Hi,
I am 44 years old, 5 feet tall. I am a full time mom and am always running around with little time for myself. I quit smoking 2 years ago and gained about 20 pounds (at the time I weighed approximately 123 and was moderately active). I am still moderately active, but I cannot get rid of the weight. I know I snack and probably eat incorrectly. I'd like to know if there is a resource for a healthy, easy to prepare meal plan that can reduce my caloric intake enough to lose weight, without causing my body to go into starvation mode. Any assistance you could give me would be greatly appreciated! thanks, Christine T.
Hi, Christine,
It's great that you are looking for a healthy meal plan and are ready to lose weight the smart way! And especially great that you quit smoking... congratulations to you, that is a huge accomplishment, so I know you'll be able to follow through with your weight loss goals.
The best site I can recommend for a healthy diet plan is http://www.mypyramid.gov.This is the food pyramid site and it's been updated to include lots of activities to help you design and follow a healthy and balanced diet for weight loss.
Another huge help is starting to keep a food diary. Since you know you snack "incorrectly", as you say, you are probably very aware of things you eat that aren't going to help you lose weight. Sometimes you don't have to take the time to research, plan, and follow an exact diet... you might just be able to write down everything you eat, and find that this leads to a new behavior: thinking about things before you eat them. Often this leads to easy weight loss right away! You go to grab a candy bar at the drugstore and stop to think, "Hey, I don't really want to do that! I know this will be adding 300 calories to my diet today and keep me from gaining weight!"
The food guide pyramid site will suggest a calorie level to follow based on your height, weight, age, and activity level. Here's a good guideline to keep in mind when high calorie foods start to tempt you: for every 100 calories you can bypass each day this will add up to a loss of nearly one pound a month. Deciding not to buy a candy bar leads to avoiding 300 calories and that day you would potentially contribute to a 3 pound weight loss by the end of the month!
Good luck with your healthy weight loss!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
How Can I Gain Weight?
Hi there, I've always been naturally skinny and I want to put on weight. Before I start putting on muscle mass I want to gain some weight in fat. I saw some carbohydrate powders on www.myprotein.co.uk, called Maltodextrin and a Glucose scottish oats powder . They have around 350 calories and 80 grams of carbs per 100gram serving. I was wondering if I would be able to use these to gain weight before I start weight training as they are relatively cheap so I could have a serving 2-3 times a day. Thanks, Michael R.
Hi Michael,
You sure can use these to gain weight--anything with calories will contribute to weight gain. You'll want to aim for 500 extra calories per day for each pound per week you'd like to gain, so two servings will do nicely.
You might prefer finding a food you enjoy that you can eat in relatively high-calorie amounts, such as a milkshake. The upside is that real foods will be generally less expensive and taste better than these formulas.
One good-tasting formula is Carnation Instant Breakfast Drink. You can buy powdered packages and stir them into a glass of whole milk for nearly 300 calories per serving. They come in a few flavors and are relatively inexpensive, normally used as a breakfast replacement for teenagers who don't have time to eat as they run out of the house, late for school! They also provide a good amount of protein and some vitamins and minerals. The formulas you are considering may not have much more than just calories, and if you are underweight this is sometimes an indication you may be lacking some nutrients from your diet.
In the future, by the way, (when you are ready to start building muscle) I would recommend avoiding protein supplements, as large amounts of protein (like 300 grams per day) have been shown to lead to over-stressing the kidneys and potentially causing damage. Simply eating an additional 15 grams of protein per day (available in 2 glasses of milk) can help you build up to a pound of muscle per week--along with a lot of weight lifting of course!
Be sure to continue eating at least 3 balanced meals per day to get the nutrition you need while slowly gaining the weight you'd like. I would aim for about one pound per week consistently as this is a reasonable and healthy goal.
Hi Michael,
You sure can use these to gain weight--anything with calories will contribute to weight gain. You'll want to aim for 500 extra calories per day for each pound per week you'd like to gain, so two servings will do nicely.
You might prefer finding a food you enjoy that you can eat in relatively high-calorie amounts, such as a milkshake. The upside is that real foods will be generally less expensive and taste better than these formulas.
One good-tasting formula is Carnation Instant Breakfast Drink. You can buy powdered packages and stir them into a glass of whole milk for nearly 300 calories per serving. They come in a few flavors and are relatively inexpensive, normally used as a breakfast replacement for teenagers who don't have time to eat as they run out of the house, late for school! They also provide a good amount of protein and some vitamins and minerals. The formulas you are considering may not have much more than just calories, and if you are underweight this is sometimes an indication you may be lacking some nutrients from your diet.
In the future, by the way, (when you are ready to start building muscle) I would recommend avoiding protein supplements, as large amounts of protein (like 300 grams per day) have been shown to lead to over-stressing the kidneys and potentially causing damage. Simply eating an additional 15 grams of protein per day (available in 2 glasses of milk) can help you build up to a pound of muscle per week--along with a lot of weight lifting of course!
Be sure to continue eating at least 3 balanced meals per day to get the nutrition you need while slowly gaining the weight you'd like. I would aim for about one pound per week consistently as this is a reasonable and healthy goal.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Do I Need To Lower My Lipid Level Right Now?
My cholesterol is 230 and my triglyceride reading is at 351. Is there a big worry to lower that immediately or can I kinda go at a slow pace and stay away from fatty foods?
William B.
Hello William,
It looks like your cholesterol is high and your triglycerides are as well.
Depending on your age, doctors are usually quick to want to see the cholesterol and triglyceride levels lowered ASAP. The longer you have excess fats traveling in your bloodstream, the more they can clog the arteries and eventually lead to a possible heart event.
High triglycerides actually are more a result of high carbohydrate intake than fat intake--particularly sweets and alcohol affect this level. If you were not fasting at the time of the blood test, the level may in fact be much lower.
At levels only slightly higher than yours is currently, there is also a concern of developing pancreatitis, a very painful condition that can recur in people with high triglyceride levels.
These are some good reasons to get on the ball right now to lower your levels--choosing a lower fat diet and reducing intake of sweets and alcoholic beverages--and to consider medication if your physician suggests it.
Friday, June 5, 2009
I want to lose two pounds a week
I am a 24 year old female who weighs 136. I want to lose 2 lbs a week. How much should I eat and how much should I workout? This week I've been burning 1000 calories a day and eating the minimum number of points for weight watchers. Help!!! -- Hannah L.
Hello Hannah,
You don't say how tall you are, but 136 pounds is not very overweight, no matter your height.
Unfortunately, especially at your relatively low weight, it's not going to be practical for you to lose two pounds a week. You say you've been burning 1000 calories a day; does this mean you are exercising and burning 1000 calories above your normal metabolism? If you can keep this up you could lose 2 pounds a week, but this means you've been exercising heavily for over 2 hours a day, and it's unlikely that a person could keep this up (if you can, that's great!)
I would encourage you to focus more on the changes you could make in your diet and exercise routine to get to a weight you want and stay there. I understand that we always want the weight off yesterday, but in reality, rushing to get it off by taking extreme measures in depriving ourselves of food, and forcing ourselves to over-exercise, isn't going to bring us anything in the long run.
Weight watchers is a sensible plan, so keep that up, as well as a reasonable amount of exercise as many days a week that is feasible for you. When you look back in 6 months (and again in 6 years) it'll all be totally worth the wait for the long term permanent changes!
Hello Hannah,
You don't say how tall you are, but 136 pounds is not very overweight, no matter your height.
Unfortunately, especially at your relatively low weight, it's not going to be practical for you to lose two pounds a week. You say you've been burning 1000 calories a day; does this mean you are exercising and burning 1000 calories above your normal metabolism? If you can keep this up you could lose 2 pounds a week, but this means you've been exercising heavily for over 2 hours a day, and it's unlikely that a person could keep this up (if you can, that's great!)
I would encourage you to focus more on the changes you could make in your diet and exercise routine to get to a weight you want and stay there. I understand that we always want the weight off yesterday, but in reality, rushing to get it off by taking extreme measures in depriving ourselves of food, and forcing ourselves to over-exercise, isn't going to bring us anything in the long run.
Weight watchers is a sensible plan, so keep that up, as well as a reasonable amount of exercise as many days a week that is feasible for you. When you look back in 6 months (and again in 6 years) it'll all be totally worth the wait for the long term permanent changes!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
I need an easy exercise
Hello Laurie,
I would like to lose weight. I am of average weight, but could stand to lose 5 pounds. I am very sedentary and hate exercise, but I am willing to do what it takes. I do not look toned and I am having trouble fitting into my old jeans. Can you suggest an exercise routine that is "easy" for those who are out of shape and need to lose weight? I have tried to run slowly on the treadmill, but can only run for about 5 minutes without feeling like I am going to fall apart. I am 38 years old. I am 5 ft 4" and 127 lbs. I am flabby. LOL
Rita N.
Dear Rita,
Well, I certainly can relate to wanting to lose a few pounds to fit into your jeans (see mine at http://www.mycoachlaurie.com/AboutYou.html). People who start running all say it's tough in the beginning, but if you'd like to keep it up, just add a minute a day to your treadmill routine and see how quickly you can work your way up.
I do have a great idea for how you can increase exercise and not sweat it (ha ha).... buy a pedometer! I have one myself and hate to go on the treadmill or to the gym. But playing a game with a pedometer has lead me to incorporate movement into my daily activities and gotten those last few pounds off!
Any pedometer you find works well enough--even $5 ones at Walmart--and most come with a booklet of ideas. There are also lots of websites that direct you on ways to get your steps up. Here is a good one: http://www.thewalkingsite.com/10000steps.html
Start by wearing the pedometer as you go about your usual activites for several days and jotting down the number of steps you've accumulated by the end of the day. Remember to reset the pedometer each morning (I do it in the evening so I don't forget!) You may have 800 steps, or you may have 8000--it depends on how active you are in your job and normal routines.
Then try to add a few hundred a day and continue making new goals for yourself. I now have a minimum of 6000 per day (which used to be my top goal) and try to get 10,000 or more--I've found that I can do this if I take 3 walks per day, and that going grocery shopping gives me as many steps as a 2 mile walk ... especially if I can't locate a particular food and have to run up and down the aisles several times!
Here's some helpful information:
About 2000 steps equals a mile for the average walker.
Each mile burns about 100 calories.
If you add 2000 steps per day to your usual routine you can lose a pound per month.
Well, that would have you to your goal weight in 6 months, as well as having developed a healthy new lifestyle!
good luck :)
I would like to lose weight. I am of average weight, but could stand to lose 5 pounds. I am very sedentary and hate exercise, but I am willing to do what it takes. I do not look toned and I am having trouble fitting into my old jeans. Can you suggest an exercise routine that is "easy" for those who are out of shape and need to lose weight? I have tried to run slowly on the treadmill, but can only run for about 5 minutes without feeling like I am going to fall apart. I am 38 years old. I am 5 ft 4" and 127 lbs. I am flabby. LOL
Rita N.
Dear Rita,
Well, I certainly can relate to wanting to lose a few pounds to fit into your jeans (see mine at http://www.mycoachlaurie.com/AboutYou.html). People who start running all say it's tough in the beginning, but if you'd like to keep it up, just add a minute a day to your treadmill routine and see how quickly you can work your way up.
I do have a great idea for how you can increase exercise and not sweat it (ha ha).... buy a pedometer! I have one myself and hate to go on the treadmill or to the gym. But playing a game with a pedometer has lead me to incorporate movement into my daily activities and gotten those last few pounds off!
Any pedometer you find works well enough--even $5 ones at Walmart--and most come with a booklet of ideas. There are also lots of websites that direct you on ways to get your steps up. Here is a good one: http://www.thewalkingsite.com/10000steps.html
Start by wearing the pedometer as you go about your usual activites for several days and jotting down the number of steps you've accumulated by the end of the day. Remember to reset the pedometer each morning (I do it in the evening so I don't forget!) You may have 800 steps, or you may have 8000--it depends on how active you are in your job and normal routines.
Then try to add a few hundred a day and continue making new goals for yourself. I now have a minimum of 6000 per day (which used to be my top goal) and try to get 10,000 or more--I've found that I can do this if I take 3 walks per day, and that going grocery shopping gives me as many steps as a 2 mile walk ... especially if I can't locate a particular food and have to run up and down the aisles several times!
Here's some helpful information:
About 2000 steps equals a mile for the average walker.
Each mile burns about 100 calories.
If you add 2000 steps per day to your usual routine you can lose a pound per month.
Well, that would have you to your goal weight in 6 months, as well as having developed a healthy new lifestyle!
good luck :)
Marriage is Making Me Gain Weight!
I need help! Since I got married about 6 months ago I have gained nearly 20 pounds. I am 5 feet 1 inch tall and I was already overweight at about 160 pounds--now it's even worse and I want to get the weight off as quickly as possible. Please give me advice! --Sheila R.
Dear Sheila,
I can certainly appreciate the fact that you would like the weight to come off as quickly as possible. However, realistically it's not going to come off more quickly than it came on.
Chances are, your circumstances have changed since you got married: dietary intake and usual exercise often change with lifestyle changes.
See if you can remember what you were doing differently before. Are you now enjoying larger meals with your husband? Eating out more often? Enjoying foods he is used to that you weren't eating before?
Have you stopped exercising to spend more time with him in another activity?
Hopefully he will be accomodating to help you get back to your healthier habits.
If nothing has changed and you are gaining weight for unexplained reasons, be sure to see a doctor: there could be a medical explanation such as an underactive thyroid, which controls your metabolism.
Otherwise, the best thing to do is try to avoid sweets and empty-calorie snacks like cookies and candy bars, and let true hunger guide your intake. Stop eating when you are no longer hungry instead of continuing to eat to keep others at the table company! Try to get some sort of exercise routine, like an early morning or late evening walk in.
Good luck with this endeavor--it is definitely hard work, but it will pay off. Set your long term goals for a year from now, and make them reasonable so you don't give up when the going is tough!
Dear Sheila,
I can certainly appreciate the fact that you would like the weight to come off as quickly as possible. However, realistically it's not going to come off more quickly than it came on.
Chances are, your circumstances have changed since you got married: dietary intake and usual exercise often change with lifestyle changes.
See if you can remember what you were doing differently before. Are you now enjoying larger meals with your husband? Eating out more often? Enjoying foods he is used to that you weren't eating before?
Have you stopped exercising to spend more time with him in another activity?
Hopefully he will be accomodating to help you get back to your healthier habits.
If nothing has changed and you are gaining weight for unexplained reasons, be sure to see a doctor: there could be a medical explanation such as an underactive thyroid, which controls your metabolism.
Otherwise, the best thing to do is try to avoid sweets and empty-calorie snacks like cookies and candy bars, and let true hunger guide your intake. Stop eating when you are no longer hungry instead of continuing to eat to keep others at the table company! Try to get some sort of exercise routine, like an early morning or late evening walk in.
Good luck with this endeavor--it is definitely hard work, but it will pay off. Set your long term goals for a year from now, and make them reasonable so you don't give up when the going is tough!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Colon Cleansing
Do you think it's safe to use a colon cleanse? Do they help you lose weight?
Sarah G.
Dear Sarah,
No, colon cleansing does not help you lose weight. There are various methods, from oral solutions to enemas, but the way they work is to get large amounts of fluid into your colon so you feel "emptied out" when you have a large fluid bowel movement.
If you step on the scale immediately afterwards you will see the numbers go down because you've just lost fluid weight, but no fat weight has been lost and the numbers on the scale will be back to usual by the next day or two.
There are hazards to colon cleanses as well, from electrolyte imbalances to perforation of the intestinal wall. I cannot think of a single reason to recommend a colon cleanse and there are a lot of reasons to avoid them!
Sarah G.
Dear Sarah,
No, colon cleansing does not help you lose weight. There are various methods, from oral solutions to enemas, but the way they work is to get large amounts of fluid into your colon so you feel "emptied out" when you have a large fluid bowel movement.
If you step on the scale immediately afterwards you will see the numbers go down because you've just lost fluid weight, but no fat weight has been lost and the numbers on the scale will be back to usual by the next day or two.
There are hazards to colon cleanses as well, from electrolyte imbalances to perforation of the intestinal wall. I cannot think of a single reason to recommend a colon cleanse and there are a lot of reasons to avoid them!
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