Lose Weight
Lose Weight – Learn research based strategies to lose weight and keep it off – permanently!
Are you abdominally obese?
A study conducted by the American Cancer Society examined the link between waist circumference and mortality in 48,500 men and 56,343 women. All participants were age 50 or older. Over a 14 year period, 9,315 men and 5,332 women died.
The study found that large waist circumferences were linked to about twice the risk of death during the study period. A large waist circumference was defined as 47 inches or greater in men and 42 inches or greater in women.
A large waist circumference was linked to increased risk even in individuals with a normal body weight.
What is a healthy waist circumference?
Should I make myself eat breakfast if I'm not hungry?
If you typically do not eat breakfast your body adapts to this and you will not feel hungry. Also, serotonin levels are actually highest in the morning and serotonin reduces hunger. So, yes to increase your appetite for breakfast start small and work your way up. Even when you are doing a very small breakfast it’s important to have a balance of protein/carbs/fat. For example, have 1 Tbsp of peanut butter with your banana.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Heart Health Made Easy
https://lisanelsonrd.com/behearthealthy.html
Breastfeeding Protects Against Childhood Obesity
Breastfeeding and moderate maternal weight gain during pregnancy can both play an important role in preventing childhood obesity, according to a review of the medical literature highlighted in the current issue of the new bimonthly, print and online journal Childhood Obesity, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
About 1 in 3 children in the United States older than two years of age is overweight or obese. Clinical researchers are taking a close look at maternal and nutritional factors during pregnancy and infancy that could contribute to an increased risk of obesity during childhood.
Ruth Lawrence, MD, DD (Hon), Professor of Pediatrics, Obstetrics, and Gynecology at the University of Rochester (NY), describes the “strong” and “consistent” evidence that maternal weight gain of 40 pounds or more during pregnancy increases the risk of childhood obesity. She also reviews studies that demonstrate a link between breastfeeding and a reduced risk of obesity compared to infant formula. Dr. Lawrence explores the possible mechanisms that could explain this protective effect of breastfeeding in the paper entitled, “Does Breastfeeding Protect Against Overweight and Obesity in Children?” These include differences in feeding patterns and the act of suckling, milk volume consumed and satiety cues, and the nutritional and hormonal contents of breast milk compared to formula and how they regulate metabolism and energy balance.
Changing Habits – How successful will you be?
Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of education to improve diet in family members of hospitalized cardiovascular disease patients. They used the stages of change questionnaire to determine participant’s readiness to reduce saturated fat intake.
Participants were divided into 2 groups. One group was the control (received no education) and one group received special intervention with diet education tailored to each individuals starting “stage of change”.
At the start of the study, cholesterol and saturated fat intake was lowest for participants in the maintenance phase. After 1 year, participants in the special intervention group saw the greatest reductions in cholesterol and saturated fat intake. This group was also less likely to revert to a prior stage of change. For example, they were less likely to go from “action” back to “contemplation”.
Why am I sharing this study?
5 Stages of Change – Where do you fall?
If you are overweight or obese it’s necessary to make diet and lifestyle changes to lose weight and reduce your health risks. However, this means changing your habits.
If you typically grab fast food for lunch are you willing to switch and start packing a well balanced lunch instead?
If you include very little physical activity in your daily routine are you willing to shift your priorities to fit in physical activity?
Just how great is your desire to lose weight? Is it enough to change your habits?
Dieting and Vitamin Losses
Did you know when you diet you are frequently sacrificing vitamins and minerals?
When you diet, you don’t just cut calories, you also reduce your intake of vitamins and minerals.
Standford University researchers evaluated the effects of different diets (Atkins, Zone, LEARN, and Ornish) of 300 overweight and obese women. The women reduced their daily caloric intake by 500 calories and all women reduced their overall vitamin and mineral intakes. Vitamin E was reduced the most – 65%.
Researchers were surprised to note that women following the Zone diet actually saw an increase in vitamin A, E, and K intake and no reduction in other nutrients.
When losing weight it’s important to not compromise your overall health. The best bet is a balanced weight loss plan you can stick with long term.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
https://lisanelsonrd.com
