When You Think Walking Isn't Enough...

I know I know - many of you dread exercise.  I've been there.  But whether you like it or not, here's the reality:  Exercise is important, period.  Not only does it help you lose and maintain weight, but it also helps maintain good health and prevent killer health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.  Does that mean you need to go pump iron at the gym 7 days a week or run a marathon?  Absolutely not.  But adding basic exercise into your daily routine is proven to be beneficial in multiple ways.

I often hear "gym membership are scary," "running is boring," or "I just don't enjoy exercise."  While these are all fair statements (and I've related to each of them at some point), the solution lies in finding exercise you enjoy.  Running IS boring for many people, and gym memberships can be intimidating.  I get it.  But I want you to ask yourself something:  Have you tried to find something you like?  More often than not, we simply give up because it's easier than researching alternative exercising that is fun and beneficial.

I'll have to dedicate a post solely to fun exercise ideas, but for now, lets focus on those of you who would rather sit on the couch.  Consider this:  The simple exercise of walking helps relieve stress and tension, boosts energy, improves sleep, helps fight depression and anxiety, reduces blood pressure, reduces blood sugar spikes, prevents heart disease - just to name a few.  Studies have proven this and you can find hundreds of them on Google.  I'd rather not have to site pages, so happy Googling :-)

While I do encourage people to include more than walking in their exercise routine, getting off the couch just 30 minutes a day to take a stroll is a start, and it's far more beneficial than most people realize!  Get adjusted to the 30 minutes a day and I bet you start to crave more.

It's not about speed, it's about getting up and moving.  A wise man once told me:  "There is no cure for all the ills associated with lack of exercise except RxExercise!"  - Gary Westlund, Charities Challenges (www.charitieschallenge.org)

Basal Metabolic Rate

Say whaaaaa? 

Your Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR, is the amount of calories your body burns at complete rest in order to maintain regular bodily function.  So why is this number important?  Good question, but it's a little more than a one sentence answer.  Stick with me through this one - it's a little longer than usual but I promise it will be worth it!

Most people who are trying to eat right and be healthy are more concerned about eating less.  But what if I told you most "diets" fail because people aren't eating enough?  We vigorously exercise and try to eat right, only to stay the same weight or even, dare I say it, GAIN weight.  So how can you eat more and still lose?  By calculating and increasing your BMR.  

Calculating your BMR
The calculations below are probably the most accurate you can get without seeing a professional.

Women:  655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
Men:  66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

Multiply your BMR by:
1.2 if sedentary (little or no exercise)
1.375 if you exercise 1-3 days per week
1.55 if you exercise 3-5 days per week
1.725 if you exercise 6-7 days per week

Example:
I am 155 lbs, 5'4" (64 inches), and 30 years old.  My calculation would look like this:
          655 + (4.35 x 155) + (4.7 x 64) - (4.7 x 30)

Okay, I'll admit, I had to Google the order of math equations.  Here's a quick math lesson so you can solve your equation.  Remember "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally" from algebra class?  
PEMDAS = Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction.

Perenthesis First (which include the next step of multiplication)
655 + (4.35 x 155) + (4.7 x 64) - (4.7 x 30)
=655 + 674.25 + 300.8 - 141

Completing the addition next gives us the following:
=1,630.05 - 141

And finally, subtracting the above numbers gives us:
=1,489 calories per day JUST RESTING!

Now let's add in the exercise.  I exercise roughly 3-5 days a week, so I need to multiply my BMR by 1.55, which equals 2,308 calories.  

So Now What?
By calculating your BMR, you have already conquered a good part of the battle!  But the question still remains - why is it so important?  Not eating enough calories can be just as dangerous (and less productive) as eating too many calories.

Many people complain they aren't losing weight or they are seeing a gain, yet they are exercising like crazy and eating the right foods.  Both of these things are an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but when you don't eat ENOUGH calories, your body starts to hold on to every last calorie you feed it because it is unsure as to when it will be fed again.  This only leads to your body storing fat instead of getting rid of it.  Pretty counterproductive, right?  So go ahead - calculate your BMR, and once you're done, look over what you ate today to see if you had enough calories!

Increasing your BMR
Increase your strengthening exercises.  These consist of exercises such as squats, weights, sit ups, push ups, etc.  While cardio is great for the heart, it's not going to help you keep the weight off long term.

Increase your meals per day.  Eating 5-6 evenly portioned meals per day will help boost your metabolism and keep your glucose levels even.  Recall the feeling you get after eating a big meal - tired and uncomfortable come to mind!  You are tired because your blood supply is centering itself around your digestive track to help your system process all the food.  Once your body has digested the food, you wait to eat for 3-4 more hours and your body has to work hard again to process a ton of food.  Eating 5-6 small meals per day keeps your system moving - there's not a big lull between meals, which keeps your metabolism up!

Next blog:  What foods & beverages are killing your weight loss and/or health.

I'm Back!

I haven't been much of a blogger in a while, but the desire has strongly returned and I realized it needs to be done - not only for myself, but for others as well.  Since my weight loss surgery (WLS) almost a year ago, I, like many others, have indulged myself in blogs about food - Bariatric Foodie, The World According to Egg Face.  They are awesome blogs with great recipes and tips about what we should and should not eat - whether you are a WLS patient or not!

What I'm having a hard time finding are blogs by WLS patients about exercise.  Sure there are plenty of exercise blogs, but there's something about reading experiences from those who have had WLS, especially when it comes to finding the right foods to eat prior, during, and after exercise without Dumping Syndrome or having issues with our sensitive tummies.

I remember my very first set of appointments prior to WLS.  One of my them was with a physical therapist.  We discussed my current exercise and they provided me with simple, post-op exercises to work on.  Up to today, that was the ONLY appointment I have had throughout this entire journey that emphasized any exercise - and that was over a year ago!  Do they ask me at my regular checkups if I'm exercising?  Sure.  But do they put any emphasis on it?  Not at all.  It's great I still see a dietitian, but food is only PART of this journey.  Those 20% that you hear about failing from WLS - they don't just fail because they go back to bad habits.  Part of the reason they fail is the lack of tools and education provided by these Bariatric Clinics - both with food and exercise.

So this is my promise to you:  I'm not only going to pass on what I've learned about calories, carbs, and protein, I'm also going going to share what I've learned about exercising post WLS.  Most importantly, I'm going to share HOW to eat post WLS WITH exercise - because getting all your nutrition/calories in with such a small tummy can be hard when you're burning calories!

My goal is to have at least 3 blogs a week - so keep an eye out and follow me!