Foodie Fitness Corner: How to Go From Frumpy To Fabulous at the Gym

By Hillery Kelly

Most people would agree that workout clothing should be comfortable and functional.  But while I was at the gym the other day, I started to wonder, is there such a thing as TOO comfortable?  Is there a point where you surpass the comfort “okay” mark and enter into the frumpy category?  

Now you might ask yourself, “Why is it even important whether I look frumpy at the gym? After all I’m only there to sweat!” Here’s my personal take on the matter.

Many of you have already discovered that 90% of exertion is mind over matter. And the fact is that when you feel better, you do better. Good, well-fitting workout clothes can be the esteem booster that you need to get in there and become a gym BEAST.  

So in the spirit of living our best bariatric afterlives (as Nik would say) here are the four most common gym-style faux pas I’ve seen and how to correct them:

1. Bras that offer no support.  Ladies I’m pleading with you here.  PLEASE spend the extra money to get good workout bras; it really does make a world of difference.  While your breasts don’t have to touch your chin, they should NOT rest on your navel!  A good sports bra will provide support, prevent bounce and correct your posture, which prevents back injury.
2. Old, run-over sneakers.  Most experts suggest changing your sneakers a couple of times a year and more frequently if you run frequently or train/run marathons/triathlons. Excessive wear on your workout shoes cause knee, IT Band and Hip issues. I speak from experience; old worn out sneakers will cause your back, knees, and hips to hurt!
3. Super baggy workout pants.  Not everyone wants to wear running/ yoga tights or capris in the gym when they work out, I get it. But stop it with the sweat pants that are two sizes too big!  Not only are they unflattering, they offer you no compression or support.  If modesty is a concern, choose boot-cut or flared leg compression pants that balance out your proportions and give you a flattering shape while compressing the “jiggle” in the thighs and bottom.
4. Long, baggy t-shirts.  So you’re not quite comfortable enough to bare the batwings in a workout tank.  But let’s be honest here…that snoopy t-shirt from 1997 isn’t doing you any favors and despite what you’ve convinced yourself, it doesn’t hide or mask the tummy jiggle.   Go for a workout t-shirt that is made with wicking fabric that offers some core compression.  It will keep you cooler, provide core compression and stabilization, and mask the loose tummy jiggle.

Now I know what you’re saying.  “I don’t want to buy workout clothes when I’m losing a lot of weight and won’t be able to wear them soon.” Yeah…I can’t exactly support that argument for several reasons.

• First there are lots of affordable workout clothes at Wal-Mart, Target, Burlington, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross, and countless other places (Nik reports getting workout clothes at Family Dollar!). You don’t have to spend a fortune to get functional workout clothing. 
• Second workout clothing should be sized DOWN. When you do that, you get more compression AND your workout clothes last longer. Don’t believe me? Check out the photos of me below. All these clothes were purchased (and worn) 50 lbs.  (or six months) ago and are just now beginning to lose compression. 

In the end I’m not saying you need to be Heidi Klum in the gym. But investing in yourself is important. You’re investing the time to get physical activity. Why not make some small investments that will make that time more enjoyable and help you produce better results? 
Because you’re worth it!

About the Author:  Hillery is a year post-op (gastric bypass). She is a chemist and environmental engineer residing in the suburbs of the Nation’s capital….a country girl at heart turned city slicker! She fully admits to being addicted to makeup, skin care, hair creams, soaps, lotions, and potions of all price ranges…an equal opportunity product junkie with a special passion and love for lipstick.  Read about her makeup addition, product reviews, and anything worth dishing about in the world of beauty at www.platinumpjs.com.

If you've got a fitness question or concern, hit Hillery up at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com

Foodie Fitness Corner: Bob Harper's Kettlebell Workout Review

Bob Harper's Contoured Kettlebell and Workout DVD

by Hillery Kelly

Despite non-op opinions to the contrary, luck doesn’t get you very far after weight loss surgery. It’s a combined effort: working our new tool, changing our mindset —  and, of course, physical activity.  We here at Foodie News want to make starting an activity routine  a little bit less daunting for you.

Because in reality, fear of the unknown can be a strong deterrent to trying something new. Most of the time you can do it, you just need to know what “it” is! So this month, we’re demystifying kettlebells.

Bob Harper, of NBC’s  television series The Biggest Loser, has endorsed a contour kettlebell and training DVD developed by GoFit. The contoured kettlebell is ergonomically designed to wrap around the wrist and forearm and provides a much more comfortable user experience. These kettlebells range in weight from 7lbs-45lbs with a price range of $30-$85, which includes a 30-minute workout DVD, designed and performed by Bob. 

For those wondering “What the heck are kettlebells?” here’s the lowdown.  Kettlebells are cast-iron weights that are a little bit smaller than a bowling ball have  a single-looped handle on top.  They first became popular in Eastern Europe  in the 1700’s but started appearing in American workouts in the 1960s.

The awesome thing about kettlebells is that they encourage functional, whole body conditioning.  Lifting and controlling a kettlebell forces the entire body, (especially the core) to contract as a group, building both strength and stability at the same time. 

Because kettelbells engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, they ‘re a great way to get a complete workout in minimal time.  That’s why,  about a year ago, I purchased Bob’s 15 lb. contoured kettlebell and DVD and instantly fell in love.

Bob’s kettlebell is less bulky than traditional ones and has a slimmer, sleeker design that makes for an easier, tighter grip. This was the perfect introduction to kettlebell training for me.  If you've only seen Bob's Biggest Loser style workouts, this is not the same. The DVD features just him and one other young lady and you feel like you’re right in the room with them, complete with Bob’s straightforward approach, which I love.

As with any strength workout, you can injure yourself with kettlebells if you have back or shoulder issues or a weak core. The key to preventing injuries is to start with a low weight, use good form (which Bob covers in the DVD) and progress slowly. In the DVD you’ll go over the basic kettlebell maneuvers such as swings and squats.

Since my initial purchase, I’ve graduated to using between 16 – 20 kg. (36-52 lb.) kettlebells. If you’re looking for a good, at-home, total body workout that fits easily in your schedule (30 minutes start to finish!), l HIGHLY recommend this DVD.  It’s great for beginners and gives you room to improve as you get stronger. All in all, this is a great workout that you can do!

From now on I’ll include an overall grade summary for the workouts I review. I hope it’s helpful in motivating you to try the workouts!

Grading

Price	Availability	Workout Level	Overall Impressions	Final Grade
B-	A	B	A	A-

Did Hillery's review convince you? Here's where you can buy!

About the Author:  Hillery is a year post-op (gastric bypass). She is a chemist and environmental engineer residing in the suburbs of the Nation’s capital….a country girl at heart turned city slicker! She fully admits to being addicted to makeup, skin care, hair creams, soaps, lotions, and potions of all price ranges…an equal opportunity product junkie with a special passion and love for lipstick.  Read about her makeup addition, product reviews, and anything worth dishing about in the world of beauty at www.platinumpjs.com.

If you've got a fitness question or concern, hit Hillery up at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com

Foodie Fitness Corner: The Ever Evolving Love of Exercise

(Check last month's article: A Whole New You: Setting & Keeping Your Goals in 2013

The Ever Evolving Love for Exercise

by Hillery Kelly

Let's be real: many weight loss surgery patients aren't hard wired to love exercise. Maybe you once loved it. Maybe you want to love it. Or maybe, like me, you had to learn to love it.

From what I've seen, some of us dive right into exercise after weight loss surgery (i.e. love at first sight). Others are not so eager to hop onto the exercise love train. I’ve often wondered why some of us relish our gym time, while others view it as a form of cosmic punishment? Whatever the explanation, how you perceive exercise as a whole will affect whether you will embrace (dare I say again: love) the treadmill, or not.

Exercise is new for many of us, and often the topic can leave us feeling a little out of sorts as we wonder what can we do physically? What the heck are endorphins? Are they little thingamabobs that’ll take over like a scene out of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"? 

Social media, blogs, online weight loss communities – all these are great resources to help those new to exercise get a leg up and offer assurance this path is the right one. It can also be a bit daunting, some feel defeat before they ever take the first step because our peers are way over there and we’re trying not to fall off the stair climber (Traci??).

We at Bariatric Foodie aim to “Keep it Real” with the Foodie Nation (that’s you!), and the Foodie Fitness Corner is no exception. I did not like exercise when my journey began. Exercise and waterboarding kind of held the same spot on the list of things I wanted to do before I died. My first workouts left me feeling awkward, slightly embarrassed, and a little ashamed. I felt like I was under the spotlight – center stage at the Freak Show. There were days after working out I would sit in my car in the garage and cry because I felt so defeated.

So how did I move beyond such strong emotions and (dare I say it one more time?) fall in love with exercise? I stuck with it. I pushed through the doubt. I repeatedly told myself it would not always be difficult. I had to remember Sigourney Weaver’s little alien child would not burst out of my chest and skitter across the room. I learned to ignore the paranoid fat-girl in my head because the face in the mirror had begun to melt away. All that hard work paid off. That fat-girl in my head got shoved out of the picture and was replaced with a strong, confident woman.

There is no right or wrong way to cultivate love of exercise, every journey is unique. But let me encourage you…all of you…don’t give up. Push past the doubt and fear. Shove the paranoid fat-person out of your head and replace that image with one that encourages your confidence and empowers your voice. I promise you: one day you’ll see…this exercise thing isn’t bad at all. Until you get to that point, please know that you are not alone in how you feel. Be kind to yourself and it will come…and trust me: you’ll be glad that you kept pressing on.

About the Author:  Hillery is a year post-op (gastric bypass). She is a chemist and environmental engineer residing in the suburbs of the Nation’s capital….a country girl at heart turned city slicker! She fully admits to being addicted to makeup, skin care, hair creams, soaps, lotions, and potions of all price ranges…an equal opportunity product junkie with a special passion and love for lipstick.  Read about her makeup addition, product reviews, and anything worth dishing about in the world of beauty at www.platinumpjs.com.

If you've got a fitness question or concern, hit Hillery up at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com


Foodie Fitness Review: BodyMedia Fit Advantage

That's me and my BodyMedia Fit!

Hello Foodie Nation!  This month’s article is going to be a tad bit different than my past ones. Instead of reviewing a kind of workout, I’m going to review a “workout companion” that I’ve used over the past 8 months and love — my BodyMedia Fit Advantage!

You all might remember Nik is giving everyonewho orders a Bariatric Foodie item between now and December 15 the opportunityto win a BodyMedia Fit Link (a different model with similarities…look for Nik’s review of it soon). So I thought I’d give you the Foodie perspective on what the BodyMedia Fit is, what it does and how it can help you achieve your weight loss goals. 

What the heck is a BodyMedia Fit, anyway?

The name doesn’t give up much, does it? The BodyMedia Fit (or BMF as I’ll use for the rest of this article) is a device that tracks how many calories you burn and how you burn them.

There are two parts to the BMF I own: the armband, which gathers data from your body, and the optional display device which can show you, at a glance, how your activity measures up as you go about your day.

The display device is a separate purchase and with my model, the Advantage, if you don’t have a display device the information you get isn’t “up to the minute.” I currently don’t have a display and use an app on my smartphone, which shows me the information from the last time I synced the band to my computer. With the model Nik is giving away, the BodyMedia Fit Link, (shown, left) you don’t need a display device because it has Bluetooth capability and can work with an app on your smart phone to give you real-time data readings.  

So…what data does it gather exactly? The BMF measures your body temperature, heat flux (how much heat your body is giving off), your activity level, sleep duration, motion and steps taken. 

When you sync the device to your computer it will upload the data into the BMF Activity Manager, a downloadable program BodyMedia offers from their website to help you analyze the information it collects from your body. It’s not nearly as intimidating as it sounds. Check out the below screenshot to see what it looks like:

This is the dashboard of the Activity Manager. It shows you a snapshot of all the data it collects from you.



You can also see detailed charts and graphs that tell you things like your caloric burn by the hour.

Wait…what? Data?!?!

Now I know what some of you are thinking:  This is WAY too much information!  I’m here to help. Next, let’s look at how you can use this information to your advantage to increase the effectiveness of weight-loss surgery and maximize the amount of weight lost.

•  Caloric Burn: We all know the basic formula for weight loss. Calories in – calories out = net calories. And we all know that to lose weight there must be a deficit. That is, you must take in less calories than you burn. Problem is, it’s hard to know how much we burn. There are calculations but everybody’s body is different. The BMF is scientifically proven 95% accurate at measuring calories, which gives you a pretty reliable place to start. Once you know that, you can decide on a caloric target for maximum weight loss.
•  Activity intensity: To achieve your weight loss goals you need a variety of types of physical activity. Being generally active is good, especially for joint and heart health. But to lose a significant amount of weight you also need to do some vigorous activity. The BMF helps you determine how much of each you get. You can even set goals. I find this especially helpful in planning my days. Some days I want to knock out the vigorous activity early and some days I find later in the day that I haven’t gotten enough activity and can still plan a workout.
• Steps: Are you getting the recommended 10,000 steps a day? While it’s true a standard issue pedometer can measure this for you, the BMF does this while taking into account how much you burn from those steps! You can also set a daily step goal.
•  Sleep duration: Yes, the BMF can tell how long you slept last night! That is, if you wear it at night. Why is this important? I know I’ve personally noticed that when I get poor sleep, my weight loss slows significantly. 

So, let’s sum up the pros and cons of the BodyMedia Fit.

Pros:

• Monitors several body functions with 95% accuracy (caloric burn, sleep duration, workout intensity, motion, and steps taken).
• Has an interactive activity manager that has easy to interpret data and charts.
• The device holds about two weeks’ worth of data and holds a charge for the same amount of time.
•  Discrete, can be worn under most clothing.
•  Can be used as an alarm for daily vitamin schedule

Cons:

• Doesn’t have an extensive food database.  If I could change ONE thing about using the BodyMedia Fit, it would be the food tracking aspect.  MyFitnessPal has a MUCH better food database so I currently use it to track/log my food. I mentioned this to Nik and she says that what she does is tracks her food on her regular online food diary (LiveStrong just in case anyone was wondering) and then enters her entire day’s intake as one food diary entry in the Activity Manager. She says this works well for her.
•  Cost.  I paid $179 for mine a year ago. For both the armband and the display, the price now seems to be $149 (about $100 without the display device). Additionally, to use the activity manager costs an additional $6.95 per month after the first three months.  For some people, that initial cost can be prohibitive to purchasing and using the device.  However, Groupon and LivingSocial have been running deals on the BodyMedia Fit for about $99, which saves about $50.
• Not exactly a con, but a warning: the device is not waterproof. That bears repeating. The device is NOT waterproof! (Yes, I have worn it into the shower a few times, thankyouverymuch. I’m thankful it survived!) Take it off when you shower or swim.

Over all, I find my BodyMedia Fit invaluable. Because perceptions are debatable. Heck, one day I think I look a lot smaller and other days you can’t tell me I’m not back at the starting line! But data is irrefutable. Plus, this device motivates me to move more! I like seeing my burn go up and up and up.

So my official opinion is this: in the battle of the bulge, you definitely want this weapon in your arsenal!

Hillery is a year post-op gastric bypass and is a self-proclaimed product junkie, especially when it comes to make-up and natural hair products (from the picture you can see she's clearly working both!).

Foodie Fitness Corner: Nik's Review of the Body Pump Workout

(Check out last month's article: Hillery's Guide to Spin Class!) 

Nik's Guide to Body Pump

Body Pump. What the heck is it? And how exactly (outside the realm of our pre-pubescent perverted thoughts) does one pump one’s body?

Well I’m here to break it all down for you. Because as intimidating as this class may look, it’s not that bad. Well…not after the first few times you go anyway.

Here’s my Foodie Fitness Review of Body Pump.

What is it?

Body Pump™ is a workout developed by a company called LesMills (which I learned is “less” Mills and not the French “lez” Mills) and is a total body strength workout. See their website for more details than ever thought possible. This article is just MY experience!

The class can be taught by one or more instructors, who have been licensed by Les Mills. They may or may not be personal trainers or fitness experts, although many are.

Here are some other interesting tidbits, based on my experience:

• Body Pump routines are called releases and each has a soundtrack. Les Mills puts out a new release every few months with fairly current music.
• The duration time of the class is 60 minutes, during which time my instructor tells me we go through 1,000 repetitions of weight lifting. (For the record, Les Mills says it’s 800…I prefer to go with the higher number…just sayin…)
• The workout targets all major muscle groups. Each segment of the workout is set to a song and each movement set to the beat of the song, which has been specially mixed for Body Pump workouts.
• The class is appropriate for beginners and experienced weight lifters.

What do I need to bring with me to a class?

I’ve been doing Body Pump for two years now. Here’s what I usually bring:

• A BIG bottle of water 
• A hand towel
• Myself in comfy and flexible workout clothes with a sturdy athletic bra (wardrobe malfunctions while planking are NOT fun. Just sayin…)

Is there anything I should do to prepare for the class?

The most important thing you can do is SHOW UP. Besides that, these suggestions may help your first time out:

• EAT A SNACK before going. No excuses! Eat something a little on the carby side with a little bit of protein (not cookies!). Yogurt with fruit works well. Also, I go to Body Pump at 5:45 a.m. So even if it’s morning, eat the snack!
• If you’re prone to soreness after workouts, try taking a Tylenol (or whatever pain reliever your surgeon says you are allowed to have) prior to this class. Don’t be intimidated, I suggest this for any workout where you feel you might be sore. 

What can I expect when I get there?

When you get to class you’ll likely see people of various fitness levels, ages, shapes and sizes there.

Your instructor will likely tell you how to set up for class but here are the basics:

• Grab a barbell and some weights. They usually come in three sizes: 5 kg, 2.5 kg and 1 kg. Your instructor will tell you when to increase, decrease weight so just grab one of each.
• You are also going to get a weight lifting board and risers (see picture below). Some gyms have mats you can place over the board to make it a bit more comfortable. You can also use the mats for floor exercises.
•  I personally usually grab a set of hand weights as well. Your instructor will lead you through some free-weight movements with the plate weights and I personally hand weights easier to deal with. Your choice 

Your risers and platform. These should be familiar to people who have ever taken step aerobics!

Class begins with a warm-up track that takes you through all the basic movements you’ll do in the hour-long workout. Then the instructor will do routines set to individual songs that target specific muscle groups.

While you are doing the movements, pay attention to the way the weights feel. You should be challenged but should be able to complete the movements in time with the instructor. If you cannot, take a break to decrease your weights. You don’t want an injury! Also, pay attention to your form. Good form ensures the muscles you want to get worked, get worked.

So why should I consider doing this?

This is Nik's actual shoulder/arm, by the way. Not quite where I want it to be but still not bad, eh?

Strength training is an important part of being fit in general. Building lean muscle helps you burn fat more efficiently, improves your posture, endurance and produces a great body shape!

Of course, Body Pump isn’t the only way to do strength training but it is good for beginners who want to learn some basic weight lifting moves and form. Plus, you feel pretty damn good after doing those 1,000 reps!

So if you see the class, check it out. If you do it, let me know how it goes!

This month all the Foodie contributors are sharing their guilty pleasures! 

Nik's guilty pleasure? (Besides contorted poses in pictures) Bad, bad, bad reality television.

In fact, you didn't hear it from us but if one wanted to get blackmail material on Nik, one might show up to her house during the air time of "Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo." Just sayin. 

If you have a question for Nik, hit her up at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com.