HEALTH: When you hit the wall with your diet, there are ways to crank up the calorie-burning.


When the needle on the scale refuses to drop another bar, it can be frustrating. Jump-starting weight loss calls for understanding what causes the halt. A debated weight-loss theory holds that the body has a "set point" or comfortable level of fatness, below which the body will resist fat-loss efforts.

Weight loss also slows because

"the less you weigh, the fewer calories it takes to move your body around,"

said Roberta Jupp, a South Carolina registered dietitian and diabetes educator. But you can crank up the calorie-burning.


Change your ways.


Changing your routine is the main way to get off a weight-loss plateau, said Cathy Muffler, a YMCA director and certified fitness trainer. Vary the speed or incline on the treadmill, or try the bike or elliptical machine. Change what, how much and when you eat.


Analyze your behavior.


Losing weight is not just about diet and exercise, but about behavior.
You might be taking in more calories than you realize. A food diary can reveal where you need to make adjustments.

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A technology that has been used in Europe for about 30 years has arrived in the U.S., promising patients they can lose weight and stop smoking.


Low-level laser therapy allows patient Steve Borden to sit in an easy chair as beams of light target his ears, nose, hands and wrists. Borden hopes the treatment will help him lose weight.

"I've tried other diets. They haven't worked and I want to lose 20 pounds,"

Borden said.


Each zap of light penetrates the skin to stimulate endorphins, Mother Nature's mood-lifter.

"It increases the patient's metabolism and reduces their cravings,"

said technician Andrea Steuer.

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HIGH-carbohydrate diets are just as effective in maintaining weight loss as other diets, it is now claimed.


A study to be presented to a conference in Adelaide next week, has found people on diets high in slowly digested carbohydrate and low in saturated fat can successfully lose weight and keep it off.


University of Melbourne research dietician Liz Delbridge and her team put 173 overweight or obese people on a 12-week low-energy weight loss diet before switching them randomly to either a high carbohydrate or high protein diet to maintain their weight.

"Some people lose weight and keep it off, whereas others lose weight and put it all back on again," said Ms Delbridge, who will present her findings at next week's Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology Incorporated Convention. "We wanted to see if the type of diet people adopted after weight loss had an influence on people's ability to keep the weight off."

Results showed that a high protein diet had no advantages over a high carbohydrate diet in maintaining weight loss over a 12-month period, Ms Delbridge said.


Source: The Advertiser


Related Articles: Fat Loss for Beginners - 8 tips for getting started | The Truth About Counting Calories | The Skinny on: Low Carb Diets

The morning television show, The View, has been in the news lately. The reason is that one of its co-hosts, Star Jones Reynolds, left the show on what appears to be bad terms.

As a result of the added attention given to the show, the question of how Star Jones Reynolds lost over 150 pounds in little time is being questioned. Star Jones Reynolds says it was diet and exercise. Some are saying gastric bypass. She looks a little gaunt to me, and I wanted to get your thoughts on the difference between surgery and the natural way of losing weight.

— Betsy J., Ventura


I am fully aware of the drama that has taken place with the popular diva show, The View. I’ve also observed the rapid weight loss of Star Jones Reynolds.


Most recently, on Larry King Live, Star Jones Reynolds finally announced that she had weight-loss surgery for medical reasons. She made it clear that her decision was personal and that in no way did she mislead viewers to thinking she lost weight through eating healthfully and exercising regularly. As a fan of The View and one who has worked intimately with a wide array of people, I disagree with Star Jones Reynolds.

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Calcium - The Key To Quick Weight Loss


" Are you dieting your way to bone loss? "



Are you aware that the diet you follow may be depleting your bones of essential nutrients and increasing your chances of developing osteoporosis? Popular diets may promise quick weight loss, but calcium and other important nutrients are often missing from the menu, which can lead to bone loss.


And women who consistently limit what they eat to avoid gaining weight may undermine the health of their bones, according to a study by ARS researchers in California.


The study looked at the eating behavior of women between the ages of 18 and 50 and found that those classified as "restrained eaters" had significantly lower bone mineral density and bone mineral content (key indicators of overall bone strength and health) than women who said they weren't concerned about what they ate.

"Exercise and eating a well-balanced diet with adequate calcium, are two of the best ways to keep your bones strong and healthy."

advise the researchers.


A Diet Rich In Calcium Helps Reduce Body Fat
Calcium is not only good for your bones but can help you maintain a healthy, low fat diet too. There has been increasing media coverage about numerous studies showing that a diet rich in calcium helps reduce body fat.


Why is calcium important in weight loss?

Calcium is a fat burner. High-calcium diets seem to favor burning rather than storing fat. Researchers say this is because calcium stored in fat cells plays an important role in fat storage and breakdown.

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