at making the most of the calories it does get from food and drink. The main way it does this is to protect its fat stores and instead use lean tissue or muscle to provide it with some of the calories it needs to keep functioning. This directly leads to a loss of muscle, which in turn lowers metabolic rate so that the body needs fewer calories to keep ticking over and weight loss slows down. Of course, this is the perfect solution if you're in a famine situation. But if you're trying to lose weight, it's going to do little to help you shift those unwanted pounds.

So how many calories should I have to prevent starvation mode?

Unfortunately, there's no single answer to this question. As everyone's metabolism varies in the first place, so too will the point when the body starts to use muscle to provide it with calories in a 'famine-type' situation. That's why WLR works out suitable calorie intakes for each member on an individual basis and never lets you opt to lose more than 2lb a week, which would require a severely restricted calorie intake. In other words, if you stick to the calorie intake recommended by WLR, you can be sure your body won't go into starvation mode.

As a general rule though, most nutrition experts recommend never going below 1,000-1,200 (if you are on a fitness program then 1400 calories for women and 1700 calories for men)calories a day if you're dieting on your own. It's also worth bearing in mind that the body doesn't suddenly 'enter' and 'leave' starvation mode it's a gradual process - so you don't need to panic if you do go below your calorie intake very occasionally.

So what happens my body on fewer than 1000 calories a day?

• Your metabolism slows down to conserve energy.
• Your body uses blood sugar, made from carbohydrates, for fuel just as a car uses gas (petrol). Without blood sugar, the brain and central nervous system, as well as other bodily systems, will cease to work efficiently.
• To try to counteract the lack of blood sugar from carbohydrates in the diet, your body will break down fat, which is what you want, but it will also breakdown muscle and other lean body tissue.
• Losing lean body tissue can be very dangerous. Even organs can be broken down to use as fuel.
• Losing lean body tissue can also be counter-productive. Muscle tissue increases the resting metabolic rate. With reduced amounts of muscle, your metabolism will slow. When you come off the diet, increased fat cells will form because your metabolism is slow and so your body needs less blood sugar for fuel. It is also a survival mechanism in case of another 'famine'.
• With very low calorie diets, an imbalance in minerals and electrolytes can occur, which can be dangerous. These govern the balance of fluids in the body allowing nerves and muscles to function.
• Osteoporosis can be another danger, especially for women. Often dairy products like eggs, milk and cheese are cut out of a very low calorie diet so cutting out a major source of calcium leading to loss of bone mass.
• Anaemia (a lack of iron in the blood) can also be another risk. If taken to extremes, women can find that menstuation (periods) becomes irregular or stops altogether.
• A lack of serotonin in the brain can be another problem which leads to clinical depression.
• You might find that the lack of essential nutrients on a very low calorie diet leads to a deterioration in the condition of your hair and nails.
• One of the great dangers of this kind of dieting is that you can become acclimatised to it. As your body reduces some of its functions, including those of the brain and nerves, and as depression takes hold due to a lack of serotonin, you can slip into anorexia nervosa - a truly life threatening condition.
• As mentioned above, when you finally come off this diet, you will almost certainly regain all the weight you have lost plus more leading to yoyo dieting, now believed to be dangerous.

What's the link between muscle and metabolism?

The metabolic rate - the rate at which the body burns calories - is partly determined by the amount of muscle we have. In general, the more muscle we have, the higher our metabolic rate; the less muscle we have, the lower our metabolic rate. This explains why men, who have a high proportion of muscle, have a faster metabolism than women, and why a 20-year-old has a higher metabolism than a 70-year-old - again, they have more muscle.

Ultimately, muscle burns a lot more calories than fat so when we lose muscle, our metabolic rate drops and we burn fewer calories. In fact, research shows that the body loses a proportionately high amount of muscle with a very low calorie intake and this may considerably suppress metabolism by up to 45 percent.

This explains why it's crucial to do as much as you can to protect your metabolic rate, especially when you're dieting. And this means dieting sensibly with a suitable, rather than a very low calorie intake so that you lose fat rather than muscle.

Is there anything else I can do to stop losing muscle when I'm dieting?

As well as making sure you have sufficient calories to burn fat rather than muscle, it's also possible to build muscle, which in turn boosts metabolism. And the way to do this is, of course, to increase the amount of exercise you do. While areobic activities such as jogging, swimming, fast walking and aerobic classes help to tone muscle and burn fat, strength or resistance training in particular will increase the amount of muscle you have in your body. And this is good news because for every extra 1lb of muscle you have, your body uses around an extra 50 calories a day! This means an extra 10lb of muscle will burn roughly an extra 500 calories a day without you doing anything - and that's a sufficient amount to lose 1lb in a week.

FAT LOSS (1a)"people don't plan to fail, they fail to plan"

Important Components to Goal Setting ;Identify objective : what is your goal?

Do you want to:
* improve your appearance
* physical skills
* build endurance, flexibility or strength
* lose weight




Make sure the activities that you pick specifically meet the fitness goal setting result you want.

With fitness goal setting, it is important not to undermine yourself with goals that are too long-term or impossible to attain.

For example; “I want to lose all my extra weight before summer” is too unrealistic; particularly if you have a great deal of weight to lose and summer is 3 months away.

Too often fitness goal setting is an end result of whatever program we choose, and not a part of it. You have to make goals an active part of your life by creating goals that lead to the next goal.

It is just like the backwards technique mentioned earlier.

For instance, fitness goal setting in order to lose 10 pounds puts the goal at the end without putting too much pressure on you right away. You can add to this goal once it is achieved and so on.

Setting a goal to join a gym and attend it three times a week makes the weight loss goal a part of the program.

You will have set a goal that is achievable almost immediately. This gives you a sense of accomplishment, which is an incentive to setting and achieving the next one in your fitness goal setting.
Keep a Record

Write your goals down so you have something to look forward to as well as back on. To begin, map out no more than eight weeks of activities towards your first fitness goal.
You can begin by asking yourself these questions:

1. What is my current exercise goal this month or do I even have one?

2. What gets in my way when starting or continuing a balanced health maintenance program?

3. What is my target weight and my plan and time frame to get there?

3. How can I improve in getting more sleep?

5. What is my ideal overall appearance?

6. Would a personal trainer help me develop and reach my fitness goal setting more effectively and can I afford one?

7. Of the meals I eat each month, how can I eat healthier, and what can I change in order to eat healthier without getting bored?

8. What books and classes can I take to improve upon my health?

9. Is it time for me to go in for a complete physical and when the last one was that I had?

10. How can I reduce or completely eliminate alcohol, chemical dependencies and/or smoking in my body?

11. What ways may I be able to cook in a healthier manner?

12. How can I improve my current heart rate, blood pressure, and cholesterol count?

You have to be honest with yourself at all times when it comes to fitness goal setting. You should also consult a doctor and a professional trainer before making any changes to your diet or exercise regimen to ensure that you will not harm yourself. Then, get started

Goal Setting Efficacy

* A meta-analysis on 36 studies demonstrate goal setting in sports and exercise can improve performance (Kyllo & Landers 1995)
* Females who set goals or who were assigned goals by their instructor made greater strength gains than compared to a control group (Boyce 1994).
* Setting all 3 types of goals improves performance (Filby 1999)
* Behavioral goals improve performance quicker than outcome goals (Kingston & Hardy 1997)
o Over-emphasis of outcome goals may create anxiety and reduce performance (Filby 1999)
+ outcome goals are less controllable than behavioral goals

Worksite Health Promotion Programs enhance the overall health and productivity of your company

Worksite Health Promotion Programs enhance the overall health and productivity of your organization!

Benefits For Employers:

· Enhanced employee productivity

· Improved health care costs management

· Decreased rates of illness and injuries

· Reduced employee absenteeism

.Develops employee leadership skills

Benefits For Employees:

· Lower levels of stress

· Increased well-being, self-image and self-esteem
.improved physical fitness

· Increased stamina

· Potential weight reduction

Benefits For The company:

· Your Company is more competitive in the global market place

A survey (u.s.a) of research on 17 worksite exercise programs supports the view that these activities improve employee fitness and help reduce health risks. Employers also benefit from reduced absenteeism and lower medical costs.

Participating in such fitness programs is important because sedentary living can have an adverse impact on an individual's health. First, sedentary living habits lead to a low level of physical fitness. For example, a sedentary 35-year-old man has the same physical fitness level as an active 55-year-old man. Second, sedentary living habits and low physical fitness have been linked to diseases such as hypertension, obesity, cancer, stress, depression and coronary heart disease.

Benefits

The results from programs that measured the impact of exercise on absenteeism show mostly favorable effects. For example, some company experienced an almost 50-percent drop in average absenteeism among program participants relative to the year prior to the fitness program, while another company reported a net reduction of 4.7 hours of sick leave per employee per year for program participants. Also, one company had a 20.1-percent decrease in average disability days among program participants.

In addition, direct medical and health care cost savings also have been documented in several studies of worksite exercise programs