I Am Your New Healthy Recipes Examiner, But..

Examiner.com assigned me to the Healthy Recipes Examiner beat. And I love it. I love developing recipes and cooking as much as any vocation I've pursued. Just before I became pregnant with my son in 1999, I had completed my first self published comb bound cookbook, "Wild Man Gourmet." It did well on eBay until I pulled it when the economy dipped in 2002. eBay's fees were an obstacle with profits low.

After WMG, I went on to write and publish several more cookbooks while Bruno was a toddler. It was more than fun, it called to the creative foodie in me. So, this is a dream job for me. I'm a food writer of sorts!

But...some of my fitness reviews aren't showing up at Examiner. I don't think they purposely dropped them, they still draw traffic. My problem is my back ups are on my laptop. Her hard drive fried itself in butter one night when she mistook herself for fresh liver.

So, maybe I'll find time and re-review the good stuff here. Variety is the spice of life, especially when it comes to workouts. But I'm not making any promises.

In The News - Low Carb

ScienceDaily (Jan. 20, 2009) — People on low-carbohydrate diets are more dependent on the oxidation of fat in the liver for energy than those on a low-calorie diet, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in a small clinical study.

The findings, published in the journal Hepatology, could have implications for treating obesity and related diseases such as diabetes, insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, said Dr. Jeffrey Browning, assistant professor in the UT Southwestern Advanced Imaging Research Center and of internal medicine at the medical center.

"Instead of looking at drugs to combat obesity and the diseases that stem from it, maybe optimizing diet can not only manage and treat these diseases, but also prevent them," said Dr. Browning, the study's lead author. Read more.

How To Make Your Low Carb Diet Easy (Substitutions)



More videos from Muscle Hack.

In The News

From ScienceDaily: Your source for the latest research news and science breakthroughs

Making Snack Food Choices: Are Bad Intentions Stronger Than Good Intentions?

ScienceDaily (Sep. 14, 2008) — People who are asked whether they would choose between a "good" snack and a "bad" snack might not follow their intentions when the snacks arrive. Dutch researchers found that there is a substantial inconsistency between healthful snack choice intentions and actual behavior.

Participants were asked about their intentions in choosing among four snacks: an apple, a banana, a candy bar and a molasses waffle. About half of the participants indicated they would choose the apple or banana—a "healthy" snack. But when presented, one week later, with the actual snacks, 27% switched to the candy bar or waffle. Over 90% of the unhealthy-choice participants stuck with their intentions and chose the unhealthy snack. The study included 585 participants who were office employees recruited in their worksite cafeterias.

Although intentions are often tightly linked to what people really do, it doesn't always work that way. One explanation is that intentions are usually under cognitive control while actual choices are often made impulsively, even unconsciously. Read more.

In The News

Thinner people, fatter wallets

DALLAS (UPI) -- U.S. adults looking for ways to save money should focus on their waistlines to make their wallets a bit fatter, the fitness people at Gold's Gym suggest.

Gold's Gym-sponsored research found that Americans' expanding waistlines comes with a price tag of $123 billion for the country, with obese Americans losing nearly $10,000 per year out of their own pockets -- based on the median U.S. salary of $48,451.

"If everyone began to take small steps towards healthy lifestyle changes, including a balanced diet and regular exercise, Americans' health and well-being would not only improve, but so would the

fiscal health of our nation," Robert Reames of Gold's Gym Fitness Institute, said in a statement.

Gold's Gym research includes that:

-- Obese Americans burn at least 9 more gallons of gas per year than a typical American for a fat gas tax of $36 annually.

-- An average of one full week of work is lost to obesity-related ailments for $932 in lost wage annually.

-- Americans spend 4 percent of annual income on clothing each year, but those who are obese pay an extra 25 percent for their clothes, or $485 annually.

-- Obese Americans will often pay for an extra seat on flights for a fat tax of $828 annually.


Copyright 2008 by United Press International

In The News

I'm in the middle of completing a cool little project I started this week that I'll let you in on next week. I'm having too much fun! Until then, here's some articles worth checking out:

Diet Questions - Advice and Tips To Help You Lose Weight Safely

Should I eat protein or carbs? What's a good pre-workout meal? How about after my workout? What about the number of grams of protein per day for optimal muscle mass? These are some of the questions we receive daily from real people just like you. We have included these diet questions below to help assist you with finding the right answers to your most common diet questions. We provide diet advice and nutritional tips so you can start building muscle and losing fat! Read more.



Health Journalists Face Translation Challenge, Researchers Find

ScienceDaily (Aug. 27, 2008) — The media constantly inform the public of new health information, but many Americans have difficulty recognizing what they should, or should not do to improve their health. University of Missouri researchers conducted a national survey and found that the majority of health journalists have not had specialized training in health reporting and face challenges in communicating new medical science developments.

Amanda Hinnant and María Len-Ríos, assistant professors in the Missouri School of Journalism, surveyed 396 newspaper and magazine journalists and completed 35 in-depth interviews to offer insight into the role of journalists in reducing the negative effects of limited health literacy. Health literacy, as defined by the American Medical Association, is ‘the ability to obtain, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions and follow instructions for treatment.’

“Almost half of the journalists reported they were not familiar with the concept of health literacy, but said that their readers’ ability to understand health information was very important to consider when writing health stories,” Hinnant said. “Increasing knowledge of health literacy could help journalists clarify medical information to readers.”

Of the journalists surveyed, only 18 percent had specialized training in health reporting and only 6.4 percent reported that a majority of their readers change health behaviors based on the information they provide. The journalists had an average of 18 years of journalism experience and seven years experience as health journalists.

“Health journalists play an important role in helping people effectively manage their health,” Len-Ríos said. “However, we found that many journalists find it difficult to explain health information to their readers, while maintaining the information’s scientific credibility. They have to resist ‘bogging down’ the story with too much technical science data and ‘dumbing down’ the story with overly simplistic recommendations.” Read more.

Happiness may affect breast cancer risk

BEER-SHEVA, Israel (UPI) -- Happiness and optimism may help guard against breast cancer, while adverse life events may increase breast cancer risk, Israeli researchers said.

Ronit Peled of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel questioned women about their life experiences and evaluated their levels of happiness, optimism, anxiety and depression prior to diagnosis. Researchers used this information to examine the relationship between breast cancer and life events or psychological distress.

A total of 622 women ages 25 to 45 were interviewed: 255 breast cancer patients and 367 healthy women.

The study, published in the British journal BMC Cancer, showed a clear link between outlook and risk of breast cancer, with optimists 25 percent less likely to have developed the disease. Conversely, women who suffered two or more traumatic events had a 62 percent greater risk.

"Young women who have been exposed to a number of negative life events should be considered an 'at-risk' group for breast cancer and should be treated accordingly," Peled said in a statement.


Copyright 2008 by United Press International

Personal Update

Bruno's thrilled to be back at school and I'm thrilled too. I have my 8 hours a day to myself back. Wow, the quiet it delicious. Listen to that...

Here's a few photos of his first day. He's a big guy for a 3rd grader at 55 inches and 93 pounds. We went school shopping last Saturday and when we got home Jerry said he bet I'd fit into Bruno's new jeans. I was skeptical but tried them on and they fit! Jerry took photos and said, "You've got to put those up at the blog."

In The News

Our Kitten Baylee. I said to Jerry "Isn't she precious." He said, "No. I've seen her in action when she's awake."











More shoppers avoiding corn sweetener

LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- A growing number of U.S. shoppers are opting to buy foods containing pure sugar instead of corn syrup, statistics indicate.

The move away form high fructose corn syrup is so prevalent the Corn Refiners Association has organized a campaign on the Web site, www.sweetsurprise.com, to stand up for the syrup, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

"We have been very concerned about the misunderstanding of our product in the marketplace and want to provide the facts so that consumers can make their choices based on science rather than urban myth," the association's president Audrae Erickson said.

Health professionals have said high fructose corn syrup with may be contributing to obesity across the country. Others say because natural sugar has the same amount of calories, neither sweetener is to blame.

"Our message is that people should cut down on both," Center for Science in the Public Interest Director Michael Jacobson said.


Copyright 2008 by United Press International

'Exercise Pill' Is No Replacement For Real Exercise, Expert Cautions

ScienceDaily (Aug. 6, 2008) — Recently, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, a research organization focused on biology and its relation to health, published a study in the journal Cell on the results of a substance that increased exercise endurance without daily exertion when tested in mice. Media reports have described this substance as an “exercise pill,” potentially eliminating the need for exercise.

Frank Booth, a University of Missouri expert on the science of inactivity, says the “exercise pill” study did not test all of the commonly known benefits of exercise and taking the pill cannot be considered a replacement for exercise.

In the Cell paper “Exercise Mimetics” the researchers demonstrated that AMPK-PPARδ pathways, which is a cellular messenger system, can be targeted by orally active drugs to enhance training adaptation or even to increase endurance without exercise. However, Booth cautions that some of the commonly known benefits of exercise were not tested in the Cell paper including:

* Decreased resting and submaximal exercise heart rate
* Increased heart stroke volume at all exercise work loads
* Increased maximal exercise cardiac output
* Lower blood pressure and arterial stiffness
* Increased aerobic capacity

A complete list of the 26 benefits not tested in the paper is included below. Read more.

ScienceDaily: Your source for the latest research news and science breakthroughs --

Testosterone And Body Fat Are Controlled By The Same Genes

ScienceDaily (Aug. 6, 2008) — Genes that control percentage of body fat are also responsible for circulating levels of testosterone in men, research published in a recent edition of Clinical Endocrinology shows.

The research shows a 23% overlap between the genes that control testosterone and those that regulate body fat composition, suggesting that these two variables are partly controlled by the same set of genes.

The study led by Dr Jean-Marc Kaufman at Ghent University Hospital, Belgium was carried out on healthy male sibling pairs and estimated the extent to which sex hormones and body fat are controlled by the same genes. The research involved a cohort of 674 men from 274 independent families, as part of a larger study investigating the origins of body composition, sex steroid status and peak bone mass in healthy men. Read more.

Stand Up For Your Health
Physiologists And Microbiologists Find Link Between Sitting And Poor Health

June 1, 2008 — Physiologists analyzing obesity, heart disease, and diabetes found that the act of sitting shuts down the circulation of a fat-absorbing enzyme called lipase. They found that standing up engages muscles and promotes the distribution of lipase, which prompts the body to process fat and cholesterol, independent of the amount of time spent exercising. They also found that standing up uses blood glucose and may discourage the development of diabetes.

You're probably sitting down right now. Well, by the time you're done reading this, you may see sitting in a whole new way!

"Chair time is an insidious hazard because people haven't been told it's a hazard," Marc Hamilton, Ph.D., a professor of biomedical sciences at the University of Missouri in Columbia, told Ivanhoe.

That's right -- the time you sit in your chair could be keeping your body's fat burning in park! More than 47 million adults in the United States have metabolic syndrome, which causes obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Biomedical researchers from the say the reason so many of us have the condition is because we sit too much!
Read more.

Burning Fat And Carbohydrate During Exercise

ScienceDaily (June 19, 2007) — In a paper published in The Journal of Physiology, Helge, Stallknecht, Richter, Galbo, and Keins from Copenhagen shed light on fat oxidation during exercise and physical activity. Their observations suggest that fat oxidation during exercise reflects a fine interplay between the cardiovascular, neurological, endocrine and muscle metabolic systems.

During exercise and physical activity, the primary fuels used by muscles are carbohydrate and fat. When mild exercise is performed there is a tendency to burn relatively more fat and less glucose, but as exercise becomes more intense, a higher fraction of the energy demands of the muscle are supplied by glucose, until at the highest intensities almost only carbohydrates are used. Is this shift in fuel source a property of the muscle itself, or does it represent the interplay between what is happening in the muscle and the exercise-related responses in the rest of the body?

The study, performed at the Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre at the University of Copenhagen, examined muscle fuel utilisation in response to graded exercise performed with only one leg. Nine healthy males performed one-leg exercise at 25, 45, and 85% of maximal workload. Their results showed that, when only a small mass of muscle is contracting, and blood flow and oxygen supply are not limited by central circulatory capacity, the shift in fuel source from fat to glucose as exercise intensity increases does not occur. Read more.

Fruit Juice Is Bad, Obesity Epidemic Gets Worse, and Sleep Deprivation Leads To Overeating

Dietary Factors Appear To Be Associated With Diabetes Risk

ScienceDaily (July 29, 2008) — Drinking more sugar-sweetened beverages or eating fewer fruits and vegetables both may be associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas eating a low-fat diet does not appear to be associated with any change in diabetes risk, according to three reports in the July 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Diabetes rates continue to increase, particularly in developed countries, according to background information in the articles. By the year 2030, 11.2 percent of U.S. adults are expected to have the condition. Obesity is the strongest modifiable risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes.

In one study, Julie R. Palmer, Sc.D., of the Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston University, and colleagues examined the association between type 2 diabetes, weight gain and the consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and fruit drinks in 43,960 African American women. In 1995 and again in 2001, the women completed a questionnaire about the types of foods and beverages they typically consumed. A total of 17 percent reported drinking one sugar-sweetened soft drink each day, 32 percent drank one sweetened fruit drink each day and 22 percent had at least one glass of orange juice or grapefruit juice.

Over 10 years of follow-up, 2,713 of the women developed type 2 diabetes. Those who drank more regular soft drinks and fruit drinks—including regular soda, other fruit juices, fortified fruit drinks and Kool-Aid but not diet soda, orange juice or grapefruit juice—were more likely to develop diabetes than those who drank less of those beverages. Read more.


Study Suggests 86 Percent Of Americans Could Be Overweight Or Obese By 2030

ScienceDaily (July 29, 2008) — Most adults in the U.S. will be overweight or obese by 2030, with related health care spending projected to be as much as $956.9 billion, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Their results are published in the July 2008 online issue of Obesity.

“National survey data show that the prevalence of overweight and obese adults in the U.S. has increased steadily over the past three decades,” said Youfa Wang, MD, PhD, lead author of the study and associate professor with the Bloomberg School’s Center for Human Nutrition. “If these trends continue, more than 86 percent of adults will be overweight or obese by 2030 with approximately 96 percent of non-Hispanic black women and 91 percent of Mexican-American men affected. This would result in 1 of every 6 health care dollars spent in total direct health care costs paying for overweight and obesity-related costs.”

The researchers conducted projection analyses based on data collected over the past three decades from nationally representative surveys. Their projections illustrate the potential burden of the U.S. obesity epidemic if current trends continue. Read more.

Sleep Restriction Results In Increased Consumption Of Energy From Snacks

ScienceDaily (June 11, 2008) — Bedtime restriction in an environment that promotes overeating and inactivity is accompanied by increased intake of calories from snacks. This behavior may contribute to the increased risk of weight gain and obesity associated with short sleep hours, according to a research abstract that will be presented on June 11 at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

The study authors led by Plamen Penev, MD, PhD, of the University of Chicago, followed 11 healthy volunteers who each completed two 14-day studies in random order at least three months apart. Studies were carried out in the laboratory with five-and-a-half or eight-and-a-half hour bedtimes and ad lib food intake.

According to the results, when bedtimes were restricted to five-and-a-half hours study subjects consumed more energy from snacks. The carbohydrate content of ingested snacks also increased for this group. Read more.

Dr. Mercola & Hodge Podge Of Links & Videos

I'm off to Carson City for the day to shop, and to tour the house Jerry's been remodeling. He's very happy about how nice it's turning out. People are already showing interest in it although it's not officially on the market. This house is a two-story charmer overlooking the governor's mansion in one of Carson City's nicer historic districts. Seems everyone who enters this house falls in love with it. Now with all the upgrades it's irresistible.

Last night, Bruno and I stayed up late making a trampoline video but it came out sort of dark. We're going to do a remake today. The kid can jump for 30 minutes nearly non-stop. He's a bundle of energy. We'll post the video eventually.

When we get home, we'll make homemade pizza and play Scrabble into the evening. Sunday will be a relaxing day in the swimming pool. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I'm a fan of Dr. Mercola. He's (almost) always right.

Clearing Up Confusion On Non Sugar Sweeteners mercola.com



Is Whole Wheat Bread Really Good For You? www.mercola.com



Who Else Wants to Painlessly Lose Weight? www.mercola.com/MT



Lose Weigh With The Law of Attraction



Goodbye Gluten. Hit The Road High Fructose Corn Syrup by Dr. Mercola

HEALTH BOMB #1: High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has become a modern-day plague. Not only does it contribute to our obesity epidemic, but it has also been linked to:

* Pancreas dysfunction, diabetes and insulin resistance
* High cholesterol and heart disease
* Cancer
* High blood pressure
* Anemia
* Liver damage
* Infertility
* And more

Sadly, the average consumption of fructose has doubled between 1980 and 1994. Soft drinks and some fruit drinks are a major source of HFCS, but it is also found in many other products, from crackers to salad dressing. Read more.

Fat Friends And Poor Education Helps People Think Thin

ScienceDaily (July 25, 2008) — Research by economists at the University of Warwick, Dartmouth College, and the University of Leuven, finds that people are powerfully but subconsciously influenced by the weight of those around them. Without being aware of it, the researchers believe, human beings keep up with the weight of the Joneses.

For a whole society, this can lead to a spiral of imitative obesity. The researchers will present their results on July 25th at a National Bureau of Economic Research conference in Cambridge Massachusetts in a paper entitled Imitative Obesity and Relative Utility at the NBER Summer Institute on Health Economics.

Using data on 27,000 Europeans from 29 countries, the researchers find that nearly half of European women feel overweight. Less than a third of males feel overweight.

The authors suggest that whether for reasons of job promotions or finding a mate it is someone’s weight relative to others that matters. They show that overweight perceptions and dieting decisions are influenced by people’s comparisons with others of the same age and gender.

Highly educated Europeans hold themselves to a particularly tough standard, the research shows. For any given level of Body Mass Index (BMI), somebody with a university degree feels much fatter than someone with low educational qualifications.

Overall, the researchers believe that a person’s "utility" (an economic term roughly meaning satisfaction levels) depends on their own weight relative to the weight of those around them. They suggest that it is easier to be fat in a society that is fat.
Read more.

How Cranberry Juice Can Prevent Urinary Tract Infections

ScienceDaily (July 25, 2008) — For generations, people have consumed cranberry juice, convinced of its power to ward off urinary tract infections, though the exact mechanism of its action has not been well understood. A new study by researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) reveals that the juice changes the thermodynamic properties of bacteria in the urinary tract, creating an energy barrier that prevents the microorganisms from getting close enough to latch onto cells and initiate an infection. Read more.

Another Reason Not To "Diet" Alone & Personal Update

Exercise is still key to fat loss and maintaining or gaining lean mass. See science article below.

My guys in WalMart...














Personal Update - Weight this morning 123 pounds, body fat 23.5 percent (both up since Thursday - no surprise there after the long weekend of feasting). I'm back to high protein / moderate carb eating this morning and drinking lots of water to flush out all the sodium I ate over the holiday weekend.

I'm also having a minor colitis / Crohns flare. Mostly feels like an ice pick was shoved in my lower right side. I'm taking 880 mg of an NSAID but it really doesn't do much for the pain at this point. Hopefully a course of Colon Clenz will get me over this pain in the arse. Probably it was caused by the Chili's dessert I shared with the guys. The chocolate and caramel sauces likely had high fructose corn syrup in them - my biggest trigger food. That's why I rarely eat any type of dessert or sweetened food. For land's sake, they put HFCS in everything including some brand of pickles, most commercial condiments like bbq sauces, ketchup, some low fat mayonnaises, tartar sauces, etc. You name it, if it comes in a box, bag, jar, or can, it probably has HFCS. I basically have to read every label in the store to avoid it. Restaurants, unfortunately, rarely disclose ingredients so when I do eat out it's a gamble.

Today, workout one will be leg day and workout two will be pool aerobics. (Update, I missed the pool aerobics but managed 6 sets each of 20 reps of lunges, side lunges, squats, and 6 sets of 15 reps each of 3 way calf raises - toes in, toes out, toes straight - on the BioVibe. Unfortunately my side pain got worse afterwards. Oh what we'll do for love and muscle).

The science article below enforces my philosophy that exercise and resistance training in particular is a must.

Weight Watchers Vs. Fitness Centers

ScienceDaily (July 5, 2008) — In the first study of its kind, using sophisticated methods to measure body composition, the nationally known commercial weight loss program, Weight Watchers, was compared to gym membership programs to find out which method wins in the game of good health. A University of Missouri researcher examined the real-life experiences of participants to determine which program helps people lose pounds, reduce body fat and gain health benefits. The answer is that both have pros and cons and that a combination of the two produces the best results.

Participants who attended Weight Watchers for 12 weeks lost an average of 5 percent of their body weight, or about nine pounds. However, Steve Ball, assistant professor of exercise physiology in the MU College of Human Environmental Sciences, found that a large percentage of the lost weight was lean tissue and not fat.

“Participants’ body fat percentage did not improve at all because they lost a much higher percentage than expected of lean tissue,” said Ball, MU Extension state fitness specialist. “It is advantageous to keep lean tissue because it is correlated with higher metabolism. Losing lean tissue often slows metabolism. What your body is made of is more important than what you weigh.”

The majority of other Weight Watcher studies had not considered body fat percentage change and only focused on body weight.

“This is one aspect of our study that makes it unique,” Ball said. “We used a sophisticated measure of body composition – the Bod Pod – to look at what type of weight was lost: lean or fat.”

In addition, Ball said the study was novel because Computer Tomography (CT scans) were used to investigate changes in abdominal fat, which is more predictive of cardiovascular disease. Although the fitness center group lost very little weight, they probably improved their health because they lost a significant amount of intraabdominal fat (fat around vital organs). These results imply that exercise may have positive influence on the metabolic syndrome despite the number on the scale, Ball concluded.

Ball also found that group support is very important. Most of the Weight Watchers participants stuck with the program during the duration of the study, while many of the fitness center participants quit.

“These results imply that overweight, sedentary women joining a fitness center with the intent of weight loss or body fat change will likely fail without support and without altering their diets,” Ball said. “Nearly 50 percent of people who start an exercise program will quit within six months.”

“This study attempted to discover what takes place in the real world when overweight women attempt to lose weight.” Ball said. “I think the outcome of the study speaks volumes about the necessity for a multi-pronged approach in order to lose weight, body fat and gain health benefits. I hope that this will be the first in a series of studies investigating commercial weight-loss programs.”

Journal reference:
1. Ball et al. Comparison of a Commercial Weight Loss Program to Joining a Fitness Center. Journal of Exercise Physiology, June 2008
Adapted from materials provided by University of Missouri-Columbia.

Personal Update & News and Fat Loss Articles

They talk about the terrible twos. What about the ever irascible eights? I was hoping for the even tempered eights...ha! In his defense I put my elbow on his sunburned shoulder. Mom...owww.











My weight this morning is 118.5 pounds and body fat is 22.2 percent. This low carb diet and two workouts a day is working. I'm sure some of the loss is water but there's some fat coming off too. My stomach is flatter. Which is weird as I'm still pre-menstrual and usually gain a few pounds of water weight around this time.

Today's food plan:

Meal one - 1 cup shrimp salad

Meal two - 4 ounces chicken and salad with 1 teaspoon flax oil

Meal three - protein shake, 1/2 banana

Meal four - smoked salmon and cucumber slices with 1 teaspoon walnut oil, 1/2 cup strawberries

Meal five - 4 ounces lean ground beef, green beans with onions and peppers, 1 teaspoon olive oil

Meal six - 4 ounces salmon steak in butter, 1/2 cup mixed berries, 4 ounces vodka

I don't have the stats in fitday yet but I've been running roughly 1600 calories a day with under 35 grams carbs with 35-65 grams alcohol, 35-60 grams fat, and over 90 grams protein.

Beverages - 2 cups black coffee, 1 gallon (minimum) water and lime, 4 ounces vodka.

Supplements - Multi-vitamin, 2000 mg calcium, 10 grams fish oil, 1000 mg Max CLA, 3000 mg cranberry.

Workout one - biceps, triceps, shoulders, 5 sets each of various exercises (usually two exercises per body part including biceps curls, hammers, shoulder side raises, front raises, chair dips, overhead tricep extension) of 10-12 reps each with heavy enough weights to achieve failure or near-failure (15-25 pounds per side). Chair dips I can run about 25 reps a set. This means I do 5 sets x 12 reps of bicep curls, 5 sets x 12 reps of hammer curls, 5 sets x 12 reps of shoulder front raise, 5 sets x 12 reps of shoulder side raises, 5 sets x 12 reps overhead tricep extensions, and 5 sets x 25 reps chair dips. Total of 30 sets of exercises.

Workout two - one and a half hours pool aerobics / jogging / tag.

I've been sleeping very soundly and about 9 hours a night thanks to these workouts.

____________________________________________________________


My recipe for Fast and Spice Shrimp Salad - I forgot to take a photo before I ate it.

5 ounces cooked shrimp, tails removed, de-veined

2 tablespoons nonfat sour cream (full fat has 2 carbs and 120 calories while nonfat has 3 carbs and 25 calories. Hey do the math - I save 95 calories).

1 1/2 teaspoons regular mayonnaise (see, I put a healthy *tastier* fat back in too and end up with about the same calories as if I used just 2 Ts of full fat sour cream alone).

1/4 cup chopped celery

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay spice

Combine all ingredients and chill. Serves 1.

Calories 294, Fat 11 grams, Carbs 8 grams, Protein 38 grams

________________________________________________________________________________

In The News & Fat Loss Articles


Battle Of The Bulge: Low Leptin Levels Undermine Successful Weight Loss

ScienceDaily (June 24, 2008) — Individuals who are obese are at increased risk of many diseases, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. As 75%-95% of previously obese individuals regain their lost weight, many researchers are interested in developing treatments to help individuals maintain their weight loss.

A new study, by Michael Rosenbaum and colleagues, at Columbia University Medical Center, New York, has provided new insight into the critical interaction between the hormone leptin and the brain's response to weight loss.
Leptin levels fall as obese individuals lose weight. So, the authors set out to see whether changes in leptin levels altered activity in the regions of the brain known to have a role in regulating food intake.

They observed that activity in these regions of the brain in response to visual food-related cues changed after an obese individual successfully lost weight. However, these changes in brain activity were not observed if the obese individual who had successfully lost weight was treated with leptin. These data are consistent with the idea that the decrease in leptin levels that occurs when an individual loses weight serves to protect the body against the loss of body fat.

Further, both the authors and, in an accompanying commentary, Rexford Ahima, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, suggest that leptin therapy after weight loss might improve weight maintenance by overriding this fat-loss defense. End of article.

Extra Sleep Boosts Athletic Performance: Study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Athletes who get extra shut-eye over an extended period of time could see significant improvement in their athletic performance, mood, and alertness, research shows. "Our results begin to elucidate the importance of sleep on athletic performance and more specifically, how sleep is a significant factor to peak athletic performance," Cheri Mah of the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Laboratory told Reuters Health.

In an ongoing study, Mah and colleagues are testing the impact of extra sleep on five healthy students on the Stanford University men's and women's swimming teams. For the first two weeks of the study, the swimmers maintained their usual sleep-wake pattern. The athletes then extended their sleep to 10 hours per day for 6 to 7 weeks.

Athletic performance, assessed after each regularly scheduled swim practice, showed marked improvement with the extra sleep, Mah reported Monday at SLEEP 2008, the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

"Various drills including reaction time off the block, 15-meter sprint, and turn time improved while kick strokes increased with extra sleep," she said. Read more.


Fat Loss Nutrition Basics

Eating to get lean is not as difficult or confusing as we have been lead to believe. The problem is the quick fix mentality and distorted reality supplement companies and diet programs try to sell us. The best method of nutrition to achieve a lean and healthy body is one that consists of mainly whole foods and is macronutrient balanced. When trying to lose body fat, we want to make sure we cover the essentials and avoid the pitfalls. Once these bases are covered, fat loss will become natural. Read more.


20 Ways To Trick Fat by David Gluhariff

A Synergistic Approach To Fat Loss by ISSA

Excerpt - In this day and age everyone has a set idea of what they want to look like, but have difficulty obtaining it. Whether it is those annoying love handles or a little excess fat on the thighs, cutting calories can help. By incorporating a proper diet and exercise program into your daily life you can get on your way to that figure you always wanted.

Your Body

The body liberates energy from its tissues and stores when the caloric intake is less than the caloric output. If this occurs there is a loss of fat along with lean body mass. When planning to lose fat, one must first establish a body composition goal. Men lose fat easier than women due to hormone differences. This is because testosterone levels in men are higher, helping them to maintain more muscle mass.

The hormone system of women resists change in the body composition as a protective mechanism that helps conserve energy stores during pregnancy. It is for this reason that women lose fat slower than men do and find it difficult to maintain a body fat percentage lower than 16%. Read more.

This article has a cool lean body mass calculator. Here are my results:

Your Lean Body Mass Results.
Your Weight: 54 kilograms.
Your BodyFat Percentage: 20%.
Your Lean Body Mass In Kilograms: 44 kilograms.
Your Lean Body Mass In Pounds: 96 pounds.

Back To The Basics of Dieting by Robboe

Excerpt - The goal here is fat loss and there are many ways to do it, regardless of what many protocols recommend. The information presented here is going to be aimed toward the less experienced.

Before I begin, I'd like to point out that this piece is not a comprehensive dieting protocol such as Twin Peak's Carbohydrate Cycling or Lyle McDonald's UD2.0. I'm not going to give you meal plans, suggested foods or calorie intakes. What I will do, however, is show you how to get started towards your goal of fat loss, and how to ensure progression towards this goal.

There are many ways to skin a cat, so obviously this advice may conflict with what some dieting protocols recommend, but realize that these guidelines can be used in conjunction with whatever dieting protocol you adhere to. This is aimed more towards the less experienced, although veterans may still benefit from little tricks here and there. Read more.

“Don’t Call Him ‘The Keto Guy’ – An Interview with Lyle McDonald By: David Whitley

If you have been around weight training for very long, you have probably heard of Lyle McDonald. A few years ago, he conducted an experiment on himself based on the Body Opus program by Dan Duchaine, and went onto make a name for himself with his book The Ketogenic Diet which established him as an authority on sports nutrition and specifically low-carbohydrate dieting. He probably knows more about low-carb dieting than anyone, but please don't call him the "Keto Guy".

What you may not know is that he is also a serious speed skater with designs on competing in the Olympics. Lyle recently took the time to tell me about his current training, life and the sport he loves. Read more.

In The News

Bruno Goofing Around With Balloons















Carb-cutting Enzyme Stopped By Bean Extract, Endocrinologists Say

April 1, 2007 — UCLA researchers have found an extract in white kidney beans may help the body stop carbs from breaking down into sugars. A digestive enzyme in the body normally acts like scissors, literally cutting starches into little sugars. Phase 2 stops the enzyme from cutting, so the starches stay in the body as long fibers and are burned off quicker. Patients in the clinical studies who took Phase 2 lost body fat, not lean muscle.

Americans are getting fatter. In fact, more than 60 percent are overweight and 18 million have type 2 diabetes. It's an epidemic that's becoming more of a problem with each passing year. Now, a new discovery could help you shed those dangerous pounds and live a healthier life.

Pastas ... breads ... cereals ... We know them well. And doctors say it's carbs like these that are making us fat.


Read More.

On the personal front, I don't know if I'm coming down with something or I'm just overworked. I'm aching all over and it's not the good kind of ache you get from working out. I've been spending a lot more time outside because Jerry's out of town and I'm doing his outside chores. So I'm breathing in a lot more allergens and my Claritin isn't cutting it. I may have to stack Benedryl on top of it and I hate to as that makes me drousy.

Regardless, the weekend looks to be chores, chores, chores. I've got over 30 trees and the garden to water, three litter boxes to clean, a dog run to clean, laundry, dishes, and I have to tackle Bruno's room. Bruno's room is like a Toys-R-Us after someone set a bomb off. Every few weeks I clean it and put everything away. Then a few weeks later "Whammo!" It explodes again. Bruno cannot find his Indiana Jones Lego person so we're in crisis mode. I need to don my radiation suit and go in...

In The News - Self Efficacy Important For Weight Loss Success

Although this study was of older women, I see no reason it wouldn't translate to all ages. Possessing knowledge of how to effectively lose weight (you wouldn't believe how many people don't know how to put together an effective approach or program) and the confidence and self esteem to follow through are vital. This study just reinforces what most of us suspected all along. Without a proven nutrition and exercise regimen and the drive to do it and keep at it you likely won't achieve success.

Weight Loss Possible When Self-belief High

ScienceDaily (May 2, 2008) — If you are what you eat, what you eat has a lot to do with how you think about yourself, says a QUT PhD researcher whose study is part of an international research project on the healthy ageing of women.

Queensland University of Technology nursing researcher Rhonda Anderson said self-efficacy had emerged as a strong influence on women's decision to do more exercise or eat more healthily.

She surveyed more than 560 South-East Queensland women aged between 51 and 66 on their exercise and diet habits and found that although women in their 50s were keen to make healthier diet and exercise changes, they had few effective strategies to draw upon.

"This is an age when women's weight tends to peak, and almost two-thirds of the survey group were overweight or obese," Ms Anderson said.

"Self efficacy is our belief that we can produce the result we want to produce, so a person with high dietary self-efficacy believes they can eat healthily no matter what - even when bored, upset, tired, on holiday or at a party.

"A person's level of self-efficacy determines how hard they try and how long they stick at things in the face of difficulties. People with high self-efficacy are motivated and optimistic - when the going gets tough, they keep going.

"People with low self-efficacy avoid difficult tasks and when things get tough they are more likely to give up. We can improve our self-efficacy by developing skills, having role models and getting encouragement from others."

Ms Anderson's study found being overweight or obese was a key influence on self-efficacy. "Women who carried a lot of excess weight were more likely to have low self-efficacy and to not believe they could stick to an effective healthy exercise or diet program," she said.

"Education is also a factor - women with a tertiary education were more likely to have high self-efficacy for exercise."

Ms Anderson said her findings were timely given the population was ageing and women lived longer than men.

"We are going to have a lot of older women and if they are obese at age 60 they are not well placed to have a healthy old age. Carrying excess weight has been linked to diseases including diabetes, heart disease and breast cancer," she said.

Ms Anderson said that most of the women in her study who had made an effort to exercise more took up walking and those who had tried to eat more healthily had mainly cut down on fat.

"But going for a stroll and not having butter on your bread won't have you lose 30kg. Women need specific education and support to be successful in improving their health and losing weight.

"We need to reach the many women juggling work and motherhood and feel guilty if they take time for themselves.

"A lot of women in their 50s are keen to improve their health, and we need to take advantage of that, but if we can support them in taking care of themselves from an earlier age, so much the better."

Adapted from materials provided by Queensland University of Technology.

Artificial Sweeteners Are Bad News

I've held to the belief artificial sweeteners are BAD. I know some dieters and low carb "experts" swear by them. But putting any chemicals and engineered foods in your body is a gamble.

On a similar front, high fructose corn syrup - considered 'natural' because it's engineered from corn is also a very bad actor. Personally it triggers colitis flares and I avoid it totally which is damned difficult because they put it in everything including some brands of dill pickles.

Below are just a few articles and links on these "sweet poisons".

Aspartame Dangers Revealed!

THE BITTER TRUTH ABOUT ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

Aspartame sugar substitutes cause worrying symptoms from memory loss to brain tumours. But despite US FDA approval as a 'safe' food additive, aspartame is one of the most dangerous substances ever to be foisted upon an unsuspecting public.


The Double Danger of High Fructose Corn Syrup By Bill Sanda, BS, MBA

Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup by Kevin Millard, Jul 4, 2007

High fructose corn syrup is the new silent killer. Sadly, it is found in almost everything we eat. find out how to avoid it.

No-calorie sweeteners may confuse body

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (UPI) -- A U.S. study in rats suggested no-calorie sweeteners may make it harder to control calories but the reduced calorie food industry questions the findings.

The study, published in Behavioral Neuroscience, found rats given yogurt sweetened with zero-calorie saccharin later consumed more calories, gained more weight, put on more body fat and didn't make up for it by cutting back later.

Study authors Susan Swithers and Terry Davidson of Purdue University wrote that sweet food provide ingestive and digestive reflexes that gear up for food intake but when false sweetness isn't followed by lots of calories, the system gets confused and people may eat more or expend less energy than they otherwise would.

However, the Calorie Control Council, an international non-profit association representing manufacturers of low- and reduced-calorie foods and beverages said in a statement that the Purdue study oversimplifies the causes of obesity. The group criticized the study for its small sample size -- 27 rats -- and that animal findings aren't necessarily applicable to humans.

The group also said that the preabsorptive insulin release -- the body's supposed reaction to non-caloric sweet taste -- is cited as the potential mechanism for overeating but there is no cephalic phase insulin release in humans following the ingestion of aspartame.


Copyright 2008 by United Press International

In The News and Cool Links

I managed to make my ribs sore on my left side. I first thought I did it when I missed a step on my front deck. I didn't fall this time but I landed hard. Then this morning I used my left hip as a fulcrum to bang open the back door. It's been sticking because of the cold weather and snowstorms and I've been doing that for several days. I'm pretty sure using my body as a battering ram is what brought on the sore ribs. So I'm out of commission a few days as far as workouts. When I get over this I'll start Power 90X Plus and post reviews.

It doesn't help that we got more snow out here and the U latch on my horse corral gate froze shut. I had to lift the grain bucket (about 20 pounds) and the hay cube bucket (about 35 pounds) over the fence while standing on a big rock. This is where the weight lifting and aerobics workouts translate into functional fitness and come in damn handy. Especially when your ribs are sore. Until I heal enough to do and review P90X Plus here's a few tidbits you might enjoy:

Celiac Disease: Discovery Of Enzyme's Structure May Lead To New Treatments

ScienceDaily (Jan. 9, 2008) — Researchers have discovered a new structure for a key enzyme associated with celiac disease, a finding that could lead to the design of new medications for the common digestive disorder, according to an article scheduled for the Jan. 7 issue of Chemical & Engineering News.
More here.

Eating Out Can Have Both Positive And Negative Impact On Obesity

ScienceDaily (Jan. 10, 2008) — Eating out instead of cooking at home continues to increase as a factor impacting the American diet. Americans face a large variety of food options and food establishments when choosing to eat out. Do the choices of available restaurants matter to America's rising obesity? More here.

Exercising Judgment: The Psychology Of Fitness

ScienceDaily (Jan. 10, 2008) — It's only been a few weeks since you made that New Year's resolution to exercise more, but already you're finding reasons to skip days -- maybe even weeks. More here.

10 Worst Foods of 2007 How many have you tried? After much deliberation, food writer John "Mr. Bad Food" McGran has come up with the "best" of the worst foods he’s reviewed over the past year.

Here there are in his words (in no particular order)—the worst foods of 2007! More here.

Is Obesity a Choice? As adult obesity balloons in the United States, being overweight has become less of a health hazard and more of a lifestyle choice, the author of a new book argues.

"Obesity is a natural extension of an advancing economy. As you become a First World economy and you get all these labour-saving devices and low-cost, easily accessible foods, people are going to eat more and exercise less," health economist Eric Finkelstein told AFP. Read more.

Here's a few cool links:

Disaboom - Live Forward

Japanese IQ Test - Fun and Challenging Game

Most Famous Men On One Photo


Barmeister - The Online Guide To Drinking

Hot Library Smut - Photos of the World's Most Beautiful Libraries

Euphoria Remedies - These Food Combos Make People Euphoric - I haven't tried any yet.

Unstoppable Fat Loss Blog - Empower Your Mind and Your Body Will Follow

Beyond Wikipedia - 20 References You Can't Do Without

Healing Food Reference

Disabled Athletes Sports Association

In The News

Exercise can't compensate for sitting

COLUMBIA, Mo. (UPI) -- Even exercising for an hour a day isn't sufficient to reverse the effects of sitting the rest of the day, U.S. researchers found.

University of Missouri-Columbia researchers Marc Hamilton and Theodore Zderic found evidence that sitting had negative effects on fat and cholesterol metabolism and that physical inactivity throughout the day stimulated disease-promoting processes.

Hamilton said that there is a misconception that actively exercising is the only way to make a healthy difference in an otherwise sedentary lifestyle but his studies found that standing and other non-exercise activities burn many calories in most adults even if they don't otherwise exercise.

"The enzymes in blood vessels of muscles responsible for 'fat burning' are shut off within hours of not standing," Hamilton said in a statement. "Standing and moving lightly will re-engage the enzymes, and it stands to reason that when people sit much of that time they are losing the opportunity for optimal metabolism throughout the day."

Common non-exercise physical activities include: household chores, shopping, fidgeting and standing while watching a ball game, watching TV or talking on the telephone.

The findings are published in Diabetes and are to be presented at the Second International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health in the Netherlands.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International

Slim pickings for the women who are starving to look good
More magazine's latest offering serves up a depressing hotch-potch of information about dieting, resulting from interviews with 2,000 women across the UK. The headlines go like this: over a lifetime women spend, on average, more than £150,000 on diet products including books and dvds, gym membership, specialist foods and supplements. In spite of this, average weight loss is three pounds in any one year – most of which is put back on – so every pound lost costs £807.

The average length of time a woman tries to diet before a big event is four weeks, and young women now have a much more "short, sharp burst" attitude to weight loss than their mothers and grandmothers ever did.

Research says that women (the average age of the sample was 23) tend not to believe female celebrities whose bleating explanation for sudden dramatic weight loss is often either, "I just can't to keep weight on, no matter how much I eat..." or "It just dropped off after I had the baby...it must be down to breastfeeding."

Apparently 67 per cent of those surveyed thought the likes of Lily Allen, Paris Hilton, Victoria Beckham and her Spice Girls colleague Geri Halliwell actually achieve their wafer-thinness by opting for the "No Food Diet".

And thinking seems to go that if these suspected drastically slim pickings are okay for the celebs, that's where ordinary young women follow. Maybe this accounts in part for the fact that, although women in general have got bigger since the Second World War, the shops are selling clothes in ever-tinier sizes. We have a generation of younger women now who either gorge themselves or starve to be fashionable and emulate their icons.

Ninety per cent of women have gone at least one day without eating to lose weight, 30 per cent have starved themselves for two or more days, and seven per cent have fasted for four days.

Nearly half of those questioned said they eat only one meal a day, and that they started on this regime at the age of 15. A fifth follow a day of eating by a day of not eating, in order to lose weight or maintain weight loss.

Some of these will be seriously threatening their health, and some will be those who consume hardly any food on a Thursday to mitigate the calories they'll take on board on Friday night from a pizza and eight or 10 glasses of wine.

More's target audience isn't the older woman who knows better than to follow fad diets. The younger women who are probably the core of its readership will read the figures on diet provided by this survey and devour them – they are, after all, calorie-free.

The magazine's editor, Lisa Smosarski, says : "A whole generation of women have a dysfunctional eating pattern of endless mini starvation diets... It's very a very unhealthy, short-term approach to food, and means one day nothing will pass a girl's lips so that she can look 'hot' for a party..." Read More.

The Skinny on Carbohydrates (And don't leave me snotty or know it all comments because you're anti-all-carbs or only eat crescent rolls during a blue moon or pass on the apples and bananas because Jupiter is in the wrong alignment with your treadmill's model number. I don't give a snot).

Melina Jampolis, M.D.

Carbohydrates have been making a comeback lately. In the late '90s, the bun-less double bacon cheeseburger was considered health food, but in the past year or two, with even more research emerging on the importance of whole grains in disease prevention, we have been forced to rethink our boycott of the bread basket. Nevertheless, the average person is still confused about the role of carbohydrates for optimal health and weight loss. When it comes to carbohydrates, it is important to understand that quality and quantity matter.

Carbohydrate Quality: When we think of carbohydrates, we think of bread, pasta, rice, cereal, baked goods and potatoes, but they are also present in fruits, vegetables and dairy. All carbohydrates (except fiber) are eventually broken down into simple sugars, your body's favorite source of fuel. How quickly foods are absorbed and broken down into simple sugars (and therefore raise blood sugar), a value known as the glycemic index (GI), is an important criterion for evaluating carbohydrate quality. Whole, non-processed carbohydrates (vegetables, low-fat dairy) and carbohydrates that are high in fiber (whole grains) tend to be low glycemic while refined, processed and sugary carbohydrates like baked goods, juice, soda, white bread, white rice and white potatoes are generally high glycemic.

Why does the glycemic index of food matter? High-GI foods increase blood sugar very quickly, causing an exaggerated release of insulin. This leads to a subsequent crash in blood sugar, which can leave you feeling tired and hungry - neither of which is good for your waistline or your general well-being. In addition, having too much insulin in your bloodstream regularly can cause dangerous fat to accumulate around your midsection, significantly increasing your risk of heart disease. While studies on GI and weight loss have shown mixed results, in my practice, I find that a low-GI diet helps control hunger and keep energy levels stable throughout the day. And studies suggest it may decrease your risk of heart disease, age-related macular degeneration, breast cancer and diabetes, so even if you don't lose weight, a low-GI diet wins.

Carbohydrate Quantity: When it comes to weight loss, low=carbohydrate diets outperform the rest, in the short term. But most, if not all of the weight loss, is generally regained within a year because it is difficult, if not impossible, to stay on these diets long term. If you tend to carry your weight around your midsection, the so-called apple-shaped body type, studies suggest that you will lose more weight, particularly around your waist, by reducing carbohydrates. But rather than cut them completely, focus on cutting back and eating mainly fruits, vegetables (except potatoes) and whole-grain carbohydrates such as whole grain bread, brown rice, barley and high-fiber cereal. In my book, "The No Time to Lose Diet," I developed a carbohydrate calculator (click here) to help customize the number of starchy carbohydrates you should consume for weight loss. Studies show that eating at least 3 servings of whole grains per day is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. And for athletes (even weekend warriors), you need carbohydrates to fuel your muscles, otherwise you will run out of steam quickly or worse, burn muscle for fuel.

So as you can see, there is no need to fear the carbohydrate. The right carbs can help you become (or stay) healthier and slimmer.

Dr. Melina B. Jampolis is a board-certified physician nutrition specialist. She is the host of Fit TV's "Diet Doctor" and author of "The No Time to Lose Diet" (Nelson Books, 2007). She is in private practice in San Francisco focusing on nutrition for weight loss and disease prevention.

This article appeared on page P - 7 of the San Francisco Chronicle

In The News - Let's Get Physical

Bruno and Our Exercise Video Collection - Click To View Larger Version
















Just 30 Minutes Vigorous Exercise A Day Can Stabilize Body Mass Index

ScienceDaily (Nov. 6, 2007) — Don't slack off on exercise if you want to avoid packing on the pounds as you age.

A consistently high level of physical activity from young adulthood into middle age increases the odds of maintaining a stable weight and lessens the amount of weight gained over time, according to a new analysis from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.

People who reported at least 30 minutes of vigorous activity a day such as jogging, bicycling or swimming were more than twice as likely to maintain a stable Body Mass Index (BMI) over 20 years. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. But even highly active people who gained weight, gained 14 pounds less over 20 years than those with consistently low activity. Read more here.

The Biggest Weight Loss Myth in History

We all knew it was true, at least those of us who have been successful at weight loss and finally keeping it off.

Calories count.

Whether it's low carb or low fat eating too much ultimately backfires. And now Anthony Colpo, author of the Great Cholesterol Con, says so too.

Maybe a few low carb advocates will follow suit and own up to the necessity of limiting calories just as Dr. Atkins stated in his "Atkins For Life". This would certainly be a valuable realization and tool for those still struggling to reach their goal weights.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

The Biggest Weight Loss Myth in History

Total Health Breakthroughs is a free, weekly natural health eNewsletter that offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul and is your complete source non-nonsense, natural health information.

Total Health Breakthroughs
October 30, 2007

By Anthony Colpo

I'm about to reveal the biggest and most counterproductive weight loss myth ever told. Pay close attention. What you are about to read could literally mean the difference between successfully losing weight and getting fatter than ever.

The myth in question is perpetrated by diet "experts" of all stripes. It is a cause of untold frustration and misery among dieters. It distracts people from doing what they really need in order to lose weight, and instead causes them to focus on the irrelevant.

So what is this myth?

It is the widely held belief that calories do not count or are of only minor importance when it comes to weight loss. Make no mistake: If you wish to lose weight, calories are everything! To successfully lose weight, you must burn more calories in a given time period than you take in, no matter what diet you are following.

Despite this, diet authors commonly advise us to forget about counting calories! No wonder most people fail dismally in their weight loss efforts! Read More Here.


The Great Cholesterol Con website

In The News

The following report begs the question are weight loss surgery candidates and patients getting adequate counseling and follow up care? Overeating, and obesity itself when not related to overeating per se, are connected with emotional and psychological issues. If someone uses food as a coping mechanism and this is taken away what are they to do? If proper after care doesn't address this issue are we not putting people at risk?


October 17, 2007, 11:01 am
A Tragic Risk of Weight-Loss Surgery

A review of thousands of patient records has turned up a previously unknown risk associated with a popular weight loss operation — suicide.

In bariatric surgery, the stomach is made smaller so as to speed weight loss. The risk of dying from bariatric surgery is about 1 ipercent, most studies show, and complications strike up to 40 percent of patients. In addition to being overweight, these patients often have health problems like diabetes and heart disease, so it’s no surprise they also have higher death rates from natural causes.

But a review of nearly 17,000 weight-loss surgeries performed in Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2004 has yielded a surprising finding. Of the 440 deaths in the group, 16 were due to suicide or drug overdose, according to the University of Pittsburgh researchers who reviewed the data. Based on the suicide rate in the general population, no more than three suicides should have occurred in the group, the study authors say. More troubling is the fact that another 14 of the drug overdoses that were reported likely include some suicides, suggesting that the real suicide rate was even higher. “There is a substantial excess of suicide deaths, even excluding those listed only as drug overdose,'’ the researchers noted.

In August, The New England Journal of Medicine reported a review of nearly 10,000 bariatric surgery patients by Utah researchers, who compared them to a control group of obese people who had applied for a state driver’s license. Although the surgery patients had a 50 percent lower risk of dying from disease compared to obese people who hadn’t undergone surgery, their risk of dying in an accident or suicide was 11.1 per 10,000 people — that’s 58 percent higher than the 6.4 per 10,000 rate in the obese group. The study suggested the suicide risk was twice as high for surgery patients than for those who had not had surgery, but the finding wasn’t statistically meaningful.

Nobody knows why bariatric surgery patients appear to be at higher risk for killing themselves. Some research shows a link between obesity and depression, so the typical surgery patient may already be at higher risk for depression and suicide before the operation. It’s possible that depressive symptoms may worsen in patients who have unrealistic expectations about the results of surgery or who struggle not to regain weight after the procedure.

The study authors say the 7 percent death rate from suicide and drug overdose in the Pennsylvania case review signals the need for better mental health follow-up for patients who have undergone weight-loss surgery. While most weight-loss surgery programs require some psychological evaluation before the procedure, many programs and doctors are lax about follow-up after the surgery, and patients themselves often opt to skip follow-up counseling.

In The News

Most people who struggle with weight and dieting know it's not as simple as "eat less, move more." Unseen forces drive us to eat. Some are emotional, some social, and some are physical. The below research proves just that:

Genes May Make Some People More Motivated To Eat, Perhaps Overeat

Science Daily — Science has found one likely contributor to the way that some folks eat to live and others live to eat. Researchers at the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, have found that people with genetically lower dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps make behaviors and substances more rewarding, find food to be more reinforcing than people without that genotype. In short, they are more motivated to eat and they eat more.

The findings appear in Behavioral Neuroscience. Insights into genes and eating could inspire custom-tailored treatment programs for obesity, perhaps including genetically targeted drugs.

Led by Leonard Epstein, PhD, a distinguished professor of pediatrics and social and preventive medicine at the university's medical school, the team brought 29 obese adults and 45 adults who were not obese into the lab for a controlled study of the relationships among genotype, motivation to eat and caloric consumption.

Epstein's team was particularly interested in the influence of the Taq1 A1 allele, a genetic variation linked to a lower number of dopamine D2 receptors and carried by about half the population (most of which carries one A1 and one A2; carriers of two A1 alleles are rare). The other half of the population carries two copies of A2, which by fostering more dopamine D2 receptors may make it easier to experience reward. People with fewer receptors need to consume more of a rewarding substance (such as drugs or food) to get that same effect.

Epstein differentiates reinforcing value, defined by how hard someone will work for food, from the "feel good" pleasure people get from food, saying, "They often go together, but are not the same thing."

Researchers measured participants' body mass, swabbed DNA samples from inside their cheeks, and had them fill out eating questionnaires. There were two behavioral tasks.

In the first task, participants rated various foods -- from chips to candy bars -- for taste and personal preference. This apparent preference test disguised a task that measured how much participants ate when food was freely available.

In the second task, participants could swivel between two computer stations. Pressing specified keys on one earned points to eat their favorite food; pressing keys on the other earned points to read a newspaper.

The resulting behavioral measures included calories consumed as energy in kilocalories, reflecting both amount and caloric density, and time spent earning food instead of the opportunity to read the news.

Both obesity and the genotype associated with fewer dopamine D2 receptors predicted a significantly stronger response to food's reinforcing power. Perhaps not surprisingly, participants with that high level of food reinforcement consumed more calories.

The results also revealed a three-rung ladder of consumption, with people who don't find food that reinforcing, regardless of genotype, on the lowest rung. On the middle rung are people high in food reinforcement without the A1 allele. Atop the ladder are people high in food reinforcement with the allele, a potent combination that may put them at higher risk for obesity.

The reinforcing value of food, which may be influenced by dopamine genotypes, appeared to be a significantly stronger predictor of consumption than self-reported liking of the favorite food. What's more, obese participants clearly found food to be more reinforcing than non-obese participants. The authors conclude that, "Food is a powerful reinforcer that can be as reinforcing as drugs of abuse."

Researchers still view reinforcement as one of several factors that motivate eating behavior, but the present study highlights the genetic contribution and role of reinforcement. In theory, people producing less dopamine may, as a result, require more food to reach a certain state of reward or reinforcement that might be reached quicker, after less consumption, by those with a different genotype.

Findings such as these can help obesity experts to pinpoint people at greater risk for obesity and to develop treatments tailored to specific risk factors. "Behavior and biology interact and influence each other," says Epstein. "The genotype does not cause obesity; it is one of many factors that may contribute to it. I think the factors that make up eating behavior are in part genetic and in part learning history."

He and his colleagues speculate that, as with other public-health campaigns, it may be better to focus behavior change efforts on those at high risk. "A strategy for someone who is high in food reinforcement would be very different from the strategy for someone who is low in food reinforcement but higher in activity reinforcement," they wrote. Using overweight men, the group has already found that chemically manipulating dopamine levels alters eating behavior, a finding highly suggestive for pharmaceutical intervention.

Note: Dr. Leonard Epstein is also a consultant to Kraft Foods.

Article: "Food Reinforcement, the Dopamine D2 Receptor Genotype, and Energy Intake in Obese and Nonobese Humans"; Leonard H. Epstein, PhD, Jennifer L. Temple, PhD, Brad. J. Neaderhiser, PhD, Robbert J. Salis, MD, Richard W. Erbe, MD, and John J. Leddy, MD, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York; Behavioral Neuroscience, Vol. 121, No. 5.

Note: This story has been adapted from material provided by American Psychological Association.