I attended a couple of veterinary meetings last year about obesity because there is a new drug to treat obesity in dogs. Obesity is a hot topic of research in humans and animals. What they have found is that fat tissue does not just lie around and store fat. It is a very metabolically active tissue that produces lots of hormones and inflammatory mediators like interleukins and prostaglandins. Antiinflammatories such as ibupofen are antiprostaglandins - so trying to treat painful joints while the fat keeps pumping out more prostaglandins makes treating these conditions in obese patients more difficult. These contribute to the development of inflammatory diseases - most notably osteoarthritis, but in people may account for the fact that obese people are also more prone to things like autoimmune diseases. The arthritis is not worse because of the mechanical forces of excess weight which seems logical- it is actually that fat creates the inflammation itself. The fat itself also contributes to insulin resistance - regardless of diet, and it contributes to resistance to the hormone Leptin which signals satiety, so we eat more when we're fat BECAUSE of the fat already there. We always think of obesity as causing problems because of the mechanical forces of the weight and the diabetogenic diet that created it in the first place. But once the fat is there, all other factors being equal, it is busy creating disease through it’s own metabolic actions.
Incidentally, the new drug for obesity in dogs started as a hopeful drug for humans. It is effective and cheap and works very well for dogs, but alas, it causes severe fatty liver disease in us and cats.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Derailed!
Friday, July 22, 2011 Day 13/84
Camping was great fun. We made friends with the people next to us and our kids played together the whole time and we enjoyed evenings by the fire together. We had similar ideas about education for our children and it was fun to have someone to share our camping trip with. They were on a trip called "The Fantastic Anti-plastic Beach Tour" to promote biodegradable sand toys, made from plastic derived from corn instead of petroleum products. Check out their website at http://www.zoeborganic.com/.
On Wednesday I stuck with the program except for one marshmallow when everyone was making s'mores. I made home-made marshmallows which were hard to resist. (Check out the recipe here: http://thechocolateladyblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/marshmallows.html). (I recognize that this is a totally inappropriate post for a fitness blog, but it was fun and I couldn't resist.) They are far superior to store bought, especially the orange flavored ones which roast up so nicely. . . .But I digress. Thursday was my free day - I ate healthy meals but added not so healthy snacks - funions, chocolate chip cookies, and of course roasted marshmallows and a nice glass of red wine by the fire. It was all fine until Friday. My resolve to work out in the morning was derailed by lack of privacy and saying a long goodbye to our new friends. I don't regret this, I'm just reporting it. I ate well in the morning but that was it. We stopped at a bakery in Tomales on the way home and I shared a raspberry/lemon bar with hubby, then ate a bunch of wheat thins with my son while watching Harry Potter after unloading and unpacking. But the worst thing is that I missed my first workout. The lower body workout is especially important to me because it works the larger muscles and I need my leg strength if I want to be a better mountain biker. Now I must decide whether to skip the workout and continue with my HIIT tomorrow and stay on the same schedule, (No) or do the LBWO tomorrow and skip my next free day to get back on schedule (Yes). Another stumbling block coming up is that Hubby is taking me to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2 tomorrow at the IMAX 3D in San Francisco tomorrow, for my Birthday (47 on Sunday!). We do this about once a year and usually accompany it with dinner in the city. I am going to suggest sushi at our favorite sushi restaurant in Larkspur (King of the Roll is a Japanese sushi restaurant owned by a chinese guy named John Wayne. It looks like a dive but is the best sushi ever. Check it out if you are ever in the Northbay.) on our way home, instead. I think I can manage a hand roll and cucumber salad and stick to my program somewhat. I know it's not authorized food but so-be-it. I'll take gum for the movie.
There! I have a plan for tomorrow to get back on track and still have fun. I feel good about this and ready to take it on!
Camping was great fun. We made friends with the people next to us and our kids played together the whole time and we enjoyed evenings by the fire together. We had similar ideas about education for our children and it was fun to have someone to share our camping trip with. They were on a trip called "The Fantastic Anti-plastic Beach Tour" to promote biodegradable sand toys, made from plastic derived from corn instead of petroleum products. Check out their website at http://www.zoeborganic.com/.
On Wednesday I stuck with the program except for one marshmallow when everyone was making s'mores. I made home-made marshmallows which were hard to resist. (Check out the recipe here: http://thechocolateladyblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/marshmallows.html). (I recognize that this is a totally inappropriate post for a fitness blog, but it was fun and I couldn't resist.) They are far superior to store bought, especially the orange flavored ones which roast up so nicely. . . .But I digress. Thursday was my free day - I ate healthy meals but added not so healthy snacks - funions, chocolate chip cookies, and of course roasted marshmallows and a nice glass of red wine by the fire. It was all fine until Friday. My resolve to work out in the morning was derailed by lack of privacy and saying a long goodbye to our new friends. I don't regret this, I'm just reporting it. I ate well in the morning but that was it. We stopped at a bakery in Tomales on the way home and I shared a raspberry/lemon bar with hubby, then ate a bunch of wheat thins with my son while watching Harry Potter after unloading and unpacking. But the worst thing is that I missed my first workout. The lower body workout is especially important to me because it works the larger muscles and I need my leg strength if I want to be a better mountain biker. Now I must decide whether to skip the workout and continue with my HIIT tomorrow and stay on the same schedule, (No) or do the LBWO tomorrow and skip my next free day to get back on schedule (Yes). Another stumbling block coming up is that Hubby is taking me to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2 tomorrow at the IMAX 3D in San Francisco tomorrow, for my Birthday (47 on Sunday!). We do this about once a year and usually accompany it with dinner in the city. I am going to suggest sushi at our favorite sushi restaurant in Larkspur (King of the Roll is a Japanese sushi restaurant owned by a chinese guy named John Wayne. It looks like a dive but is the best sushi ever. Check it out if you are ever in the Northbay.) on our way home, instead. I think I can manage a hand roll and cucumber salad and stick to my program somewhat. I know it's not authorized food but so-be-it. I'll take gum for the movie.
There! I have a plan for tomorrow to get back on track and still have fun. I feel good about this and ready to take it on!
Camping at the beach!
Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
We took our trailer out to Lawson's Landing at Dillon Beach (north of San Francisco). I did my HIIT in the morning before I finished packing. This is the first time we've ever camped so close to home (about an hour) and the first time we've used our RV as we are usually tent campers. This time we chose to try a beach rather than the usual mountains and redwoods. The beach is windy and I have refused to tent camp there, but with the RV it will be nice. I've planned my meals for today and brought weights for my LBWO on Friday. Tomorrow, our only full day here, is my free day. Climbing over the sand dunes to walk on the beach and fly kites is a good workout! I have this well planned. (Or so I thought. . . .)
We took our trailer out to Lawson's Landing at Dillon Beach (north of San Francisco). I did my HIIT in the morning before I finished packing. This is the first time we've ever camped so close to home (about an hour) and the first time we've used our RV as we are usually tent campers. This time we chose to try a beach rather than the usual mountains and redwoods. The beach is windy and I have refused to tent camp there, but with the RV it will be nice. I've planned my meals for today and brought weights for my LBWO on Friday. Tomorrow, our only full day here, is my free day. Climbing over the sand dunes to walk on the beach and fly kites is a good workout! I have this well planned. (Or so I thought. . . .)
Monday, July 18, 2011
Roasted Vegetables
I just ate roasted broccoli for lunch and it was crazy good. It is based on this recipe: http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2008/11/the_best_brocco.html But I used less olive oil and left out the second dose of it, I used less lemon juice to taste, and left out the pine nuts and parmesan cheese to keep it diet friendly.
Pre-heat oven to 425 F. Take a bunch of broccoli washed, dried, and cut into small, bite-sized florets. Toss with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Press about 5-6 cloves af garlic over it (I had a lot). Roast in oven about 20-30 minutes until tips are brown and crispy. Sprinkle with a little lemon juice (Optional). I cooked this on convect roast so it went faster. It was so good the way it was that I only sprinkled a tiny bit of lemon juice. For the original recipe, when you take it out of the oven you toss more olive oil, lemon zest and juice, roasted pine nuts and fresh grated parmesan cheese. These additions may be important for traditional broccoli haters, but I loved it without.
This recipe is being added to some of my favorite roast vegetables.
Krispy Kale: Preheat oven to 400 F. Wash and dry, cut out stems and toss with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt (you can use regular salt, I just like the flavor and texture of kosher better). Lay out on baking sheet and bake at 400 F about 10 minutes. Watch it closely. There is a fine line between crispy and burned. My kids eat this like chips. You could spice this up with some garlic or pepper, but it's just fine without it. Here's a link: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-kale-chips/detail.aspx . Allrecipes also has a version with salt and vinegar that I have not tried, but it looks good: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/kale-chips/detail.aspx They have others that involve cheese and other spices but I like to keep it simple.
Roasted Brussells Sprouts: More of the same. Preheat to 400-425 F. Wash sprouts, cut in half and remove choke. Toss with olive oil. Spread on pan and sprinkle with kosher salt. Roast until browned and outsides are crispy - about 30 minutes. I have always hated brussell sprouts. Now I make these regularly. This recipe leaves them whole, I like them crispier so I cut them: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-brussels-sprouts/detail.aspx They also have one with roasted pecans which looks yummy.
Finally, another hint I haven't tried yet but will: When roasting vegetables, put the pan in the oven to preheat along with the oven. When you add the veggies to a hot pan they will carmelize/roast faster.
As for BFL, I suppose I 'should' eat vegetables raw or steamed, but the little bit of olive oil I add to this to make them delicious is a healthy fat, of which I am getting very little in this low fat plan.
My food log today:
Breakfast: Smoothie made with frozen strawberries, piece of banana, frozen spinach, water and chocolate protein powder (Muscle milk is the best). The vitamix completely purees the spinach so there are no pieces. Even my son wants spinach in his smoothies, now.
Lunch: 3 small plums from the tree (they are bite size, yummy yellow plums), small lean hamburger patty, and possibly a little too much roasted broccoli. Yum!
Snack: 1/3 of a protein bar and 2 more bite size plums.
Dinner: 1/2 chicken breast, sauted zucchini and krispy kale, both from the garden.
Snack: the last couple bites of that protein bar.
Pre-heat oven to 425 F. Take a bunch of broccoli washed, dried, and cut into small, bite-sized florets. Toss with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Press about 5-6 cloves af garlic over it (I had a lot). Roast in oven about 20-30 minutes until tips are brown and crispy. Sprinkle with a little lemon juice (Optional). I cooked this on convect roast so it went faster. It was so good the way it was that I only sprinkled a tiny bit of lemon juice. For the original recipe, when you take it out of the oven you toss more olive oil, lemon zest and juice, roasted pine nuts and fresh grated parmesan cheese. These additions may be important for traditional broccoli haters, but I loved it without.
This recipe is being added to some of my favorite roast vegetables.
Krispy Kale: Preheat oven to 400 F. Wash and dry, cut out stems and toss with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt (you can use regular salt, I just like the flavor and texture of kosher better). Lay out on baking sheet and bake at 400 F about 10 minutes. Watch it closely. There is a fine line between crispy and burned. My kids eat this like chips. You could spice this up with some garlic or pepper, but it's just fine without it. Here's a link: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-kale-chips/detail.aspx . Allrecipes also has a version with salt and vinegar that I have not tried, but it looks good: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/kale-chips/detail.aspx They have others that involve cheese and other spices but I like to keep it simple.
Roasted Brussells Sprouts: More of the same. Preheat to 400-425 F. Wash sprouts, cut in half and remove choke. Toss with olive oil. Spread on pan and sprinkle with kosher salt. Roast until browned and outsides are crispy - about 30 minutes. I have always hated brussell sprouts. Now I make these regularly. This recipe leaves them whole, I like them crispier so I cut them: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-brussels-sprouts/detail.aspx They also have one with roasted pecans which looks yummy.
Finally, another hint I haven't tried yet but will: When roasting vegetables, put the pan in the oven to preheat along with the oven. When you add the veggies to a hot pan they will carmelize/roast faster.
As for BFL, I suppose I 'should' eat vegetables raw or steamed, but the little bit of olive oil I add to this to make them delicious is a healthy fat, of which I am getting very little in this low fat plan.
My food log today:
Breakfast: Smoothie made with frozen strawberries, piece of banana, frozen spinach, water and chocolate protein powder (Muscle milk is the best). The vitamix completely purees the spinach so there are no pieces. Even my son wants spinach in his smoothies, now.
Lunch: 3 small plums from the tree (they are bite size, yummy yellow plums), small lean hamburger patty, and possibly a little too much roasted broccoli. Yum!
Snack: 1/3 of a protein bar and 2 more bite size plums.
Dinner: 1/2 chicken breast, sauted zucchini and krispy kale, both from the garden.
Snack: the last couple bites of that protein bar.
A New Beginning
I am preparing to do Bill Phillip's "Body for Life" program again. I have a history with this program and with Sjogren's Syndrome that I will share at a later date, I'm just too tired right now from a long day. Here is what I wrote last night:
I am tired of feeling sluggish and fat and my clothes constantly shrinking. ;-) I know this time it is not the Sjogren's Syndrome bothering me because I am productive, my mood is pretty good with a few normal hormonal swings (doh - Light-bulb moment: Cookie binge today was totally in sync with my cycle so I will stop beating myself over the head with this). Anyway, it is NOTHING like the debilitating fatigue I feel when the Sjogren's Sydrome is not controlled. So often when that fatigue would hit and I couldn't do anything, I would wonder if it was Sjogren's or something mental wrong with me. Now I feel confident that it was the Sjogren's and that I will finally be able to recognize when the Sjogren's is flaring up. Increasing the Plaquenil dose has really been the right thing for me. I wonder if, when I lose 50 pounds, I should decrease the dose at that time. . .In the interest of being honest with this blog, I will also say that I have been taking 1/2 Celexa each day. As I entered perimenopause, I started having anxiety attacks over silly things, like what to fix for dinner. Looking back it was almost comical, but there was nothing funny about it while I was living it. Anyway, I started 1/2 tablet a day and I haven't had a single anxiety attack since.
So tonight I am going to "Cross the Abyss: as Bill Phillips says in his book. It requires you to state your reasons for wanting to do the program and to set specific goals, in writing, and then read them every day. Looking back, I realize that the last time I attempted this program, while I originally wrote my reasons and had a goal, I did not read them every day, or do the visualization exercises he recommends.
My Reasons: All the usual stuff - I want to be fit and feel good and have more energy and be a better mother and wife and over-all person. I want to look and feel good in clothes and be strong as I age rather than weaker. I want to go Mountain biking with my husband and children. I want to walk all over China next year and I want to look great for my 30 Year High School Reunion next year. I want to do something I can really be proud of. I want this to be a launching point for more goal setting. The last time I did BFL I was feeling strong and confident mentally and used that strength to find a better school for my children. I am not sure I would have had the perseverence to do it without the emotional strength and drive that came along with the physical strenth of the program. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. At the end of this process I will set new goals, not just about fitness, but other ares of my life. For instance, I want to write more (I am going to start by blogging about this journey) and I want to learn spanish. Someday, in the more distant future I would like to take some creative writing and art classes, piano, keeping my brain engaged and learning.
Now for the specifics. These are Goals and Tools to help me reach the goals:
1. I will lose 20 pounds of fat and gain muscle and strength over the course of this 12 week challenge which I will officially begin on Monday, July 11, 2011.
2. I will blog about my experience (see, I started!).
3. I will set new goals at the end of the 12 weeks.
4. I will only weigh myself on Mondays.
5. I will take measurements every 3 weeks and graph my results.
6. I will do freezer cooking in order to make meal prepartions for my family easier, thus reducing my risk of falling off the program.
7. I will cean my kitchen every night because everyone's day starts off better with a clean kitchen (see Flylady.net).
8. I will use my aerobic time to work on "Future Vision" (See Bill Phillips book, Body for Life).
9. I will be able to go mountain biking with some friends who are very fit.
10. I will keep a food and exercise log.
11. I will slow down my eating and stop when I am full.
12. I will go to bed early and start using an alarm clock if I'm not getting up early enough to get my exercise done.
13. I will lose 45-50 pounds before my 30 Year reunion.
14. I will wear my favorite Sarong style dress again.
Three Patterns of Action that have held me back:
1. Eating too quickly, overeating before my body can tell me it is full.
2. Failing to plan = planning to fail. Not planning my meals, but more importantly not planning my family's meals = meal time stress = overeating.
3. Sleep: not getting to bed early enough to get up do do my workout in the morning.
New Patterns that I need to develop to succeed:
1. Eat slowly, mindfully. Set fork down between bites. Stop when full.
2. Plan meals.
3. Get enough sleep.
Looking back on my last challenge I realize I did not use all of the tools; I didn't read my goals or visualize at all. I lapsed on the planning and eventually became overwhelmed. Well,no more. I am going to spend the next few days re-reading Bill Phillip's "Body for Life" and planning for a great challenge.
Now - back to today.
While I've not "officially" started, I did make it to the gym today and did my Hight Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on the spin cycle. I am going to jump start the process with some spin because it has really helped my mountain biking in the past. I know the lower body workout will also strengthen me for the ride, but this was a good place to start.
I am tired of feeling sluggish and fat and my clothes constantly shrinking. ;-) I know this time it is not the Sjogren's Syndrome bothering me because I am productive, my mood is pretty good with a few normal hormonal swings (doh - Light-bulb moment: Cookie binge today was totally in sync with my cycle so I will stop beating myself over the head with this). Anyway, it is NOTHING like the debilitating fatigue I feel when the Sjogren's Sydrome is not controlled. So often when that fatigue would hit and I couldn't do anything, I would wonder if it was Sjogren's or something mental wrong with me. Now I feel confident that it was the Sjogren's and that I will finally be able to recognize when the Sjogren's is flaring up. Increasing the Plaquenil dose has really been the right thing for me. I wonder if, when I lose 50 pounds, I should decrease the dose at that time. . .In the interest of being honest with this blog, I will also say that I have been taking 1/2 Celexa each day. As I entered perimenopause, I started having anxiety attacks over silly things, like what to fix for dinner. Looking back it was almost comical, but there was nothing funny about it while I was living it. Anyway, I started 1/2 tablet a day and I haven't had a single anxiety attack since.
So tonight I am going to "Cross the Abyss: as Bill Phillips says in his book. It requires you to state your reasons for wanting to do the program and to set specific goals, in writing, and then read them every day. Looking back, I realize that the last time I attempted this program, while I originally wrote my reasons and had a goal, I did not read them every day, or do the visualization exercises he recommends.
My Reasons: All the usual stuff - I want to be fit and feel good and have more energy and be a better mother and wife and over-all person. I want to look and feel good in clothes and be strong as I age rather than weaker. I want to go Mountain biking with my husband and children. I want to walk all over China next year and I want to look great for my 30 Year High School Reunion next year. I want to do something I can really be proud of. I want this to be a launching point for more goal setting. The last time I did BFL I was feeling strong and confident mentally and used that strength to find a better school for my children. I am not sure I would have had the perseverence to do it without the emotional strength and drive that came along with the physical strenth of the program. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. At the end of this process I will set new goals, not just about fitness, but other ares of my life. For instance, I want to write more (I am going to start by blogging about this journey) and I want to learn spanish. Someday, in the more distant future I would like to take some creative writing and art classes, piano, keeping my brain engaged and learning.
Now for the specifics. These are Goals and Tools to help me reach the goals:
1. I will lose 20 pounds of fat and gain muscle and strength over the course of this 12 week challenge which I will officially begin on Monday, July 11, 2011.
2. I will blog about my experience (see, I started!).
3. I will set new goals at the end of the 12 weeks.
4. I will only weigh myself on Mondays.
5. I will take measurements every 3 weeks and graph my results.
6. I will do freezer cooking in order to make meal prepartions for my family easier, thus reducing my risk of falling off the program.
7. I will cean my kitchen every night because everyone's day starts off better with a clean kitchen (see Flylady.net).
8. I will use my aerobic time to work on "Future Vision" (See Bill Phillips book, Body for Life).
9. I will be able to go mountain biking with some friends who are very fit.
10. I will keep a food and exercise log.
11. I will slow down my eating and stop when I am full.
12. I will go to bed early and start using an alarm clock if I'm not getting up early enough to get my exercise done.
13. I will lose 45-50 pounds before my 30 Year reunion.
14. I will wear my favorite Sarong style dress again.
Three Patterns of Action that have held me back:
1. Eating too quickly, overeating before my body can tell me it is full.
2. Failing to plan = planning to fail. Not planning my meals, but more importantly not planning my family's meals = meal time stress = overeating.
3. Sleep: not getting to bed early enough to get up do do my workout in the morning.
New Patterns that I need to develop to succeed:
1. Eat slowly, mindfully. Set fork down between bites. Stop when full.
2. Plan meals.
3. Get enough sleep.
Looking back on my last challenge I realize I did not use all of the tools; I didn't read my goals or visualize at all. I lapsed on the planning and eventually became overwhelmed. Well,no more. I am going to spend the next few days re-reading Bill Phillip's "Body for Life" and planning for a great challenge.
Now - back to today.
While I've not "officially" started, I did make it to the gym today and did my Hight Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on the spin cycle. I am going to jump start the process with some spin because it has really helped my mountain biking in the past. I know the lower body workout will also strengthen me for the ride, but this was a good place to start.
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