Let me Begin

I think I should start this by saying that if you're like most women of child bearing age who have a concern over health then I do believe we are going to get along famously.  While I don't believe that it's a topic that we all must obsess over and I certainly don't believe that any negativity must be blamed on main stream media, I do believe that despite all the noise out there promoting one thing or another, we should be making an effort to maintain a healthy body fat percentage, NOT weight.  Anyone can cook if they want too.  What's that you say? don't want to learn? don't have time? well that's not an issue either, ever hear of a sandwich!? Maybe not a PB & J, but I timed how long it took me to make a tuna sandwich with lettuce and some fruit and it was less then four minutes.  Believe it or not there are tons of healthy meal options out there that don't require cooking.  In fact there are a growing number of people out there who don't believe in cooking their food at all. The health benefits are countless, so please for your own sake, skip the excuses and make with the changes already! :) I hope I'm not sounding like a preacher, make no mistake as a stay at home mom of four I am anything but slim and athletic but there's no reason to be polluting your body with the garbage out there being sold as "food" simply because you aren't bouncing around in your ideal body type.  Remember its all the little things that count towards our overall health.  Oh and a little tip for those of you who may have raised eyebrows on the body fat question wondering how to find out the answer is easy.  Don't buy a regular cheapo bathroom scale.  There are scales being sold these days that after a few minutes programming will tell you not just your weight but body fat and hydration as well.  They are worth the investment as they give you a clearer picture of hat is going on with your body.  For those of us who obsessively weigh in when starting a new fitness program this also helps to prevent some of the disappointment that may come from numbers that don't seem to be changing on a regular scale.  You'd be surprised by how much your weight can go up when starting a new program while your body fat drops.  With the correct tools you can prevent a lot of frustration wondering why you are getting heavier and not realising its because your muscle mass has increased and the fat is in actuality melting away.  these scales generally run around the 50 dollar mark but if you are strapped for cash and still want to know your body fat check out Shoppers Drugmart.  They carry a brand of body fat analyzers called Omron.  These can usually be found behind the pharmacy counter but since they're hand held they really have no reason to object to your trying it out and then you will at least have a starting point.  when you have the money be sure to purchase one however as it is an invaluable tool.  I personally worked in a gym for a number of years and we had the Omrons on hand and used them regularly. I would recommend them quite readily to anyone especially given their ease of use if you're not one to want to mess around with anything technical.