MyWeightLossForLife.com

Archive for the ‘diets’ Category

Are you trying to lose five or ten pounds? Going on a strict diet and starting a rigorous exercise program may not be the best way to accomplish your weight loss goals. Instead, focus on doing healthy things that you can stick with long-term. You’ll feel better, stay with your weight loss program longer, and get better results overall.

Stop drinking sugary soda

A 16 ounce cola has around 190 calories. That’s 190 calories of sugar, which for many people, will only make you hungrier an hour or two later.  If you want to lose weight more easily, this is a simple change.

Can’t stand diet soda? Switch to water instead. It’s even better, and you’ll avoid the artificial sweeteners.

Skip after dinner snacks

If you’re trying to lose weight, snacking in front of the television in the evenings can be a real diet breaker. One ounce of chips has around 150 calories, and lets face it, who can eat only one ounce? That’s a REALLY small serving, and I know that I don’t stick to that when snacking.

Try doing something with your hands while watching television to prevent snacking. Even better, get up and DO something instead of watching t.v.!

Get a little exercise

You don’t have to hit the gym for hours every week in order to lose ten pounds, or any amount of weight. Rather than make drastic lifestyle changes you’re not likely to keep up, try making smaller changes instead. Take the dog for a walk, wear a pedometer, mow the grass yourself instead of hiring someone to do it.

Skip dessert

Desserts can be loaded in extra calories. Try having a special dessert only once or twice a week instead of something sweet daily. A nice dessert at your favorite restaurant will be more enjoyable than a handful of cookies you eat in front of the t.v. As an added bonus, you won’t have the leftovers at home to tempt you.

Say no to second helpings

This is an easy way to lose a few pounds. Eat whatever you want, in your normal serving sizes. By not going back for seconds, you’ll cut your calories without feeling deprived. Take the leftovers for lunch and save money and calories by avoiding the fast food drive through.

Beware of Salads

What? Salads can be a great addition to your diet. They’re nutritious and low calorie, and they can certainly help in your weight loss efforts. However, if you’re topping your salad with diced eggs, shredded cheese, full-calorie dressing, beans, etc., you can be adding hundreds of calories to it that you don’t intend. That salad can end up with as many calories as a burger and fries!

Manage Stress

Stress makes many of us eat more than we should; I know it has that effect on me. Work on dealing with your stress before it contributes to a weight problem. If you’re trying to lose weight, try doing an activity you enjoy that helps you wind down and deal with the stress of your day.

Find Hidden Calories

A tablespoon of mayonnaise has 100 calories. A typical sandwich might have one or two tablespoons on it. Honey mustard has almost 50 calories per ounce. A baked potato is a good choice for lunch, until you add hundreds of calories in butter and sour cream. Adding cream to soups drastically increases their calorie count. Examine the recipes for what you’re eating and cut the extra calories that don’t contribute much to the dish’s flavor.

Be careful in restaurants

If you’re trying to lose weight, eating out can be very problematic. Portion sizes are large, and having a wide selection of food in front of you is tempting. Try ordering your meal instead of eating off the buffet. Most people will eat more from a buffet than they intend to. Order an appetizer instead of an entree, or split an entree with someone. Try drinking water or unsweet tea instead of soda.

Stop obsessing

Paradoxically, being hyper-focused on your weight is one of the worst thing you can do for your weight loss efforts. Instead, focus on eating healthy food, getting some exercise, and taking care of yourself overall. Doing those things and making simple, gradual changes will help you take off that ten pounds!

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If you’re like me, and you’ve been feeling a tad under-motivated lately, then here are some sites that can help you get back on track.

101 thoughts on losing 100 pounds
Lots and lots of great tips. Some are common sense, but others were surprising and insightful.

What Sugar does to your Brain
High sugar diets are just not good for you!

Blood Sugar 101
A lot of people don’t understand what diabetes is or how it works. Sadly, that applies to a lot of diabetics as well! This site has some great information.

10 Tips for Safe Outdoor Exercise
Great tips for summer exercisers.

Decade by Decade Guide to Exercise
Tips for exercising, whether you’re in your 20’s, 30’s, 40’s or beyond.

Avoid these 7 Danger Foods…
The focus is on avoiding the freshman 15, but this advice applies to anyone.

Top 10 Ways to Stay Energized
Lots of tips for keeping your energy levels high. Not strictly a diet- or fitness-related post, but useful nonetheless.

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How many calories do you need per day?

If you’ve tried to lose weight, then you know the basic calculation; one pound is 3500 calories. So, let’s say that you want to lose one pound a week, then you cut 500 calories per day. Easy, right?

Except. How do you know how many calories you’re already eating per day? Can you safely cut more than 500, or is 500 too much to cut?

The first thing you need to know isn’t how many calories to cut. It’s how many calories you need to eat per day to maintain your current weight.

Calculate It

You can use something like the Calories per day Calculator to get an approximation. Most of these calculators will take into account your sex, age and activity level in making the estimate.

Age: In general, the older you get the fewer calories you burn.

Sex: Men will tend to burn more calories than women because of their higher muscle mass.

Activity Level: This one is obvious. Higher activity levels mean you burn more calories.

You can also get a rough estimate simply by multiplying your weight by 10.

Try a few calculators and the multiply by 10 method. You won’t get results that match exactly, but your numbers should hover around a particular range.

Observe It

This method takes longer, but I think it’s more accurate. Take a couple of weeks, maybe a month, and track everything you eat.

1. Be careful to weigh and measure your food and calculate your calories correctly.
2. Don’t change your diet or exercise.
3. Weigh each week and verify that your weight isn’t changing.

This method is more difficult, but it should give you a good estimate of how many calories you can eat. Compare it to the calculations you did in the first section and see how close they are.

One benefit to this method is if you have a particularly slow metabolism, you’re likely to get a more accurate result. Also, you’ll benefit from developing a habit of journaling what you eat!

Daily Calories vs. Average Daily Calories

It’s tempting to think of calories as something that you should watch from day to day, but it’s really the overall effect of your calories that matters.

We’ve all experience this, I’m sure. You eat a huge meal, weigh the next morning and find that you’ve gained a pound or two. You think that it was your binge the previous day, but that isn’t really possible, unless you ate a 7000 calorie meal! (2 pounds x 3500 calories each)

What’s more likely is that you gained some water weight from the big meal, and that it will resolve itself in a few days. OR, you’ve been eating more calories than you ought to for more than one day, and you’ve truly gained 2 pounds.

Watching your AVERAGE daily calories over a period of at least a week will let you keep things in perspective. Let’s say you plan on eating 1500 calories a day, but you have one day in the week where you ate about 2000 calories. That’s bad, right?

Not necessarily, if you were able to keep your average down around 1500. So, maybe you ate only 1400 calories for a few days to make up for the splurge.  I find this way of tracking calories more realistic. It allows me to not feel as if I’ve failed when I exceed my daily goals.

Wrap Up

To sum up, this is what I’m doing.

1. I’m tracking what I eat this month to develop the food journaling habit and determine how many calories I can eat per day and maintain my weight.
2. I’ll use those figures to determine what calorie count I should aim for each day.
3. I’ll focus on my weekly calorie average, not the daily calorie count, to track how I’m doing.

more animals

Here is my original SlimShots review.

I’ve been trying SlimShots off and on for a little over a month. I’m usually not a believer in weight loss pills or supplements, but I’d heard good things about this, and the explanation behind how it works sounded reasonable enough. I also liked the fact that it was stimulant free and seemed pretty harmless.

I tried it at both one and two shots per day, varying the times of day and whether I took it with or between meals. I found two shots per day most effective. I also found that it worked better for me if I took it a little after a meal and not with it.

Good

First, I do think that SlimShots helped me in appetite control. I can definitely tell a difference on the days I use it. I can tell an even bigger difference when I take two a day.

I think it’s also helpful in habit-building. I used it for about a week straight, and I was pretty successful in eliminating my afternoon snacking habit. That seemed to stick with me even after I quit the SlimShots.

Not-so-good

It seems to give me a pretty rough case of heartburn. At first, I wasn’t sure if it was the culprit, but after alternating between days I took it and days I didn’t, it became pretty clear that it’s the cause. I’m not sure why that is, but it was uncomfortable enough that I quit taking it, despite the fact that it works.

The problem didn’t start until I’d taken it daily for a little over a week, so it might be that I’d be able to do one or two days to get through a stressful time without side effect, but I haven’t tried it. The heartburn may not be a problem for everyone, but it turned out to be a show stopper for me.

Conclusion

• It did help me control my appetite
• The taste isn’t great, but it’s bearable
• It helped me correct some bad eating habits
• It’s a little pricey, especially if you do 2/day
• It causes nausea for some, heartburn for me

SlimShots is an appetite suppressant. It’s made from two types of oil, and the general idea is that fat will tend to make you not as hungry by fooling your metabolism into thinking that you’re already full.

The process is called the ileal brake, and Nature has an in-depth article discussing it. Certain types of fats trigger the mechanism.

SlimShots is marketed as a fat that can trigger the ileal brake mechanism and help you to eat up to 30 percent less. It has only 20 calories per creamer. You can get 3 boxes for$80.00 on the SlimShots site. I buy it at Walmart for about $25.00 a box.

I’ve been using SlimShots for about a week, and here’s my opinion so far.

Taste

Okay, but not great. I put mine in a cup of coffee and have it like that. It tastes like vanilla, but it does have a bit of an odd aftertaste too. It’s nothing that I can’t live with, but I wouldn’t want to cream my coffee with it all day long either.

Side effects

None really to speak of. I did notice some nausea one day after I took it, but I wouldn’t say that it was definitely the SlimShot that caused it. I’ve read that other people occasionally experience nausea if they take it on an empty stomach.

Dosing

The web site recommends one shot at breakfast and one at lunch for the first week. Then, one shot at breakfast only.

I’ve tried several dosing strategies, and I have better results when I don’t take it with a meal. I know that for some that increases the chance of nausea, but it seems to help my appetite more that way. Also, I’ve found that taking it in the afternoon works better for me since I tend to snack more from afternoon through the evening.

Does it work?

That’s the real question, isn’t it? For me, yes, I can tell a difference in my appetite between the days I take it and the days I don’t. It’s especially helpful for me to control afternoon and evening snacking.

Would I use it again?

Yes, I think that the little extra help it gives is worth the price. I’m generally not a fan of taking weight loss potions, but I’m giving this one a go.

Note, this is not a paid review. 

Does this sound familiar?

You start off weighing 200 pounds. You manage to lose 25 pounds, but over the next few weeks or months, your weight bounces back, maybe settling in around 185 or 190. Your weight stays there for a while, and eventually you’re able to drop more weight and the cycle repeats itself.

What’s going on? In short, you’re falling victim to your body’s set point. The set point is, to put it simply, the weight your body “wants” to be. That will be about a 10 percent range (plus or minus) from your current weight. So, if you weigh 200 right now, your body isn’t going to want to drop below 180. Doing so will trigger reductions in your metabolism and changes in appetite that will encourage you to gain weight.

Doesn’t seem fair does it?

You gain weight, your set point readjusts UPWARD, and it’s even tougher to take the weight off? What’s the solution? According to this article, Ideal Weight or Happy Weight?  the answer is gradual weight loss.

Let’s look at the above scenario. Instead of losing 25 pounds, let’s say you lost 15 instead. You’re closer to your set point range, so it should be easier to keep that weight off. You’ll quit trying to lose weight and focus instead on maintaining the weight you’ve lost. When you’ve done that a few months, your set point will reset, and you’ll be ready to try to lose another 10 percent of your weight.

I know what you’re thinking (because I thought it too). That’s going to take a long time to get the weight off. You’d be able to lose 20-30 percent of your body weight in a year, max. When you have a lot to lose, that’s a long time to wait.

If you’re like me, you struggle more with keeping the weight off than with losing it in the first place. I’ve lost hundreds of pounds and kept off only a fraction of them. So, isn’t it quicker to do it this way than to stay on the roller-coaster of losing and gaining weight?

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, then you know that I’m not a fan of diet pills and potions in general. I’ve surprised myself by finding that I’m a bit interested in SlimShots, a new appetite control product.

To summarize, SlimShots is made of oat and palm oil, which suppress your appetite. You drink one or two small (the size of a coffee creamer) servings a day, and you eat as much as 30 percent less.

I did a little research, and from what I’ve found there are two big complaints with the product: the taste and a tendency to cause mild nausea.

There’s also a page that discusses some clinical trials that support the notion that adding these types of fats to the diet can suppress appetite. One warning though, according to the site Slimshots is not appropriate to combine with Alli; I’m guessing because of how Alli reacts to fat in the diet.

I haven’t bought any, and I’m not sure that I will. I am wondering if anyone has tried it and what your results were. I’ve found some discussions and reviews online, but I’d like to know what you say.

You may have already read, but doctors have found that in one study, people who ate about half their calories for breakfast lost, and kept off, more weight than people who followed a more traditional low carb diet.

Here’s the gist of it…

• Participants ate around 1200 calories a day
• They ate around 600 calories for breakfast
• At breakfast, they ate carbs as well as protein and fat
• For the rest of the day, they stuck with a low carb diet

These participants lost more weight than people who followed a traditional low carb diet.

One problem I see with this is the practicality. I think it would be hard to get that many calories for breakfast in a healthy way (no, donuts don’t count.) I don’t normally have time to cook in the mornings, so I’d miss having a hot meal at least once a day. Since dinner is very low calorie, it’s not going to be easy to cook for that meal.

Has anyone tried anything like this? I don’t doubt that it works, but I just don’t think it work work into my lifestyle very well.

Getting to a healthy weight isn’t just about dieting and exercise. Many things in your everyday life contribute to your weight and your health. Clutter is one of them. Whether it’s the clutter in your floor, in your head, or on your hips, all have a similar source and need to be dealt with.

Physical clutter

Is your clutter a result of trying to keep too many things? Things you don’t need, use or even want any longer? Have you ever thought about why you keep so many things? Sometimes people tend to hoard items that have sentimental value. Or perhaps you grew up poor and are afraid to throw anything away. Maybe there are gifts you don’t like, but you can’t give them away because someone you care about gave it to you.

I doesn’t matter WHY you’re keeping too much stuff. The important thing is that you think about why you’re keeping it. If you’re not sure, start throwing things away and listen to the mental “chatter” that goes on as you resist getting rid of your things. As you go through this exercise, you’ll start to get a better idea of why you’re having trouble getting rid of things.

You’ll hear yourself thinking things like

• I may need it
• It’s my favorite (shirt, skirt, shoes, etc.)
• My (friend, mother, husband, etc.) gave it to me, so I want to keep it
• My (friend, mother, husband, etc.) gave it to me, and I’ll hurt their feelings if I get rid of it
• I paid too much for it to get rid of it

Mental Clutter

Once you recognize why you’re plagued with physical clutter, think about how that affects you mentally, particularly with your weight. Do you hoard because you’re afraid you’ll be without them some day? Could that be a reason you overeat?

Or maybe you keep items for sentimental reasons, or because they were gifts. Do you eat to please others (socially). Of do you eat certain foods because they bring back memories or good feelings?

Here’s a big one… Do you fear the changes that decluttering may bring? Are you afraid of what your life will be like if you lose weight?

When you resist giving away clutter, use some of these techniques.

• If you haven’t needed it in the last year, you’re not likely to. Put them in a box, date the box for three more months if you feel you have to, and then throw the whole thing away when the time comes.
• Even favorite items stop being useful eventually. Get rid of it to make room for a new favorite.
• You don’t have to keep every item a loved one gives you. Choose only items that are really meaningful. Take photos of any others if you like.
• You don’t have to tell loved ones that you’ve gotten rid of one of their gifts, just quietly do so and don’t feel guilty about it.
• How much you paid for something doesn’t matter. The money is gone regardless, and if you don’t like it and aren’t using it, it’s clutter.

I tend to keep things for sentimental reasons, and that goes hand in hand with my emotional eating. I eat to comfort myself, particularly when I’m stressed, and I keep things around me that comfort me as well, often long past their usefulness.

Look around your house and think about how much you own and whether you’re hoarding or not. As you examine why you tend to keep things, you’ll get clues as to why you tend to gain weight. Working on one will often help you with the other.

First off, Zen Habits has a great article on easy ways to build better eating habits. I have a couple ideas that I’d like to add as well.

No seconds

As I’ve said here before, giving up second helpings is one of the best things I’ve done, and I credit it with my nearly 25 pound weight loss over the last year.

This is simple; stop going back for seconds, ever. When you’re accustomed to that, add to that a small, gradual reduction in portion sizes. The beauty of this technique is that you still get to eat whatever you want, and you’re still cutting back.

Half it

Eat only half of whatever is on your plate. I don’t do this all the time, but I do it a lot with treats and more fattening foods. I was in the mood for a fast food breakfast this morning, so I got one, and ate a little less than half of it. I still got the greasy sandwich and hashbrowns I was in the mood for, but I didn’t have a 600 calorie breakfast.

When you order in a restaurant, consider splitting an entree with your partner. If you’re treating yourself to a dessert, split that. Even better, ask the waitress if they’ll serve you a half portion of dessert, and then split THAT with your partner.

Results

You’d be surprised how quickly these habits take hold and become second nature. I don’t even think about going back for seconds, and I often find that I feel full well before I’ve finished. Since I’m “allowed” to eat pretty much whatever I want, there’s less temptation to binge.

No, I’m not dropping weight as quickly as most dieters, but I am gradually losing weight, and I’m doing it without feeling deprived.

Do you have any weight loss or healthy eating tips you’d like to share? What’s working well for you?