Sleep may be the key to weightloss....

Want your children to lose weight? Send them to bed
SCOTT DEVEAU
Globe and Mail Update
Hitting the hay may be just as good as hitting the gym in the fight against childhood obesity, a new study suggests.

The risk of becoming overweight is 3.5 times higher in children who get less sleep than in those who sleep a lot, according to the research.

“It's ironic that part of the solution to obesity might lie in sleep, the most sedentary of all human activities,” according to Angelo Tremblay, one of three co-authors of the study, which is published in the March issue of the International Journal of Obesity,

Researchers from the Université Laval's Faculty of Medicine measured the weight, height, and waist size of 422 children aged 5 to 10. After taking body mass index readings, they found that those children who slept less than 10 hours a night were 3.5 times more at risk of being overweight than those who slept for more than 12 hours.

“No other factor analyzed in the study — parental obesity, parents' level of education, family income, time spent in front of the TV or computer, regular physical activity — had as much of an impact on obesity than time spent sleeping,” according to the report.

The researchers speculate that hormones produced during sleep, or those produced when the children are deprived of it, are responsible for the differences in weight, Mr. Tremblay said.

“Lack of sleep lowers the level of leptin, a hormone that stimulates metabolism and decreases hunger. In addition, short nights of sleep boost the concentration of ghrelin, a hormone that increases hunger,” Mr. Tremblay said in a statement.

Mr. Tremblay speculates that the relationship between a general loss of sleep and increased rates of obesity in society have broader implications than in just young children.

Between 1960 and 2000, the prevalence of obesity doubled in the population while the average night of sleep lost one to two hours. During the same period, the percentage of young adults who slept less than seven hours went from 16 per cent to 37 per cent, according to the report.

“In light of this study's results, my best prescription against obesity in children would be to encourage them to move more and to make sure they get enough sleep,” Mr. Tremblay said.

On the Way....

Alright so i weighed in today and have stayed the same. That being said, it was not like that all week. Near the end of my housesitting gig i started to eat out like on friday, saturday , sunday eeeek. I had Taco Bell and Pizza and Fries, i was terrible. So for shits and giggles i weighed myself and i was up a few pounds. In order to get it off i've been practically living at the gym, after my Cardio Combo classes i've been hitting the treadmill for extra time and i've been eating so healthy. Lots of veggies, protein shakes, low fat soups, salads .... i think my bunny has beeing eating better than me LOL. I've actually had hunger pangs but they felt good as i usually stuff myself with carbs and feel sluggish. So anyway, i'm the same, but i'm prepared to keep up this healthy eating and see where it takes me. I haven't even sneaked in a potato or piece of bread LOL.

Working Out is Scary Stuff

Okay...so I let my gym membership lapse. My work schedule is preventing me from getting home before 7pm each night and the last thing I want to do so late is work out. SO...now that the weather is warmer, I've resumed my lunch time walks at the park and on the weekends, I'm working out at my old high school's track. I do some laps and then I run up and down the stadium steps (boy that really gets your heart pumping...I love it).

Well, today I was doing laps when this black guy appears in the stands above me. I wouldn't have thought anything of it except he was carrying a small metal pole and a white grocery bag and he just stood there and watched me while I did laps...made me really nervous. Who wants some weird looking guy staring at them as he clutches a metal pole? He didn't move so I did my stadium steps (using the visitors side b/c it was far from him and close to my car) while keeping a close eye on him. He started walking down to the track to I tried to casually/quickly act like I was done and walk to my car. As I was pulling out, I noticed him put his stuff down, pull off his jacket and start stretching on the track so I guess he was just there to work out. But why sit and stare and me...and why walk around with a metal pole?

Since I don't have anyone to go with me I guess I'll just start varying my work out times and places...just to be safe. I can also start walking around my complex.

It's Working

Okay...in all honesty, with all the yo yoing and then spending the last week and a half eating whatever I wanted, I wound up about 3 lbs over what I initially started this challenge with. :0(
However, due to my new plan, I have lost those 3 lbs (since Monday I might add) and am back to normal weight where I can only go down. Yay! I haven't been able to exercise much but I'm being really cautious about the food I eat instead. It all seems to be working great so you girls better step it up into high gear for next week...I'm going full steam ahead.

Real info

Unlike Jenn's cut and pastes.

Check out this ideal weight table. Then use the calculator at the bottom of the link to determine your body mass index. I need to lower mine.

Fatties pay more

Fatter bills for hefty hotel guests
A German hotel has started calculating fees according to the weight of the guest.

The three-star Ostfriesland hotel in the north German town of Norden charges the equivalent of 34p per kilogram.

So a thin man weighing 60 kilos pays just over £20 a night, but a man weighing 100 kilos would be forced to shell out nearly £35.

Owner Juergen Heckroth said: "Slim guests live longer and can therefore come more often and that is why we reward them."

World's biggest burger

A US restaurant has beaten its record for the world's biggest burger with a whopping 15-pounder.

Denny's Beer Barrel Pub, in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, already had the title with a 6lb burger.

But owners thought a 15-pound burger would prove an even bigger attraction, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Diners who can finish the £25 burger in under five hours win £200, a T-shirt and have their name posted on the pub's wall of fame.

They also get the burger for free.

"Every restaurant needs a gimmick - ours is big burgers," said Dennis Liegey III, son of the restaurant's owner.

Visitors come from as far away as Australia and California just to see the 6-pounders and try to eat them.

The new burger, dubbed the Beer Barrel Belly Buster, is as big around as the inside of a car tyre.

It comes with a cup and half each of mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup, a head of lettuce, two onions, three tomatoes and 25 slices of cheese.

Atkins dangers

Doctors report rare, 'life-threatening complication of Atkins diet'
Last Updated Fri, 17 Mar 2006 16:57:46 EST
CBC News
A 40-year-old woman on the Atkins diet developed a dangerous buildup of acids in her blood, doctors said Friday.

INDEPTH: Diets

Atkins diet favours proteins.
The diet limits the intake of carbohydrates such as bread and pasta and encourages eating protein, including meat and cheese.

In 2004, the obese woman developed a life-threatening complication called ketoacidosis, Dr. Klaus-Dieter Lessnau, a professor at New York University School of Medicine, and his colleagues report in the March 18 issue of the medical journal The Lancet.

Ketoacidosis, caused by excessively high levels of ketones in the blood, can lead to death if untreated. Ketones are produced by the liver from fatty acids, which result from the breakdown of body fat in response to the absence of sugar in low-carb diets.

The woman was following the Atkins diet and took supplements sold by the company. She spent four days in intensive care, the team reported.

"Our patient had an underlying ketosis caused by the Atkins diet and developed severe ketoacidosis," the authors write in their report, titled, "Life-threatening complication of Atkins diet."

Mild pancreatitis or a stomach infection may have contributed to the problem, they added.

In a letter responding to the report, Lyn Steffen and Jennifer Nettleton of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis concluded: "Low-carbohydrate diets for weight management are far from healthy."

Side-effects can include constipation, diarrhea, headache, bad breath and ketosis. Long-term effects of the diet are unknown, the pair said.

Steffen and Nettleton recommended that doctors keep an eye on people following the diet who may have a wide range of risk factors for disease.

The case is rare and does not represent a health threat linked to low-carb diets, other experts said.

Dr. Robert Atkins developed the low-carb diet based on his research. He died in 2003.

OK fatties!

Aaron also got no gain no loss this week, so we all plateaued, that's OK. We can't all be superstars every week, and no one gained, which is great. I vote that we give the victory to Ash for loosing the most even though it was not new weightloss. 3 pounds is pretty good and none of the rest of us losers were contenders.
I'm really excited for next week, I did some physio stretches on the pool deck last night and then I went swimming again, then I did my physio stretches in the sauna. I put on some pants this morning that used to be tight and now they fit me perfectly and look good. These were the kind of pants that I'd always wear with a longer baggier shirt over them so that the all the bulging that they caused and the cutting into my belly wouldn't be apparent, and now I could wear them tucked in, if I was a tucked in shirt kind of a person.
I feel like a jerk in my swim suit, but I'm getting over it. When I dig up my more flattering suit, then I'll be more confident about the whole thing. Maybe, just maybe I might splurge and buy a new one.

Me on this day

Me on this day is a even. Thats the only good thing that happened today. I gained nothing. Take that suckers! What cows we all are!

The Big Plan

Okay...so I didn't weigh myself this week...simply because I haven't watched what I'm eating this week..on purpose. I have a plan. I've needed something to motivate me into getting my ass into shape...something more than just a pair of jeans. I was grumbling about this and getting older and being single...and then it hit me. My birthday is exactly 4 months away tomorrow (July 17th) and I'll be 29. I was looking back at pictures of my birthday last year and I just looked so bloated and truth be told, I was uncomfortable and not feeling very confident. This year is a new me....so what better to ring in the birthday with than a new, beautiful body? Well..a hot boyfriend couldn't hurt...but one could bring about the other.

So I'm going to get down and dirty w/ my dieting and exercising but since St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow night and there is a big throw down at the Celtic Tavern (they're having a block party and there will be lots of green beer with my name on it), I didn't want to have to miss the party, nor did I want to diet this week and ruin it in one night. So I will be starting fresh as of Sunday. I've got my game face on...watch out!

Rock On

Well i am happy to say that my determination, healthy eating and working out has all made a difference. I lost the 3 pounds that i had gained last week, so i think that puts me at a 0% loss as it does not count.

I spent Monday evening cooking all of my lunches for the week, as well i have been eating a healthy dinner (except once i had zucchini sticks, baked, but battered) and have been going to classes at the gym. I've decided that i'm going to try really hard to stay in this weekend. Perhaps i will rent a movie, spring clean or read a good book.

Results for Thursday March 16th, 2006

No gain no loss, I'm officially on a plateau, but I'm not bummed. I feel like I'm on the mend. I've been eating well. My knee feels better. And I went for a swim last night. That's right, I swam. I got in a bathing suit and went to the pool in my building. I realized that I don't really care how I look in front of all those twinks. One of the guys up there last night was wearing the full out Speedo, he had the six pack and everything, not an extra ounce of body fat, but he still looked like a douche. Anyway, I did laps swimming mostly with just my arms and today my shoulders and arms feel like I had the best upper body workout ever. I might go back tonight. I used my legs too, but felt no ill effects after, no way to say if that's the water or the physio, but really who cares. I'm thinking I'll make it a regular date with my friend who loves to swim but has no pool.
Also, despite the fact that my weight has stayed the same. I'm still shrinking. I wore a pair of pants yesterday that had fit perfectly a few weeks ago and I had to hitch them up all day yesterday. So I really have nothing to complain about.
I'm interested to see how Yrautca's Big Mac and Almond Crusted Brie binge is going to effect his totals this week, if Ash's birthday week has continued to catch up with her....

Sacrifice for jennifer

My friend jennifer (with a small j, I wonder why) has a crooked knee. Poor girl wants to win on this blog. Therefore, I have decided that I will eat all I want and will let her win. It's a charity project. jennifer, this BigMac and super-sized fries are for you babe. You are a winner in my book!

My Thursday night dinner

I thought it was only fair I told you guys what I had on Thursday night (and didnt even have to pay for it). Yummy:

Appetizer: Almond-Crusted Brie with smoky grilled apple conserve

Main Course: Marinated Breast of Chicken - Your choice of seasoning preparation styles served with roasted butternut squash and sauteed spinach

Dessert: Chocolate Decadence - Sinfully rich chocoalte cake served with citrus sented raspberry coulis and vanilla ice cream

Wine: 1999 Robert Chevillion, Nuits-St-George, France

It was worth it babes. So what if I will have gained it all back come this Thursday. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.

Yo-Yo

Hurumph!!! Well. I appear to have lost the two pounds gained last week but no more. This really blows..but in truth, this week I have no one to blame but myself. Because I haven't felt well all week, I used that as an excuse to eat badly. I did go to the gym 3 days (that's about all I have time for right now b/c of work). And I intend to go this weekend as well.

Here's to more willpower and getting ahead. I think my percentage is 0%. Shit I don't know b/c I've yo yo'd up and down so much but I think that's right.

News from the half-ton man

Surgery knocks 81 more pounds off former half-ton man
Last Updated Wed, 08 Mar 2006 17:36:33 EST
CBC News
A Nebraska man who once weighed 1072 pounds has dropped another 81 pounds in surgery that removed a chunk of fat, skin and fluids hanging from his waist.

Patrick Deuel, 43, weighed in at 400 pounds after the operation on Tuesday at a hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Doctors performed the surgery because the extra flesh made it hard for Deuel to walk.

Deuel weighed 1,072 pounds and was dying of heart failure when he checked into the hospital in Sioux Falls in June 2004.

He dropped 457 pounds in seven months, crediting most of the loss to exercise and diet, although he also had gastric bypass surgery in 2004.

Before he entered the facility, he hadn't left his home in seven years and was so big that workers had to cut a hole in his bedroom wall to get him out.

A special ambulance with extra-wide doors and a ramp-and-winch system was used to get him to hospital.

Deuel has said he plans to make public appearances to tell his story once he is more mobile.

Deuel's surgeon says the most recent operation means he could lose even more weight through walking and exercise.

Tubby

Well it seems i predicted correctly. I have gained 3 pounds and 1.70%. I must say the chocolate cake was worth it though :)

Jennifer comes in at 0.29%

Aaron comes in at 0.72%

Way to go Aaron!! Jennifer do you think when i am down this weekend Aaron will cook healthy non meat recipes for me :)

Early weigh-in

Ok ladies, since I am out of town starting Thursday morning, I will do my weigh-in tomorrow night. Just a little heads up that I just stepped off the scale and I am at my lowest weight since the start of this competition. I may well be the first man in the history of peoplekind to win this thing two weeks in a row. My secret this week:

No beer, regular workout, dinner consists of oranges and carrots. It has been tough but I was motivated. We have a client dinner on Thursday night and I know I will have to eat a proper meal. Then breakfast with colleague the next day will also be proper, and when I travel I have to eat at airports so that cant be too healthy either.

I am in Trouble this week

So i can almost predict it will not be a good week for me at all. You see, i went to the Mandarin on Sunday and today at work we are having a potluck. I brought Taco dip. Tomorrow is my Birthday so we're going out for dinner, having cake and probably some booze. Then Thursday is weigh in . As well, i'm a bit bloated from womanly things which adds a few pounds but will go away a few days later. I'm doomed this week. I did go to a class at the gym yesterday if that counts LOL.

My numbers

I am at 0.69% this week. Considering I gained 2 pounds last week, I consider this a success. I am the man. The man is me.

I say if Aaron wants to win this week he needs to come in here and claim his victory, and not send his girlfriend to do his talking.

Oh btw, the percentage is after I lost my extra 2 pounds.

Anyone Got A Paddle?

For crying out loud.

I'm so bloated that at any minute I feel like I could float off somewhere. Water is the name of the enemy my friends...and it plays dirty. I am 2 lbs heavier than I was last week...
Can't a girl catch a break?

Hoopla

So i'm the same as last week as well, no gain and no loss. I have been sick, which meant no gym time this week. However, i'm not sure that is my problem. I am quite dedicated to the gym so it's my eating that needs to be looked at. I really need to buckle down. For example i prepare meals for work, and then i go out to eat. I've stopped getting up early enough for breakfast. I used to make egg whites and oatmeal, now i'm rushing to Tim Hortons for a bagel or eating muffins at work. Not good. So i know where my weaknesses are, i just need to do something about them.

Perhaps i'll follow Berly and write a food diary so i can really see just what it is i've been ingesting. As well, i believe in the power of the mind and writing goals down....sounds like hoopla i know but it works for me. Years ago i set out 3 very specific goals with a timeframe and all that. I was able to accomplish all three, the first was to travel to Europe, the 2nd to get a car and the 3rd to go back to school. I'll have to set out a very specific one for weightloss now cause i'm running out of time.

Results for Thursday March 2nd, 2006

No gain, no loss.
I know exactly why too, I ate food at meetings this week, I went out for dinner last night and ordered salad and then ate half my date's french fries and I've barely pooped all week. I've been having issues in that regard ever since that stupid cleanse.

Jennifer's Request

Ok.
Jennifer suggested I might need to post my workout/food intake data so that you may tear it apart, offer advice, criticize (in a good way hopefully), etc. so that my fatty bo batty ass can get smaller.
Here it is.

Breakfast: One piece of wheat toast, slice of cheese, two slices of bacon (4pts)
Snack: 3 yogurts (they say it helps you burn tummy fat) (6pts)
Lunch: Usually a salad, lots of greens, crackers (8pts)
Dinner: Sandwich or chicken and rice with green beans, sometimes a ceaser salad from Blue Baker, sometimes soup, it varies a lot, but usually I say around ten (10) points

Workout: Bodypump-1hr M and W, Bodyflow-1hr plus thirty minutes on treadmill T and Th

Tell me what I am doing wrong and what I need to do differently.