Monday, November 12, 2007
WOO HOO!!
I know you all are waiting with baited breath to see what progress if any I made this week. Well, I will keep you in suspense no longer! I lost 2 pounds!! Not a lot, but seeing as how I am doing this in a healthy manner I am pleased. That is the maximum you should lose in a week in order to remain healthy! If I keep this up I will lose 20 or so pounds by Feb. 1! Wish me luck! How did you all do?
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Just in case you needed a little more convincing
Why Breakfast IS One of the Three Most Important Meals of the Day
(A little article I found that I thought would be helpful)
Many of you do not eat breakfast, for a myriad of reasons. Please take the time to read about why you should not skip this meal, no matter what your excuses may be.
The body expects to be refueled a few times a day, starting with a healthy breakfast. When meals are skipped, the body misses out on tons of nutrients and energy in the form of calories. When the body consistently is deprived of these essentials, it thinks that you are out in the wild and food is scarce, so it slows down your metabolism so your body can burn less fat and hoards fat from your next meal so you have more energy in the reserves to survive the “fast”.
A lot of people skip breakfast because they think it’s an easy way to lose weight. This could not be further from the truth. Eating breakfast is actually good for weight loss. Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast every day are a third less likely to be obese than those who skip the meal. In addition, they were half as likely to have blood sugar problems, which increase the risk of developing diabetes or having high cholesterol-- both of which are risk factors for heart disease. Other studies point to a connection between skipping breakfast with weight gain and memory impairment in adults of all ages. It also has been shown to help people start their day thinking more clearly and in a better mood, and I can tell you that no one at Bykota Fitness Center wants a grouchy stupid hungry old person working out there.
Eating first thing in the morning may help stabilize blood sugar levels, which regulate appetite and energy. Many people find that when skipping breakfast, they are ravenous by lunchtime and end up consuming more calories later in the day. The proper way to fuel both your body and your mind is to spread your calories throughout the day. By doing this, you are assuring your body that there is a plethora of food available and you can provide it with constant energy, so your body doesn’t need to hold onto fat and it can speed up your metabolism again, accelerating fat loss and increasing energy.
Studies show that people who eat breakfast—especially a healthy breakfast—are more likely to:
Consume more vitamins and minerals and less fat and cholesterol during the day
Have more strength and endurance
Have better concentration and be more productive throughout the morning
Control their weight
Have lower cholesterol, which reduces the risk of heart disease
Some people believe that working out on an empty stomach increases the amount of fat you burn. Studies show that fat burning does not begin until about 20 minutes into your workout, so if you’re working out with an empty fuel tank, your body will use other sources of energy to keep you going, including muscle. So while you may lose weight by working out before eating, you are losing the muscle that you are working so hard to gain and maintain, especially if your workouts do not last much longer than 20 minutes.
There are some other benefits to eating before your workout:
It can boost recovery and strength gains
It can help you sustain longer, more intense workouts
It can help you avoid low blood sugar, which can make you feel dizzy or nauseous
It can make your workouts more enjoyable (since you're not thinking about eating the whole time)
So now that you’re convinced that it’s healthier and wiser to eat breakfast every day, let’s talk about what to eat. While eating a less-healthy breakfast is better than eating nothing at all most of the time, here are some suggestions about how to get the most out of your meal.
First, let’s examine why we shouldn’t hit up McDonald’s for a sausage egg and cheese on a croissant artery-clogging death meal. Research found that those who consume one high-fat meal per day, specifically breakfast, are more prone to suffer the physical consequences of stress than those who eat a low fat meal. Read: very bad for those of you already dealing with high blood pressure. After a fatty meal, arteries lose their ability to expand in response to an increase in blood flow, with the effect peaking four to six hours after eating -- just in time for the next meal. So those of you with coronary disease, you may actually increase your risk of a cardiac event during the 4-6 hours after you eat a high-fat meal like the croissantwich. If you choose to do this anyway, please do not come into the Fitness Center during this 4-6 hour period of increased risk.
The breakfast that is most commonly considered the healthiest is a serving of whole-grain cereal, non-fat milk, and a fruit. Ideally, the cereal should have more than 3g of fiber and less than 4g of sugar, 200mg of sodium, and 2g of fat per serving. If cereal is not your favorite, some other healthy options include bagels with peanut butter or cream cheese, oatmeal, yogurt, eggs or egg-white omelets, and whole wheat toast. Make sure you pay attention to serving sizes so you are not overdoing it calorie-wise.
The bottom line is to aim for a variety of foods with plenty of fiber and protein to keep you full and energized until lunchtime. Include some carbohydrates for fuel and a little bit of fat, preferably the healthy unsaturated kind, and you’re off to a great start.
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(A little article I found that I thought would be helpful)
Many of you do not eat breakfast, for a myriad of reasons. Please take the time to read about why you should not skip this meal, no matter what your excuses may be.
The body expects to be refueled a few times a day, starting with a healthy breakfast. When meals are skipped, the body misses out on tons of nutrients and energy in the form of calories. When the body consistently is deprived of these essentials, it thinks that you are out in the wild and food is scarce, so it slows down your metabolism so your body can burn less fat and hoards fat from your next meal so you have more energy in the reserves to survive the “fast”.
A lot of people skip breakfast because they think it’s an easy way to lose weight. This could not be further from the truth. Eating breakfast is actually good for weight loss. Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast every day are a third less likely to be obese than those who skip the meal. In addition, they were half as likely to have blood sugar problems, which increase the risk of developing diabetes or having high cholesterol-- both of which are risk factors for heart disease. Other studies point to a connection between skipping breakfast with weight gain and memory impairment in adults of all ages. It also has been shown to help people start their day thinking more clearly and in a better mood, and I can tell you that no one at Bykota Fitness Center wants a grouchy stupid hungry old person working out there.
Eating first thing in the morning may help stabilize blood sugar levels, which regulate appetite and energy. Many people find that when skipping breakfast, they are ravenous by lunchtime and end up consuming more calories later in the day. The proper way to fuel both your body and your mind is to spread your calories throughout the day. By doing this, you are assuring your body that there is a plethora of food available and you can provide it with constant energy, so your body doesn’t need to hold onto fat and it can speed up your metabolism again, accelerating fat loss and increasing energy.
Studies show that people who eat breakfast—especially a healthy breakfast—are more likely to:
Consume more vitamins and minerals and less fat and cholesterol during the day
Have more strength and endurance
Have better concentration and be more productive throughout the morning
Control their weight
Have lower cholesterol, which reduces the risk of heart disease
Some people believe that working out on an empty stomach increases the amount of fat you burn. Studies show that fat burning does not begin until about 20 minutes into your workout, so if you’re working out with an empty fuel tank, your body will use other sources of energy to keep you going, including muscle. So while you may lose weight by working out before eating, you are losing the muscle that you are working so hard to gain and maintain, especially if your workouts do not last much longer than 20 minutes.
There are some other benefits to eating before your workout:
It can boost recovery and strength gains
It can help you sustain longer, more intense workouts
It can help you avoid low blood sugar, which can make you feel dizzy or nauseous
It can make your workouts more enjoyable (since you're not thinking about eating the whole time)
So now that you’re convinced that it’s healthier and wiser to eat breakfast every day, let’s talk about what to eat. While eating a less-healthy breakfast is better than eating nothing at all most of the time, here are some suggestions about how to get the most out of your meal.
First, let’s examine why we shouldn’t hit up McDonald’s for a sausage egg and cheese on a croissant artery-clogging death meal. Research found that those who consume one high-fat meal per day, specifically breakfast, are more prone to suffer the physical consequences of stress than those who eat a low fat meal. Read: very bad for those of you already dealing with high blood pressure. After a fatty meal, arteries lose their ability to expand in response to an increase in blood flow, with the effect peaking four to six hours after eating -- just in time for the next meal. So those of you with coronary disease, you may actually increase your risk of a cardiac event during the 4-6 hours after you eat a high-fat meal like the croissantwich. If you choose to do this anyway, please do not come into the Fitness Center during this 4-6 hour period of increased risk.
The breakfast that is most commonly considered the healthiest is a serving of whole-grain cereal, non-fat milk, and a fruit. Ideally, the cereal should have more than 3g of fiber and less than 4g of sugar, 200mg of sodium, and 2g of fat per serving. If cereal is not your favorite, some other healthy options include bagels with peanut butter or cream cheese, oatmeal, yogurt, eggs or egg-white omelets, and whole wheat toast. Make sure you pay attention to serving sizes so you are not overdoing it calorie-wise.
The bottom line is to aim for a variety of foods with plenty of fiber and protein to keep you full and energized until lunchtime. Include some carbohydrates for fuel and a little bit of fat, preferably the healthy unsaturated kind, and you’re off to a great start.
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And coming on Monday....
I thought I would let you all in on what I have planned for next week since many of you, and by that I mean ME, will have to give this one a little thought and do some planning. For next week we will be adding exercise. Now, since I haven't done too much exercise for some time, I plan on starting small and working my way up. I plan on getting up early at least 3 days this week and exercising before everyone gets up. We have digital cable from Comcast and "On Demand". There is a health and fitness channel where they have some really great workouts. If you have any type of "On Demand" service from your cable provider then check it out. There are a lot of Cardio workouts as well as some strength training. Like I said I am planning on getting up early at least 3 mornings this week to do a workout and more if I can convince my lazy self to get out of bed.
I know AR already gets up at the crack of dawn to walk every a.m and Rachael and Rhonda are both runners. So ladies, lets commit to exercise at least 3 days this week. Also, don't forget to eat your breakfast and continue to pay attention to the signals your body is sending you as far as hunger and fullness.
On Monday I hope to post some pounds lost, so I would like to hear from the rest of you as well.
If you are new to this blog and would like to get started on your own experiment just look to the side bar on the right for what we are doing right now. You can begin where we are or start at week one. If you are doing the experiment with us please drop me a comment! I would love to encourage you and see how you are doing!
I hope you all are having a great weekend! Can't wait to hear from you on Monday!
I know AR already gets up at the crack of dawn to walk every a.m and Rachael and Rhonda are both runners. So ladies, lets commit to exercise at least 3 days this week. Also, don't forget to eat your breakfast and continue to pay attention to the signals your body is sending you as far as hunger and fullness.
On Monday I hope to post some pounds lost, so I would like to hear from the rest of you as well.
If you are new to this blog and would like to get started on your own experiment just look to the side bar on the right for what we are doing right now. You can begin where we are or start at week one. If you are doing the experiment with us please drop me a comment! I would love to encourage you and see how you are doing!
I hope you all are having a great weekend! Can't wait to hear from you on Monday!
My thoughts have been confirmed!
This article was on the front page of our local paper this morning!
Holiday Healthy
Here come the holidays, and we all know what that means.
Chunks of cheesecake. Mounds of mashed potatoes. Turkey and dressing and cocktails, oh my.
Followed, of course, by a diet.
What will it be this time? Atkins? South Beach? How about the Chocolate Chip Cookie Diet or the Coconut Diet?
A better option? None of the above, according to people in the know. Rather, start listening to the signals that your body is constantly sending about when to eat and how much, and you'll be healthier. Throw in a little exercise, and you'll likely be lighter as well.
Most diets, by their very nature, are prescriptions for failure, says Linda Bacon, a nutritionist who has studied the phenomenon."Research certainly is showing us that dieting is useless," she says.
Holiday Healthy
Here come the holidays, and we all know what that means.
Chunks of cheesecake. Mounds of mashed potatoes. Turkey and dressing and cocktails, oh my.
Followed, of course, by a diet.
What will it be this time? Atkins? South Beach? How about the Chocolate Chip Cookie Diet or the Coconut Diet?
A better option? None of the above, according to people in the know. Rather, start listening to the signals that your body is constantly sending about when to eat and how much, and you'll be healthier. Throw in a little exercise, and you'll likely be lighter as well.
Most diets, by their very nature, are prescriptions for failure, says Linda Bacon, a nutritionist who has studied the phenomenon."Research certainly is showing us that dieting is useless," she says.
If you're new
Hey everyone! If you are just reading this blog and want to get started with us, just begin with the first week. I would love to get a comment from you if you decide to join us! I will be listing what we are going to be doing the next couple of weeks on the side so you can keep up.
Now, I know that many people eat breakfast everyday so doing that is nothing new. So, if you want to join us and try one of the healthy changes just start where you need too.
I hope to prove that cutting out certain foods (example: carbs) or going on crash diets does not help you lose weight and keep it off. I can not tell you the number of people I know who have gone on a low-carb diet and lost weight only to gain it back! I truly believe it is unhealthy to cut out carbs and there is no way you can cut out carbs forever. You need them!
For those of you who have already joined the experiment, don't forget to weigh Monday morning and post any pounds you have lost. I would also like to hear about any other changes you have experienced such as more energy.
Now, I know that many people eat breakfast everyday so doing that is nothing new. So, if you want to join us and try one of the healthy changes just start where you need too.
I hope to prove that cutting out certain foods (example: carbs) or going on crash diets does not help you lose weight and keep it off. I can not tell you the number of people I know who have gone on a low-carb diet and lost weight only to gain it back! I truly believe it is unhealthy to cut out carbs and there is no way you can cut out carbs forever. You need them!
For those of you who have already joined the experiment, don't forget to weigh Monday morning and post any pounds you have lost. I would also like to hear about any other changes you have experienced such as more energy.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Yeah for Friends!
So far joining me are Rachael,AR and Rhonda! I am very excited to have a few pals joining me for this little experiment! Although, I can't win anymore contests on Rhondas blog because she gives away Elle's chocolate truffles, and well, they are truly sinful!(I'm thinking that maybe 5 pounds of this weight came from those!) Also, I'm happy that we have a doctor in the house! Rachael is a doctor and will let us know if anything we are doing is unhealthy and maybe add a few tips of her own!(At least I'm hoping she will, I haven't really asked her yet!)
On another news, I can not believe the increased energy I have from just eating breakfast! This all makes sense though. I ate breakfast everyday while I was pregnant and breastfeeding and I felt great through most of my 3 pregnancies. (I'm not including the many weeks I spent suffering from morning sickness and the last few weeks when my huge stomach kept me from getting comfortable) Also, I only gained around 25 pounds with all 3 of my babies. I tried to listen to my body and I always ate when I was hungry and never ate past full. The second I ate too much I got terrible heartburn. I think this is the whole key. You have to give your metabolism a kick start every morning and the rest of the day listen to what your body is telling you. Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. Never ever over-eat!
Let me know how you all are feeling! I like to hear from you!
On another news, I can not believe the increased energy I have from just eating breakfast! This all makes sense though. I ate breakfast everyday while I was pregnant and breastfeeding and I felt great through most of my 3 pregnancies. (I'm not including the many weeks I spent suffering from morning sickness and the last few weeks when my huge stomach kept me from getting comfortable) Also, I only gained around 25 pounds with all 3 of my babies. I tried to listen to my body and I always ate when I was hungry and never ate past full. The second I ate too much I got terrible heartburn. I think this is the whole key. You have to give your metabolism a kick start every morning and the rest of the day listen to what your body is telling you. Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. Never ever over-eat!
Let me know how you all are feeling! I like to hear from you!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
This is not an original idea!
For those of you wondering (and those who are not), I came up with this whole idea to lose weight by not dieting, but by making a few healthy changes from an article I read in last months "Self" magazine. The article is entitled "Be A Diet Success, Diet advice that works". They list several changes to make that can lead to a few pounds lost here and there and the reason it works. Suggestions and pounds you could lose are "skip all soda, 1 to 8 pounds, average 4" (I'm going to have to wait till a get a little further in this experiment to do this one, I am totally addicted to Diet Coke and its gonna be hard), "Eat breakfast, even if you're not hungry, 3 to 8 pounds, average 5" (the inspiration for this week), "Use smaller plates and glasses, 0-3 pounds, average 1", "Banish trigger foods from your home, 1 to 10 pounds, average 6" (bye,bye, Cheez-its), "Rate your hunger before deciding to eat, 0-4 pounds, average 1" and "Dine out less often, 2-11 pounds, average 6" (WOW, I hope that one works!). So if I can lose just the average amount by making these changes that would be a weight loss of 23 pounds. I'm not giving up much, just making healthier decisions. Don't worry I will be adding exercise to all this soon. I've just got to figure out a way to do it. Wish me luck on that one!
Week 1, Day 1 (a day late)
I meant to post about the first day of my "no dieting" all day yesterday but I got really tied up with the kiddos and all that had to be done at my house.
Day 1, of course, was easy. Thats why I picked something as simple as eating breakfast for my first healthy change. I get up around 6 a.m. every morning so I am going to do my best to eat breakfast before 6:30.
Here's what I found out. Yesterday and today I ate breakfast within 30 minutes of waking and I noticed that I was hungry by 9:30. So, I guess eating boosted my metabolism. I ate a small snack (100 calories or less) then and waited till I was hungry again which on both days came at noon or so. I feel a lot more energetic and I have felt hungry more times today. I am also waiting to eat until I am hungry.
So, yesterday morning I stepped on the ugly white scale in my bathroom and it read 128. Now, I know relatively speaking, this is not a lot to weigh, however, I am just barely 5 feet tall. I really should weigh somewhere between 100-115 pounds to be healthy. I'd love to hear from anyone else who wants to join my little experiment.
Day 1, of course, was easy. Thats why I picked something as simple as eating breakfast for my first healthy change. I get up around 6 a.m. every morning so I am going to do my best to eat breakfast before 6:30.
Here's what I found out. Yesterday and today I ate breakfast within 30 minutes of waking and I noticed that I was hungry by 9:30. So, I guess eating boosted my metabolism. I ate a small snack (100 calories or less) then and waited till I was hungry again which on both days came at noon or so. I feel a lot more energetic and I have felt hungry more times today. I am also waiting to eat until I am hungry.
So, yesterday morning I stepped on the ugly white scale in my bathroom and it read 128. Now, I know relatively speaking, this is not a lot to weigh, however, I am just barely 5 feet tall. I really should weigh somewhere between 100-115 pounds to be healthy. I'd love to hear from anyone else who wants to join my little experiment.
Here's the story
My baby just turned 2. October 17th was his birthday and on that day I realized that even though 2 years have passed since I gave birth to him, I still have not lost the 10-15 pounds that I have left to lose. Because he is now 2 I have also lost the excuse for the reason that I have not yet lost those last 10-15 pounds. Yep, if you've had a baby you know the excuse I am talking about. It's the "I've just had a baby" excuse. Now mind you, I have tried to diet. As soon as I stopped breastfeeding I tried all manner of diets. I tried low-carb and it made me so nauceus that I thought I was pregnant again and suffering from morning sickness. I tried working out but I was seriouly having trouble making it to the gym with 3 kids in tow. I tried slimfast, but seriously that stuff is awful! And who wants to drink 2 terrible tasting shakes a day. Not I!
So, here is my plan. I think I can have most of this weight gone before February 1st if I make just a few healthy changes. I am going to make a healthy change once a week. I want to lose this weight for good and to tell you the truth, these fad and crash diets are not working! For week one, which I am started November 5, I am going to eat breakfast everyday. That isn't very hard, but I am notorious for skipping breakfast and I know that can seriously jump-start your metablism for the entire day. I am also going to make sure that I eat within 30 minutes of waking up. I am going to weigh on Monday of every week and I am going to post it here. NO CHEATING! No sneaking a peek at the scale any other day!
So, who's in? Let's start this off right! Breakfast everyday? Thats not a hard change to make. Leave me a comment if you are in and lets support each other on this no diet journey!
So, here is my plan. I think I can have most of this weight gone before February 1st if I make just a few healthy changes. I am going to make a healthy change once a week. I want to lose this weight for good and to tell you the truth, these fad and crash diets are not working! For week one, which I am started November 5, I am going to eat breakfast everyday. That isn't very hard, but I am notorious for skipping breakfast and I know that can seriously jump-start your metablism for the entire day. I am also going to make sure that I eat within 30 minutes of waking up. I am going to weigh on Monday of every week and I am going to post it here. NO CHEATING! No sneaking a peek at the scale any other day!
So, who's in? Let's start this off right! Breakfast everyday? Thats not a hard change to make. Leave me a comment if you are in and lets support each other on this no diet journey!
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