The biggest difference to my body since I've started working with a personal trainer is my hips. I'm convinced that it's because the man has me squatting so much. Just about every single time we work lower body he has me doing some kind of squat. I keep telling him that he's squatting me to death!
I'll be the first to admit that I don't really like squats. Never have. They're hard, and I've always been afraid of injuring myself. The first time I did squats I did them too many times with too much weight and employed bad technique. I literally hurt my whole body. I could barely walk for a week or so. I probably should have gone to the hospital. Ever since then I've been leery of squats. But knowing what I do now, I think squatting should always be included in a lower body workout. Even when you dislike them like I do.
As mentioned in my last blog, my trainer is a power lifter. Therefore, the man knows about squats! Here are some things I've learned from him that might help you:
1. Take a wider stance than you think you need to (shoulder-width apart is usually a little wider than you think it is), and turn your toes slightly OUT. The way most of us learned, with toes pointing forward, isn't necessarily best. After doing some research I discovered that the toes-pointed-out version of the squat is a power-lifting stance. I'd had problems with my knees when I did squats with my toes pointed forward before, but haven't since I've started doing them with my toes out. My guess? The risk of injury to the knees is lessened in this position. I think power lifters, bearing those huge amounts of weight, discovered this long ago.
The other advantage to turning toes out is that it more recruits the inner thigh muscles. This not only involves more muscle in the exercise, therefore giving you more power, but also tones up this area faster than anything else I've tried for inner thigh to date.
2. Stay in your heels! Ross has had to work to drill it through my head to stay far, far back on my heels all the way through the move. This helps to keep the knee from jutting too far out over the toe and puts the emphasis where it needs to be- on the quads and glutes. Lean back hard on your heels on the way down and drive up through them on the way up. I'm so far back on my heels when I squat that my toes are almost lifted off the floor, and Ross often STILL tells me that I'm too much on the front of my foot. He harps on me about heels more than anything else. Evidently, it's a pretty important point to squatting.
3. You aren't going down low enough! I'm sure you've heard of the hard and fast "Don't let your thighs go below parallel to the ground" rule. This is a very valid rule, and you should follow it. However, parallel to the ground is MUCH lower than you think it is! When I finally got myself low enough that Ross approved, I felt like my butt was going to hit the backs of my shins. When I watched Ross do it, I thought it looked like HIS butt was going to hit the backs of his shins! But here's the thing- it's the FRONT of your thigh you are wanting to have parallel to the ground, not the back. If you have thick thighs like me, parallel is a very different thing when you are considering the front of your thighs as opposed to the back. I'll be honest: Coming down low like this is uncomfortable and awkward- especially at first! But it's recruiting more muscle, and therefore giving you a much better workout.
4. Your knees aren't out as far as you think they are. Another thing that I worried about with squatting in the past is the position of my knee over my toe. It's a widely known fact that when doing any kind of exercise your knees should not project past your toes. However, the execution of your heels as described in point #2 above prevents your knees from coming out too far and causing damage. So.... if you employ point #2(heels), it will ensure you don't hurt yourself with point #3(thighs parallel). Make sense?
5. Look strait ahead! This has probably been the hardest habit for Ross to break with me. I thought constantly looking down at my knees to ensure they weren't jutting past my toes was a good thing. But it was throwing me out of alignment, raising my risk of injuring myself. When you look to the side while squatting you subconsciously swing ever so slightly to one side, putting uneven stress on your joints, especially your knees. Pretend your neck is in a brace and look strait ahead!
6. If you are a woman, don't be afraid of squats! They do GREAT things for a woman's rear view!
After a hard squatting workout I always find it interesting that some part of my upper body (usually shoulders) is more sore and feels better worked than it did when I work that same body part specifically. That's because, while generally targeted for the quadricep (front of thigh) and glute (butt) muscles, squats literally involve the whole body, making muscles work in ways they've never been challenged before. And THAT'S a whole lot of bang for your exercise buck!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Hire a personal trainer....
I know I'm a certified personal trainer myself, but I'd hit a rut. I needed ideas and my body was not progressing at the rate it should have been, given the amount of time and effort I was putting into my diet and exercise.
After some time of getting honest with myself, I finally admitted that I needed help. The trainer needed a trainer. So I went searching for one.
I knew I'd need a male, because with my personality I figured I'd take a man more seriously. And I needed someone I felt would treat me with dignity but also challenge me and not be afraid to call me out when I wasn't giving 100%. I wasn't sure such a person existed, but I looked for him and finally found him at Gold's Gym here in Wichita Falls.
Ross has challenged me in ways it would never occur to me to challenge myself. He listened to what I wanted to accomplish, and in a few short weeks I'm seeing a positive and notable change in my body that is in line with my goals and desires. He's actually got me doing some light power lifting moves! Don't tell me an old dog can't learn new tricks- this old dog is learning them daily from a trainer 16 years her junior. And I am loving the results- I couldn't be progressing like I am without Ross' help.
But here's the thing: You have to show actually show up for the sessions (no backing out on the trainer!), and then submit to their plan for you. That was the hard part for me and I struggled with it in the beginning. I like to be in control. And I'm bossy. [I know that's hard to imagine! :-)]
AND you have to give it your all. Hey- if you want results, you gotta put in the hard work. The trainer can give you the tools, but he can't give you the motivation or drive to work your hardest. That part has to come from you.
You also have to feel you can communicate well with the trainer. Not only is there a lot of "dead" time that gets filled with talking while you recover between sets (would be awkward if Ross and I didn't get along well), but sometimes sticky issues come up that need to be discussed. For instance, Ross and I had a talk after a few sessions when I felt like he was underestimating my ability. He listened...... and then he upped the anti the next time. Wow! Did he bring it! And has consistently done so ever since.
One of the many things I really like about working with Ross is that I can progress farther than I was able to on my own. I was afraid to add to my weight load because I feared injuring myself. I know Ross is not going to let me get hurt: He's an excellent spotter and I really believe he'd let a weight fall on himself before he'd let it land on me. It's a huge safety net for me knowing I have a skilled and knowledgeable person right there to rescue me if I need it.
I was able to get a good discount on the regular rate because I paid Ross for a lot of sessions ahead. Most trainers offer this. It's an advantage to the trainer because they don't have to worry about getting paid, and it's an advantage to you not only for the monetary savings, but also because you have the trainers time booked and paid for well in advance and don't have to worry about someone else taking up their available time.
Having said that, here's a tip: At first, just pay the trainer for a few sessions. See how you mesh. You don't want to fork out a lot of money at the start just to find out that your personalities don't click.
And here's a head's up- Usually if you cancel a session, you just lost your money. Ross and I have an understanding that if he cancels (he had to do this once), he makes it up to me. But if I cancel? It's not right I expect him to make it up, because he carved out that time for me and last-minute cancellations are simply impossible to fill. Ross, like any good trainer, gets frustrated when people pay for sessions and then cancel. He has a desire to use his training and education to help others.
My original intent was to just have him through the end of January to get me through the holidays and to my weight goal. But he's done me so much good that now I'm thinking, if he'll have me, that I'd like to keep him around longer. I do better with Ross there. That's a hard thing for this very independent woman to admit.
Yes, I know it's expensive, but if you can at all afford it and want to meet your goals sooner, hire a personal trainer! The rewards are more than worth it.
After some time of getting honest with myself, I finally admitted that I needed help. The trainer needed a trainer. So I went searching for one.
I knew I'd need a male, because with my personality I figured I'd take a man more seriously. And I needed someone I felt would treat me with dignity but also challenge me and not be afraid to call me out when I wasn't giving 100%. I wasn't sure such a person existed, but I looked for him and finally found him at Gold's Gym here in Wichita Falls.
Ross has challenged me in ways it would never occur to me to challenge myself. He listened to what I wanted to accomplish, and in a few short weeks I'm seeing a positive and notable change in my body that is in line with my goals and desires. He's actually got me doing some light power lifting moves! Don't tell me an old dog can't learn new tricks- this old dog is learning them daily from a trainer 16 years her junior. And I am loving the results- I couldn't be progressing like I am without Ross' help.
But here's the thing: You have to show actually show up for the sessions (no backing out on the trainer!), and then submit to their plan for you. That was the hard part for me and I struggled with it in the beginning. I like to be in control. And I'm bossy. [I know that's hard to imagine! :-)]
AND you have to give it your all. Hey- if you want results, you gotta put in the hard work. The trainer can give you the tools, but he can't give you the motivation or drive to work your hardest. That part has to come from you.
You also have to feel you can communicate well with the trainer. Not only is there a lot of "dead" time that gets filled with talking while you recover between sets (would be awkward if Ross and I didn't get along well), but sometimes sticky issues come up that need to be discussed. For instance, Ross and I had a talk after a few sessions when I felt like he was underestimating my ability. He listened...... and then he upped the anti the next time. Wow! Did he bring it! And has consistently done so ever since.
One of the many things I really like about working with Ross is that I can progress farther than I was able to on my own. I was afraid to add to my weight load because I feared injuring myself. I know Ross is not going to let me get hurt: He's an excellent spotter and I really believe he'd let a weight fall on himself before he'd let it land on me. It's a huge safety net for me knowing I have a skilled and knowledgeable person right there to rescue me if I need it.
I was able to get a good discount on the regular rate because I paid Ross for a lot of sessions ahead. Most trainers offer this. It's an advantage to the trainer because they don't have to worry about getting paid, and it's an advantage to you not only for the monetary savings, but also because you have the trainers time booked and paid for well in advance and don't have to worry about someone else taking up their available time.
Having said that, here's a tip: At first, just pay the trainer for a few sessions. See how you mesh. You don't want to fork out a lot of money at the start just to find out that your personalities don't click.
And here's a head's up- Usually if you cancel a session, you just lost your money. Ross and I have an understanding that if he cancels (he had to do this once), he makes it up to me. But if I cancel? It's not right I expect him to make it up, because he carved out that time for me and last-minute cancellations are simply impossible to fill. Ross, like any good trainer, gets frustrated when people pay for sessions and then cancel. He has a desire to use his training and education to help others.
My original intent was to just have him through the end of January to get me through the holidays and to my weight goal. But he's done me so much good that now I'm thinking, if he'll have me, that I'd like to keep him around longer. I do better with Ross there. That's a hard thing for this very independent woman to admit.
Yes, I know it's expensive, but if you can at all afford it and want to meet your goals sooner, hire a personal trainer! The rewards are more than worth it.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
It's never too late!
If you think you are too old to change your physique, think again. It's never too late to make a drastic change for the better.
One of the things I love about the human body is that there are many things we can change about our appearances, and I'm not talking hair color. I' fascinated with the fact that we can drastically alter our bodies to be more of what we'd like them to be: A too-big body can be made smaller, a too-small body can be made bigger, and muscle can be added to change body overall body contours.
The wonderful news is that body you have is not the body you are stuck with. You can change it.
Weight lifting has added size to my shoulders and fat loss has deducted size from my hips. Both exercise and fat reduction have given me a small waistline. This combination has converted my bowling-pin shaped body to an hourglass. This is all by choice and design, friends. I have a very slight build through the upper body without muscle, but with it I look much more proportionate and feminine.
I'm not saying it's easy or quick, but YOU have the power to change yourself, too. You just have to claim it.
You know the old saying "You can't teach an old dog new tricks"? It's just not true. Us old dogs CAN learn new tricks. I'm 43, and I'm still learning new things...... and unlearning old, bad things. (Ask my trainer)
I think it's more that old dogs choose to be set in their ways than that they are not able to learn new tricks. If you want to be set in your ways, that's your business and choice. But don't blame the way you look on an inability to change. Areas of our bodies that are less than perfect are largely the result of our own choices.
The sooner you own the roll of your choices in your appearance, the sooner you'll be ready to start making changes to help yourself out. That's what I'm hoping to accomplish with this blog post: Moving people towards the right place mentally to start becoming healthier.
Not only can you change the shape of your body, but exercise helps to reverse the aging process. As I discussed in an earlier post, weight bearing exercise makes bone more dense, dramatically reducing the risk of broken bones as we age. It helps to keep one's height from shrinking so much with time. Exercise, to include gentle stretching, keeps our muscles and ligaments supple and therefore less prone to injury. And it actually helps us LOOK younger. People see a fit body and they automatically associate it with youth.
And, as I found out a few months ago, it helps you to recover from surgeries and other traumatic things that happen to your body more quickly. (As any woman who's nursed babies knows, there are some things exercise CAN'T fix- for those you need a good surgeon! ) Ask any doctor- the better shape you are in and the better your diet, the faster you heal.
Look, I don't necessarily want to look younger than 43- I just want to look like a really GOOD 43. And the best way to do that is to take care of myself from the inside out.
I don't care if you are 20 or 70, weigh 700 pounds or 115- YOU have the power to change your own body. Your physique is not destiny: It is a choice.
One of the things I love about the human body is that there are many things we can change about our appearances, and I'm not talking hair color. I' fascinated with the fact that we can drastically alter our bodies to be more of what we'd like them to be: A too-big body can be made smaller, a too-small body can be made bigger, and muscle can be added to change body overall body contours.
The wonderful news is that body you have is not the body you are stuck with. You can change it.
Weight lifting has added size to my shoulders and fat loss has deducted size from my hips. Both exercise and fat reduction have given me a small waistline. This combination has converted my bowling-pin shaped body to an hourglass. This is all by choice and design, friends. I have a very slight build through the upper body without muscle, but with it I look much more proportionate and feminine.
I'm not saying it's easy or quick, but YOU have the power to change yourself, too. You just have to claim it.
You know the old saying "You can't teach an old dog new tricks"? It's just not true. Us old dogs CAN learn new tricks. I'm 43, and I'm still learning new things...... and unlearning old, bad things. (Ask my trainer)
I think it's more that old dogs choose to be set in their ways than that they are not able to learn new tricks. If you want to be set in your ways, that's your business and choice. But don't blame the way you look on an inability to change. Areas of our bodies that are less than perfect are largely the result of our own choices.
The sooner you own the roll of your choices in your appearance, the sooner you'll be ready to start making changes to help yourself out. That's what I'm hoping to accomplish with this blog post: Moving people towards the right place mentally to start becoming healthier.
Not only can you change the shape of your body, but exercise helps to reverse the aging process. As I discussed in an earlier post, weight bearing exercise makes bone more dense, dramatically reducing the risk of broken bones as we age. It helps to keep one's height from shrinking so much with time. Exercise, to include gentle stretching, keeps our muscles and ligaments supple and therefore less prone to injury. And it actually helps us LOOK younger. People see a fit body and they automatically associate it with youth.
And, as I found out a few months ago, it helps you to recover from surgeries and other traumatic things that happen to your body more quickly. (As any woman who's nursed babies knows, there are some things exercise CAN'T fix- for those you need a good surgeon! ) Ask any doctor- the better shape you are in and the better your diet, the faster you heal.
Look, I don't necessarily want to look younger than 43- I just want to look like a really GOOD 43. And the best way to do that is to take care of myself from the inside out.
I don't care if you are 20 or 70, weigh 700 pounds or 115- YOU have the power to change your own body. Your physique is not destiny: It is a choice.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Surround Yourself With Accountability.
The concept of this blog is really pretty simple, but it's the thing that has been key in me finally being able to make a permanent lifestyle change: I boxed myself in with as much accountability as possible.
It started with going to Weight Watchers meetings. Not the At-Home program. Not on-line meetings. The actual in-person meetings. I knew I needed the accountability of weighing in with an actual human being once a week. And I don't just weigh and leave: I make myself stick around for the meetings. I'll be honest with you- Most of the meetings I feel like I could lead myself. I have the most phenomenal WW leader on the planet (I love you, Jane!), but for me they are largely review. They help keep my head in the game, though, so I attend 'em.
Over time I've added other things: Now I also weigh at home at least twice a week, have a fantastic personal trainer who takes my measurements every four weeks (Ross, I am blessed to have found you!), and have a wonderful man who is helping me distance (thank heavens for the Internet!) with my nutrition and breathes down my neck about anything I eat that gets in my way of my goals (No more iceberg lettuce, Ruben! I promise!). I have started this blog, and I've posted pics of my progression on public sites. If you are reading this, you are part of my accountability network.
Additionally, I have started using SparkPeople.com for more than just motivation and have started to also post my food and workouts there. The more I have to own up to what I am doing, the less likely I am to mess up.
And, I have in mind down the road, after my braces come off and after my daughter is married (about a year and a half from now), to compete in figure and/or bikini competitions. Maybe when it comes right down to it we'll (trainer, nutrionist, and myself) get to the point where I should be competition ready and decide my body isn't right for it. I dunno. But I'm gonna at least look like a figure competitor, even if I don't actually compete.
What's it gonna hurt? Nothing. What's it going to help? Everything.
I plan to have a new goal in front of me, be it a competition, a race, a new body fat level, or adding more muscle, at all times. And I plan to always attend Weight Watchers meetings and weigh in weekly. Why? Because I know if I don't, eventually I'll gain the weight back and go back to what I was. I must ALWAYS be accountable. That's just the way it is.
This is my plan, and I'm sticking to it! What's yours?
It started with going to Weight Watchers meetings. Not the At-Home program. Not on-line meetings. The actual in-person meetings. I knew I needed the accountability of weighing in with an actual human being once a week. And I don't just weigh and leave: I make myself stick around for the meetings. I'll be honest with you- Most of the meetings I feel like I could lead myself. I have the most phenomenal WW leader on the planet (I love you, Jane!), but for me they are largely review. They help keep my head in the game, though, so I attend 'em.
Over time I've added other things: Now I also weigh at home at least twice a week, have a fantastic personal trainer who takes my measurements every four weeks (Ross, I am blessed to have found you!), and have a wonderful man who is helping me distance (thank heavens for the Internet!) with my nutrition and breathes down my neck about anything I eat that gets in my way of my goals (No more iceberg lettuce, Ruben! I promise!). I have started this blog, and I've posted pics of my progression on public sites. If you are reading this, you are part of my accountability network.
Additionally, I have started using SparkPeople.com for more than just motivation and have started to also post my food and workouts there. The more I have to own up to what I am doing, the less likely I am to mess up.
And, I have in mind down the road, after my braces come off and after my daughter is married (about a year and a half from now), to compete in figure and/or bikini competitions. Maybe when it comes right down to it we'll (trainer, nutrionist, and myself) get to the point where I should be competition ready and decide my body isn't right for it. I dunno. But I'm gonna at least look like a figure competitor, even if I don't actually compete.
What's it gonna hurt? Nothing. What's it going to help? Everything.
I plan to have a new goal in front of me, be it a competition, a race, a new body fat level, or adding more muscle, at all times. And I plan to always attend Weight Watchers meetings and weigh in weekly. Why? Because I know if I don't, eventually I'll gain the weight back and go back to what I was. I must ALWAYS be accountable. That's just the way it is.
This is my plan, and I'm sticking to it! What's yours?
Friday, November 20, 2009
Gaining weight over the holidays is a choice.
No one forces us to gain weight over the holidays- we choose to do it with our actions.
No one makes you eat three slices of Aunt Maude's famous Rum Cheesecake- you choose it.
No one puts a lock on the gym doors to keep you from working out- you choose not to go.
No one is holding a gun to your head making you bake (and eat) holiday treats every day from Thanksgiving through New years- you're the one who chooses to do it.
Ouch, huh?........ Yeah.... me too!
As a holiday-weight-gainer myself, I am well aware that when I point a finger at anyone else for these choices, there are three fingers pointing back at me. But I've also decided that the weight gain is no longer worth the indulgence. So I've decided to make some changes this year. I hope that by sharing my strategies I inspire you to take responsibility for your not only your own health but also for setting an example for your loved ones this holiday season:
First of all, I've made the choice to view the holidays as just a few days or meals instead of a period of weeks. It's a lot less overwhelming to think of Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years as four individual days. Anyone can stay in control for four days!
I've chosen to make smarter food choices and plan ahead what I am going to eat. No, it's not as fun as a feeding frenzy, but I'd sure rather budget it now than have to work to get it off later.
I'm not cooking an overwhelming amount of food that will throw me off, and I'm not keeping a lot of stuff in the house that will tempt me. As the chief holiday cook, I have the power. If the family really wants fudge, they can go buy it and eat it outside the home.
I'm purchasing a cheesecake with nuts for dessert on Thanksgiving. I'm allergic to nuts, so this totally eliminates a temptation. I will also be baking pumpkin pie, but it's not one of my favorites, so one piece should be plenty for me.
I don't plan on spending a lot of time in tempting situations, like holiday parties. And when I do, I plan to drink zero-calorie beverages and make one pass through the buffet making the best choices I can. I'll allow myself one special treat, but after this single trip past the food I'm staying away from it.
I'm already visualizing how I will handle temptation. I'm thinking through the holiday parties, the friend showing up with the unexpected treat to share, and the food being close at hand while I cook holiday meals. I am picturing myself handling these situations with wisdom and grace. If I've practiced it mentally, it should be that much easier to handle it in reality.
I have marked on my calendar my weekly Tuesday Weight Watchers meetings, complete with weigh-ins and staying for the meeting. For me, they are a non-negotiable appointment.
In addition to my Weight Watchers weigh-in's, I've added a weigh-in on Saturdays at home.
I've scheduled my work-outs and put them on my calendar. I also consider these non-negotiable appointments.
I've hired a personal trainer. It's a splurge, but knowing I have to look a big, buff 20-something in the eye twice a week helps to keep me honest.
I've consolidated the family holiday birthdays (5) down to one big family party. I plan to make this a very fun annual tradition. We don't need 5 separate cakes, and I don't need all of those parties in addition to the regular additional work of the holiday season.
And, probably most importantly, I have made up my mind that I am not going to gain weight between now and January. This is my body and my choice. I have the power, and I'm seizing it.
Hey, I'm not trying to make anyone feel guilty for eating holiday goodies. I'll have a few that are budgeted into my eating plan. And if you want to view the holidays as an opportunity to eat everything you like and gain 20 pounds, that's your choice and I won't hold it against you. But I want you to know that you can take steps to not go down that path if you don't want to.
It's all a choice.
No one makes you eat three slices of Aunt Maude's famous Rum Cheesecake- you choose it.
No one puts a lock on the gym doors to keep you from working out- you choose not to go.
No one is holding a gun to your head making you bake (and eat) holiday treats every day from Thanksgiving through New years- you're the one who chooses to do it.
Ouch, huh?........ Yeah.... me too!
As a holiday-weight-gainer myself, I am well aware that when I point a finger at anyone else for these choices, there are three fingers pointing back at me. But I've also decided that the weight gain is no longer worth the indulgence. So I've decided to make some changes this year. I hope that by sharing my strategies I inspire you to take responsibility for your not only your own health but also for setting an example for your loved ones this holiday season:
First of all, I've made the choice to view the holidays as just a few days or meals instead of a period of weeks. It's a lot less overwhelming to think of Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years as four individual days. Anyone can stay in control for four days!
I've chosen to make smarter food choices and plan ahead what I am going to eat. No, it's not as fun as a feeding frenzy, but I'd sure rather budget it now than have to work to get it off later.
I'm not cooking an overwhelming amount of food that will throw me off, and I'm not keeping a lot of stuff in the house that will tempt me. As the chief holiday cook, I have the power. If the family really wants fudge, they can go buy it and eat it outside the home.
I'm purchasing a cheesecake with nuts for dessert on Thanksgiving. I'm allergic to nuts, so this totally eliminates a temptation. I will also be baking pumpkin pie, but it's not one of my favorites, so one piece should be plenty for me.
I don't plan on spending a lot of time in tempting situations, like holiday parties. And when I do, I plan to drink zero-calorie beverages and make one pass through the buffet making the best choices I can. I'll allow myself one special treat, but after this single trip past the food I'm staying away from it.
I'm already visualizing how I will handle temptation. I'm thinking through the holiday parties, the friend showing up with the unexpected treat to share, and the food being close at hand while I cook holiday meals. I am picturing myself handling these situations with wisdom and grace. If I've practiced it mentally, it should be that much easier to handle it in reality.
I have marked on my calendar my weekly Tuesday Weight Watchers meetings, complete with weigh-ins and staying for the meeting. For me, they are a non-negotiable appointment.
In addition to my Weight Watchers weigh-in's, I've added a weigh-in on Saturdays at home.
I've scheduled my work-outs and put them on my calendar. I also consider these non-negotiable appointments.
I've hired a personal trainer. It's a splurge, but knowing I have to look a big, buff 20-something in the eye twice a week helps to keep me honest.
I've consolidated the family holiday birthdays (5) down to one big family party. I plan to make this a very fun annual tradition. We don't need 5 separate cakes, and I don't need all of those parties in addition to the regular additional work of the holiday season.
And, probably most importantly, I have made up my mind that I am not going to gain weight between now and January. This is my body and my choice. I have the power, and I'm seizing it.
Hey, I'm not trying to make anyone feel guilty for eating holiday goodies. I'll have a few that are budgeted into my eating plan. And if you want to view the holidays as an opportunity to eat everything you like and gain 20 pounds, that's your choice and I won't hold it against you. But I want you to know that you can take steps to not go down that path if you don't want to.
It's all a choice.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Mix it up to maximize benefits!
How to move to move past a plateau, prevent one in the first place, or get max benefit for your efforts? Mix it up!
- Change your caloric intake from day to day. If you regularly eat 1600 calories, vary this amount of the course of the week, keeping 1600 as an average. For instance, on Sunday you could do 1700, Monday 1400, Tuesday 1600, Wednesday 1500, Thursday 1800, Friday 1400 and Saturday 1800 again. When I do this I lose faster.
- Change up your cardio frequently. I rotate between step aerobics, floor aerobics and kick boxing tapes at home, and the stationery bike, recumbent bike, elliptical, and treadmill at the gym. Or, as my former trainer advised, you could do 10 minutes on several different pieces of equipment one right after the other.
- Change the kinds of weight lifting exercises you do from workout to workout. This helps to create more symmetrical muscle groups with no weak areas. Even within the separate sections of a muscle group it is possible to develop one segment of that section stronger than another. The possibility of injuring yourself from muscle weakness is reduced when you lift weights, but diminished even further when you change the types of exercises you do for each body part, ensuring all areas of the muscle are equal and balanced.
Bodies adapt very quickly to whatever you demand of them. By changing it up, you keep the body adapting and therefore the positive changes happening.
- Change your caloric intake from day to day. If you regularly eat 1600 calories, vary this amount of the course of the week, keeping 1600 as an average. For instance, on Sunday you could do 1700, Monday 1400, Tuesday 1600, Wednesday 1500, Thursday 1800, Friday 1400 and Saturday 1800 again. When I do this I lose faster.
- Change up your cardio frequently. I rotate between step aerobics, floor aerobics and kick boxing tapes at home, and the stationery bike, recumbent bike, elliptical, and treadmill at the gym. Or, as my former trainer advised, you could do 10 minutes on several different pieces of equipment one right after the other.
- Change the kinds of weight lifting exercises you do from workout to workout. This helps to create more symmetrical muscle groups with no weak areas. Even within the separate sections of a muscle group it is possible to develop one segment of that section stronger than another. The possibility of injuring yourself from muscle weakness is reduced when you lift weights, but diminished even further when you change the types of exercises you do for each body part, ensuring all areas of the muscle are equal and balanced.
Bodies adapt very quickly to whatever you demand of them. By changing it up, you keep the body adapting and therefore the positive changes happening.
Everyone can exercise like a man!
You know what irritates me? When people refer to the difference in the way that women and men "should" work out. I'll admit we have our differences in many areas, but women don't need a special workout regime that is different from a man's. Why? Because we have the exact same muscles (to include the heart) as men, and what is being worked is muscle!
The differences we do have act as a safeguard to keep women from getting as big muscularly as men (as covered in an earlier post).
Therefore it is perfectly Okay, and even beneficial, for a woman to work out as hard as possible with the same types of workout formats and programs that men use. The female generally won't be able to lift as much as the male, but she can do the exact same exercises in the exact same way as a man without worrying that it's wrong because of her gender.
To further review my earlier post: If she is one day able to lift as much as the big boys in the grunt-end of the gym she won't be as muscular as said guys, because of the lack of testosterone in her body. The only way a woman gets big, gross, man-like muscles is if she uses steroids.
In the same vein, my good friend Kim asked that I discuss the difference between male and female push-ups. I call them "standard" and "bent knee" push-ups.
There is a reason men have an easier time with standard (strait-leg) push-ups than women- It's because they tend to carry a lot more muscle in the upper body than women do, so they are using their strong parts to lift their light parts (this is the same reason they have an easier time with pull-ups, aka "chins").
Additionally, because of the structural differences in how weight is distributed between men and women, the typical man has a higher center of gravity in a horizontal position, so this swings things in his favor when doing push-ups with legs extended: He just doesn't have to work so darned hard to balance, since his center of gravity is so much closer to the wide base of his hands.
This is also why women who are smaller through the bottom half and/or have built the muscles in their upper body usually don't have issue with strait-leg push-ups, and why men who do have a hard time with them frequently carry a lot of weight below the belt.
It's simply a matter of physics.
So, bent-knee push-ups are a perfectly acceptable place to start. However, going back to the theory that everyone can exercise like a man, no damage will be caused to a woman (and great benefit can be gained) by executing regular strait-leg push ups. Or performing chins, for that matter.
Personally, when doing push-ups I do as many in the strait-leg position as I can (usually only about 8), and then drop my knees and do them bent-knee until I can't do any more. If the push-up is my main chest exercise for the day I'll take a rest, then repeat this a couple of more times.
And, for the record, I've yet to be able to do a single chin. It's a goal of mine to be able to do 10. That's quite the feat, if you've ever seen these hips!
The differences we do have act as a safeguard to keep women from getting as big muscularly as men (as covered in an earlier post).
Therefore it is perfectly Okay, and even beneficial, for a woman to work out as hard as possible with the same types of workout formats and programs that men use. The female generally won't be able to lift as much as the male, but she can do the exact same exercises in the exact same way as a man without worrying that it's wrong because of her gender.
To further review my earlier post: If she is one day able to lift as much as the big boys in the grunt-end of the gym she won't be as muscular as said guys, because of the lack of testosterone in her body. The only way a woman gets big, gross, man-like muscles is if she uses steroids.
In the same vein, my good friend Kim asked that I discuss the difference between male and female push-ups. I call them "standard" and "bent knee" push-ups.
There is a reason men have an easier time with standard (strait-leg) push-ups than women- It's because they tend to carry a lot more muscle in the upper body than women do, so they are using their strong parts to lift their light parts (this is the same reason they have an easier time with pull-ups, aka "chins").
Additionally, because of the structural differences in how weight is distributed between men and women, the typical man has a higher center of gravity in a horizontal position, so this swings things in his favor when doing push-ups with legs extended: He just doesn't have to work so darned hard to balance, since his center of gravity is so much closer to the wide base of his hands.
This is also why women who are smaller through the bottom half and/or have built the muscles in their upper body usually don't have issue with strait-leg push-ups, and why men who do have a hard time with them frequently carry a lot of weight below the belt.
It's simply a matter of physics.
So, bent-knee push-ups are a perfectly acceptable place to start. However, going back to the theory that everyone can exercise like a man, no damage will be caused to a woman (and great benefit can be gained) by executing regular strait-leg push ups. Or performing chins, for that matter.
Personally, when doing push-ups I do as many in the strait-leg position as I can (usually only about 8), and then drop my knees and do them bent-knee until I can't do any more. If the push-up is my main chest exercise for the day I'll take a rest, then repeat this a couple of more times.
And, for the record, I've yet to be able to do a single chin. It's a goal of mine to be able to do 10. That's quite the feat, if you've ever seen these hips!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
What's your Why?
I'd first heard the concept of having a "Why" from David Greenwalt, a fitness expert who has helped many with his program "The Leanness Lifestyle". He emphatically stresses that until you have good, solid, concrete reasons for taking superb care of yourself (he calls these reasons your "Why") it just can't be done. I've come to find that he's right.
Until I just recently found my true motivation I went through the motions, and that was good. Without going through the motions I'd weigh easily 75 pounds more than I do now, have cholesterol through the roof, and more than likely I'd be a diabetic headed strait for heart disease. But if I was going to be successful at this over a lifetime, I knew I was going to have to find my true Why.
In the course of mulling this all over (which, by the way, has taken about 5 years since first hearing the concept of a Why) I did some counseling about weight-related issues and the counselor observed something that was revealing to me: I am more motivated by running FROM something than TOWARDS something.
I just had to find something that scared me bad enough to run from it for the rest of my life.
Then, something shifted: I started to acknowledge my family history of heart disease and diabetes. The reality that these things were more than likely eventually going to kill me sunk in. And when it sank in, it scared the devil out of me! I started doing whatever was necessary to keep these things at bay and maybe even avoid them all together:
-I upped my game and got more organized and methodical about how I lifted weight
-I started incorporating more aerobic activity into my workout regime
-I cut back drastically on white flour, sugar, and diet sodas (I'm not convinced enough research has been done on diet sodas to have a steady stream of them pouring through my body.)
-I stopped drinking alcohol
-I started eating less processed foods
-Probably most importantly, I joined Weight Watchers and began the process of losing weight.
I had finally found something truly worth running from.
I'd heard the term "Lifestyle", and phrases like "It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle", countless times. But it wasn't until my trainer, Ross, said that he wanted to work with me because he can tell I have a passion for this lifestyle that it finally clicked for me. I really HAD made it a lifestyle- he saw it, and now I see it. I have found my core reasons for taking care of myself. Not something I do just because I should, but something I do because I want to. Now, it's a part of me.
And last night I was able to write out my true Why. I'll share it with you if you'd like to see it, but I'm not going to bore you if you don't. :-)
I realize that me sharing this is not going to help anyone to immediately figure out their Why, but it may be the seed that starts the process growing within you. I'm relieved I've found my WHY. I'm grateful for the process it took to get me here.
This lifestyle is who I am. It will be until the day I die. I'm sure of it now. I want you to be sure of it, too.
Until I just recently found my true motivation I went through the motions, and that was good. Without going through the motions I'd weigh easily 75 pounds more than I do now, have cholesterol through the roof, and more than likely I'd be a diabetic headed strait for heart disease. But if I was going to be successful at this over a lifetime, I knew I was going to have to find my true Why.
In the course of mulling this all over (which, by the way, has taken about 5 years since first hearing the concept of a Why) I did some counseling about weight-related issues and the counselor observed something that was revealing to me: I am more motivated by running FROM something than TOWARDS something.
I just had to find something that scared me bad enough to run from it for the rest of my life.
Then, something shifted: I started to acknowledge my family history of heart disease and diabetes. The reality that these things were more than likely eventually going to kill me sunk in. And when it sank in, it scared the devil out of me! I started doing whatever was necessary to keep these things at bay and maybe even avoid them all together:
-I upped my game and got more organized and methodical about how I lifted weight
-I started incorporating more aerobic activity into my workout regime
-I cut back drastically on white flour, sugar, and diet sodas (I'm not convinced enough research has been done on diet sodas to have a steady stream of them pouring through my body.)
-I stopped drinking alcohol
-I started eating less processed foods
-Probably most importantly, I joined Weight Watchers and began the process of losing weight.
I had finally found something truly worth running from.
I'd heard the term "Lifestyle", and phrases like "It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle", countless times. But it wasn't until my trainer, Ross, said that he wanted to work with me because he can tell I have a passion for this lifestyle that it finally clicked for me. I really HAD made it a lifestyle- he saw it, and now I see it. I have found my core reasons for taking care of myself. Not something I do just because I should, but something I do because I want to. Now, it's a part of me.
And last night I was able to write out my true Why. I'll share it with you if you'd like to see it, but I'm not going to bore you if you don't. :-)
I realize that me sharing this is not going to help anyone to immediately figure out their Why, but it may be the seed that starts the process growing within you. I'm relieved I've found my WHY. I'm grateful for the process it took to get me here.
This lifestyle is who I am. It will be until the day I die. I'm sure of it now. I want you to be sure of it, too.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Palms up, thumbs back!
Sometimes I get compliments on my posture. I do try to keep my spine in proper alignment, not only because it takes pressure off of my skeleton, but also because it makes me look thinner and more confident. Who doesn't want that?
So what is proper skeletal alignment? Glad you asked!
I have a little exercise for you- one that has come in handy and keeps me in check. And you can do it while you are sitting here reading my seldom-read blog. Ready? (This is so simple, it'll make you laugh!):
First of all, skooch forward a little, so that your back isn't in contact with the back of your chair anymore. Bend your elbows in front of your body, holding your arms at a 90-degree angle- like you are sitting in an arm chair. Now, turn your palms face up. Lastly, pull your thumbs back towards your body.
What did you do? Surprised? Yep! You sat right up strait, didn't you? THAT's proper spinal alignment, and the position you should be trying to achieve all the time.
It works equally well standing, also.
If you can do this little posture-check several times a day, sooner or later you will start to hold yourself in proper alignment naturally. Slouching will feel unnatural, and your body will thank you.
This, combined with conscientiously holding your stomach muscles in will help strengthen your core better than any ab exercise I can recommend.
This is also, coincidentally, the "proper alignment" and "neutral spine" people are talking about when they refer to exercising.
Let me know what you think!
So what is proper skeletal alignment? Glad you asked!
I have a little exercise for you- one that has come in handy and keeps me in check. And you can do it while you are sitting here reading my seldom-read blog. Ready? (This is so simple, it'll make you laugh!):
First of all, skooch forward a little, so that your back isn't in contact with the back of your chair anymore. Bend your elbows in front of your body, holding your arms at a 90-degree angle- like you are sitting in an arm chair. Now, turn your palms face up. Lastly, pull your thumbs back towards your body.
What did you do? Surprised? Yep! You sat right up strait, didn't you? THAT's proper spinal alignment, and the position you should be trying to achieve all the time.
It works equally well standing, also.
If you can do this little posture-check several times a day, sooner or later you will start to hold yourself in proper alignment naturally. Slouching will feel unnatural, and your body will thank you.
This, combined with conscientiously holding your stomach muscles in will help strengthen your core better than any ab exercise I can recommend.
This is also, coincidentally, the "proper alignment" and "neutral spine" people are talking about when they refer to exercising.
Let me know what you think!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Abdominal workout tips
Here are a few tips to get the most out of your ab exercises. All of these help to ensure that your abdominal muscles do the work and not other body parts:
1. When doing any kind of crunch, strait up or to the side for obliques, keep your elbows so far back that you can only see them in your peripheral vision.
2. Also for any kind of crunch, keep your chin well back from your chest wall. You at least want a fists-length distance between your chin and the base of your neck- more is better.
3. When doing standard crunches, focus on a spot on the ceiling slightly behind your head. You want to be looking up and back, not up and forward.
4. When doing side crunches, pull your shoulder towards your knee, not your elbow. Keep your elbow far back as in rule #1, above. Envision there is a rope or cable attaching your shoulder and opposite knee that is being pulled on to pull you up into the crunch position. And come up as far as possible on side-crunches.
5. When doing strait-leg lifts (also called ceiling stamps) for lower abs, point your toes towards the ceiling at the top of the move.
6. ALWAYS think of the part of the abs you are using (middle, upper, lower, or obliques) as the originator of the movement. The more mental focus you can put on the muscle worked, the more muscle fibers you will engage and therefore the better the workout of the muscle will be.
And remember: The best ab exercise you can do is to push the plate away from you at the table. The less fat cells you have at your mid-section, the better your abs will look.
1. When doing any kind of crunch, strait up or to the side for obliques, keep your elbows so far back that you can only see them in your peripheral vision.
2. Also for any kind of crunch, keep your chin well back from your chest wall. You at least want a fists-length distance between your chin and the base of your neck- more is better.
3. When doing standard crunches, focus on a spot on the ceiling slightly behind your head. You want to be looking up and back, not up and forward.
4. When doing side crunches, pull your shoulder towards your knee, not your elbow. Keep your elbow far back as in rule #1, above. Envision there is a rope or cable attaching your shoulder and opposite knee that is being pulled on to pull you up into the crunch position. And come up as far as possible on side-crunches.
5. When doing strait-leg lifts (also called ceiling stamps) for lower abs, point your toes towards the ceiling at the top of the move.
6. ALWAYS think of the part of the abs you are using (middle, upper, lower, or obliques) as the originator of the movement. The more mental focus you can put on the muscle worked, the more muscle fibers you will engage and therefore the better the workout of the muscle will be.
And remember: The best ab exercise you can do is to push the plate away from you at the table. The less fat cells you have at your mid-section, the better your abs will look.
Monday, August 17, 2009
The incredible Hulk Woman
Let me try to clear up a little muscle confusion, if I may: Women's fear that they will build a lot of muscle:
I have heard on several occasions women express that if they lift weights, or increase weight load, that they will get big, bulging, manly muscles. This is a fear that I understand, but it's completely unfounded.
You can NOT, I mean, no way, no how, it's not happening, can NOT get "big bulky muscles" like a man. Yes, I know you've seen those magazines with women who have freakishly large muscles and they look..... well.... masculine. Let me assure you of something: They are taking steroids. That's the only way it happens for women. Why? We simply don't make enough testosterone naturally to get huge muscles. Well defined muscles? Yes? Great, big ones? Can't happen. It's just physiologically impossible.
Want proof? Look at me. I've been lifting weights fairly consistently for the past 23 years, and very consistently for the past 2, increasing my weight load and maxing out as much as possible. I lift a lot of weight for a woman. Most people reading this have seen me in the fairly recent past. Let me ask you a question- Do I look anything remotely close to masculine, big, or bulky? I think I can safely say you would be hard-pressed to find a more feminine figure than mine.
Now, there are a few women out there who are the very rare exception, and I do mean EXTREMELY rare, who will build muscle larger than most women, but they are so few and far between that it's barely even worth a mention. Trust me, you aren't one of them.
Muscle tone adds sleek, sexy tightness and definition to a woman and enhances her feminine shape.
So if you are just starting out or getting back into lifting after a long sabatical, get a good book or hire a trainer to make sure you have proper form, and start lifting!
I'm sorry it took me so long to get another blog out. Between being injured in a wreck that totaled my car, finding a new vehicle, and my husband visiting, I didn't have proper time until now.
I have heard on several occasions women express that if they lift weights, or increase weight load, that they will get big, bulging, manly muscles. This is a fear that I understand, but it's completely unfounded.
You can NOT, I mean, no way, no how, it's not happening, can NOT get "big bulky muscles" like a man. Yes, I know you've seen those magazines with women who have freakishly large muscles and they look..... well.... masculine. Let me assure you of something: They are taking steroids. That's the only way it happens for women. Why? We simply don't make enough testosterone naturally to get huge muscles. Well defined muscles? Yes? Great, big ones? Can't happen. It's just physiologically impossible.
Want proof? Look at me. I've been lifting weights fairly consistently for the past 23 years, and very consistently for the past 2, increasing my weight load and maxing out as much as possible. I lift a lot of weight for a woman. Most people reading this have seen me in the fairly recent past. Let me ask you a question- Do I look anything remotely close to masculine, big, or bulky? I think I can safely say you would be hard-pressed to find a more feminine figure than mine.
Now, there are a few women out there who are the very rare exception, and I do mean EXTREMELY rare, who will build muscle larger than most women, but they are so few and far between that it's barely even worth a mention. Trust me, you aren't one of them.
Muscle tone adds sleek, sexy tightness and definition to a woman and enhances her feminine shape.
So if you are just starting out or getting back into lifting after a long sabatical, get a good book or hire a trainer to make sure you have proper form, and start lifting!
I'm sorry it took me so long to get another blog out. Between being injured in a wreck that totaled my car, finding a new vehicle, and my husband visiting, I didn't have proper time until now.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Keep your mind on the muscle you are working!
Maximum effectiveness of an exercise. Isn't that what we all want? Of course! Otherwise we wouldn't be exercising, right?
I have a saying when I exercise: "As long as I'm taking the time to do this, I may as well get maximum benefit from it."
Here is my best tip for getting the most of any exercise: Concentrate on the muscle you are working.
Sounds simple doesn't it? But it is so easy to let our minds wander when we are lifting weights or doing toning exercise.
First of all, when you get to the gym leave your problems at the door. This is not the time to be thinking through the strategy for a problem at work or about the fight you had with your significant other the night before. This is one time you need to be really selfish and concentrate on just you and your muscles.
Now that you are fully focused on your workout, really think about the specific muscle you are working for that exercise.
Let's use the Lat Pull Down as an example: This exercise works the latissimus dorsi muscle (lats) in the upper back (the muscles that flares out to the sides when well developed). So, from the start of the movement with my arms in the air, I am thinking upper, outer back. I'm thinking of starting the movement by contracting that muscle in order to pull the bar down. All the way through the movement, from the initial lowering of the bar, to the peak of contraction when the bar is near my chest, and then all the way back up the the starting position with my arms over my head, I am thinking about my lats doing the work of lowering and raising the bar up. I don't stop focusing on my lats until the last repetition of that set.
With any exercise you do, apply this principle of concentrating on the muscle or area being worked. Trust me- your mind won't have room for anything else if you do it properly and you'll get a much more intense and effective workout for your efforts.
My apologies for taking so long to post a new blog entry. Life has thrown some major curve balls at me lately. And I don't know why this is saying it's August 10th- It's really October 28th.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Best time of day to exercise.
Here's a question a lot of people wonder about: What is the best time of day to exercise?
There is some scientific evidence that an early AM workout is the most beneficial. So if you are a person who has the option to work out first thing in the morning and it's compatible with your personality, I say go for it! Why not?
However, if your schedule won't allow you to work out in the early AM or you are one of these people who just simply can't put out your best effort right out of bed, you need to find a time that works better for you. I stated in one of my very first blog posts, any exercise is better than no exercise.
If you can't give 100% to your workout in the morning but you can at 6PM, you will gain more benefit from working out at 6PM.
If you simply can't find time to work out until 6PM, you will gain more benefit from working out at 6PM than you will from not working out at all.
One precaution about working out late in the day: Most people will have a hard time getting a good nights sleep due to increased heart rate if they exercise within 2 hours of bedtime. And sleep is vital in the fitness battle, so don't sacrifice your sleep for your workout.
Whenever you decide is the best time for you to exercise, schedule it into your calendar and treat it like a non-negotiable appointment. This is your health we are talking about. It is that important.
There is some scientific evidence that an early AM workout is the most beneficial. So if you are a person who has the option to work out first thing in the morning and it's compatible with your personality, I say go for it! Why not?
I like to work out ASAP in the morning. I'm more energetic in the morning and it's out of the way. For me, it's worth it to wake up super-early to get my workout in, if necessary. That way, any excuse I can find for not doing it later on in the day is not given a chance to take hold. It's already done.
If you can't give 100% to your workout in the morning but you can at 6PM, you will gain more benefit from working out at 6PM.
If you simply can't find time to work out until 6PM, you will gain more benefit from working out at 6PM than you will from not working out at all.
One precaution about working out late in the day: Most people will have a hard time getting a good nights sleep due to increased heart rate if they exercise within 2 hours of bedtime. And sleep is vital in the fitness battle, so don't sacrifice your sleep for your workout.
Whenever you decide is the best time for you to exercise, schedule it into your calendar and treat it like a non-negotiable appointment. This is your health we are talking about. It is that important.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Weights vs. Aerobics
As time has gone on, I've come to understand that weight bearing exercise is more important than aerobic exercise.
Let me say it another way: If I have to make a choice between lifting weights and doing aerobic activity, I'll choose the weight lifting. Every time.
I didn't always feel this way. I used to think the opposite was true. I believed the heart was the most important muscle in the body (still do), and that the best way to condition it was through aerobic activity.This is the part that has.
Here are some reasons why:
- Weight lifting shapes your body like aerobics can't. Ever seen a body that is aerobically fit but not muscularly fit? It's missing shape and, in the case of women, usually curve. You can actually CHANGE the overall line of your body by adding muscle. All aerobics does to your body shape, at best, is make is a smaller, less-fat version of itself. I've never been able to add pleasing lines to my body with aerobic activity the way I have been able to with weight lifting. Through weight lifting I've been able to build my naturally-very-slight-shoulders up and tighten my abs, which has helped to give me a more hour-glassed shape and therefore make my hips look more balanced.
Because of this, muscle tone makes men look more masculine and women look more feminine.
- Muscle burns more calories at rest, so when you have more muscle on your body your resting metabolism (how many calories you burn just to keep your body alive) rises. Additionally, the calorie burn from the actual weight-lifting exercises themselves can continue for up to 24 hours. On the other hand, aerobic activity burns calories while you are doing it, but that calorie-burning effect stops very quickly after the activity stops. So it's a better calorie-burning-investment over all to build muscle.
In a nutshell, weight bearing activities are more effective at helping you shed fat than aerobic activity.
-Weight bearing activities are more practical because they make you stronger for doing daily activities. You can't gain strength to lift heavy grocery bags or help someone build a fence with aerobic activity. I'm willing to bet that no one is going to ask you to run away from something any time soon. But help them lift a TV? That just might happen!
- Weight lifting makes bones stronger, therefore enabling you to be less prone to injury as you age. This is especially important for women, who tend to lose bone density much more rapidly than men, but is still a significant benefit for both sexes. In case you are wondering how this happens, the muscles are attached to ligaments that are attached to the bones. When the ligaments tug on the bone, the body reacts by making the bone stronger to be able to withstand the pulling. The more and heavier you lift, the more dense the bone becomes, therefore the less prone you are to bone breakage.
Pretty cool, huh?
- If you are really working out hard doing weight-bearing activity, it can very well become aerobic. Ever seen someone who is weight lifting huffing and puffing? That's because they are using oxygen! And the word "aerobic" means "With oxygen". 'Nuff said.
I could go on, but the thing I want people to take home here is that if given a choice, lifting weights is more important to your healthy functioning over the long-haul than aerobic activity. Do I want you to stop aerobic activity? NO! It's still important, but weight lifting needs to be at the top of your priority list.
If you're not sure if you have time to do both weight lifting and aerobic activity on the same day, do your lifting first. Then with whatever time you have left, do aerobic activity.
Likewise, if you don't enjoy weight lifting as much, do it first, so that it's over and done with and you don't have time to talk yourself out of it.
Next blog I'll talk about why women shouldn't be afraid to lift heavy. But in the meantime just trust me: The more muscle, the better!
Let me say it another way: If I have to make a choice between lifting weights and doing aerobic activity, I'll choose the weight lifting. Every time.
I didn't always feel this way. I used to think the opposite was true. I believed the heart was the most important muscle in the body (still do), and that the best way to condition it was through aerobic activity.This is the part that has.
Here are some reasons why:
- Weight lifting shapes your body like aerobics can't. Ever seen a body that is aerobically fit but not muscularly fit? It's missing shape and, in the case of women, usually curve. You can actually CHANGE the overall line of your body by adding muscle. All aerobics does to your body shape, at best, is make is a smaller, less-fat version of itself. I've never been able to add pleasing lines to my body with aerobic activity the way I have been able to with weight lifting. Through weight lifting I've been able to build my naturally-very-slight-shoulders up and tighten my abs, which has helped to give me a more hour-glassed shape and therefore make my hips look more balanced.
Because of this, muscle tone makes men look more masculine and women look more feminine.
- Muscle burns more calories at rest, so when you have more muscle on your body your resting metabolism (how many calories you burn just to keep your body alive) rises. Additionally, the calorie burn from the actual weight-lifting exercises themselves can continue for up to 24 hours. On the other hand, aerobic activity burns calories while you are doing it, but that calorie-burning effect stops very quickly after the activity stops. So it's a better calorie-burning-investment over all to build muscle.
In a nutshell, weight bearing activities are more effective at helping you shed fat than aerobic activity.
-Weight bearing activities are more practical because they make you stronger for doing daily activities. You can't gain strength to lift heavy grocery bags or help someone build a fence with aerobic activity. I'm willing to bet that no one is going to ask you to run away from something any time soon. But help them lift a TV? That just might happen!
- Weight lifting makes bones stronger, therefore enabling you to be less prone to injury as you age. This is especially important for women, who tend to lose bone density much more rapidly than men, but is still a significant benefit for both sexes. In case you are wondering how this happens, the muscles are attached to ligaments that are attached to the bones. When the ligaments tug on the bone, the body reacts by making the bone stronger to be able to withstand the pulling. The more and heavier you lift, the more dense the bone becomes, therefore the less prone you are to bone breakage.
Pretty cool, huh?
- If you are really working out hard doing weight-bearing activity, it can very well become aerobic. Ever seen someone who is weight lifting huffing and puffing? That's because they are using oxygen! And the word "aerobic" means "With oxygen". 'Nuff said.
I could go on, but the thing I want people to take home here is that if given a choice, lifting weights is more important to your healthy functioning over the long-haul than aerobic activity. Do I want you to stop aerobic activity? NO! It's still important, but weight lifting needs to be at the top of your priority list.
If you're not sure if you have time to do both weight lifting and aerobic activity on the same day, do your lifting first. Then with whatever time you have left, do aerobic activity.
Likewise, if you don't enjoy weight lifting as much, do it first, so that it's over and done with and you don't have time to talk yourself out of it.
Next blog I'll talk about why women shouldn't be afraid to lift heavy. But in the meantime just trust me: The more muscle, the better!
Friday, July 31, 2009
What you eat is more important than how you move.
So you may be wondering- Why is a personal trainer talking so much about food? Glad you asked! Here is the answer:
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in my opinion what you eat is at least 80% of the weight loss battle.
And I'd say it's about 70% of the battle to stay fit once you've lost weight. Reason? I've never seen a truly physical fit adult over the age of 20 who wasn't very mindful about what he or she puts into their mouth. The occasional (once a week, tops) splurge meal? Sure! Regular, mindless shoving of food into their mouth? Not happening. Not that I've seen.
I'm not saying that exercise isn't important- it is. But if you exercise like a body builder and eat like an overweight person, you're going to look an overweight person. You'll be more fit than most other out overweight people, but you'll still be overweight. I live this truth every day of my life.
And for the record, I'm sure you've heard this before, but you can not turn muscle into fat. Muscle cells are muscle cells, fat cells are fat cells, and ne'er shall the two metamorphis into one another. You must build muscle and lose fat to see the muscle. That's just the way it works.
I've had this exchange more than once:
Other person- "How do I get myself into good physical shape?"
Me- "Well, you have to watch what you eat. Without changing your dietary habits you won't see or feel maximum results."
Other person- "I don't eat that much!"
Me (mentally- if they are overweight)- "Bull doo-doo!" (I cleaned that up!)
If they ask, I share some general guidelines they can follow (I'm not certified to give particulars), and give them help with their exercise regime. Sometimes they tell me they have every intention of watching what they eat, in addition to following our exercise program.
I am sad to say that most of the time they stick with the exercise, but 90% of the time they don't change their eating habits. So the changes in the mirror are minimal, since all of that beautiful muscle is hidden under a layer of fat.
Additionally, all of the muscle you put on can't benefit your body they way that losing fat can. And the strength you give your heart with cardiovascular exercise can be negated by extra fat on the body that the heart must work hard to pump blood through.
Am I saying to abandon your exercise routine until you get the excess weight off? No!!! Good Lord, PLEASE don't do that! If you are exercising, keep it up! First of all, it's raising your metabolism, helping to maximum your dietary weight loss efforts. Second of all, it'll make you more fit in general and help give you a "tighter" appearance, making the general lines of your body more pleasing. And thirdly, once you do lose weight you will have wonderful, sexy muscle to show off instead of tired, loose, skin filled out with minimal muscles development. You'll be ahead of the game and looking enviable when you get closer to goal!
If you already are a low body-fat percentage and exercising but not seeing results the way you think you should, it's time to clean up your eating. I've seen people amazed at the difference a good, sound eating plan adds to their already sound fitness routine.
I'll be the first to admit that changing eating habits is difficult. I struggle with this issue regularly. I love to eat! But until I get the excess weight off of my body I won't see the full extent of the fruits of my efforts from exercise. That, my friends, is a sad, true fact.
So, if I were to have to choose for someone between eating right and exercising, I'd pick eating right. Every time.
BTW, I'm curious. Is anyone reading this?
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in my opinion what you eat is at least 80% of the weight loss battle.
And I'd say it's about 70% of the battle to stay fit once you've lost weight. Reason? I've never seen a truly physical fit adult over the age of 20 who wasn't very mindful about what he or she puts into their mouth. The occasional (once a week, tops) splurge meal? Sure! Regular, mindless shoving of food into their mouth? Not happening. Not that I've seen.
I'm not saying that exercise isn't important- it is. But if you exercise like a body builder and eat like an overweight person, you're going to look an overweight person. You'll be more fit than most other out overweight people, but you'll still be overweight. I live this truth every day of my life.
And for the record, I'm sure you've heard this before, but you can not turn muscle into fat. Muscle cells are muscle cells, fat cells are fat cells, and ne'er shall the two metamorphis into one another. You must build muscle and lose fat to see the muscle. That's just the way it works.
I've had this exchange more than once:
Other person- "How do I get myself into good physical shape?"
Me- "Well, you have to watch what you eat. Without changing your dietary habits you won't see or feel maximum results."
Other person- "I don't eat that much!"
Me (mentally- if they are overweight)- "Bull doo-doo!" (I cleaned that up!)
If they ask, I share some general guidelines they can follow (I'm not certified to give particulars), and give them help with their exercise regime. Sometimes they tell me they have every intention of watching what they eat, in addition to following our exercise program.
I am sad to say that most of the time they stick with the exercise, but 90% of the time they don't change their eating habits. So the changes in the mirror are minimal, since all of that beautiful muscle is hidden under a layer of fat.
Additionally, all of the muscle you put on can't benefit your body they way that losing fat can. And the strength you give your heart with cardiovascular exercise can be negated by extra fat on the body that the heart must work hard to pump blood through.
Am I saying to abandon your exercise routine until you get the excess weight off? No!!! Good Lord, PLEASE don't do that! If you are exercising, keep it up! First of all, it's raising your metabolism, helping to maximum your dietary weight loss efforts. Second of all, it'll make you more fit in general and help give you a "tighter" appearance, making the general lines of your body more pleasing. And thirdly, once you do lose weight you will have wonderful, sexy muscle to show off instead of tired, loose, skin filled out with minimal muscles development. You'll be ahead of the game and looking enviable when you get closer to goal!
If you already are a low body-fat percentage and exercising but not seeing results the way you think you should, it's time to clean up your eating. I've seen people amazed at the difference a good, sound eating plan adds to their already sound fitness routine.
I'll be the first to admit that changing eating habits is difficult. I struggle with this issue regularly. I love to eat! But until I get the excess weight off of my body I won't see the full extent of the fruits of my efforts from exercise. That, my friends, is a sad, true fact.
So, if I were to have to choose for someone between eating right and exercising, I'd pick eating right. Every time.
BTW, I'm curious. Is anyone reading this?
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Excuses, Excuses!
Unless a doctor has told you differently, any reason you have for not eating right or exercising is not a reason, it's an excuse.
Sounds extreme, doesn't it? It's not.
Here are a few I've heard:
-"I don't like the way healthy food tastes." You've become accustomed to eating unhealthy foods. Likewise, you can become accustomed to eating healthy foods. The trick is to start. It'll take time, but you'll get there. And you'll believe it was worth it once you do.
-"I don't have time to count calories." First of all, counting calories only takes time in the beginning. After a few days, armed with a good calorie-guide and nutritional information on the side of packaging, you'll be able to find the calorie count in any particular food fairly quickly. It's good for you to know what exactly is in the things you are putting in your mouth. Secondly, you don't have to count calories. Join a sound diet plan (Weight Watchers is my favorite) that has taken most of the work out of calorie counting by supplying you with comprehensive lists of easy-to-look-up foods. Then follow it.
-"I don't have access to good foods." This is usually baloney, but if all you have access to is butter-dripping vegetables, fried chicken, and triple-layer cake, sop as much butter off of the veggies as you can with a napkin, take the breading/batter/skin off the chicken and the frosting off the cake. Then eat a lot less of them. And move more. (Refer to my "Move More" post.) Many times we have to adapt. For help, refer back to my first blog.
-"It's more expensive to eat healthy." Well, okay....... Most of the time, yes. I'll give you this one. But doctors bills and missed work from being in poor health costs more.
Now some I've heard for not exercising:
-"I injured my (insert body part here). I don't want to hurt it again." So did I. Years after rehabbing a torn rotator cuff I still have to be careful about how much weight/how I lift with it. But the fact is that I can lift weights. It's not enough of an excuse to stop exercise entirely. If you have recently injured yourself, ask your doctor what you can do for exercise. Ditto for surgery.
-"It makes me feel uncomfortable". Look, it's called a work out for a reason- It's work! We all feel some degree of discomfort at some point when we exercise. But trust me, muscles adapt very quickly. Pretty soon you'll be feeling better more often and uncomfortable less often. And you could wind up surprising yourself by looking forward to workouts and wanting to make your body a little uncomfortable with challenging it. You can't know until you try.
-"I don't like to sweat." This always elicits a chuckle from me. Do you want to be sweaty a little bit of the time, or look flabby all the time? That's what it comes down to. Your call. The sweat excuse is by and far the weakest one I've ever heard.
And my all time favorite:
-"I don't have time." This one makes me want to pull my hair out! Hey, listen, if you don't have time to exercise now, think of how much less time you'll have in the future when you're sitting in a hospital bed, recovering from open heart surgery. How will THAT fit into your busy schedule? Or the schedules of your equally busy loved ones? I can almost guarantee you will be thinking (besides "Dear God, please don't let me die!"), "I wish I'd have made time to exercise and eat right. This is not worth it."
Even just a 20-minute walk to clear your head at the end of a busy day is better than nothing and will have a positive accumulative affect on your health.
I'm sure you can come up with more. Throw them at me! Let's see if you can render me answer-less.
Again, unless a doctor has told you that eating right and/or any form of exercise are hazardous to your health, any reason you have isn't a reason, it's an excuse.
Sounds extreme, doesn't it? It's not.
Here are a few I've heard:
-"I don't like the way healthy food tastes." You've become accustomed to eating unhealthy foods. Likewise, you can become accustomed to eating healthy foods. The trick is to start. It'll take time, but you'll get there. And you'll believe it was worth it once you do.
-"I don't have time to count calories." First of all, counting calories only takes time in the beginning. After a few days, armed with a good calorie-guide and nutritional information on the side of packaging, you'll be able to find the calorie count in any particular food fairly quickly. It's good for you to know what exactly is in the things you are putting in your mouth. Secondly, you don't have to count calories. Join a sound diet plan (Weight Watchers is my favorite) that has taken most of the work out of calorie counting by supplying you with comprehensive lists of easy-to-look-up foods. Then follow it.
-"I don't have access to good foods." This is usually baloney, but if all you have access to is butter-dripping vegetables, fried chicken, and triple-layer cake, sop as much butter off of the veggies as you can with a napkin, take the breading/batter/skin off the chicken and the frosting off the cake. Then eat a lot less of them. And move more. (Refer to my "Move More" post.) Many times we have to adapt. For help, refer back to my first blog.
-"It's more expensive to eat healthy." Well, okay....... Most of the time, yes. I'll give you this one. But doctors bills and missed work from being in poor health costs more.
Now some I've heard for not exercising:
-"I injured my (insert body part here). I don't want to hurt it again." So did I. Years after rehabbing a torn rotator cuff I still have to be careful about how much weight/how I lift with it. But the fact is that I can lift weights. It's not enough of an excuse to stop exercise entirely. If you have recently injured yourself, ask your doctor what you can do for exercise. Ditto for surgery.
-"It makes me feel uncomfortable". Look, it's called a work out for a reason- It's work! We all feel some degree of discomfort at some point when we exercise. But trust me, muscles adapt very quickly. Pretty soon you'll be feeling better more often and uncomfortable less often. And you could wind up surprising yourself by looking forward to workouts and wanting to make your body a little uncomfortable with challenging it. You can't know until you try.
-"I don't like to sweat." This always elicits a chuckle from me. Do you want to be sweaty a little bit of the time, or look flabby all the time? That's what it comes down to. Your call. The sweat excuse is by and far the weakest one I've ever heard.
And my all time favorite:
-"I don't have time." This one makes me want to pull my hair out! Hey, listen, if you don't have time to exercise now, think of how much less time you'll have in the future when you're sitting in a hospital bed, recovering from open heart surgery. How will THAT fit into your busy schedule? Or the schedules of your equally busy loved ones? I can almost guarantee you will be thinking (besides "Dear God, please don't let me die!"), "I wish I'd have made time to exercise and eat right. This is not worth it."
Do you want to wait and see if I'm right, or do you want to start taking care of yourself?
None of us have time to not take care of ourselves.
I'm sure you can come up with more. Throw them at me! Let's see if you can render me answer-less.
Again, unless a doctor has told you that eating right and/or any form of exercise are hazardous to your health, any reason you have isn't a reason, it's an excuse.
Any Exercise Is Better Than No Exercise!
I think I'm gonna want that put on my grave marker, I say it so much: Any Exercise Is Better Than No Exercise!
If you only have time for a 5-minute walk, take a 5 minute walk!
If you have an injury that won't let you exercise for more than a few minutes, exercise for a few minutes!
If you feel like the little bit you can do won't matter, it matters!
First of all, any amount of moving will help to raise your metabolism, which I covered in my "Move More" post. This makes you burn more calories, which in turn makes you slimmer, which in turn, makes you healthier. Why? Because It ALL Makes A Difference! (Title of blog, in case you needed reminding one more time.)
And second of all, when you DO get to where you can put in more time/effort for physical activity, you will be that much more fit to get started and make the most of it.
And it might, just maybe, be the thing that finally gets you into action about setting aside time for full-blown workouts. Gosh, I hope so! But even if it's not, any exercise is better than no exercise.
Hey, listen- I'm a big proponent of long, thorough workouts. I love them, and I do them often. But today, due to a thunderstorm this morning during my regular walk time, all I could do was an afternoon walk in the Texas heat with the dog and my 20-year old daughter. It was NOT what I would call a cardiovascular workout. It's wasn't even really what I would call a workout. Between the dog (who is fickle on a leash), the heat (waaaaaaay too hot to be exerting myself much) and talking to my daughter (who really needed some mom-gab time), getting a true cardio workout was impossible. But you know what? It was the best I could do today. And that has to be good enough. I could have said to myself "What the heck? It won't even be enough of a workout to shower- what's the point?" But I didn't, because I know that any exercise is better than no exercise. (And because I know that one scheduled exercise day without exercise could lead to two, which could start me on the sedentary path, which I never want to be on again.)
Here are a few ideas:
- Do push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, something during the TV commercials to a 1/2 hour show.
- Do calf raises or modified push-ups on the counter (feet on floor, hands on counter edge) in the kitchen while you are waiting for your microwave popcorn to finish.
- Do walking lunges while you walk through the house: http://www.5min.com/Video/Walking-Lunges-30427368?sid=247 (trust me- you'll feel this one the next day!)
- Go for a quick walk whenever you can fit it into the day.
- Go dancing. (Dancing, any kind, is GREAT exercise!)
- Sit on an exercise ball at your desk instead of a regular chair. (I'm sitting on one right now!)
The power really is yours to decide if you will do nothing or something. And in the case of exercise, something, unless under doctors orders to do otherwise, is always better than nothing.
If you only have time for a 5-minute walk, take a 5 minute walk!
If you have an injury that won't let you exercise for more than a few minutes, exercise for a few minutes!
If you feel like the little bit you can do won't matter, it matters!
First of all, any amount of moving will help to raise your metabolism, which I covered in my "Move More" post. This makes you burn more calories, which in turn makes you slimmer, which in turn, makes you healthier. Why? Because It ALL Makes A Difference! (Title of blog, in case you needed reminding one more time.)
And second of all, when you DO get to where you can put in more time/effort for physical activity, you will be that much more fit to get started and make the most of it.
And it might, just maybe, be the thing that finally gets you into action about setting aside time for full-blown workouts. Gosh, I hope so! But even if it's not, any exercise is better than no exercise.
Hey, listen- I'm a big proponent of long, thorough workouts. I love them, and I do them often. But today, due to a thunderstorm this morning during my regular walk time, all I could do was an afternoon walk in the Texas heat with the dog and my 20-year old daughter. It was NOT what I would call a cardiovascular workout. It's wasn't even really what I would call a workout. Between the dog (who is fickle on a leash), the heat (waaaaaaay too hot to be exerting myself much) and talking to my daughter (who really needed some mom-gab time), getting a true cardio workout was impossible. But you know what? It was the best I could do today. And that has to be good enough. I could have said to myself "What the heck? It won't even be enough of a workout to shower- what's the point?" But I didn't, because I know that any exercise is better than no exercise. (And because I know that one scheduled exercise day without exercise could lead to two, which could start me on the sedentary path, which I never want to be on again.)
Here are a few ideas:
- Do push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, something during the TV commercials to a 1/2 hour show.
- Do calf raises or modified push-ups on the counter (feet on floor, hands on counter edge) in the kitchen while you are waiting for your microwave popcorn to finish.
- Do walking lunges while you walk through the house: http://www.5min.com/Video/Walking-Lunges-30427368?sid=247 (trust me- you'll feel this one the next day!)
- Go for a quick walk whenever you can fit it into the day.
- Go dancing. (Dancing, any kind, is GREAT exercise!)
- Sit on an exercise ball at your desk instead of a regular chair. (I'm sitting on one right now!)
The power really is yours to decide if you will do nothing or something. And in the case of exercise, something, unless under doctors orders to do otherwise, is always better than nothing.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Move More!
Here is what I believe is our second-biggest reason we are getting fatter as time goes on: We don't move enough.
I'm not talking about organized time to go out and exercise (which I think is most definitely a good thing)- I'm just talking about generally moving more.
A majority of us are far more sedentary than our parents and grandparents were, simply by the nature of the modern world. We have remote controls and moving walkways and lawn mowers that push themselves. Even sedentary office work was more active years ago: To make a copy or file papers you had to get up. Now you can hit the "copy" button on your computer screen and have the document in your hands without leaving your seat. Many things are filed digitally.
As bizarre as it sounds, we are both more productive and more sedentary.
It just takes less calories to live these days.
Now, I'm not dogging progress, but the bottom line is that the less you move the less calories you burn. And the less calories you burn the less calories you should eat. Of course, we aren't eating less calories (I covered this subject in my very first post), so it's really no mystery as to why our waistbands are expanding.
The only solution to this problem is of not moving enough is, of course, to move more. But how do you do that when your day is already full?
As the title of my blog states, it ALL makes a difference. Even the small things. With that in mind, aside from regular, planned exercise, there are small changes we can make that will make a big difference for our bodies and overall health over time. It's not that they burn a lot of calories in and of themselves, but cumulatively they raise your metabolism which burns a larger period of calories over time. The key, of course is to get into the habit of doing these things consistently, day in and day out.
Here are some ideas:
- Get the blanket (or remote, or laptop computer, or whatever else you are wanting) yourself, instead of asking one of your kids or someone else to get it for you. Even if it's just two steps away or entails reaching to the other end of the couch.
- If you want a snack, get it yourself! If it's not worth getting up to get it yourself, you don't really want it. Don't eat it.
- Vacuum your car instead of having the guy at the car wash do it. (You could get REALLY ambitious and wash your car yourself! This is actually a very fun thing to do with your kids.)
- When you are doing yard work, go get the hedge clippers yourself, instead of asking someone else to do it for you.
- Park your car at the other end of the parking lot and walk into the store. Save the closer spots for old people and parents with small children. Yeah, yeah.... I know you've heard this one before, but it's a good tip and something we should ALL be doing.
- Walk around at lunch. I don't mean put on your workout shoes and take a power walk around the block (which is a very good idea!), but just get up and move around. You'll be back to sitting down soon enough.
As time goes on you'll think of more ways to move more and sit less.
A high metabolism really isn't so much given as it is obtained.
I'm not talking about organized time to go out and exercise (which I think is most definitely a good thing)- I'm just talking about generally moving more.
A majority of us are far more sedentary than our parents and grandparents were, simply by the nature of the modern world. We have remote controls and moving walkways and lawn mowers that push themselves. Even sedentary office work was more active years ago: To make a copy or file papers you had to get up. Now you can hit the "copy" button on your computer screen and have the document in your hands without leaving your seat. Many things are filed digitally.
As bizarre as it sounds, we are both more productive and more sedentary.
It just takes less calories to live these days.
Now, I'm not dogging progress, but the bottom line is that the less you move the less calories you burn. And the less calories you burn the less calories you should eat. Of course, we aren't eating less calories (I covered this subject in my very first post), so it's really no mystery as to why our waistbands are expanding.
The only solution to this problem is of not moving enough is, of course, to move more. But how do you do that when your day is already full?
As the title of my blog states, it ALL makes a difference. Even the small things. With that in mind, aside from regular, planned exercise, there are small changes we can make that will make a big difference for our bodies and overall health over time. It's not that they burn a lot of calories in and of themselves, but cumulatively they raise your metabolism which burns a larger period of calories over time. The key, of course is to get into the habit of doing these things consistently, day in and day out.
Here are some ideas:
- Get the blanket (or remote, or laptop computer, or whatever else you are wanting) yourself, instead of asking one of your kids or someone else to get it for you. Even if it's just two steps away or entails reaching to the other end of the couch.
- If you want a snack, get it yourself! If it's not worth getting up to get it yourself, you don't really want it. Don't eat it.
- Vacuum your car instead of having the guy at the car wash do it. (You could get REALLY ambitious and wash your car yourself! This is actually a very fun thing to do with your kids.)
- When you are doing yard work, go get the hedge clippers yourself, instead of asking someone else to do it for you.
- Park your car at the other end of the parking lot and walk into the store. Save the closer spots for old people and parents with small children. Yeah, yeah.... I know you've heard this one before, but it's a good tip and something we should ALL be doing.
- Walk around at lunch. I don't mean put on your workout shoes and take a power walk around the block (which is a very good idea!), but just get up and move around. You'll be back to sitting down soon enough.
As time goes on you'll think of more ways to move more and sit less.
A high metabolism really isn't so much given as it is obtained.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Stress Eating
Here's one of my big issues- Stress eating! I believe I'm far from alone and it's one of the big reasons we are getting fatter as a nation.
Let's face it- Life isn't getting any less stressful for any of us. We come up with gadgets and gizmo's and computer programs and other various "stuff" to give us more time and enable us to relax, but it never works. Why? Because if we find ourselves with a few extra minutes we don't sit down and take a break. We find one more thing to do with our day!
But as humans, a basic need we have is a to relax. Enter eating. Eating is easy and can be done on the run. You can even order food and eat it without ever leaving your car. It's an instant stress relief and often about the only pleasurable thing we do all day. So we do too much of it, in both quantity and frequency.
Add to this that, unfortunately, the bad stuff is usually the quickest to grab for the instant-pleasure rush, and next thing you know your girth is increasing. One day you look at yourself in the mirror and think "How did I get here?".
Been there. Done that. No longer fit in the T-shirt.
This is one of my hardest areas to conquer. Unfortunately, there are no easy answers to this one. I wish there were, but learning to quit stress-eating (and I am still learning!) is a process.
Don't worry- I'm not so naive as to think that you can reduce the stress in your life by much. I know as well as you do that if you could, you would. I try all the time to make life slow down and fail miserably. Life hurls stuff at you and you have to deal. Sometimes the only thing you CAN control is what goes into your mouth. So choose to have that control!
Here are a few things that I am finding useful:
- STOP EATING IN THE CAR! I have a strict I-never-ever-ever-ever-eat-while-sitting-in-a-moving-vehicle rule. Plus, if you get out of the car and go in to order your food, even if it's to take it to your destination to eat it (not to eat it in the car!), the moving around helps to raise your metabolism just a bit. And every little bit helps! (Refer to title of blog!)
- Pack food with you. This does take a little extra time, but you are worth those few minutes! I've found that if I have a good quality protein bar (Pure Protein [the small ones] and Kashi go-lean are two of my favs), lo-fat string cheese, an apple or some other kind of fresh fruit, a small pack of beef jerky, bottled water, etc. in the car I am not nearly as likely to stop and get something really fattening if I suddenly feel the need to stress-eat. The trick to this is to only pack a small amount of two or three things. I'd never bring along the entire pack of protein bars, because on a really bad day I might be inclined to eat the whole thing!
- Tell yourself you will wait. If you aren't feeling truly hungry and/or have a sudden desire for something purely sugary (or crunchy, or salty, or whatever your craving is), then you have no nutritional need for food. Assure yourself that you won't collapse from denying yourself for a few minutes. Sometimes it's helpful at this point to seek out a non-caloric drink or a piece of gum. It gives your mouth something to do. Assure yourself that if in 20 minutes you are still needing something to munch on you can always stop and eat. When I use this trick the urge to eat usually passes and I no longer feel the need to stress-eat by the end of the 20-minute period.
- This is an old trick that everyone has heard, but it really has worked for me:
Don't keep fattening snack foods in the house! When I do this I fall into the "Open container, insert face" syndrome much quicker when I am stressed than if the food was not there. If you really, seriously, no kidding want something bad for you, get into your car and drive to eat it. Often the hassle alone makes it not worth the effort. And if you do decide to go out and get a nutritionally low food to stress-eat, don't do it in the car!
- Try to keep this statement in mind: "Long-term guilt is never worth short-term pleasure." I have never once stress-eaten and felt good about it afterwards. The reality of what I have just done to my body simply adds to my stress level. It's a lot easier to resist in the present than it is to work it off in the future.
Notice I didn't say to take a yoga class, jog, talk to a friend, or hit something until your knuckles bleed. Why? Because you don't have any more time to do these things when you are stressed than I do. The best thing you can do, in my opinion, is learn to manage stress in the moment. It's takes some time and discipline, and of course you will do some back-sliding while you are learning to move forward, but it can be done.
Let's face it- Life isn't getting any less stressful for any of us. We come up with gadgets and gizmo's and computer programs and other various "stuff" to give us more time and enable us to relax, but it never works. Why? Because if we find ourselves with a few extra minutes we don't sit down and take a break. We find one more thing to do with our day!
But as humans, a basic need we have is a to relax. Enter eating. Eating is easy and can be done on the run. You can even order food and eat it without ever leaving your car. It's an instant stress relief and often about the only pleasurable thing we do all day. So we do too much of it, in both quantity and frequency.
Add to this that, unfortunately, the bad stuff is usually the quickest to grab for the instant-pleasure rush, and next thing you know your girth is increasing. One day you look at yourself in the mirror and think "How did I get here?".
Been there. Done that. No longer fit in the T-shirt.
This is one of my hardest areas to conquer. Unfortunately, there are no easy answers to this one. I wish there were, but learning to quit stress-eating (and I am still learning!) is a process.
Don't worry- I'm not so naive as to think that you can reduce the stress in your life by much. I know as well as you do that if you could, you would. I try all the time to make life slow down and fail miserably. Life hurls stuff at you and you have to deal. Sometimes the only thing you CAN control is what goes into your mouth. So choose to have that control!
Here are a few things that I am finding useful:
- STOP EATING IN THE CAR! I have a strict I-never-ever-ever-ever-eat-while-sitting-in-a-moving-vehicle rule. Plus, if you get out of the car and go in to order your food, even if it's to take it to your destination to eat it (not to eat it in the car!), the moving around helps to raise your metabolism just a bit. And every little bit helps! (Refer to title of blog!)
- Pack food with you. This does take a little extra time, but you are worth those few minutes! I've found that if I have a good quality protein bar (Pure Protein [the small ones] and Kashi go-lean are two of my favs), lo-fat string cheese, an apple or some other kind of fresh fruit, a small pack of beef jerky, bottled water, etc. in the car I am not nearly as likely to stop and get something really fattening if I suddenly feel the need to stress-eat. The trick to this is to only pack a small amount of two or three things. I'd never bring along the entire pack of protein bars, because on a really bad day I might be inclined to eat the whole thing!
- Tell yourself you will wait. If you aren't feeling truly hungry and/or have a sudden desire for something purely sugary (or crunchy, or salty, or whatever your craving is), then you have no nutritional need for food. Assure yourself that you won't collapse from denying yourself for a few minutes. Sometimes it's helpful at this point to seek out a non-caloric drink or a piece of gum. It gives your mouth something to do. Assure yourself that if in 20 minutes you are still needing something to munch on you can always stop and eat. When I use this trick the urge to eat usually passes and I no longer feel the need to stress-eat by the end of the 20-minute period.
- This is an old trick that everyone has heard, but it really has worked for me:
Don't keep fattening snack foods in the house! When I do this I fall into the "Open container, insert face" syndrome much quicker when I am stressed than if the food was not there. If you really, seriously, no kidding want something bad for you, get into your car and drive to eat it. Often the hassle alone makes it not worth the effort. And if you do decide to go out and get a nutritionally low food to stress-eat, don't do it in the car!
- Try to keep this statement in mind: "Long-term guilt is never worth short-term pleasure." I have never once stress-eaten and felt good about it afterwards. The reality of what I have just done to my body simply adds to my stress level. It's a lot easier to resist in the present than it is to work it off in the future.
Notice I didn't say to take a yoga class, jog, talk to a friend, or hit something until your knuckles bleed. Why? Because you don't have any more time to do these things when you are stressed than I do. The best thing you can do, in my opinion, is learn to manage stress in the moment. It's takes some time and discipline, and of course you will do some back-sliding while you are learning to move forward, but it can be done.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Super-size is now regular size!
This is my starting blog because this is, I believe,the root cause of why we Americans are getting fatter. No, we are not doing enough exercise. But that's not our main issue: Our main issue is that we eat too much. Period.
We have become a nation accustomed to eating super-sized portions. And we don't even know we are doing it! What used to be a normal size, back 20 years ago and prior, is now considered child size. I remember when a normal cookie was 2 bites, and anything bigger was considered a colossal size. Then Mrs. Fields started serving the big cookies in the malls, and we started making them at home, and pretty soon they were expected. Now, what used to be a normal-sized cookie is considered a mini, and what we consider a normal-sized cookie is really enough for a small family to share!
Look at an ice-cream cone. I love the big, 1/4 pound dips at Braums as much as the next guy. (If you don't know what Braums is, I feel sorry for you!) But when I order a kiddie scoop it more resembles the ice-cream cone size we saw gals with what we now consider impossibly small waists in circle skirts eating in the 1950's.
With a kiddie scoop you still get the ice cream, you just don't get the big gut to go with it.
In the 80's, when I was a teen, a normal hamburger or order of French-fries at a fast-food joint was the size found in a child's meal now. Children's meals were just coming out, and their size wasn't that much smaller than the adults size- they just had a toy and a small drink added. Adult meals weren't sold as meals: You had to order the "parts" separately. If I recall correctly, adult meals started up after children's meals caught on. We didn't have the option of salads back then, but we were thinner and healthier people. Go figure.
It was the portion sizes.
Smaller portions = Smaller people. It's not rocket science.
The bottom line is that to weigh less, we've gotta eat less. Here are a couple of suggestions: Order the child's meal or the kiddie scoop. (Trust me, even though it's clear you are over 12, they won't stop you. They can't MAKE you order more food! And if you are with a kid, you can fake like it's for them). If a kids meal just ain't gonna cut it and you REALLY want that bacon cheese-burger, fine! Go ahead and order it! But get a single patty, ask them to leave the mayo off, skip the fries, and order it with diet coke, water, or unsweetened iced-tea that you put splenda in instead of sugary soda that has absolutely no nutritional value. If you want a side, get the salad with fat-free Italian dressing or light vinaigrette, and for Pete's sake, take those croutons off!
Yeah, I know it doesn't sound like fun, but as the old saying goes: If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got. And what do you want more? Momentarily happy taste buds, or a permanant satisfaction with the way you look in the mirror?
We have become a nation accustomed to eating super-sized portions. And we don't even know we are doing it! What used to be a normal size, back 20 years ago and prior, is now considered child size. I remember when a normal cookie was 2 bites, and anything bigger was considered a colossal size. Then Mrs. Fields started serving the big cookies in the malls, and we started making them at home, and pretty soon they were expected. Now, what used to be a normal-sized cookie is considered a mini, and what we consider a normal-sized cookie is really enough for a small family to share!
Look at an ice-cream cone. I love the big, 1/4 pound dips at Braums as much as the next guy. (If you don't know what Braums is, I feel sorry for you!) But when I order a kiddie scoop it more resembles the ice-cream cone size we saw gals with what we now consider impossibly small waists in circle skirts eating in the 1950's.
With a kiddie scoop you still get the ice cream, you just don't get the big gut to go with it.
In the 80's, when I was a teen, a normal hamburger or order of French-fries at a fast-food joint was the size found in a child's meal now. Children's meals were just coming out, and their size wasn't that much smaller than the adults size- they just had a toy and a small drink added. Adult meals weren't sold as meals: You had to order the "parts" separately. If I recall correctly, adult meals started up after children's meals caught on. We didn't have the option of salads back then, but we were thinner and healthier people. Go figure.
It was the portion sizes.
Smaller portions = Smaller people. It's not rocket science.
The bottom line is that to weigh less, we've gotta eat less. Here are a couple of suggestions: Order the child's meal or the kiddie scoop. (Trust me, even though it's clear you are over 12, they won't stop you. They can't MAKE you order more food! And if you are with a kid, you can fake like it's for them). If a kids meal just ain't gonna cut it and you REALLY want that bacon cheese-burger, fine! Go ahead and order it! But get a single patty, ask them to leave the mayo off, skip the fries, and order it with diet coke, water, or unsweetened iced-tea that you put splenda in instead of sugary soda that has absolutely no nutritional value. If you want a side, get the salad with fat-free Italian dressing or light vinaigrette, and for Pete's sake, take those croutons off!
Yeah, I know it doesn't sound like fun, but as the old saying goes: If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got. And what do you want more? Momentarily happy taste buds, or a permanant satisfaction with the way you look in the mirror?
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