Category Archives: Metabolism

How Now Brown … Fat

How I Strength Train or Why Are Burpees So Freakin’ Hard??

People are constantly asking me questions. Some are basic (“How do I separate eggs?”). Some are technical (“If I ride my bike west from Chicago and my friend rides their bike east from Boise” — I’m sure there was more to this one, but I nodded off. Too mathy.) And some are just plain hurtful (“Seriously? You want me to read your blog EVERY time?! Are you going to pay me?”).

But some are all about me. Those are the ones I love.

So when I was asked about my exercise regimen — which I’ve talked about here (and how poodles and Lionel Ritchie exercise here) and whined about here … well you get the idea.

The point is, I like talking about exercise. So I’m happy to talk about what I’m doing now for exercise.

First, I always take Wednesdays off. I sometimes take one weekend day off, depending on what I’ve got going on. But the rest of the week is spent alternating between cardio and strength workouts.

I warm-up before my workout, but I don’t stretch, per se. Instead, I increase my heart rate and warm up my muscles. I hula hoop, jump on the mini trampoline, do some jumping jacks, swing my arms around, dance — just easy, dynamic movement to get going.

On long cardio days, I hop on the treadmill or the elliptical (both of which are parked in front of TVs) and go about 5 miles. I go at a steady clip without inclines. I watch a movie, or The Daily Show, or mindless sitcoms guilt-free. Sometimes I have to split these into two sessions to get the mileage in.

On strength days, I also do cardio, but I do hill or speed intervals on the treadmill. (I go 30 seconds at 10 mph or the highest incline, then rest for 30 seconds. Repeat 10 times or until I croak.) Usually I do the cardio at the end of the workout.

On these days, I have a strength training workout I do too. Previously, I found myself cheating, only doing the exercises I liked so I switched it up.

I made a list of all the exercises I know how to do then separated them into three groups — arms, legs, core/abs. There is overlap, of course, dumbbell swings help your butt … handwalking on the treadmill helps your core, and so on. But three categories seemed reasonable and didn’t overwhelm me with options. My notes might not make too much sense to you, but feel free to ask about any of the exercises I do.

To thwart my cheating ways, I set the timer for 45 minutes and, never skipping an exercise, rotate through the pages — arms, legs, core, arms, legs, core, — until the dinger dings. I always try to increase everything, but if I stop to rest — even if I end up doing more reps — I don’t write down the higher number.

I still cheat, of course. When I see the timer ticking down, I’ll go reaaallllllyyyyy slow so I don’t have to do another exercise.

I never write down a lower number of reps, unless I increase the amount of weight. Sometimes, for reasons I try not to think about, I simply cannot do what I had done last time. In fact, just the other day I could only do 8 bicep curls even though I had been doing 19 and had been increasing each time. Usually this happens toward the end of the workout so I don’t beat myself up about it. I just acknowledge that I’m pooped and pat myself on the head for completely fatiguing my muscles, which is the whole point, after all. If it happens on my very last exercise, then I’ll mark it to begin my next workout.

I’m very conscious of using the heaviest weights I can manage, while maintaining good form. Once I hit 20 reps I try to increase the weight. I read constantly that women don’t push themselves hard enough. As much as I like Marlo Thomas, I don’t want to be That (Weak) Girl.

If you’re having trouble losing those last five pounds, or you’ve hit a plateau, you might consider kicking up your cardio and lifting heavier weights. You may have gotten into a bit of a rut and you need to shake up your body every few weeks. That’s why I like this rotation — it’s never the same from workout to workout.

You’ll see that many of these exercises don’t require free weights — most of them work with your own body weight instead which I like.

When I’m done, I do my cardio intervals and stretch and then I collapse, weeping, rolled into a fetal position. Sometimes I reward myself with an episode of The Daily Show. Sometimes with bacon. It’s all good.

Now go make your own lists!

What do you do for strength training? What have you learned along the way? What’s your favorite exercise? What’s your least favorite? (You probably won’t be surprised to know mine are burpees!)

Vindication of Coconut Oil But Maybe Not My Driving

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My delightfully snarky niece Robin visited Colorado. I’ll be the first to admit she has numerous reasons to mock me, but when she questioned my liberal use of coconut oil, I had to take a stand. Of course, my mind is like a sieve so I couldn’t remember anything I knew about coconut oil and therefore could not take a stand. But now that she’s back home, I’ve revisited my information, and in fact, found even more!

Coconut oil gets a bad rap because it’s a saturated fat, solid at room temperature. We’ve been taught both those things are bad. And they are, if you’re talking about Crisco or the fat from your steak. Those are both saturated fats comprised of long chain fatty acids.

But coconut oil is comprised of medium chain fatty acids. Totally different beast.

Long chain fatty acids can’t be metabolized in your body. Medium chain can be. Dr Oz talks about coconut oil’s Super Powers here. His favorite uses for coconut oil include weight loss, skin care, and to fight bacterial conditions. (I tested him about the skin care thing when I got a sunburn.)

The Coconut Research Center says, “Published studies in medical journals show that coconut, in one form or another, may provide a wide range of health benefits.” They list a gazillion — yes, I counted — but these might be of interest to you:

• kills viruses, bacteria, fungi and yeasts

• improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose

• reduces health risks associated with diabetes, osteoporosis, ulcers, and heart disease

• reduces inflammation

• dissolves kidney stones

• helps promote weight loss

So, Robin, my love … the next time you visit I will once again spread coconut oil on your sprouted grain toast, offer you sodypop sweetened with stevia, and frown at your filthy cigarette habit. But I will try to refrain from running red lights with Grandma in the car.

Do you use coconut oil? Do you have a delightfully snarky niece? Have you ever run a red light with Grandma in the car?

Still More Answers From A Nutritionist

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Did you read what Mary Schreiner had to say about protein, carbs and ‘mixing it up’ the other day? And about metabolism?

Mary Schreiner, MPH (Masters in Public Health) has worked in the weight management arena since 1990 with both the American Heart Association and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Besides teaching weight loss classes, she’s been involved in several Low-Carb vs Low-Calorie studies. Since she was overweight into young adulthood, she knows how difficult the struggle with weight control can be. It’s more than just eating less and exercising more. She speaks on several health related topics like:

~ Nutrition and Diet in Disease Prevention: Heart Disease, Diabetes, Alzheimer’s

~ Weight Loss Tips and Tricks

~ Women and Heart Disease

~ Exercise – The Fountain of Youth!

Here is another question I asked her.

• If you’re trying to keep your calories in check so you can lose or maintain your weight, how do you know how many calories you should be eating every day?

When trying to lose weight, I often advise people to find out their Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) and use that number as the number of calories you should be eating each day. Then, the more you move = the more calories you burn = the quicker you will lose weight.

We all would love to lose 30 pounds in a week and never have to diet again. However, our bodies do not work like that. It is better to lose slowly (1 pound a week equals 52 pounds in a year!). And if done in a slow fashion, that usually indicates a person is:

1 – eating enough calories each day so they do not get too hungry

2 – are possibly making some lifestyle changes (choosing leaner protein, using low fat items, eating more fruits and veg for snacks) that they will continue after the diet

3 – getting added activity most days, even if just a 10-minute walk at lunch time and parking farther away from the office or store.

4 – has created an eating plan that includes a mid-morning and a mid-afternoon snack

Mary has generously offered to review one lucky reader’s food journal so tell me why you’d like feedback on your diet, either by leaving a comment or privately through the ‘Contact Me’ page. Creativity counts, as would tugging at my heartstrings and/or making me laugh. You’d have to do a few days of writing down EXACTLY what you eat — including quantities — so Mary can give you good feedback. I’ll also want to post the journal and the feedback so that others might learn, too. I don’t have to post your name, though.

Let the commenting begin! *insert royal sweeping arm motion here*

I’ll have more questions for Mary in the future, but what about you? What do you want to ask a nutritionist? Do you do the four things to lose weight slowly? Do you want your food journal studied?

How Low Is Too Low? Calories and Metabolism

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Web MD explains that metabolism involves a complex network of hormones and enzymes that not only convert food into fuel but also affect how efficiently you burn that fuel.

“The process of metabolism establishes the rate at which we burn our calories and, ultimately, how quickly we gain weight or how easily we lose it,” says Robert Yanagisawa, MD, director of the Medically Supervised Weight Management Program at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.

Of course, not everyone burns calories at the same rate.

Your metabolism is influenced by your age (metabolism naturally slows about 5% per decade after age 40); your sex (men generally burn more calories at rest than women); and proportion of lean body mass (the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate tends to be).”

I’m a big fan of metabolism and have read lots of articles about it, but I’m still not sure I understand all the intricacies.

I understand that to boost your metabolism, you should eat plenty of protein and iron-rich foods. You can rev your metabolism by eating smaller meals more frequently. German researchers even found something as simple as drinking ice water can raise your resting metabolism by about 50 calories per day. (That doesn’t seem like much, but it can help you lose five pounds in a year.)

Bodybuilder Chris Aceto wrote a good analogy. “If you’re earning $4000 a month, but your boss suddenly cuts your pay to $2500 a month, you will try to live the same lifestyle on $2500 a month as you did on $4000 a month. After a while, you have to adjust and save money, and change your lifestyle. The same is true with a calorie intake that is simply too low. When calories are cut below basal metabolic needs, the body will accommodate and slow its metabolism, so it becomes difficult to lose fat even on low calories.”

Okay, I get all that.

But how low is too low when it comes to calories? How do you know how many calories you should be eating and burning to keep your metabolism humming along like a finely tuned machine?

I’ve told you before I’m a big fan of the delightful Charlotte over at The Great Fitness Experiment. Recently she wrote Slow Metabolism — Fact or Myth.

The entire article was interesting and entertaining, as always, but this caught my attention:

“During this time, I had my metabolism thoroughly tested – both in the doctor’s office (they ran tests on my thyroid and my hormones and even my baby maker – which thankfully was unoccupied at that time) and in the gym via hydrostatic weighing and the Darth Vader-on-a-treadmill metabolic testing. Their conclusion? I need 1242 calories a day to go about my daily life.”

I remember asking someone — my doctor? Nutritionist? Hairdresser? — if there was a way I could test my metabolism. While I don’t remember which type of professional I discussed this with, I specifically remember their answer. “No.”

But now Charlotte tells me differently. Yay! A new quest! I will keep you posted, but in the meantime, tell me any of your experiences with metabolic testing.

Have any of you (besides Charlotte) had your metabolism tested in this way? What did it involve? Did it cost a gazillion dollars? How many calories do you need every day?

Why We Gain Weight As We Age

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I heard Why We Gain Weight As We Age by Patti Neighmond on NPR. It answered questions I’d been wondering about as I try to rally against middle age. I thought maybe you’d be interested too.

One of the main culprits in our middle-aged weight gain is that we lose muscle as we age. So even if you’re the exact weight you were when you were 20, you have a lower percentage of muscle than you did then. And I bet you have more wrinkles. But who’s counting?

Muscle is hugely important — especially to our metabolism. The calories we eat create energy for our bodies to use. But because our muscles are literally shrinking, they can’t burn those calories efficiently any more. The unused calories end up as icky fat.

The good news is exercise helps to fight this icky fat — even if you’re 80! Lifting weights makes muscles stronger and actually increases the size of muscle cells thereby helping jack up your metabolism.

So, if you’re young, start lifting those weights. And if you’re older, start lifting those weights. And if you’re ancient, start lifting those weights.

If you’re unsure about what to do or how to do it, buy two or three sessions with a trainer at a gym or rec center and have them teach you. You don’t want to hurt yourself by doing it wrong. You can join a gym, buy your own home gym like I did, or if you’re on a tight budget, ask your trainer what are the absolute necessities to have at home to reach your strength goals and what you can do without any equipment at all. [Insert requisite disclaimer here … check with your doctor before you step too far into the world of exercise. Be smart.]

Whichever way you choose to go, I think you’ll be happy with the results. I love checking out my guns in the mirror. They’re not nearly as impressive as my 18-year-old son’s, but they’re pretty darn cool and they make me feel powerful and able to take care of whatever business gets thrown my way.

Some day I hope to arm wrestle Michelle Obama. She’d probably win, but I’d just say I let her because she’s the First Lady. And because those Secret Service guys stole my mojo.

Do you strength train? What are your favorite weight lifting exercises? Do you want to arm wrestle me? Who do you think would win in a contest of strength — me or Michelle Obama?

Eat Fat Instead Of Carbs For Breakfast