I don't know that I think this would work... I mean, giving up bread and milk, just because people 10,000 years ago didn't consume that type of thing?
Seems like going a wee bit overboard...
Frankly, I just think moderation is the key.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Resurrection!
I have to apologize to all my loyal readers for not posting in so long.
We're back, starting Monday.
Stay tuned!
We're back, starting Monday.
Stay tuned!
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Losing Weight is a slow process
Most people are impatient. They want results now.
This is particularly true when it comes to weight loss.
If you cut down your eating and go to bed hungry every day for a week, you expect to be rewarded by losing 5 pounds!
That is not the case.
Remember that when you first launch on your weight loss program, you have to create a caloric imbalance before the weight starts to come off.
So, for the first week after you begin, and go to bed hungry for 5 days, you very likely won't lose any weight (particularly if you take up weight training - which you should do.)
But after about 5 days, your body reaches the point where it recognizes that it isn't getting as much food as it used to, and it will start burning up the excess fat it has stored.
Then, and only then, will you start to lose weight.
And then... only perhaps a quarter pound a day, so two pounds a week
So do not get impatient. Cut back on your food gradually - more importantly cut back on sugary drinks or eliminate them altogether, start exercising moderately, and after *two* weeks you will begin to see success.
This is particularly true when it comes to weight loss.
If you cut down your eating and go to bed hungry every day for a week, you expect to be rewarded by losing 5 pounds!
That is not the case.
Remember that when you first launch on your weight loss program, you have to create a caloric imbalance before the weight starts to come off.
So, for the first week after you begin, and go to bed hungry for 5 days, you very likely won't lose any weight (particularly if you take up weight training - which you should do.)
But after about 5 days, your body reaches the point where it recognizes that it isn't getting as much food as it used to, and it will start burning up the excess fat it has stored.
Then, and only then, will you start to lose weight.
And then... only perhaps a quarter pound a day, so two pounds a week
So do not get impatient. Cut back on your food gradually - more importantly cut back on sugary drinks or eliminate them altogether, start exercising moderately, and after *two* weeks you will begin to see success.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Take your blood pressure medication!
Spent most of yesterday in the hospital, where my mother was admitted. Her doctor had changed her blood pressure medication a couple of weeks ago, it wasn't doing the job. Unfortunately her doctor was out of town and a home therapist said we should take her to the Emergency Room.
Bad idea, as far as I'm concerned. Put her back on her old medication which was working, just causing her to cough.
Instead we brought her to the emergency room, and since she's old and deaf, this got her more stressed out and scared than ever, because they were all gathered around her shouting questions and wanting to run tests and I'm sure she thought she was dying or something, which sent her blood pressure even higher.
She spent the night there, and is still in today for more tests, which I don't think she needs but I guess since they've got her in there they want to get their money's worth out of our insurance... she's in a private room which must be costing a fortune....
The reason for my headline... she was about 40 when she was first diagnosed with high blood pressure...took pills for a couple of days but didn't like how they made her feel....so she stopped taking them and tried to do the "natural remedy" thing.
Result, 20 years later she had congestive heart failure, and now instead of taking 1 pill a day she has to take 4. And has to go into the hospital periodically on occasions like these.
Moral of the story - go get your blood pressure checked, and if you have high blood pressure make sure you take your meds, otherwise believe me you'll wish you had, when it is too late...
Bad idea, as far as I'm concerned. Put her back on her old medication which was working, just causing her to cough.
Instead we brought her to the emergency room, and since she's old and deaf, this got her more stressed out and scared than ever, because they were all gathered around her shouting questions and wanting to run tests and I'm sure she thought she was dying or something, which sent her blood pressure even higher.
She spent the night there, and is still in today for more tests, which I don't think she needs but I guess since they've got her in there they want to get their money's worth out of our insurance... she's in a private room which must be costing a fortune....
The reason for my headline... she was about 40 when she was first diagnosed with high blood pressure...took pills for a couple of days but didn't like how they made her feel....so she stopped taking them and tried to do the "natural remedy" thing.
Result, 20 years later she had congestive heart failure, and now instead of taking 1 pill a day she has to take 4. And has to go into the hospital periodically on occasions like these.
Moral of the story - go get your blood pressure checked, and if you have high blood pressure make sure you take your meds, otherwise believe me you'll wish you had, when it is too late...
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Lose Weight And Get Paid, A Gambler’s Analysis
From The Inquisitr, an interesting article: Lose Weight And Get Paid, A Gambler’s Analysis
Will you lose weight if you get paid? “Money talks” was the conclusion of a Mayo Clinic study presented earlier this month to the American College of Cardiology conference in San Francisco.
The prestigious clinic’s Dr. Steven Driver is the lead author of the year-long research on 100 employees and their family members aged 18-63 who had a body mass index (BMI) high enough to qualify them to be considered obese.
The rules were simple. If you lost four pounds in a month, you won
$20. If you didn’t meet your goal, you paid in $20 to create a bonus
pool. All players, even if they didn’t lose weight, had a chance to win
the bonus pool at the end of twelve months as long as they had stayed in
the program.
Dieters in a group that didn’t participate in the game lost a puny 2.34 pounds over the course of the year. Dieters in the game lost an average of 9 pounds. Players who had paid a penalty were more likely to stay in the program for the entire year than players who didn’t.
Dr. Driver and the Mayo Clinic thought the results were evidence that, if you’re paid, you’re more likely to lose weight. Well, yeah OK. I’ll give him that much. A teeny tiny bit of weight.
But c’mon. If the goal is to lose four pounds a month in 12 months, everybody missed it by a mile.
What they really proved is that gamblers chase their losses. At some point, you have to figure that the weight is not coming off and that your best chance of getting your money back is to hang in there and hope they call your name in the random lottery.
The study isn’t about losing weight. It’s about the money.
Here’s what Dr. Driver told CNN’s Matt Sloane: “About 86% of large employers are already offering some kind of financial incentives to help employees reach their health goals. But one problem employers run into with financial incentives is that they can be expensive. Part of our model was to allow the so-called ‘losers’ to fund the ‘winners.’ ”
Now the light is starting to dawn. Employers want their employees to lose weight and get healthy, but they don’t necessarily want to pay for expensive treatments that might actually work like bariatric surgery. The gambling game might be a fun way to get employees to shed pounds while making them pay for the privilege.
I’ve got no problem with a business trying to save a buck. On the other hand, I’m fascinated with how to crack gambling games. The Mayo Clinic game was close to unbreakable because you had to be an employee or a close relative and you were monitored by professionals who could measure your weight, BMI, and so forth in person.
However, the new study has given a rash of publicity to sites like Healthy Wage and Diet Bet, which allow you to join online weight loss gambling games. No doubt I’m a force for evil, but when writer Tim Ferris announced he’d be hosting a $1,000,000 contest on DietBet last fall, the first thing I’m thinking is, “OK, how do I get my hands on a piece of the million dollars?”
And I don’t really have any extra weight to lose.
Now these sites do have rules to prevent professionals from gaming the system. Here’s DietBet’s statement:
What ultimately protects the games from cheaters looking to pick up a few extra bucks? It turns out that it’s just so not worth it.
Far from attracting a million-dollar pot, the Tim Ferris challenge created only a $33,700 pot, returning a measly $93 on a $50 investment to the 362 official winners. And that may be the biggest pot ever created on the site. Biggest Loser 11′s Hannah & Olivia have started a pot for a challenge beginning Monday — and, at the time of writing, the total was $31,925 contributed by 1,277 players. Sure, the pot will grow as players join, but so will the number of people you have to split the money with.
And most pots seem to have less than a few hundred dollars to be divided among the winners.
By this gambler’s math, the game is reasonably safe from cheaters because the amount of money you stand to win isn’t worth the trouble.
Have you participated in a game where you lose weight to get paid?
Will you lose weight if you get paid? “Money talks” was the conclusion of a Mayo Clinic study presented earlier this month to the American College of Cardiology conference in San Francisco.
The prestigious clinic’s Dr. Steven Driver is the lead author of the year-long research on 100 employees and their family members aged 18-63 who had a body mass index (BMI) high enough to qualify them to be considered obese.
Dieters in a group that didn’t participate in the game lost a puny 2.34 pounds over the course of the year. Dieters in the game lost an average of 9 pounds. Players who had paid a penalty were more likely to stay in the program for the entire year than players who didn’t.
Dr. Driver and the Mayo Clinic thought the results were evidence that, if you’re paid, you’re more likely to lose weight. Well, yeah OK. I’ll give him that much. A teeny tiny bit of weight.
But c’mon. If the goal is to lose four pounds a month in 12 months, everybody missed it by a mile.
What they really proved is that gamblers chase their losses. At some point, you have to figure that the weight is not coming off and that your best chance of getting your money back is to hang in there and hope they call your name in the random lottery.
The study isn’t about losing weight. It’s about the money.
Here’s what Dr. Driver told CNN’s Matt Sloane: “About 86% of large employers are already offering some kind of financial incentives to help employees reach their health goals. But one problem employers run into with financial incentives is that they can be expensive. Part of our model was to allow the so-called ‘losers’ to fund the ‘winners.’ ”
Now the light is starting to dawn. Employers want their employees to lose weight and get healthy, but they don’t necessarily want to pay for expensive treatments that might actually work like bariatric surgery. The gambling game might be a fun way to get employees to shed pounds while making them pay for the privilege.
I’ve got no problem with a business trying to save a buck. On the other hand, I’m fascinated with how to crack gambling games. The Mayo Clinic game was close to unbreakable because you had to be an employee or a close relative and you were monitored by professionals who could measure your weight, BMI, and so forth in person.
However, the new study has given a rash of publicity to sites like Healthy Wage and Diet Bet, which allow you to join online weight loss gambling games. No doubt I’m a force for evil, but when writer Tim Ferris announced he’d be hosting a $1,000,000 contest on DietBet last fall, the first thing I’m thinking is, “OK, how do I get my hands on a piece of the million dollars?”
And I don’t really have any extra weight to lose.
Now these sites do have rules to prevent professionals from gaming the system. Here’s DietBet’s statement:
“We have a photo review process in which players submit proof of their initial and final weights to our team of Referees. We also have algorithms that detect unusual activity within a game or across games and use an auditing system where some players may be required to submit extra proof of their weight loss using: a Skype weigh-in with one of our Referees, a video weigh-in, or an in-person weigh-in at a location pre-approved by DietBet.”I’m not going to give you a blow-by-blow how-to, but if you can’t hack that system, turn in your copy of Photoshop.
What ultimately protects the games from cheaters looking to pick up a few extra bucks? It turns out that it’s just so not worth it.
Far from attracting a million-dollar pot, the Tim Ferris challenge created only a $33,700 pot, returning a measly $93 on a $50 investment to the 362 official winners. And that may be the biggest pot ever created on the site. Biggest Loser 11′s Hannah & Olivia have started a pot for a challenge beginning Monday — and, at the time of writing, the total was $31,925 contributed by 1,277 players. Sure, the pot will grow as players join, but so will the number of people you have to split the money with.
And most pots seem to have less than a few hundred dollars to be divided among the winners.
By this gambler’s math, the game is reasonably safe from cheaters because the amount of money you stand to win isn’t worth the trouble.
Have you participated in a game where you lose weight to get paid?
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Never get involved in a land war in Asia
and never agree to transcribe 20 hours of meetings from an Australian business meeting.
That's what I've been doing for the last 4 days...utter nightmare. Could NOT understand their accents. Making it worse were the bad audio levels and the fact that a lot of the people preesnt insisted on talking over each other from all around the room except in front of the microphone... I will never transcribe ANYTHING every again.
Anyway, so sorry to be MIA from my blogs.
That's what I've been doing for the last 4 days...utter nightmare. Could NOT understand their accents. Making it worse were the bad audio levels and the fact that a lot of the people preesnt insisted on talking over each other from all around the room except in front of the microphone... I will never transcribe ANYTHING every again.
Anyway, so sorry to be MIA from my blogs.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
You can get this book at your local library, or if you've got Amazon Prime you can borrow it for your Kindle. It's by Stephen R. Covey.
Just allows you to put everything in perspective.
A bit of a religious touch every now and then, but not too obtrusive.
Recommended because any stress you can get out of your life will help you with your weight loss program.
Just allows you to put everything in perspective.
A bit of a religious touch every now and then, but not too obtrusive.
Recommended because any stress you can get out of your life will help you with your weight loss program.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Food has calories...deal with it!
This is very disturbing news...
Supermarkets cry foul as FDA proposes new food labeling rule under ObamaCare
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/02/06/jail-time-for-food-labels/#ixzz2KFFpqUlP
If the Food and Drug Administration gets its way, your trip to the grocery store could get a tad pricier.
Supermarket owners argue a pending federal food-labeling rule that stems from the new health care law would overburden thousands of grocers and convenience store owners -- to the tune of $1 billion in the first year alone.
Store owner Tom Heinen said the industry's profit margins already are razor thin. "When you incur a significant cost, there is no way that that doesn't get passed on to the customer in some form," he said.
The rule stems from an ObamaCare mandate that restaurants provide nutrition information on menus. Most in the restaurant industry were supportive of the idea, but when the FDA decided to extend the provision to also affect thousands of supermarkets and convenience stores, the backlash was swift.
The proposed regulation would require store owners to label prepared, unpackaged foods found in salad bars and food bars, soups and bakery items. Erik Lieberman, regulatory counsel at the Food Marketing Institute, said testing foods for nutritional data will require either expensive software or even more costly off-site laboratory assessments.
Lieberman said failure to get it right comes with stiff penalties: "If you get it wrong, it's a federal crime, and you could face jail time and thousands of dollars worth of fines."
The FDA says much of ObamaCare is aimed at helping Americans live healthier lives, and these proposed labeling requirements would help them do just that. In the text of the proposed regulation, the FDA states: "[The information] should help consumers limit excess calorie intake and understand how the foods that they purchase at these establishments fit within their daily caloric and other nutritional needs."
An Executive Order issued by President Obama in 2011 says agencies are supposed to calculate a cost-benefit analysis for each new regulation and attempt to use the least burdensome regulatory methods possible. Critics of the FDA's food labeling proposal say the agency didn't comply.
"They are required to do it, and they didn't," Lieberman said. "They simply said, 'We can't quantify a benefit from this rule,' and that's because they really can't."
The FDA said Wednesday it has received hundreds of public comments on the proposal and will take them into consideration when finalizing the regulation. It is likely to be released later this spring, and the agency says it will "include a final economic analysis."
Supermarkets cry foul as FDA proposes new food labeling rule under ObamaCare
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/02/06/jail-time-for-food-labels/#ixzz2KFFpqUlP
If the Food and Drug Administration gets its way, your trip to the grocery store could get a tad pricier.
Supermarket owners argue a pending federal food-labeling rule that stems from the new health care law would overburden thousands of grocers and convenience store owners -- to the tune of $1 billion in the first year alone.
Store owner Tom Heinen said the industry's profit margins already are razor thin. "When you incur a significant cost, there is no way that that doesn't get passed on to the customer in some form," he said.
The rule stems from an ObamaCare mandate that restaurants provide nutrition information on menus. Most in the restaurant industry were supportive of the idea, but when the FDA decided to extend the provision to also affect thousands of supermarkets and convenience stores, the backlash was swift.
The proposed regulation would require store owners to label prepared, unpackaged foods found in salad bars and food bars, soups and bakery items. Erik Lieberman, regulatory counsel at the Food Marketing Institute, said testing foods for nutritional data will require either expensive software or even more costly off-site laboratory assessments.
Lieberman said failure to get it right comes with stiff penalties: "If you get it wrong, it's a federal crime, and you could face jail time and thousands of dollars worth of fines."
The FDA says much of ObamaCare is aimed at helping Americans live healthier lives, and these proposed labeling requirements would help them do just that. In the text of the proposed regulation, the FDA states: "[The information] should help consumers limit excess calorie intake and understand how the foods that they purchase at these establishments fit within their daily caloric and other nutritional needs."
An Executive Order issued by President Obama in 2011 says agencies are supposed to calculate a cost-benefit analysis for each new regulation and attempt to use the least burdensome regulatory methods possible. Critics of the FDA's food labeling proposal say the agency didn't comply.
"They are required to do it, and they didn't," Lieberman said. "They simply said, 'We can't quantify a benefit from this rule,' and that's because they really can't."
The FDA said Wednesday it has received hundreds of public comments on the proposal and will take them into consideration when finalizing the regulation. It is likely to be released later this spring, and the agency says it will "include a final economic analysis."
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
February is almost here...
And I for one am glad of it.
One more month closer to spring, when it will be easier to get out and about and get some exercise out of doors... for those of us who aren't interested in winter sports!
It's been a while since I've posted here and I apologize.
So, let's take stop. Step on the scale today and see how your weight loss program is going. If you've been sloughing off, rededicate yourself to getting fit, and as a byproduct, losing weight.
Getting fit is *the* key, managing weight is a bonus that comes with that fun task.
One more month closer to spring, when it will be easier to get out and about and get some exercise out of doors... for those of us who aren't interested in winter sports!
It's been a while since I've posted here and I apologize.
So, let's take stop. Step on the scale today and see how your weight loss program is going. If you've been sloughing off, rededicate yourself to getting fit, and as a byproduct, losing weight.
Getting fit is *the* key, managing weight is a bonus that comes with that fun task.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
OMG!
Never realized I hadn't posted in over 2 weeks!
Sorry, folks
Things have just gotten away from me the last week and a half...posting should be back on schedule starting this weekend.
Sorry, folks
Things have just gotten away from me the last week and a half...posting should be back on schedule starting this weekend.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Soup is a good meal
Soup can be a good meal. The liquid feels the belly and keeps you full longer, and all the food you put in it can make a good meal - from chicken to beef, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms... or if you like tomatoes or things of that nature, put them all in as well.
Don't be afraid to make enough soup for several days. Soup - along with most meals, always tastes better the second day, as all the flavors have had enough time to coalesce.
Check out your local library or book store for cookbooks that focus on soups.
Don't be afraid to make enough soup for several days. Soup - along with most meals, always tastes better the second day, as all the flavors have had enough time to coalesce.
Check out your local library or book store for cookbooks that focus on soups.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Holidays over, time to get to work
Well, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years are over.
No more temptations to over-eat because of never ending food-commercials, or holiday parties given on a daily basis, etc.
You've made your New Year's Resolutions, right?
So, time to start making them come true.
If you break one or another of them, that's no need to abandon them! Remember that resolutions are a process - just like everything in life is a process.
Be patient, work toward your goals, and you will achieve them.
No more temptations to over-eat because of never ending food-commercials, or holiday parties given on a daily basis, etc.
You've made your New Year's Resolutions, right?
So, time to start making them come true.
If you break one or another of them, that's no need to abandon them! Remember that resolutions are a process - just like everything in life is a process.
Be patient, work toward your goals, and you will achieve them.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Don't give in to depression
Most people overeat for one of two reasons. They're either bored or they're depressed. (And if they're bored, they're probably depressed to be bored.)
One way to prevent yourself from eating while you're bored or depressed (and I'm talking about normal depression, not clinical depression) is to get out of the house. Not to go to a mall or some place that has food, but to a book store, or to a place where you can walk and get some exercise.
Substitute other activities for eating. Take a nice hot bath or something of that nature, if it's too cold to go outside. Put on a record with some cheerful music and dance. Anything to get the blood flowing and your lips turning upward.
One way to prevent yourself from eating while you're bored or depressed (and I'm talking about normal depression, not clinical depression) is to get out of the house. Not to go to a mall or some place that has food, but to a book store, or to a place where you can walk and get some exercise.
Substitute other activities for eating. Take a nice hot bath or something of that nature, if it's too cold to go outside. Put on a record with some cheerful music and dance. Anything to get the blood flowing and your lips turning upward.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
3 days to the New Year
There are three days left until the start of 2013. It is time not only to start making New Years Resolutions, but also making a PLAN to carry out those New Years Resolutions.
Nothing happens without a plan.
You cannot just wake up on Tuesday morning, January 1, and just like that change all the bad habits that you have spent a life time engraining into yourself.
Most people's New Year's Resolutions drop by the wayside after about a week, because such a sudden change in attitude and behavior is hard to maintain.
Instead of a sudden change in behavior, make it a gradual change.
With a gradual change, you will never feel as if you have failed in your New Year's Resolution, because your resolutions are to start the processes to change, not to change overnight.
So, if you're reading this blog for the first time, your goal on January 1 should not be to stop eating chocolate cold turkey. Your goal should be to cut down on chocolate by eating only one candy bar a day if you typically eat two, cutting back to two cookies a day for dessert if you habitually have four, and so on.
In the same way, don't plan suddenly to bike 10 miles a day if you haven't been on a bike in ten years. And if you've never walked more than a couple of blocks at a time, don't make a resolution to walk or job 10 miles a day. No. You bike a mile, or you walk a mile, and you gradually build up to your goal to bike 10 miles a day sometime in the year.
Everything's a process. It's like writing a book. Writing 60,000 words in one day for a book is impossible. But if you write just 100 measly words a day, you'd have 30,000 words written in a year. If you write 200 words a day, you'd have a whole book done by the end of a year.
So get to work on those New Years Resolutions, and remember they are year-long resolutions. Which means you have a whole year to bring them to fruition, and you can if you work on them every day.
Nothing happens without a plan.
You cannot just wake up on Tuesday morning, January 1, and just like that change all the bad habits that you have spent a life time engraining into yourself.
Most people's New Year's Resolutions drop by the wayside after about a week, because such a sudden change in attitude and behavior is hard to maintain.
Instead of a sudden change in behavior, make it a gradual change.
With a gradual change, you will never feel as if you have failed in your New Year's Resolution, because your resolutions are to start the processes to change, not to change overnight.
So, if you're reading this blog for the first time, your goal on January 1 should not be to stop eating chocolate cold turkey. Your goal should be to cut down on chocolate by eating only one candy bar a day if you typically eat two, cutting back to two cookies a day for dessert if you habitually have four, and so on.
In the same way, don't plan suddenly to bike 10 miles a day if you haven't been on a bike in ten years. And if you've never walked more than a couple of blocks at a time, don't make a resolution to walk or job 10 miles a day. No. You bike a mile, or you walk a mile, and you gradually build up to your goal to bike 10 miles a day sometime in the year.
Everything's a process. It's like writing a book. Writing 60,000 words in one day for a book is impossible. But if you write just 100 measly words a day, you'd have 30,000 words written in a year. If you write 200 words a day, you'd have a whole book done by the end of a year.
So get to work on those New Years Resolutions, and remember they are year-long resolutions. Which means you have a whole year to bring them to fruition, and you can if you work on them every day.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Merry Christmas
Well, I hope you're having a merry Christmas, enjoying family and friends - or a peaceful day at home all by yourself if that's your thing.
Eat, drink responsibly, and be merry.
Eat leftovers tomorrow.
Then, back on your weight-loss regime.
Eat, drink responsibly, and be merry.
Eat leftovers tomorrow.
Then, back on your weight-loss regime.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Here's an interesting article from Shape
Weihght gain? It's all about an individual's psychology.
http://www.shape.com/celebrities/5-reasons-kirstie-alley-cant-keep-weight?utm_source=nRelate&utm_medium=CPC
http://www.shape.com/celebrities/5-reasons-kirstie-alley-cant-keep-weight?utm_source=nRelate&utm_medium=CPC
Monday, December 17, 2012
Posts resume this Wednesday
I'm a freelance writer and I am way behind on a job I have to do, so I won't be posting here until Wednesday..
Thanks for your patience!
Thanks for your patience!
Friday, December 14, 2012
Make sure you enjoy yoyur Christmas
Throughout November and December I always tell my clients, "Do not buy into the horror stories you'll be seeing - "You'll gain pounds if you eat too much during Thanksgiving." "Beware those Christmas parties, you'll gain wait!"
And then - and it happens every year - from January 1 onward, you'll be bombarded with people telling you that you're too fat and that you can lose weight by doing this, this and that.
Do not let this constant bombardment affect you. It's hard, I know, but you've got to ignore it. You're going to lose weight at your own pace - and if you want to enjoy a large Christmas dinner you're damn well going to do it!
All you have to remember is that, if you do "over eat" you need simply go back to your old regimen afterwards. Maintain the eating process you've been following - DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF THE DAY AFTER IN PENANCE!!!! - and after a week or so you'll reach the caloric imbalance level again...and then you'll start losing weight again.
Obviously it would be best if you do not stuff yourself during Christmas...take a sliver of pie instead of a large wedge, take two or three pieces of chocolate instead of a handful, etc.... and just enjoy the time you spend with friends and family.
And then - and it happens every year - from January 1 onward, you'll be bombarded with people telling you that you're too fat and that you can lose weight by doing this, this and that.
Do not let this constant bombardment affect you. It's hard, I know, but you've got to ignore it. You're going to lose weight at your own pace - and if you want to enjoy a large Christmas dinner you're damn well going to do it!
All you have to remember is that, if you do "over eat" you need simply go back to your old regimen afterwards. Maintain the eating process you've been following - DO NOT STARVE YOURSELF THE DAY AFTER IN PENANCE!!!! - and after a week or so you'll reach the caloric imbalance level again...and then you'll start losing weight again.
Obviously it would be best if you do not stuff yourself during Christmas...take a sliver of pie instead of a large wedge, take two or three pieces of chocolate instead of a handful, etc.... and just enjoy the time you spend with friends and family.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Are you ready for some football?
I'm sitting here typing on my computer - doing my various writing tasks. One of my many income streams is as a freelance writer, and as a freelance - my workweek never stops.
So I'm sitting here typing and watching TV, waiting for football - another 20 minutes to go. (One of a very few good things about living in Wyoming is my football starts at a reasonable hour.)
And I'm wishing I could have a pepsi.
But during winter I restrict myself to two Pepsis a day, since my physical activity is cut down considerably during these cold months. Yes, I run up and down my stairs several times a day and work out 3 days a week, but I'm still not out and about biking as much as I do during the warm months, so I have no choice to cut down.
But I don't deny it's hard...and annoying! Damn age-related metabolism slow-down!
However, it is what it is.
You can actually purchase products to make your metabolism speed up - but these are not healthy and you shouldn't bother with them, any more than you should take 5-hour energy or other stuff of that nature. Tired in the middle of the day? Start getting a better night's sleep!
So I'm sitting here typing and watching TV, waiting for football - another 20 minutes to go. (One of a very few good things about living in Wyoming is my football starts at a reasonable hour.)
And I'm wishing I could have a pepsi.
But during winter I restrict myself to two Pepsis a day, since my physical activity is cut down considerably during these cold months. Yes, I run up and down my stairs several times a day and work out 3 days a week, but I'm still not out and about biking as much as I do during the warm months, so I have no choice to cut down.
But I don't deny it's hard...and annoying! Damn age-related metabolism slow-down!
However, it is what it is.
You can actually purchase products to make your metabolism speed up - but these are not healthy and you shouldn't bother with them, any more than you should take 5-hour energy or other stuff of that nature. Tired in the middle of the day? Start getting a better night's sleep!
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Yet more women getting on the weight training bandwagon
I've been telling my clients this for years - as my readers here know!
Why Women Don’t (But Should) Lift Weights
Despite study after study supporting the benefits of strength training, many women still opt for cardio over weights. Maybe they’re worried about “bulking up.” Women have seen a few too many beefy men grunting it out in the weight room and fear that if they pick up a dumbbell, they’ll suddenly start to resemble a linebacker, too.
This can happen, although it’s extremely rare, as we reveal in 6 Ways to Beat Your Bad Genes. But for most women, “this just isn’t possible,” says personal trainer and Prevention fitness expert Chris Freytag. “Ladies have too much estrogen in their hormonal makeup.”
So what is the secret to looking toned (think: Michelle Obama’s arms, which we have the secret to) but not tough? Strength training.
Here, nine reasons why women should strength train at least two or three times a week.
Why Women Don’t (But Should) Lift Weights
Despite study after study supporting the benefits of strength training, many women still opt for cardio over weights. Maybe they’re worried about “bulking up.” Women have seen a few too many beefy men grunting it out in the weight room and fear that if they pick up a dumbbell, they’ll suddenly start to resemble a linebacker, too.
This can happen, although it’s extremely rare, as we reveal in 6 Ways to Beat Your Bad Genes. But for most women, “this just isn’t possible,” says personal trainer and Prevention fitness expert Chris Freytag. “Ladies have too much estrogen in their hormonal makeup.”
So what is the secret to looking toned (think: Michelle Obama’s arms, which we have the secret to) but not tough? Strength training.
Here, nine reasons why women should strength train at least two or three times a week.
1. Your metabolism will soar.
As women age, they naturally lose muscle mass. This causes your metabolism to slow, which means you could start building a spare tire by the time you reach your 30s. “When you do weight-bearing exercises, you start revving up your metabolism—and it keeps burning for many hours after your workout,” says Wayne Westcott, PhD, director of fitness research at Quincy College and Prevention advisory board member.2. You’ll you burn fat.
Muscle tissue is more "active" than fat tissue, with each pound burning about 30 calories a day just to sustain itself. So even if you’re sitting on the couch or are stuck at your desk for eight hours a day, the extra muscle mass you develop will burn more calories, helping you finally get rid of that spare tire—and keep it off for good. (If you want to love your lower body more than you do, check out this fat-blasting do-anywhere workout from Freytag.)3. Your body will get tighter.
While cardio is important and will help melt fat, weights sculpt your body, creating curves and definition right where you want it. They also help fight the effects of gravity, making you much less likely to have arm jiggle in your upper arms. (Scientists discovered the three best moved for perfect upper arms—check them out.)4. You’ll fit into your skinny jeans.
“One pound of fat takes up much more space than one pound of muscle,” says CrossFit athlete and certified level-1 trainer Cheryl Brost, a 41-year-old mother of two. “So even though muscle weighs more, what do you want all over your body? Something that’s bulky, like body fat, or something that’s lean, and takes up less space, like muscle?”5. You’ll reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Curbing age-related muscles loss isn’t just good for your looks; it can protect your heart and help ward off type 2 diabetes, too. "Muscle helps remove glucose and triglycerides from the bloodstream, which reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, as well as hardening of the arteries," says Timothy Church, MD, PhD, a preventive medicine expert at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. For specific exercises that can reduce your diabetes risk, check out our Diabetes Exercise Solution.6. Your blood pressure could drop.
"Strength training lowers blood pressure for ten to twelve hours after each session, which gives your heart a break," says William Haskell, PhD, professor emeritus of medicine at Stanford University. "How strength training does this is not completely understood, but it probably has subtle effects on everything from hormones to nervous system regulation."7. You can do it anytime, anywhere.
You don’t need a lot of space or a lot of special equipment to get a great strength workout, says Westcott. Simply using your own bodyweight through the use of pushups, planks, chair dips, squats, and pull-ups is enough to tone and strengthen your entire body. Bonus: You can do it indoors, which means you don’t have to weather the cold, freezing temps of winter or the scorching heat of summer.8. You’ll blast loads of calories.
Plyometric strength moves (think squat jumps and burpees) and kettlebell workouts skyrocket your heart rate, which boosts the calorie burn of regular strength training routines. These types of workouts give you cardio, strength, and sculpting all in one, which is a great timesaver, says Freytag.9. It’s good for your bones.
Strength training is one of the 12 best ways to break-proof your bones. “Lifting weights can help counteract age-related bone loss,” says Ethel Siris, MD, director of the Toni Stabile Center for Osteoporosis at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City. “Strengthening your muscles also improves balance and keeps you as strong as possible which lowers your chances of a fall-related fracture.
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