Body Mass Index

So, in the past there have been some disputes about the body mass of s. Fashion s. If you’re thinking train s, then I’m sorry. You’re reading the wrong blog. There is a rule in Spain now. They’ve banned s with a BMI (Body Mass Index) below 18.5, which is the cutoff for being underweight.

Growing up, I never really wanted to be any of the following things: Princess, , Prom Queen or (though ballerina and gymnast weren’t out of the question). But recently I watched a bit of a marathon of “America’s Next Top ”. I was very interested in it because I enjoy fashion (though not everything THEY were wearing) and also because of the photography aspect of it.

Only one in particular took my fancy, and that was because she had muscles. The others were literally skin-and-bones. I felt sorry for them.

So I started thinking that maybe Spain (and everywhere else) should only hire s with muscles. s with muscles are a much more encouraging body-type to aim for. These days some s see these s that look like they don’t eat at all. This seems to be the cause of low self-esteem and encourages eating disorders. The s starve themselves with the hopes of becoming just as skinny. But if s had muscles, then there’s something healthy we could all strive for, if we were indeed pressured to look like those people for some reason.

Another thing that encouraged me in the muscle-department, was thinking about sugar. I was watching something on TV and this guy was talking about sugar levels. He was saying that a healthy level is between the numbers of 80 and 120. Not that everyone takes their sugar on a regular basis because apparently diabetics are the only ones that have to worry about it. But according to the guy on TV it’s very important for everyone.

He was saying that if you don’t eat enough or stop eating, then your sugar goes down. That’s when your body stops burning carbs and fats for energy and starts burning muscle. But you shouldn’t overeat either. Your body goes into fat overload and is forced to store it, unless you exercise it off.

It’s become kind of a habit of mine to look at the nutrition labels of everything I possibly can. I look first at the calories, then at the fat, carbs and sugar. I enjoy power bars, but a lot of them actually have more calories inside than one single cookie. I have vowed never to buy a power bar that is more than 200 calories. And unless you’re on a football team that does 2-a-days 6 days a week, then I don’t recommend a 320 calorie power bar. What’s the point of eating something “healthy” if you’re not going to be in an Iron Man race? You might as well just go drink 3 cans of soda.

Well, I know this has been a lot of choppy science for you. If you have any questions what so ever, please ask them in the comment-thingy and I’ll answer them the best I can next time I write.

OH! Also, I wanted to talk a little more about Body Mass Index. According to the Centers for Disease Control, a healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. Anything below that is underweight. 25-29.9 is considered overweight and a BMI of 30 or more is said to be Obese. China’s Center of Adoption Affairs said that parents may not adopt if their BMI is 40 or more.

Frankly I think that BMI is a little over rated. Mine is 20.4, and I’ll tell you how to calculate your own. Get a calculator, unless you are one. Okay. Divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared and multiply that number by 703. Like this:

I am 68 inches tall.
Square that (68 x 68), and I get 4624.
Divide 134 (my weight) by 4624, equals 0.0289792 (to be slightly exact).
Multiply 0.0289792 times 703.
Answer: 20.372377

So I have a BMI of 20.4. Now YOU do it!

Well, I told you the system has some…um…issues. I mean, if I can compute it on a simple calculator (or you in your head), then it can’t be completely accurate. And especially people that work out. Muscle mass weighs more than fat. When all you do is calculate a bunch of weight and height stuff, athletic people kind of get the short end of the stick. I could have an evil identical twin out there (my friends Hannah and Noah and I are beginning to think so) who weighs the same and is the same height. But I am, to the human eye, in better shape simply because my evil twin never works out and/or eats too much. Also, it is said by those smart people that say things that a woman may have the same BMI as a man but actually have a higher percentage of body fat. Why? I don’t know.

So you can calculate your BMI if you want to. But it’s really not all it’s ed up to be.

And I apologize for the really long and tiring entry. Once again, if you have any questions, ask and they will be answered. Even if it takes me five hours of research. Which will be fine, because I like research. But don’t ask me more than 20 questions per person just because you think it will make a nice First Day of Spring present for me. Because that’s nice, but with all the other stuff I have to do right now, I really don’t need it. :)

Later gators!
~Jessica

For my Loyal Fans

Well! I had no idea I was so popular.

Anyway, my loyal fans have been on their knees simply BEGGING and throwing themselves at my mercy. Why? Well, because they want me to blog more. I've taken quite a long no-writing break and I think that it is high time I got back. Or they think. Maybe my friends are subconsciously influencing my decision-making process. They are slowly taking over my mind. Soon I won't be me anymore. I will be them. Scary.

Sometimes I feel a little dorky because I have a fitness blog and not a blog-blog like everyone else. I am jealous. I have sort of sworn to get another one to write in at the same time. But I hardly have time to write on this one. So I just don't think I should start A Jessica Blog About Jessica Only (which is what I'd call it if I had one). I can express myself here enough whilst providing the general public (or at least Elizabeth, Michelle and Elayna) with interesting fitness-related information.

So last-last Monday, Elizabeth had spring break from her College-ing and so she, Michelle and I decided to run around the park while Marck and Sam were at Flag Football Practice. Elizabeth was very inspirational. I was lazy. Michelle was in the middle. Elizabeth kept quoting Romans or 1 Peter or something. I can't remember. If Elizabeth could remind me, I'd appreciate it because I would like to quote what she was then on here. And if it's 1& 2 Peter, you guys should know those are my favorite books of the Bible.

Well, that was conclusive. Blah.

Don't worry, folks. My next entry will be much more informative. In the future I think that I will attempt to write more informative things. But I also will take more time to talk about my life, so I can keep up with all the blog hype. This has been one of the latter types of blogs.

One more thing before I go. I think there are a couple more things I want to do…um…life and Personal Training-wise. First of all I want to get my PT Certification, then I'll get a Massage Therapy Certification (a very useful one for PTs to have), then I want to get a group fitness certification, then I want to study lots of cool stuff at the Glasgow School of Art. I need to look into all of that more, but I'm pretty sure that's what I want to do. It would be like my four years of college. Except cooler. Especially the part where I get to go to Scotland. In the meantime I will work on my Novel with No Name. I want to take my time with that book and get all the back stories and conflicts and stuff ADAP (as detailed as possible). So I will finish it. And then I want to send it somewhere and get it published. And then I'll write another book. But it will be completely different. Like me and my clothes. I don't want what I wear to be classified as a certain style, and I don't want what I write to be classified in a certain genre.

But since this isn't a fiction-writing blog, I'll stop for now before I disclose the entire plot to everyone and bore them half to .

Until next time, adieu!

~Jessica

Fitness Journals

I ran a mile this morning as planned. I got 9:08 as my time! You know, 11 calories a minute really isn't that many, if I'm only running for nearly 9. In swimming you burn somewhere around 12.5 calories a minute I think. But I swim for 90 minutes…so that means I burn 1125 calories (relatively speaking). I guess I'm not really running to burn calories so much as I'm running to keep my endurance up (and possibly get it up higher). And certainly not because I love running. I wish I liked it as much as swimming. But I don't. Oh well. I've tried.

And that doesn't mean I'm going to stop running.

You know how at the end of the year there's always this big fitness marketing thing going on? STICK TO YOUR NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS—LOOSE WEIGHT AND KEEP IT OFF!! That and other crazy phrases are all over the place. I guess they die down around the end of January or so.

Anyway, about a month ago I was at Barnes and Noble at Triangle Town Center (I like that mall—it's huge!!) and I thought that, though I don't want to loose weight, they might have some sort of book that would interest me. So I browsed around, thinking of looking for something along the lines of a fitness-journal-thing that personal trainers sometimes use for either themselves and/or their clients.

What I found was basically exactly what I was looking for. When I say basically, I mean that it had everything I wanted in it. It had a place to write down what I ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner (as well as goodies, snacks and "booze" [under that column I just put what coffee I had]). It also had an area to write down what weight exercises I did for my upper and lower body, as well as cardio. There are boxes to check depending on how well I think I did overall, there are places to write down how my night was and my morning mood and plans for the next day. There is also a place at the beginning of every week to write down my overall plan and my weight and any ideas for the week ahead.

The un-basically part was that the book is called the Younger Next Year Journal. In smaller print it says, "Turn back your biological clock." In short, that means that it's for old people! Well, I don't care. It was the best one of its kind there. I bought it, and I try to remember to fill it out every day. It touches on a few things to do with "heart rate" which I tend to ignore. I don't have heart problems and don't own a heart rate monitor. Maybe when I do, I will, and then I'll actually be a real old person and the book will apply to me.

Anyway, I have rather enjoyed looking back over just the past month and watching myself get stronger and my eating patterns get better, among other things. However, one day I am rather ashamed of is February 4th, 2007 (or as it is sometimes known, Super Bowl Sunday). If you're like me, you would probably enjoy having a book like this around. It was just about $12, which is a good buy (for me). The dates are fill-in-the-blank, so if you buy it now you don't have to skip from January to the current date. You can just start at the beginning of the book.

Well, I guess I need to get on with my day. Talk to ya later!
~Jessica

Running & New Shoes

Hello all! That is, all of you. Y'all. All Y'all. You'ins. You guyzes.

ANYHOO, guess what? I actually ran twice in one week! I amaze even myself from time to time. I ran one mile Monday morning and timed myself. It was 10 minutes. Tuesday I didn't run but I went to the store and bought new running shoes, Nike somethings. They had the second highest arch supports in the store (that were reasonably priced) (the first highest was their twins without laces) and I made them even higher by putting in the free supports I found in the box under the inserts. So now they fit perfectly.

If you didn't already notice, I have REALLY high arches, Empire State Building high.

So, Wednesday I had to go somewhere in the morning but Thursday I ran again, this time clocking in at 9 minutes and 24 seconds. Maybe it was my feeling more confident, the air being colder and my wanting to get back inside ASAP, the new shoes, or maybe I am just a talented runner disguised as someone who actually despises running and quits all "programs" she ever started before! Or maybe it's a combination of most of those.

Anyway, since I'm not swimming for a few weeks, I thought I should try to make up with lots of cross-training. For me, that would mean getting in at least three days of cardio and three days of strength training. So, here's what my exercise schedule for this coming week looks like:

MONDAY
Run 1 mile
Various arm exercises with 8, 5 and 3 pound dumbbells
Abdominal exercises

TUESDAY
Jump Rope (more on my "routine" in a later blog)

WEDNESDAY
Yoga (I usually feel like I need to stretch out on Wednesdays)
Abdominal exercises

THURSDAY
Same as Monday

FRIDAY
Various arm exercises with 8, 5 and 3 pound dumbbells
Abdominal exercises
Try to convince mother to take my siblings and me bowling, which believe it or not is good arm exercise

Well, there you have it. I think one advantage to trying to get my mile time down even further is that it takes less time so that I have more time to do other things. Yes, like taking a longer shower afterwards. You people know me too well.

Anyway, talk to ya later!

~Jessica

El Listo

Look at me! Yesterday it had been practically two months since I last wrote. Today it was yesterday.

I am taking a class that my dad is teaching. It's called Entrepreneur 101 and for it we have to come up with a business plan (a real one) that we will work on forever and ever until we start the business, which could be tomorrow, in a couple months, a year, or 5 years like mine. 10 years maximum.

You probably are wondering what my little list thing looks like. So, since I am sick of typing and staring at the computer screen (nah—I don't get tired of that…I'm just lazy), I'm going to post my little list here. Mind you, it's crude, unfinished, uneducated and probably hard to read at some points. So feedback from some really nice smart people would be GREATLY APPRECIATED. Here goes:

The Plan
By Jessica Claire Barker



1. Continue with teen fitness blog and get more feedback (hint, hint)
2. Find out about good PT certification programs including where they are and the cost of everything
3. Communicate with other gym owners (both small business and franchise owners)
4. Communicate with managers of gyms (including reading that blog)
5. Search online to compare prices of franchise and independently owned gyms, as well as start-up costs for a gym if I were to start my own
6. Possibly get a job at a gym as a receptionist, child care person or personal trainer assistant or apprentice or something like that
7. Make lots of money to finance my education by working at the gym and/or life guarding
8. Skip ahead a 1 ½ years when I'm 18 and done all possible research
9. Order and receive the PT program learning materials from the program I've chosen (not naming for legal reasons)
10. Complete them and then go to the far away workshop
11. Take the certification test
12. Get certified
13. Perchance continue education by also certifying myself as a group fitness trainer
14. During numbers 6 ½ through 12, maybe take classes at Wake Tech on a variety of things, like French and Journalism, but also Physiology and the like
15. Advertise in the paper to get a couple of in-home clients
16. Apply to start working out of a gym (PS: read up on that more)
17. Do in-home, in-gym and maybe group training
18. Probably get married sometime, which might have to get in the way of some working for a couple of months
19. Either stay with my business as it is, or get into a partnership with someone and start an independent gym where I would move my PT business
20. Write articles or a book or something in my spare time to generate eventual passive income
21. Maybe eventually have kids which would probably temporarily stop me from personal training, but that's where my gym and my writing will help
22. Live happily ever after, eventually getting back into PTing


The End.

Later!
~Jessica

Grease--ain't the stuff that I want

Sorry it's been half a million years since I last wrote. I really need to work on that whole "consistency" thing. It's not my strongest trait.

Anyway, a lot has gone on around here since I last wrote. For instance, I've been in 4 improvisation shows. I'm official now. I feel happy. In other news, the Super Bowl was yesterday, and THE COLTS WON!!! 29-17, if I can remember right…and to top it off, I HAD GREASY FOOD OVERLOAD!!!

I never was very in-touch with the fact that greasy food is really THAT bad for you until last night. We had chips, dip, fried catfish, hushpuppies, French fries, shrimp (boiled and fried), mini man burgers, and anything else that decided to sacrifice itself to my dad's deep fryer. Mid-meal I started to feel a bit sick to my stomach. I ate the rest of my food and managed not to throw up (because, you see, anything dipped in a ketchup/tar tar/cocktail sauce mix is dubbed, "irresistible" and wherefore must be eaten). But even this morning I feel like I need to go through a major detoxification.

P that S: If you are a really nice guy and you ask me out after drenching yourself in a ketchup/tar tar/cocktail sauce mix, that doesn't mean YOU are irresistible. I do not want to marry my food.

Anyhooness, in my very long sabbatical from my blog (not intentional, of course), I have been reading up on a number of things, including nutrition, personal training and how to write better. Unfortunately, today I have not come across anything that will specifically instruct me on how to get all this grease out of my system. However…

If you feel like me today (a heart attack waiting to happen), I would suggest fruit. Lots of it. And vegetables. I'm serious about this. Maybe it's just me being a bad-experience magnet. But now if I turn on a cooking show and they're making cheese burgers, I have to leave the room.

Well, that's enough complaining on my part. I will not deny that the food wasn't good. And the game went well, and I'm happy that Prince didn't electrocute himself, considering that would be too violent to be broadcast into every household in America. The FCC would probably sue CBS for $4,000,000,000,000. Then they'd have to get a really boring act for next year…and I was counting on the Chili Peppers or U2 (again) or something!!!

Anyway, I think I will go eat an orange, maybe an apple and perchance some grapes for lunch.

"Bye bye!" ~Prime Minister Excelcus aka Mr. Zarzar reading the script wrong :)

~Jessica

Hands-on chemistry

Once upon a time, Jessica was nearly engulfed by noxious fumes.

Another upon a time, she sat at her computer recalling this incident and listening to ZZ Top and Boston at the SAME TIME!!!

Well, swim practice was today, and it went well UNTIL we were doing some 50’s alternating back and breast. I felt some sort of tingling in my throat, like I had inhaled helium or something (Not that I do it on a regular basis). However, I didn’t really take it to mind. I just thought that I was winded, and wherefore drank more water.

But THEN we were doing a 500 free and that’s when the same helium-intake-type feeling came back into my throat. But this time it was much stronger, and it was causing me to cough every time I tried to hold my breath. I kept swimming, hoping that it would pass, but it only got worse every time I breathed. I was about to stop and drink some (more) water when I saw that Kara was also slowing down in front of me. She was coughing too! We both decided to stop for a moment to catch our breath(s?) before continuing. Behind me, Jared was coughing a little but continued on. I concluded that there was some strange killer disease spreading or that some toxic gas was floating around.

After a slight recovery, Kara and I swam another (slow) 100 and had to stop again. Coach came over and asked what the matter was, and we explained our identical symptoms. It turned out Kara’s throat had started feeling helium-ey around the breast/back set, too. Coach looked concerned and told us to only swim the rest if and when we felt like it, and then he went to go investigate the situation.

Well, 150 yards and a whole lot of coughing later (exhibited by everyone but Nathan, who now claims he’s immune to everything), Coach told every one to go ahead and get out; the chlorine level in the pool was too high. Not dangerously high, but high enough to make everyone start coughing after a little over an hour. Coach tested it and said it was a “5.0”, which would be fine, if it were an outdoor pool. But a safe level would have been “2.0” for an indoor pool. He contacted the main people who rent the pool and informed them. The President-guy said that the team that swims in the morning could only swim an hour because of the fumes (I think they usually swim two and a half hours or something).

Anyway, Coach didn’t say the chlorine level would be all the way down by tomorrow, but I sure hope it’s at least relatively so.

In other news, the hot water heater at the pool has died, resulting in -41 degrees Fahrenheit showers of which no one partook because they all went home in fear of hypothermia.

I’ve got to go now, but I’ll write later!

~Jessica