"It Worked Before..."

It's something I hear all the time as people come into my office or talk to me about losing weight.  They say, "Well I just need to go back to what I was doing a couple of years ago, it worked before..."  There are, of course variations on the theme.  Maybe someone will say, "I know what works, I just need to get back to doing it." I've heard something like this so many times; people struggling to find what will "work" to help them finally win the weight loss battle.  It finally occurred to me just recently, the problem is we are using the wrong definition for the word "worked."

Most people I talk to, they'd probably define a program "working" as something that helped them successfully lose some amount of weight.  "I know Weight Watchers worked because I was able to lose 15 pounds on their program."  "I was doing so well avoiding carbs.  That totally worked for me.  I lost weight but I just stopped for some reason and when I did, I started to gain weight again."  It doesn't how you put it, we think, "working" means losing weight, for the short-term.  

Well guess what, starting today, you should begin to redefine what is really "working". If you look at a growing body or research, it's clear, long-term weight loss is extremely difficult to achieve.  Now when I say long-term, I mean greater than 5 years.  Over the long-term, a majority of people will regain most of the weight that they lose.  With that being said, think about the "diets" you've been on and really ask yourself, "Did that really work?" Were you able to keep all the weight off after 5 years? I'm guessing that the majority of you probably will say no, which would be completely normal.  Maybe you can't you even answer that question because you can't count how many diets you tried in a 5 year period?  

So let's change our definition of "what worked."  Let's really be honest and ask yourself, "Did that diet REALLY work for me?" and see what your answer is.

Any plan, diet or intervention whose primary focus is to help you lose weight, will likely not "work." It's not your fault and it never was.  The fault lies in the goals of the plan or diet.  The fault lies on the pressure we have in our society to be  certain size.  The fault is that we hate our bodies.  The fault lies in the fact that we are focusing on losing weight instead of trying to find good health.

Maybe it's time to do something drastic then.  Perhaps it is time for something radical, to go against the grain.  It's time to focus on something other than weight because the scale does not determine your health,  

What would happen if you measured your health in some other term than a number on the scale, the size dress or pants you wear or by the inches of your waist.  What if you were to measure health by how well you feel, how you manage your stress, how often you move your body, how many times do you laugh each day, and how you manage your relationship with food?  What if you began to accept and appreciate the body you have TODAY instead of waiting for the body of tomorrow.  TODAY is here, now and real.  

How do you start changing?  Try these 5 things

1) Try to pay attention to hunger and fullness cues as you are eating.  Learning to eat when you're hungry and stop when you're full is the foundation to Intuitive Eating and changing your relationship with food

2) Move your body in any way that feels good.  Forget the punishment plan.  Don't exercise just to burn calories.  Exercise because it makes you feel better about yourself and your body. Move because it's one of the best acts of self-care you can for yourself each day.

3) Learn to pay attention not just to what you eat, but why.  If you find yourself emotionally eating, ask yourself, "What do I REALLY need right now?"  Chances are, it's not really food.

4) Develop a body positive frame of thinking.  Try thanking your body each and every day for ALL of the amazing things it does for you.

5) Consider throwing out your scale.  Starting to not weigh yourself might be the jump-start you need to learn to change the focus from weight to health.

A letter to my future client

Dear Future Client,

We haven't met yet but I already feel like I know you.  I know what you're struggling with and I know you feel like there's no end in sight.  I know what it's like to hate your body; to look at yourself in the mirror and wonder how you got to this moment.  I know what it's like to hate exercise, fearful of moving your body because, with so little faith in your own strength, you don't think you'll be able to do it.

I understand what it's like to fear food and eating.  I know what it's like to think if you eat one dessert, you'll never stop.  Should you stop eating carbs all together?  Is sugar really poison?  How much butter is too much?

I know what it's like for food to be your best friend.  It's there for you when you're happy, sad, lonely or bored.  Food doesn't judge you, but you can't do the same for food.  You label it good vs. bad or safe vs. dangerous.

I know you're thinking if you could just recommit to the diet that "worked" last time, it'd be ok. But what does "working" really mean?  Is getting on the scale once, twice or three times a day really working?  Did everything really get better in your life when you lost 10 pounds?  Has the scale really ever been kind to you?

I know it's scary to think of giving all of this up and learning to trust your body and make peace with food.  I know that it seems almost crazy to give up your food rules.  I know it seems impossible to change but I'm writing to tell you that change IS possible.

We haven't met yet, but I believe in you! You can do this and it starts with you finally saying "enough!" Enough of the diets, enough of the self loathing and enough of the fear.

You are capable of so much and I want to help you realize it.  I'm betting on you and me!  Together we'll build your new relationship with food and with your body.

We haven't met yet but I know that when we do, we will do amazing things together.

Until we meet, I wish you healthiest regards,

Aaron Flores, RDN

What Are You Prepared To Do?

It's been a while since I wrote on this blog. Why? Many reasons, really, but let's just boil it down to this: nothing really inspired me.  And with no inspiration, there was no writing.

To what do I owe the pleasure of inspiration?  Its none other than JJ Virgin.  She's  a nutrition and fitness expert with nearly 30+ years of experience in the field (per her website). She is an avid writer and her latest book "Sugar Impact Diet" was a New York Times bestseller.

So there I am, wasting time on Huffington Post (as I'm prone to do) and I came across this article, 9 Science-based Strategies for Long-Term Weight Loss.  Obviously with a title like that, I'm bound to be intrigued, right?  That's what a good headline is supposed to do, after all.  Well, it worked and I found myself reading the article. That might have been a mistake or one of the greatest things ever....we'll know after I finish this blog.

Just reading the headline, I was wondering, "Has someone finally cracked the code to successful weight loss?"  If so, then let's get the Nobel Prize for Science ready!  But before we book flights to Stockholm, let's see what the article said.

It starts by citing a study done in 2007 that found (no surprise if you've read any of my other blogs) that over the long-term, most people (around 95%) will eventually regain weight after their initial success in losing weight.  You would think that after reading the article she references, the author would say, "So, why not give up dieting?"  No way no how! She goes on to say that despite these insurmountable odds, these 9 science-based strategies will disprove the previous article she just mentioned.

Anyone--and I mean anyone--can find numerous studies that show short-term weight loss. Great, then let's get to the real crux of it then: where's the long-term data? I don't care about short-term data, show me the numbers after 5 years.  Why don't they report these?  Because they show the truth, that most people gain the weight back!

But let's get back to the article, shall we?  Her 9 strategies say that people who maintain "fat loss" do the following:
1) They measure to improve by using mobile apps to track calories, daily weights and wearing a pedometer.
2) They journal their intake and their health goals
3) They eat mindfully and I have to quote here, "They know even a few moments of mindless eating -- such as a perilous 11 p.m. cookie dough fridge raid -- will derail their best efforts." 
4) They downsize by using smaller plate and glasses to eat smaller portions 
5) They simplify breakfast by having a meal replacement shake. 
6) They add before they take away meaning they "fill up" on fiber so that they don't end up eating other unwanted foods 
7) They keep their enemy away by not ever letting offending foods into the house.  (JJ's personal example is almond butter!) 
8) They surround themselves with like-minded people and again I quote, "To maintain fat loss, studies show a person's chances of becoming obese increased by 57% if they had a friend who became obese in a given interval." 
9) They engage in community by being around other like minded people.  


As I read these, I realized that these all seemed so incredibly sad.  Why sad? Well, let me interpret these 9 strategies for you.  To me, what I read is that if you want to lose weight and keep it off for the long-term here's what you better be prepared to do:  

• Forever be slave to...
• calorie counting  
• keeping a food journal
• drinking your morning meal replacement shake and
• the scale. 
• You better be sure to be hyper vigilant and never ever ever slip up because if you do, you're doomed. 
• Make sure you never eat too much and be sure and surround yourself with other people who are experiencing the same thing you are so you all can complain about how miserable you all are.  
• Oh, and be sure to not have any fat friends because if you do, they'll sabotage your efforts. 

If these sound as unappealing to you as they do to me then I have an alternative for you. You have a choice and here are the ones I've made:  

I choose to enjoy my food by savoring each bite, no matter what it is.  
I choose to listen to my body, my cravings and my fullness.  
I choose to live with peace with my body and my food.  
I choose to surround myself with people of all shapes and sizes because their size does not determine what kind of person they are going to be. 
I choose to honor my body with movement that makes me feel alive.

This is Health at Every Size® an Intuitive Eating and it works.  Interested in joining me, there's plenty of room on this train! 

Thanks JJ Virgin for helping me get back in the blog world!  It's nice to be back.

April Fool's...I Wish

I thought of many different April Fools jokes I could play on my readers/followers but then I realized the truth can be even more foolish than a prank.  A diet so laughable that it sounds like a joke but sadly it is real.  So, here's the first (and hopefully last) edition of the "Real Life Weight Loss Plan I Wish Was A Joke."

My friends, I present to you the 5-Bite Diet.  This awesomely horrible diet is based on the book, Why Weight Around by Dr. Alwin Lewis.  The plan is simple: eat 5 bites of anything you want at lunch and 5 bites of anything you want for dinner.  All you need to follow this plan is the ability to count to 10. Sounds easy enough, right?  I know what you're thinking, "Only 10 bites each day? Won't I get hungry?"  Sure you will but here's the good news: you get to drink as much no-calorie drinks as you like.  Woohoo.  Rejoice.  As much diet soda, water, or tea as you like.  You might also be thinking, "What about all the vitamins and minerals my body needs?  Is 10 bites a day enough to get those essential vitamins and minerals?" The good Dr. Lewis has you covered by having you take one multivitamin each day (which does not count as one of our 10 bites, thank goodness).

Why 5 bites per day you might ask? Dr. Lewis says it's like having your own gastric bypass and that over time your stomach will shrink.  And with eating only 10 bites, the weight will just come off.  Wow, you think, Doc?  Dr. Lewis should get an award for such forward thinking.  Let's have someone lose weight quickly on a plan that they can't sustain and--viola--call it a day.

Dr. Lewis cares, though.  He doesn't want you to fail so you can pay $50 a year to join his online community and have access to his membership boards and weight loss tracker.  If that's not enough support, for $2,000 you can get weekly sessions with Dr. Lewis for 3 months.  That's 12 sessions at $166.67 per session.  Sound expensive?  Well, think of all the money you save if you are only eating 10 bites per day.

I don't even know where to start on this one.  First of all, I'm appalled that he's getting away with this. This is such a ludicrous plan that I'm surprised it's even still around.  Secondly, what kind of integrity does this man have?  I don't think I've ever seen a diet promote disordered eating patterns more than this one.  Shame on Dr. Lewis for fueling this behavior.  My hope is that this is the last time we ever hear of this diet.  May it fade away into oblivion where it belongs.  Sadly though, there will be more like these to come and I will have to write another post like this next April Fools Day.

In the mean time, don't be a fool.  Listen to your body.  Trust that you have the skill to eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full.  Make peace with food and say goodbye to your restrictive behavior.  Love your body, no matter what shape.  You are worth the space you take up.

What Is A Healthy Weight?

One of the questions I get asked a lot from my clients is, "What is my healthy weight?"  It is a difficult question and one that doesn't really have a short answer.

If I was a dietitian who didn't believe in what I believe in, I'd probably answer something along the lines of, "Well your healthy weight is when your Body Mass Index (BMI) is in the normal range (18.5 to 24.9)"  But I don't believe that.  If you've read my blog before, you're not surprised that even just typing that phrase, makes me cringe.

So how would I define a healthy weight?  I asked my wife what she thought that meant and I think that her answer pretty much captures how I feel. "Your healthy weight is the weight you are at when you stop worrying about your weight."  I would tweak it just a little to say, "A healthy weight is when you focus on health, not your weight."

But what does that mean and what is health?  That my friends, is where the real conversation begins.  As with all things, the real question might not be what is asked but rather why are you asking?  Why are you wondering about that? Why is finding your healthy weight important?  Why do you include "weight" in the question?  Shouldn't the question simply be about finding your health?  I've shared the graphic below many times and it's on my Facebook page but it really helps illustrate why weight should not be at the center of the question but rather your health should be at the center.

When weight is the focus, we do anything to change it and that can lead to difficult relationship with food.  So let's take weight out of the equation and just focus on health.  

So what does health look like and how do you find it?  Well it's not just one thing it is going to be a whole host of things.  If I had to boil it down to a list (because we all love lists), here's what I would say a "healthy" person is doing on a regular basis (in no particular order). 

1) Connecting with friends and/or family on a regular basis.

2) Finding pleasure and satisfaction in everyday things

3) Moving their body 

4) Finding ways to reduce stress

5) Getting adequate sleep

6) Finding time to stop, unplug and truly rest

7) Listening to their bodies cues on hunger and fullness

Of course the problem is that these things are hard.  There's no simple solution to health and tryting to improve one thing on the above list is not done in a vacuum.  Getting healthy touches all parts of our lives and it takes work. 

What does health look like to you?  Can you take "weight" out of the equation and instead focus on learning to just be healthy?  

No Weigh

This post originally appeared on Wholify, Restoring Your Wellbeing website which is operated by Michaela Ballmann, MS, RD, CLT

I get a lot of questions being a dietitian. One that comes up pretty often is how often I weigh myself. It's such a great question and my answer has changed over time. When I was in highschool I saw a nutritionist to help me lose weight. I remember weighing myself in her office each week. I'd come in, hand her my food journals and head off into her bathroom to step on the scale. In the interest of full disclosure, I lied to her every time I reported my weight. I figured, tell her what she wants to hear so every time I said I lost 1lb each visit. (I lied on my food journals too but maybe that's another post). Why did I lie? I guess because I wanted to tell her what she wanted to hear and I was fearful of her reaction if I didn't lose weight that week.

After I stopped seeing the nutritionist, I don't think I weighed myself until many years later. Of course I'd get weighed at annual physicals but it was not something I did at home. Not coincidentally, it was during this time of my life that I really started to gain weight.

Once I made the decision to lose weight (and it happened one morning in April 1999), I still hadn't weighed myself in quite some time. I had no idea of what my actual weight was but I would guess it was over 300+. I didn't weigh myself that morning but instead I waited about 2-3 months until I noticed a difference in how I looked and felt. I remember that day as if it was yesterday and my weight was 285 lbs. From that day on for about the next 10-11 years, I weighed myself every morning. At first it was to monitor my progress and later on it became my tool to "stay on track."

Over those 10-11 years, the scale became the best indicator to what kind of day I was going to have. If it went up, it was going to be a bad day. I felt less secure, less confident, less worthy and therefore I ate less. If the scale stayed the same or went down, it was going to be a great day. I'd be more confident, more secure, and therefore have freedom to eat more. There were even times I would weigh myself more than once per day. I'd see how the weight changed after a workout, after a bowel movement or after a big dinner. Sounds crazy, right? It was crazy but I am 100% confident that I was not the only person to do this.

After I read Intuitive Eating, I realized how the behavior of weighing myself was part of my "diet mentality" and it all started with my desire to be "thin." I knew that to make peace with food, I had to reject that behavior and ditch the scale. It's scary to stop doing something that you've done every day for over a decade. My security blanket was going away but once I started not to weigh myself, I noticed that my attitude towards myself and towards food changed. I noticed that I had a little more freedom with food if I didn't have the scale as my tool to determine what and how I should eat each day. I was able to tune into my body’s signals more and more which was reassuring.

I went about 2-3 weeks without weighing myself at first and then I wondered if I was gaining weight as an intuitive eater so I decided to step on the scale. I have no idea what the number said but I know that my mind went back to it's old "less vs more" thinking. What can I say, old habits die hard. It was after that event that I really realized how much power the scale had over my behaviors and that the scale deserved to not be part of my life.

It's been about 2 years since I've stopped weighing myself and I've never felt more confident about my body. Has my weight changed since I stopped weighing myself? I don't think so. My clothes still fit and I don't notice a difference in any pictures, so I guess I'd have to say it's pretty stable. Do I still have issues? You bet! Those might never go away but that is another post.

So that's my personal story about the scale, but what does that mean for you? If you are anything like me, you might be obsessed with the scale just like I was. And you might be thinking, "There's no way I could stop weighing myself." Some of us are not ready to ditch the scale and in some cases, regular weigh-ins might be completely necessary (like for those in treatment for eating disorders) but for most, the scale is only a measure of one thing...your weight at that exact moment in time. It doesn't measure self-worth, it doesn't measure your overall health and it should never tell you how much you should eat in a day.

Saying goodbye to the scale is not 100% necessary to become an intuitive eater but it is a very strong symbol for our emphasis on body weight. It is a symbol for why we diet, why we create food rules and why we stop listening to our body. I've already removed this symbol from my mind but it’s still in my house, why I have no idea. Today, I've chosen to say good-bye forever. Are you ready to say goodbye to the scale?

Goodbye and good riddance!

  

These Are Not the Clients You're Looking For

I'm getting closer and closer to starting my own private practice.  I've registered my practice name as a DBA (Doing Business As), I've got insurance coverage for my practicd and I'm zeroing in on an office space.  I will only start seeing clients on a part-time basis because I still need to keep my full-time job but things are moving quickly.

As I'm starting this new journey, some acquaintances have referred some friends or family that they'd like me to see.  One such referral was for someone who was looking to lose weight because they were interested in joining a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces.  In case you did not know, each branch of the service has their own weight requirements and everyone who enlists must be below the maximum allowable weight or they are not allowed in.

From what I could gather, my client's date to enroll was getting close and needed to jumpstart their weight loss plan and they were looking to me for guidance. I thought long and hard about whether I should take this client.  Just like I tell my clients to do when they embark on making changes, I weighed the pros and cons of taking the client.  After some time I made a decision not to take this client on.  In the end my decision came down to this:

1. As a believer in Intuitive Eating, I don't subscribe to meal-plans for weight loss.  They are useful in some situations but when it comes to really embracing Intuitive Eating, a meal plan gets in the way of listening to and honoring your body's cravings.  
2. By helping this client lose weight with a calorie budget and meal plan, would I be starting them on a cycle of dieting?  So let's say they meet their goal with me...they enlist in the military and then sometime after basic training or somewhere down the road they start to gain weight.  Once this weight gain occurs will they fall back on that familiar meal plan and continue to ignore their own intuitive signals?
3. The fact that it ssemed to be an urgent need to lose weight concerned me. This is not the kind of work that I'd like to do since the focus on just the number on the scale ignores so many other factors that determine our overall health.n I'd rather focus my efforts on health and not just a number. 
4. Although I can not change the military, this notion that anyone outside of their silly weight requirements can not perform as a soldier is absurd. It spits in the face of the whole Healthy at Every Size® movement which I so firmly believe in.  

I really struggled with this decision.  As I'm starting to make a name for myself in the private practice world, I was essentially throwing away money by rejecting this client.  Could I have helped them meet their goal?  You bet I could have.  I'm sure I could have helped them learn how to count calories and plan some meals that would help shed the pounds but at the end of the day, I don't think that's why I'm starting a private practice.  If I took this client, I was starting down a slippery slope and eventually I'd be seeing clients who came to me only for quick-fix weight loss plans.

So my question is this: Do you think I made the right decision?  Should I stick to my beliefs or should I not turn away any possible client as I get my practice started?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.  Also, be sure to stay tuned to hear more exciting news about my private practice.

Don't Believe the Hype!

Being a dietitian is one of the best jobs.  I love meeting new people, telling them what I do and then, like magic, they start to talk to me about the latest new diet they are on, hoping to hear my vote of approval.  The only approval they usually get is a smile, a nod and simple comment, "That's nice." I also love just walking around and seeing all the ads and products out there that entice us to lose weight with minimal effort.  Being a dietitian is not just about having good counseling skills, you have to have a little myth busting skills also. This past week I had two different experiences that were great examples of what I described above.

Photo Courtesy of Amazon.com

First off, my family and I ventured to the local mall on Saturday night.  It's 100+ degrees where we live and my wife and I figured we'd give our A/C a rest and head over to the mall for dinner and some people watching.  As we were strolling along, I came across one of those kiosks they have set up in the middle of the mall.  This particular one was selling a vibrating platform exercise machine (left).  Naturally, I had to stop and take a look.  My myth busting sensors were going berserk. Could standing on a vibrating platform really deliver all the benefits they promised?  They claim that you can replace your 60 minute workout with just 10 minutes on the vibration exercise machine and "melt" the fat away.  The machine is simple, you stand on the platform and it vibrates from side to side.  In order to maintain your balance you contract your muscles multiple times per minute.  The constant contracting creates a feeling like your muscles have exerted themselves but are you getting the same benefit from other forms of exercise?  From what I've found here, here and here, the answer is that these machines do serve some purpose for a select few groups: It can provide a brief benefit to athletes, it can help prevent bone loss and may be beneficial with some improved balance.  There has not been substantial research to prove that it is as effective as a 60 minute workout especially for the benefit of weight loss.  Research aside, these products (and there are a lot of them) prey on our hunger for the easy way out.  We want so badly to think that vibrating for 10 minutes a day will pay off with six pack abs, tighter tushies and will make the fat fade away.  If this is really how desperate we have become, I shudder to think about what product is coming out next.  Your guess is as good as mine.

The second "dietitian moment" I had this week was when I learned about a new weight loss plan: the 4-Hour Body Diet.  I was at a wedding and someone who was sitting at the same table told me about their experience trying this diet. What is the 4-Hour Body plan? Well first off, the author has created this amazing movie-style trailer that would sell anyone!  The program claims: 20 lb weight loss in just 30 days, improved testosterone and sperm counts, increased energy with only two hours of sleep each day and six pack abs with just a six minute workout.  The meal plan is similar to any other low-carb or paleo style diet.  No carbs, no fruit and limited dairy.  What's new about this though is there is one day when you are allowed to eat whatever ever you want and as much as you want.  The author, Tim Ferriss has no credentials in nutrition or exercise to substantiate his boastful claims but instead says he was the "guinea pig" and tested the different ideas on his own body. So for those who love studies, when it comes to the 4-Hour Body, n=1.  There are some great articles that discuss why the 4-Hour Body is not a good idea and you can read them here, and here. Besides not being based on any sound science and totally unrealistic, if you need another reason not to do something like the 4-Hour Body, it is endorsed by my favorite TV doctor, Dr. Oz which should speak volumes enough.  So back to my encounter at the wedding, I asked the person telling me about the diet how they did and they said, "Great, I lost 5 lbs."  They also said that they stopped the diet because they got sick of eating so much meat and ended up craving more fruits and carbs.

One week and two more examples of our quick-fix mentality about weight loss.  As we focus on the scale and obsess about our bodies, we lose sight of the fact that improving our health takes work.  Getting healthy is not about the number on the scale or about your dress size or about how big your biceps are.  It takes effort.  It takes a commitment to self-exploration.  Improving your health is about learning how to deal with your emotions without food. Its about moving your body not just to sweat or to build muscles, but because movement helps relieve stress and because you feel better about yourself after a workout.

If you want to lose 20 lbs in 30 days go for it.  If 10 minutes on a vibrating machine sounds fun to you, have at it.  Once you get tired of your no-carb, no fruit, high protein diet with one day to "pig out" and once you realize that our rattling innards have had enough, call me.  I'll be here, waiting to help you on the journey to improved health.  No gimmicks, no promises of quick fixes.  Just an honest conversation about food, exercise and your health.

An Invitation to Governor Chris Christie

I don't have much politically in common with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.  We are polar opposites when it comes to social issues or the role of government, but the Governor and I do have one thing in common:  We both struggle with weight and deal with it in a public arena.  Granted, my public arena is much smaller than the Governor's but none the less, we are still judged by how we look.  Me because I am a dietitian and dietitians are supposed to "look a certain way" and the Governor because, well, he's a Governor.  I've written about my issues with weight here so I don't need to rehash that old story.  Regardless of the reason, people will look at us and draw a conclusion.

Gov. Christie did an interview with ABC Nightline this month where the issue of his weight came up.  Read the full article here and watch a video excerpt below.  The Governor makes some honest and personal observations about his struggle with his weight.  He shares how he as struggled with weight for 30 years and how his job makes making healthy choices difficult.  You don't have to be a Governor to identify with that, right? Those are issues that all of us deal with but there are much deeper issues that affect our food choices. Near the end of the article, the Governor says,

“I’ve been living with it for a long time, and I’m going to try to get better,” Christie said. “And if I can get better, that’ll be great for me and for my family and for the public who likes me … it’s something that’s not easy. If it were easy, I’d already have it fixed.”

Governor Christie is a very successful, intelligent and driven individual.  You have to be to run for and get elected to political office.  He is "fixing" important social and political issues every day. His career is defined by successfully dealing with problems. But, despite all that success, power and motivation, he can't "fix" his weight.  Again, you don't have to be Governor to identify with that, right?

It's a common misconception that we can "fix" our weight.  We need to realize that what we need to fix is not the number on the scale but rather the way we think about food. What the Governor needs to do is make peace with food.  You don't have to be Governor to identify with that either.

So, I'm extending an open invitation to Governor Christie.  Governor, you don't need another meal plan or diet that promises results.  Let's talk, man to man, about something men don't usually open up about: how we use food to cope with our emotions.  Let's start a conversation about how food can be our best friend and worst enemy.  Let me help you make peace with food.  Let's start the discussion so you can start listening to your body, honoring your hunger and fullness.  Governor, ditch the food rules that you've grown up with and let's talk about how you can start to give yourself permission to eat again. This isn't a fad diet, this is Intuitive Eating.  I am here waiting for your email.  I'm available for Skype or FaceTime calls so no need to come out to Los Angeles either.  You don't need to be a Governor to open up and talk about food.  My invitation extends to anyone else out there that is ready to make peace with food. 

As always, I welcome your comments.

 

Dr. Oz Wants You to Slimdown for Summer!

Photo courtesy of Oprah.com

I don't watch Dr. Oz firstly because I have more important things to do during the day but secondly and most importantly, I think he is full of it!  There, I said it!

But I have to admit, he is like a train wreck, however.  I see something he says or writes, and I can't turn away despite all my best intentions.

The train wreck I couldn't turn away from this time was a link I saw via Twitter to his Swimsuit Slimdown Plan.  The article starts by evoking fond memories of your childhood, spending carefree days on the beach or by the pool.  It goes on to point out how many of us avoid these situations as an adult because of the fear of getting into a bathing suit.  The article pulls at your emotions and then reels you in with the common "diet mentality" hook:

You can stay inside all summer, wearing layer upon layer to hide your trouble spots, or always swim in a scuba suit. Alternately, if you’re ready to crank up your confidence, you can follow Dr. Oz’s smart and simple steps to lose weight, feel fit, and regain the confidence you need to wear your bathing suit

What is this amazing plan you ask?  Well let's take a closer look.  It starts like any other fad diet with simple, easy steps to losing weight and a better life.  The first step is to "Sip Smart" with a drink made from 1 cup of grapefruit juice and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.  Sounds a little tart to me, and maybe to some others too because Dr. Oz allows you to add 1 teaspoon of honey to make the drink a little more palatable. How generous of you doctor! The premise for this drink, (which is supposed to be consumed before each meal) is that it is high in Vitamin C which Dr. Oz argues will help burn fat DURING exercise.  He cites one study (no link supplied of course) which found that participants with adequate Vitamin C levels burned 30% more fat during moderate exercise than those with lower Vitamin C levels. I found the study that the article references here but I could find no others that support this finding...shocking right? The final sentence is another example of Dr. Oz's fad diet sell:

Drink Dr. Oz’s secret slimdown drink before every meal and you’ll literally burn away your fat while enjoying a citrusy delight.

Part two of the plan is my favorite.  The "slimdown salad" is comprised of 1 bunch of dandelion greens, 1 cup of watermelon and parsley.  The "diet" says that you'll get plenty of healthy protein from the dandelion greens.  Yes, you will get protein from the dandelion greens but according to this nutrition data, you'll get a whole gram of protein for each cup of greens.  One measly gram!  Seriously Dr. Oz, no one on your staff could Google "protein content in dandelion greens" and find that one gram of protein will not fill you up?  The watermelon is included in the salad because it is a "good source" of arginine, "which might promote weight loss" according to a study quoted by Dr. Oz.  The study was from the Journal of Clinical Nutrition and can be seen here.  I'll let you read the full article but the basic gist is that lab rats (n=8 in each of four treatment groups) that were supplemented with over 1 gram of arginine per day had less fat accumulation than the other groups of rats.  So, arginine MAY help prevent fat mass accumulation (according to 1 study of just 24 rats) but this begs the question how much arginine is in a serving of watermelon?  Well there is a total of  86.7 mg per 1 cup.  Wow, an amazing 86.7 mg!  Stand back fat, prepare to meet your doom.  IF the study on arginine is true and it helped, why would you only choose 86.7 mg of arginine?  If you wanted arginine in the salad, why not just add one cup of cooked lentils to the salad which would give you 1380 mg of arginine, 16 grams of dietary fiber and 18 grams of protein?  Now that will fill you up!  But this salad is not being sold to you for taste or for flavor but only as a miracle fat burner high...a quick fix.

The other two parts of this genius summer slimdown is to buy a $40 bottle of aminophylline cream to reduce cellulite and a "sculping" exercise routine that can be done in just 5 minutes each morning.  Since I'm a dieitian I'll focus my critique on the nutrition content of the article and just summarize these two points simply by saying they are more quick fixes from the doctor.

This article bothers me on so many levels.  First off the research Dr. Oz is highlighting are singular studies on a topic and without large scale validity.  Secondly, the nutrition advice does not support the "diet's" goals and it looks like it has come out of a lab and not based on building appealing, delicious and nutritious meals.  Why would I want to drink vinegar and grapefruit juice before each meal?  Come on! Lastly, the reason this bothers me the most is that Dr. Oz is abusing his MD credential.  He is another example of how celebreties use their name to promote a quick fix to weight loss.  Is this any different than Kirstie Alley or Charles Barkley?  Sure Dr. Oz is not selling any supplements but he is selling himself, his reputation and in this case, a fad diet.

There is no simple four step plan to health, weight loss or summer happiness.  This is just another in a long series of diets that MIGHT help you temporarily but they won't provide any long-term solution.  Your solution to health lies within you.  You will discover your own healthy life when you finally reject the diets, honor you hunger, make peace with food, respect your fullness and stop using food to cope with your emotions.  That is how Intuitive Eating works.  Why not start to listen to what your body is telling you about your food choices?  With some practice you will begin to intuitively know what foods make you feel best. 

As always, I welcome your comments.

Two Stories, One Theme

Photo Courtesy of Flicker: Life Design Strategies

I've been doing a lot of reading these days.  One book that has occupied my time and thoughts is Intuitive Eating.  I've discussed the book a little in my last post but it seems now that I've nearly completed the book and started the process of becoming a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, I've become more aware how much this revolutionary approach to food and eating is needed. 

One startling example was a post by Anne Brenoff on Huffington Post.  Her article is titled, "Dieting: Let The Blame Game Begin!" Ms Brenoff is writing on the first day of her new diet and she's not very happy about it.

Today is Day One of my diet. I know from having been here before, it's the hardest day. Yes, I am cranky and I'd just as soon sharpen these little baby carrots into darts and throw them at the back of someone's head today as I would eat them. I'm in the "don't mess with me" phase of my diet, which lasts about five days or until my scale nudges a little to the left -- whichever comes first

Not surprising to hear how Ms. Brenhoff is struggling already on her new diet.  As the authors of Intuitve Eating point out, dieting or limiting calories leads to a whole host of negative consequences in the body.  Just look at the very notable study done by Ansel Keys in the 1940's.  In an effort to understand how they body reacts to prolonged dietary restriction, he found that the men in his study (who at about 1500-1600 calories per day) experienced some dramatic changes.  They became more irritable, they changed their eating habits during meals (some sped up and some slowed down) and they obsessed about food.  Once they were taken off the study, they overate and did not return to their normal eating patterns until four months later.

Ms. Brenoff is not alone in her struggle.  She is one of countless dietiers out there who are looking for the next fix.  They are looking for that one diet that will help them lose weight.  Why this obsession to lose wieght?  Maybe it's the clear emphasis our culture puts on being "skinny".

Just one day after Ms. Brenoff's post, another interesting article was posted on Huffington Post. This article called, "The Hunger Blogs" is a chilling description of the very common blogging of the "thinspo" or "thinspiration" community.  They are sites that are there to inspire, help and encourage disordered eating patterns that promote being thin.  What amazed me is just how popular these blogs are.  Like the article says,

Although thinspiration sites have been around nearly as long as the Internet itself -- as far back as 2001, Yahoo! removed roughly 115 sites (pro-ana [pro anorexia] was the label used at that time) citing violations of the company's terms of service -- the depth and scope of Tumblr's teen thinspo community seems unprecedented. Tumblr-based thinspo blogs are a sort of pro-ana 2.0, forgoing chat rooms and message boards in favor of eerily elegant images, sophisticated design, pop-culture references, private messaging, and street-style sensibility.

I find it interesting that both of these articles were on the same site in the same week.  On one hand we have someone who is upset to be on another diet to lose 20 pounds and on the other, we have young women going to any lengths to be thin or lose weight.  Although Ms. Brenoff is not dealing with an eating disorder, she does have something in common with her teenage counterparts.  They both likely have a negative body image and are influenced by our culture's strong influence on being thin.

We need to make peace with our bodies.  The authors of Intuitive Eating discuss at great length how our our negative body image can drive our need to diet.  Dieting leads to restricting or giving up food.  Giving up food leads to feelings of deprivation and that leads to a binge or giving into tempation.  That then leads to feelings of failure and weight gain. Now that we've failed at our diet...again, we feel badly about ourselves and our body and we then look for the next diet to help us lose weight.

Why not break the cycle?  Make peace with food.  Learn more about Intuitive Eating and honor your body and yourself. 

A Mindful New Year

Photo courtesy of WeddingPartyToasts.com

Have you ever made a New Year's resolution that you haven't kept?  Did your motivation slowly decline as the months went by?  Did you feel discouraged as you realized that yet again you set a goal for yourself that you were not going to meet?  Would you like to stop that cycle?  How many times has your resolution been something about eating better or losing weight?  Would you like to free yourself from that burden of resolutions and instead feel confidently motivated all year? I think I have an answer for you!

If you scour the internet right now, you'll see a whole host of articles and advertisements.  They are giving you ideas, suggestions and tips for breaking bad habits, eating better and offering quick-fix solutions that fit perfectly into our resolution cycle.  These headlines may sell magazines or drive traffic to a website but they won't really fix the problem. To eat healthy and really change our relationship with food, we need to work hard and do some real soul-searching.  This soul-searching can be hard and we need to develop tools to help us in our journey.

There is a growing movement among dietitians, psychologists and therapists that focuses on a "mindful" understanding of ourselves. I'd like to highlight some of the better resources out there to help you become a more mindful/intuitive eater and help you change the resolution mindset.

Intuitive Eating -- Originally a book written by Elyse Resch, MS, RD, FADA and Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD they now have a website with some great resources.  They have a great page that highlights the 10 principles of Intuitive Eating.  Their principles might seem unorthodox but I can tell you first hand, they work!  I find this method of eating very freeing and has helped me make peace with food.  If you are someone that has struggled with weight and food, this is a must read!!

Health At Every Size® (HAES®) -- This book is written by Linda Bacon, PhD.  She holds a doctorate in physiology and an advanced degree in psychology.  She has worked with eating disorders and with weight regulation and her book details how our war on obesity is failing.  As her site says, "Fat isn't the problem.  Dieting is the problem."  The common misconception for HAES® is that it's throwing in the towel when it comes to losing weight.  That is not the case.  HAES®, like Intuitive Eating is about honoring your health and emotional wellbeing and ignoring the pressure to be thin.

Am I Hungry -- This site is a center for mindful eating.  It is run by Michelle May, MD who is a physician  who has a personal history with yo-yo dieting.  The site has a ton of great resources and Dr. May as well has a variety of trainings for those interested in learning more about mindful eating practices.

This is Not a Diet, It's My Life -- This site/blog is a great resource for anyone insterested in following Kate's journey from being a yo-yo dieter to learning to accept her body and adopt a Health at Every Size approach to living.

I hope this blog inspires you to change.  You don't have to continue to fight with food.  There is peace.  Your weight is just the result of your behaviors and you can't change one without the other.  By treating the real issue (maybe how you cope with loneliness by using food or how you endlessly search for a diet because you have a negative body image) you find a life-long solution to the real problem.   Resolve to treat the real issue that is affecting all other aspects of your life.  Resolve to talk to your self with compassion.  Resolve to break the cycle for your kids.  Resolve to abolish the food police from your life.  Resolve to adopt a life of self care.  It will take hard work and the road will be hard but in the end, there is inner-peace and a new understanding of who we are.

If you find you need help with Intuitive Eating or you'd like to learn more, I'm here for you. To schedule an appointment please call (818) 851-1414 or email me so we can set something up.  I do face to face as well as Skype visits.

Here's to a happy, healthy and mindful New Year.

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Loose - What I Learned this Yom Kippur

Photo Courtesy From NYU Local

"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose." It's a line from one of my favorite shows, Friday Night Lights. Until yesterday, it was just a line that football players said.  Today it means a whole lot more.  

Saturday I just finished celebrating Yom Kippur.  For those of you who don't know, Yom Kippur is the most significant day on the Jewish calendar.  It is the day when we atone for sins committed over the past year and ask for forgiveness from those we have wronged.  Depending on your level of observance, it is customary for most people to fast and it is the one day of the year when almost all Jews attend services at their local synagogue. 

Before I talk about my experience this Yom Kippur I need to give a little back story to some realizations I've made as a dietitian these past few months.  Through different readings and lectures, I've come to learn that I am a firm believer in intuitive eating and the idea of Health at Every Size® (HAES®).  To learn more about each of these ideas I would recommend you read the following books, Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size®.  What I like about both of these approaches to eating is: 

1. They reject the dieting approach to weight loss
2. They honor our hunger
3. There is a focus on healthy behaviors rather than what a scale says
4. They improve our relationship with food.

If you want to read a great recap of HAES vs. conventional weight loss ideas, read these two blog posts here and here from a debate at this year's Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE). It will make you think about how our society thinks about weight loss.

Let's get back to Yom Kippur.  I have been wrestling with the question, "What do these High Holy days mean to me?"  As the sun set on Friday night my wife and I asked each other our yearly question, "Are you going to fast this year?" Based on my experience with Intuitive Eating and HAES, I thought I gave my wife some great advice.  "If you are going to focus all of your thoughts on food, you will lose the meaning of the day.  How will you be able to think about forgiveness and atonement if you are obsessing about when the fast will end?" I was proud of my advice and my wife for deciding not to fast.

I myself, though, didn't take my own advice.  I was convinced that I could fast and be open to inspiration.  I woke up in the morning and prepared to go to temple.  During services, our Rabbi gave a very thought-provoking and inspirational sermon.  I was listening, but not really listening.  I was thinking about food.  I was not receptive to my own inspiration because I was thinking about food.  So I channeled my Intuitive Eating gurus and thought, "Reject the diet mentality. Honor your hunger!"  I came home and ate.  There was no guilt, no shame, no negative self-talk.   The hunger was gone and believe it or not, the inspiration that was planted by the Rabbi and by my experiences from FNCE grew.  

After lunch, my wife and I walked with our kids to a family service near our house and inspiration continued to grow.  I remembered something my wife said to me  during our discussion the night before, "I fast and I feel so bad that by the afternoon, I eat.  I spend the whole morning fasting and waiting to fail."  What a horrible feeling as a Jew to fail on the holiest of days.  I thought to myself, reject the diet mentality because for my wife and I, the fast is not meaningful, it is a diet!  A diet that we are destined to fail. 

How can we truly atone, reflect and look inward if we are fasting?  My expertise is with food, nutrition and not with Jewish law.  I know that this notion of not fasting will offend some who are more observant, but for me, I've learned that if I honor my hunger and reject my diet mentality, I will be open to the inspiration of the day.  I will be able to really look inside and atone my sins of the past year and make amends to do better the next year.  Next year there will be no discussion with my wife.  We will not fast and we will not feel guilty for that choice.

"Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose."  By avoiding the fast, my eyes were clear, my heart is now full and I know that this year, I can't lose! Shana tovah, u'metukah.  A sweet and happy new year.

I welcome your comments! 

The Miracle Patch

Photo courtesy of www.drchugay.com

I can't make this stuff up folks.  A friend of mine sent me a link today because a client asked about a new weight loss plan.  It is called the Weight Loss Tongue Patch or "Miracle Patch" and it was developed by Dr. Chugay.  How does it work? Well, Dr. Chugay surgically implants a mesh patch on top of your tongue that prevents you from eating solid foods.  Ground breaking!!!  The patch remains implanted for 1-2 months.  Since you can't eat solids, good Dr. provides you with a generous supply of low-calorie liquid supplements and, viola, you start losing weight.

Check out this link for a brief report on the patch from a ABC affiliate in Philadelphia.

So where do I begin with this?  We know that this is another quick fix to losing weight.  In no way, despite the doctor's less than convincing sales pitch, does this help someone change their behaviors or change their eating habits for the long-term.  Once the patch is off and the shakes are gone, you will not have any tools to help you maintain your weight loss.  You won't know how to incorporate more whole grains into your diet.  You won't know how to read a food label or learn how to cook healthier.  You won't learn how to manage your emotional eating.  You won't change your relationship with food.  You will most likely gain the weight back and you search for a new quick fix. And so the cycle will continue.

This is just another gimmick that unfortunately, we're buying into.  The total cost for the procedure (which only lasts 8-10 minutes) and a 30-day supply of shakes is $1800-$2000.  So if Dr. Chugay is implanting 2-3 of these "miracle patches" each day, he's making $5600.  Not a bad haul for just 10 minutes of work per client.  Bravo Dr. Chugay...bravo!

As much as I hate what Dr. Chugay is doing, (oh and I hate it a whole lot), I'm a little more upset at us as a society.  If we heard about this "miracle patch," laughed and never gave Dr. Chugay another thought other than the joke that this is, he'd slither out of our consciousness and into oblivion.  But no, even though we scoff at this, he's making a living providing a service to his clients.  From the ABC report I mentioned above, one of Dr. Chugay's clients said, "I'm the type of person who doesn't care how you lose the weight, just as long as you lose it.  I would do it again."  Sad!

Losing weight is hard.  There is no quick fix.  This tweet from Bonnie Taub-Dix MA, RD, CDN says it all, "Your weight is just a symptom of a greater problem: your eating habits. Treat the problem...not the symptom."  AMEN!

Thintervention: Definetely Not BVM

Photo courtesy of Bravo TV

I will admit it, I watch and enjoy reality TV.  Since some of my favorite shows (Top Chef and West Wing reruns) are on Bravo TV, I see a lot of their ads for new shows.  Maybe just because I'm a dietitian I was naturally drawn to one of this season's new shows, Thintervention with Jackie Warner.

If you are familiar with Bravo, you might recognize Ms. Warner from her previous series Workout which highlighted the personal and professional drama that comes from a Beverly Hills health club.  Her new show, Thintervention is a less personal drama but more like the Biggest Loser.  It tracks a small group of people who are working with Ms. Warner to lose weight.  Her expertise is as a personal trainer and according to this site holds certifications from the International Sports Science Association (I.S.S.A.), and National Endurance and Strength Association (N.E.S.T.A.) but no nutrition degree or certification of any other kind.  The greatest thing she has to offer is the best six-pack abs on TV.  But abs of steel in no way qualifies her to give sound nutrition advice or help people find a successful weight loss plan.

I watched just enough of Episode 1 to see Ms. Warner literally punish her client for eating 150 calories of cookies. Her basic nutrition advice was to eliminate all sugar from her clients' diet.  When she found that her client did not follow this "order", she made him walk up and down the stairs in his house until he burned the 150 calories from the cookies he ate.   My thought when I saw this was a little shocked.  Working with obese individuals, I never try to demonize a specific food or punish someone for not making a healthy choice.  What message does that send to the client and how does that promote long-term healthy eating?  It doesn't but it does get ratings.  Since I couldn't watch the whole first episode I thought I should give Ms. Warner a chance and try to catch a full episode.

Last night, after putting the kids to bed I figured I would watch Episode 2.  I still have a bad taste in my mouth.  Thankfully, there wasn't much in the way of flawed nutrition information from Ms. Warner during the episode.  Her only really great kernel of "nutritional wisdom" was to talk about her pre-workout shake.  See the recipe here but to summarize, it's protein powder, glutamine powder, branched chain amino acid (BCAA) powder, L-carnatine, flax oil, spinach and fruit.  I'm not an expert in sports nutrition but it seems like a lot of supplementats to me.  Wouldn't teaching her clients how to find some of those ingredients in whole foods that they can find in any market be more useful? 

The most disturbing thing about the episode though was the end.  All but one of the clients lost weight.  Most averaged a few pounds but no, "huge numbers." Jackie's reaction to the weight loss was simple: disappointment.  Not reassurance, not a congratulatory hug.  No, disappointment.  There was no discussion about how the body fights weight loss and that it might not be realistic to lose 5+ pounds every week.  No, there was disappointment.  How does that motivate someone to stay with a program?  Now I know that this is TV and that we are only watching the show for the drama that ensues but with something as personal weight loss, drama is not the name of the game.  Losing two pounds in a week is a big accomplishment for anyone and should be congratulated. 

I'm sure that Ms. Warner's clients get results.  I'm sure that they lose weight while following her exercise and diet plan, but is it sustainable? Is she helping her clients make life-style changes to make the weight loss permanent/ Is she teaching them to change how they think about food?  Is she giving them the tools to have a healthy relationship with food?  From what I've seen so far, the answer is no.  I wish her clients success and good health.  Maybe after they are done filming they can go to the ADA website, find a Registered Dietitian and  see how the nutrition experts do it. 

Relationships and Food

I apologize ahead of time but this is going to be a more personal post than others, but I have been thinking about some things and I wanted to share some thoughts with you all. 

This month I am celebrating my 7 year wedding anniversary with my wife.  I am by no means a marriage or relationship authority but coming up on this milestone has forced me to reflect on my relationship, love and of course how that relates to food.  My wife and I have both, at different times in our lives, struggled with weight and we each have our own issues with food.  I gained weight during and after college by eating too much and not exercising.  As I look back on it now, I was a very unhappy person and food was my best friend.  I didn't like work, I didn't like being single and the only constant was food.  Food was there for me no matter what and it would comfort me late at night when there was no one else around.  I changed my habits before I met my wife.  I quite literally woke up one morning and decided to eat better.  I lost over 100 lbs by being a different person, I ate better, I exercised, but more importantly, as I lost weight I felt better.  After losing the weight I met my wife.  I told her about my relationship with food and she had similar experiences and that helped bring us together. 

So where does this whole story lead me to?  As a dietitian helping individuals lose weight I often hear something like, "When I get skinny, I'll be happier."  I wish it was that simple but it never is.  Weight loss is not a quick fix to happiness.  The problems you had when you were heavy are going to be there when you are thin.   I think it goes back to the old saying, "You have to love yourself before you can love someone else."

One of my fears as my wife and I started dating and as we settled into our lives together as a couple was would we both gain weight.  I'm sure that we all have stories from friends who talk about how they got comfortable with their partner, stopped exercising, ate differently and started to gain weight.  Well interestingly enough, there's some research on the topic and according to this article from the Mayo Clinic:

Co-habitating increased the odds of becoming obese for women by 63 percent, compared with only 30 percent for men. Marriage doubled the risk of obesity for both men and women — 107 percent for men and 127 percent for women.

The study's findings are echoed in this person's personal story posted on Discovery Health.  She talks about how her weight changed once she moved in with her boyfriend.  It's gives you a glimpse into one person's struggle with weight while also enjoying a new relationship.

Being a dietitian didn't prevent me and my wife from having a similar experience after we got married.  We each "relaxed" just a little and we began to notice some increase in our weights.  But I have I learned after 7 years of marriage.  Just like good eating, love requires some balance, variety and moderation.  We have learned to live together and build a life together and now I couldn't imagine life without her, but building that life took time and patience.  Here's what we do to enjoy each other and stay healthy at the same time:

1. We try to cook at home as much as possible.  The one place we don't get along is in the kitchen so we don't cook together but we have roles in the kitchen.  We plan a week's worth of meals at a time and we make a point to eat together as a family without the TV on.  Since we had kids, we also make sure to have a family Shabbat meal together.
2. We try to find activities that we can do together that keep us active.  Recently we started hiking together and it gives us a great break from our lives to enjoy each others' company while also getting our heart rates pumping
3. We talk about our feelings together instead of using food to soothe us. 

Another Celebrity Cleanse

Detox and cleanses are all the rage these days.  In our constant craving for the quick fix, many turn to a cleanse or detox for that instant gratification to shed some quick pounds or remove those "harmful toxins" from our body.  I was not surprised to hear that yet another celebrity was promoting their latest detox/cleanse plan.  This time it was Demi Moore via The Huffington Post who was defending her new regime The Clean Program.  I guess her and her husband were on the Master Cleanse for some time but then switched to the Clean Program.  Naturally this article caught my attention and I felt it needed further explanation.

So what's the theory behind cleanses?  Basically they are selling you the idea that our bodies build up toxins from an unhealthy lifestyle.  You start a cleanse by fasting and/or taking a laxative to help you "eliminate" waste.  Depending on the program, you slowly add some food back but continue to restrict most foods while on the program.  The theory is by taking a 21 or 14 day cleanse, we are helping clean out our systems and promoting better health.   This article and this blog post will offer you some good background on detox/cleanses as well as highlight some of the potential dangers.

So after reading the article previously mentioned, I headed over to The Clean Program to see what it this detox/cleanse was all about.  According to the site:

The Clean Program is a 21 day detox program that is specifically designed for the person on the move. Unlike traditional cleanses, you need not stay at home while you detox on the Clean Program. This cleanse is designed for those who want to live their life and still get Clean

The program (which costs $350!) consists of two detox shakes and supplements taken twice a day plus one regular meal (they suggest lunch)  from their "elimination" diet plus more supplements.  I was pleased that they provided some scientific research to support their program.  When I read their articles though I was not surprised they they were simply analysis of other research and not randomized, double-blind placebo controlled studies.  Neither article really showed their program as effective but instead were general articles about the role of detoxes related to chronic diseases.  The Clean Program is just another in a series of very slick marketed products to try to help you be healthy.  That $350 could probably be better spent on a couple months worth of fresh fruits and vegetables.

So what is the bottom line?  A cleanse is a short-term solution to a long-term problem.  You might lose weight from a detox but that will likely be water weight and possibly a loss of muscle mass and more importantly as soon as you are off your detox/cleanse you'll probably just gain all that weight back.  Want to hear the easiest way to keep your system clean?  A diet rich in fiber.  How about eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, less meat, exercise and drink plenty of water?  But what of these pesky toxins in our body?  Well we have organs (the liver and kidneys) in our bodies whose function is to remove toxins from our body. 

With all due respect to Ms. Moore and all future celebrities and sales people trying to promote a detox,  don't believe the hype.  There is no quick fix to good health.  Focus on a healthy lifestyle and live a life of balance, variety and moderation.

Liquid Calories

When I start talking to someone about losing weight I often start with one big change, avoid as many liquid calories as possible.  It doesn't sound like something that would make a big impact but the fact is it does.

To lose weight, you need to cut calories and one simple way to cut a lot of calories from your diet is to avoid all high calorie beverages.  The typical culprits are sodas, energy drinks and juice.  These beverages can put a serious dent in your calorie budget.  Let's just say you drink a 20 oz. soda, 1 regular Monster Energy drink, and 16 oz of Tropicana orange juice in one day.  Well all of those beverages make up 1/3 of your 1800 calorie budget (which is on the low end of what most men need to lose weight).

Aside from the excess calories, most of these beverages are a huge source of added sugar.  According to the American Heart Association (AHA),

In 2001 to 2004, the usual intake of added sugars for Americans was 22.2 teaspoons per day (355 calories per day). Between 1970 and 2005, average annual availability of sugars/added sugars increased by 19%, which added 76 calories to Americans’ average daily energy intake. Soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the primary source of added sugars in Americans’ diets.

The AHA new recommendations for sugar intake is not to exceed 100 calories for women and 150 calories for men.  You can read their full recommendations and findings here.

Other high calorie beverages include coffee beverages like lattes and cappuccinos,  sweetened iced tea, whole-fat dairy, lemonade, fruit punch and of course alcohol.

If weight loss is your goal, try to limit your calories from beverages to less than 100 calories per day.  The Center for Disease Control (CDC) put out a great promotion Rethink Your Drink which will give you some great tips for limiting your liquid calories. 

Remember, you are drinking to hydrate yourself, then nothing does that better than plain, simple water.  But if you must add some flavor, try a squeeze a lemon, using Crystal Light, or choosing diet beverages.  Just be cautious with the amount of artificial sweeteners you use.  Some research has shown that those who drink more diet sodas tend to gain weight rather than lose weight.  Take a look at this great blog post to learn more about artificial sweeteners.

So if weight loss is your goal, take a close look at the liquid calories you are taking in and try to make some healthier choices.

Extreme Eating

Every year the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) publishes a list of most extreme over-indulgent restaurant foods.  This year's list just came out yesterday and you can read it here.  As always, CSPI opens our eyes to even more high calorie, high salt and high fat gut busters from some of the nations most popular restaurants.

Each year they do this I am surprised by how truly "extreme" some of these meals are.  One item that shocked me were the burgers from Five Guys.  According to the article, the hamburger,"...700 calories (with no toppings) makes a Big Mac (540 calories) or a Quarter Pounder (410 calories) look like kids food. And the McDonald’s numbers include the burgers’ fixin’s. A Five Guys Bacon Cheeseburger has 920 calories and 30 grams of saturated fat (1½ days’ worth) without toppings. Think two Quarter Pounders."  It's not just the burger that was shocking but the fact a large fries will add an extra 1460 calories was just draw jopping.  

The other standout is the Double Pan Fried Noodle Combo from P.F. Chang's.  Sure the 1820 calorie dish is extreme but the most disgusting part is that the dish has 7690 gm of sodium.  Seriously?  Come on, that's nearly 3x the amount recommended for a healthy adult. 

Since reading and writing about The End of Overeating, I continue to think differently about eating out.  These foods have an affect on us.  We crave them and even though we are repulsed when we find out whats in them, they are on the menu for one simple reason, they sell!  Take the Double Down from KFC for example, we laugh about how gross it is but KFC just decided this week to continue selling the item because the demand was there.

CSPI's article is another reminder about how challenging eating out can be.  I'm sure they did not have a hard time finding "extreme" meals.  I bet the real problem was cutting down the choices to just nine that were described in the article.  We love the sensationalism of "extreme" eating but it's what we do with the information that is important.  We vote with our pocket books and if we stop buying 1800 calorie entrees the restaurants will stop selling them.  Menu labeling in restaurats is coming soon and let's hope that will help us make healthier choices rather than enjoying the shock of seeing something that is 1800 calories on the menu.