Denise Austin's Top 5 Tips

Coach Nicole over at SparkPeople interviewed fitness expert Denise Austin. Here's one of the Q&A's:

CN: Share your top 5 tips for staying fit and healthy in your 50s.

1. Body toning. Nothing will droop or sag if muscles are firm and taut. 2. Do cardio to burn fat from the entire body. 3. Stretching to stay flexible and lean. 4. Eat healthy and organic meals (lean protein, fruits and vegetables) and drink 8 glasses of water every day. 5. Be optimistic. Always think and stay positive. Don't beat yourself up. Think and act young with a positive attitude and always keep laughter and humor in your life. It's the best medicine.

What Do You Eat Before Working Out?

I've been experimenting in the last month and a half on what helps me get through an hour-long Pilates workout best.

Heavy meals. No.

Just a piece of fruit. No.

An egg or egg whites. No.

Before I tell you what gets me--a middle-aged fat gal whose been sedentary for years--through a hard set of exercises without totally feeling a sinking fatigue, let me pass on what Duke Diet & Fitness experts suggest:

The best preworkout snack is one that includes carbohydrates, which provide an energy boost, and protein, which sustains the energy boost and helps you feel satisfied longer. Here are some ideas:

* Half a bagel with low-fat cream cheese
* An apple with reduced-fat cheddar cheese
* A banana with peanut butter
* Yogurt with berries
* A few crackers with tuna
* One slice of bread with turkey

The key is to keep your portion small — around 50 to 100 calories. Eat your snack 30 minutes to an hour before you work out, keeping in mind that the body takes a little longer to absorb the energy from foods containing fat.

And before you stock up on energy bars or other products that promise to give you a boost during your workout, take note: While these products can be a convenient option, they can also be high in calories. If you do choose a sports bar, look for small ones that contain 100 calories or less.

Okay, so, with trial and error, I've noticed that what I have approximately 1 hour before a workout DOES make an energy difference (pooping out and working less hard versus feeling more zing and putting in more effort, hence, getting better exercise and results).

This is the combo that works for me:

*Something with caffeine (a shot of espresso, a cup of regular drip coffee, a cup of green tea, or a glass of iced green tea).
*something with about 20 grams of carbs: a nice-sized banana, some fruit juice that isn't overly acidic (orange juice gives me reflux, which is an obstacle in positions where you put pressure on the tummy).
*some protein: to keep it fast, I go for something super-easy, like a protein mix that I can shake up fast in a plastic shaker cup. I've used DESIGNER WHEY, which is low-carb. I've used the Melaleuca brand mix. Now, thanks to Gym Rat's recommendation about the flavor, and my own review of its nutrients, I'm using Syntha-6. I got the strawberry flavor, and it's reminiscent of the strawberry milk of my childhood. It's nice.
*Something with potassium. If I use milk with the protein mix, that covers it. If I have a banana, that covers it. If I don't have time to eat a fruit, I just guzzle down some coconut water. That has carbs and a LOT of potassium (about 600 mg for 11 oz). This has cut down on my propensity to have cramps in certain moves.

The Starbucks Vivanno in chocolate banana flavor works for me, too--it's got the nonfat milk and banana(for the potassium double wham), the protein mix, and I request a shot of espresso for the caffeine.

It's easy to make a smoothie, too, just add the ingredients together at home in a blender: skim milk, some protein mix scoop, a banana or strawberries, and a shot of espresso in there (or a bit of green tea powder mix).

So, there ya go: caffeine, some carbs, some protein, and potassium. I try to keep clear of added fats.

So far, this has been the BEST combo for me.

What works for you?

The Biggest Losers...and Regainers?

The statistics on weight loss are not heartening. Most who lose--yes, the vast majority--regain lost pounds, and even add some. Oh-oh, I feel dragonfire on my neck!

No, no, let's hurry into the castle and drop the portcullis.

Oooh, better.

There was some comment chatter not too long ago on some FatFighter Blogs about how watching the rebroadcasts of old THE BIGGEST LOSER shows had a beneficial (ie. motivating) effect.

And I agreed. Watching those folks just change and change, lose and lose, and struggle, well, it was like a coach saying, "Get off your couch and move and then plan a healthy meal."

It can also be discouraging, if you don't have a personal trainer there with you for hours a day, and you're not living in an environment structured to focus solely, consistently, obessively on diet and exercise. In other worlds, a world created for weight loss (which is what THE BIGGEST LOSER ranch is).

Anyway, I had mixed reactions--sad, cheered, discouraged, encouraged--while reading an issue of TIME magazine recently that had various diet/appetite/obesity related articles. One included an update on some of THE BIGGEST LOSER contestants, including Ryan Benson, the guy who had such a drastic change in weight, so drastic that he won the first season's big prize of 250 thousand smackeroos. (I remember him, because he started out as a real unlikable dude I wanted kicked off the show, then morphed into a more softie, weepy dude I was able to cheer for, though I wanted Doc or Kelly to win, honestly.)

Bad News Brute Alert:
Ryan has regained all but thirty of his lost pounds.

Let me break that down:

Original Weight: 330
Winning Weight: 208
Current Weight: 300

He's managed to keep 30 off (which is better for his health than NONE), and just goes to show that even with total pro assistance, it's not easy maintaining. Here's hoping Ryan can get the numbers down again. Hey, his winnings can help hire a trainer and get some good diet food delivery if necessary. Good luck to you, RB.

The TIME article goes on to mention some disturbing behind-the-scenes activity:

The Biggest Loser achieves rapid transformations—contestants often drop more than 9 kg in a week—through calorie restriction, endless exercise and no small amount of dehydration that occurs behind the scenes. Ryan Benson, 38, an actor who works for a DVD distributor in Los Angeles, lost 55 kg to win the first season in January 2005 but says he regained 14.5 kg within five days simply by drinking water. Matt Hoover, 31, a motivational speaker based in Seattle, had a 7-kg rebound within a day of winning Season 2. Last season's runner-up, Kai Hibbard, 28, an aerobics instructor in Alaska who says she spent the night before her final weigh-in hopping in and out of a sauna for six hours, consumed only sugar-free Jell-O for several days and wolfed down asparagus, which is a natural diuretic.

Okay, I understand. Big money is at stake. They're taking crazy measures to win.

I remember a high school boyfriend who used to take water pills and used to spit--actually spit and spit and spit into a cup--as well as make himself sweat (wrapping himself in plastic wrap and exercising in the sun), in order to make weight for the wrestling team competitions. I knew that had to be unhealthy. (It certainly was creepy.) It was all about DEHYDRATION for weight loss, for a weigh-in, which is not about losing fat or gaining health, that's for sure.

There's some good news in the article and some difficult but sobering news.

The good news: One of my fave contestants, the pretty dark-haired Kelly Minner, has not only kept her finale fat loss, she's lost even more and is down to 140 lbs. Go, Kelly!

But she does it in part by heeding the sobering part, she exercises up to four hours a day for six days a week.

No, that's not a typo. And here's some factoid on that, emphasis mine. And know what, let's make it a SPARKLY FACTOID, because at least it offers some hope (though, hey, I'm not feeling all that cheered or sparklesome):

The U.S. National Weight Control Registry, which tracks the habits of some 5,000 successful maintainers, cites a study showing only a fifth of dieters with a history of obesity sustain a loss of 10% of their body weight for a year or more. "The best predictor of the ones who are not going to regain are the ones who are doing the most physical activity," says Dr. Holly Wyatt, an obesity expert at the University of Colorado. She says most registrants exercise, on average, at least an hour a day.

To read all of the weight/fitness related articles in that TIME issue, go to "The Way We Eat--The Science of Appetite" and More Stories.

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Six Beginning Steps To Get You A Weight Loss Happily-Ever-After Ending

Since the stated goal for Princess Dieter and all those who are on a similar journey is to achieve the happy-ever-after of a healthy weight and good fitness, let's see what Kathryn Martyn, NLP expert, weight loss coach, says are the necessary 6 steps for a successful outcome (ie. H.E.A.):

1) State what you want (not what you do not want). "I want to weigh 135
pounds."

2) Determine whether you can achieve it (do you believe it is
possible?).

3) What resources do you have and what do you need (time, money, gear,
clothes, equipment, coaching, whatever).

4) Check whether anyone else is involved and any potential obstacles that
may come up regarding others. Think of everyone involved in your day-to-day
life.

5) Picture yourself "as if" you've obtained what you say you want and see
if that picture fits. Do you like what you see?

6) Put together a plan of action for the achievement of your
outcome.

Okay, so, how far along have we gotten here. Let's do the checklist:

Regarding #1: CHECK. I stated in the previous post that I was aiming for 160. So, "I want to weight 160 pounds."

On to #2: As the footer philosophy and the first entries make clear, yes. I choose to have a positive attitude. I choose to believe I can do this. Why? Others have trod the same path. They are role models that say it can be done by a human being. Princess Dieter, being human, can do it, too. I may have more (or fewer) obstacles than other morbidly obese royalty who've gone before and succeeded, but it's still achievable. They showed it could be done. So, "Yes, I believe I can make it happen!"

Next--#3: What resources do I have? I previously owned or recently bought the following:

1. new exercise clothes--simple, basic, comfortable
2. two new pair of walking shoes, one white and light blue and one all-black.
3. a set of Bowflex weights
4. a resistance band
5. a stability ball
6. an exercise mat
7. On Demand cable channels with exercise classes
8. a treadmill
9. several books on dieting, including YOU: THE DIET and VOLUMETRICS

I have the time. I can't fall back on that excuse. It's the inclination I have to muster. AND I WILL!!!

I also plan to reassess the family budget and see if I can hire, even if short-term, a personal coach to give me guidance on how to exercise without hurting myself. At 289 pounds, it's very hard to move. Just walking is an undertaking. Going up stairs is killer on the knees--and going down is only marginally easier. So, expert advice would be beneficial.

Gliding to #4: Meal planning gets tough cause my hubby only likes a few veggies and fruits, and he won't eat beans or oatmeal or some stuff. But breakfast and lunch are pretty much clear sailing (M through F) and not such a hurdle on weekends. Dinner is the thing. We get take-out all the time cause I'm a horrible, horrible cook. Princesses should have someone else cook!!! This step will require coordination, and I"m working on it. I have to collect about 20 really easy recipes that include stuff hubby will eat and that works for my calorie/points needs. It's doable, but it's gonna be a difficult thing for kitchen-a-phobic and cooking-impaired Princess Dieter.


And now #5: YES!!!

Finally, #6: Still working on this one. Today, I"m going to the farmer's market and supermarket and getting lots of produce, whole grain pasta and bread, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products. First, I need to figure out what we're gonna be having for dinners this week. Hubby needs soft foods due to oral surgery and I need stuff that's gonna keep me full and veggiefied. I'll put in about 2 hours in making a list (I have the books and magazines scattered about). Then, spend money on edibles time! (BTW, I put up a link to the Cooking Light site over on my sidebar. Lots of recipes there. Mmm.)

I also want to schedule a 20 minute exercise time for 5 to 6 times a week. I don't even know if I'll last for twenty given the radix lecti level of fitness at which I am. IF I only make it to 10 mins, then I'll have to break it up into two 10 minute periods. But can I do it? YES!

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