How to Take Off Those Last 10 Pounds
You know what I like to call those last 10 or 15 pounds that won't come off no matter what you do? Vanity pounds.
The term describes our desire to lose weight that, as far as our bodies are concerned, actually feels healthy. Today's society pressures us to want to look a certain way, so for aesthetic reasons we try to be thinner than our bodies want us to be. Personally, I have gained and lost the same 8 vanity pounds more times than I care to admit.
Losing your first 50 pounds might have been tough, but believe me, dropping those final few stubborn pounds is a whole different challenge. The body struggles to hold on to that last bit of fat for survival purposes.
Now, don't get me wrong — you can lose the weight if you want to, but it will require you to muster a tremendous amount of restraint and willpower. If you're really up for it, do the following for 30 days:
Cut your sodium to 1,000 mg a day.
Drink at least 80 ounces of water daily.
Cut out processed foods.
Abstain from alcohol.
Train at 85 percent of your MHR (maximum heart rate) for 1 hour 5 times a week.
You can do a lot in 30 days — in fact, I can pretty much guarantee you will lose at least 5 pounds. And you'll feel like a rock star!
JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY
Reward Yourself
When you achieve your goals, find ways to treat yourself like a king or queen, but without resorting to food. Try relaxing and pampering yourself. Take a long bubble bath; treat yourself to a manicure or a massage; buy yourself a little something you've been wanting; give yourself time to read a book. By taking the time to look after yourself, you're reminding yourself AND stating to the world that you're worth it and that you know you deserve the best life has to offer.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Jillian on Caffiene
Can I Have Caffeine?
Q: What is your take on caffeine — is it good or bad? Should I skip it altogether, or maybe just stick to a daily limit?
A: Caffeine in moderation is a good thing. It improves cognitive function, inhibits insulin resistance, and speeds up your metabolism. The trick is not to overdo it! Too much caffeine can actually make us gain weight by burning out our adrenal glands and releasing stress hormones. For this reason, 400 milligrams (mg) a day should be the limit. (That's the equivalent of one to two large cups of coffee, depending on how strongly it's brewed.)
Some sources of caffeine are better than others. Organic, filtered coffee (not doctored up with sugar, artificial sweeteners, or cream) is okay. Green tea is a better choice because it promotes fat oxidation and is believed to improve insulin sensitivity. Limit your intake of caffeinated beverages to one or two a day — and because caffeine is a diuretic, you should drink one glass of water for every caffeinated drink. Also, you should have your last caffeinated drink before noon so that it doesn't interfere with your sleep.
JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY
Fat-Burning Caffeine?
If you're interested in caffeine for its fat-burning benefits, try it in the form of a guarana pill or drink. Guarana is a tropical plant native to the Amazon jungle. It contains caffeine, but instead of producing a sudden energy surge and quick drop-off, guarana is absorbed slowly and therefore produces a more moderate energy boost that escalates gradually. Try 5 mg of guarana per pound of body weight, and take it about 40 minutes before your workout.
Q: What is your take on caffeine — is it good or bad? Should I skip it altogether, or maybe just stick to a daily limit?
A: Caffeine in moderation is a good thing. It improves cognitive function, inhibits insulin resistance, and speeds up your metabolism. The trick is not to overdo it! Too much caffeine can actually make us gain weight by burning out our adrenal glands and releasing stress hormones. For this reason, 400 milligrams (mg) a day should be the limit. (That's the equivalent of one to two large cups of coffee, depending on how strongly it's brewed.)
Some sources of caffeine are better than others. Organic, filtered coffee (not doctored up with sugar, artificial sweeteners, or cream) is okay. Green tea is a better choice because it promotes fat oxidation and is believed to improve insulin sensitivity. Limit your intake of caffeinated beverages to one or two a day — and because caffeine is a diuretic, you should drink one glass of water for every caffeinated drink. Also, you should have your last caffeinated drink before noon so that it doesn't interfere with your sleep.
JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY
Fat-Burning Caffeine?
If you're interested in caffeine for its fat-burning benefits, try it in the form of a guarana pill or drink. Guarana is a tropical plant native to the Amazon jungle. It contains caffeine, but instead of producing a sudden energy surge and quick drop-off, guarana is absorbed slowly and therefore produces a more moderate energy boost that escalates gradually. Try 5 mg of guarana per pound of body weight, and take it about 40 minutes before your workout.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Jililian on Women and Testosterone
The Key to Building Calorie-Burning Muscle
For many women, the word "testosterone" conjures the image of a muscle-bound sports player or a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal. But it turns out that testosterone is not just for guys — it and another androgenic hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), are forces of good in women's metabolic war too. They can help us boost our energy, motivate us to hit the gym, and help us build calorie-burning muscle. That's why we have to do everything we can to protect our levels of these hormones, because as we get older, they start to head south.
Androgens like testosterone and DHEA are anabolic hormones — by definition, they build rather than destroy. And what they build, thank goodness, is mostly muscle. In both men and women, testosterone helps increase lean muscle mass and strength, boosts libido, and improves energy.
Unfortunately, as we age, our production of testosterone and DHEA trends downward. Our libidos slip, our muscles lose mass, we gain abdominal fat, and our bones weaken. Motivation to exercise decreases, which is absolutely tragic because exercise helps boost testosterone. To make matters worse, as people gain weight, their bodies start to convert more of their testosterone to estrogen. This estrogen can then start to overshadow the effects of testosterone in a vicious cycle: more estrogen, more fat; more fat, more estrogen. The testosterone gets crowded out of the equation.
Eating right, exercising, and managing stress are all crucial to keeping testosterone and DHEA levels high. Members of my online program will learn more about testosterone-boosting foods later in the week — stay tuned!
JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY
Should You Supplement?
Testosterone supplementation is a new approach being considered for men and women, and although some research seems promising, doctors are remaining cautious until longer-term studies are completed. A clear danger involves younger people who try to supplement their androgens without the help of an endocrinologist. Another risk involves people who self-diagnose "adrenal fatigue." The bottom line: Don't mess around with supplementation without medical assistance. You're much better off optimizing your body's natural production of androgens.
For many women, the word "testosterone" conjures the image of a muscle-bound sports player or a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal. But it turns out that testosterone is not just for guys — it and another androgenic hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), are forces of good in women's metabolic war too. They can help us boost our energy, motivate us to hit the gym, and help us build calorie-burning muscle. That's why we have to do everything we can to protect our levels of these hormones, because as we get older, they start to head south.
Androgens like testosterone and DHEA are anabolic hormones — by definition, they build rather than destroy. And what they build, thank goodness, is mostly muscle. In both men and women, testosterone helps increase lean muscle mass and strength, boosts libido, and improves energy.
Unfortunately, as we age, our production of testosterone and DHEA trends downward. Our libidos slip, our muscles lose mass, we gain abdominal fat, and our bones weaken. Motivation to exercise decreases, which is absolutely tragic because exercise helps boost testosterone. To make matters worse, as people gain weight, their bodies start to convert more of their testosterone to estrogen. This estrogen can then start to overshadow the effects of testosterone in a vicious cycle: more estrogen, more fat; more fat, more estrogen. The testosterone gets crowded out of the equation.
Eating right, exercising, and managing stress are all crucial to keeping testosterone and DHEA levels high. Members of my online program will learn more about testosterone-boosting foods later in the week — stay tuned!
JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAY
Should You Supplement?
Testosterone supplementation is a new approach being considered for men and women, and although some research seems promising, doctors are remaining cautious until longer-term studies are completed. A clear danger involves younger people who try to supplement their androgens without the help of an endocrinologist. Another risk involves people who self-diagnose "adrenal fatigue." The bottom line: Don't mess around with supplementation without medical assistance. You're much better off optimizing your body's natural production of androgens.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Choose Lower Calorie Density
Very low-calorie-dense foods have 0 to 0.5 calories
per gram. These include nonstarchy vegetables,
many fruits, skim milk and light nonfat yogurt.
Low-calorie-dense foods have 0.6 to 1.4 calories
per gram. These include starchy vegetables, cooked
grains (barley, rice, pasta), canned beans, canned
fruit, skinless turkey breast, low-fat fish and shrimp.
Medium-calorie-dense foods have 1.5 to 3.9
calories per gram. These include chicken breast,
whole-wheat bread, apple pie, bagels, lean ground
beef and dried fruit.
High-calorie-dense foods have 4.0 to 9.0 calories
per gram. These include baked and regular chips,
croissants, cookies, French fries, pretzels, oils, margarine,
cake and many other high-fat/high-sugar
foods.
per gram. These include nonstarchy vegetables,
many fruits, skim milk and light nonfat yogurt.
Low-calorie-dense foods have 0.6 to 1.4 calories
per gram. These include starchy vegetables, cooked
grains (barley, rice, pasta), canned beans, canned
fruit, skinless turkey breast, low-fat fish and shrimp.
Medium-calorie-dense foods have 1.5 to 3.9
calories per gram. These include chicken breast,
whole-wheat bread, apple pie, bagels, lean ground
beef and dried fruit.
High-calorie-dense foods have 4.0 to 9.0 calories
per gram. These include baked and regular chips,
croissants, cookies, French fries, pretzels, oils, margarine,
cake and many other high-fat/high-sugar
foods.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Sumo Squat
The Sumo Squat
Have you ever seen a sumo match? These wrestlers may look funny (and flabby), but they're actually powerhouses of strength and balance. In the beginning of a match, the two opponents face off while performing a special type of squat in slow motion. Lifting one leg while leaning to the side, the wrestler uses his full weight and power to strike the mat. After repeating this move with the other leg, the wrestler then sinks down into a deep, wide-legged squat.
You'll probably never have to intimidate a competitor in the ring, but doing this sumo-inspired exercise will strengthen your inner and outer thighs. Best of all, there's no loincloth required!
Sumo Squat
Stand with your feet as wide apart as possible while pointing your toes outward.
Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Hold for a beat, exhale, then press back up to starting position. Repeat.
Keep your shoulders directly over your hips at all times. For best results, don't lean forward or let your knees extend beyond your toes. Keep your abs drawn in and don't arch your back.
Fancy Footwork
Did you know that you can target different parts of your quadriceps muscles by changing the position of your feet during squats? Toes angled slightly inward accent inner muscles, and toes angled slightly outward make the outer quads work harder. For sculpted thighs, use a different foot position for each squat exercise.
Have you ever seen a sumo match? These wrestlers may look funny (and flabby), but they're actually powerhouses of strength and balance. In the beginning of a match, the two opponents face off while performing a special type of squat in slow motion. Lifting one leg while leaning to the side, the wrestler uses his full weight and power to strike the mat. After repeating this move with the other leg, the wrestler then sinks down into a deep, wide-legged squat.
You'll probably never have to intimidate a competitor in the ring, but doing this sumo-inspired exercise will strengthen your inner and outer thighs. Best of all, there's no loincloth required!
Sumo Squat
Stand with your feet as wide apart as possible while pointing your toes outward.
Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Hold for a beat, exhale, then press back up to starting position. Repeat.
Keep your shoulders directly over your hips at all times. For best results, don't lean forward or let your knees extend beyond your toes. Keep your abs drawn in and don't arch your back.
Fancy Footwork
Did you know that you can target different parts of your quadriceps muscles by changing the position of your feet during squats? Toes angled slightly inward accent inner muscles, and toes angled slightly outward make the outer quads work harder. For sculpted thighs, use a different foot position for each squat exercise.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Neat Post from a Fellow Weight Loss Doc
LOSE 100#. AVOID STOMACH SURGERY.
Posted 6/1/2010 2:33:00 PM by Dr John La Puma
One of the best ways to help people transform their lives and create their own food revolution is to describe how my extraordinary patients’ do it: this is #6 of 7.*
Kathi uses seat belt extenders on airplanes and airplane trays ride up on her stomach. Her car seat is back as far as it can go.
She owns no pants without elastic waists, except those that do not fit. Sometimes she stops breathing when she sleeps. Her sister died of diabetic ketoacidosis last year.
I recommended that Kathi see a bariatric surgeon for a gastric bypass. It does carry risk and means learning new eating habits, but it works very well.
She refused. She had taken every diet pill and intimidated every dietitian she had met. She rejected theories of genetic fatalism. She knew that I could help her.
So I agreed to try. I drew a plate. Three-quarters vegetables and one-quarter other foods—foods she chose. She would see me and her physician regularly.
We have continued to work at it. As Oprah has said, “I’ve been through lots of diet programs, and there’s nothing like getting up and getting going and going for a walk in the morning.”
Over 3 years she lost 120 pounds. And has kept off 60, after 5 years. Not perfect. But better.
Posted 6/1/2010 2:33:00 PM by Dr John La Puma
One of the best ways to help people transform their lives and create their own food revolution is to describe how my extraordinary patients’ do it: this is #6 of 7.*
Kathi uses seat belt extenders on airplanes and airplane trays ride up on her stomach. Her car seat is back as far as it can go.
She owns no pants without elastic waists, except those that do not fit. Sometimes she stops breathing when she sleeps. Her sister died of diabetic ketoacidosis last year.
I recommended that Kathi see a bariatric surgeon for a gastric bypass. It does carry risk and means learning new eating habits, but it works very well.
She refused. She had taken every diet pill and intimidated every dietitian she had met. She rejected theories of genetic fatalism. She knew that I could help her.
So I agreed to try. I drew a plate. Three-quarters vegetables and one-quarter other foods—foods she chose. She would see me and her physician regularly.
We have continued to work at it. As Oprah has said, “I’ve been through lots of diet programs, and there’s nothing like getting up and getting going and going for a walk in the morning.”
Over 3 years she lost 120 pounds. And has kept off 60, after 5 years. Not perfect. But better.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Don't Buy These
"What Not to Buy
Processed foods may be convenient, but most of them wreak havoc on our bodies and our metabolisms. Find out which toxic foods to avoid at all costs.
No one has enough time these days, as we juggle work, family, and a million daily errands. Turning to processed foods can make life easier, no doubt, but it certainly doesn’t do us any favors when it comes to our health.
A processed food is one that's been canned, frozen, dehydrated, or had chemicals added to make it last longer, texurize it, soften it, or allow it to sit on the shelf forever. While some of these foods — like frozen or pre-chopped veggies — can be a godsend, other ones are like poison for the body. These toxic products are full of cheap chemicals that dilute the food's healthful whole ingredients. Here are six foods you must eliminate to restore your hormonal balance and put you on the road to a healthy, hot body.
1. Refined Grains
Foods made of refined grains are everywhere — in white pasta, flour tortillas, white rice, and white bread. While refining grains helps extend their shelf life, the process also strips them of the good stuff, like most of their fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Even worse, often sugars, salt, fats, and chemicals are then added to these foods. Now that the grains have lost all their healthful nutrients, they're so easy to digest that they guarantee skyrocketing blood-sugar levels and insulin spikes, which mess with your hunger level and ability to burn fat. So stick to whole grains, choosing products that list "100 percent whole ___" as the first ingredient. If you insist on eating some refined grains, make sure they have at least two grams of fiber per serving.
2. Trans Fats
Trans fats (also called hydrogenated fats) are among the most evil foods in the world. They're added to snacks and baked goods, like chips, crackers, cookies, pies, doughnuts, cake, and bread, so they can sit on the shelf for ages and retain their "freshness." These nasty fats are also found in foods like margarine, many fried and fast foods, and even salad dressing.
A small amount of natural trans fats are found in meat, but it’s not those you need to worry about. It's the man-made versions of these fats that you must avoid at all costs. They're created when a regular fat, like corn or palm oil, is blasted with hydrogen to change the liquid into a solid at room temperature. This processed fat does benefit the processed-food industry, but it hurts you. The stuff clogs arteries and causes obesity. It can boost LDL cholesterol (the “bad” kind) and lower HDL cholesterol (the “good” kind), adding to the risk of heart attack and heart disease. There is no safe limit to this stuff! So toss out anything with "shortening" or "partially hydrogenated oil" of any type — palm, corn, soybean — in its ingredient list, as they always include trans fat.
3. High-Fructose Corn Syrup
As one of the cheapest sweeteners around, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is found in everything from bread, yogurt, and cookies to ketchup and soda. It's hard to avoid this stuff! Production of this sugar substitute has increased 350 percent since 1980, and obesity has skyrocketed during this time, too. Coincidence? Definitely not. HFCS is the most evil refined grain of all, since all it does is boost our fat-storing hormones and contribute to us eating more and gaining weight. I have a zero-tolerance policy for this garbage. Train yourself to stay away from all products that have HFCS in their ingredients list.
4. Artificial Sweeteners
I used to be all for artificial sweeteners — I was a Diet Coke addict, for crying out loud — but that was before I was up on the research indicating they might actually make us fat. These bad guys include aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), saccharin (Sweet'N Low, SugarTwin), and sucralose (Splenda), and ironically enough, they may put us in even greater metabolic danger than real sugar or HFCS. There are many theories for why this is, ranging from our bodies essentially "forgetting" that sweet things contain lots of calories to some of these sweeteners causing permanent damage to our brain's appetite center. Regardless of which theory wins, it's best to avoid these sweeteners altogether. In fact, I prefer that you keep your consumption of all sugar as low as possible. Beware, too, that there are lots of names for sugar, like honey, syrup, evaporated cane juice, and pretty much anything that ends in "-ose" (like glucose and fructose).
5. MSG and Glutamates
You've probably heard of MSG (monosodium glutamate), but do you know what it's used for? MSG and other glutamates are "flavor enhancers," meaning they artificially boost the taste of your food. You'll find this stuff in everything from canned ravioli, soup, and tuna to bouillon, ice cream, and ranch dressings. Some processed foods even have a few different kinds of glutamates. It turns out that high levels of these glutamates may mess with our brain chemistry big time, causing damage to the brain's appetite center. There's still heated debate over MSG's safety, but why take the risk when there are so many natural ways to boost your food's flavor, like spices and fresh herbs?
6. Artificial Preservatives and Colors
Ingredients don't get more fake than the many artificial preservatives and colors found in our foods. There's evidence that these chemicals mess up our biochemisty, inhibit our metabolism, and get in the way of losing weight. Plus, some of them are suspected to be human carcinogens. Do you need any more reasons to avoid this stuff like the plague?
I'll admit that it's hard to cut out all artificial preservatives and colors, but here are some big ones you should definitely avoid:
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) — a potential carcinogen and endocrine disruptor
Sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite — preservatives found in processed meats that may contribute to metabolic syndrome and colon cancer
Sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate — preservatives in sodas that may be carcinogenic when combined with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), another common additive to sodas
If you can't memorize these names, much less pronounce them, just remember this: The shorter the ingredients list on a food product label, the better the food is. If the list is a mile long and you can’t pronounce half of it, that's a pretty good hint that your food is chock-full of preservatives, colors, and other additives. "
Processed foods may be convenient, but most of them wreak havoc on our bodies and our metabolisms. Find out which toxic foods to avoid at all costs.
No one has enough time these days, as we juggle work, family, and a million daily errands. Turning to processed foods can make life easier, no doubt, but it certainly doesn’t do us any favors when it comes to our health.
A processed food is one that's been canned, frozen, dehydrated, or had chemicals added to make it last longer, texurize it, soften it, or allow it to sit on the shelf forever. While some of these foods — like frozen or pre-chopped veggies — can be a godsend, other ones are like poison for the body. These toxic products are full of cheap chemicals that dilute the food's healthful whole ingredients. Here are six foods you must eliminate to restore your hormonal balance and put you on the road to a healthy, hot body.
1. Refined Grains
Foods made of refined grains are everywhere — in white pasta, flour tortillas, white rice, and white bread. While refining grains helps extend their shelf life, the process also strips them of the good stuff, like most of their fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Even worse, often sugars, salt, fats, and chemicals are then added to these foods. Now that the grains have lost all their healthful nutrients, they're so easy to digest that they guarantee skyrocketing blood-sugar levels and insulin spikes, which mess with your hunger level and ability to burn fat. So stick to whole grains, choosing products that list "100 percent whole ___" as the first ingredient. If you insist on eating some refined grains, make sure they have at least two grams of fiber per serving.
2. Trans Fats
Trans fats (also called hydrogenated fats) are among the most evil foods in the world. They're added to snacks and baked goods, like chips, crackers, cookies, pies, doughnuts, cake, and bread, so they can sit on the shelf for ages and retain their "freshness." These nasty fats are also found in foods like margarine, many fried and fast foods, and even salad dressing.
A small amount of natural trans fats are found in meat, but it’s not those you need to worry about. It's the man-made versions of these fats that you must avoid at all costs. They're created when a regular fat, like corn or palm oil, is blasted with hydrogen to change the liquid into a solid at room temperature. This processed fat does benefit the processed-food industry, but it hurts you. The stuff clogs arteries and causes obesity. It can boost LDL cholesterol (the “bad” kind) and lower HDL cholesterol (the “good” kind), adding to the risk of heart attack and heart disease. There is no safe limit to this stuff! So toss out anything with "shortening" or "partially hydrogenated oil" of any type — palm, corn, soybean — in its ingredient list, as they always include trans fat.
3. High-Fructose Corn Syrup
As one of the cheapest sweeteners around, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is found in everything from bread, yogurt, and cookies to ketchup and soda. It's hard to avoid this stuff! Production of this sugar substitute has increased 350 percent since 1980, and obesity has skyrocketed during this time, too. Coincidence? Definitely not. HFCS is the most evil refined grain of all, since all it does is boost our fat-storing hormones and contribute to us eating more and gaining weight. I have a zero-tolerance policy for this garbage. Train yourself to stay away from all products that have HFCS in their ingredients list.
4. Artificial Sweeteners
I used to be all for artificial sweeteners — I was a Diet Coke addict, for crying out loud — but that was before I was up on the research indicating they might actually make us fat. These bad guys include aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), saccharin (Sweet'N Low, SugarTwin), and sucralose (Splenda), and ironically enough, they may put us in even greater metabolic danger than real sugar or HFCS. There are many theories for why this is, ranging from our bodies essentially "forgetting" that sweet things contain lots of calories to some of these sweeteners causing permanent damage to our brain's appetite center. Regardless of which theory wins, it's best to avoid these sweeteners altogether. In fact, I prefer that you keep your consumption of all sugar as low as possible. Beware, too, that there are lots of names for sugar, like honey, syrup, evaporated cane juice, and pretty much anything that ends in "-ose" (like glucose and fructose).
5. MSG and Glutamates
You've probably heard of MSG (monosodium glutamate), but do you know what it's used for? MSG and other glutamates are "flavor enhancers," meaning they artificially boost the taste of your food. You'll find this stuff in everything from canned ravioli, soup, and tuna to bouillon, ice cream, and ranch dressings. Some processed foods even have a few different kinds of glutamates. It turns out that high levels of these glutamates may mess with our brain chemistry big time, causing damage to the brain's appetite center. There's still heated debate over MSG's safety, but why take the risk when there are so many natural ways to boost your food's flavor, like spices and fresh herbs?
6. Artificial Preservatives and Colors
Ingredients don't get more fake than the many artificial preservatives and colors found in our foods. There's evidence that these chemicals mess up our biochemisty, inhibit our metabolism, and get in the way of losing weight. Plus, some of them are suspected to be human carcinogens. Do you need any more reasons to avoid this stuff like the plague?
I'll admit that it's hard to cut out all artificial preservatives and colors, but here are some big ones you should definitely avoid:
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) — a potential carcinogen and endocrine disruptor
Sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite — preservatives found in processed meats that may contribute to metabolic syndrome and colon cancer
Sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate — preservatives in sodas that may be carcinogenic when combined with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), another common additive to sodas
If you can't memorize these names, much less pronounce them, just remember this: The shorter the ingredients list on a food product label, the better the food is. If the list is a mile long and you can’t pronounce half of it, that's a pretty good hint that your food is chock-full of preservatives, colors, and other additives. "
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