Tag: Why am I obese

Can Eating Late Make You Gain Weight?

For years we have been teaching a calorie is a calorie no matter what time it is consumed. I mean it makes sense. It’s dark in your stomach. How does your body know what time it is? But, there is growing research now telling us that the body burns those calories differently at night than it does during the day.

Your body has a secret fat burning process at night!

The new thinking based on the research by Satchin Panda at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, is that the body burns some of the calories you eat for fuel during the day and the rest is stored in the liver in the form of glycogen. At night, your body converts the glycogen into glucose and releases it into your bloodstream to keep your blood-sugar levels steady during this fasting period called sleep.

Once the glycogen is gone, your liver starts burning fat cells for energy.

Lose weight in your sleep!

The concept that we burn fat while we sleep is not new at all. But, this new research gives some merit to the theory that a midnight snack could interfere with your body’s ability to burn fat between the time you go to bed and the time you sit down to breakfast.

So what time should you stop eating? Late night snackers tend to eat an average of 248 calories more per day than those who go to bed earlier. Most of those calories are consumed after 8pm.

Depending on what you have had for dinner that night, you may actually be hungry right before bed time. Make sure you are eating a balanced meal with lost of veggies, whole grains, healthy oils, and protein in order to feel satisfied.

Don’t go to bed hungry!

If you really are hungry and not just craving or bored, then have a piece of fruit, a 1/2 serving of yoghurt, or 1 piece of whole wheat bread to tie you over until morning.

If you are a late night snacker, you may not be getting enough sleep. This can cause weight gain. If you work the night shift, your body will adjust. However, the new research tells us that trying to “fit in” to a day schedule on your off days could be throwing your body out of whack. If you are used to having your larger meals during a swing shift, experiment with keeping the portions small when you normally would have been sleeping. Regular meals and sleep patterns seems to be the key.

Start the day of with breakfast!

Research has proven that regular breakfast eaters weigh less. When you eat within an hour of waking up, you help jump start your metabolism! Read  How Eating Breakfast Helps You Lose Weight for more details about breakfast and weight loss.

What do you do if you ate late the night before? Based on Panda’s research you want to wait 12 hours between the evening meal and breakfast. If you ate a big dinner at 11pm, then eating closer to lunch may help you burn off that late meal.

Overall the “new thinking” is telling us something we already know. While I wouldn’t get too freaked out about the occasional late night meal, regular meals and regular sleep help you lose weight and maintain it permanently!

Has this helped you with this subject? Have a late night habit you want to discuss? Please leave a comment below.  I love hearing from you!

Blessings to you and yours!

Jennifer

 

 

Can Convenience Make Us Fat?

America is blessed with so many conveniences! Unfortunately, it has also increased our obesity rate! Fortunately you don’t have to be a casualty.

Your great-great grandmother would laugh!

She’d wipe the sweat off her brow and let out a belly laugh. “A what? A gym?” Especially after coming in from milking the cows, weeding the garden, churning the butter and doing the family laundry by the river.

It hasn’t been until recently (about the 1950’s) that Americans have faced a need for formal exercise. With automation came less lifestyle activity. About the same time more processed “fast” foods entered the scene. Convenience crept in — and it is here to stay!

It’s no mystery when you stop and calculate how automation has caused us to burn less calories and consume more of them.

Today, it is possible to stay home for 30 days straight and never leave the house. You can have your food delivered, your trash picked up, your movies delivered, your mail picked up, and even have your dog walked!

Hang on Jennifer. Do you want me to live like the Amish?

Now please don’t get me wrong. I like my washing machine, dishwasher, and my automobile. Since I live on an island, I really like that I can have some of my favorite retailers deliver to my front door. These conveniences free up my time for other priorities.

For busy people, outsourcing some of the less physical everyday tasks will actually assist you with your health and weight loss goals. It will free up your time to plan healthy low-cal meals, exercise more, and even rest.

Here are some everyday tasks that can help you lose weight:

  • Park in the back of the lot.
  • Walk downtown for an errand.
  • Take the stairs.
  • Walk your kids to school.
  • Walk the dog.
  • Walk to the mailbox.
  • Go shopping.
  • Do careful meal planning and cooking.

You can exercise during leisure time as well!

  • Turn off the screen and go for a walk.
  • Walk to your local video store for a movie. (Multi-task by bringing the dog.)
  • Walk to your local restaurant.
  • Plan outdoor activities for your off time.
  • Meet a friend for a walk and then have coffee or lunch.
  • Walk on the beach.
  • Go hiking and have a picnic for a date.
  • Plan vacations that offer physical activities.

Last Tuesday, a close friend of mine was in town. She wanted to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge and sight see. We walked a little over three miles and had so much fun. It was a beautiful day. After, we went to Sausalito for lunch.

It would have been so much easier to stop in the car, take a few photos, and drive on to Sausalito. I’m so glad that we made the extra effort to walk across it. We combined our exercise with our leisure time. We had fun and met our daily exercise goal all at the same time.

There’s no getting around it — we have to plan to lose weight!

Modern convenience has permanently created an environment that requires us to pay more attention to calories burned versus calories consumed. In order to lose and/or maintain our weight for the years to come, healthy eating and regular exercise must be incorporated into our daily lives.

Whether you prefer to “disguise” exercise in your every day activities or like to do formal workouts, it will require some thought and planning. Check this out for tips on how to lose weight living your life.

Convenience can open the door for a “last minute” mindset. Use your calendar to schedule exercise and healthy meals into your day. If you’d like suggestions on how to do that, I offer you nine meal planning tips that lead to weight loss. Don’t worry. They’re perfect for busy people, and even save you money!

Please leave a comment below and let me know if you have any questions or if there is anything you are struggling with. Or, if you have a success story you would like to share! I love hearing from you!

Blessings!

Jennifer

 

Obesity. How to Stop It!

 

You’ve probably heard obesity is on the rise again!  The Center for Disease Control is predicting an American obesity rate of 42% by 2030.  That’s close to half the population!

So, how do you avoid becoming part of these statistics?  Or, maybe you have quite a bit of weight to lose and realize you need to take action.  Read on my friend!

Studies are showing that 97% of the overweight population is overweight due to lifestyle.  The remaining 3% have been diagnosed with a medical issue that causes weight gain.  If exercise and healthy eating have not moved the scale I suggest you talk to your doctor.

For the majority, poor eating habits, sedentary lifestyles, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, lack of time, automation, and chemicals in our food are all some of the things that contribute to being overweight.

I’ve been a personal trainer for over 20 years.  I have seen many successful weight loss stories.  My own thirty pounds of weight loss included!

I can tell you the success was not due to any government initiated program by itself. Information like www.myplate.org is a good resource.  However, you cannot lose weight without action.

Successful long term weight loss occurs when an individual makes a decision to lose weight.  Followed by consistent repetitive behavior.  That change must come from within!

The tips below will help you lose and/or maintain your weight.  They have helped me and my family stay slim for years!

1) Knowledge is key!  Tap into health and fitness professionals that are results oriented and not selling you a bunch of hype.

Learn about healthy eating habits rather than the latest fad diet.

Learn portion sizes and how to read labels.  See my article Portion Control vs. Elimination Diets for some easy tips to follow.

2)  Eat Fresh!  Do the majority of your grocery shopping around the perimeter of the store.  Fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, dairy, and whole grains are all good choices.

Avoid the processed foods with high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils.

Tip:  If you can’t pronounce the ingredients you may not want to eat it!

3)  Exercise!  Push the stroller, walk the dog, walk to work, walk to the bus stop, take the stairs.  Just start moving.

It hasn’t been until recently (right around the 1950’s) that planned exercise even became necessary.  Up until then, people were pretty active in their every day lives and/or jobs burning calories throughout the day.  “Working out” just for the sake of it was not the norm.

Every day tasks have been automated.  Removing the need to use the calories and muscle power.  While I have no plans of getting rid of my dishwasher, it helps us understand the need for intentional exercise.

Most of us stay more consistent when we have a purpose to exercise.  “It’s good for you” is generally not enough unless you’ve had a life threatening visit to the emergency room.

Choose things like hiking a beautiful trail, walking your dog, doing errands on foot, or train for an event.  These types of activities give you a reason to exercise which helps you stay on track.

4)  Avoid a common trap!  One of our relatives stopped eating fast food and lost 20 pounds!  She didn’t even exercise!

You may not be a fast food person,  However, the average American eats out 4-5 times per week.  By cutting this in half you can seriously cut back on calories.

I hope this is helpful for you!  Care to share a success story or have a question?  Please comment below!

Blessings to you and yours!

Jennifer