Happy Thanksgiving

Did y'all enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday as much as I did?

I hope y'all had a guilt-free day and took pleasure in the occasion.

If you are feeling guilty for all that you ate and the little you moved around, know that it is OKAY! Guilt, if used for good, is a driving force.

Now is the time to hit the pavement and start working off those excess calories. Use that food as an energy source and go out and push yourself harder than you knew your body was capable of.

Give your body a couple days, and you will be right back where you started! Good Luck!

How to Stop Binge Eating and Avoid Weight Gain

Raise your hand if you've ever been a victim of binge eating? You eat because you are tired, depressed, stressed, (insert your emotion here). At some point in our lives, we all experience episodes of binge eating (hello Thanksgiving!). I found this article online to get your gears turning. I want y'all to recognize when you are truly hungry and when you are binge eating for whatever reason.

I found this article on this link:

"If you are eating because you are bored, stressed, or depressed you are binge eating. Why should I stop binge eating? Well it can and will lead to weight gain overtime. A binge can last for as little as a few hours to days, even weeks at a time. If you maintain your current weight, you need to stop. This article will address several ways on how to stop binge eating.

The first step you should take is stop unhealthy binge eating. Eliminate unhealthy junk foods from your home. Fill your home with healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. If you must binge, eat healthy foods only to help avoid weight gain.

You should keep all foods in the kitchen and out of site. The more you see food, the more likely you are to want food. Many people binge because they are not paying attention to if they are really hungry or not. You could be watching a television program with a bag of chips in your lap. Before you know it, the whole bag is gone. Your mind was occupied by the television program. This is why it is very important to keep all your foods in the kitchen and only eat at the dinner table.

You can help stop binge eating by drinking more water throughout the day. You should drink 8-12 glasses of water each day. Drinking water will fill your stomach up and reduce hunger. Drink plenty of water between means and plenty of water before a meal. Do not think you can go drinking soda or unhealthy drinks. Drink water only.

Boredom can lead to heavy eating. If you are not doing anything and you feel the sudden urge to eat, find something to occupy your time before you actually go and eat anything. You could do exercises or play a game. I would suggest going for a walk. If you were not really hungry, the urge to eat would have disappeared.

If you are in a stressed or emotional state, find something other than eating to ease your pain. You may have to work with a counselor to identify what is actually wrong and help you cope. If you binge every time your stressed or emotional your forming a habit. Many people consciously know they are overeating but tell themselves, I'll just stop when I am no longer stressed or emotional. This is not the right mindset to have.

People who binge often lack any self control. It is you alone that tells yourself to eat, and it is you alone who can just as easily tell yourself not to eat. You must strengthen your will power to stop binge eating. Before you eat anything ask yourself, do I really need this? Am I really hungry? Can I go without having this? Feel your body out and answer these questions. If you feel like you are going to go crazy if you do not eat something, grab an apple instead junk food. Also as long as you are chewing your mind thinks your eating. You can try chewing sugar free gum and trick your mind."

________________________________________________

What have y'all tried to do to prevent binge eating? When I'm not sure if I'm hungry or just bored, I go for a walk, or have some water. If I'm still thinking about whatever it was that I was craving an hour later, then I go ahead and let myself have something.

One last tip. A lot of times people get hungry late at night. Why is that? It's because food=energy. Your body needs energy to sustain itself at the pace you are racing it. If this is the case, then GO TO SLEEP! You do not need energy from food to sleep. You need rest to restore your energy. So think of food in that context - as energy. Yes, food tastes wonderful. I love food (probably too much), but sometimes you need to play little mind tricks or you will end up like the lady in the above picture.

Let's support each other - tell your tricks in the comments below!

Finding your Target Heart Rate

There are many ways to find your target heart rate - a lot of formulas, equations, methods and so forth. The method I like to use is called the Karvonen Formula. It's simple and accurate!

Here it is: This example is for a 30 yr. old woman who is a novice (has had very little fitness experience).

Step 1: 220-age = #(1) Max Heart Rate
ex. 220- 30 = 190

Step 2: #(1) - Resting Heart Rate= #(2)
ex. 190- 62 = 128
(to find out how to determine your resting heart rate scroll down)

Step 3: #(2) x .45 = #(3) and #(2) x .65 = #(4)
ex. 128 x .45 = 57.6 128 x .65 = 83.2
(.45 and .65 should be used for novice indivivuals, for your percentage range, scroll down)

Step 4: Add your Age back into # 4
ex: 57.6 + 30 = 87.6
83.2 + 30 = 113.2

So the target heart range for this woman is 87.6 bpm (beats per minute) and 113.2bpm. Yes, it seems low, but remember this is for a beginner.

How to find your Resting Heart Rate.
Your resting heart rate can be found when your body is completely relaxed. When your body is at this state, place your index and middle fingers directly under your ear, then slide your fingers down until they are directly under your jawbone. Press lightly. Count your pulse for 30 seconds, then multiply by two.

I have my clients take their heart rates for three consecutive mornings, then find an average of those three results.

At what percentage should you multiply for Step 3?

The numbers above in Step 3: .45 and .65, represent 45% and 65 % of your Max Heart Rate. Plug in the percentages as they apply to you:

Novice: .45 and .65
Intermediate: .50 and .70
Advanced: .65 and .85


How do I use my Target Heart Rate?
Throw out the idea that "if I stay in the fat burning range then I will lose fat". The truth is, these numbers will help condition your cardiovascular system to more effectively pump blood through your heart and throughout your body. Now exceeding your personal ranges before you are ready will in fact place you in an anaerobic training state (one that trains deeper in your muscle tissue). This is not necessarily a bad thing, if you are wanting to train anaerobically. However, when you train anaerobically your body starts producing lactic acid which will cause a burning sensation in your muscles. By staying in your "target heart range" your body can sustain itself longer which enables you to work aerobically and work on endurance. Without getting into too much detail, your fuel sources for aerobic and anaerobic come from different sources. When training aerobically your body utilizes fat and oxygen; when training anaerobically your body uses carbohydrates. If this is all confusing to you, read this paragraph one more time :).

Finding your target heart rate can help prevent overexertion and strain on your cardiovascular system. I recommend purchasing a heart rate monitor to wear while training. A lot of heart rate monitors also have a feature that tells you how many calories you've burned in a given workout! Cool huh? You can find heart rate monitors in many places: Walmart, target, sports store, etc. You position a strap around your chest and wear the watch.

Find your personal target heart rate, and get out there and hit the pavement!