In our society it seems like everyone is stressed to be as thin as the models on the cover of Vogue and Men’s Health. Although this is the case, hardly anyone is able to lose “enough” weight in order to look like these “normal” people. The media feeds us images of people that have been airbrushed to “perfection” and people who’s job it is to workout and eat as little as possible. This is not the life anyone should live!

When a person significantly decreases their caloric intake their body tries to fight back. Although it may be a little counterintuitive the body actually slows down your metabolism when you start eating a significantly smaller amount of calories. If you begin cutting calories without paying attention to any of your nutritional needs you could do severe damage to your body!

There was a study done, in 1944, called the Minnesota Starvation Experiment:

• 36 men were only allowed to eat 1800 calories a day for 6 months
• These men were not given balanced diets, and not near enough calories to sustain their body weight. After 6 months they lost 25% of their body weight.

This is what happened to them (because of the lack of calories)

• the men became increasingly irritable, impatient
• had a decreased tolerance for cold temperature
• suffered from tiredness, muscle soreness, hair loss, reduced coordination, and ringing in their ears
• they no longer enjoyed any of their favorite activities
• lost interest in women and dating
• had to drop out of their university classes because they did not have the attention span to pay attention in class
• and they complained that they could only ever think about food – this was later termed semi-starvation neurosis

Semi-starvation neurosis happens to everyone that significantly decreases their calories below what they require. People will dream about, think about, and constantly talk about food. These people have a hard time enjoying their favorite activities because they can’t think about anything but food. Even when they are at a family gathering they can’t focus on conversing with friends and family because food is constantly haunting their thoughts.

In the Minnesota Starvation experiment after the testing period, the men were given a 3 month re-feeding period. The men found this to be the hardest part of the study; they could never seem to get full! No matter how much they ate, they constantly wanted more food. The men were warned to be careful and try not to eat too much, but most of the men went out and gorged on food and had to get their stomachs pumped. The men eventually adopted their normal eating behaviors again, but it took them almost 2 years to totally recover the muscle tone that they lost, and their sex drive and strength also did not recover very quickly.

This does not just apply to these men. People who severely reduced their calories will feel the same way these men did after a short period of time. This study should give you motivation to NOT reduce your calories a significant amount; just look at what happened to those men!!

Studies have shown that when a person decreases their caloric intake to under 1,000 calories per day they send their body into “starvation mode” and your body will slow down the metabolism in order for it to hold on to as much fat as it can, for as long as it can. Your body does not differentiate between self-induced starvation and genuine starvation, it just knows you are getting enough food.

Here are some other side effects of cutting too many calories

• headaches, weakness, and light headedness
• reduced concentration levels
• inability to lose weight
• reduced sex drive
• loss of muscle mass
• loss of muscle strength
• reduced mineral bone density
• hormonal changes
• in women – menstrual irregularities (possibly infertility)
• slower reflexes
• decreased resistance to infection

Instead of reducing calories to lose weight or “be more healthy” try these things:

• eat the proper amount of calories for your age, body, and exercise level
• listen to your body, if it is hungry, give it some food. Of course it is not a bad thing to eat a little less, but make sure you listen to when your body is hungry
• Eating fruits and vegetables throughout the day will help you reduce your overall caloric intake, but will also keep in the good nutrition that your body needs
• move around! Do some kind of exercise every day, it will keep you strong and healthy

Nutrition

These girls are young. I knew nutrition had to be about them interacting with food and learning about putting foods together for balanced meals. (Let’s face it. I had trouble learning about “fiber” in college. Certainly a 12 year old doesn’t need to hear how fruit has fiber and how that will help them take a poop.) We all learn better by “doing” right? So I decided we would make two salsas, one veggie, one fruit and then combine the salsas with a grain to make a meal! We also worked with herbs and using salt as a seasoning.

This was fun and I thought it was effective.

I also taught them how they can combine foods for a balanced meal. I gave them one piece of advice about eating habits: eat when you feel hungry. If you find yourself wanting to eat and you aren’t hungry at all, it is probably a good idea to wait awhile until you feel hungry.

I quizzed them after about ideas for putting together a balanced plate for energy and health and they aced it.

Girl scout making a fruit and veggie salsa.

So far so good… I thought.

Body Image

Oy. I was honestly worried about this. But then I got some great advice from colleagues at “Health at Every Size” There is a game called “if I had a quarter”. Basically you can “buy” traits you are looking for in a friend. There are about 20 traits, some are body focused and others are character focused. They all did good “answering” basically what they knew I wanted them to hear. I still wasn’t surprised thinking well Latinas celebrate their shapes so maybe body image is not such an issue with them.

I also talked about Serena Williams (a former girl scout) with them who has been quoted as saying her favorite “feature” is her smile because a smile lights up your life and others. I thought that was great. The talk ended and I felt they were as engaged as a group of 300 girls can be before lunch on a hot, muggy D.C. day.

The Aftermath

There was time for q/a and that’s where all hell broke lose. The first question I got was “can I eat six small meals a day to boost my metabolism?” My brain responded “what, are you kidding me? how do you know what metabolism is and what part of my talk indicated that it was smart to manipulate eating habits to “boost” your metabolism?” Then I felt like I had an “out of body experience” I was suddenly 13 years old again trying one of my mom’s diet shakes, doing exercise videos for “buns of steel”, and looking forward to read the next month issue of a “health” magazine. Then my brain said “duh. you’ve been here Beck. everything old is new again.” I got sad for a second, but I didn’t have any time for that. I answered. “Why do you want to boost your metabolism?” She said “to lose weight”.  My brain: “damn.” So I said “How do you know that weight loss would be healthy for you?” She stared at me. After an uncomfortable pause, I said “You know, the best thing you can do for nutrition right now is to listen more to your body. When you feel hungry, that’s your body telling you to eat. You should listen to that. One day it may talk to you six times, another day only three or four. Can you do that?” She said “OK”. I was as satisfied as I could be with that interaction, but something makes me feel like she didn’t really like my answer or believe it.

Next question: “Will cardio help me boost my metabolism?” My brain: “What the… here we go with metabolism again.” Then I was transported to the 16-year-old me who saved my money for a gym membership “Bodyworks!” Oh how I learned mastering the Stairmaster, watch the time tick down and calorie burn tick up. I asked “What do you mean cardio?” Totally testing her. I wanted to make the conversation about some type of tangible movement and activity. She said “running”. My brain “cool. I’ll take running. After all I’m a runner!” I asked “Why do you want to boost your metabolism?” Guess what she said…. “To lose weight.” My brain “Get off the stage now. You are making no difference. We’re all f-ed.” I sucked it up and answered “Did you know something? Exercise is very important. We should play, get involved in team or individual sports (there’s a lack of girls in sports), and have fun outside. When you exercise you feel better, you sleep better, you have a better chance at doing well in school, which will help you be a better leader in the future. (this was a leadership even BTW) But one thing exercise is not good for is weight loss. Don’t worry about “metabolism” girls. Look for activities you might enjoy and have fun with exercise.” I looked at the clock and it was 11 a.m. on the nose. Time for me stop and them to go eat. I felt saved by the bell. I honestly don’t know if my heart could take more disappointment.

What Say You?

Do you have any stories to share about your past experiences or working with girls these days? Your daughters? I have three nieces and lots of little girls in my life. I’m totally in fantasyland thinking that they won’t go through what I went through, aren’t I?

I guess that is why I do what I do. As much as #mefirst is about self-care… the idea is so you can better take care of others, including the younger people in your life. What do you say to help them shape their thoughts about themselves?

I can’t wait for “America The Beautiful 2″ to come out. If you haven’t seen the first one you can watch it on Hulu for free. Part two is all about dieting. I think it can’t come soon enough.

Considering the growth “me first” has experienced, I made a decision that I really want to make this the community it deserves to be. A major first step in that direction is providing several “voices” on the blog. I cannot believe that the first person I asked said “yes”….

Welcome, Leslie Goldman!

Leslie Goldman, MPH

Leslie and I met on Twitter. I asked her to meet me for lunch in Chicago when I was there for a speaking engagement. We gabbed about everything from the weather to whether we should order breakfast for lunch! I fell in love with Leslie’s sense of humor. I appreciated our “story swap” of our personal experiences that led us through different career paths, but eventually brought us together to collaborate on “me first”. Speaking of personal experience, read about Leslie’s here: http://healthbreaksloose.com/health/this-is-leslie-on-lexapro/

Leslie is going to be blogging at #mefirst on a regular basis and I can’t wait to see what she whips up! You probably have read her articles in dozens of magazines already.

Check out Leslie’s bio!

Leslie Goldman, MPH, is a Chicago-based health writer, specializing in women’s issues. A regular contributor to Health, O: The Oprah magazine, Women’s Health, Self, Runner’s World, Natural Health and more, she frequently appears on the Today Show as a body image expert. She is a columnist for espnW.com and blogs at her personal site, www.HealthBreaksLoose.com. She’s also authored a book, Locker Room Diaries: The Naked Truth About Women, Body Image, and Re-Imagining the “Perfect” Body,

@Leslie Goldman on Twitter

I have had such a fun time at Fitbloggin’. Lots of amazing people attending to learn more about health and wellness blogging.

At the Cherries booth (@ChooseCherries) we’ve been whipping up #RedRecovery “Recharge” smoothies made with tart cherry juice, honey, and yogurt. (Check out all their cherry recipes on their website.)

I had a great time with Robby Lamb making a snack with tart cherries, walnuts, and dark chocolate chips.

I love this snack because it provides some great nutrients for lasting energy. The tart cherries are chewy and give a boost of natural sugar (plus those anti-inflammatory anthocyanins.) Nuts have fat for sustained energy. And chocolate… do you need a reason? (HA!) We used dark chocolate, which also has antioxidants. These flavors together are the perfect sweet, crunchy snack.

After talking with lots of Fitbloggin attendees, one thing I learned is those who are trying to lose weight hesitate to fuel their workouts. I tell my clients “if you can’t fuel it, you can’t do it.” I don’t care how much weight you have to lose, your body NEEDS fuel before and after a workout. Food is not the enemy. As you go through your #mefirst journey you will see that more and more each day. So do yourself this favor. Repeat after me.

I am an ATHLETE!

If you are lifting weights, running, boxing, swimming, doing yoga, cycling, or walking… anything but couch surfing! See yourself as an athlete! You want hydration and carbohydrates about 60 minutes before a workout – a 10 ounce glass of tart cherry juice will do the trick. Learn more about the Red Recovery Routine and download your copy at their website.

What is your favorite way to fuel YOUR workouts? Would love for you to share recipes/blog posts. And if you are struggling with fueling your workouts, leave a comment. Let me help ya!

Disclosure: Cherry Marketing Institute provided registration and financial compensation for me to attend Fitbloggin‘

Exercise

I finally got my walking boot off about a week and a half ago.  For now, I have to “take it easy” and get myself back into everyday activities.  By the end of the month, I’m supposed to be able to get back on the elliptical.  After getting off the boot, my trainer Mo suggested that I run a 5K by the end of August, which seems like a great idea.  I think it gives me enough time to train and be able to run the whole thing.  I know I’m perfectly capable of walking a 5K, but I only want to sign up for one if I’m going to be able to run it.  I’m interested in starting the Couch to 5K program on June 1.  This is a good plan to have, but the overwhelming part comes in what else do I do on the days when I’m not “training.”  Do I swim?  Right now, despite the fact that I enjoy being in the pool, until I quit smoking, I’m not going to be able to swim as exercise.  I just can’t hold my breath enough.  So, do I start another water aerobics class?  Do I get on the elliptical and do some weights?  I’m unfortunately letting myself get overwhelmed by all of the options for exercise, when I need to just start and do something.  Just do something.  So, tomorrow morning, I am going to wake up, walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes, and do a set of weights given to me by Mo.  Thursday morning, the same thing.  Friday morning, work out with Mo.  Over the weekend, hopefully the weather will be nice enough and I can get outside for some nice long walks.  My goal is to work out, in some way, five times over the next week.

Eating well

The last time I met with Rebecca in person, I walked in thinking that I had been doing so well with my eating habits.  I’d been meeting my calorie goals, and feeling satisfied.  I was no where near perfect, but was feeling good.  However, despite the lower calories, I was still putting things in my body that I didn’t need.  And it took Rebecca to point that out to me.  I didn’t like it.  I cried.  And I whined.  And I listened to what she had to say.  Processed foods like Baked Ruffles, while tasty and low-calorie, were really not things that my body needed.  But it’s still overwhelming.  Rebecca said to throw away all of the processed foods.  Try something new.  The post on Spring Quinoa Salad, was something new.  I needed to push myself and I found that to be really scary.  But seriously, what is there to be scared of?  Trying a healthy food and enjoying it?  Seems like a pretty ridiculous fear when I say it out loud.  But overwhelming is what it really is.  There are so many healthy foods out there, but where to start?  I can easily throw away the processed foods.  But what do I eat to replace those?  While I don’t what to feel restricted, I want to make sure that what I’m putting in my body are foods that it needs.  So, I’m working on it.  Last week, I made another quinoa salad and added in some extra vegetables and enjoyed it.  I’ve got to experiment with new foods.  And tonight I did that by making a tabbouleh with bulgur wheat for lunch this week, which I will pair with a piece of fish.  It’s going to be a constant challenge.

I hate to admit this, but I’ve really just been wanting to give up, say screw it, and just keep living life as I always have.  I’ve been feeling like maybe I’m not someone who finishes things.  Maybe I’m someone who starts things and does not see them through to the end.  But I don’t want to be a quitter.  I don’t want to give up.  I want to push through and only way that I can push through and keep going is to take it one decision at a time.  One day at a time might be too much for me right now.  It’s going to be each little decision that is going to add up to overall changes.  But even as I say these things, the truth is that I don’t feel confident in my abilities.  And I don’t know why I keep making bad choices. I do know what I need to do in order to be healthy, but why don’t I do it?.  I just keep waiting for that epiphany moment where everything is going to click and I’m going to start really taking care of myself.

The only thing I can do right now is my best to make better decisions one decision at a time.  And hopefully the more I do that, those decisions will become easier, and I’ll start making changes that are for life.  Not just for losing weight.

When was the last time you visited a National Park? With almost 400 parks in the United States there is sure to be one in your neck of the woods, and you can easily find one online using the National Park Services search tool. There’s something for everyone in National Parks, from history, to long hikes, waterfalls to canyons. But unfortunately most of us spend more time indoors, working or watching tv than we do enjoying the national wonders of the United States. That is why May 21st has been designated as National Kids to Parks Day. Over 2000 kids have pledged online to participate and more than 100 mayors across the country have signed official proclamations

Why should you get outside? In an age when kids and adults are spending much more time in front of a screen-tv or computer, there is much less time spent outside, being physically active. It’s no secret that we are in the middle of an obesity epidemic and physical activity is key to staying healthy and happy. National Kids to Parks Day has been endorsed by America’s State Parks, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), National Education Association (NEA), Children’s National Medical Center, Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of the USA, US Army Corps of Engineers, Children & Nature Network, and the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition in support of the First Lady’s Let’s Move Outside initiative to get more youth and families to be active and live healthier by achieving the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA). the National Park Trust’s Buddy Bison web site now includes an area where kids can sign up to visit a park and provides a slew of resources for outdoor, healthy living and ideas for park activities and family fun.

Do you have a favorite National Park? What is the easiest way for you to get outdoors?

• Sweat Everyday, but don’t get Dehydrated!

Participating in endurance events in hot and humid conditions can also exacerbate dehydration. Dehydration is the process of losing fluids from the body; in this case, through sweat. As you sweat, you lose water and salt. Each runner sweats and loses salt at a different rate; thus, it is vital to replace fluids and monitor sodium intake in order to avoid any issues. -Dr. George Chiampas, Chicago Marathon Medical Director

Did you know that on hot days, athletes can lose about five liters or 20 cups of water through sweat during prolonged exercise??

How are you beating the heat this summer? Do you like training in the summer for a fall race or event?

Here are some ways to fit more physical fitness into your day:

• Do something physically active with your kids each day. Take a walk, play tag, or simply dance around the house to your favorite tunes.

• Make new friends that share your interests. Sign up for a fitness program at your local recreation or community center and meet others with similar fitness goals.

• Meet a friend for workouts. Working out with a friend may help you stay on track and encourage you to challenge yourself.

• Go for a half-hour walk instead of watching TV.

• Take the stairs instead of the escalator.

• Acknowledge your efforts with non-food related rewards, such as a family day at the park, lake, or zoo.

• Use a family activity planner to make time each day for activity.

To keep track of your physical activity each day, and schedule it out, check out the We Can! activity log. With the spring weather in full swing, what are you going to do to get more physical activity in this month?

The Cherry Marketing Institute is sponsoring a special #MeFirst Twitter party with sports nutritionist (and ultra marathoner) Rebecca Scritchfield, RD (that’s me!) on Monday, May 16 at 8:30 p.m. EST  to talk about how your body’s “fuel” plays a key role in managing post-exercise muscle pain and soreness – especially anti-inflammatory foods, like tart cherries.

Studies show that cherries contain powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins – responsible for cherries bright RED color — that may help the body recover more effectively after a tough workout. And this is just my opinion, but they taste GREAT too! I love them in oatmeal pre-workout and the juice is a smart foundation for your recovery smoothie.

Join the Twitter party and learn more helpful tips and where to find great-tasting recipes to fuel the body for performance. Best of all, you’ll have a chance to win awesome prizes. Who doesn’t love prizes?!

So, the #mefirst check-in: nutrition? check. exercise? check. fun? double check!! There’s something #mefirst for everyone on this Twitter chat. Even if you can only pop by for a few minutes, I hope to see you there!

* Be sure to follow @ScritchfieldRD and @ChooseCherries with #MeFirst and #RedRecovery on Monday, May 16 at 8:30 p.m. EST to participate!

* Add your Twitter handle to the comments section to RSVP and add your name to one of the prize drawings. The prizes are various “cherries” packages, which @ChooseCherries will award during and after the Twitter chat.

What Can I Do?

You can give them permission to take time for themselves. Get them to see rest, exercise, stress management, and eating well as self-care. Get them to envision how much more productive, successful, and happier they will be if they make time for themselves. Let them know no matter where they are at right now, they can take steps for more balance in their life.

We’ve Got Tools

Print out the “me first” pledge and give it to them. Tell them you will be there for them. Talk with them about their health and wellness goals. Let them know ways you can help them get there. Co-sign their “me first” commitment pledge. And be their BIGGEST cheerleader. (rah rah rah)

Other Free Ideas

Here are just a few other ideas I have for free “thank yous” to moms.

• Send a handwritten card or letter and let them know how much you value her
• Spend a few hours cleaning and organizing a room for her
• Babysit so she can go workout or get some rest
• Compile some of your favorite recipes, make one for her and give her the other recipes

What other free ideas do YOU have? Post ‘em in the comments.

Have you signed the “me first” pledge yet?