I think we have been there at some point or another. Your weight loss is stagnant for a period of a couple weeks. You point a finger at the scale and curse it for surely it is lying! Or perhaps, you step on it a couple times JUST to make sure, or you find yourself weighing in 3 times a day or every time you use the restroom. You might try stepping on it lightly, sucking in, stepping on it with one foot, etc... I've already posted about how the scale lies. However, I would be highly hypocritical if I were to say you must avoid it altogether as I weigh myself every day. It has become habit for me, and I simply use the scale as a guide and not as an absolute. When I gain a pound, I no longer go into a frenzy and cut my calories down to malnourished food intake amounts. So, like previously mentioned-- water retention, muscle building, ladie's TOM, sodium intake, exercise, stress, and probably more affects your weight but does not reflect your progress. So what are you supposed to do?
Let me set the stage for a very typical scenario for someone on a weight loss journey. Let's say Belinda, a 220 pound woman is 60 pounds overweight. The first week into her journey she drops 5-7 pounds. This is water weight but nevertheless Belinda is super stoked. Weight loss isn't hard at all!!! She's super motivated and strong willed at this point, making healthy food choices and exercising. She starts running 3-4 times a week and is staying within her caloric intake range for weight loss of 1.5-2 pounds a week. Belinda is feeling fit and fabulous and has already lost 20 pounds. YAY!!! But two weeks go by and Belinda's weight loss progress has come to an abrupt stop. Ahhhh! How horrible! She gets into a frenzy and decides to drop her caloric intake down to the lowest level recommended of 1200 calories per day. Belinda's weight loss keeps going for another 10 pounds then stalls out again. She decides to up her exercise even more, but notices she is feeling dizzy and fatigued throughout the day. She might turn to caffeine or weight loss pills and either ends up in the hospital because her heart feels like its going 100 mph like roadrunner, set the stage of eating disorder by eating too little and exercising too much, or just giving up.
So what did she do wrong? Essentially she had right idea of changing things up when her first weight loss plateau occurred. However, she went about it the wrong way. Our bodies are highly adaptable. When we start a weight loss journey and create a calorie deficit, we lose weight because our body isn't used to the decreased intake. Over time though, our body gets used to operating at that lower calorie amount then weight loss stalls. The same concept applies to our workouts. We need to keep our body guessing and not get used to the same old thing. That is why cross training is necessary. So what do we do? Temporarily increase your caloric intake for a few days. Now I'm not saying you should rush to the Golden Arches and down a couple Big Macs. What I am saying is to temporary increase your intake by a couple hundred calories for a week to change it up. For example, if you are trying to lose 2 pounds per week, that means you have a calorie reduction of 1000 calories a day less than your BMR (3500 calories in a pound times 2= 7000 calories). Try increasing your calories by 500. You should not experience weight gain. Like previously stated, your body gets used to the same workout routine. I noticed this on my own weight loss journey and incorporated swimming 2-3 days a week into my routine and that broke my plateau. Right now I am currently switching things up by incorporating Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I have read numerous success stories from friends on myfitnesspal.com . There are 3 levels that you can do to mix things up. 30 day shred helps build muscle and more muscle = less fat. Muscle also burns more calories at rest than fat. Since I am a runner and a swimmer, I figured this workout DVD would have little effect on me, and that it'd be a walk in the park. And I was very wrong. I was sweating and huffing and puffing. It was absolutely wonderful.
So in conclusion, hitting the reset button can be done a couple ways to keep you on your weight loss journey. Temporarily increasing caloric intake or changing workout routine are both options you can experiment with for your success. Also keep in mind, if you are trying to lose a larger amount of weight, that the more you lose the less calories you'll need. Why? Because since your BMR is based on your weight and the more weight you have the higher the BMR, the amount of calories you need will decrease as the number decreases.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Poison
Poison
1. To contaminate or pollute, prove harmful or destructive
2. Reduce the activity of a catalyst
I am talking about poison in a metaphorical sense and how it can be harmful physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Since we are not talking about poison itself, what am I referring to?
I volunteer for nursery through our church once a month. I am always assigned the Snails room, which is essentially all infants. There was a shortage of infants so I ended up in the next step up with the 12-18 month kids. I introduced myself to the other ladies and took to the task at hand by playing with the kids. These ladies were apart of some clique at the church, and spent the whole time talking poorly of other members. I walked away from what usually is a pleasant time for me with a sour disposition. My husband asked me what happened and I explained it to him. And as I was explaining how I felt somehow dirtier for even being in the same room with them, I checked myself and realized how often I do this too, and felt ashamed. Have you ever walked away from a conversation and felt worse about yourself for having taken part in it? That is what I'm talking about. I realize I do this all the time with my husband and I spent time reflecting to myself why I do it. I think a lot of it comes from self esteem, as a subconscious way of bringing myself up by comparing (like saying I would never do that if I were a parent makes me superior), bringing that person down by pointing out flaws in their behavior. I also think that when you feel you've been wronged in someway, talking poorly about that person is sort of like serving justice to them, or because negativity is generally more entertaining. Have you ever gone to an outing with your peers from work or school, and noticed the conversation is usually only about complaining about management? I sure have! At my last job I was very close to my co workers, and now I never talk to any of them. I seriously think it is because the only thing we had in common was a bad boss.
So what do my shortcomings have to do with health? Well this blog isn't just about physical fitness but about emotional and spiritual too. And emotional and spiritual negativity or poison affects you physically. There have been many studies (references below as always) that have linked optimistic behaviors and tendencies enjoy the following benefits:
References:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_114489.html
Brummett BH, et al. Prediction of all-cause mortality by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Optimism-Pessimism Scale scores: Study of a college sample during a 40-year follow-up period. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2006;81:1541.
Brydon L, et al. Dispositional optimism and stress-induced changes in immunity and negative mood. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 2009;23:810
Seaward BL. Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-Being. 6th ed. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones & Bartlett Publishers; 2009:445
1. To contaminate or pollute, prove harmful or destructive
2. Reduce the activity of a catalyst
I am talking about poison in a metaphorical sense and how it can be harmful physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Since we are not talking about poison itself, what am I referring to?
I volunteer for nursery through our church once a month. I am always assigned the Snails room, which is essentially all infants. There was a shortage of infants so I ended up in the next step up with the 12-18 month kids. I introduced myself to the other ladies and took to the task at hand by playing with the kids. These ladies were apart of some clique at the church, and spent the whole time talking poorly of other members. I walked away from what usually is a pleasant time for me with a sour disposition. My husband asked me what happened and I explained it to him. And as I was explaining how I felt somehow dirtier for even being in the same room with them, I checked myself and realized how often I do this too, and felt ashamed. Have you ever walked away from a conversation and felt worse about yourself for having taken part in it? That is what I'm talking about. I realize I do this all the time with my husband and I spent time reflecting to myself why I do it. I think a lot of it comes from self esteem, as a subconscious way of bringing myself up by comparing (like saying I would never do that if I were a parent makes me superior), bringing that person down by pointing out flaws in their behavior. I also think that when you feel you've been wronged in someway, talking poorly about that person is sort of like serving justice to them, or because negativity is generally more entertaining. Have you ever gone to an outing with your peers from work or school, and noticed the conversation is usually only about complaining about management? I sure have! At my last job I was very close to my co workers, and now I never talk to any of them. I seriously think it is because the only thing we had in common was a bad boss.
So what do my shortcomings have to do with health? Well this blog isn't just about physical fitness but about emotional and spiritual too. And emotional and spiritual negativity or poison affects you physically. There have been many studies (references below as always) that have linked optimistic behaviors and tendencies enjoy the following benefits:
- Increased life span
- Lower rates of depression
- Lower levels of distress
- Greater resistance to the common cold
- Better psychological and physical well-being
- Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
- Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress
Why do researchers and psychologists think this is? "One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body. It's also thought that positive and optimistic people tend to live healthier lifestyles — they get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and don't smoke or drink alcohol in excess," states Dr. Creagan from the Mayo Clinic (May 21,2011). Oh and get this! Researchers from the National Institute on Aging found that people who were cynical, impulsive, or aggressive tended to be more overweight.
So does this mean we have to don a Mary Poppins outfit and sing about sunshine and rainbows all the time? Of course not. But keep in mind from my previous article about what stress does to us. Try to exercise if negativity is deriving from stress. In my case, gossip or being negative can be a changed behavior too. I think it is important to identify the bad stuff, figure out the origin, and change your focus. And if you find yourself hanging around negative people, try thinking of ways to change the subject. In my revelation about myself, I realized that my self esteem drove me to participate in negative conversation. I plan to try and change by writing down a list of goals that aren't related to the scale. This is called practicing positive self talk. Sometimes the person we are the hardest on is ourselves. A negative person could look at their weight loss goals and say "ugh, I'm so ugly and hideous. I still have 30 freakin pounds to go. So much work." How about instead "Wow, I've already lost 30 pounds! I'm halfway there! Look at what I have achieved that is so hard to do. This is going to be so rewarding once I reach my goal." I have done this a lot lately, and focusing on my running goals has helped a lot.
At one of my previous jobs, I always dreaded working with one person. He was always a constant rain cloud. I could have had the BEST day ever and there he'd be, raining on my sunshiney parade. I could have sworn if he won the lottery, he'd just complain about the hassle it would cause. I don't want to be that person.
So maybe you should ask yourself, are you a rain cloud or are you sunshine?
"Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, and small people talk about people."
"Wise men talk because they have something to say fools talk because they have to say something."
"Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, and small people talk about people."
"Wise men talk because they have something to say fools talk because they have to say something."
References:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_114489.html
Brummett BH, et al. Prediction of all-cause mortality by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Optimism-Pessimism Scale scores: Study of a college sample during a 40-year follow-up period. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2006;81:1541.
Brydon L, et al. Dispositional optimism and stress-induced changes in immunity and negative mood. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 2009;23:810
Seaward BL. Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-Being. 6th ed. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones & Bartlett Publishers; 2009:445
Monday, July 18, 2011
Healthy eating the whole family will love
I was referred to skinnytaste.com from a friend when I was looking for delicious, healthy recipes to consume and share with everyone. I don't know about you, but I've grown up thinking healthy food was gross. I mean, who wants to eat salmon and boring salad all day every day? I'm a meat eater for goodness sake! I'm really glad I got this website. I tried homemade chicken nuggets, recipe available here! Homemade chicken nuggets and fresh green beans makes one delicious dinner!
For the chicken nuggets, I followed the recipe perfectly. My husband and I like "special sauce" (kraft olive oil mayo with ketchup) for it. The green beans had amazing flavor and the fresh you buy, the fresher it tastes. For two people I used two slices of low sodium bacon and half of a large onion with about 25 green beans. I threw all of that in a pot with about a cup of water and some pepper and let it steam cook on medium for about 25 minutes. The result? Insanely flavorful vegetable for the kids with a little bit of man food (bacon) for them to devour.
For 4 chicken nuggets, calorie total 165 calories. For one serving of green beans, 120 calories.
For 4 chicken nuggets, calorie total 165 calories. For one serving of green beans, 120 calories.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Injuries getting you down?
Happy Friday everyone! I just wanted to say thanks for following this blog. We have been featured on Fat 2 Fit blog, available here. I was also contacted by a Women's Health online editor, interested in posting us in their online edition. It's so great to see so many people be health and nutrition forward. So anyways, I thought today I'd invite a close friend of mine to write a guest blog for me. Her name is Kali Engels, and she is a Certified Athletic Trainer. I have called her on a couple of occasions for advice on various aches and pains and she has been tremendously helpful. Here's her article below, and even though this is a guest spot, this was written by her and you need written permission to publish this content elsewhere.
Kali Engels is a Certified Athletic Trainer currently assisting the Student athletes of the Huskers Track and Field and Cross country teams at the University of Nebraska. She finished her Undergraduate degree in 2010 from Iowa State University. Kali has worked with athletes at: The University of Wyoming, Laramie High School, Iowa State University, Drake University, Ames High School and The University of Nebraska. In her spare time Kali likes to hang out with friends, ride her motorcycle and of course work out!
I was honored when I was asked to write a guest article for the “fitness is fun” blog. Not only do I believe fitness is fun (and I am on my own fitness journey to lose some excess weight), but I think I have some pretty interesting information I can share with the world! I am a Certified Athletic Trainer currently working with Division 1 track and field athletes, so most of this information is going to be from first-hand experience.
I was asked to write about what to do when injuries occur. Most of us just decide to stop working out, that’s the easy way to get rid of an injury right? Well, sort of…You definitely need to give the area that is injured a break, but that doesn’t mean you should go sit on your couch and eat potato chips all day! You can still continue your fitness journey, you just have to find something that doesn’t aggravate your injury.
Let’s say, for example, you have shin splints. Well if you have had shin splints (and I have) you know they SUCK, they don’t just kind of suck, they REALLY suck…it gets you down, so down that you just want to give up and throw in the towel. Obviously your body is telling you it doesn’t want to be pushed anymore, right? Wrong, what your body is telling you is that you tried to do too much too soon. So how do you get rid of them? Well, time is definitely a factor, and you should definitely not do any activities that put stress on your shins, so no jumping, no running, no squatting, etc. As a general rule of thumb I always tell my athletes that if your foot is making contact with the ground, don’t do it (well except walking, you can’t really get around that…). So what does that leave you ask? Actually quite a bit! Getting an injury like this is actually kind of a blessing in disguise. You are forced to get out of your comfort zone and start a new routine. When you get into a routine your body gets used to it and you no longer see the results you saw when you first started (we can go into why in a different post!).
So your injured, what to do now. Well hop on that two wheeled device that you have to pedal around, yup, dust off that old bike, pump up the tires and get out on the trails! If you REALLY want to push yourself do an interval workout on the bike. Here is an example of a great interval workout (it even gets my athletes working hard!!):
5 minute warm-up
6-10 cycles (depending on fitness level) of:
40 Seconds pedal as FAST AS YOU CAN!!!
20 Second recovery (get your heart rate back to normal)
5 minute recovery
6-10 cycles of:
30 Seconds pedal as FAST AS YOU CAN!!!
30 Seconds recovery
5 minute recovery
6-10 cycles of:
20 Seconds pedal as FAST AS YOU CAN!!!
40 Second recovery
5 minute cool down
The best part about interval training is that it gets your body burning calories for up to 24 hours after your workout! AMAZING!!!
If you don’t have a bike, jump in the pool. The best part about a pool workout is that you can do so many different things! If you like to run, throw on a flotation device and run in the pool, you may not go very far, but by golly you sure are working hard! Don’t like to run? No big deal, take a swim! Even if you can only doggy paddle, you are working pretty much every muscle in your body! Can’t swim very well? No biggie, grab a kickboard and do a workout on the kickboard or join a water fitness class! Pools are also good to workout in when you are injured because you are much lighter in the pool. Because of the buoyancy concept, when you are in deeper water there is less pressure on your joints. PLUS, with hydrostatic pressure, if you have an area that is swollen the water can actually help push the swelling out of the injured area, giving you more motion and decreasing the amount of time it takes to heal the area! Isn’t water great??
Anyway, I’m pretty sure I can go on and on and on about all the different injuries, what you can do to get rid of them etc, etc, etc. But I’m sure that would be super boring, unless of course you are suffering from that specific injury, so I will spare you the boredom, and if anyone has any questions regarding a specific injury please feel free to ask (maybe I’ll even get to write a few more articles!) and I will do my best to answer!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Why the scale lies
We've all been told that weighing yourself every single day is a bad thing and that the mirror should be your measure of success in your weight loss and fitness endeavors. But, we don't really like to listen. For me, I like the instant gratification every morning of stepping on that scale and seeing how my hard work pays off. But sometimes it doesn't. And when you are working so hard and eating so well yet you have hardly lost a pound, the ben and jerry's in the freezer sounds just too good to pass up, because if you aren't losing anything, why keep yourself from the delicious, emotional consolation Ben and Jerry have to offer? I'm going to provide you with actual facts in hopes you can "get it" and be more successful in your journey.
We are going to consider water our friend and foe, our "frenemy" so to speak. Water rocks because it helps our body remove waste by sweating and doing our bathroom duties (It helps with constipation as it helps keep the stools loose), and flushing waste through our liver and kidneys. It does other things like regulates body temp, cushions joints, and acts as a vehicle in your body, transporting oxygen and nutrients to parts of our body. Oh yeah, and to top it off, drinking water helps with appetite as it can leave us feeling more full! Pretty much water helps keep our body functioning efficiently. When you don't drink enough water, your body holds on to what is has with a deathlike grip, and unfortounately it can't be as efficient for all of the above, so you might actually gain weight on the scale. But those nasty fat cells also distort our true successes with water.
A biologist at Berkeley (full article below) explains here: "Fat cells are resilient, stubborn little creatures that do not want to give up their actual cell volume. Over a period of weeks, maybe months of "proper dieting", each of your fat cells may have actually lost a good percentage of the actual fat contained in those cells. But the fat cells themselves, stubborn little guys, replace that lost fat with water to retain their size. That is, instead of shrinking to match the reduced amount of fat in the cell, they stay the same size! Result - you weigh the same, look the same, maybe even gained some scale weight, even though you have actually lost some serious fat." This is why many people will stress the importance of body measurements as a lot of people will lose inches when doing 30 day shred or P90X type workouts. For me, I will not notice a single pound of weight loss, then one day I lose 3-4 pounds. Why does our body do this? It's actually a defensive biochemical process to keep our body from changing too rapidly. Sadly, this process can take weeks or months and so by then, most people throw their hands up in the air and eat 2 big macs like they just don't care. The process takes longer when you are a frequent passenger on the weight loss rollercoaster.
And we all know about big bad sodium. Except, it's actually not that bad for you. Sodium actually helps regulate the amount of water in your body. Too much sodium causes water retention. However, most of us consume way too much of it in its table salt form. The experts generally agree that 2000-3000 mg should be the daily limit for consumption. Foods that are sodium hoarders can be condensed soups, some canned vegetables, canned soups, frozen and pre packaged meats (for example, a single chicken breast can contain 1200 mg of sodium), and foods like chinese food (Example: One pint of fried rice contains roughly 3200 mg of sodium and one entree averages at about 2500). So buying fresh is best, and seasoning your meals with garlic or onion powder, pepper, the Dash! brands, or the varied Indian spices is preferred. And if you do consume a lot of sodium when its just unavoidable, try to drink lots of water.
Oh, and another thing I just have to add in here. Sometimes we might indulge at a friend's house and eat over our recommended amount of daily calories. The next morning, guilt in the forefront of our minds, we step on the scale and gained 4 pounds. "WHAT?? All my hard work for nothing, just because I couldn't keep my willpower in check. If I can't even go one night without cheating then I might as well not even try." Okay, let me break this down for you. To gain a pound, you have to consume 3500 calories over your BMR. So to gain 4 pounds, you'd have to consume 14000 calories. That's roughly 26 big macs. So chill out and realize it's probably water retention, your dinner, and glycogen. Get over it, drink some water, and acknowledge that it is completely normal to have a cheat meal and that is why the bad-for-us food is okay in moderation.
In conclusion, if you are going to be a scaling warrior, just understand that if you are doing everything right and not losing as much as you'd like, good things comes to those who wait. Like it's been said a million times, you didn't get 30 pounds overweight overnight, and the reverse won't happen as quickly either. Measure yourself, and if you don't want to do that then take pictures for measure. And if you don't want to do that either, then just realize that because of all your exercise progress, you will live longer if a Zombie Apocalypse hits planet Earth, because you'll be able to outrun all the people who just didn't want to try or gave up when the going got tough.
References:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/medical/IM00594
http://www.everydayhealth.com/water-health/water-body-health.aspx
http://www.medicinenet.com/electrolytes/article.htm
http://forum.lowcarber.org/archive/index.php/t-346933.html
We are going to consider water our friend and foe, our "frenemy" so to speak. Water rocks because it helps our body remove waste by sweating and doing our bathroom duties (It helps with constipation as it helps keep the stools loose), and flushing waste through our liver and kidneys. It does other things like regulates body temp, cushions joints, and acts as a vehicle in your body, transporting oxygen and nutrients to parts of our body. Oh yeah, and to top it off, drinking water helps with appetite as it can leave us feeling more full! Pretty much water helps keep our body functioning efficiently. When you don't drink enough water, your body holds on to what is has with a deathlike grip, and unfortounately it can't be as efficient for all of the above, so you might actually gain weight on the scale. But those nasty fat cells also distort our true successes with water.
A biologist at Berkeley (full article below) explains here: "Fat cells are resilient, stubborn little creatures that do not want to give up their actual cell volume. Over a period of weeks, maybe months of "proper dieting", each of your fat cells may have actually lost a good percentage of the actual fat contained in those cells. But the fat cells themselves, stubborn little guys, replace that lost fat with water to retain their size. That is, instead of shrinking to match the reduced amount of fat in the cell, they stay the same size! Result - you weigh the same, look the same, maybe even gained some scale weight, even though you have actually lost some serious fat." This is why many people will stress the importance of body measurements as a lot of people will lose inches when doing 30 day shred or P90X type workouts. For me, I will not notice a single pound of weight loss, then one day I lose 3-4 pounds. Why does our body do this? It's actually a defensive biochemical process to keep our body from changing too rapidly. Sadly, this process can take weeks or months and so by then, most people throw their hands up in the air and eat 2 big macs like they just don't care. The process takes longer when you are a frequent passenger on the weight loss rollercoaster.
And we all know about big bad sodium. Except, it's actually not that bad for you. Sodium actually helps regulate the amount of water in your body. Too much sodium causes water retention. However, most of us consume way too much of it in its table salt form. The experts generally agree that 2000-3000 mg should be the daily limit for consumption. Foods that are sodium hoarders can be condensed soups, some canned vegetables, canned soups, frozen and pre packaged meats (for example, a single chicken breast can contain 1200 mg of sodium), and foods like chinese food (Example: One pint of fried rice contains roughly 3200 mg of sodium and one entree averages at about 2500). So buying fresh is best, and seasoning your meals with garlic or onion powder, pepper, the Dash! brands, or the varied Indian spices is preferred. And if you do consume a lot of sodium when its just unavoidable, try to drink lots of water.
Oh, and another thing I just have to add in here. Sometimes we might indulge at a friend's house and eat over our recommended amount of daily calories. The next morning, guilt in the forefront of our minds, we step on the scale and gained 4 pounds. "WHAT?? All my hard work for nothing, just because I couldn't keep my willpower in check. If I can't even go one night without cheating then I might as well not even try." Okay, let me break this down for you. To gain a pound, you have to consume 3500 calories over your BMR. So to gain 4 pounds, you'd have to consume 14000 calories. That's roughly 26 big macs. So chill out and realize it's probably water retention, your dinner, and glycogen. Get over it, drink some water, and acknowledge that it is completely normal to have a cheat meal and that is why the bad-for-us food is okay in moderation.
In conclusion, if you are going to be a scaling warrior, just understand that if you are doing everything right and not losing as much as you'd like, good things comes to those who wait. Like it's been said a million times, you didn't get 30 pounds overweight overnight, and the reverse won't happen as quickly either. Measure yourself, and if you don't want to do that then take pictures for measure. And if you don't want to do that either, then just realize that because of all your exercise progress, you will live longer if a Zombie Apocalypse hits planet Earth, because you'll be able to outrun all the people who just didn't want to try or gave up when the going got tough.
References:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/medical/IM00594
http://www.everydayhealth.com/water-health/water-body-health.aspx
http://www.medicinenet.com/electrolytes/article.htm
http://forum.lowcarber.org/archive/index.php/t-346933.html
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Support and Motivation
I'm taking a break from my normal informational posts to blog about reflection in my own life in regards to fitness and nutrition. I have been counting calories and charting my exercise through www.myfitnesspal.com for the past two weeks, and I feel it is such a great tool. There are many people I have met through there-- singles, married, married with children, married with children with an insanely busy life. They all make time to record their eating habits and document their workouts because it is important. There's never an excuse to not invest in your well being, and if you have 5 minutes to watch tv, you can make time to do this too.
Another big help in my endeavor has got to be my sisters, and through my whole life I've always looked up to them. They have set a standard that I want to live up to. They have started a workout/running regimen of their own the past couple months, and though they are not on a weight loss program because they are of healthy size, seeing them have such a healthy focus on nutrition and fitness really helps keep me motivated. I also think the motivation comes with accountability. I'm sure there are some people out there that do not need accountability for their weight loss efforts, because their will and perseverance is all they need. Ladies and gentleman, I am not of the latter. This is something I hate to admit, but I have had an easy life where will and perseverance never really had to take hold. I didn't have to deal with divorce as a child or lots of grief from losing loved ones, nor did I grow up with money woes. I never had to come home and worry if the power would still be on. I have a great family, great friends, and a great upbringing. I am so thankful for that! But as I look back on my life, I have realized I've never really had to work work work for anything.
Don't get me wrong, I've always had a great work ethic, and I do try my best at everything I do. I strive to have a close relationship to God, to be a good wife, friend, sister, daughter, person in general. I started working at 14, and I was working more than anyone my age. But I have never had a goal in my life that I really had to work hard for. Something that was going to be taxing; physically, mentally, and spiritually. And my decision to start running for a 5k at first, but then a 10k, then a half marathon, will be a goal that accomplishes all of the above. I think by making these goals I will be forced to deal with failing, and that is a hard thing to deal with because I don't want to seem weak or make mistakes. It's not because I am saying that I am destined to fail. What I am saying is that running and eating healthy have to go hand in hand, and since I am not perfect, there are days that I will fail, miserably. It will come on a bad day, when vulnerability is creeping up and an opportunity to eat away my unhappiness is too hard to resist. That will be failure. Such a small thing, really. But to a person that is trying so hard to do whats right for oneself, it is still failure. But, every day is a new day, and the ability to acknowledge that whats done is done and its time to get back on track and NOT give up no matter what, is strength. I feel that accomplishing my goals will provide me with such a feeling of strength and satisfaction.
If you have ever gone running, have you ever noticed the mental journey you undergo? Has your mind said to you "stop! let's just walk, it will be sooo much easier than this hell you are putting me through. You can run next time!" It does to me, every time I knock over a barrier, I feel those thoughts trying to break me down. So I just think of my goals and what I want my life to be like and I shut those thoughts up. And right there, that is weakness leaving the body and strength setting up shop instead. And THAT! is great, but being able to run a race with my sisters someday, THAT! is amazing! If you can find someone in your life that has similar goals to you, I think you will find that the little motivation is a big help in your nutrition and fitness journey. I also know that coming to grips to what failure is and how our minds subconsciously shields us from it is a challenge too. I read a forum post from a guy who said that he had been working out for 4 weeks and only lost a pound. He said he was giving up and was going to live fat forever because it wasn't working for him. That right there, is protecting yourself from failure. Because, in his situation, he figured he was failing so he'd rather give up and be miserable than come to terms with failing. What was interesting, was that his wife posted on there that she had already noticed a difference in his weight! It was simply that he was gaining a lot of muscle so the scale just wasn't reflecting the hard work he was putting in.
Is there anything your mind is protecting you from accomplishing?
Another big help in my endeavor has got to be my sisters, and through my whole life I've always looked up to them. They have set a standard that I want to live up to. They have started a workout/running regimen of their own the past couple months, and though they are not on a weight loss program because they are of healthy size, seeing them have such a healthy focus on nutrition and fitness really helps keep me motivated. I also think the motivation comes with accountability. I'm sure there are some people out there that do not need accountability for their weight loss efforts, because their will and perseverance is all they need. Ladies and gentleman, I am not of the latter. This is something I hate to admit, but I have had an easy life where will and perseverance never really had to take hold. I didn't have to deal with divorce as a child or lots of grief from losing loved ones, nor did I grow up with money woes. I never had to come home and worry if the power would still be on. I have a great family, great friends, and a great upbringing. I am so thankful for that! But as I look back on my life, I have realized I've never really had to work work work for anything.
Don't get me wrong, I've always had a great work ethic, and I do try my best at everything I do. I strive to have a close relationship to God, to be a good wife, friend, sister, daughter, person in general. I started working at 14, and I was working more than anyone my age. But I have never had a goal in my life that I really had to work hard for. Something that was going to be taxing; physically, mentally, and spiritually. And my decision to start running for a 5k at first, but then a 10k, then a half marathon, will be a goal that accomplishes all of the above. I think by making these goals I will be forced to deal with failing, and that is a hard thing to deal with because I don't want to seem weak or make mistakes. It's not because I am saying that I am destined to fail. What I am saying is that running and eating healthy have to go hand in hand, and since I am not perfect, there are days that I will fail, miserably. It will come on a bad day, when vulnerability is creeping up and an opportunity to eat away my unhappiness is too hard to resist. That will be failure. Such a small thing, really. But to a person that is trying so hard to do whats right for oneself, it is still failure. But, every day is a new day, and the ability to acknowledge that whats done is done and its time to get back on track and NOT give up no matter what, is strength. I feel that accomplishing my goals will provide me with such a feeling of strength and satisfaction.
If you have ever gone running, have you ever noticed the mental journey you undergo? Has your mind said to you "stop! let's just walk, it will be sooo much easier than this hell you are putting me through. You can run next time!" It does to me, every time I knock over a barrier, I feel those thoughts trying to break me down. So I just think of my goals and what I want my life to be like and I shut those thoughts up. And right there, that is weakness leaving the body and strength setting up shop instead. And THAT! is great, but being able to run a race with my sisters someday, THAT! is amazing! If you can find someone in your life that has similar goals to you, I think you will find that the little motivation is a big help in your nutrition and fitness journey. I also know that coming to grips to what failure is and how our minds subconsciously shields us from it is a challenge too. I read a forum post from a guy who said that he had been working out for 4 weeks and only lost a pound. He said he was giving up and was going to live fat forever because it wasn't working for him. That right there, is protecting yourself from failure. Because, in his situation, he figured he was failing so he'd rather give up and be miserable than come to terms with failing. What was interesting, was that his wife posted on there that she had already noticed a difference in his weight! It was simply that he was gaining a lot of muscle so the scale just wasn't reflecting the hard work he was putting in.
Is there anything your mind is protecting you from accomplishing?
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Caffeine and how it affects weight loss
This is a topic idea coming from a follower of mine, and she wanted to know if caffeine would help you lose weight. I had my own opinions on it but needed some research to back it up. Turns out, there really isn't much proving it works or it doesn't. So, this article is going to be largely opinionated and less science/research based facts simply because there isn't much out there.
1. Get up and Go! - Caffeine affects our Central Nervous System and leads us to being more alert and increases our endurance for manual and physical labor. In 1991, Harvard conducted a study on caffeine's affects on trained runners, which resulted a 44% in runner's endurance after a dosage of 9 mg per 2 pounds of body weight.
2. It's gettin' hot in here! - Though it is not proven, there are many experts that believe caffeine has a thermogenic effect, which produces heat through metabolic process, burning more calories.
3.Water loss- Caffeine has a diuretic effect. This one should be negated, as water loss would only be temporary.
4. Appetite Suppression/Stimulant - From my research, there have been studies to show caffeine acts as either/or. In my opinion, I'd say that it differs on the person and I have some ideas on that. I think that a person who is going and going all day or suffers with Depression would find it act as a suppressant. Why? Because when you are busy all day you are more focused on what is at task and you don't have time to think about eating. This is because caffeine enhances mental capacity and alertness. Have you ever been hyper/excited and noticed your mind thinking about 20 different things at once. Its impact on people with depression comes from my own experience. A symptom of depression is overeating/emotional eating. I noticed when I did take caffeine that decreased that symptom. For people that have nothing to do all day may find caffeine acts as a stimulant, not because of a physiological affect on hunger but by boredom. You ever notice when you are bored you eat more? Also, caffeine causes adrenaline to be released into your bloodstream which causes sugar to be released from your energy stores. So when you "crash", you tend to crave sugary things.
My opinion and experience
If I were to advise whether it is something to make apart of your routine or not, I'd say it depends on your lifestyle. If you do exercise, I think caffeine before a workout does have a positive benefit because of 1 and 2. If you have a better workout because of caffeine, that means more calories burned. You need to see what works best for you. If you are thinking of taking a supplement with caffeine, you should make sure you do your research first. My experience with Hydroxycut was a horrible one. I got so jittery and because of the high amount of caffeine, when I would crash so hard I would start to crave sugar. This didn't help my weight loss efforts whatsoever and created such a tolerance for caffeine I struggled for a couple weeks after to get my body back on track. However, I do find that when I have energy, I eat healthier because I am not eating bad foods to give me the energy level I need to get through the day. So I say do what feels best for you. 250 mg a day is considered a safe amount for daily consumption, so if some coffee every morning gets you up and going to take charge of your day and you do not have a crash then I would recommend it. If you find a safe supplement with a reasonable amount of caffeine that is meant to be taken pre workout and it doesn't keep you up at night, try it. But know that caffeine is a stimulant, it is addictive, and caffeine alone isn't going to make you lose weight but how it affects our brain and body is what can aid in weight loss if maintained a proper diet and exercise regimen.
References:
1. Get up and Go! - Caffeine affects our Central Nervous System and leads us to being more alert and increases our endurance for manual and physical labor. In 1991, Harvard conducted a study on caffeine's affects on trained runners, which resulted a 44% in runner's endurance after a dosage of 9 mg per 2 pounds of body weight.
2. It's gettin' hot in here! - Though it is not proven, there are many experts that believe caffeine has a thermogenic effect, which produces heat through metabolic process, burning more calories.
3.Water loss- Caffeine has a diuretic effect. This one should be negated, as water loss would only be temporary.
4. Appetite Suppression/Stimulant - From my research, there have been studies to show caffeine acts as either/or. In my opinion, I'd say that it differs on the person and I have some ideas on that. I think that a person who is going and going all day or suffers with Depression would find it act as a suppressant. Why? Because when you are busy all day you are more focused on what is at task and you don't have time to think about eating. This is because caffeine enhances mental capacity and alertness. Have you ever been hyper/excited and noticed your mind thinking about 20 different things at once. Its impact on people with depression comes from my own experience. A symptom of depression is overeating/emotional eating. I noticed when I did take caffeine that decreased that symptom. For people that have nothing to do all day may find caffeine acts as a stimulant, not because of a physiological affect on hunger but by boredom. You ever notice when you are bored you eat more? Also, caffeine causes adrenaline to be released into your bloodstream which causes sugar to be released from your energy stores. So when you "crash", you tend to crave sugary things.
My opinion and experience
If I were to advise whether it is something to make apart of your routine or not, I'd say it depends on your lifestyle. If you do exercise, I think caffeine before a workout does have a positive benefit because of 1 and 2. If you have a better workout because of caffeine, that means more calories burned. You need to see what works best for you. If you are thinking of taking a supplement with caffeine, you should make sure you do your research first. My experience with Hydroxycut was a horrible one. I got so jittery and because of the high amount of caffeine, when I would crash so hard I would start to crave sugar. This didn't help my weight loss efforts whatsoever and created such a tolerance for caffeine I struggled for a couple weeks after to get my body back on track. However, I do find that when I have energy, I eat healthier because I am not eating bad foods to give me the energy level I need to get through the day. So I say do what feels best for you. 250 mg a day is considered a safe amount for daily consumption, so if some coffee every morning gets you up and going to take charge of your day and you do not have a crash then I would recommend it. If you find a safe supplement with a reasonable amount of caffeine that is meant to be taken pre workout and it doesn't keep you up at night, try it. But know that caffeine is a stimulant, it is addictive, and caffeine alone isn't going to make you lose weight but how it affects our brain and body is what can aid in weight loss if maintained a proper diet and exercise regimen.
References:
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/HQ00369
Newall CA, et al. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical
Friday, July 1, 2011
How stress can kill you and its effects on weight loss
I'm sure you have heard about how bad stress is, but do you know how bad it really is? What causes stress? How does it impact my body? And how is it responsible for sidelining my weight loss and fitness efforts? There are three stages of stress as defined by psychologists, and I'm sure you can identify with each.
1. Alarm- Whether it be a threat or a stressor, your body goes into that neat fight or flight mode. This triggers adrenaline as your body senses it's in a dangerous situation and adrenaline increases your heart rate, constricts blood vessels, and dilates your air passages which allows more oxygen. Think of adrenaline as The Hulk. Pre adrenaline you are just an ordinary person, but once fight or flight comes into play, you are faster, stronger, your mind is sharper, lower pain sensitivity, and you have more endurance. Stress also produces cortisol, a hormone. Cortisol suppresses your immune system by slapping your white cells quiet, making you more vulnerable to infection. This stage isn't just about getting in a fight or feeling threatened by some creepy guys following you on a darkly lit path on your run. If you are worried about your job security, family issues, self esteem issues, and health issues can all trigger this.
2. Resistance- If the stressor does not go away, your body has to find a way to cope. You can't keep up all of the energy alarm creates. Ever noticed how after a stressful day, salty, fried, fattening foods become even more appealing? Emotionally we crave something that gives us pleasure. That can come from food, smoking, drinking, or excessive and unnecessary purchases like a TV. Cortisol also plays a role in this too.
3. Exhaustion- When we fail to cope or continue to subject ourselves to this stressor, your body fails to function at its normal level or keeping things in check. This can result in ulcers, digestive issues (stress slows down digestive function as it is not needed in times of immediate stress), depression, higher blood pressure, fatigue, sleep related issues, cognitive ability, and weight gain. Cortisol has been linked to higher fat storage in the abdominal region and also slows your metabolism. Why? Because cortisol is linked with adrenaline, and in our ancestors this was triggered when food was scarce. When food is scarce, the body does not need to metabolize food as quickly (read last post) and your brain says "store it!!!".
So I think it would be obvious how stress affects your weight loss journey. When you are stressed, your willpower is not enough to overcome your body's reaction to stress. But when you do surrender your willpower and eat a Big Mac with a extra large fry, you probably feel guilty about slipping up and negative thoughts and getting down just makes things worse. Stress can also lead to a shorter lifespan. It has been linked (though not proven) to increase risk of heart attack, heart disease in men, and stroke.
For your well being and the others around you, you need to identify stressors in your life and make a plan to dissolve them. If you are stressed at work, I understand you can't just quit. That isn't going to resolve the situation. But maybe seeing a psychologist and finding out how to lessen stress at the work place is beneficial. Is the morale of your co workers blossoming negativity and stress? Talk to your boss about it and suggest some morale boosting ideas. Higher morale = less stress and more productive employees. Make a list of things in your life that cause stress. What ones can you change? If people in your life are causing you stress and open communication cannot fix that, maybe it's time to put some distance between you and them. Whether they know it or not, they are causing you stress that you don't need. Sometimes we do have to put our needs first, especially when our health is concerned! And if you are a parent, your ability to live a healthy life leads to you being able to play with your children and look after them and enjoy their lives for years to come. Exercise is essential for stress management as it releases endorphins (feel good chemicals!) and is meditation in action. Whether that be running, (I have to mention sex, its true!), playing tennis, yoga, or pilates. Get moving! And for people who are religious, your church can be an incredible asset! Bible studies or just church group gatherings can be helpful as these people are like minded and are trying to better themselves and are more likely to bring you up than bring you down.
For a full list of the negative impacts of stress click here. http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/the-impact-of-stress/
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_(biology)
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise-and-stress/SR00036
http://www.advance-health.com/cortisol.html
1. Alarm- Whether it be a threat or a stressor, your body goes into that neat fight or flight mode. This triggers adrenaline as your body senses it's in a dangerous situation and adrenaline increases your heart rate, constricts blood vessels, and dilates your air passages which allows more oxygen. Think of adrenaline as The Hulk. Pre adrenaline you are just an ordinary person, but once fight or flight comes into play, you are faster, stronger, your mind is sharper, lower pain sensitivity, and you have more endurance. Stress also produces cortisol, a hormone. Cortisol suppresses your immune system by slapping your white cells quiet, making you more vulnerable to infection. This stage isn't just about getting in a fight or feeling threatened by some creepy guys following you on a darkly lit path on your run. If you are worried about your job security, family issues, self esteem issues, and health issues can all trigger this.
2. Resistance- If the stressor does not go away, your body has to find a way to cope. You can't keep up all of the energy alarm creates. Ever noticed how after a stressful day, salty, fried, fattening foods become even more appealing? Emotionally we crave something that gives us pleasure. That can come from food, smoking, drinking, or excessive and unnecessary purchases like a TV. Cortisol also plays a role in this too.
3. Exhaustion- When we fail to cope or continue to subject ourselves to this stressor, your body fails to function at its normal level or keeping things in check. This can result in ulcers, digestive issues (stress slows down digestive function as it is not needed in times of immediate stress), depression, higher blood pressure, fatigue, sleep related issues, cognitive ability, and weight gain. Cortisol has been linked to higher fat storage in the abdominal region and also slows your metabolism. Why? Because cortisol is linked with adrenaline, and in our ancestors this was triggered when food was scarce. When food is scarce, the body does not need to metabolize food as quickly (read last post) and your brain says "store it!!!".
So I think it would be obvious how stress affects your weight loss journey. When you are stressed, your willpower is not enough to overcome your body's reaction to stress. But when you do surrender your willpower and eat a Big Mac with a extra large fry, you probably feel guilty about slipping up and negative thoughts and getting down just makes things worse. Stress can also lead to a shorter lifespan. It has been linked (though not proven) to increase risk of heart attack, heart disease in men, and stroke.
For your well being and the others around you, you need to identify stressors in your life and make a plan to dissolve them. If you are stressed at work, I understand you can't just quit. That isn't going to resolve the situation. But maybe seeing a psychologist and finding out how to lessen stress at the work place is beneficial. Is the morale of your co workers blossoming negativity and stress? Talk to your boss about it and suggest some morale boosting ideas. Higher morale = less stress and more productive employees. Make a list of things in your life that cause stress. What ones can you change? If people in your life are causing you stress and open communication cannot fix that, maybe it's time to put some distance between you and them. Whether they know it or not, they are causing you stress that you don't need. Sometimes we do have to put our needs first, especially when our health is concerned! And if you are a parent, your ability to live a healthy life leads to you being able to play with your children and look after them and enjoy their lives for years to come. Exercise is essential for stress management as it releases endorphins (feel good chemicals!) and is meditation in action. Whether that be running, (I have to mention sex, its true!), playing tennis, yoga, or pilates. Get moving! And for people who are religious, your church can be an incredible asset! Bible studies or just church group gatherings can be helpful as these people are like minded and are trying to better themselves and are more likely to bring you up than bring you down.
For a full list of the negative impacts of stress click here. http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/the-impact-of-stress/
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_(biology)
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise-and-stress/SR00036
http://www.advance-health.com/cortisol.html
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