This week's BMI: unchanged. ruh-roh. Wonder why that happened? Could it be the week-end's full of eating that I've been subjecting myself to for the past two weeks? Probably. I feel an article coming up about that.........
Monday, July 22, 2013
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Weight Loss on Vacation!
This Week's BMI: 25.3 Woohoo!!!!!! Reward Facial is just 2.5 pounds away.
This is all the more significant because I was away on vacation last week! So how does one manage weight control while on vacation? It's tempting when you're checked out and on vacation to just let loose and enjoy. And of course, you should. It all comes down to what enjoyment of food really is about.
It's great to enjoy the cuisine of the area that you travel to, but you can still do so in a responsible way. No matter where you travel, and what the local cuisine is, the main rule of eating is universal: eat what you need to eat, not more. I like to sample a variety of foods when I'm on vacation, but I tried very hard to be mindful of the quantity of the food that I was consuming. It used to be that I thought that if a food was to be enjoyed, it had to be eaten in large quantities. I've found out that this doesn't have to be the case. You can actually gain more enjoyment from eating small portions. In portion-explosion America, eating small portions when you're eating out on vacation meant eating only an appetizer at times, or saving half my plate for another meal. It also meant sharing a meal, or even sharing a bite, of a traveling companion's plate to sample a taste. All of this was coupled with unconscious exercise by taking advantage of local attractions (for example going to a theme park, or a beach). I guess last week is proof that this all worked!
This is all the more significant because I was away on vacation last week! So how does one manage weight control while on vacation? It's tempting when you're checked out and on vacation to just let loose and enjoy. And of course, you should. It all comes down to what enjoyment of food really is about.
It's great to enjoy the cuisine of the area that you travel to, but you can still do so in a responsible way. No matter where you travel, and what the local cuisine is, the main rule of eating is universal: eat what you need to eat, not more. I like to sample a variety of foods when I'm on vacation, but I tried very hard to be mindful of the quantity of the food that I was consuming. It used to be that I thought that if a food was to be enjoyed, it had to be eaten in large quantities. I've found out that this doesn't have to be the case. You can actually gain more enjoyment from eating small portions. In portion-explosion America, eating small portions when you're eating out on vacation meant eating only an appetizer at times, or saving half my plate for another meal. It also meant sharing a meal, or even sharing a bite, of a traveling companion's plate to sample a taste. All of this was coupled with unconscious exercise by taking advantage of local attractions (for example going to a theme park, or a beach). I guess last week is proof that this all worked!
Monday, June 24, 2013
This week's BMI: 25.6! Eeep!!! It went back up!!!
Well, what have I been doing wrong? I've been angelic, I swear!
Well.... actually...... I've been remiss in tracking my food intake. A nibble here, a nibble there really can add up, I guess.
Oh, bother. Well, back to following my own advice and counting calories.
Well, what have I been doing wrong? I've been angelic, I swear!
Well.... actually...... I've been remiss in tracking my food intake. A nibble here, a nibble there really can add up, I guess.
Oh, bother. Well, back to following my own advice and counting calories.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Yoga Day
This morning, I was SOOOOOOO sore from all the exercise my body has been getting this week. Totally was a day for Yoga.
Before now, I didn't get Yoga. Didn't get what was so exciting about doin' a bunch of weird poses that were basically just stretches. Now, though...... totally get it. My muscles are singing with all the positive blood circulation and stress relief. Yoga on Fridays from now on.....
Shedding Common Weight-Loss Foibles: Late Night Snacking
There's a lot of folklore surrounding late night eating, with a common myth claiming that food eaten late at night will digest slowly and contribute to weight
gain. But is this myth founded in reality? Trolling the internet for concrete scientific answers leads to some concrete.......confusion. One scientific study (for example, one published in the
journal "Obesity") claims that late night eating, especially if done
among late sleepers, leads to greater weight gain, while another (published in
the British Medical Journal) claims that late night eating will not lead
to increased weight gain.
So what's the right answer? Well, if you dig deeper into these studies, you'll find that there are a combination of habits that determine whether late-night eating will cause weight gain. Particularly important are the quality and quantity of nutrition throughout the day. It seems as though weight gain from late night eating is more likely when the subjects have had poor nutrition (either through infrequent meals or meals with poor nutrient value) throughout the day, leading them to binge eat more calories than they need at night. Typically, these late night eaters would not have planned a late night meal and will tend to eat commercially prepared high-calorie snack foods on a spontaneous basis at night. Weight gain among late-night eaters is not as much of an issue among those who have had nutritious foods at appropriate intervals throughout the day.
In order to limit weight gain from late night snacking, you have to either plan to quit late-night snacking outright, or plan for the late night snack to be part of your daily food intake. Which of these two options you choose will really depend on your personality type and frequency of late-night snacking. Occasional late-night snackers or those who prefer sudden or "cold-turkey" approaches may find quitting easier. Frequent late-night eaters or those who have failed the "cold turkey" approach will find planning for late-night eating more realistic.
Suggestions for quitting late night snacking include:
1) Brushing your teeth immediately after dinner
2) Doing some activity that keeps you occupied enough to not eat. For example, going for a walk, exercising, doing anything on a to-do list (there's always something!).
3) Drinking water instead of snacking. It's often been said that people often unconsciously confuse hunger with thirst.
For those who are unwilling or unable to completely quit late night snacking, the following suggestions might be helpful:
1) Plan ahead for a healthy late-night snack and keep it readily accessible. This will prevent you from spontaneously eating bad foods. Try to use the late-night snack as an opportunity to consume fresh (i.e. raw) fruits and vegetables. These are typically low on calories and high on nutrients, so if there is any truth to the increased-absorption-at-night-theory, it's better the body absorb nutrients rather than empty calories.
2) If you find you binge on certain high-calorie low nutrient snack foods late at night, rid your home of those foods and restock with a healthier version of that food.
3) Instead of eating, drink. In addition to rehydrating your body, fluids such as caffeine-free herbal tea or a cup of skim milk provide a great way to feel full without consuming too many calories.
So what's the right answer? Well, if you dig deeper into these studies, you'll find that there are a combination of habits that determine whether late-night eating will cause weight gain. Particularly important are the quality and quantity of nutrition throughout the day. It seems as though weight gain from late night eating is more likely when the subjects have had poor nutrition (either through infrequent meals or meals with poor nutrient value) throughout the day, leading them to binge eat more calories than they need at night. Typically, these late night eaters would not have planned a late night meal and will tend to eat commercially prepared high-calorie snack foods on a spontaneous basis at night. Weight gain among late-night eaters is not as much of an issue among those who have had nutritious foods at appropriate intervals throughout the day.
In order to limit weight gain from late night snacking, you have to either plan to quit late-night snacking outright, or plan for the late night snack to be part of your daily food intake. Which of these two options you choose will really depend on your personality type and frequency of late-night snacking. Occasional late-night snackers or those who prefer sudden or "cold-turkey" approaches may find quitting easier. Frequent late-night eaters or those who have failed the "cold turkey" approach will find planning for late-night eating more realistic.
Suggestions for quitting late night snacking include:
1) Brushing your teeth immediately after dinner
2) Doing some activity that keeps you occupied enough to not eat. For example, going for a walk, exercising, doing anything on a to-do list (there's always something!).
3) Drinking water instead of snacking. It's often been said that people often unconsciously confuse hunger with thirst.
For those who are unwilling or unable to completely quit late night snacking, the following suggestions might be helpful:
1) Plan ahead for a healthy late-night snack and keep it readily accessible. This will prevent you from spontaneously eating bad foods. Try to use the late-night snack as an opportunity to consume fresh (i.e. raw) fruits and vegetables. These are typically low on calories and high on nutrients, so if there is any truth to the increased-absorption-at-night-theory, it's better the body absorb nutrients rather than empty calories.
2) If you find you binge on certain high-calorie low nutrient snack foods late at night, rid your home of those foods and restock with a healthier version of that food.
3) Instead of eating, drink. In addition to rehydrating your body, fluids such as caffeine-free herbal tea or a cup of skim milk provide a great way to feel full without consuming too many calories.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Chicken Box
Worked out to a Boxercise video tonight. Awesome workout! Totally feel the heart rate
going and blood pumping. Now if only I
could only get myself to look like a graceful boxer in those
"double-time" sequences rather than a wing-flapping chicken......
Monday, June 17, 2013
Working it Out!
Worked out to a 40 minute aerobics DVD. There were SO MANY sequences where I had to
stop and go "Huh??? You want me to do THAT?" Yes, I talk to my TV. But only in extreme situations like this
one. Seriously. There was this one move
called the "side plank". You get onto your
side on the floor, stack your legs and use just your hips and core strength to
get everything except for elbow and foot off the ground. Needless to say, my side plank involved
staying on my side and hanging my jaw open.
I'm sure that counts as calorie burn too, right......?
Nevertheless, it feels good to have moved a little in front of the TV rather than just having sat in front of it.
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