Lose it! Keep it Off!

I recently read this article in Berkeley Wellness letter about losing weight and keeping it off (stopping the yo yo dieting) and it truly sounded like the workout ‘regime’  I’ve been following with my trainer- Scott Crawford – for over a year. It’s encouraging and exciting to think I will be able to maintain the great results I’ve had – just by continuing to do what I’ve been doing and staying focused. I’ve lost body fat  – and at an accelerated rate when I combined a more structured diet plan with my workouts. We tracked  heart rate, body fat measurements and food journal with Teri Tom, MS, RD – and I dropped from 22% body fat to 16.8% in a month and a half! And the best part about it – I feel great!

The National Weight Control Registry has been looking into information on over 5000 people who maintained a weight loss of at least 30 pounds for more than 5 years.  Here are the successful strategies that these maintainers had for losing the weight and keeping it off:

1. Eat a high carbohydrate, low fat diet. Most calories (55-60%) should come from ‘good complex’ carbs – like whole grains, veggies, fruit and high fiber foods – NOT high sugar foods. 24% of calories come from fat and the rest (16-21%) from protein.

2. Be aware of calories consumed – total calories count – no matter what you eat.

3. Eat breakfast

4. Monitor and watch yourself – weigh yourself once a week and keep a food journal of what you eat

5. Exercise – A LOT – 60-90 minutes a day. Carve out time every day and plan to do something. Look for ways to keep active during the day and walk. Walking is the #1 activity.

And one more point about protein. Most Americans consume way more protein than they need -and you don’t need more protein if you exercise. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adults is .8 grams/day for each kilogram (2.2 lbs) of weight. That would be 64 grams for a 175# man and 47 grams for a 130# woman. (1 ounce of chicken  or 1 cup milk = 8 grams) …so it adds up quickly.

By Bonnie Crouse

This entry was written by bcrouse, posted on February 24, 2010 at 9:24 am, filed under Experiences, Food, Life is Fitness, Lifestyle and Spa, Nutrition and tagged Bonnie Crouse, Carbohydrates, Food, health, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Protein, Recommended Dietary Allowance, Scott Crawford, SOMA GET FIT, Teri Tom. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Q & A Detox

By Teri Tom, RD

For an article in Woman’s Day Magazine.  Can you answer?:

Q:  I’m looking for qualified health experts (dietitians, nutritionists, nurses or doctors) who can comment on some of the more popular detox and cleanse diets out there and give their recommendations about the dos and don’ts of each (from the master cleanse to detox teas)–are they healthy or not? What are the recommendation and warnings about them?

A:  This is a loaded question, as my usual stock answer applies here as well—“it depends…”  On what the person is trying to do, where their current health is, pre-existing conditions, etc.  I think the Master Cleanse for a limited time is not a bad way to reset your taste buds and caloric intake and to give your poor Gastro Intestinal Tract a break. But if you have any issues with blood sugar, be careful.  I also think gout can be an unpleasant side effect as you are breaking down muscle on so little calories, which can elevate your uric acid levels.  And if muscle loss is a concern, this is not the cleanse for you.  I just see too much muscle loss to recommend for some people.

This entry was written by scrawford, posted on October 31, 2009 at 10:16 am, filed under Food, Life is Fitness, Lifestyle and Spa, Nutrition and tagged Detox, health, Nutrition, Registered Dietician, SOMA GET FIT, Teri Tom. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.