Diet Planning For Success

Tips to Take Off Pounds

2009-06-03T19:35:00.000-07:00

For more than 50 years, Prevention's been creating, collecting, and perfecting advice to help you slim down. That's because we want you to look and feel good about yourself.

By achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, you can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, certain types of cancer, back pain, joint problems, and more. In other words, you can maximize all the goodies that life has to offer! Here's our best advice to get you where you want to be.

10 Reasons to Lose Weight
1. Live to see your grandchildren, great-grandchildren—even great-great-grandchildren

2. Be able to romp with all those kids

3. Keep your mind sharp

4. Increase your energy level

5. Protect your immunity

6. Reduce your risk of breast cancer, heart disease, and stroke

7. Manage menopause more easily

8. Reduce stress

9. Breathe easier

10. Feel fabulous!

10 Foods That Fill You Up
These foods will fill you up with the fewest calories:

# Potatoes
# Fish
# Oatmeal
# Oranges
# Apples
# Whole wheat pasta
# Grapes
# Air-popped popcorn
# Bran cereal
# Soup

10 Fun Ways to Burn Calories
Here's a list of activities with the calories you'll burn per hour doing them.
# Jumping rope, 544
# Roller-skating, 476
# Bicycling, 408
# Swimming, 408
# Hopscotching with the kids, 340
# Ballroom dancing, 296
# Coaching your kid's soccer team, 272
# Paddling a canoe, 238
# Walking in the woods, 238
# Playing Frisbee, 204

(Calorie figures based on a 150-lb person)

10 Easy Ways to Flatten Your Belly
1. Eat a bowl of raspberries. Packed with fiber, they fight constipation (that can swell your midsection like a balloon).

2. Drink lots of water. It's filling, calorie-free, and keeps your metabolism running in high gear.

3. Skip the cocktails. Sure, alcohol may be fat-free, but it's loaded with calories. It can also raise your levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that helps your belly store fat.

4. Sit up straight. Hunching forward makes your belly look bigger. For a slimming effect that actually trains the stomach-supporting muscles to stay taut, sit with your shoulders back, chin up, and lower back supported against the chair.

5. Plant a garden. All the bending, lifting, and twisting help shape your middle, and you'll burn about 350 calories an hour.

6. Move your hips. Hula hooping works on the same calorie-burning, waist-whittling principle as gardening—but with less dirt.

7. Hit the greens. Ditching the golf cart earns you a walking workout; whacking the ball tones and tightens your midriff.

8. Get a leg up. Crunches with your legs off the floor tone the upper portion of your ab muscles. Lie on your back with your legs propped up on a bed or chair. Curl up slowly, raising your head, shoulders, and upper back off the floor, then slowly lower. Do 10 to 12 repetitions, two or three times a week.

9. Reverse that crunch. To tighten your tummy from a different angle, lie on the floor with your arms at your sides, feet off the floor, and your legs and knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Contract your abdominals and press your back into the floor, lifting your hips about 2 to 4 inches off the floor. Hold, then lower. Do 10 to 12 repetitions, two or three times a week.10. Do crossover crunches. To work the muscles that define your waistline (the obliques), lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your right ankle on your left knee and your hands behind your head, elbows pointing out. Lifting your head and upper back off the floor, twist, and bring your left shoulder toward your right knee. Hold, then slowly lower. Do 10 to 12 repetitions, then repeat to the other side. Do two or three times a week.

What an Opportunity!
Seek out new ways to be active—investigate a mountain vacation that involves hiking, or start viewing a chore such as raking the leaves as a great workout.

All-Time Best Recipe
Readers told us again and again how great this smoothie is for curbing cravings.

Classic Smoothie Recipe
Mix the following ingredients in a blender until smooth. Feel free to experiment, adding a touch of vanilla, cinnamon, or your other favorite flavors to taste.
# 1 cup fat-free milk (or soy milk)
# 1/2 frozen banana or 1/2 cup frozen mango slices
# 1 teaspoon sugar
# 1 cup frozen fruit (We recommend strawberries, pineapple chunks, or blueberries.)

Per shake (approximate): 220 cal, 1 g fat, 4 mg chol, 5 g fiber, 130 mg sodium

10 Smartest Ways to Slim Down
1. Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Skipping meals can set you up for bingeing. Studies show that people who spread their food intake throughout the day eat fewer calories.

2. Pack snacks. Whether you're at the mall, in the car, or at work, keep yourself armed with healthy snacks to help you resist fat-and-calorie-laden temptations from vending machines and fast-food joints.

3. Team up. Enlisting the help of a partner or friend can boost your motivation and help you stay on track.

4. Start writing. Keeping a food or exercise log not only helps chart your progress, but it's also a great way to spot minor slips in your routine before they become major problems.

5. Compliment yourself. Treat you as you treat those you love. Focus on your successes, not failures—and give yourself a pat on the back each day.

6. Get moving. Whether you walk, run, bike, or swim, aerobic exercise is key to weight loss success. Work up to doing at least 45 minutes, 5 or more days a week.7. Be a little selfish. You need to make time for yourself if you want to achieve your goal.

8. Have two helpings. Filling your plate with two kinds of vegetables, not just one, ups your nutritional intake and leaves less room on your plate for fatty foods.

9. Take one bite at a time. "Mindful eating," which involves concentrating on taste and sensation to make each mouthful an event, maximizes your food satisfaction and minimizes the odds of overeating.

10. Lift weights. Resistance training builds muscles, which boost the number of calories that your body burns throughout the day—making weight loss easier. Aim for two or three workouts a week.

I Can Do It
Instead of saying, "My weight loss efforts haven't worked before; they probably won't work now," tell yourself, "That's enough. I can do anything that I put my mind to." Create a new sound track in your head.

Keep Low-Cal Cooking Quick & Easy
Stock your kitchen with these low-fat, low-calorie staples, and eating right will be a cinch:
# Fresh garlic
# Butter-flavored cooking spray
# Canned beans: Kidney, black, and navy are stellar fiber sources; rinse first to remove some of the sodium.
# Fat-free chicken broth: Keep a can on hand to whip up an easy vegetable soup (add frozen veggies) or mashed potatoes so flavorful that you won't miss the butter.
# Water-packed tuna
# Grated low-fat cheese
# Instant grain dishes: Think couscous, tabbouleh, even boil-in-bag rice.
# Zesty spices: Chili powder, red-pepper flakes, and curry blends add salt-free zip to recipes. They're great as toppings for air-popped popcorn too.
# Canned mandarin oranges: They're a creative addition to salads and simple desserts, especially when your fresh fruit supply runs low or is out of season.
# A pack of pitas or tortillas: Use them as sandwich wraps, or cut them into wedges and bake to make your own low-fat chips.

10 Snacks Less Than 175 Calories

1. Half of a whole grain bagel: spread with jam or low-fat cream cheese

2. One almond, one date: Stuff the former into the latter for satisfying sweetness and nutty crunch.

3. Baby carrots: Eat a handful with a creamy dip (mix 1/4 cup salsa with 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream).

4. Whole wheat pretzels (1 1/2 oz): A bona fide snack food that's not junk food.

5. Banana: Portable, peelable, and around 100 calories.

6. Sweet potato: If you think of it only as a side dish to a meal, you're missing out on a great snack. Baked and cooled, it's a delicious alternative to fruit.

7. A cup of instant bean soup: Fiber-packed and filling—just add water!8. Whole grain cereal: Low-fat, low-sugar choices such as Cheerios or Wheat Chex aren't just for breakfast. Slip 1/2 cup into a plastic bag to eat when you're on the go.

9. Low-fat string cheese (2 oz): The perking power of protein and the rich bite of cheese—without all that nasty fat.

10. Lions and tigers and bears: Oh my—animal crackers weigh in at only 12 calories each.

Cave In to a Chocolate Craving
You can say "yes!" to these chocolate cravings for less than 200 calories.

1. M&Ms (1 oz): A melt-in-your-mouth favorite, with only 140 calories

2. Haagen-Dazs chocolate sorbet (1/2 cup): Intense flavor at only 120 calories (and zero fat!).

3. Hershey's chocolate syrup (2 table-spoons): At 100 calories and no fat, it's a virtuous topping for fruit or angel food cake.

4. Chocolate truffle (1): Savoring the flavor of a small portion of the food you really crave can prevent you from pigging out on poor substitutes.

5. Chocolate mousse (1/2-cup serving): Prepare instant chocolate pudding with 1% milk, and fold in low-fat whipped topping.

6. Hot chocolate (1 cup): Make it yourself with fat-free milk and chocolate syrup, or just add water to an envelope of low-cal instant.

7. Chocolate tortilla roll-ups (1): Spray a large tortilla with butter-flavored cooking spray, and sprinkle with ground cinnamon, sugar, and cocoa. Cut into quarters. Roll each quarter from the pointed end around a thick-handled kitchen utensil, seal the overlap with egg white, and bake seam-down at 350°F for 10 minutes. Cool, and fill with low-fat vanilla yogurt.

8. Hershey's Kisses (7): This handful has a combined 175 calories.

9. Low-fat mocha latte (1 cup): Use chocolate-flavored coffee topped with 1% milk that you've whisked into a froth. Dust with real cocoa powder.

10. Low-fat chocolate chip cookies: Three of these traditional favorites are about 150 calories.

There's No Magic Number
Don't measure your success solely by the number on the scale. Your weight will naturally fluctuate by a couple of pounds some days. Give yourself a weight range of 5 to 10 pounds to allow for these changes. Use other methods, such as your clothes or tape measurements, to track your progress.

Seven Ways to Break Up Exercise Boredom
1. Change your venue. Bored to tears by your treadmill workout? Take a walk outside instead. Your after work routine has become too routine? Get up earlier. Changing where or when you exercise, even if you're doing the same activity, is a great way to change your outlook.

2. Find fun exercise. Investigate sports and hobbies that enhance your activity level. Backpacking, mountain biking, kayaking, even bowling can all burn calories—but they don't feel like workouts.

3. Act their age. Join the kids for a game of backyard touch football or tag. Capitalize on their infectious energy.

4. Make a date. Treat exercise as social time by pairing up with a friend or your spouse. By committing to someone else, you'll be less likely to skip your workout.

5. Count backwards. Ever notice how your trip back from a great destination seems shorter than your trip there? Apply that principle to exercise by counting reps backwards—from 10 to 1, instead of 1 to 10.

6. Lend a hand. Support causes such as breast cancer, AIDS, or multiple sclerosis by doing fund-raising walks, bike rides, or runs. Beyond the exercise, you'll feel good about what you're doing, as well as fortunate to have a healthy body to do it.

7. Gear up. Add a new twist to your routine with equipment such as a heart rate monitor or pedometer. Tracking your workouts with these types of devices keeps things interesting.

One Slip Up Won't Stop Me
If you've fallen off the weight loss wagon, stop feeling like a failure; focus on the challenge ahead. The sooner you climb back on, the sooner you'll see the results!

Don't Let Stress Make You Fat
Next time you've had a bad day at work or a fight with your spouse, or are just being pulled in too many directions, try one of these stress busters instead of raiding the fridge:

1. Get out in nature. The gentle swaying of windblown trees or the meandering of a stream can slow body rhythms that have built to a stress-induced peak.

2. Take the slow road. Hopping in the car to run errands may seem practical, but traffic's another stressor. Bike or walk whenever you can. If you must drive, don't jockey for position. Chill out in the right-hand lane.

3. Turn on the stereo. Soothing music has been shown to ease anxiety and lower blood pressure and heart rate, even under superstressful conditions.

4. Get up and dance. Besides being great exercise, it releases endorphins, your body's mood-elevating chemicals that help erase stress.

5. Savor silence. Even a total of 10 to 15 minutes of quiet time per day helps you eliminate the buzz in your brain and experience some serenity.

6. Laugh out loud! Humor can actually inoculate against anxiety: One study found that people who watched an episode of Seinfeld before tackling a stressful task didn't show the spikes in blood pressure and heart rate that their humorless study counterparts did.

There's Always Another Way
Accept substitutions: If the late hour won't allow you to work out at the gym, don't give up on exercise that day. Take a walk around the neighborhood, pop in an exercise video, or do lunges around the kitchen as you cook dinner.

Strategies to Avoid Emotional Eating

2009-05-31T21:38:00.000-07:00

The holidays can be stressful... and unfortunately, many people reach for food as comfort. If you find yourself regularly eating in response to stress, anxiety, sadness, boredom, anger, loneliness, relationship problems, or poor self-esteem, try to break the habit with some of my strategies below.

* Learn to recognize your hunger. Before you automatically pop something into your mouth, rate your hunger on a scale of 1 to 5 -- 1 being ravenous and 5 being full. Make every effort to avoid eating when your hunger is a 4 or a 5.

* Find alternatives to eating. Make a personal list of activities you can do instead of eating. Perhaps go for a walk, call a friend, listen to music, take a hot shower/bath, exercise, clean your house, polish your nails, surf the Internet, schedule outstanding appointments, watch television, look through a photo album, etc.

* Keep a food journal. Logging your food will help to identify your toughest timeframes. It also will make you accountable... so perhaps you'll be less apt to reach for unnecessary food.

* Three-food interference. Make the commitment to first eat three specific healthy foods before starting on caloric comfort foods (i.e., an apple, handful of baby carrots and a yogurt). If after that, you still want to continue with your comfort foods, give yourself permission. However, most of the time, the three foods are enough to stop you from moving on.

* Exercise regularly. Daily exercise relieves stress and puts you in a positive mindset, which provides greater strength to pass on the unhealthy fare.

* Get enough sleep. Research shows that sleep deprivation can increase hunger by decreasing Leptin levels, the appetite regulating hormone that signals fullness. With adequate sleep, you'll also be less tired and have more resolve to fight off the urge to grab foods for comfort.

Diet Myths Exposed: Part 2

2009-05-31T21:37:00.000-07:00

Here are more facts about common diet myths…

* Exercise in the morning burns more calories.

Studies show that people who exercise in the morning tend to be more consistent with their daily workouts. However, exercising in the morning does not actually burn more calories than exercising later in the day.

* Dairy is bloating.

Dairy is only bloating for people with lactose intolerance… and in some instances, for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). For people without lactose intolerance or dairy specific IBS, low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese should not cause bloating.

* You can “save” calories by skipping breakfast.

Studies report that breakfast eaters weigh less than breakfast skippers (obviously, it has to be a healthy breakfast). Plus, breakfast skippers tend to overeat after dinner.

* Colonics help you lose weight.

Colonics simply dehydrate you -- you may weigh less, but it’s mainly water weight NOT fat weight. Lost water weight typically comes right back on after a few glasses of fluid.

* Weight lifting makes you bulky.

Appropriate weight lifting will not make you bulky (unless that’s your goal and your program takes this into consideration). Light weight lifting helps to increase lean body mass, which helps you burn more calories 24-7. In the end it will help you lose weight and enable you to eat more.

* The scale is your absolute best indicator of weight loss.

Checking your weight loss progress on a scale is certainly simple and encouraging (depending upon the outcome!). However, there are other effective ways to track your progress: take body measurements with a tape measure, test body fat, compare personal photos, and assess the fit of your clothing.

Get more facts about diet myths in Diet Myths Exposed: Part 1.

Diet Myths Exposed: Part 1

2009-05-31T21:34:00.000-07:00

The following diet myths come up over and over again at my nutrition center. My next two blog entries will help set the record straight. Hope you find this helpful!

* If you eat late at night, the food turns straight into fat.

Not true.If your overall calories are appropriate for weight loss, you certainly can eat something after dinner. Late night calories will ultimately get used the next day (and even while you sleep).

However, for the sake of energy, it is always better to eat your calories during the day when your body needs the fuel. Plus, eating consistently throughout the day will stabilize blood sugar levels -- so you’ll feel energized and experience fewer cravings. If you are going to snack after dinner, I suggest choosing something 250 calories or less.

* Fresh fruits and vegetables are more nutritious than frozen.

Not necessarily. Frozen can be a great produce option (just avoid varieties with added salt, sugar, and sauce). Frozen foods are picked in the peak of ripeness, then frozen. You can eat them as you need them -- and most of the nutrients are locked in. On the other hand, fresh fruit and vegetables are typically harvested before they ripen, and can have nutrient variability. Also, the longer fresh produce sits around in your fridge, the less nutrients it will contain.

Bottom line: Buy both fresh and frozen and eat as much as you can.

* Cravings are your body's way of telling you it needs something.

This has never been proven. You normally crave what you like to eat (or smell or see someone else eating). Also, hormonal changes are sometimes responsible for food cravings. Ice cream and pickles anyone?

* Any type of water is always better than soda.

No. There are a few caloric waters with sexy marketing ploys. In fact, some brands have quite a bit of sugar. Always check labels.

* Certain foods, like grapefruit, celery, or cabbage soup can burn fat and make you lose weight.

These are anecdotal stories that have no scientific back up. It’s true these foods are low in calories, but they do NOT actually burn fat.

Learn the facts about more diet myths in: Diet Myths Exposed: Part 2

Busted! 5 Major Eating Mistakes

2009-05-31T21:33:00.000-07:00

Ever get the guilty feeling that you're being watched as you toss the double fudge brownie mix into your grocery cart? Well, you are! We checked with some of the top US nutrition experts, who admitted they secretly spy on the rest of us as we make real-world choices in restaurants and grocery stores. Here are their top five gripes.

1. We can't tell the good fats from the bad ones.
"Most people still don't get that some fats are actually good for you," says Alice Lichtenstein, DSc, an American Heart Association spokesperson. "You want to avoid saturated and trans fats, but you need more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Good sources are fish, nuts, avocados, and soybean and canola oils."

Smarter: Fit in good fats. "If you keep track of total calories, you don't have to worry about how much fat you eat, just what kind," explains Dr. Lichtenstein. Grandpa Po's Slightly Spicy Nutra Nuts use only canola oil (160 cal, 10 g fat, 1 g sat. fat, 2 g fiber, 60 mg sodium); at healthy food supermarkets.

2. We supersize to save money.
"People think that supersizing a restaurant meal is a money saver, but it's not a health bargain if it has way too many calories," says Karen Weber Cullen, DPH, RD, research nutritionist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Smarter: Judge with your palm, not your purse. A serving size is about what fits into the palm of your hand (larger for men than women, smaller for children). For most meals, pick one protein, one starch, one veggie, and one fruit based on the serving that will fit into your palm.

3. We think anything liquid has no calories.
"What freaks me out is the amount of sugared soda and juice we drink," says Judith Stern, ScD, RD, professor of nutrition and internal medicine at the University of California, Davis. "I'd like to see all the sugared drinks sent out into space, where they could orbit the Earth forever." Sugared drinks balloon your calorie intake and squeeze out more nutritious foods.

Smarter: Try a cup of tea. Available in myriad varieties, the calorie-free brew promotes heart health, staves off several types of cancer, strengthens bones and teeth, and protects the skin.

4. We don't know how "hungry" really feels.
"If you don't know when you're hungry, you don't know when you're full, so you won't know when to stop eating," says Elisabetta Politi, RD, nutrition manager of the Duke University Diet & Fitness Center in Durham, NC.

Smarter: Tune in with mindful eating. Here's how.
1. Before you eat, relax, and rate your hunger from 1 (hungriest) to 7 (fullest).
2. Eat slowly, pausing often to rate how your hunger changes.
3. When finished, rate yourself one more time. Try to stay between 2 1/2 and 5 1/2: not too ravenous when you start and not completely full when you stop.

5. We have a microwave addiction.
Many women come home from work and pop a frozen entrée into the microwave. "Eating too many heavily processed foods can leave you short on fiber and antioxidants such as vitamin C," explains Jo Ann Hattner, RD, clinical dietitian at Stanford University Medical Center.

Smarter: Complement a frozen entrée with a green salad, a 100 percent whole wheat roll, and fruit for dessert. Stock up on the freshest fruit for maximum flavor.

Get Sexy, Sculpted Arms for Summer

2009-05-27T17:38:00.000-07:00

Now that it's warming up, it's time to break out the hard bodies. Let's start nice and slow and begin with our arms. For a lot of us, our "wings" have been behind long sleeves, sweaters, and jackets, and they need a little love. You don't have to go to the gym, however, to work on your arms. (If you are a member of a gym then you can just add these moves to your workout.)

I am a big believer in doing multi-joint, multi-muscle moves, but for vanity's sake lets just focus on the arms. In case you didn't know, the tricep (jiggley part on the back of the arm) takes up 2/3 of your upper arm. So for all you bicep-minded boys out there, if you want real mass, focus on your tri's. For the ladies out there who do the wiggle test, tricep exercises are your friend.

While you're sculpting the back of your arms, why not work on your posture by doing rear delt (shoulder) and back moves to pull your back straight up since everything in we do in life hunches us forward (driving, computers, stress, gravity, etc). Use these exercises to pull your body upright -- it's not only good for your health, but good posture is sexy in and of itself.

I want you to do a circuit of these moves. So do one set of 8-12 reps for each move, and then move onto the next exercise without stopping. When you've completed all 8 exercises, begin again at the top of the list. Start with two times around the circuit, then work your way up to three and four rounds. No dilly-dallying or waiting around. This is meant to be done at an efficient and non-stop pace to keep the calories burning.

If you can get this workout done 3 to 4 times a week, you will see the changes quickly.

1. Dip into a bridge

I love this move! It was shown to me by the great trainer Adam Friedman. Sit on a bench or chair with your hands flat on the seat next to your hips and and your legs touching the floor a foot or two in front of you. Then extend your body away from the chair and lower your upper body down toward the floor, engaging the triceps in a dip. Then with your feet together and glued to the floor, push your hips up until your torso is parallel to the floor, making a bridge. Engage your glutes (butt muscle). Slowly lower your hips, push up with your arms and move backward until you are seated on the chair. That's one rep. This move is two exercises for the price of one. Squeeze at the top of both moves (tricep, then legs and butt).

2. Bicep curl to shoulder press

Hold a weight in each hand, arms at your sides. Then curl the weight up to shoulder level engaging your biceps, and press the weights all the way up toward the ceiling overhead. Pause at the top before slowly lowering the weight while bending your arms, pausing at shoulder level, back down to your sides. That's one rep. Make sure you don't swing your weight or allow it to drop suddenly on the way down from the press. It's a controlled motion. I would rather see you use less weight and have perfect form.

3. Push ups

If you can't do the traditional way then go down to your knees. It's imperative to keep your spine and neck angle straight (don't drop your neck or let your lower back sag). Don't use momentum but control the move from top to the bottom to get maximum benefit.

4. Standing squat dumbbell row

This exercise is great for legs, abs, and back. Stand with your feet at least shoulder-width apart, arms out in front at shoulder level with a dumbell in each hand. Sit down in a squat, engaging your abs to keep your back straight (even though you are slightly bent over) and pull your arms toward your body in a rowing motion. The weights should end up at your side with elbows behind you. Slowly stand up and return arms to the starting position. This is one rep.

5. Dumbbell kickbacks

Another one for the back of the arm. With legs shoulder width apart again, lean over at the waist, keeping arms straight by your side until your upper body is at angle to the floor. Bend at the elbow while curling the weight toward your bicep, then push the weights back and down to straight. Squeeze the tricep muscle at the top of the move. Be careful not to swing the weight and keep your elbows in a fixed position close to your body. You will work the legs again since you are in a mini-squat again.

6. 21's

This is a series of bicep curls broken down into two stages. Start with arms down by sides, weight next to legs. Curl up to the half-way mark (arms are now parallel to the floor) and back down 7 times in a row. Then from the half-way mark to the top of the curl 7 times. Finish with 7 reps at the full range of motion for a total of 21 reps.

7. Dumbbell chest press

Lay on your back with your legs and arms straight up, perpendicular to the floor, with a dumbell in each hand. Lower the weights while bending your arms out to the side in an L-shape until elbows touch the floor. Then push the weights back up while contracting your chest and triceps. That's one rep. Your leg position activates the abs while your arms do the work. If you want to challenge yourself more then do one arm at a time leaving the resting arm in the air.

8. Bent over, rear delt flies

Sit in a squat, slightly bent over at the waist, back straight and arms out in front. Pull your arms back until they are straight out to the side, perpendicular to your body, keeping them slightly bent at the elbow, while contracting your upper back and shoulder muscles. Return arms to front position for one rep. This works those rear deltoids in your upper back and balances out the front shoulders muscles, which are often overworked. This move is also good for posture.

That's it! Once you do the 8 moves, get some water and start again at the top. Really feel the muscles (even if you don't see them yet), and get into your body. Believe me, you will see those arms shaping up in no time. From a sweater, to a T-shirt, then tank top and bathing suit. Oh yes!

Good Luck,

Kick-Start Your Workout

2009-05-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

One you'll do! When I want quick results, I do interval training. Research shows that vigorous bouts of aerobic exercise followed by easier ones, or mixing cardio intervals with strength training (as I do here), burns tons more calories in less time than if you were to work out at a steady intensity.

Intervals supercharge your metabolism, so you burn calories all day long. And constantly switching from one move to the next keeps things interesting.

The following program combines kicks, jumps, and squats. It really works your hips, thighs, and buns, so you tone and trim inches at the same time.

Your Toning Program
Beginner: Do 30 seconds of each of the five exercises; repeat the entire sequence four times for a total of 10 minutes.

Advanced: Do 1 minute of each exercise; repeat the entire sequence four times for a 20-minute fat-blasting routine.

Do three to five times a week.

1. Front Kicks
Stand with your feet apart, left foot in front, and hands in loose fists in front of your chin, palms facing each other.

Keeping your abs tight, lean your weight into your left leg. Lift your right knee to waist height, and kick your lower leg straight out in front of you as high as is comfortable. (It's a quick but controlled movement.) Keep your left (standing) leg slightly bent. Immediately bring your right leg back down. Do 5 to 10 kicks, then switch to your left leg.

2. Travel Squats
Stand with your feet together, arms at your sides. Step your left foot out to the side. As you land, sit back, bending at your knees and hips. Don't let your knees move forward over your toes. Raise your arms in front of you as you sit back.

Squeeze your butt, and press through your heels to stand back up. As you do, step your right foot in to meet your left foot. Then step your left foot out to the side as you squat once again. Do 3 or 4 squats to the left, then go to the right.

3. Do jumping jacks

4. March in place, or jog

5. Side Kicks
Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width and your left foot turned out about 45 degrees. Hold your hands in loose fists in front of your chin, or rest your left hand on a chair for balance. Lean to the left, and cock your right hip up. For a printer-friendly version of all steps click below.

Lift your right knee. Then, without lowering it, kick your lower leg out to the side. Keep your abdominals tight, your left (standing) leg slightly bent, and your right foot flexed. Concentrate on kicking through your heel. Bend the knee back in, and bring your leg down. Do 5 to 10 kicks with your right leg, then switch to your left. Start low, gradually working up to higher, faster kicks.

Eat to Lose

2009-05-25T17:44:00.000-07:00

The Prevention Reshape Your Body plan incorporates easy food strategies you can follow for life. "Women succeed at weight loss when they get a handle on their portions and eat in a balanced way," says nutritionist Lisa Young, PhD, RD, who dished out the dietary advice for our program.

Her three key tips:

Get your protein.
Research shows that protein-rich foods such as fish, chicken, low-fat dairy, and lean meats can increase satiety, meaning they help you feel full longer. "Eat them with every meal, especially breakfast, to curb the urge to snack all day long," says Young.

Eat early.
Have breakfast, even if it's simply oatmeal or a hard-boiled egg. It jump-starts your metabolism and prevents late-day bingeing. Studies have found that dieters are most successful when they start their day with a meal.

Get a "hand-le" on portions.
"Most of us eat too much—period. To lose weight, you have to eat proper portions," says Young. Use your hand to measure.
Food How to measure
Meat, fish, poultry 3 ounces = palm of hand
Mixed nuts 1/4 cup = 1 layer on palm
Cereal/popcorn 1 cup = 2 cupped hands
Cooked pasta 1/2 cup = 1 rounded handful
Cheese 1 ounce = 1 thumb
Butter/oil 1/2 teaspoon = 1 fingertip

Weight Loss Tips

2009-05-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

It is well known that obesity or being overweight is a growing epidemic among children, leading to increases in diabetes and other serious health effects. It is also well known what you have to do to lose weight, by eating less and exercising more. The problem is that it is hard to stay motivated to do these things.

And if it is hard for adults, you can expect that it is even harder for kids, who don't necessarily understand the negative health effects of being overweight.

Losing Weight

How do you help your children lose weight?

It can help to stick to the basics. Don't worry about counting calories and carbohydrates and fat grams. Instead, provide healthy meals and snacks and encourage regular physical activity.

Being a good role model is also important, starting when your kids are young. This can help the whole family to be healthy.

If your child is already overweight, you will likely have to make some changes to his diet. But this isn't as hard as you think. It doesn't have to involve counting every calorie that he eats and drinks, which can be especially hard when your kids are eating at school.

Instead, keep in mind that a pound is equal to about 3500 calories. So if your child is gaining an extra pound a week, he needs to cut his diet back by 3500 calories a week or 500 calories a day so that he doesn't gain any more weight.

Fortunately, most kids don't need to make such drastic changes to their diet. Your overweight teen is likely just gaining an extra 10-15 pounds a year, which would be equal to just 100 to 150 calories a day, about equal to a can of non-diet soda.

Stoping Weight Gain

An important first goal for most overweight kids is to simply stop gaining weight.

Using the method above, instead of counting all of your child's calories and trying to stay below some set goal, you can use the fact that he probably eats about the same number of calories each day to help him not gain any more weight.

So just figure out how much extra weight your child gained in the past year and adjust his diet to compensate for these extra calories. The change might be as simple as changing to non-fat milk, diet soda or a more healthy after school snack.

Keep in mind that this 'extra weight' is above what your child would be expected to normally gain each year.
Extra Weight Gained
Last Year Number of Calories to
Eliminate Each Day
1 pound

10 calories/day
5 pounds

50 calories/day
10 pounds

100 calories/day
15 pounds

150 calories/day
20 pounds

200 calories/day
25 pounds

250 calories/day
30 pounds

300 calories/day

Cutting back on the above number of calories each day should help your child to stop gaining weight. If your child is not very overweight and he hasn't finished puberty yet, then not gaining more extra weight might be not enough, as he gets taller and 'grows into' his weight.

Losing Weight

Again, not gaining any more extra weight is an important first goal, but many overweight kids also need to lose some weight.

You can use the same calculations to figure out how much more to cut your child's daily calories by to lose weight. So, once your child is at a stable weight and not gaining, if you want to help your child lose 5 pounds a year, cut his diet back by 50 calories a day. To lose 10 pounds, eliminate 100 calories a day, and so on.

If your child is still gaining weight, then you will have to cut more calories out of his diet. For example, if he has been gaining an extra 5 pounds a year and he needs to lose 10 pounds, then that is a total of 15 pounds that you need to compensate for. So he will need to cut back his diet by 150 calories a day.

Diet Analysis

Although you don't need to count calories each and every day and know where every fat gram is coming from, you do need to understand your child's diet to help him lose weight.

Some good questions to answer include:

* How many calories does your child get from the things he drinks?

* How many snacks does he eat?

* What are his portion sizes like?

* On average, how many calories does he get at each meal?

After you look closely at your child's diet for a few days or a week, you should be able to see patterns of where the extra calories come from. Cutting back on calories might be as easy as eliminating a bedtime snack, changing to diet drinks or low fat milk, or not super-sizing his portions.

Exercise

More exercise and being more active is another good way to stop gaining and losing weight. Instead of thinking about how to diet to decrease the number of calories your child is taking in, you could also think about how much exercise he needs to do to burn those calories.

So just like we said that you had to cut back your diet by 50 calories a day to lose 5 pounds a year, you could also exercise to burn an extra 50 calories a day and lose weight.

Or even better, do a combination of both.

How can children burn 50 calories a day exercising?

Your children should be able to burn 50-100 calories a day in 30-60 minutes of regular activities that children enjoy, such as walking, roller blading, bicyling, or playing baseball, basketball or soccer.

Older Kids and Adults

Younger children who are overweight have one big advantage. Since they are still getting taller, if they stop gaining weight, they I said before, they will often 'grow into' their weight.

Once a teen finishes going through puberty, to get thinner, he actually has to lose weight. The same principles discussed above work though for both older teens and adults.

Eat less or exercise more or do some combination of both.

This is not meant to minimize the difficulty of losing weight though. If losing weight were easy, there wouldn't be so many different exercise programs and diets. The popularity of so many diets, such as the Atkins diet, Weight Watchers, etc. and frequent advertising for 'easy' weight loss programs helps illustrate just how difficult losing weight is.

But these basic tips should give you a better understanding of what you need to try to do to help your child get to a more healthy weight. You can get more help from your pediatrician and/or a registered dietician.

Is Dieting OK For Kids?

2009-05-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

Everyone has been on a diet. Does that sound strange? Well, it's true. A diet is simply the collection of the foods you regularly eat. But the word "diet" also can mean an attempt to lose weight by limiting calories or types of food.

You may know some adults and kids who worry about their weight and say they're going on a diet. You might wonder if you should be on a diet, too. But the majority of kids do not need to — and should not — diet this way. Why? Let's find out.

Dieting to Lose Weight
All foods and many drinks contains calories, a kind of energy. When someone diets to lose weight, the person is trying to eat fewer calories than the body uses. By doing this, the person may lose body fat and decrease his or her weight. Likewise, if a person eats more calories than the body uses, the person may gain weight.

Kids usually do not need to diet in this way. Unlike adults, kids are still growing and developing. During this time, kids need a variety of healthy foods to keep their bodies growing properly. Some kids are overweight, but even overweight kids often can improve their health simply by eating nutritious foods and being more active. Being overweight can cause health problems, but kids may hurt their health even more by doing something drastic, like skipping meals or deciding to eat only lettuce.

Who Needs to Diet?
Though some people may feel they weigh too much or too little, there is no perfect body shape. Some people have larger frames (bigger bones) and will always look bigger and heavier than people with smaller frames.

Talk to your doctor if you have questions about your weight. Your doctor can examine you and check your body mass index (BMI). That's a way of estimating how much body fat you have. If the doctor is concerned about your weight, he or she can recommend a couple of goals:

* for you to gain weight at a slower pace
* for you to maintain your current weight

For some kids, the doctor may recommend losing some weight, but this should be done with the doctor's help. Kids who need to lose weight may visit with a dietitian who can explain how to reduce calories safely while still getting all the necessary nutrients.

Dangerous Diets
Diets that don't include a variety of nutritious foods, or have too few calories, can be dangerous for kids. Some type of dangerous diets are called "fad diets," because a fad means something that's popular for a short while. Fad diets usually promise quick weight loss and require the person to follow a strict set of guidelines.

Some dangerous diets cut out entire categories of foods or require the person to eat just one thing, such as cabbage soup — yuck! The truth is there is no quick fix when it comes to weight loss. So pills, special drinks, all-liquid diets, and other gimmicks are poor choices, especially for kids. If someone offers you a diet pill or suggests you start having a magic milkshake that can make you thinner, tell them no! These diets can make people sick. They also usually end with the person regaining any weight that was lost.

Someone who is willing to take extreme steps to be thinner could have an eating disorder. These include anorexia nervosa (starving oneself) or bulimia nervosa (eating and then deliberately throwing up). They are serious conditions that need a doctor's attention.

Help for a Dangerous Dieter
If you know a friend or sibling who's following a dangerous diet, you need to tell an adult. You could turn to a parent, a teacher, or another adult you trust. You could also tell the person yourself that their eating habits are unhealthy, but you probably will need to get an adult involved, too.

It's not unusual for kids — or adults — to wish they were taller, or thinner, or that they could change something about their appearance. If you feel this way, talk to a parent or an adult you trust. You may need someone to help you understand these feelings and get a handle on whether your weight is a health concern.

The body changes that happen to kids during puberty include weight gain. This is normal, but it's a good idea to talk with your doctor about it if you or your parents have questions.

What Kids Can Do
So if kids don't need to diet, how can they stay a healthy weight? All kids can benefit from eating a balanced diet and getting plenty of physical activity.

Kids have a lot of choices when it comes to activity and exercise. Some like to play on sports teams or dance in troupes. Others may prefer to be more casual, riding their bikes or shooting hoops at the park. Just helping your parents rake leaves or clean the house is a kind of physical activity, though not as much fun as something like swimming! And it's a good idea to cut down on pastimes that aren't very active — such as watching TV or playing computer games.

Kids can also try to eat a variety of healthy foods. A balanced diet means that you don't eat the same thing every day and that you eat a mix of foods from different food groups. These include:

* fruits and vegetables
* milk and dairy products
* meat, nuts, and other protein-rich foods
* grains, especially whole-grain foods, such as whole-grain breads and cereals

This kind of diet helps your body by giving it the right nutrients. For instance, protein helps build your muscles and other body structures. Calcium helps your growing bones. And you need vitamins and other nutrients to keep your body working as it should. Fiber prevents constipation and carbohydrates give you energy, just to name a few.

Now that you understand more about diets, you can tell people you're on a very special one — a balanced, healthy diet just right for a kid!

Diets For Kids

2009-05-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

Diet and nutrition for kids is a challenge. Most children are bombarded with persuasive and attractive advertising from a very young age. Most foods advertised tend to be high in sugar or salt and are often sponsored by colorful cartoon characters.

Children need to be given a choice and must be allowed to eat little and often.

Major Food Groups

Fats

There is no need for children to eat low-fat products. Fats are a necessary component of anyone’s diet. The issue with fat is that of moderation due to the higher calorie content of fats. Some of the more important fats required in childhood development are Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats.

Sources of omega-3 are tuna, salmon, sesame seeds, nuts, sardines. (Note that nuts are not suitable for very young children due to a choking risk.

Sources of omega-6 are Avocado, sunflower seeds, corn, almonds.

Protein

Protein is essential but needs to be moderated in children so as not to overload the kidneys. Good protein sources include; Eggs, milk, cheese, unflavored yogurts, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, fish, and even some grains such as oats and millet.

Carbohydrates

There is never any need to reduce carbohydrates in children and it should make up the biggest portion of their diets. Many children receive their carbohydrates from sugary juices, candies, processed breakfast foods, and many other snack foods.

Good carbohydrate choices include; Fruits, vegetables, bread, crackers, whole grain cereals, unsweetened muesli.

Weight Loss for Kids and Teenagers

Children who are overweight should never go on restrictive diets or even have foods restricted. Any approach should include the entire family and result in improving the diet of the parents as well as the children.

The program must address behavioral issues as well as nutritional issues.
PariPlan A healthy program that addresses parenting skills, busy families, and money other aspects that encompass weight management.
Trim Kids (book) A 12 week program suitable for children, pre-teens, and teenagers.

Slim Kids A smaller program aimed specifically at children.

Meal Plan Ideas for Kids

Breakfasts

* Low-sugar granola. Can be served with milk, chopped banana, or diluted fruit juice.
* Cup of cornflakes with chopped apple and/or chopped nuts.
* Scrambled eggs on toast, perhaps with plain yogurt and berries.
* Oatmeal with raisins.
* Baked beans on toast with a small glass of whole milk.

Lunches

* Baked potato with tuna.
* Shepherd’s pie and green vegetables.
* Macaroni cheese and green vegetables.
* Chicken and lentil soup.
* Pasta with ham and peas.
* Tuna sandwich

Dinners

* Omelet with green beans.
* Lamb with small new potatoes lightly roasted (not fried) in olive oil.
* Tuna with pasta bows and vegetables.
* Pita bread with chicken slices and sliced sweet red peppers.
* Salmon fillet with mashed potato and ratatouille.
* Chicken and mixed vegetable casserole.

Snacks

* Cup of plain popcorn (home-made).
* Fruit and unsalted mixed nuts.
* Cream cheese on oatcakes and grapes.
* Smoothie made of milk and red berries.
* Unsweetened nut butter (almond is popular with children) on toast.
* Sliced carrots and celery with avocado dip.
* Fresh fruit salad with oat pancake.

Metabolism: What You Can't Change

2009-05-12T19:24:00.000-07:00

The following are the uncontrollable factors that affect our metabolism:

* Age -- Metabolism naturally slows about 5% per decade after age 40. That's mainly because as we get older, we tend to lose muscle and increase body fat. Lean muscle mass is more metabolically active than fat tissue. Thus, when you lose muscle, your metabolism slows.

* Gender -- Men generally have faster metabolisms than women because they're larger and naturally have less body fat. It's been estimated that men have 10 to 15% higher basal metabolic rates than women.

* Hypothyroidism -- An under active thyroid will slow down metabolism and ultimately lead to weight gain. Good news: A simple blood test can validate this condition and with proper medication, your metabolism will soon be back to normal.

* Genetics -- Some people are lucky enough to be born with speedy metabolisms, while others are not.

Supplements

So what about the over-the-counter supplements?

I do not recommend them. The ingredients that are effective tend to boost metabolism only slightly and can often be risky. High dose stimulants can make you jittery, increasing your heart rate and blood pressure.

The bottom line: The safest and most effective way to boost your metabolism is to eat an appropriate amount of food every 4 to 5 hours, incorporate lean protein with each meal, and exercise regularly!

In my next entry, I promise to discuss several positive things you can do to boost your metabolic rate. Stay tuned!

Five Ways to Rev Your Metabolism!

2009-05-12T19:21:00.000-07:00

While it's true your metabolism naturally slows down by about 2 to 5% per decade after age 40, there are plenty of things you can do to fight back.

Exercise is key for immediate - and lasting - benefits.

* Engage in aerobic exercise 4 to 5 days a week: It's obvious that aerobic activities like running, brisk walking, swimming, and bike riding burn calories and increase metabolism while you're working out. But interestingly enough, several studies show that aerobic activities cause your metabolism to stay increased for a period of time after exercising.

* Work your muscles: Lifting weights and/or other strengthening activities like push-ups and crunches on a regular basis (at least 2 to 3 times each week) will boost your resting metabolism 24/7. That's because these activities build muscle, and muscle burns more calories than body fat. In fact, if you have more muscle, you burn more calories - even sitting still.

When it comes to food, keep your metabolism revved with these 3 tips:

* Eat enough food - at least 1,000 calories: Your body and metabolism thrive on food, so when you fast, crash-diet, or restrict calories below 1,000, your metabolism will slow down in a response to conserve energy.

* Eat every 4 to 5 hours: Because our bodies work hard to digest and absorb the foods we eat, your metabolism revs in response. This is called the thermic effect of food. Take full advantage and schedule meals and snacks every 4 to 5 hours.

* Incorporate lean protein with every meal: Eating any food creates a thermic effect and boosts metabolism after consumption. However, the consumption of protein has the absolute greatest metabolic boost when compared to carbohydrate and fat. Plus, eating the appropriate amount of protein will ensure you're able to maintain and build muscle mass (the more muscle mass you have, the greater your metabolism). The Daily Protein Requirements in grams for the average healthy person is approximately 50% of your weight in pounds (for example, if you weigh 140 pounds, you'll need 70 grams protein each day). Some of the best protein sources include: fish, chicken, turkey, lean sirloin steak, skim milk, nonfat yogurt, eggs and egg substitutes, tofu, lentils, and beans.

DASH Diet Has Extra Benefits for Women's Health

2009-05-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

- MONDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- A diet that prevents and lowers high blood pressure has been linked to a reduced risk of heart failure in women, a new study finds.

"The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension [DASH] diet may contribute to prevention of heart failure in some cases because it effectively reduced blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol levels in clinical trials," wrote Emily B. Levitan, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and colleagues.

"This diet features high intake of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and whole grains, resulting in high potassium, magnesium, calcium and fiber consumption, moderately high protein consumption, and low total fat and saturated fat consumption," the authors added.

The researchers analyzed data from 36,019 Swedish women, aged 48 to 83, who did not have heart failure in 1997-1998 when they completed a questionnaire about their eating habits. During seven years of follow-up, 443 of the women developed heart failure, including 415 who were hospitalized and 28 who died of the condition, according to the report published in the May 11 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The 25 percent of women with the highest DASH diet scores had a 37 percent lower rate of heart failure than the 25 percent of women with the lowest DASH diet scores, the researchers found. Women within the top 10 percent of DASH diet scores had half the rate of heart failure of those with the lowest DASH diet scores.

Previous research has shown that the DASH diet cuts systolic (top number) blood pressure by about 5.5 mm Hg, a decrease that could lower the rate of heart failure an estimated 12 percent, Levitan noted in a news release from the journal. Lower levels of LDL cholesterol, the estrogen-like effects of some of the nutrients in the diet, and a decrease in oxygen-related cell damage may also contribute to reduced heart failure risk in those who eat the DASH diet.

Is This the Worst Drink on the Planet?

2009-05-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

Recently, while poring over some research, I got a breathless call from my co-author buddy, Matt. “You won’t believe what I just found! Check this out. ”He sent me a link to a Baskin Robbins page, and what came up on my screen (gory details below - straight from their website) was a tower of nutritional insanity unmatched by any other beverage we’ve come across in our years of research.

“Instead of giving Socrates hemlock, they should have just forced him to drink one of these,” he said. “Could this 2,300-calorie liquid monstrosity be the worst drink on the planet?” We've seen a few 1000-calorie shakes, but this is twice as bad as anything we've ever seen.

The menu description may sound simple enough: “A blend of HEATH Bar Crunch and Jamoca® ice creams, chopped HEATH Bar pieces and caramel, topped with whipped cream and chopped HEATH Bar pieces.” But the ingredient list reveals a much more complicated story. Methyl paraben, propylene glycol, polysorbate 80: You’d need a degree in chemical engineering just to have a shot at cracking this brain-freezing code. All told, the list of ingredients runs seven inches and 73 ingredients long. Whatever happened to the days when a milkshake was just ice cream and milk?

As unsavory as this list of indecipherable emulsifiers, preservatives, and artificial flavorings may be, the most concerning part comes when you consider the sheer nutritional impact of this weapon of mass construction.

To give you some perspective, slurping up one 32-ounce Heath Shake is the caloric equivalent of eating 12 Krispy Kreme doughnuts, the saturated fat equivalent of scarfing 60 slices of bacon, and will give you the same sugar rush as working your way through 13 Haagen Dazs Vanilla and Almond ice cream bars.

The drink is part of Baskin Robbins “candy-bar madness” promotion — a deal struck with Hershey’s to any dairy derivative they can get their hands on with bite-size chunks of popular candies.

We put in a call to the company to check in on the product. They called us back to say they were discontinuing it at the end of May. For some tasty swaps for high-fat and high-calories drinks, click here.

And if you have your own list of food bombs, please add them in the comments section. Believe me, the food manufacturers are listening — and your opinion does matter.

Skinny Trimmings

2009-05-12T01:33:00.000-07:00

Trying to slim down but can't bear the thought of giving up your daily dish of dulce de leche fro-yo? No problem. Too much deprivation is bad for dieters — trimming more than 500 calories a day can slow down your metabolism and trigger cravings intense enough to sabotage even the most valiant weight-loss efforts, according to Cynthia Sass, R.D., coauthor of Your Diet Is Driving Me Crazy. So the only question is: How fast do you want to lose the weight? Whether your goal is to shed a pound a week (the amount you can lose if you cut 500 calories a day) or a pound a month (if you cut 100), we've got the tricks and tips you need to kiss those extra pounds goodbye — without kissing off cake.

To Lose 1 Pound Per Week
Dodge dining-out disasters
Even your seemingly healthy grilled swordfish and vegetables can pack more calories and fat than a stick of butter. "Many restaurant meals contain up to 2 ounces of added oil [500 calories]," says Anita Jones, founder of the Healthy Dining Program, which analyzes the nutritional content of restaurant food. Pasta dishes are notorious: Oil is used throughout the cooking process and added to sauces and cooked noodles. Stick with steamed veggies and grilled, poached, or broiled lean protein (like poultry and fish), and ask the chef to prepare your dishes without oil. Or just cook meals at home instead of eating out.

Careful With That Cappuccino
Vanilla shots, caramel, sugar packets — they're not harmless just because they're in your cup of joe. A large white-chocolate mocha with whipped cream from Starbucks logs in at 630 calories (the whip alone has 100!). Get your sweet fix with two shots of sugar-free vanilla syrup in a medium cappuccino with soy or fat-free milk and kick 500 empty calories to the curb.

Dress Down
"Most entrée salads at restaurants are pre-dressed with 6 to 10 tablespoons of dressing," Jones says. "And most dressings have 70 to 100 calories per tablespoon and 7 to 10 grams of fat." That's an average of 680 calories just for the dressing (let's not even get into croutons and bacon bits). Order dressing on the side and dip into it sparingly with your fork between bites — you'll cut back to about 2 tablespoons (roughly 175 calories).

Lighten Up At Happy Hour
If it tastes sweet or has a salty rim, it's usually bad news — think cosmos, lemon drops, and appletinis. Most cocktails have 2 to 5 ounces of liquor. Add in 5 ounces of sugary syrups or mixers like cola, grenadine, and Midori and you can down more than 700 calories in just one drink. Stay away from Margaritaville (and below 100 calories) by pairing your liquor with diet or club soda. Or go for a bottle of light beer or a 5-ounce glass of chardonnay, which contain around 125 calories each. Sorry, Jimmy.

To Lose 1 Pound Every 2 Weeks
Cut Out 300 Calories A Day

HERE'S HOW
Be Tricky In The Kitchen
For leaner cuisine — and to save 115 calories — swap out that tablespoon of olive oil for canola or olive oil cooking spray. Sauté vegetables and fish with 1/4 cup of broth rather than 1 tablespoon of butter and trim 100 more. Replace the quarter cup of heavy cream in Alfredo and cheese sauces with the same amount of skim milk mixed with 2 tablespoons of flour — bam, another 150.

Switch Dishes
The larger the serving dish, the more you're likely to consume, according to recent research in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Downsize your ice cream bowl and serve that fettuccine on a 9-inch appetizer plate instead of a standard 11-inch dish — you can save up to 300 calories in a day, says Jenna Anding, Ph.D., associate professor of nutrition and food science at Texas A&M University. Dining out? Cut your entreé in half and doggie-bag it as soon as your food arrives.

Skip The Sweet Swill
"One of the easiest ways to uncover hidden calories is to look at your beverage consumption," Sass says. American women get up to 300 more calories a day now than they did 30 years ago. At least half of those come from sweetened beverages like soda and fruit juice, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. A 20-ounce bottle of Arizona Iced Tea has 240 calories — about as much as a small meal. Ditch the sports drinks, fruit punch, and Slurpees and get your produce nutrients from whole fruit instead of juice — a 1-pint carton of Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice has 220 calories. An orange? About 35.

Pare Down Your PMS Picks
Forgo the cup of Ben & Jerry's for the same amount of low-fat ice cream. Slow-Churned Dreyer's Grand Light Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough has only 260 calories per cup. The B&J version? 540 calories. Yeah, we know that eating Ben & Jerry's is as close as any of us is likely to get to paradise on earth. So if you just can't live without the boys, mix 2 tablespoons into a cup of the skinnier stuff and you'll still save 250 calories.

To Lose 1 Pound Per Month
Cut Out 100 Calories A Day

HERE'S HOW
Buy Skinnier Bread
The calorie content in different brands can vary as wildly as Anna Nicole's "before" and "after" shots. For example, Milton's Healthy Whole Grain packs 90 calories a slice, while Sara Lee Delightful Wheat weighs in at just 45. Switch brands and you cut your sandwich calories by 90. Better yet, wrap your cold cuts in lettuce — a big leaf of romaine has only 10 calories.

Trade Up Your Toppings
Swap the half-cup of guacamole on your burrito for an equal amount of salsa and spare yourself 150 calories. Get the same savings by using salsa in place of the sour cream on your baked potato and the mayo on your wrap. Other tricks of the topping trade: Swap Gorgonzola for grated Parmesan, dip vegetables into hummus instead of ranch dressing, and sprinkle salads with lightly toasted pecans rather than oil-soaked croutons.

Turn Off The Tube
We know Laguna Beach reruns can be just as tempting as tiramisu, but too many hours in front of your plasma screen can wreak havoc on your waistline. Researchers from Georgia State University found that people took in up to 130 more calories on days when they ate in front of the TV than on days when they left the remote alone.

Spritz Up Your Vino
Mix 3 ounces of club soda with 3 ounces of wine and your drink will have about 60 calories. If you usually have two glasses of Shiraz, substituting the bubbly stuff will save you about 120 calories. An added bonus: Research shows that moderate drinking (one drink daily for women) may increase levels of leptin, a natural hormone that curbs the appetite for sweets.

Camouflage Your Candy
A study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that office workers who kept candy within reach in a clear dish ate three times as much as those who kept it farther away in an opaque container. That's a 150-calorie difference. If you've gotta have a Godiva stash, make sure it's out of sight and that you have to work (at least a little) to get to it.

Bulk Up
Eating low-cal, fiber-rich foods before a meal — think fruits, vegetables, and broth-based soups — can help reduce your total calorie intake. A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that women who ate a 100-calorie salad before their meal consumed 12 percent less — 107 fewer calories — overall (salad included) than those who skipped the leafy appetizer. Make your first course a cup of veggie soup or 2 cups of mixed salad with reduced-fat cheese and fat-free dressing. Now get chopping!

127 Foods That Fight Fat

2009-05-12T01:20:00.000-07:00

Weight loss starts with shopping. Taking control of what you eat begins with taking control of what you buy. Every time you toss a low-calorie food into the cart, you're taking responsibility for losing weight—even before you sit down to a meal.

There's a very simple formula for low-calorie eating: Stock up on low-calorie staples. These are the basic packaged, canned, and frozen ingredients that you'll reach for to create tasty, healthful, low-calorie meals anytime.

The Picture Perfect Anytime List is a menu of the lowest-calorie produce, soups, sauces, condiments, marinades, dressings, dips, candies, desserts, and beverages available. Stuff your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer with them, and reach for them anytime. Feel free to go to the foods on the Anytime List when you want a snack or are planning a meal. Eat any amount of them for any reason. When the Anytime List becomes the core of your eating—in other words, the main dish around which you build your meals—you'll have no trouble staying thin for life.

The Anytime List
Fruits and vegetables
All fruits and vegetables—raw, cooked, fresh, frozen, canned—belong on the Picture Perfect Anytime List. Avoid any packaged fruits that have added sugar. Otherwise, the more fruits and vegetables you eat, the better.

Soups
You've heard of value for your money. Soups give you very good value for the calories. They are filling; a bowl of soup can be an entire meal. They are satisfying. For many people, they are more satisfying than raw vegetables, while many give you all the benefits of veggies (if you choose the soups chock full of vegetables). They are inexpensive, convenient, easy, and quick to make. Soups don't make you feel like you're on a diet. Above all, soups are versatile. They can serve as a snack, as part of a meal, or as a cooking ingredient.

Sauces, Condiments, and Marinades
Put the following items at the very top of your shopping list. They're invaluable for adding flavor, moisture, texture, and versatility to every food and every meal.
# Salad dressings: oil-free or low-calorie (light or lite)
# Mayonnaise: fat-free or light
# Sour cream and yogurt: fat-free, plain, or with NutraSweet (or low-fat nondairy substitutes)
# Mustards: Dijon, Pommery, and others
# Tomato puree, tomato paste, and tomato sauce
# Clam juice, tomato juice, V8 juice, and lemon or lime juice
# Butter Buds or Molly McButter
# Cooking sprays (such as Pam) in butter, olive oil, garlic, or lemon flavors
# Vinegars: balsamic, cider, wine, tarragon, and others
# Horseradish: red and white
# Sauces: salsa, cocktail sauce, tamari, soy sauce, A1, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce, ketchup, duck sauce, chutney, relish, and others
# Onion: fresh, juice, flakes, and powder
# Garlic: fresh, juice, flakes, and powder
# Herbs: any and all, including basil, oregano, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, dill, chives, sage, and bay leaves
# Spices: any and all, including cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cumin, nutmeg, coriander, curry, paprika, and allspice
# Extracts: vanilla, almond, peppermint, maple, coconut, cocoa powder, and others

Dressings and Dips
I recommend fat-free or light dressings and dips. The light category—low-fat, reduced-fat, and low-calorie—is midway between totally fat-free and regular, and it's often more pleasing to the palate than fat-free.

Dressings can be used as all-purpose condiments, dips, toppings, even cooking liquids. They already contain a mixture of ingredients, so just slather them on vegetables, seafood, and pretty much anything else. Or cook with them to make up for the lack of butter or oil.

I recommend keeping several varieties of dressings and dips on hand, including at least one creamy version. Try brushing a light creamy dressing on seafood, then broiling; the dressing adds moisture and flavor.

Candy
Yup, candy. The real thing—not the dietetic variety—is best when your sweet tooth starts aching. Dietetic candies have almost as many calories as regular candies, often lack flavor, and are an incentive to eat more. Stick to the real thing.
# Chewing gum or gum balls: any and all
# Hard candy: any and all, including sour balls, candy canes, lollipops such as Tootsie Pops or Blow Pops, Jolly Ranchers, Werther's Original, and TasteTations

Frozen Desserts
Any fat-free frozen yogurt, frozen nondairy substitute, or sorbet is a fine addition to the freezer. Try the lower-calorie choices. Here are some examples:
# Soft serve: up to 25 calories per ounce, including Skimpy Treat; TCBY, Colombo nonfat frozen yogurt, and Tofutti
# Hard pack: up to 115 calories per 1/2-cup serving, including Sharon's Sorbet, Low-Fat Tofutti, all Italian ices, and Sweet Nothings
# Frozen bars: Creamsicles, Fudgsicles, and Popsicles; any others containing up to 45 calories per bar, including Welch's Fruit Juice Bars, Weight Watchers Smart Ones Orange Vanilla Treats, Tofutti Chocolate Fudge Treats, Weight Watchers Smart Ones Chocolate Mousse, Dolly Madison Slender Treat Chocolate Mousse, and Yoplait
# Individually packaged frozen bars: up to 110 calories each, including FrozFruit, Hagen-Dazs bars, and Starbucks Frappuccino Blended Coffee Bars

Beverages
Avoid beverages labeled "naturally sweetened" or "fruit-juice sweetened," but help yourself to these:
# Unsweetened black coffees and teas
# Diet teas and juices: Crystal Light, Diet Snapple, Diet Natural Lemon Nestea, Diet Mistic, and others
# Noncaloric flavored waters: orange, chocolate, cream, cherry-chocolate, root beer, cola, and other flavors of bottled or filtered water
# Seltzer: plain or flavored, but check the calorie count if the product is labeled "naturally sweetened," since this usually means that the product has sugar in one form or another
# Hot cocoa mixes: 20 to 50 calories per serving, including Swiss Miss Diet and Fat-Free and Nestle Carnation Diet and Fat-Free; avoid cocoa mixes with 60 or more calories per serving

Let's Go Shopping
Today's supermarkets are filled with choices for the weight conscious. Here are some of the lowest-calorie choices for a variety of food categories that aren't covered in the Anytime List.

Cereals
# Cheerios: a whole grain cereal with 110 calories and 3 g fiber per cup
# Kellogg's All-Bran with Extra Fiber: 50 calories and 15 g fiber per 1/2 cup
# Original Shredded Wheat: 80 calories and 2.5 g fiber per biscuit
# Fiber One: 60 calories and 14 g fiber per 1/2 cup
# Wheaties: 110 calories and 2 g fiber per cup
# Whole Grain Total: 110 calories and 3 g fiber per 3/4 cup

Spreads
# Peanut butter
# Low-sugar or sugar-free jams and jellies with 10 to 40 calories per tablespoon

Breads
# Light breads with 40 to 45 calories per slice: oatmeal, premium white, wheat, rye, multigrain, sourdough, Italian
# Whole grain regular breads or rolls

Rice and Pasta
# Whole wheat/whole grain pastas: Hodgson Mill, Ancient Harvest
# Brown rice
# Whole wheat couscous
# Pearled or hulled barley
# Other whole grains: quinoa, whole grain cornmeal, kasha, bulgur, millet

Frozen Meals
# Low-calorie frozen breakfast foods such as those from Kellogg's, Aunt Jemima, and Pillsbury—and a special mention for the low-calorie, whole grain offerings from Van's
# Low-calorie, vegetable-focused frozen meals in the 150- to 350-calories-per-package range, especially the Amy's brand

Beans
# All beans, dried or canned
# Health Valley canned bean/chili combinations
# Low-fat or fat-free refried beans

Snacks
# Make it a point to eat starchy, crunchy snacks only in conjunction with a food from the Anytime List. For example, have fruit with popcorn or soup with crackers. Fill up on the former, and go easy on the starchy snack.

Protein Foods
# Legumes: beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas
# Soy products: bean curd/tofu, meat-replacement products by Boca, Gardenburger, Yves, and Lightlife
# Seafood: fresh (do not fry!), smoked, canned, frozen

Note: Calorie counts in this story may vary depending on the brand of products used. Remember to check the labels.

Ultimate Fast Food Survival Guide

2009-04-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

Restaurant food doesn't have to be bad for us. Oh sure, much of the time it is: The monstrous portion sizes you're served are often spiked with added sugars and dangerous fats, and with misleading names that suggest that you might even be getting something healthy and nutritious. Fat chance. And the scariest part is that today the average diner in this country underestimates his or her caloric intake by up to 93 percent when eating out—meaning you're probably eating twice as much as you think! The good news is that you can adopt an Eat This, Not That! mantra—helping yourself to a lot of delicious food while still losing 10, 20, 30 pounds or more within a few months—and do so without dieting. You just need to watch out for the food traps, and make smarter choices like those shown here:

Make a Burger Healthy

Burger King Whopper
680 calories
40 g fat (11 g saturated fat, 1.5 g trans fasts)
1020 mg sodium

A hamburger smothered in the wrong sauce can instantly sabotage your meal—and your weight-loss goals. At 160 calories a schmear, BK's mayo is the worst in the fast food world. Replace it with barbecue sauce to instantly save 17 grams of fat. Ketchup and mustard are also better picks than mayo and secret sauces—no matter how "special" they may be. Make these swaps and save 160 calories and 17 grams of fat. A simple swap like this, made every day, will help you lose nearly 20 pounds in one year.

Not This!
Mayo and Secret Sauce

Eat This, Instead!
Ketchup, Barbecue Sauce, or Mustard

Make Pizza Healthy

Pizza Hut Two Slices Supreme Pan Pizza (12')
620 calories
32 g fat (12 g saturated fat)
1,440 mg sodium

The caloric-blow of pizza depends on two things: crust and toppings. Want to be thin? Always opt for thin crust. As for what to put on your pie, nix the pepperoni. Heavy on sodium and fat, just four little discs can add 108 calories to your Pizza Hut slice. Pick toppings like spinach, ham, and pineapple not only to cut calories and fat content in half, but also for hefty doses of vitamins and minerals that help ward off cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Make these switches and save 260 calories and 20 grams of fat. With these swaps, you can lose more than 25 pounds in a year.

Not This!
Deep dish pizza
Pepperoni

Eat This, Instead!
Thin crust
Spinach, ham, pineapple

Make a Salad Healthy

Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
800 calories
60 g fat (12 g saturated)
1,745 mg sodium

With 60 grams of fat, this is officially the worst salad from any fast-food chain. The dressing alone is loaded with a whopping 42.5 grams of junk that's potentially on the way to your trunk, and it's a good example how the wrong dressing can turn a pile of fresh produce into a green monster. Ask for "light" or "fat-free" dressing to save this salad. And remember, heavy toppings such as crumbled cheese, greasy bacon, and pan-browned beef make the one-time rabbit food look more like pig slop. Vegetables and lean protein are the easiest way to guarantee your salad lives up to its reputation as a health food. Make the smart choice and save 425 calories and 42.5 grams of fat. Such a change every day will help you lose nearly a pound a week--again, without dieting.

Not That!
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Cheese, bacon, pan-browned beef toppings

Eat This, Instead!
Light or fat-free dressing
Vegetable and lean protein toppings

Make a Sandwich Healthy

Panera Sierra Turkey
840 calories
40 g fat

Turkey's supposed to be good for you, but not when it's slathered with a thick layer of chipotle mayo. To top it off, Panera slides the cold cuts between two oily slices of Asiago Cheese Foccacia bread (6 grams of fat per slice). When it comes to sandwiches, meats are rarely the problem: turkey, roast beef, and ham are all lean cuts. But bad breads and sauces can ruin otherwise healthy meals. Nix the mayo and choose whole-grain bread, instead. Make these swaps and save 300 calories and 30 grams of fat. One a day and you lose almost 20 pounds in one year! For more healthy lunch secrets, check out this indispensable list of delicious fast food meals under 500 calories.

Not That!
Chipotle Mayo
Foccacia bread

Eat This, Instead!
Whole-grain bread

Make a Burrito Healthy

Chipotle Steak Burrito
1,033 calories
40 g fat

Chipotle uses fresh ingredients, but unless the chain downsizes its football-size burritos, it will still give you a linebacker's gut. If you refuse to give up your favorite lunchtime meal, have a backup plan: Split it with a friend or save half for dinner. Or lose the rice and tortilla and order a Chicken Burrito Bowl (complete with lettuce, black beans, green tomatillo salsa, and sour cream). Make these swaps and save a whopping 570 calories and 94 grams of carbohydrates. If you cut this many calories from your daily intake, you can lose a pound a week without even trying!

Not That!
½ the burrito
Or
Rice and tortilla

Eat This, Instead!
Just ½ the burrito
Or
Chicken Burrito Bowl with lettuce, black beans, green tomatillo salsa and sour cream

Make a Breakfast Sandwich Healthy

Starbucks Classic Sausage, Egg, and Aged Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich
460 calories
25 g fat

When it comes to meat, bacon tops sausage, and ham trumps them both. Replace the sausage with ham and you could save up to 500 calories a week. Starbucks has a ham version of this sandwich that weighs in at just 380 calories. Slash even more calories from your A.M. meal by opting for an English muffin, which, nutritionally speaking, will always beat out bagels, croissants, and biscuits. Also be sure to avoid anything on this list of the 8 worst breakfasts in America. Make these swaps and save 270 calories and 12 grams of fat.

Not That!
Sausage
Bagels, croissants, or biscuits

Eat This, Instead!
Ham
English muffin

Make Tuna Salad Healthy

Quiznos Regular Tuna Melt
1,270 calories
101 g fat (18 g saturated fat)
1,445 mg sodium

Tuna melt with mayo and cheese is a classic deli disaster. But Quiznos has really outdone itself with this one, making it the worst sandwich in America. As a rule of thumb, when you're on the go, avoid all "melts." They almost always involve a Swiss-mozzarella-mayo combo that cranks up the fat content. Make these swaps and save 805 calories and 84.5 grams of fat!

Not That!
Any kind of "melt" sub or sammie

Eat This, Instead!
Any non-"melt" sammie

Make a Chicken Dinner Healthy

KFC Original Recipe chicken meal
460 calories
32 g fat

There's no secret recipe at KFC, just a fryer full of bubbling oil and a breaded, grease-infused two-piece combo that adds 160 calories and 15 grams of fat. Improve any chicken meal by simply ordering it skinless. It can save up to 200 calories and 17 grams of fat. Make these kinds of swaps every day and save about 20 pounds over the course of a year.

Not That!
Regular chicken meal with skin

Eat This, Instead!
Skinless chicken meals

Make a Sweet Drink Healthy

Dunkin' Donuts Large Tropical Fruit Smoothie
720 calories
142 g sugars

Dunkin' makes it clear that even real fruit—especially if it's been mixed with high-fructose corn syrup—can be unhealthy. This sickeningly sweet concoction has an ingredient list straight out of a chemistry lab and more sugar than seven Haagen-Dazs vanilla-and-almond ice-cream bars. Any medium (24 oz) fruit smoothie will pack at least 100 grams of sugar. Opt for flavored iced tea instead, and get your smoothie fix elsewhere—check out the Eat This, Not That! Ultimate Smoothie Selector for suggestions. This one swap saves 585 calories and 113.5 grams of sugar. Healthy cutbacks like this each day can help you lose over a pound a week!

Not That!
Dunkin' Donuts Smoothie

Drink This, Instead!
Flavored iced tea

And while you're minding your liquid intake, also be sure to avoid any drinks on our list of the 20 Unhealthiest Drinks in America. (Making the right drink choices is another way to lose loads of weight in record time.)

Make a Coffee Drink Healthy

Starbucks 2% Caffe Latte (Grande)
with whipped cream
260 calories
14 g fat (4.5 saturated)

In the hierarchy of espresso drinks, lattes sit squarely at the bottom. That's because they're more milk than java and possibly huge pumps of sugary syrup thanks to eager-to-please baristas. A macchiato gives the same caffeine kick for a tiny fraction of the caloric cost by swapping out the excess steamed milk for a thick crown of frothed milk. It's a simple but meaningful switch for caffeine junkies looking for a healthier fix. Other quick ways to improve any morning brew: Ask for sugar-free syrups, nonfat milk, and always refuse the whipped cream. Make these swaps and save 70 calories and 14 grams of fat each and every time.

Not That!
Lattes
Whole milk
Sugar
Whipped cream

Eat This, Instead!
Macchiatos
Sugar-free syrups
Nonfat milk

America's Healthiest Restaurants

2009-04-28T21:49:00.000-07:00

Eating out invariably raises a number of tricky questions: sit-down or drive-thru? Burgers or pizza? Thin or stuffed crust? Choosing one over the other could mean saving hundreds of calories in a single meal, and up to 50 pounds of flab in the course of a year and countless health woes over the course of a lifetime. That’s why Eat This, Not That! launched an investigation and put 66 major chain restaurants under the nutritional microscope—so that you and your family can continue to eat out, but do so knowing the types of insider tips and savvy strategies that can help melt fat all year long. And the good news is that many fan favorites scored top marks!

To separate the commendable from the deplorable, we calculated the total number of calories per entrée. This gave us a snapshot of how each restaurant compared in average serving size—a key indicator of unhealthy portion distortion. Then we rewarded establishments with fruit and vegetable side-dish choices, as well as for providing whole-grain options. Finally, we penalized places for excessive amounts of trans fats and menus laden with gut-busting desserts. What we ended up with is the Eat This, Not That! Restaurant Report Card, which will show you how all of the nation’s largest eating establishments stack up nutritionally.

Check out those restaurants that scored a B+ or higher:

A-
Chick-fil-A
Between the breakfast and lunch menus, there are only two entrées at Chick-Fil-A that break 500 calories, a rare feat in the fast-food world. What this means is that you can't possibly do too much harm—especially if you stick to the chicken. And unlike the typical fast-food chain, Chick-Fil-A offers a list of sides that goes beyond breaded and fried potatoes and onions. (Just beware the large cole slaw, which adds an extra 600 calories to your daily intake!) That's why we dub the Atlanta-based chicken shack one of our all-time favorite fast-food restaurants.

Also, be sure to check out our exclusive list of the best and worst restaurants for kids to find out why Chick-fil-A receives an even higher grade when it comes to kids’ meals.

SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The worst thing you can do is supplement your meal with a milkshake—not a single cup has fewer than 600 calories. And instead of nuggets or strips, look to the Chargrilled Chicken Sandwiches, which average only 320 calories apiece.

A-
Subway
A menu based on lean protein and vegetables is always going to score well in our book. With more than half a dozen sandwiches under 300 calories, plus a slew of soups and healthy sides to boot, Subway can satisfy even the pickiest eater without breaking the caloric bank. But, despite what Jared may want you to believe, Subway is not nutritionally infallible: Those rosy calorie counts posted on the menu boards include neither cheese nor mayo (add 160 calories per 6-inch sub), and some of the toasted subs, like the Meatball Marinara, contain hefty doses of calories, saturated fat, and sodium.

SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Cornell researchers have discovered a “health halo” at Subway, which refers to the tendency to reward yourself or your kid with chips, cookies, and large soft drinks because the entrée is healthy. Avoid the halo, and all will be well.

Along those same lines, try to avoid anything from this indispensable list of the 14 worst “healthy” foods in America, too. They'll trip you up--and easily expand your waistline.

A-
Jamba Juice
Jamba offers a viable and tasty solution to the dearth of fresh fruits and vegetables in the American diet: Stick it all in a blender and let us slurp it up. But make this your rule: If it includes syrup or added sugar, it ceases to be a smoothie. Jamba Juice makes plenty of real-deal smoothies, but their menu is sullied with more than a few faux-fruit blends. Just make sure you choose the right one.

SURVIVAL STRATEGY: For a perfectly guilt-free treat, opt for a Jamba Light or All Fruit Smoothie in a 16-ounce cup.

And unless you're looking to put on weight for your new acting career, don't touch the Peanut Butter Moo'd. On this shocking list of the 20 Unhealthiest Drinks in America, it sits worryingly close to the top. (You’ll be amazed by what’s number one!)

A-
Au Bon Pain
Sure the menu has its pitfalls, but what menu doesn't? The bottom line is that Au Bon Pain combines an extensive inventory of healthy items with an unrivaled standard of nutritional transparency. Each store has an on-site nutritional kiosk to help customers find a meal to meet their expectations, and the variety of ordering options provides dozens of paths to a sensible meal.

SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Most of the café sandwiches are in the 650-calorie range, so make a lean meal instead by combining a hot soup with one of the many low-calorie options on the Portions menu. And if you must indulge, eschew the baked goods in favor of a cup of fruit and yogurt, or serving of chocolate-covered almonds.

B+
Boston Market
With more than a dozen healthy vegetable sides and lean meats like turkey and roast sirloin on the menu, the low-cal, high-nutrient possibilities at Boston Market are endless. But with nearly a dozen calorie-packed sides and fatty meats like dark meat chicken and meat loaf, it’s almost as easy to construct a lousy meal.

SURVIVAL STRATEGY: There are three simple steps to nutritional salvation: 1) Start with turkey, sirloin, or rotisserie chicken. 2) Add two noncreamy, nonstarchy vegetable sides. 3) Ignore all special items, such as pot pie and nearly all of the sandwiches.

B+
Cici’s Pizza Buffet
Cici's began in Texas in 1985 and now boasts more than 600 locations, proving definitively that Americans love a good buffet. The good news for our waistlines is that the crust is moderately sized, and the pizza comes in varieties beyond simple sausage and pepperoni. But if you check your willpower at the door, you're probably better off skipping the pizza buffet entirely.

SURVIVAL STRATEGY: It takes 20 minutes for your brain to tell your body it's full, so start with a salad and then proceed slowly to the pizza. Limit yourself to the healthier slices like the Zesty Vegetable, Alfredo, and the Olé, which is a Mexican-inspired pie with only 108 calories per slice.

B+
McDonald’s
The world-famous burger baron has come a long way since the days of Fast Food Nation—at least nutritionally speaking. The trans fats are mostly gone, the number of gut-wrecking calorie bombs are now fewer than ever, and the menu holds plenty of healthy options such as salads and yogurt parfaits. Don't cut loose at the counter just yet, though. Too many of the breakfast and lunch sandwiches still top the 500-calorie mark, and the dessert menu is fodder for some major belly-building.

SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The Egg McMuffin remains one of the best ways to start your day in the fast-food world—feel free to use it as a replacement option for any of these eight worst fast food breakfasts in America!

As for the later hours, you can splurge on a Big Mac or a Quarter Pounder, but only if you skip the fries and soda, which add an average of 590 calories onto any meal.

B+
Taco Bell
Taco Bell combines two things with bad nutritional reputations: Mexican food and fast food. The result should be horrendous, yet somehow it works out so that a little prudence at the ordering window can bag you a meal with fewer than 500 calories. The potential for belly-building is still there, but the calorie bombs are generally easy to spot. And to limit the chances of a mistake, Taco Bell reengineered some of its classic items and listed them under the Fresco Menu for a savings of up to 10 grams of fat per item.

SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Grilled Stuft Burritos, anything served in a bowl, and anything prepared with multiple "layers" are your worst options. Instead, order any combination of two of the following: crunchy tacos, bean burritos, or anything on the Fresco menu.

B+
Wendy’s
Scoring a decent meal at Wendy's is just about as easy as scoring a bad one, and that's a big compliment for a burger joint. Options such as chili and baked potatoes offer the side-order variety that's missing from less-evolved fast-food chains like Dairy Queen and Carl's Jr. Plus they offer a handful of Jr. Burgers that don't stray far over 300 calories. And for our money, the ¼-lb single is one of the best substantial burgers in the industry. Where they err is in their recently expanded line of desserts and a lackluster selection of beverages. But you're happy just drinking water, right?

SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The grilled chicken sandwiches and wraps don't have more than 320 calories, which is less than even a small order of French fries. Choose the chicken or a small burger and pair it with a healthy side, and then hit the door before you receive the 500-calorie penalty for giving in to your Frosty hankering.

You can check out the complete Eat This, Not That! Restaurant Report Card here.

Want to avoid some of the biggest fast-food weapons of mass inflation? Make sure you’re armed with this comprehensive list of the 20 worst foods in America in 2009.

Also, enjoy delicious low-calorie fast-food meals by familiarizing yourself with this great list of the Best Fast-Food Meals Under 500 Calories!

The Worst Drive-Thru Foods in America (And What to Eat Instead!)

2009-04-21T18:01:00.000-07:00

Time and money are two things Americans can't afford to waste. So it's not surprising (though slightly disappointing) that the drive-thru is considered one of the greatest inventions of all time. There's even a study to prove it. In 2005 and 2006, researchers asked 600 adults and teens why they eat so much fast food. Three of the top four responses? It's quick, easy, and affordable. Taste came in third, with only 69 percent of respondents listing flavor as a factor in their fast-food love.

Drive-thru foods may be convenient and easy on the wallet, but they're loaded with unhealthy fats, added sugars, carbohydrates, and sodium. Translation: They're no bargain at all when it comes to your health. But jam-packed schedules and a dismal economy make the occasional drive-thru meal a part of life. That's why Eat This, Not That! studied the open-air menu boards and compiled a list of the worst items out there, plus better alternatives. Avoid these dietary land mines and save more than a few minutes and a couple of bucks—how does up to 20 pounds in a year sound?

WORST MILKSHAKE
McDonald's Large Triple Thick Chocolate Milkshake
1160 calories
27 g fat (16 g saturated fat)
168 g sugar
510 mg sodium

You'd be better off eating two Quarter Pounders than sucking down one of these belt-breaking shakes. Steer clear of milkshakes at the golden arches. If you have to have a frozen dessert, order a vanilla ice cream cone to save more than 1,000 calories. Make swaps like that every week and watch the pounds melt off!

Eat This Instead!
Vanilla Reduced-Fat Ice Cream Cone
150 calories
3.5 g fat (2 g saturated fat)
18 g sugars
60 mg sodium

Check out our list of the 20 worst drinks in America to see other equally atrocious beverages. It's possible to lose more than 30 pounds of fat a year--just by focusing on what you drink!

WORST VALUE-MENU ITEM
Burger King Spicy Chick'n Crisp Sandwich
450 calories
30 g fat (5 g saturated fat)
810 mg sodium

Lean economic times make the value menu more appealing than ever. And that's fine—most dollar menus have a few sensible items. But if you eat this sandwich often, saving a few bucks will quickly result in a surplus around your waistline.

Eat This Instead!
Whopper Jr. without mayo
290 calories
12 g fat (4.5 g saturated fat)
500 mg sodium

WORST MEXICAN ENTRÉE
Taco Bell Grilled Stuft Beef Burrito
680 calories
30 g fat (10 g saturated fat)
2120 mg sodium

Ditch this and order two grilled steak soft tacos (or any menu item) "fresco" style, and the Bell boys will replace cheese and sauces with a chunky tomato salsa, helping to cut calories in half and fat by at least 25 percent.

Eat This Instead!
Two Grilled Steak Soft Tacos, Fresco Style
320 calories
9 g fat (3 g saturated fat)
1100 mg sodium

WORST HOT SANDWICH
Sonic Chicken Club TOASTER Sandwich
742 calories
46 g fat (11 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)
1,742 mg sodium

How can a chicken sandwich pack so much fat? Start with a fried chicken breast, add bacon, cheese, and mayo, and you're there. Add to that the sodium equivalent of 53 saltine crackers, and you're looking at a serious dietary disaster. Ditch the chicken for beef and save 10 grams of fat.

Eat This Instead!
Sonic Burger with Mustard
540 calories
25 g fat (9 g saturated fat)
730 mg sodium

WORST CRISPY CHICKEN SANDWICH
Hardee's Big Chicken Fillet Sandwich
800 calories
37 g fat (6 g saturated fat)
1890 mg sodium

A general rule: Avoid sandwiches with words like "big" and "monster" in the name. Hardee's Monster Thickburger is another example—it comes in at 1,420 calories, 108 grams of fat, and more saturated fat than you want in 2 days.

Eat This Instead!
Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich
415 calories
5 g fat (1 g saturated fat)
1175 mg sodium

WORST ROAST BEEF SANDWICH
Arby's Roast Beef and Swiss Market Fresh Sandwich
810 calories
42 g fat (13 g saturated fat)
1780 mg sodium

The unwholesome trinity of mayo, Italian sub sauce, and processed Swiss cheese make this sandwich the clear loser in the battle of the beef. The Super Roast Beef replaces mayo with a low-cal spicy pepper sauce and totals 370 fewer calories.

Eat This Instead!
Super Roast Beef
440 calories
19 g fat (7 g saturated fat)
1061 mg sodium

WORST DRIVE-THRU KIDS MEAL
Burger King Kids Double Cheeseburger and Kids Fries with Small Coke
950 calories
42 g fat (17 g saturated fat, 4.5 g trans fats)
1,410 mg sodium

BK's dubious double burger earns the distinction of being the fattiest meal for an on-the-go kid, with nearly a day's worth of saturated fat for the average 8-year-old.

Eat This Instead!
4-piece Chicken Tenders with Strawberry-Flavored Applesauce and unlimited water
280 calories
11 g fat (3 g saturated fat)
440 mg sodium

WORST CHICKEN STRIPS
Dairy Queen 6-Piece Chicken Strip Basket
1,270 calories
67 g fat (11 g saturated fat)
2,910 mg sodium

These strips deliver more grams of fat than four DQ Homestyle Burgers, and nearly 300 more calories than a Large Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard.

Eat This Instead!
Grilled Chicken Salad with Fat-Free Italian Dressing
280 calories
11 g fat (5 g saturated)
1,550 mg sodium

WORST DRIVE-THRU BREAKFAST SANDWICH
Jack in the Box Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit
740 calories
55 g fat (17 g saturated fat)
1430 mg sodium

Skip biscuits at all costs. This one contains nearly a full day's worth of saturated fat (check out the 12 worst breakfast foods in the supermarket for other must-have tips on starting your morning right--rather than with a rude awakening!). Instead try the Bacon Breakfast Jack--16 grams of protein makes it a surprisingly good way to start your day.

Eat This Instead!
Bacon Breakfast Jack
300 calories
14 g fat (5 g saturated fat)
730 mg sodium

WORST SIDE
Arby's Large Mozzarella Sticks
849 calories
56 g fat (26 g saturated fat)
2730 mg sodium

Anything with as much saturated fat as a Triple Whopper should not be called a side. If it's cheese you crave, order the French Dip ‘N Swiss or Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwich instead to save more than 500 calories.

Eat This Instead!
Martha's Vineyard Salad with Light Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
389 calories
14 g fat (5 g saturated)
923 mg sodium

WORST POTATO SIDE
Jack in the Box Bacon Cheddar Potato Wedges
720 calories
48 g fat (15 g saturated fat, 12 g trans fats)
1,360 mg sodium
48 g carbohydrates

You probably don't need us to tell you that bacon, cheese, and fried potatoes are not a healthful trio. What's worse, though, is that Jack in the Box cooks in trans-fatty vegetable shortening, which has been linked to heart disease. It's no secret that French fries can ruin an otherwise sensible meal, but these things take destruction to another level entirely.

Eat This Instead!
Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (3)
240 calories
12 g fat (5 g saturated fat, 2 g trans fats)
420 mg sodium

WORST SALAD
Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
800 calories
60 g fat (12 g saturated fat)
1745 mg sodium

With 17 more grams of fat than Taco Bell's Fiesta Taco Salad, this is the worst salad from any drive-thru. The dressing alone sets you back 42.5 grams of fat.

Take a look at our list of the worst salads in America and see how this one compares.

Eat This Instead!
Chick-fil-A Southwest Chargrilled Salad with Fat-Free Honey Mustard Dressing
360 calories
8 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat)
1170 mg sodium

WORST DESSERT
Dairy Queen Large Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard
990 calories
39 g fat (24 g saturated fat)
114 g sugars

This creation combines ice cream, strawberry syrup, and hunks of cheesecake for a high-fat dairy dessert. If you're set on a Blizzard, go bananas. A small Banana Split Blizzard has 7 fewer fat grams than the small Oreo, Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Cup, or Strawberry Cheesequake flavors. Or stray from the Blizzard and satisfy your sweet tooth with a small chocolate sundae instead to save major calories and fat.

Eat This Instead!
Small Chocolate Sundae
280 calories
7 g fat (4.5 g saturated fat)
42 g sugars

WORST FISH SANDWICH
Burger King BIG FISH Sandwich with Tartar Sauce
640 calories
32 g fat (5 g saturated fat)
1540 mg sodium

Fish is only healthy when it's not breaded and fried in partially hydrogenated oil. Here, the fry treatment translates into a bunch of unhealthy fat and 108 grams of carbohydrates.

Eat This Instead!
Whopper Jr. without mayo and Garden Salad
365 calories
12 g fat (4.5 g saturated fat)
1230 mg sodium

WORST CHEESEBURGER
Hardee's Monster Thickburger
1,420 calories
108 g fat (43 g saturated fat)
2,770 mg sodium
230 mg cholesterol

This burger is called "Monster" for a reason. It's got the caloric equivalent of almost six McDonald's hamburgers, the saturated fat equivalent of 43 strips of Oscar Mayer bacon, and the sodium equivalent of 84 saltine crackers. You'll almost satisfy your entire day's worth of calories in one sitting, so opt for the significantly less monstrous Low-Carb Thickburger, instead, and save 1,000 calories that you can allocate to more deserving and nutritious fare.

Eat This Instead!
Low Carb Thickburger
420 calories
32 g fat (12 g saturated fat)
1.010 mg sodium

WORST "HEALTHY" FOOD
Arby's Roast Turkey and Swiss Market Fresh Sandwich
708 calories
29 g fat (8 g saturated fat)
1,676 mg sodium

Avoid any sandwich made on honey wheat bread: Two slices contain a staggering 361 calories and 68 grams of carbs. Cut those in half by sticking to a sesame bun.

Eat This Instead!
Chicken Cordon Blue Sandwich (grilled)
488 calories
18 g fat (4 g saturated fat)
1,560 mg sodium

WORST GRILLED CHICKEN
Jack in the Box Chipotle Chicken Ciabatta
690 calories
28 g fat (9 g saturated fat)
1850 mg sodium

Unlike many other fast food restaurants that have made the shift away from trans fats, Jack in the Box's menu has a number of items with more than 5 grams of the stuff—and some with up to 13 grams of it! There's no"safe" level of trans fats, but the recommendation is that you don't eat more than 2 grams of the heart-harming junk per day. Add fries to this sandwich, and you'll take in three and a half times your daily limit.

Eat This Instead!
Chicken Fajita Pita
300 calories
9 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat)
1090 mg sodium

THE WORST DRIVE-THRU MEAL IN AMERICA
Carl's Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger
with Medium Natural cut Fries and 32 oz Coke
2,618 Calories
144 g fat (51.5 g saturated fat)
2892 mg sodium

Of all the gut-growing, heart-stopping, life-threatening burgers in the fast food world, there is none whose damage to your general well-being is as catastrophic as this. Consider these heart-stopping comparisons: This meal has the caloric equivalent of 13 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Donuts; the saturated fat equivalent of 52 strips of bacon; and the salt equivalent of seven and a half large orders of McDonald's French fries!

Eat This Instead!
Famous Star with Side Salad with Low Fat Balsamic Dressing and 32 oz Iced Tea
685 calories
38 g fat (10.5 g saturated fat)
1520 mg sodium

Five Steps to a 5-Star Body

2009-03-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

Getting your best body can be as simple as counting to five every day. Really! No matter what goal you’re pursuing—shedding those 10 pounds that have been hanging around too long, toning your trouble zones or simply eating healthier. It's so easy. I think of it as my five-star day. The five-star day is so simple—you just give yourself a star for everything you do right. You get stars for:

Sleep! Try to catch 7 to 9 hours each night. This, I know from personal experience, can seem like an unrealistic goal, but the amount of research that supports the connection between shut-eye and health makes me shoot for this star every day. For starters, catching enough zzz’s can help you lose weight. In a study of more than 68,000 women, those who dozed seven hours a night weighed 5.5 pounds less than women who slept five hours or less. Ample sleep encourages your body to make more of the fullness hormone leptin and less of the hunger hormone ghrelin, so you’re not as hungry. Snoozing can also curb anxiety and depression, both of which can lead to emotional eating. As if that’s not enough reason, too little rest can cloud moral judgment, too. Try going to bed just 30 minutes earlier each night to see how much you’ll benefit.

Exercise! Yes, breaking a sweat can help you lose weight, but it can also curb cravings, help you live longer, reduce stress, undo some of the damage of eating fatty foods—and those are just a few of the benefits. Aim for 30 minutes a day—even a walk counts toward your tally—and give yourself a star each time you fulfill that goal with any one of your favorite workouts.

Eat right! No, you don’t have to count calories. You can eat healthy and have delicious, filling and satisfying meals (snacks, too!). If you’re doing the 2009 SELF Challenge, give yourself a star for every day that you eat according to the Challenge meal plan and log your meals in your online food diary. If you’re not doing the Challenge, you can still snag a star when you’ve eaten in a way that makes your body feel good—and you feel proud. For me, that’s when I opt for yogurt with berries rather than a muffin at breakfast, have a salad with tofu for lunch and choose salmon over steak at dinner, then skip the ice cream pig-out late at night. Yes, it’s that simple! I’m not perfect, and there are definitely days when I have a second glass of wine or a too-generous square of my favorite dark chocolate bar, but I find that once I start building that five-star day, I get invested in it and want to keep it up.

Stretch! Limbering up is a way to thank your muscles for all the hard work they do for you each day. It can also help you increase your overall range of motion, making exercise seem less difficult. And when workouts are less daunting, you’ll not only enjoy them more, but you also will probably do them more often, too! To me, yoga and pilates count, as does just stretching at the kitchen counter as I watch the headlines in the morning. No need to set aside a huge block of time! However you choose to go Gumby, give yourself a star for treating your body to a break.

Talk yourself up! This might be the most important part of the five-star plan: Giving yourself a well-deserved pat on the back for simply being strong, smart and healthy. Even on days when you only notch one or two other stars, take a moment to give yourself credit for being a truly amazing human being. Talking yourself up carries over to other areas of your life: Not only will you feel more confident, but research shows you will also get sick about 30 percent less frequently, stave off emotional eating and reduce your cancer risk. There are plenty of other reasons to celebrate your body. Pretty impressive for a few pats on the back!

Create your own five-star days: When you join the Challenge, you can use our free online logs to track the stars you earn each day. Counting stars is motivating, and rewarding yourself for smart, healthy behavior is more inspiring than the negative mind-sets required by most "diets." I had to create a system in my own head that was simple, easy to track and optimistic. The best part is that you get to start fresh every day, so even if you only manage one or two stars one day, you can stay with it by going to sleep early and telling yourself, like Scarlett O’Hara, tomorrow is another day!

Boosting Your Metabolism to Lose Weight: Truth Or Fiction?

2009-03-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

"Boosting Your Metabolism" is probably one of the hottest topics for popular magazines. I myself have been interviewed on the subject at least 9,000 times (OK, I exaggerate but not by much). Reporters (and readers) are dying to know what foods or supplements or exercises will "boost their metabolism".

But they may be asking the wrong question.

Most people asking "how can I boost my metabolism?" are actually using the question as a code for "how can I lose weight?" There's not a great answer to the first question, but there are many good answers to the second.

Having a "slow metabolism" isn't always the culprit when it comes to excess weight. Many "fat" people have very rapid metabolisms. Think Newman, on Seinfeld. Always darting around, always sweating, always in motion. That's a fast metabolism in an overweight body if I've ever seen one, and I've seen plenty.

So the better question might be this: "How can I help my metabolism function optimally, and, in the process, how can I lose some body fat?"

Ah, now you're talking.

The first thing you can do is to eat foods that will not raise your blood sugar too high or too fast, and will therefore not boost your body's production of the fat-storage, sugar-chasing hormone insulin higher than it needs to be. That would create less of a metabolic environment geared to fat storage, and more of a metabolic environment geared to fat loss...

The second thing you can do is plug the holes that are slowing you down. Let me explain.

A guy in a rowboat who wants to go faster should first check to see if the bottom is leaking water. If it is, plugging the holes is the first order of business; buying the best titanium oars in the world won't do much good if the boat is sinking.

Many people who ask "how can I boost my metabolism?" want to know what magic foods to eat, what terrific supplements to take, what exercises to do to "boost their metabolism" but they're like swimmers with heavy weights attached to their legs. The answer to "how to swim faster" is not necessarily in changing your freestyle stroke, or getting better space-age material Speedos (or searching for the top ten "metabolism boosting" foods or supplements). These strategies pale in comparison to simply dropping the weights from your feet.

That's where nutrients, whole foods, stress management, water and rest come in.

Metabolic rate is technically assessed in a lab using a metabolic cart which measures how much oxygen your body can take in and use, and how much carbon dioxide you exhale. While fruits and vegetables won't technically raise your metabolic rate, they will "plug the holes" in your metabolism by providing valuable nutrients without which your metabolism won't function optimally. Magnesium (www.jonnybowden.com/products/produc...), for example, is needed for over 400 biochemical reactions. The B vitamins (www.jonnybowden.com/products/produc...) are right up there too.

Same thing with water. Drinking more won't necessarily raise the needle on the machine, but drinking less will slow you down. We already know that even 2% less than optimal hydration will affect athletic performance negatively. Since water is needed for every metabolic process in every cell in the body, the idea that that dehydration will prevent your metabolism from operating at its most efficient passes the smell test with flying colors.

It's the same thing with sleep. Once again, sleeping well, deeply, and restfully won't necessarily raise the metabolic needle. But it will bring down cortisol (a stress hormone which raises abdominal fat) and increase energy.

If you're not sleeping well - and most of us aren't - it's like carrying a fifty pound weight in that proverbial rowboat.

Protein has been shown to boost thermogenesis (which is the creation of heat in the body and the resultant burning of calories). High protein diets "stimulate" or raise the metabolism, sometimes by as much as 100 percent according to one study on healthy women.

Green tea (www.jonnybowden.com/products/produc...) also does it (and folks who drink about 5 cups a day seem to have an easier time losing and maintaining weight).

And coffee - which is not always the villain everyone thinks it is - can briefly boost metabolism and increase the feeling of energy and alertness, so if you use it before a workout you might run a little faster and longer, work a little harder, lift a little heavier and thus burn more calories (If you use it just to stay awake at your desk, though, it's not going to do any of those things).

Then of course there's exercise. Through the arcane physiology of oxygen debt and repayment, we actually have an increased metabolism after aerobic exercise for a bit of time, though you get more of a permanent increase in metabolic rate - which continues even while you're watching TV or at rest - from lifting weights, since muscle burns far more calories than fat.

Much has been made of the studies purpoting to show that calcium (and specifically dairy) raises metabolism. Fuggedaboutit. Nearly every one of those studies was funded by the dairy industry and done by one researcher, Michael Zemel. Out of 35 studies investigating the link, 31 showed no effect.

But here's the kernel of truth in that dairy industry propaganda - a deficiency of calcium will slow down weight loss (and metabolism).

The moral of the story: don't be deficient (in calcium, or any other nutrient). It's a complete myth that extra calcium beyond your basic needs - nor extra milk, which you probably don't need at all - will "boost" your metabolism and help you lose weight.

Bottom line: If you want to boost your metabolism, you're probably wanting to lose body fat. The answer may not be in whipping your metabolism to go faster with magical foods and artificial stimulants, but, rather, to dropping some of your excess baggage that may be slowing that metabolism down.

And you can begin to do that right now with a diet higher in protein, low in sugar, and high in nutrients.

Weight-Loss Drug Orlistat Approved for Purchase Without Prescription

2009-03-05T18:10:00.000-08:00

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just approved the over-the-counter (OTC) purchase of an orlistat pill. This product, with the brand name Alli, contains one-half the amount of orlistat present in the prescription product with the brand name Xenical.

Xenical has not proven a blockbuster drug for producing weight loss. In a series of trials, people taking Xenical for one year lost 6.4 lbs. more than did those taking a placebo during the same period. Not great, you would agree, but still better than the dozens of widely promoted weight-loss products for which no proof for any weight loss exists.

The other approved prescription drug for weight loss, sibutramine (Meridia), is somewhat more effective than Xenical. At the end of one year, those taking sibutramine lost 10 lbs. more than did those taking a placebo.

OTC Alli is taken three times daily, one with each major meal. The drug works by blocking the action of an intestinal enzyme required for the breakdown of the major dietary fats (triglycerides).

Undigested triglycerides cause the major side effects of orlistat - oily, liquid stools and frequent bowel movements. Weight loss is achieved for two reasons. First, a significant number of fat calories, which ordinarily account for about 30 percent of calories in the diet, are lost with the stools. In addition, people taking orlistat soon learn that they will have fewer intestinal symptoms if they reduce the amount of fat in their diet.

Fat-soluble vitamins - vitamins A, D, and E - are lost in the stools along with the undigested triglycerides. So, if you decide to try Alli, you should also add a multivitamin pill at bedtime.

The FDA warned that Alli should only be used by adults who are overweight or obese, and who have not had an organ transplant or intestinal problems associated with poor absorption of nutrients. The FDA notice also stated that anyone taking blood-thinning medications or who is being treated for diabetes or thyroid disorders should check with their doctor before taking orlistat.

It's not clear whether taking half the dose of Xenical will lead to even less weight loss than with Xenical itself, perhaps only three to four pounds by the end of a year. You should keep in mind the alternatives: In one year, you could lose five pounds by eliminating 50 calories a day, or 4.5 lbs. by walking one mile three times a week.

How can you eliminate 50 calories a day from your diet? One chocolate chip cookie, a 12-ounce beer, and an ounce of potato chips each contain about 150 calories. So all you have to do, for example, is to skip one of these every three days.

Become Fit! Don't Just Lose Weight

2009-03-05T18:07:00.000-08:00

So what’s the best way to get from here to there? How do you get to fit from fat, to active from lazy, to healthy from hopeless? I suggest you begin with the idea that you would like to become fit, not just lose weight.

There is a very big difference – fitness, unlike when people go on a diet to lose weight, is a lifelong goal. So, you are not going to be looking for immediate and dramatic results, but rather long-term, life-changing benefits. If this is not thrilling to you, that’s ok. It doesn’t sound exciting to me either. You will have to trust me on this one, though – the small steps toward total (mind and body) fitness will bring grand benefits in the end.

You will see that if you practice the steps I am about to lay out for you, immediately you will feel better. Soon after, your body will change, and then you will be hooked.

Step 1: Embrace small, subtle changes
Be more compassionate and gentle with yourself. If you are not insistent on immediate results, you can allow yourself to accept, and even embrace, small, subtle changes – rather than only being satisfied with dramatic, instantaneous shifts. Take it slow and easy, implement realistic and doable changes.

Take one or two things out of your diet each week, and add as little as 10 minutes of walking per day, three times a week, to your exercise routine.

Step 2: Make minor changes to your diet
Here’s how to set yourself up for success with dietary changes:

* allow yourself to reduce sugar intake by cutting out candy, and reducing desserts to weekends only, rather than cutting out all sugar right away
* reduce overall caloric intake by only eating what is on YOUR plate (no grazing from your children or spouse's meal)
* take out fried foods for a day and eliminate one trip a week to the fast food drive-through, a week at a time

Step 3: Do not allow yourself to fail
No berating, no condemning and no starting over. This is a program that will have its good days and bad. Accept that there will be times when you won’t live up to your own expectations, but remember, this is a long-term, life-changing, life-benefiting program, not a quick sprint. And in life, life happens, and sometimes it gets in the way of what you had planned. Have a sense of humor and rearrange your schedule when necessary, instead of giving up, accepting failure, pigging out and eliminating exercise for a week, and then promising to begin again on Monday.

Step 4: Visualize your success
Use your mind as much as you use your body by mentally projecting into your life exactly what it is you want. This is a very important piece of the puzzle, one that most people forget to use entirely. Picture yourself in your new body, and living in your new life. See yourself enjoying healthy meals, stopping when you have had enough to eat, and exercising regularly (with a smile on your face).

See it, feel it, get it. You don’t have to be a student of meditation or committed to a method of mind conditioning to make this work. Just remember to see yourself in a positive light. In your thoughts, imagine the shifts that you are working toward and soon, you will be the consummate positive thinker that projects good things into your life and others.

Step 5: Don't wait to get started
You need not wait until your doctor tells you that you should lose weight or begin a walking program. You certainly do not want to wait for a medical scare to get your body moving, or change your diet. Do the right thing now. Take responsibility for your health, your fitness, your happiness and your life by taking that important self-assessment now.

Simply ask yourself, and answer honestly, do I eat well? Do I overeat? Am I overweight, and unhappy with the way I look and feel? Have I been promising to change my diet, stop smoking, or start an exercise program for months/years? Well, now is your time, right now - do not put it off any longer.

Make minor adjustments to experience life changes, little by little, week by week. You really do have everything you need to live a happy, healthy and fulfilling existence. Make some shifts, take note of your efforts, and reap the rewards.

Happy Trails, and Happy Holidays everyone.

Lose 30 Pounds in 3 Months

2009-02-05T16:52:00.000-08:00

Three months before my wedding, I had a realization: I don't want to be a fat groom. After all, a cummerbund can only help so much. And besides, what kind of man would marry a beautiful woman knowing he's going to die young?

That's not hyperbole. My 5'9'' frame tipped the scales at 231 pounds, easily qualifying me as obese — a designation that advanced my biological age of 26 by 2 decades, according to a UCLA study.

More disturbing, a blood test showed that I was on the verge of diabetes, despite having no obvious symptoms (other than a bulging belly). For the first time, being fat felt irresponsible.

But dramatic change doesn't take as long as you might think. In 12 weeks, I lost 33 pounds and whittled 5 inches off my waist — just in time for our big day. And, even better, my latest blood work came back nearly normal. How'd I do it? Keep reading.

The Tipping Point
Like most overweight men, I wasn't proud of carrying around all that extra flab — especially since I'm an editor at Men's Health. But it wasn't until I literally feared for my life that I became fully committed to change. That day arrived when I met with Keith Berkowitz, M.D., medical director of the Center for Balanced Health, in New York City. His specialty: turning the obese thin.

When I showed up at his office, Dr. Berkowitz first analyzed a blood test I'd had done in preparation for our meeting. My triglycerides — a measure of the fat circulating in my bloodstream — were more than double what's considered normal. I was also insulin resistant. That means my body was having to produce 10 times the amount of insulin — a hormone that signals your body to store fat — normally secreted by a healthy guy my age. Both of these measurements are key predictors of future heart disease. Can you say "instant motivation"?

Chances are, if you're overweight, your blood work may look similar. Research shows that heavier men have higher cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure than their leaner counterparts. And, according to Dr. Berkowitz, almost half of the population is insulin resistant. The most telling physical sign: abdominal fat. Still need a kick in the pants? Ask your physician for a complete blood profile; fear is a great motivator.

The Action Plan
Much to my horror, Dr. Berkowitz recommended a "controlled-carbohydrate diet." That doesn't mean cutting out carbohydrates altogether. Rather, you restrict the types that significantly raise your blood sugar and thus your insulin levels — for instance, those found in soda, candy, and foods made with flour. Which happen to be the carbs I like the most. And, surprisingly, my don't-eat list even included whole grains at first. The reason? Although healthy for men with normal insulin function, whole grains still raise insulin levels. For me, that made them a food to avoid until I lost weight and saw improvements in my blood work, at which time I could add them back slowly in the form of high-fiber crackers or flaxseed bread.

The upshot is that this plan limited my carbs to those found in vegetables and fruit, which was a drastic change from my regular, carbohydrate-laden diet. After all, it meant I had to give up Entenmann's night. (I'll leave the menu to your imagination.) So I wasn't sure I could stick with it.

Enter Valerie Berkowitz. While Keith Berkowitz served as general manager of my diet, his wife, Valerie — a registered dietitian and director of nutrition at the Center for Balanced Health — took the job of head coach. She helped me create an eating plan that was user-friendly and required no calorie counting. Basically, my instructions were to eat only when hungry and to the point of fullness, incorporating the five simple rules that follow. I could eat as much meat and vegetables as I wanted, and was allowed 3 to 5 ounces of cheese and two servings daily of low-glycemic fruits — berries, melons, peaches, plums, apples, oranges, and kiwis. I was also advised to drink 80 ounces of water daily. Use these guidelines yourself and you, too, can lose 30 pounds in 3 months.

1. Cut Out Fast-Digesting Carbs
For the most part, these are foods that are made with sugar or are high in starch, such as bread, pasta, any other flour-based food, potatoes, and rice. Because they all contain high amounts of glucose, they raise blood sugar quickly. "This is the trigger that signals your body to release a flood of insulin," says Valerie. Eliminate these foods and insulin levels stay near rock bottom. And that simultaneously improves your health and speeds fat loss. In fact, when University of Connecticut researchers analyzed why low-carb dieters were so successful, they calculated that 70 percent of their weight loss stemmed from low insulin levels. (One note: Because milk has a significant number of carbohydrates, it was also off-limits until my blood profile showed I was healthier.)

2. Eat More Vegetables
This may be the ultimate diet cliche, but there's no question it works. In fact, a study of more than 2,000 low-carb dieters found that, on average, the biggest losers were consuming four servings of nonstarchy vegetables a day. That's virtually any vegetable of your choice other than potatoes (white, sweet, or fried), carrots, and corn. "Eating more produce increases the amount of fiber in your diet, which helps keep you full," says Valerie. For an even greater fiber boost, I added a daily glass of Metamucil (the sugar-free version). If you've never taken Metamucil, its effectiveness in reducing your appetite is nothing short of amazing.

3. Have Protein at Every Meal
This is especially important at breakfast and with snacks, when guys are most likely to skimp on this muscle-building nutrient. (Thanks a lot, cereal.) Case in point: University of Illinois scientists report that, on average, people consume 65 percent of their protein after 6 p.m. More important, the researchers found that to optimally preserve your muscle as you lose weight, you need to take in protein at each meal throughout the day. "Besides nourishing your muscles, the added protein will help keep you from overeating," says Valerie. The best sources are beef, chicken, fish, dairy, and eggs.

4. Don't Be Afraid of Natural Fat
That's right, the kind that's found in a piece of meat, an omelet, an avocado, olives, or olive-oil-based dressing. Because fat alone doesn't raise your insulin levels, it has little to do with making you fat, contrary to popular opinion, says Valerie. High amounts of carbs coupled with high amounts of fat are the real culprit, she explains, since they stimulate the release of insulin, causing your body to store fat instead of burn it. But what about heart health? In a review of 13 studies published in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers determined that low-carbohydrate diets — all of which provided at least 50 percent of daily calories from fat — were more effective at reducing heart-disease risk than traditional low-fat diets.

5. Forget About Processed Foods
Prediet, I lived on lunchmeat. But Valerie nixed these packaged meats quickly, because most contain added salt (affecting weight and blood pressure) and sugar, as well as nitrates, which are associated with an increased risk of cancer. Instead, I ate ground beef and ground turkey. (Both take only a few minutes to cook at night and taste great cold the following day.) I did slip up, though. On my 15th day on the program, I discovered Terra vegetable chips. "A delicious potpourri of exotic vegetables," the bag says. Sounded healthy to me, so I crunched on them hard during long days at work. A week later, when I told Valerie about my new favorite addiction, a sharp scolding followed. I'd been suckered by the word "vegetable." These chips are made from starchy root vegetables, so their carbohydrate count is similar to that of potato chips; and they're loaded with salt. The scale reflected my mistake. If you follow only one rule, make it this: If it comes in a box or a bag, skip it. I guarantee you'll have success.

The Gut-Busting Workout
Finish off the flab with this full-body fat-burning routine from Michael Mejia, C.S.C.S., author of The Better Body Blueprint. ItÃƒƒ¢Ãƒ‚€Ãƒ‚™s designed to speed your results and improve your fitness, while protecting your hard-earned muscle — all in just 3 days a week.

How To Do It
Warmup: Before each workout, warm up with 5 minutes of light aerobic exercise or calisthenics.

Weight training: Do the weight workout that follows 3 days a week, resting at least a day after each session. Perform the exercises as a circuit, completing one set of 10 to 12 repetitions of each movement before resting for 60 seconds. Then repeat the entire sequence one or two times, for a total of two or three circuits. Every other workout, reverse the order in which you do the exercises. So in one session youÃƒƒ¢Ãƒ‚€Ãƒ‚™ll start with the overhead squat, and the next youÃƒƒ¢Ãƒ‚€Ãƒ‚™ll begin with the pushup.

1. Overhead squat
Stand holding dumbbells overhead with a grip thatÃƒƒ¢Ãƒ‚€Ãƒ‚™s twice shoulder-width. Begin by descending into a squat, making sure that the dumbbells stay out of your peripheral vision and donÃƒƒ¢Ãƒ‚€Ãƒ‚™t drift forward. When your thighs are parallel to the floor, pause for a second before pressing back up to the starting position.

2. Pushup-position row
Get into pushup position with your arms straight and your hands resting on light dumbbells. Spread your feet apart for balance. Tighten your abs as you pull one dumbbell off the floor and draw it toward your chest until your elbow is above your back. Pause, then slowly return the weight to the floor and repeat with the other arm. TIP: If holding both dumbbells feels awkward, try doing the exercise holding only one dumbbell and place your other hand on the floor.

3. Lying hip extension
Lie on the floor with your arms out to the side, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Pushing with your gluteals and hamstrings, dig your heels down into the floor and lift your hips until your body forms a ramp that descends from your knees to your shoulders. Pause, then return to the starting position.

4. Lat pulldown
Grab a lat-pulldown bar with a "false" overhand grip that's just beyond shoulder width. A false grip means you place your thumb on top of the bar, alongside your index finger, rather than wrap it around the bar. Pull the bar down to your chest. Pause, and slowly return to the starting position.

5. Russian twist
Grab a weight plate with both hands and sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat. Hold the weight plate straight out in front of your chest with your palms facing each other. Lean back so your torso is at a 45-degree angle from the floor. Twist to the left as far as you can, pause, then reverse the movement and twist all the way back to the right as far as you can, and pause. Return to the starting position.

6. Pushup
Support your body with the balls of your feet and with your hands, positioning the latter slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, palms flat on the floor. Straighten your arms without locking your elbows. Lower your torso until your chest is just a fraction of an inch off the floor. Push yourself back to the starting position.

Cardio: After each weight-training session, finish up with 12 to 15 minutes of aerobic exercise — running, cycling, rowing — using an intensity that you judge to be a 7 or 8 on a 10-point scale.

Potentially Dangerous Diet Strategies

2009-02-05T16:49:00.000-08:00

In the diet industry, anything goes. "Appetite-suppressing eyeglasses" boast colored lenses that are said to project an image on the retina that dampens the desire to eat. "Magic weight-loss earrings" are custom-fitted to the purchaser to stimulate, it is claimed, the acupuncture points controlling hunger. (Neither has been proven effective.) Much of the diet advice you encounter may be misleading, and some of it can be downright dangerous. Beware of the following weight-loss wonders.

Diet Pills. Over-the-counter "diet aids" really do work - but only for a while. They contain stimulants that decreases your appetite, and/or mild diuretics which cause you to eliminate fluids more quickly than normal. These pills can temporarily cause your weight to drop, but they won't eliminate body fat. As soon as you stop taking them, your weight is likely to bounce back to its previous level. Until recently, many diet pills contained phenylpropanolamine (PPA), a stimulant chemically similar to amphetamine. But the FDA is now taking steps to remove the drug from all products after researchers discovered that PPA slightly increased the risk of bleeding in the brain among women who used the drug for weight control or nasal decongestion. Other over-the-counter diet aids that pose dangers include herbal formulas containing ephedra or aristolochic acid, and supplements containing tiratricol, a potent thyroid hormone.

The side effects of diet pills can range from the mild - dizziness, nausea, and increased urination - to the severe - chest pain, heart attack, liver and kidney damage, stroke, seizures, and even death. The pills can be dangerous for people with heart problems, thyroid disease, and high blood pressure. "Pills are not the answer," says Dr. Pi-Sunyer. "The answer is diet and exercise. There is effort involved in weight loss."

Fasting. When you fast, you lose muscle before fat. After a day or two of fasting, many people succumb to a high-calorie binge. Long-term fasting is hazardous, since it weakens your immune system and places a strain on vital organs.

Skin Patches. These "diet patches," which supposedly contain an appetite suppressant, have not been proven safe or effective. The Food and Drug Administration has seized millions of these products from promoters.

Diuretics. The weight you lose is only water weight. The loss is temporary and doesn't include any fat. Diuretics can promote dangerous dehydration and cardiac problems.

Electrical muscle stimulators. These devices, which have legitimate medical uses in physical therapy, have no place in weight loss or body toning. You just can't zap off the fat. When used incorrectly, the devices can cause electrical shocks and burns.

Eat Smarter to Tackle Your Food Issues

2009-02-05T16:46:00.000-08:00

The reason we use food as a source of comfort has been examined from every angle by individuals a lot smarter than me. I'm not here to tell you what to do, but I want to give you a few suggestions on how to deal with tackling a food issue.

1. Do not skip breakfast.

People are 75% more likely to overeat the rest of the day if they skip breakfast. Now, if you have a hard time wanting food in the morning, make a nutritional smoothie: Throw in some frozen fruit, greens, protein powder, a little almond butter for satisfying fat and your liquid of choice. Oatmeal is an easy one in the morning. I have said this a lot, but remember that sugary cereal (aka cardboard with sugar) and bagels are not breakfast. Boil eggs and eat with a slice of toast or some avocado. Get your day started right.

2. Bored at work or home? Find a distraction other than food.

If you're at work and have a break, go for a walk or bring a healthy snack to eat. If you're doing "the kitchen roam" and find yourself with the fridge open, call a friend or give yourself an indulgent 10 minutes online. This will be one of the only times I say this, but go look up something silly or even informative online to distract yourself from food.

3. Eat only when you are hungry.

Don't just mindlessly shove food in your face because it's something to do. If you can not stop eating when you are bored, then try substituting it with a new habit.

4. Eat until you are full.

Put it in front of me and I will eat it. Hey, I was always taught to clean my plate, so of course I will eat until all my food is gone, even if it's long after I'm full. Either control your portions, or buy smaller dinner plates. If you are out to eat, (even if it feels
tacky) have them put half your food to go as soon as you get it.

5. Avoid fast food and vending machines.

This never ends pretty. Most of the food is fattening, tastes really good (so you overeat), and doesn't have much nutritional integrity. It's like dating a hot male or female that you know is psycho. Fun, exciting, but not going to end pretty. If you are on the road and have no other options, then try to pick the best of the bad. Don't super size your order and avoid fried anything, sodas the size of 5 gallon buckets with a free refiill, and bread. In general, reach for chicken, salads, and, if you can, drink water.

6. If you are stressed out or having a personal crisis reach for the phone, not food.

Call a good friend or ask someone to go on a walk in a peaceful place so that you can vent. Don't sit at home, alone, crying into a bowl of ice cream.

7. Find other things social to do that don't always involve food.

This is tricky because when you look at how we structure our days and lives, a lot of social interaction is around food. That's fine, but create a strategy for where you meet and eat. If you can combine it with some exercise and a healthy meal after, even better! This will provide a positive example for everyone.

8. Write it down. Keep a food journal.

You will be able to pin point exactly what foods and beverages are getting you where.

9. Have some fun.

Paul Chek told me that if we do the right thing 80% of the time in
our lifestyle habits, then we can have some fun the other 20%. Moderation, not denial.

5 Easy Ways to Start a Diet

2009-01-26T22:32:00.000-08:00

I just wrote the word "diet" in the title so you'd know what I was talking about, but honestly, that should be a swear word. How about, "5 easy ways to get food to serve you and your goals?" Or what about, "The joy of food", or "The great things food can do for your body and your goals."

So much of what we look like is impacted by what we put in our mouths. The tricky thing is that food is connected to us as emotional beings so much more then exercise. Yes, some people blow off stress by taking a run, but most of us would just rather reach for a donut, slice of pizza or scotch and soda.

I think the food puzzle needs to be unraveled simply and slowly so that our approach is simple but realistic to our lives.

1. Drink only water
With the exception of your beloved coffee in the morning. According to studies, this would eliminate 20% of our caloric intake and help all of our body functions run more smoothly.

2. Cut down your portions
I'm not even going to say what to eat and not eat. I'm just saying if you are having that sub at lunch cut it in half. We all overeat, so just eat until you are full. I'ts difficult to do, so halve the food and get it away from you. If it's sitting there you will want to eat it.

3. Don't skip breakfast
You will have a 70% chance of overeating throughout your day if you skip breakfast.

4. Keep a food journal
This will help you see exactly what you are eating and when. You will even be able to see patterns of grabbing food at stressful moments, etc. Journaling just makes you aware and in charge of your food--not the other way around.

5. If you can avoid it, don't eat after 7 p.m.
On business dinners or birthday gatherings don't worry about it. But when you can, try to finish eating earlier in the day.

See, that's not hard to do. Now as you progress in this area, I have some other rules to help you improve your relationship with food.

* Don't eat fast food (unless you have no other choice).
* Avoid microwaving your meals. Cook it yourself.
* Limit tons of sugar and wheat-based products (in anything).
* No diet, or fat-free, food. They contain a lot of ingredients that no one can pronounce.
* Fill your plate during the day with foods of all colors.
* Eat slowly and chew your food well.
* Eat when you are hungry and not because you are sad, mad, or stressed out.
* Limit your red meat intake.
* Foods that have a 10-year shelf life should not be eaten. Go for the real stuff.
* Don't snack yourself to weight gain. Eat real meals that are satisfying, not snacky foods that will kill your waistline and make you feel blah.

Mind Over Fatter

2009-01-26T22:30:00.000-08:00

You already know the secret *to weight loss: Eat fewer calories than you burn and you'll be zipping up those size 4 jeans in no time. So why aren't we all as svelte as Heidi Klum? Because lasting weight loss has little to do with crunching numbers. "In focusing on calories in and calories out, the field of nutrition has ignored the most critical variable: behavioral and cognitive changes," says Stephen Gullo, Ph.D., a weight-loss expert in New York City.

In other words, if you don't want to fall headfirst off the diet wagon the next time Mom rips into your new haircut, you have to retrain your brain. "To deal with unhealthy eating behaviors, we must challenge the thoughts, feelings, and cues that have been built up over a lifetime," says Cynthia M. Bulik, Ph.D., the Jordan Distinguished Professor of Eating Disorders at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Not to get too Freudian, but many doctors and weight-loss experts say that permanently altering your waistline means permanently altering your relationship with food.

That means recognizing and curbing emotional eating, of course — and exploiting your psychological makeup to make healthy eating easier. Behavioral psychologists have found that changing your negative thoughts, one by one, can eventually create a habit of positive thinking. It's the same with eating. And with the tips and exercises here, you won't have to lie on a leather couch to learn how.

Figure Out What the Heck You're Feeling.
Do your pants start pinching after a big fight with your boyfriend? It's normal: Women tend to use food for comfort. A University of Minnesota study found that we are almost twice as likely as men to binge when we're depressed, though researchers aren't sure why exactly. What they do know, according to research in the journal Physiology & Behavior, is that what women choose to fill up on is usually loaded with sugar, because eating carb-heavy foods temporarily boosts levels of serotonin — a brain chemical that regulates mood. "There are many ways people respond to difficult emotions," says Kelly D. Brownell, Ph.D., director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. "Some people drink, some take drugs, and some eat."

So the next time you feel like mainlining a pint of mint chocolate chip, stop, take a step back, and ask yourself: What's my emotional state right now? And why? For example: "I'm humiliated because my boss embarrassed me during a staff meeting." Write that down, along with a list of things — unrelated to ice cream — that you can do to make yourself feel better anytime you're angry, sad, or anxious. Maybe you could quietly confront the person who told the whole world that you let one rip during a headstand in yoga class. Other good alternatives: hopping on your bike, going to see the latest Vince Vaughn flick, carving jack-o'-lanterns with the kids. Keep this list with you so you'll have it the next time the lady at the checkout counter asks you when the baby's due.

Spot Food Frenemies.
Experts have found that the same people and situations can trigger emotional eating time and time again. Ann Kearney-Cooke, Ph.D., director of the Cincinnati Psychotherapy Institute and author of Change Your Mind, Change Your Body, suggests asking yourself these four questions: Who are the three people I'm closest to? How do I eat before, after, and while I'm with them? What are my expectations of them? (For example, is my boyfriend there for me when I'm having a crappy day and need someone to talk to? Does he turn off the TV when I want to spend time together without The Simpsons?) Finally, what can I do when these people don't meet my expectations without straying from my weight-loss plan? You may find that you're infuriated when your mom calls you during a busy workday to "chat" or that you always feel guilted into meeting your best friend over margaritas. Once you recognize these things, strategize accordingly: Screen your calls so you can call your mother back when you have a free moment, or ask your friend if you can do a late dinner in lieu of happy hour.

Track Your Thoughts.
Here's a shocker: The way you feel about yourself strongly affects how successful you are at weight loss. "People who are trying to lose weight are often held back by negative core beliefs about themselves, their capabilities, their attractiveness, and their worth as human beings," says Rene D. Zweig, Ph.D., director of the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy's eating disorders and weight management program in New York City.

Challenge these beliefs with an exercise that Dr. Zweig gives her patients — it sounds cheesy, but it works. Write "I am" 20 times along the left side of a sheet of paper, then fill in the blanks. Answers can vary from positive things ("I am good at making people laugh") to negative ones ("I am an unlovable cow"). Take out the list every night and write down something that happened that day that's inconsistent with each negative statement. For example, for "I am a failure at work," write "I met all my deadlines today." Doing this exercise every day for a week will show you that the facts just don't support your beliefs. Continuing to challenge the negative thoughts about yourself with little reality checks will do wonders for your self-esteem (and your waistline).

Keep a Food Diary.
To change your eating habits you have to know what they are. A handful of Junior Mints, the three slices of provolone you ate over the sink — all those calories add up. "At the end of the day, many people have no clue what they ate or why they ate it," says Robert F. Kushner, M.D., medical director of Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Wellness Institute.

Writing down what you eat is one of the most effective ways to control your weight, plain and simple. Record every morsel that passes your lips — from your morning coffee to the free hors d'oeuvre sample you snagged at the supermarket. Write down the time of day you ate it, plus what you were doing before and afterward. The point of all this anal behavior? You'll start noticing patterns that you can easily fix. For example, if you find yourself drawn to the vending machine at 3 P.M. every day, you may realize you just want something to kick you out of your afternoon slump. Go for a short walk instead — it can have the same pick-me-up effect as a Twinkie.

Stop Multitasking.
"Eating should be an activity in itself," Dr. Kushner says. In other words, not something you should do while you're reading, typing up a memo, or watching Entourage. It takes the brain 15 to 20 minutes to register signs of fullness, so slow down and focus. Really take the time to taste and chew your food. Try eating with your nondominant hand and putting your fork down between bites. Make the meal last at least 20 minutes, and when you feel satisfied, stop. Take these steps and we guarantee you'll eat less than if you'd scarfed your BLT between e-mails.

Use Your Inner Eye.
"We know from sports psychology that when people visualize themselves changing a behavior, it's more likely to happen," Dr. Kearney-Cooke says. So before heading to your grandma's (where there are enough pastries to feed the Dallas Cowboys), visualize Granny's sweet spread — and her insistence that you dig in. Then prepare yourself to say something like: "They look delicious, Gran, but I'm here to see you." Once you've got your plan down, you'll be better able to survive Thanksgiving dinner or your friend's bridal shower unscathed.

Don't Get too Hungry.
"Recognizing hunger and fullness cues is essential," Dr. Bulik says. If you eat when you're moderately hungry, not ravenous, you'll be less likely to inhale that box of Ding Dongs. To figure out what "moderately hungry" means, give your hunger level a numerical value between 1 (not hungry) and 10 (could eat a dirty sneaker) and eat only when you're between 5 and 7.

To avoid level-10 hunger, eat on schedule. "One of the principal predictors of failure at weight control is skipping meals and not establishing a regular pattern of eating," Dr. Gullo says. The first reason is physiological — the body functions more efficiently if you eat every 3 to 4 hours. The second is psychological — skipping breakfast can lead to thoughts like: "I didn't eat this morning, so I can have this giant piece of cake." Every night, write down in your food journal the times you're going to eat the next day (say, 7 a.m., 10 a.m, 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 7 p.m.). Then stick to that plan like white on rice — over time it will become a habit.

Wait Out Temptation.
Studies show that when it comes to food cravings, the mind is easily distracted. Remember that the next time you think the only thing that will ease your discomfort during an awkward dinner with your husband's family is one of his mom's honey buns. "In the moment, people think their craving will last forever — or at least until they eat the food," Dr. Zweig says. "In reality, 5 minutes is long enough for many people to forget they had the craving in the first place." Set a timer, then pick up that half-knitted scarf, take a bubble bath, or do a Sudoku puzzle.

Relax.
It's no secret that stress can make you tear through the cupboards faster than Lance Armstrong on race day. "When the demands in your life are really high and your resources to deal with them are low, your eating habits can suffer," Dr. Kearney-Cooke says. Taking time to unwind is just as important as dieting to your weight-loss efforts. Set aside some time each day (even 10 minutes helps) for a little mental vacation: Make a massage appointment, read the tabloids, or just sit somewhere quiet and breathe. Go to bed an hour earlier, too. Studies show that those who don't get enough sleep eat more than those who get their 8 hours. Why? Being short on shut-eye can alter your levels of appetite-regulating hormones like ghrelin and leptin — so you mistake feeling fatigued for feeling famished.

Reward Yourself.
Dr. Gullo believes it takes — gulp — a full year for dietary changes to really sink in: "Success at weight loss is, in some ways, like overcoming a loss. When a loved one dies, you have to get through that first birthday, summer vacation, and holiday season without the person. When changing your lifestyle, you have to get through that whole cycle without your old habits."

So take it slowly, and give yourself a big pat on the back for meeting mini goals as you go. For example, promise to buy yourself that pair of pink Pumas you've been coveting if you manage to dodge your doughnut cravings for a week. "Don't fall into the trap of thinking you don't deserve a new outfit until you've lost weight," Dr. Zweig says. Get those jeans now, even if they aren't a size 4.

127 Foods That Fight Fat

2009-01-20T23:00:00.000-08:00

The 6 Worst Swimsuit Foods

2009-01-12T21:51:00.000-08:00

Beach season ought to be a sensual time of bare skin and sunshine. But for many of us, sand dunes inspire doom and gloom, as we look down regretfully at our winter-thickened bodies.

Researchers at UCLA surveyed more than 50,000 people — picture the white coats trolling Venice Beach — on body image and swimwear, and they discovered that only one-quarter of men and 12 percent of women feel comfortable wearing a swimsuit in public. Call it Tankini Syndrome: Most of us would rather hide in the beach grass than show off at the beach. And that's no way to approach the sexiest time of the year!

Of course, the best way to shape up for the skin season is to make consistently healthy food choices, day in and day out. But research shows that certain foods — from salt-laden salads to sugary summer cocktails — can actually sabotage our smart choices.

Indeed, some foods not only make us fatter, they make us look fatter than we really are, by causing the body to retain water, shocking us with high calories, and otherwise pumping us up in all the wrong ways.

Learning to identify and avoid these bust-out foods could be the difference between a glorious day in surf and sun, and a paranoid one stuck under a mumu, washed up behind the tide-line.

Here are six foods that can ruin your summer fun.

1. Caesar salad

Salt binges can lead to water retention, which gives you way too much in common with a blue whale — and it’s so embarrassing when Greenpeace shows up and tries to roll you back into the water. And with the sodium-soaked trio of anchovies, fried croutons, and Parmesan cheese, Caesar salad is a salt mine in a bowl.

But it’s not just sodium: Caesar ranks right up there with taco salads as the most misbegotten "health" foods out there. Need proof? A Chili’s Chicken Caesar Salad has 1,010 calories, 76 grams of fat, and 1,910 mg sodium. If you spill some of it, you should chuck it over your shoulder for good luck.

2. Potato salad

This mayo-drenched spud festival may be a summertime staple, but it’s capable of doing both short- and long-term damage to your beach bod. The short-term damage comes from the carbs in the potatoes, which produce gas as they’re digested — cue the on-shore breezes — and the high sodium content: a full cup of the stuff can contain well over 1,000 mg of sodium. And this simple "salad" is one of the most calorie-dense foods on the planet — so you eat now, and pay later, and later, and later.

3. Cruciferous vegetables

Nutritionists will tell you that cruciferous vegetables — including broccoli, cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts — are the best foods for any occasion. And they’re great foods for maintaining long-term weight loss. But we offer a single exception: the moment immediately before you don a swimsuit. These veggies contain a complex sugar called raffinose, which is not digested by the body.

Instead of feeding you, the raffinose ends up feeding the uncouth bacteria in your stomach, which express their gratitude by giving you gas and bloating. By all means, go cruciferous after the beach visit, and you'll fill your belly with nutrient-dense foods, not the calorie-dense variety.

4. Chili

Chili's paunch-heavy impact deserves a mention, especially since the meat-and-bean concoction is so likely to decorate countless hot dogs this summer. Even without meat, chili can have you nervously clutching your belly with both hands to cover the swell-and-ripple effect of too much sodium and a big helping of beans (beans are the most abundant source of the bloating sugar raffinose).

Even Au Bon Pain’s Low-Fat Vegetarian Chili has nearly 1,300 mg of sodium and a slurry of beans in a 12-ounce cup. Make your own low-salt bowl at home, though, and you'll have a healthy meal and process it before sunrise. Assuming you can work out any after-effects with your family and friends, it's all good.

5. Margarita

For many, the beach and neon-tinted booze go hand in hand, but this summertime favorite hits you on two levels: First, with a tide of sugar in the form of high-fructose corn syrup that comprises 99 percent of margarita mixes out there. Second is the immediate impact of the salt-encrusted rim, which will keep all of that liquid stored up in your midsection. A 12-ounce goblet rings up 564 calories and 2,150 mg of sodium. A couple of these will have your belly looking more like a water balloon than a washboard.

6. Beef and Broccoli

Remember what we said about the raffinose in cruciferous vegetables? That's the first reason you should avoid the beef-and-broccoli special at the Chinese takeout. If they serve it over lo mien noodles, the carb payload can create a gas build-up as it passes through your system.

The beach-body death blow, however, comes from the guaranteed quadruple-digit sodium count in so many Chinese dishes. For perspective, P.F. Chang’s traditional beef and broccoli dish has more than a day’s worth of sodium — plus 65 grams of fat, enough to cloud the entire vacation weekend.

As for the very best foods you should be eating when you're feeling fat, stressed, sad, tired — or want an instant brain boost or to get "in the mood" — check out these superb food fixes for whatever your body or mind may need.

Skinny Trimmings

2009-01-12T21:47:00.000-08:00

Trying to slim down but can't bear the thought of giving up your daily dish of dulce de leche fro-yo? No problem. Too much deprivation is bad for dieters — trimming more than 500 calories a day can slow down your metabolism and trigger cravings intense enough to sabotage even the most valiant weight-loss efforts, according to Cynthia Sass, R.D., coauthor of Your Diet Is Driving Me Crazy. So the only question is: How fast do you want to lose the weight? Whether your goal is to shed a pound a week (the amount you can lose if you cut 500 calories a day) or a pound a month (if you cut 100), we've got the tricks and tips you need to kiss those extra pounds goodbye — without kissing off cake.

To Lose 1 Pound Per Week

Dodge dining-out disasters
Even your seemingly healthy grilled swordfish and vegetables can pack more calories and fat than a stick of butter. "Many restaurant meals contain up to 2 ounces of added oil [500 calories]," says Anita Jones, founder of the Healthy Dining Program, which analyzes the nutritional content of restaurant food. Pasta dishes are notorious: Oil is used throughout the cooking process and added to sauces and cooked noodles. Stick with steamed veggies and grilled, poached, or broiled lean protein (like poultry and fish), and ask the chef to prepare your dishes without oil. Or just cook meals at home instead of eating out.

Careful With That Cappuccino
Vanilla shots, caramel, sugar packets — they're not harmless just because they're in your cup of joe. A large white-chocolate mocha with whipped cream from Starbucks logs in at 630 calories (the whip alone has 100!). Get your sweet fix with two shots of sugar-free vanilla syrup in a medium cappuccino with soy or fat-free milk and kick 500 empty calories to the curb.

Dress Down
"Most entrée salads at restaurants are pre-dressed with 6 to 10 tablespoons of dressing," Jones says. "And most dressings have 70 to 100 calories per tablespoon and 7 to 10 grams of fat." That's an average of 680 calories just for the dressing (let's not even get into croutons and bacon bits). Order dressing on the side and dip into it sparingly with your fork between bites — you'll cut back to about 2 tablespoons (roughly 175 calories).

Lighten Up At Happy Hour
If it tastes sweet or has a salty rim, it's usually bad news — think cosmos, lemon drops, and appletinis. Most cocktails have 2 to 5 ounces of liquor. Add in 5 ounces of sugary syrups or mixers like cola, grenadine, and Midori and you can down more than 700 calories in just one drink. Stay away from Margaritaville (and below 100 calories) by pairing your liquor with diet or club soda. Or go for a bottle of light beer or a 5-ounce glass of chardonnay, which contain around 125 calories each. Sorry, Jimmy.

To Lose 1 Pound Every 2 Weeks
Cut Out 300 Calories A Day

HERE'S HOW

Be Tricky In The Kitchen
For leaner cuisine — and to save 115 calories — swap out that tablespoon of olive oil for canola or olive oil cooking spray. Sauté vegetables and fish with 1/4 cup of broth rather than 1 tablespoon of butter and trim 100 more. Replace the quarter cup of heavy cream in Alfredo and cheese sauces with the same amount of skim milk mixed with 2 tablespoons of flour — bam, another 150.

Switch Dishes
The larger the serving dish, the more you're likely to consume, according to recent research in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Downsize your ice cream bowl and serve that fettuccine on a 9-inch appetizer plate instead of a standard 11-inch dish — you can save up to 300 calories in a day, says Jenna Anding, Ph.D., associate professor of nutrition and food science at Texas A&M University. Dining out? Cut your entreé in half and doggie-bag it as soon as your food arrives.

Skip The Sweet Swill
"One of the easiest ways to uncover hidden calories is to look at your beverage consumption," Sass says. American women get up to 300 more calories a day now than they did 30 years ago. At least half of those come from sweetened beverages like soda and fruit juice, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. A 20-ounce bottle of Arizona Iced Tea has 240 calories — about as much as a small meal. Ditch the sports drinks, fruit punch, and Slurpees and get your produce nutrients from whole fruit instead of juice — a 1-pint carton of Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice has 220 calories. An orange? About 35.

Pare Down Your PMS Picks
Forgo the cup of Ben & Jerry's for the same amount of low-fat ice cream. Slow-Churned Dreyer's Grand Light Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough has only 260 calories per cup. The B&J version? 540 calories. Yeah, we know that eating Ben & Jerry's is as close as any of us is likely to get to paradise on earth. So if you just can't live without the boys, mix 2 tablespoons into a cup of the skinnier stuff and you'll still save 250 calories.

To Lose 1 Pound Per Month
Cut Out 100 Calories A Day

HERE'S HOW

Buy Skinnier Bread
The calorie content in different brands can vary as wildly as Anna Nicole's "before" and "after" shots. For example, Milton's Healthy Whole Grain packs 90 calories a slice, while Sara Lee Delightful Wheat weighs in at just 45. Switch brands and you cut your sandwich calories by 90. Better yet, wrap your cold cuts in lettuce — a big leaf of romaine has only 10 calories.

Trade Up Your Toppings
Swap the half-cup of guacamole on your burrito for an equal amount of salsa and spare yourself 150 calories. Get the same savings by using salsa in place of the sour cream on your baked potato and the mayo on your wrap. Other tricks of the topping trade: Swap Gorgonzola for grated Parmesan, dip vegetables into hummus instead of ranch dressing, and sprinkle salads with lightly toasted pecans rather than oil-soaked croutons.

Turn Off The Tube
We know Laguna Beach reruns can be just as tempting as tiramisu, but too many hours in front of your plasma screen can wreak havoc on your waistline. Researchers from Georgia State University found that people took in up to 130 more calories on days when they ate in front of the TV than on days when they left the remote alone.

Spritz Up Your Vino
Mix 3 ounces of club soda with 3 ounces of wine and your drink will have about 60 calories. If you usually have two glasses of Shiraz, substituting the bubbly stuff will save you about 120 calories. An added bonus: Research shows that moderate drinking (one drink daily for women) may increase levels of leptin, a natural hormone that curbs the appetite for sweets.

Camouflage Your Candy
A study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that office workers who kept candy within reach in a clear dish ate three times as much as those who kept it farther away in an opaque container. That's a 150-calorie difference. If you've gotta have a Godiva stash, make sure it's out of sight and that you have to work (at least a little) to get to it.

Bulk Up
Eating low-cal, fiber-rich foods before a meal — think fruits, vegetables, and broth-based soups — can help reduce your total calorie intake. A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that women who ate a 100-calorie salad before their meal consumed 12 percent less — 107 fewer calories — overall (salad included) than those who skipped the leafy appetizer. Make your first course a cup of veggie soup or 2 cups of mixed salad with reduced-fat cheese and fat-free dressing. Now get chopping!

How to Lose Weight Like a Guy

2009-01-12T21:42:00.000-08:00

Think the most infuriating thing a guy can say to you is, "Yeah, it does make your butt look big"? Wrong.

The one phrase that can turn any relationship into a nuclear winter is: "I need to drop 5 pounds—I'll cut out the beer."

And here is the ugly truth: One beerless Patriots game and your guy is back in his high school gym shorts. You could forgo beer forever and be about as close to getting into your high school gym shorts as you are to fitting into one of Barbie's dream gowns. It's not fair.

Face it, guys are just losers. Well, better losers than we are. Even though we'd knock 'em dead in the Jeopardy! weight loss category—we know everything there is to know about calories and fitness—they have the physiological edge. When Paul Tasner decides to drop a few pounds, says his wife, Barbara Walter, an ambulatory surgery nurse and a wellness coach in the San Francisco area, it seems to happen overnight: "It looks like he had a belly suit on, and then a day later, he takes it off and there's a slim guy underneath. It really pisses me off."

Men's bigger muscle mass—in fact, their bigger-ness overall—helps them burn 30% more calories than we do, says nutritionist Cynthia Sass, RD, coauthor of Your Diet Is Driving Me Crazy. They have other advantages, too: For one, their hormones don't leave them waterlogged—and heavier—1 week a month. We generally have more body fat and are biologically more inclined to store it (possibly to nourish those dozen babies nature wants us to have).

The bad habits guys overcome (beer and chips) seem to result in instant weight loss, while ours (mistaking a box of Ring Dings for a therapist) seem too emotionally hardwired to short-circuit. Finally, in the gym, they grab the big, macho barbells and do routines that make them grunt. Our weights tend to be pink...and puny.

But all is not, ahem, lost. We women may never have the biological or psychological weight loss advantages men enjoy, but we are clever enough to learn new tricks. In other words, if there's no way to beat them at the dieting game, we might as well join them. Here are five guy habits that can help you lose weight—and keep it off. Happily, none of them involves testosterone.

He doesn't crave sweets
Both men and women have cravings, and no, he doesn't have an easier time fighting them off. But your comfort food is likely to be chocolate, pudding, or a cheese Danish, while his is a thick, juicy steak. A recent Cornell University study found that women seek out sweets to ward off the blues; men turn to meat when they want to indulge. The advantage of his choice: It's protein, which will help fill him up far better than your coffee cake. A study published last year by researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine found that the secret weight loss weapon of low-carb diets is protein, because it promotes satiety, the scientific term for fullness, which curbs overeating.

If cravings are your downfall, you have a choice of tactics here:

Eat a little protein
When a craving hits, have low-fat string cheese, a low-fat turkey and cheese roll-up, or fat-free cottage cheese mixed with some cut-up fruit instead of a sweet.

Have protein-packed chocolate
Take a tip from Prevention weight loss advisor Holly Wyatt, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center: "When I'm craving chocolate, I have a chocolate-coated energy bar or another similar protein bar for 210 calories. I've gotten to the point where that tastes like candy to me." But not so good that she starts in on a second.

He doesn't berate himself when he screws up
Okay, you blew it. You had PMS, or your accountant called with news of a surprise audit, and the jelly doughnut hollered, "Eat me!" What do you do next? If you're a woman, you throw up your hands, tell yourself what a bad person you are, and reach for another doughnut. Then you wallow in self-loathing for days. And what does a guy do?

"He feels okay, maybe even good, and really enjoys that steak," laughs emotional-eating expert Edward Abramson, PhD, a professor emeritus of psychology at California State University and author of Body Intelligence. But he doesn't order another one—he climbs back on the weight loss wagon, no harm, no foul. The best way to beat that diet-busting trap:

Apply his 80% rule
"Most guys avoid anything that even smacks of perfectionism," and that applies to dieting, too, says Pamela Peeke, MD, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and author of Body for Life for Women.

"When women start a diet, they go from zero to 100—they become 'perfect' overnight, which is a hallmark of failure. That's why I developed the 80% rule: Hit your weight loss goals 80% every single day you can. One day, it'll be 120% because it happens to be a great day. Other days, you'll hit 50% or even 20% when you're dealing with PMS. Just make sure it averages out to 80%."

He goes for weights with muscle
Women are catching on to strength-training, but some experts think women ought to approach weights more like a man. "When a guy goes to the gym, he'll usually pick an exercise that allows him to use the most impressive-looking weights," says Lou Schuler, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and author of The New Rules of Lifting.

The result: muscle building in less time, working a range of muscles at once instead of one in isolation. "A woman, on the other hand, will go for light dumbbells and do an exercise that allows her to use perfect form—but will do the least amount of good." To wit: "the 12 triceps exercises women do" to rid themselves of underarm dingle-dangle, says Schuler.

"All those little exercises are like Chinese water torture for your muscles: a little drip here, a little drip there. You think if you do them enough then these nice, streamlined muscles will show up, but no, they won't." So, stop wasting your time, and do what the Y chromosome folks do:

Drop the "Barbie" weights
If you're doing two sets of 12 or 15 reps, your weights are probably too light, says Schuler. Graduate to the black weights—the ones made of real iron—and move toward higher poundage that makes you strain to do 8 to 10, says Schuler. "Once your body is used to 10, then increase the weight until you're only able to do 3 reps. At sports medicine conferences, I've seen scans of women's upper arms before and after this kind of training program, and the girth of their upper arms hasn't changed, but you can see the fat tissue is reduced and how much more muscle there is."

Work out in life's gym
Daily tasks offer opportunities to strength-train. "As you boogie through your day," advises Peeke, "say, 'No, I can lift those grocery bags. I don't need a man to help me.'"

He doesn't use food as a therapist
Women are twice as likely as men to binge because they're depressed, reports a 2004 University of Minnesota study that examined the eating behavior of 1,800 people for a year. Women are also twice as likely as men to be depressed, which makes for a lot of eat-a-thons.

Worse, after a binge, a woman is likely to feel guilty, become even more depressed, and soothe herself with more gluttony. Confessed one woman (who requested anonymity because her boss reads this magazine): "When I'm really depressed, I've been known to wheel into McDonald's and order two shakes—one for me and one for my invisible friend in the back seat. No kidding. One vanilla, one chocolate.

Sometimes I even turn my head around and say, 'What do you want, chocolate?' like the drive-thru guy on the intercom can see me. It's sick!" Bottom line: No guy thinks he can boost his mood by mainlining frozen dairy products. You shouldn't either. Get off that circuit with these tips:

Identify what's behind your need to feed
Start making the connection between stuffing your face and stuffing your feelings. To do this, think Richter scale, says Santa Barbara, CA, psychotherapist Gloria Arenson, author of Five Simple Steps to Emotional Healing. "Rank your desire to eat on a scale of 1 to 10 as if it were an earthquake, 10 being 'Watch out!' If it's an 8, then look at what in your life was an 8 that day. Your boss yelled at you? Your dog ran away? Your kid got into trouble at school?"

By matching your numbers—the craving and an equivalent stressor—you'll soon learn how to determine whether you're hungry or medicating a bad mood. The technique works by erecting a mindfulness roadblock between you and that soothing piece of chocolate cheesecake. With practice, most people who use the rating system stop themselves before taking the first bite, says Arenson.

Take time for yourself
Guys do it, says Sass. "They'll say, 'I need to get away,' and go out and play basketball or golf with their buddies. Women don't say, 'I need to take the day off and get pampered.' For many women, their only pleasure, their only source of gratification and reward, is food." Starting today, snag a few hours for yourself, but don't use it to meet your girlfriends for lunch. Give yourself something inedible to look forward to, whether it's a Saturday morning at the outlets or a monthly girls' night out for pedicures at a spa.

Get physical with anger
"The standard prescription for a guy who's angry is to go out and pound nails, not eat chocolate," says Abramson. Guys are more likely to do something physical to dissipate their negative emotions. Women tend to swallow them—usually with an entire row of Oreo cookies. So when you get mad, get moving.

Stop making such a big deal
Guys may be less vulnerable to emotional eating because they tend not to dwell on things. Women, on the other hand, can spend hours turning one small negative thought around in their minds, adding a few others, and whipping it all into critical mass, says Yale University researcher Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, PhD, author of the new book Eating, Drinking, Overthinking. That's called rumination, and research suggests it can lead to depression, which itself can lead us directly to where we've hidden the Milano cookies.

Again, there's biology involved: In the brain, thoughts are linked in a network of associations, so I'm a fat pig lives on the same neural pathway as I'm a lousy cook and You're not going to amount to anything (that one's from your mother). Think about one and the others light up like an old-fashioned switchboard. Don't fall into the trap of using food to snap out of it. Instead, try this suggestion from Nolen-Hoeksema: Pick a word or phrase that makes you aware of what you're doing and helps you gain control (like Knock it off! or I won't let myself get sucked into this).

He doesn't give up stuff he likes
Austrian researchers, looking at gender differences in eating and dieting, found that "men's approach toward nutrition is uncomplicated and pleasure-oriented." For women, it's more punitive. Peeke agrees: "When guys go on a diet, they don't give up their Doritos. They're like Condi Rice—they negotiate. 'The big game is coming up. I'll have a third of the Doritos I usually do, but I will have some Doritos and guacamole.'"

We, on the other hand, approach dieting like ascetics, depriving ourselves of all those luscious "forbidden foods" until we can't stand it any longer. Then we fall like starved dogs on year-old Halloween candy stuck to the back of the freezer. In fact, studies by University of Toronto obesity researcher Janet Polivy, PhD, found that restrained eaters—that's the average female dieter—are more likely to not only overeat after dieting but also to gorge themselves if they just think they're going to go on a diet. Scientists call it "the last supper effect." Here's how to push away from this table:

Diet like a guy
For the most part, guys don't diet. Or, when they do, they make the commitment to eat less, don't agonize a lot, and wham, bam, there they are, all svelte again. Peeke calls it Home Depot syndrome. "A guy looks at his need to lose weight and sees it like a blueprint for building a cabinet—he has that much emotion about it," she says.

"It's a job, he gets his supplies, and he does it. If he thinks he's a fat-ass-lard-belly, he just says, 'Well, I guess I got myself here and I gotta get myself out—let's get this show on the road.'" You can do the same, says Peeke, if you make these words your mantra: Of course I can lose weight. Will it take longer than it takes my hubby? Yes. Do I have the patience? I do—and the journey begins today.

Don't ban your favorite food
Guys don't give up pleasure without a tussle. But one of the first things women forget when they try to lose weight is that life without chocolate is not worth living. Nothing can scuttle your good intentions like feeling deprived. "I order my clients to have something they love every day—a portion of ice cream, a small cupcake," says Arenson.

In fact, Toronto-based weight loss coach Mary Crawford lost more than 50 pounds on what she calls the Enjoyable Diet—a program she developed that allowed her to eat whatever she wanted every day. The catch: She restricted herself to 800 calories every other day and didn't diet on the alternate days. It may sound a little out-there, but the concept could help eliminate that girly dilemma that jettisons many a woman's best-laid diet plans: I want it—lots of it—because I can't have it.

Go for another consuming pleasure
"So many times women are told, 'If you feel like you're going to overeat, distract yourself by cleaning the house,'" says Sass. "That's like torturing yourself." No man in his right mind is going to do chores to keep himself from overeating. A guy will find a more hedonistic distraction, like shooting hoops in the driveway, playing his guitar, or making something with a life-threatening tool. Take a cue from him and look for something enjoyable that engages your hands and mind. One of Sass's clients took a jewelry-making class that has become her antidote to overeating. "All she thinks about now is how she's going to make her next piece instead of, What can I eat now?"

Bottom line: Weight loss is as much about attitude as it is about aptitude. And adopting a male mind-set, at least in this arena, can make you a leaner, more in-control woman.

Guy exercises for girls
Good Morning
Works butt and legs
Stand with feet a few inches apart, knees bent slightly. Hold two 10- to 15-pound dumbbells against your chest. With back flat and abs tight, slowly hinge forward at hips, lowering upper body while keeping back flat. Don't go beyond parallel to the floor. Pause, then stand back up. Do three sets of 8 to 10 reps.

Dumbbell Clean and Press
Works butt, legs, arms, and shoulders
Start in a squat, feet shoulder-width apart and knees bent. Hold an 8- to 10-pound dumbbell in each hand, at sides, palms in. As you curl weights up to shoulders, straighten legs and rise up onto toes. Lower heels as you turn palms out and press weights overhead. Pause, then lower weights, return to starting position, and repeat. Do three sets of 8 to 10 reps.

Tips to Take Off Pounds

2009-01-08T22:20:00.000-08:00

For more than 50 years, Prevention's been creating, collecting, and perfecting advice to help you slim down. That's because we want you to look and feel good about yourself.

By achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, you can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, certain types of cancer, back pain, joint problems, and more. In other words, you can maximize all the goodies that life has to offer! Here's our best advice to get you where you want to be.

10 Reasons to Lose Weight
1. Live to see your grandchildren, great-grandchildren—even great-great-grandchildren

2. Be able to romp with all those kids

3. Keep your mind sharp

4. Increase your energy level

5. Protect your immunity

6. Reduce your risk of breast cancer, heart disease, and stroke

7. Manage menopause more easily

8. Reduce stress

9. Breathe easier

10. Feel fabulous!

10 Foods That Fill You Up
These foods will fill you up with the fewest calories:

# Potatoes
# Fish
# Oatmeal
# Oranges
# Apples
# Whole wheat pasta
# Grapes
# Air-popped popcorn
# Bran cereal
# Soup

10 Fun Ways to Burn Calories
Here's a list of activities with the calories you'll burn per hour doing them.
# Jumping rope, 544
# Roller-skating, 476
# Bicycling, 408
# Swimming, 408
# Hopscotching with the kids, 340
# Ballroom dancing, 296
# Coaching your kid's soccer team, 272
# Paddling a canoe, 238
# Walking in the woods, 238
# Playing Frisbee, 204

(Calorie figures based on a 150-lb person)

10 Easy Ways to Flatten Your Belly
1. Eat a bowl of raspberries. Packed with fiber, they fight constipation (that can swell your midsection like a balloon).

2. Drink lots of water. It's filling, calorie-free, and keeps your metabolism running in high gear.

3. Skip the cocktails. Sure, alcohol may be fat-free, but it's loaded with calories. It can also raise your levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that helps your belly store fat.

4. Sit up straight. Hunching forward makes your belly look bigger. For a slimming effect that actually trains the stomach-supporting muscles to stay taut, sit with your shoulders back, chin up, and lower back supported against the chair.

5. Plant a garden. All the bending, lifting, and twisting help shape your middle, and you'll burn about 350 calories an hour.

6. Move your hips. Hula hooping works on the same calorie-burning, waist-whittling principle as gardening—but with less dirt.

7. Hit the greens. Ditching the golf cart earns you a walking workout; whacking the ball tones and tightens your midriff.

8. Get a leg up. Crunches with your legs off the floor tone the upper portion of your ab muscles. Lie on your back with your legs propped up on a bed or chair. Curl up slowly, raising your head, shoulders, and upper back off the floor, then slowly lower. Do 10 to 12 repetitions, two or three times a week.

9. Reverse that crunch. To tighten your tummy from a different angle, lie on the floor with your arms at your sides, feet off the floor, and your legs and knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Contract your abdominals and press your back into the floor, lifting your hips about 2 to 4 inches off the floor. Hold, then lower. Do 10 to 12 repetitions, two or three times a week.10. Do crossover crunches. To work the muscles that define your waistline (the obliques), lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your right ankle on your left knee and your hands behind your head, elbows pointing out. Lifting your head and upper back off the floor, twist, and bring your left shoulder toward your right knee. Hold, then slowly lower. Do 10 to 12 repetitions, then repeat to the other side. Do two or three times a week.

What an Opportunity!
Seek out new ways to be active—investigate a mountain vacation that involves hiking, or start viewing a chore such as raking the leaves as a great workout.

All-Time Best Recipe
Readers told us again and again how great this smoothie is for curbing cravings.

Classic Smoothie Recipe
Mix the following ingredients in a blender until smooth. Feel free to experiment, adding a touch of vanilla, cinnamon, or your other favorite flavors to taste.
# 1 cup fat-free milk (or soy milk)
# 1/2 frozen banana or 1/2 cup frozen mango slices
# 1 teaspoon sugar
# 1 cup frozen fruit (We recommend strawberries, pineapple chunks, or blueberries.)

Per shake (approximate): 220 cal, 1 g fat, 4 mg chol, 5 g fiber, 130 mg sodium

10 Smartest Ways to Slim Down
1. Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Skipping meals can set you up for bingeing. Studies show that people who spread their food intake throughout the day eat fewer calories.

2. Pack snacks. Whether you're at the mall, in the car, or at work, keep yourself armed with healthy snacks to help you resist fat-and-calorie-laden temptations from vending machines and fast-food joints.

3. Team up. Enlisting the help of a partner or friend can boost your motivation and help you stay on track.

4. Start writing. Keeping a food or exercise log not only helps chart your progress, but it's also a great way to spot minor slips in your routine before they become major problems.

5. Compliment yourself. Treat you as you treat those you love. Focus on your successes, not failures—and give yourself a pat on the back each day.

6. Get moving. Whether you walk, run, bike, or swim, aerobic exercise is key to weight loss success. Work up to doing at least 45 minutes, 5 or more days a week.7. Be a little selfish. You need to make time for yourself if you want to achieve your goal.

8. Have two helpings. Filling your plate with two kinds of vegetables, not just one, ups your nutritional intake and leaves less room on your plate for fatty foods.

9. Take one bite at a time. "Mindful eating," which involves concentrating on taste and sensation to make each mouthful an event, maximizes your food satisfaction and minimizes the odds of overeating.

10. Lift weights. Resistance training builds muscles, which boost the number of calories that your body burns throughout the day—making weight loss easier. Aim for two or three workouts a week.

I Can Do It
Instead of saying, "My weight loss efforts haven't worked before; they probably won't work now," tell yourself, "That's enough. I can do anything that I put my mind to." Create a new sound track in your head.

Keep Low-Cal Cooking Quick & Easy
Stock your kitchen with these low-fat, low-calorie staples, and eating right will be a cinch:
# Fresh garlic
# Butter-flavored cooking spray
# Canned beans: Kidney, black, and navy are stellar fiber sources; rinse first to remove some of the sodium.
# Fat-free chicken broth: Keep a can on hand to whip up an easy vegetable soup (add frozen veggies) or mashed potatoes so flavorful that you won't miss the butter.
# Water-packed tuna
# Grated low-fat cheese
# Instant grain dishes: Think couscous, tabbouleh, even boil-in-bag rice.
# Zesty spices: Chili powder, red-pepper flakes, and curry blends add salt-free zip to recipes. They're great as toppings for air-popped popcorn too.
# Canned mandarin oranges: They're a creative addition to salads and simple desserts, especially when your fresh fruit supply runs low or is out of season.
# A pack of pitas or tortillas: Use them as sandwich wraps, or cut them into wedges and bake to make your own low-fat chips.

10 Snacks Less Than 175 Calories
1. Half of a whole grain bagel: spread with jam or low-fat cream cheese

2. One almond, one date: Stuff the former into the latter for satisfying sweetness and nutty crunch.

3. Baby carrots: Eat a handful with a creamy dip (mix 1/4 cup salsa with 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream).

4. Whole wheat pretzels (1 1/2 oz): A bona fide snack food that's not junk food.

5. Banana: Portable, peelable, and around 100 calories.

6. Sweet potato: If you think of it only as a side dish to a meal, you're missing out on a great snack. Baked and cooled, it's a delicious alternative to fruit.

7. A cup of instant bean soup: Fiber-packed and filling—just add water!8. Whole grain cereal: Low-fat, low-sugar choices such as Cheerios or Wheat Chex aren't just for breakfast. Slip 1/2 cup into a plastic bag to eat when you're on the go.

9. Low-fat string cheese (2 oz): The perking power of protein and the rich bite of cheese—without all that nasty fat.

10. Lions and tigers and bears: Oh my—animal crackers weigh in at only 12 calories each.

Cave In to a Chocolate Craving
You can say "yes!" to these chocolate cravings for less than 200 calories.

1. M&Ms (1 oz): A melt-in-your-mouth favorite, with only 140 calories

2. Haagen-Dazs chocolate sorbet (1/2 cup): Intense flavor at only 120 calories (and zero fat!).

3. Hershey's chocolate syrup (2 table-spoons): At 100 calories and no fat, it's a virtuous topping for fruit or angel food cake.

4. Chocolate truffle (1): Savoring the flavor of a small portion of the food you really crave can prevent you from pigging out on poor substitutes.

5. Chocolate mousse (1/2-cup serving): Prepare instant chocolate pudding with 1% milk, and fold in low-fat whipped topping.

6. Hot chocolate (1 cup): Make it yourself with fat-free milk and chocolate syrup, or just add water to an envelope of low-cal instant.

7. Chocolate tortilla roll-ups (1): Spray a large tortilla with butter-flavored cooking spray, and sprinkle with ground cinnamon, sugar, and cocoa. Cut into quarters. Roll each quarter from the pointed end around a thick-handled kitchen utensil, seal the overlap with egg white, and bake seam-down at 350°F for 10 minutes. Cool, and fill with low-fat vanilla yogurt.

8. Hershey's Kisses (7): This handful has a combined 175 calories.

9. Low-fat mocha latte (1 cup): Use chocolate-flavored coffee topped with 1% milk that you've whisked into a froth. Dust with real cocoa powder.

10. Low-fat chocolate chip cookies: Three of these traditional favorites are about 150 calories.

There's No Magic Number
Don't measure your success solely by the number on the scale. Your weight will naturally fluctuate by a couple of pounds some days. Give yourself a weight range of 5 to 10 pounds to allow for these changes. Use other methods, such as your clothes or tape measurements, to track your progress.

Seven Ways to Break Up Exercise Boredom
1. Change your venue. Bored to tears by your treadmill workout? Take a walk outside instead. Your after work routine has become too routine? Get up earlier. Changing where or when you exercise, even if you're doing the same activity, is a great way to change your outlook.

2. Find fun exercise. Investigate sports and hobbies that enhance your activity level. Backpacking, mountain biking, kayaking, even bowling can all burn calories—but they don't feel like workouts.

3. Act their age. Join the kids for a game of backyard touch football or tag. Capitalize on their infectious energy.

4. Make a date. Treat exercise as social time by pairing up with a friend or your spouse. By committing to someone else, you'll be less likely to skip your workout.

5. Count backwards. Ever notice how your trip back from a great destination seems shorter than your trip there? Apply that principle to exercise by counting reps backwards—from 10 to 1, instead of 1 to 10.

6. Lend a hand. Support causes such as breast cancer, AIDS, or multiple sclerosis by doing fund-raising walks, bike rides, or runs. Beyond the exercise, you'll feel good about what you're doing, as well as fortunate to have a healthy body to do it.

7. Gear up. Add a new twist to your routine with equipment such as a heart rate monitor or pedometer. Tracking your workouts with these types of devices keeps things interesting.

One Slip Up Won't Stop Me
If you've fallen off the weight loss wagon, stop feeling like a failure; focus on the challenge ahead. The sooner you climb back on, the sooner you'll see the results!

Don't Let Stress Make You Fat
Next time you've had a bad day at work or a fight with your spouse, or are just being pulled in too many directions, try one of these stress busters instead of raiding the fridge:

1. Get out in nature. The gentle swaying of windblown trees or the meandering of a stream can slow body rhythms that have built to a stress-induced peak.

2. Take the slow road. Hopping in the car to run errands may seem practical, but traffic's another stressor. Bike or walk whenever you can. If you must drive, don't jockey for position. Chill out in the right-hand lane.

3. Turn on the stereo. Soothing music has been shown to ease anxiety and lower blood pressure and heart rate, even under superstressful conditions.

4. Get up and dance. Besides being great exercise, it releases endorphins, your body's mood-elevating chemicals that help erase stress.

5. Savor silence. Even a total of 10 to 15 minutes of quiet time per day helps you eliminate the buzz in your brain and experience some serenity.

6. Laugh out loud! Humor can actually inoculate against anxiety: One study found that people who watched an episode of Seinfeld before tackling a stressful task didn't show the spikes in blood pressure and heart rate that their humorless study counterparts did.

There's Always Another Way
Accept substitutions: If the late hour won't allow you to work out at the gym, don't give up on exercise that day. Take a walk around the neighborhood, pop in an exercise video, or do lunges around the kitchen as you cook dinner.

Beat Diet Downfalls

2009-01-08T22:17:00.000-08:00

You probably have at least one vice that undermines your losing, or keeping off, unwanted pounds. For some people, the best way to deal with this is to go cold turkey—no more candy, no more fast food, no more evenings in front of the TV. But for many others, abolishing most-loved foods is the fastest route to weight loss failure.

That's why we're going to show you exactly how to incorporate the foods you crave into your everyday meals and still shed pounds.

Losing weight couldn't be easier! Get ready to slim down while living it up.

Meat & Potato Lovers
The key to losing weight while still eating the comfort foods you grew up with is learning how to prepare them with fewer calories. Start with smart choices: Lean cuts of red meat such as top round, sirloin, and London broil average 240 calories per 3-oz serving compared with their fattier cousins: prime rib, T-bone, and filet mignon, which weigh in at 340 calories for the same-size portion. Then grill or saute them in olive oil spray instead of butter to cut calories even further.

For variety, try pork tenderloin or tuna steak as hearty red-meat substitutes. And explore other side dishes such as sweet potatoes and whole grain rice or pasta. They have the same starchy feel as potatoes but boost your fiber intake to fill you up faster.

Menu
The protein from meat and the carbohydrates from potatoes are a great way to control your hunger. And with a little planning, they can help control your waistline too.Breakfast
1 cup bran flakes
1/2 cup 1 percent milk
1/2 cup blueberries

A high-fiber breakfast will help move some of the fat and calories from last night's dinner out of your body.

Lunch
Ham sandwich:
2 slices whole wheat bread
1 oz reduced-fat Swiss cheese
2 oz turkey ham
1 roasted red bell pepper
Romaine lettuce
1/2 cup macaroni salad
1 medium banana

For fewer calories, ask if your deli prepares low-fat or fat-free side dishes.

Dinner
1 cup tomato soup made with 1 percent milk
1 serving Sauteed Steak and Mushrooms
1 serving Guilt-Free Scalloped Potatoes
1 cup steamed broccoli
If you stick to the 3-oz serving size, you can eat meat most days of the week.

Snack
1 apple
12 potato chips

Having a piece of fruit along with the chips can stop you from eating the whole bag.

Total: 1,530 calories; 51 g fat

Fast Food Fans
Drive-thru food is great because it's quick and it tastes good. But there are ways to get the "fast" without the fat. Many burger places offer grilled chicken sandwiches and salad bars. If fried chicken is your weakness, picking off the breading strips calories while retaining the flavor, says Susan McQuillan, RD, a registered dietitian in New York City.

Overall, sub shops are a pretty safe bet—if you go easy on the mayo. And your grocery store is a great place to pick up healthy convenience foods such as reduced-fat hot dogs, low-fat frozen dinners, or stir-fry ensembles for quick meals at home.

But when you just can't shake the craving, it's perfectly fine to hit your local hot dog stand or burger joint—just mini-size your meal.

Menu
To make losing weight easy, it has to fit into your busy lifestyle. Here are some options you can grab on the go.

Breakfast
8 oz fat-free plain yogurt
1/3 cup strawberries
1 slice whole wheat toast with
1 Tbsp fruit spread

Wash and slice fruit the night before, or thaw the frozen kind in your refrigerator overnight.

Lunch
1 fast-food hamburger
1 small order fast-food french fries
1 12-oz cola

For a more filling meal, load up on low-calorie extras such as tomatoes, lettuce, onion, and pickles.Dinner
3 fish sticks, frozen
1/2 cup spaghetti with marinara sauce tossed with
1/2 cup cooked spinach and
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 whole wheat roll

Jarred tomato sauces with vegetables are still pretty light on fiber. For more bulk, microwave frozen veggies, and add them to the sauce.

Snack
1 banana
4 oz orange juice

Total: 1,739 calories; 56 g fat

Junk Food Junkies
The trick to slimming down with junk food is to avoid eating the whole bag. You can get instant portion control by buying single-serving sizes of chips, sugary cereals, or candy bars.

Also choose "healthier" junk foods: flavored oatmeal instead of sugary cereals, a burrito instead of a hot dog, or toasted pita crisps and hummus instead of chips and dip.

Avoid starting your day with a doughnut or pastry, though. These sugary treats can leave you feeling hungry again very quickly. If you must have one, at least pair your goodie with a healthy food such as an apple to help you ward off the munchies later on.

Menu
Here, we give you the luxury of enjoying both sweet- and salty-tasting junk foods throughout the day.

Breakfast
1/2 grapefruit
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup 1 percent milk

For a few extra calories, try bananas and cream, French vanilla, or other "junkier" flavored oatmeal.

Lunch
Turkey sandwich:
2 slices whole grain bread
2 oz turkey breast
1 Tbsp light mayonnaise
1/2 tomato, sliced
Romaine lettuce
1/2 cup corn chips

Baked varieties of chips won't save you any calories if you eat a big bag of them.Dinner
2 beef burritos, frozen
1/2 cup corn kernels mixed with
1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper

Microwave and eat one burrito at a time. After the first, you may decide not to go back for seconds.

Snack
1 jelly doughnut
1 cup 1 percent milk

Smaller doesn't always mean better. One creme-filled doughnut has fewer calories than four doughnut holes.

Total: 1,560 calories; 52 g fat

Dessert-aholics
You can satisfy your sweet tooth with fewer calories if you make the right choices. Most fruits and some vegetables are naturally sweet, so take advantage of these low-calorie treasures.

Rich fruits such as mango and banana are especially thick and creamy, while grapes and strawberries can be frozen for a snack that lasts longer and tastes sweeter, says former Prevention Food Editor Regina Ragone, RD. Other foods such as yogurt, jams, some light cheeses, and foods spiced with cinnamon or vanilla extract, can add instant pleasure to a meal.

But the decadent sweets you also crave—chocolate, cheesecake, ice cream—have their place in weight loss too. If you keep portions reasonable, you can have 100-200 calories of dessert every day, says McQuillan.

Menu
You can indulge your sweet tooth at every meal. Since most of these foods are naturally sweet, you won't be going overboard on sugar.

Breakfast
6 oz orange juice
1/2 toasted cinnamon raisin English muffin topped with
2 Tbsp reduced-fat ricotta cheese

An English muffin packs fewer calories than a plain bagel, and it tastes sweeter because it has more sugar.Lunch
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich:
2 slices whole wheat bread
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1/4 cup jam
1/2 cup carrot-raisin salad

This yummy classic offers just the right mix of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, so you'll stay full for hours.

Dinner
1 roasted chicken drumstick
1 baked sweet potato topped with
1/3 cup crushed pineapple packed in juice
1 cup steamed broccoli topped with
1 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 Chocolate Indulgence

Canned fruits are a great way to add flavor and are more nutritious than honey or brown sugar.

Snack
1 cup low-fat fruit yogurt
For more satisfaction, toss in some berries.

Total: 1,644 calories; 45 g fat

Take Out Queen
When it comes to having take out, it's what you do with the meal that makes a difference. If you're eating only pizza, it's easy to gobble down three or four slices. But round out your meal with a quick homemade salad, and you'll eat less.

For Chinese food, simply transfer it from the paper container to a plate, leaving extra sauce (and calories) behind. And rather than filling your plate with too much of one thing, you're better off getting four 1/2-cup portions of everything you want at a place such as Boston Market, even if that includes a fattening dish such as stuffing. That way, you'll get a more appetizing variety of colors, nutrients, and calories.

Weight loss advantage: Once you're out of the restaurant, there's no going back for seconds.

Menu
Whether they're from your local doughnut shop, deli, or pizza place, convenience foods can also be slimming ones.

Breakfast
1 toasted 4-oz bagel spread with 2 Tbsp cream cheese
1 orange

The honey-raisin bran muffin may seem healthier, but chances are it contains no more fiber and is heavier on calories.

Lunch
2 cups mixed greens topped with 1/2 cup three-bean salad and 1/2 cup German potato salad
3 flatbread crackers

Beans and greens are a great way to get the fiber you missed at breakfast.Dinner
2 slices cheese pizza
2 cups lettuce with 1/2 cup beans

For fewer calories, order Sicilian. You're more likely to eat fewer slices of this extra thick pizza.

Snack
8 oz low-fat lemon yogurt
1 pear

Total: 1,728 calories; 45 g fat

Potentially Dangerous Diet Strategies

2009-01-08T22:15:00.000-08:00

Weight-Loss Drug Orlistat Approved for Purchase Without Prescription

2009-01-08T22:13:00.000-08:00

Lose Weight Without Dieting

2009-01-05T20:06:00.000-08:00

Many people struggling with their weight are what Stephen P. Gullo, Ph.D., a prominent weight loss expert in New York City, calls food therapists—people who use food to deal with stress and the problems of life.

"They have developed a one-word response to any and all problems: Eat!" says Dr. Gullo, author of Thin Tastes Better (Carol Southern Books, 1995).

It's not surprising that so many people use food as a tranquilizer, says Dori Winchell, Ph.D., a psychologist in private practice specializing in eating disorders in Encinitas, CA. "From the time you're a baby through childhood, whenever you're unhappy, someone soothes you with a cookie. We've been pairing emotions with eating for so long that it's little wonder we know anything else." What's more, admits Dr. Winchell, food works. "Food can create soothing changes in brain chemistry, and even the simple act of chewing will increase endorphins and ease your pain."

To top it off, the stress you feel when you're upset actually makes you feel hungry and creates body fat. Chronic stress from deadline pressures at work to painful baggage from your past triggers your body to increase the production of cortisol, the hormone that encourages fat storage, particularly around the belly. Your body also pumps increased adrenaline into your bloodstream, which makes your pancreas churn out insulin. That leads to incessant hunger, explains Pamela M. Peeke, M.D., M.PH., assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and author of the best-selling book Fight Fat After Forty (Viking Press, 2000).You eat for relief, which, unfortunately, lasts only as long as the last bite. Then the problems you were trying to solve with food suddenly reappear. (Surprise: They never went away.) And you feel like a failure: Not only didn't you solve your problems, you created a new one, right there around your waist!

The solution? Find tools besides a fork to attack emotional angst. In the time it takes to forage for your favorite quick-fix food, you can take steps to break the cycle, beat stress, eliminate emotional eating, and yes, finally drop that excess weight for good without even trying.

Feed Your Real Hunger
Sometimes food cravings mean you want food, but often, especially for emotional eaters, they're saying you want something else: It could be creative stimulation, companionship, or more satisfaction in life. That was true for Karen Jones (not her real name) of Rockville, MD, who shed 70 lb from her 210-lb frame when she identified her eating triggers as boredom, frustration, and loneliness. "I'd tried, and ultimately failed, countless diets," says Jones. "But once I understood why I was eating and started confronting those issues head-on, the weight came off without any diet at all." Not sure what you're actually "hungry" for? Here's how to figure it out and "feed" it.

Play detective. Keep a food journal, suggests eating expert Joan Chrisler, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Connecticut College in New London. "Every time you reach for food, write down what you eat and how you were feeling. Bored? Frustrated? Happy? Before long, you'll see a pattern. Then you can start to break it."

Shop for some stimulants. Do you eat when you're bored? Time to make a new "grocery" list, says Dr. Chrisler. Buy inexpensive, accessible things such as books, CDs, and tapes or DVDs of favorite films that provide the emotional lift you're seeking from food. Keep them handy, and turn to them when you're down.

Make a human connection. "For some people, food is love," says Prevention columnist Edward M. Hallowell, MD, psychiatry instructor at Harvard Medical School. "You may be hungry for feeling, closeness, and companionship." Or, like Karen, you eat to escape painful feelings. "Make a human connection instead," suggests Dr. Hallowell. "Call your best friend." Make sure you pick someone who makes you feel good. If you have issues with a parent or friend, calling them could lead you to finish off an entire row of cookies.

Create new habits. Many people eat every time there's a lull, such as during TV commercials, says eating disorders expert Sandra Haber, Ph.D., adjunct associate clinical professor at Adelphi University's Derner Institute in New York City. Be prepared for those lulls. "Keep manicure supplies, stacks of empty photo albums, or a cross-stitch project by the TV for something to do," she suggests. Even better, find a hobby. When you're engrossed in something you love, you forget all about eating, especially if you're active. Falling in love with bicycling, for instance, has helped Karen Jones maintain her new 140-lb figure.

Head toward your dreams. Maybe you're hungering for a big change, such as a more satisfying career. Go for it, one little step at a time. "Take a class at a community college, or just start talking to people in that field. Moving toward goals is exhilarating," says Dr. Peeke, who saw one client drop 60 lb once she left a safe but unfulfilling job and pursued her dreams to be a caterer.

Rethink your rewards. Like most people, you probably eat to celebrate happiness too. (Don't most happy occasions involve eating?) Find new, affordable rewards such as earrings or tickets to a play or movie.

Put Down Your Pain
Suppressed emotional pain can show up as excess pounds, even if that pain is from your deep past, says Dr. Winchell. Research shows that bad childhood experiences can lead to self-nurturing with food. You can't change the past, but you can improve the present. Here's how.

Confront the here and now. "If dwelling on the past burned calories, no woman would be overweight," says Dr. Peeke. "Instead of ruminating, take action." If your mother was abusive, resolve to be a better mother yourself. If certain relatives upset you, limit your time with them. And if you need help, get therapy. "When you confront your pain head-on, it gives you control of it, so you don't need food," says Karen Jones.

Speak up. "We all want harmony, but achieving true harmony doesn't mean stuffing down feelings—and food—like many women do," says Dr. Haber. "It means speaking up and letting the people in your life know how you feel. Finding that courage is empowering," she says, and it can help you deal both with the people in your life and food.

Rewrite history. "When was the last time you succeeded, laughed, or had a great time?" asks Dr. Winchell. "How did you feel? Rewrite your mental history books to focus on those moments, and you'll spend less time eating your sorrows away." School, work, and society teach us to concentrate on our mistakes, so we can correct them. The result: We remember all the bad stuff. Every time a bad memory pops up, replace it with a good one. You'll feel better about your life.

Make nice with yourself. For a day, pretend you have a cartoon bubble over your head, and catch everything you say to yourself, suggests Dr. Haber. Write it down, and read it back. Negative self-talk keeps you buried in your pain. "Keep saying you're fat and lazy, and it's little wonder that you hide away and feed yourself junk," she says. Instead, offer yourself the same encouragement you'd give to a friend. It feels artificial at first, but when you catch yourself saying something mean, stop, and make it nice.

Feed your soul. Nurturing your spiritual self is a way to heal pain and lose weight. In surveys by The Solution, a weight loss program that focuses on skills in self-nurturing and limit setting, program founder Laurel Mellin, RD, the author of a book by the same name (The Solution, Regan, 1998) found that the 73 percent of participants who developed a deeper sense of spirituality were more likely to maintain their weight loss and lost seven times as much weight as those who didn't gain spiritual depth. Church is one place to find spiritual purpose, but there are other places to look. "Try volunteering," says Dr. Peeke. "Serve food at a shelter. Help an adult learn to read. When you teach someone else, you learn to believe in yourself. You also get in touch with your human spirit."

Step toward success. Don't let the fact that kids used to taunt you for being fat define you, says Dr. Peeke. "Say, 'Okay, I have a problem with weight, but that doesn't make me a terrible person.' Focus on something you do well. When you succeed at something, your self-worth increases, and you feel able to succeed in other areas of life, too."

Learn to Relax
To completely conquer emotional eating, you need to trump stress, the source of anxiety and artificial food cravings. "I was amazed to learn that all my pangs didn't mean I was really hungry," says Naomi Henderson, 58, an entrepreneur in Bethesda, MD, who found herself growing along with her new company. "I'd eat a full meal and be ravenous 45 minutes later! All my cravings were from stress." Stress-taming tricks such as beginning each day with a 20-minute blissful bath instead of a hurry-up shower helped her drop from a size 18 to a 12.

Of course, tried-and-true stress blasters such as steamy baths and good books help douse stress for the moment. But to really give it the heave-ho, you need to stress-proof your body with lasting relaxation exercises. Two of the best: yoga and meditation. These practices use deep breathing and mental concentration to make you more aware of your body and emotions. Deep-breathing relaxation exercises also affect your body's physiology, lowering blood pressure and slowing heart rate, making it easier to distance yourself from the everyday worries that trigger stress and overeating.There are many variations of meditation. Some require professional instruction; others are extremely simple.Or try yoga. Yoga classes and videotapes are available nearly everywhere.

Tips to Stop Emotional Eating
# During down times, remember good times: Stick old photos in albums instead of eating chocolates.
# Comfort yourself with a new pair of shoes. They'll look better on you than the extra weight you'll gain from a Boston cream doughnut.
# Keep a little project near the TV to avoid eating during commercial breaks. This one will really pay off.

Weight: A Mid-life Crisis

2009-01-05T20:00:00.000-08:00

When Bonnie came to the crossroads of mid-life, she stopped for a minute to take stock of her life. It was time to get healthy or continue down the path of self-neglect.

"I had babies and I fed myself. I was very good to myself, and then I went, uumph!"
I am not even five feet tall, so my normal weight should be about 100 pounds. When I had my first child I went to 130 pounds. Then with the next child I went to 150 pounds. With each pregnancy I worked my way back to 115 pounds, but it took up to three years to get there. My last child was premature, she weighed four pounds and I gained maybe 40 pounds. I was almost 40 when I had that baby and that is when I realized losing the weight was going to be incredibly hard. My hormones had changed, and I did everything that I could do to lose weight. I didn't binge and purge, but I would starve myself and deprive myself.

"When I became middle aged I thought there were two ways to go: get fat or get fit."
When you are a woman mid 40s-50s, you either go this way or that way. You either address the issue that your biological body is changing and has changed forever, or you ignore it and you can be an overweight, unhappy, middle aged woman.

A woman has the greatest disadvantage because of her hormones -- they shut down. You have reproductive time, but when your reproductive season is over, it doesn't mean that your body is over. It means that it is different, and you have to address those differences. Insomnia, menopause, weight gain -- what do you do about that? You don't ignore it. You address it. You find out what is right for you. Study, research, share with friends, pay attention and keep a journal.

"Being a naturalist, I looked for a natural way to help with weight loss."
An herb that came out about seven years ago called Hoodia worked for me, but I also learned that your body needs to eat. You can never lose weight by not eating. You have to eat and you have to eat smart. I drink soy protein drinks, and I eat very well, very naturally.

"Any movement counts."
A dear friend of mine, her husband is a paraplegic. He is a fine artist and amazing, but he is also as big as my finger. One day I said, "Gee, he is so thin," and she said, "Do you see what he is doing? He is sitting in the chair wiggling. His doctor says that he burns 4,200 calories a day just through his wiggles." I thought to myself, if I sit there and read a book and shake my hand, can I lose weight? Yes! Any movement counts.

The last part that I do for myself as a woman is dance. I dance every single day of my life. I dance in front of a mirror, I do yoga, I do tai chi, I do movement to music because it makes me feel sensual, and that is important to me. I hope I do it until I am 90.

"I stripped down and looked myself over."
I taught acting for many years and one of the exercises was what I called an act of accountability. It is scary, but it's a moment of truth. You shut the door and you don't tell anyone what you are going to do. You strip naked and assess what you have. But instead of going "I hate my hips," look at what is beautiful. There are more lovely things happening in a woman's body than there are things that are horrible.

"This is a marvelous time of life."
I have lost about 30 pounds, and I feel better and more youthful than I did when I was young.

America's Worst Lunches - And What You Should Eat Instead

2009-01-05T19:53:00.000-08:00

If you’re like two thirds of working Americans, you pick up lunch from a fast food joint or restaurant at least once a week. Sure, it’s not as healthy as packing your own celery sticks, but eating out every once in a while can’t hurt, right?

Not so fast: There might be trouble in the drive-thru lane.

Not only could the window worker pile an entire day’s worth of calories through your car window, but you might also be sapping your energy and productivity: Carb overloads lead to energy spikes and crashes, and studies have shown that the bigger your waistline, the lower your cognitive functioning and the more sick days you take.

Kind of ironic, considering "convenience" is the most common reason people give for buying lunch during the workday. In this economy, it’s hardly convenient to snore through the 2 o’clock meeting, or miss a few crucial days when the boss is looking for you.

A healthy lunch can help you maximize your afternoon performance, but if you’re in a hurry to grab and go, you might not take the time to sort through the menu hits and misses. Let the Eat This, Not That! folks be your efficiency experts: DON’T order the following items. Opt instead for less outrageous alternatives (also below), and reap the benefits at bonus time.

QUIZNO’S
Large Prime Rib Cheesesteak Sub
1,770 calories
116 g fat (25 g saturated, 2.5 g trans)
2,895 mg sodium

Fat Equivalent: Like eating 5 Dunkin Donuts cheese danishes!

It’s hard enough to make the argument for one cheese Danish, but five? And we’re just talking fat, here — with more than 1,000 calories of the stuff in just one sandwich. You’re also be filling up with more than a day’s worth of sodium and saturated fat. While this is one of the worst items you could choose, the rest of the Quizno’s menu has hazards, as well.

But if your coworkers insist on eating there, order this:

Regular Turkey Ranch and Swiss Sub with reduced fat Ranch
590 calories
18 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
2,235 mg sodium

CHILI’S
Crispy Honey Chipotle Crispers
1,890 calories
99 g fat (19 g saturated)
3,470 mg sodium

Calorie Equivalent: Like eating an entire medium Pizza Hut 12" pepperoni pizza!

If you have the time for a sit-down meal, you have the time to think this through. Chicken Crispers are fun, but account for almost a whole day’s worth of calories and almost two days' worth of sodium.

Your smarter choice is to eat this instead:

Classic Chicken Fajitas
330 calories
11 g fat (2 saturated)
2,080 mg sodium

And another hint for a healthy sit-down lunch: forgo the appetizers. Chili’s Texas Cheese Fries with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing made the top of our list when we rounded up the worst appetizers money can buy. Check out the other appetizer land-mines here. You'll be shocked.

ARBY’S
Roast Turkey Ranch and Bacon Sandwich
818 calories
38 g fat (11 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)
2,146 mg sodium

Calorie Equivalent: Like eating 23 Thin Mints (one whole sleeve)!

Just because you could prepare it at home doesn’t mean it’s good for you when you order it away from home — the Roast Turkey Ranch and Bacon Sandwich packs nearly half of your daily allowance of calories and almost an entire day’s dose of sodium. Doesn’t leave much room for anything else, does it?

Eat this instead:

Sourdough Roast Beef Melt
355 calories
14 g fat (5 g saturated, 1 trans)
1,047 mg of sodium

DAIRY QUEEN
Wild Buffalo Chicken Strip Basket (4 piece)
1,340 calories
96 g fat (18 g saturated)
4,820 mg sodium

Sodium Equivalent: Like eating 14 large orders of McDonald’s French fries!

Talk about a value meal: one Chicken Strip Basket gives you two days' payload of sodium! If thinking about it doesn’t elevate your blood pressure, eating it might. Take a peek at this list of the 20 saltiest foods in America to learn about other high-sodium restaurant meals that contribute to our country’s increasing daily salt intake. Don’t become a statistic.

Eat this instead:

Crispy Chicken Sandwich
530 calories
29 g fat (4.5 g saturated, 3 g trans)
1,020 mg sodium

PANERA
Italian Combo on Ciabatta sandwich
1,070 calories
50 g fat (19 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)
3,010 mg of sodium

Fat Equivalent: Like eating 6 slices of Papa John’s cheese pizza!

You were on the right track in choosing Panera, but don’t be sidelined by the allure of the Italian Combo. Ciabatta bread may sound sophisticated, but you won’t look so refined when you’re lugging that spare Pirelli around your midsection.

Eat this instead:

Smoked Turkey Breast on Sourdough sandwich
470 calories
17 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
1,680 mg sodium

CHIPOTLE
13” Tortilla with steak, black beans, rice, cheese, sour cream and lettuce
1,005 calories
40 g fat (17 g saturated)
1,948 mg sodium

Calorie Equivalent: Like eating 40 Hershey’s Kisses!

The good news about this tortilla is that it contains 57 grams of protein, but that’s hardly worth the outrageous calorie and carbohydrate load — with 100 grams of carbs, you’ve already covered a third of your recommended daily intake, plus you’re taking in nearly a day’s worth of sodium and saturated fat. Downsize to drop pounds.

Eat this instead:

Three hard tacos with steak, pinto beans, sour cream and lettuce
633 calories
25 g fat (11 g saturated)
854 mg sodium

(Another hint: When it comes to Chipotle chips, just say "no." They add an outrageous 570 calories and 73 extra grams of carbs.)

HARDEE’S
2/3-lb Monster Thickburger
1,420 calories
108 g fat (43 g saturated)
2,770 mg sodium

Saturated Fat Equivalent: Like eating 43 strips of Oscar Mayer bacon!

It’s called Monster for a reason. It’s a monster load of saturated fat (more than two days’ worth). The good news is that it has a friendlier, healthier cousin in the 1/3-lb Low-Carb Thickburger, with 1,000 fewer calories and a third the amount of fat. Even better, the Low-Carb Thickburger is true to its name — it only has 5 grams of quick-burning carbohydrates, compared to 46 grams in the Monster.

Eat this instead:

1/3-lb Low-Carb Thickburger
420 calories
32 g fat (12 g saturated)
1,010 mg sodium

BURGER KING
Triple Whopper Sandwich with cheese and mayo
1,230 calories
82 g fat (32 g saturated)
1,590 mg sodium

Fat Equivalent: Like eating 10 slices of Papa John’s cheese pizza!

You should know by now not to order a triple anything. In this case you're getting egregious calorie, fat, and sodium overloads. It’s not bad, though, compared to the shockers on our list of the trans-fattiest foods in America and our dishonor role of the fattiest restaurant foods. Choose a regular cheeseburger instead and slash 900 calories, 66 g of fat, and save yourself from the judgmental stares of your coworkers, who are three times as likely to be grossed out!

Eat this instead:

Cheeseburger
330 calories
16 g fat (7 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)
780 mg sodium

And once you’ve navigated lunch’s landmines, don’t blow your day with a bad dinner.

America's Best and Worst Burgers

2009-01-05T19:49:00.000-08:00

The burger industry in America is looking more and more like an arms race these days. Every few months, we watch in horror as another bacon-enhanced, cheese-embalmed, ranch-riddled weapon of mass inflation hits menu boards at the country’s largest restaurant chains.

The Baconator, the Monster Thickburger, the FlameThrower — they sound like weapons, not something you’d order for dinner.

What makes our hamburger habit particularly scary is the Super Size Phenomenon, which for years has been mutating our burgers into double burgers and our double burgers into 1,250-calorie Triple Whoppers with Cheese.

A 1957 burger contained little more than one ounce of meat, but by 1997 that same meat wad had grown to six ounces. Stack one of the bloated burgers out there next to a beverage like those among these unhealthiest drinks in America and you’re risking two days' worth of calories in a single, misguided meal.

Each year Americans eat about 40 billion burgers, which means that each of us downs nearly 150 of them. Choose better burgers, and you can save 10 or 15 pounds over the course of a year.

To get you started on your own burger war, we’ve compiled a list of the seven greasiest patties ever to be sandwiched between two buns. But because we understand you still need your burger fix, we’ve thrown in five of our favorites that you can eat with relative impunity (along with a delicious burger recipe at the end of this post).

Chili’s Smokehouse Bacon Triple-The-Cheese Big Mouth Burger with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing
2,040 calories
150 g fat (53 g saturated)
110 g protein
4,900 mg sodium

You know this burger's in trouble when it takes more than 20 syllables just to identify it. If you think the name’s a mouthful, just wait until the burger hits the table. You’ll be face to face with two-and-a-half day’s worth of fat — a full third of which is saturated. To do that much damage with roasted sirloin, you’d have to eat about eight 6-ounce steaks. It’s nearly three days’ worth of saturated fat.

T.G.I. Friday’s Cheesy Bacon Cheeseburger
1,590 calories
unknown g fat
unknown mg sodium

Although Friday’s is mum on the fat and sodium, it takes only one number to realize that this burger suffers from bigger-is-better syndrome. T.G.I. Friday's average burger has 1,250 calories, and their appetizers are some of the toughest in the country to swallow, calorie-wise, as we've shown with this America’s worst appetizers list.

Red Robbin A.1. Peppercorn Burger
1,440 calories
97 g fat

There’s hardly a burger on Red Robin’s menu that contains fewer than a thousand calories. What pushes this particular burger to the position of worst — aside from the gratuitous use of cheese and bacon — is the bed of fried onion straws wedged between patty and bun. Now we’re beginning to understand why, while researching the story 16 Secrets the Restaurant Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know, it may have taken Red Robin so long to come clean about the impact of its burgers.

Denny’s Double Cheeseburger
1,540 calories
116 g fat (52 g saturated, 7 g trans)
3,880 mg sodium

Add this to our ever-expanding list of the Trans-Fattiest Foods in America. (This burger has more than three days' worth of the stuff.) In fact, with as much saturated fat as 52 strips of bacon and more sodium than 21 small bags of Lay’s potato chips, this burger also belongs on the salt-packed list of 20 Foods Your Cardiologist Wouldn’t Eat.

Dairy Queen ½ lb. FlameThrower GrillBurger
1,140 calories
82 g fat (27 g saturated, 1.5 g trans)
1,940 mg sodium

Regular consumption of the FlameThrower will torch any hopes you have of losing weight. This potential aortic uh-oh contains 60 percent more calories than the Bacon Cheddar Grillburger and more than twice as many calories as DQ’s own Double Hamburger.

Hardee’s Two-Third Pound Monster Thickburger
1,420 calories
108 g fat (43 g saturated)
2,770 mg sodium

Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. take a misplaced pride in their shamelessly caloric approach to everything they put under a heat lamp, which is probably reason enough for some to find another place to eat. Need more motivation? Many of their burgers break the perilous 1,000-calorie barrier; their worst bun-buster has nearly 75 percent of your entire day’s calories and as much fat as a dozen Taco Bell soft tacos.

Ruby Tuesday Bella Turkey Burger
1,057 calories
65 g fat

The scariest part about this burger is how completely harmless it sounds: a slice of Swiss melted over sautéed mushrooms and ground turkey. Yet somehow Ruby Tuesday manages to slick it up with as much fat as five Baby Ruth bars. The kid’s version of this — the Turkey Mini — has an astounding 893 calories, earning it the No. 7 spot in our list of the 20 Worst Kid’s Meals in America. (To find out what’s best (and worst) for your kids at the nation’s big restaurant chains, check out this revealing report first.)

THE EAT THIS! BURGER HALL OF FAME

DQ Original Burger
350 calories
14 g fat (7 g saturated)
680 mg sodium

Wendy’s Quarter-Pound Single
430 calories
20 g fat (7 g saturated)
870 mg sodium

Burger King Whopper Jr. w/o mayo
370 calories
21 g fat (6 g saturated)
570 mg sodium

McDonald’s Quarter Pounder
410 calories
19 g fat (7 g saturated)
730 mg sodium

In-N-Out Protein-Style Protein-Style Cheeseburger
330 calories
25 g fat (9 g saturated)
720 mg sodium

And to make your very own gourmet burger at home with great supermarket brands — with just 350 calories and $3.79 a serving — check out this great recipe.

After you’ve conquered the burger field, make sure to nail down the rest of the all-time best restaurant swaps while you’re at it. With knowledge and discipline, you can eat all of your favorite foods — without ever being on a diet — and still lose weight!

America's Worst Mall Foods!

2009-01-05T19:46:00.000-08:00

It’s that time of year again, when you’re logging more hours than ever at the mall. Blame stress, blame shopping fatigue, or blame the irresistible smell of food-court treats slamming your senses from the minute you walk in the door—whatever the reason, you’ll probably end up chowing down at the mall during your shopping trip.

Here’s the danger: Studies have shown that the more temptation people resist, the harder it becomes to continue resisting. That means after hours of being surrounded by last-minute sales, special offers and life-changing, one-time deals, your ability to resist the enticing edibles of the mall food court may be severely compromised. And considering the industrial-strength calorie bombs we uncovered while researching the Eat This, Not That! series, a lack of willpower in the presence of mall eateries can be a very dangerous thing.

Fortunately, we’ve developed a guide to help you navigate the nutritional pitfalls that pollute nearly every mall food court in America. What follows is a list of the worst foods we discovered in our scramble to save shoppers serious calories in the holiday season. Proceed with caution.

WORST CHINESE MEAL
Panda Express
Orange Chicken
500 calories
27 g fat (5.5 g saturated, 1 g trans)
42 g carbs
810 mg sodium

FAT EQUIVALENT: 9 strips of Oscar Mayer Bacon!

Compared to other traditional Chinese meals (think multi-serving takeout boxes of carb-loaded lo mein), 500 calories doesn’t seem so bad. But consider the source—one small serving of Panda Express orange chicken usually comes with a second entrée (add another 300-400 calories) and a side of rice (add 450 calories if you choose the fried variety, 380 for the steamed). Make it a double serving of orange chicken and a side of fried rice and you’ve just consumed 75 percent of your day’s calories in one moment of weakness.

Eat This Instead:
Broccoli Beef
150 calories
7 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
510 mg sodium
11 g carbs

WORST SNACK
Auntie Anne’s
Glazin’ Raisin Pretzel
510 calories
107 g carbs
4 g fat (2 g saturated)
480 mg sodium

CALORIC EQUIVALENT: 2 slices of Pizza Hut cheese pizza!

It’s hard to consider this meal. Not all of Auntie Anne’s options are this heavy, though. The jalapeno pretzel (without butter) is a reasonable-sized snack that can give you the energy boost you need to make it through your shopping spree, without loading you down and threatening your waistline.

Eat This Instead:
Jalapeno Pretzel, no butter
270 calories
58 g carbs
1 g fat (0 g saturated)
780 mg sodium

WORST SLICE OF PIZZA
Sbarro
Stuffed Pepperoni Pizza, 1 slice
890 calories
g fat: unknown
mg sodium: unknown

CALORIC EQUIVALENT: 3 Snickers bars!

It’s probably no surprise that a pizza labeled “stuffed” would pack a caloric punch—but 890 calories for a single slice? You’d have to eat 3 Snickers bars, or 20 Chicken McNuggets, or 15 KFC Hot Wings to match that load. And that’s not even taking into account what are surely stratospheric fat and sodium counts. (Sbarro’s doesn’t release full nutritional information for their menu items. Check out what other dirty little secrets your favorite restaurants are hiding in this eye-popping expose!)

Eat This Instead!
New York Style Thin Crust Cheese, 1 slice
460 calories

WORST SIDE
Steak Escape
Ranch and Bacon Fries
1,044 calories
71 g fat
1,398 mg sodium
84 g carbs

CALORIC EQUIVALENT: 23 McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets!

Consuming half your day’s allowance of calories in one meal is bad enough—but in one side dish? Claiming innocence will never hold up in a Food Court of Law, though—not when a flood of ranch, a flurry of bacon, and a mountain of fried potatoes are involved. Until some nutritionally savvy company starts baking their fries in the oven, you’ll need to seek out alternative treatments to get your spud fix.

Eat This Instead:
Smashed Potatoes
246 calories
0 g fat
43 mg sodium
53 g carbs

WORST DRINK
Smoothie King
Grape Expectations II (40 oz)
1,096 calories
0 g fat (0 g saturated)
266 g carbs
250 g sugars

SUGAR EQUIVALENT: 13 Dunkin’ Donuts Chocolate Frosted Donuts!

Smoothie King calls this a way to “snack right”; we call it one of the quickest ways to pack on extra pounds. Even if most of the sugar comes from some form of fruit or fruit juice (in this case, ultra-sweet grape juice), the resulting blood-sugar surge (and inevitable energy crash) from this much sweetness may leave you struggling to find that last gift for Aunt Elma.

Drink This Instead:
Slim-N-Trim Orange-Vanilla 20 oz
250 calories
1 g fat (0 g saturated)
46 g carbs
38 g sugars

WORST BREAKFAST
Cinnabon
Regular Caramel Pecanbun
1,100 calories
56 g fat (10 g saturated, 5 g trans)
141 g carbs
47 g sugars

CALORIC EQUIVALENT: 8 White Castle hamburgers

Cinnabon and malls are inseparable. Consider it a symbiotic relationship: Researchers have found that men are turned on by the smell of cinnamon rolls, and further studies have shown that men are more likely to spend money when they’re thinking about sex. But just because Cinnabon might be good for the Gap doesn’t mean it’s at all good for you. This dangerously bloated bun—among these Fattiest Foods in America—contains nearly an entire day’s worth of fat and more than half of your daily allotment of calories. Reconsider your breakfast or snack options, but if you absolutely must eat something, make it Stix.

Eat This Instead:
Cinnabon Stix
379 calories
21 g fat (6 g saturated, 4 g trans)
41 g carbs
14 g sugars

WORST SOUP
Au Bon Pain
Large Macaroni and Cheese Stew with Bread Bowl
1,120 calories
42 g fat (19 g saturated, 1 g trans)
3,070 mg sodium
157 g carbs

SODIUM EQUIVALENT: 22 small orders of McDonald’s French Fries!

Whether it’s made from a giant fried tortilla or a massive hunk of sourdough, if you’re serving vessel is edible, you’re asking for trouble. In this case, the bread bowl adds a belly-building 600 calories to what is already one of America’s most decadent, over-the-top spoonables. If soup’s your thing, you’ll have a hard time keeping the sodium down no matter which bowl you order; good, old-fashioned tomato soup is as good as you’ll do at Au Bon Pain.

Eat This Instead:
Medium Old Fashioned Tomato Soup
200 calories
7 g fat (3 g saturated)
1,150 mg sodium
27 g carbs

WORST MALL FOOD IN AMERICA
Quizno’s
Large Tuna Melt Club with cheese and dressing
1,820 calories
147 g fat (27 g saturated, 1.5 g trans)
2,020 mg sodium
85 g carbs

CALORIC EQUIVALENT: 12 Taco Bell Fresco Style Beef Tacos!

Tuna off the grill or straight from the can is perfectly healthy; tuna drowning in mayonnaise, blanketed in melted cheese, and slicked with oily dressing is decidedly not. Not only does this sandwich carry with it nearly an entire day’s worth of calories and sodium, it also contains as much fat as 49 strips of bacon. In fact, it’s so bad that it will replace Quizno’s Classic Italian in our list of the 20 Worst Foods in America when we update it for 2009.

Eat This Instead:
Small Tuna Melt, no cheese, no dressing
500 calories
33 g fat (5 g saturated)
630 mg sodium
37 g carbs

Plan to have the little ones in tow this shopping season? Make sure they’re eating at the best possible places by checking out our list of the Best and Worst Restaurants for Kids.

Better yet, skip the restaurants now and then, and live off the healthiest staples in the supermarket. You’ll find them here.

America's Worst (and Best) Salads

2009-01-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

It takes a uniquely American brand of innovation to transform a healthy helping of produce into a green monster.

No meal on the planet carries a healthier reputation than salad, and because of that, our fast food merchants know they can hide gobs of fat-riddled toppings amidst the foliage. So most of today’s salad entrees are swimming in as much fat and sodium as a heaping plate of cheese fries — and that’s before the greens are drowned in dressing.

Though we’ve uncovered a long list of nutritional ruses perpetrated by the food industry in such Eat This, Not That! reports as Health Foods That Aren’t, the lard-bearing salad is perhaps the most troubling trend of all.

Looking to capitalize on our belief in the almighty leaf, restaurants and fast-food chains have loaded their menus with dubious salads, and diners are grazing away, like sheep before the slaughter. Reports from the National Restaurant Association and the USDA show salad sales up by as much as 50% over the past decade.

So how did the salad leap from a nutritional boon to a full-blown health hazard? Over the past decade the restaurant industry has surreptitiously merged our growing affinity for greens with two other scary restaurant trends — bigger portions and more fried foods.

That’s why today’s fresh produce increasingly is freighted with more crumbled cheese, greasy bacon, pan-browned beef, and oily dressing. The one-time rabbit food now looks a lot more like pig slop.

With that in mind, we’ve developed a lineup of the most egregious veggie offenders, along with a few great salads that can guide your own green revolution. We urge you to pick your lettuce carefully.

On the Border’ Grande Taco Salad w/Taco Beef and Smoked Chipotle Vinaigrette Dressing
1,680 calories
121 g fat (40 g saturated)
2,660 mg sodium

When a restaurant exchanges the salad bowls with a deep-fried tortilla trough, you know something’s amiss. With as much saturated fat as 40 strips of bacon (two days’ worth) and more calories than 11 Taco Bell Fresco Beef Tacos, this abdomen expander earns a well-deserved spot on our list of The 20 Worst Foods in America, 2008.

Chevy’s Fresh Mex’s Tostada Salad with Chicken
1,551 calories
94 g fat (37 g saturated)
2,840 mg sodium

Steer clear of Mexican-themed salads; they invariably suffer from the caloric impact of fried tortillas, shredded cheese, and ice-cream-size scoops of sour cream. This particular Mex mess has nearly two days' worth of saturated fat and more than an entire day’s sodium, putting it on par with the brackish bites that round out our list of the 20 Saltiest Foods in America.

Chili’s Caesar Salad w/ Grilled Chicken & Caesar Dressing
1,010 calories
76 g fat (13 g saturated)
1,910 mg sodium

The top three words you never want to see sharing a space with “salad” on a menu: tuna, taco, and yes, the mighty Caesar. Consider that tangle of romaine a hapless vehicle for the troubling trinity of croutons, parmesan cheese, and viscous Caesar dressing. Chili’s version is the worst; the elephantine portion yields a salad with more fat than a dozen Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches from Breyers. (Maybe Brutus was right to take a knife to him, after all.)

Einstein Bros. Bros Bistro Salad with Chicken
940 calories
71 g fat (12 g saturated)
810 mg sodium

Chicken, mixed greens, walnuts, raspberry vinaigrette: Sounds like good eating, right? Too bad the walnuts are candied, the dressing alone has 14 grams of fat, and the leaves are strewn with salty hunks of Gorgonzola cheese. Want a survival plan? Ask for a half salad and politely decline the free bagel. Then make sure that next time you have a few tricks up your sleave by learning the secrets to losing weight while still eating restaurant food!

Macaroni Grill’s Seared Sea Scallops Salad
1,320 calories
91 g fat (25 g saturated)
2,860 mg sodium

Macaroni Grill manages to take two normally healthy foods — salad and seafood — and turn them into the caloric equivalent of 29 Chicken McNuggets. Not to mention more than one day’s worth of sodium, fat, and saturated fat. There’s an important lesson here: Sea creatures, just like leafy greens, are at grave risk when they fall into the hands of the restaurant industry.

Quizno’s Chicken with Honey Mustard Flatbread Salad
1,110 calories
74 g fat (14.5 g saturated)
2030 mg sodium

Surprised to see a Quizno’s salad with nearly as many calories as five packages of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups? Don’t be. Half the salads on the menu top 1,000 calories, and 330 of those calories come from the flatbread alone. (See if Quizno’s and your other favorite eateries make the grade with this handy Restaurant Report Card. Note: several well-know restaurants score an ‘F’!)

T.G.I. Fridays Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad
1360 calories
Fat: unknown (The company refuses to disclose the nutritional content of the food they’re serving you.)
Sodium: unknown

Turns out Friday’s monster salads aren’t much better than their burgers. Six out of the seven we analyzed topped out with more than 900 calories, which means that lunchtime can be the start of something big — namely, your belly.

SALAD HALL OF FAME:

McDonald’s Premium Asian Salad with Grilled Chicken
300 calories
10 g fat (1 g saturated)
890 mg sodium

Panera Classic Café Salad
400 calories
11 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
270 mg sodium

Au Bon Pain Butternut Squash Salad
280 calories
6 g fat (4 g saturated)
570 mg sodium

Jack in the Box Southwest Chicken Salad with Grilled Chicken Strips
310 calories
12 g fat (5 g saturated)
840 mg sodium

Carl’s Jr. Charbroiled Chicken Salad
330 calories
8 g fat (3.5 g saturated)
580 mg sodium

Denny’s Grilled Chicken Salad Deluxe
290 calories
10 g fat (5 g saturated)
770 mg sodium

Arby’s Martha’s Vineyard Salad
272 calories
9 g fat (4 g saturated)
609 mg sodium

Now that you’ve been warned of the greenest nutrition follies in the nation, check your starters and drinks as well, with our the Worst Appetizers in America and Unhealthiest Drinks in America reports. You just can’t be too careful when you’ve got a fork in your hand!

The Truth About Diet Soda

2009-01-05T19:35:00.000-08:00

We talk a lot about ''watching what we eat,'' but if you never gave a thought to what you ate and instead watched only what you drank, you could probably cut 450 calories a day out of your life. (Yes, nearly a pound of fat loss a week!) That's what a study from the University of North Carolina found. Americans today drink about 192 gallons of liquid a year—or about 2 liters a day. To put it into perspective, this is nearly twice as many calories as we did 30 years ago.

When confronted with the growing tide of calories from sweetened beverages, the first response is, “Why not just drink diet soda?” Well, for a few reasons:

Just because diet soda is low in calories doesn't mean it can't lead to weight gain.

It may have only 5 or fewer calories per serving, but emerging research suggests that consuming sugary-tasting beverages--even if they're artificially sweetened--may lead to a high preference for sweetness overall. That means sweeter (and more caloric) cereal, bread, dessert--everything.

Guzzling these drinks all day long forces out the healthy beverages you need.

Diet soda is 100 percent nutrition-free, and again, it's just as important to actively drink the good stuff as it is to avoid that bad stuff. So one diet soda a day is fine, but if you're downing five or six cans, that means you're limiting your intake of healthful beverages, particularly water and tea.

There remain some concerns over aspartame, the low-calorie chemical used to give diet sodas their flavor.

Aspartame is 180 times sweeter than sugar, and some animal research has linked consumption of high amounts of the sweetener to brain tumors and lymphoma in rodents. The FDA maintains that the sweetener is safe, but reported side effects include dizziness, headaches, diarrhea, memory loss, and mood changes. Bottom line: Diet soda does you no good, and it might just be doing you wrong.

The best way to hydrate is by drinking low-calorie, high-nutrient fluids—and avoiding belt-busting beverages like the 20 Unhealthiest Drinks in America.

Now that you have a hold on your liquid assets, upgrade the rest of your grocery list by avoiding the 13 Worst "Healthy" Foods in the Supermarket. With so many items to choose from, it's easier to fall victim to packaged food lies than you think.

5 Secrets to Staying Thin Through the Holidays

2008-12-08T22:08:00.000-08:00

If you’re anything like the average American, you’re nearly a pound heavier after Thanksgiving than you were the day before. That’s because you just ate your way through the most calorie-riddled day of the year.

Between breakfast, snacks, drinks, desserts and the feast itself, the average person consumes more than 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving - more than twice your recommended intake.

Now here's the worse part: Between now and New Year's, you’ll eat on average an extra 600 calories per day! That means gaining an addition six pounds heading into the new year - if you're not careful. Here are 5 fitness secrets that will not only help you shed that Turkey Day bloat, but will keep you lean and fit throughout the holidays.

1. Volunteer to do the dishes. Studies show that the energy you burn outside the gym (called "nonexercise activity thermogenesis," or N.E.A.T., for you science buffs out there) can be greater than what you're burning during your regimented exercise routines.

Raise your N.E.A.T. by simply staying on your feet and doing some sort of activity - like helping out in the kitchen - instead of heading right to the couch. Another reason to take a stand against weight gain: Sitting shuts down your fat burners, according to University of Missouri scientists. After examining the muscle tissue of people being active and of those kicking back, the researchers concluded that parking your butt switches off an enzyme that prevents fat storage. Keep in mind, you burn one more calorie per minute when standing than when you are sitting.

2. After eating wait 2 hours, then go for a walk or run. It’ll help keep you out of the leftovers. In a recent San Diego State University study, scientists found that that people who exercised after they ate maintained lower hunger levels 5 hours longer than those who exercised before a meal.

The researchers haven’t yet pinned down the mechanism, but speculate that exercise may lower the concentrations of a peptide-YY, a hormone that increases appetite. The study participants worked out 2 to 3 hours after they ate. Plan accordingly.

3. Clip on motivation. Turns out, simply wearing a pedometer can make you more active. British researchers discovered that when study participants wore pedometers and logged their daily steps in a journal, they increased their activity level by 16 percent.

“People turn competitive with themselves and try to beat their previous number,” says study author Stacy Clemes, Ph.D. Try it yourself with any of the good ones out there, such as the New Lifestyles SW-701 Digi-Walker ($25, new-lifestyles.com). It weighs less than an ounce and tracks your activity in steps, miles, and calories burned - and is great way for helping you boost your N.E.A.T.

4. Get a good night’s sleep. Just one night of poor shuteye makes you crave fast food, reports a study from Baruch College, in New York City. The reason: people just don't feel like cooking when they're tired and irritable, say the researchers.

You, however, should try to buck the impulse: People who regularly consume two fast-food meals weekly gain an extra 10 pounds over 15 years, compared with those who eat more meals at home. If you need help with your shopping, check out 10 ways to save at the supermarket. And when you're out, remember that some of the most calorie-laden items you'll consume during the holidays are drinks - and try to steer clear of the 20 unhealthiest drinks in America.

5. Start lifting weights on Black Friday. This is especially important for women. Here’s why: Ball State University researchers put overweight people on a 1,500-calorie-a-day diet, and divided them into three groups - one that didn’t exercise, another that performed aerobic exercise 3 days a week, and a third that did both a similar amount of aerobic exercise but added weight training 3 days a week.

The results: Each of the groups lost nearly the same amount of weight - about 21 pounds. But the lifters shed 5 pounds more fat than those who didn’t pump iron. Why? Because their 21-pound weight loss was almost 100 percent pure fat, while the other two groups lost just 15 pounds of lard and more than 5 pounds of metabolism-boosting muscle. And besides protecting your muscle, lifting weights has been shown to raise the rate your body burns fat for up to 39 hours after you work out. What’s not to love?

Health Tip: Eating a Healthy Vegetarian Diet

2008-12-08T22:04:00.000-08:00

A vegetarian diet doesn't have to lack nutrients or variety. There are plenty of delicious and nutritious meat substitutes to include in a vegetarian diet.

The United States Department of Agriculture offers these suggestions:

* Choose low-fat proteins, such as beans, lentils or rice.
* Replace meat with vegetables in dishes such as pasta, pizza and stir-fry.
* Consider serving soy sausage substitutes, veggie burgers, bean burgers or soy hot dogs.
* Avoid high-fat dairy drinks and substitute with soy beverages.
* Ask for meat substitutes or no meat in dishes at restaurants.
* Ethnic menus -- such as Asian or Indian -- tend to offer a variety of vegetarian dishes.

100 Smartest Diet Tips Ever

2008-12-06T20:09:00.000-08:00

By Top Dietitians of the American Dietetic Association for Prevention
Got a diet dilemma? Ask a true diet pro: an RD, or registered dietitian. Her job is turning complex nutrition research into doable plans for real people.

Courtesy of the American Dietetic Association (ADA), we took our readers' eleven toughest diet problems and ran them by some of the top dietitians in the US: RDs who, in addition to their private careers, serve as media spokespersons or heads of specialty practice groups for the ADA.

Here's what they told us, in their own words. These tips are solid gold, learned from successful experience with thousands of clients. Some tips are new. Some you've heard before, but they're repeated because they work. This treasure trove of RD wisdom could change your life-starting today.

I Can Only Handle One Diet Change Right Now. What Should I Do?
1. Add just one fruit or veggie serving daily. Get comfortable with that, then add an extra serving until you reach 8 to 10 a day.

2. Eat at least two servings of a fruit or veggie at every meal.

3. Resolve never to supersize your food portions—unless you want to supersize your clothes.

4. Make eating purposeful, not mindless. Whenever you put food in your mouth, peel it, unwrap it, plate it, and sit. Engage all of the senses in the pleasure of nourishing your body.

5. Start eating a big breakfast. It helps you eat fewer total calories throughout the day.

6. Make sure your plate is half veggies and/or fruit at both lunch and dinner.

Are there Any Easy Tricks to Help Me Cut Calories?
7. Eating out? Halve it, and bag the rest. A typical restaurant entree has 1,000 to 2,000 calories, not even counting the bread, appetizer, beverage, and dessert.

8. When dining out, make it automatic: Order one dessert to share.

9. Use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate.

10. See what you eat. Plate your food instead of eating out of the jar or bag.

11. Eat the low-cal items on your plate first, then graduate. Start with salads, veggies, and broth soups, and eat meats and starches last. By the time you get to them, you'll be full enough to be content with smaller portions of the high-calorie choices.

12. Instead of whole milk, switch to 1 percent. If you drink one 8-oz glass a day, you'll lose 5 lb in a year.

13. Juice has as many calories, ounce for ounce, as soda. Set a limit of one 8-oz glass of fruit juice a day.

14. Get calories from foods you chew, not beverages. Have fresh fruit instead of fruit juice.

15. Keep a food journal. It really works wonders.

16. Follow the Chinese saying: "Eat until you are eight-tenths full."

17. Use mustard instead of mayo.

18. Eat more soup. The noncreamy ones are filling but low-cal.

19. Cut back on or cut out caloric drinks such as soda, sweet tea, lemonade, etc. People have lost weight by making just this one change. If you have a 20-oz bottle of Coca-Cola every day, switch to Diet Coke. You should lose 25 lb in a year.

20. Take your lunch to work.

21. Sit when you eat.

22. Dilute juice with water.

23. Have mostly veggies for lunch.

24. Eat at home.

25. Limit alcohol to weekends.

How Can I Eat More Veggies?
26. Have a V8 or tomato juice instead of a Diet Coke at 3 pm.

27. Doctor your veggies to make them delicious: Dribble maple syrup over carrots, and sprinkle chopped nuts on green beans.

28. Mix three different cans of beans and some diet Italian dressing. Eat this three-bean salad all week.

29. Don't forget that vegetable soup counts as a vegetable.

30. Rediscover the sweet potato.

31. Use prebagged baby spinach everywhere: as "lettuce" in sandwiches, heated in soups, wilted in hot pasta, and added to salads.

32. Spend the extra few dollars to buy vegetables that are already washed and cut up.

33. Really hate veggies? Relax. If you love fruits, eat plenty of them; they are just as healthy (especially colorful ones such as oranges, mangoes, and melons).

34. Keep seven bags of your favorite frozen vegetables on hand. Mix any combination, microwave, and top with your favorite low-fat dressing. Enjoy 3 to 4 cups a day. Makes a great quick dinner.

Can You Give Me a Mantra that will Help Me Stick to My Diet?
35. "The best portion of high-calorie foods is the smallest one. The best portion of vegetables is the largest one. Period."

36. "I'll ride the wave. My cravings will disappear after 10 minutes if I turn my attention elsewhere."

37. "I want to be around to see my grandchildren, so I can forgo a cookie now."

38. "I am a work in progress."

39. "It's more stressful to continue being fat than to stop overeating."

I Eat Healthy, but I'm Overweight. What Mistakes Could I Be Making without Realizing It?
40. Skipping meals. Many healthy eaters "diet by day and binge by night."

41. Don't "graze" yourself fat. You can easily munch 600 calories of pretzels or cereal without realizing it.

42. Eating pasta like crazy. A serving of pasta is 1 cup, but some people routinely eat 4 cups.43. Eating supersize bagels of 400 to 500 calories for snacks.

44. Ignoring "Serving Size" on the Nutrition Facts panel.

45. Snacking on bowls of nuts. Nuts are healthy but dense with calories. Put those bowls away, and use nuts as a garnish instead of a snack.

46. Thinking all energy bars and fruit smoothies are low-cal.

What Can I Eat for a Healthy Low-Cal Dinner if I Don't Want to Cook?
47. A smoothie made with fat-free milk, frozen fruit, and wheat germ.

48. The smallest fast-food burger (with mustard and ketchup, not mayo) and a no-cal beverage. Then at home, have an apple or baby carrots.

49. A peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread with a glass of 1 percent milk and an apple.

50. Precooked chicken strips and microwaved frozen broccoli topped with Parmesan cheese.

51. A healthy frozen entree with a salad and a glass of 1 percent milk.

52. Scramble eggs in a nonstick skillet. Pop some asparagus in the microwave, and add whole wheat toast. If your cholesterol levels are normal, you can have seven eggs a week!

53. A bag of frozen vegetables heated in the microwave, topped with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts.

54. Prebagged salad topped with canned tuna, grape tomatoes, shredded reduced-fat cheese, and low-cal Italian dressing.

55. Keep lean sandwich fixings on hand: whole wheat bread, sliced turkey, reduced-fat cheese, tomatoes, mustard with horseradish.

56. Heat up a can of good soup.

57. Cereal, fruit, and fat-free milk makes a good meal anytime.

58. Try a veggie sandwich from Subway.

59. Precut fruit for a salad and add yogurt.

What's Your Best Advice for Avoiding those Extra Holiday Pounds?
60. Don't tell yourself, "It's okay, it's the holidays." That opens the door to 6 weeks of splurging.

61. Remember, EAT before you meet. Have this small meal before you go to any parties: a hardboiled Egg, Apple, and a Thirst quencher (water, seltzer, diet soda, tea).

62. As obvious as it sounds, don't stand near the food at parties. Make the effort, and you'll find you eat less.

63. At a buffet? Eating a little of everything guarantees high calories. Decide on three or four things, only one of which is high in calories. Save that for last so there's less chance of overeating.

64. For the duration of the holidays, wear your snuggest clothes that don't allow much room for expansion. Wearing sweats is out until January.

65. Give it away! After company leaves, give away leftover food to neighbors, doormen, or delivery people, or take it to work the next day.

66. Walk around the mall three times before you start shopping.

67. Make exercise a nonnegotiable priority.

68. Dance to music with your family in your home. One dietitian reported that when she asks her patients to do this, initially they just smile, but once they've done it, they say it is one of the easiest ways to involve the whole family in exercise.

How Can I Control a Raging Sweet Tooth?
69. Once in a while, have a lean, mean salad for lunch or dinner, and save the meal's calories for a full dessert.

70. Are you the kind of person who does better if you make up your mind to do without sweets and just not have them around? Or are you going to do better if you have a limited amount of sweets every day? One RD reported that most of her clients pick the latter and find they can avoid bingeing after a few days.

71. If your family thinks they need a very sweet treat every night, try to strike a balance between offering healthy choices but allowing them some "free will." Compromise with low-fat ice cream and fruit, or sometimes just fruit with a dollop of whipped cream.

72. Try 2 weeks without sweets. It's amazing how your cravings vanish.

73. Eat more fruit. A person who gets enough fruit in his diet doesn't have a raging sweet tooth.

74. Eat your sweets, just eat them smart! Carve out about 150 calories per day for your favorite sweet. That amounts to about an ounce of chocolate, half a modest slice of cake, or 1/2 cup of regular ice cream.

75. Try these smart little sweets: sugar-free hot cocoa, frozen red grapes, fudgsicles, sugar-free gum, Nutri-Grain chocolate fudge twists, Tootsie Rolls, and hard candy.

How Can I Conquer My Downfall: Bingeing at Night?
76. Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The large majority of people who struggle with night eating are those who skip meals or don't eat balanced meals during the day. This is a major setup for overeating at night.

77. Eat your evening meal in the kitchen or dining room, sitting down at the table.

78. Drink cold unsweetened raspberry tea. It tastes great and keeps your mouth busy.

79. Change your nighttime schedule. It will take effort, but it will pay off. You need something that will occupy your mind and hands.

80. If you're eating at night due to emotions, you need to focus on getting in touch with what's going on and taking care of yourself in a way that really works. Find a nonfood method of coping with your stress.

81. Put a sign on the kitchen and refrigerator doors: "Closed after Dinner."

82. Brush your teeth right after dinner to remind you: No more food.

83. Eat without engaging in any other simultaneous activity. No reading, watching TV, or sitting at the computer.

84. Eating late at night won't itself cause weight gain. It's how many calories—not when you eat them—that counts.

How Can I Reap Added Health Benefits from My Dieting?
85. Fat-free isn't always your best bet. Research has found that none of the lycopene or alpha- or beta-carotene that fight cancer and heart disease is absorbed from salads with fat-free dressing. Only slightly more is absorbed with reduced-fat dressing; the most is absorbed with full-fat dressing. But remember, use your dressing in moderate amounts.

86. Skipping breakfast will leave you tired and craving naughty foods by midmorning. To fill up healthfully and tastefully, try this sweet, fruity breakfast full of antioxidants. In a blender, process 1 c nonfat plain or vanilla yogurt, 1 1/3 c frozen strawberries (no added sugar), 1 peeled kiwi, and 1 peeled banana. Pulse until mixture is milkshake consistency. Makes one 2-cup serving; 348 calories and 1.5 fat grams.

87. If you're famished by 4 p.m. and have no alternative but an office vending machine, reach for the nuts—. The same goes if your only choices are what's available in the hotel minibar.

88. Next time you're feeling wiped out in late afternoon, forgo that cup of coffee and reach for a cup of yogurt instead. The combination of protein, carbohydrate, and fat in an 8-ounce serving of low-fat yogurt will give you a sense of fullness and well-being that coffee can't match, as well as some vital nutrients. If you haven't eaten in 3 to 4 hours, your blood glucose levels are probably dropping, so eating a small amount of nutrient-rich food will give your brain and your body a boost.

89. Making just a few changes to your pantry shelves can get you a lot closer to your weight loss goals. Here's what to do: If you use corn and peanut oil, replace it with olive oil. Same goes for breads—go for whole wheat. Trade in those fatty cold cuts like salami and bologna and replace them canned tuna, sliced turkey breast, and lean roast beef. Change from drinking whole milk to fat-free milk or low-fat soy milk. This is hard for a lot of people so try transitioning down to 2 percent and then 1 percent before you go fat-free.

90. Nothing's less appetizing than a crisper drawer full of mushy vegetables. Frozen vegetables store much better, plus they may have greater nutritional value than fresh. Food suppliers typically freeze veggies just a few hours after harvest, locking in the nutrients. Fresh veggies, on the other hand, often spend days in the back of a truck before they reach your supermarket.

91. Worried about the trans-fat content in your peanut butter? Good news: In a test done on Skippy, JIF, Peter Pan, and a supermarket brand, the levels of trans fats per 2-tablespoon serving were far lower than 0.5 gram—low enough that under proposed laws, the brands can legally claim zero trans fats on the label. They also contained only 1 gram more sugar than natural brands—not a significant difference.

Eating Less Isn't Enough—What Exercising Tips Will Help Me Shed Pounds?
92. Overeating is not the result of exercise. Vigorous exercise won't stimulate you to overeat. It's just the opposite. Exercise at any level helps curb your appetite immediately following the workout.

93. When you're exercising, you shouldn't wait for thirst to strike before you take a drink. By the time you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Try this: Drink at least 16 ounces of water, sports drinks, or juices two hours before you exercise. Then drink 8 ounces an hour before and another 4 to 8 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes during your workout. Finish with at least 16 ounces after you're done exercising.

94. Tune in to an audio book while you walk. It'll keep you going longer and looking forward to the next walk—and the next chapter! Check your local library for a great selection. Look for a whodunit; you might walk so far you'll need to take a cab home!

95. Think yoga's too serene to burn calories? Think again. You can burn 250 to 350 calories during an hour-long class (that's as much as you'd burn from an hour of walking)! Plus, you'll improve muscle strength, flexibility, and endurance.

96. Drinking too few can hamper your weight loss efforts. That's because dehydration can slow your metabolism by 3 percent, or about 45 fewer calories burned a day, which in a year could mean weighing 5 pounds more. The key to water isn't how much you drink, it's how frequently you drink it. Small amounts sipped often work better than 8 ounces gulped down at once.

How Can I Manage My Emotional Eating and Get the Support I Need?
97. A registered dietitian (RD) can help you find healthy ways to manage your weight with food. To find one in your area who consults with private clients call (800) 366-1655.

98. The best place to drop pounds may be your own house of worship. Researchers set up healthy eating and exercise programs in 16 Baltimore churches. More than 500 women participated and after a year the most successful lost an average of 20 lb. Weight loss programs based on faith are so successful because there's a built-in community component that people can feel comfortable with.

99. Here's another reason to keep level-headed all the time: Pennsylvania State University research has found that women less able to cope with stress—shown by blood pressure and heart rate elevations—ate twice as many fatty snacks as stress-resistant women did, even after the stress stopped (in this case, 25 minutes of periodic jackhammer-level noise and an unsolvable maze).

100. Sitting at a computer may help you slim down. When researchers at Brown University School of Medicine put 92 people on online weight loss programs for a year, those who received weekly e-mail counseling shed 5 1/2 more pounds than those who got none. Counselors provided weekly feedback on diet and exercise logs, answered questions, and cheered them on. Most major online diet programs offer many of these features.

127 Foods That Fight Fat

2008-12-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

Lose 10, 20, 30 Pounds

2008-12-06T20:04:00.000-08:00

You walk every day. You watch what you eat. So why are you still struggling to lose weight? The answer may be all in your head: Hating your body—a common reason for wanting to lose weight in the first place—can actually sabotage your weight loss attempts.

The good news: You can learn to like your body and more than double your chances of getting slimmer.

Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, CA, found that people who started a weight loss program feeling happiest with their body were more than twice as likely to lose weight as their counterparts who were least satisfied with their body.

But how do you get happy with your body before you lose weight? With Prevention's feel-good plan.

We rounded up advice from top body-image professionals, weight loss experts, and women just like you who found that feeling good about their body made losing weight easier. In three simple steps, you can boost your body appreciation, shed pounds with ease, and get your best shape ever!

Prevention's feel-good plan will help you get a body you love and...

# boost your confidence

# cut your disease risk

# rev up your weight loss

# beat negative thoughts

# stop scale obsession

# fine-tune your wardrobe

Step 1—Respect Your Body
"People who worry about how their body looks often avoid the very things that can help them look and feel better, such as exercising and developing better coping skills," explains Elena Ramirez, PhD, clinical research associate in the department of nutrition and food sciences at the University of Vermont in Burlington. "Once women improve the way they feel about their body, they take better care of themselves, which helps them lose weight." Here's how to befriend your body.

Look in the mirror. Instead of cringing every time you see yourself, start accepting yourself, advises Dr. Ramirez. Slowly acclimate yourself to the image in the mirror by spending a few seconds a day looking at your body clothed. Slowly wear less and less, working up to viewing yourself unclothed for a few minutes.

"In a few weeks, you'll become comfortable with your reflection and realize that you have some positive physical qualities," says Kimberly Lavoi, 30, of MA, who has lost 22 pounds since beginning these body-image exercises. "You also begin to realize that you got yourself into the shape you're in, so you can also get yourself out of it."

Face your fears. It's common to avoid situations that make you feel worse about yourself, such as shopping for clothes or going to parties, says Dr. Ramirez. Feeling better about yourself requires facing those situations. "Pick one thing you avoid, such as wearing a bathing suit, and take small steps to conquer that fear," she says. "First, just buy the suit. The next day, wear it around the house for 10 minutes. Later, wear it in front of a friend. Soon, you'll feel comfortable enough to swim laps or take part in an aqua aerobics class."

Be polite! "If you had a friend who said, 'What a big butt you have!' every time you saw her, you wouldn't remain her friend," says Thomas F. Cash, PhD, professor of psychology at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, and author of The Body Image Workbook (New Harbinger, 1997). "Don't tolerate that treatment from yourself either. Every time you start putting yourself down, stop cold. Instead, encourage yourself as you would a friend. Say, 'Yeah, my shape isn't what I would like, but I'm taking steps to change it. And that's a positive thing.'"

Ditch the magic number. Some women have their whole body-image wrapped up in a number on the scale, says Joni E. Johnston, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in Del Mar, CA, and author of Appearance Obsession (Health Communications, 1994). "If they're just a couple pounds off, they feel horrible about themselves," she says. "Give yourself an acceptable weight range between 5 and 10 pounds, so you can have healthy, normal weight fluctuations and still feel good about your body."

Hold your head high. When you're busy thinking your thighs are too big, you assume everyone else is thinking that too, so you feel self-conscious, says Dr. Cash. "People never judge us as harshly as we judge ourselves. If you hold your head up, smile, and project a healthy, confident person, that's what they'll see—and that's how you'll feel."

Step 2—Accept Your Power
Poor body image often comes with a little sound track in your head that repeats this tune: "My weight loss efforts have never worked before, and they won't work now. I'm a failure," says Dr. Ramirez.

If you keep that negative sound track playing, you probably will fail.

Consider this: In one study, beginning tennis players who were told that they could improve their game by trying hard and practicing scored consistently better than those who were told that poor performance meant they lacked the innate ability. "If you believe you have bad genes, you're less likely to succeed than if you believe you have the power to control your actions, your attitude, and, consequently, your weight," says study leader Robert Singer, PhD, chairman of the exercise and sport science department at the University of Florida in Gainesville. It's all about developing what psychologists call "self-efficacy"—a big word for believing in yourself and your power to do what needs to be done. Here's how to boost yours.

Talk back. One quick way to stop the negative voices in your head is to simply tell them to quiet down, says Dr. Johnston. "Most people walk around putting themselves down without even realizing it. Pay attention when those self-defeating thoughts pop up. Every time your internal voice starts saying, 'I'm too fat' 'I'm too uncoordinated' 'I can't do it,' answer back: 'That's enough. I can do whatever I put my mind to.'"

Write your résumé. Confidence changes from situation to situation, says Edward McAuley, PhD, professor of kinesiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "It might be high in the office, yet low at the gym. You want to transfer all the assurance you can from one situation to the other," he says. Think of it as writing your résumé. You don't always have the experience a job calls for, but you do have the skills. "Write down the skills you have to succeed at a fitness plan," he says. "List attributes such as 'I'm a hard worker' 'I manage my time well' 'I'm a fast learner'. Then use these skills to succeed at your fitness program."

Recognize success. Think of developing confidence like building a house with a strong foundation brick by brick. "Each little success is a brick," says Joyce Nash, PhD, clinical psychologist in Menlo Park and San Francisco, CA, and author of The New Maximize Your Body Potential (Bull Publishing, 1997). "Calling a gym that interests you is one brick. Going to observe an aerobics class is another. Don't disregard all these little steps: Applaud yourself for making progress."

Find new friends. A weight loss buddy can go a long way toward building self-confidence, says Dr. Singer. "The more like-minded people you have to support you, the more confident you'll feel, and the more likely you are to succeed."

Step 3—Get Moving
In order to boost your body image, build your confidence, and get a better body, you need to be active, says Dr. Nash. "It's essential for both looking and feeling your best."

When a group of middle-aged men and women started walking three times a week, they improved not only their heart health but also their self-esteem, confidence, and body image too. "It's positive momentum," says Dr. McAuley. Here are some tips to get you started.

Begin at home. Community gyms aren't for everyone, says Michaela Kiernan, PhD, research associate at Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, CA.

"Some overweight women may want to start with a home-based fitness program such as walking," she says. That way you don't have to face the stress or embarrassment of a group setting.

Start in first gear. A common mistake when starting a fitness program is setting expectations too high, says Dr. Singer. Then you become discouraged and quit when you don't reach those goals.

"Instead, picture a ladder, with your big goal at the top," Dr. Singer says. "Develop short-term goals for each rung on that ladder." If your ultimate goal, for instance, is to walk a 5-K race, make the first rung a 10-minute walk, and then work your way up. Each small success you realize builds your confidence about reaching the big one."

Focus on bonuses. Exercise's benefits go way beyond cosmetic, says Dr. Nash. "When you establish a goal to lower your blood pressure or your cholesterol, for example, you have something besides your clothing size to measure your progress—and you'll feel better about your body on another level."

Support a cause. "Getting involved in runs, walks, or bike rides for a cause that's important to you—whether it's breast cancer, AIDS, or multiple sclerosis—makes you feel good," says Ann Marie Miller, an exercise physiologist and fitness training manager at New York Sports Clubs in New York City.

"It also makes you grateful that you have a healthy body that can exercise," says Miller.

Seize those seconds. Just because you don't have 45 minutes to work out doesn't mean you should skip exercising entirely, says Dr. Johnston. "Doing something is always better than nothing. It all adds up in the long run." Even if you exercise for only 10 minutes, mark it on your calendar as a day you worked out. Being consistent will make you feel better about yourself and help ou lose weight.

Fire Up Your Metabolism

2008-12-06T19:56:00.000-08:00

It's 9:25 in the morning, and I'm lying on a twin bed at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, one of the country's premier facilities for the study of body weight and metabolism. My room here on the outskirts of Baton Rouge boasts all the amenities of a nicely outfitted, minimum-security prison cell. Besides the bed, I have a toilet, sink, cable TV, DVD player, computer, treadmill, even a minifridge.

The latter, alas, is for storing urine samples only. Best not to forget and reach for a Mountain Dew.

Everything I can consume over the next 24 hours of voluntary incarceration is under the tight control of PBRC staff nutritionists. At established intervals, nurses will pass me premeasured portions of a "standard American diet" (15 percent protein, 50 percent carbohydrates, 35 percent fat) through a special air-locking slot in the wall.

Though I've come to think of this as my Hannibal Lecter slot, it serves a necessary scientific function: preventing atmospheric contamination of the 27,000 liters of air surrounding me. This sea of air, like my calorie intake, is under scrupulous regulation. An inflow pipe on the floor continuously pumps in exactly 60 liters of fresh air per minute — untainted by contact with any human lungs, mine included. At the same time, 22 evenly spaced outflow holes in the ceiling siphon off my "breathed" samples for detailed analysis.

"The official name of the room you're now in is a 'whole-body indirect calorimeter,' " explains PBRC biomedical engineer Tuong Nguyen, over an intercom from an adjacent lab. As he begins to deliver Calorimetry for Dummies, he simultaneously monitors me with a video camera that has infrared capability for nighttime observations. "The reason we call it indirect calorimetry is because we're not measuring your caloric burn directly. Instead, we're detecting how much oxygen your body is using at any given point, and how much carbon dioxide you're giving off."

Complicated physiological formulae, Nguyen adds, will then convert my gleaned gaseous data into a minute-by-minute count of every calorie I burn during sleep, work, meals, exercise, rest, TV viewing, and so forth. Other formulae will take the constantly shifting ratio of my oxygen use and carbon dioxide production to reveal what proportions of these calories are coming from fat and carbohydrate burning, respectively. (Note: When our bodies use protein for fuel, it's converted to carbohydrate first.)

At this point, Nguyen stops explicating and encourages me to begin resting in earnest. The steady whoosh of circulating air all but drowns out the gurgles of my gut, which has not seen food in the past 14 hours. Before I know it, my mind wanders to the octopus of air tubes hidden in the ceiling. I imagine my slow, relaxed puffs of exhaled gas wending their way through a drying agent before being measured by incredibly fine-tuned sensors.

"Okay," says Nguyen, "you can get up now and move around. Breakfast will be ready in a couple of minutes."

It's hard to believe a whole hour has passed.

Before I rise, I find the remote and turn on the TV. A white-trash woman in a black bikini is yelling obscenities on Jerry Springer. I can see her cellulite jodhpurs jiggling in rage. She has to be burning serious calories here, I think — though probably not, it would appear, the ones in her thighs.

THE SCIENCE OF METABOLISM
As you may recall from high-school biology, metabolism consists of all "the chemical processes occurring within a living cell or organism that are necessary for the maintenance of life." To struggling dieters and body-weight researchers alike, however, metabolism has come to refer more narrowly to the pitiless calculus of kilocalories, or, as we laymen tend to call them, calories.

Take in fewer calories than we use and we'll lose weight. Take in more and we'll gain it. Achieve energy balance — wherein calories in equals calories out — and we'll remain in equilibrium.

No Dummy's book needed to comprehend this, eh?

Alas, delve the merest sliver beneath the superficial level and you'll find that the science of metabolism quickly escalates into doctorate territory. Consider, for starters, the three major components of metabolism.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
Lorraine Lanningham-Foster, Ph.D., senior research fellow at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota, explains that the technical definition of BMR is "the energy expended when an individual is lying at complete rest, in the morning, after sleep, in the postabsorptive state." Except for time of day, BMR's motionless state of do-nothing inertia seems awfully close to what I do most nights on the couch in front of my TV.

Any appearance of passivity, however, is an illusion. Indeed, for most American males, BMR is by far the largest piece of the metabolic pie — accounting for 60 to 70 percent of total calories expended each day. Just a few of the many metabolic jobs falling within BMR's bailiwick are lung function, immune response, blood circulation, and tissue repair.

Victims of severe burns, for instance, have had BMRs exceeding 8,000 calories a day while lying motionless on hospital beds. "Even recovering from a common cold expends a large number of calories," says John Berardi, Ph.D., author of The Metabolism Advantage.

Acute injury and illness aside, the biggest power draw of all comes from basic tissue maintenance. "Three-quarters of variability in BMR is predicted by lean body mass," explains Lanningham-Foster. This includes bones and organs, which we can't change, and muscles, which we can. But as we get older, the challenge to build or even just maintain our current muscle mass becomes more difficult. The reason: We start rowing against a physiological riptide known as sarcopenia of aging. Unless they take steps to counter it with strength training, virtually all men are fated to lose 1 percent of their muscle a year starting around age 25. Most of us more than make up for this loss with fat.

"Lots of guys in their 30s and 40s will tell me, 'I've been eating exactly the same foods for 20 years — I can't understand why I'm gaining weight,' " says Nikhil V. Dhurandhar, Ph.D., an obesity researcher at PBRC. "What they're not accounting for is that their energy requirement is dropping."

For all too many of us, the once-proud boast of youth — "There's not an ounce of fat on this boy!" — gradually changes to a middle-aged lament: "There's not an ounce of boy in this fat."

Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)
A second major component of metabolism is one that most people have never heard of: TEF, the caloric "handling cost" of digesting, using, and storing food energy. Depending on a guy's genes and dietary preferences, TEF can range from 10 to 15 percent of total daily metabolism. The next time you swallow a 1,000-calorie meal, in other words, you can console yourself with the fact that your body is actually netting only 850 to 900.

It takes a lot of metabolic work to convert raw foodstuffs — from trout amandine to Snickers bars — into forms of energy our bodies can actually use. In a simplified overview, the process begins when the digestive system breaks down nourishment into its constituent building blocks. Complex carbohydrates are reduced to simple sugars, fats to fatty acids, and proteins to amino acids.

These smaller, more manageable molecules enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body, being snarfed up as needed by billions of cells. Inside each cell, tiny engines called mitochondria further break down food molecules and tap their energy into forms, such as ATP and creatine phosphate, that power life's manifold jobs, from movement and procreation to fighting off germs and worrying about our weight.

The Active Life: Eat and Neat
Metabolism's third major component — and its most variable — is physical activity. This includes planned exercise (exercise-activity thermogenesis, or EAT), as well as the voluntary and unconscious movements we perform in the course of daily life (non-exercise-activity thermogenesis, or NEAT). Generally speaking, activity of any sort makes up 15 to 30 percent of the average man's metabolism.

There are, of course, exceptions. Manual laborers (high in NEAT), as well as men committed to large doses of exercise (high in EAT), can see their percentages skyrocket. Case in point: Tour de France riders, who have been shown to burn as many as 9,000 calories per day throughout the 3-week race.

Realistically, most of us don't work as stevedores, nor do we have anywhere near the time to get in the shape necessary to climb even a modest Alp. With work and family obligations, we're lucky to squeeze in three hard workouts a week. This, mind you, is no small feat. Still, it may not be quite as great as we smugly tell ourselves. In the 168 hours of each week, 3 hard hours represents less than 2 percent of the total.

Things were different for our hominid ancestors, says John Castellani, Ph.D., a researcher at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine. In the hardscrabble past, it was the norm to run extreme energy deficits. "If you caught the buffalo," he says, "you'd be okay for a while. The rest of the time, you'd be running around half starved, trying to find something to eat."

Chances are, the only buffalo most of us will ever "catch" today are the spicy-winged variety delivered, by the bucket, to our door.

THE BODY COMPOSITION TEST
Michelle Hall, an attractive 26-year-old scan technician at PBRC, tells me to take off my clothes and change into a zipperless gown. I've just been sprung from the calorimeter, and Nguyen has arranged for me to bivouac with Hall in the DEXA (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) lab while he compiles my results. At Hall's instructions, I feel a spike arise somewhere deep within my metabolic physiology.

"I used to be almost a quarter pure lard," I say, emerging from the changing room in the gown, which may or may not be on backward. "You think I'm any less now?"

"Hard to tell just from looking at you," she replies with a North Carolina drawl. "We'll know more soon."

As she leads me over to a digital scale, Hall explains that DEXA was originally pioneered to diagnose osteoporosis. In recent years, it's also emerged as the most accurate way to determine body composition, supplanting the old gold standard — underwater weighing — at many obesity research centers.

Five years ago, I had a chance to undergo an underwater weighing. At that time, I was 184 pounds, a depressing 23.1 percent of which proved to be pure fat. The exercise physiologist in charge said that meant I was lugging 43 pounds of adipose tissue everywhere I moved — much of this in my midsection, a pattern common in men.

Researchers even have a diagnosis for when otherwise skinny guys put on too much abdominal fat: "weight normal, metabolically obese." I hadn't reached this point — yet.

"Okay," Hall says, pointing to a digital scale. "Step up."

Red numerals flicker around nervously before finally settling on 75 kilograms.

"Now we get to subtract the gown," she says.

A few calculations later, I get the Americanized results: 164.4 pounds, essentially identical to my college "fighting weight." When Hall next checks my height with a digital measuring stick, I brace myself for the likelihood of significant shrinkage. But once again, the news is good: 6'0.76" — less than a quarter inch off my lifetime record. Maybe the tag team of life and gravity hasn't beaten me down quite as much as I thought. My body-mass index, or BMI, is 22.0 — safely in the "not too fat, not too thin" zone.

Now, however, comes the real money shot: the DEXA scan itself. True, I've cut 20 pounds in the 5 years since the underwater weighing, but the question remains, what kind of pounds have I shed? If my body has simply cannibalized its skeletal muscle for fuel, something not uncommon in cases of significant weight loss, I may have only turned myself into a skinnier, weaker, slower-metabolism version of the fat guy I used to be.

"I need you to lie down here," Hall says, indicating a sliding gurney beneath a moveable QDR 4500 Hologic scanner arm. For the next 3 minutes, the arm glides back and forth, spraying my body with a piddling 5 microsieverts of radiation (the same amount we get each day just living on Earth).

Once the scan is done, I get dressed and go to look over Hall's shoulder. She's using a computer mouse to draw red boxes around my arms, legs, trunk, spine, and head. A grayish halo surrounds my bones. "That's your skeletal muscle," she says, adding that the even finer layer on the perimeter is fat.

"Maybe my eyes are getting worse with age," I say, "but I can't see much fat."

"You really don't have much at all," she replies, smiling. "The software will let us know exactly how much."

The printout proves better than I could have hoped for. I'm down to 17.1 percent total body fat, which Hall says is distributed in a healthy, symmetrical way. My leanest parts are my legs — the left one at 14.2 percent fat, and the right one at 13.6. My abdomen, at 18.7 percent fat, is in no way suggestive of abdominal obesity, Hall says. My gut is not even my fattest body part. My head, at 20.1 percent, takes this honor.

I wonder if researchers have a diagnosis for this, too: "weight normal, fat head."

MAKING A LIFESTYLE CHANGE
At first, I admit, it wasn't a conscious decision to lose weight. The process began approximately a year ago when I decided to quit cold turkey what had become a nightly ration of three India pale ales. Not only did teetotaling slash at least 500 calories out of each day's total allotment, but it simultaneously nicked an insatiable urge to snack on pretzels and saltines to stoke my thirst. Within a couple of months, my weight had dipped by 7 pounds. A combination of greater energy and fewer headaches, in turn, added hours to each day.

At some point last winter, it occurred to me that it just might be possible to return to the 164-pound benchmark of my 20s. The challenge was on. I resolved to devote some of my new, nontipsy hours to exercise, setting an initial goal of working out five times a week.

This training time, however, soon proved much more relaxing than Miller Time had ever been. I liked it so much that over the next several months, I increased my regimen to the point where I now take 40-minute hikes with my two dogs most days of the week; attend 90-minute masters swimming practice on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; weight-train on Tuesdays and Saturdays; and play tennis for 3 hours on Tuesdays and Sundays.

After a couple of episodes of "bonking" midpractice from low blood sugar, I made sure I always consumed enough food to fuel my exercise. This led me to eat more frequently and space my meals throughout the day. When I tallied up the foodstuffs I was consuming, I soon discovered I was actually eating more than I had at my grossest fat-hood — and still losing weight.

Through personal trial and error, it seems that I had accidentally begun following the philosophy of "high energy flux" that Berardi recommends in The Metabolism Advantage. Put simply, this means eating lots of highly nutritious food, then burning it up through greatly increased activity. This may sound obvious, but many people who hit their target weights through diet and exercise believe that they need to keep their calorie intakes low to maintain their fat loss. The problem is that if they continue to exercise, they'll end up always running a calorie deficit, leaving them forever famished and, in many instances, fated to eat everything in sight and slide back into blubberdom.

"When you reach a healthy, stable weight you're happy with," says Claude Bouchard, Ph.D., president of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, "then you'll need to make sure your eating is commensurate with the extra calories you're burning." At some point, your body will achieve a new and happier homeostasis, one that will let you simultaneously work out hard, eat enough so you're not plagued by hunger pangs, and maintain your new weight without obsessing about it.

On this intake side, Berardi recommends eating every 2 to 3 hours — the same mini-meal approach I discovered through my own experimentation. Adding protein to each of these feedings is important, too. Protein contains nitrogen, which must be stripped off and eliminated as urea by the liver. As a result of this additional metabolic step, protein's thermic effect is roughly double that of fat and carbohydrates. "Eating frequently and including at least some protein in all your meals," says Berardi, "can boost digestive metabolism all day long."

As helpful as these measures can be, the greatest benefits come on the expenditure side. Not only do forms of intense exercise — such as running intervals and lifting weights — burn loads of calories while you're doing them, but they also trigger a significant afterburn as your body works to cool off and repair muscle microtrauma afterward. Afterburn alone, says Berardi, can consume an extra 100 to 200 calories.

Though genes limit just how much new lean muscle mass a person can build, most of us can add at least some, especially if we take up regular strength training. And, as I noted, this in turn will benefit your basal metabolic rate. "With exercise," explains David M. Klurfeld, Ph.D., National Program Leader in Human Nutrition at the USDA, "you are also producing larger mitochondria in each muscle cell." Expanding these tiny powerhouses translates into a higher calorie burn.

"Fat tissue burns very few calories," adds Klurfeld. "Skeletal muscle, on the other hand, burns at least 10 times more calories than fat, even when we're at rest."

Heck, make lifting a lifelong habit and you may be able to entirely avoid age-related muscle loss: Septuagenarians who regularly strength-train can have more muscle mass than 30-year-olds who don't.

WALKING WHILE WORKING
As I'm typing these words, I'm also walking at a steady pace of 1 mile an hour. I've been "walk-writing" like this for the past 3 hours, burning 300 calories in the process.

The contraption allowing me to do this is a vertical desk — a standard exercise treadmill rigged with a height-adjustable PC keyboard and monitor. The device is the brainchild of the Mayo Clinic's James Levine, M.D., who, in a much-publicized 2005 study in the journal Science, demonstrated the critical role everyday activities play in metabolism and energy balance. Dr. Levine and his fellow researchers rigged 20 volunteers with custom-made, high-tech underwear to be worn 24 hours a day for 10 days straight. These electronic undies — I'm wearing a set right now — sport four inclinometers arrayed on the thighs and chest, and two accelerometers near the small of the back. Together, the sensors relay 1,200 pieces of data per minute that reveal the body's orientation in space and how much or little it's moving.

As the Science study showed, NEAT levels — like other aspects of metabolism — vary greatly among individuals, driven by factors that include occupation, choice of leisure activities, and unconscious movement. In overweight guys, NEAT can run as low as 15 percent of total metabolism. In leaner men, it can exceed 50 percent.

Even armed with this knowledge, I was extremely skeptical when I started out this morning at the vertical desk. I've never been the kind of person who can effectively do two things at once, and expected that only tripping and gibberish would come of this experiment. But as Lanningham-Foster predicted, it took me less than 10 minutes to reach the point where my consciousness of the slow walk faded.

At 1:30, I stop my walk and take a break for lunch. In the corridor, I see Dr. Levine and a colleague walking the hallways, badges around their necks that proclaim "Walking Meeting in Progress." The labyrinths of the hospital system seem unending, and Dr. Levine's idea of holding confabs in motion has quickly caught on with numerous Mayo staffers.

I also pass several standing desks — another calorie-burning idea that's popular at Mayo. These stations, though they lack treadmills, nevertheless allow the nursing staff to input patient data without having to sit down at computers. The difference in calorie burn just between sitting and remaining upright is no trifle: nearly 1 calorie in added expenditure per minute.

After lunch at a nearby café, I climb five flights of stairs to the NEAT lab annex and get back to work on the vertical desk. Ordinarily, I suffer a major attack of postprandial grogginess after lunch, but not so today. I walk my way through another mile of writing, then decide to take a "break." I put the keyboard down, set the treadmill to 3 mph, and luxuriate in a brisk walk for the next 30 minutes. Then I slow back down to 1 mph and resume working.

As much as I'm enjoying this gizmo, in the near term, I concede that it's about as likely to catch on with corporate America as George Costanza's "napping desk." Still, there are a myriad of other, more clandestine ways to add NEAT to a desk job.

You can, for instance, consciously choose always to park at the end of the lot instead of circling around for a closer spot. Once you arrive, just say no to the elevator and hike up the stairs when moving from floor to floor. Instead of sending an endless stream of interoffice e-mails, visit several of your would-be recipients face-to-face. And resolve to replace your desk phone with a cordless one, even if you have to buy it yourself. Then never take a call in a seated position again, opting instead to pace around whenever you're talking.

With the right attitude, you can convert your cubicle into a minigym. "Since I ride a desk chair for 8 to 9 hours a day," says Klurfeld, "I consciously attempt to 'NEATen up' my day. For instance, I flex my leg muscles, either together or in a left-right pattern, multiple times. Simply bouncing on my toes while seated is easy, too. While I'm reading something on paper, I stand to do toe raises."

Granted, overcoming sedentary seductions can take some practice. To provide yourself with regular reminders to move, buy a programmable sports watch and set it to beep every 20 to 30 minutes, then stand up and do a dozen toe raises.

Who knows? As you become leaner and fitter from NEAT, you might be inspired to use the same watch on a running track.

BANISHING SEDENTARY HABITS
Upon arriving back at my old-fashioned office in Pittsburgh, I find an individualized "regression analysis" in my e-mail. A six-color graph neatly illustrates all my movements and velocities over the 2 workdays I spent at the Mayo Clinic.

My body burned 723 more calories on day 2, working at the vertical desk, than it did on day 1, doing identical work over the same time period sitting down. As I listen to Dr. Levine explain this, I'm simultaneously pacing around my office with a portable phone, in the process deepening a path in the carpet. When the call's over, I glance over at my desk and chair, and their promise of hours of relative immobility to come.

If there's one overriding lesson I've learned from my recent forays to research labs, it's that human metabolism is bewilderingly complex, the sum of many interconnected processes that together define our status as energetic beings. Targeting one aspect of this metabolic nexus is not likely to optimize us. Rather, it's only by combining strategic nutrition and exercise with a NEAT-replete life that we can best gain the strength, endurance, body composition, and sustainable energy balance that define humans at their peak.

Each of us, to be sure, is likely to have areas that need more work than others. In my case, the lack of NEAT is most problematic. Occasional junkets to metabolic chambers notwithstanding, much of my livelihood involves cogitating in what I used to think was a necessary "parked buttocks" mode. I now know it doesn't have to be this way.

Along these lines, I cannot shake the memory of how enjoyable and paradoxically relaxing it was to walk-write my way through an entire day.

Since I work at home, there's no on-site overlord to dictate what I cannot do. It may look goofy on the outside, but to the NEAT-starved forces within, the chance to work in motion the way my ancestors did somehow feels right. After all, they evolved to spend their days wandering around in search of food. Why should I not wander around in search of words?

Before I left Mayo, I asked Dr. Levine about procuring a vertical desk for myself, but he said they weren't yet commercially available. Nevertheless, he added, people from around the country who have read about his research regularly e-mail him pictures of models they've jury-rigged themselves. "One lady even made one out of cardboard boxes," he told me.

Once again, the challenge is on. I have some planks in the garage and a friend who bought a treadmill that he never uses.

I'll call him tonight. Maybe he'll sell it to me cheap — that is, before he learns how much it's worth.

Drop 20 Pounds in 8 weeks

2008-12-06T19:52:00.000-08:00

Hate to diet? Then you'll love this. Instead of counting calories or multiplying fat percentages (and tearing your hair out), try this amazingly simple concept: Look hard at your plate. Divide it into two sections; fill about half or more with vegetables and/or fruits and the remainder with roughly equal amounts of starch and a high-protein food. Then watch the weight come off. Even better, this way of eating may help prevent cancer, heart disease, and other common killers. Our reader testers dropped pounds, got fitter, and felt better after just 2 months of following this simple strategy. Now you can too.

DIVVYING UP YOUR PLATE

By using your plate as a weight loss tool, you no longer have to remember confusing details about portions and servings, says Netty Levine, RD, a nutritionist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

"I recently worked with a client for an hour, hammering out a fabulous, detailed weight loss plan," recalls Levine. "When we finished, he looked up, and I could see it in his eyes: We'd both just wasted our time. He didn't want to remember all that information on servings and portions and food groups." So Levine took out a fresh piece of paper and drew a big, round circle with a line through the middle. "This is your plate; fill the top half with fruits and vegetables, and divide the bottom half in two. In one quarter put your protein, such as meat, poultry, or fish, and in the remaining quarter put your starch, such as whole grains, potatoes, or pasta," she advised. Four months later, that client, Bill Knapp, was 28 lb lighter and loving his plate plan. "I still go to my favorite restaurants, but now I know what to order to get the right amount of food," he says. That's the beauty of this divided-plate concept: built-in portion control. "You fill the divided plate once. If you're still hungry, have another plate of vegetables, and then you're done. It's that simple," says Levine. And with a plate half filled with vegetables, there's no room for the megacalorie, gigantic burgers and pasta "hills" notorious for contributing to the obesity epidemic. "Everything today is supersized, and people are confused about how much they really should eat," says Nancy Vuckovic, PhD, investigator at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, OR. "The overweight people coming into my office are not eating a cheeseburger, they're eating supersized meals with giant burgers, mounds of fries, and huge sodas," says Levine. The divided plate strategy eliminates this problem, since there's simply not room for all that meat and starch when half the plate is filled with veggies and/or fruits. It brings out-of-control portions back down to size. And you're still eating enough food to feel full and satisfied.

PREVENT DISEASE TOO!
We loved this idea so much, we decided to dig a little deeper. What we found was better than we could have hoped. Not only were there other dietitians using divided-plate plans for weight loss, but also the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) in Washington, DC, has been harnessing the power of plates to fight cancer! In a campaign titled "The New American Plate," the AICR has released a set of free brochures as well as a placemat you can buy showing the plate portions they recommend to stave off cancer and promote weight loss (a cancer fighter in itself). The AICR recommends portions similar to the ones described above with some slight variation. "Our rule of thumb, using a standard 9- or 10-inch dinner plate: Plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans should cover two-thirds or more of the plate. Meat, fish, poultry, or low-fat dairy should cover one-third or less of the plate," explains Melanie Polk, RD, director of nutrition education at AICR. These plate strategies fight disease because of all the fruits and vegetables they include, says James Shikany, DPH, assistant professor of medicine, division of preventive medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham. "Studies of diet and disease indicate that the quarter of the population with the lowest intake of fruits and vegetables has double the rate of the most common cancers, such as colon, breast, and prostate," he says. While he's a big fan of all produce, Dr. Shikany suggests making the following your staples: cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage; spinach, kale, and other dark leafy greens; orange-fleshed fruits and vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots, peaches, and citrus fruits. "Each of these groups contains its own disease-fighting compounds," he explains. All this sounded so good to us that we decided to test-drive it ourselves. We introduced three volunteers to the AICR New American Plate plan and had them follow it for 2 months. The results were outstanding. They boosted their energy and dropped pounds simply by dividing their plates.

PLATE POWER AT EVERY MEAL
No matter which plate portion variation you choose, enthusiasts insist that this method works for every meal and every food. Follow these tips whenever you eat.

Breakfast Plates
You still think in terms of fruits/veggies, starch (whole grains), and protein (milk or eggs), but they don't always fit neatly on a plate. Remember: You're still aiming for half or more of the meal to be fruits and veggies.

Here are some sample meals: Fruit-topped whole grain cereal with milkand a glass of orange juice Vegetable-stuffed three-egg-white omelette with whole grain toast and fruit or juice Two whole grain waffles smothered in chopped fruit with yogurt or milk Fruit or juice with a small bran muffin and low-fat milk

Lunch Plates
The rule remains: At least half of your meal should be vegetables and fruits. (When using a plate, opt for a traditional 8-inch luncheon plate.) Consider bread, tortillas, potatoes, or beans as your starch (beans double up for both starch and protein). Make a pledge to always finish your veggies or fruits first. If you have room, you can finish the rest of your meal.

Some sample meals: Sandwich filled with two or three slices of lean meat, poultry, a few spoonfuls of reduced-fat tuna salad, or a veggie burger patty, with a salad, fruit salad, or vegetables Black bean, lentil, or other bean-based soup with a salad or side dish of vegetables or fruits Baked potato with a cup of broccoli or other vegetable and reduced-fat cheese Large salad topped with grilled chicken/lean beef/seafood (deck-of-cards-size portion) and one or two slices of whole grain bread

Burrito. One tortilla stuffed with beans and chicken with a salad or large side dish of vegetables or fruits

strong>Dinner Plates
You're in luck when you've got the good ol' meat/vegetables/starch offering, but casseroles and other mixtures take some imaginative dissection. Just remember the half fruits and veggie rule, and you're good to go.

Some sample meals:

Traditional meat and potatoes. About half of the plate: salad or cooked vegetables; one-third to one-quarter of the plate: deck-of-cards-size fish, poultry, or lean meat; final quarter: rice, roll, polenta, or other starch Lasagna, tuna noodle casserole, or other starchy mixed dish. Make it about one-third of the plate total, no more than a cup's worth, and fill the other two-thirds with salad or vegetables. Stir-fry. Make it three-quarters vegetables and one-quarter meat, poultry, or seafood. Fill the plate three-quarters with stir-fry and one-quarter with rice. Pasta. Stretch 1 or 11/2 cups of pasta with an equal amount or more of vegetables. Throw in a few pieces of shrimp, chicken, or soy "meat" for protein and flavor. Sprinkle Parmesan or low-fat cottage or ricotta cheese on top.

RESTAURANT TIPS

The key here is communication with the server. -Bring in a quick sketch of the ideal plate; let the waiter guide your choice. In fast-food restaurants and diners where the staff may not be helpful, order à la carte or side dishes in the proportions you want. -Inquire about portion size; if it's huge, ask the waiter to split yours in half in the kitchen and refrigerate the doggy bag. Or split it with your dinner partner. -Rotisserie chicken joints are easy in terms of plate division, but beware the creamed spinach and roasted potatoes, which are loaded with fat. Get the mixed vegetables or corn (unless it's creamed). There's one potential pitfall to the plate concept: piling food up too high. The rule here: Go sky-high with fruits and veggies if you like; but keep the portions of starch and protein to no more than 3/4 to 1 inch high. Or leave nothing to chance, and get the Perfect Portions Diet Dish; if the lid doesn't fit, your portions are too big. This plate, a more sophisticated spin on the divided-plate concept, helped Donna Rosen, a 57-year-old Cleveland homemaker with diabetes, lose 80 lb. "That plate tells me, 'You want noodles? Fine, here's how much you can have.' Without it, I'd double or triple my portions. I lose control easily, so I need something to guide me," she confesses. The plate is designed to provide 400- to 500-calorie meals, says co-inventor Kim Gorman, RD, a research dietitian and exercise physiologist at Akron City Hospital in Ohio. She says that the plate has helped her patients lose 20 to 50 lb over a 6-month period. "Most have dieted every which way including lots of fad diets, and they were ready to throw in the towel," she says. The reason this method works when diets fail, according to Gorman and Levine, is that people finally learn how to eat in a healthy way. "It's eating instead of dieting; people learn to make a balanced meal, and they can include foods they like, just not excessive amounts of them," explains Gorman.

Boost Weight Loss

2008-12-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

By Chris Freytag, Prevention

Q: I work long hours and sometimes get so busy that I totally forget to eat lunch. I make it to the gym several times a week and really feel like I don't eat very much, so why am I having such a hard time losing weight?

A: Part of your problem may be your metabolism! Metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories to sustain life. Your body needs energy all day whether you are sleeping, sitting or exercising. By skipping meals, your metabolic thermostat shuts down to conserve energy while waiting for appropriate fuel. This is why skipping meals can actually hurt your weight loss efforts rather than help.

I strongly advocate the idea of mini-meals especially when you are so busy at work that you can't take time to go to lunch. Bring healthy snacks to work—almonds, apples, string cheese, yogurt just to name a few! Mini-meals help you succeed on both mental and physical levels. Psychologically, mini-meals can help reduce cravings or poor food choices out of sheer hunger! Physically, eating small amounts every two to four hours helps to keep your blood sugar on an even keel and may even help your metabolism to keep burning at a higher rate.

You say you work out regularly but are you doing any strength training? Muscle is the other secret to keeping your metabolism revved! Muscle eats more calories at a resting heart rate than body fat so the more muscle on your body, the more calories you burn daily whether you workout or not. Starting at around the age of 35, women start to lose 1/2-1 pound of muscle a year unless you are actively doing something to keep it up.

America's Best and Worst Burgers

2008-11-20T00:19:00.000-08:00

The burger industry in America is looking more and more like an arms race these days. Every few months, we watch in horror as another bacon-enhanced, cheese-embalmed, ranch-riddled weapon of mass inflation hits menu boards at the country’s largest restaurant chains.

The Baconator, the Monster Thickburger, the FlameThrower — they sound like weapons, not something you’d order for dinner.

What makes our hamburger habit particularly scary is the Super Size Phenomenon, which for years has been mutating our burgers into double burgers and our double burgers into 1,250-calorie Triple Whoppers with Cheese.

A 1957 burger contained little more than one ounce of meat, but by 1997 that same meat wad had grown to six ounces. Stack one of the bloated burgers out there next to a beverage like those among these unhealthiest drinks in America and you’re risking two days' worth of calories in a single, misguided meal.

Each year Americans eat about 40 billion burgers, which means that each of us downs nearly 150 of them. Choose better burgers, and you can save 10 or 15 pounds over the course of a year.

To get you started on your own burger war, we’ve compiled a list of the seven greasiest patties ever to be sandwiched between two buns. But because we understand you still need your burger fix, we’ve thrown in five of our favorites that you can eat with relative impunity (along with a delicious burger recipe at the end of this post).

Chili’s Smokehouse Bacon Triple-The-Cheese Big Mouth Burger with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing
2,040 calories
150 g fat (53 g saturated)
110 g protein
4,900 mg sodium

You know this burger's in trouble when it takes more than 20 syllables just to identify it. If you think the name’s a mouthful, just wait until the burger hits the table. You’ll be face to face with two-and-a-half day’s worth of fat — a full third of which is saturated. To do that much damage with roasted sirloin, you’d have to eat about eight 6-ounce steaks. It’s nearly three days’ worth of saturated fat.

T.G.I. Friday’s Cheesy Bacon Cheeseburger
1,590 calories
unknown g fat
unknown mg sodium

Although Friday’s is mum on the fat and sodium, it takes only one number to realize that this burger suffers from bigger-is-better syndrome. T.G.I. Friday's average burger has 1,250 calories, and their appetizers are some of the toughest in the country to swallow, calorie-wise, as we've shown with this America’s worst appetizers list.

Red Robbin A.1. Peppercorn Burger
1,440 calories
97 g fat

There’s hardly a burger on Red Robin’s menu that contains fewer than a thousand calories. What pushes this particular burger to the position of worst — aside from the gratuitous use of cheese and bacon — is the bed of fried onion straws wedged between patty and bun. Now we’re beginning to understand why, while researching the story 16 Secrets the Restaurant Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know, it may have taken Red Robin so long to come clean about the impact of its burgers.

Denny’s Double Cheeseburger
1,540 calories
116 g fat (52 g saturated, 7 g trans)
3,880 mg sodium

Add this to our ever-expanding list of the Trans-Fattiest Foods in America. (This burger has more than three days' worth of the stuff.) In fact, with as much saturated fat as 52 strips of bacon and more sodium than 21 small bags of Lay’s potato chips, this burger also belongs on the salt-packed list of 20 Foods Your Cardiologist Wouldn’t Eat.

Dairy Queen ½ lb. FlameThrower GrillBurger
1,140 calories
82 g fat (27 g saturated, 1.5 g trans)
1,940 mg sodium

Regular consumption of the FlameThrower will torch any hopes you have of losing weight. This potential aortic uh-oh contains 60 percent more calories than the Bacon Cheddar Grillburger and more than twice as many calories as DQ’s own Double Hamburger.

Hardee’s Two-Third Pound Monster Thickburger
1,420 calories
108 g fat (43 g saturated)
2,770 mg sodium

Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. take a misplaced pride in their shamelessly caloric approach to everything they put under a heat lamp, which is probably reason enough for some to find another place to eat. Need more motivation? Many of their burgers break the perilous 1,000-calorie barrier; their worst bun-buster has nearly 75 percent of your entire day’s calories and as much fat as a dozen Taco Bell soft tacos.

Ruby Tuesday Bella Turkey Burger
1,057 calories
65 g fat

The scariest part about this burger is how completely harmless it sounds: a slice of Swiss melted over sautéed mushrooms and ground turkey. Yet somehow Ruby Tuesday manages to slick it up with as much fat as five Baby Ruth bars. The kid’s version of this — the Turkey Mini — has an astounding 893 calories, earning it the No. 7 spot in our list of the 20 Worst Kid’s Meals in America. (To find out what’s best (and worst) for your kids at the nation’s big restaurant chains, check out this revealing report first.)

THE EAT THIS! BURGER HALL OF FAME

DQ Original Burger
350 calories
14 g fat (7 g saturated)
680 mg sodium

Wendy’s Quarter-Pound Single
430 calories
20 g fat (7 g saturated)
870 mg sodium

Burger King Whopper Jr. w/o mayo
370 calories
21 g fat (6 g saturated)
570 mg sodium

McDonald’s Quarter Pounder
410 calories
19 g fat (7 g saturated)
730 mg sodium

In-N-Out Protein-Style Protein-Style Cheeseburger
330 calories
25 g fat (9 g saturated)
720 mg sodium

And to make your very own gourmet burger at home with great supermarket brands — with just 350 calories and $3.79 a serving — check out this great recipe.

After you’ve conquered the burger field, make sure to nail down the rest of the all-time best restaurant swaps while you’re at it. With knowledge and discipline, you can eat all of your favorite foods — without ever being on a diet — and still lose weight!

And don't forget about these 17 best fitness foods for women.

Exercise for fat loss: Which exercises are best?

2008-10-24T01:40:00.000-07:00

What types of exercise will help with fat loss?

People often ask me this and I say “Table push-aways and fork put-downs” (sometimes this confuses them briefly as they try to imagine how table push-aways could be some kind of new bench press variation). What I mean by that, though, is that no exercise, or training regimen, will help very much with fat loss unless you also improve your nutrition
and eat less. The first thing that needs to happen to lose fat is that you have to expend more energy than you take in. If you exercise but still eat too much, then that fat is going nowhere but orbiting your bellybutton.

The best fat loss is through diet and exercise

However, exercise is indeed an important part of losing fat. A recent study (Weiss et al 2006) from Saint Louis University compared the effects of exercise versus diet alone in losing fat. Although both groups (the dieters and the exercisers) lost weight, only the exercisers maintained their strength and muscle mass and increased aerobic capacity, while those who dieted lost muscle mass, strength and aerobic capacity. Some people who lose weight
by dieting alone actually end up with more body fat than when they started because of this muscle loss. In other words, they may be smaller or lighter, but relatively speaking, they’re fatter than they were before! Oh, the irony.

In the last few decades people have become convinced that low-intensity cardio such as distance running is the best way to lose fat, and that especially for women, strength training is inadvisable. People also often do exercises such as inner/outer thigh machines or sit-ups, hoping that this will help trim their thighs or slim their waistlines. None of these approaches is correct.

Weight/fat loss program that works!

Here’s what does work:

* Creating a caloric deficit through consistently being more active and eating less. Ideally, do this on a daily, long-term basis.
* Regular resistance training, ideally compound (multi-joint) exercises, done at a level that is challenging (for the average person, something like 6-12 reps per set is a good general thing to shoot for). This preserves lean muscle tissue that would otherwise be lost along with the fat.
* “Interval” cardio: alternating brief periods of very high intensity (like sprinting) with periods of low intensity (like walking). Another way to do this is known as the Tabata protocol: alternating 20 seconds of intense activity (including traditional weights exercises such as squats or pushups) with 10 seconds of rest. As long as the high intensity periods are high enough, you can apply the concept to anything you like: hill or stair runs, hitting a punching bag, cycling, jumping rope, elliptical machine, dumbbell or kettlebell swings, etc.
* If you’re a beginner or starting out with a lot of body fat, you can substitute regular moderate cardio for intervals, but you can still try for the interval concept by working at a lower level. Try something like walking as briskly as you can manage for 30-60 seconds, alternated by moderate strolling for 30-60 seconds.
* If you do enjoy endurance-based cardio work like distance running or hiking, by all means do it! The most important thing is that you do what you enjoy, and what you will do consistently and frequently. However, even for endurance athletes, incorporating interval training will help with speed and overall work capacity.

Source:

Weiss, Edward, et al. “Lower extremity muscle size and strength and aerobic capacity decrease with caloric restriction but not with exercise-induced weight loss.” Journal of Applied Physiology November 9, 2006.

Exercise for weight loss: How much exercise to lose weight?

2008-10-24T01:38:00.000-07:00

I've heard dieting isn't enough to lose weight. You also have to exercise. But how much do I have to exercise in order to lose weight?

It depends. We lose weight if we burn more calories than we take in. Normal maintenance activities like muscle repair and regular physiology and simple walking uses about 15 calories per pound. Someone who does not move around much all day might only needs about 13 calories per pound and someone who moves all day might use 17 or more calories per pound.

Every mile walked or run burns 100 calories more or less. Another way to look at it is every half hour of brisk activity burns about 300 or so calories, depending on how much you weigh now and how vigorous the activity is.

If you increase your activity by 500 calories a day and do not increase your eating, you will lose 3500 calories a week, the equivalent of 1 pound. Alternatively, if you reduce your eating by 250 calories per day and increase your activity by 250 calories, it’s still a net loss of 500 calories per day or 1 pound per week.

To avoid becoming discouraged, start adding activity slowly. Try using the stairs instead of the elevator or park at the far end of the parking lot when shopping. Try going dancing so exercise will be fun. Swimming is good activity when it’s hot. Not only will you lose weight, but you will have more energy.

It isn’t necessary to be an athlete to lose weight. Simple changes can add up to significant pounds lost.

Body Shaping: 4 Week Program For Swimsuit Season

2008-10-24T01:32:00.000-07:00

Summer is fast approaching. Without fail, right around Memorial Day people begin asking me what they can to do to look great in their bathing suits for the upcoming swimsuit season. Unfortunately, this leaves us little time. It seems that during the previous six months these people forgot that the health club was open (!). Don’t worry; all is not lost. Let’s just say we’ve got four weeks to work a small miracle.

The 4 week swimsuit exercise program

To start out, you need to get on an exercise program. Now, with only four weeks to shape up, this means you’re going to have to workout hard—and often. You’ll probably have to spend more time in the gym than you are accustomed to. Believe me, it will be worth it. We must start burning body fat and shaping those muscles as quickly as possible.

1. Strength training

Your strength-training routine will be as follows: You will work out four times a week. Twice a week you will do lower body and abdominal exercises; the other two times you will do upper body exercises. You mustn’t go easy on your workouts either. For each of your exercises, you should do three sets with 12-15 repetitions each. You’re working on developing muscle to increase your metabolism, which in turn will help you burn off extra body fat and shape your body.

2. Cardiovascular training

Your cardiovascular training is the key to burning off body fat. Remember, though, that if you neglect your strength training program, this portion will almost be useless. Together, strength training and cardiovascular exercise combine to make your body into a fat burning machine. And it keeps burning fat for much longer than the time you spent exercising. Try to do some cardio at least five to seven days a week. Don’t worry about where your heart rate should be. Just make sure that you’re working out at an intensity that pushes you…but not so much that you’re gasping for breath! Your cardio routine should be between 30 and 45 minutes long, depending on your fitness level.

The 4 week swimsuit eating program

You can make some dramatic changes in four weeks, but it is vital that you are disciplined. First of all, eat five to six times a day. This means eating breakfast, lunch, dinner, plus two snacks in between. During these four weeks, focus on getting a little protein at all your meals (lean meats, fish, or chicken). Do not eliminate carbohydrates, though. You also need a starchy carbohydrate (whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, fruits, or potato) and a fibrous carbohydrate (any vegetable) at each meal in addition to the protein.

Make your snacks high-protein. Protein takes more calories to burn, therefore it increases your metabolism. The last two weeks, you might want to substitute another fibrous carbohydrate for the starchy carbohydrate. This strategy will help you gain a lean look.

Create healthy habits to last a lifetime

Ideally, you should follow a healthy lifestyle every day. This program won’t give you the results you would see if you’d been exercising the last six months. However, you will definitely see some changes. By following the prescription very closely for four weeks, you can get a desirable body that makes you feel very comfortable putting on your swimsuit and being the envy of everyone.

The Master Cleanse Detox Diet Dissected

2008-10-23T20:08:00.000-07:00

The Master Cleanse Detox Diet, also known as the Lemonade Diet, has been around for quite sometime. The diet, originally made popular in 1976 by Stanley Burroughs, was re-released in 2005 in the form of Peter Glickman's book Lose Weight, Have More Energy, and Be Happier in 10 Days. Glickman gave the out-dated diet a new, more modern look and popularized it once again. The book includes information on the obesity epidemic, toxins in foods, and the detoxification process. Numerous testimonials have been included from those who have completed the diet; also included is a section on commonly asked questions concerning the diet. Glickman makes it very clear in the first chapter of his book that he is not a licensed health professional but rather an "average Joe" interested in solving his health problems in a natural way.

The Master Cleanse Detox Diet Plan

The diet plan is simple: Basically, you stop eating and start drinking. The day is started with a quart of salt water solution, and then six to twelve 8oz glasses of a homemade lemonade concoction. The detoxifier ends their day with an herbal tea laxative. The lemonade contains fresh squeezed lemons and water, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup. The lemon juice is said to dissolve built-up waste in the colon; the cayenne pepper is for ridding the body of mucus; and the maple syrup is for energy. The herbal laxative is to aid the elimination process and the salt water acts as a colonic flush. Glickman recommends following the diet for a minimum of 10 days in order to fully benefit from the detoxification process but also says that the diet can be followed for up to 20 days.

Nutritional pros and cons of the Master Cleanse Detox Diet

The Master Cleanse Detox Diet will certainly result in weight loss if followed as directed. This is simply due to a lack of calories for an extended period of time. In addition to lacking calories from macro-nutrients (carbohydrates, fat, and protein), it is also lacking micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals). This liquid diet of limited nutritional substance does raise concern and could be harmful and dangerous to some readers. Anyone on prescribed medications or with any health problems should be very cautious when considering this diet and should consult with their doctor prior to starting it.

Is the Master Cleanse Diet a healthy diet?

Glickman's book sends an alarming but unsubstantiated message concerning our food supply in this country. He claims that our food is full of toxic material and when consumed, the toxins are stored in the fat cells within our body, making us obese. Unfortunately for Glickman, this claim cannot be backed by reliable scientific data. Further, he admits that the research he performed to evaluate this diet consists of only informal surveys, and his recommendations and evaluation of "success" are based on this feedback. I find it fascinating how society and the marketers within have twisted and convoluted sound nutrition knowns, and convinced the public there is a faster, easier way to be healthy which does not include eating a balanced diet and exercising. Glickman's book in my opinion is a perfect example of this. As a registered dietitian, I do not recommend this type of diet for anyone interested in losing weight or becoming healthier. Instead, focus on getting plenty of exercise and eating a well-balanced diet high in fruit and vegetables and low in added fats and sweets.