Low Carb Diets

It can be difficult when trying to lose weight to weed out the bad information from the good information, so I have decided to help you out by introducing you to a weight loss option that works and will improve your quality of life. A low carbohydrate diet is a great way to lose weight and here is how it works. Because you are eating less carbohydrates, your body's primary energy source, your body has to turn to your stores of fat for energy. By eating fewer carbs, you force your body to burn fat instead of carbs and you both lose weight and inches off your waist. Low carb diets are great because they allow you to eat lots of delicious foods like meat and fish in place of things like sandwhiches or pasta. For low carb recipes, just do a google search online and you will be on your way to fast, easy, satisfying weight loss.

Osteoarthritis Report

Did you know that there are more than 100 kinds of arthritis!? That's right and they affect over 20 million people in the U.S. One of these kinds of arthritis is known as osteoarthritis, or degenerative arthritis. Of all the kinds of arthritis, osteoarthritis happens to be the most common form. As with other forms of arthritis, it affects joints, especially those that are weight bearing, like the knees, feet, and spine. Both fortunately and unfortunately, the most common reason for osteoarthritis onset is simple aging. This means if you are below the age of 45, arthritis is probably something you don't have to worry about. However, this also means that as you get older, there isn't much you can do to prevent it. The most common symptom of osteoarthritis is pain in the joints after repeated use, however, symptoms may vary widely from patient to patient. While osteoarthritis may be inevitable for you, there are things you can do to treat and help prevent it. Excersice and overall healthy living can make a huge difference in how much pain you experience from arthritis. Living healthier will also help prevent other, sometimes more serious disease and conditions, such as cancer.

I DID IT!!!!

So, On Sunday, I participated in and completed the LA Marathon and received my finishers medal. It was an amazing experience and I am so glad I percevered through the pain and can now say that I have completed a marathon, something most people can't. I am extrememly sore, but my body is healing very quickly and I expect to be fully recovered by the weekend.

ITBS

Hello, long time no post. My training has been going very well and my IT band has been getting stretchier and stretchier, lol. I have been stretching it a lot and the pain has been slowly subsiding. This week I went for my 8 mile run and was able to do it, although at a very slow pace. I am going on a 3 day packpacking trip starting today with my two dogs, including ex-guide dog Shep, and my brother. It is sure to be a lot of fun and I wish all of you a Merry Christmas. Don't forget to donate!

Santa Monica Chrismas Run!

So, this morning I went out and got a ride with Mary Frances, who is a friend on our Team in Training team and I ran the 5k race along with the rest of our team. I got a spiffy new shirt and I finished in 29 minutes, with a 9:30 pace. Not half bad. Yesterday and this morning my IT band was hurting so I was really nervous about having to run 3 miles through pain. However, I had been intensely stretching all week and i guess it paid off. It hurt throughout the entire race, but only very mildly and not enough to affect my speed or anything like that, so this is definately a sucess. Now both my knees are pretty sore and they hurt a bit, but I think by tomorrow they should be healed up, so that is really exciting for me.

Saturday's Practice

So, I have been doing ok, I am able to run for about 10 minutes before I can feel my IT band and then at 20 minutes it starts to hurt, with a sharp pain. However, good news is that my recovery time has shortened. On Saturday I went to practice and ran for about 2 miles before I had to stop and walk the other 3 miles. My knees hurt pretty badly after that and walking was painful. I stretched a lot throughout the day and used the foam roller and by night time, i could walk pretty much pain free again. This is a vast improvement from the first time when I actually injured my IT band and i couldn't walk for a week.

ITBS

So it turns out that all along i just had IT band syndrome, which is pretty painful, but now that i know what is actually wrong with my body, I know how to treat it. I have been stretching about 3 times a day, and using the painful foam roller to break up tissue in my leg and that has helped immensely. After Saturday's 6 mile run i could barely move my legs without experiencing pain, and already, just on tuesday, i feel like i could probably run a few minutes without any pain. I will run on the treadmill tomorrow morning to see where i am in healing. I really hope i can heal by Saturday because our team in running in the Santa Monica 5k race, and i really want to be able to complete it with as little pain as possible.