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Beef - It's What's for Dinner!

I admit it. I love red meat. Steak. Prime Rib. A juicy burger. As a person who eats clean and lives the bodybuilder lifestyle, many would expect me to eschew red meat. But certain cuts of red meat, when trimmed of fat and cooked, are not much worse on the nutrition scale than chicken or fish.

There are 29 cuts of beef that are designated lean—which means it must contain less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 3 1/2 ounce serving. There are also a few cuts that qualify as extra lean, which means they must contain less than less than 5 grams of total fat, 2 grams or less of saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 3 1/2 ounce serving.

Chicken and lean beef both have the same protein content, about 7 grams per ounce. Beef is higher in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, but if you keep your portions to around 4 ounces, which shrinks to about 3 ounces after cooking, you are still eating "healthy".

Beef is also great because it gives you a dose of good things like iron, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, vitamins B6, B12 and niacin. You don’t need a 12-ounce steak to benefit from these nutrients. They’re all there in a 4-ounce portion.

The key to choosing beef is to choose cuts that have loin or round in the name; i.e. sirloin or eye of round. Also opt for grass-fed beef whenever possible, as it is leaner than corn-fed. Since these cuts have less fat, they will be less tender, so you will want to marinate or rub them. Following is a great Ginger Soy marinade that makes any piece of meat delicious, especially when grilled.

Sue's Ginger Soy Beef (or chicken) Marinade

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup toasted sesame oil

1/8 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons sliced green onions

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cloves garlic, grated

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated

Mix all ingredients. Place in a large ziplock back with the meat. Marinate at least two hours or better, overnight. Keeps in the frig for about two days.

Hmmm, what shall I have for dinner tonight? I've got it: beef! Elementary my Dear Watson!

The Skinny on Fad Diets

Hello Everyone!


Most of us have been, or are currently on some kind of fat loss diet. I get lots of questions from people on what is the best way to lose weight and cut fat.
Are you searching for a new diet to help you shed the pounds and incinerate the fat? Confused about which diet to try? I’ll help you sort through the popular fat loss diets and choose the one that’s right for you.


If there’s one thing that’s a constant in the world, it’s that diet fads will come and go. Back in the 30’s and 40’s the diet trend was smoking (seriously, smoking was thought to help you lose weight because you’d be puffing instead of eating!).


The 50’s fad was prayer. Ask God to be slim and maybe it would happen! The 60’s pushed support groups and oh, The Cabbage Soup Diet. Diet pills were all the rage in the 70’s; the Scarsdale Diet dominated the 80’s and was dethroned in the 90’s by Dr. Atkins, which still proves to be popular today.


So here we are in the second decade of the twenty-first century. At last count there were over 300 diets being used today, everything from the Glycemic Impact Diet to the Bistro MD Diet. Do any of these diets actually work? Possibly. But most are merely gimmicks to fatten someone’s wallet and they will do little to help those of us with a serious desire to shed the pounds and cut the fat once and for all.


Read the rest of the article here:
The Skinny on Fad Diets

The article is too long to post on the Blog, so please be sure to click on the link to read it. You must may find a way to shed those pounds!

Take care,
Sue

Personal Trainers Beware!

I saw this last week and thought I just had to share. Personal trainers are always a blessing in disguise, trouble is, as we help people achieve their goals we somehow sprout horns and become slave drivers! Anyway, hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

ONE GAL'S WEEK AT THE GYM


Dear Diary,

For my birthday this year, my daughter (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me.

Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear.

My daughter seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

________________________________

MONDAY:

Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Belinda waiting for me. She is something of a Greek goddess - with blond hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!!

Belinda gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which she conducted her aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!

Belinda was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time she was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!!

________________________________

TUESDAY:

I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Belinda made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then she put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Belinda's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT-!! It's a whole new life for me.

_______________________________

WEDNESDAY:

The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.

Belinda was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. Her voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and w hen she scolds, she gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying.

My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Belinda put me on the stair monster. Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Belinda told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. She said some other shit too.

_______________________________

THURSDAY:

Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like teeth exposed as her thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being a half an hour late - it took me that long to tie my shoes.

Belinda took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. She sent another skinny bitch to find me.

Then, as punishment, she put me on the rowing machine -- which I sank.

_______________________________

FRIDAY:

I hate that bitch Belinda more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat her with it. < /div>

Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the damn barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.

The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

________________________________

SATURDAY:

Belinda left a message on my answering machine in her grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up to day. Just hearing her voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

________________________________

SUNDAY:

I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my daughter (the little @&*%) will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!

What's for Dinner Mom? Dare I say Chicken?

This is typical of what I hear when roll home from work at night:

"What's for dinner tonight Mom?"

"Chicken."

"Oh."  Long pause. "Well I probably won't be home for dinner anyway."

"I didn't think so sweetheart."

Since at my house we eat chicken four to five times per week, I am always on the prowl for new chicken recipes that I think everyone will like. It has become a challenge and sometimes I feel like throwing in the towel and ordering pizza. I remember when I was little there was a restaurant that delivered chicken just like pizza. Their tagline was "Don't cook tonight. Order Chicken Delight!"

That was many moons ago, and the chicken was horrible, but the idea is nice! But ordering anything to be delivered for dinner is asking for serious caloric troubles...I mean, how can you have an ooey-gooey pizza in front of you and not eat enough to sabotage a week's worth of eating clean?

So, on a recent quest for new and tasty culinary treats,  I found a recipe for Chicken Marengo and thought it sounded yummy. I admit, the name intrigued me. Afterall, Marengo sounds exotic and I love exotic recipes...So I made it last weekend and wow...was it ever good!

It takes a while to cook, so it's not a keeper for worknights. But on a Saturday night it is the perfect dinner, even for those who are bored with chicken!

Chicken Marengo


Serves: 8

Ingredients:


• 8 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

• 1 thinly sliced medium onion

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 2 crushed cloves garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

• 1 bay leaf

• 3 springs parsley

• 1 cup 98% fat-free chicken broth

• 2 cups diced Italian style tomatoes

• 18 pearl onions

• 1 pound sliced mushrooms

• Juice of 1 large lemon

• 1 cup sliced pitted black olives

• 1 jigger cognac

• Chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:
Spray nonstick Dutch oven with cooking oil spray. Sauté sliced onion until very lightly brown then remove. Brown chicken breasts on both sides. Add wine, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, chicken broth and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour, until tender. Remove meat and strain sauce, then reduce for 5 minutes. Sauté pearl onions and mushrooms in juice of lemon.

Arrange chicken, onions, mushrooms and sliced olives in casserole dish. Sprinkle with cognac. Heat in 350°. Serve on cooked brown rice or couscous and garnish with chopped parsley. Toss a spinach and romaine salad with some balsamic vinagrette and lemon juice and you have a sumptous meal!

Nutritional Facts
Per Serving:
264 Calories
4g Fat
31g Protein
21g Carbohydrate
5mg Dietary Fiber
68mg Cholesterol
1001mg Sodium
100mg Calcium

Considering Meatless Mondays?

It seems to be the hot new thing...going meatless one day a week. Coincidentally, since it's Lent for many people, the notion has received rave reviews from nutritionists and weight-loss coaches.

Why go meatless? According to http://www.meatlessmondays.com/, going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel.

It could, in theory, help you in many areas. That is based, of course, upon your eating healthy alternatives, not fried, greasy, cheesy ones. Eggs, legumes, nuts, seeds and vegetables are all good alternatives.

If you wonder what you would have for dinner on a meatless night, how about red beans and rice? Or black bean and jack cheese burritos? Or maybe a protein-packed egg dish, like Eggs Pipérade?

Whether you want to ditch meat one night a week or not, consider giving this recipe a try. It is delicious, quick and easy!

Eggs Pipérade

Pipérade originally comes from the Basque region of France, which influenced modern Creole cooking. This egg version resembles a frittata and highlights pipérade’s quintessential combination of onion, tomato and bell pepper. This recipe comes from myrecipes.com.

Serves 4



1 teaspoon olive oil

3/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped

3/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes or until bell peppers begin to soften and garlic becomes fragrant.

Add thyme, salt, ground red pepper and tomatoes to the pan. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook 7 minutes or until bell peppers are tender.

Uncover and cook 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates. Gently stir in lightly beaten eggs, cover, and cook 3 minutes or until set.

Serves garnished with parsley. Cut into wedges and enjoy.

Nutritional Information:

Amount per Serving


Calories: 134

Calories from Fat: 62

Total Fat: 6.8g

Saturated Fat: 1.8g

Cholesterol: 10.7g

Sodium: 476mg

Total Carbohydrates: 10.7g

Dietary Fiber: 1.4g

Protein: 8.1g

Are You Guilty of Overtraining?

I’m sure we’re all guilty of it at some time or another. We want to improve so badly that we "go for broke" and wind up regressing rather than progressing. The real danger in this is that many people don’t understand what is happening and decide that bodybuilding isn’t for them.




Nothing could be further from the truth! Bodybuilding is for everyone, young and old, but it must be done wisely and slowly. To do otherwise is to risk overtraining.






How and why does overtraining occur?



It occurs when you push too hard and don’t allow your body time to adjust, adapt and recuperate. After lifting, your muscles are injured. Like any injury, they need time to rest and repair themselves. Without it, they will not respond and you will not make any gains.



What are the signs of overtraining?



They include:

• Decrease in performance

• Increase in a person’s resting heart rate and blood  pressure

• Increased muscle fatigue, disturbed sleep patterns and gastro-intestinal disturbances

• Depression, irritability, apathy, and low self-esteem

So, how to avoid overtraining?

1. Never work a body part when it is still sore as it is not ready.
2. Never train a body part two days in a row.
3. Take two days off from training per week to rest.
4. Make sure you get enough complex carbs and protein in your diet.
5. Get as close to 8 hours of sleep per night as you can.
6. Drink a minimum of 8 8-oz. glasses of water per day. Your protein shake, tea, coffee, etc. do not count!
7. Never work out when you’re sick or feeling extra sluggish. Listen to your body!

The key to avoiding the overtraining blues is to work hard but work smart. Like I say, Rome wasn’t built in a day!



Happy Training Everyone!



Sue

Should You Do Cardio Before or After Weight Training?

I get asked this question a lot. "Should you do your cardio before or after your weight training?"




Well, it depends on your goal(s).

If your goal is to build muscle, it can best be accomplished by lifting weights first when the body’s main source of energy for muscle contraction (glycogen) is high. If you do a hard cardio workout before lifting, you deplete glycogen, which makes the workout ineffective.



If your goal is to build your cardiovascular endurance,

you should perform endurance exercise first, when you have plenty of energy for long-distance exercise. Add resistance exercises 2 to 3 times a week, either after or separate from the endurance work in order to develop muscular strength and reduce your risk of injury. Lifting prior to running is not recommended because you increase your risk of injury due to muscle fatigue.



If you are just trying to get healthier, it really doesn’t matter if you lift weights first or do endurance training first. In fact, you can do both at the same time with interval training (see yesterday’s post) or circuit training routines or you can alternate weight lifting and endurance days if you prefer.



If you are trying to lose fat and burn calories, you should probably do cardio first and lift weights next. The reason is that it is usally easier for most people to burn more calories per exercise session when they do cardio first. However, almost any combination of burning more calories while eating fewer will result in fat loss.



Some people can lose significant weight just though dietary changes; others do it just by lifting. Weight lifting definitely burns calories; in fact, it often burns more calories per minute than performing endurance exercise. The problem is that most people fatigue quickly when lifting weights, and therefore cannot perform the exercise as long as they can walk, bike or use an elliptical machine. The end result is that the total calories burned per exercise session tends to be higher for those who do endurance exercise first, simply because the can exercise longer.



I personally mix up the cardio depending on what body part I’m working and how much time I have. If I need to do serious cardio I try to make a stand-alone activity so that I can focus on it 100%. The same with lifting. But sometimes my time is at a premium and I have to mix, match and combine my cardio and lifting sessions.



So, when do you do your cardio? (Don’t say you don’t do it at all — that’s not allowed!).

The Amazing Vibrating Belt and Other Crazy Fitness Fads

Ever wonder how we got where we are with fitness fads? We’ve come a long way, baby, and I have a feeling we have a way to go. Take a stroll down the fitness fad memory lane with me and see if you remember any of these gems:





1940s=Working Out Not Allowed



Guess what women’s fitness trend swept the nation in the 1940s. Um, nothing. Not a workout in sight. It’s not surprising when you consider that in the 40s, many experts were still telling women that exercise could damage their uteruses, according to Fitness for Dummies. Women spent their days pursuing domestic activities like cooking, baking, sewing, ironing aprons and having Tupperware parties. Who in the world could fit fitness into a busy schedule like that? Would June Cleaver have been able to look so fresh and perky when Ward came through the door each night?



1950s=Jack LaLanne’s Glamour Stretcher



In 1956 (yes, before I was born), the President’s Council on Youth Fitness was formed. Jack LaLanne had his own exercise show–The Jack LaLanne Show. It was one of the longest-running health-and-fitness shows in history, having first aired in 1951. In 1959, (I was one that year!) Jack developed the Glamour Stretcher. It was the first elastic band used for resistance training, though he didn’t market it quite that way. The Glamour Stretcher came with a record called "Glamour Stretcher Time." The new gizmo promised women a lovelier, more flattering figure. Gee, who’d have thought that resistance training could do that? I always knew I liked Jack LaLanne.



1960s=Vibrating Belts



I remember going with my Mom to a Venus De Milo exercise studio (Remember them? Yikes!) and seeing these women getting jiggled by a belt slung around their butts while they gossiped endlessly and smacked Doublemint Gum (not really a pretty picture). These belts were thought to melt fat…huh?? All they did was give these poor women red streaks on their hinnies. The sad but true thing is that I was channel surfing the other day and poof! A new hybrid version is back on the market. If only it could give you tan while melting your fat, I’d be suckered in.



1970s=Roller Skating



Now this one I like. With the advent of polyurethane wheels that made for smoother rolling, roller skating made a huge comeback in the ’70s. Olivia Newton-John appeared in her red and white skates on the cover of a July 1979 issue of People. She was quoted as saying, "Skating keeps my legs in shape." She?did have cute legs, right??Since?I don’t have any roller rinks near my home, so I was wondering if I could roller skate on?my treadmill…hmmm. Note to self: Be sure to?pay the health insurance premium…



1980s=Aerobics



Gotta love the ’80s - just don’t gag thinking back on the big hair, disco music, leisure suits and lest we not forget, Jane Fonda and her painful if not gainful burst onto the aerobic scene. Funny thing is, Fonda looked astonishing and I must say her routines worked. I mean how could they not? Sixty minutes of bopping around, leg warmers and all, sweatband perfectly perched on our heads so as to not muss our giant feathered-back bangs and the novel concept of cardiovascular activity to burn calories and tone muscles. Gee, I need to do some cardio. Has anyone seen my pink lycra leotard?



1990s=Boot-Camp Fitness



The military meets fat camp. The boot-camp fitness classes that sprang up in the ’90s offered intense tough-love motivation, often run by ex-military whistle-blowing instructors. According to The Gym Survival Guide by Gregg Cook and Fatima D. Almeida-Cook, The military aspect of this class stems from the idea of going through a chain of exercises strung together with little to no rest in between, as well as the idea of working in a team and fostering the spirit of camaraderie. Personally, I like the boot camp mindset. It forces you to either get tough or wimp out and get ridiculed by a maniacal camoflauge-clad trainer with a riding crop. Now drop and give me fifty!

2000s=Strip Aerobics



I know. How could this even be considered fitness? Strip aerobics. Pole dancing. Sexercise? (don’t ask). You can thank celebrity trainer Jeff Costa for jump-starting the movement. In 2001, he created Cardio Striptease for Crunch Gym. Then cutie-patootie Carmen Electra jumped on board when she started her own collection of workout DVDs called Aerobic Striptease. This evolved into pole dancing, with the S Factor workout, a combination of yoga, ballet, striptease and, naturally, pole dancing (brainchild of Sheila Kelley). I tried pole dancing once…I did pretty good until the Principal came out and told me I was using the flagpole in an inappropriate manner…



So now were in a new decade…the 2010s (doesn’t sound quite right does it?) Any guesses as to what the new fitness fad might be?



I was thinking maybe Ninja Sleep Training. You know, since that recent study found that getting more sleep could help you lose weight, just think, if you could work-out while you were asleep, you could get fit and lose pounds and rest. And yay me, there’d be no school principals in sight!



Remember — a fad is just a fad, but fitness is forever!!

Yummy Black Bean Chile Dip for Super Bowl Sunday

I’m already planning for Super Bowl Sunday…although I know it will be a cheat day, I want to make sure all the yummy food is as healthy and low fat as possible.

So over the next couple weeks as I choose recipes I’ll post them to share.

Here’s the first one: Black Bean Chile Dip



Black Bean Chile Dip


2 tablespoons chopped green chiles (from 4.5-oz can)

2 small onions, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained, rinsed

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Dash of kosher salt



1. Place chilies, onions, garlic and beans in blender or food processor. Cover and blend on medium-high speed until almost smooth.

2. Spoon mixture into small bowl. Stir in yogurt, cumin and salt. If you are like me and like a little heat, add a few drops of Tabasco or Tapatio.Cover and refrigerate until chilled, or heat in 1 1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until hot.

Garnish with chopped tomatoes and scallions if desired.
This dip is great with pita chips, kale chips or homemade wheat tortilla chips. Also good for dipping carrots, jicama and other veggies into.

Nutrition Information:

2 Tablespoons: Calories 35 (Calories from Fat 0); Total Fat 0g (Saturated Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 145 mg; Total Carbohydrate 8 g (Dietary Fiber 2 g); Protein 2 g



Next time: Yummy Eats for Super Bowl Sunday #2- Mini Buffalo Wing Pizzas



Enjoy!

I Want it and I Want it NOW!!

Seems like everyone is impatient to see results. If things don't happen fast enough, they give up or give in. I hear this from so many people. "I tried to get in shape but I just couldn't so I gave up," or "I lost a couple pounds but then it just stopped so I thought I'd just go back to eating. At least I'm getting some satisfaction from food." Then there's my fave: "I just don't have time now. I'll try to get in shape next summer. Or next year." Or never?



The trouble is, everyone progresses at a different rate. Some people lose weight just by cutting back on calories a wee bit. Some are able to bulk up with tons of rock hard muscle in a matter of months while others struggle to gain a mere half inch.


But no one, and I mean no one attains everything they want as fast as they want. And you can't compare yourself with the perfect physiques you see on this website because you have no idea what it took for them to look like that!


There are four kinds of people / attitudes when it comes to transforming their bodies:


1. Those who's heart was never really in it and they give up before they even start, spending more time making excuses than anything else;


2. Those who give it a halfway try and wind up a tad better than they were, peter out and will likely be back at square one in a few months;


3. Those who plan their strategy and live it, taking each success in stride and moving forward toward their goal, understanding that it takes time; and


4. Those who are so dedicated (usually due to an upcoming competition or transformation challenge) that they put their entire body and soul into it and acheive results quickly.


BUT--and any of you who have been in category 3 know this--it is rare for a person to stay in peak condition year round. It is just too much work! Even the fittest of the fit have off-seasons when they lose all semblance of the ripped god or goddess in the pictures. They just know they'll have to amp the diet and exercise back up to reveal that stunning bod!


So, my point is, don't expect miracles. Don't expect to work out for six months and look like Ava Cowan. Probably ain't gonna happen.


Instead:

-Give yourself and your body time to adjust to what you are trying to achieve.

-Set realistic goals that are achievable, to do otherwise is to set yourself up for failure.

-Keep a log or journal of your progress and note what seems to be working and what is not.

-When you feel like quitting, get some support from people who want to help you achieve your goals.

-Celebrate each milestone (even the small ones) by rewarding yourself. It doesn't have to be huge, maybe a new pair of lifting gloves or work out shorts or even a little cheat treat like a Mocha Latte from Starbuck's.

-And always remember, Rome was not built in a day. Anybody in a fitness magazine that you admire will tell you it takes a heck of a lot of time and dedication to get to the place they are and nearly as much to stay there.

If it's worth having, it's worth waiting for. And your new body is definitely worth having AND waiting for!!

Go for it and never look back! You'll be so glad you did.



Sue

Obesity and Depression Go Hand in Hand

Over the past couple days I have talked to more than a few women who are depressed because they are overweight and can’t seem to do anything (consistently) about it. Often they feel like failures.


Then I happened on an interesting article explaining that middle-aged women are much more likely to be depressed if theyare obese, and vice versa. Rising excess weight goes along with less physical activity, higher calorie intake — and depression — according to the research.

The reason, said lead author Gregory Simon, M.D., is that depression and obesity likely fuel one another. “When people gain weight, they’re more likely to become depressed, and when they get depressed, they have more trouble losing weight,” said Simon, a psychiatrist and researcher at Group Health Cooperative in Seattle.

For the study, researchers interviewed 4,641 female health-plan enrollees, ages 40 to 65, by phone. The women were asked questions regarding height, weight, exercise levels, dietary habits and body image. They also completed the Patient Health Questionnaire, a measure of depression symptoms.

Women withclinical depression were more than twice as likely to be obese, defined as having a body-mass index (BMI) of 30 or more; likewise, obese women were more than twice as likely to be depressed.

Not surprisingly, women with BMIs at or above 30 exercised the least, had the poorest body image and ingested 20 percent more calories than those with lower BMIs. The depression-obesity association held even when the researchers factored in marital status, education, tobacco use and antidepressant use.

The association was stronger in this study than in previous, comparable ones — possibly because the sample was predominantly white and middle-class. “There is some evidence that being overweight is less stigmatized for men, for lower-income people and for women in nonwhite ethnic groups,” Simon said.

The stigma of being overweight could hurt self-esteem, and thus, efforts to lose weight, Simon said. “It’s not that these women are clueless,” he said. “It’s that they’re hopeless. The takeaway for obese women is to focus on rebuilding their spirit, which can help with losing pounds,” he said.

My take on this is that we need to give all the support we can to the women (and men) who wish to make a change to not only their physical size but to their life and well being.  No one wants (or needs) to be overweight, much less depressed. Life is too short...we need to enjoy every minute and be able to enjoy the bodies we live in!!

Sleep Yourself Thin

I just found an interesting study by the Eastern Virginia Medical School…they found that thin people sleep an average of two hours more per week than overweight people.




They think that lack of sleep causes hormonal changes that could make you gain weight.




Interesting, isn’t it? I have always been a good sleeper. Even now I sleep nine hours a night on average. And I’ve always been what would be considered "thin." My sleep isn't always quality sleep; I wake up several times each night but usually can get back to sleep fairly easily. I would say that overall I average eight good hours of sleep most nights.



If you are trying to lose weight, it might be worth a try to get some extra shuteye. It calculates out to 17 extra minutes per day or night. A nice afternoon catnap just might make the difference. I’m not a napper, but if I was I would sure give it a go!

Sleep Good Everyone!