Fitness Glossary

Something my friend Sam mentioned made me curious about HIIT. I was going to research and do a whole write up on that subject when I kept running into terms I was unfamiliar with in the articles. Every other word it felt like I had to look up the damn definition. So, instead of HIIT, this is my glossary o' fitness terminology.

Abdominals or "abs" - The collective name for the muscles on the front of the torso, below the chest. Swimming, rowing and Nordic skiing work these muscles.
Abductors - Muscles of the hip that pull your legs apart. Gluteus medius and minimus pull your legs outward. Inline skating, skiing and dance work these muscles.
Adductors - Muscles of the inner thigh that pull your legs together. They attach the pelvis and the femur (or thigh bone). You use these muscles when inline skating, skate skiing or swimming the breaststroke.
Aerobic - Literally, "with oxygen." Aerobic exercise is the body's process of producing energy with oxygen in the bloodstream. Byproducts are carbon dioxide and water (breathing and perspiration). It's great for burning fat and strengthening your heart and lungs.
Anaerobic - Literally, "without oxygen." In anaerobic exercise, energy is produced without oxygen, usually because the exercise intensity is such that the heart and lungs can't get enough oxygen to the muscles. Anaerobic exercise creates a byproduct called lactate, which builds up in the muscles and causes soreness and fatigue.
Antioxidants - Substances such as Vitamins A, C and E and minerals such as copper, magnesium and zinc. Believed to destroy free radicals, which some scientists think may not only accelerate aging but also contribute to the formation of cancers and cataracts.
Asana - The term for any of the many poses done in yoga.
Ballistic stretching - A kind of stretching that advocates bouncing to increase the amount of stretch. This is no longer recommended as it has been found to cause muscle tears and soreness.
Barbell - Weights attached to a long bar which requires both hands to pick up.
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) - The lowest rate of body metabolism (rate of energy use) that can sustain life, measured after a full night's sleep in a laboratory under optimal conditions of quiet, rest and relaxation.
Bicep - The muscle running along the inside of the upper arm which bends your arm at the elbow. Paddling a canoe (and a kayak, to some degree) exercises your biceps.
Biomechanics - The study of the mechanics of muscular activity.
Board-lasted - Shoe construction featuring a piece of stiff fiberboard glued to the upper and then to the mid- and outsole. These shoes offer a lot of stability and motion control, appropriate for the over-pronater. Learn how to choose running shoes.
Body fat - The percentage of your body mass that is not composed of lean muscle, water, bones or vital organs.
Body Mass Index (BMI) - Body mass index (BMI)A number that describes a body's relative weight and strongly correlates to total body fat content in adults.
Burnout - State of being bored or tired with exercise, frequently the result of overtraining or unvaried workouts. Cross-training and rest are good remedies for burnout.
Cadence - The beat, time or measure of rhythmic motion or activity such as pedaling a bicycle. Your cadence is the speed of your pedaling.
Carbohydrates - An energy source in the body. At rest, the body derives energy almost equally from the breakdown of carbohydrates and fats; during exercise, the main energy source depends on the intensity of the exercise.
Cardiovascular - Relating to or involving the heart and blood vessels.
Century - A cycling reference to a 100-mile biking event.
Complex carbohydrates - Starches, such as grains, breads, rice, pasta, vegetables and beans. They get their name from their complex, chainlike structure. During digestion, starches are typically broken down into sugars and used by the body for energy. Complex carbohydrates offer you more sustained energy levels than simple carbohydrates.
CoolMax - DuPont CoolMax is a high-performance polyester. It uses DuPont's proprietary Dacron fibers to move sweat away from the body to the outer layer of the fabric, where it can evaporate quickly. Learn how to choose fitness clothing.
Cool-down - Slowing down at the end of a workout to allow your body temperature and heart rate to decrease gradually.
Creatinine - A proteinlike substance manufactured by your muscles (but also found in some meats) that has been found to increase athletic performance and delay fatigue. Gives the muscles strength and a greater ability to do high-intensity exercise such as sprinting. Also helps buffer the lactic acid that accumulates during high-intensity exercise.
Cross-training - Mixing different activities into your regular workout routine to avoid overuse injuries and to prevent boredom. Cycling, running and swimming are 3 common activities used to cross-train different muscle groups.
Curved last - Shoe construction with a curved sole. This shape provides cushioning and promotes inward motion. Good for feet with rigid, high arches that underpronate. Learn how to choose running shoes.
Dehydration - The abnormal depletion of body fluids, easily detected by dark, concentrated urine. Prevented by drinking water or sports drinks before, during and after exercise. When you are fully hydrated, urine is plentiful, pale and odorless.
Deltoids or "delts" - The triangular, 3-part muscles that wrap around the tops of the shoulders. They allow you to raise your arms forward, backward and out to the sides, and also rotate them inward and outward. Rowing, rock climbing and swimming work the deltoids.
Dumbbell - weights attached to a short bar that can be held in one hand. Often used in pairs.
Electrolytes - Minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium that act to keep your nerves firing and muscles moving, especially during exercise. They are lost through sweating and can be replaced by drinking sports/energy drinks.
Endorphins - Any of a group of proteins with potent analgesic properties that occur naturally in the brain. These are the brain chemicals that contribute to the "runner's high" or good feelings during and after exercise.
External obliques - Muscles running diagonally downward and inward from the lower ribs to the pelvis that allow you to bend forward and twist at the waist. These lie on top of the internal obliques. The kayaking stroke uses these muscles much more than the arms!
Fartlek - Swedish for "speed play," a type of loosely structured interval training for runners, cyclists, and in-line skaters. It combines high-intensity segments with your regular training pace in order to build strength and speed.
Flexibility - The range of motion around a joint. This can be increased with stretching and yoga.
Free weights - Weights not attached to a machine nor driven by cables or chains. Barbells and dumbbells are examples of free weights.
Gels - Calorie and electrolyte supplements often taken during endurance training to maintain energy level.
Glucose - A sugar, the usual form in which carbohydrates are assimilated by the body.
Gluteus maximus, medius and minimus or "glutes" - The 3 muscles of the buttocks and hips that extend your thighs forward and to the side (abduction) and rotate your legs at the hips. Walking, running and climbing all work the gluteus maximus. Side movements such as skating or dance work the abductors.
Glycogen - The form carbohydrates take when stored in the muscles.
GO TEAM! - The universal Team-In-Training cheer!
Hamstrings - The group of 3 muscles on the back of your thighs that runs from the lower part of the pelvis to just below the knees. They allow you to bend your knees and straighten your legs at the hips. Climbing, hiking uphill, running and cycling all work the hamstrings.
HIIT or High-Intensity Interval Training - HIIT is a specialized form of interval training that involves short intervals of maximum intensity exercise separated by longer intervals of low to moderate intensity exercise.
Internal obliques - Muscles that run upward and inward from the hip bones to the lower ribs, allowing you to rotate and bend at the waist. These are located underneath the external obliques. These muscles are used when you paddle a kayak.
Intervals - Speed workouts, usually run on a track, with distances and target paces decided before you run. They typically consist of relatively short sprints of 220 yards to 1 mile interspersed with rest periods of slower running.
Ironman - See Triathalon. An Ironman triathalon refers to these specific distances... 2.4 mile (3.86 km; 77 lap) swim, a 112 mi (180.2 km) bike ride, and a 26.2 mi (42.195 km) run.
Isometrics - Exercise or a system of exercises in which opposing muscles are so contracted that there is little shortening but great increase in tone of muscle fibers involved.
Kickboard - Small foam board used for short sprints to develop leg power and speed when swimming. Held under the chest so that the arms are not involved in the swimming stroke.
Kilometer - Metric measurement used in athletic events. One K equals 0.62 miles. A 10K race is 6.2 miles, and a 5K is 3.1 miles.
Kinesiology - the study of the principles of mechanics and anatomy in relation to human movement.
Lactic acid (lactate) - A byproduct of anaerobic (or high-intensity) exercise that collects in the muscles and causes soreness, stiffness and fatigue.
Latissimus dorsi or "lats" - the pair of fan-shaped muscles across your middle and lower back that attach the arms to the spine. They work to pull your arms down and back, and give you good posture when they are toned. Rock climbing, swimming and rowing all use these muscles.
Ligament - A flexible, non-elastic tissue that connects bone to bone. For example, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee connects the kneecap to the femur (thigh) and the tibia (shin). Ligament injuries can be sprains or tears.
Marathon - long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres (26 miles 385 yards) that is usually run as a road race. The event is named after the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides, a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens.
Microfiber - Fabric of tightly woven polyester or nylon fibers that offers good resistance to wind and light rain, as well as breathability. Shells used for high-energy, outdoor workouts are frequently made of this lightweight fabric.
Nutrition - The sum of the processes by which an animal or plant takes in and utilizes food substances.
Osteoporosis - A condition that affects especially older women and is characterized by decrease in bone mass with decreased density and enlargement of bone spaces producing porosity and fragility.
Overpronation - Excessive inward foot motion during running that can lead to injury. Learn how to choose running shoes.
Pectorals or "pecs" - The 2 pairs of muscles in the chest that work to pull the upper arms toward or across the chest. The pectoralis major covers the chest from the top of the arm to the collarbone, down to the sternum and upper 6 ribs. The smaller pectoralis minor is located underneath, and runs from mid-chest to shoulder blade. Push-ups work the pecs!
Perceived exertion - The level of intensity you feel your body is exerting during exercise on a scale of 0 to 10. An unscientific way of staying within your target heart rate zone.
Pronation - The natural inward motion of the foot after heel strike and before pushing off again with the ball of the foot. Overpronation is excessive inward motion and can lead to running injuries. Learn how to choose running shoes.
Pull buoy - A foam flotation device designed to fit between your legs and keep the lower part of your body afloat without kicking. It allows you to work only your upper body and concentrate on your swimming stroke.
Pyruvate - A nutritional supplement that has been found to enhance athletic performance and possibly aid in burning fat.
Quadriceps or "quads" - The group of 4 muscles that make up the front of the thigh. Quads straighten the knee, and keeping them strong can help ward off knee injuries. Cycling, skiing, running and hiking downhill work these muscles!
Rectus abdominis - The muscle extending the entire length of the abdomen, from the lower 3 ribs to the top of the pubic bone (below the navel). Works to keep you upright and lets you bend at the waist. Strengthening this muscle can help prevent lower back pain.
Recumbent bike - A bicycle on which you sit in a reclined position with your back supported and your feet out in front. It can be an indoor, stationary-type or a moving, outdoor-style bike. It works the buttocks and hamstrings more than upright bicycles, and unlike uprights, supports the back.
Repetition or "rep" - A single movement, as in doing one squat. This is going down and then going back up. For toning, strength and endurance, do more reps at a lower weight.
Resistive cuffs and boots - Foam buoyancy devices placed on the ankles and/or wrists to create extra resistance for water aerobics and water running. Shown to increase workout intensity up to 5 times.
Resting Heartrate - This is a person's heart rate at rest. The best time to find out your resting heart rate is in the morning, after a good night's sleep, and before you get out of bed. The heart beats about 60 to 80 times a minute when we're at rest. Resting heart rate usually rises with age, and it's generally lower in physically fit people. Resting heart rate is used to determine one's training target heart rate. Athletes sometimes measure their resting heart rate as one way to find out if they're overtrained. The heart rate adapts to changes in the body's need for oxygen, such as during exercise or sleep. [Mine was 62 the other morning. Does that mean I'm an athletic badass? j/k]
Rhomboids - The muscles that pull your shoulder blades inward. They attach to the vertebrae at the base of the neck and go diagonally to the inside edges of the shoulder blades.
R.I.C.E. - The formula for treating an injury such as a strain or sprain. The acronym stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. [Also a favorite staple of mine, a milled rice that has had its husk, bran, and germ removed. This is done largely to prevent spoilage and to extend the storage life of the grain. After milling, the rice is polished, resulting in a seed with a bright, white, shiny appearance. The polishing process removes important nutrients. A diet based on unenriched white rice leaves people vulnerable to the neurological disease beriberi, due to a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1). White rice is often enriched with some of the nutrients stripped from it during its processing. Enrichment of white rice with B1, B3, and iron is required by law in the United States.]
Runner's High - the endorphin release and feeling of euphoria after a prolonger period of exercise
Set - A number of repetitions of a movement, such as an arm curl or a squat. A set may have 8 reps, for example.
Shin splints - The generic term for pain in the front of the lower leg. Most often caused by inflammation of the tendons (tendinitis), which can result when the tendons are subjected to too much force or repeatedly overstretched. Running or walking on hard surfaces can contribute.
Simple carbohydrates - Sugars, such as fructose, glucose, maple syrup and honey. So called because their chemical makeup consists of only 1 or 2 units as opposed to complex carbohydrates, which contain many.
Slip-lasted - Shoe construction made by sewing the upper into a sock, which is then glued directly to the mid- and outsole without any board in between. These are flexible shoes with lots of cushioning and little motion control and are ideal for the underpronater. Learn how to choose running shoes.
Spinning - The Spinning program utilizes a revolutionary stationary bike, the Johnny G. Spinner by Schwinn, which is designed to simulate a real outdoor biking experience. There are no computers attached to the Spinner, and the bike has a fixed gear, racing handlebars, pedals with clips or cages, and a seat that can adjust up and down, fore and aft. Each Spinner also has a resistance knob that you can use to adjust the intensity of each workout.
Sprain - An injury to the ligament.
Supination - Rolling motion of the feet onto the outer edges. Typical of high-arched, stiff feet. Also called "underpronation." Learn how to choose running shoes.
Static stretch - A simple muscle stretch that goes just to the point of gentle tension and is held steadily for several seconds without moving or bouncing.
Strain - An injury to the tendon or muscle.
Straight last - Shoe construction with a straight shaped sole. A straight last is appropriate for the overpronater with a flexible, flat arch. It helps to control inward motion. Learn how to choose running shoes.
Stretch reflex - A protective, involuntary nerve reaction that causes muscles to contract. Bouncing or overstretching can trigger the reflex in which muscles are trying to protect themselves from damage.
Target heart rate - The ideal intensity level at which your heart is being exercised but not overworked. Determined by finding your maximum heart rate and taking a percentage (60% to 85%, depending on fitness level) of it.
T.E.A.M. - Train. Endure. Achieve. Matter. Over the past 20 years, nearly 400,000 Team In Training® (TNT) participants have raised close to $1 billion for lifesaving blood cancer research.
TNT provides training to run or walk marathons and half marathons or participate in hiking adventures, triathlons, cross-country ski marathons and 100-mile century bike rides.
Tendon - A flexible, non-elastic tissue that connects muscle to bone. The Achilles tendon is the large connector from the heel bone into the calf muscle.
Tether - Attached to a belt and then to a ladder or some other fixed point at poolside, a tether helps you turn a too-small pool into a swimmer's treadmill. For example, you can have a great workout in a hotel pool or any other pool that's too small for laps.
Threshold - The heart rate at which lactic acid begins to build up faster than you can break it down. You should do the bulk of your training at just below that level.
Trapezius or "traps" - The triangular muscles stretching across your back from the spine to the shoulder blades and collarbone. They work with the deltoids to lift your arms and shoulders. Good to have strong ones for carrying a backpack!
Triceps - The muscles on the back of the upper arms that straighten your elbows and allow you to push your arms forward. You use them when you're fly-fishing or pushing a running stroller.
Triathalon - multi-sport endurance event consisting of swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances
Underpronation - Another term for supination, or the excessive outward-rolling motion of your feet. The opposite of pronation, or inward movement. Learn how to choose running shoes.
Vastus intermedius, lateralis and medialis - 3 of the 4 muscles of the thigh that make up the quadriceps. Strong quads help protect your knees. The 4th muscle is the rectus femoris. Cycling, skiing, running and hiking downhill work these muscles!
VO2 max - The largest volume of oxygen your body can take in and assimilate. This figure is very high in trained endurance athletes.
Warm-up - Gentle, slow exercise at the beginning of a workout to prepare muscles, heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature for the activity.
Water dumbbells/water barbells - Flotation devices shaped like paddles that provide extra resistance to your arm muscles when used underwater. They can also be used to hold you at the surface for back and leg exercises.
Water Stop - The so-appreciated voluteer supported stations along a training route for trainees to partake in sports drinks, water, gummy bears, trail mix, gels and/or random snacks.
Weight-bearing exercise - Exercise in which you support your weight or lift weight. Lifting weights or doing weight-bearing exercise (such as running, skiing or walking) can help slow down the rate of bone loss and osteoporosis, and therefore reduce fractures.
Wicking - Moisture movement by capillary action. It usually refers to technical fabrics that move sweat away from the skin to the outer surface of the fabric, where it evaporates. Learn how to choose fitness clothing.
Yoga - A system of exercises for attaining bodily or mental control and well-being. Various forms of yoga include poses (or asanas) for building strength and flexibility, breathing exercises for cleansing, and/or meditation for relaxation and stress reduction.

Tip TNT Beer Servers This Sat @ Oyster Fest!

UPDATE: We raised over $10,000 for TNT...THANK YOU!

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About 120 of us volunteers will be pouring beers this weekend where all tips benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! Please come out, get some sun, drink some beers and support us!

Nutrition Rant

Practical Nutrition should have been a required course in high school or something. It seems we all know tidbits about good fats and bad fats, good carbs and bad carbs, but when it really comes to applying those lessons to daily life the connection seems lost. Our parents were taught that smoking and butter were the way of life growing up so you can't blame them for a misguided food education, but now we know better and yet it when is it really taught????

We should be sat down and taught to dissect a Nutrition Label. Sure it says how many grams of chips we can eat, but how many is that really? We should compare cups to grams to tablespoons visually as well as mathematically. This way we can estimate truer portions day to day.

I've always wondered what MY personalize nutrition label should read. I want to know for my weight, height and age how many calories per day is recommended. Of those calories what percentage should be fat, fiber, carbs, protein, sugar, cholesterol, etc. Then armed with that guideline I could have something to compare my actual intake with.

I use the Lose It App on my iPhone now and love it, but it feels incomplete. Based on my age (31), height (5'1) and weight (124), and with a goal weight of 115 lbs, it suggest consuming 1281 calories per day to lose weight at a pound a week rate. You input gross food calorie consumption and exercise burn for a net calorie per day. It then calculate your weekly log and nutritional intake. The missing link is a comparison between my actual and what my nutrition consumption should be. Armed with this I could modify my diet to increase fiber let's say and reduce fat or whatever.

Ok, rant over. I'm just saying, information is power.

Join Me. Change Lives, Starting with Yours.

After telling myself and supporters that I would not do another marathon after completing the Honolulu Marathon last December, I have come full circle and joined the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for Summer Season 2009 and yes, another marathon!

2008 TNT recap:

• went to an information meeting mid-July and signed up to merely try it out for a $100.
• season kick off Aug 2nd -- I met the other mentees in my group and all participant bay area wide.
• before kick-off I ran 2 miles on the treadmill, m-a-y-b-e once a month.
• first training session on August 9th, ran 3 miles outside with the team.
• by Sept 9th, first 8 mile run ever!
• by Oct 26th, I had run my first ever Half Marathon and raised my fundraising minimum!
• by Nov 8th, up to 17 miles.
• Dec 14th, completed 26.2 miles on marathon day!
• the most common question about my training was, "how long did it take for you to recover?" I think I was tired for a couple weeks, but my muscles were no longer sore after about a week and by Dec 25th, after opening presents Christmas morning, Clay and I went for our first post-race run!
• after raising $5000+ for LLS, running 216 miles and enduring 134 days of training...the rest is history!!!
  

I so enjoyed Fall Season 2008 that I wanted to do more...the chance to again be part of something bigger -- to spread the word on the cause, the training and the social connection. In a time of such hard financial times, I figure if I can't donate money, I can at least donate time, energy and enthusiasm!

This season I am not going to ask you for money (though donations are always encouraged), rather I am inviting you to JOIN ME.

This year, WE could help make the LLS a one BILLION dollar fundraising organization, of which 75% of all funds raised goes towards finding a cure to blood cancer and improving the lives of patient and their families. The SF team alone, which you could be a part of, has the potential to raise $1,000,000 for the LLS, but we need all the help we can get (ahem, that means you).

HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?

1. Be my "guest" at any of the initial training sessions. See what all the "fuss" is about.
2. If you like what you see, you can sign up for 6 weeks of training -- think of it as a deposit for your own set of personal trainers and support team -- for just a $100. 24 Hour Fitness charges $129 for just 3 sessions. Makes TNT look like a really good deal. (If after this you decide not to continue, you have that option, but I would bet otherwise.)
   
3. You may surprise yourself by not only getting the personal training you couldn't buy for less, but actually connecting to the cause -- in your training you will meet honorees, those who are battling blood cancer or have survived it -- and you know what that warm-fuzzy feeling of doing something for a good cause really feels like.
   
4. You may be so inspired by how you feel once you make that connection to the cause they you will start to talk to and inspire others. Before you know it, people will offer -- without you even having to ask -- to donate to LLS. When you really try to fundraise you will be blown away at how fast and easy it is to raise the money (especially with all the tools offered by TNT).
   
5. After your 6 weeks of training, you will be asked to re-commit. To say without a doubt that you WILL raise a minimum amount.
6. Run the race of your life and with any endurance event, be changed ever after.

Incentives (beyond the obvious). Not only would you be part of the mission -- finding a cure to blood cancer and improving the lives of patients and their families, but you would get the opportunity to:

1. Train with world-class athletes. The head coach this season has been named one of Runner's World Top 10 Coaches. Last season, my coach had won the most Olympic trials of any female runner. They pretty much kick ass. And they are girls.
   
2. Gain entry to races already sold out to the general public! You could run the Nike Women's Half or Full Marathon this October. This race is sold out year after year because of the coveted participant gifts and goodies, the spectacular course and Expotique amenities. Read more on my write up from last year's race here. Or you can experience Kauai's inaugural Half Marathon. It's hawaii, need I say more? Or better yet, come with me to the Portland Marathon, for what Runner's World calls "one of the friendliest, best-organized, most family-oriented running and walking events in the country" and "one of the ten Greenest races."
   
3. Create lasting relationships. These days that seems so cliche, but as I get older, I think more and more how hard it is to really meet new people and sustain those acquaintances long enough to really become enduring friendships. I know I am not alone in this thought. It is candidly so much easier to fall back on what is comfortable, the friends and family you already have, than to reach out and bring new people into your life. When you meet people, run with them for 5 months straight, experience struggle and triumph during your training, you will share something unique and that will endure long past the end of your training season.

If you've read this far, something I've shared has peaked your interest. Won't you join me???

Women's Diet and Fitness Summit

I found out about this inaugural event from the Bay Area Business Woman, a networking group that I subscribe to and was given free tickets to attend.

This summit was hosted by CNN Health's diet & fitness expert, Dr. Melina Jampolis and KGO's Joanie Greggains at the Jewish Community Center from 1-4pm.

Dr. Jampolis is a board certified internist and physician nutrition specialist (one of only 200 in the country). She specializes exclusively in nutrition for weight loss and disease prevention and treatment.

Dr. Jampolis is a published author (of The No-Time-to-Lose-Diet, released in January 2007 and the paperback version, The Busy Person's Guide to Permanent Weight loss, released in May 2008) and maintains a small private practice in San Francisco. She believes whole-heartedly in the role of nutrition in preventative medicine and achieving optimal health. She teaches a balanced and sustainable lifestyle based eating and exercise program and has helped over one thousand clients over the past eight years improve their health and well-being.

I put all that background there because maybe you are like me, and if you are going to get lectured, it should at least be from someone who is qualified and as much of an expert in their field as possible. She was peppy and fit, smart and articulate and backed up her talk with statistics and data! Wasn't just fluff. Love that.

Ok, what were the take aways you ask? Before you read on, know that these are all things you've heard before but were presented in a way to help make diet and fitness work for you as an individual.

As of today, Obesity has killed more people than H1N1 (the swine flu) this year and is a real threat to our society. It has been on the rise for many factors including the development of high fructose corn syrup an portion size.

Since 1966 when high fructose corn syrup was developed our "sugar" intake has increased dramatically with it being included in many every day foods and drinks while refined sugar has actually decreased. In her words, our brains don't know how to process HFCS and don't tell our bodies to stop eating after a certain amount or give you a feeling of fullness. So ultimately you consume more. And your glycemic index yo-yos making you chase your next sugar high, again fueling the consumption cycle.

The Big Gulp didn't exist in the 60s and burgers were 2/3 the size. This might be OK except for the fact that we generally don't stop eating until our plates are empty.

She shared several studies demonstrating how we eat with our eyes. A study was conducted where a group of people ate a bowl of soup one day and filled out a survey afterwards stating their level of fullness and impact on how much they consumed at the next meal. The following day they were asked to eat the same bowl of soup except there was s small tube insert in the bottom of the bowl that slowly and indecipherably filled the bowl as you were eating. People ate 56% more AND when surveyed said they felt exactly as full as the day before and ate just as much in the subsequent meal. In another study she showed how variety can fool you too. Two groups were given jelly beans to eat. One group had all the same color jelly beans. The other had 6 different colors. The group that had the variety of colors ate 73% more jelly beans (and when surveyed said they didn't feel any more or less full than the other group).

Now when applying these studies to my life...

*This made me not feel so silly intentionally using salad plates and/or small bowls at home instead of the large dinner plate to trick myself into feeling fuller by filling my whole plate up, even tho it was a small plate.

*The next time I go to a holiday party or one where appetizer plates keep floating by I'm going to stick with one vice. If I feel like having a sweet thing, fine, but just one kind of sweet thing. I'll eat less of one thing that I will of a variety of things and still feel indulged!

Then she introduced the idea of Energy Density. Past research has shown that by eating a large portion of a low-energy, dense salad (filled with veggies and low-fat or non-fat dressing) prior to a meal resulted in the participants eating fewer calories in the meal. Another study showed that participants who ate soup twice a day for a snack lost more weight than a group of participants who ate dry snack foods such as crackers and chips. In other words, increasing fullness while adding few calories reduces the total calories consumed. This concept of energy density, also known as caloric density of foods, can be defined as "the number of calories in a given weight of food".

This can be calculated by using the following equation:

Energy Density = calories per serving / weight of serving in grams

The idea is to feel fuller on less calories. It sounds like a diet gimmick. But in reality, the concept of energy density can indeed help you feel satisfied with fewer calories. By consuming fewer calories, you can lose weight over time and keep it off long term. All foods have a certain number of calories within a given amount (volume). Some foods, such as desserts, candies and processed foods, are high in energy density. This means that a small volume of that food has a large number of calories.

Alternatively, some foods — such as vegetables and fruits — have low energy density. These foods provide a larger portion size with a fewer number of calories.

Three factors play an important role in feeling fuller longer.

Water. Many fruits and vegetables are high in water, which provides volume but not calories. Grapefruit, for example, is about 90 percent water and has just 38 calories in a half-fruit serving. Carrots are about 88 percent water and have only 52 calories in 1 cup.

Fat. High-fat foods are high density foods. So a small swab of butter provides little volume or fullness and is high calorie. So you are left still feeling hungry and having consumed a lot of calories. Bottom line...focus on the low-fat foods, (avoid the high fat foods) so you consume the same amount of calories for more volume of food to feel fuller longer.

Fiber. High-fiber foods — such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains — not only provide volume, but also take longer to digest, making you feel full longer.

By eating larger portions of foods less packed with calories, you squelch those hunger pangs, take in fewer calories and feel better about your meal, which contributes to how satisfied you feel overall.

Overall, Dr. Melina recommended:
-Eating a higher protein diet
-Eating foods with lower energy density
-Don't rule out all carbs, but focus on healthy carbs with soluble fiber
-Avoid things with trans fat or anything labeled with partially hydrogenated oil
-Avoid things with high fructose corn syrup
-Watch your portions
-Work physical activity into your routine

Basically, all stuff we've heard before. But the kicker is trying to do things in an everyday, manageable way so that its not a temporary diet, but a way of living healthy and happy!