Weight Loss

Chew Gum to Curb Appetite

chew gum, decreased hunger, bubble-blowing, calming cravings, reduce anxiety

While lip-smacking and bubble-blowing might offend the mild-mannered, the benefits of chewing gum might just blow their socks off. Studies suggest chewing gum can help control appetite, causing people to consume fewer calories throughout the day.So keep on chomping, no matter what gets in the way.

chew gum, decreased hunger, bubble-blowing, calming cravings, reduce anxietyResearch suggests chewing gum does more than temporarily freshen the breath. One study found that those who chewed gum after lunch reported lower appetite and cravings for sweet and salty snacks.And those who chewed gum consumed up to 10 percent less than non-gum-chewers come snack time.Other research has also linked chewing gum to decreased hunger between meals.

How Stress Can Sabotage Your Healthy Eating Habits

stress, overeat, diet, medicinenet, health, psychological

If you diet a lot, you may be more likely to overeat in times of stress, a new survey suggests.

stress, overeat, diet, medicinenet, health, psychologicalAlso, people tend to gorge on high-calorie, high-fat junk foods when eating under stress, says study leader Kayla Ten Eycke, MSc, of the department of psychology at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada.

"Having an occasional piece of chocolate cake may make you less prone to overeating chocolate cake during stressful times," she tells WebMD.

The Key to a Successful Weight-Loss is to Give Yourself a Break

successful, weight-loss, jean fain, self-compassion, diet

Give yourself a break—that’s what author, psychotherapist and hypnotherapist Jean Fain says is the key to successful weight-loss. BOYT asked Fain to give our readers an overview of her approach to what she calls “sustainable slimness.”  A health and fitness writer for newspapers like the Boston Globe and the L.A. Times before she began her clinical practice, Fain’s own experiences as teenager and what she has learned from her patients led her book The Self-Compassion Diet.

successful, weight-loss, jean fain, self-compassion, dietBOYT: Please share with us a bit about what inspired you to write The Self Compassion Diet.

The Pro’s and Con’s of Juice Fasting? Learn If It’s Right For You

detox, juice fast, health, risks, weight loss, calories, goal, liquids

The answer is a resounding no! Juice fasts and cleanses, which involve consuming 1,200 calories or less in just liquids each day, go up and down in popularity, depending on how many celebrities are on them. But they are always an unhealthy way to lose weight and often an unpleasant one as well.

detox, juice fast, health, risks, weight loss, calories, goal, liquidsWhy?

Well, first of all, your body doesn't know that you just want to drop a few pounds. Instead, it thinks you're starving it. The result: Just like any crash diet, your metabolism slows and your body holds on to fat in order to preserve itself. Any weight you lose will be mostly water, which you'll quickly regain as soon as you start eating real food again. In addition, your body is perfectly able to cleanse itself without a juice fast. It doesn't need one (or the colonics that are often recommended with them) to detox.

Love Your Body At Every Size, You Have the Power to Make or Break a Healthy Self Image

linda bacon, health at every size, weight, loss, diet

Now, here’s a refreshing thought: to attain your ideal weight, just don’t think about it. So often we hold ourselves up to an ideal and are then miserable because we can never achieve the level of perfection we desire. BOYT brings our readers a different perspective with Linda Bacon, author of Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight. With scientific knowledge gained from a doctorate in physiology, specializing in weight regulation, as well as graduate degrees in psychology, Linda is a popular and compelling public speaker as well as a professor, researcher, psychotherapist, exercise physiologist and consultant.

linda bacon, health at every size, weight, loss, diet BOYT: Please share with us a bit about your inspiration to write Health at Every Size.

Consistency: Your Route to Success or Failure

consistency, routine, goals, diet, weight-loss, success

Dare to succeed in your diet goals and learn that as you enjoy your own weight-loss success story, that you’re also creating successful beliefs that will benefit you beyond your waistline. If you have only succeeded in failing your diet goals in spite of the promises and trendy weight-loss tips offered by the Atkins and South Beach methods, it’s time to evaluate your attitude toward the challenge. Overcome your failure complex and self-sabotage by developing the positive consistency you need to succeed.

consistency, routine, goals, diet, weight-loss, successA review of success and failure reveals startling culprits; one of them is consistency—a leading cause of failure in business and other areas of life is consistency. You may think you want to succeed but another part of you believes more consistently in failure—a form of self-sabotage. If you want change, you have to apply the same principles that pertain to that goal—consistently. If you want your blood cholesterol levels to maintain their same high levels, keep eating cheeseburgers or something equally as deadly.

Finally, a Way to Eat That Includes More Than Excludes

timothy s harlan, dr gourmet, tell me what to eat, diet, weight loss, calorie

Whether you want to lose weight or just eat healthier, we’re always told to “eat right,” but what does that mean? We went to Timothy S. Harlan, M.D., better known by many as Doctor Gourmet, for his advice. A chef before he became an internist, Harlan has an interesting perspective on the whole notion of eating well.

timothy s harlan, dr gourmet, tell me what to eat, diet, weight loss, calorieHe has some great advice, but don’t expect him to tell you what you shouldn’t eat; he believes in focusing on what you should eat instead. Harlan’s latest book Just Tell Me What to Eat!, as reviewed by the Galloping Gourmet Graham Kerr, “does a masterful job of matching good, up-to-the-moment science with good old-fashioned taste.”

BOYT: What was your inspiration to write Just Tell Me What to Eat!?

Learn to Lose Weight, Curb Cravings and Stay Satisfied

apple, protein, diary, kimberly quigley, metabolism, eat, hormone, tips, weight

When trying to lose weight, one of our most difficult challenges is the dissatisfaction of never feeling full. The good news is, we can learn skills to help us get over that hurdle and reach our weight loss goals.

apple, protein, diary, metabolism, eat, hormone, tips, weight, kimberly quigleyAccording to Dr. Louis Aronne, the director of the Weill Cornell Comprehensive Weight Control Program, “A very common problem for people trying to lose weight is that they never feel full because their weight-regulating system isn’t working correctly.”

Love Yourself

weight loss, health and nutrition, body image, linda bacon

One of the stumbling blocks many people face on their journey towards loving their body is the belief that accepting themselves means giving up on their fantasy of who they could be. Below is an excerpt from my book, Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight (www.HAESbook.com), which addresses this challenge. Accepting yourself as you are today doesn’t mean giving up. It means learning to live in the present with the body you have. It means facing and acknowledging reality.

Change the Question

It’s way too easy to believe that a thin body will right everything wrong in your world. It won’t. Moving towards increased self-acceptance and taking power away from your weight will do much more to improve your life.

Think about what you have believed you will gain from being thinner. Fill in the blank with your fantasies: When I’m thin, _____________.

These were some responses from the research participants:

Drop That Doughnut! Simple Ways to Curb Cravings

curb cravings, food cravings, avoiding temptations

Most women we know (including ourselves) have an indulgent craving once in a while, and it's rarely for fruit or salad. Diet infomercials promise to "curb your craving" with a miracle product or pill, but rarely can we avoid the temptation. We wonder, is it always the food we crave, or possibly the emotions associated with eating? The Best of You Today team researched some of the reasons we crave certain foods, and how we can begin to recognize the feelings associated with hunger and eating. This suggestions may save your willpower, and waistline.