The Banquet Effect

A syndrome in eating that is so sneaky and persistent you almost don't know it is happening - and you do not have to be at a banquet for this to happen!

Banquet Effect: (noun) vast amounts of tasty, desirable, ready made, easily available food for an extended amount of time. People eat more food when this situation presents itself. And they keep going back and then you get into grazing.

I am always on the look out for an interloper (naughty food) to invade the kitchen. There are certain items we just don't keep in the cupboard so as not to be tempted.

An innocent ice cream habit got me right into this syndrome and I did not realize it was happening.

Hubby got an ice cream maker and I made sure he understood we would do this once in a rare while.

Well this ice cream hobby seems to be happening every weekend.

He is even doing the lowest sugar amounts possible, tweaking recipes with different fruit combination. The pure banana ice cream was very delish and the sugar was less then half called for. So it was good for us ice cream - an even better reason to partake.

Last weekend I had my half cup portion and that was it - done, finished.

Later that day it was still in the freezer. I was perplexed, why had he not given it away, or hidden it (even in the car) or as a last resort poured down the drain.

There it sat.

I kept coming back into the kitchen to 'check on it'. Making sure it was ok - comfortable - not too cold or too hot.

Went away again and then I realize - I have got to have some of that low sugar banana creamy cold ice cream.

OK, but just a half cup portion. I had a half cup portion. Then a little later another few bites.

Finally I just got the container of creamy banana ice cream and ate it. Wow. It was good though.

That is amazing how that can happen but I realized I had broken one of the strictest rules of eating right:

DON'T KEEP TEMPTING FOODS AROUND AFTER YOU HAVE HAD YOUR SERVING - THAT BECOMES A BANQUET.

I noticed that sort of eating made me more lenient this week. A chocolate square here, three on one day and then it all culminated with Hubby making lower fat/fruit sweetened ice cream this past weekend.

I had some and stopped. It had to stop.

I could feel the weight on me from just the past week. Even though it was not that much at all.

WHEN YOU ARE MENOPAUSAL YOUR BODY PUTS ON POUNDS VERY EASILY AND RELEASES FAT VERY RELUCTANTLY.

I learned that lesson a while back. And ya, my jeans are tight.

Once you notice a pattern of unhealthy eating you have to jump right back into the healthy eating immediately. I could have kept on eating and eating and said "I'll start Monday."
I know that does not happen.

So got back on track and worked out yesterday.

Fitness goals:

water 6 glasses - done
bum buster workout - done (lots of squats and arabesques)
biceps buster workout - done (lots of reps with different weights)
cardio: 25 mins. with HITS and squats added in (double duty workout).


Fitness goals:

Watch out for sugar! Do not let this just haplessly sneak in.

Drink more water 6 glasses

Make a veggie pot - a big pot of veggies to have for snacking...
mmmm I can almost taste those brussels sprouts.

Keep up the biceps buster workout
Some more ab pull ins, pelvic floor pull ups
Some yoga stretching
free form cardio if the opportunity presents itself

Fitness Goals

Need to do upper body workout - mainly biceps

Some tummy pull ins - 100 of various counts

squats for bum reps

AND

Get in at least 6 glasses water

Do Ya Jiggle When Ya Wiggle?

I scour the sinks daily and what a way to judge the jiggle - the jiggling of the arms.

If my arms are jiggling that means I have not been doing my triceps kickbacks.

But it's been busy recently! Nah, not buying it, there is an excuse proof method for firm arms...

TRICEPS KICKBACK (no this is not a financial kickback but the rewards are great)

Take a light weight - 3 or 4 maybe even on some sets 6 pounds but I do not go above that - you load up the elbow joint.

I do a triceps kickback on one side at a time. Make sure you take a minute to situate into correct form starting position. Fitting these in is not a reason to get sloppy with your technique.

You can keep your weights within easy access (under a sofa or chair, in your desk drawer at work) and grab them and do some reps.

As long as you are busily engaged (housework) you do not need much of a warm up - in fact starting with 3 lb. weights for one set is a warm up. If you need to warm up (as in been in couch potato mode) do some arm circles to get your joints lubricated and warmed, maybe 10 or 20 circles.

GOT A CREAKY JOINT?

Naturally, if you have a bad elbow you are going to have to ask your health care provider how to modify exercises - but - if you have a creaky, bothersome one here is a tip (and no it is not getting out the WD 40):

You don't lock the elbow at the top of the move, let the elbow be a little tiny bit relaxed at the top.

Also: hold at the top of the move to make sure you are not see sawing up and down and just swinging the weight which does nothing.

Hold for just 3 seconds at the top of the move on some of the reps.

Just fit in these reps when you get a chance.

I get in a set of maybe 20 reps each side right of the bat. Then might alternate with biceps, and one sided bent over rows. Or I might just go on and continue with what I am doing if I am really busy then stop again a little later and get in another batch of reps and maybe change the weight and rep count. It is possible to work up to and crank out 80 - 100 reps while doing the dinner dishes.

TOTALLY EXCUSE PROOF!

But what about push ups, they are supposed to firm the upper body in one move?

NO DO NOT DO PUSH UPS!

If you are at all overweight... these over load your elbow and wrist joints.

ALSO on my not do list: Overhead triceps dips, french tricep dips and plain triceps dips.

Just stick with the simple, basic, no frills triceps kickbacks.

And those arms won't jiggle when ya wiggle!

Double Dip

You mean a double dip ice cream cone?

Uh, no.

An exercise tip. About your dips.

With some upper body resistance training you can do both sides at the same time - triceps kickbacks, double arm rows, triceps dips...

DON'T

Do your triceps kickback on one side, then alternate sides back and forth. While one side rests, the other gets worked out. A big joint strainer on your upper body joints to do the double technique.

Ditto with the rows: Do single arm rows in good form and alternate side to side.

I don't take rests between sets and just alternate which gets you worked out quicker.

WHAT ABOUT TRICEPS DIPS?

This is a double dip you just do not want to do in your routine. A real strainer load on your shoulder joints.

AND YOU WOULD NEVER STEP UP TO THE ICE CREAM COUNTER AND ASK FOR A DOUBLE DIP!

Portion control, ladies. The only way to approach rich desserts that make life so much sweeter...and you would eat this after a meal.

You would ask for a little, ittle, tinsy dip - or 1/2 cup portion of ice cream.

And how sweet it is, even in tiny amounts.

Fitness goals achieved:
floor ab workout, bum bun workout done (just fit in squats, arabesques)

FITNESS GOALS:

freeform movement - just move when opportunity arises.
maybe some light cardio of a few minutes fittingly fitted in...
and don't forget: ab pull ins, pelvic floor lifts and the kegels - Don't ever forget the Kegels - and no, that's not the name of those neighbors that moved last summer.

Hold it!

really?

But, I gotta go.

Yes, hold it, even if for just a minute.

Yep, another shocking thing women should know:

going all the time weakens the bladder.

Which leads to the conclusion: holding a full bladder strengthens it.

Something to consider, but I am not going to recommend this as you journey forth on a trip or tend to get stuck in long traffic jams. And goes without saying - go as your health care practioner informs you to go.

Also, when doing kegels - there are different ones - do your uretha kegels (sounds like a title to a catchy song).

That is in addition to your other kegels and pelvic floor lifts...

There is always something to exercise - but these are of the 'invisible' exercise category - no one knows you are working out.

Fitness goals achieved:

yoga - 20 mins.

cardios - several segments that have added up: 17 min. walk with some light jogging
8 min. cardio dance moves (DVR'd)
20 min. cardio dance moves

Total cardio fitted in: 42 mins.

Did lower body resistance workout of about 8 mins. (incl. ab pilates floor moves).

Did upper body resistance workout of about 7 mins.

Then added in some odd moment upper and lower resistance exercises - these really add up.

Somehow the bum got left behind...

So today is a bum bun goal day and more abs with pull ins.

Just The Flax Mam

Flax seeds, flax oil, flax meal... flax is showing up everywhere especially for menopausal women.

I ended up using it as a spoonful of seeds daily. Usually I just take the seeds and chew them. You want to so you get the maximum benefit.

I also have made homemade flax meal (just ground up flax seeds) and used that in baking.

I ended up preferring a good quality olive oil and did not use the flax oil very much at all.

I do keep any flax refrigerated.

Fitness Goals:

abs - gotta get working on those
no excuse: 100 ab pull ins
work it: get on floor for some pilates ab work

Well, can't be (f) lax today!

What A Heel!

If you are doing heel lifts and someone exclaims this - that can mean only one thing - you are doing a single heel lift. Maybe you might even be holding a weight in your hand.

Don't.

DO ONLY DOUBLE HEEL LIFTS AND WITHOUT WEIGHTS

One heel lift is putting way too much pressure on your foot and ankle joint.

If you are even slightly overweight this can add strain.

I do only double heel lifts. And you don't even have to go all the way up on your tip toes either if that is uncomfortable. Go halfway.

Also wear shoes. Do not do barefooted on a hard floor.

A non load substitute for this? Point and flex your toes. Great to do while watching the telly on the couch.

Let someone say:

"Those are some heels".

Don't Make A Lunge For It

I don't recommend lunges for firming the lower body speaking of which I tried The Firm years ago and just did not like all the lunges - even though I had no trouble doing them.

And they claimed they really firmed up the lower body so well.

Not true at all - there are other lower body exercises that do not give a load to the knee joint.

And cringe to think overweight women do lunges - flat out dumb. Go over just a micro inch on that position of knee not over toes - do that repeatedly and hello knee problems.

I once saw an overweight middle aged woman given weights and told to do walking lunges - by a young trainer I might add. Absolutely incredulous. But she sure felt like she was working out and no doubt felt pretty uncomfortable doing this.

What about BOOT CAMP?

I am also not a big fan of the now not quite as popular "Boot Camp". Keep boot camp for our armed forces. I have known of one lady who would get up and be at her Boot Camp Booty workout (they always have such cute names) by 6:30 a.m. before work for an hour long hard workout.

That sure sounded great as we all gathered around the water cooler.

I was impressed - what discipline she had.

Here is how that ended up:

She was like all of us: a busy woman. She had a family, a home, a pet and a yard.

She would be sore all day from the workout when she started the program - she associated this with strain and hard work even after the soreness wore off.

When she worked out so hard she felt entitled to an extra treat that day - she was getting firmer but not losing any weight.

She started to slowly miss one scheduled workout a week - but she still ate her 'entitlement' treat the day she did not work out.

Then she got super busy with other things happening and all it took was to make it to a 6:30 a.m. hard, gut wrenching workout when she was stressed out to really associate the exercise with unpleasantness.

She quite easily skipped a week meaning to get back to it but never did.

She quit boot camp (with a bigger 'booty').

Ladies, boot camp originated in an environment where the soldiers have only a bed and their locker of belongings to take care of - even meals are prepared.

Of course if you are doing this and love it and eagerly get up early and sweat it out with handsomely fit drill instructor sergeant types - go for it! Admittedly there is an allure to it all or they would not have so many ladies signing up for it.

I would caution about the sit ups as those can push on the pelvic floor.

AND

I would never do a push up as an overweight woman. I never liked these exercises - the straining of a full sit up, a push up putting your weight on your elbows and wrists, the monotony of lunges.

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY PROGRAMS WITH SIT UPS, PUSH UPS, AND LUNGES?

Young trainers; men; and/or thin/normal weight people originated these exercises.

Just ask a middle aged woman who is overweight how straining these exercises are.

And while you are at it ask any Physical Therapist about the above mentioned exercises.

A Fitting Weekend

Fitting in exercise that is...

Actually had no fitness goals for this weekend but, with the way I do my exercising I have such an excuse proof way that it is automatic.

I did:

30 mins. yoga (this was insomnia yoga)
10 min. walk regular no HITS
12 min. cardio to DVR recorded hits
Resistance: 8 min. upper body circuit: 140 lateral raises (varied reps/wts)
which alternated with triceps kickbacks, and bicep curls - meaning no stopping and quickly getting upper body worked on.

Goal for today: bum day and abs and sneak in some calf raises.


Soybean Oil:

Lots of not so great stuff written about this and it is showing up in lots of stuff.

READ YOUR LABELS!

I was buying one of those pricier butter type spreads. Thought it was completely made with olive oil as it states that on label. But does it really state that.

More careful reading of the way they loophole legally phrase it raised my suspicions..."made with real olive oil" was the actual phrase.

A check on the contents showed it was made of soybean oil and they had added olive oil (how much? - probably a small amount).

OLIVE OIL

So many wonderful things about this and highly recommended as a healthy choice for fats. I do not want soybean oil which is basically in everything that is processed and here is a tip:

OLIVE OIL CAN BE SOYBEAN OIL

What? But my bottle says it is Olive Oil on the label. And it appears to be olive oil.

That is a dirty little consumer rip off. Seems an olive oil label on the bottle can have sneaked in soybean oil. Pure Olive Oil can be a loophole with a certain amount of soybean oil legally added. Some just put lots of soybean oil in it and don't make any claims on the label as to purity.

So...

We now buy our olive oil only at the health food store by a reputable brand.

As a middle aged/menopausal woman you do not want to go on a super restricted fat diet. The healthy fats (real olive oil and avocadoes) can work wonders. I make sure to include about a tablespoon of olive oil, try to get some avocado in my daily diet. Nuts also are ok in moderation. Fats are also needed in your glycemic load valuations (how sugar/carbs hit your bloodstream).

I strictly limit animal based fats (am a vegetarian so meat fat not an issue).

Read those labels very carefully - truly can be some mystery reading with the surprise culprit being things you don't want.

If your health care provider told you how to consume/limit your fats - you follow their advice.

Caught up and Ketchup

Fitness goal set for yesterday accomplished:

Yoga 30 minutes (goal was for 7 minutes)

When you get over the 'have to exercise a certain amount of time' and you do your no stress 7 min. yoga routine - it is so easy to keep on if you want.

KETCHUP:

What a surprise how junky condiments have become. Heinz a good quality (y'ad think) name brand has put high fructose corn syrup AND corn syrup in their ketchup. That means it has to almost count as a dessert portion if used.

Check your labels - barbecue sauce is dripping with the stuff also. High fructose corn syrup is different from just actual corn syrup.

On some portion control programs you could have 1/4 a cup of kethcup - and I followed that - and could not figure out how I was not losing weight. That is way too much sugar to load up without taking into account any other sugar you may eat that day.

Of course that could have been written when ketchup was really just ketchup. It should be called 'tomato syrup' the way it is processed now for fast food and standard markets.

The way/how/when you eat sugar/carbs dramatically affects how you are able to lose weight - this is particularly true for middle aged/menopausal women - but that is another post.

Gotta go 'ketch up' with the morning chores!