From The Morning Call: LV HEALTH: 3 weight loss secrets
I'm about a quarter of a muffin top away from fitting into my old clothes-- the very clothes I used to wear before the publication of my book Project: Happily Ever After. Something about the stress of book promotion added about 10 pounds to my frame, nearly all of them in my tummy. By the end of winter, I couldn't button my pants. So I did what any normal woman would do. I bought new pants in a larger size.
Still I didn't quite feel like myself with this extra weight on my frame. And since I run, I try to keep my weight low in order to put less strain on my joints. I've been working at it all summer long and I'm almost back to where I started. Still, I figure I can use all the advice I can get, and I'm guessing you feel the same about the situation. That's why I reached out to Sally Shields, author of the new book Is She Naturally Thin or Disciplined? Sally recently lost 20 pounds. I asked her for her three top weight loss tips. This is what she suggested.
1. Stay away from processed foods.
"I did gymnastics as a kid," says Shields. "When I got to college I became a vegetarian, but didn't have a clue what I was doing. I remember eating white rice and butter and wow, did I gain weight!" After graduation Shields decided to study healthy vegetarianism. "I lost a lot of weight and never felt better!" she says. "But after getting married and having children, I reverted back to eating the two dreaded Ps: pizza and pasta! I pretty much gained all the weight back until I finally cracked the code to shedding and keeping off those unwanted pounds."
2. Find a few basic things that you can stick to as a lifestyle.
For instance, Shields does the following religiously:
• Eats every two and a half hours.
• Avoids anything white and refined such as bread, pasta, sugar, and salt.
• Exercises every other day, alternating between weight-bearing exercises and cardio such as kenpo karate or plyometrics.
• Gets plenty of sleep—at least eight hours a night.
3. Find a way to incorporate strength training.
This helps build muscle mass that speeds the metabolism. "I like variety," says Shields, "so I have a bunch of Beachbody videos such as Tony Horton's P90X. Whenever I feel tired or lazy, I think to myself, "Do ya LIKE your new body? Then get off your butt and JUST PUSH PLAY!" And I do."
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Weight Loss Supplement Developed by Wayne State University Professors to Sell at Meijer Stores
I'm not sure that I will be an "early adopter" of the following weight loss pill, but if it works...
Weight Loss Supplement Developed by Wayne State University Professors to Sell at Meijer Stores
Safe and effective fiber-based Mirafit offers hope for tackling obesity in Midwest
DETROIT, Aug. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After years of research and testing, a dietary supplement developed by a pair of Wayne State University professors will now be made available to the public through Meijer stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. Mirafit is an all-natural, stimulant-free weight loss supplement derived from corn fiber, which does not contain allergens.
Mirafit was created by Joseph Artiss and Catherine Jen. Each Mirafit tablet taken with a meal can safely bind and remove nine grams of dietary fat or 81 fat calories, resulting in a reduction of approximately 3,500 calories per week, or the loss of one to one and a half pounds of body weight per week.
"Obesity and related medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and strokes have become epidemic," said Jen, one of the principals of ArtJen Complexus USA, LLC, the Wayne State spin-off company she founded with Artiss in 2009 to manufacture and distribute Mirafit. "As a novel research breakthrough with no unwanted side effects, Mirafit has the potential to make a critical difference in body weight and blood lipid management."
Meijer to sell Mirafit weight loss supplement
Jen, professor and chair of Wayne State's Department of Nutrition and Food Science, with Artiss, associate professor in the Department of Pathology in the School of Medicine, discovered the fat-binding effect of the fiber while conducting research on Type II diabetes. Laboratory rats consuming a high-fat diet with the Mirafit supplement stopped gaining extra weight and showed no diabetic symptoms.
ArtJen has since emerged as a university success story. After the Mirafit technology was licensed to ArtJen, the company joined Wayne State's research and technology park, TechTown, where Jen and Artiss evolved from scientists into scientists/entrepreneurs.
"We didn't know much about starting a company when Cathy and I founded ArtJen," Artiss admitted. "TechTown was instrumental in educating us about the process and providing the support and resources we needed to get Mirafit into the marketplace."
Artiss noted that TechTown's "entrepreneurial champions" coached them in key areas — applying for and securing funds, identifying strategic partners and executing ArtJen's business plan. TechTown went so far as sponsoring Jen and Artiss to participate in a selective entrepreneurial boot camp offered by a collaborating high-tech incubator, Ann Arbor Spark.
As a retail supplier for Meijer, ArtJen is now poised to extend Mirafit's retail distribution footprint to include thousands of consumers who want convenient access to the product for its health and weight-loss benefits.
About The Creators
Catherine Jen, Ph.D., FTOS is professor and chairwoman of the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at Wayne State University. She is conducting a federally funded study on childhood obesity and is on the steering committee of the Obesity Summit organized by the Department of Community Health for the State of Michigan.
Joseph Artiss, Ph.D., FACB, is associate professor of pathology in Wayne State University's School of Medicine. He is the author/co-author of 65 refereed articles, 15 review articles, eight chapters and 23 patents/patent applications.
Weight Loss Supplement Developed by Wayne State University Professors to Sell at Meijer Stores
Safe and effective fiber-based Mirafit offers hope for tackling obesity in Midwest
DETROIT, Aug. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After years of research and testing, a dietary supplement developed by a pair of Wayne State University professors will now be made available to the public through Meijer stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. Mirafit is an all-natural, stimulant-free weight loss supplement derived from corn fiber, which does not contain allergens.
Mirafit was created by Joseph Artiss and Catherine Jen. Each Mirafit tablet taken with a meal can safely bind and remove nine grams of dietary fat or 81 fat calories, resulting in a reduction of approximately 3,500 calories per week, or the loss of one to one and a half pounds of body weight per week.
"Obesity and related medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and strokes have become epidemic," said Jen, one of the principals of ArtJen Complexus USA, LLC, the Wayne State spin-off company she founded with Artiss in 2009 to manufacture and distribute Mirafit. "As a novel research breakthrough with no unwanted side effects, Mirafit has the potential to make a critical difference in body weight and blood lipid management."
Meijer to sell Mirafit weight loss supplement
Jen, professor and chair of Wayne State's Department of Nutrition and Food Science, with Artiss, associate professor in the Department of Pathology in the School of Medicine, discovered the fat-binding effect of the fiber while conducting research on Type II diabetes. Laboratory rats consuming a high-fat diet with the Mirafit supplement stopped gaining extra weight and showed no diabetic symptoms.
ArtJen has since emerged as a university success story. After the Mirafit technology was licensed to ArtJen, the company joined Wayne State's research and technology park, TechTown, where Jen and Artiss evolved from scientists into scientists/entrepreneurs.
"We didn't know much about starting a company when Cathy and I founded ArtJen," Artiss admitted. "TechTown was instrumental in educating us about the process and providing the support and resources we needed to get Mirafit into the marketplace."
Artiss noted that TechTown's "entrepreneurial champions" coached them in key areas — applying for and securing funds, identifying strategic partners and executing ArtJen's business plan. TechTown went so far as sponsoring Jen and Artiss to participate in a selective entrepreneurial boot camp offered by a collaborating high-tech incubator, Ann Arbor Spark.
As a retail supplier for Meijer, ArtJen is now poised to extend Mirafit's retail distribution footprint to include thousands of consumers who want convenient access to the product for its health and weight-loss benefits.
About The Creators
Catherine Jen, Ph.D., FTOS is professor and chairwoman of the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at Wayne State University. She is conducting a federally funded study on childhood obesity and is on the steering committee of the Obesity Summit organized by the Department of Community Health for the State of Michigan.
Joseph Artiss, Ph.D., FACB, is associate professor of pathology in Wayne State University's School of Medicine. He is the author/co-author of 65 refereed articles, 15 review articles, eight chapters and 23 patents/patent applications.
Monday, August 15, 2011
New feature
In addition to my own advice and tips on how to lose weight and maintain your appropriate weight, I'm going to start sharing news articles about weight loss, at least one a day.
Using Technology in Your Weight Loss Program
For those of you who spend way too much time on your smartphones... you might find this ap of interest.
Using SMS Text Messaging to Monitor and Track Weight Loss
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) August 15, 2011
Capito Life TechnologiesTM, Inc developers and providers of cloud based technologies to support engagement with healthcare consumers has launched textWeightTM 2.0, https://www.textWeight.com. Built upon an innovative platform supporting ongoing bidirectional SMS messaging-textWeight helps consumers to monitor and track their weight and delivers targeted messages supporting achievement of their weight loss goals. Recognizing the incredible penetration of mobile phones and use of text messaging features, along with a growing need for a significant proportion of the population to reach and maintain a healthy weight; Capito Life Technologies has created a simple solution for monitoring and tracking weight.
Many people probably remember the adage you can't change what you don't measure from high school science class. Or maybe, they even use it in their current business practices. But how often has this principle been utilized to help with weight loss? Unfortunately, not nearly enough.
Independent studies (International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2008, 5:54) have repeatedly shown that people who weigh themselves more frequently tend to lose more weight. textWeight has been developed to help people do just that. The solution is improbably simple, yet just as surprisingly effective: daily, scheduled SMS text messages delivered to any mobile phone to remind participants to weigh themselves each morning and text back their weight. Progress can then be viewed any time of the day on a personal web page, showing weight loss on an easy to read chart.
Taking advantage of the number one item on most people's New Year's Resolution list - to lose weight, textWeight www.textWeight.com first went online on New Year's Day, 2011. Even without any paid advertising, over 1000 people signed up in the initial days after launch and at 30 days over 75% of those enrolled stayed with the program, experiencing an average weight loss approaching 5 pounds.
Now, based upon extensive user feedback and testing, textWeight 2.0 has launched. The upgraded version provides users with increased control over when they receive reminders to reply with their weight, tips for weight management challenges and messages of encouragement as they approach their personally defined goals. Additionally, since it's been reported that sharing their plans with friend's helps dieters to attain their goals, users have the option to share achievement badges they earn over Facebook and Twitter.
According to Steve Corwin, Chief Strategy Officer and principal, "feedback from users has been great - they love the simplicity of not needing to log into a website or pull up an app to enter data, and call it motivating and inspiring and critically, they feel it holds them accountable." This is consistent with data reported in the 2011 Consumer Health Information Corporation Survey, which indicated healthcare consumers overwhelmingly preferred text messages as their number one choice for health related task reminders.
SMS text message information programs have been available to healthcare consumers to support healthy lifestyles during pregnancy and to provide childhood vaccine tips. Both of these platforms use only registration information to inform the appropriate timing and the content of the message delivered. According to Kevin Morrill, Chief Technology Officer and principal at Capito Life Technologies, "textWeight is the leader in applying the continuous bidirectional SMS texting platform to support healthy living and wellness, capturing user provided preferences at registration and personal behavior and performance data over time to inform the content and delivery of highly targeted and relevant messages."
Registration for textWeight is free to new users during the trial period at https://www.textWeight.com.
About Us
Capito Life Technologies, Inc is a San Francisco, California based independent, global developer and provider of innovative technologies, enabling clients to remotely capture healthcare consumer reported information and data and deliver communications supporting healthy living and wellness. Utilizing SMS texting, interactive voice response, and web based technologies we support healthy living and wellness programs, patient monitoring and care coordination and clinical trials which rely upon continuous two-way communications between healthcare professionals and consumers.
Using SMS Text Messaging to Monitor and Track Weight Loss
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) August 15, 2011
Capito Life TechnologiesTM, Inc developers and providers of cloud based technologies to support engagement with healthcare consumers has launched textWeightTM 2.0, https://www.textWeight.com. Built upon an innovative platform supporting ongoing bidirectional SMS messaging-textWeight helps consumers to monitor and track their weight and delivers targeted messages supporting achievement of their weight loss goals. Recognizing the incredible penetration of mobile phones and use of text messaging features, along with a growing need for a significant proportion of the population to reach and maintain a healthy weight; Capito Life Technologies has created a simple solution for monitoring and tracking weight.
Many people probably remember the adage you can't change what you don't measure from high school science class. Or maybe, they even use it in their current business practices. But how often has this principle been utilized to help with weight loss? Unfortunately, not nearly enough.
Independent studies (International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2008, 5:54) have repeatedly shown that people who weigh themselves more frequently tend to lose more weight. textWeight has been developed to help people do just that. The solution is improbably simple, yet just as surprisingly effective: daily, scheduled SMS text messages delivered to any mobile phone to remind participants to weigh themselves each morning and text back their weight. Progress can then be viewed any time of the day on a personal web page, showing weight loss on an easy to read chart.
Taking advantage of the number one item on most people's New Year's Resolution list - to lose weight, textWeight www.textWeight.com first went online on New Year's Day, 2011. Even without any paid advertising, over 1000 people signed up in the initial days after launch and at 30 days over 75% of those enrolled stayed with the program, experiencing an average weight loss approaching 5 pounds.
Now, based upon extensive user feedback and testing, textWeight 2.0 has launched. The upgraded version provides users with increased control over when they receive reminders to reply with their weight, tips for weight management challenges and messages of encouragement as they approach their personally defined goals. Additionally, since it's been reported that sharing their plans with friend's helps dieters to attain their goals, users have the option to share achievement badges they earn over Facebook and Twitter.
According to Steve Corwin, Chief Strategy Officer and principal, "feedback from users has been great - they love the simplicity of not needing to log into a website or pull up an app to enter data, and call it motivating and inspiring and critically, they feel it holds them accountable." This is consistent with data reported in the 2011 Consumer Health Information Corporation Survey, which indicated healthcare consumers overwhelmingly preferred text messages as their number one choice for health related task reminders.
SMS text message information programs have been available to healthcare consumers to support healthy lifestyles during pregnancy and to provide childhood vaccine tips. Both of these platforms use only registration information to inform the appropriate timing and the content of the message delivered. According to Kevin Morrill, Chief Technology Officer and principal at Capito Life Technologies, "textWeight is the leader in applying the continuous bidirectional SMS texting platform to support healthy living and wellness, capturing user provided preferences at registration and personal behavior and performance data over time to inform the content and delivery of highly targeted and relevant messages."
Registration for textWeight is free to new users during the trial period at https://www.textWeight.com.
About Us
Capito Life Technologies, Inc is a San Francisco, California based independent, global developer and provider of innovative technologies, enabling clients to remotely capture healthcare consumer reported information and data and deliver communications supporting healthy living and wellness. Utilizing SMS texting, interactive voice response, and web based technologies we support healthy living and wellness programs, patient monitoring and care coordination and clinical trials which rely upon continuous two-way communications between healthcare professionals and consumers.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
4 Million *More* Men Are Overweight Than Women
I was browsing through the Jenny Craig website - I remember seeing the Valerie Bertinelli/Jason Alexander commercials, and they were kind of cute (I'm a fan of Alexander's) so I found his page on the site, and there are a few of his commercials there.
In one of them, Alexander states that there are 4 million *more* overweight men then women. And that's pretty believable. Why is this? Because guys don't obsess about their weight the way women do. They can have beer bellies out to *here*, but they'll still think every woman that walks by - beautiful or not - is giving them the eye.
I admit that when I picture my audience I picture women - and since many more women than men become anorexic I always try to fight against that trend in my posts. The appropriate weight is all about health - not appearance.
And that holds true for men as well as women.
In one of them, Alexander states that there are 4 million *more* overweight men then women. And that's pretty believable. Why is this? Because guys don't obsess about their weight the way women do. They can have beer bellies out to *here*, but they'll still think every woman that walks by - beautiful or not - is giving them the eye.
I admit that when I picture my audience I picture women - and since many more women than men become anorexic I always try to fight against that trend in my posts. The appropriate weight is all about health - not appearance.
And that holds true for men as well as women.
No Need To Purchase Special Meals
I just saw a commercial for EDiets (Ediets.com). If you don't have time to cook, they'll do the cooking for you - specially prepared foods which are then packed in FedEx coolers and sent right to your home.
Well, this is like Jenny Craig - another diet program where you pay to have specially prepared meals sent to you.
And there is no need for any of this. It's not the food you eat that causes you to gain weight... it's the amount of it. And so the fact that you have all these specially prepared meals in the house...what good will they do if you get hungry late at night, can't control your appetite, and eat a couple of bowls of ice cream?
And if you don't eat a couple of bowls of ice cream, whatever meals you have during the day will be just fine.
Invest in a single cookbook that shows you how to prepare healthy, nutritious, but good tasting meals, and prepare these in quantities, freezing some of them so that you just need to pull one out of the freezer and heat it up when you're in the mood for that particular dish.
It's the exact same thing that eDiets and Jenny Craig do, except you're not paying all that extra money that they charge you for the food.
(Of course, there are always exceptions. If you absolutely don't have time to cook a all, and like the convenience of having foods delivered to you...you can always give it a try.
The key is of course to add in an exercise program, and to know yourself.
The program costs $160 a month for a month - 4 meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack).
28 meals: 4 meals a day - breakfast, lunch,
dinner & snack or dessert!
Chef-prepared, delivered in stay fresh packaging
Choose from 100+ delicious meals and desserts
Live support from registered dietitians
Live personal fitness trainer to assist you
Includes a custom fitness plan for every level
Interactive social networking community
Well, this is like Jenny Craig - another diet program where you pay to have specially prepared meals sent to you.
And there is no need for any of this. It's not the food you eat that causes you to gain weight... it's the amount of it. And so the fact that you have all these specially prepared meals in the house...what good will they do if you get hungry late at night, can't control your appetite, and eat a couple of bowls of ice cream?
And if you don't eat a couple of bowls of ice cream, whatever meals you have during the day will be just fine.
Invest in a single cookbook that shows you how to prepare healthy, nutritious, but good tasting meals, and prepare these in quantities, freezing some of them so that you just need to pull one out of the freezer and heat it up when you're in the mood for that particular dish.
It's the exact same thing that eDiets and Jenny Craig do, except you're not paying all that extra money that they charge you for the food.
(Of course, there are always exceptions. If you absolutely don't have time to cook a all, and like the convenience of having foods delivered to you...you can always give it a try.
The key is of course to add in an exercise program, and to know yourself.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Friday is Weight Training Day
Sorry for the delay in posting here.... ill health in the family...
So, it's Friday. Friday of course is one of the three days on which you should be doing your weight training. Weight training should take place every other day - there's no need to do it more than that - only heavy duty bodybuilders work out every day.
Friday is also the day when many people celebrate the end of the work week by going out and partying.
And as people go out for happy hour, they invariably drink liquor. Beer, liquor or wine...which is better for you?
So, it's Friday. Friday of course is one of the three days on which you should be doing your weight training. Weight training should take place every other day - there's no need to do it more than that - only heavy duty bodybuilders work out every day.
Friday is also the day when many people celebrate the end of the work week by going out and partying.
And as people go out for happy hour, they invariably drink liquor. Beer, liquor or wine...which is better for you?
Beer Vs. Liquor Vs. Wine – Which is better for Weight Loss?
Many who are dieting struggle with alcohol. Unless some medical condition is behind the new health focus, people are not willing to give up eating and drinking at the same time. So, if you are Fat Blogging, what should you drink? The answer is actually simple…white wine (I could have said you shouldn’t drink, but that would have been a cop out).
Wine ranges from 65 to 160 calories per 4.0 glass. White wine checks in the lowest at 65, followed closely by Red (70 calories). Try and avoid the ports. They can be upwards of 160 calories per glass.
Beer ranges from 95 to 210 calories per 12 oz bottle. If you are gonna drink beer, shoot for the lights. Michelob Ultra Light is a good choice for 95 calories, but most the lights are less than 100. Stay clear of the darker fuller beers like stouts.
As for liquor, it’s actually quite high. A 1.5 ounce shot of rum will tag you for 125 calories. Same with whiskey. The real trouble with liquor is when you start to make the mixed drinks. Depending on what you are mixing it with, you are most likely doubling the calories.
If you have the extra calories by the end of the day, have 1 drink. But when the weekend rolls around and you decide to have a few, remember you are basically substituting a meal or a snack with drinks.
Added Note
I said above that I wouldn’t cop out and tell you not to drink – after all, I haven’t stopped. But a word of caution: Drinking messes with your metabolism. When you drink, your liver converts the alcohol to acetate. Your body prefers to burn acetate as energy before burning fat. And beyond that, any acetate that isn’t burned, gets converted to stored energy (fat). So a beer belly truly is a beer belly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
