Journaling your food intake! It's a pain in the ass but it works! I haven't journaled in weeks though and it had adversely affected my weight loss. It's amazing how a person doesn't do something that works! Then again if we always did what worked we'd use more calories that we take in and not be in our current situations.
The next part of Love Hunger is about exercise. The chapter had a large introduction about the benefits of exercise. I'll list them even though we are aware of most. Exercise:
1) increases metabolic rate so it will become easier to burn off fat if you consistently exercise.
2) burns fat. It's important to intake an adequate amount of calories though because your body will start to burn lean body mass if it doesn't have enough fuel. The last thing you want to do is burn off the muscles you develop and tone.
3) reduces your appetite and keeps your hunger in check. If you exercise regularly and feel hunger...its usually a guarantee that your body truly needs fuel and hunger is not emotional.
4) reduces the affects of stress and depression
5) helps with weight maintenance
6) decreases the risk of heart disease
7) prevents constipation (odd one to list but good to know)
It's important to work out in your target heart zone. I know that both you and I are familiar with this Nicole but I didn't know if LeAnn knew about it. You first calculate your maximum heart rate. (220-age = max heart rate) My maximum heart rate is 194 beats per minute. To find your target heart zone you use percentages of that maximum heart rate. I typically use 60-80% of my target heart. Some exercise novices use 40-60%. Sometimes I use the lower range if I am using an exercise that I'm not familiar with or good at. If I swim I use the lower range because I suck at swimming and it doesn't take much for me to get tired.
Based on that 60-80% usage, my target heart rate is 116-155 beats per minute. I try to keep myself in the 130s when I exercise. The book also recommends that people that want to lose weight exercise 5-7 days a week. People that are maintaining weight exercise 3-4 days a week. Some psychological references suggest that overweight people exercise 7 days a week...no minimum days are recommended. Overweight people are also recommended to exercise at least 60 minutes a day to promote weight loss. The CDC and other organizations usually use a recommendation of at least 30 minutes which is decieving for the overweight/obese population. Yes, exericsing 30 minutes a day is better than nothing though.
How long has it been since you've consistently exercised? (months on end without changing your habits) I havent exercised regularly since I particpated in team sports in high school. After the middle of basketball season in 2001, I stopped exercising 5 days a week. It was downhill from then on.
Can you find an exercise partner? The only person I could really exercise with is Tiffany. She works full time now and coordinating our schedules isn't the easiest thing to do. We always say that we'll go for a walk, play raquetball, ride our bikes, etc. but it doesn't happen often. We alos used to play tennis a lot but she has chronic injuries with her elbows so I haven't played her in more than a year. I could try to exercise with someone in our grad deparment but I don't really feel close to anyone anymore. I guess in essence Gavin is my exercise partner. He's the one that joins me on bike rides and hikes when the weather is pleasant.
Here are some more points that Love Hunger listed in regards to exercise:
1) Remember that slow and steady wins the race
2) Diversify your activities so boredom doesn't become an issue
3) Activity in any form counts...housework, manual labor, extra walking, etc
4) find that exercise partner!
5) Allow yourself enough time for exericse....don't try to squeeze it in. It should be a priority.
6) Make exercise fun
4 comments:
Nice blog entry...it seems like this is the hardest part. Maybe it's because we have to make ourselves get up and do something, it's an active decision...the eating is more passive. I haven't regularly exercised in years (if we're going for months on end). I would always do well for a few weeks and then fall off the bandwagon. However, I am 1.5 months into my regular exercising (4-5 times per week) so I'm pretty excited about that! I don't think right now it's feesible to have an exercise partner but I think this blog is helping me in a similar sense. I feel like I have an obligation to keep going so I don't let the team down...you're my team ladies and I can't thank you enough. It's funny becuase it seems like when one of us starts slipping someone else is doing well...I think it get's us back in the game. I know you were a great motivation to keep me going before the holidays when I wasn't doing so well and you were...thanks Jenny!
I liked all of the tips they had...good to know about the pooping! Exercise FTW!!! I do have 1 comment to make. The good old 220-age x intensity is not really an adequate calculation for determining the appropriate heart rate range anymore. In the phys world (especially the fitness realm) we've moved to another formula that is better (not Love Hungers fault that they have the old, most places still use it) but I thought I'd share this with you too:
HRR= ((Age pred. Max HR - Resting HR) x intensity %)+ Resting heart rate
Jenny and I are the same age so with the old method my Target HR range is 116-155. With the new formula it's 143-168.
Now, having said this, in the early stages of exercise, health professionals feel like lower intensities for longer periods is better so the old school method is probably ok. However, as exercisers get into regular routines, it's important to get into that true upper limit of the range...that's a ways for all of us but...food for thought!
sorry about my blog like comment Jenny...you just inspire me to write!
Good to know! I have never seen that new updated equation and that's a pity. They still used the 220-age equation in Ex Sp 258 since Welk has it in his book.
I like the new one though because of the higher heart rate range. I'll have to keep 143-168 bpm in mind now.
And you are so right about one of us doing well, then other other struggling.
You ladies are taking to the whole blogging thing quite well . . . obviously. I will agree that the last time I exercised routinely like you suggested was during high school. Now I'm the youngest of us so for me it wasn't quite as long ago. It really doesn't matter since I am overweight regardless. I learned, briefly, the whole target heart rate stuff during a P.E. type course at UNI, but it's good to be reminded. I really do need to set up a consistent work out routine. I think it'd help with the stress and self-esteem problems I have. Plus knowing it's bowel movement improvement doesn't hurt either. I agree that a work out partner is helpful but not pratical. I have had a couple partners over the years and they're nice but they never last. I haven't had the greatest weekend - lots of sitting and eating. Today has been better though. I really wish we lived closer, Jenny, I'd LOVE a tennis partner. Jason gets mad too easily and quits too easily. I can't help it if I ROCK! LOL. Sorry but the whole journaling thing just does NOT work for me, I've tried. I might try later in life, when I am working, but as a student there is just no time or priority for it. Ok, I think I said enough for now. On to the next blog . . .
P.S. Deceiving** I'm an English major, oh yea.
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