April 2019

List: Seventeen Tips to Avoid the All-or-Nothing Mentality

Seventeen ways to avoid the all-or-nothing pitfall.  

All-or-nothing usually ends in nothing but diet failure.   The all-or-nothing mentality is the enemy of successful weight loss or maintenance.  Unfortunately, this type of mentality leads to unrealistic expectations.  Recently, I was required to take a trip for work.  This trip required that I take a flight and you know airplane food is the most healthy food on earth.  Of course,  many of us feel that we paid for the food so we must eat the food so just like them, I ate the food that was served to me.  I immediately felt regret and guilt.  I took the rest of the trip off and soon spiraled.  One week of a required work trip soon became the nightmare of binge and splurge.   

 

Progress Report: 19 April 2019

Still one step away from my short-term goal.

So I started my weight loss journey back in January of 2019 and I weighed in at 231 lbs. By March, I lost some weight and was at 225 lbs.  Since March, I haven’t really lost any more weight.  In fact, I yo-yoed up and down for most of the next month.  I have 2-3  pounds to go until I will make weight and one week to meet that goal.  I passed my PT test but will have to be taped.  

 

Research: Cloves may inhibit fat deposition and lower insulin resistance

Cloves may reduce both fat deposition and insulin resistance.

Clove is one of the many key spices used in Indian cuisine.  It is also found in many seasonal recipes in the United States.  I love adding a dash to my eggnog.  A little dab of ground clove goes a long way to maximizing the taste it adds to any recipe.  For years, it has also been recommended as a potential remedy for multiple ailments to include diabetes and obesity.  Beyond the great flavor, many of these health claims are poorly supported by research.  

 

Research: An evaluation of a commercial weight loss program on weight and body circumference

Nutrisystem® may show promise at reducing weight and body circumference

Few if any commercial weight loss programs have research to back up their use for short or long term weight loss.   Commercial diet plans are readily available to the most weight conscious consumer, but their cost may not be worth the investment because the evidence on their effectiveness for promoting weight loss is lacking.  There is some evidence to support the use of portion-controlled diets such as Nutrisystem ®.

 

Research: Caraway may reduce appetite

Caraway may promote satiety.

Spices can make your food taste better.  If your food tastes better, it might promote satiety.   Caraway seeds have a pungent flavor that comes from the compounds that make it unique.   Caraway is used to flavor bread, rice, and many sausages.  Caraway seeds taste great, but could they weight loss and reduce body weight through increased satiety.  

 


Recipe: Pineapple Strawberry Flax Smoothie

Pineapple Strawberry Flax Smoothie

This recipe combines healthy fats from chia seeds and flax meal.  Flax meal is high in fiber and 73% of the fat is polyunsaturated.  Chia seeds are equally impressive a decent source of protein and fiber.   I have added a base of Fairlife milk and kefir.  The fruit is simply 140 grams of unsweetened frozen pineapple and strawberries.  The fruit adds enough sweetness to absolve the need for sugar.   This simple smoothie has enough fiber and protein to keep you full all morning long.  

 

Happy 1000th post!

Today is a mark of 1000 posts to this blog!

You may consider it sort of a birthday for the blog. It is a milestone.  I have reached the 1000th post milestone.  This day is significant because 1000 posts is a huge accomplishment.  When I started my blog back in July of 2016 I had no idea that I would continue this blog.  My very first post was about my New Path to Health!: My Health Journey.  For me, this has been less about a diary and more about a journey to better health.  A huge thanks to everyone for following me!

 


Research: Can lemon water assist weight loss?

Lemon water may help with weight loss.  

Lemons are often promoted as a magical weight loss food that will help the drinker lose weight with no addition of any other activities or changes to your diet.  It sounds like a bridge too far.  I discussed lemons water and the research behind it over a year ago.  There are a few theories as to why lemons may help with weight loss, and we will discuss them and whether they are true.