NO GAIN WITHOUT PAIN

Now that ur pantry is bursting with veggies, ur fridge with H2O and, most importantly, ur head with the right attitude, the only thing left to do is to decide how u will be burning the kilojoules!

Les Mills Gyms r regarded as revolutionary irot heir group fitness classes. U will always find something new – and never, never boring – at these trendy, state-of-the-art group gyms - like Body Pump, Body Step or Body Attack. If, however, ur not sure how to spend ur newly-found energy, the Daily News Exercise Quiz is an excellent source to help u find exactly the exercise regime for ur individual needs.

By now u will know that it is not going to be “a walk in the park” (although, even that is a good start!) The Adidas slogan reads:"Nothing is Impossible". This is a real good read if u need some info on jogging/running/speed walking and, especially, some motivation. There is no magical definition for the person who does this type of exercise – if u are putting one foot before the other with the right attitude, U R A RUNNER.

There is of course nothing wrong with getting bored with pounding the pavement and for the more adventurous (and perhaps, shy), there’s always the X-Pole which allows u to work up some sweat in the privacy of ur own home. Or u can opt 4 the very popular pilates regime, some water sports at Raglan, something completely different not 4 the faint-hearted or an exercise regime which can come in very handy – go girls!

Nobody claims that it is going to be easy but there is loads of help out there - not only from professionals but if u need some motivation, check out The Weigh We Were 4 real life success stories to get u to set the alarm clock 4 6am. And if u have a dip in ur regime, u only need to take a walk – which is no longer what it used to be, according to this great site. Or u can even try one of the latest (and apparently, fashionable) trends in exercise - Nordic Walking.

We, once again, seem to be back at walking/steps – Buzz again. Don’t even think about it! When u have doubts, stick a photograph of ur ideal celeb body on the bathroom mirror and a note on ur fridge door that reads: “The answer is not in here”. Good luck!!!

U R WHAT U EAT

So, let’s say u have finally decided that u wanna look like one of the girls in the swimsuit ad or, if u r a guy, like the TV3 deodorant hunk who has to fight off equally good-looking females. The first step is the easier one – start looking at what u put into ur body. Or … IS it that easy?

Sureslim claims it can change ur life. This scientific eating program is based upon the blood test results of each individual and if u r motivated, u will also not mind putting ur money where ur motivation lies.

WeightWatchers is regarded as a leader in the field of weight loss and has been around for quite a while. U can read just about everything u need to know about their Turnaround programme, a three point programme which makes a lot of sense, but beware – u r assigned daily eating points and have to stick to that. Some maths involved here!

There is more bad news: How u eat is also important. U r well on ur way to become an expert on weight management if u have scanned ur way though the Fitness Jumpsite. One of the tips offered by the dietitians is to eat small portions, more often. The ideal seems to be six to seven meals per day! They also caution against expectations of big results too fast. Why does everything lead to small steps … and … Buzz Aldrin? Don’t even think about it! Time to take another look at the beautiful (thin/healthy) people in the TV ads and hit the food isles with ur carefully-planned shopping list.

The vocabulary of the 21st century: Toning up, Love Handles Workout, diet-friendly treats, metabolism boost, natural cellulite remedies, Body Mass Index, fat loss, exercise-induced growth hormone, active vacations, refreshing lite beer, The Official Oprah Diet, Adidas ClimaWalk, cholesterol level, hydrating fitness belt, eating disorders, celebrity bodies, etc., etc., etc.

We are, on a daily basis, bombarded with headlines, ads, magazine articles, billboards and rear bus panels on “the fat issue”. Even reality shows follow intimately each step of the long road from hell to heaven: Shedding anything between nine and 28 kilo’s in front of a TV-watching nation cannot be easy. However, if that is what it takes to become a celebrity… And, of course, the bigger the loss, the higher the status.

To complicate matters, much has been said lately about being too thin. Most celebrities are fashionably thin and regarded as bad role models for young girls who could become anorexic, bulimic or even die in their quest to become a “perfect size zero”. The recent top model controversy was proof of the many attempts to change this.

One thing is certain: The fat issue has become THE issue on the mind of every women, mother, educator, adolescent and, yes, guy on the globe. One can even find a diet for your overweight pet on various websites. (After all, did someone famous not recently say that fat pets have fat owners?) Has it always been this way? Have we, up to recently, simply not noticed or paid attention? Has the human anatomy (at least) stayed the same? What is the relation between weight and fat? Between weight and exercise? Weight and health?

If u r just a little worried that u might be missing something important or perhaps even start to feel somewhat uncomfortable when a friend obviously means something entirely different from a pack of ice-cold Tui when he or she uses the term “six pack”, u can google, say, “diets” for a start. Response? 24 000.000 hits. “Health issues” turns out 2 080.000 hits and u can choose from at least 800 health clubs anywhere in NZ if u feel empowered enough to consider a workout.

Health control is no longer the prerogative or even choice of the individual. The NZ government, together with Fitness NZ, has issued an extensive set of health guidelines and even rules to promote a healthy nation. Body fat, exercise and lifestyle have become daily topics of conversation. Schools may no longer sell in their tuck shops what their clientele desires. Some accepted this interference without question; others rebelled. Who should be blamed if a child is overweight? Some say the educational system is failing its objects. Parents, as always, are regarded huge culprits. Even before the birth of a child, its fate could be decided. Is the Kiwi lifestyle to be blamed? The Western lifestyle? How does NZ compare to other nations? How do different ethnic groups differ? Much research has been done and some results are interesting; others shocking. Alzheimers, Asthma, ADHD, obesity, heart attacks, knee problems, high cholesterol levels and inability to taste are only the start of an unhealthy person’s problems. It is even suggested that we are poisoning ourselves and that the food we eat daily can lead to suicide.

And then, just when we have done some homework on this topic and think we know enough to at least step out the front door, kitted out in our Reeboks and heart rate monitors, we read that it – as everything else in life in the 21st century - boils down to this: The ozone layer. The debate is an ongoing one. Is the so-called health nut who works out daily (also read: showers more often), constantly counts kilojoules, sips ice-cold mineral water and limits her alcohol intake to locally produced organic wine contributing more to the greening process than an unfit, overweight chain smoker? U may consider reading “Fighting Globesity” by Mills and Mills (He is the son of Les Mills of the trendy health club fame); u can also choose to grab a (full-bodied) beer from the fridge and, like Buzz Aldrin, decide that “every human has a finite number of heart beats. I don’t intend to waste any of mine running around doing exercise.”

What do u think of this?

http://www.channel4.com/health/microsites/0-9/4health/food/ydi_index.html

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