Rev Up Our Engines

Well, once again I have been away from here for too long.  I have not only been sliding in doing my posts but I have been backsliding in my weight loss efforts too.  It was a long hard winter and for a number of reasons (that I do not need to get into here for fear of boring you) my head has not been in the game.  Does it show on the scales ... most definitely!

But what's done is done and can, thankfully, be undone.

So, I'm starting again TODAY.

We hear a lot of talk about metabolism and weight loss (in my case it’s usually “I must have a slow metabolism”), so I thought I’d check into it a little bit and see what metabolism is exactly, and is it true that we can rev up our metabolism in any way.

Let’s start with a short quiz …

What is metabolism?

1. Your ability to digest fatty foods
2. Your body’s ability to burn calories
3. Your brain telling you you’re hungry
4. Your ability to believe in the supernatural

Which of these is the best way to adjust your eating habits?

1. Eat small meals frequently
2. Eat as little as possible
3. Eat two large meals per day
4. Eat at Joe’s

Drinking water is an effective way to increase you metabolism if …

1. It’s room temperature
2. It’s ice cold
3. It’s lightly salted
4. It’s fluoridated

If you are overweight, you actually have a faster metabolism?

1. True
2. False

How does an increase in muscle affect your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate)

1. Your RMR will go up
2. Your RMR will go down
3. Your RMR will be unaffected
4. You’ll need some R and R

When doing aerobic exercise, you should ideally work out for 30 minutes with …

1. A raised heart rate
2. A good sweat
3. Ice water
4. A sweet play list

Your daily caloric intake should be …

1. Less than your RMR
2. Between your RMR and your maintenance intake
3. Your RMR and dessert

Which of these foods actually increase your rate of metabolism?

1. Grapefruit
2. Celery
3. Garlic
4. None of the above

As you lose weight, your body needs …

1. More calories
2. Fewer calories
3. Fewer carbohydrates
4. New clothes

Which of these is NOT a factor in determining your RMR?

1. Age
2. Weight
3. Gender
4. The amount of sleep you get

ANSWERS

1. Metabolism is the body’s ability to burn calories.  Increasing your metabolism means burning more calories and therefore burning more weight.
2. Having smaller, more frequent meals instead of larger ones will help limit unhealthy snacking and reduce overeating.  Bonus:  Eating healthy snacks will also help increase your metabolism.
3. Drinking plenty of water is good, but ice cold water is even better for increasing metabolism.  This is because your body expends extra calories warming the water to your body temperature.
4. Surprising as it is, overweight people actually have a faster metabolism than skinnier people.  However, if someone is overweight it means their metabolism isn’t fast enough to counteract their caloric intake, leading to weight gain.
5. An increase in muscle mass will increase your RMR.  This is because muscle burns more calories – even at rest – than fat.
6. When doing aerobic exercise, work out for 30 minutes with an increased heart rate.  It will temporarily boost your metabolism and burn calories.
7. Keep your caloric intake between your RMR and your maintenance intake.  It’s just as important to avoid under-eating as it is to avoid overeating.
8. The idea that certain foods will increase your metabolism is a myth.  However, eating small meals more frequently will definitely help.
9. As you lose weight, you’ll need fewer calories.  But we have good news!  As you lose weight, your appetite will shrink, so you won’t feel as hungry.  Losing weight is about moderation, not deprivation!
10. Sleep does not affect your resting metabolic rate.  RMR is the rate at which your body burns calories doing nothing, so it is only affected by your age, weight, height, and gender.

Now that we all see how much (or little) we understand about metabolism, let’s see what it is really all about.

Your body’s metabolism is the rate at which your cells produce energy and that translates into the rate at which your body burns calories.  It is the process of breaking down the 3 macronutrients – proteins, carbohydrates and fats – by your body in order for it to maintain itself.  AND – the number of calories you burn during eating and exercising every day influences metabolism and obviously the number of calories you consume.  That part is completely in your control.

The number of calories that are expended due to your genetic makeup also influences metabolism.  Forget about being able to influence your genes.  They are what they are!  Thank your parents for that.  Although they are a factor, the also account for very little of how many calories are spent each day. 

Age is a huge factor influencing your metabolism.  Unfortunately, from the age of around 25 the average person’s metabolism decreases by between 5% and 10% each decade.

Gender also influences your metabolism as men generally burn calories more quickly then women because they have more muscle tissue.

RMR was mentioned frequently in the quiz.  RMR stands for RESTING METABLIC RATE not to be confused the BMR which is your BASAL METABLIC RATE which can only be calculated in a controlled clinical or laboratory setting.  It’s easy to get a ballpark figure for your RMR by doing the following:

1. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning (to avoid weighing the food you ingest during the day
2. Convert your weight into kilograms (weight in lbs divided by 2.2)
3. For females use the following formula:  (10 x weight) + (6.25 x height) – (5 x age) – 161 = RMR.  For males use the following formula:  (10 x weight) + (6.25 x height) – (5 x age) + 5 = RMR.

Your RMR will tell you how many calories you need to maintain your body at rest.  Your daily consumption to maintain your current weight should be:  RMR x 1.15.  To lose weight safely, do not exceed your maintenance intake or have a caloric intake lower than your calculated RMR.

It seems to me that between age, genetics and all the math involved beating your metabolism into submission might be a thankless and nearly impossible task with regards to weight loss.  Alas, fear not – there are some things that you can do to work with your metabolism instead of against it.

Let’s start with the metabolism “killers”.  These are things that you CAN change and those changes will help “rev” up that metabolism.

Not getting enough sleep

I did a whole post on the importance of sleep to any weight loss effort and here it is again.  If you are not getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night, you might be killing your metabolism.  Studies show that not getting enough shut eye can lead to chemical reactions that increase fat storage and make you hungrier.

Eating before bed

If you snack right before bed, your body won’t deal with the excess calories – it’s busy recovering from the day.  Instead, it will slow down your metabolism and save the calories as fat.

Carbs

Who doesn’t love carbs?  They taste great, but they also cause your blood sugar to spike, which in turn increases your fat storage.  It’s a chemical thing.

Not enough protein

Protein is important for building lean muscle mass, which burns fat, but it’s also important for your digestive system.  If you’re not eating enough protein, chances are your body isn’t digesting food properly and instead is storing it as fat.

Sitting still

Sitting around all day – whether at the office or on the couch – puts your metabolism in a near vegetative state.  And, when that happens, your metabolism shuts down.  Get up and move!

Drinking alcohol

A cold beer might help you relax, but it stresses out your metabolism.  Alcohol is high in calories and sugar, both of which confuse your metabolism and make it shut down.

Too many processed foods

They’re cheap, tasty and guaranteed to make your metabolism scream “NO MORE”.

Yo-yo dieting

Starving yourself to lose a few pounds – and then binging.  Starving yourself to lose a few pounds – and then binging again.  If this is your eating cycle, your metabolism is wondering what in the world is going on – and your body will go into survival mode, which means it’s storing calories as fat instead of burning them.

Cycling (not the good kind)

Hitting the bike for 30 minutes a day is good for your metabolism  “Weight cycling” is not.  If your weight goes up and down and up and down, you’re messing with your metabolism.

So, what can you do to get your old metabolism back?  Some of the answers are as obvious as reversing the bad habits mentioned above …

Sleep

Make sure you get enough sleep.  The amount of calories that your body burns at rest is decreased if you’re not getting enough sleep.

Eat more protein

Your body burns twice as many calories trying to break down and digest high protein food, compared to high carb or high fat foods.  Try to include at least one protein at every meal.

Eat often

Every 2 – 3 hours is ideal even if just snacking.  This feeds

muscles and starves fat.  Your body is a clever little thing and it is reassured if food comes in on a regular basis.  If you typically skip breakfast (a cup of strong coffee DOES NOT constitute breakfast!), then grab a light sandwich for lunch and a big dinner in the evening it means that you are potentially fasting for 16 – 19 hours every day.  Not great!

Reverse the aging process

Don’t get excited now, I am not about to tell you about a new magic pill.  Simply, stay active and keep exercising – even as you get older.  Studies show that those that stay active see an average .3% drop in metabolism every decade (as opposed to the 5% - 10% drop mentioned above).

Have a plan to get more toned

Getting more toned is another way of saying adding lean tissue.  This means adding muscle (not bulking up) but adding more muscle.  Basically you burn more calories at rest the more muscle you have.

Do some interval training with heavier than average weight.

Whether this means 4 pounds instead of two or twenty pounds instead of fifteen … this will give your metabolism a boost for up to 24 hours as your body uses up energy in order to repair tiny (and healthy) muscle tears.

Omega 3 fish oils

EPA and DHA are the fatty acids found in fish oils.  Studies have shown that these can increase the amount of calories your metabolism burns by up to 400 calories per day!!  They increase levels of fat burning enzymes and decrease fat storage enzymes.

I’ll close this by answering the burning question that I’m sure is at the top of everyone’s mind … are there any foods that will increase your metabolism?  Sadly to say – No! Some foods and drinks like red peppers and green tea have been studied for the potential for increasing metabolism but the is no conclusive evidence that their effect is enough to result in actual weight loss.

So although there are no foods to “boost” you metabolism it is important to eat properly.  You need to eat breakfast.  The first meal in the morning can increase your resting metabolic rate by as much as 10%.  BUT – avoid fatty breakfast foods and opt for healthy alternative such as fruits, granola, yogurt and whole-wheat toast or cereal.  Try to include a protein.  Snacking is okay because a snack can be a good metabolism booster.  BUT – make sure to munch on snacks that have the appropriate amount of proteins and carbs, such as banana, peanut butter, carrots, and apples.  Don’t cut back too far on calories.  Most people think that the most effective way to lose weight is to cut down their caloric intake.  However, this only leads to a slower metabolic rate because the body undergoes a process known as “dietary induced thermogenesis”.  That’s a fancy way of saying it goes into “starvation mode”.  The body thinks it’s out of energy (food) so it alters the metabolism to preserve the fats and carbs.  Avoid taking lesser amounts of calories than recommended, or else the body will try to conserve its limited resources, and the result will be a slower metabolism and that will lead to weight gain instead. 

I hope this has helped to “de-myth” metabolism a little bit.  As usual I have combined what I think was the best of numerous and respectable sources to compile my information.

www.webmd.com/makethemostofyourmetabolism

www.glambistro.com/natural-metabolism-boosters

Food Renegade, Kristen Michaelis (editor)

www.fitterbodybootcap.com

www.beliteweight.com

Thursday's Random Thought (Invisible Exercise)

The TOPS groups in my area have been given a challenge this summer ... each week one group member had the responsibility of bringing in and exercise that (1) the group can do together at the beginning of the meeting, (2) is "do-able" by all group members and, (3) can easily be done at home throughout the remainder of the week.

My members have been great about bringing in ideas ranging from yoga stretches to exercises you can do at your desk to relieve stress.  I came across this one in my treasure trove of things I have "filed to use at a future date".  That's kind of my junk drawer of ideas.  I thought it would be perfect for our challenge.  It's called "The Breath of Fire" and it is considered an invisible exercise, meaning one can do it without others being aware ... so its perfect for that afternoon tension release or taking advantage of being stuck in a traffic jam during rush hour.

From Molly Fox's Yoga Weight Loss Program

Clear your mind and tone your abs with this yoga move.

Take a slow, deep breath - inhaling and exhaling through your nose - followed by a smaller half breath.
Now pull your lower (transverse) abdominal muscles up and in.  They're your deepest abdominal muscles, Fox says, and they help "contain" your organs.

Start pumping little breathes in and out through your nose, focusing on the exhalation.  This move strengthens abs and relaxes the normally tense diaphragm muscle.  

Try for three rounds of ten breaths several times a day.

It takes a little practice!

Thursday's Random Thought (Working "Up" or Working "Off" an Appetite)

We've all heard someone say “I've really worked up an appetite today!” but did you realize that the opposite is actually more accurate?

A good workout can reduce hunger pangs and cravings.  A new study out of Brigham Young University proves that women who exercised for 45 minutes in the morning had little desire for food after the workout.  The findings indicate exercise might change how “reward” networks in the brain react to the sight of food. 

As an added bonus, not only did morning cardio reduce hunger and cravings, it also increased each woman’s activity levels throughout the day.

Morning?  Argggh!   Not being a highly effective morning person this is not good news for me.  But the conundrum is that maybe if I did work out in the morning I could be a better morning person.

I have also heard conflicting reports on working out in the mornings … so I am going to take this one as interesting information and work out according to my own preferences.

However,

Thursday's Random Thought (Walk While You Work)

Have you ever “accidentally taken” a magazine from a waiting room? 

Come on, you can admit it.  I won’t tell anyone!

I hate to admit it but I did – just the other day.

I usually walk around with a book or my e-reader in my handbag, but on this day (of course) I did not have either with me.  I had occasion to be sitting in a waiting room and was thumbing through a magazine (Chatelaine April 2013).  As I came upon the article that was the inspiration for this blog entry I was called in to my appointment (of course).  I held the magazine in my hand as I walked into the office, sat down, rolled up the magazine and tucked it into my purse as if it were my own.  I would feel guilty but as it turns out I have a return appointment next Tuesday, so I am going to, just as surreptitiously, return the magazine to the waiting room. 

Hey, it’s better than tearing the pages out and leaving the rest of the magazine there.  I hate it when people do that because invariably the “continued on” pages of the article I’m reading was located on the opposite side of the page that has been torn out.

By now you are probably thinking to yourself, “Enough already.  What was the darn article about?”

It was titled “Walk While You Work” and it introduced the idea of ‘treadmill desks”.  The tag-line read, “Melt off that muffin top, add years to your life and clear out your inbox (without breaking a sweat!) on a treadmill desk – coming soon to an office near you”.    Honestly, it probably won’t be coming to an office near me anytime in the foreseeable future.  A.  My boss would never go for it and B.  I am just not coordinated enough to pull that off.

Researchers at Brigham Young University recently linked lack of exercise with poor work performance and lower productivity of up to 50 percent.  (Then again, maybe my boss would go for it if I showed him those stats?  Nah, I can’t even get him to invest in a new computer right now.)  Researchers also linked the health risks with our increasingly sedentary lifestyle, dubbing it “sitting disease”.  Inactivity stresses the heart, clouds critical thinking and messes with how our bodies process cholesterol, blood sugar and gats.  It can also lead to diabetes, cancer and premature death. 

The good news – a recent study found cutting the time spent sitting in half can increase life expectancy by two years!

The article goes on to say that 70 percent of us spend six or more hours a day in a chair.  Even weekly workouts are not enough to offset the damage due to too little movement.  Several studies show that something as simple as standing for two minutes every 20 minutes can fight the unhealthy effects of sitting.  If you take a walk break every 20 minutes, the results are immediate: blood pressure drops, blood sugar stabilizes and the enzyme that helps break up fat in your bloodstream fires up.  After two weeks you’ll even begin producing more brain cells, particularly those related to memory and learning.

Now I am the first to admit that I complain about never having enough time to do everything I have to do, much less carve out a little bit of time for things I want to do.  But, a treadmill at my desk … I don’t know? … I picture being all sweaty dealing with customers, being out of breath when I answer the phone, reaching for something and ending up flying off the back of the treadmill … all sorts of interesting pictures come to mind and none of them are too flattering.

Apparently the makers of these desk treadmills (www.lifespan.com $999) have factored in my “klutz factor”.  Unlike regular gym models, treadmill desks max out at just over 6.4 km per hour, so they can run all day without burning out their motors.  The suggested pace for walking and working at the same time is 1 mph (1.6 km).  This means, say the manufacturers, that we can “run” a slow moving marathon without even noticing we’re doing it.  Light cardio exercise boosts the production of feel-good chemicals and lowers levels of stress hormones.

The result?

The Mayo Clinic says we can burn 800 calories or more a day, which can translate to weight loss of 15 to 50 pounds in a year.  It may also eliminate that afternoon sugar craving.  A simple 15-minute stroll can cut chocolate cravings in half.  The article claims that because you are moving slowly, it does not interfere with daily tasks, like tapping out emails or talking on the phone.

Before I go on I need to address that last line with a bit of a personal note.  I have a treadmill at home and I do enjoy walking on it.  It’s down time – I do not have to think about anything or concentrate on anything except putting one foot in front of the other.  I prefer it to walking outside because it forces me to maintain a consistent pace (of my own choosing) and there are no obstacles to worry about (there’s that klutz factor rearing its ugly head again).  There are also no weather concerns (okay that’s a plus/minus point because it also means I can’t use ice and snow as an excuse not to walk).  I listen to music while I am on the treadmill.  I have mentioned before that I need that thump-thump-thump to keep my feet moving.  I cannot concentrate of listening to an audio book.  I cannot concentrate on a television program or a movie.  Granted I walk faster than 1 mph on my treadmill at home, but if I can’t even watch a television program how am I supposed to concentrate on work, or carry on an intelligent telephone conversation or type an email while I am walking on the treadmill? 

I’m not trying to be a Negative Nellie, but for me (and it is after all my blog) the treadmill desk would not work.  It’s an interesting idea and for some (more coordinated) folks it would definitely be an interesting idea for the workplace.

My other main concern?  In all the pictures I looked at in the magazine and on line the people walking/working has these wonderful, well-organized, tidy desktops and apparently no need, what-so-ever, for desk drawers and files.

Mine never looks like that while I am working.

If, like me, you are not going to have a treadmill desk delivered anytime soon there are a few other steps you can take to get in a little exercise and burn off a few calories while at work.

-         take the stairs instead of the elevator

-         stand up whenever possible, standing burns an extra 56 calories per hour

-         walking to a coworkers desk with communications instead of emailing them burns an extra 12 calories

-         if you must sit at your desk and/or in meetings for extended periods of time try to get up every 20 minutes or so and have a stretch or do a couple of squats

According to Chatelaine Magazine next year Lifespan plans to roll out a cycle chair.  It would definitely be a little more stable but for many of the same reasons I stated above, in my personal situation I don’t think this would work out any better than the treadmill desk.  Besides, with both the treadmill desk and the cycle chair I have these thoughts of two people (probably men – sorry!) deciding it would be fun to have a “race”.  Under no circumstance would that ever be a good idea in the office.

Remember a few years ago when fitness and health experts were suggesting a stability ball instead of a chair at your desk to help strengthen your core.  That was a non-intrusive addition to the work place.  However, maybe because in my line of work I have occasions throughout the course of the day where I deal with the public walking in, I could never get over the “dork” factor.  I envisioned all sorts of ugly scenarios if I tried to get up too quickly.

Yeah –

I think I will stick to doing my workouts in the privacy of my own home, while constantly

complaining about the lack of time to do them.

Of course!

Thursday's Random Thought (Menus listing calories and exercise)

Scenario:

You have just been seated at your favourite restaurant.  You have been looking forward to this meal and ordering your favourite menu item all week.  When the waitress hands you the menu you notice that there is a something different in the way it looks.  Your favourite items are still listed but listed beside each item is the amount of time it would take to burn off that meal by taking a brisk walk.

Would that information make you rethink you ordering choice?

Would you still order that dessert if you knew that it would take two hours of brisk walking to burn it off?

In the U.S. “by law, retail food establishments that are part of a chain with twenty or more locations nationwide must disclose the calories content of each menu item.”  However, the majority of studies show that providing information on calorie count does not lead to fewer calories ordered or consumed.  In the first study of its kind, researchers at Texas Christian University have discovered that out of group of 300 study participants, those ordering from a menu that displayed the amount of exercise needed to burn off the calories in each food, ordered significantly fewer calories than those ordering from a menu not showing either calories or exercise-costs.

The study (in a nutshell) went something like this;

GROUP ONE – (99 participants) - ordered lunch from a menu without calorie or exercise labels.

GROUP TWO – (99 participants) – ordered lunch from a menu listing only calories

GROUP THREE – (102 participants) – ordered lunch from a menu with labels as to the minutes of brisk walk needed to burn the calories of each food.

All of menus listed the same food and beverage options.

THE RESULTS:

The researchers found that the Exercise-listed group ordered and consumed significantly fewer calories than the No-Calories-listed group.

However, they found that the No-Calories-listed Group and the Calories-listed groups did not differ significantly in the food calories ordered and consumed.

The groups were all under the age of 30 and the researchers do not want to generalize, but in the groups of young men and women studied listing exercise times to burn off the menu items made a BIG difference in the their choices.  The researchers chose “brisk walking” since everyone can relate to the activity.  They plan on continuing their research with other age groups to see if the results are similar.

Would it make a difference to me?  I think it would because I am on this journey.

Would it make a difference to someone else not concerned about their weight?  In my opinion, whether that person is overweight or not, if they are not concerned going in that number on the menu is probably not going to make a difference in their ordering (despite the study).

Would it make a difference to you?

Thursday's Random Thought (Good for the mind & the waistline)

There has been so much information around lately about activity helping brain function (previous post).  I found the following posted on Facebook and thought I’d share.

* My only comment was “It may improve brain power but obviously not spelling … bicyclling?

 Just a few examples of actual calories burned …

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly About Calories

When you are talking about weight loss talking about calories seems like a no brainer.  The information is a calorie is a calorie is a calorie and the equation is calories in versus calories out – simple, right?  It would seem so, but there are also a lot of variables in that equation.

Of course there are!

Nothing is ever that easy!

I think a good place to start would be to ask the question”what exactly is a calorie?”  Calorie has become a household word, but what a calorie does is still a mystery to most people.  If you ask 100 people “what is a calorie?” almost all of them would reply with some version of “the thing in food that make me fat”.  Calories have a bad reputation and are considered to be the enemy.  By definition a calorie has less to do with food than it has to do with energy.

There is a long, technical explanation of what a calorie is that I just do not have the science background to explain, but simply put, a calorie is the amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius.  The most important word in the definition is energy.  Translate that to food and calories are the energy that fuels our body.  Without sufficient calories nothing in your body would work … your heart, lungs, brain, vital organs; nothing would not work.  That is why anorexia is a condition that kills.  An adult body requires at least 1000 to 1400 calories to have enough energy to perform its necessary functions.  This number varies according to age, sex, weight and muscle mass.  To be active you need more energy and this extra requirement is usually 400 to 600 calories.  If you do the math you will see that the totals equal the most common recommendations for healthy caloric intake.  Each person has a different need for caloric intake.  Below is an easy guide to calculate what your optimum caloric intake would be to maintain your current weight.

Now, adjust accordingly. If your "calories in" are above your "calories out," you're going to gain weight. If that's what you WERE looking to do, keep doing it. If that's NOT what you want to do, then you have three choices...

1. You can make a small decrease to your daily calories in so that it ends up being below your daily calories out. For example, if you want to lose weight and are consuming 3000 calories per day and burning 2800 (just an example), try reducing your calorie intake to 2500 calories per day instead of 3000. Doing so would mean you were now consuming 2500 calories per day yet still burning 2800. And, you'd now be burning more than you consume, and this would make you lose weight.
2. If you only wanted to maintain weight, in this example you would just reduce your calorie intake to an equal 2800.
3. Instead of reducing your calorie intake, you can just as easily increase the number of calories you burn per day by exercising. Sticking with the same example, you'd continue consuming 3000 calories per day, but you can burn off an additional 500 each day through some form of exercise. Doing so would mean you were now burning more than you were consuming.

For best results, do a combination of both #1 and #2.

If you continually exceed the number of calories your body requires every day you will eventually gain weight.  It takes an excess of 3500 calories to gain 1 pound of fat, so if you exceed your calorie intake by 500 calories a day you will gain 1 pound a week (a large mocha swirl latte could easily add 500 calories).  One day of overindulging does not cause weight gain. 

To lose weight you need to burn more calories than you consume!  TOPS has a program right now called “Cut and Burn”.  Barb Cady, president of TOPS Club, Inc. describes it best when she writes, “Many of us have been in TOPS for several years and have achieved considerable success for a while. Then, for a variety of reasons, some of us began slipping back into old habits. Sometimes, we undermine our best efforts by overwhelming ourselves with too many changes or by selecting changes that are too large. Looking back with the clarity of hindsight, we realize that a small, sustainable loss each year would have been an amazing achievement. Defining, making, and continuing such changes are, together, our new challenge. It is never too late!  Join us by beginning to “Cut and Burn”, today. Spend a week journaling everything you eat and all the exercise you do. Do not make changes in your routine during this week just because you are journaling. Then, review your lists and select 100 calories to cut from your daily food plan. Also, decide how you will increase your activity to burn 100 calories more each day. These two small changes could result in a 20-pound loss if continued for one year.”

This program is not exclusive to TOPS … it’s everywhere … because it makes sense – its basic math!

BUT (ah … come on … you knew there would be a but, I warned you at the beginning nothing is ever that easy)

“A calorie is a calorie is a calorie” is a true statement when you look at the science.  A calorie is always the amount of energy it takes to heat that 1 gram of water to 1 degree Celsius.  When discussing food you MUST look at the quality of the calories that you are consuming.  If you ate a doughnut or any processed carbohydrate such as bread, cereal, crackers, pasta, etc. you are eating sugar that your body really does not need and you are consuming a lot of worthless calories.  Remember your body is an efficient system that wants to keep functioning, even in times of deprivation, so any worthless calories will be converted to sugar (the easiest system your body has for storing energy) and that just succeeds in plumping up your fat cells.
Eating a 400-calorie sandwich with 60 grams of carbohydrates, 10 grams of fat and 17 grams of protein would lead you to believe those 400 calorie are available for energy or fat storage.  However the body needs to use energy to break down calories.  This is called the thermic effect of food.

BUT (yup another one) … this is the premise behind the popular myth that some foods are negative calorie foods because it takes the body more calories to burn them than they actually contain.  There are no such things as negative calorie foods.  The negative effect comes from how the body uses that food and how the food makes you feel long term.  Even in the example above, it is the sustaining feature of the protein that helps you feel full longer that is the significant element.

Fat is pretty easy to digest and absorb.  Two to three percent of calories coming from fat are burned in digestion.  For carbohydrates, the percentage is closer to 5 – 8 percent.  Protein requires the most work to digest and absorb.  Between 20 – 28 percent of the calories in protein are burned for digestion.  That’s why eating 400 calories of doughnut does not equal eating 400 calories more of protein and less of fat and carbohydrates.  The calorie count may not change, but the calories actually made available to the body for fat storage are reduced.

Focusing only on the numbers takes to focus off health and nutrition where it belongs.  Although it is technically correct, it gives people the wrong impression.

So, now that we have a firm grasp (I think) on what a calorie is and why it is important to consume the right calories let’s take a short look at how to get rid of some of those calories through activity.  You don’t have to run a marathon to lose weight, just increase you normal day to day activity.  Park a little further from the entrance to the office or the store and walk briskly to the door.

Walking is a highly underrated form of exercise.  Everyone is running (no pun intended) to a gym or investing in expensive equipment when walking is an excellent activity.  Walking calories do add up especially if you do it regularly and the good news is that walking to lose weight is just about one of the easiest activities you can incorporate into your lifestyle starting today.  A lot of people get confused about whether it is more beneficial to walk a longer distance or just to walk faster?  Both are important and obviously you will burn more calories if you combine both.  An average person will burn 100 calories per mile that you walk.  The heavier you are the more calories you will burn because your body provides its own resistance.  To calculate your own calorie burn rate for walking at an average speed of 3 miles per hour, the formula is:

0.53 x your body weight in pounds = your personal calorie burn per mile

Swimming is another good exercise for those beginning an activity routine because the buoyancy of the water takes pressure off the joints and makes it easier to move.  Many local pools offer aquatics classes and lessons and some have “free swim” times.  A simple aquabics class will burn approximately 240 calories per hour.  Mid level swimming will burn 390 calories per hour and competitive swimming will burn about 620 calories per hour.

Look at the chart below for some simple examples of exercises and their equivalent calorie burn count:

You are even burning calories at work:

Even common everyday activities (or chores – yuck) help with the calorie burn:

Just to put things into perspective, the following chart might help you decide whether that “treat” is necessary in comparison to the activity it will take to burn it off.

So lets tweak those two opening statements just a little bit …

“A healthy calorie is a nutritious calorie is a good calorie”

and

“Healthy calories in versus unused calories out”

TOPS

Monday Weigh-in ... I stayed the same.  I did however, manage to log 6 km of walking into my "Virtual Trip" and since my time has freed up a little I am determined to add another 15 km this week.  We'll see what the scale says next week.  Gotta be good 'cause Easter is just around the corner ... my arch nemesis chocolate bunnies everywhere already!  Aaaaargh!

Exercise is a four letter word!

“Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will

sooner or later have to find time for illness.” – Richard Stanley

Well, it’s about three weeks to Christmas so I decided it was time to get the tree and all the various and sundry decorations up.  So I put on some music (heaven forbid - not Christmas carols yet) rolled up my sleeves and started.  I decorate upstairs and my storage area is in the basement.  Its 16 stairs.  In my normal everyday doings those stairs are not daunting, but when several trips have to be made, especially several trips carrying totes and boxes full of Christmas decorations I start to feel it in my legs.  Of course, when putting up decorations one has to make sure the rest of the house is up to snuff and that involved more trips up and down the stairs to put throw blankets and cushions into the washing machine and dryer.  Okay … I am a little bit compulsive.  Putting up the lights in the window and the angel at the top of the tree involves a small stool … yeah … more up and down.  The job got finished; I had a hot shower, made a coffee and sat back to admire the pretty lights.  That’s when I realized my mistake … sitting down.  By the time I finished my coffee and got up to put my mug in the sink, the action of getting up out of the chair elicited an unexpected groan.  I had really started to ache.  My muscles are usually quite content to just lay there and do the bare minimum, but when they are unexpectedly called upon, they sure make no qualms about letting me know.  They scream at me and make my life very uncomfortable.  Their message is very clear … either use us regularly or let us languish into oblivion and give up on doing crazy things … like, oh I don’t know … moving!

I need to get back to exercising.

If you read my last post you know I used to belong to a gym.  Funny thing about belonging to a gym, you actually have to go and use the equipment to see any results.  Carrying around the membership card in you wallet just doesn’t add enough weight to even make it a resistance exercise.  I did go, regularly.  Now I can think of a lot of excuses not to go but my daughter made me!  The other funny thing was that I found I enjoyed it.  Who knew?  When my daughter’s schedule changed and we could not longer go together (that should probably read when she was no longer around to consistently shame me into going) I went only sporadically and then stopped altogether.  I still dutifully paid my dues though … that’s how I know a membership only works if you do!  Doing the math I decided that that money could be put to better use buying a piece of equipment for home.  My best friend M is a shopping goddess and she knows that I hate to pay full price for anything.  I mentioned to her that I was thinking about buying a treadmill and the next day she sent me an email with a posting from her community board at work offering a good used treadmill for sale.  I went to check it out and it was great.  I guess someone had purchased it and it soon became a very expensive piece of non-essential furniture.  Hmmmmm?  How does that happen?  I bought it.

Like a child with a new toy I used it religiously.  For about 3 weeks.  Then I found that I was an extremely creative person … creative in making up excuses that is.  Some of my favourite ones:

… I spent 20 minutes flat ironing my hair this morning AND I was not planning on washing it tomorrow morning AND if I work out tonight I’ll have to have a shower AND wash my hair.  Really inconvenient!

… I go downstairs fully intending to walk on the treadmill and there’s that whole load of laundry sitting on the laundry room floor.  How could I ignore it … better get it done now, or the dusting, or the vacuuming or anything else.

… The battery is low on my MP3 player

.

… I had to get groceries after work and now it’s too late.

 

You get the idea.

Since I am turning over a new leaf getting back into exercise is important.  You can eat properly, watch you portions, cut out all the bad food choices and there still comes a time when it is not enough.  Your body gets used to all the good eating and grinds to a standstill.  You just have to give it a kick start and then best way to do that is … ugh … exercise.

I truly do not know why I hate the idea of it so much.  When I schedule it into my day and start I always find that I enjoy it.  The bonus being that when I finish I realize that I didn’t die and there is an amazing sense of accomplishment.  It’s also a little me time.  A time when I do not have to worry about doing anything else, if I allow it that is.  Did I mention I am a little compulsive?  So I have to make it interesting.  I need to play little mind games with myself. 

The first thing I do is call up my “Work-out Playlist” on my MP3 player.  I actually have three playlists each with a different genre of music.  It’s quite an eclectic mix of music but all the songs have one thing in common; a distinct thump, thump, thump that keeps my feet moving at a steady pace.  A friend of mine listens to audio books while he runs.  I would love to be able to do that and actually tried it once.  It didn’t work.  About 10 minutes into my work out I realized I hadn’t registered a single word of the book.  So it was back to the driving thump, thump, thump of my music.

I should mention here that I like to walk.  But, I only like to walk when I have a destination.  That’s why I can’t just go outside for a stroll around the block.  That walk makes no sense to me.  I can walk to the corner store.  I can walk to the grocery store.  I can even walk 5 km to my girlfriend’s house, but I need a destination.  It motivagtes me.  It gives me a sense of purpose.  Of course, on a treadmill there is no destination.

Definite drawback!

So to make it interesting for myself I’ve given myself a purpose.  I picked a destination, one very, very far away.  I stuck a pin in a map and then Googled the mileage.  I have challenged myself to a self propelled journey of 3987 kilometres.  I say self propelled because I also have a stationary bike and I plan to intersperse walking with biking.  I have no idea how long it will take me to get there, but I’ll get there eventually.  I’ll keep a log of distance travelled and throw it in here every once in a while.  As of right now I am just about out of my immediate neighbourhood.

Stop laughing L I just started!

I guess what I am trying to say is do whatever works for you to get yourself moving.  If it starts out as a leisurely 5 minute stroll that gets a little longer every week, or if its taking an aerobics class (not high on the list of choices for me since I am extremely uncoordinated), taking a belly dancing class or Zumba or any other number of things, get yourself moving.  And trust me, it really does feel good when your done!

Oh, I almost forgot the TOPS weigh-in last night.

           I lost 1 ½ pounds.  Yeah me!!

                          

"Challenges" Revisited

Being leader of my TOPS group is an interesting yet challenging position to hold.  The thing I love about TOPS is that group leaders do not have to be members who have reached their goal (called KOPS … Keep Off Pounds Sensibly).  Everyone is on the same journey and able to help each other.  The challenge is coming up with a meeting topic every week.  This is my second year as leader and sometimes I feel like I am just repeating what everyone already knows.  I try to keep an eye out for interesting topics on line or in magazines or anywhere else I find current weight loss news.  I cut and paste links for future reference, I tear out magazine articles and yummy looking low fat/low calorie recipes (I’ll have to look for some of those to share on here too), I scan other Blogs and I print things off the computer.  There is an overload of weight loss information out there and boy, sometimes you have to take things with a grain of salt and really consider the source.  Hmmm … there we have another future idea … ridiculous diet ideas.

I like to print off a monthly calendar with my meeting plans so the group knows what to expect each Monday night.  Since the holidays are so close I want to try to keep things fun and light BUT still informational.  I was going through some of the articles I have filed away when I came across something I had written just after I rejoined TOPS for the second time.  It seemed like something that I should haul out, dust off and post on this blog.  Don’t be fooled, my reasons are entirely selfish … I desperately need to get back into a regular exercise routine.  Teaser ... more on that next week.

I enjoy playing with words and when I finished writing this I thought it was pretty good, so decided to submit it to the TOPS NEWS magazine.  I was tickled when they considered it good enough to include in one of their issues.

So, here it is as one of my “mid week sneak-ins” …

CHALLENGES

There is a building located not too far from my home. It is a modern looking structure of concrete blocks and large panes of glass in the front, much like other buildings located around it. The parking lot of this particular building is quite large and no matter what time of day you drive by, its usually quite populated, indicating a significant number of people frequent this establishment.

I happen to know that to enter this building you need to "belong".

I "belong".  And my goodness, what a special feeling that is!

I have to admit it is a rather strange establishment. It draws in people for any number of reasons, each one personal. People walk in with a sense of duty, or dread, or trepidation and, I have been told but find it difficult to trust, in a few cases actual anticipation. People congregate here for periods of time and yet rarely speak to each other. Oh, there are familiar faces indicating regular attendance. People make eye contact and occasionally smile. There may be the type of terse chit-chat that occurs among people who happen to be in the same place for the same reason. I am sure that at some point relationships may have formed, but I am not privy to any such information.

Upon entering I am always greeted by a smiling, energetic young person. Once I verify that I do indeed "belong" to this particular establishment I get a cheerful hello. I know what happens to those who cannot prove their right to be there. I shudder to even think of it. I remember the initiation process. I remember the vows made. I am still burdened with the debt of the dues this organization extracts. But I "belong", so I am told that "they" hope I enjoy my visit. I know this is a ploy. I know what awaits me. They want to try to convince me that I should "enjoy" my visit.

HA!

I walk in, trying to squelch down the urge I feel to turn around and leave. But I push forward, changing into the uniform required. Oh yes, there is a strict dress code. I carry with me my bottle of water, the only sustenance allowed during my visit here.

I walk down the ramp and into the MAIN room. There are other rooms. Each one designated for a special purpose. At various times I have attempted to partake in the activities in these rooms, but have found myself totally lacking in the enthusiasm and admittedly, the unique talent, it requires to do so. So I contain my activities to the MAIN room.

No one turns to watch me enter.

I pause for a split second to take in what is waiting for me. What lies before me is a sight that, could he have even imagined such a place, would make the Grand Inquisitor tremble in anticipation and rub his hands together with sadistic glee.

My time has come again ...

Oh God help me ...

(SOB) ...

I have to start my workout!

Alright – I got that out of my system. For those of you still with me here, there really is a point to this. Today I reached a personal goal. This article is nothing but a blatant, no excuses, pat on my own back.

First though, a couple of disclaimers.

     1. To those of you who run marathons, let me say without a trace of sarcasm and with the utmost sincerity, I have nothing but respect.

     

     2. I have absolutely no aspirations to ever do so. My brain and my imagination say "oh yeah, that would be so cool". At which point my body chimes in with a resounding "NO WAY!!".

     

     3. To those of you who do run this is going to seem like mighty small potatoes. I don't care. Because to me – today – this is the whole damn buffet.

I used to go to the gym regularly.  Every other day, and I really enjoyed it. Even, dare I say, missed it when I could not go. However, real life took over (I was working two jobs, my father took ill and went into care, and I just plain got lazy and stopped looking after myself) and I found myself going only sporadically over the last three years. Again, life hands you things, and there are a few important events coming up over the next year and I decided with a resounding THWACK to the forehead that I had better get my act together and start looking after myself again.

At the beginning of March this year, I swallowed my pride, tucked my tail between my legs and sheepishly walked through those daunting doors once again. I am a die-hard cross trainer fan and started off doing that as my cardio workout. My daughter, who happens to be my biggest rooter in this endeavour, likes the treadmill. In thanks for her support, I decided that a little mother/daughter time walking side by side on the treadmills would be nice. Only one flaw in that plan ... I walk ... she runs. My first day on the treadmill I managed to do one mile in a little over 19 minutes. I had one mile down to about 13 minutes a few years ago ... this was not good! When I got off I was wondering, "was it possible that the floor was really moving or were my legs just made of jelly?” That day I decided on a little personal challenge. I was older ... I needed to get started on this reasonably slowly ... so my goal was a 14 minute mile. It would involve little spurts of my own personal version of running ... the "wog". Well – I soon found out that it took more than a few spurts.

To cut a long story short, by the middle of April I had the 14 minute mile down. I like to spend about a half hour on cardio, so I tested myself to see if I could do two ...NOPE! Tiredness won out and the second mile took longer.

To cut that story even shorter, today I did three consecutive 14 minute miles. Yup – 42 minutes to do three miles. 3.03 to be exact. Never win me any medals but ... Oh yeah ... feeling proud ... back to the cross trainer I go. Until Nicole said, "Gee mom, you should try to get that down to 13 minutes each." DAMN, the nerve of her, a challenge!

So, on I go to the next challenge ... 

Right now it seems like it is going to be getting myself out of bed tomorrow morning.