Christine posted some great information about the difficulties we experience as we try to lose weight.
While it is tempting to be the biggest loser and take the pot prize, it is also important we are creating healthy habits that we will keep up with once the contest is over. If you have a day where you fall off the wagon and binge a little, its ok, as long as you get back on the wagon. What you do six days a week is more important that what you do one day a week. So have you burger and fries on one day but keep with the healthy choices the rest of the week.
If you are starting to feel a challenge with losing weight, look at what is going on. Is it time to revisit the measuring cup? Many times we eyeball our serving sizes and the size starts to creep up over time. Lets check that we are still eating only one cup of cereal in the morning vs one and a half. Also are we being honest about what we are eating or are we forgetting about the chips we tried at lunch from a friends plate?
Other things that effect our weight loss, high stress. Is our job getting to us or other situations at home? Try to find some relaxing activities away from it all. Exercise is one of the best stress reducing things we can do. Otherwise try soaking in the tub with the ipod on so you don't have to hear anything else.
Make sure you are getting a full nights sleep if you can. Sometimes getting the right amount of sleep will get you back on track.
This challenge again is about creating sustainable habits that you will keep up with when money is no longer the prize. Think about what you are doing now and can you add a little more to it, or are you doing too much.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Building Muscle
A quick word to muscle building. Some people have joined this contest not so much for weight loss but to increase tone and overall fitness.
For those who want to look more tone, pay attention. It takes some time to build muscle. The standard medical answer is that from beginning of a weight program to the end, it takes on average 8 weeks minimum to build more muscle. There are other opinions about this in the world, but I am giving you my perspective from my training. In order for the muscle to actually build, ie get stronger, you not only have to be patient, but you also have to work the larger muscles to fatigue often. So a short intense work out (30 minutes or so) is more beneficial than two hour long sessions. Working the larger muscle groups or combanation moves like squats and lunges will get the smaller muscles working in the area as well. Again this is for those who want to build muscle vs just get stronger. To get some more size to the muscles, you need to tire them out several times a week. This will send a signal to the brain.... 'I have to get bigger to adapt to this weight lifting.'
For those who start now, they will still have a chance of looking fit and tone by the end of our contest.
For those who want to look more tone, pay attention. It takes some time to build muscle. The standard medical answer is that from beginning of a weight program to the end, it takes on average 8 weeks minimum to build more muscle. There are other opinions about this in the world, but I am giving you my perspective from my training. In order for the muscle to actually build, ie get stronger, you not only have to be patient, but you also have to work the larger muscles to fatigue often. So a short intense work out (30 minutes or so) is more beneficial than two hour long sessions. Working the larger muscle groups or combanation moves like squats and lunges will get the smaller muscles working in the area as well. Again this is for those who want to build muscle vs just get stronger. To get some more size to the muscles, you need to tire them out several times a week. This will send a signal to the brain.... 'I have to get bigger to adapt to this weight lifting.'
For those who start now, they will still have a chance of looking fit and tone by the end of our contest.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Muscular Fitness
Hi all,
Sorry about the lack of post this week. The time flew by. Here we are at another weigh in date. Anyone nervous that they might have put some back on or not lost anymore? I am after our potluck the other night. Even though it was healthy, I still had quite a bit.
Today I wanted to talk about the importance of a weight training program. Many women put it off because they want to do cardio and lose weight first. This is actually counter productive. Adding muscle early on will help to increase your overall BMR (basil metabolic rate) this will mean you burn more calories at rest, for even muscle at rest has a higher demand for calories than fat alone. Add some weight training now, even if it is push ups and squats using only your own body weight. Need help creating a strenght work out? You all have plenty of people here than can help or start using those great training DVD's that Christine is handing out.
Sorry about the lack of post this week. The time flew by. Here we are at another weigh in date. Anyone nervous that they might have put some back on or not lost anymore? I am after our potluck the other night. Even though it was healthy, I still had quite a bit.
Today I wanted to talk about the importance of a weight training program. Many women put it off because they want to do cardio and lose weight first. This is actually counter productive. Adding muscle early on will help to increase your overall BMR (basil metabolic rate) this will mean you burn more calories at rest, for even muscle at rest has a higher demand for calories than fat alone. Add some weight training now, even if it is push ups and squats using only your own body weight. Need help creating a strenght work out? You all have plenty of people here than can help or start using those great training DVD's that Christine is handing out.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Are we on track?
Getting ready for week one weigh in? Are we feeling on track? Any wins as far as avoiding temptation? Lets hear about it.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Calories Smallories
There is always a buzz about calories and how much and how little. Today we will talk about how little.
In the world of nutrition there is the buzz of "starvation mode" and getting in that mode will cause your metabolism to slow down and eventually stop losing weight. There are many myths around this topic but the true definition of starvation mode is to eat less than 50% of your daily caloric expenditure.
In general it is recommended that you do not eat less than 1000-1200 calories without the supervision of a doctor. Eating less than this will not put you in to starvation mode truly, but will prevent you from getting all the nutrients and minerals that you need for the day. Many people don't know the key signs of a mineral deficiency, and some deficiencies can have very serious side effects, the most serious of course, death.
Unless you are getting your blood work checked by a doctor try to keep you calories above the "magic" 1000-1200 per day.
In the world of nutrition there is the buzz of "starvation mode" and getting in that mode will cause your metabolism to slow down and eventually stop losing weight. There are many myths around this topic but the true definition of starvation mode is to eat less than 50% of your daily caloric expenditure.
In general it is recommended that you do not eat less than 1000-1200 calories without the supervision of a doctor. Eating less than this will not put you in to starvation mode truly, but will prevent you from getting all the nutrients and minerals that you need for the day. Many people don't know the key signs of a mineral deficiency, and some deficiencies can have very serious side effects, the most serious of course, death.
Unless you are getting your blood work checked by a doctor try to keep you calories above the "magic" 1000-1200 per day.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Getting started
Ok,
Well we are all weighed in and some of us had a nice mini work out. It was super great of Adapt fitness to welcome us and give us all of that great material. The math of it really is more calories burned than more taken in. Not to sound like a broken record, but use either the sheets Steph printed out for us, www.sparkpeople.com or www.livestrong.com to track what you are eating and see where adjustments need to be made.
My personal philosophy is that it is hard to follow a reduced calorie diet forever so it might be helpful to cut back on some calories, but for a long term weight loss and management plan find out where a good baseline of calories is and just work out more. I would rather do some extra sit ups and stair climbs to get in 2000 calories and be happy than cut back 500 calories in food and be grumpy.
I will try to give tips every other day and info from the sites I am on. Please feel free to post your opinion and or give other advise on top of mine. :)
Well we are all weighed in and some of us had a nice mini work out. It was super great of Adapt fitness to welcome us and give us all of that great material. The math of it really is more calories burned than more taken in. Not to sound like a broken record, but use either the sheets Steph printed out for us, www.sparkpeople.com or www.livestrong.com to track what you are eating and see where adjustments need to be made.
My personal philosophy is that it is hard to follow a reduced calorie diet forever so it might be helpful to cut back on some calories, but for a long term weight loss and management plan find out where a good baseline of calories is and just work out more. I would rather do some extra sit ups and stair climbs to get in 2000 calories and be happy than cut back 500 calories in food and be grumpy.
I will try to give tips every other day and info from the sites I am on. Please feel free to post your opinion and or give other advise on top of mine. :)
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
1st meeting
Hi all,
It is suddenly more official, the first weigh in is just over a week away! The date is September 16th. We will be meeting at 5:45-6pm at Adapt. The address is 9923 SW Artic Drive Beaverton OR 97005. Looks like we will be doing a weigh in with pictures and a work out. Sounds like it will be an evening of great information and a fun work out together.
Look forward to seeing you there.
It is suddenly more official, the first weigh in is just over a week away! The date is September 16th. We will be meeting at 5:45-6pm at Adapt. The address is 9923 SW Artic Drive Beaverton OR 97005. Looks like we will be doing a weigh in with pictures and a work out. Sounds like it will be an evening of great information and a fun work out together.
Look forward to seeing you there.
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