by Jim Romanoff
The Associated Press
Shedding a few pounds often boils down to doing battle with hunger. If you want to win, whole grains make great allies.
Besides having more complex flavors than their processed counterparts, whole grains also are rich in healthy nutrients and dietary fiber. And high-fiber foods provide greater volume and take longer for your body to digest.
Which is to say, you feel full longer.
Good choices include whole-wheat pasta, whole-grain breads, oatmeal and whole-grain cereals.
Other whole grains such as barley, wheat berries and bulgur work well in side dishes, pilafs and salads. Look for them in natural-food markets or in the natural-food section of larger supermarkets.
Another whole grain that has been gaining in popularity is quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah), a mild-flavored South American grain.
Quinoa is lower in carbohydrates than most grains and is an excellent source of protein. It also is a good choice for anyone on a gluten-free diet. Look for it alongside the rice and other grains.
Nutty, chewy quinoa is a satisfying alternative for pasta in this delicious and filling asparagus quinoa salad from College Vegetarian Cooking: Feed Yourself and Your Friends.
If the quinoa you buy isn't labeled as prewashed, be sure to rinse the grains before cooking to wash away the bitter resin that defends the plant against insects.
http://durangoherald.com/sections/Features/Food/2010/01/27/Wholegrain_salad_aids_weight_loss/
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Slimmers warned over fake weight-loss drugs
David Rose, Health Correspondent
Slimmers were warned of the dangers of buying medicines from unregulated websites last night, after fake versions of a leading weight-loss drug were discovered in the US.
Counterfeit versions of Alli have been found to contain dangerous high levels of another prescription drug, and could be available to Britons buying from online auction sites, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said.
Alli is available without prescription in Britain with the genuine product, made by GlaxoSmithKline, containing the active ingredient orlistat.
But laboratory testing of the suspected counterfeit product, 60mg Alli capsules (120 capsule refill kit), revealed it contained sibutramine instead of orlistat.
The US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) warned on Saturday that counterfeit versions of Alli being sold online could contain twice the recommended dose of simutramine, which was suspended across Europe last week after a study suggested it could trigger heart attacks and strokes.
Mick Deats, Head of Enforcement at the MHRA said purchasing medicines from unregulated internet pharmacies was a risk not worth taking.
“The trend of self-diagnosing and self-prescribing is potentially dangerous, but unless the website has a physical address clearly displayed, and the green cross logo of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) then the likelihood of obtaining a counterfeit product is greatly increased,” he said.
“Buying weight loss medication from unregulated websites is a dangerous way to slim down. You don’t know what you’re taking and your condition is not being monitored by a healthcare professional. It’s just not worth taking that type of risk.”
GlaxoSmithKline said it was working with the FDA to have the counterfeits removed from online auction sites.
The FDA urged all consumers taking Alli to check they had bought legitimate versions and discard any fake products immediately.
The fake versions have some differences on the packaging, including a missing lot code on the outer cardboard packaging.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/medicine/article7002299.ece
Slimmers were warned of the dangers of buying medicines from unregulated websites last night, after fake versions of a leading weight-loss drug were discovered in the US.
Counterfeit versions of Alli have been found to contain dangerous high levels of another prescription drug, and could be available to Britons buying from online auction sites, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said.
Alli is available without prescription in Britain with the genuine product, made by GlaxoSmithKline, containing the active ingredient orlistat.
But laboratory testing of the suspected counterfeit product, 60mg Alli capsules (120 capsule refill kit), revealed it contained sibutramine instead of orlistat.
The US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) warned on Saturday that counterfeit versions of Alli being sold online could contain twice the recommended dose of simutramine, which was suspended across Europe last week after a study suggested it could trigger heart attacks and strokes.
Mick Deats, Head of Enforcement at the MHRA said purchasing medicines from unregulated internet pharmacies was a risk not worth taking.
“The trend of self-diagnosing and self-prescribing is potentially dangerous, but unless the website has a physical address clearly displayed, and the green cross logo of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) then the likelihood of obtaining a counterfeit product is greatly increased,” he said.
“Buying weight loss medication from unregulated websites is a dangerous way to slim down. You don’t know what you’re taking and your condition is not being monitored by a healthcare professional. It’s just not worth taking that type of risk.”
GlaxoSmithKline said it was working with the FDA to have the counterfeits removed from online auction sites.
The FDA urged all consumers taking Alli to check they had bought legitimate versions and discard any fake products immediately.
The fake versions have some differences on the packaging, including a missing lot code on the outer cardboard packaging.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/medicine/article7002299.ece
Monday, January 25, 2010
Metabolism and weight loss challenges | NevadaAppeal.com
By Jodi Pettersen
How often do you hear someone complain that they can't lose weight and blame it on their “slow metabolism”? Well, sometimes that is the truth and other times it is not.
In simple terms, our metabolism is how fast our body burns off energy or calories. Many of us attempt to follow very low-calorie diets, and we end up slowing down our body's burning capacity. This causes your body to hold on to the fat, and weight loss attempts fail.
Twenty percent to 40 percent of overweight people actually have a fast metabolism. They are not losing weight because they consume more calories than they burn.
So how do we know what our metabolism is doing? Registered dietitians have always used equations to come up with a calorie level that may work. But now there are ways to get an actual figure of what your body is truly doing, through indirect calorimetry, considered the gold standard.
The patient breathes through a mouthpiece with their nose plugged for about 10 minutes, which shows the “resting metabolic rate,” or how many calories you are burning at rest. The test will also show where your metabolism falls in comparison to a typical person with the same sex, height, weight, and age.
The test, performed by a registered dietitian or other medical professional, indicates how many calories that person needs for weight loss and weight maintenance. The dietitian can then create a personalized meal plan for the individual based on the test results.
Some people will actually have a slow metabolism, and at that point, they would be referred to a physician to check for possible thyroid issues. Many insurance companies are now covering for metabolic testing and nutritional counseling with a registered dietitian.
We all know that the key to weight loss is to make permanent lifestyle changes. Fad diets are only sneaky ways to cut calories and usually fail because one tends to regain the weight lost plus some. Now that the new year has come, why not find out what your caloric needs are, and then make some healthy changes in eating habits that work within your own personal weight loss zone.
• Jody Pettersen is a registered dietitian with Silver State Nutrition. Contact her at 775-720-3490 or e-mail silverstate
nutrition@gmail.com.
How often do you hear someone complain that they can't lose weight and blame it on their “slow metabolism”? Well, sometimes that is the truth and other times it is not.
In simple terms, our metabolism is how fast our body burns off energy or calories. Many of us attempt to follow very low-calorie diets, and we end up slowing down our body's burning capacity. This causes your body to hold on to the fat, and weight loss attempts fail.
Twenty percent to 40 percent of overweight people actually have a fast metabolism. They are not losing weight because they consume more calories than they burn.
So how do we know what our metabolism is doing? Registered dietitians have always used equations to come up with a calorie level that may work. But now there are ways to get an actual figure of what your body is truly doing, through indirect calorimetry, considered the gold standard.
The patient breathes through a mouthpiece with their nose plugged for about 10 minutes, which shows the “resting metabolic rate,” or how many calories you are burning at rest. The test will also show where your metabolism falls in comparison to a typical person with the same sex, height, weight, and age.
The test, performed by a registered dietitian or other medical professional, indicates how many calories that person needs for weight loss and weight maintenance. The dietitian can then create a personalized meal plan for the individual based on the test results.
Some people will actually have a slow metabolism, and at that point, they would be referred to a physician to check for possible thyroid issues. Many insurance companies are now covering for metabolic testing and nutritional counseling with a registered dietitian.
We all know that the key to weight loss is to make permanent lifestyle changes. Fad diets are only sneaky ways to cut calories and usually fail because one tends to regain the weight lost plus some. Now that the new year has come, why not find out what your caloric needs are, and then make some healthy changes in eating habits that work within your own personal weight loss zone.
• Jody Pettersen is a registered dietitian with Silver State Nutrition. Contact her at 775-720-3490 or e-mail silverstate
nutrition@gmail.com.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Emotional Triggers For Overweight Teens
Emotional Triggers For Overweight Teens
Fitness camp weight loss for teens is challenging as counselors must deal not only with eating issues but also with the rolling emotional highs and lows common to the teenage years.
For obese teens, additional counseling is often recommended by doctors who are trying to establish the reason for a teen’s weight problem. Clearly, overeating is the core problem but for teens the reason for weight gain may be more complex.
Obesity can have many causes:
* family problems
* peer problems
* low self esteem
* depression
* lack of exercise
* poor food choices
* overeating due to emotional problems
* family history (genetic link)
* steroids and some medications used to treat emotional problems
* medical problems such as thyroid disease
Some teens are just lazy and eat what they like when they want. Truly obese teens usually have contributing factors but whether these cause the obesity or are cause by the obese lifestyle is not clearly established.
Overweight teens are often motivated to lose weight but the desire for instant results and quick weight loss can be self defeating. Teen weight loss camps are effective in helping teens set realistic goals and develop a nutritional and exercise plan that will fit into their lifestyle. These camps also address the emotional aspects of teen weight loss.
With counseling, teens can identify their eating triggers and learn to avoid them. A teen who binges when his parents are fighting with each other can learn an alternative behavior that will release the emotions he feels without resorting to food.
Lack of exercise and poor food choices are problems that can be corrected to provide weight loss for teens. Parents play a huge role by providing healthy eating choices in the home and by demonstrating healthy nutrition with their own eating choices. There are families where teen weight loss plans are sabotaged by a well meaning parent afraid their teen will not eat enough. Dieting is not easy at any time but especially difficult for an obese teen with a parent urging him to eat more or providing favorite high calorie foods. Is this parent truly worried about starvation of their child? Of course not. They have emotional or control issues of their own or an obese parent may feel threatened their teen is doing something they have not been able to do themselves.
Teens who learn to identify the emotional triggers that cause them to overeat are more likely to succeed in their weight loss effort. Using the substitution method, a teen who is anxious or nervous may go for a run or do 20 sit-ups instead of reaching for the donuts when he becomes anxious.
Boredom is one of the common reasons for overeating according to teens. Boredom isn’t an emotion - it’s a lack of enthusiasm often expressed by teens accustomed to others providing entertainment for them. Obese teens use emotional terms to explain overeating. They will say they eat because they are mad, sad, depressed, bored, lonely, etc. Substituting other behaviors for eating when those triggers occur may help teens conquer their weight problems.
Author Bio: Joe Busch specializes in writing articles related to healthy weight loss for kids. He focuses on proper diets, exercise, and weight loss camp. Parents with children that struggle with their weight should consider what used to be called “fat camp” to jump start the process.
To begin losing weight fast we recommend using the new fail-proof diet from The Weight Loss Grail.
This is a brand new type of diet that will never leave you feeling hungry or ask you to give up your favorite foods.
You can begin this fantastic new diet right here: http://www.theweightlossgrail.com
Fitness camp weight loss for teens is challenging as counselors must deal not only with eating issues but also with the rolling emotional highs and lows common to the teenage years.
For obese teens, additional counseling is often recommended by doctors who are trying to establish the reason for a teen’s weight problem. Clearly, overeating is the core problem but for teens the reason for weight gain may be more complex.
Obesity can have many causes:
* family problems
* peer problems
* low self esteem
* depression
* lack of exercise
* poor food choices
* overeating due to emotional problems
* family history (genetic link)
* steroids and some medications used to treat emotional problems
* medical problems such as thyroid disease
Some teens are just lazy and eat what they like when they want. Truly obese teens usually have contributing factors but whether these cause the obesity or are cause by the obese lifestyle is not clearly established.
Overweight teens are often motivated to lose weight but the desire for instant results and quick weight loss can be self defeating. Teen weight loss camps are effective in helping teens set realistic goals and develop a nutritional and exercise plan that will fit into their lifestyle. These camps also address the emotional aspects of teen weight loss.
With counseling, teens can identify their eating triggers and learn to avoid them. A teen who binges when his parents are fighting with each other can learn an alternative behavior that will release the emotions he feels without resorting to food.
Lack of exercise and poor food choices are problems that can be corrected to provide weight loss for teens. Parents play a huge role by providing healthy eating choices in the home and by demonstrating healthy nutrition with their own eating choices. There are families where teen weight loss plans are sabotaged by a well meaning parent afraid their teen will not eat enough. Dieting is not easy at any time but especially difficult for an obese teen with a parent urging him to eat more or providing favorite high calorie foods. Is this parent truly worried about starvation of their child? Of course not. They have emotional or control issues of their own or an obese parent may feel threatened their teen is doing something they have not been able to do themselves.
Teens who learn to identify the emotional triggers that cause them to overeat are more likely to succeed in their weight loss effort. Using the substitution method, a teen who is anxious or nervous may go for a run or do 20 sit-ups instead of reaching for the donuts when he becomes anxious.
Boredom is one of the common reasons for overeating according to teens. Boredom isn’t an emotion - it’s a lack of enthusiasm often expressed by teens accustomed to others providing entertainment for them. Obese teens use emotional terms to explain overeating. They will say they eat because they are mad, sad, depressed, bored, lonely, etc. Substituting other behaviors for eating when those triggers occur may help teens conquer their weight problems.
Author Bio: Joe Busch specializes in writing articles related to healthy weight loss for kids. He focuses on proper diets, exercise, and weight loss camp. Parents with children that struggle with their weight should consider what used to be called “fat camp” to jump start the process.
To begin losing weight fast we recommend using the new fail-proof diet from The Weight Loss Grail.
This is a brand new type of diet that will never leave you feeling hungry or ask you to give up your favorite foods.
You can begin this fantastic new diet right here: http://www.theweightlossgrail.com
Saturday, January 16, 2010
The Ironton Tribune | OUS hosting weight-loss challenge for students
By Lori Kersey (Contact) | The Tribune
Lose some weight and donate to two good causes.
The students and staff at the southern campus of Ohio University have the opportunity to do just that over the coming weeks. The Wellness Committee at OUS is hosting the Bobcats Battle of the Bulge 2010.
The challenge will be to lose one pound each week. If the goal is not met, the participant will pay $1.
An entry fee of $5 will also be collected. At the end of the 10-week challenge, the person with the biggest weight-loss will get half the money, while the other half will be split between the American Cancer Society Relay for Life and the OUS March for Babies.
Losing weight is easier when there is accountability, said Molly Johnson, a nursing professor and one of the event’s organizers.
“Weight loss is always more fun when you have a support system,” she said.
Johnson said that her nursing students should set an example for the rest of the campus.
“We need to be role models,” she said. “It’s not about weight loss but about healthy eating.”
Obesity is not a problem not only in the country as a whole, but also locally, Johnson said.
“I think it’s a problem everywhere in our country,” she said.
Nursing students particularly could have problems because they constantly are sitting while they study for classes, she said. Professors, too, are constantly sitting for their jobs.
“I think this is going to be a good step to get people moving,” she said.
The challenge kicked off Wednesday with an initial weigh-in. Each week following the participants will weigh-in with Johnson or Nicole Pennington, a fellow nursing professor at OUS.
The weigh-ins will be in a private room.
“Nobody’s weight will be public,” Johnson said.
So far there has been interest from both students and staff.
“I think it’s going to be a good mix of both,” Johnson said.
Faculty member Miki Crawford initially did not like the idea of the weigh loss challenge. “I couldn’t stand the thought of giving that dollar if I didn’t lose for the week,” she said, adding that she was more concerned with admitting that she did not lose weight rather than losing a buck.
But the associate professor of communications, who was planning on dieting anyway, decided that same thought she could not stand would actually motivate her to lose weight.
“I thought, maybe that would motivate me to lose the weight,” she said.
http://www.irontontribune.com/news/2010/jan/13/ous-hosting-weight-loss-challenge-students/
Lose some weight and donate to two good causes.
The students and staff at the southern campus of Ohio University have the opportunity to do just that over the coming weeks. The Wellness Committee at OUS is hosting the Bobcats Battle of the Bulge 2010.
The challenge will be to lose one pound each week. If the goal is not met, the participant will pay $1.
An entry fee of $5 will also be collected. At the end of the 10-week challenge, the person with the biggest weight-loss will get half the money, while the other half will be split between the American Cancer Society Relay for Life and the OUS March for Babies.
Losing weight is easier when there is accountability, said Molly Johnson, a nursing professor and one of the event’s organizers.
“Weight loss is always more fun when you have a support system,” she said.
Johnson said that her nursing students should set an example for the rest of the campus.
“We need to be role models,” she said. “It’s not about weight loss but about healthy eating.”
Obesity is not a problem not only in the country as a whole, but also locally, Johnson said.
“I think it’s a problem everywhere in our country,” she said.
Nursing students particularly could have problems because they constantly are sitting while they study for classes, she said. Professors, too, are constantly sitting for their jobs.
“I think this is going to be a good step to get people moving,” she said.
The challenge kicked off Wednesday with an initial weigh-in. Each week following the participants will weigh-in with Johnson or Nicole Pennington, a fellow nursing professor at OUS.
The weigh-ins will be in a private room.
“Nobody’s weight will be public,” Johnson said.
So far there has been interest from both students and staff.
“I think it’s going to be a good mix of both,” Johnson said.
Faculty member Miki Crawford initially did not like the idea of the weigh loss challenge. “I couldn’t stand the thought of giving that dollar if I didn’t lose for the week,” she said, adding that she was more concerned with admitting that she did not lose weight rather than losing a buck.
But the associate professor of communications, who was planning on dieting anyway, decided that same thought she could not stand would actually motivate her to lose weight.
“I thought, maybe that would motivate me to lose the weight,” she said.
http://www.irontontribune.com/news/2010/jan/13/ous-hosting-weight-loss-challenge-students/
Weight Loss After Pregnancy: How to Lose Post Baby Pounds
How to Lose Post Baby Pounds
By Melinda Friedland
With a little effort, a woman can easily get into great shape after having a baby. Some women even get into the best shape of their life after giving birth.
To have the greatest results for weight loss after pregnancy, it's important to know how many calories should be taken in each day. One pound of weight is equivalent to approximately 3,500 calories. Losing one pound per week would result in a loss of 3,500 calories for that week. An excess number of calories taken in, isn't going to result in a loss of weight so it's necessary to first determine how many calories are needed on a daily basis. There are a number of calorie counters online that feature calculators to help with weight loss goals and daily caloric needs.
Keep a Food Diary
Some calorie counter websites feature a food diary that is kept online, allowing one to enter in each of the foods and drinks consumed for that day. The diary entry can then be printed out if desired and kept in a 3-ring binder or folder to keep for future reference if needed.
Choose Healthy Foods
The healthiest foods include lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains and lots of water. Always avoid processed foods and sugar as much as possible. So many foods are filled with chemicals that they can hardly be called food. The chemicals that go into processed foods are not accepted very well by the body. Sometimes the body doesn't even know what to do with certain things and then it just gets stored.
Exercise Regularly
After a pregnancy, women have to wait anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks before physical activity can be resumed. One activity that can be done during those first few weeks is breastfeeding. Breastfeeding can help a woman burn up to 500 calories or more per day and it also provides numerous benefits for the baby as well. Once the doctor gives the okay to resume in physical activity, it's time to get to work.
A good exercise program will include both cardio workouts and strength training workouts. Strength training builds up muscle mass which allows the body to burn more calories at rest and cardiovascular activity is great for burning off excess calories and strengthening the heart and cardiovascular system. Exercise can also help prevent serious health conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Read more at Suite101: Weight Loss After Pregnancy: How to Lose Post Baby Pounds http://weightloss.suite101.com/article.cfm/weight_loss_after_pregnancy#ixzz0ckllGEwG
By Melinda Friedland
With a little effort, a woman can easily get into great shape after having a baby. Some women even get into the best shape of their life after giving birth.
To have the greatest results for weight loss after pregnancy, it's important to know how many calories should be taken in each day. One pound of weight is equivalent to approximately 3,500 calories. Losing one pound per week would result in a loss of 3,500 calories for that week. An excess number of calories taken in, isn't going to result in a loss of weight so it's necessary to first determine how many calories are needed on a daily basis. There are a number of calorie counters online that feature calculators to help with weight loss goals and daily caloric needs.
Keep a Food Diary
Some calorie counter websites feature a food diary that is kept online, allowing one to enter in each of the foods and drinks consumed for that day. The diary entry can then be printed out if desired and kept in a 3-ring binder or folder to keep for future reference if needed.
Choose Healthy Foods
The healthiest foods include lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains and lots of water. Always avoid processed foods and sugar as much as possible. So many foods are filled with chemicals that they can hardly be called food. The chemicals that go into processed foods are not accepted very well by the body. Sometimes the body doesn't even know what to do with certain things and then it just gets stored.
Exercise Regularly
After a pregnancy, women have to wait anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks before physical activity can be resumed. One activity that can be done during those first few weeks is breastfeeding. Breastfeeding can help a woman burn up to 500 calories or more per day and it also provides numerous benefits for the baby as well. Once the doctor gives the okay to resume in physical activity, it's time to get to work.
A good exercise program will include both cardio workouts and strength training workouts. Strength training builds up muscle mass which allows the body to burn more calories at rest and cardiovascular activity is great for burning off excess calories and strengthening the heart and cardiovascular system. Exercise can also help prevent serious health conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Read more at Suite101: Weight Loss After Pregnancy: How to Lose Post Baby Pounds http://weightloss.suite101.com/article.cfm/weight_loss_after_pregnancy#ixzz0ckllGEwG
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Minimal weight loss reaps big rewards
Minimal weight loss reaps big rewards | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger: "Minimal weight loss reaps big rewards"
When it comes to losing weight, success is defined by each individual patient.
A large contributing factor is that a patient may not understand what a beneficial goal is for his individual situation. The most important fact I try to impress is minimal weight loss can have significant health benefits.
Weight loss as low as 10-15 percent of initial body weight can lead to a decrease in blood pressure, cholesterol and increased diabetic control. This can be seen in an individual going from 256 to 236 pounds.
After determining a goal, the next step is to formulate a plan. One important fact to understand is that how you eat is just as important as what you eat.
I inform patients to choose foods low in fat and calories, limit fried foods and desserts and eat more fruits and vegetables.
Patients inform me they go all day without eating at times, yet still gain weight. I explain that eating in this manner automatically sets them up for failure. The most effective way to lose weight is to have five small meals during a 24-hour period. An example would include a bagel in the morning, a sandwich for lunch and a low-calorie dinner. A small snack, which could be a piece of fruit or a cereal bar, should be consumed between meals. Eating in this manner increases one's metabolic rate, decreases overeating and fat storage and leads to overall weight loss.
I also explain the 500-calorie-a day rule. One pound of body weight is 3,500 calories. If a patient cuts the calorie consumption daily by 500 calories, that individual will theoretically lose 1 pound a week and four pounds a month.
One slice of toast is 60-80 calories. A 12-ounce soft drink averages 145 calories. A cookie can run from 30 to 100 calories. I suggest patients read the packaging labels on foods to know the calories and try to make eliminations. A person can have half of a sandwich, water instead of soft drink, and no cookies or chips.
This type of dietary modification with meals would exceed 500 calories a day easily.
Daily exercise is important as well and doing something is better than doing nothing.
A brisk walk in the mornings is always a good start. Avoid injuries by easing into a new routine.
With these exercise and dietary modifications, we can achieve better health.
Dr. Timothy Quinn is a Jackson-area family practitioner.
When it comes to losing weight, success is defined by each individual patient.
A large contributing factor is that a patient may not understand what a beneficial goal is for his individual situation. The most important fact I try to impress is minimal weight loss can have significant health benefits.
Weight loss as low as 10-15 percent of initial body weight can lead to a decrease in blood pressure, cholesterol and increased diabetic control. This can be seen in an individual going from 256 to 236 pounds.
After determining a goal, the next step is to formulate a plan. One important fact to understand is that how you eat is just as important as what you eat.
I inform patients to choose foods low in fat and calories, limit fried foods and desserts and eat more fruits and vegetables.
Patients inform me they go all day without eating at times, yet still gain weight. I explain that eating in this manner automatically sets them up for failure. The most effective way to lose weight is to have five small meals during a 24-hour period. An example would include a bagel in the morning, a sandwich for lunch and a low-calorie dinner. A small snack, which could be a piece of fruit or a cereal bar, should be consumed between meals. Eating in this manner increases one's metabolic rate, decreases overeating and fat storage and leads to overall weight loss.
I also explain the 500-calorie-a day rule. One pound of body weight is 3,500 calories. If a patient cuts the calorie consumption daily by 500 calories, that individual will theoretically lose 1 pound a week and four pounds a month.
One slice of toast is 60-80 calories. A 12-ounce soft drink averages 145 calories. A cookie can run from 30 to 100 calories. I suggest patients read the packaging labels on foods to know the calories and try to make eliminations. A person can have half of a sandwich, water instead of soft drink, and no cookies or chips.
This type of dietary modification with meals would exceed 500 calories a day easily.
Daily exercise is important as well and doing something is better than doing nothing.
A brisk walk in the mornings is always a good start. Avoid injuries by easing into a new routine.
With these exercise and dietary modifications, we can achieve better health.
Dr. Timothy Quinn is a Jackson-area family practitioner.
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