Yesterday I talked about how important getting sufficient protein every day is to our health, our appearance and for weight loss success.
Today I'm going to talk, quite unscientifically, about something that I've observed that I believe is at least partially attributable to NOT getting enough protein on a regular basis.
First, imagine you get up and you wait hours before eating. Maybe you have a cup of coffee or tea. Then perhaps you have some cereal or toast...or something sweeter perhaps. How are feeling about 10:30 or11am? Probably feeling a bit sluggish and a bit foggy mentally. You may even feel that earlier in the day.
What do you do at that point? If you are like most folks you grab some sugar and maybe some (more) caffeine thinking that will solve the problem. And your blood sugar spikes and you do get some energy. Temporarily.
Problem is you are only addressing symptoms, not the real cause.
The cause is that you haven't really fueled your body with the most important thing it needs--protein!
This might not be a big problem if you do this once in a while...but over time what happens is your body loses lean body mass as we talked about yesterday.
I contend that this affects our brain as much as it does the rest of our body. We lose our mental abilities...we become more and more foggy.
My evidence? Well, not a scientific study to be sure, but I have seen it in my own family. Right now I am seeing the results in my mother who is 80 years old...(I wish I could say 80 years "young"...but can't.)
While I recognize we are blessed that she is pretty healthy and doesn't suffer from Alzheimer's or Dementia...I also see this once super-intelligent woman reduced to being in a fog much of the time. What concerns me even more is that on the one hand she recognizes this reduction in her abilities and yet she is not willing or able to help herself do anything about it.
My mother has only rarely been overweight in her life. And when she deemed herself to be "fat" she rigidly dieted. For her it was a "simple" matter of pushing herself away from the table while still hungry. (I inherited neither her metabolism nor her diet discipline.)
Well, my mother has dropped lots of weight over the last couple of years.
The science is that typically for every decade past our 40th year we lose 8% of our lean body mass. That would mean my mom would have 32% less lean body mass than she used to...so if her entire 40 year old 140 pound body was lean body mass (which of course, it wouldn't have been) and we took away 32% of that she would be about 120 pounds today...all things being equal.
Mom is currently about 110 pounds...when a healthy weight for her would be closer to 130-140. It seems as her body gets smaller and smaller so does her mental capacity. So, the notion that one can "never be too thin" is pure fiction...dangerous fiction at that!
My conclusion, as unscientific as it may be, is that she has definitely lost too much weight, especially lean body mass, and that this loss has affected her mental ability...and therefore I for one am going to be doubly sure to eat sufficient protein multiple times a day every day.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Anti-Aging and Weight Loss Success Secret Weapon
One of the biggest secrets to losing weight successfully and for looking younger is quite simple...protein.
We hear all the time that Americans eat too much protein. But that may not be really accurate.
While it is true we don't need a lot of protein at any one sitting, we DO need to eat protein regularly...several times every day. Research from the University of Texas backs this up and states that the most important factor for maintaining our lean body mass is eating protein regularly through out the day. You see, our bodies don't store protein...at least not as protein. If we eat too much protein it is converted and stored as--fat! That means saving it all up for dinner won't cut it in terms of looking youthful or being healthy.
The trick is, if we don't eat enough protein then our body will actually start to "eat" our own lean body mass...we will tear down our "less important" tissues in an effort to protect our most vital organs (like our heart.)
What exactly is lean body mass? It is most of the parts of our body that we love (read "not our fat")...including our bones, skin, muscles and parts of our essential organs. And once we get over the 40 year hump we start to lose that lean body mass. Figures indicate on average we lose 8 % every decade.
Less lean body mass could mean that our metabolism slows down (ever heard that it is harder to lose weight once you hit 40?) This is because muscles burn more calories than fat. So, that is enough all by itself to make me want to be sure I get enough protein in every day.
But that's not all...losing lean body mass affects our bones, making us more susceptible to breaks, our skin becomes more easily damaged and all of our organs are adversely affected. Think about it...pretty much all the signs of aging could be linked to loss of lean body mass!
So whether you are trying to drop excess fat or keep your body looking younger, one of the most important things you can do for yourself is to eat small servings of protein several times a day.
Don't think this means you have to be eating meat three times a day...mix it up with wild salmon (avoid "Atlantic" salmon as that means it is farm-raised and less healthy) or other fish, nuts and seeds, chicken and other poultry, dairy, eggs, and off course beans and legumes.
Add nuts and seeds to your morning yogurt or oatmeal, or a little Feta and Quinoa to a salad and you've got meals with protein that won't raise your cholesterol either!
We hear all the time that Americans eat too much protein. But that may not be really accurate.
While it is true we don't need a lot of protein at any one sitting, we DO need to eat protein regularly...several times every day. Research from the University of Texas backs this up and states that the most important factor for maintaining our lean body mass is eating protein regularly through out the day. You see, our bodies don't store protein...at least not as protein. If we eat too much protein it is converted and stored as--fat! That means saving it all up for dinner won't cut it in terms of looking youthful or being healthy.
The trick is, if we don't eat enough protein then our body will actually start to "eat" our own lean body mass...we will tear down our "less important" tissues in an effort to protect our most vital organs (like our heart.)
What exactly is lean body mass? It is most of the parts of our body that we love (read "not our fat")...including our bones, skin, muscles and parts of our essential organs. And once we get over the 40 year hump we start to lose that lean body mass. Figures indicate on average we lose 8 % every decade.
Less lean body mass could mean that our metabolism slows down (ever heard that it is harder to lose weight once you hit 40?) This is because muscles burn more calories than fat. So, that is enough all by itself to make me want to be sure I get enough protein in every day.
But that's not all...losing lean body mass affects our bones, making us more susceptible to breaks, our skin becomes more easily damaged and all of our organs are adversely affected. Think about it...pretty much all the signs of aging could be linked to loss of lean body mass!
So whether you are trying to drop excess fat or keep your body looking younger, one of the most important things you can do for yourself is to eat small servings of protein several times a day.
Don't think this means you have to be eating meat three times a day...mix it up with wild salmon (avoid "Atlantic" salmon as that means it is farm-raised and less healthy) or other fish, nuts and seeds, chicken and other poultry, dairy, eggs, and off course beans and legumes.
Add nuts and seeds to your morning yogurt or oatmeal, or a little Feta and Quinoa to a salad and you've got meals with protein that won't raise your cholesterol either!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
New Diet Pill Safe and Effective for Weight Loss Success?
The Associated Press released an announcement that an experimental diet pill has helped people lose weight--about half the people who tried it lost "some" weight and were able to keep it off for a year. This new pill theoretically does not cause the heart problems that earlier pills such as fen-phen did, even though it acts on the same pathways.
Most diet pills are either not safe at all or can only be taken safely short-term. Is this one really any different?
Before people get too excited about this pill, realize it is still in the experimental phase and it helped people lose "at least 5 percent of their body weight over a year"...
Let's look at that and see if that really amounts to weight loss success.
If you weight 300 pounds and lose 5% of your body weight that is 15 pounds. That's right a whopping 15 pounds!
Until they PROVE that there are no side effects...like irreversible heart damage, problems with digestion and bowel leakage, problems that have shown up AFTER clinical trials were done and diet pills deemed safe in the past...then I'd say this is not worth the risk in my book!
The bigger question really is, do diet pills address the REAL problem? I know when I was 300 pounds I longed for a pill that would magically melt the fat away...allowing me to not have to face my feelings or why I was over eating or retaining weight in the first place.
It may not be the fastest route in the short-term, but by learning to deal with my emotions I have a much healthier body and I dropped a lot of weight (over 125 pounds) in a bout a year...and that turned out to be a lot faster than ANY diet or pill ever would have done!
Bottom line...for true weight loss success, start with your mind...not with a diet or a pill.
Most diet pills are either not safe at all or can only be taken safely short-term. Is this one really any different?
Before people get too excited about this pill, realize it is still in the experimental phase and it helped people lose "at least 5 percent of their body weight over a year"...
Let's look at that and see if that really amounts to weight loss success.
If you weight 300 pounds and lose 5% of your body weight that is 15 pounds. That's right a whopping 15 pounds!
Until they PROVE that there are no side effects...like irreversible heart damage, problems with digestion and bowel leakage, problems that have shown up AFTER clinical trials were done and diet pills deemed safe in the past...then I'd say this is not worth the risk in my book!
The bigger question really is, do diet pills address the REAL problem? I know when I was 300 pounds I longed for a pill that would magically melt the fat away...allowing me to not have to face my feelings or why I was over eating or retaining weight in the first place.
It may not be the fastest route in the short-term, but by learning to deal with my emotions I have a much healthier body and I dropped a lot of weight (over 125 pounds) in a bout a year...and that turned out to be a lot faster than ANY diet or pill ever would have done!
Bottom line...for true weight loss success, start with your mind...not with a diet or a pill.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Treat Depression for Weight Loss Success
If you've ever been depressed then you probably have seen your weight change dramatically as a result.
For some people, like my mother, weight plummets with depression as the person stops eating.
For others, like me, weight sky-rockets as we increase stress and emotional eating...attempting to drown our sorrows in Ben & Jerry's or increase our serotonin levels with simple carbohydrates.
I'm not going to recommend or dissuade anyone from taking anti-depressants...that is certainly something that you (with the help of a psychiatrist...not just a therapist) must decide for yourself. Especially for the severely depressed, they can help.
That being said, I've never met a doctor who believes the pills are magic all by themselves...there are things you can do to help yourself, either in conjunction with taking the pills or instead of.
A lot of people will suggest that you DO things. This is not a bad idea...but it is secondary.
First you have to BE something...you have to decide that you are the kind of person who does something, who will (and can) handle the emotions. You must decide that you are done with hiding behind food and that you are willing to tackle what comes up.
This can be a scary thing...it feels much safer to just go for a walk. The problem is that if we don't tackle the mindset stuff we won't be able to maintain the walks!
First BE. Then DO. Then you will HAVE.
So do the things that you have to do in order to get your mindset going in the right direction (okay, I know that is a "do" word...but it is about mindset, not just action)...first decide that you are worthy of a healthy/slender body and that you deserve to have a healthy mind as well. Then write down your feelings, talk / shout / cry them out...Third, learn to meditate (refer to this week's post on pain management for some tips on this...works for physical and emotional pain)...4th, visualize your body as the healthy person you are becoming...slender, energetic, vibrant, healthy....and 5th, come up with some alternative plans for when emotions come up--things that will work for you instead of eating--keep that list available as you are breaking old habits.
NOW you can do all those things and go for walks and feed your body healthy foods...this will also help boost your serotonin levels and help you feel even better. That's a GOOD cycle!
Before you know it, you will start having results! And you definitely deserve them!!!
For some people, like my mother, weight plummets with depression as the person stops eating.
For others, like me, weight sky-rockets as we increase stress and emotional eating...attempting to drown our sorrows in Ben & Jerry's or increase our serotonin levels with simple carbohydrates.
I'm not going to recommend or dissuade anyone from taking anti-depressants...that is certainly something that you (with the help of a psychiatrist...not just a therapist) must decide for yourself. Especially for the severely depressed, they can help.
That being said, I've never met a doctor who believes the pills are magic all by themselves...there are things you can do to help yourself, either in conjunction with taking the pills or instead of.
A lot of people will suggest that you DO things. This is not a bad idea...but it is secondary.
First you have to BE something...you have to decide that you are the kind of person who does something, who will (and can) handle the emotions. You must decide that you are done with hiding behind food and that you are willing to tackle what comes up.
This can be a scary thing...it feels much safer to just go for a walk. The problem is that if we don't tackle the mindset stuff we won't be able to maintain the walks!
First BE. Then DO. Then you will HAVE.
So do the things that you have to do in order to get your mindset going in the right direction (okay, I know that is a "do" word...but it is about mindset, not just action)...first decide that you are worthy of a healthy/slender body and that you deserve to have a healthy mind as well. Then write down your feelings, talk / shout / cry them out...Third, learn to meditate (refer to this week's post on pain management for some tips on this...works for physical and emotional pain)...4th, visualize your body as the healthy person you are becoming...slender, energetic, vibrant, healthy....and 5th, come up with some alternative plans for when emotions come up--things that will work for you instead of eating--keep that list available as you are breaking old habits.
NOW you can do all those things and go for walks and feed your body healthy foods...this will also help boost your serotonin levels and help you feel even better. That's a GOOD cycle!
Before you know it, you will start having results! And you definitely deserve them!!!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Do Instability Shoes Yield Weight Loss Success?
These shoes that keep your body off-balance are really popular...even my 80 year old mother wanted a pair. If you are thinking about them, be sure to try them on and walk around in the store a long time before you plop down some significant change to purchase a pair.
Fortunately I was able to go shopping with Mom...and watching her walk in them was mildly amusing...but more than that it was really concerning me since she looked like she was going to break at the ankles! I was relieved when she decided she didn't like them so I didn't have to tell her not to buy them.
Before you decide right off the bat that you don't want them, be aware that these shoes come in a variety of makes and price points.
Some shoes are made for running, but most of these are strictly walking shoes.
The idea behind them is that by making your walking less stable you are using more muscles which then increases the tone of those muscles and makes your legs overall more fit. Of course, when we have more muscles we also burn more calories.
But do they work?
Yes. No. Maybe. Who really knows?
I bought myself a pair and I love them...they are super comfortable and if nothing else I psychologically think I'm getting more/better exercise. That's not a bad thing. I know that I am getting more fit and that I'm able to walk further, faster. Is that because of the shoes or just because I am walking more?
Hmmm...can't say...but I will say that because the shoes are comfortable I am much more willing to go for a walk!
Have they made me drop weight? Well...again, don't know...but when I'm walking more I also tend to eat better.
Bottom line: try them out and if the shoe fits--go for it! I figure anything that helps us be comfortable helps our mindset be positive and that all encourages us to move our bodies more, which in turn helps us reach our health and fitness goals--including weight loss success!
Fortunately I was able to go shopping with Mom...and watching her walk in them was mildly amusing...but more than that it was really concerning me since she looked like she was going to break at the ankles! I was relieved when she decided she didn't like them so I didn't have to tell her not to buy them.
Before you decide right off the bat that you don't want them, be aware that these shoes come in a variety of makes and price points.
Some shoes are made for running, but most of these are strictly walking shoes.
The idea behind them is that by making your walking less stable you are using more muscles which then increases the tone of those muscles and makes your legs overall more fit. Of course, when we have more muscles we also burn more calories.
But do they work?
Yes. No. Maybe. Who really knows?
I bought myself a pair and I love them...they are super comfortable and if nothing else I psychologically think I'm getting more/better exercise. That's not a bad thing. I know that I am getting more fit and that I'm able to walk further, faster. Is that because of the shoes or just because I am walking more?
Hmmm...can't say...but I will say that because the shoes are comfortable I am much more willing to go for a walk!
Have they made me drop weight? Well...again, don't know...but when I'm walking more I also tend to eat better.
Bottom line: try them out and if the shoe fits--go for it! I figure anything that helps us be comfortable helps our mindset be positive and that all encourages us to move our bodies more, which in turn helps us reach our health and fitness goals--including weight loss success!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Pain Management and Weight Loss Success
Recently I wrote about pain and how I had been letting my physical pain keep me from working out as much as I normally would.
Maybe I'm naive but I was surprised that this concept would stir up any sort of controversy! But, I got messages from people who think maybe my pain isn't real or that I'm dismissing people who are in chronic pain.
Since that is certainly not the case, I thought I'd follow up with some information I read this weekend about ways to reduce your pain...because I DO know that being in pain can seriously hinder our ability and willingness to move our bodies...and even to eat right. When we are in pain (physical or emotional) we seek comfort and sometimes food gives us that comfort, albeit temporary, and we can then ADD to our pain by increasing our physical weight.
This comes from Doctors Oz and Roizen...the title is "Mindfulness meditation conquers stubborn pain" (Click the title if you want to see the entire article)
So how do you do it? Here are 3 different methods to try from the good doctors:
First, find a quiet place where you can sit or lie down for 10-15 minutes
Mindfulness meditation:
This technique works by distracting you and helps ease pain similarly to meditation.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation:
Maybe I'm naive but I was surprised that this concept would stir up any sort of controversy! But, I got messages from people who think maybe my pain isn't real or that I'm dismissing people who are in chronic pain.
Since that is certainly not the case, I thought I'd follow up with some information I read this weekend about ways to reduce your pain...because I DO know that being in pain can seriously hinder our ability and willingness to move our bodies...and even to eat right. When we are in pain (physical or emotional) we seek comfort and sometimes food gives us that comfort, albeit temporary, and we can then ADD to our pain by increasing our physical weight.
This comes from Doctors Oz and Roizen...the title is "Mindfulness meditation conquers stubborn pain" (Click the title if you want to see the entire article)
people who meditated for just 20 minutes a day saw their pain tolerance rise
Meditation doesn't work because your pain is "all in your head." Chronic pain is all too real...When pain won't quit, stress and worry kick in, boosting levels of stress hormones, which tricks your brain into thinking the pain is worse than it is.
De-stressing with meditation or similar mind/body techniques dials back stress hormones which in turn diminishes pain.
meditation eased pain by helping your brain to stop anticipating it...Less stress and less pain also can mean better sleep, more motivation to exercise and even less depression, all of which also make you relax more and hurt less.
So how do you do it? Here are 3 different methods to try from the good doctors:
First, find a quiet place where you can sit or lie down for 10-15 minutes
Mindfulness meditation:
- Close your eyes to help you stay focused
- Breathe in and out slowly & naturally
- Acknowledge your thoughts, feelings and the physical sensations in your body but don't get wrapped up in them
- Keep gently returning your focus to your breathing
- After 10 minutes begin to notice your surroundings as you breathe calmly
- Then plan to go about your day with this feeling of calm awareness
This technique works by distracting you and helps ease pain similarly to meditation.
- Shut your eyes and imagine an idyllic "happy place"
- Use all of your sense to put yourself in that place
- Remember scents, colors, the air, mood, anything that makes it come alive
- Stay there, relax and enjoy
Progressive Muscle Relaxation:
- Breathe slowly from your abdomen
- Isolate and tighten each muscle group without straining for 7-10 seconds
- Release the muscles abruptly
- Rest 15-20 seconds
- Start with your fists
- Move to your forearms, biceps, face, neck, shoulders, upper back, chest, stomach, lower back, buttocks, thighs, lower legs, feet.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Dancing the Night and Fat Away
Last night the Celtic Rock group, The Elders, played in town. It was a fantastic night for the event...nice and cool which gave extra incentive to get up and dance!
I feel really fortunate to live in a town that provides fun entertainment during the summer for free. And at concerts like this where we are encouraged to dance we get entertained by the musicians and people watching and if we loosen our inhibitions just a little bit we can burn off a few calories at the same time without going to the gym!
Moving our bodies can be a lot of fun...and if you aren't able to get up and dance, then do what you can. Clapping and swaying to the music, stomping feet and waving arms in the arm all count as moving your body--especially compared to sitting like a log in front of the television.
And you also get at least a short walk in from the car to wherever you are seated...
Make events like this special. One family had a little table with candles and flowers...others at the top of the rise had pop-up rain/sun shelters...bring the kids and wear comfortable clothes.
One word of caution--at this event they were selling ice cream...and I'm sure most venues will have some great treat. You don't have to NOT have it...just make it a conscious choice and realize that you probably won't be dancing it off, even if you dance all night long. My friends bought some and shared it...that worked out really well. They all got some of the great treat, but no one got weighed down. One good thing about treats at these sorts of events...they come with portion control!
Enjoy the events, dance and get your oxygen pumping and muscles moving...and you'll go to sleep with a smile on your face...and maybe wake up with a little less fat on your body!
I feel really fortunate to live in a town that provides fun entertainment during the summer for free. And at concerts like this where we are encouraged to dance we get entertained by the musicians and people watching and if we loosen our inhibitions just a little bit we can burn off a few calories at the same time without going to the gym!
Moving our bodies can be a lot of fun...and if you aren't able to get up and dance, then do what you can. Clapping and swaying to the music, stomping feet and waving arms in the arm all count as moving your body--especially compared to sitting like a log in front of the television.
And you also get at least a short walk in from the car to wherever you are seated...
Make events like this special. One family had a little table with candles and flowers...others at the top of the rise had pop-up rain/sun shelters...bring the kids and wear comfortable clothes.
One word of caution--at this event they were selling ice cream...and I'm sure most venues will have some great treat. You don't have to NOT have it...just make it a conscious choice and realize that you probably won't be dancing it off, even if you dance all night long. My friends bought some and shared it...that worked out really well. They all got some of the great treat, but no one got weighed down. One good thing about treats at these sorts of events...they come with portion control!
Enjoy the events, dance and get your oxygen pumping and muscles moving...and you'll go to sleep with a smile on your face...and maybe wake up with a little less fat on your body!
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