May 12, 2009
If you’ve ever felt guilty for hitting the snooze button and getting an extra 30 minutes of sleep instead of going to the gym, do I have some good news for you! Turns out your instincts for extra sleep may have not been a far cry off the radar for getting healthy. There’s been an increasing body of evidence that have pointed us more and more towards seeing there is a strong link between sufficient REM cycles and fitting into your skinny jeans. Good news for people who love pillow time.
The link is being explored in a number of different ways. The first is obvious: lifestyle choices. Think about the last time you stayed up way too late – maybe it was a late night for your final exams in law school, maybe it was to pick up a family member at the airport from a delayed flight, or maybe it was to catch the latest marathon of House Hunters. (Or yes, you work nights or have a small, helpless, hungry infant in your life who needs you at wee hours of the morning – slightly more legitimate than HGTV marathons.) Tell me, the next day, how raring and ready were you to get a great work out in? What types of foods did you crave? How positive was your mood?
It’s rare the person who thinks clearly, chooses wisely, and focuses well on 2-3 hours sleep less than what they need. Burn the oil til midnight with the alarm clock going off at 5 am, and you might find that pull towards an ooey gooey Cinnamon Crunch Panera bagel is a whole lot stronger than fixing yourself an egg white omelet with salsa and some whole wheat toast. It’s not that you need more carbs, but your sleep-deprived fuzzy brain is confusing it’s lack of energy and sending you on a manhunt for all things quick-boost-energy. Is the HOT NOW sign on, or am I just hallucinating?
We also experience a number of hormonal changes that drive the choices we make and can impede the weight loss we’re working towards. For starters, the hormone Ghrelin, which I like to affectionately refer to as the Gremlin in my tummy, revs up when we’re sleep deprived. A revved up Gremlin means a revved up appetite. Along with the increase of Ghrelin, sleep deprivation leads to an depression of leptin. Leptin’s job is to tell you when enough is enough. In other words, it signals then brain when to stop eating. Imagine, an increased appetite and a decreased signal of fullness. You get the picture!
The final piece of the hormonal puzzle is the increase in the hormone cortisol. I highlighted the role of cortisol here, and guess what folks? Not getting enough sleep provokes that same stressful response as the saber tooth tiger chase back in our caveman days. Yet, according to the National Sleep Foundation, 63% of people are sleep deprived. The normalcy of this behavior downplays the stressful impact it can take on our well-being. In fact, in many circles I’ve traveled in, being sleep deprived is a rite of passage, or even bragging rights! Forgive me for not understanding, but there’s few things that make me happier than not needing a drip line of Dunkin to get me running!
In all fairness, I’ll confess that I have a strong bias for this topic. Anyone who knows me well knows that I love sleep and I’ll go to some pretty great lengths to protect it. (Just ask my softball team where my loyalties lay when we were scheduled for a 10 pm play off game. I showed up only when my 6:15 am appointment the next day called and canceled.) I’ve learned this route the hard way, as a reformed “zombie.” Throughout most of my school years, I’d stay up as late as humanely possible, then wake up at the crack of day to get to the gym. I still look back with shame on the image of my sleeping head on a desk in many of my high school classes. (Most sincere apologies to Senor Balsch, Mr. P, and Mr. Boardman. I assure you it had nothing to do with your teaching style.) Like a reformed smoker, once I knew the errors of my way, I’ve been quick to get on the bullhorn and let the world know about the power and impact of sufficient sleep.
The research is there, and it’s even tapping into some of the hardest hit groups: new mommas. A 2008 study conducted by Kaiser Permanante found that 6 months after delivering, mothers who were sleeping less than 5 hours a day were more likely to be retaining at least 10 pounds of extra body weight than the lucky moms getting 5 or more. (Disclaimer: I don’t have babies, and I have no idea what it takes to get more than 5 hours of sleep as a mom. So don’t shoot the messenger, my blearly eyed mommas readers out there!)
In case you’re wondering, the NSF defines sleep deprivation as getting 8 hours of sleep or less. I tend to believe that we’re all hard-wired differently and most “well rested” people I know average between 6-8 hours a night. (Survey sample: close family and friends. Very scientific.) If you’re not getting that and you think it may be affecting your health, examine your night time habits to figure out how to get a few more REM cycles.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins recommend these other tried and true methods for increasing your Zzz’s:
- Limit caffeine use to before 3 pm and moderate alcohol after dinner. (You’ll fall asleep easier but as the buzz wears off, your sleep is less restful.)
- Avoid rigorous exercise in the late evening hours.
- Try to get up at the same time every morning, even if you go to sleep earlier.
(I don’t full abide by this rule, as most week days mornings I wake up at 4:50 am. On the weekends, I try to get up the first time my body wakes up naturally, whatever time that is.)
- Use your bedroom for bed-only related activities. And no, that does not include catching up on Jeopardy and having some cheese and crackers under the sheets.
- Lose weight. (Yes I know, that’s why we’re here!) Increased weight around the neck and chest can impair oxygen to the brain, a condition known as sleep apnea. As a survival mechanism, you actually wake up periodically throughout the night to jump start respiration. Frequent mini-wakes up can add up to big time sleep deprivation.
So the next time you find your arm snaking towards that snooze button, forget the guilt. Listen to the message from your body. If you truly need more sleep, take more sleep. (Just don’t forget to show up for work, or feed the dogs/children/spouse, meet your trainer, or go to your doctor’s appointment… or come to MY CLASS…whatever it is you’re doing that morning.) If you find that you’re constantly reaching for the snooze, re-evaluate your sleeping patterns on the other end.
An extra hour of sleep a night be the difference of ten pounds a year, according to research using the Nurses Health Study in 2006. Ten pounds? I’ll take it. And the extra sleep.
December 13, 2008
Need a little help from Santa to kick start your New Year’s resolutions? Here are a few of my favorite things – the tools I use to help me live a healthy lifestyle.
A scale: This is a must-have, although the type of scale you have isn’t as important. There are fancy schmancy scales like this one from Salter that not only gives the weight of your food, but also gives you the nutrition information of over 1400 different types of food. (Very handy when someone gives you a slice of, say, Red Velvet Pound Cake and you’re trying to convince yourself that you’ve cut yourself a nice 100-calorie sliver…. and the scale tells you “nice try, that’s 250.” Not that that’s happened… I’m just saying….)
You can also go with a more basic model, easily found anywhere like Target or Wal-mart. Having a scale is a necessity for estimating portion sizes and ensuring accuracy when you’re counting calories. Even after years of calorie counting and portion sizing, I still use my scales to double check my portions (and inevitably find that they tend to sneeeeak up on me.)
Sharp Knives: Not for the wee ones on your list, but having a set of really nice knives (or even just a paring knife and a big chopping knife) makes vegetable prep so much easier and faster. Easier = more likley to do, yes? Stop letting your veggies turn into a science experiement in the crisper and start turning them into stir-frys and salads.
Olive Oil Cruet: I use olive oil so much for cooking, I usually just kept the bottle out on the counter. A pretty cruet makes this much more palatable on the eyes and can provide a visual trigger to reach for the OO instead of the butter for cooking. Along the same lines, this salad dressing emulsifier just caught my eyes yesterday as a great tool for mixing your own OO + balsamic vinegar dressings.
Steamer Basket: Why it took me almost six years of cooking to figure out how to use this is BEYOND me. (I’m serious. I’ve owned this since I moved into my first apartment in 2002 and just started using it this year.) Steaming is the best way to prepare vegetables, because it minimizes the amount of time they spend in hot water, potentially leaching out the nutrients. It also takes less than 5 minutes to steam my frozen veggies. If I can’t sell you on nutrients, I best be able to sell you on speed!
Spices: Cooking healthy is all about finding the best way to make it high-impact for low-cal. The best way to do this is with spices and herbs that deliver a ton of flavor but don’t have any calories or fat. Try Trader Joe’s, Williams-Sonoma, the Fresh Market or even the new line
style="font-family:georgia;"> from McCormick’s seasoning for new tastes. If you’re giving this as a gift to someone, look up some low calorie recipes that use the new spices and combine a gift basket of a few of the ingredients and say good riddance to gift baskets full of sausages and cheese.
So, if the Season of Eating is doing you in, here’s to hoping the 25th finds you with a few things under your tree to combat the temptations of the holiday season!
Need a little help from Santa to kick start your New Year’s resolutions? Here are a few of my favorite things – the tools I use to help me live a healthy lifestyle.
A scale: This is a must-have, although the type of scale you have isn’t as important. There are fancy schmancy scales like this one from Salter that not only gives the weight of your food, but also gives you the nutrition information of over 1400 different types of food. (Very handy when someone gives you a slice of, say, Red Velvet Pound Cake and you’re trying to convince yourself that you’ve cut yourself a nice 100-calorie sliver…. and the scale tells you “nice try, that’s 250.” Not that that’s happened… I’m just saying….)
You can also go with a more basic model, easily found anywhere like Target or Wal-mart. Having a scale is a necessity for estimating portion sizes and ensuring accuracy when you’re counting calories. Even after years of calorie counting and portion sizing, I still use my scales to double check my portions (and inevitably find that they tend to sneeeeak up on me.)
Sharp Knives: Not for the wee ones on your list, but having a set of really nice knives (or even just a paring knife and a big chopping knife) makes vegetable prep so much easier and faster. Easier = more likley to do, yes? Stop letting your veggies turn into a science experiement in the crisper and start turning them into stir-frys and salads.
Olive Oil Cruet: I use olive oil so much for cooking, I usually just kept the bottle out on the counter. A pretty cruet makes this much more palatable on the eyes and can provide a visual trigger to reach for the OO instead of the butter for cooking. Along the same lines, this salad dressing emulsifier just caught my eyes yesterday as a great tool for mixing your own OO + balsamic vinegar dressings.
Steamer Basket: Why it took me almost six years of cooking to figure out how to use this is BEYOND me. (I’m serious. I’ve owned this since I moved into my first apartment in 2002 and just started using it this year.) Steaming is the best way to prepare vegetables, because it minimizes the amount of time they spend in hot water, potentially leaching out the nutrients. It also takes less than 5 minutes to steam my frozen veggies. If I can’t sell you on nutrients, I best be able to sell you on speed!
Spices: Cooking healthy is all about finding the best way to make it high-impact for low-cal. The best way to do this is with spices and herbs that deliver a ton of flavor but don’t have any calories or fat. Try Trader Joe’s, Williams-Sonoma, the Fresh Market or even the new line from McCormick’s seasoning for new tastes. If you’re giving this as a gift to someone, look up some low calorie recipes that use the new spices and combine a gift basket of a few of the ingredients and say good riddance to gift baskets full of sausages and cheese.
So, if the Season of Eating is doing you in, here’s to hoping the 25th finds you with a few things under your tree to combat the temptations of the holiday season!
December 5, 2008
What if there was one thing you could to do that almost* guaranteed you would lose twice as much weight? What if this one thing was free, had no side effects and was not sold via late night infomercial with annoyingly perky spokeswoman and eager yet questionable physician touting effects? Yes, yes, I’m serious! It exists!! Are you ready for me to tell you what it is?!
It’s….. A FOOD LOG!
Hey, where are you all going?
Seriously, what’s the big DEAL over this little collection of papers? I have never found such an effective, worthwhile tool that has been met with so much freaking resistance.
You think it’s hard? Define hard. If your definition of hard is “twenty minutes to look up calories of foods I ate and write them down in a little notebook”, then I would like your life. I’m willing to bet many of the zillion other things you do in your day are much, much harder than putting pen to paper with a calorie book by your side. (Or fingers to keyboard if you’re e-savvy with your food log.)
*A study came out this year that found people who wrote their food downs and ate healthy (specifically the heart-healthy DASH diet) lost TWICE as much weight as the people who followed the same plan without tracking. This study included nearly 1700 participants, making it one of the largest weight loss studies of its kind. It was published in the August 2008 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and was followed up by USA Today, CBS, Time and Yahoo News. Kind of a big deal, folks.
If you want to lose weight you have to become aware of what you’re eating. And you might think you’re the Dalai Llama of portion control, but if you’re not logging, you’re at risk for suffering calorie amnesia. Yes, calorie amnesia. It is a rare but treatable symptom experienced most frequently by people who are an environment with plentiful and inexpensive food. In other words: you. You are at risk for forgetting what you ate, how much you ate, where you ate it and why you ate it…. unless you write it down.
When I was introduced to the food log almost seven years ago, I found it to be a gift. Finally, I could see in black and white why the pounds had been creeping on. There was no more mystery. Every day that I write down what I’ve eaten reminds me to eat with intention and purpose. The best part is that eating with intention is actually more enjoyable than eating mindlessly. Everyone tells me they want to ENJOY food while they’re losing weight… here is your chance.
The truth is if you’re resisting writing your food down it’s not because you’re too busy. If a loved one needed 20 minutes of your day for something that would restore their health, I know you would find the time. If you’re not willing to do that for yourself, the real question is how much of a priority are you making your health and yourself.
The resistance to writing it down is also a resistance to accountability. There’s often a part of us that doesn’t want to see in black and white the damage we’re doing to our health. It’s like throwing the unopened credit card bill in the pile – sometimes it’s easier not to know.
A food log provides insight. It provides accountability. It provides understanding. It is the key to unlocking yourself from the vicious cycle of frustrating, overwhelming “why can’t I do something about this” weight gain. Change your thinking about what a food log means to you and you may find that twenty means a day is a small price to pay in return for being in control of your weight and your health.
Food for Thought: We’re all busy people, so I often find that when I’m saying “I’m too busy” to do something what I really mean is “It’s not a priority.” Is your weight loss a priority to you? If it is, and you’ve resisted the idea of keeping a food journal, try redefining your thoughts around journaling. Find what you like about it. Set yourself a goal of a limited time to try it – two or three weeks is ideal as a trial period. When the pounds start coming off, you may not need quite as much persuasion to want to keep going.
December 4, 2008
What if there was one thing you could to do that almost* guaranteed you would lose twice as much weight? What if this one thing was free, had no side effects and was not sold via late night infomercial with annoyingly perky spokeswoman and eager yet questionable physician touting effects? Yes, yes, I’m serious! It exists!! Are you ready for me to tell you what it is?!
It’s….. A FOOD LOG!
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Hey, where are you all going?
Seriously, what’s the big DEAL over this little collection of papers? I have never found such an effective, worthwhile tool that has been met with so much freaking resistance.
You think it’s hard? Define hard. If your definition of hard is “twenty minutes to look up calories of foods I ate and write them down in a little notebook”, then I would like your life. I’m willing to bet many of the zillion other things you do in your day are much, much harder than putting pen to paper with a calorie book by your side. (Or fingers to keyboard if you’re e-savvy with your food log.)
*A study came out this year that found people who wrote their food downs and ate healthy (specifically the heart-healthy DASH diet) lost TWICE as much weight as the people who followed the same plan without tracking. This study included nearly 1700 participants, making it one of the largest weight loss studies of its kind. It was published in the August 2008 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and was followed up by USA Today, CBS, Time and Yahoo News. Kind of a big deal, folks.
If you want to lose weight you have to become aware of what you’re eating. And you might think you’re the Dalai Llama of portion control, but if you’re not logging, you’re at risk for suffering calorie amnesia. Yes, calorie amnesia. It is a rare but treatable symptom experienced most frequently by people who are an environment with plentiful and inexpensive food. In other words: you. You are at risk for forgetting what you ate, how much you ate, where you ate it and why you ate it…. unless you write it down.
When I was introduced to the food log almost seven years ago, I found it to be a gift. Finally, I could see in black and white why the pounds had been creeping on. There was no more mystery. Every day that I write down what I’ve eaten reminds me to eat with intention and purpose. The best part is that eating with intention is actually more enjoyable than eating mindlessly. Everyone tells me they want to ENJOY food while they’re losing weight… here is your chance.
The truth is if you’re resisting writing your food down it’s not because you’re too busy. If a loved one needed 20 minutes of your day for something that would restore their health, I know you would find the time. If you’re not willing to do that for yourself, the real question is how much of a priority are you making your health and yourself.
The resistance to writing it down is also a resistance to accountability. There’s often a part of us that doesn’t want to see in black and white the damage we’re doing to our health. It’s like throwing the unopened credit card bill in the pile – sometimes it’s easier not to know.
A food log provides insight. It provides accountability. It provides understanding. It is the key to unlocking yourself from the vicious cycle of frustrating, overwhelming “why can’t I do something about this” weight gain. Change your thinking about what a food log means to you and you may find that twenty means a day is a small price to pay in return for being in control of your weight and your health.
Food for Thought: We’re all busy people, so I often find that when I’m saying “I’m too busy” to do something what I really mean is “It’s not a priority.” Is your weight loss a priority to you? If it is, and you’ve resisted the idea of keeping a food journal, try redefining your thoughts around journaling. Find what you like about it. Set yourself a goal of a limited time to try it – two or three weeks is ideal as a trial period. When the pounds start coming off, you may not need quite as much persuasion to want to keep going.
October 23, 2008
Santa, can you hear me? I know it’s a little early to be making wish lists, but I am doing backflips over the impending release of this little gadget due out in late Dec/early Jan. I am so excited to try it out. It’s called Fitbit and it’s a tiny, wearable device that tracks your activities all day long (including your sleep!) and then wirelessly uploads the information to a website where you can log in and see how many calories you’re burning. From what I can tell, the website also lets you log health goals and nutrition information.
Calories in versus calories out? No more guessing. I’m putting my order in… so expect a review in January!
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?
October 7, 2008
“I realized I needed to lose weight, but it was a shock when the doctor told me I was obese. I had no idea…”
Most people’s weight loss journey begins with a moment of realization – stepping on a scale and seeing a number they thought they’d never see, the one pair of pants that no longer fits, a startling diagnosis or in some cases, a run-in with a BMI chart with it’s undeniably objective categories: normal, overweight, obese.
So what’s the deal with this “body mass index?” Who decided what makes someone normal, overweight or obese and how seriously must we take our placement into each category?
To start with, let’s define what body mass index (or, BMI) is and is not. BMI is an individual’s weight divided by the square of their height. It is an exceptionally useful tool when looking at a large number of people to be able to categorize them into groups: underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese, but to be used individually it may require some extra tweaking.
First things first, what is your BMI? There are a number of great BMI calculators out there. I like this one. Use the standard measurements, pop in your height and weight and voila. To the left, you have the categories.
These categories are most useful when we’re classifying large populations. (And just to clarify, here I mean large as in many people not large as in people of generous proportions.)
There are, however, some limitations when we’re looking at BMI on a case by case basis. For example, let’s take my pretend client, Arnold S, a gentleman in his early 60s with a 40 year history of bodybuilding. Just a lil hobby of his. Arnold is 6’2” and steps on the scale at 235 pounds. Accordingly to our calculator, Arnie’s BMI is 30.2 Obese, by these standards. However, because Arnold could squash me with his forefingers, I better be quick to clarify that Arnold is a fair cry from obese. In fact, at his 235 lbs, he’s less than 8% body fat. Obese? I think most of us would argue against it.
Moral of the story: muscle can skew a BMI index. Because muscle weighs more than fat, a very lean, athletic individual may be classified unncessarily high on the BMI scale. On the flip side, you may appear normal weight and due to a low muscle tone, still be at high risk for health problems. The latter is a common predicament when using the BMI scale in aging populations, who are typically have lower muscle mass.
So, the BMI categories are not the whole picture. But, they are a good starting point. When classified into each of the categories, we can generalize the risk that someone in this category would have of certain comorbidities including heart disease, type II diabetes and sleep apnea. The table below shows the risk for each of these according to BMI.
To truly personalize BMI however, it is best combined with another measure: waist circumference (WC). Measuring WC provides a more accurate picture of the risks associated with your weight. When an individual’s BMI is between 25-34.9, a high waist circumference can indicate an increased risk for type II diabetes, high blood lipids, high blood pressure and heart disease according to the National Institute of Health.
Waist circumference is measured by placing a measuring tape around the abdomen so that it sits atop the upper hip bones. It should be snug, but not tight enough to squeeze. (You know, the way your pants feel after Thanksgiving dinner? Not that tight.)
Using BMI combined with your waist circumference can give us a more accurate picture of health risks. A high waist circumference is considered greater than 35” for a woman and 40” for a man. In the “overweight” category, this puts you at high risks for the aforementioned health conditions. If your BMI is between 30 and 39.9 this puts you at very high risk and above 40 is extremely high risk.
So, to return to our good friend Arnold – while he may have a BMI of 30.2, his waist is a slim and trim 34”. While our BMI index would have indicated that he’s overweight, the combined use of weight circumference to measure abdominal fat can assure Arnie that even the high stress of recent career change hasn’t necessarily put him at increased health risk.
Food for Thought: Weight loss is not just about getting into the pair of skinny pants you’ve been saving in your closet forever. (Let’s be honest – are they really even in style anymore?!) While some of our health is up to the powers that be, much of it can be influenced positively or negatively by what we carry on and in our frames. Know your numbers: if you’ve never taken a peek at your BMI, now’s the time to look. Then, get out the measuring tape and determine your waist circumference.
Would reducing your weight potentially lower your risk for numerous health conditions – heart disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure? Ask anyone you know who is managing one of these disease (or check in with yourself if you personally are): if you have the power to potentially influence your health for the better… what’s stopping you?
*BMI calculator, chart and health risks information source: National Institute of Health and Obesity Online (http://www.obesityonline.org/)
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.)
