populardietingblog.com

We know that large serving sizes influence dieters to eat more… but what about server sizes?

A study published earlier this year in the Journal of Consumer Psychology reported that restaurant goers order differently, depending on the size of the waiter taking the order.

The study conducted two experiments: one measuring quantity of food eaten, and one looking at food choices of both dieters and non-dieters when ordering food from obese and non-obese servers.

The results may surprise you.

Janet used to weigh 337 pounds. She bought a treadmill and initially just walked on it for five minutes a day. She increased the time gradually. By the time the treadmill gave out she had put 3,000 miles on it over two years and had lost 100 pounds. She was eager to buy another one.

But then she plateaued and wanted to try weight loss surgery. (She is only 5′1″) Her doctor suggested she first try the Medifast diet for one month. She ended up doing this for 12 months and losing another 120 pounds.

Read her inspiring story and see her ‘after’ photo here.

It’s amazing how many people will share their tips with you once you tell them that you are trying to lose weight. They’ll tell you the latest article they read, what they did last month, or what their friend’s friend is currently doing.

Now although I’m sure all of that advice is well intentioned it may be harmful to your ultimate weight loss success.

For starters you won’t know what is working (or not working) if you continue to tinker with the program you are currently on and that’s why I recommend sticking with one program for at least 6 weeks to give it a fair shot. Secondly, unless the person giving you the advice lost weight using the method they are suggesting (and kept it off) then you can’t be too sure if everything they are sharing with you is valid.

Lastly, I would really be careful trying any pills, potions, crash diets, teas, creams, etc. even if a friend swears by them. Although a product advertising losing 10 inches in 10 minutes may seem like something you’d want, the long term consequences will appear far less pleasant.

My final word of advice is to stick with one, well mapped out weight loss plan and follow it to the letter. As for friendly advice, the next time your friend goes to offer you a weight loss tip just “smile and nod.”

Stephen Cabral, CSCS, CPT, NS is the owner of Stephen Cabral Studio weight loss & personal training in Boston, MA, and also offers online fitness coaching.

Instead of talking with you today about how there is research currently being conducted about how you view your body and how your body responds to and mimics that outlook, I want to share with you a simplified approach to losing weight.

I find that too many people who enter a weight loss program focus on “how fat they are,” rather than on some positive aspect of their life. For example, you may not love the way you look, but if you constantly view yourself as an overweight person then it’s going to be difficult for you to envision yourself reaching your ideal body weight (which is essential to maintaining weight loss).

I’m also not saying you need to try to trick yourself into believing you are a different size than you currently are. What I would like you to do is stop being so hard on yourself. After you can stop judging how your current body looks, you will then be ready to accept your mission of reshaping your physique.
 
The focus should also be on the process and on how you are now living a healthier overall lifestyle that will benefit you for the rest of your life. Your journey to your ideal body size and shape will happen if you let go of who you are now and direct your attention on the the new healthy you that is waiting to come out.

Stephen Cabral, CSCS, CPT, NS is the owner of Stephen Cabral Studio weight loss & personal training in Boston, MA, and also offers online fitness coaching.

Last year I wrote a workout routine for Men’s Health about how to fit in a workout at a crowded gym when you have hardly any equipment to choose from.

Here’s what I suggested:

We all know that Monday night’s are notorious for being overly crowded at most gyms and so what I recommend is staking out your own little piece of fitness floor space and then not moving for your entire workout. I suggest grabbing a set of dumbbells (or two) and any other equipment you will need for your supersets or circuit based workout.

By having everything at your fingertips you’ll be able to plow right through your routine without having to ask to work in with anyone else or be interrupted during your set. Plus, by using dumbbells, a barbell, or some other small functional piece of equipment you can just grab your equipment and keep to yourself and out of the way of the busier sections of the fitness floor.

My clients love using this technique and they find that they actually finish their workouts faster since they feel like when they are moving no one is bothering them or asking for a piece of the equipment that they’re using. So the next time you find yourself stuck in a packed health club give this crowded gym workout method a try!

Stephen Cabral, CSCS, CPT, NS is the owner of Stephen Cabral Studio weight loss & personal training in Boston, MA, and also offers online fitness coaching.

Last year I wrote a workout routine for Men’s Health about how to fit in a workout at a crowded gym when you have hardly any equipment to choose from.

Here’s what I suggested:

We all know that Monday night’s are notorious for being overly crowded at most gyms and so what I recommend is staking out your own little piece of fitness floor space and then not moving for your entire workout. I suggest grabbing a set of dumbbells (or two) and any other equipment you will need for your supersets or circuit based workout.

By having everything at your fingertips you’ll be able to plow right through your routine without having to ask to work in with anyone else or be interrupted during your set. Plus, by using dumbbells, a barbell, or some other small functional piece of equipment you can just grab your equipment and keep to yourself and out of the way of the busier sections of the fitness floor.

My clients love using this technique and they find that they actually finish their workouts faster since they feel like when they are moving no one is bothering them or asking for a piece of the equipment that they’re using. So the next time you find yourself stuck in a packed health club give this crowded gym workout method a try!

Stephen Cabral, CSCS, CPT, NS is the owner of Stephen Cabral Studio weight loss & personal training in Boston, MA, and also offers online fitness coaching.

Researchers presenting last week at an American Chemical Society meeting gave a shot in the arm to a weight-loss technique that’s been around forever.  In a study of middle-aged and older adults, they found that drinking two cups of water before a meal may speed weight loss when dieting.

On the face of it, it’s good advice.  The benefits of getting plenty of fluid go well beyond just helping us achieve healthy weights.  As far as weight loss goes, we’ve also recognized for some time that confusing thirst for hunger can lead to eating when we’re not really hungry.  By staying well-hydrated, we short-circuit that confusion before it even begins. 

Researchers presenting last week at an American Chemical Society meeting gave a shot in the arm to a weight-loss technique that’s been around forever.  In a study of middle-aged and older adults, they found that drinking two cups of water before a meal may speed weight loss when dieting.

On the face of it, it’s good advice.  The benefits of getting plenty of fluid go well beyond just helping us achieve healthy weights.  As far as weight loss goes, we’ve also recognized for some time that confusing thirst for hunger can lead to eating when we’re not really hungry.  By staying well-hydrated, we short-circuit that confusion before it even begins. 

Sandwiches make lunch time breaks simple and fast. What could be easier than ordering up your favorite at the nearest sandwich or sub shop? Making a simple swap …

Read Full Post

Sandwiches make lunch time breaks simple and fast. What could be easier than ordering up your favorite at the nearest sandwich or sub shop? Making a simple swap …

Read Full Post