Weight Loss Tips & Tools

What's Your Dietary IQ?

2006-08-31T14:17:00.000-05:00

There are numerous misconceptions regarding dieting and exercise. After some research, I've developed a little test to see if you can spot the misconceptions. Answer true or false to the following:

Switching to low-fat and fat-free foodstuffs will help you lose weight.
False. Many low-fat and fat-free processed foods replace the fat with sugar, thus they have about the same number of calories (and sometimes even more), as the regular products. Keep in mind it's calorie count, not fat content that will ultimately determine your ability to lose weight.

Eating eggs will make you fat.
False. Eggs are a great source of protein, are low in calories and are low in saturated fat, the main culprit in heart disease. In the past, eggs have gotten a bad rap because they contain cholesterol, but recent research has shown that there is very little connection between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol. As such, an egg a day is now perfectly fine, according to the American Heart Association. Just remember that cooking eggs in a ton of fat, especially saturated fat such as bacon grease, significantly raises calories and your risk of heart problems.

You need to cut calories drastically to lose weight.
False. When you cut back too much on calories, you can actually stall weight loss because the body will slow your metabolism down to compensate for what it perceives as "starvation". One of the ways it does this is by converting protein to glycogen to use a fuel instead of using your fat stores. Thus even though you are not taking in very many calories, your body is not burning that extra fat you have, but is actually burning muscle! While this may seem counter-productive, this is actually a good method to hold off starvation because muscle tissue requires more calories to support than fat. The body is doing what it thinks is best to concerve energy by eliminating what it perceives of as unneeded muscle. The problem with this is two fold. One, this can leave you weak and flabby, and two, it makes it harder to lose in the future because the metabolism is so low.

Thus a modest reduction in calories is the best plan and in some cases, eating more will actually speed up weight loss! For more information on determining caloric need, try my caloric need calculator here.

Only drastic diets work.
False. While it's true that certain diets that severely restrict the kinds of foods you eat will work in the short-term, staying on such diets long-term is problematic. Most such diets are either not practical for long-term use, or they may prove downright dangerous. The reality is that your diet should not be seen as a temporary thing that you'll abandon once you get to a normal weight. Instead, think of dieting as training in how to eat properly. You need to eat normal foods in the proper proportions if you want to lose weight and keep it off.

You have to give up your favorite foods to lose weight.
False. In fact, most experts will tell you just the opposite. If you deprive yourself of those things you really love, you have a tendency to crave those things even more. This can lead to a vicious spiral where you give in to your cravings, overeat, and then feel so disgusted with yourself that you give up completely. Instead, it's suggested that you plan in "cheats" periodically so you can satisfy your cravings and still feel good about yourself. Just remember, a "cheat" should not be a 7,000 calorie Mexican fiesta! If Mexican food is your passion, instead, plan to have a SMALL bowl of chips and salsa once in a while. This will not appreciably alter your weight loss plan but may help you from caving in to the urge to eat that entire plate of enchiladas.

Perhaps the important thing to keep in mind here is the 3500 calorie concept. That is, you must consume 3500 calories LESS than you burn to LOSE a pound, and likewise, you must eat 3500 calories MORE than you burn to GAIN a pound. In other words, that extra 250 calories from your chips and salsa is not going to make much of a difference unless you eat it frequently or are allowing too many different "cheats".

You shouldn't snack.
False. It's not snacking that causes weight problems, it's the KINDS of snacks most people eat. For example, instead of cookies, eat an apple. Fruit makes a great snack. Craving ice cream? Instead, freeze cartons of low or no-fat yogurt and have one of those.

Keep in mind that most nutritionists recommend that you eat 6 to 8 times a day instead of the 3 times a day that is traditional in the U.S. That does not mean that you eat 6 to 8 BIG meals a day; instead, you should be eating much smaller meals and spreading your calories out throughout the day. The bottom line is that snacking is a great way to accomplish this.

You can lose weight by diet alone.
False. Most people that lose weight by dieting alone gain it all back. Now when I say "dieting", I mean temporary deprivation diets. This is different than changing your eating habits and eating healthy according to generally accepted standards. One other thing that you need to understand is that regular exercise is an important part of the lifestyle of virtually everyone that has successfully lost weight and kept it off.

Cardiovascular exercise such as walking is all you need to stay in shape.
False. This is a common misconception. While such exercise is very beneficial for making your heart and lungs healthy, it will not tone muscles. Thus it is possible to be "skinny-fat". I'm sure you've all seen people that fit into this category: they weigh very little and are downright skinny if you look at their arms and legs, but have a gut (mostly males), or big hips (mostly females).

The reality is that cardiovascular exercise alone will not shape your body. It takes dietary changes, strength training, and intense cardiovascular work to really be "in shape".

Women who lift weights will get bulky muscles.
False. I hear this one all the time and always want to laugh when I hear it. The average woman simply does not have enough testosterone to develop large, bulky muscles. While you may have seen female bodybuilders that are very muscular, these women are only able to develop such muscles by using extreme weight lifting techniques and dietary plans, and by taking steroids. The average woman will be able to develop good muscle tone and strength by lifting weights, but simply can't "bulk-up" like men can due to the low levels of the male hormones necessary for large muscle development. Keep in mind that even men often find it hard to "bulk-up" without serious weight lifting regimens and dietary changes. In most cases, the really big body builders, male or female that you may have seen, only got that way by using "gear" (an industry term for homorne inhancement).

Spot reducing does not work.
True. It is impossible to burn fat in one specific area by exercising that area. Your body simply does not have a mechanism to do this. While exercising a specific area such as the abdominals will make the muscles in that area stronger, you will simply have stronger muscles covered by fat unless you combine your exercise with a proper diet. Where and when you lose fat is primarily dependent upon genetics, biological sex, and hormone levels. As a general rule, most people will lose fat first from those areas that put it on last. For most people this means the extremities will be reduced first and the core areas (abdomen for men and hips for women), will be the last places to see the fat go away.

If you exercise, you can eat whatever you want.
False. Even if you burn thousands of calories a day in intense exercise, you can still get fat if you eat more calories than you burn off. Diet and exercise MUST be combined to lose weight.

Exercise is useless unless you spend hours and hours at it.
False. Just finding ways to add in a few steps here and there is better than no exercise, though it's true that there are certain minimum amounts that are recommended for cardiovascular health and weight maintenance. Numerous studies have shown that cardiovascular health is improved by very small changes in the amount of activity done.

That said, the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports recommends all adults should aim for 30 minutes of exercise a day to maintain an active lifestyle, and 60 minutes a day if they are trying to lose weight. They also recommend children get at least 60 minutes a day for optimum health.

Muscle weighs more than fat.
It Depends... A pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat (a pound is a pound, afterall), but muscle is more dense than fat, so it takes up much less room in your body. Thus a pound of muscle and a pound of fat will obviously weigh the same, but a given volume of muscle will weigh more than the same volume of fat. The important thing to take from this is that if you are exercising (especially if you are strength training), it's possible to stay the same weight, or even gain weight, but still lose fat. See my previous article titled "What's the true measure of success?" for more on this subject.

Having more muscle causes you to burn calories faster.
True. Muscle is more metabolically active, thus the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even at rest. This is one of the reasons men generally can lose weight faster than women, because their additional muscle mass lends itself to a faster metabolism. This is also one of the reasons that strength training is recommended for weight loss. Adding muscle will help boost the metabolism slightly.

Exercising at low intensity burns more fat.
False. This myth is so pervasive that most cardiovascular exercise equipment now has a targeted "fat burning zone" at lower intensity. This is simply crazy. The reason this myth is so pervasive is that people confuse efficiency with amount of fat burned. You see, it's true that your body is most efficient at burning fat while working at lower intensity. The problem is that the overall amount of fat burned at this lower intensity is relatively small. Thus if you want to burn fat, you can efficiently burn fat by working for hours and hours at lower intensity, or you can be slightly less efficient, but burn a bunch more calories by working at higher intensity.

Here's an example: Let's say that at a certain low intensity setting on a piece of workout equipment, you burn about 50% fat and 50% glycogen. By working out for 20 minutes at this intensity setting let's also assume you burn about 100 calories. Thus during this workout, you have burned 50 calories of fat. Now instead, let's say you step up the intensity significantly. Perhaps at this higher intensity, you are only burning 40% fat to 60% glycogen. As expected, you can see that at this higher intensity your body is less efficient at burning fat than it was at the lower setting. This might lead you to conclude that the lower intensity setting is better, but there is a big problem with that assumption. Instead of burning just 100 calories, your higher intensity workout might burn perhaps 300 calories in the same 20 minutes. This would mean that you had burned 120 calories of fat and 180 of glycogen. In reality, by working at the higher intensity, you have burned well over twice as much fat, even if your body was not quite as efficient at fat burning at the time!

You can eat as much protein and/or carbohydrates as you like and still lose weight.
False. Eating too much fat is not the only thing that will keep, or make you heavy. Excessive amounts of any of the macronutrients (protein, fat or carbohydrate), can be broken down and converted into fat in your body. If you take in more calories than you burn (regardless of the source), you'll gain weight.

If you don't exercise, your muscles will turn to fat.
False. Muscle and fat are two completely different tissues and one can never "turn into" the other. That said, lack of exercise will allow muscles to shrink and may also allow fat to be stored.

Eating at night makes you fat.
False. At one time, it was believed that your digestive system shut down while you slept and thus any food eaten before bedtime would end up being turned to fat. That's simply not true. Your digestive system does not shut down and night, so when you eat has no real effect on weight. Partly this myth is perpetuated because many people weigh themselves in the morning. If you eat something late at night and weigh yourself in the morning, you may see an increase on the scale because of the weight of the food, not because it turned to fat overnight.

Walking is the best exercise you can do for weight loss.
False. Walking is a fantastic exercise for your cardiovascular health and is not as hard on the joints as many other exercises such as running, but it is actually pretty ineffective as a weight loss exercise. This is because walking burns relatively few calories compared to most other exercises. Also, intense anerobic activity such as weight lifting and high intensity interval training (HIIT), can burn as much as 9 times the body fat for every calorie expended. Thus in my estimation, strength training and HIIT are much better exercises for fat loss. Even so, walking and other aerobic activities are important, especially for cardiovascular health.

If you workout more, you'll just end up eating more, thus negating any effect exercise has.
False. Most studies done on this actually show that moderate exercise either leads to a decrease in food intake or at the very least, a similar intake as was seen prior to undertaking the exercise.

Sauna, steam baths, or sweat suits are effective for losing weight.
False. Any weight loss occurring in this manner is simple fluid loss. These fluids will be rapidly replaced and the "weight" will come back.

Passive exercise machines can be used to reduce body weight.
False. Sorry, but you actually have to do the work yourself to burn calories. Simply stimulating muscles does nothing. This would be akin to towing a car and expecting to find the gas tank had been emptied. It isn't rolling that empties the gas tank, it's making the engine run.

Light weights on your arms or legs (e.g. ankle and wrist weights) can boost your exercise benefit.
False. Some people carry one- or two-pound handheld weights when they walk or run. Others strap Velcro-fastened weights around their ankles. According to experts, this simply slows you down, so you burn less fat in a given amount of time. Further, it's not enough weight to give you the benefits of strength training. To build muscle, you have to use sufficient resistance to stress the muscles. Light weights like this simply can't do that.

Exercise burns lots of calories.
False. Even moderately intense exercise will only burn a few hundred calories an hour. And since just sitting burns 50 to 60 calories an hour, the overall difference is even less than you might think. Plus, since you have to burn 3500 calories more than you consume to lose a pound, you'd likely have to do 10 hours or more of hard-core aerobic exercise a week to simply to lose a pound of fat. The point is that exercise is good for you and does help with weight loss, but exercise alone is not enough. You can't exercise, eat Twinkies and doughnuts all day long and still expect to lose weight. Diet and exercise are both needed to lose weight and keep it off.

Weight gain is inevitable as you age.
False. While it's true that most Americans get fatter as they get older, this is not some sort of genetic certainty. The reason most people get fatter as they age is because they become less active. A reduction in activity level has two effects. One, less calories are burned in activity, thus contributing directly to weight gain, but perhaps even more important, reduced physical exertion results in a loss of lean body mass. As explained earlier, muscle is more metabolically active than fat, thus the more muscle one has, the faster the metabolism. The good news is that regardless of age, a slowing metabolism is reversible through strength training.

If you didn't exercise when you were younger, (or are really out of shape), it is too dangerous to start now.
False. No matter how old or unfit you are, it's never too late to start exercising. Just keep in mind that it's important to check with your doctor prior to starting any exercise plan so that you can discuss any limitations you may have. Numerous studies have been done on "high risk" individuals such as the morbidly obese, those with diabetes and/or chronic heart disease, and the elderly and good gains were able to be made in all these populations. Even those with chronic arthritis (like me...), find that exercise increases range of motion, strength, and mobility.

"Fasted cardio" (i.e. exercising in the morning before you eat), is the best way to burn fat.
False. It's true that glycogen is depleted in the morning, thus it's not a ready source of fuel at that time. This has led some to speculate that you therefore must burn more stored fat as fuel if you workout on an empty stomach. There are two problems with this. First, the body can just as easily convert stored protein to glycogen as it can stored fat, thus you may be "burning" muscle instead of, or in addition to fat if you do fasted cardio. Second, many people find that if they are fasting, they often don't have the energy needed to exercise with any intensity. Thus they are unable to burn as many calories as they might have been able to if they were not fasting.

In the end, it is the long-term balance between energy intake and energy expenditure that determines whether or not you store fat or burn it. Thus with exercise, the most important factor is the total amount of calories burned, not when you do it. If it takes eating something so that you have the energy to workout longer, that would likely be a better overall plan. Plus, it does not run the same risk of depleting muscle that fasted cardio can.

If you do strength training, high repetitions burn more fat.
False. Performing strength training with a lighter weight and more repetitions does not burn more fat or tone muscle better than a heaver weight with a moderate number of repetitions (e.g. 8-12 reps). In fact, the extra reps may actually burn less fat if intensity is compromised. In other words, the thing that matters most is intensity, not the actual number of reps. Plus, a moderate number of reps with higher weight will have a more profound effect on increasing strength (which will help increase intensity in the future), and stimulating muscle growth (which increases metabolic rate).

A vegetarian diet will help you lose weight.
False. While it's true that following a vegetarian eating plan will, on average, mean that you consume fewer calories and less fat, it does not guarantee it. Vegetarians (like non-vegetarians), can also make bad food choices and eat large amounts of high-fat, high-calorie foods or foods with little or no nutritional value. Thus the decision to eat a vegetarian diet should not be made based on a desire to lose weight.

Eating breakfast is not necessary.
True. There is no requirement that you must eat as soon as you wake up. While you should eat within 2-3 hours of waking, you don't have to jump start your metabolism right away. Many people are just not hungry as soon as they wake up and hunger, not a predefined schedule should be your guide that determines when you eat. Just remember that if you wait too long to eat, you are much more likely to overeat.

Eating fat is bad for you and should be avoided.
False. Ounce for ounce, dietary fat has over twice the calories of carbohydrates or protein, but you still don't want to avoid fats completely. Aside from the fact that fat can help you feel full and thus keep you from overeating, some dietary fat is needed for proper body functioning. Ideally, no more than about 20% of your total daily calories should come from fat.

If you are dieting, don't weigh yourself more than once a week (or month, etc.).
False. Data gathered from U.S. dieters shows that those that weighed themselves daily were more successful in keeping the weight off than those that weighed themselves less. It is speculated the reason for this difference has to do with the ability of "frequent weighers" to better associate dietary changes with weight loss or gain. Further, frequent weighers know sooner when problems are encountered and can make adjustment in their diet. One caveat is in order: don't be too obsessive about weighing and be sure that you understand that body weight naturally varies from hour-to-hour and day-to-day depending on factors other than diet such as hormone fluctuations, eating patterns, bowel movements and hydration levels.

So, how did you do? Did you spot all the misconceptions?

I realize that some of these are a bit controversial and welcome any constructive comments, whether you agree or disagree with me.

Thanks!

Subtle changes.

2006-08-22T08:50:00.000-05:00

I've had a chance to ponder a few things lately and realized I'm not the same person I was when I started this weight loss journey just a few short months ago. While there are several areas where I've noticed changes, perhaps the biggest change has been my attitude toward exercise. I once dreaded exercise in any form, and even avoided moving much at all if I could help it. The stairs in our house are a good example of that. At one time, I dreaded going up or down the stairs to the point where I would go out of my way to consolidate reasons for going from one floor to the other, and even looked for reasons not to expend the energy. "You need a glass or water dear? Sorry, I'd have to go down stairs for that. You'll just have to wait..." It's no wonder I was fat!

But this change I mentioned has been so subtle that I didn't realize just how different my attitude is until the other day. Let me explain: I'm going in for a minor surgical procedure later today and I'll be out of commission for a week or so. So what was my biggest concern? No, not the risks involved, I was dreading NOT exercising for a week! Yep me, the fat guy, was dreading not being able to go to the gym!

So how about you? Have you changed during your weight loss journey? What are the things that tell you that you will be one of the success stories?

What's the true measure of success?

2006-08-01T22:52:00.000-05:00

One of the biggest problems with the concept of dieting is that people tend to focus on body weight as the measure of success. After all, how many times have we looked as someone that looks thinner and thought "hmm, they've lost weight". Perhaps many of us have done the same thing with our own progress, thinking that the scale is the only thing that matters and thus we end up depressed when the scale does not move.

The problem with this approach is that body weight does not represent health or body composition (a.k.a. fat to muscle ratio or % body fat). Health and percent body fat are much better guides to dieting and exercise success than total body weight will ever be. Think about it: what matters more, my health (and how good I look nekid...), or the number on the scale? Why do we focus on weight when it only tells half the story?

Take my own case as an example. If you look at my progress chart to the left, you'll see about a month ago, I weighed in at 246 pounds and had 38% body fat. As of last week, I weighed 239 pounds and had a body fat percentage of 32%. Had I just been looking at my total weight, I would have likely concluded that I was having a decent, but not exceptional loss. But scales only tell half of the story. If you look at my percentage body fat numbers and compare those, you'll discover that I actually lost about 17 pounds of fat and gained 10 pounds of muscle! Perhaps an even more dramatic example would be comparing my April 26 numbers with those from July 26. Had I not been tracking body fat percentage, it would look like I'd only lost a single pound. And yet I can "feel" a major difference between how fat I was then and how fat I am now. Why? Because my percent body fat has dropped dramatically over that time period. I simply replaced the fat with muscle.

Thus next time the scale is not moving, remember that the scale is only a measure of total weight. It does not tell you what's going on with your body composition. And body composition, along with how you feel day to day are the true measures of success when dieting and exercising. (Along with the looking good nekid thing...)

My top ten exercise tips

2006-07-08T21:28:00.000-05:00

(In no particular order)

Accept the challenge. Sounds simple, but you can never succeed if you don't try. The difference between world class athletes and you is that they have a goal and train to reach that goal.
Exercise needs to be fun. If it's not fun, you won't stay at it long, so find exercises and activities you like for the best success.
You always have time for exercise! Even taking 15 minutes to walk around the block is better than no exercise.
Relax when exercising! If you are tense, you can amplify that tension in your muscles and cause injury.
Warmup before you stretch by exercising gently first. Stretching cold muscles can cause more harm than good.
Having exercise goals is just as important as having a weight loss goal. Without specific exercise goals it's hard to keep exercising consistently.
While long terms exercise goals are important, so are short term goals. Make long term goals, but develop plans on how to get there in smaller, more manageable blocks of a few weeks.
Noontime exercise can give you a break from the workday, and may keep you from overeating at lunch. Also, mid-day exercise tends to keep the metabolism boosted during the afternoon and evening, the time of the day when most people tend to eat the most food.
No pain, no gain is silly. If you are in pain, you may be moments away from a serious injury. You can't exercise if you overdo it and are unable to move!
Along with that however, you need to find your optimum level of training. If your exercise program is not demanding enough, your progress will be slow. On the other hand, exercise that is too demanding can be dangerous and can also slow your progress.

What's the deal with protein?

2006-06-29T15:45:00.000-05:00

Why is it that protein is so controversial nutritionally? There are high protein diets, low protein diets, and everything in between. The high protein folks espouse the benefits of protein and slam the high carbohydrate folks, and the high carbohydrate folks claim high protein diets are dangerous. So what's the real deal?

First of all, let's look at the recommended dietary guidelines for protein. According to the current Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for protein, the average adult American should consume 0.8 g per kg of body weight (0.36g per lb of body weight). For those that are not aware, DRIs are the new nutrient reference values established by leading scientists in the United States and Canada. The DRIs replace the more familiar Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDAs) previously published by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. That said, a joint position statement endorsed by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), American Dietetic Association (ADA), and Dietitians of Canada (DC) (2000) concluded that protein requirements are higher in very active individuals. They recommended that endurance athletes such as runners and cyclists should consume 1.2 to 1.4 g per kg of body weight (0.55 g to 0.64 g per lb of body weight), and resistance-trained athletes (body builders, weight lifters, etc.) may need as much as 1.6 to 1.7 g per kg of body weight(0.73 g to 0.77 g per lb of body weight).¹Note however that even this higher level of protein ingestion may still be lower than that consumed in some high protein, low carbohydrate diets.

So what's the importance of this to you and me? Well, let me back up a minute and discuss the importance of lean muscle in fat loss. First of all, I hope you agree that when we discuss weight loss, we are really hoping for fat loss. Ideally when dieting to lose fat, we want to maintain or even increase our lean muscle tissue. Aside from the asthetic appeal of muscle vs. fat, muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue. Thus the more muscle one has, the more calories are burned irrespective of activity level. Unfortunately for many people, a typical weight loss regimen dooms them to muscle loss. At first this can be deceiving because many people only look at the scale (or perhaps measurements), to determine fat loss. The problem is that they are likely also losing muscle tissue, thus their metabolism is on an ever slowing slide. At some point in time, these people are destined to find that they simply stop losing weight.

The only way to keep the metabolism high during a restricted calorie diet is to maintain or increase muscle mass. And the only way to do that is via adequate strength/resistance training and sufficient protein to feed the muscles.

Sounds easy enough, but the problem is that most calorie restricted diets also restrict protein BEYOND even the current US DRIs! Thus the level of protein ingestion in most calorie restricted diets is inadequate to maintain muscle and therefore muscle loss in inevitable. If a dieting subject is trying to actually increase muscle mass while losing fat, increased protein beyond the DRI level and possibly as high as the levels recommended for resistance-trained athletes may be in order if the subject is very active.

Because of this, I recommend that all dieters review their protein intake as closely as they review their calorie intake. If insufficient protein is being ingested based on activity level, some modifications may be in order. For example, the addition of lean meat or fish instead of dairy may help boost protein levels to adequate amounts while still keeping calories in check.

I know that some of you are skeptical of increasing your protein level because you may have heard that excessive protein can harm your kidneys, etc. Much of this is based on a position statement made by the American Heart Association (AHA) which states: "Individualswho follow these [High protein] diets are therefore at risk for compromised vitamin and mineral intake, as well as potential cardiac, renal,bone, and liver abnormalities overall."² The problem is that this position is not backed up with any clinical studies showing that higher protein ingestion is in any way detrimental to health in persons with normal renal function. In fact, extensive searching could not produce any documented evidence that high protein intake in any way was detrimental to health.

For more on this subject, I highly recommend this article in the Sports Nutrition Review Journal: High-Protein Weight Loss Diets And The Purported Adverse Effects: Where Is The Evidence?

Also of interest is this press statement by the National Institute of Health about a recent study that found that increased protein ingestion actually increased heart health:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/new/press/05-11-15a.htm

References:

¹American College of Sports Medicine, American Dietetic Association, and Dietitians of Canada (2000). Joint Position Statement: Nutrition and athletic performance. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 32:2130-2145.

² Sachiko T. St. Jeor, RD PhD; Barbara V. Howard, PhD; T. Elaine Prewitt, RD DrPH; Vicki Bovee, RD MS; Terry Bazzarre, PhD; Robert H. Eckel, MD;, for the AHA Nutrition Committee. A Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the Nutrition Committee of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism of the American Heart Association.

An Exercise in Self-Esteem - Exercise Your Way to Feeling Better About Yourself

2006-06-05T07:55:00.000-05:00

-- By Dean Anderson, Fitness & Behavior Expert

If you're like most people who want to lose weight, you probably think that shedding a few pounds will help you feel better about yourself. And chances are, you see exercise simply as something you need to do to accomplish that goal. But here's something you may not know: this "necessary evil" approach to exercise may actually be preventing you from feeling better about yourself right now - even before the number on the scale or reflection in the mirror matches up with your ideal.

A simple attitude adjustment may help you start feeling a lot more comfortable in your skin right now - and this, in turn, can make your weight loss journey a lot easier and more pleasant. Here's what you need to know to decide if you need to adjust your exercise attitude, and if so, how to do exactly that.

Making Friends with Your Body: The Roots of High Self-Esteem
There's no doubt that feeling comfortable in your own skin is an important part of that "feeling-good-about-yourself" goal (also known as high self-esteem) you're trying to achieve. But the more you learn about the roots of self-esteem, the clearer it becomes that what helps the most has very little to do with achieving some abstract ideal, like a certain weight or look. In fact, there are many, many cases where people work very hard on goals like this - and even achieve them - only to find that they're still unsatisfied and unhappy. What does seem to have major, positive effects on self-esteem is the process of moving yourself - the right way - from where you are towards where you would like to be.

The journey is more important than the destination.

To be a little more precise, the best way to increase your self-esteem is to actively and effectively engage in something that is both good for you and consistent with your expressed goals. Both of these are key elements. If your goal isn't good for you, because it's unrealistic or strongly based on what you think other people want or expect from you (like trying to look like a model when your body can't naturally achieve or maintain that), then you are going to face problems feeling good about yourself. Nothing you do will ever be good enough.

You'll have the same problem if your actions aren't consistent with your goals, like going on an unhealthy crash diet to achieve a healthy weight. To feel good about yourself, you have to treat yourself as if you are already someone worthy of respect and good treatment. If that means "faking it until you make it," then that is where you need to start.

Exercising the "Right" Way, for the "Right" Reasons
If you are carrying a lot of unhelpful baggage in the form of poor body acceptance, negative body image, or even body-rejection due to excess weight, then exercising the right way and for the right reasons may well be your shortest, fastest, and easiest path away from these problems.

But you'll need a particular kind of attitude and approach, one that will help you begin appreciating your body for what it can do right now, and allowing it to be your guide and teacher on your journey towards change - not an object of your contempt and ridicule. Here are the basic elements of such an attitude:

* Exercise for the "right" reasons. There aren't many bad reasons to exercise of course, so in a pinch you should take advantage of whatever gets you going. But certain attitudes and approaches will help you get a better self-esteem boost. It helps a lot, for example, to tell yourself that you are working out because it is good for your body and you want to take good care of your body. When you do that, you affirm that you and your body are friends - not enemies - and you open yourself up for healthy communication with your body, allowing it to tell you what you need. This will work much better than setting out to burn calories so you can get rid of all that ugly fat you can't stand.

* Don't just mark time. Make exercise a challenge and notice how you respond. The simple act of setting personal performance goals and watching yourself achieve them can work wonders. Keep a journal where you record what you do during your exercise sessions, noting the improvements in your capacities over time. Hold little competitions against yourself, trying to improve on your personal bests (not world records) a few times a month, and reward yourself when you succeed. Pay special attention to how exercise affects your mood, and let your body teach you how to use the type and intensity of the exercise you do to influence your state of mind.

* Turn some exercise time into playtime. You are, among other things, an animal with a body that needs to play. Notice how happy and excited your dog or child is when he gets to go out and play - especially when you physically play together. There is a part of you that still feels the same way. This need doesn't go away just because you get older, become more serious, or are a little out of shape. The more exercise you can do in the form of sports, games, and other activities that are fun and rewarding themselves, the better. So be creative - turn some of those daily walks into roller skating, ice skating, golfing or Frisbee, racing with your dog, or even belly dancing!

Research shows that individuals who exercise feel better about themselves and their bodies. Once you start a workout program (or begin exercising for the "right" reasons), you'll soon experience the positive changes in self-esteem and body image that regular exercisers of all shapes and sizes enjoy. It's never too late to start feeling better about yourself!

Weight Loss with Flaxseed Oil

2006-06-02T09:51:00.000-05:00

Weight Loss with Flaxseed Oil - The Non-Fat Fat By Jade Beutler, R.R.T., R.C.P.

So you want to lose weight, yet you have tried every diet in the book?

You have resigned yourself to the fact that your body is in a perpetual state of self sabotage.
I mean, why else would you weigh more now than when you began to diet in the first place?
The fact is, your body is not in a state of self sabotage, but self preservation. You see, when you begin to restrict calories your body is programed to believe that you are entering a period of famine. This instinct is ingrained in our genes dating back to distant times when our food supply wasnt as easy to catch as the corner grocery store. Metabolism, the burning of calories to create energy, is slowed with caloric restriction. When coming out of a famine, or in modern day terms, a diet - the body begins to hoard calories as body fat in anticipation of the next famine (diet).
The result? You get fatter and fatter with each attempt. It is true, diets do not work.

Worse, the fad toward no-fat, low-fat foods has resulted in Americans becoming fatter and fatter yet.
This according to a Barrons July 1, 1998 article entitled Fat and Getting Fatter, "Despite a glut of diet foods and health clubs, Americans are growing plumper."
The elimination of fat from foods creates the absolute opposite reaction in the body than what is implied or perceived. When we eat no-fat, low-fat foods we do not expect for these foods to create weight gain, but that is exactly what they do.
The majority of no-fat, low-fat foods are heavily refined, caloricly dense carbohydrates. These foods, if not used in the production of energy, such as vigorous activity or exercise, will be converted to unsightly adipose tissue.

Flax Fat Facts
An unlikely hero in the battle of the bulge is in fact classified as a fat.
Flaxseed oil is quickly gaining acclaim as a sensible approach along with a fiber-rich, whole foods diet to weight loss and vibrant optimal health. Two of Americas top nutritionists are particularly outspoken proponents of the value of flaxseed oil. One espouses flaxseed oil as an "essential element of a healthy diet," the other, "any dietary or weight loss program undertaken without the addition of the essential nutrients in flaxseed oil is destined to fail."

Flaxseed Oil - The Non-Fat Fat
What about the fat phobic in the crowd? After all, flaxseed oil is a form of fat.
While technically classified as a fat, flaxseed oil is actually an anti-fat. In fact, it is the exact antitheses to the much maligned saturated fat.
While saturated fat contributes to obesity, cardiovascular disease, stroke and other degenerative diseases, flaxseed oil prevents and may even reverse these afflictions.
For all intents and purposes we can think of flaxseed oil as the non-fat fat. Instead of trying to fool the body such as with caloric restriction or no-fat, low-fat foods, flaxseed works with the metabolic and physiologic processes of the body resulting in natural weight loss and maintenance.
The fatty acids in flaxseed oil have been identified as essential nutrients. This is to say that the body cannot convert other food sources into the essential fatty acids in flaxseed oil. As a result, your body actually craves and looks for these essential nutrients in the foods you eat. If they are not there, your body detects a nutritional deficiency and you continue to crave fatty foods and sweets. Currently, we are getting less than 0.1% of the primary fatty acid in flaxseed oil in our diet.

Adding flaxseed oil to foods, or taken with a meal, creates a feeling of satiation (feeling of fullness and satisfaction following a meal). The essential fats in flaxseed oil cause the stomach to retain food for a longer period of time as compared to no-fat or low-fat foods. The addition of flax oil to food also results in a gradual release of this combination into the small intestine. The physiological effect is a slow, sustained rise in blood sugar, then a prolonged plateau of blood sugar. Ultimately, the blood sugar undergoes a slow and gradual drop. You will experience a corresponding feeling of prolonged energy, stamina and satisfaction with no immediate hunger pangs following the meal.
The net result is that you feel fuller, longer, and actually eat fewer calories in the long run than if you would have chosen a no-fat, low-fat diet.

Furthermore, flaxseed oil is converted to compounds that stoke the metabolic processes in our cells. Much like a furnace, once stoked, the cells generate more heat and burn more fuel, in this case, calories. The essential nutrients in flaxseed oil also increase oxygen consumption at the cellular level resulting in increased energy and stamina, and feeling of well-being.

General Recommendations
The American population has been found to be deficient in a key essential nutrient critical to ideal health and optimal weight. The most common food source of these essential nutrients is fresh flaxseed oil.
Most people would benefit from consuming 1-2 tablespoons a day of flaxseed oil. The ideal method of taking flaxseed oil for purposes of weight loss or maintenance is in divided doses taken with each meal.
Consumers should only consider Fresh ExPressed™ flaxseed oil products, to ensure product freshness and nutritional potency.
What a better way than to conclude with a direct quote from a leading nutritionist,
"The right kind and the right amount of fat will allow you to lose weight effortlessly and painlessly without becoming preoccupied with dieting... essential fat is the healthiest and easiest way to attain and maintain your normal weight."

Additions to the calculator

2006-03-23T21:46:00.000-06:00

Today I released the latest version of my calculator. It is now version 4.0. This version provides caloric need calculations in addition to the ideal weight calculations from before. These calculations are intended to be used by someone trying to determine how many calories they should be consuming for weight loss.

The calculator can be found here.

Printable Nutrisystem Mealplans

2006-03-07T20:46:00.000-06:00

Here are printable nutrisystem nourish meal plans:

Men
Women

Thanks!

Cortisol, Stress & Body Fat

2006-03-04T23:51:00.000-06:00

Cortisol, Stress & Body Fat
Straight Answers To The Top 20 Questions
About The "Stress Hormone"

By: Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS

It seems that every time science uncovers some type of association between body fat and anything, opportunistic entrepreneurs are waiting in the shadows to create a product and a marketing campaign around it. They ride the wave into the multi millions, until the buzz dies down or until the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sues and slaps a padlock on their warehouse doors. Then, it's on to the "next big thing in weight loss," because they know there will always be a gullible crowd eagerly waiting for the next quick fix. The most recent example is when researchers discovered a correlation between cortisol and abdominal body fat. Cortisol was then blamed as the latest culprit in the obesity problem, and cortisol-suppressing pills were touted as the "miracle solution."

Big Claims, Little Proof

After a web search on the subject of cortisol, here are some of the claims you may find:

Stress makes you fat
Cortisol is what makes you fat
Cortisol reducing supplements control stress
Cortisol reducing supplements reduce belly fat
Cortisol reducing supplements get rid of "stress fat"
Cortisol reducing supplements balance hormone levels that cause stress
Cortisol reducing supplements increase muscle growth
Cortisol supplements suppress appetite
Cortisol supplements speed up metabolism

The advertising claims include just enough scientific fact to make even the savviest consumers say, "That makes sense, I think I'll try that." They also hit home emotionally by focusing on common hot buttons such as stress (who isn't at least a little stressed in this day and age?) Brilliant marketing. Convincing. Unfortunately, most of the claims being made are completely false, with only a tiny thread of truth woven in.

Cortisol is a very important hormone that you must understand if you want to get maximum results from your training and nutrition programs, but if you don't educate yourself, you may become one of the millions of victims to fall for this latest fad. The answers to the frequently asked questions in this article will arm you with the science-based facts, while helping you steer clear of the hype-based scams.

What is cortisol?

Cortisol is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands. It falls into a category of hormones known as "glucocorticoids", referring to their ability to increase blood glucose levels. Cortisol is the primary glucocorticoid.

Why does your body produce cortisol?

Cortisol is a stress hormone. Your body produces cortisol in response to stress, physical, mental or emotional. This can include extremely low calorie diets, intense training, high volume training, lack of quality sleep as well as common daily stresses such as job pressures, fights with your spouse or being caught in a traffic jam. Trauma, injury and surgery are also major stressors to the body (Note: much of the research done on cortisol and stress has been done on recovering patients, and such findings may not carry over to healthy, athletic populations).

What does cortisol do?

Cortisol is part of the fight or flight response. Faced with a "life or death" situation, cortisol increases the flow of glucose (as well as protein and fat) out of your tissues and into the bloodstream in order to increase energy and physical readiness to handle the stressful situation or threat.

How do you know whether your cortisol levels are high?

You can get your cortisol levels tested if you choose to. The most common method of testing is a blood test (blood cortisol levels). Saliva and 24 hour urine tests are also available.

What is a normal level of cortisol?

Cortisol levels are higher in adults than children and levels fluctuate throughout each 24 hour period, so tests must account for the time of day. Cortisol concentrations are highest in the early morning around 6 to 8 a.m. and they are also elevated after exercise (a normal part of your body's response to exercise). The lowest levels are usually around midnight. According to the Medline Encyclopedia, normal levels of cortisol in the bloodstream at 8:00 a.m. are 6-23 mcg/dl.

Should you get your cortisol levels tested?

For serious competitive athletes, it may be worth the time, expense and inconvenience to have cortisol tests done on a regular basis. Some strength and conditioning coaches insist on it. For the average trainee, as long as you are aware of the factors that produce excessive cortisol and take steps to keep it in the normal, healthy range, then testing is probably not necessary.

Is cortisol related to abdominal obesity?

Yes. There is a link between high cortisol levels and storage of body fat, particularly "visceral" abdominal body fat (also known as intra-abdominal fat). Visceral fat is stored deeper in the abdominal cavity and around the internal organs, whereas "regular" fat is stored below the skin (known as subcutaneous fat). Visceral fat is particularly unhealthy because it is a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes.

Does Cortisol Make you fat?

No, cortisol is not 'the thing" that makes you fat. In fact, one of the effects of cortisol is to increase the breakdown of stored adipose tissue into glycerol and fatty acids where it can enter the bloodstream and then be used as energy. High levels of cortisol are merely one contributing factor to storage of abdominal fat, not the primary cause. An excess of calories from too much food and not enough exercise is what makes you fat.

If cortisol is related to abdominal obesity, then will taking a cortisol suppressing pill get rid of abdominal (belly) fat?

No. Just because there is an association between high cortisol levels and abdominal body fat doesn't mean that a taking a cortisol-suppressing pill will remove abdominal body fat. The studies which showed a relationship between cortisol and body fat did not test whether suppressing cortisol removes fat that is already deposited on your body.

Does stress make you fat?

No. If it did, then everyone who is stressed would be gaining fat. Many people lose weight while under stress. In some studies, test subjects with the highest cortisol levels lost the most weight. Stress, by itself, does not increase body fat. However, if stress stimulates appetite and leads to overeating, then the excess calories from "stress eating" can make you fatter.

Is cortisol is bad for you?

Cortisol is not "bad for you," it is a hormone that is essential for life as part of our natural stress response. There are many hormones in our bodies, which in the proper amounts, maintain good health, but in excess or in deficiency, have negative effects or even contribute to health problems or diseases. Cortisol is no different. For example, Cushing's syndrome is a disease of high cortisol levels, while Addison's is a disease of low cortisol levels. You want to maintain a healthy, normal level of cortisol, not suppress your cortisol to nothing or allow it to remain elevated.

Chronically elevated cortisol levels may have a variety of negative effects. Cortisol is catabolic and elevated cortisol levels can cause the loss of muscle tissue by facilitating the process of converting lean tissue into glucose. An excess of cortisol can also lead to a decrease in insulin sensitivity, increased insulin resistance, reduced kidney function, hypertension, suppressed immune function, reduced growth hormone levels, and reduced connective tissue strength. Chronically elevated levels of cortisol can also decrease strength and performance in athletes.

Can suppressing cortisol improve your muscle growth and strength?

High cortisol levels can increase muscle protein breakdown and inhibit protein synthesis (building up muscle proteins), so a chronically elevated cortisol level is clearly counterproductive to building muscle. Bringing elevated cortisol levels back to normal may improve recovery, strength, hypertrophy and performance. However, there is no scientific evidence that reducing your cortisol levels below normal will have any effect on increasing strength or muscle growth.

Should you take a cortisol-suppressing supplement to help you lose weight?

In my opinion, no, absolutely not. Cortisol suppressing supplements are not a valid solution for losing weight. The FTC has filed lawsuits against the makers of Cortislim and Cortistress, charging them with making false and unsubstantiated claims that their products can cause weight loss. Lydia Parnes, acting director of the FTC's bureau of consumer protection says, "The defendant's claims fly in the face of reality. No pill can replace a healthy program of diet and exercise." Reducing excessively high cortisol levels through supplement use may prove beneficial in some ways for hard training athletes. However, pills do not make you lose fat. Body fat is lost by creating a caloric deficit through exercise and nutrition.

Should you take a cortisol-suppressing supplement to help control your stress levels?

There are quite a few supplements, mostly herbs, which are reputed to have "calming," "relaxing," "tranquilizing," "stress-relieving" or "anti-anxiety" effects. These include Magnolia bark, kava kava, valerian, L-theanine and too many others to mention. However, very few studies exist which have directly tested the effects of these herbs on cortisol levels. Although some people may find value in these types of products, the ideal solution is to reduce the stress or change your perception of the stress to lessen its physical effects. Treating symptoms does not remove causes. It can be dangerous to "band-aid" the effects of stress while the stress remains in place.

What should you do if you have a lot of stress in your life?

It makes sense to take steps to reduce stress in your life and lessen the impact of stressors that cannot be avoided. Trying to avoid stress completely is not possible, nor is it desirable. Stress is an important part of life because you can't achieve positive adaptations and growth without stress to trigger them. It's continuous stress that you want to avoid. It's okay to expose yourself to stress, provided there is a sufficient period of rest afterwards so you can fully recover.

One of the best ways to keep cortisol in the normal range is to reduce stress and allow time for recovery and renewal. There are effective and natural means of reducing stress that don't cost a penny, including getting out in nature, deep breathing, enhancing sleep quality, relaxation exercises, meditation and visualization-guided imagery. It's important to develop a calm mind and sense of tranquility.

What's in those cortisol pills anyway?

The ingredients can vary in type and quantity from one brand to the next. Some ingredients are included in the formulations to have a relaxing or stress reducing effect, some are included to reduce cortisol levels, while others are aimed at insulin and blood sugar stabilization. Cortislim, for example, contains Magnolia bark, beta sitosoterol, theanine, green tea extract, bitter orange peel extract (source of synephrine), banaba leaf extract, vanadium, vitamin C, calcium and Chromium.

Other ingredients that are often used in the various product formulations include Epidemium, phytosterols, tyrosine, Branched chain amino acids, ginseng, ashwaganda, astragalus, kava kava, St. John's wort, Melatonin, SAM-e, Valerian, Gingko Biloba, Phosphatidyl Serine (PS), Acetyl L-carnitine and Glutamine. Reviewing all of these is beyond the scope of this article.

If you decide to take a cortisol suppressing supplement what should you look for?

Before you even think about supplements (or drugs), keep in mind that unnatural suppression of cortisol may not be wise or necessary, especially if you haven't used all the natural cortisol and stress management strategies at your disposal first. Once your nutrition, training and recovery bases are covered, there is some solid research showing that certain supplements may be beneficial, especially for athletes engaged in extremely hard training.

Carbohydrate consumed with lean protein immediately after training has a cortisol suppressing effect. High glycemic index (GI) carbs in particular, cause an insulin spike, which not only helps restore muscle glycogen, stimulates protein synthesis and kick starts the recovery process, it also helps lower the exercise-induced rise in cortisol. The research supporting this practice is substantial. (This should serve as a warning to people on low carb diets that are so strict that they don't even allow small amounts of carbs after workouts). Rather than solid food, many athletes prefer a liquid "meal" using a commercial post workout drink containing whey protein and maltodextrin plus dextrose or glucose (fast acting protein and high GI carbs) because the rapid absorption time may speed recovery.

Vitamin C, known mainly for cold or flu protection and antioxidant properties, may decrease cortisol levels. A study by Marsit, et al showed a reduction in cortisol levels in elite weightlifters taking 1000 mg. of vitamin C per day. Other studies have reported similar findings.

Phosphatidyl serine (PS) is a phospholipid, which appears to have cortisol suppressing properties. Studies by Fahey and Monteleone have shown that daily doses of 800 mg can reduce cortisol. These studies did not conclude that PS would help you lose weight or gain more muscle.

Glutamine is an amino acid, which in some studies, has been shown to decrease cortisol and prevent a decrease in protein synthesis. Many strength athletes swear by glutamine for improved recovery, but the research is still not conclusive about efficacy or dosages for athletes or bodybuilders. Much of the research on Glutamine was performed on patients recovering from surgery, burns or traumas (severe stresses to the body).

Acetyl-L Carnitine (ALC) has been studied in Alzheimers patients as a method of improving cognitive function. One study showed that long term use of Acetyl L Carnitine lowered cortisol in the Alzheimers patients. Research on rats and mice has shown that ALC increases luteinizing hormone, which may in turn elevate testosterone. Whether these findings carry over to healthy athletes has yet to be proven, but some coaches and athletes believe that ALC lowers cortisol and elevates testosterone.

It's important to note that the research on some of these substances is often conflicting and inconclusive. It's also important to note that many of the cortisol suppressing supplements which are marketed to athletes or to people seeking weight loss do not contain doses anywhere near the amounts that were used in the research. (Yet another way that supplement companies deceive consumers).

How can you lower your cortisol levels naturally?

You can lower cortisol naturally. In fact, if you are overtrained, unnatural cortisol suppression may be nothing more than a "band aid," and continued overtraining can lead to adrenal exhaustion, which could take months to remedy. Sometimes the best thing you can do is take a rest or decrease your training volume and intensity rather than artificially attempt to suppress cortisol. Symptoms of overtraining include elevated resting pulse, sleep disturbances, fatigue, decreased strength and decreased performance.

Avoid very low calorie diets, especially for prolonged periods of time. Low calorie dieting is a major stress to the body. Low calorie diets increase cortisol while decreasing testosterone.
Use stress reduction techniques (stress, anger, anxiety, and fear can raise cortisol)
Avoid continuous stress. Stress is an important part of growth. It's when you remain under constant stress without periods of recovery that you begin breaking down.
Avoid overtraining by keeping workouts intense, but brief (cortisol rises sharply after 45-60 min of strength training)
Avoid overtraining by matching your intensity, volume and duration to your recovery ability. Decrease your training frequency, and or take a layoff if necessary.
Suppress cortisol and maximize recovery after workouts with proper nutrition: Consume a carb-protein meal or drink immediately after your workout.
Get plenty of quality sleep (sleep deprivation, as a stressor, can raise cortisol).
Avoid or minimize use of stimulants; caffeine, ephedrine, synephrine, etc.
Limit alcohol (large doses of alcohol elevate cortisol).
Stay well hydrated (at least one study has suggested that dehydration may raise cortisol).

How do you spot a weight loss pill scam?

The cortisol pill is just one in a long string of bogus weight loss products, and it won't be the last! Why? Because weight loss supplements are big business! Eight or nine figure fortunes have been made from the sales of a single product, which was later proven to be a total farce.

How do you protect yourself? Do your homework! Don't take anything unless you know exactly what's in the product, why it's in the product and how much is in the product. Review the scientific research. Don't buy a weight loss product just because a radio personality says it works! Don't jump on the phone with your credit card in hand after watching a thirty-minute infomercial! In this day and age, you have to be smarter than that!

Conclusions

Excessive cortisol is not good. But cortisol is not inherently bad; it's a vitally important hormone and part of your body's natural stress response. Cortisol does not make you fat. Stress does not make you fat. Stress may lead to increased appetite& Increased appetite may lead to eating too much& Eating too much makes you gain fat. Make sense?

Cortisol suppressing agents may have some practical uses. But rather than thinking of cortisol supplements as a weight loss miracle (which they most surely are not), get yourself on a solid exercise and nutrition program and seek natural ways enhance recovery and reduce stress. By doing this first, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you're losing fat and gaining muscle and there isn't even a need to take a supplement at all.

For more information on how to lose body fat safely,
permanently and naturally without supplements or pills, check out Tom's
e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle at http://www.BurnTheFat.com

References:

1. Bidzinska, B., et al., Effect of different chronic intermittent stressors and acetyl L Carnitine on hypothalamic beta endorphin and GnRH and on plasma testosterone levels in male rats. Neuroendocrinology, 1993, 57(6): 985-990

2. Bjorntorp, P., Body fat distribution, insulin resistance, and metabolic diseases. Nutrition, 1997, 13: 795-803

3. Bjorntorp, P., Do stress reactions cause abdominal obesity and comorbidities? Obesity Reviews, 2001, 2: 73-86

4. Brillon, et al., Effect of cortisol on energy expenditure and amino acid metabolism in humans, Am J Physiol 268 1995: E501-13.

5. Bruno, G, et al,, Acetyl L Carnitine in Alzheimer disease: a short term study on CSF neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. Anzeihmer Disease & Associated Disorders, 1995. 9(3): p. 128-131

6. Chrousos, et al., CRH, Stress and Depression: An Etiological Approach (Las Vegas, NV: Conference on Cortisol and Anti-Cortisols, 1997)

7. Chrousos, G.P., The role of stress and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome: neuro-endocrine and target tissue-related causes. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 2000, 24, S50-55

8. Dallman, M.F., Pecoraro, N., Akana, S.F., La Fleur, S.E., Gomez, F., Houshyar, H., Bell, M.E., Bhatnagar, S., Laugero, K.D., & Manalo, S. Chronic stress and obesity: a new view of "comfort food". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, (2003), 30, 11696-11701

9. Epel ES, McEwen B, Seeman T, Matthews K, Castellazzo G, Brownell KD, Bell J, Ickovics JR. Stress and body shape: stress-induced cortisol secretion is consistently greater among women with central fat. Psychosom Med. 2000 Sep-Oct; 62(5):623-32.

10. Fahey, et al., Hormonal Effects of Phosphatidylserine (PS) during two weeks of intense weight training (Orlando, Fl : ACSM Conference, 1998)

11. Fry, et al., Resistance exercise overtraining and overreaching. Neuroendocrine responses, Sports Med, 1997, 23 (2): 106-129.

12. Futterman, A.D., et al., Immunological and physiological changes associated with induced positive and negative mood, Phychosomatic medicine, 1994, 56(6): 499-511

13. Griffin J, Ojeda S. Textbook of endocrine physiology, 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.

14. Hickson, et al., Glutamine prevents down regulation of myosin heavy chain synthesis and muscle atrophy from glucocorticoids, Am J Physiol, 1995, 268: E730-E734.

15. Hickson, et al., Glucocorticoid antagonism by exercise and androgenic-anabolic steroids, Med Sci Sports Exerc, 1990, 22: 331-340.

16. Kraemer, W.J., et al, Physiological adaptations to a weight-loss dietary regimen and exercise programs in women. Journal of Applied physiology, 83, 270-279.

17. Krsmanovic, L.Z., et al., Actions of Acetyl L canitine on the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal system in female rats. Journal of Steroid Biochemical Molecular Biology, 1992. 43(4): 351-358

18. Kelley, et al, energy restriction and immunocompetence in overweight women. Nutrition Research 18.2 (18): 159-169

19. Laitinen, J., Ek, E., & Sovio, U. Stress-related eating and drinking behavior and body mass index and predictors of this behavior. Preventive Medicine, 2002, 34, 29-39

20. Marsit, J.L, et al., Effects of ascorbic acid on serum cortisol and the Testosterone:Cortisol ratio in junior elite weightlifters, Journal of Strength And Conditioning Research, 1998, 12(3), 179-184

21. Martignoni, E., et al, Acetyl L carnitne acutely administered raises beta endorphin and cortisol plasma levels in humans. Clinical Neuropharmacology, 1988. 11 (5) p. 472-47

22. Monteleone, P., et al, Effects of phosphatidyl serine on the neuroendocrine response to physical stress in humans. Neuroendocrinology, 1990, 52:243-248,

23. Monteleone, P., et al, Blunting by chronic phosphatidyl serine administration of the stress-induced activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in healthy men. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 42(4): 385-388, 1992

24. Ottosson, K Vikman-Adolfsson, S Enerback, A Elander, P Bjorntorp and S Eden, Growth hormone inhibits lipoprotein lipase activity in human adipose tissue, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2000, 80: 936-941,

25. Palermo, S., et al, The effect of L-acetyl carnitine on some reproductive functions in the oligoasthenospermic rat. Hormonal metabolism research, 1990. 22(12), 622 - 626

26. Peeke PM, Chrousos GP. Hypercortisolism and Obesity. Ann NY Acad Sci 1995, 771:665-76.

27. Rizza, et al., Cortisol-induced insulin resistance in man. Impaired suppression of glucose production and stimulation of glucose utilization due to a post receptor defect of insulin action, J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 1992, 54: 131-138.

28. Roberts, A.C. et al, Overtraining affects male reproductive status. Fertility and Sterility, 1993, 60(4):686-692

29. Rowbottom, et al., The emerging role of glutamine as an indicator of exercise stress and overtraining, Sports Med 21.2 1996: 80-97.

30. Roland Rosmond, Mary F. Dallman and Per Björntorp, Stress-Related Cortisol Secretion in Men: Relationships with Abdominal Obesity and Endocrine, Metabolic and Hemodynamic Abnormalities, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 1998, Vol. 83, No. 6 1853-1859

31. Simmons, et al., Increased proteolysis: an effect of increases in plasma cortisol within the physiological range, J Clin Invest, 1984, 73: 412-420.

Tom Venuto is an NSCA-certified personal trainer, certified
strength coach, and author of the #1 e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle.
Tom has written over 170 articles and been featured in IRONMAN, Natural
Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Exercise for Men and Men's Exercise.
For info on Tom's e-book, visit: http://www.BurnTheFat.com
For Tom's free monthly e-zine, visit Fitness Renaissance: www.fitren.com

Some Misconceptions about Exercise

2006-03-02T13:30:00.000-06:00

Many people that exercise regularly and eat right still complain about not being able to lose weight. They don't understand why they're not losing, but many times the reason is simple: low metabolism due to a lack of muscle mass.

I think one of the main problems is that people have a fundamental misunderstanding of exercise, especially in terms of what is required for weight loss. First of all, there are two basic types of exercise: aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic exercise (meaning with oxygen), is exercise where you move your body at regular relatively slow to moderate levels for extended periods. Examples include activities such as walking, jogging, swimming and bicycling. This type of exercise has a number of benefits including strengthening the heart (thus lowering the risk of heart disease), improving lung capacity, controlling weight and increasing flexibility. What aerobic exercise generally does not do is tone or build muscles. For this you need anaerobic exercise. Anaerobic exercise is exercise that is sufficiently intense (i.e. moderate to high in intensity), and lasts no more than a couple of minutes of sustained effort. Because it is anaerobic, the individual muscle cells are purposely damaged through a process called overloading. Overloading is not a bad thing though! The body reacts instinctively to overloading and repairs the damaged cells so they can cope with any future overload. In so doing, the size and strength of the muscles is increased. Examples of anaerobic exercise might be weight lifting, resistance training, sprinting, spinning, etc. Note that although each individual anaerobic session will be relatively short in duration, the body recovers quickly, thus repeated sessions may be done to give a longer term anaerobic workout. (That actually tends to be a combined aerobic and anaerobic workout because the body goes aerobic inbetween anaerobic sessions.)

Let me back up a minute here and explain why aerobic vs. anaerobic exercise is confusing for people. When the body needs energy, it can use various sources such as carbohydrates, protein and fat, but only a small amount of ready energy (generally in the form of glycogen), is stored in the muscles for ready energy. If during aerobic activity this store is depleted, the body is able to convert fat stores into usable energy. Thus during aerobic exercise you start burning fat after a certain point depending on how much glycogen is present in the system. With anaerobic exercise, you are not metabolizing fat, thus it sounds like aerobic activity would be the way to go for fat loss, right?

Wrong. The fat burning cycle of aerobic activity stops fairly quickly (often as soon as the glycogen stores are returned to normal). Because anaerobic activity builds muscle mass, it actually has a greater effect on weight loss than does aerobic activity. Why? Well, it's because muscle cells have much greater caloric needs than do other types of cells such as fat cells. (Remember, fat is primarly inert, unlike muscle that is active.) Thus as muscle mass is added, your metabolic need increase, meaning you burn more calories simply sitting still! Plus, recent research shows that exercises like weight training have a much longer effect on resting metabolism after the completion of the exercise routine than do aerobic activities.

Plus, whether you realize it or not, excessive aerobic activities can actually lead to decreased muscle mass. Don't believe it? Look at the bodies of the average marathon runner vs. the average athlete. Many marathoners generally have very little fat, but they also, for lack of a better word are scrawny. They simply have very little muscle mass and thus their resting metabolism is fairly slow compared to many other athletes. The only thing that keeps them from becoming fat is the sheer amount of time they spend burning calories.

So, what is the best kind of exercise to do for fat loss and overall good health? Actually a combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercise is best. In addition to the conditioning benefits of aerobic exercise and the muscle building of anaerobic exercise, a combined program will provide:
Greater Decrease in Body Fat
Increased Cardiovascular Function
Increased Muscle Mass
Improved Strength
Improved Power
Improved Speed
Increased Aerobic Capacity
Increased Endurance

How long you exercise will depend on your goals, schedule, and physical condition, but most recommendations are to get at least 20 minutes of aerobic exercise 3 times a week along with at least two 20-30 weight lifting or resistance sessions to receive the most benefit.

I know some of you are thinking that this must be wrong because you've been told in the past that aerobic training was the best way to lose fat. It's true, you CAN lose fat with aerobic training, but you may also lose muscle mass leading to decreased metabolism. Overall, this will make the weight come off more slowly and have you looking thin and sickly instead of toned and healthy.

Keep in mind that the ultimate goal for all of us is better health. Virtually all experts will agree that the best route is through a combination of both cardiovascular and resistance training.

Recipes

2006-02-27T22:11:00.000-06:00

My Recipes to date:

cherry frozen yogurt
fruit smoothie

If anyone has any other recipes they'd like to share for posting here, shoot me an email.

Thanks!

Misunderstandings about blood glucose levels and the importance of insulin regulation

2006-02-27T11:04:00.000-06:00

There seems to be general misunderstandings about the importance of the glycemic index and eating the right foods in combination. I wanted to shed some light on this:

First of all, when you eat, certain components in that food are converted to glucose by the digestive tract. Insulin is the transport mechanism in the blood stream and its purpose it to move the glucose out of the blood and into the cells directly, or to the liver where the glucose is converted to glycogen. This glycogen is then typically stored in the liver and muscles for ready energy. The problem comes in when an excess of glucose is present in the blood. When this happens, insulin is produced to bind up the glucose and remove it from the blood. But because there is so much blood sugar, the body often overproduces insulin, thus causing a drop in blood sugar. This can result in fatigue, headaches, mental foggyness, and the shakes. Unfortunately, for us, there is often another result: the body has to do something with this excess bound glucose. What the cells can use directly gets transported there. As I mentioned previously, some glucose gets converted to glycogen. But the body can only store so much glycogen. The excess is converted into fat.

Think of it this way: the body can do three things with excess carbohydrates. One it can convert them to glucose that the cells use immediately. Two, the body can convert the glucose to glycogen that can be stored for ready energy. Three, the body can convert the glucose into “long-term” storage in the form of fat. By regulating blood sugar levels, you are minimizing this latter process.

Don't sweat the small stuff

2006-02-25T09:12:00.000-06:00

Just a reminder: I’ve seen some posts on the Nutrisystem boards lately that have led me to believe that there is confusion about how one loses weight. The bottom line is that to LOSE a pound a fat, you have to eat 3500 calories LESS than you burn. Before you ask, yes there are factors that can effect your metabolic rate that have nothing to with food or exercise (such as hormones), but in general one can fairly accurately compute this. I won’t go into details on how to actually do that right now, because it’s fairly complicated and there is disagreement among experts as to exactly how to do it. I am working on an online calculator that will compute BMR, TDEE, and Caloric requirements for weight loss, but it will take some time to finish.

In addition, I think it also bears repeating that the opposite is true when it comes to calories. That is, to GAIN a pound of fat, you would have to eat 3500 calories MORE than you burn. You simply can’t gain weight by eating an extra few calories here and there. The point is that people need to relax and stop sweating the small stuff. An extra piece of fruit every once in a while, or a bite of that pizza your family is eating is not going to have any major effect on weight loss. It also means that if you are following the diet religiously and still not losing, the culprit is likely your metabolism, not the Jolly Rancher candy you had after dinner last Tuesday.

One final point and then I’ll come down from my soap box. Stressing out over this little stuff is probably a bigger culprit in slowing weight loss than are the calories themselves. We’ve all heard of the "stress hormone" cortisol by now, but the fact is many people misunderstand its effects. CORTISOL DOES NOT MAKE YOU FAT! What it can do is slow weight loss via the loss of muscle tissue, an increase in insulin sensitivity and increased insulin resistance. These are all factors that may be associated with impaired metabolic functioning and hence weight loss.

The bottom line is: Don’t sweat the small stuff.You’ll be better off!

Version 3.1 of the Ideal Weight Calculator has just been released

2006-02-24T21:34:00.000-06:00

I have just uploaded version 3.1 of the Ideal Weight Calculator. In this version, I added lossy and lossless calculations based on current weight and % body fat. The reasoning behind this is explained on the calculator page.

Ideal Weight Calculator

Nutrisystem Cards

2006-02-23T17:11:00.000-06:00

I have created a set of cards similar to the deal-a-meal sort of thing that some diets use. I found these useful, especially when I'm going to eat out as I can take what I'm allowed with me and then I know what I need to eat. I thought I'd go ahead and share them with folks that may want to use them. They are here:
NS Card Set #1
NS Card Set #2

As you will see, these are different from others that have been created for Nutrisystem. I felt that the type of food should be easily identifiable by the shape and color. These were created for me, so I can't verify that they will have all the needed items for other diet plans. Also, obviously, females should not use the carb cards.

On another note, you will see that the links for these go directly to a printable page with basically no formatting of any kind. I did this to ease printing, but it also makes the pages vulnerable to abuse. As such, please don't link directly to these or use the images for your own use. These should be considered my intellectual property and as such should not be copied, linked to directly, or placed on other web pages by stealing my bandwidth. I will maintain a link for these here in this blog if you need them again.

Thanks!

Revised Ideal Weight Calculator

2006-02-23T16:59:00.000-06:00

I finally finished the revised calculator I've been working on. This version can also do calculations based on current weight and percent body fat to give an estimated weight at any given % body fat. I think this method is more precise for most folks, though to my suprise during development, it was only 1 pound away from the goal weight I already selected and 1 pound the other way from the upper end of the average ranges from the old calculator. Thus for me, the new one is not much of an improvement, though I suspect that it will be for many people, especially women.

The new calculator is also unique as best I can tell on the web in terms of providing a weight based on a desired percent body fat. Much of the time I spent on development was spent coming up with a way to arrive at this weight. It may seem easy, but it's not at all simple because you are in essence trying to come up with a number based on another number, both of which are unknowns. I even tried to develop an algebraic equation for this, but I realized it simply won't work that way.

Anyway, here it is for those so inclined:
Ideal Weight Calculator

123-Health | Fitness

2006-02-17T12:53:00.000-06:00

Lately I've been perusing the web looking for information related to weight estimation. I came upon a really cool site that has some good info for those of us that need to lose weight. I did have a bit on an issue with one of the ways they were calculating percent body fat, though. You can see this great site and my comments about this issue here: Real Weight Loss Science part 3

I think I may add a %BF calculator to my ideal weight calculator pretty soon. I also found a site listing weight tables from people like the US Army and USDA. I may also convert these to formulas and add those calculations to the calculator.

Other Nutrisystem Losers

2006-02-15T12:05:00.000-06:00

Amanda (Manda-Panda6582)
Amy (Amysmithr)
Anonlah
Bigmamma35
Bob (Bobesq)
Cara (Gmcm402)
Christina (christinagray2003)
Cyndi (Cyndipooh)
Di (Dly)
Diane (Heavenlydm)
Emily (ekwachsman)
Emily (Emilyliz)
Flavia3
Jamie
Jan (Janny Anne)
Jazzman board member blogs
Jimmy James
Joely (ijustwanttolive)
Julie (sporkqueen)
Karon (Norakeno)
Mandy (mandygirlgetsit)
Melissa (Melissa2)
Missy (Liketoride)
ndronet
New Jess
No More Mama Cow
Sabra
Sherri (Dustymomma)
Sherri (Sherri G)
Sheryl (Stb0521)
ssflbelle
Steph_n_Ohio
Sue (Suetay)
Susan (CandleSusan)
Suzi Chen
Tesab
The Bear
Trinitymakes3
Vicky (Mrqtgrad98)

If you would like to be listed here, add a comment with your blog address and I will review it for inclusion. Thanks!

Goals, rewards, and life...

2006-02-13T14:39:00.000-06:00

It seems to me that in general, setting goals is a very individualized thing. I’ve noticed that some people set lots of little goals, such losing a pound this week. Others seem to focus on 10 pound increments. For example, they focus on going from 220 to 210 to 200, etc. Others seem to only focus on a few major goals such as making it to 150% of goal weight, or losing 50 pounds. On another track, some folks seem to very much focus on milestone dates to reach goals, while others are content with steady loss regardless of the time involved. Rewards also seem to differ. Some people need tangible rewards, while others seem motivated by success itself in terms of looking better or wearing a smaller size.

This got me to wondering, what do you suppose goal structure and rewards for making goals says about a person? Does having many goals say something different about a person than does having only one or two goals? Do the types of rewards differ based on personality and does this effect success?

Thinking about myself for example, I set 4 goals. First, I wanted to make it to 236. I picked this because it was half way to 200 from my starting weight. I figured it would be easy to make it at least that far and would encourage me to continue. As a reward for making this, I plan to buy myself a small MP3 player. I’ve always wanted one and I thought it would be something that would also be useful when I exercise.

Goal number two is to make it under 200. For me this would be a major accomplishment since I have not been to “one-derland” since I was 18 or 19 years old. My chosen reward for this would be to get either some inline skates or an elliptical trainer. My third goal is to make it to my goal weight, right now set at 180. I may have to adjust this as I get closer, but I plan to reward myself with either a new mountain bike or possibly a kayak. (See the trend here? It’s all stuff to help me get and stay fit…)

My third and final goal is to stay at (give or take a few pounds), my goal weight for one year. If I am successful, I plan to buy a new car or maybe a new bike as a reward. It was tempting, but I couldn’t see this reward just for losing the weight, as I think with the NS plan losing will be easy enough. I think the real challenge for me will be maintaining my weight after I lose. Afterall, I’ve spent over 40 years eating poorly, I will be all to easy to slip back into my old habits.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Does my goal and reward structure say something about me? If it does, I hope it’s something good…

Too much precision?

2006-02-11T09:17:00.000-06:00

I've been pondering the concept of scales that read out in tenths. (i.e. 175.2...) Is it just me, or does this seem overly precise? I mean, my weight varies several pounds over the course of a day depending on how long it's been since I ate, drank, etc. (I think you know what I mean by "etc"...) As it is, my scale reads out in 1/2 pound increments and I've been rounding up because I wanted to err on the side of caution. I know there are some people that swear by these more precise scales, but to me that seems like you may end up thinking you're doing better than you really are, or thinking you're doing worse because it would be almost impossible to recreate the exact physiological conditions each time you weigh.

This kind of brings up an old debate; the difference between precision and accuracy. A casual observer might think of these two words as synonyms, but they are not. Precision refers to the degree of refinement with which a measurement can be made. Accuracy, on the other hand refers to how closely a measure comes to the true value being measured. Thus, one can have a very precise and yet very wrong measure, which is what I think these scales do do at times. Let me give you an example: If I were to say that the earth is 20,034.65827 miles in circumference, This would be a very precise and yet very innacurate measure. Likewise, if I were to say that the circumference is 25,000 miles, this would be a much more accurate measurement, eventhough it's much less precise. Got it?

Ideal Weight Calculator

2006-02-09T23:56:00.000-06:00

I've come to discover that many people have unrealistic ideas about what constitutes an ideal weight. Even the experts can't agree, partly because no one is exactly like anyone else. Thus what is the best weight for me, may not be right fore someone else my same gender, age, and height. Thus all weight calculators on the web (and there are many), don't seem to take into consideration these differences. Because of this, I've created my own calculator that I think works better. It's based on some of the most popular methods of calculating ideal weight, but gives you a range that is suitable and allows you to pick what's best for you.

As I say on the site, I recommend that those who have a significant amount of weight to loose focus on the upper end of the scale at first. Once that weight is reached, you can then reevaluate your weight to see if additional loss is in order.

You can find the calculator here:
Detector's Ideal Weight Calculator

Cherry Frozen Yogurt

2006-02-09T14:25:00.000-06:00

Recipe for Cherry Frozen yogurt:
Nutrisystem equivalent = 1 dairy + free foods
10 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup Nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup splenda
1 can pitted cherries in water, drained
32 oz fat free yogurt
1/2 tsp cherry extract
1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, stir together milk powder & water till it makes a paste. Add Splenda. Cover loosely and microwave on high for 44-50 seconds or until hot but not boiling.

Meanwhile, puree drained cherries in a blender or food processor. If you like, reserve about 1/3 of a cup or cherries and roughly chop them instead of pureeing them. This will give you some cherry pieces in the ice cream.

Add cherry puree, yogurt and extract to bowl with milk mixture. Mix well. Place mixture in home ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions to make ice cream. Just before serving, add chopped cherries if desired.

Note: This counts as 1 dairy plus free foods because there is not sufficient cherries per serving to make it count as a fruit. The cherries add about 18 calories per serving

This recipe is easily adaptable to other fruits, simply leave out cherries and cherry extract and add whatever other fruits you like.

Meal plan

2006-02-09T13:32:00.000-06:00

Since I mentioned that I create a very regimented schedule for my meals, I thought I'd share what that looks like. Here is today's menu:

NutriSystem Meal Plan:

Thursday, February 9:

Breakfast:
NS: Oatmeal
DP #1: NS Chewy fudge bar
Fruit #1: ½ grapefruit or apple
Carb #1: Oatmeal

Lunch:
NS: Chocolate Cookie Bar
DP #2: 1 oz deli meat
Salad #1: lettuce on sandwich
Fat #1: mayo
Carb #2: bread for sandwich

Snack:
DP #3: 1 oz cheese
Fruit #2: small apple
Extra #1: 10 pretzel sticks

Dinner:
NS: Chili with Beans
Salad #2: Salad
Veg #1: 4 oz V8
Veg #2: 4 oz V8
Carb #3: roll
Fat #2: margarine on roll

Dessert: Honey Mustard Pretzel Sticks in salad
Extra #2: SF Jello cup with FF whipped cream

Slip-ups

2006-02-09T13:24:00.000-06:00

I’m finding that being 100% (for those that don’t know, this is when you follow the plan perfectly), a bit hard sometimes. Even so, I’m still loosing! This is the beauty of the plan for me. I can slip up and eat something I shouldn’t have, but because the plan is so well defined I can easily get back on track. On other diet plans I have been on before it was always difficult to refocus like this after a slipup. I think this is partly because I make very regimented plans about what I’m going to eat every day and if I slip up, I still know that as the day progresses, I have certain things I need to eat. Thus instead of a small slipup becoming a multi-day binge, my little slips never grow beyond that. Something else I noticed is that if I eat off plan a bit, it doesn’t completely blow the day for me, whereas on a low-carb diet I found that even one slip up was enough to get me out of ketosis and for the loss to stop for a few days till my body chemistry was restored.

Boo-ya!

2006-02-07T22:46:00.000-06:00

Tuesday's are my official weighing days. As of this morning I'm down 20 pounds in 4 weeks! This keeps me ahead of my loss goals and is very encouraging. It does present a bit of a problem though... I'm starting to find my clothes are too loose. I don't want to buy a bunch of clothes now since I still have a bunch more weight to loose, but after another 15 or so pounds I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to have some smaller clothes or I'm going to look like I'm wearing clown pants! My jeans are already so loose they'll fall of of me if I don't wear a belt. All this begs the question: should I buy just a few things to tide me over till I reach a more normal weight, just make due or what? Maybe I should consider a resale shop so I don't have to spend so much on clothes I'll only need for a few weeks or months at most. I suppose this may all sound trivial. After all, there are worse problems to have besides finding one's clothes are now too big!

Charting Rate of Loss

2006-02-06T14:15:00.000-06:00

I've been keeping track of my weightloss in Excel because it's easy and it allows me to do some cool stuff. For example, I was able to calculate an average loss per day to reach each of my goals, and also was able to create a chart that compares my actual loss to my needed loss rate to reach my goals. You can see all this below: (Click on the chart to see a larger representation.)

Goal #1: Weight 236 - 36 lbs lost
Target Date: 12 March 06 - 61 days
Average Loss Per Day: 0.59 lbs

Goal #2: Weight 199 - 73 lbs lost
Target Date: 12 August 06 - 214 days
Average Loss Per Day: 0.34 lbs

Goal #2: Weight 180 - 92 lbs lost
Target Date: 25 December - 348 days
Average Loss per day: 0.26 lbs

Pretty cool, huh? Am I too much of a techie or what?

Fruit Smoothie Recipe

2006-02-05T21:36:00.000-06:00

This is my favorite NS Smoothie recipe. I probably have one of these 3 or 4 times a week. Add the following ingredients in the order listed to a powerful blender:

3/4 cup Fat-free Milk
1/4 cup Fat-free Yogurt
1/8 cup Spenda brand sweetener (or to taste)
1/2 bananna - sliced
1 1/4 cup frozen strawberries
if desired, add 4 or so ice cubes

Blend on high till the mixture is completely blended. As listed it counts as 1 dairy/protein and 2 fruit servings. If you only want to use up one fruit serving, you could easily leave out the bananna.

Enjoy!

Coming up on 4 weeks...

2006-02-05T21:21:00.000-06:00

I weighed myself this morning and was down to 252.5 pounds. Although Tuesday is my “official” weighing day, this means I am down almost 20 pounds in less than 4 weeks. Hopefully I'll be officially under 252 by Tuesday. I’m pretty pumped about this, the weight is really coming off!

On another note, I tried to see if my wife was interested in starting Nutrisystem, but she always seems to have a reason not to. Before, when I asked her about it the reason for saying no was cost. She thought having two of us on this would be too expensive. I told her from my perspective it would be worth it and we’d find a way to pay for it. Now she says she doesn’t think she could do it because she doesn’t like the look of the food. I was puzzled by this since I thought it looked pretty good overall. Sure, I’d agree that some of it looks and tastes less than stellar, but since you can pick the things you like, this seems more like another excuse than a real reason.

Nutrisystem Food Ratings

2006-02-04T15:28:00.000-06:00

Nutrisystem Food Ratings I thought today I’d go ahead and post some of my own ratings of the NS food. Just keep in mind that your tastes are likely different than mine. Thus you may like something I hate and I may love the thing you detest. With that in mind, here is my rating scheme:

0 = Inedible - avoid at all costs
1 = I ate it, but it was not very good and will not reorder
2 = Could eat it in a pinch, but not exactly my favorite - probably won't reorder
3 = Average - might reorder a few
4 = This was pretty good and I'll definitely reorder several
5 = Wow! Was this really shelf stabilized diet food? Gimme more!

Breakfast

Name:	Rating:
Chocolate Chip Granola Bar	4
Frosted Oats Cereal	4
Pancake Mix	4
NutriFlakes Cereal - 40% Bran Cereal	4
Lowfat Granola Cereal	4
Scrambled Egg Mix with Cheese	3
Mini Frosted Shredded Wheat Cereal	3
Apple Granola Bar	3
Oatmeal	2.5
Nutri Cinnamon Squares Cereal	2
NutriCoconut O's Cereal	2
NutriFrosted Crunch Cereal	2
Blueberry Bran Muffin	1.5
Banana Spice Muffin	1
Lemon Poppyseed Muffin	1

Lunch

Name:	Rating:
Chocolate Cookie Bar	4.5
Toffee Bar	4.5
Pasta with Beef	4
Beans and Ham Soup	3
Fudge Graham Bar	3
Chocolate Raspberry Bar	3
Vegetarian Sloppy Joe	3
Chicken Cacciatore	2.5
Cream of Broccoli Soup	2.5
Chicken Noodle Soup	2
Vegetable Beef Soup	2
Chicken Salad	2
Hearty Minestrone Soup	2
Black Beans and Rice	2
Pasta Parmesan with Broccoli	2
Tex-Mex Rice and Beans	2
Tuna Salad	2
Fettuccini Alfredo with Vegetables and Mushrooms	1.5

Dinner

Name:	Rating:
Beef Tacos	4
Vegetable Lasagna with Meat Sauce	4
Chili with Beans	3.5
Thin Crust Pizza with Cheese	3.5
Southwestern Style Chicken with Sauce	3.5
Hearty Beef Stew	3
Cheese and Spinach Ravioli with Meat Sauce	3
Pasta Fagioli	3
Homestyle Chicken Noodles with Gravy	3
Green Pepper Steak with Rice	3
Vegetarian Chili	3
Chicken Pasta Parmesan	2.5
Chicken with Almonds, Rice and Vegetables	2.5
Mushroom Gravy Over Salisbury Steak and Rice	2.5
Orange Beef with Noodles	2.5
Macaroni with Cheese and Beef	2
Beef Stroganoff with Noodles	2
Zesty Cajun Style Chicken and Sausage / Wild Rice	2

Dessert

Name:	Rating:
Caramel Dessert Bar	4
NutriCrunch Cherry Cordial Chocolates	4
Chocolate Mochaccino Dessert Bar	3.5
Sour Cream and Onion Soy Chips	3
Cheese and Garlic Pretzel Sticks	3
Chocolate Pudding	3
Honey Mustard Pretzel Sticks	3
Caramel Crunch Popcorn	3
NutriCrunch Chocolates	3
Chocolate Fudge Cake	3
Blueberry Lemon Dessert Bar	3
BBQ Soy Chips	3
Crispy Ranch Soy Snackers	2.5
Chocolate Peanut Butter Dessert Bar	2.5
Chocolate Shake	2.5
Zesty Herb Snack Mix	2.5
Almond Biscotti	2
Soy Pretzels	2

Results!

2006-02-03T20:18:00.000-06:00

I've officially been on the plan for 24 days. In that time, I've lost 18 pounds. While I'd love it if that rate of loss would continue, I'm also realistic enough to know that simply won't happen. And even if it did, it would not be healthy. First of all, we all know by now that the first part of any diet always seems to cause some extra loss due to water weight. Also, at first your body has not adjusted to the new diet so it burns more fatt. Plus, I think that once your body realizes what's going on, it tends to "get stingy" with those fat reserves and so the pounds come off slower.

Thankfully, the Nutrisystem plan seems to have taken this into account. I say this because the program stresses eating often and enough (yes, I said enough), so that your metabolism stays in high gear. I m partially disabled so exercising is not really something I can do like the average person, but even without that, I am still losing consistently.

For the record, I started at 272 and am already down to 254. I hope to be at my goal weight of 180 by Christmas. That seems doable, since it averages out to about one and a half pounds a week.