There’s another bit of pressure that may help you attain your weight loss goals: losing money! The phenomenon known as “bet dieting” is apparently still going strong. Last year, we spotlighted a sight known as StickK that uses gambling as a way to keep people motivated to lose weight. You put up money, and if you hit your weight loss goal, you retain your cash. If you lose it, you can even attach it to a charity that you disagree with, making the incentive even higher. These are generally right or left wing political initiatives. If you aren’t politically inclined, the motive of keeping your money is probably still enough

The latest entry into the weight loss betting sites is Lose It or Lose It. The domain name pretty much says it all. You cough up the cash if you don’t reach your goal. But unlike StickK (whose slogan is “Put a contract out on yourself,” by the way), the cash stays with Lose It or Lose It.

You begin your challenge with Lose It or Lose It by designing a 10-week weight loss program/goal. Choose your weight loss goal and how much cash you are willing to part with per pound, and there you have it. The website brings more to the table than just the willingness to take money from weak-willed people. You receive regular emails reminders to weigh in, and at least two people have to agree to be “accountability friends” before you begin. Accountability friends receive up to two e-mails each week about the results of your weigh-ins.

The website also shows you live statistics of how many pounds have been lost through their site among other things. But, the most compelling thing to me was the ratio of men-to-women. Dieting, a usually heavily female demographic, is 70 percent men on Lose It or Lose It. It must be that the gambling aspect, a largely male demographic, has attracted more men than women.

(via: Lose It or Lose It)

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Bet Dieting with Lose It or Lose It

In its fight against childhood obesity, The World Heart Federation has been negotiating in recent months with soft drink makers to get them to remove sugary beverages from schools.

Coca-Cola, the number one soft drink maker in the world, has also made some positive moves. This month they changed their global sales policy to not sell any of their drinks in primary schools around the world, unless parents or school districts ask. However, this policy does not apply to secondary schools.

Pepsi will now only sell water, fat-free or low-fat milk, and juice with no added sugar in primary schools. In secondary schools they will sell those same products, plus Diet Pepsi and other low-calorie soft drinks.

With the soft drink industry replacing sugary drinks with lower-calorie drinks in schools, sales of full-calorie soft drinks fell 95 percent in U.S. schools between fall 2004 and fall 2009, according to the American Beverage Association. This is only a gut reaction, with no cold hard facts to back it, but I find those numbers hard to swallow, especially since it’s coming from an association that represents the soft drink industry. But, I digress.

Pekka Puska, president of The World Heart Federation, says that this is just the first step in fighting childhood obesity. Kids need to also exercise more and eat healthier foods.

(via: ABC News)

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Pepsi Drops Sugary Drinks from Schools

The decision to recall the chips was made when salmonella was found on the plant equipment of Las Vegas-based company Basic Food Flavors, which provides the flavor-enhancing hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) in the aforementioned Pringles flavors.

While the recall is being classified as voluntary, it comes on the heels of a recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration to do so.

What is hydrolyzed vegetable protein? It’s a darling of the processed food world. It’s produced by boiling grains or legumes, such as soy, corn, or wheat, in hydrochloric acid. The solution is then neutralized with sodium hydroxide. The acid breaks down the protein in vegetables, resulting in a dark liquid that consumers would recognize as monosodium glutamate, or MSG, a common flavor enhancer in processed foods.

Salmonella is a food-borne pathogen that can cause severe illnesses. The bacterial infection can cause fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. While most people recover without medical help, in some cases the infection can be life-threatening, particularly with young children, the elderly, and people with weak immune systems.

But, Pringles isn’t alone. The FDA has issued a list of 56 foods that have been recalled for the same risk of salmonella poisoning, including bouillon products, salad dressing mixes, marinades, frozen foods and more. These foods also used hydrolyzed vegetable protein. You can peruse the complete list at the FDA’s website.

(via: Christian Science Monitor)

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Pringles Faces Recall Due to Salmonella Scare

Needless to say, I am rarely tempted by the junk food that populates movie theater lobbies. With the exception of Avatar a few weeks back, I don’t recall the last movie I’ve seen in theaters. But, for the millions of others who make their local cineplexes a regular destination, they may – or may not – crave a few healthier options to choose from. From my perspective, if I’m going to fork over $12 on a drink and some popcorn, I’d prefer something not just a little healthier, but more substantial.

Theaters have made a point of adding more food items to their menus in the last 5-10 years, but the choices are still usually not much to write home about. Well, health food advocates have a Hollywood heavyweight in their corner now. Michael Lynton, chairman and chief executive officer for Sony Pictures, is calling on movie theaters to offer healthier snacks as a way to fight obesity, not to mention give moviegoers more food choices.

Lynton announced at the theater owners’ annual ShoWest convention that a survey by Sony at 26 nationwide theaters found that two-thirds of movie-goers said they would likely buy healthy food if it was available.

“I don’t mean close the window for popcorn, soda and candy. Audiences love them and should always be able to buy them at your theaters,” Lynton said in the keynote address as the four-day convention opened. “I can almost imagine the Romans eating popcorn and drinking Coke at the Coliseum 2,000 years ago. Or the Greeks munching on Sno-Caps at the Theatre of Dionysus in Athens.”

According to Lynton, those who were surveyed suggested foods such as fruit cups, vegetables with dip, yogurt, granola bars, baked chips, and unbuttered, air-popped popcorn.

I don’t know how many people will buy fruit at movie theaters, but they could be convinced to buy things like air-popped popcorn, yogurt, or granola bars.

(via: The Associated Press)

Also Read:

The “300″ Workout

Sex and the City Diets

Popcorn Horror Story

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Sony Pictures CEO Calls for Healthier Snacks in Movie Theaters

The pamphlet sparked a memory of a teen girl named Christina that Ruby met at a weight loss camp. This girl was so damaged by the ribbing she took by her peers that she dropped out of school and began being home-schooled.

So, Ruby recruits Christina to enter the pageant, which is in Texas, as a way to boost her self-esteem and get her out of her shell. There’s a short conversation to convince her to enter. But, when Ruby said she’d come too, Christina instantly acted more open to the idea.

Ruby and Anthony (who occasionally comes across as a pompous jerk) proceed to give Christina a makeover before the trip to Texas. After some frustration in finding the right clothes for the pageant, they finally settle on the line that will be used in the show.

The rehearsals for the pageant got off to a rocky start, as Christina was having a hard time with the dance steps and walking in heels, something she’s never experienced on her own. But, Ruby cracked her whip (in a loving way, of course), and got Christina through it. She also showed off her strong influence by getting Anthony, who was opposed to going, to give in and head down for the pageant.

Christina was thrown to the wolves, having to find a way to feel confident about herself, through a business interview, a runway tryout, and whatever else goes on in beauty pageants. She has the hardest time adjusting to high heels walking down the catwalk.

Ruby starts to walk the fine line between motherly support and overbearing beauty pageant mom. But, she does make light of this by referring to herself as a “crazy mentor.” There were some tense moments when Christina was walking in her formal wear that seemed so close to snagging under her heels. But, she passed with flying colors.

The show’s finale is the announcement of the five finalists… and Christina makes it in third. Anthony redeems himself a bit too, showing that he’s not quite as cold as he came off at the start of the show when he applauds Christina for her transformation.

But, the best outcome was that Christina decided to go back to school for her senior year.

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Ruby Recap Season 3 Episode 4: The Beauty Pageant

CSPI is concerned about the fact that food marketers continue to aggressively target children with unhealthy foods, despite high obesity rates. That shouldn’t come as a surprise though, should it? Companies are built to make money, not think about what would help parents and their obese children. They are making their products cheaper (i.e. processed and unnatural), so they are cheap enough for average consumers to buy as much of it as possible.

Even though kids naturally gravitate more towards Lucky Charms than a bran cereal, there are sweet and healthier options for breakfast. But, back to the story at hand…

If you’re a parent and your kids are parked in front of the television watching their favorite Nickelodeon show, you can rest assured they will be seeing a commercial for some sort of rainbow-colored, sugar-filled breakfast food, not Fiber One. In 2008, the Federal Trade Commission found that companies spent $870 million to market food to children under 12. And, an additional $1 billion went to marketing to older kids.

“If companies were marketing bananas and broccoli, we wouldn’t be concerned. But instead, most of the marketing is for sugary cereals, fast food, snack foods, and candy. And this junk food marketing is a major contributor to childhood obesity,” says CSPI nutrition policy director Margo G. Wootan.

You can find the entire report card at CSPI’s website. Besides the fact that the report is loaded with failing grades, there is one even more interesting shocker; one company stands above all the rest with a B+ — Mars, Inc. That’s right, the company that makes candy bars (Snickers) and other chocolate favorites (M&M’s) does the best job in not (overly) marketing their products to kids.

(via: WebMD)

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Kids’ Food Makers Get Failing Grades

Do you have some extra weight that you need to shed before bathing suit season arrives? Then, it’s time to do some spring cleaning in your kitchen. Here are five ways that will shape up your eating habits, and your waistline:

1. Grocery Shop Wisely

If it’s not in your kitchen, you won’t eat it. That may be a simple mantra, but its importance is profound. If you are even the least bit weak when buying snack foods, don’t shop for food when you are hungry. Better yet, go grocery shopping right after a meal. That may be a little difficult – who wants to grocery shop at 7 p.m. after a long day of work? But if you can do it, you may cut thousand of calories a month.

You also need to think about how grocery stores arrange foods. Traditionally speaking, the healthiest foods are around the perimeter of the store. So, if you don’t mind the extra few minutes you may spend shopping, loop around the store for the more important items (produce, meats, dairy, etc.), then go through the center aisles. That way, you won’t get tired and distracted, and hit the check-out line before you get to the healthiest items. Not to mention, if you fill your cart with healthy stuff first, there will be less room for all the junk.

2. Liquidate Your High-Calorie Drinks

One of the quickest ways to rack up empty calories is to drink sweetened beverages. Sure, you can cut out the typical culprits, such as fully-sweetened soda. But, who needs reminded of that? The sneakier assailant is fruit juice. Even if they are 100 percent all-natural, they are still loaded with sugar, sometimes even more than your soda. A glass of fruit juice now and again is OK, but if you make it a regular occurrence, you are adding too many calories.

Water is your savior. It makes up about 70-80 percent of your body, so naturally it’s important. You should always sneak in a few glasses of regular water every day. But, if you really find yourself missing the flavor in your drinks, sparkling water with a twist of lemon or lime is a refreshing alternative. Even the bottles that come in flavors, like strawberry or more exotic combinations, are an excellent no-calorie option. But, buyer beware: some manufacturers include sodium. Not only do they taste worse, they add to your daily sodium intake for no good reason.

3. Give Your Fruits and Veggies a Makeover

Most of us love the idea of getting a personal makeover. But, if you give your food a little “sprucing up,” you stand to benefit as well. This may not work for everyone, but I find that if I cut up fruits and vegetables, they are more alluring as a snack than they are in their natural state. For instance, eating an apple is OK, but I don’t often find myself naturally reaching out for one. However, if I make an apple look and feel more like a snack food by slicing them and putting them on a plate or napkin, I can mindlessly eat while I watch TV or surf the Internet.

The same goes for raw vegetables. I usually don’t crave a stalk of celery. But, if I cut it up, mix in some radishes and a dash of balsamic vinegar, now we have a tastier low-calorie snack.

4. Put a “Closed” Sign in Your Kitchen

Stay-at-home-moms and dads, and telecommuters have a diet obstacle the rest of the working world does not: being only feet away from cabinets filled with food all day. Food is a tough temptress to resist, unless you aren’t around it.

When you get home in the evening, try coming up with a plan to establish “store hours” for you kitchen. For instance, you could make 9 p.m. the cut-off time for snacking. It’s not like waving a magic wand, but if you can get used to a time restriction, it may help keep you disciplined.

5. Use Your Oven

Americans dine out more than we should. On top of that, our restaurants pride themselves on how big their heaping helpings are. Don’t let your oven collect dust, give it a regular workout. The more you cook, and the less take-out or dining-out you’ll do, and the less calories you will eat.

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Lose Weight With a Kitchen Spring Cleaning

The good news of certain fats being healthy has been pretty well propagated in recent years. But, many people still don’t know it. Or, if you do know, you may not know which name they go by and where you can find them. Here’s the 4-1-1 on healthy fats:

Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats have an amazing trait: they have the selective power of lowering LDL “bad” cholesterol, while increasing HDL “good” cholesterol. So, where do you get these wonder fats? Nuts like peanuts, walnuts, almonds and pistachios are all good sources of monounsaturated fats. Other sources include avocado, canola oil, and olive oil. Monounsaturated fats have also been found to help with losing weight.

Polyunsaturated Fats

Polyunsaturated fats also lower LDL cholesterol. You can find them in vegetable oils, such as safflower, corn, sunflower, soy, and cottonseed. Polyunsaturated fats are also found in nuts and seeds.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

These are the best known; the current superstars of the healthy fat world. The most common source of omega-3 fatty acids is fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and herring. If you aren’t a fish fan, or at least the fish mentioned, flaxseed and walnuts also do the trick.

If you can work these into your diet, and avoid too many man-made, processed foods, you have a better chance of having a healthy heart and blood pressure. That’s not even to mention that omega-3 fatty acids are connected to other health benefits, such as fighting off diabetes, arthritis, and possibly other things such as inflammatory bowel disease and asthma. I could go on and on, but just grill some salmon, pop a few walnuts and almonds for a snack, and you are on your way to a healthier lifestyle.

Also Read:

Fight Fat with Brown Fat

The Low-Down on Fats

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3 Healthy Fats You Should be Eating

I know what you’re thinking: “Well, I work out and eat right, so I have nothing to worry about.” If that’s all it took, then this news would not be particularly horrifying. The shocking part of the findings is that this applies to everyone.

The first reason for this is the most obvious. Sitting down, aside from sleeping, is about the most passive thing you can do. Even little things like chewing gum will increase your calorie burning. Standing in place can also burn calories, as you will tend to tense your leg muscles, shift your legs, and engage the muscles in your upper body.

Much of what will increase the slow creep of incremental weight gain from year to year is based upon the small decisions that you make. This can be remedied by walking the stairs instead of taking the elevator, or parking your car in the fourth row of spots instead of the rock star parking that opened up in front of the building.

To prove this point, a study of junior doctors who did the same job found that some of them walked four times the distance than others at work each day. While none of the subjects in the study were overweight, the doctors who walked a little more were thinner than the others.

So, here’s the worst part of the new research: Sitting for long periods of time isn’t just about not burning calories, it’s actively working against your health. A study that examined people who sit for long periods of time found that those who took frequent small breaks had smaller waistlines and better health profiles for sugar and fat metabolism than those who have long, uninterrupted strings of sitting down. This includes doing things like standing up to stretch or walking down the hall to chat with a favorite co-worker.

In essence, it now pays to be a little ADD.

Make changes to your sit-all-day habits:

• Get up from your chair at least once per hour, even for a quick stretch or office yoga
• Walk to co-workers’ desks instead of calling or IMing
• Replace your desk chair with a yoga ball
• Request a standing desk
• Consider a treadmill desk for a home office
• Wear a pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps per day, at least

(via: The New York Times)

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Sitting Can be Dangerous to Your Health

VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club 7 (wow, there were six others?!) parades out a few stars of yesteryear (Bobby Brown, Sebastian Bach of Skid Row, Nicole Eggert of Baywatch). But. Then there are those people who are famous for being on a different TV show, which by today’s standards makes you a star! That’s right, people like Tanisha Thomas and Jay McCarroll are now career reality TV personalities. Hey, it’s a living I guess.

Other people on this season of Celebrity Fit Club include Shar Jackson and Kaycee Stroh, who I guess you would call D-list celebs. And oddly, the most compelling personality on the show is Kevin Federline. K-Fed was always an easy target as Mr. Britney Spears, but in his post-Brit life I’ve found him a little sympathetic. First, he seemed to be the lesser of the two evils in the child custody fight. Then, he was able to poke fun at himself in a Super Bowl commercial.

So, when he was the butt of all the tabloid jokes when he put on a few pounds in recent years, I almost felt a little sorry for him. And in this episode he seemed the most well-adjusted in the pack.

K-Fed recently did an interview with Entertainment Weekly and reminisced about what he learned from the experience. “They really taught me what kind of calorie intake I should be taking in every day.”

And while he was a dancer in his younger days when he met Britney, getting older makes it tougher to eat whatever you want and have a washboard stomach. “When I was dancing, I was dancing so much that I could eat whatever I wanted. I’m a lot older now so it’s harder, and I can’t go out and eat junk food, hamburgers, and pizza and all that stuff without actually seeing it on my stomach.”

My wife and I sat and watched our first episode of Celebrity Fit Club. I would never ever think to watch a show like this, but in watching it for Diets in Review, I’m afraid that the train wreck might have sucked me in. And if I never watch another episode of Celebrity Fit Club, I’ve learned one thing – K-Fed isn’t a tool.

(via: PopWatch)

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Kevin Federline to Shape Up on Celebrity Fit Club