So on my commute to my real job I see a billboard for AmeriHealth insurance that says “Lose Weight, Get Paid $200!” Since there are several studies about incenting people to lose weight through a reward system, I did a little digging to find out exactly to what they were referring.
As part of AmeriHealth’s Healthy Lifestyles program, they will reimburse up to $150 of your fitness center fees and $200 of class fees for approved weight management programs. It’s a win-win: for you, as it eliminates one more barrier to getting healthy, and could lead to other financial benefits like fewer co-pays, lower food and clothing costs, and less gas used; for them, healthier subscribers means fewer insurance claims. The program also provides substantial discounts for alternative health (like acupuncture, massage therapy, and dietetics) as well as other programs for smoking cessation and healthy maternity.
Check with your health care provider to see if they offer similar programs – it could be just the kick-start you need to getting the weight off for good!
A new study published in Human Brain Mapping reports that elderly individuals who were obese or overweight had significantly less brain tissue than individuals of normal weight.
The study reviewed the brain images of 94 people in their 70s. They were followed for five years, and it was discovered that clinically obese people had 8% less brain tissue, while simply overweight people had 4% less brain tissue compared to normal-weight humans.
“The brains of obese people looked 16 years older than their healthy counterparts, while those of overweight people looked 8 years older,” study leader Paul Thompson said. “This is the first study to show physical evidence in the brain that connects overweight and obesity and cognitive decline.”
From Men’s Health:
When Polish researchers examined acupuncture as a diet aid, they found that people who got needled lost 10 more pounds and ticked 2 additional points off their BMIs compared with those who merely cut calories.
Marie Cargill, a licensed acupuncturist in the Boston area, explains that pressure points on the body—mostly on the ear—work as a switchboard to the brain, triggering electrical pulses that suppress appetite. “The ear system is very effective for addiction treatment,” she says.
I was riding the NYC subway this morning when I saw this poster from the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene. It serves as a fantastic reminder about the impact of sugary drinks on your body – I am a huge fan of “shock” advertising!
The report has some great advice:
- Drink plenty of water
- Choose fat-free or 1% milk
- Switch from juice to whole fruit
- Skip sports drinks and “energy” drinks
- Watch out for coffee and tea drinks and shakes (aka the crappuccinos!)
Ever wonder if you have a serious problem with binge eating? In a recent issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter, I read a feature article about the treatment of bulimia and binge eating. Bulimia is defined as 2 or more episodes of binge eating (consuming a large amount of food in 2 hours or less) at least twice a week for 3 months. These episodes may be followed by vomiting or purging (with laxatives or diuretics) and may alternate with fasting and compulsive exercising. People who suffer from bulimia often view this behavior as a shameful secret.
Binge Eating Disorder (binging that is not followed by vomiting, fasting or exercise) has gotten more attention recently since it is being considered for inclusion as a psychiatric diagnosis.
The criteria are tentatively listed as a condition that causes serious distress with at least 3 of the following symptoms occurring at least 2 days a week for 6 months:
- eating very fast
- eating until uncomfortably full
- eating when not hungry
- eating alone
- feeling disgusted or guilty afterward
Since most of the population has probably engaged in these eating behaviors at one time or another, I guess it comes down to the frequency and severity of the problem. You can be a binge eater, but you would have to be binging quite regularly to be considered to have Binge Eating Disorder.
Many people engage in some of these behaviors all the time. People who live alone often eat alone. And while eating when you aren’t hungry is not the most satisfying experience, sometimes it is just an ingrained habit.
You do not have to be overweight to be a binge eater. Many people with binge eating problems think they are overweight or are worried that they will become seriously overweight. Dieting does not necessarily stop the binging and is often viewed as being part of the problem rather than the solution. The body resists dieting by slowing metabolism and increasing appetite, commonly accompanied by an intense preoccupation with food, more binging, anxiety and depression.
If you are struggling with bulimia or severe binge eating problems, seek help and get the support you deserve. Donít keep it a secret. You do not need to be heroic and suffer alone.
If you engage in some of the binge eating behaviors, join the club.
You can learn to change all of these behaviors, even mild to moderate binge eating by listening to your body, eating mindfully and being kind to yourself.
Choose one small habit or behavior at a time, not your entire existence, and you’ll have a much better chance to reach your weight loss goals.
I got a note recently from a reader asking about Wu-Yi Tea:
“What’s up with this Wu-Yi Tea? I see it everywhere online! Does it work?”
Wu-Yi tea is the same as another tea on the market, Wu-Long…which is a marketing spin on the word Oolong, a tea that you have probably heard of before. The claims made by these teas are based on one Japanese study where energy expenditure was measured for 120 minutes after consumption of both oolong and green teas. Oolong increased energy expenditure in the subjects by 10% as opposed to 4% for the green tea.
However, there are two major flaws in this study:
- 120 minutes is not a significant amount of time
- There was no measurement of fat loss specifically
So there may be some benefit to consuming oolong tea, but it would require several more controlled studies before I would recommend it as a supplement you should include in your arsenal.
Also, oolong tea is widely available in supermarkets and specialty stores – so if you choose to use oolong tea, you don’t have to pay the outrageous prices they are charging online.
I bet you’ve heard this one before – a calorie is a calorie. So eating 100 calories worth of Cheezy Poofs is the same as eating a half-cup of cottage cheese, because they are both roughly 100 calories, according to this logic. Well, as I have mentioned before, nothing could be further from the truth.
In a 1957 (!) study, three groups of people were put on low calorie (1000 calorie) diets. The first group ate 90% of their calories in fat, the second group ate 90% of their calories in protein, the third group ate 90% of their calories in carbs. Guess which group actually gained weight, despite only taking in 1000 calories per day? Yep, the carb group. The other two groups lost between 0.5 to 1.0 pound per day!
Several studies have been done since, all coming to the same conclusion – low carbohydrate diets result in significantly greater fat loss than low fat or low calorie diets. In fact, in several of the studies, the low carb groups were consuming more overall calories than the high carb groups and losing more fat.
So low carb diets become the next entry on the list that we started last time of most effective fat burning techniques:
- Eating more often (shooting for 6 small meals per day)
- Resistance training
- Interval cardio
- Low carbohydrate diets
One last item on the list to be added next time…
Yesterday, I talked about creating a calorie deficit, meaning that you need to burn more than you consume. So, let’s assume that you determined that you needed to take in 2,000 calories a day to create a calorie deficit – is it better to:
A. Eat one 2,000 calorie meal per day
B. Eat four 500 calorie meals per day
C. Eat six 333 calorie meals per day
They’re the same, right? Same amount of calories coming in, so they have to be the same. Ummm, no.
Actually, studies have shown that C is the most effective meal pattern for burning fat due to a principle known as the Thermic Effect of Feeding, or TEF. Your body burns calories for everything you do, including to process the food you are taking in, up to 10% of your calorie intake per day. So if you are eating 333 calories in a meal, your body is using approximately 33 of them to process your meal. When you eat less frequently, you’ll experience a lower TEF, which has been related to weight GAIN in the long term.
Other studies have shown that the higher the TEF (from eating frequently) the higher the feeling of satisfaction. This is important from a psychological standpoint, meaning that you do no feel like you are starving yourself because it is only a couple of hours until your next meal.
One other important point above – your meals don’t have to be EXACTLY the same size every time, but they should be as close as possible, meaning, do not eat one huge meal with five apples spread through out the day. Remember, every meal should contain a protein source.
In Part Two, I’ll cover metabolism and a little more about calories. You are not going to believe what I tell you!
For fat loss to occur, you must burn more calories than you take in. I can just hear the thousands of “no duhs” being muttered as you folks read this shocking revelation! However, there are several components to creating a calorie “deficit” (not just eating less), and using them all together will be the most effective. Plus, you won’t be starving yourself like you usually do when you diet.
My dear sweet Grandma (may she rest in peace) struggled with her weight her entire life. I always got a good chuckle when she would say to me, “Matthew, I wish I could lose weight like you. I don’t understand, I hardly eat anything at all.” I never wanted to challenge my 70-something year old Grandma on the scientifically impossible statement she made. If you are taking in less than your body requires, you will lose weight, end of story. If your body could gain weight from eating nothing, you’d be on Dr. Phil, Oprah and the Today Show tomorrow!
So, how do you create this calorie deficit? It is a combination of watching your intake with anaerobic training (the interval-style training) and resistance training, both of which burn calories not only during activity, but also after, as long as 36 hours after completion! When you eat less and burn more, you have achieved the magic fat loss formula.
For a fat loss diet that creates a calorie deficit easily and without hunger, check out my new book The Burrito Diet!
I’m a big fan of “reality advertising” – check this one out and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below!
