I was recently asked about the 6 pm rule ... the rule that states that you shouldn't eat after 6 pm.
The myth: not eating after 6 pm will help you lose weight.
The concept: by stopping your food intake at an earlier time like 6 pm, it will help you at least maintain a more stable weight because the likelihood of you moving around a lot in the evening is not very likely. Because of this, by ceasing food consumption at an earlier time, you will burn more of the calories you eat throughout the day.
The truth: the most important part of a healthy lifestyle is balancing exercise with eating. If you have ever been to Europe, it is very clear that they have a very small percentage of overweight people. If you haven't been to Europe but have been to a nice restaurant, the same concepts apply to those who live in Europe: eat the correct portion size and move.
It doesn't seem like a hard concept, right? Except for us Americans, it is very hard. We are all about getting what we have paid for - the small portion sizes of the fancy restaurants aren't filling and we want to be full when we leave a restaurant.
Also, for most Americans, there are a million things to do in a day and not enough time to do it. Traveling by cars is fastest and we want to park as close to the building we need to get to in order to arrive there fast. There just isn't enough time in our daily schedule to exercise ... or is there?
One of the most important things to remember about exercise is that you need time to do it - setting aside time in your schedule to exercise is just as important as setting aside time to eat. Make exercising a part of your daily routine. And don't stop there. Park far away from where you need to go, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and if you live close to many stores and restaurants like I do, walk there instead of driving for 2 minutes to where you want to go.
So the 6 pm rule has a great take-home concept: make sure you burn the calories that you're eating. It's okay to eat at 11 pm but just remember that those calories still need to be burned.
Girls and Their Cramps
My sister-in-law left a comment about exercising and cramps which made me decide that it is another great exercise topic. I remember when I first got cramps and the last thing I was ever told to do was to exercise. Yet that’s exactly what the doctor should prescribe. Maybe this will help bring about some more understanding about girls and what to do about their cramps:
Exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins are a hormone that is released in response to stress or pain; they are natural pain killers. The secretion of endorphins gives a feeling of euphoria. Have you ever just felt really good about things after a good, long run? Or have you ever felt much better by punching a pillow? If so, that’s because endorphins were released.
This is the same for cramps. It is suggested that a regular exercise routine is maintained before, during, and after cramps. If exercise is only a solution during cramps, you may get more muscle pain from exercising than just the regular cramps. Not only that, but by exercising regularly, more endorphins will be released each time you engage in physical activity. Along with that, at least 30 minutes of physical activity is suggested in order to receive the benefits of exercise.
I understand that cramps are different from woman to woman which is why it is so important for you to decide how much exercise you need and what the intensity of it should be. For some, getting out and walking slowly for 30 minutes is all that they can do. However, even that little bit helps. For others, their motto is “no pain, no gain” which isn’t really a great outlook on exercise, but if they can work at a high intensity for a long duration, good for them! And then if you’re like me, playing some intense tennis for an hour is perfect. I love it because I get to move, I get to hit the tennis ball as hard as I can (right at my opponent if I’m really upset that day), and I get to yell at the ball or myself all I want and no one stops me because it’s all a part of my game.
So the bottom line is EXERCISE! It releases endorphins, makes you feel good, and helps relieve some of those nasty girl cramps.
On a side note, apparently chocolate releases endorphins too. So if you're really not up for exercise, perhaps try some chocolate and let me know if it works. I'm guessing it does. Who is sad and in pain after they eat chocolate (unless you're like me and it makes you sick)?
Exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins are a hormone that is released in response to stress or pain; they are natural pain killers. The secretion of endorphins gives a feeling of euphoria. Have you ever just felt really good about things after a good, long run? Or have you ever felt much better by punching a pillow? If so, that’s because endorphins were released.
This is the same for cramps. It is suggested that a regular exercise routine is maintained before, during, and after cramps. If exercise is only a solution during cramps, you may get more muscle pain from exercising than just the regular cramps. Not only that, but by exercising regularly, more endorphins will be released each time you engage in physical activity. Along with that, at least 30 minutes of physical activity is suggested in order to receive the benefits of exercise.
I understand that cramps are different from woman to woman which is why it is so important for you to decide how much exercise you need and what the intensity of it should be. For some, getting out and walking slowly for 30 minutes is all that they can do. However, even that little bit helps. For others, their motto is “no pain, no gain” which isn’t really a great outlook on exercise, but if they can work at a high intensity for a long duration, good for them! And then if you’re like me, playing some intense tennis for an hour is perfect. I love it because I get to move, I get to hit the tennis ball as hard as I can (right at my opponent if I’m really upset that day), and I get to yell at the ball or myself all I want and no one stops me because it’s all a part of my game.
So the bottom line is EXERCISE! It releases endorphins, makes you feel good, and helps relieve some of those nasty girl cramps.
On a side note, apparently chocolate releases endorphins too. So if you're really not up for exercise, perhaps try some chocolate and let me know if it works. I'm guessing it does. Who is sad and in pain after they eat chocolate (unless you're like me and it makes you sick)?
Make It Fun
One of the most important things to remember about exercise is that it’s got to be fun, otherwise the chances of you continuing to exercise decreases dramatically. My philosophy on exercise is that if it’s not fun, it’s not worth it. It is not always necessary to go to the gym and run on the treadmill for an hour or to go to the track and run 10 laps; there are many other ways to get exercise.
Over the past couple of years, my husband has gained quite a bit of weight (not a ton, but enough for people who haven’t seen him in a year or two to mention it). This past year I have tried my best to get him to exercise. I’ve tried everything from bribes to threats yet nothing has seemed to work. However the case, I believe these past few months I have hit on something that has made some improvements.
First, instead of asking him to go exercise with me, I offer to do something that will definitely get us some exercise, but is something that is also fun and entertaining. Second, I have tried to take out the urgency in exercising and make it more about spending time with me and making it more about just enjoying what we like to do. Both of these things have definitely worked and it has made fitting physical activity into our schedules a lot easier and a lot less painful to think about.
Lately we have enjoyed walks, biking, rollerblading, playing frisbee, and playing tennis. Not only has the physical activity frequency increased, but the duration of the activity has increased as well. I have found that when the exercise is fun, it is a lot easier to be active for 45 minutes or more which is important to maintaining and/or losing weight, depending on the intensity of the activity.
The main point is to make getting your physical activity fun. For example, are you a mother who spends a lot of time with your children? Make sure you play with them. Get down on the floor with them and pretend you’re a puppy with your children or instead of watching your children play on the playground, play with them; play tag with them or even take them to the mall and make sure you walk around a lot. You can make spending time with your kids enjoyable as well as get in some exercise.
So just remember, if it’s not fun, it’s not worth it. The most important thing to remember is to find something that you like to do, and then do it a lot. Make that your exercise for the day and don’t worry so much about the need to work out for 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week. Whether it’s going out for a run with your dog, playing active games or sports with your friends, or just moving around like a child – it’s definitely worth it.
Over the past couple of years, my husband has gained quite a bit of weight (not a ton, but enough for people who haven’t seen him in a year or two to mention it). This past year I have tried my best to get him to exercise. I’ve tried everything from bribes to threats yet nothing has seemed to work. However the case, I believe these past few months I have hit on something that has made some improvements.
First, instead of asking him to go exercise with me, I offer to do something that will definitely get us some exercise, but is something that is also fun and entertaining. Second, I have tried to take out the urgency in exercising and make it more about spending time with me and making it more about just enjoying what we like to do. Both of these things have definitely worked and it has made fitting physical activity into our schedules a lot easier and a lot less painful to think about.
Lately we have enjoyed walks, biking, rollerblading, playing frisbee, and playing tennis. Not only has the physical activity frequency increased, but the duration of the activity has increased as well. I have found that when the exercise is fun, it is a lot easier to be active for 45 minutes or more which is important to maintaining and/or losing weight, depending on the intensity of the activity.
The main point is to make getting your physical activity fun. For example, are you a mother who spends a lot of time with your children? Make sure you play with them. Get down on the floor with them and pretend you’re a puppy with your children or instead of watching your children play on the playground, play with them; play tag with them or even take them to the mall and make sure you walk around a lot. You can make spending time with your kids enjoyable as well as get in some exercise.
So just remember, if it’s not fun, it’s not worth it. The most important thing to remember is to find something that you like to do, and then do it a lot. Make that your exercise for the day and don’t worry so much about the need to work out for 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week. Whether it’s going out for a run with your dog, playing active games or sports with your friends, or just moving around like a child – it’s definitely worth it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
