Life as we know it...

This is one of the most important things to understand about weight loss.

healthyandbeautiful:

New stomach prog, just cause it’s May.

250 to 153.

I haven’t been reblogging a lot of before and afters even though I love so many of them This one i couldn’t resist reblogging. It is obvious that this change was through a lot of hard work and dedication.

Damn straight.

I miss my long runs, when I made time for 5 miles or 6 miles just to run. I need to start doing that again before I lose my mind. It has almost been a week since my last run, and… well… I’m just better when I get my dose of runner’s high.

This past week… really these past two… have been hell and a half. And let’s be honest - the lack of exercise (only twice this week) makes me feel like shit both physically and mentally.

In the past 48 hours, I think I’ve slept for 9 of them… homework, work, community service, upcoming conference - it’s all been taking over my life.

But I am the type of person to make time for exercise… and now I see how I am without it (which is just not as happy).

SO - next week will be less busy. The conference ends Sunday. Monday I am going for a run, and a long one. If I have to stop and walk and then continue, fine. But I need that very badly.

[Not to mention - this lack of exercise has taken a beating on my body image as well as my eating habits. I’ve developed an “OH WELL” kind of attitude which I then regret almost every night.]

Here is to acknowledging that this last week (or two) can’t have really set me back that much AND that I always have the power to turn myself around… make a “you”-turn if you will.

I could use some support right now. Thanks <3

muffintop-less:

Whey Helps You Get Lean

“I teach a college class in exercise physiology at a private university in south Florida. The questions I get are often quite illuminating. Perhaps the topic that engenders more falsehoods is dietary protein. When students realize that only protein and fat are essential (i.e. you need them in your diet because your body can’t make them), whereas carbohydrate is not, the incredulity on their young faces is apparent. And when I mention that protein can actually help them lose weight and bodyfat, a collective nod fills the room. Show me the beef!

A recent study shed light on the amazing effect of supplementing with protein. Scientists compared using a higher-protein supplement vs. a conventional carbohydrate on body composition and physical function in older women during weight loss. Thirty-one overweight or obese women were given a low-calorie diet (1,400 calories—15 percent protein, 65 percent carbs, 30 percent fat) along with either a 25-gram protein supplement or an isocaloric maltodextrin treatment twice a day for six months. Imagine finding out a half year later that, oh, by the way, you’ve been sucking down more sugar than a cotton candy festival.

Results: The protein group lost 8 percent of bodyweight while the carb group lost 4.1 percent. In terms of thigh volume changes, the protein group gained 5.8 percent more muscle and lost 3.8 percent more subcutaneous fat. The researchers concluded that “a higher protein intake during caloric restriction maintains muscle relative to weight lost, which in turn enhances physical function in older women.” That said, if you want data on which protein to use, whey is the one protein that all of us should eat. It clearly stimulates muscle protein synthesis, defends the body against oxidative stress, plays a role in the immune response and, of course, is instrumental in improving body composition.

A recent study found that whey protein supplementation reduced the amount of fat stored in the liver of obese women. In fact, the stuff is medicinal as well as performance-enhancing! A dose of 20 to 40 grams of whey immediately postworkout is what this doctor orders.” -  Editor’s note: Jose Antonio, Ph.D., is the CEO of the International Society of Sports Nutrition

ircimages:

The people of Mexico were lined up along the streets to see the Pope. This little guy thought otherwise.

—

Black Intimacies: A Gender Perspective on Families and Relationships
Shirley A. Hill
Chapter 6 “Socializing Black Children: The Impact of Social Class”

This was in my reading for one of my classes. It is very disturbing to me how societal norms can be so easily ingrained into children (or any human being really) so that they find themselves physically inferior at such a young age.

“My 6 year old is in love with my 8 month old.”

Fun fact about me, I can do all three of these… NBD

healthea:

Could not have written this any better, LOVE posts like this! LEGIT INFO.

kreatingkaty:

One thing many people don’t realise is that many factors can influence a person’s weight which do not reflect that person’s body fat. For example, two cups of water weigh one pound. If you tend to retain water or bloat, the scale can easily rise a few pounds without a change in what you have eaten. However, for dieters the effects of water weight can be severe. 

Here’s an example of when a pound is NOT a pound:

• You eat an extra dessert over the weekend
• You weigh yourself the following day or day after
• The scale shoots up 5 pounds - and you believe you’ve gained five pounds of fat.

Why is this NOT possible?

• Because you must have eaten a caloric excess of 17,500 calories to gain 5 pounds of fat.
• 3500 EXCESS CALORIES (by excess, we do not include your BMR and daily activity) make up 1 pound of fat.
• It is very very difficult to overeat by this amount, even when splurging.

So why is there this dramatic weight gain?

Water weight. Any time the scale suddenly rises or falls, it is usually because of fluid shift in the body. Eating high-sodium foods can also provoke water retention (not fat retention) in salt-sensitive individuals. Yet how easily chronic dieters believe they did something wrong; they must have single-handedly gobbled five pounds worth of food. No, no no!

Similarly, losing two pounds immediately from an hour or aerobics is not a two-pound fat loss. Rather, it’s mostly water loss from sweat. Jubilant dieters who think they have lost 10 pounds in a week may be in for an unwanted surprise. Whilst it may be true that the scale indicated ten pounds less than when they weighed one week ago, the question is: What KIND of weight did they lose? To lose ten pounds of fat in one week requires an energy deficit of 35,000 calories, or a deficit of 5,000 calories every day! The average woman only eats about 1,500 to 1,600 calories per day. The sad reality is that this person is losing a lot of water weight, usually at the expense of their muscles, due to the process of muscle-wasting. Muscle is made up of mainly water (about 70%)

When a hungry body is not given enough calories, the body cannibalises itself for an energy source. The prime directive of the body is that it must have energy, at any cost - it’s part of the survival mechanism. When a muscle cell is destroyed, water is released and eventually excreted - that’s your precious weight loss. This whittled-away muscle contributes to lowering your metabolism. Muscles are metabolically active tissue - generally the more muscles we have, the more calories we burn. Hence why men burn more calories than women - they have more muscle mass.

Increased muscle mass, while metabolically more active and desireable, weighs more than fat. Muscle also takes up less space than fat. Although beneficial, this often frustrates dieters by the rising, or unchanging scale number. The scale does NOT reflect your body composition. Just like weighing a piece of stake at the butcher’s does not tell you how lean it is. 

It’s better off to stay away from the scales for as long as possible and take measurements, or discover your body fat percentage instead and work towards body composition (less fat, lean muscle) goals rather than any kind of weight-loss goal that destroy the integrity of your structure and your well-being, too.

**My only addition is that the phrase “muscle weighs more than fat” really confuses some people. I’ve seen people argue “one pound of fat = one pound of muscle.” Well, muscle is DENSER than fat. So, say you have a pound of fat and a pound of muscle; the pound of muscle will take up less space in your body than the pound of fat.

Hope this helps =].

-Heather

muffintop-less:

“First Bite Warning: Foods That Make You Do Bad Things”

It’s a common slipup: After weeks of eating well, hitting the gym, and skipping dessert, you’re on track to lose those five pounds. You deserve a reward, some candy, a (non-diet) soda, or a side of fries. But hours later, the scene around you looks like “The Hangover” meets the Food Network.

In the same way that some drugs pave the way for even harder ones, a weakness for a certain food can open the door to an avalanche of bad eating choices, says Gary Wenk, Ph.D., author of Your Brain on Food. Some foods are like gateway drugs,” he says. “From your brain’s viewpoint, there is no difference.” These so-called gateway foods make you feel out of control, maybe even physically unable to stop reaching for more, in part because of their addictive effect on your mind and body, according to research. But rehab is probably easier than you think.

It may seem silly to think about being addicted to food, something we’d die without, but most of us eat for a lot more than just survival. Merely looking at or thinking about a food you know you love activates the reward portion of your brain, the nucleus accumbens, the same area stimulated by drugs and alcohol. This triggers the release of dopamine, a feel-good chemical that enhances your awareness of that food (so forget ignoring it!).

Read More

healthylivingforyou:

thisnoiseismusic:

Hi, there.
I’m wearing a shirt that reads “Kill Me”.
If you saw me at a party or on the street would you promptly murder me?
What about if I had a few drinks? What if I was walking alone at night?
I’m guessing that you wouldn’t if you’re a sane individual.

The cops wouldn’t overlook your crime because of what I’m wearing because that’s silly. I wasn’t literally asking for you to kill me based on my choice of clothing. Who would take that defense seriously?

My friends wouldn’t blame me for being murdered and my killer would be behind bars almost instantly.

So, why is it okay to rape someone because they’re wearing promiscuous clothes? Why does THEIR choice of clothing excuse THEIR attacker?

It doesn’t. You’re silly if you think otherwise.
The less guilt on the attacker. The more guilt on victim.

Stop. Victim. Blaming.

Needed to reblog this.

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KateP’s comment on Guardian’s Archie gay marriage comic sells out in face of boycott call  (via cocklordsimone)

I laughed so hard