That was the headline I saw and I had to know more, not so much because it is the Pentagon, but because eyes are being open to the impact of obesity on the health, well being and welfare of our nation.

If you have read this blog before, you are well aware that our country is facing an Obesity Epidemic; we are literally a ticking time bomb set to implode.   Our health care system can not absorb the impact of the rising health care needs of our increasing waist lines.

Obesity has been directly linked to Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Cardiac Disease and some cancers, we do not have time to lose in manning our battleships and waging war on this lethal enemy…an enemy within our own bodies.

So now the Pentagon is on board….

The Military has begun to see the problem of Obesity affecting our Military Readiness. As stated in a recent Yahoo News Feed:

…a recent army study that says more than one quarter of 17- to 24-year-olds are too overweight to serve in the military. Active members of the military are also becoming more overweight, a Pentagon official said, and that causes a “readiness problem.”

Also, there is a direct attack on the Military’s budget:

…the U.S. military spends about $4.65 billion in food services each year. It also spends an estimated $1.1 billion a year on medical care associated with excess weight and obesity.

That was 1.1 Billion of your tax dollars a year to treat people from a completely preventable health concerns. 

It is about time the Pentagon is taking action.

We all need to take action here. 

We all need to continue to become educated and enlightened about eating healthy and living an active lifestyle, and I am grateful that this is having an impact on the Higher-Ups in the world.  They are the ones who can effect positive change for so many others.

So what changes have you been making for yourself and your family to live a healthier lifestyle?  If you are one of the proud members of the military family, it will be that much easier from this point forward.

And for that I am grateful.

Have a healthy day,

Jo-Ellen Marks

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I was on Yahoo News today and I came across an article about Childhood Obesity and Behavior Programs.

I am extremely interested in this topic.

We are literally fighting for our lives and the lives of our children.  The rate of obesity among children in this country is staggering:

And this article stated that the percentage of obese children in the control group of this low income community is 54% by the age of 8!!!

54% by the age of 8!!!!  My jaw hit the floor when I read this. 

We are facing an Obesity Epidemic. 

Why is it an epidemic?

• The generation being born now is the first generation with likelihood to die before their parents…and from a completely preventable disease.

• Not only that, but the amount of health care dollars that are required to care for Obesity related disease could bankrupt our medical system.  Diseases such as Diabetes, Heart Disease, Hypertension and Cancer are all attributed to obesity, and the risks associated with these diseases is lessened by maintaining a healthy body weight.

• Again: 54% of children by the age of 8 are obese; if something is not done this will get worse.

The Yahoo article stated that weight loss was an unexpected result of Behavior Programs offered to families of pre-school children, and that there was a 50% or greater drop in the rate of obese children during follow up; only 24% of the children who received the behavior program were obese as compared to 54% in the control group.

This is an interesting study that needs to be put into action. 

Oh, and the article ended with:

The cost and other logistics of doing that(behavior programming) are unclear. But obesity itself — as well as the behavioral problems the program targets — carry a big price tag, Brotman pointed out.

“The argument that there would be cost-savings is, I think, pretty compelling,” she said.

I think the cost savings would be positive on not only the physical, but the psychological, social and emotional levels as well.

Check out the article for yourself and see what you think:

http://news.yahoo.com/behavior-programs-may-cut-child-obesity-risk-171458357.html

Have a Healthy Day

Jo-Ellen Marks

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What is your Goal?

Would you like to know a trick to get EXACTLY what you want?

Would you like to know how to create a fire of desire that will compel you to do “whatever it takes” to achieve your goal?

It is so simple, but so effective that you will triple your results and get to your goal.

Simply put, if you want a goal, whether it is losing weight, running a half marathon, or eating healthier, you need to declare a Deadline. Not just any Deadline, but a huge Deadline that will get you excited about getting into action and arriving at your results!

What is a Deadline?

A Deadline is a date or event in the future that is IMPORTANT, and if you want to get to your goal, your Deadline needs to be BIGGER than any excuse you have told yourself in the past.

You have seen Deadlines in action before:

• A bride getting ready for her wedding will stop at nothing to be in the best shape of her life.  The Wedding is a deadline.

• You enter a Weight Loss contest where there is a $1000.00 prize for the person who lost the most weight.  The Contest Prize and Date are your Deadline.

• You are going to your reunion where your ex-beau will be, you suddenly have more motivation and focus to get to the gym and keep your diet healthy.  The Reunion is the Deadline.

• Your doctor told you if you do not lose weight and lower your cholesterol you will have a heart attack.  The Medical Emergency is the Deadline…literally.

Your Deadline must be something HUGE in your future.  It must be something you truly desire.  Your Deadline will compel you to break your habitual routine and start to take action steps toward you goal.  It is that important.

So WHAT IS YOUR DEADLINE?

What Goal are you going to set that will draw greatness out of yourself? 

If you really want that goal, put it in a Deadline in the future.  Tell as many people as you can that you are working toward this, and only listen to those opinions of those whom will help you get there.  Ignore all non-supportive opinions, simply thank them for their input and continue on your journey to achieve your goal.  You may even inspire the naysayers who would rather see you fail.

Let me know what your Deadline is.

Have a Healthy Day!

Jo-Ellen Marks

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 What are you working toward?

What is your goal?

Is it clearly defined?  Or haphazard and loose?

How are your results?  Are they showing up clearly or are they random?  Could that have anything to do with your focus on your goal?

What is one of the missing links in your program…nutrition or fitness?  Could it be the absence of a journal? 

I know, keeping a daily journal is not the most convenient thing to do, but consider how far you have come along your path to success:  are you getting results or not? If the answer is no, then writing down the steps along the way will ABSOLUTELY have a major impact on your training and weight loss.

Every time I go to the gym for my workout I am writing down what I am doing for my workout, even though I am a fitness professional, I do not have a perfect memory of my training routine from one week to the next.  Sometimes I even get a little creative with my program and need to write down my “creations” or I forget them.  I also want to be able to compare my workouts with my results, so keeping an accurate record is critical for my success. 

Writing it down also has another valuable component:  it forces you into a habit of daily accountability.  Daily focus on any goal you want to attain is critical.  Consider that the way you have been going about things in life has gotten you to where you are right now.  Since energy flows to where attention goes, doesn’t seem logical to put as much attention on the behaviors you are looking to alter?  Even if you are NOT getting the results you want, the journal is the most accurate way to re-assess your individual components and tweak your plan of action so you can achieve results.

Of course I am always working on my fitness routine, but this year I have also taken on an all out effort to learn about finance and creating wealth, so I too have started a financial journal to be aware off all the money coming in and out.  To help me with this process I have left a notebook on my counter top and make entries everyday.  I also make sure I am getting receipts for every purchase so I can accurately log them…and WOW!  What a difference it makes to be writing EVERYTHING down.  Just the impact it has had on what I am spending my money on is well worth the daily effort.  If I don’t see the entire picture I cannot alter the outcome.  For this reason I highly, highly recommend taking on the additional effort of keeping a journal to help you achieve your fitness and weight loss goals.

NO EXCUSES!!!  Technology has made this so easy!!!  Here are a couple of quick tips on how to make it easy to keep a journal:

1. Set a reminder in your phone or calendar everyday so you stop to write it down

2. Open a NOTE in your phone and keep your journal there

3. Put a small tablet in your purse or briefcase

4. Keep a notebook by your bed so you can write it down before you sleep

With these few tips you can make any task in your life a little easier…simply write it down.

Have a Healthy Day!

Jo-Ellen Marks

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We are well into the second week of the New Year, and the gyms are busy all over the country!

Did you make a New Year’s Resolution to get fit? 

How is your plan going? 

I hope it is going well!  But if it’s not, let’s look at what may be missing…Your Plan.

There is a popular saying:  If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail, and it speaks volumes of truth.  

Most people’s resolutions are all about “changing” a particular pattern or habit to a healthier or more satisfying one.  But how exactly do you go about “changing” something?  You have to start practicing an entirely new way of approaching a matter to truly elicit change, otherwise the old approach will re-appear, because that is where you are most comfortable. 

Change is uncomfortable…it gets you out of a predictable set of behaviors and creates something you are not used to…and the only people who REALLY want change are babies sitting in soiled diapers!  The rest of us can ‘rest’ happily in the life we know and are used to.  So Changing takes something, and the discomfort of your present circumstance has to out weight the fear and uncertainty of the change, or you will go back to your old habit.

So let’s NOT CHANGE ANYTHING!  Instead, let’s back up, make a plan and approach it from an entirely new angle.  Sounds radical, but consider human behavior:  if you keep doing what you have been doing, you will get exactly what you’ve got.  So let’s do something different, something exciting, something to see your “Resolution” in an entirely new light.  Let’s look for what has been MISSING.

Huh, What???  Missing??? Don’t understand?  Let’s look.

Problem: Getting out of Bed:

Say you have been trying to get up early to go to the gym:  You made it twice, then slept in twice, got discouraged and have not been back since.  Has this ever happened to you? What was missing from this equation to get you back on track even after you had failed? 

Better yet, what could you have PLANNED to make getting out of bed easier?

1. Go to bed earlier
2. Set the alarm earlier for one snooze cycle
3. Create a mantra for waking up
4. Practice visualization
5. Have a workout partner holding you accountable
6. ETC, ETC, ETC…

The point is if you KNOW you have a hard time getting up and don’t PLAN a solution you are setting yourself up for failure.  This is not a change, it is a rational, realistic approach to working with known obstacles on your path to getting what you said you want. 

YOU SAID YOU WANT THIS GOAL….look at what has been an obstacle to your success, and make a plan to get to your goal.  SIMPLE!

Problem: Eating Healthy at Work:

Again, let’s break it down:  You work extremely hard and lose track of time.  Soon you realize it is lunchtime and you are starving!  What do you do?  You wanted to eat healthy, but now there is no time, so you grab the fastest thing you can find and eat it without thought. 

There are so many scenarios I could share with you here, so please feel free to insert your own, but the outcome is the same: You make a poor food choice because of limited options, limited time and screaming hunger.  If you KNOW that this could happen, then what could you do that would really, no kidding, solve this problem BEFORE it happened? 

What was MISSING that set you up for failure?

1. You could pack lunch
2. You could have a healthy mid-morning snack to prevent hunger
3. You could set a timer to remind you to eat
4. You could plan out a week of meals ahead of time
5. You could keep hand healthy menus or food choices in case of emergency
6. ETC, ETC, ETC…

The point again is simple:  know where your biggest obstacles are in food choices, then PLAN ahead of time so you can be committed to your goal and see results.

Know Yourself, and don’t allow obstacles to get you off track.  If you stumble, that’s great!  Now you have the opportunity to learn about yourself, make a plan and get in action!

Otherwise you are just sitting in a dirty diaper waiting for someone to change you.

Have a Healthy Day!

Jo-Ellen Marks

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 OH, I FORGOT!

I forgot when I went to bed last night that I had set my alarm really early this morning, a little bit earlier than normal so I could go get an extra interval session in today! So when the alarm went off this morning I was so tempted to turn it off and go back to sleep.

I was tempted to stay snuggled under the covers and neglect my own promise…to myself.  There was no one else there to hold me accountable for my skipped workout, no one but me.

Even as a fitness professional, I sometimes have a hard time waking up.

But I got up, I got dressed, and I went to the gym.

What was the difference? 

I promised myself I would last night, and then I enlisted a series of techniques to get my butt up and moving this morning.

Here are some quick GET OUT OF BED techniques to help you put your feet on the floor instead of putting your head on the pillow:

1. Set a BED TIME!

This is a technique that can change your life!  Start setting a bedtime for yourself so you are not regretting your alarm in the morning.!  If you got enough hours of sleep, it is easier to reason yourself from one extra hour after the alarm has sounded. 

*TAKE NOTE: It is well known that if you do not get enough rest and recovery time at night it is HARDER to lose weight!!!  Why create an extra uphill battle…you do it to the kids, now do it for yourself, GO TO BED!

2. Set your alarm for ONE snooze cycle

This has a strong psychological effect because it gives you permission to stay under the covers for 10 minutes longer, and ease out of bed instead of having to jump up immediately when you wake up.  Simply set your alarm earlier so you can take advantage of this extra time.  It also allows space for the next 2 tips.

3. Turn on a “Natural Light Bulb”

Last night was the winter solstice, the longest night of the year.  For some that may translate to being the hardest morning to wake up.  The shortened daylight hours make us want to sleep longer, so battling this in the winter is tough.  There are many alarm clocks and night stand lights available to use the effects of “natural sunlight” to awaken you from your slumber.  I simply turn on my light when my alarm goes off the first time, and I am out of bed before the snooze alarm sounds.  It has been a life saver, especially as I usually go to work before the sunrise anyway.

*I would use care with this trick if you do not want to disturb your partner, but I have found it amazingly effective for early morning wakeup.  There are many lights that are small enough to only affect your side of the bed, and allow sleep to be undisturbed for anyone else.

4. Practice Visualization

When the alarm has gone off, and you are waiting for the snooze alarm to nudge you a little further, start to visualize how amazing it is going to feel when you are DONE your workout.  Start to feel your sense of accomplishment knowing you got up and got it done. Focusing on the feeling of the accomplishment will start to wake you up and get you going toward that goal.

Another Visualization you could try is focusing on the workout, and how good it will feel to be completing it; feel yourself running on the treadmill or completing that last chest press, this will actually get your heart beating a bit faster and help wake you up.

5. Create a Mantra

This is a little trick I have been using lately to get up and get going.  A Mantra is an affirmation you repeat to yourself to remind you of your commitment to your goal.  My latest Mantra is: “Successful People Get Up Early.”  I created this Mantra because I am not only trying to get up early to workout, but I am also getting up early to write and complete the goals I have set out for myself, and if I truly want success, I need to do what successful people do…and I get up.

*Remember, TRUE COMMITMENT is doing what needs to be done long after the moment of commitment passed, so creating a Mantra is a great tool to remind you of your goal and recommit yourself, even when you may not “feel” like doing it.

The Holiday Season is quickly coming and going, and soon the Mummers will be strutting their way downBroad Street.  There will be parties, food, and festivities to mark the end of the holiday season, and the beginning of 2012.  

We Wish You the Happiest and Healthiest of Holiday Seasons, and we will be bringing you great tips for the New Year!  Keep us on your Favorite List to get to your goals FAST!  I promise you will be glad you did!

Jo-Ellen Marks

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Is your Diet Making You Fat?

Seems ironic, doesn’t it?

But it may be true…your attempts to lose weight could actually be making you fat!

There are many factors that may be contributing to this result, one being Diet Soda.

DIET SODA:

Diet Soda has been getting a lot of press lately, so let’s refer to the experts to get the full story. 

Dr. Helen Hazuda, professor of medicine at University of Texas Health Science Center atSan Antonio, reported about diet soda: “They may be free of calories, but not of consequences.”

Consequences like weight gain.

CBS News Health-Pop reported:

‘“For one study, researchers at the center followed 474 diet soda drinkers, 65 to 74 years of age, for almost 10 years. They found that diet soda drinkers’ waists grew 70 percent more than non-drinkers. Specifically, drinking two or more diet sodas a day busted belt sizes five times more than people who avoided the stuff entirely.

And as waist size grows, so do health risks – including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other chronic conditions.

Just how does diet soda make you fat? The other study may hold the answer. In it, researchers divided mice into two groups, one of which ate food laced with the popular sweetener aspartame. After three months, the mice eating aspartame-chow had higher blood sugar levels than the mice eating normal food. The authors said in a written statement their findings could “contribute to the associations observed between diet soda consumption and the risk of diabetes in humans.”

But how?

“Artificial sweeteners could have the effect of triggering appetite but unlike regular sugars they don’t deliver something that will squelch the appetite,” Sharon Fowler, obesity researcher at UT Health Science Center atSan Diegoand a co-author on both of these studies, told the Daily Mail She also said sweeteners could inhibit brain cells that make you feel full.

So if sugar soda is no good, and diet soda isn’t either – what should we be drinking?

Dr. Hazuda told the Daily Mail, “I think prudence would dictate drinking water.”

Diet Soda may be a short term alternative to helping you break your soda habit, but should be weaned out of long term, daily use. 

If you are currently drinking either regular or diet soda, consider cutting them back from daily use, and making healthier choices such as water and tea.  Many Homeopathic Physicians and Dieticians also recommend Stevia, which is an all natural, plant based, low calorie sweetener.  And Stevia does not appear to have the health consequences of other low-calorie sweeteners, which have been linked to cancer in several studies.  Luckily, Stevia has been becoming more available in your local grocery stores under the brand names such as Truvia and Stevia In The Raw.  Try it for yourself and see if making healthier choices can also taste better too.

Have A Healthy Day,

Jo-Ellen Marks

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I had something else written to post today, but I had to stop and post this email I received from a client.

Take a moment and see if you can tell why I was so inspired:

 To: Joellen Marks
Subject: Fitness and Food Log

Good evening Jo Ellen,
I know it has been a while since we last spoke, and I just wanted to apologize to you for not holding up my end of the bargain – to include you and hold myself accountable on my fitness journey.

 
For the past month, I’ve been throwing excuses around for why I could not go to the gym nor eat healthier. Thinking about it now, I realize that subconsciously I’ve been trying to convenience myself and others, namely my mom and sister, that the situation is not that serious and I’m not that bad off. Well, let’s just say, the proof is in the pudding, and I’ve been sampling.

So today I am taking a bigger stance to really bring about personal change to my life. I need and want to be healthier, and I won’t be if I do not take steps to get there. Not sure why I’m good at taking the necessary steps needed to accomplish work, school and travel, but I need to find a way to bring that thinking to this aspect of my life. I apologize if it seems like ramble, but normally I never put to paper what I’m thinking in terms of health and fitness. My hope is that somewhere on this journey, I can have a breakthrough and find the clarity and thinking needed to change other aspects of my life.

With that said, I will list the workout I did and the food I had today.
Workout as follows….

 So Why Was I so Moved?

Because this took courage. 

It took courage for her to first look at herself, see where she could make a difference to get the results she wants, and then it took courage to write them down.

She will succeed.

I know it.

I have faith she will be successful because:

1. She took the time to look at herself

2. She was honest with herself

3. She is holding herself accountable

4. She is asking for support where she knows she will get it.

Can you see yourself in this letter? 

We are all just Human Beings being human, and by definition we will make mistakes and get off track.  When we can learn about ourselves, and develop love and compassion, then there is NOTHING that can stop us from attaining any goal.

Have you written a letter to yourself lately? 

Have you written out your goals and looked for where you may be blocking yourself?

You have the Power to Attain Your Goals, in fact, your fitness journey is one place where you have ALL the power to choose.  You actually get to say how it will go today: what you will eat, when you will workout, and when you will rest.  It is up to you and only you.

The sooner you realize it, the faster you will succeed.

Here is what I wrote back to her:

GOOD FOR YOU!!!!

The hardest part of achieving a goal is sticking to it even when you have “failed.”  But honestly, the only failure is never admitting your humanity and never getting back to your goal.

I am so proud of you for facing your road blocks head on!  This is not easy to do, and I want you to know I am excited for you!

Keep holding yourself accountable.  We all stumble, but getting back on track is what WILL get you to your goal!  ….

Set your schedule, and hold to it.  When you feel like you have little power elsewhere in your life, this is where you have ALL the power.  So use it!  …. 

WOOHOOO!!!  You go girl!   I am proud of you and you just inspired me, so thank you.

Anything is possible from here.

Have a Healthy and Happy Day!

Jo-Ellen Marks

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Thanksgiving is here!

Unless you are the Thanksgiving Turkey, you may want to avoid being over stuffed for the holiday.   The average adult will consume 3000+ calories  just during dinner this Thursday, and while I am going to eat guilt-free on Thanksgiving, I do not want to gorge myself until I explode.

So what are some tips to help you survive this “eating for sport” holiday?  They are a lot more simple than you think!

1. You can eat without guilt on the holiday! 

You can actually eat without guilt on Thanksgiving; just don’t turn it into a week of eating.  The best way to keep your body at maximum fat burning potential is to do 2 things:

1. Make sure you eat healthy the day before and the day after the holiday,  minimizing the impact of storing calories as fat.
2. Workout the day before and the day after the holiday.  Cardiovascular Exercise and High Intensity Interval Training are your best choices to help accelerate the fat burning.

2. Don’t Starve Yourself

Not eating all day before a party is one of the worst things you could do.  You will be more likely to over eat if you go to dinner already hungry, in addition, you are setting your body up to save more of those calories as body fat.  Your best plan of action is to eat small, healthy meals throughout the day, and not be starving when you arrive at the dinner table.

3. Start with the Veggies

If your family is anything like mine, we always have a raw veggie tray as an appetizer.  If you want to minimize the impact of dinner, fill up on the veggies before hand.  Not only will you be getting generous doses of fiber and vitamins, but you will also eat less of the calorie rich foods.

4. One Plate and Done

This is a trick that allows you to eat all of your favorite foods on Thanksgiving, but not go crazy.  Fill your plate with all of your favorite foods, sit down and enjoy eating them, but do not go back for seconds.  You can use this technique throughout the holiday season, so you do not undo all of your efforts from the gym. 

5. Save the Wine

If you would like to save some calories at dinner and still drink your wine, pour your wine until the end of the meal.  If you avoid drinking wine with your dinner, you will actually save extra calories…and let’s face it, who is paying attention to what you are eating after a couple glasses of wine?  Another trick to consume less alcohol is to drink a glass of water between each cocktail; this will also keep you hydrated.

At the end of the day, this is a holiday all about eating and you want to be able to enjoy it.  These tips are to help you minimize the impact on your body and help you maintain your fitness levels and achieve your goals, but I do not expect you to be a saint on Thanksgiving.  Be grateful for all of the blessings you have had, including the delicious food, and respect your body with the tips offered here.  Your body will Thank You back.

Have a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!

Jo-Ellen Marks

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Dirty Little Word

I want to pose you a question: How long have you been trying to lose weight?

Has it been weeks, months or even years?

Are you always on a “diet”?

Yes, in my world Diet is a four letter word, and the first three letters are: D-I-E.  That does not sound like something fun or worthy of your time and effort.  

You may not know me personally, but you should know that I am committed to your success in your weight loss effort, and my first declaration for you is get off the DIEt cycle, because it is killing you.

I am of course not speaking of physical death here, you could not be reading this if you were dead. 

I am speaking of DIEts as killing your spirit and self-esteem. 

If you, like myself and so many others, have had the experience of losing weight, feeling great, receiving compliments left and right ONLY to have gained ALL the weight back, then you know what I am talking about.

 It is a vicious cycle and it leaves your self esteem and motivation in its wake. 

So yes, I am very familiar with dying this small death for every pound gained after feeling the glory of accomplishment.  There are many feelings you could have, but I think the worst one is the shame we associate with failing in this area of our lives, and the perceived judgment of others. 

Weight is not something you can hide if you have gained it. Sure, you could buy all black clothing and Snookie your hair so you “appear” taller and leaner, but do you really want to feel like you are hiding anything about yourself???

Let me ask that again:  do you want to live your life hiding behind a funeral director’s wardrobe or do you want to live in the beautiful clothes you bought when you felt good about your appearance?

Then you MUST stop dieting.  If diets worked, you would be at your target weight.  If diets worked then the 40 Billion Dollars spent a year on weight loss products would not be resulting in Americans being at record breaking obesity levels. 

What you need is a lifestyle change: eating whole, natural foods that are complimentary to our activity levels.  The more you move, the more you can eat.

So here are 5 SIMPLE tips you can do today to break your diet habit:

1. Drink more water.  I did not say diet soda, really it is water. 
2. Eat more Fiber.  Simply adding 6 grams of fiber a day will have a positive impact on your ability to lose weight.
3. Plan your meals.  Do not leave your food choices up to the last moment when you are hungry, then you will be more likely to make poor choices.
4. Learn about Glycemic index.  Knowledge is power.  If you do not know what that means, you should stop reading this blog immediately and Google Glycemic index, it makes a difference.
5. Keep a food journal.  This is the only way to truly evaluate your progress and areas you can improve.  If you are not honest on those pages then you are only cheating yourself.

ANYONE can take on the above 5 steps toward a healthy eating plan, even you.  If you said you can’t then you are predicting the future for yourself.  Whatever you say or believe about changes to your nutrition will come true.  If you want success, start to think successful thoughts.  If you want failure, then think about failure.

Next week we will have more quick tips for continuing cleaning up your nutrition and ending diets forever.  Until them make these small changes, and see what happens.

 I believe in your success.

Have a Healthy and Happy Day,

Jo-Ellen Marks

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