In a study in "Nutrition Metabolism", dieters who increased their protein intake to 30% of their diet ate nearly 450 fewer calories a day, and lost about 11 pounds over the 12-week study without employing any other dietary measures.
Protein helps you feel full and helps repair and strengthen muscles. Experts also say that you should eat around 1 gram of protein for every pound of body weight you weigh. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, then you should ideally be consuming around 120-140 grams of protein DAILY. This is a huge number, however, and I always fall short on it, even when supplementing my diet with powdered whey protein shakes. So, while I have not figured out how to eat so much protein everyday, experts still say it's very beneficial to our bodies, especially to those of us trying to lose fat and gain muscle.
Get lean protein from good sources such as: eggs, lean red meat, poultry, low-fat dairy products like milk, cottage cheese, and yogurt, and beans (like pinto, black, and kidney beans).
So eat plenty of lean protein, but also don't forget about energizing carbs from whole grain sources like whole wheat bread, quinoa, couscous, and pastas! Whole grain, complex carbs provide your body with heart-healthy whole grains, and intestinal-health-boosting fiber!
September 21, 2010
September 14, 2010
Folic Acid: Not Only For Pregnancy!
Folate is a B vitamin that helps create new cells in your body. As most of you probably know, it is strongly recommended by almost everyone that a pregnant woman take lots of Folic Acid during her pregnancy. Folic Acid is a synthetic form of Folate, found in dietary vitamins & supplements. Folic Acid helps prevent birth defects, and helps the health of the heart.
Recently, folate has also been linked to better hearing & preventing hearing loss with age. A recent study found that people with low levels of folate in their blood had a 36% higher risk of developing hearing loss because of getting older. This is good news, since hearing loss is such a common occurrence in the elderly!
Folate is found in healthy foods like green leafy vegetables, chickpeas, & lentils. You can also find it in supplements as folic acid. Experts suggest that all women of child-bearing age (and not just pregnant women) should be taking a folic acid supplement.
Recently, folate has also been linked to better hearing & preventing hearing loss with age. A recent study found that people with low levels of folate in their blood had a 36% higher risk of developing hearing loss because of getting older. This is good news, since hearing loss is such a common occurrence in the elderly!
Folate is found in healthy foods like green leafy vegetables, chickpeas, & lentils. You can also find it in supplements as folic acid. Experts suggest that all women of child-bearing age (and not just pregnant women) should be taking a folic acid supplement.
Shameless Self-Promotion
Here's a shameless self-promotion from me to you:
I am getting ready to launch a hand-made product line on Etsy.com, an online, hand-made goods marketplace.
I have been knitting reusable coffee sleeves!!!
They are:
Stretchy
fit all "to-go" coffee cup sizes
Eco-Friendly & Reusable
Hand-made by myself
Machine-Washable
These are designed to be used instead of those cardboard or paper coffee sleeves that come on to-go coffee cups, like ones you'd get at Starbucks. This will help cut down on waste, and will reduce the impact on the environment. The coffee sleeves are made to keep your hand cool while holding a hot coffee drink. I may also be able to do custom orders!
My coffee sleeves are made with multi-colored yarn (everything from acrylic, to cotton, to merino wool), and thus are all different colors. I also have some "guy" colors, like blues & grays.
I will post pictures of my coffee sleeves soon, and will also give you my site address at Etsy.com, once I get it all set up.
For now, please feel free to contact me @ relawshe@gmail.com to ask me questions or put in an order!
These reusable, knitted coffee sleeves will be perfect for fall & winter!
I am getting ready to launch a hand-made product line on Etsy.com, an online, hand-made goods marketplace.
I have been knitting reusable coffee sleeves!!!
They are:
Stretchy
fit all "to-go" coffee cup sizes
Eco-Friendly & Reusable
Hand-made by myself
Machine-Washable
These are designed to be used instead of those cardboard or paper coffee sleeves that come on to-go coffee cups, like ones you'd get at Starbucks. This will help cut down on waste, and will reduce the impact on the environment. The coffee sleeves are made to keep your hand cool while holding a hot coffee drink. I may also be able to do custom orders!
My coffee sleeves are made with multi-colored yarn (everything from acrylic, to cotton, to merino wool), and thus are all different colors. I also have some "guy" colors, like blues & grays.
I will post pictures of my coffee sleeves soon, and will also give you my site address at Etsy.com, once I get it all set up.
For now, please feel free to contact me @ relawshe@gmail.com to ask me questions or put in an order!
These reusable, knitted coffee sleeves will be perfect for fall & winter!
Birth Control Heaven???
Hi y'all!
So, I recently saw my Ob-Gyn about the issues I was having with the Depo-Provera shot. When I told her that I'd gained about 25 pounds in the past 2 years while on the Depo, her eyes got really big and she was like "Whoa!" She was understandably shocked, because she knows about my fitness goals and how much I exercise and run. So she never expected the Depo to make me gain so much weight, especially when I have been working so hard to lose it.
Anyway, to make a long story short, she prescribed Yaz to me, which I think all of us have heard of. After doing lots of online research before my appointment, I had several "key words" to tell her and ask her about. I wanted a "low-dose", "monophasic" birth control pill. Immediately after I said this, she said that Yaz is indeed such a pill and she highly recommends it. She herself has taken Yaz for the past 3 years and she loves it, which is encouraging.
The important thing is that Yaz has NO WEIGHT GAIN associated with it! So that got me thinking, "Well what the heck? Why haven't I been on Yaz this whole time?"
But the answer to that question is, of course, that I wanted to try the every-three-months Depo shot because of the convenience. I also have a difficult time swallowing pills, so the Depo seemed like my best option. And my doctor told me that birth control pills are tiny anyway, so that shouldn't be a concern.
My dose of Depo will last until the first week of October, so I do not have to start taking Yaz until a few days before the Depo wears off. I have such high hopes for Yaz, and I hope I won't be disappointed. But, if Yaz does not work out for some reason, I know I have other good options to try. Thus I am hopeful.
So, I recently saw my Ob-Gyn about the issues I was having with the Depo-Provera shot. When I told her that I'd gained about 25 pounds in the past 2 years while on the Depo, her eyes got really big and she was like "Whoa!" She was understandably shocked, because she knows about my fitness goals and how much I exercise and run. So she never expected the Depo to make me gain so much weight, especially when I have been working so hard to lose it.
Anyway, to make a long story short, she prescribed Yaz to me, which I think all of us have heard of. After doing lots of online research before my appointment, I had several "key words" to tell her and ask her about. I wanted a "low-dose", "monophasic" birth control pill. Immediately after I said this, she said that Yaz is indeed such a pill and she highly recommends it. She herself has taken Yaz for the past 3 years and she loves it, which is encouraging.
The important thing is that Yaz has NO WEIGHT GAIN associated with it! So that got me thinking, "Well what the heck? Why haven't I been on Yaz this whole time?"
But the answer to that question is, of course, that I wanted to try the every-three-months Depo shot because of the convenience. I also have a difficult time swallowing pills, so the Depo seemed like my best option. And my doctor told me that birth control pills are tiny anyway, so that shouldn't be a concern.
My dose of Depo will last until the first week of October, so I do not have to start taking Yaz until a few days before the Depo wears off. I have such high hopes for Yaz, and I hope I won't be disappointed. But, if Yaz does not work out for some reason, I know I have other good options to try. Thus I am hopeful.
August 24, 2010
Birth Control Hell!
I wanted to post a quickie about my birth control, the Depo-Provera birth control shot, and how that may also be affecting my hormonal balance and causing me to gain weight. On top of a potential thyroid problem, I have also been on the Depo shot since a few months before I got married in 2008. So I've been on it for a little over 2 years now.
I started it because, after doing some research about birth control options, I saw that the Depo shot is more effective in preventing pregnancy, and it's so convenient because the shot lasts for 3 entire months, so you only need 4 shots in a year. My insurance also pays for some of it, but not all, so it is about $40 out-of-pocket for me each time. But I loved the convenience of not having to remember to take a daily pill (I'm not a good pill swallower anyway), and I loved the promise of it preventing pregnancy even better than the Pill.
So I've loved the Depo shot until I realized that, instead of slowly losing weight as I watch calories and exercise, that I've actually slowing been gaining weight. It's been happening so slow that I almost didn't notice until some of my pants and shirts are actually fitting tighter than they should! I couldn't believe it!
So only then did I go back online and do more research about the Depo shot. I found a "consumer report" website where women who had tried the shot wrote about their experiences. And most of them were not good experiences!
Most women bemoaned that the Depo shot had caused significant weight gain (like over 20 pounds), and most of them said that it messed up their hormones so badly that they were behaving like different, crazy women.
This was bad enough, but then they said that on average, it took several months to a year for their bodies to get fully back to normal, and their hormones were out of whack for that entire time.
Shocking! It takes lots of women almost a year to "come down" off of the Depo shot?!? Now I wish I had read these comments before I had decided to take Depo! I think these negatives would have outweighed the convenience factor!
I was truly shocked how most of the women had nothing good to say about the Depo shot, and they were in fact warning other women not to get on it!
Do any of you have thoughts about which birth control pills or methods are better than others? Have you had a great experience? A horrible one? Let me know!
I'd love to find a brand of the Pill that doesn't negatively effect my body or my hormones!
I started it because, after doing some research about birth control options, I saw that the Depo shot is more effective in preventing pregnancy, and it's so convenient because the shot lasts for 3 entire months, so you only need 4 shots in a year. My insurance also pays for some of it, but not all, so it is about $40 out-of-pocket for me each time. But I loved the convenience of not having to remember to take a daily pill (I'm not a good pill swallower anyway), and I loved the promise of it preventing pregnancy even better than the Pill.
So I've loved the Depo shot until I realized that, instead of slowly losing weight as I watch calories and exercise, that I've actually slowing been gaining weight. It's been happening so slow that I almost didn't notice until some of my pants and shirts are actually fitting tighter than they should! I couldn't believe it!
So only then did I go back online and do more research about the Depo shot. I found a "consumer report" website where women who had tried the shot wrote about their experiences. And most of them were not good experiences!
Most women bemoaned that the Depo shot had caused significant weight gain (like over 20 pounds), and most of them said that it messed up their hormones so badly that they were behaving like different, crazy women.
This was bad enough, but then they said that on average, it took several months to a year for their bodies to get fully back to normal, and their hormones were out of whack for that entire time.
Shocking! It takes lots of women almost a year to "come down" off of the Depo shot?!? Now I wish I had read these comments before I had decided to take Depo! I think these negatives would have outweighed the convenience factor!
I was truly shocked how most of the women had nothing good to say about the Depo shot, and they were in fact warning other women not to get on it!
Do any of you have thoughts about which birth control pills or methods are better than others? Have you had a great experience? A horrible one? Let me know!
I'd love to find a brand of the Pill that doesn't negatively effect my body or my hormones!
Thyroid Issues?
Hi all,
I'm so sorry that it's been so long since I've posted. I've been dealing with some health issues, and here's the deal: I strongly believe that I may have a thyroid issue, particularly hypothyroidism.
The thyroid is a gland in the front and sides of your neck, under your chin. It produces several different hormones, which regulate such things as blood sugar and metabolism. Symptoms of hypothyroidism can include (among others): fatigue, low energy, high blood pressure, inability to lose weight, inability to gain physical endurance and stamina, shallow breathing, bodily aches and pains, and feeling "low" or "down" inexplicably.
These symptoms describe me completely! I have been working out by lifting weights about 4 days a week, and running a few days a week, with absolutely no weight loss and no muscle definition at all. How utterly frustrating! That's why I finally got my rear in gear and made an appointment with an endocrinologist to get my thyroid hormones checked out.
I went to an allergist, thinking my fatigue might be a food allergy or intolerance, so he tested me for several of the most common food and seasonal allergies, which all came up negative. He told me that I never need to come back to see him again. So I don't have any allergies, which is a good thing!
After talking with the allergist, he said that in his professional opinion, my symptoms sound like a thyroid disorder, or an auto-immune problem.
So I'm going to get my thyroid tested, and if that comes back normal, then I'll go see a rhuematologist, a doctor who deals with inflammation and auto-immune disorders, who I've also already been referred to.
If the thyroid comes back normal, that could actually be a very bad thing, because then it means that I most likely have an auto-immune disorder, which include disorders like rhuematoid arthritis, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome, or fibromyalgia. These are disorders in which your body begins attacking healthy cells & tissues, mistaking it for a foreign "enemy". Of course, our bodies are made to attack diseased cells and destroy them, but it's a big problem when your body starts attacking healthy cells!
So with all these potential issues looming, and still being completely in the dark as to what is wrong with me, I have been wrestling with feelings of disappointment, anger, and defeat.
I've been watching what I eat and working my butt off (if only!) for almost 2 whole years now, and I currently weigh 177 pounds, the heaviest I've ever been. Um, where are all those muscles from all that weight lifting? Nonexistent!
So I keep asking myself: why on earth did I wait this long to make an appointment with a doctor who might have the answers?
Well, there's 2 main reasons: First, my general doctor (who's been my doctor since before I was born) has been blowing me off, not really listening to me, and telling me that (because my basic blood work came back normal) I was completely normal and there's nothing wrong with me. He has basically closed the book on me and refused to follow up any further with any of my symptoms. So for a long time, I tried to believe him and force myself to believe that there was really nothing wrong with me. But these mind tricks did not work. I could not force myself to "feel better" simply because I wanted to.
The other reason I waited so long to get real help was because it's supposed to take a long time get into shape and transform your body! I've read about countless "success" stories of women who lost a lot of weight, and it generally takes anywhere from several months to about 2 years. So I expected it to take at least a year. Then, after a year had come and gone, I kept at it and told myself that I must not be cutting out enough calories, or must still be eating out too often.
So it was only in the last few months that I realized that I may have a legitimate, medical reason for my inability to lose weight and get in shape.
So here I am, desperately sticking with the workouts, anxiously awaiting September 28th, the date of my endocrinologist appointment. It's also my 2 year anniversary to my wonderful husband, Eric! Check back here for an update after that! Hopefully I'll have some good news to tell y'all!
I'm so sorry that it's been so long since I've posted. I've been dealing with some health issues, and here's the deal: I strongly believe that I may have a thyroid issue, particularly hypothyroidism.
The thyroid is a gland in the front and sides of your neck, under your chin. It produces several different hormones, which regulate such things as blood sugar and metabolism. Symptoms of hypothyroidism can include (among others): fatigue, low energy, high blood pressure, inability to lose weight, inability to gain physical endurance and stamina, shallow breathing, bodily aches and pains, and feeling "low" or "down" inexplicably.
These symptoms describe me completely! I have been working out by lifting weights about 4 days a week, and running a few days a week, with absolutely no weight loss and no muscle definition at all. How utterly frustrating! That's why I finally got my rear in gear and made an appointment with an endocrinologist to get my thyroid hormones checked out.
I went to an allergist, thinking my fatigue might be a food allergy or intolerance, so he tested me for several of the most common food and seasonal allergies, which all came up negative. He told me that I never need to come back to see him again. So I don't have any allergies, which is a good thing!
After talking with the allergist, he said that in his professional opinion, my symptoms sound like a thyroid disorder, or an auto-immune problem.
So I'm going to get my thyroid tested, and if that comes back normal, then I'll go see a rhuematologist, a doctor who deals with inflammation and auto-immune disorders, who I've also already been referred to.
If the thyroid comes back normal, that could actually be a very bad thing, because then it means that I most likely have an auto-immune disorder, which include disorders like rhuematoid arthritis, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome, or fibromyalgia. These are disorders in which your body begins attacking healthy cells & tissues, mistaking it for a foreign "enemy". Of course, our bodies are made to attack diseased cells and destroy them, but it's a big problem when your body starts attacking healthy cells!
So with all these potential issues looming, and still being completely in the dark as to what is wrong with me, I have been wrestling with feelings of disappointment, anger, and defeat.
I've been watching what I eat and working my butt off (if only!) for almost 2 whole years now, and I currently weigh 177 pounds, the heaviest I've ever been. Um, where are all those muscles from all that weight lifting? Nonexistent!
So I keep asking myself: why on earth did I wait this long to make an appointment with a doctor who might have the answers?
Well, there's 2 main reasons: First, my general doctor (who's been my doctor since before I was born) has been blowing me off, not really listening to me, and telling me that (because my basic blood work came back normal) I was completely normal and there's nothing wrong with me. He has basically closed the book on me and refused to follow up any further with any of my symptoms. So for a long time, I tried to believe him and force myself to believe that there was really nothing wrong with me. But these mind tricks did not work. I could not force myself to "feel better" simply because I wanted to.
The other reason I waited so long to get real help was because it's supposed to take a long time get into shape and transform your body! I've read about countless "success" stories of women who lost a lot of weight, and it generally takes anywhere from several months to about 2 years. So I expected it to take at least a year. Then, after a year had come and gone, I kept at it and told myself that I must not be cutting out enough calories, or must still be eating out too often.
So it was only in the last few months that I realized that I may have a legitimate, medical reason for my inability to lose weight and get in shape.
So here I am, desperately sticking with the workouts, anxiously awaiting September 28th, the date of my endocrinologist appointment. It's also my 2 year anniversary to my wonderful husband, Eric! Check back here for an update after that! Hopefully I'll have some good news to tell y'all!
July 15, 2010
Running Group!
I've got great news! I officially started a women's running group through Crossroads, an awesome church my hubby and I have been attending for several months. I was able to post a "wanted" classified ad on the church's website, and I got 3 responses within a week!
Me & the 3 other young women have met 3 times now, and we're absolutely loving it so far! Our schedule is Monday, Wednesday, & Friday, @ 7am at a local park that has a paved 1/2 mile loop. We've been running a moderate-pace 2 miles, but will start slowly upping our mileage when I get back from vacation in a couple weeks.
We're training for the Flying Pig Half Marathon in Cincinnati, OH, in May! This goal is daunting and intimidating, but I have the utmost faith that we can do it, considering we have almost a year to train.
Two of us ladies are married, and the other married lady is pregnant! The other two ladies are both 22 years old, working full-time, and recent college grads. We've all run off & on for years, but never as a long-term habit. So hopefully that's what this running group will become!
I get up a 6:30am to get dressed and meet up with them at 7am. We run & walk for about a half an hour, then they have to leave to go shower and get ready for work at 9am.
It's hard for me to get up so early, but I usually come home and take a nap to catch up on sleep. The only bad thing is that I tend to be groggy for the rest of the day when I do this. So I'm going to tweak my bedtimes and naptimes to see if I can improve the drowsiness.
But yay for accountability & motivation!
Me & the 3 other young women have met 3 times now, and we're absolutely loving it so far! Our schedule is Monday, Wednesday, & Friday, @ 7am at a local park that has a paved 1/2 mile loop. We've been running a moderate-pace 2 miles, but will start slowly upping our mileage when I get back from vacation in a couple weeks.
We're training for the Flying Pig Half Marathon in Cincinnati, OH, in May! This goal is daunting and intimidating, but I have the utmost faith that we can do it, considering we have almost a year to train.
Two of us ladies are married, and the other married lady is pregnant! The other two ladies are both 22 years old, working full-time, and recent college grads. We've all run off & on for years, but never as a long-term habit. So hopefully that's what this running group will become!
I get up a 6:30am to get dressed and meet up with them at 7am. We run & walk for about a half an hour, then they have to leave to go shower and get ready for work at 9am.
It's hard for me to get up so early, but I usually come home and take a nap to catch up on sleep. The only bad thing is that I tend to be groggy for the rest of the day when I do this. So I'm going to tweak my bedtimes and naptimes to see if I can improve the drowsiness.
But yay for accountability & motivation!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)