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Everything you need for the achievement and celebration of your healthy body. |
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NEW YORK, May 31, 2003 (CBS) Most people assume that an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise are to blame for unwanted weight gain. But, certain medical conditions and prescription drugs can also pack on the pounds. On The Saturday Early Show , Dr. Mallika Marshall of WBZ-TV took a look at some of the other culprits that can contribute to an expanding waistline. Dr. Marshall suggests seeing a doctor if you have experienced unexpected weight gain, especially if you've been maintaining the same diet and have been exercising the same as usual. Unexplained weight gain could be a sign of an underlying medical condition, she says. One possible cause of excess weight gain is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCS), says Dr. Marshall. It is a condition in which a woman's ovaries overproduce the hormone testosterone. It affects between 5 to 10 percent of women. Not only do women with PCS develop multiple small cysts on their ovaries (hence the name), they are also at significant risk for obesity. The good news is women with PCS can often fight off the excess pounds with good dietary habits and exercise.Dr. Marshall says the hormonal abnormalities associated with PCS can also cause irregular periods and problems with infertility and acne, as well as "male-pattern hair growth" (such as facial hair). The next condition Dr. Marshall says may contribute to weight gain is hypothyroidism, which affects about 10 million Americans, especially women, though it can also affect men. It occurs when the thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormone. The thyroid hormones affect many different systems in the body, so having too little can cause many problems, including obesity. Like polycystic ovary syndrome, says Dr. Marshall, hypothyroidism can also cause irregular periods in women. It can also cause thinning hair, dry skin, constipation, memory loss and depression. Many people also complain of feeling cold all the time. Type 2 diabetes may also lead to unwanted weight gain. Dr. Marshall explains type 2 diabetes and obesity may feed off one another. People who are overweight are at higher risk of developing diabetes, and people with type 2 diabetes are at risk of gaining even more weight. Type 2 diabetes usually develops in adulthood, but with the rise in the number of obese children in this country, more cases of children with type 2 diabetes are being discovered. A condition many people may not have heard about is Cushing's syndrome. Dr. Marshall says it occurs when the body makes too much of a hormone called cortisol. The hormone helps the body manage stress and helps keep the immune system healthy. However, excess cortisol can cause a number of problems, including weight gain. Most of the weight gain is in the upper half of the body, causing a rounded face and sometimes a fatty hump on the back. Patients who take steroid medications for a long time can develop Cushing's syndrome. Again, as with some of the other weight gain conditions, says Dr. Marshall, women may develop irregular periods. It can also cause fragile skin, abnormal hair growth and erectile dysfunction in men. What people may not know is that certain medications can also cause weight gain. Dr. Marshall says the following may lead to weight gain: Anti-Depressants: A relatively new and effective class of drugs used to treat depression called SSRIs can lead to weight gain, says Dr. Marshall. There are many different types of SSRIs on the market, however, and some may cause more weight gain than others. So if you notice you're gaining weight, you can ask your doctor about switching to another drug. Oral Contraceptives: Dr. Marshall says birth control pills may also lead to weight gain. The newer pills on the market contain lower doses of hormones and usually don't cause as much weight gain. But again, if it's a problem, you can ask your doctor about trying another brand. Steroids: Dr. Marshall mentioned steroids when talking about Cushing's syndrome, but many people take these medications over long periods of time to control a number of different medical conditions such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Chronic steroid use can lead to weight gain. But usually stopping the steroids or at least lowering the dose can help you lose the excess pounds. Again, you should ask your doctor. © MMIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Fast Food Fitness! FREE Fitness Assessment Question: How fit are you? Answer: You can reasonably check this yourself by getting your heart rate up and then checking to see how quickly it drops back to normal. You should see it drop from within 13 and 15 beats per minute until it returns to your pre-exercise rate. A slower drop than that could be an early warning of heart disease or a very bad fitness level. See your doctor! Effective Problem-Solving Steps to Overcome Exercise Barriers
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 At first, I wanted to be one of the people who completely changed their eating habits as well as exercise habits, and to completely transform as quickly as possible. However, this was not a realistic goal for me. My life had been so full of changes and chaos that I wasn’t ready to change everything else. So I refocused on becoming fit. Angela respected my choice and supported me. I am amazed at what I am able to do now, through Angela’s coaching and encouragement. I used to get a bit breathless and a sore back just from changing the sheets on the bed. I would send my husband and son out to walk the dog. I never dreamed that I would be able to do two sets of twenty repetitions of men’s push-ups like I did today! And yes, that was me with the other parents on the soccer field, playing against our sons at the final practice of the season! And my husband and I can lift our son between us, swinging him as we walk, without crippling my back. Angela has had me doing lots of different exercises, so that I never get bored. And with her guidance, I have strengthened my core (my back and abdomen), so that I have better posture and fewer back problems. When we first started working out, I got nauseous very easily which was very discouraging. But just like Angela told me, the nausea problem has gone away, and I can now work out at a very high intensity without getting sick. Through all this, Angela has offered constant support and encouragement, not criticism. Whatever challenge I greet her with at the beginning of a session, she adjusts her program to accommodate. I have recently started a modest diet, with the goal of losing 8 pounds before a big event in June. I am halfway there! Once I make it, I will focus on staying at that weight for a while, before trying another incremental weight loss. It may not be fast, but it feels right for me. I am so much healthier and stronger since I began working with Angela. My clothes fit better and I feel better about myself. Now Angela has started talking about having me do push-ups in a hand-stand position. Me? A plus-size person? Handstands? With Angela by my side, don’t bet against it!
Question: How can you get an abundance of calcium without having to indulge in dairy? Answer: Eat plenty of rhubarb -- it's a fabulous combination of strawberries and celery, and it has more calcium than milk. I grew up with it growing wild in Minnesota. You're sure to love it! Then I could really use your help, and you could really use my FREE GIFT! I'm writing an article and need real input. Would you please consider taking a 7 minute completely confidential survey for me? If so, just click here. In exchange, I'll send you a copy of my best-selling "Learn How to Eat To Become a Fat-Burning Machine" e-Book as an expression of my appreciation. AND you'll get a copy of the article once it is written. Exercise Of The Month
 Start by lying on the floor with your legs raised straight up into the air.  Then thrust your heels up to the ceiling, attempting to raise your hips up off of the floor, balancing on your outstretched arms. Repeat as many times as you can.
 Did you know that the search engines rate you based on how many links you have on your web site? If you have more links that another site, everything else being equal, the search engine will place you higher in the listing. This is very important for anyone involved in e-commerce. If you would like to submit a noncompeting, complementary, reciprocal link to my site (logon to see who's already there!), please provide your (1) URL and (2) Title to angela@thebodysculptress.com and let me know which category you should be added to above. In exchange, please add: URL: "http://www.thebodysculptress.com" Title: "Healthy Weight Loss and Body Sculpting" Text: "The Body Sculptress is the premiere weight loss and body sculpting professional. Log on to read testimonials, discover a program for yourself, and to receive your FREE copy of her ULTIMATE GUIDE TO WEIGHT LOSS." ...on your web site. Please let me know which URL/page you add my link(s) to in your reply so that I can check for them, and thank you! Why Build Just A Web Site... When You Could Build A Business? Visit my new sites... Keepsake Drawings Exercise And Weight Loss |
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