Don't Go It Alone

URGH! I am sick of all these diet pill ads hitting my inbox everyday - and much more dangerous in my opinion. I swear, it's more annoying than the "increase your penis 8 inches" ads. I suppose they don't really care, which is the point. No one cares, they just spam and annoy. Like the diet pill ads, most of them tell you to do your research and talk to your doctor but how many people actually do that? I did, when I took a diet pill; it worked for me, but only because my doctor gave me a plan to stick with to go with them. If you're looking for weight loss pills that work, I suggest starting with your doctor; take your research but talk openly about it to get a full-body program going. So, that's my advice. If you're interested in a cure-all pill, talk to your doctor and figure out a complete plan!

Working Out and Working On

I never thought I would jump on the yoga bandwagon, but after a year of dieting and still having a little pudge around the waist I decided to take the plunge. I have to say, no matter what those treadmill commercials or ab-machine commercials say, there is something to actually working out your core through stretching and moving - it's one of the best fat burning exerciseprograms I've tried. Yes, it's hard, but it's definitely worth it. Around Thanksgiving I tried out a friend's DVD, it was really, really advanced and I hated every second of it. By the time I got into postion, the instructor was already off to another position so I felt like I was way behind. Just after the holidays, though, I decided I really needed to start focusing on my core muscles in addition to cardio so I picked up another - beginner! - and it has made all the difference in the world.

The DVD actually arrived about 2 weeks ago and I've done it four times since it's arrival. What I really like is the pace - not too fast, not too slow - and the fact that even at beginner status I feel like I'm getting a good work out. A lot of beginner DVDs (whether they are yoga or another exercise) are so simple that they are simplistic and you don't get a good workout. This is challenging enough to really get the blood pumping but not so much that I feel as if I'm playing catch-up all the time.

What changes have I seen? It's really too early to tell. My pants feel a little looser but after only 2 weeks I'm not sure if it's the Yoga or just wishful thinking. I do feel more limber in my arms, legs and back and I'm sleeping more soundly. All in all, I'd say it was a good purchase!

Oh, My Fingernails!

I've been working on a health column since the beginning of the year and so far it's going well. It's one of my newest assignments/clients. Basically I write about health and wellness, but my pet project has been vitamins. I was doing some research for a pregnant friend and found lots of information about which are the best prenatal vitamins. You know what I found? Most pre-natal vitamins are equal. But I found out something else: pre-natals help grow stronger fingernails, something I've always wanted. I tried them for three weeks rather than my usual one a day vitamin. Result: 1/2 inch longer and much, much stronger. So I wrote up my research, included a few quotes from a researcher and turned in the article. Who knew helping a friend would lead to an article *and* lead to better fingernails for moi?