weight loss

Weight Loss: Don’t Eat Breakfast – Lose Weight

March 24, 2018 by

What?!?!?! We’ve been told by weight loss experts for eons that breakfast is the most important meal of the day – to literally, break the fast from the last meal the night before. “Breakfast like a king” they say, meaning eat your biggest meal first thing in the morning so that the body has time to absorb all the nutrietns and your daily activity will remove the excess calories. Well that has bene the crux of the theory. The reality is raising the question: does it work?

According to an Australian specialist surgeon, Dr Andrew Renaut, nothing we have traditionally considered appropriate for weight loss is working. Not even surgery in some cases (it’s easy to cheat by melting your ice cream or chocolate – you’re still consuming those mega-calories that have no nutritional value and will not help you lose weight).

Renaut argues that we need to appproach weight loss in a new way. He proposes NOT eating breakfast. Instead, use that time to up your activity level. You know, movement. Then consume your nutrient-dense calories in a “window” of time from 1pm to 7pm.

The basis of Renaut’s theory is that by eating regularly throughout the day as we do now, we never give the chance for our insulin levels to self-correct meaning they are always raised. That process in itself leads to insulin-intolerance and we actually gain weight. He argues it is necessary to enable the insulin level to get to zero and that is achieved by fasting. Dr Renaut advocates not eating from 7pm to 1pm the next day – a fast of around 18 hours. During this period you can have coffee, green tea and water. By halting insulin production we give our body the chance to use up the fatty acids.

“When it comes to food, there are three main factors: How much do we eat, what type of food we eat, and the amount that we eat. Of those three, the most important is when we eat it.”

Given that we agree with his synopsis, and who wouldn’t, then focusing on frequency and duration of intake is sound. There has been a resurgence of focus on fasting in recent years with the most popular method being the 5:2 diet popularised by Dr Michael Mosely. Most research supports that method as an efective way to live and reduce weight over time.

Under Renaut’s method of eating, you continue to have your required daily intake of 2000 calories for women or 2500 calories for men but you focus on eating them between the 1pm-7pm window, just restricting the carbs. (We usually eat way too many carbs that lead to weight gain). Focus on lots of fresh foods – vegetables, lean meat, fish, dairy, cheese. Some fruit is fine but remember they are full of sugar so eat them in moderation. Avoid bread, pasta, rice etc.

Make better food choices to lose weight

So the Renaut method is simply eating healthy fresh food from 1pm-7pm and fasting outside that period, by drinking water and coffee/green tea.

Note: it won’t help you to drink sweet creamy coffee frequently! So those 10 caps a day are not going to cut it. Same for those low-cal soft drinks or sodas – they still raise your insulin which is a no-no during fasting and defeats the purpose of the fast ie reduce insulin overload.

Action Plan for Weight Loss

keep a time log for a few days and monitor what you eat when and how much – you might be surprised!
start by introducing the fasting period between 7pm and 1pm the next day, making no other changes until you get into the swing of it
next, remove as many carbs as you can from your intake
give the method at least a month to see the impact on your weight loss progress. If it is working for you, keep going

(As with any changes, check in with your doctor and discuss the planned changes to make sure they will not impact any medical issues you may have).

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Have You Ever Tried Fasting To Help Weight Loss?

February 2, 2015 by

I have to admit, I l-o-v-e my food! So the idea of fasting is usually only under sufferance and demanded by medicos when I have to go in for an op or a blood test that requires fasting. As soon as I hear “Nil by Mouth” my head automatically responds with “Not by Me!”. Annoying that we have to react responsibly sometimes 🙂

Lately I’ve been reading how occasional fasting is good to ‘clean’ your system and reboot your taste buds. In Ayurveda medicine it is also used for weight loss. It never occurred to me to actually do one. That requires discipline – a muscle I rarely exercise.

For some reason, I decided to do a fast on Sunday. It’s recommended you have a good meal on the night before. Luckily I was going to an Indian Curry night at a friend’s. Also luckily, the friend’s who cooked have a healthy eating mantra so the prepared food was not too fattening. I did go back for seconds I have to say, knowing that I’d be food-free for a day.

On the Sunday morning when I woke I carried on my normal routine. I picked Sunday because I had no engagements or visitors so less temptation to eat. In the morning I hit the bushes and pruned madly in the sun then just mooched around. I made sure I kept up the water intake. I didn’t add anything to the water but I could have added some lemon or honey. Probably I drank around 3 litres of water during the fast over 36 hours (including 2 nights sleep). That’s all I had all day – water, being only a one day fast.

It wasn’t til mid afternoon I had a pang of food regret. I downed some water and that passed.

By dinnertime I still wasn’t hungry so I watched a little tv and then went to bed – I knew if I stayed up on my own I’d be very tempted to hit the cupboards and fridge. Yes, I’m an evening, after-dinner binge eater. And I know I’m not alone in that!

I slept well and on waking wasn’t hungry at all. I thought I’d be ravenous. Obviously I have enough food stores in my fat cells to last a while! Lol!

I didn’t eat again until about 12.30 at lunch on Monday when I just had a shake with fruit. Don’t worry – I have a good serve of Indian food waiting for me for dinner and I’ll have a light snack mid-afternoon!

24 hour Fasting Results

Overall I was surprised how easy it was. I didn’t feel headachy or shaky at all. Apart from the morning I didn’t expend much physical energy but I was feeling listless. I survived the day just on water and dropped 0.5 kilos. Much of that will come back as I return to proper eating but I have no desire for sweets or stodgy food which I what I usually reach for when I crave food. I can see it would be detrimental to your health if you fasted just on water for more than a day.

It’s not something I’d do often and I am certainly not promoting it. I’m simply reporting my experience. If you do decide to do a fast I do recommend doing it under supervision, especially if you have any medical conditions or are pregnant. I followed medical instructions.

Having completed the fast, I’m not sure I released much in the way of toxins but I certainly gave my gut a rest and refreshed my taste buds. The weight loss is not something I’m focused on because I suspect it is temporary but maybe a couple hundred grams will be permanently lost.

5 Tips For Fasting

Follow medical advice – don’t do it on your own or following a web plan or a supplement packet
Prepare for it – make sure you have no events or activities on that day – treat it as a day of rest
Keep hydrated – you”ll need to drink more water than usual – every time you think of food, drink some water
After the day of fasting, ease back into eating – choose light healthy meals for breakfast and lunch
Don’t do it just to lose weight – you’ll likely be disappointed after a couple of days

I’m not sure I’ll fast again. If I do I don’t expect I’d do it more than once every 3-4 months or whenever I feel the need to rejig my taste buds and break any pattern of poor eating.

What about you? Have you ever undertaken a fast for medical, health or religious reasons?

How Does Dieting Impact Weight Loss?

October 23, 2014 by mello

Diet has become a dirty four-letter word for many people!

Yet diet is simply the kinds and quantities of food you habitually intake. So in essence you are already on a diet. It just may not be one that is serving you well.

A diet that is not serving you well may result in excess weight. Excess weight is often referred to by the term overweight or in more serious cases, obesity. Where the body accumulates more fat than is being processed or burned by the normal metabolism, that leads to excess weight gain. In some cases, this can be genetic but in most, there is a dietary issue that needs to be addressed. Excess weight is measured in what is called body mass index or BMI according to the fitness and medical circles. BMI is arrived at by dividing weight by height and then squaring the result. A BMI of 25-29kg/m is considered overweight. A reading of 30 or more is in the obese category.

Obesity is outright dangerous. Medical research shows that the chances of a heart attack are exponentially increased the higher the BMI goes. People who are overweight also struggle with a myriad of other complications. These include diabetes, some cancers, high blood pressure, gallstones, sleep apnea, and more. Want me to stop? That’s just the medical view. Obese people also have to deal with a low self-esteem, being ridiculed or preached to, withdrawal from regular activities, loss of job prospects, limited clothing choices and so it goes on.

How does diet help?

There is a direct correlation between weight loss and dieting according to researchers and nutritionists. Education is key. Learning to read and understand the labels when shopping is a lifesaver. There are some foods which have a higher caloric content than others, have increased amounts of sodium or trans-fats or sugar and knowing this will put you on the right track. It allows you to compare products and ake better choices if you have to buy processed food products. It’s also worthwhile familiarizing yourself with the food pyramid although some argue the pyramid should be inverted. Take a look for yourself by going to the government website.

Please remember that “dieting” does not mean starving yourself. It can mean that you are being more careful as to what you eat. Being more mindful of what goes in your mouth will help enormously. Apps like myfitnesspal give you a good idea of what nutritional values a food has – check them out before you eat. Logging your food intake and the calories as well as nutritional value is pretty sobering in my experience.

What Exercise is Best For Weight Loss?

October 22, 2014 by mello

Being overweight clearly has its share of health issues. About 300,000 people die each year due to weight or obesity related complications according to reports. People with a BMI or body mass index of 25-29 are, according to many experts, considered overweight. More than 30 on the BMI scale and you are classified as obese. Obesity now affects over 25% of the US population and more and more people are realizing that obesity kills.

People that are overweight struggle with sleep problems, breathing problems, susceptibility to disease and illness and chronic fatigue – not to mention low self-esteem because the of society norms and the media which portrays people who are obese as abnormal and those that are skinny as the ideal.

Obesity is a result of a number of causes.

One of them is eating more than the body is breaking down through the normal metabolic function. This causes excess fat to accumulate in many cases in the tummy area and causes someone to be overweight.
Some people don’t eat copious meals and snacks but they eat the wrong kinds of foods – calorie-rich foods with little nutritional value. The result is a satisfied mouth but a body that can’t cope with all that poor quality food.
Then there are people that are overweight not because they over-eat, but because they have a genetic malfunction which causes their overall body metabolism to slow and food to be digested slowly.
Others get overweight because of a combination of all of the above.
Oh and there is the sedentary life factor. This means a life that is pretty much devoid of exercise and movement. There are some exercises that one can do no matter their starting point to battle weight gain.

Any activity is the best way to start an exercise plan.

If you can run, go for it if you have a medical clearance.
If you can walk, you can start by walking anywhere for as long as you can and keep going for longer each time.
Some people like the gym and that can be great for variety, all weather conditions and for some social interaction.
If you can’t do any of those, start with something you can do. A couple of weights (cans of beans will do it) and start lifting them as often as you can. Sitting up and down if you can.
Use your imagination and just push a tad beyond what’s comfortable for you.

Hey, I’m talking from experience. I have hated exercise. Yet I’m doing more movement each day just to get going. I know from when I was smaller that my body actually enjoys exercise and loves being outdoors and functioning as it was meant to. It’s my mind that doesn’t like it! But I’m pushing myself and every day gets a little easier.

There is no growth (or weight loss) by staying in your comfort zone!

Losing Weight Naturally

October 20, 2014 by

By ‘natural’ we mean not losing weight using any supplements, pills, dietary products or other aids. Using food and preferably fresh food is the better way to lose weight over the long-term.

You have read all that you need to know about how to stop being overweight. That simple set of instructions should be easy to follow, but not for the 50% of Australians who are unable to prevent being overweight.

When we are overweight we usually want to trim down for a whole lot of reasons: some related to health, others having to do with perception – our own or others.

It really is never too late to lose weight.

It is obviously a whole lot easier to prevent putting on weight in the first place than to try losing it.

One thing we all know is that weight gain is likely to continue if we do not take active steps to stop it.

Evidence shows that many people who are trying to lose weight invariably stray. They tend to go back to their old eating habits even after they learn to adopt better eating habits. They tend to return to sedentary ways even though they enjoy exercising.

The good news is that despite the momentum toward weight gain, you can stop it from happening.

Health is a major factor in choosing to lose weight. Being overweight takes a huge toll on people’s physical health and longevity.

The Way to Losing Weight…Naturally

The nuts and bolts of eating right to maintain a healthy weight is not all that complicated. In fact, it is a good bet that most people pretty well know what is best. Hence, losing weight the natural way should not be a problem at all.

Consequently, an accepted reasonable approach for losing weight naturally is to stick to a diet that is high in complex carbohydrates, high in fiber, moderate in protein, and low in fat.

Not sure what they are? A complex carbohydrate is a baked potato. Fat is the sour cream and butter you should not put on it. Fiber is vegetables. Fat is the oil you should not fry them in. Protein is a lean cut of meat. Fat is the gravy you should not pour over it.

Health experts argue that dietary fat promotes weight gain because it is a very dense source of calories. Also, when you consume excess calories from dietary fat, you store those calories as body fat more efficiently than excess calories from other sources. In this case, more efficient is not good – it means your body hangs onto the fat really well!

Do not fall into the so-called “fat-free” trap – that will not help you lose weight naturally or otherwise. Manufacturers keep coming out with low-fat or fat-free versions of their best-selling foods, but Americans keep getting fatter anyway. Why? Check the label. Often you will find more sugar or salt added to compensate.

One of the greatest misbeliefs is that “no fat” means “non-fattening.” The truth is, you are often getting just as many calories from the no-fat version, even if the calories are not coming from fat.

The term fat-free can be a trap if you start to believe that you can eat any amount of the foods that are advertised that way.

Get used to reading labels. ‘Fat-free’ is an indicator, not a license to eat!

Learn to to respond to hunger with healthier snacks. Some health experts suggest it’s better to eat every three to four hours to keep your metabolism stable. Just make sure it’s a nutritious low-fat snack between lunch and dinner.

When you feel the urge for food coming on, snacking on something healthy such as a slice of whole-grain toasted bread is a better alternative to a biscuit. By the way, never skip a meal and eat snacks instead – that is the worst thing you can do if you are trying to control your eating habits and weight.

Remember, if you want to lose weight naturally, you have to keep track of every food you eat and of every activity that you do.

Losing weight naturally is a process and not a fad.

It’s going to be slow. It’s going to need determination, self-control and discipline to make the lifestyle changes that will lead to permanent weight loss and achieve your ideal weight.

And you’re so worth it!

The One Fast Way To Lose Weight

October 19, 2014 by

Here comes the news some of you did not want to hear:

There is NO quick-fix solution to losing weight.

There is also no ONE WAY to lose weight.

If there were then we would all be able to lose any amount of weight we desired at any time. But patently that is not the case. And because it is not the case there is a multi-million dollar industry all too ready to take your money by providing what they claim is the solution to weight loss.

Now there are some products that will work for a period. Diet pills, supplements, programs, methods, systems – you name it – they will work. For some people. Not all people. And possibly not you.

Exercise is great. If you can’t do it yourself there are thousands of products that will help you – ab-rollers, rowing machines, cross-fit trainers, kettlebell kits and so one. They will work. For some people. Maybe not you.

The ONLY solution to consistently lose your excess weight and keep it off for the long-term is to combine a sound nutritional diet full of fresh foods with a properly designed exercise program that stimulates the necessary hormonal and metabolic response within your body. Both your food intake and your exercise plan are important for you to get this right.

There have been studies done that divided participants into a diet-only group and an exercise/diet group. Both groups made good progress in losing weight yet the diet-only group lost significantly LESS fat than the diet with exercise combined group.

So next time you’re inclined to think you can lose weight with diet only or exercise only remember that a blend of both is far more effective.

In terms of food, the more unprocessed natural produce you can include in your diet the better.

If your diet now consists predominantly of manufactured products like ready-made dinners or take-home meals or big quantities of snacks like chips and chocolates or drinks like Cola then you are going to have to switch your food choices. No question. Did you ever watch “You Are What You Eat?” It clearly made real what people had been eating and in what volumes. Laying a week’s worth of what has gone in your belly onto a table is sobering stuff. Watch the video here or buy the book here You Are What You Eat: The Plan That Will Change Your Life. Definitely worthwhile.

So what is unprocessed natural food? True unprocessed natural foods are hard to come by. For example you couldn’t have milk unless it was raw or butter because it has be processed to be separated from the milk itself. But the least processed and most natural is what you are better to aim for. What we want to avoid are lots of additives that add to our weight!

Increase these and decrease all the junk food and other stuff you know is not healthy. Fresh fruit and vegetables. Meat with fat trimmed. Chicken with no skin. Fish. Condiments, herbs and sauces (in moderate quantities). Nuts, seeds, lentils. Look up the advice provided by the government and dietitians. But really, the closer your food intake is based on foods which have had the least processing done the more nutritional benefit they will have.

At the supermarket, pick up most of your groceries from the fresh fruit and veg section, the meat section, the seafood section and the dairy section. Go around the outside aisles to shop. The inner aisles is where the less healthy stuff sits waiting for you!

Why Is Losing Weight Good For You?

October 16, 2014 by

Who does NOT know that there are huge benefits that accrue from losing weight?

If we know the health benefits, why don’t we just lose weight? Of course, if it were easy there would not be a multi-million dollar industry attached to it because we would all lose any weight we wanted on demand!

Because it is not easy, it’s hard to stay motivated to shed those unwanted and unhealthy pounds and that makes yo-yo dieting a reality: lose a bit, gain more, lose a bit, gain more again.

Sometimes to stick at a new diet we need a reminder of the significant advantages gained from losing excess weight.

Weight loss prevents high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

There is a three in one benefit from losing weight right there.
It is a fact that heart disease and stroke are one of the primary reasons for disability and death in both men and women in Western countries. In some countries, heart disease is now the leading cause of death in women.
People who are overweight are more likely to have elevated levels of cholesterol in their blood stream as well as triglycerides (also known as blood fat).
Angina, one type of heart disease, could cause chest pains as well as a decrease in the oxygen pumped to the heart.
Sudden death can occur from heart disease and stroke, and usually this strikes with very little in the way of warning signs or symptoms.

It is a fact that by decreasing your weight by a mere five to ten percent, you could positively decrease the chances of having or developing heart disease or a stroke. Naturally, your heart functions would also improve and your blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride count would decrease.

Weight loss prevents type 2 diabetes

Diabetes is a debilitating and dangerous disease. At best it is tedious to monitor. It is life-threatening and unpleasant complications arise from having it.
Both types of diabetes, type one and type two are linked with being overweight.
To those who already have diabetes, regular exercise and losing weight could help in controlling blood sugar levels as well as reducing the medication you may be currently taking.
Increase your physical activity any way you can. You could simply walk, jog or dance. It helps get those blood streams moving as well as lose that unnecessary weight.

Weight loss helps reduce your risk for cancer

Being overweight is linked with a number of forms of cancer.
For women, the more common types of weight-related cancer include cancer of the uterus, gallbladder, ovary, breast, and colon. This is not meant to scare you, this is only to keep you informed.
Men are at risk too from developing cancer if they are overweight. These include cancer of the colon, prostate and rectum.

Extra weight and a diet high in fat and cholesterol should be avoided as much as possible.

Weight loss reduces sleep apnea

It could even eliminate it altogether.
Sleep apnea is a sleeping condition where one temporarily stops breathing for a brief period and then the heart needs to kick-start the breathing again putting excess strain on the heart.
Sleep apnea is also associated with heavy snoring.
Sleep apnea could cause drowsiness or sleepiness during the day and in chronic cases could result in heart failure.

Shedding those excess pounds could help in eliminating the symptoms and possibly the problem itself.

Weight loss reduces the pain of osteoarthritis

If you carry a lot of weight, you will know that this weighs on your joints – knees, hips and lower back.
These body parts have to exert double, if not triple, effort to carry you throughout your waking, walking and moving life.
This could cause further tension and stress on these joints.
Weight loss decreases the load these joints carry thus decreasing – if not eliminating – the pain of osteoarthritis.

Factoid: a ten percent reduction in weight takes 50% of pressure off the knees. And that could mean no replacement knee surgery for some!

Being overweight seems inconvenient, uncomfortable and demoralizing. But think about the physical consequences of what it is doing to your body. This amazingly functioning machine that you are destroying by not addressing your weight. Do yourself a favor. When motivation to lose weight wanes, think about what you are doing to your body – much of the damage unseen – and keep moving forward!

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