If you have the best intentions but need that extra push, you may benefit from the support of an exercise group. This group can consist of friends or complete strangers but it’s focus it to get fit together. Walking Curves of Atlanta, Georgia is one of the many fitness groups for plus size women. If you’re interested in starting a Plus Size exercise group in your area, the following steps will point you in the right direction.

• Decide what type of exercise you want to do. Walking, running, low impact aerobics, high impact aerobics, calisthenics, weight training, tai chi and yoga will require different levels of fitness and will attract different participants.
• Determine your own fitness level, as you will want this to be the starting point for the group. If you haven’t exercised in years, you don’t want to attract people who are ready to start out running five miles a day or doing an hour of high impact aerobics. Be realistic.
• Find a location suitable for the needs of the group. If the group will be running or walking, you’ll need to find a trail or track at a park, playground or university. If you’ve decided on an indoor exercise regimen, approach the YMCA or other community center about using a space in their facility.
• If you’ve decided you want to do aerobics, yoga or another type of exercise that requires a leader, rent a selection of instructional DVDs that demonstrate workouts of that type. Watch them and choose a couple that are your speed.” Be sure to select ones that show participants working out at various levels, because there will always be some group members a little more or less advanced than others.
• Get the word out. Tell everyone you know what you’re trying to do. If you work for a large company, consider the possibility of starting an exercise group in that setting. Create a flyer to raise awareness and get permission to post it throughout the building.If starting a group where you work is not an option, post flyers in the vicinity of the location where the group will exercise. Call your local paper and ask them to mention it in the Community Events or Meetings section.
• Make the first meeting a getting-to-know-you and information gathering session. Discuss how often and what time the group will meet. Serve light refreshments, such as coffee, bottled water and juice. You may want to play the DVDs you’ve selected and get some feedback from the participants. Some of them may also have favorites that could be considered for the group’s use as well.
• Get to work! As the informal leader of the group, you should try to keep your enthusiasm high to set a good example. Moaning and groaning is not good for the group’s morale.

Photo Credit: Soulfulbeauty.comYou know all of the good-for-you arguments for becoming more physically active, but here’s an especially attractive reward: exercise can improve your sex life.

Being physically active helps you feel more interested in sex, gives you the energy and strength you need for enjoying your partner or yourself more, reduces the stress that can block sexual interest and builds the muscles used in sexual intimacy.

Research shows that exercise boosts women’s sexual arousal—even if they were experiencing low sexual desire before starting physical activity. That effect is strongest 15 minutes after exercising (a good reason to work out at home!).

These exercises can help increase your sexual interest and pleasure:

• Aerobic exercise of all types—brisk walking, dancing, bike riding, swimming, jogging—improves blood flow, which supports sexual arousal. It also increases lung capacity and cardiac endurance for sustaining sexual activities as long as you want.

• Do floor exercises to strengthen your flexibility and stamina. While lying on your back, try gentle pelvic arches, lower body lifts and thigh stretches. And don’t forget the importance of being able to support your body’s weight during sex. To get in shape for that, lie on the floor face down and do modified push-ups (keep lower leg bent on the mat or carpet).

• Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and are known for improving urinary incontinence in women and men, but these exercises also may help women reach orgasm and increase sexual functioning. Go here and here to learn more about how to perform Kegel exercises.

• Pilates and yoga both build core muscles and so are likely to benefit sexual activity. Women have reported anecdotally that these methods have helped them. A 2010 study found that Pilates improved pelvic muscle strength as much as a pelvic floor muscle-training program in women with little or no functional problem. Recent yoga research determined that women enrolled in a 12-week yoga program significantly improved their sexual functions in all categories: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and less pain.

~HealthyWomen.org

How would you feel if your child was removed from your home and placed into foster care for being obese?

According to a group of health specialists in England and Ireland, some obese children should be removed from their homes.

There are 20 documented cases in the U.K. where obese children have been removed from their homes and there are sporadic cases of the same situation occurring in the U.S.

How is this justified?

Childhood obesity can be seen as a failure to adequately care for your children by failing to provide a healthy diet and sufficient activity, whether through direct neglect or more subtly through an inability to deny children the pleasures of energy dense fast food and television viewing, according to health experts.

The neglect that leads to obesity may be a sign of other problems in the home. As many as one-third of obese adults say they were sexually abused as children.

Some pediatricians and other professionals wonder if obese children would be better off in the custody of child protective services.

Failure to provide children with medical treatment for chronic diseases (asthma or epilepsy) can result in the government intervening and placing the child in foster care.  If  removing an obese child from their home prevents future health problems such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, is this justified?

Thoughts?

{Source}

She knows all too well that her weight loss successes are due in part to a tremendous family support system who encouraged her and created an environment that fostered a healthy lifestyle. She has lost 30 more lbs since the finale show, making her truly an inspiration to those who feel like there is no hope in controlling their weight.

Carla’s journey to losing the weight and keeping it off  is the catalyst behind her involvement with the Health and Weight Loss Family Festival Saturday, June 26 in Morristown, New Jersey. This free event is hosted by the daughter of Former Heavyweight champion Muhammed Ali, Khaliah Ali and will feature fun activities for the family, all the while providing alternatives to assist those that are struggling to control their weight and assistance for the families that support them. For more information, visit their website.

Carla has been keeping busy since her appearance on The Biggest Loser. She is the C.E.O. of  Let’s Get Gorgeous, an image consulting firm and is also a  fitness advisor. She  recently added model to her growing  list of titles having just appeared in a photo shoot for Plus Model Magazine and on the runway during Full Figured Fashion Week™  in The Susan Moses Collection.

The two stretches below take only a few minutes, but help ease the burden on your body created by sitting for hours. They’ll rejuvenate you during the work day and send you home ready for an active evening.

#1: Chest stretch

Why this exercise is helpful: When you sit at a computer all day, you often start to slouch, shoulders rounded forward. It’s a good idea to relieve that strain by opening up the chest muscles several times throughout the day.

Where to do it: Sitting in a chair or standing.

How to do it:

•Stand or sit with your body straight.
•Put both arms out to the side (elbows slightly bent) with your palms facing forward.
•Bring your arms back as far as you can go comfortably, while feeling the stretch in your chest.
•Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.
•Repeat 3 to 5 times.
#2: Neck and upper back stretch

Why this exercise is helpful: This stretch relaxes muscle tension in the neck and upper back. It also helps relieve workday stress.

Where to do it: Sitting in a chair.

How to do it:

•Drop your chin down to your chest.
•Place your hands on the back of your head.
•Gently push down until you feel a comfortable slight stretch in your neck and some of your upper back.
•Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, breathing slowly.
•If you close your eyes while doing this stretch and concentrate on your breathing, this can be a great stress reliever.
•Repeat 3 to 5 times.

{HealthyWomen.org}

The benefits of drinking enough water are many but below is just a list of some that I thought were interesting:

• Promotes clear skin
• Lubricates joints
• Prevents muscles soreness
• Helps to eliminate toxic waste from our bodies
• Regulates body temperature
• Helps keep excess weight off
• Protects our organs
• Helps in digestion and constipation
• Relieves fatigue
• Moisturizes the air in lungs
• Helps to relieve headaches caused by dehydration

Some of us only feel the need to drink water when we are thirsty or are experiencing dry mouth which is a sign of dehydration.  Many of us are living in a dehydrated state and can cure many of the ailments that we may be suffering with by doing something as simple as just counting how many C.O.W.’s we are drinking a day adding an additional cup. 

Take note now and if you are not drinking at least 8 – 10 glasses a day, you are actually causing your body to work twice as hard to keep it functioning properly.  Below is a small list of some signs that you may be dehydrated:

• Dry skin
• Dark  Urine
• Constipation
• Tiredness
• Irregular blood pressure
• Cramped muscles
• Hunger

I know drinking water can be difficult at times but once you start, you will be used to consuming a healthy amount of H2O.  So try drinking an extra cup of water today and see if you don’t start feeling better by the end of the week!

If you’re a plus size woman and you’re starting to develop your work out routine, selecting a fitness center that is curve friendly may be your key to success. The following fitness center’s offer women the perfect environment for fitness success.

Shapely Girl Fitness- An all women’s fitness facility. They have personal training, group fitness classes including Shapelygirl Fusion, Step, Pilates, Yoga, Zumba, Tae-Bo, Toning and Nutrition. They have all new equipment, treadmills, elipticals and nutritional counseling, and tanning. They welcome all women but specialize in PLUS SIZE FITNESS.

2439 South Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19148
(267) 773-7346

New Face Of Fitness- New Face of Fitness is a combination of movement, lifestyle modification, individualized assistance and support sessions. It is designed to emphasize that health and fitness come in all shapes and sizes, and that not everyone should or can be a size 3. It was founded by Dee Hakala, who once weighed over 360 pounds herself, and felt the intimidation of entering traditional aerobics programs and fitness clubs.

Locations Vary
(630) 854-0320

Plus Size Fitness @ Colonial Fitness Center- A popular program designed and run by Theresa O’Donnell (Certified Group Instructor and Personal Trainer) It’s Basic, Simple, Low-Impact & Fun! Expect to slim down, be fit and get healthy. Classes are designed especially for the plus-size person. It starts out slowly and progresses within your own individual limits.

172 Shillington Rd
Sinking Spring, PA 19608
(610) 777-7801

Curves- Created specifically for women, Curves offers a complete fitness and nutrition solution. The Curves 30 minute workout exercises every major muscle group and burns up to 500 calories through a proven program of strength training, cardio and stretching. In addition, club promotions and events encourage women to support charitable causes, learn about health-related issues and forge lasting friendships as part of the global Curves community.

Locations vary
(800) 848-1096

If you want daily inspiration, check out these plus friendly fitness blogs:

• Fit Bottomed Girls- Launched in May 2008, the Fit Bottomed Girls website features multiple weekday posts with fresh fitness content for real women and girls (and even the guys) interested in increasing their health through physical activity and sensible eating. The FBGs pride themselves on their honest reviews and aren’t afraid to tell it like it is.
• A Black Girl’s Guide To Weight Loss- After losing over 100 pounds, Erika wanted to share her journey and things that worked for her. She admits that she doesn’t have all of the answers but she knows what worked for her.

The percentage of obese girls in the United States increased more than twice as much as the percentage of obese boys from 2003 to 2007, according to a study by researchers at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

States such as Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana and Tennessee were in the top 20 percent of childhood obesity rates with prevalence exceeding 20%, while states such as Oregon and Wyoming in the Western region had the lowest obesity rates with a prevalence of about 10%. The geographic disparities in obesity prevalence increased between 2003 and 2007.

“Children in several states in the South are at twice the risk of becoming obese than children in Oregon, which had the lowest prevalence rate,” said study’s lead author, Dr. Gopal K. Singh, of HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

Based on children aged 10 to 17, the study was the first to present geographic differences over time among individual states and used extensive individual, household, and neighborhood data from two large, nationally representative cross-sectional surveys conducted under the overall direction and sponsorship from HRSA and conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study also analyzed overweight prevalence among children and adolescents.

Overweight and obesity are labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height. The terms also identify ranges of weight that have been shown to increase the likelihood of certain diseases and other health problems. This study analyzed heights and weights of children as reported by their parents during the surveys.

Additional information found in this study included the following:

• While overweight prevalence among the total population did not
  increase significantly between 2003 and 2007, it increased 9 percent
  among girls in these areas.
• Overweight prevalence varied from a low of 23.1 percent in Utah to a
  high of 44.5 percent in Mississippi.
•  Obesity prevalence nearly doubled among girls in  Arizona and
  Kansas.

Risks of obesity or overweight increased significantly in relation to decreased household income, lower neighborhood access to parks or sidewalks, lower levels of physical activity, and increased television viewing time and computer use.

This study implies that girls in southern states are more likely to become overweight.

1. Food Preferences: Choose a program that features the foods you enjoy. If you feel deprived, you won’t stick with it over the long haul. It’s all about modification. If you love cereal and grains, a low carb approach is not the best way to get started on your weight loss program. Portion control is the secret to weight loss and maintenance.

2. Adequate Calories: Most women need a minimum of 1300-1400 calories—and men approximately 1600—just to cover basic metabolic functions, and more when you incorporate more activity and muscle building exercises. Avoid very low calorie diets as, although you may experience quick weight loss, experts say that the quicker you lose it, the quicker you put it back on. Slow, gradual weight reduction—about one to two pounds a week—is more likely to be permanent.

3. Fads: Avoid programs that require eating certain foods with other foods, such as, “Only eat fruit after meals, never with protein,” or other such unscientific recommendations. Very low carb diets produce quick and dramatic weight loss, but are not intended to be sustained over the long term. If you choose a “branded” diet, be sure to follow the instructions and not set your own rules.

4. Meal Patterns and Mealtimes: How do you like to eat? Respect your personal preferences, and your internal clock. Some people do fine with the traditional three meals daily, but I find that eating smaller meals more frequently helps dieters maintain energy and avoid the highs that follow big meals and lows from too many hours in between. A good strategy is to take something from each meal to eat a couple of hours later, such as a cup of nonfat yogurt or a turkey rollup (a slice of turkey breast rolled up with tomato and lettuce).

5. Preparation: Dieting is hard enough. Don’t choose a recipe-based plan if you don’t have time to cook. The right plan suits your lifestyle. Meal replacements are ideal for portion control, and many successful weight maintainers use them consistently. Use quick cereals, individual portions of yogurt, and frozen entrees—they’re balanced and nutritious and don’t require too much planning or prep.

6. Balanced Nutrition: Choose a program that includes a variety of foods so you don’t become bored and lose your motivation to continue. High fiber vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy, monounsaturated fat (from olive oil and fatty fish) are the ingredients of a healthy diet that you can maintain permanently.

7. Budget: An important consideration, because some plans are very economical and others are more expensive to maintain. The most flexible and frugal is the recipe-type plan. Learn all you can about nutrition and replace any item in your menu with one that’s on sale. Economize by purchasing large-sized portions of fish, vegetables, chicken, or fruit. Pre-portioned prepared foods are more expensive, but for some, it’s worth the price to enjoy the convenience and portion control.

8. Support: Support helps keep you on track and motivates you to reach your weight goal. Commit to meeting with an expert, a coach, a group, or a friend— especially at the beginning of your behavioral change. Support may be face-to-face, or sign up for a free or fee-based online program. It’s BEST to commit to a scheduled meeting time or, better yet, a program that lasts at least 12 weeks with a continuing maintenance program. A face-to-face consultation with a registered dietitian who will stay in touch by phone or email is the best game plan.

9. Maintenance: Once you’re at your goal, it’s ideal to stay with the program you used for a year, modifying it to add variety so you may fully adopt your new healthy behaviors. The best program transitions to a maintenance program once you reach your weight goal.

LL: When did you decide that you wanted to get healthy and lose some weight and why?

DO: When I couldn’t wear stilettos anymore. I was crushed when I started struggling just to walk in my heels.

LL: Tell us a little about your eating habits prior to starting an exercise routine and eating healthier.  What were some of your weaknesses and what foods were “trigger” foods for you and are they still now and if so, what do you do about it when the urge comes?  What are some of the struggles and benefits of this new lifestyle?

DO: My eating habit was illegal. I should have been locked up. I ate what I wanted, at any time of the day, and was always eating out. I didn’t really have any “trigger” foods. All foods were my “friend” and I never discriminated!! My only weakness was myself. Yes I do still have urges to eat unhealthy and yes I still eat them. But I limit them to a smaller portion.

LL: Portion control is something I am working on, so it is good to know that sometimes it is better to have what you crave, just in a smaller amount.  You are looking Fit & Fabulous, I am curious, how long have you been working out and eating right and how much weight have you lost?

DO: Thanks girl! I feel F.I.T, Fabulous, and Foxy!!! I’ve been working out and living a healthy lifestyle since September 2009. I don’t know how much I’ve lost. Nor will I count. Numbers are the enemy! It’s all about inches and muscle tone. I can proudly say that I am down 2 sizes and I’m still dropping!

LL: I can tell too because you are really looking great and seem happier too, your personality is just shining through more than ever!  What has helped to keep you motivated and before joining F.I.T. did you have a support system cheering you on along the way or someone to workout with or did you go at it alone?

DO: Many things kept me motivated before joining F.I.T. I had several upcoming trips, functions, a bad break up, and a reunion with an old friend. My family and friends were really supportive from the beginning. They are even still cheering me on today. I had several people join me while working out and it made it more enjoyable, but I prefer to work out alone. It is a time for me to reflect, meditate, and just enjoy my own company.

LL: Sounds like you had a lot going on, though some people may take this time for self-destructive behavior or for an opportunity to overeat, you took this time for self-reflection and improvement, God is good.  What are some of your favorite exercises, how much/often do you exercise and how do you feel it has affected your level of energy and overall desire to eat healthy foods and be healthy.

DO: My favorite exercises include doing a 5 mile walk/jog in the park, getting on the elliptical, weight training, or yoga. I work out at least 4 days a week anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 ½ hrs depending on what I’m doing. I’ve definitely seen a change. I have much more energy, confidence, optimism, and outlook on life. I’m more secure in my decisions and more candid with my opinions and my approach with people.

LL: Amazing how changing to a healthy lifestyle can change so much from within as well, I love it! What are some of your health goals?

DO: My goals are to live a healthy lifestyle physically, nutritionally, spiritually, emotionally, financially, etc. I want to do more than “get into shape”. I want to drop a lot of “dead weight”. I want to overcome a lot of demons that are holding me back from being my best potential. More importantly, I don’t want to be overweight and unhealthy when it’s my time to have children. My biggest desire is to be a mother. And I want to take care of my body now in preparation for the children God will bless me with.

LL: Amen to that!  You said a lot right there.  What are your thoughts on self-esteem, confidence and self love that you would like to share with our readers?

DO: Self esteem, confidence, and self love are a must for every woman. Without them, it will be hard to love anyone else. I try to balance a healthy amount of confidence and high self-esteem. Too much of either is, to me, unattractive and a turn off.  Self love is simply, loving yourself; unconditionally. It’s about standing firm on your beliefs and opinion and not allowing anyone to diminish your worth or make you question your importance. It’s about respecting and cherishing yourself as the precious jewel you are.

LL: Beautiful!  Anything else you would like to share with us?

DO: I just want to encourage every woman to love yourself regardless of what size you are, but to also exercise caution and wisdom when it comes to your health. There is nothing wrong with having curves. You are, however, posing a danger to yourself and your family when you are overweight. Don’t lose weight to be skinny, keep or attract a man, or take revenge for those losers that left you!!!. Do it because you want to be F.I.T and healthy.

LL: Thank you Dawn for this wonderful interview, truly I feel empowered, motivated and inspired to keep working on my temple as well.  You are curvy, confident and beautiful and definitely an inspiration, God Bless!