HUNGRYGIRL.COM - HUNGRY GIRL - Something New

HUNGRYGIRL.COM seems to be rolling up the search engines this morning, I don't know if there was some sort of news article or if this is simply a matter of effective Search Engine Optimization. Whatever the case, HUNGRY GIRL, or in this case HUNGRYGIRL.COM seems to be geared towards educating those women battling with obesity eat healthier. A few tips on the HUNGRY GIRL website include a Top "Ate" list. Here is the HUNGRY GIRL top ATE




TOP ATE HUNGRY GIRL Calorie-Saving Cooking Swaps!

1. Nonstick cooking spray instead of oil (for stovetop cooking)
2. Canned pumpkin instead of eggs & oil (for baking)
3. Light vanilla soymilk instead of milk or cream
4. Fat-free liquid egg substitute instead of eggs
5. No-sugar-added applesauce instead of butter
6. Ground-beef-style soy crumbles instead of ground beef
7. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granular) instead of sugar
8. Butternut squash instead of potatoes

A further look it seems HUNGRYGIRL is an online community that has a number of products including a book to sell. My guess it is about the book, but koodo's to those at HUNGRY GIRL for coming up with an interesting idea

Biggest Looser 2008 Michelle Aguilar

Here are some Before and after pictures of Michelle Aguilar, the Winner of Biggest Looser 2008


Michelle Aguilar entered The Biggest Loser: Families looking to lose weight and resurrect her relationship with her mother. She left it as a champion.




Aguilar was crowned The Biggest Loser: Families' champion during last night's live finale broadcast of the NBC reality weight-loss series' sixth season. "I'm number one!" Michelle screamed after her victory was announced and the season's 15 other contestants began congratulating her as confetti streamed down on to the finale stage.

The 26-year-old assistant director from Ft. Worth, TX started the competition at 242 pounds and lost 132 pounds for a 45.45% weight-loss percentage, claiming the show's $250,000 grand prize. Aguilar defeated Vicky Vilcan, a 37-year-old anesthetist from Houma, LA, and Ed Brantley, a 31-year-old chef from Raleigh, NC who won The Biggest Loser: Families' home viewer vote to determine the third sixth-season finalist.

During the show's finale, The Biggest Loser host Allison Sweeney revealed that despite Ed's pleas that home viewers send his wife Heba Salama, a 30-year-old pharmaceutical sales representative, to the finale weigh-in, he had won the viewer vote in a "landslide," landing 84% of the vote. While she was disappointed that America had not listened to her husband's pleas, Heba was gracious in defeat. "Everything happens for a reason, we have been so lucky to be on this show that honestly, because we were never here for a paycheck I just wanted the opportunity to be a finalist," Heba said. "It's the economy," Ed joked about the home audience's decision.
Ed -- who was re-introduced into the competition on Week 7 after he had been eliminated three weeks earlier -- finished as The Biggest Loser: Families' runner-up, starting at 335 pounds and losing 139 pounds for a 41.49% weight-loss percentage. Vicky, who finished just behind Ed in third place, began the competition at 246 pounds and dropped 101 pounds for a weight-loss percentage of 41.06%.

Heba's disappointment of making the Top 3 was also short lived, as she went on to win the weigh-in of The Biggest Loser: Families' 13 previously eliminated contestants and claim the consolation weigh-in's $100,000 prize. After starting the as the season's heaviest woman at 294 pounds, Heba dropped 138 pounds for a 46.9% weight-loss percentage that was actually higher than Michelle's winning percentage. The start and finish weights and final weight-loss percentages of the 12 other previously eliminated contestants -- as well as the order in which they were booted from the competition -- were as follows.

Stacey Capers, a 33-year-old contract pricing analyst from Gainesville, VA began the competition at 221 pounds and lost 65 for a weight-loss percentage of 29.41%, while her husband Adam, a 39-year-old contracts manager, began the competition at 340 pounds before dropping 80 for a 23.53% Weight-loss percentage.

Tom "L.T." Desrochers Jr., a 22-year-old cab driver from Everett, MA, began the competition at 314 pounds before dropping 78 for a weight-loss percentage of 24.84%, while his father Tom Desrochers Sr., also a cab driver, began the competition at 357 pounds before losing 87 pounds for a weight-loss percentage of 24.37%

Jerry Skeabeck, a 51-year-old police sergeant from Cleveland, OH began the competition at 380 pounds before losing 115 pounds for a weight-loss percentage of 30.26%.

Shellay Cremen, a 51-year-old stay-at-home mom from Royal Oak, MI began the competition at 216 pounds before losing 74 pounds for a weight-loss percentage of 34.26%.

Amy Parham, a 40-year-old real estate agent from Greer, SC began the competition at 229 pounds before dropping 105 pounds for a weight-loss percentage of 45.85%, while her husband Phil began the competition at 331 pounds before losing 151 pounds for a percentage of 45.62%.

Brady Vilcan, a 36-year-old pharmacist from Houma, LA, began the competition at 341 pounds before losing 117 pounds for a weight-loss percentage of 34.31%.

Coleen Skeabeck, a 23-year-old receptionist from Cleveland, OH entered the competition weighing 218 pounds before dropping 64 pounds for a weight-loss percentage of 29.36%

Amy Cremen, a 26-year-old purchasing department representative from Auburn Hills, MI, entered the competition at 239 pounds before dropping 104 for a weight-loss percentage of 43.51%.

Renee Wilson, a 46-year-old event manager from Fort Worth, TX -- and the mother of the season's champion Michelle -- began the competition weighing 267 pounds before dropping 106 pounds for a weight-loss percentage of 39.7%.

New Study Links Brains Pleasure Centre to weight gain

Drink a milkshake and the pleasure centre in your brain gets a hit of happy - unless you're overweight.

It sounds counterintuitive. But scientists who watched young women savour milkshakes inside a brain scanner concluded that when the brain doesn't sense enough gratification from food, people may overeat to compensate.

The small but first-of-a-kind study even could predict who would pile on pounds during the next year: Those who harboured a gene that made their brain's yum factor even more sluggish.




"The more blunted your response to the milkshake taste, the more likely you are to gain weight," said Dr. Eric Stice, a senior scientist at the Oregon Research Institute who led the work, published in Friday's edition of the journal Science.

A healthy diet and plenty of exercise are the main factors in whether someone is overweight. But scientists have long known that genetics also play a major role in obesity - and one big culprit is thought to be dopamine, the brain chemical that's key to sensing pleasure.

Eating can temporarily boost dopamine levels. Previous brain scans have suggested that the obese have fewer dopamine receptors in their brains than lean people. And a particular gene version, called Taq1A1, is linked to fewer dopamine receptors.

"This paper takes it one step farther," said Dr. Nora Volkow of the National Institutes of Health, a dopamine specialist who has long studied the obesity link. "It takes the gene associated with greater vulnerability for obesity and asks the question why. What is it doing to the way the brain is functioning that would make a person more vulnerable to compulsively eat food and become obese?"

It's "very elegant work," she added.

First, Stice's team had to figure out how to study the brain's immediate reactions to food. Moving inside an MRI machine skews its measurements, which ruled out letting the women slurp up the milkshakes. Yale University neuroscientist Dana Small solved that problem, with a special syringe that would squirt a small amount of milkshake or, for comparison, a tasteless solution into the mouth without study participants moving. They were told when to swallow, so researchers could co-ordinate the scans with that small motion.

Then they recruited volunteers, 43 female college students ages 18 to 22 and 33 teenagers, ages 14 to 18. Body mass index calculations showed the young women spanned the range from very skinny to obese.

Brain scanning showed that a key region called the dorsal striatum - a dopamine-rich pleasure centre - became active when they tasted the milkshake, but not when they tasted the comparison liquid that just mimicked saliva.

Yet that brain region was far less active in overweight people than in lean people, and in those who carry that A1 gene variant, the researchers reported. Moreover, women with that gene version were more likely to gain weight over the coming year.

It's a small study with few gene carriers, and thus must be verified, Volkow stressed.

Still, it could have important implications. Volkow, who heads NIH's National Institute of Drug Abuse, notes that "dopamine is not just about pleasure." It also plays a role in conditioning - dopamine levels affect drug addiction - and the ability to control impulses.

She wonders if instead of overeating to compensate for the lack of pleasure - Stice's conclusion - the study really might show that these people with malfunctioning dopamine in fact eat because they're impulsive.

Regardless, most people's tongues find a milkshake quite tasty; the brain reaction is subconscious.

But if doctors could determine who carries the at-risk gene, children especially could be steered toward "recreational sports or other things that give them satisfaction and pleasure and dopamine that aren't food ... and not get their brains used to having crappy food," said Stice, a clinical psychologist who has long studied obesity.

"Don't get your brain used to it," he said of non-nutritious food. "I would not buy Ho Hos for lunch every day because the more you eat, the more you crave."

Mia Tyler talks about her battle with weight

Plus-sized model Mia Tyler, the daughter of rocker Steven Tyler and half-sister to actress Liv Tyler, talks to ET in her first TV interview about the night she almost took her own life!




"I felt like I was so lost and there was no way out and I was tired of being lonely," she tells ET's Thea Andrews. "I was really on the edge and I was ready to do it and I wasn't scared."
Mia has written a no-holds-barred autobiography, Creating Myself, in which tells the unvarnished truth about the night she sat on the edge of a Hollywood Hills balcony and considered taking the leap.

"I remember sitting on that balcony and, for the first time, I just didn't care and that's when I really knew I was in trouble, because I didn't care about other people," she admits.

Mia also reveals in Creating Myself her addiction to cutting, a phenomenon in which one stabs oneself until blood is drawn.

"Cutting is like doing a drug," Mia says. "You cut yourself and there's a moment where you don't feel anything, then the blood rushes and you feel alive … I was a secret cutter. I knew it was wrong, but it felt so good, so I didn't want people to see, so I started getting tattoos to cover my scars."

Mia, who was a very successful plus-sized model earning between $20,000 and $30,000 per shoot, says she still battles the desire to cut herself.

Tina Yothers talks about Weight loss Struggles

Just a little something I found about Tina Yothers

Former Family Ties star and Celebrity Fit Club winner Tina Yothers, 34, gave birth to a baby boy Monday morning, PEOPLE has confirmed.

She and husband Robert Kaiser welcomed Jake Kaiser, weighing in at 8.8 lbs., at 6:08 a.m. at an Orange County hospital. This is the fourth child for the growing brood whose last addition, Lilly, turns two next month (Kaiser has two sons from a previous marriage).




Even at five months pregnant, Yothers was slimmer than before her Fit Club 4 appearance: “I was triple this size when I was pregnant with Lilly since I only worked out my hand and mouth,” she told PEOPLE in April. Her tip for weight-loss success? “Find a cookie you don’t like.”

After reaching a bikini-ready body last October Yothers confessed to PEOPLE in April, “If you’ve ever struggled with weight, you feel like gaining it back is right around the corner.” Still, she has managed to keep on track this time around by sticking to a modified NutriSystem diet and working out three days a week.

New "Exercise Pill' Offers Promise For those with Mobility Issues

This sounds promising for those unable to exercise

	It sounds like a couch potato's dream come true - an "exercise pill" that keeps the body trim and fit without having to budge from the sofa. The drug has already been tested in mice, and scientists are so concerned about the implications they are developing ways to prevent its abuse by cheating athletes.
Researchers made the discovery after studying the biological signals that allow the body to respond to exercise. They found that certain chemicals could stimulate the same pathways to boost endurance and burn up fat. Mice fed the drugs were turned into mini-marathon runners with extra reserves of stamina that did not put on weight. Tested on treadmills, they were able to run faster and for longer than untreated animals. One drug, called AICAR, increased running time by 44% even in mice that did absolutely no exercise. Lead researcher Professor Ronald Evans, from the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, said: "We were blown away. This is a drug that is like pharmacological exercise. After four weeks of receiving the drug, the mice were behaving as if they'd been exercised." Sedentary animals given the drug actually ran longer and further than than those which had exercise training, he said. As well as having greater endurance, mice given the drugs experienced other benefits usually associated with exercise. They remained lean even when fed a high fat diet that would normally have caused them to become obese, and their insulin response improved, lowering blood sugar levels.
	The new research, published in the journal Cell, also suggests the drugs might help reverse the muscle frailty associated with ageing, or diseases such as muscular dystrophy. The scientists are now working in conjunction with the World Anti-Doping Agency to develop a blood or urine test for the drugs.

Arnold Bans the Trans fats

Interesting article from http://soyawannaknow.blogspot.com

I know this is going to sound like an episode of King of the Hill but here's the skinny: Trans fat's days are numbered at California restaurants.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation yesterday banning the artery-clogging substance in the state's restaurants starting in 2010 and from all baked goods by 2011.





Though some cities, such as New York, Philadelphia and Seattle, have enacted bans on trans fats, California becomes the first state with such a law.
The ban comes after a steady drumbeat of studies showing trans fat, which is used in foods ranging from french fries to cookies, can raise levels of bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol, leading to hardened arteries and heart disease, and contributing to diabetes.

The ban was the result of a bill introduced by Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, D-Artesia, which passed the Assembly last year and cleared the state Senate earlier this month. Violations of the ban could result in fines of $25 to $1,000.

Anti-trans-fat crusader Stephen L. Johnson, founder of bantransfat.com and the attorney who sued Kraft and McDonald's over the issue, was jubilant.

“It's like winning the Super Bowl and the World Series all in one day,” Johnson said.
The ban will have a ripple effect far beyond California because it doesn't make economic sense for restaurant chains to use different types of oils in different regions, Johnson said.

“California is so big and so important that you can't have twin supplies,” he said. “It's kind of the end of the road for trans fat.”

Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said that “great big sucking sound you hear” is the sound of partially hydrogenated oil leaving the American food supply.

The national watchdog group petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2004 to require restaurants to list menu items that contain trans fat, but the federal agency has not acted on it. In 2006, the FDA began requiring manufacturers of processed food to list trans fat on labels.
Bob Goldin, executive vice president of Technomic Inc., a restaurant consulting firm, said that many of the largest restaurant chains such as KFC and Taco Bell already have moved to trans-fat alternatives, such as soy-based oils or a blend of canola oil.

Trans fat mostly comes from partially hydrogenated oil, which is formed when liquid oils are treated with hydrogen to turn it into a solid form, helping increase its shelf life.

In the past, opponents of trans-fat bans have argued that it would be too costly, that there wasn't enough supply of alternatives and that using different oils would affect the taste of foods.

Goldin said those concerns have turned out to be unfounded. The cost difference is negligible, and the trans-fat alternatives provide comparable taste, he said.

“It shouldn't be that big of a hardship,” Goldin said.

When New York City announced its ban, it was met with resistance. But the ban's final phase went into effect June 30 with little fanfare from the city's restaurants.
Daniel Conway, spokesman for the California Restaurant Association, said the group was confident that its members would be able to comply with the ban. Although the association opposed the bill, it has no plans to challenge the law.

“It's important to note that this was something the industry was already doing,” Conway said.

Restaurants have begun eliminating trans fats because of increased consumer demand, said Bob Sandelman, president of market-research firm Sandelman & Associates. It surveyed 600 fast-food customers last year and found that 72 percent were somewhat or very concerned about trans fat.

George Hunter, chief operating officer of Pat & Oscar's Restaurants, said the San Diego-based chain of 19 family-style restaurants switched to trans-fat-free products two years ago.

“We were hearing a lot of buzz about trans fat from guests and vendors, and we wanted to stay ahead of the curve – even in an environment that sells some pretty crazy breadsticks,” Hunter said.

After trying different oils and tinkering with recipes, Pat & Oscar's found alternatives to trans fat for about 10 menu items that once contained them, including breadsticks, salad dressings and potato wedges.

“On some items it cost us a little more money to make the switch, but those items have come back in line as more trans-fat-free products came on the market,” Hunter said. “And the feedback from customers has been very positive – so many thank-you cards, so many e-mails.”

Last August, San Diego-based Rubio's Restaurants completed its conversion to using zero-trans-fat canola oil for cooking all menu items in its 182 locations.

Rubio's spent a year testing numerous zero-trans-fat oils, said Linda Duke, a company spokeswoman. Canola oil was chosen because it did not detract from the flavor of menu items, most notably its signature fish taco.

And while San Diego-based Jack in the Box still has several menu items that contain trans fat – including its Sourdough Ultimate Cheeseburger, with 4.5 grams of trans fat – the fast-food chain is testing alternatives at some of its restaurants.

“We will certainly comply with any legislation passed regarding this issue,” said Kathleen Anthony, a spokeswoman.

Some critics argue that restaurants will resort to using coconut or palm oils and even lard, which are less than healthy, and that consumers will equate trans-fat-free with lower calories and better nutrition.

Jacobson said the argument that alternative fats and oils also pose health risks, potentially substituting one problem for another, is a “red herring.”

“All the evidence says trans fat is the most harmful fat in the food supply,” Jacobson said. “You can substitute anything and it's an improvement – even butter.”

Goldin agreed, saying trans fat should be banned from the food supply.

“This is not one of those cases where Big Brother is being unreasonable,” he said.

Glycemic Index Value of Various Foods

FRUITS	GLYCEMIC INDEX
Cherries	22
Grapefruit	25
Prunes	29
Apricots, dried	30
Apple	38
Peach, canned in juice	38
Pear, fresh	38
Plum	39
Strawberries	40
Orange, Navel	42
Peach, fresh	42
Pear, canned	43
Grapes	46
Papaya	56
Banana	52
Kiwi	58
Fruit Cocktail	55
Mango	51
Apricots, fresh	57
Figs, dried	61
Apricots, canned	64
Raisins	56
Cantaloupe	65
Pineapple, fresh	66
Watermelon	72
Dates	103
Your Ad Here >BREAKFAST	GLYCEMIC INDEX
Pancakes	67
Waffles	76
All Bran with Fiber	38
Bran Buds	47
Oatmeal	49
Muesli	43
Oat Bran	55
Bran Chex	58
Raisin Bran	61
Cream of Wheat	66
Quick (One Minute) Oats	66
Puffed Wheat	67
Special K	69
Bran Flakes	74
Cheerios	74
Cream of Wheat Instant	74
Shredded Wheat	75
Grapenuts	71
Rice Krispies	82
Corn Chex	83
Corn Flakes	92
VEGETABLES	GLYCEMIC INDEX
Broccoli	10
Cabbage	10
Lettuce	10
Mushrooms	10
Onions	10
Red Peppers	10
Carrots	49
Green peas	48
Corn, fresh	60
Beets	64
Pumpkin	75
Parsnips	97
Your Ad Here CRACKERS	GLYCEMIC INDEX
Ryvita Crispbread	69
Stoned Wheat Thins	67
Melba Toast	70
Kavli Crispbread	71
Soda Crackers	74
Graham Crackers	74
Water crackers	78
Rice Cakes	82
Rice Crackers	91
SWEETNER	GLYCEMIC INDEX
Fructose	19
Marmalade	48
Honey	55
Jams	65
Sucrose	68
Pancake Syrup	76
PASTA	GLYCEMIC INDEX
Spaghetti, whole wheat	37
Star Pastina	38
Fettuccini (egg)	32
Spaghetti, white	38
Spiral Pasta	43
Capellini	45
Linguine	46
Macaroni	47
Rice vermicelli	58
RICE & GRAINS	GLYCEMIC INDEX
Converted, White	38
Brown	55
Long grain, White	44
Wild rice	87
Basmati	58
Aborio	69
Short grain, White	72
Instant, White	87
Glutinous (Sticky)	98
Barley, pearled	25
Buckwheat	54
Couscous	65
Cornmeal	68
DAIRY	GLYCEMIC INDEX
Yogurt, artificially sweetened	14
Skim milk	32
Yogurt, sweetened	33
Whole milk	31
Ice cream, low fat	43
Ice cream, premium	38
Your Ad Here SNACKS	GLYCEMIC INDEX
Hummus	6
Peanuts	15
Walnuts	15
Cashews	22
M & M Peanut Candies	33
Milk Chocolate	43
Kudos Bar	62
Corn Chips	63
Popcorn	72
Jelly Beans	78
Pretzels	83
Potato Chips	57
JUICES	GLYCEMIC INDEX
Tomato	38
Apple	40
Pineapple	46
Grapefuit	48
Orange	53
Cranberry Juice Cocktail	68
BREAD	GLYCEMIC INDEX
Pumpernickel	41
Sourdough	53
Stone Ground whole wheat	53
Pita, whole wheat	57
Whole Meal Rye	58
Hamburger bun	61
Whole wheat (100%)	77
Croissant	67
Taco Shell	68
Bagel	72
White	70
Kaiser roll	73
Bread stuffing	74
French Baguette	95
POTATO's	GLYCEMIC INDEX
Yam	37
Sweet	44
New	57
Canned	65
White skinned mashed	70
French Fries	75
Instant Mashed	86
Red Skinned, boiled	88
Baked	85
BAKERY	GLYCEMIC INDEX
Sponge Cake	46
Pound Cake	54
Blueberry Muffin	59
Pastry Pie Crust	59
Bran Muffin	60
Carrot Muffin	62
Angel Food Cake	67
Doughnut	76
Scones	92
COOKIES	GLYCEMIC INDEX
Chocolate Chip	44
Butter	47
Vanilla Crème Filled Wafers	50
Oatmeal	55
Fudge	57
Shortbread	64
SOUPS	GLYCEMIC INDEX
Tomato	38
Minestrone	39
Lentil	44
Black Bean	64
Pea	66
DINNERS	GLYCEMIC INDEX
Fish Stick Fingers	38
Meat Ravioli	39
Cheese Tortellini	50
Pizza	60
Macaroni and Cheese (packaged)	64
BEANS & PEAS	GLYCEMIC INDEX
Chana Dal	8
Chickpeas, dried	28
Kidney Beans, dried	28
Lentils	29
Lima Beans (frozen)	32
Yellow Split Peas	32
Chickpeas, canned	42
Blackeyed Peas, canned	42
Baked Beans	48
Kidney Beans, canned	52

Volumetric Diet - Fact or another temporary Atkins Diet

Here is an interesting write-up on the "New" Volumetric diet

Dr. Barbara Rolls is a well respected nutritionist in the United States. Volumetrics reflects her passion and expertise. It is a balanced and nutritious diet that is easy to follow.




The meaning of the term “Volumetrics” has been around for sometime. I can remember my Dad talking about eating foods with high “moisture” content. The concept of food volume as a means to lose weight quickly fell out of favor and was replaced by fat content. Just within the last 2-3 years food volume has made a comeback.

It is important for consumers to understand that there are only a few clinical trials for weight experts to draw conclusions from and make appropriate recommendations.

For instance, it is my opinion that losing weight is not your problem. I prefer to study why you gained weight and look for solutions to keep it from happening again. That’s why I make many references to muscle.

As you age, you lose muscle and gain weight. I judge a weight loss product from that perspective: does the product cause muscle loss? If so, that is not a healthy weight loss product.

I recommend that you find a professional you like and stick with her. As long as “balanced nutrition” is in some way apart of her philosophy, you’ll be in good hands.

This is a good diet despite two potential problems I discuss in this article. Some may agree and some may disagree, but that is the reason for this article–debate and exchange of ideas.

Volumetrics is not New

Volumetrics utilizes food volume (water content) as a way to restrict calories. In general, foods with high water content are less energy dense. Filling up on high volume, low energy dense foods to help you lose weight has two potential problems.

Satiety may occur too early during feeding. This has two outcomes…
Some dieters will begin snacking or binge eating
A few dieters will end up on a Very Low Calorie Diet - potentially too low.
Dieters might completely eliminate carbohydrate intake.
A diet that restricts an entire food group is not a healthy diet.

Every diet has potential problems and outcomes it would like to avoid. My article is a discussion of two possible outcomes of the diet. If they can be avoided, this is a good diet.

Volumetrics is NOT a variation of the Atkins Diet. Dr. Rolls outlines a weight loss plan that if followed properly will lead to fat loss. Weight loss by losing fat and keeping muscle - that’s a good diet.

It’s Just Water

The easy way to critique the diet is to suggest that drinking water with each meal is practicing Volumetrics. I actually do drink 2-3 glasses of water with each meal and it does keep me from over-feeding.

I think it’s fair to say, that the water content of food plays a bigger role in Volumetrics than fat and fiber. This means that weight loss is from calorie restriction. Losing weight by eating less will cause your body to lose both fat and muscle. This is not the optimal way to lose weight. The only acceptable mechanism for weight reduction is by utilizing stored fat. Muscle should be preserved.

Calorie restriction by itself, is not an ideal way to lose weight.

Losing fat and not muscle requires the right combination and ratio of fat to protein, not just calorie restriction.

Dr. Rolls said, “Foods with a high water content have a big impact on satiety. But you can’t simply drink lots of water, which quenches thirst without sating hunger.”

She continues, “Why is water so helpful in controlling calories? It dilutes the calories in a given amount of food.”

Actually, this might be another problem and not a benefit. With diluted calories, volume is up and you become full before consuming an appropriate amount of calories, vitamins, and minerals.

Your Ad Here

Eating the correct ratio of fat to protein is critical in this type of diet, if you want to prevent weight gain. A diet’s primary purpose is to set up an internal environment that slows the process of gaining weight with age. Severe restriction of calories is a bad approach to preventing weight gain.

There is no doubt in my mind that you can eat less and feel full. Food has volume, mainly from it’s water content. Weight loss in this manner really comes down to restricting calories to a very low level. Rarely does that result in healthy weight loss.

Remember, a good diet prevents weight gain by preserving muscle. Active muscle tissue is your best protection from gaining weight. In short, lose weight by losing fat and keep it off by preserving muscle.

“Volumetrics will teach you how to consume fewer calories while enjoying a satisfying portion of food.” Introduction to Dr. Rolls new book, Volumetrics.

How far individuals push the calorie restriction is something to watch. If you consume fewer calories without the correct ratio of macronutrients, you will lose muscle. If you lose muscle, the diet failed at its primary objective of preventing weight gain.

Volumetrics is not designed to severely restrict calories. I just recognize it as a potential problem.

Volumetrics - A Clear Path to the Atkins Diet

This is not a potential or possible outcome, it’s real and personal for me.

I tried a volumetric diet a few years ago. I don’t remember how or when it happened but eventually I was eating nothing but meat.

If this happens to a significant number of dieters on Volumetrics, the diet would no longer be healthy. Weight loss the Atkins’ way involves to some extent muscle loss.

Despite the high level of circulating amino acids in the bloodstream of an Atkins’ dieter, the ketosis induces a catabolic state that rapidly breaks down muscle.

This state of targeted catabolism has lasting effects beyond the initial ketosis that started it. This is a significant problem for Volumetrics.

Volumetrics - One Last Point

Volumetrics is a nutritious diet. It has a couple of potential problems but all diets do.

The publisher said it pretty well, “Volumetrics is designed to help you lose weight safely, effectively, and permanently without feeling hungry or deprived…

…Dr. Barbara Rolls, who holds the endowed Guthrie Chair in Nutrition at Pennsylvania State University, has spent more than twenty years researching hunger and obesity and the factors that determine how we eat.”

My last point starts with the following paragraph from Dr. Rolls book:

“Satiety is the missing ingredient in weight management. Cut calories by simply eating less, and you’ll feel hungry and deprived. You may be able to stick to such a diet for the short term, but to become successful at lifelong weight management, you’ll need an eating pattern that lets you feel full with fewer calories.”

I agree completely. But I have one point to add. As long as you continue to eat nutrient poor food (processed foods without vitamins and minerals), the drive to over-feed will not stop.

Your body will continue to over-feed to get the vitamins and minerals it needs to function.

Conclusion

Volumetrics is a balanced nutritious diet
If followed properly, healthy weight loss can be achieved
Be mindful of severely restricting calories and avoid starting the Atkins Diet


----------------------------

Recent study at Penn State University has voted the Volumetric Diet number 1. The plan involved eating more of what is classified as low energy density foods (ED) as opposed to food with a high ED. The mastermind - Barbara Rolls, PhD. who has over 20 years experience in nutritional sciences.

The diet allows you to eat more and still loose weight. Provided you eat the right types of foods and no binging on desserts and other high calorie foods is not what it is about.

The ED of foods can be calculated by taking the ratio of the portion in grams and the calories in that portion. The ED is broken down into four different categories:



Very low energy density: 0 - 0.5 e.g. fruits/vegetables (non starchy), nonfat milk and broth type soups. This you can have a lot of during the day. These foods are high in fiber and moisture. At meal time have a large salad or soup so that you will consume less for the main course.
Low energy density: 0.6 -1.5 e.g. starch fruits/vegetables (starchy), grains, spaghetti, beans etc. Have set and controlled portions daily.
Medium energy density: 1.5 - 4.0 e.g. cheese, meats, pizza, salad dressing etc. Portions are limited to set amounts per week.

High energy density: 4.0 - 9.0 e.g. sweets, crackers, chocolate, dessert etc. These are allowed occasionally.
So even though you are eating fewer calories you are filling up on foods that actually make you feel full and you will be able to get a good dose of nutrients, vitamins and all the other good stuff.

Of course exercising goes hand in hand with this as well. At least 30 minutes per day for 5 days should help getting your metabolism in gear. Also self control and a strong will power would be very good to keep close by.

Trigger foods - Foods which increase your desire to Eat

The trainer and fitness expert, Bob Harper from The Biggest Loser shares five "trigger foods" you should skip to beat those pesky food cravings once and for all.

1. Keep your sugar substitutes, such as Sweet'n Low and Splenda, to a minimum. These are great products for adding sweetness to a beverage or cereal. But too much might trigger your craving for something really sweet - like a slice of pie or ice cream!

2. Avoid foods high in sodium, including Chinese takeout, chips, canned soups, and some frozen dinners. Sodium not only makes you retain fluids but also acts as an appetite stimulant and contributes to heart disease.




3. Avoid foods high in fat, including ice cream, baked goods, and chips. Some of these foods may contain trans fat, but even if they don't, the fat means you're taking in too many calories, and this will no doubt upset your caloric goals for the day.

4. Avoid alcohol. An occasional glass of wine or light beer is a pleasure I don't want to deny you. But it's easy to forget that alcohol contains a lot of hidden calories - 80-90 calories per glass of wine and 120 calories per beer. If you have between three and five drinks per week, that's around 250-500 extra calories per week! Alcohol also lowers your inhibitions and may lead to less-than-good food choices.

5. Caffeine is a stimulant and one many of us rely on to wake us up in the morning or give us that extra oomph when our energy lags in the afternoon. But do keep in mind that too much caffeine can be bad for us, stressing our bodies, depleting our bones of calcium, and eventually making us more tired than wakeful.

Excerpted from Are You Ready! by Bob Harper Copyright © 2008 by Bob Harper. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Check out our healthy meal plans to help you meet your fitness and weight loss goals.

Kirstie Alley and her successful weight loss regime

Getting rid of 75 pounds in in a matter of 365 days, Kirstie Alley's tale remains as one of the biggest weight loss successes stories of all time. Because Kirstie Alley is a well-known celebrity, her crossing from 200 pounds to 125 pounds is highly renowned.

In 2005, Kirstie Alley, the famous star of two Star Trek films and immortal humor flicks like Blind Date and Deconstructing Harry, as well as a prominent role in TV's most well-received series, Cheers, got bigger to as much as 200 pounds. She admitted to experiencing depression during this time, but her emotional turmoil was lessened by her decision to accept her problem and her dedication to do something about the same.




Instead of wallowing in self pity, Alley joined in a reality-based cable TV series entitled Fat Actress, chronicling her own ordeal as an overweight professional actress looking for projects in Hollywood.

Kirstie Alley was turned into an image model for Jenny Craig's weight loss course. Every 3 weeks or so, a new commercial starring Alley appeared on TV, detailing her progress under the said program.

The results were astonishing, and the whole country was surprised by how much weight she lost in a relative short period of time.

The Jenny Craig weight loss course aimed for a 3 to 5 pound weight reduction per week, which is quite a realistic goal. It has been said that Kirstie Alley is an ultimate proof to the success of Jenny Craig's weight loss course, making more people to register to the same following to Kristie Alley's appearance, scantily clad and revealing her newfound - or recently re-discovered -shape in one of the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Kirstie Alley's agreement as Jenny Craig's spokesperson has expired, and recently, Alley has announced her plan to release her very own weight loss program in 2009.

The world witnessed how much she lost weight. The world has accepted her as living proof that people can indeed lose a significant amount of weight if they'll make an effort. And everyone is in no doubt expecting for the subsequent weight loss-correlated news regarding Kirstie Alley.

Fat loss for idiots??

Just something I ran across

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia., March 31, 2008 - FatLoss4IdiotsExposed.org was officially launched. The website offers information about healthy ways to lose weight as well as reviewing the weight loss program, FatLoss4Idiots.




FatLoss4Idiots attempts to help people lose weight without following any starvation diets or flawed traditional diets. The website focuses on the newest information and weight loss techniques in an effort to encourage smart and healthy weight loss.

According to FatLoss4IdiotsExposed.org website, people can lose 9 pounds in 11 days with the help of the weight loss plan, which emphasizes an "Accelerated Fat Loss Diet" and "10 Idiot Proof Rules of Dieting & Fat Loss".

Visitors to the FatLoss4IdiotsExposed.org website will find information about the power of food and the importance of choosing the correct foods and eating patterns. Readers can also learn about the drawbacks and ineffectiveness of many popular and traditional dieting methods. Knowledge of fat burning hormones is also a key to the fatloss4idiots diet plan, as is the effect of calorie shifting on a person’s metabolism.

This diet plan also offers a new online diet generator that helps dieters calculate the many factors that are important to successful weight loss. The website calls it the "Idiot Proof Diet", and says new members can download it in less than 30 seconds.

FatLoss4IdiotsExposed.org is a website dedicated to weight loss and the FatLoss4Idiots diet program. For more information, visit http://www.FatLoss4IdiotsExposed.org

Superfoods to the Rescue

Superfoods to the Rescue
By: Reader's Digest

Luscious strawberries dipped in rich, dark chocolate. Grilled salmon. Mashed sweet potatoes dusted with cinnamon. Spinach salad tossed with cranberries and walnuts.




Superfoods such as the five described below work better than supplements to slash your risk of heart disease. Not only do they entertain your taste buds like a four-star chef, they also battle all six deadly heart attackers at the same time. Specifically, these amazing foods can:

Reduce your risk of artery-clogging atherosclerosis
Whittle away at cholesterol
Lower your blood pressure
Cool inflammation
Neutralize damaging free radicals
Reduce your chances of developing metabolic syndrome by keeping blood sugar lower and steadier
When eaten in healthy portions, help you lose weight
You don't have to go to the health food store to find them; just wheel your cart through the supermarket. (Hint: Most are in the perimeter aisles, including the produce, meat, and dairy departments.) More good news: We've pulled together the quickest, tastiest ways to cook and serve these healing foods, from tried-and-true favorites to fresh, new ideas. Healthy eating doesn't have to take extra time out of your busy day--reaching for an ounce of dark chocolate or a fistful of walnuts is as quick as grabbing a bag of chips. And the taste? Out of this world.

1. Almonds
Super nutrients. Monounsaturated fat, magnesium, calcium, potassium, fiber.
Serving size. 1 ounce (about 24 almonds); 160 calories.
Benefits. A single serving of these crunchy, protein-packed nuggets provides a whopping 9 grams of monounsaturated fat to help slash LDLs ("bad" cholesterol) and boost HDLs ("good" cholesterol). Simply choosing almonds instead of a doughnut, chips, or pretzels for two snacks a day could cut LDLs nearly by 10 percent. Almonds also pack 6 percent of your daily calcium quota and 20 percent of the magnesium you need--two minerals proven to help lower blood pressure. Bonus: You get 35 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin E, an artery-protecting antioxidant, as well as 3 grams of fiber. Just be sure to stop with one handful at snack time--advice that holds true for all nuts because they're calorie-dense.
Almond Lemon Chicken recipe

Good ideas:

One serving of almonds fits neatly into an empty Altoids mints tin. Fill the tin each morning and slip it into your purse or briefcase.
Toss some almonds into salads, stir-fries, fruit salad, or hot or cold cereal.
Keep slivered and sliced almonds on hand (store them in the freezer for freshness) to add to vegetable dishes, muffins, and cookies.



2. Apples
Super nutrients. Antioxidants, fiber.
Serving size. 1 medium; 80 calories.
Benefits. Red Delicious, Granny Smith, and Gala apples earned spots on the USDA's top-20 list of antioxidant-rich foods thanks to hefty quantities of the flavonoid quercetin (flavonoids are natural chemicals in plants that, when in your bloodstream, remove free radical molecules, fight inflammation, and impede cancer). Bonus: Apples are a rich source of pectin, a soluble fiber. In a recent study at the University of California, Davis, people who ate two apples a day had fewer oxidized, artery-attacking LDLs than non-apple eaters.
Apple Dumpling recipe

Good ideas:

Chop an apple and add to hot cereal.
For a portable snack, cut up an apple and place the slices in a zipper-lock plastic bag with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Carry it with you in an insulated lunch bag (with a freezer pack) to eat at lunch or as a snack. It tastes like apple pie, without the crust or the sugar.
For a quick baked apple, core an apple, pack the center with raisins and walnuts, and dust with cinnamon. Place it in a bowl with 1/4 cup of orange juice, apple juice, or water and microwave on high for 5 minutes, or until done.



3. Carrots

Super nutrients. One of nature's top sources of beta-carotene, an artery-protecting antioxidant.
Serving size. 1 medium; 32 calories.
Benefits. Carrots are color therapy for your cardiovascular system. These veggies' brilliant orange hue is a sign of super-high levels of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that guards against artery-clogging oxidized LDL cholesterol. Only foods like carrots offer this protection--recent studies suggest that antioxidant pills don't help your heart. Cooked carrots have twice the antioxidant power of raw carrots because heat breaks down tough cell walls so that your body can use what's inside. Carrots also provide blood pressure-lowering potassium and magnesium, plus the homocysteine-lowering combination of folate; vitamin B6; and the antioxidants alpha-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.

Good ideas:


Set out a bowl of baby carrots when you're cooking as a healthy snack that won't fill you up with unwanted calories or wreck your appetite.
Buy sliced and shredded carrots in the produce department; add them to soups, salads, and casseroles.
Instead of chips, serve presliced carrots with dip.
Add finely grated carrots to muffins, tuna or salmon salad, and casseroles.
Microwave baby carrots and stir in a dollop of honey for a sweet side dish.
Roast carrots in the oven with olive oil.



4. Milk


Super nutrients. Great source of blood pressure-lowering calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Serving size. 8 ounces 1% milk;110 calories.
Benefits. Your heart--and your waistline--love it when you have a milk mustache. (So, of course, do your bones!) A growing stack of research proves that calcium and other minerals in milk help lower blood pressure by keeping arteries flexible and helping your kidneys flush pressure-boosting sodium out of your body. A glass of cold moo juice at lunch or a generous splash on your morning cereal could cut your risk of insulin resistance--a potent heart disease risk factor--by 71 percent
and help you lose weight. How? Mayo Clinic researchers suspect that calcium "down-regulates" fat absorption by fat cells and "up-regulates" fat burning.

Good ideas:
A favorite cocoa recipe: Mix 1 cup of fat-free or low-fat milk, two packets of sugar substitute, and cocoa in a small saucepan or microwaveable cup and heat for about 1 minute.
Cook hot cereal and low-sodium instant or canned soups with milk instead of water.
Make milk your drive-through thirst quencher. Most fast-food restaurants offer the low-fat variety in cartons or single-serve bottles.
Order a latte with fat-free milk instead of black or with cream at your favorite coffee shop.
Make sugar-free instant pudding with low-fat or fat-free milk and serve it with berries.
Use fat-free evaporated milk in place of regular milk in baked goods, soups, and sauces. A cup contains 742 milligrams of calcium--more than double the amount in low-fat milk.
Whip partially frozen fat-free evaporated milk for a high-calcium dessert topping that has one-tenth the calories of regular whipped cream.
Puree fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese and fat-free evaporated milk with some lemon juice and rosemary for a light pasta sauce.



5. Kidney Beans
Super nutrients. Soluble fiber, folate, potassium, magnesium.
Serving size. 1/2 cup; 112 calories.
Benefits. Eating beans four times a week--in baked beans, bean dip, chili, or a salad sprinkled with chickpeas or black beans--could cut your risk of coronary heart disease by 20 to 30 percent. Make some of them kidney beans; they're rich in LDL-lowering soluble fiber (2 grams in a 1/2-cup serving) and homocysteine-controlling folate, as well as blood pressure-easing potassium and magnesium.



Bonus: Thanks to healthy doses of fiber and protein, beans give you steady energy, not a sudden rise (and fall) of blood sugar that ups your risk of metabolic syndrome and weight gain.

Good ideas:



Rinse canned kidney beans before using to remove sodium. Toss them into chili, casseroles, and soups.
For a quick tamale pie, serve warm kidney beans over a piece of cornbread and top with grated cheese.
Make a better three-bean salad: Combine kidney, black, and white beans, then mix in chopped tomatoes and scallions. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper.
In a food processor or blender, combine cooked kidney beans with garlic, cumin, and chili peppers for a delicious spread that can be used as a dip for crudités or a sandwich filling.