Wednesday, June 22, 2011

After Workout recover

I pulled the information from a few places including my brother. I have started doing this very important peice of advice and I notice a difference. I will be presenting this program at my TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) meeting on Monday. Come check us out. It is at the Community of Christ Church on 4th and Godfrey. 6pm

Taken from mayoclinic.com, fitnessmagazine.com and womenshealth.com
AFTER WORKOUT REPAIR.
A snack before you work out helps give you energy and stamina to go the distance. But did you know that eating a snack after you work out is even more important? "You want to make sure you feed your body to help repair muscle tissues and replenish glycogen stores [which are depleted after a strenuous workout]," says Kristin Reisinger, a sports nutritionist.  Glycogen is energy stored in your muscles. Recovery after exercise is essential to joint, muscle tissue and energy repair. Your after exercise recovery routine has a big impact on your fitness gains and performance and allows you to get more from your workouts.
Muscle repair is important for many reasons. First, for every pound of muscle you gain, your body burns an extra 35 calories a day at rest. Second, muscle strength carries us from one place to another. They also protect our bones and help control metabolism. Muscle recovery also decreases cortisol, the stress hormone that tells your body to store fat.  Here are some ways to help in after workout recovery.
1.   COOL DOWN-Cooling down means you slow your pace after exercise. You do not want to just stop abruptly. Move around at a slower pace for 5 to 10 minutes after your workout. This helps remove lactic acid from your muscles and may reduce muscle stiffness and joint pain.
2.   REPLACE FLUIDS- When you exercise, you lose fluids from sweating. Ideally you should drink water while exercising but filling up after exercise is an easy way to boost your recovery. Water supports every metabolic function and nutrient transfer in the body. Other drinks that are good for replacing fluids are sports drink (like Gatorade) and milk (chocolate milk is ok in this instance).
3.   STRETCH- After a tough workout, consider gentle stretching. This is a simple way to help repair muscle tissue and speed recovery.
4.   EAT- You should fuel your body before a workout but it is even more important to fuel the body after. Try to eat a small snack within 60 minutes of an exercise. These should be less than 150 calories unless you are doing a HIIT (High-intensity interval training) and then consume about 200 calories.  Your food choice needs to be a high protein, high fast acting carb. “This is one of the only times I recommend a high-glycemic carbohydrate source such as bananas, because the uptake will be rapid,” says Kristin Reisinger .  Lists of great after workout snacks are included. Eating a snack right after working out speeds muscle growth and recovery.
5.   HAVE A MASSAGE- Getting a great rub down feels wonderful, not to mention improves circulation. Have your honey (spouse/loved one) gently massage your body, indulge and allow a professional do the work, or give yourself a massage with a Foam Roller. These are easy to construct but use safety precautions.
6.   REST AND GET PLENTY OF SLEEP- This comes in two parts. First, take a day of rest in between 2-3 straight sessions of exercise. If you walk 6 days a week, take a break on one day in the middle. Your body will take care of itself and recover on rest days. This happens naturally. Secondly, get some sleep.  While you sleep, amazing things take place in the body. During your sleep, the body produces Growth Hormone which is responsible for tissue growth and repair, also known as bigger muscles. Remember the more muscle you have, the more calories your burn. Aim for 7-8 hours of straight, uninterrupted sleep.

FOODS TO HELP IN MUSCLE REPAIR (180 to 250 calories).
1.   Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich.  
2.   Hummus and Pita  
3.   Vanilla Yogurt (8 oz.) and Fresh Berries
4.   Tuna salad on Whole Wheat
5.   Turkey (4 oz.) and cheese(I wedge)  with Apple Slices
FOODS TO HELP IN MUSCLE REPAIR (100 TO 180 calories)
1.   Chocolate Milk and 11 almonds or equivilate
2.   Lower fat Oatmeal cookie
3.   Lower fat dark chocolate chip cookie
4.   Turkey Wrap (2 oz. and 6” tortilla, unlimited veggies and guacamole)
5.   Trail mix (1/4 cup)
6.   Smoothie
7.   Popcorn (100 call) and Parmesan cheese 3 TB
8.   Green Tea, Dark Chocolate 70% (2 squares) and Walnuts about 14 shelled


Chocolate chip cookies redone.
Heat oven to 350 degrees
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (if stone ground, make sure it is fine ground)
1 cup all-purpose flour.
1 1/4 tsp. of baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1. Mix in a bowl and set aside
1 stick (1/2 cup) real butter softened plus 1/2 cup of cooked great northern beans, well rinsed and drained smashed.
3/4 browned sugar packed
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 egg beaten or 2 TB ground flaxseed with 6 TB water (this equals just under 1/2 cups. If using flax seed to replace egg, mix flaxseed meal with water and let set for 2-3minutes)
2. Cream butter and sugar.
3. Add vanilla and egg (or egg substitute of flax) Mix well
4. Add flour mixture, mix well. Then add
One package (16oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips.
Mix together.
Drop cookies onto cookie sheet by rounded Tablespoon or a cookie dough scoop. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12-14 minutes. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.
 This recipe is made a bit healthier with less sugar, less fat and whole wheat flour. If using the beans in your cookies, make sure you rinse and drain them well. I like to cook my beans from the dried bean without any flavor or seasonings. Canned beans need to be rinsed and drained a few times before smashing and putting in your recipe. If you use margarine instead of butter, the cookie will have different texture and be a bit crisper. The bean adds protein and fiber to the cookie.
Recipe by Natasha Duncan, Cameron MO

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Roman 14:23 My weightloss goal is PEACE

But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin. Roman 14:23
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. don not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. Romans 14:19-20

Here are some verses to help me along my weight loss this week. We need to stop looking at the scale and look for peace and freedom from a bondage of food obsession and weight loss. I struggle with this a great deal. My body doesn't shed fat fast and my muscle mass is quite great. I will get on the scale and not see the number budge. I then began to think thoughts of defeat and depression. That number is simply a number. It doesn't determine my worth. So what is my worth?
I am worth gold. I am valuable and beautiful in God's eyes. I am his daughter so I can't be anything but wonderful to Him. He wants me to rely on him and not food.
If I am to eat something that is going to make me feel guilty later, then God is telling me that my body doesn't need this food. I have felt this before and ignored it but starting now, I will no longer ignore the conviction I feel coming from God. He care for everything I feel and go through. He cares for my battle with weight loss and self esteem. But I shall have confidence in Christ.
Nothing feels as good as PEACE.
(Thoughts from my weight loss and self esteem bible study Made to Crave from Lysa TerKeurst)

Thursday, June 16, 2011

A Mommy in Your Pocket!

Oh it is another early morning for a homeschool Momma. I have put my kids in public school for the summer because Zack and I are unsure of how the fall will play out. We have a two mile long (more like two pages but who is counting) list of things that will start in full swing in August. I just added another item to the list, bass guitar lessons.  So we put our never-been-schooled-by-anyone-else 2nd and K kids in public institutions. The hardest transition is getting out of bed before 8. Everything else is under control.
This morning however, was a catastrophe for my Bugsa. She doesn't bend well with change and if this change doesn't have her Mommy near it, she wants nothing to do with that huge event (everything is huge to a kid).  So today, after breakfast, she tears up and shoots her bottom lip out as far as it could stretch. Any further and a jet plane could have landed there. I just shake my head and say, "Bugsa, why such a sad face?" She tells me that they have a new teacher today and tomorrow and she doesn't know her and what if I don't like her, and what if she doesn't like me and la di da di da. She gave me a list longer than her entire self why she can't go to school if a new teacher is there. Still holding her in my arms I calmly (but not feeling it) say, "I am sure this new teacher will be fine." She spouts back at me, "You HAVE TO COME AND SEE FOR ME." And out of this a great idea was born. I wrote a note on a small piece of paper "Mommy Loves Bugsa!" I folded it in half after reading it to her and put it in her pocket. I explained that now she can take me to school and face any new changes that come her way because on that little piece of paper is a whole lotta mommy love. She now has a Mommy in her pocket. She chuckled, then laughed a good few minutes. Well of course Beans and Bubba needed a Mommy in their pockets too. I made a few up and tucked them away in their pocket. Then my Bubba says, " Mommy, we have you in our pocket and Jesus in our hearts. We can do anything." My heart swelled with love and joy I just wanted to jump up and down and hug this smart little fellow. I just kissed his cheek instead. The whole morning thereafter was something like this. "We are going to school with Mommy in our Pocket and Jesus in our hearts." That sentence was followed by every other sentence they said. It brought so many laughs and took the edge off. We have a dead squirrel in front of our home. Beans said that the squirrel didn't have a Mommy in it's pocket and Jesus in it's heart. Lainey told him that squirrels don't have pockets. This started a laughing fit that lasted all the way to school. Now if I make it through the day without a call from the school stating my kids started a Mommy/Jesus/pocket riot, I consider this success for a very scared and unbending little girl. Thank you Jesus!