Diet Myths Debunked!

Hi everyone! You know what I find interesting? The fact that people survived and thrived back in the old days before our society became obsessed with losing weight and getting fit! We get bombarded daily with everything under the sun that will help us get healthy----information on how to eat, when to sleep, how to breathe just to name a few! The fact is that people did survive just fine without all the weird, suspicious so-called "tips" we all have heard and possibly fallen prey to at one time or another. So don't be tricked. According to the American Council on Exercise here are some common diet myths that some folks follow hoping to shed a few pounds:

Common Myths

• Eating late at night will cause you to gain weight
• You should eat each food group separately for optimal digestion
• Low-carb, high-protein/no-fat diets are optimal for weight reduction
• Carbs are bad for your health and cause weight gain, and therefore should be avoided
• Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight
• The number of meals eaten each day---3 square meals, or 5-6 small meals---has a huge impact on weight management.
• Grapefruit will speed up your metabolism
• Rapid weight loss can be maintained
• You have to stop eating your favorite foods to lose weight

The Truth

Losing weight and achieving your health goals require your commitment and effort. Ultimately, lifestyle behavior changes are normally required to maintain weight loss and anything above 1-2 pounds per week is difficult to keep up. So for healthy weight loss you need to:

1. Get moving! Increase your activity level with an exercise program that makes you comfortable but also challenges you.  Park further from the entrance when you go places, walk up stairs instead of taking an elevator. Even simple things make a big difference. For example, sometimes I don't have more than 30 minutes available in my day to work out at the gym. The important thing is to use whatever time you do have effectively. Work up a sweat, even if it's just for a short increment of your time.

2. Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who will support your weight loss goals. It is extremely difficult to focus on health and nutrition when the people around you are trying to sabotage your efforts. Encouragement is key, especially from close friends and family. If you know someone with similar weight loss goals, make him or her your diet or workout buddy. This makes each of you accountable to the other. I do this with my sister and my best friend and honestly, if I didn't have them cheering me on I don't think I would be as successful as I have been.
Remember! We all should practice Healthy Living Over 50!

Weight Training 101 + Hi-Protein Lunch = Healthy!

I hit the gym today after being out of town for 4 days and to tell you the truth, I found it a bit difficult to regain my momentum! One thing I have learned during the last month is that to lose fat or change your body, one of the most important things you can do is lift weights! I am not saying diet and cardio are not just as important, but when it comes to changing how your body looks, weight training wins hands down. If you've hesitated to start a strength training program, it may motivate you to know that lifting weights can strengthen your bones, rev up your metabolism and make you stronger while increasing the endurance of your muscles. Weight training also plays a key role in avoiding injuries, increasing coordination and improving your confidence and self-esteeem! These all should be reasons enough to motivate you to immediately get up off the couch and find your running shoes!
Today, after 30 minutes of cardio I was able to do:
3 sets of 8 ------rowing (45lbs), pull down (60lbs), tricep press(20lbs)
3 sets of 8-------leg press (100lbs), leg extension (40lbs), leg curl (45lbs)
3 sets of 12-----back extension (40lbs), abdominal (30lbs)
3 sets of 8-------chest press (15lbs), shoulder press (15-20lbs)
3 sets of 10-------multi-hip(40lbs-for the outer leg), (20lbs-inner leg)

But most importantly!------I was able to complete 30 ab crunches! When I started I could not even do 3! This machine is very difficult because you have to use your own body strength to lift both sides.
This is an example of why slow and steady wins the race. Eventually your body builds up strength and endurance. I think I might finally be building up some strength in the ab area which I thought I had totally lost after having 4 children, 2 of which were twins!

***Great smoothie for lunch***
2 cups of Almond Milk (40 calories per cup)
1 scoop protein whey powder (100 calories)
4 frozen strawberries (20 calories)
1 small banana (80 calories)
4 chunks of frozen pineapple (20 calories)
sprinkle of cinnamon
Total 300 calories and loaded with protein!

The key is to keep going and not to give up. Go out and fun!
Have a great and healthy day everyone!

The importance of a good night's sleep!

Everyone who knows me knows that I just can't sleep! This problem started for me after I retired from my full-time job. Back when I was working 10 hour days, running a household and chasing after 4 kids I had no problem sleeping. As a matter of fact, I could hardly wake up in the morning because I was just dead tired! Slowly though, after leaving my hectic job for good, I developed very bad patterns. I would stay up long after everyone else was in bed fast asleep. The tv and pc became my nighttime partners and soon enough, I was having major difficulty winding down and falling asleep! Not only was I staying up all hours into the night, but I was creating a secondary problem, constantly snacking on bad food choices!  We all know what snacking on chips does to the waistline. NO MORE! Now when I reach for a snack, I conciously make it a healthy choice such as plain popcorn, cucumber slices with a crumble of low fat feta on top, or apple slices with a dab of peanut butter! I have discovered that sleep deprivation is a very common problem, especially for post-menopausal women! The funny thing is that ever since I started a very concerted effort to focus on my health (not just on losing weight) I am sleeping so much better! I guess all the work I am doing at the gym is paying off in more ways than one. I am not 100% where I want to be, but I can tell my sleeping patterns have improved tremendously. Before, I would sleep fitfully, and now I am getting much more restful sleep and sleeping at least 6-7 hours a night.

According to the Harvard Women's Health Watch these are 6 vital reasons to get enough sleep:

1. Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who’d slept after learning a task did better on tests later.
2. Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
3. Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
4. Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
5. Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
6. Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer

These reasons alone should be enough to motivate you to do whatever you can to ensure you get a good night's sleep. Just remember, if you want to feel your best, stay healthy, and perform up to your potential, sleep is a necessity, not a luxury. Learn what's keeping you awake and how to avoid it,  and also learn  to determine your personal sleep needs. Do what you must to bounce back from chronic sleep loss and get on a healthy sleep schedule...I know I did!