RD FIT LIFE

Finally, a Book by a Dietitian About Weight Loss Surgery!

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I am so excited to announce that I have written a book and it is now available on Amazon for purchase!  I did want to explain why I wrote this book and what better place to do that than right here.

I recently left the world of bariatric nutrition counseling to pursue a different career path within the world of dietetics.  Over the years working with weight loss surgery patients, I was always asked where an informational book about bariatric nutrition could be found.  That was a great question.  I couldn’t really find one that I highly recommended.  Throughout the years I was asked by many of my patients why I had not written a book.  I could think of a million reasons… It takes a lot of time… and how in the world do I compile all the knowledge I’ve soaked up over the years?  During the last several months I was working with these patients, the request continued to grow.  It seemed like I was being asked almost weekly to compile my knowledge.  So that’s when I began.

Once I started, it seemed like my life consisted of work, home, and typing away.  Here are some thoughts I had while writing.

  1. How in the world will I organize all this knowledge??
  2. I’ve really seen thousands of patients over the years…
  3. Gosh my patients have been motivational!
  4. Is that the correct usage of a semi-colon?
  5. I really can’t let this knowledge go to waste.
  6. Will people actually read this?
  7. Oh my goodness… It’s really finished!

That’s it!  I had completed my first draft.  I located some amazing editors (AKA: my brother and husband) who read it immediately.  They spent so much time going over every chapter with me and I could not have done it without them.  By the time the editing was complete, the excitement began.  It was becoming real.  After all of the long hours writing, designing, and editing, it was now ready for publishing.

What I hope for this book is to help people.  The questions I received over and over are finally answered.  They are answered in a way that can help people feel more comfortable living this new lifestyle.  It is a big change for most people and no one should feel alone and confused.   So if you know anyone that is considering weight loss surgery, tell them about this book.  They will find out what to expect, learn what questions to ask, and discover how to insure long-term success.   This is important information to know in order to win with weight loss surgery!

*My book is available to purchase on the side bar of my home page.  Kindle app is available for download on Apple products.

Arm-A-Gettin’ It!

A lot of women ask me regularly what they can do to improve their arm strength and tighten up those loose areas.  So this post is for you ladies!

I wanted to provide a step by step guide and explain where these movements will target.  And also help you get started so you can get stronger over time.

There are three main areas I focus on when I think of arms and that is shoulders, biceps, and triceps.  There are TONS of exercises for these areas, but this post will be a starter post.

 

SHOULDERS

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The shoulder press can be done sitting or standing.  Sitting is better for those with poor balance or if you are attempting this for the first time.

Start without weights at first.  Just do a practice set of 10 to make sure you are keeping proper form.  When you press, keep your arms by your ears, and on your way down, make sure you stop at a 90 degree angle.

Now… you’ve done your practice set, and you’re ready to add weight, but how much and how many reps?

If you are looking to “tone”, then you really want to do a lower weight with higher reps.  For example:  use 5-10 pound weights and shoot for 15-20 reps.  This motion repetitively will induce a higher heart rate which is excellent for fat burning.  Always shoot for 3-4 sets.

If you are looking to “build”, then you want the heaviest weight you can handle (with proper form) for 8-12 reps.  In this photo I am using 25 pound dumbbells.  Sitting on a bench usually allows you to push heavier weight.  For me, I can increase by 5 more pounds and use 30 pound dumbbells.

If you are new to the weight lifting scene and you would like to build, I would still start with high reps and low weight first until you feel that your first two sets are a breeze.  Once you consider those first two sets easy, move up in weight.  Attempt a 5 pound increase per dumbbell.  And do not be afraid to ask for a spot from someone nearby or a staff member!

Another great shoulder exercise is the standing/upright barbell row.  You will definitely feel the burn in those shoulders!

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You want to place your hands a little further than shoulder width apart.  You will see markers on the barbell itself.  Keep your back straight and pull the barbell up to your chest and keep your elbows pointing out as shown above.

Again, start with extremely light weight or a plastic rod (or broom even) to make sure your form is appropriate to avoid injury.

BICEPS

arms 4     arms 6     arms 5

The bicep curl is the most common exercise to improve your bicep strength.  Above you will see the three step movement to ensure proper form while doing your curl.  It is important not to throw your weight up to your chest.  If you feel that you are struggling to the point of swinging your dumbbells/barbell, you need to lower your weight.

If you are attempting this for the first time, please do 10 reps without weight just to make sure you are comfortable with the movement.

Then as we discussed above in the SHOULDERS section, use light weight to get comfortable with your form and to tone the area.  Gradually build your weight to improve strength.  Doing 15-20 reps will keep your heart rate up.  Doing 8-12 heavy reps will begin the building process.  Always shoot for 3-4 sets.

TRICEPS

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This exercise is what we call the Tricep Kick-back.  Tricep movements will help tighten up the backsides of your arms.  This is the number one area I am asked about regularly by my patients.  So I wanted to be sure I added this into the post.

There are many tricep exercises, but we will focus just on the kick-back and rope pull down.

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This machine being used is the cable machine.  My gym (Anytime Fitness in Madison) actually has tons of attachments for this machine.  One of my favorites is the rope attachment.

If you have never tried using the rope attachment or a cable machine at your gym, ask a staff member to assist you in hooking it up.  This way you can learn how to use this equipment properly.

Once you are all hooked up, attempt 10 reps with no weight to achieve proper form.  You want to pull the rope down to where your arms are creating a 90 degree angle.  You do NOT want to break this angle and begin bringing your arms to your chest.  Next, you want to fully extend your arms downward and twist your wrists to swing the ends of the rope outwards as shown above.

As discussed earlier in the SHOULDERS and BICEPS sections, begin with light weight and high reps until you are more comfortable with the movements.  Once you gain comfort with this movement, you can begin to increase your weight.

I hope this post was helpful!  If you have questions, please leave a comment in the section below.  You may also share this post by clicking the social media icons below!

Creamy Scalloped Garlic and Herb Chayote

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I am BEYOND excited to share a new recipe I threw together last night!  Chayote is an excellent non-starchy vegetable that most people in the United States are not familiar with.  To learn more, click HERE.  I would also like to add this dish is bariatric friendly!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 2 chayote
  • 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon of sage
  • 1 teaspoon of oregano
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup green onions, chopped

First you want to wash the outside of your chayote and then peel with a potato peeler.

chayote 1

It helps me to cut them in half to be sure I peel all of the skin off in the crevice.  There is also a thin seed inside, so do remove that as well.

Once your chayote is all peeled, slice them into very thin slices.

chayote 2

Here is where I added the olive oil, chopped garlic, Italian seasoning, oregano, and sage (The garlic powder will be saved for later ).  I stirred the chayote around to evenly distribute all of the seasonings and coat the pan with the olive oil, then covered the pan.  Place the skillet on medium heat for about 5 minutes then stir.

Once the chayote is very soft (enough to slice in half), I drained the liquid and moved the mixture to a bowl.  This is where I added the Greek yogurt and garlic powder.  You can definitely add more seasonings for flavor if you like stronger flavors!

To complete the dish, I sprinkled some chopped green onions on top!  You will now have a healthy, low fat, high protein replacement for creamy scalloped potatoes!

Enjoy!

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