Byrdy's Eye View

What's keeping you from your weight loss or health and fitness goal? What's your weakness? What are your Limiting Factors? We all have many different genotypes, lifestyles and ideas about what's good for us and what's not. Your ability to lose fat, get healthier and/or gain muscle depends on a few things.

One of the most commonly used reason (well excuse) out there is the Genetic Makeup.
This reason or excuse, for some is highly unlikely to be the reason for your weight loss/fitness failure.
It's a huge mistake to assume that your limiting factor is base solely on your genetic makeup. I mean, let's be real here. Each of us do have certain limitations, of course. Not every one is equipped to play quarterback in the NFL, spike or block a volleyball, run a marathon or hang with me in a zumba class! Not everyone has the genetic makeup to reach the extreme limits of human performance. But, despite your genetics you CAN improve your health, lose fat and/or gain muscle. With the right changes you can almost always see improvements in your health profile and performance.

Now let's take a look at your Physical Activity pattern.
Especially if you are completely sedentary. If you do nothing more than move from one piece of furniture to the next, then this ( or lack of physical activity) could be a limiting factor for you.
Becoming fit, leaner, looking good naked all require both an active lifestyle as well as a commitment to engage in purposeful, intense exercise. Those who sit all day, just to move to a more comfortable spot to sit some more are most likely on the fast track to metabolic decline, fat gain, muscle loss and lifestyle related diseases. When you increase the number of steps you take each and everyday (10,000 or more), that is considered "active." You must increase your level of intense, purposeful physical activity. Only then will the magic begin! Of course it doesn't just begin or end with exercise.





The next and BIGGEST cause for weight loss and fitness failure and unmet goals is Nutrition. Too many folks are over weight and unhealthy with too little muscle and too much fat, which lead to many health problems.
They move too little and eat too much (or at least too much of the wrong things). So if you are physically active then check your eating habits.
Poor nutrition can hold anyone back from your fitness/health goals. Good nutrition is what feeds the muscles and sheds the fat. It's the key to just about every measurable goal. It helps boost your energy and mood so that you can go harder, longer stronger and more frequently in all of your daily activities. Good nutrition is essential and the last piece of the puzzle to getting the body you never ever thought you could have and deserve. So examine your limiting factors and get to work!

The next time you munch on a bag of delicious potato chip, you are snacking on one of the world's most popular snacks and guess what? It was invented by a black man.

George Crum was a half Native American and half African American man who lived in Saratoga Lake, New York. He worked as a chef at a restaurant at the Moon Lake Lodge resort in Saratoga Springs, New York. French Fries were very popular at this restaurant. One day on August 24,1853 Crum was doing his job, cooking and serving up food to customers, when one particular customer kept complaining about the french fries being way too thick. Eventually Crum became extremely frustrated from the rudeness and complaining so he decided to get back at the customer. Crum sliced the french fries so thin, you couldn't even pick it up with a fork, over fried them and added extra salt to it. Crum did this in hopes to annoy this customer. He then served it to the complaining customer who suprisingly loved them. This marked the day that Saratoga Chips became popular. Crum's chips were originally called Saratoga Chips and potato crunches. They were soon packaged and sold in New England. In 1860, Crum opened his own restaurant, where he placed a small basket of his famous potato chips in a basket on every table in the store. It wasn't long at all before Crum was selling his potato chips to many wealthy clients. Crum's restaurant closed around 1890 and he died in 1914 at the age of 92.

"Back in those days, African Americans were not allowed to take out patents on their inventions" says Grant-Britton, author of the textbook Holt African American History, so it was never patented. Crum didn't live long enough to see his invention become a popular grocery store item by Herman Lay begenning in 1895.