Some fitness fanatics believe that if a little exercise is good than a lot must be better. I should know, I use to believe that. And do I even have to add that I incurred significant leg injuries as a result of that attitude? Pay attention here people and learn from my mistakes.
Such fitness fanatics are quintessential overtrainers (or is that overachievers?), true type A personalities, constantly pushing themselves and never taking a rest or active recovery day. Somehow they expect their 50 year old body to bounce back as if they were 18 again.
Sorry to say that it doesn't work that way. If you paid attention to the recent Olympics and caught any of the interviews with 41 year old swimmer Dara Torres, then you heard her state that she cannot train the way she use to when she was a younger swimmer. To prepare and successfully compete in the 2008 Olympics, she had to be a lot smarter about how she trains. She needed more recovery time for her body and more core work and stretching.
Very interesting. This from an elite athlete who has competed in 5 Olympics.
What can us mere mortals learn from such an incredible competitor?
Well for one, your rest/active recovery days are just as important as your hard work-out days.
When you work out (particularly weight training) you are literally tearing down muscle fibers.
The rest days allow the fibers to heal and regrow, becoming stronger. If you don't allow your body the time it needs to heal, you will continually break down your muscles.
Result: disaster, commonly known as overtraining.
If you overtrain (and I have), instead of breaking down your muscle fibers, YOU will be broken. Overtraining can feel like a bad cold or mono-excessive fatigue, a bone tiredness, trouble sleeping, depressed, no interest in working out, possible (probable) injuries.
Does any of that sound like fun?
I can assure you, based on my own experience, it is definitely not fun. You must take rest days.
Active recovery days matter too-you can go for a 30 minute easy walk if you want to move your body or a light yoga class such as restorative yoga. Something that you consider very light to
light intensity. Certainly NOT 2 hours on the elliptical machine.
Ignore your body at your own peril. Rest is not a 4 letter word!
And yes, I can count.......
In Health,
Laura
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
sugar and spice and everything nice
NOT.
Did you know that a Starbucks Venti 2% Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha has 600 calories and 95 grams of sugar? So Men's Health magazine reports.
95 grams of sugar is more sugar than the average person consumes in a day.
And this is for 1 (count 'em 1!!!!!) drink.
Men's Health magazine also states that a Jamba Juice Peanut Butter Moo'd Power Smoothie
(where do they come up with these names?) has 1,170 calories and 169 grams of sugar per 30 oz. serving. That's almost my entire caloric intake for a day! In one drink!!!! And almost twice as much sugar as the Starbucks Chocolate Mocha. Talk about a sugar high.
But the king (queen?) of caloric drinks is, as one would expect, a milkshake. Or should we call it a sugarshake? The winner is, drumroll please: weighing in at 1,660 calories and 160 grams of sugar per 20 oz, Love It size we have Cold Stone Creamery Oh Fudge! Shake.
Wowser, now that's a heavyweight! In all meanings of the word heavy. I think I'll stick with water for my beverage of choice. That's what this little girl is made of. Lots and lots of water.
In health,
Laura
Did you know that a Starbucks Venti 2% Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha has 600 calories and 95 grams of sugar? So Men's Health magazine reports.
95 grams of sugar is more sugar than the average person consumes in a day.
And this is for 1 (count 'em 1!!!!!) drink.
Men's Health magazine also states that a Jamba Juice Peanut Butter Moo'd Power Smoothie
(where do they come up with these names?) has 1,170 calories and 169 grams of sugar per 30 oz. serving. That's almost my entire caloric intake for a day! In one drink!!!! And almost twice as much sugar as the Starbucks Chocolate Mocha. Talk about a sugar high.
But the king (queen?) of caloric drinks is, as one would expect, a milkshake. Or should we call it a sugarshake? The winner is, drumroll please: weighing in at 1,660 calories and 160 grams of sugar per 20 oz, Love It size we have Cold Stone Creamery Oh Fudge! Shake.
Wowser, now that's a heavyweight! In all meanings of the word heavy. I think I'll stick with water for my beverage of choice. That's what this little girl is made of. Lots and lots of water.
In health,
Laura
Shoot yourself in the foot-part 1
We often are our own worst enemies. We seem to know the very best ways to trip ourselves up. Here is the first of several sure-fire methods on how to shoot yourself in the foot exercise wise. Remember what my jr. high principal use to say? "A word to the wise should be sufficient."
Heed his advice and avoid these pitfalls. Here's number one:
1. Do-it-yourself
The Do-it-yourself exerciser is "in-de-pend-ent". They do not require any instruction from anyone at anytime. They "vant to be alone darling" which is just fine generally. However they can't possibly know all there is to know about any given subject matter. In our present culture, in the age of information technology, it is IMPOSSIBLE to stay completely current and up-to-date on most topics. Therefore in their desire to be self-reliant (a very American trait, yes?) they are closing themselves off to multitudes of information which could be very important to whatever they're trying to accomplish.
As a personal trainer and fitness professional, I spent huge amounts of time on-line combing through fitness sites (good, bad and ugly), reading trade journals as well as popular magazines
and often conversing with colleagues about a fitness topic. This is my passion and I'm happy to spend my time this way.
Why reinvent the wheel? If a professional has the expertise and experience, why not take advantage of that? I guess the do-it-yourselfer would rather come up with a better wheel
(or it that mousetrap?) than heaven forbid, ask someone for help.
My advice: enlist some professional help and make your life a lot easier. You don't necessarily have to hire a trainer (although I'm almost always in favor of that-remember I have an agenda).
There's a ton of helpful information presented in classes or guided practices (like Masters Swimming, running clubs, etc)
And goodness sakes' don't shoot yourself in the foot. That hurts!
In health,
Laura
Heed his advice and avoid these pitfalls. Here's number one:
1. Do-it-yourself
The Do-it-yourself exerciser is "in-de-pend-ent". They do not require any instruction from anyone at anytime. They "vant to be alone darling" which is just fine generally. However they can't possibly know all there is to know about any given subject matter. In our present culture, in the age of information technology, it is IMPOSSIBLE to stay completely current and up-to-date on most topics. Therefore in their desire to be self-reliant (a very American trait, yes?) they are closing themselves off to multitudes of information which could be very important to whatever they're trying to accomplish.
As a personal trainer and fitness professional, I spent huge amounts of time on-line combing through fitness sites (good, bad and ugly), reading trade journals as well as popular magazines
and often conversing with colleagues about a fitness topic. This is my passion and I'm happy to spend my time this way.
Why reinvent the wheel? If a professional has the expertise and experience, why not take advantage of that? I guess the do-it-yourselfer would rather come up with a better wheel
(or it that mousetrap?) than heaven forbid, ask someone for help.
My advice: enlist some professional help and make your life a lot easier. You don't necessarily have to hire a trainer (although I'm almost always in favor of that-remember I have an agenda).
There's a ton of helpful information presented in classes or guided practices (like Masters Swimming, running clubs, etc)
And goodness sakes' don't shoot yourself in the foot. That hurts!
In health,
Laura
Mark Your Calendars!
October 15th is "Love Your Body Day" sponsored by the National Organization for Women Foundation.
The next time you see your reflection, I challenge you to say "hi gorgeous" instead of the litany of negative comments you usually hurl in your own direction.
Better yet, I DARE you to look yourself in the mirror deeply into your eyes and appreciate what you see. Your appreciation can be of any element of yourself-a specific physical trait, your spirit,
your aliveness, whatever you like.
I have friends who can't (won't) do this. They find it too excruciating to face themselves.
Personally that saddens me deeply to think that the people I have invited into my life as friends
and whom I care deeply about, cannot see their own beauty as I see it.
Why won't we give to ourselves the same gift of acceptance and love we give to our dear friends?
In health,
Laura
The next time you see your reflection, I challenge you to say "hi gorgeous" instead of the litany of negative comments you usually hurl in your own direction.
Better yet, I DARE you to look yourself in the mirror deeply into your eyes and appreciate what you see. Your appreciation can be of any element of yourself-a specific physical trait, your spirit,
your aliveness, whatever you like.
I have friends who can't (won't) do this. They find it too excruciating to face themselves.
Personally that saddens me deeply to think that the people I have invited into my life as friends
and whom I care deeply about, cannot see their own beauty as I see it.
Why won't we give to ourselves the same gift of acceptance and love we give to our dear friends?
In health,
Laura
Friday, August 29, 2008
Chew on this
Did you know that Outback Steakhouse's Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing has 2,900
calories? And 182 grams of fat? And that even if you split the appetizer with 3 other friends, your calories for your portion are equivalent to a complete meal?
Did you know that Macaroni Grill's Spaghetti with Meatballs and Meat Sauce weighs in at a whopping 2,430 calories, 128 gms fat, 207 gms carbs and 5,290 mg sodium? Consuming 2,400
calories for 1 day regularly would result in a significant weight gain for most women, let alone
consuming 2,400 calories in 1 meal.
Men's Health editor in chief David Zinczenko (with Matt Goulding) has written a fascinating book
called "Eat This, Not That" giving the calorie counts, fat, carb and sodium content of many restaurant foods. Zinczenko calls the Aussie Cheese Fries "the worst food in America".
Want to know the worse Chinese entree to eat? The worst pizza? The worst breakfast?
(yes, there is such a thing!). Well, take a look at this book and you may be appalled by what
you've been enjoying at your favorite restaurant. Very eye-opening.
It's not all bad news-Zinczenko also recommends healthier options and gives the calorie counts for those dishes as well. You can check out Zinczenko's top 20 Worst Foods at www.menshealth.com/eatthis Clink on the 20 worst foods in America. I like his book-he gives a dish he says to eat in place of a dish he says to avoid (eat this, not that). The choices are side by side and it's simple to compare the nutritional information of both dishes.
If you eat out a lot, you owe it to yourself (and to your body) to know what you are putting in your mouth. You may decide, on the basis of this information alone, to make some changes in your dining choices. I use to eat out multiple times a week. Going to a restaurant was a treat for me. I enjoyed being waited on, sitting at a table, reading a book or visiting with a friend while someone else prepared my food. Very lovely. However, having someone else prepare my food meant that I didn't know how it was prepared and with what. Predictably I was quite overweight. After losing the weight and now in maintenance mode, I avoid eating out. When I do, I think about where I go, what I order and the portion size. I don't drink alcohol or eat desserts so I am able to avoid a lot of calories there.
Consider the typical restaurant scenario for dinner: most folks will have a glass of wine or a cocktail, some kind of appetizer or salad, bread and butter, their main dish and maybe a second glass of wine, coffee and possibly dessert. That constitutes a massive amount of calories, fat, sodium, carbs and sugar and represents one meal. What else did these people eat that day? It takes about an hour of vigorous exercising to burn off 300-500 calories depending on what you're doing. That fictional meal I just described could easily translate into 2,000 calories on top of the other meals consumed that day. That's 4-6 hours of exercising to burn off one meal. Wow. No thanks.
Check out the link and/or the book. Fascinating and appalling.
In health,
Laura
calories? And 182 grams of fat? And that even if you split the appetizer with 3 other friends, your calories for your portion are equivalent to a complete meal?
Did you know that Macaroni Grill's Spaghetti with Meatballs and Meat Sauce weighs in at a whopping 2,430 calories, 128 gms fat, 207 gms carbs and 5,290 mg sodium? Consuming 2,400
calories for 1 day regularly would result in a significant weight gain for most women, let alone
consuming 2,400 calories in 1 meal.
Men's Health editor in chief David Zinczenko (with Matt Goulding) has written a fascinating book
called "Eat This, Not That" giving the calorie counts, fat, carb and sodium content of many restaurant foods. Zinczenko calls the Aussie Cheese Fries "the worst food in America".
Want to know the worse Chinese entree to eat? The worst pizza? The worst breakfast?
(yes, there is such a thing!). Well, take a look at this book and you may be appalled by what
you've been enjoying at your favorite restaurant. Very eye-opening.
It's not all bad news-Zinczenko also recommends healthier options and gives the calorie counts for those dishes as well. You can check out Zinczenko's top 20 Worst Foods at www.menshealth.com/eatthis Clink on the 20 worst foods in America. I like his book-he gives a dish he says to eat in place of a dish he says to avoid (eat this, not that). The choices are side by side and it's simple to compare the nutritional information of both dishes.
If you eat out a lot, you owe it to yourself (and to your body) to know what you are putting in your mouth. You may decide, on the basis of this information alone, to make some changes in your dining choices. I use to eat out multiple times a week. Going to a restaurant was a treat for me. I enjoyed being waited on, sitting at a table, reading a book or visiting with a friend while someone else prepared my food. Very lovely. However, having someone else prepare my food meant that I didn't know how it was prepared and with what. Predictably I was quite overweight. After losing the weight and now in maintenance mode, I avoid eating out. When I do, I think about where I go, what I order and the portion size. I don't drink alcohol or eat desserts so I am able to avoid a lot of calories there.
Consider the typical restaurant scenario for dinner: most folks will have a glass of wine or a cocktail, some kind of appetizer or salad, bread and butter, their main dish and maybe a second glass of wine, coffee and possibly dessert. That constitutes a massive amount of calories, fat, sodium, carbs and sugar and represents one meal. What else did these people eat that day? It takes about an hour of vigorous exercising to burn off 300-500 calories depending on what you're doing. That fictional meal I just described could easily translate into 2,000 calories on top of the other meals consumed that day. That's 4-6 hours of exercising to burn off one meal. Wow. No thanks.
Check out the link and/or the book. Fascinating and appalling.
In health,
Laura
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Breakfast, again
Do you know that the USDA Agricultural Research Service has determined that people who eat most of their food between 4PM and 8PM have higher cholesterol, higher blood pressure nad higer blood sugar levels than people who eat 3 meals a day?
Surprisingly, both groups consumed the same number of calories. The big differences were how
the calories were consumed and when.
The USDA also found that the folks eating the most calories at night felt hungrier and less satisfied during the day and that they often made poor food choices (high calorie, nutrient deficient) when they did eat.
I interpret this information to mean that the folks consuming the majority of their calories at night don't eat breakfast. It seems obvious to me that of course these people would feel
hungrier and less satisfied during the day. They're literally starving their bodies. Most likely
their blood sugar levels are crashing through the floor, they've dragged themeselves through their day and don't have the energy physically or mentally to make any kind of healthy choice
for dinner. Basically they're ravenous and they need calories NOW, immediately.
Other studies show that folks who skip breakfast carry excess weight to the point of obesity
than people who eat breakfast.
So I get on my breakfast soap box once again. What does your breakfast look like? Are you getting about 400-500 calories of balanced nutrients? Complex carbs? A little good fat? Protein? Fiber? You're all intelligent people. I trust you can figure out that eating a banana or a muffin does not equal a balanced meal.
What about this word: breakfast? How do you break a fast? By EATING!
If you don't eat breakfast regularly, please consider experimenting by eating some kind of small, balanced meal first thing in the morning. If eggs and bacon or a big bowl of cereal turns your stomach (literally) then consider something smaller (but still balanced please) and start there. Many choices exist. Give yourself permission to experiment: don't feel constrained to eat breakfast foods for breakfast. If eating a lunch or dinner type food seems appealing, then try that. I use to love eating cold pizza for breakfast. Many cultures eat what we may view as
non-breakfast type foods for their first meal of the day. Go by how your body feels.
Also think about your night-time eating habits. Do you wait until late in the afternoon or early
evening to eat the majority of your calories? If you do that, what kind of food choices are you making? Do you fall into the category of hungry, feed me now, your arm is looking mighty
appetizing?
We have enough stresses in our daily lives. What small, manageable choices can you make to healthily feed your body?
In health,
Laura
Surprisingly, both groups consumed the same number of calories. The big differences were how
the calories were consumed and when.
The USDA also found that the folks eating the most calories at night felt hungrier and less satisfied during the day and that they often made poor food choices (high calorie, nutrient deficient) when they did eat.
I interpret this information to mean that the folks consuming the majority of their calories at night don't eat breakfast. It seems obvious to me that of course these people would feel
hungrier and less satisfied during the day. They're literally starving their bodies. Most likely
their blood sugar levels are crashing through the floor, they've dragged themeselves through their day and don't have the energy physically or mentally to make any kind of healthy choice
for dinner. Basically they're ravenous and they need calories NOW, immediately.
Other studies show that folks who skip breakfast carry excess weight to the point of obesity
than people who eat breakfast.
So I get on my breakfast soap box once again. What does your breakfast look like? Are you getting about 400-500 calories of balanced nutrients? Complex carbs? A little good fat? Protein? Fiber? You're all intelligent people. I trust you can figure out that eating a banana or a muffin does not equal a balanced meal.
What about this word: breakfast? How do you break a fast? By EATING!
If you don't eat breakfast regularly, please consider experimenting by eating some kind of small, balanced meal first thing in the morning. If eggs and bacon or a big bowl of cereal turns your stomach (literally) then consider something smaller (but still balanced please) and start there. Many choices exist. Give yourself permission to experiment: don't feel constrained to eat breakfast foods for breakfast. If eating a lunch or dinner type food seems appealing, then try that. I use to love eating cold pizza for breakfast. Many cultures eat what we may view as
non-breakfast type foods for their first meal of the day. Go by how your body feels.
Also think about your night-time eating habits. Do you wait until late in the afternoon or early
evening to eat the majority of your calories? If you do that, what kind of food choices are you making? Do you fall into the category of hungry, feed me now, your arm is looking mighty
appetizing?
We have enough stresses in our daily lives. What small, manageable choices can you make to healthily feed your body?
In health,
Laura
Thoughts on Cardio Machines
What programs do you use on cardio machines?
Quick-start? Manual?
If the answer to my question is yes, please consider an interval/hill program. On the Life Fitness Elliptical (my favorite machine), I like the random program best. On the Precor machines, the cross country program is ok. The hill program on the Cybex Arc Trainer is an interval work-out too.
The reason I'm mentioning this is because if you have a fitness or weight loss goal, a flat line program like quick-start or manual is not going to help you achieve your goal. Interval training has been shown to be the most effective way to improve your cardiovascular health and boost your metabolism (i.e. burn calories).
Watch your speed and notice whether you speed up on the valleys and slow down on the hills. This is a typical human reaction to varying work-load. One way of working is to keep your speed constant regardless of the work-load. It's one way, not necessarily the only way.
Remember variety is the spice of life (and exercising!).
If you have a weight loss goal or you're a numbers guy (or girl like me), the calorie counts on these machines are not accurate. As I mentioned in a previous post, the totals can be off (too
high) by hundreds of calories depending on how long you were on the machine.
Likewise for the heart rate monitors contained in the machine. If you really want to know your heart rate and your calorie expenditure, please invest in a good heart rate monitor. My trainer asked me to buy one for years and I'm sorry to say it took me until not so long ago to follow her advice. It was, and is, excellent advice and I use my HR monitor constantly now. It's a valuable tool to evaluate the effectiveness of my exercising both at that moment in time and
over a longer period.
In health,
Laura
Quick-start? Manual?
If the answer to my question is yes, please consider an interval/hill program. On the Life Fitness Elliptical (my favorite machine), I like the random program best. On the Precor machines, the cross country program is ok. The hill program on the Cybex Arc Trainer is an interval work-out too.
The reason I'm mentioning this is because if you have a fitness or weight loss goal, a flat line program like quick-start or manual is not going to help you achieve your goal. Interval training has been shown to be the most effective way to improve your cardiovascular health and boost your metabolism (i.e. burn calories).
Watch your speed and notice whether you speed up on the valleys and slow down on the hills. This is a typical human reaction to varying work-load. One way of working is to keep your speed constant regardless of the work-load. It's one way, not necessarily the only way.
Remember variety is the spice of life (and exercising!).
If you have a weight loss goal or you're a numbers guy (or girl like me), the calorie counts on these machines are not accurate. As I mentioned in a previous post, the totals can be off (too
high) by hundreds of calories depending on how long you were on the machine.
Likewise for the heart rate monitors contained in the machine. If you really want to know your heart rate and your calorie expenditure, please invest in a good heart rate monitor. My trainer asked me to buy one for years and I'm sorry to say it took me until not so long ago to follow her advice. It was, and is, excellent advice and I use my HR monitor constantly now. It's a valuable tool to evaluate the effectiveness of my exercising both at that moment in time and
over a longer period.
In health,
Laura
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