Is margarine good for you?

Is margarine good for you? Often times, one’s first response would be no. But is that a programmed response from years of being fed certain messages?

Margarine actually has an interesting history. In the late 1860s, Napoleon III put out a contest for someone to develop an artificial butter, as shortages of actual butter were common. The idea was introduced to use beef fat instead of milk fat, along with colorings to make the substance yellow. Thus, margarine was created. Today, margarine is a little different, as it has switched over to using vegetable oil to reduce the use of saturated fat. Over time, many variations of margarine have developed, including several spreads.

How do you know if margarine is right for you? Ultimately, you have to make your own choice. You need to be critical of what you see and read the ingredients on the labels. Just because something is labeled as not having trans fats, it may just be that they don’t have enough to have to report it as an ingredient. Some margarine also notes that is non-GMO, yet an ingredient listed on the label includes soy. We know that 90% of the soy in the United States is a GMO product, so this is another question area. Other ingredients such as artificial and natural flavors may prompt you to wonder about their health impacts.

So is margarine good for you? The choice is yours. If you want to cut saturated fats, look into margarines. Be sure to read the labels and make an informed decision. Remember that hard margarines may have some sort of saturated fat, so it may be better to stick with softer margarines. Use the minimum amount possible or try to go without margarine completely. Be aware of what you’re putting in your body. Only then will you be able to make the best decision for you.

Is soy good for you?

The mental game of sticking to an eating plan

Sticking to an eating plan can be challenging. It’s often easy to get started, but it may become difficult over time when other distractions present themselves.

One possible obstacle is decision fatigue. In one day’s time, there are only so many decisions that can be made before the quality of those decisions becomes poor. One strategy is to remove certain decisions from your day. For example, eliminate any questions about what foods you are going to eat. Pack a healthy lunch or cook meals in advance. Remove bad food choices from your house if you can. Planning ahead is key.

Another issue could be triggers. A trigger is something that causes you to fall off the wagon, so to speak. One trigger could be stress. Experiencing such stress could cause you to want sugar or comfort food. To avoid derailing your progress as a result of a trigger, It’s important to know what your triggers are. Document your strategies in a journal. Write in that journal about what you experienced and how you reacted. This will help you in dealing with these triggers in the future. Accountability is another great strategy for dealing with triggers. When you see the trigger approaching, reach out to someone who can help keep you on track.

Finally, a slip is another potential obstacle. Recognize that you’re going to slip from time to time. Realize that there’s no value to beating yourself up about it. The important thing to remember is that a slip doesn’t have to be a fall. It’s only failure if you quit.

Sticking to an eating plan starts and ends with commitment. Commit to yourself. Find your “why” as to the real reasons you want to make a change. This will give most people that initial push to move in right direction. When plateaus occur, remind yourself of your vows to stay committed to sticking to your plan, and use that commitment to keep pushing you forward.

Why can't I stop? | Dr. Bruce Odlaug

When to fire your personal trainer

Part of finding a good personal trainer is knowing when you need to fire a bad personal trainer. Though you may find a passionate trainer, he or she may not be the one for you. There are several reasons why you may want to fire your personal trainer.

The first reason to fire your trainer is if he or she is not listening to you. The trainer should be asking you specific questions so they are able to design a plan that will work for your unique situation. Did the trainer ask about your goals or concerns? These are conversations that need to take place early in the process so that the responses can be part of the solution. If they don’t know the real you, then they’re not the right fit for you.

The second reason to fire your trainer is if they are not talking to you. The trainer should be teaching you technique, not just counting reps, and then giving you verbal cues to help you progress faster. The trainer should also encourage you so that you should feel supported. Often times, the trainer may not be listening or talking to you. If so, it’s time to move on.

Sometimes trainers will ask for referrals before you’re seeing results. This is another area of concern. Though trainers need to continue to grow their client base, they should be focused on the results of their current clients first and asking for referrals later.

Eventually, all trainees should outgrow their trainers, as they have mastered their technique and the coaching is no longer necessary. At this point, the trainer can be fired, but only because the trainer has successfully done their job.

No matter the circumstances, when you know it’s time to fire your personal trainer, don’t be afraid to speak up. Request a new trainer or ask for a refund if you haven’t received an appropriate level of service. Remember, you are the client. It’s your body, your money, and your life. You deserve only the best personal trainer available, so don’t settle for anything less.

I've created a guide to help you evaluate a potential personal trainer.

LeAnn gets a personal trainer

Strategies for staying healthy and fit while traveling

It can be difficult to stay fit while traveling, as there are many distractions and obstacles to overcome. However, if you keep a few pointers in mind, it is actually quite easy to stay on track with your fitness routine while on the go.

The main struggle that many people face when traveling is related to food. Airport or gas stations have largely bad choices—cookies, chips, and candy bars. The key is to plan ahead. Bring food with you. If you’re travelling by car, this is easy to do with the help of a cooler. It’s also important to research food options of where you’re traveling. You may even have the ability to cook your own meals in your hotel room, depending on your accommodations.

Another obstacle is working out while on the road. To make sure you stick with your fitness plan, it is crucial that you pack your workout clothes to hold yourself accountable. Do a little research on the hotel gym or local gyms to see what might work best for you. You can always opt to do body weight workouts instead. If you’re a runner, try to find some local trails and enjoy an added opportunity to see the city.

It’s also important to ensure that you’re monitoring your hydration, both for over hydration and dehydration. You need to make sure your body is getting sufficient electrolytes and sodium so that the moisture is absorbed by the body’s cells. If you’re on a long international flight, it’s important to get up every 30 minutes to move and stretch your legs. This will help prevent possible blood clots.

Travelling can be a stressful experience. You can mitigate this stress by recognizing your triggers and finding practices to manage them, such as meditation, getting a massage, or enjoying the outdoors. Make sure you get enough sleep and try your best to mimic your normal sleep ritual at home. By taking these simple steps, you can help to ensure you will stay fit while traveling.

A secret weapon in your health and fitness journey

Health and Fitness Apps

In today’s episode, we explore smart phone apps and their usefulness to support your health and fitness journey.   As background, I found it useful to solicit feedback from a user group in order to get a broader overview into the apps that many people are using concerning health and fitness.

Smart phones are great tools and we can use them to enhance our health and fitness. Many of the apps do continually change and often the functionality in one app is similar to the functionality in another app.

In this episode, we discuss the variety of food and nutrition apps which allow you to track your food intake, calculate and track calories and nutrients.   We also discuss the wide variety of fitness apps, such as those that are specific (running apps), those that provide exercise videos and training guidance.   There are also apps that act as timers for HIIT (high intensity interval training) and Tabata workouts. And let us not forget out mental health, and there are apps designed to guide you through the meditation process or those that provide white noise. While not necessarily apps, we also explore activity trackers that can sync to an app so you can have real time monitoring of your activity levels.

I encourage you to do the research and explore the wide variety of health and fitness apps that are available for your smart phone.

Lorraine’s commitment to health and fitness

Two years ago, Lorraine had turned 59 years old and was severely overweight. Her weight had gradually increased since her early 30s. Now, she had arthritis and fibromyalgia. She was finding it hard to move and couldn’t walk more than a quarter-mile without pain and stopping to rest. Lorraine felt horrible physically and this was affecting her mentally. She wanted to make a commitment to health and fitness, but didn’t feel that she had the ability to change on her own.

When a trainer opened studio near her home, she considered making a change. With her husband’s support, Lorraine went in for her first workout in June 2014. Her trainer suggested using My Fitness Pal to log her food intake, which she did. She began working with her trainer twice a week and was quickly seeing results. She previously believed it was impossible for her body to lose weight. Yet in her first week, she lost weight. This encouraged her to keep going.

Lorraine’s trainer soon had her doing step ups, resistance bands, light dumbbells, and body weight exercises. Lorraine also walked twice a week when she wasn’t working with her trainer. She began walking one mile, but progressed over time. In the two years since starting her fitness journey, Lorraine went from 301 pounds to 170 pounds. She has lost over 17 inches on her hips and 14 inches on her waist. She is soon walking in her second 10K event and recently began a Couch to 5K running program. Lorraine can now walk two to three miles at a time without stopping.

Lorraine needed focus and accountability. She knew what she needed to do, but she had not been able to do it on her own. She advises others to take small steps and handle one thing at a time. Whatever you are capable of doing, do it and keep building on it every day. Establish a plan and then execute. Don’t sit around and wait for motivation. Lorraine knows this is a true commitment to health and fitness.

A funeral for my fat | Sharee Samuels