A look inside the real story! (One’s Opinion)

(Before you read this please understand that this is an expressed opinion by one Contributor. The statements in this article do not represent or reflect the opinions of Afitnessconnection.com.)
Please stop reporting in areas that you all are clueless!
Steroids are used to increase muscle bulk and strength and to enable longer and harder athletic training sessions. Some users take steroids for cosmetic (body image) reasons. Steroids increase protein synthesis, promoting growth of muscles and bones. They reduce the recovery time needed between training sessions and enable athletes to train more intensively for longer periods. Anabolic steroids increase muscle mass. Antiinflammatory steroids (or corticosteroids) can reduce swelling, pain, and other manifestations of inflammation. Synthetic steroids are used in a variety of therapies to control respiratory problems, skin inflammation, ease joint inflammations, and to treat blood disorders.
Testosterone – Testosterone is a steroid hormone produced by the testes and adrenal glands. Testosterone is the most important of the male sex hormones. It is responsible for stimulating bone and muscle growth, and sexual development. Testosterone stimulates sperm production (spermatogenesis), and influences the development of male secondary sex characteristics. Testosterone is required for sperm production, the development of the male reproductive organs, and the emergence of male secondary sexual characteristics. The hormone is also required for the buildup of lean muscle mass.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) – Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a steroid precursor produced by the adrenal gland and converted to testosterone or the estrogens by the body’s tissues. Optimal levels OF DHEA are associated with increased energy, healthy immune and cardiovascular function, improved memory and elevated mood. DHEA is a cholesterol metabolite, it aids in the relief of stress. DHEA aids in the prevention of cancer. Low circulating levels of DHEA have been associated with a higher incidence of breast cancer in women.
Androstenedione – Androstenedione is an estrogen precursor hormone produced by the adrenal glands and the stromal tissue in the ovaries and later converted to estrone in the adipose tissues in the skin and appendages. ptimal testosterone levels give the body healthy red blood cells, a vital sex drive, rapid protein production, and a balanced immune system. It can also cause increased energy, heighted sexual arousal, and give a greater sense of overall well-being.
Hydrocortisone – Hydrocortisone (cortisol) is the main glucocorticoid secreted by the adrenal cortex. Hydrocortisone is responsible for maintaining our ability to process sugars, maintain our blood pressure and react to stress and illness. Cortisol helps the body respond to stress. Hydrocortisone stimulates gluconeogenesis to ensure an adequate fuel supply. It also makes fatty acids available for metabolic use. It increases mobilization of free fatty acids, making them a more available energy source, and decreases glucose utilization, sparing it for the brain.
Prednisone – Prednisone is a steroid that blocks inflammation of an allergic reaction. Prednisone puts down the body’s response to the allergen (the cause of the allergy) and reduces swelling, redness, itching, and other symptoms of allergy. It also reduces the body’s ability to fight infection. Prednisone decreases inflammation by preventing white blood cells from completing an inflammatory reaction. Prednisone may act together with anticancer drugs in helping to control the effects of the disease on the body.
Dexamethasone – Dexamethasone stimulates synthesis of enzymes required to decrease the inflammatory response. Dexamethasone is a strong anti-inflammatory agent. Dexamethasone is used to treat many inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. Dexamethasone is used to treat leukemia and lymphoma and may be used to treat some of the problems caused by other cancers and their treatment. Dexamethasone is used to prevent nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy, in combination with other drug
Estrogen – Estrogen stimulates the development of secondary sexual characteristics and induces menstruation in women. Estrogen is important for the maintenance of normal brain function and development of nerve cells. Estrogen is essential for the healthy development and functioning of the female reproductive system and in keeping bones strong and brain cells healthy. Estrogen is used therapeutically to treat breast and prostate cancer and osteoporosis, and to relieve the discomforts of menopause.
Nandrolone – Nandrolone is used to treat testosterone deficiency or breast cancer or osteoporosis. It is very similar in structure to the male hormone testosterone, and has many of the same effects in terms of increasing muscle mass. Nandrolone drugs are used in the belief that they are capable in increasing muscle strength and size, increasing muscle hardness, and also decrease body fat. They additionally reduce the fatigue associated with training, and the time required to recover after physical exertion.
Cholesterol – Cholesterol is a major precursor of cholesterol ester, bile acids, and steroid hormones and is a component of plasma membranes. It is a necessary component of all cell membranes. It is the precursor to all steroid hormone (including estrogen, testosterone, cortisol, and vitamin D). It is the leading organic molecule in the brain and is needed for brain function. However, too much cholesterol in the bloodstream can be unhealthy, it builds up in the artery wall and can lead to the signs and symptoms of coronary heart disease

First off:

1. There has never been anyone who has died directly from steroid use. The worse thing that it ever cause is liver toxicity. It is imperative that people understand that steroids does not kill people.

2. 60% of all professional athletes take some form of performance enhancer.

3. There is and never will be a level playing field in sports: DHEA levels, testosterone levels and normal test levels start to drop at age 29 on a male. So, if an athlete has considerable low test levels/he should medically be allowed to use steroids. athletes at a younger age are at an advantage. Steroids are not illegal drugs. They are used and prescribed by doctors. And, are used on AIDS patients to help w/bone density and muscle re-growth.

4. HGH is a hormone designed to reverse anti-aging process and aid in recovery from surgery. Where does it say that a man cannot legally use this drug? One has to take it for a time from of at least 4-6 weeks to have health benefits. When you all reported that HGH was used by the Yankee picture for 2-weeks, he would not get anything from the hormones.

5. I believe the media as well as your show is reporting on incorrect and false allegations from a drug that is legal and can if taken and prescribed by a medical doctor will have extremely sound and safe health benefits.

6. Our government is at fault. They even set up a 14 Million dollar anti-steroid campaign. Well, where is the money? Steroids have been around since 1930 and can only truly be afforded by typically the top 5% of the population. If everyone were to use and benefit from this drug, health insurance companies, doctors and prescription medication (especially anit-depressants, which doctors prescribe without even doing a blood test) would lose money and how many of our politicians are paid off by the health insurance companies.

7. Roid rage happens and problems arise when you come off the drug! Steroids, must be probably cycled and taken out of your body because a sharp drop in testosterone can cause depression. So y have these teens, and gym rats buy and experiment illegally and get in trouble. Then, you all report the dangers. Laconically speaking, it is amazing that you all report on medication that you know nothing about. Also, ESPN is not affiliated or back by any MEDICAL research. You only report the dangers, because of the Disney umbrella that your company falls under. You cannot promote or even say anything that kids may take literally. But, you are reporting false claims.

8. America will never go an try to implement a program to show the medical benefits. Because then, they will look like liars. But, in truth you all are already lying.

please, report on stats and not on anything medical. For, the two of you look extremely ignorant when doing so.

sincerely,

Christopher Downing, MD

A-Rod admits using performance-enhancers

NEW YORK – Alex Rodriguez, the player who would restore integrity to baseball’s home run record, admitted Monday to using performance-enhancing drugs himself. The All-Star third baseman said in an interview with ESPN that he used steroids with the Texas Rangers for three years, from 2001-03, in an attempt to justify his status as the game’s highest-paid player after signing a 10-year, $252 million contract.
“Back then it was a different culture,” Rodriguez said. “It was very loose. I was young. I was stupid. I was naive, and I wanted to prove to everyone that, you know, I was worth, you know — and being one of the greatest players of all time.”
He said he quit after 2003, his first of three AL MVP seasons, because “I’ve proved to myself and to everyone that I don’t need any of that.” He was traded to the New York Yankees before the 2004 season.
The admission came two days after Sports Illustrated reported on its Web site that Rodriguez was among 104 names on a list of players who tested positive for steroids in 2003, when testing was intended to determine the extent of steroid use in baseball. The results weren’t subject to discipline and were supposed to remain anonymous.
“When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I felt like I had all the weight of the world on top of me and I needed to perform, and perform at a high level every day,” Rodriguez said.
“And I did take a banned substance and, you know, for that I’m very sorry and deeply regretful. And although it was the culture back then and Major League Baseball overall was very — I just feel that — You know, I’m just sorry. I’m sorry for that time. I’m sorry to fans. I’m sorry for my fans in Texas. It wasn’t until then that I ever thought about substance of any kind.”
Rangers owner Tom Hicks said the admission caught him by surprise.
“I feel personally betrayed. I feel deceived by Alex,” Hicks said in a conference call. “He assured me that he had far too much respect for his own body to ever do that to himself. … I certainly don’t believe that if he’s now admitting that he started using when he came to the Texas Rangers, why should I believe that it didn’t start before he came to the Texas Rangers?”
The 33-year-old Rodriguez ranks 12th on the career list with 553 homers, including 52, 57 and 47 in his three seasons with the Rangers. He is 209 behind Barry Bonds’ record 762.
Now, though, he’s on top of a much different list — the highest-profile player to confess to doping, joining teammates Jason Giambi and Andy Pettitte.
Rodriguez’s admission is in stark contrast to the denials of former teammate Roger Clemens and Bonds.
Bonds, a seven-time MVP, is scheduled for trial next month on charges he lied when he told a federal grand jury in 2003 that he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs. Another federal grand jury is considering whether to indict seven-time AL Cy Young Award winner Clemens on charges he lied when he told a congressional committee last year that he never used steroids or human growth hormone.
SI.com reported Rodriguez tested positive for Primobolan and testosterone.
“It was such a loosey-goosey era. I’m guilty for a lot of things. I’m guilty for being negligent, naive, not asking all the right questions,” Rodriguez said. “And to be quite honest, I don’t know exactly what substance I was guilty of using.”
Rather than hold a news conference, as Giambi and Pettitte did for their confessionals, Rodriguez chose the controlled setting of an interview with ESPN, one of Major League Baseball’s television partners.
The interview left open many questions:
• Whom did Rodriguez obtain steroids from?
• How did he pay for them?
• Did anyone help him to obtain them?
ESPN was scheduled to broadcast the full interview later Monday.
Monday’s ESPN interview directly contradicted a December 2007 interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes,” when Rodriguez said “No” when asked if he had ever used steroids, human growth hormone or any other performance-enhancing substance.
In his 2008 book, “Vindicated: Big Names, Big Liars, and The Battle to Save Baseball,” Jose Canseco claimed he introduced Rodriguez to a steroids dealer. Canseco, who has admitted using steroids, subsequently said he had no knowledge of any drug use by Rodriguez.
“They are looking in the wrong places,” Canseco said in a text message to The Associated Press. “This is a 25-year cover-up. The true criminals are Gene Orza, (union head) Donald Fehr and (commissioner) Bud (Selig). Investigate them, and you will have all the answers.”
SI said that Orza, the union’s chief operating officer, tipped off three players in September 2004 that they would be tested. Orza has repeatedly denied that he tipped off players, saying he merely reminded them late in the season that if they had not yet been tested, baseball’s drug agreement required them to be tested by the end of the regular season.
Orza, who has been widely criticized by media since the SI report, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that he doesn’t care what the media says.
“I know the facts,” Orza wrote.
Rodriguez said Orza told him in August or September 2004 about the list of names that had been seized by federal investigators.
“He said there’s a government list. There’s 104 players in it. You might or might not have tested positive,” Rodriguez said.
On Friday, Rodriguez is still expected to attend an event at the University of Miami, which is renaming its baseball field in his honor.
He gave $3.9 million to the school in 2003, the largest gift ever to the Hurricanes’ baseball program and money that provided much of the resources needed for renovating the existing on-campus stadium. In return, the baseball complex will be called Mark Light Field at Alex Rodriguez Park.
Despite the scandal, the facility will continue to bear Rodriguez’s name, a university official said Monday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitive nature.
Miami baseball players and coaches were not available for comment, spokesman Mark Pray said.

Overlooked Fat Loss Factors

Overlooked Fat Loss Factors
By Joel Marion

We’re often told that losing weight is a simple mathematical equation of calories in, calories out. Burn more calories than you eat and you’ll lose fat. However, is it really that simple? The truth is that the actual “number” of calories you consume is not the only factor that affects your fat-loss efforts. In this article, we’ll discuss five other things that should be considered when determining the effect of your diet on your waistline, primarily overlooked fat loss factors. Incorporate this knowledge into your workout and nutrition routines and soon you’ll be ripped like Ryan Reynolds — and attracting the Angelina Jolies and Kim Kardashians of the gym for it.
1- The thermic effect of the food you eat
The thermic effect of food (TEF) measures the amount of energy that is required to support the processes of digesting, absorbing and assimilating food nutrients as well as the energy expended as a result of the central nervous system’s stimulatory effect on metabolism when food is ingested. Of the three macronutrients, protein carries the highest thermic effect. Eat more protein; burn more calories.
2- The fiber content of the food you eat
Due to its chemical makeup, fiber is classified as a carbohydrate; however, it is unlike other carbohydrates in that it is an indigestible nutrient. Even though each gram of fiber contains four calories, these calories will remain undigested and will not be absorbed. Therefore, if you were to consume 300 calories of red beans (a food in which nearly 1/3 of the caloric content is from fiber), approximately 100 of these calories would pass through your intestinal tract undigested.
3- The glycemic and insulin indices of the food you eat
The glycemic and insulin indices are scaled numbers that refer to how quickly a particular carbohydrate source enters the bloodstream as sugar and how much insulin is needed to rid that sugar from the bloodstream, respectively. Generally speaking, there is a positive relationship between the two; the quicker sugar enters the bloodstream, the more insulin is needed to rid that sugar from the bloodstream. When high levels of insulin are present within the blood, fat burning is brought to a screeching halt, which is anything but desirable for those whose goal it is to obtain a lean, muscular physique. Don’t let this be an overlooked fat loss factor.
4- The different macronutrients present in the food you eat
Although insulin’s primary function is to shuttle glucose (sugar) into skeletal muscle, it also carries many other nutrients to their respective storage sites — this includes lipids (fat). Since carbohydrate ingestion stimulates a large insulin response and fat ingestion gives rise to blood lipid levels, when the two are consumed together, they promote the greatest fat storage.

There’s one more overlooked fat loss factor you need to know, along with some other great weight loss tips… 5- The size, frequency and time of the meals you eat
Large, infrequent meals tend to promote storage of the ingested nutrients, as the body is unsure as to when the next feeding will take place. Conversely, consuming smaller, more frequent meals will result in an increase in metabolism and utilization of the ingested nutrients. Also, ingesting a large amount of carbohydrates before bed spikes insulin, deters nocturnal thermogenesis and increases fat storage during sleep. On the contrary, consuming a great deal of calories early in the day does not bring about this problem; rather, these calories are likely to be used as energy to support daily activities.
FIGHT THE FAT
As you can see, someone could be eating a relatively small amount of calories daily, but at the same time be promoting a great deal of fat storage by: 1) Making poor food choices; 2) Combining macronutrients in a nonproductive fashion and; 3) Consuming food infrequently and at inopportune times. To illustrate this further, let’s take a look at a recent study that analyzed the diets of 38 police officers. This study discovered that although the officers were consuming a hypocaloric diet (fewer calories than they burn), they all had unhealthy levels of body fat and had been gaining fat mass over the past five years. If all you had to do to lose fat was consume fewer calories than you burned, then these individuals would be losing fat, not gaining it.

To confirm the importance of the factors that I previously mentioned, let’s take a look at some of the other things this study noted:
• Only 15% of their diet consisted of protein, the macronutrient with the greatest TEF.
• Their diet contained very little fiber.
• Over 50% of their carbohydrate intake was derived from simple sugars, which have very high glycemic and insulin indices.
• They didn’t note this, but I’m willing to bet that they didn’t avoid the fat-carb combo.
• They ate infrequently — only 10% of their caloric intake was consumed at breakfast and over 50% was consumed right before bed.
By now, it should be obvious that fat loss isn’t just a matter of calories in, calories out. And while it’s a little more complex than that, you can easily use the tips in this article to ensure you’re getting the most from your dieting efforts.

Joel Marion is an internationally recognized fitness expert and the author of The Cheat to Lose Diet (Random House, 2007). To learn more about Joel’s top-rated Body Transformation Coaching program and to download a free copy of his latest fat loss report, The Secret Fat Loss Hormone, visit www.JoelMarionCoaching.com.

Burlington, Vt., is healthiest city, CDC says

By MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer Mike Stobbe, Ap Medical Writer – Sun Nov 16, 12:29 pm 

http://www.yahoo.com

 

What’s the healthiest city in America? It appears to be Burlington, Vt.

Vermont’s largest city is tops among U.S. metropolitan areas by having the largest proportion of people — 92 percent — who say they are in good or great health.

It’s also among the best in exercise and among the lowest in obesity, diabetes and other measures of ill health, according to a recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This New England city of 40,000, on the shores of Lake Champlain, is in some ways similar to the unhealthiest city — Huntington, W.Va. Both are out-of-the-way college towns with populations that are overwhelmingly white people of English, German or Irish ancestry.

But there the similarities end:

_Burlington is younger, with an average age of 37, compared to 40 in Huntington, according to the Census Bureau.

_Burlington is better off financially, with 8 percent living at the federal poverty level, compared to 19 percent in Huntington.

_It’s much more educated, with nearly 40 percent of area residents having at least a college bachelor’s degree. Only 15 percent in the Huntington area do.

The cultures are significantly different, too. Bicycling, hiking, skiing and other exercises are common in Burlington. Neighborhood groups commonly focus on improving parks, working in community gardens and repairing and improving sidewalks.

“There’s this norm of a lot of activity,” said Chris Finley, Vermont’s deputy health commissioner, who works in Burlington.

And though college staples like pizza are common, healthier foods are also popular. Grass-fed beef is offered in finer restaurants, vegan options are plentiful, and the lone downtown supermarket is run by a co-op successful in selling bulk rice and other healthy choices to low-income residents.

Burlington is helped by the presence of IBM and other employers offering more generous health benefits and corporate wellness programs than companies in Huntington, some experts suggested.

Mixed martial arts’ Elite XC to file for bankruptcy

Mixed martial arts’ Elite XC to file for bankruptcy

Robert Laberge / Getty Images

Gina Carano, left, and Kimbo Slice are two of Elite XC’s top mixed-martial-arts draws, but their fighting futures are in limbo now that the organization will file bankruptcy.

The organization, whose last show featured a 14-second fight, calls it quits after losing $55 million.

By Lance Pugmire
October 22, 2008

It looks like Elite XC, the upstart mixed martial arts organization featuring Kimbo Slice, is down for the count.

ProElite, Inc., Elite XC’s Los Angeles-based parent company, plans to file for bankruptcy, said T. Jay Thompson, an Elite XC executive consultant, whose Hawaii-based MMA organization was purchased by ProElite last year.

Elite XC has also informed fighters, office staff and others of immediate layoffs and has canceled fight dates, including a Nov. 8 card in Reno, Thompson said.

In an SEC filing Tuesday, ProElite said that Showtime Networks said it was in violation of a debt covenant because the MMA firm doesn’t have enough cash on hand. ProElite has reported $55 million in net losses since January 2007, according to SEC filings.

Several ProElite executives declined to comment Tuesday.

“If I had to point fingers why this thing went bad, I’d have trouble, because I only have two hands,” said Thompson.

ProElite, which opened two years ago, appointed boxing promoter Gary Shaw as president and he designated his son, Jared Shaw — known by the nickname “$kala” — a key executive with matchmaking powers.

Gary Shaw, who saw his role change from president to consultant this year, said Tuesday he “wasn’t even a consultant anymore. I have no comment. I don’t know anything about it. I don’t know if they’re done.”

In another SEC filing, Pro- Elite acknowledged significant deficiencies in how it was operated, including wasteful spending by management and a finding that contracts it entered into were not adequately reviewed.

Thompson said he believes the company’s fate was sealed when Slice, its biggest star, was knocked out in 14 seconds of the main event of a CBS show Oct. 4.

Slice was supposed to fight MMA veteran Ken Shamrock. Instead, a late injury replacement, Seth Petruzelli, was put into the cage. Petruzelli alleged in a later radio interview that Elite XC promoters told him he’d earn extra money by fighting a stand-up style that favored Slice’s strength as a street fighter. A Florida commission is now investigating that claim.

Meanwhile, instead of gaining an investment by Showtime Networks that ProElite officials had said was vital for its survival, Showtime sent ProElite a default notice for $6.3 million last week, according to an SEC filing. “ProElite officials have advised us that they will not be able to put on the EliteXC event scheduled for exhibition on Showtime on Nov. 8,” Showtime spokesman Chris DiBlasio said in a statement. “In view of Showtime’s leadership role in sports programming, including boxing and mixed martial arts, we intend to explore other opportunities.”

Thompson railed at what he called a cycle of wasted money by ProElite officials. Pro Elite would over-staff its fight cards with employees, bringing in “35 people who were running around, quite comically” at shows, he said. “It was mind boggling.”

Earlier this year, in San Jose, a Pro Elite card generated a live gate of $1.2 million. Thompson, with 15 years of fight-promotion experience, said he advised ProElite officials to bring only a few employees north to maximize profits. Instead, he said, 23 employees worked the event.

A few Elite XC fighters, including champion Jake Shields, Robbie Lawler and Nick Diaz, may land at the top MMA organization, Ultimate Fighting Championship.

But Elite XC stars Slice and female fighter Gina Carano probably will have to look for fights elsewhere.

UFC President Dana White was not available for comment. But White’s spokeswoman said he has previously insisted he wasn’t interested in adding Slice to his stable of fighters because he didn’t want to diminish the sport as “a freak show.”

Carano’s publicist did not return messages left for her, but the unbeaten female fighter, who has also performed as “Crush” on NBC’s “American Gladiators,” appears headed for a second-tier organization if she continues in MMA.

UFC’s White has said that there isn’t enough of a talent pool to start a women’s fight league.

From day one of Elite XC’s existence, White predicted a doomed effort.

“No one in that business has a clue how to do MMA,” he said in December 2006. “These guys don’t know the difference between MMA and thumb wrestling.”

Times staff writer Greg Johnson contributed to this report.

Pugmire is a Times staff writer.

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

 

 

What makes men cheat?

A subject we all think about, men or women we all think why does one do this..? I was reading an article today on yahoo so i thought i would share with everyone. What do you guys think?

What makes men cheat?

http://www.yahoo.com

Marriage counselor M. Gary Neuman dug through past research on male infidelity and found that most answers came from the wife’s point of view. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to ask the guys?” he thought. So for his new book, “The Truth About Cheating,” Neuman surveyed 200 cheating and noncheating husbands to get at the real reasons behind men’s infidelity — including what cheating men say could have prevented them from straying. Here, some of his findings:

More Dating Articles from Redbook:

·         Diary of an Affair

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48% of men rated emotional dissatisfaction as the primary reason they cheated.

So much for the myth that for men, cheating is all about physical intimacy: Only 8 percent of men said that physical dissatisfaction was the main factor in their infidelity. “Our culture tells us that all men need to be happy is to have physical intimacy with someone,” Neuman says. “But men are emotionally driven beings too. They want their wives to show them that they’re appreciated, and they want women to understand how hard they’re trying to get things right.” The problem is that men are less likely than women to express these feelings, so you won’t always know when your guy is in need of a little affirmation. “Most men consider it unmanly to ask for a pat on the back, which is why their emotional needs are often overlooked,” Neuman says. “But you can create a marital culture of appreciation and thoughtfulness — and once you set the tone, he’s likely to match it.”

66% of cheating men report feeling guilt during the affair.

The implications are a little scary: It isn’t just uncaring jerks who cheat. In fact, 68 percent of cheaters never dreamed they’d be unfaithful, and almost all of them wished they hadn’t done it, Neuman says. Clearly, guilt isn’t enough to stop a man from cheating. “Men are good at compartmentalizing feelings,” Neuman explains. “They can hold on to their emotions and deal with them later.” So even if your partner swears he would never cheat, don’t assume it can’t happen. It’s important for both of you to take steps toward creating the relationship you want.

77% of cheating men have a good friend who cheated.

Hanging around friends who stray makes cheating seem normal and legitimizes it as a possibility.

Hanging around friends who stray makes cheating seem normal and legitimizes it as a possibility. The message he’s subconsciously telling himself: “My friend is a good guy who happens to be cheating on his wife. I guess even the best of us do it.” You can’t simply ban your husband from hanging out with Mr. Wandering Eyes, Neuman says, but you can request that they spend their time together in an environment that offers less temptation, like at a sporting event or a restaurant for lunch rather than at a bar or club. Another strategy: Build your social circle around happily married couples that share your values — it’ll create an environment that supports marriage.

40% of cheating men met the other woman at work.

“Oftentimes the woman he cheats with at the office is someone who praises him, looks up to him, and compliments his efforts,” Neuman says. “That’s another reason why it’s so critical that he feel valued at home.” Luckily, there’s a clear warning sign that your husband is getting a little too cozy with a colleague: If he praises or mentions the name of a female coworker more than he would a male counterpart, your antennae should go up — and it’s time for the two of you to set boundaries about what is and isn’t okay at work, Neuman says. Is it acceptable for him to work late if it’s only him and her? Can they travel together to conferences? Have dinners out to discuss a project? Ask him what he’d feel comfortable with you doing with a male colleague.

Only 12% of cheating men said their mistress was more physically attractive than their wife.

In other words, a man doesn’t stray because he thinks he’ll get lucky with a better-looking body. ”

In most cases, he’s cheating to fill an emotional void

In most cases, he’s cheating to fill an emotional void,” Neuman says. “He feels a connection with the other woman, and physical intimacy comes along for the ride.” If you’re worried about infidelity, focus on making your relationship more loving and connected, not on getting your body just right or mastering how to please him physically. (But know that physical intimacy does matter — it’s one of the key ways your guy expresses his love and feels close to you, so be sure to keep it a priority.)

Only 6% of cheating men had physical intimacy with a woman after meeting her that same day or night.

Actually, 73 percent of men got to know the other woman for more than a month before they cheated. This means that you may have time to see the warning signs before infidelity occurs — you might even see it coming before he does. Keep an eye out for these common signals: He spends more time away from home, stops asking for physical intimacy, picks fights more frequently, or avoids your calls. Your gut reaction may be to confront him, but most men will deny even thinking about cheating, especially if nothing physical has occurred yet. Instead, Neuman suggests, take charge of what you can control — your own behavior — and take the lead in bringing your relationship to a better place. Don’t hesitate to show your appreciation for him, prioritize time together, and initiate affection more. Give him a reason to keep you at the front of his mind, Neuman says. And be open about how you feel about what’s going on between the two of you (again, without mentioning any third parties). Try “I think we’ve started to lose something important in our relationship, and I don’t want it to disappear.” In the meantime, commit to keeping tabs on your relationship and doing what it takes to keep it working for you.

Dont be a Diet Victim!!!!!!!!

Don’t be the diet victim

 

                                      

Just a quick post because this has been on my mind all day!

Today I was walking through a Barnes and Noble book store with a friend.

Make a long story short I was in the motivational section, As we already now I like to read those books. Low and behold right next door was the nutrition and health books.

                                       

(All five rows!)  Yes all five rows of shit! Total bull shit. I had to take a pic. Look at this doesn’t it make you sick to see the thousands upon thousand of hard earned dollars wasted on shit like this? Do these diets work? In my opinion NO! Get a trainer and a real detailed diet plan that suits your body. Don’t jump on some band wagon and get on the all you can eat carrot diet or the grapefruit and cotton seed diet!!! Do it the right way.  

Im going to leave you on this and remember I said it!!!! The best investment you can make is in your body! You pay for what you get and if all these diet worked so well and you could lose so and so pounds in x amount of time then why are there a million people with different scams to get you! Ask yourself that! If these diets were so good it would make our jobs as trainers and bodybuilders a lot harder! There in a book store for a reason, you know what that reason is? A gullible desperate person who doesn’t know the first thing about dieting is gonna get taken advantage of! Don’t let that person be you!

Time for a change!

What we do to our bodies for that perfect look and feeling!

Its fu:king crazy to think what I have done to my body to try to achieve what people perceive as that perfect look. Is beauty really in the eye of the beholder? Hell no! The way society is today and has been for a while now is ‘looks get you everywhere’! But when is it taking it too far? When is enough, enough?

Over the past 6 years I have gone up and down in body weight. From really, really big to average, to shredded and back to average. It’s like a sickness. When I look in the mirror, I still see that fat boy who was made fun of in middle school. A kid who was so smart, but wasted his younger life away worrying what the others thought and fighting his anger away. A person who used anger and sadness as a shield to block the good things in life out. I cant tell you how many fights, how many broken bones and fake teeth, how much verbal abuse I’ve dished out and received. When is enough, enough? It actually takes me back to those days where I was embarrassed and shameful of my body, but never did anything about it. I was one of those kids with the not so easy path in life, who let circumstances of childhood get to him. The usual - parents divorced, no dad, getting into fights, blah, blah, blah…

                                                  

But it wasn’t till I reached that turning point in life where I realized that I that I needed to get healthy. I need to become a different person! Wow I said it. Healthy.  That’s really where this all started. I told myself that I wanted to be healthy and  that I wanted to look better than any of the assholes who made fun of me and nothing was going to stop me. For the next two years I dedicated myself to my body. I learned the insides and out of the body and nutrition. I studied everything you could think of from food to “Supplementation” and used myself as the hamster to see what worked. What happened you ask? I got big, lean and stronger than an ox! I completely changed myself and my body. No one compared in my surroundings. I slowly became the epicenter of attention and I liked it. It fueled my fire to know I was the biggest and leanest. The beach you say? Ha! I ruled the fu:cking beach. At my age, maybe one other person in that town was my size and looked as good as I did - and he was actually my training partner and best friend! J
My life changed and I became mentally addicted. New doors opened up to me as well as many legs! It became a crazy world!

             

Three years passed and one day I’m in my bathroom looking at myself, getting ready for another round of supps. I still saw that fat boy they used to call ‘cheeseburger’. I still saw the insecure kid who never could accomplish anything, when in reality I was 230 pounds 7 percent body fat and I asked myself - when is enough, enough?  Would I ever get over this or was I going to kill myself trying? I had no answers at all. What did I do? I kept going. It wasn’t till this year I realized that what I have done to my body to please the outside world wasn’t what got me where I am in life today. It wasn’t what I looked like, how much I weighed, or if I have a six pack or not. It wasn’t the 10’s of thousands of dollars I have spent on supplementation that made me the man I am today. It was just me, the person I grew up to be. The man I became was because of the obstacles I have endured. It’s really the person inside that makes us.

So my question is - when is enough, enough? Are we ever happy? What is the sickness that we have? Whether it is you are too skinny and need to gain weight or too fat and need to lose it? When after all that is said and done, do we say to ourselves, “Enough is enough. Lets just be healthy.”

I wrote this blog because tonight I woke up! Today I realized enough was enough and it was time I did the right thing for myself. I love to do the right thing for everyone else but it’s time for me! Enough is finally enough and I hope that everyone who reads this can just take a step back at their life, take a deep breath and look at your situation. Is it time to revaluate? You be the judge.

Blues? Contagious?

Well it seems like some of our blogggers have the blues huh? Is it contagious? i too lately have been feeling blue? could this be like a continuous virus that is spread without warning? The question is can we control how we feel?

Every have sympathy pains for someone when they are not feeling well? Where am i going with this? I think what i am trying to say is that we control how we feel. When times get rough we kind of convince ourselves that the best thing to do is sulk. Why not change your subconscious? That small tiny tape recorded inside of all of us.

Here is an exercise i try to practice often….

When a bad feeling or thought starts to enter your mind stop it! Tell yourself why am i feeling like this and what can i do to make this situation better? Immediately put a good thought, a positive thought inside your head and start to really think about that. Start to visualize what you are feeling and pretend that you are really there. They say the mind is the most powerful tool that the human being posses so why not use it to your full advantage. That’s like sitting inside your favorite fast car and not flooring it!

Ok so that’s your homework for the next 5 days! When a negative thought enters the mind, you are going to train yourself to replace it automatically with a positive one!

Get back and let me know how this worked!

Connection?

So my last blog I got all emotional and was thinking about my path and all that good stuff. Then last night I was watching some television which I never do flipping through the channels and what comes on? The story about “The Last Lecture” for all of you who do not know what this story is about I would love to share it with you. So instead of a traditional blog that I write I want you to really read this story and then sit back and evaluate your life.

 

 PITTSBURGH – Randy Pausch, a computer science professor whose “last lecture” about facing terminal cancer became an Internet sensation and a best-selling book, has died. He was 47.

Pausch died early Friday at his home in Virginia, said Anne Watzman, a spokeswoman for Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh where he worked. Pausch and his family moved there last fall to be closer to his wife’s relatives.

Pausch was diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer in September 2006. His popular last lecture in September 2007 garnered international attention and was viewed by millions on the Internet.

In it, Pausch celebrated living the life he had always dreamed of instead of concentrating on impending death.

“The lecture was for my kids, but if others are finding value in it, that is wonderful,” Pausch wrote on his Web site. “But rest assured; I’m hardly unique.”

The book “The Last Lecture,” written with Jeffrey Zaslow, leaped to the top of the nonfiction best-seller lists after its publication in April and remains there this week. Pausch said he dictated the book to Zaslow, a Wall Street Journal writer, by cell phone. The book deal was reported to be worth more than $6 million.

Flamboyance and showmanship
At Carnegie Mellon, he was a professor of computer science, human-computer interaction and design, and was recognized as a pioneer of virtual reality research. On campus, he became known for his flamboyance and showmanship as a teacher and mentor.

The speech last fall was part of a series Carnegie Mellon called “The Last Lecture,” where professors were asked to think about what matters to them most and give a hypothetical final talk. The name of the lecture series was changed to “Journeys” before Pausch spoke, something he joked about in his lecture.

“I thought, damn, I finally nailed the venue and they renamed it,” he said.

He told the packed auditorium he fulfilled almost all his childhood dreams — being in zero gravity, writing an article in the World Book Encyclopedia and working with the Walt Disney Co.

The one that eluded him? Playing in the National Football League.

“If I don’t seem as depressed or morose as I should be, sorry to disappoint you,” Pausch said.

He then joked about his quirky hobby of winning stuffed animals at amusement parks — another of his childhood dreams — and how his mother introduced him to people to keep him humble: “This is my son, he’s a doctor, but not the kind that helps people.”

Pausch said he was embarrassed and flattered by the popularity of his message. Millions viewed the complete or abridged version of the lecture, titled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” online.

Pausch lobbied Congress for more federal funding for pancreatic cancer research and appeared on “Oprah” and other TV shows. In what he called “a truly magical experience,” he was even invited to appear as an extra in the new “Star Trek” movie.

He had one line of dialogue, got to keep his costume and donated his $217.06 paycheck to charity.

Pausch blogged regularly about his medical treatment. On Feb. 15, exactly six months after he was told he had three to six months of healthy living left, Pausch posted a photo of himself to show he was “still alive & healthy.”

Last lecture in November
“I rode my bike today; the cumulative effects of the chemotherapy are hurting my stamina some, but I bet I can still run a quarter mile faster than most Americans,” he wrote.

Pausch gave one more lecture after his Carnegie Mellon appearance — in November at the University of Virginia, where he had taught from 1988 to 1997.

Pausch often emphasized the need to have fun.

“I mean I don’t know how to not have fun. I’m dying and I’m having fun. And I’m going to keep having fun every day I have left. Because there’s no other way to play it,” he said in his Carnegie Mellon lecture.

Born in 1960, Pausch received his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Brown University and his Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon.

He co-founded Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center, a master’s program for bringing artists and engineers together. The university named a footbridge in his honor. He also created an animation-based teaching program for high school and college students to have fun while learning computer programming.

In February, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences in California announced the creation of the Dr. Randy Pausch Scholarship Fund for university students who pursue careers in game design, development and production.

He and his wife, Jai, had three children, Dylan, Logan and Chloe.

 

 

 

 

Site:MSNBC Youtube.com