I have had so many inquiries about the various forms of The Cookie Diet, I did a little research last week to find out what I need to know to pass along the reliable information you need about this weight loss plan.  So here goes:

First of all, there are at least three companies who sell various versions of The Cookie Diet:  Dr. Siegal’s Cookie Diet (by a physician from Miami, Florida who has been marketing this cookie program since the 1970’s); The Smart For Life Cookie Diet (which boasts organic cookie ingredients, and also has both a medically supervised and a ‘home’ version plan) and the Hollywood Cookie Diet, so named because of all the celebrities who supposedly followed this diet.  The latter has the most nutritious “cookie” ingredients which include 10% of the daily value for iron in each cookie, and 20% of the daily value for Calcium, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C.

The way the diet works is you have one “cookie” at each meal time and snack time to total four to six cookies a day (depending on your plan) for a daily calorie intake from the cookies of 500 calories.  Then you balance out the day with a healthy dinner consisting of lean protein and vegetables.  Your own healthy meal can have over 500 calories, and your daily intake will still be less than 1200 calories, a level at which most anyone can lose weight rather rapidly (about two pounds each week).

The idea of meal replacement dieting has been around for a long time.  Some are in the form of shakes, some frozen pre-prepared dinners, some offer bars in different flavors.  The diet works in several ways:

1) You are on a lower calorie level so you burn more energy than you eat and the result is–ta da– weight loss.

2) You do not have to make any decisions about what to eat: the cookie, meal, shake or bar is simply there for you to open and eat.  This is helpful for many people who do not have the time, energy, or willpower to plan every meal and will end up eating the first thing that sounds good to them (drive thru, vending machine, buffet–you get the picture) on many instances, thus failing at their weight loss attempts.

3) The diet works partly because of taste fatigue–when you are presented with the same food day after day you start losing your taste and your desire to eat.  This makes dieting and weight loss a little easier because if you stay on the regimen, you are a little less interested in eating.

The diet can also tempt people to stray from the plan because it becomes boring.  And this, like any other diet, will only work for as long as you can stay on it!

Nutritionally, Dr. Siegal’s cookies are not very good for you.  They have 2% or less of the daily value for vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron.  Lucky for you, Dr. Siegal’s company also sells a vitamin and mineral supplement to assure you remain well-nourished!

And what about the cost?  Most of these cookie diets ship the products to you (you pay for the shipping) at a pricey $60 per week.  A healthier plan would be to have a breakfast bar and fresh fruit for breakfast every day (most breakfast bars are fortified with vitamins and minerals and many include a few grams of fiber); a diet frozen meal for lunch (choose from hundreds of varieties among several brands and enjoy a delectable lunch every day); a low fat yogurt for an afternoon snack, and a sensible meal.  This plan will help you meet the guidelines and recommendations for vitamins, minerals, balance, and variety.  You can eat fruits and vegetables and whole grains and dairy products.  The calories: about the same as the cookie diet (approximately 500 before your healthy dinner); the cost–about $20 less than the cookie diet… and that doesn’t include your “no shipping” savings.

Related Posts

The Environmental Working Group stated that out of 188 bottle water companies they surveyed, only 2 were able to provide documentation regarding the source, treatment and quality of the water they were selling.  The environmental working group also found a variety of chemical contaminants in every bottled water brand they analyzed for a report they published in October 2008.  Although suppliers of tap water are required to notify customers within 24 hours if contaminants are found in the water, this is not a requirement for bottled water companies.  Why is this?

The EPA (Environmental Protective Agency) is responsible for testing tap water and have been providing detailed reports regarding the water source and any contaminants found in our household faucet water since 1999.  So who is responsible for the testing and treatment of bottled water?  Since bottled water is classified as a food, the Food and Drug Administration is responsible for inspecting the bottled water most of us drink everyday.  Siobhan DeLancey, a spokeswoman for the F.D.A., said “We do monitor and inspect the bottled water, the same as we do food,… I don’t think that they should think it’s totally unregulated”. After the congressional meeting, it was reported that 13 letters were sent to specific companies requesting more information regarding the source of their water and how it gets tested.

It’s funny how completely ignorant I was to the debate between bottled and faucet water.  I am one of the 54% of Americans that drink bottled water exclusively because I perceived it to be healthier for me.  I believed that faucet water contained too much “lead” (not really sure where I got this inclination from) and that drinking faucet water would cause me to become ill.  But if faucet water is so safe, I wonder why companies like Brita are doing so well with their water filters?  This is definitely something I will be paying more attention to because to be quite honest, buying bottled water can be a bit expensive and last time I checked, American was not a 3rd world country.

If I’m not mistaken there were also some reports about how much dangerous chemicals are found in the plastic used for our bottled water.  I’ll be looking into this as well before I form my opinion.

Do you still drink from the faucet or are you convinced that bottled water is the safest choice?

credit: tom.arthur

(source: The New York Times)

Related Posts

The results showed that group B lost the most with an average of 1.9 more pounds lost than the other groups.  Remember… Group B invested and risked $100 of their own money.  With so much more to lose than the other groups it’s very easy to see why group B lost the most.  The other groups weren’t too far behind but it goes to show that money can’t make everyone move in the desired direction.  I think the amount of money offered for the amount of time the study took to complete was very low.  If $1,000 or more was offered to those in groups A and C I’m sure the results would have been drastically different.  It also goes to show that those who invest in a diet program are more likely to stick to it.

So, what amount would it take for you to lose weight?  What if someone offered you $100 or $10,000.  What kind of price tag would it take for you to care enough to invest in your own health?  I have family members that are obese and it’s really hard to sit back and watch them destroy their body’s with the lifestyle choices they make.  So if money can’t motivate people what will?

photo credit: Photos8.com

Related Posts

There are lots of ways to stay motivated over the long term, such as taking it slowly, logging your progress, not getting stuck in a rut, and having the support of friends. But sometimes, you need instant motivation – the sort which stops you raiding the cookie jar or breaking out the candy bars.

Here are five different ways to short-term motivation:

1. Go For a Brisk Walk

This really is my number one tip, and it’s incredibly simple. When you’re feeling like the last thing on earth you want to do is to diet, take yourself off for a brisk walk. (If you’re feeling energetic enough and have time, a gym session is even better). Exercise lifts your mood, and it’s a positive action towards your weight-loss goal: feeling proud of yourself is a great motivator.

Walking is also a great chance to listen to some upbeat music, a motivational audio book, or to simply think about your health goals.

2. Visualize Your Goal

I used to think that visualisation was a bit hokey or weird – but it does work surprisingly well. Take some time to sit quietly, close your eyes and imagine how you’ll feel when you reach your goal weight. Will you be confident enough to go swimming? Will you look great in a new outfit? Will you be enjoying yourself on a walking or cycling holiday for the first time? Let yourself daydream!

You might want to turn to an old photograph from when you were slimmer, or use an online tool such as one of the ones listed here to “see” yourself thinner.

3. Eat Something Healthy

Even if you’re tempted to head to the nearest Mexican for dinner, resist! When you’re feeling unmotivated, make an extra effort to eat something healthy. Don’t deprive yourself, of course; healthy doesn’t mean bland.

By eating healthily, you’re telling yourself that even when you don’t feel emotionally very motivated or enthused, you can still tap into a deeper motivation. Think of it as a stubborn determination to see through what you’ve started!

4. Read Dieting Blogs and Success Stories

Reading about dieting – particularly other people’s success stories – can be hugely motivational. Even if you have a long way to go, or particular problems to contend with, you’ll almost certainly find someone who’s been in a similar position … and who’s triumphed. Dieting magazines invariably carry success stories, and there are loads of free blogs devoted to individuals’ dieting journeys.

One of my favourite dieting blogs is The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl, written by the truly amazing Shauna Reid who lost half her body weight between 2001 and 2006. You can find out more on her About page.

5. Write Down Five Things You Love About Your Diet

It’s easy to focus on the negatives about dieting – telling ourselves that we’re “bored” or “deprived”. Instead of thinking about what you don’t like, jot down a list of five things you love (or at least quite like!) about your die and exercise regime. Here are mine:

• I have more energy when I’m eating healthily
• My skin and hair look good – I don’t get spots now
• I get a real buzz out of exercising
• I really enjoy the fresh, bright, delicious foods I eat
• I can wear clothes that I look great in

What are yours?

Related Posts

There is a new wave of aroma weight loss supplements that are geared towards stimulating the olfactory bulb which is the organ that is responsible for transmitting the sense of smell between the nose and the brain.  The Sensa weight loss product, created by Dr. Alan Hirsch, is a granular seasoning that when applied to food, allows you to taste,  smell and enjoy your food more.  It is believed that by increasing the sense of smell, one can achieve satiety (the feeling of fullness) faster.  The average weight loss over 6 months on the product that Dr. Hirsch created was about 30lbs and it’s these types of results that are generating buzz in the weight loss community. One of the more obvious benefits of products like Sensa is that it can make healthier food choices that many consider bland and plain much more flavorful.

According to Molecular Biologist Christopher Adams,  “Eighty percent of what you perceive as taste is actually smell”.  And while other companies are working towards blocking the sense of smell to promote weight loss, Dr. Friedman, associate director of Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, says there isn’t enough evidence to link sense of smell to weight loss.

Other products on the market include sniff pens and scented beads.  Have you tried any of the products mentioned in this post?  Let us know about your experience.

photo credit: vauvau

(source: The New York Times)

Related Posts

Over the past year obesity rates among adults rose in 23 states.  The rates did not decline in any state.   This report does not even count how many adults are merely overweight, with a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 30, but focuses on those who are obese which means having a BMI greater than 30.  An example of a person with a BMI over 30 would be someone who is 5 feet 7 inches tall weighing over 190 pounds.

The results: Mississippi wins again (or loses) as the state with the most obese adults having 32.5%  in this category.  Other states with more than 30% of the residents obese include West Virginia, Alabama, and Tennessee.  The states with the fewest obese population are Colorado , Massachusetts, and Connecticut coming in with 20%, 21.2% and 21.3%, respectively.

The connection to medicare is the fact that the rate of obesity continues to rise in the 55-64 year old population group.  Health economists once believed that obese seniors would weed themselves out of the high medical costs by dying younger of obesity-related illnesses.  Now, however, it appears they are living as long as non-obese adults, living sicker, and costing a lot in healthcare dollars.  The average obese older adult spends an average of $1400-$6000 more in healthcare per year than other adults.

Is there any good news?  Well, last year the incidence of obesity rose in 37 states.  Maybe we are starting to see a slower gain and this would be a welcomed trend.

Related Posts

Chances are you will go back to your usual eating habits (which, face it, probably aren’t very healthy) and gain the weight right back.  Then you’ll be writing me six months later because it’s time for holiday parties or beach season and you have 25 pounds to lose again.

What if your goal was not to lose a number of pounds by a certain date, but to adapt healthier eating habits?  What if you could reduce your portions, substitute a candy bar for a piece of fruit or a granola bar, and go for a 20 minute walk each day?  Well then you could lose two or three pounds a month.  Most people would say that’s not worth it, but lets take a look:

On a scale from 1-10, how hard would it be to fit in a 20 minute walk on most days?   This will lead to a pound loss each month.

On a scale from 1-10 how difficult would it be to check your portions at dinner and resist taking seconds and eating until your stuffed.  You would probably feel much better well into the evening.  This would lead to a pound loss at the end of the month.

On a scale from 1-10 how miserable would you really be to give up your afternoon candy bar?  How much do you enjoy eating it, versus just looking forward to it?  For how long after you eat the candy bar do you feel good?  Substituting a healthier snack with more nutrients, including fiber, and less sugar and fat can lead you to yet another pound of weight loss at the end of the month.

Slowly, but surely, the weight will gradually come off as you adapt a few healthier habits.  No crash diet, no giving up foods you like, no hours of exercise at the gym.  Just a little walk, a little less food, a little smarter snacking.  And one year from now–do the math–you’ll have lost 36 pounds.  Now how good does that sound?

photo credit: Franck Mahon

Related Posts

Two of the groups were given carbs that were high on the glycemic index.  An example of high glycemic index foods include: White bread, cornflakes, pre-packaged cakes and sweets, ice cream, white rice, french fries, etc.  The results showed that those in the high glycemic groups experienced stress on their arteries.   That’s right!  The Doctors were able to see the problem occur in “real-time”.  The volunteer’s artery walls became swollen and dysfunctional.  This type of behavior within the arteries is what puts people at risk for heart disease and heart attacks.

Reading the study really got me thinking about my “everything is fine in moderation” mentality.  Based on what the study shows, the dysfunction in the arteries was experienced by healthy individuals during one sitting.  I imagine you would have to expose yourself to this kind of diet for some time to do optimal damage.  And that those at an advanced age are at a higher risk than a teenager.

Either way, the breakthrough in this technology, and being able to monitor heart health related activity in “real-time,” is sure to help doctors save lives by identifying those that are at risk for heart disease when it can be treated early with diet.  So now that you are armed with this new information, what are some takeaways? The foods you eat are the key to reducing the risk for heat disease. Eating 100% whole grain bread, oatmeal, nuts, sweet potatoes, legumes, fruits and vegetables that have a low glycemic index (and do not cause the stress on the arteries as listed above) are the best ingredients for a healthy heart.

How does this study change your view on heart disease?  Will you think twice before pounding down honey buns and Twinkies?

photo credit: Lazurite

Related Posts

But many of us find excuse after excuse to avoid the gym, or to put off going for a jog or even a brisk walk. Life gets busy, and there are always competing demands on our time.

I’d be the first to admit that staying motivated to exercise is hard! Here are six tips that’ll help you keep up your enthusiasm, or which will get you over the “can’t be bothered” days:

1. Just Get Going

This works for almost anything that you feel a reluctance to get started on – especially exercise. Rather than sitting on the sofa trying to talk yourself into a workout, just get up and start moving. Pack your gym kit. Head out for a jog. Tell yourself you can stop after five minutes. Once you’ve started, the battle’s half won.

A related tip for this is to pack any exercise gear you need in advance. For example, if you exercise in the evening on the way home from work, get your kit bag ready the night before and put it in the car, so it’s already sitting there when you wake up bleary-eyed and have to hurry off to work.

2. Keep An Exercise Log

Tracking the workouts that you do has several benefits:

• It holds you accountable to yourself (you can easily see which days you’ve skipped)
• It gives you a record of success to look back on
• It shows you how you’re progressing – eg. you can see that you’re lifting heavier weights and running faster than when you started out

On days when you lack motivation, sometimes the thought of recording a workout in your log is enough to get you moving! Your record doesn’t need to be anything elaborate: a small notebook or diary is fine.

3. Work Out How Many Calories You’re Burning

If you can be a bit of a numbers geek at times, like me, you’ll find that working out the calories you’re burning can be motivating (especially as this is an encouragement to exercise faster and harder and increase the burn!) The Activity Calculator is a great tool for this.

Don’t forget, too, that you do need to eat a bit extra on the days when you’re doing a workout: your body needs fuel to burn. If you regularly find yourself struggling through workouts and lacking energy, this may be an indication that you need to eat a larger pre-workout snack.

4. Take Your Own Music

This might seem like a bit of an odd tip, but I’ve found the gym much more enjoyable when I’ve taken along my MP3 player and headphones. I’m no fan of the typical sort of “gym music”, and being subjected to it for a 40-minute cardio workout was never exactly the highlight of my day!

Find some tracks that you love to listen to – ideally upbeat, pacey ones that encourage you to move faster, or that simply put a grin on your face! Another option is to listen to audio books or podcasts – if you’re often pressed for time, this is a great way to make your workout a multi-tasking experience.

5. Find A Buddy

Do you often plan workouts, then cancel on yourself? If so, the solution is to find a gym buddy: a friend, colleague or family member who you’ll join for a workout. It’s much harder to weasel out of a commitment you’ve made to someone else: you won’t want to let them down.

If you really can’t find a suitable gym buddy, why not join an exercise class? Try to get to know a few people there – it’ll make it more fun, and you’ll have a reason to show up each week.

6. Think How Great You’ll Feel Afterwards

Lastly, when your motivation seems to have vanished entirely, it can be helpful to think how good you’ll feel after you’ve done your workout. Picture that healthy glow, that blissfully de-stressed feeling, and that sense of virtue! Trust me, you’ll be glad you did do some exercise – so what are you waiting for?

Related Posts

So I wasn’t surprised when I read that  vinegar might also aid in weight loss in a recent study done in Japan.   The study involved giving acetic acid to mice that were on a high-fat diet.   The results found that the mice developed 10% less body fat than those who did not receive vinegar.  The acetic acid is believed to activate protein producing genes that breaks down fat and prevents fat build up in the body.

Is this a breakthrough?  The uses for vinegar are very well documented online, as is the health benefits of apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and others.  Some of those health beneifts include: aiding the digestive system, reducing bad cholesterol, and reducing high blood pressure.

The next time you’re tempted to drown your salad with ranch dressing, try adding some everyday ordinary household vinegar and oil. The results just might surprise you.  There are also dozens of Vinaigrette options you can buy from your local grocery store as well.  Just make sure to read the labels.  For other types of vinegars, check out this page at Wikipedia.

(source: WebMD)
photo credit: mela sogono

Related Posts

25 pounds

For people who are very overweight, the journey to get the extra pounds off seems never-ending.  The good news is, you don’t have to worry about getting all the way down to your ideal weight in order to experience many of the benefits of weight loss.   Evidence is now clear that losing  just 10% of your body weight can reap huge benefits to your health!  This means if you weigh 230 pounds you don’t have to shoot for an all-or-nothing 50, 60, or even an 80 pound weight loss (depending on your height and gender).  Just 23 pounds off your frame can ease the pressure on your joints and your back, help your blood glucose response, bring your blood lipid levels down, and reduce your blood pressure.  Of course, the more you lose, the better the results, but it’s a huge relief for most people to hear that a little bit of weight loss will do a whole lot of good.

Think about what 10% weight loss is for you.  If it doesn’t sound very significant to drop 20-something pounds, check out this perspective to see how it would feel if you could instantly feel the difference.  Imagine yourself carrying a 25 pound bag of dog food or cat litter: what a relief it is to get it out of the car and into the house and finally put it down.  If you had to carry it up a flight of stairs it feels even more heavy!   So how differently would you feel, how much easier would you move, how much less out-of-breath would you be if you weighed 25 pounds less?

Think about carrying a gallon of milk in each hand: they weigh a total of 16 pounds.  It doesn’t sound like a lot to lose from your body, but it feels like quite a struggle if you have to carry this 16 pounds around for a while.  What would it be like to drop 16 pounds and go about your day without this extra weight?

The struggle to lose weight  can feel like a long, uphill battle.  You can make it easier by acknowledging all of your successes along the way.  Pat yourself on the back for every five pounds you lose and set a new, smaller goal today.  Work your way to losing just 10% of your body weight over the next six months.  You’ll find it much easier and less stressful  to reach a goal you’ve set, and reap the benefits that resonate throughout your mind and body!

Related Posts

Chances are, you’d talk about reaching a particular, measurable, goal. For many dieters, that means getting to a target weight; for others, it could be a particular waist measurement. It might just mean fitting back into those old jeans.

Something that I think is key to a “successful” diet is that you’ve changed some of your habits.

After all, you could lose weight by eating nothing but cabbage soup, or drinking Slimfast (I’d not recommend either diet). If you then go straight back to your “normal” eating habits, guess what? That weight’s going to come straight back on…

What Are Your Current Eating Habits?

If you’re starting off on a diet, or if you seem to have come to a plateau, it can be worth taking a look at your eating habits. These can fall into several different categories:

• Habits about when you eat (including who you eat with and where you are)
• Habits about what you eat
• Habits about why you eat
• Habits about how you eat

All of these habits can either be supporting your diet or undermining it. For example, if you’re in the habit of stopping off for a latte and muffin on the way to work, you might need to change when you eat to have a healthier breakfast at home.

Here are a few bad habits that many of us fall into at one time or another:

• Eating on the run, grabbing fast food or unhealthy snacks
• Eating because we’re bored, upset or tired
• Eating too fast: not chewing properly, and not taking time to enjoy the meal

What Habits Have You Changed?

Chances are, you’ve already changed some of your habits while dieting. Even on weeks when the scales refuse to budge, congratulate yourself for sticking to your new habits: this is what’s going to make the long-term difference. (After all, would you rather lose weight fast and be slim for a year, or lose weight slowly and be slim for the rest of your life?)

Think about the habits that you’ve successfully changed. It might help to jot them down. How about:

• Drinking diet soda instead of full-sugar soda
• Switching from full-fat milk to skim milk
• Going for a walk every day
• Eating breakfast
• Having an extra portion of vegetables with dinner

These might seem like small changes … but they really do add up over the course of a day, a month or a lifetime.

How Can You Keep Changing Your Habits?

The next step is to look at the current habits you have. Are there any which you’d like to ditch? Perhaps you always buy a candy bar after lunch, simply because you’re in the habit of doing so. Can you cut down to having the candy just once or twice a week? (You’ll probably enjoy it much more that way.)

If you want to encourage yourself to exercise, make it a habit – something you do almost automatically. Ride your bike to the shops instead of taking the car. Go for a walk at the weekend instead of lounging in front of the television.

Sometimes, you won’t want to give up a habit altogether – but you can tweak it to make it a bit healthier. I’m rather partial to pick-n-mix candy when going to movies … but I know this little habit isn’t doing much good for my sugar, fat and calorie intakes! Instead, I’ll take a small bag of sweet popcorn and some hard candy – not exactly nutritionally-sound, but much less damaging than my former pick-n-mix habit.

What habits would you like to change? How could you tweak your daily routine or your typical grocery purchases to get into better habits?

Related Posts

Now with over a full third of the American population obese (previously clinically defined as 20% above their ideal weight, and now as have a body mass index [BMI] of 30 or above) more and more are joining the movement.  Many women claim that being fat–even weighing as much as 300 pounds–is not what makes them unhappy; dieting is what makes them unhappy.  They want to stop obsessing about their weight and their eating and stop experiencing the prejudice and public gawking they suffer because of their size.  The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) works to have laws passed to prohibit discrimination in the work place and act to intervene when children who are overweight are bullied at school.

Indeed, these fat women assert that the number on the scale or the size of their clothing or the way that they look should not be what determines their acceptance in society, their happiness, or their self-worth.  They point out that mental well-being is important just as physical health is, and that they suffer greatly from being singled out, stared at, and experiencing self-loathing because they don’t meet society’s ideal standard of weight.

For those who believe this is just an excuse for these fat people to eat what they please, most of them say they are concerned about their health and do keep up regular exercise and sensible eating.  They go to their doctors for physicals and evaluations and many can honestly say that their blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar levels are normal.  They also point out the dangers of yo yo dieting, which are well documented.

While the people who are part of the fat acceptance movement say they are happier accepting their weight as it is, feeling great in every aspect of their life–including dressing well and finding worth in their family, relationships, and career instead of their size–health professionals still acknowledge there is no denying that extra weight will more than likely contribute to chronic illnesses as these people age.  No one can say being one hundred pounds overweight is good for you.

Another stand I take issue with is the NAAFA’s statement that “society believes fat people are at fault for their size”.  I believe this to be true: fat people are at fault for their size and cannot realistically blame the fast food restaurants or the FDA or their parents or their genes.  As long as an overweight person attributes their weight to an outside factor–whether it’s their metabolism or genetics, the fast food industry, or their destiny–taking the responsibility away from themselves puts them in denial.  This greatly reduces the chance they they will ever assume responsibility and do something to take control of their situation.

What do you think of the NAAFA’s initiative for fat people?

Related Posts

Question:

I am a 30-year-old woman who has been a vegetarian for ten years. Lately my skin is really dry and I feel tired all the time. I’m retaining water more than I used to as well. I used to weigh 110, but my weight has slowly crept up to 135. What can I do diet-wise to have more energy and lose weight? Thank you!

<br>

Answer:

Dear Ann,

With symptoms as specific as yours (dry skin, constant fatigue, water retention) I would suggest seeing your physician as soon as possible.  From what you describe, I have no idea how these symptoms are related, but they may be a clear sign to your doctor of an easily treatable condition.  Fluid retention is always a sign to see the doctor right away–it could involve major organs like your kidneys, liver, heart, or lungs.

Then, if the doctor finds nothing wrong I suggest, first of all, making sure you drink plenty of water (6-10 eight-ounce glasses daily).  Dry skin can be a symptom of simply not being well-hydrated, and fluid retention can happen from a combination of a higher sodium intake and too little water intake to flush it out.  (I want to stress you should definitely not just start drinking more before seeing your physician–as I mentioned above, if there are physiological reasons you are retaining water, drinking more could stress your kidneys, make breathing difficult, or stress your heart).

Depending on your diet (”vegetarian” can be well-balanced or can be lacking nutrients, just as with anyone’s typical diet) you may be lacking enough protein or enough essential fatty acids to be causing some type of deficiency.  Protein deficiency can cause edema (fluid retention) and fatty acid deficiency can lead to dry skin.

Before adjusting your intake you need to see the doctor first to rule out any condition that can be easily treated now, but lead to serious consequences if you wait.

Please let us know how you’re doing!

Related Posts

Impulse snacking is similar – and just as impulse shopping can be very bad for your bank balance, impulse snacking won’t do your waistline any favors.

So if you find yourself nibbling on things just because they’re there, or opening the fridge on a whim, when you’re not hungry, here’s how to beat impulse snacking.

1. Keep Snack Foods Out Of Sight

I won’t say “never buy snack foods” because being on a diet doesn’t mean missing out on all your favorites – but it does mean occasionally exercising a bit of self-restraint! Don’t make things harder on yourself than they need to be, though; if you have a cookie jar on the sideboard in the kitchen, you’ll see it (and think “ooh, cookies”) every time you go into the kitchen for a glass of water or to put the kettle on.

Put your snack foods in a cupboard, or on top of a high shelf. If they’re out of sight, they’ll be out of mind. And if they’re out of reach as well, you might decide that it’s just too much effort to get a snack!

2. Always Wait Ten Minutes Before Snacking

I’ve heard some great advice about impulse shopping that suggests counting to ten before putting an item in your basket – or mentally noting unplanned purchases for another day. This is a great way to break the pattern of buying something without really needing it.

You can do something similar with your urge to snack. If the thought that “a bag of potato chips would be nice” comes at you from out of the blue, tell yourself that you’ll wait at least ten minutes before deciding whether or not to eat them. Quite often, you’ll find that the urge to snack was a fleeting one that’s now easy to dismiss.

3. Don’t Nibble While Cooking

Some of us are great at clocking up unwanted calories while preparing or cooking food. A sliver of cheese, a piece of bread dipped in sauce, a handful of the potato wedges you’re cooking for the kids … and chances are, these aren’t even “snacks” you particularly enjoy or remember. I’m particularly bad when baking – and I’m sure I’d enjoy a couple of the cookies more than all the scrapings of dough from the bowl, for the same calories!

Make a firm rule not to nibble while you’re cooking. If you tend to pop things into your mouth absent-mindedly, try chewing gum, or sucking on a piece of hard candy.

4. Leave Your Money At Home

Do you find yourself buying snacks from the vending machine or the canteen at work – even though you’ve brought in your own, perfectly healthy, lunch? If so, a simple solution is to just leave your money at home (or only take in the cash you actually need for the day, if you have to pay for transport etc); that way, you won’t be able to buy those little extras.

If you’re meeting a friend for coffee, and you don’t want to succumb to the lure of a chocolate muffin on the side, then apply the same principle: just take what you need for your coffee.

5. Write Down Everything You Eat

Even if you don’t want to keep a food journal all the time, writing down what you eat for just a day or two can really boost your willpower. If you know that every little nibble will be going down in black and white, you’ll think twice about finishing off the kids’ leftover fishfingers, or eating that broken cookie.

You might find it useful to also write down how you were feeling when you ate; we often snack for emotional reasons such as boredom, stress or unhappiness.

Do you snack on impulse? Is it hindering your weight loss, or is it a problem you’ve pretty much conquered?

Related Posts

Question:

I am about 5″2 1/2…..today’s weight: 117.5 (My best weight is 114).  I have gained easily 3-4 inches around the waist.(I’m 74).  I eat healthily, but my question is would the cookie diet be good for me?  We are about to go on a cruise, which is a hard time to start a new eating plan.  I limit my carbs.  Exercise moderately.  What do you think?  Thanks —Deb S.

<br>

Answer:

Well, I must say, I don’t think the cookie diet is a good idea for anyone.   As a matter of fact, the only time I ever heard of the cookie diet was when a reader asked several weeks ago (scroll down a few entries) what to do about her hair falling out since she had been on the cookie diet for a few months!   If you have a few extra inches around your waist what you want to do is lose fat.  Your body weight sounds good for your height, and I’m glad to hear you generally eat a healthy diet.  Exercising can help change your body composition to give you more tone, more muscle (which has a higher metabolism than fat) and more energy!

Here’s my thoughts when going on any all-you-can-eat vacation:  The buffet around you should be viewed as a “menu” of foods available.  When you go to a restaurant you see what the fare is in writing and you choose which entree and maybe two or three side dishes you would like to eat.  You don’t eat everything merely because the restaurant can prepare it for you!

Take a look at what is presented to you at meal time and ask yourself, “which entree would be my best choice?  Of all these, which do I like the taste of that is also good for me?” and go on down the line for side dishes, salads, and desserts.  Certainly we may love pumpkin pie and chocolate cake and creme brulee, but isn’t it true that strawberry shortcake is also delicious and has some fruit included and a lower fat content?  Wouldn’t you in fact be satisfied with a forkful of a few desserts instead of the entire large piece of pecan pie and oreo ice cream sundae and caramel cheesecake?  Won’t it feel great to eat loads of the beautifully prepared fruits and vegetables  that are offered, while enjoying  small portions of meats and side casseroles so you stay energetic and ‘regular’ throughout the cruise without experiencing indigestion and bloating every evening?  I say Yes!  what do you say?

Remember that most cruises offer ample and simple exercise opportunities.  Take a pedometer with you and keep track of the steps you take just walking around the deck enjoying the weather.  Aim for 5,000 or 6,000 a day (or 10,000 if this is doable for you).  You might just come home having lost a few pounds on your vacation!

<br>

Do you have a question for the Dietician?  Submit your question here!

<br>

Related Posts

How does the Alli program work? The drug blocks the absorption of 25% of the fat you consume, thereby depriving your body of these fat calories. They recommend you eat less than 50 grams of fat per day. Just so you have an idea, this is the amount of fat found in one Burger King Breakfast Biscuit with sausage, egg, and cheese, OR a Hardee’s Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger OR a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese and a medium order of fries. In other words, if you regularly consume fast foods of this type, you are going to have to keep away from them while you’re on the Alli program.

People quickly find out the side effects of consuming more than 50 grams of fat per day, so they avoid fatty foods. You see, the fat that you eat which is not absorbed is excreted at the other end of your digestive tract pretty much the consistency of a tablespoon of oil. The packaging warns of “anal leakage” and “undergarment staining”. The more fat you eat, the more troublesome this side effect may be.

Surprisingly, the actual amount of fat blocked from being absorbed on your new 50 gram daily fat allowance keeps a mere 250 Calories out of your system–enough to promote one-half pound of weight loss per week. The fat it keeps people from eating in order to avoid the embarrassing side effects, however, could easily surpass 50 grams per day, which would keep 450 calories out of the body, and result in up to a pound of weight loss per week.

Furthermore, what they advertise as ’success’ is losing 5-10% of your body weight. It’s true there are many health benefits to an obese person losing 10% of their body weight. But most people who start a comprehensive, detailed program in which they are investing time, money, and possible intestinal discomfort probably are hoping to lose quite a bit more than that.

The bottom line is, if you generally consume large amounts of fat on a daily basis, and can cut many grams out of your diet, you can be successful at losing weight relatively quickly. If this drug and its side effects are what helps you to stay away from these high calorie foods, then Alli is indeed your friend.

Related Posts

And summer is, for most of us, the time we take a vacation. Chances are, this will involve eating out more, drinking more alcohol, “treating ourselves” to a few little extras, and quite possibly coming home with not only the desired suntan but a few undesired extra pounds.

Plus, even when you’re not on vacation, you might find that office-mates or friends turn up with yummy treats – cookies, fancy chocolates, unusual bottles from the duty-free… And if, like me, you have rather a sweet tooth, summer might be inextricably linked in your mind to “ice cream”.

So how can you make sure your diet stays on track over the summer? These are my top three tips:

1. Eat Fresh, In-Season Fruits and Vegetables

When you think of summery foods, don’t stop at “ice cream” and “barbecues”. What about delicious fresh strawberries and big summer salads? Look out for in-season fruits and veggies, ideally ones that have been locally grown: they’ll have an amazing flavour. Asparagus and broad beans are two of my favourite veggies, and great ones to enjoy in summer.

Don’t be afraid to try something new, or to experiment a bit: more exotic fruits might jazz up your five-a-day, and if your usual side salad is getting dull, try out some different options. “Salad” doesn’t have to be lettuce, cucumber and tomato: try spicing it up with rocket leaves, beans and pulses, baby vegetables, and even fruit like apples and pears.

(You can find a whole list of in-season fruits and veggies at Summer Fruit and Vegetables, from Healthy Eating Made Easy.)

2. Take A Healthy Dish to Barbecues and Picnics

Lots of us have friends, family and neighbours who organise summer parties in their gardens or in a local park. Don’t use these as an excuse to scoff hot dogs, burgers, potato chips and other unhealthy snacks. If you find that there’s never anything healthy on offer, make sure that your contribution is a big fresh salad or tray of fresh fruits.

If you’re the host, things are much easier. Grill some lean meats like chicken on the barbecue, or try prawns or salmon packets wrapped in foil. Make vegetable kebabs. Provide strawberries with low-fat cream for dessert, as an alternative to tubs of ice-cream. And encourage everyone to play a few active games (Frisbee is often a favourite!)

3. Be Extra-Good Before and After Vacation

It’s often unrealistic to stick rigidly to a diet for your week or two of vacation – and let’s face it, most of us don’t really want to try! So give yourself permission to take a couple of weeks “off” your diet. Don’t go mad: sticking to a few healthy basics (like a couple of alcohol-free days, as near to five-a-day as you can manage, and not eating till you’re stuffed) will reduce the damage.

You can perform further “damage limitation” by making sure that you’re extra-good in the weeks surrounding your vacation. Don’t use the pre-vacation weeks as an excuse to forget about dieting just because you know you’ll be eating less healthily while you’re away. When you’re home from vacation, get straight back into your usual healthy ways: this is a danger-spot where your good habits (like going to the gym regularly, or turning down cakes at work) can start to slide.

Enjoy your summer – and look forward to starting the autumn feeling healthier and fitter than ever!

Related Posts

1.  The State of Ketosis: Your body normally prefers nearly half your diet be comprised of carbohydrate-rich foods such as pasta, bread, fruit, potatoes, and even sweets.  The starches and sugars eaten in a normal diet break down during digestion and ultimately yield glucose–almost every cell’s preferred source of energy.  There are even a few organ cells that require specifically glucose for energy, namely your brain!  Without the presence of glucose (in the case of a very-low carbohydrate diet, such as Atkins) the body struggles to find a new source of energy.  A very small amount of glucose can be obtained from fats and proteins so your blood sugar level can be maintained and you can remain conscious!  But the new source of energy you are living on is ketones–a chemical composition the body forms through a new pathway using fat cells.

This means fat cells are used more quickly for energy.  A good thing?  Not really.  The ketones are sensed as a toxin in the body and the result is an attempt to flush the ketones out.  This is why urination is increased and it is recommended to drink so much more water when on this diet.  Consequently, a large amount of the weight lost is from water, surging through the kidneys to rid of the unhealthy ketones.  Your body is acting as if you were starving and did not have access to food: it’s a protective mechanism and certainly not how you were designed to live.

2. Reduced Calorie Intake:  Naturally, when you eliminate entire food groups from your diet–the starch group, the fruit group, the dairy group, and even many vegetables–your intake is going to be limited.  Without any cereal, toast, or juice for breakfast;  no bread for sandwiches or noodle soup for lunch; and no macaroni or mashed potatoes or peas at dinner, you’re probably going to be eating fewer calories.  Sure, you can have all the butter and sour cream you want, but no rolls or corn, or baked potatoes to use them on!  You’re pretty much limited to meat and, well, more meat.  So your calorie intake is likely to be reduced, and some of the weight loss results from this restriction.

3. Virtual Elimination of Snacking:  Oh, yes, you are also allowed to have cheese and nuts.  But how long will these satisfy your need for snacks?  The most common question I get from Atkins followers is, “what can I snack on?  I can’t face another cheese stick, jerky stick, or pork rind!”  With more options eliminated, the pleasure is taken away from snacking and you aren’t munching on chips, popcorn, cookies, or any other of the high calorie snacks you were previously enjoying!  This further restricts your empty calorie intake and allows you to lose weight.

The results: As long as one stays on this diet, the weight will be lost.  But eventually the cravings for bread and pasta, fresh fruit and cold milk–and even sweets–will overtake the average person who will, sadly, go back to their old habits and regain the weight that was lost.

A better idea: Curb your calories by choosing more reasonable portions, smarter snacks, and plenty of fruits and vegetables with your meals.  Live a lifestyle that will get the weight off and keep it off for good.

photo credit: kthread

Related Posts

<br>

Question:

Related Posts

Whatever the reason, if you’re on a diet, it’s going to be hard to succeed without a good proportion of vegetables. They’re great for being filling on very few calories (you can have a giant bowl of salad for under 50 calories), and they also contain vital vitamins.

Hint: if you have kids who won’t eat vegetables, these tips might help get some good stuff into them!

1. Make The Veggies Teeny Tiny

If you dice vegetables finely (onions and celery work well), they can be incorporated into a sauce like bolognaise. Liquidising vegetables into soups is another great way to sneak them into a meal without them “looking” like vegetables. For those who dislike the texture of larger vegetable chunks, this is a great way to get your veggies.

2. Roast Instead of Boil

Some vegetables, like parsnips, are traditionally roasted. Others, like carrots, tend to be boiled – but most vegetables will roast really well. Roasting brings out the flavour and sweetness of vegetables, and so long as you use just a smidgen of oil, it doesn’t need to be an unhealthy way to cook. Try roasting carrots, courgettes, butternut squash, peppers, onions (red and white), aubergine, tomatoes, sweet potatoes … the flavours will be really different.

For other ways to prepare specific vegetables, Beyond Baked Beans has a great article on So What If You Don’t Like Vegetables?

3. Mash Your Veggies

I’m sure you’re familiar with mashed potato – but plenty of other root veggies can be mashed too. They can also look quite striking on the dinner plate! Try mashed carrot, mashed swede, mashed parsnip or just a general mix

Alternatively, if you’re grating potato to top a pie, try mixing in grated carrot. Chances are, you won’t even notice in the finished product.

4. Try More Unusual Options

There are so many types of vegetables out there, it surprises me when people say they just “don’t like vegetables”. Try out some new varieties: if you can buy from a farmers’ market, that’s a great chance to ask about how to cook them. Otherwise, simply search online for cooking information and serving tips. There’s a great list of vegetables here – I’ll bet you’ll find something on the list that you like (or that you’d like to try!)

Don’t forget that treats like olives, sundried tomatoes and pre-grilled vegetables all count towards your five-a-day (just go easy on anything that comes in oil).

5. Use Vegetables In Strong-Flavoured Dishes

If you don’t mind the texture of vegetables but find the flavour bland, then try making a big vegetable curry, or a batch of chilli. The veggies will add texture and interest, but you’ll be able to taste the flavours of the curry or chilli, rather than the veggies themselves.

Soups are also a good way to disguise the flavours of vegetables, or to lift the flavours: add plenty of seasoning and herbs.

What veggies do you like/dislike? How could you incorporate more vegetables into your diet, in a way that you enjoy?

Related Posts

Question:

I am a type 1 diabetic do you think it’s harder for diabetics to lose weight? I am 5 foot 1 and 125 pounds. I have stopped drinking coffee and soda and have been eating healthy for 1 month. I am not losing weight like I thought I would. I try to exercise 2 to 3 times a week. — Sarah A.

<br>

Answer:

Dear Sarah,

There isn’t any reason it would be more difficult for a person with type 1 diabetes to lose weight.  You are at quite a reasonable weight for your height and you really don’t weigh that much: this is what makes weight loss slow and difficult for you.  People who are very overweight can more easily eliminate up to a thousand calories from their intake and lose two pounds a week (although it is much less noticeable on someone who is morbidly obese).  You’ll be able to lose 1/4-1/2 pound a week on a reasonable diet, which is never fast enough for someone putting all that effort into a diet!

My suggestion is to keep a food diary so you can see how much you are actually eating.  Many times we focus on eating so healthy, and then give ourselves a little treat to  ’reward’ our efforts.  Sometimes these rewards can cancel out all the calories we’ve saved over the past few days!  Try bumping up your exercise a couple days a week, too.  It’s a good idea for your heart, blood sugar control, and peace of mind.

<br>

Do you have a question for the Dietician?  Submit your question here!

<br>

Related Posts

Question:

Today is my first day on the cabbage soup diet. I’m experiencing terrible nausea. Is there any way to manage this side effect while maintaining the diet. I like the idea of rapid weight loss to jump start a more reasonable diet. — Kim

<br>

Answer:

Dear Kim: Here’s another old fad diet that just won’t die!  It works like all the other fad diets do: It deprives your body of enough calories so you end up losing weight.  One side effect of a very low calorie diet is nausea; another common one is headache.  Ironically, these symptoms keep you feeling less hungry so you can stay on the diet longer.  And, like any other very low calorie diet, you’ll gain the weight back as soon as you go back to your usual eating habits.

I can sympathize with your wanting to jump start your diet for motivation, but in the long run, slow and steady is the way you’ll get lasting results.

<br>

Do you have a question for the Dietician?  Submit your question here!

<br>

Related Posts

1) Buying “low fat” foods:  Yes, some low fat foods are a good idea, namely lower fat dairy products such as skim milk, low fat cheese, and fat free yogurt.  But other foods have to replace the fat with something else to keep the taste and consistency, such as salad dressings and peanut butters.  If you compare the calories on the label to the original version, you won’t see much of a difference in many cases.  Also, if you buy something because it’s low in fat (or fat free) check out a few comparable products to see what the normal fat content is.  Sometimes manufacturers try to coax you into buying their product by advertising “low fat” when the food never had fat to begin with–like jelly beans or marshmallows–and there isn’t much nutritional value in a lot of these foods that are basically pure sugar.

2) Skipping breakfast to save calories:  Think skipping breakfast will help you lose weight?  Think again.  Study after study over many decades proves that a morning meal will help increase your metabolism and also give you a good head start on getting the nutrients you need throughout the day.  Nearly 100% of the time when a person skips breakfast, they make up the calories later on in the day.  Your body is programmed to get you what you need–so it’ll keep signaling hunger until late in the day if you haven’t gotten the calories you need!

3)  Skimping on fruit to save calories:  Bad idea.  Too many women skip the glass of orange juice or the fresh peach to save 50 calories, but won’t blink at a second glass of wine!  Skip the “empty calories”–those that do not provide nutrition along with the energy–like candy, alcohol, and chocolate.  And help yourself to fresh fruits and veggies that give you vitamins and fiber that will keep you healthy and satisfied.

photo credit: Nestosjp

Related Posts

Unfortunately, the reality often looks rather different!

Even if you’re rushed and short on time, don’t think that you can’t successfully lose weight. You might not be able to prepare gourmet meals from scratch every evening or to work out for hours every day … but you can make these effective changes that take no time at all. (And in some cases, they even save you time.)

1. Canny Food Swaps

It doesn’t take any longer to buy and eat slightly different foods – and a few tweaks here will see you losing weight easily. Here are some healthy swaps:

• Swap white bread for wholewheat or oatmeal (fills you up faster, keeps you full for longer, and is better for you!)
• Swap a chocolate bar or cookie snack for a piece of fruit.
• Swap full-fat milk for skimmed.
• Swap full-fat spread for lower-fat. Ditto with cheese, mayo, yoghurt…
• Swap fries for a baked potato (more cooking time, but no extra prep time)
• Swap cheese in your sandwiches for lean turkey or ham.
• Swap a sugary cereal for a wholegrain one.
• Swap a flapjack for a low-calorie granola bar.
• Swap regular soda for diet soda (or better, water)
• Swap sugar for sweetener (cuts calories, though many people feel that sweeteners are harmful on other nutritional grounds)

I’m sure you can think of lots more easy swaps! In each of these cases, you’re saving calories without having to invest any extra time at all. You may find that there are some foods where you just aren’t willing to make the switch, but do try out the light alternatives to your favourites: after a week or two, your tastebuds may well have adapted.

2. An Active Commute

This won’t work for everyone, but if you can walk or cycle to work instead of driving, then do! In many cases, you might find it takes a similar amount of time. In general, whenever you have to get from A to B, look for ways to do so in as active a manner as possible. Obviously, this won’t always be practical, but think creatively: the big grocery store might be too far to go without your car, but can you pick up what you need by walking around the local shops?

3. Moving Around During Commercial Breaks

The average American watches 28 hours of television each week. That’s a lot of commercial breaks! If you normally ignore the ads in favour of grabbing a snack, or if you sit and zone out in front of them, try getting active instead. See how many sit-ups or press-ups you can do before your show comes back on – or simply jog on the spot or do some gentle stretches.

If you’re worried your family will cart you off to the loony bin if you start jogging around the room during the ads, try some subtler forms of activity. How about doing a general pick-up/tidy-up around the house during commercial breaks? It keeps your body moving, and keeps you from raiding the cookie jar…

(You could also apply this to other activities: perhaps you use the computer for hours at a stretch in the evening. Take a ten minute break every hour to give your eyes a rest and to get your body moving around.)

Do you have a great way to improve your diet or exercise without it taking up any extra time in your day? Share it in the comments…

Related Posts