Getting enough Protein

I hope that you have had a chance to study all of the data that MyFitnesspal generates as you enter what you have eaten each day. Did you know you can actually change what nutrients are tracked by going to the settings tab? It is good to change these out once in awhile so that you can monitor all of the various nutrients that are important to good health.

This week we are going to look more closely at one of these nutrient categories- PROTEIN. Protein is vital for building muscle and it can also help you lose weight. Current research shows that high-protein diets outshine low-protein diets when it comes to both building muscle and fat loss. No matter your age or background, meat-eater or vegetarian, protein is a must-have for healthy, sustainable weight loss.

Here's why protein is crucial when losing weight, and how you can make sure you're getting enough!

The Case For Protein

   1. A high-protein diet provides the building blocks (amino  acids) your body needs to maintain and build muscle and while I don’t imagine any of us are trying to build Popeye style muscles, muscle mass is crucial during fat loss! The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn throughout the day. Muscle also enables you to engage in more physical activity, which in turn burns more calories.

   2. When you eat calories in the form of protein, your body burns through as much as 20-35 percent of those calories in the process of digestion. This is called the "thermic effect" of food (TEF). That is far more than the 5 percent of calories burned by fat or the 5-15 percent required for carbs.

3. Studies have also shown that a high-protein diet helps         suppress appetite and may be easier to stick with than other diets. You have probably noticed how quickly you feel hungry again after eating carbohydrates and how long you feel full after a high protein meal.

4. Protein may also help you with your weight-loss efforts by supporting healthy blood glucose levels, further helping you control hunger and feel clear-headed and functional, even when your calories might be relatively low

How much Protein do you need?

To get adequate protein you don't have to follow the stereotypical bodybuilder's diet—i.e., shakes and chicken breast three times a day. Getting adequate protein in your diet means you're consuming between 0.6-1.0 grams of protein for every pound you weigh. To put that another way, protein should make up about 25-45 percent of your daily caloric intake.

You should lean toward the higher end of that range if you're training on a regular basis, are fairly lean (less than 20% body fat for a female or 10 percent for a male), or are cutting calories more aggressively, such as 20 percent or more below your normal caloric intake.

You can shoot more toward the lower end of the range if you're not training regularly, have a higher body-fat percentage (more than 20% body fat for a female or 10% for a male), or are cutting calories more conservatively (less than 20 percent reduction from maintenance needs).

What Are The Best Sources Of Protein?

The best food sources of protein for fat loss are nutrient-rich and "complete." This means they contain all the essential amino acids in adequate amounts. It's also worth prioritizing proteins that are easily digested and fully absorbed in the body.

1 . Eggs

2 . Whey protein

3 . Grass-fed beef, bison, and game meats

4 . Fish and seafood, especially wild salmon, wild cod, mackerel, sardines, shrimp, mussels, scallops, oysters, and tilapia

5 . Chicken and poultry

You may have heard that most plant-based protein sources aren't "complete," but that's not a difficult hurdle to overcome. They can still provide you with all of the necessary amino acids if you consume complementary, plant-based proteins. To maximize fat loss, choose plant-based sources that have the most protein per calorie and which provide the combination of amino acids your body needs.

 Good sources of plant protein include:

1 . Protein powders like soy isolate, pea protein, and plant-based blends

2 . Soy products like tempeh and tofu

3 . Seitan, textured vegetable protein (TVP), veggie burgers and dogs

4 . Beans, lentils, and peas

5 . Whole grains like bulgur, quinoa, and wheat

6 . Seeds like chia, hemp, pumpkin, squash, and sunflower

Spread your protein as evenly as you can throughout your meals to maintain continuous absorption and protein synthesis. And when possible, try to choose the most minimally processed protein sources available.

For this week I would like you to track your daily protein intake and for every day myfitnesspal tabulates that you have eaten enough protein you can claim your 5 daily bonus points.

Week #2 Self Care

For our challenge this week I wanted to share some information from an article entitled 6 Simple Self-Care Tips That Change My Life written by one of my favorite authors Rachel Macy Stafford. (I recommend all 3 of Rachel’s books:

Only Love Today: Reminders to Breathe More, Stress Less, and Choose Love 

Hands Free Mama: A Guide to Putting Down the Phone, Burning the To-Do List, Letting Go of Perfection to Grasp What Really Matters!/ And

Hands Free Life: Nine Habits for Overcoming Distraction, Living Better, and Loving More. (They are all amazing books for everyone but especially for mother’s of young children)

 

Rachel begins by sharing the following story and then goes on to share some tips for self care. "Last spring, my body let me know something was wrong. I didn't feel like myself, and I wasn't acting like myself. In a moment of overwhelm, I actually smashed a casserole dish on my kitchen floor. After that I knew I needed to low down and make some change. I pledged to drink less soda, start running again, and log at least seven hours of sleep a night. And most importantly, I would finally get to the bottom of the bladder infection I had developed six months ago. 

The various antibiotics I’d tried hadn’t helped. So I made an appointment with a specialist—a highly skilled urologist, who discovered the underlying problem: I had a gargantuan-sized kidney stone.  She explained that left unattended, it could have been fatal. All I heard was: You could have lost your life.

Believe me when I say, I intend to be on this earth for a long, long time. I want to watch my kids grow up. I plan to write more books. So I was grateful for the reminder: If I want to stick around, I need to take care of myself the way I care for the people I love.”

Learn more

I’ve learned a lot in the last few months since that scare. These days, I think more clearly, handle frustration better, and sleep through the night—all thanks to minor tweaks in my perspective and daily habits. Below are six of the self-care tips that have truly worked wonders for me.

1. Acknowledge yourself

The first step: Remember that it isn’t selfish to look after yourself. It is critical for your happiness and well-being. You have limits, and they are crucial to help you honor your health. You have needs, and deserve affection, rest, sustenance, and grace—just like everyone else. And you have dreams, and are worthy of the time it takes to pursue what makes your heart come alive.

2. Gift yourself

When is the last time you did this? It’s important periodically to choose something that will add a bit of joy to your life to your life: A colorful water bottle to encourage proper hydration. A beautiful new journal to record your dreams. An extra hour of sleep, or exercise, or creative expression. If nothing else, give yourself a moment: We all need a moment of grace, forgiveness, or acceptance every now and then.

3. Restore yourself

Think back to what made you feel happy as a child. Was it the smell of a library book? Or listening to the crickets at night? Maybe it was strumming a guitar, or walking barefoot in the grass. Try to recreate those experiences of simple pleasure.

4. Speak up for yourself

Choose a trusted soul and voice the unspeakable: “I need help.” “I am afraid.” “I haven’t felt like myself in awhile.” There is something about voicing the burden that makes it lighter. Give the people close to you a chance to support you. (Note from Sandee (advice she needs to take as well as state)  “Be careful not to make assumptions that work against your own well being. Don’t assume everyone expects you to do more or to do it all by yourself. Don’t assume others are aware you need assistance, or acknowledgement or kind treatment but are denying you on purpose. Speak your needs to those that love you and clearly ask for what assistance or kindness you need.)

5. Take the pressure off yourself

What are you telling yourself about your parenting skills? What are you telling yourself about your appearance? What are you telling yourself about your long to-do list? Now try setting more realistic expectations. Lower the bar; let something go. Ban the word “should” from your vocabulary today. And when you lay down in bed tonight, ask yourself, “Did I show up?” If the answer is yes, that is enough. It’s more than enough.

6. Notice the good in yourself

Take a moment to recognize any tough obstacles you’ve overcome, or lessons you’ve learned—and think about how far you’ve come. Then try to see yourself through the eyes of those who love you. They don’t see imperfections, failings, and mistakes. They see love, never-failing love. Try to see it too.

So your challenge this week is to do something every day to administer self care and kindness. You can choose anything but some ideas:

1. Gift yourself something wonderful. Perhaps something to help you to better honor your own health. A pretty water bottle, a new pair of work out shorts or a pretty journal. Or ask your family’s cooperation to gift you an hour to work out, to sleep in, to play your instrument to do anything that renews and rejuvenates you. Another important self care gift you can give yourself is to make that doctor's appointment you have been putting off. Get a mammogram, a colonoscopy, a well women's check or a dental cleaning. (Note you can count this as your self care for the day if you just call and make the appointment) 

2. Gift yourself by doing something that brought you joy as a child. Go for a swim, go on a swing, listen to your favorite teenage music and dance like crazy. Whatever made you giggle as a kid do it now.

3. Speak up for yourself with those that care about you. My daughter is the queen of asking for compliments. Honestly I have hear her say to her cute hubby “Do I look cute in this?(He tells her she looks cute) “Really don’t you love how it fits me?”(He says yes it fits great) “Don’t you just love the color?” (He agrees it is his favorite color on her) etc. etc. etc. Especially if you feel like your co-workers or family don’t notice enough, help enough,, compliment enough. Kindly and with a sweet gentle tone ASK FOR IT!

4. Try not to be so hard on yourself. Someone told me once that everyone has their own “average”. I am a pretty good cook. But sometimes I am amazing and sometimes what I have made comes out awful. But I can give myself a break just by acknowledging that. Celebrate when my efforts in any area are above my average but when they are below my average be kind to myself as I would be to someone else when something doesn’t come out as well as they hope. Give yourself a break. You may need to do this OUT LOUD to and for yourself.

5. This kind of goes along with the one above but notice the good in yourself. It might help you to notice it as if you were someone that loves you looking for goodness and accomplishment in what you do or say.  Honestly-- either say it out loud or think it as if saying it. “That proposal I just turned it at work is really clearly written and well done.” “What I just cooked was delicious” “I am so good at showing up. I was the first one at work again today.” “The dog loves that I am so good at feeding him” It can be small things but honestly if you neglected to do them they would be big things. Applaud yourself; notice what you have done well. Give yourself some credit.

So that’s it ladies. For every day that you make an extra effort to do some type of self care you earn the 5 daily bonus points. And please do a different type of self care each day this week. This needs to become one of your life long healthy habits. This might work best for you if you plan your week out ahead of time and write what you are going to do for self care on your calendar! Good luck- you deserve it!

And just for fun ladies- google "Self care" and click on images-you will find some wonderful things there. You might want to choose something to print up and hang on your mirror! 

Bonus Challenge- Use Your Body To Do Good

Not sure if you can tell from the pictures of my yard but while we survived hurricane Irma with the house intact (so grateful) we are still limping along with generator power and have about 100 hours of yard work to do. It's hot and humid and I HATE HATE HATE YARD WORK. Honesty after about 5 hours of it today I broke down and cried. Hubby felt so bad for me that he put me in his truck (only chance for air conditioning) and let me ride down to see if his office has power so that he can reopen. (It did not)

Earlier this afternoon when I was out raking and dragging huge branches and limps out of the yard 2 different neighbors at 2 different times walked by "getting their steps in." I would have had a little more kindness in my heart if they were walking a dog but- nope. How kind it would have been if instead of walking around in circles to get their exercise they had offered to help rake for 30 minutes. 

It was a reminder to me that we have been gifted these physical bodies in part so that we can accomplish physical tasks. And it's really kind of silly that the gyms are full (not in our community- they have no power) with folks running on tread mills while they may have neighbors that could really use some physical help.
So your bonus challenge for this week is to find some type of physical service to give to someone. Something where you use your body. It can be any service that you don't normally do. So to earn the 35 bonus points you can sweep a neighbor's porch, walk their dog,  wash their windows or their car or help rake a neighbor's lawn. Or you can help your own family members as long as it's a task that isn't normally on your list. Clean out part of the garage, change your daughter's bed (if that is normally on her list), clean out your husband's car and wash it or mow the lawn. 

I'm not going to designate exactly what you do or how long you spend doing it but I want you to give some type of service that is not on your normal to-do list for someone else-- that requires getting physical. If you give some type of physical service this week you can claim the 35 weekly bonus points. 

And of course you can count the minutes spent giving physical service toward your daily exercise minutes. 

And so we begin!

Welcome to our healthy living competition ladies! We are excited to include a few new participants. 

Just to review a few housekeeping items:

1. Please check in on the blog weekly. Our bonus challenge for each week will be posted here. I try to get them written by Sunday in case you have to buy any supplies before we begin the challenge the following Wednesday. If you check and I haven't written it feel free to nag. I have been known to forget.

2. Some ladies have asked about our "10 pounds or less to lose category". This is for ladies that have 10 pounds or less to their goal weight. As you can imagine they can't really compete with straight points as they just don't have that many inches or pounds to lose. For the purpose we offer a separate category where inches and pounds are not counted into the competition points. If you are qualified for and interested in this category find the spot to mark that on our weekly report spread sheet under the tab REPORT.

3. We have a good size group of participants this round so you do not all fit on one google spread sheet. You will notice that on the bottom of the spread sheet (which is under the REPORT TAB on the blog) you can toggle between groups. It might be resting on your page one time and not the next time. If needed toggle to the page you are on. 

4. You will enter your first report a week from Wednesday after you have completed your first week of competition. 

5. Please let me know if you have any special circumstances (food allergy, travel, health problem, pregnancy or nursing etc.) and need an alternate challenge to our weekly challenge or other exception to our rules. I am happy to work something out for you. 

And just a reminder of this week's bonus challenge:

1. Join my fitnesspal and invite at least 3 people to your friend (I am on myfitnesspal as MomSandee@aol.com) 

2. Do something every day (BE CREATIVE) to encourage your healthy living challenge partner OR any of your new friends on myfitnesspal.com to do a great job at forging new healthy habits! 

* For every day you encourage someone to choose healthy habits you will earn the 5 bonus points for a possible 35 points for the week