Fat 2 Fit Radio

A listener named Rita wrote in asking if anti-depressants can cause you to gain weight.  So, can they? Absolutely. Jeff and I discussed this topic on Show #81 back in November 2009.  The truth is that anti-depressants are not the only type of medication that can cause you to gain weight, although there are some rumors that there is a powder used to treat depression that doesn't really affect the weight gain or anything, it's called Kratom; there is a site that sells it and you can visit it here to find out more and try it for yourself.  The topic was also covered in Chapter 50 of  our Fat 2 Fit book.  The good news is that if you are saddled with taking these medications, you don’t have to gain weight. I've included Chapter 50 as a "podcast" with this post. Let me know if you'd like to hear more on the subject. Download Chapter 50 PDF for Free!

Exercise and healthful eating are a no-fail recipe for weight-loss success. But, in the case of certain rare diseases, losing weight just isn't this simple. In today's episode of Fat 2 Fit Radio (#147), Russ and Helana discuss one of the more serious weight-loss topics yet to be addressed on the show: Parkinson's Disease.  We play a voicemail from listener Debbie and hear many of the struggles post-operation patients experience in weight gain and muscle weakness after deep brain stimulation surgery. Parkinson's affects about 1% of the population between ages 55 and 65 (WebMD), and, consequently, little is known about its relationship to weight loss and muscle growth. Russ and Helana review a recent study involving a group of 22 Parkinson's patients (15 male, 7 female) after deep brain stimulation surgery. More and more, research shows significant weight gain in both men and women, but with shocking results in longterm follow ups. In the past, we've discussed how good old exercise and smart nutrition can influence Type 2 Diabetes (#70) and offer great listener success stories (#102).  Yet with Parkinson's, successful recovery continues to be far more complex. Russ checks in with listeners Renee and James, covering everything from nutritional information between beans and lentils to over-exertion and blood-shot eyes.  He then revisits the topic of "starvation mode" with a new article by Tom Venudo, detailing that starvation mode not only negatively affects your body's metabolism, but also your body's ability to lose weight longterm. As always, take a look at the show notes for our recipe of the week, cited articles, listener stories, and other great reads. For healthful eating ideas, checkout the recipe of the week or signup for the Weekly Recipe Newsletter at Clearly Delicious. Good People:  Bill Geist on Parkinson's Revelation,"Very Difficult" - CBS this Morning Tom Venudo at Burn the Fat Blog Good Reads:  "10 Foods You Should Always Eat after a Workout" at Examiner.com "Food vs. Food: Pinto vs. Lentils" at SparkPeople "Top Foods for Parkinson's Disease" at Northwest Parkinson's Foundation "Weight Training Improves Parkinson's Symptoms" at WebMD "Understanding Parkinson's Disease - The Basics" at WebMD "Deep Brain Stimulation May Help in Early Stages of Parkinson's" at WebMD "Overweight after Deep-Brain Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus in Parkinson's Disease: Long Term Follow Up" "Starvation Mode Revisited: Is this the Cause of Slow Fat Loss, Frustrating Plateaus and Weight Re-Gain?" Keeping it Off with Tom Venudo - Episode #57 of Fat 2 Fit Radio Good Eats: The Fresh Table: Cooking in Louisiana All Year Round - a seasonal, (mostly) healthful cookbook by Helana Brigman Baked Eggs with Bacon and Thyme at Clearly Delicious Sign Up for the Weekly Recipe Newsletter at Clearly Delicious! Motivational Quote of the Week:  "Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson - – -  Keep up with Fat 2 Fit! | Follow Fat2Fit at Facebook | Follow Clearly Delicious on Facebook | Follow Russ on Pinterest | Follow Helana on Pinterest | | Join SparkPeople Fat2Fit Group | 

"I'm eating 1500 calories.  Why am I still gaining weight? Whenever I sit on the flushing toilet, I can feel how much pressure the toilet is getting” "Does menopause play a role in weight gain?" "How much can I eat?" and, "How can I make DOMS more bearable?" These are some of the questions Russ and Helana answer in Episode #146 of Fat 2 Fit Radio.  Understanding the role diet plays in maintaining a healthy lifestyle kicks off the show.  Russ emphasizes the importance of whole (unprocessed) foods that are low in sugar and fat, and Helana reminds listeners that "1,500 calories" is more than just tracking a set caloric goal, but a way to measure what kinds of foods we put into our bodies. Russ checks in with Helana's weight loss goals, motivation, and exercise as well as listeners Monica, Kim, Anna, and Dave.  Russ then offers some suggestions for how to improve diet and exercise for listener Kim and how menopause might influence her fat 2 fit journey. Helana provides her Pro / Con list for the Nike+ App (see here for the full transcript), and, on the web report, we hear how Louisiana ranks alongside other states (such as Mississippi) as the #4 most obese state in the nation.  The topic of Louisiana obesity, food stamps, and low income families introduce serious grey areas with our nation's health crisis. We end with Russ's tips for making "DOMS" (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) more bearable and his favorite new-fangled water bottle with a Brita filter built right in! As always, take a look at the show notes for our recipe of the week, cited articles, listener stories, and other great reads.  If you're interested in what foods go into your body, don't forget to signup for the Weekly Recipe Newsletter at Clearly Delicious. Good People: SparkPeople Fat 2 Fit Group Listener Ana's "after" pic (Apr. 1, 2013) Listener Ana's "before" pic (Jan. 8, 2013) Ana's BodySpace Profile Good Buys: Nike+ App (free) Brita Bottle with Filter Brita (20-Ounce) Bottle with Filter (Two-Pack) Good Reads: Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss Nike+ App Review (transcript) Nike + Running App Overview "Short and Long-Term Eating Habits Modification Predicts Weight Change in Overweight, PostMenopausal Women" "Louisiana Gets 'F' on Report Card for Obesity/Overweight Grade in Children" "Food Stamps and Obesity: What Do We Know?" "Examining a Paradox: Obesity and Food-Stamp Participation in Louisiana" "How to Recover from Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)" Eating & Exercise Triangle Chart at Fat 2 Fit Facebook page Good Eats Spicy Cajun Pork Loin at Clearly Delicious Sign Up for the Weekly Recipe Newsletter at Clearly Delicious! Alton Brown on the "Tender Pork Loin" Motivational Quote of the Week: "Reaching my goal doesn't prove what I'm made of.  Not quitting when I get discouraged along the way does. I Decide." - Anonymous - - -  Keep up with Fat 2 Fit! | Follow Fat2Fit at Facebook | Follow Russ on Pinterest | Follow Helana on Pinterest | | Join SparkPeople Fat2Fit Group |

In today's episode of Fat 2 Fit Radio, Russ and Helana check back in with listener Caren about her fitness and weight loss goals before listening to a voicemail from a caller in Kennedale, TX.  Helana reveals some good weight loss news, and Russ keeps things real with helpful advice for listeners James, Caren, and "Jolene." As a follow up to Episode 144, Helana gives a detailed Pro / Con list of the fitness App Endomondo and discusses this screenshot, noting that the app's bells and whistles far surpass most fitness and exercise smartphone software—but—advertisements and "upgrades" may be a problem. On the web report, Helana discusses a study performed by Meghan Lynch at the University of Toronto on the "Perceptions of Exercise and Food in a Community of Food Bloggers.”  How women "health and wellness" bloggers discuss food, exercise, and their own body weight issues offer an illuminating example of ongoing problems around weight loss and healthy eating in our country.  Fortunately, Lynch has some useful observations and both Russ and Helana offer some questions and advice. Russ reviews several competing bills in New York and Mississippi that debate the availability of restaurants' nutritional information to the public (see Calorie Count Laws for an idea of the debate).  Pointing out that Mississippi tops America's list of most "obese" states, Russ introduces how Bloomberg's bill to eliminate super-sized sugary drinks in certain venues has caused further debate on this topic.  How McDonald's fits into this equation inevitably comes up. See our links from the show notes below for articles and topics mentioned in the episode.  While you're at it, try Helana’s super-easy Kale Chips recipe or signup for the Clearly Delicious weekly newsletter with healthful recipes right in your inbox. Good People: SparkPeople Fat 2 Fit Group Courtney Cox's "late night snack" (fast-forward to minute 1:00 for clip) Good Buys: MyoTape (Recommended by Caren) Good Reads: America's Calorie Count Laws Judge Halts New York City's Super-Sized Sugary Drinks Ban McDonalds Skirts Ban; Charges 10 Cents Per Happy Meal Toy Megan Lynch "From Food to Fuel: Perceptions of Exercise and Food in a Community of Food Bloggers" Men's Fat Percentages by the Numbers Most and Least Obese U.S. States Pinterest's Anorexia Dilemma "What's the Interest in Pinterest" by Stuff Mom Never Told You State with Highest Obesity Rate Passes 'Anti-Bloomberg Bill' to Ban Food Regulation Goal Show 2012 - Jeff Only Good Eats (Green Foods) Alison's Green Juice Detox Castelvetrano Antipasti Green Beans with Almonds Green Goddess Pizza Kale Chips (featured) Stuffed Avocados with Dip Motivational Quote of the Week: "Your body doesn't care if your mind isn't motivated.  Results are the same with or without it.  Just show up." - Anonymous

In Episode #144 of Fat 2 Fit Radio, Russ checks in with Helana and listener David about their fitness goals and recent progress, discussing past injuries and unhappy belly fat. We also look at the 70+ listener suggestions for running apps at our Facebook page and will follow up next time with a comparison between RunKeeper and Endomondo. Although improving her running speed and long-distance endurance, Helana's nemesis, the "side-stitch," continues to rear its ugly head right when her training gets interesting (usually about one-third to half the way in).  How to combat side-stitches, identify possible causes, and take advantage of "diaphragmatic breathing techniques" are addressed in the show.  Strengthening your core and being careful when you train help in avoiding not just side-stitches, but also "delayed onset muscle soreness" ("Doms"). Russ checks in with Dr. Rick, who has 3 big suggestions for reducing cardiovascular risk.  Then, he turns his attention to a recent study on weight loss with "mobile app self-monitoring" devices versus traditional pen and paper.  When it comes to consistency and training, there might be an app for that. See our links from the show notes below to try Helana's Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin or signup for the Clearly Delicious weekly newsletter with healthful recipes right in your inbox. Good Eats Broccoli & Cauliflower Gratin - Clearly Delicious Lent Recipes - Clearly Delicious Subscribe to the Clearly Delicious Weekly Recipes Newsletter Recipes, Food, & Healthful Eating @ Helana's Pinterest Good Reads Study: "Comparison of Traditional Versus Mobile App Self-Monitoring of Physical Activity and Dietary Intake in Overweight Adults" Good to Know "9 Home Remedies for Side Pain" Form Image - Helana's Trainer Ball Balance Women's Body Fat Percentages by the Numbers from 10-50%! Good to Try RunKeeper Endomondo Russ's Garmin Forerunner Receiver & Sports Watch Russ's SportTracks App Waist Measurement Techniques at "Cut the Waist"

In today's episode of Fat 2 Fit Radio, we check in with Helana and listener Caren about their body fat percentages, goals, and those hard-to-avoid numbers on the scale. We respond to listener comments from episode 142 (no, muscle does not turn into fat) and discuss some ways Photoshop and magazine covers may disrupt how we understand the fat 2 fit lifestyle.  Helana explains her remarks on why the Jessica Alba InStyle cover gives her the "heeby-jeebies," and we look at past Photoshop offenders like Shape Magazine and GQ. Russ checks-in with listeners Patricia and Geri and discusses what it takes to look like "that girl" (Rachel McLish included). On the web report, Russ goes over "metabolic adaptation" and how Clare West "ruined her metabolism."  As always, why it's important to eat than neglect yourself valuable nutrition comes up again and again. See below for a list of references made during the show including the recipe of the week, Creamy Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese! Good Reads: 60 Days (Weight Loss Journey) at Clearly Delicious Cindy Crawford, "I wish I looked Like Cindy Crawford." Kate Winslet on her GQ Cover Tina Fey on Photoshopping Rachel McLish's Flex Appeal Covers Worth Mentioning:  Jessica Alba's InStyle Magazine Cover Kelly Clarkson's Self Magazine Cover ("A Weighty Issue") Photoshopping: Before & After Photoshopping - More Examples! Helana's Cover ("I feel like me!") Food Stuffs: Green Juice Detox Recipe at Clearly Delicious Creamy Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese 5 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do with Butternut Squash, PLUS a recipe for Butternut Squash Lasagna with Blue Cheese & Mozzarella Check out Caren: Caren on SparkPeople Caren on the Fat 2 Fit Community site Motivational Quote of the Week:  "It's not that some people have willpower and some don't.  It's that some people are ready to change and others are not." - James Gordon

The female body is complicated and calculators can be tough.  Between body fat percentages, BMI, height, weight, and measurements, there are countless ways to measure and track the progress of your fit and healthy lifestyle.  But, what numbers should you look at exactly? When monitoring your progress, what other factors should you take into consideration? And, how might Fat2Fit's online tracking tools help shine some light on this process? In today's show, Russ introduces Helana Brigman of the blog Clearly Delicious and book, The Fresh Table: Cooking in Louisiana All Year Round.  A fellow podcaster, Helana discusses the ways in which she, too, might respond to female listeners' questions from a woman's point of view.  Meanwhile, Russ gives the low-down on what's really going on—although each woman is different, teaching her to understand her body fat percentages, BMR, and calorie intake + activity level remain key for the Fat2Fit lifestyle. Russ and Helana take a few detours to discuss Paula Deen's weight loss and the all fearful muffin top, and look forward to next week when Helana shares her measurements and fitness goals! Links Mentioned in the Show: "10 Good Reasons Why Women Should Stay Away from Weights" (tongue & cheek, of course) Omron Body Fat Scale Fat2Fit Calculators Be on the show! Recipe of the Week Best Ever Greek Salad at Clearly Delicious Muffin Tops "My Muffin Top is All That, Whole Grain, Low Fat, Don't You Want a Piece of That?"   Motivational Quote of the Week: "Of course it's hard.  It's supposed to be hard.  If it were easy, everybody would do it. Hard is what makes it great."  —Tom Hanks in A League of Their Own

The proliferation of apps on iPhones and Android devices has produced some great fitness apps. Tracking calories and tracking workouts becomes super easy with these apps. But each one has it's own spin on how they track these activities. The most popular apps that listeners ask about are My Fitness Pal and Lose it!. These apps differ in philosophy from us, so listeners often ask about net calories, eating their exercise calories, etc. They are confused because this app that we recommended doesn't fall in line with our recommendations. Stephanie wrote in asking this question, along with countless others, so we take a look at the differences between eating and exercising the Fat 2 Fit way and the app way. Also in the email and comments section of the show, multiple listeners wrote in about the Human Weight Simulator. Jeff's gets geeky on this one and talks all about the tools mentioned. On the Web Report, Russ talks about the book Wheat Belly. The discussion was spurred on by a post on our Facebook page from listener Terry. She read an article on The Huffington Post about wheat. Jeff talks about the website Pinterest, particularly the posts tagged as "fitness". The ideal body for women has changed multiple times and currently it looks as though most of the women on Pinterest want to have muscular fit bodies. Meanwhile 50 years ago, instead of going on a diet, apparently we were interested in adding "flesh" to our skinny bodies. Links Mentioned on the Show: Wheat Belly book Fitness on Pinterest Vintage Weight Gain Advertisements Huffington Post article on wheat Weight Loss Simulator Total rethink on dieting New weight loss math Recipe of the Week: Warrigal Greens Frittata Motivational Quote: "Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you what you are." - Jean Brillat-Savarin From Pinterest in the fitness section: “Sweat is fat crying” “Exercise to be fit, not skinny. Eat to nourish your body and always ignore the haters, doubters and unhealthy examples that were once feeding you. You are worth more than you realize.

You are doing everything right in changing your lifestyle, but despite seeing progress you're still feeling burned out. That's William's problem. He's in the gym 6 days a week and is making all his own food. He's meeting all his daily goals, but he's getting "tired of doing everything everyday." Jeff has a doozy of an answer in our email and comments section. Kasia also wrote in about the "insanity" workouts that some are doing. They claim to burn 1500 to 2000 calories per workout. Are they a good idea? Greg also wrote in and helps put your own health in prospective. On the web report, Jeff has a few articles to discuss having to do with the Strong 4 Life campaign. Be sure to check out the link to show #23 on childhood obesity linked to below for our take on the problem. Russ' article has to do with overweight doctors. A new study says that portly docs may be doing their patients a disservice by not engaging them in discussion about their weight. Links Mentioned in the Show: Show #78 - Lose Belly Fat Now! Show #23 - Childhood Obesity Overweight doctor study WebMD take on overweight doctors Strong 4 Life Canada calls Strong 4 Life "Shocking!" Recipe of the Week: Healthy Turkey Meatloaf Motivational Quote of the Week: "We immediately become more effective when we decide to change ourselves rather than asking things to change for us." - Stephen Covey

First off, the 1 Million Kilo Challenge that we talked about in episode #138 is open to those outside of Australia.  You just have to choose the correct field when signing up. Email and comments are awesome this show.  Laura posted a link to the top 10 reasons women want to avoid lifting weights on the Facebook page.   Judy had her body fat tested with a BodPod and she shares what she learned from the experience.  Michelle tells us that she's tired of being "rubenesque" but has hit a weight loss plateau after losing 115 lbs.  Unfortunately she's trying to break the plateau by reducing her calories.  Exactly the wrong way to do it. On the Web Report, Russ reports on the news that he down-home, southern, comfort food cooking, TV hostess Paula Deen has Type 2 Diabetes.  It could be an opportunity for her to change her ways, unfortunately she's taking a different approach.  Jeff shares a clip of a video from YouTube.  It's linked to below and it tells you the absolute best thing you can do to improve your health and it'll only set you back 30 minutes a day. Links Mentioned in the Show: One Million Kilo Challenge Paula Deen has Type 2 Diabetes 23 1/2 Hours Graham Kerr 10 Reasons for Women to Stay Away from Weights Body Fat Calculators Body Fat Scale Recipe of the Week: Feather Light Fish & Chips Motivational Quote: "Life has no remote control.  You have to get up and change it yourself!" - Anonymous    

If we're not talking about the weather, it just wouldn't feel like the same podcast.  Learned this week, -40 C and -40 F are the same temperature.  In either system, it's cold in Calgary! On the Web Report this week, Jeff talks about the stigma of being overweight.  If you've been overweight for a good portion of you life, someone may have disparaged you because of your weight.  Was that empowering, or destructive?  Did it make you want to go for a run, or binge on your favorite food.  If you ever think that criticizing someone because of their weight was the right thing to do, guess what?  You were just plain wrong.  Russ shares an article about the amount of food eaten by Americans every year.  It could shed some light on why we, as a country, are getting so fat. In the Email and Comments Section we tackle three questions.  First question came in from Christina.  She lost 100 lbs. seven years ago and has kept it off.  This flies in the face of last show's story about "The Fat Trap".  Her story is one of eating in moderation, reasonable workouts and treating herself when appropriate.  Adriana wrote in about the 1 Million Kilo Challenge.  It's a program in Australia that aims to help everyone, not just Australians, lose that excess fat.  For us cavemen, 1 kilogram is approximately 2.2. pounds.  Finally, Amy has lost 3.5 pounds of fat over the last month by eating the way we suggest, but she's only lost 1 pound.  She's disheartened and says she might go back to her low calorie days for a quick fix.  Listen as we talk her off that starvation diet ledge. Links Mentioned on the Show: 1 Million Kilo Challenge Average American ate almost a ton of food last year Weight stigma and calorie consumption Overweight Stigma and it's psychological distress Recipe of the Week: Tortilla Soup from Clearly Delicious Motivational Quote: "You can never quit. Winners never quit, and quitters never win." - Ted Turner

We're back with all new shows for the new year. Look for shows to drop on Wednesdays and Saturday, three times a month. AND you can now listen to those shows on the new Fat 2 Fit iPhone app. Fred Giufridda over at Paladin Software volunteered his time and effort to make a sweet app. Check out the Fat 2 Fit App site to see all that the app can do. Today we answer Alicia's question about recovering from an injury. She tore a ligament in her ankle and had to stay immobile. She's worried about back sliding and gaining weight. Jeff has a thorough answer for her and you. On the Web Report, Russ highlights multiple listener posts on the Facebook page. A goal is met, a geocaching project gets great exposure and the gameifaction of fitness has begun. You will have to be a Facebook member but who isn't nowadays. Jeff talks about an article in the New York Times about "The Fat Trap". It was emailed to us by multiple listeners and Jeff has another doozy of a review. Links Mentioned in the Show: Fat 2 Fit iOS App Fat 2 Fit Android App The Fat Trap Dina makes her goal Pauline's Geocaching Shrines Join Fitocracy with Jon G. Paladin Software Recipe of the Week: Roasted Sweet Potatoes by Tyler Florence Motivational Quote: "It's never too late to become what you might have been." - George Elliot

The new year is an obvious time to turn over a new leaf.  Whether it's quitting smoking, drinking or the ever popular lose weight, there's no denying that the resolutions are flying.  If you took a look out the window this morning you might have seen more people than normal walking or even jogging.  The gyms are also more crowded than ever this time of year, but if you stick it out until March most of those people will quit and you 'll get the gym to yourself again.  Why?  Most of them won't have set goals for themselves and therefore will fail at following through with their resolutions.  They most certainly didn't listen to this podcast in particular to learn how to set goals.  Jeff goes it alone on the 5th installment of the most important show of the year, the 5th Annual Goals Show. On this show you'll learn: The basics of goal setting Setting a goal or resolution Breaking down goals Tips and tricks Links Mentioned in the Show: How To Set Your Last Weight Loss Goal Ever First Goal Setting Show Second Goal Setting Show Third Goal Setting Show Fourth Goal Setting Show Listen here, or subscribe for FREE to automatically receive future shows.

We are back with another new show. That wouldn't be news, but considering the last few months, it definitely is. We are getting back to regular shows...slowly. In the email and comments section we tackle two questions. One that we sent in by multiple people that goes kinda like this, "I just started listening to your podcast, where do I start?" The answer around here is Fat 2 Fit Power Tips. There are 15 shows up right now with more to be produced going forward. They're a great way to get anyone started on the correct path of fat loss. The other advice, 2) listen to Fat 2 Fit Radio, 3) Read the book. The second question came in from Hjalmar. He takes us to task for recommending a multivitamin on show #3. While we're not above changing our minds on some topic, we think we got this one right way back when. The Nutrition Diva seems to agree with us as well. On the Web Report, Russ talks about a recent study that showed that using chemicals, like Olestra, to trick the mouth and body to think you're eating more fat than you are might be backfiring. Jeff has two article. The first is highlighting the desperation of those trying to lose weight. It's the top weight loss searches on Google. Sad but not surprising that "fast" and "quick" are used in these searches. Here are some of the searches: how to fast to lose weight how to lose fast weight how to lose weight fast how to lose weight quick how many calories to lose weight how to exercise to lose weight how to lose weight quickly how to quickly lose weight how to lose weight healthy

We're back after an extended hiatus.  Thanks for sticking around and staying subscribed. First off, Jeff has a couple things to say to all the well wishers out there, and there were a lot of you.  But, pretty quickly it is back to Fat 2 Fit business as usual. In our email and comments section, Julia wrote in to tell us about her blog.  It got us thinking that we need to spotlight all the listener websites and blogs.  Why?  Too often these types of personal weight loss websites don't see a lot of love.  Every one of you should head there right now and read and comment.  We also field a question from Daniel that prompted the name of this episode. For the Web Report, Jeff talks about a GroupOn in Calgary that promised "amazing results".  What results those are remains to be seen, but Jeff breaks down this BS product.  Russ has a success story about a man that lost over 100 lbs. using Russ' favorite kind of workout, the "at home" workout. Links Mentioned in the Show: Listener Links Lose weight with at home workouts Body contouring GroupOn Contouring company - Don't buy this Recipe of the Week: Santa Fe Style Chicken Salad  Motivational Quote: "Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." – Winston Churchill