Should You Weigh Yourself Everyday?
Copyright 2006 Dan Curtis, M.D.
What do you do about the scale? If you weigh yourself everyday you will likely see your weight bounce up and down, and on up days you can get discouraged.
That is why many trainers will tell you to ignore the scale. They will tell you that what is really important is how fit you are, and not how much you weigh.
And on the other hand, there are diet programs and diet books that focus only on the scale, and sell you on quick weight loss based on nothing but the scale.
Which way is right? Scale or no scale? They both have some truth in them. Let's sort it out.
We tend to be focused on the scale, because it is such an easy thing to measure, and it is easy to compare the numbers. You read that your favorite celebrity lost 25 pounds—you can easily understand that. You read, "Lose 15 pounds in 2 days!" Who wouldn't want that?
The scale gives us a number that we can use to compare ourselves to others and to set goals for ourselves. It is simple.
But if you think about it, the reason we are so intent on the scale is not because we really are so interested in numbers, but because we are interested in looking good. We want to be lean. We want to be sexy. We want our clothes to fit, and we want to be appealing to others.
And we know that when we lose weight we get these things. So we get hooked on the scale. But the scale is just one part of it.
What is really important is not just your weight, but how much fat you have on your body, and how much lean mass you have.
You can lose weight but instead of losing fat you lose muscle. This happens all the time with quick weight loss diets.
When you are done, you don't look as good as you thought you would. Your arms are still flabby. Your belly still sags. You still don't look good in a bathing suit and you are still embarrassed about your body.
You lost muscle and you are out of shape.
This is what causes people to lose weight rapidly but then gain it back. You lose some fat, but you also lose your muscle mass.
Here is the most important part: Muscle burns up calories. Muscle burns up fat. And since you don't have as much muscle to burn up calories, you gain the weight back faster than ever.
See, even if the scale improved, you didn't accomplish what you wanted. So even though it is harder to measure, what you really want to know is how much lean body mass you have as well as how much fat you have.
If you became really lean, really firm, with sleek, strong muscles, and you saw your trim abs in the mirror, the strong arms, and the sexy butt, you wouldn't care what the scale said.
On the other hand, the people who are the most successful in weight loss, in taking the weight off and keeping it off forever, are people who have a weight loss goal and who actually reach that goal.
Not the people who lose some of their excess weight, or who get almost to the goal. No, the people who keep the weight off are people who actually reached their goal weight.
Many people can lose some of their weight and get part way to their goal. But the vast majority gain it back. But those people who have a goal and reach that goal are much more likely to keep the weight off.
So you see, there are two sides to the weight loss coin. There is more to losing weight and getting the body you want than the scale. And on the other hand, having a goal and reaching it will dramatically increase your odds of staying lean forever.
So what do you do? The best way is to make the scale part of your plan, but not the whole plan. Weigh yourself regularly, and keep a chart of your weight, but watch only the long-term trend, not the daily ups and downs.
Make the scale one part of your weight loss plan. Keep at it and you will see. You can get the body you want.
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Dan Curtis, M.D. is Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of South Florida. He is the author of Dr. Dan's Super Weight Loss Plan.
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Stay At Home And Lose Weight
The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting it becomes. As you read this article you'll find that the subject of staying at home and losing weight is certainly no exception.
It's really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the subject of staying at home and losing weight. What you learn may give you the confidence you need to venture into new areas.
Some interesting new research indicates that you are better off staying home than eating in a restaurant, if you are trying to lose weight. Given the fact that as many as two-thirds of Americans are overweight, and many people spend at least part of their day in restaurants, the findings are particularly troubling.
According to Dr. Caroline Cederquist, a physician specializing in weight management, in 1978, less than 20 percent of the calories Americans consumed were eaten outside the home. As late as 2003, the number had climbed to 50 percent. Cederquist says that restaurant food tends to be higher in calories because it relies so much on salt, sugar, and oil. Also, restaurant portions tend to be larger, making it difficult to make healthy choices. It has been estimated that restaurant servings tend to be three to four times greater than typical serving sizes. Another problem is that restaurants often serve bread or rolls with a meal, which can cause dieters to pack on the pounds.
Restaurant appetizers tend to be extremely high in calories. For instance, a basket of fried onions can pack a whopping 2,000 calories. Now, while you might not devour the entire basket yourself, chances are you will have a good share of it if it is passed around the table.
A number of restaurants now offer free refills of soda. Soda glasses also tend to be large, meaning that you are receiving greater servings of this sugary beverage. Just the soda alone can put you far over your daily recommended allowance of calories for weight loss.
Another problem is that we have been conditioned to clean our plates. With plate sizes growing in restaurants, this becomes a critical weight issue. You may feel morally obligated to eat everything that's placed in front of you—even if your weight and health will suffer as a result.
Once people become accustomed to large portions when eating out, they tend to increase their portion sizes at home as well. As a result, dieters can be sabotaged both in restaurants and at home. If you eat out more than once a week, toning down your portion sizes can be particular difficult.
Perhaps the greatest challenge to any dieter is the restaurant buffet. There are so many different foods being offered, it is difficult to limit yourself. Also, since you can go back to the buffet as many times as you want, you may be tempted to overindulge. As a result, dieticians recommend either avoiding the restaurant buffet altogether, or limiting your second portions to fruits and vegetables.
Yet another problem is the type of entrees served in restaurants. They tend to be rich in fat and calories. Fettucini Alfredo, prime rib, and fried chicken can all cause you to gain weight. A number of restaurants are now designating low-fat entrees on their menus, a trend which bodes well for the future. However, this experiment is still limited to a small portion of restaurants—it has not yet become a widespread trend.
Of course, eating out does not necessarily mean eating at restaurants. It can also mean eating in the car, where you may be prone to non-nutritious snacking, or eating at parties held at the homes of your friends and relatives. At parties, diet-saboteurs such as potato chips and cookies tend to be plentiful; at times, you may find such goodies hard to resist. Eating at home shortly before a party may be the best way to avoid gaining unwanted pounds.
What can you do if you are forced to eat out several times a week? Make sure that you stick to your diet plan. Don't be tempted to indulge in the wrong kinds of foods "just this once." Select entrees that are accompanied by vegetables, and resist the urge to order dessert. Consider eating only half of your entrée and boxing up the rest for your next meal. And don't starve yourself prior to eating out. Such a tactic will cause you to overeat once you get to the restaurant. Following sensible eating patterns, both at restaurants and at home, will help you to achieve your ideal weight.
Now you can be a confident expert on staying at home and losing weight. OK, maybe not an expert. But you should have something to bring to the table next time you join a discussion on staying at home and losing weight.
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5 Quick Ways To Ease Stress, Depression & Anxiety
Copyright 2006 Christopher Green
No ceremony with this article, let's go straight into five quick ways that will help you find relief from stress, depression and anxiety.
1. Take regular breaks from the firing line. Working hard without regular breaks is a great way to build up stress and tension. Make sure you have at least one 15-minute break in the morning and one in the afternoon as well as at least 20 minutes for lunch. If possible, eat lunch away from your workstation. Equally, if you have a lot to deal with in your life right now, taking a day, or a weekend elsewhere – longer if you can - to get some breathing space will really help. Even just a day away from the firing line will enable you to get some distance from the problems and help you to gather your thoughts.
2. Regular exercise can help relieve stress, depression and anxiety. Exercise releases endorphins into your system and will give you a natural boost. It will also provide you with a break from brooding and dwelling upon problems and troubles – but only if you perform the right kind of exercises. Avoid: Exercises that allow you to brood (weight lifting, jogging, treadmills) and perform exercises that require your full concentration. Competitive sports such as squash, tennis, badminton and circuit training are all excellent examples. It is important that you do not brood when you exercise because although you will be benefiting physically, you are still stressing yourself mentally and the stress, depression and anxiety will worsen.
3. Stop beating yourself up. Self-deprecation is a huge part of stress, depression and anxiety. Each time you beat up on yourself, you will erode confidence and self-esteem. Never tell yourself you're useless, worthless, stupid, hopeless, boring, ugly, and a loser. Never convince yourself that other people hate you, that others find you difficult to be around and that you're better off being alone. You would never deem it acceptable to say such things to other people and you must deem it equally unacceptable to say them to yourself. These words and phrases are powerful and they will hurt you. Accept you're not perfect and that you make mistakes – just like everybody else does – and cut yourself some slack. From this day, make a pact with me to never indulge self-deprecation ever again. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE.
4. Isolation is another problem experienced by stress, depression and anxiety sufferers. OK, there will be times when you just want your own company. During such times, you can brood over and over again on problems and events and beat yourself up for hours on end. Not good. Instead, use isolation more positively. Occupy your mind by tackling a jigsaw puzzle, a logic problem, a crossword, read a book or perform a hobby such as painting, playing a musical instrument or whatever it is you have an interest in. In this way, isolation will help you to grow instead of causing you further pain.
5. Television, radio and newspapers can all supply you with a daily hit of negativity and help lower your mood. In the main, they concentrate on the negative side of life: crime, corruption, war, scandal and natural disasters and can give you a distorted view of reality. Not to mention the amount of image manipulation they subject you to. Give yourself a break from this negative drip feed and avoid them completely for one week. You may find, like I have, that they have no place in your life after that. Trust me, you won't miss them.
That's five, quick tips for you to help fight stress, depression and anxiety. Please give them a try, they'll all help to boost your mood levels very quickly indeed.
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Former anxiety sufferer Chris Green is the author of "Conquering Stress", the internationally acclaimed program which will help you to permanently conquer stress, depression and anxiety without taking powerful drugs. For a free mini course, please click here => http://www.conqueringstress.com
