Food For Thought...

It's no secret – losing weight is hard. Keeping it off is harder. But is there a reason obese people struggle so hard to keep the kilos at bay? Could it be that their bodies are actually working against them? A very interesting piece in the New York Times looked into just that, and if you're interested in the topic, it's well worth a read...

While researchers have known for decades that the body undergoes various metabolic and hormonal changes while it’s losing weight, the Australian team detected something new. A full year after significant weight loss, these men and women remained in what could be described as a biologically altered state. Their still-plump bodies were acting as if they were starving and were working overtime to regain the pounds they lost. For instance, a gastric hormone called ghrelin, often dubbed the “hunger hormone,” was about 20 percent higher than at the start of the study. Another hormone associated with suppressing hunger, peptide YY, was also abnormally low. Levels of leptin, a hormone that suppresses hunger and increases metabolism, also remained lower than expected. A cocktail of other hormones associated with hunger and metabolism all remained significantly changed compared to pre-dieting levels. It was almost as if weight loss had put their bodies into a unique metabolic state, a sort of post-dieting syndrome that set them apart from people who hadn’t tried to lose weight in the first place.

That's not to say that overweight people can't slim down and stay that way. The results just indicate that it may be harder for them. While at 60kg, I can maintain my weight by eating a certain number of calories and doing a certain amount of exercise, someone who gets down to 60kg from an obese weight may find they have to eat less calories and workout for longer in order to maintain the same weight – because their bodies process food differently and respond to exercise differently.

It's preliminary research, but it could go some way to explaining just why it's so hard for obese people to lose weight and keep it off.

Move It Like Kristen.

I like to think that if I ever met Kristen Bell, we would be BFFs. She's just so damn cute. And nice. And she's freaking Veronica Mars. I mean, you can't watch this and not love her.



And maybe, when we're being best friends – and between double dates with Dax Shepard – I think we could be awesome training buddies, too. Because K-Bell has the moves. Here's her fave exercise, as she reveals to Self magazine...

"Here's the one that packs the most punch. I call it The Bowler: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and bend slightly at the waist, holding a 5-pound weight in your right hand. Squat, then swing your right hand up and left, across your body, and sweep your right foot to the left behind you, as if you're bowling. Do about eight on each side. It's amazing for the butt cheeks!"

We're going to be the most bootylicious besties in town! I just know it.

Simple Swaps.

This week, I stumbled across this fabulous link to 89 Simple Swaps That Could Change Your Life at The Greatist. So basic, so easy to implement. Check out the full list, but here are a few of my faves...

• Incline for flat treadmill. In a perfect, outdoor world, flat roads rarely exist. (Sorry, Midwestern readers!) Add some hills to that treadmill run by cranking up the incline and feel the muscle-building burn! 

• Foam rolling for static stretching. Need to get the knots out? Try using a foam roller instead of sitting and stretching to the toes. It’s almost like a personal massage. 

• Homemade post-workout snack for a protein bar. Bring a PB&J or another post-workout snack to the gym rather than buying a protein bar. We need some after-exercise fuel, but don’t get it in the form of excess sugar! 

• Greek yoghurt for sour cream. Sour cream can taste pretty good in a burrito. To get that same creamy coolness, add a dollop of plain Greek yogurt to amp up the protein and slash the fat. 

• Frozen grapes for popsicles. It may sound a little weird, but hear us out. Stick a bunch of grapes in the freezer and snack on them a few hours later— it’s like eating bite-sized Popsicles with no added sugar! 

• Keeping the same bedtime for winging it. Setting a bedtime schedule may help us fall asleep faster, so pick a good time and try to stick to it!

Hot Fitness Trend: Tabata Training

Looking for a new way to torture yourself in the gym? Allow me to introduce you to Tabata training. It's a super high-intensity workout that lasts for... wait for it... four minutes. Yep, you read that right. Four measly minutes. Except that they'll be the longest, most exhausting four minutes of your life.

Tabata Exercise

It works like this: work to your maximum for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and repeat that 8 times. Like any interval training, you can do it with sprints (although on the treadmill it's difficult to get on pace fast enough) but you can also do it with other cardio moves like squat jumps, burpees, skipping or mountain climbers. All you need is a good timer.

Want a bit more direction? Dowload this app. It's like your own personal Tabata coach.

On The Couch: What I Learned From The Biggest Loser This Week.

 Never eat your food from a mixing bowl. Ever.
I'm a big everything-in-moderation girl, but there is nothing moderate about a mixing bowl-sized serve. If anything, try eating your food in smaller bowls and on smaller plates. It will look like more when you fill it up and if you take your time eating it, you won't miss the extra portion.

You might think you're pushing yourself. You're not.
One thing I learned very quickly when I got a trainer was this: what you think is your limit is not even close to your limit. And when you learn to push through that, the real results come.

Talk is cheap. Walk the walk.
It's easy to say "I need to lose weight" or "I need to get fit", but the truth is there's no easy way to get there. You have to do the work and make the changes yourself. Like Michelle said this week, it's up to you to make the time to exercise. And if Barack Obama, the busiest person in the USA, can find a few spare minutes for a workout, we all can.

Make a commitment. Write it down.
Don't be vague with your goals or they'll never happen. If you're serious about making changes to your lifestyle, make a promise to yourself and write it down. Then share it with someone else so you're accountable. Pencil your workouts in your diary and treat them like any other important appointment. No excuses.

Wear a heartrate minotor.
I've written about this before, but wearing a heartrate monitor is a great way of measuring exactly what you're burning. Because knowing how much energy your expending is important, so you can get the weight-loss math right.

One and a half tones of fat is a hellava lot of fat.
And, boy, did it look gross. If that's not enough to put you off a second helping of dinner, I don't know what would be.

Happy Australia Day.

Willoughby and Co.

I love Australia Day. When you can smell the barbies firing up, hear the Triple J Hot 100 blaring and Woolies has sold Pavlova bases. It's a great day to be Australian... But then, isn't every day?

Looking For A Reason To Get Fit?

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Reasons To Be Fit

Reasons To Be Fit

Reasons To Be Fit