Working like dog brings weight loss
Working like dog brings weight loss
Ken Raymond lost 3 pounds this week, raising his weight loss total to 25½ pounds.
BY KEN RAYMOND Oklahoman Comment on this article 5
Published: June 20, 2010
I need to report a lost dog.
Not really. Don't get all worried.
I've lost the equivalent of a dog. After 11 weeks of eating better and exercising more, I've dropped 25½ pounds — about the weight of a large Boston terrier.
Ken Raymond has now lost a Boston terrier-sized amount of weight. FILE PHOTO BY JACONNA AGUIRRE, THE OKLAHOMAN
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Working like dog brings weight loss
My brother had Bostons, so I can picture this weight-loss dog in my head. It's got big bug eyes and an underslung jaw. Its fur is patterned like a killer whale, and it looks as if it evolved from one of those deep sea fish with an outsized mouth and rows of needle-sharp teeth. It jumps up at me endlessly, either trying to bite me or convince me to pet it. Maybe both.
Nothing against Boston terriers — or my brother, for that matter — but I never much liked his dogs. And the one I lost?
I don't ever want to find it again.
It'd be easy for me to find. It wouldn't take long.
All I'd have to do is stop paying attention to what I eat.
I could do that without difficulty, because I've done it before.
Several years back, I signed up for Weight Watchers and followed that plan for a while.
It's a good plan. Works for a lot of people. My doctor had recommended it to me.
I did great for about four months. I dropped about 37 pounds, and I had less to lose then than I do now. Every time I ran into someone I hadn't seen for a while, they marveled at my weight loss.
"How'd you do it?” they'd ask.
"The hard way,” I'd reply, feeling smug. "Diet and exercise.”
Then autumn rolled around. I'm from a cold weather state, and fall makes me hunger for rich, meaty dishes and apple cider.
The early darkness left me tired, and the gym was much less appealing than stew, bread, a warm fire and a football game on TV.
Thanksgiving is always a feast.
Christmas shopping is easier on a full stomach. Doesn't all that cinnamon and nutmeg and gingerbread smell alluring?
By the time the new year rolled around, I'd reclaimed each of those 37 pounds I'd worked so hard to shed. Half-hearted resolutions to get back in shape followed, with a predictable lack of results.
Somehow I managed to blank out my mind most of the time. Even as I bought increasingly larger clothes, I told myself I wasn't that big. "I've got big shoulders,” I'd say. "With my frame, I carry it well.”
In March, I weighed in at 307 pounds. Suddenly I couldn't ignore my weight problem anymore.
I started this project on April 1, and in the weeks that followed, I chose more nutritious foods and sweated through cardio and weightlifting exercises. Slowly but surely, I shaved those 25½ pounds off my still-sizeable body.
I lost that dog.
But in the distance, I can hear it barking.
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Read more: http://www.newsok.com/working-like-dog-brings-weight-loss/article/3469771?custom_click=pod_headline_health#ixzz0raHKKlaz
Showing posts with label weight loss tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight loss tips. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Low Carb Diet = Lower Blood Pressure
By Madeline Ellis
Fad diets come and go, but one weight-loss trend that has lasted for nearly five decades is the low-carbohydrate diet. Many types of low-carb diets exist, each with varying restrictions on the types and amounts of carbohydrates, although the theory behind them is essentially the same: by restricting daily carbohydrate intake, the body is forced to break down fat to use as energy, a state known as ketosis. But researchers are discovering that the health benefits of a low-carb diet may extend beyond weight loss. For example, a 2007 study found that a diet low in carbohydrates improved HDL (good) cholesterol and triglyceride levels better than a low-fat diet. And recently, in one of the first studies to compare the benefits of diet alone to taking weight loss drugs, researchers found that a low-carb diet was more effective in lowering hypertension than the drug orlistat—without the side effects.
The study included 146 adults with an average body mass index (BMI) of 39 (30 and above is considered obese) and an average age of 52 who were randomly assigned to a low-carbohydrate diet or orlistat (Xenical) with a low-fat diet. Participants on the low-carb diet were restricted to a carbohydrate intake of less than 20 grams per day, while the group taking orlistat received three 120 milligram doses daily and got less than 30 percent of their calories from fat.
Over 48 weeks, both groups experienced similar weight loss; 9.5 percent in the low-carb group compared to 8.5 percent in the orlistat group. However, nearly half (47 percent) of those in the low-carb group were able to reduce or eliminate their blood pressure medication during the study, compared with about one-fifth (21 percent) of those in the orlistat group. Overall, systolic blood pressure (the top number) dropped an average of 5.9 points among the low-carb group, compared to 1.5 points in the orlistat group. Similar reductions were seen for diastolic blood pressure.
“I expected the weight loss to be considerable with both therapies but we were surprised to see blood pressure improve so much more with the low-carbohydrate diet than with orlistat,” lead researcher Dr. William S. Yancy, Jr., an associate professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center and a staff physician at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, said in a news release.
Yancy says that while weight loss itself typically produces a reduction in blood pressure, the study results suggest that a low-carb diet may have an additional blood-pressure lowering effect, making it a better option than weight loss medication for people who have high blood pressure and a weight problem. “It’s important to know you can try a diet instead of medication and get the same weight loss results with fewer costs and potentially fewer side effects.” Side effects of medication can include nausea and diarrhea.
“This small study reinforces the message that weight loss in obese individuals will have a significant impact on the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease,” the British Heart Foundation said. “Identifying that you need to lose weight, finding a dietary approach that suits you individually combined with a regular physical activity program will help to reduce your risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.”
Yancy says there are plenty of weight loss options out there, but notes the trick is to choose one you think you “could stick to better,” and work with your doctor to help “target the right intervention for you.” HealthNews has already done the research for you, reviewing some of the most popular diets, including the low-carb Atkins and Zone. Choosing one, of course, is entirely up to you!
The study was published in the January 25 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
http://www.healthnews.com/nutrition-diet/low-carb-diet-lower-blood-pressure-4066.html
Fad diets come and go, but one weight-loss trend that has lasted for nearly five decades is the low-carbohydrate diet. Many types of low-carb diets exist, each with varying restrictions on the types and amounts of carbohydrates, although the theory behind them is essentially the same: by restricting daily carbohydrate intake, the body is forced to break down fat to use as energy, a state known as ketosis. But researchers are discovering that the health benefits of a low-carb diet may extend beyond weight loss. For example, a 2007 study found that a diet low in carbohydrates improved HDL (good) cholesterol and triglyceride levels better than a low-fat diet. And recently, in one of the first studies to compare the benefits of diet alone to taking weight loss drugs, researchers found that a low-carb diet was more effective in lowering hypertension than the drug orlistat—without the side effects.
The study included 146 adults with an average body mass index (BMI) of 39 (30 and above is considered obese) and an average age of 52 who were randomly assigned to a low-carbohydrate diet or orlistat (Xenical) with a low-fat diet. Participants on the low-carb diet were restricted to a carbohydrate intake of less than 20 grams per day, while the group taking orlistat received three 120 milligram doses daily and got less than 30 percent of their calories from fat.
Over 48 weeks, both groups experienced similar weight loss; 9.5 percent in the low-carb group compared to 8.5 percent in the orlistat group. However, nearly half (47 percent) of those in the low-carb group were able to reduce or eliminate their blood pressure medication during the study, compared with about one-fifth (21 percent) of those in the orlistat group. Overall, systolic blood pressure (the top number) dropped an average of 5.9 points among the low-carb group, compared to 1.5 points in the orlistat group. Similar reductions were seen for diastolic blood pressure.
“I expected the weight loss to be considerable with both therapies but we were surprised to see blood pressure improve so much more with the low-carbohydrate diet than with orlistat,” lead researcher Dr. William S. Yancy, Jr., an associate professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center and a staff physician at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, said in a news release.
Yancy says that while weight loss itself typically produces a reduction in blood pressure, the study results suggest that a low-carb diet may have an additional blood-pressure lowering effect, making it a better option than weight loss medication for people who have high blood pressure and a weight problem. “It’s important to know you can try a diet instead of medication and get the same weight loss results with fewer costs and potentially fewer side effects.” Side effects of medication can include nausea and diarrhea.
“This small study reinforces the message that weight loss in obese individuals will have a significant impact on the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease,” the British Heart Foundation said. “Identifying that you need to lose weight, finding a dietary approach that suits you individually combined with a regular physical activity program will help to reduce your risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.”
Yancy says there are plenty of weight loss options out there, but notes the trick is to choose one you think you “could stick to better,” and work with your doctor to help “target the right intervention for you.” HealthNews has already done the research for you, reviewing some of the most popular diets, including the low-carb Atkins and Zone. Choosing one, of course, is entirely up to you!
The study was published in the January 25 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
http://www.healthnews.com/nutrition-diet/low-carb-diet-lower-blood-pressure-4066.html
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
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.
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.
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