Lori San Martin Guest Blogs: Are You a Weekend Worrier?

From Keri: I'm so thrilled to introduce some of the country best personal trainers who will join me in guest blogging for Radiant Fitness! This week, get the perspective from Los Angeles trainer Lori San Martin. (Make Lori feel welcome! Add a comment below, and a random commenter will win a free fitness DVD!)

I’LL START ON MONDAY

It's Monday and once again I’ve started that weight loss and exercise plan I began last Monday. It all went pretty well until the darn weekend. Friday was a pot-luck and everyone brought something new. There were dishes I’d never seen before. I saw them and ate them. Sunday was a buffet, which I always find challenging in regard to eating healthy. To top things off my routine on a weekend is so different my usual cardiovascular exercise got put by the “weigh” side.

FEELINGS OF FAILURE

So, Monday arrives with guilt and a new vow to start all over again. And that’s where I go wrong. Not with the desire to begin eating healthy and exercising again, but the feeling that I failed over the weekend. Why not figure out a way to enjoy the extra fun things that come along in life, often on our days off, without self recrimination?

To begin with let’s get rid of phrases like; “I blew it. I was bad. I cheated. I pigged out.” We overeat and we condemn ourselves as if we did something immoral? What good does that do? How about replacing this way of thinking with thoughts that are kinder and non-judgmental? So you ate or drank more than you planned? Here’s what you do. First and most importantly, I hope you enjoyed it! Don’t ruin the experience with guilt. Secondly, don’t blame or shame yourself afterwards. These feelings will get you nowhere except perhaps back in the kitchen eating because you feel badly. Next, realize that a high calorie meal or two is not going to make you fat so don’t freak out. The crucial thing to do is to simply get back to your regular eating and exercise plan the very next meal. Don’t wait until Monday or the next day or after the holidays, start with THE VERY NEXT MEAL.


LIVE IN THE REAL WORLD

I believe in living in the real world which means pizza and beer, birthday cakes, buffets, and celebrations where delicious food and drink is a major part of the event. I call them CEE’s or challenging eating events. They are a part of our lives and always will be. Learn to enjoy them, and then get back to your usual routine. You will find that one or two high calorie meals do not negate all the good you’ve done the rest of the week.

About Lori:
I have been overweight all of my life but 10 years ago I lost 45 pounds and kept them off. It took 2 years to lose the weight but I did it by exercising and eating healthier. At age 55 I am a certified personal fitness instructor and specialize in a gentle approach to weight loss and fitness. My focus is on how we think and how that affects our choices. I got fit and I believe you can too! Visit Lori's website today!

Knocked Up? Knock Yourself Out.

Let me make this clear right away: Pregnant women SHOULD exercise. What is good for you body BEFORE you became pregnant, and what is good for your body AFTER you have a baby, is ALSO good for your body during pregnancy. Unless you get specific medical advice not to exercise from your OB/Gyn, you need to keep moving through pregnancy.

The evidence is not as deep as I would like it to be, but what science we have on exercise and pregnancy indicates the following:
* Reduced health risks for the mother (less chance of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.)
* Faster, easier childbirth
* Proper weight gain for both mother and baby--neonates of mothers who exercise are generally smaller than those who don't, BUT still in the healthy range.
* Potential behavioral side effects: Calmer babies, less colic, more alert, easier to soothe. These could simply be factors of a less-stressed mother (since she's getting her exercise).

What kinds of exercise can a pregnant woman do? Almost everything she did before she got pregnant. Does an eight-month pregnant pro figure skater really WANT to do that triple-toe-loop? Probably not. But a few rounds around the rink should be fine. On the other hand, if you've never stepped onto the ice,3rd trimester is NOT the time. Walk. Find a pool and splash around in it with your other kids (they'll appreciate the one-on-one Mommy time anyway, since that's ALL about to change!) And as always, CHECK with your doctor.

How much exercise can a pregnant woman do? Again, it depends on her state of fitness before the pregnancy. The general rule of thumb is to work up to the basic federal guidelines of 20-30 minutes most days of the week. If you're already there, don't add beyond your current fitness level.

Still can't get off the couch for the nausea and general "ugh" that pregnancy makes some of us feel? Then just promise me one thing. For the sake of all that is holy, PUT DOWN THE CIGARETTES NOW.

NOW!

No, not after this last puff--NOW!

I honestly believe in a person's right to poison herself. I also believe that if you choose to smoke while pregnant someone should tell you with the greatest love, but in no uncertain terms, you are poisoning your baby. Stop it. Now. Call your local health department and get help.

Enough Yoga, Already!

For those of you who've been following Radiant Fitness for awhile, you've probably noticed that I'm talking more about yoga. We have more yoga classes available. We have personal training, yoga-style available. Yoga, yoga, yoga! What's with all of the yoga?

I love dancing. I love walking. I love water aerobics/shuffleboard/climbing walls/frisbee-with-dog. Anyone, I honestly believe, can find some form of physical activity that she will enjoy. But until the day you fall in love with tennis or karate, in the interim, give yoga a try. Why?

1. Yoga is the total body workout. You stretch, you strengthen muscles, and you elevate your heart rate (you CAN get cardio from yoga--take your pulse after 15-minutes of four-limbed work and see!)

2. Yoga is cheap--cheaper than walking! A good pair of shoes costs $50-80. A yoga mat costs $10. You don't even have to be dressed to do yoga.

3. Yoga is year-round: Indoors in winter, outdoors in summer. Hotel room? Sure. Beach in Mexico--oh, my, yes!

4. Yoga movement begins wherever your body will let it. Yes, the DVD covers always have paper-thin wispy women in white standing on their hands while knotting their legs in pretzel twists. I think this does a disservice to those of us who are sitting in chairs attempting a basic side bend. Whatever your body can do, however, will benefit you.

5. Yoga is a proven stress-relief technique. Stress is the secret enemy in the quest to live a healthy life. Through yoga we learn simple, portable, FREE techniques to alleviate it.

6. Because of its stress-reduction capacity, yoga practice PREVENTS weight gain. When you have an alternative to the blood sugar rush, you don't go eating as many calories.

7. Yoga is joint/bone/age/pregnancy/post-partum/PMS/menopause/knee surgery friendly. All teachers and students of yoga practice mindfulness so that every movement in a flow is deliberate, custom and optimized to your body in its current state.

You may never love yoga as Susan and I do. But until you find your One True Fitness Love, come mess around on the mat with yoga!

Whose Weight Are You Carrying?

Your sister-in-law calls you to complain about her job (and your brother). You know it's going to be a long call, and you open the fridge, staring in, thinking, "Maybe I'll make my grocery list now." Instead, you pull out a fat-free yogurt cup and eat it. What the hey--it's only 80 Calories, right?

You work two hours overtime because it's the end of the fiscal year/quarter/monthly reporting period/weekly quota drive. Dinner is drive-thru. You are "responsible" and order a kid's meal with a diet cola--only 750 Calories (seriously.)

Whose weight are you carrying? Whose stresses stress you out? I know you are a good spouse/friend/colleague/volunteer/person-you-can-rely-on, but what is it costing you?

I'm not suggesting you get a divorce or blow off your children and boss. But for an hour this week, take a long hard look at what drives you to the refrigerator door. What can you end/change/fix? What WILL you end/change/fix?

Update: Down 1.8 lbs this week. I did NOT do all of those things I promised last week (HR monitor/body fat measurement etc). I DID inhale a couple sleeves of thin mints. I DID spend all of my TV time doing cardio (put my little aerobic step out there and went to town!). I'm behind goal by close to two pounds, so I will either revise the goal, lengthen the term of the project, or increase my cardio/strength training. This week, I'm choosing more exercise--it's gorgeous out there!

P.S. -- All new classes starting this week: In Newport at the Kula Center, Radiant Yoga begins (6A Tues/Thurs, 6P Mon). In Richwood: Radiant Yoga starts Thursday at 6p night and new beginning belly dance series start Tuesday night at 6p. If you are going to "walk in" to any classes, send me a quick e-mail and let me know so we have a general head count. Or just show up!

More Confessin'

So last week, I laid out the Grand Plan for my weight loss. This week I am down exactly 0.0 pounds. What happened?

Well, there are two choices here. I could assume that the plan is flawed somehow--that in spite of all science to the contrary, eating 1,000 fewer kcal/day than I burn off does NOT, in fact, cause two pounds of weight loss.

Or I could assume that my execution of the plan is flawed instead.

As a trainer, this is usually the point in the conversation when my client says, "But I did everything right!" and does or does not provide the documentation to prove it. From here it's a short step to the infamous, "I've tried EVERYTHING to lose weight, but it just won't come off."

As a NICE trainer, I sometimes let the whining slide and quietly find a way to tweak the client's workouts to up the caloric burn. I also ask them to check in more frequently between sessions to increase accountability.

But I am not a "nice" trainer when I am the client. I want answers, and I want them now.

Why did I "plateau" this week? Because I did not account for all of the calories I ingested. According to my records, my average daily caloric deficit was 900. But I eyeballed some portions instead of measuring them. I drank fruit juice by the gallon--only 5 kcal per serving, but 40 kcal in the whole 2 liter bottle. By the end of the day, that's 40-60 kcal I didn't write down last week. My tracking program estimates the 1-2 Fiber One bars I eat each day at 120 Calories apiece (and they are really 140). By the end of the day, I've underestimated 100 kcal--and those calories count.

Also, I gave up caffeine (and alcohol) for Lent. I really miss that metabolic boost early in the day from caffeine (but I also don't find myself craving the wine and all of her calories at night)

My physical activity was an estimate based on my RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion), and so, therefore, completely subjective. This week, I'll strap on my heart rate monitor and actually get a more accurate measure of calories burned. I bet I've been optimistic.

All is not lost--although my weight today is the same as last Sunday's (129.6 lbs) the trend this week has been lower: I've seen 129.4 a couple of times. When weighing daily, minor fluctuations (less than a pound, or two pounds if you REALLY retain water) are to be expected. I may well have burned off a couple pounds of body fat this week. Since I haven't been tracking body fat, however, I can't say for sure.

So---I'll start tracking it! I was at 33% body fat this morning. 1/3 of my body at this moment is fat (the other 2/3 is water, muscle, bone, blood solids, nerve tissue, waste and whatever else is floating around inside the skin). A healthy adult woman really should be around 25% body fat or better. While I will continue to focus on my overall weight, I want to keep an eye on that figure.

So there you have it--I'm staying the course, becoming scrupulously honest with myself and looking for more objective data about my exercise and body composition.

Each Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie is 40 calories. (See, I promised you the entire blog would not be about me!)