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How to Keep Weight Loss Simple [Forum]

When trying to lose weight having goals will help you achieve great results. How much do you want to lose each week? Areas to improve your diet? Exercise? These goals should be set each week.

I have lost 20lb & my husband has lost 43lbs. Having too many goals will just confuse you.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

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Hey Man, Do You Work in a Restaurant?

A funny thing happened to me a while ago. For some reason it just now dawned on me to blog about. Sorry, I'm slow.

At the time, I had switched Yoga studios. I like a vigorous practice and my old studio cut back on classes. Now, as luck would have it, my new studio is two doors down from a farmers market, which is win-win for me.

So I was shopping there every week, and typically I bought a lot of fruits and vegetables, especially fresh greens, like broccoli and spinach. I'm mostly vegetarian, so I plow through a lot of vegetation every week.

I was standing in line that day waiting to pay and when it was my turn, the cashier, who I see every week and never makes small talk, asked me, "Do you work in a restaurant? Because you always buy a lot of stuff."

Now, I'm a social misfit, so I just smirked. I guess a short Italian guy buying huge bunches of produce every week does look like a restaurant owner, especially in New Jersey, the land of delis.

I told her no, and explained that I eat a vegetable-based diet and that I don't eat meat. She wanted to know if I was a vegetarian. I said, "Kind of." And told her my diet is mostly fruits and vegetables and the only animal I eat is fish.

The cashier seemed to get it, but not really. She's Mexican, so she was probably thinking, "Stupid gringo is missing out on good tacos and burritos."

She might be right, but I admit, one little dude buying that much fruits and vegetables each week is unusual. She must have thought I was some sort of human-cow hybrid. And in her mind it might be easier just to eat some carne asada every once and a while.

Trust me, I understand that. I'm 100% Italian, my family is over-the-boat Italian - NOT guido Italian - and so they still look at me funny when I don't eat meatballs or cheese.

So, if you're veg too, has anything like this ever happened to you? Do you go grocery shopping and get mistaken for a sous-chef?

Image credit: No Cookie

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Link Time! Bacon Facts, Food War Prodigy, Diet Hand Gel, and More

Did you know that babies born to women who ate a lot of bacon while pregnant are more intelligent?

I didn't, along with these other amazing facts about bacon. This creative info-graphic points out 10 interesting facts concerning this "miracle meat". I guess I won't feel guilty anymore about wanting to try the Baconator from Wendy's... Well, until someone publishes the 10 Ways Bacon Kills Us of course.

If you don't eat bacon because of the way pigs are farmed, then you'll be a fan of Birke Baehr who is an eleven year old that can sum up what's wrong with America's food supply in 5 minutes.

He's a very bright kid and is real passionate about the subject. It's nice to see a kid take an active role in trying to influence his peers for the better and causing people to think about how our food is being produced.

On another note, we get product emails pitched at us all the time here at Diet-blog and most usually end up in the trash folder, however, there are a few that make me go, Huh? Like this new Diet Hand Gel that you simply use like hand lotion between meals to curb your appetite.

This green tea based product is said to absorb through the skin, reducing cravings between meals. I wonder if it just smells so bad that when you put your hand close to your nose to snack on something it makes you lose your appetite? Hmmm.

Lastly, this week I stumbled on a great site that has animated demonstrations for just about every stretch and strength training exercise imaginable. If you're looking for new exercises to spice up your workout or need some lessons on proper form without the expense of a personal trainer, check out ABC-of-Fitness.com.

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Parental Feeding Style: Is It Important?

We talk so much about the obesity epidemic, and the soaring rates of overweight children these days.

But, did you know that your parenting style impacts your child's relationship with food, both now and in the future?

It's not difficult to imagine this to be the case -- think about the sheer amount of feeding interactions you have with your children throughout the course of their lives.

My little girl is now 1-year-old, and sometimes I feel like all we ever do is prepare food, eat food, and clean up said food from the floor! According to Jill Castle, paediatric dietitian:

Throughout an 18 year childhood, a parent will feed their child over 28,000 times.

That's an amazing statistic!

In her article, Jill goes on to discuss the four parenting styles. Here's a short overview:

#1 Authoritative
This style promotes independent thinking and self-regulation in how much to eat, although the parent determines what is eaten, when and where, etc. It's thought that this style of feeding fosters the ability to self regulate intake, and to feel secure about food and eating. Children also tend to be leaner.

#2 Authoritarian
Where the parent makes the decisions about what, and how much will be eaten. Think the "clean your plate club". It's thought that both underweight and overweight problems are associated with this style.

#3 Permissive
This is the type of parent who tries to set limits, but ultimately gives in after some whining from the child. It's thought that this style of feeding may lead to children being overweight.

#4 Neglectful
This is where the parent is irregular in food planning and preparation, failing to stock cupboards, etc. It's thought that this style of feeding may lead children to feel insecure about food, and become overly focused on food.

No doubt this is an extremely sensitive issue. But, do you think it's now important that parents are provided with guidance on how, as well as what, to feed their children? Do you think your parental feeding style is affecting your child?

Image source: Lenscap

For further information see, "Child Feeding Behaviours and Child Weight".

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Can We Stop Food Stamp Users Buying Soda?

In the uphill battle to fight obesity, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has petitioned the United States Department of Agriculture to ban the 1.7 million food stamp users from using them to buy soda, or other sugared drinks.

This move is part of series of interventions to curb obesity, which have included advertisements, stricter rules on food sold in schools, and a yet-to-be successful attempt to tax sugared drinks.

Herein lies a good concept in a stirred pot of political, ethical and health soup.

I'm going to come right out and say it: I like the idea. I like it a lot. In fact, I think food stamps should be used to buy vegetables, fruits, meats, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds and canned goods - healthy foods. I also realize the stepping-on-eggshells nature of this kind of idea.

Look, this thing should be signed, sealed and delivered starting today, but in the "humor us all" department, let's take a look at some of the sticky issues that may arise with this sort of stipulation.

Ethically, is it fair to discriminate against those with food stamps? Who are we to tell them what they can and cannot buy?

Conversely, we all have a collective responsibility to ensure that our already-off-the-rails health care spending doesn't go even further into the abyss.

I don't see this as too "big brother" at all. The run-of-the-mill straw man argument here will be "how dare they tell people what they can and cannot eat or drink", but let's remember that regulating what people can spend their government assistance on is not the same as telling people what they can and cannot eat/drink.

As with many other similarly conceived ideas, the problems are deeply rooted, and the solution is multifaceted. While this is a great idea, there are bigger fish to fry - specifically corn subsidies that keep prices artificially low.

In the end I don't see this passing due to the industry-cozy relationship between big food and government food regulators. I'm sure they have the soda lobbyists working overtime to ensure that this idea never sees the light of day. Moreover, in 2004, the Agriculture Department denied a request by Minnesota to prevent food-stamp recipients from buying junk food.

What are your thoughts on this?

Image credit: poolie

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Trying to Find a Dietitian/Nutritionist [Forum]

Today I tried to find a dietitian or nutritionist near me. Silly me, I thought it would be like finding a local dentist. I wouldn't call it a complete failure. But you'd think that in a major metro area there would be plenty of them. Well I found some, but not very close and it wasn't easy.

First off I tried the phone book. If you look up nutritionist or dietitian in the phone book you will see big full color ads for Nutrisystem and other popular diet programs followed by a few other listings in tiny print. How nice.

So I tried typing the word nutrionist into the online yellow pages. What I got ranged from listing for GNC's and other vitamin stores, to listing for centers that supply food to low income mothers, to listings for actual nutritionists . But several of the phone numbers I called didn't work, and those that did were for nutritionist that worked for certain health insurance plans that I wasn't on.

So I called my health insurance provider and asked them can they find me dietition or nutritionist that is on my plan. The operator asked me "Is this for diabities?". I said "No this is for weight loss". She said "Ok, dietitians for weightloss isn't covered".

Now this is interesting because the overweight are blamed for raising everyones premiums and whatever else.... but weight loss isn't covered at least by my company.

But the operator did let me know they have coupons and discounts to Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, gyms, and other services. So I guess that saves face a little.

I did find one place I really liked , but it's a little far just to go to a doctors office. I'd hate to think what would happen if I lived in rural area.

Now I see why Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, and Weight Watchers are so popular.

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What Are Your Family Food Staples?

Ever wonder what the staple foods are in another person's diet?

Here in the UK we have Gillian McKeith's TV show, "You Are What You Eat", and while I certainly don't agree with many of Gillian's concepts, I love how she delves into the eating habits of those families, laying it out for the whole nation to see.

It certainly makes interesting viewing, if nothing else.

In less dramatic fashion, Walletpop recently asked dietitians and nutritionists what food stocked their pantries and refrigerators.

Here are some of their choices:

OatmealFruits and vegetablesBeansAvocadoWild salmonNutsEggsCottage cheeseGrass-fed beefHummus

Nothing very strange or startling there perhaps, but interesting nonetheless.

Some of my weekly food staples include oatmeal, natural yogurt, lentils, spinach and coffee (oh, and a little chocolate!).

What about you -- what foods are the major staples in your diet on a daily/weekly basis?

Image credit: delazon

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Some Obese People Don't See Themselves as Fat

Many obese people don't see themselves as fat and in fact, they think they're healthy - or so says a new study.

Talk about being a "glass is half full" type of person. I wish I was like that!

The problem is this positive attitude doesn't dispel the fact that obese people are at a heightened risk of death, i.e. heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, etc.

Published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, scientists gauged body awareness of 2,056 men and women already participating in a study, surveying the individuals on their body perception.

Researchers asked participants to look at pictures and choose their ideal body size. People who picked figures that were the same or larger than their actual body size were classified as "misperceiving" their body size, but these people were also more likely to be happier.

However, worry warts who acknowledge they're fat and out of shape tend to be less happy. I'm willing to guess that only exacerbates the problem. For you Shaun of the Dead fans, that means "to make things worse."

Important factors were considered. Scientists found people with higher incomes and better education were no more likely to perceive their body weight accurately, than less educated people, or those with lower incomes.

And here's the problem with that. Those who misperceived their size, saw their health risks as the same as people who more accurately identified their body size; which is a problem. Obese people are at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, type-2 diabetes, hypertension, and the list goes on and on.

All this reminds me of the scene in Four Weddings and a Funeral - no I don't like girly movies, I saw it in a film class in college - where the overweight, smoking, drinking, jovial guy drops dead from a heart attack after boozing, eating, and dancing at the wedding reception.

I think this is a personality thing. If you're happy go lucky and have a fun social network, you spend less time being introspective and worrying about all the nitty-gritty. I'm a miserable, cynical, depressed mess, so I spend a ton of time worrying about my health, but one of my happier and - as coincidence may have it - overweight friends enjoys life more and doesn't sweat the small stuff. Well, the not so small stuff.

Image credit: The Sneeze

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Depression Eating, It Gets Insane

I'm sick in the head. No seriously, I am. I'm medicated and everything. Bipolar, clinically depressed, angry all the time, and riddled with anxiety and self-hate.

It's a serious condition, but being crazy does have its perks. Jehovah's Witnesses know not to knock on my door.

But sometimes depression can really suck, especially if you're trying to live a healthy life. It can be hard to eat right and exercise when you're a miserable wretch.

Mental illness is much different than physical illness. Sometimes your medication works, sometimes it doesn't. It's not like taking insulin for diabetes or blood pressure pills. You can still have bad days.

As for me, I have three or four crappy days a month. They're the kind of days when I wake up and say to myself, "Ugh, I know I've said it before, but today is the day I kill myself. Yup, today's the day." So far I haven't.

But my bad days still suck. Normally I lead a healthy life. I eat right, exercise regularly, and I see a shrink. But, when I'm having a crappy day, all that goes out the window, especially my diet.

Food is my drug, always has been. When I'm depressed, I eat. I don't turn to drugs or booze, like many mentally ill people. I equate that stuff with fun, so there's no urge for me to get drunk when I'm depressed. I just eat.

Now, I've blogged about this before, I'm a near-vegetarian; no meat, eggs, milk, or cheese. I only eat fruits, vegetables, and fish. So I don't get like a woman with PMS and lock myself in my bedroom with a gallon of Haagen-Dazs, a jar of pickles, and the latest issue of Cosmo.

Because of my diet, I'm not jonesing for things like Big Macs, Cinnabon, macaroni and cheese, or milkshakes. No, my comfort foods are pretty lame. For example, I love non-dairy ice cream. I'll cut your throat for a pint of Good Karma Banana Fudge.

I eat a lot of cheap supermarket sushi too. You know the stuff. Those funky California rolls made with unripe avocado, fake crab meat that tastes extra fake, and crusty dried out rice.

Chinese takeout is good too. On a crappy day I'll get a double order of fried tofu, drowned in a gallon of sesame sauce.

But, my biggest diet faux pas is Peanut M&Ms. I'll destroy a whole bag! And not the itty-bitty packs by the register, the big XL bags in the candy isle. Of course this ends in disaster because I can't handle the milk in the milk chocolate, so those damn M&Ms wage war on my bowels. It looks something like this.

I usually snap out of a funk in a few days and everything goes back to normal. My psychologist tells me it's normal for someone with my issues to have highs and lows, just as long as the highs outnumbered the lows. But honestly, it's a tough pill to swallow when you're trying to live a consistently healthy life.

So, whether you're mentally ill or not, when you're having a lousy day, what kind of foods are you looking to score in shadowy back alleys?

Image credit: Happy Tree Friends and Sushi Pack

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Cheaper Than Candy: UK Kids Get Alcohol for Pennies

Alcohol is available in the UK for just pennies, meaning that kids can get drunk on 50 cents - the cost of half a candy bar.

It's a shocking statistic, and one which has made headline news.

Some stores in the UK are selling alcohol for just 10 pence per unit (around 15 cents). The UK government recommends a daily limit of 2-3 units of alcohol for women, and 3-4 for men. There is no safe limit for under-18s.

The researchers who discovered this were from the Core Cities Health Improvement Collaborative, and spokesperson Deborah Evans has said this:

Young men and women can buy their maximum recommended weekly allowance of alcohol for the price of a small latte coffee or cheap magazine. Meanwhile, the true cost of alcohol is picked up by taxpayers in the form of soaring hospital admissions, crime and anti-social behaviour.

Underage drinking is an increasing problem, threatening kids' health. The UK government is planning to bring in minimum costs per unit of alcohol, to prevent children (and vulnerable adults) getting so much alcohol so cheaply.

Alcohol can kill: either from one binge that ends in tragedy, or long-term drinking which builds up health problems. Don't let candy-bar prices make you think that it's OK to drink excessively - you'll be paying the price in so many other ways.

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Top 10 Weight Loss Myths [Forum]

Myth 1 - Starving makes you lose weight fast

Myth 2 - Low carbohydrate diets make you lose weight quickly.

Myth 3 - Eating sugar free or fat free foods will promote weight loss.

Myth 4 - Wearing rubber or plastic based belly wraps will help burn fat.

Myth 5- Salads are healthy so I can eat all the salad I want.

Myth 6 - Working out allows you to eat whatever you want.

Myth 7 - Juice diets help you to burn fat.

Myth 8 - Magic weight loss pills allow you to lose weight while not dieting or exercising.

Myth 9 - Exercising for hours a day is good for losing weight.

Myth 10 - Sit ups are the best way to lose belly fat.

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How Can I Convince My Friend Not to Diet? [Forum]

I visited a friend today for a beer. Unfortunately he just started a very strict diet. I tried to explain to him the bad things about it (e.g Metabolism).

He agrees with me, but still will continue what he does. Any ideas to convince him otherwise?

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What the Right Foods Can Do For You

This may seem rudimentary to the point of ridiculousness, but good food does good things to the body.... I know, I know, and water is wet.

This study caught my attention for the fact that it's a unique "tweener" as far as studies go - not looking at specific nutrients of foods and yet not a tremendously large and convoluted mess, like the Nurses Health Study.

Instead, this study - headed by Inger Björck, professor of food-related nutrition at Lund University - looked at the health effects of a diet with multiple foods that are thought to reduce inflammation. Here are the study's details;

Forty-four healthy, overweight people between the ages of 50 and 75 took part in the diet study.For four weeks they ate foods which are presumed to reduce low-grade inflammation in the body, a condition which in turn triggers metabolic syndrome and thus obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The test diet was high in antioxidants, low-GI foods (i.e. slow release carbohydrates), omega fatty acids, wholegrain products, probiotics and viscous dietary fibre.Examples of foods eaten were oily fish, barley, soy protein, blueberries, almonds, cinnamon, vinegar and a certain type of wholegrain bread.LDL cholesterol was reduced by 33 percent.Blood lipids reduced by 14 percent.Blood pressure reduced by 8 percent.A risk marker for blood clots by 26 percent. A marker of inflammation in the body was also greatly reduced, while memory and cognitive function were improved. The study results make sense as these are healthy, largely unprocessed foods that have been shown to possess health benefits individually.It would be hasty to conclude, however that this group of foods is the optimal way to eat as any dietary change is usually a vast improvement to the average persons dietary habits.I would be willing to bet that other dietary patterns may be equally (or at least competitively) as effective as the pattern they chose - so long as calorie consumption was kept in check. A control group of some sort would be warranted to give this study a bit more credibility. One of the highlights of studying clusters of different foods is that it helps take the emphasis away from single food "cures" that runs rampant in "superfood" products.I'm curious to see what kind of weight loss the participants experienced.

Image credit: jhritz

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Why You Should Keep Your Goals Secret

Think of the day when you decided on a life change. You can't wait to share it with all your family and friends. Maybe you announce it at a party, or share it on-line for all to see:

"I'm going to lose 20 pounds by Christmas, and be fit enough to go running every day!"

Everyone congratulates you on a job well done.

But wait a minute -- you haven't done anything yet?

In a recent TED talk, Derek Sivers talks about keeping goals secret. According to research, telling someone your goals makes them less likely to happen.

There is some research to back this up. Peter Gollwitzer of New York University specializes in goal-setting. In his article (PDF) about announcing intentions he discovers (in Study 3) that people who have announced their goals give up on them quicker than people who haven't.

This flies in the face of some thinking. Many people share their goals and believe the disclosure helps to keep them accountable.

Do you keep you goals to yourself? Or do you announce them to the world?

Photo credit Dana Lookado

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Poll: Is a 2 Year Old Too Young to Diet?

It was recently reported in Parentdish.co.uk that a mother started her daughter on a Calorie restricted diet at the ripe old age of two.

She explained that she didn't want her daughter to grow up and look like her, weighing 238 pounds. This story is sure to create some controversy as it beckons the questions of how young is too young to diet and how much Calorie restriction should be considered child abuse.

Aly Gilardoni started her now 8 year old daughter on a Calorie restricted diet when she was just a toddler. She continues to only allow her daughter to have 700 Calories a day which is well below what is recommended for a growing 8 year old.

The daughter says she doesn't want to be a fat child and grow up to look like her mother. The mother still eats whatever she wants snacking on junk food after the daughter goes to bed. Gilardoni was even quoted saying,

"I feel some guilt about having treats, but Corleigh's not bothered. I'm glad I've trained her. I want her to grow up happy and do things I never did. When I look in the mirror I still see a huge, monstrous woman. Corleigh's not so under­weight she's going to die next week. With an eating disorder you can get through it with therapy. But when you're fat, you're fat for life."

Even though the daughter appears to be healthy but slightly underweight, this story raises a lot of red flags.

What do you think? Participate in the poll and comments below.

Is it child abuse to put a normal 2 year old on a very low Calorie restricted diet?

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