It's been a while now that, whenever I need to lose weight, I start calorie counting. Most recently that happened in February, when I gained 15 pounds after a bad snowboarding accident. I was incapacitated for weeks, barely able to get out of the house, and the only place close enough to walk to was the grocery store. A fancy grocery store (I live near La Jolla, after all) with the best junk groceries you could imagine.
I currently use MyFitnessPal for tracking. The site is free, is reasonably well-built, and has an active community of people tracking food stuff. From a features perspective, the About.com calorie tracker is probably more exciting, but it's not free for advanced use, and it doesn't share foods (which really stinks, because that way most foods at grocery stores are not available).
MyFitnessPal has many advantages, but also one humongous disadvantage: it is cumbersome to use. Tracking calories is a pain, because you constantly have to jump between screens. Sometimes that's because of unnecessary flows, sometimes that's because the author doesn't like to use what's called AJAX. In any case, you end up spending a lot of the time you interact with the site, just waiting for the next page to load, for no good reason.
[As an example, consider the section where you enter the calories you spent exercising. You go to the "Exercise" page. From there, you click on "Add Exercise", where you are presented with a form that contains all exercise types you've already performed. You select the exercise you just performed, the duration, optionally the calories, and then save. Way too many clicks, where all I want to do is say how many calories I spent exercising.]
There is, though, a simple way to improve the whole process, and I am thinking of doing something about it. That's to use the bar codes on food stuff to record what you have just eaten.
Basically, you take the box in which the food cam and wave it in front of your webcam, or camera phone (iPhone, for instance). The camera sees the bar code, matches it up with the database it has and enters the food data into your record. If the bar code is not entered yet, it will ask you to take a picture of the nutritional information for later evaluation.
If you eat more or less than one serving, you just change that in the record. It's easy to do, and the software can be even modified to remember how much you typically eat of a given food. Your calorie counting life then becomes a matter of simply waving your food in front of your camera (iPhone), and the phone can immediately analyze how you are doing and how far you are from nutritional goals.
Even better, the app could also tell you what you SHOULD be eating instead of what you are holding in your hands... ;-)
2010-04-01
2010-03-07
Rain and No Workout - the Lethal Combination
This has been a horrible winter for all of us in San Diego. The usually fairly dry city has been beset by a series of winter storms, the latest passing over my head right now. It's an El Niño year, which always means more rain for us, and this one is particularly nasty (nothing like the 1998 season, though).
Unable to get to my workout (and too lazy to replace it with something else), I decided to just eat less. Sometimes I just let myself go on days like this, but this time it was too important to me: I still have to lose 10 of the 15 pounds I gained after my motorcycle accident, and stopping right now would have been terrible for my motivation (especially since the weather is going to be nice tomorrow).
What can I tell you - I never feel cravings and hunger, to the point of physical discomfort, unless I don't work out. Even after a hard workout, even if I really need food, the hunger never feels as bad if I am actually working out. When I am not, my body starts feeling ill and I know that only excessive food intake can make that all go away.
What is it? I think it's mostly low blood pressure, brought on by the weather (don't ask me why) and by the lack of exercise. I get lethargic as soon as the weather turns bad, and that is the original reason for my feeling unwell.
I have gone to the gym on rainy days, and I have skipped the gym on sunny days. The effects are as I had expected: lethargy is caused by lack of workout. The weather contributes only in that it starts me off on the wrong foot.
Solution: just go to the gym first thing in the morning on rainy days. Not an option on Sundays, since the gym opens late, but there is no excuse on other days.
Unable to get to my workout (and too lazy to replace it with something else), I decided to just eat less. Sometimes I just let myself go on days like this, but this time it was too important to me: I still have to lose 10 of the 15 pounds I gained after my motorcycle accident, and stopping right now would have been terrible for my motivation (especially since the weather is going to be nice tomorrow).
What can I tell you - I never feel cravings and hunger, to the point of physical discomfort, unless I don't work out. Even after a hard workout, even if I really need food, the hunger never feels as bad if I am actually working out. When I am not, my body starts feeling ill and I know that only excessive food intake can make that all go away.
What is it? I think it's mostly low blood pressure, brought on by the weather (don't ask me why) and by the lack of exercise. I get lethargic as soon as the weather turns bad, and that is the original reason for my feeling unwell.
I have gone to the gym on rainy days, and I have skipped the gym on sunny days. The effects are as I had expected: lethargy is caused by lack of workout. The weather contributes only in that it starts me off on the wrong foot.
Solution: just go to the gym first thing in the morning on rainy days. Not an option on Sundays, since the gym opens late, but there is no excuse on other days.
2010-03-02
Change Your Brain - Change Your Body
I just happened to channel surf last night and stumbled across a weight loss information segment on PBS. Daniel Amen, a psychiatrist telling his audience how he used brain scans to determine pattern and causes of overeating. All in all, an engaging two hours, and I would advise buying the DVD from the PBS site.
Aside from he shock and awe-inducing pictures of brain scans of old people, football players, and alcoholics, and from the constant references to chemical imbalances that cause overeating, the focus of attention was on the notion there are different kinds of personality profiles that tend to overeat.
That's a great notion, since anyone who's ever watched people trying to lose weight realizes that while the war is the same for all, the battles are all fought in different places and at different times.
I really paid attention only to the first two personality descriptions, the compulsive and the impulsive types. I'll discuss my recollection of the two, but you really should go and listen to the whole thing, and learn about the best strategy to fight the good fight.
The compulsive eater is the type that obsesses about food. Every waking minute is spent thinking about food, about how to avoid food, about how wonderful food is, about how horrible it is to gain weight. You'd think this kind of person is doomed to a life of obesity. Not so! Says Dr. Amen.
In his brain scans, he detected hyperactivity in compulsive eaters. Now, my first reaction was, "duh!" I didn't think about the consequence of this finding, though. If your brain is hyperactive, thinking about food all the time, calm it down. Just making the brain less preoccupied and overactive will give the compulsive eater a better chance at not overeating.
In short, if you think too much about food, instead of focusing on something else, just think less.
The impulsive eater is the type that can't resist. Will power is the issue, and the psychiatrist starts a lecture about the prefrontal cortex, the censor in all of us, the piece of the brain responsible for coordinating, moderating, (and hence suppressing) thought.
The piece of information that stuck in my mind is that hypoactive PFCs tend to do worse the more the individual tries to force his or her will. The more someone with weak force of will tries to control his desires, the less he or she will be able to do so.
In the end, the battle can be won only by strengthening the will in an organic fashion (the psychiatrist seeks a chemical solution, of course).
Now, don't think for a second that my recollection is accurate. As said, I was just half paying attention. Regardless of how much I was interested, though, I completely agree that the one-size-fits-all approach to dieting just doesn't work.
Aside from he shock and awe-inducing pictures of brain scans of old people, football players, and alcoholics, and from the constant references to chemical imbalances that cause overeating, the focus of attention was on the notion there are different kinds of personality profiles that tend to overeat.
That's a great notion, since anyone who's ever watched people trying to lose weight realizes that while the war is the same for all, the battles are all fought in different places and at different times.
I really paid attention only to the first two personality descriptions, the compulsive and the impulsive types. I'll discuss my recollection of the two, but you really should go and listen to the whole thing, and learn about the best strategy to fight the good fight.
The compulsive eater is the type that obsesses about food. Every waking minute is spent thinking about food, about how to avoid food, about how wonderful food is, about how horrible it is to gain weight. You'd think this kind of person is doomed to a life of obesity. Not so! Says Dr. Amen.
In his brain scans, he detected hyperactivity in compulsive eaters. Now, my first reaction was, "duh!" I didn't think about the consequence of this finding, though. If your brain is hyperactive, thinking about food all the time, calm it down. Just making the brain less preoccupied and overactive will give the compulsive eater a better chance at not overeating.
In short, if you think too much about food, instead of focusing on something else, just think less.
The impulsive eater is the type that can't resist. Will power is the issue, and the psychiatrist starts a lecture about the prefrontal cortex, the censor in all of us, the piece of the brain responsible for coordinating, moderating, (and hence suppressing) thought.
The piece of information that stuck in my mind is that hypoactive PFCs tend to do worse the more the individual tries to force his or her will. The more someone with weak force of will tries to control his desires, the less he or she will be able to do so.
In the end, the battle can be won only by strengthening the will in an organic fashion (the psychiatrist seeks a chemical solution, of course).
Now, don't think for a second that my recollection is accurate. As said, I was just half paying attention. Regardless of how much I was interested, though, I completely agree that the one-size-fits-all approach to dieting just doesn't work.
2010-02-23
The Importance of Posting Nutritional Values
I am sitting at my favorite coffee shop, Peet's, sipping a cappuccino like I used to in the old country and eating a pastry. It's my afternoon treat, has been for years. Only that back in Italy they'd think me weird for drinking cappuccino after lunch, without sugar, and in a 16 ounce cup. There are definitely lots of advantages to living in the United States.
While I could always figure out the calorie content of my drink (which I shouldn't drink, but sue me), things were dicey with the pastries. Peet's in Northern California posts the nutritional information on their web site, but the Souther California region has different pastries and I had no idea what I was eating.
You might jump to the conclusion that I shouldn't be drinking coffee and eating pastries in the first place. Well, feel free to think that way. I have found that depriving myself of things I love doesn't help manage my health at all: it just makes me resent health in general and healthy nutrition in particular. In general, I find that I am able to manage what I eat much better if I don't consider anything off limit, letting my cravings build into frenzy.
But back to the original post. As I got into the store today, I saw they had little flyers with the nutritional information I had been looking for. And there I had the best proof possible of the importance of that info.
Here I'll give you a few pairings, and you tell me which in each has more calories:
While I could always figure out the calorie content of my drink (which I shouldn't drink, but sue me), things were dicey with the pastries. Peet's in Northern California posts the nutritional information on their web site, but the Souther California region has different pastries and I had no idea what I was eating.
You might jump to the conclusion that I shouldn't be drinking coffee and eating pastries in the first place. Well, feel free to think that way. I have found that depriving myself of things I love doesn't help manage my health at all: it just makes me resent health in general and healthy nutrition in particular. In general, I find that I am able to manage what I eat much better if I don't consider anything off limit, letting my cravings build into frenzy.
But back to the original post. As I got into the store today, I saw they had little flyers with the nutritional information I had been looking for. And there I had the best proof possible of the importance of that info.
Here I'll give you a few pairings, and you tell me which in each has more calories:
Caramel Pecan Brownie vs. Oatmeal Cookie
Peanut Butter Cup Cookie vs. Walnut Brownie
Honey Bran Muffin vs. Cherry Almond Scone
Dried Fruit and Nut Scone vs. Strawberry Muffin
Rustic Apple Tart vs. Rustic Cherry Tart
Seeded Bagel vs. Banana Nut Bread
Cinnamon Roll vs. Bear Claw
Ok, now I am hungry... Or I should say: I have an ugly craving. Well, the pairings have the following calorie counts:
384 vs. 410
[yes, I know, who would have thought a cookie could have more calories than a brownie?]
440 vs. 384
[same story - stay away from regular cookies!]
440 vs. 440
[Who would have thought, the healthy sounding bran muffin is a calorie bomb!]
480 vs. 470
[Yessir!]
590 vs. 510
[Go for apples, add 80 calories - more sugar]
450 vs. 420
[Bagels are bad for your waist line]
490 vs. 400
[Yeah, that cinnamon roll packs quite the punch. The fat free cinnamon roll, by the way, is 410 calories]
There are some interesting surprises in the list. The Vegan cookies, for instance, are almost half the calories of the regular cookies, thanks to lower fat contents. Muffins and scones, in general, have gobs of fat in them: 26 grams in the Chocolate Chunk Walnut Scone, 25 grams in the Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffin. More surprisingly, something healthy-sounding like Apple Cinnamon Muffin is a real hog, at 510 calories and 25 grams of fat. The Multi-grain Scone is another horrible choice at 450 calories and 23 grams of fat.
What's the take-away? If you are eating a pastry just out of pleasure, follow these simple rules:
- stick with the low-fat variants (not reduced-fat, that means close to nothing). A blueberry muffin has half the calories of the apple cinnamon version!
- go for small. None of the things on the menu is going to be any good for you, so the smaller the portion the less damage it will cause.
- breads and cakes are generally better than muffins and scones. The exception is coffee cake, which is so laden with fat, it's scary
- try to avoid places that don't post nutritional information. The differences in quantity and quality of foods in one single establishment is amazing. Things that sound the same can have vastly different nutritional contents, and things that sounds vastly dissimilar can end up being equally bad for you.
2010-02-18
Recovery and Weight
Well, tomorrow my accident will be exactly a month old. To mark it, I've been following the snowboarders at the Olympics, and I've enjoyed both the competition and the attention it has gotten. Between Seth Wescott, Shaun White, and the marvelous Hannah Teter, there is a lot to watch and get excited about, and I hope the sport will benefit from this rush.
That's of course despite the fact I am grounded for the time being, at the very least until the end of the season. And that I blame snowboarding for my injury. But that's beyond the point.
Whatever happened, it has had an impact on my body. I have been forced to forego my favorite workouts, including cycling, and for a time I thought I would be forced to accept the end of my physical fitness, doomed to a life of premature obesity. (Wait, there is no such thing as premature obesity - because there is no natural onset of obesity).
But, fortunately decades of healthy habits kicked in, and I started working around my shoulder issues. I got myself a shoulder brace (which the doctors strangely hadn't even talked about, let alone recommended) and checked how far I could go.
The results are encouraging. I have enough stamina to do as much cardio as I want (stair climbing, running, elliptical), and I decided I would build slowly after missing out on two weeks of workout. I cannot do any weights, but I can do passive resistance exercises like ab crunches and the like.
While I will have to slowly work my way up on the weights, trying not to bother the collar bone prematurely, I can safely say that I am back to almost normal on the cardio front. For that, I thank a life time of good habits and a great environment.
That's of course despite the fact I am grounded for the time being, at the very least until the end of the season. And that I blame snowboarding for my injury. But that's beyond the point.
Whatever happened, it has had an impact on my body. I have been forced to forego my favorite workouts, including cycling, and for a time I thought I would be forced to accept the end of my physical fitness, doomed to a life of premature obesity. (Wait, there is no such thing as premature obesity - because there is no natural onset of obesity).
But, fortunately decades of healthy habits kicked in, and I started working around my shoulder issues. I got myself a shoulder brace (which the doctors strangely hadn't even talked about, let alone recommended) and checked how far I could go.
The results are encouraging. I have enough stamina to do as much cardio as I want (stair climbing, running, elliptical), and I decided I would build slowly after missing out on two weeks of workout. I cannot do any weights, but I can do passive resistance exercises like ab crunches and the like.
While I will have to slowly work my way up on the weights, trying not to bother the collar bone prematurely, I can safely say that I am back to almost normal on the cardio front. For that, I thank a life time of good habits and a great environment.
2010-02-12
Why is Exercise So Important in Weight Management?
I was just talking with a friend of mine who is trying to lose weight and doesn't have the time to work out. She has family, cleans up, feeds kids, drives them around, and has what we call a full-time career on top of that. Not an easy life.
Of course, with all that stress and the temptation that comes with feeding teenagers and with power lunches, she is not losing an ounce. She complained to me and she asked me the simplest question:
Can't I just lose weight by eating less? Why do I have to work out?
Well, I had to think about it for a moment. Eating less is great if you can manage to do that, and despite the benefits of a workout, it shouldn't be mandatory. I mean, I know plenty skinny people that never work out - why shouldn't she be able to, as well?
Well, it's not that easy. You see, working out does very important things to your diet and weight management:
Of course, with all that stress and the temptation that comes with feeding teenagers and with power lunches, she is not losing an ounce. She complained to me and she asked me the simplest question:
Can't I just lose weight by eating less? Why do I have to work out?
Well, I had to think about it for a moment. Eating less is great if you can manage to do that, and despite the benefits of a workout, it shouldn't be mandatory. I mean, I know plenty skinny people that never work out - why shouldn't she be able to, as well?
Well, it's not that easy. You see, working out does very important things to your diet and weight management:
- There is the caloric benefit from the workout itself. You can burn 500 calories an hour quite easily, which is as much as a full lunch. Imagine, after a spinning class, you can eat a second lunch with no downside!
- Your body reacts to a workout with added burning throughout the day. Part of it is that you are building more muscle mass, and your muscle is hungry. Much hungrier than your other body parts!
- The cardiovascular stimulus that comes with a good workout stabilizes your metabolism. You are less likely to feel sluggish, especially in the afternoon, when a lot of us overeat to compensate for lack of energy. I realized how important this effect is when a colleague of mine told me she always fights jet lag by working hour in the early morning - the workout resets her internal clock.
- There is a definite effect coming from the beautiful people in your environment. Being surrounded by fit people that are working out makes you want to be more like them, makes you compare yourself to them, makes you watch out more. It's the reverse effect of posting a picture of yourself when you weighed 100 lbs more on the fridge.
- Your workout will frequently come with social interaction. You might meet new friends, and they come with the built-in advantage of having (at least one) healthy habit. You have something in common with them, which is: trying to be a better, fitter you.
- If you go and look at the math of it, you realize just how much the workout allows you to eat more: if you burn 500 calories in a workout, that's a full quarter of your daily intake (for a woman, one fifth for a man). Imagine the food you eat, now imagine a quarter more - that's what an hour of cardio does to you!
- Last but not least - as long as you are working out, you are not eating! That makes a huge difference, especially if you end up working out at precisely the time you would dig into that gallon of Haagen Dazs!!
2010-02-11
Snowboarding (II)
It seems just fair that after stopping this blog with a post on snowboarding, I'd start it again a year later with another one on the same topic.
This time, though, the reason is less fortunate: I was snowboarding in gorgeous Breckenridge when a silly fall caused a shoulder separation. I've been not only kicked off the mountain for the rest of my time there, I haven't been able to move much except to the grocery store to buy calorie bombs. As a result, it's time to lose weight again.
For those of you that don't know and are interested (the rest skip the paragraph) a shoulder separation is what happens when the collar bone slips out of its resting space on the shoulder blades. It looks ugly, it is supposed to hurt terribly (it didn't in my case, thankfully) and it heals pretty much on its own in 6-12 weeks (I seem to be much faster than that).
It's the usual routine: get as much workout done as time and work allow, and eat more sensibly. So far, I managed to get 4 lbs off in just a week without trying and without calorie counting. But if there is anything good that came out of this, it's definitely this restart.
This time, though, the reason is less fortunate: I was snowboarding in gorgeous Breckenridge when a silly fall caused a shoulder separation. I've been not only kicked off the mountain for the rest of my time there, I haven't been able to move much except to the grocery store to buy calorie bombs. As a result, it's time to lose weight again.
For those of you that don't know and are interested (the rest skip the paragraph) a shoulder separation is what happens when the collar bone slips out of its resting space on the shoulder blades. It looks ugly, it is supposed to hurt terribly (it didn't in my case, thankfully) and it heals pretty much on its own in 6-12 weeks (I seem to be much faster than that).
It's the usual routine: get as much workout done as time and work allow, and eat more sensibly. So far, I managed to get 4 lbs off in just a week without trying and without calorie counting. But if there is anything good that came out of this, it's definitely this restart.
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