August 17, 2009
When I was in college, nearly every trip to the library was preceded by a trip to the Benson Candy Bins. The Benson Candy Bins were, as the name would lead to assume, candy bins that were in our student center. For the swipe of a student ID card magically linked to the parent funded food account you could walk out with a bag of candy as big as you pleased.
And believe me, I pleased.
Freshmen year, I had two favorites: candy corn and puppy chow. (Or, as us apparently less politically correct Northerners call it, “White Trash.” This is a combination of chex mix, pretzels, peanuts and raisins with melted white chocolate and confectioner’s sugar holding it all together. YEA.) Somewhere in the midst of studying for my Health and Exercise Science major in my second year, I realized that this was probably not a very good habit to have.
So, I switched to trail mix.
Much healthier right? Right. IF I was hiking on a trail. As it turns out, I was not hiking on a trail, I was sitting. For hours on end. Without moving.
And I wondered why I kept gaining weight.
Trail mix is not a bad food, but it’s certainly not a food that one should be consuming one mindless handful after another on a completely sedentary day, especially under the wrongful assumption that it was good for us. But this is true of so many foods – there are so many foods that masquerade as health foods, either by their reputations or their deceptively catchy food label claims. To be good stewards of our own health, it is extremely crucial that we each become aware of what our energy needs are and what type of energy we are supplying ourselves with. Here’s a hint: if you’re not losing weight, it’s because the supply is outweighing the needs!
No one is going to do this for you – at least not yet. Slowly the trend is shifting towards more honest food labeling (restaurants with calories on menus: KUDOS TO YOU!), and even more slowly food labeling becomes more truthful (trans fats on labels, at last.) It is an individual responsibility (or in some cases, a parental responsibility) to educate yourself on what you’re putting into your body.
The other day, someone asked me to help them figure out the calories of the restaurant meal they had had. I started with the basics: “what was in it?”
“Well, I don’t know,” they replied. “I was hoping you could tell me.”
I found this to be a difficult task, given that I was not present when they consumed this food! Moreover, I found this a disturbing (but all too common) comment: I did not know what I just put in my body.
Learn what your body needs and fuel yourself appropriately. While trail mix or granola might be perfect for those days when you decide to pack up the bags and hike the Appalachian, a bag of popcorn or cup of grapes might be more suited for those long library sessions.
Know what you’re putting into your body. Read labels. Start looking up some of those words you don’t recognize.
It’s YOUR body. If you’re not going to figure out what’s going into it, who will?
October 25, 2008
Can you lose weight with a broken foot?
Sure, it’s a ridiculous question but the truth is many people think that if they’re not losing weight, it’s because they’re not exercising enough. Toss in an injury that limits exercise or a lifestyle that makes a gym visit prohibitive and we’ve concocted a perfectly reasonable explanation for why weight loss has slowed or halted. I hear it all the time.
Truth is, it’s actually easier to reduce caloric intake through changing your habits than exercising. (I said easier people, not better… I’m a firm believer in the magic bullet of exercise.) Most research supports creating a 500 calorie a day deficit to lose one pound a week. For me, it would take about an hour of jogging to burn 500 calories. How quickly can I eat an extra 500 calories? Oh, you just watch me… a handful of candy corn there (140), a fourth of a basket of chips at El Dorado’s (210), the free sugar cookie at the grocery store (60), and the oh what the heck 2nd glass of wine at dinner (100) and I’m there. And then some. Calories are a sneaky thing. It’s easy to tack on an extra 500 cals through food and it takes a heckuva lot of time and sweat to burn off those 500 calories at the gym.
Should you exercise? You betcha. It’s going to expedite your weight loss, preserve your lean muscle tissue and do all sorts of amazing and wonderful things to your cellular insides. But if you can’t (or really reaaaaalllly don’t wanna), there’s no reason to think you don’t have an equal opportunity to shed pounds.
And contrary to many people’s beliefs (or maybe just what we’d like to believe), the reverse just ain’t true. If you’re sweating it out at the gym and telling yourself “I earned this” as you bite into that McGriddle, chances are you aren’t going to see the results you want. Unless you like seeing that same digital blue number week after week after week…..
Food For Thought: Check out the calories in a few of your favorite indulgences here. Then pop over to this calculator and see how long it would take you to burn that off through exercise. My personal fave? An hour of ironing earns me a on the rocks margarita. Toss me those wrinkly shirts, hubby!
October 17, 2008
I’m not a big TV watcher but there are 3 things my DVR is set to catch regularly: Oprah, Red Sox games and the Biggest Loser. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a huge fan of the Biggest Loser. I am so inspired by the process of transformation that each contest goes through and the show’s multi-faceted approach to weight loss: exercise, nutrition and behavioral change. Almost every episode features a peek into someone’s emotional blue print, and with the help of Jillian, Bob or as featured last season – a clinical psychologist – the show helps demonstrate the weight loss is as much about our mental and emotional state as it is our physical state.
One of the things that has always bugged me about the Biggest Loser, however, is the big numbers that the contestants throw up each week. I know it’s a TV show and seeing someone lose a pound a week wouldn’t make for exciting ratings, but the numbers they put up have always sparked a great deal of conversation among my groups and clients as to what is realistic to expect for weight loss.
So, Tuesday night, while watching the black and blue team suffer through a 14 hour hike, I got out my calculator and did a little calorie math to see: just what is the story behind all those big numbers.
To start with, I’ll use the example of the women who generally lose less weight each week then the men.
Julie Hadden, a stay-at-home mom and runner up on Season 4, started the show at 218 lbs at 34 years old, 5 feet 2 inches. Her starting caloric needs would have been about 2,082 calories according to one of my
favorite calorie calculators. (I set it to use the Harris-Benedict equation.)
From what I gather from various references on the show, the contestants are given a calorie budget (woohoo!) based on their needs. Let’s say Julie was given a calorie budget of 1200-1400 calories/day, a pretty standard number for a female in her mid 30s. With changes in her nutrition alone, Julie would have had a 600-800 calorie deficit a day. Even without exercise, she would have averaged a pound of weight lost every four to six days.
Remember, it takes a deficit of 3,500 calories – achieved through nutrition or exercise – to lose one pound.
According to the
Biggest Loser Blog, the contestants work out for an average of four to six hours a day. (Whoa! Now here’s where we might argue the question of realistic expectations…. ) A 218 lb woman could
easily burn 2,000-3,000 calories with a combination of
cardio and resistance training for 4-6 hours. Right there, the contestants would create an average 0.5-1 lb/a day weight loss.
As their weight comes down, both the calories they burn during exercise and the difference between their caloric needs for maintenance and caloric needs for weight loss diminishes, thus slowing the rate of weight loss. However, lean body mass does require higher calories for basic metabolism than fat body mass, so they do experience a slight edge there with the high level of resistance training they endure.
So, is it realistic? Scientifically speaking, yes. The caloric deficits created through a typical 1200-1400 calorie diet and through 4-6 hours of exercise do translate into “big numbers” – contestants losing 5, 7, even 10 pounds in a week. Is it realistic as a far as lifestyle change goes? How likely is someone to devote nearly a quarter of their day to exercise? That, my friends, is a personal choice.
I personally don’t fault the Biggest Loser for creating unrealistic expectations about weight loss. I’ve never had the impression that they are trying to mislead the public about the intensity of physical activity that the participants endure and almost every episode includes information and references to proper nutrition. If anything, the Biggest Loser may be a source of inspiration and motivation to many people out there who may feel totally trapped in their bodies.
There’s no fooling yourself if you watch the show: the transformation process is grueling physically. But the impact of transforming one’s health is not limited to the physical results. The sense of self-confidence and empowerment that results transcends all aspects of one’s life. We can dismiss the Biggest Loser for fooling us each week by putting up big numbers or we can embrace them each week for living out big dreams. I, for one, am in the latter group.
Food for Thought: Who or what motivates you? Do you ever find yourself in the midst of “dreaming big” and interrupting yourself with the thought that “you could never do that”? For better or worse, reality TV is here to stay… but what we can learn from it is this: those are real people. They are no different from you and me, thought it may seem that they are doing the impossible. There may not be a $250,000 prize or a Larry King interview waiting for you, but who’s to stop YOU from putting up big numbers?
September 5, 2008
I have a confession to make. I am obsessed with a number. But you may be surprised to know that it is not the number that stares up at me in digital blue font each morning. No, despite that number being a part of my daily routine, that is not THE number. The number I am obsessed with is a calorie budget. And not just my calorie budget – in fact, my own calorie budget interests me the least. Maybe it’s because I’ve become so acquainted with it over the last 6 years it’s as familiar to me as my ATM pin. Other people’s calorie budgets I dare admit, excite me. I love calculating someone’s daily caloric needs and I handing over the four digit number with as much glee and reverence as if I am handing over the code to the holy grail. Surprisingly enough, the response is generally somewhat lackluster.
At first.
Because, whether or not they chose to humor me or they are just hopeful and willing to try anything, most people give it a try. Why not? They’ve tried eating burgers wrapped in “lettuce buns.” They’ve tried yellow cellophane wrapped bars that offer a delightfully balanced ratio of nutrients. They’ve plugged their nose and gulped down apple cider. They’ve tried all these and more, so why not see what a harmless little number has in store for them? The excitement on their face when using a calorie budget turns out to be not only effective, but not even that hard…. there’s no better reward for this girl. Another fan joins the Calorie Counting Club.
I truly believe that choosing what to eat each day without knowing your daily caloric needs is like taking out a mortgage without knowing your monthly salary. Sure, people do it. But it’s stupid. Can we all agree on that? Each of our bodies is hard-wired to need a certain amount of energy to go about our daily functions. Take it more than those energy needs and your jeans start feeling aweebitsnug *gasp*. Take in less and … voila! It’s not rocket science, but it is basic science. Calories in versus calories out is the foundation of weight management. We can talk another day about where those calories come from as far as you feeling your best (oh, you bet I can talk about that), but for today, let’s suffice it to say that simply knowing what you need is as important to the management of your weight as…. well, as nothing else. It is THE single most important factor. It’s the starting point.
And here’s the beauty of it all. It ain’t that hard to figure out. In fact, you can google your heart out and find plenty of calculators that will even do the math for you. I have now passed out 163 calculators teaching people how to calculate their caloric needs…. while I am not sure everyone gets as excited as their dear, sweet, overzealous coach (c’est moi), I daresay the successful ones are the ones who use it.
One man summed it nicely to me a few months ago. He said “Knowing this calculation is like knowing what goes on under the hood of your car. It’s not information you’re going to use everyday, but it can sure save you a headache when things start breaking down.” And just to toot his horn, he’s holding tight to a 41 pound weight loss.
I teach my clients to calculate budgets so they’re self-sustainable beyond their work with me. Let’s say a few years pass, life gets in the way, and oops, you hit the Rocky Road. (Literally and gastronomically.) Your weight has crept back up and you’re at a loss. You know what to do… eat less than what your body needs. So, do you have to call me up to find out what your body needs?
Nah. You know how. Just call me up to tell me you’re back on track. You’ve got my number, and now you’ve got yours.
Food For Thought: Get to it! Find out what your number is. This is a great calculator here and has a nice little blurb about how to use a calorie budget. But you can find any by googling “daily caloric needs.” Find one that takes into account your age, height, weight and gender. It will give your daily needs and remember, to lose weight you need to eat less than that. (Ideal is to subtract 250-500 calories from your maintenance budget to lose 1 lb-0.5 lb a week. Men will usually be in the 1600-1800 calories for weight loss, women in the 1200-1400 calories. It is recommended that no one consume less than 1100 calories per day.)
September 4, 2008
I have a confession to make. I am obsessed with a number. But you may be surprised to know that it is not the number that stares up at me in digital blue font each morning. No, despite that number being a part of my daily routine, that is not THE number. The number I am obsessed with is a calorie budget. And not just my calorie budget – in fact, my own calorie budget interests me the least. Maybe it’s because I’ve become so acquainted with it over the last 6 years it’s as familiar to me as my ATM pin. Other people’s calorie budgets I dare admit, excite me. I love calculating someone’s daily caloric needs and I handing over the four digit number with as much glee and reverence as if I am handing over the code to the holy grail. Surprisingly enough, the response is generally somewhat lackluster.
At first.
Because, whether or not they chose to humor me or they are just hopeful and willing to try anything, most people give it a try. Why not? They’ve tried eating burgers wrapped in “lettuce buns.” They’ve tried yellow cellophane wrapped bars that offer a delightfully balanced ratio of nutrients. They’ve plugged their nose and gulped down apple cider. They’ve tried all these and more, so why not see what a harmless little number has in store for them? The excitement on their face when using a calorie budget turns out to be not only effective, but not even that hard…. there’s no better reward for this girl. Another fan joins the Calorie Counting Club.
I truly believe that choosing what to eat each day without knowing your daily caloric needs is like taking out a mortgage without knowing your monthly salary. Sure, people do it. But it’s stupid. Can we all agree on that? Each of our bodies is hard-wired to need a certain amount of energy to go about our daily functions. Take it more than those energy needs and your jeans start feeling aweebitsnug *gasp*. Take in less and … voila! It’s not rocket science, but it is basic science. Calories in versus calories out is the foundation of weight management. We can talk another day about where those calories come from as far as you feeling your best (oh, you bet I can talk about that), but for today, let’s suffice it to say that simply knowing what you need is as important to the management of your weight as…. well, as nothing else. It is THE single most important factor. It’s the starting point.
And here’s the beauty of it all. It ain’t that hard to figure out. In fact, you can google your heart out and find plenty of calculators that will even do the math for you. I have now passed out 163 calculators teaching people how to calculate their caloric needs…. while I am not sure everyone gets as excited as their dear, sweet, overzealous coach (c’est moi), I daresay the successful ones are the ones who use it.
One man summed it nicely to me a few months ago. He said “Knowing this calculation is like knowing what goes on under the hood of your car. It’s not information you’re going to use everyday, but it can sure save you a headache when things start breaking down.” And just to toot his horn, he’s holding tight to a 41 pound weight loss.
I teach my clients to calculate budgets so they’re self-sustainable beyond their work with me. Let’s say a few years pass, life gets in the way, and oops, you hit the Rocky Road. (Literally and gastronomically.) Your weight has crept back up and you’re at a loss. You know what to do… eat less than what your body needs. So, do you have to call me up to find out what your body needs?
Nah. You know how. Just call me up to tell me you’re back on track. You’ve got my number, and now you’ve got yours.
Food For Thought: Get to it! Find out what your number is. This is a great calculator here and has a nice little blurb about how to use a calorie budget. But you can find any by googling “daily caloric needs.” Find one that takes into account your age, height, weight and gender. It will give your daily needs and remember, to lose weight you need to eat less than that. (Ideal is to subtract 250-500 calories from your maintenance budget to lose 1 lb-0.5 lb a week. Men will usually be in the 1600-1800 calories for weight loss, women in the 1200-1400 calories. It is recommended that no one consume less than 1100 calories per day.)
August 26, 2008
New Yorkers picking up their usual coffee and muffin at Dunkin Donuts recently were in for a rude awakening. Listed next to the price of their favorite muffin, scone or cookie was – unavoidably – the calorie count.
A law passed recently in New York City states chain restaurants will now have to publicly display the calorie content of each menu item right next to the price. Reactions have been mixed – some are thrilled, some (for whom ignorance may be bliss) are annoyed, and most are shocked. (A Dunkin donuts cornbread muffin… just a mere 510 calories! An 150 lb woman jogging at a 10 min pace for 50 minutes would knock that off. Ouch!)
I think this is an amazing first step for changing the tide of the obesity boom in our country. Of course, personal responsibility is a huge part of the changes that need to occur, but I have never believed that we had simply become just a nation full of people lacking willpower. Education is an essential ingredient to any lifestyle change, and I think most people simply have not had the information at their fingertips of what they are taking in. 40 years ago, no one believed we’d make the changes we have made in this country regarding smoking. Through persistent public health endeavors we have changed cultural norms about smoking. Did you ever imagine that to have a cigarette you’d have to step outside and stand in a glass enclosure, segregated from a population demanding their clean air and garnering glances of disapproval and scorn? It took years, but we changed our society. This small step from the Big Apple may be the one of first major moves in changing many of the cultural and social trends that have made weight loss / management a challenging personal endeavor in an simply unsupportive environment.
Food For Thought: What do you think? A first step towards changing the tide or just another public health warning we’ll continue to ignore? Do you think this will catch on in other cities? Do you think this will change what customers demand and thus, what food producers / restaurants offer? I welcome your thoughts!
Read the article from MSNBC here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25464987/
August 25, 2008
New Yorkers picking up their usual coffee and muffin at Dunkin Donuts recently were in for a rude awakening. Listed next to the price of their favorite muffin, scone or cookie was – unavoidably – the calorie count.
A law passed recently in New York City states chain restaurants will now have to publicly display the calorie content of each menu item right next to the price. Reactions have been mixed – some are thrilled, some (for whom ignorance may be bliss) are annoyed, and most are shocked. (A Dunkin donuts cornbread muffin… just a mere 510 calories! An 150 lb woman jogging at a 10 min pace for 50 minutes would knock that off. Ouch!)
I think this is an amazing first step for changing the tide of the obesity boom in our country. Of course, personal responsibility is a huge part of the changes that need to occur, but I have never believed that we had simply become just a nation full of people lacking willpower. Education is an essential ingredient to any lifestyle change, and I think most people simply have not had the information at their fingertips of what they are taking in. 40 years ago, no one believed we’d make the changes we have made in this country regarding smoking. Through persistent public health endeavors we have changed cultural norms about smoking. Did you ever imagine that to have a cigarette you’d have to step outside and stand in a glass enclosure, segregated from a population demanding their clean air and garnering glances of disapproval and scorn? It took years, but we changed our society. This small step from the Big Apple may be the one of first major moves in changing many of the cultural and social trends that have made weight loss / management a challenging personal endeavor in an simply unsupportive environment.
Food For Thought: What do you think? A first step towards changing the tide or just another public health warning we’ll continue to ignore? Do you think this will catch on in other cities? Do you think this will change what customers demand and thus, what food producers / restaurants offer? I welcome your thoughts!
Read the article from MSNBC here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25464987/
