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By David Heber, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.S.N., chairman, Herbalife Nutrition Institute April 27, 2017 On Friday, April 21, Herbalife Nutrition Institute and the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) sponsored a symposium for nutrition and health professionals entitled, “The Global Nutrition…

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Keep the challenge in your workout.

You can avoid hitting an exercise plateau by learning to listen to your body and increasing physical challenges.

Your exercise routine should be progressive in nature. As your body adapts to the increased demands that you place on it, you should respond by slowly increasing the workout intensity. Training in this way will help you to continually build on your results over time.

Think Like an Athlete

Athletes train in cycles that involve increasing their intensity, duration and load. This method has proven to be a very successful way to keep your body improving. In fact, everyone can benefit from training in cycles and adapting their exercise routine every few months. Each workout cycle should be based on your response to an exercise program.

Our bodies all respond to a new exercise routine differently. In general, you may start to notice some changes after following a plan consistently for 6-8 weeks. When you first start to exercise, the physical changes that you go through and indicators that you’re physically improving tend to be quite pronounced. As you become more fit, knowing when it’s time to switch up the challenge becomes a little harder to notice.

Here are a few indicators that your current routine may be in need of a boost:

It Feels Easy

Sometimes, a routine that used to be challenging no longer is. If you find yourself able to simply go through the motions without too much effort, it’s time to increase the difficulty level.

Tip: If you’re only a few weeks into a new routine, increase the difficulty level by adding a balance challenge. This will provide you with an opportunity to work the small, stabilizing muscle groups in your body. Try using an upside down 1/2 ball for your squats. It will keep you focused throughout your routine.

You’re not Increasing Your Heart Rate

If your time on the treadmill or cardio equipment used to get your heart rate up and feeling out of breath—but in recent days you seem to have a stable heart rate and can easily talk through your workout—it’s an indication that your cardiovascular fitness has improved. In order to push yourself and burn additional calories, you need to increase the challenge.

Tips: Increase the duration of your cardio workout to work on your endurance level. Increase your speed or incline to improve your strength and maximize your calorie burn.

Safety tip: Monitor your heart rate and be sure to keep it within the safe guidelines for your age and current fitness level. Your overall aim should be to push yourself to improve, but not too hard too soon. Most cardio equipment has a chart that will help you to understand the correct heart rate range for your age and your goals.

Your Weights are Too Light

If you’re lifting weights as part of your workout and they feel too light, you may need to increase the weight you’re using. Lifting light weights for a high number of reps doesn’t provide your body with an effective challenge.

Tip: Select a weight that you can use to perform 10-12 reps while maintaining good form. The last 3-4 reps should feel like a challenge. I like to follow a simple rule: no more than 10% weight increase every 3-4 weeks. Repetition is essential for mastery and muscular change, so carefully select the right weight when you first start out. Then you can work on increasing intensity as needed.

You’re Bored

If your workout has you feeling bored, then it’s definitely time to change it. It’s hard enough to stay motivated and stick with a plan in the first place. If you’re dreading your workout or can’t wait for it to be over, you risk falling off the fitness train altogether.

Tip: Try a new fitness class to get some new ideas. Choose exercises that challenge your mind and keep you mentally engaged. Exercises that work two or more muscle groups at once, or require you to put together complex movement patterns, will help to strike down boredom.

In general, a fitness plan will only fail if you quit. Make an effort to keep your results evolving by listening to your body and knowing when it’s time to change things up.

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Tempted to eat something you shouldn’t?

Here are some helpful ways to deal with a momentary diet lapse.

You’re having a day that starts out great and the next thing you know something stressful happens at work and you’re grabbing a donut from the break room.

It only takes a moment for your diet to go from terrific to terrible. No matter how good your intentions, you can’t expect to follow your diet perfectly every minute of every day. There will be those times when you have something you shouldn’t. So, the trick is to figure out not only what gets you into trouble in the first place, but also how you can talk yourself back down.

If you’ve fallen off your diet––and everyone does––here are some tips to help you get back on track.

Know that lapses happen.

Everyone makes diet mistakes from time to time. What you don’t want to do is beat yourself up about it, because you’ll feel as if you’ve failed—which could lead you to just give up and lose control completely. A single event—eating something you shouldn’t, or exceeding your calorie limit for the day —is simply a lapse. It happens. Recognize it for what it is, but don’t let things get out of control. String enough lapses together, and you’ve got a relapse—and you’re back where you started.

Know what triggers you to eat something you shouldn’t.

Most people can identify what triggers them to eat when they shouldn’t. Stress, for example, is a big one. When people eat in response to stress, it’s because they think a treat will make them feel better. And it might—at least momentarily. But then the guilt sets it, which stresses you out, which causes you to eat more—and the cycle continues. Fatigue, loneliness, frustration, boredom—there’s a whole host of emotions that can trigger you to eat. Sometimes there are people in your life that are the problem—like the ones who are always urging you to have something ‘just this once.’

Figure out how you can change your response next time.

If emotional eating is a problem for you, work on finding other ways to deal with your emotions that don’t involve food. It’s been said that people eat to ‘stuff down their emotions’ in order to avoid feeling sad, lonely or frustrated. But many people also say that it’s really the fear of experiencing the emotion that makes them eat. When they simply let the emotion happen—and learn how to deal with it —it’s never as bad as they thought it would be. When your emotions are getting the best of you and food is calling to you, try writing your thoughts down, calling a friend or turning on some soothing music instead.

Talk nicely to yourself.

If you’ve eaten something you shouldn’t and the little voice in your head is saying, “You’re such a failure, you’ll never lose weight!” you need to be a little nicer to yourself. Instead, say the same thing to yourself that you’d say to a friend if you were offering support. “So, you got stressed and grabbed a donut—it’s not the end of the world. Let’s take a walk at lunch to burn off some extra calories and stop for a salad on the way back.”

Wait it out.

Delay tactics can work really well when you’re feeling tempted to eat something you shouldn’t. If you’re keeping a food diary, take a look at it before you indulge. Considering what you’re about to eat, and why, can be enough to stop you in your tracks. It also helps to tell yourself that you’ll wait 10 minutes once the urge strikes, to see if you still feel the need to indulge. Most of the time, you’ll get busy doing something else and just forget about it.

Get back on track right away.

Don’t let the day get away from you. A slip is one thing—just don’t let it turn into a fall. If you ate something you shouldn’t have, just get over it and pick right back up at the next meal. It’s too late to do anything about the last meal you had—focus instead on the one you plan to have next.

Remind yourself of how much you’ve accomplished.

Sometimes after a slip, it helps to do a little ‘system reset.’ Think about what motivated you to make changes in the first place, about how far you’ve come, and the accomplishments you’ve made. You have the know-how and the commitment—and you know you can achieve your goals because you’ve been making progress. Remember that progress is measured in many ways —not only by what the scale says. Every time you make the best choice in a restaurant, pack a healthy lunch, turn down an offer of food you don’t want—or skip the donut when you’re stressed and take a deep breath instead—you win.

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By Susan Bowerman, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., F.A.N.D., director, Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training April 19, 2017 A recent article in Nutraceuticals World indicates that Americans have a long way to go towards consuming a healthy diet; and they are aware…

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Mix it up and get fit.

Had a rough day? This 20-minute boxing workout will help you burn calories, steam and stress.

The benefits of boxing are numerous: it can give you conditioned muscles, a lean physique and in general, a strong body that’s athletic enough to move freely. It can also help you to clear your head and reduce stress. Here’s a practical, minimal-equipment, boxing workout I’ve developed that you can do at home, with weights, leaving you no excuse not to stick with it:

3 Punch Boxing Blast

Equipment:

• Dumbbells. If you don’t have them, use water bottles. If you don’t have water bottles, you can still do this boxing workout using your body-weight. (No excuses!)
• Jump rope. If you don’t have one, just pretend that you do and jump without it.

Warm-up

Stretch for five minutes. Focus on your neck and shoulder muscles. Rotate your ankles and prepare your leg muscles with simple dynamic stretches.
Relaxed jump rope for three minutes to get your heart rate up.

Boxing Workout Method

Punch 1: Jab

A jab is a punch that goes straight forward.

• Place your left foot in front of your right and angle your right foot out as if pointing it toward an opponent.
• Put your hands up by your chin, tuck your elbows in, keep your chin down and make sure your hips are above your feet. Whichever foot is forward is the hand you’ll jab with.
• Keep an athletic stance with a slight bend in your knees and bring up your back heel just a bit. Bounce around and get comfortable in the stance. Make sure your feet are around shoulder-width apart and your front foot is pointing mostly forward and your back foot is pointing mostly out.

Punch 2: Cross

The cross is a punch where you punch across your body. You must transfer your weight from your rear foot to your lead foot. Do this by pivoting your rear foot, rotating your body, bending your knees and leaning forward very slightly. All of this is done at the exact same time as the cross is thrown.

• Stand in a jab stance. As you punch, rotate your body counter-clockwise (if your left foot is forward), or clockwise (if your right foot is forward).
• Pivot your rear foot at the same time that you’re throwing the cross. You should end up with your heel upward and toes on the ground, facing in the same direction as where your cross is heading.
• Rotate your fist just before you reach the end of the punch so that the palm of your hand is facing downwards towards the floor.
• Sit down on your punch as you throw the punch. Bending at your knees will allow you to gain more power and maintain your balance.

Punch 3: Hook

A hook uses power from your hips and upper body. It should be done in a fluid motion, using both your upper and lower body to follow through with the punch.

• Take a comfortable boxing stance by putting both of your legs parallel to your shoulders. Then bring your most dominant foot one-half of a step back, and slightly bend your knees so you’re in an athletic stance.
• Keep your fists in front of your face. Your hands should be lined up outside of your eyes and a few inches away from your face.
• As you punch, twist your body to your dominant foot side and rotate your front foot. Rotate your upper body as well.

Round 1:

Perform each of the punches without weights for 45 seconds. After each one, do 60 seconds of relaxed-pace jump rope.

Rest for 30 seconds.

Round 2:

Perform each of the punches with your chosen weight. Be slow and controlled with each movement for eight punches.

Jump rope for 30 seconds at high intensity after each set of eight.

Rest for 30 seconds.

Round 3 – Knockout Round:

Do 30 seconds of punches without weights. Do all five sets, then jump rope for three minutes at a moderate intensity.

Cool down with your favorite stretches, placing added focus on your upper body. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds.

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Check your emotions before eating.

Stress eating doesn’t usually take away stress, and if it’s done too often, it can also add pounds. Here are some tips to beat this habit..”

Emotional Eating: It Happens.

Emotional eating happens to many of us from time to time. Maybe you’ve cheered yourself up with a bowl of ice cream after an unusually tough day, or sneaked a few French fries from your best friend’s plate while recapping a disastrous date. But when emotional eating gets out of hand—when eating is the first and most common response to negative thoughts and feelings—it’s time to get a grip.

What is stress eating?

Stress eating, or emotional eating, is when you eat in order to escape whatever bad feelings you’re experiencing, in the hope that food will make you feel better. Sometimes it’s a conscious decision, but more often it’s just a mindless response to a vague, negative emotion. You may not know what’s bothering you, but you’re pretty sure that food is the one thing that will cure whatever ails you.

Is it emotional or physical hunger?

There are few tell-tale signs that can help you distinguish emotional hunger/stress eating from true, physical hunger.

• Emotional stress eating usually comes on suddenly. You start feeling stressed or tense, and wham! You’re craving nachos. On the other hand, physical hunger tends to come on gradually. You’re starting to feel hungry but you can wait to eat, which gives you some time to choose wisely and satisfy that hunger with something that’s good for you.
• Stress eating usually causes a craving for a food that’s sugary, fatty and high calorie—and often very specific (not simply “chocolate,” but “a slice of triple layer fudge cake from Fred’s Diner on 6th Street”). But when you’re physically hungry, food in general sounds good to you. You’re willing to consider several options that will satisfy your physical hunger, which means you’re more likely to make a better choice.
• Once your physical hunger is satisfied and your stomach is comfortably full, it’s a signal that you’ve had enough and you tend to stop eating. But when emotions are the driver, it’s easy to ignore what your stomach is telling you—and you wind up eating way too much while attempting to make yourself feel better.
• Stress eating might lift your mood momentarily – then, just as quickly, shame and guilt often move in. On the other hand, when you finish a meal that’s satisfied your physical hunger, you don’t usually feel guilty afterwards for having eaten.

Tips for dealing with stress eating behaviors

• Keep a food journal. A food journal can really help you see what triggers your stress eating. Whenever you feel the need to eat, make a note of how hungry you are on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = I’m faint with hunger; 10 = I’m so stuffed I have to loosen my clothing). Then write down how you’re feeling at the moment.
• Own up to your feelings. You know that emotions are the trigger for your stress eating, so why not acknowledge them? It’s okay to be mad or lonely or bored sometimes. The feelings may be unpleasant but they’re not dangerous, and you don’t always need to ‘fix’ them.
• Work on your coping skills. Every time you eat in response to stress, it’s just a reminder that you can’t cope with your emotions. When stress strikes, try asking yourself, “What’s the worst thing that will happen if I don’t eat?” Yes, your stress level might rise a bit, but the feeling will pass. Practice tolerating your emotions, or finding other ways to deal with your stress.
• Find alternatives to eating. Take a few moments to reflect on your feelings and think of ways you can solve your problem. Make a list of things you can do instead of eating, like walking, listening to music or meditating.
• Unlearn your bad habits. Emotional eaters continually reinforce the idea that the best way to treat negative emotions is with food. And like other bad habits, stress eating happens before you’ve even had a chance to think about it. So, you need to “un-learn” your bad habits and practice doing something other than eating when a bad day strikes.
• Wait it out. Stress eaters often are afraid that if they don’t satisfy the urge to eat, the craving will just get worse. But when they practice delaying tactics, they’re often surprised that the urge simply passes. Rather than immediately giving in to your urges, promise yourself you’ll wait a few minutes and let the craving pass.

Be kind to yourself, and give yourself time to work on your stress eating. If you find that these tactics aren’t working for you, ask your health care provider if counseling or group support might be helpful for you.

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