Weight Loss Diet And Exercise

Monday, June 10, 2013

P90X.. I know this gets brought up a lot..

.. But I was wondering a few things about it. First of all, does it have the same results for someone who has more than 20 lbs to lose? (I am 5'5" and 180 lbs). How do you know if it is something that is too intense for your current fitness?

Also, I have limited means and equipment, does it have to be done to the tee? As well, do you have to follow the exact "diet program"?

If anyone can let me know, I'd appreciate it. :) I am thinking about doing this, but I want to be sure. Thanks !

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Drop 10 With SELF: Meet Danielle!

Need a little extra inspiration? Meet our Drop 10 Blogger, Danielle. She's lost 10 pounds (and counting!) in her first five weeks on the plan. Follow along with Danielle every week as she shares her experience.

Hey, SELF! I'm Danielle and I'm a 25-year-old Program Specialist for the State of Virginia, specifically in the social work and human services fields. Naturally, I have a passion for helping others and have always instinctively put others way ahead of myself.

I finally took charge of myself 15 months ago and began my weight loss journey. To date I have lost 100 pounds and feel more and more amazing each and every day. After a very frustrating and long plateau, SELF helped me to shed 10 more pounds in only 5 weeks! But, my story isn't as simple as it sounds. Before working with SELF, I lacked the knowledge of just how to exercise beyond the basics: I lost the first 100 pounds by doing a beginner weight-lifting and walking program, but as mentioned, I plateaued. Likewise, I was only counting calories -- not counting the quality of the actual calories which I was eating, and I would never feel satisfied. Until now, that is. Check back every Tuesday to see how I'm doing!

Image Credit: Courtesy of Subject

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I need some unbiased advice here. :)

I know this is asked a lot but math makes my head whirl so having some expert CC member advice would help me a ton. :)

Okay so here come the stats

20 years old

5 ft 8 inch

164 pounds

I'm lightly active most days and on days I work at Subway I'd say I'm moderately active

I eat about 1400-1500 calories a day, however, when I work out and/or have a shift at work I calculate what I burned and usually try to eat back half of the deficit. So some days are 1700 days and others are 1400 depending.

Is this all healthy? Any tips or tricks?

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Anxiety, Depression May Triple Risk of Death for Heart Patients: Study

Researcher recommends stress-reducing measures

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, March 19 (HealthDay News) -- Anxiety and depression coupled with heart disease triples the risk of death compared to cardiac trouble alone, researchers have found.

Among heart patients, anxiety can double the risk of dying from any cause, the study authors noted, and depression further raises those odds.

"Patients with heart disease who experience high anxiety during the stressors of everyday life may benefit from treatments designed to reduce anxiety, such as medications targeting anxiety or stress management," said lead researcher Lana Watkins, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.

"Benefits from stress-reducing interventions would potentially be greatest in patients where anxiety is found in combination with depression," she added.

Previous studies have shown that depression is about three times more common in heart attack patients than in others. But few studies have looked at anxiety's effect or the combination of the two on heart disease patients.

One expert, Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a spokesman for the American Heart Association and a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, agreed anxiety and depression are most lethal when they co-exist.

"Depression and anxiety have both been individually associated with a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, and in patients with cardiovascular disease [they are] associated with higher risk of recurrent cardiovascular events and death," Fonarow said.

This new study finds that anxiety, particularly when accompanying depression, independently increased risk of dying, he added.

The report was published March 19 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Anxiety is a common mental health problem, with about one-third of U.S. adults experiencing an anxiety disorder in their lifetime, the researchers noted. And heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

For the study, more than 900 heart disease patients, average age 62, answered a questionnaire measuring their level of anxiety and depression right before or just after coronary angiography, which can be a stressful cardiac procedure. The test uses special X-rays and dyes to view the coronary arteries.

The investigators found that 90 patients had anxiety, 65 had depression and 99 suffered from both.

Of the 133 patients who died over the three years of follow-up, 55 suffered from anxiety, depression or both, the researchers reported. Most of these deaths (93) were related to heart disease, they noted.

Patients who are highly anxious during a stressful life experience, such as a cardiac hospitalization, are at an increased risk of dying, and this risk is independent of the severity of their heart disease and also of depression, Watkins said.

According to the researchers, anxiety can increase inflammation and blood pressure. Fatigue or feelings of worthlessness associated with depression may cause people to ignore their treatment for heart disease.

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