So my belly just won't go away. Why? Damn you, why? And I've been thinking about ways to increase the rate of fat loss.
I could go back on the keto diet. But, ugh. Consuming that much fat, cheese, and heavy cream is just not natural. And the inability to eat fruit while on the diet is soul destroying. I can't do it. I just can't.
I've decided the only way to deal with the belly fat, at faster than glacial speed, is to adjust my workouts and meal plans. Two weeks ago, I started meal planning, otherwise known as meal prepping. On a day or two that I have off, I make all our meals for the week. Homemade yogurt and bread for breakfast and snacks, and then three different meals for lunches and dinners. We've agreed not to eat out until November, so that'll force adherence to the meal plan.
Workout-wise, I've been thinking about doubling up on my workouts. A lot of weight lifters do this in general, they'll lift in the morning and do cardio at night, or vice versa. Of course, if you're weight lifting everyday, most people split the area of the body their working on day to day. But for me, I'll probably do strength training with a medicine ball while doing Tabata, HIIT, or kickboxing. Then the second workout will be some sort of cardio or aerobics workout probably running, rowing, or aerobics.
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Should You Exercise or Run While Sick?
The real answer is: It depends.
Most runners think along the line of, as long as it's an illness that is just affecting your head, then it's ok to run. If the illness travels any lower, like say your lungs or a stomach bug, then definitely take the time to rest and don't do anything strenuous.
We've all been recovering from a summer cold in our household. My husband kept up with his every other day run, and still managed to have at least one long run during the week while he was ill for three weeks. When it got into his lungs, he went to the doctor and quit running. Now, he's over his cold and back at his usual workout schedule.
It's in my lungs at this point, so I haven't run this week. But I did find a fun little low impact aerobics video, that's pretty much 45 minutes of standing ab exercises. So addictive, feel the burn in those arms and abs.
Most runners think along the line of, as long as it's an illness that is just affecting your head, then it's ok to run. If the illness travels any lower, like say your lungs or a stomach bug, then definitely take the time to rest and don't do anything strenuous.
We've all been recovering from a summer cold in our household. My husband kept up with his every other day run, and still managed to have at least one long run during the week while he was ill for three weeks. When it got into his lungs, he went to the doctor and quit running. Now, he's over his cold and back at his usual workout schedule.
It's in my lungs at this point, so I haven't run this week. But I did find a fun little low impact aerobics video, that's pretty much 45 minutes of standing ab exercises. So addictive, feel the burn in those arms and abs.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Increasing Protein Intake When You're Sore from Working Out
My husband was getting incredibly sore after workouts or after long strenuous days at work. Days were spent icing his muscles after work, rolling out, and stretching. But the soreness never really went away, although it would die back down for awhile.
I did some reading and decided he wasn't getting enough protein in his diet. I exercise as much as he does and I wasn't excessively sore like him, although admittedly his work is more strenuous than mine. But I eat homemade yogurt in the mornings, and I eat more things that have higher amounts of protein like hummus with vegetables, and soft tofu with crackers and cheese.
So, I started adding higher protein foods to our meals, like brown rice, corn, and beans. Then I purchased hemp seed hearts which have the added bonus of omega 3's and a giant 5 pound container of whey protein powder, both are added to our fruit smoothies. (In all honesty, I did not realize how gigantic a 5 pound container of whey protein really was. It nearly touches the bottom of the cabinets when it sits on the counter.) I also, put hemp seed hearts in my yogurt with fruit, and they are delicious. Much better than roasted hemp seeds, which always made me fear for my dental work.
He has so much energy now and the deep muscle soreness is gone. No more icing, no more begging for hour long messages on a daily basis. Come on. Who has time for that? Plus, my hands were getting tired.
I do think hydration is important when a person greatly increases their protein intake. My husband is always careful about drinking lots of water.
I did some reading and decided he wasn't getting enough protein in his diet. I exercise as much as he does and I wasn't excessively sore like him, although admittedly his work is more strenuous than mine. But I eat homemade yogurt in the mornings, and I eat more things that have higher amounts of protein like hummus with vegetables, and soft tofu with crackers and cheese.
So, I started adding higher protein foods to our meals, like brown rice, corn, and beans. Then I purchased hemp seed hearts which have the added bonus of omega 3's and a giant 5 pound container of whey protein powder, both are added to our fruit smoothies. (In all honesty, I did not realize how gigantic a 5 pound container of whey protein really was. It nearly touches the bottom of the cabinets when it sits on the counter.) I also, put hemp seed hearts in my yogurt with fruit, and they are delicious. Much better than roasted hemp seeds, which always made me fear for my dental work.
He has so much energy now and the deep muscle soreness is gone. No more icing, no more begging for hour long messages on a daily basis. Come on. Who has time for that? Plus, my hands were getting tired.
I do think hydration is important when a person greatly increases their protein intake. My husband is always careful about drinking lots of water.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Weird Deals You Make with Your Spouse
I've been meal prepping the last couple weeks. It's torture, makes for an exhausting day, and I have no idea how people do it on a consistent basis. They must have a will of iron, and a high stamina for vegetable chopping. The main reason for doing this was to eat healthier during the workweek and to give me extra time, so I can get back into writing.
My disappearance from the blogging world, and writing in general, can be directly attributed to trying to eat healthier and working out. It's a one or the other kind of thing for me because there's no way, I can give up taking care of my kid or going to work.
I was going over the week's menu with my husband, and expressing the idea of eating healthier and eating out less.
"Why don't we make a deal and stop going out to eat altogether?"
I was struck into silence for long moments, but finally returned to my body. "Okay."
"How long?"
"Till November."
Then we shook on it.
So no restaurant or cafeteria food for two and a half months for the two adults. The kiddo will still get to eat school lunches.
If you're curious about last week's menu, it was southwest chicken or herb chicken on a bed of brown rice with 6 mix and match vegetables. The vegetables were air fryer roasted sweet potatoes, air fryer roasted beets, air fryer roasted broccoli, sautéed corn, sautéed sweet peppers, and sautéed zucchini. Each meat got 3 vegetables along with added beans or chickpeas for extra protein.
This week's meal prep was vegetarian. I made a sweet spicy chili tofu on a bed of kamut, ginger sesame tofu with kamut, tomato mushroom cheese omelet with kamut, burritos with tofu crumbles, and vegetarian refried bean burritos with homemade salsa.
My disappearance from the blogging world, and writing in general, can be directly attributed to trying to eat healthier and working out. It's a one or the other kind of thing for me because there's no way, I can give up taking care of my kid or going to work.
I was going over the week's menu with my husband, and expressing the idea of eating healthier and eating out less.
"Why don't we make a deal and stop going out to eat altogether?"
I was struck into silence for long moments, but finally returned to my body. "Okay."
"How long?"
"Till November."
Then we shook on it.
So no restaurant or cafeteria food for two and a half months for the two adults. The kiddo will still get to eat school lunches.
If you're curious about last week's menu, it was southwest chicken or herb chicken on a bed of brown rice with 6 mix and match vegetables. The vegetables were air fryer roasted sweet potatoes, air fryer roasted beets, air fryer roasted broccoli, sautéed corn, sautéed sweet peppers, and sautéed zucchini. Each meat got 3 vegetables along with added beans or chickpeas for extra protein.
This week's meal prep was vegetarian. I made a sweet spicy chili tofu on a bed of kamut, ginger sesame tofu with kamut, tomato mushroom cheese omelet with kamut, burritos with tofu crumbles, and vegetarian refried bean burritos with homemade salsa.
Friday, August 16, 2019
A Frank Conversation About My Health and Weight
Sorry it has been such a long time since I last posted. After my husband was seriously ill last year and hospitalized twice that culminated with an emergency surgery, our family has been looking seriously at our health. As a couple who had a child late in life, I felt longevity was something we needed to focus our energy on.
As a Vietnamese American, waist circumference, BMI, and weight takes on a more heightened meaning. Asians overall have higher rates of diabetes, renal failure due to diabetes, and strokes of any other race in America. Which is due to the manner in which we store fat on our bodies. Asian’s tend to store fat inside their abdominal cavity right around their organs, also known as visceral fat.
Fat acts as an organ by producing an array of hormones. Hormones that are involved with blood clotting, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, and cell signaling. In this manner, when there is too much fat stored, these hormones can affect other organs negatively.
This means as an Asian American, I need to be at a smaller weight and have a smaller waist circumference than the rest of the population. Non-Asian women with a waist circumference over 35 inches are at high risk for developing heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, whereas Asian women with a waist circumference over 31 inches are at high risk for those same things. That is a 4-inch difference in waist size. Asians also have to stay at much lower BMI to lower their risks for these diseases.
What is considered a healthy weight for the average American would put an Asian American at high risk for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Japan has taken steps to adjust their BMI charts to take into account the higher risk at lower BMI’s for their population, they now consider a BMI of over 25 to be obese. In comparison, a BMI of 24 is healthy for non-Asian populations, they are not even considered overweight.
Every 11-pound increase in weight in adulthood for Asians correlates with an 84% increase in their chances of getting diabetes.
What this means for my own health… I have lost 20 pounds this year and now currently weigh 143 pounds, which equaled a loss of 2 inches in waist circumference. For me to lose another 3 inches around my waist to reach a waistline of 31 inches, I would likely need to lose another 30 pounds.
The weight loss has been very slow. Over the course of almost 2 years, I have lost 35 pounds. My spouse actually lost 50 pounds in a month or two during his health crisis, which left him weak and wasted.
Last November, 10 months ago, we joined a gym. To gain strength and at the same time lessen the impact on our joints, we just did an hour on the elliptical every day for two months. After that, we started adding stair stepper and jogging to our exercise routine. At this point, we regularly run on the treadmill 3-4 days a week.
I did experience a couple of setbacks this year with straining a tibialis anterior muscle, which kept me from exercising for 4 weeks. Then I had minor surgery on my foot which laid me up for another 4 weeks.
My husband has made tremendous gains in his strength and endurance. He was running eighteen to twenty miles a week, but has backed off from that pace when his work became more physically strenuous.
Sources:
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ee8f/dbb68f1e1470b0333ddef027a5b75344a0da.pdf
https://www.yourhormones.info/glands/adipose-tissue/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/ethnic-differences-in-bmi-and-disease-risk/
As a Vietnamese American, waist circumference, BMI, and weight takes on a more heightened meaning. Asians overall have higher rates of diabetes, renal failure due to diabetes, and strokes of any other race in America. Which is due to the manner in which we store fat on our bodies. Asian’s tend to store fat inside their abdominal cavity right around their organs, also known as visceral fat.
Fat acts as an organ by producing an array of hormones. Hormones that are involved with blood clotting, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, and cell signaling. In this manner, when there is too much fat stored, these hormones can affect other organs negatively.
This means as an Asian American, I need to be at a smaller weight and have a smaller waist circumference than the rest of the population. Non-Asian women with a waist circumference over 35 inches are at high risk for developing heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, whereas Asian women with a waist circumference over 31 inches are at high risk for those same things. That is a 4-inch difference in waist size. Asians also have to stay at much lower BMI to lower their risks for these diseases.
What is considered a healthy weight for the average American would put an Asian American at high risk for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Japan has taken steps to adjust their BMI charts to take into account the higher risk at lower BMI’s for their population, they now consider a BMI of over 25 to be obese. In comparison, a BMI of 24 is healthy for non-Asian populations, they are not even considered overweight.
Every 11-pound increase in weight in adulthood for Asians correlates with an 84% increase in their chances of getting diabetes.
What this means for my own health… I have lost 20 pounds this year and now currently weigh 143 pounds, which equaled a loss of 2 inches in waist circumference. For me to lose another 3 inches around my waist to reach a waistline of 31 inches, I would likely need to lose another 30 pounds.
The weight loss has been very slow. Over the course of almost 2 years, I have lost 35 pounds. My spouse actually lost 50 pounds in a month or two during his health crisis, which left him weak and wasted.
Last November, 10 months ago, we joined a gym. To gain strength and at the same time lessen the impact on our joints, we just did an hour on the elliptical every day for two months. After that, we started adding stair stepper and jogging to our exercise routine. At this point, we regularly run on the treadmill 3-4 days a week.
I did experience a couple of setbacks this year with straining a tibialis anterior muscle, which kept me from exercising for 4 weeks. Then I had minor surgery on my foot which laid me up for another 4 weeks.
My husband has made tremendous gains in his strength and endurance. He was running eighteen to twenty miles a week, but has backed off from that pace when his work became more physically strenuous.
Sources:
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/ee8f/dbb68f1e1470b0333ddef027a5b75344a0da.pdf
https://www.yourhormones.info/glands/adipose-tissue/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/ethnic-differences-in-bmi-and-disease-risk/
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Roasting Vegetables
I roast vegetables regularly during the winter regularly. Root vegetables like carrots, beets, sweet potatoes are wonderful roasted. Butternut squashes and asparagus are also delicious baked in the oven.
Roasted vegetables make a nice accompaniment to baked fish. For vegetarians they go well added to mashed potatoes, the potatoes can be prepared with olive oil and nut milks. I also like roasted vegetables added to pasta with a sprinkling of parmesan. They actually make a pasta from soybeans that have 50% of the daily protein and 50% of the daily requirement for fiber, plus it's pretty tasty.
Note: The herb and spice blends I use vary day to day. But the ones I most commonly use are salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, marjoram, oregano, basil, turmeric, Penzey's Mural of Flavor, and Penzey's Sunny Paris. Mix and match for your preference, but definitely don't use them all at once.
Beets
Who knew, how delicious beets could be? They are lovely when roasted, especially with a little coconut oil brushed on the baking sheet or jelly roll pan to lend it some sweetness.
I leave the skin on all my vegetables that get roasted. Just be sure to give beets a good scrub with a brush or green scrubby scour pad. Since beets are a hard vegetable, I boil the whole unpeeled beets for ten minutes. Chop the beets into good sized chunks once they're cool enough to handle, but the smaller you chop them the less time you will have to cook them. Put them in a pan that has a little coconut oil or olive oil brushed directly onto the pan. Drizzle olive oil lightly over the top, and then sprinkle on your favorite herbs or spices. I would choose salt, pepper, and a sprinkling of Mural of Flavor. Since I cook beets on the same pan as sweet potatoes, the parboiling helps keep the cooking time the same at 35-40 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sweet Potatoes
These lovely root vegetables are amazing roasted, so sweet and delicious. A little coconut oil brushed on the baking sheet or jelly roll pan makes them even sweeter.
The skin gets left on for added fiber and nutrients, just be sure to give them a good scrub. Chop into good sized chunks. Put them in a pan that was brushed with coconut or olive oil, then drizzle olive oil over the top. Herbs and spices aren't necessary because they're pretty flavorful already, but you can sprinkle your favorites for added variation. Marjoram, or Penzey's Sunny Paris, or even basil might be good. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.
Asparagus
We eat ton of asparagus since they have such a short window when they're actually in season. For two months we eat asparagus a couple times a week. It's such a happy time.
Snap the tough fibrous bottom ends off the washed asparagus stalks. A one pound package of stalks usually fit well in a 8x8 square Pyrex glass pan. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon on them. Sprinkle with your favorite spices and herbs. My choice would be salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Mural of Flavor. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. (Quartered mushrooms also roast incredibly well with asparagus.)
Butternut Squash
A large butternut squash makes a lot of squash cubes. You might only want to bake half the squash this way, the other half will keep well in the fridge covered in plastic wrap. Use the other half for another dish, like Curried Butternut Squash with Lentils. (Recipe will be posted soon.)
Peel, deseed (a spoon makes a good seed and innards scooper), and chop up your squash into cubes. Rub a little olive oil or coconut oil into a pan. Then put them in a single even layer in a baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle on your favorite seasonings. Butternut squash is very sweet and flavorful, so you may choose to not season at all. Although, salt and pepper would do nicely. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Carrots
This root vegetable really lends itself to roasting, which brings out its savory and yet sweet flavors.
Cut the carrot into 3-4 inch long strips. It's easier to cut a small section off the carrot to create a flat side, so the carrot doesn't roll around while you're cutting it. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top and sprinkle with some herbs and spices. I might use garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes.
Roasted vegetables make a nice accompaniment to baked fish. For vegetarians they go well added to mashed potatoes, the potatoes can be prepared with olive oil and nut milks. I also like roasted vegetables added to pasta with a sprinkling of parmesan. They actually make a pasta from soybeans that have 50% of the daily protein and 50% of the daily requirement for fiber, plus it's pretty tasty.
Note: The herb and spice blends I use vary day to day. But the ones I most commonly use are salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, marjoram, oregano, basil, turmeric, Penzey's Mural of Flavor, and Penzey's Sunny Paris. Mix and match for your preference, but definitely don't use them all at once.
Beets
Who knew, how delicious beets could be? They are lovely when roasted, especially with a little coconut oil brushed on the baking sheet or jelly roll pan to lend it some sweetness.
I leave the skin on all my vegetables that get roasted. Just be sure to give beets a good scrub with a brush or green scrubby scour pad. Since beets are a hard vegetable, I boil the whole unpeeled beets for ten minutes. Chop the beets into good sized chunks once they're cool enough to handle, but the smaller you chop them the less time you will have to cook them. Put them in a pan that has a little coconut oil or olive oil brushed directly onto the pan. Drizzle olive oil lightly over the top, and then sprinkle on your favorite herbs or spices. I would choose salt, pepper, and a sprinkling of Mural of Flavor. Since I cook beets on the same pan as sweet potatoes, the parboiling helps keep the cooking time the same at 35-40 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sweet Potatoes
These lovely root vegetables are amazing roasted, so sweet and delicious. A little coconut oil brushed on the baking sheet or jelly roll pan makes them even sweeter.
The skin gets left on for added fiber and nutrients, just be sure to give them a good scrub. Chop into good sized chunks. Put them in a pan that was brushed with coconut or olive oil, then drizzle olive oil over the top. Herbs and spices aren't necessary because they're pretty flavorful already, but you can sprinkle your favorites for added variation. Marjoram, or Penzey's Sunny Paris, or even basil might be good. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.
Asparagus
We eat ton of asparagus since they have such a short window when they're actually in season. For two months we eat asparagus a couple times a week. It's such a happy time.
Snap the tough fibrous bottom ends off the washed asparagus stalks. A one pound package of stalks usually fit well in a 8x8 square Pyrex glass pan. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon on them. Sprinkle with your favorite spices and herbs. My choice would be salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Mural of Flavor. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. (Quartered mushrooms also roast incredibly well with asparagus.)
Butternut Squash
A large butternut squash makes a lot of squash cubes. You might only want to bake half the squash this way, the other half will keep well in the fridge covered in plastic wrap. Use the other half for another dish, like Curried Butternut Squash with Lentils. (Recipe will be posted soon.)
Peel, deseed (a spoon makes a good seed and innards scooper), and chop up your squash into cubes. Rub a little olive oil or coconut oil into a pan. Then put them in a single even layer in a baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle on your favorite seasonings. Butternut squash is very sweet and flavorful, so you may choose to not season at all. Although, salt and pepper would do nicely. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Carrots
This root vegetable really lends itself to roasting, which brings out its savory and yet sweet flavors.
Cut the carrot into 3-4 inch long strips. It's easier to cut a small section off the carrot to create a flat side, so the carrot doesn't roll around while you're cutting it. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top and sprinkle with some herbs and spices. I might use garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes.
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Alternate Day Fasting
For a couple of weeks I fasted on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, which is considered a form of alternate day fasting or intermittent fasting. I think it was a little harder than a straight only water fast, lemon juice fast, or even fruit smoothie fast. At least with those other fasts, a person can ignore food. With an alternate day fast, I still had to plan for the next day's meals.
The first day is usually the worst for most fasts, I just made sure to drink water or coffee whenever I started to feel hunger pangs. It wasn't too difficult, except when people were trying to tempt me with doughnuts or chocolate.
I still exercised on fast days, but it was during the time I was laid up with an injury so couldn't run. It was easier to exercise more on those days because I didn't have to spend time packing breakfast and lunch, or plan an evening meal.
Those two weeks I did calisthenics like crunches, pushups, and tricep dips, or bicycled in the mornings. Right after work I did kickboxing, aerobics, or went to the gym on days I had off.
Normally, my husband and I sometimes do a spring fast to reset ourselves, and get out of bad eating habits we may have developed. It's a way of cleansing ourselves of food addictions. My reasoning is, if I'm not eating saturated fats, red meat, and sugar than I am in essence cleansing my body of those things. We usually embark on fasts for health purposes.
But this time around, it was something I was doing on my own and purely for weight loss reasons. I'm still pretty heavy for my height, and I want to avoid injuries associated with being overweight. Especially, since I want to be able to ramp up my mileage and speed during runs.
As an aside, I wanted to talk about intermittent fasting. It usually refers to eating at only a set time of day. It's a smaller window of time to eat, so it limits the number of calories a person consumes in a day. I know people who just eat once a day as just they way they live, it's not for dieting purposes. But that would be considered a form of intermittent fasting.
The first day is usually the worst for most fasts, I just made sure to drink water or coffee whenever I started to feel hunger pangs. It wasn't too difficult, except when people were trying to tempt me with doughnuts or chocolate.
I still exercised on fast days, but it was during the time I was laid up with an injury so couldn't run. It was easier to exercise more on those days because I didn't have to spend time packing breakfast and lunch, or plan an evening meal.
Those two weeks I did calisthenics like crunches, pushups, and tricep dips, or bicycled in the mornings. Right after work I did kickboxing, aerobics, or went to the gym on days I had off.
Normally, my husband and I sometimes do a spring fast to reset ourselves, and get out of bad eating habits we may have developed. It's a way of cleansing ourselves of food addictions. My reasoning is, if I'm not eating saturated fats, red meat, and sugar than I am in essence cleansing my body of those things. We usually embark on fasts for health purposes.
But this time around, it was something I was doing on my own and purely for weight loss reasons. I'm still pretty heavy for my height, and I want to avoid injuries associated with being overweight. Especially, since I want to be able to ramp up my mileage and speed during runs.
As an aside, I wanted to talk about intermittent fasting. It usually refers to eating at only a set time of day. It's a smaller window of time to eat, so it limits the number of calories a person consumes in a day. I know people who just eat once a day as just they way they live, it's not for dieting purposes. But that would be considered a form of intermittent fasting.
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