Irresponsable article I found on CNN.com & My Thoughts/Story

This is a long article but I read all four pages and was angered by how irresponsable and one sided it was!

It only covered the exercise/physical activity side of things and didn’t include what we we are putting into our mouth on a regular basis…It went as far to say we didn’t need such vigorous activity and in fact, in so participting in such activity we were at higher risk of gaining weight due to our inability to control what we put into out mouths immediately post exercise.

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857-1,00.html

I am angry because this is only true in a very flawed way and in no way is this article going to help the obesity and obesity related problems we have in our country. IF one is indeed exercising regularly and NOT eating clean/healthy foods and proper portion sizes all along(as well as smaller portions more frequently;ie;5-6 smaller meals, balanced with lean protein/complex carb/healthy fat)  then when you combine the body’s insulin response and addictive nature of not so healthy, processed and simple carbohydrate foods well of course you will be extra hungry following a workout!

It is  because of the vicious cycle of  eating simple carbs/sugar that boosts our insulin waaaay up high, then fairly quickly brings it far lower than it was even to begin with. Throw in exercise which will further affect those insulin levels and you have a vicious cycle of eating simple carbs, spiking the insuin levels, bottoming them out and then the  body’s false reaction of extreme hunger follows the exercise…well yeah…exactly!

What this story failed to include was when a person makes up their mind that they are sick and tired of being a slave to this vicious cycle, that they then decide to take contol of what they eat and their own health for that matter. This is the person who has realized that this cycle is getting them no where except more and more time on the treadmill, an inability to say no to foods that seem like they might be healthy but are not, or that they know are just dowright unhealthy, but they just cannot seem to resist because that is what their body is crying out for….It’s crying out for it because it is addicted! It’s caught in the vicious cycle and that is all it knows. It is the fastest way to the body getting what it thinks it needs.

You have to re-train you self to get out of this vicious cycle and it’s not as hard as it seems, although it will require a few days to a week of discomfort and battling it out with your body’s insatiable craving for those simple carbs/processed foods! It will rebel, but you can get through it, provided to make up your mind NOT to give in and you work to distract your self until this withdrawel time passes… You might be saying to yourself, “Well gee that doesn’t sound like it’s for me, why would I want to do that to myself, it sounds quite unpleasant?”  Well because the payoff after those few days to a week of crazy cravings and such will be rewarded with you being released from that vicious cycle that is getting you no where except having to keep increasing that time on that treadmill, only to never see the kind of results you are seeking . I’ve heard the girls in my gyms who do TONS of cardio wondering why their butts wont shrink, or etc, just insert body part here_______________. You start believeing the lie of not being able to overcome genetics and that you just simply are stuck this way, so you better just embrace it…Bologna!!! I am proof this is NOT the case! Aside from the results issue , the body image issues and dissatisfaction issue, How are you really feeling, anyway? Seems like you are more tired, hungry and irritable? Exactly! I have been there too!

I was not into fitness after having my children.I was very into being a mom, but i was a very tired and cranky mom, you often yelled at my children. Somthing i’m not proud of but is a natural outcome of faulty eating. Prior to having my kids and just prior to and in the early stages of meeting my husband, I loved dance and did a lot of it!  I was SKINNY too, but I was also malnourished!, for real, Dr. Diagnosed! Even once i got past that, I wasn’t exactly healthy, even though i remained skinny for some time. i was simply skinny fat.  Once i had my children and pounds kept hanging around more and more each time. I hated how I looked and felt, but when i’d try to workout i was too tired to get through it, eveftively, or at the times i had energy I would be just like that article states, just crazy hungry and unable to say no to that intense hunger! I spent many years in that vicious cycle and all i had to show for it was getting heavier and more tired, oh yes and hypoglycemia as a bonus. Not to mention not being everything i COULD be to those i had realtionships with. This includes my husband, children, friends and my Lord. I was simply too tired and too moddy to be of the full usefulness and productiveness I could be, and I was only making the hypoglycemia worse by my eating habits which when my blood sugar dropped it would be so bad i’d just grab candy or a soda to quickly get it back up, only to have it keep happening and for me to keep feeling worse! I later learned  that, had i not switched to healthy eating/exrcising, i had a great risk of the hypoglycemia becoming diabetes!

I got to the point that i’d be getting ready for my husband to come home from work and knowing i needed to make dinner for him and the kids..but i’d be lying on the couch crying and praying for the strength to get up and do what i needed to do! I’d get down onto the floor and go to get up at times finding i felt weak. I remember at one point thinking that maybe i was dieing and nobody knew it. I had gone through tests, and eventually all they did was decide after finding nothing physically wrong that i must just be depressed. The doc gave me meds and i became a super moody monster who my husband couldnt deal with. I stopped the meds after a short time and went back to normal moods. I knew i wasnt depressed, i knew my outlook on life and i wasn’t depressed!

Some time passed and my husand found a  Fitness forum and  there, he heard about a book called “Body for Life”. We  bought it,read it, it made sense and we started living that lifestyle immediately. It is the lifestyle of eating clean and proper portions as well as eating every 3 hours with one cheat day per week to eat whatever non clean foods you may have craved through the week, weight training and a cardio regime that only requires 3 20 minue High Intensity Interval sessions per week, not hours and hours on a piece of cardio equipment, not hours lifting weights, but 45 mins of lifting and heavy the other 3 days per week. Heavy enough it’s difficult to complete the reps at the end of each set.

It’s simple and it works, this in when you see the fat melt off and the building of new muscle that gives your body great shape and it’s this increase in muscle that DOES increase you metabolism, because muscle is metabolicly active ,meaning it keeps burning calories even when at rest!!!!…..BUT ……the eating is crucial!!!!

It is small portions of healthy foods, not refined and chemically built foods. The type of foods we were CREATED to consume! Our bodies are not built to be able to use and process chemicals, which, face it,more foods than not are, especially in fast food and junk foods! Also refined carbs and sugars react with our insulin MUCH more rapidly, causing the spiking of the insulin which brings it WAY up, then quickly drops it much further down then it was before it spiked, which causes our brain to be tricked into thinking it’s hungry, see it creates a starvation response when our blood sugars/insulin in dropped down like that…even though we shouldn’t be hungry even though food is still in our stomach, our brain reads that insulin respose one way and that is as hunger and extreme hunger and of course since it was that refined carbohydrate source or even simple carb source that brought that spike, well it stands to reason why our brain tells us we need that type of food and thus why we grab more of the same that got us there in the first place….we really do become slaves to this process. It’s this process that keeps us from losing bodyfat, unhealthy, sick, tired and feeling like we are spinning our wheels, getting nowhere fats and feeling hopeless.

Why???? Why as people with a human nature that likes to have control, why do we so quickly allow ourselves to lose control and become slaves to our very own stomachs? Why do we believe the lies that this is just how we are made and this is my life and I better just suck it up and live with it, why do we allow for any of the mediocrity to enter in that accompanies this defeated mentality. Is it because we are lazy? Maybe for some, especially hard to hear if you don’t want to admit it. Is it because we have just bought into the lies of so many of these so called experts that we have let go of our goals because after all, as you can see from that article it’s hopeless anyway. How about when you hear the truth and still don’t at least try? Is it fear of failing, of having hope and the fear that  we think, “well that can’t happen for me, and that i don’t want my hopes dashed in the end”, as if we have NO control over our own decisions and body, as if basic common sense of how the human body actually works just for some reason will not work for you, as if we are willingly choosing to have NO self control..WHAT????…

Or, how about the belief that it can’t possibly be that simple and work..oh yeah? I thought most of all those things when i read about this change in lifestyle and my thought then became, “What do i have to lose in at least trying? It’s only 12 weeks out of my entire life and do i want regrets on my deathbed someday of always being afraid to try and never knowing what I had missed because i wouldnt?”

I gave it a try, even though i wasn’t completely convinced and still dealed with many of those reasons, fears and doubts…i pushed through, mentally, and it was work to mentally push through it all. I also relied on God’s strength when my own threatened to fail me. In th beginning i wanted so bad to just lean over and fall off that treadmill, but i used it as a time to worhip God, and i had renewed strength.

I wanted to do it all exactly as laid out and so that way if i failed in the end at least I’D know i gave it all i had. I didn’t fail and for the first time felt empowered and so much stronger than  ever thought possible, not just physically, but mentally, spiritually and emotionally!

I felt hungry those first 2 weeks. I mean i felt like i wanted to chew my fingers of my very hands. You see we have been way to used to eating  HUGE, MONSTROUS sized portions, so our stomach has to shrink and we have to get trained again to eat what proper portions are.

They are small comparatively. We are talking lean protein the size of our palm. each persons palm size is different so our individual portions will vary. Carbohydrate portions the size of   our fists, again that varies from person to person depending on the size of their fist, and very small amounts of healthy fats. It was tough at first, but I adapted, but after one  week i felt energy like i hadnt felt in a long time!!  I could clean my house, cook dinner and not feel like i was just going t fall over and die! I was giddy and dancing around.

I like gaining physical strength from lifting weights and working with a trainer who showed me i was stronger than i realized, who challenged me to push myself had and show me what i was really made up. I worked with her for a short time but the lessons she taught have continued to serve me and even when i have no one at all standing over me in that gym, i can push MYSELF, and i can push hard! It pretty much rocks to know what my body is capable of doing, to feel my muscles at work whether I’m lifting or doing and intense cardio session, it in those times of discomfort you grow and not just physically…. mentally, spiritually, all of it!

It’s also in denying bad cravings and eating foods that are good for you and actually nourish you body that you also gain strength. This is especially amazing if you are a christian and know the bible as it paints such a great and vivid picture of the whole “denying of the flesh”…It’s so super cool!!

But not only do you grow in all these ways, you feel better, you spend LESS time at the gym and you look better too! Our bodies are made for work just like they are made for healthy/proper eating…they are made for work, they like it, it is good for them!

I’m sharing this because that article I feel is dangerous and its not a whole truth, it’s a very partial truth and one that leaves us all bound up believing the lies and being slaves to a body that isn’t functioning properly and will only keep making us ill and miserable. I’m someone who has lived on both sides and one who doesn’t want to go back. I know what the alternative is and i dont want it!

It does come with a price though, and that is a time of withdrawel/discomfort/insatiable cravings that will be mistaken for hunger( face it, we don’t like discomfort)…you will feel like having a feeding frenzy, but IF YOU persist, IF you have your mind made up NOT to fail, NOT to give in, IF you do this and ride it out, you will lose most of the desire for those bad foods and your hunger levels will get balanced out and regulated healthfully. You will feel better and i promise you won’t regret it.I dont know anyone who has made it through and is now living this lifestyle who regrets it and wants to go back! All it takes is a really bad cheat day and one of you chosen junk foods to make you feel sick for you to be reminded. That doesnt always happen but it does happen. I still enjoy many of my fave cheats with no problem but also am able to say no to them all week until that cheat day comes because I know there is that one day i can have what i want and know that eating those things more often puts me back into that vicious cycle far too easily. Hmmm, “how do i know?”  Ive fallen into it again by easing up only to have to battle through that icky phase all over again..it’s SO not worth it. If I can do it, anyone can do it, but in order to do it, you have to want to and you have to have the mentality to stick with it no matter what…you basicly have to make up your mind not to fail and to live this as your lifestyle.

I will also say there are also many types of foods i never want to eat again and cannot stomach even the thought of ever eating them! I will also add, that an addistional benefit of these more frequent smaller meals is that it also keeps that metabolism ramped up and working. it keeps your insilin levels stable and that is in part by the frequency of as well as the high quality of those meals. It also will, because of the stabilty of the insulin levels will keep your energy levels up and on a nice even keel!

I thought i’d  share a few pics, from my “Tonia” page on here….

Click to see it larger… I also included my hubby’s pic too as we did this together…..

Orignal 12 week transformation

Depression, Stress and Chronic Fatigue

Depression

It is said that over 18 million Americans suffer from depression and of those only a fraction of those are actually clinically diagnosed and treated. Our modern society is a breeding ground for depression. Not only are there possible hereditary predispositions, but also there any vast number of external pressures applied to our lives. Many of these external pressures we have no control over, but there are those we do.

How did we get this way? Desk jobs, Cable TV, hectic schedules, isolation, explosion of debt, family issues, health issues, being overweight, taxes, declining economy, increasing inflation, fear of crime, fear of terrorists and war, lack of job security, no realistic expectations of anything changing in our tomorrows, poor dietary habits and no activity.

These are just of few of the factors facing each and every one of us in this country. Even worse is there is a growing sense of hopelessness, which is throwing gasoline on the fire. In response the common treatment has been with a variety of medication.

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1999, Doctors from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University Medical Center presented an often overlook treatment of depression, exercise.

While it is true that some clinical diagnosis requires clinical treatment this study brought something forward that was very profound. It found that after 16 weeks of treating 3 groups of older persons with MDD (Major Depression Disorder) that all arrived at the same state of recovery from MDD. The first group received medication alone. The 2nd group received medication and aerobic exercise and the 3rd group received aerobic exercise only interventions. The only notable difference was the medicated groups had faster improvement initially. Amazing as something a simple as aerobic exercised made this much difference.

Stress

The same researchers at Duke University Medical Center also did a study on stress with patients who had with stable ischemic heart disease (IHD) and exercise-induced myocardial ischemia. Again 3 groups received different interventions. The first group received standard (usual) medical care alone. The 2nd group received usual care and 35 minutes 3 times per week of aerobic exercise. The 3rd group received usual care and stress management training. The study concluded that exercise with a stress management groups had the  greatest results in a 16-week period.

I have found, in my personal life how the simple victories of completing a workout, seeing the scale move downward or my pants getting looser were difference makers in my attitude and newfound confidence. One morning, during my first Body for Life Challenge, when I was getting ready for work and with my pants belted I yanked them down still belted! I was bulletproof at that moment. Those little victories some how start the day off right with not simply a sense of accomplishment, but down right success! This spilled over into my job, my marriage, my family, my faith and countless people I have encountered since I began this journey.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is another problem plaguing modern America or at least what is being diagnosed or loosely classified as Chronic Fatigue and/or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Studies are showing that as many 500,000 people have CFS like symptoms. Some of the CDC’s surveillance studies numbers are skewed towards those who were under doctors care, but it was determined that of those the average age of onset was 30 years old and 80% held advanced education degrees. The CDC held a study in San Francisco that determined that CFS Like symptoms was most prevalent in women with household incomes of less that $40,000 and among blacks and less prevalent among Asians and Whites.

You can reach a variety of conclusions from these numbers and the data is still being collected, but a conclusion can be drawn that this is a highly stressed demographic. You have career people and people trying make ends meet.

Causes of CFS or CFS like symptoms can be physiological and much of what is diagnosed, as CFS or CFS like may simply be deficiencies in nutrition and exercise. A clinical diagnosis of CFS would be fatigue that doesn’t get better thru diet and exercise. Not take a clinical diagnosis lightly, but often time people are quick to self-diagnose themselves and some in the healthcare community are quick to diagnose and prescribe medications and/or therapy for what may not in fact not meet the standards of a true clinical diagnoses. And the vast majority of studies relating to physical and mental health with exercise intervention are demonstrating more and more that a treatment option that should be first applied is proper nutrition and exercise.

There is a lot of research being done right now and my goal isn’t to dazzle you with statistics and make some claims that are without seriously backed scientific merit, but rather get right down to where the rubber meets the road.

The key take away from this article is simply there is a problem and a life altering solution to the problem, unfortunately most over prescribed medicines are antidepressants and the most under prescribed medicine is exercise, to paraphrase Bill Phillips author of Body for Life. Simple exercise helps us conquer the blues and blahs by helping us manage stress, create a positive mental outlook, and give a feeling of accomplishment
among so many other positive things. The greatest, is feeling Alive and Fit!

Spirtual Resource:

The Cure For Depression by Pastor Jon Courson

copy and paste this url into your browser to listen to teaching
mms://71.92.142.68/Psalms/OT5058.wma

Comments and Discussion Welcome

Fat Burners – Citrus Aurantium, Coleus Forskohlii, 7-Keto

This is one of the more common behind the scenes questions I get. Some of my clients want to know what I take and what I recommend they should take. I should tell you straight off and publically that during my first 12 week program I took none, nota, zip. After that I began taking guarranna and green tea extract eventually trying a variety of products with different measures of success. I don’t believe that fat-burners are all that, but I do believe they can provide certain benefits towards the end of a well executed and disciplined program when you need an extra push.

In some of my research on ingredients I found 3 very popular ingredients in products advertised on TV and found in stores ranging from the corner grocery store to the big box stores that I’d like to draw attention to in this article. There are other ‘designer’ compounds available, but in this article I want to address those more commonly pushed on the infomercials.

There is new data rolling in that is supporting the existence of side effects and many of the more reputable manufacturers are discontinuing the use of these ingredients. Right now most data appears anecdotal, but here is a quick break down of the 3 most common ‘magic bullets’ with their perceived issues and side-effects.

Bitter Orange aka Cirtrus Aurantium, Synephrine has caused problems with folks with high or low blood pressure, thyroid problems and heart problems detected and undetected. So far the only testing done for cardiovascular health has been on animals.

Coleus forskohlii stimulates thyroid activity especially when combined with caffiine. Dynamite product except it has potential dangers in people with thyroid problems.

The products are also banned for use by the NFL believe it or not – what do they know about the product we don’t?

GNC – doesn’t carry products with Coleus forskohlii and Walmart won’t carry products with Synephrine. What do they know that we don’t? Legal liability? Why?

If we listen to the supplement industry on these products they are safe and effective, but that doesn’t change the fact that for some people there are problems. Not to mention some of the other ingredients in many of these products are banned substances from amature and professional athletic organizations.

The best fat burner is your ALIVE and FIT Solution workout. If you want to supplement a thermogenic caffine based herbs like guarranna and green tea extract are still the best bets and safest for people who can take caffine. They are slow release and contain many great anti-oxident properties. Because natural caffine is slow release so you shouldn’t experience the shakes and rapid heart rate unless you are hyper-sensitive to caffine.

As always this is just info. Education is your best tool when it comes to supplements especially fat burners. You may have no issues with any of these items and that is great, but there is a population that does so care should always be taken when considering supplements of this nature and consultation with your doctor maybe your best protection against bad things happening.

Lifestyle Nutrition – Proper Portions

Portioning of the right foods is key to healthy eating.

Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat are important to balanced and complete nutrition. For a generally healthy person there are no special considerations to these foods beyond a few healthful basics.

Protein is important to building and repairing lean muscle tissue, even more so the body’s hormones, cells and enzymes are composed of amino acids which are the building blocks of protein. High quality protein sources are best when chosen based upon fat content. The lower the fat the more valuable the protein source for you. Excellent low fat options are Chicken/Turkey breast, low-fat fish like Tuna and Tilapia, even lean cuts of beef and pork provide high quality protein with a relatively low-fat cost per serving. Individual portion size would be the approximate size of the palm of your hand, average size would be a deck of playing cards.

Carbohydrates (carbs) are a topic of a lot of confusion. Important here is choosing carbs that are high in fiber and provide essential nutrients. Carbs in which the skin can be eaten are typically a nutritious choice. Choose fruits and vegetables of different colors as each color provides important nutrients. Choose grains based upon whole grain and fiber content. Great choices in carbs are sweet potatoes, brown rice, whole wheat breads and pasta, old-fashioned oatmeal, etc. Poor choices are those high in simple sugars and low in fiber like most fruit juices, boxed cereals, bread, soda, candy, cookies, crackers, etc. An individual portion will typically fit with the volume of a closed fist or on average the size of a baseball.

Fats are important to a healthy body. Contrary to the negative press all fats, save one, have a place in the diet. Saturated fats and trans-fats are the most abused of the fats. Saturated fats in small amounts (less than 10g per day) are actually good for the body as they support organ health and some hormone support. Trans-fats on the other hand are proven to have absolutely no healthful value and should be completely avoided. Cholesterol is another important fat in moderation unless your physician has directed otherwise. Sources of healthy fats are extra virgin olive oil, canola and safflower as are foods such as nuts and nut butters, flax, salmon and avocados to name a few. Remember fats are very high in calories and can add up fast. Individual portion size of liquid oils, dressings and butters are about the size of the tip of the thumb to the first knuckle or on average the volume of half a ping-pong ball. For nuts, the individual serving is approximately what will fit in a cupped palm.

Top 3 Excuses Busted!

Deciding to get fit is not hard and even taking the first steps towards that end is not any harder – but committing to the plan is where the challenge is. What has been holding you back? No time? No money? Don’t know how to start?

Excuse 1 “I don’t have time”

Here is good news for you; a life changing fitness program takes no longer than 4 hours per week – that is it. Can’t squeeze an hour workout in with a 40-minute to and from drive to a gym? There is an answer for that, working out at home and taking advantage of even 3 – 10 minute active sessions throught the day. A future chapter will discuss a basic workout plan you can do just about anywhere including putting together your own home gym inexpensively.

Excuse 2  “I can’t afford healthy foods”

There is a misconception that fresh fruits and vegetables are out of budget. But many fresh fruits and vegetables are multi-serving and can span 2 or 3 meals bringing the cost per serving down.  Whole grain products are often on sale at prices comparable to their processed and refined counter parts. I used to spend about $26.00 per meal feeding my family of 6 at a fast food restaurant. For that same $26.00 I can get not only enough healthy options for 1 meal but it will also contribute to other meals as well bringing my overall grocery budget in line with what my grocery budget plus dining budget was, not to mention the $2 – $3 I spent at work in the vending machines. I actually found I saved money overall and had more flexibility in my food budget.

Excuse 3  “I don’t know how to start or what to do”

This one always makes me laugh because I will typically ask a person – what could you change about your eating. The typical responses I get is quit the super value meals, drinking so much pop and eat more fresh fruits and veggies. When I ask about exercise I hear quit sitting in front of the TV and go do something, maybe go to the gym or just do something active.

My point is most people know what they have to do to get started. When I started I knew to knock off the soda, stop hitting the drive-thru 2,3 or 4 times a day and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain products and lean meats. I knew I needed to exercise so I went to the fitness area where I work and I got on the stationary bike, did the treadmill, tried out the weight machine they had and I started taking the stairs and not the elevator that got me started.

Once I started I knew I needed a workout plan. I searched the internet, went to the bookstore, picked up a few magazines and I learned there are more workout plans and instructional materials out there to help me meet a goal of losing my body fat. Now I had to sort through it all and choose one. Thank God for an Internet discussion board that I happened up. I found people who had succeeded with a program called Body-for-LIFE for Bill Phillips and I thought if they could do then so could I.

Getting started was that simple, but in all honesty those excuses I listed above were mine as well for years.

It all comes down to stop making excuses and start making the choices that need to be made to take ownership of your health and become a more Alive and Fit you!