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Summer Exercise Safety
It is essential to take the necessary precautions while exercising during the summer months. The average person can take from one to two weeks to adapt to warmer, more humid temperatures. Here are some helpful safety tips to follow while exercising during the summer:
- Rehydrate your body: Drink water before, during and after exercising. Since your body can only absorb 8 ounces of cold water every 20 minutes, continue to drink fluids even after you no longer feel thirsty.
- Avoid working out during peak hours: Very hot and humid weather hampers perspiration's ability to cool your body. Try exercising in the morning or evening to avoid the most intense heat.
- Try walking: Walking is considered the most popular exercise among Americans.
- Be open to new ideas: Try a new exercise or activity every two weeks, such as hiking, canoeing, rollerblading or biking.
- Cool off in the water: Swimming is an excellent way to exercise during the summer months.
- Don't forget your sunscreen: Apply SPF 15 sunscreen at least 30 minutes before exercising outdoors.
- Watch out for the symptoms of heat stroke: When the body can't rid itself of excess heat, there can be a sudden rise in body temperature. Look for very hot and dry skin, dizziness, nausea, confusion and unconsciousness.
- Choose the appropriate clothing: Wear loose-fitting clothing to allow circulation of air between your skin and the environment. Also, light-colored clothing will reflect sunlight, while darker clothing will absorb the heat.
[source]
Summer Fitness
As the sun burns hotter, all this week I'll post a few tidbits of safe summer fitness. I know, I know, sweating on purpose is the lasssssssst thing any reasonable person wants to endure, but think of how happy you'll be a few months from now.
I'll highlight:
- Special Summer Workouts
- How to Work Out SAFE
- What Does Excessive Sweating Mean?
- Light Summer perfect recipes and more
Microwave Free Fridays
fitsugar.com is suggesting a cool idea:
Microwave Free Fridays anyone? Perhaps you may surprise yourself with cooking skills you never knew you had.[snip]
I picked Friday because I like cooking a nice meal on a Friday night followed by watching a movie with my family, however do what works for you, just take one day off a week from nuking your food.
I'm not 100% against microwaves. I kinda am where it concerns radiation etc, but the majority of the meals I nuke are healthy frozen dinners. As of late, I've been eating a lot of Amy's Kitchen and sometimes I nuke a sweet potato for lunch. Plus, I don't have a full kitchen where I currently live.
That said, I really dig the idea and when I finally get access to a full kitchen, my cooking skills will be put into use and I'll heartily enjoy Microwave Free Fridays...and while I'm at it, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays thru Thursdays too 
Where are they now?
Do you ever wonder what happened to the Biggest Loser winners after the cameras stopped rolling and the trainers stopped barking?
Ryan Benson, 38, an actor who works for a DVD distributor in Los Angeles, lost 122 lbs. to win the first season in January 2005 but says he regained 32 lbs. within five days simply by drinking water.
Matt Hoover, 31, a motivational speaker based in Seattle, had a 15-lb. rebound within a day of winning Season 2.Last season's runner-up, Kai Hibbard, 28, an aerobics instructor in Alaska who says she spent the night before her final weigh-in hopping in and out of a sauna for six hours, consumed only sugar-free Jell-O for several days and wolfed down asparagus, which is a natural diuretic. "It's amazing the things you learn in a weight-loss competition," she says.
This part of the article really gets me:
The show tries to prevent unhealthy behavior by making contestants keep food journals (to make sure they're not starving themselves) and threatening penalties if tests show they are too dehydrated (although an executive producer says no violations have been uncovered yet). But like the $55 billion U.S. diet industry, The Biggest Loser places the bulk of its emphasis on shedding pounds rather than maintaining the loss.
Too dehydrated? Why was Kai eating nothing but asparagus and sugar-free Jell-O then?
Two and a half years after Benson's final weigh-in at 208 lbs., the new dad has slipped out of the spotlight and into old habits. "No one sees me get an apple pie in the drive-through," says Benson, whose weight now hovers at around 300 lbs.
In spite of the shows' sleight of hand, I think the reality of losing weight and keeping it off comes down to what Kelly Miner did.
The first-season runner-up dropped from 242 lbs. to 163 lbs. by the finale and now weighs 140 lbs. A school administrator in Bethlehem, Pa., Minner, 31, says she works out from one to four hours a day, six days a week. She exercises while watching TV--and did so throughout our phone interview.
Diet IQ
What's your diet IQ? Do you eat breakfast? Do you know how many calories you need to maintain a healthy weight? How about fats? Are they all bad? Would you know a good fat if it jumped up and went down your throat?
If you answer no, no, uh uh and say what to any of those questions, you are not alone.
According to the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation’s second annual Food & Health Survey, ninety percent of Americans say breakfast is an important part of a healthy diet, but just 49 percent manage to eat breakfast every day. Only 11 percent know the amount of calories they should consume daily to maintain a healthy weight.
One of the most striking disconnects concerned knowledge about good and bad fats. Current guidelines recommend people consume more polyunsaturated fats, found in fish and some whole grain foods, and monounsaturated fats, found in nuts, avocados and vegetable oils. 42 percent of those surveyed said they were trying to eat fewer polyunsaturated fats and 38 percent reported trying to cut down on monounsaturated fats.
Another huge disconnect? 84 percent said they were physically active at least once a week for health benefits, only 44 percent said they “balanced diet and physical activity” for weight management. Apparently the concept of calories in, calories out isn’t quite making the consumer radar screen, says Susan Borra, the president of the IFIC Foundation.
Borra recommends people stick to good sources of information on diet and health, such as IFIC’s Web site; the federal government’s mypyramid.gov; the American Dietetic Association; and the American Heart Association.
Rather than trying to do everything all at once, make incremental changes in their lifestyle habits. Try to add just one healthy habit per month.
How To Keep Your 2007 Fitness Resolutions
A scant 30 days ago, many of us woke up, looked ahead to the brand new year and laid out resolutions to get our bodies free of fat.
How's it going so far? Have you tossed the resolutions out the window yet? Already looking ahead to January 1st 2008 so you can try again?
Well tomorrow is also a 1st. February 1st and there is no harm in resolving, once again, to be free of fat in 2007.
Here are some tips to keep your resolutions this year:
Change the Way You Approach Healthy Living
It will be easier to keep up exercising and eating well if you look at it as a positive gift to yourself, and not a punishment.
Commit to Changing Your Lifestyle
Losing weight, getting in shape, and eating well are all lifetime prospects. You will never EVER stop working to maintain your fitness and weight. So before you go on your next New Year's diet, recognize that you'll need to change your lifestyle permanently to accommodate this goal. Make changes slowly, because your body and mind adapts most easily to small, regular changes than large ones.
Set Attainable Goals
Make sure that you set reasonable and MEASURABLE goals. Instead of saying "I want to lose weight and tone up," write down the amount of weight you want to lose, or the number of inches you want to take off your thighs. Set target dates for short-term and long-term goals. For example, if you want to lose 30 pounds, it is reasonable to lose that weight in about four months (healthy weight loss averages one to two pounds per week).
So your long-term goal is to lose 30 pounds (and keep it off), and your short-term goal would be to lose seven to eight pounds per month. Then once you've reached your goals, make new ones to keep yourself motivated and maintaining your weight.
Create a Game Plan
Set up an exercise and healthy eating routine. To set up a good routine, you'll need to devise a program that involves cardio, strength training, stretching, and a meal plan. There is a multitude of books and resources on the Internet that cover these topics in detail. Make sure you find information that is realistic and workable for your lifestyle. And don't fall for the quick fix gimmicks.
Set Up your Environment for Success
In spite of their best intentions, people are sometimes foiled by the little things that happen around them. So make sure your environment is conducive to your success. You can:
- Get someone to exercise with you.
- Keep a fitness journal to track your workouts and progress.
- Hire a personal trainer.
The bottom line
Remember that exercising and eating right requires that you change your lifestyle. You have to change the way you think about exercise and eating, change the way you schedule your day and how you prioritize your tasks. It's a lot to ask when you sum it up, but if you make your changes small and manageable, the task doesn't have to appear so daunting. Make 2007 the year you change the rest of your life!
[source]
Be a Biggest Loser
Ever envy the contestants from The Biggest Loser as they shed double digit lbs weigh in to weigh in? Aside from the calculated game play of gaining weight, rarely do we see anyone fluctuate upwards or even plateau. Well I've searched high and low for the secret and here's how you can be a biggest loser too:
Four to six hours a day of cardio and resistance training.
15 Festive Stay-Slim Treats
Drinks
Good: 5 oz champagne (126*): Good for pacing yourself—the bubbles encourage you to drink more slowly.
Better: 5 oz red wine (106): Full of heart-healthy polyphenols, it may also help lower blood pressure.
Best: 1 oz Stoli Blueberi vodka with 8 oz pomegranate-tangerine-flavored Hint water (58): A daily drink helps fight heart disease.
Appetizers
Good: 1 stuffed mushroom (69): All mushrooms are packed with antioxidants, but more exotic varieties have even greater benefits.
Better: 1 bacon-wrapped scallop (51) An excellent source of protein, scallops are also rich in heart-healthy B12.
Best: 1 lg steamed shrimp with 1 tsp cocktail sauce (13): Shrimp is high in cancer-fighting selenium.
Entrees
Good: 3 oz skinless chicken breast with 1 Tbsp apricot chutney (165): Chicken is a low-fat source of B vitamins like B6 and niacin, which help the body convert carbohydrates into energy.
Better: 3 oz turkey breast with 2 Tbsp cranberry sauce (141): Cranberries contain powerful antioxidants and also fight bacteria.
Best: Lobster tail with a squeeze of lemon (99): Lobster is high in immunity-boosting zinc.
Desserts
Good: 1/2 slice pumpkin pie (158): High in fiber, pumpkins are also a great source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant.
Better: 2" chocolate brownie (112): The flavonoids in cocoa can help lower blood pressure and improve circulation.
Best: 1 sm sugar cookie (72) or 1 mini chocolate eclair (48): You can cure an intense craving for sweets with just a little bite or two.
After Dinner
Good: Coffee with 2 Tbsp half-and-half and 2 tsp sugar (77): Coffee is rich in disease-fighting antioxidants.
Better: Coffee with 2 Tbsp 2 percent milk and 1 tsp sugar (35): The calcium in milk fights osteoporosis.
Best: Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane Holiday Decaf Green Tea with 1 Tbsp fat-free milk and 1 tsp sugar (21): Green tea is rich in antioxidants.
[source]
10 Causes of Obesity
According to David B. Allison, PhD, director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham clinical nutrition research center, and his colleagues, we're paying too much attention to too much food & and too little exercise as the cause for obesity.
Allison and colleagues suggest 10 other possible causes of obesity:
- Sleep debt. Getting too little sleep can increase body weight. Today's Americans get less shut-eye than ever.
- Pollution. Hormones control body weight. And many of today’s pollutants affect our hormones.
- Air conditioning. You have to burn calories if your environment is too hot or too cold for comfort. But more people than ever live and work in temperature-controlled homes and offices.
- Decreased smoking. Smoking reduces weight. Americans smoke much less than they used to.
- Medicine. Many different drugs -- including contraceptives, steroid hormones, diabetes drugs, some antidepressants, and blood pressure drugs -- can cause weight gain. Use of these drugs is on the upswing.
- Population age, ethnicity. Middle-aged people and Hispanic-Americans tend to be more obese than young European-Americans. Americans are getting older and more Hispanic.
- Older moms. There's some evidence that the older a woman is when she gives birth, the higher her child's risk of obesity. American women are giving birth at older and older ages.
- Ancestors' environment. Some influences may go back two generations. Environmental changes that made a grandparent obese may "through a fetally driven positive feedback loop" visit obesity on the grandchildren.
- Obesity linked to fertility. There's some evidence obese people are more fertile than lean ones. If obesity has a genetic component, the percentage of obese people in the population should increase.
- Unions of obese spouses. Obese women tend to marry obese men. If there are fewer thin people around -- and if obesity has a genetic component -- there will be still more obese people in the next generation.
- If you have a body-mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher.
- If you have a BMI between 35 and 39.9 and a medical condition including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or other cardiopulmonary disease.
- If you have tried weight loss through diet, exercise, and/or weight-loss drugs and are still obese.
- If your quality of life is suffering due to obesity.
- If you have difficulty completing everyday tasks such as cleaning, working and cooking.
- If you are willing to make needed lifestyle changes after surgery, including diet modification and starting an exercise program.
Fast Food News
In a way, all these stories are related. The common denominator? Fast food is trying to get "healthy".
That concept has always struck me as ironic. I heard a comedian say, people don't want to go to a burger joint to get a salad. Very true. Back in the day, eating out was a once a week or once a month treat. To indulge in a greasy burger with fries, large soda and shake wasn't horrible.
In recent years, I think, it's the 24/7 hours, the availability of restaurants on every corner, the drive thru, the cheap prices, etc etc etc, that makes it so easy to eat out daily.
There's no hard and fast answer. For me, I'm trying to not see the fast food industry not so much as the enemy, but as a once in a blue moon experience.
Mentally I'm trying to live as if I'm in ye olden days. Er…the '50's
1. Wendy’s to switch to healthier cooking oil
Wendy’s International Inc. said Thursday it will begin frying french fries and breaded chicken items with non-hydrogenated oil, continuing a shift to offer healthier menu choices.The country’s third-largest burger chain said the blend of corn and soy oil has zero grams of artery-clogging trans fat per serving and will cut trans fat in those menu items by 95 percent. Wendy’s will begin using the oil in its 6,300 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada in August. [read more]
2. ‘Super-size’ not a super deal, study finds. Extra calories can lead to higher costs for groceries, health care and more
The "super-size" deals at fast-food restaurants aren't such a bargain once the costs of weight gain are considered, according to a new study.Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that while the average "upsized" fast-food meal costs a mere 67 cents more than a regular meal, those bonus calories could translate into substantial daily costs due to weight gain.
When people put on weight, the study authors say, their grocery bills, healthcare costs and even gasoline expenses climb as well. [read more]
3. Restaurants offer too much of a bad thing. Cut portion sizes, get rid of fat-laden side dishes, health officials say
Those heaping portions at restaurants — and doggie bags for the leftovers — may be a thing of the past, if health officials get their way.The government is trying to enlist the help of the nation’s eateries in fighting obesity. One of the first things on their list: cutting portion sizes.
With burgers, fries and pizza the Top 3 eating-out favorites in this country, restaurants are in a prime position to help improve people’s diets and combat obesity. At least that’s what is recommended in a government-commissioned report released Friday. [read more]
7 Eating Styles That Make You Fat
Researchers, Larry Scherwitz and Deborah Kesten, from the California Pacific Medical Center, have identified seven specific eating patterns that may make us overeat and are linked to being overweight or obese. These patterns of eating will negatively affect your relationship with food. Let's see how many styles I personally recognize.
1. Fresh Food, Fast Food: If you find yourself eating at McDonald's for lunch and heating up packaged frozen dinners at night, you're eating too much processed, high-calorie food and not enough fresh foods.
[At the height of my food & health ignorance, this was totally me. I considered the lettuce on a Big Mac enough veggies for the day :eyeroll:]
2. Food Fretting: Are you so concerned about what you eat that you experience negative and guilty feelings when you think about food?
[Nah.]
3. Task Snacking: You're too busy to sit down and eat right. So you just grab things to eat at your desk or in the car. If you're distracted when you eat and you're dining at the dashboard, chances are you'll eat more and gain weight.
[Very much me. Since I recently moved, I'm trying to make eating it's own thing. No eating in front the computer or TV. I make and effort to sit down at the kitchen table.]
4. Eating Atmosphere: Where you eat is as important as what you eat. When you dine in a calm setting, you're less likely to struggle with how much you eat.
[I'm working on this and agree eating at a frenzied pace makes me pick poor foods and/or inhale my food so I end up eating more.]
5. Social Fare: People who eat alone tend to overeat. When we enjoy meals with others, we're far more likely to slow down and eat less.
[Yea, guilty of this one too.]
6. Emotional Eating: Are you using food to manage your feelings?
[Have they been reading my diary. Do this too.]
7. Sensory/Spiritual Nourishment: People who eat this way are infusing their food with special meaning.
[Finally the yes streak is broken, I don't do this. But, I get the whole "Well it's a holiday so I *should* engorge myself on yada yada yada..." The last few years I've been weaning myself off that mentality by saying, i can have turkey and stuffing any day of the year, it doesn't just grow on Thanksgiving Day so there's no need for me to eat as if I'll never see it again.]
Ok, you heard my sordid confessions, how about you? Do you recognize yourself?
Bariatric Surgery
The American Obesity Association offers some guidelines for those of you considering the procedure. You're probably a candidate for the procedure if:
Obviously it's not a decision to be taken lightly. There are two sites in the directory dealing with WLS & Gastric Bypass.
The Link Between Diet and Cancer
More sobering news on diet and cancer:
In 2002, the National Cancer Institute issued a record number of press releases regarding the impact that diet can have on cancer. Not surprisingly, diets high in fats can have the most detrimental effect, while fiber, fruits, vegetables and grains have all been identified as effective weapons in the fight against cancer. Heeding such warnings now can have a preventative effect on your risk of contracting the life-threatening disease later. [source]
'Healthy' Foods a Pitfall for Dieters
Kate Kowalczyk tossed out the junk food and stocked up on her idea of good-for-you staples like yogurt and low-fat cookies.Despite her persistence, the 35 pounds she was trying to shake wouldn't budge.
It turns out those "healthy" foods were just as fattening as the chips and soda they replaced: The yogurt was filled with Reese's Pieces and the low-fat cookies were brimming with sugar that kept her hunger on razor's edge.
I understand Kate's dilemma, though I'd never, even in my vending machine only days, would consider Reese's Pieces yogurt, er, healthy, I think she's on the right track. It took me a long while to even consider eating yogurt as snack and the kind I picked? Low fat or fruit flavored. Nowadays I'm ready to go for plain unsweetened yogurt. Why? So I can add my own fresh fruit.
As concerns grow over rising obesity rates, so does confusion about the difference between what is healthy and what aids weight loss _ with many believing the two are interchangeable."That's why so many people just give in and so many diets fail," said Christine Gerbstadt, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. [source]
I think the key is to not give up. Rather than look at my sugary, aspartame laced yogurt choice as a failure, I choose to see it as a step up from snacking on a Snickers bar. As I've been educating myself, now I know why plain, full fat even, yogurt is better. Despite the quick fix mentality lose 10lbs in 2 days diet industry, you soon learn this is all a journey of learning and growing vs. destination getting it right away.
Is there any food, you started off thinking was healthy and later found out wasn't all it was cracked up to be?
Be Concerned
Five US soft drinks were found containing the cancer-causing chemical benzene at levels above the legal limit for drinking water, America’s food safety watchdog has announced, sparking calls for more thorough testing. [source]
Women who gain weight as adults face a higher lifetime risk of all types of breast cancer, researchers reported on Monday.
The study adds to a large body of evidence showing that weight and breast cancer can be closely linked. [source]
Lawmakers Want Junk Food Out of Schools
Trying to shrink the growing waistlines of children, lawmakers want to expel soda, candy bars, chips and other junk food from the nation's schools.[snip]
Lawmakers blame high-fat, high-sugar snacks that compete with nutritious meals in schools. [source]
When I was in high school, I don't remember us having much junk food or even vending machines. The cafe did sell ice cream bars and maybe cakes. But I got my junk food fix before and after school. There was a store on every corner from my house to school to satisfy my salty potato chips, doughnut and cola needs.
Today, candy, soda and other snacks are sold in nine out of 10 schools, according to the Government Accountability Office. Already plentiful in high schools, junk food has become more available in middle schools over the past five years, GAO found.
That's not good. Especially when most schools have cut phys ed classes. Though not having junk food in school didn't stop me from seeking it out on my own, I at least had gym 3 days a week, weights twice a week and what I forgot to note above was, I walked to & from school every day. About 2 miles. One way.
First OTC Diet Pill Coming Soon
GlaxoSmithKline has received conditional approval for over-the-counter sales of the weight-loss drug Xenical, a Food and Drug Administration spokeswoman said Friday.[snip]
Known generically as orlistat, the pill helps prevent fat from being absorbed by the body but can cause excess gas and oily discharge.
If it wins final approval, it would be the only FDA-endorsed weight-loss drug available without a prescription. [source]
I'm calling my stockbroker
Obese Children Too Big for Car Seats
Thousands of obese children cannot fit into car seats, leaving them at risk in the event of a crash, researchers said in a study published in the journal Pediatrics.[snip]
According to the study, more than 282,000 overweight children younger than 7 do not fit into most child safety or booster seats available on the market.
I just don't even know what to say.
Easy Way for Teens to Lose Weight
Teenagers who give up the sugar-sweetened soft drinks for the diet version are likely to lose weight, reports Reuters of a new study from Children's Hospital in Boston, Mass. [source]
To which I'm sure most teens will respond, "Well duuuhhhhh!"
Fry-suit
You knew this was coming didn't you. You saw it coming a mile away right? McDonald's sued over french fry ingredients.
McDonald's Corp. is facing at least three lawsuits related to its disclosure last week that its french fries contain wheat and dairy products.
What makes this story even more intriguing is only a few weeks earlier they admitted the fries contained a third, ONE THIRD!, more trans fat then previously reported. I'm a skeptic, but what’s with all the confessions? It makes me think back to the days pre-Super Size Me the movie.
Prior to the movie being released, (May 7th 2004), all of a sudden the market was going to get these well intentioned yet poorly thought out, "adult" happy meals, Go Active meals was the name, on May 6th 2004. Coincidence? I think not.
Suddenly, there was no more super sizing to be had. Matter of fact, I remember asking to be super sized and the girl said they don’t do that anymore, super size was the new large. WTF? The concept stayed but the name went away. Oh. The movie.
I'm guessing Ronald McDonald didn't want people to associate the Super Size movie with McDonald’s in any way shape or form. He also hoped by the time the movie came out and someone went to McDonald’s to order and the cashier replied with an angelic face, “Why we don't super size here,” said consumer would think the movie a farce and go on their merry way getting large, aka the super size, instead.
I thought the Go Active meal was a good start but a very cynical one. Rather than sit down and really think it through I have the feeling they rushed it while also heavily promoting their salad lines all to show the public they weren't a fast food restaurant at all. And look, it’s almost 2 years later and have you even seen a commercial for the Go Active meal? Any signage in their stores? No.
Back to the recent announcements, both within 2 months of each other, admitting the fries have more trans fat and by the way, we put wheat and dairy in them. What could've prompted them to be so forthcoming?
The disclosure came as McDonald’s Corp. started rolling out packaging for its menu items that contain facts about their nutritional content — a move made voluntarily but with the fast-food industry under pressure from consumer groups and the government to provide more information.McDonald’s said it updated the nutrition info on its Web site last month as soon as it discovered the new level of trans fat. It explained the increase by saying an improvement in the testing process has made results more accurate.
“As part of our ongoing voluntary efforts to provide our customers with the best science-based information, we continually enhance our testing,” said Cathy Kapica, global nutrition director for McDonald’s. [source]
Right Ronald, sounds like just business as usual to me.
Sleep to Lose Weight
Doctors have previously proven that when we sleep too little, we gain weight. Now a research team from Laval University in Quebec City has shown the ideal sleep zone for weight loss: seven to eight hours a night.Sleep just five to six hours and you can expect to gain weight even if you don't change your diet or exercise habits. Why? Leptin, a hormone that regulates hunger, is manufactured in fat cells. [snip] a study of 323 men and 417 women from Quebec province in Canada reported those sleeping fewer hours also had lower leptin levels than they should have.
Would that doctors could just tell us to go to bed to lose weight! It's not quite that easy. Even if you faithfully give yourself the gift of eight hours of nightly slumber, you aren't guaranteed to lose weight. Still, the study found that those who slept between seven and eight hours each night were also the slimmest, something to keep in mind as you indulge in late-night TV. [source]
I take this with a grain of salt. From all my readings on fit & healthy people, they seem to thrive on less sleep. As little as 4 but usually no more than 6 hours. I think the key line is this: "Sleep just five to six hours and you can expect to gain weight even if you don't change your diet or exercise habits."
Get those zzzz's.
Junk-food definition may ban whole milk
Cartons of whole milk that generations of children drank at school would be considered junk food, but baked potato chips would not, under new rules proposed Friday by state education officials.
? Yea me too.
The new rules focus on the nutritional content of foods rather than exempting broad categories of food. [source]
I do hope common sense prevails over making decisions purely by the numbers.
Stay Focused, Not Fanatical
This is a really really good article that gets at the heart of the matter on not making losing weight take over your entire life. Instead find a way to make it work it into your current lifestyle.
The first day: This time is going to be different. This time, you've got a diet plan you believe in, a house purged of temptations, a newly minted gym membership and sneakers so technologically advanced they practically run a 5K all by themselves. This time, you promise yourself, you will fully embrace a healthy lifestyle. So it's off to the gym for a cardio class, a quick weight circuit, some yoga and a lunch of naked lettuce!
Flash forward two weeks: You haven't been to the gym for a few days and that weekend wedding derailed your no-sugar-ever-again diet. But you'll get back on track... just as soon as you find those sneakers.Flash forward one month: Gym? Who has time to go the gym? Walking is really a fine exercise and you certainly do enough of that. And the diet? Well, you've read some news stories that question the validity of a no-sugar diet. Besides, is life worth living if you can't eat chocolate-chip cookies? You've decided to eat what you like and just try to limit portion size.
Suddenly, it's swimsuit season and/or a significant event (reunion, party, vacation, etc.): Uh-oh. Wonder if that gym membership is still valid? Time to stock up on lettuce! And hey, what was the name of that diet that got Jennifer Aniston so skinny?
If your latest diet/fitness attempt seems like deja vu, it's time to analyze what went wrong. Let's go back to "the first day" (without really going back). Notice that everything here looks a little extreme? I'm not just talking about the ambitious exercise schedule. From the top-of-the-line sneakers to the bottom-of-the-food-chain meal, what we have here is an overcaffeinated approach to fitness. It's simply a matter of time before that gung ho, coffee-achiever intensity crashes and burns.
I understand the mentality that creates this problem: "Hey, I've got weight to lose and I want it gone! Now!" There's something about that urgency that seems to call for extreme measures. When it comes right down to it, we'd rather make big sacrifices than small changes. Somehow, it's easier to get up a head of steam about a three-day juice fast than it is about skipping dessert. But once that urgency evaporates, the excuses pile up, and you've gotten off track.
Here's how to stay focused:
Reality-proof your diet. Does your diet make it impossible to eat out? Take part in holiday meals and celebrations? Indulge in a planned treat or favorite food? If you can't stick to it at all times, for life, it's not a plan -- it's wishful thinking.
Don't innovate, renovate. Been inactive for a spell? Instead of plunging into an entirely new fitness regimen ("I usually run but I've heard Pilates is the ticket to flat abs!"), expand what you're already doing. You can always add novelty and variety once you've reestablished your basic routine.
Be accountable to yourself. Weigh yourself at fixed dates and chart your progress. Vague intentions to walk more or limit portion size tend to become more specific when you know you have to step on a scale Monday morning.
Keep science on your side. Apply physics to exercise and diet fads. At the end of the day, if you aren't burning more calories than you consume, you won't lose weight. Don't be fooled by miracle ingredients or "new discoveries." Weight loss isn't rocket science -- it's thermodynamics.
Pace your expectations. If you've got a few pounds to lose, it's a marathon, not a sprint. There will be days when you're really making tracks, days when you're running in place and days when you're sitting by the side of the road trying to catch your breath. So don't just give lip service to the concept of "lifestyle" while secretly hoping for a quick fix. Instead, really wrap your head around the concept of tomorrow, and the next day and the day after that. Pretty soon, you'll find that slow, steady groove that brings lasting results.
Stop Regain
...researchers have found that overweight and obese people pile on about five pounds during the holidays and often don't shed that weight in the spring. (By comparison, people at a healthy weight, put on about a pound during the holidays.)
While I'm not suprised to read this, I didn't realize the differences between overweight and healthy holiday weight gain was that stark.
If you're feeling like the stuffed turkey you ate last week, you can do something to help yourself today: Climb on the bathroom scale. Scary as it may be to look at your bottom line, weighing yourself daily is one habit that is linked with long-term successful weight maintenance, according to the latest results of a federally funded study led by researchers at Brown and Duke universities.Known as Stop Regain, the study enrolled 314 participants -- 80 percent of them women -- who had recently lost an average of 44 pounds. [source]
Here are 7 tips to keep you on track for the rest of the year:
Find your caloric balance.
Record what you eat.
Practice portion control.
Recruit a Holiday Challenge partner.
Be consistent.
Add "lifestyle" exercises.
Park a couple of hand weights next to your desk.
Comfort Foods Women vs. Men
I like finding information that explains the chemical reactions people have to food, it makes things like cravings more understandable to me.
Comfort food for women often means snuggling up with tub of mint chocolate ice cream to wallow in their blues. But for men, comfort foods serve as a reward when life is looking rosy.[snip]
It turns out women are slightly more likely to eat comfort foods high in fat and sugar like cakes and ice cream _ along with a hefty serving of guilt, loneliness and depression.
"Comfort foods don't have to be high in fat and sugar. Comfort foods can be healthy," said Jordan LeBel, a Cornell professor and lead author on the study. "This shows we can re-educate people so that comfort foods aren't always about negative emotions."Foods high in sugar and fat content are more efficient in alleviating negative feelings, according to the study. That finding is supported by numerous past studies, including one by researchers at the University of California in San Francisco that found rats tended to consume fat-packed foods when confronted with high-stress situations.
Another section of the study examined which comfort foods people picked when they were restraining their caloric intake. Like women, those on the strictest diets tended to associate comfort foods with negative feelings. And they were also more prone to pick the most nutritionally deficient foods.That might explain why women are more drawn to high-fat, high-sugar foods when in need, LeBel said _ since they are more likely to be more preoccupied about weight gain. So when they're down in the dumps, the head straight for forbidden foods. [source]
My comfort foods are definitely in the high fat/calorie club. Since moving to the south, it's also taken a Southern twist, things like macaroni and cheese, yams, sweet potato pie & peach cobbler, all have "helped" me through some low times. And I do see a correlation between feeling my best and wanting to eat veggies and fruit vs. feeling upset and searching for a bowl of ice cream.
Workouts Can Lighten Heavy Hearts
Exercise may equal medication in easing depression, experts say
The millions of Americans stricken each year by debilitating depression may want to consider running away from their problem -- or walking, swimming or dancing it away.
"What the studies are showing is that exercise, at least when performed in a group setting, seems to be at least as effective as standard antidepressant medications in reducing symptoms in patients with major depression," said researcher James Blumenthal, a professor of medical psychology at Duke University in Durham, N.C.
According to Blumenthal, other studies are beginning to suggest that solitary exercise, such as workouts at the gym or a daily jog, can be just as effective as group activities in beating the blues, and that "duration of exercise didn't seem to matter -- what seemed to matter most was whether people were exercising or not."
Blumenthal was lead author on a much-publicized study released five years ago that found that just 10 months of regular, moderate exercise outperformed a leading antidepressant (Zoloft) in easing symptoms in young adults diagnosed with moderate to severe depression.
And another study released earlier this year, by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, found that 30-minute aerobic workouts done three to five times a week cut depressive symptoms by 50 percent in young adults.
Theories abound as to how revving up the body helps uncloud the mind.
Robert E. Thayer is a professor of psychology at California State University, Long Beach, and the author of Calm Energy: How People Regulate Mood with Food and Exercise. He said that while workouts probably affect key brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, physical activity may also trigger positive changes in other areas, too.
"Depression is a condition characterized by low energy and moderate tension, something I call 'tense tiredness,'" he said. But exercise has a clear "mood effect" that seems to ease that anxious but lethargic state, he said.
According to Thayer, moderate exercise -- a brisk 10-minute walk, for example -- results in a boosting of energy, although it may not be quite enough to relieve stress.
"More intense exercise -- the amount you'd engage in with a 45-minute aerobic workout -- does give a primary mood effect of reducing tension. It might also leave you with a little less energy because you'd be tired, of course," he said. "However, there's also some indication from the research that there's a 'rebound' effect an hour or so later, in terms of [increased] energy."
Blumenthal pointed to the more lasting psychological boost regular workouts can bring. "People who exercise might also have better self-esteem; it may help them feel better about themselves, having that great sense of accomplishment," he said.
Still, the experts acknowledged that truly depressed individuals often find it tough to jump into an exercise routine.
"Why do people not do the thing that's perhaps the most important thing for them to do?" said Thayer. "It's because a drop in energy is such a central component of depression -- you just don't have the energy to do the exercise."
He said the key to breaking that cycle is to start small.
"Thinking about going to the gym and doing all the stuff that's involved with that can be overwhelming for a depressed person," Thayer pointed out. "But if you think 'Hey, maybe I'll just walk down the street 30 yards or so, at a leisurely pace,' that's a start. And it turns out that your body becomes activated then -- you have more of an incentive to walk farther, to do more."
Loved ones can play a key role, too, urging a depressed friend or family member to join in with them as they work out. "Social support, peer pressure, family support -- all of that can be helpful, certainly in getting people to maintain exercise," Blumenthal said.
No one is saying that exercise is always a substitute for drug therapy, especially for the severely depressed. "But we also know that these drugs aren't effective for everyone -- about a third of people aren't going to get better with medication," Blumenthal said.
For those patients, exercise may prove a viable, worry-free alternative -- with one great fringe benefit.
"In addition to its mental health benefits, there are some clear cardiovascular benefits to exercise which we don't see with antidepressant drugs, of course," Blumenthal noted. So, he said, what keeps the mind fit strengthens the body, too. "You're killing two birds with one stone." [source]
Out of Sight/Out of Mind
Especially for today, candy day, and this week, candy week.
Secretaries rated candy as more than twice as hard to resist when they could see and reach it than when they could not. They were twice as likely to say that they often thought of the chocolates or that the treats kept grabbing their attention if they were visible and nearby.By contrast, secretaries were twice as likely to say they forgot the candy was around if it was hidden and distant. [source]
A GREAT hiding place is the trash can. 
Study Ties Kids Weight Gain, Produce Cost
Via Thea:
A new study suggests the price of fresh fruits and vegetables has a stronger connection to weight gain among children than whether they live near fast-food outlets.It adds more confusion to the muddy picture of what causes youngsters to gain weight. [source]
I think the key word is "muddy". Knowing all that I know about weight & fat, which isn't to say I know it all, study or no study I find it hard to believe that fresh fruits & veggies cause kids to gain weight. I'm more interested in who funded this. Was it a special interest group, did that skew the results?
Giving them the benefit of the doubt, if the choice is gain weight with fast food or gain weight eating plums, getting fat on fruits and veggies win hands down. At least I know my arteries won't be clogged. 
