How to Stick to Your Weight- Loss Resolution

It’s the beginning of a new year which means many people have committed to “going on a diet” and “exercising more.” If history repeats itself, most likely many of these people will have given up two weeks from now. If you want to be successful at losing weight this year, follow my 5 simple tips:

1.       Be specific- Instead of setting a “weight” goal, make one or two goals that you can easily check off when completed each week. Examples: Have my heart pumping hard (i.e.: moderate-intense cardio) for at least 30 minutes at least 5x/week; Do not eat after 8pm; Do not drink alcohol Mon-Fri

2.      Be realistic- If your goal is to weigh 140 pounds, and you have never been or stayed at that weight comfortably for more than a year, it is probably unrealistic. If you set a goal to get to the gym 6x/wk, that is probably unrealistic. Things come up that you can't "get to the gym", so find exercises that you can do outside of the gym setting like running, biking, Exercise TV, exercise DVDs, etc. Set realistic weight goals, and plan for unforeseen circumstances (e.g.: blizzard) so that you can adapt to barriers to your usual routine.

3.      Be positive- If you slip up one day, don’t beat yourself up. One day of having an extra cookie or one day of skipped exercise won’t derail your weight loss efforts. Get back on track the next day and stay positive!

4.     Do things you enjoy- Make sure your healthy new diet is full of foods you like and that your exercise regime is things that you ENJOY doing. If you are eating tasteless food or if your workouts are a dreaded chore for you, there is no way you will stick with it. Find new recipes and try new fitness classes this year!

5.      Make it a lifestyle- If your New Year’s Resolution is weight loss, try changing your thinking. You can’t (and wouldn’t want to!) be losing weight the rest of your life. After you reach your “happy weight” you will need to stick with the lifestyle changes you’ve already made to get to that point. Don’t think of this as a one-year commitment to a healthy diet and exercise, this is for life!

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A Note on Nutrition Counseling:

It's a new year, so check with me to see if nutrition counseling can be covered by your health insurance plan. Anyone can benefit by nutrition counseling- even if you are not looking to lose or gain weight. I can help you make sure you are getting the most out of the foods you are eating and meeting your nutritional requirements.

Most of the following plans that I am a provider with now reimburse for nutrition counseling due to new healthcare reform:

INDEPENDENCE BLUE CROSS and AMERIHEALTH Members: Personal Choice, Keystone Health Plan East, or AmeriHealth members may receive 6 free nutritional counseling sessions each year with me!

*Note: I am not a provider with Medicare or Blue Cross/Blue Shield

AETNA Members: Aetna reimbursement depends upon your specific policy. Many plans do offer 100% coverage for up to 10 visits per year!

 Note: I offer package rates for clients paying out of pocket who do not have any of the insurance plans I am a provider with. I also have an E-Client package, so even if you live across the country I can work with you to meet your nutrition goals! To inquire, email me at: nutrition@clublamaison.com 

Go Slow and Don't Yo-Yo! (When it comes to weight loss)

It’s the beginning of a New Year, and we all know that means tons of New Year’s resolutions, which typically revolve around losing weight, starting an exercise program, and/or trying to eliminate unhealthy habits. Too many people give up on healthy eating and exercise during December and give themselves the freedom to gain a few pounds during the holidays. Many think: “Oh I will just lose the weight in January.” While you may be the type of person that knows you will be successful at losing the weight come January, you are also probably like the majority of people that end up gaining back that weight by the following December (since you know for a fact you can lose it- you must have lost, regained, and lost before, right?). If you think a few pound weight fluctuation isn’t a big deal, think again! A new study out of Wake Forest found that post-menopausal women who lose weight and gain some (even just a mere 5 lbs!) of it back increase their risk for heart disease and diabetes.

In the study, 80 obese women lost 25 pounds on average over 5 months, which significantly improved their cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes risk factors. A year later, 2/3 of the women had regained at least 4 lbs, with most of them regaining over 17 pounds. The researchers found that for women who regained just some weight returned to their baseline level of risk factors for CVD, and specifically, diabetes risk factors got worse- and they didn’t even regain ALL the weight they initially lost! Daniel Beavers, one of the researchers for the study stated:

Women who regained 4.4 pounds or more in the year following the weight-loss intervention had several worsened cardiovascular and diabetes risk factors [. . .] What was striking about the women who regained weight was that although they did not return to their full baseline weight on average -- women only regained about 70 percent of lost weight -- several chronic disease risk factors were right back at baseline values and in some cases, particularly for the diabetic risk factors, slightly worse than baseline values [. . .] Meanwhile, women who maintained their weight loss a year later managed to preserve most of the benefits.

So, the message is clear: if you are going to lose weight, you better be 100% motivated to stick with that lifestyle forever. You need to change your eating and exercise habits to keep the weight off for good, or you may end up just hurting yourself in the end (by getting diabetes or having a heart attack!). There are even studies showing that when people lose and regain, more of that weight gained back is fat as compared to the baseline level.This is yet more proof why diets don’t work!

My recommendation: Vow never to give yourself permission to gain weight or to go on “a diet” again. You must be committed to following a healthy lifestyle and keeping the weight off for good. Try to maintain your weight during holidays and vacations, and do not lose weight if you are not 100% devoted to keeping it off. If you think rationally, it just doesn’t make sense that it would be okay to overindulge and be sedentary for a period of time, then soon after to go on a strict diet and exercise regime. Extremes are never healthy, so practice “everything in moderation” and ask yourself whether you are really motivated to change your lifestyle FOR GOOD!

References:

Daniel Beavers, Ph.D., assistant professor, department of biostatistics, Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Gregg Fonarow, M.D., spokesman, American Heart Association, and professor, cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles; Samantha Heller, M.S., R.D., exercise physiologist and clinical nutrition coordinator, Center for Cancer Care, Griffin Hospital, Derby, Conn.; Dec. 13, 2012,Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, online

Reinberg, Stephen. "Yo-Yo Dieting Can Hurt the Heart, Study Finds." Yo-Yo Dieting Can Hurt the Heart, Study Finds. HealthDay, 13 Dec. 2012. Web. 20 Dec. 2012.

Choose your Holiday Cocktails Wisely!

One thing about the holidays is that there are countless parties and family gatherings. Besides tacking on extra calories from mindlessly eating, alcohol can contribute hundreds of barely noticeable calories. Below I list the average calorie content of the average drink. Take a look at the booze you like to choose, and then also notice the serving size. Now think about how much (compared to the serving size) and how many you may consume at a party… then do the calorie math. You could tack on 500+ calories to that 1200 calorie appetizer, dinner & dessert depending on how much of a boozehound you are.

NUTRITIONAL AVERAGES OF SELECT ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

MY RECOMMENDATIONS:

If you don’t drink alcohol: that is fantastic and your liver thanks you! Be sure to drink non-caloric items such as water, unsweetened iced tea, club soda, or diet soda.

 If you do drink alcohol: I recommend drinking water WITH each drink and IN BETWEEN each drink (hydration is key to preventing hangovers… and important to decrease calorie consumption). Stick with light beers, use non-caloric mixers like Diet Coke or club soda (tonic has calories!!!), and AVOID holiday punches and especially egg nog (see nutritional info above!!!).

Chew, chew, and chew some more! (40x)

My brother is the slowest eater I know. People think I'm slow, but when you get our family together, Cub (his name for this blog post to conceal his identity) will take at least twice as long as anyone else at the table. I am always amazed when we eat with friends, some can consume a whole bowl of cereal within 2 minutes, while it takes us Strogen kids (not so much kids anymore...) over 15 minutes to eat. I often wonder if people actually chew, because I feel like I need to chew several dozen times so that I don't choke.

Well... it may be good for our waistlines that we take so long to eat and chew so much. Yes, you have always heard you should never rush eating, and the rationale behind it was always because it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to register that you're full. When the stomach sends signals to the brain that it is full, the "hunger hormone" ghrelin is reduced in the GI tract. Also, if you only have 30 min for lunch, and it takes you 29 minutes to eat a sandwich, you don't have time for those french fries or to think of anything else to consume...

In one study in China, lean and obese men fasted for over 12 hours and then were given a traditional Chinese breakfast (pork pie). The researchers found that obese men took similar bite sizes as the lean men, but chewed less per bite, and therefore, ended up consuming more calories by the end of the meal. The researchers then decided to try another study where they gave men pork pie one day and told them to chew 15 times per bite. The next study day they had them eat the same meal, but asked them to chew 40 times per bite. The findings were that, on average, when men (obese or lean) chewed 40 times, they consumed 12% fewer calories compared to when they chewed only 15 times/bite. Blood tests after the eating study revealed that ghrelin was lower after chewing 40x/bite compared to 15x.

Another study in 2008 published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that when women were forced to slow down their eating (putting a spoon down in between bites) and told to chew more (20-30x/bite) consumed, on average, 70 fewer calories compared to the day that they ate normally.

These types of studies suggest that slowing down your pace of eating will give your body time to signal to the brain that you are no longer hungry. Additionally, having more time to savor the aroma, texture, and tasting the flavors may have something to do with it.

Another added benefit to consider when chewing more is that you will burn more calories. Sure, it is few, but think of taking 40 extra steps compared to just 15 for a task you do several times a day... that will add up!

My recommendations: SIT DOWN to a meal, chew each bite thoroughly, and DO NOT RUSH!

References:
1) Jie Li, Na Zhang, Lizhen Hu, Ze Li, Rui Li, Cong Li, and Shuran Wang.
Improvement in chewing activity reduces energy intake in one meal and modulates plasma gut hormone concentrations in obese and lean young Chinese men.Am J Clin Nutr, Aug 2011: First published online 20 July 2011, doi: 10.3945/​ ajcn.111.015164
2) Andrade A, Greene GW, Melanson KJ. Eating slowly led to decreases in energy intake within meals in healthy women. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2008; 108 (7): 1186-1191.
http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/08/09/7323927-40-chews-per-bite-may-be-key-to-weight-loss
3) http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/08/09/7323927-40-chews-per-bite-may-be-key-to-weight-loss

Eat MORE…. of healthy foods

As a dietitian at a health club, I find that most of my clients say they eat “healthy”, but just eat too much. So, as a result, I often focus on portion size, but also place a huge emphasis on eating lots of vegetables, as well as eating the recommended amount of servings for low-fat dairy, whole-grains, and nuts/seeds/beans/lean protein/seafood. I also always emphasize the importance of exercise, getting enough sleep, and I focus on overall wellness (not smoking, limiting alcohol, reducing stress, etc.). Luckily, a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health backs up my nutrition and wellness philosophy and suggests that what you eat is more important than how much you eat, and having good wellness habitats can keep you trim.

The study found that encouraging people to “eat less and exercise more” tends to lead to eating smaller quantities of calorically dense and nutrient poor foods, even if you exercise.  The study followed 120,877 non-obese women and men (at baseline) for 20 years and evaluated lifestyle factors and weight change every four years. For the average person in the study, about one pound was gained each year.

The foods that caused the most weight gain over each 4 year period were:

·        French Fries (2 lbs)

·        Potato Chips (1.69 lbs)

·        Potatoes (1.28 lbs)

·        Sugar-sweetened beverages (1 lb)

·        Red meat (.95 lbs)

·        Processed meat (.93 lbs)

·        Sweets and desserts (.41 lbs)

Foods that caused the most weight loss were:

·        Yogurt (-0.82 lbs)

·        Nuts (-0.57 lbs)

·        Fruits (-0.49 lbs)

·        Whole Grains (-.37 lbs)

·        Vegetables (-0.22 lbs)

Other lifestyle factors affecting weight:

·        Physical Activity (-1.76 lb across quintiles)

·        Alcohol (+0.41 lbs per drink/day)

·        Smoking (+5.41 lbs for new quitters, 0.14 lbs for former smokers)

·        Sleep (more weight gain with <6 or >8 hours of sleep)

·        TV watching (+0.31 lb per hour/day)

The take home message here is to follow all the recommendations everyone knows and loves: Eat healthy foods (more veggies, whole grains, nuts, fruit, yogurt) and don’t eat junk (French fries, chips, sugary drinks & foods, red & processed meats, etc), exercise, limit alcohol, don’t smoke, limit screen time, and get 6-8 hours of sleep every night. If you do all of this, chances are, you will not have too much trouble maintaining your weight.

Reference:

D. Mozaffarian et al. Changes in diet and lifestyle and long-term weight gain in women and men. New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 364, June 23, 2011. Available at: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1014296?query=TOC&

New Years Resolutions

The holiday eating season is almost over and now is the time when people start trying to make big changes in their lives for the New Year. The only problem is that big changes, such as New Year’s Resolutions, are extremely hard to stick to, as evidenced by the surge of people in the gym during January, and the lull that occurs in February of every year.

Weight loss is one of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions, but very few people are successful at maintaining weight loss during the entire year.  One major reason for this lack of success is because people are trying to change too much at one time. You may increase your exercise routine from two days a week to five, in addition to trying a new low-carb diet. Talk about taking on a whole new lifestyle!! The key to be successful is to take baby steps… maybe increase your workouts to three days, then try four, and determine if it is realistic that you will stick to this exercise regime for the foreseeable future (ie: more than 1 year).  After all, a baby doesn’t go from rolling over to being a proficient walker in a matter of days… it takes time and small baby steps.

Like a sudden increase in exercise, an extreme change in your diet will also be hard to maintain for more than a few weeks. Your diet is a vital component of everyday life and a sudden and extreme change will not bode well for your physical and mental wellbeing. What you eat, where you eat, how you eat, and who you eat with all help to contribute to who you are as a person. So, if you suddenly go on a diet, your body will be shocked and dislike this extreme change. You may lose weight, but you may become deficient in nutrients, lack energy, become irritable, and not be able to enjoy social activities like you used to. So, to be successful, you need to adopt healthy eating habits and try to follow the 90/10 rule (90% of the time= healthy; 10%= unhealthy).

            If your New Year’s Resolution is to lose weight, or just be healthier, I highly recommend that you take small steps instead of a huge leap. If you live in the area and are considering changing your diet, I encourage you to meet with me so I can establish your nutritional needs, educate you about choosing healthy foods, and help you with meal planning and how to stock your pantry. If you are a member of CLM, be sure to join the Big Loser Contest (even if you aren't trying to lose weight) and take advantage of the super-cheap Personal Training and Nutrition Specials!