WORK IT! Not just Weight Loss, but Fitness Gain

When you're just starting a workout regimen it can be hard to imagine that getting all huffy and sweaty might actually be something you could look forward to on a day-to-day basis. But I'm happy to announce that I have hit that beautiful sweet spot where relish the flushed face and damp hair produced from pushing my body to work hard. I welcome the burn of a plank jack or a chair pose because I can see clearly the difference in my heart strength and muscle stamina. Not to mention that the number on the scale is steadily dropping (yay). I am officially within healthy body weight range according to commonly published BMI charts. Actually, I don't put much stock in these charts, as they are far too general to account for the variables of our individual bodies.



Exercise is a key component of any successful, long-term fitness plan. So when I see incidences like the one involving British singer Charlotte Church, I have to raise a critical brow. According to UK's Daily Mail online edition, Church is pictured above left in February of this year and now - a month or less later - she looks like she does in the black dress. Wow. I won't deny that my first instinct is to be impressed. She looks great! But looks can be deceiving my fine friends. Reports say that Church says she hasn't exercised to drop the weight, she just doesn't eat as much. That's an awful lot of girth to get rid of by dieting alone - especially in such a short time. I'm finding it very hard to believe that this could be a healthy weight loss.

The fact is, my own weight loss progress could have been made without exercise - in the same time or even faster. But it would be only that: a loss of weight, without a gain of anything. And as I've begun to understand, weight loss without fitness gain is not a desirable goal for me. Good luck Charlotte...