September 30th, 2008 — caffeine, hydration, sodium, water, wellness
As summer gets closer, many of us are taking our exercise routines outside. It's a great time of year to get out and enjoy nature, but this is also the time of year when the risk of dehydration becomes very real. If you have ever been seriously dehydrated, you know how awful it feels. You become weak, disoriented and you may even do serious harm to your body. It is vital to avoid dehydration during exercise, but luckily, it's also pretty easy!
1. Avoid caffeine.
The number one reason that many of us become dehydrated is due to an excess consumption of caffeine, especially right before exercise. Coffee and tea are the most common culprits since they are incredibly high in caffeine, but soda can be just as dangerous. When you know you're going to be exercising, replace any caffeinated beverage you would normally drink with water. This is one of the easiest ways to make sure that you don't get dehydrated.
2. Listen to your body.
If you start feeling a bit dizzy during your workout, or you feel like you are "whiting" out, this is a big signal that your body is depleted. You need to stop immediately and get some water. Yes, it's a pain, and yes once you get going with exercise, you really don't want to stop, but you need to stop. Sit out and get a bottle of water. Once you feel better, get back to it, but at a slower pace. If you were really affected, you may be done for the day. Don't beat yourself up though. Just take more precautions next time. If you feel that your face is getting really hot, or you look very red and overheated, you need to stop exercising and take a break.
3. Increase your water consumption.
It goes without saying that the more you sweat, the more water you lose. Unlike the winter months, when we really only sweat when we exercise, during summer, you may actually be sweating all day long. You're going to need to up your water intake, especially on days when it is very hot. Just remember that too much water is a bad thing too. Add no more than two or three extra glasses of water, and never drink more than half a gallon in one sitting to be on the safe side, much less if you are small.
4. Avoid diuretics.
If you are taking any diuretics to help you lose weight and you are not under the care of a doctor, you are at serious risk for dehydration. If you are on prescribed medication, you will need to discuss your exercise plan with your doctor and work out how to stay hydrated. It is also important to avoid foods that are natural diuretics, such as celery or coffee. Both can seriously deplete your fluids and you may not even realize it. Always use caution when exercising if you have been taking a diuretic.
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May 24th, 2008 — about, exercise, healthy eating, motivation, weigh in
After 5 weeks on the medically assisted weightless program I have lost 39 pounds... This week I lost 5 pounds which is incredible (the results of this diet and program are remarkable and fast.) 5 pounds was 77% of my weekly goal of 6.5 pounds per week. This week even though I lost 5 pounds I had trouble with portion control at the evening meal... This is been slowly building over the 5 weeks, but this week I asked my doctor if we could increase the Phentermine dose. So for this week I am on 37.5 mg (instead of 30 mg) of Phentermine.
I attribute missing the goal for the same reason as missing last week's goal... a later than normal and larger than normal (for a 1200 calorie diet) dinner last night and missing my regular movement this morning. I except that there are normal fluctuations in the weekly number as even on a daily basis I can fluctuate 5 pounds from morning through evening with the ups and downs of water loss and water consumption with the Ketosis and exercise.
Here is a graph of my weight loss (if you are reading this in the future this graph will have updated for future weigh ins as well)... Clicking the image will open to a larger image.
So if I am to believe my claim that 1.5 pounds is within a normal fluctuation and that I am still maintaining a 5 pound a week average weight loss (from missing my goal last weigh in.) Then I need to set my weekly goal for 5 pounds plus the pound and a half that the scale failed to recognize lost in previous weeks. So my goal for next week is to end the week at 345 or to have lost 6.5 pounds for the week.
I played 2 hours of basketball twice and 2 hours of volleyball twice and went of several walks and played 9 holes of golf at Harding Park Golf Club. I did not get a chance to swim... My plan is about the same for this week, only with more swimming.
I was able to drastically reduce my fat free cheese intake and plan to continue with more lean meats instead... I feel more satiated and frankly they taste better too. I ran out of sugar free Metamucil (non water soluble) and switched to benefiber (water soluble). If Metamucil is an orange cream shake, benefiber is like dirty water (in plain water) and noticeable but ignorable in crystal light. I plan on switching back as soon as my current container is used.
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May 16th, 2008 — about, exercise, goals, gym, healthy eating, weigh in, weight loss
After 1 month on the Jumpstart Medicine medically assisted weightless program I have lost 34 pounds... This week I lost 3.5 pounds with was 70% of my weekly goal of 5 pounds per week. I attribute missing the goal to a later than normal and larger than normal (for a 1200 calorie diet) dinner last night and missing my regular movement this morning. I except that there are normal fluctuations in the weekly number as even on a daily basis I can fluctuate 5 pounds from morning through evening with the ups and downs of water loss and water consumption with the Ketosis and exercise. I highly recommed Jumpstart. I have a special offer for anyone in wanting to try Jumpstart in Redwood City or Mountain View: $25 off your first visit (just print it and bring it to your appointment).
Here is a graph of my weight loss (if you are reading this in the future this graph will have updated for future weigh ins as well)... Clicking the image will open to a larger image.
So if I am to believe my claim that 1.5 pounds is within a normal fluctuation and that I am still maintaining a 5 pound a week average weight loss. Then I need to set my weekly goal for 5 pounds plus the pound and a half that the scale failed to recognize lost in the weigh in. So my goal for next week is to end the week at 350 or to have lost 6.5 pounds for the week.
My plan to accomplish the goal is to stick to the diet, reduce my fat free cheese intake and replace those proteins with more lean meat. My plan to address the lack of a normal movement is to continue to consume a 2 regular servings of sugar free Metamucil.
I had a good week for an exercise perspective... I played almost 2 hours of basketball twice and almost 2 hours of volleyball twice. I went for a short swim and several walks. My plan is about the same for this week, only with more swimming.
In talking with the doctor about my long term goal, he was hesitant to talk about a final weight number. Instead he focused on Body Fat percentage. At this week's weigh in we did the electroanalysis again and my body fat percentage was 36% (down from 39% when I started). He thought he first goal is to get the BFP below 25% and ideally below 20%. At that point my actual weight is irrelevant. So, even though I have a number in mind for my final weight (230-260), I am now officially making it my goal to get to under a 20% body fat percentage. If I can continue to lose 5 pounds a week I should be able to reach my goal by the end of the year.
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