A Safe, Spooky Halloween

When the ghouls and goblins play, here's what you should know to keep your little Casper and Cinderella safe and sound.

The jack-o-lantern is carved and sitting on the front porch in anticipation. The costumes are all picked out and ready to slide on at a moment's notice. The candy is sitting in the bowl beside your front door. And your children are panting like wild dogs, ready to hit the streets and grab all the teeth-rotting goodness they can. But before they head out for a devilish night of trick-or-treating, make sure Halloween is as safe as it is spooky.

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Beating Bulimia

What you should know about the oft-misunderstood condition of bulimia.

For most people, eating is a normal activity that gives the body the nutrients it needs to survive, maintain energy levels, and stay healthy. Eating is more difficult for someone with bulimia.

People with bulimia will eat large amounts of food, often in secret, while feeling a loss of self-control. They then attempt to rid themselves of the extra calories in harmful ways.

There are two categories of bulimia, though they often overlap. A person with purging bulimia binges on food and then forces self-induced vomiting or abuses laxatives, enemas, or diuretics to prevent weight gain.

For this person, the purging will bring a sense of relief. Someone with non-purging bulimia uses other methods such as fasting or excessive exercise to rid themselves of any calories they consume.

What causes someone to become bulimic, what are the symptoms, and what can be done for someone living with this life-threatening illness?

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Contemplating the Midnight Snack

Is eating before bed a good or bad idea? You're about to find out.

For years, eating at night was thought to be a factor in weight gain. The idea was that calories are not burned as quickly when you sleep, so the food you eat before bedtime turns into fat. This, however, does not seem to be the case.

In fact, there may be some snacks that are fine to eat in the late evening, but this isn't a free pass because there are plenty of foods to avoid for a good night's rest and optimal health.

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Adults Have Nightmares, Too

Though more common during childhood, nightmares also disturb the sleep of nearly half of all adults.

Remember that horrible nightmare you had as a child? Well, here's some bad news: it may be back to haunt you as an adult. That's right - whether you've suffered an adult-sized nightmare or not, you could wind up with one any time during your life.

Just remember - it's only a dream.

Running, Waking, and Women

No two people have the same nightmare, though the most common theme is being chased. Most adults' nightmares involve being chased by a scary man, whereas kids get chased by wild animals in their nightmares.

Adults also commonly dream about falling, natural or man-made disasters, and drowning.

In contrast to a bad dream, a nightmare is so disturbing that it causes you to wake up with feelings of intense fear, anxiety, anger, sadness, or guilt. You will probably remember the details of the dream vividly, and it may be difficult to fall back asleep.

Nightmares often begin during childhood, while a child is learning to deal with separation anxiety. After the age of 10, nightmares become less common, though studies show that 5 to 10 percent of adults have nightmares at least once a month. And while all adults are at risk for nightmares, they occur more frequently in women than men.

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Pants!

How's that for a catchy subject line?

Hello! Elly here... you have probably spoken to me if you've called Chris Walker's Fitness for any reason. I thought I'd hijack Chris's blog, and post about my experience here so far!

I've been a plus sized woman for... well... as long as I can remember! Food is my friend, and I am more likely to curl up on a lazy boy and read a book than to get up and be active somewhere. At 36, I finally decided to do something about it.

I started working out here in the last week of June. I found I started learning things about myself that I didn't know before! (this has been a previously unexplored area of my life!) I learned that I can do way more than I think I can. I learned that once I started seeing myself able to do things, it got easier to say "Yeah, I can do that!" instead of "I can't do that!". I learned that I've NEVER pushed myself to my limit, and that is the very reason I need a trainer.

I also learned that I am IMPATIENT. Hey, I have about 90 lbs to lose. It's not going to happen in 2 months. So why do I keep being discouraged because I don't have the hourglass shape yet? I have a hard time keeping my sights on a long term goal.

Finally, after 3 months of working out and eating right, my pants are getting loose! Oh, I've been losing weight all this time, but I haven't been able to see a big difference in my general 'shape'.

It's hard to argue with your pants though!

Now I have a new dilemma! I'm obviously no where near my end goal, but I am going to need new clothes pretty soon! I can't buy a whole new wardrobe, because I'm still planning on shrinking, but bit by bit, things will be replaced. Starting with my workout pants! It's tough to do jumping jacks when you have to hold them up!

I'm sort of ok with this problem. :)
I'm sure I'll talk to some of you later.... but right now, I'm off to go shopping!

Contemplating the Midnight Snack

Is eating before bed a good or bad idea? You're about to find out.

For years, eating at night was thought to be a factor in weight gain. The idea was that calories are not burned as quickly when you sleep, so the food you eat before bedtime turns into fat. This, however, does not seem to be the case.

In fact, there may be some snacks that are fine to eat in the late evening, but this isn't a free pass because there are plenty of foods to avoid for a good night's rest and optimal health.

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Mixed Drinks Get Skinny

Turning your fat-filled mixed drinks into something on the thin side.

If you're trying to lose weight or are just trying to maintain a healthy weight, you already know that desserts, fast food, and other high-calorie foods should be avoided. But while you may worry about what food you eat, don't forget that many drinks, including mixed alcoholic beverages, contain a high amount of fat.

So if you're looking forward to enjoying a cocktail on your next girl's night out - or you aren't afraid of your feminine side, you'll need to be careful about how many calories you swallow with your mixed drinks. The good news is that low-calorie mixed drinks are available.

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Not Enough Time?

Is your schedule so full that it's hard to find time to work out? Here are six times to squeeze in some exercise.

You know exercise is vital to your health and well-being, and you've tried to fit it in. So why is it so difficult to make regular exercise a priority in your schedule? It probably has something to do with life. From work to kids to meals to errands to chores to sleep, fitting in anything else is virtually impossible.

But no matter how busy your life may be, you can find time to add more activity - if you're willing. Though a minimum of 30-minute increments of exercise are recommended, as little as 10 minutes can still make a difference. Squeeze in 10 minutes a day every day, and you'll rack up 300 minutes or five hours a month. How do you do it?

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Why You Need a Personal Trainer

Wondering if a personal trainer is for you? Wonder no more.

You've been in the gym for days, weeks, months, or years, and for some reason, you've never sought the assistance of a professional trainer. Now you're wondering if you've made a mistake. Should you have enlisted the help of a pro a long time ago? Maybe.

Here are a few reasons to get a professional trainer on your side:

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