Archive for » February, 2012 «

29 Feb 2012

Good Intentions Aren’t Enough: A Plan and Partner Help Meet Goals

Whether you’re looking to lose weight or stop smoking, studies clearly show that it’s easier to stick to a plan with a friend by your side.

Losing weight. Quitting smoking. Becoming a better person. Good intentions are rarely enough to get the job done. That’s why people are encouraged to have a plan to help guide them to their goal. According to a study from the University of Leeds, having both a plan and a partner works even better.

The study looked at people who wanted to increase their amount of physical activity. Over six months, people who had both a partner and a plan exercised more often and for a longer period of time than people who had only a plan or a partner alone. And as an added bonus, they also lost more weight and trimmed more inches off their waistlines in those six months.


TEMPLATETheDoctorWillSeeYouNow.jpg

There have been few studies done on the effects of planning or partnership on exercise or weight loss. Most have been short-term studies done with college students. The Leeds study used employees from 15 British councils, government organizations of social workers whose employees are socially and economically diverse. Because the study group was broad-based, it makes it more likely that the study’s results are generalizable, results a typical person could expect to achieve.

The study was of 258 council employees who had expressed interest in increasing their physical activity. They were randomly assigned to one of four groups. Members of one group were asked to plan with another person, such as a friend or family member, when and where they would perform physical activity. Members of a second group formed these plans by themselves but had no partner. A third group was asked to recruit a partner, but no mention was made of any planning. And the fourth group, the control group had neither a plan nor a partner.

Both the frequency and duration of exercise was self-reported at the start of the study and one, three, and six months into it, using the Self-Report Walking and Exercise Tables (SWET). Weight and waist size were also self-reported, at the study’s start and six months later.

All groups were given material explaining how lack of exercise can lead to heart disease, to help motivate them.

Because a bad plan can be worse than no plan at all, participants were encouraged to formulate their plans as if-then statements. For an individual, this might be along the lines of “If I miss an exercise session this week, then I’ll do an extra one next week.” For two partners, it might be “If it’s raining and we can’t play tennis, then we’ll play racquetball indoors.” Other studies have shown that if-then plans tend to be more effective than less specific plans are.

But as the Leeds study results point out, just having a plan isn’t enough if you don’t stick to it. People who made and carried out plans on their own lost only one-third as much weight as the people who added a partner to the mix.

The study authors aren’t sure why the combination of if-then plans and a partner works better than either do singly. It could simply be that two heads are better than one when it comes to planning. Or it could be that partners help each other from straying from their plans.

Having a partner might not work so well for people with a strong individualistic streak. They usually like to go it alone. But for everyone else, the study suggests that, like the rest of life, it’s easier to stick to a plan and reach your goal when you have a friend on your side.

An article on the study is scheduled to appear in a future edition of Health Psychology.

Image: Dash/Shutterstock.

This article originally appeared on TheDoctorWillSeeYouNow.com, an Atlantic partner site.


Similar news:
Category: Weight loss plans  Tags: ,  Comments off
29 Feb 2012

Still too much sugar in kids’ diets, researchers say

Sweetened cereals likely contribute to the extra sugars American kids consume at home, researchers say.

America’s intake of sugary foods and drinks has dropped in recent years, but U.S. kids are still consuming too much, government researchers say.

Contrary to popular belief, most of that sweet fare is coming from home, not from school or other settings, the researchers reported in a new study released by the National Center for Health Statistics.

For parents, that means that it’s even more important to monitor added sugars in kids’ diets, even those that aren’t so obvious.

“Added sugars are in sugar sweetened cereals, muffins – even pasta sauce,” said Cynthia Ogden, the study’s co-author and an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “You can see it if you read the food labels.”

The report, which tracked consumption of added sugars by children and teens from 2005 to 2008, offered other unexpected findings, said Ogden.

Researchers also found that family income made no difference in children’s sugary diets.

“We found that all kids are eating a lot of added sugars,” she said.

Most of those sugars came from foods rather than beverages, another surprise, Ogden said.

Overall, about 16 percent of the calories in the average American child’s diet came from “added sugars” – sweeteners used in the making of foods such as breads, cakes, soft drinks, jams, chocolates and ice cream.

What’s scary is that the sweets count didn’t include naturally occurring sugars in items such as fruit and fruit juice.

The good news is that in teens, at least, consumption of added sugars appears to have declined a bit, from 22 percent to 17 percent of total calories, Ogden said. 

Still, that’s higher than federal dietary guidelines, which recommend that the total intake of discretionary calories, including added sugars and solid fats, be limited to 5 percent to 15 percent of daily caloric intake.

Dr. Wendy Slusser, a weight control expert, suspects that some of the new study’s findings might be explained by successful campaigns to get sugary drinks out of schools.

 ”Other studies have shown that a good proportion of added sugars are being consumed outside the home,” said Slusser, an associate clinical professor of medicine at the Mattel Children’s Hospital at the University of California, Los Angeles and medical director for the UCLA Fit for Healthy Weight Program at Mattel. “So we’re probably seeing a drop in consumption outside the home.”

That means the next focus for intervention may be helping parents to choose healthier options for their kids to eat at home, Slusser said.

“This is an opportunity for families,” Slusser said. “There are estimates now that we could shift children’s weights back to 1970s levels if we could just take 350 calories out of a kid’s diet each day.”

One place to look is beverages, Slusser said. Some of the biggest culprits are 10 percent fruit juice drinks and sports drinks.

“Parents think they’re doing what they’re supposed to when they give their kids sports drinks on a hot day,” she said. “If you substitute water for sugary drinks, that’s a huge step in the right direction.”

Another place to lower sugar levels is in breakfast cereals, Slusser said. “You might want to give them regular Cheerios instead of Honey Nut Cheerios,” she suggested.

Avoiding processed foods is another way to skip the added sugars, noted Ogden. Choosing fresh foods and carefully reading labels of packaged goods can help.

The best way to cut down on added sugars in a kid’s diet is to make healthy eating part of the family routine, Slusser said. Make sure to leave time for a good breakfast in the morning and plan ahead for healthy snacks after school and nutritious dinners at night.

“Once there’s a routine, parents can integrate healthier foods into their children’s diets,” she notes. “When you’re always eating on the fly, you end up eating too many processed foods.”

Related:

Gluten-free diet may be waste of money for some, new research suggests

Kids don’t get enough sleep (and neither did their grandparents)

High levels of arsenic found in fruit juice

 


Similar news:
Category: Natural diet plan  Tags: ,  Comments off
29 Feb 2012

What Not to Purchase When Shopping for Food on Your New Diet Plan

Choosing the right diet plan that will work for you is kind of like finding a needle in a haystack. Certain diet plans may work for some while other diet plans won’t do a thing for others.

While working as a fitness professional, I have learned from some of the best nutritionists and fitness trainers about what foods will and will not cut fat fast.

There are four types of foods to avoid when attempting to drop body fat:

Diet Soda: Diet soda isn’t all that bad when looking for an alternative to regular sugary soda. However, diet soda is not all good, either. Diet soda contains sodium and carbonation, which are ingredients to create bloating and water retention. Also, research has been conducted that gives evidence that artificial sweeteners in diet soda alter the body’s ability to regulate caloric intake, contributing to weight gain (source: WebMD.com). A healthier alternative to diet soda are green teas, black teas, and, of course, water.

Stay Away from Corn: I know what you are thinking—corn? Yes, corn is healthy and should be a part of a daily nutrition plan because of the vitamins and fiber it contains. However, when wanting to drop body fat quickly corn is a no-no. The reason being is because corn contains a lot of sugar. According to Weight-loss.families.com, “Corn’s sugar and carbohydrate content out weigh it’s fiber content and contains more calories than other vegetables.”

Standard Wheat Bread: Regular wheat bread found in your local grocery store contain many artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, and preservatives. Think about it, if your bread has preservatives and you eat it, then, of course, when you are eating the preservatives in the bread, what is it doing to you? When seeking a bread that will make your diet plan easier you should choose Ezekiel 4:9 bread. Ezekiel 4:9 bread has no preservatives and contains essential nutrients that you will need while on your diet plan (source: Vegblog.org).

Frozen Meals: Frozen meals are convenient, however, they contain high amounts of sodium. According to Fitday.com, “Some frozen meals contain 700-1800 mg of sodium per serving.” The most ideal thing to do is to cook all of your meals in advance for that week. That way, you won’t have to rely on a frozen meal that provides little to zero nutrients.

By removing certain foods from your daily diet, you will become more successful when choosing a diet plan that is right for you.

Heather M. Johnson-Emerson is an amateur NPC bikini competitor and is also an aerobics instructor. She has written “The Amazing Benefits of Kombucha for Athletes” and “Five Ways to Revamp Your Fitness Routine“. For more health and fitness articles, visit Heather M. Johnson-Emerson’s contributor page.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.


Similar news:
Category: Healthy diet plans  Tags: ,  Comments off
29 Feb 2012

Flowers Foods Announces Promotions Within Corporate Information Technology Staff

THOMASVILLE, Ga., Feb. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Flowers Foods (NYSE: FLO – News) has promoted several members of its corporate information technology (IT) team at its headquarters in Thomasville.  

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080530/CLF007LOGO)

Dave Hubbard has been named vice president and chief information officer; Ginette Hall, vice president of IT decision support and distribution systems; and Laquan Brunner, vice president of IT operational technology.

“As Flowers Foods continues to execute its growth plan, it’s essential that our IT department continues to stay ahead of the curve, offering the best service possible to the company and our trade partners,” said R. Steve Kinsey, Flowers’ executive vice president and chief financial officer. “These promotions reflect the valuable contributions these individuals have made to our company and our confidence in their experience, commitment, and ability to ensure the high standards of our IT department.”

In his new role, Dave Hubbard is responsible for all aspects of Flowers’ internal and external information systems, and for enhancing the business processes shared by the company’s 41 bakeries, independent distributor network, and foodservice and retail customers. Previously, Hubbard served as the company’s vice president of IT technology and development.

Hubbard joined Flowers Foods in 2003 and has held a number of IT management positions. In his most recent role, he oversaw the company’s user services, decision support, SAP development and e-business teams. Prior to joining Flowers, he worked as an IT consultant to two major companies. Hubbard holds a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from Auburn University in Auburn, Ala.

Ginette Hall oversees the company’s distribution systems and the decision support team. She joined the Flowers IT team in 1989 and helped develop the company’s first hand-held computer system for its independent distributors. She was promoted to manager of manufacturing and distribution systems in 1995, director of systems development in 1997, and has served as the director of distribution systems since 2000. Hall holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in information systems and technology from the University of Maryland University College (UMUC), in Adelphi, Md., as well as a master’s in business administration from UMUC.

Laquan Brunner oversees user services, manages the systems engineering team, and leads IT’s disaster recovery and internal controls initiatives. Brunner joined Flowers in 2004 as director of information technology for the decision support team. In 2007, she became the director of information technology for the user services and IT governance teams. Brunner has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga., and a master’s in business administration from Troy University in Troy, Ala.

About Flowers Foods

Headquartered in Thomasville, Ga., Flowers Foods is one of the nation’s leading producers and marketers of packaged bakery foods for retail and foodservice customers. Among the company’s top brands are Nature’s Own, Whitewheat, Cobblestone Mill, Tastykake, Blue Bird, and Mrs. Freshley’s. Flowers operates 41 bakeries that are among the most efficient in the baking industry. Flowers Foods produces, markets, and distributes fresh bakery products that are delivered to customers daily through a direct-store-delivery system serving the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southwest as well as select markets in the Northeast, California and Nevada. The company also produces and distributes fresh snack cakes and frozen breads and rolls nationally through warehouse distribution. For more information, visit www.flowersfoods.com.


Similar news:
Category: Best diet plan  Tags: ,  Comments off
29 Feb 2012

Clamor for obesity pill may test FDA limits

U.S. drug regulators may have a hard time stopping millions of overweight Americans from taking a new obesity drug that many are likely to view as a miracle pill for slimming waistlines, despite its safety risks.

Regulators and doctors are hoping they can limit the pill, called Qnexa, to only those patients that need it most, helping fight the nation’s obesity epidemic while avoiding exposing people to unnecessary risks of birth defects and heart problems.

The Food and Drug Administration has been under considerable pressure from lawmakers and patient groups to approve a new obesity drug for the first time in 13 years.

There is also plenty of history with diet drugs that makes the FDA cautious.

The infamous diet drug “fen-phen” was pulled from the market in 1997 after reports of sometimes fatal heart-valve problems. Another diet pill, Meridia, was removed in 2010 after it was linked to heart problems.

“How will these medications be limited in their distribution… so we don’t have a repeat of the fen-phen days when people were opening up clinics on every corner, selling these pills for cosmetic purposes?” asked Joseph Nadglowski, chief executive officer of the Obesity Action Coalition, a patient and advocacy group.

As a condition for approval of Qnexa, the FDA and the drugmaker Vivus proposed a restrictive program to stop pregnant women from taking the drug, to provide training to doctors and to limit distribution to certified mail-order pharmacies.

Also, the drug will likely only be recommended for obese patients who have a body mass index over 30, or are overweight but have weight-related health issues. A normal BMI is below 25.

It was these restrictions that ultimately convinced 20 out of 22 outside advisers to the FDA to recommend approval of the drug last week, after an expert panel rejected the drug in 2010.

The FDA is set to make its final decision by mid-April.

However, regulators have little power to force doctors to stick to this restrictive program because physicians have latitude to prescribe FDA-approved drugs for other uses, known as “off label.”

In addition, the two drugs in Qnexa are already approved for other conditions, raising the possibility some doctors may already be prescribing them for weight loss.

The FDA acknowledged that it is difficult to craft a restrictive program that sticks. “We struggled with this internally, but we did not find a perfect solution to this problem,” Joyce Weaver, senior analyst in the FDA’s division of risk management, told the advisers last week.

Risk vs. benefit

There has been a clamor from patient groups, doctors and lawmakers for the FDA to provide more weight-loss options.

Obesity drugs are seen as the middle ground for patients who struggle with strict diet and exercise regimens, but do not want the risks of bariatric surgery.

A Senate appropriations committee has directed the FDA to provide a report by the end of March on how it plans to support the development of new obesity treatments.

Obesity, a leading cause of diabetes, heart disease and other serious health problems, has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with nearly 68 percent of the U.S. population considered overweight, and a third obese.

Analysts predict that Qnexa, if approved, will be prescribed widely, with annual sales of $1 billion to $3 billion.

It combines the appetite suppressant phentermine with the anti-seizure drug topiramate, and helped patients lose 10 percent of their weight after a year during trials. However, the pounds started to creep back on after the first 12 months.

FDA staff reviewers said patients taking the drug had more safety problems, including memory loss and higher heart rates, than those on a placebo. They also said exposure to topiramate has been linked to a higher rate of oral clefts in infants of women taking the drug during pregnancy.

Experts worry subtle messages of risk versus benefit may slip past people desperate to shed pounds, and there is little the FDA can do to stop them.

“Perhaps the only thing that would be better than a pill to help you lose weight would be a pill that makes you more beautiful,” said Dr. David Gortler, a former FDA medical officer on the obesity team and current professor of pharmacology at Georgetown Medical School. “In fact, many fashion advertisers promote and equate beauty with the loss of weight.

“There is going to be a huge demand for Qnexa… (and) if the FDA doesn’t regulate Qnexa appropriately there are going to be a deluge of lawsuits,” said Gortler.

Slipping through the cracks

The FDA often proposes risk mitigation programs to deal with drugs that may cause birth defects. One of the most restrictive is for the acne drug Accutane from Roche, which is known to cause severe birth defects.

Women who want the drug must take tests every month to prove they are not pregnant. But there is a lack of good information about how effective these programs are.

Dr. John Jenkins, head of the FDA’s office of new drugs, said such programs are pretty good at avoiding women who are pregnant at the time of first receiving the drug.

“They are not as good at preventing women from receiving it who are pregnant while they are already on the drug,” Jenkins told the panel last week. “While we think the number of pregnancies is less, we don’t have definitive data.”

Qnexa has some uncertain effects on the heart: it lowers blood pressure, but raises heartbeat. Doctors on the FDA panel were divided about what signal that sends, and asked Vivus to conduct more studies on heart safety, most likely after Qnexa is approved.

“This drug, if approved, would likely be prescribed to millions or tens of millions of people,” said Dr. Michael Lauer, director of the division of cardiovascular sciences at the National Institutes of Health.

Lauer was one of two people who voted against Qnexa’s approval at the FDA panel last week. “Based on the data that we’ve seen, we think this drug may do enormous good,” he said during the panel meeting. “But we may not know that for a long time, or we may find out we’ve been fooled.”

More control with approval

The FDA has set a high approval bar for obesity drugs in the past, primarily because of worries that a large portion of the population is likely to take them.

Qnexa has had the most impressive weight loss out of a trio of pills vying for approval, from Vivus, Arena Pharmaceuticals and Orexigen.

The drug from Orexigen has also been flagged for heart risks, while FDA reviewers have cautioned about cancer risks associated with the pill from Arena.

Qnexa is unique among the three because its ingredients are already on the market.

“These are two medications that are already on the market, and there are hundreds of thousands if not millions of patient care experience with both of these medications. Doctors can combine them, and many of them are,” said Dr. Robert Kushner, clinical director of the Northwestern Comprehensive Center on Obesity.

“I think you can better monitor the usage and protect patients if it’s approved than if it’s not approved.”


Similar news:
Category: Weight loss plans  Tags: ,  Comments off
29 Feb 2012

Jillian Michaels Defends Crazy Expensive Diet Delivery Plan To Pissed-Off Fans

jillian michaels

Jillian Michaels is basically the personal trainer for small-town America. Between her fitness DVDs, diet books, and TV appearances, the tough-love-giving fitness expert has won over millions of regular folks, who look to her for weight loss advice. But the thing about regular folks is that these days, they’re kind of strapped for cash. Which could explain the 400+ angry comments that Jillian got on her Facebook page last night, when she shared a link for her specially-formatted Freshology diet meal delivery plan. It runs about $50 per day, which, it seems, is a little pricey for her followers..and they let her know it.

Almost immediately after she shared the link to her personally-branded Jillian Michaels Gold Plan (which comes with her books, DVD, and home delivery of 3 meals per day), both of her pages were inundated with comments ranging from irritated to irate–and all noting that the plan was just too expensive for most of her hard-working fans. Here’s the initial post that got her fans riled up:

And here are some of the comments:

  • “…my jaw dropped when I saw the price of this plan. I’m a single mom on a budget but concerned and aware of the need to put healthy food into myself and my child…50 a day isn’t in the budget.”
  • “I have to say what was the idea behind this one! To only target the upper class who can obviously afford the trainers and the expensive meal plans. Im really reconsidering you Jillian.”
  • “I am deeply offended Jillian that you would even have the guts to put this out for normal people, and if not for us normal ones, then you hav chosen to ignore us.”

Jillian quickly responded with the following statement, which received 3 times as many “Likes,” and much more positive feedback:

Guys, I see some of you are upset that the Freshology Gold program is expensive you are right. I create MANY products for people from all walks of life. This product is fresh, cal controlled, hormone free, preservative free, anti biotic free, gourmet food. Yes, it’s costly. BUT for those who CAN’T afford it I have done segment after segment on how to eat healthy on a budget. Get my podcast for free. Use the free month subs I always offer on jillianmichaels.com. Take my cookbook out from the library. Get my dvd’s free on exercise tv. I have put volumes of info, products, advice out there for people on a budget. Take advantage of it.

All of which is true–Jillian’s DVDs and books are available for pretty low prices at places like Walmart and Target, and, as she points out, her cookbook is even available at the library for those who’d like to make a change in their diet without shelling out a month of rent (and then some) on frozen meals.

Additionally, home delivery meal service is nothing if not a luxury, and t’s not unusual for it to be pretty pricey. It is, after all, replacing grocery shopping, cooking, and eating in restaurants. A similar program, called Healthy Chef Creations, offers a weight-loss meal deliver service, which is comparably priced (about $55/day), but doesn’t come with the Jillian swag. And Jenny Craig’s at-home meal delivery service doesn’t even list its price online, but the internet (which never lies, right?) prices it much more affordably–around $17 per day, not including shipping (which Jenny says is “less than $2.40 per day,” which leads me to believe it is $2.39 per day, which is about $70 per month).

But even if that’s the going rate for meal delivery, the fact is that’s just not a service that’s in the budget for most Americans. Which does make Jillian’s choice to endorse Freshology seem a little strange–but if even a handful of her Facebook and Twitter followers can afford it and do purchase it (which, with over a million followers, seems likely), she’s done her part for them, and she’s gotten paid for the endorsement. Which is really the point, for someone who makes a living working out and endorsing things.

What do you think? Was it insensitive of Jillian Michaels to advertise a program that’s clearly out of the price range of her fans? Let us know in the comments!

Image: Celebitchy


Similar news:
Category: Natural diet plan  Tags: ,  Comments off
29 Feb 2012

Diet.com Unveils New Diet Plan, Expands Meal and Exercise Plan Options

A sample of one of Diet.com’s new meal plans, part of the health site’s new Premium-member level diet plan. The diet plan also includes new exercise plans.

“Our new array of meal plans makes it much easier for anyone to follow a smart, sensible and, most importantly, healthy diet, no matter what their dietary needs are.” – Lauren Alford, Diet.com Director of Business Development

Brookline, MA (PRWEB) February 29, 2012

Diet.com, one of the web’s leading resources for diet, fitness, and nutrition content and tools, has announced that they’ve launched a brand new diet plan, which allows Premium-level site members to follow along with their choice of all new lifestyle-based meal plans as well as ability-based exercise plans.

The new diet plan now has eight 4-week meal plan options catering to a variety of today’s leading dietary needs: Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Low-Carb, Pescatarian, Nut Free, Lactose Free, and College/Quick Prep meal plans are all available, as well as a regular Diet Meal plan for those who are simply looking to eat healthier with no special dietary needs. Each meal plan, designed by Registered Dietitians, is available in a choice of either a 1200-calorie or a 1500-calorie per day level.

“Our new array of meal plans makes it much easier for anyone to follow a smart, sensible and, most importantly, healthy diet, no matter what their dietary needs are,” says Lauren Alford, Diet.com’s Director of Business Development. “We’re excited to launch these options for our members with special dietary requirements.”

The new diet plan also incorporates three progressive fitness plans – Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. The 4-week plans have been designed by a certified personal trainer and will progress members from basic moves (like bicep curls and lunges) to more complex exercises. Each daily plan can be followed online or downloaded as PDFs and printed to take to the gym.

Perhaps the most unique benefit of the Diet.com Premium Membership is the ability for Premium Members to connect one-on-one with Diet.com’s Registered Dietitian, Meghan Tiernan, MS,RD,LDN. Premium Members can post dietary questions in a special Premium-only message board for a personalized response or recipe evaluation from Tiernan. Premium members can also contact Tiernan via private messaging on Diet.com.

Premium membership plans on Diet.com start at $39.90 per month, or members can choose a 3-month ($64.40) or 6-month ($85.65) membership option. To sign-up for a membership, Diet.com recommends that new users take their short Diet.com Quiz to help learn more about themselves and pinpoint their exact diet and fitness needs. The quiz can be taken at http://www.diet.com/quiz/. Samples of all Diet.com’s meal plans and exercise plans can be viewed for free at http://www.diet.com/diet-plan.

About Diet.com:    

Diet.com is a multifaceted health and wellness organization that provides quality information and cutting edge tools and services to consumers and businesses alike. Since its founding, Diet.com has been a valuable online resource for dieters and those seeking information on living a healthy lifestyle. As one of the web’s leading resources for diet, nutrition, and fitness content and tools, Diet.com has created a platform where consumers are able to set and track diet and fitness goals, browse over 1,000 healthy recipes, learn new exercises, and interact with others in the thriving Diet.com online community. The diethealth YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/diethealth) has a library of over 500 videos, over 116,000 subscribers, and has received upwards of 94 million views. For any inquiries, please contact Lauren Alford, Director of Business Development, at LaurenA(at)diet(dot)com or 919-616-7532.

###


Share:



















Similar news:
Category: Healthy diet plans  Tags: ,  Comments off
29 Feb 2012

Plan carefully for diet success

Here’s the irony: There are almost as many ways to successfully lose weight as there are people who need to do so.

To name but a few examples, drinking lots of water does make you feel fuller and therefore likely to eat less. (In one study, drinking 16 ounces of water before a meal led to 5 extra pounds of weight loss after 12 weeks because people felt too full to eat more.) Eating soup for dinner does, indeed, fill you up (again, with water), making it easier to eat less.

Covering two-thirds of your plate with vegetables (no cream sauce!) leaves less room for calorie-laden meats and starches, reducing caloric intake. Cutting out booze, sugar — or fat-laden drinks (that includes lattes), potato chips, baked desserts, you know the list — does help. But knowing what works and doing what works are two different things.

Research is finally addressing the “doing” part. From psychological tactics such as exploiting the power of groups to a new understanding of metabolism, science has more to offer dieters than ever before, providing guidance about which diet and exercise regimens offer the best chance to help you lose weight and become fitter.

Take the most fundamental of dieting basics: that weight drops when and only when the number of calories you burn exceeds the number you take in. Experts now recognize that both sides of the energy/balance equation — calories burned and calories consumed — are not as simple as how much you exercise and how many calories are in the food that passes your lips.

“The conventional thinking about calories in/calories out is changing, as research shows that people have different reactions to different macronutrients,” says Dr. Richard Kreider, professor of health and kinesiology at Texas AM University. “That’s why no one diet or exercise plan works for every individual.”

Let’s start with calories burned. Don’t be discouraged by the paltry number you burn during exercise (for a 160-pound person, 288 calories in a leisurely one-hour bike ride, for example, or 317 in a one-hour walk at 3 miles per hour; in both cases, barely enough to burn off a couple of scrambled eggs on unbuttered toast).

Instead, emphasize the kind of exercise that can increase your metabolism so you burn more calories doing “nothing.” Fidgety people tend to be slimmer; burning extra calories for, say, 16 hours per waking day, seven days a week, adds up to more than you get by brief and sporadic bursts of exercise. That doesn’t mean we should all start fidgeting. But the basic principle means that it helps to incorporate resistance (or strength) training into your regimen.

Leg lifts, sit-ups, squats and the like build muscle, notes Kreider. A pound of muscle burns more calories than a pound of fat.

Therefore, replacing fat with muscle will raise your baseline metabolism. “You burn more calories after your workout as well as during,” Kreider says.

Slashing your caloric intake, on the other hand, lowers baseline metabolism. This is why so many people are yo-yo dieters. They shed pounds by limiting their calories to, say, 1,200 a day, but because very low-calorie diets tend to take off muscle (in many cases, half or more of the lost pounds are muscle) the result is an increasingly lower metabolism. Eventually it gets so low, says Kreider, that you have to practically starve yourself to keep from gaining weight.

Starving yourself is not fun. And being miserable on a diet is also a big reason people give up. Very low-cal diets can trip you up for another reason. A study published online this past September in The Journal of Clinical Investigation found that when glucose levels drop, as happens when we consume too little, the brain’s hypothalamus senses the change and activates the brain’s insula and striatum, which are associated with reward, inducing a desire to eat.

At the same time, the prefrontal cortex seems to lose its ability to put the brakes upon the “eat! eat!” signals coming from the striatum. That impairs the ability to inhibit the impulse to eat when glucose levels plunge, explained Dr. Kathleen Page of the University of Southern California, who led the study.

Different foods can raise or lower your baseline metabolism. To lose weight, you want more of the former without compromising nutrition. Green tea and caffeine raise baseline metabolism. And because muscle burns more calories than fat, foods that build muscle — namely, those high in protein — will indirectly raise your metabolism just as resistance training does.

Calories from protein also take more calorie-burning energy to digest and leave you feeling fuller than calories from carbohydrates. High-fiber grains are a close second followed by fruits and vegetables with starches and sugars trailing badly. If a diet leaves you feeling full, you are more likely to stick to it, making it a true lifestyle change and not an eight-week program.

How much of a difference can protein and resistance training make? Kreider put patients on a 2,600-calorie-a-day regimen — 800 more than they’d been on during an earlier weight-loss diet — plus exercise. They had very low resting metabolisms, probably a result of their low energy intake. But the patients lost weight on the higher-cal diet; its higher protein content and resistance training built muscle and raised baseline metabolism. “Higher protein intake can also lead to changes in gene expression that make you burn fat more effectively,” says Kreider. It never hurts to have your DNA on board.

The most important factor in whether you will lose weight on a diet is whether you can stay on it. That may partly explain the edge that low-carb diets have over low-fat diets. Low-fat diets are necessarily lower-protein diets because most proteins (meat, dairy, nuts) come with fat. “A low-fat diet is like eating cardboard,” says John Foreyt, Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine, Houston. “You feel hungry and unhappy. For long-term success, a diet has to be tailored to your likes and dislikes.”

Foreyt’s statement is supported by a 2010 study in the New England Journal of Medicine in which fewer people on high-protein diets (like Atkins) dropped out than on low-protein-high-carb diets (26 percent vs. 37 percent).

Exercise helps, too. It promotes a sense of well-being thanks to its ability to raise levels of endorphins and other feel-good chemicals in the brain. “And if you feel better about yourself, you’re more likely to stick to a diet,” says Foreyt.

That said, it’s just about impossible to lose weight by ramping up physical activity if you don’t change what you eat. A 2011 analysis of 14 exercise studies, which included 1,847 overweight patients, with aerobic exercise programs ranging from 12 weeks to 12 months found an average weight loss of 3.5 pounds after six months and 3.7 pounds after 12. Or as the scientists from McGill University in Montreal concluded, “isolated aerobic exercise is not an effective weight loss therapy.” For exercise to help, it must be “in conjunction with diets.”

At the end of the day, eating sensibly and exercising requires willpower. Here, too, science is revealing previously unsuspected aspects of this precious commodity.

Psychologist Roy Baumeister of Florida State University has shown that willpower is a finite resource just like, say, energy; if you use a lot of it for one thing you have less left for another. People who are on a strict diet have trouble resisting the siren call of buying, for instance. Having deployed their self-restraint on passing up dessert at lunch with friends, they have none left to resist that amazing pair of shoes calling to them from the shop window.

The message seems to be: plan your weight-loss program carefully. Don’t bite off more than you can chew (diet-wise, of course!) and you’ll have the best chance of success.


Similar news:
Category: Best diet plan  Tags: ,  Comments off
29 Feb 2012

What Fad Diets for Weight Loss Have You Tried?

As a registered dietitian I have spent as much time battling wacky weight loss diets as my clients have spent trying to lose weight. Sure, it would be great if you could “lose weight while you sleep” as one fad diet promised, but that’s simply not possible. It’s just another empty promise that can do more harm than good in the end. 

How can you tell if a fad diet is bad for you? Any diet that puts your health in jeopardy for the sake of losing weight is not good. And sometimes you can tell just by the name! 

In honor of National Nutrition Month this March, I’d like to expose some of the fad diets from the past so you won’t be as likely to fall for them in the future. It’s a perfect fit with this year’s theme for National Nutrition Month, Get Your Plate in Shape. The theme combines the equally important messages to balance your food choices and be physically active to get your plate – and your body – into good shape. 

Questions about how to lose weight have been around for as long as there have been scales and mirrors. Unfortunately, many of the answers have come in the form of fad diets and weird eating plans. See how many you recognize from this Fad Diet Timeline adapted from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It spans over 200 years and serves as a good reminder that while fad diets may come and go, good nutrition is here to stay. 

Fad Diet Timeline

1820   Vinegar Water Diet, requires mixing apple cider vinegar and water to cleanse the body

1903   “Fletcherizing,” promoted by Horace Fletcher, requires chewing food 32 times

1925   Cigarette Diet, recommends that you “Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet”

1928   Inuit Meat-and-Fat Diet, includes caribou, raw fish and whale blubber

1930   Hay Diet, does not allow carbohydrates and proteins to be eaten in the same meal

1950   Grapefruit Diet, is based on the belief grapefruit juice can melt fat

1964   Drinking Man’s Diet, is made up of alcoholic drinks and meat

1976   Sleeping Beauty Diet, individuals are heavily sedated for several days, so can’t eat

1981   Beverly Hills Diet, allows only fruit, in unlimited amounts, for the first 10 days

1986   Rotation Diet, rotates the number of calories taken in from week to week

1987   Scarsdale Diet, is low in carbohydrates and calories

1994   First version of the Atkin’s Diet, a high protein, very low carbohydrate plan

1995   Sugar Busters, eliminates sugar and refined carbohydrates

1996   Eat Right for Your Type, is based on eating foods matched to your blood type

2000   Raw Foods Diet, focuses on eating just uncooked, unprocessed, organic foods

2004   Coconut Diet, replaces most animal fats and vegetable oil with coconut oil

2011    Baby Food Diet, starts with 14 jars of baby food a day and an optional adult dinner

How many did you recognize?


Similar news:
Category: Weight loss plans  Tags: ,  Comments off
29 Feb 2012

Diet review: What is the fruit flush diet?

Is it possible for someone to lose weight just by eating a piece of fruit every two hours? If you are to believe the fruit flush diet followers, then this is quite possible.

A diet, which claims to keep you on a three day detox, the fruit flush diet apparently aids in flushing out toxins from the body. These ‘toxins’ supposedly accumulate in the body because of alcohol, junk food, artificial ingredients, and processed foods. Today, Dr. Simran Saini, Weight Loss Management Consultant at Fortis Hospital, tells us about the fruit flush diet and if it really is a healthy weight loss diet.

The main point of consideration for the fruit flush diet is to eat natural and unprocessed food like fruits and raw vegetables in a good quantity. The diet’s followers claim that this flushes out our system of toxins, which we accumulate over a period by eating processed and unhealthy food items. So, the diet advises fruits or vegetables every two hours to feed the system in a healthy manner.

How the fruit flush diet works. The diet propogrates lean proteins in the form of whey protein shakes, which supposedly help the body enter the ‘fat burning mode.’ Secondly, the high intake of water and fiber in the form of fruits and raw vegetables makes the system burn calories at the benefit of optimum nutrition. This results in sudden weight loss as the body goes through a complete overhaul from its regular routine.

Food items one can/cannot eat in this diet. One can eat foods such as whey protein shakes, fresh fruits (all varieties), fresh raw vegetables, olive oil for salad dressings and lean protein sources (such as chicken and fish). One cannot eat dairy, caffeine in the form of coffee, tea, alcohol, diet and regular sodas, cooked vegetables, juices, fats in any form and sweets in any form.

A sample plan of the foods in this diet: - Day 1 (Pre-flush): Every two hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., drink a 6-ounce protein drink (avoid any sweeteners, artificial colors), followed by water. Dinner: 2 medium bowls of raw vegetable salad, with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil. A serving of 4 egg whites.

- Days 2 and 3: Every two hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., eat one serving (approximately 100 calories’ worth) of fresh fruit and drink a glass of water. Dinner: 2 medium bowls of raw vegetable salad with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus half a lemon. All this along with a protein shake at dinner.

Advantages of the diet. A few advantages of this diet are: – Good to neutralize the effects of overindulgence in processed and fat loaded foods prior to commencement of a healthy eating program.

– Helps your system take rest and rejuvenate.

– Gives quick weight loss.

– A delight for people who like filling their tummy with fruits and vegetables.

Disadvantages of the diet: It is difficult to follow for those with hypoglycemia and blood glucose imbalances. Hunger and fatigue may result in low motivation for the dieter. The fruit flush diet may also result in nutritional deficiencies as only a limited variety of food groups are allowed. The diet promises quick results that may not reflect true, or healthy, weight loss and may not last long.

Verdict on the fruit flush diet. Even if this is considered good as a break from the usual processed food our generation relishes, the fruit flush diet is not a lasting or healthy way of eating. It is not sustainable and it’s basis of being a ‘detox’ diet is not supported by scientific proof.

Read more Personal Health, Diet Fitness stories on www.healthmeup.com


Similar news:
Category: Natural diet plan  Tags: ,  Comments off
« Previous Entries