MFP Facebook Page
LeenaGee
Posts: 749 Member
Yesterday I went to My Fitness Pal's Facebook page and a whole new world has been revealed.
There are some great recipes there and lots of other topics of interest. Check it out for yourselves. I am sure there will be something there of interest to you all.
There are some great recipes there and lots of other topics of interest. Check it out for yourselves. I am sure there will be something there of interest to you all.
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Sorry no FB for me!0
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There is a page on Facebook called "fitness motivation" that is active and very helpful as well.0
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Thanks Yarwell for posting the link. I was in such a rush yesterday that I forgot to include it .
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I didn't even think to search for MFP on facebook. Thank you!0
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For those of you who don't have Facebook here is a 30 minute workout for you to do.
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/a-30-minute-no-gym-bodyweight-workout/
But for those of us who just wasted 30 minutes checking their FB - I think I will go and have some breakfast instead.
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A couple of years ago I watched a young mum drop heaps of weight by just doing one thing only and that was to stop drinking Diet Coke. I was seeing her regularly and watched the transformation. I must admit I was guilty of nagging her at the beginning to STOP drinking all that Coke. But even I was amazed at what happened. She was drinking 4 or 5 cans a day and started to gradually reduced the amount she drank, inspired by the weight she was losing, until finally she stopped drinking it altogether.
Today, she looks great. She went on a health kick, exercised, learnt about nutrition and dropped the Coke completely.
Anyway, if drinking Soda is a problem for you this may be of help. It is written by Elle Penner, M.P.H., R.D., who is the Registered Dietitian and Food & Nutrition Editor at MyFitnesssPal, as well as an active runner and food-enthusiast.
So You Want to Stop… Drinking Soda
"The reasons to stop drinking soda are abundant. Whether you want to cut down on empty calories and added sugars, consume less artificial sweeteners, wean off of caffeine, or even save money, ditching soda is a great place to start.
I actually used to be a big soda drinker–the diet type in particular. Something about it being calorie-free gave me permission to drink it with reckless abandon–so I did. At one point, I consumed more soda than water throughout the course of the day.
Back in 2006 I decided I wanted to rid myself of a dependence on artificial sweeteners, so naturally I started with soda. Over the course of about a year I went from drinking 2-3 sodas per day to 2 to 3 per month. I still very much enjoy a cola with my cheeseburger and french fries, but now that I drink it so much less frequently, I have no problem treating myself to the real deal.
As a former soda-drinker myself, I thought I’d share some tips and tricks I found helpful along the way for those of you who also want to get off the sweet stuff:
1. Be okay with scaling back slowly. If you drink 3+ sodas a day, switching to tap water cold turkey will most likely make every sip feel like a punishment… not to mention induce some serious caffeine withdrawal headaches. I bet you can rather painlessly replace 3 sodas per week with tap or sparkling water, though. Heck, maybe even 1 per day! Whatever the number, make it reasonable. Soda has not, and will not kill you over the next few weeks or months while you gradually get off of it. Over time, you’ll miss those first few sodas less and less and eventually you’ll be ready to cut out one or two more.
2. Get on a soda schedule. Keeping #1 in mind, jot down a schedule for weaning your soda consumption. By writing a plan, you’re thinking through and committing to a reasonable approach to drinking less. For example, if you normally drink 3 sodas per day, cut down to 2 per day for an entire month, and then 1 per day the month after. From there, you can gradually cut down even further. Allow yourself 5 per week for the 3rd month, 4 per week for the 4th month, and so on.
3. Explore tasty alternatives. Once you start cutting out soda, you’re going to want to replace it with other fluids so you don’t get dehydrated. When I first started cutting down on soda, I really missed the carbonation + flavor combo. Bored with tap water, I began exploring the wonders of sparkling water. Most of the time the carbonation alone did the trick–but when I craved a sweeter beverage, I found just a splash of juice worked wonders. 1-2 ounces of cranberry, orange or any other 100% fruit juice blend can make all the difference. Another favorite soda alternative is flavored water. Adding some cucumber slices, berries, citrus fruit or fresh mint to a pitcher of water gives it a refreshing essence of flavor.
4. Have alternatives handy. Once you find a few suitable soda alternatives, make sure they’re within reach when you get thirsty. If you just love the tingle of carbonation on your tongue, keep your cabinets stocked with club soda, or invest in a Soda Stream or one of these more classic soda carbonators and make it yourself at home. If you like flavored water, slice up a bunch of oranges, cucumbers or rinse off some berries at the beginning of the week and make a fresh pitcher every morning. Fill up a water bottle before heading out to run those afternoon errands. If you’re prepared, when thirst strikes you’ll have one less excuse to grab for a soda. Oh, and if you’re prone to caffeine headaches, have an an anti-inflammatory on hand, or a bag of green or black tea to help ease those withdrawal pains.
5. Adopt a no soda policy. When I first decided I wanted to stop drinking soda, the first thing I did to start scaling back was adopt a “No Soda at Home” policy. It was highly effective. Seriously, if it’s not in your house you can’t drink it! This one change helped kickstart my journey to cut back. Here are some other “No Soda” policy ideas:
No Soda…
•At work
•On campus
•On road trips
•Before 5pm
•At restaurants
•At the movies
•As mixers in alcoholic drinks
Try choosing one to start, and then adopt more as you feel ready.
6. Break the routine…by substituting a new one. For me, soda drinking, much like my morning cup of coffee, was a ritual. I found my daily walk to the soda machine was just as much an excuse to escape the office and chat with a co-worker as it was about getting a cold drink. Luckily I was able to convince my colleague to trade the soda for a few flights of stairs and a pit stop at the water fountain after. Think about when you habitually grab a soda and then figure out how you can change the scenario and make a healthier beverage choice. After just a few weeks your old, bad habit will likely be replaced with your healthier routine.
7. Make yourself accountable. If you’re the type of person who is motivated by accountability, telling your family, co-workers and friends that you’re giving up soda really works. When I decided to cut out soda, I told all of my girlfriends. It kept me honest when we were together, but I also found their support made a big difference. They still check up on me to this day to make sure I haven’t fallen back into my old soda habit! When you start cutting out soda, keep yourself accountable by telling people around you, and reap the benefits of having their support along the way.
8. Redefine the word “stop”. After reading the 2nd paragraph you might look at the title and think, “She still drinks soda though…” Why yes, on occasion I do! But I no longer consider myself a “soda drinker.” There’s a big difference! Just because you want to “stop drinking soda” doesn’t mean you can never enjoy one again. Maybe for you “stop” means getting down to 1 per week, say when you’re out to a nice dinner or as a lunchtime treat on Fridays. The best way to approach a long-lasting behavior change is by making it sustainable and avoiding those feelings of deprivation. If allowing yourself a soda on occasion makes you happy, by all means! In the end, it’s about making healthy habits the default and enjoying treats along the way."0 -
Thanks for the FB heads up, Leena!
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You're welcome. 0
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or clink on the little Facebook icon, next to Log Out, at the top right hand corner of this page.0 -
I wasn't aware of the FB page or the blog. What a great resource! I will definitely be trying some of the recipes.
Thanks for the links Leena and Yarwell.0 -
Yes I think the Facebook page is a valuable resource that is being wasted as not many people seem to know about it.
I love the balance that it gives to health issues and of course, lots of yummy recipes.0 -
Nutrition Tips / February 3, 2015
Ask MFP's Registered Dietitian: What’s the Best Carb, Protein and Fat Breakdown for Weight Loss?
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-the-dietitian-whats-the-best-carb-protein-and-fat-breakdown-for-weight-loss/
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Interesting. Thanks for posting that article Leena 0
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I don't eat bread but I do shop for bread for my family and when I am having visitors and it is always hard to choose. I tend to go for the shop made Italian style breads as they have so much flavour and wonderful texture. This is probably one of the reason I don't follow a Mediterranean Diet - too much amazing breads to choose from.
Anyway, this was on the FB page today - "How to choose healthier store bought bread"
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/how-to-choose-healthier-store-bought-bread/?utm_source=mfp&utm_medium=Facebook
One of the main hints is to look for bread without added sugar. Remember, traditional homemade bread does not contain sugar. And avoid bread with trans fats.
I haven't eaten bread containing wheat for a long time and I really don't miss it but nothing beats the smell of freshly baked bread. True story - when I was a little girl, the bread used to be delivered by horse and cart and the baker would always let me ride to the end of the street on his cart. He would then hand over a warm full loaf of bread (looking back - probably warm from the sun). Anyway, I would snap the bread in half as I walked back to the house eating the middle. Mum would be furious with me but in later life she said it always made her smile at how such a simple thing could give such pleasure.0 -
Liftng4Lis wrote: »Sorry no FB for me!
Why not?
Cuz I don't want all the people I know bothering me...cackling0 -
I'm with you Liftng, FB is annoying but it serves a purpose as well. I am able to keep in contact with friends and family who live away. I simply tell everyone else "I don't do FB!"0
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I rarely go on FB these days. It's boring and annoying!
Anyone I want to talk to has my phone number anyway. And I hate hate hate idle chitchat through pm's0 -
christinev297 wrote: »I rarely go on FB these days. It's boring and annoying!
Anyone I want to talk to has my phone number anyway. And I hate hate hate idle chitchat through pm's
Exactly. It they want to know what I'm doing - call me or pop around for a cuppa. 0 -
Here are the latest dietary recommendations as posted by Elle Penner, M.P.H., R.D., Registered Dietitian and Food & Nutrition Editor at MyFitnesssPal
"Eggs & Coffee Are In, Added Sugars Are Out
Eat more plants, less red and processed meat, and don’t worry so much about dietary cholesterol. These are just a few of the recommendations this week from the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, a group of 14 nationally recognized experts in the fields of nutrition, medicine and public health. Their report, designed to inform the federal government of current scientific evidence regarding diet, nutrition and health, will be considered as two federal government agencies develop the latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, to be released later this year. The committee also recommends easing up on aggressive sodium restrictions and, for the first time, quantifying limits on added sugars; a summary of the advice follows.
1. Ease up on Added Sugars
Added sugars contribute little else but extra calories to our diets; this is why the committee now recommends Americans limit their intake to 10 percent of calories. For someone eating a 1,500-calorie diet, this comes out to about 38 grams of added sugar, or one 12-ounce cola per day. Unfortunately, added sugars have infiltrated our food supply and are now found in everything from packaged bread to salad dressing—so even if you generally avoid sweets and sodas, you’re likely consuming more added sugars than you think. This recommendation coincides with a larger effort to help consumers quantify added sugars in their diet, something that still proves impossible to do simply by looking at the Nutrition Facts label.
2. Enjoy Your Eggs
With the 2010 update, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended that cholesterol from foods be limited to 300 milligrams per day with the idea that consuming less dietary cholesterol would lower blood cholesterol. Lately, the medical research to support this recommendation has been weak, at best. As a result, the committee has decided they will forgo a recommendation to limit dietary cholesterol because cholesterol is no longer “a nutrient of concern for overconsumption.” This is good news for egg lovers who can once again enjoy an egg or two with breakfast without fear of increasing their cholesterol levels.
3. Pour Yourself Another Cup o’ Joe
For the first time, the Dietary Guidelines Committee is weighing in on caffeine. Evidence suggests that, for adults, intakes of up to 400 milligrams per day (about 3-5 cups of coffee or 6 fluid ounces of espresso) can be part of a healthy diet as long as you don’t load up your morning joe with loads of extra calories from added sugar, milk or cream.
The report does highlight some concerns with high-caffeine energy drinks, which have been linked to “adverse outcomes, such as caffeine toxicity and cardiovascular events”—particularly when these drinks are paired with alcohol. Additionally, the report advises pregnant women to limit caffeine intake to less than 200 milligrams, or about two cups of coffee per day.
4. Ease up on Salt Restriction
In 2010, the Dietary Guidelines recommended folks at risk for heart disease, which includes all adults over the age of 50, African American people, and anyone with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease, limit sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams per day. That’s a serious sodium restriction for a heck of a lot of people. This time around, the committee seems to be taking a slightly less aggressive approach regarding sodium, following a 2013 report from the Institute of Medicine that showed little benefit to eating less than 2,300 milligrams per day. As such, the committee is now recommending 2,300 milligrams per day for all people, including the millions of people “at risk” for heart disease. If that is unattainable, the committee has a second recommendation: Reduce intake by 1,000 milligrams—a good place to start for the average American, who consumes more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium per day.
5. Eat More Plants, Less Red Meat
Recommendations to eat a plant-based diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, legumes and seeds is nothing new, but for the first time in history, the committee is considering not just human health but the health of our environment in their recommendations. According to the report, a plant-based diet is “more health-promoting and is associated with less environmental impact.” Overall, the committee recommends eating more plants and less red and processed meats, which are higher in fat and sodium.
Despite these changes, the report maintains many of the previous recommendations from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, including eating more fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and less saturated fats, salt and sugar.
The federal government now has the task of determining how to incorporate the advisory committee’s recommendations into the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which will be released later this year."0 -
Nutrition Tips / February 26, 2015
The Most Dangerous Fat Is the Easiest to Lose
It’s every weight loss enthusiast’s dream to zap belly fat but, far from pure vanity, there’s actually a reason why having a lot of fat in the abdominal region can be dangerous. Fat is stored all over our body, but how does an expanding waistline grow your risk for chronic illness?
•Location, Location, Location: Your body’s fat impacts your health differently depending on where it’s stored. While most fat found on other parts of our bodies (think arms, legs, buttocks) are considered “subcutaneous fat,” belly fat is more likely to be “visceral.”
•Pinchable versus Pressable: “Subcutaneous fat” is the pinchable, squishy fat right between your skin and muscle that helps keep you warm, cushions you against shock, and stores extra calories. “Visceral fat” stores calories too, but isn’t as pinchable because it is located in and around your organs. It’s hidden deep within the belly region, which is what makes it firm (rather than squishy) when you press it.
•Proximity: Fat doesn’t just store calories—it’s a living tissue capable of producing and releasing hormones that affect your other organs. Because visceral fat sits near our organs, its release of these chemicals is poorly situated. Having more visceral fat can raise your LDL (a.k.a. “bad” cholesterol) and blood pressure. Visceral fat can also make you less sensitive to insulin, which increases your risk for Type 2 Diabetes.
Telling Bad Belly Fat Apart
Even if you’re thin, you can still have visceral fat around the abdominal region—being “skinny” doesn’t necessarily mean you’re healthy. There’s no sure-fire way to tell visceral from subcutaneous fat short of an expensive CT scan, but it’s important for you to get a rough idea of what your visceral stores are. Here are a few tricks to figure out where your belly stands:
1.Apples and Pears: You’re probably wondering, “What does fruit have to do with it?” These two fruits give a quick visual of where most of your fat is stored on the body. Pears tend to store fat in the lower extremities (hips, thighs, buttocks) as subcutaneous fat while apples tend to store fat in the upper region (belly, chest) as visceral fat. It takes a quick inspection, but this is an imperfect way to tell these two fats apart.
2.Waist circumference (WC): Feel for the top of your hip bone (it’s at the same level as the top of your belly button) and circle a tape measure around this point. Remember to relax and don’t suck in your gut (be honest!). Take 2-3 measurements and figure out the average. Men should have a WC of less than 40 inches (102 cm) and women should have a WC of less than 35 inches (89 cm).
3.Waist-to-Hip Ratio: The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) takes the circumference of your waist (see above) and divides it by the circumference of your hips. To measure your hips, stand in front of a mirror then figure out the widest part of your butt and measure that circumference. Then use this formula:
WHR = (Waist circumference) / (Hip circumference).
Men should have a WHR of less than 1 while women should have a WHR of less than 0.8.
4.Know Your Family Healthy History: If your parents or siblings have insulin resistance, heart disease or non-alcoholic fatty liver, you may be at a greater risk for storing visceral fat. Keeping an eye on your visceral fat may be beneficial, but know that the causes of these chronic diseases are complex. If you’re in doubt, it’s best to speak with your healthcare provider.
Banishing Visceral Fat
If you fall in the normal range for WC and WHR, that’s great! Keep working at your weight goals as you see fit. If you’re not there, don’t despair. Because of its proximity to the liver, visceral fat is usually the easier fat to burn. It’s the less risky subcutaneous fat that likes to stick around.
Unfortunately, you can’t forcefully spot reduce fat around your belly no matter how many crunches you do. The next best thing is to live a healthy lifestyle:
•Go beyond weight tracking. You can track your waist, hip and even neck circumference in the app. Use this feature to see how your measurements change over time as you lose weight.
•Sweat for 30-60 minutes each day. Visceral fat responds well to regular endurance exercises, such as running, biking, rowing, swimming, that elevate your heart rate. As your body uses fat to fuel exercise, it’ll start using up your visceral stores.
•Eat a well-balanced diet. Eat a diet high in whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean protein with calories set for gradual weight loss (e.g. about 1-2 pounds per week). Cut way back on added sugars and alcohol since these nutrients will more likely end up as visceral fat.
•Sleep more, stress less. It’s easier said than done, but in order to take care of your physical body, you have to take care of your mental state. Sleep loss and stress can sabotage your health and fitness goals, so learn more about getting a quality night’s rest and use meditation or yoga to calm your mind. Remember, it’s not just about your health; it’s about your happiness, too.
Trinh Le is a nutrition coordinator for MyFitnessPal. She holds her master’s in public health, nutrition from the University of North Carolina,0 -
Thank you!0
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You are welcome Live, Love, Lift.
Here are the new recommended sugar guidelines from the World Health Organization which Trinh Le, nutrition co-ordinator for MFP says might be bad news for soda drinkers...
Health & Nutrition News / March 10, 2015
"Why the WHO Advises You to Reduce Sugar Consumption
Sugar is getting torched this year as both the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and now the World Health Organization (WHO) have urged us to reduce our general consumption. Both these organizations recommend that we get no more than 10% of our total calories from “free sugars.” The new WHO recommendation announced last week states that, if possible, further reduction of free sugars—to less than 5% of total calories—would be even more beneficial for our health.
What’s the Difference Between “Added” and “Free” Sugars?
Added sugars are simply those sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages when they are processed or prepared. According to the WHO, “free” sugars include those added to foods and drinks by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates. While a glass of 100% orange juice is not considered a source of added sugars, it is considered a source of free sugars since the juice (which contains all of the fruit’s sugars) has been extracted.
The WHO guideline does not refer to the sugars in fresh fruits and vegetables, and sugars naturally present in milk, because there is no reported evidence of adverse effects of consuming these sugars.
The Impact of Sugar Consumption
Most of the data around sugar consumption looks at added sugars. Currently, added sugar makes up 16% of total calories in the American diet. In Europe, this figure ranges from 7-8% (in Norway and Hungary); the range is 16-17% in the UK and Spain and up to 25% in Portugal. Decreasing these numbers will be challenging, but vital for international efforts directed at reducing obesity and chronic illness.
WHO makes reducing added sugar to 10% of total calories a “strong” recommendation based on evidence that increased sugar consumption is linked to higher body weight and a greater likelihood of getting cavities. Having a higher body weight increases your chances for developing chronic illnesses like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Cavities are darn uncomfortable to deal with, and, if you think about it, will affect your nutrition because you can’t eat properly without a nice set of chompers!
Reducing Added Sugar: Easier Said Than Done
Those of us working to reduce sugar intake understand the challenge of seeking and eliminating free sugar from the diet. In particular, these sugars make their way into food during the cooking process. Free sugar doesn’t add much but empty calories to our diet so it’s understandable that we should eat as little free sugars as possible. Sadly, free sugar is found in almost everything on supermarket shelves, from ketchup to bread to peanut butter.
Registered Dietitian’s Tip: Foods like whole fruit (not fruit juice) and milk naturally contain sugar and these will show up when you log calories. But fruit sugar and milk sugar should not be counted towards the amount of “free” sugar you’re allotted for the day. Whole fruit and milk are full of vitamins and minerals that are important for your body.
Reducing free sugars to less than 10% of our total calories is great, but what does that look like? You can figure this out by following these steps:
•Step 1: Take your total calorie goal for the day and multiply by 0.1 (If your goal is less than 5%, then multiply by 0.05); this will give you the maximum calories in your diet that should come from free sugars.
•Step 2: Take the calories from free sugar and divide by 4 to give you the maximum grams of free sugars you should be eating.
•Step 3: Take the grams of sugar and divide by 4 for the maximum teaspoons of free sugars you should be eating.
MyFitnessPal sets your maximum total sugar limit (which includes added and naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables and dairy) at 15% of total calories, but you can also manually change your goal if you desire."0 -
MyFitnessPal is hiring! Check out all our current openings now!
Here is the link -
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/jobs0 -
christinev297 wrote: »I rarely go on FB these days. It's boring and annoying!
Anyone I want to talk to has my phone number anyway. And I hate hate hate idle chitchat through pm's
Exactly. It they want to know what I'm doing - call me or pop around for a cuppa.
see, id really rather people NOT call or come by. send me a message instead LOLOLOL0 -
callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »christinev297 wrote: »I rarely go on FB these days. It's boring and annoying!
Anyone I want to talk to has my phone number anyway. And I hate hate hate idle chitchat through pm's
Exactly. It they want to know what I'm doing - call me or pop around for a cuppa.
see, id really rather people NOT call or come by. send me a message instead LOLOLOL
Haha so true. I'm very antisocial!! I hate talking on the phone or boring FB chit chat. A quick text is more than enough.
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You two are definitely antisocial. lol
I love people dropping in as long as they don't stay too long. Cuppa and then off you go sunshine. 0 -
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