With the new year coming up, undoubtedly there are at least a few of us who are considering weight loss goals for 2012. Today I want to speak specifically to those weighing the pros/cons of exercise goals. You may be hesitant to make an exercise goal -- after all, who HASN'T made and broken at least a few of those goals in the past? But here's the secret to sticking to an exercise goal -- the best exercise plan for you is one you enjoy. No matter how good you know running is for you, if you're just not a runner, or hate going out in the cold, don't make that your goal. There is a form of exercise for everyone that will give you the health benefits you need, and be likable enough that even you can stick with it.
Here are just some options to consider:
BYU offers exercise classes (everything from Zumba, to Aquatic Aerobics, to Pilates) for only $48/semester (only $12 a month, that's awesome!). Every week there are 27 different classes offered and you get unlimited access to all of them! Check it out at: http://hhps.byu.edu/content/aerobics-fitness. Classes go from Jan 9 to Apr 27.
Walk 20-30 minutes a day. Easy as that.
Netflix offers lots of workout videos on instant play.
Recruit your husband or other RS sisters, support from others makes a huge difference in sticking to an exercise plan.
Wii games! Just Dance is an awesome work out. Anyone wanna come over to my house and play with me sometime?????
Biking, swimming at the RB pool on campus, or taking a dance class through UVU's community education classes (they even offer belly dancing!).
Hope this helps you to see that you can stick to an exercise plan. It doesn't take much -- just 30 minutes out of the 1,440 minutes in a day -- to help you reap the benefits of exercise. If you need any help, support, or a friend to exercise with, let me know, that's what I'm here for!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Friday, December 2, 2011
The TRUTH About the hCG Diet
Have you heard of the newest fad, the hCG diet? It claims you can lose 30 pounds in 30 days! In lieu of these shocking claims, I did my research and found out that while you may be able to lose a considerable amount of weight, the diet is not without risk and is not a decision to make lightly.
First of all, what is hCG? It stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, a hormone found in the urine of pregnant women. This is the hormone that suppresses appetite and makes pregnant women feel nauseous. The hCG comes in the form of injections or sub-lingual (under the tongue) drops. If you choose the injection form of hCG you must give yourself the shot because hardly any health care provider in the U.S. will administer the shots since they are not approved for weight loss in the U.S.
That's right, hCG is NOT APPROVED by the FDA. Since 1975, the FDA has not endorsed hCG as a weight loss product. Therefore, hCG internet vendors are not monitored which means their safety, contamination levels, and concentration levels cannot be standardized or regulated. How can you even be sure that what they are sending you is hCG and not a placebo, or worse, something that could seriously harm your health?
How was the hCG diet introduced? Kevin Trudeau introduced the diet in his book 'The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don't Want You to Know About'. Kevin Trudeau is a shady millionaire who got rich off late-night infomercials and alleged "natural" cures to just about every disease. He has no medical or nutritional credentials but he does have a lot of law suits against him.
What exactly does the diet entail? You take hCG and eat a very low calorie diet from a very short list of foods. While the specific amount of calories varies according to the version of the diet you choose, generally it is between 500-800 calories per day. In the nutritional world, it is supported that a diet of 500 calories should never be attempted unless under the direct supervision of a doctor, however, hundreds of people all over the U.S. are undertaking this dangerous diet on their own, without medical support.This amount of calories is simply not enough to support normal bodily processes....this is not even enough calories to fuel your body even if all you did was stay in bed all day long. You should never cut calories under 1200 calories per day. The list of foods one can eat also varies depending on the version of the diet one chooses, but the diet recommended by Kevin Trudeau includes only raw vegetables and fruits and coconut oil. Slightly-more-sane versions of the diet include lean meats as well. Any weight loss that occurs from the diet is obviously caused by the extreme lack of eating; in clinical trials, the hCG itselt was proven ineffective as a weight loss aid.
What are the risks of the hCG diet? First of all, vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Even if all you eat is fruit and veggies, you're not eating enough to get the daily recommended values, which can decrease your immune function and make you more susceptible to illness and chronic disease. The diet will also cause low energy and extreme hunger, and it will also cause your body to burn muscle in order to meet your energy needs. With less muscle mass, the result will be a slowed metabolism which means after the diet your body won't burn as many calories as it used to until you build the muscle mass up again. After the diet, the weight is bound to return and it will most likely come back as MORE fat than you started with. The diet is expensive, and increases your risk for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. It is very difficult to adhere to and is not a sustainable way to lose weight. In fact, according to WebMD, taking hCG ranks third on their list of "6 Things You Should Never Do To Lose Weight".
Let's face it. The best diet is one you can stick to. It's not an extreme change you can endure for a few weeks at a time. It's slow, healthy changes that cause progress over time. Quick fixes simply don't work. If it took you years to put on the weight, it won't take a matter of days to remove it. Do your body a favor. Make healthier choices today that you can stick with forever!
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/truth-about-hcg-for-weight-loss
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/lose-weight-dangers
First of all, what is hCG? It stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, a hormone found in the urine of pregnant women. This is the hormone that suppresses appetite and makes pregnant women feel nauseous. The hCG comes in the form of injections or sub-lingual (under the tongue) drops. If you choose the injection form of hCG you must give yourself the shot because hardly any health care provider in the U.S. will administer the shots since they are not approved for weight loss in the U.S.
That's right, hCG is NOT APPROVED by the FDA. Since 1975, the FDA has not endorsed hCG as a weight loss product. Therefore, hCG internet vendors are not monitored which means their safety, contamination levels, and concentration levels cannot be standardized or regulated. How can you even be sure that what they are sending you is hCG and not a placebo, or worse, something that could seriously harm your health?
How was the hCG diet introduced? Kevin Trudeau introduced the diet in his book 'The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don't Want You to Know About'. Kevin Trudeau is a shady millionaire who got rich off late-night infomercials and alleged "natural" cures to just about every disease. He has no medical or nutritional credentials but he does have a lot of law suits against him.
What exactly does the diet entail? You take hCG and eat a very low calorie diet from a very short list of foods. While the specific amount of calories varies according to the version of the diet you choose, generally it is between 500-800 calories per day. In the nutritional world, it is supported that a diet of 500 calories should never be attempted unless under the direct supervision of a doctor, however, hundreds of people all over the U.S. are undertaking this dangerous diet on their own, without medical support.This amount of calories is simply not enough to support normal bodily processes....this is not even enough calories to fuel your body even if all you did was stay in bed all day long. You should never cut calories under 1200 calories per day. The list of foods one can eat also varies depending on the version of the diet one chooses, but the diet recommended by Kevin Trudeau includes only raw vegetables and fruits and coconut oil. Slightly-more-sane versions of the diet include lean meats as well. Any weight loss that occurs from the diet is obviously caused by the extreme lack of eating; in clinical trials, the hCG itselt was proven ineffective as a weight loss aid.
What are the risks of the hCG diet? First of all, vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Even if all you eat is fruit and veggies, you're not eating enough to get the daily recommended values, which can decrease your immune function and make you more susceptible to illness and chronic disease. The diet will also cause low energy and extreme hunger, and it will also cause your body to burn muscle in order to meet your energy needs. With less muscle mass, the result will be a slowed metabolism which means after the diet your body won't burn as many calories as it used to until you build the muscle mass up again. After the diet, the weight is bound to return and it will most likely come back as MORE fat than you started with. The diet is expensive, and increases your risk for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. It is very difficult to adhere to and is not a sustainable way to lose weight. In fact, according to WebMD, taking hCG ranks third on their list of "6 Things You Should Never Do To Lose Weight".
Let's face it. The best diet is one you can stick to. It's not an extreme change you can endure for a few weeks at a time. It's slow, healthy changes that cause progress over time. Quick fixes simply don't work. If it took you years to put on the weight, it won't take a matter of days to remove it. Do your body a favor. Make healthier choices today that you can stick with forever!
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/truth-about-hcg-for-weight-loss
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/lose-weight-dangers
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Brown Rice vs White Rice
Wow, how is it already the middle of November? Just a short post today about the benefits of brown rice (as inspired by Heather Wrigley).
What is brown rice? It is rice with only the outermost hull removed. White rice is rice that has had LOTS of layers (and nutrients) removed. Just like the whole wheat vs white bread argument, you'll get a lot of needed vitamins and minerals from eating brown rice instead of white rice. Brown rice is packed with: manganese, fiber, selenium, and magnesium. As I was reading up on this issue, I also learned that brown rice even contains something called rice bran oil, which can reduce your cholesterol! Amazing! Eating brown rice can help prevent cancer and type 2 diabetes, reduce constipation, prevent gallstones, reduce the frequency of migraines and decrease the severity of asthma!
So why aren't we eating brown rice? It is a little more expensive than brown rice (which I totally don't understand....I have to pay you more money to do less processing to my food? weird.) and a lot of us are raised on that good ol' white rice taste and it's hard to switch. However, there is hope! Ask Heather how she converted her husband to brown rice and now he loves it! You too can become a believer in brown rice, especially now that you know how good it is for you!
What is brown rice? It is rice with only the outermost hull removed. White rice is rice that has had LOTS of layers (and nutrients) removed. Just like the whole wheat vs white bread argument, you'll get a lot of needed vitamins and minerals from eating brown rice instead of white rice. Brown rice is packed with: manganese, fiber, selenium, and magnesium. As I was reading up on this issue, I also learned that brown rice even contains something called rice bran oil, which can reduce your cholesterol! Amazing! Eating brown rice can help prevent cancer and type 2 diabetes, reduce constipation, prevent gallstones, reduce the frequency of migraines and decrease the severity of asthma!
So why aren't we eating brown rice? It is a little more expensive than brown rice (which I totally don't understand....I have to pay you more money to do less processing to my food? weird.) and a lot of us are raised on that good ol' white rice taste and it's hard to switch. However, there is hope! Ask Heather how she converted her husband to brown rice and now he loves it! You too can become a believer in brown rice, especially now that you know how good it is for you!
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