Seven Stick with it Tips

We all have days when we have trouble sticking with a healthy lifestyle .  My slump days are frequently based on mood. Today is a round-up of tips I’ve collected for sticking with healthy eating and exercise.   

Get a buddy. Form a relationship with a person or group who inspires hope and belief; someone who makes you say, if she can do it, I can, too. This the way many of the weight loss programs work. They are a support system to keep you going and to show you it is possible.¹ 

Read for inspiration. Reading magazines such as Runner’s World, Shape, and Fitness Magazine  boosts my enthusiasm towards working out and eating healthy. I read of people who face struggles similar to my own and how they overcome them. Just seeing the pictures of healthy people and healthy food keeps me enthused.  And nowadays, you can see most of the magazine’s content online. ^2,3,4

Have a Plan B. Figure out your biggest obstacle and have two or three back-up plans. If your obstacle is unhealthy snacking, always have healthy treats that you love around whether it’s crunchy (carrot, jicama or celery sticks with hummus) or sweet ( sugarless gum, sugarless jello,  sugarless hard candy). If you have a hard time exercising, have a plan that will make it easy – some favorite DVDs or a buddy at work to take a lunchtime walk.

Enter a race. Some people find working toward a goal keeps them on a program. Many of my friends swear by races as a motivational tool. Once you’ve entered a race, you have to train to complete the race. Not only do these events keep you striving to do your best, you have a great sense of accomplishment when you complete the race.

Hold a Contest. Several of us at work have a mass weight reduction plan. Contribute $50 in the beginning with a goal of losing 5% of your weight in 15 weeks. If you gain weight any week, $2 gets deducted from your pot for every pound you gain. At the end of the 15 weeks, those who reached their 5% weight loss goal split the money.  Everybody who reaches their goal wins!

Face your mood. One thing I’m slowly learning is to change my thinking when I feel tired or uninspired. When I start thinking of eating a treat to boost my energy or spirits, I ask myself if a treat is really going to make me feel any better.  The answer is always no (unless it’s a Ghirardelli dark chocolate square, broken into pieces and slowly savored).

Picture It.  For several years I had a picture of a running,  muscular 70-year old woman who placed first in her age group in the Ironman Triathalon on my desk. She had been a swimmer since she was a young adult. The image of someone who had kept at fitness her entire life inspired me. Some people post pictures of their slender selves on their refrigerators. Others post pictures of themselves when they were heavier as a reminder to avoid certain foods. Pick whichever picture works for you – the carrot (an inspiring picture) or the stick (a picture of something you want to avoid).

We all face times when it’s hard to stay on the healthy path. Hopefully, some of these tips will help you. Let us hear what you do when you to keep on track.

References

1. Losee, Stephanie. "The Willoower Myth. How to Really Make a Change at Work and in Life - Oprah.com." Oprah Winfrey's Official Website - Live Your Best Life - Oprah.com. Jan. 2008.Losee, Stephanie. "How to Really Make a Change at Work and in Life - Oprah.com." Oprah Winfrey's Official Website - Live Your Best Life - Oprah.com. Jan. 2008. -
2. Shape Magazine
3. Runner’s World -
4. Fittness Magazine 

Food Label Gotchas

If you’re trying to eat healthy, you most likely look at food labels to make sure you aren’t overloading on trans fats, cholesterol and calories.  But it takes more than a glance at the nutritional information to get the entire picture.  Here are some of the ways food labels can be deceptive.

Number of servings: The other night I had Trader Joe’s Butter Chicken. I glanced at the calories and it said 270, which is reasonable for a frozen dinner. But wait, something’s wrong. This dinner is at least one-third bigger than some of the other dinners I enjoy. Looking more carefully, the label said the dinner  had 1.5 servings.  I could see if it had two servings, you would split the dinner, but 1.5 servings? What would I do with the other ½ serving? I ate if, of course!

Many food packages that appear to be for one person have more than one serving.  Snack foods such as trail mix or nuts frequently have multiple servings per package. So watch out! You could be eating two or three times more calories than you expected.

Trans fats: Many labels say ‘contains no trans fat.’ But manufacturers can say that a food has no trans fats if it contains less than .5 grams of trans fat per serving. If the food contains .5 grams of fat per serving and you eat four servings, you’d get 2 grams of trans fats. You’d also get 2 grams of trans fat if during the day you ate four different foods, each with .5 grams of trans fats. While there is no agreement on how much trans fat you can eat, many health specialists say trans fat in any amount cannot be safely consumed, especially if you are at risk for high cholesterol, heart disease or stroke.

So how do you avoid trans fats?  If the ingredient list contains partially hydrogenated oil, or shortening, the food has trans fats. Surprisingly, fully hydrogenated oil does not contain trans fats.³ But if the label simply says hydrogenated oil, it’s best to assume it has trans fats.

You should also be aware that trans fats are in the oils many restaurants use for frying. A Mayo Clinic article points out that a large serving of French fries could contain as much as 5 grams of trans fat.

How to avoid the Gotchas:

1. Check the serving size – I do sometimes buy snacks like peanuts or trail mix that have more than one serving, but try to eat only one serving and clip the package and hide them in my drawer for the next day.
2. Read the ingredients list – Avoid foods with hydrogenated oils. Some people say to avoid foods where high fructose corn syrup is one of the first three ingredients or to avoid it altogether. Many health specialists say to avoid foods with ingredients you don’t recognize because they are chemicals. Remember the Breyers Ice Cream commercial, “our ice cream contains only milk, strawberries and cream.  Other ice cream labels contain ingredients you can't pronounce like carrageenen.  Carrageenen, ooh, that’s glue!”

So read those labels carefully.  You may be getting more than you bargained for.

Side note:  In blog post When Did I Get Fat, Gal Josefsberg plots his weight against life events and concludes that Life Matters. He says “We like to think that health is about eating and exercise but health is about much more than that.  Health is about how you feel and what your life is like.  Changes in your health don’t just happen, they usually involve some kind of major life change.  That corollary to this is, if you want to make a change in your health, you’ll need to make a change in your life.”  Read the entire article. I loved it!

References

1. Eng, Monica. "Girl Scout Cookies and Other Sweets Offer Confusing Labeling on Trans Fats - Chicago Tribune." Featured Articles From The Chicago Tribune. 25 Jan. 2011. Web. 17 Apr. 2011.
2. Gurd, Vreni. "Deceptive Food Labels | Trusted.MD Network." Trusted.MD Network | Empowering Healthcare Relationships. 27 Jan. 2007. Web. 17 Apr. 2011.
3. Mayo Clinic Staff , Trans Fat Is Double Trouble for Your Heart Health. Mayo Clinic. Web.  
4. Van Dusen, Allison. "Nine Ways Food Labels Mislead - Forbes.com." Information for the World's Business Leaders - Forbes.com. Forbes Magazine, 29 July 2008. Web. 17 Apr. 2011.
5. Wright, Brierley. "Health | Eating Well." Healthy Recipes, Healthy Eating, Healthy Cooking | Eating Well." Eating Well, 5 Mar. 2010. Web. 17 Apr. 2011.

Pushing Yourself – Workout Challenges That Make You Stronger and Help You Burn Fat

This morning I was spinning to Radar Love by Golden Earring, about 200 beats per minute. I felt tired and my brain started the self talk, “Why am I so tired? Did I over-exercise yesterday?” Then I looked at my heart rate monitor. It was at 100%, theoretically my highest rate.  No wonder I felt so tired.  I decided to push through the entire song, six minutes, a big challenge. 

I constantly give myself challenges.  While spinning, I tell myself, “I won’t put my butt on the seat until the end of this song.” Other times while spinning I crank up the tension on the bike until it’s really hard to peddle through the entire Led Zeppelin song, Kashmir.  For me, it’s a perfect challenge song. I love the song and I imagine myself plodding through the desert. In running, I’ll increase the speed and challenge myself to keep that speed until the end of the song. See my Feburary 13 blog, Music to Get You Moving for links to challenge (fast-paced) songs.

Challenges are the way you improve. It’s those challenge moments that help increase aerobic ability and strength. Runners do challenge runs several times a week to improve, e.g., intervals (bursts of speed followed by low-intensity recovery repeated throughout the workout) and running hills for strength.  Evidence shows that intervals improves cardio vascular fitness and raises the body’s potential to burn fat.¹

So the next time your brain tells you, “stop, this is too hard!” challenge yourself: I’ll finish this song, I’ll go to the end of the block. I’ll do two more reps of that weight. It will make you stronger. It most likely will help you burn fat. And you will be proud of your efforts.

Warnings:

Do gradual challenges.  For example, runners are told to only increase their mileage by maximum of 10% a week. If you are just starting an exercise program, consult the internet or books to tell you how to increase your ability. Many exercise videos will also tell you how to start and how to challenge yourself in the workout.

Do warm up before pushing yourself.  You risk injury if you start high-intensity workouts before you muscles are warmed.

Don’t overdo it. As Harry Callahan (Dirty Harry) said, “A man’s got to know his limitations.” I’ve been jogging and spinning for many years, and have had a stress test, so I know pushing myself at 100% for six minutes isn’t going to hurt me.  If you don’t know yourself, you might want to talk to your doctor or find articles about how to safely push yourself in whatever exercise you do.

Don’t push until your form is bad. That usually leads to injury.

Don’t exercise while injured. In Brain Training For Runners, author Matt Fitzgerald,  says you should stop exercise if you are injured – it will only get worse.²  Matt’s book and recommendations are the result of compiled evidence from the latest research in exercise physiology. A great read for runners, or even other athletes, who want to improve their performance.

References

Jaret, Peter. "A Healthy Mix of Rest and Motion." The New York Times: Fashion and Style. The New York Times, 9 May 2007. Web. 10 Apr. 2011.

Fitzgerald, Matt. Brain Training for Runners: a Revolutionary New Training System to Improve Endurance, Speed, Health, and Results. New York: New American Library, 2007. Print.

Karp, Jason R. "Interval Training: Follow This Training Plan and You Could Become One Of Our Weight Loss Success Stories: Shape Magazine." Shape Magazine: Diet, Fitness, Recipes, Healthy Eating Expertise. 02 July 2010. Web. 10 Apr. 2011.

Quinn, Elizabeth. "Interval Training Workouts - Interval Training Workouts Improve Speed and Endurance." Sports Medicine, Sports Performance, Sports Injury - Information About Sports Injuries  

Does Glucosamine / Chondroitin help osteoarthritis?

Last month the pain in my left knee got so bad I dreaded climbing the seven steps in my tri-level home. That's pretty bad, since each morning to get to work I have to climb seven flights of stairs at the subway toting a backpack.  I went to a doctor and now I am taking anti-inflammatory medication, but my prescription is running out.  So I want to research my options. You see advertisements for Glucosamine frequently, so I wanted to know more about it. Also, some of my followers have asked for information on Glucosamine.

People who suffer with knee pain from osteoarthritis have very few choices. Anti-inflammatory medications provide relief, but you shouldn’t take them for a long time.

Glucosamine is touted as a possible solution. Yet, Glucosamine is expensive, even if you get it “Buy one get one Free.”  So before you spend the money, you want some assurance that it works.

I plowed through Internet reports trying to determine if Glucosamine or Glucosamine / Chondroitin help Osteoarthritis. Google glucosamine and your get  8,740,000 results. How do you know which of these are valid? (see my previous blog “How can you tell if a health study is valid.”)

My Findings: Studies to determine if glucosamine is useful in reducing osteoarthritis pain or preventing osteoarthritis are conflicting. But, according the Quackwatch website, endorsed by the American Medical Association, the best-designed studies evaluating the benefit of glucosamine are negative.¹ 

Still, many doctors think there is no harm, and possibly some benefit, in taking glucosamine provided you follow these conditions:

• Take glucosamine sulfate instead of glucosamine hydrochloride.^1,2
• Take glucosamine alone. There seems to be no evidence that chondroitin helps.
• Pay attention to your cholesterol levels. Several studies indicate glucosamine increases cholesterol counts.
• Buy high quality products, as the quality and effectiveness of glucosamine is not regulated.
• Quit taking glucosamine if your symptoms don’t reduce in three months (at that time, you can assume the glucosamine is not working).

So, what do you do?

1. Dr. Barrett, Quackwatch¹, says you should get a diagnosis from a competent physician and discuss recommended treatments.
2. I’d recommend seeing a Physical Therapist. They’ve always helped me to overcome injuries and minimize chronic problems. They can assess your strength and body structure, suggest exercises and  show you how to do the exercises properly.  Many times your primary care physician overlooks this option, so I frequently go to a sports medicine doctor to recommend a good therapist. With many health care plans you can go directly to a physical therapist.
3. The Arthritis Foundation recommends icing to reduce swelling and fluid leakage. As a long-time runner, I swear by icing. You can buy knee ice wraps, or as the Arthritis Foundation suggests, use a bag of peas. Ice for about 15-20 minutes at a time. Ice several times a day, especially after exercise.  However, heat is recommended in the morning to loosen joints and muscles and don’t ice before exercise.
4. Other suggestions from the Arthritis Foundation include (see the website for all of the suggestions plus exercise and stretching videos):

Exercise. Movement lubricates your joints. Some people say slow movement like Tai Chi is good. The arthritis Foundation and Physical therapists also recommend muscle strengthening exercises to keep help support the knees. They also recommend exercising in water to build strength and range of motion while reducing wear and tear on joints.

Lose weight. Every pound you lose takes four pounds of pressure off your knees

Stretch. Stretching keeps your joints and muscles flexible.

References

1. “Glucosamine and Chondroitin for Arthritis:  Benefit is Unlikely,” Quackwatch, Dr. Steven Barrett, http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/glucosamine.html Note: I did some research to determine if Quackwatch is a legitimate website. Apparently organizations such as the American Medical Association, FDA Commissioner’s Special Citation, The American Cancer Society and many more have endorsed this website.
2. “Glucosamine, Evidence,” The Mayo Clinic, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/glucosamine/NS_patient-glucosamine/DSECTION=evidence
3. “Glucosamine: Is It A Beneficial Arthritis Treatment?,” Arthritis.about.com,  http://arthritis.about.com/cs/glucosamine/a/glucosamine.htm  
4. “How to Care For Yourself,” Arthritis Foundation, http://www.arthritis.org/how-to-care-for-yourself.php