How do you control portion size, no matter where you are? Following are some tips.

Use smaller plates and glasses or fill them only half full.
An average glass is about 12-16 ounces (tumblers), while fruit glasses are about 5-7 ounces. A serving in a tumbler is generally eight ounces, while fruit juice servings are four ounces. As a friend of mine in Australia says, eat minimally, like you’re saving some up for later. When considering plates, dinner plates are about 10 inches in diameter, while salad plates are about 7.5 inches in diameter so, swap to salad plates to avoid putting on too much food. Get accustomed to smaller serving sizes and you’ll keep your weight more under control even when you eat all on your plate. And, this will allow room for healthy snacks and the occasional sweets you enjoy but dark chocolate rather than milk. You should also initially keep a record of what you eat – a food journal – so that you can keep a rough estimate of calories, foods you like and so on.

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Use plates and bowls for snacks, not boxes and bags!
When talking about portion control it is important to use it especially for snacks, which for a great many are potato chips and similar foods. These can really pack on the pounds. Thus, either use the one serving bags or, place one serving in a bowl/plate and put the bag/box away. Otherwise, like many, you’ll just keeps snacking and before you know it, you’ve eaten the entire full-sized bag of chips or close to it and if you do, you’ve eaten about 1,600 calories in one or two sittings. So, consume single servings, not multiple servings. Another way is to portion your food ahead of time by putting snacks and similar treats into small bags as single servings.

Eat at a table!
Family life has become more and more hectic, as has single life. So often we are on the run that while we eat, we often stand and multitask doing other things. When we do this, we’re not as aware of how much we’re eating. Also, we tend to eat much faster and eat more food. Because we’re eating much faster, signals from your stomach don’t filter through to the brain until after you’re uncomfortably stuffed. Eat slowly and at a table – stay away from watching TV, talking on the phone, reading, games, etc. This will allow you to enjoy your meal and for your stomach to signal your brain that you’ve eaten enough. Also, try not to eat when you’re bored or stressed. It’s almost a certainty you’ll be far over an allotted portion size.

Keep treats out of sight.
Keep treats out of sight and healthy food in sight. Favorite foods can become a bad habit, especially treats when left on the counter in bowls, etc. For example, a small bowl filled with chocolate. It becomes almost a habit to grab one every time you walk by. Let’s look at an example. If you consumed your daily number of calories only, and then ate 12-15 M&M’s as a snack before bed, that small amount every night would make you gain 10 pounds in one year. So you see, treats sitting around can put on the pounds. It’s one reason the holidays are so bad for us; there are literally treats everywhere, making you feel almost ashamed if you don’t eat at least a few. All kidding aside, keep treats and snacks out of site. When you do not see them, it’s almost as if you forget you have them, and you won’t eat them as frequently.

Stop eating second helpings.
We’ve all done it; someone makes a favorite food and we eat a plateful and just cannot stop the urge to get a second helping. That second helping is a problem for weight control. So, serve yourself and put any leftover food away before sitting down for dinner. This makes it inconvenient to go back for seconds.

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What’s your hunger scale? Use it.
Your body, if you eat slowly enough, will tell you when it has had enough to eat. Each person’s body gives clues about how hungry they are, but you need to pay attention to them. We’re not always at the same hunger level and, when you’re super hungry, be patient and eat slowly. So, listen to your body since if you eat when you are hungry and stop when you feel content (not stuffed), you will limit overeating and still enjoy your food.

Practice Meal Frequency – Don’t skip meals.
Think of your body like a car. When you go up a hill, the car needs more energy or gas. Likewise, when you work out, you need more calories than if you don’t, but you don’t need them all at once. As a car travels done the road at the same speed it keeps a constant flow of fuel going to the engine so that the energy supply is steady. Your body acts similarly. You don’t need all your food at once or in two meals. So, don’t skip any meal but instead, eat steadily throughout the day in six meals – breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, pre-bed snack. This will fuel your body as it needs it. After a workout, wait about 40 minutes and have a snack, protein drink, etc. because your body will crave the calories at that time. There are more scientific reasons, but we’ll skip that for now.

In addition to the above, learn all you can about nutrition and what calories are in various foods you eat, as well as the amount of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Additionally, quit justifying eating to excess. There are a lot of pitfalls out there and you need to educate yourself. For example, a food claims to be low in sugar, but is instead, high in fat and one low in fat is generally high in sugar. Eat healthy snacks and fiber-rich foods. A meal or snack high in fiber can help you stay full for a longer period compared to a meal low in fiber.

Fiber-rich foods.
These are commonly known but will be repeated here. Fiber-rich foods generally include:

• Beans
• Fruits
• Nuts and seeds
• Vegetables
• Whole grains

Finally, small portions or meal frequency as we in athletics have termed it for almost 30 years, will help keep you feeling satisfied and help you control weight gain. Eat high quality foods and preferably those you have prepared yourself. Learn what proper portion sizes are and change your eating habits to reflect their use.

I. Solutions for the “I don’t have time” excuse.

1. You must make the time to exercise.
Face it, we’re all busy and if you think your day can be 26 hours instead of 24 it’s not happening! You will not find extra time – you must make time in your already hectic schedule. The problem with the “I don’t have time” excuse is that’s it’s all too real. This is the number one reason many people just don’t seem to be able to get in a good workout routine. Thus, you need to make time to exercise by either giving something up, delegating a required task, or spending your time more efficiently. The key is to choose a good time to workout that you can do persistently. Then, make that time your workout time. A fault of many is they try morning and it works, but then one day decide to skip it because they are too busy and promise the workout will get done in the afternoon. But, as the days wears on, they forgot something they needed to do, got too busy with other tasks, or time just ran out. In reality it is not the time itself one does not have but failing to plan.

• How can you rearrange your schedule or perhaps give something up?
• Can you delegate a priority to someone else or, do it later?
• How and where can you spend your time more efficiently?

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Finally, take this tip: Believe not in the many reasons something won’t work, but in the ONE REASON it will! So, plan your time; manage it wisely.

2. Focus on 10 minutes of exercise at a time instead of an hour or more.
I am assuming that your goal is not to be a Mr. or Ms. Universe contestant. You won’t be initially planning an hour in the gym so, put your time into small enough chunks such as 10 to 20 minutes that you can get in and out of your exercise time quickly. You’ll find this will help build persistence and as you increase your variety of exercises, you’ll also increase your intensity and thus, your time without getting frustrated. Work the biggest muscles such as the legs, back, and chest as fast as you can.

If you do not want to do strength training, 10 minutes of aerobic exercise, multiple times during the day, has been shown to be as effective in producing fitness and weight loss results when compared to longer periods of exercise. This assumes that both the short and long-term has the same total time duration. An example would be two 15-minute workouts compared to one 30-minute workout.

3. Exercise first thing in the morning?
As mentioned above choosing a time is one of the best ways to make sure you perform your workouts. And, a study by Dr. Tindall found that out of 500 people polled, about 70% found that morning workouts was the best for them. The main reason is they could get into the gym and out, by planning ahead and more importantly, before their day got too busy with work, social media, and additional obligations.

4. Multitask
Combine physical activity with other tasks. Make and A, B, C priority, with as many in each category as you would hope to do for the day, i.e., A1..A3, B1..B4, C1…C5. The first priority is A, which must be done today, second is B, which can be done today or tomorrow, and C is last priority that can be done today, tomorrow, or after that. You’ll find that by setting priorities you can more easily multi-task and get things off your plate, often while working out. But don’t bother your workout friends in the gym with the constant noise of phone conversations; it is extremely annoying. Some good examples to multitask include:

• If you’re a TV fan, watch one of your favorite shows while exercising on the treadmill or walking around the lake on your smart phone.
• Making phone calls or listening to a conference call while walking or jogging; the latter requires you be in pretty good shape.
• Read an article for work or study while on your aerobic equipment such as a stationary bike, elliptical machine, or similar.
• Walk to the store, bike or walk to do errands.
Think about many other ways to multitask and exercise. It’s all about being creative and about what kinds of exercise you enjoy.

II. Solutions for the “I’m too Tired” excuse.

1. Exercise when you have the most energy.
Have you ever noticed how your body has more energy at sometimes than others? Thus, consider when you generally have the most energy during the day and plan your exercise program around that specific time.

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2. Exercise for one minute and see if you’re still too tired.
How fit are you? Let’s find out. Get out of bed or up from what you’re doing, whether at home or work and start walking, jogging, or climbing the stairs for only one minute. You’re not going to the gym so, no need to change your attire. After one minute is past, how tired are you? Are you too tired to exercise or has it been a long-term excuse? If you’re winded then, guess what? You really do need to get to working out.

I tell all my clients and students, exercise is easy, simply get started and slowly increase your intensity. However, getting started on the path is the most difficult part. If I could create desire in you, I would, but will simply tell you to convince yourself that beginning and sticking with an exercise program is something you’ll never regret. And, once you start, it’s so much easier to continue. So, no more excuses, get going – do sit ups or stretch while watching your favorite show or listening to your favorite music.

3. Exercise at the same time each day – what time of day did you choose?
Swapping exercise time rarely helps one stay persistent. So, choose a time and stick with the same time every day. This will help create a habit. Factually, it has been proven that if one can do something every day for 3 weeks it will generally become a habit. Exercise is one of those good habits you’d like to have. And, you can make it so. What are habits anyway? They are something that you begin do without thinking about them. You’ll find yourself just going to the gym without question and your body will become accustomed to it as well.

4. Use exercise to gain energy.
If you have ever been a runner or workout intensely, there is a ‘high’ you get from the endorphins produced that others rarely feel. This ‘high’ comes from excess energy created during the workout. Thus, in certain respects, you can use exercise to gain more energy and feel so much better about yourself. Not only will you be physically energized, you’ll feel better and be sharper mentally as well.

5. Stay hydrated – drink fluids constantly.
Drink enough water throughout the day. The recommended amount is 8 glasses (8 ounces each) per day. This is ½ gallon. However, if it’s hot, you’re at high altitude, and or workout out constantly or doing exercises such as skiing, biking, backpacking, etc., you will likely need up to a gallon of water and even more per day. Learn your body and listen to it. Drink the coldest water you can; you’ll find its more thirst quenching that tepid water. EXCUSE: “I’m not motivated.”

III. Solutions for the “I’m not motivated” excuse.

1. Find/recruit a workout partner.
Often, it is difficult to get motivated and so, it helps to have a partner in crime. You can each help motivate the other. If you work out with a friend, it’s lots of fun to chat and discuss life’s issues during the workout. You can also push each other to greater intensity in the workout. So, make plans to exercise with somebody else and as before, set a specific time each day, as well as a location. More importantly, vary the workout frequently. For example, Sue and Joanne workout on weight today, tomorrow the plan is to jog around the lake, the next day, running the stairs at Red Rocks and so on. Generally, you’re more likely to stick with a workout when someone else is relying on your commitment to show up.

2. Reward yourself for exercise – you know you want that brownie.
All too often, people workout hard all week and deprive themselves of a treat. You’re not working at being Mr/Ms Universe so if you’ve done all that hard work this week, take the time to have a small treat, regardless of what it is – a favorite food, small ice cream, slice of pizza, etc. Rewarding yourself will give you and incentive to continue and remember, calorie intake is about balance – it evens out over time.

3. Set small, realistic goals.
As my dad used to tell me, “Jimmy, don’t let your bull-dog mouth overload your puppy-dog ass! That’s still good advice today as many of us often bite off more than we can chew. Thus, set small but realistic exercise goals. Start small time-wise and intensity wise. Get started with only 10-minutes per day and build from there; slowly increase your time and your intensity. It’ll make it more fun and make you more likely to stick with it

IV. Solutions for the “I hate exercise or it’s boring” excuse.

1. Try more enjoyment during exercise.
• Try listening to music on headphones while you’re working out, listen to an audio book, or a favorite podcast.
• Download a favorite TV show or movie to watch while exercising on a stationary piece of equipment such as a treadmill.

2. Vary your physical activity
Once you begin working out, you’ll discover that your body is smart. It becomes to new exercise routines within about two weeks so, vary to keep it guessing and to keep you more interested. You may discover lots of exercises you do not like instead of the ones you don’t. And, try other activities besides just the weights or cardio. These can include a great many such as the following:

• Dancing
• Exercise machines (treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical)
• Exercise videos
• Group exercise classes
• Martial arts (there are many different styles and systems)
• Outdoor activities (camping, backpacking, white-water rafting, etc.)
• Recreational activities (softball, volleyball, Frisbee, and more)
• Sports leagues (bowling, soccer, basketball, flag football, etc.)
• Water activities (swimming, canoeing, boogie boarding)

Regardless of what type of exercise or variety you choose, it is important that you enjoy it. If you enjoy an activity, you’ll want to do it over and over; if not, interest will dwindle, and your program will begin to falter.

3. Change up.
As mentioned above, you need to change your program every few weeks to keep interest and progress. And, if you think your exercise program is boring try working out with a new or different partner or group, change the time you exercise, change the types of exercises and maybe even the location. Remember, you don’t need to be in a gym to get fit. There are lots of outdoor group activities in local parks such as jogging, Yoga, martial arts, and so much more. Keep your interest up. Read about others and what works for them and give it a try; it may work for you too.

4. Give interval training a try.
I f you’ve never done it, interval training kicks up exercise intensity greatly and it’s fun. If you’re just beginning, try this: jump on a treadmill and walk at your normal pace for 60 seconds then, double the pace for the next 60 seconds and slow back to your original pace – back and forth until you’re done. Speed sprints are a type of this as well done in a simple manner. An example would be to warm up and run at about half of your full speed for 2-3 40-yard runs. Once you’re warmed up well, you’re ready to go. Run 40 yards at full speed then, walk back to the starting point, run it again, and again, until you are done. Your rest is the walk back to the start. These are high intensity. For athletes, the rest period is about 15 seconds between repetitions. However, they jog-run-jog (an example in yards is 20-80-20). Try running an 80-yard sprint and then repeat it 15 seconds later. It will give you an idea of how good shape many athletes are in.

Fitness/Training should balance five elements of good health. Thus, you should ensure that your training regimen includes aerobic fitness, strength training, core exercises, balance training, flexibility and stretching.
Whether you’re a novice taking your first steps toward fitness or an exercise fanatic hoping to optimize your results, a well-rounded fitness-training program is essential. Include the following five elements to create a balanced regimen.

1. Aerobic fitness
Aerobic activity, also known as cardiovascular or endurance activity, is the cornerstone of most fitness-training programs. It causes you to breathe faster and more deeply; this maximizes the amount of oxygen in your blood. Your heart will beat faster, which increases blood flow to your muscles and back to your lungs. It can also help minimally with blood flow to the joints and thus, helps one heal injuries more quickly.
The better your aerobic fitness, the more efficiently your heart, lungs and blood vessels transport oxygen throughout your body. Additionally, if you are cardiovascular fit, the easier it is to complete routine, daily physical tasks and rise to unexpected challenges, such as dashing across the field to beat the rain, snow, or hail.

Aerobic activities include any physical activity that uses your large muscle groups and increases your heart rate. Examples include walking, jogging, biking, swimming, dancing, water aerobics, hiking, backpacking, shoveling snow, house choirs, etc.

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The Department of Health and Human Services, assuming you are a healthy individual, recommends that you get at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours – 30 minutes per day for 5 days) of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes (1 hour, 15 minutes – about 15 minutes per day – try some speed sprints) of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. The guidelines suggest that you spread out this exercise during the week. You can even break up activity into spurts of 10 minutes.

You can also try high-intensity interval training, which involves alternating short bursts of intense activity (around 30 seconds) with subsequent recovery periods (around 3 to 4 minutes) of lighter activity. An example is speed sprints such as 20x40x20 (jog-run flat out-jog – distance in yards) then, wait for 15-45 seconds depending on your fitness level and do the next repetition. Another example includes alternating periods of brisk walking with periods of leisurely walking or include bursts of jogging into your brisk walks. This is an example of intensity increase.

2. Strength training
Muscular fitness is another key component of a fitness training program. Strength training builds lean muscle mass and reduces fat build up. Strength training can help you increase bone strength and muscular fitness, and thus, helps you manage or lose weight. It can also improve your ability to do everyday activities. Aim to include strength training of all the major muscle groups into your fitness routine at least twice a week. Most people are not aware that most strength-training exercises are anaerobic in nature, especially speed-strength training for athletes and Olympic training regimens.

Almost all fitness centers offer various resistance machines, free weights, bumper weights, and other tools for strength training. However, you do not need to invest in a gym membership or expensive equipment to reap the benefits of strength training. A good way to begin is to purchase a few sets of dumbbells and do all your exercises with them in lieu of a straight bar. You can also use homemade weights such as plastic soft drink bottles filled with water or sand, which may may work just as well. Resistance bands are another inexpensive option. Finally, do not forget your body weight – pushups, jumping jacks, box jumps, jump-split squats, sit up, crunches, body squats, etc.

3. Core exercises
Core exercises are the most important and often most neglected (see our September 2017 issue). The muscles in your abdomen, lower back and pelvis are generally known as your core muscles, which help protect your back and connect upper and lower body movements. Core strength is a key element of a well-rounded fitness training program. It is the most important aspect in training for professional athletes.
Core exercises help train your muscles to brace the spine and enable you to use your upper and lower body muscles more effectively. They define how fast the body can react and twist into various motions. Examples of core exercises includes those that use the trunk of your body without support such as sit-ups, bridges, planks, valslides, etc.

4. Balance training
Balance exercises can help you maintain your balance at any age. This becomes particularly important as you age. But, no matter your age, it is always a good idea to include exercises to maintain or improve balance during routine exercises. Most readers are aware that balance tends to deteriorate with age, which can lead to falls and fractures – a major cause of death among the elderly.

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Regardless of age, balance exercises can help stabilize your core muscles. Try standing on one leg for increasing periods of time to improve your overall stability. Once you are proficient at that, stretch your leg out in front of you and hold it about waist level, toes pointed outward, for 15 seconds then, move to the side and hold the same amount of time (also about waist level); finally, bend slightly forward to maintain balance and rotate your leg behind you as if doing a kick and hold again then, stand on both feet and do the same on your other leg. Yoga, martial arts, and similar activities are great for teaching balance.

5. Flexibility and stretching
Flexibility is an important aspect of physical fitness. It is a mainstay of martial arts and professional athletes of other sports. You should include flexibility and stretching in your workout regimen. Stretching exercises can help increase your flexibility, which makes it easier for you to do many everyday activities that require flexibility.

Stretching can also improve the range of motion of your joints and may promote better posture. Regular stretching can even help relieve stress and tension. Therefore, athletes focus on full range of motion exercises.
Consider stretching after you exercise — when your muscles are warm and receptive to stretching. It’s a good way to warm down and relax after a workout. However, if you want to stretch before a workout, warm up first so that you do not pull a muscle.

Ideally, you will stretch whenever you exercise. If you do not exercise regularly, you might want to stretch at least two to three times a week after warming up to maintain flexibility. Activities such as yoga promote flexibility, too. And, stretching is a good exercise to do during commercials or while watching a favorite TV program.

Summary
It does not matter if you write your own program or get one from a professional trainer – your overall exercise plan should include the above 5 elements. Incorporate aerobic fitness, strength training, core exercises, balance training, and flexibility and stretching into your exercise regimen. Just remember, you do not have to fit them all into every workout program, it’s about balance. Rotate them and have a well-rounded regimen. You will find that it will help promote better fitness in your active lifestyle.

High blood pressure – do you have it?

One of the following may apply to you:

• You’re taking blood pressure medication
• Your diastolic blood pressure (bottom number) is 90mm Hg or higher
• Your systolic blood pressure (top number) is 140mm Hg or higher

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A good or average blood pressure is 120 (systolic) over 80 (diastolic). Thus, if you have metabolic syndrome, you are can be 2 to 4 times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease (including heart attack and stroke) and, 5 times more likely to develop type-2 diabetes than those individuals without metabolic syndrome. There are some things you can do to improve your blood pressure, which include watching sodium intake, eat healthy (leafy green vegetables, salads, fruits, etc.), limit alcohol consumption, exercise regularly, manage your stress levels, eat bananas, stop smoking if you are, and more. We will expound on these in a later issue.

Elevated triglycerides

Your triglycerides are considered elevated when they equal to or more than 150 mg/dL or you are taking medication to lower your triglycerides.

The National Cholesterol Education Program sets guidelines for triglyceride levels:

• Normal levels: Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter
• Borderline high:150 to 199
• High: 200 to 499
• Very high: 500 or more

Elevated levels may lead to heart disease, especially in people with low levels of “good” cholesterol and high levels of “bad” cholesterol. The same is true if you have type-2 diabetes.

Experts once debated how important triglycerides are, but it now seems abundantly clear that higher levels are linked to problems such as heart disease. And, more importantly, a good diet and exercise plan can lower triglyceride levels, improve cholesterol, and decrease your chance of heart disease.

Low HDL (good) cholesterol

• Women – your HDL cholesterol is less than 50 mg/dL or you’re taking medication to improve your cholesterol.
• Men – your HDL cholesterol is less than 40 mg/dL or you’re taking medication to improve your cholesterol.

Total cholesterol is the sum of all the cholesterol in your blood. Your risk for heart attack and stroke increases with higher cholesterol levels. Other risk factors include smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, and family history of heart disease or stroke.

Total cholesterol
Less than 200 mg/dL: desirable
200-239 mg/dL: borderline high risk
240 and over: high risk

Abdominal obesity – what we call belly fat (see our August 2018 issue).

• Men – Your waist circumference is greater than 40 inches.
• Women – Your waist circumference is greater than 35 inches.

You should measure your waistline on occasion to check how you’re doing. Use the following 5 steps:

1. Measure the smallest part of your abdomen between your belly button and the center of your rib cage. If for some reason you cannot identify the smallest part of your abdomen, take the measurement at your belly button.
2. Measure your waist while standing tall, arms at your sides, and feet together (or as close together as possible).
3. Keep your body relaxed and take the measurement after you completely exhale. Do not give in to the temptation to suck in your stomach. The key is to watch your posture.
4. Keep the measuring tape horizontal – all the way around your waist. The key is to keep it tight but do not compress or pinch your skin.
5. Take multiple measurements until each measurement is within ¼ inch of each other. Record an average of the results, i.e., 3 of 5 – toss out the high and the low and use remaining 3 to calculate your waistline.

Impaired fasting glucose

Your fasting glucose is 100mg/dL or higher or you are on medication to control your blood sugar. This fasting glucose is generally after you have gone without food for 24 hours.

MyHealthandFitness suggests you let your doctor or physician check your triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and fasting glucose numbers – they can do so with a simple blood-work test.