Staying fit with limited time and energy

Time and energy are the two most common excuses (legitimate or not) why people can’t eat healthy or exercise. I have spent the last few months really looking closely at my lifestyle to see how I can make small but effective changes throughout the day to help me burn calories.

1.    Park father from the building (if it is safe)

2.    Take 5-10 mintues randomly throughout the day to play with my dogs

3.    Make a quick and easy recipe that can double for lunch and dinner (vegetable quiche, pizza or grilled chicken)

4.    Find a few minutes to do some yoga or hold plank

5.    Chew my food better

6.    Exchange my typical midnight snack for dried fruit

7.    Have frozen low sodium and low calorie dinners on hand so I can skip fast food when “I don’t have time to cook”

8.    Eat more fiber- rich foods

9.    Find a workout partner to keep me motivated

10. Plan my meals at the beginning of the day

Staying active and planning meals has really helped me to maintain my weight without obsessing over it. There are so many more little changes I make that help to keep me motivated. Do you have any tips or advice? If you do, please leave me your ideas and whomever has the most creative will win an Aeromat Fitness Mat!!! This 24” x 72” x ½ mat is great for people who want to exercise on the go. It is 0.4 iches thick, so you don’t sacrifice comfort for convenience. Just add your tip by July 15 to enter!

One pound of fat may be more than you realize

Since I reached my goal weight I have been trying (to some degree) to maintain my weight. I don't always eat healthy and sometimes I get depressed when I fall off the wagon, but I use a trick to keep things in perspective. I recently posted this picture on my Facebook but I decided to post it on here too. This is an image of 5 pounds and 1 pound of fat. This picture is enough to keep me moving in the right direction. I know when I only lose 1 pound per week, I have lost approximately a fist sized mass effect fat; that is inspiring. Increasing my activity level for a month, for example, could help me lose 5 pounds.

Right now my mom is on the Nutrisystem diet. So far she has been losing about 1 to 2 pounds per week. She was hoping to lose weight more rapidly so, I showed her this image to help her understand exactly how much 1-2 pounds of fat is. There are so many products and commercials out there that give people false hope and prey on their lack of knowledge to sell products. Unfortunately even if people don't actually buy the products they still expect to lose an insane amount of weight per week. I never try to lose more than 1-2 pounds of fat per week because that is the healthy amount to lose (CDC, 2011). Also some people may lose weight more rapidly on fat diets because they lose more than fat. So in conclusion I will stick to a healthier lifestyle and plan to lose weight at a slower rate. 

"Losing Weight." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 Aug. 2011. Web. 19 June 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html>.

Eating Healthy During Cancer by Jillian Mckee

A wonderful lady contacted me and asked if I would have guest blogs. I said, "Hell ya!" Here it is...

Eating Healthy During Cancer

Modern medicine allows more people to survive their battles with cancer.  Treatments like radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery are effective in removing many types of cancer and preventing the disease from returning.  However, as effective as these treatments are, they still have detrimental side effects that interfere with patients' ability to eat a healthy diet.  Many patients feel nauseous and weak after undergoing their treatments.  Even so, doctors urge patients to maintain a healthy diet.  Eating a variety of healthy foods while undergoing treatments for mesothelioma and other forms of cancer allows people to retain their strength and improve their chances of recovery.

In fact, the healthiest food choices are sometimes the most unappetizing to cancer patients.  After they go through a round of radiation and chemotherapy, their sense of smell becomes sensitive to unpleasant odors.  As a result, some people cannot stomach dairy products.  The smell of cheese, yogurt, and even ice cream may make them nauseous and cause them to vomit.  Thus, many cancer patients prefer to avoid dairy products altogether in the days after they receive their therapies.

However, as the National Cancer Institute indicates, dairy proves to be an essential part of a cancer patient's diet.  Dairy foods contain calcium and Vitamin D, both of which are imperative to a person's bone health and immune system.  If a person avoids eating dairy, he or she compromises the body's bone structure and makes that individual susceptible to fractures.  Likewise, the person's immunity may become weakened to the point of its being unable to fight off viral and bacterial infections.

Patients can also improve their immunity by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.  These foods contain vast amounts of Vitamin C, which is an essential vitamin needed for natural immunity to infections.  As with dairy, however, the sight and smell of fruits and vegetables may leave cancer patients feeling queasy.  To mask the smells associated with these foods, people may try to blend them into a drink or season them with salt or sugar.  

Seasoning meat also helps patients eat and retain foods that are high in protein.  Many cancer patients become severely anemic after they receive chemotherapy.  This treatment deprives the bloodstream of iron, which is needed for the body's energy and ability to perform daily tasks.  Without the proper amount of iron, people feel weak, tired, and unable to carry out their normal routines.  As such, doctors suggest that eating plenty of red meat, including steak and hamburger, helps people retain their iron levels.  

If patients are not able to eat meat or if they are vegetarians, they can still get the needed amount of iron by eating legumes and beans.  Foods like peanut butter, navy beans, tofu, and whole grains contain healthy amounts of this dietary component.  If patients find it difficult to retain their meals, they are advised to eat small portions and eat more frequently.  A few bites of food once an hour is better than not eating at all.  

 Jillian Mckee

Vegetable quiche

Pre-workout food

I have been in search of a new yoga studio which is why I haven't written a blog in awhile. I have also been experimenting with new recipes and I have one to share! I have been looking for healthy recipes without red meat that are pretty quick and easy. Vegetable quiche! I found a recipe and made some tweaks.

Vegetable quiche

You will need: 2 tbsp of olive oil, salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash (optional), 1 small portobello mushroom, 1 leek, 3 handfuls of spinach, 4 cloves of garlic, egg beaters, 1 whole egg, 1/4 white onion, 1 cup of broccoli and 4 stalks of asparagus.

1. Preheat the oven to 345 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Wash the vegetables.
3. Chop the asparagus, broccoli, leek and mushroom.
4. Begin to simmer the vegetables and mushroom with 2tbsp of olive oil on medium heat.
5. Chop the garlic.
6. When the broccoli and asparagus are soft add the garlic.
7. Crack the egg and add 6 eggs equivalent of egg beaters.
8. Stir the eggs with a fork.
9. Put the vegetables in a casserole dish.
10. Pour the egg mixture on top.
11. Dice an onion and sprinkle across the top.
12. Add salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash to taste.
13. Bake at 345 degrees Fahrenheit for 17-20 minutes, or until slightly browned.
14. Let cool for five minutes.
15. ENJOY!

This will make 4 servings. I hope you enjoy! The great thing about this recipe is, you don't make a huge mess. I managed to clean the kitchen in the 17-20 minutes it took to cook. It's really the perfect recipe. You can also use this as a pre-workout meal.

How yoga and physical therapy work hand in hand for me

Yoga for physical therapy?

I am in physical therapy for few different but small problems I have with my body. Therapy is great, painful, but I am making the most of it. When my therapist gave me the prognosis I came to a realization. Yoga can help me! More specifically, he was showing different stretches and I think to myself, "Wouldn't dragon be good for that?" He continued and I thought, "Wouldn't half pidgin be good for that?" By the end of the session I had a plethora of poses to chose from! Turns out yoga in between sessions will help me to achieve my goals at a much faster rate.

These are just a few of the poses that I'm am practicing to help:
Supine cow
Pidgin
Eagle
Standing forward bend
Plow
Child's pose
Downward dog
Dolphin

I am so relieved to learn that yoga can help me because I was told I should refrain from running, elliptical, bike, stairmaster and weight lifting. Just in the past few weeks I have been close to achieving my physical goals and now I hit this bump in the road. It’s a good thing I have started yoga because I was basically left to figure out a workout for myself. Hot yoga will be especially beneficial to me because stretching is of the upmost importance at this stage in my recovery. Cheeeehuuuuu for yoga!

Horror Stories

    If you have any friends that are fans of hot yoga you have almost undoubtedly heard horror stories. Some stories may be more imaginary than reality, but inevitably some are true. For example, the most common story I hear is about a big sweaty guy who flings his sweat onto surrounding people…but there are many more. Some people claim to have seen sweat dripping from the ceiling! I am very aware of bacteria, germs etc. although I do not consider myself to be OCD. For example, I went to sit down on the leather chairs outside of the hot rooms when I noticed sweat stains all over the chair! I was horrified of course and I immediately began to wonder, “When was the last time these things were cleaned?” My night wasn’t over yet.

What do you do when you find yourself taking class from a teacher who seems to hate every student? I swear this teacher wanted us all to feel very stupid and inadequate. It was even more frustrating because this was a yin class! Yin classes take a great deal of focus, patience and mental discipline, but how can you focus when your teacher wants you to read her mind! She actually turned the lights out and told us to “take the cotton out of our ears.” The problem was the class didn’t seem to think she was as good at verbalizing her thoughts as she apparently did.

    There are downsides to just about everything. Despite rude teachers, sweaty men and gross chairs I am still planning on continuing hot yoga. I wont sit on the chairs, I will avoid rude people and honestly I probably sweat as much as any guy in class (I agree it is gross). What are you going to do? You burn more calories, challenge yourself further and release more toxins in hot yoga than warm yoga. Maybe hot yoga isn’t that bad!

I have reached my goal weight!

I have reached my goal weight!

Well, to be honest, it’s not quiet as exciting as that. I am not a huge fan of scales and I don’t exactly have a “goal weight.” However, before my thyroid started acting up I was EXACTLY the same weight for years. Then I gained 13 pounds when my thyroid slowed down. When I started taking thyroid medicine I did lose three pounds right off the bat…but the rest was not coming off. I spent the next three years experimenting with various exercise regimens and earning a Bachelor in Nutrition Science to learn more about my situation. I did suffer a family tragedy and lost ten pounds from the stress, but hot yoga and Pilates has helped me to lose 4 more pounds. I started hot yoga and Pilates 4 months ago and was actually able to lose my excess weight, plus two pounds.

         Honestly I would be completely fine if I looked like Jessica Biel but was 10 pounds heavier (from muscle gain). 

So from here, I wont be weighing myself for a couple of months, but I will keep my routine of about 4 hot classes a week along with avoiding fast food and greasy food. Then, when I feel comfortable, I will measure my waist. I think losing weight slow and steady by exercising and eating well is the healthiest way for me to lose weight. I am just happy to be on the right track!

Kim Kardashian

Don’t Believe Everything You See In Magazines!

I was enjoying a pedicure while thumbing through a tabloid when I came across a strange picture! I have to share this with you. There aren’t many people in this country who don’t know who Kim Kardashian is…well in case you haven’t guessed, the picture was of Kim Kardashian doing yoga. A lot of her life is staged and scripted, which is why I can’t understand this picture! This is a professionally shot photo of Kim doing tree pose. The problem is her foot placement could cause serious knee damage! This is precisely what my previous post was concerning. When you are learning yoga it is important to be supervised so you DON’T cause yourself serious problems. Just because you see something in a magazine does not mean it is safe! Please keep this in mind!

Is Yoga Danergous

Is Yoga Dangerous?

The New York Times magazine recently published an article citing medical studies and specific events suggesting yoga isn't as safe as we might think. This is of particular interest to me, not only because I am a beginner at yoga, but also because I pulled my hamstring last week while practicing hot yoga. In one case a yogi held a pose so long he had temporary nerve damage. In the other case a woman suffered a stroke while holding wheel pose. It is true that serious yoga practice may result in serious injuries such as nerve damage and stroke, but it is rare.This might sound frightening at a glance, but there are extenuating circumstances that must be explored before coming to any conclusions! In addition to that, there are countless injuries sustained in various exercise forms. There are many tragic cases of high school football players that drop dead during practice. Torn muscles and ligaments are all too common in skiing, basketball, track etc. Everything in life carries a risk, including sitting on the couch watching television. The choice is ours which risk is worth taking.

It is important to keep your own body and abilities in mind when practicing yoga...especially hot yoga. I make sure to learn new poses under the supervision of an instructor to ensure proper alignment. Even when practicing under watchful supervision we are responsible for listening to our bodies. I pushed myself too far and was not considering the 105 degree temperature in the class room. When practicing from now on I will be much more aware of my own limits, body and temperature.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/magazine/how-yoga-can-wreck-your-body.html?pagewanted=all

Yin months and conserving energy

I admit that three months ago when I started yoga I was looking to get fit. It just so happened that just about every girl I knew with an amazing body did hot yoga! Without pause I joined this particular studio and started hot yoga and pilates! Within a couple of weeks people started commenting on my muscles! For the first time in my life I have muscle tone and definition. Needless to say I was ecstatic, but I realized my energy level was almost zero! I already have very low energy and the heat and intense exercise (pilates) was taking a toll on me. I started taking minerals at the advice of a close family friend and with the approval of my doctor. Within a few days I felt a little more energy but I was still tired. So, I started to do more research. I then started to explore the spiritual, mental and emotional dimensions of yoga. I then discovered that December is a yin month. In fact winter months are yin months. Everything in the universe is a balance between yin and yang. Yin represents femininity and when associated with a time of year generally it means it’s a time of conserving energy. Taoist philosophy associates this time of year with retaining energy and enjoying yang foods to replenish energy stores (Winter Wonder Yin, 2011).  I realized I naturally hold energy back during this time of year. For example: I shop online, enjoy warm yang soups and try my hardest not to participate in rigorous exercise regimens. However, there tends to be a lot of parties, baking, friends and chaos that accompanies this time of year. Eating spicy warm soups, walking and tai chi are great activities for this time of year (Winter Wonder Yin, 2011)! I am enjoying yin yoga, soups and walking my dogs to help conserve my energy. Three months after discovering yoga I realize there is so much more than just getting into shape…it’s truly a way of life.

Kallenbach, Laurel. "Self-Care for Winter Health." Yoga Journal: Yoga Poses, Classes, Meditation, and Life - On and Off the Mat - Namaste. Web. 04 Jan. 2012. <http://www.yogajournal.com/yogajournal.com/health/101?>.

The T'ai Chi and the Cycle of Chinese Months. Www.biroco.com/yijing/bigua_yinyang.pdf. Web. 4 Jan. 2012.