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Thursday, October 11, 2012

15 Ways to Stay Slim for Life - Part Three

Now that I have been on my journey to a new me for over 20 months I have begun to wonder what happens when I get to my goal weight.  Not that I am anywhere near my goal, but I still have given much thought to what my life will be like when I am living in a healthier body.  There was a recent article on msn.com in the healthy living section that got my attention and I want to share some of it with my readers.  If you have not read the last two blog post please stop reading this one and catch yourself up.  This is part three of the three part series on 15 ways to stay slim for life!

15 Ways to Stay Slim for Life

Make it through life’s big obstacles and events without gaining a pound

Going on Vacation

Why you might pack on pounds When you’re trying new foods, ditching exercise for sleeping in, and not sticking to a routine, a getaway creates the perfect storm for weight gain, says Batayneh.

Stay thin Picking a rental property over a hotel means you’ll have an opportunity to cook meals at home, which can cut down on your daily calorie intake. When you’re dining out, choose one item to indulge in, whether it’s a margarita or freshly baked bread. Finally, pack healthy snacks such as a Kind Nuts & Spices bars (each has less than 5 g of sugar along with 5 to 7 g of protein and fiber) in your bag so you don’t go overboard when you need a little nosh.

Winter

Why you might pack on pounds When you’re chilled to the bone, eating can be one of the fastest ways to warm up. Digesting food increases your metabolic rate and generates heat, McAllister says.

Stay thin Just because you’re hungry or cold doesn’t mean you need a 450-calorie latte. Warm up with a bowl of chicken or vegetable broth-based soup or a cup of tea.

Raising a Child

Why you might pack on pounds “I get so much sleep,” said no mom ever. Being tired is a way of life for many new mothers, but it can do serious damage to your waistline. Research has linked a lack of sleep to weight gain, as sleep deprivation drives down levels of the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin while increasing levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates hunger, McAllister says.

Stay thin If eight hours a night isn’t going to happen, make sure you get the best quality of sleep possible. Use darkening shades, buy a white noise fan, and keep the temperature in your bedroom at 66 degrees, which has been shown to optimize sleep

Summer

Why you might pack on pounds It doesn’t get dark as early, so you’re probably eating dinner later or snacking into the wee hours of the night. You could also be throwing back beers at a baseball game or sipping sangria on a deck, and those calories add up quickly, Zied says.

Stay thin You don’t need to give up ice cream or barbecues, just don’t indulge of in all of summer’s tempting treats in one day. But it’s all about calories in and out, so don’t do both on one day. And we hate to be a buzz-kill, but if you find that you’re always gaining weight during the summer, you may want to do a calorie count to figure out when you have room in your diet to splurge on a hot dog – and when you need to stick with a salad.


Menopause

Why you might pack on pounds The hormonal changes that happen during menopause make women more likely to gain weight in their abdominal areas, Keri Glassman says. In fact, women burn about 200 fewer calories per day when they’re post-menopausal, according to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity.

Stay thin While the average person may burn 200 fewer calories daily, your experience may be different, notes Keri Glassman. Slowly reduce your calorie intake or increase your exercise frequency until you stop gaining.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Ways To Stay Slim For Life - Part Two

Now that I have been on my journey to a new me for over 20 months I have begun to wonder what happens when I get to my goal weight. Not that I am anywhere near my goal, but I still have given much thought to what my life will be like when I am living in a healthier body. There was a recent article on msn.com in the healthy living section that got my attention and I want to share some of it with my readers.

I will post it over the next three days because it was a little too lengthy to post as one post.  This is the second of the three post.  If you did not read yesterday's post, please stop and do so now.

15 Ways to Stay Slim for Life

Make it through life’s big obstacles and events without gaining a pound



The Holidays

Why you might pack on pounds Eggnog, mashed potatoes, stuffing, Christmas cookies, and potato latkes are just a few of the high-calorie foods that are probably on your “to eat” list every November and December, says Rania Batayneh, MPH, owner of Essential Nutrition For You, a nutrition consulting firm. The average person gains a pound during the holidays and never loses it, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. (Search: Healthy holiday recipes)

Stay thin Sip sugar-free hot cocoa spiked with Peppermint Schnapps over eggnog, and for dessert, pick pumpkin instead of pecan pie to cut calories in half. If mindless munching at holiday parties is your downfall, carry a drink in one hand and a clutch in the other so you won’t be able to pick at the spread.

Marriage

Why you might pack on pounds You did the wedding dress workout plan, your big day has come and gone, and now you can relax. “You’re comfortable, and you might think to yourself, ‘Well, I am married now. I don’t need to impress him anymore,’” says Nicole Glassman, holistic nutritionist and owner of Mindful Health in New York City. Also, if your schedules differ, you may eat a large snack before dinner—or eat dinner twice—in order to dine with your spouse. And who wants to get out of bed to hit the gym?

Stay thin Working out with your partner gives the two of you time to bond and keeps you both motivated, says Glassman. When you’re eating with your special someone, pay attention to your own body’s needs and recognize that your partner’s food requirements may be vastly different than yours.

Your Office Job

Why you might pack on pounds When you sit all day, your body tends to swell and become fatigued, says Glassman. And when you’re tired, you’re more likely to turn to the vending machine conveniently located a few feet from your desk. Your pick-me-up may provide a quick boost of energy, but you’ll crash shortly after and might become too tired to go to the gym after work, says Glassman.

Stay thin Take a 20-minute walk during lunch to boost circulation and ward offer afternoon junk food cravings. Staying hydrated will also combat fatigue and help your body move fluids out of your system. Aim to drink eight glasses of water daily. Finally, keep healthy snacks, like almonds and apples, in your desk drawer so you don’t turn to sugar.

Having a Baby

Why you might pack on pounds You need to shed the baby weight, but you’ve temporarily lost your workout mojo. Post-pregnancy hormonal changes can make you weepy and unmotivated, says Rallie McAllister, MD, co-author of The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy and Birth. Weight loss is put on the back burner—sometimes for years. In fact, moms gain an average of 20 pounds in just 10 years, according to a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Stay thin Take a break from mom duties to enjoy your favorite form of exercise and you’ll remember that you had a life—and a body—before baby.

Turning 30

Why you might pack on pounds When your 20s are over, your muscle mass—and metabolic rate—begin to decrease. Muscle tissue torches calories even when you’re sitting, but the less of it you have, the fewer calories you’ll burn, explains Keri Glassman, RD, owner of Nutritious Life, a nutrition practice in New York City.

Stay thin Compensate for muscle loss by understanding that you’re not going to be able to eat like you did in your 20s, Glassman suggests. Also try adding an extra workout each week or cutting out a dessert to make up for the extra calories your body won’t be burning.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

15 Ways to Stay Slim for Life - Part One


Now that I have been on my journey to a new me for over 20 months I have begun to wonder what happens when I get to my goal weight.  Not that I am anywhere near my goal, but I still have given much thought to what my life will be like when I am living in a healthier body.  There was a recent article on msn.com in the healthy living section that got my attention and I want to share some of it with my readers.

I will post it over the next three days because it was a little too lengthy to post as one post.

 

15 Ways to Stay Slim for Life

Make it through life’s big obstacles and events without gaining a pound

 

College

Why you might pack on pounds If college is your first time away from home, it’s probably your first shot at choosing your own meals. And while mom may have said no to pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, she’s not there to stop you from overeating at the all-you-can-eat cafeteria. Combine that with late night food deliveries and snacking during study sessions, and it’s hard to believe that the freshman 15 isn’t more like a freshman 50.

Stay thin “Keep a daily food diary so you become accountable for what you’re eating,” says Elisa Zied, RD, author of Nutrition at Your Fingertips. “You’re probably logging many hours at a desk, so stash nuts and fruit nearby so you’re reaching for healthy snacks rather than junk.”

Getting Sick

Why you might pack on pounds The common cold has been linked to Ad36, a virus that could make you gain weight, according to a 2011 study from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana.

Stay thin Since researchers aren’t exactly sure why the Ad36 virus is out to get your waistline, and a vaccine is still in the works, all that scientists suggest right now is to wash your hands frequently or eat healthy foods that fight sickness.

 

Stress

Why you might pack on pounds Stress raises levels of cortisol, a hormone that can make you feel hungry, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Plus, if you make a habit of eating when you feel frazzled, your body may begin to link stress with needing food.

Stay thin Choose an activity to replace stress eating, says Jason Block, MD, lead study author and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. It should be something that can relax you at least momentarily. For ideas, check out the best workouts to banish stress.

A New Relationship

Why you might pack on pounds You’re going out to dinner with your new boyfriend or girlfriend instead of whipping up meals at home. You’re also not as concerned about the way your body looks because you’ve already found love.

Stay thin If you’re a woman and want to eat the same foods as your metabolism-busting man, aim to eat about a third less of your meal than he does, says Lisa Young, PhD, RD, author of The Portion Teller Plan.

A Bad Breakup

Why you might pack on pounds When you’re depressed, it’s easy to turn to Drs. Ben and Jerry to make yourself feel better, says Young.

Stay thin For the first few days, it’s okay to spend time on the sofa, but curl up with a bowl of low-calorie frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. And then get out of the house so you’re not home alone with the fridge. Bonus: If you venture out, you may meet someone new. (Or you could try to meet a healthy match online.)

Monday, October 8, 2012

Should You Eat Before Or After You Exercise?

Ever since I started on my journey to a new me I have been trying to figure out just when a person should eat, before or after you exercise?  I began a search on the internet to get a few answers and here is what I discovered.   The best answer that I found and agree with is included in this blog post.  Check it out and see if you agree.

Eating Before or After Exercise:

  • Eat afterwards, after the cool down period. Eating puts stress on the cardiovascular system, and throwing exercise in with the deal could be dangerous.
  • You should eat both before and after exercise! When you eat before exercise, you're giving your body immediate energy to use. This isn't to say that you should have a six course meal. Something light light a flax seed whole wheat bagel with a chicken breast (white meat, no skin, no bone, no cold-cuts) If you don't eat properly before hand, your body will start to take the fat from your internal organs (instead of that midsection). After you've finish your exercise (especially if you've been doing weight lifting), it's important to eat something rich in protein and light in carbs. If you don't, your body will go into a state of hunger, and you'll be even more tempted to binge eat at the next meal.
  • You are basically tightening your muscles and burning the fat stored in your body. Everyone has a certain amount of fat stored in your body and as you exercise the fat decreases but remember there is 3,500 calories in a pound.
  • If you exercise in the morning you should have your breakfast, wait 1/2 hour to an hour and do your exercising. Just like when you want to go swimming ... eat, wait an hour, then go swimming. Otherwise, your muscles will cramp! As you know protein is the best for the muscles. I eat before exercising, wait an hour (or if I'm in a hurry I will "fast walk" to help digest my food faster) and then work-out. Eating after exercising is advisable, but I enjoy taking some protein drinks or a drink that raises my electrolyte levels. Also energy bars are fine to munch on after exercising. Just stick to 3 good meals a day. Lots of protein, green veggies, etc. Salads are wonderful to eat after exercising and not heavy on the stomach.
  • You are actually supposed to eat AFTER exercising, as your metabolic rate has increased and will use all the energy and fats from your food immediately.
  • Of course you are going to have to eat at least something (light snack) before you exercise (wait an hour before you workout after you eat to give your body time to properly digest it into your system) because where else are you going to get the energy from to fully exercise. You need something to fuel your body. It's all about training your body so it will get use to what you are feeding it so make it a routine. Eat before and after you exercise and drink plenty of water.
  • It's best not to eat within 2 hours before exercising. This is because when you eat, your glycemic index rises, your pancreas immediately releases insulin, which brings your blood sugar lower than its resting state. It's best to eat carbs within 5 minutes of exercise (snack) because carbohydrates are the fastest source of energy. Do not eat anything acidic because your body already has a hard enough time regulating pH during exercise. If you're running a marathon, it's recommended that you intake 40 - 60 grams of carbs per hour. After exercise, it's best to eat a good portion of carbs within 2 hours. This replenishes all of the glycogen that you lost during exercise. If you wait longer than 2 hours, the glycogen replenishing won't be as effective.
  • You need to eat carbs before your workout, usually about 50 grams for a 155-170 lb male. It's equally important to get 50-75 grams of carbs after your workout for the same weight (male). If you don't have enough carbs in your body during your workout you'll be fatigued and unable to perform as well. Not to mention that your body could start pulling energy from your muscles and any protein you've consumed through the day - leaving no protein for your tired muscles to be supported with afterwards. This is especially important for anyone trying to body build.

 

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Two Months And Counting With My Nutritionist

My last appointment with my nutritionist was on Friday, October 5th and the results were not what I had come to expect. But before I give all the details on this appointment let me back up a bit and fill you in on the last few weeks of this new adventure on my journey to a new me.

My life has been a whirlwind of sorts in the last three or four weeks because I again committed to work a christian retreat weekend and spent three weeks in preparation, planning and participating in a three and a half day retreat where I worked in a kitchen with 11 other women and we set up, took down, decorated and served 110 women during a wonderful time of spiritual renewal.

When I returned home it took me over a week to unload, unpack, and replace all of my decorating stuff back in it's proper place. The time and energy that I expended packing up the stuff and then unpacking everything was actually harder than the work done on the weekend, but the joy of the rewards of seeing all the miraculous things done during the weekend were well worth it.

I said all of that to say that I do not have a real excuse for not writing in my blog but I have been running a little low on time to fit it in, and for that I am very sorry. Many of you have asked me to start posting again and I promise, this will be the first of many new post to come.

Now back to my update with my nutritionist. My weekly meetings have become one of the highlights of my week. Not only because I enjoy seeing the fruit of my labor and all of my hard work bringing about results on the scale and the tape measure but also because of the friendship that is developing with my nutritionist, Stacy. She is a very special person who really cares about me and wants the best for me and my health. I have now reached 21.5 pounds of weight loss since starting this adventure with her and the inches are a close second place with 19 1/2 inches lost.

I look and feel better than I have in years. When I look in a mirror I can actually see a smaller me and this is not something that is easy for me to do. If you have read previous blog post you know that whether I was "As big as a barn" or not, I did not see how big that I was. It was like I had on "rose colored glasses" when it came to my overall physical appearance.

Well this Friday was not a good day for me when I went to meet with my nutritionist. The day before I had felt like I was doing well and decided to weigh in on my home scale and it showed a two pound weight loss for the week. Whoo Hoo! That was exciting, maybe by the next day I could be down even more for my official weigh in with her. Well that was not the case. You see, the night before my meeting I worked late, and we ate a late dinner. This is pretty normal for me because I tend to put in late hours. The problem was that I made some bad choices. We decided to grab a "quick bite" but not fast food quick, we went to one of our local BBQ places, Stonewalls BBQ, and instead of ordering the chicken breast like I ususally do, I ordered a "Stuffed Potato". What is a "Stuffed Potato" you ask? Well normally it is a very large baked (actually smoked) potato that is stuffed with butter, sour cream, BBQ sauce, and some of the best pulled pork you have ever put in your mouth. I can almost taste it as I am typing this blog post.

Well after getting to our table with our food, I saw that the old saying was true, "My eyes were bigger than my stomach" and I cut the "Stuffed Potato" in half and put the larger of the two halves in a To Go box. I felt like I had not only made a wise choice but a healthy choice as well. Because when I ordered my potato I asked them to leave off the butter, sour cream and the BBQ sauce. Again, I thought to myself, "Wow, you have made a few healthy choices tonight and you don't feel deprived. Way to go Kathy!" And as we were finishing up our meal I looked at the front door and guess who I saw popping their head into the restaurant to grab a quick chicken breast on their way home? You guessed it, my nutritionist, Stacy. She saw us immediately and came over to our table. She cautiously asked how we were doing and I knew she was wondering what I had eaten, so I rather bravely exclaimed, "Look I ordered the stuffed potato but I only ate half of it, see?" and I lifted the lid of my To Go box and showed her the large half of stuffed potato sitting in the box.

She didn't say anything immediately but when she did she asked "Did you put BBQ sauce on there?" and I proudly stated "actually no, I ordered it without the BBQ sauce, butter or sour cream". I did not realize it at the time but she had a questioniong or quizzical look on her face that said "Really?"

Any way the following morning was D-Day and I had an appointment to weigh in and get measured. She started her routine of measuring me from head to toe and I noticed that she was frowning alot and not really saying anything. When she was finished we started to move over to the scale and she said "I am not happy with this weeks results. We may need to change something." And I then told her that I had weighed the day before and on my scale I was showing a two pound weight loss. And her comment was "All right, I hope so." I got on the scale with no fear and trembling, but when the scale stopped on the same weight as the week before I felt like a huge weight had just hit me upside my head. What? That couldn't be right! I had worked so hard all week to stay on my food program and drink my protein shakes and even got more rest than I normally did and my scale had showed that two pound weight loss the day before. So what happened?

We walked over to the table and she could see immediately that I was struggling with the results of not just the scale but of the measurements staying the same and she said, "Look I know this is hard but I saw what you ate last night and even though you thought that it was good that you only ate half of the stuffed potato, it really was not the best food choice. Pork is a difficult food choice on your weight loss program because of the sodium and it will make you feel blotted for one to three days, in addition to the BBQ Sauce that the meat was cooked in. It was full of sodium and sugar and those two things alone can make you gain weight."

So there it was, even though on www.myfitnesspal.com I had stayed under my "legal limit of 1400 calories" for the day the food choices that I had eaten had sabotaged my efforts. She explained that I don't have as many fat cells as I did previously and that I could not eat like this and continue to lose the weight that I wanted to lose. She said that especially the day before my weigh in. When I left her office that day I felt a sudden since of defeat and depression. In my previous life before I began my journey to a new me the first thing that I would do when defeat and depression hit was to eat. Not just a little but I would "Super medicate myself with food" Not just any food but the foods that I craved the most. The ones that were the worst choices!

But just as those thoughts came to me a still small voice said "Now why would you want to give in to the old things that got you to the morbidly obese place that you came from? What true happiness and fullfillment would that bring?" And just as quickly a new thought came to me, "Why don't you send a few text messages to your husband and other loved ones and explain to them that you are down and blue regarding the weekly weigh in results so that they can help "Talk you down off the ledge" so to speak. And guess what? It worked, within a few minutes the text and words of encouragement began to come to my cell phone and I no longer was having a pity partly but I was being built back up to a place of confidence that I can do this. I have done this, and I will continue to be successful in my journey to a new me.

So this is a new day for me. After eight weeks of working with my nutritionist, drinking my protein drinks, and working out regularly, I believe with all of my heart that my 50 pound weight loss goal for this year, 2012, is obtainable! I make a committment to myself that I will do everything in my power to hit this goal. As always, I will keep you posted along the way. And remember if I can do it so can you! It just takes a mind set and a little determination and you will see the results that you long for too! If you should get a little depressed or low try what I did and reach out to those who love you and tell them that you could use their words of encouragement and support and you know what? They will probably do just that!