Skipping Dinner Might Boost Your Metabolism

Overweight people who eat during a much smaller window of time each day than is typical, report fewer hunger swings and burn slightly more fat at certain times during the night, according to a new study. But the study was small and it's not yet clear what effect, if any, this approach might have on weight.

I personally understand the reasoning and I do believe that if you want to lose weight, you have to eat most of your calories early in the day. Breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner should be all the food you need for the whole day. It's a type of "fasting". Eat all your calories in a 6 or 8 hour window and the other 16 or 18 hours you can't consume any more calories. This gives your body time to digest all the calories you ate and burn some of your body fat. But if you don't eat healthy food it doesn't work and you won't lose or if you binge food during the eating hours it won't work.

The assistant professor of nutrition sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham thinks the idea is worth examining as a potential weight-loss approach and hopes to conduct a larger study.

The approach is called early time-restricted feeding. It's been tested in animals, where researchers have found that it reduced fat mass and the risk of chronic disease.

Body mass index is a rough measure of a person's body fat based on height and weight. A BMI of 30 is considered obese. Someone who is 5 feet 9 inches tall would need to weigh 203 pounds to have a BMI of 30.

All of the study participants tried each approach -- the early restricted-eating and the typical pattern. During one four-day period, participants ate between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. only; during another four-day period they ate between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

The participants ate the same number of calories during each approach and they ate only the food given to them by the researchers and under supervision.

Researchers then tested the impact of the longer fast time on calories burned, fat burned and appetite. The restricted eating time didn't change the total number of calories burned, she said.

Personally, I do think there's merit to the theory. One very big problem that overweight people have is night-time eating. Snacking at night and eating that big meal at 6 pm or later and then not being active enough after dinner will cause weight gain and most of that is simply bad habits.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. 

There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com, just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Why You Have to Keep a Food Log

A cookie here. A bowl of pasta there. A handful of veggies drenched in ranch dressing. We think we know what we're taking in nutritionally, but reality is often pretty far off base. If you have trouble keep weight off, there's usually a simple reason why. 

Most of us that watch the scale often know pretty quick that we're gaining weight. Gaining weight, if your not a body builder like those people on Venice Beach in California, probably means your increasing body fat. And if you're like most of us when we want to lose weight, we cut back on food. That's wrong. Most of us don't overeat, we just eat the wrong things. 

In particular, calorie intake when dining out -- which, let's face it, most of us do more often than we should -- is usually grossly underestimated. Even so-called "healthy" meals can get derailed in a hurry, thanks to poor nutritional choices. Salad dressing is the number-one source of fat in [many] women's diets, which attests to how many women turn a good salad into a cardiac disaster. Most restaurant salads with dressing are about 800 calories, some can be even more, like a Chef Salad, Taco Salad, or a Cobb Salad.

When it comes to diet, we do a lot of things right, but most of us manage to make some serious blunders. Keeping a food log can help us get back on track, and it's not as difficult as you might think. See if any of these excuses sound familiar:

But... I don't understand what the point of a food log is. You know those contests where people fill a huge jar with jellybeans and you guess how many the jar holds, but you're wayyyyyyyyy under? That's pretty much what happens when it comes to "eyeballing" your calorie, fat and sodium intake. We think we know what we're consuming, but we're usually light years away from reality. A food log will help you keep track.

But... I don't have time to keep a food log. Back before the World Wide Web, my dad had a book full of foods and their calorie content. He painstakingly researched and recorded each and every meal and added up the calories himself. Let's all raise our voices in thanks for apps that now do the work for us. (I particularly love My Fitness Pal.)

But... I already eat healthy. Keeping a food log isn't only about the obvious culprits, like calories and fat. Most people unknowingly put away far more sodium than they realize in a given day, and we often overestimate our fruit and veggie consumption. A food log can be a wake-up call to improve habits we didn't even know needed fixing.

Fruit and Vegetables should be 3/4 of every meal. When watching calories, never drink anything with calories. You might not realize it but half the calories we consume come from drinks. If your gaining weight it's all about the calories. You can't exercise away a bad diet. Keeping a food log with an App is the quick easy way to keep track of calories. 

Someone was telling me, you can find an App that tells you the calories in any item on any menu. If I find the App I will post it.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my Ebook at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet.

“How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites and search the title to find my Ebook. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

Surprising Reasons You're Gaining Weight

Here’s what we do know about some of the most persistent mysteries of weight loss.

Are All Calories Equal?

Let’s start with the alcohol.

“There’s a big debate on whether alcohol calories are even useable, whether you can even turn them into fat. It’s not easy,” says Ken Fujioka, MD, a weight loss expert at Scripps Health in San Diego, CA. “When you look at various studies you actually get mixed results. Some studies say it’s not a problem, don’t worry about it, others say it’s associated with weight gain. So it’s a real open mess.”

Fujioka counsels his patients to pay attention to how alcohol affects their eating.

“Some folks, when they drink alcohol, feel like they have license to eat whatever they want to, and they get into problems,” he says.

If a glass of wine weakens your will to resist that plate of cheese and crackers, it’s not doing your waistline any favors.

But if booze doesn’t affect your eating, then one or two drinks is probably OK, he says.

As for calories from fat, carbohydrates, and protein, this is where one size, or one eating plan, really doesn’t fit all. Yes, it's true, all calories are not created equal. In other words, if you're trying to lose weight you can't just cut back on the same foods that put on the extra fat. Losing fat is the "key", not just losing weight.

Most people that just lose weight might drop a few pounds but they will usually increase their percentage of body fat which will cause you to burn less calories and after a few weeks the weight returns. So, be careful of the science you believe in. Science will conduct dozens of studies, but if they knew the real answer to weight loss, they would be selling it.

Surprising Reasons You're Gaining Weight

There is good science to show that people who have high blood sugar levels -- associated with conditions like type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, gestational diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, and fatty liver disease -- benefit from diets that are lower in refined carbohydrates and higher in healthy fats and lean proteins. Examples of this kind of diet are South Beach, the Zone diet, the Mediterranean diet, and the low GI diet. My favorite is the Mediterranean diet.

If insulin levels aren’t a concern, there’s little difference in the amount of weight people lose if they cut their calories from fat or from carbs, says Kevin Hall, PhD, a senior investigator and expert in metabolism at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in Bethesda, MD. But he says protein calories are a different story.

In the lab, researchers have shown that higher-protein diets tend to increase the number of calories a person burns, Hall says. “So in that sense, a protein calorie is not equivalent to a carbohydrate or a fat calorie,” he says.

Protein helps you burn more calories during the day and helps preserve muscle. When people lose weight, they don’t just lose fat -- they also lose muscle. The more muscle you lose on a diet, the more your metabolism slows. That can make it tough to keep the weight off down the road. Protein also helps you feel satisfied for longer after your eat.

But people can eat only so much protein without changing their kidney function. U.S. dietary guidelines recommend that adults keep their protein in a range of 10% to 35% of total calories each day. Most diets fall into that range. Atkins, for example, one of the highest-protein diets around, supplies 35% of daily calories from protein.

Pick a diet plan you can stay with for many years. To be successful you have to re-train your body to eat healthy. No refined or processed foods.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my Ebook at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet.

“How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?”, is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites and search the title to find my Ebook. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

Yoga, The Benefits and the Different Styles

The question everyone wants the answer to, is "how will Yoga help me?" If you have a weight problem, yoga will help you burn more calories. In general, yoga will help your body work better. Any problems you have, stress, hypertension, excess body fat, sleeping better can all be improved with yoga. It will help your body function better.

Every physical problem you have will be helped by doing Yoga everyday. I wrote the other day about walking and walking is the best for losing weight, but even if walking is your exercise of choose, you need to stay limber and work those other muscles and joints. Doing Yoga will help you feel better and sleep better. You'll be working the other parts of your body that seldom are used. Remember that you have hundreds of muscles and if you don't try and work them you'll lose them. Why do you think the elderly have so many physical problems. Falling is one of seniors biggest worries. If you don't strengthen your muscles, they will lose strength and you become weak and can't maintain your balance. Yoga will help you with that.

 How It Works

Workout fads come and go, but virtually no other exercise program is as enduring as yoga. It's been around for more than 5,000 years.

Yoga does more than burn calories and tone muscles. It's a total mind-body workout that combines strengthening and stretching poses with deep breathing and meditation or relaxation.

There are more than 100 different forms of yoga. Some are fast-paced and intense. Others are gentle and relaxing.

Examples of different yoga forms include:

Hatha. The form most often associated with yoga, it combines a series of basic movements with breathing.

Vinyasa. A series of poses that flow smoothly into one another.
Power. A faster, higher-intensity practice that builds muscle.

Ashtanga. A series of poses, combined with a special breathing technique.

Bikram. Also known as "hot yoga," it's a series of 26 challenging poses performed in a room heated to a high temperature.

Iyengar. A type of yoga that uses props like blocks, straps, and chairs to help you move your body into the proper alignment.

Intensity Level: Varies with Type

The intensity of your yoga workout depends on which form of yoga you choose. Techniques like hatha and iyengar yoga are gentle and slow. Bikram and power yoga are faster and more challenging.

Areas It Targets

Core: Yes. There are yoga poses to target just about every core muscle. Want to tighten those love handles? Then prop yourself up on one arm and do a side plank. To really burn out the middle of your abs, you can do boat pose, in which you balance on your "sit bones" (the bony prominences at the base of your pelvic bones) and hold your legs up in the air.

Arms: Yes. With yoga, you don't build arm strength with free weights or machines, but with the weight of your own body. Some poses, like the plank, spread your weight equally between your arms and legs. Others, like the crane and crow poses, challenge your arms even more by making them support your full body weight.

Legs: Yes. Yoga poses work all sides of the legs, including your quadriceps, hips, and thighs.

Glutes: Yes. Yoga squats, bridges, and warrior poses involve deep knee bends, which give you a more sculpted rear.

Back: Yes. Moves like downward-facing dog, child's pose, and cat/cow give your back muscles a good stretch. It's no wonder that research finds yoga may be good for relieving a sore back.

Type

Flexibility: Yes. Yoga poses stretch your muscles and increase your range of motion. With regular practice, they'll improve your flexibility. Very important for seniors.

Aerobic: No. Yoga isn't considered aerobic exercise, but the more athletic varieties, like power yoga, will make you sweat. And even though yoga is not aerobic, some research finds it can be just as good as aerobic exercise for improving health.

Strength: Yes. It takes a lot of strength to hold your body in a balanced pose. Regular practice will strengthen the muscles of your arms, back, legs, and core.

Low-Impact: Yes. Although yoga will give you a full-body workout, it won't put any impact on your joints. Also good for seniors.

Sport: No. Yoga is not competitive. Focus on your own practice and don't compare yourself to other people in your class. Even though beginner classes are the most popular you will see many people there who are more skilled then you. These people show up not to learn Yoga, they come for the class because it's convenient. It's not easy to find advanced classes. Don't worry about not fitting in, if you do Yoga every day it only takes a few weeks and you'll feel like a pro. Don't think you have to buy those tight fitting Yoga clothes; what works best are every baggy, silky top and pants that give you a lot of room and let you move freely. Some people wear baggy scrubs like the nurses use.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my Ebook at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet.

“How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?”, is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites and search the title to find my Ebook. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

The Reasons That Apples Are a Good Pick

I found this post on WebMd that emphysizes the importance of a good diet. You can blame all the physical problems you have including "not sleeping enough and excess body fat" on a bad diet.

Can an apple a day really keep the doctor away? For thousands of years, many cultures have valued apples for their medicinal properties. Now, modern-day research has confirmed many health benefits associated with apples. In fact, there are hundreds of published papers showing why apples are a true superfruit.

Here are 5 reasons to enjoy an apple (or two!) today:

1. They’re Nature’s Perfect Snack. A large apple is the perfect portion-controlled portable pick, with 115 calories and 5 grams of filling fiber. It’s a good source of vitamin C and contains no fat, sodium or cholesterol. Though not all apples are nutritional twins, they’re all a natural source of health-promoting phytonutrients, including plant-based antioxidants.

Leave the skin on and you’ll score even more nutrition perks; the skin is where two-thirds of the fiber and beneficial antioxidants are found. What’s more, they’re not just for snacking. They’re ideal for sauces, entrees and desserts. One of my favorite ways to enjoy them is in this Apple Pear Crisp.

2. They May Cut Your Cancer Risk. Studies show that apples may provide protection against certain types of cancer. Peer-reviewed research indicates that apples may reduce the risk for oral, esophageal, larynx, lung, colon, breast, ovary and prostate cancers.

3. They Can Help Whittle Your Middle. Enjoy an apple or two a day and you might just avoid an apple shape (where extra weight settles in the abdomen). That’s because apples contain filling soluble fiber and ursolic acid, a natural compound that has been found to boost fat-burning. Researchers from the University of Rio de Janeiro found that women who added three apples per day to their diet lost more than two pounds in 10 weeks – a greater loss than dieters who didn’t add apples.

4. They’ll Boost Your Brain. Apples are natural brain boosters. Researchers from Cornell University found that nutrients in apples may protect brain neurons against oxidative damage, which contributes to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Scientists believe that a particular apple compound called quercetin may be responsible for this protective effect. Another study of people with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s disease revealed that enjoying 8 ounces of apple juice daily resulted in a 27% improvement in mood and behavioral symptoms.

5. They’ll Help You Breathe Easier. The antioxidants in apples may help protect the lungs against the oxidative damage that’s associated with asthma, bronchitis and emphysema. In one study, women who reported eating apples during pregnancy reduced the risk of asthma and wheezing in their child at age five.

Apples won't solve all your health problems but I want you to realize that fruits and vegetables will solve your health problems. Those pills in a bottle are only going to releave the symptoms.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my Ebook at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet.

“How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?”, is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites and search the title to find my Ebook. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

How to Make Walking a Real Workout

Walking can be a real workout but it can also do nothing for weight loss. If you use "walking" the right way it can be the weight loss exercise you have been looking for.

How It Works

Walking may be the simplest way to work out. You can do it almost anywhere, and it’s a snap to get started: Just put one foot in front of the other.

There are many great reasons to walk. Your heart will get stronger, you’ll lower your blood pressure, and your bones will get stronger. Walking also eases stress, helps you sleep better, and can boost your outlook on life.

Walking at a brisk pace for 30 minutes or more at least 5 days a week is your goal. Do it alone or with a friend. Try a walking club or recruit your family for an after-dinner walk. All you need is a pair of walking shoes. If you can do a brisk walk, twice a day, 5 days a week, that might be all the exercise you need. Combine that with a diet of healthy foods and you will lose body fat over time.  

You can match your pace to your fitness level. For a more intense workout, try walking faster, longer, or uphill. Than for a more advanced workout, I do a walk, run routine. After I warm-up, I'll walk fast for one minute, than run for one minute, than walk fast for one minute, than run for one minute and so on. Do this about eight times and then about 5 minutes of cool-down walking and your done. I usually follow up with some stretching so I avoid cramps.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my Ebook at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet.

“How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?”, is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites and search the title to find my Ebook. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

Banish Bloating, Fluid Retention, and Puffiness

I'm not one to write much about medical problems but most of overweight problems today are due to medical problems that we either know we have or don't realize that we have. I write about diet and most medical problems can be traced back to a bad diet.

Feeling bloated is a common complaint in both men and women. One out of every 10 Americans say they experience regular bloating, even when they are not overeating. In some cases, if bloating is severe, your abdomen may become visibly swollen and distended.

Women tend to report bloating more than men -- especially during periods of hormonal change, such as premenstrually, when pregnant, and during perimenopause and menopause.

Thyroid patients, in particular, complain regularly about bloating, because of a thyroid dysfunction -- hypothyroidism especially -- is associated with water retention and weight gain from excess water. According to the American Thyroid Association, hypothyroidism can cause as much as five to ten pounds of weight gain just from the excess water alone. Some of that water weight gain can be in the face, causing puffiness in the face and around the eyes, fluid retention and swelling in the hands and feet, and abdomen.

Optimal Thyroid Treatment

If you are hypothyroid, step one to banish bloat is to ensure that your treatment is optimal. It's not enough to be in the "reference range." It's key to have optimal levels of sufficient circulating thyroid hormone -- especially the active thyroid hormone T3.

Lifestyle Changes

Physical activity is important to banishing bloat.

Make an effort to get more physical activity, with a goal of at 30 minutes, 5 days per week. Another recommended lifestyle change is to stop smoking. Smoking can contribute to bloating - so quitting can help -- not to mention the other health benefits associated with stopping smoking.

Other Medical Issues

Avoiding constipation is an important part of dealing with bloating. Ensuring that you drink enough liquids, and incorporate fiber into your diet are essential.
It's important to know that some over the counter pain relievers, iron supplements, and prescription pain medications can cause constipation and bloating.
Check for food allergies or intolerances (lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance, fructose malabsorption) as they can contribute to bloating. Make sure you are getting enough calcium and magnesium.

General Diet Tips

A key recommendation is to avoid overeating -- the most common cause of bloating. You may want to eat smaller meals and eat more frequently, and stick to regular meal times. Stop eating before you're full, and leave some food on the plate. It's also important to slow down when you eat -- a good guideline is to give yourself around 30 minutes for a full meal. A few other general dietary tips:

Don't chew gum – especially sugar-free gum
Don't use a straw – sip straight from a cup
Cook vegetables instead of eating them raw
Cut back on evening carbohydrates
Drink a 16-ounce glass of water 30 minutes prior to each meal, and make sure you are getting 6 to 8 ounces of water daily.
Martha, a thyroid patient, shared this advice that worked for her:

One of my problems with hypothyroidism is water retention, despite the 80 ounces of water I drink daily. My doctor suggested I try 16 oz. unflavored Pedialyte mixed with 48 oz. water and drink this mixture two consecutive days weekly. After the first day, I noticed a significant difference! After the second day, I weighed 1.5 pounds less. Water retention isn't a problem for me anymore!!! Maybe this will help others.
Eat Foods That Help Reduce Bloat

A number of foods are known to help reduce bloat. Make sure you incorporate them into your diet. These foods include:

High-fiber foods - aim for 25 grams per day
Vegetables: Lettuce, cucumber, spinach
Fruits: Papaya, apples (with the skin), avocados, watermelon, pineapple, mangoes, bananas, cantaloupes, tomatoes
Yogurt
Grains: whole grains, quinoa, brown rice, oatmeal
Spices: Ginger, peppermint, black pepper
Coffee
Salmon
Foods to Avoid or Cut Back on to Minimize Bloat

A number of foods and drinks are associated with increasing bloat. Try to cut back on consumption of these foods:

Carbonated drinks
Alcohol
Artificially sweetened foods, drinks, and seltzer
Fried foods
Frozen meals
Salty foods and sodium
Processed meats and hot dogs
Beans
Stretching and Massage

It may be helpful to massage your abdomen, by pressing your fingers by the hip, sliding across the ribs, and then down in a circular motion.

Advice From Fitness and Movement Expert and Exercise Physiologist Teresa Tapp

Fitness and movement expert Teresa Tapp, founder of T-Tapp, has been helping women battle bloat for several decades. According to Tapp:

After working in the fashion industry for over 18 years, as well as with regular women from all over the world for decades, I know that "yes you can" help your body eliminate excess water retention regardless of age, shape or size. Although I have several tips, my primary two are: (1) movement to maximize lymphatic flow and (2) intake of what I consider the perfect plant protein, alfalfa.

From my experience, excess consumption of simple carbohydrates -- for example pasta, bread, sugar, and alcohol) can increase inflammation, as well as increase fluid retention. For every gram of carbohydrate you consume, your body retains approximately 3 grams of fluid. Protein and increasing lymphatic circulation can help your body eliminate that excess fluid.

Although alfalfa looks like grass, it is actually a legume known for containing high concentrations of vitamins and minerals, as well as protein. Just make sure to check the quality of the product and only consume organic alfalfa leaf -- no sprouts, stems or seeds.

In my opinion, regular intake of alfalfa, along with doing a couple minutes of lymphatic pumping movements -- like T-Tapp Hoe Downs or T-Tapp Butterflies can immediately impact your body's ability to eliminate excess fluid and inflammation. Just be prepared for extra trips to the bathroom!

Rebounding works well too, but once you know how to do Hoe Downs and Butterflies, you are free to pump away puffiness and bloat anytime and anywhere. It's my personal secret to enjoying dessert and wine without the worry of bloat.

If you really want to lose your body fat than look for my Ebook at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet.

“How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?”, is available at all the online bookstores selling for $1.99. Go to any of the websites and search the title to find my Ebook. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, B&N.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.