3...2...1...lift-off

There's a really funny skit from SNL (a while ago) about "Mom Jeans." I find it funny for two reasons; 1, seriously, why would anyone knowingly wear those? And 2, you never have to have that posterior. While genetics always play a role in how your body looks, the size of your frame, etc, you can lift your rump a little if you so choose. It'll take some hard work though.

Squats: to me these are absolutely key for a good "lift." Whether it's wall squats, plie squats, walking side squats, or your everyday stationary squat, you'll work your leg and glute muscles; especially that area right under your bum and at the top of the back of your leg (hamstring). Make your squats more difficult by holding heavy dumbbells in each hand, or slow down your count of going up and down (2 seconds down, 2 seconds up or 1 second down, 3 seconds up). Please remember to only go as low as your knees allow -- a 90 degree angle. When coming back up, push through the heels of your feet, not the balls of your feet. It'll burn and give you a "lift"!!!

Hershey's Tour de Pink

Designed to spread hope and awareness, the Hershey’s Tour de Pink is a four-day bike ride from Hershey, Pa. to New York City, taking place October 3-6 during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For you busy readers who would like to get involved but can’t make it to the East Coast, the Hershey’s Tour de Pink Virtual Ride challenges riders to pedal 220 miles from now until October 6 (whether on a stationary bike, quick rides through the neighborhood or even a bicycle built for two), and host their own *YSC (Young Survival Coalition) fundraising effort.

Riders can participate as an individual or as a team, logging miles online and seeking sponsors. Those riders who raise at least $250 will receive an official Hershey’s Tour de Pink jersey, and one-hundred percent of the money raised will go to the *YSC.

If you are interested, please visit Hersheys Pledge to check it out.

*About the Young Survival Coalition
The Young Survival Coalition was founded in 1998 by three women diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 35 who were discouraged by the lack of information available to young women diagnosed with the disease. With revenues of $2.4 million, over 23,000 constituents, nine staff people and six affiliates, the YSC works to change the face of breast cancer by advocating for more research on young women and breast cancer and providing this underserved population with programs and services specific to them. The YSC also provides a peer-support network of survivors as well as vital resources to decrease the sense of isolation felt by young women affected by breast cancer.

Importance of water

"Water is the only drink for a wise man." -- Henry David Thoreau

Especially when you're exercising!! Water fuels the cells of your muscles to break down and build up properly. To determine how much water you need to rehydrate, weigh yourself before you begin your workout. As soon as you've finished exercising, weigh yourself again. You'll notice you've lost a few pounds. Start drinking water and continue to weigh yourself until you're back at your original weight. This ensures you've got the minimum amount of water for your body to recuperate. Continue to drink your 64+ ounces throughout the day.

Although it's nice to see that you've already lost a few pounds after your hard work, in reality you're starving your muscles of what is going to help them. In the long run it's more important to rehydrate than feel like you've instantly lost a couple pounds.

Calories are not the enemy

Most people think when trying to lose weight one must cut calories. This is true, but only to a certain point.

Drastic cutting of calories will encourage your body to lose lean body mass (LBM) -- which include your muscles, bones -- anything but fat. This is not good!!! You need your LBM to stay intact so your body works properly. Calories are the fuel that allow your body to function. Calories give your body the protein, carbohydrates and fats it needs to energize your muscles.

Remember that muscle directly effects your metabolism. If you increase your muscle (the strength/size) you increase your metabolism. The opposite is true as well; you decrease your muscle, you decrease your metabolism. (Again - this is not good!!!)

My suggestion mirrors some other personal trainers' suggestions; when you exercise (especially weight train), you need to eat more afterwards. You need to provide fuel to your muscles so they can repair themselves and build strength more efficiently.

One idea is to find out how many calories you need per day to achieve your desired weight (or maintain your current weight) and then add back either a portion of or all of the calories you've burned during that exercise session.

So for example, if you burn 300 calories on the treadmill during your workout, you should add at least 100-200 calories back into your diet (if not all 300). How does this help you lose weight? I swear I'm not crazy. By adding in those calories you are giving your body the energy it needs to continue to repair your muscles stronger, and those muscles continue to burn fat. Again, this is especially true after you've lifted weights. Your muscles crave those nutrients to help build themselves back up again. I'd suggest a protein snack or shake within 30 minutes of finishing your weight training.

You can take my word for it and try this, or you can ignore me. I get tons of weird looks when I tell people my opinion/thoughts about this. But I've seen people follow my advice and drop weight, and I've seen people ignore my advice (which really is fine; it doesn't hurt my feelings) and their body holds on to those last 15 pounds despite their constant efforts at the gym.

Keep in mind how tired you are after a workout. Would you want to workout again, right away, without any rest? That's how your muscles feel afterwards. Not only did you tear their little fibers apart when you lifted weights, but now they have to find the energy to repair themselves to be stronger than they were before. Give them an extra push by feeding them more calories, and they'll work more efficiently for you (increasing your metabolism).

Recipe time

The food you consume has SO MUCH to do with your overall health (or weight loss).

This recipe is from Weight Watchers:

Stir-Fried Chicken with Broccoli, Red Peppers and Cashews

Ingredients

• 2 tsp vegetable oil, divided
• 1 tsp sesame oil, divided
• 1 1/2 Tbsp ginger root, finely chopped
• 3 small garlic clove(s), finely chopped
• 1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large sweet red pepper(s), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cup broccoli, florets
• 2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 20 items cashews, roasted, unsalted, roughly chopped

Instructions

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil, ginger and garlic; cook 15 seconds. Add chicken and stir-fry until starting to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes; remove to a plate.
  
  
• Add remaining teaspoon of vegetable oil, pepper and broccoli to same skillet; stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add chicken back to skillet, pour in soy sauce and cook, stirring, until chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes more; toss with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil. Sprinkle on cashews and serve. Yields about 1 3/4 cup per serving.

Notes

• We chopped the nuts so we could cut back on the total amount used but still sprinkle a lot on the dish.

If you're not seeing results...

THEN DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

I'll say it again. If you want to see different results, take different actions. This applies to anything in life -- results from your workout, results from your job, results as a parent, results as a student, etc.

If you've tried everything you can think of to change your results and there's only little to no change, it's time to consult a family member, a friend, a professional; someone else to give you a different perspective or idea.

Calorie Counter

There's a website that'll help with your calorie counting called The Daily Plate. It'll count your calories FOR FREE!! I'll also put this link in the "Sites for You" section the right hand side of this blog for future reference.

Happy counting!

"I really want to lose weight right here."

Have you ever said that while pointing to a certain region (or plural) of your body? I'm sorry to tell you, but Spot Training -- or losing weight in a specific part of your body -- doesn't happen. Usually the body rids itself of fat where it was most recently gained. Or, your body rids itself of fat wherever it decides. You personally don't have control of that. Yes, of course you can train specific parts of your body, but that does not increase the likelihood of the fat going away any faster.

If you've been lifting weights (strength training) then yes, your muscles are getting stronger and shapelier even though you can't see this due to the fat covering them. Think of it like this: cardio burns the fat that is hiding your trained, sculpted muscle. Be patient and continue your cardio and weight training. After some time and hard training, then you can point to that region and say, "I lost weight right here."

Best time for a workout?

A question was posted asking:
"Is there a 'best' time of day to exercise (morning, night, afternoon)?"

You can find all sorts of science to support whatever you want this answer to be. IMO, the best time to exercise is when you can get a great workout in your schedule.

Some people can't/won't exercise at night because the extra energy will keep them up at night. Sleep is an important benefactor to helping you lose weight and build muscle. (However, I do know plenty of people who can workout at night and it helps them sleep better. Every body is different.)

Other people can't/won't exercise in the afternoon due to work, carpooling kids around, etc.

Then there are those who can't/won't exercise in the mornings because they have a hard time getting out of bed or have to go to work super early.

Pick a time that's best for you. My preference is in the morning, but that's because my kids are very self-entertained, if not asleep, at that time. That's when I can get a hard workout with very little interruptions, and I have the rest of the day to utilize that extra surge of energy I get from exercise.

Just make sure when you do exercise, you get plenty of water before and after your workout. If you can drink water during your workout, that's very beneficial as well!

Muscle does not weigh more than fat.

Remember in secondary school (jr or sr high) science class learning about weight and mass? Whether on Earth or in space an object's mass is always the same, but its weight varies due to gravity?

Same applies here. There's a common misconception that "muscle weighs more than fat." Think about it -- 5 pounds of ice cream weighs the same as 5 pounds of lead. The difference, however, is the amount of ice cream it takes to make 5 pounds, and the size of lead it takes to make 5 pounds.

I found this picture to explain it a little better:




I think what people mean by "muscle weighs more than fat" is you can pack more muscle in the same space as you can fat, thus making the total amount of muscle in that space weigh more than the amount of fat in that space. Make sense? So tell your friends; muscle does not weigh more than fat. It's a law of science. :)