Despite all the hype, it boils down to two things – energy in (food) and/or energy out (activity).
Read the daily presses and you’ll think the world is full of plots to make us fat. But, there are two mechanisms through which increases in body weight occur. These are either an increase in energy intake (EI) or food and/or a decrease in energy expenditure (EE), which is activity level, metabolic rate and heat loss.
Other factors such as drugs, genetics, age, gender, etc., can only have an impact through either or both of these mechanisms. Within each of these influences of course, there is a range of factors which can lead to weight gain (and therefore help influence weight loss).
Today, we will look at Energy Intake and the factors there that can help you get fat/gain weight!
Energy Intake
1. Too much fat (Do you want fries with that??)
2. Too much total energy (Supersize me!)
3. Too high energy density (high calorie foods - need I say more??)
4. Too many high Glycemic Index (GI) foods (high carbohydrate foods with low fibre)
5. Too little variety (the Brown Rice Diet anyone???)
6. Excessive hunger (too long between meals or related to 12)
7. Night eating (Well, I was good all day...)
8. Binge eating (I am sooo depressed...my pants don't fit!)
9. ‘Restrained’ eating (starve in public and pig out at home)
10. Social/holiday eating (It’s Christmas, my Birthday, my dog’s Birthday...)
11. Habitual eating (I always eat when I watch TV...)
12. Irregular eating (starve all day and then eat all night?)
13. Lack of awareness of eating ( one for the pot...one for the cook...)
14. Food intake and alcohol (this one speaks for itself!)
15. The ‘eye-mouth’ gap (I see, therefore I eat)
16. The ‘exception’ rule (Oh...this one doesn’t count...)
Any of or all of these can be reasons you may find you are gaining weight. Food for thought?
Next time we will look at the role of Energy Expenditure.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Portion Sizes and Serving Sizes?
Did you know that less than 5% of the total population can gauge serving sizes correctly? Knowing serving sizes and understanding how much you should be eating is vital to not only losing weight but maintain weight as well.
People have a tendency to overestimate the recommended serving size and consequently may eat more than what the body really needs. So what is a serving size or portion size anyway? Health professionals use "serving size" to refer to the amount recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) or Canadian Food Guide for each food group.
It is often difficult to calculate food quantities and serving portions. If the food comes pre-packaged, the label will tell you the quantity of a single serving of food, along with how many servings are in the package. When cooking from scratch, the quantity of a single serving is harder to determine. Knowing serving sizes for foods can actually prevent you from gaining weight. Since you can't carry measuring tools with you everywhere, how can you figure out serving sizes? The following chart can help you...just print it off and stick in your bag, tape it to the inside of a cupboard or stick it on the fridge. No more guesswork! You can now visually estimate a serving size for a lot of commonly eaten foods.
Food Item Per Serving - Everyday Object
3 oz Meat, Chicken (after cooking) = Deck of Cards or Palm of Child’s Hand
5 oz Meat, Chicken (after cooking) = 2 Decks of Cards or Palm of Adult Hand
3 oz Fish = Regular-Sized Cheque Book
½ cup Starchy Foods (such as rice, ice cream, mashed potatoes and other grains) = 1/2 Baseball (not to be confused with a softball!)
Potato = Computer Mouse or Size of Small Fist
1 Medium Fruit = Normal Fist or Baseball
1 oz Cheese = 4 Stacked Dice or Small Matchbox
Salad Dressing, Mayonnaise, Butter,
Margarine, Oil, Peanut Butter = Tip of Thumb, 1 Dice or ½ Ping Pong Ball
1 slice of Bread = Cassette Tape
Bagel = Hockey Puck
1 Pancake = CD/DVD
1 cup Dry Cereal = Normal Fist or Baseball
1 cup Vegetables = Normal Fist or Baseball
Nuts, Raisins, Pretzels = Amount held in Cupped Hand
People have a tendency to overestimate the recommended serving size and consequently may eat more than what the body really needs. So what is a serving size or portion size anyway? Health professionals use "serving size" to refer to the amount recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) or Canadian Food Guide for each food group.
It is often difficult to calculate food quantities and serving portions. If the food comes pre-packaged, the label will tell you the quantity of a single serving of food, along with how many servings are in the package. When cooking from scratch, the quantity of a single serving is harder to determine. Knowing serving sizes for foods can actually prevent you from gaining weight. Since you can't carry measuring tools with you everywhere, how can you figure out serving sizes? The following chart can help you...just print it off and stick in your bag, tape it to the inside of a cupboard or stick it on the fridge. No more guesswork! You can now visually estimate a serving size for a lot of commonly eaten foods.
Food Item Per Serving - Everyday Object
3 oz Meat, Chicken (after cooking) = Deck of Cards or Palm of Child’s Hand
5 oz Meat, Chicken (after cooking) = 2 Decks of Cards or Palm of Adult Hand
3 oz Fish = Regular-Sized Cheque Book
½ cup Starchy Foods (such as rice, ice cream, mashed potatoes and other grains) = 1/2 Baseball (not to be confused with a softball!)
Potato = Computer Mouse or Size of Small Fist
1 Medium Fruit = Normal Fist or Baseball
1 oz Cheese = 4 Stacked Dice or Small Matchbox
Salad Dressing, Mayonnaise, Butter,
Margarine, Oil, Peanut Butter = Tip of Thumb, 1 Dice or ½ Ping Pong Ball
1 slice of Bread = Cassette Tape
Bagel = Hockey Puck
1 Pancake = CD/DVD
1 cup Dry Cereal = Normal Fist or Baseball
1 cup Vegetables = Normal Fist or Baseball
Nuts, Raisins, Pretzels = Amount held in Cupped Hand
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Ab Exercises for a Tight Tummy
As promised (my Birthday present to you!)...here are some tummy exercises to help you get that tight belly you want and improving your posture as well! Your new firm abs will help you to stand taller and straighter and are great if you have back issues as well. Often back problems are directly related to weak abdominals. So, go to it!!
Exercise Routine for a Strong and Firm Tummy
Tips:
1. Perform 1 - 2 exercises from Group A, B and C. Complete both exercises in Group D.
2. Complete 1 – 2 sets per exercise.
3. Perform 10 – 15 repetitions for each set.
4. Maintain a smooth lifting pace, using a 2-1-3-0 cadence (two seconds on the way up, one second hold, three seconds on the way down and immediately repeat with no rest at the bottom). 5. Take a day off abdominal training every couple of days to rest. Muscles grow while they rest.
6. Perform 2 – 4 sessions per week.
Important Note: Beginners should refrain from using the dumbbells or leg weights!
Group A Exercises - Upper Abs
Weighted Crunches – Hold D/B on shoulders with hands alongside neck. Lie with knees bent and slowly curl forward until shoulders leave the floor.
Weighted Sit-Ups – Lying on back with knees bent, arms out to sides, D/B off the floor. Slowly curl spine forward and lift into a full sit-up position.
Legs-Up Weighted Crunch – Lie on back with legs lifted straight in the air. Arms by your side with d/b off the floor. Slowly curl up reaching with the D/B to reach your highest crunch position.
Group B Exercises – Lower Abs
Weighted Leg Pull-Ins – Sit on the floor with your legs lifted and lean back, hands on the floor behind you. With D/B between feet or ankle weights, pull thighs and knees into chest and back out again.
Weighted Reverse Sit-Ups - With D/B between feet or ankle weights, lie on your back with knees bent. Pull your legs up and over your abs so that lower back comes off the floor.
Ab Flutter Kicks – Lie on back with feet off the floor. Raise one leg to 45 degrees off the floor and then lower. Repeat with the other leg.
Group C Exercises – Abs and Side (Oblique) Combo
Weighted Bicycles – Hold D/B on shoulders with hands alongside neck. Keep one leg straight while the other knee is moving towards the opposite elbow. As it moves back, bring the other knee while the leg moves back to parallel with the floor. Can use weights on ankles.
Knee-to-Elbow Sit-Ups – Hold one D/B on shoulder with opposite foot on knee and opposite arm lying on floor. Reach weighted side towards opposite knee. Complete repetitions on one side then change sides.
Group D Exercises – Sides/Obliques
D/B Side Bends – Stand with feet apart and a D/B in each hand down by sides. Bend from waist all the way to the right, then straighten up and bend all the way to the left. Keep hips fixed and use your sides to straighten yourself up.
D/B Twists – Stand erect with D/B in each hand directly in front of chest. Keeping the spine straight, rotate as far as possible to the left and back around to the right. Move in a controlled fashion. *** If you have back issues, you may want to avoid twisting or twist 1/4 of the way.
Exercise Routine for a Strong and Firm Tummy
Tips:
1. Perform 1 - 2 exercises from Group A, B and C. Complete both exercises in Group D.
2. Complete 1 – 2 sets per exercise.
3. Perform 10 – 15 repetitions for each set.
4. Maintain a smooth lifting pace, using a 2-1-3-0 cadence (two seconds on the way up, one second hold, three seconds on the way down and immediately repeat with no rest at the bottom). 5. Take a day off abdominal training every couple of days to rest. Muscles grow while they rest.
6. Perform 2 – 4 sessions per week.
Important Note: Beginners should refrain from using the dumbbells or leg weights!
Group A Exercises - Upper Abs
Weighted Crunches – Hold D/B on shoulders with hands alongside neck. Lie with knees bent and slowly curl forward until shoulders leave the floor.
Weighted Sit-Ups – Lying on back with knees bent, arms out to sides, D/B off the floor. Slowly curl spine forward and lift into a full sit-up position.
Legs-Up Weighted Crunch – Lie on back with legs lifted straight in the air. Arms by your side with d/b off the floor. Slowly curl up reaching with the D/B to reach your highest crunch position.
Group B Exercises – Lower Abs
Weighted Leg Pull-Ins – Sit on the floor with your legs lifted and lean back, hands on the floor behind you. With D/B between feet or ankle weights, pull thighs and knees into chest and back out again.
Weighted Reverse Sit-Ups - With D/B between feet or ankle weights, lie on your back with knees bent. Pull your legs up and over your abs so that lower back comes off the floor.
Ab Flutter Kicks – Lie on back with feet off the floor. Raise one leg to 45 degrees off the floor and then lower. Repeat with the other leg.
Group C Exercises – Abs and Side (Oblique) Combo
Weighted Bicycles – Hold D/B on shoulders with hands alongside neck. Keep one leg straight while the other knee is moving towards the opposite elbow. As it moves back, bring the other knee while the leg moves back to parallel with the floor. Can use weights on ankles.
Knee-to-Elbow Sit-Ups – Hold one D/B on shoulder with opposite foot on knee and opposite arm lying on floor. Reach weighted side towards opposite knee. Complete repetitions on one side then change sides.
Group D Exercises – Sides/Obliques
D/B Side Bends – Stand with feet apart and a D/B in each hand down by sides. Bend from waist all the way to the right, then straighten up and bend all the way to the left. Keep hips fixed and use your sides to straighten yourself up.
D/B Twists – Stand erect with D/B in each hand directly in front of chest. Keeping the spine straight, rotate as far as possible to the left and back around to the right. Move in a controlled fashion. *** If you have back issues, you may want to avoid twisting or twist 1/4 of the way.
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