Catch Your Zzz's, Manage Your Weight

Wouldn't it be fabulous to wake up on your own, feeling refreshed every morning? I wish. Unfortunately the demands of work, children, or daily stress prevent many people from getting the required 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Lack of sleep disrupts your mood, lowers your immunity and is closely linked to obesity and other health problems.

Consistently sleeping less than 7 hours per night increases sympathetic activity and evening cortisol production. Individuals with higher levels of cortisol, otherwise known as the "stress" hormone, intake more food and accumulate more abdominal fat than individuals with healthy cortisol levels. In addition, sleep deprivation decreases leptin levels. Leptin is released from fat cells and sends messages to our brain that our energy levels are in balance. Therefore, decreases in leptin trigger us to eat more to replenish energy stores. Finally, sleep restriction increases ghrelin levels, the "hunger" hormone.

The rise in sympathetic activity and hormone imbalances that result from sleep deprivation ultimately interfere with glucose utilization. By lowering levels of insulin secretion and promoting the hunger response in the brain, weight gain is inevitable. In turn, increased waking time has been linked to damaging behaviors such as a sedentary lifestyle and constant snacking.

It is easy to see why chronic sleep restriction can lead to obesity but what can we do to ensure we get 7-8 hours of sleep every night? Here are recommendations from the experts:

- Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. Our bodies easily fall into a routine and by maintaining a consistent bed time, we will be more likely to fall asleep quickly.

- Avoid alcoholic drinks that interfere with REM sleep and cut back on caffeine, nicotine and chocolate after noon.

- Be sure your medications are not keeping you awake. Especially prescription asthma or blood pressure medications or herbal cold medicines.

- Get enough sunlight. Daylight plays a huge part in regulating our sleep cycle. Be sure you are getting at least 30 minutes/day.

- Establish a relaxing nighttime routine. Whether it be taking a hot bath before bed or reading yourself to sleep, a relaxing routine cues your body to sleep.

- If you can't sleep, tossing and turning won't help. If you lay awake for longer than 20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing (not work) rather than lay awake, focusing on your insomnia.

We all know the demands of life can sometimes sap our needed sleep. A night or two of sleep restriction is nothing to worry about. However, if you have been consistently suffering from insomnia and nothing seems to help, it is time to see your doctor. Sleep tight!

This article was adapted from Chronic Sleep Restriction, IDEA Health and Fitness Journal; September 2010 and MedicineNet.com, Sleep.

Lifestyle Lessons We Can Learn From a Toddler

My triplet toddlers constantly remind me about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. One of them, Mia, happens to be a skinny little pipsqueak who can probably teach us a lot about weight-management. Here are a few lessons from my 2-year-old:

- There is no point in leisurely walking. Mia's motto is full-speed ahead. She often covers twice the distance of her brother and sister because of her constant back tracking as we all attempt to catch-up.

Take home message: Running burns approximately twice as many calories as walking. Not a runner, no problem. Alternating between 1-2 minute bursts of jogging and walking is a great way to challenge our cardiovascular systems and torch through calories.

- Variety is the spice of life. Mia eats a ton of different foods but always in moderation. Rather than demanding more and more mac and cheese, Mia is perfectly content eating her veggies or apples when her favorite food is gone.

Take home message: Rather than over-indulging in your main entree, be sure to eat your fruits and veggies first. Chances are, your overall caloric consumption will be lower if you have a soup/salad prior to dinner to help tame your hunger in a sensible way.

- There is no fun in sitting. Mia is constantly fidgeting. She rarely sits still, even while watching her favorite TV show.

Take home message: We already know that fidgeters burn more calories than non-fidgeters so why not make-up for eating that desert by "fidgeting" through prime-time tv. Pull out a jump rope, knock out some crunches and work on your flexibility (you know you need to).

- Sleep is crucial. Not enough sleep = intensified anger, inability to concentrate, low energy levels and a bad day for everyone in Mia's vicinity.

Take home message: Most "grown-ups" need 7-8 hours of sleep/day. We often suffer the same consequences from lack of sleep as our toddlers. Just think what a happier, calmer, and more productive place our world would be if we all prioritized sleep.

- Exercise is always better with friends! Mia turns every social interaction into an active game. Whether it be "ring around the rosy" or "hide-and-seek", spending time with her brother and sister is always more fun when an active game is involved.

Take home message: Exercise is more fun with friends! Making exercise a social experience can include playing a sport in a recreational league, battling through bootcamp relays, or chatting about the latest reality-tv show while struggling through resistance sets. Either way, having peers around often takes your mind off the fact your exercising.

- Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Mia is a terror until her belly is full. Eating breakfast first thing is a necessity in our house.

Take home message: NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST. By delaying or skipping breakfast, you are compromising your metabolism and increasing the likelihood of overeating. Think about the consequences of a toddler missing breakfast (bad temper tantrums, spacey and ravishingly hungry). We would never make our two-year-olds suffer these consequences so why would we?

There is a reason toddlers have so much energy. It has a lot to do with their eating patterns, activity levels and sleep. It is time we all take a good look at our lifestyles and maybe mimic some of our toddlers behaviors. Well, maybe minus the public temper tantrums.

Just Tie Those Shoes and Go!

When it comes to chores like grocery shopping, showering, dropping the kids off at school, and brushing our teeth there are no free passes; we just do them..every day. If we really sat down and thought about how annoying and exhausting some of these "chores" were, they may never get done! The same goes for exercise. Sometimes the hardest part about working out is drumming up the energy to put on our shoes.

No one loves those first few minutes after dragging themselves out of bed at 5:30 AM to workout. Likewise, gathering the energy to change from our work clothes to workout attire can sometimes seem impossible. Our focus shouldn't be on how we feel immediately before our workout; rather, how we feel after. That post-workout rush fills us with a sense of accomplishment and makes us mentally and physically stronger. That euphoria is what we need to focus on rather than wether or not we feel like exercising today.

Certainly making exercise fun by participating in group fitness classes like bootcamp or finding other creative ways to stay active helps us stay motivated. A recent article in USA Today suggests family camping trips, pedometer challenges among friends, or active "dates" such as rock-wall climbing as ways to encourage a more active lifestyle.

But just like every shopping trip can't be new and exciting, we shouldn't expect to always be "ancy" to start our workout. Sometimes exercise does feel like a "chore" but one that we must get done every day. So on your off days of personal training or bootcamp, don't let "I just don't have the energy" be your excuse. Plan ahead, schedule in ways to be active, and focus on that post-workout euphoria. Putting on your running shoes is often the hardest part. I promise, 10 minutes into your workout you will be glad you took the time out of your busy day to focus on improving your body and mind.

Why are we getting fatter and what can we do?

The newest obesity statistics are out. 1 in 4 people are obese, defined as weighing ~30 pounds over their healthy weight. These are the highest obesity rates yet. We've all seen the ominous trend depicted in a US maps like the one below. As Americans, we just keep getting fatter.

Colorado and DC seem to be the only places in America where a significant amount of people have their weight under control. What are they doing right and what are we doing wrong?

Unfortunately, there is no easy answer. Most likely, public transportation, healthier eating patterns, and a more active lifestyle are to thank. But as Americans, we need to take responsibility for our health. It is time to stop blaming the donut shops and our demanding jobs. The fact is, we have to challenge our old patterns, commit to our new priorities, and conquer unhealthy lifestyles for good.

Knowing the enormous negative impact an unhealthy body composition has on our health is not enough. We need a game plan. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Write out your goals - schedule in your workouts: 1 hour EVERY DAY. Make a regular exercise routine the norm, not the exception.

Stop frequenting damaging restaurants - Do you drop in at your favorite buffet every Sunday? Stop. Unless your getting their healthiest option and a reasonable serving size, reserve these visits for special occasions. And by all means, make sure you know the nutritional value of everything you eat.

Get support - Studies show when people have the support of friends and family, they fare much better. Join a group fitness class like bootcamp or hire a personal trainer or nutritionist. Support makes you more accountable and successful!

Evaluate your priorities - If there is one area you should be spending your money on, it is your health. Taking care of yourself should come before new accent pillows for your house or a new dress.

Reward yourself - Nothing about losing weight or changing unhealthy patterns is easy. Focus on little achievements and be sure to reward yourself with a massage, a new piece of clothing or anything non-food related that makes you happy. You deserve it.

Life is much brighter when we are in control of our future. It's time we Americans Challenge, Commit and Conquer our unhealthy patterns for good.

Liquid Sabotage

Think an after-workout smoothie won't do your diet much harm? Think again! Many people underestimate the impact liquid calories have on overall caloric intake. You may be surprised to find out drinks you thought were "healthy" could actually be sabotaging your ability to lose weight. Just look at the amount of exercise you would need to complete to make up for consuming some of the deceivingly healthy liquid calories below:

Nutritional Smoothie - Found in the refrigerated produce section of your grocer, these smoothies usually claim to provide 8-10 servings of fruit and vegetables and boost your "immunity", "energy", or "well-being". They sounds deceivingly healthy.

Sugar grams: 50-75 per bottle.

Calories: 340. Equals: 1 slice of peperoni pizza

Amount of exercise required: 1.5 hours of walking

Eat this instead: 6 oz yogurt, 13 grams sugar, 100 calories

Venti Mocha Frappuccino Light: Everyone loves an iced coffee in the summer! The "light" version may be lower in calories but it still contains a lot of sugar..as much as soda!

Sugar grams: 38. Equals: a 12 oz can of regular soda.

Calories: 190

Amount of exercise required: 1 hour of lifting weights

Drink this instead: Make it a tall rather than a venti and you shave off 90 calories and 19 grams of sugar!

Vitamin Waters: These sports or health drinks claim to keep you energized, prevent electrolyte imbalances, and provide you with a daily dose of vitamins. While some sport's drinks may benefit athletes, they can defeat the purpose of a weight-loss client's workout.

Sugar grams: 32.5

Calories: 150 per bottle. Equals 1 giant chocolate chip cookie

Amount of exercise required: 1 hour of mowing the lawn

Drink this instead: Propel enhanced water. Contains vitamins and minerals but 0 grams sugar and only 30 calories per bottle!

Vodka and Cranberry Juice: If your going to enjoy an evening cocktail, at least make the ingredients healthy...cranberries are good for you, right?

Calories: 250. Equals: Regular McDonald's fries

Amount of exercise required: 1 hour of stationary cycling

Drink this Instead: Glass of red wine. 100 calories

When trying to cut back on calories, it is always a good idea to stick to the basics. Eating our fruits and vegetables causes less of a spike in blood sugar levels and provides us with fiber not found in juices and smoothies. If you really want to indulge in a coffee treat or late night cocktail, stick to something simple such as a cup of coffee with flavored creamer or a glass of wine. Don't let deceiving liquid calories sabotage your weight-loss goals!

Do Little Changes Really Make a Big Difference?

Many health advocates claim that accumulating physical activity through small changes can make a big difference in your health. We are encouraged to take the stairs rather than the elevator, park at the back of the parking lot and trade our desk chairs in for Swiss balls. But do these little steps really make a difference in our overall heath? New research says "yes", in a big way!

A study led by Len Kravitz, Ph.D s at the University of New Mexico showed a dramatic difference in the daily total caloric expenditure in people who fell into the obesity category and non-obese self proclaimed "couch potatoes". It turns out, the thin self-proclaimed "coach potatoes" may not have been working out regularly but they were fidgeters. Activity monitors showed their inability to sit still resulted in a whopping 350 caloric expenditure per day. Their constant fidgeting burned as many calories as a 40 minute workout!

Similarly, a recent study examined the relationship between sitting time and mortality. They found that the more leisure time people spent sitting, the higher their mortality risk. This correlation was especially evident in women; those who spent 6 hours/day sitting were 37% more likely to die during the 13 year study than those who sat less than 3 hours/day. When combined with a lack of physical activity, women were an astonishing 94% more likely to die.

Clearly, by incorporating small changes into our day we are able to make a big difference in our overall health. If you have a desk job, set your alarm to get up and walk around at least once every hour. Rather than camping out on the couch during prime-time TV, do some of the body-weight exercises or plyo sequences from bootcamp while you watch your favorite show. Meeting a friend for coffee? Get your lattes to go and take a stroll around the mall or a park while you catch up.

Little changes really can make a big difference so get up and start fidgeting for your health!

Conquering Weight Gain - For Good!

We know how much hard work and dedication are required to lose weight. But what about after we reach our goals? Do we ever get a break? We constantly see celebrities and reality weight-loss contestants repeatedly gain and lose weight while others seem to be able to maintain their new healthy weight. While a 5-10 pound weight fluctuation is normal, 20-100+ pound fluctuations are not. Data from the National Weight Control Registry, a group of 5,000 subjects who successfully lost weight and kept it off, gives us clear insight into what works.

Maintain a low fat diet - subjects who added fat back into their diets after losing weight gained back significantly more weight than those who maintained a low-fat diet.

Monitor food intake - most people grossly underestimate the number of calories they consume. By re-logging calories every few months, subjects kept their daily eating patterns in check.

Weigh yourself regularly - By stepping on the scale weekly, subjects were able to monitor their progress. If they noticed their weight slowly inching up, they knew they had to take a better look at their eating patterns, cut back on calories, and increase their exercise.

Adopt a healthy eating frequency and pattern, do not skip breakfast - Successful participants ate 4-5 small meals a day and controlled their portion sizes. Subjects reported eating slowly and measuring their portions. None of them skipped breakfast.

Exercise, OFTEN - Almost all the participants who maintained their weight-loss participated in an average of 1 hour of moderate to high intensity physical activity daily.

Take ownership, it's not "in the genes" - Despite the fact that 3/4 of the participants were either overweight as children or had a family history of obesity, they were still able to maintain their weight loss.

Don't let all your hard work sizzle out once you accomplish your goals. By integrating the lessons above into your routine, you can be sure you are not simply "dieting" but making a permanent healthy lifestyle change. I assure you, the rewards for yourself and family are worth the upkeep.

Stay Active While Traveling

Summer is the time for travel. Whether your vacationing, attending weddings, or traveling for business, it can be hard to stick to your exercise routine while you are away. Sometimes it takes days to get back into your regular exercise routine after returning home. Help keep yourself on track during the busy travel season by following these tips:

- Turn your destination into an active sight-seeing tour. Almost all major cities have running routes that pass by popular tourist hot spots. Check out run.com to browse through over 20,000 running loops from all over the world.

- Stay at a hotel with a gym. Many hotels have a small gym with basic cardio and weight equipment. Some even have fitness classes or offer the service of a trainer. Athletic-minded traveler is a comprehensive site that provides specific and reliable recommendations for travelers for a low fee.

- Even if your hotel doesn't have a gym, you can still get in a great workout by packing portable equipment. Bands and suspension systems such as the TRX are light and portable and provide a fantastic workout. You can do your own bootcamp while away by incorporating some plyometrics and stationary cardio (mountain climbers, burpees, squat jumps, etc.) with resistance exercises using your own body weight or bands (push-ups, lat rows, tricep dips, etc.)

- Stick to your routine. Maybe you don't get in all 5 workouts while your on vacation but at least aim for half. Even if you didn't make it to bed as early as you hoped, an early morning workout can actually re-energize you for the days activities. Chances are, you will become side-tracked on vacation or feel pressured to attend a business dinner. By getting your workouts in early, you can avoid the pitfalls of a busy schedule.

- Get back on track! Travel can leave us feeling jet-lagged even if we didn't fly. It may take a day or two to re-adjust but don't let vacation be an excuse to forgo your exercise goals. Get back to your regular workouts as quickly as you can before not acting becomes your new routine.

Be sure to stick to your exercise routine this summer. Make working out part of your travel itinerary and don't let jet-lag ruin your summer fitness goals.

Grandparent's Rock...Will You?

As I’m writing this blog post, my toddler triplets are at the beach with their grandparents (yes, those are my kids in the pic and that is their grammy leading the pack). There are several things that are amazing and fabulous about this situation. First, I am free from cleaning up food, kissing boo-boos and breaking up fights for the next several days. Second, my parents actually graciously and willingly took three 2-year olds to the beach. Third, my children’s grandparents are easily able to keep up with my toddler triplets for days on end.

Truthfully, I’ve never given much thought to what kind-of grandparent I want to be. I’m only thirty-something after all. But since having kids, I have become more aware of just how lucky my children are to have two sets of highly functioning grandparents. They are awesome. Both my husband and I’s parents are very active, healthy and constantly on the go. One plays tennis, one attends my bootcamps twice a week and the other two are out golfing almost every weekend. This means they can enjoy their “middle age” (which by the way is now between 50-70, at least in my book) through travel, sports and of course, their grandkids! And it doesn’t end there! My kids have great uncles and aunts who also hike Alaska in the dead of winter and get up at 6 AM every morning to work out.

Thinking back to my own grandparents brings back memories of my siblings and I sitting in the tv room playing cards with my grandma or watching her sew her newest doily. My grandparent’s would never have been able to push all of us in a triple stroller or chase us down the beach. And you know what, I never was close to any of my grandparents. I could never relate to them. Yet, my children’s grandparents have no problems keeping up with them. It is fabulous being able to confidently leave my children with their grandparents and know they are in the best of hands.

I have friends who aren’t so lucky. Many of them have parents with health problems due to inactivity or lifelong unhealthy eating patterns. They worry about leaving their young children with their parent’s because they don’t think “the grandparent’s could keep up with the grandchildren”. There is no way they could even take their grandkids to the park for thirty minutes let alone the beach for a week. It breaks my heart.

Here’s a wake-up call. If you think you may have problems keeping up with young children in your 30’s or 40’s, imagine how hard it is going to be 20-30 years later! Honestly, you won’t be able to do it. You will be the grandparent that is sitting in front of the TV limping as you get up to grab a bag of chips as your grandkids cringe. Forget running down the beach with them; you probably won’t even be able to make it down the stairs.

If you think you don’t care if you can’t chase down your toddler grandchildren, you probably don’t have kids. I won’t experience the utter bliss of being a grandparent for at least 20 years (PLEASE!) but I can imagine how fabulous it must be. My children’s grandparents light up around my children. They are so proud of their mere existence. My kids worship their grandparents. At 2 years old, their grandparents are their idols. I hear from so many people how wonderful being a grandparent is, “it’s the icing on the cake”, “it’s all the gains, none of the pain”, “it’s like earning a paycheck for merely existing”. You get the point.

Now more than ever, we know how inactivity and unhealthy eating impacts our future quality of life. Carrying extra weight dramatically ages our bodies and minds. Inactivity gives raise to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Our bodies are designed to be highly active and without exercise, they break down. This only accelerates as we age. Please be the kind of grandparent your grandchildren adore. Don’t rob yourself of the icing on the cake by eating too much cake! Take a good look at what your future holds and take control. It may never be too late for you but we all know how quickly children grow-up. If you don’t take action now, it will be too late for your children and your grandchildren to enjoy their grandparent's!

Nice Biceps but Can You Run the Subway Steps?

Great news! Being fit is no longer defined by how you look. Bulging biceps are out while a healthy balanced body is in! The old is new again, personal training is finally getting back to it's roots; it's called functional training!

Trainers hovering over clients counting reps on giant machines are a thing of the past. In fact, we are seeing fewer and fewer groups of young men sporting overly developed chests in the free-weight room, thank goodness. This is because personal training is returning to the basics of fitness with functional training. Personal trainer studios are looking more and more like old-school gymnasiums or sport fields and less and less like typical "gyms" with lines of machines. More and more high caliber trainers are moving their clients away from heavy weights and training them using simple and functional equipment. The result is clients that are more agile, have fewer injuries, are more muscularly balanced and are better able to function in the world.

Being fit is no longer about bulging biceps but about being able to run the subway steps, jump over a creek, bend over and pick up a dropped quarter, toss around your toddler and keep up with your grandchildren efficiently and pain-free. Humans are hunter/gatherers. Our bodies are designed to move quickly, reach and bend, and travel for miles without fatiguing. The sad fact is our society's way of life has changed while our bodies physiology and anatomy remain the same. The result is muscle imbalances, chronic pain and weight gain. Basically, our bodies are breaking down because they are no longer doing what they were designed to do.

Luckily, personal trainers are coming to the rescue by implementing programs that take people back to their hunter/gatherer days and challenge our bodies in ways they were designed. The reward is a more balanced, healthy, and functional body and mind. So get off those clunky machines and train functionally. Incorporate the following exercises into your next workout. Start by doing each of these exercises for 30 sec. and working up to 1 minute. Run laps, jump rope, or run a flight of stairs between each set. Repeat 2-3 x.

Military Push-ups - Squat thrust down to a push-up position. Perform 1 push-up. Bring your left knee to nose, right knee to nose, perform another push-up and return to a standing position. Repeat.

Tire Jumps with Lay-up - Jump forward from your right foot to your left and back to right as if you were jumping through three staggered tires in front of you. Immediately jump off both feet into a lay-up. Jog backwards for 5 counts returning to start. Repeat sequence starting with the opposite leg.

Squat Jumps - Squat down and touch your shins or the floor. Immediately propel yourself up and jump with both feet as you reach up with your arms. Land quietly on your toes and repeat. Quicken your pace while maintaining your form.

Squat Jacks - Keep your hands behind your head and slowly squat down into a deep plie (otherwise known as a sumo squat). Jump your feet together as you would in a jumping jack and immediately jump back out to a deep plie. Continue to perform squat jacks. The key to this exercise is to take your time and get as low as possible in every sumo squat.

Mountain climbers - Begin in a push-up position on hands and toes. Bring the right knee into the chest resting foot on the floor. Jump up and switch feet in the air, bringing the left foot in and the right foot back. Continue alternating feet. For an extra oblique challenge, rotate hips and bring your right knee to your left elbow, jump your right foot back as you bring your left knee to right elbow. Continue to alternate knee to elbow.

Aim on incorporating functional training into 2-3 workouts/week. The next time you run after your child as they dart for the road, scramble up a treacherous hill while hiking, or carry all ten bags of groceries from the car to your kitchen with ease, you will know the hard work you've put into functional training has paid off!