FitBit: Get Fit in 5 Minutes a Day

Get Fit in 5 Minutes a Day. (Yes, 5 Minutes.) by HARLEY PASTERNAK

Now that we’ve gone over healthy eating habits, it’s time to move onto something weightier—strength training.

Strength training, or resistance exercise as I prefer to call it, is when a muscle or muscle group works against a certain resistance (dumbbells, body weight, water etc…) for a short period of time. Think: push-ups, squats, bench press.

When done consistently, resistance exercise has the power to transform your body from the inside out. Besides developing stronger, more defined muscles, research shows that strength training can also help raise your metabolism—meaning your body burns more calories at rest—increase bone density (fewer fractures!), improve balance and coordination, and increase insulin sensitivity. But many people still don’t do it. Why? I uncovered five common reasons:

1. They don’t have time.
2. They don’t have or can’t afford a gym membership.
3. They don’t have the know-how to do a complex program.
4. They’re intimidated by the images they see in infomercials for workouts such as Insanity or P90X.
5. They have been injured or are afraid of getting injured.

To combat these concerns, I kept two questions in mind as I did fitness research for my book 5 Pounds: What are the most effective exercises necessary to achieve the greatest results and what is the least amount of exercise you need to do to maximize results?

After months of study, two surprising truths emerged:

1. Short, intensive workouts are more effective than longer, endurance-focused workouts.
2. Variety is as essential as intensity to getting results.

Take this study published BioMed Research International as an example. Researchers divided a group of young men into two groups: One performed one six-rep set of nine upper body exercises three times a week; the other group did three six-rep sets of the same exercises. At the end of eight weeks, all participants experienced similar increases in strength but the one-set group—who spent nearly 70 percent less time exercising—lost significantly more body fat than the three-set group.

Seventy percent less time exercising! Imagine what you could do with that time. Actually don’t. Start experiencing it. The fitness portion of My 5 plan was created with this “less is more” philosophy in mind.

Here’s how it works: Do one resistance exercise for about five minutes, seven days a week.

That’s it.

Focusing on just one exercise a day works because you’re still able to generate enough intensity to break down muscle fibers and have enough time afterward to let them recover, which is when the fibers rebuild stronger and denser than they were before.

Get started with this 5-minute workout. Over time, as you get stronger, you’ll want to increase the weight you use and the time you spend exercising—but don’t worry, it will always be manageable.

Get Fit in 5 Minutes a Day













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FitBit: Lose Weight in 5 Steps

sole comparison

Fitbit has been  the biggest influence on my weight lost. I began with keeping tabs on doing 10,000 steps daily via my Fitbit watch. That part was easy as I enjoy walking the dogs around the my neighborhood first thing in the morning on an almost daily basis.  My worn-out boots are proof.  

Counting the calories and watching what I eat -- not so fun. I've gotten careless and the pounds have slowly been creeping-up. I need to review thru this article and feel revitalized.  

Per the FITBIT blog
 My 5 Plan:  The most effective and efficient behaviors we need to incorporate into our lives to lose the most amount of weight in the least amount of time. 

Summarized below. 
 Read the full blog H E R E

Step One: The No-Calorie-Counting Way to Eat Healthier 

Step Two: Get Fit in 5 Minutes a day. (Yes, 5 Minutes.) 

Step Three: The Power of 10,000 Steps 

Step Four: Three Ways Sleep Deprivation Makes You Fat—Plus 5 Ways to Get More Shuteye 

Step Five: Disconnect From These Devices to Drop Pounds 

 Complete post H E R E

For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is 

to come. 1 Timothy 4:8-10

Small Changes that Get Results

10,000 Steps

F I T B I T

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Healthy Monday: Counting Macros for Health Goals

How Counting Macros Can Help You Reach Your Health Goals

BY TRACY MORRIS

Macronutrients, or “macros,” are the building blocks of nutrition. You probably know them better as carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Macros are the nutrients you need in large amounts, as they provide your body with the calories it needs to function. (Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals, and although they’re essential for good health, they don’t provide any calories and only trace amounts are needed.)

It can get a little confusing, because people often refer to foods as macros: saying bread and pasta are “carbs,” and talking about meat as “protein.” Those foods contain more of that specific macronutrient than the others. But macros are just the individual elements, and most foods are made up of a blend of all three—pasta actually contains a little protein, and meat definitely has fat!  Understanding macros can help you lay a solid foundation for a balanced diet.

Carbohydrate + Protein + Fat = Total Calories

Carbohydrates: Provides fuel, the energy for your body and brain. It’s found in all plant foods, like grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, and also milk and yogurt.

PROTEIN: Helps to build and repair your muscles, organs, skin, blood, and different chemicals, like hormones, in your body. It’s found in large amounts in meat, poultry, fish, legumes, dairy, tofu, and eggs, and in smaller amounts in nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

FAT:  Insulates and protects your bones and organs, acts as backup fuel for energy, and helps in brain development. Healthy, unsaturated fats are found in olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish, like salmon, sardines, and mackerel. Unhealthy saturated fats are found in high-fat beef, pork, butter, full-fat dairy, and processed foods, like cookies and donuts.

How Much of Each Macro Do You Need?

The numbers aren’t set in stone, but you do need to consume a certain amount of each macro within a range. The flexibility allows you to pick a style of eating that suits your needs, food preferences, and health goals. The USDA recommends the following healthy ranges.

Carbohydrate:          45 to 65 percent

Protein:                     10 to 35 percent

Fat:                           20 to 35 percent

Not sure where your eating habits put you? The food logging feature in the Fitbit app can estimate your macronutrients when you log items from the food database! At the end of each day, you can view an estimate of daily totals as percentages, as well as in grams. Which makes aiming for a particular ratio of carbs to protein to fat to build a balanced diet a lot easier.

Balance Your Macros to Reach Your Health Goals

If you’ve ever cut back on carbs to try to lose weight, carbo loaded before a marathon, or upped your protein intake to put on muscle, you’ve been playing with your macros. Working within the recommended ranges above, there’s room to maneuver your macros for different outcomes. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight, eating fewer carbs and more protein may help—you could try aiming for the lower end of the range for carbohydrate, with 45 percent carbs, 25 percent protein, and 30 percent healthy fats, for example. Or, if you’re an athlete and need to fuel up for an intense training schedule, you can shoot for a higher percentage of carbs, making the ratio look more like 55 percent carbs, 20 percent protein, and 25 percent healthy fats. Just remember, these numbers don’t reflect the space each food takes up on your plate, but rather the numbers you’ll see when you log your meals.

Again, because most foods contain a mix of carbs, protein, and fat, you can’t completely cut one macro from your diet. That would impossible, not to mention unhealthy—sorry, zero-carb followers!

Quality Trumps Quantity When It Comes to Macros

Bodybuilders in particular are known for counting their macros, relying on eating trends, like If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) or Flexible Dieting, which focus on manipulating macronutrients to achieve weight loss or gain muscle. But people following those diets often lose sight of what’s healthy and what’s not. Your macronutrient distribution could look the same, whether you’re eating pizza, burgers, and donuts, or minimally processed veggies stir-fries and grain bowls. Quality wins over quantity when it comes to your health, so don’t get so caught up when measuring your macros that you miss out on the foods your body really needs.

Even if you’re not signing up for a powerlifting competition or an endurance race, and you don’t want to micro-manage your macros, it’s still smart to see where your numbers fall. Getting colorful fruits, veggies, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein on your plate is the most important thing, and balancing macronutrients is just one more way to think about sticking to a healthy eating plan. So try food logging for a few days to see how your macros measure up.  

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This article is not intended to substitute for informed medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or condition. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, altering your sleep habits, taking supplements, or starting a new fitness routine.

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Tracy Morris is Fitbit’s Nutritionist. With a master’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from South Africa, she’s also an Australian Accredited Practising Dietitian, and an international member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in the US. Over the past 15 years, Tracy's lived in five different countries, inspiring people around the globe to be healthy. Currently, she happily lives in Northern California where she writes, practices Pilates, runs after her three kids, and sips pinot noir with her husband.

Link -- >> Counting Macros to Reach Your Health Goals

Healthy Monday: Benefits of a Healthy Weight

pc: Shaklee

Making a commitment to achieve a healthy weight is one of the best health decisions you can make. Studies have shown health benefits start to occur at about a 5 percent reduction of initial body weight.¹ For someone starting at 200 pounds, that means benefits could be seen with losing just 10 pounds! So let’s look at some specific benefits achievable with weight loss as documented in research publications:

HEART: Research has shown that a 5 to 10 percent loss of body weight can result in meaningful reductions in heart disease risk. One study of overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes found this amount of weight loss could lower blood pressure by as much as 5 mm Hg (systolic and diastolic). Blood lipids also improved along with a five-point increase in HDL cholesterol levels and a drop in triglycerides of as much as 40 mg/dL.²

BLOOD SUGAR: Many measures of blood sugar control improve with weight loss. In the same study just mentioned, a measurement of long-term blood sugar control called hemoglobin A1C may drop as much as a half point (normal is under 6.5).² Insulin resistance also improves with modest weight loss in people without diabetes.²

INFLAMMATION: Fat cells produce inflammatory molecules called cytokines, and a 10 percent drop in body fat reduces levels of these substances. Losing those extra pounds has wide-ranging effects throughout your body as inflammation is associated with many chronic diseases.³

JOINTS: Every pound of weight lost reduces the stress on your knees by four times. So lose 10 pounds and take 40 pounds of stress off your knees, hips, and ankle joints.

How to get there

Weight loss in the 5-10% range is often achieved through changes to the diet, increased physical activity, and behavioral changes such as learning to self-monitor and how to manage situations that could result in poor diet & lifestyle choices. For this approach, you want a modest calorie restriction, one that will support about 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week. For many women, that means eating about 1200-1500 calories a day; for men, about 1500-1800 calories per day. The use of meal replacements (shakes or bars) has been shown to help improve weight loss outcomes.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: The basic activity recommendation is at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity most days, and resistance exercise twice a week. “Moderate intensity” for many people means brisk walking or something comparable; you should be able to talk but not sing during the activity. Check with your doctor if you have any reasons to be concerned about physical activity.

DIET: A higher protein intake plus exercise will help maintain muscle as you lose body fat; retaining muscle keeps your metabolism higher, in addition to making you fitter. Typically, some muscle is lost when people restrict calories to lose weight. However, in a recent study that combined meal replacements with aerobic and resistance exercise, the subjects actually gained muscle while losing weight.⁴

Key takeaways for you

• Keep in mind you are doing more than changing your appearance—you are building your health! And studies suggest that for as long as people maintain most of their weight loss,the benefits last too.⁵
• Think in terms of permanent change, not quick fix. Take your time, and make changes you think you will be able to stick with.
• Many people find it helpful to track their behaviors and results. Take pictures when you start. Note how your clothes fit. Weigh in about once a week. Log your “winning streaks” of days in a row you get your brisk walk or gym visit in. Your new habits will dictate who you become.

1Alamuddin N, Bakizada Z, and Wadden TA. 2016. Management of Obesity. J Clin Oncol 34(35): 4295-4305. 2Wing RR, Lang W, Wadden TA, et al. Benefits of modest weight loss in improving cardiovascular risk factors in overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2011 Jul;34(7):1481-6. PMID: 21593294. 3Ho TP, Zhao X, Courville AB, et al. Effects of a 12-Month Moderate Weight Loss Intervention on Insulin Sensitivity and Inflammation Status in Nondiabetic Overweight and Obese Subjects. Horm Metab Res. 2014 Jun 30. PMID: 24977656. 4Westcott W, Colligan A, Puhala, K, Lannutti K, La Rosa Loud R, Vallier S. Exercise and Nutrition Effects on Body Composition and Blood Measures in Overweight Adults. JEPonline 2017;20(1):200-220. 5de las Fuentes L, Waggoner AD, Mohammed BS, et al. Effect of moderate diet-induced weight loss and weight regain on cardiovascular structure and function. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2009 Dec 15;54(25):2376-81. PMID: 20082927.

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Received above emal via my Shaklee membership

Womens' Health: Your Healthiest YOU

  Celebrate Women’s Health!

It’s never too early or too late to work toward being your healthiest you! This National Women’s Health Week, May 14–20, is a great time to empower all women to make their health a top priority.

pc: Shakell

Women often serve as primary caregivers for their families, putting the needs of their spouses, partners, children, and parents before their own. As a result, women’s health and well-being can become secondary. National Women’s Health Week brings together communities, businesses, government, health organizations, and other groups in an effort to promote women’s health. So remind all the women in your life to be sure they are taking care of their own health along with all the other people they care for.

Build health by building healthy habits

National Women’s Checkup Day is May 8. Follow these tips to help stay your healthiest.

GET PREVENTIVE SCREENINGS. Visit a health care professional to receive regular checkups and preventive screenings. Important screenings for women include an annual physical, blood pressure test, and screenings for cervical cancer (pap test), cholesterol, and thyroid function. Starting at age 50, women should get screened for breast cancer every one to two years. And after menopause, women should get a bone density test to be screened for osteoporosis. Don’t forget to ask about nutrition screenings. You don’t have to guess if you are deficient in vitamin D or B12.

GET ACTIVE. Regular activity is one of the most effective strategies for maintaining a healthy weight. Regular physical activity helps to improve your cardiorespiratory (heart, lungs, and blood vessels) and muscular fitness, helps with mood, and can help reduce your risk of cognitive decline. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity daily. An example would be brisk walking—activity that raises your heart rate and during which you could talk but not sing. Also aim for strength-building (resistance) exercise 2-3 days per week.

EAT HEALTHY. Eating healthy isn’t really that difficult—and the health payoff is incredible. To reduce your risk of chronic diet-related health issues:

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables—at least seven servings per day. Smoothies can be a delicious way to increase your fruit & vegetable intake.
• Eat whole grains, such as whole wheat, oatmeal, and brown rice—and avoid white grains
• Eat lean proteins, including fish, skinless poultry, lean red meats, dry beans, and eggs
• Cook primarily with monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, and limit fried food
• Limit saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, and excess sugars
• Drink alcohol in moderation—for women, that means no more than one drink per day
• Take dietary supplements to close remaining nutritional gaps

GET ENOUGH SLEEP AND MANAGE STRESS. Try to get a good night’s rest every night. Adequate sleep makes you more productive and energetic—this means 7–8 hours per night. Develop a sleep routine that includes limiting computer screen time at night. Recognize the signs of stress and take action to address it. Focus on controlling what you can, and let the rest go.

AVOID UNHEALTHY BEHAVIORS. Smoking, texting while driving, not wearing a seatbelt or bicycle helmet, and other unhealthy or unsafe habits can severely damage your overall health.

Most of us go many days between trips to the doctor, a fact that makes it clear that we must take day-to-day responsibility for our health. Whether it’s pushing ourselves a little harder at the gym or calling our doctors to make sure we’re up to date on our screenings, we can all truly make a difference—not just for ourselves, but for all the people we love.

Benefits of a Healthy Weight

pc: Shaklee

The benefits of a healthy weight

Making a commitment to achieve a healthy weight is one of the best health decisions you can make. Studies have shown health benefits start to occur with a 5 to 10 percent loss of body weight. For many people, this can mean benefits begin with losing just 10 pounds! So let’s look at some specific benefits achievable with weight loss as documented in research publications:

Heart: Research has shown that a 5 to 10 percent loss of body weight can result in meaningful reductions in heart disease risk. Blood pressure decreased by as much as 5 mm Hg (systolic and diastolic). Blood lipids also improved along with a five-point increase in HDL cholesterol levels and a drop in triglycerides of as much as 40 mg/dl.1 Blood sugar: Many measures of blood sugar control improve with weight loss. A measurement of long-term blood sugar control called hemoglobin A1C may drop as much as a half point (normal is under 6.5).2 Insulin resistance also improves with modest weight loss.3 Inflammation: Fat cells produce inflammatory molecules called cytokines, and a 10 percent drop in body fat reduces levels of these substances. Losing those extra pounds has wide-ranging effects throughout your body as inflammation is associated with many chronic diseases.4 Joints: Every pound of loss reduces the stress on your knees by four times; so, lose 10 pounds and you take 40 pounds of stress off your knees, hips, and ankle joints.

Key takeaways for you:

While some benefits can take a while to occur, especially the cardiovascular benefits, the good news is that as long as people maintained most of their weight loss—the benefits lasted.5 The more weight you lose, the better. When scientists crunch the data, they find a wide range of effects. Some people respond better than others do, but in general, those who lose the most weight have the best results. The biggest benefit of losing a little bit of weight is that it sets you up to lose more. You now have your formula for weight loss—you just have to be consistent and keep going! Focus on how great you feel, and stay on your path to long-term better health.

1Wing RR, Lang W, Wadden TA, et al. Benefits of modest weight loss in improving cardiovascular risk factors in overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2011 Jul;34(7):1481-6. PMID: 21593294. 2Wing RR, Lang W, Wadden TA, et al. Benefits of modest weight loss in improving cardiovascular risk factors in overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2011 Jul;34(7):1481-6. PMID: 21593294. 3Ho TP, Zhao X, Courville AB, et al. Effects of a 12-Month Moderate Weight Loss Intervention on Insulin Sensitivity and Inflammation Status in Nondiabetic Overweight and Obese Subjects. Horm Metab Res. 2014 Jun 30. PMID: 24977656. 4Ho TP, Zhao X, Courville AB, et al. Effects of a 12-Month Moderate Weight Loss Intervention on Insulin Sensitivity and Inflammation Status in Nondiabetic Overweight and Obese Subjects. Horm Metab Res. 2014 Jun 30. PMID: 24977656. 5de las Fuentes L, Waggoner AD, Mohammed BS, et al. Effect of moderate diet-induced weight loss and weight regain on cardiovascular structure and function. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2009 Dec 15;54(25):2376-81. PMID: 20082927.

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