Change Your “Fat Thermostat” to a Healthy Level
July 31st, 2008 by Go Weblog
Have you ever watched someone who looks healthy and
slender eating a slice of chocolate cake and wondered how
they stay thin? Part of the story is that a set-point in
the brain keeps their body fat and weight level from
varying much that is, unless they do something that causes
their brain to change the set-point.
That’s what happened when I quit smoking. I had been thin
all my life. Then I stopped smoking and gained about 25
pounds! By quitting I had inadvertently triggered a process
that changed the body-weight regulator in my brain.
My body started making fat out of everything I ate, whereas
it formerly eliminated excess calories. Stopping smoking is
only one of many major changes that can cause your brain’s
body-weight controls to be altered.
Let’s call the weight regulator in your brain a *set-
point,* and a good image for the set-point is the
temperature you set on the thermostat for the heating and
cooling system of your house. If it is set at 71 degrees,
then the temperature doesn’t vary by more than a degree or
two before the thermostat tells the furnace to heat up (or
the air conditioner to cool down).
Your brain’s set-point functions much the same way. It
maintains a steady body-weight and body-fat level through a
complex interaction of hormones and metabolic processes.
The chemistry of how this works is beyond the scope of this
article. Suffice it to say that if you’ve gained weight or
lost weight, it is because your set-point has moved. And
if you want to lose or gain weight, you can take certain
actions to re-adjust your set-point to a level more
acceptable to you.
First, eat the right stuff. This is not hard if you
follow these simple guidelines:
a) minimize sugar and flour-based foods (refined carbs);
b) eat less animal fat, such as butter, cheese, marbled
meat, and eat less fat in general but don’t use low-fat
products like low-fat mayonnaise, because the chemicals
they have to use to make this stuff palatable is hard for
your body to process; just use real mayonnaise, only less
of it;
c) eat complex carbohydrates like vegetables, fruits and
whole grains, which your body recognizes as normal foods
and will process them as fuel, giving you long-term energy.
Second, drink the right stuff: water. It supports your
metabolism, helps your systems with eliminating toxins and
other excess. Coffee, tea, sweetened juices, diet or
regular soda, and alcohol do not contribute to your health
nor to your metabolism. Keep consumption of them to a
minimum.
Third, do the right kind of rhythmic large muscle exercise
daily, and sustain it for 30 to 60 minutes. If this sounds
like a lot of time, ask yourself, how important is it to
you to be healthy and/or lose weight?
You’re not going to re-set your brain’s weight regulator
(the set-point without exercise - it’s that simple. But the
exercise can be a pleasure once you understand which types
to do. Fortunately, your not faced here with push-ups or
lifting weights.
In terms of the exercise that will affect your set-point,
‘large muscle’ means especially using your legs. Walking
is the perfect place to start because you don’t need
special skills or equipment. You can also bike or swim or
jog. Whatever you enjoy.
‘Rhythmic’ means something you can do steadily,
repetitively. ‘Sustained’ means without stopping: continuous. 30 minutes is a minimum. Work up to an hour for best results.
Get your heart rate up to the level where you are exerting
yourself, but could still carry on a conversation. More
than that level, and you’re not into set-point changing
exercise anymore. Here, no pain no gain is an undesirable
approach.
If you make these three things a daily habit, (proper
eating, drinking, and exercise) your set-point will change,
and you’ll lose weight.
I lost the 25 pounds I’d gained when I stopped smoking, and
in the process I learned some pleasant habits that have
improved the quality of my life as well as my health.
Habitually, I eat delicious whole foods, enjoy a daily
walk, and drink mainly water.
I feel good now, and looking good is just a bonus. You’ll
feel good, too, and your body will thank you, blessing you
with good health.
Please note: This article is for information purposes
only. Always consult your doctor or health-care
professional.
S.J. Harstad, personal trainer and internet publisher, is
a contributing writer for All About Nutrition,
offering valuable free information to help you make healthy
choices. Articles by S.J Harstad can also be found at Z Cooking and A-Tec Exercise.
Weight Loss On Your New Year’s Agenda Prepare For The Top Weight Loss Scams Of 2006! PART 1
June 25th, 2008 by Go Weblog
I’ll admit, scam may be too harsh of a word for what I’m about to relay to the weight loss wanting public this New Year but many people’s efforts will end in frustration due to misleading information; not lack of commitment or follow through. In fact, people fail to get a fitness or weight loss result for one reason and one reason only: THEY’RE MISLED which eventually leads to lack of commitment, motivation, etc because they WERE’NT GETTING RESULTS!.
Scam would insinuate an attempt to defraud or lie but when companies are chomping at the bit to rake in beaucoup profits this year on “so-called weight loss solutions” millions will waste a good amount of time, energy, hope and yes, money on things that cannot possibly work to deliver long term success. So in essence you may as well be scammed.
This is going to be a four part series because there’s quite a bit of info and needed clarity to cover on each topic. The FTC has been on the hunt for bogus weight loss products since the 1920’s and the amazing thing is that many of these products are regurgitations of what’s been done in the past and you know what? I WANT YOU TO USE THEM! You’ll find out why I said that later.
So here’s Part 1 of the Top Weight Loss Scams of 2006.
1. Any Thing That Has The Word “DIET” In It.
Now how is this a scam you might ask? Diets are always going to be the number one choice for would be pound droppers and whether or not you choose to go weight watching, be like Kirstie Allie and talk to “Jenny,” go with Nutri-System, Atkins, South Beach, Dr. Phil, your own system of just “eating healthy,” etc, etc, etc I’ll bet you the vault at the Belagio in Las Vegas that future frustration will inevitably mount leaving yourself making yet another New Years weight loss resolution. I discussed the “Top 5 Reasons You Should Not Go On A Diet This New Year” in another article “Top-Five-Reasons-You-Should-NOT-Go-On-A-Diet-This-New-Year” so check that out for some much needed clarity on the matter.
So where’s the “scam part” with this whole diet thing? “Lose 9 pounds every eleven days, lose 30 pounds in 30 days, eat like a pig and lose weight, etc.” Those are just a couple blatant false promises that believe it or not many people allow their common sense to be bypassed and fall victim to these bogus claims. In all honestly, anything that has the word DIET in it has about a 98.99% chance of failing. Believing the diet “worked” in the past is the biggest trap diet victims fall into which always has them blame themselves for something that failed them.
That’s just the blatant false promises. Others are much more sneaky and although they are not scams in the literal sense they do in fact mislead people which adds to the frustration so many Americans face with weight loss.
A few people may be ticked off by this but America’s favorite weight loss center (name withheld) that has you counting points maintains the same failure rate as the rest of the diet industry. Sorry, but it’s true. Of course there are a “handful” of long term success stories out of the millions who embark upon the program but for those that have been to the meetings you know that pretty much every body there is a repeat customer. Well if the diet “worked” in the first place then why would you come back to it? If an eating program has you continually cut back on calories to keep that friendly relationship with the almighty progress tool (the scale) then you can be sure it’s a form of calorie deprivation that will inevitably slow metabolism. However, some credit should be given to them for the fact that they do seem to have a genuine concern for helping people lose weight even though the approach is flawed.
Here’s what I want you to do. If you’ve chosen to go on a diet in an effort to lose weight this yearI want you to go on a DIET if that’s what you’ve set out to do! I know this is harsh, but I want you to lose those deceptive 5-7 pounds the first week, I want you to cut way, way back on calories that will eventually slow metabolism, I want you to give up all those foods you love that you think are bad for you, I want you to experience those awful cravings you believe are a lack of willpower that will inevitably have you “blow” the diet and I want you to gain all of the weight back. Harsh, I know but here’s the one thing I DO NOT want you to do: DO NOT BLAME YOURSELF FOR FAILING! So yes, I am sincere when I say I want you to go on one of these commercial diets but I do however realize that there are health implications with certain forms of dieting so as a warning, exercise caution and consult your physician.
Stay tuned for Part 2: The Ephedra Free “Natural” Fat Burners Or Anything In Pill Form That Claims To Be a Solution In And Of Itself.
David Otto is a Personal Trainer in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. To receive David Otto’s e-newsletter “The Otto Report: Getting Real With Fitness,” simply send an email to celebpt@yahoo.com and request your copy.
Tags: carb, carbohydrate, diet, fat, health, lose, nutrition, obese, obesity, overweight, protein, weight loss, womenIs Syndrome X Making You Fat
June 4th, 2008 by Go Weblog
Is it getting harder and harder for you to maintain your weight? Maybe you’ve noticed significant weight gain despite the fact that you haven’t changed your eating or exercise habits? Do you exercise every day but can’t seem to lose weight? Then, perhaps Syndrome X is to blame.
Syndrome X is a serious problem that can adversely affect your health. In addition to weight problems, Syndrome X has been linked to heart disease, hypoglycemia and menstrual imbalances. It is also a precursor to developing Diabetes Type 2.
Syndrome X is also referred to as Metabolic Syndrome, Metabolic Syndrome X and Insulin Resistance. It is a very common disease; however it is widely overlooked by many medical professionals. One statistic reveals 1 in 3 people suffer from it.
It works like this, lets say you want to talk to visit your friend. You knock on his door but he doesn’t answer. So what do you do? You knock again. Still no answer - you knock yet again. Insulin has the same sort of process. Certain foods cause the body to make higher levels of insulin than others which produces not 1 but 2 “knocks”. If you are insulin resistant (Syndrome X), your body cannot process the glucose, therefore the pancreas tries to make up for it by producing even more insulin. It thinks “no one is home” and just keeps making more.
The main purpose of glucose is to be used as fuel for the cells in the body to produce energy. Unprocessed glucose translates into fat. If the body keeps making it and it’s not being processed, where does it go? Hips, thighs, stomach, and buttocks, that’s where!
Symdrome X can be blamed in part on genetics in some cases. But for many it is simply leading an unhealthy lifestyle that is the culprit. Eating processed foods, too much sugar, not exercising enough, smoking and stress can be causes of Syndrome X.
So if you don’t want to join the over 4 million Americans that weigh in at over 300 pounds, what can you do? The most important thing is to exercise - if you currently have an exercise program keep it up - if not than start one. Drink plenty of water. Don’t eat processed foods, startches, white bread, cookies, cakes, desserts, sugars etc Limit your caffeine intake. Eat lots of vegetables - try to work your way up to having 1/3 of your daily food be vegetables. One good way to do that is to have veggies with every meal and make sure you cover 1/3 of the plate with them.
To see if you are insulin resistant you can ask your doctor to test your sugar levels. Change what you’re eating and get walking and you’ll be amazed at the pounds start to fall off. The fatigue and fuzziness will start to disappear and in turn you’ll feel much better.
Lee Dobbins is the owner of Low Carb Resource where you can find more about low carb eating, the glycemic index and dieting.
Visit the dieting article archives for more dieting tips.
