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7 Ways To Eat Smart and Lose Weight!
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September 6, 2011

7 Ways To Eat Smart and Lose Weight!

7 Ways to Eat Smart and Lose Weight

By Chrissy Wellington M.S., C.N.S., L.D.N., C.P.T
For Active.com

With fall right around the corner, how can you stay consistent in the months ahead and maintain your beach body?

The weight-loss industry confuses us on a daily basis. Many diets have been created and promoted that drastically differ from one another. These diets have gained popularity even with very little research to support their claims. Weight loss should be as simple as addition and subtraction. To lose weight, burn more calories, eat your vegetables and pass on the dessert. Yet, the component of weight loss we often forget is not necessarily the “what” we are eating, it’s the “how” we are eating.

The A-Z Diet study compared the Atkins (extremely low carbohydrate), Zone (low-carbohydrate, high protein), Ornish (very low fat), and USDA Guidelines/LEARN (Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitudes, Relationships and Nutrition) (high carbohydrate/moderate-low fat) diets for one year and results show that all dieters lost weight over the course of the yea. Yet Atkins seemed to hedge out the most weight lost. Theories about why this group lost just a little bit more are very clear: when these folks eliminated refined foods and sweetened beverages from their diet, they also eliminated empty calories.

The bottom line when it comes to weight loss is to burn more calories than you take in. You can easily do that by shaving extra calories from food and beverages and increasing caloric burn through physical activity.

How much should I weigh?

A healthy weight is defined as the weight you would attain after a sustained period of time, (12-18 months). During this time you must eat the best that you can eat, and exercise to the best of your ability.

Take Care of Your Metabolism

Eat Breakfast

Eating breakfast is a daily habit for “successful losers.” Insulin sensitivity is higher after eating breakfast. Insulin is a hormone released in response to eating. Insulin sensitivity refers to how well the body responds to the hormone insulin. When you eat more earlier in the day, your total caloric intake throughout the day actually decreases. Wake up with protein. When consuming lean protein in the morning, don’t forget to add omega-3 rich eggs or egg whites; low-fat, organic dairy; lean and clean breakfast meats; as well as high protein, whole grains like steel cut oatmeal or quinoa.

Count Calories

Calories are the energy in food. Regardless of where they come from, the calories you eat are either converted to physical energy or stored as body fat. If you eat 100 calories a day more than your body needs, you will gain approximately 10 pounds in a year. About 3,500 calories equals about 1 pound of fat. For a one pound weight loss, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in or cut 500 calories from your daily diet each day.

Portion Distortion

Choose satisfied over stuffed. The sizes of your portions affect how many calories you’re getting. Double the amount of food equals double the number of calories. Most Americans underestimate how much they’re eating, especially when dining out. Always plate your food. Eating out of the box or bag gives you no sense of what or how you are eating. Serve foods with measuring cups, or spoons to see how much you are actually eating. The average woman, with moderate daily exercise should be consuming approximately 3 to 4 oz. of lean protein per meal, half to 1 cup of whole grains per meal, and 1 to 2 cups of brightly colored fruits and vegetables per meal.

Eat Fiber

Fiber comes from plants, particularly legumes, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Foods which are high in fiber are usually low in calories. More of these types of foods can be eaten without consuming too many calories. Fiber rich foods can be quite satisfying. They need a longer amount of time to break down. Fiber slows the rate of digestion helping us feel full longer. Aim for 25 to 50 grams of fiber rich foods daily. Be sure to balance the intake of the soluble and insoluble forms (i.e. fruits, vegetables and whole grains.)

Snack

Although snacks are part of a healthy diet, they can become a source of extra calories. Always keep moderation in mind. The goal for snacking is to limit snacks to 150 to 200 calories. Always include the three macronutrients: protein, fat, and carbohydrate. Always understand the ingredients, avoiding anything artificial or refined.

Small meals consumed approximately every three hours can contribute to stable blood sugars throughout the day. Choose treats that are high in fiber (5 grams or more per serving) such as, bean dips, fruits and vegetables with peanut butter or hummus, and low-fat dairy. Choose whole grains that have a low glycemic index and include a small amount of protein with them to keep your cravings in check.

Sleep Enough

According to the National Sleep Foundation, 63 percent of American adults are not getting the recommended eight hours of sleep a night. When afternoon hits, most people are confusing fatigue with hunger. The trip to the vending machine is justified. These foods do make us feel better, because they quickly raise blood sugar due to the large amount of saturated fat and refined carbohydrates. Poor sleep quality and sleep deprivation can elevate levels of ghrelin, which is our appetite-stimulating hormone, and lower levels of leptin, our appetite-suppressant hormone. As a result, we take in more calories throughout the day leading to ultimate weight gain.

Exercise

The key to successful weight loss and improved overall health is making physical activity a part of your daily routine. The key to weight control is balancing your intake with expenditure. Exercise along with cutting calories helps to improve your weight loss. A 2011 JAMA article shows that approximately 150 to 200 minutes of exercise each week regardless of duration or intensity may result in weight loss.

Miranda 5 Comments
10

10 Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight

10 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight
By Jaylin Allen

There are obvious things that can derail your diet and exercise plan. Over-eating, consuming too many calories via foods loaded with sugar, fat and carbohydrates, or skipping breakfast are certainly behaviors we know can contribute to struggles in your weight loss and fitness plan. But, there are hidden, unlikely culprits that can stagnate your healthy lifestyle.

1. “Health Foods”

Now, this sounds like an oxymoron. Since when have healthy foods caused problems in a diet? Well, since every major chain restaurant has adopted a “healthy foods menu” it has confused the average person trying to change his or her eating habits for the better. It’s easy to think that choosing a salad over a steak is the better option. However, when that salad is loaded with cheese, croutons, bacon, and heavy dressing, it can rival any high calorie food on the menu.

Instead: When choosing a salad option, choose to hold the dressing on the side and be sure that you don’t request all the trimmings that can easily take your low calorie food into high calorie, high fat territory.

2. Skipping Meals

Many people think that eating less over time is the way to lose weight. That’s only partially true. If you skip too many meals, over time your body begins to hold on to every calorie you consume. In short, your body begins to hoard and store the calories you put in because it is convinced that you may be going into starvation mode otherwise.

Instead: Eat more small meals throughout the day. Instead of one or two large meals, eat five or six small meals that consist mainly of fruits, veggies, and protein.

3. Being Cold

Admittedly, if you’re anemic you can’t help being a bit chilly most of the time. But, when you are chronically cold, you run the risk of wanting foods that are warm, soothing and hearty to help warm you. However, most of those hearty foods are also high in calories.

Instead: This is an easy fix. First, find the real reason for your constant cold condition. If you’re anemic, see if you need to supplement your iron intake. If that’s not the case, then layer up. Carry a sweater and make sure you dress for the weather. If you live in a colder climate, add a workout to your normal routine and eat more calories in the form of a high protein snack.

4. Not Getting Enough Sleep

When you don’t establish a regular sleeping pattern, your body is sent into a hormone wreck. Your leptin levels, which reduce appetite, are lowered and your ghrelin levels, which increase appetite, are raised. The result? Your lack of sleep contributes to overeating and indulging, when all you really need is more sleep.

Instead: Go to bed 30 to 45 minutes before you normally would and continue building more sleep into your nightly routine.

5. Eating Too Fast

Eating too fast is a major culprit in over-eating. Once you begin eating, you need at least 15 to 20 minutes to begin to process food and feel somewhat full. Scarfing down a meal in under six minutes may have been a great thing for frat guys to brag about in college, but it has no place in the food habits of the healthy.

Instead: Take time to savor your food and slow down. Be sure to enjoy a meal away from the computer or television to ensure you reasonably pace yourself.

And speaking of television and computers…

6. Munching In Front Of A Screen

Regardless if it’s a computer or television screen, when you are distracted by what’s being shown it’s easy to lose track of how much you are eating.

Instead: Sit at the dinner table and allot a decent amount of time (usually 30 minutes will do) for your meal.

7. Using Large Plates

Using large plates are a recipe for disaster on your diet. The problem with large plates is that most people feel the urge to fill those plates with food. Larger plates means larger portions and larger portions mean more calories and more chances to over-eat.

Instead: Use a medium to small size plate for all your meals. You’ll consume less calories and your eyes won’t notice the difference.

8. Scale Back

When you weigh yourself daily or worse, several times a day, you create an environment where you are constantly in turmoil over every fluctuation you see. While it is helpful to maintain your weight with some monitoring, constant monitoring is more harmful than helpful.

Instead: Set a day and time to weigh yourself and stick to it. Know that your weight will change throughout the day so weighing yourself at the same time weekly, will give you more accurate and comparable results.

9. Stress

Some people respond to stress by eating less and others respond by eating more. Either way, stress is a surefire derail to your healthy habits. Cortisol is raised when you’re stressed and that can lead your blood pressure and sugar levels to become out-of-whack. Once that happens, the chances of over-eating increase.

Instead: Indulge in things that help you relax. Reading, listening to soothing music and yoga are excellent ways to de-stress after a long day.

10. Your Friends

When you hang out with people, do you tend to eat more? Do you eat different types of foods? Monitor your eating habits when your environment changes and notice if you’re the type of person who’s eating habits change dramatically with the company that you keep.

Instead: Don’t turn into a recluse in order to keep to your diet. Do choose your foods wisely and, when possible, bring your own food to dinner parties—share your healthy and delicious dishes.

When you take all things into consideration, maintaining a life-long healthy lifestyle takes work. But, when you are mindful of all the big and seemingly small things that can take you off-track, you will be well on your way to coasting into a great, healthy lifestyle for years to come.

Sign up for a fitness class.

Miranda 19 Comments
September 2, 2011

NEWS FLASH! Pilates can be as good as Physical Therapy for Pelvic Floor training!

Mind-Body-Spirit News:

Researchers have found that a 12-week Pilates program can improve muscle strength in the pelvic floor just as effectively as 12 weeks of pelvic-floor muscle training (PFMT). The findings were published in the International Urogynecology Journal (2010; 21 [4], 401–408).

While incontinence is widespread among women, adherence to typical PFMT programs is low. Healthcare professionals need ways to motivate women to perform exercises consistently in order to maintain healthy pelvic-floor muscle function over time.

Researchers from the Atlantic Health Division of Urogynecology in Morristown, New Jersey, wanted to determine whether a Pilates exercise program and a PFMT program could provide similar improvements in pelvic muscle strength. They randomly assigned 62 women with little or no pelvic-floor dysfunction to either Pilates or PFMT. Twice a week for 12 weeks, each group had 1-hour sessions with either a Pilates instructor or a physical therapist. Researchers measured pelvic-floor muscle strength and provided questionnaires at baseline and at the end of the program. Data analysis showed that all participants improved pelvic-floor muscle strength, and there was no significant difference between groups.

Patrick Culligan, MD, director of urogynecology at Atlantic Health and lead study author, said, “The Pilates group received all the pelvic-floor benefits enjoyed by the PFMT group, but they also received [the] full-body benefits of Pilates as well. Therefore, the Pilates program was the clear winner. All of the benefits enjoyed by the PFMT group were rather ‘private,’ whereas the Pilates group received those benefits plus better overall strength, flexibility, posture and confidence. The drawback of PFMT treatments is that they were ‘medicalized’; in other words, the patients had to go to a medical office and get undressed. On the other hand, the Pilates group received their instruction in a comfortable studio, fully clothed.”

Miranda 12 Comments

Do you need exercises to help you find your core?

Here are some exercise I do with my students in class to help gain a better understanding of how the deep abdominal muscles can be activated.

Imagine the core as a cylinder–extending from the upper two ribs down into the depths of the pelvic floor. The whole system of muscles, bones and other tissues works together in a coordinated way. As you inhale, the diaphragm lowers; the ribs expand, articulating with the thoracic spine; the upper two ribs dance with the fascia of your cervical spine; and the pelvic floor stretches, freeing the hip joints.

The awareness exercises below can be integrated into a exercise warm-up that has a functional, postnatal or mind-body theme. These movements do not require great effort. In fact, large, forceful movements restrict the brain’s ability to make sensory distinctions, while small movements allow the central nervous system to integrate more efficient movement patterns (Peck 2008).

Perform all movements lying on your back with knees bent and feet hip-distance apart. Do sets of 5 repetitions with a short rest after each movement.

Exercise #1: Grounding the Feet to the Pelvic Floor

This exercise brings awareness to the pelvic floor, the base of the cylinder and its connection to the foot. Return to this awareness in other exercises like bridge, lunges or squats.
•Gently engage your pelvic floor to about 30%, and slowly let it go. Do you co-contract your abdominals as you do this? Your buttocks? Do the left (L) and right (R) sides of the pelvic floor engage equally?
•Slowly tilt the R knee toward the midline without letting the pelvis rock. Feel how this movement causes the ischium, or “sit bone,” to move away from the midline, causing the pelvic floor to stretch.
•Move the R knee away from the midline and feel how the ischium comes toward the midline and the pelvic floor shortens.
•Shift the weight on the R foot toward the outer edge, so that the inside of the foot lifts slightly away from the floor, and sense what happens in the pelvic floor.
•Shift weight to the inside of the R foot. What happens now?
•Repeat with the L leg.

Exercise #2: Sounding in the Cylinder

This exercise brings awareness to three areas of the cylinder. Integrate this exercise into dynamic exercises like medicine ball slam or jump-squat prep.
•Place your hands 2 inches below your navel. Inhale through your nose and allow your abdomen to expand in all directions. As you exhale, softly draw in the space just below your navel and make a “sshhh” sound. Feel how the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor gradually contract.
•Lay your hands on the outside of your ribs with your elbows on the ground. Inhale, feeling the ribs expand into your hands. Exhale, making a snakelike “s-s-s” sound as the ribs move away from your hands.
•Rest your hands on your chest, elbows on the ground and fingers on your clavicles. As you inhale, allow the breath to rise up into the space under your hands. Exhale with a “hhhhaaaa” sound and sense how the sternum softens downward and the throat expands.

Come try a class or persaonl traning session to learn more!

Miranda 6 Comments
sneeze.article-1
August 27, 2011

Do you pee your pants when you sneeze or cough?

Urine Leakage: A Common Health Problem for Women of All AGES! MEN TOO!

Women of all ages have bladder control problems.You may think bladder control problems are something that happen when you get older. The truth is that women of all ages have urine leakage. The problem is also called incontinence. Men leak urine too, but the problem is more common in women.

• Many women leak urine when they exercise, laugh hard, cough, or sneeze.
• Often women leak urine when they are pregnant or after they have given birth.
• Women who have stopped having their periods-menopause-often report bladder control problems.
• Female athletes of all ages sometimes have urine leakage during strenuous sports activities.

Urine leakage may be a small bother or a large problem. About half of adult women say they have had urine leakage at one time or another. Many women say it’s a daily problem. Urine leakage is more common in older women, but that doesn’t mean it’s a natural part of aging. You don’t have to “just live with it.” You can do something about it and regain your bladder control.


What causes bladder control problems and how can Pilates help correct this?

Weak muscles. Most bladder control problems are caused by weak pelvic muscles. These muscles may become stretched and weak during pregnancy and childbirth. Weak muscles let the bladder sag out of position, which may stretch the opening to the urethra. Pilates focuses on correctly activating and strengthing the pelvic floor muscles- schedule a complmentary consultation today to find out how Studio M Pilates & Fitness can help you!

Miranda 18 Comments

Amazing Oat Bran Banana Bread

Amazing Oat Bran Banana Bread
Posted on August 22, 2011 by admin
Rose’s Amazing Oat Bran Banana Bread

Before
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 ¼ teaspoons double acting baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup sugar
¾ teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 to 2 eggs
1 to 2 cups ripe banana pulp

½ cup broken nut meats
¼ cup finely chopped apricots or raisins
Delicious BUT high fat, high sugar, low fiber.
We can keep the delicious flavor and moist texture, while cutting the fat and sugar and increasing the fiber.

Here’s the recipe makeover:

After
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Mix:
1 ¾ cups Oat Bran (or mix your grains: some oat bran, some oatmeal or other whole grains to equal the total amount)
2 ¼ teaspoon double acting baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Blend until creamy:
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup organic sugar (evaporated cane juice or turbinado sugar)

Beat in
4 egg whites, beaten
1-2 cups ripe banana pulp, “smushed” with a fork works well.

Add the dry ingredients in about 3 parts to the wet mixture.
Fold in
½ cup raisins (optional) or chocolate chips (optional naughty version)

Place the batter in a glass bread pan or pie dish “sprayed” with oil/PAM
Bake the bread for about one hour or until done. (brown on top, slightly firm in center)
Cool before slicing.
Refrigerate after day one, if it even lasts that long.

Miranda 4 Comments

Eat Enough to loose the FAT!

Eat enough to Lose fat!

I see it all the time. . .
People (usually women) who think they should only eat 1200 calories in order to lose weight. After we have a session and I explain their Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and calories needed to increase lean muscle (which will help them burn more fat), and they agree (after much convincing on my part) to increase their daily calories and they finally start losing weight!!!!!
Now let me explain: An occasional low calorie phase or cleanse or even a fast can be beneficial. But in the real world, it seems that when we try to stay below our BMR, we might be able to do it for a day or two, but then our body says, “Enough!” and we overindulge (sweets, chips, alcohol- pick your poison!). We feel bad about our inability to control ourselves and we swear to get back onto our 1200 calorie (or whatever ridiculously low number) diet. Most of the women I’ve seen this with also admit to having low energy and trying to keep up with their workouts, but let’s be honest- it’s hard to make it through the day, much less a workout, when you are not getting enough fuel!

Another thing: We really want to lose FAT, not “weight”. When you eat too low of calories on a regular basis, then overeat, your body uses muscle for fuel and preserves FAT. Talk about counterproductive!

So, how do you determine your daily caloric level? Start with your BMR. To determine your BMR, a simple estimation is to take your goal weight (be realistic, people) and multiply by 10 (just add a zero).
So, if your goals weight is 135, your BMR estimate is 1350 calories per day.
THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU SHOULD ONLY EAT 1350 CALORIES PER DAY!
It means it’s your BASAL metabolic rate= the calories your body needs for a day AT REST.
You should add in calories for activity, exercise, etc. to reach the proper daily caloric goal for you.
Just this week, after her private session with me, B agreed to eat 1600 calories per day instead of 1200, and in just 3 days, she’s already lost 2 lbs.
You can’t fool Mother Nature.

Miranda 2 Comments

Losing sleep and gaining weight? Check this out the maybe a reason why..

Sleepiness makes fatty foods extra tempting
Jill Chen / Getty Images stock

Sleepyheads, please refrain from licking your monitor.
By Cari Nierenberg
Slacking off on shuteye could make it harder for you to resist high-calorie treats and fattening foods, new research found.

Feeling drowsier during the day because you didn’t catch enough ZZZs at night may make it easier for you to give in to temptation, suggests a preliminary study to be presented at the 2011 meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

In this small study of 12 healthy adults, ages 19 to 45, participants were shown photographs of low- or high-calorie foods over a four-minute period as images of their brains were scanned. Volunteers were told they would be given a memory test afterward to make them focus on the visuals.

Every few seconds new images would flash before participant’s eyes including such healthy fare as salads, fresh fish, an apple or orange. They also saw more enticing edibles from strawberry cheesecake and french fries to cheeseburgers and chocolate cake. As a control, researchers sprinkled in shots of trees, rocks, and flowers.

Volunteers also completed questionnaires about how drowsy they were during the day as well as their food likes and dislikes and typical eating habits.

Scientists found that “the sleepier you are, the less the prefrontal cortex — the inhibitory area of the brain — is activated when it’s shown high-calorie foods,” says William Killgore, an assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass.

In other words, if you’ve skimped on sleep, you’re less likely to put on the brakes when you’re around fattening foods. And you’re more likely to reach out and grab that bacon double cheeseburger or dig into a pint of Chunky Monkey.

In the research, participants were not chronically sleep-deprived. They had the usual tiredness that comes from staying up past their bedtime by an hour or two a night. Even this was strongly correlated with less activation in the inhibitory areas of the brain when shown calorie-rich foods.

When you don’t get the rest you need, “you might not have the ability to say no to that extra cookie or dessert,” points out Killgore, and you’re a little more likely to take in a few extra calories a day.

“Even subtle changes in sleep could be having larger effects in ways we hadn’t considered, such as appetite, body weight, and food choices,” explains Killgore. A little bit of sleep loss adds up and may influence your body shape.

“It’s entirely plausible that with less inhibitory control, you reach for less optimal foods, and this may lead to a lot more weight over a lifetime,” Killgore says.

And a fatigue-induced lack of inhibition can extend to behaviors beside eating. Other studies have suggested that being sleep deprived affects a person’s ability to plan and think ahead, and skews judgment when assessing risk.

When you’re tired during the day, are you more likely to go for junk food?

Want more weird health news? Find The Body Odd on Facebook.
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Miranda 9 Comments