Common Sense Weight Loss in the Hot Summer Department

IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!!




Sweet common sense article that was on Trusted MD!!  

Makes a great review of all the stuff we have learned but have not put into play thanks to all the fun in the summertime!!

Common Sense Tips for Effective Weight Loss

by vmiller | Fri, 08/21/2009 - 4:44pm | permalink

Featured in: Nutrition & Life

Weight loss doesn't have to be the complicated ordeal that most fad diets and weight loss programs make it out to be.

With all the various weight loss products and programs that exist today, you’d think that weight loss is a very complex and difficult thing to accomplish. Fortunately, with the right perspective, it’s not complicated at all.

For most people, not understanding the basic principles of a healthy lifestyle is what makes weight loss seem so elusive.
The following are 5 common sense tips to help you achieve your weight loss goals.

1. Avoid Sugar and Refined Carbohydrates
The typical modern diet consists almost entirely of processed foods. Many of these foods are high in sugar and refined carbohydrates which are two very common causes of weight gain. This often causes blood sugar levels to increase rapidly, and in turn, promote the storage of body fat. For many people, eliminating or severely restricting processed foods from their diet is all that’s necessary for effective weight loss. I unintentionally lost 30 pounds, which I didn’t even realize I needed to lose, after eliminating processed foods from my diet for health reasons.

2. Eat Real Food
By real food I mean the natural whole foods that we evolved on. This includes meat, fish, fruit, and vegetables. It does not include modern foods such as bread, cereal, and pasta. Even if you choose whole grain varieties of these foods, they still contain a considerable amount of carbohydrates despite not having as much sugar. As such, they can still easily promote weight gain. Focusing mainly on meat, fish, fruit, and vegetables will simplify your diet by automatically ruling out nearly all foods that commonly cause weight gain.
The high nutritional content of whole foods will also help to satisfy your appetite and will reduce the chances of you overeating. If you don’t believe this, try to remember the last time you felt stuffed from eating too much processed food versus feeling stuffed from eating too much fruit and vegetables.
Most importantly, eating natural whole foods will also promote optimal health.

3. Minimize Stress
In addition to the popularity of processed foods, most people are leading very busy lives and are exposed to significant amounts of stress on a daily basis. This can be a significant obstacle for weight loss. Frequent stress causes a chronic elevation of the hormone cortisol, which in turn, can promote increased insulin production.

One of insulin’s primary responsibilities is to store body fat, and as such, stress is something that people looking to loose weight should be especially aware of.

A few simple ways to relieve stress include eliminating as many sources of unnecessary stress as possible, reframing your negative thoughts into positive ones, using deep breathing exercises, enjoying nature, and enjoying slow and relaxing music. Mild forms of exercise such as tai chi, qigong, and stretching can be very relaxing as well.

4. Do Interval Training
Even though diet is by far the most important aspect of weight loss, most people attempt to overcompensate for poor eating habits by exercising excessively. This is made evident by the people who do long bouts of intensive cardio nearly every day and fail to lose weight. This is a tremendous burden to the body, and like mental stress, can interfere with weight loss. This type of repetitive physical burden can also cause adrenal fatigue and promote poor health.
A much better way to exercise for weight loss is high intensity interval training which consists of a number of short but intense repetitions of activity such as sprinting or cycling. One of the best aspects of high intensity interval training is that it can cause your body to continue burning calories at an elevated rate for up to 48 hours after your workout.

5. Make it a Lifestyle
A common mistake that people make with their approach to weight loss is believing that they can make temporary changes to lose weight and then return to their normal habits. It doesn’t work this way. A healthy lifestyle will help you lose weight, but you’ll only keep the weight off for as long as you’re continuing to follow the lifestyle. This is why many fad diets don’t work long term. In many cases, they’re simply to impractical to follow for the rest of your life.
As you make changes to your lifestyle to promote weight loss, consider if these are changes that you’re willing to stick with for the rest of your life. If they’re not, it’s likely that you’ll regain any weight that you lose as a result of implementing them.

Health Comes First
The tips outlined above aren’t meant to be a quick fix specifically intended for weight loss. They’re merely common sense principles of good health. Weight loss is a pointless endeavor if it ends up detracting from your health and compromising your quality of life which is exactly what can happen if you approach it the wrong way. As such, the best way to lose weight is the healthy way which is by following the lifelong principles of a healthy lifestyle.

Full article: 5 Common Sense Tips for Effective Weight Loss | Trusted.MD Network http://trusted.md/blog/vmiller/2009/08/21/5_common_sense_tips_for_effective_weight_loss#ixzz1ThVjNquI

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Piecemeal Exercise Department

 PIECEMEAL EXERCISE SAVES THE DAY!!

There is no rule that says we have to do our exercise all at once!!




Its amazing how much exercise you can do during commercial breaks while watching sports all night on TV!!


I gave this a try while watching baseball playoff games a couple years back and was able to do over 100 push ups and 100 bicep curls!!
When I tried to find out more information about piecemeal exercise I found an article in About.com by Paige Waehner that said the following about how everyday people fared working out in at different times of the day!

• They were able to stick to their workouts more consistently
• They exercised more days a week than the long-bout group
• They accumulated more exercise time each week than the long-bout group
• They lost more weight, an average of 19 lbs versus 14 lbs for the long-bout group 

Today, I really wanted to watch the Yankee Game, get my laundry done and run some errands.


I was able to accomplish all that and still get in a 5 mile walk and also do over 100 Push ups and Bicep Curls!


I did my 5 Mile walk in 3 increments and did the strength training during the commercials!


Turned out to be more than I would have ever done during one my hour workouts at the gym!!

Consistency Matters Department!!!

  I got this little tidbit of info from Shape Magazine. It was an article written by Alla Byrne called "Exercise advice from Jessica Simpson's Trainer"  






 
“You can have the greatest trainers in the world get together and devise a workout plan for you, but if you only do it once a week, you’re not going to get the same results as someone who works with a mediocre trainer, but exercises four days a week. Also, the more consistent you are with your workouts, the less intense your sessions have to be. And again, diet is very important. I think people start to work out and they see it as an excuse to eat whatever they want. Sadly, that’s not the case.”

The One Less Excuse Department!!

This popped up on a "Health Habits" Tweet!  It's nice to know people with little time to spend on working out have options. I prefer the  longer workout with interval training thrown in on the Elliptical!!

This also eliminates the "I don't have enough time" excuse!!


  

IMPROVE YOUR HEART WITH SHORT WORKOUTS!!

A recent study has concluded that short bouts of high intensity exercise is as effective at improving the structure and function of your heart’s arteries as the traditional long duration cardio-vascular training.

Participants in the study were divided into two groups:

* The “sprint” group performed only 3 workouts per week. Each workout consisted of 4 to 6 sets of 30 second sprints on an exercise bike. The participants pedaled slowly for 4 1/2 minutes between sets of sprints.
* The “cardio” group worked out 5 times per week. Each workout consisted of 40-60 min of cycling at 65% of their VO2peak.

After 6 weeks, both groups showed similar improvement of arterial structure and function.
Why Is This Important?

Traditionally, as we age, our arteries become stiff and lose their ability to dilate. This leads to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

And if you don’t know why that is important, please click the above links and spend some time at the Mayo Clinic site. You might be visiting sooner than you think.
Let’s Review

Sprint of High Intensity Interval Training is as effective as Endurance or Cardio training at preventing age related arterial stiffening.

That’s Good.

Sprint training requires a commitment of 20-30 minutes, 3 times per week (60-90 min per week) to effect that improvement.

That’s Good.

Endurance training requires 40-60 minutes, 5 times per week (200-300 min per week) to effect the desired improvement.

If you are like the rest of us time starved North Americans, that is Not so Good.

It’s your choice.

Health Habits Site

Pump or Puke Department!!

This seems like a pretty good explanation of when to work out or just be sick!! Personally, If I feel fatigued, then my body is telling me to take it easy and try again another day!!

Is it OK to exercise if I have a cold but no fever?

Answer

from Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.

Mild to moderate physical activity is usually OK if you have a cold but no fever. Exercise may even help you feel better by temporarily relieving nasal congestion.
As a rule of thumb for exercise and illness:

• Proceed with your workout if your signs and symptoms are "above the neck" — such as runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing or sore throat. Be prepared to reduce the intensity of your workout if needed, however.
• Postpone your workout if your signs and symptoms are "below the neck" — such as chest congestion, hacking cough or upset stomach. Likewise, don't exercise if you have a fever, fatigue or widespread muscle aches.

If you choose to exercise when you're sick, listen to your body. If your signs and symptoms get worse with physical activity, stop and rest. Resume your workout routine gradually as you begin to feel better.

Sedentary behavior adds up!!

I ran across this little snippet from Martica Heaner, Ph.D., M.A., M.Ed. She was in the process of answering how someone can walk 90 minutes a day and not lose weight!  This is the first time I ever ran across the idea that we may be compensating for exercise by sitting the rest of the day!!

Sedentary behavior adds up

A new area of focus in obesity research is trying to quantify not only how much people eat and how active they are, but how sedentary they are. It turns out that the more sitting you do the greater your risks of weight gain and chronic diseases, even if you do exercise, according to research reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. 

Another phenomenon that has been found is that some people get more sedentary once they start exercising. Whether it’s biologically driven or it’s a psychological compensation (“I exercised today, I don’t need to go up the stairs, I’ll take the elevator.”) is unclear. But make sure you’re not slowing down. Wear a pedometer during all your waking hours and get a sense for how many steps you take throughout the day, and make sure you’re racking up 10,000 to 15,000, including your walks.

Many, many women have successfully lost weight through walking. And the National Weight Control Registry finds that the majority of those in its national weight-loss database report walking on a near-daily basis for an hour or more to help maintain their weight loss. You may need to control your diet intake. But even if you don’t lose weight, you are helping your health in myriad ways and definitely preventing weight gain. Keep it up!

Weight Loss Made Simple

Why Consistent Exercise Helps Keep the Weight Off

There are numerous studies showing that those who consistently exercise during and following weight loss are much more likely to maintain their new weight.  The common reasons most people have to continue exercise is to maintain the better feeling of health and fitness and to burn calories.

A new study provides a few new angles that may provide additional motivation.  It showed that consistent exercise following weight loss directly reduced the urge to eat more food, specifically enhanced fat burning, and blunted the formation of new fat cells.

Big Pharma is spending hundreds of millions if not billions to develop drugs that will do what exercise will do.  And they are also trying to make drugs to change the signals in your brain that could simply be changed by following the five simple rules of the Leptin Diet.

These are examples of the “vital research” Big Pharma does, the excuse they give for overcharging Americans for the current drugs which are available everywhere else in the world at a far cheaper cost.

In many ways, being healthy is rather simple.  You either do what it takes or you don’t.

The choice is yours.  Hoping for a wonder pill from Big Pharma, and allowing them to prevent affordable health care for everyone because they have to have money for ridiculous research, is not the right way to go about reducing the cost of health care!!

Byron Richards, CCN

A Few Small Changes/Big Results?

Weight Loss Made Simple

By Natasha Vani, MSc., ATCP Once again your New Year’s resolution was to lose weight. You set your goals and started working toward them, but now, after less than a month, you find that you have fallen off your schedule more times than you have stuck with it. What are your reasons? Other than the common complaint of lack of time, let’s be honest—the most common reason is that watching your diet and exercising just seem like too much effort. What if I told you that you can lose weight with minor adjustments? What if I told you that people only fail when they try to make huge changes in their lives? Sit back and look at your goals. You probably told yourself something like this: No chocolate, no candy, no chips, no pop, no eating before bed and (of course) exercise, exercise, exercise! Well who truly follows that? Here’s what I want you to do: instead of feeling guilty every time you fall off your plan, follow these two simple rules and make minor adjustments. In doing so I guarantee you will achieve your goals.

The Rules Rule #1 Set a realistic weight loss goal. Do not attempt to lose more than 2 lbs of weight in a week. If you aim for more, you will fail to keep the weight off in the long term. Besides, 2 lbs per week is a solid 10 lbs of fat lost in less than a month and half. Not bad! Rule #2 Understand what 2 lbs per week means in terms of calories. Since 1 lb of pure fat equals 3,500 calories, 2 lbs equals 7,000 calories. So, each week you need to create a caloric deficit of 7,000 calories. Divide this by seven and you have 1,000 calories a day that you need to somehow get rid of. That may sound like a lot, but you know the best approach to losing weight is through diet and exercise, so, take 1,000 calories and divide it by two. Your new goal is twofold: a) to burn 500 calories a day through exercise, and b) to eat 500 calories less. I f this still sounds like too much, no problem, just aim to lose 1.5 or 1 lb per week. To lose 1 lb a week you only have to burn 250 calories a day through exercise and eat 250 calories less each day. Let’s assume you are aiming to lose one pound a week. The next step is to come up with activities you can do every day to burn 250 calories, as well as foods that you can eliminate or reduce to decrease your intake by 250 calories. For caloric information on various foods, visit the Truestar Food Trakker. To give you an idea, here are some common foods that contain roughly 250 calories: 1 muffin 1 bagel 1 chocolate bar 1 small bag of chips 500 ml of juice Here’s how to burn 250 calories in a nutshell: In the gym 35 minutes of cycling 30 minutes of rowing 30 minutes of cross training 30 minutes of stair climbing 90 minutes of weight training In the pool 35 minutes of light effort swimming 40 minutes of water aerobics Fun winter activities 45 minutes of skating 90 minutes of snowmobiling 35 minutes of snowshoeing 40 minutes of tobogganing 35 minutes of cross country skiing 55 minutes of downhill skiing General activities 1 hour of walking briskly 35 minutes of light running 45 minutes of dancing For other activities and the calories they burn, visit the Truestar CALObrator. One last tip to keep you going If you can’t exercise one day, don’t stress about it, simply eat a little less that day. And if the opposite is true, that is, you found indulge a little too much, just exercise a little harder. Finding and maintaining this balance of energy in versus energy out is the key to successful weight loss. Keep it simple and enjoy your triumph!

Common Sense Dieting!!

 I found an article by a writer named Mark Kantrowitz and edited it some......Nothing alarming here but it makes more sense than another silly fad diet....basic, good common sense!!!

There are many diets, and most don't work. Some try to get you to lose weight too quickly, leading to a yo-yo effect as you regain all the weight you lost (and maybe a bit more). Others encourage you to eat an unbalanced and unhealthy mix of foods. There are also magic diet pills and herbal supplements that perhaps put your health at risk.

Many of these diets try to convince you of their power through pseudo-scientific mumbo jumbo about "good" and "bad" nutrients and unproven claims to change your metabolism to burn more fat. 

But the real goal of these diets is to produce income for their creators.

The key to dieting is not losing weight -- most diets will allow you to shed pounds -- but in keeping the weight off after you've lost it. Fad diets that require major changes in behavior won't succeed in the long run. Diets that make only minor changes in behavior can be continued long-term, making it easier to maintain the weight loss.

The simple diet described below is based on sound principles of weight control. It is just plain common sense that if you eat less and exercise more, you'll lose weight. The diet described below helps you achieve this by gradually changing your habits, leading to sustainable lasting results. It won't be as easy as popping a few pills, but you can do it. Judge for yourself whether you think this diet will work for you. 

Cutting 100 calories a day from your diet will let you lose about 10 pounds a year. That's just one can of soda a day. (The mathematics is straightforward. 100 calories per day multiplied by 365 days in a year is 36,500 calories in a year. To lose a pound, you have to burn about 3,500 calories. So that means that a can of soda a day is the equivalent of 36,500 calories divided by 3,500 calories per pound, or 10.4 pounds.) 

Take it Slow

It took you a long time to gain all that weight. It is going to take you just as long to lose it. If you try to lose it overnight, you will end up regaining it just as quickly. Starving yourself doesn't work on a long-term basis. Your goal should be to find a way to lose the weight in a slow but steady manner. Such a diet will be sustainable, allowing you to keep the weight off permanently.

Generally, if you want to lose weight, you should aim to have the difference between your calorie consumption and the calories you burn be around 1,500 calories a day. But a lot depends on the level at which you are starting.

Trying to lose several pounds a week may be overdoing it. A better goal is half a pound to a pound a week. This is achievable and sustainable. It may take you more than a year to get back to a healthier weight, but you will reach it if you take it slow. 

Small changes are the key to sustainability. Take the dieting one small step at a time. Make a small change, get used to the change, and then make further changes, instead of trying to get from point A to point B all at once. 

You should also plan on using a combination of diet and exercise to control your weight. Doing one without the other is unlikely to be successful. 

Track your Weight

Weigh yourself on a daily basis, and keep a log of your weight. One of the best ways to do this is in a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel, where you can graph the results and see trends.
Tracking your weight gives you feedback. It makes you aware of how much you weigh, and whether you are gaining or losing. Just awareness of your weight may make it easier to control your weight. If you see that you're continuing to gain weight, you can make further small changes. 

Use Portion Control

Counting calories can help you lose weight, but most people find portion control to be more effective. Portion control allows you to eat the foods you like, just a little less of them.

You know how much food you usually put on your plate, and whether you go back for second and third helpings. Just try to cut back the amount of food you eat by a little each time. If you help yourself to multiple servings, try eliminating one of the helpings, or reducing the amount of food you put on your plate each time. 

For example, instead of eating a whole sandwich, try eating a half sandwich, and save the rest for tomorrow's meal. (Or toss it. It may seem like a waste to throw away food, but it's better for it to go to waste than for it to go to your waist.) Eat just a single bowl of cereal, instead of two or three. Eat that calorie-rich dessert every other day, instead of every day. Instead of a 20-ounce bottle of soda, drink a 12-ounce can.

Some people find it helpful to serve themselves on a smaller size plate, such as a salad plate instead of a dinner plate. Most people have a tendency to fill up their plate with food, treating it as a target, so if you use a smaller plate, there'll be less food on your plate.

Don't eat out of the package or with the refrigerator door open. Mindless grazing like this makes it difficult for you to appreciate just how much you are eating. Often, you'll be eating for the sake of eating and not because you are hungry. Instead, put the food you want to eat on a plate, and sit down at the table to eat it

By seeing the total amount of food you are consuming all at once, instead of in small impromptu snacks, you will naturally inhibit your consumption, eating a little less.

Remember, your stomach is about the size of your first. If you eat more than two fistfuls of food at each meal, you're probably eating too much.

When you start to use portion control, start slow. Don't eliminate too much at once. Cut back a little once a week, and then try to maintain that level for a while before you cut something else. Try to reduce your calorie intake gradually, not suddenly.

Some people find it helpful to have two small planned snacks a day, in between the meals. 

Make Substitutions for Calorie-Rich Food

Portion control can only work so far. If you're eating creme-filled donuts, inhaling ice cream sundaes and drinking soda every day, you may be reaching your calorie limit in just one little snack. 

It helps if you keep a diary for a day or two of everything you normally consume. Then, review the diary to see how many calories are associated with each item. Don't forget that the nutritional information is given in terms of servings, and consuming the entire package often represents several servings. So multiply the calorie count per serving with the actual number of servings. 

Reviewing the list, you'll see several items with very high calorie counts. Try substituting alternatives that have lower calorie counts and are more filling, such as fruits and vegetables. Substitute pretzels for potato chips, fruit for candy bars, fish or chicken for red meat, a small cookie or two for a creme-filled donut and ice cream, skim milk instead of 2% milk and 2% milk instead of whole milk, and a glass of water for a can of soda. (Frozen yogurt is not a good substitute for ice cream, because frozen yogurt is almost as bad these days.) 

Also make substitutions for your condiments: mustard instead of mayo, jam or cream cheese instead of butter or margarine, salsa instead of cheese dip, and fat-free dressing instead of creamy dressing. 

Try to avoid fried foods, since such foods stimulate appetite and make it harder to stop eating when you are full. 

Drink Water

Water has no calories. When you feel the urge to eat a snack or drink a can of soda, drink a glass of water first. Often you eat when you don't really feel hungry, but have gotten in the habit of snacking. If you drink a glass of water first, you'll start to substitute a new and healthier habit. Eventually, the glass of water will be enough. 

Water will cause your stomach to feel full sooner without any calories or carbohydrates. Drinking a full glass of water at least 15 minutes before any meal can help you lose weight. 

When eating a meal, take frequent sips of water. The water will make you feel full, causing you to eat less. 

Exercise

The experts encourage you to exercise for half an hour three times a week. It is actually better to exercise for half an hour to an hour a day. But most people don't exercise for even an hour a week, so something is better than nothing. It is especially important to exercise if you have a sedentary lifestyle. 

Just as you are cutting your calorie consumption gradually, you should start exercising gradually. If you overexert yourself, you won't be willing to continue with the exercise regimen. 

A key to exercising is to find something enjoyable about the exercise. This can range from a type of exercise you enjoy (e.g., walking your dog) to exercising with a friend (e.g., taking a walk with your spouse). Some people find it helpful to exercise in front of the TV, since that will distract you from the fact that you're exercising. 

For example, I have an exercise bike and treadmill in front of the TV, and watch one or two DVDs each time I exercise. I currently exercise 2-3 hours a night. I started off with just 15 minutes of exercise per night, and built up to my current level over the course of three years. As soon as I stopped exercising, I would pause the DVD player. I only watch TV when I'm exercising, so if I want to watch TV I have to exercise. 

Eat a Balanced Diet

Most people eat too much meat, eggs, salt, cookies, cake and ice cream, and too little fruit, vegetables and whole grains like rice. While you gradually cut calories, you should also try gradually shifting yourself into a more balanced, healthier diet. The key, of course, is to make the changes gradually through portion control. Cutting out the foods you love suddenly will cause you to drop the diet. You don't need to eliminate them entirely, just eat a little less of them.
Often it helps to focus on adding more fruit and vegetables to your diet, and to eat them before the rest of your meal. Substitute an apple or orange for one of your snacks. This will gradually cause you to eat less of the less healthy foods, by filling your stomach.
If you don't particularly like apples or oranges, try other fruits. I happen to like pears and mandarin oranges. Organic fruit and vegetables that aren't force-ripened also taste better.
Don't try to make excuses that a slice of apple pie or fruit cake is a serving of fruit. Pies and cakes are mostly sugar.
If your diet is unbalanced, you should take a daily multivitamin in addition to gradually restoring balance to your diet.

Control When You Eat

Put together a schedule of when you will eat. This can include the times of breakfast, lunch and dinner, and one snack in between each meal. Try sticking to the schedule. If you get the urge to eat at an unscheduled moment, look to see how long it is until the next snack or meal, and try waiting until then. (A good schedule is 7:00 am breakfast, 9:30 am snack, 12:00 pm lunch, 3:00 pm snack, 6:30 pm dinner.)
Whatever you do, do not snack after dinner.
When you eat, eat more slowly, savoring the flavor. It takes about 20 minutes for you to feel full after eating, so if you eat more slowly, you will end up eating less food. Try to avoid inhaling your food. Chew your food thoroughly, instead of swallowing it whole.

Top 10 Reasons You Keep Getting Fatter

If you exercise  and eat right but keep getting fatter then this will be the most important article you'll ever read.

Here's why. In this article I'm going to share with you the top 10 reasons why you keep getting fatter. Studies have PROVEN it. My experience has shown it. Bottom line is... at least one of these 10 hidden "weight gainers" is your primary culprit... guaranteed!


Here's the best part...


You can fix them right now. TODAY! It really is pretty simple stuff. Anyone can do it.

Now most likely you'll pinpoint three or four reasons on this list that are packing on the pounds. Maybe more.

But that's great news. Just means that if you address them quickly then you'll be able to start seeing significant results. Only takes a few days or less! I've witnessed this happen dozens of times to people just like you.

So read through the list of "The Top 10 Reasons You Keep Getting Fatter" and find your culprits. Then fix them. That's it.

Here's the list...
1. You believe you were created to be fat. That it's in your genetics.
2. You're living a "low carb" lifestyle.
3. You're dieting, cutting calories, skipping meals or flat out starving yourself.
4. You're consuming too much bread.
5. You continue to make bad food choices. (Bowl of ice cream at night.)
6. You're stuffing your face with "starchy" carbs like pasta or pizza crust.
7. You do not have a specific "goal" weight and a specific time-frame for achieving it.
8. You're consuming lots and lots of refined sugar. (Just check your labels for things like high fructose corn syrup.)
9. You're not working out at least five days each week.
10. You're not keeping your body in a constant state of hydration.

So what is the #1 reason that people struggle? Well from what I've seen there are actually four that stand out as the biggest culprits. They are #6, #8, #9, #10. But any of the other items could definitely be your reasons for getting fatter.

Here's how to make this really really easy...
Just take the top two items on this list that you feel have caused you to keep getting fatter and focus all your attention on them.

For example... if you strongly feel that item #9 and #1 are the dirty devils holding you back, then just begin to exercise five days per week and cement into your head that many studies have found that genetics play almost NO role in abnormal body fat

If you do that for two weeks and don't see results, then just try another couple of items on this list that you believe might be it.

That's all.

Super simple stuff. But it's wildly effective!

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Captain's Log - 3/10/10

Decided to give my blog some focus dedicating mainly on good solid health advice minus most of the BS you see and hear out there!!

The "Captain's Log" segments are mainly a way of giving my blog a personal touch.

I am finding out as I navigate through middle age that the best exercise has to be something I like that I can do consistently!

Yes..I have a gym membership and am involved in Treadmills, Ellipticals and Strength Training but I have found the most consistent thing I do is Walk an Hike!

I can Walk or Hike just about every day and I can do an awful lot of it if I break it up during the day. Today I knocked out 5 miles in 3 different sessions and it didn't even inconvenience me!

I even had time to eat dinner, watch playoff Hoops, and even do the Laundry!! 

We are getting unseasonably warm temps in the 50's here in Northwestern Ohio and it feels great to finally get outside after spending the winter at the Gym!!  I've been averaging at least 4 miles a day now for about a week and, mind you, I refuse to get out of Bed early for anything!!

The big test will come next week when the temps fall back in the 40's!!

Latest Workout Poop!!

It appears that exercising piecemeal is better for your Bloodwork!

This is great for busy people that have to sneak in their workout at different times during the day!!

MIZZOU NEWS
Intermittent Exercise Is More Effective

By Jeremy Diener

Regular exercise is an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle and for the prevention of coronary heart disease, Type II diabetes and obesity. Classic recommendations for endurance exercise have been 20 to 60 minutes of continuous exercise at a vigorous intensity. New research from the University of Missouri-Columbia suggests intermittent exercise is more effective at lowering artery-blocking fat in the bloodstream than continuous exercise when exercising just 30 minutes.

MU researchers conducted the study to examine the effects of continuous versus intermittent exercise on triglyceride, a type of fat, levels in the bloodstream after subjects ate high-fat meals. The results show that people who engage in 30 minutes of exercise can achieve lower triglyceride levels after a high fat meal if they engage in short, separated bouts of exercise rather than one continuous bout. The research team included professor of nutritional sciences Tom Thomas, post-doctorate fellow Thomas Altena, assistant professor of nutritional sciences Stephen Ball, and graduate student Jody Michaelson, all in the College of Human Environmental Sciences. Altena, who is now an assistant professor at Southwest Missouri State University, supervised the study.

“Most Americans who exercise are exercising around 30 minutes a day,” Thomas said. “Based on the results of the research, the intermittent approach would probably be best for most Americans at lowering fat in the bloodstream.”
The researchers examined triglyceride levels following meals in inactive subjects. All subjects performed three different protocols on different days. On the control day, subjects ate a high-fat meal only.

On a second visit, the subjects ate a high-fat meal following a session of continuous exercise. On another visit, the subjects ate a high-fat meal following a session of intermittent exercise in which the subjects exercised in 10-minute bouts separated by 20-minute rest periods.

Results indicated that peak triglyceride levels in the subjects who engaged in intermittent exercise before eating a high-fat meal were reduced by 27 percent. Those who engaged in continuous exercise reduced their triglyceride levels by 15 percent.

Thomas noted that exercising before eating was crucial for fat clearing, saying that the researchers believe muscle contraction during the exercise process stimulates a fat-clearing enzyme in the muscle. According to previous research, the enzyme activity seems to peak about 12 hours after the session of exercise. In addition to showing what type of exercise is best, this information also could help someone determine what time is best for exercise.

Since it’s best to exercise 12 hours before eating a large or high-fat meal, those who eat large breakfasts could benefit more from exercise in the evening, while those who eat large dinners could benefit more from exercise in the morning.

However, Thomas said, the exercise effect on fat clearing does not last more than 24 hours, which suggests the need for daily physical activity to continuously stimulate the fat clearing system.

The research is published in the August issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.