Happy Easter

 

Prepping For Tomorrow

 Prepping for tomorrow

Losing Weight Without Dieting

 As we learned in the last column, diets do not work for the long term in general. They can help you lose weight in the first few months but by the end of the year, the weight has crept back on.  Instead of dieting, why not make a few changes in your life so you end up healthier while weighing less.  

Even if you are not dieting, it still requires a commitment to make the small changes in your lifestyle.  One good way is to increase your physical activity.  This does not mean adding four hours of exercise.  Incorporating 30 minutes of exercise with activities such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking further away from the building and walking in, take a nice walk around the neighborhood, or adding some yoga via youtube or any streaming app. The more physical activity you can add, the more calories you burn.

Think about drinking lots of water each day.  It is suggested that you drink water before each meal so you feel fuller and eat less.  Once can also put food on a smaller sized plate because the smaller plate makes the serving look as if you have more.  In addition, think about chewing the food slowly and savoring the flavor so your brain realizes you are full.  You also want to switch to healthier food choices such as lots of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, etc.

Speaking of eating, eat your meals at regular times and don't skip any meals. When you skip meals, you end up feeling hungrier and may end up eating more than you would otherwise.  If you need to, break everything down to smaller amounts and spread things out over 5 meals instead of 3.  Some people need the mid morning and mid afternoon servings so they don't snack on junk foods such as soda, chips, cookies, etc.

In addition, make sure you get about 8 hours of sleep a night.  When you get less sleep, it can mess with your metabolism and that can lead to a weight gain.  Another factor that can lead to weight gain is being under too much stress.  Often exercising or doing yoga help release stress so you are less likely to eat impulsively.  

These changes are changes to your lifestyle so you are not actually dieting since you are not restricting calories, foods, or the things that make life fun.  If you indulge occasionally, don't berate yourself.  Just start again and move on.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

No To Dieting!

 

As far back as I can remember, my mother was always on a diet.  What ever weight she lost, she gained back. She joined groups, went for regular weigh-ins, talked about her weight and when I reached my teens she started asking me about my weight.  I admit, I was a chubby teen and followed in my mothers footsteps because I thought I was fat.  I didn't realize that it was just baby fat because by the time I was 21, I grew up, and ended up so much slimmer.  I finally made peace with my self once I started reading about diets but my mother never, ever, quiet dieting or asking me what I weighed.

The other thing, is that everywhere you turn, there are ads for the miracle diet guaranteed to help you lose weight.  Your favorite star might be promoting one, or the New York Times has a book to follow, or some pretend doctor endorses one.  You see low fat, low carb, keto, paleo, and so many more.  

According to the Harvard Medical School, over one third of adult Americans are dieting but most will gain back the weight they lost within a few months.  Most diets are not successful over time for several reasons. People may not follow the diet as strictly as they should, some quit because the diet is too restrictive or unappealing, or they cut back on exercising since they are consuming fewer calories. They go on to say that even when the diet is followed under controlled circumstances (i.e. in study) people retain most of the weight lost soon after it ends.

In addition, research indicates that most diets do not work for most people in the long run.  More specifically, they do help people lose weight at the beginning but by the end of a year, the benefits disappear.  In fact, the medical school found that there are factors other than diet that have more impact such as amount of exercise, everyday physical activity, and sleep.  

It is suggested that before one starts trying to lose weight, one should talk to their doctor to find out if there are any health issue or one is on medications that might interfere with losing weight. Be sure to talk about the best options for exercise, and include information on previous attempts at dieting. 

 Furthermore, one should never lose more than 1/2 a pound to 2 pounds per week because slow and steady mean you are more likely to lose the weight and keep it off. People also need to commit to a long term lifestyle change in eating, behavior, and exercise for the best results. 

As far as food goes, one should be able to choose from a wide list of foods from all the food groups like vegetables, fruit, low-fat dairy, lean protein, nuts, and seeds.  In addition, it is important to eat a good balance of nutrients and calories.  Don't be afraid to eat foods you like and last up your physical activity and exercise so that you use more calories than you consume.  Next time, I'll include tips on changing things in your life so you lose weight without dieting.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

The best advice I've heard is rather than dieting, consider making lifestyle changes that stay with you for longer.  

Preventing Osteoporosis In Both Men And Women.

 As a woman, I am fully aware that I need to keep exercising as I get older so I prevent brittle bones from forming. All the ads, literature, even videos tend to focus on women and osteoporosis but what I didn't realize until recently is that men can get it too.  The word osteoporosis means "porous bone" and refers to a person's bones losing density so they become weak and are no longer strong enough to support the body.

Osteoporosis causes bones to break more easily and is bad for both men and women.  According to one statistic, about a quarter of the fractures that happen to people over the age of 50, happen to men.  Men are more likely to experience fractures in the hip, wrist, or spine.  Men are less likely to experience osteoporosis between the ages of 50 and 70 due to having larger skeletons than women, do not experience drops in hormones in the same way women do, and men lose bone density at a slower rate than women until the age of 65 or 70 when the stats become the same.

Our bodies form more bone than we lose between the ages of birth and about twenty five.  During this time, we build bones and density.  It is the density of the bones that determine how strong they are. Then from the ages of 25 to 50, our bones both break down and rebuild themselves about equally so they are about the same but once we hit 50,  our bones begin to break down more than they rebuild. It is only when the density of the bone reaches a certain point that a person is diagnosed with osteoporosis.

Since bone is a living entity, it responds to exercise by becoming stronger. To prevent getting osteoporosis, it is important to exercise beginning in your mid twenties so your body keeps building a bit more bone. In addition, exercise helps with balance, muscle strength, and coordination and these help prevent falls and possible fractures.  Exercise becomes more important as we age.

The best type of exercises designed to prevent osteoporosis are both weight-bearing and resistance exercises.  The weight-bearing exercises such as walking, hiking, jogging, running, climbing stairs, playing tennis, or dancing, require you to work against gravity.  Resistance exercises such as lifting weights help strengthen bones.  Although other exercises such as swimming and bicycling do strengthen your muscles and cardio, they are not the best ones for bone density.

The goal is to perform at least 30 minutes of exercise daily, eat well, make sure you get enough calcium, and vitamin D.  If you exercise with weight-bearing and resistance exercises, keep doing it but if you haven't it is never too late to start.  If you are older, talk to your doctor about a bone density test to see where you are and what would be the best exercises for you.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear. Have a great day.

Deserts More Like This

 

Hear "Desert", Picture This