Misperceptions About Weight

Now that we've made it through the Thanksgiving weekend (for those of us in the US), and head into the holiday season, lots of people think about trying not to gain too much weight during the month. We think about it, read about tips for cutting calories at a holiday party, but usually end up just eating too much and feeling our clothes get tighter.

So a recent study on perception of weight is particularly timely. I just posted the study on the Life-Cise News page. Researchers found that a large number of American women have misperceptions about their weight. Of the 52% of women who were actually overweight, 23% believed they were normal weight. Conversely, 16% of the normal weight women saw themselves as overweight.

Both of these misperceptions have some pretty serious consequences. The women who were overweight but saw themselves as normal weight were least likely to have tried to lose weight or made healthy lifestyle changes to reduce weight. And the normal weight women who believed they were overweight were most likely to have attempted some unhealthy weightloss method.

We know that maintaining a normal weight is one of the best things we can do for our health. Excess weight is strongly tied to heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, high blood pressure, and other health problems. But crash diets, some diet pills or diuretics can have serious health risks as well.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a useful guide to judging weight. BMI is a ratio of weight (in kilograms) to the square of height (in meters). OK, so get your calculators out. Convert your weight in pounds to kilograms: divide weight by 2.2. Next, convert height in inches to meters: multiply inches by .0254. Finally, divide weight in kilograms by height in meters.

For example, a 154 pound person who is 5ft 8inches (68 inches) would have a BMI of 23.33.
154/2.2 = 70kg
68 (inches) x .0254 = 1.73
1.73 squared = 2.9929
70/2.99 = 23.3

Or you can go to the National Institutes of Health website and use their handy BMI calculator if you can't find your calculator.

BMI below 18.5 is considered underweight.
Normal BMI - 18.5 - 24.9
Overweight -   25.0 - 29.9
Obese -            30.0 or greater

BMI is somewhat limited. It doesn't take into account muscle mass. It may underestimate body fat in people who have lost a lot of muscle mass, or overestimate body fat in athletes. Even with it's limitations, it is still a useful tool.

So, head into the holidays with a realistic understanding of your weight. That way you can make realistic, healthy adjustments to your holiday eating.

Julie

Measuring Progress, Feeling Progress

As I wrote in my last post, fitness progress is often not steady and it's not always obvious. It's especially hard to see if we don't know what we're looking for.

There are numbers we can turn to: how fast we cover a certain distance, how much weight we can lift, or the number on the scale (but please don't tell me that's the most important number to you; in some ways it's the least informative!). But these numbers are not hard and fast. From one day to the next, they can be influenced slightly by how well we slept, what we've eaten, did we drink coffee, did we just have a fight with our boss.... We're not mathematical equations, we're human bodies. So these numbers are quite useful if we use them over longer time periods. They track our progress over weeks or months.

But to really understand progress, we have to know what numbers to look at. And that comes from understanding what we're trying to achieve.

What is your goal? What steps will you go through to reach that goal? And what can you measure to monitor your progress?

These are all things that a good trainer can help you figure out. Working out a plan, attainable goalposts, and the means of monitoring progress - that is where a trainer comes in. But the goal is kind of up to you.

What would you like to do that is difficult or you can't do now? What tasks would be easier if you had more upper body strength? How far or how fast would you like to run? Do you have a particular race in mind? Is there a canoe/camping trip with your old college mates you'd like to go on next summer?

Next, what skills and strengths do you need to achieve your goal? That will dictate a lot of how you work out. Do you need more focus on endurance or strength? If you want to run a marathon or climb a mountain, you need endurance. That's a different kind of work than building big, pumped-up muscles. If you want to tennis again or play basketball with your kid, you need enough upper body strength for those activities.

The goal drives the workout plan.

And it drives what's measured for progress. Being able to bench press a certain weight may be interesting, but if I'm building endurance to hike the Appalachian Trail, it might not be the most meaningful measure of how well I'm doing.

Having a goal and a good plan of reaching it can make all the difference in staying motivated. If you know where you're going, you can figure out good measurements of your progress. You'll know that how far, or how fast, or how heavy is what you want to measure. Then, over weeks and months, you'll be able to track your progress.

But progress is not all about numbers. They're great yardsticks, but sometimes they pale in comparison to that thrill of feeling progress. That feeling of being capable.

To steal from American Express' ad campaign:

Gym membership: $950
Personal Training:  $90/hr.
Feeling like you're capable of living your life the way you want: Priceless.

Julie

Progress

I've discovered that I have made progress. It seems sudden, but I know it's not. Progress develops over time. It can be difficult to notice the small changes that it's made of. We tend to notice it only when the change has become large enough to notice, and then it seems sudden.

I only started running 3 years ago. Before that I was sure I hated running and refused to do it. I did lots of other things to work out, but did not run. Even when training for a big climb, I did not run.

Three years ago, I decided to run - and discovered that I loved it! I got stronger and better, but I couldn't really get faster. I was slow and comfortable. I never consistently broke a 10-minute mile.

running in Harriman Park

Lately, I've taken to trail running and gotten a kick out of trying to run longer distances. I've been thinking about technique (as in, how not to trip and break my leg), running hills (necessary on the trails around here), and logging in more miles. I have not been thinking about speed.

Because it's hunting season, and I'm not convinced that hunters will always be able to distinguish me from a deer (even in my bright pink shirt), I went back to road running last weekend. I ran the 4 mile route I often would do. I wasn't trying to run fast, I was just enjoying myself. But when I checked my watch at the halfway point, I was running pretty fast for me. When I climbed the final hill to my driveway, I looked again - still fast. My pace was 8.4 minutes per mile. I know that's not an impressive speed for serious runners. Some of my running friends may laugh at my pride in that number. But that's a lot faster than a 10-min. mile!

Suddenly.

Or so it seems. In reality, I've been running a lot more, getting stronger by running longer distances and hills. But that strength has translated into a little more speed.

It's great to see progress! It's satisfying; it's encouraging. But it's often elusive. Progress in fitness is not always obvious and it's not always steady. We improve a little, only to seem to get weaker the next week. We are diligent in our workouts, but don't feel noticeably stronger. We run a touch faster, only to stumble tomorrow.

Just remember, progress rarely is a steady line. We make leaps and backslide. But overall, there is progress. Try to think of it in longer segments. Don't compare to yesterday or last week.

This is one reason keeping an exercise log can be so helpful. You may not see improvement over last week, but if you look back to 3 months ago, you'll probably see some improvement. You may not be lifting twice the weight or running twice as far, but what you are doing probably feels easier than when you started. If it's written down, it's easy to check.

And also keep in mind what progress is for you. I was happy to run four 8.4-minute miles, but that number would be ridiculous to someone who ran the Chicago Marathon in 2:45. Progress is about you. It's about where you started, where you want to get to, and what your own goals are.

I want to run a really long distance. You might want to run your first 5K. Or you might want to lift 20lbs. Or you might want to play basketball with your kid.

Sometimes progress may not even be about improving. If you are in the middle of treatment, progress might just be about maintaining your fitness. Or it might be about limiting how much of your strength you lose.

Progress is all about you. It's about you and what you want.

Julie

Stretching Those Hip Flexors

A friend of mine was asking me about hip flexors last night. Seems like a good time to repost some stretching advice for those pesky hip flexors. (This was originally posted last August in two separate posts.)


We stretch our quads and our hamstrings, try to figure out ways to stretch out our backs, but too few of us even think about the tiny muscles of our hips. And that is a shame. Think about how much time we all spend sitting - at our desks, in our cars, on the train, in front of the TV. When we sit, the hip flexors tighten; that's how we bend at the hip. If we don't work to stretch those muscles, they remain tight.

Why does that matter? Take a look at where those muscles attach to the bone: the spine and the thigh. When any muscle remains tight, it over-stretches the muscles that work in opposition to it and creates imbalance. In the case of the hip flexors (psoas, iliacus, piriformis, tensor fasciae latae), that means the back and legs.  And over time that leads to pain.

How many people do you know with lower back pain? Most people assume that lower back pain means their lower back muscles are tight. In fact, most of the time, it's the opposite - those muscles are over-stretched because of tightness in the psoas and iliacus. This is so important to understand! - For students, truck drivers, people with long commutes, folks sitting at a desk all day, or my music colleagues.


Stretching. Seems pretty simple, right? Your muscles are tight, stretch them. Well, proper stretching will help. Stretch improperly, though, and you might end up injured and in worse shape than you started.

The most important rule for stretching is always stretch in a smooth, gentle manner - never sharp, bouncing, or jerky movements. Stretch just to the point of a little pull in the muscles, not to the point of sharp pain. Then hold that stretch for at least 10 seconds (more if you feel like it). Gently release.

Keep breathing while you do this, too. It's surprising how many people hold their breath while stretching. Holding your breath actually causes your body to tighten slightly - not what you want when you are trying to stretch.


A good, simple stretch for the hip flexors is to sit in a chair. Cross one leg over the other, ankle resting on opposite knee. Keep your back straight and hinge forward slightly from the hips. As you lean forward, you should feel a good stretch in the hip of the bent leg. If your hip flexors are very tight, just sitting straight with your ankle crossed over the other knee might be enough of a stretch.

In addition, this is a great psoas stretch: Stand straight, step forward with one foot, keeping the back leg straight, foot flat on the ground. Your weight should be on the front, bent leg. The back leg should be straight with the heel down. Keep your torso up straight and push your hips slightly forward. You should feel a stretch in the front of the hip of the back leg.

Also, when you do get a break or get out of the car, try simply leaning backwards. Stand up, stretch your arms overhead (or place them on your lower back if you want a little extra support), and gently stretch backwards. Think of your body forming a "C" (or think of the shape of a banana).

Tight muscles, even small muscles, can wreak havoc on our bodies. They attach to bones and interact with other muscles, so the problem doesn't just stay with that one, small muscle. As an example, my hip flexors have gotten pretty tight lately (playing opera, too much time in the car, and lots & lots of bending over weeding). Suddenly, I've been feeling pain again in my knee (lateral collateral ligament - LCL) from last winter's skiing injury. Knee pain from tight hips? Sure. Both the psoas and iliacus attach to the femur (the large bone of the thigh). At the other end of the femur, so do the ligaments of the knee. Excessive tightness in the hip flexors affects the muscles of the thigh, which in turn affect the knee.

Our muscles and tendons are all connected to other muscles and tendons. The effect of tightness in one gets passed down the line. This is why it's so important to stretch properly to regain full range of motion after any surgery. It may not be noticeable at first, but, over time, tightness in the chest, shoulder, knee, foot, or anywhere, can result in far-flung problems.

So, whether from surgery or just daily life, pay attention to muscle tightness. And since so much of all of our daily lives affect our hip flexors, remember to give them a little attention, too.

Julie

Lessons from Training - The Second Half

I got up really early to run my second 1/2 marathon trail race in as many weeks this morning. It was on Schooley Mountain in NJ.

Why do all these races start so early? My body clock is not set to run well early in the morning. I'm an afternoon kind of gal.

my hard-earned race shirt

I had a really hard time with this one. I was so jazzed after my first race - I felt really good for most of it, and my time was not bad for a first attempt. Maybe it was also because I went into it with no expectations. With today's race, I wanted to improve my time. I didn't.

Today was a different race. Today was a different trail, a different day.

On the race website, the course was described as "very runnable", and they were expecting fast times. Apparently, that was written in font! I missed it.

I finished at 3:20:45 - 45 minutes slower than my first race! Ugh! Even though I keep telling myself that I'm new to this sport, so don't worry about time, this was WAY disappointing to me. All the finishing times were significantly slower in this race than in the first race. And given that I think at least a third of the runners dropped out halfway through, I should be happy that I finished. I am...but I'm not.

It was seriously steep and technical. The trail was quite narrow in some spots, and there were a couple of people who almost slid down a steep ravine. There were also a couple of twisted ankles, but nothing serious.

I'm glad I ran. I learned some more things. And since I'm interested in trying to run some longer distances, it's good for me to learn how it is to keep running/walking when my body is spent. I know this well from climbing, but now I'm learning it in a different sport.

Here's a few things I learned today:
*Stay hydrated! I've said this before, but it bears repeating. I carried a water bottle with me, but the only aid station was at the halfway point. I drank all the water I had and refilled, but I was getting parched. My muscles had a much harder time working as I got dehydrated.

*Always keep moving. I had to remind myself a few times; the desire to sit and rest was strong! But that doesn't get me to the finish. Moving slowly is still moving.

*Keep good form! The last few miles were really tough for me. As I got more tired, I would start running sloppy - scuffling along - then I would trip. And stumbling when your legs are wasted is no fun. I had to remind myself to run with good form, to pick up my feet so I wouldn't trip over rocks and roots. If I was too tired to lick up my feet when I ran, I needed to give myself a break and walk a while.

This is the same advice I always give to my clients with weight training or any other exercise. Use good form: it's the most efficient thing for your body, and you're much less likely to injure yourself. If you're too fatigued to lift a weight properly, do fewer repetitions or use lighter weights. Don't hurt yourself by being sloppy.

*Do what you can today. I wanted to run a better race today, but between the tough course and maybe being a little tired from the last race, I couldn't. Today was a different trail, a different race. It was so much slower than I wanted, but it was all I could do today. Today was a different day. I ran the best race I could manage today. What anyone else was doing didn't matter.

This is so important to remember, especially if your fitness level is currently compromised because of surgery or cancer treatments. It's one of my constant refrains here, and with my clients. Do what you can today. What your neighbor or some guy at the gym can do doesn't matter. What matters is you and today.

*Chafing is bad. This was my first lesson. It's still true. It applies to anyone running a race or running for fun. It also applies to anyone in the midst of radiation. I remember how much it applied to me when I was trying to keep up my exercising during rads. Do whatever needs to be done. Lotion, vitamin E, salves, whatever. Chafing is bad.

*Trail runners are a good bunch. This is a very broad statement based on very limited experience. I've run exactly 4 races: 2 5ks a couple of years ago (road runs), and 2 1/2 marathons (trail runs). I'm pretty much of a newbie runner. But my experience is that the trail crowd is kind of it's own thing. There's great camaraderie on the trail and after the race. The runners are helpful and encouraging, cheering each other on in the tough sections. So far, I like them.

Today was a tough run for me, but I'm glad I did it: fun, a big challenge, and I learned a few more things.

Julie

Life With a "History"

Yesterday I had one of those moments - well, maybe not a moment, more like a day, more like a couple of days. It was a moment of being tired of being someone with a "history". It was one of those sometimes-cancer-is-such-a-drag days! One of those days where what I really want to do is hide in the closet & not come out.

No, nothing is wrong - I'm still healthy. Don't worry, Mom. - my parents read my blog, so I sometimes get calls checking up on me: you fell skiing? you haven't been sleeping well? So, Mom & Dad, it's all fine - just a moment - and I love you.

We all have those moments - I do, even after nearly 10 years. But I've discovered that living my life in my closet is not so practical - eventually, I get hungry.

As usual, I turned to exercise for a boost. Actually, I didn't think of it as a boost. I know that exercise does lift mood, gets the endorphins flowing. But more than that, I always find it good for my head. I let my thoughts wander. I don't think about what's bugging me; I don't not think about it. I just let my thoughts swirl around as my body is doing something healthy.

I ran in the woods. It was fun. It was beautiful. I had to pay close attention because all the acorns and leaves on the ground make the hills treacherous. I got sweaty and out of breath, and I have no idea what I thought about.

But it helped.

NYC Marathon - Congrats and Thank You!

Yesterday was the first Sunday in November - Marathon day in New York! Around 45,000 runners crowded the start to run 26.2 miles through all five boroughs.

I watched online from home this year. I love the NY Marathon, but with 45,000 runners, I didn't think the city really needed one more car driving in for the day.

I fell in love with the marathon my first year in NY. I lived on the Upper West Side, just a few blocks from the finish. I was a student at the Juilliard School at the time, and didn't care about running. I just happened to be wandering by when masses of runners were pouring into and out of Central Park. One of the things that impressed me that first year was how ordinary everyone looked - they weren't great athletes, they were just people like me or my parents. I was so moved by the spectacle of so many people involved in their own struggle, their own goals, their own inspiration, that attending the race became a regular activity while I lived in the neighborhood.

It's always awe-inspiring to see great runners finishing the race at a pace faster than I can run a single mile. But still, I love seeing the middle and late runners. They're perfectly ordinary folks - could be you or me, the barrista at your local coffee place, or the guy next to you at work. They're perfectly ordinary, except they had a dream that they made a reality. They each have their own reasons for running. They knew what they wanted; they made a plan; and they made it happen. While their friends were heading to the movies or their family was still sleeping, they were out running toward their goal.

So, congratulations to all of yesterday's runners! I hope you are all feeling happy and satisfied today. Whether you finished in your goal time (congrats to my friend Fred for finishing in 3 hrs!!!!) or missed the mark by an hour; whether your stride was strong and confident over the last miles or you walked or limped; even if you pulled out, too exhausted to continue; congratulations. Congratulations for setting a goal, making a plan, and seeing it through. Congratulations, no matter what the outcome of yesterday's race, for being much better than you were when you decided to commit to this.

And thank you for inspiring me, yet again.

Julie

Lucy - at last!

I don't normally do product reviews here, but I'm all excited about something and I want to share. This may not be of interest to my male readers - we're talking bras, boys. And it may not be of so much interest to my female readers who have not had a mastectomy.

I never thought much about sports bras before breast cancer. I wore a 36D. I'd just look for something that basically fit. Also, I wasn't doing such high impact sports, more hiking and climbing. (I only started running a couple of years ago)

But after a mastectomy, full axillary node dissection, free TRAM reconstruction, and reduction on the other side (for relative symmetry - bringing me to a 36C), well-fitting bras seemed more important and difficult to find. I have one real breast, one not-so-real breast, and lots of scar tissue. I need support, but I also need comfort. Way too many bras are comfy but offer little support. I have resorted to doubling up on sports bras at times. Others offer support simply by compressing everything. No, I do not want to have my breasts squished up and out the sides, or be bound like a pair of Chinese feet of old. I don't want to feel like I'm wearing an armored breast plate, either. After all, I'm moving while I exercise. I've tried many bras during the last 9 years, and have not been completely satisfied.

Enter Lucy, maker of good, really cute athletic clothes. I was recently named one of their Lucy Pros, a program in which they highlight fitness professionals. I knew their clothing before  - well-made and super-cute - but only recently tried out one of their sports bras. I got the Perfect Core, their most supportive bra. I LOVE IT! It's comfy; it's got structure; it supports me - and it doesn't just smoosh me. The big test was last week's 1/2 marathon - super comfortable, start to finish!

I'm not saying this is the bra that all women who have had a mastectomy should wear. What I am saying is that a good fitting bra is really important. Keep looking. It's SO worth it!

Julie

and you can check out my Lucy profile at www.Lucy.com.

Want To Avoid That Cold? Get Moving!

Anybody have a cold yet? If not, one of the best things you can do is get some exercise. I just posted a new study on the Life-Cise News page about exercise and colds. Researchers at Appalachian State University found pretty dramatic reductions in the frequency and severity of colds in people who exercise regularly - like 43-46% lower.


This new study adds to previous medical research on the benefits of exercise for our immune systems. Moderate exercise has been shown to temporarily boost the immune system (David C. Nieman, PhD, FACSM, “Moderate Exercise Boosts The Immune System, Too Much Exercise Can Have the Opposite Effect,” ACSM Health & Fitness Journal). The boost is temporary, lasting several hours. But the effect appears to be cumulative, so regular exercise prolongs the boost in immunity. In the world of cancer, several studies show improved immunity during treatment with regular moderate exercise. Patients who exercise have fewer hospitalizations and infections. 


So if you want to avoid the colds and flu that are beginning to circulate, get moving. 43% fewer colds is a pretty good reason to get some exercise, and it's completely in your control.


Julie