fitness blog getting fit/staying fit

6 Ways to Fine-Tune Your Lifestyle for Weight Maintenance

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 14:03:05 -0700

Achieving your goal weight is a big accomplishment, but don’t rest on your laurels. Maintaining a healthy weight requires a certain amount of daily vigilance and a commitment to good nutrition, regular exercise, self-monitoring, and other self-care practices.

The National Weight Control Registry is a database of over 5,000 people who have lost at least 30 pounds and have kept the weight off for at least one year. Researchers have found that most individuals who were successful in keeping off their weight share several characteristics:
• They eat breakfast daily
• They tend to maintain a low-calorie, low-fat diet
• They weigh themselves at least once a week
• They watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
• They exercise about 1 hour each day on average.
In addition, a recent study confirms the longstanding view of experts that strategies for successful weight maintenance are distinctly different than those used for successful weight loss. The survey of 1,165 adults who had maintained a significant weight loss for at least one year revealed the following primary strategies:

Weight Loss
Eating plenty of low-fat protein
Exercising regularly
Rewards for staying on track
Frequent reminders about motivation for keeping the weight off

Weight Loss
Participating in a weight-loss program
Limiting sugar
Eating healthy snacks
Not skipping meals

Stabilize Your Weight, Enjoy Your Life
Try these tips for making weight maintenance a permanent part of your lifestyle:
1. Weigh weekly. For many people, a once-a-week weigh-in offers the right amount of accountability. It’s normal for body weight to fluctuate by a couple of pounds from day to day and from morning to night depending on fluid balance, meals eaten, clothes worn, medication, and health status. A weekly weigh-in allows you to track the trends without getting hung up on small fluctuations.
1. Move as much as possible. Integrate physical activity into your daily life at every opportunity. Walk during work breaks; reduce sedentary behaviors like TV-watching and Web-surfing. When you sit, fidget, move your feet, shift in your seat, and tap your fingers. Even calories burned with small movements add up throughout the day.
2. 3. Create a healthy home environment. Keep a bowl of fresh fruit on your kitchen counter or at eye level in the fridge. Stock your freezer with frozen berries and veggies, and keep fresh seasonal produce in the house. If you purchase less-nutritious treats, buy only small portions. Keep your gym bag near the door and home exercise equipment in plain view.
4. Learn to cope effectively with stress. Times of increased stress put you at risk for backsliding to your old behaviors. Practice relaxation techniques, such as progressive relaxation, visualization, and mindfulness. Learn to change your perspective and respond mindfully to stressful situations instead of reacting.
5. Activate your social life. Invite a friend to join you for a walk, run, or gym workout. Take your family on a day hike. Go dancing with your spouse or partner. Meet friends for a bike ride. Go bowling after work with colleagues. Integrating physical activity with your social life provides support for your active lifestyle and makes staying active fun and more likely.
6. Keep a measuring tape handy. Once a month or so, measure your waistline. If your waist circumference creeps up, pay closer attention to your food choices and increase physical activity.
Your Personal Weight-Maintenance Plan
There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy when it comes to weight maintenance. Some people need large quantities of daily exercise and others can maintain their weight on less physical activity. Some people need to keep a daily food log and others may need it only during times of stress. Pay attention to what does and doesn’t work for you and create your own strategies for keeping your weight down. This will help you maintain a healthy body weight.

reprinted with permission from:
www.acefitness.org

Heart-Healthy Valentine's Day Tips

Tue, 8 Feb 2011 21:18:36 -0800

Your sweetheart may have the key to your heart, but a proper diet and regular physical activity can be the key to a healthy heart. This Valentine’s Day, indulge your sweetheart with a heart-healthy gift or date.

1.     Rather than tempting your beloved with chocolates, consider a gift that has more permanence. Search for a poem that describes your feelings and write it on beautiful paper for a handmade Valentine.

2.     Quality time is one of the most meaningful gifts. Bundle up and plan an active outing such as sledding, ice skating, gathering wood for a fire, or if you’re feeling adventurous, visit an indoor rock wall.

3.     If your children are having a Valentine’s Day party at their school or day care, instead of sending candies, consider mini-boxes of raisins, mini-bags of pretzels, pencils or stickers as tokens of their friendly affection.

4.    Cooking at home is an excellent way to control the quality and amounts of what you eat. Take a date to a local cooking class to practice your skills or learn a new technique.

to read more, click here...

Thanksgiving Calories

Sun, 21 Nov 2010 00:37:53 -0800

Thanksgiving is a holiday full of tradition, indulgence and, unfortunately, extra pounds! The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America’s non-profit fitness advocate, suggests a balance between limited caloric intake over several days and committing to a fitness regimen to stay healthy and trim through the holidays.
“A 160 lb. person would have to run at a moderate pace for four hours, swim for five hours or walk 30 miles to burn off a 3,000-calorie Thanksgiving Day meal,” said Dr. Cedric Bryant, ACE chief exercise physiologist. “Many people start by snacking throughout the day and that combined with the meal can lead to a total caloric intake of 4,500. All holiday delicacies can be enjoyed so long as they’re eaten in moderation and combined with a proper exercise plan.”
Tips to Stay Fit
• You can make up for a feast of rich, higher-fat foods with lighter, lower-fat meals for the next couple of days. Plan for the big meal that day with a low-calorie, low-fat breakfast and lunch. Never skip meals, just limit them.
• Look back and assess your diet over the past few days by recording your caloric intake with a food diary. Have you been over-indulging at recent party feasts? Are there additional celebrations looming? Try eating sensibly in order to afford the extra calories come meal time.
• Don’t panic or feel guilty if your diet seems to have gotten out of hand. When you balance your intake over several days, you have ample time to regain control.
• Make physical activity a regular habit. Beyond burning calories, exercise is essential for good health, stress management (oftentimes a challenge during the busy holiday season) and overall well-being.
• Working out consistently will help jump-start your metabolism allowing you to burn more of those calories from your holiday binge.
• Have a salad, light soup or some fruit and veggies before leaving home or prior to your meal. This way you will feel fuller and less likely to overeat.
• Select only your favorite foods at a holiday buffet and let other guests enjoy traditional fare like nuts, rolls and sweet potatoes.
• Space out the party beverages – have a glass of sparkling water after a glass of wine or cup of eggnog.
• Practice portion control. A smaller serving of the real thing can be very satisfying and calorie-trimming.

reprinted with permission from the American Council on Exercise

http://www.acefitness.org

workout chronic fatigue

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:49:12 -0700

It is estimated that more than 1 million Americans have chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), an illness defined as profound disabling fatigue lasting six months or more plus at least four of the following: impaired memory or concentration, sore throat, tender glands, aching or stiff muscles, multijoint pain, new headaches, unrefreshing sleep, and fatigue following exercise or exertion.
CFS was dubbed the “yuppie flu” in the 1980s, though now it’s well-known that the illness doesn’t discriminate based on age, race or socioeconomic status. But it does tend to strike women more often, making them four times more likely to develop CFS than men. People in their 40s and 50s are most susceptible, though CFS can develop at any age, including during childhood and adolescence.
There is no cure for this mysterious illness. Over time the symptoms vanish for some people, while other individuals remain debilitated by the disease for years. Because the cause is largely unknown, treatment focuses primarily on relieving symptoms. But one of the best treatments—exercise—is diligently avoided by many people with CFS.

Exercise for Energy
If you suffer from CFS, you’ve probably experienced exercise intolerance in which even small amounts of physical activity worsen your fatigue and other symptoms. But research suggests that exercise helps improve fatigue, functional status and fitness. Not convinced? Some people with CFS have found that if they learn more about the benefits of exercise, they are more motivated to give it a try. Information alone may not lure you to the gym, but it may help you to consider making a change. 
Start Low and Go Slow
Once you’ve decided to start an exercise program, talk with your physician. Chances are he or she will give you the go ahead and ample encouragement. Then, the key is to not overdo it. Many people mistakenly engage in a “push-crash” cycle of activity in which they go hard and soon after experience severe debilitating post-exertional fatigue. The trick is to slowly begin an exercise program and gradually increase intensity, duration or frequency. That may mean starting with activities of daily living such as getting out of bed, taking care of personal hygiene, cleaning the house or checking the mail. Back off before illness and fatigue are made worse.
As your physical-activity tolerance improves, begin a more structured exercise program that will eventually include cardiovascular training, resistance training and flexibility. Start with several daily sessions of brief (five minutes or less) low-impact activity such as walking. For every minute of activity, take three minutes to rest. Try to build up to a total of 20 minutes per day but don’t push it. If you start to feel too fatigued, rest, and stick with the more tolerable level of activity for a week or two before trying to advance.
You can incorporate simple strengthening and stretching exercises when you feel ready. Start with exercises that only require body weight for resistance such as wall push-ups or picking up and grasping objects. Go for a set of two to four repetitions to start, with the goal to build up to eight repetitions. As these exercises become easier, add resistance bands or light free weights. End every session with light stretching.

You Can Do It
People with CFS feel limited to enjoy the benefits of an active life. It won’t be easy to get started, but once you do you may be surprised how daily exercise can help you to reclaim your life. If you want to begin an activity program but don’t know how or where to start, an ACE-certified Advanced Health & Fitness Specialist or other qualified fitness professional can help you get off on the right foot.  
Additional Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: www.cdc.gov/cfs/ Medline Plus—Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:  www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/chronicfatiguesyndrome.html/ Mayo Clinic—Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: www.mayoclinic.com/health/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/DS00395/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs/

reprinted with permission from:
www.acefitness.org

exercise & menopause

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:38:58 -0700

There was a time when the word was never spoken, not even between a mother and daughter. Menopause, still referred to as “the change” in some circles, is now no longer a taboo subject. Menopause is a natural transition in a woman’s life. And nowadays most women can expect to live one-third to one-half of their lives past menopause; these can be among the most satisfying years of life. The emergence of menopause as a hot health topic is likely the result of newer research that has shown that exercise plays a key role in easing the transition into menopause, enhancing a woman’s health, happiness and productivity.
WHAT IS MENOPAUSE?
The medical definition of menopause is cessation of menses for 12 months. Menopause occurs when the ovaries stop making the hormones estrogen and progesterone. While the average age of menopause onset is about 51, some women may enter menopause as early as their 30s or as late as their 60s. Symptoms of menopause include: hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, insomnia, headache, lethargy/fatigue, irritability, anxiety, depression, a racing heart or skipped beats, and joint pain.
HOW DOES EXERCISE HELP?
Heart disease and osteoporosis risk increase after menopause. The good news is that this risk can be decreased substantially with a regular physical-activity program emphasizing cardiovascular conditioning and weightbearing exercise, and high-impact activities (such as jumping rope) when tolerated. The mood-elevating, tension-relieving effects of aerobic exercise reduce depression and anxiety, which often accompany menopause. Aerobic exercise promotes the loss of abdominal fat—a common place for postmenopausal weight gain. Strength training stimulates bones to retain the minerals that keep them dense and strong, thereby preventing the onset and progression of osteoporosis. These effects of exercise, along with improved cholesterol levels and physical fitness, work together to help prevent heart disease. Keep in mind that good nutrition and a physically active lifestyle go together. A diet low in saturated and trans fat and high in fiber and calcium is key in reaping the full benefits of exercise.
THE GOOD NEWS
If you have been exercising consistently before reaching menopause, you’ve already gained health benefits. Aerobic activity during childbearing years reduces the risk for breast cancer, which is more prevalent after menopause. You will also have gained a jumpstart on your bone health since your strength-training exercises may have increased the density and strength of your bones. To reap the benefits of exercise, a balanced program of cardiovascular conditioning to reduce the risk of heart disease, strength training to decrease the risk of osteoporosis and flexibility to maintain range of motion is essential. Consistency is important. Strive to be moderately active for at least 30 minutes every day, or at least most days of the week, every week. 
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The North American Menopause Society: www.menopause.org/default.htm Mayo Clinic—Menopause: www.mayoclinic.com/health/menopause/ Medline Plus—Menopause: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/menopause.html WebMD Menopause Center: www.webmd.com/menopause/default.htm

Reprinted with permission from the American Council on Exercise
http://acefitness.org

let’s begin

Sun, 3 Jan 2010 11:21:32 -0800

Let’s begin. It’s January, a new year. No better time. Maybe you have been here before, new year, resolutions, you know the drill. And then your plan is abandoned.
Well, here we are again. I’m with you on this one. I have resolutions too. And this time (like all the other times) I want to stick with it all year long. So, let’s give it another try. Why not? Let’s begin.
Small steps count, just like giant steps, only they are easier. Easier is good because it usually works better. Go for easy. Let’s only look at January for now. Next month we look at February. You get the idea. And…for now let’s just look at this week. Make a plan that includes food, exercise and sleep.
■ FOOD
Basically, you need to eat less than you have been eating to lose weight. You know that. Begin by reducing calories in a way you can have success. Think about what you ate yesterday. Choose one thing that you could have done differently that would have made a difference in the number of calories you ate. Make that change today. It might be no dessert, or no second helpings, or smaller portions, or no alcohol or no eating after 7pm or no processed foods, or more fresh vegetables or add fruit. You get the idea. Choose one thing to change about your eating patterns for today for the better. Tomorrow you will choose something else. For now, we stick with today.
If you want some healthy food ideas, visit the following sites:
www.foodfit.com
www.glycemicindex.com
■ EXERCISE
This week plan on walking every day for 15 minutes, more if you want. Just remember to make it easy to begin. Chances are you will still be doing it at the end of January if you make the amount of exercise doable for you. So, choose a time of day that is best for you. Make it yours, write it on your calendar, into your planner, into your iTouch, wherever you keep track of your schedule. WRITE yourself into your schedule and show up.
■ SLEEP
This is important. When you are well rested, you have more control and make better decisions for yourself. Get overly tired and will power goes out the window. Your immune system becomes weakened too. Set a reasonable bedtime and stick to it this week. Begin wrapping up your day an hour before that time…shutting off the computer, taking a warm shower, putting on your jammys. Make a bedtime routine for yourself. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night, more if you need it. Personally, this is where I am putting a lot of focus. I am a night owl but I have to get up early too. So, I yawn a lot during the day. My plan is to change that in 2010. Turning off the computer by 10pm is where I begin this week. My plan is to be in bed by 11pm each night. Will let you know how it goes.
Let’s begin.
That’s it for the first week of January. Let me know how it’s going.

food journals

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:08:13 -0700

Just "watching what you eat" is not enough sometimes to lose the weight you want. When you think you have reduced the amount you are eating and still are not seeing the pounds come off the way you would like, consider using a food journal.
Food journals can be extremely useful tools in the battle to reduce weight. Many times we just aren't aware of the actual calorie count of what we are eating. Food journals are great to provide you with the information you need. They also help to keep you honest! Write down everything you eat and drink for a couple of days, being careful to be exact about the amount (serving size) and calories. Most people are surprised they are taking in as many calories as they actually are.
After you have a good idea about your calorie intake for the day and the week you will be better able to decide where it is that you can reduce your calories. In order to lose one pound of fat, you need to take in 3500 fewer calories. If you want to lose 1-2 pounds each week that means you need to reduce your daily caloric intake by 500-1000 calories.
As you continue on your weight loss mission, use the food journal to write down what you are eating before you actually eat it. Waiting until the end of the day to record everything you ate in your food journal not only will not be accurate it will also be too late.

You can find food journals (diaries) in bookstores or you can make your own. They don't need to be complicated. Include the following in your journal:
• time of day
• food and serving size
• calorie content
• (optimal) grams of fat, protein, carbohydrates, glycemic index
• total calories for the day

I find it useful to subtotal throughout the day so you have a running total of where you are rather than waiting until the day is done and then being surprised how many calories you ate.

beating depression

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:21:50 -0700

Generally speaking, depression comes in three forms; psychological, biological and a mix of the two. Psychological depression is triggered by a psychological or emotional event, i.e. divorce. The second type of depression is biological depression and is caused by chemical malfunctions in the nervous and/or hormonal system. Life can be going along fine and then depression just hits you out of the blue. There are also depressions, which are a mix of both psychological and biological depressions. They usually begin with a psychological event.
Biological and mixed types of depression usually require medication to bring about a decrease in depression. Psychotherapy is useful in both of these types when combined with medication.
Depression is one of the most common problems people experience emotionally. There are some things that you can do to fight depression that will make a difference, whether your depression is biologically or psychologically based. Here are some tools you can use to reduce depression.
• Exercise is something you can do to reduce your depression. In fact, it is one of the most powerful things that you can do for depression. When we work out our brains release endorphins and serotonin (chemicals in our brain) that can reduce the symptoms of depression. In addition to being a personal trainer, I have also had a psychotherapy private practice for 27 years. During this time I have worked with many clients who are depressed. I have found that if I can get these clients to exercise, in addition to working with me in psychotherapy, then they are able to more quickly overcome their depression. I have seen this change in both clients who are not taking antidepressant medication and those who are. So, get moving and you will feel a reduction of your depression. Another way exercise positively changes our mood is that it improves our quality of sleep. Depression causes sleep problems and exercise can help with this.

• One hour of daily exposure to bright light can usually improve sleep and reduce depression symptoms. Some types of depression, i.e., Seasonal Affective Disorder, are primarily caused by decreased light exposure. Light (photic) stimulation appears to improve the functioning of the hypothalmus (brain structure involved in sleep regulation). Combine an hour outside with a walk and you have a powerful tool to combat depression, using both light and exercise. Be sure to wear sunscreen.

• Reduce alcohol and caffeine intake. Alcohol and caffeine can have a negative effect on your sleep. Prolonged use of alcohol changes the neurochemistry of your brain, increasing depression and reducing the amount of time you spend in deep sleep. Studies indicate that if you take in more than 250 mg of caffeine per day (about two cups of coffee) there is a significant chance of developing symptoms of tension, anxiety and insomnia. The risk of increasing these symptoms increases sharply when you take in more than 500 mg of caffeine daily. An average cup of coffee contains 150 mg of caffeine and an average cola contains about 50 mg of caffeine.

• Diet has an impact our mood. Here are some ways what we eat effects our mood:

• High blood-fat levels alone can cause depression. Reducing your fat intake can help depression. However, a radical and sudden reduction in dietary cholesterol has been associated with a lowering of serotonin levels resulting in increased irritability and depression. The role of dietary fats is complex and by simply reducing all fats across the board can create problems. When reducing fats, reduce saturated animal fats. Unsaturated plant fats can be beneficial to our health, i.e., olive oil.
• Deficiency in Vitamin B (thiamine, folic acid, niacin) can disturb our brain chemicals and cause anxiety and depression.
• Protein snacks can increase our energy levels and mental sharpness. Use protein sources from lean meats, fish, eggs and tofu.
• Omega-3 fatty acids from fish and seafood, as well as flax seed oil, can increase mood stability.
• Be careful about taking mega amounts of vitamins and minerals. You can be causing more harm than good. Taking a normal multivitamin and eating a balanced diet with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is the best way to assure that you get the proper amount of vitamins and minerals to maintain optimal brain nutrition and stabilize your mood.

• Reduce stress. When we are stressed we release stress cortisol into our systems. This is a stress hormone. When cortisol is high, serotonin (the neurotransmitter that makes us feel calm and happy) lowers and we become depressed. There are many tools to reduce stress: meditation, progressive relaxation, yoga and deep diaphragmatic breathing or just simply taking a break and going for a walk..

fitness walking

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:31:20 -0700

Walking is one of the best ways to workout aerobically and NOT injure yourself. In order to make it count as an aerobic workout you will need to pick up your pace rather than just slowly stroll along. Here are a few tips to make your walks really count toward burning more calories and to improving your aerobic condition.
✦ Move your arms. Keep your arms bent at the elbow and swing them quickly forward and backward, keeping them above your waist. The faster you move your arms, the faster you will walk as your feet keep pace with your arms. Keep your elbows close to your body and don't let your hands cross midline of your body as they swing forward and backward. Using of your arms while walking is one of the best ways to raise your heart rate and increase intensity during walking.
✦ Focus on your feet. Two things to keep in mind here to increase the power of your stride. First, think about how your heel strikes the ground in front of you as you are walking. Really grab the ground with your heel. Second, as you roll forward from your heel in front of you to your toes as they move behind you, push off hard with your toes to propel yourself forward. Grab the ground with your heel in front and then push off with your toes behind. You will get the sensation of pulling and pushing yourself forward. This is the difference between a stroll and a workout when you walk.
✦ More steps, not longer steps. Focus on increasing the number of steps you take rather than taking longer strides. This will increase your speed and will also lessen the strain on your knees and hips.
✦ Posture. Lean forward slightly fron your ankles, not your waist to prevent back problems. Try this: Stand against a wall and lean forward, keeping your butt against the wall. This is what you should NOT do. Feel the strain on your back? To avoid this go back to standing agains the wall and this time lean forward from your ankles letting your rear end come with you away from the wall. See how much better your back feels? This is the way to move forward.
✦ Core basics. To create a solid strong core during your walk do the following: Tighten your abs and gluts. Lower your shoulders and pull them back. Lengthen your neck, chin up. Feel the difference.
✦ Breathe!!! Oxygen helps.

My favorite book on fitness walking is by Therese Ikonian and is called (what else!) Fitness Walking published by Human Kinetics.

how women build muscle

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:26:40 -0700

There are more myths and misconceptions about strength training than any other area of fitness. While research continues to uncover more and more reasons why working out with weights is good for you, many women continue to avoid resistance training for fear of developing muscles of herculean proportions.
Other women have tried it and been less than thrilled with the results. Don't worry, people say. Women can't build muscle like men. They don't have enough testosterone. This is, in fact, only partly true.
Many women, believing they wouldn't build muscle, hit the gym with a vengeance and then wondered why, after several weeks of resistance training, their clothes didn't fit and they had gained muscle weight.
The truth is, not everyone responds to training in quite the same way. While testosterone plays a role in muscle development, the answer to why some men and women increase in muscle size and others don't, lies within our DNA.
We are predisposed to respond to exercise in a particular way, in large part, because of our genetics. Our genetic makeup determines what types of muscle fibers we have and where they are distributed. It determines our ratio of testosterone to estrogen and where we store body fat. And it also determines our body type.
A question of body type
All women fall under one of three body classifications, or are a combination of types. Mesomorphs tend to be muscular, endomorphs are more rounded and voluptuous and ectomorphs are slim or linear in shape. Mesomorphs respond to strength training by building muscle mass much faster than their ectomorphic counterparts, even though they may be following identical training regimens.
Endomorphs generally need to lose body fat in order to see a change in size or shape as a result of strength training. Ectomorphs are less likely to build muscle mass but will become stronger as a result of resistance training.
Building just your heart muscle
One of the fundamental principles of strength training is that if you overload the muscle, you will increase its size. With aerobic training, the overload is typically your body weight. Activities such as step/bench training or stair-stepping result in changes in the size and shape of the muscles of the lower body. Increasing the height of the step or adding power movements increases the overload.
For those concerned about building muscle, it would be better to reduce the step height or lower the impact of the movements. While this may reduce the aerobic value of the workout, it also will decrease the amount of overload on the muscles, making it less likely that you will build more muscle.
Training by the rules
When it comes to strength training, the old rule still applies: to get stronger, work with heavier weights and perform fewer repetitions. To promote endurance, use lighter weights and complete more repetitions.
It's encouraging to note that just like men, most women will experience a 20 percent to 40 percent increase in muscular strength after several months of resistance training.
Understanding your body type and how you might respond to exercise can help you set realistic goals and expectations. Avoid comparisons to others you see, at the gym or elsewhere, and remember that no two people are alike.
Focus on how good exercise makes you feel rather than how you would like to look. Accepting our bodies for what they are is a great way to get rid of the guilt or pressure we often feel to look a certain way.

reprinted with permission from ACE FitnessMatters magazine
www.acefitness.org