Guest blogger,

Over several years I gained weight by overeating and being inactive. I slept poorly, was stressed out and had headaches daily. My energy level was lower than ever. The calories I needed to feel full kept increasing and my largest sizes became snug. Finally one day I had enough. I became committed to get back in shape. 

I reduced my caloric intake to 1,200 per day. My diet included dairy, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), fresh fruits and veggies, fiber-rich foods and a gallon of water every day. Drinking water before and during eating helped me feel full. Over time it was hard to finish the small portions on the diet.

I started with three days a week of low impact exercises and then I began using an elliptical machine. During the last two last months of my diet, I took up running, which had a major impact. A friend encouraged me to sign up for a race to benefit a charity. While skeptical, I committed to the 5k and had a decent run-time for a novice runner. I was elated and signed up for the Indy-Mini. I have also registered for additional races this fall. I love running. Like the wind in my sails, it energizes me and helps me to mentally process my thoughts, emotions and actions. Unlike a machine you can’t just quit, you have to walk back to where you started. There’s something about running that keeps drawing me back.

I lost more than 20 pounds and seven inches off my waist. I’m down three sizes and hope to lose another by spring. I love being in shape again. The best part is that all of my smaller sizes fit me again. This summer was the first time I wore a bikini in years. I’m ecstatic at my progress and I’m surpassing my goals. I never want to go back to that stressed-out couch potato that I let myself become.

My advice to anyone out there who wants to lose weight is to stop seeing your weight as happening to you. You CAN take control. You can do anything.

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How One Woman Achieved Weight Loss Success

But could there be something else going on that has nothing to do with how the food is prepared or the portion size you choose? Heck yeah. Is your diet diva going to tell you? Absolutely.

It’s called food “complexity” and “taste satiety.” Basically, you overeat at Thanksgiving because you are eating mindlessly. You’re not taking the time to intentionally slow down, serve yourself a small amount of food, and enjoy and savor each bite. If you did this, you’d get full well before you hit the 1,500 calorie mark, maybe even before hitting 1,000 calories.

When you have too many choices of foods, it’s hard for your taste buds to feel “satisfied.” They are unpacking all the tastes and flavors of the stuffing and then here comes a bite of potatoes and while they’re working on that they got a hit of turkey and cranberries. So as you pack on the calories the “taste satiety” signals stay low and you keep eating. You may even go for seconds because the brain is like “hey, I loooooooooooved that stuffing and I want more.” Meanwhile, you cleaned your first plate 15 minutes into the meal.

Now, I’m not advocating for boring Thanksgiving meals, but I do think it is possible to get all the pleasure and enjoyment out of Thanksgiving with healthy foods, eaten in the right portions. Remember that the holiday is about the people and the only thing that should be stuffed is the turkey.

If you want to try to overcome the “taste satiety” challenge, I’d suggest making sure there is a nice, healthy low-calorie green salad to include on your plate, take 3-4 ounces of turkey (no skin) and choose between mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and rolls. If you take small amounts of each, you might not get that “satisfied” feeling the tastebuds want. Don’t feel bad about passing on some of the items. There are always leftovers!

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Is Your Thanksgiving Buffet too Complex?

The episode first kicked off with an emotional reunion between sisters Tiffany and Stephanie and their family members who came in to town just for the birthday celebration. Then to the tune of music, dancing, teary speeches and of course, birthday cake, the girls, clad in gown sizes they hadn’t worn in years, toasted not just Stephanie’s birthday, but their collective weight loss success as well.

Perhaps it was the presence of their trainer, Jessie, but the ladies also exercised a serious dose of self-control and moderation when faced with a delicious spread of food. Fortunately, since the party was organized by two fellow DietTribe members, Mary and Tiffany, the menu was specifically chosen to reflect the clean-eating diet the group has been following for the past two months.

Another memorable moment during episode six came when Rita announced that she and her husband lost their home to foreclosure, but by allowing the bank to take ownership of their home, they are still able to remain living in it. In a show of commitment and perseverance, Rita did not allow the weight of her financial struggle to result in actual weight gain. Instead, she used the opportunity to strengthen her resolve in her weight loss journey and shared her thoughts and inspiration with her fellow tribe members and DietTribe therapist, Stacy Kaiser.

Eighty days into their weight loss program, here is the result of their weight loss thus far:

Rita: New weight: 156 pounds. Pounds lost: 4 pounds. Total weight loss: 21 pounds.

Stephanie: New weight: 203 pounds. Pounds lost: 7 pounds. Total weight loss: 41 pounds.

Mary: New weight: 170 pounds. Pounds lost: 6 pounds. Total weight loss: 40 pounds.

LaNessa: New weight: 294 pounds. Pounds lost: 3 pounds. Total weight loss: 40 pounds.

Tiffany: New weight: 186 pounds. Pounds lost: 6 pounds. Total weight loss: 35 pounds.

Tune in next week when we recap episode seven of DietTribe Season Two.

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DietTribe Recap Episode Six

Have you ever had that moment when you look at your to do list, schedule or inbox and feel entirely overwhelmed? Have you ever had a project that you put off because of how long it would take to complete? Fitness and weight loss goals can often feel overwhelming because they are complicated tasks that require an investment of time. If you are like me, you prefer tasks that can be completed quickly and easily (which is likely why diet pills are so popular despite the risks and lack of long-term effectiveness).

Losing 20 pounds, being able to complete 10 pull ups, running a marathon, eliminating trans fats, or being able to terminate certain medications can seem like overwhelming tasks. It is not surprising that so few people actually make changes recommended by their doctors if they believe it would be too difficult. If you can break these tasks into smaller steps, they can seem more manageable.

Instead of contemplating the overwhelming goal of 20 pounds, could you focus on losing five pounds per month or one each week? Can you break it down to eating 100-500 less calories per day?

I am not yet able to do a pull-up. I can complete five to seven with the assistance of a chair, but I had no idea until Tony Horton (of P90X) explained that was an appropriate stepping stone. I continuously push the chair further back and will some day be able to do an entire set unassisted.

Celebrate each day you stick with your plan, every inch closer to a pull-up, every block run while training for the marathon, or every time you choose a food without trans fats. Instead of focing on your long-term goal, keep your mind focused on the next step. Life is happier when you are under less pressure; and when you are feeling less stressed, you are more likely to succeed. You are most likely to stick with a plan if you believe it is manageable.

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Making Weight Loss Goals Manageable

Several female clients of mine have come to me over the past few months and stated that they really wanted to lose weight. I told them to write down everything that they ate and what activities they did each day outside of the workouts that we were doing together. After a few months of keeping a food journal and activity log, every single client saw results and were completely satisfied with how they were feeling and looking.

Below are the top weight loss tips and a sample exercise routine that I use with my clients who are trying to lose weight.

1. Keep a Food Log: This will help you see and understand what you are putting into your body
2. Keep an Exercise/Activity Log: This will allow you to increase your intensity and length of workouts
3. Exercise 5 Days a Week: If you are not sweating, you are not working hard enough
4. Drink 64-100 Ounces of Water a Day: Hydration is a huge factor in weight loss and appetite suppression
5. Chew Gum: Helps keep the mind and stomach satisfied
6. No More Soda: Cut the pop and other sugars out of your diet
7. No More Alcohol: Reduce the empty calories
8. Reduce T.V. Time: Stay active rather than sitting around and watching television
9. Don’t Snack After 7 p.m.: Snack during the day, but not at night because your activity levels have decreased
10. Get 8 Hours Of Sleep a Night: Refreshes the body and allows for a more productive day

Try this Weight Loss Routine:

Do 45-60 minutes of cardio, plus:

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

10 Tips for Achieving Successful Weight Loss

So, wouldn’t it be great if you knew what you could do to control your diabetes, or better yet prevent diabetes, in the first place? Well, you’ve come to the right place. This blog post will describe the top three steps you can take to prevent or reverse type 2 diabetes.

1. Eat healthy

If you already have type 2 diabetes, then you have (hopefully) learned about the importance of keeping carbohydrates consistent throughout the day, meaning enjoying a small amount of healthy carbohydrates with each meal. Well, this also works in preventing type 2 diabetes.

I recommend people choose carbohydrates in the form of fresh or minimally processed starchy vegetables (like potatoes), fruits, beans (like lentils), and whole grains (like brown rice, quinoa, and corn) for their meals. Non-starchy veggies have such low carbs for the calories and they are almost 100% water that you don’t need to limit those.

Just watch how they are prepared. Steamed or broiled with herbs, spices or a little olive oil is best. Refined sources of carbohydrates should be limited as much as possible: sugar, white bread, white rice, etc. You don’t need to eliminate all foods with these ingredients, but try to make a healthier swap whenever possible and limit your portion sizes of these foods.

2. Exercise more

Exercise can help slow or prevent the progression of diabetes a number of ways. Exercise helps to maintain a healthy weight, lose weight, manage stress, and improve sleep (more on that next). Exercise also helps people manage a healthy blood sugar level whether you have diabetes or not.

When you exercise, you burn sugar for energy. Regular exercise also helps keep blood vessels healthy to prevent heart disease, which diabetics often get from damage to blood vessels. You don’t have to be a marathoner either. As little as 1,000 calories worth of activity spread throughout the week (walking 30 minutes and 20 minutes of strength training three times a week) causes your muscles to utilize sugar more effectively and keep it from floating around in your blood, which leads to diabetes.

3. Lose weight

Get a tape measure and take a waist measurement. Men, if you’ve got 40 or more inches around the waist you have 12 times the risk of developing diabetes than a male with 35 inches. Women, if you have 37 or more inches around the waist you are 12 times more likely to get diabetes than a female with 32.5 inches.

Eating healthy and exercising more are the best steps to losing weight. Get a trainer, dietitian, join a class, or buy a book/dvd… but do something to help yourself lose weight sensibly.

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Top Three Ways to Prevent Diabetes

My friend Suzi stated on Twitter that she had not changed the number on her driver’s license when she had gained weight, not out of embarrassment but because she had hoped she would get back to that weight. She announced this on Twitter because she was celebrating that as she went to renew her driver’s license she is back at that weight.

Can you be like Suzi and use the number that was once reality as motivation? First, consider if it is an appropriate weight for you. Your weight as a teenager is likely inappropriate for an adult. Perhaps, the weight that you have listed is from sometime in your adulthood or perhaps there is a weight from adulthood which would be a more appropriate goal. Wouldn’t it be great to know with certainty that when you are asked at the DMV that all the information listed is still correct, or to tell them that your address has changed but be able to state that your weight is correct?

I am proud of Suzi and how she has worked for this achievement, and that she is not stopping here. She has made several small dietary changes which have added up to a large change. She slowly built in an exercise plan and recently completed her first 5k race, raising money for Loving South Africa. She has a few more races planned, including the Indy Mini Marathon with me in May. In just seven months, she has lost 20-30 pounds and seven inches! You can acheive amazing things when you find what motivates you!

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What’s Driving Your Motivation to Lose Weight?

Where Whey Comes From

Whey protein is a by-product of the process of turning cow’s milk into cheese. There are two types of milk proteins: casein and whey protein. Within the whey category, there are three major forms that are used for weight loss and fitness purposes: whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, and whey protein hydrolysate.

Whey’s Fitness Benefits

Whey protein is a plentiful source of branched chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine). When you are exercising, your body requires higher quantities of branched chain amino acids, otherwise you are more susceptible to fatigue. Whey also contains bioactive ingredients, such as immunoglobulins and lactoferrin, that support proper immune system function.

Studies have found that people who combine a diet with whey protein and exercise have more lean muscle tissue and lose more body fat. This is achieved through various actions. For one, whey protein has been shown to have an effective satiety effect on people. This helps reduce daily calories, and therefore encourages weight loss.

Whey and Healthy Blood Sugar Levels

Whey also appears to be ideal for promoting healthy blood sugar levels through improved insulin sensitivity, which is associated with the reduction of stored fat.

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Whey Protein Supports Weight Loss

A one-ounce serving of 50% reduced fat sharp cheddar has 8 grams of protein and only 2.5 grams of saturated fat. If you don’t know what an ounce of cheese looks like, give me a “thumbs up” and there you have it, it’s about the size of your thumb.

This reduced fat cheese makes a healthy snack between meals. Pair it with a handful of nuts like almonds or pistachios as an afternoon snack instead of hitting up the vending machine. You’ll be sure to be satisfied.

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Food Finds: Cabot Reduced-Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Next Best Thing to Being There

We can’t all be at The Biggest Loser Ranch. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have the same transformations. Just look at Jerry Hayes from Season 7, the at-home winner barely had any time on the ranch and he still lost hundreds! Cheryl Forberg explains the Biggest Loser eating plan in a nutshell, how to determine your calorie needs to lose weight, and the best ways of cooking food to keep nutrients high and calories low.

Simple, Sensible, and Smart Changes

Life is hard. Being healthy shouldn’t have to be. Cheryl takes the struggle out of it by explaining the role of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in the body. She explains the best food sources of these nutrients and then goes on to provide simple tips for getting more of “the good stuff.”

For example, swap white rice for lentils to get 10 grams of protein in a half-cup. What’s more, she even gives a killer recipe! Who needs drive-through windows and meal delivery plans when you can have culinary creations from Cheryl, and even a few recipes from former cast members? Try the huevos rancheros and quinoa with spinach and cheese. mmmMMMmmm

Like Having Five Books in One

From estimating portion sizes to understanding nutrition labels to using a hunger scale to curb emotional eating, Cheryl provides exactly what you need to initiate a weight loss trend and continue watching those numbers fall without any gimmicks or empty promises. I literally could replace my top-five nutrition books with this one and be happy. It has everything you need and nothing you don’t.

But perhaps what I like best are the inspirational and honest stories from the former contestants. They’ve been there. They’ve changed. So can you.

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Biggest Loser Simple Swaps Book Review