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New York

Goal Setting

I’ve read all sorts of articles saying that the most sensible way to lose weight is to lose 1-2 pounds per week.  This translates into making only minor adjustments to how and what you eat.  That’s important because just the thought of “dieting” makes me hungry and depressed. The second part of the advice is to maintain or increase weight/resistance training so that you don’t lose muscle while you’re losing weight; you should try to reduce body fat only.

My idea is to cut down on calories but not so much that my body thinks it is starving and I end up as a yo-yo dieter.  Over the past few weeks, we’ve been eating more fruits and vegetables and reducing the number of snacks.  We’ve also been hiking, playing tennis and swimming.  My husband’s lost over 20 pounds!  I haven’t done as well although I am ahead of my 1 pound a week goal.  Happily, I am also down one dress size.

Under the Tools and Calculator tab, is a section called How much should you weigh?   The link brings you to the Fat2FitRadio.com  site.  They have a goal body weight calculator  that uses your body fat percentage and your lean body mass to gauge how much you should weigh.

The Fat2FitRadio.com site has a Calories and Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) Calculator.  This calculator establishes the baseline number of calories you should eat on a daily basis AND the number of calories that you should start eating today and for the rest of your life  (http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/).  It is astonishing how many much calories they suggest you eat versus almost everyone else (including Sparkpeople.com).

BMR is the minimum number of calories your body needs to consume so that it works correctly; you also need calories/energy so that your body can perform basic activities.

Here are some basic weight exercises you can do while watching TV:

  •  Biceps –  alternating bicep curl. A bicep curl is the standard bicep workout done with hand weights. Doing an alternated curl means you switch back and forth between your arms so that you get an even workout.
    • Stand with your feet apart and flat on the ground. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and let each hand hang down at your side with your palms facing in towards each other.
    • Raise your right dumbbell so that it reaches shoulder height by curling your forearm up towards your chest. The underside of your forearm should face up towards the sky.
    • While lowering the right dumbbell, begin to lift the left one up in the same manner. Avoid jerking your body backwards to help you lift the dumbbells. If you are doing this, your dumbbells are too heavy.
  • Biceps –  hammer grab.
    • Grab a dumbbell in each of your hands so that your palms face in towards your body. Hold your arms down by your sides.
    • Curl your arms and lift the dumbbells so that the tops of the dumbbells comes toward your shoulders. The inner side of your forearm should be facing side.
  • Triceps – two-arm tricep extension. This workout only uses one dumbbell. You can do this while standing or sitting.
    • Grasp one dumbbell with both of your hands and hold it behind your head. Your arms should be bent into right angles with your forearms running along the sides of your head so that the dumbbell is in the back of your head.
    • Extend your elbows and lift your forearms so that they are pointed vertically above your head with the dumbbell. Hold that position for a moment and then lower them back to the right angle position behind your head.
  • Triceps – triceps kickback.  Place your left knee and left hand on to the flat surface of either the bed or bench. Your right leg should be straight against the side of the bed or bench.
    • Hold a dumbbell with your right hand. Your upper arm should be running parallel to your body and your palm should be facing your body.
    • Extend your elbow so that the dumbbell lifts up towards your back. Hold the dumbbell up for a moment and then release it back down.
    • Switch so that your right knee and right hand are on the bed and extend your left tricep.
  • Shoulders – palms-in shoulder press.
    • Stand up, holding dumbbells in both hands. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder level. Your palms should be facing each other.
    • Extend your elbows until the come close to locking. The dumbbells should get raised straight into the air–hold them in this position for a moment.
    • Slowly lower your arms so that the dumbbells are back at shoulder level.
  • Shoulders – lateral raise. You can also do these while sitting but instead of holding the dumbbells in front of you, hold them down by your sides.
    • Hold a dumbbell in each hand and hold your hands in front of your hips. Your palms should be facing each other.
    • Lift your arms out to your sides until they are almost parallel with the ground. Hold them in this position for a moment and then release them back down to your hips.
  • Back – wide row exercise.  For this exercise, keep in mind that you should breathe out when lifting the dumbbells up, and breathe in when releasing them back into resting position.
    • Get into a squatting position by flexing your hips and knees. Hold one dumbbell in each hand so that your palms are facing your body. The dumbbells should start just below your knees.
    • Lift the dumbbells straight up so that your arms form right angles. You should not alter how your knees and hips are bent.
    • Hold the dumbbells up for a moment and then let them slowly drop back down into resting position.

 

Categories
New York

Fighting a Fatty Liver

A couple of years ago my doctor asked me how much alcohol I was drinking because my blood test came back with abnormal results.  I don’t drink very much or very often so i was surprised by the question.  It turns out that the most common disease in America is called NALFD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) or fatty liver, for short, and is a major risk factor for diabetes, heart attacks, and even cancer. It can progress to Non Alcoholic Steatohepatis (NASH), which causes liver inflammation and can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer in about 10% of those affected.

Fat and the liver: Though the exact effect of excess fat on the liver isn’t well understood, it appears to create problems on a spectrum. At the low and least harmful end, the liver may be able to perform its many functions even while it contains too much fat. However, once inflammation and swelling occur in the organ, scarring can result as the liver tries to heal itself. This is a hallmark symptom of liver injury in advanced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: collagen is laid down, and fibrosis or thickening of the liver tissue ensues. As the disease progresses, about 10% of cases will develop over the next ten years into the much more serious NASH, or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. NASH can lead to cirrhosis or hardening of the liver, liver failure, liver cancer, and death.

What causes it?  The high fructose corn syrup found in our processed foods is the single biggest cause of fatty liver. Soda, which, frighteningly, is the number one source of calories in the American diet, is the biggest cause of fatty liver.

Who gets non-alcoholic fatty liver disease? Though the exact causes of NAFLD are not known, most of the people who develop it are obese, have type 2 diabetes or have metabolic syndrome, which is associated with insulin resistance. What’s more, the severity of NAFLD increases with the degree of obesity, and abdominal or belly fat seems to increase the risk of dangerous NASH, even in patients with a body mass index (BMI) in a normal range.

Genetic factors influence each individual component of the syndrome, and the syndrome itself. A family history that includes type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and early heart disease greatly increases the chance that an individual will develop the metabolic syndrome.

Environmental issues such as low activity level, sedentary lifestyle, and progressive weight gain also contribute significantly to the risk of developing the metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is present in about 5% of people with normal body weight, 22% of those who are overweight and 60% of those considered obese. Adults who continue to gain five or more pounds per year raise their risk of developing metabolic syndrome by up to 45%.

While obesity itself is likely the greatest risk factor, others factors of concern include:

  • Women who are post-menopausal
  • Smoking
  • Eating an excessively high carbohydrate diet
  • Lack of activity (even without weight change)

How do you know if you have it?

There are blood tests available that can detect a fatty liver. You can also see it on an ultrasound. And if your test comes back abnormal, you are in trouble. But even if your test comes back normal, you might not be out of the woods. It’s important to know that a liver function test doesn’t always detect a fatty liver. An ultrasound can be more sensitive.

The bottom line is, if you eat a lot of sugar and flour, if you have a little bit of belly fat, or if you crave carbs, starch, and sugar, you probably have this.

How to fix your fatty liver

The most promising treatments for NAFLD are weight loss (including bariatric surgery) and exercise. There are some really simple things you can do:

  • Cut out all high fructose corn syrup from your diet. If you see it on any label for any product—whether it’s a salad dressing or ketchup or tomato sauce—don’t eat it.
  • Reduce or eliminate starch. Get rid of white, processed flour. Even whole grain flours can be a problem.
  • Add some good things to your diet to help heal your fatty liver. Add plenty of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Add lean animal protein like chicken and fish. Add good oils like olive oil, macadamia nut oil, avocados, coconut butter, and fish oil. Good fats like these are anti-inflammatory, and they help repair your liver.
  • Improve your metabolism through exercise. This is a fabulous way to improve insulin resistance and reduce fatty liver.
  • Supplements:  Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA’s), can be helpful. Omega 3 fish oils have been shown to reduce fatty infiltration on ultrasound, and they’re also anti-inflammatory and reduce insulin resistance. A recent study used Cinnamon (1500mg) to treat NALFD and found that liver enzymes improved (as well as blood sugar, lipids and inflammation markers).

More information:

On a lighter note (pun intended) I really like doing the online Body Age quizzes. A thorough one (which incidentally gave me a happy analysis) can be found at: http://www.biological-age.com.

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Calories Fitness Home New York Tools Weight

Using The Tools on This Site

I wanted to revisit all the Fitness tools and Calculators included on this site.  I had mixed results but the bottom line is that my tummy must be trimmed down. Stepping through the main page, we have the:

  • Body Fat Calculator  from http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bf/  The formula provided will not calculate your exact body fat percentage but should give you a consistent measurement you can use as a guideline and determine if you’re losing body fat and/or muscle. Oddly, the calculation says I have body fat percentage is 27.4%.  My scale tells me it is 39%. I think I’m measuring something incorrectly.

    From http://www.fat2fitradio.com/
    Fat 2 Fit #144 – New Measurements Of Success Written on March 3, 2013 – 12:00 am | by Helana Brigman

Looking at this photo, I’m sadly inclined to believe my scale.

  •  How much should you weigh?  Inputting 39% body fat into the Fat 2 Fit Tool, the ideal weight for my age with 35% body fat is 168 pounds.  That seems doable.
  • Calories and Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) –  Fat 2 Fit Tools advocates eating like the thin, healthy person that you want to become. The calorie levels in the chart are not extreme, but  create that all important caloric deficit that is required to get you to your goal weight in a safe manner.  Based on my goal weight of 168 and assuming light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week,  the tool suggests a daily caloric intake of 2005! As I get closer to my goal weight, my weight loss will start to slow down. It is OK to eat a few hundred calories less per day (200-300) to speed up your weight loss at this point.
  • Covert Bailey Body Fat Calculation – The formulas in this body fat calculation are based on the Covert Bailey book The Ultimate Fit or Fat. The formula does not calculate your exact body fat percentage but should give you a consistent measurement you can use as a guideline and determine if you’re losing body fat and/or muscle.  Again, this weirdly gave me a body fat percentage of 27.8%.  This is not right.
  • Waist to Hip Ratio – Carrying extra weight around your middle, indicated by a high waist to hip ratio, increases health risks associated with obesity.  This tool tells me my Waist to Hip ratio is: 0.93.  Anything over 0.85 signifies a high health risk!
  • Waist to Height Ratio – The waist to height ratio is the best predictor of cardiovascular risk and mortality. My Waist to Height Ratio is 58.3%.  According to the tool, a ratio 54 to 58 means “Seriously Overweight” and a ratio over 58 means “Highly Obese“. That’s not good.
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Diet Fitness New York Weight

Photos are Worth a Thousand Words

From http://www.fat2fitradio.com/
From http://www.fat2fitradio.com/
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Calories Diet Entertainment Exercise Fitness Museum New York Reference Links

High Fructose Corn Syrup is Bad

I went to see Yayoi Kusama’s Fireflies on the Water at the Whitney Museum. [http://whitney.org/Exhibitions/FirefliesOnTheWater]  It was absolutely amazing.  The exhibit is a small room that only one person may enter at a time.  The museum staff will open the door after one minute.  The sensation is surreal.  You stand upon a small platform surrounded by still water in a mirrored room full of tiny lights.  The space appears to go on forever; the water on the ground is never completely still so its reflection throughout the room means there’s movement around you as well.  I could have happily stayed inside for quite a bit longer.

Yayoi Kusama’s Fireflies on the Water
Yayoi Kusama’s Fireflies on the Water

From the Whitney Museum site: Kusama’s Fireflies on the Water (2002)—with its carefully constructed environment of lights, mirrors, and water—is one of the outstanding examples of this kind of installation, which creates a space in which individual viewers are invited to transcend their sense of self.

 

 

During lunch, my friend and I discussed healthier eating and the dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup.  Here is some info that I found:

In 2010, a Princeton University research team demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.

In addition to causing significant weight gain in lab animals, long-term consumption of high-fructose corn syrup also led to abnormal increases in body fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called triglycerides. The researchers say the work sheds light on the factors contributing to obesity trends in the United States. ….

Read the entire article:  http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/

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Not everyone agrees that High Fructose corn syrup is any worse for you than regular sugar.  Here’s an excerpt from a MayoClinic.com article about high-fructose corn syrup with some suggestions:

Some research studies have linked consumption of large amounts of any type of added sugar — not just high-fructose corn syrup — to such health problems as weight gain, dental cavities, poor nutrition, and increased triglyceride levels, which can boost your heart attack risk… Recommendations from the American Heart Association — not a part of official U.S. dietary guidelines — say that most American women should consume no more than 100 calories a day from added sugar from any source, and that most American men should consume no more than 150 calories a day from added sugar, and that even less is better. That’s about 6 teaspoons of added sugar for women and 9 for men.

It’s prudent to consume any added sugar only in moderation. Consider these tips to cut back:

  • Avoid sugary, nondiet sodas. Drink water or other unsweetened beverages instead.
  • Choose breakfast cereals carefully. Although healthy breakfast cereals can contain added sugar to make them more appealing to children, skip the non-nutritious, sugary and frosted cereals.
  • Eat fewer processed and packaged foods, such as sweetened grains like cookies and cakes and some microwaveable meals.
  • Snack on vegetables, fruit, low-fat cheese, whole-grain crackers, and low-fat, low-calorie yogurt instead of candy, pastries and cookies

Read the entire MayoClinic.com article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fructose-corn-syrup/AN01588

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There is a Wiki page on How to Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup.  It notes that.. “the average American eats an astounding 41.5 lbs of high fructose corn syrup per year.”

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Calories Diet Exercise Fitness Kickboxing New York Reference Links sports

Suggested Calorie Intake

According to the Fat2FitRadio.com page, my suggested calorie intake is pretty generous.  Very generous compared to what my trainer tells me I should be eating.  It’s clear that my diet is really poor but baby steps is where I am starting.  My first resolution is to cut out High Fructose Corn Syrup from my diet.

Activity Level    Daily Calories

  • Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job)   1664
  • Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 1907
  • Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2150
  • Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2393
  • Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 2635

Based on how much activity you do on an average day, the calories in the right column will be the number of calories that you will be able to eat at your goal weight. If you start eating those calories right now (eating like the thinner you), you will eventually become that thinner person. As you get closer to your goal weight, your weight loss will start to slow down. It is OK to eat a few hundred calories less per day (200-300) to speed up your weight loss at this point.