Splurge on Sneakers

If you...

...bought your last pair of sneaks because they were cute...(Hel-lo? Puma was having a sale?!)...

...haven't replaced your sneakers in 3 years...

...buy all your shoes at DSW or Kohl's according to what's on sale...

...I'm worried about you.

Buying sneakers is not the time to be cheap. I know it is tempting to roll into an outlet store and pick out something inexpensive and trendy. But logging miles in shoes that are a poor fit for your feet (or pounding away on worn out sneaks) is an invitation for aches, pains, and even injuries that are otherwise preventable. Every few months I start to feel tight in my lower back and hips, and I know it's time for a new pair of shoes. 

One tip to keep in mind is that sneakers need to be replaced every 300-500 miles. Yes, they go bad. Mileage is probably not a realistic way to gauge when we're up for sneaker renewal since many people are using gym equipment like the Elliptical machine and probably all of us, except for runners, aren't journaling exercise results. A rough estimate is to replace shoes every 3 months for those who are very active (exercise 5-7 days/week) and every 6 months for those who are less active (exercise 2-3 days/week). To preserve the life of your shoe, try to limit the time you wear your workout sneaks to when you are exercising.  

My best advice: Consult the experts when you buy shoes. Two stores that come to mind are Philadelphia Runner and Bryn Mawr Running Company. Staff members here will consider your arch type, your gait, and the tread on your previous shoes to individualize the pair that is right for you. You might pay $20 more for your shoes, but these companies will have the knowledge to put you in sneakers that are aesthetically appealing and preserve your health.

Isn't Juice Better Than Soda??

I recently spoke to a client, who is looking to lose over 50 pounds, about changes she could make in her diet to cut down on excessive calorie consumption. I asked her to tell me what she'd eaten and had to drink so far that day. She told me she was drinking juice at every meal, and my eyes bulged. "But isn't juice better than soda?" she said.  It depends. 

If you want to increase your Vitamin C intake, then yes, juice is better than soda. However, if you are someone with weight loss goals, juice is not any better than soda because, serving for serving, they contain nearly the same number of calories. In many cases, juice has more calories.

Below you'll find the calorie content of popular sodas and juices. Keep in mind that these values are for an 8 ounce serving, less than half of what most bottles contain. (Think 20 oz. sodas or juices that you grab at a gas station.)

Coca-Cola........................................97

Pepsi...............................................100

Sprite...............................................96

Ocean Spray Cranberry...............130

Tropicana Orange Juice...............110

Welch's Grape Juice.....................170

Nantucket Nectars Pomegranate

Cherry Juice..........................120

My advice is to stay away from all of these products, whether or not you are trying to lose weight, whether or not they are 100% juice. They are basically liquid sugar, dessert in disguise. Drink water. And if you are looking to increase your vitamin intake, I suggest eating fruit instead of drinking juice (or soda). An orange supplies the same nutrients as orange juice, but contains half the calories. Plus, the fiber in an orange will help to keep you feeling full longer. 

Take a Baseball Bat and Smash Your Bathroom Scale

I recently talked to a woman who weighs herself 2 to 3 times daily. She admittedly calls it an obsession. I know of many others who weigh themselves at least once a day. Weight loss, or weight gain for some, is a part of measuring progress in a fitness program, but I'm seeing it used as a daily self-evaluation tool, a way to figure out if someone should feel good about themselves or downright shameful. This saddens me. No one should feel terrible all day because they weigh one more pound than they did the day before. I know that I can't change the emotional responses linked to weight fluctuation, but perhaps I can draw people away from the scale obsession with a bit of education. This post is going to take a look at why weight taken alone does not evaluate health/fitness and why daily weighing-in can be psychologically hazardous, and quite frankly, nonsensical.

BMI vs. Body Fat Percentage

Because the "obesity epidemic" gets so much attention in the media, most readers will have at least heard of the Body Mass Index (BMI) Scale. BMI is calculated by dividing your weight (lbs) by your height (in) squared and multiplying by 703. For example, I am 136 pounds and 67 inches tall so my BMI is 21. BMI readings indicate whether or not your weight is in a healthy range. Below is a breakdown of BMI categories:

Under 18.5 = Underweight

18.5 - 25 = Healthy weight

25 - 30 = Overweight

30+ = Obese

BMI is simple to calculate and accurate for the general population. However, it has limitations. Being only a relationship of height to weight, it does not take into account what percentage of that weight is fat and what percentage is muscle. Athletes who have higher percentages of muscle mass are often incorrectly categorized as "overweight" based on their BMI scores. In addition, individuals with low body weight but a high body fat percentage may be incorrectly labeled as being a healthy weight. 

Body fat percentage, a more accurate indicator of health than BMI, can be measured quickly and conveniently using skinfold calipers or a hand-held device known as bioelectrical impedance. Body fat categories are listed below:

Men

Under 10% = athletic

10 - 15% = lean

15 - 18% = normal

18 - 20% = above average

20 - 25% = over-fat

25+% = obese

Women

Under 17% = athletic

17 - 22% = lean

22 - 25% = normal

25 - 29% = above average

29 - 35% = over-fat

35+% = obese

For example, consider two men, Bob and Fred. They are both 5'10", 180 pounds and have BMI scores of 26, overweight by BMI standards. The two men have a trainer measure their body fat percentages using skinfold calipers and find that Bob's is at 13% while Fred's is 30%. The body fat reading distinguishes Bob to be in a "lean" range, whereas Fred would be considered obese! 

I often talk about the irrelevance of weight as a number by itself, stressing the importance of body fat percentage when dealing with weight-focused clients. However, there are two other reasons to ditch the daily weigh-in. 

Natural Weight Fluctuation

No one weighs the same thing every day. You could weigh yourself every hour and get a different response from the scale. We eat, we drink, we consume salty foods that draw water, some of us have menstrual cycles that bloat us and hold even more water...these things make us weigh more. But then we perspire, we expire, we urinate, we defecate...these things make us weigh less. Our metric weight is constantly rising and falling in small increments.

Think of daily weight fluctuations like seasons. In summer, we expect the temperature to be between 80 and 95 (in Philly, anyway). But if it's 79 one day, we don't go screaming about how it's fall, because it will probably be back up the next day. But if we find that the temperature drops into the 70s for 10 or 11 days in a row, we might conclude that fall is coming. We should assume that as with ups and downs in seasonal temperatures, weight too will fluctuate. Weighing ourselves month-to-month will reflect a more accurate change over time as opposed to daily weigh-ins which will only reveal natural fluctuations.

Misguided Sense of Self-Esteem 

Let's say a woman wants her weight to stay below 140. She wakes up one morning and weighs herself, finding that she is 139. She may evaluate herself positively for that day saying, "I'm great. I lost weight." The next day she wakes up and weighs herself, finding that she weighs 141, promptly degrading herself and feeling worthless for having gained weight. In either case, this woman is basing her self-image on misguided logic, be it for feeling like a success or a failure at her weight-loss efforts. As mentioned above, your weight will fluctuate - it's natural. So basing self-esteem off of day-to-day weight changes is a recipe for an emotional roller coaster. 

My advice is to set goals related to body fat percentage reduction, not simply weight loss. Meet with a trainer or fitness professional to take your weight, calculate your body fat percentage, and develop time appropriate goals for improving your health. Remove the daily emotional impact of scale readings but make an appointment in 4-6 weeks to assess your overall progress. 

 

January Book Review: Mindless Eating

Mindless Eating
Brian Wansink, PhD

In one of Brian Wansink's clever studies on food psychology, he and his team of researchers gave out free bags of granola to viewers at a movie theater. The granola was labeled either "low-fat" or "regular," but in reality, all the granola was low-fat. After the movie, those who were given granola labeled "low-fat" had eaten 49% more than those who had "regular" bags. Wansink attributes these results to what he calls the "Health Halo," the general assumption that a food is healthy which leads people to pay less attention to how much they are eating.

In his book Mindless Eating, Wansink, a food psychologist at Cornell University, speaks to the many hidden persuaders in the environment that affect how much we eat: size of glasses/dishes, how many people we are eating with, how conveniently our food is located, how desirable we perceive our food to be, how distracted we are, and many others. By understanding how these variables might cause us to overeat, we can manipulate them in our favor, and perhaps, mindlessly eat a bit less.

"If we eat way too little, we know it. If we eat way too much, we know it. But there is a calorie range - a mindless margin - where we feel fine and are unaware of small differences. That is, the difference between 1,900 calories and 2,000 calories is not one we can detect, nor can we detect the difference between 2,000 and 2,100 calories. But over the course of the year, this mindless margin would either cause us to lose ten pounds or gain ten pounds. It takes 3,500 extra calories to equal one pound. It doesn't matter if we eat these extra 3,500 calories in one week or gradually over the entire year. They'll add up to one pound."

As the excerpt above implies, this is not a diet book, per se. Wansink won't tell you exactly what to eat, but he will teach you how to restructure your environment so that you stay in the "mindless margin" and eat less (or more) of the foods that are already on your menu. This will enable you to gradually lose (or gain) weight without experiencing deprivation. Plus, for anyone who eats, it's a fascinating, albeit scary look, at how we make decisions regarding what goes into our mouths.

January Weigh-In: Janet Harper

"Weighing In" is a new monthly article I will be posting to the blog that features one individual's experience with and perspectives on physical activity.  Our personal health is linked to a unique history, upbringing, and exposure to resources. It is my hope that by sharing one another's realities, struggles, and successes, we can come to appreciate our own strengths, and be more forgiving of our perceived flaws. Perhaps learning from each other will breed self-acceptance, reservation from judging others, and confidence. 

I asked Janet Harper, a member of Muscle Group (MG), to be the first to weigh in. A few months back, she was a stranger to me, a referral of another woman I hardly knew. All I knew about Janet was that she seemed to be moving against the grain so effortlessly. She finished work in Center City on Tuesdays and Thursdays, ran over to the Art Museum, exercised hard for an hour, then ran back to work - even when it was freezing out. At the beginning, she didn't know anyone at all in the group, and I was immediately impressed with her courage, modesty, and work ethic. 

How old are you? 

42

How was physical activity first introduced into your life?

Fitness was not part of my upbringing and not something I gave much thought to until I reached my mid-thirties. I started walking with a friend in the neighborhood. After a few years we both joined Curves, and after 2 years I joined a Gym. 

In what type(s) of exercise, physical activity, or athletic pursuits do you currently participate? 

I mainly walk, run, and workout at the gym with various weights and machines. I am experimenting with different areas of fitness right now and trying to figure out what I really like. I enjoy jogging and running on the weekend when I have the time, and in the spring, I am looking forward to purchasing a bike and seeing how I like riding. 

What does fitness mean to you?

Fitness means being in good health and having a good quality of life as I get older. Recently, in the last year, I have been looking at the people in my life in their older years and I see so many health problems that can be avoided by exercise and eating right.

What is your favorite type of workout? What leaves you feeling invigorated?

I like doing cardio followed by weights. I feel so much better when I combine the two. My muscles are tired but I always have so much more energy when I'm done. Also, I love to workout or run in the cold. 

Speaking specifically, what is your favorite exercise? Least favorite? What is it you like/don't like about these?

My favorite exercise is probably running, though I am still working through the boredom factor. I have to say I read your blog and instead of running at a steady rate, I have incorporated the intervals and find it helps. I think I like running because I can set my own pace. My least favorite, and of course the ones I need to work on the most, are my abs exercises. After two kids and two C-sections, no matter how much I do, I will never be able to get my abs back in the shape I would like. 

What is your profession and what hours do you work? What time does that leave for exercise? How do you fit it into your day?

I work in an office and work 9-5, however I like to be in work early and am usually there by 8 and I often stay late. In the last several months, I have started to walk every day at lunch for about 30 minutes, and often walk in the morning before work for about 10-15 minutes. As far as going to the gym, I like to go at night anywhere between 8:30 to 9:30 and work out between an hour to an hour and a half, usually 5 days a week. This works well into my schedule...since my husband gets home at 10:30 after I work out, I usually have plenty of energy to stay up and have some time together.

Who/what has supported you in your fitness pursuits? How?

My fitness pursuits started with a good friend who walked with me when no one else would and kept me motivated through my two years at Curves. I have to say, if it was not for her encouragement (or should I say forcing me to go with her when on many occasions I would not have gone) I don't think I would have gotten to where I am today.

What factors play into your motivation the strongest? (i.e. friends, weather, money, work, scheduling, sleep, etc.)

I think my biggest motivation now, as I said earlier, is the health factor. I see so many people in bad health or generally just feeling lousy because of their lifestyle. This motivates me most to keep going. I tell myself this is a lifetime commitment, not just a way to lose a few pounds. I try to work out five days a week. I make sure to to work out some way those five days no matter what the weather, either the gym, [Muscle Group], or running on the weekends.

Who are your health/exercise role models? What do they embody that inspires you?

I can't really say that I have an exercise role model. I admire the way you can get down and do a push-up effortlessly, which I suck at. And I have to say I would like to one day be able to keep up with your mother at the workouts. I do admire your mother because she embodies everything I would like to one day achieve. She looks great, has amazing energy, and kicks ass at the workouts.

In what exercise settings do you feel comfortable? Why? What settings do you find uncomfortable and why?

I feel most comfortable running outside because I am on my own with no one around and I can go at my own pace. I do go to the gym but I don't find the atmosphere comfortable. I would prefer an all girl gym.

Fill in this statement: I can't imagine exercise without ________________.

Music. I put my MP3 player on and I am in my own world when I am at the gym.

When it comes to exercise and health, what still remains a mystery for you?

I think the biggest mystery is just finding what works for me in both exercise and eating. I have been reading a lot more lately - books, magazines, and online. There is just so much information that it takes a lot of time to digest and sift through what works or even what is real and what is crap. I am just in the beginning stages and have a long way to go.

What are your guilty pleasures when it comes to eating?

Potato chips and ice cream. I rarely bring them in the house and when I do, I will eat the whole bag of chips or all the ice cream by myself. My kids always know to have the ice cream as soon as possible or they won't get any. When I am at a party, I will sometimes eat only the potato chips. I usually set up camp right next to the bowl.

What's your favorite OutFit?

I have to say that I love clothes and I like to dress. I can't say that I have a favorite outfit but I do prefer wearing shirts with heels in the summer and shirts with boots in the winter. 

Set Goals not Resolutions

I become apprehensive at this time of year as I hear many around me making their new year's resolutions related to fitness...

"This year I'm going to get in shape."
"This year I'm going to get to the gym."
"This year I'm going to lose weight."

Most readers are familiar with the sudden crowds that appear at the gym come January and their gradual disappearance in February and March. This doesn't mean resolutions are inherently a bad thing - they do get people to change behaviors, but why are these changes so often short-lived?

Resolutions are sometimes sweeping statements we make to alleviate the guilt we feel from overindulging at the holidays or the prior year.

Resolutions - at least the ones listed above - are not productive goal statements. They are...

...vague: How much weight do you want to lose?
...immeasurable: How do you know once you are in shape?
...poorly structured: When, how often, and for how long will you go to the gym?

Lacking structure, resolutions often lead those who make them to engage in all-or-nothing thinking. Perhaps after missing an exercise session or two (and this is more likely to happen without a definitive plan), people feel guilty and ashamed, and start to view the lapse in exercise as a catastrophic failure, not simply a temporary setback. Seeing this failure, they throw in the towel, and the gyms empty out in February. 

Try turning your resolution into a productive goal and develop a plan of action that you will follow. Some ideas to consider:

• Goals should follow the SMART principle (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely). 
  
• Short-term goals are absolutely essential to meeting long-term goals (aka resolutions). 
  
• Realize that even if you set realistic goals, sometimes you won't be able to meet them. If this happens, be forgiving of yourself and pick up with your plan the next day. 
  
• Sorry for the shameless plug, but also consider hiring a trainer to help you develop goals and a plan that you can stick to. 

Happy New Year!