Healthy Living in Connecticut Blog

I went to a free consultation a few days ago. I wanted to find out about Smart Lipo, as I read that it is a non-invasive procedure to remove pockets of fat in troublesome areas, such as the abs. I don't really want to do any kind of procedure on my belly an would rather it tighten on it's own, but I thought it would be god to hear what the doctor said.

The doctor examined the skin around my abs and lower back. He said I barely have any fat in there and that most of what is there is skin. I would not qualify for a Smart Lipo, as the procedure takes out fat. This surprised me, as my trainer checked my abs a few weeks ago and measured the fat that remains in there.

I had a personal training session today and my trainer changed my workout routine. It's not good to stay with the same workouts over and over, so my trainer mixes it up every month or so.

What a grueling workout it is this time. I'm up for the challenge!

I've been so busy with the challenges and personal training class that I haven't had a chance to update the status of my body fat percentage.

My trainer did take measurements with the calipers. I did the calculations and it's down from the last time he checked. A few months ago, my percentage was 16.76. When I figured it out the other day, it was down to 15.03! The hard work is really paying off! I feel a lot stronger and my workout is improving, especially with the class I'm taking.

My challenges are about half way through. You might recall that I'm in a challenge in the Torrington YMCA, doing the Fit Commitment Challenge and a stepping challenge in Bridgeport with co-workers. I walk and exercise everyday, but it's all the extra things to keep track of that are overwhelming!

The challenge in Torrington is definitely the most time consuming as it requires weekly challenges, different tasks we must do each week to receive points. This week, I've had to swim 5 laps and walk on the treadmill for a half an hour. I did the treadmill easily, but I'm not much of a swimmer so I struggled with that one; anyway, I completed the laps!

Recently, I watched the movie "Fed Up", a powerful documentary that explains why obesity is occurring at such an alarming rate among American children. It really opened my eyes on how obesity has become such an epidemic and that it is not so simple as cutting back on calories to lose weight.

There were so many points in the movie that caught my attention. For example, I found it alarming how there were no children with Type II diabetes in 1980, and thirty years later, there are over 50,000 kids with the disease. This can be blamed on all the processed food and sodas that the kids so often consume. The movie compared the soda industry to the tobacco industry, saying that soda is the tobacco of the 21st century. The companies that make the sodas and processed foods lobby Washington and spend billions of dollars on advertising, with many of the ads appealing to children.