About Doctor Ellen

Ask me about wieght loss.

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  Do you have exercise tips for those stuck at a desk?

  0 0 Aack. That sucks. I've definitely been there. THose shoulders and mid-upper back pains from hours at the computer are nasty. First, make sure you have good ergonomics so you don't actually end up with a reptitive stress injury from your work and school. Second, have you ever done any yoga? Just moving through a couple poses may really help those knotting muscles not to mention the eye strain. Third, if you can do 10 minutes 2-3 times a day of walking, climbing stairs, or push-ups it will help keep your weight stable and keep your fitness level from falling off completely. Can you walk or bike to work? Can you walk to a farther bus stop? Finding ways to stay active (as opposed to fitness-building exercise) has health benefits. Finally, if fitness is also important to you--and it is something that has so many benefits for health, sleep, mood, etc.-- then find a way to get to the gym a couple times a week, even for shorter workouts than you used to do. You'll feel the difference and you'll save on doctor's bills down the road (those lousy doctors may be needed sooner than you think if you're already getting pain! Plus, we'll probably just tell you to get some exercise anyway.). Good Luck! Doctor Ellen answered in Get Fit! about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 4 more answers »

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  I got a job! Now how do I get my body to stop being accustomed to 10 hours of sleep a night?

  1 0 Persevere. Set as regular a sleep schedule as you can so that your body gets readjusted. Try not to nap or sleep in on the weekends too much. And limit the caffeine if you are having trouble falling asleep in the evenings. Congrats! Doctor Ellen answered in Health & Fitness over 2 years ago Answer, comment & read 4 more answers »

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  What is a healthy way to increase your HDL (good) cholesterol level?

  2 0 Sounds like you are in good shape overall. But, to answer your question, you can raise HDL through exercise and eating omega-3 fatty acids like fish oil. For someone who is healthy, I'd seek our dietary sources. People with cholesterol problems can take supplements. A treatment dose is 2-4 gm of EPA + DHA (the active ingredients) daily. Doctor Ellen answered in Health & Fitness over 2 years ago Answer, comment & read 4 more answers »

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  What do you think of the blood type diets?

  1 0 I'm with you. If following an unproven plan causes more stress in your life, then it's not worth it. If there are elements that work well for you and don't have a down side, fine. If you change how you eat and you feel better, great. But I wouldn't count on getting much more "health" out of a blood type diet than you would from simply eating reasonable portions of good tasting, healthy food that you enjoy. Doctor Ellen answered in Health & Fitness over 2 years ago Answer, comment & read 3 more answers »

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  Do we know why it's so hard to lose a lot of weight?

  3 0 Great question. There are 2 sides to the story. THe body actually defends against BOTH weight gain and weight loss, trying to keep stable energy stores. So, in experiments where people or rats are overfed and gain weight, when you stop overfeeding them, they lose weight. This is becuase their metabolism is higher and their appetite is low. Hence the difficulty of skinny guys who say they eat as much as they can but still don't look like Arnold Schwartznegger. Thus, some people, who have been overeating and not exercising, find that weight comes off pretty easily when they make some simple changes to their diets and activity patterns. On the other hand, people who are already eating light, exercising, or have already lost some weight will likely find it a lot harder to keep losing. Scientists have discovered a number of the hormones that act in the brain to regulate appetite and body weight. However, this hasn't led to new drugs, etc. (yet) that cause weight loss, mostly because there is a lot of redunancy in the system. Also, we don't know why the body decides in some people that it prefers the higher weight once weight gain occurs. LIkely this has to do with a genetic susceptibility toward weight gain/fat storage, that could perhaps be counteracted once it is identified. Feel free to ask more if you want more elaboration than that! Doctor Ellen answered in Health & Fitness over 2 years ago Answer and comment »

• Follow Following 1 Do we know why it's so hard to lose a lot of weight? Violet DaGrinder asked Doctor Ellen in Health & Fitness over 2 years ago 1 Answer by Doctor Ellen…

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  What is the best (and least expensive) boot camp in Seattle?

  0 0 Oh dear, you've triggered a memory of the first time my upper arm reminded me of my grandmother's. Aack. Anyway, I don't have boot camp expertise, only gossip. I know a bunch of people who have done them, they seem to cost about what a drop-in yoga class might, around $12 or $15 a class. Post your question to everybody on Questionland--I bet you'll get good info. Have fun. Doctor Ellen answered in Health & Fitness over 2 years ago Answer, comment & read 3 more answers »

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  Belly fat.

  1 0 Liposuction does not really lead to long-term weight loss. Not sure if it would temporarily solve your back issues enough for you to rehab your back and get on a steady exercise regimen. What about exercise that puts less strain on your back? Recline bike, swimming, water aerobics? Yoga or pilates to strengthen your core. I'd spend the liposuction money to find a comfortable way of exercising that is sustainable for you and your lifestyle. Doctor Ellen answered in Health & Fitness over 2 years ago Answer and comment »

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  I got depressed and turned 35 at the same time. No longer depressed, but can't shake the pounds. I work out, eat healthy - what else can I do?

  0 0 Sounds like your body has decided on a weight it likes to be at for now. Most people do gain weight during their adult years--about 1 pound per year on average. It doesn't all come gradually, so this weight gain may be a normal part of aging. You've made a lot of healthy changes already--keep those up! If your lifestyle changes result in a weight loss of even 5 or 10%, that will improve your insulin resistance and help prevent diabetes. If you haven't tried cutting back you portion size a little, that could help. One wacky way that works for some people is to just use smaller plates. Don't get discouraged--what you are doing is benefitting your health, even if the pounds aren't coming off. Doctor Ellen answered in Health & Fitness over 2 years ago Answer and comment »

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  "Belly fat" - myth or fact?

  0 0 Belly fat--in medical terms "intraabdominal fat"--is more closely connected to risk of diabetes, bad cholesterol and the heart disease and other problems that go along with those. So a woman who is overweight, but carrying most of it in her hips (a pear shape) is likely better off than a woman who is relatively thin, but carrying it in her abdomen (an apple shape). The bad fat is what is inside the belly where you can't see it. Every woman, and most guys, have love handles--these don't lead to health problems, just muffin top! Sound like you have made some healthy choices already--although I'm sure plenty of ads claim the opposite--there is nothing I know of that specifically leads to loss of belly fat. Doctor Ellen answered in Health & Fitness over 2 years ago Answer and comment »

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