Why We Can’t Lose Weight June 6, 2011

You go to the gym everyday for an hour plus your eating all of your fruits and veggies - so why has it been 6 months and you still haven’t lost any weight? 

Your doing the same work-out routine everyday. Many of us can get into the a routine work-out habit – go to the gym at 6pm, do a half-hour of jogging on the treadmill, and then the usual arm and leg machines. This could be why you’re not seeing any results. Your body can easily get into a comfort zone when you do that usual work-out routine everyday. Solution? Switch up your work-outs. Not only switch it up, add more weights, speed and time. Switching up your work out routine can target muscles you never thought you had. This whole time you’ve been doing  3 sets of 15 bicep curls every other day, you’ve been forgetting about all of your other arm muscles that have been screaming out for attention. Next time you go to the gym, skip the treadmill and join in on a Step or Kick Boxing class instead - you will wake up soar the next day for sure.

You’re eating too much of everything.  Almonds, peanut butter, avocado and olive oil are all good for you – but not so good when you eat too much of it. Moderation is important when it comes to eating anything, even food that isn’t considered healthy. It’s ok to grab a cheeseburger every now and then because some cheeseburgers have a reasonable amount of calories (about 300 calories), but a double cheeseburger is a different story. That’s where moderation comes in. I see people try to make healthy choices but don’t realize the extra calories they are adding to their meal. For example, you make a salad with lots of veggies and then you pile on the bacon and ranch dressing. Congratulations you made a whopper out of a salad. Or I see the common mistake of people eating a healthy lunch and then reaching for a slice of cake or doughnut for a snack. It’s ok to treat yourself, but in moderation. Pay attention to what and how much of what is going in your body.

Inconsistency.  You work out really hard one week, and the next week you’re swamped with work and your kid’s soccer practice. This inconsistency can really slow down your weight loss kick or your goal to get toned up before your sister’s wedding. I understand – when you get busy it can feel impossible to fit in your daily run. Being busy can also mentally exhaust you to where you feel like you just want to crash on the couch as soon as you get home. Just remember – a little bit can go a long way, so get motivated. Even if you can fit in a couple sets of arm curls and lunges, that’s better than nothing. Doing this periodically throughout the day (in between work and your baby waking up every 4 hours) can be just as good as working out for one hour straight. So when you know you are swamped, fit in a couple of sit-ups, arm curls, lunges, whatever when you get the chance – shoot for 10 minutes at a time. You may be surprised on the energy boost it can give you. Try and stay as consistent as possible so you can reach your fitness goals.

Sleep: the essence of tomorrow March 15, 2010

Even animals need sleep (My boyfriend and I found our cat sleeping in the bed).

It’s final—we are not getting enough sleep. Between running to school, work, fitting in exercise, household chores, putting the kids to bed or walking the dog, sleep seems to be put on the back-burner. Not having the right amount of sleep not only wears you down, but it can affect your performance at work, relationship with friends and family, concentration and health.

After speaking to some college students at the University of Cincinnati, I found that a majority of those I interviewed only get on average, 4-6 hours of sleep a night…if they’re lucky that is.  Some people like UC student Laura Schiele have a rough time getting sleep in because of her busy life-style. “On average, I get about 5 hours of sleep a night,” she said, “I work and go to school full-time so that cuts sleep out a lot.” Other students like UC Student Desire Bennett say she gets “about 5-6 hours of sleep each night. Mostly because I am up late doing homework and I usually get up early to go to work,” she said.  This seems to be the case for many people, including myself.

Insomnia is another problem for many people. Some people just can’t sleep because they’re stressed, busy or they are not following good sleep guidelines. Sleep guidelines? Wait, what sleep guidelines? There are some factors that increase the risks of sleep insomnia: Starring at a computer late at night, watching TV, exercising and completing household chores one hour or less before bed are all some factors that can lead to insomnia. So the guidelines are…don’t do these things before sinking into your bed at night. UC student Sara Robinson usually gets 4-6 hours of sleep a week! “I’ve always been an insomniac and college doesn’t help,” Robinson said, “Usually I start homework after work/class (I get home pretty late) and by the time I’m done it’s like 2 am or 3 am. Then I get up around 8.” UC Student Anna Staursky also feels she may have a mild case of insomnia. She only gets about 3-5 hours of sleep a night, “or sometimes I don’t sleep at all” she said.

Lack of sleep can lead to weight gain. There are studies that have proved this statement. There was a recent study posted on sleepfoundation.org website just last week: Lack of sleep can increase belly fat. How? Staying up late and/or not having enough sleep each night releases an evil chemical in your body: the hormone that makes your body want food. While the hungry-hippo-hormone is released, the hormone that suppresses your hunger goes away. Inconvenient, isn’t it?  So sleep deprivation can easily lead to weight gain. I asked some UC students if they feel more or less hungry when they are hittin’ the books late at night. 8 out of 11 said they tend to snack more often at night and some of them say they more often choose to snack on comfort foods such as chocolate, chips and pretzels. “When I did not watch what I was eating,” said Schiele, “I would munch on chips, sunflower seeds, and finger foods. But now I know how to control that!” UC student Stephanie Fuhr said, “The later it gets, the more I find myself snacking. If I’m up late I usually want something crunchy like pop corn or pretzels.” Megan Groves, a soon-to-be UC graduate said, “I definitely tend to snack on junk food if I’m burning the midnight oil late into the morning,” she said, “Mostly my overeating/junk food habits seem to stem from my tendency to comfort eat when stressed, and the fact that I don’t have as much time to spend cooking healthy meals while in school.”

So, what can we do to prevent lack of sleep? It may be easier said than done, but it CAN be done. Not everyone is a college student with crazy school and work schedules, but you still have just as many challenges to overcome. So here’s how to get your recommended 7-8 hours of sleep a night:

How to Not Over-eat February 22, 2010

It’s easy to reach for a second helping and it’s hard NOT to reach for a second helping. This is where I think many of us get into trouble with over-eating. When your first plate of fettuccine alfredo tasted so good, how can you not get a second helping?

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Number One: One way to avoid the deadly pitfall of over-eating is to substitute your alfredo with something that is good for you; like a green vegetable. If you are still hungry after your first plate, fill up your second plate with fresh vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, edamame, green beans, or spinach. The fiber and goodness in the veggies will fulfill your needs, and ta-dah! You just consumed fewer calories. Make your pasta dish even more delicious by mixing in the vegetables with your first helping. This will fill you up so you don’t even have to worry about coming up for seconds.

Number Two: It is ok to eat your favorite comfort food every now and then.  If your comfort food are chocolate chip cookies, I believe you should have a cookie. Just a few, not the whole bag. It will satisfy your cravings so you don’t go crazy and indulge in bad foods later on that day, or worse, at the end of the week! (I say it’s worse at the end of the week because if your holding back your food craving all week and go crazy on Friday, I promise you will not wake up feeling well on Saturday. Trust me).  You can always make your comfort food healthier too. If you are a fettuccine lover, substitute your pasta with whole-wheat pasta, add some broccoli, and top it with light fettuccine alfredo sauce. (Yes, they make this stuff–it’s  lower in calories and fat. I buy it at Kroger). I heard that substituting apple sauce for oil in your bakery goods is great too.

Number three: Another way to avoid over-eating is to eat at the dinner table. When you are sitting in front of the computer or television while eating your meal, you tend to eat more than your body asked for. Why? When your concentrating on what is on TV or who is on Facebook, you can easily forget how much food is going in your stomach. If you socialize at the dinner table, you actually enjoy your food and  are more likely to eat less because you are concentrating on what is on your plate. It takes your mind about 20 seconds to send the “I’m full” signal to your stomach. If you eat slower, then you will realize you are full. Eating too fast does not give your brain enough to time to tell you stomach it’s had enough. By that time, it is too late.

I believe that moderation is key. Yes I know that phrase is cliché, but it’s true. Eating in moderation is healthy and teaches your body self-control. Once you can control what is going in your stomach, it will become easier and easier. Don’t fill up your stomach every time you eat; stop when you are content. Your stomach shrinks when you are not constantly filling it up to where you are uncomfortable. Give your body what it needs, not more, not less.