Don't Let Guilt Creep In. Enjoy Thanksgiving.

Local weight loss and fitness experts discuss ways to enjoy the feast without fear of going off track.

It happens every November. You spend most of the year watching your waistline, eating sensibly and staying fit. Then Thanksgiving hits, and you’ve put back on the pounds. An entire day of eating food and watching football on the couch will do that to you. But local physicians and fitness experts said there are ways to enjoy the holiday without feeling bad about it later. Dr. David Anderson of Davidsonville, who operates Annapolis Medical Weight Loss in Gambrills, says it all comes down to eating smartly, without depriving yourself. “The first thing I tell my patients is to adjust their expectations,” he said. “Most people are not trying to lose weight on Thanksgiving Day itself, but it sure is nice to just stay the same.” Anderson tells …

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Edgewater Man Sheds Nearly 200 Pounds Through Diet and Exercise Changes

Jimmy Amburgey said that he has a little less than 200 pounds to go on his weight loss journey.

Twenty six year old, Jimmy Amburgey knew that he was overweight.  He had always been a big guy.  Even after childhood when he began to grow into it, he was a heavier than most his age.  But he used the weight to his advantage and joined the football team at Southern High School. For four years Amburgey played football, working out as much as his coaches called for—but no more.  By his senior year, he weighed 300 pounds. He said that he was okay with that.  “No matter what I ate, I weighed 300 pounds,” Amburgey said, “The weight never went up and it never went down.” But after high school, with no coach to make him work out, the eating habits he had developed began to catch up with him.  Still, he didn’t worry.  He watched the weight creep …

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West River Rowing Club

The rowers of the club work together to get "get it done."

For three years I ran along the bank of the Thames River (in England), watching the local rowing teams gliding across the water.  I longed to try my hand at it.  When we moved back to the area I found myself drawn to the rivers and waterways of Anne Arundel County, seeking out rowing clubs that would welcome a barely five foot tall rower.  Five years later, I had almost given up when I was told about the West River Rowing Club. The women of the WRRC meet at 6:30 a.m. at V.K. Holtzendorf’s farmhouse in Shady Side.  There are very few things that could get me out of bed at 5 a.m. but a chance to finally try my hand at rowing is one of them. The West River Rowers began with the help of two women, Janet Beckner and Holtzendorf.  Beckner, an …

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Lothian Swimmer Determined to Return Triumphant to Bay Event

After being pulled from the Chesapeake Bay Swim on Sunday due to weather, Doug Ellmore is eager to try again.

Doug Ellmore has wanted to swim the great Chesapeake Bay Swim for as long as he can remember.  After coming back from a heart attack last year, he was more determined than ever to take on the challenge.  In the months leading up to this year’s event, he trained, swimming thousands of yards both in the pool and in open water.  His recent performance at the Columbia Triathlon gave him an added confidence. He hoped that would get him through the 4.4 mile swim across the bay. The course of the Chesapeake Bay Swim begins each year at Sandy Point State Park, runs along the shoreline to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge where swimmers then swim between the two bridge spans all the way to the Eastern Shore. “The first mile went great.  It was a large …

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Fun and Fit Summer Activities

Five fit and fun summer activities for the whole family.

As the economy continues to stagnate and gas prices continue to hover around $4 a gallon, more and more parents are forgoing summer camps for their children in the hopes of saving a little money. As one of those parents, it has been a struggle to find fit and fun activities for my children throughout the summer months. So this year I am planning ahead. Over the past eight months I have been on a personal mission to find more ways to stay active as an adult. In the process I have come across several free and inexpensive activities that work for the entire family. As a family I am sure there will be plenty of days spent lazing beside the neighborhood pool. I am sure there will be evenings spent watching movies. And whether I like to admit it…

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Frugal Family: Health and Fitness Edition

Patch has the best deals in town to help you get healthy and to enjoy doing it.

Did you fall off of the health and fitness wagon or never even get on?  Check out these deals on gyms, golf and vitamins:

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Runners and Non-runners Train for April Tiger Trot 5K

Edgewater fitness instructor leads 5k training program for beginnings and veterans alike.

My daughter ran her first race when she was 8 years old and she never looked back. From the moment the gun went off, she was a runner. There is something about becoming a runner as a kid that makes it less of a chore and more of a treat. But truth be told, it is never too late to be bitten by the fitness bug. It is never too late to become a runner. Central Elementary School's PTA will be holding their 3rd Annual Tiger Trot 5k on April 2. As a way to encourage not only parents and students, but also the surrounding community to participate, the PTA has enlisted the help of Ellen Ormsby to help children and adults alike train for the race. Ellen is a certified fitness instructor and consultant for childhood obesity prevention. More …

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Ringing in 2011

Getting Fit and Healthy in 2011

Whether you've made an official resolution, or a quiet promise to yourself, we've found a few places nearby to help you get healthier in the new year.

So you're tired of watching the contestants melt off the pounds on the NBC TV show, 'The Biggest Loser'—but you haven't yet made your own effort to change your lifestyle. Many feel that New Years is good time to make a change—hence the popular New Years Resolution to Lose Weight. And for many people a new year's resolution has ushered in a lifestyle (and life-long) change in eating and exercise habits. But while the change in calendars may be a good time to set your mind to making a commitment to yourself, most fitness professionals we talked to agreed that any time is a good time to decide to live a healthier lifestyle. In fact, making grand promises to drastically alter your lifestyle may backfire. Karen Blonder, an Edgewater nutrition …

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