As one year ends and another begins, it is time to consider weight loss and fitness goals for 2012. While it is important to set goals toward a healthier lifestyle, and to challenge yourself a bit, it is also important to be realistic. Here are some links to help you choose your goals.
When trying to set your weight loss goals for 2012, you might want to start with things you should not resolve to do. Here’s a list to consider.
Here’s a look at the top fitness trends for 2012. Developed from a world-wide survey conducted by the American College of Sports Medicine, see which of these trends would help you in your fitness efforts next year.
Effective weight loss, and weight maintenance, requires knowing how many calories you are taking in. Here’s a link to a calorie counter to help you keep track. And don’t try to remember it in your head – get a pen and paper and write it down.
Need help with your weight loss efforts? Maybe the BioMetrics system would work for you. Want assistance with you fitness goals? One of our personal trainers would be happy to help you set a workable plan. Give us a call at 901-684-1607 and we’ll get you started.
Your brain may be the key to controlling your eating behavior, according to a new book The Amen Solution:The Brain Healthy Way to Lose Weight and Keep it Off by Daniel Amen, MD. He is a well-known neuropsychiatrist who has studied the brain images of thousands of patients in 90 countries over 20 years before writing his book. His research shows that there is an adverse relationship between body fat and brain function – that is, as body fat increases, brain function appears to decrease.
He has also identified 5 (so far) brain patterns for overeaters, each requiring a different approach for successful weight control. These patterns have much in common with those of people who are addicted to drugs, sex, gambling, etc. To further complicate things, one person could have more than 1 brain pattern.
Dr. Amen has found the following 5 types of overeaters, which are characterized by the corresponding brain issues, and are helped by the listed supplements and medications. Longtime Healthy Habituator readers will remember that I am not generally a fan of supplements. I am not endorsing their use in this article, merely reporting on this man’s work.
1. Compulsive Overeaters are very focused on food and report that they can hear food calling to them. They worry a lot and often have trouble sleeping, so are nighttime eaters. They have trouble letting go of hurts. They have low levels of serotonin and are anxious, so diet pills and caffeine are counterproductive. Increasing serotonin through exercise and supplements such as 5-HTP, inositol, L-tryptophan, saffron, or St. John’s Wort, and medications like Prozac, Zoloft, and Lexapro seem to be best for Compulsive Overeaters.
2. Impulsive Overeaters have poor impulse control, are easily distracted or bored, and eat without thinking. Their brain scans show low activity in the prefrontal cortex, which acts as the braking system. This pattern is common among people with ADD, who also show low dopamine levels. Without treatment, it is very hard for these people to follow an eating plan. Impulsive Overeaters do best with higher protein, lower carb diets, exercise, supplements like green tea, L-tryosine, and rhodiola, and medications like phentermine, Adderall or Ritalin. Brain calming substances make this condition worse by lowering worries and impulse control.
3. Impulsive-Compulsive Overeaters are a combination of the previous two patterns. They tend to overthink and get stuck in negative thoughts. They do best with exercise and a combination of supplements like 5-HTP, green tea, and rhodiola.
4. Sad or Emotional Overeaters use food to medicate their feelings of sadness and depression, or to calm their emotions. They are prone to low energy, winter blues, low self esteem, sleeping a lot, and gaining winter weight. Sad or Emotional Overeaters benefit from exercise, optimizing levels of vitamin D and DHEA, taking supplements fish oil and SAMe and the medication Wellbutrin.
5. Anxious Overeaters are tense, nervous, pessimistic, and eat to calm themselves. They often have stomach and head aches. What works for them is meditation and hypnosis to calm the mind, supplementation with vitamin B6, magnesium,and GABA, and the medication Topamax.
Here are the 9 strategies (in brief) Dr. Amen suggests for helping your brain control cravings and overcome overeating:
1. Keep blood sugar balanced by:
eating a nutritious breakfast
eat small meals throughout the day
stay away from simple sugars and refined carbs
eat some cinnamon
2. Avoid or decrease artificial sweeteners
3. Manage stress
4. Plan to overcome eating triggers, like movie popcorn or parties
5. Identify unknown food allergies and avoid those you have
6. Practice willpower (not just in eating; saying no to bad things gets easier the more you do it
7. Exercise
8. Get enough sleep - less sleep = more cravings
9. Take supplements
N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), alpha-lipoic acid, chromium, DL-phenylala-nine, L-glutamine can take the edge off cravings
Here are the 10 ANTs – automatic negative thoughts – that can adversely affect brain function, with examples:
1. All or Nothing – “I just blew my diet for good with an ice cream”
2. Overgeneralizing – “I’m fat and always will be”
3. Focus on the Negative – “I didn’t reach my goal so I suck”
4. Thinking with your feelings – “I feel like a fattie so I must be one”
5. Guilt Beating – “I should have ordered the salad not the steak”
6. Labeling – “I’m a slob”
7. Fortune Telling – “I’ll never be able to keep this up”
8. Mind Reading – “She doesn’t like me because I’m fat”
9. Blame – “You made me skip my workout”
10. Denial – “I only overeat when …”
If you have these negative thoughts, you can combat them by asking yourself – and answering – these questions (ANTeaters):
Is that really true?
Can I absolutely know it is true?
Who would I be without that thought? Or how would I feel without that thought?
After answering, reverse the thought and determine which is more true, the original or the reverse? Then see how to apply the reverse thought to yourself most effectively.
Example: “I’m fat and I always will be” Reverse: “I’m fat now but I don’t have to stay that way” Application: “I am going to get help to lose weight”
OK, so that is a quick and dirty version of the book. Please get a copy and read it if you want to know more. Again, I am not recommending all of the actions in this article, especially as regards the use of supplements or medications, since that is outside the scope of my practice. My intent is just to stimulate your thinking and perhaps some further research on your part.
The holidays are here, and the temptation to overeat is everywhere. One way to prevent overeating at meals and parties is to have healthy snacks during the day to prevent getting too hungry. Heading out to a holiday party? Drink plenty of water and/or eat a snack to help avoid the high calorie party food.
Snacks don’t have to pack on the calories and ruin your weight loss plan. A healthy snack should:
be about 200 calories
provide at least 3 grams of fiber
no more than 12 grams of fat
Here’s some options to try:
2 clementines and 7 walnut halves
1/2 cup grapes and 1 stick of light mozzarella string cheese
Thanksgiving is next week, and now is the time to begin pulling out your family’s favorite recipes. They all sound good, taste great, …and likely add more fat, carbs and calories than we need in a week. If you are trying to lose weight, do you have to give up good tasting Thanksgiving dishes?
Not necessarily. One option to consider is vegetarian recipes for part – or all – of your Thanksgiving meal. Of course, vegetarian food doesn’t guarantee weight loss. As with any food, you have to watch overall calories and portion sizes. However, because a vegetarian diet typically includes less saturated fat and emphasizes more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and plant-based proteins, what you do eat may be more filling and have less calories. And be sure to include a walk during the day to help offset the calories.
So what should you fix? Here are links to some vegetarian recipes that you might like.
Enough of the same high fat and calorie green bean casserole. Try these Vibrant Tasty Green Beans instead.
Looking for a vegan main course that tastes great? Give Seitan Roulade a try. Much better than Tofurkey, and even meat eaters are sure to enjoy it.
This Vegetarian Stuffing recipe includes cranberries for color and holiday flavor.
And for dessert? How about a Tofu Pumpkin Pie! Yes, it tastes good!
That should get you started. For more recipes, try searching the internet and see the long list that comes up. And let us know if any end up on your Thanksgiving table!
Want to improve your overall fitness and appearance? Try strength training. It’s not all about bodybuilding, and we can help you work it into your fitness plan.
Eat more and weigh less. Will this really help you lose weight? It does if you eat foods that fill you up without adding a large amount of calories.
Walking is the most common form of exercise, but also the most-often forgotten. It is not sexy, not in, not cool. But it is effective. Here is some more evidence for walking (or other types of aerobic exercise):
A recent study shows that aerobic exercise like walking is better than strength training for getting rid of the fat that lies deep within the body. Both types of exercise were effective at losing fat from just beneath the skin. But aerobic exercise, alone or combined with strength training, helped people shed deep fat from around their organs and waists, as well as beneath the skin. Plus, the aerobic exercisers were less insulin resistant.
In another study, older adults on 4 different walking protocols were studied. It was found that those who walked at least 9 miles a week had increased gray-matter volume in their brains. This increased gray-matter was associated with a two-fold risk reduction for cognitive impairment.
And a third study looked at aerobic exercise only, strength training only, or a combination of both, in relation to heart health. The aerobic only group lost 3 pounds, a half inch from their waist, and improved their diastolic blood pressure. The strength only group gained 1.5 pounds and got stronger. The combination group did best, losing 4 pounds, 1 inch and improving their diastolic blood pressure.
In the fitness world, we hear a lot about functional training, plyometrics, short burst intense cardio, etc., but these studies show that good old walking is still a great thing to do.
The seasons are changing. Not only is there a chill in the air, but different fruits and vegetables are appearing in area markets. Packed with nutrients, they can be a healthy way to assist with any weight loss plan. Fruits are naturally sweet and can be a good lower calorie option for dessert.
Here’s a list of seasonal produce that can be found in the Memphis area along with some of their health benefits and ideas on how to prepare them. Looking for recipes? Like our Facebook page where we’ll be posting them over the next couple of weeks.
Apples – A good source of antioxidants and fiber; be sure to eat the skin for flavonoids. Also makes a great portable snack. Can be eaten raw or baked.
Pumpkins – Festive and good for you! Good source of Potassium, fiber and B vitamins. Its sweet taste make it ideal for desserts, but it also works well in savory recipes.
Brussels Sprouts – Contain Vitamin K, folate and iron. Taste best combined with tangy or savory sauces.
Pears - A good source of Vitamin C, copper and fiber. Cooking brings out their sweetness, so try them baked or poached.
Kale – Fiber, Vitamin A and Calcium are just some of the health benefits of this leafy green. Can be eaten raw, lightly sauteed or steamed.
Winter Squash – Provides Omega 3 fatty acids and Vitamin A. Some varieties, such as butternut, are higher in sugar than others, so know what you are buying. Tastes best with other fall flavorings like cinnamon and ginger.
Sweet Potatoes – Provide Vitamin A, iron, and anti-inflammatory benefits. However, they are high in sugar, so consider them more of a starch, not vegetable. Roasting will maintain more vitamins than boiling.
In an earlier post, I looked at whether or not energy bars could help with weight loss. This time, let’s take a look at energy drinks, and whether or not they can help in your weight loss plan.
First, let’s define what an energy drink is. It is a beverage that contains some form of a legal stimulant and/or vitamins for a short term energy boost. They usually have a high caffeine content, which can increase energy and alertness.
Caffeine can also be used to suppress your appetite, and is often found in diet pills and supplements. It also acts as a diuretic,which will decrease the fluid in your body, temporarily reducing your weight. However, neither of these effects lasts for long – you appetite will return and fluid will be replaced when you eat and drink again.
Also note that the sugar content of these drinks can be very high. While they may provide a short-term energy boost, they are also high in calories. If the drink is replacing a meal or snack, make sure you don’t overdo the calories later when you are hungry.
Additionally, energy drinks can present a number of other health risks. The high caffeine content can lead to cardiovascular concerns, especially for those sensitive to stimulants, an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, insomnia, heart palpitations, and dehydration. Be aware of your body and how it reacts to energy drinks.
As with many things, an occasional energy drink won’t ruin your weight loss plans. Remember to eat well-balanced meals the rest of the day, drink plenty of fluid, and count your total calories. Those are the healthy eating habits that will make a real difference on the scales.
We’ve search the internet to bring you the latest and greatest health and fitness news! Here’s a few interesting articles we found this time. Take a look and see if you learn anything new.
Willpower can help with losing – and keeping off – weight. Here’s how to strengthen yours.
Please leave a comment and let us know if these were helpful, or what you’d prefer to read. And share links to any interesting articles that you have found.
Healthy Habits offers 1 to 1 personal training, partner and group fitness programs, BioMetrics nutrition and exercise plans, golf fitness and weight loss programs, post-rehab clinical exercise, and beginner and intermediate yoga classes in Memphis, TN.
