When the weather is as nice as it is now – it’s the perfect time to get out and exercise!
If you’ve already got a routine going that you enjoy, add more challenge to it to increase your fitness level: increase your speed, add distance, or add hills.
It’s also really good for the body to change workouts. Some fitness gurus call this “muscle confusion” and explain it’s good for us because the body gets set into a routine repeated over and over, making it easier, but not increasing our fitness levels. Doing new things with new muscle groups keeps the body on the improvement road. Even choosing three or four routines that you like, and switching them up, will help give you workout variety.
There are some real benefits to exercising outside, as long as we take some precautions.
1. The sun’s rays improve our feeling of well-being, which help us feel better, exercise better, feel more energized, and help us sleep better at the end of the day, even if we’re just getting the first rays of red and yellow before the full sun is out. The precaution: wear sweat-proof sunscreen, and sunglasses to protect against the strong sun, and wash off the sunscreen when you’re done so those absorbed rays don’t get absorbed into your skin with the lotion.
2. The fresh air is good for cleansing out indoor air pollutant build-up. The precaution: avoid working out near traffic areas, in smoggy areas, or any place with industrial or other pollutants in abundant amounts floating around.
3. Change of scenery can help keep boredom at bay. The precaution: choose locations with good scenery.
If you like to exercise with partners, find a friend that likes the same routines or will at least try them. Or join groups that do your workouts, there are always some to be found for every type of workout now-a-days. Even fitness centers offer some outdoor groups.
And it exercising alone is your cup of tea, then go for that. It can give you time to clear your mind, set your own workout schedules around a busy lifestyle, and let you set your pace according to that day’s energy level. However, be careful to not let yourself get into too easy of workouts or miss days, because you don’t have a workout buddy to help keep you in check. And as always, choose safe locations for working out.
Enjoy these beautiful days, and take time to view the roses!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Dieting Vs. Exercise
What's more important for slimming down and losing weight, dieting or exercising? First, let's visit each subject for a moment to see what each will do and won't do in relation to our bodies.
When we go on a calorie restricted and modified diet, our bodies start using up the three days storage of energy it keeps in cells, without replacing the storage the way it was before. So for the first few days you body might drop a little of the excess weight. Then alarms go off within you that intake is less than before, so it turns on the hunger signals in the form of hormones. The main one of these is grehlin, which has been discussed before that I have nick-named it Gremlin. If you make it past the next few days of a growingly intense hunger, then your body employs it's next defense against what it views as potential oncoming starvation. It starts slowing down the energy converters in the cells, thus slowing your metabolism, or the rate at which you are converting glucoses and lipids (sugars and fats) into energy. Thus, you can survive on less calories, and your body can maintain the same weight and fat stores as you have been maintaining to that point.
Now let's examine what plays out when you just increase your exercise amount and/or intensity, without changing your diet. You begin to metabolize more calories than you were before, although the amount is relatively smaller than most exercise machine companies and gyms would have you believe. Also, you build more muscle, which we all have been educated to know that more muscle burns more calories than less muscle and certainly more than fat stores. For a female weighing about 130 lbs. on a medium sized frame, being somewhat active, her basal metabolic rate would usually be about 1600 calories per day. Adding in exercise, at 30 minute increments the increased calorie burn would probably be about another 150 calories during that workout, and with the increased metabolic burn which can last up to 12 hours, another 50 to 100 calories might be burned. So you can see that not a whole lot more is required for the extra exercise (even if the exercise bike is saying that another 350 calories has been burned). Increasing the muscle mass would increase the basal metabolic rate gradually, so after this daily 30 minute workout until the body has reached the point that it is used to this amount and type, quite often within one month, the metabolic rate might be up another 50 calories per day. Increasing the intensities of the workouts as each plateau is reached, so that it always feels like it is a little tougher than you can comfortably do, keeps the burn rate higher and the building of muscle stronger.
When the two are combined, the results are much better. Reducing the caloric intake, eating a healthier diet focused more on whole foods in their raw state, and exercising daily with switching routines and increasing intensities, you can keep your metabolism revved, so your body will be forced to pull from the lipid (fat) storages to produce energy. Of course, the exact degrees to which exercise and diet adjustments need to be made for achieving results is slightly different in everybody, depending on factors such as overweight amount, muscle area being built, whether stores are yellow fat (like women put on) or brown fat (like men put on in their midsections) which actually causes a metabolic boost being described as "fat-burning fat", if the person has been a yo-yo dieter or not dieted in a long time, external temperatures, sickness, etc.
So we can see that to achieve optimum fat loss and improved health, proper diet with reduced caloric intake, combined with varied exercise must be combined. You'll feel great doing it, so it's well worth doing!
When we go on a calorie restricted and modified diet, our bodies start using up the three days storage of energy it keeps in cells, without replacing the storage the way it was before. So for the first few days you body might drop a little of the excess weight. Then alarms go off within you that intake is less than before, so it turns on the hunger signals in the form of hormones. The main one of these is grehlin, which has been discussed before that I have nick-named it Gremlin. If you make it past the next few days of a growingly intense hunger, then your body employs it's next defense against what it views as potential oncoming starvation. It starts slowing down the energy converters in the cells, thus slowing your metabolism, or the rate at which you are converting glucoses and lipids (sugars and fats) into energy. Thus, you can survive on less calories, and your body can maintain the same weight and fat stores as you have been maintaining to that point.
Now let's examine what plays out when you just increase your exercise amount and/or intensity, without changing your diet. You begin to metabolize more calories than you were before, although the amount is relatively smaller than most exercise machine companies and gyms would have you believe. Also, you build more muscle, which we all have been educated to know that more muscle burns more calories than less muscle and certainly more than fat stores. For a female weighing about 130 lbs. on a medium sized frame, being somewhat active, her basal metabolic rate would usually be about 1600 calories per day. Adding in exercise, at 30 minute increments the increased calorie burn would probably be about another 150 calories during that workout, and with the increased metabolic burn which can last up to 12 hours, another 50 to 100 calories might be burned. So you can see that not a whole lot more is required for the extra exercise (even if the exercise bike is saying that another 350 calories has been burned). Increasing the muscle mass would increase the basal metabolic rate gradually, so after this daily 30 minute workout until the body has reached the point that it is used to this amount and type, quite often within one month, the metabolic rate might be up another 50 calories per day. Increasing the intensities of the workouts as each plateau is reached, so that it always feels like it is a little tougher than you can comfortably do, keeps the burn rate higher and the building of muscle stronger.
When the two are combined, the results are much better. Reducing the caloric intake, eating a healthier diet focused more on whole foods in their raw state, and exercising daily with switching routines and increasing intensities, you can keep your metabolism revved, so your body will be forced to pull from the lipid (fat) storages to produce energy. Of course, the exact degrees to which exercise and diet adjustments need to be made for achieving results is slightly different in everybody, depending on factors such as overweight amount, muscle area being built, whether stores are yellow fat (like women put on) or brown fat (like men put on in their midsections) which actually causes a metabolic boost being described as "fat-burning fat", if the person has been a yo-yo dieter or not dieted in a long time, external temperatures, sickness, etc.
So we can see that to achieve optimum fat loss and improved health, proper diet with reduced caloric intake, combined with varied exercise must be combined. You'll feel great doing it, so it's well worth doing!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Energizing Foods for Health and For Good Weight
Eating raw, fresh vegetables is one of the greatest things you can do for your health, as well as for weight loss. As explained in a previous article about healthy fats, it's important to eat some healthy fats at each meal. Not only does this increase your health, and clean out bad fats in your system, fats cause a release of the hormone Leptin, which signals your body to be satiated - which is in opposition to the hormone Grehlin (I call them gremlins) which makes you feel hungry. Hunger will sabotage you on diet plans every time, as they can become extremely strong, so be sure to consume a tiny bit of healthy, liquid at room temperature fats, with every meal to stop the hunger, as well as stimulate the metabolism of fats in your cells.
Energizing Lunch Salad .. .. created by Raylene Jorgenson
1 Cup Romaine lettuce, torn into 2” pieces
1 organic Romaine tomato, sliced
1 Cup spinach leaves, torn into small pieces if leaves are large
1 ½ “ wide wedge of red cabbage, chopped
1 green onion stalk, sliced
3 small strawberries, greens removed, sliced
½ long carrot, coined
¼ organic avocado, sliced
¼ yellow bell pepper, chopped
Garnish top with a touch of alfalfa sprouts, and about 20 blades of sprouted wheat grass with kernels attached, cut up finely. Serve with 1 to 2 tablespoons of Healthy Ranch Dressing. Be sure to pray over it, physicists have measured energy (not calories) of foods, and found prayer increases energy levels. 1 serving.
Healthy Ranch Dressing .. .. created by Raylene Jorgenson
1 tsp. olive oil – extra virgin expeller pressed
¼ Cup oil “Pure Blended Oil” by Western Family, or other oil highest in monounsaturated fats, next highest in polyunsaturated fat, without any (or almost any) saturated fats and/or trans fats.
¼ C apple cider vinegar
¼ Cup water – reverse osmosis and charcoal purified
1 Cup non-fat plain yogurt (of course, sugar free)
1 T Ranch dressing mix from grocery store
1 tsp. whole ground flax seed meal
1 tsp basil leaves, crushed
1 tsp thyme, crushed
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
Pinch black pepper Mix well. Keep refrigerated.
Energizing Lunch Salad .. .. created by Raylene Jorgenson
1 Cup Romaine lettuce, torn into 2” pieces
1 organic Romaine tomato, sliced
1 Cup spinach leaves, torn into small pieces if leaves are large
1 ½ “ wide wedge of red cabbage, chopped
1 green onion stalk, sliced
3 small strawberries, greens removed, sliced
½ long carrot, coined
¼ organic avocado, sliced
¼ yellow bell pepper, chopped
Garnish top with a touch of alfalfa sprouts, and about 20 blades of sprouted wheat grass with kernels attached, cut up finely. Serve with 1 to 2 tablespoons of Healthy Ranch Dressing. Be sure to pray over it, physicists have measured energy (not calories) of foods, and found prayer increases energy levels. 1 serving.
Healthy Ranch Dressing .. .. created by Raylene Jorgenson
1 tsp. olive oil – extra virgin expeller pressed
¼ Cup oil “Pure Blended Oil” by Western Family, or other oil highest in monounsaturated fats, next highest in polyunsaturated fat, without any (or almost any) saturated fats and/or trans fats.
¼ C apple cider vinegar
¼ Cup water – reverse osmosis and charcoal purified
1 Cup non-fat plain yogurt (of course, sugar free)
1 T Ranch dressing mix from grocery store
1 tsp. whole ground flax seed meal
1 tsp basil leaves, crushed
1 tsp thyme, crushed
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
Pinch black pepper Mix well. Keep refrigerated.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Weight Loss Motvation 101
We’ve all read that motivation is a key factor in weight loss, right? They tell you to get a support group, and set up rewards for yourself, prepare for a special event, get someone else to set up rewards for you, etc. – that this is how the ones that are successful are doing it.
It has been my experience with different weight loss patients, different seminars I’ve taught, and different studies I’ve read, that these work for some people, but not for everyone.
So what does it take to become motivated enough for successful at weight loss, and then life-long weight management?
First, determine what type you are: 1) Social settings involving eating are of high importance, including the nightly family dinner, 2) money motivates you well, 3) you’re highly motivated but then the hunger pangs and/or cravings become overwhelming, 4) you’re more private of a person and don’t like to include everyone in your weight loss goals, 5) clothes and/or swim suits can spur you into diet action, 6) any other type of personality that doesn’t fit one of these.
Next, set up your plan of attack based on your own personality style(s):
1) If you are socially motivated, then try Weight Watchers or other group setting weight-loss support groups. Be sure to include the family in your new current/life-long quest and get their support, and you’ll be much more likely to be successful.
2) If money is a motivator then set aside money rewards for yourself, make money penalties, and stick to them – and see if you can get others in on this such as an employer, spouse, or group contest, etc.
3) If those hunger pangs and cravings are side-railing you every time, then you need to make conversions away from the cravings, do this by making substitutions, and remember to keep at it! This has been one of the most helpful tips for all the people I’ve worked with through the years. If you crave salty and crunchy things, substitute air-popped popcorn with a little salt for those bad chips. If you love sugars, snack on an orange or apple, and avoid simple sugars like the plague! Also, cut back on other things that turn right into sugars like breads, milks, pastas, fruit juices (of course no pop!), sugary fruits and vegetables, etc. Look up glycemic level lists online to see which ones break down quickly to sugars (with a higher glycemic number) and which ones are slow – then chose slow, low-numbered ones. Eventually your sugar cravings will subside, your hunger will decrease, and you’ll be successful at weight loss. Important to note: sugar substitutes still keep sugar cravings up – as well as almost all of them being linked to cancers and other harms in our bodies – so don’t use artificial sweeteners!! When low on energy, try an herbal tea, a green tea supplement, a small amount of whey protein, or taking a quick power nap.
4) When you’re a more private person, group meetings and family support grouping can dissuade you, so motivate yourself by keeping a private eating diary every day, weighing in private daily, and keeping your goals “in code”. These can all be out where they can remind you, but being “in code” or having that picture of your goal body hidden in your wallet that you yourself see when ever you go to purchase something, and your goal weight number written on a little paper taped inside the frig door, are ways to keep it fresh in your mind, without everyone else being privy. When out at parties and restaurants with people, don’t tell them you don’t want the cake because you are trying to lose weight – they’ll all just hassle you to “enjoy just this once” and gang up to get you off your path, which can become quite embarrassing. Better to just say ‘No thank you, I don’t want any.” Usually people don’t try to get you to eat something you don’t want, anymore than they would want you to pressure them to eat something they don’t want.
5) Keep that old favorite pair of jeans that used to fit you, or that cute new dress or swimsuit you love but can’t fit into you – put it in a prominent place in your closet so you’re reminded that you really want to fit into it soon, then keep that picture in your mind and feeling in your heart when you head to the frig or dinner table. Don’t snack between meals, and don’t taste while you’re cooking. Picture that cute outfit and how good you’ll look and feel in it when you’re a smaller you – as your best motivator.
6) Other – figure out what the pattern is that keeps you from your weight loss/nutritional goals and then figure out a strategy for how you will attack it – then go for it!
What have you got to lose – but unwanted fat!!
It has been my experience with different weight loss patients, different seminars I’ve taught, and different studies I’ve read, that these work for some people, but not for everyone.
So what does it take to become motivated enough for successful at weight loss, and then life-long weight management?
First, determine what type you are: 1) Social settings involving eating are of high importance, including the nightly family dinner, 2) money motivates you well, 3) you’re highly motivated but then the hunger pangs and/or cravings become overwhelming, 4) you’re more private of a person and don’t like to include everyone in your weight loss goals, 5) clothes and/or swim suits can spur you into diet action, 6) any other type of personality that doesn’t fit one of these.
Next, set up your plan of attack based on your own personality style(s):
1) If you are socially motivated, then try Weight Watchers or other group setting weight-loss support groups. Be sure to include the family in your new current/life-long quest and get their support, and you’ll be much more likely to be successful.
2) If money is a motivator then set aside money rewards for yourself, make money penalties, and stick to them – and see if you can get others in on this such as an employer, spouse, or group contest, etc.
3) If those hunger pangs and cravings are side-railing you every time, then you need to make conversions away from the cravings, do this by making substitutions, and remember to keep at it! This has been one of the most helpful tips for all the people I’ve worked with through the years. If you crave salty and crunchy things, substitute air-popped popcorn with a little salt for those bad chips. If you love sugars, snack on an orange or apple, and avoid simple sugars like the plague! Also, cut back on other things that turn right into sugars like breads, milks, pastas, fruit juices (of course no pop!), sugary fruits and vegetables, etc. Look up glycemic level lists online to see which ones break down quickly to sugars (with a higher glycemic number) and which ones are slow – then chose slow, low-numbered ones. Eventually your sugar cravings will subside, your hunger will decrease, and you’ll be successful at weight loss. Important to note: sugar substitutes still keep sugar cravings up – as well as almost all of them being linked to cancers and other harms in our bodies – so don’t use artificial sweeteners!! When low on energy, try an herbal tea, a green tea supplement, a small amount of whey protein, or taking a quick power nap.
4) When you’re a more private person, group meetings and family support grouping can dissuade you, so motivate yourself by keeping a private eating diary every day, weighing in private daily, and keeping your goals “in code”. These can all be out where they can remind you, but being “in code” or having that picture of your goal body hidden in your wallet that you yourself see when ever you go to purchase something, and your goal weight number written on a little paper taped inside the frig door, are ways to keep it fresh in your mind, without everyone else being privy. When out at parties and restaurants with people, don’t tell them you don’t want the cake because you are trying to lose weight – they’ll all just hassle you to “enjoy just this once” and gang up to get you off your path, which can become quite embarrassing. Better to just say ‘No thank you, I don’t want any.” Usually people don’t try to get you to eat something you don’t want, anymore than they would want you to pressure them to eat something they don’t want.
5) Keep that old favorite pair of jeans that used to fit you, or that cute new dress or swimsuit you love but can’t fit into you – put it in a prominent place in your closet so you’re reminded that you really want to fit into it soon, then keep that picture in your mind and feeling in your heart when you head to the frig or dinner table. Don’t snack between meals, and don’t taste while you’re cooking. Picture that cute outfit and how good you’ll look and feel in it when you’re a smaller you – as your best motivator.
6) Other – figure out what the pattern is that keeps you from your weight loss/nutritional goals and then figure out a strategy for how you will attack it – then go for it!
What have you got to lose – but unwanted fat!!
Fats: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Fats, also known as lipids, come in many forms. Because lipids are high in calories and have been linked to cardiovascular disease, obesity, and weight gain - they've gotten a bad reputation.
However, consuming too little of the "good" fats is harmful, counter-productive, and even linked to weight gain! Here's the low-down on lipids.
The good fats are poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated.
The bad fats are saturated, and hydrogenated.
Hormones need fats for transport, these hormones include: reproductive, calming, and nerve transmission hormones, as well as others.
Leptin is a hormone that is released from fats, which give you a feeling that you've had enough, you're not hungry. It is in opposition to another hormone your body produces, called grehlin, which tells you you're hungry.
Supple, younger-looking skin needs fats.
Our bodies will burn carbohydrates as a first choice when they are present in the blood stream. When fats are present, our bodies will burn fat also - so for weight loss we need small amounts of good fats every time we eat.
Good fats will grab onto and wrangle out most bad fats in the blood stream.
Nerve cells need good cholesterol from good fats for their myelin sheathing. Without proper myelin sheathing, we have nerve damage and can't function properly, manifest at times similar to Multiple Sclerosis.
Cell structure compounds come from good fats, particularly in the brain and nervous system.
Lipids provide structgure, regulation, and energy.
An essential fatty acid (ones the body can't make itself) deficiency manifests with symptoms like scaly and dry skin, liver abnormalities, impaired vision and hearing, poor wound healing, poor absorption of fat soluable vitamins, and growth failure in infants.
Saturated fatty acids are saturated with hydrogens on all the carbons in the chain. These fats are usually solid at room temperature, such as margarine, butter, and shortening. Usually these are more in meat and dairy products, as well as palm oil, palm kernal oil, and coconut oil.
Unsaturated fatty acids contain some carbons that are not saturated with hydrogens. They tend to be liquid oils at room temperature. The two best unsaturated fatty acids are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated, most commonly found in corn, safflower, and soybean oil.
Hydrogenated (changed by processing to be very solid and stable) and trans-fatty acids are quite bad - and they are already in storage form so our bodies like to put them into little fat storage cells right away.
The best lipids for our health and for low-fat weight control are polyunsaturated and then monounsaturated. Avoid saturated fats. From best to worst, here's a good guide for picking your fats: flaxseed oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, olive oil, and peanut oil.
Although many health organizations recommend 20 to 35% fat in diets - I recommend a diet of 10 to 20% of poly and mono-unsaturated fats. -- So, if you are a semi-active female at 5'6" tall with an ideal weight of 125 lbs., your weight loss calorie amount of about 1400 calories daily would net 140 to 280 of those calories coming from good fats. To maintain that weight you would consume about 1600 to 1700 calories daily, so that makes the good fat amount at 160 to 320 calories daily. During hot summers, stick more to the 10% range, and in cold winters go more for the 20% range, and you should achieve your best health, weight, and hunger balance.
Remember - good fats don't make you fat - too many calories and/or too many bad fats do!
However, consuming too little of the "good" fats is harmful, counter-productive, and even linked to weight gain! Here's the low-down on lipids.
The good fats are poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated.
The bad fats are saturated, and hydrogenated.
Hormones need fats for transport, these hormones include: reproductive, calming, and nerve transmission hormones, as well as others.
Leptin is a hormone that is released from fats, which give you a feeling that you've had enough, you're not hungry. It is in opposition to another hormone your body produces, called grehlin, which tells you you're hungry.
Supple, younger-looking skin needs fats.
Our bodies will burn carbohydrates as a first choice when they are present in the blood stream. When fats are present, our bodies will burn fat also - so for weight loss we need small amounts of good fats every time we eat.
Good fats will grab onto and wrangle out most bad fats in the blood stream.
Nerve cells need good cholesterol from good fats for their myelin sheathing. Without proper myelin sheathing, we have nerve damage and can't function properly, manifest at times similar to Multiple Sclerosis.
Cell structure compounds come from good fats, particularly in the brain and nervous system.
Lipids provide structgure, regulation, and energy.
An essential fatty acid (ones the body can't make itself) deficiency manifests with symptoms like scaly and dry skin, liver abnormalities, impaired vision and hearing, poor wound healing, poor absorption of fat soluable vitamins, and growth failure in infants.
Saturated fatty acids are saturated with hydrogens on all the carbons in the chain. These fats are usually solid at room temperature, such as margarine, butter, and shortening. Usually these are more in meat and dairy products, as well as palm oil, palm kernal oil, and coconut oil.
Unsaturated fatty acids contain some carbons that are not saturated with hydrogens. They tend to be liquid oils at room temperature. The two best unsaturated fatty acids are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated, most commonly found in corn, safflower, and soybean oil.
Hydrogenated (changed by processing to be very solid and stable) and trans-fatty acids are quite bad - and they are already in storage form so our bodies like to put them into little fat storage cells right away.
The best lipids for our health and for low-fat weight control are polyunsaturated and then monounsaturated. Avoid saturated fats. From best to worst, here's a good guide for picking your fats: flaxseed oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, olive oil, and peanut oil.
Although many health organizations recommend 20 to 35% fat in diets - I recommend a diet of 10 to 20% of poly and mono-unsaturated fats. -- So, if you are a semi-active female at 5'6" tall with an ideal weight of 125 lbs., your weight loss calorie amount of about 1400 calories daily would net 140 to 280 of those calories coming from good fats. To maintain that weight you would consume about 1600 to 1700 calories daily, so that makes the good fat amount at 160 to 320 calories daily. During hot summers, stick more to the 10% range, and in cold winters go more for the 20% range, and you should achieve your best health, weight, and hunger balance.
Remember - good fats don't make you fat - too many calories and/or too many bad fats do!
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