November 26th, 2008 — exercise, wellness
If you are finding that you don't have enough time to exercise due to a busy work or home life, there are techniques that you can use throughout the day that will accelerate your weight loss. Most of these can be done just about anywhere and only require a few extra minutes.
1. Take the stairs.
If you work in a building with an elevator, try taking the stairs at least once a day. It may take a little bit longer, but you'll be burning fat while you walk. This of course may not always be feasible, but try to do it at least once a day. You'll have even better results if you completely stop using the elevator.
2. Suck it in.
It sounds silly, but sucking in your stomach throughout the day can actually help tighten your abs and whittle your waist. No one even has to know you're doing it. Just suck in your stomach for five minutes of time throughout the day. This can really help if your exercise options are limited and many women have managed to lose whole dress sizes after just a few weeks.
3. Start fidgeting.
Fidgeting actually does burn calories, particularly if you're someone who always sits stills. We're not advocating driving your co-workers insane with constant movement, but fidgeting with your feet under the desk can make a difference.
4. Use housework.
Housework can actually burn more calories than running and as an extra bonus, your house will be spic and span. Try to set aside thirty minutes a day to vacuum, dust and sweep. You'll be getting a good workout and you'll be getting your heart rate up.
5. Get creative.
If your options are pretty limited, try finding ways to exercise on your lunch break. Walk around outside or at a mall. You'll burn more calories than you would simply sitting at a table.
6. Try leg bends.
You can really work on your lower body without anyone noticing by practicing leg bends under your desk. This is great if you're frequently on the phone and bored out of your skull. Simply unbend your knees and raise up your legs - hold the position for a few seconds and lower them back down. Try several repetitions of this throughout the day.
7. Ask about a company gym.
If you work for a large company, they may be willing to put in a gym for employees. You can then exercise on your lunch break, before you come in for the day or before you leave. Since having fit employees generally means an increase in productivity, most will be willing to consider the addition.
8. Get a desk treadmill / pedal exerciser.
One of the latest innovations is a little treadmill that sits under your desk. You can work your legs all day long without making a sound and you'll stay healthier. Most are quite small and operate on leg power only. This is a discrete way to get your exercise during working hours.
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November 20th, 2008 — Meals, alternative ideas, healthy eating, nutrition, trigger food
Trying to map out a new health plan can be difficult, especially when you are used to overeating on a regular basis. Many of us don't even realize just how much we eat and how this can affect our bodies. The key to weight loss is the simple formula of calories in - calories burned. If you're taking in too many calories, you're just not going to lose weight the healthy way.
Learning how not to overeat can be a difficult process, especially if you have been used to it for many years. Your stomach is pretty much trained that it needs a set amount of food and when it doesn't get that amount, it sends out signals to your brain that you're hungry.
In order to stop overeating, you're going to need to employ a process with a few different techniques. It may take awhile to completely retrain yourself, but it is possible. Don't get discouraged and keeping moving forward, even if you end up falling off the wagon. It's only a disaster if you don't get back on.
Let's look at a few ways that you can start training yourself to avoid overeating. Personally, I went with 1-3 until I had figured out my diet and even now continue to rely on number 2.
1. Keep a log of absolutely everything you eat from the moment you get up to the moment you go to bed.
Don't forget to log what you drink as well. Sometimes, just seeing everything on paper is enough to make you realize how much you are eating. Talk with your doctor or nutritionist to see how many calories you really need, and then compare the two. Chances are, you're probably consuming more calories than you thought.
2. Start using smaller plates.
Even if it's only for your meal and not the rest of your family's, studies have shown that smaller plates really do help when it comes to weight loss. Eat only what is on that plate and avoid going back for seconds. You'll get that mental feeling of having cleared your plate, but it will be with much less food than you normally get. If you have difficulty with portion control, this technique can really make the difference.
3. Get a food scale.
It's tough to know how big a portion should be and having a food scale around really makes it easier. Chances are, what you thought was one serving is probably closer to two. It can seem a little frustrating and quite a bit crazy at first to weigh everything you eat, but after the first week or so it will become old hat.
4. Allow yourself your favorite foods, but cut back on their size.
In some cases, overeating is triggered by the feeling of being deprived. Instead of quitting all of your favorite foods cold turkey, allow yourself to eat them, but in much smaller quantities. If this is still a problem, try replacing these foods with similar versions that are lower in calories. There are new snacks that are packaged into 100 calories packs that are very similar to popular desserts and these can really help in this situation.
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November 7th, 2008 — Book Review
With a title this long, the book is bound to be either very interesting or full of hype. We found it was somewhere in between. While there is some good information in there, it didn’t quite make it to the level it could have. Despite all of the proven evidence to back up the author’s claims, it’s just difficult to get behind a book that relies totally on blaming hormones for fat, and avoids the question of the need to exercise.
That said, the book does a great job of bringing the topic of estrogen dominance to the forefront. This has been studied at length and many claim that having too much estrogen, both in men and women, leads to accumulating excess fat around your middle. As we age, this becomes an even bigger problem, and since stomach fat is the worst in many doctor’s eyes, it puts us at risk for many health problems down the road.
The author claims that as we age, we reach a point where our levels of progesterone decrease, and estrogen decreases. This leads to a natural accumulation of fat around the midsection. In order to stop that, the doctor recommends eating specific foods that will supposedly block estrogen and supplementing with more progesterone. This was probably our biggest concern with the book.
Progesterone creams are widely available and you don’t need a prescription. The bad news is, there is little regulation and many of the creams are not reliable when it comes to providing a reliable dose. You may get a small amount of progesterone one day, and a whopping big dose the next day.
If you are interested in supplementing progesterone in your diet, it is vital to speak with your doctor about it. There are health risks that come from getting too much of this hormone and you should never self medicate. While there is scientific data to back up the fact that increasing progesterone levels, decreasing estrogen levels and eating the right foods can help you lose weight, you should never attempt this without the help of a qualified physician. They can prescribe actual medicine that will have a verifiable dose of progesterone instead of the hit or miss amounts found in OTC creams.
We can’t wholeheartedly recommend the book, due to the lack of exercise advice and the concern over progesterone, but it is still worth the read. Just remember that there is no replacement for a healthy exercise plan. While you probably can lose some weight following the diet advice in the book, in order to get long term weight loss, lifestyle changes and a solid exercise plan are still much more reliable. The book does however raise some very good points and we found it to be well written.
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May 19th, 2008 — Hyponatremia, hydration, water
This article is slightly contrarian please understand your own personal experience and consult with your doctor to figure out what is right for you.
Most everyone agrees that drinking water is an important component to weight loss. However, there are some dangers that drinking too much water can pose to your health. While it is important to stay hydrated, you'll need to make sure that you are drinking the right amount of water.
First, water is very helpful when it comes to making your stomach feel full and keeping you from feeling unsatisfied. However, this leads many people to drink too much water, especially at first. In addition, if you're drinking too much water to keep from eating, you won't be shrinking your stomach, so it will keep thinking that it needs to be filled up.
A good rule of thumb to follow when it comes to deciding how much water you really need is to take your weight, divide it half and use this as a guide to how many ounces of water you really need. I weigh 356 currently which would equate to 178 oz a day (or ~22 8 oz glasses) with this rule of thumb. For, a 100 lb woman this rule of thumb is 6.5 8 oz glasses a day. As you can see rule of thumbs are pretty worthless. Consult your doctor for what level is right for you.
However, if you will be doing any sort of strenuous exercise, or if it is currently hot, you will need to increase your water intake a little bit to make sure that you do not become dehydrated. In this case, you may want to add an extra eight or sixteen ounces, or more, depending on how much you sweat.
Many people do not realize how much water they really get, especially when it doesn't come from a glass or a bottle. If you eat soup, you're getting quite a bit of water. Even soda contains a lot of water and in some cases, it may be 99% water. While this is great for keeping you hydrated, you may be overdoing it, especially if you are already drinking your eight glasses of water a day. CNN recently ran a story calling into question the conventional wisdom of 8 glasses of water a day.
Why is it so important to make sure that you don't get too much water? People have actually died after ingesting too much water thanks to what is known as Hyponatremia. In plain English, this occurs when you drink so much water that your system becomes overloaded and your blood thins out too much. While it can take some people more than a gallon of water ingested in a short period of time to reach this stage, others may be more susceptible.
Check with your doctor to see what they feel is a healthy amount of water for your unique needs. They will be able to give you a better idea of your water requirements and they can educate you on the dangers of drinking too much water.
In short, water is very important and it can be very useful when you are trying to lose weight. However, too much of a good thing isn't good either. As with many things in life, the key is to find the right balance. When you find this, you'll be well on the road to healthy and safe weight loss.
Please remember the Importance of Maintaining Adequate Hydration.
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