Health & Fitness Tips

Summer Time Restaurant Indulging?

It seems somewhat counterintuitive, because most people think of summer time as the time when they are more in shape, less likely to pig out and gain a bunch of weight, and be more active because the weather is nice. While it’s definitely true on the being more active part, we’ve noticed that for us, it seems like the restaurant temptations come much harder and faster in the summer, and we actually found for a while that rather than losing summer time weight, we were gaining because we were indulging in going out more, spending more money on food and fun (and inevitably, summer time sugar alcoholic drinks), and essentially packing in way more calories than we should have on a daily basis.

Let’s give a typical weekend (in our old way of living, we don’t do this any more, we made a pact to lose weight and keep it off, plus we’ve been really scrounging to save money lately) as an example of these weekly temptations to go out and indulge in fattening, caloric foods.  It’s the weekend, and Sally and Tom (two fictitious names of course, we don’t have friends by those names), call us up and ask us to dinner at the latest Mexican bar and restaurant that opened up just up the road from us.  Far be it from us to resist the temptation of any easy night of dining, fun, food and drinks and foresake the leftover baked chicken from the night before, so we accept.

This happened almost weekly, we’d have healthy eating plans for the night and either we’d get invited to go out with friends and drink and eat, or we would just say screw it and go to a restaurant out of sheer laziness and wanting the experience and instant gratification.  And there you have the reason why we could never get weight off in the summer time.  We’d be fine during the week, and Friday Saturday and Sunday we’d shed our lunch packing, calories conserving ways and become the weekend warriors of restaurant indulging.

I’m sure you have similar stories.  The moral here is that maybe the recession will spur you to forego the typical weekend restaurant trips that tend to turn into three nights in a row of splurging and overdoing it on the calories.  It may seem harmless and fun at first, but believe me, both your waistline and your pocketbook will suffer in the end whereas if you eat healthfully at home, you will conserve on both your hard earned money, and calories, fat, sugar and extra weight!

Get Motivated to Lose Weight : Look at Before and After Pics

Well, my boyfriend and I are on our journey to lose all holiday related weight and then some right now, and I just got a major boost of encouragement and a renewed sense of purpose by looking at some before and after pictures of regular people who lost a lot of weight through sheer determination, a healthy diet, reduced calories, and exercise.  Because all three of those I feel are needed for long term health and associated weight stability, it truly is an inspiration that these people did this on their own and realized how much better they feel.

One story hit me especially.  It was about a woman who was in a relationship for several years and felt that she could eat whatever she wanted because she was comfortable in the relationship and felt loved.  Not that I don’t feel that being loved is a bad thing, but when we become complacent with a higher weight and compromised health because we are happy and content, that does present a problem for both parties.

That’s why I really love doing this with my boyfriend, I feel that we support eachother in our weight loss goals, and that we even have a friendly little “competition” going to see who can lose the most weight the fastest, who works out more, and so on and so forth.  He’s a guy though, and men do tend to lose weight faster than women do, so he’s kicking my butt in that arena, I’m reluctant to admit.  We’ve both lost a good amount of weight though within about one month.  He’s dropped ten pounds and I’m working on dropping my eighth pound, and I feel much better, lighter and happier.

Looking at random before and after pictures of others who have done it makes you realize that although weight loss may be painful at first, you soon see and feel the benefits of eating healthier, exercising, and enjoying the side effects of losing weight.  It also occurred to me that there is a “detox” period where you will most definitely be craving all that naughty food, almost unbearably at times, but once you’re past that, it’s not that bad.  Also, maintenance isn’t so bad because you can reintroduce some of the foods you avoided like the plague when you were dieting hard core, you just can’t go crazy with them or you’ll find yourself in the weightloss candidate boat before you know it.

Starting Off Day with Carbs : Not Good

Well, I must admit.  My boyfriend and I have just indulged in a day of total diet debauchery, without an ounce of care for what is good for us, starting our day off with the worst foods you can imagine for beginning your day.  First of all, there was not a good piece of protein to be found in our breakfast, where we ate at our local Cracker Barrel restaurant, which happens to have the best pancakes and maple syrup in our town. 

He got bacon, and my lousy excuse for protein was a pile of scrambled eggs with some processed American cheese thrown on top, which I barely even touched, instead opting for the luscious mounds of cheesy hash brown casserole and the buttery biscuits and pancakes.  Yeah, real well rounded and nutritious, huh? 

Needless to say, about an hour after we ate this carb filled breakfast – and none of it was the good kind of carbs with all that fiber and nutrition, oh no, we were ravenous once again, opting for yet anothe carby, fattening food when we went to the food court at the local mall, and got none other than Sbarros pizza, and to boot, a bread stick to go with it! 

It seems that when you start your day off wrong, that is, with all simple carbohydrates like refined breads and sugary sweets like pancakes drenched in maple syrup – and no, we’re not even talking buckwheat pancakes which at least have a saving grace of bundles of fiber, we’re talking those delectable, fill your belly for an hour then drop you like a rock in blood sugar, buttermilk variety! 

So, in a decided effort to eat a little better for dinner, we decided to go to Boston Market for dinner and make it a day of eating out.  Hey, at least at Boston Market, you can guy some things that aren’t absolutely heinous for your health, like chicken and veggies and sometimes a low fat soup or salad. 

However, of course, after having consumed starches and simple carbs all day, it seemed almost impossible to not go for the carbs one more time for dinner, so I got mashed potatoes.  Hey, tomorrow’s a new day, right?  I just need to make sure I start it with my usual low fat yogurt with berries and veggie sausage links – now that’s a good breakfast that doesn’t leave you feening for garbage all day long! 

Wearing Clothes the Slim the Body

My inspiration for writing this post is gonna sound not so nice, but here goes.  I saw a picture of rapper Lil Kim online the other day, and I am the first one to say that a woman should love her curves if she’s blessed with them, but the outfit she was wearing was an example of what not to do if you have curves, because it accentuated everything that may be construed as extra baggage.

My favorite color to wear when I’ve put on a few pounds is black, which is totally cliche, and I know that, but there’s a reason for the cliche – it really works to camouflage weight gain, slim the legs and hips, and create an overall look of length to the body, which overall is slimming and flattering to every body type, hence the reason black is one of the most popular clothing colors in any line you see.

Another rule is to only wear up and down stripes, never horizontal, on any part of your body that you are trying to make appear slimmer.  I love wearing pin stripe pants that have the stripes running up and down, because again, this creates the illusion of longer length, and therefore less heft.

Never wear anything that is too snug, unless you really want to be and appear uncomfortable.  Clothing should gently cling to your body, not squeeze and squish it into submission, unless you are going for the Mariah Carey look, and sorry Mariah, but honey you just don’t get the word “class” at all in the way you dress. 

Women who dress like Ms. Carey actually aren’t doing themselves any favors.  It garners the wrong kind of attention from both sexes, and quite frankly leaves nothing to the imagination, because it is so clingy that it squeezes and squishes all the wrong parts.  In short, if something makes you feel uncomfortable, don’t wear it! 

Sauce and Dressing Calories Add Up

You might think that those seemingly harmless salad dressings, mayonnaise and other creamy sandwich spreads, and sauces that we drench our meats in like bbq sauce are relatively harmless as far as calories go, but you’d be very wrong. 

Unfortunately, savory sauces that really dress dishes up, especially if they are creamy or thick in nature, are usually havens for hidden calories that ultimately add a ton more calories to your bottom line at the end of the day, and don’t even add anything to fill you up, which is a double whammy.  Yes, many sauces and dressings are essentially like soda – empty calories! 

They may even increase your appetite as opposed to what our goal is to eat foods that naturally suppress our appetite and make us feel satiated.  Take one of my favorites, and admitted weakness – BBQ sauces.  BBQ sauce is laden in sugar, with a high sugar count and carb count to begin with, especially if it is a sweeter variety that adds honey.  So, essentially by adding this sauce to your meat, you are ensuring that you’ll be ravenous in a few hours, if that.

Couple that with another favorite and admitted weakness of mine, which is coleslaw, and you’ve got a three alarm fire on your hands when it comes to your appetite in the next hour or two.  We just had BBQ with sauce and also with coleslaw (this really is a delectable combo), but since the coleslaw was laden in creamy sweet, tangy sauce also, we were starving in about two hours, to the point of shaking.

Lesson here is that sauces are to be only eaten when they are considered a treat and you know you are eating badly.  It’s ok to eat badly once in while, just don’t make it a habit.  And, if you can, cut back on the dressings and sauces even when you do eat bad, and opt for more of a vinegar based sauce, something that’s not as creamy and that satiates rather than accelerates the blood sugar levels and appetite, acting as a natural appetite suppressant so you don’t over do it again in the very near future. 

If we eat the right foods, it actually makes our blood sugar regulate, much like the natural compounds in products like hoodia, which work by way of regulating blood sugar, one of the key components in regulating the appetite, and even staving off excessive thirst – one of the hallmarks of diabetics (excessive thirst is a part of diabetes).   

A Healthy Colon and Weight Loss Goals

How important is a healthy colon as it relates to maintaining a healthy weight, and also being able to lose weight?  Well, it’s very important actually.  Your colon and your whole digestive system are the way out for toxic substances as well as excess fats, sugars and other toxins that build up in our body and cause excesses of fat stores, cellulite and other unsightly bulges and creases where we don’t want to see them, and if our colon or waste tracts are backed up or unable to process and eliminate correctly, our weight loss goals may be stopped dead in their tracks.

You’ve probably heard that phrase before that “death begins in the colon”, and while is may seem sensationalist (I know it did to me at first), it is actually true in many cases.  Most times people with stagnant colons and digestive health issues simply do not eat the right diet for their condition and they unknowingly (or perhaps knowingly in some cases) clog their system further, and irritates the linings in critical organs like the colon and intestines, making it more difficult to move toxic waste out efficiently.

A good herbal colon cleansing like the Bowtrol system (see the Bowtrol Colon Cleanser Review) is in order for anyone embarking on a weight loss goal, and that is because most people need one in the first place, and if they are to lose weight successfully and feel great doing it, they first need to make sure that they can get rid of all that excess stuff efficiently.

It is said that many times if we have highly efficient colons that we could successfully rid our bodies of the daily assaults we place on them with chemicals and preservatives in our foods, not to mention unhealthy, saturated fats and refined sugars.  And what about how we absorb the good stuff?  Well guess what, if your digestive system and colon are not in good shape, it inhibits the body’s absorption abilities, so those antioxidants your eating or drinking aren’t as able to be absorbed and do their good work in the body. 

So you see, colon cleansing it two fold, not only does it get rid of toxic materials that increase weight and make you feel icky, it also increases the absorbent abilities of the main organs of the body that are responsible for moving antioxidants and beneficial nutrients to where they need to go and be utilized. 

Relationships and Dieting

It would seem that husbands and wives would be the first people to be pleased when their spouses drop unwanted pounds.  Often, this is not the case.
In certain circumstances, when there is a signifigant change in body image, the reverse reaction can occur.  Spouses,as well as boyfriends and girlfriends, can feel uneasy when a dramatic change threatens the balance or feelings of security within a relationship.
When confronted with resentments over going to the gym or staying on your new low calorie eating habits, there are steps you can take to keep your relationship healthy.  First, keep your own personal resolve.  Don’t allow the comments to dissuade you from staying on track as you have to keep your physical health and longevity paramount.
Include your partner in some of your new physical activities.  This step is especially important if your partner is heavy.  Both you and your partner can sign up for a yoga class or for even more fun, dancing lessons.  You can take walks or start jogging or bicycle riding together.
Talk to your signifigant other about your determination to keep your body healthier to live longer without health problems.  Involve your partner with healthier food preparation and fitness tips.
Discuss the need for a positive encouraging environment for the sake of maintaining your new healthier appearance and for the health of the relationship.  If your signifigant other is too heavy, let them know, in a caring manner, that you would like to see them healthier and fit to keep an active lifestyle as you both age.

Sodium’s Influence on Diet

Gosh, I’d have to say that besides sugar and fat, salt is definitely one of my downfalls when it comes to my diet.  Even when I’m watching the sugars and the fats in my diet, I tend to salt my food more and use saltier seasonings to make up for the flavor I feel is lacking because I can’t use a lot of the “other bad stuff” in my food or recipes.  Salt is really tasty, let’s face it.  That’s why fast food tastes so good – it’s sodium content is usually out of control!

High sodium usually leads to high blood pressure which, among other things, can lead to increased risk of stroke, heart disease, and kidney disease and failure.  It can also make you retain lots of water, and that doesn’t make for a pretty sight – ladies can side with me on that one, since our hormones often make us retain a lot of water and seemingly gain weight overnight sometimes.  Water weight and water retention are one of the reasons that people with heart problems are often prescribed water pills that make them get rid of excess water retention.

So, what can excess sodium do to your diet and your body, respectively, and how can you better control the sodium intake in your diet to achieve greater health, and hopefully better blood pressure? 

Well, we do need SOME sodium in our diet.  It is essential to nerve function, and certain systems would shut down without this important mineral believe it or not.  However, studies have been done that show most Americans consume more than three times the recommended daily allowance of sodium (salt) in their diet. 

First of all, don’t salt your food, especially if the food has already been cooked with some salt or has been cooked with seasonings that contain sodium.  Or, of course if the food you are eating has a lot of naturally occurring sodium, then please do not salt your food.  This may seem really hard to do at first, believe me, if I had high blood pressure, I would greatly miss salting my food.  However, people I know who have stopped salting their food say that they actually grow accustomed to it without extra salt, and prefer it that way.

Read the sodium content on all of your food before you buy it in the store.  If there is an option, especially in canned veggies, make sure you buy the low sodium option instead of the regular canned veggies.  At fast food places, almost always opt for the burger without cheese and many condiments, as this is where much of the sodium comes in.  A salad at these places is the ideal choice actually, but if you have to, just take the cheese off and hold most condiments if possible. 

Laid Up? Take Advantage and Eat Less

I was inspired to write this post because I am, at the moment and for the past week, laid up.  What I mean by laid up is I can’t work out and I can’t be on my feet for very long at one time, let alone work out.  So, as a consequence, I’ve had to be sitting down a lot of the time (which I can’t stand, I’m used to working out) and I cannot stand for long periods of time, nor walk around for long periods of time.  Which puts a damper on two things – working out and holiday shopping! 

So, I really didn’t want to gain exponential amounts of weight because my physical activity is so limited for the next couple of weeks, and knew that although I might want to snack out of boredom, I would have to really watch my appetite. 

I’m going to try chewing the hoodia gum for a while so that my appetite is suppressed, although with the reduced activity my appetite is not out of control, I’d like to make sure my caloric intake is lower than usual so I can take advantage of this time I cannot move too much and maybe shrink my stomach a bit. 

Kill two birds with one stone, eh?  Anyways, that is the plan and after a week of being laid up it seems I havent’ gained much weight, I’ve just gotten more flabby because I can’t keep up on my muscle tone and strength training. 

Does Caffeine Boost Exercise and Calorie Burning?

There have seemed to be a few schools of thought on whether caffeine can help you burn calories or may actually foil your calorie burning capabilities, particularly if you exercise after a caffeine burst.  Well, which does it actually seem to be?  I know I myself prefer to workout without caffeine in my system, although there may be some residual caffeine in my system if I happen to be drinking a little cup of coffee or a caffeinated energy drink like FRS, the one that combines antioxidants with caffeine and vitamins for energy boosts.

The big thing about caffeine before working out, and the reason it was treated as something you should not do before you work out, is because it was thought to rush the dehydration process.  Not to mention the fact that exercising with caffeine in your system could affect your electrolytes balance, and make you feel fatigued before you normally would have without the caffeine during your workout, making your workout less intense as well as shorter, which we all know isn’t what you’re going for when trying to slim down and tone up with your exercise asipirations. 

The recent findings on whether caffeine truly is a detriment to your workout does not confirm what many suspected, that caffeine should be avoided before a workout, and actually proves the opposite.  It proved that caffeine actually boosts one’s performance many times during their workout, and enables people to actually workout longer than they normally could without caffeine in their system.

The people who headed up the study found that there is really no validity to avoiding caffeine prior to a workout and that the concerns of exercise experts that the person may experience increased dehydration and less ability to perform at peak levels during their workouts since most people in the study did not exhibit these characteristics after they had imbibed some sort of caffeinated drink.  Hmm….interesting!