Fat 2 Fit Radio

Anti-Depressants and Weight Gain

A listener named Rita wrote in asking if anti-depressants can cause you to gain weight.  So, can they?

Absolutely.

Jeff and I discussed this topic on Show #81 back in November 2009.  The truth is that anti-depressants are not the only type of medication that can cause you to gain weight.  The topic was also covered in Chapter 50 of  our Fat 2 Fit book.  The good news is that if you are saddled with taking these medications, you don’t have to gain weight.

I’ve included Chapter 50 as a “podcast” with this post.

Let me know if you’d like to hear more on the subject.

E-Book PDF: Open in New Window | Download

Tags: antidepressants, drugs, weight gain

Posted in General, Nutrition | 1 Comment »

Fat 2 Fit #147 – Weight Loss with Parkinson’s

Exercise and healthful eating are a no-fail recipe for weight-loss success.

But, in the case of certain rare diseases, losing weight just isn’t this simple.

In today’s episode of Fat 2 Fit Radio (#147), Russ and Helana discuss one of the more serious weight-loss topics yet to be addressed on the show: Parkinson’s Disease.  We play a voicemail from listener Debbie and hear many of the struggles post-operation patients experience in weight gain and muscle weakness after deep brain stimulation surgery.

Parkinson’s affects about 1% of the population between ages 55 and 65 (WebMD), and, consequently, little is known about its relationship to weight loss and muscle growth.

Russ and Helana review a recent study involving a group of 22 Parkinson’s patients (15 male, 7 female) after deep brain stimulation surgery. More and more, research shows significant weight gain in both men and women, but with shocking results in longterm follow ups.

In the past, we’ve discussed how good old exercise and smart nutrition can influence Type 2 Diabetes (#70) and offer great listener success stories (#102).  Yet with Parkinson’s, successful recovery continues to be far more complex.

Russ checks in with listeners Renee and James, covering everything from nutritional information between beans and lentils to over-exertion and blood-shot eyes.  He then revisits the topic of “starvation mode” with a new article by Tom Venudo, detailing that starvation mode not only negatively affects your body’s metabolism, but also your body’s ability to lose weight longterm.

As always, take a look at the show notes for our recipe of the week, cited articles, listener stories, and other great reads. For healthful eating ideas, checkout the recipe of the week or signup for the Weekly Recipe Newsletter at Clearly Delicious.

Good People: 

• Bill Geist on Parkinson’s Revelation,”Very Difficult” – CBS this Morning
• Tom Venudo at Burn the Fat Blog

Good Reads: 

• “10 Foods You Should Always Eat after a Workout” at Examiner.com
• “Food vs. Food: Pinto vs. Lentils” at SparkPeople
• “Top Foods for Parkinson’s Disease” at Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation
• “Weight Training Improves Parkinson’s Symptoms” at WebMD
• “Understanding Parkinson’s Disease – The Basics” at WebMD
• “Deep Brain Stimulation May Help in Early Stages of Parkinson’s” at WebMD
• “Overweight after Deep-Brain Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus in Parkinson’s Disease: Long Term Follow Up“
• “Starvation Mode Revisited: Is this the Cause of Slow Fat Loss, Frustrating Plateaus and Weight Re-Gain?”
• Keeping it Off with Tom Venudo – Episode #57 of Fat 2 Fit Radio

Good Eats:

• The Fresh Table: Cooking in Louisiana All Year Round - a seasonal, (mostly) healthful cookbook by Helana Brigman
• Baked Eggs with Bacon and Thyme at Clearly Delicious
• Sign Up for the Weekly Recipe Newsletter at Clearly Delicious!

Motivational Quote of the Week: 

“Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Keep up with Fat 2 Fit!

| Follow Fat2Fit at Facebook | Follow Clearly Delicious on Facebook | Follow Russ on Pinterest | Follow Helana on Pinterest |

| Join SparkPeople Fat2Fit Group | 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Tags: diet, disease, parkinsons, Personal Trainer, trainer, Weight loss

Posted in Podcast | 11 Comments »

Fat 2 Fit #146 – Menopause and Weight Loss

“I’m eating 1500 calories.  Why am I still gaining weight?” ”Does menopause play a role in weight gain?” ”How much can I eat?” and, “How can I make DOMS more bearable?”

These are some of the questions Russ and Helana answer in Episode #146 of Fat 2 Fit Radio.  Understanding the role diet plays in maintaining a healthy lifestyle kicks off the show.  Russ emphasizes the importance of whole (unprocessed) foods that are low in sugar and fat, and Helana reminds listeners that “1,500 calories” is more than just tracking a set caloric goal, but a way to measure what kinds of foods we put into our bodies.

Russ checks in with Helana’s weight loss goals, motivation, and exercise as well as listeners Monica, Kim, Anna, and Dave.  Russ then offers some suggestions for how to improve diet and exercise for listener Kim and how menopause might influence her fat 2 fit journey.

Helana provides her Pro / Con list for the Nike+ App (see here for the full transcript), and, on the web report, we hear how Louisiana ranks alongside other states (such as Mississippi) as the #4 most obese state in the nation.  The topic of Louisiana obesity, food stamps, and low income families introduce serious grey areas with our nation’s health crisis.

We end with Russ’s tips for making “DOMS” (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) more bearable and his favorite new-fangled water bottle with a Brita filter built right in!

As always, take a look at the show notes for our recipe of the week, cited articles, listener stories, and other great reads.  If you’re interested in what foods go into your body, don’t forget to signup for the Weekly Recipe Newsletter at Clearly Delicious.

Good People:

• SparkPeople Fat 2 Fit Group
• Listener Ana’s “after” pic (Apr. 1, 2013)
• Listener Ana’s “before” pic (Jan. 8, 2013)
• Ana’s BodySpace Profile

Good Buys:

• Nike+ App (free)
• Brita Bottle with Filter
• Brita (20-Ounce) Bottle with Filter (Two-Pack)

Good Reads:

• Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss
• Nike+ App Review (transcript)
• Nike + Running App Overview
• “Short and Long-Term Eating Habits Modification Predicts Weight Change in Overweight, PostMenopausal Women”
• “Louisiana Gets ‘F’ on Report Card for Obesity/Overweight Grade in Children”
• “Food Stamps and Obesity: What Do We Know?”
• “Examining a Paradox: Obesity and Food-Stamp Participation in Louisiana”
• “How to Recover from Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)”
• Eating & Exercise Triangle Chart at Fat 2 Fit Facebook page

Good Eats

• Spicy Cajun Pork Loin at Clearly Delicious
• Sign Up for the Weekly Recipe Newsletter at Clearly Delicious!
• Alton Brown on the “Tender Pork Loin”

Motivational Quote of the Week:

“Reaching my goal doesn’t prove what I’m made of.  Not quitting when I get discouraged along the way does.

I Decide.” – Anonymous

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Keep up with Fat 2 Fit!

| Follow Fat2Fit at Facebook | Follow Russ on Pinterest | Follow Helana on Pinterest |

| Join SparkPeople Fat2Fit Group |

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Tags: jogging, Nike+, running, sparkpeople

Posted in Podcast | 4 Comments »

Fat 2 Fit #145 – Running with Endomondo

In today’s episode of Fat 2 Fit Radio, Russ and Helana check back in with listener Caren about her fitness and weight loss goals before listening to a voicemail from a caller in Kennedale, TX.  Helana reveals some good weight loss news, and Russ keeps things real with helpful advice for listeners James, Caren, and “Jolene.”

As a follow up to Episode 144, Helana gives a detailed Pro / Con list of the fitness App Endomondo and discusses this screenshot, noting that the app’s bells and whistles far surpass most fitness and exercise smartphone software—but—advertisements and “upgrades” may be a problem.

On the web report, Helana discusses a study performed by Meghan Lynch at the University of Toronto on the “Perceptions of Exercise and Food in a Community of Food Bloggers.”  How women “health and wellness” bloggers discuss food, exercise, and their own body weight issues offer an illuminating example of ongoing problems around weight loss and healthy eating in our country.  Fortunately, Lynch has some useful observations and both Russ and Helana offer some questions and advice.

Russ reviews several competing bills in New York and Mississippi that debate the availability of restaurants’ nutritional information to the public (see Calorie Count Laws for an idea of the debate).  Pointing out that Mississippi tops America’s list of most “obese” states, Russ introduces how Bloomberg’s bill to eliminate super-sized sugary drinks in certain venues has caused further debate on this topic.  How McDonald’s fits into this equation inevitably comes up.

See our links from the show notes below for articles and topics mentioned in the episode.  While you’re at it, try Helana’s super-easy Kale Chips recipe or signup for the Clearly Delicious weekly newsletter with healthful recipes right in your inbox.

Good People:

• SparkPeople Fat 2 Fit Group
• Courtney Cox’s “late night snack” (fast-forward to minute 1:00 for clip)

Good Buys:

• MyoTape (Recommended by Caren)

Good Reads:

• America’s Calorie Count Laws
• Judge Halts New York City’s Super-Sized Sugary Drinks Ban
• McDonalds Skirts Ban; Charges 10 Cents Per Happy Meal Toy
• Megan Lynch “From Food to Fuel: Perceptions of Exercise and Food in a Community of Food Bloggers”
• Men’s Fat Percentages by the Numbers
• Most and Least Obese U.S. States
• Pinterest’s Anorexia Dilemma
• “What’s the Interest in Pinterest” by Stuff Mom Never Told You
• State with Highest Obesity Rate Passes ‘Anti-Bloomberg Bill’ to Ban Food Regulation
• Goal Show 2012 – Jeff Only

Good Eats

(Green Foods)

• Alison’s Green Juice Detox
• Castelvetrano Antipasti
• Green Beans with Almonds
• Green Goddess Pizza
• Kale Chips (featured)
• Stuffed Avocados with Dip

Motivational Quote of the Week:

“Your body doesn’t care if your mind isn’t motivated.  Results are the same with or without it.  Just show up.” – Anonymous

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Tags: anorexia, diet, jogging, kale, measure, running, sparkpeople

Posted in Podcast | 9 Comments »

Fat 2 Fit #144 – New Measurements Of Success

In Episode #144 of Fat 2 Fit Radio, Russ checks in with Helana and listener David about their fitness goals and recent progress, discussing past injuries and unhappy belly fat.

We also look at the 70+ listener suggestions for running apps at our Facebook page and will follow up next time with a comparison between RunKeeper and Endomondo.

Although improving her running speed and long-distance endurance, Helana’s nemesis, the “side-stitch,” continues to rear its ugly head right when her training gets interesting (usually about one-third to half the way in).  How to combat side-stitches, identify possible causes, and take advantage of “diaphragmatic breathing techniques” are addressed in the show.  Strengthening your core and being careful when you train help in avoiding not just side-stitches, but also “delayed onset muscle soreness” (“Doms”).

Russ checks in with Dr. Rick, who has 3 big suggestions for reducing cardiovascular risk.  Then, he turns his attention to a recent study on weight loss with “mobile app self-monitoring” devices versus traditional pen and paper.  When it comes to consistency and training, there might be an app for that.

See our links from the show notes below to try Helana’s Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin or signup for the Clearly Delicious weekly newsletter with healthful recipes right in your inbox.

Good Eats

• Broccoli & Cauliflower Gratin – Clearly Delicious
• Lent Recipes – Clearly Delicious
• Subscribe to the Clearly Delicious Weekly Recipes Newsletter
• Recipes, Food, & Healthful Eating @ Helana’s Pinterest

Good Reads

• Study: “Comparison of Traditional Versus Mobile App Self-Monitoring of Physical Activity and Dietary Intake in Overweight Adults”

Good to Know

• “9 Home Remedies for Side Pain”
• Form Image – Helana’s Trainer Ball Balance
• Women’s Body Fat Percentages by the Numbers from 10-50%!

Good to Try

• RunKeeper
• Endomondo
• Russ’s Garmin Forerunner Receiver & Sports Watch
• Russ’s SportTracks App
• Waist Measurement Techniques at “Cut the Waist”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Posted in App Reviews, Exercise, Podcast | 9 Comments »

Fat 2 Fit 143 – Metabolic Adaptation

In today’s episode of Fat 2 Fit Radio, we check in with Helana and listener Caren about their body fat percentages, goals, and those hard-to-avoid numbers on the scale.

We respond to listener comments from episode 142 (no, muscle does not turn into fat) and discuss some ways Photoshop and magazine covers may disrupt how we understand the fat 2 fit lifestyle.  Helana explains her remarks on why the Jessica Alba InStyle cover gives her the “heeby-jeebies,” and we look at past Photoshop offenders like Shape Magazine and GQ.

Russ checks-in with listeners Patricia and Geri and discusses what it takes to look like “that girl” (Rachel McLish included).

On the web report, Russ goes over “metabolic adaptation” and how Clare West “ruined her metabolism.”  As always, why it’s important to eat than neglect yourself valuable nutrition comes up again and again.

See below for a list of references made during the show including the recipe of the week, Creamy Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese!

Good Reads:

• 60 Days (Weight Loss Journey) at Clearly Delicious
• Cindy Crawford, “I wish I looked Like Cindy Crawford.”
• Kate Winslet on her GQ Cover
• Tina Fey on Photoshopping
• Rachel McLish’s Flex Appeal

Covers Worth Mentioning: 

• Jessica Alba’s InStyle Magazine Cover
• Kelly Clarkson’s Self Magazine Cover (“A Weighty Issue”)
• Photoshopping: Before & After
• Photoshopping – More Examples!
• Helana’s Cover (“I feel like me!”)

Food Stuffs:

• Green Juice Detox Recipe at Clearly Delicious
• Creamy Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese
• 5 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do with Butternut Squash, PLUS a recipe for Butternut Squash Lasagna with Blue Cheese & Mozzarella

Check out Caren:

• Caren on SparkPeople
• Caren on the Fat 2 Fit Community site

Motivational Quote of the Week: 

“It’s not that some people have willpower and some don’t.  It’s that some people are ready to change and others are not.” – James Gordon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Tags: 1200 calories, Basal Metabolic Rate, BMR, diet, Exercise, helana, jeff, mclish, metabolic adaptation, metabolism, photoshop, russ, tdee, weightloss goals

Posted in Podcast | 11 Comments »

Fat 2 Fit #142 – Returning with Updates

The female body is complicated and calculators can be tough.  Between body fat percentages, BMI, height, weight, and measurements, there are countless ways to measure and track the progress of your fit and healthy lifestyle.  But, what numbers should you look at exactly? When monitoring your progress, what other factors should you take into consideration? And, how might Fat2Fit’s online tracking tools help shine some light on this process?

In today’s show, Russ introduces Helana Brigman of the blog Clearly Delicious and book, The Fresh Table: Cooking in Louisiana All Year Round.  A fellow podcaster, Helana discusses the ways in which she, too, might respond to female listeners’ questions from a woman’s point of view.  Meanwhile, Russ gives the low-down on what’s really going on—although each woman is different, teaching her to understand her body fat percentages, BMR, and calorie intake + activity level remain key for the Fat2Fit lifestyle.

Russ and Helana take a few detours to discuss Paula Deen’s weight loss and the all fearful muffin top, and look forward to next week when Helana shares her measurements and fitness goals!

Links Mentioned in the Show:

• “10 Good Reasons Why Women Should Stay Away from Weights” (tongue & cheek, of course)
• Omron Body Fat Scale
• Fat2Fit Calculators
• Be on the show!

Recipe of the Week

Best Ever Greek Salad at Clearly Delicious

Muffin Tops

“My Muffin Top is All That, Whole Grain, Low Fat, Don’t You Want a Piece of That?”

Motivational Quote of the Week:

“Of course it’s hard.  It’s supposed to be hard.  If it were easy, everybody would do it.

Hard is what makes it great.”  —Tom Hanks in A League of Their Own

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Tags: diet, helana, jeff, muffin top, paula deen, russ, update, Weight loss

Posted in Podcast | 33 Comments »

Podcast Update

Update:  26/12/2012

New podcasts coming in January 2013.

I’ve been in contact with a few individuals that are interested in helping continue Fat 2 Fit.  Thank you!  I’m totally excited about some of the changes that will happen in the new year.

Here’s what I need from you.

I’m looking for at least 3 individuals that are in the process of going from fat to fit and would like to be on the show once a month.  You must be willing to share your weight, etc. on the show.  You must also have the ability to connect with Skype with a headset or better microphone.

Use the Feedback form to get in touch.

Talk to you soon!

Hey everyone. I have some sad news to deliver to you today. Jeff has expressed to me that he’s not interested in continuing the podcast. I’d like your feedback on whether to continue the podcast or not. What would you like to hear? There are still a ton of questions from y’all that have gone unanswered that I’d like to tackle, but what else?

I have actually recorded an episode with another co-host, but unfortunately we had technical difficulties. Before I continue on, I want to hear from y’all.

What say you?

Posted in General | 194 Comments »

Where the heck are Russ and Jeff?

Hey Y’all,

There have been quite a few messages here and on our Facebook page about the absence of the show.  Jeff has been unable to record, so no show.  I’ve got a couple individuals that are going to fill in for a few shows.  Please have patience while Jeff is on the mend.

Thanks,

Russ

Posted in General | 65 Comments »

Fat 2 Fit #141 – Eating Your Exercise Calories

The proliferation of apps on iPhones and Android devices has produced some great fitness apps. Tracking calories and tracking workouts becomes super easy with these apps. But each one has it’s own spin on how they track these activities. The most popular apps that listeners ask about are My Fitness Pal and Lose it!. These apps differ in philosophy from us, so listeners often ask about net calories, eating their exercise calories, etc. They are confused because this app that we recommended doesn’t fall in line with our recommendations. Stephanie wrote in asking this question, along with countless others, so we take a look at the differences between eating and exercising the Fat 2 Fit way and the app way. Also in the email and comments section of the show, multiple listeners wrote in about the Human Weight Simulator. Jeff’s gets geeky on this one and talks all about the tools mentioned.

On the Web Report, Russ talks about the book Wheat Belly. The discussion was spurred on by a post on our Facebook page from listener Terry. She read an article on The Huffington Post about wheat. Jeff talks about the website Pinterest, particularly the posts tagged as “fitness”. The ideal body for women has changed multiple times and currently it looks as though most of the women on Pinterest want to have muscular fit bodies. Meanwhile 50 years ago, instead of going on a diet, apparently we were interested in adding “flesh” to our skinny bodies.

Links Mentioned on the Show:
Wheat Belly book
Fitness on Pinterest
Vintage Weight Gain Advertisements
Huffington Post article on wheat
Weight Loss Simulator
Total rethink on dieting
New weight loss math

Recipe of the Week:
Warrigal Greens Frittata

Motivational Quote:
“Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you what you are.” – Jean Brillat-Savarin

From Pinterest in the fitness section:

• “Sweat is fat crying”
• “Exercise to be fit, not skinny. Eat to nourish your body and always ignore the haters, doubters and unhealthy examples that were once feeding you. You are worth more than you realize.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Tags: diet, Exercise, loos, lose weight fast, lose weight quickly, pinterest, wheat belly

Posted in Podcast | 14 Comments »