by Michael Roussell
A major issue with dieting is dealing with feeling hungry. Losing weight has a large mental component to it and dealing with hunger is a major road block for many people. The inability to deal with hunger while dieting can be one of the biggest reasons why many people fail on their diets. They can’t deal with the hunger and thus end up snacking and eating foods not on their plan. This leads to consuming too many calories and no weight loss.
Fortunately there are several things that you can do to help harness your hunger pangs so that you can stay in a caloric deficit and continue to lose weight. How do we do this? Just trick your body into thinking that it is full and that it is eating more food/calories than it really is.
The first thing you can do it eat more green leafy (spinach, kale, lettuce) and/or fibrous vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, etc). These kinds of vegetables have a lot of ‘bulk’ to them but not a lot of calories. A lot of the bulk is actually just extra water within the vegetables. This means you can eat a lot more food without consuming extra calories. You actually trick your body in two different ways. The first is visually. There is a big difference from a psychological perspective when you sit down to eat a plate overflowing with food vs. a plate that just has a few pieces scattered on it.
The second trick occurs in your stomach. Your stomach has stretch receptors that signal the brain, letting it know your stomach is full and that you should stop eating. These receptors don’t sense calories, they sense volume. Eating lots of green leafy and fibrous vegetables will activate these stretch receptors and you’ll feel full even on fewer calories.
The next ‘eat less feel full’ strategy is to eat protein with every meal. Protein does a couple different things to make your body feel fuller. First, eating protein does not cause a blood sugar roller coaster as with eating carbohydrates. Eating lots of carbohydrates will cause your blood sugar to rise and then fall. The fall in blood sugar will signal your brain that you need to eat – this especially occurs when eating white processed carbs.
Protein also stimulates the release of a compound called CCK (Cholecystokinin). CCK is a satiety peptide hormone that when released can interact with your nervous system to signal your brain that you have had enough to eat.
As you can see these two simple strategies – eat more green leafy vegetables and consume protein at every meal are very simple but they have complex biological and biochemical repercussions which signal your body that you have had enough to eat. Controlling hunger is key and these dietary ‘hacks’ will help you maximize satiety while dieting, control hunger, and lose weight.
Discover 4 ‘Hacks’ to Help you lose more weight faster (how does 20lbs in 30 days sound?) This Incredible Weight Loss System Has Helped Thousands of People Lose 10,15, and 20lbs of Nasty Fat In 28 Days Or Less. Click here To Lose 20 Pounds.
Mike Roussell is an author and nutrition doctoral student at Pennsylvania State University. Mike writings can be found in Men’s Health and Men’s Fitness and Ironman Magazines in addition to the internet’s largest bodybuilding and fitness website – T-Nation.com. Learn more at http://www.warpspeedfatloss.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Roussell
It took me a long time to learn to love chicken. I would always gag whenever I ate grilled chicken breast – it always was so dry to me. You should never truly dread a meal, and I was getting to that point with chicken. Then one day my wife made a chicken breast for me that did not suck! As I peppered her with questions about how she did, she just had this sly smile. Turns out she had read that if you soak the chicken breast in buttermilk that the breast would be tender and juicy…and it was! I am no scientist, but apparently there are some enzymes present in buttermilk that act as a meat tenderizer. She typically soaks the breasts for 2 hours or so, but has also soaked them overnight and they have turned out great!
Staying with the chicken theme, search your supermarket for ground chicken breast to use in any recipes where you may have used ground turkey. The ground chicken breast is much more moist than turkey and has a better taste (to me, at least). I know it depends on where we shop, as not every supermarket has it, but I know that Perdue is one of the brands. Alternatively, if you live near a quality butcher, they can easily grind fresh chicken breasts for you, and they may actually be a bit fresher.
Finally, my last chicken-related tip is to utilize rotisserie chickens. They are available at most supermarkets and even at the warehouse clubs. They are extremely versatile and most often generate multiple meals. One quick tip – DO NOT FEAR THE DARK MEAT!
Dark meat poultry catches a bad rap, but in fact, contains a tremendous amount of nutrients. The dark color comes from a chemical compound in the muscle called myoglobin, which plays a key role in oxygen transport. Dark meats must use myoglobins as they transfer oxygen more efficiently to the muscles than glycogen. Muscles used more frequently, get to be dark. This is why non-flying poultry drumsticks are dark meat, while breast meat is white. When dark meat is cooked it turns the myoglobins to metmyoglobins, which is brown/gray. Metmyoglobins are very high in iron.
Dark meats tend to contain more zinc, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, vitamins B6 and B12, amino acids, iron than white meat. Chicken dark meat contain vitamins A, K, B6, B12, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, minerals as selenium, phosphorus and zinc. Even the fats in most of the dark meats have healthy parts. They contain Omega-3, and Omega-6 fatty acids, and other “healthy‟ fats. To reduce the saturated fat content of dark chicken meat, simply remove the skin!
- Understand what “good” fats do. The body uses these substances for many functions, including creating energy, maintaining cells, transporting vitamins and creating hormone-like compounds that help regulate blood pressure and heart rate. Healthy fats also can help lower bad cholesterol levels.
- Go for monounsaturated fats … Good food sources include olive oil, fish oil, avocados and olives – yes, fruits can contain healthy fats – and most nuts.
- Polyunsaturated fats … Soybeans, whole-grain wheat and vegetable oils, including corn, saffron, sunflower and soy, contain these fats.
- … and omega-3 fatty acids. These types of polyunsaturated fats appear to lower the risk of coronary artery disease and may guard against irregular heartbeats and high blood pressure. Go for salmon, herring, flaxseeds, walnuts and leafy green vegetables.
- Limit trans and saturated fats. Trans fats are common in commercial baked goods such as crackers and cookies, as well as in fried foods like doughnuts. Saturated fats are most often found in animal products (full-fat dairy and red meat), partially-hydrogenated oils such as Crisco and coconut, palm and other tropical oils.
- Use moderation. All types of fat are high in calories, so keep portions small. A handful of nuts – roughly 25 almonds, for example – is all you need for a snack. If you’re cooking with olive oil, spray a small amount into a non-stick pan or lightly brush the oil onto meat, fish or vegetables before grilling.
- Eat well and exercise. Weight gain doesn’t come from fat (or carbohydrates) per se – it comes from too many calories overall and not enough activity.
Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa)
02-22-10
Munich (dpa) – Obese people lose weight at high altitudes and keep it off for at least four weeks, according to a team of German scientists.
Independent of any other change in lifestyle, high altitudes appear to increase metabolism, decrease appetite and lower diastolic blood pressure, the researchers report in the journal Obesity.
Understanding the mechanisms behind this weight loss could provide a basis for new treatments for obesity, they say.
Florian Lippl and colleagues at Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich studied the effect of living in high altitudes for one week on the body weight of 20 obese males, while no other change was made to their exercise routine or food availability.
At the end of the week, their body weight, food intake, and diastolic blood pressure had been significantly lowered, effects that were still present four weeks after returning from high altitude.
The low levels of oxygen present at high altitudes could be responsible for an observed increase in leptin, a hormone thought to suppress appetite, though the causes of this need to be further studied, the researchers say.
The lasting weight reduction seen at high altitudes is primarily due to an increased metabolism and decreased food intake, though the reasons behind these changes remain unclear and may be a temporary effect of the body acclimatizing to new surroundings.
An article in the journal Obesity reported the findings of Chinese scientists who noticed improvements in weight and body composition in men and women who consumed green tea that contained high amounts of catechins.
Researchers at Fudan University divided 182 moderately overweight Chinese men and women to receive beverages containing varying amounts of catechins for 90 days. By the end of the study, total body fat and body fat percentage were lower in the group that received the highest amount of catechins compared to the control group. In the highest catechin group, intra-abdominal fat area and weight were lower, and waist circumference averaged 1.9 centimeters less than those who received the control beverage.
“In this latest research, green tea providing significant catechin levels helped promote weight loss and positively affected body shape,” lead researcher Dr. Niels Boon concluded.
You can get my recommendation for green tea capsules here.
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!
Ok, I don’t mean to get too scientific, but this is super important. You see, while busting the belly flab does take effort, it’s not nearly as hard as people make it out to be.
Seriously, the most important part of the process is arming yourself with the CORRECT knowledge. If you know how your body works…why it stores belly flab…what actually causes it to burn off…you’re a whole lot better off.
Now, I know there are a ton of so-called experts out there that are confusing the heck out of you. I know a lot of people tell you different things. It can be as frustrating as all get out. But if you follow these simple rules and burn them into your brain things will be a lot different.
Anyway, let’s get to today’s easy lesson. Check this out:
- Increased Protein intake triggers the hormone Glucagon.
- This, in turn, prevents the spiking of your Insulin (which is also a hormone) levels.
- Which simply means you minimize the chance of storing blood sugar as fat.
In other words, eat more protein and you bust the belly flab. Sure, there’s more to it than that, but that is the crux of it. And so long as you understand the basics you can KEEP the belly flab from coming back.
When you only eat carbs your Insulin levels go through the roof. And all that blood sugar (that’s what the carbs turn into after you’ve eaten them) which isn’t needed by your body MUST go somewhere. Yup, it goes to your belly; or your butt; or your hips; or your thighs…
The best part is, it’s not very hard to consume more protein. In fact, it’s pretty darn easy. A high quality protein powder will do just the trick.
As you’ve probably heard, my buddies over at Prograde Nutrition have launched their new Prograde Protein powder this week. I wanted to be sure you knew today is the last day you can get it at 10% off. Yeah, they were offering a discount on it just this week to celebrate it’s arrival. But the offer ends TONIGHT at 11:59pm EST so hurry over to Prograde Nutrition to take advantage of it.
I cannot recommend Prograde Protein highly enough. These guys create the highest quality products out there. Save 10% by getting yours right NOW before you forget
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!)
