I often recomend nuts as a healthy snack. However portion control is a problem for many people. How many of you city girls have you found your hand glued to the bowl of nuts at the bar as you are sipping on your cosmo? Or you city guys going through a can of nuts while watching the game?  

Nuts are a great heart healthy snack, however they are quite high in calories. Check out my post Do You Go Nuts Over Nuts? for calorie info. For those you who are watching your weight and don’t have the discipline to control your portion of nuts, I have found the answer for you -  100 calorie packs of almonds. I’ve been waiting for someone to come out with 100 calorie pack of something healthy…rather than all the cookies and other processed snacks. These mini bags of nuts were spotted in a supermarket in NYC. Check your local store to see if you can find them. If not, you can buy them online at this link.

Benefits of having nuts for a snack
1. Nuts, especially almonds, have been shown in many studies to help lower risk of heart disease by several different mechanisms.

2. Nuts have been shown to lower risk of diabetes.

3. While we know that nuts are high in calories, they have actually been shown to promote weight loss. No, this doesn’t mean that you can down a can of nuts and expect the pounds to drop off. The greater weight loss occured when an equal amount of calories from nuts were substituted for carbohydrate.  

4. For those of you following lower glycemic diets, research has shown that eating almonds along with a high glycemic index food significantly lowers the glycemic index of the meal and lessens the rise in blood sugar after eating.

5. Nuts contain heart healthy monounsaturated fats, Vitamin E, magnesium and potassium.

6. Nuts are great snacks for carb cravers as they help to stabilize blood sugar.

Enjoy!

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First, trans fats were banned in NYC. Now, chain restaurants have been ordered to post the nutritional content of their food on menus by June 3, 2008. A “chain” restaurant is one that has 15 or more outlets nationwide. 

Many of these restaurants have the nutritional info posted somewhere - but very few of them have the info posted right there on the menu. So the question is… if the calories were posted on a menu, would it affect your decision as to what you ordered? I would think for most of us, the answer would be yes! For example, if you have a craving for spaghetti and meatballs, you might think twice before ordering it at Romano’s Macaroni Grill if you knew it contained 2,430 calories! This is true - check out my previous post.

Unfortunately, this regulation applies to only chain restaurants. It would be great if all restaurants would post that info…

Here is the article from The New York Times:

Federal Judge Upholds NYC’s Calorie Posting Law
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City health officials won a big victory Wednesday when a federal judge upheld a regulation requiring some chain restaurants to post calories on menus.

U.S. District Judge Richard Holwell rebuffed a challenge from the New York State Restaurant Association, a trade group that argued the rule violates the First Amendment by forcing restaurants to ”convey the government’s message regarding the importance of calories.”

The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene believes the regulation, which takes effect Monday, will help the city achieve its goal of reducing obesity. The judge agreed.

”It seems reasonable to expect that some consumers will use the information disclosed … to select lower calorie meals … and these choices will lead to a lower incidence of obesity,” Holwell said.

Chuck Hunt, executive vice president of the restaurant association’s New York City chapter, said it would ask the judge to stay his ruling pending an appeal. The health department said it would not start fining restaurants until June 3.

”We don’t object to people doing it voluntarily,” Hunt said Wednesday. ”Our problem was the government agency forcing them to do it. We think restaurants should be able to determine from their customers how they want to get the information.”

The new rule applies to restaurants that are part of chains with at least 15 outlets nationwide. That includes fast-food places like McDonald’s and Wendy’s, as well as sit-down establishments like Olive Garden and T.G.I. Friday’s.

Some eateries, including Starbucks and Chipotle, have already started to post calorie information — and it appears to be having an effect.

Mark Laughlin, a freelance art director eating lunch Wednesday at a Chipotle near Manhattan’s busy Penn Station, said he opted to have his burrito without the tortilla or corn salsa after reading the calorie count. The menu said a burrito ranges from 420 to 910 calories, depending on toppings.

His lunch companion, Sara Hearn, agreed that the listings are a good idea. ”Just giving people the information will make them think twice about what they eat,” she said.

Others customers thought the rule was unnecessary.

”People are going to eat what they want; it doesn’t matter what the menus say,” said Ken Poulin, who didn’t even glance at the calorie information as he ordered his burrito. ”People need to eat more vegetables and have common sense.”

Bob Bertini, a spokesman for Wendy’s, said the chain would comply with the rule.

”We’ve been providing that information for nearly 30 years on a poster available for customers to review before they order,” Bertini said.

According to the health department, more than half of New Yorkers are overweight. Officials believe the regulation will prevent 150,000 New Yorkers from becoming obese and will stop another 30,000 from developing diabetes and other health concerns over the next five years.

The impetus behind the rule, health officials have said, is to make people think twice about ordering a 1,000-calorie lunch, which for many is about half the recommended daily total of calories.

The calorie rule is another in a string of public health measures promoted by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. During his first term he banned smoking in bars and restaurants, and more recently he pushed for a ban on artificial trans fats in restaurants.

New York City is believed to be the first U.S. city to enact a regulation requiring calorie information on menus. Since then, California lawmakers and those in King County in Washington, which includes Seattle, have considered similar bills.

The city Board of Health voted unanimously in January to approve the rule, a new version of a regulation struck down by Holwell last year after a challenge from the restaurant association.

J. Justin Wilson, a researcher at the Center for Consumer Freedom, a Washington-based group supported by restaurants and food companies, called the regulation ”dieting by guilt,” and said it leaves restaurants exposed to possible legal action.

”We’re concerned if someone puts an extra dollop of sour cream on a taco, it becomes grounds for a lawsuit,” he said.

New York City Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden said the decision will allow New Yorkers to make informed choices about what they eat. He said chain restaurants were singled out because they have standardized menus. The new policy won’t apply to most fine dining establishments, or the thousands of family-owned delis and pizza shops around the city.

”People can do whatever they want to do with the information,” he said. ”A lot of people still choose to smoke even though the surgeon general’s warning is on the pack.”
 

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Talk about losing weight… this guy from my gym lost 240 pounds! If you were to see him, it is hard to believe that he once weighed 445 pounds. He is one of the fittest guys I have ever seen. I had noticed him a few months ago because of his intense workout sessions on the eliptical trainer. I don’t think I had ever seen anyone workout that intense for such a long period of time.  When one of my friends at the gym told me this guy lost 240 pounds (yes - LOST 240 pounds!) , I had to introduce myself and find out the whole story. (Pic on the right is L.P when he weighed 450 pounds)

Here is my interview with “L.P”… This is probably the one of the most inspirational stories you’ll ever hear.

Martha: What is your current age, height and weight?
L.P: I am 46 years old, 5′9 and weigh 205 pounds. (Martha’s comment - while 205 pounds may sound a lot for someone who is 5′9 - L.P. does not appear to have an ounce of fat on him. I bet his body fat is 8% or less.) Pic on the right is L.P’s “after” pic

Martha: How much weight have you lost?
L.P:   240 pounds

Martha: How long did it take you to lose this weight?
L.P:  18 months

Martha: How did you lose the weight - did you count calories, follow any special diet, enlist support from anyone such as Weight Watchers, a nutritionist, doctor, etc.?
L.P:  I changed my eating habits and started paying close attention to sugars, carbs, fats as well as calories. I also did 2 hours of intense cardio a day.

Martha: Did you have a weight problem for most of your life?
L.P: No, I didn’t always have a weight problem. However, as I got older, I was exposed more to “bad ” food including fried foods, high sugar desserts and eating late at night.

Martha: What were your major problem areas when you were overweight?
L.P: I love desserts, used to eat late at night, ate really large portions and got no exercise.

Martha: I am very curious to know what triggered you to lose weight and how you stayed so motivated…
L.P: I was losing close relatives to high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. I also had low self esteem, was self-conscious and was afraid of dying young.

 Martha: When did you first start to exercise (how long ago) and what did you first start to do for exercise?
L.P: I started to exercise about 11 years ago at a fitness center that was free to employees of my workplace. I started doing the treadmill for about 30 minutes.

Martha: You appear in great shape. What do you do for your current exercise program: (how many times a week, how many times do you weight train and perform cardio)?
L.P: My exercise regimen is 4-5 days a week of weight training and 7 days of cardio (winter time on the eliptical machine and summer time running outdoors). 5 of the 7 days, I do cardio in the morning and evening (for a total of 2 hours of cardio)

Martha: Can you tell us what you eat on a typical day for breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks?
L.P:
Breakfast: oatmeal with banana and a protein drink (low carb, low sugar and high protein)
Lunch: 2 all-natural peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Dinner: salmon or chicken and a sweet potato
Snacks throughout the day: rice cakes, oranges, protein bar, sugar-free pudding, yogurt with fruit. I also drink a gallon of water during the day.

Martha: Do you ever go off your “diet”?
L.P: Yes …without any guilt because I work out religiously on a regular basis.

Martha: How do you stay so motivated??????
L.P: It it helps me to stay motivated when other members of the gym come approach me and comment on my progress and body structure. I also like to help motivate other people and to see their progress.

Martha: Well, there you have it! For those city girls and guys who think losing 10 pounds is hard work, imagine what it would be like to lose 240 pounds! BTW - L.P has been approached to appear on various televsion talk shows to discuss his amazing feat. He declined all interviews. I would like to thank him very much for allowing me to interview him. I think he will be very inspirational to readers of citygirlbites who are trying to lose weight. It goes to show that you can lose weight and keep it off …with hard work! It also goes to show the importance of exercise when it comes to maintaining weight loss. Not only does exercise burn calories, it also will build/preserve muscle mass which will help to speed your  metabolism. I am certainly not saying that everyone has to exercise 7 days a week for 2 hours per session. But somehow you will need to make exercise a priority if you want to lose weight and keep it off!

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We already know that abdominal fat is linked to a higher risk of diabetes, stroke, heart disease (and that unsightly “muffin top look”)  Now here is another reason to lose that excess belly fat -  fat in the abdominal area may increase your risk of dementia.

Study: Big belly could carry bigger dementia risk
 
NEW YORK (AP) — Having a big belly in your 40’s can boost your risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia decades later, a new study suggests.

It’s not just about your weight. While previous research has found evidence that obesity in middle age raises the chances of developing dementia later, the new work found a separate risk from storing a lot of fat in the abdomen. Even people who weren’t overweight were susceptible.

That abdominal fat, sometimes described as making people apple-shaped rather than pear-shaped, has already been linked to higher risk of developing diabetes, stroke and heart disease.

“Now we can add dementia to that,” said study author Rachel Whitmer of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California.

She and others report the findings in Wednesday’s online issue of the journal Neurology.

The study involved 6,583 men and women who were ages 40 to 45 when they had checkups between 1964 and 1973. As part of the exam, their belly size was measured by using a caliper to find the distance between their backs and the surface of their upper abdomens. For the study, a distance of about 10 inches or more was considered high. Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on the link between belly fat and dementia.

The researchers checked medical records to see who had developed Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia by an average of 36 years later. At that point the participants were ages 73 to 87. There were 1,049 cases.

Analysis found that compared with people in the study with normal body weight and a low belly measurement:

• Participants with normal body weight and high belly measurements were 89 percent more likely to have dementia.

• Overweight people were 82 percent more likely if they had a low belly measurement, but more than twice as likely if they had a high belly measurement.

• Obese people were 81 percent more likely if they had a low belly measurement, but more than three times as likely if they had a high measurement.

Whitmer said there’s no precise way to translate belly measurements into waist circumference. But most people have a sense of whether they have a big belly, she said. And if they do, the new study suggests they should get rid of it, she said.

It’s not clear why abdominal fat would promote dementia, but it may pump out substances that harm the brain, she said.

Dr. Jose Luchsinger of the Columbia University Medical Center in New York, who studies the connection between obesity and Alzheimer’s disease but didn’t participate in the new work, cautioned that such a study cannot prove abdominal fat promotes dementia.

But the study results are “highly plausible” and “I’m not surprised at all,” he said. High insulin levels might help explain them, he said.

Dr. Samuel Gandy, who chairs the medical and scientific advisory council of the Alzheimer’s Association, said the results fit in with previous work that indicates a person’s characteristics in middle age can affect the risk of dementia in later life.

And it’s another example of how traits associated with the risk of developing heart disease are also linked to later dementia, he said.

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If you’ve been having difficulty losing weight, will changing from diet soda back to regular actually help you lose weight?  Or putting a few packets of sugar into your coffee instead of the artificial sweetener?

A new study that came out this week suggests that consuming artificially sweetened foods/ beverages will somehow trigger your brain to consume more calories later in the day. So while you may initially save the 30 calories from 2 packets of sugar or 120 calories from a can of regular soda, you will more that make up for it with extra calories later in the day. Their theory is that when you (actually rats which were used in the study) eat something sweet, the body actually gears up to start digesting this sweet food/drink. When it doesn’t actually receive something caloric, the body will actually consume more calories later on or expand fewer calories in the form of activity.

Here is the actual study:

Artificial sweeteners linked to weight gain

Cutting the connection between sweets and calories may confuse the body, making it harder to regulate intake.

WASHINGTON — Want to lose weight? It might help to pour that diet soda down the drain. Researchers have laboratory evidence that the widespread use of no-calorie sweeteners may actually make it harder for people to control their intake and body weight. The findings appear in the February issue of Behavioral Neuroscience, which is published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Psychologists at Purdue University’s Ingestive Behavior Research Center reported that relative to rats that ate yogurt sweetened with glucose (a simple sugar with 15 calories/teaspoon, the same as table sugar), rats given yogurt sweetened with zero-calorie saccharin later consumed more calories, gained more weight, put on more body fat, and didn’t make up for it by cutting back later, all at levels of statistical significance.

Authors Susan Swithers, PhD, and Terry Davidson, PhD, surmised that by breaking the connection between a sweet sensation and high-calorie food, the use of saccharin changes the body’s ability to regulate intake. That change depends on experience. Problems with self-regulation might explain in part why obesity has risen in parallel with the use of artificial sweeteners. It also might explain why, says Swithers, scientific consensus on human use of artificial sweeteners isinconclusive, with various studies finding evidence of weight loss,weight gain or little effect. Because people may have different experiences with artificial and natural sweeteners, human studies that don’t take into account prior consumption may produce a variety of outcomes.

Three different experiments explored whether saccharin changed lab
animals’ ability to regulate their intake, using different assessments
–the most obvious being caloric intake, weight gain, and compensating by cutting back.

The experimenters also measured changes in core body temperature, a physiological assessment. Normally when we prepare to eat, the metabolic engine revs up. However, rats that had been trained to respond using accharin (which broke the link between sweetness and calories), relative to rats trained on glucose, showed a smaller rise in core body temperate after eating a novel, sweet-tasting, high-calorie meal. The authors think this blunted response both led to overeating and made it harder to burn off sweet-tasting calories.

“The data clearly indicate that consuming a food sweetened with
no-calorie saccharin can lead to greater body-weight gain and adiposity than would consuming the same food sweetened with a higher-calorie sugar,” the authors wrote.

The authors acknowledge that this outcome may seem counterintuitive and might not come as welcome news to human clinical researchers and health-care practitioners, who have long recommended low- or no-calorie sweeteners. What’s more, the data come from rats, not humans. However, they noted that their findings match emerging evidence that people who drink more diet drinks are at higher risk for obesity and metabolic syndrome, a collection of medical problems such as abdominal fat, high blood pressure and insulin resistance that put people at risk for heart disease and diabetes.

Why would a sugar substitute backfire? Swithers and Davidson wrote that sweet foods provide a “salient orosensory stimulus” that strongly
predicts someone is about to take in a lot of calories. Ingestive and
digestive reflexes gear up for that intake but when false sweetness
isn’t followed by lots of calories, the system gets confused. Thus,
people may eat more or expend less energy than they otherwise would.

The good news, Swithers says, is that people can still count calories to
regulate intake and body weight. However, she sympathizes with the
dieter’s lament that counting calories requires more conscious effort
than consuming low-calorie foods.

Swithers adds that based on the lab’s hypothesis, other artificial
sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose and acesulfame K, which also taste sweet but do not predict the delivery of calories, could have
similar effects. Finally, although the results are consistent with the
idea that humans would show similar effects, human study is required for further demonstration.

In  my opinion…

1. This study brings up an interesting concept that clearly needs more research.  It has similar findings as a previous study that found a link between diet soda and increased of metabolic syndrome in children - so there possibly could be a connection between artificial sweeteners and appetite control. However further studies need to be done before the results can be called conclusive.

2. This study was done on rats (while the one with diet soda was done on humans).  Do humans have the same physiological mechanisms as rats?

3. I am not a fan of artificial sweeteners -  especially when consumed in excess. However, until further research is done, I wouldn’t recommend that you omit the lower calorie foods containing artificial sweeteners that you may be consuming and revert back to the higher caloric foods/drinks if you are trying to watch you weight.  For example, a nonfat light fruit yogurt has 90 calories or less while its “regular” counterpart has ~ 250 calories. A diet soda has no calories while the regular one has 120 calories.  On the other hand, if you want to consume the regular product, just be aware of the calories and work them into your eating plan.

4. You should pay attention to how your body feels as well as hunger levels after consuming these diet products. Perhaps you don’t feel satisfied after consuming them or have the mentality that “I can eat a little more because at least I saved some calories with this diet soda”. Have you ever seen people at McDonalds loading up with the Big Mac and large fries but still consuming a diet soda? You want to avoid this mentality!

4. In my private practice, I have noticed that sweet foods, whether artificially sweetened or sweetened with real sugar,  often trigger cravings in people. If this is the case with you, you should try to limit all refined sweets and focus more on natural foods such as fruit, nuts, nut butter on crackers, cottage cheese and fruit, whole grains, legumes, etc. Adding protein and/or a little fat to the carbs should help to control your cravings.

5. If you have been having trouble losing weight despite being careful with your calories and are exercising on a regular basis AND are consuming a fair amount of artificial sweeteners, it may worth it to try to avoid them as much as possible for a month or so to see if your weight changes.  Just an experiment!

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Martha McKittrick, RD, CDN, CDE is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator. She specializes in weight control, cardiovascular health, polycystic ovarian syndrome, diabetes, sports nutrition and preventative nutrition. A staff dietitian at The New York Presbyterian Hospital for the past 22 years, she also counsels clients privately and is a consultant to physicians, corporations and health clubs. She was the nutritionist for the 1998 NYC Marathon. She was an exercise instructor in NYC health clubs for 15 years.

Martha has appeared on numerous television, radio and web cast programs. She lectures on a regular basis and has been interviewed and written for publications including The Journal of The American Dietetic Association, Dietitian’s Edge, Nutrition Today, Allure, Self, Family Circle, New York Newsday and Cooking Light. Martha is known for giving practical nutrition advice, both in her individual counseling sessions as well as group lectures. Two of her most popular lecture topics include “Healthy Eating on the Run” and “Tame Your Carbohydrate Cravings”.

Martha was a health expert on WebMD™s Diet and Nutrition Message Board for the past 7 years. She also developed and led Find Your Ideal Weight:12 Weeks to a New You weight control program on WebMD (with 42,000 registrants) for the past 7 years. In her free time, Martha is an avid cyclist, runner … and now a blogger.

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Ok, so it wasn’t the Oprah Winfrey Show, but it was probably more amusing. I have never been interviewed on tv before where I had a 150 pound black lab (named Newman) drooling on my lap while I spoke! I guess it was my fault for bringing in the bagels and muffins for show and tell…

The fiasco started with my 2 hour and 20 minutes of trying to get to Cranford, N.J. (after missing trains and getting lost). Upon my arrival 5 minutes prior to show time, I was greeted by George Mcdonough - the host, his staff and a large dog named Newman. It turns out the dog is part of the show and would sit next to us on the couch the entire time.

The hour long show is called Here and Now and is broadcast on cable channel 35 in N.J. It is actually a political talk show where the host, George, interviews a guest and takes call in questions from viewers. The people who know me would be rather suprised to hear that I was on a political talk show as politics are not my specialty. However, George had decided to have a show on nutrition for a change of pace.

Here are some of the highlights of the show:

1. We were discussing Body Mass Index (BMI) as it relates to health. BMI is a reliable indicator of total body fat, which is related to the risk of disease and death. Ideally, your BMI should be between 18.5 and 24. A BMI of 25-29 classifies you as overweight and a BMI of over 30 is obese. George just happened to have a scale with him (hmm…) so we decided to get his weight and calculate his BMI. While George appears rather trim,  his BMI put him into the overweight category - much to his dismay.  In George’s possible defense, people who have a lot of muscle mass may have a higher BMI. I’m not sure whether or not this is the case with George as I am not aware of his muscle mass status.  Check out your BMI using this calculator.

2. Moving on to more fun with George (at this point, he was probably beginning to question his decision of bringing me onto the show!), I then decided to calulate his waist-to-hip ratio. Your waist-to-hip ratio is an important tool that helps you determine your overall health risk. People with more weight around their waist are at greater risk of lifestyle related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes than those with weight around their hips.
Use a measuring tape to check the waist and hip measurements.
- Measure your hip circumference at it’s widest part.
- Measure your Waist Circumference at the belly button or just above it. Divide your waist by your hips. Women should have a ratio of .85 or less and men 1.0 or less. Use this link to calculate your waist-to-hip ratio. Luckily, George had an ideal waist to hip ratio - though he did complain about my reading of his waist size. He seemed to feel his waist was substantially smaller than what I measured.  I won’t publish what my reading was  :)   (And no, the pic on the right is not of George’s waist!)

3. Throughout the show, Newman was panting, drooling, wagging his tail loudly agains the wall and was trying to eat the muffins and bagels I had on the table. George was a very amusing, lively host throughout the hour.

Moving to more serious stuff, here is some of what we talked about in the show:

1. Americans are rapidly becoming more and more overweight. 20 years ago, approximately 46% of Americans were overweight, now it is 66%. If it keeps going up at this rate, by the year 2050, almost every American will be overweight. You will be freakish if you are lean!

2. We have increased our caloric intake by an average of 200 calories in the past 20 years.

3. Portion sizes are 2-5 times larger than their orginal size.

4. We eat 47% of our meals on the outside. This is a problem as most foods purchased on the outside tend to be jumbo sized.

5. An average muffin has 500 calories and a bagel has 350-425 calories (and that is before the cream cheese or butter is added!)

6. Salads can be deceptively high in calories. For example, a caesar salad with grilled chicken can have up t0 900 calories.

7. Salad dressings can be killers. For example, the mini container (2 oz) of viniagrette salad dressing from Cosi’s has 350 calories!

8. We talked about the huge amount of calories found in Chinese food and other ethnic foods.

9. Less than 1/3 Americans get adequate exercise and 25% of people do absolutely no exercise at all.

10. For weight loss, an average women should consume 1200-1500 calories and a man 1600-1900 calories. Of course, this will vary widely depending upon the age, activity level and individual metabolism of the person.

I will get a DVD of the show and will try to put at least a few minutes of it on this blog. Stay tuned!

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The Biggest Loser competition  in New Hampshire started today, January 2nd. I will be following the progress of the participants on a weekly basis.  I want everyone to meet the participants. At this point, none of the guys are interested in having their pictures taken! Maybe as they lose the pounds, they’ll change their minds.

 Meet the Participants:

What are your stats?

Participant #1   R.C:   Age 34, Height 6’1”, Starting Weight 202.1, Weight loss goal: lose 30 lbs.
Participant #2    R.G:   Age 34, Height 5’9”, Starting Weight 229.6, Weight loss goal: lose 24 pounds 
Participant #3   GenX’ er:   Age 38, Height 5’ 7”, Starting Weight 195.6, Weight loss goal: lose 23 pounds 
Participant #4   J.C:   Age 40, Height: 6′1  Starting Weight 195.7 pounds  Weight loss goal: lose 20 pounds
Participant #5:  John Ingemi   Age 43, Height 5’ 10, Starting Weight 233.3 lb, Weight loss goal: lose 42 pounds
Participant #6 T.L:   Age 37,  Height; 6’ 2’’, Starting Weight 234.9 lb  Weight loss goal: lose 30lbs 
Participant #7 :  no info available except Starting Weight: 202.1 lb

Briefly describe your current exercise routine:

R.C:    I have not been exercising since this summer.
R.G:    Up until 3 weeks ago I was running 10 to 15 miles a week. Some weight training. Spinning class an hour one night a week
GenX’er:   Not much at all.
J.C:     2-3 days a week, aerobic treadmill or bike, P/U basketball
John Ingemi:   On average I currently work out 5x per/week for 60 to 120 minutes per workout using a  combination of running, cycling, weight-lifting & most recently boxing.
T.L:    Running

What kind of exercise routine do you plan on doing for this competition?

R.C:   I plan to run and do light weight work at the gym.
R.G:    A lot of treadmill, elliptical, some bike, light weight training.
GenX’er:      Aerobic and anaerobic.
J.C:    Same but more of it and some weight training.
John Ingemi:   I plan on doing all the above, but more of it. Example: On several days I will do multiple workouts in one day. Perhaps stationary bike cycling before work, followed by lunch hour work-out, and on occasion an evening workout.  (This photo is not one of the participants!)
T.L:    Running

List what you eat now on a typical day (breakfast, lunch, dinner and typical snacks). 

R.C:   Typically, I have toast and peanut butter, banana, or yogurt for breakfast.  For lunch, I’ll have either a salad or sandwich.  Dinner consists of chicken, pasta or beef. 
R.G:    Breakfast – Egg and bagel or oatmeal, maybe some yogurt. Lunch – Roast Beef or Turkey Wrap with apple or banana Dinner –  It Varies; Steak, potato, other veggies (broccoli or corn); Chicken with veggies; Spaghetti, Try to have fish at least once a week
GenX’er:    Breakfast (coffee w/cream, bagels, breakfast sandwiches from DD, oatmeal, cereal) – anything really
Lunch (pizza, subs, Wendy’s) Ginger Ale
Dinner (anything my wife makes – spaghetti, pork roast, rice & bean, pizza)
Snacks (chips, granola bars, peanut M&M)
 J.C:    Coffee, breakfast sandwich,  sandwich w/chips and gatoraide. Usually some type of pasta and meat for dinner and ice cream
John Imgemi:  I eat & drink whatever I want. It’s awful…I am probably consuming in the range of 3,500 to 4,000 calories p/day, and usually overdo my evening intake significantly.
T.L:  No Breakfast, Light Lunch (soup, meat and small amount vegetable. Dinner meat and vegetables.

How alcohol do you typically drink in a week?

R.C:     I seldom drink alcohol. 
R.G:     6 beers.
GenX’er:  Two drinks a month if that…
J.C:   Not much, 2-4 drinks per week.
John Ingemi:   Too much. Probably on average 16 beers or drinks ( scotch or wine) per week.
T.L: 30 drinks

How long have you had a weight problem for?

R.C.:   About 6 years
R.G:    All my life, Type 2 Diabetes.
GenX’er:    Good question.
J.C:   I wouldn’t say I have one.
John Ingemi:   I started to put on extra weight in my late 20’s, when my body’s chemistry started to change, and my activity levels went down ( I also got married around this time…)
T.L:   Since I was 8
 
What are the biggest problem area that you have with regards to eating healthy and/or controlling your weight (i.e.  not enough exercise, too much booze, too much snacking, huge appetite, too much snacking,  eat out too much, etc.)?

R.C:  My biggest problem is laziness and lack of motivation.  Once I stop exercising, I do absolutely nothing!  Additionally, I’m a late-night grazer with sweets and cakes.  I eat when I’m full.
R.G:    Not  enough exercise, ,too much snacking, huge appetite,  like fattening foods, etc.
GenX’er:   Eating big portions, not enough exercise.
J.C:    Bad food choices, not enough exercise.
John Ingemi:   Not  enough exercise, too much booze, too much snacking, huge appetite, too much snacking, like fattening foods, eat out too much, etc.  I have a naturally slow metabolism. This, coupled with a giant appetite and an enjoyment for alcohol, is a recipe ( excuse the pun) for disaster. Especially for a 43 Y/O male.  One of the secrets to me winning this contest ( and I will win) is that I will track every calorie and every work-out, on every day.
T.L: too much booze, too much snacking, huge appetite, too much snacking, like fattening foods, eat out too much.

Have you participated in these competitions before? How much weight did you lose? How much did you keep off?
 
R.C: I am a past weight loss champion, but have struggled to regain my “winning ways”!  I lost over 30 pounds and did a pretty good job of keeping it off through a proper diet and exercise.   Once I stopped exercising most of the weight came back on.
R.G:    2003 – Started: 270 Ended: 246
2006 – Started: 228 Ended: 206
2007 – Started: 238 Ended: 213
GenX’er:  Yes, last year. I lost 12 lbs without exercising, just cutting my portions and watching my intake.  I kept 6 to 8 lbs off until Thanksgiving.
J.C:     Yes..I’ve lost around 15 lbs and generally indulge too much over the holidays and put it back on.  For most of the year I weigh around 185.
John Ingemi:   I am the original founder of this contest, having started it almost 10 years ago. I “won” that contest, losing a whopping 7 lbs…  Two years ago I really, really applied myself and came in second, losing 36.6 lbs. Started at 224 and finished at 187.4. 
Uhm… Well I kept most of it off for almost a year. I was motivated to do so cuz I was training for triathlons. After the season ended I took a break and gained weight. Then, last January, I started to compete in the annual weight loss contest, but trained too hard, too fast and injured myself. I am now back to above where I started when I came in second last time. 
T.L:  Yes, I have participated before. I lost 25 pounds and kept off  ½ of that weight.

Do you think you will be able to keep the weight off that you will lose in this competition?

R.C:    I hope so!
R.G:   I hope so. I want to make sure I stay under 220 at least.
GenX’er :   Yes, if I continue to exercise regularly.
J.C:    Yes, as long as I don’t slip back in to the junk food routine.
John Ingemi:    Yes, at least most of it. I have learned from my mistakes.
T.L:  No

Other info:
J.C:    I live on a farm w/my family and we have a number of horses, so I get quite a bit or exercise doing chores as well
John Ingemi:   I am no longer married so there’s added incentive to stay lean and fit… 

Best of luck to the participants.  BTW - we would love some pics of you!!!  Please post any diet questions that come up as you are going through the competition.

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I often recommend nuts as snacks for my clients, whether they are trying to lower their cholesterol, lose weight, have PCOS ( as nuts a great low carb snack) or just trying to eat healthier. Nuts are nutritious, filling and contain heart healthy fats. Consumption of nuts have been linked to a decreased risk of heart disease and diabetes.

The down side of nuts - they are high in calories. Some people have the discipline to eat one portion of nuts. However other people, such as myself, don’t have this control. Have you ever found yourself sitting with a full can of cashews in front of the television only to find the can suddenly half empty? How many times have you found your hand reaching into the nut bowl at your local bar? I am guilty of that one…

I have a hard time finding mini bags of nuts in local stores. Most small bags are 1.5 - 2 oz. This translates into  approximately 250-320 calories. The little bags of nuts at Starbucks are 550 calories!

Calorie content of nuts

Tips to control your portions of nuts:

1. Portion out nuts into small bags. This can help you to control your portion sizes.

2. Buy a type of nut you don’t love. For example, I don’t love soy nuts - but know they are healthy. I would buy those over almonds (which I would have trouble controlling my portion of)

3. Buy mini bags of nuts so they are already portion controlled. They are hard to find in stores. I find random  deli’s in NYC that sell mini bags (1 oz) of almonds and peanuts. I have also found that you can buy them online sometimes.

Purchase mini bags of nuts online:

1. Thanks to my client Viviam S. for telling me about real mini bags of nuts (1/2 oz portion for 80 calories). Great for a snack! She brought me in a sample that she got on an airplane. They are called King Nuts. Check out mini bags of Fancy Nuts and Peanuts. You can purchase these online.

2. Check out Planter’s on the Go nut packs. They contain 1 oz portions and are 160 calories. Unfortunately, I have only found them in a few random stores and you can’t purchase them on the Planters website. However, I did find that you can purchase them on Amazon.com at this link (only the peanut variety though). Make sure the nut pack you purchase is one ounce as many of the nut packs are 3 oz or more. Do an online search and you may be able to find where you can purchase them.

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You work out and have toned thighs and butt … however you have an annoying little (or big) roll of fat that hangs over your skin tight Seven jeans. Not a welcome sight for a city girl. This fat is  informally known as a muffin top. I heard this term for the first time several years ago when the really low rise pants came out. My girlfriend A. C. (full name not to be posted) was complaining about her muffin top. I had no idea what she was talking about. She educated me on this term. While A. C. certainly doesn’t have a muffin top,  I can see the resemblance of fat spilling over pants to the top of a muffin.

Why does fat get stored in this manner?
The location of fat storage is often due to genetics. Some women store excess body fat in their legs or hips while others store it in the abdominal area. Does your mother, grandmother, aunts or sisters have fat in this area? If so, it is likely that you will too. Other causes of abdominal fat can be due to stress (which causes an increase in cortisol levels) or high insulin levels (found in medical conditions such as PCOS and type 2 diabetes).

Dangers of  fat in the abdominal area
Women tend to carry their excess body fat in their hips, thighs, butts, legs and maybe arms (wings!), while men usually gather fat in the abdominal area. That being said, there are women who hold onto fat in the abdominal area.The most dangerous abdominal fat is the kind you can’t see - the fat inside the abdominal cavity that surrounds your internal organs. Chances are that if you can see abdominal fat on the outside, you also have it on the inside surrounding your organs. . Here are some of the dangers associated with excess abdominal fat:
- Increased risk of diabetes
- Increased risk of heart disease
- Psychological distress (not a “medical” risk - but upsetting!)

Tips to minimize your muffin top 
1. Studies have shown that aerobic exercise can help get rid of overall body fat, including fat in the abdominal area. I would recommend aerobic exercise (biking, spinning, running, speed walking, eliptical machine, stairmaster, swimming, etc.) at least 4 times a week for 45 minutes. In addition, try to walk as much as possible during the day.

 2. Spot reducing doesn’t work. While doing abdominal exercises can help to tighten muscles under your fat, it will not get rid of the fat.

3. Newer studies, including one by Kathryn Schmitz of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine,  have shown that strength training may prevent you from building belly fat. Check out this link for more details on the study.

Highlights of the study:
- She assigned 164 overweight or obese women aged 25-44 to one of two groups. One group did strength training sessions for one hour twice a week for the first year and for 45 minutes twice a week for the second year. The second group was simply given a brochure that recommended aerobic exercise.
- After two years the strength training group lost more body fat (3.7 percent) than the control group (0.1 percent) and gained less deep abdominal fat (7 percent) that the control group (21 percent)

4. Of course, you will also need to be careful with your diet. If you are consuming more calories than you burn off, you will continue to store body fat. I would recommend food records to keep tabs on your caloric intake. Check out my previous post on food records.

5. Eat a healthy diet that is low in refined sugars and processed grains. These foods can raise insulin levels which can contribute towards belly fat in some people. Focus on vegetables, lean protein, moderate amounts of heart healthy fats, fruits and whole grains. More about your caloric needs in a later post.

 Bottom line: Weight training is important to help lower your body fat, especially fat in the abdominal area. I see a lot of city girls at my gym spending tons of time on the eliptical machine (which seems to be a favorite) without getting great results. You would be better off adding in some weight training along with the cardio.

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