Here are several hidden opportunities to work out:

1. When you’re on the phone, it’s time to tone! Whether you’re on the phone at the office or taking a knowingly long phone call from your mother-in-law, use this time to stand and walk around. Walking and talking is any easy way to double your calorie-burn instead of posting up at your office desk or your favorite gossip chair in the living room. Sitting can burn up to 87 calories an hour—but standing can burn an easy 134 calories an hour, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
2. When you’re in line, tone your behind! No one can stand waiting in long lines at the grocery store or DMV—we’d rather be in and out. Instead of rolling your eyes while you’re waiting in line, stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and squeeze your glutes together. Imagine you’re trying to crack a pistachio with your hind muscles and hold for three seconds. Repeat this move 15 times or at least until the line starts moving.
3. When you’re at a red light, make your tummy tight! Take some time to tone and de-stress when you’re stuck at a red light or in standstill traffic. Keep your hands on the steering wheel or on top of your thighs and exhale slowly as you tighten your abdominal muscles—imagine you are sucking in your belly button towards your spine and hold for a count of three seconds. Repeat 10 times or until the traffic starts moving.
4. When running errands, get a brisk walk in! Considering a brisk walk can burn up to 300 calories an hour or more, use your errand-running time to get fit. Whether you’re running to the mall or making a quick trip to the store, use the time walking to and from your car to briskly march for a mini-workout.
5. When you’re at your desk, boost your chest! Pushups are a great way to tone and tighten your arms and chest but you don’t always need to be on the ground to do one. Next time you have a break at the office, stand approximately two or three feet from your desk and lean in, keeping your legs straight. With your hands shoulder-width apart, place them on the edge of your desk with your arms straight. Carefully bend your elbows as your lean your upper body towards your desk and pause when you nearly touch, then push back to starting position. Repeat this mini-workout 10 to 15 times or until your coworkers start looking at you funny.

We may not have a solid hour block of time during our busy schedules to head to the gym, but we do have little snippets we can sneak some mini-workout exercises into. These are just a few ways to tighten and tone your body to help you lose weight next time you have a few extra minutes to spare. When it comes to exercise, any amount of time can help with weight loss—three 10-minute blocks of exercise can produce the same health benefits as 30 consecutive minutes of exercise!

But before you hit the trail, it’s important to prepare yourself. Bringing water is crucial, of course, but if you’re planning a long day of hiking, it will also be necessary to bring along some lightweight, healthy snacks that stay fresh and pack the energy punch you’ll need. Though ideal for hiking, these portable snacks are perfect for any time you’re on the go, providing healthy sustenance while not taking up much space in your bag.

• Seeds. Tiny, light and full of nutrients, seeds are a perfect trail snack. One that might be of particular interest is the chia seed, which is rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, protein and fiber. They also absorb nine times their weight in water, which will help to keep you full and hydrated. Best known for sprouting into the “hair” on Chia Pets, chia seeds also have a long history of providing on-the-go energy, as they were once used as an energy source for Aztec warriors during battle and by Native Americans during long journeys.
• Nutrition Bars. Packed full of the protein you’ll need to keep your muscles and bones healthy and plenty of carbohydrates to give you energy, nutrition bars offer a lot for such a small package. When picking a nutrition bar, be sure to take a look at the calorie and protein content. Some may be best suited for a quick snack while others will provide you with enough energy to substitute a small meal.
• Trail Mix. It may seem like a no-brainer hiking snack, but most of the trail mix you find in stores is full of sugar and empty calories. Instead, try mixing up a batch of your own using dried fruit (with no sugar added), raw nuts and energy-boosting foods like the goji berry, which contains over 20 vitamins and minerals like fiber, protein and vitamin C.

When considering your trail snack options, there are several problem ingredients you’ll need to be on the lookout for in the grocery store. Though the above are all great on-the-go energy sources, many versions of these products will contain things like high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, aspartame, MSG or artificial preservatives like TBHQ, BHT and BHA. These kinds of unhealthy ingredients can ruin the otherwise beneficial energy boost that each trail snack provides.

Once thought to be a disaster for any diet, nuts are now getting the credit they deserve as a potentially healthy part of any balanced diet. Though they’re high in fat, they contain healthier, unsaturated fats and have been shown to reduce the body’s levels of bad cholesterol. They’ve also been shown to reduce inflammation in the arteries, helping to lower the risk of heart attack and heart disease. Adding nuts to your diet in moderation can even help you lose weight, as they tend to fill you up quickly and are a much healthier alternative to many snack foods.

Though most nuts have very similar caloric and nutritional content, some are a bit healthier than others. The following nuts contain the just 160 calories per ounce, making them the healthiest choices for your weight loss snacking:

• Pistachios – 49 nuts per ounce with 6 grams of protein & 13 grams of fat

• Cashews – 16 to 18 nuts per ounce with 5 grams of protein & 13 grams of fat

• Almonds – 23 nuts per ounce with 6 grams of protein & 14 grams of fat

All nuts contain protein, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, so you shouldn’t hesitate to reach for any kind of nut over a bag of potato chips when you’re feeling the urge to snack. However, the nuts above may be better choices than pecans and macadamia nuts, which have the highest calorie and fat content and lowest amount of protein per ounce:

• Pecans – 18 to 20 halves per ounce with 3 grams of protein & 20 grams of fat

• Macadamia nuts – 10 to 12 nuts per ounce with 2 grams of protein & 21 grams of fat

For any nut, the healthiest option will always be the raw, plain kind. Anything sugar-coated or honey-roasted will pack in empty calories, counteracting the natural healthiness of the nut. Pay attention to the nutritional label of any prepackaged nuts you buy and avoid products that contain high levels of sugar and unhealthy fats.

This goes for peanut butter and other nut spreads too—in moderation, they can provide you with just the same nutritional value as regular nuts, but are frequently packed with unhealthy ingredients like hydrogenated oil. Even roasted nuts can carry these unhealthy attributes, as many of them are heated in omega-6 unhealthy fats or hydrogenated oil. To make matters worse, heating nuts to high temperatures can result in the destruction of many of their nutrients.

Nuts make for a perfect snack while trying to lose weight, but as with all great things, they must be enjoyed in moderation. Eating a handful of nuts each day can be great for the body—just be sure that you’re picking the right ones.

If you know your on-the-job personality, you will be able to figure out the perfect fitness routine for your weight loss goals. Experts believe you need intrinsic motivation in your fitness environment, such as doing something you naturally find rewarding. The more you customize your workout routine to take advantage of what exercises you do well with and how you approach the world in general; you will be able to obtain your goals more easily.

Here are a few personality types, represented in three disparities:

Supporter vs. Challenger

• Much like how cooperators seek reassurance in the workplace, these types are more suited for workouts in which the emphasis in on fun and encouraging others rather competition. Sufficient workouts such as intramural sports like kickball or softball are ideal choices for fitness if you are a cooperator.
• On the other hand, when your personality tends to fall on the dominant end of the spectrum, exercises that rely little on others’ motivation and are driven by winning are better choices. For example, the competitor would thrive playing an aggressive game of tennis. Their drive to win and ability to rely solely on his or her own self would motivate them to really work hard and put in a good workout. Just be cautious to not hurt yourself in the process if you do tend to be a bit competitive when it comes to sports and fitness.

Extroverts vs. Introverts

• If you tend to be more of a social butterfly in the workplace, then you have the option to enjoy a variety of exercises and fitness regimens—as long as you have a buddy to do them with you. Fitness tends to be associated with socialization and so exercises such as running, biking and sports leagues tend to motivate these types more so than other exercises.
• Introverts are not like extroverts in that they value solitude when it comes to physical fitness. Fitness such as long-distance running, yoga or swimming are great activities for working out alone. This helps them focus on their own movements and goals for weight loss and not become easily distracted by others.

Experimenter vs. Perfectionist

• Experimenters or big-picture thinkers in the workplace tend to be a bit more tolerant and welcoming to risk and uncertainty. Fitness routines that offer flexibility and room to experiment are great for these types as they allow them to involve their creativity and intuition. Pilates, power yoga or dance classes are great physical activities for this type where they can work at their own pace and incorporate different degrees of difficulty.
• Perfectionists on the other hand are the detail-oriented workers who love the certainty of structure. When it comes to fitness, these types really benefit from figuring out all of the ins and outs of the workout and labeling all of the pros and cons. Workouts that involve rules such as golf or baseball will really get their brains thinking. These physical activities give them hundreds of tiny details to figure out and master, and ultimately will drive them to work harder for their workout.

What type of fitness personality are you? Once you are able to determine what types of workouts best fit your personality, the sooner you will be able to stay focused and motivated on your journey to weight loss. Talk with Dr. Aguila about what kind of workouts would be best for your individual weight loss goals.

When it comes to weight loss, identifying the stress factors that trigger your indulgent eating habits can help you break the cycle of obesity. It’s hard to overcome feelings of anxiety and stress, so we tend to turn to sugary carbs to overcome our emotions.

Here are some tricks to help you avoid emotional eating and stay on track with weight loss:

• Recognize Stress Triggers: Often we find ourselves in the middle of an overwhelming work project or a laundry list of things we need to do and turn to sugary treats for comfort. If you are able to identify what prompts your emotional eating, you will have a better chance of ignoring those triggers and be able to change your eating patterns accordingly.
• Eat Healthier Foods: When it comes to emotional eating, some of us just cannot say no. If you absolutely have to eat to deal with the stress, do so in a healthy manner. Make sure you have plenty of healthy options to choose from at your office or at home so you won’t be tempted to eat those muffins in the break room or snack on your kids’ bake sale treats.
• True Hunger vs. Emotional Hunger: Most of the time, stress eaters are not aware that their hunger cues are solely emotionally based. They mistake emotional hunger for physical hunger and end up overeating. Next time you feel the urge to stress-eat, take a moment to determine whether you’re actually hungry or if it’s just emotional hunger tempting you to eat something bad. Most of the time you may find your hunger subsides and you’ll be happy you avoided an unnecessary doughnut or cinnamon roll. Also, try drinking some water instead of eating in case you’re mistaking thirst for hunger.
• Distract Yourself: Instead of indulging your sweet tooth during stressful times, distract yourself by any means necessary to take your mind off the temptation. Take a short walk around the office or listen to some music to calm your nerves. Doing something to distract yourself can take your mind off what’s stressing you out and help you to forget your craving for something sweet.

Next time you feel the temptation to stress-eat, remember this is the viscous cycle of obesity trying to offset your progress for weight loss. It is up to you to break away from the cycle and take a step towards a healthier lifestyle by making the right choice to not eat unhealthy treats during times of stress. For more information on how to help break your cycle of obesity, talk with Dr. Aguila and get back on track with your weight loss for long term success.

There’s a widespread belief in the fitness world that aerobics and strength training aren’t symbiotic. Many think that, when the two types of workouts are employed in proximity to each other, strength training will reduce the impact of aerobics on the body’s endurance response and aerobics will impede muscle growth. Popularly known as “exercise antagonism” or “muscle interference,” the idea has affected the workout regimens of numerous athletes, both professional and amateur, and even professional trainers. But is exercise antagonism real and does it affect our everyday attempts to get fit and lose weight?

Studying Exercise Antagonism

With no scientific evidence to support the claim, two separate groups of researchers—one Swedish, one Canadian—put muscle interference to the test. Though both studies had all male participants, a common flaw in many exercise studies, the two groups of men were significantly different. In Sweden, they used young, fit, college-aged men, while the Canadians used sedentary, middle-aged men. Both groups took part in exercise sessions that included aerobic bike workouts and muscle-building leg extensions, both alone and in conjunction. The researchers took muscle biopsies before and after each session in an attempt to see how the exercises would impact one another.

They hypothesized that, as is commonly believed, the combination of exercises would have some kind of negative impact on the physiological effectiveness of one or both of the workouts. However, what they found was that the workouts had no negative bearing on the way each of them changes our bodies on a molecular level. Muscle training resulted in zero interference for endurance training, and vice versa.

In fact, the Canadian study found that practicing the two forms of exercise in conjunction may actually be beneficial. During the combination exercise sessions, participants were doing 50 percent less of each kind of exercise than in the sessions that focused on a single form, yet they experienced the same amount of change in both areas as when the forms were done alone. Though they split the time in these sessions between weight and aerobic training, the results were the same as if they had devoted an entire session to each type of exercise.

The Takeaway

This is huge news for competitive athletes who have complex workout programs and have been forced to keep aerobic and weight exercise separate in their training regimens. However, it also simplifies things for the rest of us. Rather than trying to separate weight training and aerobics, we are free to practice both of them at our convenience without consequence. If the Canadian study is correct, we may even get some benefits from doing the both of them together.

So whether you began reading this article without any knowledge of exercise antagonism or have been keeping your workouts separated for years, you can breathe easy knowing that your workouts aren’t interfering with each other. Your body will always feel the benefits and now your schedule may, too.

Vegetable gardens take a decent amount of effort, but the reward is fresh produce at your fingertips. In addition to the benefit of having fruits and vegetables to snack on at a moment’s notice, the act of gardening can be great exercise. Here are a few tips to help you get your vegetable garden blooming.

1. Pick a sunny spot. If this is going to be your first garden then there is no need to tear up your entire backyard. Find a small plot that is manageable and work with it. The most important thing to consider when choosing a gardening spot is the amount of sunshine it will get.
2. Embrace nature’s helpers. Dig into the earth once when you are planting your flowers, but after your garden is established continue to add soil to the top layer of the earth instead of continuously digging into the ground. Earth worms, fungi and other helpful creatures live in the soil and will help to fertilize your plants, helping them to grow faster and more voluptuous.
3. Keep up with maintenance. It is important to water, weed and pluck produce on a regular basis. Using mulch over the soil in your garden can help to prevent weeds and keep the moisture in, but your garden will still require some love and care. This is great exercise too. Spend time in your garden at least once a week making sure that all of your plants are sprouting properly. Watering will need to be done on a near-daily basis.

Researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute developed computer models of various bodies to be fed into a program simulating the effects of radiation on human tissue. Some of the models were of healthy weight while others were morbidly obese. Researchers found when undergoing a CT scan, the internal organs of men with obesity were exposed to around 62 percent more radiation on average. Women with obesity experienced exposure levels that were 59 percent higher than those of normal weight. These percentages are high enough to increase serious health risks for people with obesity.

In general, CT scans have been known to increase anyone’s risk of developing cancer. If obese people receive higher levels of radiation, they are 60 percent more likely to develop cancer than people of normal weight. This risk still remains small but is not to be taken lightly. If you are overweight or someone suffering from obesity, consider visiting a bariatric center in St. Petersburg to seek advice on how to lose weight. Losing weight can greatly increase your overall health as well as lower your risk of numerous health-related issues including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

A long-term large-scale study has recently revealed that improper levels of sleep can lead to weight gain. Researchers out of Harvard University found that getting both too much sleep and too little sleep contributes to excess weight development over an extended period of time. The study evaluated the sleeping patterns of over 120,000 participants in 4-6 year intervals over the course of 20 years, and found that those who slept between 6-8 hours every night benefited from the healthiest weight levels. This study does not suggest that oversleeping or missing a few hours of sleep here or there will drastically impact your weight loss efforts, but instead focuses on the long-term implications of established sleeping habits.

The researchers also evaluated a number of other factors that influence weight gain, including television watching habits, diet, exercise, alcohol consumption and tobacco use. The study did find that those who consumed a diet that was rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains that also exercised regularly and had limited exposure to tobacco and alcohol maintained the healthiest weight.

This study shows that maintaining a healthy weight level involves a whole body approach to well-being. Regular physical activity and eating a healthy diet goes hand in hand with other lifestyle factors like your sleeping habits. Past research has indicated that a lack of sleep often causes individuals to feel hungrier and make poor dietary choices throughout the day. This new research adds to past claims on the benefits of healthy sleeping habits, indicating that taking a whole body approach to wellness could enhance your weight loss efforts.

Women tend to only consume four staples of the fruit family—apples, bananas, oranges and watermelon. Constantly eating the same types of fruit can lead to boredom and eventually cause you stop eating them altogether. You could be missing out on a variety of alternatives that offer an abundance of health benefits. The more varied your diet, the better chance you have of consuming your essential daily vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Try these fresh alternatives in place of your more typical mundane fruit choices.

Papaya has similar nutritious benefits as the apple. A medium sized papaya can offer you up to 20 percent of your daily fiber intake—that’s twice as much as an apple. Add papaya as you would any fruit to a salad mix or eat it with yogurt and granola.

Kiwi can offer you just as much potassium as a banana. Kiwis are also one of the five most nutrient-dense fruits on the market. Kiwi is sweet enough to be eaten alone or add it to a salsa recipe to add some flavor to chicken or fish.

Guava is an exotic alternative in place of watermelon for your lycopene intake. Lycopene is the red pigment that can lower your risk of heart disease and cancer. Guava can be used to make delicious smoothie or be eaten by itself, seeds and all.

Star fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C if you’re tired of eating oranges every day. Star fruit can also provide you with choline which helps keep your cells healthy. It is mildly sweet and slightly acidic so it makes for a good addition to fruit salad.

If you’re growing bored of staple choices, these are just a few alternatives to adding a little color and flavor to your fruit palate. These fruits can offer you numerous nutritional benefits without boring your palate to death. Although eating fruit is an essential part of staying healthy, it’s best to combine with a balanced healthy diet and plenty of exercise. Talk with your weight loss doctor in Lakeland about additional ways to lose weight and stay healthy.