Vol. 4, No. 1
Jan. 16, 2007

Happy New Year!

I can hardly believe I've been writing this newsletter for four years. Funny thing is nothing much has changed in regards to weight loss and dieting. Every diet book can be reduced to the same equation: take in fewer calories than you expend, and you'll drop weight. It doesn't matter if it's a low-carb regimen, ice cream and kumquats or chocolate chip cookies, the same rule applies.

The key: keeping it off in the form of permanent lifestyle changes. Exercise regularly, watch portion sizes and practice habits you can live with for the rest of your life. Period.

So, with that in mind, this issue focuses on several topics that may help you on this everlasting journey to good health. Here's to you in 2007!

"Life is too short to stuff a mushroom." -- Storm Jameson

Linda

5 Ways to Control Portions

I've talked about this topic in past newsletters, but it's important enough to review every so often. In addition, there are always a few new tips to try.

1. Save leftovers in single-size containers Instead of wrapping that family-sized casserole dish in plastic wrap, where you'll be tempted to pick away at it, break it up into individual serving sizes that you can quickly grab and run.

2. Eliminate or reign in trigger foods If you have a penchant for a food that you are not able to control, like chocolate or snack chips, you have to temporarily remove the offending culprit from your home. If you have a weakness for nacho chips and usually eat them in front of the TV every night, either separate out a single portion and limit yourself to those, or substitute a healthier snack option for, say, a month. You'll be amazed at how you won't even miss them after those 30 days.

3. Make meat a side dish Fill your plate with the green stuff, salad and veggies, before you portion out the meat. You'll feel full sooner and be less tempted to overeat.

4. Keep it simple Remove the buttery sauces from most restaurant foods and you've eliminated the majority of the fat and calories in most cases. For this reason, order sauces on the side or order your food plain. At home, experiment with dry seasonings and products like Butter Buds, milk-based butter flavored granules that melt upon contact with hot, moist food and you won't miss the fat.

5. Splurge once in awhile If all this sounds as if you can never eat your favorite chocolate cake again, you're missing the point. Including your favorite foods is the key to creating lifelong habits you can live with. Focus on the way you'll feel and look when you reach your goal size or lose those few pounds, and allow that feeling to be your reward for eating healthier.   

How Many Crunches is Enough?

This question appeared in a recent ACE newsletter, and succinctly answers one of the most frequently asked abdominal training questions.

Q: Should I train my abdominal muscles every day? Also, how many repetitions of crunches should I optimally perform?

A: You should treat your abdominal muscles like any other muscle group, which means you shouldn't train them every day. Your abdominals, like all of your other muscle groups, need recovery time between workouts. As with any resistance training exercise, you ideally want the last few repetitions to be difficult to complete.

Performed correctly, 10 to 25 repetitions for one to three sets of abdominal exercises provide a more than adequate training stimulus. If you can perform more than 25 repetitions of an abdominal exercise, you are most likely performing the repetitions too rapidly or with improper form.

You can increase the challenge and intensity of abdominal exercises by using added resistance, moving more slowly or performing the exercises on a slant board or exercise ball so that your head is at a lower elevation than your legs.

Source: Bryant, Cedric X. 101 Frequently Asked Questions about "Health & Fitness" and "Nutrition & Weight Control". Sagamore Publishing, 1999.   

Other Slim-Down Tricks

From Health magazine, Jan/Feb 2007

1. Begin lunch and dinner with a salad or broth-based soup

2. Ten minutes before a meal, eat a healthy fat (around 70 calories) like a few nuts or a spoonful of peanut butter, which releases ghrelin, a hormone that triggers a feeling of fullness

3. Keep your metabolism revving by eating a small meal every three hours

4. Keep liquid calories in check – those calories add up quickly

5. Avoid eating with the big eaters in your social circle; you're more likely to eat more

6. Eat most of your calories early in the day – you'll eat less at night

7. Walk as much as possible – buy a pedometer and shoot for 2,000 steps a day, gradually working up to 10,000

8. Brush your teeth after your evening meal, and you'll be less likely to snack

We offer this article on a nonexclusive basis. You may reprint or repost this material as long as Linda Melone's name and contact information is included.

Thanks! LM