Slacker

So I have been less enthusiastic about blogging lately, I have to admit.  Mainly because I have hit a plateau.  I'm kind of stuck in between 19 and 20 pounds down.  it has been fluctuating daily and I can't seem to get over the hump.  I guess I'm going to have to start trying something different to try and trick my body into losing more.  Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely happy about the 19-20 pounds lost, but I still have a long way to go to get where I want to be ultimately.  So I'm going to need the numbers to start dropping again!  If anybody has any suggestions on how to get over a hump, let me know!!

21 Ways to Burn Fat faster

Found this article online at the Redbook website.  Thought it was very informative and wanted to share it with you!

Stock up on green tea
Green tea isn't known only for its cancer-fighting benefits: It may help boost your metabolism, too. People who took green-tea extract three times a day saw their metabolic rate increase by about 4 percent, according to a study published in the December 1999 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (Translation: You could burn an extra 60 calories a day, which equals about six pounds a year!) It may be because green tea contains catechins, which increase levels of the metabolism-speeding brain chemical norepinephrine, says Joy Bauer, a New York City nutritionist and author of Cooking with Joy.

Pump iron
Weight training is the ultimate way to burn calories fast. "A pound of muscle burns up to nine times the calories of a pound of fat," explains Richard Cotton, M.A., chief exercise physiologist for myexerciseplan.com. Weight training increases your resting metabolic rate, which is the number of calories you burn while sitting on your butt. What's more, it gives your metabolism an added boost after you exercise: It remains in overdrive for up to two hours after the last bench press, according to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Strapped for time? Try these quick moves: squats, bench step-ups, lunges, push-ups, pull-ups and crunches. In a pinch, just do single sets of 10 for each exercise -- you'll get optimal results for the time invested.

Eat iron
Yeah, we just told you to pump iron, but you also need to eat it. "If you don't have enough of this mineral, your body can't get enough oxygen to your cells, which slows down your metabolism," explains Samantha Heller, R.D., a nutritionist at the New York University Medical Center. Most multivitamins contain around 18 mg (the RDA for adults); you can also get your fill by eating three to four daily servings of foods rich in iron, such as lean red meat, chicken, fortified cereal and soy nuts. If you are feeling symptoms such as fatigue and weakness, ask your doctor to test you for anemia (it's a simple blood test) at your next physical.

Order water -- and ask for a refill
A new German study found that when you drink 17 ounces of water (about two glasses) within a certain time frame, your metabolic rate shoots up by about 30 percent. Using these results, they estimate that by increasing your current water intake by 1.5 liters a day, a person would burn an extra 17,400 calories a year, resulting in about a five-pound weight loss.

Get your thyroid checked
Suspect you have a sluggish metabolism? You might have hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid gland, which afflicts about 25 percent of American women -- many of whom don't know they have the condition, according to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. "The thyroid gland controls your body's metabolism, so one of the first signs that it may be off is an inability to lose weight," explains Peeke. Your doctor can determine if you're suffering from hypothyroidism by running a blood test. If you do have an underactive thyroid, you'll be treated with a synthetic thyroid supplement, which you will need to take for the rest of your life (it will return your metabolism to normal, so it should be easier to lose weight).

Avoid alcohol
Want to keep your favorite meals from going straight to your hips (thighs, belly)? Wash them down with water, not wine. Alcohol slows your metabolism by depressing the central nervous system. A British study found that when alcohol was added to a high-fat, high-calorie meal, less dietary fat was burned off and more was stored as body fat.

Rev up your workouts
Interval training -- in which you add bursts of high-intensity moves into your workout -- is a surefire metabolism booster, says Glenn Gaesser, Ph.D., director of the Kinesiology Program at the University of Virginia and author of The Spark. Researchers at Laval University in Quebec found that high-intensity interval training burns more fat than regular, consistent aerobic exercise. If you usually jog at a 10-minute-mile pace, for example, add a 30-second sprint every five minutes. Or add a one-minute incline to your treadmill workout every five minutes. "Even if you just have 10 minutes for a quick workout, you can walk at a normal pace and then add in a 30-second bout of speed-walking every three minutes," recommends Gaesser. 

 

 Do more dairy
Women who ate low-fat dairy products, such as nonfat yogurt and low-fat cheese, three to four times a day lost 70 percent more fat than low-dairy dieters, according to a study published in the journal Obesity Research. "Calcium serves as a switch that tells your body to burn excess fat faster," explains study author Michael Zemel, M.D., director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Sorry, but you won't reap the same benefits from calcium-fortified O.J. Research shows that you get the best results from dairy products themselves, not fortified foods. Aim for 1,200 mg, which includes about three servings of dairy a day.

Take up a new sport
Are you like Old Faithful when it comes to your morning walk or evening jog? Know this: The more you do an activity, the more your body adapts to it, so you burn fewer calories. If you want to light a fire under your metabolism, consider cross-training. For example, if you normally walk, try biking instead. "Since you're not used to working all those different muscles, it's a more intense workout, which can translate into a greater metabolic after-burn because your body is working harder to recover and get oxygen to all your tissues," says Carol Espel, M.S., an exercise physiologist for Equinox Fitness Clubs in New York City.

Go fish
Break out the lemon wedges: Regular fish eaters tend to have lower levels of the hormone leptin -- good because high levels of leptin have been linked to low metabolism and obesity, says Louis Aronne, M.D., an obesity specialist at the New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. Try to consume three to four servings of a fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna or mackerel, each week.

Say ommm
Stress may contribute to abdominal fat, according to several studies, including a recent one at the University of California, San Francisco. "When you're stressed, hormones like cortisol stimulate your appetite, slow your metabolism down and encourage fat storage inside your abdomen," explains Shawn Talbott, Ph.D., director of the Nutrition Clinic at the University of Utah. So what's a frazzled girl to do? "Find an activity that reduces stress for you, whether it's listening to soothing music or taking yoga, and do it daily," advises Talbott. 

 

Have a PB & J
Think peanut butter is only for pint-sized palates? Think again. PB is rich in magnesium, a mineral that motors up your metabolism by giving your cells energy. Aim for 320 mg a day of magnesium: Good food sources include a peanut butter sandwich made with whole-wheat bread (100 mg) or spinach (1/2 cup has 80 mg).

Exercise off that PMS
You could lose more weight exercising during the later phase of your menstrual cycle than at any other time in your cycle, according to a recent study from the University of Adelaide in Australia. Hormones estrogen and progesterone fire up your fat-burning furnace: They promote your body's use of fat as an energy supply, so more is burned off when you exercise. "Women burned about 30 percent more fat for the two weeks following ovulation to about two days before menstruation," explains study author Leanne Redman.

Don't blow off breakfast
Studies show that eating breakfast plays a part in successful weight loss -- almost 80 percent of people who successfully keep weight off chow down on this meal, according to a study published in Obesity Research. "Your metabolism slows as you sleep, and the process of digesting food revs it up again," explains Heller. Aim for a 300- to 400-calorie breakfast, such as a high-fiber cereal (another metabolism booster) with skim milk and fruit.

Pump up protein
Not in an extreme, Atkins sort of way, but having a little protein at every meal fires up your metabolism. "Your digestive system uses more energy to break it down, so you burn more calories," explains Lisa Dorfman, R.D. However, keep protein levels to between 20 and 35 percent of your diet; eating too much of it can cause kidney strain and may cause your body to store too much fat.
 

 Snack away during the day
Grazing is a surprisingly good idea because it helps you avoid metabolic slowdown. "Your body will be tricked into thinking it's constantly eating, so it will never slow your metabolism down," explains Bauer. Aim for five small meals (200 to 500 calories) a day rather than three large ones. Also try not to go more than four hours without eating -- if you eat breakfast at 7am, for example, have a snack at 10am, lunch at noon, another snack at 3pm and dinner at 7pm.

Skip the starch
Carb crazy? Consider this: Refined carbohydrates, such as bread, potatoes and rice, create a surge in insulin that in turn drives down your resting metabolic rate, explains Aronne. "It's important to keep carbohydrates in your diet, but really focus on fruits, vegetables and whole grains, which have less of an effect on insulin levels," he explains. And when buying whole-grain breads and cereals, make sure the first ingredient listed is whole wheat, whole oat or cracked wheat.

Break up your workouts
Try dividing your workouts into two shorter 20-minute sessions. You'll rev up your metabolism for an hour or two after each workout, which means you'll burn more calories than if you did one longer session. Don't have time? Even small bursts of activity will get your metabolism chugging again, according to a study in Nature. "Just a five-minute walk around the house every hour translates into an extra 200 to 300 calories burned every day," says Peeke.

Pace while you're on the phone
People who are constantly in motion -- crossing and uncrossing their legs, stretching and pacing -- burn more calories. When researchers at the Mayo Clinic asked subjects to eat an additional 1,000 calories a day for eight weeks, they found that only the nonfidgeters stored the calories as fat. 

 

 Eat more bananas
They're full of potassium, which revs up your metabolism by regulating your body's water balance, says vitamin expert Susan Lark, M.D., author of The Lark Letter. If you're dehydrated, you'll burn fewer calories. Make sure you're getting at least 2,000 mg: a banana has 450 mg, a cup of milk has 370 mg and an orange has 250 mg.

Get enough z's
Yeah, Russell Crowe may be on Letterman, but it's way more important for your waistline if you don't stay up. A study at the University of Chicago Medical Center found that people who got only four hours of sleep had much more difficulty processing carbs. The culprit? Increased levels of insulin and the stress hormone cortisol. "When you're exhausted, your body lacks the energy to do its normal day-to-day functions, which includes burning calories efficiently," says Talbott. So the best way to make sure your metabolism runs smoothly is to get six to eight hours of shut-eye each night.

Update - Trying to Escape the Craziness!

It has been a while since I have updated this blog.  I have been so busy trying to get ready for the holidays and exams for school that I have completely forgotten about the blog!  I have a feeling it’s only going to get worse over the next few weeks leading up to Christmas.  Ugh.  I still have so much left to do and so little time to do it!  Exams are this week so I’m stressing out about that.  And on top of it all, my son has been sick and we have been spending our nights trying to get him to sleep.  So I’m exhausted to say the least.  I just have too much going on.  I will be glad when two weeks from now I go on my week long vacation from work and school and I can just RELAX. 

But, on a lighter note, when I weighed in yesterday morning I was down 18 pounds J  yay!  However, I probably gained 5 pounds today during our work Christmas party.  They ordered pizza.  Sighhh.  I had two pieces.  And then they had cake.  SIGHHHHH.  I had a piece of that too.  So I guess that means I’m drinking EXTRA water today and doing EXTRA work out later.  Oh well. 

I’m also happy to report that my blog reading list is showing up again.  Yay!  Well, it’s showing up today anyway lol.  Tomorrow might be different lol. 

Reading List???

Ok, so….am I the only one who is having issues with the “Blogs I’m Following” feature??  It never shows the blogs that I’m following in my Reading List or on my profile.  Once in a blue moon they will appear, but 98% of the time they aren’t there.  HELP!!!  I like to keep up with my blogs, but dang….I can’t remember all of them off the top of my head!  I need them to show up!!

First Doctor Check In

I went yesterday for my first check in with my doc.  It's my one month visit, but technically it won't be one month until Tuesday.  I was a little nervous about what the scale would say because it seems like doctor scales always make you weigh more haha.  So I didn't know if it would be good news or not.  So when the nurse asked me to step up on the scale I made sure I took off my jacket so that it wouldn't add any extra weight, cuz you know, jackets are SO heavy haha.  I stepped up on the scale and watched the digital numbers until they stopped.  It was three pounds more than what I had gotten on my scale at home a few days prior.  Then I remembered that I weigh in the morning and my appointment was in the afternoon.  So it would be off a little.  So I asked the nurse what my weight was when I came in last time according to their charts, because my dr appointments are always at the same time in the afternoon.  She read the number off to me and I quickly did the math in my head.  13 pounds down from last visit!!!  I had last 13 pounds!!!  When I weighed on Tuesday morning I was down 11 pounds, so I've lost two more pounds since Tuesday!  Yay!!  My goal was 15 pounds the first month, so I think I'm going to make it!  I'm so excited!!  If I can keep this rate up, I'll be at my goal weight in now time :)  I couldn't stop smiling after that and the doctor was really pleased with my progress.  She told me she was very proud of me for the work that I was doing to try and change my life.  So now I just have to keep doing what I'm doing!  I'll check back with her in one more month :) 

So this weekend, I'm celebrating with my friends :)  Hubby is out of town, so I'm having a sleepover with a few friends and we are going to eat sushi and watch bad movies and play Wii.  Yay!    Can't wait to share more good news with you guys as this crazy ride continues :)

End of Week 3 Progress

Today was weigh in day.  I was pretty nervous when I stepped onto that scale this morning.  Thanksgiving was last week and although I didn’t think that I did too bad, I still feared seeing something ugly on the scale.

I stepped onto the scale and held my breath and it calculated.  When my current weight popped up on the screen I wanted to do a little touchdown dance in my bathroom.  I lost weight over Thanksgiving holiday!  How is that even possible lol.  I’m down 3 more pounds, bringing my total weight loss for the last 3 weeks to 11 pounds!  My first 10 pounds is gone!  Woohoo!!  My goal was to lose 15 pounds in the first month and I think I might be able to get it done!!  I only need to lose 4 pounds this week.  I am going to work my butt off and get it done!

What was even better than seeing that loss on the scale this morning was being rewarded for my hard work when I got to work.  I was in the breakroom preparing my wheat toast for breakfast and one of my coworkers came to me and said, “You are really coming down!”  I smiled and told her thank you, but inside I was jumping up and down for joy.  Personally I don’t feel that it is noticeable when I look in the mirror, but apparently it is.  I can definitely tell a difference in my clothes.  They aren’t falling off of me yet, of course, but they definitely feel more comfy.

So today, I plan on drinking as much water as possible (which I do every day…....water is the only thing I’m drinking these days).  I’m going to make sure to get up and walk around very briskly for 5 minutes every hour while I’m at work.  That alone will add up to 40 minutes of walking.  I’m also going to continue my daily routine of walking the stairs at lunch time for a good 10 minutes.  And then later on tonight I’ll get in my cardio and arm exercises.  I usually do some sort of aerobic activity for at least 30 mins every night.  Last night was abdominal crunches….I did 200.  I thought I was going to die.  Tonight I will focus on my arms and probably do a little cardio boxing.

The wonderful thing is that I’m starting to look forward to my exercises.  So I’m getting used to them instead of dreading them.  Makes it a lot easier to do when you want to do it! 

Health Hazards of Obesity

As I was perusing the internet today, I came across an article about World Health Day.  In this article, the statement below was made.

"In 2009 approximately 100,500 cancers were attributed to excess body fat."

I don't know about you, but I never really attributed obesity to cancer.  Never really thought about it.  I know that obesity can lead to diabetes, heart disease, gall bladder disease, etc.  Just never thought about the fact that it can contribute to your risk of developing cancer.  Cancer is all around me in my family history.  My mom's parents both died from forms of cancer.  My dad's mom was a breast cancer survivor.  My mom has had skin cancer removed.  That's a little too many instances of cancer for me to ignore!  Yet another reason why I need to get this weight off!


I already mentioned diabetes, but here is a little factoid about obesity and diabetes for you to chew on.

"More than 85 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight."

Again, there is a family history of diabetes.  My dad's mom was diabetic.  I am currently insulin resistant.  This can lead to diabetes.  The cure = weight loss.


Gallbladder disease.  Yep.  Been there, done that.  I spent July 4th in the emergency room feeling like I was dying.  The culprit?  A bum gallbladder.  Two days later I had it removed.  Apparently people who are overweight produce more cholesterol and this leads to the build up of stones in the gallbladder.  Mine was also enlarged, which is another common occurrence in overweight people.


We all know that obesity can cause heart disease not only because of the excess strain it puts on your heart to carry all that extra weight around, but also because of the additional health problems that obesity causes.  For example, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  Having high cholesterol increases your chances of blockages in your arteries, which can break off and travel causing strokes and heart attacks.  If the blockages are in your heart vessels, this can lead to heart attack and sudden death.  High blood pressure only exacerbates this problem by helping to push those blood clots around.  It also puts you at a high risk for hemorrhagic strokes in which blood vessels in your brain burst and you bleed internally.  Heart disease is rampant in my family as well.  Especially on my dad's side.  His mother died from heart failure and now my dad is in heart failure.  He is currently on the transplant list waiting on a new heart.  I definitely don't want to go through what he is going through nor do I want to put my family through that pain and stress.  It's scary and it's depressing and you just feel helpless.  I don't know if I will end up with this when I get older, but I know I'm going to try my hardest to stall it if nothing else.


Sleep apnea is another big problem in obese individuals.  If there is a large amount of fat stored in the neck area, this makes the airway smaller and thus makes it more difficult for the person to breath properly during sleep.  A lot of people don't feel that this is a big deal, having sleep apnea, but if left untreated it can lead to some serious problems including heart failure.


Osteoartritis.  Carrying around all that extra weight puts a strain on our joints.  I know my poor knees crackle and pop all the time when I'm climbing stairs.  They say losing 5% of your body weight can yield a slight improvement.  Over time, if the joints are continuously subjected to the extreme pressure and weight of your body, the cartilage will begin to wear away and it will become very painful.


Fatty liver disease.  This is exactly what it says.  It's a build up of fat in the liver cells that interferes with the livers function.  I don't know if you are aware of how important your liver is....but you can't live without it!  There is a reason why the transplant list for livers is long!


These are just a FEW of the complications that can occur because of obesity.  These are the main ones and each of them can be prevented.  Losing weight is just one piece of the puzzle.  But for me, right now it's the main piece.  Once I get through this obstacle, then I will tackle the others.  I have too much that I want to do in life to be plagued by any of these things.  If I can do something to lower my risk of developing any of these things, then I'm going to do my best to do it!