Create The Illusion Of More Food To Decrease Your Waist

Everything’s being super-sized these days: our houses, our food, or shopping malls and even our plates.  And those bigger plates and bowls can mean bigger servings–even when we’re trying to consciously count calories!

According to a HealthDay News article, researchers at Cornell University found that giving folks bigger spoons and bigger bowls led to them serving themselves extra large portions of ice cream, even though the subjects were experts in health and nutrition.  Smaller bowls and spoons, however, meant the subjects dished up normal sized portions.

This super-sizing of plates–and meals–extends to restaurants, too.  Research has found that restaurant meals are about two to five times larger than they were 30 years ago, and the standard restaurant dinner plate has increased in size by 25%!

But by choosing smaller dinner dishes at home, you can cut calories without even thinking about it.  Since there’s less room on a smaller plate, you’ll serve yourself less food.  Plus the smaller plate creates the illusion that your dish is loaded with food, even though you have normal serving sizes.  In many cases, tricking your eyes into seeing heaping portions can also trick your belly into thinking you’re full!

So how big should your plate be?  Historically, the standard dinner plate was about 10 inches in diameter.  But these days, plates are reaching 12 inches or more!  To really make a difference in your calories, try making these switches:

For Big Meals

Instead of a 10-12 inch dinner plate…

Switch to a 9 inch luncheon plate

Suggested Products:  Fiesta Lunch Plate, Jamie Oliver 9" Plate, Santa Fe Plates

For Small Meals & Snacks

Instead of a 9 inch luncheon plate…

Switch to a 7 inch salad plate

Suggested Products:  Pfaltzgraff Tea Rose Salad Plate, Fiesta Salad Plate

For Sweets & Cereal

Instead of an 8 inch soup bowl…

Switch to a 4.5 inch rice bowl

Suggested Products:  Traditional Asian Rice Bowl, 4-Piece Bowl Set

TV Cuts Your Calorie Burn

You’ve probably heard the recommendation that we should take 10,000 steps each day for health and fitness.  And you know that watching TV usually means you’re sitting on the couch instead of exercising.  But new research, as reported at WebMD.com, has actually quantified our TV time in terms of steps.  For every hour that you spend glued to the tube, you walk an average of 144 fewer steps.

Since it takes approximately 2,000 steps to walk a mile, that means for about every 14 hours of TV time, you’re losing out on a mile walk.  We watch nearly 4 hours of TV a day.

The bottom line: The average person is missing out on a 2 mile walk every week–about 200 calories of exercise, or about 3 pounds a year.

Three pounds a year may not seem like much, but imagine the next 10 years.  If you don’t change your habits, you’ll be 30 pounds heavier!

So turn off the TV, drop the remote and get moving!  Instead of switching on the TV when you get home, try:

• Taking a walk
• Playing a sport
• Starting a hobby, like painting or writing
• Calling a friend
• Lifting weights
• Experimenting with healthy recipes
• Riding a bike
• Playing "fetch" with your dog
• Romancing your spouse

Lose Weight With A Vegan Diet

According to a recent Reuters news article, folks who adopted a vegan low-fat diet lost more weight than people who followed the American Diabetes Association diet.  And this isn’t exactly surprising news.  Research published in the journal Nutrition Reviews found that a vegan diet led to about a pound of weight loss a week for some people.  Another study found that raw food vegetarians generally had lower body fat and body weights than their meat-eating peers.   And Dr. Dean Ornish is well known for his vegetarian diet, which research suggests can prevent–and actually reverse–heart disease. 

A vegan diet–also known as a strict vegetarian diet–eliminates all animal products, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs.  (Note: Vegans tend to embrace the entire lifestyle for ethical reasons, including shunning leather and choosing cruelty-free products.  Strict vegetarians, on the other hand, may simply choose to eat a diet free of animal products for health reasons.)

One of the primary reasons many folks refuse to adopt a vegan or vegetarian diet is because they think it’s "too hard."  However, the Reuters article revealed that the vegan diet was actually easier to follow than the American Diabetes Association diet, because no weighing or measuring of portions was required.

If you’re interested in adopting a vegan diet, try these resources:

The Vegan Society:  Provides research and guide for nutrition and health

VegWeb.com:  Hundreds of vegetarian and vegan recipes, reviewed and rated by readers

VeganFitness.net:  A message forum for healthy, vegan athletes

Don’t Let Family Sabotage Your Fitness!

According to a recent MSNBC.com article, one of the most common saboteurs of our fitness is actually the people who love us most.

"Do you have to go to the gym today?"
"Skip your workout and spend time with me."
"Can you pick up the kids from school instead of exercising this afternoon?"

The motivation behind these types of sabotaging statements can vary.  Sometimes our loved ones just want to spend more time with us, and they resent the hours we log at the gym.  Other times, overworked and overextended spouses simply need some additional help around the house.  And in some cases, our spouse may feel threatened by our new healthy–and slender!–bodies, and they worry that they might somehow "fall behind" as we re-sculpt our physical appearance.

But you don’t have to sacrifice your family life to stay fit and healthy.  Instead, look for other ways to squeeze activity into your schedule.

Wake-up earlier.  If you exercise before anyone else in the house is awake, you won’t be missing out on family time.

Join a gym close to your job.  Workout during your lunch hour (pack your meals and eat at your desk so you still have time to fuel your body).

Slip away during TV time.  Is there a favorite TV show your spouse loves to watch?  Use that time to exercise, since he/she will be too engrossed with the TV to notice you’re missing.

Exercise at home.  Look for little ways to fit in workouts, such as dancing in your living room or doing crunches as dinner is cooking.

Engage the whole family.  Go to the park, play a game of basketball, or take a walk together.  You get family time AND workout time.

Have a chat.  If your family still insists that you sacrifice your workouts, remind them that taking care of yourself makes you stronger for them.  Your personal well-being should always be a priority, since they’ll get the best of you when you feel emotionally and physically strong.

Satisfy A Sweet Tooth With Healthy Foods

Got a craving for something sweet and sugary?  Don’t reach for that cookie!  Recent research, as reported by MSNBC.com, suggests that fruit may satisfy your cravings, too.

A Cornwell University study found that people who crave treats like candy, cookies and cake also have a preference for fruit over salty snacks.  Since fruit has lots of natural sugar–and a naturally sweet taste–you may find that strawberries, blueberries, bananas or melons are just as satisfying as a candy bar.

But sometimes an apple isn’t enough when we’re seeking a sugar fix.  So try these low-calorie treats that combine the sweetness of fruit–plus a little something extra–the next time a craving strikes:

• 5-6 large strawberries drizzled with chocolate syrup
• Half a sliced apple baked with some quick cooking oatmeal, cinnamon and a sprinkle of brown sugar
• Homemade frozen popsicles made with 100% fruit juice
• Sugar-free Jello with mixed fruit
• ½ cup blueberries, and a dollop of whipped cream
• Half an apple and some caramel dip
• Medium banana drizzled with chocolate syrup
• ½ cup berries mixed with plain yogurt
• Half a sliced apple served with thin slices of a hard cheese
• ½ cup frozen fruit sorbet
• Sliced peach or pear drizzled with warm honey
• Hunks of honeydew melon wrapped with thin slivers of ham

The Best Weight Loss Diet

We’ve heard it all: low-carb, low-fat, high-protein, high-carb.

Now new research, as reported by Reuters Health, has found a high-carb, low-glycemic index diet may be the best for weight loss.

University of Sydney researchers put their subjects on one of four diets with varying percentages of carbs, protein and glycemic load.  The results: All four diets resulted in weight loss, but the folks on the high-carb, low-glycemic index diet actually doubled their fat loss.

So what is a glycemic index?  The glycemic index of a food is a number that signifies how quickly the food will raise the body’s blood sugar.  Foods that break down quickly–and raise blood sugar quickly–have a high-glycemic index.  They get absorbed by the body in a very short period of time, making you hungry sooner.  Low-glycemic foods, on the other hand, break down slowly.  This means their energy is slowly released into your bloodstream, making you feel fuller and giving you more energy for longer periods of time.

If you’re looking to add more low-glycemic index foods to your diet, try these items:

Fruits:  Apples, Grapes, Oranges, Peaches, Pears, Strawberries, Cherries, Grapefruit, Plums

Vegetables:  Carrots, Peas, Artichokes, Lettuce, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Eggplant, Cucumber, Spinach, Snow Peas, Peppers, Tomatoes, Squash

Beans/Nuts/Legumes:  Chickpea, Lentils, Kidney Beans, Peanuts

Grains:  Pearled Barley, Enriched Pasta, Rye

Other:  Yogurt

Medium-glycemic foods include: sweet potatoes, brown rice, mangoes, white rice, apricots, pineapple and raisins.

Try to limit your consumption of high-glycemic foods such as white bread, potato chips, corn chips, pretzels and white potatoes.

A Smart Start Can Mean A Low-Calorie Meal

Start your meal with a healthy green salad, and you’ll consume fewer calories overall, according to a recent study reported by MSNBC.com.

The study found that people who ate three cups of green salad (with carrots, tomato, celery, cucumber and low-fat dressing) before a meal actually consumed 100 calories less than folks who didn’t eat the salad first.  The reason: the salad helped fill the tummy, making the subjects satisfied with smaller portions during the rest of their meal. 

You can get the same results simply by ordering or preparing a salad as your appetizer before dinner!  And dropping just 100 calories a day means you’ll lose almost a pound a month–or about 10 pounds a year–without any other changes to your diet or fitness routine.

However, beware of "fat traps" that can be hidden in many salads.  Adding lots of high-calorie extras can actually cause you to eat more calories overall.

These items are high in nutrition and low in calories, so go ahead and load them on your salad:

• lettuce
• spinach
• artichoke hearts
• peppers
• broccoli
• carrots
• cucumber
• tomatoes
• cauliflower
• peas
• mushrooms
• onions
• radishes

These items are healthy, but a little higher in calories.  If you add them to your salad, use moderate amounts:

• avocado
• beans
• sunflower seeds
• almonds
• olives

Avoid these items, since they’ll turn your healthy appetizer salad into a high-calorie meal:

• cheese
• meat
• fish
• bacon bits
• croutons
• chow mein noodles

For your dressing, stick with a moderate amount (a few teaspoons) of a low-calorie, low-fat dressing, or choose a little olive oil and liberal amounts of vinegar.

If you’re not a fan of salads, you can get similar results by having a small bowl of broth-based soup before your meal.

Health Tidbits

Older hearts may benefit from moderate alcohol consumption.  Link 

Ballroom dancing burns as many calories as a brisk walk.  Link 

"Negative calorie" foods offer miniscule calorie burn.  Link 

About 40% of people who have weight loss surgery experience complications.  Link 

Food choices affect mood and mental state.  Link 

More Americans are too fat for medical scans like X-Rays and CT scans.  Link 

Making Your Weight Loss Goals Public

Sally Squires at The Washington Post recently wrote an article about folks who publicize their weight loss goals–like Kirstie Alley and Steve Vaught ("Fat Man Walking").  According to the experts in her article, this type of public proclamation can either motivate you to continue on your weight loss journey, or become a self-defeating humiliation.

Some folks thrive on support, information and encouragement from other people.  In that case, informing friends and family about your goals can give you a huge network of loved ones to help guide you and motivate you during your healthy journey.

On the other hand, more private people might be humiliated every time someone asks, "Do you really need that piece of cake?"  And, if you fail to meet your goals, you may be faced with public embarrassment.

However, research has indicated that people who get some type of support while trying to lose weight are actually more successful in the long run than folks who go it alone.  So here are some options if you want to go semi-public with your goals:

Join a group.  Organized groups like Weight Watchers bring together people who want to lose weight–and include support, encouragement and information at the weekly meetings.  However, the weigh-ins are extremely private, and any sharing of weight loss stats is voluntary.

Join a "private" gym.  Certain gyms–like Curves for Women or Cuts Fitness for Men–often include things like complimentary weigh-ins and weight loss information.  And since the facilities are limited to people of the same gender, you may feel more comfortable revealing your goals and seeking support from other members.

Join an online forum.  There are hundreds of Internet forums and online message boards devoted to weight loss and fitness.  You can post your goals, seek support from other forum members, and report your progress.  You can remain anonymous and log on whenever it’s convenient–a benefit for folks who don’t want to get constant "How many pounds have you lost?" pressure from friends and family.

Start a blog.  Another anonymous source of "publicizing" your goals, a blog allows you to post journal entries about your weight loss journey.  It’s a great way to go public without actually revealing your identity.

Better Late Than Never When It Comes To Exercise

Pop Quiz

Q:  Which will lower your risk of heart disease the most?

A.  Being active as a young person, and then becoming at couch potato at age 40

B.  Being a couch potato as a young person, and then becoming active at age 40

Answer:  B

According to a Reuters Health article, researchers at University of Heidelberg in Germany found that folks who lived mostly sedentary lives, but became physically active at age 40, had a 55% lower risk of heart disease, as compared to people who remained sedentary for their entire lives.  Folks who were active early in life but then took to the couch at age 40 only had a 35% lower risk.

The message:  It’s never too late to get off the couch!