Category: Weight (Page 3 of 3)

Diane’s Workout Secrets: An Everyday Woman Shares What She Has Learned

April 10, 2018 / Chris Brown / 3 Comments

Diane is an everyday woman who works a lot of hours at her job, has children and grandchildren, and is active in her church. She finds time to work out in some way six days a week and looks and feels fantastic.

A few years ago Diane Berkley decided to see how strong and fit she could become.

In episode number 7 of the Becoming Elli Podcast, Jill and Chris interview her and she shares her workout secrets with our listeners. In this episode, you will learn:

How she works out
What she did to gain muscle
How she has added running into her routine
How she eats to stay lean and strong
How often she eats

“I see women working out in the gym, struggling to change but things stay the same. So I asked my trainer… What makes the difference?”

Bonus – Stay tuned at the end of the podcast tips for how to get a bit more active!

Please leave a comment below and let us know what you found helpful or interesting about this podcast. Thanks for listening!

To Weigh or Not to Weigh?

March 17, 2018 / Chris Brown / 5 Comments

After losing weight several years ago, I’m still weighing in everyday. I know that there is some discussion online if it is a good idea to weigh or not to weigh everyday. For me, the choice is to weigh.

I was reminded of this when something popped up on my Facebook feed in the memories section. It was about weighing in and BMI.

5 years ago on Facebook – March 2013 –
Had a great day the gym yesterday… I’ve been doing those weight management workouts twice a week and yesterday was the end of the first session. I lost 8.5 pounds and gained one pound of muscle over 8 weeks. My trainer said that I actually lost a whole other pound of fat to replace it with muscle, which he says burns about 40 more calories a day… I’m excited because my BMI numbers take me from overweight to normal. I even “ran” the track for 12 minutes. (Okay… my arms were running, but my feet still looked like a fast walk.) Best of all, I feel a lot stronger. I signed up for the second session that starts Monday. This has been my “solution to reach a new years resolution.”

To Weigh or Not to Weigh

Do you weigh yourself? Some people weigh everyday. I know that it helps me.

Some people just get on the scale once a week, usually at an organized weigh in. When I did the weekly weigh ins I would already know what I weigh from weighing in a home. I used to obsess about it.

Long ago, when I really did need to get fit, I rarely weighed myself. In fact, the only time I used to weigh in was at a doctor’s office.

I remember the first time a doctor talked to me about my weight: “You really need to get a treadmill. The Ohio weather just isn’t nice enough to exercise outside reliably.”

It wasn’t the lack of treadmill that was my problem! It was primarily food choices and food portions. I’ve since heard things like “It’s 80% the kitchen and only 20% the gym.”

After I decided to adopt a healthy lifestyle, I changed my relationship with the scale and have been weighing myself every morning when I wake up. It probably is a bit obsessive. I do find it helps me to keep things in check. I have a “scream weight” which I refuse to go over. But it is the strength and muscle mass I’d really like to stay focused on now — that and maintaining my weight loss.

Body Fat Percentage

Some scales measure a whole lot more than just weight. They will keep track of your body fat percentage and the muscle mass numbers as well as the overall weight.

Many of the new scales have the numbers for water percentage too. My water number changes all the time (obviously) based on how much I am drinking or if I am slightly dehydrated.

Not sure I can always believe the fat percentage, but that’s the number that I’d really like to change. Move some of my overall weight from the fat side to the muscle side.

I think I need to lift more – and run less. Well, maybe not run less. (I get more hungry when I run!!) I do like the effects of cardio exercise. The endorphin feeling is great and there is something satisfying about seeing the mileage add up.

I know some people are working on changing their BMI (Body Mass Index.) BMI is a quick way to measure the weight to height ratio. For a some people, for instance those who weight lift, it is way out of whack, but in general, it is a guide. A quick google search will provide lots of BMI calculators, if you want to check your BMI bynber,

General guidelines want your weight to be a at a BMI number 18 and 25. If I get to 25, it’s only for a little while, but I’m generally 26 or 27, which is just into the overweight category. While I like to think it is all my muscle mass, I’d be fooling myself! I’m not there yet!

I think better yet would be a BMI scale that measures fat percentage and muscle mass. There probably is those calculators too.

Being heavier really bothers me for running particularly, because it slows me down. Think of running around holding two 8 pound weights all day. I know I’d be faster if I could drop those weights.

So, while I weigh in everyday and know my BMI number, it isn’t what I want to measure! It’s muscle mass. Gaining muscle! But I still insist on stepping on the scale every morning.

How about you. Do you weigh every day? Why or why not? Do you know your percentage of muscle mass? Please leave a message below or send me an email at chris@becomingelli.com.

Turning 50 and Getting Fit – Becoming Elli Podcast Episode 3

February 13, 2018 / Chris Brown / 2 Comments

Turning 50 and getting fit

In episode 3 of the Becoming Elli Podcast, Jill and Chris discuss how they lost weight, got into working out and what they did when they started. They explore a variety of topics about getting stronger and fit as well as what worked for them and what they learned to avoid.

Turning 50 and Getting Fit – Discussion topics:

Starting regular exercise after losing weight
Using weights
Using personal trainers
Staying motivated
Class exercises
Bike riding outside
Achilles heel injury
How work out plans are like a recipe
Weight and losing it
Weight Watchers
Community
Avoiding cookies and trigger foods
Regular food
Weight maintenance

Helpful Tips:
How to maintain healthy food diet while having fun with friends.

Please leave a comment below about the podcast to let us know your thoughts. Is there one of the topics we mentioned that you’d like to explore further? Do you agree (or disagree) with the thoughts we shared? Let us know!

Maintaining Weight Loss – Consistency Over Intensity

February 10, 2018 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

During the winter months, it can be difficult to stay the course for maintaining weight loss. Long dark nights. Cold blustery weather.

We are almost six weeks into New Year’s Resolutions and I find that I need a reminder about what I promised myself.

Maintaining weight loss. Developing muscle strength. Cultivating good eating habits.

Already this year I’ve not been to the gym on a regular basis as much as I intended. Maybe two days a week instead of my usual four or five.

Generally I go skiing down the slopes at a nearby resort during the winter months. This year I haven’t been outside as much as I’ve wanted to, partly due to sub freezing weather the early part of January. Then I’ve also been dealing with an unexpected schedule, requiring me to be out of town and away from home. Consistent eating habits are more of a challenge when I’m away.

I am reminded that fitness is not a race. The ocean smooths large rocks into tiny grains of sand by consistently waves washing in and out.

My big goal this year is to stay consistent with exercise and healthy eating habits. I know that this will help me with maintaining my weight loss.

Consistency Over Intensity

For 2018, I’ve picked a phrase that I want to focus on: Consistency Over Intensity. It kinda follows that mantra of many marathon runners – just put one foot in front of the other.

I think about this when I push snow around on the driveway. Shoveling some snow has helped me get steps when I really hadn’t expected to get some. I talked about that in our recent podcast episode 2. When my son was in high school, it became his job to shovel the snow on the walks and the drive. When he went away to college I returned to snow removal duties. The result was one of the rude reminders of being out of shape. By consistently getting my steps, challenging myself and going to the gym to get exercise, I’m now able to easily spend 30 minutes clearing the snow, without any problem.

I was reminded of consistency over intensity when I read a post in Weighty Matters from a Canadian doctor who writes about the food industry. “And I tell people, day in and day out, that if they’re curious about how they’re doing, the answer to that question isn’t how much they weigh, how much they’ve lost, how their clothing fits, how they feel physically, or how they feel mentally. Rather I tell them that if they want to know how they’re doing, they have to reflect on what they’re actually doing…”

Going skiing is fun. It requires a lot of gear. Fitting into those same pair of ski pants is one indication that I’m maintaining my weight loss.

We all know it is so important to stay mobile, flexible, strong and fit. Lately I have been especially reminded of that when I’ve had recent unexpected challenges of caring for a relative. By keeping myself healthy, fit and strong, I’m able to be there to help others.

Having a “go-to” exercise routine helps replace that dragged out feeling of tiredness with the powerful feel good hormones that are released after exercising – dopamine and endorphins. This keeps me coming back for more.

Being more fit and strong just feels good. It allows me to do things that I find really difficult. I guess that’s called a feeling of self-confidence, but it’s not exactly that.

Consistent change = Positive Progress

I find that too much intensity leaves me feeling a bit overwhelmed. All or nothing dieting. Over the top exercise. Too many rules and changes. I simply won’t stick with it if the plan is too drastic. I need to stay the course. Keep on keeping on.

Sometimes consistency feels boring. I’m tempted to switch out with something “not so good.” Just this once. Special occasion. (Why does it sometimes seem that there is a special occasion more often than a regular day?) Birthdays, holidays, happy times, sad times. Friday night TGIF. Sunday Funday. Stressed-out-Monday. It’s easy to make exceptions, isn’t it?

I know in my heart that consistency is the key to maintaining a weight loss. Intensity comes and goes. Heck, I know that too much intensity can easily lead to injury. And if I’m not consistent with my recovery strategies I can end up having a problem.

Motivation wanes. Huge goals overwhelm, but I know when I have a good step-by-step plan, that I can do consistently, I can reach goals that I never thought possible. For instance, back 10 years ago, I never would have dreamed that I could have run a half marathon or bike 150 mile in a weekend.

I’ve come to realize that the way to make it work is to get a good plan and work it.

At one point I liked the phrase “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” I helped me to dig in, knuckle down and do something I was struggling with. I’m not exactly sure when my brain started completing that saying with my own “yeah, right out the door!” Some how the cynical side of my self talk popped in. It probably when was I was digging too deep, white knuckling too hard and finding that my consistency was replaced with too much intensity.

I have several strategies (or maybe they are actually tactics) for maintaining weight loss that have worked pretty well for me in the six plus years that I’ve managed to keep the weight off. And since I’ve become an exercise lover (athlete?) I’ve found that recovery and pacing are part of my training too. I’m working on an article to share with you in the future. More about that at another time.

Now it’s your turn. Tell me:

What do you do consistently to help you to get fit and strong? Or stay fit and strong? Are you working on your New Years Resolution consistently?
What is your motivation for maintaining weight loss?
Remember that song “Keep on Keeping On”? What phrase or mantra is in your head that you repeat over to yourself?

Three Goals for the New Year

January 2, 2018 / Jill McCauslin / 1 Comment

I asked my mother on New Year’s Day if she was making any resolutions for the new year. She said, “No, I’m past all that.” She’s now 88 years old so I guess that makes sense. I sort of want to be past all that too so no resolutions for me. No, instead I’m setting goals. Is that different than making resolutions? I hope so. Instead of saying, this year I’m gong to lose weight and be fit and healthy, which is what I want to be all year long and not just in this year, I’m trying to set clear definable goals.

So, here are my top three goals for this year:

Goal 1: Run three half-marathons this year

Running

Last year I ran one half-marathon and it felt like a big deal. This year I want to repeat the Akron marathon and hopefully run it faster than before. I also want to do two more. Why two? I don’t know. It just seems like a good number. I’ve already registered for the half marathon that’s part of the Cleveland Marathon in May and I signed up for the half marathon that’s part of the Akron Marathon in September. I need to find one that’s in between those times or do an extra one later in the fall. I feel confident about this one since I’ve already committed money to two races.

Two races are on the calendar with the first one being in May. That means I’ll need to start training soon. It will be a good idea to figure out my training plan and begin to implement it.

Goal 2: Reduce my body fat percentage

Berries

I’d like to get it beneath 30 percent. There’s at least two ways to do this: increase muscle or lose fat. Ideally, I’ll do a bit of both. This seems like a healthier way to set a goal than to make a resolution to lose weight. Is this goal any different than a lose weight resolution? Maybe not but I feel better about it and it’s measurable. If I said I want to lose 20 pounds, I could do that but I might lose muscle as well as fat. One thing I’ve learned is that we want to keep as much muscle as we can.

One of the hardest things about being over 50 is that losing weight becomes more and more difficult. I definitely have to watch calories and figure out the best way to eat to build muscle and lose fat. I’ll share my successes and failures with this as the year progresses. In some ways, this feels like the most difficult challenge.

Goal 3: Do a pull up

Kettlebells

I want to get back to doing a pull up. I reached this landmark a couple of years ago and then my trainer left, and I’ve lost the strength to do it. It took a lot of work to get there and I’d like to get there again. It takes a lot of upper body strength to do a pull up. I don’t think many women past 50 can do one and I like the idea of it. Plus, my arms looked fantastic when I was working on this before.

How will I accomplish this? Lots of upper body strength training. Doing a pull up requires a strong core, strong shoulders, back, and arms. I work with a trainer so we’re going to have to discuss these goals and how I’m going to reach them.

My three goals fall into running (endurance), body fat (weight or health), and pull ups (strength). That’s basically what I’m working on so I feel confident I can reach all three goals in 2018. It will be a challenge but that’s what goals are about, right?