by callkayla | Jul 10, 2015 | Blog, Wendy Ida
The average American still lives a very sedentary lifestyle
Image Source: © Iain Boltin via DeathToTheStockPhoto.com
Whether you are over 40 or under, on average you are bound to put on the pounds due to the overabundance of processed foods and fast foods that make it easy for most people to gain weight these days. Unhealthy food choices and lack of exercise further complicate the process. After 40 many other things (such as hormones, etc.) unique to the aging process contribute to weight gain and is the root cause of most women’s frustration about the weight loss process.
The average American still lives a very sedentary lifestyle and as a result carries around poor body image and low self-esteem because of it. Gaining weight is a process that happens over a gradual amount of time so it is no secret that it takes time to lose it as well.
Understanding the process is important for your success. Understanding how to begin your journey is also important. So let me help you with that. Keep in mind however, that since everyone has a different lifestyle and body makeup, you may need to know more specific information as time goes on to help you progress to the next level.
Wendy’s Fit Fax Tips!
If you are looking to make a long-term change in your life I recommend that you begin your journey with these five basic guidelines to get on the right track.
- Start out slowly and introduce one healthy habit into your life at a time
- Prepare sound nutrition for your body type – Seek a professional for guidance
- Participate in fun activity daily
- A reasonable approach seeks to lose a steady amount of weight over a gradual amount of time. In this way the body is able to maintain health and slowly use its stored fuel without feeling like it is being starved.
- Be kind to your body by staying proactive with health issues
* Don’t forget to see your doctor yearly and before beginning any exercise program
* And Remember slow steady progress is the way to permanent weight loss and a healthy body.
Do you have a weight loss story? If so, I want to hear about it!
by callkayla | May 1, 2015 | Blog, Wendy Ida
I was inspired by a lady who booked an appointment with me recently. She is 54 and full of life and the desire push forward no matter what to reach her dreams. She doesn’t believe the hype and old attitude that aging means insignificance. Instead she is fired up and plunging forward!
I get excited as heck about that and I want more women to really understand it…that age is a state of mind and a state of health. That’s it!
So just as I told her…I want to pass on to you too…
Keep the party going for as long as you can.
I mean keep yourself together, no matter what age you are. Be proactive with your health and keep your stress low and you will have the energy and the desire to do all the things you desire and so much more.
You will never become insignificant unless you think you are or believe what others say you are. You are you. You are unique. You are beautiful. So act that way, dress that way, talk that way and walk that way with your head up. Believe in you!
If you find that difficult to do on your own ask for support. Get the help you need to succeed and use that wonderful wisdom that comes with age to your advantage.
Lotta Love and blessings,
Wendy Ida
My goal is to KEEP you motivated and keep up with the best in this game called life. In part I do that with my workout DVD’s.
One Fabulous Fan says this about it…
Hi Wendy,
I just wanted to say that I love love your workout DVD. There is no dread factor, and the workout flies by. Your upbeat and warm personality make me happy, and your amazing physique inspires me. Thank you so much.
I was wondering if you have any plans to make more DVD’s. I would be the first in line to purchase them!
Sincerely, Inga xoxo
To get your copy AND for information: CLICK HERE
by callkayla | Jan 24, 2012 | Blog
Physical activity is equally important for both grown ups and children if they want to lose
or maintain their weight. A majority of kids spend more than 20 hours per week watching TV, on the web or playing video games which doesn’t leave much time for physical activity. And even though you give them a chance to do some physical activity, they often avoid it because it does not trigger their interest. So the best thing to do is include some of their favorite things in simple activities and it will sooner rather than later get your kids off the couch. For example, your kids will be exercising as well as loving the activity by just following some of these tips!
- Take the Dog for a walk: Kids love pets! A good way to turn this love for pets into a physical activity is to get them a dog. Prior to getting them the dog, make a deal with them that it’s their responsibility to take it on walks. You can add more fun to this activity by getting them a Frisbee, which will keep them involved in training the dog and meanwhile they’re burning calories.
- Leverage their Allowance: If your kids are into earning their allowance. Then it’s your best bet to convert this allowance earning into a physical activity. Give them allowance for performing chores that require physical work, such as mowing the lawn, raking leaves, or even a car wash! What persuades kids is the outcome of the activity, and when the outcome is monetary or something tangible, then they are sure to love the activity and perform it every now and then.
- Lead by Example: Kids usually learn from their elders, and try to relate to their older family members. So if you are a parent and are into fitness chances are that your kid will also turn out to be a fitness conscious person. What you could do is to indulge them in your activities. Like when you go for a walk in the evening take your kid with you, and on the way you can both chat about school stories or what happened in the day. It will make your parent-child bond grow, and the kids will enjoy the walk.
- Theme parks: If you have an amusement park or even regular parks in your neighborhood then take your kids daily in the evening to play and mingle with kids of their own age. This will give them a chance to be both socially and physically active. Also, frequent trips to the zoo will definitely keep the kids moving!
- Shake a tail feather: Turn on the music and shake your body! Dancing is one of the most enjoyable and fascinating ways to burn calories. Get your kids to join you and make it a family dance, it does not need to be any specific kind of dance. Just let the kids enjoy it! As long as they keep moving your mission is being accomplished.
Children have very active minds, and this is the phase of life where you can turn them into a couch potato or a fitness fanatic. Parents can make all the difference in how they can be. Remember there are tons of other ways to get your child active that ride the line of fitness and leisure. So be creative, and most of all, have fun!
by callkayla | Jan 18, 2012 | Blog
Even without being a doctor or health industry professional, it’s not hard to understand 
the relationship between overeating and health disorders. It’s easy to look around during your day and find evidence of the nation’s growing obesity epidemic to understand what happens when you over consume in general. On a smaller scale we wonder about the over consumption of just certain kinds of foods? What happens when you overdo it with sweets?
- Sugar: There are all kinds of health issues related to over consumption of sugar. Diabetes would be the number one health concern. But, diabetes is not the only ill effect from over consumption of sugar. Obesity, thyroid dysfunction, kidney malfunction, and intestinal problems can all be directly associated with too much sugar consumption.
- Alcohol: What about too much alcohol? The ravaging effects of alcoholism are a continual struggle and medical expense to many companies and citizens in this country, and indeed the whole world. Lost youth, liver problems, brain deterioration, the speeding of other age-related diseases are all side affects of too much alcohol consumption.
- Malnutrition: Then, we can talk about the effects of eating too little. What happens when we do not consume what we need to maintain our health? Gum disease, heart disease, muscle deterioration, vision loss, and anorexia occur when we do not get the necessary food our body needs.
One Solution
To remedy the imbalances in our nutrition, you can take supplements. Even when we can’t consume enough actual food, we can supplement the vitamins and minerals our bodies need in order to maintain some healthy functioning. You have only to walk down the aisle at your local supermarket or pharmacy to discover that there has been a vitamin revolution. Every possible vitamin and mineral needed by the body is available in capsule, pill, tablet, or powder form.
Once your body has reached the point of unhealthy function, or you have placed such a strain on your body from over consumption that one of the related diseases has taken hold, it’s almost impossible to correct one problem without creating another. Once you have become a diabetic, there are so many complications, that simply choosing to diet and exercise is no longer an option. The health concerns you now have far outweigh the easy solution of diet and exercise. Can you begin to see how important maintaining your health is to your quality of life and how important it is to the lives of your loved ones? Your choices directly affect their quality of life too. Make every effort to maintain your health. You owe it to your children and other family and especially yourself.
by callkayla | Jul 18, 2011 | Fitness Tips
The health club you choose can either be a major deterrent or motivate you to keep coming back and stay for longer periods of time. So be careful when making your selection.
A major factor to start with is first being realistic with yourself. Know what you are looking for in the first place. Some gyms cater more to athletes and body builders. Some cater to women only. In other gyms more socializing is going on than anything else, but that could be good if you’re looking to meet new friends. If you have a busy lifestyle or the type of work you do has non traditional hours, you may need to have access twenty-four hours a day to work in your exercise routine. Location also plays a major role in your drive to exercise. You simply will not be consistent if where you want to exercise is not convenient.
Once you find the right health club for your initial needs. Be sure to choose a club based on your personal needs too. Do your homework before you join to make sure it’s a good fit. Ask yourself some of the following questions to help you make that final decision.
- Is staff supportive and customer friendly?
- Are new or certain types of equipment important to you?
- Are group exercises important? If so what kind?
- Is the gym clean and/or do they have enough staff cleaning often enough?
- Is the equipment well maintained or off putting to you because of too many “out of order” signs?
- Do they have an open policy for welcoming comments and suggestions?
- Are they on the cutting edge or do they offer the same classes all the time?
- Is the atmosphere fun, eclectic and fresh enough to keep you motivated?
The best solution is to find a place that works for you and that includes the health club atmosphere or any other place that suits your fancy. It may take time to get the right fit, but it is well worth the effort.
by callkayla | Mar 25, 2010 | Diet/Healthy Eating, Fitness Tips
The vast majority of us that need to lose a little bit of weight would like to be able to lose it quickly. There are some dangers of fast weight loss, however, that need to be addressed whenever we decide to drop the pounds in this way. The unfortunate thing is, the temptation still exists and it is often prompted even further by those that are selling us the weight-loss products. Here are some of the dangers and why you should avoid losing weight quickly.
- First of all, fast weight loss often results in a rebound of weight gain. This is because we are not teaching ourselves healthy eating habits whenever we are losing weight quickly, and we are perhaps putting ourselves on a regime that is unsustainable.
- Fast weight loss also tends to take its toll on other parts of the body as well, such as the hair, skin and many of the internal organs. This could lead to further difficulties after the weight-loss has subsided.
- One of the other dangers of fast weight loss is that if you are losing a lot of weight, your skin may not be able to keep up with the weight-loss. This is often one of the biggest cosmetic issues with individuals who lose weight, and in many cases it is avoidable.
- Losing more than two pounds a week is generally not recommended and can be hazardous to your health unless you are under the direct guidance of a doctor.
- When you lose weight fast don’t be duped in thinking its all body fat. On the contrary, you are losing precious muscle and other bodily fluids. And trust me you do not want to lose muscle. It is what gobbles up the fat and keeps you going among other things. TV shows like “Big Loser” give many a false sense of reality.
Although it does take a bit more patience, you can avoid the dangers of fast weight loss by eating a healthy diet which maintains a calorie deficit and getting a reasonable amount of exercise. Although it may not be as exciting as losing weight quickly, it is something that can stick with you for the rest of your life.
by callkayla | Mar 9, 2010 | Diet/Healthy Eating, Fitness Tips
Is smaller better? Do you know what your body type is? Are you pear shaped, apple, watermelon or maybe you are closer to the Na’ Vi Body like the one in the movie Avatar? They are a lot like human bodies right? Similarly, they have two arms and legs, two ears, two eyes, one nose and one mouth, but they are a bit more slender in comparison to the human bodies, although they still are similar in their proportions. That, however, is where the obvious differences seem to end.
I thought it was interesting to note that the Na’vi anatomy includes a small tendril that protrudes from the back of the head and is covered by a ponytail. This tendril allows them to connect to the environment around them. Other differences between Na’vi bodies and human bodies include the color of their skin and the fact that the Na’vi are several feet taller than the average human which gives them an advantage, as far as their strength and speed is concerned.
That being said here’s my question and root observation. How fit are you? Some make this judgment on eyesight alone. The assumption is that if you are skinny or a person of average build you are healthy and fit and if you are fat or a person of larger frame size you are sick and unhealthy. Let me just say, it ain’t necessarily so Joe! Furthermore no matter what shape or body type you are or even if you have tendrils flowing from the back of your neck and blue in color like the Na’vi, it is not a measure of your health or fitness level. Far too often I have met with people who are of average size but unfit and unhealthy.
Here’s what matters. Health! Focus on health and functional fitness first, not how you look and everything else will fall into place. AMEN!
by callkayla | Feb 26, 2010 | Diet/Healthy Eating, Fitness Tips
What generally happens to our physical fitness program when we travel? It all goes down hill right? Well it doesn’t have to be that way. All it takes is planning and a clear mind set of what you want to achieve. So often people tell me when they go on vacation or away on a business trip, they not only didn’t workout, but they over ate on all the wrong foods.
Here are some rules of thumb to live by when traveling:
#1 Rule – Don’t stay anywhere that doesn’t have a gym. These days that is pretty hard not to find.
#2 Rule – Plan your workout time just like you plan your meal times and pencil it into your day planner the same as you would if you were planning a business lunch.
#3 Rule – Reprioritize and rearrange your mindset on where exercise ranks in your life. Be sure to put it at the top. It must be recognized as a necessary and automatic function – Just like waking up in the morning and brushing your teeth or looking for breakfast.
#4 Rule – If you are short on time do body weight exercises and/or whip out that exercise tube I so often talk about and get busy.
#5 Rule – Make smart dining choices. Just because you are away from home there is still no excuse for eating bad. Many places today have a small selection of healthy menus. If they don’t, you have to mix, match and just ask for what you want. I do it all the time and 95% of the time I get my way.
Traveling is stressful and exercise is the antidote – No doubt! How are you handling the stress when traveling? Are you creative or just playing it by ear?
by callkayla | Feb 24, 2010 | Fitness Tips
Including health and fitness in your life and relationship has many benefits. To start with you must focus on self. If you have your life in order, everything else will fall into place. If you are healthy, you will feel good, look good and have lots of energy. All of that positive energy helps you to reach out to your partner and be more supportive to the people around you. It allows you to focus on the good things about your relationship that can help it to flourish.
Many times people with unfit and unhealthy bodies tend to have depressed attitudes. That radiates into negative energy. Disease, pain and a general loss of well being due to the body’s physiological changes can be the culprit.
A healthy body creates a clear mind. A clear mind helps you make wise decisions and with wise decisions you will make smarter choices. The increased energy you get from your workouts as well as healthy eating gives you a sustainable drive to reach your true potential. Also, as an added bonus it increases your sex drive. (For more tips see my website at www.wendyida.com)
by callkayla | Feb 22, 2010 | Diet/Healthy Eating
I don’t usually talk about really personal stuff but in this case I feel there is cause for celebration and one thing worth mentioning. I am celebrating my twentieth anniversary this weekend and you know what — I am still having a blast!
After twenty years we can still laugh, love, workout and have fun together. More importantly during the hard times and through all of life’s trials and tribulations I have never felt more supported.
To celebrate we thought we should get in a quickie weekend getaway to wine country. I don’t drink but two of my favorite places are Santa Barbara and Temecula. I love the climate and atmosphere there. This time we chose Temecula to make more memories.
One thing’s for sure out of all we did you can best believe I got in my workouts. Did you hear me! Oh yes, I got in my workouts! Got to…Everyday! I don’t leave home without it. : ) Ha ha! What I mean is getting in my workouts are important even when I’m on the road. There is no reason why I should stop being fit while I’m traveling.
This lifestyle works for me and being involved in health and fitness only enhances my relationship. It not only keeps me healthy, but it shapes me into a happy, energized and responsible human who is excited about life’s possibilities and its increased opportunities to deepen my relationship.
How about you? Are you enriching your life and fulfilling your fantasies? Are you aware that all you do and all you are begin with your health? Are you conscious of what your body is capable of and if so, are you taking action to bring it to its full potential? What’s your story?
