Jan 26

Brown Fat Theory Provides Potential Weight Loss Breakthrough

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brown fatNew research supports a brown fat theory that may provide scientists with a weight loss breakthrough.  In mice, brown fat is tissue that burns large amounts of fat and creates significant weight loss. Until recently, scientists didn’t know if adult humans carry this fat or if it behaves the same way in human bodies that it does in mice.  But a small study published this month in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, provides new evidence that it does.

Brown adipose tissue, or BAT, is literally fat that is brown in color.  The tissue has more mitochondria that standard white fat which gives it a darker color.  Mitochondria are the energy production centers in the body.  Unlike white fat, the mitochondria in brown fat uses fat for energy and burns larger quantities of it than other tissue.

Brown Fat Theory in Humans and Mice

In mice, studies have shown that an increase in brown fat created significant weight loss because the tissue burned substantially more fat and calories.  Two things created an increase of brown fat in mice: exercise and exposure to cold air.

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Jan 26

One Very Successful Year of Weight Loss

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 Megan Marquez and her husband lost a combined 174 pounds in one year. The first photo here was taken at Christmas in 2010 and the lower photo is from Christmas 2011. Thanks much for sending in your story!

Good Morning,
My name is Megan Marquez.  I have been morbidly obese since I was a teenager (I’m 36 now).  My husband and I have been married for 16 years.  We have two amazing, young children.  We decided to finally take control of our weight for our children’s sake and for our own health.  We did not use any pills, tricks, concoctions or fads.  For the first time in our adult lives, we simply did what every doctor tells their patients to do; maintain a better diet and get regular exercise.
We started slowly, cutting out junk food completely and taking short walks.  We both used an app on our phones to log our food intake every day.  As the weight started coming off, we increased our exercise.  I now use an elliptical machine every evening for 30 minutes.  I couldn’t have done 2 minutes in 2010. 
It has been an unbelievable year of weight loss and personal growth.  Combined, my husband and I lost about 174 pounds in 2011.  We are continuing our new lifestyle into 2012.  We both feel and look substantially better.  We had the greatest support of our families and co-workers.  My weight loss caused two co-workers to also improve their diets.  For the first time in my adult life, I am able to shop at non-plus size stores.  Our young children are very proud of us.  What a great feeling!
The reason I am contacting you is that I truly believe changing your life is in your own hands with real support.  I promise, if we can do it, anyone can.   
Jan 26

Tips and Tricks to Help Your Resolutions Stick

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Tips and Tricks to Help Your Resolutions Stick

Wed, 01/25/2012

By Beth Hubrich, RD, CaloriesCount Contributor 

 
It’s almost the end of January, and if you are like me, your resolutions have long been left at the wayside.  (Truth be told, I didn’t make any resolutions this year because I never seem to be able to keep them.  Instead, I’m focusing on taking things a little less to heart, looking at the big picture and letting go.)  But let’s not get off track (like our resolutions)!  If losing weight was at the top of your resolution “wish list,” read on for some simple and practical suggestions to make your resolution stick through 2012 and beyond!
 
  • Make your resolutions realistic!  Losing 10 pounds in 2 weeks is probably not going to happen.  Chances are good that you didn’t gain weight overnight, so don’t expect to lose weight overnight, either.  A more realistic goal is a weight loss of 1-2 pounds a week.  It may not sound exciting, but you’re more likely to keep off the weight. 
 
  • Lose the “quick fix” mentality.  Sure, swearing off carbs and desserts may be doable for a month or so, but it’s probably not something you can stick with over the long term.  Short term strategies can result in weight loss, but chances are good that if it is not a lifestyle change, the weight will eventually creep back.
 
  • Be more active, all the time and everywhere.  Hitting the gym and working with a personal trainer are great, but there are other ways to “sneak in” physical activity as well.   Skip the closest parking place and opt for one farther away, walk your child to a playdate instead of driving, take the stairs at work instead of the elevator, etc.  You may also want to look into a pedometer.  Tracking your “steps” and making a goal to increase those steps is an easy and attainable way to be more active and help burn calories. 
  • Keep it simple and make it specific.  Instead of saying “This year I vow to lose 30 pounds” say “By May I want to lose 5 pounds.”  Although you may want to lose 30 pounds, if you set smaller, more attainable goals you will be more likely to reach that smaller goal, which will spur you on to the larger goal. Find easy ways to cut calories by making simple substitutions.  Did you know that just cutting 150 calories a day over the course of a year could result in a 5-10 pound weight loss!  
 
  • Reward yourself and give yourself a break. Sometimes the best laid plans are well, just plans.  Life gets hectic, work gets busy and pretty soon Spring will be here.  If you find yourself “off track” cut yourself some slack and don’t beat yourself up.  Re-evaluate your goals, find out where you got “tripped up” and get back on track. 
 
That sounds a little like “looking at the big picture and learning to let go.”  Thanks for the reminder.
Jan 25

Electric Bikes and Weight Loss Success

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Traci Brown is a coach with Optibike. This pricey electric bike (costing about $10,000), “the Ferrari of electric bikes”, is hand-made in Boulder, Colorado. Traci sent in the following story about one of her clients. 

Bob Brewer was a regular guy. He spent his life building a successful family business. The money was good and all the perks that came with it were even better. Then at 53 he found himself overweight. Way overweight. And diabetic. He was 5’7” and 270lbs. The doctor called him ‘morbidly obese’.That’s when the fear set in.
A young death just wasn’t an option for Bob.  So what’s a guy to do?  A little exercise for a few days wasn’t going to fix the problem.  An entire lifestyle shift was in order.  But it sounded so hard.
That’s when Bob joined the Optibike weight loss challenge with coach Traci Brown.  It’s a year long coached lifestyle and fitness program.  Community is created around the enthusiasm for weight loss and cycling.  And Optibikes are electric. They give you a push when you need it. And you still get a great workout.
Bob found the fun in community and started riding his bike every day.  He followed the program:  Riding every day with a specific plan, walking if he couldn’t ride,  eating lower carbs, less meat and more fish,  cutting out soft drinks and alcohol.  As a matter of fact, Bob has only had water to drink for a year.
What about the results?  Bob’s lost 87lbs and he’s still going.  He’s exercising every day, riding his Optibike or walking, and totally off all medications.  He’s excited about life and he still hasn’t had anything to drink but water.  And all this happened because he decided to save his own life with the Optibike Weight Loss Challenge.

Jan 25

Score Big with Low Calorie Super Bowl Recipes; Sideline Unhealthy Snacks on Game Day

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01/24/2012

Party Low-Cal This Year

 Americans Will Eat 30 Million Pounds of Snacks and Enough Fat to Equal the Weight of 13,000 NFL Offensive Linemen!

 
ATLANTA (January 24, 2012) Super Bowl Sunday is the “Super Bowl” of snacking!  Research by the Calorie Control Council (CCC) and Snack Food Association finds that Americans will eat 30 million pounds of snacks on the big game day.  That breaks down to 11.2 million pounds of potato chips, 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips, 4.3 million pounds of pretzels, 3.8 million pounds of popcorn and 2.5 million pounds of nuts.  The average armchair quarterback will consume 1200 calories and 50 grams of fat from snacking and that doesn’t even count any meals!

The CCC’s research reveals that potato chips, the snacking favorite, will account for 27 billion calories and 1.8 billion grams of fat.  These 1.8 billion fat grams nationwide are the same as four million pounds of fat, which is equal to the weight of 13,000 National Football League (NFL) offensive linemen at 300 pounds each.
 
The CCC recommends pre-planning your Super Bowl event and menu to include lower calorie appetizers and beverages. When it comes to recipes, it is possible to cut the calories without cutting the flavor. The traditional “pigs in a blanket” can be made-over with reduced fat hot dogs and reduced fat crescent rolls. For dips, choose salsa, which is fat-free, and make dips/sauces with reduced-fat sour cream and non-fat Greek yogurt.  Use more seasonings and spices such as garlic, cilantro, parsley and hot peppers to add great flavor, and go lighter on the salt (sodium).  Add fresh fruit and vegetables for dipping. Try substituting grilled chicken kabobs for fried chicken wings, and you’ve got a healthy meal in no time! 
 
Also, offer diet versions of beverages (e.g. sodas, beer) and have low-calorie sweeteners on hand for guests to use in tea and coffee. And during halftime, try getting a little extra physical activity to burn off super bowl snacks by tossing the football or play some video games that involve dancing/physical movement for players. 

Beth Hubrich, a dietitian with the CCC, recommends planning a “Pre-Super Bowl Workout” before settling in to watch the game.  “For example, to burn off those 1200 calories from snacking during the Super Bowl, it would take three hours of walking around a football field or one hour and 45 minutes of running.  Or, if you want to get into the game spirit, it would take two hours of playing touch football to burn those calories,” she says.

“You certainly don’t want to have a dietitian at your Super Bowl party calling ‘interference’ when you and your friends start overindulging.  But by doing a little game planning in advance, you can avoid becoming one of the millions of fans who eat 50 grams of fat in a very short period of time,” Hubrich notes.

Check out the Calorie Control Council’s appetizer recipe section to find a list of healthy spreads and dips perfect for the next Super Bowl party.

For more information, along with free online calorie and exercise calculators, visit: www.caloriecontrol.org.
 
# # #
 
About the Calorie Control Council
The Calorie Control Council, established in 1966, is an international non-profit association representing the low-calorie and sugar-free food and beverage industry. Today it represents 60 manufacturers and suppliers of low-calorie, low-fat and light foods and beverages, including the manufacturers and suppliers of more than a dozen different dietary ingredients including aspartame, saccharin, stevia and sucralose. For more information, visit www.caloriecontrol.org.
Press Name: 
Lauren Godinez

Press Phone: 
404-252-3663

Jan 24

Why is America Still Fat?

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scaleAmerica is fat.  Despite years of awareness campaigns, public service announcements and incessant ads for weight loss programs, obesity rates in the United States have remained at about 36 percent, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Jan 24

Losing 80 Pounds in Eight Months

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Maria weighed 210 pounds eight months ago. She is 5’4″ tall. A Zumba class inspired her to start her weight loss journey and now she feels fantastic at 128 pounds. Thanks much for sending in your story!

Hi, my name is Maria.  I am 40 years old and I am a Physical Therapist Assistant. I live in Wilkes Barre, PA. My before weight was 210 pounds and my after weight is 128 pounds, I am 5’4″. 


In April of 2011 my friend asked me to go try out a Zumba class which I was reluctant to do but after she persuaded me to go I immediately fell in love with it, I was going 3 days of week. 


Towards the end of April the instructor opened her own studio and started offering more classes, at that time I decided that was it, I was sick of my weight and wanted to lose full force, I went on my own diet with an app on my phone counting calories(1200 calories a day). 


Jessica Sands, the owner of the studio S.W.E.A.T. Fitness Studio, Inc, helped me in every sense of my weight journey answering questions I had on food decisions, what classes to take, etc. I really owe it all to her for being my inspiration in this past 8 months, even though she will say it was all me. I am totally in love with eating right and exercising all the time, I take as many classes as I can, sometimes 1-3 classes a day, every day of the week. So after 8 months of losing 72 pounds and dropping from a size 16 to a size 2, meeting the most amazing people ever, and developing friendships I feel will last a lifetime, I am the happiest ever in my life. 


I finally feel good about the way I look and feel. My husband, Jim, of 18 years and my children, Patrick, 17, and Katie, 13, are very supportive in my new way of life, and I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without them either. I am very thankful every day that Jessica took the courage and many pitfalls, even surviving through a flood, to keep her studio open to give me a second home to go to every day to achieve my goal. I LOVE S.W.E.A.T. FITNESS STUDIO, ALL THE INSTRUCTORS, AND ALL THE FRIENDS I HAVE MADE ALONG THE WAY!!!!

Jan 21

If You Love Fatty Foods, Your Genes May Be To Blame

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popcornDo you crave fatty foods?  Your genes may be to blame.  A new study shows that people who have more of a gene, identified as CD36, are more sensitive to the taste of fat than people who have less of it.  In fact, people who had the highest levels of CD36 were 8 times more likely to detect fat in food than people who had less of the gene.

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Jan 21

Reduce Cravings with Meditation

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Here’s a really great 5 minute video instruction on how to meditate for a minute in your day.

Meditation has been proven to reduce stress and cravings. All you need is one minute to feel better. Check it out!

Jan 19

Paula Deen’s Diabetes Diagnosis: Will it Change the Way You Eat?

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fried chickenPaula Deen’s s diabetes diagnosis won’t change her cooking style. The Food Network star, known for her high fat, indulgent recipes, told the Today show’s Al Roker that she will continue to cook and eat her signature dishes in moderation.  During her appearance, she also announced that she will be the spokesperson for Victoza, a diabetes medication that is meant to be used along with a healthy diet and exercise.

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