Check your thyroid if you can't lose weight

Losing weight and keeping it off is often difficult for many people. Sometimes the problem can be traced back to a physical condition. If your doctor hasn’t mentioned it yet you may want to ask him or her to check your thyroid. If you can’t lose weight because of a sluggish thyroid or fluctuating hormones or low levels of certain nutrients there are things that your doctor can do to help.

Check Your Thyroid if You Can’t Lose Weight

Most of us already know that eating less and moving more are the keys to dropping extra pounds. But if you’re already doing everything “right” and can’t seem to lose weight — or are even gaining it — you may have a hidden health condition that’s sabotaging your efforts. And the symptoms may be so subtle that even your doctor can miss them. Here, some possible weight-loss blockers — and how to get the help you need.

A Sluggish Thyroid
Your thyroid gland makes hormones that regulate the way your body uses energy. An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) disrupts your metabolism, as well as many other aspects of your health. Some estimate that as many as 10 percent of adults have hypothyroidism, which is more common in women and is most often diagnosed in the 40s and 50s.

Could this be you? Besides weight gain or an inability to lose weight, you may notice fatigue, hair loss, dry skin, joint pain and muscle weakness, heavy periods, increased sensitivity to cold, even depression. Many people with low-grade hypothyroidism just feel “off,” with no obvious signs of being truly sick.

How to get tested: Ask your internist to run a TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) screening. In general, the higher your TSH level, the slower your thyroid is. “While traditional ‘normal’ values are between .45 and 4.5, if your level is above 2, you might still struggle to lose weight,” explains Dr. Jamie Kane, M.D., medical director of Park Avenue Medical Weight and Wellness in New York City. Your doctor may also want to check your levels of T-3 and T-4, the two main thyroid hormones.

But hypothyroidism isn’t always a straight numbers game; more and more doctors are now treating the symptoms, not just the blood-test results. “If a patient isn’t feeling well, it’s often because her thyroid isn’t functioning as well as it should for her body,” says Dr. Erika Schwartz, M.D., an internist in New York City.

How it’s treated: Your doc will usually start by prescribing a low-dose T-4 thyroid hormone like Synthroid. If your symptoms don’t improve, discuss upping your dosage or switching to a combination of T-3 and T-4.

Click here to read more from Jennifer Benjamin, in the CNN Health section.

You probably feel very discouraged at this point in your weight loss efforts, if you have tried many different weight loss programs you may think it won’t make any difference but have your doctor check your thyroid if you can’t lose weight. Even if you have had it checked before, sometimes you need a second opinion or a more thorough test. Don’t give up even if you have a thyroid problem with the right treatment and diet plan you can still lose weight!

I Do All the Right Things and l Still Can't Lose Weight © Photographer Alexander Ryabchun | Agency: Dreamstime.com

This time of year always gets people in trouble because they’ve often made some ridiculous New Years resolution to lose a lot of weight very quickly. It probably seemed like a good idea a month ago, but in spite of  your new diet and extra workouts unfortunately it’s the same old problem, you say “I do all the right things and I still can’t lose weight.” Jill Weisenberger, M.S., R.D., C.D.E., Lifescript Nutrition Expert has a full ten reasons why that happens all the time.

I Do All the Right Things and I Still Can’t Lose Weight

You’re no slacker when it comes to your health: You exercise, watch what you eat, use portion control, and can resist Ben & Jerry’s without a problem. Yet the scale needle still won’t budge. Why are so many dieters destined to regain lost weight or never lose anything at all?

Here are 10 reasons your body isn’t behaving:

Physical Factors
1. You don’t have enough muscle.
The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. Fat and muscle tissues consume calories all day long whether you’re running, reading or sleeping. No matter what you’re doing, muscle rips through more calories than fat.

That’s why men burn calories a lot faster than women; they have more muscle.

What to do: Lift weights. You don’t have to get huge, but building and maintaining muscle week after week, year after year makes a difference in the long run.

Registered dietitian and certified personal trainer Marci Anderson has her clients alternate between strength exercises and heart rate-raising cardio in each session.

“That way, their strength training includes the calorie-burning effect of cardio.”

2. Genetics: The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
If both parents are obese, you are much more likely to be obese, says Jill Comess, M.S., R.D., food science and nutrition program director at Norfolk State University in Virginia.

“Researchers estimate that your genes account for at least 50% – and as much as 90% – of your stored body fat,” she says.

What to do: You’re not doomed. Your weight-loss challenge is just 10%-50% greater.

“Losing even just a few pounds makes you healthier and less likely to develop diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer,” Comess says. “So you don’t have to be super-slim to improve your health.”

If an overweight woman loses even 5%-10% of her total body weight, she has a greater chance of reducing or getting off her high blood pressure or other meds, she adds.

If you’ve been saying for a long time; “I do all the right things and I still can’t lose weight“ Click the link in the first paragraph to read eight more reasons your weight loss may not be going so well and what to do to change things around.

How to control starchy food cravings.

If you want to know how to control starchy food cravings then you must remember the brain runs the show when it comes to food. The dopamine is what creates the cravings.

Learning to switch from foods that produce craving to foods that do not will help you along in your weight loss goals. ABC’s Good Morning America published this piece on how to control food cravings.

How To Control Starchy Food Cravings

Ever felt like your constant cravings for chocolate, cookies or cheese are beyond your control? According to the author of Breaking the Food Seduction, you’re right.

There are biological reasons for those cravings, and people who think that they are too weak-willed to stop eating their favorite foods may simply be addicted to them, said Dr. Neal Barnard, president and founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and an adjunct professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine.

“Certain foods — chocolates, cheeses, sugars, starches and meats — are capable of stimulating the same part of the brain that responds to alcohol, tobacco, even heroin,” Barnard said. “They unleash a chemical called dopamine, the brain’s feel-good chemical, and that’s why those foods are addictive.”

Foods that produce such cravings, and sabotage healthy diets, include sugary and starchy foods such as cookies, cakes and white bread, as well as chocolate, cheese and meat. As with drugs, coffee or alcohol, people go into withdrawal when they don’t have the foods.

“That’s where the cravings come from,” Barnard said. “People feel hooked on these foods.”

Mood-Lifting Meals

Those foods all stimulate the release of opiates in the brain, lifting your mood, he said.

Some are not only addicting, but are appetite stimulants as well.

They play havoc with your blood sugar, which brings on cravings. Basically, the rush of sugar in the blood causes a person’s energy to rise too quickly. After the rise, the energy falls just as quickly, so the person feels as though they need to eat something to bring it back up again.

Not all starchy foods are on the list. Pasta, for instance, does not cause a blood sugar spike.

“Eat it — it’s not a bad starch,” Barnard said.

Despite the fact that certain foods are addictive, it doesn’t mean people should cut them out of their diets entirely. Instead, they should give themselves a break for them. The more you eat, the more you crave, Barnard says.

“If you haven’t had chocolate for three weeks, you won’t crave it,” he said. “You’ll break the cycle.”

Like Mom Said, Eat a Good Breakfast

If you’re not eating your favorite foods, what do you eat? One of Barnard’s key recommendations is eating a good, solid breakfast every day. A good choice for breakfast is oatmeal — the old-fashioned kind.

“That phrase that it will “stick to your ribs” is true,” Barnard said.

His study found that instant oatmeal prompts children to actually snack more. The instant oatmeal is powdery and actually spikes blood sugar, but the oats in the old-fashioned kind are more fiber-filled and slow down digestion.

Also for breakfast, he recommends fresh fruit, whole-grained, darker breads and veggie sausage. Always choose darker breads over white bread, which is one of the addictive starches, he said. Veggie sausage can serve as a source of protein. In general, Americans need to look to plants for proteins, rather than animals, because they are lower in fat and cholesterol, Barnard said.

“This breakfast will block our food cravings because nothing in it stimulates dopamine,” Barnard said. “It blocks hunger, as opposed to no breakfast at all. Second, it is high in fiber, and will stick to your ribs, so you’re not dying of hunger by 10:30, and looking for a cookie.”

Dopamine isn’t bad, it is the behavior that releases it that becomes the problem. So clearly we need to replace eating with another less destructive behavior. Exercise is the most logical choice because it is so beneficial in so many ways, but mostly because when we exercise we release “feel good” hormones. Pay close attention to advice on how to control starchy food cravings and you will have greater success losing weight.

Click here to read more from ABC’s Good Morning America

Incredible ways to customize a healthy meal plan.

Many people are concerned about their weight and are trying to eat better. The problem is many times diets have foods that don’t work well with our lifestyle or our palate. These tips are for anyone who needs incredible ways to customize a healthy meal plan so that you and your family can stick to it and finally get in shape.

Sandra Brown, Food Safety and nutrition faculty for Washington State University writes for the Columbian and has many useful tips to guide you so you can achieve your weight loss goals.

Incredible Ways to Customize a Healthy Meal Plan

Cutting just a few hundred calories per day can reap big benefits to your health. Fish, like this Herb Crusted Tilapia, lots of fresh vegetables and brown rice creates a healthy and still delicious meal.

Quickest and Easiest Way to Lose Weight

Almost every American wants the quickest and easiest way to lose weight but doesn’t want to put forth the time and effort that is required to shed those pounds/inches. Losing weight is hard of course and we don’t like to do it. Jodie Orwig educates us about the right way to lose weight with this informative article on the York Daily Record.

Quickest and Easiest Way to Lose Weight

So you’ve already broken your New Year’s resolution to lose weight and it’s only January. Losing weight is one of the most commonly made and most frequently broken New Year’s resolutions.

One reason is because the average dieter is looking for the quickest and easiest way to lose weight, which usually leads to falling into the fad diet trap. For most, fad diets are rarely adhered to long-term, and any weight lost is usually regained.

Fad diets are easily detectable. Promises of fast weight loss of more than one to two pounds per week, weight loss without required exercises, great-tasting special supplements and foods or too-good-to-be-true before and after photos in advertising are just some red flags to look for. Fad diets often emphasize eliminating one food or food group, which can be dangerous.

To determine if a diet plan is right for you make sure that it: includes foods from all five food groups, foods you would enjoy eating for the rest of your life and some of your favorite foods; encourages the proper number of servings from each food group; fits your budget and lifestyle; and includes regular physical activity.

Trim down without the fad diet approach with these suggestions:

• Become a mindful eater. Pay attention to your body. Stop eating before you feel stuffed. Leave food on your plate.
• Eat at least three times per day and plan meals in advance.
• Use a smaller plate. A 9-inch plate is recommended.
• Balance your plate with the proper portions. Half the plate should be vegetable,¼ should be lean meat, fish, or poultry, and ¼ should be grains. Round out the meal with 8 ounces of fat-free milk and a piece of fruit for dessert.
• Drink plenty of calorie free beverages. You may be thirsty rather than hungry.
• Keep all food in the kitchen. Don’t eat in the car, bedroom, or TV room.
• Enjoy your meal for at least 20 minutes. Eating fast does not allow time for your brain to realize that you are full.
• Get leftovers in the fridge before you begin eating your meal. This will help you avoid having seconds.If you are eating to deal with feelings other than hunger, such as boredom, stress, habit or being tired, here are some things to try:
• Call a friend for support.
• Use inspirational quotes to help avoid temptation to eat.
• Take a warm bath or shower.
• Listen to music or a relaxation CD.
• Take a walk.
• Try activities that keep you from eating, such as exercise or gardening.Now, it’s time to set some realistic goals. Start with two or three specific, measurable and attainable goals. Track your progress by keeping food and activity logs. When you have accomplished a goal, give yourself a reward. Eventually, these attained goals will become habits or lifestyle changes. Here’s to a healthier 2012!

I think the author makes two very important points when she says that a diet should include food you will want to eat for the rest of your life and that it should fit both your budget and your lifestyle. I find that a lot of us force ourselves to eat salads or other foods that we don’t necessarily like when we’re on a mission to lose weight. Then someone in the office, or your husband/wife/parents and/or kids has to go and order pizza or food from your favorite restaurant. It looks so delicious and you’re so tempted. So you give in “just this once.” Too much temptation and not enough time to work out are the two “biggest” excuses.

Like I said, it’s hard work. To wrap things up I can just say that your life will be so much easier once you stop trying to find the quickest and easiest way to lose weight and follow the suggestions above. I wish you a happy weight loss journey!

Stop the diet sabotage and stick to your plan!

We need to stop the diet sabotage now! There is no hiding from the fact that Americans are fat. Sadly, we see this every day when we walk around places like Wal-Mart or a mall and we see young children who are obese; every bit the product of inactivity in favor of sitting around playing video games and/or watching tv and having what I call “hand-to-mouth disease.”

I can almost gaurantee that %99.99 of Americans’ first New Years resolution was/is “to lose weight.” In order to help with that resolution The FIRM nutrition expert Sara Ryba, R.D., C.D.N. wrote an article about the things we do to sabatage our weight loss goals. Please, stop the diet sabotage!

Do you eat well most of the time, but just can’t seem to lose stubborn pounds? It could be that you are eating the right foods, but in the wrong combinations. Or you could be eating the right combinations of food, but not timing your meals correctly. No matter how you slice it, your weight loss is determined by your metabolism. A revved-up metabolism will easily yield more weight loss than a sluggish one. The good news is that you do have control over your fat-burning capacity!

We are not created equal

Before I teach you how to eat well for an active metabolism, let me dispel the myth that we are all created equal. When it comes to calories-in and calories-out, we are NOT all equal. I might work with two clients who are the same age, same sex, and do the same amount of exercise, yet one can get away with eating a lot more food than the other, and still lose weight. Some of it will depend on muscle mass (the more muscle, the higher the metabolism), however some of it is just straight genetics. This is one of the reasons that obesity runs in families.

To help rev-up your metabolism, I offer the top eight ways we slow it down and how to avoid them.

1. Not eating enough during the day

Not eating enough during the day slows down your metabolism two ways. First, your body thinks it’s starving, so it will slow down your calorie-burning capacity in order to “survive.” Second, you are likely to make up for low caloric intake in the last few hours of the day, causing your body to hang on to the food through the night in preparation for another day of “starving.” Plain and simple — eat early and eat often — it will get your engine revving on high!

2. Not drinking enough fluids

Drinking water is one of the easiest ways to turn up your fat-burning capacity. I cannot say that drinking water alone will cause weight loss; however, if you are eating a perfect diet, but are dehydrated, you will lose less weight. When your body is dehydrated it cannot burn fat. So please, get 64 ounces per day—and as a bonus your hair and skin will shine!

3. All-or-nothing dieting

One of the biggest problems with “fad” and “crash” diets is that they usually provide a very low calorie allowance. Not only will this cause your body to burn fewer calories, but it will also make you more likely to binge. A slower metabolism combined with an increased likelihood of binging spells disaster. So play it safe; find a well-balanced diet that does not overly restrict calories.

4. Eating too much sugar

I often find that my clients are eating the right amount of calories for weight loss, but are not losing weight. The culprit is

                                           

Stop the diet sabotage and live the life you deserve!

usually sugar. Sugars and refined carbs have the unique ability to stop weight loss in its tracks. Think of this: Your body is burning fat (from your hips, maybe?), and all of a sudden it gets an influx of sugar. It will use the sugar as energy and promptly stop burning the fat. So really, cut the sugar.

5. Not weight-training

So many of my clients tell me about the hours they spend on the treadmill — thinking that this is the secret ingredient to burning more calories. Sadly, it just doesn’t work out. Sure, you burn more calories by walking on the treadmill than by lying on the couch; however, without the proper amount of weight training, you will not increase your metabolism. Your resting metabolism is directly affected by how much muscle you have — so go on,build more muscle!

6. “Eating back” your exercise calories

Many people want to know how many calories their exercise session burned. Usually the reason they want this information is to quantify it in terms of food. In other words, they justify eating a candy bar since they already worked off those calories. However, this equation just doesn’t work. You’ll end up not losing weight, or you might even gain some weight. So remember, food and exercise are separate issues.

7. Drinking too much alcohol

There is nothing wrong with a few cocktails per week, but too many will absolutely reduce your fat-burning capability. Not only does alcohol provide a hefty dose of calories, but it also stops fat burning in its tracks (similar to sugar). Add in the side effect of the increased hunger you might feel while imbibing, and you’ve set yourself up for weight loss failure. Enjoy your cocktails… sparingly.

8. Skimping on protein

During the low-fat food craze of the late 1980s, we all became afraid of protein. It was linked to higher-fat diets, and many trendy diets limited protein to 2 ounces per meal. This has a disastrous consequence on weight loss. When you skimp on protein, your body has to burn its own muscle for fuel, resulting in decreased lean muscle mass. Less muscle means less calorie-burning action! Additionally, without adequate protein you can’t build more muscle mass (to burn calories). And lastly, diets that are low in protein cause increased sugar cravings. So eat your protein, often!

The New Year is the perfect time to commit to healthy living, which includes a balanced and consistent exercise and nutrition plan. Let’s kick this year off right!

I found the first point very interesting. While we all know that starving yourself isn’t going to provide continued weight loss, most people might not realize that while it seems counterintuitive to eat more to lose weight, doing so will actually help you! I have been told by several trainers that eating 3-5 smaller balanced meals a day in addition to exercise is the ideal way to lose weight. Drinking water is a great way to help curb cravings and surprisingly it will make you feel full for a little while so you eat less.

A caveat on the protein portion however, would be that you don’t want to eat too much protein because your body will have trouble breaking it down and eliminating all the waste products of that breakdown. All of these suggestions are great. I don’t think I can name one person who is not on a mission to lose weight or maintain their weight (I know less of the latter.) I look forward to implementing these steps in my own weight loss plan. Who is with me? Together let’s stop the diet sabotage!