Did you know? Daily Caloric Expenditure by Amy

Occasionally, I (Amy) will write a "Did you know?" post on health and wellness news that I come across in trade publications or that exercise enthusiasts have asked me about. One of the most commonly asked questions is, "How can I reduce my midsection?" Guess what? Doing hours of sit-ups will not work. Adding 20 to 30 minutes of cardio daily and strength training 3 to 5 times a week will contribute to a leaner physique, but watching what goes in your mouth will make all the difference. I am not a nutritionist, so I cannot provide specific meal plans or diets, but I can give guidance on the daily ratios of carbohydrates, fats and protein.

Carbohydrates have a bad reputation, but they are actually your friend. They are the energy source most easily used by the body. I'm not talking about simple sugars, bagels and pies, but rather whole foods such as fresh fruit, vegetables and grains.

Healthy fat (omega-3, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated) is also your friend. Fat is needed for your body to function properly. Some examples of healthy fats are nuts, olive and canola oil, avocado, and the fat found in fish such as salmon and mackerel.

Protein is the building block for muscles and bones, and the necessary component for repairing tissues in the body and making hormones and enzymes. With the recent popularity of high protein diets, the suggested ratio for protein may come as a surprise to some, but evidence has shown that excess protein in the body is not beneficial for the average healthy individual.

The recommended daily requirements fall into the following ranges:

45% to 65% of calories from carbohydrates.
20% to 35% of calories from fat.
10% to 35% of calories from protein.

To keep it simple aim for 50% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 20% protein.

What does this all mean???

First, you need to determine the approximate number of calories you burn in a day. There are many daily caloric calculators available on the Internet, but here is one from Active.com that also offers a link to a nutritional needs calculator that provides the range of carbs, fat and protein needed daily. Simply enter your gender, weight, height and activity level, hit the calculate button and voila, your daily caloric needs is provided.

The example below is for an active 45 year old female. She is 5'6" tall and weighs 140 lbs.

Once you know your number (our example is 2344), select the Nutritional Needs Calculator link below the Calorie Calculator, enter the number and hit the calculate button for a breakdown of carbs, fat and protein.

It takes 3500 additional calories to gain one pound. Therefore, the reverse is true for losing weight. Knowing the minimum and maximum grams or calories you need per day can serve as a guideline for healthy eating,and perhaps even losing a bit of that pesky midsection.

Standing Criss Cross Crunch

1.  Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, toes pointed forward, extend both arms overhead tighten your stomach muscles as if someone is going to punch you.

2.  Lower your right elbow and raise your left knee, bringing them together on a diagonal line.

3.  Return to the starting position. Switch to the other side.  That is one repetition.
4.  Do 20 repetitions.
5.  Complete 1-3 sets.

R & R with Rachel (Rants and Raves with Rachel): Take a Stand Against Sitting

By now you must have all heard that "sitting is the new smoking." Just google "sitting is the new smoking" and you will come up with tons of articles discussing how bad it is for you to sit all day. Or, better yet, ask a friend or co-worker about the slogan. Even if they hadn't heard it they are sure to give you an earful about how much they hate sitting! When I asked my co-workers, they were happy to tell me all about their many aches and pains that they feel they have as a result of sitting too much. But what to do about it?

While writing an entry for this blog I learned that in order to avoid sitting, one of my colleagues turned a cardboard box into a movable desktop that he places on top of a desk to give it height.

Great idea. However, while I liked the "movable" part of his solution, I spend a lot of time working at my computer and needed a more stationary product to hold my monitor and keyboard. Purchasing a standing desk was out of the question (as was a treadmill desk which is what I REALLY would love to have). This is when my being a librarian totally helped. I started doing research about standing desks so that I could MAKE something that was the correct height.

Illustration taken from an article in the August 29th 2013 issue
of The Wirecutter entitled The Best Standing Desks

Once I gathered the information I needed I began measuring boxes, cabinets, bookshelves and the like, looking for something I could use that was the height I needed. Finally, the paper organizer I had on top of my file cabinet caught my eye. It was perfect. Not only was it the right height, but I could arranged it so that my "inbox" and many other paper items that I need were right at my fingertips. My standing desk:

Actual size 31"L x 11"H x 13"D

It has been one month since I set up my standing desk. The first week my legs were a little achy at the end of the day and I was thinking I might have to abort the plan. However, I stuck with it and now don't miss sitting at all (I must come clean and let you know that I am not at my desk for my full 7 hour work day. I do cover our service desk for about 2 hours a day at which time I sit and stand). I can honestly say I do notice a difference in the way I feel. My lower back and buttocks don't seem to hurt as much. And, the other bonus of the standing desk is the reaction I get from staff members or patrons when they see me standing. They immediately look for the chair. Once I explain my desk to them their facial expressions are priceless!

Stand up my friends, stand up!

Happy Mother's Day Everyone!

We hope that whatever you do this Sunday it includes some exercise with your friends and/or family!

Don't let your day turn into this:

Lunges (Not Lunch) With Viv*

1. Start with your feet about 6 inches apart, toes pointed forward.
2. Hold a book in each hand** (click here for our Book Weight Chart) Your hands should be at your sides and your shoulders relaxed.
3. Take a big step forward with your right leg while keeping your back upright.
4. Bend your right knee so that it is at a 90 degree angle with the floor without going past your toes.
5. Your left knee should be almost touching the floor. 

6. Push yourself back up to a starting position by keeping your weight on your right heel and your left toes.  You should focus on contracting your right leg and glutes. 
7. Concentrate on doing each rep slowly to avoid knee strain.
8. Repeat 10-12 times on one leg and then switch sides to complete one set.
9. Do 1-3 sets.

*Thank you to Vivian for being an enthusiastic follower, and our guest model for this posting.

**Holding a book is an advanced exercise.  If you don't feel comfortable doing this start with the lunge and nothing in your hands.  If necessary, place your hand on a chair, wall or bookshelf for balance.