Tuesday, November 30, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: Moderation is key
My Life's Biggest Project: Moderation is key: "Many suffer the same problems when it comes to life and that is doing things in moderation. I can tell you from personal experience from my ..."
Moderation is key
Many suffer the same problems when it comes to life and that is doing things in moderation. I can tell you from personal experience from my day today that moderation is key. I like to think that I am much more hardcore than I really am. I pushed myself too hard yesterday after surgery and way WAY too hard today. But believe you me I am suffering from it now. The reason I bring up the topic of moderation is because this also relates to the way we eat.
One of the reason's people tend to fail at diets is because they want junk food and can't have it. I'm not saying that anyone should just eat junk food, but if your weakness is ice cream (like mine) you should not have to completely deprive yourself of these wants. The problem is once you've told yourself that you can't have these things and then you finally do moderation goes right out the window. I have found "skinny cow" mint chocolate sandwiches and they are yum yum good.
I found an article in today's research that talks about moderation. Everyone is guilty of overeating sometimes, but if we overdue our choloric intake then it shoots our bodies into overdrive because our body is trying to undo the damage we have created by the "harmful free radicals produced as we digest food". Why are free radicals bad you may ask? I'll tell you. Free radicals attack cells and can increase the development of serious conditions like heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. Obviously the more food we eat the more free radicals we are producing.
There's some good news according to the article written by Brierley Wright. Recent research found that there is a yummy way to bounce back from the damage we do to ourselves after eating a rich meal and lessen free radicals all you have to do is add the following four items to your diet.
1.) Drink Orange Juice- "Flavonoids, the antioxidant-like compounds in OJ, may offset the heart-damaging effects of a calorie- and fat-laden meal, suggests a 2010 study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In the study, people who drank orange juice with a high-fat, high-calorie breakfast (51 grams fat, 900 calories) had lower levels of harmful free radicals and other inflammatory markers associated with heart disease after the meal than participants who drank plain water or sugar water and ate the same breakfast," said Wright.
2.) Eat Fruit- Wright says, "If you've indulged in a decadent meal, follow it with fruit. Eating antioxidant-rich fruits—including berries, grapes, kiwi and cherries—helps minimize the harmful free-radical damage that occurs after a meal. Eating caloric meals without antioxidant-rich foods like fruits and vegetables can have harmful effects over time."
3.) Drizzle Vinegar On Food- "Having a tablespoon of vinegar with your meal, perhaps drizzled on your salad, may temper the spike in blood sugar that occurs after eating a big, carbohydrate-rich meal.
One of the reason's people tend to fail at diets is because they want junk food and can't have it. I'm not saying that anyone should just eat junk food, but if your weakness is ice cream (like mine) you should not have to completely deprive yourself of these wants. The problem is once you've told yourself that you can't have these things and then you finally do moderation goes right out the window. I have found "skinny cow" mint chocolate sandwiches and they are yum yum good.
I found an article in today's research that talks about moderation. Everyone is guilty of overeating sometimes, but if we overdue our choloric intake then it shoots our bodies into overdrive because our body is trying to undo the damage we have created by the "harmful free radicals produced as we digest food". Why are free radicals bad you may ask? I'll tell you. Free radicals attack cells and can increase the development of serious conditions like heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. Obviously the more food we eat the more free radicals we are producing.
There's some good news according to the article written by Brierley Wright. Recent research found that there is a yummy way to bounce back from the damage we do to ourselves after eating a rich meal and lessen free radicals all you have to do is add the following four items to your diet.
1.) Drink Orange Juice- "Flavonoids, the antioxidant-like compounds in OJ, may offset the heart-damaging effects of a calorie- and fat-laden meal, suggests a 2010 study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In the study, people who drank orange juice with a high-fat, high-calorie breakfast (51 grams fat, 900 calories) had lower levels of harmful free radicals and other inflammatory markers associated with heart disease after the meal than participants who drank plain water or sugar water and ate the same breakfast," said Wright.
2.) Eat Fruit- Wright says, "If you've indulged in a decadent meal, follow it with fruit. Eating antioxidant-rich fruits—including berries, grapes, kiwi and cherries—helps minimize the harmful free-radical damage that occurs after a meal. Eating caloric meals without antioxidant-rich foods like fruits and vegetables can have harmful effects over time."
3.) Drizzle Vinegar On Food- "Having a tablespoon of vinegar with your meal, perhaps drizzled on your salad, may temper the spike in blood sugar that occurs after eating a big, carbohydrate-rich meal.
For most of us, a steep rise in blood sugar triggers an equally rapid drop—which stokes appetite. This sugar surge is particularly a problem for people with diabetes, who can't clear glucose effectively (over time, excess glucose in the blood damages tissues)," said Wright.
4.) Drink Wine- I know I've said a million times that alchohol is a big no-no and that's true, but if done in moderation it can still be done. Wright said, " The antioxidants in red wine may reduce the negative impact of high-fat foods by lowering levels of a compound—produced in the body after eating fat—that's linked with heart disease. Cook with red wine or enjoy a glass with dinner."
I hope these fun little facts are beneficial to you and help you see that you don't have to suffer or feel like you are deprived. There are days that I hate not being able to have certain things, but when I think about doing things in moderation it makes the idea much more bearable. I'll do more things in moderation and that will help me through this I'm sure.
I also want to go ahead and let you all know that while I'm in recovery from my surgery my posts will be done at random times because thanks to my pain pills I can't ever remember what I'm supposed to be doing and I get distracted easily. I do promise however to continue to post everyday. More to come tomorrow!
Monday, November 29, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: Series of misfortunate events
My Life's Biggest Project: Series of misfortunate events: "Sometimes people have very down days let me tell you about the downward spiral of a day that I had yesterday and today. Well yesterday I mak..."
Series of misfortunate events
Sometimes people have very down days let me tell you about the downward spiral of a day that I had yesterday and today. Well yesterday I make it back to Norman way later than I had anticipated which had already put me in a slight state of stress. I had some things that I needed to get done and had planned on going to bed early because I had to leave my house at 5:30 this morning to make it to my surgery on time. Thhis is where it all began...follow me on my journey shall we...
First things first I got mad about some selfeshness that occured by a family member. Instead of worrying about putting me out this person was more worried about themself and threw some stuff at me that was unnecessary ( I have a theory that the reason people gain weight during the holiday season is not necessarily because of all the food, but more so because of the stress that family puts on people). Then I went to my friends house to borrow her phone charger because I forgot mine at my mothers and did not want to have to be without one.
My mom dropped me off at my friends so that she could run to Wal-mart and get some things while she's staying with me during my recovery period. My mom had to use my car because she was recently in a car accident so she just rode back down here with me. Once she was done at Wal-mart my mom and my neice came to pick me up from my friends house. Here's where it starts to get worse...
About a mile or so down the road from my friends on my way back to my house, my car locks up and stops working. Luckily I was near a gas station so I pulled into it. It was a ghetto gas station and crack heads and a Greyhound bus rolls up (you always know you're hanging in the 'hood when there's a Greyhound...FYI). I would have in no way have been so worried about it, but my four year-old niece hadn't have been in the car. This was around 10:30 last night.
I was forced to call my roommate who I assumed was already in bed because she is the only person I know who has jumper cables, sadly I was on the other side of town. She came and we tried to jump my car and guess what to no avail. I assumed it was the battery because A.) I knew I was going to be needing a new one soon and B.) when the car started to stall the battery light came on.
So my mother and my niece went home with my roomie and I stayed to try to figure out what I was going to do. This was at 11 p.m. of course when you have surgery you can't do anything after midnight so my plan was to drink as many fluids (ie., water) as possible before midnight. This did not happen. My friend whom I had gone to see earlier came and got me and I was thankful.
She and I ran to Wal-mart and got a battery for my car. We went back to my car and guys let me tell you how proud I was of myself I have never done anything under the hood of a car except check my oil and between my friend and I we successfully changed my battery (which magically fixed my formerly broken CD player/radio). But that was not the problem, the car still wouldn't start.
We ended up leaving my car there overnight and my dear friend gave me her car to take to the hospital this morning. I got home and it was around 2:30 a.m. and I could not sleep. The last time I remember looking at the clock it was 3:45 a.m. and my alarm went off at 4 a.m. I was scared that because my evening had been so bad that my day was going to be as well and that scared me because I was going under the knife.
It's like in the movie "Due Date" the character says well since the day has starated off so bad "it is only uphill from here, that's what my dad always said" and Robert Downey Jr.'s character quickly corrects Zach (Hangover guy)'s character saying, "you're dad was wrong the saying goes it's only downhill from here". Well this was my fear.
I was then sitting in the waiting room at the hospital and the news came on to tell me that my favorite funny man in Hollywood Leslie Nielsen died at the age of 84. It broke my heart and made me sad. I then thought about it and it would be good to not go into surgery with a negative attitude. What if I died? What if something went wrong?
The point in this post was not to just have a beotch fest, but instead to point out that no matter how bad things get it is always better to have a positive attitude because a positive and healthy mind means a healthy body. Maybe we should all think more along the lines of the Hangover guy and think that, "it is all up hill from here". On the plus side I was so vervous about jumping on that scale in fear that I had gained massive ammounts of weight back, but I had not. I gained back a pound, which makes me sad, but I truly feared it would have been more like 5 if not all of it back. Looks like we all just need to be more positive and not be Negative Nancy's.
I'm going to take some pain pills and do nothing because at this point that is all I have the strength to do.
First things first I got mad about some selfeshness that occured by a family member. Instead of worrying about putting me out this person was more worried about themself and threw some stuff at me that was unnecessary ( I have a theory that the reason people gain weight during the holiday season is not necessarily because of all the food, but more so because of the stress that family puts on people). Then I went to my friends house to borrow her phone charger because I forgot mine at my mothers and did not want to have to be without one.
My mom dropped me off at my friends so that she could run to Wal-mart and get some things while she's staying with me during my recovery period. My mom had to use my car because she was recently in a car accident so she just rode back down here with me. Once she was done at Wal-mart my mom and my neice came to pick me up from my friends house. Here's where it starts to get worse...
About a mile or so down the road from my friends on my way back to my house, my car locks up and stops working. Luckily I was near a gas station so I pulled into it. It was a ghetto gas station and crack heads and a Greyhound bus rolls up (you always know you're hanging in the 'hood when there's a Greyhound...FYI). I would have in no way have been so worried about it, but my four year-old niece hadn't have been in the car. This was around 10:30 last night.
I was forced to call my roommate who I assumed was already in bed because she is the only person I know who has jumper cables, sadly I was on the other side of town. She came and we tried to jump my car and guess what to no avail. I assumed it was the battery because A.) I knew I was going to be needing a new one soon and B.) when the car started to stall the battery light came on.
So my mother and my niece went home with my roomie and I stayed to try to figure out what I was going to do. This was at 11 p.m. of course when you have surgery you can't do anything after midnight so my plan was to drink as many fluids (ie., water) as possible before midnight. This did not happen. My friend whom I had gone to see earlier came and got me and I was thankful.
She and I ran to Wal-mart and got a battery for my car. We went back to my car and guys let me tell you how proud I was of myself I have never done anything under the hood of a car except check my oil and between my friend and I we successfully changed my battery (which magically fixed my formerly broken CD player/radio). But that was not the problem, the car still wouldn't start.
We ended up leaving my car there overnight and my dear friend gave me her car to take to the hospital this morning. I got home and it was around 2:30 a.m. and I could not sleep. The last time I remember looking at the clock it was 3:45 a.m. and my alarm went off at 4 a.m. I was scared that because my evening had been so bad that my day was going to be as well and that scared me because I was going under the knife.
It's like in the movie "Due Date" the character says well since the day has starated off so bad "it is only uphill from here, that's what my dad always said" and Robert Downey Jr.'s character quickly corrects Zach (Hangover guy)'s character saying, "you're dad was wrong the saying goes it's only downhill from here". Well this was my fear.
The point in this post was not to just have a beotch fest, but instead to point out that no matter how bad things get it is always better to have a positive attitude because a positive and healthy mind means a healthy body. Maybe we should all think more along the lines of the Hangover guy and think that, "it is all up hill from here". On the plus side I was so vervous about jumping on that scale in fear that I had gained massive ammounts of weight back, but I had not. I gained back a pound, which makes me sad, but I truly feared it would have been more like 5 if not all of it back. Looks like we all just need to be more positive and not be Negative Nancy's.
I'm going to take some pain pills and do nothing because at this point that is all I have the strength to do.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: Scary Scales
My Life's Biggest Project: Scary Scales: "Today will be an interesting day. I have not been home since Tuesday which means I haven't been on a scale since then. That makes me nervous..."
Scary Scales
Today will be an interesting day. I have not been home since Tuesday which means I haven't been on a scale since then. That makes me nervous. I should make it home by around 3 today and I'm actually scared to step on the scale. I think by far, the hardest thing about dieting is not being able to be at your home. When you are staying with someone you don't seem to have as much control over what you are eating and when. At least I can say that is a problem that I am faced with. I don't want to hurt people's feelings or make them feel put out by my diet, but I also realize that this is probably one of the reason's that I have put on so much weight over the years.
Unlike many overweight people I was not always a big person. In fact when I was younger I was so thin that the doctors had my mother put me on an eat diet. Most larger people that I've spoken to say that this is something that they have dealt with since childhood, that just wasn't me. Puberty is definitely when weight became an issue for me (or so I thought). I remember freaking out because I was a size 7 (which I would kill to be now). I started getting curves and filling out in places I never had before. Funny thing people (boys particularly) liked these curves because I was getting them in the right places, but I was not happy about them. I thought boobs made me look fat and hips and a J.LO booty were not going to get me into a size 0.
This is one of the points in my life where the weight became an issue. As disscussed in a previous blog there were some things that occured in my life that were unwarented which assisted in my lead to demise, but that wasn't the only problem. I screwed my metabolism up like crazy. I wanted to be anorexic. What kind of mindset is that. Crazy right? I know now and even knew then that it is a disease, but I didn't care. I wanted to be skinny. I would go days without eating and weeks with eating a very small ammount then I would splurge and eat tons of food. Then throw it all up. It was a vicious cycle, but all of my friends were thin and beautiful and I wanted to look like them.
Then I moved and food became a reward almost to myself. I would splurge on junk food because I was alone and nobody was there to tell me otherwise. I hated the way I looked, but really and truly I hated myself. For many reasons. Middle school is when weight became a problem. I would fluctate from a size 10 to a size 14 and trust me it is no fun trying to shop at junior stores when you are a 14. I went back and forth between these sizes from 7th grade all the way until my freshmen year of college.
Something crazy happened my freshmen year and I dropped a whopping 50 pounds. Everyone else was packing on that freshmen 15 and I had found a way to lose weight. I was happy and that was probably part of the transition but for the first time in my life I had control. I controled what I ate and when I ate it and being a control freak I liked having that kind of power. I kept most of that weight off until the end of my sophmore year.
That was a crazy year. I went through a heart-wrenching break up and thought I would never live again (you know the type, very dramatic). My best friend wasn't my best friend anymore and she didn't want to have anything to do with me (sure we had problems, but childish people who had nothing going on in their lives only further perpetuated these problems by making up stories that never happened and basically lying about everything). One of my other best friends and I really drifted apart and I felt very alone. The weight slowly started to creep back on, but by no means had I blown up to what I had been.
My junior year I started eating out more and that was not kind to my waiste line. I also had my big kid birthday....21st. Which is when I found Ned's my favorite watering hole (not just in Tahlequah, but in the world). Not that I went and got sloshed everytime I went, there were lots of water and or Dr. Pepper nights, but I did enjoy being there. That's where everyone else was and I wanted to be there with my friends and all of the cute boys...lol (at that time there was one in particular that hung out there often and I just knew that if he saw me there we would have more of a chance of talking and then he would find out that he liked me and then he would want to date me). Sad story, but a true one. I thought that this guy was "it", you know what I mean and for the first time in a long time I liked someone who I thought had a future. He was not only gorgeous he was smart, a hard worker and extremely driven. No I didn't just go to the bar to be seen by him, I also went to be social. I wasn't one of those girls who's only incentive for having a night on the town was to meet guys, mine was to be social.
In fact the summer that I interned in Tulsa, I would drive straight from my internship to Ned's just to hang out with my friends. Then I found the 57 T-bird, which I'm sure can be blamed for a few pounds that I put on my body, but really the weight gain didn't really become noticeable to me until my senior year of college, which was by far the most stressful year of my life (at that time). I was working a couple of jobs and trying to plan for my future. I drank more my senior year than before and I was drinking beer because it was cheap, I also was sleeping the bare minimum of what any one person should sleep. My newspaper job was high stress and there was mass ammounts of imbalance in my life. I started going to the gym with one of my friends and instead of gaining weight (which I would have) I lost some weight and at the very least stayed consistant instead of gaining.
Then grad school happened and this is where it all went downhill. I was alone all the time, stressed out and depressed and I woke up one day looked at my body and felt truly uncomfortable in my own skin. I had pooches where I never had before. In a very short ammount of time I had become fatter than I had ever been in my entire life. Again I hated myself. This is one of the reasons I decided I needed the change. I'm a positive person who's full of life and EXTREMELY Social. I need and love to be around people. I got to the point last year where I was so disgusted with myself that I didn't want to get out of bed because I was embarassed. I didn't want people to see what I had become. I didn't know who I was anymore. Obviously change was needed.
I am mad at myself for not speaking up and drawing some lines this week, but I didn't want to make anyone else uncomfortable. I just have to keep reminding myself that I can be thin, I can like the skin I live in and most importantly I can do this. I fear the scale, but if I step on it and don't like what I see I'm just going to have to be that much more hardcore. I also am very nervous because my surgery is in the morning and I know that I won't be able to be very active for a couple of weeks so I'm going to brainstorm about what I can do to keep on track, once I've come up with some things I will tell you...if you have any ideas please throw them my way.
Unlike many overweight people I was not always a big person. In fact when I was younger I was so thin that the doctors had my mother put me on an eat diet. Most larger people that I've spoken to say that this is something that they have dealt with since childhood, that just wasn't me. Puberty is definitely when weight became an issue for me (or so I thought). I remember freaking out because I was a size 7 (which I would kill to be now). I started getting curves and filling out in places I never had before. Funny thing people (boys particularly) liked these curves because I was getting them in the right places, but I was not happy about them. I thought boobs made me look fat and hips and a J.LO booty were not going to get me into a size 0.
This is one of the points in my life where the weight became an issue. As disscussed in a previous blog there were some things that occured in my life that were unwarented which assisted in my lead to demise, but that wasn't the only problem. I screwed my metabolism up like crazy. I wanted to be anorexic. What kind of mindset is that. Crazy right? I know now and even knew then that it is a disease, but I didn't care. I wanted to be skinny. I would go days without eating and weeks with eating a very small ammount then I would splurge and eat tons of food. Then throw it all up. It was a vicious cycle, but all of my friends were thin and beautiful and I wanted to look like them.
Then I moved and food became a reward almost to myself. I would splurge on junk food because I was alone and nobody was there to tell me otherwise. I hated the way I looked, but really and truly I hated myself. For many reasons. Middle school is when weight became a problem. I would fluctate from a size 10 to a size 14 and trust me it is no fun trying to shop at junior stores when you are a 14. I went back and forth between these sizes from 7th grade all the way until my freshmen year of college.
Something crazy happened my freshmen year and I dropped a whopping 50 pounds. Everyone else was packing on that freshmen 15 and I had found a way to lose weight. I was happy and that was probably part of the transition but for the first time in my life I had control. I controled what I ate and when I ate it and being a control freak I liked having that kind of power. I kept most of that weight off until the end of my sophmore year.
That was a crazy year. I went through a heart-wrenching break up and thought I would never live again (you know the type, very dramatic). My best friend wasn't my best friend anymore and she didn't want to have anything to do with me (sure we had problems, but childish people who had nothing going on in their lives only further perpetuated these problems by making up stories that never happened and basically lying about everything). One of my other best friends and I really drifted apart and I felt very alone. The weight slowly started to creep back on, but by no means had I blown up to what I had been.
My junior year I started eating out more and that was not kind to my waiste line. I also had my big kid birthday....21st. Which is when I found Ned's my favorite watering hole (not just in Tahlequah, but in the world). Not that I went and got sloshed everytime I went, there were lots of water and or Dr. Pepper nights, but I did enjoy being there. That's where everyone else was and I wanted to be there with my friends and all of the cute boys...lol (at that time there was one in particular that hung out there often and I just knew that if he saw me there we would have more of a chance of talking and then he would find out that he liked me and then he would want to date me). Sad story, but a true one. I thought that this guy was "it", you know what I mean and for the first time in a long time I liked someone who I thought had a future. He was not only gorgeous he was smart, a hard worker and extremely driven. No I didn't just go to the bar to be seen by him, I also went to be social. I wasn't one of those girls who's only incentive for having a night on the town was to meet guys, mine was to be social.
In fact the summer that I interned in Tulsa, I would drive straight from my internship to Ned's just to hang out with my friends. Then I found the 57 T-bird, which I'm sure can be blamed for a few pounds that I put on my body, but really the weight gain didn't really become noticeable to me until my senior year of college, which was by far the most stressful year of my life (at that time). I was working a couple of jobs and trying to plan for my future. I drank more my senior year than before and I was drinking beer because it was cheap, I also was sleeping the bare minimum of what any one person should sleep. My newspaper job was high stress and there was mass ammounts of imbalance in my life. I started going to the gym with one of my friends and instead of gaining weight (which I would have) I lost some weight and at the very least stayed consistant instead of gaining.
Then grad school happened and this is where it all went downhill. I was alone all the time, stressed out and depressed and I woke up one day looked at my body and felt truly uncomfortable in my own skin. I had pooches where I never had before. In a very short ammount of time I had become fatter than I had ever been in my entire life. Again I hated myself. This is one of the reasons I decided I needed the change. I'm a positive person who's full of life and EXTREMELY Social. I need and love to be around people. I got to the point last year where I was so disgusted with myself that I didn't want to get out of bed because I was embarassed. I didn't want people to see what I had become. I didn't know who I was anymore. Obviously change was needed.
I am mad at myself for not speaking up and drawing some lines this week, but I didn't want to make anyone else uncomfortable. I just have to keep reminding myself that I can be thin, I can like the skin I live in and most importantly I can do this. I fear the scale, but if I step on it and don't like what I see I'm just going to have to be that much more hardcore. I also am very nervous because my surgery is in the morning and I know that I won't be able to be very active for a couple of weeks so I'm going to brainstorm about what I can do to keep on track, once I've come up with some things I will tell you...if you have any ideas please throw them my way.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: From bashing to beautifying
My Life's Biggest Project: From bashing to beautifying: "For those of you who enjoy trashy television as much as I do you know who Perez Hilton is. The gay trash talker is known for being ridiculou..."
From bashing to beautifying
For those of you who enjoy trashy television as much as I do you know who Perez Hilton is. The gay trash talker is known for being ridiculously crude and rude, but one thing he is also known for is the extreme body transformation that he has gone through himself. When Hilton first launched his blog that resembled some kind of tabloid on crack (in terms of the multitude of his offensive opinions) he himself was overweight. He would often comment on unhealthy lifestyle choices made by the rich and famous (things like smoking and having intense party habits). Hilton himself has certainly slimmed up and why you may love or hate him fact is he has found a way to have a healthier life.
Hilton realized that he no longer could be excluded from being the butt of the joke when he himself weighed 248 pounds about two years ago. Hilton was ashamed of his body and then promised himself that he was going to make a change. He has kept the weight off by staying active seven days a week and maintaining a healthy diet.
I'm really glad that I came across this article and I am sure I will use his Web site in the future to tell you guys things that I have learned. I personally love having many different outlets to learn from. According to Hilton himself his Web site will be chalk full of real health information that will be presented to its readers in a "fun and sassy way," said Hilton.
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| Perez before |
Naturally being a blogger and being someone who found his fame on the Internet it only made sense that Hilton's next career move would be to create a fit Web site. On this site Hilton says he will not only disclose information about how he himself has lost so much weight, but also much more than that. Hilton says that the site is going to be created to encourage a happier and healthier lifestyle to his followers. It will include recipes, pictures of celebrities showing off their hot bods (could this be thinspiration like on pro-ana sites? Who knows.), celebrities workout tips and interviews with the celebrities and their personal trainers. The Web site will also include food and fitness trends and stories having to do with one's overall health. These stories would include things like mood issues, fertility and other health concerns.
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| Perez now! |
Friday, November 26, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: Heart Conscious Technology
My Life's Biggest Project: Heart Conscious Technology: "You know how some say that technology is taking over every aspect of the world, well there just may be something to that. While researching ..."
Heart Conscious Technology
You know how some say that technology is taking over every aspect of the world, well there just may be something to that. While researching today I came across this article. Several companies are making heart rate monitors that help people keep track of their fitness level. It tells the person how many calories they have burned, gives one their heart rate and even gives "motivation-bossting messages, displayed on the watch face."
Lack of exercise is a major risk factor for developing coronary artery disease, (according to the American Health Association as well as common knowledge). Keeping with a regular exercise program is good for one's health as we all know, we also know that finding the motivation and or time to keep on track is really where the issue is for most people. This is where the product comes in. The article says, "instead of fretting about it, let technology come to your rescue and give you that extra push you need."
So that one can keep up with their weight-loss goals, WIThings (a French company) makes an electronic scale with a built-in Wi-Fi connection that can automatically record one's weight and send it to the individuals home computer, iPhone or iPad instantly. The Haier American Trainer makes a portable MP3 player which also has a heart rate monitor, pedometer, calorie counter and stopwatch and it is tiny enough to clip onto whatever attire you have chosen to jog or workout in.
Not all of us have the economic benefit of being ablet to purchase nice things like this, but for those who can these may be just the things to ask for from Santa this year. It's neat that they exist and further shows one more way that our world can depend on technology. The iPhone for example is the only way I can function. Without that map I would never know where I was. My friends fear that I may be too co-dependent on my phone and that may be true, but with health conscious technology will it be a bad thing to be co-dependent on that kind of technology? Food for thought, and that kind of food won't add any lbs to your booty...lol. Tomorrow I'll tell you all about what I stumble upon then.
As far as Thanksgiving went. I can honestly say that I did not consume nearly as much this year as I have in the past and I didn't put any gravy on my turkey at all. I did eat the dressing (which is loaded in carbs and completely bad for you), but it's my favorite part. I did not walk away from the table feeling like I was going to burst so all and all I would say food wise it was not as big of an epic fail as I feared it may have been. I hope that you all had a great time with your friends and family. I also hope that everyone was safe during the hustle and bustle of today's shopping. I stayed at my Aunt and Uncle's and played some guitar hero with my cousin. Now I'm going to go jump on his trampoline with him :)
To help you maintain your weight-loss goals, the French company WIThings makes an electronic scale with a built-in Wi-Fi connection that automatically records your weight and instantly transmits it to you home computer, iPhone, or iPad. And to make those early morning jogs less boring, Haier America Trainer makes a portable MP3 player that also includes a heart rate monitor, pedometer, calorie counter, and stopwatch and is small enough to clip to your workout gear.
Lack of exercise is a major risk factor for developing coronary artery disease, (according to the American Health Association as well as common knowledge). Keeping with a regular exercise program is good for one's health as we all know, we also know that finding the motivation and or time to keep on track is really where the issue is for most people. This is where the product comes in. The article says, "instead of fretting about it, let technology come to your rescue and give you that extra push you need."
So that one can keep up with their weight-loss goals, WIThings (a French company) makes an electronic scale with a built-in Wi-Fi connection that can automatically record one's weight and send it to the individuals home computer, iPhone or iPad instantly. The Haier American Trainer makes a portable MP3 player which also has a heart rate monitor, pedometer, calorie counter and stopwatch and it is tiny enough to clip onto whatever attire you have chosen to jog or workout in.
Not all of us have the economic benefit of being ablet to purchase nice things like this, but for those who can these may be just the things to ask for from Santa this year. It's neat that they exist and further shows one more way that our world can depend on technology. The iPhone for example is the only way I can function. Without that map I would never know where I was. My friends fear that I may be too co-dependent on my phone and that may be true, but with health conscious technology will it be a bad thing to be co-dependent on that kind of technology? Food for thought, and that kind of food won't add any lbs to your booty...lol. Tomorrow I'll tell you all about what I stumble upon then.
As far as Thanksgiving went. I can honestly say that I did not consume nearly as much this year as I have in the past and I didn't put any gravy on my turkey at all. I did eat the dressing (which is loaded in carbs and completely bad for you), but it's my favorite part. I did not walk away from the table feeling like I was going to burst so all and all I would say food wise it was not as big of an epic fail as I feared it may have been. I hope that you all had a great time with your friends and family. I also hope that everyone was safe during the hustle and bustle of today's shopping. I stayed at my Aunt and Uncle's and played some guitar hero with my cousin. Now I'm going to go jump on his trampoline with him :)
To help you maintain your weight-loss goals, the French company WIThings makes an electronic scale with a built-in Wi-Fi connection that automatically records your weight and instantly transmits it to you home computer, iPhone, or iPad. And to make those early morning jogs less boring, Haier America Trainer makes a portable MP3 player that also includes a heart rate monitor, pedometer, calorie counter, and stopwatch and is small enough to clip to your workout gear.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: Happy Thanksgiving
My Life's Biggest Project: Happy Thanksgiving: "Hello all. I hope that today you have been able to spend time with loved ones. I also hope that you were very thankful for those you were ab..."
Happy Thanksgiving
Hello all. I hope that today you have been able to spend time with loved ones. I also hope that you were very thankful for those you were able to spend the day with. Whether it be the family that you were born into or the one that you have chosen to be a part of. Hopefully you were with someone. I'm spending time with my family today (thus the late entry) but I wanted to wish everyone a very happy holiday and I'll post something new and exciting tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: Cheaters Lose
My Life's Biggest Project: Cheaters Lose: "Everyday I watch the news and read articles about health and fitness to try to find something interesting to talk to you about as well as re..."
Cheaters Lose
Everyday I watch the news and read articles about health and fitness to try to find something interesting to talk to you about as well as researching what kind of things will work for me. I'm new at trying to have this new train of thought so I'm interested in personal stories. This of course doesn't suprise me. I'm a journalist and my favorite stories to write have always been feature stories. They may not be the hard hitting news that wins people awards, but to me to get to write someone's story and give them recognition on any kind of level is amazing. As an undergrad I wrote several feature stories, not just on students and professors, but everyone. I wrote feature stories on people from the president of the university all the way to one of the janators at the university (and her story and interview really was more interesting...lol). Seeings how these are my favorite kind of story the write it only makes sense that I also enjoy reading them as well.
Today I was looking up stories online and I came across Linda's personal account of how it was that she lost a little over 100 pounds in about a year in a half. She has kept this weight off for over a year. Like most dieters Linda had tried all different kinds of diets (like Weight Watchers and the Nutrisystem plan) in the past and would be successful with them, but as soon as she would stop the diet she would gain all of the weight right back. Linda said that she would sometimes lose up to 70 or 80 pounds, only to see it come right back.
At 222 pounds Linda had reached a breaking point. She was driving in a car with her husband who told her that he wanted to lose some weight because his pants were getting kind of tight. Linda's husband was not overweight, but she thought that if he was going to do this she needed to do something too. So Linda told her husband she would do it with him.
Linda decided that she was going to do this different than she had before because things in the past hadn't worked. She figured she didn't have to pay anyone to put the weight on so she wasn't going to pay anyone to help her take it off. This time she was doing it with no diet pills and no specific weight loss plan. Linda also realized that she was going to have to consider this a lifestyle change and not a diet (doesn't this sound like what I've been saying the whole time?).
So Linda took it old school and just started watching what she ate. Linda cut her calories back to 1,000 a day Monday-Saturday and on Sundays she would allow herself to have a "cheat day" where she could eat whatever she wanted. Linda believes this cheat day was the key to her success. Sure it may have taken her longer to drop the pounds by having it, but it also helped her stay on track and keep her sanity. By allowing for this one day she would not cheat throughout the week because she kept telling herself that she could wait until Sunday and she could have whatever it was that she was craving.
Linda now weights 116 pounds. That's right she went from 222 to 116. That's amazing! The point in me posting this specific story is because of the holiday and all of the food that we will be faced with tomorrow. It's OK to mess up a little and dieting shouldn't ruin your life. If yu spend teh whold day stressing about what you're eating tehn it's just going to be a bad day. And as I've said a million times before sterss is bad on teh body. If I mess up and eat a little bit more tomorrow than I have been I'm not going to consider myself a failure, I'm just going to have to be more thoughtful about my intake the rest of the week. I also remind myself of the wonderful feeling I feel when stepping on the scale and seeing that the number has gone down. Normally that is enough to supress my cravings.
Today I was looking up stories online and I came across Linda's personal account of how it was that she lost a little over 100 pounds in about a year in a half. She has kept this weight off for over a year. Like most dieters Linda had tried all different kinds of diets (like Weight Watchers and the Nutrisystem plan) in the past and would be successful with them, but as soon as she would stop the diet she would gain all of the weight right back. Linda said that she would sometimes lose up to 70 or 80 pounds, only to see it come right back.
 |
| Linda before |
Linda decided that she was going to do this different than she had before because things in the past hadn't worked. She figured she didn't have to pay anyone to put the weight on so she wasn't going to pay anyone to help her take it off. This time she was doing it with no diet pills and no specific weight loss plan. Linda also realized that she was going to have to consider this a lifestyle change and not a diet (doesn't this sound like what I've been saying the whole time?).
So Linda took it old school and just started watching what she ate. Linda cut her calories back to 1,000 a day Monday-Saturday and on Sundays she would allow herself to have a "cheat day" where she could eat whatever she wanted. Linda believes this cheat day was the key to her success. Sure it may have taken her longer to drop the pounds by having it, but it also helped her stay on track and keep her sanity. By allowing for this one day she would not cheat throughout the week because she kept telling herself that she could wait until Sunday and she could have whatever it was that she was craving.
 |
| Linda now |
"It took me a year and a half to lose over a hundred pounds, and I have had the weight off for one year," said Linda. "I truly believe that the reward days were the secret to my success. In the past, whenever I dieted, I never, ever cheated, but as soon as I reached my goal, I ate like a nut because I had deprived myself for so long. Now that I have reached my goal, I still follow the same plan, except that I can have 1,300 to 1,400 calories a day with the reward day on Sunday. It has become a lifestyle for me now, but I know that I can never let my guard down on my weight or I will be right back where I started. How funny that after so many years of following diets strictly, my success all hinged on my 'cheat day' each week!"
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and hopefully you will get to spend it with your friends and family. Remember don't beat yourself up over your intake and think of Linda. Maybe this Thursday can be your cheat day. If you want to know more you can read Linda's story.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: Turkey Day Tips
My Life's Biggest Project: Turkey Day Tips: "We all know that the holiday season is one of the worse times to gain weight. We like bears put on extra weight (but we don't hibernate). We..."
Turkey Day Tips
We all know that the holiday season is one of the worse times to gain weight. We like bears put on extra weight (but we don't hibernate). We have a million things going on during this particular time of year so things like working out and cooking healthy home cooked meals certainly get pushed to the side. The thing to remember is that there is an end goal to be reached.
I found some cooking tips for the Thanksgiving meal that may be beneficial to those of you preparing your Turkey Day menu. These little tips can help you to not take on as many calories without having to feel like you're missing out on the meal. Here are the 6 Guilt-free Choices for Thanksgiving written by Joe Wilkes (received in the p90x e-mail).
1. Turkey- The main dish and symbol of Thanksgiving. Lean turkey breast is the way to go it contains 8 grams of protein and only 44 calories and 1 gram of fat per ounce. Turkey may be one of the healthiest things that one can eat. If you prefer dark meat to white meat you only need to add one extra gram of fat and 9 more calories per ounce. Of course as most of you know you want to avoid the skin of the bird to cut back on extra calories and fat. Another big tip is to go easy of the gravy. Wilkes suggests doing what he has coined the "salad-dressing technique- dip the tines of your fork in the gravy before you spear the meat to get more flavor with less fat." Another thing suggested if you happen to be the cook, you should use broth as a baste as opposed to butter.
2. Cranberries- Use the real thing here and don't cheat with the cans. These tiny little berries are full of nutrition, including high levels of vitamin C and several polyphenol antioxidants. I had no idea how good cranberries were for you until I read this, but they really do lots of cool little things. They're good for stopping the growth of harmful bacteria in the bladder and urethra. They also contain a chemical that helps stop tooth decay (however since most are prepared with sugar that would make this one fact obsolete). A neat way to prepare cranberries would be in orange juice, or a teensy bit of port wine. These will bring out their flavor and not over sweeten them.
3. Yams- Yes I mean yams and not sweet potatoes. These are great sources of vitamin B6, which has the ability to reduce the risk of heart disease. They also contain potassium, which can help regulate blood pressure. They also contain complex carbohydrates and fiber that won't spike your blood sugar. So many people want to candy the yams, but that really takes away all of the blood sugar benefits. Try spicing them up with a little bit of cinnamon instead. You can also try a little bit of maple syrup on the side that way the extra sugar is optional.
4. Sweet potatoes- They have a lot of the same benefits of yams because they are relative to them, but the sweet potato also has bunches of nutrients that regular potatoes do not, including beta-carotene and vitamin C. These high levels of carotenoids in sweet potatoes helps regulate ones blood sugar and that helps for people to avoid the tryptophan turkey coma. Melting marshmallows on top can take away the nutritional benefits, but you can always scrape those off!
5. Salad- of course this is something that you should load up on. And by salad obviously what is meant by this is lettuce and veggies, not the cream-based salads like Waldorf salad or mayonnaise packed potato or macaroni salad. Put the dressing on the side and use it sparingly of course. You can use the salad dressing technique discussed earlier.
6. Pumpkin Pie- Yum yum pumpkin pie, the dessert most associated with Thanksgiving. Keep in mind that one slice of pumpkin pie has as much beta-carotene as an entire carrot. It is also very high in vitamin C. Like everything else mentioned above we end up killing it with add ons like fats and sugar. So if you are making the pie, you can sub skim milk for cream or sweetened condensed milk. You can also add silken tofu to thicken up the pie filling and that also provides the extra health benefits of the soy!
Obviously there will be lots of yummy choices around, but I will remind myself how proud I am of myself as soon as I step on a scale and see that the number has gone down. Another thing to remember that me like everyone else I know tend to forget during this particular holiday is portion control. When I'm full I'll stop eating. Another thing is that it is bad to sit in front of a television when eating and what happens on most people's turkey day get together? That's right, plopping down on a couch in front of a television watching some football. When you're distracted you don't realize how much food you are shoving in your face and it also takes you longer to realize that you're full.
I'll try to keep all of these things in mind and I hope that this information has been beneficial to you too. Only two more days to go :)
I found some cooking tips for the Thanksgiving meal that may be beneficial to those of you preparing your Turkey Day menu. These little tips can help you to not take on as many calories without having to feel like you're missing out on the meal. Here are the 6 Guilt-free Choices for Thanksgiving written by Joe Wilkes (received in the p90x e-mail).
2. Cranberries- Use the real thing here and don't cheat with the cans. These tiny little berries are full of nutrition, including high levels of vitamin C and several polyphenol antioxidants. I had no idea how good cranberries were for you until I read this, but they really do lots of cool little things. They're good for stopping the growth of harmful bacteria in the bladder and urethra. They also contain a chemical that helps stop tooth decay (however since most are prepared with sugar that would make this one fact obsolete). A neat way to prepare cranberries would be in orange juice, or a teensy bit of port wine. These will bring out their flavor and not over sweeten them.
3. Yams- Yes I mean yams and not sweet potatoes. These are great sources of vitamin B6, which has the ability to reduce the risk of heart disease. They also contain potassium, which can help regulate blood pressure. They also contain complex carbohydrates and fiber that won't spike your blood sugar. So many people want to candy the yams, but that really takes away all of the blood sugar benefits. Try spicing them up with a little bit of cinnamon instead. You can also try a little bit of maple syrup on the side that way the extra sugar is optional.
4. Sweet potatoes- They have a lot of the same benefits of yams because they are relative to them, but the sweet potato also has bunches of nutrients that regular potatoes do not, including beta-carotene and vitamin C. These high levels of carotenoids in sweet potatoes helps regulate ones blood sugar and that helps for people to avoid the tryptophan turkey coma. Melting marshmallows on top can take away the nutritional benefits, but you can always scrape those off!
5. Salad- of course this is something that you should load up on. And by salad obviously what is meant by this is lettuce and veggies, not the cream-based salads like Waldorf salad or mayonnaise packed potato or macaroni salad. Put the dressing on the side and use it sparingly of course. You can use the salad dressing technique discussed earlier.
6. Pumpkin Pie- Yum yum pumpkin pie, the dessert most associated with Thanksgiving. Keep in mind that one slice of pumpkin pie has as much beta-carotene as an entire carrot. It is also very high in vitamin C. Like everything else mentioned above we end up killing it with add ons like fats and sugar. So if you are making the pie, you can sub skim milk for cream or sweetened condensed milk. You can also add silken tofu to thicken up the pie filling and that also provides the extra health benefits of the soy!
Obviously there will be lots of yummy choices around, but I will remind myself how proud I am of myself as soon as I step on a scale and see that the number has gone down. Another thing to remember that me like everyone else I know tend to forget during this particular holiday is portion control. When I'm full I'll stop eating. Another thing is that it is bad to sit in front of a television when eating and what happens on most people's turkey day get together? That's right, plopping down on a couch in front of a television watching some football. When you're distracted you don't realize how much food you are shoving in your face and it also takes you longer to realize that you're full.
I'll try to keep all of these things in mind and I hope that this information has been beneficial to you too. Only two more days to go :)
Monday, November 22, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: P90X Fit Test
My Life's Biggest Project: P90X Fit Test: "Several of my friends have asked me a lot of questions about the P90X program since I started this blog and ask if it's worth purchasing. We..."
P90X Fit Test
Several of my friends have asked me a lot of questions about the P90X program since I started this blog and ask if it's worth purchasing. Well like I said because of my surgery that I'm having a week from today the doctor insisted that I not do it, but what I can tell you about the program is that even though I only did it for a short while that short time really kicked my butt. It is a reasonably priced program, somewhere in the ballpark of $200, but a lot of people are scared to purchase a fitness program and I get that too. So what I have decided to do for you all is post the fit test.
This fit test is listed at the beginning of the P90X program and they say of course after consulting with a doctor you need to pass this fit test. Once this fit test has been passed you can start the program. I assumed that most of you contemplating whether or not to buy this would want to know this beforehand. What they don't tell you is that really this program is created for seasoned athletics not people who haven't worked out in 5...10 or how many years. So I figured I'd hook you all up!
For the first part you'll need a way to do pull-ups. Try to do as many as possible. Women only need to be able to do 1 and men should be able to do 3 to pass this portion. (I have no upper body strength and couldn't do one...lol).
2. Vertical leap. It says to stand sideways with shoulder against wall and raise arm straight overhead. Record your lenght here. Then jump with step: Then lower arm, take just one step back and proceed to jump straight up, trying to touch highest point on wall (don't gather up a head of steam prior to your jump) record that height. Subtract theh first measuremnet from the second and that is your vertical leap. Men should have a minimum of 5 inches and women should have 3.
3. Push-ups- Men should be able to do at least 15 and women should be able to do 3 unless you are doing push-ups off your knees and in that case women should be able to do 15.
4. Toe touch- sit on the floor with legs extended directly in front of you. Bend forward at the waist and extend arms over legs towards toes. If not able to reach, measure the distance from fingertips to toes (you'll need a tape measurer). If able to extend fingers beyond toes, measure teh distance from fingers reach beyond toes. Do not strain or force this. Reach should be no less than 6 inches from your toes.
5. Wall squat. You should be able to hold for at least 1 minute.
6. Bicep curls- use a minimum of 20 lbs if man and 8 lbs if woman. No breaks longer than 1 sec between reps. Men should be able to do at least 10 curls w/20 lbs and women should be able to do at least 10 with 8 lbs.
7. In and outs- seated with hands on the floor at your sides, knees bent with feet on the floor. Raise feet off the ground and bring knees in towards your chest. Straighten legs back out and repeat movement without touching floor. You should be able to do at least 25.
8. Do jumping jacks for 2 minutes straight. You should be able to do this without stopping.
If you pass all of thise then you are ready to P90X. If not then you should work out, eat better and get in a little better shape until you can. Once you can pass this fit test you are ready for the program.
This fit test is listed at the beginning of the P90X program and they say of course after consulting with a doctor you need to pass this fit test. Once this fit test has been passed you can start the program. I assumed that most of you contemplating whether or not to buy this would want to know this beforehand. What they don't tell you is that really this program is created for seasoned athletics not people who haven't worked out in 5...10 or how many years. So I figured I'd hook you all up!
2. Vertical leap. It says to stand sideways with shoulder against wall and raise arm straight overhead. Record your lenght here. Then jump with step: Then lower arm, take just one step back and proceed to jump straight up, trying to touch highest point on wall (don't gather up a head of steam prior to your jump) record that height. Subtract theh first measuremnet from the second and that is your vertical leap. Men should have a minimum of 5 inches and women should have 3.
3. Push-ups- Men should be able to do at least 15 and women should be able to do 3 unless you are doing push-ups off your knees and in that case women should be able to do 15.
4. Toe touch- sit on the floor with legs extended directly in front of you. Bend forward at the waist and extend arms over legs towards toes. If not able to reach, measure the distance from fingertips to toes (you'll need a tape measurer). If able to extend fingers beyond toes, measure teh distance from fingers reach beyond toes. Do not strain or force this. Reach should be no less than 6 inches from your toes.
5. Wall squat. You should be able to hold for at least 1 minute.
6. Bicep curls- use a minimum of 20 lbs if man and 8 lbs if woman. No breaks longer than 1 sec between reps. Men should be able to do at least 10 curls w/20 lbs and women should be able to do at least 10 with 8 lbs.
7. In and outs- seated with hands on the floor at your sides, knees bent with feet on the floor. Raise feet off the ground and bring knees in towards your chest. Straighten legs back out and repeat movement without touching floor. You should be able to do at least 25.
8. Do jumping jacks for 2 minutes straight. You should be able to do this without stopping.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: The "skinny fat" epidemic
My Life's Biggest Project: The "skinny fat" epidemic: "For many of you out there you probably think that it is impossible to be conisdered 'skinny fat'. It simply sounds like an oxymoron, at leas..."
The "skinny fat" epidemic
For many of you out there you probably think that it is impossible to be conisdered "skinny fat". It simply sounds like an oxymoron, at least that's what I thought, but then I came across research that clearly states that it is possible to be skinny and fat at the same time. Crazy huh? Let me tell you about it...
There is a new conditioned call normal weight obesity also known as NWO or "skinny fat". Research done at the Mayo Clinic found that more than half of adults in America with normal body weight in accordance to their BMI (body mass index), suffer from high body-fat percentages which comes to approximently more than 20 percent for men and 30 percent for women. They also found that these individuals have the same risk for developing coronary disease and diabetes as people who weigh a lot more than them. That's because those who are "fat skinny" have been found to have both heart and metabolic disturbances.
Want to know how the study was done? Well I'll tell you how the Mayo Clinic came to these results. This particular study included 2,127 adults, half of which were men and half of which were women (equally divided) who all had a normal BMI. For adults that would be between 18.5 and 24.9. After factoring in variables such as age, sex and race the researchers found that those who participated with a normal weight obesity had much higher rates "of some alterations in their blood chemistry that can adversely affect hearth health". That included the following:
I would like to apologize for how late today's posting is. Today was a rather busy day. I got up this morning and tried a new church for the first time since I've been in Norman and afterwards met up with my friends family for a late lunch (they were in town because they had been at the OU vs. Baylor game yesterday). After lunch because it was such a beautiful day today my friend and I went jogging/speed walking to and around campus.
Not to get all religious on those of you reading, but today just felt like an amazing day. I think that by having a clear mind and by being surrounded by positivity it helped me to be more positive. I was in a cranky or at least emotionally uptight mood all weekend and today really helped me end my weekend on a much better note. I'll be honest I'm stressed out about this upcoming surgery and all that it entails so it has been a little rough lately, but I just keep reminding myself how worth it this is going to be and that at the end of the day I will prevail. I will because I'm stubborn and thickheaded sometimes. But really I just tell myself, you got this ;)
There is a new conditioned call normal weight obesity also known as NWO or "skinny fat". Research done at the Mayo Clinic found that more than half of adults in America with normal body weight in accordance to their BMI (body mass index), suffer from high body-fat percentages which comes to approximently more than 20 percent for men and 30 percent for women. They also found that these individuals have the same risk for developing coronary disease and diabetes as people who weigh a lot more than them. That's because those who are "fat skinny" have been found to have both heart and metabolic disturbances.
Want to know how the study was done? Well I'll tell you how the Mayo Clinic came to these results. This particular study included 2,127 adults, half of which were men and half of which were women (equally divided) who all had a normal BMI. For adults that would be between 18.5 and 24.9. After factoring in variables such as age, sex and race the researchers found that those who participated with a normal weight obesity had much higher rates "of some alterations in their blood chemistry that can adversely affect hearth health". That included the following:
- Altered blood lipid profile, such as cholesterol
- High levels of leptin, a hormone found in fat and other tissues
- Higher rates of metabolic syndrome (a cluster of conditions, such as high blood pressure, elevated insulin levels and excess body fat around the waist, that increase risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes).
I would like to apologize for how late today's posting is. Today was a rather busy day. I got up this morning and tried a new church for the first time since I've been in Norman and afterwards met up with my friends family for a late lunch (they were in town because they had been at the OU vs. Baylor game yesterday). After lunch because it was such a beautiful day today my friend and I went jogging/speed walking to and around campus.
Not to get all religious on those of you reading, but today just felt like an amazing day. I think that by having a clear mind and by being surrounded by positivity it helped me to be more positive. I was in a cranky or at least emotionally uptight mood all weekend and today really helped me end my weekend on a much better note. I'll be honest I'm stressed out about this upcoming surgery and all that it entails so it has been a little rough lately, but I just keep reminding myself how worth it this is going to be and that at the end of the day I will prevail. I will because I'm stubborn and thickheaded sometimes. But really I just tell myself, you got this ;)
Saturday, November 20, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: 3 Day Diet
My Life's Biggest Project: 3 Day Diet: "There are all different kinds of fad diets out there that promise to give you the results that you want, but in reality they ar ruinging our..."
3 Day Diet
There are all different kinds of fad diets out there that promise to give you the results that you want, but in reality they ar ruinging our metabolisms and causing a much worse weight problem for us in the long run. One of the fad diets that promises not to ruin our metabolism and has been around since 1985 is the 3 Day Diet. I would like to go ahead and say that I will not be trying this, but I thought that I would tell you all about it.
The 3 Day Diet promises to make you lose 10 pounds in three days, but really you are probably losing water weight and not fat weight. There is a process that one must follow exactly for the three days. Once the three days are up the person is to go back to eating normal for four to five days before doing the diet again. The reason it is neccesary to go back to normal eating is so that the metabolism doesn't get screwed up. This "normal eating" is never defined.
The 3 Day Diet is a very specific food plan that must be followed to a T. Portions must be eaten exactly as stated and those partaking in the diet are told not to overeat, or they may not lose the 10 pounds promised. The dieter is also told not to under-eat, even if they are not hungry. No exercise is ever recommended in any of the literature about this particular diet. The diet goes as follows:
The 3 Day Diet meal plan:
Day 1
Breakfast
Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal
1/2 grapefruit or juice
1 piece toast with 1 tablespoon peanut butter
Lunch
1/2 cup tuna
1 piece toast
Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal
Dinner
3 ounces any lean meat or chicken
1 cup green beans
1 cup carrots
1 apple
1 cup regular vanilla ice cream
Day 2
Breakfast
Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal
1 egg
1/2 banana
1 piece toast
Lunch
1 cup cottage cheese or tuna
8 regular saltine crackers
Dinner
2 beef franks
1 cup broccoli or cabbage
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 banana
1/2 cup regular vanilla ice cream
Day 3
Breakfast
Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal
5 regular saltine crackers
1 ounce cheddar cheese
1 apple
Lunch
Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal
1 boiled egg
1 piece toast
Dinner
1 cup tuna
1 cup carrots
1 cup cauliflower
1 cup melon
1/2 cup regular vanilla ice cream
In addition to its strict daily food prescription, dieters drink 4 cups of water or noncaloric drinks daily. It is never explained how or why and their is no author or book or any kind of scientific explanation for how it is that this diet works, but the way it is said to work is simple. Supposeably the combination of the foods in the meal plan create some kind of crazy metabolic reaction that boosts fat burning to a high. It is said to burn fat, increase energy, cleanse the body and lower cholesterol. As said before though there is no documentation of this anywhere.
In all of the research that I have done on dieting and health lately never once have I read anything else that suggested eating most of the things on that list (i.e., peanut butter, saltine crackers, ice cream). It may sound like a crazy fad, but if it really has been along as long as people say there must be something to it. I find it interesting that it has been around as long as it has, because in most cases when people find out that something like this doesn't work the fad normally dies down. The fact is once some kind of miracle diet is invented it won't be a fad it will be a triumph and everyone will do it.
Until that day comes it is important to realize that you are an individual and something that works for somebody else may not neccessarily work for you. We are made up of different genetics and each of these things that make us different than our friends are the things that make weight loss different for everyone. The only one thing that has been proven to work for everyone in the world is a well balanced diet and exercise...crazy that there is no quick fix for this just a change in habits.
Today I'm going to clean my apartment and probably jam out to some Lady GaGa while I do. Singing and dancing while cleaning will make the task much more bearable and keep me in a better mood as well as keeping my heart rate going. What a wonderful plan for today. I hope you all have a wonderful Saturday and I'll have something new for tomorrow!
The 3 Day Diet promises to make you lose 10 pounds in three days, but really you are probably losing water weight and not fat weight. There is a process that one must follow exactly for the three days. Once the three days are up the person is to go back to eating normal for four to five days before doing the diet again. The reason it is neccesary to go back to normal eating is so that the metabolism doesn't get screwed up. This "normal eating" is never defined.
The 3 Day Diet is a very specific food plan that must be followed to a T. Portions must be eaten exactly as stated and those partaking in the diet are told not to overeat, or they may not lose the 10 pounds promised. The dieter is also told not to under-eat, even if they are not hungry. No exercise is ever recommended in any of the literature about this particular diet. The diet goes as follows:
The 3 Day Diet meal plan:
Day 1
Breakfast
Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal
1/2 grapefruit or juice
1 piece toast with 1 tablespoon peanut butter
Lunch
1/2 cup tuna
1 piece toast
Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal
Dinner
3 ounces any lean meat or chicken
1 cup green beans
1 cup carrots
1 apple
1 cup regular vanilla ice cream
Day 2
Breakfast
Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal
1 egg
1/2 banana
1 piece toast
Lunch
1 cup cottage cheese or tuna
8 regular saltine crackers
Dinner
2 beef franks
1 cup broccoli or cabbage
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 banana
1/2 cup regular vanilla ice cream
Day 3
Breakfast
Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal
5 regular saltine crackers
1 ounce cheddar cheese
1 apple
Lunch
Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal
1 boiled egg
1 piece toast
Dinner
1 cup tuna
1 cup carrots
1 cup cauliflower
1 cup melon
1/2 cup regular vanilla ice cream
In addition to its strict daily food prescription, dieters drink 4 cups of water or noncaloric drinks daily. It is never explained how or why and their is no author or book or any kind of scientific explanation for how it is that this diet works, but the way it is said to work is simple. Supposeably the combination of the foods in the meal plan create some kind of crazy metabolic reaction that boosts fat burning to a high. It is said to burn fat, increase energy, cleanse the body and lower cholesterol. As said before though there is no documentation of this anywhere.
In all of the research that I have done on dieting and health lately never once have I read anything else that suggested eating most of the things on that list (i.e., peanut butter, saltine crackers, ice cream). It may sound like a crazy fad, but if it really has been along as long as people say there must be something to it. I find it interesting that it has been around as long as it has, because in most cases when people find out that something like this doesn't work the fad normally dies down. The fact is once some kind of miracle diet is invented it won't be a fad it will be a triumph and everyone will do it.
Until that day comes it is important to realize that you are an individual and something that works for somebody else may not neccessarily work for you. We are made up of different genetics and each of these things that make us different than our friends are the things that make weight loss different for everyone. The only one thing that has been proven to work for everyone in the world is a well balanced diet and exercise...crazy that there is no quick fix for this just a change in habits.
Today I'm going to clean my apartment and probably jam out to some Lady GaGa while I do. Singing and dancing while cleaning will make the task much more bearable and keep me in a better mood as well as keeping my heart rate going. What a wonderful plan for today. I hope you all have a wonderful Saturday and I'll have something new for tomorrow!
Friday, November 19, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: Tips for Dining Out
My Life's Biggest Project: Tips for Dining Out: "OK so as most of us know instead of going out to eat being a treat like it use to be, we do it more than cooking these days (at least I do)...."
Tips for Dining Out
OK so as most of us know instead of going out to eat being a treat like it use to be, we do it more than cooking these days (at least I do). It's a hastle when you're trying to be health conscious, but it doesn't have to be. One of the good things about ordering the P90X is all of the little tidbits of information they send you via e-mail. One I got a while back gives 8 Tips When Dining Out so I figured I would pass this information your way so that it can help you as well :)
1.) Use the Internet (seriously you can find almost anything on it these days, so we might as well utilize it). Before going out look up the menu. This way you can decide what it is you are going to eat before you ever get there. This will keep your friend and the waiter from breathing down your neck while you try to decide what it is you want. Not only is it a time saver it is also beneficial to you and will weed out stress (which is unhealthy on the body too).
2.) Look up the nutrition fact. Once you've decided what you want to eat after looking up the menu online you can also look up the nutrition facts. Many resturants list these facts online and for those that do not you can look at each ingredient to figure out how much protein, fat and carbs are in each meal. Knowing this helps you figure out the best thing for you to eat as well as what not to!
3.) Eat your snacks and meals as you already have them scheduled. One of the biggest issues that people face when going out to eat is that we have to get our money's worth. With this kind of thought we feel it neccessary to completely clean our plate. This is why you should never go out to eat when you're starving (just like you shouldn't go grocery shopping when you're super hungry). The problem is most restaurants serve large portions of things and if we have it in our minds that we have to eat it all we are goign to be misserably full as well as packing on pounds. So eat like you normally do in a day and if you are still starving before you go to the restaurant eat an apple (just like Dr. Oz said, 15 minutes before you go). Keep in mind that you should stop eating when you are full and if you take half your meal home in a to go box not only are you getting your money's worth, but you have now paid for two seperate meals only once!
4.) Work out like normal. A lot of people think that if they have skipped a workout then they have already messed up for the day so why the heck does it matter. It matters. Everyday matters. You aren't neccesiarily going to ruin your workout by eating. In fact in a study done by researchers in Brazil they found that exercise increases the feeling of fullness in the brain.
5.) Write it down. You should be keeping track of your calorie intake in a food diary, but even if you're not know that by writing something down (once you've made your decision about what you are going to eat) you are more likely to keep with it and less likely to add things like an appetizer or dessert to your meal. If you know how many calories you are supposed to be intaking for the day you will also know how to adjust your intake if needed. Writing it down helps you keep a record of what you're doing. It's like the to-do list of food.
6.) Be honest and firm. If you stand your ground you are less likely to get peer pressured into things. Explain to your friends how hard you've been working toward your goals. Tell them about them so that they understand. Chances are much higher that they will be supportive if they understand and less likely to try to sway you to order that slice of cheesecake. The problem is once you make a bad food mistake you have opened the door to make much more. Not to mention how proud of yourself you will be for standing up for yourself.
7.) Have a conversation plan. This may sound silly, especially if you are meeting friends or family out, but if you are meeting a date or a co-worker chances are high that there will be some quite periods which is when most people keep eating breadsticks or whatever to fill in silence at the table. A lot of calories are wasted on nervous energy. If you have something to talk about chances are higher that there will be less of these moments and you will be so into your conversaton you will probably eat less anyway. It's also a plus if you are eating with someone you hardly know because they will feel like you are interested in what it is that they have to say which will probably lead to this situation ending on a much better note.
8.) Wear skinny jeans. By this I don't mean to make a fashion statement, but instead wear something more tight fitting, whether it be a shirt or pants. Once you feel your tummy pressing against your clothes that is a fairly clear sign that you should stop eating. Apparently there use to be an old diet trick for people who ate at home, they were told to do so in a swimsuit. Well obviously you don't want to go on a lunch date in swimwear.
In terms of dieting it has been said that the hardest part isn't watching what you eat, but instead watching what other people eat. This is true because while you're sitting there eating your grilled chicken breast and steamed vegetables you can look around and see that other people are consuming their own body weight in fat grams. By having a game plan and sticking to it you can walk out of that restaurant with a full tummy and a clear mind. Just remind yourself that it is worth it and maybe just maybe you will have inspired someone else to do the same thing. With Friday night being date night, chances are high that some of you will go out to eat tonight and if you do I hope that you keep these tips in mind!
2.) Look up the nutrition fact. Once you've decided what you want to eat after looking up the menu online you can also look up the nutrition facts. Many resturants list these facts online and for those that do not you can look at each ingredient to figure out how much protein, fat and carbs are in each meal. Knowing this helps you figure out the best thing for you to eat as well as what not to!
3.) Eat your snacks and meals as you already have them scheduled. One of the biggest issues that people face when going out to eat is that we have to get our money's worth. With this kind of thought we feel it neccessary to completely clean our plate. This is why you should never go out to eat when you're starving (just like you shouldn't go grocery shopping when you're super hungry). The problem is most restaurants serve large portions of things and if we have it in our minds that we have to eat it all we are goign to be misserably full as well as packing on pounds. So eat like you normally do in a day and if you are still starving before you go to the restaurant eat an apple (just like Dr. Oz said, 15 minutes before you go). Keep in mind that you should stop eating when you are full and if you take half your meal home in a to go box not only are you getting your money's worth, but you have now paid for two seperate meals only once!
4.) Work out like normal. A lot of people think that if they have skipped a workout then they have already messed up for the day so why the heck does it matter. It matters. Everyday matters. You aren't neccesiarily going to ruin your workout by eating. In fact in a study done by researchers in Brazil they found that exercise increases the feeling of fullness in the brain.
5.) Write it down. You should be keeping track of your calorie intake in a food diary, but even if you're not know that by writing something down (once you've made your decision about what you are going to eat) you are more likely to keep with it and less likely to add things like an appetizer or dessert to your meal. If you know how many calories you are supposed to be intaking for the day you will also know how to adjust your intake if needed. Writing it down helps you keep a record of what you're doing. It's like the to-do list of food.
6.) Be honest and firm. If you stand your ground you are less likely to get peer pressured into things. Explain to your friends how hard you've been working toward your goals. Tell them about them so that they understand. Chances are much higher that they will be supportive if they understand and less likely to try to sway you to order that slice of cheesecake. The problem is once you make a bad food mistake you have opened the door to make much more. Not to mention how proud of yourself you will be for standing up for yourself.
7.) Have a conversation plan. This may sound silly, especially if you are meeting friends or family out, but if you are meeting a date or a co-worker chances are high that there will be some quite periods which is when most people keep eating breadsticks or whatever to fill in silence at the table. A lot of calories are wasted on nervous energy. If you have something to talk about chances are higher that there will be less of these moments and you will be so into your conversaton you will probably eat less anyway. It's also a plus if you are eating with someone you hardly know because they will feel like you are interested in what it is that they have to say which will probably lead to this situation ending on a much better note.
8.) Wear skinny jeans. By this I don't mean to make a fashion statement, but instead wear something more tight fitting, whether it be a shirt or pants. Once you feel your tummy pressing against your clothes that is a fairly clear sign that you should stop eating. Apparently there use to be an old diet trick for people who ate at home, they were told to do so in a swimsuit. Well obviously you don't want to go on a lunch date in swimwear.
In terms of dieting it has been said that the hardest part isn't watching what you eat, but instead watching what other people eat. This is true because while you're sitting there eating your grilled chicken breast and steamed vegetables you can look around and see that other people are consuming their own body weight in fat grams. By having a game plan and sticking to it you can walk out of that restaurant with a full tummy and a clear mind. Just remind yourself that it is worth it and maybe just maybe you will have inspired someone else to do the same thing. With Friday night being date night, chances are high that some of you will go out to eat tonight and if you do I hope that you keep these tips in mind!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: The Friend Effect
My Life's Biggest Project: The Friend Effect: "Is it possible that our friends can effect our health? In most cases our friends are the people in our lives that make us happy and our supp..."
The Friend Effect
Is it possible that our friends can effect our health? In most cases our friends are the people in our lives that make us happy and our support system so could it be true that they could also be bad for us? In a story found on CNN written by Amanda Chan, MyHealthNewsDaily Staff Writer she describes what is referred to as the "friend effect" and I will share it with all of you.
There was a study done and while it showed that obesity rates have slowed down, but will continue to increase, just at a lower rate. The prediction is that 42 percent of Americans will be obese (currently it is 34 percent) how long it will be until these are the statistics is inconclusive in this particular study. However besides being completely uninformative there the study did find some other things.
The study showed that people can create a ripple effect among their peers who are not obese, according to Alison L. Hill, a graduate student at Harvard's Program for Evolutionary Dynamics. This is because the more that a non-obese person comes into contact with someone that is considered obese, the greater a chance of them becoming that way too. The researchers data found that obesity rate is affected by three factors:
1.) person-to-person contact through social networks
2.) personal factors like diet and exercise
3.) the rate at which obese people lose weight
Even though it is impossible to say that obesity can infect people like a contagious disease, the research found that being in contact with other people who are obese does increase the likelihood of becoming that way yourself.
"After analyzing 40 years of data from 7,500 people in the Framingham Heart Study, researchers found the average person has a two percent chance of becoming obese in any given year...That chance increases by 0.5 percent for every obese family member, friend or coworker a person has regular contact with," said Hill.
It may be because we mimic the behavior or adopt similar lifestyles as those we hang out with. Hill also suggests that we may simply change what we think is a normal or acceptable weight for ourselves based on the weight we see on the people that are around us. Hill also assumes that social influence is an obvious factor.
Am I saying that you should stop being friends with someone because they are over weight, no not at all. However based on this study it is fair to say that we are who we hang with and if we want to influence the people in our lives to be healthy (not necessarily ripped with a six pack), but just more healthy then maybe it is our job as a friend or family member to try to get the other person to do something healthy with us.
I know for example my senior year of college I was working out with a friend of mine in the mornings (she was getting ready to get married and I was getting ready to go to Spring Break in Panama City Beach). My butt was in that gym every morning being hardcore. It was because I didn't want to let my friend down. This is what we call an accountability buddy! No I know that this post had absolutely nothing to do with the series FRIENDS, but I love the show and since it was about our friends and the other people in our lives I thought I would add some spice to the post today. It was also a scam to try to get you all to read it :)
Be happy and healthy and I'll update you all tomorrow! Some exciting Cassandra news however. I have lost 10 pounds to date since starting this project. It may not sound like a lot, but it was nice to see on the scale. For those of you doing the same thing trust me it is a wonderful feeling and good luck to you all.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: 11 Random Things That Make You Gain
My Life's Biggest Project: 11 Random Things That Make You Gain: "Obviously being inactive and eating unhealthy is a cause of weight gain, but there are some other surprising things that make people gain we..."
11 Random Things That Make You Gain
Obviously being inactive and eating unhealthy is a cause of weight gain, but there are some other surprising things that make people gain weight. I came across this article ant figured I would share it with you too!
1.) Catching a Cold- One particular strand of the common cold virus called adenovirus 36 can cause obesity. According to the journal Pediatrics in September they found that in a study of 124 children, approximately 80 percent of the kids exposed were obese and weighed about 50 pounds more than children that were not exposed.
2.) Turning on the A/C- When people live in comfortable temperatures our bodies don't have to work to keep cool or warm, according to the 2006 article in the international Journal of Obesity.
3.) Having a mom that works- kids with a working mom are more likely to be obese than kids whose mom stays at home. This was found in a study published in May in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
4.) Not sleeping enough- By doing this we increase the risk of being obese, according to a 2007 study in the Journal Archives of Disease in Childhood. This is because of hormonal changes (kind of what I've already talked about). According to a study in the 2008 Journal of Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition sleep restriction can cause hunger, and obviously when we're tired we don't want to be very physically active which makes us gain even more weight.
5.) Getting your tonsils removed- Research from St. Louis University found that kids who had their tonsils taken out gain more weight after having the procedure done. In the study they found that BMI (body mass index) increased by 5.5 percent to 8.2 percent after the surgery.
6.) Keeping the light on at night- According to a study that was published in October in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they found that mice that were exposed to dim light at night gained 50 percent more weight over a period of eight weeks than mice that spent the night in complete darkness. To make sure that the study was fair the mice obviously had the same amount of food and physical activity. The researchers of this study said that these results could also be applied to those who eat meals late at night (which we all know is bad).
7.) Having a mom that is older- OK so obviously our mothers are going to age just like the rest of us, but according to a study in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood it was found that children born to women ages 30 or older had 2.6 to 2.8 percent more body fat than children born to women younger than 25. The Journal of the American Medical Association found in a study in 1997 that obesity was higher among nine and 10-year-old girls whose mother's gave birth to them after the age of 35, compared to girls whose mothers gave birth to them when they were 21 or younger.
8.) Exposure to environmental contaminants- According to studies published in the Journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition and the International Journal of Obesity, pollution could have an impact on the bodies metabolism. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals like bisphenol A (I talked about this a while back, this is why we don't microwave things in plastic) and polybrominated diphenyl (a flame retardant), have been found in obese people. This is because these chemicals interfere with hormone signaling. Also pesticides can affect the hormone synthesis and metabolism and make their way into our bodies by going up the food chain.
9.) Genetics- Scientists have found 18 new genetic markers that make us obese, and 13 new markers that could determine whether fat builds around the waist or the hips. These findings were published in two studies this month alone founds in the journal Nature Genetics. Most of these markers were in or near genes not previously connected to obesity and by learning what it is that these genes do, scientists may find causes of obesity in different people.
10.) Having a mom who ate a high-fat diet during pregnancy- Researchers from the University of Cincinnati and also from the Medical College of Georgia found that mice fed a high-fat diet were more likely to have babies that were bigger than those fed a normal diet. A study in the FASEB Journal done in 2009 found that being oversized at birth was a risk factor for obesity later in ones life. The researchers of this study believe that the findings of the mice could also apply to humans.
11.) Meds- Some medications taken for depression, diabetes, hypertension and birth control can cause people to gain weight. Anti-depressents in the United States has increased by about 5 percent between 1988 and 2002 (according to a study in the Journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition in 2009).
So based off these random things that can cause weight gain I can say that having an A/C is kind of a necessity to me and it saddened me to see that it was a cause of weight gain. Another thing would obviously be the not getting enough sleep I am truly guilty of that, but I blame college/grad school for that. Environmental contaminants I now know to look out for and will hopefully no longer be a problem and as far as genetics I know that's an issue and that I will just have to work that much harder. I was glad to see that I only had four of the 11 things working against me. Sadly some of these things (if not most) are things that we have no control over, however I guess being aware of the situations make it easier for us to understand why). I hope this was informative to you all. More factoids to come tomorrow!
1.) Catching a Cold- One particular strand of the common cold virus called adenovirus 36 can cause obesity. According to the journal Pediatrics in September they found that in a study of 124 children, approximately 80 percent of the kids exposed were obese and weighed about 50 pounds more than children that were not exposed.
2.) Turning on the A/C- When people live in comfortable temperatures our bodies don't have to work to keep cool or warm, according to the 2006 article in the international Journal of Obesity.
3.) Having a mom that works- kids with a working mom are more likely to be obese than kids whose mom stays at home. This was found in a study published in May in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
4.) Not sleeping enough- By doing this we increase the risk of being obese, according to a 2007 study in the Journal Archives of Disease in Childhood. This is because of hormonal changes (kind of what I've already talked about). According to a study in the 2008 Journal of Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition sleep restriction can cause hunger, and obviously when we're tired we don't want to be very physically active which makes us gain even more weight.
5.) Getting your tonsils removed- Research from St. Louis University found that kids who had their tonsils taken out gain more weight after having the procedure done. In the study they found that BMI (body mass index) increased by 5.5 percent to 8.2 percent after the surgery.
6.) Keeping the light on at night- According to a study that was published in October in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they found that mice that were exposed to dim light at night gained 50 percent more weight over a period of eight weeks than mice that spent the night in complete darkness. To make sure that the study was fair the mice obviously had the same amount of food and physical activity. The researchers of this study said that these results could also be applied to those who eat meals late at night (which we all know is bad).
7.) Having a mom that is older- OK so obviously our mothers are going to age just like the rest of us, but according to a study in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood it was found that children born to women ages 30 or older had 2.6 to 2.8 percent more body fat than children born to women younger than 25. The Journal of the American Medical Association found in a study in 1997 that obesity was higher among nine and 10-year-old girls whose mother's gave birth to them after the age of 35, compared to girls whose mothers gave birth to them when they were 21 or younger.
8.) Exposure to environmental contaminants- According to studies published in the Journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition and the International Journal of Obesity, pollution could have an impact on the bodies metabolism. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals like bisphenol A (I talked about this a while back, this is why we don't microwave things in plastic) and polybrominated diphenyl (a flame retardant), have been found in obese people. This is because these chemicals interfere with hormone signaling. Also pesticides can affect the hormone synthesis and metabolism and make their way into our bodies by going up the food chain.
9.) Genetics- Scientists have found 18 new genetic markers that make us obese, and 13 new markers that could determine whether fat builds around the waist or the hips. These findings were published in two studies this month alone founds in the journal Nature Genetics. Most of these markers were in or near genes not previously connected to obesity and by learning what it is that these genes do, scientists may find causes of obesity in different people.
10.) Having a mom who ate a high-fat diet during pregnancy- Researchers from the University of Cincinnati and also from the Medical College of Georgia found that mice fed a high-fat diet were more likely to have babies that were bigger than those fed a normal diet. A study in the FASEB Journal done in 2009 found that being oversized at birth was a risk factor for obesity later in ones life. The researchers of this study believe that the findings of the mice could also apply to humans.
11.) Meds- Some medications taken for depression, diabetes, hypertension and birth control can cause people to gain weight. Anti-depressents in the United States has increased by about 5 percent between 1988 and 2002 (according to a study in the Journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition in 2009).
So based off these random things that can cause weight gain I can say that having an A/C is kind of a necessity to me and it saddened me to see that it was a cause of weight gain. Another thing would obviously be the not getting enough sleep I am truly guilty of that, but I blame college/grad school for that. Environmental contaminants I now know to look out for and will hopefully no longer be a problem and as far as genetics I know that's an issue and that I will just have to work that much harder. I was glad to see that I only had four of the 11 things working against me. Sadly some of these things (if not most) are things that we have no control over, however I guess being aware of the situations make it easier for us to understand why). I hope this was informative to you all. More factoids to come tomorrow!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: LOL
My Life's Biggest Project: LOL: "I will tell you all about the amazing night I had last night. It didn't really start off that way, but ended up being fantastic. As I said y..."
LOL
I will tell you all about the amazing night I had last night. It didn't really start off that way, but ended up being fantastic. As I said yesterday I went to the Dane Cook show last night and it was oh so awesome. My friend and I left my apartment and it was raining. The show was about 30 minutes from my place and while I was on the highway it started pouring rain, which stressed me out and as we all know stress is horrible on the body. The entire drive there I kept thinking to myself, this show better be worth it.
We end up parking a ways away and having to walk in the cold rain to the Ford Center. Again I was thinking this better be worth it and when we get in and finally find our section the man assisting in the seating asks my friend and I if we would like to upgrade our seats...for FREE. Heck yes we did. We ended up going from row N to row D, which yes is 4 rows up from the floor. It was amazing! Then the show began. I laughed, I laughed so hard I cried and I laughed so hard that I almost tinkled in my pants. That Dane Cook sure is a funny guy. He has so much energy that you can't help but have a whole lot too while watching him.
What does all of this have to do with getting fit you may ask, well let me tell you. Laughter is as beneficial to the body as stress is as traumatic on it. According to studies, laughter does a lot of great things for us. It reduces the level of stress hormones and increases good hormones in the body like endorphins and neurotransmitters. Laughing also boosts one's immune system and that results in less illness and all the bad things that stress physically does to the body. Laughter makes us breathe easier. Also know that the more positive our outlooks are we can also increase longevity.
Think of Santa Clause (yes I know he's a fatty, but hear me out). When we laugh we "shake like a bowl full of jelly". Laughter provides an internal workout. This exercises the abs, diaphragm, shoulder muscles and stimulates the heart. William Fry, a laughter researcher found that it took up to ten minutes on a rowing machine for the heart rate to reach the level it would after just one minute of "enthusiastic laughing".
Laughing makes us feel better, we temporarily forgot about any pain we may have (physical and emotional). Our muscles are more relaxed after a good laugh and that makes us feel good too. In a recent study by cardiologists at the University of Maryland Medical Center, it was found that laughter may prevent heart disease and that it lowers blood pressure. Something they found in this study caught me by surprise, they found that people who had heart disease laughed less in their lives, even in good situations. They also were more outwardly angry, hostile and had much more anxiety. When we laugh we are much less likely to be depressed or feel helpless. How many depressed people do you know that laugh huh? Bernie Siegel, M.D., said, "The simple truth is that happy people generally don't get sick."
There are so many good things about laughing! It's a fantastic ice breaker and a way to connect with other people. It's also contagious. Statistics say that people are about 30 times more likely to start laughing in the presence of others than when they're alone. Some more statistics for us to try to soak in is the following: preschoolers laugh up to 400 times per day (can you imagine)? And young adults are lucky if they laugh 15 times a day (what a huge decrease). Another thing that stuck out to me was that they say that couples who laugh together stay together. It even plays a role in mating and men think it's hot when women laugh freely. Psychology Today said that women laugh more than men and men are often times the source of our laughter (maybe I should marry Dane Cook?). The woman's laughter is the primary determination in whether a relationship is healthy or not. So the secret to a great romantic relationship is...LAUGHTER :) It helps people to become close during good times and restore that closeness during bad times.
So what have we learned today, lets recap shall we. Laughter is the key to all aspects of a healthy life and it is enjoyable. Something healthy that we enjoy, insane right? No it's true. So keep on smiling, keep on laughing and you will stay happy and healthy (How cool is that?). So have you laughed today?
What does all of this have to do with getting fit you may ask, well let me tell you. Laughter is as beneficial to the body as stress is as traumatic on it. According to studies, laughter does a lot of great things for us. It reduces the level of stress hormones and increases good hormones in the body like endorphins and neurotransmitters. Laughing also boosts one's immune system and that results in less illness and all the bad things that stress physically does to the body. Laughter makes us breathe easier. Also know that the more positive our outlooks are we can also increase longevity.
Think of Santa Clause (yes I know he's a fatty, but hear me out). When we laugh we "shake like a bowl full of jelly". Laughter provides an internal workout. This exercises the abs, diaphragm, shoulder muscles and stimulates the heart. William Fry, a laughter researcher found that it took up to ten minutes on a rowing machine for the heart rate to reach the level it would after just one minute of "enthusiastic laughing".
Laughing makes us feel better, we temporarily forgot about any pain we may have (physical and emotional). Our muscles are more relaxed after a good laugh and that makes us feel good too. In a recent study by cardiologists at the University of Maryland Medical Center, it was found that laughter may prevent heart disease and that it lowers blood pressure. Something they found in this study caught me by surprise, they found that people who had heart disease laughed less in their lives, even in good situations. They also were more outwardly angry, hostile and had much more anxiety. When we laugh we are much less likely to be depressed or feel helpless. How many depressed people do you know that laugh huh? Bernie Siegel, M.D., said, "The simple truth is that happy people generally don't get sick."
There are so many good things about laughing! It's a fantastic ice breaker and a way to connect with other people. It's also contagious. Statistics say that people are about 30 times more likely to start laughing in the presence of others than when they're alone. Some more statistics for us to try to soak in is the following: preschoolers laugh up to 400 times per day (can you imagine)? And young adults are lucky if they laugh 15 times a day (what a huge decrease). Another thing that stuck out to me was that they say that couples who laugh together stay together. It even plays a role in mating and men think it's hot when women laugh freely. Psychology Today said that women laugh more than men and men are often times the source of our laughter (maybe I should marry Dane Cook?). The woman's laughter is the primary determination in whether a relationship is healthy or not. So the secret to a great romantic relationship is...LAUGHTER :) It helps people to become close during good times and restore that closeness during bad times.
Monday, November 15, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
My Life's Biggest Project: Somewhere Over the Rainbow: "Friday while I was getting ready to head to Tulsa I had the television on in the background. One of the things that came on was Dr. Oz and t..."
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Friday while I was getting ready to head to Tulsa I had the television on in the background. One of the things that came on was Dr. Oz and the topic of the day was shortcuts. The first list that he presented was entitled "Dr. Oz's 6 Shortcuts to Losing Weight" and they are as follows:
1.) Eat an apple 15 minutes before you eat lunch. It will actually cut down on how many calories you consume at lunch because the fiber in the apple will keep you full. By doing this you can cut five pounds off your body in a year.
2.) Refrigerate your cans. If they have saturated fats in them the fat will rise to the top and you will be able to scrape it off. In a year you will lose up to six pounds.
3.) Dilute your juice. You cut the calories in half. If you drink two glasses of juice a day and are not diluting it in a year you will have consumed over 40 pounds of sugar. By diluting the juice by equal parts juice and equal parts water you can lose up to 13 pounds in a year.
4.) Fake a Carbohydrate! If you mash squash instead of potatoes you can lose up to 12 pounds in a year.
5.) Replace oil with applesauce. You replace 50 percent w/applesauce (when baking cakes or brownies for example) and you could save six pounds in a year.
6.) Swap gym bags with a friend. What is meant by this is have a workout buddy. We are use to disappointing ourselves, but we don't want to let our friends down. If you and your friend exchange something like tennis shoes then you will have to go with them because it will be your fault that you kept your friend from being able to do his/her workout. Accountability is what we are talking about. If you work out three times a week for 30 minutes a day you can lose up to 13 pounds.
The next segment was entitled "Dangerous Shortcuts that Dr. Oz Would Never Take":
1.) Diet never to use would be the hormone diet. Many people say that it works, but it can have a damaging effect on your metabolism. This diet is also known as HCG (human chorionic gondatropin) Diet. HCG is the hormone produced in the body when a woman is pregnant to ensure that the pregnant woman is burning the right kind of fat when burning calories. The HCG diet pills consist of small doses of HCG that tap into stored fat and burn it off. It also suppresses the appetite so that people are consuming as few as 500 calories a day. You can rapidly drop weight, but ultimately you are starving yourself, thus destroying your metabolism. Another negative effect is the loss of muscle mass in the body and as a result of this you will no longer be able to effectively burn calories. To naturally suppress your appetite Dr. Oz suggests the Four F's: fiber, fish, fowl and (good) fats like walnuts and flaxseed.
2.) Shortcut snack never to buy would be the 100 calorie snack packs. They normally aren't very healthy (containing things like trans fats) and make you more hungry. Dr. Oz suggests making your own snack packs so that you can watch your own calorie intake.
3.) Never take the elevator at work. If where you work is less than three flights of stairs Dr. Oz says you should always take the stairs as it helps build muscle mass (looks like I was on to something huh! ).
4.) Dr. Oz says we should never borrow an antiobiotic from a friend. First of all the friend should have finished their entire antibiotic. This may lead to a worse infection and even antibiotic resistance.
I hope all of this information has been informative to you. I am currently at work with my grapefruit breakfast to go...lol. I should also work on finishing my big paper that is soon due. Tonight I'm going to see Dane Cook and that should be healthy because laughing helps burn calories and that guy cracks me up. I'll let you know all about it tomorrow. I weighed myself this morning and it looks like I've lost two pounds since last week.
2.) Refrigerate your cans. If they have saturated fats in them the fat will rise to the top and you will be able to scrape it off. In a year you will lose up to six pounds.
3.) Dilute your juice. You cut the calories in half. If you drink two glasses of juice a day and are not diluting it in a year you will have consumed over 40 pounds of sugar. By diluting the juice by equal parts juice and equal parts water you can lose up to 13 pounds in a year.
4.) Fake a Carbohydrate! If you mash squash instead of potatoes you can lose up to 12 pounds in a year.
5.) Replace oil with applesauce. You replace 50 percent w/applesauce (when baking cakes or brownies for example) and you could save six pounds in a year.
6.) Swap gym bags with a friend. What is meant by this is have a workout buddy. We are use to disappointing ourselves, but we don't want to let our friends down. If you and your friend exchange something like tennis shoes then you will have to go with them because it will be your fault that you kept your friend from being able to do his/her workout. Accountability is what we are talking about. If you work out three times a week for 30 minutes a day you can lose up to 13 pounds.
The next segment was entitled "Dangerous Shortcuts that Dr. Oz Would Never Take":
2.) Shortcut snack never to buy would be the 100 calorie snack packs. They normally aren't very healthy (containing things like trans fats) and make you more hungry. Dr. Oz suggests making your own snack packs so that you can watch your own calorie intake.
3.) Never take the elevator at work. If where you work is less than three flights of stairs Dr. Oz says you should always take the stairs as it helps build muscle mass (looks like I was on to something huh! ).
4.) Dr. Oz says we should never borrow an antiobiotic from a friend. First of all the friend should have finished their entire antibiotic. This may lead to a worse infection and even antibiotic resistance.
I hope all of this information has been informative to you. I am currently at work with my grapefruit breakfast to go...lol. I should also work on finishing my big paper that is soon due. Tonight I'm going to see Dane Cook and that should be healthy because laughing helps burn calories and that guy cracks me up. I'll let you know all about it tomorrow. I weighed myself this morning and it looks like I've lost two pounds since last week.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: Don't Give Up
My Life's Biggest Project: Don't Give Up: "As it turns out beer was not the problem this weekend. It was the food. After my friends and I left the football game we went to get food. T..."
Don't Give Up
As it turns out beer was not the problem this weekend. It was the food. After my friends and I left the football game we went to get food. The problem was that we went somewhere that had absolutely no healthy options. We went to a pizza place that was only serving greasy pizza, calzone, stromboli and that was pretty much it. I could have said something, but this is where everyone else wanted to go. So I didn't say a word. Instead I ordered my food and ate it, regretting every bite.
I thought that I would really enjoy it, but in all honesty it was horrible. I hadn't eaten anything like that in over a week so it actually ended up making me feel like I wanted to puke more than anything. About half way through our meal my Sib who came down to watch the game said, "Oh Sib we should have gone somewhere you could've found something healthy to eat." I assured her that it was fine and then everyone else at the table started to feel bad. I didn't want to make anyone feel bad which is why I didn't say anything to begin with. A whole lot of good that did. If I learned anytihng from this particular experience this weekend it was to speak up.
Today I stepped on the scale and it turns out that I only lost one pound this week. Which is kind of a downer, but I also know that I was not nearly as intense this week. What with having to quit the workout program. I also went to the dentist on Tuesday which pretty much kept me innactive the rest of the day, Wednesday was horrible as I spend the whole day at the doctors office and found out I was going to have to have surgery on my back again. Thursday is my fault and if I hadn't have spent half of the day feeling bad for myself I could have probably accomplished something.
Everyday I would give myself an excuse and say I'll get back on this tomorrow. That's no different than what I did in years past and look where it got me. Not where I want to be in terms of fitness that's for sure. There were picutres posted from my outing with my sorority sisters Friday and I wasn't happy about how I looked in them and I don't want to feel that way anymore. I've made a commitment to myself and I'm keeping with it. If I don't believe in myself who will?
Friday I watched Dr. OZ while I was getting ready to leave town and he said some interesting things that I will share with you all tomorrow. Until then, I have a 15 page paper to write that's due on Thursday and need to get back to that. Oh the joys of being a graduate student...lol. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.
I thought that I would really enjoy it, but in all honesty it was horrible. I hadn't eaten anything like that in over a week so it actually ended up making me feel like I wanted to puke more than anything. About half way through our meal my Sib who came down to watch the game said, "Oh Sib we should have gone somewhere you could've found something healthy to eat." I assured her that it was fine and then everyone else at the table started to feel bad. I didn't want to make anyone feel bad which is why I didn't say anything to begin with. A whole lot of good that did. If I learned anytihng from this particular experience this weekend it was to speak up.
Today I stepped on the scale and it turns out that I only lost one pound this week. Which is kind of a downer, but I also know that I was not nearly as intense this week. What with having to quit the workout program. I also went to the dentist on Tuesday which pretty much kept me innactive the rest of the day, Wednesday was horrible as I spend the whole day at the doctors office and found out I was going to have to have surgery on my back again. Thursday is my fault and if I hadn't have spent half of the day feeling bad for myself I could have probably accomplished something.
Everyday I would give myself an excuse and say I'll get back on this tomorrow. That's no different than what I did in years past and look where it got me. Not where I want to be in terms of fitness that's for sure. There were picutres posted from my outing with my sorority sisters Friday and I wasn't happy about how I looked in them and I don't want to feel that way anymore. I've made a commitment to myself and I'm keeping with it. If I don't believe in myself who will?
Friday I watched Dr. OZ while I was getting ready to leave town and he said some interesting things that I will share with you all tomorrow. Until then, I have a 15 page paper to write that's due on Thursday and need to get back to that. Oh the joys of being a graduate student...lol. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: Beer and Football
My Life's Biggest Project: Beer and Football: "Are you curious about what I did at Olive Garden in terms of food and how that whole situation was handled? Well it's easy enough I'll just ..."
Beer and Football
Are you curious about what I did at Olive Garden in terms of food and how that whole situation was handled? Well it's easy enough I'll just tell you about my evening with the girls. I got there and some of the younger girls (i.e., under 21) were sitting in the lobby still waiting on our table (since there was supposed to be 23 of us). Anyway they advised me that the older girls were sitting at the bar. I walked over to the bar and three of my really good friends (my big, my sib and sis) were all sharing a pitcher of sangria. They asked if I wanted in on it and I told them that I wasn't drinking. They asked if it was because I was having surgery soon and I told them no it was because I was cutting back on calories. At first it made me kind of sad, but I stood firm and didn't drink any of it, and after a while it was no thing. I was just sipping on my water with lemon and all was good.
Then we get sat at the table and they bring the salad and breadsticks. I order another water with lemon and eat my salad. As I said yesterday one breadstick is the equivalent of a snickers bar so I ate half of one. They smelled really good and I didn't think I could resist having at least one (so I ripped it in half). Then we ordered our food and since I am a former Olive Garden employee I knew that they had some more health conscious options on the menu so I figured I'd try one. I ordered the Capellini Pomodoro and to my surprise it was actually really good. I was stuffed and dessert wasn't even an issue at the end of the evening. We all hung out and took pictures and in no way was I saddened by the end result. It was good because I just proved to myself that you can go out, watch what you eat (and drink) and still have an amazing time. Seeing is believing so they say and now I believe :)
Today my sib is going to come down and go to the last home football game with me and one of my other sisters who lives here and is in the last year of her undergrad is also going with me. It should be good times. The only problem with game days is the fact that there is so much beer and junk food around. Luckily it's not a problem once you're in the game, but most people associate it with the culture. I'm not one of the people who doesn't think like that so I understand.
When I think of getting together to watch a football game on Saturdays I certainly think three things: 1.) My Sooners better win. 2.) I better get some Bud Light to watch the game. And... 3.) We should probably pick up something quick to eat after or before we get to the game, or if watching it on television...We should probably pick up something quick and easy to snack on while we watch the game. For some reason beer has become the peanut butter and the game has become the jelly. It's hard to think of having one without the other, but guess who's going to today? This girl. You all have a great day and I'll be back at you tomorrow with some advice I heard. Until then...BOOMER SOONER :)
Then we get sat at the table and they bring the salad and breadsticks. I order another water with lemon and eat my salad. As I said yesterday one breadstick is the equivalent of a snickers bar so I ate half of one. They smelled really good and I didn't think I could resist having at least one (so I ripped it in half). Then we ordered our food and since I am a former Olive Garden employee I knew that they had some more health conscious options on the menu so I figured I'd try one. I ordered the Capellini Pomodoro and to my surprise it was actually really good. I was stuffed and dessert wasn't even an issue at the end of the evening. We all hung out and took pictures and in no way was I saddened by the end result. It was good because I just proved to myself that you can go out, watch what you eat (and drink) and still have an amazing time. Seeing is believing so they say and now I believe :)
Friday, November 12, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: On the Road Again
My Life's Biggest Project: On the Road Again: "Today I am going to drive home to my moms and spend time with some of my sorority sisters, then I'm going to turn around and drive back here..."
On the Road Again
Today I am going to drive home to my moms and spend time with some of my sorority sisters, then I'm going to turn around and drive back here so that I'm ready to not only work on homework, but also so that I'm ready to go to the last home football game of the season and hopefully the last home game as a student at the University of Oklahoma. I will miss the discounted student tickets, but I'm also ready to not be a college student anymore and I look forward to starting a career and being a little grown up :)
The hardest thing to do when traveling is actually getting out my front door and getting out of town. So the easist thing to do in terms of food is to go up and over to 7 Eleven and get a big gulp and junk food or make a hop skip and a jump over to Sonic and get an on the go meal to eat on my way. As most of us know there aren't very many healthy options at Sonic. So what I'm going to try out today is making something to eat that is drive friendly or maybe just eating before I leave, who does that...lol. I also have a water bottle that I'm going to take with me so that I don't stop and get a diet dr. pepper like I normally do.
I am also going out to eat with some of my sorority sisters to Olive Garden. One little tid bit of information that I feel like people should be aware of when they go to the OG is that each breadstick has the calorie equivilant of a snickers bar. I really think that I would rather have the chocolate personally...lol. I know that they have better health options at the restaurant, but if I'm spending $13 a plate I may just get what I want and watch my portion intake, we'll see what I decide when I get there. Lucky for me I don't like alfredo (which is also so bad for you), but I do love Italian food (which is also so bad for you, in terms of carbs).
People are made to be social and one of the social things that people do is eat. Just think how many times do you go to an event and there isn't food laying around...probably never right? Because this is one of the ways that people socialize and me being a very social person it only makes sense that we cannot be scared to go out. That's part of life. And I don't think that we can stop living just because we are trying to be more healthy. What we really need to do is be more conscious of what it is that we're eating when we do go out.
I am one of those people who probably needs people in my life more than most. I'm a communicator and a social butterfly ;) If we just use our noggins it is still possible to have the best of both worlds. We cannot resent the change in life ( I don't want to use the word diet because it has negative cononntations), because if we resent it not only will we rebel against it we will also quit and it be another time that we've failed to lose weight and get the bodies that we desire. It seems that there are struggles during the week with time and that there are also struggles on the weekend becuase going out, watching football (or basketball), basically being social. Life is all about overcoming struggles and this is just one more! Just keep reminding yourself that this is worth it (which is what I'll be doing). I better get out of here and on the road. Have a great weekend everybody!!!
The hardest thing to do when traveling is actually getting out my front door and getting out of town. So the easist thing to do in terms of food is to go up and over to 7 Eleven and get a big gulp and junk food or make a hop skip and a jump over to Sonic and get an on the go meal to eat on my way. As most of us know there aren't very many healthy options at Sonic. So what I'm going to try out today is making something to eat that is drive friendly or maybe just eating before I leave, who does that...lol. I also have a water bottle that I'm going to take with me so that I don't stop and get a diet dr. pepper like I normally do.
I am also going out to eat with some of my sorority sisters to Olive Garden. One little tid bit of information that I feel like people should be aware of when they go to the OG is that each breadstick has the calorie equivilant of a snickers bar. I really think that I would rather have the chocolate personally...lol. I know that they have better health options at the restaurant, but if I'm spending $13 a plate I may just get what I want and watch my portion intake, we'll see what I decide when I get there. Lucky for me I don't like alfredo (which is also so bad for you), but I do love Italian food (which is also so bad for you, in terms of carbs).
People are made to be social and one of the social things that people do is eat. Just think how many times do you go to an event and there isn't food laying around...probably never right? Because this is one of the ways that people socialize and me being a very social person it only makes sense that we cannot be scared to go out. That's part of life. And I don't think that we can stop living just because we are trying to be more healthy. What we really need to do is be more conscious of what it is that we're eating when we do go out.
I am one of those people who probably needs people in my life more than most. I'm a communicator and a social butterfly ;) If we just use our noggins it is still possible to have the best of both worlds. We cannot resent the change in life ( I don't want to use the word diet because it has negative cononntations), because if we resent it not only will we rebel against it we will also quit and it be another time that we've failed to lose weight and get the bodies that we desire. It seems that there are struggles during the week with time and that there are also struggles on the weekend becuase going out, watching football (or basketball), basically being social. Life is all about overcoming struggles and this is just one more! Just keep reminding yourself that this is worth it (which is what I'll be doing). I better get out of here and on the road. Have a great weekend everybody!!!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
My Life's Biggest Project: The Four Hormones That Work Against Us
My Life's Biggest Project: The Four Hormones That Work Against Us: "As I've promised for days now I am going to tell you about the four hormones in our bodies that make us fat according to Jackie Warner's boo..."
The Not So Fantastic Four
The Four Hormones That Work Against Us
As I've promised for days now I am going to tell you about the four hormones in our bodies that make us fat according to Jackie Warner's book, but before I do I want to tell you about an ah-ha moment I had yesterday. So I'm sitting in the doctors office waiting to get pre-op tests done and I'm alone and out of no where I start crying. It's sad because not only was I crying because I don't want to be out of commission for two weeks during recovery (for many reasons; this new goal weight I've created for myself, finals fall right in the middle of this, and MONEY). Yes sadly our healthcare system is so flawed that my biggest concern was going into more debt. I've had the same surgery done FIVE times before and the first four times I didn't have insurance. The last time I did, but it was still expensive. In my depressed state of mind I was texting my friend Chrystle and my friend Eric. Chrystle asked if she could get me anything to make this better by the time I got home and I told her I really wanted ice cream because it makes things better. I then thought about this. Does ice cream make it better? Will ice cream pay for the surgery or make it so that I don't have to have it? Will ice cream make me happy? The answer to all of this is no. All ice cream is going to do is give me a bigger butt and work against everything I've been doing the last week in a half. So I texted her back and said nevermind on the ice cream. Why do I think that food is going to fix things? It's a bad mindset to have. Now onto the hormones.
Insulin is the hormone thats job is to turn food into energy, but if we are packing in too much insulin in the body it starts to store as fat. It rises and falls depending on what we eat and carbs are huge here. All carbs breakdown into glucose. When we have too much glucose in the body the pancrease has to pump out extra insulin to deive glucose into cells. Blood sugar levels dip lower than they were before you ate the sugar. This is what makes us eat when we don't really need to. With insulin spikes and dips they make us fat. There are ways to get out of the insulin mess. Instead of eating a bagel have oatmeal, the insulin levels start to fall immediately. Exercise also drives insulin down.
Estrogen is good if in the right ammount. It can be a skin toner and a "mood lifter" according to Warner. It works with Progesterone and if the two are balanced then they help burn fat for energy, but once the balance is off and estrogen takes over we become estrogen dominate and that is bad! It leads to weight gain, cellulite and even some female cancers. It slows down the thyroid gland and causes salt and water to be retained in the body as well. It is possible that "a young woman can have the slowed screwed-up metabolism of a menopausal woman," according to Warner. "Estrogen dominance can also cause anxiety, brain fog, low sex drive and poor blood sugar control." Causes of this: processed foods, alcohol and caffeine, meat that is bulked up to sell more food and heating things up in certain plastics in the microwave (look for containers that have a 7 in the recycling code, those don't contain BPA, bisphenol A, an estrogen compound). To get this under control you should eat hormone friendly! Eat organic meat and foods that aren't processed, minimize caffeine and alcohol or eliminate it alltogether, keep your stress levels in check.
Cortisol is made in the adrenal glands and helps regulate blood sugar, moving carbs, proteins and fats into and out of your cells for muscle function. Stress causes your cortisol levels to spike so that you can respond correctly, for example if a kid runs out in front of your car and you have to slam on the breaks. However if your levels are constantly high then this is no good either because your cortisol levels stay high. High levels of cortisol lead to thinning skin, muscle wasting, memory loss, high blood pressure, dizziness, hot flashes, excessive facial hair and other man like tendencies. Stop freaking out about food and weight. Stress really is horrible on your body. One good thing to do when youre stressed out is to work out it balances the body. Keep these levels in check.
Leptin : The fat cells in the body create a hormone and it is leptin. When at the right level this hormone works as an appetite suppresent, but when it's too low it tells your body to store fat, so the thing to do is to keep this hormone high. You can do this by the following: don't eat a lot of asin food because it contains MSG, sleep enough, eat slow, eat fish and eat chicken (as they contain zinc).
Basically out-or-whack hormones keep us fat so we need to manipulate them to get results we want!
As I've promised for days now I am going to tell you about the four hormones in our bodies that make us fat according to Jackie Warner's book, but before I do I want to tell you about an ah-ha moment I had yesterday. So I'm sitting in the doctors office waiting to get pre-op tests done and I'm alone and out of no where I start crying. It's sad because not only was I crying because I don't want to be out of commission for two weeks during recovery (for many reasons; this new goal weight I've created for myself, finals fall right in the middle of this, and MONEY). Yes sadly our healthcare system is so flawed that my biggest concern was going into more debt. I've had the same surgery done FIVE times before and the first four times I didn't have insurance. The last time I did, but it was still expensive. In my depressed state of mind I was texting my friend Chrystle and my friend Eric. Chrystle asked if she could get me anything to make this better by the time I got home and I told her I really wanted ice cream because it makes things better. I then thought about this. Does ice cream make it better? Will ice cream pay for the surgery or make it so that I don't have to have it? Will ice cream make me happy? The answer to all of this is no. All ice cream is going to do is give me a bigger butt and work against everything I've been doing the last week in a half. So I texted her back and said nevermind on the ice cream. Why do I think that food is going to fix things? It's a bad mindset to have. Now onto the hormones.
Insulin is the hormone thats job is to turn food into energy, but if we are packing in too much insulin in the body it starts to store as fat. It rises and falls depending on what we eat and carbs are huge here. All carbs breakdown into glucose. When we have too much glucose in the body the pancrease has to pump out extra insulin to deive glucose into cells. Blood sugar levels dip lower than they were before you ate the sugar. This is what makes us eat when we don't really need to. With insulin spikes and dips they make us fat. There are ways to get out of the insulin mess. Instead of eating a bagel have oatmeal, the insulin levels start to fall immediately. Exercise also drives insulin down.
Estrogen is good if in the right ammount. It can be a skin toner and a "mood lifter" according to Warner. It works with Progesterone and if the two are balanced then they help burn fat for energy, but once the balance is off and estrogen takes over we become estrogen dominate and that is bad! It leads to weight gain, cellulite and even some female cancers. It slows down the thyroid gland and causes salt and water to be retained in the body as well. It is possible that "a young woman can have the slowed screwed-up metabolism of a menopausal woman," according to Warner. "Estrogen dominance can also cause anxiety, brain fog, low sex drive and poor blood sugar control." Causes of this: processed foods, alcohol and caffeine, meat that is bulked up to sell more food and heating things up in certain plastics in the microwave (look for containers that have a 7 in the recycling code, those don't contain BPA, bisphenol A, an estrogen compound). To get this under control you should eat hormone friendly! Eat organic meat and foods that aren't processed, minimize caffeine and alcohol or eliminate it alltogether, keep your stress levels in check.
Cortisol is made in the adrenal glands and helps regulate blood sugar, moving carbs, proteins and fats into and out of your cells for muscle function. Stress causes your cortisol levels to spike so that you can respond correctly, for example if a kid runs out in front of your car and you have to slam on the breaks. However if your levels are constantly high then this is no good either because your cortisol levels stay high. High levels of cortisol lead to thinning skin, muscle wasting, memory loss, high blood pressure, dizziness, hot flashes, excessive facial hair and other man like tendencies. Stop freaking out about food and weight. Stress really is horrible on your body. One good thing to do when youre stressed out is to work out it balances the body. Keep these levels in check.
Leptin : The fat cells in the body create a hormone and it is leptin. When at the right level this hormone works as an appetite suppresent, but when it's too low it tells your body to store fat, so the thing to do is to keep this hormone high. You can do this by the following: don't eat a lot of asin food because it contains MSG, sleep enough, eat slow, eat fish and eat chicken (as they contain zinc).
Basically out-or-whack hormones keep us fat so we need to manipulate them to get results we want!
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