Getting Cardio with Injured Knees

I found a short, but good Q&A on how to get in cardio exercise with knees that aren't quite up to snuff. A few of my family members are currently experiencing knee challenges.

How can I get cardio exercise if my knees are damaged?

Key recommendations:

• You can break up the cardio you get into smaller chunks
• Try swimming, cycling or other sports that take the weight off your knees
• Don't just think about traditional exercises. Cleaning the house and gardening count, too.
• Keep up strength training

• 

A Conversation on Staying Healthy

A nice conversation between Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Jillian Michaels on staying fit at 40. Light on content, but a nice little conversation. (Not that I am 40, but I am busy... one of the topics discussed quickly).

Conversation on Staying Healthy

1 Week Challenge

My mother has initiated another throw down, and a book is the prize at the end of the week. 100 sit ups and 20 push ups every day for the next week. My sister and cousin, L, are joining in, too.

Anyone else want to join in?

Simplifying Life

Some people, myself included, can gain weight when under stress. While there have been many articles on how to reduce weight gain related to stress, a friend posted a link to a nice article on simplifying life. Thought I would share the key highlights from the article "How to Live A Better Life with Less:"

Do Less
Have Less
Produce Less
Consume Less
Connect Online Less
Connect with others, and your passions, more
Edit, edit

Be Optimistic, Live Longer!

A new study came out that shows that optimistic women live longer. A quote from a study author:

"'Taking into account income, education, health behaviors like [controlling] blood pressure and whether or not you are physically active, whether or not you drink or smoke, we still see optimists with a decreased risk of death compared to pessimists,' says Dr. Hilary Tindle, lead author of the study."

Keep the hope alive! You'll live longer!

4 by 4 Results (A Bit Late)

A very late run down of the 4x4 week results. Overall, none of us managed to lose 4 pounds in 4 weeks, but two of us did decrease our weight. The Mother was down 1 pound overall (super given how much she has lost already), and I lose 2.5 pounds.

Onward and always positive... !

Week 1 of 4

On Wednesday's weigh in, the results were:
Me = Down 1 pound
My sis = Up 1/2 a pound
Mom = Up 2 pounds

Just a few weeks to go.

Healthy Vacations

This is the perfect time of the year to put in my two cents on healthy vacations. My mother, sister, and I managed to have a relatively healthy vacation last year near Gulf Shores, Alabama, by renting a condo where we could prepare most of our own meals. We did eat out some (must enjoy the local fare!) and did stop once at an ice cream shop, but those outings were well balanced against the rest of our meals. We also made sure we got in walks/runs on the beaches.

The trickiest part of managing my food, now that I am not traveling Monday through Thursday for my project, is when I go to the in-laws' river house on the weekend. They are always preparing yummy food, and the hardest part is moderation. I definitely need to make sure I am not treating my weekend trips there as vacations from healthy eating!

I came across an article on America's healthiest beach and lake getaways, for those of you who head toward American waters for holidays.

iPhone Weight Loss Tool - A Secret Weapon

One of my weight loss weapons in the 4 pounds 4 weeks bet, is a free application I downloaded on my iPhone. The app, called "Lose It!," automatically tracks calories and exercise against a weight loss goal of your choosing. The app calculates calories for foods in its large database, has some brand name foods, will track calories burned in a day, and will estimate your daily calorie needs based on your weight loss goals. It also allows you to enter your weight each day and makes a nice little weekly chart of your weight loss.

Lose It! has been very easy to use so far, and it may become my secret weapon in winning this bet with my mom and my sister who is now joining in the fun. (My sister has an iPhone, too, so she may try to find an even better app to try to beat us out.)

4 Pound, 4 Weeks

It's on. Again. My mother, sister, and I have bet: 4 pounds in 4 weeks. Who would like to join us?

The Obesity Numbers Are In!

I love the time of year when the new obesity numbers by state are released. Mississippi is still the fattest state, with a 32.5 percent rate of adult obesity.

The report: F as in Fat 2009

The report does note some positive trends in policies enacted by states, including more states with nutritional standards for school lunches and required screening for child obesity.

This report also notes that the current economic recession may exacerbate our health/weight issues due to an expected rise in food costs, increasing rates of uninsured and unemployed, and stress.

20 Pounds!

Well, even if I haven't lost 20 pounds, my mother has! Woohoo! Great job, Mom! She is on track to lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks.

I Got It from My Momma

Understanding the Body

An interesting article came out in the Wall Street Journal called What Your Body Is Telling You. It talks about symptoms to watch, such as white nails near the cuticle that are red/brown near the top. Fun article... but not one for hypochondriacs.

Top Foods to Buy Organic

One of my reasons for buying organic - pesticides are originally derived from nerve gas agents used in WWII. Why would I ingest remnants of nerve gas agents? That cannot be good for a body.

CNN.com has an article by CookingLight on How to buy the best organic foods. The article mentions a study that found organic foods may contain more nutrients than their non-organic peers. The most useful item from the article, was a link to a myrecipes.com article on the top 12 foods to buy organic (because of the high-levels of pesticides they absorb). The 12 foods are:

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Lettuce
9. Grapes
10. Pears
11. Spinach
12. Potatoes

Exercising with Pets

I love taking long walks and running with my dog. I especially like it when he breaks into a game of "Chase me" randomly along our walks. I came across a cute article on CNN that talks about exercising with animals... This article goes a bit further than my pup and I go, in terms of working out together. It talks about people who lift cats as weights and doga (yoga with your dog). I will admit my dog does like to try to do yoga with me, when I am working out at home.

A Little Mercury with Your Corn Syrup?

My grandmother sent along interesting link from elements4health.com. (Yes, my grandmother is still cooler than your grandmother.)

A quote from the article: "Just published in the Environmental Health journal is a science commentary reporting that mercury was found in 9 of 20 samples of commercial high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a common sweetener of foods and beverages."

Corn syrup is one of my life enemies. I mean this literally, because I am allergic to corn and because corn syrup is everywhere. I am constantly finding it in items that have no need for corn syrup (or any other sweetener). Also scary from the article mentioned above, is that it lists that a specific type of oatmeal is high in mercury, too.

Tops for Gluten-free Bread

I found a new gluten-free bread brand that is so good, even my husband asks me to buy it so he can sneak a roll out of the freezer every once in a while. A company called Against the Grain Gourmet has mastered making gluten-free pizza crusts, rolls, and baguettes. Their foods also exclude corn and soy, key for me.

These bread products have a lot of calories due to containing cheese, but wow do they taste yummy! Their pizza crusts are super easy to throw a topping on and pop in the oven. So far my favorite pizza toppings include:

• A little tomato sauce
• Fresh baby spinach
• Halved cherry tomatoes
• Mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese

10 Pounds, 10 Weeks

My mom is still kicking it. She has lost a total of 17 pounds this year. She is now setting a goal of losing 10 pounds in 10 weeks. She is also changing her focus to getting stronger by eating right and exercising. Weight loss will be a side benefit. Fantastic attitude, if you ask me.

She is pushing me to get a personal trainer, like her. I think I may stick with taking yoga classes. I finally started on a local project a week ago and will be working in town for the next three months. That means that I can take yoga lessons during the week! A luxury.

My mom is now up to walking/running an average of 3 miles. Great progress! This week her exercise included:

• Walking on Monday
• Core training Tuesday
• Walking after work Wednesday
• Thursday core training
• A long walk this weekend

Working Too Much and Weight Gain

My grandmother sent me the link to an interesting article. (That's right. My grandmother is more tech savvy than your grandmother.) The article highlights a study that found that 1) more than 40 hours per week and 2) work fatigue lead to weight gain.

These findings are completely in line with my own experiences. I find I tend to gain weight and/or hold weight I want to get rid of when I am working a lot of hours (tends to be steady-state for my job). This is especially the case when I am travelling.

The article notes four suggestions for avoiding weight gain:

1. "Take a break from your television"
2. "Simplify and consolidate"
3. "Evaluate your work schedule and tasks"
4. "Take a good hard look at your job"

#1, check. I don't watch too much television... perhaps, it is the Internet I need to stay away from... The other suggestions are worth consideration.

Keeping up with Mom

Motherly update: My mom is keepin' on in her effort to lose weight. She lost 4.5 pounds in 5 weeks (through last week). This week, she didn't lose any weight, but did lose 1/2 an inch off of her thighs. I think she is convincing my sister to take her on in her next challenge. Go mom!

Fat People Are Worse for the Environment

I came across an article today, that struck me as funny (perhaps it is because the title is similar to mine above). The conclusion of the article on CNN.com is that overweight people are worse for the environment because they cause higher fuel usage in transport.

To Toast With a Glass of Wine or Not?

A very good summary article came out today, discussing some of the confusing messages about whether wine is good for your health or not. Key points included that drinking wine may:

• Improve your overall health


• Lead to liver disease


• Increase women's chances of breast cancer


• Lower your chances of heart disease


• Increase your "good" cholesterol


• Be better to drink when you are older


• Increase your blood pressure


• Cause dementia (heavy drinking)


• Decrease the risk of dementia (lighter drinking)

I enjoy drinking wine, and find this article pretty concisely lays out what has been presented in the media in recent years. However, it doesn't really come to a definitive conclusion. That is for us to do, thankfully.

Rolling on...

My mother, as always, is an inspiration. Her report this week included:

• She lost two more pounds and is down to a 14 pound total weight loss so far.


• She's still counting my calories and working out, including hiking and walking at the zoo near her work.


• She has one week left and one pound to go to reach her goal of 5 pounds in 5 weeks.

Daily Red Meat Consumption

A new study came out that indicates that daily red meat consumption increases a person's chance of death. The study also indicates that eating white meat (chicken, fish) has lower chances of death. Some of the articles on the same study suggest eating lentils or other legumes, which appear to the have the opposite affect, instead of meat.

Want to Live Longer? Cut Back on Red Meat

Mom Won the Bet!

In Summary:

Mom lost a whopping 11.5 pounds since we started the bet and increased the duration and consistency of her workouts each week. Go mom!

I lost a respectable 4 pounds total, but ... did not nearly reach my goal, so I will have to pony up the dough. The bet definitely made me be better about exercising when I travel and was fun. Would recommend it, even to those who lose.

My mom is now urging other members of the family to get healthy, too, and she is setting a great example! She is going to continue losing weight over the next few months, so I will keep track of her on my blog.

Men vs. Women in Weight Loss

There is a nice summary of differences between men and women in dieting, and what they can learn from each other in Newsweek.

Why Guys Diet Differently

The summary includes that men tend to lose weight better through competitions and can say "no" to trouble foods more easily. Women are smarter about nutrition.

It Is The Calories, Stupid!

A new study came out on the effectiveness of various weight loss regimens. The conclusion is that multiple types of diets can work, so long as the dieter watches their calories. I didn't find this study particularly profound, but it does go to show that there are different diets that can work for individuals and their personal preferences.

In 4-Diet Study, All Lost Weight if They Watched Their Calories

Shooting for the Stars

My mom is definitely ignoring the moon and is shooting for the stars. She hit 10 pounds of weight loss today! Congrats, mom! You rock! She has even kicked her exercise up another notch. Wow!

My mom has decided now to keep on going and to try to match me on losing 1 pound per week for the 5 weeks of March. I have 5 pounds left, having dropped a pound last week. I won't have a weigh-in for another two weeks or so, because I am traveling (even through the weekends) for the next week and a half.

Some Catching Up to Do

There are 5 weeks left in our bet, and I have 6 pounds go to. My mom has only 3.5 pounds left. I have some catching up to do.

Overall, my mom and I have been stymied in our weight loss for the last two weeks. She, however, has been kicking up the exercise a notch and may come in with a super drop surprise at some point soon.

A cold got me down last week, but I am feeling better this week and walked for over an hour yesterday and today, and did some strength training. My mother reported that she has started to even throw a little bit of running into her exercise. Go, Mom!

Not the Best Week

Last week mom stayed steady. She had the flu, unfortunately.

I went up 1.5 pounds. Yikes. I did get in my exercise.

I am starting this week off on a much better foot and am rapidly hoping to turn things around. :)

Weight Loss Blogs

Mom's favorite weight loss blogs:

theantijared.blogspot.com

zeusmeatball.blogspot.com

mcc394.blogspot.com

My only comment on my mom's favorites, is that they are all men's blogs! Where are the women?!

Strategic Grocery Shopping

I received a request for tips on how to have enough healthy food at home to last through a work week. Here is my shopping strategy (when I am not traveling for work):

1. Figure out my meals for the entire week.
2. Check that planned meals meet my fruit and veggie quota.
3. Count the number of snacks I will need (e.g. 5 fruits, 7 yogurts for snacks, small bag of carrots and hummus).
4. Make a grocery list.
5. Go shopping at least once a week, with the list. Make it quick, just going to what I need.
6. Prepare meals as much in advance as possible, including pre-packing lunches and dinners for the week (such as on Sunday).

In my opinion two well-planned trips in two weeks is better than one long trip once every two weeks. The more often you shop, the more fresh food you are likely to have. I started to do more frequent grocery shopping while I lived in France. My husband is also good about picking up food for dinner on the way home if there was a gap in the planning.

For a second opinion, try this article on 10 Tips for Healthy Grocery Shopping.

Mom Is Kickin' Butts and Not Takin' Names

Mom lost a whopping 2.5 more pounds this week! She is down a total of 6 pounds already. She fit in her exercise, but she may not hit 3 workouts this week due to a virus that is keeping her down.

I maintained my weight this week. I am pretty proud of myself for fitting in my four workouts, when I worked an outrageous number of hours between Monday and Friday.

I have 10 weeks left to lose 6 pounds. Mom is making me nervous... she has just 4 pounds more to go.

Counting Calories: Mom's Weight Loss Weapon

One of my mom's weight loss weapons is counting calories. She uses the tool available at caloriecount.about.com.

Drop It Like It's Hot!

Me: Lost 2 pounds total (one last week). I worked out every day last week that I was at the hotel, even when I had to wake up well before the sun did to fit in a workout.

Mom: Lost 3.5 pounds total (3 pounds last week!). My mom completed 1 hour core training, 30 minutes of core training, and did sit-ups/push-ups most nights. She also got in a walk in her new shoes at the zoo. She's dropping it like it's hot.

Hoping to keep up the weight loss and exercise, even though my travel schedule is starting to wear on me again. My fourth week of travel in a row... with many more to come.

Eating with Your Stomach

CNN.com has a short article reminding dieters to eat with our stomachs, rather than our eyes. Eating with our eyes can lead to overeating.

Eating with Your Stomach, Not Your Eyes

Match-up: Mom Bests Me

This week, I maintained my weight, and my mom dropped .5 lbs. She has remained good about exercise, and I will have gotten in my 4 days of 30 minutes a week by the end of the day today.

Fast, Safe Weight Loss

If you are kick-starting your year with a diet, I came across a good, down-to-earth article on what it takes to lose weight rapidly and safely.

Lose Weight Fast: How to Do It Safely

The bottom line is that you really have to cut back on calories (not below 1050/day), and you will have to exercise at least an hour every day. It can result, depending on your current weight in 3-5 or more pounds of weight loss per week.

Week 1: Me Versus My Mom

Week 1: I came out a bit ahead of my mom on weight loss, but she stepped up on exercise.

Me: -1 lb
Mom: +.5 pound

But she did an awesome job, kicking up the exercise and improving her calorie intake. She worked out 3 times, including working in a 30 minute walk at the zoo and a one hour hike. Bravo!

I ate pretty well, until the weekend. I also worked out at the hotel gym three mornings in a row (a record in the past two years!) and got in a 40 minute run and a couple of long walks with my pup. I am tracking my workouts in http://www.presidentschallenge.com/, because I have trouble remembering when I worked out with my hectic travel schedule (every week in Houston, Monday through Thursday).

I think we are both on the right path to not have to owe each other the $150 we bet.

Obesity and 3 Degrees of Separation

How Your Friends' Friends Can Affect Your Mood

Health Tips for Busy People

I came across a great little list of health tips for busy people.

Experts Reveal Health Secrets for Busy People

My mother and I might have to employ a few of these tactics to help us reach our goals!

Betting on Weight Loss

It's on. My mother and I have put $150 each on the table to work toward our weight loss goals. This bet was sparked by an earlier post on this blog.

Goals

Mom -

10 pound loss

Exercise at least 3 days per week for 30 minutes/day

Me -

8 pound loss

Exercise at least 4 days per week for 30 minutes/day

Due Date

March 29, 2009

If one of us doesn't meet our goal, we have to pay up to the other participant. Weight loss goals were determined by current weight and level of fitness.