CNet reviews a new online service called the Daily Plate. As somebody who just started counting calories, I definitely plan to check it out. I also like CNet’s idea that they can expand it to track your protein, Vitamin A or whatever.
Weight loss 2.0 | News.blog | CNET News.com
The key to weight loss, I’ve read a hundred times, is information. Watching and recording what you eat is the necessary first step to any health regimen. There are plenty of food tracking tools out there, including the famous WeightWatchers system. And now there’s a new, free, Web 2.0-ish service, The Daily Plate.
There’s nothing conceptually new about this service. What it has going for it is a very straightforward interface. You search for a food item, select the right one from a list of possibilities, and hit the “I ate that” button. It logs the item, the calories consumed, and so on. If you tell the system your stats (height, weight, age, exercise level), and your goal (how much weight you want to use and how fast), it will track your intake against the amount of calories you should be taking in. It’s up to you, of course, to be honest.
WebMD had a useful weight loss article, with seven tips to sneak off the pounds.
1. Snack Smart.
2. Savor Every Bite3. Eat Your Calories, Don’t Drink Them
4. Eat More (high-volume foods) to Lose More5. Don’t Eat from the Bag
6. Enjoy Variety – But Not Too Much
7. Have Three Square a Day
For the full article, see 7 Ways to Sneak off the Pounds
This story comes from the newspaper in Pensacola, Florida, but you can probably arrange a similar opportunity from anywhere. Nice way to get away for a few days and break out a sweat. Just stay away from the buffet.
Want a quick getaway? Check out this three-day package: a day of shopping and sightseeing in Cancun, Mexico, during a Health and Fitness Cruise on the Holiday Carnival Cruise Lines.
The three-day trip, promoted by A Travel Agency in Pensacola, includes one 30-minute healthy eating class and another on weights and toning, plus you’ll have full access to the ship’s health club, aerobic classes, sauna, hot tubs and jogging track. Personal trainers and massage therapists also will be available.
· WHEN: Aug. 24, Sept. 7 and Oct. 19. Ship departs Mobile on Thursdays and returns on Mondays.
Source: Life | PensacolaNewsJournal.com
Well, I suspected as much. Yesterday’s great weigh-in was crushed by a huge setback today. My weight logged in at 233, and the body fat creeped back up to 29 percent.
Does this mean I gained four pounds in one day? Depends. I certainly weighed that much more. But the chances are, most if not all of the difference is due to water. I don’t know why, but yesterday I probably had less than the normal amount and today I might be back to normal or even above normal. (I actually gave up two days of improvement.)
But could it have been because I busted the diet last night with an extra beer or that bon-bon? The answer there is absolutely not. At 3,500 calories per pound I would have to eat 14,000 calories more than normal in order to gain four pounds in a day. So, had I gone outside my diet by eating 7 half-gallon cartons of Edy’s Grand Vanilla Bean ice cream it could have done it. But one ice cream cone? Nope.
I made up a chart to show my progress, if any, in the short time since I started this plan.
To me, it looks like the overall trend is modestly down. I’m not going to let today’s setback set me back.
VOA News - Eat Less, Live Longer
In a new study, Dr John Holloszy compared three groups of people: those who ate fewer calories than in the typical western diet; regular eaters who also did strenuous exercise; and another group of regular eaters who didn’t exercise.
He found those who were on a calorie-restricted diet had less of the thyroid hormone T-3, which regulates their metabolism. Scientists think this might be related to how fast we age.
Another group in his study ate what they wanted but exercised intensively. The exercise didn’t seem to affect their thyroid hormone levels, which remained high. Holloszy says they are continuing research to see if eating less can slow aging in people as well as mice.
“Determining whether humans on caloric restriction live longer is not something we’re going to find out, at least not in my lifetime,” he says with a laugh. “You know, that’s a 50 year study.”
Like most people, we have generally believed it’s how many calories you consume each day, not the form they take, that has the greatest impact on weight. A new study casts doubt on this belief.
According to researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine animals that ate trans fat compare to those that did not gained more weight from the same amount of calories. The study was first presented at the 66th annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association in Washington, D.C by Kylie Kavanagh, D.V.M.
“Diets rich in trans fat cause a redistribution of fat tissue into the abdomen and lead to a higher body weight even when the total dietary calories are controlled,” said Lawrence L. Rudel, Ph.D. who is a professor of pathology and biochemistry and is also the head of Lipid Sciences Research Program.
Trans fat is manufactured by taking oil and adding hydrogen to make it become solid. The reason trans fat is used is to increase the shelf life of food products including baked goods. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (trans fats), saturated fats, and cholesterol helps to contribute in the increase in the LDL “bad” cholesterol levels. An increase in the LDL cholesterol has been shown to increase the risk for coronary artery disease.
“What it says is that trans fat is worse than anticipated,” Rudel said. “I was surprised.”
The study was conducted over a 6 year period of time. The researchers fed male monkeys a diet similar to typical Americans that contained trans fat. The control group of monkeys was fed food that contained olive oil or monounsaturated fats instead of trans fat. The calorie intakes in both groups were the same. The trans fat group of monkey received 8 percent of their calories from trans fat and the other group received the same amount in the form of monounsaturated fat. The monkeys that ate the trans fat had a 7.2 percent increase in body weight when the olive oil group had a 1.8 percent increase in weight.
Source: Weight Loss - Eating Trans Fat can make you fatter - Even if you count your Calories
I have held as faithfully as possible to my 1,500 calorie limit. Yesterday I was way ahead of the goal by evening, which was nice as I was able to help myself to a cheeseburger and beer while watching the College World Series without busting my diet. And to top it off, my weigh-in tonight was 229 and 28 percent body fat. Compared to when I started the blog on June 11, I am down 8 pounds, and 4.5 of those were fat. That is 18 sticks of butter that I am no longer carrying around.
I still recognize that todays reading was probably a little of an anomaly, particularly for the weight itself. I did not lose three pounds in one day, other than a difference in the amount of water I was carrying when I did the weigh-in. It isn’t something that can be controlled, as I try to weigh myself at the same time every day. It is just something you have to deal with it. And if, as is likely, I weigh a pound or two more tomorrow I won’t take it too hard.
Volatility is part of the process.
The Deep Fried Beer Battered Double Cheeseburger. I am allowed one a week if I eat nothing else the entire week.
KurzweilAI reports on a new study from researchers at Mt. Sinai suggesting that a caloric restriction diet can prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
The study, which appears in the July 2006 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, is the first to show that restricting caloric intake, specifically carbohydrates, may prevent AD by triggering activity in the brain associated with longevity.
People with AD exhibit elevated levels of beta-amyloid peptides that cause plaque buildup in the brain (the main characteristic of AD). Beta-amyloid peptides activate SIRT1, a member of a broad family of proteins known as sirtuins which influence a variety of functions including metabolism and aging.
I recently discussed how restricting calories may prolong life. I then found an article on the topic we thought I should share.
What if you could live past 100, but feel like you are in your 40s? A growing number of Americans believe it is possible by eating a special kind of diet. There is new research that may prove them right.
A Big Mac, large fries and a Coke totals 1,400 calories in just one meal. Grain, cereals, salad and then tuna and veggies can also equal 1,400 calories, but they make three meals. While there is no doubt which option is healthier, there’s now evideince all those nutritious unprocessed foods may add decades to your life.
Studies prove that in animals, calorie restriction works. Monkeys, rodents, even fish sometimes live up to twice as long when they’re forced to eat less.
The initial human research suggests that even exercise can’t compete with cutting calories when it comes to living longer. The calorie cutters in the studies had almost zero heart-attack risk. They had the blood pressure and cholestorol levels of a teenager, even when they were in their 50s.
Some doctors, like geriatrician Dr. Daniel Brauner, simply don’t buy into the research. He also doesn’t think the diet would work for most Americans.
Brauner said, “This would be something, if it did work, (it would) be something that only a small number of people could adhere to. Because we eat more than just to live, it might take some of the pleasure from eating.”
More Info: calorierestriction.org