Yup, late again! Life has been busy. But his weeks blog is short, on purpose. I have a long one in the works, but the tips his week are just that, tips.
Diet/WeightWatchers
I get lots of questions from those starting out about being hungry. The typical one is " I am fine until about 2 hours after dinner, then I start to get hungry, by the time I go to bed I am starved! What do I do?" Simple answer is eat! But in control.
You probably have gotten in the habit of eating later at night, while winding down, maybe watching TV. And your body likes to fuel up every few hours. So expecting to go from say 7pm to 7am without eating, well yes a lot of us get hungry. So plan for it. Reserve part of your calorie/daily point intake for later evening. Now I am not talking about 800 cals or 10 pts, after all you are headed to bed and won't be burning off a lot. About 100 to 150 cals can often do the trick. And stay away from really sugary carbs. go for protein and a little fat. I like to have walnuts, or almonds, unsalted (salt will make you hungrier), only 5-8 nuts. Low fat string cheese isn't bad. A few pieces of beef jerky (low salt). Plan for it, and eat it slowly.
Also drink so water or non-caffeinated tea. Many times that hunger is really thirst. Staying hydrated helps keep hunger at bay.
Exercise/Fitness
Do you have fitness goals? If not you should have. Without goals, you can't measure progress, which means you can't tell if what you are doing is making a difference. You will find my goals for the year in an earlier post in this blog. But yours don't have to be as extensive. They can be simple as being able to do 5 pushups, to walk a 5K, or run a 5K without stopping. As soon as you start putting some goals together, they give you motivation and direction. When you achieve a goal you get that great feeling of accomplishment.
Don't keep your goals to yourself. Tell people. When you let others know what your goals are, they will ask about them, ask about your progress, and this builds in accountability. It also helps when you tell them you need to workout, or aren't eating something because you are trying to reach the goal.
That is all, just a few tips. See you next week.
Mike
Monday, February 25, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
Fitness Tip for Week ending February 16, 2013.
Let's get this one out early.
Diet/Weight Watchers
So you are on your way, got the diet going, tracking in WW and things are great those first few days. Maybe the enthusiasm lasts for a couple of weeks. Then you start to get into the drudgery of how many points is it? What the heck am I going to eat today? So planning is key. Making sure you got plenty of good food choices in the fridge and pantry. But still it takes more time to make your meal than to grab that Quarter Pounder w/Cheese (14pts), Medium Fries (10pts) and a 16oz Coke (6pts). That is 30pts. I currently have only 36 daily, and my wife has 26. That is a whole day in one meal!!!! OF course you are dieting sooooo....... instead you order a Premium Grilled Chicken Classic, w/o mayo (9pts), Small Fries (6pts) and a Diet Coke (0pts). That is still 15 points!! So, if you are serious you need to do two things.
First do your homework. Find out what are high point items and low point alternatives. I made the mistake after being on WW for about 2 months of going into a Jimmy Johns and ordering a Totally Tuna Sub on French Bread, - 17 pts!!!! I thought I'll never eat at that place again. I'll go to Subway that is where "Jarod" eats. But Subway 6" Oven Roasted Chicken Sandwich on 9-Grain Wheat Bread with no cheese or mayo is 8 pts. Ahhh but I found a great alternative, and guess where, Jimmy John's. See they make these things called Unwiches. Take any sub they have and turn it into and Unwich. They replace the bread with big leaves of Iceberg lettuce, lots of it. Take A #2 Big John Unwich, 2 pts. #14 Bootlegger (roast beef and turkey) they are 4 pts. Just leave the cheese off everything. They are great tasting and filling.
Get the point calculator app for you smart phone. It will tell you what anything is point wise from the nutrition info on the package. What you find out will surprise you. Stop in at most convience stores and you will find convience gets you FAT. Not much good to eat, though you can usually find a banana, apple or some unsalted dry roasted nuts (get the smallest bag you can find). Small Packages (1.5 oz) make good snacks, 3pts per serving.
Second, stay out of any fast food restaurant that doesn't server Unwiches. There are just not many good food choices there, really, so why waste your time eating where you will be tempted to eat something you shouldn't.
Exercise & Fitness
Let's talk about Cardio this week. In my opinion there are 3 stages of cardio, beginning, cruising and flying.
Beginning Cardio is what you do when you have been sedentary for too long and are just starting out (like duh Mike, I got the from the term beginning!). Three main concerns here finding exercises that you like, art raise your heart rate and doesn't over stress joints & muscles. If you don't like it, you won't do it. If it doesn't raise your heart rate, it doesn't do you any good. If it over stresses your joints or muscles you will be sidelined with an injury which just defeats the purpose. WW Activity points 1-10 per workout Good beginning exercises include:
Walking - outdoors, indoors, treadmill - < 30 mins, < 3mph
Hiking
Bike Riding - leisure rides < 30 minutes, < 12 mph.
Exercise Bike in gym < 30 min
Elliptical trainer < 30 min
Swimming.
These get you moving, burn fat and help you start to get some muscle tone and endurance.
Cruising Cardio kind of just happens. You go along doing your beginning exercise and you start to tone up. You can do more and more each time you exercise. Pretty soon you have gone past that 30 minute mark. Walking is at 3 mph or above, cycling goes past the 12 mph mark. You feel good and want to do more. Fact is that now you have toned up and have some endurance so chances of injury go down because muscles and joints are now getting in shape and your weight has gone down. What you need to add to the list of things to look for in the exercise, is it challenging. Now is the time to start challenging yourself to get to a higher level. WW Activity points 10+ per workout Exercises to consider adding:
Speed Walking - speed > 3 mph, durations > 45 min
Backpacking - turn that hike into an event with a pack on your back.
Jogging/Running - Ease into it, but this can put into shape to maybe try out a 5K run.
Spin Class - just when you thought you had mastered the exercise bike, let a class push you for 45+ min.
StairMaster - this is a beast in the gym.
Mountain Biking - Off the pavement into the dirt. Sand, mud, hills.
Road Cycling - Get out of town and off the sidewalks. 12 - 15 mph, hills, distances up to 35 miles.
Advanced swimming - start working on times and strokes.
What you will find with all of these is that no longer will your heart rate just go up, it will jump, workouts that put you in the Anaerobic Zone (>85% heart rate) are common. The sweat starts to roll, feels like fat dripping off. Endurance and muscle tone starts to get at a level that will surprise you.
FLYING: The last step is flying, I call if flying for 2 reasons, your speed and endurance go up and you feel like you are flying. You start to really crave the activity. At this point your exercise usually becomes very specialized, doing something you completely enjoy and doing it a a lot! All other exercise seems to be dialed in to improve your performance in your favorite. WW Activity points 20+ per workout. These exercises include:
Long Distance Running > 5K, half and full marathons
Sprinting
Cyclo-cross a combination Mountain biking, road riding and sometime running while carrying your bike.
Long Distance Road Cycling or Racing - Distances > 100K (62 miles) with 100 mi rides common, > 16 mph
Triathlons
Your body gets tuned in, you actually are now training for specific events. Duration's of activity rise, 3, 4, 6+ hours of exercise. At this point your endurance has gone past that of most people, and you are enjoying the rush. The sky is the limit when you are flying.
I have managed to get to that last level. It took me a long time. Remember, I started at 327lbs. Here is what I did:
Beginning Cardio - 7 months (Aug 2011 - Feb 2012) starting weight 327 lbs
Walking Outdoors
Leisure bicycling - transitioned to exercise bike in gym during winter.
Cruising Cardio - 5 months (Feb - July 2012) - 254 lbs
Walking Outdoors - 10,000 steps a day at 3 mph
Spinning Classes twice a week
StairMaster - up to 30 minutes (110 floors)
Road Cycling - 12 - 15 mph, up to 50 miles
Flying - 5 months (July 2012 to present) present weight 190 lbs on 2/15/13
Long Distance Road Cycling, first 100K 4th of July week. first 100 mi ride Aug 31, avg long
distance speed at end of season 16.7 mph
Spinning Class twice a week
Running - occasional events ran in One One Run on 1/1/2013, 2.2 miles speed 5 mph.
Walk everywhere I can.
Currently training for first race, 3/23/2013, a Roubaix (gravel road ride).
One last point, age is not a factor. Nor is starting health. I'm 54 years old. When I started this I had High Blood Pressure and Sleep Apnea. Both are gone, no meds, no CPAP pump. And I feel great. See you next week!
Diet/Weight Watchers
So you are on your way, got the diet going, tracking in WW and things are great those first few days. Maybe the enthusiasm lasts for a couple of weeks. Then you start to get into the drudgery of how many points is it? What the heck am I going to eat today? So planning is key. Making sure you got plenty of good food choices in the fridge and pantry. But still it takes more time to make your meal than to grab that Quarter Pounder w/Cheese (14pts), Medium Fries (10pts) and a 16oz Coke (6pts). That is 30pts. I currently have only 36 daily, and my wife has 26. That is a whole day in one meal!!!! OF course you are dieting sooooo....... instead you order a Premium Grilled Chicken Classic, w/o mayo (9pts), Small Fries (6pts) and a Diet Coke (0pts). That is still 15 points!! So, if you are serious you need to do two things.
First do your homework. Find out what are high point items and low point alternatives. I made the mistake after being on WW for about 2 months of going into a Jimmy Johns and ordering a Totally Tuna Sub on French Bread, - 17 pts!!!! I thought I'll never eat at that place again. I'll go to Subway that is where "Jarod" eats. But Subway 6" Oven Roasted Chicken Sandwich on 9-Grain Wheat Bread with no cheese or mayo is 8 pts. Ahhh but I found a great alternative, and guess where, Jimmy John's. See they make these things called Unwiches. Take any sub they have and turn it into and Unwich. They replace the bread with big leaves of Iceberg lettuce, lots of it. Take A #2 Big John Unwich, 2 pts. #14 Bootlegger (roast beef and turkey) they are 4 pts. Just leave the cheese off everything. They are great tasting and filling.
Get the point calculator app for you smart phone. It will tell you what anything is point wise from the nutrition info on the package. What you find out will surprise you. Stop in at most convience stores and you will find convience gets you FAT. Not much good to eat, though you can usually find a banana, apple or some unsalted dry roasted nuts (get the smallest bag you can find). Small Packages (1.5 oz) make good snacks, 3pts per serving.
Second, stay out of any fast food restaurant that doesn't server Unwiches. There are just not many good food choices there, really, so why waste your time eating where you will be tempted to eat something you shouldn't.
Exercise & Fitness
Let's talk about Cardio this week. In my opinion there are 3 stages of cardio, beginning, cruising and flying.
Beginning Cardio is what you do when you have been sedentary for too long and are just starting out (like duh Mike, I got the from the term beginning!). Three main concerns here finding exercises that you like, art raise your heart rate and doesn't over stress joints & muscles. If you don't like it, you won't do it. If it doesn't raise your heart rate, it doesn't do you any good. If it over stresses your joints or muscles you will be sidelined with an injury which just defeats the purpose. WW Activity points 1-10 per workout Good beginning exercises include:
Walking - outdoors, indoors, treadmill - < 30 mins, < 3mph
Hiking
Bike Riding - leisure rides < 30 minutes, < 12 mph.
Exercise Bike in gym < 30 min
Elliptical trainer < 30 min
Swimming.
These get you moving, burn fat and help you start to get some muscle tone and endurance.
Cruising Cardio kind of just happens. You go along doing your beginning exercise and you start to tone up. You can do more and more each time you exercise. Pretty soon you have gone past that 30 minute mark. Walking is at 3 mph or above, cycling goes past the 12 mph mark. You feel good and want to do more. Fact is that now you have toned up and have some endurance so chances of injury go down because muscles and joints are now getting in shape and your weight has gone down. What you need to add to the list of things to look for in the exercise, is it challenging. Now is the time to start challenging yourself to get to a higher level. WW Activity points 10+ per workout Exercises to consider adding:
Speed Walking - speed > 3 mph, durations > 45 min
Backpacking - turn that hike into an event with a pack on your back.
Jogging/Running - Ease into it, but this can put into shape to maybe try out a 5K run.
Spin Class - just when you thought you had mastered the exercise bike, let a class push you for 45+ min.
StairMaster - this is a beast in the gym.
Mountain Biking - Off the pavement into the dirt. Sand, mud, hills.
Road Cycling - Get out of town and off the sidewalks. 12 - 15 mph, hills, distances up to 35 miles.
Advanced swimming - start working on times and strokes.
What you will find with all of these is that no longer will your heart rate just go up, it will jump, workouts that put you in the Anaerobic Zone (>85% heart rate) are common. The sweat starts to roll, feels like fat dripping off. Endurance and muscle tone starts to get at a level that will surprise you.
FLYING: The last step is flying, I call if flying for 2 reasons, your speed and endurance go up and you feel like you are flying. You start to really crave the activity. At this point your exercise usually becomes very specialized, doing something you completely enjoy and doing it a a lot! All other exercise seems to be dialed in to improve your performance in your favorite. WW Activity points 20+ per workout. These exercises include:
Long Distance Running > 5K, half and full marathons
Sprinting
Cyclo-cross a combination Mountain biking, road riding and sometime running while carrying your bike.
Long Distance Road Cycling or Racing - Distances > 100K (62 miles) with 100 mi rides common, > 16 mph
Triathlons
Your body gets tuned in, you actually are now training for specific events. Duration's of activity rise, 3, 4, 6+ hours of exercise. At this point your endurance has gone past that of most people, and you are enjoying the rush. The sky is the limit when you are flying.
I have managed to get to that last level. It took me a long time. Remember, I started at 327lbs. Here is what I did:
Beginning Cardio - 7 months (Aug 2011 - Feb 2012) starting weight 327 lbs
Walking Outdoors
Leisure bicycling - transitioned to exercise bike in gym during winter.
Cruising Cardio - 5 months (Feb - July 2012) - 254 lbs
Walking Outdoors - 10,000 steps a day at 3 mph
Spinning Classes twice a week
StairMaster - up to 30 minutes (110 floors)
Road Cycling - 12 - 15 mph, up to 50 miles
Flying - 5 months (July 2012 to present) present weight 190 lbs on 2/15/13
Long Distance Road Cycling, first 100K 4th of July week. first 100 mi ride Aug 31, avg long
distance speed at end of season 16.7 mph
Spinning Class twice a week
Running - occasional events ran in One One Run on 1/1/2013, 2.2 miles speed 5 mph.
Walk everywhere I can.
Currently training for first race, 3/23/2013, a Roubaix (gravel road ride).
On my Mountain Bike Trainer in my basement.
One last point, age is not a factor. Nor is starting health. I'm 54 years old. When I started this I had High Blood Pressure and Sleep Apnea. Both are gone, no meds, no CPAP pump. And I feel great. See you next week!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Fitness Tip for Week ending February 9, 2013.
Ok Folks, sorry this one is a little late, been hectic around here.
Diet/Weight Watchers
The simple fact of the matter is that if you are really looking for substantial weight loss and have it be sustained over the long haul, this isn't a "diet" but a life style change. You have to change your eating habits Permanently! One of the things you will have to do is give up eating some things on a regular basis. And yes there will be a list. Mine list is long, but includes things like pizza, mac-n-cheese, macaroni salad, potato chips,,,, and it goes on. Yes, occasionally (like once a month or two) you can have these, but they need to leave not just the daily diet, but the weekly also, (if not the monthly). So when you are making this list, find one or two foods that you really like and figure out how to fit them into your diet.
My 2 are beer and chocolate. I fit them in this way. With beer, I like all kinds, dark beers, pilsners, ambers, stouts, IPAs, every last one of them. So once a week I allow myself one mug of beer at my favorite brewery. Now a mug is 20 oz, and that figures to be 7 WW Points, so I drink one. This is where my wife helps, she reminds me, just one. If we go somewhere else I am remain very conscious of the qty/points ratio. If I run into a plateau (like right now) beer gets removed completely.
For chocolate, we buy really really good dark chocolate, and have it as a treat most nights, 1 oz or less. But it is worth it, and it is only a 3-4 points.
Treat yourself, but plan your treats, make it part of your plan. And through the rest out! You won't miss them.
Exercise & Fitness
There has been a lot written about what type of exercise you should do to lose weight. Here is my experience. When I started out I needed an exercise to make me work, break a sweat and start improving my cardio vascular system. That mean't cardio, increasing the number of calories I was burning was first and foremost. I liked walking, but my knees and feet were under too much stress at my starting weight. So I got out my mountain bike. Less joint stress, no foot pain. I could work up a good sweat, and my endurance started to go up.
Cycling turned into Spinning classes in the winter, and then in the spring it went to a whole new level. I bought a road bike and it got serious, rides over 4 hours and over 50 miles. But the bottom line was these big time cardio workouts were transforming my whole cardio vascular system. My weight went down, as did my blood pressure. Endurance has gone through the roof. This fall, after the cycling season I I went back to spinning and started adding a lot of strength training. Increasing muscle mass now helps fuel my metabolism.
I truly believe this is the correct order. You have to get your weight down by burning lots of calories, and increase your stamina and endurance before you can reap the full benefits of strength training. My weight workouts now are killer. But without the cardio to get me to this point they would have never happened.
Find that exercise that you like, that you can really push yourself with. Walking, cycling, running, rowing, Zumba, etc. This burns big time BTU's. If you are doing WW, try and increase your activity points 5-10 points each week until you get them up over 75/week. Now your burning some real calories!
Then as your endurance goes up and weight down, start to add the strength training in. It will make your cardio better, make you less prone to injury and increase your metabolism. When you get to that point where it is all in balance, diet, cardio and strength training, you are going wonder why you didn't do it long ago!
Keep working! - Microe
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)