By now you’ve been on a diet for at least a week. Is your willpower fading already? Are the cravings kicking in? I have 12 tips to help you stay on track. Plus, are you savvy about food portions? Take our quiz to find out…
Any way you slice it, dieting is a challenge. But little tricks can help you stick to your goal to shed pounds – and keep them off. Here are my top 12 tips to keep you motivated:
1. CheatGive your diet a rest for a day. It’ll help you lose weight faster. Really.
Cheating helps weight loss by manipulating leptin, the powerful “anti-starvation” hormone. It fluctuates with calorie intake. Low levels of leptin tell the brain that you’re not eating enough (causing the body to preserve fat as a starvation protection mechanism). Normal to high leptin levels signal the body to use fat as an energy source.
Leptin levels plummet when a person diets (by about 50% after only one week). But it takes only a day of splurging to bring levels back to baseline.
So each week, take a one-day vacation from your diet to enjoy your favorite foods.
2. Scale BackIf you like to torture yourself, weigh yourself every day. If not, step on the scale only once a week – at most.
Body weight fluctuates throughout the day because of shifts in food weight, body-water balance, hormonal changes, etc. If you step on the scale daily (or several times a day), you’re just setting yourself up for disappointment. You could be doing everything right, but a simple shift in water balance could have you weighing a pound more the next day.
In reality, weekly measurements are much more reliable, as long as you’re consistent in your measuring method. This means always using the same scale and always weighing yourself at the same time of day.
3. Pig Out on Low-Cal FoodsLose weight and feel full? Yeah, right, you’re thinking. Well, the secret lies in choosing high-volume, low-calorie foods.
Take pasta, for example: Spaghetti and other pastas pack a considerable caloric punch (220 calories per cup, and that doesn’t even include the sauce). But a cup of green beans totals only 27 calories, half of which are fiber. Do the math: You’d have to consume more than 8 cups of green beans to equal the calorie content of a single cup of pasta.
Research has shown that total volume, not calories, determines how full someone feels after a meal. By eating foods with a high-volume-to-low-calorie ratio – such as fruits, vegetables, salads and lean proteins – you can consume fewer calories while upping your overall satisfaction with meals. Conversely, foods like pastas, pizza, fast food, bagels, breads and potatoes all cram tons of calories into a small space.
So cut back on high-calorie dishes and pick lower-calorie, higher-volume foods.
4. Get PortableIn our busy lives, eating three meals a day – and healthy snacks in between – is hard. Here's one way to make it easier: Choose portable items, especially for those between-meal snacks. Here are some examples of ready-to-eat healthy snacks:
Fruit: Full of phytochemicals, fiber, vitamins, low-glycemic carbohydrates and many other nutrients, fruit is one of the best possible things you can reach for.
Beef jerky: High protein, extremely portable and delicious!
Nuts: Just be careful not to overdo it. Take only a small handful, then close the lid.
Meal replacement shakes: Simply add water and mix, and you’ll have a meal to go. For even less prep, pick up ready-to-drink versions.
5. Never Eat Carbs AloneWhen was the last time you ate a plate of pasta for dinner or a bowl of cereal for breakfast? Last night? This morning?
Don’t beat yourself up. Carb-heavy meals are common and contribute to our nation’s obesity epidemic.
Why are carbs a problem? When starchy foods (think breads and pasta) are consumed by themselves, lots of sugar is rapidly released into your blood. The dramatic rise in blood sugar results in an equally massive surge of the storage hormone insulin, and fat burning comes to a screeching halt.
Fortunately, you can easily circumvent this by substituting protein for some of the meal’s carb content. Combining nutrients slows carbohydrate digestion, yielding a more stable, steady release of sugar into the blood.
6. Grab a Late-Night SnackYou may not believe this, but a pre-bedtime snack can be good for you – if it’s done right.
However, you can’t reach for that piece of leftover cake, cookies or chips. Instead, pick up a slow-digesting source of protein, such as chicken, fish or turkey. These low-carb, high-protein choices won’t give you an insulin boost (the major reason after-dinner snacks are discouraged) and will fuel muscle tissue as you sleep.
For example, if you finished dinner at 7 p.m. and then ate nothing until the next morning at 7 a.m., you just went a full 12 hours without feeding your muscles. That’s a sure recipe for muscle loss, especially when you’re dieting.
A protein snack may help you sleep better, too, because many proteins – like turkey – are rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that relaxes mind and body.
7. Fill Up On Half the PortionIt’s possible to cut your daily calorie intake, fill your belly and improve overall health all at once. The key is to fill half your plate with veggies.
Veggies are low in calories and high in fiber, so you’ll automatically decrease the caloric value of your meal and satisfy hunger. You’ll also add loads of vitamins, minerals and health-boosting antioxidants and phytochemicals to your daily diet.
So what to pile on the other half of the plate? A portion of lean protein and another of slow-digesting carbohydrates, such as fruit, beans or whole-grain rice. Remember: 1/4 lean protein + 1/4 slow-digesting carbohydrates + 1/2 veggies = healthy weight loss.
8. Beat Belly FatWhy is it that most people tend to store fat in their love handles and tummy anyway?
Blame it on the stress hormone cortisol. People with high cortisol levels have higher amounts of belly fat. Those with lower cortisol levels tend to be leaner.
The No. 1 way to cut cortisol is with a solid exercise and stress-management program. The easy way is taking nutritional supplements.
One compound called phosphatidylserine, also known as PS, has been shown to reduce high cortisol levels by up to 30%.
Take 800 mg of this supplement (available in pill form) split over two doses − 400 mg in the morning and 400 mg in the evening.
9. Empty CaloriesHave you ever counted the calories you drink in the form of juice, soda or other sweetened beverages? If you do, you’ll be surprised.
In a typical day, a person might drink a 12-ounce glass of orange juice, a couple of cups of coffee sweetened with sugar, a glass of sweetened iced tea and a soda. That adds up to a whopping 500 calories! And they don’t fill your belly, curb cravings or increase dietary satisfaction.
Regularly drinking sugar-rich beverages can easily tack on an extra 3,500 calories each week. That’s equivalent to one pound of fat!
The simple solution: If it has calories, don’t drink it. That includes fruit juice. If you want the vitamin C in a glass of orange juice, eat an orange – the actual fruit contains even more nutrients, more fiber and much less sugar. Go with calorie-free beverages such as plain water, flavored waters, “diet” teas, or other diet-friendly flavored drinks such as Crystal Light.
10. Count Fiber, Not CaloriesTired of counting calories? There’s an alternative: Watch your daily fiber intake instead. It works almost as well as calorie counting and is easier to manage. Why?
As you try to eat more fiber – shoot for 35 grams a day – you’ll automatically choose healthier foods and consume fewer calories. Foods high in fiber (such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains) are typically lower in calories as well.
Increasing dietary fiber will slow digestion and keep blood sugar and insulin spikes at bay throughout the day.
11. Substitute TeachingJust because you’re dieting doesn’t mean you have to give up on eating out. You can order almost anything on a menu when you learn substitution.
In the mood for a cheeseburger? You can get the flavor of a cheese-smothered, flame-broiled beef patty without all the calories. First, lose the processed bun and ask for a fork and knife. Second, substitute those greasy fries for a healthier side. Try fresh fruit, mixed vegetables or a side salad.
It may not be the same as a Whopper, but it will satisfy your craving.
12. Liquid snackingHave an intense between-meal or late-night craving? Guzzle down a large glass of water. It’ll make you feel full and control the craving.
If you’re not a fan of plain water, try one of the many flavored water or sparkling water products available. But make sure your beverage of choice is both calorie and sugar-free.
Some products labeled as “water,” such as Vitamin Water, are anything but. They pack loads of calories and sugar into each bottle.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Seven Ways to Heal Sports Injuries
Every Saturday, weekend warriors emerge from the 9-to-5 grind ready to hit the court, course or open trail. Want to greet Monday ache-, pain- and bandage-free? Here’s what you need to know. Plus, how serious is your back pain? Take our quiz and find out…
If your only source of weekday exercise is getting up to refill your coffee cup but you’re a jock come Saturday, you could do serious damage to your body. Weekend warriors risk injury because they’re not well conditioned.
Still, that’s no excuse for lounging on the couch all week. You simply need to know what you’re up against and the steps to take if you get hurt. Here are some common athletic injuries:
1. Ankle SprainIf you’ve twisted your ankle, welcome to the club. About 25,000 ankle sprains occur in the U.S. each day, reports the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. One misstep on an uneven surface – or a sudden change in direction on the tennis court – could have you nursing a swollen ankle for days.
What to do: Immediately implement P.R.I.C.E: protection, rest, ice, compression, elevation. (For more on P.R.I.C.E., click here). But don’t rest a mild ankle sprain for too long. Once swelling and pain decrease, gradually point and flex your foot to loosen up the joint. Then try turning it inward and outward. When you can fully bear weight on your ankle, get walking. Doing one-legged balance exercises will strengthen the joint and protect it from future injuries.
What NOT to do: Don’t try to walk it off; you may increase the damage. You may think a twisted ankle isn’t much to worry about, but you’re wrong.
“Women even as young as 40 may be prone to osteoporosis, so a twisted ankle could result in a fracture,” says Marilyn Moffat, Ph.D., professor of physical therapy at New York University and co-author of Age-Defying Fitness (Peachtree Publishers).
2. Achilles TendinitisYour Achilles tendon attaches your calf muscles to the heel of your foot. It’s a thick, strong band of connective tissue, and if it is stretched or torn – ouch! Tight calves from sports involving a lot of jumping or running are usually to blame.
What to do: For a mild sprain or repetitive use injury, follow P.R.I.C.E. If you’re a runner, ease back into the sport and skip the hill work, which will only aggravate it. Warm up properly and stretch regularly. Consider custom orthotics, which can help cushion and support the heel.
What NOT to do: Don’t ignore it. A small ache can quickly become a big problem if you don’t take care of it, especially for a muscle that’s necessary for the one thing you do every day: walk.
3. Shin SplintsMany a runner has suffered the dreaded shin splints, also known as periostitis, typically caused by overuse. It’s characterized by pain down the front of the tibia, or shinbone.
What to do: Rest is the only cure, and you’ll have to take time off from running. To soothe pain and reduce inflammation, try an ice cup: Fill a small paper cup with water and freeze it. Once frozen, peel back a couple inches of paper from the rim. Holding on to the base, rub the ice up and down your shin for 20 minutes. As it melts, the ice will conform to your shin and provide spot-on relief.
What NOT to do: Don’t try to work through it. Stay off your legs until the pain is gone. To prevent further injury, don’t go out too hard, too fast. When you’re ready to run again, choose a soft running surface, like a track or grass − no bone-jarring concrete or pavement. Remember: Walk, jog, then run.
4. Knee PainUnless you rupture your anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, which is characterized by the dreaded “pop” and buckling of the leg, knee injuries are hard to diagnose. That’s because many tendons and ligaments cross or attach on or around the knee joint. Here are three major causes of knee pain:
ACL sprain: Many famous athletes (think football’s Tom Brady) suffer this. It’s common in women athletes too. The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is a main supportive connective tissue in the knee. Athletes who pivot suddenly cause the knee joint to twist and yank on the ligament.
What to do: If you injure this sucker, you’ll know it from the unnerving pop and intense pain. See a doctor right away.
What NOT to do: An ACL injury is always serious. Don’t ignore it.
5. Runner’s Knee Patellofemoral pain syndrome or runner’s knee is often caused by repetitive stress to the knee joint, muscle weakness or tightness or dropped arches (flat feet). It affects more than runners. Any sport that uses repetitive knee motion (volleyball, basketball, football, cycling, even swimming) can cause it.
What to do: Rest or decrease the intensity of your runs. Wear shoes with proper arch support and consider getting professionally fitted at your local running store.
What NOT to do: You’ll aggravate it by sitting with knees bent for long periods, running downhill or walking down stairs.
6. IT Band Syndrome (ITBS)A too-tight iliotibial band (IT) is a common cause of knee pain in runners, basketball players and other athletes who jump a lot. The band of connective tissue and muscle runs along the outer upper thigh, down to the knee. When it’s too tight, it pulls painfully on its insertion point near the knee. Sometimes you’ll even feel pain at the band’s attachment point on the upper thigh. Running, cycling and sports that require repetitive squatting (volleyball, football, etc.) aggravate ITBS, as does sitting with bent knees. Since ITBS is a repetitive use injury, only rest will give it the time it needs to heal.
What to do: Using a foam roller or other device, such as The Stick, can help elongate the band and speed recovery. The American Academy of Family Physicians also recommends stretching exercises and massages of the affected area.
What NOT to do: Avoid repetitive knee movements.
7. Back PainYou don’t have to be an athlete, gym-goer or weekend warrior to suffer from back pain. In fact, if you rarely exercise, you probably suffer from lower back pain. That’s because a weak core contributes to a weak back. Poor posture and lifting techniques make a bad back worse.
What to do: Do core-strengthening exercises. Stretch your leg muscles, particularly your hamstrings, regularly − especially after exercise. Use proper lifting techniques and, like your mother always said, stand up straight!
What NOT to do: Never lift with your back – use your legs. Warm up properly before doing any sport that involves your back (which is pretty much everything), especially those that require twisting at the lower spine (golf, baseball, tennis).
You hurt all over…Whether you just began a new exercise program or you went out too hard and fast, you’re doing more than your body can handle. Slow down! You may have goals for your body, but your body has limits. Take one step at a time. Push it only with proper training.
If you’re a well-conditioned athlete and you’re suddenly experiencing aches, pains and fatigue, you’re probably overtraining. Cut back for a while, consider taking some rest days and fuel up with proper nutrition.
Follow these five tips:
1. Get in shape for the sport; don’t use it to get in shape.“Athletes condition themselves specifically for the sport,” Moffat says. By contrast, weekend warriors use the sport for conditioning, “which can lead to injuries, aches and pains,” she says.
2. Follow the 10% rule. Don’t ask more of your body than it can handle. When it comes to your workout, never increase intensity, duration or frequency by more than 10% than usual. For example, if you normally work out for one hour a day, five days a week (five hours total), and you want to do more, you should add only 30 extra minutes of exercise that week.
3. Do a proper warm-up. “Nobody would literally walk out the door and start sprinting,” Moffat says. “You walk, then jog, then run.”
Five to 10 minutes is usually plenty for a warm-up, depending on the activity. If you’re just doing light weight lifting, you can go slowly and ease into it, she says. But if you’re doing heavier resistance training, you need a longer warm-up.
4. Increase range of motion. To stretch or not to stretch? To keep normal range of motion and elongate the muscle, stretching is key, particularly after your workout. “All of the literature is pointing to stretching after activity,” Moffat says. But if you’re really tight, she advises stretching before the activity… but after warming up. Stretches should be held for no less than 30 seconds each.
5. Don’t forget to cool down. Tapering off the end of your workout is important for preventing serious injury.
“It prevents pooling of blood in the lower extremities,” Moffat says, which can otherwise cause your blood pressure to drop and may even affect normal heart rhythm. Cooling down post-workout also helps your body remove waste products like lactic acid, which means you’ll start your next workout feeling great, not sore.
Want to learn more? Get your own copies of The American Physical Therapy Association's Book of Body Maintenance and Repair and Age-Defying Fitness.
How Bad Is Your Back Pain?So your back hurts? Do you see a doctor or wait it out? Take our back pain quiz to see how severe it really is.
If your only source of weekday exercise is getting up to refill your coffee cup but you’re a jock come Saturday, you could do serious damage to your body. Weekend warriors risk injury because they’re not well conditioned.
Still, that’s no excuse for lounging on the couch all week. You simply need to know what you’re up against and the steps to take if you get hurt. Here are some common athletic injuries:
1. Ankle SprainIf you’ve twisted your ankle, welcome to the club. About 25,000 ankle sprains occur in the U.S. each day, reports the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. One misstep on an uneven surface – or a sudden change in direction on the tennis court – could have you nursing a swollen ankle for days.
What to do: Immediately implement P.R.I.C.E: protection, rest, ice, compression, elevation. (For more on P.R.I.C.E., click here). But don’t rest a mild ankle sprain for too long. Once swelling and pain decrease, gradually point and flex your foot to loosen up the joint. Then try turning it inward and outward. When you can fully bear weight on your ankle, get walking. Doing one-legged balance exercises will strengthen the joint and protect it from future injuries.
What NOT to do: Don’t try to walk it off; you may increase the damage. You may think a twisted ankle isn’t much to worry about, but you’re wrong.
“Women even as young as 40 may be prone to osteoporosis, so a twisted ankle could result in a fracture,” says Marilyn Moffat, Ph.D., professor of physical therapy at New York University and co-author of Age-Defying Fitness (Peachtree Publishers).
2. Achilles TendinitisYour Achilles tendon attaches your calf muscles to the heel of your foot. It’s a thick, strong band of connective tissue, and if it is stretched or torn – ouch! Tight calves from sports involving a lot of jumping or running are usually to blame.
What to do: For a mild sprain or repetitive use injury, follow P.R.I.C.E. If you’re a runner, ease back into the sport and skip the hill work, which will only aggravate it. Warm up properly and stretch regularly. Consider custom orthotics, which can help cushion and support the heel.
What NOT to do: Don’t ignore it. A small ache can quickly become a big problem if you don’t take care of it, especially for a muscle that’s necessary for the one thing you do every day: walk.
3. Shin SplintsMany a runner has suffered the dreaded shin splints, also known as periostitis, typically caused by overuse. It’s characterized by pain down the front of the tibia, or shinbone.
What to do: Rest is the only cure, and you’ll have to take time off from running. To soothe pain and reduce inflammation, try an ice cup: Fill a small paper cup with water and freeze it. Once frozen, peel back a couple inches of paper from the rim. Holding on to the base, rub the ice up and down your shin for 20 minutes. As it melts, the ice will conform to your shin and provide spot-on relief.
What NOT to do: Don’t try to work through it. Stay off your legs until the pain is gone. To prevent further injury, don’t go out too hard, too fast. When you’re ready to run again, choose a soft running surface, like a track or grass − no bone-jarring concrete or pavement. Remember: Walk, jog, then run.
4. Knee PainUnless you rupture your anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, which is characterized by the dreaded “pop” and buckling of the leg, knee injuries are hard to diagnose. That’s because many tendons and ligaments cross or attach on or around the knee joint. Here are three major causes of knee pain:
ACL sprain: Many famous athletes (think football’s Tom Brady) suffer this. It’s common in women athletes too. The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is a main supportive connective tissue in the knee. Athletes who pivot suddenly cause the knee joint to twist and yank on the ligament.
What to do: If you injure this sucker, you’ll know it from the unnerving pop and intense pain. See a doctor right away.
What NOT to do: An ACL injury is always serious. Don’t ignore it.
5. Runner’s Knee Patellofemoral pain syndrome or runner’s knee is often caused by repetitive stress to the knee joint, muscle weakness or tightness or dropped arches (flat feet). It affects more than runners. Any sport that uses repetitive knee motion (volleyball, basketball, football, cycling, even swimming) can cause it.
What to do: Rest or decrease the intensity of your runs. Wear shoes with proper arch support and consider getting professionally fitted at your local running store.
What NOT to do: You’ll aggravate it by sitting with knees bent for long periods, running downhill or walking down stairs.
6. IT Band Syndrome (ITBS)A too-tight iliotibial band (IT) is a common cause of knee pain in runners, basketball players and other athletes who jump a lot. The band of connective tissue and muscle runs along the outer upper thigh, down to the knee. When it’s too tight, it pulls painfully on its insertion point near the knee. Sometimes you’ll even feel pain at the band’s attachment point on the upper thigh. Running, cycling and sports that require repetitive squatting (volleyball, football, etc.) aggravate ITBS, as does sitting with bent knees. Since ITBS is a repetitive use injury, only rest will give it the time it needs to heal.
What to do: Using a foam roller or other device, such as The Stick, can help elongate the band and speed recovery. The American Academy of Family Physicians also recommends stretching exercises and massages of the affected area.
What NOT to do: Avoid repetitive knee movements.
7. Back PainYou don’t have to be an athlete, gym-goer or weekend warrior to suffer from back pain. In fact, if you rarely exercise, you probably suffer from lower back pain. That’s because a weak core contributes to a weak back. Poor posture and lifting techniques make a bad back worse.
What to do: Do core-strengthening exercises. Stretch your leg muscles, particularly your hamstrings, regularly − especially after exercise. Use proper lifting techniques and, like your mother always said, stand up straight!
What NOT to do: Never lift with your back – use your legs. Warm up properly before doing any sport that involves your back (which is pretty much everything), especially those that require twisting at the lower spine (golf, baseball, tennis).
You hurt all over…Whether you just began a new exercise program or you went out too hard and fast, you’re doing more than your body can handle. Slow down! You may have goals for your body, but your body has limits. Take one step at a time. Push it only with proper training.
If you’re a well-conditioned athlete and you’re suddenly experiencing aches, pains and fatigue, you’re probably overtraining. Cut back for a while, consider taking some rest days and fuel up with proper nutrition.
Follow these five tips:
1. Get in shape for the sport; don’t use it to get in shape.“Athletes condition themselves specifically for the sport,” Moffat says. By contrast, weekend warriors use the sport for conditioning, “which can lead to injuries, aches and pains,” she says.
2. Follow the 10% rule. Don’t ask more of your body than it can handle. When it comes to your workout, never increase intensity, duration or frequency by more than 10% than usual. For example, if you normally work out for one hour a day, five days a week (five hours total), and you want to do more, you should add only 30 extra minutes of exercise that week.
3. Do a proper warm-up. “Nobody would literally walk out the door and start sprinting,” Moffat says. “You walk, then jog, then run.”
Five to 10 minutes is usually plenty for a warm-up, depending on the activity. If you’re just doing light weight lifting, you can go slowly and ease into it, she says. But if you’re doing heavier resistance training, you need a longer warm-up.
4. Increase range of motion. To stretch or not to stretch? To keep normal range of motion and elongate the muscle, stretching is key, particularly after your workout. “All of the literature is pointing to stretching after activity,” Moffat says. But if you’re really tight, she advises stretching before the activity… but after warming up. Stretches should be held for no less than 30 seconds each.
5. Don’t forget to cool down. Tapering off the end of your workout is important for preventing serious injury.
“It prevents pooling of blood in the lower extremities,” Moffat says, which can otherwise cause your blood pressure to drop and may even affect normal heart rhythm. Cooling down post-workout also helps your body remove waste products like lactic acid, which means you’ll start your next workout feeling great, not sore.
Want to learn more? Get your own copies of The American Physical Therapy Association's Book of Body Maintenance and Repair and Age-Defying Fitness.
How Bad Is Your Back Pain?So your back hurts? Do you see a doctor or wait it out? Take our back pain quiz to see how severe it really is.
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