Easy Weight Loss Tips

There is a common thread in many male transformation stories. A guy starts off overweight - he eats poorly and is sedentary. Then he discovers how to eat right, how to lift weights, and before you know it - new words like cardio, metabolism, and HIIT become part of the standard vernacular.

At some point along the journey - fat loss turned into bodybuilding. Is this the answer for every man?

People who undergo a physical transformation using diet and exercise are amazing. It takes courage, dedication, consistency, and plain hard work. It's impressive and worthy of respect. But what makes a man? A ripped physique? Great guns and a shredded six pack?

I would argue that few men would deny wanting a muscular physique. It's not just women that have body image issues. The sculpted models in magazines like Men's Health or Men's Fitness shout out from the magazine racks. They catch your eye and play on your mind.

The basic principles for muscle building include:

• Eating 5-6 meals per day
• More protein (pref. eaten at every meal)
• Intense weight training workouts
• Plenty of sleep.

The supplement industry would love it if you spent hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on shakes, Meal Replacement Powders, whey protein, creatine, glutamine, and anything else you can think of. There is no denying that many of these supplements are effective - but where does it end? When do you stop? Is it sustainable to live like this? Does every man have to be heavily-muscled - or lean and ripped?

I posed some of these questions to author and entrepreneur Jeremy Likness. Jeremy went from fat to fit and then began the routine of 'bulking' and 'cutting' - but nowadays he practices yoga, some running, and biking with his daughter.

"Why the Change?"

"The bodybuilder trend is popular and marketable. Everyone wants abs and muscles and to turn heads. I realized on this journey that my true journey wasn't about impressing people but learning to love myself. It reached a point with bodybuilding that my son was afraid to ask me to play basketball with him because I needed to rest for my muscles to grow."

"But Don't Muscles and Abs Mean Good Health?"
"Because many of us have a shallow level we sometimes get attached to, it's easy to try and fool ourselves into believing the muscles and abs mean good health, but the reality is there are plenty of unhealthy people with big muscles lumbering around."

"So What Have You Learned?"

• Muscles don't matter. They look good, but what I want is strength for a good quality of life (i.e. I want the biceps that are strong to break the shock of an unexpected fall).
• Flexibility is important - you just can't convince me there isn't a benefit from having a large range of motion as opposed to a tight/stiff/limited range of motion.
• Health is important. If I am eating healthy, exercising, focusing not just on cardio but also strength and flexibility, I am in the zone. I don't need to have a ripped six pack to be healthy, and I don't need huge muscles to be strong and flexible.

"Was it What You Really Wanted?"
"I must admit it was a huge battle for me because my ego wanted me to be the ripped, huge person, and the "fans" also wanted this and got really annoyed when I started softening up a bit. However, I realized that phase was also important because if I let myself turn into it just for the attention/ego aspect, it would be no different than any of the other addictions I battled in life, and this time I wanted to be on top and in control, so I fought through the ego to get a balance."

---

We must aim to look after our bodies, but the prevailing cult of physical perfection can distract us from simply enjoying life, recreation, and good health.

– THURSDAY, Oct. 23 (HealthDay News) — Consuming too much fructose — a
sugar found in foods ranging from cookies to candies and soda — can block
the appetite-controlling hormone leptin from doing its job and increase
the risk of obesity, a University of Florida study of rats suggests.

Leptin resistance has long been linked to obesity, and a number of
studies have shown that overconsumption of fructose may be an important
factor in the United States' obesity epidemic. This new study is the first
to link fructose and leptin resistance.

The researchers found that rats became leptin-resistant after being fed
a high-fructose diet for six months. There were no visible signs that
leptin resistance was occurring, but the fructose-fed rats gained
considerably more weight than rats that never received fructose when both
groups of rats were switched to a high-fat diet.

The study was published in the American Journal of Physiology —
Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.

“Leptin resistance is a condition that leads to obesity in rats when
coupled with a high-fat diet. The surprising finding here was that
increasing the amount of fructose in the diet without increasing the
amount of calories led to leptin resistance and later exacerbated obesity
when paired with a high-fat diet,” study senior author Philip J. Scarpace,
a professor of pharmacology and therapeutics in the College of Medicine,
said in a university news release.

“[Fructose] blocks leptin action most likely by blocking leptin entry
into the brain,” study author Alexandra Shapiro, an assistant scientist in
the department of pharmacology and therapeutics, explained in the news
release.

“If these findings are applicable to humans, then there could be
consequences of eating a diet high in fructose, but only if you also
consume an excessive amount of calories,” Scarpace said.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about factors that contribute to overweight and obesity.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) –
A diet packed with energy-dense foods, those containing more calories per volume, may increase a person's risk of developing diabetes, new research suggests.

Adults consuming the most, versus the least, energy-dense diets had a 60 percent higher risk for type 2 diabetes in a study conducted by Dr. Nita Forouhi, senior clinical research scientist at the Institute of Metabolic Science in Cambridge, United Kingdom, and colleagues.

Moreover, the association between highly energy-dense diets and the development of diabetes appears independent of body weight, total caloric intake, fat intake, and lifestyle factors, the researchers report in the journal Diabetes Care.

High energy-dense foods include highly processed foods, fatty foods, meats, and calorie-laden fruit or soft drinks, whereas low energy-dense foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, water and calorie-free drinks.

Ounce for ounce, high energy-dense foods tend to contain more energy (calories) and have been associated with weight gain and elevated blood sugar.

In their 12-year study, Forouhi's team assessed "new-onset" type 2 diabetes among 21,919 adults aged 40 to 79 years who were free of diabetes, cancer, or cardiovascular disease at the start of the study.

“Food frequency” data obtained at enrollment showed that those with highest energy-dense diets averaged 2,592 daily calories (36.6 percent from fat). This group consumed greater amounts of meat, processed meat, and soft drinks, and lower amounts of fresh vegetables and fruit, and water or other calorie-free beverages.

By contrast, those with the lowest energy-dense diets averaged 1,539 calories per day (29 percent from fat) and consumed more fresh vegetables, fruit, and calorie-free drinks, and less meats, processed meats, and soft drinks.

During follow up, 725 people developed 2 diabetes and those with the most energy-dense diets, compared with the least, had 60 percent higher risk for developing diabetes.

Although more study is needed, these findings suggest that adoption of healthier, less energy-dense diets in combination with other lifestyle factors and physical activity “could potentially be important in the prevention of diabetes,” Forouhi said.

SOURCE: Diabetes Care, November 2008

– FRIDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) — Eating a high-fat diet during
pregnancy causes permanent changes in the fetal brain that can result in
overeating and obesity early in life, according to a study with rats.

The researchers from Rockefeller University in New York City said their
finding is an important advance in understanding mechanisms of fetal
programming. It also sheds light on the production of new brain cells,
helping to explain the dramatic rise of childhood obesity in the United
States over the past three decades.

"We've shown that short-term exposure to a high-fat diet in utero
produces permanent neurons in the fetal brain that later increase the
appetite for fat," study senior author Sarah F. Leibowitz, director of the
Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology at Rockefeller, said in a university
news release. "This work provides the first evidence for a fetal program
that links high levels of fat circulating in the mother's blood during
pregnancy to the overeating and increased weight gain of offspring after
weaning.”

For the study, pregnant rats were fed either a high-fat or a balanced
diet for two weeks. Pups born to mothers that ate the high-fat diet ate
more, weighed more throughout life, and began puberty earlier than pups
born to mothers that ate a balanced diet. The pups born to the mothers
that at the high-fat diet also had higher levels of triglycerides in the
blood at birth and as adults, and also had greater production of brain
peptides that stimulate eating and weight gain.

The study was published in the Nov. 12 issue of the Journal of
Neuroscience.

The creation of neurons that increase the appetite for fat may also
occur in human babies born to mothers who eat a high-fat diet during
pregnancy, Leibowitz said.

"We're programming our children to be fat," she believes. "I think it's
very clear that there's vulnerability in the developing brain, and we've
identified the site of this action where new neurons are being born. We
now need to understand how the lipids affect these precursor cells that
form these fat-sensitive neurons that live with us throughout life.”

More information

The Nemours Foundation has more about overweight and obesity in children.

In the US, over a third of the population are considered not just overweight but obese. Many people think the answer is to go on a diet – but it’s not that simple. Report after report suggests that dieting just doesn’t work: when people diet to lose weight, they commonly put it back on (and more). Only 5% of dieters successfully stay at their new slimmer weight.

Researchers at UCLA in 2007 concluded that “Diets Are Not the Answer”, in a report about effective obesity treatments. They found that:

• “Studies show that one third to two thirds of dieters regain more weight than they lost on their diets.”
• “There is little support for the notion that diets lead to lasting weight loss or health benefits.”

The UCLA researchers concluded:

It appears that dieters who manage to sustain a weight loss are the rare exception, rather than the rule. Dieters who gain back more weight than they lost may very well be the norm, rather than an unlucky minority.

Why Do Diets Fail?

Diets make us feel hungry and deprived

If you cut your calorie intake significantly, you’re bound to be hungry. This can lead to cravings for the foods you’re trying to avoid – high-fat, high-sugar products. And the human mind tends to react badly to any foods being forbidden. Telling yourself that you’re not allowed chocolate may lead you into a binge.

Diets are short-term fixes to a long-term problem

People who are overweight rarely became that way in a short period of time. You may have struggled with your weight for your whole life: you’re not going to be able to fix that in a month of dieting. When people diet, they often eat in a way which is not sustainable long-term – so as soon as the diet ends, they go straight back to their old ways. This is a particular problem with weird and faddy diets, often popularised by celebrities.

Diets don’t address the emotional factors of overeating

Many people who are significantly overweight are emotional eaters – using food for comfort, to deal with stress or boredom. Turning to the cookie jar after a bad day at work, or diving into a tub of ice-cream during a relationship breakup, is not much better for your mind and body than seeking solace at the bottom of a bottle. In cases like these, diets are an attempt to fix the symptoms rather than the problem.

Ways To Successful Weight Loss

The best way to lose weight appears to be not to diet! As the UCLA researchers pointed out, diets often cause more harm than good, creating disordered eating habits and providing few or no long-term health benefits.

Individuals who do reach and maintain a healthy weight make sustainable lifestyle changes, rather than going on a quick-fix diet. Some of these changes are:

Exercising regularly

Although it’s possible to lose weight without exercising, it’s hugely important for health reasons to be active. You should be doing at least thirty minutes of moderate activity five times a week – that might mean cycling to work and back for fifteen minutes each way, or going for a thirty minute jog every weekday morning.

Addressing emotional factors

If you overeat due to stress, unhappiness, boredom or other emotional factors, you need to address these in order to make permanent changes. If you can’t stand your job, you might need to consider switching to a different career path. If you’re in a difficult relationship, it could be time to leave. If you eat because you’re bored, take up a new hobby (or go out for a walk!)

Sometimes, you might need to talk to a medical professional or counsellor about the emotional issues that are holding you back. Please don’t feel any shame in doing this – being willing to seek and accept help when you need it is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Making permanent changes to eating habits

Ultimately, you will only lose weight by making successful and permanent changes to your eating habits. That might mean breaking the habit of having a cookie with every mug of coffee, or it might mean getting into the habit of eating your five fruit and vegetable portions every day. Try to introduce new habits slowly, rather than changing everything all at once.

What’s your experience of diets? Have you been on multiple diets that just didn’t work? If you’re now a healthy weight, what eventually worked for you? If you know you still have weight to lose, how are you making long-term, sustainable changes to your habits in order to become healthier?

The credit crunch, the woes of the housing market, the crash of the stock market…. These are certainly exciting, yet hard times we’re living in.

As families work harder to make ends meet and as others face the possibility of losing their jobs because of this economic downturn, it doesn’t help things to know that food prices are rising.

Amy Hendel, featured on “The Today Show” and on behalf of the Florida Department of Citrus, has some pointers for us on how to save money on food costs during this economic roller coaster ride we’re all on but none of us stood in line for.

1. Make a list and stick to it.

By taking inventory of the items that you already have you will be able to make a useful list of things that you need to purchase.

2. Buy low and sell high.

Bargains are usually located on the highest and lowest shelves rather than found in the middle or on the ends of aisles.

3. Beware of costly convenience.

Pre-cut, pre-packaged fruits and vegetables and meat cost a lot more. Buy the whole versions and cut and package at home.

4. Think seasonal.

Buy fruits and vegetables in season, ideally from a farmers market since locally grown products tend to be fresher and cost saving.

5. Get the most bang for your buck.

Buy nutrient dense foods that pack a ton of nutrients. A good example of this is frozen concentrated orange juice, which has all the same nutrients as its refrigerated brother, at a lower cost. Plus it can be used in recipes to add flavor and nutrients.

6. Make your own coffee.

Buying coffee at the grocery and making it at home will save you $4 per day, $120 per month, and $1440 per year! Using artificial sweeteners, skim milk or fat-free creamers will help you save on calorie intake.

7. Don’t forget to Freeze.

If deals allow you to buy one, get one free, you can plan to use one immediately and freeze the other for later use. Items like bread save for up to 3 months if stored properly.

8. Identify dining deals.

To attract more customers throughout the week, restaurants often have great dining deals. Eating out during the work week may be cheaper, and just as satisfying, than during the busy Friday and Saturday nights. Focus on choosing healthy foods when eating out.

Every little bit helps so hopefully these tips will allow you to keep a little more of your hard earned cash.

You can check out more useful tips on Amy’s website.

The New York Times reported that Dr Gerald Pitman (an expert plastic surgeon) regularly encourages patients to try dieting and exercising before resorting to plastic surgery.

In a recent Manhattan lecture, he asked the people in the audience considering plastic surgery to:

• Not seek plastic surgery unless they really needed it.
• Make lifestyle changes first.
• Try resistance exercises to improve posture.
• Do aerobic exercise to release endorphins (improving mood and body confidence).
• Get enough sleep to prevent bags under the eyes.
• Update hairstyle, makeup or wardrobe instead of having a face lift.

In a profession where unscrupulous practitioners can make a fortune preying on people’s fears, poor body image and lack of self-esteem, Dr Pitman is a positive and honest voice. Most of us do not need plastic surgery; we can improve our bodies by changing our lifestyles.

Like any surgery, cosmetic procedures like liposuction should never be undergone lightly. The risks of cosmetic surgery include:

• Ugly scars
• Puckered or wrinkled skin
• Complications requiring further surgery
• Death

If you are considering cosmetic surgery, ask yourself whether it’s really worth the risks – and whether you’ll truly be happy with your body after the surgery anyway. No-one has a “perfect” body, and learning to love yourself – flaws and all – is far more likely to lead to lasting happiness with your body.

I’m sure most of us already know that a big waist = bad, but this study caught my eye due to;

a) The sheer size of it (300,000 + participants)
and
b) That these findings were independent of body mass index (BMI). Here are some more details of the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

• The risk of premature death was approximately double for subjects with a larger waist versus those with a smaller waist.
• A larger waist for men was more than 47.2″ (120cm) and for women it was more than 39.4″ (100cm).
• A smaller waist for men was less than 31.5″ (80cm) and for women, it was and less than 25.6″ (65cm).
• Each 2.5″ (5cm) increase in waist circumference increased the mortality risk by 17% in men and 13% in women.
• The waist to hip ratio was also revealed as an important indicator of health in the study. The smaller the waist relative to the hips, the better.

Why it’s not good to have a Big Waist

A fat belly is usually indicative of a fat liver. When the liver has excess fat, it makes it difficult to perform its many functions. The researchers in the study point out that fatty tissue in this area causes the release of hormones and inflammatory markers which can lead to chronic disease.

Waist Measurement: Major Indicator, Minor Expense

A cloth tape measure costs very little and measuring your waist and hips is relatively easy. Here are some quick instructions on how to do it.

Waist:

• Measure the narrowest portion of the waist (usually just below the lowest ribs). This area should be unclothed
• Pull the tape firmly (but not tightly) around the waist, ensuring that there are no “bubbles” in the tape.
• Take a normal breath in and out – take note of number upon exhalation.
• Use a mirror to ensure tape is not crooked.

Women: Measurement should be less than 35″
Men: Less then 40″

Hips:

• With feet together, wrap tape around largest part of buttocks and take note of number. Be sure tape is not crooked.

Calculating waist to hip ratio:

• Example: Waist 38, Hips 41. 38/41 = .93

Women: Waist to hip ratio should be less than .82
Men: Waist to hip ratio should be less than .94

Sources:
Eureka Alerts
ACSM’s Guidelines for Testing and Exercise Prescription. 2000

- FRIDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Eating a high-fat diet during pregnancy causes permanent changes in the fetal brain that can result in overeating and obesity early in life, according to a study with rats.

The researchers from Rockefeller University in New York City said their finding is an important advance in understanding mechanisms of fetal programming. It also sheds light on the production of new brain cells, helping to explain the dramatic rise of childhood obesity in the United States over the past three decades.

"We've shown that short-term exposure to a high-fat diet in utero produces permanent neurons in the fetal brain that later increase the appetite for fat," study senior author Sarah F. Leibowitz, director of the Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology at Rockefeller, said in a university news release. "This work provides the first evidence for a fetal program that links high levels of fat circulating in the mother's blood during pregnancy to the overeating and increased weight gain of offspring after weaning."

For the study, pregnant rats were fed either a high-fat or a balanced diet for two weeks. Pups born to mothers that ate the high-fat diet ate more, weighed more throughout life, and began puberty earlier than pups born to mothers that ate a balanced diet. The pups born to the mothers that at the high-fat diet also had higher levels of triglycerides in the blood at birth and as adults, and also had greater production of brain peptides that stimulate eating and weight gain.

The study was published in the Nov. 12 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

The creation of neurons that increase the appetite for fat may also occur in human babies born to mothers who eat a high-fat diet during pregnancy, Leibowitz said.

"We're programming our children to be fat," she believes. "I think it's very clear that there's vulnerability in the developing brain, and we've identified the site of this action where new neurons are being born. We now need to understand how the lipids affect these precursor cells that form these fat-sensitive neurons that live with us throughout life."

More information

The Nemours Foundation has more about overweight and obesity in children.

I'm sure most of us already know that a big waist = bad, but this study caught my eye due to;

a) The sheer size of it (300,000 + participants)
and
b) That these findings were independent of body mass index (BMI). Here are some more details of the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

• The risk of premature death was approximately double for subjects with a larger waist versus those with a smaller waist.
• A larger waist for men was more than 47.2" (120cm) and for women it was more than 39.4" (100cm).
• A smaller waist for men was less than 31.5" (80cm) and for women, it was and less than 25.6" (65cm).
• Each 2.5" (5cm) increase in waist circumference increased the mortality risk by 17% in men and 13% in women.
• The waist to hip ratio was also revealed as an important indicator of health in the study. The smaller the waist relative to the hips, the better.

Why it's not good to have a Big Waist

A fat belly is usually indicative of a fat liver. When the liver has excess fat, it makes it difficult to perform its many functions. The researchers in the study point out that fatty tissue in this area causes the release of hormones and inflammatory markers which can lead to chronic disease.

Waist Measurement: Major Indicator, Minor Expense

A cloth tape measure costs very little and measuring your waist and hips is relatively easy. Here are some quick instructions on how to do it.

Waist:

• Measure the narrowest portion of the waist (usually just below the lowest ribs). This area should be unclothed


• Pull the tape firmly (but not tightly) around the waist, ensuring that there are no "bubbles" in the tape.


• Take a normal breath in and out - take note of number upon exhalation.


• Use a mirror to ensure tape is not crooked.

Women: Measurement should be less than 35"
Men: Less then 40"

Hips:

• With feet together, wrap tape around largest part of buttocks and take note of number. Be sure tape is not crooked.

Calculating waist to hip ratio:

• Example: Waist 38, Hips 41. 38/41 = .93

Women: Waist to hip ratio should be less than .82
Men: Waist to hip ratio should be less than .94

Sources:
Eureka Alerts
ACSM's Guidelines for Testing and Exercise Prescription. 2000

The New York Times reported that Dr Gerald Pitman (an expert plastic surgeon) regularly encourages patients to try dieting and exercising before resorting to plastic surgery.

In a recent Manhattan lecture, he asked the people in the audience considering plastic surgery to:

• Not seek plastic surgery unless they really needed it.
• Make lifestyle changes first.
• Try resistance exercises to improve posture.
• Do aerobic exercise to release endorphins (improving mood and body confidence).
• Get enough sleep to prevent bags under the eyes.
• Update hairstyle, makeup or wardrobe instead of having a face lift.

In a profession where unscrupulous practitioners can make a fortune preying on people's fears, poor body image and lack of self-esteem, Dr Pitman is a positive and honest voice. Most of us do not need plastic surgery; we can improve our bodies by changing our lifestyles.

Like any surgery, cosmetic procedures like liposuction should never be undergone lightly. The risks of cosmetic surgery include:

• Ugly scars
• Puckered or wrinkled skin
• Complications requiring further surgery
• Death

If you are considering cosmetic surgery, ask yourself whether it's really worth the risks - and whether you'll truly be happy with your body after the surgery anyway. No-one has a "perfect" body, and learning to love yourself - flaws and all - is far more likely to lead to lasting happiness with your body.

The credit crunch, the woes of the housing market, the crash of the stock market.... These are certainly exciting, yet hard times we're living in.

As families work harder to make ends meet and as others face the possibility of losing their jobs because of this economic downturn, it doesn't help things to know that food prices are rising.

Amy Hendel, featured on "The Today Show" and on behalf of the Florida Department of Citrus, has some pointers for us on how to save money on food costs during this economic roller coaster ride we're all on but none of us stood in line for.

1. Make a list and stick to it.

By taking inventory of the items that you already have you will be able to make a useful list of things that you need to purchase.

2. Buy low and sell high.

Bargains are usually located on the highest and lowest shelves rather than found in the middle or on the ends of aisles.

3. Beware of costly convenience.

Pre-cut, pre-packaged fruits and vegetables and meat cost a lot more. Buy the whole versions and cut and package at home.

4. Think seasonal.

Buy fruits and vegetables in season, ideally from a farmers market since locally grown products tend to be fresher and cost saving.

5. Get the most bang for your buck.

Buy nutrient dense foods that pack a ton of nutrients. A good example of this is frozen concentrated orange juice, which has all the same nutrients as its refrigerated brother, at a lower cost. Plus it can be used in recipes to add flavor and nutrients.

6. Make your own coffee.

Buying coffee at the grocery and making it at home will save you $4 per day, $120 per month, and $1440 per year! Using artificial sweeteners, skim milk or fat-free creamers will help you save on calorie intake.

7. Don't forget to Freeze.

If deals allow you to buy one, get one free, you can plan to use one immediately and freeze the other for later use. Items like bread save for up to 3 months if stored properly.

8. Identify dining deals.

To attract more customers throughout the week, restaurants often have great dining deals. Eating out during the work week may be cheaper, and just as satisfying, than during the busy Friday and Saturday nights. Focus on choosing healthy foods when eating out.

Every little bit helps so hopefully these tips will allow you to keep a little more of your hard earned cash.

You can check out more useful tips on Amy's website.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A diet packed with energy-dense foods, those containing more calories per volume, may increase a person's risk of developing diabetes, new research suggests.

Adults consuming the most, versus the least, energy-dense diets had a 60 percent higher risk for type 2 diabetes in a study conducted by Dr. Nita Forouhi, senior clinical research scientist at the Institute of Metabolic Science in Cambridge, United Kingdom, and colleagues.

Moreover, the association between highly energy-dense diets and the development of diabetes appears independent of body weight, total caloric intake, fat intake, and lifestyle factors, the researchers report in the journal Diabetes Care.

High energy-dense foods include highly processed foods, fatty foods, meats, and calorie-laden fruit or soft drinks, whereas low energy-dense foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, water and calorie-free drinks.

Ounce for ounce, high energy-dense foods tend to contain more energy (calories) and have been associated with weight gain and elevated blood sugar.

In their 12-year study, Forouhi's team assessed "new-onset" type 2 diabetes among 21,919 adults aged 40 to 79 years who were free of diabetes, cancer, or cardiovascular disease at the start of the study.

"Food frequency" data obtained at enrollment showed that those with highest energy-dense diets averaged 2,592 daily calories (36.6 percent from fat). This group consumed greater amounts of meat, processed meat, and soft drinks, and lower amounts of fresh vegetables and fruit, and water or other calorie-free beverages.

By contrast, those with the lowest energy-dense diets averaged 1,539 calories per day (29 percent from fat) and consumed more fresh vegetables, fruit, and calorie-free drinks, and less meats, processed meats, and soft drinks.

During follow up, 725 people developed 2 diabetes and those with the most energy-dense diets, compared with the least, had 60 percent higher risk for developing diabetes.

Although more study is needed, these findings suggest that adoption of healthier, less energy-dense diets in combination with other lifestyle factors and physical activity "could potentially be important in the prevention of diabetes," Forouhi said.

SOURCE: Diabetes Care, November 2008

In the US, over a third of the population are considered not just overweight but obese. Many people think the answer is to go on a diet - but it's not that simple. Report after report suggests that dieting just doesn't work: when people diet to lose weight, they commonly put it back on (and more). Only 5% of dieters successfully stay at their new slimmer weight.

Researchers at UCLA in 2007 concluded that "Diets Are Not the Answer", in a report about effective obesity treatments. They found that:

• "Studies show that one third to two thirds of dieters regain more weight than they lost on their diets."


• "There is little support for the notion that diets lead to lasting weight loss or health benefits."

The UCLA researchers concluded:

It appears that dieters who manage to sustain a weight loss are the rare exception, rather than the rule. Dieters who gain back more weight than they lost may very well be the norm, rather than an unlucky minority.

Why Do Diets Fail?

Diets make us feel hungry and deprived

If you cut your calorie intake significantly, you're bound to be hungry. This can lead to cravings for the foods you're trying to avoid - high-fat, high-sugar products. And the human mind tends to react badly to any foods being forbidden. Telling yourself that you're not allowed chocolate may lead you into a binge.

Diets are short-term fixes to a long-term problem

People who are overweight rarely became that way in a short period of time. You may have struggled with your weight for your whole life: you're not going to be able to fix that in a month of dieting. When people diet, they often eat in a way which is not sustainable long-term - so as soon as the diet ends, they go straight back to their old ways. This is a particular problem with weird and faddy diets, often popularised by celebrities.

Diets don't address the emotional factors of overeating

Many people who are significantly overweight are emotional eaters - using food for comfort, to deal with stress or boredom. Turning to the cookie jar after a bad day at work, or diving into a tub of ice-cream during a relationship breakup, is not much better for your mind and body than seeking solace at the bottom of a bottle. In cases like these, diets are an attempt to fix the symptoms rather than the problem.

Ways To Successful Weight Loss

The best way to lose weight appears to be not to diet! As the UCLA researchers pointed out, diets often cause more harm than good, creating disordered eating habits and providing few or no long-term health benefits.

Individuals who do reach and maintain a healthy weight make sustainable lifestyle changes, rather than going on a quick-fix diet. Some of these changes are:

Exercising regularly

Although it's possible to lose weight without exercising, it's hugely important for health reasons to be active. You should be doing at least thirty minutes of moderate activity five times a week - that might mean cycling to work and back for fifteen minutes each way, or going for a thirty minute jog every weekday morning.

Addressing emotional factors

If you overeat due to stress, unhappiness, boredom or other emotional factors, you need to address these in order to make permanent changes. If you can't stand your job, you might need to consider switching to a different career path. If you're in a difficult relationship, it could be time to leave. If you eat because you're bored, take up a new hobby (or go out for a walk!)

Sometimes, you might need to talk to a medical professional or counsellor about the emotional issues that are holding you back. Please don't feel any shame in doing this - being willing to seek and accept help when you need it is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Making permanent changes to eating habits

Ultimately, you will only lose weight by making successful and permanent changes to your eating habits. That might mean breaking the habit of having a cookie with every mug of coffee, or it might mean getting into the habit of eating your five fruit and vegetable portions every day. Try to introduce new habits slowly, rather than changing everything all at once.

What's your experience of diets? Have you been on multiple diets that just didn't work? If you're now a healthy weight, what eventually worked for you? If you know you still have weight to lose, how are you making long-term, sustainable changes to your habits in order to become healthier?

One piece of dieting advice that I especially like – because it’s fun and easy – is to eat fruits and vegetables of all colors of the spectrum. This definitely makes for interesting looking salads and colorful plates, but what’s the reasoning behind it? Why complicate the five-a-day target by saying that those five should be different colors?

Different Fruit and Veg Colors

Think for a moment about the different colors that fruits and vegetables can be. How many can you come up with? Can you really get a rainbow? I managed

• Red (tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, cherries)
• Orange (carrots, oranges, sweet peppers)
• Yellow (sweet peppers, sweetcorn, lemons)
• Green (lettuce, cucumber, courgette, celery, spinach, kale, broccoli, cabbage, sprouts, rocket, kiwi fruit…)
• Blue and purple (blueberries, aubergine, purple broccoli)
• White (onions, garlic, leeks, pears, green grapes)

(There’s a complete chart of fruits and vegetables categorized into different colors at Color Wheel of Fruits and Vegetables.)

So it’s definitely possible to get a bright and varied salad or fruit platter on the table. But what do all the colors mean in nutritional terms?

Nutrients in Different Colored Fruit and Veg

Each color is an indication of a key nutrients being present in the fruit or vegetable. I’m covering the main ones here – there are also other minerals and vitamins present in some of these colored fruits and vegetables, though in smaller quantities.

Red fruits and vegetables contain lycopene, which is an antioxidant thought to reduce the risk of cancer. (This is why tomatoes are often classed as a “superfood”!)

Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables also contain lycopene, in addition to beta-carotene (which is turned to vitamin A in the body) flavonoids (another type of antioxidant) potassium (an essential mineral), and vitamin C.

Green fruits and vegetables contain essential minerals such as calcium and folate. They also include vitamin C and beta-carotene (which is turned to vitamin A in the body).

Blue and purple fruits and vegetables contain anthocyanin – another type of flavonoid. They are also rich in vitamin C, fiber and lutein (an antioxidant).

White fruits and vegetables contain allicin, which may help your body to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and fight off infections more easily. Polyphenols occur in pears and green grapes and can reduce the risk of certain cancers.

What Colors Are You Missing?

The list of nutrients, minerals and vitamins can be a bit overwhelming – there’s obviously a lot of good stuff in fruits and vegetables, but it’s hard to know exactly which we need. For a balanced diet, it’s best to eat some of every single color.

Are you missing any colors from your diet? What fruits or vegetables could you eat to complete your healthy rainbow? Who knows – you might even find a new favorite food!