Saturday, January 30, 2010

Biggest Loser winner talks

by Kevin Myrick

Ali Vincent thought she would never lose the hundred pounds she’d gained over the years. The fifth season winner of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” found herself again in the challenge to lose the most weight on the series by keeping to her personal mantra and book title “Believe It, Be It.”

Vincent, a Phoenix, Ariz., native, was at Berry College on Tuesday to speak about her experiences on the show and about her struggles throughout life to lose more than 100 pounds.

“It’s about making personal choices every day that will last you a lifetime,” she said. “I never thought my life would be what it is today.”

She also said to the hundreds of students in the audience that the first step to bettering yourself is to gather evidence to support a goal.

“For years I’ve collected evidence for why I didn’t deserve to be healthy and happy,” she said. “You have to go to the doctor and go online and really research and find reasons to do something.”

Vincent said her experiences on the reality TV series also taught her that even an ordinary person can make a big impact in the lives of many.

“I’ve gotten thousands of e-mails over the past couple of years of people asking me how I did what I did,” she said. “It has been fun and I try to embrace it as much as possible.”

Before being selected for the show, Vincent said her life was a series of setbacks, and that she gained 5 pounds at a time.

“Somehow in my mind I got OK with that 5 pounds,” she said. “But before I knew it, 5 was 50 and 50 was 100.”

After watching the third season’s two-hour finale with her mother, Vincent said she decided to put in an application for the show, and the rest is history.

Since becoming the first woman to win “The Biggest Loser,” Vincent has gone on to appear on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and “The Ellen Degeneres Show” and now has her own book.

The Berry College Bookstore, in the Krannert Center, has copies of “Believe It, Be It” available for purchase. Call 706-236-5499 for details. The book can be found online at the NBC Universal store and at Amazon.com. Rome's Barnes & Noble store does not have the title in stock, but it is available to order.

Weight loss tips from 'Biggest Loser' winner

Ali Vincent tried diets, tried exercise and even considered surgery to help with her weight loss. What it took was research, hard work and will power to be “The Biggest Loser” on the hit NBC show’s fifth season. Here are some tips she said helped her go beyond the challenge:

First and foremost, Vincent said that collecting evidence for how weight loss can make you better makes the motivation for healthy eating and exercise work. She said diets, in her experience, don’t work.

“Counting calories and making sure you can burn off what you take in makes a big difference,” she said.

Vincent said personal trainers on the show had weight loss down to a science of sorts, doing everything from tracking caffeine intake to offset cortisol — a hormone released when the body or mind is stressed and retains fat in the body — to sodium intake.

Second, Vincent said to consult trainers, nutritionists and physicians about diets and exercise so each individual can find their own balance.

Finally, she said to not rely on workouts for pure weight loss.

“You don’t need to go to the gym,” she said. “You need to move.”

She suggests that people get involved with community or college-based wellness programs to help keep fit.
http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/5662685/article--Biggest-Loser--winner-talks-about-weight-loss-experience-at-Berry?instance=home_Most_popular

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Weight Loss Tips - Keeping Track of Your Progress

By Michelle Spencer



No amount of weight loss tips are going to be much good to you if you don't monitor and keep track of your progress. Now you can actually take out that notebook, binder, or folder you bought. Open your book and let's get started with compiling your own personal database.

How Much Do You Weight?

It's important to have a reliable set of scales - but that doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune buying some or put off thinking about losing weight because you don't have any.Although the balance scales at your doctor's surgery are the most accurate type, any fairly new set of bathroom scales should be reliable. If you don't have any scales, or ones you trust, buy the best you can afford. The main thing is always to weigh yourself on the same scales and at the same time of day.

Weighing yourself systematically means that even if the weight you get isn't the same as at your doctor's office or gym, it will reflect in relative terms where you began and the distance, kilos-wise, you've travelled.

Take a look at the numbers. Wiggle around a bit if you think it will help, but as soon as the pointer stops moving, write the figure in your personal database.

How tall are you?

No, there's no way this article can make you taller, but since you will need to know your height to figure out your BMI and find yourself on the height-weight table, you may as well measure yourself. Don't rely on what you think your height has always been. I spent the better part of my adult life thinking I was 5 foot nothing (approx. 1.52 m), but a few years ago I went to a new doctor, who measured me and informed me that I was |A 5 ft 1 in (1.54 m). Maybe I grew in my 40s, who knows? But it did mean I could get away with weighing a bit more before I had to call myself overweight.

The best way to measure your height at home is to stand against a wall in bare feet, with your shoulders back and head straight. Have someone slide a pencil across your scalp and make a mark on the wall. If you're on your own, make a mark yourself, being careful not to hunch your shoulders or move your head. Measure from the floor to the mark on the wall with a tape measure, then add the answer to your personal database.

What's Your BMI?

Take a look at a BMI chart. Find your height and weight, and locate the number where the two come together. Write your BMI in your personal database.

* Is it under 20? You may actually be underweight. If your BMI is under 20 and you think you're fat, do not embark on any kind of weight loss diet without talking to your doctor.
* Is it under 25? That means your weight is normal.
* Is it close to 25? You are right on the border between normal weight and overweight. In your case, regular exercise and sensible eating can help you lose some kilos, get fit, and keep you on the safe side of the BMI table.
* Is it 25 or over? If so, you are overweight and need to do something about it.
* Is it over 30? If so, you are obese. If your BMI is over 30, you are a higher risk for many health problems. You may already have one or more disorders or conditions that not only threaten your health, but may require special strategies for diet and exercise.

Losing weight is all about monitoring and tracking your progress - otherwise how else are you going to know what works best for you? These free weight loss tips can help get help you lose weight and show you how to find out what works for you. And why not get started with a nutritious health juice diet.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Hospital opens weight-loss surgery program for teens amid controversy

The opening of the Teen Obesity Weight Loss Program at Denver’s Rose Medical Center has garnered criticism from other bariatric professionals.

Directed by Dr. Michael A. Snyder, the program includes several weeks of pre- and post-surgery counseling on nutrition, psychology, and behavioral change. “Being a morbidly obese teen is a total nightmare,” says Dr. Snyder. He makes sure that patients are well aware of their responsibilities following weight-loss surgery and “are ready for a life-long commitment.”

Other bariatric experts, however, aren’t so sure that bariatric surgery is the best choice for teens. “It’s kind of young to be going through something so drastic,” says Dr. Wendy Scinta, a pediatric bariatrician who runs a weight-loss clinic in New York. “We need to give them a shot at doing something less aggressive at first.”

Scinta states she would recommend bariatric surgery for a teen only if the patients weighed in excess of 600 pounds and was “truly on death’s door.” At her clinic, emphasis is placed on losing weight through exercise and healthy eating.

Other doctors say with teens, it can be difficult to discern the parents’ wishes from the patient’s when it comes to bariatric surgery. “For 40-year-olds, it is because they are choosing themselves to make themselves healthier,” says Dr. Scott Fisher, director of bariatrics at Penrose-St. Francis Health Services in Colorado Springs. But overweight teens may feel more pressured by society or by their parents to undergo surgery.

To read the full article, please visit Hospital opens bariatric program for teens amid controversy.
http://mybiglife.com/the-politics-of-obesity/440-hospital-opens-weight-loss-surgery-program-for-teens-amid-controversy.html



Resources

To learn more about childhood obesity, check out these titles on Amazon.com:

Underage and Overweight: America's Childhood Obesity Epidemic — What Every Parent Needs to Know, by Frances M. Berg

Obesity in Youth: Causes, Consequences, and Cures, edited by Leslie J. Heinberg and J. Kevin Thompson

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Metabolism and weight loss challenges

By Jodi Pettersen

How often do you hear someone complain that they can't lose weight and blame it on their “slow metabolism”? Well, sometimes that is the truth and other times it is not.

In simple terms, our metabolism is how fast our body burns off energy or calories. Many of us attempt to follow very low-calorie diets, and we end up slowing down our body's burning capacity. This causes your body to hold on to the fat, and weight loss attempts fail.

Twenty percent to 40 percent of overweight people actually have a fast metabolism. They are not losing weight because they consume more calories than they burn.

So how do we know what our metabolism is doing? Registered dietitians have always used equations to come up with a calorie level that may work. But now there are ways to get an actual figure of what your body is truly doing, through indirect calorimetry, considered the gold standard.

The patient breathes through a mouthpiece with their nose plugged for about 10 minutes, which shows the “resting metabolic rate,” or how many calories you are burning at rest. The test will also show where your metabolism falls in comparison to a typical person with the same sex, height, weight, and age.

The test, performed by a registered dietitian or other medical professional, indicates how many calories that person needs for weight loss and weight maintenance. The dietitian can then create a personalized meal plan for the individual based on the test results.

Some people will actually have a slow metabolism, and at that point, they would be referred to a physician to check for possible thyroid issues. Many insurance companies are now covering for metabolic testing and nutritional counseling with a registered dietitian.

We all know that the key to weight loss is to make permanent lifestyle changes. Fad diets are only sneaky ways to cut calories and usually fail because one tends to regain the weight lost plus some. Now that the new year has come, why not find out what your caloric needs are, and then make some healthy changes in eating habits that work within your own personal weight loss zone.

• Jody Pettersen is a registered dietitian with Silver State Nutrition. Contact her at 775-720-3490 or e-mail silverstate

nutrition@gmail.com.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Weight Loss Reviews: Narrowing Down the List of Options | The Weight Loss Grail Blog

Weight Loss Reviews: Narrowing Down the List of Options

Weight loss has become a top priority among people who have been struggling with weight problems. The severity of the problem varies from one individual to the next, so the weight loss program to choose should be complementary to the condition of the dieter. Nowadays, there are just too many diet plans and programs available on the Internet that it becomes very overwhelming. Add to that the varying weight loss reviews that are more confusing than helpful. With this problem, many dieters end up trying out many programs before settling on the one that is a “best fit”. This means that people end up spending so much money on various regimens that turn out to be a complete failure. This situation can be remedied by reading as many weight loss reviews as possible before undertaking any specific program.

Getting yourself acquainted with the strengths and weaknesses of certain weight loss programs will help you decide on the plan that will best suit your needs. However, it is also important to know which reviews are real and which ones are not. More often than not, a lot of them are just sales pitch disguised as reviews. One way to know a legitimate review is when a reviewer has actually used the products as evidenced by extensive and comprehensive examination. Actual photos and day to day journal chronicling the steps and the outcomes can be good pieces of evidence that point to a legitimate online review. Those who are focused on selling the weight loss program will not voluntarily offer specific details because they are just concerned with closing a sale.

Weight loss reviews are very helpful to people who are attempting to supplement their diet plans with other regimens in order to expedite the weight loss. These reviews may be about diet supplements, gym membership benefits, diet plans, and step by step diet regimens. These options can work pretty well especially if they are done according to the instructions; however, certain programs may not work because they are not compatible with the needs of the dieter. In most cases, dieters only find out what’s good for them after trying out several other options. The problem with this practice is that it can be very costly. Weight loss programs don’t come cheap as they involve workout and food plans that run for a long period of time. To remedy this costly practice, it is best to know the body’s condition. This can be done by consulting a doctor or a nutritionist. When this has been covered, one can narrow down the list of the possible weight loss programs even further. With this process of elimination, it will be much easier to arrive at a decision, and ultimately the right program for specific weight problem.

It is a known fact that excessive food intake is primarily the reason for weight gain; however, there is also a need to assess the reasons why people are compelled to consume more than necessary. It can be a psychological problem or perhaps a genetics issue. In any case, all these must be considered when seriously considering a weight loss program.

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Thursday, January 7, 2010

How Can I Avoid Feeling Hungry?

By Christine Luff

Reader Question: How Can I Avoid Feeling Hungry?

If you've started watching your calories and trying to exercise more in the new year, you may be hearing some strange grumbling noises during the day. No, I'm not talking about when you're complaining to yourself about running in the cold or having to wait for a treadmill at the gym. I mean those annoying hunger pains!

It's perfectly normal to feel hungry when you start a new exercise regimen or you increase your exercise frequency or intensity, especially if you're also trying to cut your calorie intake at the same time. You're burning more calories, so your body needs to take more in. Here are tips to avoid feeling hungry, without overindulging, and hopefully lose weight in the process:

Get lots of healthy, high-fiber foods in your diet. Most high-fiber foods require more chewing, which helps to satisfy hunger. High-fiber foods are usually bulky so they fill up your stomach faster and can also delay the time it takes your stomach to empty. Also, many high-fiber foods are low in calories, so you can satisfy your hunger with fewer calories. Whole grains, vegetables, and fruits are great sources of fiber.

Try eating five to six small meals a day instead of three large ones. If you wait too long for a meal, you'll be starving and tempted to overindulge by the time you eat. Eating more frequent, smaller meals helps keep you full, and lets you stay in control.

Slow down when you're eating. It takes our body about 20 minutes to realize that it's full. If you eat quickly, you'll eat extra calories while your body is figuring out whether it's hungry. By the time your body realizes that it's full, you've already eaten more than you needed. If you eat slowly, your brain will start sending signals to stop eating at the right time.