Why You Can't Bowl Over Those Last 10 lbs.
by DoctorAbby
Have you ever been stuck at the point where you can’t lose those last 10 pounds? You know, the constant struggle, where no matter which diet you try, you always hit that damn plateau before you bowl over the last few pounds and get to goal weight?
Did you ever think about why you can’t lose those last 10 pounds? Your body may be trying to tell you something… and you don’t wanna listen!
So maybe it's time to change lanes and strike back at your plateau.
Finding your personal ideal weight and maintaining it forever is different from attaining an idealized cultural image, which we find attractive. You may think you’re striving for a realistic goal, but it appears that your body sees it differently.
Successful weight management has to be relatively comfortable. If you must create uncomfortable contortions to maintain a weight, which is so fragile that the smell or sight of food causes weight gain… there’s a problem.
Experts all think they have an answer for this.
Some say you’re still eating too much, and others say you’re eating too little so you’re body is conserving fat. Others say you’re not eating often enough to stimulate metabolism, or you’re not eating a good enough breakfast, or not exercising sufficiently.
All of these may actually be true… or not. But ask yourself if these changes are sustainable in the long run.
The ideal weight espoused through magazines, TV, movies and billboards makes us want to mirror those images. We all think we look better thinner than most of us can realistically maintain. Very few people are naturally thin, and I’ll bet that nobody reading this blog is!
We need to find a way to make peace with a reasonable, healthy weight, regardless of whether you like its appearance. Just decorate your body beautifully, and stop obsessing. Worrying about food, weight or body image is counterproductive to living a productive, enjoyable life. Your body is a vessel to carry you through interesting and passionate experiences. Don’t shoot the messenger! Just do enough to keep it working pretty well.
Dr. Abby Aronowitz is a psychologist, speaker and coach, who completed work at Columbia University. She holds two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. Previously a consultant to Weight Watchers International, Dr. Abby has been featured on WebMD.com and AOL Diet and Fitness. She is a member of the American Psychological Association and Mensa. Information about her book, "Your Final Diet," and other products can be found at YourFinalDiet.com.
Act fast... Diet.com members get EXTRA OFF Dr. Abby books and products! |
August 15, 2008
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Boosting Your Progress
by DrKushner
Since healthy weight loss is a lifelong process, it’s not unusual to find yourself in a diet or exercise rut where either boredom strikes or your motivation starts to dip or you stop seeing results.
This is the time when even the most committed dieter can benefit from adding something new to their program.
In counseling patients, I often hear about some of the great diet and exercise tools people enjoy adding to their program. The key to making new gadgets work well for you is to be able to match your preferences and desires with the right products so you will get the boost you need to escape that rut or weight loss plateau.
Here are some options to consider when deciding which tools are right for you and your lifestyle:
Do you want high-tech or low-tech?
Are you a techie kind of gal or guy who couldn’t live without the latest cell phone, iPod or PDA? I have many patients just like you, one in particular who is so excited about his new iPhone My Net Diary which helps track his food intake and body movements. He’s also addicted to using his new Wii Fit which he says makes exercise so much fun.
Remember that low tech doesn’t have to mean low in fun. Take a pedometer, for example, which is simple to use and can energize anyone’s lifestyle physical activities program just by wearing it each and every day and getting an objective measure of the steps you take as you set new goals day to day, week to week and month to month.
Are you ready for a big or small purchase?
Are you looking for a bigger purchase that you’ve been saving up for and can serve as a birthday or holiday gift? Or, does your budget only allow spending a small amount? A big purchase like a home treadmill or exercise bike can do wonders for your exercise program – rain or shine.
Especially with the high gas prices, think of all the money (and time!) you’ll save not having to travel to and from the health club. Or, if you’re in the market for a less expensive item, exercise bands or a fit ball will encourage you to start that home resistance training program you’ve been avoiding.
Which aspect of your program needs the biggest boost?
Is the exercise or diet part of your weight loss program in need of the biggest makeover? If exercise is your downfall, then it may be time to get more serious about ways to boost the intensity and variety of your workouts.
A jump rope, new running shoes or pool water shoes may be all that you need to set some new goals for yourself. Or if the diet aspect is giving you the hardest time, maybe it’s time to check out the latest food weight scale, measuring cups or water bottle.
Is this the right tool for your personality type?
Here at Diet.com, our program matches your personality type with the weight loss strategies that will help you be successful. You can also benefit from choosing diet and exercise tools that match your personality type.
For example, Hearty Portioners may want to check out the new diet, Portion Plates, which help you visualize normal portion sizes. Or Emotional Eaters may want to check out relaxation type audiotapes or yoga related gadgets to revitalize both your mind and body.
If you’re not sure about which product you want to purchase or which gadgets would be best for you, feel free to email me your questions or post them on the Premium Member message boards.
Also, browse our new Diet.com store for the latest diet and fitness products – a new feature we hope will help you succeed on your weight loss journey. |
July 31, 2008
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Double Your Weight Loss: A Simple Trick
by JohnMc
They say the pen is mightier than the sword. For dieters, it now appears the pen can be mightier than pills or surgery to help you lose twice the weight!
No, you don't eat the pen. You use it to journal every last bite you eat during a given day.
It's called food journaling and it doesn't take a doctor's prescription or a major life-changing commitment from you.
And here's the best part: Diet.com offers you nifty pen-free ways to track not only your food, but your exercise and the other important factors that can make or break a diet.
I hate scrambling for a pen when I want to jot something down. With our tools and trackers, you simply log in, insert your numbers and click the "submit" button. No fuss, no muss... and no ink blotches on your hands or shirts!
I'm going to give you the link you need to become a Diet.com Premium Member and have 24/7 access to journaling and more. But first, check out what the latest study shows about food journaling.
A recent study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows that keeping a "food diary" can double your weight loss.
Researchers from Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research kept tabs on 1,685 overweight and obese adults (men and women), whose average weight was 212 pounds. The researchers encouraged participants to adhere to a reduced-calorie regimen and asked them to record their daily food intake and exercise minutes.
The amazing bottom line: the more participants recorded what they ate, the more weight they lost in the end!
Participants who did not keep a food diary only lost about 9 pounds; the food journalists dropped a super 18 pounds. And yes, my 3rd grade math tells me food diary users lost twice as much as those who didn't track their food.
Here's what obesity expert Dr. Robert Kushner, medical director of the Diet.com Premium membership program, has to say.
"Self monitoring is one of the most important actions dieters can take to change behavior.
"Keeping a food diary increases awareness, allows reflection about what you've eaten, improves understanding of calorie and food group intake, encourages planning and makes you think twice about taking a second helping or a high calorie food.
"In my practice, when patients share their food diary with me, it's as if they've invited me into their own kitchen and given me a glimpse of their food choices and eating patterns."
You said a mouthful, doc!
Study co-author Dr. Victor J. Stevens, a senior investigator at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, in Portland, Oregon says, "It's not fun to write down what you eat; it just works."
In the study, participants attended 20 weekly group meetings and were encouraged to eat about 500 fewer calories a day, to engage in moderate intensity physical activity 30 minutes or more a day, and to follow the low-fat, low-sodium DASH dietary plan, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods.
Participants were asked to record daily food intake and their exercise minutes.
"The more food records they kept, the more they lost," Dr. Stevens says. "Those who kept no food records lost about 9 pounds, and those who kept six or more per week lost about 18 pounds. That's a whopping difference."
"A food diary makes you accountable to yourself."
Heck, if being accountable means my new weight loss plan will work twice as well, sign me up!
Without a food diary, I am down about 15 pounds. Just think where I'd be if I were keeping track of everything that goes into my mouth!
OK, here is your chance to hook up with Diet.com and to start you online food diary TODAY! Just click here and start losing. |
July 15, 2008
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