Archive for January, 2010

A friend of mine recently asked me what I knew about weight loss patches and if I would recommend them as a weight loss aid.  Not knowing much about the topic, I decided to do some research.  Here are my findings.

There are several brands of weight loss patches available.  Their purpose is to help people lose weight faster by suppressing appetite and increasing metabolic rate.  The different brands use various combinations of substances such as guarana (a stimulant), chromium (to regulate insulin levels) and fucus vesiculosus (to stimulate the thyroid gland thus speeding up the metabolism).

One problem with weight loss patches is that there isn’t any way to regulate how much of these substances is being absorbed through the skin and at what rate.  Heavier people will absorb less per pound of body weight so, in theory, the benefits would be less.  Because of this same uncertainty, birth control patches aren’t recommended for women who weigh over 150 pounds.

Some possible side effects of weight loss patches are dizziness, nausea, headache, and irritation at the site where it is applied.  If you use them, you should not put the patch in the same location every time.

On the upside, a prescription is not required to buy weight loss patches.  There are several options available at a variety of prices.

On the downside, weight loss patches have not been approved by the FDA so no official studies have been done to determine their safety or effectiveness.  There is no evidence to show whether or not they help at all with weight loss.

If you decide that you would like to give the weight loss patch a try, take the list of ingredients to your doctor to make sure none of them will have any negative effect on any conditions you have or medicines you are taking.

Please go to weight loss patches to read more about the various kinds of patches available.

Have you tried a weight loss patch?  What was your experience?

Our Bodies Ourselves is seeking up to two dozen women to participate in an online discussion on sexual relationships.

Stories and comments may be used anonymously in the next edition of “Our Bodies, Ourselves,” which will be published in 2011 by Simon & Schuster.

We are seeking the experience and wisdom of heterosexual, lesbian, bisexual, queer and trans women. Perspectives from single women are encouraged, and you may define relationship as it applies to you, from monogamy to multiple partners. We are committed to including women of color, women with disabilities, and women of many ages and backgrounds.

In the words of the brilliant anthology “Yes Means Yes,” how can we consistently engage in more positive experiences? What issues deserve more attention? And how do we address social inequities and violence against women? These are some of the guiding questions that will help us to update the relationships section in “Our Bodies, Ourselves.”

The conversation will start Sunday, Feb. 14 (yes, Valentine’s Day) and stay open through Friday, March 12.

Participants will be invited to answer relevant questions (see sample below) and build on the responses of other participants. We’ll use a private Google site to post questions and responses.

Personal stories and reflections are welcomed, along with research and resources for additional reading. While we hope to use some of the stories and experiences in the book, names will not be published.

We hope the open process* will spark robust discussion. We expect new questions to arise that challenge us to re-work this section even more.

If you would like to participate in this conversation, please e-mail OBOS editorial team member Wendy Sanford: wsanford@bwhbc.org

In your email, please tell us about yourself and what you would bring to the conversation. We need to hear from you by Feb. 5 and will let you know soon thereafter about participation. Thanks for considering this!

*We have thought a great deal about privacy. If you want to share a story or information, but do not want to participate in the private Google site discussion, please indicate that in your email. We may send you questions that you can answer on your own.

Reprinted from:   Our Bodies, Our Blog

Monday Motivation

Here is a great motivational quote by Zig Ziglar:

“ A goal that is casually set and lightly taken will be freely abandoned at the first obstacle.“ 

Remember, when setting your fitness goals, you need to be very specific.  Don’t just think to yourself, “I’m going to exercise more.”  Figure out when, where and for how long you’re going to work out, then write it down.  If you have a daily to do list you can put it there.  But even better is scheduling it on your calendar.  You will be able to see that you might have 20 minutes available Monday afternoon,  then 30 minutes on Thursday morning.  Putting your workout on your calendar makes it an official appointment, not an optional/maybe activity.

Finally, to really cement your commitment and make yourself accountable, find an exercise buddy.  Make your workout into a fun, social event and agree motivate each other to keep working toward your goal!

Postpartum weight loss is an issue for almost every woman who has given birth.  While still in the hospital after giving birth to my first child, I looked in the mirror and thought I saw the pre-pregnancy me looking back.  My face no longer looked bloated and, looking down, I could see that my feet didn’t resemble pillows any more.

But a total shock greeted me when I arrived home.  The mirror in my hospital bathroom had kindly only shown the view of my head and shoulders.  At home I could see the entire picture and I looked like a land whale!  Why hadn’t the older women warned me?  I had assumed that, even though I had gained 35 lbs., giving birth to an 8 lb. boy would restore me to my former self!

Now, many years later, after 3 more births (all girls!), I would like to share my experience with all you new moms.  Don’t be dismayed by your post-pregnancy body.  It is not permanent!  Just remember it took you 9 months to acquire this new shape so cut yourself some slack about the time it will take to get back to normal.

Generally speaking, your doctor will want you to wait about 6 weeks before beginning any weight loss program.  Please do not start before getting her/his clearance.  Pregnancy and childbirth put a lot of strain on your body and when it’s over, rather than getting a nice, restful vacation, you dive straight into your new life of constantly being “on call” with little snatches of sleep when you can get them.  Your body needs time to heal and you need to bond with your little darling.

Luckily just the routine of baby care begins to gently tone your body.  Your tissues start to release the extra fluids accumulated during pregnancy and your muscles start to firm up.  You’ll be amazed at how much weight you lose during this time without making any special effort.

My favorite “secret” is the double benefit of breast feeding. First, when you breast feed, that baby just sucks the fat right out of you!  It is an extremely rewarding feeling to know that you are providing all the nutrition your child needs to thrive.  Secondly, in order to breast feed, you have to stop everything and just feed the baby. You are forced to catch up on some of the rest you desperately need.

Eventually the day comes when your doctor clears you to begin working on losing the weight that remains.  Where will you find the time to exercise?  The good news is that you can lose baby fat by doing short bursts of exercise.  If you can even fit in 15 minutes per day you will quickly see results.

Many moms hate their post-pregnancy tummies so much that they spend all their exercise time on crunches.  Believe me, a workout involving your whole body will benefit you more.  Because muscles are the fat burners, the more muscles you get moving, the more fat you will burn.

Your postpartum weight loss plan should not include any extreme or fad diets.  It is important to follow a complete, balanced nutrition strategy to keep up your strength and energy.  Your body cannot burn fat without adequate fuel.

In summary, if you consistently follow a healthy diet coupled with short, intense, total body workouts, you should have your pre-pregnancy body back before your child’s first birthday party!

This weekend my sister baked me a delicious chocolate cake from scratch for my birthday.  Before we sliced it my dad actually carried it around the room so people could take turns lifting the pan because the cake was so incredibly heavy!  Instinct or common sense told us that this was a very high calorie treat.  You can use this same weighing technique to determine the relative calorie counts of baked goods when you’re shopping at the grocery store or bakery.

A slice of standard store-bought bread weighs about 1 ounce and contains about 80 calories.  If you lift two similar sized loaves of bread, the lighter one will have fewer calories per slice.

Other baked goods such as fruit/nut breads or muffins generally contain about 125 calories per ounce.  Even if the label describes it as all natural and healthy, a nice 5 ounce bran muffin could contain as much as 625 calories!  So when deciding between two of these higher calorie goodies, lift them and compare the weights to make the best choice.  Or split one muffin between 2 or 3 friends!

Back to the weekend:  did I eat any of the cake?  Of course I did!  After all, it was my birthday, my sister made it for me, and I am a chocolate fiend!  But I had one small piece, another piece the next day, then left the remainder at my dad’s house when I came home!

Are you getting bored with your aerobic/cardio workout?  Does it seem less challenging than when you first started?  You might be ready to add an aerobic step bench to your routine.

An aerobic step bench is simply a portable step which measures about 3 feet by 1 foot.  It’s best to start with about a 6 inch height, then increase the height as needed.  You’ll want to choose a stable, well-balanced bench with a textured, non-slippery surface.

In addition to really ramping up the cardio benefits of your workout, adding a step strengthens and tones your thighs and butt.  Using these large muscles requires more energy so you burn more calories.

For my routine I like to create a circuit where I alternate step moves with other aerobic activities.  This is much more fun and less boring when I put on some lively music!  If you have trouble coming up with a variety of routines involving aerobic steps, there are plenty of DVD’s to get you going.

Do you have a Nintendo Wii?  There are several step aerobic activities available to go with it.  Using a variety of approaches will motivate you to keep doing your workouts regularly.

An aerobic step bench should not be used by beginners.  When just starting out, you should let your body become accustomed to less stressful activities, then kick up the intensity level gradually by adding a step.  Increasing the height of your step will increase your workout intensity but be less stressful on your body than jumping rope.

People who have knee or balance problems, and those who are obese, should use extreme caution when attempting to use an aerobic step.  If you feel  discomfort in any part of your body, or if you feel at all unstable, this is your body’s way of saying, “Don’t do that!”

Related link:  Nintendo Wii