Tag: weight loss

5 Reasons You Should Not Skip Meals

On By jodietitianIn Uncategorized3 Comments

stock-illustration-65223149-top-view-of-empty-plate-with-spoon-and-knifeLast week I got together with my three best friends from high school. We all try to connect on each other’s birthdays and so that we are guaranteed to catch up at least four times a year. We usually meet around happy hour/dinner time at a local restaurant in the town where we all grew up. It is always so fun! But as we age, all of the typical discussions regarding how our lives have changed come up, and mostly we laugh a lot!

But this time one of my friends looked absolutely exhausted. She had not slept well the night before and also had not eaten anything all day! It struck me that every time we have gotten together, she is famished because this has been the habit she has gotten into (she us such a caring person that she tends to focus on her family, her family’s restaurant, her own business and never takes time for herself).

I am not one to lecture anyone about their eating habits, but if someone asks me something, I will answer. “Aren’t I burning fat?” she asked. As with most middle aged women, we do gain some weight and the typical person tries to lose it. I then explained how our bodies react to starvation, and not only was it not supportive of promoting a person’s genetically determined body weight, it also could be dangerous at worst, or make you feel crappy (like she was feeling!) at best. Anyway, because so many people are under the misconception that skipping meals is a good way to lose weight, I thought I would write about it.

There are probably lots more reasons (such as the obvious fact that it is next to impossible to meet your nutritional needs by skipping meals), but here are my top 5:

  1. It backfires. Almost everyone has had the experience of not eating enough during the day for one reason or another. Most of the time, dieters do it on purpose, others may just be too busy and not realize several hours has gone by and they missed a meal. The result is the same: a drive to overeat. If you have read any of my previous posts, you know that our appetite and hunger level is intricately tied to numerous regulators. When we do not consume enough calories/energy during the day, we will make up for it. Some make up for it by just automatically listening to their body and eating a very large meal because they are overly hungry! And they feel much better after eating that big meal. Others (dieters/restrained eaters) often feel very guilty when they compensate for not eating enough by eating a big meal, and then binge eat because they feel so bad.
  2. You burn muscle and consequently lower your metabolism. Unfortunately, contrary to what my friend and most people think, you do NOT burn all fat when you skip meals. When we don’t eat for a long period of time, our body has three options to get some energy: protein (from our muscles), carbohydrate in the form of glucose or stored glycogen (we don’t have much energy here, just a few hundred calories, unless you are a trained athlete and your stores may have an increased capacity, but most of us are not trained athletes!), and fat (in our fat stores). Also unfortunately for those trying to lose weight by meal skipping, our bodies draw from all of these forms of storage and eventually may even prefer amino acids (which it can get readily from our muscles). What most people do know is that muscle “burns more than fat” and that is why people who have more muscle need more calories. So what happens when you skip meals and need to burn up some muscle for energy? The next day, with even a fraction less lean muscle, you burn less. Over time, this can have a big negative affect on your metabolism. In extreme situations such as in those with eating disorders who have starved and restricted for a long time, the heart muscle can actually atrophy, causing dangerous health repercussions. The only way to find out if heart damage has occurred is with an echo cardiogram which is expensive. Most patients get an  electrocardiogram which may be normal but does not mean damage has not occurred.
  3. It may increase belly fat and contribute to insulin resistance.  A recent study (May 2015) conducted at Ohio State University revealed that skipping meals not only leads to abdominal weight gain, but it can also lead to the development of insulin resistance in the liver. If youskip meals you might set your body up for larger fluctuations in insulin and blood sugar. The result is more fat gain instead of fat loss. Find the original article in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, July 2015, Volume 26, Issue 7, Pages 721–728 and for a summary of the research results see CBC News Article on Skipping Meals and Belly Fat.
  4. You wreak havoc with your digestive system. One of the biggest complaints I get from people who skip meals is constipation. We all have experienced that uncomfortable feeling at times when maybe we have traveled and our bodies get off track, or we have been ill or maybe ate too much chocolate! It is not a fun feeling, but can you imagine having to feel this way on a regular basis? In addition to constipation, lots of people who skip meals and then eat tend to complain of feeling bloated and gassy, or even having stomach pains. Our bodies just simply like to be in a regular rhythm of eating. Our digestive enzymes get used to helping us digest our meals at regular intervals. When we start to skip meals, eventually these enzymes decrease so we even may stop feeling hungry (many of my patients will ask “why should I eat lunch if I am not hungry? I thought I am supposed to “listen” to my body!” Well, if you have been skipping meals on a regular basis, this is the one time I will say don’t listen to your body because it has been derailed. If this has happened to you then start by adding in a small meal (maybe half a sandwich) and build up to a normal lunch over time. Eventually you will start feeling hungry again and this indicates your body’s metabolism as well as digestive system is getting back to normal. Of course there are other contributors to constipation and digestive issues (food intolerance, inadequate fluid intake, not enough fiber) but going long periods without putting something in your digestive system is not going to help.
  5.  You just plain won’t feel good.    Finally, when you don’t provide your body and brain with the fuel it needs, you just are not going to be in a good mood. You will likely drag, be unable to focus, get grouchy more easily and just simply not be that fun to be with! I have found that most people do not even realize how crappy they feel when they do not eat enough during the day. When they begin to add in breakfast and lunch they are often amazed at how good they feel and how much more energy they have. If I had a dollar for every person that has said “wow, I feel so much better! I didn’t even realize how bad I felt!” I might not be having the time to write this blog because I would be retired and relaxing on my favorite beach on Keewaydin Island.

Just to be clear, I am not promoting weight loss, but instead I am hoping those of you who are always trying to lose weight will stop skipping meals. Why not think about working on a healthier lifestyle instead so that you feel good and can enjoy life. And that involves eating your three meals a day.

Three square meals a day. Funny how good sound advice never seems to change.

Does Exercise Make you Hungry?

On By jodietitianIn Uncategorized1 Comment

man eatingSo many people I know tell me they don’t think it is worth it to exercise because it just makes them eat more. Not only that, It’s not worth it, they say because they don’t lose much weight from it. When they start an exercise program they do the usual thing, jump on the scale often to see if they are losing weight. When the number does not go down fast enough, they stop. It’s not worth it!

Does that sound familiar? Is that you? Do you look at exercise only as a means to lose weight? What if you could fast forward a few years ahead (not that you really want to do that and miss out on life, but just for the sake of understanding my point, just think about fast forwarding to think about what you are doing to your body). From my perspective, and I totally get it, most people with weight issues are looking for the quick fix. That is how the diet industry survives because losing 10 pounds in 2 weeks is pretty appealing. So of course if you decide to join the gym or start a walking program with losing weight as your only goal, well, after a few weeks you will likely stop.

Stop for a minute and fast forward to a year from now. What if you started walking a little bit at lunch time, or after work. Or, if you are not an outdoor kind of person, what if instead of sitting and watching the news, you started to jump around and do some dancing and moving. After a year of this, even just 4 days a week, even for 30 minutes, that is over 100 hours that your body has moved that it would not have. That is your heart pumping blood and getting stronger. I guarantee, you will be a different person, more energetic and feeling better and healthier. Unfortunately, most people don’t think about that, they only care about weight.

I truly care about promoting health, but to appeal to the weight focused I can share that over time (not next week, or next month, but maybe even years) your body is much more likely to be at its best weight if you start to move NOW. You may have heard that “muscle burns more than fat”. True. Exercise burns calories. True. Exercise increases your metabolism. True. But did you know that people who exercise regularly have better appetite control? That means they tend to feel “full” quicker than couch potatoes, or people who don’t tend to exercise or move much. There is more research to do, as we know people vary in their response to exercise (yes, some people do get hungrier however they still get full faster than if they did not exercise). For those who like the details, check out this review article on the topic: article on exercise and appetite

Today I was fortunate to be able to run in the Annual Petit Foundation Road Race in Plainville, Ct. Annual Petit Road Race. It felt so good to be able to finish the 5 K road race at my age! It was great to see my fellow classmates crossing the finish line for this great cause. People of all ages participated whether they walked, jogged or ran, you could feel the joy on this hot muggy day because we all were able to help just by being there. It struck me how important it is to keep moving, and not for the reason of losing weight, or having whatever kind of body you are thinking will finally make you happy. Today made me happy.

I hope you start moving today for reasons so much more important. Fast forward. Do the things you always wanted to do, not just in 2 weeks, but for the rest of your life.

Flat Belly Syndrome

On By jodietitianIn Uncategorized1 Comment

cartoon bellyMade ya look! That is what my kids would have said…I am guessing just the words “flat belly” attract a lot of attention. As far as “Flat Belly Syndrome”, well, I made that up.  Those words seem to describe what I have seen way too many times over the years.If you look at the actual definition of “syndrome” in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the description fits.

By definition a “syndrome” is:1) a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a particular abnormality and 2)a set of concurrent things (such as emotions and actions) that usually form an identifiable pattern. Typically the signs I see are extreme body checking coupled with trying to do something about it, such as diet. 

So after an email from a fellow dietitian asking about what I say to patients who ask about getting rid of belly fat, it got me thinking. We both felt we would be millionaires if we got a dollar every time someone asked that question.

But what DO I say?

From my experience with both adults and children (yes, children), it seems there is a very extreme and weird focus on bellies. Be honest, do you look at yourself sideways in the mirror? More than once in awhile? It made sense to me with my eating disorder patients, that they would focus on a particular body part, that is part of the illness. A distraction from something much more important (easier to fret about a belly verses a bad relationship). But when an 11 year old boy sits in front of you and looks totally distraught, just because he is beginning puberty and has some belly fat, well, it saddens me. Where did this come from? Why is this important to a child?

I believe it is our culture of course which is reinforced unfortunately at home, where parents and relatives don’t think before they speak. About their bodies and what they don’t like, and how big their bellies are. Advertisements are everywhere, it is almost comical when you get in line to check out at the grocery store. Take a look at the magazines. I bet more than half of them have some ad or mention of “How to get a flat belly” or “Lose that belly fat!”, you get it. Have you ever stopped to ask “why?”. Personally, it angers me. They are trying to sell magazines, and those stupid ads work. Ugh.  As if all those people in the world who have a “flat belly” or 6 pack or whatever the goal is….are they happy now?

And what DO I tell my patients who ask about that. This is what I tell them:

1. Where you carry your body fat is genetic. Some people (if you look around) have very slim legs and larger bellies, some have not much of a belly but larger hips and legs. We are all different.

2. Imbalanced nutrition does not help you reach the healthiest body you can have. We all need protein and adequate fluids (or you may retain water which can make you feel bloated and if you are obsessed with your belly, well, that does not help). Extreme dieting also does not help. Poor eating contributes to digestive issues (constipation?) and that never makes you feel good.

3. Doing 100 crunches may make your tummy muscles strong (since I am not a fitness expert, you may want to consult one regarding if 100 crunches is even a good idea. I think not.). Anyway, strong stomach muscles are fantastic (good for the back according to my husband’s doctor), however they do not affect the fat on top of the muscle. So talk to a fitness expert (American College of Sports Medicine or ACSM certified is your best bet) to see about the right amount of exercise to strengthen your muscles. Getting stronger is a good goal. Trying to achieve a certain stomach if it is not in your genes is not a good goal.

4. Finally, how much time are you spending on trying to have the perfect belly? If you are thinking of this on a daily basis, it could be a red flag. Are you going through something you really don’t want to deal with? If so, please consider chatting with a professional, just to be sure (such as a therapist). A flat belly won’t help anything.

Finally, can you entertain the idea of focusing on being healthier? Being healthy is a good goal, and adopting healthy behaviors such as eating healthier, moving more, getting enough sleep and addressing your real issues will most definitely help you fight the stupidity about 6 packs.

In my day, that meant beer.

What is “HAES”?

On By jodietitianIn Uncategorized4 Comments

images

I have a few simple questions to ask before I explain what HAES is:

1. How many people have you known who have “gone on a diet” specifically to lose weight?

2. Have you ever known someone who has gone on a diet and who has lost weight and kept it off? I am not talking about the person who took up a sport or quit smoking and adopted a healthier life style. I am talking about someone who followed a specific “diet plan” such as a low carb diet or meal replacement diet or counting calories or points kind of diet.

3. Have scientists discovered the one diet that works to help people lose weight and keep it off? Of course we know researchers have been looking into this, since people have been struggling with trying to lose weight for a long time. The “obesity epidemic”is always in the news. So have they found the one diet that works?

Not sure of your answer for question #1, but for #2, I am guessing the answer is NO, and for question #3, I will tell you the answer is NO. What most of the public does not know (because who would be interested in the research over the years regarding dieting except someone like a dietitian?) is that many researchers have been looking into dieting behavior for decades. In fact, when I went back to graduate school and did my research on “cognitive restraint” back in the ’90’s, I was angry! I could not believe the world did not know that the “experts” already knew many of the reasons dieting did not work! But then I realized, it is about the diet industry combined with desperate people wanting to lose weight.

I was not the only one who was angry. There now exists a split among health professionals working with people with weight issues (actually, the split has been there for many years but only recently gaining attention). Thanks to the more recent research and new groundbreaking books (see below) by Dr. Linda Bacon, the “Health at Every Size” Movement  has now been brought into the public eye and the movement is gaining momentum.. Those of us who believe in promoting health instead of some perfect weight, are no longer alone. Yes, there are still doctors, nurses and dietitians who will put someone on a diet (boy could I tell you some horror stories). So it is important to ask any professional you are working with which side of the fence they are on. Are they familiar with the HAES Approach? If not, they may be a bit behind the times. Or, they may still be influenced by a society who values a certain physical appearance instead of health.

Here is an excerpt taken the HAES website at http://www.haescommunity.org/  :

“Health at Every Size” is based on the simple premise that the best way to improve health is to honor your body. It supports people in adopting health habits for the sake of health and well-being (rather than weight control). Health at Every Size encourages:

  • Accepting and respecting the natural diversity of body sizes and shapes.
  • Eating in a flexible manner that values pleasure and honors internal cues of hunger, satiety, and appetite.
  • Finding the joy in moving one’s body and becoming more physically vital.

  • and from Dr. Linda Bacon: “Health at Every Size is the new peace movement.”

    “Very simply, it acknowledges that good health can best be realized independent from considerations of size. It supports people of all sizes in addressing health directly by adopting healthy behaviors.”

    If you are tired of dieting and ready to focus on health instead of some magic number on the scale, check out  Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight by Linda Bacon, PhD and her most recently released book, Body Respect (http://thebodypolitic.biz/bodyrespect/), co-authored with Lucy Aphramor

  • And be sure to check out the HAES website at http://www.haescommunity.org/