PRESCRIPTION DRUGS THAT MAKE WEIGHT LOSS DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE. (and some that actually make you GAIN weight)

Ray Salomone   Personal Trainer and Wellness Activist

I’ve suspected for many years (and been told by several doctors in candid moments) that many popular prescription medications are actually hindering the weight loss efforts of the users. (Now why in the world would Big Pharma want us to be lean and fit, that’s very bad for business).

In his thoroughly researched book, WHY DIET AND EXERCISE FAIL, author Daniel Matthew Korn lists the drugs that may be doing more harm than good.

This is a link to his site and below is the listings of the drugs. Oh, and please remember that Pfizer was just slammed with a $2.3 BILLION dollar fine for falsely and fraudulently marketing their drugs.

 http://www.whydietandexercisefail.com/drugs.html

 Drugs with Weight Gain as a Side Effect

Class: Anticonvulsants Names: Lamictal®, Tegretol® Effects: Anticonvulsants are used mainly to treat seizure disorders but are also prescribed to treat bipolar disorder and certain types of depression. Appetite:         These drugs tend to cause elevated insulin levels in the blood (hyperinsulinemia) and increased appetite, leading to weight gain.3

 

Class: Antidepressants Names: Paxil®, Zoloft®, Prozac® Effects: Antidepressants are used to treat major depression. The exact mechanism of the therapeutic effects is controversial. Appetite:         While the specific mechanism is unknown, it is known that antidepressants are associated with increased food cravings and an inability to feel full despite eating more than enough.4

 

Class: Antipsychotics Names: Zyprexa®, Seroquel®, Risperdal® Effects: Antipsychotics are used to treat schizophrenia, mania, delusional disorder, and psychotic depression. They work by blocking receptors in the brain’s dopamine pathways. Appetite:         Animal studies have suggested that antipsychotics affect appetite regulation.5

 

Class: Beta-Blockers Names: Tenormin®, Lopressor® Effects: Beta-blockers are used in the treatment of high blood pressure, panic attacks, and abnormal heart rhythms. They block adrenaline, causing heart rate to slow. Appetite:         The older Beta-Blockers caused high blood insulin level, which is associated with increased hunger. The newer Beta-Blockers are not associated with weight gain.6

 

Class: Mood Stabilizers Names: Lithium, Depakote®, Seroquel® Effects: Mood stabilizers are used to treat mental disorders in which there are intense and persistent mood shifts, including bipolar disorder. They are also used to treat borderline (psychotic) personality disorder. Appetite:         This class of drugs can cause increased appetite and cravings for sweet and fatty foods.7

 

Class: Steroids Names: Prednisone®, Triamcinolone, Betamethasone Effects: Steroids, which are different from anabolic-steroids used by weight builders to gain muscle, are used to treat inflammatory conditions such as dermatitis, arthritis, and asthma. Appetite:         These drugs cause weight gain in nearly all patients who take them.8

 

Class: Antihistamines Names: Allegra®, Benadryl®, Zyrtec® Effects: Antihistamines are used as treatment for allergies. They inhibit the release of histamine, which is present in excessive amounts in people with allergies. Appetite:         Hunger may increase with these drugs because histamine receptors are involved in appetite regulation. While people do not complain that they feel hungry, it is observed that they are eating more.9 This occurs in a small percentage of patients.

 

Class: Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories (NSAIDS) Names: Celebrex®, Licofelone® Effects: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories are used as treatment for pain and inflammation in conditions such as headache, migraine, arthritis, and gout. They inhibit the action of the enzyme cyclooxygenase. Appetite:         Weight gain is a reported side effect of NSAIDS but the mechanism of action has not been studied.10

 

Ray Salomone   Personal Trainer and Wellness Activist

www.GrecoRomanWellness.com

Blog: www.GrecoRomanWellness.wordpress.com

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Eat Fresh, Whole Foods. Exercise Intensely

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Coming Soon to bookstores:

The Greco Roman Road to Wellness

by Ray Salomone and Dr. Katina Ioannidis

Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Greco-Roman-Road-Wellness-Old-World-Times/dp/0982139209/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243604904&sr=8-1

 

[Via http://grecoromanwellness.wordpress.com]

Hello Yoga Bolster, Goodbye Neck and Upper Back Pain!

Working on a computer all day is tough on your back and neck muscles. Why is that? Forward leaning work causes us to tighten our pectoral and subscapularius muscles. As these muscles tighten, this can also lead to strain and pains in our upper back and neck muscles.

Pectoral Muscle Diagram from Demand Studios

If you have a job that requires you to sit or lean forward for hours at a time, it’s tough to stretch enough to counteract the stress this puts on your upper back and neck muscles. Like brushing your teeth a few minutes each day (versus once a week for 2 hours, (it’s far better to stretch a few minutes each day than just once a week or when you go to the gym!

We recommend you pair a great upper body stretch with a few minutes of relaxation by using a yoga bolster to stretch every day. Let gravity do the work of opening your chest muscles. Meanwhile, give your back muscles a much needed break from holding you upright all day. AND give yourself an easy way to de-stress, take a few minutes to relax and unwind after a busy day.

Gina Saka, a Chicago-based licensed massage therapist and yoga instructor, shows you how to perform the Yoga Bolster Stretch.

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As versatile as they are for stretching, yoga bolsters are not often available at your local department or even sporting goods store. However, it’s easy to order your yoga bolster from many venders online. You may use either a round or a rectangular bolster for this stretch and for many other relaxing yogic stretches.

Round bolsters should be at least 9″ by 25″.

Square bolsters should be at least 24″ by 12″ by 6″s.

If you are very tall (over 6′-2″), you may want a longer bolder, say 10″ by 29″.

Vendors that sell yoga bolsters at reasonable prices:

10″ x 28″ from Yoga Accessories

28″ x 9″ x 10″ from Yoga Direct

26″ by 9″ from The Yoga Warehouse

And if you MUST have an organic yoga bolster, try Zafu Net’s 27″ by 9″ organic bolsters. A bit more expensive, but made of organic materials. (Just don’t eat them!)

Note: This is not an exhaustive list of all vendors of yoga bolsters. And we do not receive any advertising income from these product recommendations. Feel free to browse your favorite online search services to find the bolster thats right for you!

[Via http://workingwellresources.com]

Day 22: Exercise should be a four-letter word

The long road to physical fitness

Everyone knows that regular exercise is great for your heart, your bones and weight control. You would think that something so wonderful would be an integral part of every thinking person’s regime. But. For some reason there are more people who say that they should exercise more than there are those who say they exercise enough. Like dieting, exercise is one of those things we all want to do because we think it is good for us.  Yet the road to the gym is littered with quitters. What’s going on?

 Here’s my analysis. In Biblical times slaves built pyramids for the Pharaohs. The Pharaoh probably said something like, “Here is a great way for you to keep in shape. The exercise will improve your aerobic functioning and build muscle tone.” Of course, the slaves had no choice but to accept this decree. In today’s world we can substitute “personal trainer” for “Pharaoh.” The idea is the same. OK.  I can hear you saying, “Wait a minute! That’s not a fair comparison!” You are right.  The Pharaohs gave the slaves the opportunity to exercise and do weight training free of charge, while any decent personal trainer will charge you a fortune.

 Have I made it clear that I am not one of those people who get great pleasure from physically tormenting their bodies? Even in my younger days I was not particularly athletically motivated.  Now in my later years, you can be assured that my aversion to physical exercise has only grown.

 But, what choice do I have? I must find a way to get myself to the gym and stay motivated. I can spend hours on the internet playing word games. Why am I motivated to do that? To see if I can beat my previous score!  Maybe I can use the same psychology to motivate myself to exercise.  Maybe, for me, exercise should be a four letter word: game.

 Yesterday I went to the gym and was able to do 25 minutes on the elliptical and 10 minutes on the treadmill (3.0). Since the elliptical requires more effort, I am giving myself 3pts/ minute. The treadmill earns 1pt/minute @ 3.0 and increases to 2pts/minute @ 3.5 (if I ever make it that far).  So today’s score = 85.

[Via http://20lbsgone.wordpress.com]

Personal Fitness in Balmain Exercise Programs.

A lot of people participate in personal fitness training to achieve a fitness level for a special occasion. I always wonder… Is it for improved physical appearance? Is it to loose weight? Or is it to keep stress at bay? All of the above are answers most people you know would give when asked this question. However, are they the only reasons?

While all the above are true, there are deeper and more useful benefits to be gained from personal fitness training, and most times the people that employ me as a personal trainer become aware of these benefits , such as health, agility and less incidence of disease.

I offer Personal Training in Balmain, Sydney and often get asked many health related questions. As the owner of a Sydney Weight Loss Personal Training company.

My Personal Fitness Training Company is based in Sydney in suburbs such as Balmain, specialising in high quality and results orientated Personal-Training services.

We are one of inner Western Sydney’s Leading Personal fitness business.

All our sessions are conducted by a member of our highly trained team, who are all experienced Personal Fitness professionals.

We can help you with you fatloss goals.

Personal Trainer Balmain

[Via http://britishbry.wordpress.com]

What's it going to take?

Every week, I was talking with someone suffering from health issues that could very likely be related to poor lifestyle choice – obesity, diabetes, heart condition, emphysema, the list goes on and on.  I always think, how sad it is that often this still won’t changing their outlook on the importance of eating right and making exercise a part of their routine.  It is even more sad that the rest of their loved ones follow their footsteps.  There are so many wonderful people who agree with me but are also about 40 lbs overweight and will change the subject when it’s broached!

Being the type of person I am, I charge head-on into the issue and point this out that and the response that 90% of people will respond with is, “Not right now.  Maybe when things slow down at work or when we’re finished remodeling or when the kids are a little older or when my back doesn’t hurt so much.”  In other words, “I don’t have time or desire to take care of me.”

Here’s my question to you – What’s it going to take?

It’s a sad commentary on us as a society that we will put off our health in favor of things that will mean nothing in the future.  Is it really going to postpone and stall a remodel if you get on the treadmill for 20 minutes?  Is it really going to slow you down at work if you have whole grain bread rather than white on a tuna sandwich?  Excuses, excuses…

Many of you (us) are in this boat whether its exercise, health, finances, careers or relationships.  You (we) continue to put off until tomorrow what needs to be looked after today.  You (we, again) procrastinate even looking for a solution in hopes that by ignoring the issue, it will go away.

It doesn’t!  It grows and becomes worse.  Like a cancer, it will spread into other areas of life previously unaffected, until everything is falling apart.  Our lives are about finding balance but not in just one area of life, we live in several realms.

Face it, if you don’t make time for your health now, all of that time you think you’re saving is going to be taken away when you’re separating out your medications for each of the health conditions you ignored.  One woman I was talking with spends nearly 30 minutes each weekend separating her medications into morning and night pills for the week.  Twenty-seven medications in all and many of them could have been (and still could be) avoided if she’d been willing to spend a little time on her health.  And this isn’t including the 5-10 doctor appointments she goes to monthly.  We all know how much time is wasted in the waiting room.  What if she spent that 30 minutes on weekends setting up the meals for her week and the 10 hours (at least) at the doctor’s office getting 20 30 min workouts each month?  What would her health look like?

So what is it going to take for you to get up and quit procrastinating?  What is it going to take for you to have had your fill and start making changes?  What is it going to take for you to say, “Enough!” and start living instead of existing?  What is it going to take for you to have your fill of wishing and start achieving?

I’ll make you this promise, if you’re ready and have reached that point, then I will do everything I possibly can to help you reach your goals.  Email me and we can start planning steps you can begin taking today, tomorrow and this coming week.  Let’s flood Beachbody this year with your own Success Stories!

Keep logging your workouts into WOWY!  I LOVE to see when you guys win in WOWY (and several of you have!).  Also, jump in on our message boards (http://forums.teambeachbody.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/3932969366/m/2461052601?r=9621000261#9621000261) for more support from people just like you trying to get healthy.  You can hear directly from others how and, more importantly, why they continue their fitness journeys.  Go to www.mantecafitclub.com to sign up for a free WOWY/message board account.

[Via http://getfitwithtina.wordpress.com]

Yoga Pose: Eagle

Here’s a pose that looks super complicated but makes sense if you break it down. It’s called eagle or Garudasana though I’ve never actually heard my teachers use anything but the English name. According to YogaJournal.com it translates more literally into “devourer.” That sounds more awesome so go with that name if it helps.

To get your arms into that funky awesome pretzel, make an X with your arms out in front of you, right under left and meeting at the elbows. Palms should be facing out. Now bend your elbows and bring your hands toward your body rotating them so that the palms are pressed together.

Once your arms are set, bend your knees and lift your right leg over the left and hook the right foot around the back of the left calf/ankle.

Now sit up straight, keep your arms engages, square your hips and balance.

To switch to the left side just have your left arm on the bottom of the arm X and lift your left leg over right.

[Via http://sweettater.wordpress.com]

Eat Stop Eat or is it Eat Fast Eat?: Day 186

Evolution Three – week One

Thursday, September 3, 2009

 

Hello Folks,

I bet you all are wondering what the heck protein and veggies means in the MENU: section of my post. Or maybe not, but I am going to tell you anyway.

Basically, I eat, or at least try to eat, five meals a day that have at least one serving of protein and one serving of vegetables. It doesn’t always work out that way, cuz I am a bigger fan of fruit and protein; so the Menu is partly my goal. I usually succeed with eating three meals with both protein and veggies and two meals with at least protein.

Truth is…most food has protein in it anyway…even bread has some…so it really isn’t that hard to get some protein into my system.

Anyway, I didn’t get much sleep last night, so I my brain is not up to speed…so I am going to go.

Remind me to tell you sometime about when I was camping in the desert and had a handful of peanuts and what that did to me after a long stretch with eating just rice.

I thought I would throw in an interesting video on weight loss using fasting….don’t confuse this with anorexia…entirely different….but this particular method tends to work for me because I tend to have energy whether i fast or not, so it doesn’t effect my energy levels….

here is more by the author or Eat STOP Eat….Brad Pilon…

More later!

Here are my pictures…

September 3, 2009: Day 186

  

 

Exercise:  Free

Menu: Protein and veggies

 

Until next time…

 

Think, Believe, Act, Adjust, Never Give up

 

Dakota

 

Today’s Mantra: Rest the body, the mind, the spirit…and digest less.

[Via http://bodyevolution.wordpress.com]