Posts by dominiquep1

hey there!

As a fellow IBS sufferer, I completely understand! It's super embarrassing and entirely unpleasant.  For the past two years I've been using activated charcoal tablets for both bloating and gas issues.  I buy the vegetarian charcoal pills from Whole Foods (although I'm sure you could find them at any other health food store) and will take 2 before a 'trigger' meal as a prophylactic, or when I'm having a bloat/gassy episode.  The charcoal helps absorb any excess gases that are in your digestive tract and I've always been pretty happy with the result.

Good luck!

I'd definitely have to second nikijanestorey here. The most important factor when weighing yourself is consistency. Weigh yourself at the same time of day and then you'll be able to accurately assess weight change.  

True weight is a tricky thing - most scales differ slightly.  The only way (to my knowledge) that one could learn one's "true" weight would be to perform a water displacement test. 

Also, the nutrients that you consume one day don't magically pass through your system by morning. Water retention due to dehydration/high sodium intake can affect a subsequent day as well. Your body isn't this blank canvas devoid of yesterday's intake by morning. 

I'm 5'3.5", 117 lbs and normally between a size 0-2

haha, I'm not sure if I'm that confident but thanks for the more interesting suggestions...

And thank you ds1973 - your kids are super cute too!

I found this website that lists yoga youtube videos:

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2009/01/20-hot test-yoga-videos-on-youtube-that-dont-suck-da ft-yoga-richard-freeman-bridget-woods-kramer- tara-stiles-elena-brower-patricia-walden-sean e-corn/

I've never used a yoga DVD so I can't give you any help there. 

Good luck!

First off, congratulations on becoming a bicycle commuter! 

I bike to work (12 miles each way) every day and find it's a really great way to get exercise in without taking too much time out of my already crazy schedule.  

I'm a HUGE fan of pit zips (the zippers that extend from the under side of your jacket sleeve to just below your armpits) that you can open up when it's kind of chilly or rainy, but you're still working up a sweat.  

Another great bike addition for commuters are panniers which are kind of like little saddlebags that you can mount on your back tire to hold a change of clothes, deodorant (a must) and even files or documents. 

As for rain, I have a visor on my helmet that helps keep it out of my eyes and I always wear gloves (halfsies in summer, full fingers in winter) which helps keep your hands from slipping on the handlebars.  To keep your head a bit drier and if you have pretty short hair, my brother uses a kind of skullcap thing that absorbs sweat but also keeps his head dry when rain comes between his helmet slots.  And if you're not too afraid to look a little geeky, you can stash a showercap in your camelbak and put that over your helmet when it starts to pour. 

Hey summer_moth,

Don't be too disheartened, drinking alcohol can cause water retention (and therefore morning after weight gain) especially since it's a diuretic and so dehydrating.  Try and rehydrate, exercise and see if the scale drops back down!

 Oh, and pizza can also contain A LOT of sodium with all that cheese and depending on the toppings (i.e. pepperoni, sausage) which can cause water retention too

I have IBS so I frequently have to deal with bloating issues and I lLOVE the tip that elizaveta_joy gave! Both mint and ginger (and any teas with dandelion) are really good for digestion and cleansing.  If I know that I'm going to be eating a 'trigger' food or if I'm feeling really bloated I'll also take 2 vegetarian charcoal capsules.  You know how they used to use charcoal as an emetic and to absorb toxins (still do actually), well it also works really well in small doses to absorb excess gases and toxins. I buy mine at Whole Foods in the digestive section. 

Good luck!

Actually the body can break down fat into a glycolytic subunit.  Glucose is the energy of choice because it leads into glycolysis and then into the TCA/Kreb's/Citric Acid Cycle as pyruvate and then into the Electron Transport Chain (assuming that your body is operating under aerobic conditions).  For every 1 glucose your body gets 36 ATP which is the most basic biological energy 'currency'.  

While your metabolism prefers to break down carbohydrates (like glucose), if you're mounting a moderate caloric deficient it will break down fats through beta oxidation into pyruvate and fatty acids that through a series of further modifications can enter into the TCA cycle and generate ATP.  The reason why your body stores energy in the form of fat is that it's much more stable and harder to break down than sugars.  Its an evolutionary way to ensure survival during hard times.  If the body has no adipose fat deposits to break down and you aren't consuming enough fats, it starts to break down proteins.  If you aren't consuming adequate levels of 'food energy' and you have no fat stored your body will start metabolizing it's own protein starting with those stored in the liver and the muscles.  

http://dl.clackamas.edu/ch106-06/metaboli.htm http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11255140

I love adding silken tofu to fruit smoothies; it's a great source of protein and really smooths it up.