6/25/10
Why is it so hard to lose the last 5 pounds?
This is the last question in a series of "5 key questions about weight loss" from Time magazine. You can read the previous ones listed below:
- Why does it get hard to lose weight as you age?
- What kind of exercise is best for me?
- Why doesn't exercise help you lose weight?
- Do diet sodas make you gain weight?
The last question in the 5 key questions is "Why is it so hard to lose those last 5 to 10 pounds?"
Time's answer is that the bigger you are, the more calories you burn. Therefore, with the more weight you lose, the fewer calories you are burning and the more you have to work to burn the calories.
That answer is true, for sure, but there is more to the story. In my opinion, there are a few combined reasons why those last few pounds are hard to lose.
First off, you do burn fewer calories as you get smaller. You burn less through living, and also less in your activities. For example, if I am 5'4 and weigh 140lbs, my basal metabolic rate would be around 1452. This means that even if I were to stay in bed all day long and mope about, I would burn 1452 calories throughout the day just by being alive. Things like hair and nail growth, breathing, heart beating, etc, all take calories in order to function, so I would burn 1452. Now if I were that same 5'4 female, but I lost weight and now weigh 115, my BMR would be around 1343. Even though my body still needs to do all the things that it did before, because it is smaller now it burns less energy through these processes. So that approximately 110 calories per day won't be a deal breaker, but equates to around one pound a month that you were losing before that you aren't losing now.
The second part of this is that your calories burned during exercise change as you lose weight. Just like your body expends less energy by simply living, it also expends less energy through exercise, because you aren't moving as much weight. For example, a 155 pound person running 5.2 mph (11.5 minute miles) for an hour would burn around 633 calories. That same person, once they lost some weight and got down to 130 pounds would burn around 530 calories doing the exact same exercise at the same speed. Again, this 100 calorie difference isn't going to be a make or break difference, but if you combine these two ideas, you are burning 200 calories less per day, which would have been a pound of weight loss every 17-18 days that you aren't having now.
The third part of this equation is that people often try to lose the last 5-10 pounds by starving off, which is not only unhealthy, but also not effective. If you are a fan of Jillian Michaels and read her books or listen to her podcasts at all, you'll know this information already, but bear with me. For someone that is drastically overweight, your body wants to get rid of the excess weight. Therefore, if you are overweight and cut down to 1200 calories per day and exercise, you'll lose weight because your body will dive into the fat stores that you have and burn them for energy. On the other hand, if you are near your healthy weight for your body, your body doesn't want to get rid of that extra fat. There hasn't always been a grocery store every mile, so our bodies have evolved to store fat for a little extra energy when food is scarcer. With a few extra pounds on you, your body is happy because it has a little safety net. So if you start to starve yourself in order to get rid of those last few pounds, your body is really going to think food is scarce, and hold onto those fat stores like there is no tomorrow. Physiologically speaking, we don't need muscle in the same vital way that we need fat, so if your body fears that it is starving it will begin to burn up your expendable muscle tissue, and hold onto the fat to keep you functioning.
All that being said to point out that as you approach the last 5-10 pound realm, you need to eat! I've heard Jillian Michaels say multiple times that to lose those last few pounds the best thing to do is to eat around your BMR level (you can calculate that here) and make the calorie deficit through exercise alone so that you won't end up starving your body.
The final part of the 5-10 pound equation is setting realistic goals. Sometimes, people have trouble losing those last 5-10 pounds because they have set their goals at an unrealistic number for their height, build, or age (here is a chart that shows a range for each height). If your goal is unrealistic, you are going to feel like a constant failure as you struggle to starve yourself thinner (see #3 above). Often times, I've heard people say that as you approach your goal weight, it is better to weigh yourself less and focus more on your body composition and how you feel/look in your clothes. It can get very discouraging and unhealthy to focus so much on a number, so just try to see how you are feeling and if you really even need to lose those last few pounds.
I hope you have enjoyed my take on Time's answers to the 5 key questions about weight loss. Leave me a comment if you have any more questions, as I would love to answer them! I know this site is mostly about healthy life choices relating to food, but often times weight loss does go hand in hand with working toward a healthy lifestyle, so I wanted to touch on that aspect as well.
Link Mashup - Great Reads of the Week
Here are some great reads of the week, as well as a rundown of what we've been talking about over here at Just Add Lauren this week. Life has been pretty hectic for me (hence the lack of updates yesterday!) but I promise there will be more to come this weekend and next week!
Great Reads:
Kitchen Stewardship - Why I Chose Raw Milk - I'm still not there yet, and haven't chosen raw milk for my family as of now, but I think her argument is thorough and interesting. I also like that she is always non-judgmental in explanation of things, and states that this is a personal choice for each to make for them and their family.
Easy Breakfast From Scratch - I am always looking for new ideas, and since breakfast is my favorite meal of the day (by far!) this one was especially applicable to me.
Freezing Kale - great idea to preserve your summer harvest! Also goes really well with this week's Try It Out Tuesday - Leafy Greens!
Bidding Farewell to the Microwave Oven - something I've considered doing myself, and very interesting to read about someone else's journey. I also like the suggestions on alternative ways to heat things up once you are done with your microwave.
What We've Been Talking about at Just Add Lauren:
Money Monday - 6 Expensive Habits You Can Live Without - a guest post for Money Monday this week discussing the expensive things we can do without in order to save big bucks!
Why Does It Get Harder to Lose Weight as You Age - the third in the series of Time article questions. Discussing why it is that people find it harder to lose weight with age. Check it out to see what you can do about combating that!
Winner of the Coffee Cup Creations Giveaway - Congratulations to freddie! She's been contacted and has responded, so she will be receiving her prize shortly!
Try It Out Tuesday - Leafy Green Vegetables - they are in season now for colder climates (like here in Colorado) so it is a great time to add them to your diet! Leafy greens provide tons of cancer fighting chemicals, and are a wonderful healthy addition to what you are eating.
Diet Sodas and Weight Gain - my take on Time's answer to the question of if diet sodas can cause weight gain. We have covered the series of 5 key questions about weight loss this week, and the last one will be coming later today.
Work On It Wednesday - Get Outside! Summer is officially upon us, so now is the time to enjoy all those wonderful activities that you are dreaming about while the snow is covering the ground during winter time!
That's the week in review for this week. I hope you have enjoyed the articles! As always, I welcome your feedback, so let me know which was your favorite or least favorite posts!
6/23/10
Work On It Wednesday - Get Outside!
For all of us in the north hemisphere, summer has official begun! As I'm sure you've noticed, I love summer. It is such a wonderful time of the year - great, fresh food, lots of activities, new flowers, etc. I don't really see any drawbacks to summer, aside from the fact that we don't have AC in our house, so we are sweltering away!
This week's Work On It Wednesday is a challenge to get outside! The weather is nice, and we all need a little fresh air and vitamin D! That being said, this post is going to be brief because I need to get to workin' on my yard.
Here are some fun things to do outside:
- Gardening
- Biking
- Hiking
- Roller blading
- Camping
- Going for a run or walk
- Paintball
- Whitewater Rafting
- Play basketball
- Picnic
- Go to an amusement park or water park
- Dirt-bike or 4 wheel
- Movies under the star (for all my Springs readers, here is a list of movies under the stars)
- Go to a game - minor league or major league baseball is in full swing right now!
- Have a cookout (and share all your real food recipes!)
- Rock Climbing
- If you live near water, swimming, boating, skiing, and scuba diving are all great activities!
- Fishing
- National Parks - some a free on select weekends this summer, so make sure and check that out!
That's all I can think of now, but if you have any great ideas on ways to spend your summer (outside!) I would love to hear them! Especially here in Colorado, where the winters are so long and cold, the summer time is a great opportunity to really enjoy the landscape around you and take advantage of all that your town has to offer. So get outdoors!
Diet Sodas and Weight Gain
You can find the answers to the previous questions at Why does it get harder to lose weight as I get older, Which kind of exercise is best for me, and Why doesn't exercise help you lose weight?
The fourth question in the time series is "Can Diet Sodas actually make you gain weight?"
Ah, the age old (or at least as long as aspartame has been around) question. I'm going to temporarily ignore the fact that Diet Soda is up there as one of the last "real foods" that you can eat. We all know that Diet Soda is not good for you, so instead I am going to focus merely on the weight loss aspect of this, since that is the theme of the key questions. You can read more about my feelings on artificial sweeteners at Work On It Wednesday - Artificial Sweeteners.
Time's answer to this question is pretty good. Basically the gist of it is that artificial sweeteners do two things - 1) make you desensitized to sweetness, since the artificial sweeteners is about 100 times sweeter than natural sweeteners, and 2) make you crave more sweet foods, since you are not getting the calories that your body expects from the artificial sweeteners.
In 2005 the University of Texas at San Antonio conducted a study that suggested that there is a 41% increase in the risk of being overweight for each can or bottle of diet soft drinks that a person consumes each day. That is crazy! That means for someone that drinks one can a day of Diet Coke (which is a fairly low amount in the world of Diet Coke drinkers), your risk increases by 41%, but for a person that drinks two Diet Cokes a day, the risk goes up by 82%! On the other hand, regular soft drinkers' risk for obesity was hovering around 30% per can they drink per day.
According to Dr. Katz of the Oprah show, animal research that has been done on artificial sweeteners suggest that eating sweet foods causes your body to expect a rush in calories (energy). Since artificial sweeteners do not contain those calories, the brain begins to lose the ability to judge how much you have eaten overall, and thus you begin to overeat and gain weight (this study was done on rats).
Another aspect of the whole debate is that often times people who are drinking Diet Cokes are also eating other unhealthy foods - like diet cookies, low fat, processed, junk. All of these foods contain similar artificial and "replacement" ingredients, so your body is not getting the satisfaction of the calories and nutrients it needs. Like we talked about in "Why I am reducing my grain consumption..." eating these processed (often times very high in carbohydrate) foods can leave you with cyclical cravings which make you always want more. Pair that with the fact that often times processed sweets are much sweeter than the sweet foods found in nature (compare a twinkie to an apple), and you can see how all of the processed foods, including but not limited to diet sodas, can cause your body to be desensitized to the sweetness and begin to expect more. This, going hand in hand with the other information, can definitely cause overeating in a desire to satiate those sweet cravings.
I personally have found all of these things to be true. When I drink more diet soda, I have worse sugar cravings. I also have worse cravings for diet sodas during times that I crave more unhealthy foods, so it does become a cycle. I truly believe in the addictive power of diet sodas. Not only do I love the caffeine (which you can still get from healthier choices, like organic coffee), but something about the sweetness is very hard for me to turn down. The biggest factors that I think of when I am trying to resist the urge of a Diet Coke is that I drink less water when we have Cokes in the house, since I am replacing my water sipping with Coke sipping, and also that I do have terribly, unbelievably strong sweet cravings when I drink it. Overall, I don't have a huge sweet tooth, but when I eat artificial sweeteners, it ignites in me a sweet tooth that is powerfully strong. This begins a cycle of carb cravings, which leave me feeling awful. So as I've heard many trainers and dietitians say, when you are thinking of indulging in something (a brownie sundae, skipping a work out, a diet coke, or whatever), think of the long term effect. For me, the long term effect is feeling sluggish, lethargic, and constantly dealing with cravings for at least a day, sometimes two, so the Diet Coke is not usually worth it.
6/22/10
Try It Out Tuesday - Leafy Green Vegetables
Update: Last week's Try It Out Tuesday - Peppers was a great success! I got some really wonderful feedback from readers about the different ways that they try and use peppers in their everyday lives, like Audrey who said that her family basically loves peppers in everything! Personally, we ran out of peppers fairly early on in the week because we added them to so many different foods (and didn't buy any more because of trying to stick to my grocery budget) but overall I feel like we have some great suggestions on ways to use peppers in the future, and we've developed a taste for hot peppers which we didn't previously know that we liked!
This week's Try It Out Tuesday will focus in on leafy green vegetables. I picked leafy green vegetables because I went to the farmer's market in my town last weekend, and this is mostly what they had. Since I live in a colder climate, they are just now started to get the root vegetables and greens in season (can you believe the farmer's market just opened last weekend!?) I'm excited to be able to try something that is undeniably good for us, and also in season and thus cheaper too!
All About Greens
Leafy green vegetables make up a broad category, and include some real nutritional powerhouses. Greens can be used in a variety of different ways, and often times are very easily substituted for other, less nutrient dense, foods (like substituting spinach in a salad instead of iceberg lettuce, which is mostly water). Greens are definitely something you should consider buying organically grown - spinach and kale make the list of the dirty dozen most contaminated conventionally grown foods, and thedailygreen.com also groups them together as "leafy greens" and says that they are "frequently contaminated with what are considered the most potent pesticides used on foods (51 of them)." Definitely keep that in mind as you buy them, and do what you can within the budget that you have.
Nutritional Benefits
Dark leafy greens are, calorie for calorie, one of the most concentrated sources of vitamins and phytonutrients that you can find. They are also low in fat, high in fiber, iron, and calcium, and contain such good-for-you things as folic acid, vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, lutein, and beta-carotene.
One article I read claimed that vitamin K was probably the standout nutrient of all that dark leafy greens contain. This is because the greens contain so much of it, and it can help with a variety of physical ailments. One cup of cooked greens provides up to nine times the daily amount of vitamin K that you need, and even a couple of cups of salad greens can usually provide as much as you need. Vitamin K contributes to the regulation of blood clotting, may help to prevent cardiovascular problems, diabetes, and osteoporosis, and may help to protect against inflammatory diseases.
Additionally, since leafy greens contain so much lutein and zeaxanthin, they can help to reduce the onset of eye related diseases, such as macular degeneration (the leading cause of age related blindness) and cataracts. Some studies also hint at a connection between these two carotenoids and a reduction in certain types of cancer, such as lung and breast (and other nutrients in greens also help to protect against colon, stomach, ovarian, and skin cancer), and a reduction in heart disease and strokes.
To sum it up, green leafy vegetables really don't have any drawbacks, and can help protect you against so many diseases that they are definitely worth your while to try out!
Ways to Incorporate Greens
I'm going to go out on a limb this week and really give some new greens a shot. There are so many types, ranging from the pretty common (spinach, collards) to the not-so-common (kohlrabi, bok choy).
Here are some ideas on ways to incorporate them to your diet:
- Replace salad greens with spinach or even romaine lettuce
- Add them to an omelet (are you seeing a reoccurring trend here!?)
- Chop very find (or puree in a blender) to add in things like sauces, dressings, etc.
- Chard and Feta Tart
- Collard Greens and Black Eye Pea Soup
- Kale and Potato Hash
- Creamed Spinach
- Baby Bok Choy with Cashews
- Broccoli Rabe with onions
- Mustard Greens
This will be a challenge for me, as we normally only eat spinach on a regular basis, but I am excited to dive into some new, exciting, and most of all, healthy foods! How are you going to incorporate greens into your diet, or how do you already? I would love to hear your suggestions!
This post is a member of:
Kelly the Kitchen Kop's Real Food Wednesday
Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday
Winner of the Coffee Cup Creations Giveaway!
Thank you to everyone that entered our most recent giveaway for the Coffee Cup Creations pack! I really enjoyed (as always) having the giveaway, and we're already in talks with a new vendor to provide the next giveaway, so look for that coming up in the next few weeks!
So the winner of the giveaway (drumroll please...) was
freddie
Freddie actually signed up to be an email subscriber, liked Coffee Cup Creations on Facebook, and follows Just Add Lauren on twitter! Thanks for your support freddie!
I've contacted the winner, and she now has 48 hours to respond to the email and claim her prize. If I don't hear back from her, a new winner will be selected.
Thanks to all who entered, and keep checking back for the new giveaway coming soon!
6/21/10
6 Expensive Habits You Can Live Without
This is a guest post for Money Mondays written by Andrew Salmon. Stay tuned for next week's Money Monday where I will update you on my grocery budget for June, and how well I stayed within my very clear set of goals (hint: pretty dang well...so far!)
Saving money is getting harder and harder to do these days. And yet, we waste a fortune every year on things we don’t need or are too absentminded to stay on top of. With enough legitimate demands on our money, it’s a shame to squander what’s left on too much comfort or convenience. Here are six habits we can live without.
1. Butt Out
Quitting smoking is tough. Anyone who has tried can tell you that. But you won’t find a more rewarding habit to break. The health benefits aside, let’s focus on the financial windfall that’s waiting at the end of that last puff. Nothing about smoking is cheap: the price of a pack of cigarettes gives the value of gold bullion a run for its money. Then there’s dry-cleaning for your clothes, breath mints and gum, gas when you drive to the store to restock, etc. They even charge for matches these days. So butt out and save! Big!
2. Yes, Virginia, There Is A Kitchen
Everyone loves a nice meal in a fine restaurant. Every once and awhile. Sure, dining out is easy and there are no dishes to wash afterwards but it’s a habit that will starve your wallet. Buy groceries and eat at home most of the time. Save that trip to the restaurant for a special occasion not because you’re too tired or lazy to cook.
3. Plain Ol’ Joe
If you’re serious about saving money, then say goodbye to the $5 coffee! It doesn’t matter if you like the taste of coffee or are just drinking it for the caffeine to keep you going throughout the day, buy plain ol’ coffee. Or, better yet, bring a thermos of the stuff from home to drink. Do the math: 3 X $5 coffee a day = $15. Multiply that by a 5-day work week = $75. Times 52 weeks = $3900! We’re talking serious savings here. 4. Get Me To The Bank On Time
Nobody likes to pay bills, which is why we’re so often late doing it. But that tardiness is costing you extra money through late fees and other charges. They seem minimal when one pops up on a statement. However being chronically late with payments can add up to a serious cash drain. Stop the bleeding and stay on top of your bills. Paying late fees is totally unnecessary. 5. No More Trial And Error
Like snake charmers, magazines, newspapers and other mail clubs have a way of spellbinding us and getting us to agree for free trials of stuff. But how often do we forget that it is up to us to cancel these things when the free trial period is over! Failure to do so makes for surprise subscription charges to your credit card. And if it’s something you weren’t enjoying for free, you’re now paying for it! Either stay away from free trials or be vigilant. Either way, you’ll save.6. Dr. Retail Will See You Now
Feeling blue? Go for a walk. Call a friend. But stay out of the stores! Buying stuff because you feel depressed is one habit that you want to break. Instead of trying to buy happiness, work at making your life better, improve, challenge yourself. This will give you more peace of mind that than dress you’ll never wear or that new car. This article written by Andrew Salmon - he writes for a website that helps Canadians find affordable life insurance.
Why does it get harder to lose weight?
This is the third question in a series of key questions about weight loss, based off the March Time Article. Although for the most part I like the Time answers, they don't go nearly as in depth as they should have, so I am extrapolating on the answers, and providing a little more detail. You can read the first two questions, Why doesn't exercise help you lose weight and Which kind of exercise is best for me.
The third question in the series is Why does it get harder to lose weight the older I get?
Time says that there are a couple factors involved in making weight loss harder as we age. The first is that we lose muscle mass as we get older, the second is that our metabolisms slow down, and finally we are more likely to be less active.
I’ve heard conflicting reports about metabolism slowing down. On the one hand, according to MSN article about Slow Burn, as we age the mitochondria in our cells slow down, which causes our bodies to convert nutrients to power at a slower rate. This would definitely imply that our natural base metabolic rate slows down, but it seems that that is only half of the story.
Going hand in hand with metabolism slowing down is the loss of muscle mass that often occurs as we age. Each pound of muscle in our bodies burn about 7-10 calories per day, which sounds like a paltry amount, but is basically a powerhouse compared to the pound of fat which burns about 2-3 calories per day. All that to say that since we do lose muscle mass as age, if you do not do any kind of activities to combat the muscle loss it will cause your metabolism to slow down. However, this is not something that you are powerless to change. Many people say “I have a slow metabolism” but often times that is simply because of the choices that they are making, not so much a reflection of genetics. Although it is debatable how much of an influence your genetics have over your body and weight, at the end of the day blaming your body solely on genetics takes away your power in the situation. Anyone can lose weight (except maybe some people with metabolic disorders or other health problems – in which case you should visit a doctor who can help to deal with those issues, and then you could be on your way to weight loss). My end point is that we are not powerless to combat a slowing metabolism. It will naturally slow down from muscle loss as you get older, but by continuing to be active, do strength and resistance training, and eat healthy foods you do have the power to influence how much that affects your life.
Lastly, Time says that often people are less active as they get older, which is the third factor in making weight loss harder. This can be very true, and I think as we get older we tend to substitute more sedentary activities for our previous active ones (going to the movies or a show versus hiking). We are also less inclined to do thing “out of the box” as we get older, such as biking to work, walking to the grocery store, etc. This doesn’t mean that we can’t do these things, simply that most people don’t. Just like in the previous “reason” this is entirely in your control, and becoming less active doesn’t have to be your story.
The only thing that Time left out that I do think is important to at least acknowledge is the fact that as women get older they tend to put weight on in different places than they may have before. Having more estrogen in your body causes you to store weight in your hips and thighs, while having more testosterone in your body causes you to store weight in your midsection. As women go through menopause, their estrogen levels change, which often causes weight gain in the midsection. Again, this isn’t something that can’t be combated, but it is just simply something that women need to be aware as they approach that time in their lives.
At the end of the day, I think that the answer that Time gave and that I agree with is that often time people have more trouble losing weight as they get older because they are less active and do not work out as much. I believe this is a hopeful answer, because it puts you in the driver’s seat as to how much you are willing to accept this as your case, and how much you want to change your situation!
6/18/10
Week In Review
Anyway, here is a week in review at Just Add Lauren. I hope you have enjoyed!
Why I am Reducing My Grain Consumption, and 5 Reasons You Should Too - This post may have been my most conversation sparking post yet (aside from Why I Quit the Grocery Game, which people really seemed to love/hate). In Why I am Reducing....I explained to you all why I've cut back on my grain consumption (particularly processed grains, but also overall carbohydrates in general), and the physiological and health reasons that I believe that it is good for all of us to get less grains in our diet.
Coffee Cup Creations Giveaway - we also started a new giveaway this week, which I am very excited about! The prize is a gift pack from Coffee Cup Creations that includes an adorable coffee mug filled with their very own baking mixes that you can mix up and make into a variety of treats. Head over and enter today! (The contest ends June 21, so get your entries in now!)
Money Mondays talked about Saving Money on Vacation this week. Summers are such an incredibly popular time to vacation, but I think it is important to keep in mind your own financial limitations when you are exploring new vacation destinations. Simply by getting creative and changing a few small things, you can save bundles!
Try It Out Tuesday this week was all about incorporating Peppers into your diet. Whether they are hot, spicy, sweet, or bell, peppers contain all kinds of wonderful things that help you stay healthy. I provided lost of information about their nutritional benefits, as well as their health benefits, so take a look at that and let me know how you are going to add peppers to your diet!
We also talked about the new standards that the government is imposing for organic milk. I had some mixed feelings about it, but overall I do think it is a step in the right direction. I at least appreciate that they are trying to regular organic labeling more so that "organic" doesn't become the new "all-natural" (meaningless) term.
Lastly we are now covering a series that Time Magazine had about some key questions regarding weight loss. I'm giving you my take on the questions and answers, as well as a little more in depth information about the topic. So far we've covered Why Exercise Doesn't Help You Lose Weight and What Kind of Exercise is Best for Me. We will cover the remaining three questions in the coming days.
I hope you have enjoyed the week! I look forward to hearing all your comments about these, and future, posts!
Which Kind of Exercise Is Best for Me?
This is the second key question being answered in a series of posts responding to Time Magazine’s Article about questions about weight loss. You can read the first one over at “Why Exercise Doesn’t Help You Lose Weight.”
The second question that was asked of the Time article was “Which is better for my health – more frequent sessions of moderate activity or less frequent sessions of intense activity?”
Time basically said that from an obesity standpoint, it doesn’t really matter. Some exercise is better than none, so assuming that the alternative is to not exercise at all, frequent, moderate session are okay. Time states that there have been studies done that show that women who were previously sedentary saw the benefits of heart healthiness when they began walking, even if it was just 10 minutes a day.
I’m going to disagree, but only because I believe that you can push yourself to do more than maybe even you think you can do. I do not think that you should say “well, benefits are there when I walk 10 minutes a day, so I’m going to go for a 10 minute stroll.” You’re selling yourself short there, in terms of both weight loss and healthiness. There has been a huge movement in the country to do little bits of exercise here and there – take the steps, park farther away from the store, etc. While I agree these things are fine to do, they aren’t going to make mind-blowing changes to your healthiness or weight. I have heard before that you burn about 25 calories walking up 5 flights of stairs. This would mean that you would have to walk up a significant number of stairs before you would really see any sort of true calorie burn. Again, I’m not advising that you take the elevator up to your 2nd floor office, but I’m just saying that parking farther from the store and walking up the stairs simply isn’t enough.
I am also a big proponent of high intensity interval training (HIIT), which I wrote more about in the post, High Intensity Interval Training. HIIT is great for those of us that do not want to spend hours upon hours logging away miles on the treadmill, or for those that are exceptionally busy (ie everyone). The idea is that you are pushing yourself extremely hard for interval bursts throughout your workout followed by recovery times –and by doing this you are pushing yourself to a limit that you wouldn’t normally be able to sustain. For example, I normally run about 6.7 – 7.0 miles per hour, or around an 8:30 – 9:00 mile. I can sustain this pace for 4 – 5 miles, and probably more but I get pretty bored after that amount of running. When I do HIIT, I normally run my intervals at 9.0 mph, and my recovery periods at 6.0 – 6.5. This allows me to average out at a 7.5 – 7.7 mph pace, or around a 7:45-8:00 minute mile. I can run an 8 minute mile, but I cannot sustain the pace as well as I can when I am doing HIIT.
My biggest beef with the Time answer was not that it told people to start slow and walk for 10 minutes. It is fine to start slow and all, but the article it made it sound as though walking for 10 minutes is really all you need to do, and I disagree wholeheartedly with that. The US government advises that people should aim to get around 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily. This will maximize heart benefits and provide the protection again some chronic diseases. I’m going to throw it out there though – if you are just starting out on an exercise program, you may not be able to do 30 minutes of exercise, and HIIT may not be for you. The key is to start out slow, which the Time article covered. You don’t want to dive right in and then end up hurt. If what you are able to do right now is walk for 10 minutes, then do it, and maybe tomorrow try to walk for 11 minutes. Gradually build up in your amount of time, and then you can work on walking faster or incorporating intervals once you have a base of fitness. Just don’t sell yourself short. You can walk for more than 10 minutes eventually, and you should set your goals on being able to accomplish more and more. As one doctor put it, “some is better than none. More is better than some. Too much is difficult to get.” I will say that you can definitely over train and get too much of one type of exercise, but overall our bodies were made to be moved around and worked. It is only within the last 100 years that we have become a more sedentary population, so your body will definitely thank you if you give it the exercise that it wants, and push it to new limits.
And I don’t think that anyone’s ultimate and final limit is 10 minutes a day.
6/17/10
Why Doesn't Exercise Help You Lose Weight?
Time magazine had an article back in March about weight loss and exercise. The article was answering "5 key questions about weight loss," and had some interesting ideas that I wanted to share with you all. I know that typically on Just Add Lauren, I talk mostly about eating real, whole foods. However, this is because the diet journey that I am moving on is more a process for me than the fitness one. I have always been athletic and active, and now is no exception. I definitely do not want to give the impression that I do not work out, because I work out on average about 4 hours a week, sometimes more depending on how motivated I am. I say this not to make anyone feel guilty or to praise myself, but just to simply state that I think that a well rounded, healthy lifestyle incorporates real foods and some form of exercise. For me, the real food aspect of it is a bit more difficult than the fitness aspect, so that is why I write mostly about that.
Moving on…
I’m going to be working through these questions one by one in a series of posts, so look for my take on the rest of the questions that were asked in the coming days.
The first question that was asked in the Time article was “Why doesn’t exercise help you to lose weight?”
Time responded by saying that often times when a person works out, they tend to compensate for the calories they burn during a workout by eating more. In addition, people can often “reward” themselves for being active by eating a treat. They also said that people that work out can replace the fat they have on their bodies with muscle, which is more dense than fat and therefore can cause them to stay the same weight or even gain weight.
I agree with aspects of this answer. I think there can be certain people who will eat more because they know that they have worked out, and so they reward themselves with a good dessert or snack. For many people, though, I know that exercise just makes them hungrier. When I run, I find that I am absolutely famished about 45 minutes after I am finished running. The best way to combat this hunger is to eat something after your workout, but before that wave of starvation hits you. My advice would be to eat something with a combination of carbs and protein. I like a few (like 8-10) almonds, a slice of fruit, or eggs (or a mixture of more than one of these). Also good would be a slice of bread with nut butter, or a fruit with nut butter. I would definitely not reward yourself with something sweet after a workout, since this will cause the series of ups and downs that I talked about in Why I'm Reducing My Grain Consumption, and 5 Reasons Why You Should Too.
The other part of this that I wanted to talk about was the whole “muscle weighs more than fat” argument. Seriously, I am so tired of hearing this argument. First off, muscle does not weigh more than fat. One pound of muscle weighs the exact same one pound as one pound of fat. Muscle is simply denser – meaning that for the same amount of space that it is taking up, muscle will weigh more. However, usually people have to very consciously and purposefully try to gain muscle. It doesn’t usually just happen – especially to someone who is cutting calories and trying to lose weight. I am a member of the weight loss site, Sparkpeople, and I often visit their message boards. I will see people write on there that they have worked out for two weeks, and have gained 5 pounds. Others will respond “it is probably muscle, since muscle weighs more than fat.” Argh! You all know that I’m a huge Jillian Michaels fan. I listen to her podcasts while I run, she said one time on a podcast that over the course of a season of the Biggest Loser, she has had contestant put on about 11 pounds of muscle. That is over the course of 4-5 months, and working out about 8-10 hours a day with a world-class trainer, and eating very carefully! Water weight does fluctuate wildly (especially in women) and can cause temporary weight gain, but chances are if you have put on some weight recently, it is either a) you are eating too many calories for the amount that you are burning or b) you are retaining water, which can be blamed on a variety of different factors.
Ok, end rant about the muscle weighing more than fat issue, and getting back to the original question.
Exercise can make you not lose weight for all the reasons listed above, and beginning an exercise program definitely makes you muscles retain water for a period of time. If you are just starting out on an exercise regime, give it at least a month, maybe closer to 6-8 weeks before you get discouraged or say that you aren’t seeing any progress. Although exercise all by itself will not be the magic bullet in making you lose weight, it is certainly part of a well rounded lifestyle and is extremely important in things such as mood lifting, helps you sleep better, lowers your risk of some diseases, etc. You should not see exercise as the key to being able to eat whatever you want, whenever you want, but you definitely should see it as one part of an overall healthy lifestyle.
Exercise can make you not lose weight for all the reasons listed above, and beginning an exercise program definitely makes you muscles retain water for a period of time. If you are just starting out on an exercise regime, give it at least a month, maybe closer to 6-8 weeks before you get discouraged or say that you aren’t seeing any progress. Although exercise all by itself will not be the magic bullet in making you lose weight, it is certainly part of a well rounded lifestyle and is extremely important in things such as mood lifting, helps you sleep better, lowers your risk of some diseases, etc. You should not see exercise as the key to being able to eat whatever you want, whenever you want, but you definitely should see it as one part of an overall healthy lifestyle.
6/15/10
New Standards for Organic Milk
Basically, the rules go into effect June 17 (this coming Thursday) are the goal of them is to standardize organic milk production and make it a little clearer to the consumer exactly what you are paying for. Already, to be labeled organic milk, the milk must come from cows that were not fed genetically modified seeds, food that was treated with pesticides, or food that was treated with chemical fertilizers. In addition "organic" cows can not be given any hormones or antibiotics.
The new rules aim to close the little loophole that allows milk producers to basically raise their organic cows in the same way that conventional cows are raised, minus the changes that I listed above. The new rules state that "organic milk" cows have to be in the pasture during the entire grazing season, and have to have 30% of their total diet come from grazing. In addition, farmers in regions with fairly temperate weather, such as the Southeast and California, are expected to have their cows out in the pasture for much longer than the mandatory 120 days.
The benefits of milk from grass fed cows is fairly substantial in my book. Some studies suggest that milk from grass fed cows has up to 60% more omega 3 fatty acids than conventional milk. This would be of particular interest to me, since I do not eat seafood, and am always looking for ways to up my omega 3 levels.
The biggest source of my mixed feelings about the new organic milk standards comes from the ways that some of the aspects of it are worded. I like that they put a minimum standard - at least 30% of their food must be from grazing, and they should be in the pasture for a minimum of 120 days. However, I worry a bit about things such as "access to pasture." One article I read said that livestock is exempt from the new standards during the finishing phase (no more than 120 days) but must have "access to pasture" during that time. From everything I've read about animals such as "free range" chickens, having access to pasture really doesn't mean a thing. Like I said though, the minimum standards don't seem to be as arbitrarily worded to me, which gives me hope. I would love to know that not only are we drinking organic milk, but that it is actually milk that was made in the way that cows are supposed to live, at least for 120 days of their lives.
What do you think? Do the new standards make you want to buy more organic milk, or does it not really affect your decision about whether or not to purchase organic?
Sources:
LA Times Article
NPR article
Try It Out Tuesday - Peppers
This week's Try It Out Tuesday focuses around peppers - red, yellow, green, hot, and sweet! Peppers, kind of like members of the allium family, can be added to a variety of dishes to spice up the taste, add a little color, or just contribute a new, subtle flavor.
Growing up, I never ate many peppers, so adding them to my diet has been a conscious effort for me. I have friends who have chopped peppers in every salad they eat, but I just rarely think about adding them. I don't love them, I don't hate them. I really feel pretty neutral all around about them, so I think they will be a fairly easy Try It Out Tuesday, since it really just is a matter of being aware of adding them to my diet.
All About Peppers
There are two basic kinds of peppers: bell and chili. Bell Peppers are the large, roundish ones that come in green, red, yellow, and orange. For the most part, they have a pretty mild taste (green peppers are the least mild) and they add a bit of crunch to a dish without drastically changing the flavor. They can be added to things like sauces, casseroles, and even omelets to add a little something extra (and can be cut very very small so that your children/spouse hardly notices, if they aren't that into peppers).
Chili peppers can not be so easily disguised, mostly because they so drastically change the flavor of whatever you are cooking. Chili peppers are great in Mexican or other spicy foods, and the flavors meld well in dishes like fajitas and jerk chicken.
Nutritional Benefits
Bell peppers are a great source of vitamins A, C, and K, and Potassium. Red peppers also contain lycopene, which is a chemical that can help reduce the risk of multiple types of cancers, including prostate and cervical cancers. Orange peppers are the most dense food source of a compound called zeaxanthin, which is known to protect against eye problems such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
The more ripe the pepper is, the sweeter it tastes and the more nutrient dense it is. For example, red bell peppers are the ripest, so they are the sweetest tasting, and the most nutritious for you. Green bell peppers are the least ripe, and thus they have a more bitter flavor and are less nutrient packed.
Chili peppers contain vitamin A, fiber, potassium, folic acid, and iron. In addition, chili peppers are filled with capsaicin, which is an ingredient known for elevating endorphin levels, improving mood, and even reducing the feeling of pain. Capsaicin in your body causes your blood vessels to widen, which helps to elevate your body temperature, thereby increasing your metabolism. This can (along with other diet changes) help you along a weight loss path, and can help to reduce your overall body fat.
Studies have also shown that people who consumed a hot pepper with their meal had a lower insulin level at the end of the meal than people who did not consume any hot peppers. This could be indicative of other health benefits of hot peppers, and would certainly be important to all of us, but especially those with insulin resistance and diabetes.
Way to Incorporate Peppers
- Fajitas (cut up some bell and hot peppers along with your onions, drizzle some olive oil over them, cook them up and serve with chicken and tortillas.
- Shish Kabobs (or what we called shish kabobs in my house - basically skewers with chicken, peppers, and onions grilled until done)
- Add them to salads - great source of raw peppers
- Spice up some spaghetti sauce - you could even puree them in the blender until smooth to add to the sauce
- Add to casseroles - particularly Mexican or spicy casseroles
I think peppers are pretty easy to incorporate, so I am excited to hear about how you add them to your diet. I'm planning on adding them to omelets in the mornings, salads at lunch, and having a few meals that really feature them for dinner this week. I would love to hear your ideas!
This post is part of Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday
This post is part of Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday
6/14/10
Money Mondays - Saving Money on Vacations
Summertime is the season of vacations. The kids are out of school, the weather is nice, and it just makes you feel ready to hit the road and explore the Wild West (or the beach, or another country!)
Summer vacations are great, memorable, family bonding times, but that doesn't mean that you have to throw your budget out the window in order to gain the experience. The following are some ways that I have found that help to keep a budget friendly vacation. If you have any more suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments section!
1) Ask around - from your family and friends, that is! Maybe someone's family has a beach house that they aren't able to use the whole summer, and they will rent it to you for a fraction of the cost that the resort would charge. Maybe you could house swap with someone that wants to come to your town - particularly nice if you live in a vacation destination. You never know who has a vacation house, or whose parents or family members have a vacation house until you start asking. Don't be shy!
2) Find discount hotel rates - If you aren't going to stay in someone's house that you know, try and find the best deal possible on hotel rates. You can usually find good ones through Expedia or Travelocity, and I've also heard good things about Priceline, although I have never used them myself. Hotels are having trouble keeping full with the economy the way that it is, so it might even behoove you to call the hotel and ask them for the best rate. Also - negotiate! I have a relative who swears he has never paid full price to stay anywhere just because he negotiates! I'm not sure exactly how he does it, but my best guess would be just to ask!
3) Stay in a hotel with a kitchen or kitchenette - I know that vacationing and spending all day cooking don't really mesh, but by staying in a suite or a hotel that has small kitchenettes in each room, you can save a fortune on meals that you would normally eat out. Even if you still eat dinner at a restaurant every night of your trip, you can cut costs by eating breakfast in your room, and something simple like sandwiches for lunch. Don't forget to treat yourself, but every meal doesn't have to be a treat.
4) Be flexible with travel dates - This can be a little harder if you have older children or a very strict work schedule, but try and be flexible at least with your leaving and returning dates. Sometimes airline prices can fluctuate wildly within just a few days, simply because of the day of the week you are wanting to fly on. Same thing with hotel dates - often times in large cities hotels are actually cheaper on the weekends because they typically cater to business travelers, so by being flexible you can make sure you are getting the best deal possible.
5) Don't rent a car unless it is absolutely necessary - Rental cars are outrageously expensive, so buyer beware! It might even be cheaper to stay at a more centrally located but more expensive hotel, if you don't have to have a rental car on top of the hotel costs. Be sure you are looking at the big picture - staying in that cheap hotel that is 10 miles outside the city because less cheap when you have to drive everywhere, rent a car, and pay for gas (not to mention the inconvenience).
6) Consider "off season" vacations - Most warm weather vacations (think the Caribbean or Central America) are in season in the US winter time. US travelers want to escape the cold weather and head to paradise. However, when it is super hot in the summertime in the Caribbean, the rates dip drastically. Consider traveling in the locations "off season" for huge savings.
7) Consider "off the beaten path" vacations - Camping in St John USVI, touring US national parks, camping, etc. These less-luxurious-but-still-wonderful-experiences vacations can save you a bundle (especially if you are traveling with children) and can still offer what is truly important with vacation - a source of family time, a relief from the hustle and bustle of daily life, and a chance to spend quality time together doing something new.
Those are my best tips on saving money on vacations. I love to vacation just as much as the next guy (or girl!) but I definitely don't want to blow a budget when it isn't necessary. By following some of these vacation trips, we are actually able to save money and apply it towards our next vacation! Twice the fun in the sun = a happy Lauren!
Coffee Cup Creations Giveaway
We have a new giveaway this week from Coffee Cup Creations, and I'm so excited to share it with you all! Coffee Cup Creations has some wonderful treats and adorable cup designs. The idea behind it is that you get your cup, pick which mix you'd like to try out, and then once you receive the items, you just have to add a few ingredients to the cup, bake it in the oven, and viola! You have a tasty treat in a fraction of the time, and you get to eat it out of a handy (and gorgeously designed) coffee mug! The winner of the contest will get to pick an item from Coffee Cup Creation's website -- whichever item you would like to try! You'll get a coffee mug and your choice of one of their delicious mixes!
They have the following mixes to choose from, and I must say that just writing this post up has made me hungry for some wonderful Coffee Cup Creations treats!
- Magic Mocha Pudding - this one is the coffee lovers' choice! Smooth and creamy with a touch of chocolate, it truly is magic!
- Pumpkin Bread - The perfect bread for breakfast, snack, or even a less-sweet dessert!
- Carrot Cake in a Cup - A simple and delicious way of making a carrot cake. It couldn't get any easier than this!
- Banana Chocolate Chip Bread - Delicious banana bread with a drizzle of chocolate over the top, this bread will send you over the moon!
- Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies - White chocolate, tart cranberries, what could be better?
- Chocolate Chip Cake - Definitely the chocolate fiend's favorite!
Your Chance to Win It!
Enter To Win:
Mandatory entry: You must be a follower either on google reader or have an email subscription. Leave a comment letting me know which one you are following.
Additional Entries (1 each):
1) Visit Coffee Cup Creations and tell me which product you would love to try out (and which flavor mix!)
2) Follow us on Twitter and leave me a comment letting me know you're a follower!
3) Follow Coffee Cup Creations on Facebook. It is listed under Coffee C Creation
4) Tweet about this contest on your Twitter account, then leave a link to your tweet in the comments section (one entry per day)
Be sure to leave each entry in a different comment, and get them all in by midnight on June 21. I will then generate a number from random.org, and contact the winner (be sure to leave your email address or a way to find your email address (like your blogger profile) in each entry!) The winner will have 48 hours to respond before I move on to the next winner!
Good luck to you all!
I did not receive any compensation or free products for this giveaway, but Coffee Cup Creations is providing the winner with the item at no cost to me. All opinions are my own.
6/11/10
Why I'm Reducing My Grain Consumption, and 5 Reasons You Should Too
I've recently been really working on reducing my grain consumption. I'm not talking an Atkins style diet here, which encourages you to drastically reduce all carbohydrates, including fruit (blasphemy! I am obsessed with fruit!) I'm just talking about cutting out grains - refined carbohydrates, and carbs that are unnecessary in my everyday life. Now if I really ate the way that I wanted to (as of a few weeks ago), I would probably have a bagel with butter for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and pasta for dinner. That would be my dream menu. However, I recently started reading an eye-opening book by Dr. Diana Schwartzbein called The Schwartzbein Principle. This isn't a book review, but I would definitely recommend the book to anyone who wanted to get a little bit different perspective on what one person (a doctor, nonetheless) thinks about the mess with our eating habits in the United States. Another great thing about the book is that although it was written in 1999, she was ahead of her time in terms of recommend organic foods, anti-biotic and hormone free meat, etc (basically she wasn't one that jumped on the bandwagon of whole foods and real eating. Not saying thats a bad thing, since this is a new transition for me, but I do appreciate research that she talks about that was done before the last few years).
Anyway, moving on to the reasons that I want to reduce grains in my life, and I feel are compelling reasons for just about anyone that wants to live a fuller, more energetic lifestyle.
1) Anything you can get from grains, you can get from other foods. Simply put, grains don't really add anything to your diet that you can't get from fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts, meat, and dairy, which you are probably eating anyway. If you're reading Just Add Lauren and are fairly aware of what you are eating and what kinds of food choices you are making, most likely you aren't going to miss out on any of the trace nutrients found in grains. There are benefits to whole grains such as fiber, B vitamins, and iron, but again these are nutrients that you can get from other sources. In addition, carbohydrates can be a great source of quick energy, but you can get that same quick energy from carbohydrates such as fruit, while still reducing your grain consumption.
2) Carbs make you crave more carbs - This was the biggest thing I learned from the Schwartzbein Principle book. Basically what happens is that when you eat carbs, your brain releases a quick burst of "feel good" chemicals (serotonin). So after you eat these carbs, you temporarily feel great. However, just like any kind of addict or temporary burst, the burst of serotonin subsides, leaving you wanting more. The only want to really fix that, is to eat more carbs again. Thus begins the cycle of carb cravings. I've found from my own experience though, that unlike other additions, this one can be a fairly simple cycle to break. I basically wake up in the morning and eat something with protein and little carbs, like an omelet. From there, I don't even start the cycle of carb cravings for the day. If I happen to wake up and eat a bagel, the whole day is a series of cravings. I think the key is to start the day off right.
3) Grains aren't good for your digestion. I recently went to a gastroenterologist for my particular digestion problems. This has been an ongoing issue now with me for over a year, and I thought for a while it was due to stress (given that my husband was in Afghanistan at the time, I felt like stress was a pretty safe assumption). However, now it has been four months since my husband returned from overseas, and my stomach issues haven't gotten any better. The way that the doctor explained it to me was that carbohydrates (grains) are broken down in your intestines, and in the process they release gas. Your body doesn't really have the ability to digest that gas, so instead it just builds up in your stomach, thereby creating a series of problems such as bloating, gas, stomach cramps, etc. This can be somewhat helped by taking (or eating more) probiotics, but also can be greatly reduced simply by cutting down on your grain consumption (I'm speaking from experience there. The nurse told me to take probiotic pills, but I decided to work on my diet and see how it went, and I've had phenomenal results).
4) Grains aren't good for your insulin levels - Just like the cycle of carb cravings because of serotonin levels, carbs also make your insulin levels go back and forth pretty wildly. Insulin is responsible for telling your body when to absorb glucose from the blood stream, so when there is a rapid influx of glucose from simple carbohydrates like white flour, processed cookies, crackers, and breads, it signals to your body to release lots of insulin. Eventually this can lead to insulin resistance, which can then lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart problems. For so long, a high carbohydrate, low-fat diet was all the rage in terms of weight loss and fighting the obesity epidemic, but I would really urge you to read The Schwartzbein Principle for a vastly different, informative opinion about why that shouldn't be the case.
5) Poorly prepared grains aren't really good for anything - Recently a practice called "soaking grains" has become slightly more mainstream, and can definitely be of help with some of the above problems, including digestive issues with grains. If you are going to continue to eat grains, I would highly recommend that you move towards soaking your grains and eating whole, natural, unrefined grains. Basically from my understanding (I am definitely not an expert on this part) all grains have something in them called phytic acid in them which combines with iron, calcium, copper, zinc, and magnesium in your body and blocks their absorption. The way around this is to soak your grains in something that is lacto-fermented such as lemon juice, vinegar, whey, kefir, etc. I'm just now branching into the idea of soaking my grains, but I will definitely have more on the subject in the future. For now, suffice to say that un-soaked grains really aren't great for you, and in my opinion it would be better to stay away from them (for all the reasons above, not just this one) than to eat them when they haven't been properly prepared.
So that's my story! It has been about three weeks now that I have been avoiding most grains (not completely, but my consumption has been drastically reduced) and I'm happy to say that I am feeling much better, and have really experienced no negative side effects of not eating grains. I'm not saying that I've cut out all the grains in my diet, and I am not trying to be really over the top about it. Mostly I am making a very conscious effort to eat grains in total moderation, and when I do eat them, to do it in ways that are more beneficial (or at least not harmful) to my body, such as eating soaked grains and whole grains. I have found that I don't crave grains as much though, and they don't taste as good when I do eat them. I'm also feeling more energetic and having less stomach problems. As an extremely positive side note, I've also noticed that my weight has stabilized more than normal. Since I am not having so many carbohydrate cravings, I've been able to eat less and eat more healthily, so that when I do indulge in a sweet or dessert it isn't as big of a deal. I must say though, my dessert cravings have also been reduced. All in all, I see it as a win-win situation!
Have you had personal experience reducing your grains? How has it worked for you? Any particular recipes you'd like to share along those lines? I want to hear your story, now that you've heard mine!
This post is part of Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday
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