Losing weight while training for half marathon

Hi,

I'm 16, 5'3.5 and weigh about 125-126. I know that this is a completely healthy weight but I'd like to lose 5-10 pounds. I'm training for a half marathon in October and I'm training three days a week. Tuesday easy run  of 4 miles, Thursday, speedwork 4 miles and Sunday long run. My miles per week increases by 10% every week. My longest distance yet is 7 miles. On the other days, I do NROLFW. I'm in stage 3 and I do that three days a week, usually lasting around 35-40 minutes. So I have one rest day a week.  It used to be very hard for me to lose weight. I used to eat between 1500-1600 calories a day and the scale did not budge. But I did some research and found that it's important to eat more to up your metabolism. So instead of following what CC says as a target calorie goal(which was a crazy low number of 1200, ugh) I used this calculator http://www.runnersworld.com/tools/daily-calories-calculator. It says that I burn about 2400 calories a day. So in order for me to lose a pound a week I should eat 1900 calories. Does this sound accurate for me? Should I be eating more or less? 

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Even 'Hands-Free' Devices Unsafe While Driving: Report

They cause mental distraction that can lead to crashes, experts warn

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, June 12 (HealthDay News) -- Drivers who think hands-free devices for talking or texting are safer than handheld cellphones are mistaken, a new report suggests.

Instead, devices such as speech-based technologies in cars can overload drivers, taking their attention from the road and making an accident more likely, experts say.

"Hands-free is not risk-free, even though three out of four motorists believe it is," said Peter Kissinger, president and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. "We know now that devices like voice-detect or voice-to-email systems can create substantial mental distractions, which can lead to degradation of driving performance."

Each day in the United States, more than nine people are killed and more than 1,000 are injured in crashes that involve a distracted driver, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Brains aren't wired to multi-task, Kissinger said. "It's virtually impossible for the brain to do two complex things at the same time," he said.

Multi-tasking can lead to "inattention blindness," he said, which occurs when people are concentrating on one thing and don't see other things going on around them.

"You can literally look at something and not see it," he said. "We have seen that situation occur in the real world. We have seen people being engrossed in a cellphone conversation and run right through a red light and afterwards don't even remember seeing the red light."

Released Wednesday, the new report was prepared for AAA by researchers from the department of psychology at the University of Utah.

They tested drivers in a variety of ways with a range of distractions including listening to the radio, conversing with a passenger, talking on handheld phones and using hands-free devices. The researchers looked at reaction time, both in lab simulators and on the road, Kissinger said.

The researchers found that reaction time slows and brain function is compromised as mental workload and distractions increase. Drivers check the road less and miss cues that can result in not seeing things right in front of them, such as stop signs and pedestrians.

Behaviors like listening to the radio were a very mild mental distraction, which researchers classified as a level-one distraction, Kissinger said. Voice-activated technology, however, was very distracting at level three, which is considered the highest risk.

Another expert said inattentive driving existed before the era of electronic devices -- hands-free or otherwise.

"Distracted driving is a big problem on the road, but it has always been a big problem, even before cellphones and other electronic devices came along," said Russ Rader, a spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "Even so, researchers expected to see a wave of crashes as electronic devices proliferated, but the opposite is happening on the road: Police-reported crashes have been on the decline."

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Drop 10 With SELF: Keep the Weight Off While Away

Need a little extra inspiration? Meet our Drop 10 Blogger, Danielle. She's lost 10 pounds (and counting!) in her first five weeks on the plan. Follow along with Danielle every week as she shares her experience.

OMG, you guys! I'm down three more pounds, even though I was away for the majority of the week. It feels great to know I can make healthy food decisions on the go with Drop 10 and easily work out even when I'm away from home.

So, my idea came from a Cali woman I met at said work conference -- she had a similar story to mine. Two years ago, she had dropped 55 pounds, and has kept the weight off ever since. And get this -- she's a marathon runner now, who is seriously dedicated to her healthy lifestyle. I found that really encouraging; it's not always easy to find someone who's been in my shoes.

And not only did my new BFF inspire me, she got me to sweat, too -- we visited the hotel's fitness center (pictured) together during the conference. It felt SO good to be back on the treadmill after a few days burning the midnight oil at the office. And then, at the end of my cardio routine, she asked me to do a serious strength-training and toning workout with her -- and although it looked intense (it was the Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred DVD), I was up for the challenge. I was practically sweating buckets while doing my crunches. My new BFF? Total champ. She took me out of my comfort zone and motivated me to continue until the end. And here I am, after a work trip, three pounds lighter -- and still motivated.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Author

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Overweight While Younger Ups Kidney Risk Later

Title: Overweight While Younger Ups Kidney Risk Later
Category: Health News
Created: 4/4/2013 6:36:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 4/5/2013 12:00:00 AM

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Working While Pregnant Won't Harm the Baby, Study Finds

Title: Working While Pregnant Won't Harm the Baby, Study Finds
Category: Health News
Created: 3/25/2013 4:35:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 3/26/2013 12:00:00 AM

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Losing Weight While Injured

I recently tore my meniscus, and I need surgery following by crutches and physical therapy.

I used to play intensive sports three hours a day, every day of the week so calories and exercising were never really a huge problem for me.

Just within the past week that I've been off of exercise, I've gained a lot of weight and I almost feel myself losing muscle (maybe its all just psychological ;P) But still, if anyone has any tips for exercising, losing weight, or maintaining muscle while injured, please share!

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Health Tip: Work Your Muscles While Gardening

Title: Health Tip: Work Your Muscles While Gardening
Category: Health News
Created: 3/19/2013 8:35:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 3/19/2013 12:00:00 AM

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Eat Too Much While Watching TV? Try Taking Smaller Bites

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Ever find yourself wolfing down snacks as you're watching your favorite sitcom? Studies have shown that people eat more when distracted by TV or other pastimes.

A new study finds, however, that there may be a simple way to slow down food intake in these situations: take smaller bites.

In the Dutch study, participants were given a meal of soup to consume as they watched a 15-minute animated film. Two groups ate pre-measured volumes of either small or large sips, while another group was free to take whatever size of sips they wanted.

All the participants could eat as much as they wanted and were later asked to estimate how much they had eaten.

In all three groups, the distraction of watching the film led to a general increase in the amount of soup consumed. The people who ate the pre-specified small sips of soup, however, consumed about 30 percent less than those in the other groups.

The other two groups -- who took bigger sips -- also tended to think they ate much less of the soup than they actually had consumed, said researchers led by Dieuwerke Bolhuis and colleagues from Wageningen University.

"The idea that taking smaller bites would potentially counteract the effects of eating while distracted makes sense from a physiologic standpoint," said registered dietitian Rebecca Solomon, who was not connected to the study.

"We know that it takes approximately 20 minutes for the sensation of 'satiety' or fullness to kick in," explained Solomon, who is nutrition coordinator at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. "When we eat too quickly, we tend to overeat -- whether distracted or not -- because we unknowingly may eat past the point of what I call 'gentle satiety,' an appropriate level of after-meal fullness."

"Taking smaller bites necessarily makes the meal or snack take longer to eat, therefore reducing the amount one would eat within that initial 20 minutes when the feeling of satiation is not yet registered by the brain and stomach," Solomon said.

Another expert agreed.

"The old advice of taking small bites in order to lose weight may have more evidence," said Nancy Copperman, director of public health initiatives in the Office of Community Health at North Shore-LIJ Health System in Great Neck, N.Y.

Her advice? "Avoid inhaling large bites or gulps," she said. "Focus on what you are eating and drinking, enjoy the taste of the meal or snack, and try to avoid distractions when eating."

The study was published Jan. 23 in the journal PLoS One.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases offers advice about food portions.

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Babies Listen and Learn While in the Womb

Jan. 3, 2013 -- Sometimes she just tells him about her day. Other times, Ruthie W. rubs her pregnant belly and tells her future son that she can’t wait to meet him (which should be any day now).

And a new study shows that he not only hears his mom, but may understand her and is already learning language from her. 

“I talk to him all the time, even when I am in stores shopping for a layette and other things we will need once he is born,” says the New York City-based cosmetic executive. “People probably think I am crazy if they overhear me!”

Far from it.

In fact, she is giving her son a foundation for language development.

The new research suggests that babies began to absorb language when they are inside the womb during the last 10 weeks of pregnancy -- which is earlier than previously held. Newborns can actually tell the difference between their mother’s native tongue and foreign languages just hours after they are born.

“The main message for new moms is that their babies are listening and learning and remembering during the last stages of pregnancy. Their brains do not wait for birth to start absorbing information,” says study author Patricia K. Kuhl, PhD. She is the Bezos Family Foundation endowed chair in early childhood learning and a professor of speech and hearing sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle.

How can researchers tell?

Kuhl and colleagues used a high-tech pacifier that was connected to a computer that measured infants' reactions to sounds. The study included 80 infants who were, on average, about 30 hours old and from Tacoma, Wash., and Stockholm, Sweden. They listened to vowel sounds in their native language and a foreign tongue while sucking on the pacifier. 

Vowels are the loudest units in speech. The number of times they suck on the pacifier indicates which vowel sounds attracted their attention. Babies sucked longer for foreign languages than their native tongue in both countries, the study showed.

“The mother's voice can be heard because it is amplified by her body," Kuhl says.  

Sorry, Dad. The father's voice cannot be heard in the womb, she says.  

“Mothers shouldn't try putting earphones on their bellies and playing music because it's already noisy in there,” she says. “Learning the mother's voice and her vowels happens naturally as the mothers speak,” she says.  

“Expectant moms should have confidence that their developing baby is making sense out of the sounds that she is providing for the baby,” says another study author, Christine Moon, PhD. She is a psychologist at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. “This is how we launch off into language.”

The sound of their mom’s voice is also associated with movement. “The mom moves when she talks, and her diaphragm is moving when she talks, and we think that this pairing may be useful and may help make the sound more salient."

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To keep healthy while losing weight

Guest post by Helen Battersley

For today's busy woman looking for tips to lose weight, there are a number of small changes in eating habits that is easy on the road to that ideal body shape and Show can help. It is important while after a weight-loss program to ensure that your body is still the correct balance of food should be healthy and happy. Sometimes correct this balance can be difficult to achieve, especially if the rapid results are desired. That does not mean that we must take, however, if ultimately short-cuts for us this worse.

Breakfast is vitally important and is something that often goes overlooked. Higher fiber options, such as bran flakes, will also keep you feel fuller longer. Giving your body the nutrients that it needs the first thing has is a good kick-start to the day and gives you the energy you need to get through the morning with vitality. Skipping breakfast increases the likelihood of desire-calorie ' pick-me-up ' snacks that can sabotage your diet goals.

To ensure that less food doesn't have to mean less essential nutrients to take specially formulated weight loss foods and supplements in the weight loss plan. These foods generally come in many forms that can be easily integrated into a busy lifestyle. Weight loss companies stock everything from chocolate delight taste caramel crunch flavoured meal replacement protein shakes bars and nutrient balanced weight loss capsules. These can be simple and easily be combined with a balanced diet and exercise a healthy weight loss and fitness to complete program that also satisfies the sweet tooth fairy! Be patient with yourself and your body. This is essential for losing weight. You don't want to lose the weight too fast; It should be a gradual change to ensure that you still have to stay healthy and a healthy diet. Many people cut out carbs completely, but sometimes just customize the portion size of each section of your meal may help to ensure that you still have the essential nutrients that your body needs.

Drink lots of fluids. Sometimes what the body actually needs water, instead of food, so keeping hydrated during the day also is helpful. Always keep a bottle of water or fruit juice with you and take frequent SIPs throughout the day. This is especially true if you work in an Office or indoor environment, such as air conditioning may in particular be drying.
Set realistic weight loss and timing objectives such as these are of fundamental importance for the preservation of motivation along the way. The female body is a very complex system, of course without prejudice to the hormonal fluctuations of adulthood, motherhood and menopause. It is worth remembering that this can also have an effect on how quickly or slowly lost weight is healthy.

Actively soliciting the support of your friends, family or a weight loss buddy can also help you with your determination. They will want to encourage you in what makes you happy and will be sure to notice the results of your efforts. Do you have an ' off ' day, be nice to yourself.

Combine the above tips with a balanced diet and exercise program, your energy levels between meals more even and consistent. This means lower craving for sugary foods and more control of your eating patterns. Every day that you stay on track is a day closer to your ideal weight and fitness. Just continue on, again from where you left off. Enjoy the process and remember that many are successful before you. How can do more you believe that you also are, the more chances you have to make it happen.

Helen Battersley is a freelance health writer who produces articles for a number of different brands like Maxitone. Maxinutrition Maxitone weight loss products are developed by, Europe's leading sports nutrition supplier.

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