Current Weight 140.2 lbs
Target Weight 137.5 lbs
Weight with BMI = 25 146 lbs (A BMI of 25 or greater is considered "overweight")
By weighing myself regularly, I've learned it's normal for my weight to fluctuate by a few pounds. I ate a salty Mexican dinner on New Year's Eve. The salt causes my body to hold a pound or two of water weight for a few days. I weighed 136.2 pounds a week ago. I'll continue to watch to make sure that I'm right.
Nice weather today. I rode my mountain bike nine miles at a moderate pace for 40 minutes. I haven't ridden outside in a few months. It was a nice break from running. Running has been leaving my body sore and me less motivated to exercise.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
January 2, 2009
I'm getting over a cold and haven't exercised for a few days. I'm feeling better now. I jogged my typical 3.5 miles this evening.
I plan to restart tracking my exercise this year. I stopped tracking it two years ago because I felt confident about my weekly routine and I stuck with it until the past few months. It's grown easier to skip work outs.
I hope the act of typing into the computer again will give me extra accountability to regain my consistency. It worked before. I already felt a tinge of missed opportunity when I typed "none" in the Activity column for January 1, 2009.
I also plan to write more here. I'm going to share my inner thoughts about exercise and food. Others tend to resist my advice because they think I don't like food, a quality they don't believe they'll ever possess. I do like food very much. I hope others will identify with my struggles and, maybe, that will make them that much more confident in their ability to achieve their weight goals.
I plan to restart tracking my exercise this year. I stopped tracking it two years ago because I felt confident about my weekly routine and I stuck with it until the past few months. It's grown easier to skip work outs.
I hope the act of typing into the computer again will give me extra accountability to regain my consistency. It worked before. I already felt a tinge of missed opportunity when I typed "none" in the Activity column for January 1, 2009.
I also plan to write more here. I'm going to share my inner thoughts about exercise and food. Others tend to resist my advice because they think I don't like food, a quality they don't believe they'll ever possess. I do like food very much. I hope others will identify with my struggles and, maybe, that will make them that much more confident in their ability to achieve their weight goals.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Oprah
Oprah's feeling fat again. On the previews for her upcoming back-to-reality BestLife show, Bob Greene said that she wasn't listening. I think he said it seemed like she wasn't there. My take: she shut off food feedback.
Now she's back on track and she's going to show us everything she's doing to lose weight. I hope she figures out how to keep herself honest and stay out of the food cacoon where she shuts off accountability and feedback.
Good luck Oprah! For all the healthy food and exercise you do, it's really about learning how to make the size of your plate match the desired size of your waist. I've never advocated going cold turkey on the food you enjoy. I think it's more effective to learn how to enjoy these foods in the right amounts.
Now she's back on track and she's going to show us everything she's doing to lose weight. I hope she figures out how to keep herself honest and stay out of the food cacoon where she shuts off accountability and feedback.
Good luck Oprah! For all the healthy food and exercise you do, it's really about learning how to make the size of your plate match the desired size of your waist. I've never advocated going cold turkey on the food you enjoy. I think it's more effective to learn how to enjoy these foods in the right amounts.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Accountability and Feedback
Any problem can be traced to two causes. The first cause is lack of knowledge or, worse yet, having incorrect knowledge. The second cause is lack of accountability and feedback.
Why was I fat? Two reasons. First, I lacked the proper knowledge for how my body worked and I believed in some incorrect knowledge (myths) of how my body worked that were doing more damage than I realized.
My book and website (http://fewbites.googlepages.com/) can teach you the knowledge I used to lose my weight and control it ever since.
Second, I lacked, or blocked out, accountability and feedback. I discounted my BMI results. I figured I was special somehow and the BMI didn't apply to me. I didn't get on a scale often. I even had enablers. People who didn't tell me the truth or were simply unable to see the truth themselves or tried to convince me that weighing a reasonable amount was for the birds, a fools game.
I fixed the knowledge part. That's the basis of my book and much of the rest of my website. I also fixed the accountability and feedback problem. I get on the scale every morning. The scale doesn't lie. It's hard. Some mornings I want to avoid it. But, it's a needed dose of reality to keep me on my path. Without that measure of accountability I would veer off course.
I'll be writing more on the subject. Until then, consider how accountability and feedback may be holding you back. If you think you have the knowledge to lose weight, but haven't had much success, then accountability and feedback may be the next areas to focus on.
Why was I fat? Two reasons. First, I lacked the proper knowledge for how my body worked and I believed in some incorrect knowledge (myths) of how my body worked that were doing more damage than I realized.
My book and website (http://fewbites.googlepages.com/) can teach you the knowledge I used to lose my weight and control it ever since.
Second, I lacked, or blocked out, accountability and feedback. I discounted my BMI results. I figured I was special somehow and the BMI didn't apply to me. I didn't get on a scale often. I even had enablers. People who didn't tell me the truth or were simply unable to see the truth themselves or tried to convince me that weighing a reasonable amount was for the birds, a fools game.
I fixed the knowledge part. That's the basis of my book and much of the rest of my website. I also fixed the accountability and feedback problem. I get on the scale every morning. The scale doesn't lie. It's hard. Some mornings I want to avoid it. But, it's a needed dose of reality to keep me on my path. Without that measure of accountability I would veer off course.
I'll be writing more on the subject. Until then, consider how accountability and feedback may be holding you back. If you think you have the knowledge to lose weight, but haven't had much success, then accountability and feedback may be the next areas to focus on.
"Core Motivation"
A few months ago, a writer for a local newspaper wrote about a meeting she had with one of the trainers from the Biggest Loser. The writer has struggled with her weight and often writes about it. The Biggest Loser trainer told her that the reason she hasn't been successful is because she hasn't found her "core motivation."
I thought that was interesting. I started thinking about what motivates me to keep the weight off, but I couldn't come up with anything profound. I simply don't care for being overweight. If that's my core motivation, fine. But, it's simple enough and it's not some deep seeded psychological thing that happened to me in childhood. Or, if it is, I don't know about it yet.
The more I thought about it, the less I liked the idea of "core motivation". To me, the concept is an enabling mindset - as in, it enables you to be overweight because you can use it as an excuse: "I just haven't found my core motivation yet."
I'm much more of the Nike mindset: Just Do It.
I thought that was interesting. I started thinking about what motivates me to keep the weight off, but I couldn't come up with anything profound. I simply don't care for being overweight. If that's my core motivation, fine. But, it's simple enough and it's not some deep seeded psychological thing that happened to me in childhood. Or, if it is, I don't know about it yet.
The more I thought about it, the less I liked the idea of "core motivation". To me, the concept is an enabling mindset - as in, it enables you to be overweight because you can use it as an excuse: "I just haven't found my core motivation yet."
I'm much more of the Nike mindset: Just Do It.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Guilty by association - BMI
Click here for story.
According to this story, a study of 3,362 people showed that blood pressure and BMI were associated with heart failure.
Not surprising, since the BMI was a model developed to predict the risk of suffering from weight-related illnesses such as heart disease. That means the orginal BMI researchers took a group of real people and tracked their health and looked for factors that related to their health outcomes. BMI was such a factor.
But, do we really need researchers to tell us that being overweight is bad for your health?
According to this story, a study of 3,362 people showed that blood pressure and BMI were associated with heart failure.
Not surprising, since the BMI was a model developed to predict the risk of suffering from weight-related illnesses such as heart disease. That means the orginal BMI researchers took a group of real people and tracked their health and looked for factors that related to their health outcomes. BMI was such a factor.
But, do we really need researchers to tell us that being overweight is bad for your health?
Friday, April 06, 2007
Few Bites Expands on the Web!
I'm sorry it's been awhile since I've posted.
I've focused my effort on expanding my the "Few Bites" web presence . I like blogging, but the drawback is that some good "how to" stuff eventually gets lost forever in the blog archive. I thought it would be helpful to put my key advice and info on weight loss on web pages that stayed put.
Please go to:
fewbites.googlepages.com
It's nothing fancy, but neither is weight loss. My hope is that this expanded presence will more effectively help others to conquer their weight problems.
I've focused my effort on expanding my the "Few Bites" web presence . I like blogging, but the drawback is that some good "how to" stuff eventually gets lost forever in the blog archive. I thought it would be helpful to put my key advice and info on weight loss on web pages that stayed put.
Please go to:
fewbites.googlepages.com
It's nothing fancy, but neither is weight loss. My hope is that this expanded presence will more effectively help others to conquer their weight problems.
Monday, February 05, 2007
"You on a Diet"
I'm currently reading the new book by Dr. Roizen and Dr. Oz, You on a Diet. It's interesting. Much of their advice lines up with my advice and that of the Zone diet, which is really a repackaged diet that the medical community teaches diabetics to help them control their blood sugars.
The good doctors have a lot of good information - maybe a little too much. It can be overwhelming at times. They could learn from Dr. Sears, the author of The Zone diet, with his condensed book "A Week in the Zone". I read that book in less than 2 hours and it gave me much of the information that I still use today to control my weight.
The good doctors say much of the same things as Dr. Sears, and myself. Eat more often. Eat good foods. Eat in moderation. Exercise. They also provide a lot of details on how the hormonal systems work for you and against you.
You on Diet have a great section on diet psychology. They really should lead the book with this chapter. Getting your head in the right frame of mind is the most important thing. I'll write more about the psychology chapter in another post.
I recommend this book. However, I'd recommend reading "A Week in the Zone" first. And you can also read my short book, an electronic-copy is is available for free (see the link on the right side of the page).
The good doctors have a lot of good information - maybe a little too much. It can be overwhelming at times. They could learn from Dr. Sears, the author of The Zone diet, with his condensed book "A Week in the Zone". I read that book in less than 2 hours and it gave me much of the information that I still use today to control my weight.
The good doctors say much of the same things as Dr. Sears, and myself. Eat more often. Eat good foods. Eat in moderation. Exercise. They also provide a lot of details on how the hormonal systems work for you and against you.
You on Diet have a great section on diet psychology. They really should lead the book with this chapter. Getting your head in the right frame of mind is the most important thing. I'll write more about the psychology chapter in another post.
I recommend this book. However, I'd recommend reading "A Week in the Zone" first. And you can also read my short book, an electronic-copy is is available for free (see the link on the right side of the page).
Monday, January 29, 2007
4.3: What is metabolism?
This is the dictionary definition of the word metabolism (from Dictionary.com):
"the sum of the physical and chemical processes in an organism by which its material substance is produced, maintained, and destroyed, and by which energy is made available."
I like to think of it as life, because without metabolism we wouldn't be alive. Our bodies are wonderful automated machines. We put material in and our bodies break it down to repair cells and supply energy. We're just a bundle of billions and billions of simultaneous chemical reactions being guided by little biological Oompah-Loompahs. And, for the most part we're completely unaware of it. Good times.
Sitting around watching the tube our bodies burn about the same amount of energy as a 65 to 100 watt lightbulb. When we're exercising vigorously, we burn about the same amount of energy as a computer - approximately 150 - 250 watts on top of the 65-100 watts.
We're burning calories 24/7. On a typical day I burn 1,500 - 1,700 calorieswhile I'm going about my business. That's called my basal metabolic rate. Exercise typically adds another 300 - 400 calories.
Weight is simple math. If I consistently eat more calories than I burn, I'll gain weight. To control my weight I need to balance the 1,500 - 2,200 calories I burn each day with the calories going in my mouth.
Metabolism can be tricky. Your body likes new calories coming down the hatch every 3 - 5 hours while you're awake. If you do this, your metabolism is happy and stays fired up. Regularly go longer than this and you risk two things that can work against your weight goals. First, your metabolism will slow down in order to conserve the energy expenditure to help you make it through those long periods without food. Second, your body will be more likely to store fat because it's putting some fuel in the tank to draw upon when you skipping meals.
Going so long without eating is a common mistake. I hear of people skipping breakfast or not eating after 7 pm. I hear people say they're going to skip lunch so they can eat more at dinner. Simple advice - Don't do it.
I had such a weakness in my routine. I ate lunch and usually didn't eat anyting until dinner. Needless to say, I was usually famished. Simply eating a 100 - 200 calorie snack at 4:30 stoked my metabolism and kept me satiated until dinner.
"the sum of the physical and chemical processes in an organism by which its material substance is produced, maintained, and destroyed, and by which energy is made available."
I like to think of it as life, because without metabolism we wouldn't be alive. Our bodies are wonderful automated machines. We put material in and our bodies break it down to repair cells and supply energy. We're just a bundle of billions and billions of simultaneous chemical reactions being guided by little biological Oompah-Loompahs. And, for the most part we're completely unaware of it. Good times.
Sitting around watching the tube our bodies burn about the same amount of energy as a 65 to 100 watt lightbulb. When we're exercising vigorously, we burn about the same amount of energy as a computer - approximately 150 - 250 watts on top of the 65-100 watts.
We're burning calories 24/7. On a typical day I burn 1,500 - 1,700 calorieswhile I'm going about my business. That's called my basal metabolic rate. Exercise typically adds another 300 - 400 calories.
Weight is simple math. If I consistently eat more calories than I burn, I'll gain weight. To control my weight I need to balance the 1,500 - 2,200 calories I burn each day with the calories going in my mouth.
Metabolism can be tricky. Your body likes new calories coming down the hatch every 3 - 5 hours while you're awake. If you do this, your metabolism is happy and stays fired up. Regularly go longer than this and you risk two things that can work against your weight goals. First, your metabolism will slow down in order to conserve the energy expenditure to help you make it through those long periods without food. Second, your body will be more likely to store fat because it's putting some fuel in the tank to draw upon when you skipping meals.
Going so long without eating is a common mistake. I hear of people skipping breakfast or not eating after 7 pm. I hear people say they're going to skip lunch so they can eat more at dinner. Simple advice - Don't do it.
I had such a weakness in my routine. I ate lunch and usually didn't eat anyting until dinner. Needless to say, I was usually famished. Simply eating a 100 - 200 calorie snack at 4:30 stoked my metabolism and kept me satiated until dinner.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
The Ellen Show
Martina Navratilova recently appeared on the Ellen show promoting her new book, "Shape Yourself". Her and I share one secret to weight control - moderation. We also share a love of chocolate and have identical approaches to enjoying it without wrecking our waistlines. I eat a few Hershey's dark chocolate kisses each day. Since I know I'll enjoy more chocolate the next day, I don't feel compelled to eat a lot at one time. In fact, by eating it every day, it's even lost some appeal.
I don't believe in giving up the foods you like best to control your weight. That leads to binging and negative feelings about your diet, neither of which are helpful. Find ways to enjoy your favorite foods in moderation and often. You're not trying to become a nun. You're just trying to lose some weight.
Ellen's personal trainer, who is a Biggest Loser trainer, was also on her show recently. He finds that people have a hard time getting back on their exercise routine after falling off. I agree. His advice: Remember how you felt after the exercise, not before it. Good advice. I never noticed it before, but I do that. A few nights ago, I was dragging and not wanting to jog. But I remembered that in the past when I felt the same way, a jog made feel a lot better. I was right.
I don't believe in giving up the foods you like best to control your weight. That leads to binging and negative feelings about your diet, neither of which are helpful. Find ways to enjoy your favorite foods in moderation and often. You're not trying to become a nun. You're just trying to lose some weight.
Ellen's personal trainer, who is a Biggest Loser trainer, was also on her show recently. He finds that people have a hard time getting back on their exercise routine after falling off. I agree. His advice: Remember how you felt after the exercise, not before it. Good advice. I never noticed it before, but I do that. A few nights ago, I was dragging and not wanting to jog. But I remembered that in the past when I felt the same way, a jog made feel a lot better. I was right.
The Body Religion
I'm thankful for having the chance to live this life through my body and my mind. It seems proper to do my best to take care of both. I don't worship my body, but I do respect it. It's a wonderful gift. It's the least I can do.
Friday, January 12, 2007
More evidence supporting my moderation advice...
If you haven't figured out yet, I like to bike. One of my favorite cycling websites is PezCyclingNews.com. This piece on Pez suggests that over exertion in exercise can weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to contracting minor ailments like a cold.
Remember that as you start your New Year exercise routines and be sure to read my "forget about no pain, no gain" from last year.
If you're out of shape and you start an exercise routine for the New Year, be careful no to over exert yourself. Catching a cold will then be your first excuse to skip workouts. Instead of approaching your exercise program like you have two months to get ready for the Olympics, start slow and strive for consistency. Patience. Patience. Patience. You have the rest of your life. Consistency is MUCH, MUCH more important that intensity. If you are consistent then you will eventually get in shape.
Consistency and moderate intensity also burns more calories than a high intensity regimen punctuated with lost workouts due to illness.
Remember that as you start your New Year exercise routines and be sure to read my "forget about no pain, no gain" from last year.
If you're out of shape and you start an exercise routine for the New Year, be careful no to over exert yourself. Catching a cold will then be your first excuse to skip workouts. Instead of approaching your exercise program like you have two months to get ready for the Olympics, start slow and strive for consistency. Patience. Patience. Patience. You have the rest of your life. Consistency is MUCH, MUCH more important that intensity. If you are consistent then you will eventually get in shape.
Consistency and moderate intensity also burns more calories than a high intensity regimen punctuated with lost workouts due to illness.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
New Year Resolutions
Happy New Year! I think anytime is a good time to make a resolution to change your life for the better, but the New Year seems to be the most popular time.
Here are my "10 Tips to Stick to Your New Year Resolution" from last year (click on the links to read more on each one):
1. Forget "No Pain, No Gain" mantra. Instead, strive for consistency and patience.
2. Give up potatoes and rice for one month. Instead eat fruits and vegetables as side dishes.
3. Introduce fruits and vegetables for each meal.
4. Try new fruits and vegetables to find some you may like.
5. Invest in a good pair of running or walking shoes. Hold off on the gym membership for now.
6. Set a goal to compete in and complete an organized recreational event like a 5k or bike ride in the March - June time frame.
7. Re-prioritize your schedule so that exercise doesn't get pushed off the list.
8. Try one or two new activities to discover something you may not have known that you'd enjoy.
9. Join groups that meet for recreational activities.
10. Keep a food diary for 2 weeks and then use my book to figure out how to calculate your food needs.
Here are my "10 Tips to Stick to Your New Year Resolution" from last year (click on the links to read more on each one):
1. Forget "No Pain, No Gain" mantra. Instead, strive for consistency and patience.
2. Give up potatoes and rice for one month. Instead eat fruits and vegetables as side dishes.
3. Introduce fruits and vegetables for each meal.
4. Try new fruits and vegetables to find some you may like.
5. Invest in a good pair of running or walking shoes. Hold off on the gym membership for now.
6. Set a goal to compete in and complete an organized recreational event like a 5k or bike ride in the March - June time frame.
7. Re-prioritize your schedule so that exercise doesn't get pushed off the list.
8. Try one or two new activities to discover something you may not have known that you'd enjoy.
9. Join groups that meet for recreational activities.
10. Keep a food diary for 2 weeks and then use my book to figure out how to calculate your food needs.
Friday, December 22, 2006
4.2: Education: What are macronutrients?
Macronutrients are three basic building blocks our bodies need for maintenace and energy. Feeding my body the right mix of macronutrients has been one of my most helpful techniques for gaining control of my weight.
The three macronutrients are carbohydrates (or carbs), protein and fat. Each of these macronutrients have calories that can wind up on your waistline if you eat too much.
Fat has 9 calories per gram.
Carbs and Protein 4 calories per gram.
By the way, Alchohol, has 7 calories per gram in case you were wondering.
Our bodies break down these macronutrients to supply energy and to build and repair cells. Wouldn't it be nice if we could just shovel three basic building blocks into our front door and our homes automatically took those to make repairs and keep the house warm or cool? That's what our bodies do.
I grew up in the 80s, with low fat diets. I lived through the 90s and it's low carb diets. Both of those trends did damage to my waistline, because neither worked for me. Dr. Barry Sears, convinced me one evening that my body actually needs a fairly steady mix of all three macronutrients. That evening was the night that my wife bought his short, grocery counter checkout book, "A Week in the Zone". It's a very short book - just like mine - but to me made a compelling case for me to get 40% of my calories from carbs, 30% from protein and 30% from healthy fats every time I eat.
Since then I've seen other diets recommend a similar formula as the long-term eating solution - most notably, the South Beach Diet. Incidentally, diabetics are taught to control their insulin levels with the same mix of carbs, protein and fat.
Before, I use to feel like I needed to visit confessional for eating any fat. I tried to cut as much fat out of my diet as possible. I figured that was the way to stay thin. So, how did I gain weight? Turns out, the body does need fat. It's designed that way. Starving it of fat ended up causing me to eat more calories than I needed.
And that is the reason I got fat. I ate more calories than I needed. For weight loss, mathematically it doesn't really matter where the calories come from - carbs, fat, protein - if you eat too many, you will gain weight.
But, physiologically, where the calories come from can make a world of difference. When I changed my mix of calorie intake to include more fats and to balance out the mix I noticed a difference immediately. It took me longer to feel hungry after eating.
So, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT: with the right mix of macronutrients, I'm able to eat the right amount of calories to control my weight without feeling like my stomach is trying to digest itself 30-90 minutes after eating.
I don't follow the 40/30/30 advice to the gram. It's more of a guideline. And, now, I know (or my stomach knows) well when I stray too far away from that guideline.
The three macronutrients are carbohydrates (or carbs), protein and fat. Each of these macronutrients have calories that can wind up on your waistline if you eat too much.
Fat has 9 calories per gram.
Carbs and Protein 4 calories per gram.
By the way, Alchohol, has 7 calories per gram in case you were wondering.
Our bodies break down these macronutrients to supply energy and to build and repair cells. Wouldn't it be nice if we could just shovel three basic building blocks into our front door and our homes automatically took those to make repairs and keep the house warm or cool? That's what our bodies do.
I grew up in the 80s, with low fat diets. I lived through the 90s and it's low carb diets. Both of those trends did damage to my waistline, because neither worked for me. Dr. Barry Sears, convinced me one evening that my body actually needs a fairly steady mix of all three macronutrients. That evening was the night that my wife bought his short, grocery counter checkout book, "A Week in the Zone". It's a very short book - just like mine - but to me made a compelling case for me to get 40% of my calories from carbs, 30% from protein and 30% from healthy fats every time I eat.
Since then I've seen other diets recommend a similar formula as the long-term eating solution - most notably, the South Beach Diet. Incidentally, diabetics are taught to control their insulin levels with the same mix of carbs, protein and fat.
Before, I use to feel like I needed to visit confessional for eating any fat. I tried to cut as much fat out of my diet as possible. I figured that was the way to stay thin. So, how did I gain weight? Turns out, the body does need fat. It's designed that way. Starving it of fat ended up causing me to eat more calories than I needed.
And that is the reason I got fat. I ate more calories than I needed. For weight loss, mathematically it doesn't really matter where the calories come from - carbs, fat, protein - if you eat too many, you will gain weight.
But, physiologically, where the calories come from can make a world of difference. When I changed my mix of calorie intake to include more fats and to balance out the mix I noticed a difference immediately. It took me longer to feel hungry after eating.
So, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT: with the right mix of macronutrients, I'm able to eat the right amount of calories to control my weight without feeling like my stomach is trying to digest itself 30-90 minutes after eating.
I don't follow the 40/30/30 advice to the gram. It's more of a guideline. And, now, I know (or my stomach knows) well when I stray too far away from that guideline.
Friday, December 15, 2006
4.1: Education: What are calories?
I'm now getting back on my roadmap to success with the second installment on education.
Have you ever look at a word that you've been using all of your life and it suddenly seems odd? Calorie was such a word for me. What exactly is a calorie?
Have you ever visited the website HowStuffWorks.com? I love it. It contains informative articles on most subjects. Click on the following link to read a "HowStuffWorks" article by Julia Layton and learn how calories work.
How Calories Work
A calorie is a unit of measure for energy. A mile measures distance. A fluid ounce measures volume. Calories measure energy. It's easy to visualize a mile or a fluid ounce, but not so easy to visualize a calorie. Energy is abstract. We see the results of energy expenditure - motion, light, boiling water, for example. But we usually don't actually see the energy. Wow, I better stop, now 'energy' is starting to look weird.
I'll spare you anymore physics. The easiest way to view a calorie is to think that it takes about one to two calories to "keep your lights on" in your body each minute. If your in motion or exercising it can consume 5-10 calories per minute.
I'm thankful for the calorie. A lot of diet plans try to invent their own system of monitoring food intake, but why? We already have a pretty darn good system. Calorie information is readily available for almost every food we eat. Once you know how many calories you need to consume it's 2nd grade math to figure out if you're consuming the right amount.
Calorie and macronutrient (i.e. fat, protein and carb) content are the only two pieces of information I really need to monitor my food intake for weight control. I'll write more about the macronutrients down the road.
A friend of mine says that weight loss is simple - just burn more calories than you consume. I agree, that's the essence of weight loss.
Have you ever look at a word that you've been using all of your life and it suddenly seems odd? Calorie was such a word for me. What exactly is a calorie?
Have you ever visited the website HowStuffWorks.com? I love it. It contains informative articles on most subjects. Click on the following link to read a "HowStuffWorks" article by Julia Layton and learn how calories work.
How Calories Work
A calorie is a unit of measure for energy. A mile measures distance. A fluid ounce measures volume. Calories measure energy. It's easy to visualize a mile or a fluid ounce, but not so easy to visualize a calorie. Energy is abstract. We see the results of energy expenditure - motion, light, boiling water, for example. But we usually don't actually see the energy. Wow, I better stop, now 'energy' is starting to look weird.
I'll spare you anymore physics. The easiest way to view a calorie is to think that it takes about one to two calories to "keep your lights on" in your body each minute. If your in motion or exercising it can consume 5-10 calories per minute.
I'm thankful for the calorie. A lot of diet plans try to invent their own system of monitoring food intake, but why? We already have a pretty darn good system. Calorie information is readily available for almost every food we eat. Once you know how many calories you need to consume it's 2nd grade math to figure out if you're consuming the right amount.
Calorie and macronutrient (i.e. fat, protein and carb) content are the only two pieces of information I really need to monitor my food intake for weight control. I'll write more about the macronutrients down the road.
A friend of mine says that weight loss is simple - just burn more calories than you consume. I agree, that's the essence of weight loss.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Alcohol is good for you - in moderation
People always ask me what I eat. I tell them anything I want, just not a lot of it. Moderation is bliss. Add alcohol to the list of things that are beneficial in moderate amounts. According to this article up to four alcoholic beverages per day for men and two for women are linked with longer lives. More than those amounts is linked with shortened lives (hmm - car wrecks, liver disease, etc. - shocker).
I've been around statistics enough in my profession to understand that statistical studies are far from proof of cause and effect, but I can believe this. My guess is that it has something to do with the the disinfectant and blood thinning capabilities of alcohol. But who cares?
The key here is moderation and responsibility. Too much of a good thing, especially in this case, can kill you.
I've been around statistics enough in my profession to understand that statistical studies are far from proof of cause and effect, but I can believe this. My guess is that it has something to do with the the disinfectant and blood thinning capabilities of alcohol. But who cares?
The key here is moderation and responsibility. Too much of a good thing, especially in this case, can kill you.
Monday, December 11, 2006
"Mindless Eating"
I'm taking a little break from my roadmap to success. A friend sent me some information on Professor Wansink's book, "Mindless Eating" because he said that some of the stuff Wansink said reminded me of some of things I said.
Wansink writes that in a typical day we make 200 food-related decisions and that many subtle things impact how much food we eat. For example, according to his latest blog post we tend to consume 28% more calories when eating low fat snacks because we think they're healthier.
Very interesting. I agree. Most people are unaware of the little things that drive their eating habits. For example, I notice that if I don't watch myself, I tend to eat at about the same pace and volume as those I'm with which is dangerous since I'm shorter than almost everyone and I don't need as many calories to maintain my weight.
Food intake awareness is a great skill to develop. It took practice to develop mine but quickly becomes second nature. Now it's like a little computer program that runs in the background. So, while I'm carrying on a conversation with a friend on the way to a restaurant I'm thinking of my options and try to settle on one before I get there to avoid being tempted by the bad stuff. When I get my food, I visualize the portion I want to limit myself to. As I'm eating, I stop and ask my self if I'm full. Sometime in a future post, I'll make a checklist to get you started if you're interested.
I know some are thinking, "that doesn't sound like fun, I want to enjoy my food." Believe it or not, I do that too. When I say it eventually becomes second nature, I mean it's sort of like driving a car. Most of us can drive and do something else at the same time like think about other things, carry on conversations, listen to the radio, and talk on the phone (not recommended). But, all the while you're steering, controlling speed, keeping tabs on nearby vehicles and pedestrians and navigating.
In driving, if you turn off the driving subroutine that's running in the background of your gray matter in order to focus on a phone conversation you might end up around a tree. If I turn off my eating subroutine, I'll end up in a food coma.
Wansink writes that in a typical day we make 200 food-related decisions and that many subtle things impact how much food we eat. For example, according to his latest blog post we tend to consume 28% more calories when eating low fat snacks because we think they're healthier.
Very interesting. I agree. Most people are unaware of the little things that drive their eating habits. For example, I notice that if I don't watch myself, I tend to eat at about the same pace and volume as those I'm with which is dangerous since I'm shorter than almost everyone and I don't need as many calories to maintain my weight.
Food intake awareness is a great skill to develop. It took practice to develop mine but quickly becomes second nature. Now it's like a little computer program that runs in the background. So, while I'm carrying on a conversation with a friend on the way to a restaurant I'm thinking of my options and try to settle on one before I get there to avoid being tempted by the bad stuff. When I get my food, I visualize the portion I want to limit myself to. As I'm eating, I stop and ask my self if I'm full. Sometime in a future post, I'll make a checklist to get you started if you're interested.
I know some are thinking, "that doesn't sound like fun, I want to enjoy my food." Believe it or not, I do that too. When I say it eventually becomes second nature, I mean it's sort of like driving a car. Most of us can drive and do something else at the same time like think about other things, carry on conversations, listen to the radio, and talk on the phone (not recommended). But, all the while you're steering, controlling speed, keeping tabs on nearby vehicles and pedestrians and navigating.
In driving, if you turn off the driving subroutine that's running in the background of your gray matter in order to focus on a phone conversation you might end up around a tree. If I turn off my eating subroutine, I'll end up in a food coma.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
4. Education: What is body fat?
I once thought that my body fat was nothing more than the fat I ingested in my diet deposited to my belly and love handles. As little as six years ago I thought that by limiting my fat intake, I would control body fat. But, lo and behold I was gaining weight even without a great deal of fat intake. I didn't understand what was happening.
Now I feel silly for ever thinking that. But, as I talk to more and more people I'm finding that it's myths like that that are prevent many people from losing weight. The purpose of this educational series is to review the things that I know now that make it much easier for me to understand how to control my weight, that I didn't know six years ago.
*The number of fat cells in your body is pretty much constant after puberty.
*Fat cells are your like your fuel tank. You body stores extra energy there to be used later when your body runs out of the energy supplied directly from your food intake.
*Your fat cells grow in size as they store more energy - that's called gaining weight.
*A gram of fat contains 9 calories. No wonder our bodies like to store energy in fat. Protein only stores 4 calories per gram. On a normal day, you burn 9 calories in about 20 minutes.
*If you continually feed your body more calories than it needs, it will eventually store some of those calories in your fat.
*Your wonderful body does covert fat in your diet more readily to fat in your belly, but extra calories from protein and carbohydrates can and will be converted body fat.
*One pound of body fat can supply your body's energy needs for about a day and a half. If you're 10 pounds overweight, you have enough energy to go without eating for 18 days (although your body would need other vital nutrients to stay alive).
*Fat was our ancestors' insurance policy against famine. They ate well when food was ample and then subsisted on their stored calories in times when external calories weren't as readily available.
*Liposuction can remove fat from one part of your body, but if you keep taking in more calories than your burn, your body will just store the extra calories in the remaining fat cells in your body leading to some weird features (e.g. trim belly, fat arms).
*The distribution of fat differs from person to person. Men tend to have fat cells in the midsection, while women have them in the breasts, buttocks and legs.
*Our body's tend to prioritize where it stores fat. For example, my body tends to store energy on my midsection and under chin first. When I reach maximum capacity in those places it tends to distribut to other parts of my body like my fingers and face. It comes off in the reverse order. For me, it drops off my face and fingers, then my mid-section and chin.
Click here for a GREAT article about fat cells in the body.
Now I feel silly for ever thinking that. But, as I talk to more and more people I'm finding that it's myths like that that are prevent many people from losing weight. The purpose of this educational series is to review the things that I know now that make it much easier for me to understand how to control my weight, that I didn't know six years ago.
*The number of fat cells in your body is pretty much constant after puberty.
*Fat cells are your like your fuel tank. You body stores extra energy there to be used later when your body runs out of the energy supplied directly from your food intake.
*Your fat cells grow in size as they store more energy - that's called gaining weight.
*A gram of fat contains 9 calories. No wonder our bodies like to store energy in fat. Protein only stores 4 calories per gram. On a normal day, you burn 9 calories in about 20 minutes.
*If you continually feed your body more calories than it needs, it will eventually store some of those calories in your fat.
*Your wonderful body does covert fat in your diet more readily to fat in your belly, but extra calories from protein and carbohydrates can and will be converted body fat.
*One pound of body fat can supply your body's energy needs for about a day and a half. If you're 10 pounds overweight, you have enough energy to go without eating for 18 days (although your body would need other vital nutrients to stay alive).
*Fat was our ancestors' insurance policy against famine. They ate well when food was ample and then subsisted on their stored calories in times when external calories weren't as readily available.
*Liposuction can remove fat from one part of your body, but if you keep taking in more calories than your burn, your body will just store the extra calories in the remaining fat cells in your body leading to some weird features (e.g. trim belly, fat arms).
*The distribution of fat differs from person to person. Men tend to have fat cells in the midsection, while women have them in the breasts, buttocks and legs.
*Our body's tend to prioritize where it stores fat. For example, my body tends to store energy on my midsection and under chin first. When I reach maximum capacity in those places it tends to distribut to other parts of my body like my fingers and face. It comes off in the reverse order. For me, it drops off my face and fingers, then my mid-section and chin.
Click here for a GREAT article about fat cells in the body.
4. Education
When I was overweight, I really couldn't tell you why I was overweight. Generally I knew that I was eating too much and/or not exercising enough. But, I didn't know how to go about figuring out how much I should eat or how much I should exercise.
But, my lack of knowledge was even more basic than that. Before I educated myself, I had only a vague notion on what fat was and how it worked. I didn't know where that cut-off was between fat and thin. I didn't know exactly what a calorie was or how fat, protein and carbs worked. At one time, I actually thought that you got fat by eating fattening foods. I didn't know how body fat differed from fat in your diet. I didn't know how my body takes the food I eat everyday and breaks it down into the pieces that keep us humming.
After talking with many people, I realized that most people don't know these things either. It's a complicated subject matter, which pushes some to try to simplify it into an easily understandable system.
For me it was important to learn the fundamentals of how the body worked in order to be successful at controlling my weight. I didn't want to follow a dumbed-down system, but not understand why I was doing what I was doing.
As the answers came, I realized weight control touches on many different traditional subject matters. It spans physics, biology, chemistry, economics, psychology, statistics, finance, medicine, health with a heavy dose of math mixed in.
For the next several posts I'm going to deep dive into weight loss education. I'm going to step you through the process of how I came to understand weight - at it's base level - which helps me successfully control my weight.
But, my lack of knowledge was even more basic than that. Before I educated myself, I had only a vague notion on what fat was and how it worked. I didn't know where that cut-off was between fat and thin. I didn't know exactly what a calorie was or how fat, protein and carbs worked. At one time, I actually thought that you got fat by eating fattening foods. I didn't know how body fat differed from fat in your diet. I didn't know how my body takes the food I eat everyday and breaks it down into the pieces that keep us humming.
After talking with many people, I realized that most people don't know these things either. It's a complicated subject matter, which pushes some to try to simplify it into an easily understandable system.
For me it was important to learn the fundamentals of how the body worked in order to be successful at controlling my weight. I didn't want to follow a dumbed-down system, but not understand why I was doing what I was doing.
As the answers came, I realized weight control touches on many different traditional subject matters. It spans physics, biology, chemistry, economics, psychology, statistics, finance, medicine, health with a heavy dose of math mixed in.
For the next several posts I'm going to deep dive into weight loss education. I'm going to step you through the process of how I came to understand weight - at it's base level - which helps me successfully control my weight.
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