BAI, The New BMI

Ever thought that the BMI (Body Mass Index) calculation did not accurately reflect whether you are at a healthy weight? I have definitely felt this way. Now, after 200 years of using BMI, enter BAI (Body Adiposity Index) into the picture. What is "adiposity" you say? The root word, adipose, means "of or relating to animal fat," according to Merriam-Webster (https://www.m-w.com/).

BMI uses a ratio of your height and weight, while BAI your height and hip measurements to calculate whether you are in a healthy range or not. BAI requires advanced math, but, of course, there are already online calculators available. A large study of Mexican-Americans and African Americans have confirmed the calculation to date. Now, other races and ethnic groups are being studied to confirm BAI's accuracy.

And, of course, there is already a BAI app for the iPhone available.

Where we are

I did not quite make it down by 3.5 pounds before my vacation, only .5 pounds. Luckily, I managed not to gain pounds on my vacation. This was probably due to a lot of walking around, running after and carrying my little one, and eating much lighter dinners here and there to balance out very heavy breakfasts and lunches that are traditional.


I am still working on the last few pounds and trying to do things to keep up my energy. It is tough taking care of a little one, working full time, and keeping a home organized! Need a lot of energy!

My current plan is to eat a lot of vitamin rich foods (like veggies), get a little bit more structured exercise, and make sure I am getting enough sleep.

The "New" Food Pyramid

USDA just released a new food pyramid... a plate with a cup. The pyramid is out the window. While there has been criticism already in the news on the new image and guidelines due to their simplicity, I think the new image and guidelines are a step in the right direction. The visual is straight forward and easy to follow.

Some critics have said that it doesn't reflect the actual guidance on how much protein, for example, a person should eat. However, I think that if the US ate anything near the image, we would probably be in a much better place!

Progress...Months Later

So, I just have 3.5 pounds left to lose, down from 12, when I first posted. This is about 1 pound per week to lose before I go on vacation.... Want to get beach body ready!

Long Time No Talk...

Okay, so it has been a long time since I last posted! This is due, in part, to the carrying of and eventual arrival of my Wee One in the fall. One handed typing makes me a little batty, so I have avoided it for the most part since the Wee One was born.

I don't really believe in New Years resolutions, but I do think it is a good time of the year to take a step back and think about where I am and where I want to be in the future.

As far as health goals, I am looking to drop my remaining pregnancy pounds, which are somewhere between 12 and 15. I haven't weighed myself since returning late last night from a vacation, so will need to do that soon to know exactly how many I want to lose. This time around, I will be exploring how to do exercises with a Wee One in tow and now also have to avoid milk products.

Extreme Eating

An article came out today on extreme calorie meals... and I have to admit to eating one of these...

Extreme Eating 2010

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?

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.

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?

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

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.

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

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.

The Enemy in Fast Food: Corn

It turns out that corn is in almost all fast food meals. An article that came out this week highlighted that out of hundreds of samples, only 12 were not traced back to corn. Yikes. For someone allergic to corn like me, the article is a nice reminder to avoid fast food meals.

Skinniest Counties

I found a ranking of the skinniest counties in the US! I may have mentioned my interest in obesity broken out by geography in a previous post.

What surprised me the most about this list is that I have lived in 3 of the 25 skinniest counties and would not have guessed that!

CNNMoney.com Best Places to Live - Skinniest

Last Week's Review

This post is a bit late... I went from Houston for work to an out-of-town outing with the family for the long holiday weekend within 36 hours. I ended the week last week quite a bit over plan. Around 1000 over. I had a lot of work lunches and dinners out, and did not do super hot in moderating my food intake. I missed my weigh-in, too. Here is the review:

Sunday:
Coffee with agave nectar
Rice cereal w/rice milk
banana
Toast with cheese
Olives
Cheese Snack
Mashed Turnips
Aubergine with lamb
Wine

Monday:
Coffee with half and half
Rice cereal w/rice milk
Banana
Ropa vieja with rice and black beans
Grapes, bit of cheese

Tuesday:
Coffee with agave nectar
Oats with raisins
fruit (Papaya, berries, banana)
Rice, etouffee, pickles, cheese
Cucumber salad, Mozzarella & Tomato salad, marinated mushrooms, hummus, wee bit of manchego cheese
Banana
Chocolate

Wednesday:
Coffee with half and half
Oats
Fruit
BBQ with beans
Bacardi and Diet Coke
Sushi
Sliced sirloin
Dessert
Wine

Thursday:
Coffee with half and half
Oats
Banana
Vegetarian Southwest Salad
Carpaccio with salad greens
Seafood risotto
Sample of desserts
Wine
Chocolate

Friday:
Coffee with agave nectar
Rice cereal with rice milk
Bread with Cheese Spread
Sliced tomato with salt
Vegetarian Green Curry Eggplant
Banana Custard

Saturday:
Coffee with agave nectar
Mixed green salad with sliced turkey
Watermelon
Sliced beef
Souffle with okra and squash
Bake with heart of palm
Wine

Exercise:
Sunday: Ran 3 miles, walked 3 miles
Monday: Walked 45 minutes
Tuesday: 30 minutes stationary bike, 30 minutes strength
Friday: Walked 2 miles
Saturday: Walked 2 miles & Strength

Fessing Up!

Okay. I admit it. I put up a post about how tracking food is good and how it works for me... and then I don't track my food for two weeks while traveling.

Even though I am traveling again this week in hurricane territory, I am back to tracking my food and exercise. I had a weight reversal (regaining a couple of the pounds of my mysterious three pound loss a couple of weeks ago), but am back on track. You may yell at me or provide encouragement. :)

Food Diaries = 2x Weight Loss

My mother passed an interesting article to me this morning. The article noted a study where the impact of keeping a food diary led to double the weight loss of not keeping a food diary.

Keep a Food Diary, Lose Twice as Much Weight

You can probably tell from my previous posts that I am pretty religious about keeping a food diary and tracking my calories. It worked the first time I dropped pounds, and, hopefully, it will get me to the finish line.