Bobbie C. Thompson's Blog
August 18, 2018
Are Your Testosterone Levels Normal
Testosterone levels are something that should not be neglected by men, as men get older testosterone levels tend to drop. there should not be a big concern over this but if neglected the side effects can become annoying.
Some of the most common problems men have when they begin to see low testosterone is poor sex drive. this is probably the number one cause for low testosterone. Other symptoms may include the following:
Weight gain
Lack of energy
Depression
Erectile dysfunction
Some men will even suffer from insomnia, lack of sleep can be one of the worst things you can do to your body.
Low testosterone levels are normal as men begin to age, in most cases when men begin to notice the symptoms they do nothing about it until it is too late. In most cases, a visit to your doctor is important, he or she can do a test and confirm your levels. If the levels are too low your doctor may suggest some kind of TRT therapy (testosterone replacement therapy)
Some men may not want to ton take TRT therapy lightly as it can cause certain side effects. Some men have suffered from strokes or in fact high blood pressure.
There are certain deficiencies in your diet that can also cause low testosterone. If you are not getting enough Zinc this can lead to low testosterone.
A good way to increase testosterone levels is by taking a multivitamin containing Zinc, this can help naturally increase testosterone levels.
Testosterone boosters can also help increase testosterone. There are some men who don’t think that testosterone supplements can do much good, the truth some of the best testosteorne supplements for men can have a positive effect on boosting testosterone.. In most situations men will see a boost in testosterone within a month or so, the first signs are generally an increase in sex drive and more energy.
Normal testosterone levels and ranges
These are determined by researchers, laboratory values, and your personal physician’s professional experience.
In general, the Patient Education Institute (US National Institute of Health, 2008) states that a range of 300-1000 ng/dl (nanograms per deciliter) is normal for an adult male.
How your level is determined
Your blood sample is taken in the morning when the serum hormone level is highest for most men. The sample is usually tested in an outside laboratory and returned with a report of both free and total testosterone measured in ng/dl (US) or nmol/L (Europe measurements of nanomoles/liter)
What are normal testosterone levels?
Each different laboratory will state a normal range and flags any results falling outside that range. The exact numbers may vary depending on which laboratory is used.
Are you borderline?
For example, if a laboratory range for your age is normally 500-800 ng/dl, your results could be flagged as “low” at 499, but not at 501.
If your results are borderline, it’s then up to you and your physician to decide if hormone replacement therapy may help your symptoms.
What’s your age?
Male testosterone starts to increase during puberty and rises dramatically over the years of adolescence into a range of 200-900 ng/dl. In the 20’s and 30’s, it ranges from 300-1200 ng/dl (National Institute of Health 2008).
After age 40, a healthy range is 350-890 ng/dl, and after age 60, from 350 to 720 ng/dl (WebMD).
Disruptors and changing values of “normal”
Many researchers have noticed declining testosterone levels throughout the general population over the last several decades.
These lower figures will eventually shift the average values or “normal” as established by medical science.
While no official explanation of this male hormone decline has been offered, some experts are suggesting a possible association with the widespread use of chemical endocrine disruptors.
As you can see the ranges for testosterone can vary, if you have a basic guideline and what your levels should be and understand the values it will make it easier to keep those values under control and within normal ranges.
The post Are Your Testosterone Levels Normal appeared first on My Husband Looks Better.
August 13, 2018
Running To Lose Weight
If you are obese or you have put on excess weight and you have never been fat it can cause some severe psychological problems.
I know, I was never fat, but the married life caught up with me. A sedentary lifestyle is not easy. Being fat can affect your confidence and even the people around you will keep on pointing at the extra fat, sometimes even make fun of you.
All this can be very embarrassing and the only way to fix the issue is to cut back on food. Unfortunately, this is much harder than it may seem.
Many people start their weight loss journey with a lot of enthusiasm only to give up quickly. If they don’t see immediate results they lose the interest and give up. So if you are planning on losing weight, you must understand the drill properly and must know the amount of time any method will take so that you don’t lose focus.
Many people look for ways to lose weight without exercising. There are many ways to do so such as reducing calories intake, eating small meals throughout the day, dieting etc. However, running is one of the best ways to not only lose weight but to improve your health.
Tips for running
Running mindlessly will not be the best way; you must know your body and get into a running regime accordingly.
Here are some tips that will be handy when running to lose weight:
Be hydrated. Running make your body loses water along with fats, so it is essential that you drink a good amount of water to keep your body hydrated. Lack of hydration will lead to cramps or even lead to muscular injuries. So ensure a good intake of water when you start your fitness regime. Along with water drink juices.
If you plan to run for a longer period, take some carbohydrates such as banana or sports carbohydrate drinks along with you. This will help in maintaining your energy levels.
After returning from the run take a small meal after half an hour. Banana, cereal or wholegrain carbohydrates will be good enough.
Within three hours of the small meal have your normal meal. Include proteins in that meal; chicken curry, green vegetables or turkey will be ideal for this protein intake.
Stay away from alcohol, chocolates, and sweets while on the regime to lose weight.
It is important to plan your diet and exercise according to your body’s capacity to respond. If you have never taken up to running exercise before, it is advisable that you see your physician and plan the weight loss regime as per his or her advice.
Make sure that the running is tailored as per your current fitness level. You can get all the information on running programs online. There are programs for beginners, intermediate and advanced programs; find the one suitable for you and go ahead.
Running burns your calories and boost the body’s metabolism, so it is essential that you run regularly; at least five times a week if you are seeking best results. If you run for 40 minutes or more, your calories will burn for at least 19 hours after you have finished running.
It is important that you alternate your program. For some time go for an easy jog, and then have an intense run. On one of the days go for fast sprints with brief intervals, on another day have a long distance run when you start off slowly and gradually increase the speed. This will increase the endurance of your body.
Once or twice a week go for swimming or cycling. Swimming and cycling along with running are the best exercises for weight loss and moreover, they will strengthen different muscles of your body. So if you indulge in cross training, you will gain complete fitness over a period of time and it will avoid monotony to keep you interested.
Clothes for running
Make sure that you get the right apparels when you are running to lose weight. Get a good pair of running shoes, make sure that you have the required knowledge about running shoes or seek expert advice. Shoes are the most important apparels for running. Get good running sports t-shirts and shorts.
A sports watch is also essential so that you can time your run as per the plan for the day. Don’t forget the calorie calculator; it will help you in tracking the calories you burn every day. This will also encourage you to keep going.
One of the biggest mistake people do is reduce the intake of food when losing weight. This is completely wrong, especially when you do exercises like running or swimming. It will lead to a burnout and soon you will stop the exercise.
Think like a sports person when running for weight loss. Follow the diet of an athlete and you will be alright. Running for weight loss is one of the best ways to burn fats and regain fitness.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4067491/
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July 27, 2018
Testosterone and Sleep
Testosterone is one of the most important hormones in men. If you don’t have enough you will encounter a series of health issues. Some of those issues are mild but others can be more serious.
You are probably asking yourself, how serious can low testosterone be?
Young men probably will not think twice about low testosterone, the older you get the more likely you will notice subtle changes in your body.
Some of those changes can be harsh, the number one complaint from most men is poor sex drive erection quality. If this does not seem important it should be.
Besides poor sex drive, low testosterone can cause symptoms of fatigue, cause you to gain weight and make you feel weak and lethargic.
Put simply, there is nothing worse than suffering from low testosterone. I know I have suffered from it first hand and it is not fun.
You may explain to your wife a couple of times if you can’t get an erection but doing it often gets old.
What Does Research Say about Low Testosterone?
This area of men’s health research is still in a preliminary stage, with many studies exploring hormonal, health, and lifestyle variables, showing some conflicting results.
One study tracked 531 Asian Chinese men between the ages of 29 and 72 years old. Researchers measured total and bioavailable testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin, estradiol (E2), and DHEAS or dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate from blood samples gathered in the morning.
Sleeping patterns and sexual activities were monitored through questionnaires.
Their results showed that unsatisfactory sleeping patterns, reduced sex steroid hormones, and reduced sexual activities were associated with aging.
The researchers suggest that promoting good sleeping patterns may be considered for adjunctive therapy in men with low androgen levels (Goh, Sleep, sex steroid hormones, sexual activities, and aging in Asian men, Journal of Andrology, August 2009).
Waking Up During the Night
Another study assessed 1312 men over the age of 65 years, within the United States, and followed up with another assessment about 3 years later.
Testosterone levels less than 250 ng/dl were defined as low. Sleeping patterns including duration, fragmentation, and apnea were measured with a one-night, in-home, polysomnography test. Other health variables were included in the study.
While they found no association between low testosterone levels in older men and sleep duration, they did find a low testosterone sleep association when there were more sleeping disturbances, including waking up in the night.
Obesity in these older men also turned out to be a factor in their hormonal levels (Barrett-Connor, The association of testosterone levels with overall sleep quality, sleep architecture, and sleep-disordered breathing, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, July 2008).
REM sleeping
Researchers in Israel tested 10 normal men for serum testosterone levels and REM episodes. They found that the normal hormonal rise in the morning occurred only in those men with REM episodes, and did not occur in those men with fragmented non-REM sleeping patterns.
Other variables discussed included postural change related protein concentrations, circadian clock oscillators, melatonin, core body temperature, cortisol concentration, and other hormonal levels (Luboshitzky, Disruption of the nocturnal testosterone rhythm by sleep fragmentation in normal men, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Vol 86, 3, 2001).
A 2007 testosterone sleep study showed that less sleep was associated with lower morning testosterone levels, while sleep apnea research shows wide individual variations.
Regardless of the initial research results, the benefits of healthy sleeping are widely recognized by people of all ages.
Why are These Studies Important?
The studies are essential because it should be important to note how important proper rest is important for boosting testosterone. Many olde men suffer from low testosterone and in many situations, it is due from proper health habits.
Lack of exercise, excess alcohol consumption can all affect sleep patterns. There are ways to increase testosterone with medical TRT but this is often not a suitable long-term option. The best thing to do is to adopt a good diet and exercise plan which can help you get a better nights sleep.
Reference:
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/93/7/2602/2598749
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4445839/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3955336/
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July 26, 2018
Foods That Help Burn Fat
Foods that help burn fat, Wow! Just the thought is so exciting, isn’t it? I mean, over the years we have associated food to anything related to weight loss, so you may think how can there be foods that will help me in burn the fats and shed the extra weight.
But believe me, it is true. There are foods that help burn fats. Even I did not believe it when I first read about it, but even a New York daily reported about it recently.
If you are carrying around excess weight and are working out, these foods can help you lose weight fast. They can help even those who want to know, how to lose weight without exercise, but it will take some time.
So if you learn how certain foods help in burning fat, you will be able to plan your diet better and it will help you to lose weight quickly.
Here are some foods that help burn fat
H2O: Yes, water is an essential part of the diet when you are looking forward to losing the excess weight. As the chemical formula for water is H2O, which means water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen.
Hydrogen assists the body in burning the food fuel and converting it into energy. The energy will help in transporting the necessary minerals and vitamins to all parts of the body.
Oxygen helps in blood purification and circulation which will enhance the digestion system. Water also helps in eliminating the fat wastes and excess fluids. So when on a weight loss diet you must drink at least ten glasses of water a day, if not more.
Dairy Foods: Calcium is a very good fat burner and any food that contains calcium is good for fat reduction. Milk and milk foods like cheese and yogurt have a lot of calcium and are good for weight loss. Calcium helps in the contraction of muscles which lead to the burning of fats.
Olives: Olives are very good to burn fats stored in the stomach and also contain vitamin E, fiber, and amino acids. Cook with olive oil and it will serve as the best diet. When you eat salads add olives to it.
Green tea: Green tea is a fantastic metabolic booster known to mankind for centuries. EGCG increases metabolism and is a component of green tea. So if you drink green tea it will increase your metabolism and burn fats. With so many flavors of green tea available in the markets today, it is very easy for everyone to include it in your diet for weight loss.
Fiber: Fiber helps in improving your digestive system and avoids any chances of constipation. Include fiber in your diet and have at least one fiber-rich diet every day.
Whole grains: Many times fat accumulation is a result of overeating. Include whole grains such as oats in your diet. It will curb your longing for food and you will not overeat.
Whole wheat foods help in reducing fat absorption in the bloodstream which reduces the production of insulin. This increases your metabolism and energy level and burns belly fat. The stomach is the place where most of the fats are accumulated, so whole grains is a must to burn fats.
Dark chocolate: Eat dark chocolate without adding anything to it, it contains antioxidants, flavonoids, and MUFA which help in fighting belly fat. For an added advantage, you can melt it and dip apples, pineapples, and strawberries in it and eat.
Egg whites: when you remove the yolk which contains carbohydrates, egg whites are very nutritious. They are rich in proteins and are almost fat-free. Egg white help your digestive system burn fat.
Egg whites are full of vitamin B12, amino acids, and choline, it makes you satisfied with having eaten a good meal and enhance fat metabolism.
Fish and meat: Many of us think that meat and fish are not good for weight loss. But contrary to this belief, if we eat fish and meat correctly they can improve your metabolism as they are rich in proteins. Especially fish which also have omega-3 fatty acids are very helpful in burning fats.
Nuts: Nuts such as peanuts, pine nuts walnuts, and almonds are a great source of MUFA and sunflower or pumpkin seeds are also useful. MUFA is very good at burning belly fats, so include these nuts and seeds to your diet to burn fats.
So many foods that help burn fat are available that we can easily lose weight without starving. In fact, starving yourself is a very bad idea when it comes to weight loss. Eat these foods along with a proper exercise plan and you will get rid of the excess body fat quickly.
The post Foods That Help Burn Fat appeared first on My Husband Looks Better.
July 24, 2018
Personal Benefits I Received from Strength Training
First of all, I would like to start of this latest blog by congratulating many of my friends who supported me while I struggled to get back into shape and transforming my crappy lifestyle into a healthier one. Had it not been for my friends and the support from my lovely wife and kids I might not have had the success of being healthy and feeling better.
The best way to feel better is to become strong
Getting STRONG is something that should be seriously worked on if you want to be the best you and feel healthy and alive.
This is because strength is the foundation for all other athletic qualities & training to produce increases in strength will significantly improve all other qualities resulting in a STRONGER more EXPLOSIVE person.
All movement by the body can only happen when muscles contract so if these muscles are made stronger more forceful contractions can be produced and this means the harder you train, the better you feel and the stronger you become.
Just lifting what sounds like a lot of weight means nothing! I hate it when I hear people ask others what they can bench or squat etc. It is more about personal improvement and feeling good about yourself and your accomplishments.
Some of the things I love about heavy Strength training (1 to 5 rep range) are that it trains your muscles to handle heavy loads. This prevents muscles from just shutting down during critical sporting actions. The Golgi Tendon Organ is responsible for ensuring muscles don’t get injured when a heavy load is placed on the muscle.
It basically shuts down the muscle causing the muscle to stop contracting and it relaxes which is what happens when you fail on a heavy lift.
By strength training, your body gets used to tolerating higher loads meaning the muscles will not need to shut down as quickly as a weaker athlete. In the sporting arena, the shutting down of the muscles could result in a failed tackle, takedown, line break etc which is not going to lead to a dominating performance.
Well planned Strength training also tends to lead to people having fewer injuries as it will help overcome muscle imbalances caused by sports and it will strengthen the tendons and ligaments of a person.
On top of this strong muscles will recover faster than weaker ones as the injury tends to not cause as much damage compared to someone with weaker muscles and staying free from injury and remaining durable is key to long-term success.
If you want to maintain strong bones and muscles, you should definitely work on skill and technique for your sport along with developing sport-specific endurance but the importance of developing some serious Strength cannot be ignored and combined with skill and technique it will help you reach your full potential because without strength you are WEAK!
Hope you enjoyed this latest blog and it helps you become a better person feel free to comment or ask any questions about strength training. O love lifting weight and it has not only helped me become stronger physically it has helped push through many mental obstacles.
Lifting weights are more than just getting stronger, for men it helps increase muscle mass which means you burn more body fat. Not to mention you feel more alive and better about yourself and feel much better.
December 31, 2014
How Time Flies
To say it’s been a while since I’ve found time to write a blog is putting it mildly. It’s been months. A few of the things that have had me busy include vacation, attending the 2014 SCC, participating in the 2014 KY Book Fair, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s (which is also our Anniversary). Yes, it’s been a busy several months. Check out a few of our 2014 Pics
In addition to the things I’ve already mentioned, one priority is my continuous search for ways to get information out about our books. My search lead me to “Interview Guest Directory.com”
Not long after registering we received a request for an interview from Todd Newton … you can hear that interview on iTunes.
After the interview was over Mr. Newton said, “Since you two are having this experience [transwoman with supportive cisgender wife] in Kentucky I’m surprised no one has contacted you about doing a reality TV show.”
I quickly said, “Well, if you know someone who does that sort of thing, please give them our contact information.”
To which he responded, “I am that someone. I produce TV shows.”
He then named a few of the shows he has produced and said he would be sending us a ‘one sheet’ … which is the write-up regarding the premise of the show used to ‘promote’ the idea to see if anyone is interested.
That very evening we received the ‘one sheet’ along with a ‘hold agreement’ saying we would work only with Mr. Newton for a period of 12 months to get the reality TV show off the ground.
Not sure if it will ever come to fruition, but, who knows, you just might see us on TV someday … hopefully in the not too distant future.
May 10, 2014
May/June 2014 Press Release – Rockin’ #Goodreads: Bobbie Thompson’s Memoir
MEET ALANA 
|| MEET BOBBIE
Rockin’ #Goodreads: Author Bobbie Thompson’s Memoir
Inspires TG Forum, Chicago Gender Society
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY-JUNE 2014 ~ PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY
“I’m so glad I read your book–because this gives me hope that I too can be loved!”
– A fan of Bobbie Thompson
Bobbie Thompson’s Memoir Explores
Love Story, Spiritual Transformations
w/Trans 100 Awardee Alana Nicole Sholar
~
“My Husband Looks Better in Lingerie Than I Do….Damn It! ” title a cheeky play on words covering important issues, sensual awakenings, spiritual epiphanies. [ tweet this ]
(L-R) Author-Educators Alana Nicole Sholar & Bobbie Thompson
Hot on the heels of Alana Nicole Sholar’s Trans 100 award, fans continue to discover author and partner Bobbie Thompson through Alana’s prose, and vice versa (love is powerful that way).
Bobbie Thompson’s book “My Husband Looks Better in Lingerie than I Do…Damn It! ” is a “companion” memoir to her partner’s book in every sense of the word. In it, Thompson shares literal and figurative transitions in real-life, living color. Even roses have thorns, and Thompson shares all her experiences sans fear or hesitation.
TG Forum and the Chicago Gender Society have taken note, and rallied to endorse Bobbie’s heart-centered mission: their reviews of Bobbie’s book and reflections on a love life worth living.
Many others continue to spotlight the value and healing power of Bobbie’s unique outreach–sharing what it’s like for straight-identified partners of trans individuals– especially those born, raised and living in a conservative Southern town.Select praise and excerpts below:
“This amazing couple has some of the most enriching nuggets of wisdom when it comes to the world of transgender. That’s probably because they have both lived their lives within it, in completely different ways.” – The Artist D, TGForum.com
“Bobbie continues her open and honest writing style…she discusses…living in a sexual relationship with a transgender individual whose physical attributes evolve. I found Bobbie’s perspective…to be a great supplement to Alana’s book. Bobbie has done our community a service by documenting her evolution.”
(Chicago Gender Society – ChicagoGender.com)
Both partners continue to generously share their hearts and resources, co-leading Trans* Friendly Businesses and their Customers,a trans-affirming business networking group Facebook. This year, the author-educators plan to launch a support group for SOFFAs as well as Google Hangout teach-ins and coaching sessions.
(SOFFA stands for “Significant others, family, friends and allies” of trans-identified people.)
~
Alana and Bobbie are life coaches and public speakers, both available for interviews and speaking engagements.
Video
Supportive Spouses -What is “true support?” Bobbie chats w/The Artist D on The Fabulous D show about ideas we “think” we’ll never understand. [video ]
Image
For love & equality’s sake: Bobbie’s giving away a free copy of her book in May to share her message: “people are just people:” [larger image ]
Audio
Power Couple, Power From Within: Alana & Bobbie chat with Bookgoodies.com :
Free Podcast
Pull Quotes
“This person has been your friend for 30 years. You know the heart of this person…so just enjoy the person. It took me years to realize there’s not “two:’ there’s this one wonderful spiritual energy that is pure love.” – Bobbie Thompson
“”Dedicated to all those who live in fear of being different.” – Alana Nicole Sholar, Hung in the Middle Book Dedication
Connect
HungIntheMiddle.com
MyHusbandLooksBetter.com
Tweet Alana@Alana_Sholar
Tweet Bobbie @AlanasSpouse
Join Trans* Friendly Businesses…Facebook.com/groups/Trans.Creative
Alana Nicole Sholar is a Trans 100 2014 honoree, and both her memoirs and Bobbie Thompson’s garner community and critical acclaim. Signed copies of Bobbie and Alana’s books are available via MyHusbandLooksBetter.com and HungIntheMiddle.com. Singly or together, they’re available to teach workshops, writing courses and seminars about #girlslikeus, or to speak at corporate/public engagements.
For media, press and interview inquiries, please contact Ms. Thompson, Ms. Sholar or:
Press Assistant: JAYE JOHNSON | Hello @ sparklemission.com | 760-230-0976
Alana & Bobbie: Heartwarming Co-Creators, Trans-Affirming Educators.
Alana Nicole Sholar / Bobbie Thompson’s Interview/Speaking Topics Include:
Compassion in Trans/LGBQ Communities | Spirituality | Personal Development | Creativity | Explaining Trans/transition to family, children | HIV/Aids Support| Writers‘ Workshops | Life Coaching | Healthy Relationships & More
“The works of authors Alana Nicole Sholar and Bobbie Thompson are recommended for all readers and deserve a place in all library collections, particularly those serving small and rural communities.” - Facebook Group
May 9, 2014
Brand New Book GIVEAWAY
Want a FREE COPY of my book? Visit
https://www.facebook.com/myhusbandlooksbetter
Visit my Facebook page to LIKE & WIN: do it ASAP! Giveaway ends FRI, 5/16.
-
May 5, 2014
April 25, 2014
My Interview on The Fabulous D Show: Please Listen
My first interview sharing ‘my side of the story’ as the supportive spouse of a transwoman is now in the history books.
Please listen, feel free to comment, and by all means, PLEASE SHARE.
Thank you.
Listen to my fab, fun and friendly interview with The Artist D!
