How you approach life can affect how you take care of your health. It's important to be aware of how your coping patterns play into your eating and exercise habits. For no matter what diet you follow, some behaviors can sabotage weight loss.
Are you a persistent procrastinator who always has an excuse for putting off losing weight? Are you a people pleaser that always says "yes" to other people without taking care of yourself? How about an overreaching achiever whose perfectionist tendencies make you feel you never lose weight fast enough and feel disappointed even when you make progress?
Personality and behavior play the main role according to obesity internist Robert Kushner and his wife, Nancy, a nurse practitioner, co-authors of Dr. Kushner's Personality Type Diet . In their book, they describe how different personality types affect eating habits and provide solutions to implement new healthy behaviors.
Here's a list to help determine what type of eater you are with solutions to address the personality traits that get in the way of weight loss.
Unguided grazer
Eats anytime and anywhere — while driving, working, reading, watching TV or surfing the Internet. Usually chooses foods that are convenient and readily accessible. Frequently eats past the point of fullness.
Solution: Make a commitment to eat three meals a day. Midmorning and late-afternoon snacks may help ward off hunger. Don't do anything else while eating, and try to slow down and enjoy food.
Nighttime nibbler
Often goes all day without eating much — or anything. May consume far more calories than intended at night because of ravenous hunger. Dinner often blends into continual trips to the kitchen for snacks.
Solution: Plan to eat lunch and a midafternoon snack. Lunch might be a sandwich, yogurt or soup. The snack might be an apple and peanut butter or low-fat string cheese and crackers. Calorie-proof the house, getting rid of favorite nighttime munchies. Plan on one nightly snack that's satisfying. Eat it slowly and enjoy.
Convenient consumer
Eats mostly convenience, packaged, frozen and fast foods that are often high in fat and calories and low in fiber. Has few fresh foods or home-cooked meals.
Solution: Downsize fast-food meals and convenience foods. Buy single servings. Look for healthful alternatives whenever possible. Get baked chips instead of regular ones, broiled chicken instead of fried. Avoid creamy sauces. To add flavor to foods, experiment with spices such as fresh rosemary and tarragon and sauces such as teriyaki or spicy barbecue.
Fruitless feaster
Eats a plain meat-and-potatoes menu, except for an occasional glass of orange juice, a banana or apple. Consumes few fruits and vegetables, thus missing out on the vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients these foods contain.
Solution: Add blueberries, strawberries or bananas to cereal. Add mushrooms, spinach and green peppers to omelets. Put baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, apple and orange slices in lunch. Add baby spinach, arugula and tomatoes to sandwiches.
Mindless muncher
Snacks throughout the day and night whether hungry or not — sometimes out of boredom or to take a break in the middle of the day. Doesn't pass up a plate of food, vending machine or snack shop. The sight or smell of food triggers the compulsion to eat.
Solution: Keep a food diary for only two days, which will help convert mindless eating to conscious consumption. Read food labels to figure out quantities. Try healthful alternatives such as cherry tomatoes dipped in light ranch dressing, baked chips and vegetarian bean dip or whole-wheat pita with hummus dip.
Hearty portioner
Overindulges on unhealthful foods or even healthful ones. May consume three to five times the norm.
Solution: Picture a picnic plate with dividers, and portion your plate so that three-quarters is covered with fruits, vegetables and salad, and the meat and starch are in the smaller compartments. Overcome portion traps at restaurants by splitting entrees and ordering extra salad or vegetables. Scan food labels for calories per serving.
Deprived sneaker
May eat a strict diet of "good" foods one day, then overeat on "bad" foods on another. Instead of eating a small slice of chocolate cake, may choose fat-free cookies, but after eating eight of them, feels deprived.
Solution: Drop the dieting mind-set along with the long lists of forbidden foods. Choose flavorful foods that contain healthful oils and fiber. For instance, add nuts and avocado to salads, use olive oil in stir-frys. Follow the 80/20 rule — if 80% of your diet is healthful, the other 20% can be less so.
Eating healthfully requires more than just knowing what to do but being able to implement it. It's important to seek support from a health professional such as a registered dietitian that can help you implement habits that can help you reach your goals.
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Life & Nutrition as a House
If you don't take care of your house, where are you going to live?
While driving back home after a weekend of visiting my family in Upstate New York, I was listening to an interview on satellite radio with author and life coach Martha Beck. During the discussion she mentioned how she likes to ask her clients to describe their house as this provides insight into what is going on in their life. This made me reflect on how this could apply to nutrition as well. Does your nutrition house have a solid foundation? Is your nutrition house warm and inviting and make you feel good? Or has it been neglected and in need of repair? Is maintianing your nutrition house the last thing on your list that never gets done?
Nutrition requires consistent maintenance and upkeep just like a house. To me, one of the most frustrating house chores is dusting. I work so hard to dust and in a few days it just comes right back. Ugh! While dusting is not my favorite activity I know that I need to keep up with it if I want a clean home. The same goes for nutrition. Many folks want to follow a strict diet program for a specified period of time and then go back to eating the way they were previously. If you want to change your life, you have to make a commitment to nutrition for the long-term. Like dusting, weight management and performance nutrition requires consistency if you want to get results.
What's interesting to note is that according to organizational expert Peter Welsh, in his book Does Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?, decluttering your house can be the first step to losing weight. Why? Because disorganization can lead to stress which increases the hormone cortisol and blood sugar which increases insulin, making you feel hungrier. Also, if your dining room table and kitchen is piled high with stuff, you're not creating an environment conducive to healthful eating. If you have trouble cooking in your kitchen, finding space in your refrigerator, or don't have a place to sit down and enjoy a meal, isn't it more tempting to eat out and reach for less healthy fast food or grab and go items? Packing our homes with "stuff" becomes a symbol of how we approach eating - where more is always better. Yet just like homes cluttered with things we never use, our bodies become fat storage units for the extra fuel that we don't need.
My question for you is how would you describe your nutrition house? Is it in good shape or in need of some updating? The thing to remember is that you don't have to fix your house by yourself. I'm here to help make sure you have a solid foundation.
While driving back home after a weekend of visiting my family in Upstate New York, I was listening to an interview on satellite radio with author and life coach Martha Beck. During the discussion she mentioned how she likes to ask her clients to describe their house as this provides insight into what is going on in their life. This made me reflect on how this could apply to nutrition as well. Does your nutrition house have a solid foundation? Is your nutrition house warm and inviting and make you feel good? Or has it been neglected and in need of repair? Is maintianing your nutrition house the last thing on your list that never gets done?
Nutrition requires consistent maintenance and upkeep just like a house. To me, one of the most frustrating house chores is dusting. I work so hard to dust and in a few days it just comes right back. Ugh! While dusting is not my favorite activity I know that I need to keep up with it if I want a clean home. The same goes for nutrition. Many folks want to follow a strict diet program for a specified period of time and then go back to eating the way they were previously. If you want to change your life, you have to make a commitment to nutrition for the long-term. Like dusting, weight management and performance nutrition requires consistency if you want to get results.
What's interesting to note is that according to organizational expert Peter Welsh, in his book Does Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?, decluttering your house can be the first step to losing weight. Why? Because disorganization can lead to stress which increases the hormone cortisol and blood sugar which increases insulin, making you feel hungrier. Also, if your dining room table and kitchen is piled high with stuff, you're not creating an environment conducive to healthful eating. If you have trouble cooking in your kitchen, finding space in your refrigerator, or don't have a place to sit down and enjoy a meal, isn't it more tempting to eat out and reach for less healthy fast food or grab and go items? Packing our homes with "stuff" becomes a symbol of how we approach eating - where more is always better. Yet just like homes cluttered with things we never use, our bodies become fat storage units for the extra fuel that we don't need.
My question for you is how would you describe your nutrition house? Is it in good shape or in need of some updating? The thing to remember is that you don't have to fix your house by yourself. I'm here to help make sure you have a solid foundation.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
The Magic of 100 Calories
Did you know that if you eat 100 fewer calories each day, you could lose 10 pounds in a year? Did you also know that if you eat 100 calories less and burn another 100 calories through activity (to create a 200 calorie deficit), you could lose 20 pounds in a year? It's really amazing how small, consistent changes in the foods we eat, portion sizes, and activity level can make a big difference when it comes to managing our weight.
Here is a list of easy ways to cut 100 calories from your eating.
Breakfast
• Replace your morning glass of regular juice with a glass of lite or reduced-sugar juice
• Switch out 1 ounce (oz) of cooked pork bacon for 1 oz of Canadian bacon
• Trade ¼ cup (C) regular pancake syrup for ¼ C lite pancake syrup
• Try replacing 2 fluid ounces (fl oz) of flavored coffee creamer with 2 fl oz of 2% milk
• Choose three medium-sized pancakes, instead of ordering an 8″ round waffle
Lunch
• Replace 1 C of a cream-based soup with 1 C of a broth-based soup
• Use diet bread to make your sandwich
• Skip the cheese on your burger, sandwich, or salad
• Choose carbonated fruit-flavored water, instead of regular soda
• Trade a 6-oz cup of yogurt with fruit on the bottom for a four-oz cup of lite yogurt blended with fruit
Dinner
• Make your tacos with 3 oz of grilled chicken breast, instead of 3 oz of 85% lean ground beef
• Choose one slice of thin-crust cheese pizza, instead of a slice of pepperoni pan pizza (one piece is measured as one eighth of a 14″ pizza)
• Replace either smoked pork or beef sausage with either smoked turkey or chicken sausage
• Replace 2 tablespoons (Tbsp) of salted stick butter with 2 Tbsp of a reduced-calorie margarine spread
• Choose ½ C of black beans, instead of refried beans, when preparing Mexican food
Snacks
• Choose a ½ C of sorbet, instead of premium ice cream
• Munch on five reduced-fat vanilla wafers, instead of one big chocolate-chip cookie
• Use ¼ C fat-free ranch dressing, instead of French onion dip, for your raw vegetables or pretzels
• Replace half of the oil in your favorite recipe with unsweetened applesauce
• Trade your regular buttered popcorn for Orville Redenbacher’s® SmartPop! Gourmet® microwave popcorn
Think you're already portion savvy? Take this fun quiz to find out if you know what 100 calories actually looks like.
Here is a list of easy ways to burn 100 calories.
15 Minute Activities - Aerobic dance, racquetball, jogging
20 Minute Activities - Gardening, washing the car, walking the dog, pushing a stroller
25 Minutes Activities - Bicycling
40 Minute Activities - Light household chores
Here is a list of easy ways to cut 100 calories from your eating.
Breakfast
• Replace your morning glass of regular juice with a glass of lite or reduced-sugar juice
• Switch out 1 ounce (oz) of cooked pork bacon for 1 oz of Canadian bacon
• Trade ¼ cup (C) regular pancake syrup for ¼ C lite pancake syrup
• Try replacing 2 fluid ounces (fl oz) of flavored coffee creamer with 2 fl oz of 2% milk
• Choose three medium-sized pancakes, instead of ordering an 8″ round waffle
Lunch
• Replace 1 C of a cream-based soup with 1 C of a broth-based soup
• Use diet bread to make your sandwich
• Skip the cheese on your burger, sandwich, or salad
• Choose carbonated fruit-flavored water, instead of regular soda
• Trade a 6-oz cup of yogurt with fruit on the bottom for a four-oz cup of lite yogurt blended with fruit
Dinner
• Make your tacos with 3 oz of grilled chicken breast, instead of 3 oz of 85% lean ground beef
• Choose one slice of thin-crust cheese pizza, instead of a slice of pepperoni pan pizza (one piece is measured as one eighth of a 14″ pizza)
• Replace either smoked pork or beef sausage with either smoked turkey or chicken sausage
• Replace 2 tablespoons (Tbsp) of salted stick butter with 2 Tbsp of a reduced-calorie margarine spread
• Choose ½ C of black beans, instead of refried beans, when preparing Mexican food
Snacks
• Choose a ½ C of sorbet, instead of premium ice cream
• Munch on five reduced-fat vanilla wafers, instead of one big chocolate-chip cookie
• Use ¼ C fat-free ranch dressing, instead of French onion dip, for your raw vegetables or pretzels
• Replace half of the oil in your favorite recipe with unsweetened applesauce
• Trade your regular buttered popcorn for Orville Redenbacher’s® SmartPop! Gourmet® microwave popcorn
Think you're already portion savvy? Take this fun quiz to find out if you know what 100 calories actually looks like.
Here is a list of easy ways to burn 100 calories.
15 Minute Activities - Aerobic dance, racquetball, jogging
20 Minute Activities - Gardening, washing the car, walking the dog, pushing a stroller
25 Minutes Activities - Bicycling
40 Minute Activities - Light household chores
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Starting the Journey
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. - Lao-tzu
Do you ever just think about something on your "to do" list and feel so overwhelmed that you don't even know where to start?
I feel that way about organizing my office. Some days I feel like I'm drowning in paper. It's a constant daily struggle that I have to think about and work on if I want to keep up with it. I've fallen a bit behind on my filing and right now I have a large stack of papers taunting me.
Often when one feels overwhelmed, it's even more difficult to start on a task since you feel like a small step will hardly matter. It's amazing how we are magically able to find almost anything else to do - even organizing your sock drawer - rather than address the real issue.
Many people have the same feeling about losing weight, getting in shape, or just living a healthier lifestyle. You keep letting it go until the problem seems too overwhelming to tackle. You then become stuck, feeling like you don't even know where to begin.
It's often at this point we play the "justification" game on why we can't address the issue. We come up with a laundry list of reasons on why this isn't a priority such as I'm too busy or too stressed. Some folks focus on others and rage against the injustice of it all. For example, "Those darn healthy, skinny, muscular, etc.....___________ (fill in the blank) people have it so much easier than I do. It's just not fair." Others convince themselves it doesn't matter to them and it's really not important because if it was that might mean they would have to take action.
When the goal seems overwhelming, the most important thing is just taking the first step. Maybe that's choosing to eat a piece of fruit for dessert instead of a cookie. Maybe that's choosing to go for a walk around the block instead of settling into the couch for the evening. It's the consistent small steps that add up to the big changes.
If you're just learning to run, you can't expect to run 2 miles one day and be ready for a marathon the next. You have to train, practice, and keep working at it. You will accomplish your goal one step at a time but you'll never get there if you never start.
Do you ever just think about something on your "to do" list and feel so overwhelmed that you don't even know where to start?
I feel that way about organizing my office. Some days I feel like I'm drowning in paper. It's a constant daily struggle that I have to think about and work on if I want to keep up with it. I've fallen a bit behind on my filing and right now I have a large stack of papers taunting me.
Often when one feels overwhelmed, it's even more difficult to start on a task since you feel like a small step will hardly matter. It's amazing how we are magically able to find almost anything else to do - even organizing your sock drawer - rather than address the real issue.
Many people have the same feeling about losing weight, getting in shape, or just living a healthier lifestyle. You keep letting it go until the problem seems too overwhelming to tackle. You then become stuck, feeling like you don't even know where to begin.
It's often at this point we play the "justification" game on why we can't address the issue. We come up with a laundry list of reasons on why this isn't a priority such as I'm too busy or too stressed. Some folks focus on others and rage against the injustice of it all. For example, "Those darn healthy, skinny, muscular, etc.....___________ (fill in the blank) people have it so much easier than I do. It's just not fair." Others convince themselves it doesn't matter to them and it's really not important because if it was that might mean they would have to take action.
When the goal seems overwhelming, the most important thing is just taking the first step. Maybe that's choosing to eat a piece of fruit for dessert instead of a cookie. Maybe that's choosing to go for a walk around the block instead of settling into the couch for the evening. It's the consistent small steps that add up to the big changes.
If you're just learning to run, you can't expect to run 2 miles one day and be ready for a marathon the next. You have to train, practice, and keep working at it. You will accomplish your goal one step at a time but you'll never get there if you never start.
Monday, June 14, 2010
My Weight Loss Secret That Doesn't Involve Food
Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right. - Henry Ford
I wanted to share with you one of the key secrets to successful weight loss - a secret that has nothing to do with what you put in your mouth. It's all about what's in your head that makes a big impact. I'm talking about your mindset.
If you've ever struggled to lose weight, it can be very discouraging at times, especially when you feel like you're working so hard and still not getting the results you want. It is often during these challenging times when we let self-doubt and negative thinking take over. Instead of focusing on all the positive changes you've made, you may find yourself thinking that no matter what you do, your effort to be healthy & lose weight will not work.
So here's the secret:
If you are convinced (whether consciously or subconsciously) that your body is not capable of changing, you will probably not succeed. You will start looking for reasons and excuses why weight loss can't happen. Instead of looking for solutions, you put up roadblocks on why you can't possibly make changes. Self-sabotage often runs rampant. Every slip-up becomes magnified in your mind and may become an excuse to quit.
The mind is one of the most powerful tools we have in losing weight. In order to be successful, we have to believe that we have the power to change our lives. I'm not saying that it's easy. If it was, everyone would be walking around looking like a supermodel. My most successful clients are the ones that take ownership of their body and the process of getting healthy.
Change is a process that occurs one step at a time. Real, lasting change needs to occur from the inside out. I believe you have the power. Do you?
I wanted to share with you one of the key secrets to successful weight loss - a secret that has nothing to do with what you put in your mouth. It's all about what's in your head that makes a big impact. I'm talking about your mindset.
If you've ever struggled to lose weight, it can be very discouraging at times, especially when you feel like you're working so hard and still not getting the results you want. It is often during these challenging times when we let self-doubt and negative thinking take over. Instead of focusing on all the positive changes you've made, you may find yourself thinking that no matter what you do, your effort to be healthy & lose weight will not work.
So here's the secret:
If you are convinced (whether consciously or subconsciously) that your body is not capable of changing, you will probably not succeed. You will start looking for reasons and excuses why weight loss can't happen. Instead of looking for solutions, you put up roadblocks on why you can't possibly make changes. Self-sabotage often runs rampant. Every slip-up becomes magnified in your mind and may become an excuse to quit.
The mind is one of the most powerful tools we have in losing weight. In order to be successful, we have to believe that we have the power to change our lives. I'm not saying that it's easy. If it was, everyone would be walking around looking like a supermodel. My most successful clients are the ones that take ownership of their body and the process of getting healthy.
Change is a process that occurs one step at a time. Real, lasting change needs to occur from the inside out. I believe you have the power. Do you?
Friday, January 22, 2010
You Can't Out-Exercise A Bad Diet
Many people think exercise is a cure-all to weight loss issues. People beginning a new exercise program will often see good results as it's a shock to their system. They start seeing the pounds melt away and they become convinced that they are one of the "special ones" that don't need to worry about their diet. Then they "hit the wall." The continual progress they were seeing comes to a screeching halt. They may get frustrated, unfairly blame their trainers for getting stuck, and stop exercising altogether. Today I'm going to let you in on a little secret:
You can't out-exercise a bad diet.
Let's take an example to illustrate the point. Say you go to the gym and run on the treadmill for 45 minutes. Next let's assume you burned about 450 calories during your workout. Okay, now that your workout is complete you're feeling virtuous - you're a workout stud muffin. Hey don't you deserve a treat for your hard work? So you stop off at the local smoothie shop - hey smoothies are healthy aren't they? You order a medium (24 oz) smoothie and you effectively wiped out the calorie deficit you just got from exercising. Most medium smoothies run anywhere from 400 calories to over 700 depending on what you put in them.
Here's an entertaining video that also illustrates the point of the impact of diet versus exercise. It's very easy to undo the results of exercise in a few minutes of eating.
While this is over-simplifying the complex issue of weight management, the point I'm trying to get across is how nutrition plays a crucial role. While we often exercise anywhere from 30-60 minutes a day, if you want to continue seeing progress, you need to ask yourself what you're putting in your mouth the rest of the time.
You can't out-exercise a bad diet.
Let's take an example to illustrate the point. Say you go to the gym and run on the treadmill for 45 minutes. Next let's assume you burned about 450 calories during your workout. Okay, now that your workout is complete you're feeling virtuous - you're a workout stud muffin. Hey don't you deserve a treat for your hard work? So you stop off at the local smoothie shop - hey smoothies are healthy aren't they? You order a medium (24 oz) smoothie and you effectively wiped out the calorie deficit you just got from exercising. Most medium smoothies run anywhere from 400 calories to over 700 depending on what you put in them.
Here's an entertaining video that also illustrates the point of the impact of diet versus exercise. It's very easy to undo the results of exercise in a few minutes of eating.
While this is over-simplifying the complex issue of weight management, the point I'm trying to get across is how nutrition plays a crucial role. While we often exercise anywhere from 30-60 minutes a day, if you want to continue seeing progress, you need to ask yourself what you're putting in your mouth the rest of the time.
Monday, January 18, 2010
The Power of Transformation
I love watching TV make-over shows - beauty and fashion, home decorating, and even dating. On TLC's show What Not to Wear, the participant is nominated by their family and friends for a fashion and beauty make-over. After folks you know declare how much they love you but that your true beauty is being hidden by your "cave troll" appearance, you're whisked away to NYC for a shopping spree, new haircut and make-up. Of course the more extreme the case (think Aunt Mildred with a mullet dressing like Britney Spears), the more satisfying the end result when the person is magically "fixed." The fact that the transformation is neatly packaged into a 1 hour show only adds to the allure. These type of shows may cause you to daydream: "Wouldn't it be nice if some part of my life - like weight loss - could be solved so quickly?"
The bad news: Magic wands don't work.
The good news: You have the power to change your life.
Maybe I love make-over shows so much because I believe in the power of transformation. The first step to changing your life is having a goal and figuring out what steps you need to take in order to accomplish this.
The good news in terms of weight loss is that you don't have to go on this journey alone. My 9-week weight loss class starts next week on Tuesday, Jan 26. We meet every Tuesday night for 9 weeks. In addition to weight loss, the goal of the class is to help you develop a healthy partnership with your body. It incorporates eating and exercise strategies to achieve a more balanced, healthy lifestyle and a more efficient metabolic rate. The class also provides the accountability and support you need in a small group setting to help you transition into your new way of living.
Don't just dream about changing your life. Take the first step today and make a commitment to yourself. You have the power!
The good news: You have the power to change your life.
Maybe I love make-over shows so much because I believe in the power of transformation. The first step to changing your life is having a goal and figuring out what steps you need to take in order to accomplish this.
The good news in terms of weight loss is that you don't have to go on this journey alone. My 9-week weight loss class starts next week on Tuesday, Jan 26. We meet every Tuesday night for 9 weeks. In addition to weight loss, the goal of the class is to help you develop a healthy partnership with your body. It incorporates eating and exercise strategies to achieve a more balanced, healthy lifestyle and a more efficient metabolic rate. The class also provides the accountability and support you need in a small group setting to help you transition into your new way of living.
Don't just dream about changing your life. Take the first step today and make a commitment to yourself. You have the power!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Simple Is Not The Same As Easy!
Now that we're well into January, we're being overwhelmed with TV commercials for diets and infomericals for exercise gadgets that promise us the body of our dreams. One of the latest commericals is the Drive-Thru Diet by Taco Bell, featuring Christine who lost 54 pounds over 2 years by choosing items off their lower calorie Fresco menu and reducing her overall calorie intake. Keep flipping TV channels and you might see commericals for the Special K diet, Subway's poster boy for weight loss Jared, or one of the many companies that offer pre-packaged meals. So if losing weight is just a matter of eating healthier foods and smaller portions, why is losing weight and keeping it off so hard?
Diets - especially strict ones - are so popular because many of them have simple, straight-forward but rigid eating rules. Often they limit all choice. As long as you're following the rules you're "on track" and guaranteed quick success. Strict diets are so appealing because in our busy and stressful lives we are often happy to "check our brain at the door" and just be told exactly what to do. No thinking required. Many of these type of diets are successful in the short term - you lose weight and think "Yes, I've accomplished my goal."
Then life happens.
You might start to go back to you previous eating habits and the weight starts to creep back on. Or you've been so strict with your eating that you feel deprived and start eating all your "forbidden" foods and can't stop. Or you find that trying to stick to the diet is "consuming" your life and only making you feel frustrated and deprived. Next comes the "shame spiral" in which we mistakenly beat ourselves up for being so "weak" when in reality it is our diet that has failed us.
I have many clients that come to me after trying to stick to these popular diets. In the beginning they often get quick results but often these results quickly diminish and they soon realize that it's not feasible for them to continue these habits for the long-term.
This year I challenge you to not just diet but to develop a lasting, healthy partnership with your body. One way to do that is through an informed and supportive environment. I'm offering a 9-week weight loss class starting Jan 26. Check out the following link for more details:
http://www.dynamicnutritionservices.com/RevItUpWeightLossClass.html
Will this be the year that you create a healthy new life? Only you have the power to decide.
Because simple is not the same as easy.
Diets - especially strict ones - are so popular because many of them have simple, straight-forward but rigid eating rules. Often they limit all choice. As long as you're following the rules you're "on track" and guaranteed quick success. Strict diets are so appealing because in our busy and stressful lives we are often happy to "check our brain at the door" and just be told exactly what to do. No thinking required. Many of these type of diets are successful in the short term - you lose weight and think "Yes, I've accomplished my goal."
Then life happens.
You might start to go back to you previous eating habits and the weight starts to creep back on. Or you've been so strict with your eating that you feel deprived and start eating all your "forbidden" foods and can't stop. Or you find that trying to stick to the diet is "consuming" your life and only making you feel frustrated and deprived. Next comes the "shame spiral" in which we mistakenly beat ourselves up for being so "weak" when in reality it is our diet that has failed us.
I have many clients that come to me after trying to stick to these popular diets. In the beginning they often get quick results but often these results quickly diminish and they soon realize that it's not feasible for them to continue these habits for the long-term.
Don't just diet. Change your life.
This year I challenge you to not just diet but to develop a lasting, healthy partnership with your body. One way to do that is through an informed and supportive environment. I'm offering a 9-week weight loss class starting Jan 26. Check out the following link for more details:
http://www.dynamicnutritionservices.com/RevItUpWeightLossClass.html
Will this be the year that you create a healthy new life? Only you have the power to decide.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Double Your Weight Loss with this 1 Simple Rule
Want to learn how to double your weight loss with one simple rule? To quote fellow dietitian Dr. Jo Lichten:
If you bite it, you must write it!
Yes, I'm talking about keeping a food diary. In a study published this past summer by Kaiser Permanente, dieters who not only adopted a healthy diet and exercised but took the extra step of writing down what they ate dropped more than double the weight of those who didn't keep a food journal. Those in the 6 month study who wrote down what they ate dropped 20 pounds versus the 9 pounds for dieters who didn't keep track.
Why does this technique work so well? Writing things down helps you to cut down on mindless eating because it causes you to be aware of what you're popping in your mouth. Knowing that you have to track your eating can help you pause and think before you reach for that second helping of cake or chips. It can also help you realize if you're eating out of stress or boredom as well as making you more aware of proper portion sizes.
Keeping a food dairy can be as simple as writing in a notebook or going more high tech with online food diaries or applications for your phone.
If you want to go "old school" with pen to paper, you can download a free food and activity diary from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.
If you prefer online tracking tools, you can sign up for free online account at FitDay.Com or SparkPeople.
Want to keep track while on the go? Then try the free iPhone application Lose It! or the Calorie Counter for the Blackberry.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Is Brown Fat the Secret to Being Lean?
Oh brown fat - we hardly know you. We're all too familiar with white fat - the unwanted party guest that keeps showing up uninvited on our hips, thighs, stomach, arms, and butt. But brown fat is different. Though they share the same last name, brown fat is white fat's much cooler cousin. Instead of storing excess calories from food as "love handles" or the dreaded "muffin top," brown fat helps to burn incoming calories. How is this possible? Brown fat has a much different job than white fat.
The purpose of brown fat is to help regulate body temperature. Brown fat are specialized cells packed with mitochondria - the powerhouse of the cells. Instead of producing a high energy compound called ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to help keep us moving and shaking, brown fat cells instead burn through fuel (calories) to produce heat to help keep us warm. Brown fat is prevalent in infants and hibernating animals, which both need it to help stay warm in cold temperatures. It was previously thought that brown fat stores shrink as we age since we become more efficient at regulating our body temperature. However, recent studies indicate that adults actually retain a significant portion of brown fat in the neck area. (Sorry - there goes your excuse to act as immature as a baby or take the winter off to hibernate like a bear in your hopes of boosting your brown fat stores.)
Is there a way to harness of the power of brown fat to become a weight loss dynamo? Researchers at the Univeristy of Gothenburg in Sweden learned in experiments that exposing people to cold temperatures increased the activity of brown fat. Scientists estimate that 50 grams of brown fat could burn 20% of an average person's daily caloric intake - or about 400 calories of a 2000 calorie diet.
Now before you head off to your doctor asking for a pill or injection of brown fat or stand out in the cold shivering, it's important to keep in mind that the body is extremely efficient. A boost in calorie burning is often accompanied by a boost in appetite.
While researchers predict that real world interventions with brown fat are at least 5-10 years away, scientists also state that these treatments would only be effective when paired with changes in nutrition and exercise. (Oh snap - we still have to make lifestyle changes.) Brown fat - I guess we're still trying to get to know you.
Here are links to a few articles discussing the metabolic power of brown fat:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/10/brown.fat.obesity/index.html
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1890175,00.html
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-brown-fat2-2009nov02,0,3235554.story
The purpose of brown fat is to help regulate body temperature. Brown fat are specialized cells packed with mitochondria - the powerhouse of the cells. Instead of producing a high energy compound called ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to help keep us moving and shaking, brown fat cells instead burn through fuel (calories) to produce heat to help keep us warm. Brown fat is prevalent in infants and hibernating animals, which both need it to help stay warm in cold temperatures. It was previously thought that brown fat stores shrink as we age since we become more efficient at regulating our body temperature. However, recent studies indicate that adults actually retain a significant portion of brown fat in the neck area. (Sorry - there goes your excuse to act as immature as a baby or take the winter off to hibernate like a bear in your hopes of boosting your brown fat stores.)
Is there a way to harness of the power of brown fat to become a weight loss dynamo? Researchers at the Univeristy of Gothenburg in Sweden learned in experiments that exposing people to cold temperatures increased the activity of brown fat. Scientists estimate that 50 grams of brown fat could burn 20% of an average person's daily caloric intake - or about 400 calories of a 2000 calorie diet.
Now before you head off to your doctor asking for a pill or injection of brown fat or stand out in the cold shivering, it's important to keep in mind that the body is extremely efficient. A boost in calorie burning is often accompanied by a boost in appetite.
While researchers predict that real world interventions with brown fat are at least 5-10 years away, scientists also state that these treatments would only be effective when paired with changes in nutrition and exercise. (Oh snap - we still have to make lifestyle changes.) Brown fat - I guess we're still trying to get to know you.
Here are links to a few articles discussing the metabolic power of brown fat:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/10/brown.fat.obesity/index.html
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1890175,00.html
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-brown-fat2-2009nov02,0,3235554.story
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