Category: Fitness
The past year hasn’t been kind for diet soda, with multiple studies associating it with everything from an increased risk of heart attack and stroke to weight gain.
Two of these studies, presented earlier this year at the American Diabetes Association, link drinking diet soda with a wider waistline, and associate aspartame (found in many diet drinks) with unhealthy increases in blood sugar.
Another study by the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, recently reported in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, suggests that drinking diet soda every day might actually increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Study researcher Helen P. Hezuda, Ph.D. warns, “Data from this and other prospective studies suggest that the promotion of diet sodas and artificial sweeteners as healthy alternatives may be ill-advised.”
In the study linking diet soda with a bigger waistline, it was found that diet soda drinkers’ waistlines increased 70% more than non-diet soda drinkers over the course of the 9.5-year study. Additionally, those who drank two or more diet sodas daily had an average waist circumference nearly 500% larger than participants who didn’t drink any diet soda
The University of Miami study followed 2,600 adults for ten years, ultimately finding that those who drank diet soda every day were 44% more likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke than non-diet soda drinkers.
University of Miami lead researcher Hannah Gardener cautions, “What we saw was an association. These people may tend to have more unhealthy habits.” Although, admittedly, she and her colleagues did try to account for those factors in the study.
When it comes to diet sodas and soft drinks, Helen P. Hezuda, Ph.D. sums it up nicely: “They may be free of calories but not of consequences.”
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Seems simple: eat less, exercise more. We all know it by heart. So why can’t we do it?
Commitment isn’t just important, it’s essential. But it’s only the beginning. The key to successful dieting is bridging the gap between what you want to do and actually doing it. The desire is there – you just need a plan.
Strategy #1: Be very specific
Do not make vague goals like “I want to lose weight”. You are setting yourself up to fail. Motivation happens when your brain detects a difference between where you are and where you want to be.
When you are specific about your goal (I want to lose 15 pounds), that difference is clear, and your brain starts throwing resources (attention, memory, effort, willpower) at the problem.
Here is an example of a clear target: “I want to weigh 125 pounds. I weigh 145 now, so that’s a difference of 20 pounds.”
Being specific gives you clarity because you’ve spelled out exactly what success looks like. That means more motivation and increased odds for success.
Strategy #2: Create an “OK-to-eat” plan
Faced with unexpected temptations like the dessert menu or the catered work lunch we end up eating things that sabotage our weight-loss goals.
The best way to guarantee you make the right choices is to create an “execution” plan.
For example:
“If the dessert menu arrives, I’ll order coffee.”
“If I am at a business lunch, I’ll have a salad.”
Studies suggest that coming up with safe-to-eat plans make you two to three times more likely to reach your diet goals.
Strategy #3: Track your success
Monitor your progress. Be clear about the gap between where you want to go and where you are now. Keep getting on that scale; mark the days you exercise on a calendar.
When you think about the progress you’ve made, stay focused on how far you have to go, rather than how far you’ve come. If you want to drop 20 pounds, and you’ve lost 5 so far, keep your thoughts on the 15 that remain.
When we dwell too much on how much progress we’ve made, it’s easy to feel a premature sense of accomplishment and start to slack off.
Strategy #4: Be a realistic optimist
Losing weight isn’t easy. It turns out that it’s important to accept this. Believing you will succeed is key, but believing you will succeed easily (what I call “unrealistic optimism”) is a recipe for failure. Take it from the women, all obese, who enrolled in a weight-loss program in one study.
Those who thought they could lose weight easily lost 24 pounds less than those who knew it would be hard. The successful dieters put in more effort, planned in advance how to deal with problems, and persisted when it became difficult. So don’t try to tamp down your worries, they can help prepare you for shape-up challenges.
Strategy #5: Strengthen your willpower
The capacity for self-control is like a muscle: It varies in strength from person to person and moment to moment. Just as your biceps can feel like jelly after a workout, your willpower “muscle” gets tired when you overtax it.
To strengthen it, pick any activity that requires you to override an impulse (such as sitting up straight when your impulse is to slouch), and add that to your daily routine. And take baby steps. Instead of going junk-free overnight, begin by eliminating, say, those chips you eat by the bag, and substitute them with a fruit or vegetable.
Hang in there, and sticking to your diet will become easier because your capacity for self-control will grow.
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The fact that foods can reduce anxiety and boost your mood is well known to anyone who has inhaled a pint of Chunky Monkey at midnight or dived into a Costco-size bag of chips.
In a literal way, ice cream and chips do represent a quick path to happiness. A load of simple carbohydrates provides an instant lift because carbohydrates trigger the rapid release of serotonin, the mood-elevating “happy hormone.”
You experience a calming effect when your brain produces serotonin. But the problem with a simple carbohydrate overload is that it sets off a physiological chain reaction that wreaks chaos on your body. It also taxes your adrenals, suppresses your immune system for hours after intake and generally leaves you feeling sluggish, making you vulnerable to starting the eating cycle all over again.
And then there’s the sugar crash.
Caffeine is Your Enemy
Caffeine is no cure either. “People who are working a lot and not getting enough sleep often reach for that extra cup of coffee because they think it’s going to help them. But in reality the caffeine makes things much worse,” says Marjorie Nolan, a registered dietitian. “When you’re anxious and stressed out, your body is already stimulated.
Add caffeine, which is a stimulant, on top of that, and you’re setting yourself up to crash and burn a few hours later. Plus, you’re dehydrating yourself, which makes you feel even more fatigued and stressed. You also end up depleting valuable hormones in the long run.” Wow, the circle of chaos does not end once you start.
Manuel Villacorta, a Bay Area-based registered dietitian and specialist in sports nutrition, says, “We used to have to run for our lives, literally, but we’re not doing that anymore. Now most of us are sitting for our lives and livelihoods. People think all that sugar they eat is going to their cells — and some of it does. But the extra sugar floating around is going straight to the fat cells. It usually builds up in your waistline. And that’s how stress is related to gaining weight.”
What’s more, says Villacorta, another side effect of stress eating is that your brain becomes conditioned to want the cookies, bagels, chips and doughnuts. “Over time, your brain creates these reward pathways. And come 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., you’re craving those doughnuts.
And that’s when you become vulnerable, because once those reward pathways have been created, willpower alone is not going to work so well for you anymore.” This so ingenious; we are actually brainwashing ourselves to beat up our bodies!
“You need to create a new pathway, a new happy memory,” Villacorta says. “I tell my clients that when afternoon comes and you have those cravings, maybe what you need to do is get up and take a two-minute walk. Or take 10 deep breaths, which will also help lower cortisol levels.”
Robin Kanarek, interim dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, speaks to the psychology of stress eating: “Food is more than nutrition. It can have nutritional value, but it also has cultural and social value. Sometimes our beliefs about food may be influencing behavior as much as the nutrition.”
Breaking the Snack Cycle
Kanarek recommends having healthy snacks handy. “Most people have a lull around 3 p.m. If you’re stressed out and all you can find is junk food from the vending machine down the hall, you may start this cycle that can lead to even more stress,” she says. “Having some fruits and vegetables readily available lets you indulge in something sweet that tastes good and has nutritional value, without the snowball effect.”
According to Villacorta, when it comes to eating to reduce stress, your general goal is twofold: boost the happy hormones (serotonin and dopamine) and reduce the stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline), which take a toll on the body over time.
For combating stress, Nolan and Villacorta offer nutrition-based recommendations, including: Indulging in complex carbs. All carbs prompt the brain to produce more serotonin. The key is to stick to more complex carbohydrates because they digest more slowly and keep blood sugar levels stable.
Nolan suggests a bowl of oatmeal, whole grain, high-fiber breads and pastas, beans and lentils, which are packed with B vitamins to help keep up energy levels. Villacorta also recommends quinoa, sweet potatoes and fruit.
Back to the Basics with Veggies
Crunch some veggies. According to Nolan, crunchy raw veggies such as baby carrots, celery and radishes are great stress reducers because the act of crunching releases tension in the jaw without adding many calories.
Eat the right kind of fat. Foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids — walnuts, almonds, flaxseeds, pine nuts, wild tuna and salmon — help control unhealthy surges in stress hormones. They are also protective against mood disorders such as depression and are important for brain function. “If you are able to think clearly, you will be better-equipped to deal with stress,” Nolan says.
Increase your C. Vitamin C-rich foods, such as citrus fruits, do double duty because they can reduce stress hormone levels even as they boost the immune system, which is often compromised when we are under a lot of stress.
Drinking Tea
Theanine, an amino acid found primarily in green tea, can have a calming (but not drowsy) effect while helping to lower elevated blood pressure. Ultimately, the main goal is less about short-term solutions and more about creating a diet filled with less processed, more wholesome foods that can provide greater health, well-being and energy – foods that can also help shore up the immune system by counteracting the pervasive stress in most of our lives.
The Problem with “Cheap” Snacks
“You have people consuming these ‘light,’ 40- to 60-calorie snacks, with lots of additives and very little nutrition,” Nolan says.
“With the sight and smell of food, and the chewing, our digestive enzymes are released. But lo and behold, 20 minutes later, there is no actual ‘food’ to be had. Our body isn’t digesting anything remotely nutritious and thus isn’t satiated. That can trigger a low-grade stress hormonal response, and when it’s happening over and over again, it’s really taking a toll on our bodies.”
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By Zach Lisabeth
Some of the most common mistakes that people make when they hit the gym are entirely preventable. If you consider yourself a workout novice you may never have had the right training to maximize the efficiency of your gym time. If you’re an expert, you may have seen your results plateau after a long period of growth. Whatever your personal situation, there’s a good chance you’re making one (or all) of these common workout mistakes. So stop wasting all those hours plodding through ineffective workouts. Correct these minor issues in your fitness regimen and get back on the path to health and wellness.
Too Many Reps
Don’t go over board with one exercise. 8-12 reps is a good target for any single weight training motion. If you can’t do 8 you may need to reduce the weight. If 12 seems like a breeze then you may need a weight increase.
Not Changing Your Routine
You’re body gets used to the same motions over time causing diminished results. Practice “muscle confusion” by alternating exercises every week. If you do bench curls one week, try dumbbells the next.
No Down Time
You need to recover after every set. If you don’t take 30-60 seconds between sets, your muscles won’t be ready to pound out another effective round.
Too Much Down Time
Don’t dillydally at the gym. Use your time effectively. If you’re the type of person that gets lost in his or her MP3 player between sets, try timing yourself. You should never rest for more than 90 seconds before picking up the weights again.
Not Enough Weight
Without a high enough resistance you won’t get that deep burn that tells you your body is building muscle.
Too Much Weight
If you overdo it on the lbs, you won’t be able to do enough repetitions to get an effective workout.
No Balance
Don’t focus on only one muscle group. If you do chest and triceps one day, exercise your back and biceps the next. And don’t forget about your shoulders and legs!
Forgetting The Basics
Pushups, pull-ups and crunches are still some of the most effective exercises in any strength training routine. Spend some time on the mats playing these old standards. If you can’t do a pull-up, just hang from the bar. If you can’t do a pushup, just prop yourself up in the pushup position.
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REFERENCES
“New Year’s Resolutions are the health equivalent of pressing the refresh button on your life. No matter what you did, a new year means a new you. Unfortunately, if success was that easy you wouldn’t be repeatedly setting the same goals year after year. What separates the successful from the unsuccessful? The resolution solution really boils down to one simple factor, and making an adjustment to your approach could be the difference between achievement and failure.” (from LiveStrong.com)
January is the time of year when most people find the motivation to join a gym. But if you don’t choose the right fitness center, you set yourself up to fail.
Do you want a total body workout? Surf style fitness training is about core, strength, endurance, and agility. This new fitness trend is gaining traction and will be premiering across the US starting this month. Join the fun!
