Don’t you wish you never had to worry about your weight again? What if you knew you would never gain another pound?

Most Americans gain about two pounds per year. It doesn’t seem like much, but over time it can add up to a lot of weight - 20 pounds in 10 years, or an extra 50 pounds between ages 20 and 45.

Yikes.

And the scary part is that an extra 100 calories per day can make all of the difference. Just eating half of a candy bar, one extra piece of cheese or having another can of pop can add enough calories to account for that middle aged spread.

Thankfully, it works the other way, too. Reducing the calories you consume by just 100 per day, or burning another 100 calories through exercise can keep this year’s extra poundage at bay.

What’s more, for you over-achievers who are already doing the math, every 100 calories you burn each day will equate to another pound lost each year. Or will at least offset part of that bag of chips you ate last weekend.

What does 100 calories look like?

*About 2000 extra steps. Sedentary people generally only walk about 2000 steps a day.  Moderately active people average around 6000 steps. Finding ways to take more steps can keep the weight off. Some ideas:

*Take the stairs, instead of the elevator

*After dinner, walk the dog around the park

*Don’t circle the lot looking for the closet parking spot. Pick a distant one instead.

*Replace one can of pop. Better choices? Water, iced tea, iced coffee (skip the milk and sugar), Vitaminwater or Lifewater. Low (or zero) calories, cool and refreshing, you might find that you don’t miss those extra calories as much as you thought you would.

*Use the salad plate, instead of the dinner plates. Blame your Mom for this one, but all of those admonishments to clean your plate conditioned you to think that you weren’t done eating until the plate is empty. A smaller plate equals less food taken and the same visual cue (clean plate award!) to stop eating. You’ll save 100 (or more!) calories and you won’t even miss it.

*Three or four bites of hamburger. Leaving even this small amount on your plate can save you at least 100 calories. Better choice? When you fill your plate, have a smaller piece of meat and fill the rest of your plate with veggies. They are low in calories, full of fiber and way better for you than a huge hunk of high-calorie meat.

Now that you know how easy it is to save or burn 100 calories, you can rest easy knowing that you never have to gain another pound. Small changes really do add up!

Cubicle dwellers and cloud lovers! Having a tough time fighting the battle of the bulge? You need to get out more!

A recent study by The University of Minnesota has shown that increasing your levels of Vitamin D can reduce abdominal fat and speed up weight loss.

Researchers put 38 overweight men and women on an 11 week diet consisting of 750 fewer calories than they typically ate. Each participant’s Vitamin D blood levels were tested before and after the diet.

The test showed that many of the participants were lacking sufficient vitamin D prior to the beginning of the study and during the study, the participants with the highest starting levels of Vitamin D and those who ate a diet rich in Vitamin D lost the most weight.

“Our results suggest the possibility that the addition of vitamin D to a reduced-calorie diet will lead to better weight loss,” said Shalamar Sibley, M.D., the study’s author.  

How Vitamin D Helps You Lose Weight

Excess body fat absorbs Vitamin D, which causes your body’s leptin levels to drop. Leptin is the hormone that tells your brain that your stomach is full and that it’s time to stop eating. Without the leptin trigger, you tend to overeat, adding on unneeded calories that are stored as fat.

Vitamin D also improves calcium absorption, which aids in weight loss and increases bone density, and helps your body use minerals like potassium and magnesium more effectively.

For maximum benefit, doctors recommend 800 to 1100 International Units (IU) of Vitamin D per day. Begin by eating a diet rich in Vitamin D foods like salmon, milk, tuna, orange juice and cereal. You can also try supplements - multi-vitamins typically contain 400 IU of Vitamin D.

But the best and easiest way to ensure you are getting enough Vitamin D is to get outside. Your body converts UVB rays from the sun into the most effective form of Vitamin D. It only takes 10 minutes of mid-day sun exposure three times a week to give your body the Vitamin D levels it needs to function at its best. (A note: sunscreen blocks the UVB rays, so wait a few minutes before applying.)

Vitamin D is the new darling of the weigh loss arena. Put it to the test by getting some extra sun. In addition to fighting osteoporosis, preventing cancer, reducing diabetic complications and improving cardiovascular health, you just might find a powerful new dieting ally.

Summer is here and the dark, cold days of winter are far behind us. And as the days get longer and warm summer evenings on the patio beckon, the heavy comfort foods we warm our bodies with during the winter are left behind in favor of nature’s bounty of light, sweet, delicious fruits and vegetables.

Fortunately, summer’s best foods are packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber and low in calories. Here are five of summer’s best that are delicious, nutritious and will keep you looking great in that bikini.

Strawberries

Strawberries are most people’s favorite fruit and it’s easy to see why. Strawberries are high in vitamins and minerals, fiber, folate, potassium and cancer-fighting antioxidants, and a cup of sweet berries only contains 43 calories! Strawberries taste great eaten plain, topped with whipped cream, tossed into a fruit salad or as the centerpiece of the most-traditional of all summer desserts, Strawberry Shortcake. For a lighter twist, try spooning cut-up strawberries over a slice of angel food cake. Delicious!

Cucumbers

Did you know that half a cucumber only contains 25 calories? And cucumbers are packed with health benefits: they can cool sunburned skin, relieve heartburn, control arthritis and gout, reduce chest congestion, prevent split nails and encourage hair growth (apply topically!) Cool and light, cucumbers are great simply sliced and eaten raw, or try juicing them and mixing the juice with seltzer water for a refreshing low-calorie drink

Berries

Berries are nature’s “Superfoods”, full of vitamin C and the healthy antioxidants that prevent cancer, diabetes, skin conditions and improve vision. Raspberries, blueberries and blackberries all contain less than 80 calories per cup. Now fresh and in season, berries can and should be - be enjoyed everyday. Add them to smoothies, serve over frozen custard or bake them into a beautiful tart. Your family will love them!

Peaches

A medium peach contains about 66 calories but is filled with vitamins A, B and C, folic acid, calcium, fiber, beta carotene and potassium. One of the most versatile fruits, peaches pair beautifully with blueberries and nuts, making great cobblers, salads, jams, pies, sauces and muffins.

Watermelon

Nothing says summer like fresh watermelon. Tender and juicy, watermelon belongs at every cookout, right next to the hot dogs and corn on the cob. And at only 48 calories per cup, watermelon is the ideal weight-watchers treat. It doesn’t contain any fat or cholesterol, is high in lycopene, vitamins A and C, and is loaded with fiber. For an interesting side dish, try mixing cubed watermelon with feta cheese. The sweet, juicy fruit and the salty cheese make a delicious and unusual combination. Watermelon also makes a great light drink: put 1 cup of cubed watermelon in the blender and liquefy. Mix with brewed Red Zinger tea and garnish with a sprig of mint. Makes two gorgeous summer drinks.

Now that they are in season, stock up on delicious and juicy summer fruit. Find some way to incorporate them into every meal. Here’s to your health!.

photo credit: valeblos

People often complain about having a slow metabolism that causes them to gain weight and makes it difficult to lose those pounds, but did you know that your metabolism works the other way, too? A fast metabolism can help you lose weight and burn fat, even while you sleep.

The good news is that your metabolism isn’t pre-destined to be set on low. By employing these five easy tricks, you can boost your metabolism’s performance to peak levels, burning calories and helping you lose weight.

Starting with the most important meal of the day…

Eat breakfast. After sleeping for eight or nine hours your body is in a fasting state. Eating breakfast tells your metabolism that its time to get up and moving, setting your metabolism motor on high for the whole day.

Eating breakfast helps you eat less, too. Studies have shown that people who eat breakfast consume nearly 300 fewer calories throughout the day - enough to account for an extra 12 to 15 pounds of weight lost per year.

To make the most of your breakfast, eat some protein and fiber like eggs, bacon and whole wheat toast. It will keep you full longer and you’ll eat less at lunchtime.

And through lunch and dinner…

Instead of eating three squares, try dividing your meals into five or six small meals of about 300 calories each. Eating smaller meals evenly spaced throughout the day keeps your metabolism humming along at full speed, plus you never have a chance to get hungry. Out-of-control between meal hunger is the culprit behind cravings for fast-food and sugary snacks that can lead to over-eating.

Plan your small meals before you leave the house - trying to put together a 300 calorie fast food meal at lunchtime is a recipe for disaster!

Metabolism boosting foods

Adding these foods to your diet can raise your metabolism even more:

• Chewing gum - keeps you moving
• Coffee - not decaf! The caffeine gets you going.
• Spicy foods like chili powder, hot sauce, green chili and peppers. Sweating = weight loss!
• Black beans - The fiber fills you up and keeps you full.

• Green Tea - Full of anti-oxidants and weight-loss helpers.
• Salmon  - Omega-3 fatty-acids are weight-loss friends
• Ice water - Your body has to burn calories to bring it back to body temperature

Add toning to your exercise routine

Whether you love cardio and aerobic exercise or are a die-hard couch potato, everyone can benefit from getting some weight-bearing exercise. Adding even a little bit of muscle helps boost your metabolism. Yoga, weight-lifting and kettle-bell classes are all great for toning muscles.

You’ve probably heard that muscle weights more than fat. It’s true and what’s more, muscles use more calories than fat - three times as many calories. So by adding a day or two of toning every week, you’ll be firmer, look thinner, feel better in your clothes and burn extra calories, even while you’re asleep.

Take a walk, or two, or three

Instead of one long walk, try three short walks of 10 or 15 minutes each. Every time you exercise, your metabolism gets an extra boost called after burn. After burn helps your metabolism continue to burn extra calories for up to four hours after you stop exercising.

Spacing your short walks throughout the day keeps your metabolism in after burn mode all day long and burns far more calories than one long walk - helping to keep you slim.

Try adding these five metabolism boosting tricks to your day. Boosting your metabolism can make a huge difference in your weight loss efforts. Its a fast and easy way to see big changes on the scale!

Well, it turns out that diet pop doesn’t help you lose weight. In fact, it may be helping you gain some.

According to a study done at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio, your odds of becoming overweight or obese increase a staggering 41% with every can or bottle of diet pop you drink each day.

The study followed 1550 people, 60% of who were overweight at the beginning of the study, for eight years and measured their pop consumption. During the study, another 200 people joined the ranks of the overweight and obese.

The study found that by drinking two cans of regular pop a day, your risk of becoming overweight increased about 47%. But far more surprising was the finding that by drinking two cans of diet pop each day, the risk of becoming overweight or obese increased by more than 57%.

But Isn’t Diet Pop a No-Calorie Beverage?

The authors of the study are quick to point out that diet pop does not cause obesity on its own. Rather, its more likely that people decide that they are being good by ordering a diet pop so they so they can have the double cheeseburger and large fries.

Another theory is that artificially sweetened pop doesn’t have the same ability to satisfy your sweet tooth that real sugar does. Instead, diet pop leaves you thirsty and still craving something sweet, so indulgers are likely to try to curb their craving with another diet pop.

A third theory suggests that people who drink regular pop are much more likely to allow for the extra calories somewhere else in their diet, so their overall caloric consumption doesn’t increase as much.

Well, What Should I Drink?

Ideally, to hydrate your body and quench your thirst, water is your best choice. Iced tea and freshly squeezed lemonade are also good choices. But if you are hooked on pop, reach for a regular one instead. You’ll still decrease your odds of gaining more weight and feel like you are treating yourself to something sweet.

Lastly, remember that a diet soda isn’t a diet. If you want to lose weight, simply switching to diet pop isn’t going to be the magic bullet that gets you bikini ready.

Cutting out soda altogether, switching to ice water, really watching your calories and starting an exercise routine are the best ways to stay out of the heavy majority, who more and more often, can be seen holding a can of diet pop.

 photo credit: houseoftext

Are you battling weight creep? You know those days, when you think you’ve been doing well on your diet - eating fruit, skipping dessert and even passing up the Girl Scout cookies, when suddenly your skinny jeans are a little bit too snug?

Weight creep happens to all of us. It’s insidious, and most of the time we don’t even notice it happening.

It isn’t the result of blowing your routine with one night of pizza and beer and ice cream. Instead, weight creep comes from dozens of tiny choices that snowball to become a big scary number on the scale.

So, to help you fight off weight creep and beat the scale back into submission, here are five fast and easy things you can do to keep your number where you want it.

• Go for the Good Stuff. At the store, fill your cart with high-quality, rich foods, like dark chocolate, gelato and real butter. Research shows that eating rich foods, full-fat foods fill you up and satisfies you better than lower quality, fat-free foods. Interestingly, a few bites of rich, beautiful food can have the same effect on your hunger as eating a whole bag of fat-free cookies. Brian Wansink, Ph.D., author of Mindless Eating, says, “Much of eating satisfaction is derived from the flavor intensity and visual impact of a meal, not necessarily the amount of food served.”

· Start Fidgeting. Did you know that pacing, fidgeting, foot-tapping and shifting your weight burns up to 2,000 calories a day? But after 2 hours sitting at your desk or lazing on the couch, the calorie burn grinds to a near halt? According to Mayo Clinic Endocrinologist James Levine, simply moving around during the day prevents those extra calories from being stored as fat.

· Pay Attention! Practice the Zen habit of eating slowly and paying attention while you eat. When you eat while you are talking on the phone, watching television, reading a book or driving the car, it’s far too easy to just shovel in the food without noticing or appreciating what or how much you eat. Wait to eat when you can sit and just eat. You’ll eat far fewer calories and you’ll remember to slow down and enjoy it.

· Use a Salad Plate. As children, we were taught to clean our plates. Using a smaller plate helps you eat less. First of all, there is less room to fill with food, but more importantly, an empty plate is a strong subliminal cue that you are done eating. The difference could be as much as 200 fewer calories per meal.

• Eat More Often. Did you know that your metabolism works hard to burn calories and help you lose weight? Just like a car, your metabolism is the most efficient when it runs at a constant speed without slowing down. So instead of eating three square meals, try eating five or six small meals of about 300 calories each evenly spaced throughout your day. You’ll burn more calories and eat less overall since you never have a chance to get hungry.

Make these five small changes to your daily routine and you’ll be on your way to winning the weight creep battle and looking great in those skinny jeans again.

Can You Tell the Fit from the Flab?

Test your knowledge about these common weight loss ideas.

Question #1

True or False - Americans spent $35 million annually on weight loss products.

True. We keep spending the money, but we aren’t losing any weight. The United States tips the scales in obesity, where more than 1 in 3 of us is considered obese and a whopping 66% are overweight.

Question #2

True or False – Once you lose the weight, you will be able to keep it off.

Probably False. When people are able to lose a large amount of weight, about 92% of them regain it within a year. Why? Once they hit their goal weight, they give up exercise and cantaloupe in favor of sitting on the couch eating cookies. They didn’t make a lifestyle change, they were on a diet.

A better plan? Make some diet and lifestyle choices you can really live with and enjoy. Wouldn’t you rather be in the lucky 8%?

Question #3

True or False – If you’ve been cursed with a slow metabolism, it will be nearly impossible to lose weight.

False. First of all, heavier people have faster metabolisms than slim people. It takes more calories to maintain that figure. It just doesn’t feel like it.

Second, by doing a few easy things like eating small meals often, taking a walk everyday and not skipping breakfast, you can jump start your metabolism so it burns more calories, melting away fat even while you are asleep.

Question #4

True or False – Eating fat will make you fat

False. High-fat foods don’t necessarily make you fat and low-fat foods don’t necessarily help you lose weight. Your body needs fat to survive and eating foods higher in fat can even help you lose weight, because they fill you up faster and your body uses more calories to digest them. But the kind of fat you eat can matter. Skip the French fries and stick to high-quality foods like cheese, avocados, nuts and milk. Fat really can help you lose weight.

Question #5

True or False – The best way to lose weight is by cutting calories.

Sometimes. A healthy and sensible weight loss plan cuts out about 500 calories per day through eating less, exercising more or some combination of the two. But thinking that if cutting 500 calories is good, 1000 must be better is a recipe for a terrible mood and a diet you can’t maintain. It’s just too hard.

When you cut out too many calories, your body (rightly) thinks you are starving and goes into survival mode, hanging onto every bit of fat, and not coincidentally, storing it around your midsection. In a nutshell, you aren’t eating enough calories to lose weight. Have a snack for God’s sake!

Question #6

True or False – You will eat less and lose weight if you skip breakfast.

False. They don’t call it the most important meal of the day for nothing. People who skip breakfast make up the missed calories later in the day, usually around 3:00, when the hallway vending machine begins its sweet siren song.

Eating breakfast gives your metabolism a boost and gets your body and mind running so you think and perform better all day.

If you are looking to shave off a few pounds, studies have shown that eating eggs for breakfast can help you eat less. Beginning your day with some protein fills you up and keeps you fuller, longer, especially when compared to eating cereal or bagels and cream cheese.

So, how did you do? A perfect 6? No? Don’t worry. Now that you know the truth, you can start making some healthy changes in your life and diet. You’ll be in those skinny jeans in no time.

But even though we know that fried foods aren’t helping us lose weight, a recent study, The Future of Fried Foods, shows that we haven’t really cut back on enjoying them.

WHY WE ENJOY FRIED FOODS:

• 89% of us consider fried foods to be “tasty”
• 86% of us consider fried foods to be “satisfying”
• 83% of us consider fried foods to be “filling”
• 71% of us consider fried foods to be a “good value”
• And an alarming 80% of us call fried foods something “I crave”.

And despite the revelation that more than half of the study’s respondents said that they are trying to cut back on fried foods, 21% admitted to fried food impulse purchases and about another third justified their fried food habit by explaining that it was something they didn’t make at home, so it was a treat to purchase it at a restaurant.

So we agree that fried food is tasty, satisfying and fattening, but what is it about frying healthy food that turns it into such a caloric powerhouse? Let’s examine a baked potato versus French fries:

BAKED POTATO VS. FRENCH FRIES

Baked Potato:

• 110 calories, 0 grams of fat

French Fries:

• Potato + oil + salt
• Now you are at 380 calories and 18 grams of fat

But still when given the choice, most people will choose the French fries instead of the baked potato. Why? It just tastes better.

When we fry food, the food soaks up some of the oil, adding fat and calories. Oils all contain about 100 calories per tablespoon, so the calories add up quickly. Throw into the equation that many deep fried foods are breaded or battered, adding even more calories and fat, and you have a recipe for weight gain, hardened arteries and larger pants.

So what can be done? Skip the fried foods and opt for grilled or baked. Even at fast food restaurants this simple choice can make a huge difference in your weight loss efforts.

Think you are winning the weight loss battle by ordering a salad? Depends on how you order it. Let’s look at the Southwest Salad at McDonald’s:

McDonald’s Southwest Salad:

• 140 calories without chicken, a good choice.
• 320 calories with grilled chicken.
• 430 calories with crispy (read: fried) chicken
• 170 calories more for Newman’s Ranch dressing
• Total: 600 calories. For a salad. Wouldn’t you rather have dessert?

At McDonald’s, a Premium Crispy Club Sandwich (which sounds like it ought to be a healthy choice, but is made with fried chicken) and medium fries, contain more than 1000 calories, or about half of the calories you should consume for the whole day. Choosing the grilled chicken instead will save you over 100 calories.

So for an easy way to help lose the weight, avoid the fried foods. Save the calories for something you really crave, like chocolate. You’ll feel better and look great. Enjoy that baked potato!

]]> http://www.deceptivediet.com/weight-loss/fried-foods-swimming-in-the-fat/feed http://www.deceptivediet.com/weight-loss/the-metabolic-magic-of-the-black-bean-5-great-health-benefits http://www.deceptivediet.com/weight-loss/the-metabolic-magic-of-the-black-bean-5-great-health-benefits#comments Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:13:50 +0000 Diet Tips http://www.deceptivediet.com/?p=301 Your metabolism controls how many calories and how much fat you burn while working and at rest.  It’s often thought that your metabolic rate, or how fast your metabolism works to burn off the bad things, is determined by genetics.  This is partly true, but…

With the black bean  you can trick your body and your metabolism to work harder for you!

Let’s take a look at the 5 key health benefits of the magical black bean.  There are so many more great things about black beans, but lets start here…

1. Fat-free - In particicular, black beans are virtually fat-free and provide 15 grams of healthy and natural protein per cup. 
2. Protein Loaded - Black beans have more protein than pinto beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas so go ahead and enjoy.
3. Vitamin B - Black beans are full of Vitamin B which helps your metabolism break down carbs.
4. Fiber Rich - Black beans are high in fiber which can help lower your cholesterol.
5. Low Blood Sugar - They also stop blood sugar from rising too rapidly during a meal so they are a great choice for diabetics.

Black beans are so great to help your metabolism work harder.  They keep your metabolism active which helps burn calories all day long.  They also provide tons of protein which helps to build lean and strong muscles.

Plus, if you throw in a few simple extras with your black beans it’s so easy to burn more fat and calories.  By making a few small changes in your daily routine you can trick your metabolism to work even when you aren’t.  For instance…

• Exercise and Protein - Eating more protein and exercising (even a little bit) helps build lean muscle.  Try to walk up the stairs at your office rather than taking the elevator, or park farther away from the store in the parking lot so you get a little exercise before you go shopping.  Even this little bit of exercise is helpful!
• Lean Muscle - The more lean muscle you have in your body, the harder your metabolism works. 
• One Pound Swap - If you swap one pound of body fat for one pound of lean muscle, your metabolism will work harder at burning calories.
• Burning Calories - Even while you sit in your office chair or watch the kids play in the yard your metabolism will be working hard if you have more muscle. 
• Relaxing- By eating more protein and exercising a few times a week, your metabolism will keep burning extra calories while you “relax.”

Getting more protein in your diet is really easy.  Rather than filling up on red meat, and especially if you are a vegetarian, beans are a wonderful source of protein. 

Beans often get a bad rap, and women especially avoid beans becuase of their side effects (gas…no one wants to talk about it, but there it is out in the open…beans can cause gas, and yes, all women have to pass gas, so don’t be too ashamed).  Despite this little issue (which Beano or GasEx can help with), beans are so good and so healthy for you so don’t stay away from them! 

There you have it, the metabolic magic of the black bean!  These little metabolic boosters are a great way to eat healthy, aid an active lifestyle and help your metabolism work harder so you lose weight.  Enjoy black beans all year long and watch as your metabolism works harder for you!

photo credit: net_efekt
photo credit: lululemon athletica