Food diaries can be very eye opening when people are trying to get a handle on their eating and their concerned about weight loss.  Food diaries have a way of turning up unconscious snacking, consuming too many processed foods, eating too many calories than you’re burning off, eating too much at night, using too much salt or all of the above.  A few suggestions to help you get started:

 Keep a food log for 5 days including a weekend.  Many people find they eat well during the week but weekends throw them off track.

 Log details by setting up 6 columns – type of food eaten, the amount, where it was eaten, the time it was consumed, how long it took to consume it, and the reason for eating it.  Everything counts. If you neglect to consciously log something, remember you’re only cheating yourself. 

 After 5 days go back and review your log entries for each day.  Food diaries can turn up a multitude of reasons why you’re eating too much, eating at the wrong time, eating the wrong foods or not eating enough.

The sport of triathlon and running are expensive enough but an easy way to save money is by finding multiple uses for items you probably already have at home.  

Ginger – can help reduce exercise-induced muscle pain according to a recent study from University of GA.  Participants in the study were given two grams of ginger for 11 consecutive days. They performed 18 heavy weight elbow extensions to induce moderate muscle injury.  After assessing inflammation and pain before and after the exercise, the study showed that the ginger supplement reduced muscle pain by 25 percent.

Tennis Ball – makes a great massage tool for removing tension in your back, quads, glutes, hamstrings, bottom of your feet, etc.     

Chair - perfect place to elevate your legs. After a long run or ride, lie down next to it and elevate your legs for at least 15 minutes.

Wholesome Fresh Food  from your refrigerator or pantry.  Stay away from anything boxed or prepared.  Instead opt for fresh chicken, beef or pork, fresh fruit and/or veggies.

Used Bike Tubes can have multiple uses as minor resistance bands for stretching.  Try hooking them around your foot or hamstring.  Also great for IT band stretching.

Frozen Vegetables make great ice bags when you need to ice your glutes, hamstrings or other sore areas.     

 Some  fitness myths seem to never go away.  There are literally hundreds of them.  Here are 3 of the most popular myths that have been around for years. 

 Women who lift weights will get bulky.

False. Women don’t have enough male hormones to bulk up like men do. Women who weight train a minimum of 2x per week with challenging weights will have more muscle definition, lose inches and boost their metabolism even while at rest. Ideally weight training should be done 3x per week for best results. 

You can spot reduce.

False. This myth seems to never go away. There is no such thing as spot reducing. Fat comes off your whole body and everyone is genetically programmed to lose fat in some places faster than other places. All the crunches in the world won’t give you a six-pack if you have ab flab. You need to incorporate good sweat-dripping cardio into your weekly routine 3x per week minimum to lose flab.

 You should skip breakfast.

False. Research shows that people who eat a breakfast rich in nutrients and fiber – oatmeal and fresh fruit for example – lose weight more easily those who skip breakfast. Breakfast starts your metabolism and keeps you from “starvation eating” later in the day.

It’s easy to encounter a few road blocks along the way in your effort to drop unwanted pounds. But don’t let weight loss road blocks throw you off track.  Here’s a few helpful tips for defeating the road blocks to keep you moving forward.  

• Problem: You’re eating the same reduced calories but you stopped losing weight. This can happen several times while you’re trying to lose weight.  As you become leaner your basal metabolic rate slows which means your body burns fewer calories than it used to.
• Remedy:  Eat 5-6 small meals every 3-4 hours to boost your metabolism. Always eat at least 1200 calories per day. When you cut calories to the point of depriving your body of the energy it needs, it can go into starvation mode, slowing your metabolism and making those pounds tougher to shed.
• Problem: the workout that used to leave you drenched in sweat barely gets your heart rate up now.
• Remedy: When you get used to the challenge of your new workout its not as stressful on your body and the calorie burn slows. Increasing the intensity and duration of your aerobic workout will help. Rather than doing 30 minutes on the treadmill, add another 10 minutes and/or use another machine on the interval training program.  Add strength training to your workout at least 2x per week will help boost your metabolism and fat burning potential.
• Problem: Craving your favorite treats makes you cheat. 
• Remedy:  You can experience this plateau at any time but it often hits during the first month of dieting when cravings tend to be the worst. You’ve probably made a lot of changes to your diet all at once, making you feel restricted and that’s when you’re most vulnerable to missing old habits. Eat healthy and stay on track 6 days of the week but set aside one day of the week as your “free” day.  The “free” day doesn’t mean eating a whole cake or batch of cookies. Instead use the ”free” day to eat that slice of cake or favorite brownie you’ve been craving all week.   Just don’t overdo it.

If you exercise regularly, your protein needs may increase since resistance training and endurance workouts can rapidly break down muscle protein. A position statement published by the ADA, DOC and ACSM recommends that endurance and strength-trained athletes have between 1.2 and 1.7 g/kg (0.5 – 0.8 grams per pound) of protein for the best performance and health.

Bottom line: The more you exercise, the greater your protein needs will be.

How to Calculate Your Protein Needs:

1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm.

If you’re in good health and are sedentary, use a lower number (i.e., 0.8).  If you’re involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training, under stress, pregnant, or recovering from illness, use a higher number (between 1 and 1.8).  No matter what your calculations are, remember that there are no magic foods or supplements that can replace the right training and the right diet. The foundation of any program, whether your goal is to lose weight or gain muscle, is a combination of strength training and a healthy diet that includes carbs, with a balance of protein and fat.

Daily Protein Intake Calculators:

http://www.shapefit.com/calculators/daily-protein-intake-calculator.html

http://www.howmuchprotein.com/daily-protein-intake.php

Excerpt from Jane Unger Hahn for Runner’s World

Numbers don’t lie. That clock hanging above the finish line tells you exactly how your race went. Just like the numbers on your bathroom scale tell you precisely where you stand in the battle of the bulge.

And no matter what those contrived weight loss infomercials say, losing weight itself is strictly a numbers game. “It’s all about calorie deficits,” says Jana Klauer, M.D., a weight-loss expert in private practice and research fellow at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York. That is, burn more calories than you consume, and you will lose weight. More specifically, for every 3,500 calories you burn over and above what you take in, you’ll lose 1 pound. All the diet gimmicks in the world won’t get you around these hard numerical truths.

This is very good news for runners, because running is one of the most efficient ways to burn calories. For every mile you log, you burn about 100 calories. (If you weigh more than 150 pounds, you’ll burn a bit more per mile, and if you weigh less, you’ll burn slightly less.) Which means it probably takes you less than 10 minutes to run off 100 calories–a rate that leaves most other forms of exercise in the dust. 

So if you’ve been wanting to lose a pound or 2, or even 5, look no further than your running routine. By making some incremental changes–adjusting the mileage here, boosting the intensity there–you can literally run off those extra pounds without changing anything in your diet.

Article courtesy of Dr. Hamid Sadri
First Choice Healthcare

Our patients often ask us whether they should use ice or heat for their particular conditions.  There are certain factors to help you determine which of these thermal modalities to use, and if you follow the guidelines, you will reduce the risk of further injury or adverse effects.

Among the many different physiological effects that ice and heat have on a tissue, there are basically 2 that make the most difference.  These are vasoconstriction and vasodialation.  Simply put, ice results in a narrowing of the local blood vessels (vasoconstriction), while heat will increase the vessels’ diameter (vasodilation).  It is because of this main difference that the use of these modalities will vary.  While both help to reduce pain, they should be used at the right time and in the correct manner or adverse results may occur.

The general rule is that if the injury is acute (72 hours or less) or if there is inflammation in the tissue, then ice is the treatment of choice.  By the same token, if there is no inflammation and if the condition is in a subacute or chronic stage (3 days to several weeks after an injury), then heat may prove to be more beneficial.

When applying ice, one should take caution NOT to apply the ice pack directly to the skin as there would be a risk of frostbite.  There should always be one layer of a damp towel or T-shirt placed between the ice pack and the skin.  The proper way to use ice therapy is to multiple, back-to-back applications by applying the ice pack for 20 minutes, leaving off for one hour, and reapplying it again.  Best results are obtained when this is repeated at least 3-4 times immediately after an injury.  To prevent tissue damage, it is important to be sure that the tissue temperature has returned to normal before applying ice to the area again.  When using ice therapy you can expect the tissue to feel cold, followed by a burning sensation that will in a short time turn into an ache and will finally begin to feel numb.  The main benefit of this will be a reduction in pain, spasm and swelling.

When using heat, once again, prolonged exposure should be avoided.  The therapeutic benefit of heat is best achieved by 30 minute applications with an hour in between to allow the tissue temperature to normalize.  Heat therapy should never be used in bed as the risk of burns increase if one falls sleep during application resulting in prolonged exposure.  The benefit is increased circulation along with reduction of pain and spasm.

Since ice reduces blood flow to the tissue, it is important to remember NOT to use ice when a condition has reached a sub-acute or chronic state.  This will result in a slowing of the healing process as the tissue is deprived of oxygen and nutrients.

There is a third method of application called “contrast therapy” and it is considered to be superior to using ice or heat alone.  This is once again used after the acute inflammation has subsided and its benefit is in its ability to rapidly flush the tissue with blood.  Heat will bring in increased blood flow and with it comes increased oxygen and nutrients and ice will cause the blood to rapidly leave the tissue and take the waste and pain producing elements away. This will aid in increasing tissue repair and hence improve speed of recovery. When using contrast therapy, heat is applied first and last and ice is alternated.  The time application ratio is usually 3 to one (3 minutes of heat followed immediately with one minute of ice).  This should be repeated for approximately 20 minutes and repeated every hour.

Following these simple guidelines will help in better outcomes when managing your injuries and will reduce the risk of adverse effects.  Always remember: when in doubt, use ice.

Article courtesy of  Trisha Reeves • For Active.com

As the mercury drops in many parts of the world and swimsuits are traded in for sweatshirts, runners are retreating to the local sports clubs and hitting the treadmills for the winter months. But just because there’s ice on your windshield doesn’t mean you have to hibernate like a ground squirrel. Here are five reasons you should bundle up and run outdoors when the snow season hits.

1.  You Don’t Get Hot – The first and most obvious benefit to running outside in the winter is that you aren’t likely to overheat. Because of this, winter running is actually somewhat easier. Heat and humidity slow you down and can make you want to stop running before your planned mileage is up. Even in the gym, the air can get sticky. But outside in the fresh air you can maintain a comfortable temperature for a long time with just a couple of moisture-wicking layers on. 

2. It Prepares You for Races – Sure, in a pinch the treadmill is a great tool. Everyone has their cold threshold, when it’s just too frigid to be outside. And there are some days when the snow and ice make the roads too perilous for running. But the smooth surface and human-propelling belt of a treadmill can leave your training regimen…well, a little flat.

If you’re preparing for that big spring marathon you’re much better off training in conditions that are similar to those on race day. On the graded and uneven surface of the road, you’ll be training your muscles, joints and lungs to handle the real thing. The mill can’t give you the same workout that the pavement can, so running outdoors as much as possible can get your body in line come race day.

3. It Builds Your Mental and Physical Toughness – Pulling on that gear and heading out into the 20 degree day can be a hard thing to do when your house is (and your toes are) nice and warm. Not to mention the fact that there’s dirty snow on the ground, the trees are nothing to look at and your running partners have all disappeared. Many say that running is about mental toughness; well, this is a good time to gain some.

Running in the cold improves your physical endurance; the intense weather can program your body to operate better in adverse conditions, thereby increasing your stamina. Also, you’ll get used to the cold after awhile, and the increase in blood circulation can keep you warmer while you’re at rest. Learn to love racking up miles out in the chilly tundra, and you’ll become a much stronger runner.

4. It Curbs the Winter Blues – Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) gets to a fair amount of those who live in the chilliest climates, especially after the holidays are over. But even if you don’t get the winter blues, a dose of fresh air and sunshine is good for you. It can boost your mood and keep you motivated while everyone else is sleeping late and complaining about the snow.

5. It Keeps Off the Winter Bulge – The term “bathing suit season” was coined for a reason: most everyone spends the spring and summer on some diet, trying to lose the winter weight and regain their shape. But you don’t have to let the colder months turn you into a lazy pile of mush.

You can stay motivated and challenged all winter long by keeping up on those outdoor miles. Your swimsuit will thank you. So ask for some running gloves and a neck-warming gaiter for the holidays, and run outdoors this winter. You might even surprise yourself and find that you love it.

Trisha Reeves is a half marathoner with more than 10 years of running experience. 

     You’ve been watching your diet and training consistently but still having trouble staying on track when the weekend rolls around?  You’re not alone.  Dieters in a 2008 study dropped pounds during the week but stopped losing weight on the weekend because they ate too much.  Eating whatever you want on the weekend can cancel out five days worth of healthy eating.  When it comes to shedding pounds, consistency is key.  Here’s a few tips to help survive the weekend.

• Write it down – Studies show that keeping a food log can help you lose almost double the weight of non writers. 
• Don’t skip breakfast – Research suggest that people who eat a hearty breakfast eat fewer calories later in the day.
• Free day  – allow yourself a few treats during the week so when Sunday comes around, you won’t feel the desire to binge.  
• Think ahead – coming home famished after a long day without a dinner plan can lead to grabbing whatever is in sight. Have a meal made ahead of time that you can easily heat up or have a few quick and easy-to-make recipes on hand to ensure healthy choices.

To lose weight, you need to take in fewer calories than you burn – regardless of what percentage of carbs, protein, or fat you’re eating. But running at higher intensities causes you to torch more calories so it pays to occasionally pick up the pace.  Incorporating high intensity intervals into your training can help win the battle of the bulge and beat boredom. 

Three tips before starting intervals: (1) take approximately 3-4 weeks to build up a good cardio base; (2) build up to approximately 6 intervals either on a track or treadmill before moving onto anaerobic training; (3) don’t do more than two to three sessions per week to avoid over training.

To track max heart rate: Using a track or flat stretch of  road, run 4 laps with each lap getting faster.  Sprint the final lap as hard as you can then check your heart rate monitor.  Your highest number will be close to your max.

• Treadmill: warm up 15 minutes.  Run for 5 minutes with the incline at 1% using a speed that hits 90 to 95% of your max heart rate.  Easy jog for two minutes between efforts. Repeat two to three more times.  Cool down 10 minutes.  Add one interval every two weeks until you reach six.
• Track: warm up 15 minutes. Run 800 meters aiming to finish the interval at 90 – 95% of your max heart rate.  Easy jog for two minutes between efforts. Repeat two more times. Cool down 10 minutes. Add an 800 meter interval every two weeks until you reach six.
• Anaerobic training: warm up 15 minutes. Run 400 meters at your mile race pace or slightly faster. Easy jog for two minutes between efforts. Repeat six times. Cool down 10 minutes.