Running - A Love Hate Relationship...

Some of you have expressed a desire to learn how to love running. I've given this A LOT of thought, why do some people hate running and why do some people love running? Here's what I've come up with: a lot of people don't like running because they try to achieve a run that is above their current fitness level. If you haven't been exercising regularly and decide hmmm..I think I'm going to go for a run today, your run is going to be miserable! You'll be out of breath, in pain, and it will breed an intense dislike for running because it makes you feel awful. Who wants to intentionally make themselves feel that way? Nobody! On the otherhand if you start out slow and work your fitness level up to where running is comfortable for you, you are much more likely to develop a good relationship with running. It just takes a little patience! Here's how to start: Start with walking at a pace that is not too easy and not too difficult (use the talk test I posted about below) Walk at this pace for at least 1 week if you're walking most (5-6) days of the week, 2 weeks if you're walking 3 days a week. By this time this speed should be too easy for you and you should bump up the speed to a pace that is a little more challenging. Continue increasing your speed every week or two and you'll be well on your way to a healthier you who MAY have learned to love running (I'm not making any promises!=). Just remember you don't have to become a runner to be healthy, so don't be discouraged! There are a lot of other activities that you can do, the important thing is to find something that you enjoy doing so you'll continue doing it.

Just a little side note: David, my husband, started this program (combined with portion control) July 1st and has lost 30 lbs! I just want to give him a big pat on the back and tell him how impressed I am with him and the efforts he's made to live healthier!

Exercising to Lose Weight

Sorry I've taken so long to post! We've been out of town for the past 5 days and I haven't had access to a computer! Let's jump right in to answering Jen's question about the best exercises to lose weight. The best exercises to achieve weight loss are going to be cardiovascular exercises. These should be weight bearing exercises such as walking, jogging, swimming, etc. If you're just getting started on an exercise program, start slow. Lots of people want to jump in full force which will lead to overtraining injuries (such as pulled muscles) Let's say you're going to go with walking to start off your exercise program, you need to make sure that you are working and not just out for a Sunday stroll (although a Sunday stroll is better than nothing at all!) To gauge your intensity, use the talk test: if you can carry on a light conversation while exercising, then you are in a good intensity range. Once your speech starts to break, slow, or cause discomfort, you’re working too hard and you might want to take it down a notch. This test is easy to use while you're exercising. If you are on a machine that tells you your heart rate calculating your target heart rate (where your body burns calories most efficiently) will tell you if you are exercising at the right intensity. To calculate your target heart rate subtract your age from 220. For example, if you're 25, 220-25= 195. 195 is your maximum heart rate(the max number your heart beats per minute). You would then multiply 195 by 70% (.70) to get your target heart rate -->  195x70%=136.5 (137) So if you are 25 years old your target heart rate is 137 beats per minute. Try to exercise at your target heart rate for at least 20 minutes of your workout. It is important not to exercise over your maximum heart rate because you are making your heart work too hard which can cause potential problems.

Nursing Mommas!!!

So, for you nursing mommas out there (me being one of them, so I've taken special interest in this topic!), there is a lot of conflicting information on how many calories nursing "burns" and how many calories you need to eat. Valerie you were right on, the answer is NOT 2600-2800, that is WAY too many calories (unless you are a VERY active person, and most of us, the Domestic Goddesses that we are, do not fall into that category!=). Taking in 2600-2800 calories will definitely get you to keep (if not add to) the baby weight! The fact of the matter is, your body uses 600-800 calories a day to produce milk (depending on how often your baby nurses).  When you factor that in to your pre-pregnancy caloric intake, shave a couple hundred calories off for weight loss, your intake should be around 1800 calories a day. Don't worry about affecting your milk supply though. Studies have been done on nursing mothers in countries where the mothers do not get enough food and they still produce quality milk for their infants. Our bodies are amazing in that if we don't get the nutrients and vitamins our babies need from our food, our bodies take from our stores to make sure the baby gets the best nourishment your body can provide. Don't take that the wrong way, I'm not saying it's okay to starve yourself! That's definitely NOT a good idea, I'm just saying don't be overly concerned about losing your milk supply if you're just cutting a couple hundred calories from your diet; as long as your diet is well balanced, you and your baby will be fine! Excellent question!