by kelsey | Jan 21, 2016 | Diet, Weight Management
A common question I get asked is if there is any magical pill or way to speed up our metabolism. Metabolism is the process that converts our intake (food and drink) into energy. A common complaint of weight loss struggles is that we feel our metabolism is too slow and it’s taking too long or too much effort to lose weight. Hence, we then look for that magical pill or way to speed things up for us! I came across a good article from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics about some of the myths and facts about metabolism and I thought I’d highlight them for you here. You can read the whole article here: http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/weight-loss/tips-for-weight-loss/metabolism-myths-and-facts.
*Can our metabolism change?: our metabolism can change and does change! Age is a big factor as well as muscle mass. As we age, our metabolism gets slower so we have to adjust our habits and choices to correspond with this decline. In addition, muscle burns more calories than fat, so those with a leaner muscle mass have a higher metabolism. Adding some strengthening activities to your weekly activity routine will help build and maintain that lean muscle mass, thus keeping your metabolism going!
*Are there any foods that will speed up our metabolism: no, there are no magical foods that speed up metabolism. Portion control and following a balanced diet are ideal, as well as eating several small meals and snacks a day versus one or two big meals.
*Should I stop eating after 7pm?: The extra calories eaten at night by mindless snacking are the cause of weight gain, not the timing. It is better to eat more of your intake in the beginning and middle of your day to ensure you burn those calories off, but it is ok to have a bedtime snack and actually a good idea to help keep your blood sugars stable through the night. Now making a healthy choice and watching how much you eat matters, not necessarily the timing!
*Will a fad diet jumpstart my weight loss?: Following a restrictive diet that eliminates major food groups and restricts calories to an extreme is not helpful! In order to lose weight you need to create a negative energy balance (burn more than you are taking in), but restricting your calories too much (less than 1000-1200 cal/day) will put your body into starvation mode and make weight loss more challenging. Portion control, balanced, healthy eating are truly key to success long term!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 20, 2016 | Diet, Goals, Motivation, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
New Years is always a great time for refocusing and setting those famous resolutions. I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions because they typically aren’t followed long term. Many have already fallen off the wagon with their resolutions just a few weeks into January! Most often they aren’t followed long term because they aren’t realistic to follow. Weight loss is one of the more common resolutions. Controlling your weight long term can be done and does not have to be just a temporary thing! To lose weight permanently, you must make a commitment to gradually adopt a healthier way of life. Making small changes over time make it more realistic and able to stick with long term. Here are a few tips:
- Set realistic weight loss goals, such as 1 to 2 pounds weight loss/week so over the course of a month you are down 4-8lbs. Those who lose weight slowly, by eating less and exercising more, tend to keep their weight lost off.
- Eat fewer calories by cutting down on portions and/or decreasing the total amount of fat you eat.
- Do not skip meals. Eating 5 smaller meals a day helps to increase your metabolism.
- Keep low calorie, low fat snacks on hand, such as pretzels, raw vegetables with low calorie dips or fruit.
- Choose foods high in fiber such as whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fruits, and vegetables.
- Eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients you need.
- To ensure you are eating healthy, keep an accurate food journal. Write down everything you eat or drink. Be honest and accurate, otherwise the journal is not as helpful. The food journal will help you learn about your eating habits and help you assess the food choices you are making. You can do this online or using an app such as MyFitnessPal.
- Establishing a regular exercise routine is equally important. Aim for at least 30-60 minutes/day. Pick activities you enjoy doing to make it more enjoyable and fun!
- Stay positive! Focus on your reasons for improving your health and wellness and don’t let the little bumps along the way bring you down from achieving your goals!
-Kelsey
by Dan | Jan 17, 2016 | Etc.
How better to start than above with a quote by Ayn Rand, with a picture of Molly running a Cross Country race. The determination, the drive, the feel of empowerment! Empowerment is the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights. Running laid the foundation for her, to take off in her college career, and to later become President of her sorority. This quiet, soft spoken girl has done a lot of growing up lately. She has empowered herself to succeed. This is the key for all of us, and exercise, in this case running, can help you do that.
We all will have challenges and obstacles along the way in our life. Are you going to let it stop you? Are you going to fight your way through the tough times? Are you one to sit back and say “whatever”, or are you going to learn from previous mistakes, and turn them into learning points that you can advance from? The choice is ours to make. But, after all, it is also our life to make. We become stronger by things that are tough. Experience brings new challenges, and rewards to our lives. By having a foundation of exercise, we find out how tough things can be…only to eventually make us stronger, not only physically, but mentally.
There are always things in life that we may want to run from, or strive for.
Take a chance, and swing for things! You never know when you may actually find the right way, or success, and hit a home run!
Success will find its way towards you, and sometimes in not so obvious ways. Out of all this comes leadership, with your vision and values being part of the foundation, with the empowerment you exude at the top!
We all can use encouragement along the way…from not only friends, but in particular, FAMILY! Family can also lend a hand in helping to provide those foundational points to build on. The rest is up to you as an individual on how you want to act on it. Here is Molly as President of her sorority giving her farewell address this Winter. I was proud of her. She spoke with grace, wisdom, and humor (yes!) that made me proud. My little girl was growing up! Those above aspects all were important in her leadership role that she had! But, like I said, family plays a big role.
When is comes to having a role model about empowerment, Molly learned from the best! Sarah has been a significant role model on how to succeed, and, in particular, how to succeed as a female. Sarah’s mom set the tone on that…she is an electrical engineer, and had to break many stereotypes back in her day. Females did not become electrical engineers…this was mainly a “man’s world” at that time. But this was what SHE wanted to do, and we all should do what we want to do in our lives. We decide how to be a “Success in Life”. Use our abilities, and then don’t let anybody stop you! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3033
by kelsey | Jan 12, 2016 | Etc.
After a wonderful 12 week maternity leave, I am back to work and I look forward to working with you all again through our blog and Facebook updates as well as in person at the clinic! My clinic hours are still the same: Tuesday-Thursday 7:30am-7pm. If you are wanting to work on improving your nutrition, health, and wellness in the new year, give me a call or email me to set up an appointment! Individual appointments are billed to your insurance. Our next STRIVE session will begin March 15th. Stay tuned for more details as it gets closer.
If you have free time tomorrow, Wednesday, January 13th, come check out our clinic booth at the Rec Center Health Fair from 2-6pm at the Rec Center gym. Deidra Van Gilder and her pharmacy students will be offering a bone density screening (heel scan) and we will have lots of great resources to help you start the new year off on the right foot!
For those interested 🙂 — Corbin, my sweet baby boy, is pictured above at 2 months old and below is him this last weekend at 3.5 months old. Time flies when you’re having fun!
Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
Registered Dietitian
kelsey.raml@brownclinic.org
Direct Dial: 884-4226
by Dan | Jan 10, 2016 | Etc.
The above quote by Norman Vincent Peale sets the stage. Your thoughts control what you do…and the bottom line is, you choose your thoughts. We all need help in regards to our attitudes at times…me included. There are times when the stress of everyday life, the pressures of work, trying to make sure you are doing what needs to be done for all of those people who are depending on you, starts to get to you. Frustrations build up, tempers flare…you wonder why you are doing all of the things you do. Does anybody really care? Does anybody really appreciate it? Do you feel like you are wasting your time? Time to step back, look in the mirror, and decide what is right for you. This is where the exercise can come into play. It is a great way to burn off frustration. To once again feel like you are in control. You are in charge. My daughter Megan above in a race for swimming…”I am in charge. I am in control. It is up to me as to whether I succeed or not!”
Believe you can, and you will. Change your thoughts, and your actions will follow. Believe me, this is easier said than done. We all have our moments of weakness…welcome to being human. But we need to keep reminding ourselves that, as noted by an unknown author: “Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day”. Remember this, and keep focusing on this. It is no different when we are trying to stay healthy, and attempting to exercise more to take care of ourselves. We need to keep our “head” focused on why, and all of this translates to our every day life. Here are some more images of my daughter Megan working at the sport she loves: swimming!
You want something, go after it. Spread your arms and reach for it!
We are limited by our own minds. If we want to achieve something, dive into it! Decide: all or none! Don’t hold back. Our minds are the biggest obstacle, not our bodies.
Attitude truly is everything! We decide as individuals. Are we going to adapt, and change, or drag ourselves down, and have a “pity party”? As Winston Churchill has been quoted: “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference”. You decide. We are truly in the driver seat. Does our attitude rub off on other people? You better believe it! Do people want to be around us? Again, we all have our moments. Welcome to being human. We all make mistakes, but the one thing about mistakes, is that we can learn from them. The hope, and challenge, is that we do learn from them, and continuously work on trying to make ourselves better. That is all we can do. Don’t give up! Our attitudes do rub off on others. Here is Megan, happy, energetic, and of course, Zeus feeding right off of it. Who is happier in this picture? It does not matter…they are feeding off of each other.
You decide your attitude. But remember, it continuously needs to be worked on. Everyday! Expect set backs, but bounce back with a vengeance. Once again, if you “change your thoughts, you change your world”! Good luck! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3026
