Race for Life

This year I am entering race for life again in the hope of raising some cash for cancer research.

Like many others my family has been plagued by cancer. 1 in 3 adults will have to deal with cancer in their family at some point which is why it's such a worthwhile cause. All money raised helps continue the vast improvements already made in treatment and helps save more and more lives of those who get diagnosed with the dreaded disease.

Hopefully by posting I can motivate a few others to run too. It really is fun to do something as part of such a large group, Plus it's a great excuse to get out and do a bit of training, tone up a little and improve your general fitness a notch. I will be running at Kempton Park in July and am aiming to beat my 2006 time so will be training hard!

I would love to hear from others that are entering too. If you don't want to enter but want to do your bit to help the charity then I have added a link to my online sponsorship page where you can sponsor me if you wish.




Curvety.com - supporting cancer research.

Exercising after eating can help weight loss

Well, we have always known that exercise is required as part of a healthy lifestyle, and regular exercise can aid weight loss as part of a calorie controlled diet. But UK scientists now say that exercising after meals can also help promote weight loss by boosting hormones that suppress appetite.

Experiments suggest that these hormones cause active people to feel less hungry immediately after exercise, and this carries through to their next meal.

Dr Ian Campbell, medical director of the charity Weight Concern, said: 'This is an interesting study. Patients often report that they feel increased hunger and eat more after exercise. 'What this study shows is that, although total calorific intake is greater, the net result, because of the exercise taken, is a reduction in the net energy balance. 'Dieting is never easy. Increased physical activity is an essential part of any weight management programme, not just to expend more calories but also, as we see here, to help control our appetite too.'

Researcher Dr Denise Robertson said: 'In the past we have been concerned that, although exercise burns energy, people subsequently ate more after working out. This would cancel out any possible weight reduction effects of exercise. But our research shows that exercise may alter people's appetite to help them lose weight and prevent further weight gain as part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle.'

It is recommended that you partake in at least 30 minutes of physical activity a minimum of 5 times per week.

Start your new regime with a new fitness outfit - leggings and cami's available in large sizes at Curvety.com

The Surrey University and Imperial College London work is published in the Journal of Endocrinology.

Spring motivates exercise

Spring is really in the air this time, after a couple of false starts, and it brings with it a feeling of hope and expectation for the coming months. For me it kick starts thoughts of exercise. I am a size 18 to 20 in clothes but believe that size has little relation to fitness. A bit of exercise has such an effect on your general wellbeing and mood whatever your size. Last year I ran the 5K race for life for cancer research and was hoping to do the 10K one this year, which is about 7 miles. I was daunted about running last year, but when I got there I was happy to see nothing more than thousands of ordinary women of all shapes and sizes with one common goal - to raise money for cancer. Some walking, jogging or running, but there was no competitiveness and certainly no smirks. From now on I wont allow being a plus size to stop me taking part. Obviously it is necessary to train a little, or a lot depending on your personal goals. There is nothing like a fresh breeze and longer evenings to start the ball rolling so tonight I am going to don my leggings and a T shirt, wipe the dust off my trainers and head to the river. If you want to take part too visit the Race for life website.