Archive for » February, 2012 «

Almost half of US workers say weight is biggest health concern

Losing weight is the top health concern for almost half of American workers. According to new research,  43 percent of employees said losing weight was their top health priority for 2012. That percentage represents a 10 percent jump in employees who said weight loss was their top concern in 2011.

“As individuals continue to grapple with weight problems, it’s no shock that weight management is again the top issue this year,” said Richard Chaifetz, chairman and CEO of ComPsych, a provider of employee assistance and health programs.

After losing weight, 20 percent of employees said that exercising was their biggest health concern. Other responses included:

  • 18 percent of employees who wanted to reduce stress.
  • 10 percent of employees who were concerned with improving their diets.
  • 5 percent of employees who wanted to quit smoking.
  • 1 percent who had other health and wellness concerns.

Although the research highlights the feelings of employees, businesses can also benefit from this information. Particularly, businesses that encourage weight loss and exercise regimens for employees can benefit from workers’ gains in mental health and productivity, according to new research, released last week. This, in turn, can help employers save money in a variety of ways.

[Employees' Most Outrageous Late Excuses]

“With the impact that obesity and weight issues have on corporate health-care costs, more and more employers are providing comprehensive wellness programs,” Chaifetz said. “These programs can holistically address weight, stress and other health issues, resulting in improved productivity and lower health and disability costs.”

This research is part of the Tell It Now poll, released by ComPsych.

 


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Best Way to Lose 10 Pounds in 2 Weeks



When we make up our minds about losing weight, there are always certain exterior motives pushing us to do so. It could be anything from weddings to class reunions, or romantic vacation to an exotic place or summertime. Or (in the case of defense personnel) even an inspection by the senior authorities. The need to look beautiful, thin, and flattering at such occasions can make some of us want things badly. While losing a sizable amount of weight is good for everyone’s health, doing so in a non-healthy way can be dangerous. Before you even begin to put yourself on the road of starvation, remember, keeping yourself from nutrients that nourish your body is a very bad deal. This will only make you lose water weight, which you will gain right back as soon as you start eating. So, how can we go about losing weight properly? Do you have 2 weeks to spare? Do not fret any further as help is at hand. There are some fool-proof ways that can aid in bringing about weight loss in a short span of time. Here are the key ways to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks. It consists of a combination of two measures which have to be followed simultaneously.

Tips to Lose 10 Pounds in 2 Weeks

Whichever weight loss program you adapt to, make sure you get a green signal from your doctor. You have to be careful, so that the program will be easier for you to maintain your goal for now and the future.

1. Intensive Exercise:
Some form of physical exercise everyday, for one full hour, will be very beneficial. This refers to intensive exercising, not casual physical activity. Exercises can include either brisk walking, cycling, swimming, jogging, running or even a combination of these. Joining a gym for the same will also help, because if you have spent money on a weight loss program, you are more likely to follow it with complete discipline.

Getting into intensive aerobic exercises and strength training activities will help you lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks. By eating less and sensibly, you are reducing your daily calorie intake in the first place. Plus, by adding rigorous workout routines, especially, cardiovascular exercises, you are doubling your chances of losing weight quickly. Understand that 1 pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories. In order to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks, you will have to lose 17,500 calories in a week. For this huge chunk of calories to be lost, you need to take your doctor’s advice about your body type and its efficiency to handle it properly. You don’t want to make yourself malnourished and weak by the end of 2 weeks.

In addition to working out at the gym or home, start walking in the mornings and after dinners. You will have to add an extra hour of walking to your present exercise routine. Add running, jogging, rowing, swimming, hiking, or cycling to your cardiovascular exercises. Alter these exercises throughout the week and see how your body sheds calories in a healthy manner.

Weight training is another way of improving the appearance of your body, as it basically involves a type of strength training that uses weights to increase stamina. Types of equipment include barbells, dumbbells, pulleys and stacks in the form of weight machines, and the body’s own weight in case of chin-ups and push-ups. Weight training exercises help in improving muscle strength, bone-density, flexibility and metabolic rate. These exercises help in getting rid of excessive flab, and give your body a toned look. However, they need to be done under the guidance of fitness trainers and experts.

2. Changes in Eating Pattern:
Instead of eating 3 large meals, break it up into 6 small meals in a day. Smaller, more frequent meals keep your blood sugar stable and provide a steady source of energy, which in turn fuels your metabolism. Many of us who wonder how to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks often forget this fundamental rule because we have become conditioned to the routine of 3 meals a day. Also, you need to understand that it is you and only you who can control the way you eat. By that I mean, the time at which you eat, the kind of food you eat, and most importantly, the amount of food you consume. The point here is to eat less and not to get hooked on fad diets. The unnatural fad diets that claim you can eat anything you wish and still lose weight are impossible. A tiny fact these diets leave out is that the people who are eating anything they want, exercise a lot as well. So, the calories are burned quickly and in no time. But the fact of the matter is, nobody really wishes to eat less and starve themselves to lose a few pounds.

First and foremost, go on a detox diet. It will cleanse your body thoroughly and help you lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks in a healthy manner. You can also take a look at healthy recipes to prepare at home, to keep your diet in check. Add fresh fruits, vegetables, beans and lentils, oats, all types of potatoes, brown rice and noodles, fresh fish (nothing frozen or defrosted), unsalted nuts and seeds, natural yogurt, and herbal/fruit teas in your diet. Once you are through with the first phase of this diet, eliminate fast food from your life. Along with this, you need to steer clear of red meat, chicken, turkey, sausages, burgers, cheese, cream, butter, all foods containing wheat, sweets, chocolates, soft drinks, alcohol, coffee, and tea.

The harsh truth of our lives is that junk food is unhealthy. Get rid of the habit of snacking on junk food every now and then. Say good-bye to burgers, fries, deep-fried foods, soft drinks and sodas. If they have to be eaten, eat them in moderation. Wherever possible, replace them with healthier snack options like salad (without any rich dressing), nuts, fruits and brown bread sandwiches.

Research has proven the effectiveness of certain food items in fighting fat. These food items include almonds, soybean, eggs, lentils, fish, yogurt. Almonds are high in Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA), which can accelerate your metabolism. Also, almonds have a high fiber content and the good fat (HDL) which satisfies appetite very soon. So you are less likely to have cravings and overeat. Eat a handful everyday. Eating eggs for breakfast makes you feel fuller for longer, so that you eat less at your next few meals. Calcium-rich fat-free yogurt can boost your body’s fat-burning mechanism, and accelerate weight loss. Lentils being high in protein and soluble fiber stabilize blood sugar levels. The end result is – a flatter tummy.

In addition to the above, drinking 8 glasses of water and getting sound sleep of 7 hours everyday will improve the effectiveness of the new exercise and diet routine. All these measures have to be followed with consistency and require a lot of discipline. They have to be practiced everyday for 2 weeks, and then there will be results for all to see. Stick to a healthy weight loss program, drink more water throughout the day, and take multivitamins. To lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks requires a strong commitment, mentally and physically. There are many other ways to lose 10 pounds in such a short duration, but they include crash diets. Crash dieting is, altogether, an unhealthy practice and not at all the best way to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks! These types of unhealthy diets and weight loss programs should not be followed as they don’t provide any positive results for you or your body. You may think you have lost weight for good, but all you end up losing is water weight, which will return quicker than you imagine.

Health experts would say that there is no one best way to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks, because what works for one person may not work for the other. But in general, a combination of the two measures given above is recommended for all those who enroll for weight loss programs. Of course, it goes without saying that it would do you a lot of good to carry on with these change in lifestyle for the rest of your life! Good health is one of the best gifts that we can give ourselves. So, prepare yourself and follow your goals till the end.


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Will, Grundy hospitals host health programs

February 28, 2012 8:44PM




Updated: February 29, 2012 2:33AM

March 2, 16, 30; April 13, 27

Free blood pressure check: 9-10 a.m. March 2, 16 and 30; and April 13 and 27 in the Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center West Tower Lobby. This free service allows you to keep up with your health and monitor your blood pressure. It is sponsored by the Senior Spirit Department of PSJMC. Call 815-725-9438.

March 6

Group exercise open house: 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. March 6, offered by Mokena Park District at The Oaks Recreation and Fitness Center, 10847 LaPorte Road, Mokena. Have you wanted to try a group exercise class but you’re not sure you’ll like it? Take this opportunity to try a free class to see if it’s the right fit for you! Times vary. Call The Oaks at 708-390-2343 or visit www.mokenapark.com for class information.

CPR for the healthcare provider: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 6, offered by Morris Hospital and Healthcare Centers at Morris Hospital, 150 W. High St., Morris. Intended for licensed and certified healthcare professionals, this course teaches the skills of CPR for victims of all ages, use of an automated external defibrillator and relief of foreign-body airway obstruction. The cost is $70. Register at www.morrishospital.org or call 815-942-2932, Ext. 7361 or 7362.

March 7

Atrial fibrillation program: 6-7 p.m. March 7. Cardiologist Sunil Shroff will present a free program, “All About Atrial Fibrillation,” at Morris Hospital, 150 W. High St., Morris. Shroff will explain who is at risk for atrial fibrillation and how the condition is diagnosed and managed. Registration is available at www.morrishospital.org or by calling 815-416-6089.

March 8

Carb counting class: 6 p.m. March 8 at Morris Hospital, 150 W. High St., Morris. This month’s class includes a grocery store tour at the Morris Walmart. A dietitian and diabetes educator will explain how to look for healthy food choices in the grocery store. Free.

March 9

Blood drive: 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. March 9, Charter One Bank, 9795 W. Lincoln Highway in Frankfort. Sponsored by the American Red Cross.

Ongoing

Silver Cross offers free weight loss surgery program: Looking to lose weight this year? Silver Cross Hospital is offering Obesity and Your Health: Is Weight Loss Surgery Right for You? Join Drs. Christopher Joyce and Brian Lahmann, experienced gastric bypass surgeons with Bariatric Minimally Invasive Surgery at Silver Cross Hospital, for a free informational session about Obesity Your Health: Is Weight Loss Surgery Right for You? The program is held every Wednesday at 5:45 p.m. in the Specialty Care Pavilion on the Silver Cross Hospital Campus, 1300 Copperfield Ave., Joliet. Participants will learn about the advantages and risks of traditional and laparoscopic bariatric weight loss surgery, find out who is a candidate for the procedure and hear from area patients about their experiences. Silver Cross has been named as Bariatric Center of Excellence by the American Society of Bariatric Surgery and a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Blue Distinction Center for Bariatric Surgery. Register to attend this free informational session at www.silvercross.org or by calling 888-660-4325.

Items for the health/fitness calendars must be submitted in writing 10 days prior to the Wednesday on which they should run. We prefer all items e-mailed to jfeatures@stmedianetwork.com. You may also send them to: Health/Fitness Roundup, 2175 Oneida St., Joliet, IL 60435 or fax to 815-773-7950. For more information call Jean Edwards at 815-773-7172.


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Danica Patrick Weight Loss Danica Patrick Diet Free Report

Danica Patrick Weight Loss Danica Patrick Diet Free Report – Isn’t amazing how all of the celebrities you see have a celebrity diet plan for weight loss to maintain their weight. Some of them are shapely and healthy looking, and look good on camera. Others look like they haven’t eaten in weeks, like they just got back from the famine in Ethiopia for a few weeks. Like they had been starving themselves to lose weight, and that is probably what they have been doing. You see it in all the tabloids, this person lost 100 pounds again, this one gained 100 pounds, and then lost 150 pounds. Some are not as dramatic; this one lost 40 pounds and is a television spokesperson, because the previous celebrity diet spokesperson gained the weight back. The fact is they may be starving themselves to lose weight, fasting like they are going through a famine. Celebrities make dieting look so easy, don’t they? One month they’re on the cover of US Weekly for gaining too much weight and the next they’re headlining the “sexiest beach bods” story. It is true that seriously overweight people can lose large amounts of fat in a quick amount of time, because of the large fat content in their cells. But those that are only a few pounds overweight, losing 40 pounds in a month, is not only starvation, it is malnutrition and can have serious side effects. Our body weight can fluctuate day to day and the best diets take the weight off gradually, the way it came on.

If you lose a lot of weight in a short time, staying the same size will be impossible unless you follow a maintenance program for life. Good, sensible dieting means skill and will power combined. A lot of these celebrity diets or Hollywood diets are very bad for the body and the celebrities are thinking of the camera rather than their long term health.

 

Researches indicate that individuals who indulge in a weight loss program by taking prepared meals end up losing an additional 31% weight as against those who cook their own meals. With help, losing weight is made easier and at times much faster as against doing it on your own.Diet delivery is gaining popularity in a big way as it is fairly affordable by even the common man, roughly around $20 a day with an increasing variety to choose from. A few of which include: Zone-compliant meal, low carbs plan, veggie meals, and gourmet too.

Click Here to Download The Danica Patrick Diet Free Report – Get a Great Body Like Danica Patrick in Days!

With the rapidly increasing epidemic of obesity and increasing BMI levels, there is an array of products and diet plan to aid in combating obesity. Celebrity slim diet, the basic idea is to educate people and not to depict food as an enemy. Like a lot of famous diets in Hollywood, if your body thinks you are starving, it is going to hold on to every calorie you take in to keep you from starving to death instead of burning them for energy. When you follow a properly balanced weight loss diet, your metabolism will hardly notice the decrease in calories and continue to burn fat it doesn’t need to store. This is a more long-term weight loss strategy.

Celebrities do not have secrets about dieting. They are normal people like the rest of us but, unlike most of us, they have people working for them such as diet advisors and personal trainers. Celebrity diets involve a level of commitment and dedication which we struggle with. The best celebrity diets involve eating sensibly and limiting our calorie intake. Having these factors in mind will allow you to have safe and easy weight loss that will provide you with short term and long term consistent results.

 

Click Here to Download The Danica Patrick Diet Free Report – Get a Great Body Like Danica Patrick in Days!


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The Center for Medical Weight Loss Awarded Best Bariatric Practice on Long Island

“CMWL is focusing on long-term weight loss, so all our time spent with patients is focused on them keeping off weight. This award proves that what we’re doing is good training for our physicians and good care for our patients” said Dr. Michael Kaplan.

Tarrytown, New York (PRWEB) February 29, 2012

The Center for Medical Weight Loss affiliated centers on Long Island have been voted by readers of the Long Island Press as the best bariatric practices on Long Island. The Center for Medical Weight Loss (CMWL) is the largest network of non-surgical medical weight loss providers in the United States and has trained more than 750 doctors nationwide over the past six years.

“We’re happy to be the leaders in the field and excited to be recognized for the good work we’re doing in the community,” said Dr. Michael Kaplan, founder and chief medical officer of The Center for Medical Weight Loss. “CMWL is focusing on long-term weight loss, so all our time spent with patients is focused on them keeping off weight. This award proves that what we’re doing is good training for our physicians and good care for our patients.”

The Long Island CMWL centers, located in Smithtown, Westbury, and Amityville and run by Dr. Kaplan, have provided weight loss treatment and counseling to more than 8,000 patients over the last 10 years. They provide care to more than 200 patients a week and consistently see more than 100 new patients a month. Fifty percent of their new patients are referrals by friends and family who have seen success with the CMWL program, while 25 percent come from physician referrals and 25 percent from advertising.

“[Medical weight loss treatment] is even more exciting for us now because insurance covers a lot of what we do,” added Dr. Kaplan. Starting in January 2012, obesity treatments and counseling for people with a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or above, when seen by a primary care physician with specialized training in obesity, are covered by Medicare as well as other health insurance providers including Aetna, Oxford, United, Empire BlueCross BlueShield, and 1199 (hospital workers’ union). Other private health insurers may offer similar coverage as well. .

The Center for Medical Weight Loss (CMWL) clinically proven, evidence-based programs provide an approach to long-term weight loss and maintenance under the care and support of trained physicians. Each fully individualized program is customized to the patient, taking into account his or her medical history, body composition, and personal goals. This individual care is supported with on-going one-on-one counseling by the physician on important topics including nutrition, fitness, behavioral modification, motivation, and, where necessary, prescribed medications. Physicians in The Center for Medical Weight Loss network are all medical professionals specially trained in non-surgical bariatric medicine who have access to the latest techniques and medical data, including high-quality nutritional products and FDA-approved weight loss medications only available to medical doctors.

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80% of Dieters Want To Do It Themselves, BestDietForMe.com Survey Finds

Online “Diet Wizard” Provides Free, Unbiased Recommendations, Says Marketdata

Tampa, FL (PRWEB) February 28, 2012

Marketdata Enterprises is a 33-year old market research firm that has operated http://www.BestDietForMe.com, since 2003, helping more than 1 million consumers find the best diet plan for their personal budget, food, and exercise preferences. BestDietForMe has been one of the leading diet information websites on the Web since 2003, with 2,000+ pages of free weight loss reviews and content It has been named a “Hot Site” by USA Today.

“Dieters today are confused by all the weight loss programs on the market. They’re bombarded with exaggerated claims of rapid and easy weight loss and misleading claims about the true cost of programs. We created BestDietForMe nine years ago to address this problem and to protect consumers. Now, more than ever, it’s important not to waste your money. Now’s not the time to spend hundreds or thousands on the wrong diet plan for your needs.”, according to John LaRosa, Business Development Manager.

What’s different about the Diet Wizard survey and software is that it’s unbiased. Marketdata does NOT operate or sell any weight loss programs or products. BestDietForMe.com’s parent, Marketdata, maintains and continuously updates a database of only legitimate, proven and safe weight loss programs (medical, commercial, retail, and do-it-yourself). When a person uses the Diet Wizard, which is password protected to assure security, the software narrows down the several best plans for you, based on how you answer the questions.

The Wizard covers a dieter’s… budget, food preferences, exercise habits, emotional eating, food allergies, etc. Upon completion, the person’s several recommended diet programs appear, by name (i.e. Jenny Craig) with links to in-depth company reports that instantly appear on screen. Users can compare the features and costs of all the major programs 24/7 from home—with no high pressure sales pitches.

Marketdata analyzes these survey results quarterly, tracking 112 measures, and publishes quarterly in-depth reports of the findings. We now have 7 years of data on online dieting trends, 2005-2011. Some of the findings:

  • Diet Budgets… There was a steady increase in the share of online dieters with a weight loss budget under $250 since 2005. It peaked last year at 72%. The share wanting to spend $250-500 also declined steadily, to a low of 13.3%. The share willing to spend $500-1,000 fell to the lowest level in 2009 during the recession, to 7.4%. The share willing to spend $3,000+ shrunk to 1.8% last year, lowest in five years.
  • Age… The youngest group, those online dieters aged 18-25, constituted 28.4% of all online dieters in 2011. The 5-year high was reached in 2009, at 35.5%.
  • Gender… The overwhelming majority of online dieters are female — 91% in 2011–no surprise here. This ratio was little changed over the past five years. More men may be starting the search for a weight loss program online, as their percentage rose from 5.4% in 2005 to 9% currently.
  • Preferred Location… Most of the 108 million U.S. dieters overall are do-it-yourselfers—estimated by several other studies by government and private organizations to be as high as 70%. We think it’s higher. The BDFM data show this, as home/online/website is the top preferred location desired. The share for our sample group averaged 79.4% in 2011— not far from our highest reading ever. Again, this reflects the recession, as consumers moved to do it themselves to cut costs.
  • Food Plan… A majority of online dieters, 60.7%, prefer to use regular grocery store food, but interestingly, 26% don’t have any preference. This share has risen since 2005.
  • Psychological Support… At least 57% of all online dieters need SOME form of psychological support, whether they want it or not. Of the three psych areas, 76%, the greatest share, needs emotional eating support as part of their program. Over the period 2005-2011, across the board, we saw that the share of online dieters that need some level of psych support has risen, reaching 5-year highs in 2010. The big question, however, is whether they ARE, in fact, getting this support online.

“During this recession, it’s more important than ever to save money wherever possible. BestDietForMe.com protects dieters by giving them information that empowers them BEFORE they sign up for a weight loss program. We don’t sell anything, so we’re unbiased. They can also get the latest news on new diet companies, scams to avoid, videos, self-improvement, fitness and more. ”, according to John LaRosa.

Diet Wizard Available for Licensing

Previously, this Diet Wizard (with a database of 60 top programs) has been available only on the BestDietForMe.com website. Marketdata is now making this unique diet tool available for licensing by a limited number of companies. Marketdata will create a co-branded page for the client. The licensee can surround the survey with its own ads, if desired.

Quarterly Reports Published About Online Dieters

Each of these market research reports is about 90 pp. in length and covers 112 online dieter metrics, as well as trends in online dieting, the weight loss market overall, public diet company performance, traffic rankings of the top diet websites and more. Price: $895 per quarter. $2,995 for year’s subscription (4 reports)

ABOUT BESTDIETFORME.COM and MARKETDATA

http://www.BestDietForMe.com is operated by Marketdata Enterprises, Inc., an independent market research firm and 23-year analyst of the U.S. weight loss industry since 1989. Marketdata publishes many diet market research studies, sells dieter leads, and performs consulting and custom research. Contact Mr. LaRosa for Diet Wizard licensing details and other weight loss studies. Take a tour of the survey. Use demo(at)demo(dot)com for your email address and the word “demo” for your password. You will see all survey screens and questions, to the end of the survey and your matches.

Contact Information

John LaRosa,

Marketdata Enterprises, Inc., Tampa, FL

Phone: 813-907-9090

Fax: 813-907-3606

http://www.bestdietforme.com

email: john(at)bestdietforme(dot)com

# # #

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/2/prweb9231249.htm


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The bridal fitness challenge: week 4

Should I now try Zumba? Or perhaps dance lessons so the boy wonder and I can
perform a cringe-worthy highly choreographed first dance – which our chums
would only too gleefully upload onto YouTube?

Trying to silence my panicked thoughts, I carry on with the regime, subjecting
my body to a different set of exercises each morning.

Amazingly, the trainers do manage to keep each set fresh and interesting–
having now worked out each core part of my body at least three times now in
this month of gyming.

Ross delights in telling me how much he has increased the weights by each time
we return to an exercise we have done before. Instantly I always reply “No!
I can’t do it,” as half of the battle is psychological for me. Tell me its
harder, my muscles instantly don’t want to play ball, as brain emits a
defeated vibe.

But an ever-smiling Ross, calmly orders me to do another 12 tricep dips, while
correcting my erratic breathing.

The weight loss seems to have evened out now. I am still refusing to weigh
myself, as I want to measure my progress at the end of the six weeks. Plus
the real sign of success is if I have managed to lower my body fat
percentage by at least a couple of per cent.

Being an absolute foodie – I am craving butter, salt and red meat. Porridge,
sushi, chicken and ‘superfood salads’ are getting a little repetitive now –
but I do feel I have managed to reduce my rather large appetite a little.

Only time will tell if I can keep up the good work. Here’s hoping the fitness
addiction I have been so faithfully assured of, will finally take a hold of
me this week.

To train with Mark Anthony visit his website
or call 0207 221 8625

Emma will be keeping a weekly online diary of the six week plan – to follow
her progress visit The Telegraph’s Health
section
every Tuesday.


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The Real Way to Lose Weight Fast – With Pen and Paper

Dumb Little Man

I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of weight-loss ads. They pop up in newspapers, on television, and all over the internet. Typically, they’ll promise amazingly fast weight loss for very little work.

Feeling skeptical? You’re right to be – companies get up to all sorts of tricks (like fake before and after pictures, exaggerated results and falsified testimonials) just to get you to part with your money. Some products are staggeringly expensive – and potentially harmful to your health.
But the good news is … you really can lose weight fast, with just a few minutes extra effort each day. It doesn’t cost you anything, either.

Here’s how.

  1. Write Down Everything You Eat
    Studies have shown that you can lose twice as much weight just by keeping a record of what you eat – a food diary. That means writing down everything, including the quantity (not “chips” but “30g chips” or “multipack bag of chips”, for instance).

    You can create a simple chart in Word or Excel that you can fill in each day, or use online programs to track your food intake. There are dozens of apps for iPhones or other devices that will do just this.

    It doesn’t sound like such a little thing could make such a big difference – after all, it only takes a few minutes each day to write down what you’re eating. But people typically lose weight just from recording their food intake … without even being “on a diet”.

    Why does it work? Because you become instantly more conscious of what you’re consuming. Instead of dipping into the cookie jar as you walk past, you ask yourself “do I really want that?” Instead of succumbing to that impulse purchase of a candy bar, you think “do I want to record that?”

    A food diary alone will speed your weight loss, helping you lose a safe and sustainable 1-2lbs per week. But the humble pen and paper can be used in other ways, too…

  2. Record Your Exercise Sessions
    How often have you skipped exercising, telling yourself that you’ll work out tomorrow? It’s easy to let one missed gym session turn into a week and then a month of inactivity.

    To keep yourself motivated and on track, record the exercise that you do (you could write it alongside your food diary, or jot down details in your calendar). Again, this might not sound like much of a change to your usual habits – but seeing your activity in black-and-white will encourage you to do more.

    Your exercise log can be as simple as a tick for each day that you exercise. Ideally, though, you’ll want to record a few details – like how far you jogged and for how long, or what weights you lifted. This lets you look back over past weeks to see the evidence that you’re progressing.

  3. Keep a Journal
    Some people end up overweight just because they have poor eating habits, or love large portions. But for many dieters, food has become tangled up with emotions – they comfort-eat, or snack when bored, or turn to chocolate to combat stress.

    Keeping a journal lets you spot patterns. For instance, you might realize that your snacking tends to happen after dinner, because you’re bored and don’t have much to do. Some dieters like to write down how they were feeling in their food diary, every time they record eating – hungry? Bored? Upset?

    You can also use a journal to work through difficult feelings. Perhaps you’re stressed at work, or sleeping badly, or struggling with a particular relationship. Getting your thoughts out on paper is a really effective way to tackle them – the writing process helps you to work through your emotions, and get some objectivity about them.

Grab a blank notebook, or set up a document on your computer or online. Try keeping a food diary, exercise log and journal for just one week – and see what a difference it makes.

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Most weight loss products are scams, says Ken Harvey

weight loss

Ken Harvey says claims that diet pills can help people lose weight fast after bingeing are “crazy and dangerous”. Picture: Thinkstock
Source: Supplied




ONE of Australia’s leading public health experts says there are more than 1000 weight loss products on the market and that most are scams.


Ken Harvey, an Adjunct Associate Professor in La Trobe University’s school of public health, says claims that diet pills can help people lose weight fast after bingeing are “crazy and dangerous”.

Online firm undoit.com.au claims its pills remove fat and carbs from food. For example, it claims someone could eat a Big Mac and fries and take five pills to undo it. A biscuit could be undone with one pill.

“It’s crazy, dangerous stuff and very appealing if you like your Big Mac and fries. But there’s no evidence it works and it’s really dangerous from a public health point of view,” Dr Harvey said.

There were many products on the market that “certainly rip people off “, were straight-out scams, or diverted people away from weight loss programs that actually work.

He said some of them might have fibre that can make people feel more full, while others relied on diuretics or laxatives, but that “none of them are worth money”.

“By and large none of them are really worth the money and none have good scientific evidence to substantiate their claims. They’re just scams,” he said.

There’s real harm in terms of turning people away from more evidence-based (care) … we’ve got an obesity epidemic on our hands.”

Last year, Dr Harvey complained to the Therapeutic Goods Administration about former NSW Liberal Leader Kerry Chikarovski’s range of Suprexxa weight loss products, sold by her company Chika Health.

Yesterday the TGA said it could find no evidence for the company’s claims that Supprexxa Fat Burner Max capsules and Metabolism Kick oral spray work. They gave Chika Health 20 working days to respond before a kit that contains the two products is cancelled.

The undoit website says Dr Harvey’s claims are “simply wrong” and points to clinical studies done using the same ingredients, although none of them are specifically about undoit pills. Chika Health did not return calls last night.

Dr Harvey wants the TGA to stop sanctioning products that do not work.


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