Health and Fitness, November 2010

[Indiana]

Don't get too excited about my bar I don't think it even weighs a pound. It is made from a plastic pipe and has foam around it and the ends are taped so I don't get scratched, Dh made it for me.

I still son't need the daily - all day weights. Those I can do 7 pounds with good arm and 2.5 with bad arm.

I need the movement of raising and lowering the bar with both hands, The good one helps lift and lower. I have the bar by my chair and I do it while watching a 30 - 60 minute show. I do it until too tired to lift. I should see an increase in the number of times next week.

[Nancy]

Way to go Indiana!

I walked the hill yesterday it felt good!

[Lynlee]

I`ve`missed`2`days`of`earlier`puta/tv`off...Last`night`I`got`on`puta`to`debrief`here.
Yesterday`I`did`sit`with`view`of`sandbars/lots`of`blue/people`on`the`water``near`river`mouth
also`some`quiet`time`on`beach`rocks.I`love`watching`the`flow`of`water`over`the`mix`of`
black`&`yellowish`sand.

[Nancy]

Sat. Got my walk in today before we did our errands.
Sun. walked in rain with an umbrella. Now there's a good idea!

[Emptynester]

Going to try to post more as I tweak my body into shape (she said with tongue in cheek - as jerk, push, shove or pummel might be a better word).

Weight loss since last Monday -0.6
But this is about where I was last January 1. So a lot summer gain to make up.

Time to eat and get the body moving.

[Harriet]

I hesitated to post this, because the "health" of it is quite questionable. However, it is news/noteworthy on this date, and it does speak to the interesting concept that you might be able to eat anything and lose weight, as long as you eat little enough of it. It also speaks to another interesting debate, which I've entered before, about whether the loss of weight is, in itself, a health measure that is worth risking other healthy habits to reach.

I have read Dr. J. B. Johnson's "Alternate Day Diet" book, in which he gives data to suggest (among other things) that the loss of weight is proven so singularly beneficial a health factor that he would advise sacrificing nutrition for short periods if that would help a patient achieve it. In fact, I find it hard to believe this featured professor's recent experiment is truly ground-breaking, given the work Johnson did, and the previous work he cites, by Walter Willett (Eat, Drink and Be Healthy).

Anyway, for what it's worth, the newest headline-producing diet fad, as of the moment:

"Convenience Store Diet" or "Twinkie Diet"

Note that, in front of his children, the professor ate vegetables.

[Lynlee]

Sounds`like`boom`and`bust`cycle`Harriet

Ever`heard`of`the`strategy`that`suggests`getting`food`from`as`many`different`sources
`as`you`can?(that`is..wheat`counts`as`1`no`matter`how`often`you`eat`it,as`does`sugar,
and`each`sort`of`grain/nut/seed/fruit/veg/meat`etc.
The`aim`was`to`get`to`22`or`so.

My`breakfast`is`10.
lunch`adds`3
snacks`add`2`0r`3
dinner`adds`4`+`usually
those`would`be`minimin.


I'm`thinking``serving`size`matters.
So`does`taking`care`of`individual`needs
re`intollerance/allergy/disease`states.
I`guess`family`/genetic`considerations`too.

One`time`a`dietian`said`to`us`"junk`food"`depends`on`what`people`have`a`
problem`with...Different`thingsfor`different`people.
Also`heard`someone`equate`a`choc`snack`bar`to`adding`a`tablespoon+`of`fat
straight`onto`thighs...only`harder`to`get`off.`That`image`has`stayed`with`me.

IMO
Finding`what`works`for`you`is`really`the`detective`work.
Doing`it`can`be`another`thing`alltogether.
Our`diet`is`whatever`we`eat...meaning`to`or`not.`We`all`have`one.
To`diet`means`to`follow`some`strict`schedule`usually`hoping`to`lose`weight`
...though`diet`lists`may`be`related`to`a`host`of`other`issues.
Everything`we`eat`contains`chemicals..Some`natural/some`not.

[Nancy]

I need to tweak my work outs for winter schedule now.
Maybe some indoor stuff in the morning I found a work out CD yesterday while sorting
videos! Now there's an idea!!!
I did several extra trips up and down stairs sorting clutter decorating.
I did not get my walk in.
I did get a bit of work out with weights with dear grand daughter.
That was fun!!!

[Harriet]

Have a great time with new activity, Emptynester.

Nancy, an extra video workout to choose in winter will be lots of help.

Lynlee, then my breakfasts lately would be 6-es. Assuming a favorite big salad midday sometimes, that would add 5 or 6. At that point, as I consider variety, my success breaks down. For instance, yesterday my supper would have added 2. I imagine I would stagnate at 16 or so most days, even when I was trying to pull as much produce variety as possible into my days.

The weight-loss versus nutrition debate really does interest me (and I guess it irritates me that someone reinvents the wheel and makes headlines). Is it worth it to do anything we can to get that scale down first and think about what's "good" for us later?

Johnson discussed in his book his worries over how he could help his patients gain "healthspan" (the length of time a person is actively mobile with good hearing, eyesight and cognitive abilities) when all the while he was agonizingly watching them get fatter and less healthy instead. Although he was impressed with 2 major studies that showed heart disease risk was 25 % less in people who ate 5 servings of frts/veggies a day (cancer reduction unimpressive, sorry), he realized that even that benefit paled in comparison to risk reductions with weight loss. Other studies in exercise, dietary composition, serum cholesterol were interesting, but none of them could compare with the huge benefit of weight loss specifically.

The bottom line was consistent: the lower the BMI (body mass index) the longer the healthspan, period. So Johnson began to theorize that it would be better to eat "bad" food if it helped you lose weight, than it would be to stay overweight eating "good" food. Ultimately, he expanded that to advocate that his patients eat what they wanted 4 days per week, within a pre-determined personal calorie count, and diet within a percentage of that count 3 days per week, so that they always had their "treats" on the horizon, to help them mentally.

Anyway, this was all back in the mid-2000s and his book came out in 08. So the Twinkie Diet may take it further, but it is not a new idea, not even new within this decade.

[Lynlee]

Harriet`just`in`the`last`couple`of`days`I`hear`someone`saythat`if`you`had`20`different
food`sources`then`your`chance`of`covering`all`requires`nutrients`improved.
I`does`get`back`to`portion`size`too`cos`eating`a`lot`of`every`single`thing`isn't
what`its`about.
I`think`its`to`get`people`out`of`the`wheat.sugar/fat`or`oil`many`people`eat...
that`just`counts`4or5.

I'm`sure`I`read`that`varying`calory`intake`kept`your`body`guessing...and`not`going`to`
survival`mode`slowing`metabolizm.`Just`like`mixing`up`exercise`regimes`day`to`day,doing`
intervals,exercise`at`different`times`of`day`achieves`different`things
(weight`loss`or`strengthening)
Latest`thing`I`heard`was`that`before`breakfast`was`the`best`for`everything`to`stress`
the`body`to`make`changes.
Thats`a`philosophy`in`my`hypoglycemia`book.
I`tried`once`and`had`the`most`ratty`day`never`recovered.
I`do`sometimes`try`a`few`windowsill`pushups`first`thing`though..
or`something`taught`by`Lama`Tenar`for`4`X`3standing`to`floor`prostrate
I`consider`theres`exercise`in`that.
1hr`heavy`gardening`was`too`much.

Not`sure`if`I`mentioned...adding`chia`seeds`and`sesame`oil`had`made`a`huge`difference.
No`longer`need`fish`oil`to`avoid`painful`feet/knees
No`longer`need`daily`epsomsalt
Scales`show`800gm`more`bone,`5%`more`muscle.3-4`%`less`fat`consistantly`since`5`days
after`I`started`them.
I`ve`dropped`the`cirtus`to`sometimes`as`it`wasn't`agreeing`with`me.
Mind`you...I'm`not`sure`that`the`chia`seed`and`sesame`oil`isn't`an`irritant
that`keeps`things`moving????`Sesame`oil`particularly`as`effect`stopped`when`I`ran`out.

Over`the`years`I`earned`that`something`to`eat`is`better`than`nothing`at`all.
That`food`thats`not`particularly`helpful`to`me`(and`others`in`food`intolerance`group)
is`particularly`"moreish-addictive/a`must`have`item.
That`all`food`contains`its`own`chemicals...and`often`its`one(or`more)`of`those`chemicals
`that`is`the`problem...if`there`is`a`problem.
Often`its`the`quanity`of`problem`chemical`in`various`foods`you`eat`that`can`builds`up
to`take`you`beyond`your`bodies`tolerance.`Less`may`be`ok.
With`allergy...the`smallest`serve`of`offending`food`is`too`much.=sparks`a`reaction.
Sometimes`the`reaction`happens`when`you`stop`a`problem`food`(`for`the`individual).
Whats`good`for`one`person`won't`suit`everyone.

GL`sorting`out`whats`good`for`you`and`your`family`Harriet.