Archive for January, 2009

Obese Outnumber Overweight in US

Well, this really isn’t good news for us here in the US.  34% of us have a BMI greater than 30.  This basically means that 2 out of 3 of us are obese or overweight, and that is staggering and very disturbing.  We thought for a while that we had this national crisis under control, especially with the advent of so many new diet programs, diet and fitness education and building awareness, and the ever present focus of body, well being and health in the media and in our entertainment.

You’d think after all the bruhaha about weight and obesity, our numbers would have improved, however just the opposite has happened, and we find that we are in big trouble now as far as weight loss and maintenance go.

There are also numerous programs trying to nip the obesity epidemic in the bud so to speak, with children being educated and molded from an earlier age on how to eat right, school cafeterias basically banning foods that are without nutrition, high in fat and carbs and sugar, and gym classes being upped to actual physical activity instead of kids sitting their way through the whole class.

One of the main problems, I personally feel, is the hustle and bustle nature of our society.  Pair this with the increasing popularity of fast foods and easy to prepare, totally processed foods that don’t fill you up or leave you satisfied, yet are sky high in calories, carbs, fat and sugars, and you’ve got a full blown problem on your hands that doesn’t have a quick overnight solution.

Also, the problem is that many are looking for a magic diet pill or something that will take the weight off without any real hard work or sacrifice, but even if you are taking a prescription drug such as Xenical or Orlistat (the nonprescription version of this is Ali, the one that causes the gastrointestinal discomfort if you overeat fat), when in fact, even if you are taking the highest quality herbal diet pills or prescription weight loss meds, you still need to modify your dietary intake, your exercise habits and your motivation to actually see long term results.  That comes from within.

Too many people have come to rely on quick fixes, and it really takes determination and willpower, and a desire to actually be healthy consistently, for the rest of your life, to stay on track and not gain weight throughout life.  Some say “oh, you gain weight with age, there’s nothing you can do about it”.  This attitude is exactly why so many are suffering obesity and thinking that it’s beyond their control.

You can actually help to reverse the aging process if you do begin eating right, so this is a falsehood, although admittedly the metabolism does tend to slow a bit in most of us as we age, that’s why we need less food and less sleep as well though – it’s all about modification as we get older.

What is This “Secret” to Belly Fat Loss as Seen on Ads?

I’ve been seeing this recurring ad on CNN, MSNBC and even Yahoo while I’m getting my mail, all referring to some new secret weight loss regimen that involves various women and their blogs about losing belly fat at a very fast rate.  The one I ran across and checked out was one about a woman named Nicholle who was saying that she lost 45 lbs in three months, which is a very fast paced 15 lbs per month, more than some experts may recommend, but as I can personally attest, it is very possible to do it safely, I’ve done that with the Zone diet, and I felt fine doing it.

The “secret” to Nicholle’s weight loss ended up being one of these new Acai berry herbal weight loss pills that supposedly helps you lose weight by increasing the energy levels and helping to remove toxins from the body.  I think acai berry is incredibly excellent for you, but as far as it’s weight loss appeal, I’m not really sure how it actually helps to burn fat, however I can see how it would definitely help you increase energy levels and feel better, which sometimes is half the battle of losing weight.

I also think it’s a great idea to add this super fruit to your diet, no matter what purpose you’re adding it for – weight loss or just to feel and look a lot better and to maintain and promote the health of your skin, organs and digestive system.  Oh, they also claim that this supplement can help your digestive and waste tracts (colon) clean which also helps to contribute to weight loss – I would agree with that claim although I haven’t tried this particular natural diet pill, I do think that colon health is pivotal to anyone’s weight loss and healthy weight maintenance after weight loss.

Nicholle says she used two products in conjunction though – one was the Acai berry supplement and the other was specifically made for colon cleansing (see Bowtrol review for our recommendation for colon cleansing), so those two together are what she says helped her to reach her weight loss goals and maintain them.  On the blog, there are pictures of Nicholle, without her head and face showing, demonstrating how much weight she lost with a large pair of pants she fit into in the Before picture and the same pair of pants, now two times too big for her.

This is certainly a very desirable outcome for many women and men.  I’d love to hear if anyone else has had this experience, or a bad experience or review with these very products being advertised so widely so we can publish it here.  Thanks!

Using Self Hypnosis to Reach Your New Year’s Resolution Weight

Self hypnosis is a highly effective, and also very cost-effective, way to do a lot of things, including quitting smoking and oh yeah, of course losing weight, which is probably one fo the biggest reasons that hypnosis and self hypnosis is used today. I’ve actually had a lot of success using this method of positive affirmation and subliminal subconscious motivation to help myself shed a few pounds in the past, and will continue to adhere to the program a few times a year for a little boost, or pick me up when I forgot and revert back to my old habits.

Evidence that Carbs and Sugar are Addictive Gaining Momentum

I think this is something that we innately know already through our own experiences with the various foods in our lives and those that we seem to consistently have problems with bingeing on, which usually put a few extra pounds on our frame inevitably, is that carbohydrates (the refined kind) and sugars are actually addictive. Well, now there is some research that suggests it is highly addictive – so much so that it is being compared to the addictive severity of the cigarette, which is addictive because it is such an instant pick me up and creates an almost instant burst of seratonin, one of the feel good chemicals, in the brain.

Low Carb Diets Good for Focus?

In a study on the benefits and drawbacks of a low carbohydrate diet, it was found that while a low carb diet may be detrimental to your short term memory, it may actually improve your ability to focus more on the task at hand.  Also, diets that have virtually no carbs at all were found to be detrimental to both focus and short term memory, since the brain runs on glucose, and pure protein diets don’t supply enough of this (it’s basically sugar, which is what carbohydrates are converted into when they are digested and absorbed by the body). 

This finding does not surprise me at all, because I have tried low carb diets and also an almost no carb diet (the Atkins diet advocates virtually no carbs, which is a terrible idea because it cuts out almost all fruits and veggies) and I noticed that both my memory and concentration seemed to improve when I was on lower carb diets, like South Beach and The Zone, but when I tried Atkins, I not only had a very short fuse patience wise and got low blood sugar spells almost constantly, but my memory and focus were virtually shot. 

I definitely do not advocate an extreme low carb diet such as Atkins because it cuts out so many of the foods that replenish our vital nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and many meats are devoid of anything but protein and maybe a few trace vitamins.  Also, the Atkins diet is very short on fiber which scares me since diets low in dietary fiber are linked to colon and colorectal cancers, and meat rich diets have also been linked to different types of cancers in both men and women.

Also, high protein, no carb diets do not really discriminate on meats.  As long as it’s a meat, it doesn’t matter, whether it’s a fatty meat like bacon or sausage, or eggs like a big fat honking egg omelette loaded with cheese, as long as that final carb count is low.  This is a terrible way to eat.  Not only will you constantly have a hard time going to the bathroom, but you may very well find yourself in a bad mood most of the time because your blood sugar is so low. 

If you would like to try to cut the carb content down in your diet, you could try a good carb blocker as well.  They act as a high fiber barrier against the absorption of carbohydrates and excess calories, at least that’s the idea of them, so you can read more about those as well if you’re looking for ways to cut the carb content in your diet. 

Low Cal Stir Fry Ideas

Stir fries are a great way to have a big meal all in one big, easy to clean up after, pan.  I love one pan meals, they’re usually easy, fast and tasty, especially the older I get and the more I like to mix my foods together and experiment with different flavor combinations.  Stir fry is one of the best ways to enjoy flavor combinations without all the calories, and with minimal time preparation.  Plus, since you don’t cook the daylights out of a stir fry, and they almost always involve veggies of some sort, you know that you are maintaining maximum nutrient value.

I just made one tonight that was particularly tasty with mostly veggies and a little bit of lean protein, which is the best way to make a stir fry, and one of the best ways to stay thin because it has the right combination of foods that help us to keep our metabolism high and keep us fuller for a longer time.  It uses the portioning of about 1/7 or 1/8 protein to 7/8 vegetables, so that’s perfect for staying in the right carbohydrate, fat and protein range.

When I cook a low fat and low calorie stir fry, I like to use olive oil.  I use about one tablespoon for a large, two serving pan of stir fry, but then I also use a fat free butter flavored canola oil cooking spray as well because the olive oil isn’t usually enough lubricant to keep the veggies and meat from sticking the pan or burning. 

Here is a great recipe for a low calorie, low fat chicken stir fry:
2 tablespoons almonds

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and fat free cooking spray

1 large bag of french cut green beans, frozen

2 small chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 small package (eight ounces) of chopped mushrooms

1/2 can or preferably organic black beans, undrained

1 small onion, diced and chopped – I like to use yellow onions, they are supposed to have the best glycemic index, so they are supposed to help your blood sugar stay stable for a longer time, and therefore keep you feeling fuller, longer.

Ground cumin, ground sage, pepper, seasoned salt

Crushed garlic in a jar – about one teaspoon or tablespoon, depending on how much you like garlic. Remember, garlic is heart healthy and has many other health benefits, so it doesn’t ever hurt to load up on the garlic!

Throw everything in a large stir fry style pan or a wok, whichever you have available, season to taste with the seasonings I mentioned above, and cook on medium heat for about a half hour or until the vegetables are done to the desired consistency, this could be less time than a half hour, the less time the better, since the more nutrients will be saved with less cooking time.

With these types of low calorie and low fat stir fries, you will be amazed at how full they make you, how quickly, and how satisfying they are.  They have deceptively less calories than what they feel and look like, since they consist mostly of low calorie, high fiber foods.  You can add other green vegetables you prefer instead of the beans if you’d like, perhaps broccoli if you want. 

With So Many Herbal “Miracle Diet Pills”, Who Knows What Works?

We all want to believe that there really is a magic bullet diet plan or pill out there that will allow us to lose weight without cutting calories or exercising, but the fact of the matter remains, there are no long term solutions to weight loss and weight maintenance that do not involve these two vital disciplines.  Sure, there may be appetite suppressant pills that can definitely help you in the willpower category, but in the end it’s not the fact that you have a smaller appetite that makes you lose weight, it’s the fact that you’re taking in fewer calories because of that.

So far, just visiting my email account at Yahoo and Gmail, I’ve noticed tons of ads for the New Years miracle diets, and they almost all claim to make you lose weight without actually dieting.  I gotta cry foul on this one.  I guarantee that they all say in fine print on the bottom of their websites that you only will lose weight if you combine with a “sensible” eating plan, and that not all results are like the pictures and tesimonials they show you, that’s to cover their butts for saying that you don’t actually need to diet. 

I’m sorry, but I’d like to believe there is a magic bullet out there that will allow me to cram my favorite foods down my gullet with reckless abandon without putting on an ounce but it simply isn’t true.  We all wish it was, but there has yet to be a pill that helps us lose weight without us putting in the effort to increase our healthful foods intake and cut the crap out.

I definitely still advocate a good herbal weight loss pill, as long as it’s not one that has tons of stimulants in them, because there are some good diet pills out there that curb appetite and help make dieting and eating right a little easier, but I’m just saying not to have unreasonable expectations as to what they can actually do for you without you dieting. 

Getting to the Root of Why We Eat Too Much

Our weight is determined by how much we eat and what kinds of foods we choose to eat, period.  Aside from the occasional occurrence of a genuine thyroid disorder where a person genuinely eat the right way and still holds onto excess weight like no one’s business are the exception to the rule for the most part, and most of us strictly are overweight, or over our ideal weight, because we consume too many calories.  That’s it.  There’s no magic science to it, no outside environmental factors that make all that much difference.  In the end, it is because we are simply taking in more energy (calories), than we are expending (burning). 

And that leaves us with leftover calories, which are then stored as fat.  Add a lot of alcohol into the mix, and you have a double whammy, since alcohol is burned before calories are, leaving anything else to be stored as fat, which is why it is absolutely not advised to drink or to drink in severe moderation if you are either watching your weight or trying to lose weight. 

While we know that the reason for us sabotaging our weight goals is that we simply take in too many calories, we don’t always know the reasons behind WHY we eat too much.  Is it because we are bored, or we have an oral fixation and simply like the feeling of chewing a lot?  It might be that we find psychological comfort in eating certain foods, and a lot of them.  An example of this, specifically for women in particular, is chocolate. 

Lots of women say that eating chocolate makes them feel better, and they often will overdo it because the rush of seratonin it gives is too good, and they just keep eating more and more to get that good feeling, intaking more calories and voila – adding more weight!  This goes to show that the primary motivation for eating, and especially overeating and comfort eating, comes from a psychological foundation.  To successfully cure one’s self of being overweight, there are definitely emotional issues that need to be addressed, it’s not just a question of simple willpower. 

Not Eating Breakfast Sabotages Weight Loss

We have all heard it before, that if you don’t eat breakfast you are more likely to gain weight, not lose weight as quickly, or actually already be obese or overweight.  The statistics don’t lie, and they show that people, men and women who do not eat this important meal tend to be more overweight than those that eat breakfast every morning. It seems sort of counter to what might think, given that logically, breakfast is just more calories added to the mix, and you’d think that cutting out even this typically lower calorie meal would be to your benefit if you are trying to reduce your caloric intake.

However, it’s true that skipping breakfast does in fact sabotage your desires to be lower in weight or to lose weight, and it does in fact make you more likely to be overweight in the first place.  Although every reason for this fact is not known, it is thought that if you keep your metabolism in a constant state of being revved up and moving, by eating your three small meals a day plus small snacks of about 100 to 150 calories in between, you are keeping your metabolism going, whereas if you do not eat the three small meals a day, including breakfast, you are essentially stalling your metabolism, making it hold onto those calories even more when you do actually eat.

Take for example someone who does not eat until noon.  They skip breakfast, and they figure they’ll just eat a hearty lunch to make up for it.  By this time, they are undoubtedly famished, unless they are on some miracle super appetite suppressant, so they probably over indulge a bit in things they shouldn’t, or they even might indulge a bit too much in their healthy fare, making their healthy fare too many calories. 

Another thing happens here though too, and that is, your body is stuck in a down mode, it’s not used to burning those calories, and when it is deprived of caloric intake and instead has, say, only a coffee in the morning with no food, it’s running on empty by the time you eat lunch and then again at dinner, so it’s tendency is to hold onto those calories for a longer time and convert them into fat. 

It’s the body’s own safety mechanism against starvation that makes skipping breakfast an enemy to any healthy eating or diet plan, that’s the way nature intended it believe it or not, so those breakfast skippers who think they are doing themselves a favor by skipping this important meal better think again. 

Happy 2009!

Hey all you Daily Diet Blog readers out there.  I wanted to wish you all a wonderful New Year’s Day and hopefully a prosperous, happy, healthy, and lighter 2009!