Announcement: Have a Question? Ask an Expert Here

anna.oskar

Happy Monday Ladies!

The Knot is working with a new contributor, Doug Rice of Bridalicious Bootcamp. He is a Fitness expert who has been working with brides-to-be exclusively for years and has a lot of great fitness advice and information to offer you ladies. He’ll be contributing video and advice articles on The Knot, is a National Association of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer and has more than 10 years of personal training experience.

 

Starting next week, we're going to begin a new Expert Q&A series here on GIS  called “Fit Fridays”. (So keep an eye out for the thread!) Doug will answer any fitness questions you ladies have.

If you have any questions that you would like answered about fitness or nutrition, feel free to post it in this thread.  Besides his own credentials, he is backed by a team of dietitians and nutritionists as well.  I know some of you have tons of questions for Doug, so get to posting!  He'll be here next week and it'd be great if we had tons of questions for him to address.

 

Doug’s user name is Knot Fitness Coach Doug. So please don't report him as a vendor!

 

soon2bemrscj

I have a question.  I want to know how I can *gain* some weight.  I've been eating smaller meals more frequently and more calories overall, but can't seem to get my weight up.  I lost about 7 pounds due to stress and would really like them back!  Any advice is appreciated.

quirky75

Apple Cider Vinegar - is it really beneficial health-wise to have some everyday or is it just a new fad?

Knot Fitness Coach Doug

Hi deeegoalie! This is a fantastic question, because I am very skeptical of almost any "new miracle" diet or whatever. So, I contacted my close colleague who is a credentialed expert on nutrition, Roger Adams, Ph.D, CISSN.

Here's what Dr. Adams said about your question:
Apple Cider Vinegar - is it really beneficial health-wise to have some everyday or is it just a new fad?

Apple cider vinegar has been purported to be quite the health tonic recently. Claims ranging from removing warts to lowering cholesterol to aiding weight loss have been publicized.  Many of these “amazing claims” have little, if any, medical or scientific research to back them up. Some are simply ancient folk remedies, while others do have a little research that is intriguing.

First of all, what is it? All vinegars are products of fermentation; just like alcohol. This process involves the breaking down of sugars by bacteria and yeast. Alcohol is formed during the first stage of fermentation; further fermentation leads to vinegar. This may explain why that special bottle of wine sitting for years in the cabinet above your stove may have tasted bad. There are many types of vinegars to choose from; obviously apple cider vinegar is made from the fermentation of crushed apples.

Health claims such as lowering blood sugar, risk of heart disease, and weight loss have a few scientific studies in humans; others such as lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, and decreasing cancer risk have only been shown in animal or laboratory studies.

So should you take it? There are a few possible risks associated with consuming apple cider vinegar that must be discussed prior to you deciding if this is for you. Keep in mind that apple cider vinegar is very acidic and should be diluted with water or juice before consuming. The acid is high enough to possibly cause some esophageal or stomach discomfort.  Long-term use of any vinegar may cause potassium levels to drop leading to lower bone density. If osteoporosis runs in your family, apple cider vinegar may not be a wise choice. Despite some of the risks, if diluted properly, apple cider vinegar may offer you some benefits. It can act as a mild diuretic and may help prevent water weight gain. Additionally, when added to a mixed meal containing carbohydrates, it may give you a feeling of fullness leading to slower or less food consumption.

If you choose to try apple cider vinegar, use the pure liquid form and dilute it with water. Don’t consume a supplement or pill; nutritional supplements are not regulated so you can’t be sure what you are consuming. Adding some diluted apple cider vinegar to your olive oil as a salad dressing or having a diluted amount in your drinking water may offer you some benefits, but nothing works better than a healthy diet!

Be well,

Roger Adams, Ph.D, CISSN
eatrightfitness.com

Knot Fitness Coach Doug

Hi there soontobemrscj! Your question is an important one and requires some professional nutrition expertise, so I contacted my close colleague, Roger Adams, Ph.D, CISSN of Eat Right Fitness, here's what Dr. Adams wrote about your question:

While this is a problem not many people have, and even fewer want to hear about., it can be concerning when you are not able to keep your weight up. And you are right, stress is a huge contributor to an inability to gain weight. Small frequent meals are definitely the way to go; but the composition of those meals really matter. You could easily gain weight by eating high-fat foods or eating pizza and beer every night; but that’s not the kind of weight you want to gain!

The first thing you should do is figure out how many calories you need to consume to gain weight. Weight gain should be gradual. An easy way to figure out your calorie intake is to multiply your weight by 10-11 calories per pound. This amount is an estimate of your resting metabolic rate (RMR). This is the number of calories you need to just stay at the weight you are at; not taking into account any exercise you may be doing. Once you have determined your RMR, add 300-500 calories per day. This amount will ensure you are getting what your body needs, plus a little extra to gain weight. If you are very active, then you should add even more calories; just be sure to spread them evenly throughout the day.

Try to plan on having 3 small meals and 3 snacks per day. With each of these, make sure you include a quality protein such as lean poultry, beef, fish, dairy, or even a protein shake. With the protein, make sure you include at least 2 servings of carbohydrates or fruit each time you eat. And finally, opt for low-fat choices, not non-fat. choose low-fat dairy, for example, instead of fat-free selections. Fat has over two times as many calories per gram as carbohydrate and protein, so you can really increase your calorie intake simply by adding some fat to each meal and snack. Additionally, choose healthy fats like those found in olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds.

For example, a simple mid-day snack could be some low-fat Greek yogurt with a banana and peanut butter on whole-grain crackers. While this may seem like a lot, in order to gain weight you must eat a little more than you would normally eat each time you have a meal or snack. You can easily add healthy calories to your lunch or dinner by simply adding more olive oil to your salad or sandwich and adding some avocado or low-fat cheese to your meal.

The last thing to consider is the type of workout you are doing. If you are doing high-intensity cardiovascular workouts, you may simply be burning too many calories. To help gain quality weight, increase the amount of resistance-type training in your workouts and keep aerobic or cardiovascular activities to a minimum. Also, it’s important to eat a meal or snack immediately after working out so your body has all the nutrients necessary to gain quality weight.

While it may seem like you have lost weight overnight, you don’t want to gain it that quickly. By consuming healthy fats, quality protein and carbohydrates throughout the day, and increasing your resistance-type training, you can add healthy weight to your body leading up your big day.

Roger E. Adams, Ph.D., CISSN
eatrightfitness®
eatrightfitness.com

CJPierce082011

Hello, my fiance is currently deployed and is scheduled to come home in February. We recently got engaged and our plan is for me to plan our wedding while he is gone because once he returns we will be PCSing to Fort Bragg for Special Forces training. This morning we received word that his unit may return three months early but nothing is set in stone. I want to send out engagement annoucements, but with my wedding date not set in stone, I am not sure how to properly word them. I would like to say something like:

Mr. and Mrs. _______
Are pleased to annouce the engagement of thier daughter
Courtney ________
to
Staff Sergeant Jeremiah _________
United States Army

No Wedding Date Has Been Set
Pending Deployment

I am not sure if the ending is the proper way to say "the deployment is determining the date." Any advice would help!