February 2010 Blog Posts

Losing weight is all about setting rules and boundaries for ourselves. Following the rules is the hardest part of losing and maintaining weight loss. But what about the old saying, "Rules are made to be broken"? MSN put out this article about weight loss rules that should be broken. Some of these rules I was already breaking myself (for example, "skip dessert." What is a world without dessert!?) Others I've always been told are no-no's, like eating late at night and eating white rice and bread. So here are the rules that are meant to be broken: http://health.msn.com/weight-loss/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100246375

I read a blog post somewhere about some of the best health magazines out there. I never really used to read health magazines until I took an interest in losing weight. Now one of my favorite is Self. But in case you guys haven't picked your favorite yet, I wanted to provide a post that showed you guys the difference between some of them. Here are some links to some of the bigger health magazines out there: Health Magazine http://www.health.com/health/ Women's Health Magazine http://www.womenshealthmag.com/ Prevention Magazine http://www.prevention.com/health/ Men's Health Magazine http://www.menshealth.com/ Self Magazine http://www.self.com/ What are some of your favorite health magazines?

When I started the South Beach diet about a month ago, finding things to eat for lunch became very hard. In the first two weeks of the South Beach diet, you are not supposed to eat bread, rice, pasta, croutons, crackers...you get the point. Salads get boring, and sometimes you just want a little more than a piece of meat for dinner. So, I started thinking about some healthy alternatives to get me through it. One thing I tried was cutting up chicken, cooking it in some soy sauce and wrapping it in lettuce, to create a kind of Thai lettuce wrap. They...

Friends play a very important role in our lives. We turn to them for advice, they coach us through hard times, they celebrate good times with us. It's only natural we want them there with us every step of the way as we embark on our weight loss journeys. But friends can also encourage you to indulge in naughty foods when they want to, skip the gym when they want to go shopping with you and more. Or friends can go with you to the gym and for mid-morning runs. We all have friends, and we all (I'm pretty sure) are trying...

When I go out to eat, my absolute favorite thing is not the meal. It's not the dessert either. It's the app. I like appetizers because you get a little taste of something (and if you're lucky, of someone else's appetizer too) but you don't eat enough of it to get filled. Hmm, come to think of it, it's probably a bad thing to eat something for the fun of it but not to get full, right? Right. In fact, appetizers can sometimes contain many more calories than the meals themselves. MSN.com recently featured an article with the 7 absolute worst (as in, unhealthiest) appetizers. Some...

I spent about three hours looking for a new bed these evening and it inspired me to write a post about how sleep can affect weight loss. We all know sleep is good for the mind and body-the more you get of it, and the deeper you sleep, the more alert and energized you are. But aparently, the benefits don't stop there. According to Web MD, a deep sleep can trigger certain hormones that directly correlate to your appetite. In my last post, I blogged about the hormone leptin. When leptin levels go down, you feel less satisfied after you eat. Another hormone,...

Canadian researchers are working on developing a pill that uses natural protein to tell your brain when to stop eating. The pill uses leptin, a protein used to regulate weight in mammals. The researchers have studied the effect of the protein in obese people and have found that it definitively can help regulate a person's urges to eat and help them lose weight. Here is a link with more information about the pill and studies: http://www.weightlosssurgerychannel.com/breaking-wls-news/weight-loss-pill-may-tell-brain-when-to-stop-eating.html/   What do YOU think? Can a pill trick your brain into thinking you're full?

As you avid Biggest Loser watchers know, the Biggest Loser is taking a break this week because of the Olympics. But I do still have a treat for you! I'm not sure if this is all well and dandy, and some of it may upset some of you, but my friend brought my attention to this blog. In it, the blogger interviews the winner of the Biggest Loser Season 3 who reveals the biggest "misconceptions" of the Biggest Loser. What do YOU think? Do you think these misconceptions are real? Here they are: http://blogs.discovery.com/jonathan_ross/2010/02/the-biggest-biggest-loser-misconceptions.html  

When you're thinking about ways to kick start a new diet, oftentimes you run into suggestions that include the frequency in which you eat your meals. Some diets suggest you eat more than the traditional three meals, while others tell you to stick to the three. A new study from the British Journal of Medicine suggests that it does not matter if you eat three meals or six in terms of weight loss. During the study, a group of couples embarked on a diet with the same caloric restrictions. But half of the group's meals are separated into six smaller meals. In the end, the frequency...

Alright lovedoves, one of the naughtiest days of the year is upon us, and as the chocolates and sweet treats call your name, I'm here to offer some advice on how to consume fewer calories on Valentine's Day so you can stay true to your diet. Here are three tips for maintaining your diet while celebrating a sweet holiday: 1. Ask your valentine not to get you chocolate At first you may think this sounds mean or rude, but when you explain to your valentine that you're on a strict diet and truly trying to change your life, he or she should...

Uhoh Jillian, looks like someone's trying to give you a workout. Jillian Michaels, the sassy female trainer on the Biggest Loser, is being sued by a woman who was taking the weight loss supplement Jillian endorsed and did not lose weight, according to the Daily News. The California woman said she was "duped" into purchasing the product and thought that it would really help her lose weight, only ... she didn't. She's suing Jillian for damages not to exceed $5 million. Here's the rest of the story: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2010/02/11/2010-02-11_biggest_loser_trainer_jillian_michaels_sued_over_weight_loss_supplement_pills.html  

You're about to take a bite of your sandwich and all of a sudden it slips out of your hand and neatly lands on the floor. "IT'S OKAY," you exclaim. "FIVE SECOND RULE!" Apparently the five second rule is just a myth-who would know you're not supposed to eat food that has fallen on the floor? This is just one of many food myths we decide what to eat and what not to eat by. Others include that baby carrots are bleached and white flour is infused with chemicals. Here's an MSN article that uncovers the truth about some of the silly food myths...

Ya know, I'm really starting to look forward to Tuesday nights. I love watching the Biggest Loser, and coming on Buddy and seeing how many other people are into the show like me. I'm thinking about maybe starting a chat about the Biggest Loser while the show is airing so we can all talk about things as they happen-would anyone be interested in that? Anyway, here is this week's Biggest Loser recap! SPOILER ALERT: If you read to the end of this post, you will know who went home last night...well, sort of. This week was unlike other weeks when two people are sent...

I don't know how many of you are Ruby followers. For those of you who don't know Ruby, Ruby was once the world's heaviest woman, I believe weighing in at nearly (or maybe it's over) 700 lbs. The Style Network gave Ruby her own show about her weight loss (and life) journey, because at 700 lbs, Ruby was not going to live unless she took hold of her weight and really changed her life. She lost a significant amount of weight before the show started, and began the show at about 500 lbs. Now, according to an interview with Oprah last...

If you live on top of a very high mountain, I have some good news. New information suggests that weight loss may be easier to achieve at higher altitudes. For the rest of us, down here on flat, sea-level earth, it's a little bit harder. The study, conducted in Germany, took into account 20 obese men who were brought to a high location for a week, leaving the men the same availablity to food as when they were in their typical lifestyle settings. After the week was over, the researchers found that the men had eaten been eating less and losing weight. The researchers...

On our way into work today, we were talking about the differences between natural, farm-raised, organic meats and other meats (I had been watching Food.Inc and was convinced that we could die early from eating meats that had been injected with hormones etc.) There is always the argument that when something says "organic" on the package it is not necessarily organic, as I blogged about recently. But that got me thinking about kosher foods-which have to go through inspection and blessing by a rabbi before they reach your grocery store and your kitchen. Are kosher foods healthier for you than other foods? According...

This is not a cop out. I just flipped on NBC and was confused when I saw Migdalia making a phone call on the episode. I went to NBC.com and it appears this week's episode was moved to 9 p.m. -- my guess is that the time change is so that the episode can compete with tonight's long-awaited season premiere of Lost. Honestly, I am probably not going to make it until 11 p.m. to watch the full episode of tonight's BL. BUT I still want to know what happens, and I want a reliable Buddy to tell me, and the other...