Monday, December 31, 2007

The Fat-Cholesterol Hypothesis


calorie box
Originally uploaded by lou tamposi
For Christmas, my grandmother got me a copy of Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. I've been reading a little bit each day since then and I just finished the first section. Normally I read faster than this, but this book is very dense. It is literally page after page of the author reviewing and discussing health studies. While the information provided is itself very interesting, after about one chapter, my brain protests and I can't focus on it any more.

The prologue of the book, A Brief History of Banting discusses what is believed to be the first published low-carb diet, Letter on Corpulence by William Banting. Published in 1869, Banting's letter discusses how he suffered from obesity in his later years and a low-fat diet mixed with exercise only left him hungry and in poorer health. Eventually he adopted a low-carb diet and lost the weight.

The first four chapters of the book are grouped together in a section called The Fat-Cholesterol Hypothesis. The primary focus of this part of the book is to discuss the commonly held belief that eating low-fat, low-cholesterol foods lowers your blood cholesterol levels and in turn helps prevent heart disease. Taubes asserts that this hypothesis is based on selective antedotal evidence and runs contrary to the results of what few good studies have been conducted. In 2001, the Cochrane Collaration combed the literature fro all possibly relevant studies and published a review of "reduced or modified dietary fat for preventing cardiovascular disease."
The review concluded that the diets, whether low-fat or cholesterol-lower, had no effect on longevity and not even a "significant effect on cardiovascular events."
All in all, I'd recommend this book to anyone looking to expand their knowledge of nutrition. I will warn you that this isn't a diet book -- the author doesn't prescribe a specific dietary plan, but it is clear that he is a proponent of the low-carb lifestyle.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Back on Track


Mt Vernon Track, Winter
Originally uploaded by Joe in MV
I need to say two things before getting to the meat and potatoes of this post:
  1. I'm sorry that it's been nearly a week since I posted.
  2. Thank you to Nik and Dan from 4 Feet Running for getting me back on track.
Since I baked my oatmeal bacon cookies back before Christmas, my weight has been steadily going up. It's no mystery why -- I was enjoying things like cookies, marshmallow salad and cheesecake. The further I got off my eating plan during the holidays, the less accountable I wanted to be. This included not updating my blog, food journal and exercise tracker. In fact, I was about ready to log in to Blogger and hit the delete button on this blog until just a few minutes ago.

I'm looking to get new shoes for walking and I remembered the guys at 4 Feet Running talking about getting fitted for shoes. I hopped over to their site to see if they had any information on the topic and lo and behold, there was a link to my blog! I had no idea that anyone even knew about my ramblings. But for some reason, the little gesture of someone linking to my blog has inspired me to get back on track.

I'll be posting more soon about my plans for January, but I'm not going to wait until the 1st to start eating right again. I have chicken and broccoli meals in the freezer now, ready to be microwaved and eaten in about five minutes.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Candy Canes to the Rescue!


Illusion!
Originally uploaded by *PaysImaginaire*
I've been having trouble this weekend with the holiday goodies. Between the cookie potluck at work and all the things my wife has baked, my waist got a few gifts of it's own. Thankfully it seems that one treat may offer some help surviving the holiday season.

A study at the Wheeling Jesuit University recently revealed that the scent of peppermint may help control appetite. Results from the research indicated that participants who inhaled peppermint consumed significantly few calories and also rated their hunger lower. Bryan Raudenbush, Ph.D., the author of the study, gave a possible explanation for these results.
Smelling or eating peppermint seems to increase activity in the area of the brain responsible for alertness so you won't experience a slump that prompts you to seek out a snack.
While being full of peppermint, candy canes aren't exactly health food. A one ounce candy cane has a little more than one hundred calories, so it seems best to get a small candy cane to appease the holiday cravings.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Supressing the Fat Storage Mechanism


Zebrafish
Originally uploaded by odoyle81
I'm a firm believer that science isn't going to come up with a magical pill that will help the obese lose weight -- at least without horrible side affects. Heart valve damage, heart attack and anal leakage are all problems faced by dieters who have used the snake oil pills available over the last decade. However, the diet industry is big business and that means scientist haven't stopped looking for the obesity panacea.

Scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University recently identified the genes responsible for packaging fat inside of our cells. In humans, packaging excessive amounts of fat inside of our bodies is what leads to obesity. The scientists then altered the DNA of zebrafish to suppress the packaging of fat. After being fed a high-fat diet and exhibiting normal feeding behavior, it was found that the zebrafish had very little packaged fat. Dr. David Silver, assistant professor of biochemistry at Einstein, believes that powerful drugs can be developed based on this research.
Such drugs could prove extremely valuable, not only for treating the main result of excess lipid droplet accumulation -- obesity -- but for alleviating the serious disorders that arise from obesity including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Jumping Rope Pays Off


Box of jump ropes
Originally uploaded by momboleum
Recently, I've been thinking about picking up a jump rope and adding a bit of jumping to my work out routine. Jumping rope appeals to me since a rope seems nearly as cheap and portable as walking. I've been finding a lot of time to walk, just by fitting it in where I'd normally be sitting idle -- usually while waiting for my wife. In my web search for more information on jumping rope, I found that a boxing club in New York recently had a jump rope competition.
Jump roping is a basic training of boxing and it's something that's easy and fun to do.
Pearl Kim, the Korean-American owner of the 10-month-old K2 Boxing Club, held the contest to promote his club and boxing in general. Nearly three dozen competitors were given ten minutes to show off their stamina and speed to a panel of judges. Just three mistakes meant that they were disqualified.

In the end Gill Soo Choi, age 47, jumped ahead of the competition and took home the prize of $1,000. Peter Samolis, age 18, dazzled the judges and audience with his fancy footwork to win the $300 "coolest jumper" prize.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Broccoli Prevents Aggressive Prostate Cancer


Broccoli
Originally uploaded by Яick Harris
I'm not quite old enough yet to have to go see a proctologist and have my prostate checked for cancer, but I'm not looking forward to it. I certainly hope when I finally end up having to go, everything turns up normal and I don't have to see that doctor again for a long time. Thankfully, my broccoli-laden diet seems to be one way I can help make sure that check-up goes well.

A study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute indicates that men who ate a weekly serving of broccoli cut their risk for aggressive prostate cancer by 45%. The research was conducted by completing a food survey for 1,300 men who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Spinach consumption also seemed to be associated with a reduced risk but the findings were less significant.

Other cancer experts aren't convinced that broccoli is a magic bullet, but instead just part of a healthier diet that would lead to a healthier body. Chris Hiley, head of policy and research at The Prostate Cancer Charity commented on the new study.
Whilst waiting for definitive evidence it's clear that men should be eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Super Size This!


fast food is the best!
Originally uploaded by ebruli
If you were like me, you watched the movie Super Size Me and wondered why the star never ordered any of the healthy things that McDonalds offers. Sure, the healthy choices may not dominate their menu, but that applies to grocery stores as well. Where ever you go to buy your food, you have to make smart decisions.

Fat Head, an upcoming documentary by comedian Tom Naughton, focuses on taking the wind out of the blame-Mcdonalds sails. For four weeks, Tom ate fast food and lost weight! And before you ask -- it wasn't all salads. He had a Triple Whopper w/ Cheese from Burger King, a Steak Enchirito at Taco Bell and egg McMuffins from Mcdonalds mixed in with his healthy choices.

I poked around for a bit and couldn't find a release date for the film which includes humorous animations and interviews with doctors, nutritionists and political scientists. Even the official press release only says 2008, so all I can say is stay tuned!

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Lower Your Cholesterol with Beans


Pinto Beans
Originally uploaded by Wade From Oklahoma
According to findings published in the November issue of the Journal of Nutrition, eating as little as one half cup of beans per day can help lower your total cholesterol. These results confirm earlier studies that said eating beans lowers cholesterol, but the more research will need to be done to explain why this happens.

For three months, eighty volunteers were randomly split in to two groups. One group added one half cup of pinto beans to their diet while the other group added chicken soup instead. Measurements after the three months showed that the volunteers who ate the beans had lower cholesterol levels, regardless if they had healthy or poor cholesterol levels before.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Two Week Update


Sop Kacang Merah
Originally uploaded by ^-^liz
As promised, here is my two week update on how I'm doing on the How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise eating plan. I'd like to start off by saying that I am exercising, even if I'm just doing a modest amount of walking each day. I set my initial goal at 100 minutes per week, but I've actually done more than that and need to reassess my goal.

Breakfast
This is the meal that is really killing me. Eggs and peppers for breakfast is not big deal, but a cup of beans too? I've tried mixing them in to the omelet, but it just doesn't come naturally. Tim, the eating plan's author, mentioned this problem on his blog.
Breakfast is usually the hardest meal for most to modify, as we’re a country of toast and cereal-eating junkies. Moving to slow carbs and protein requires a more lunch-like meal for breakfast.
He also mentioned that its important for your breakfast calories to be atleast 30% protein. I'm seriously considering making a protein shake that I saw in this month's issue of Men's Health magazine that includes blueberries, peanut butter and whey protein. A shake for breakfast would fit more with my routine then a huge omelet.

Lunch
I've found that eating one cup of broccoli with one cup of kidney beans for lunch every day (with whatever meat I cooked that Sunday) is really working for me. It keeps me full way in to the evening and I don't even need the snack I used to crave at about three in the afternoon every day.

Dinner
Eating a large salad with beans and meat for dinner has really been making my evenings as well. I haven't tried Tim's suggestions for wine and an orange at bed time, because frankly, I'm not hungry (and I don't care for wine). Dinner time also gives me a chance to experiment with other beans. I've tried pinto, buttered, roman and garbanzo beans now. My favorite are habichuelas coloradas guisadas (Puerto Rican stewed dry red beans) that my mother-in-law graciously made for me in bulk when she visited this month. Since they have some tomato-based sauce, it makes a good salad dressing as well.

Cheat Day
I really feel this part of the eating plan was killing my progress. I'd work all week to get the scale down and then Sunday morning, it would jump back up to near where it was the week before. This week, instead of dedicating a whole day to cheating, I set aside one meal to eating junk food. I got the idea to treat, not cheat, from an article in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

All in all, I'm really enjoying this eating plan. This is the first time that I've stuck to a diet and not found my stomach grumbling in protest. I still look at bread longingly, but thats only because my wife isn't following the same plan. It is hard to eat a specific way like this when your house is full of things you can't eat. Ah, c'est la vie.

Friday, December 14, 2007

A Sly Bald Guys' Quest


MyWeigh Phoenix bathroom scale
Originally uploaded by D.L.
Tomorrow will be the halfway point of December and I plan to fill you in on how I feel my eating plan is going. I thought tonight I'd peek around the web to find out how other people have faired on this eating plan and I found one man's quest to lose 20 pounds in 30 days.

After reading over his summary, I realized that the author had the same trials and tribulations I am having now. It's tough to prepare snacks on this diet, although I suppose celery sticks would work if I cut them up and put them in Ziplock bags.
I would find myself in situations where I was hungry but hadn't prepared anything ahead of time that was within my plan. This caused me to snack on mixed nuts, peanut butter, and cheese.
Overall, the author considered the eating plan a success and attributed his failure to lose twenty pounds to his own behavior. He was able to lose weight while enduring Halloween and Thanksgiving, two of the three most fattening holidays each year.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Today was the first day since I started walking regularly that it was raining outside and while I got my walk done, it sucked. It wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't doing my walking during my lunch break -- I ended up with wet slacks. It looks like it may be raining and snowing for at least the next week, so I dug up some useful tips for walking in the rain.
  1. Visibility is reduced during the rain, so wear bright colors or reflective clothing especially if walking near or across roads.
  2. Keep a change of dry clothes and a towel in a bag so that you can change immediately after walking. This will keep you from getting chilly afterwards.
  3. Look in to investing in waterproof shoes. Many different types exist, from expensive waterproof boots to sealant for your current shoes. Water proof socks and gaiters are another option.
  4. Layer your clothing and include a water proof jacket or poncho. Layers will allow you to avoid being too hot or too cold. Look for a jacket with underarm vents or zippers to allow perspiration to escape while keeping the rain out.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Zucchini Noodles

Since the bulk of my current eating plan includes vegetables, I've been looking for new, interesting ways to prepare vegetables. I love stir fry over rice and tomatoes in pasta, however, I can't eat rice or pasta right now. I was pretty excited to find this recipe for zucchini spaghetti noodles.

I love zucchini, although I usually eat it breaded and friend. This version is at least fried with olive oil and garlic. It requires a matchstick blade for a mandolin, which isn't something that I have, but the article mentions that they're pretty cheap. I might pick one up to give this recipe a try, especially since another blogger loves the noodles.
...we are... eating zucchini again and with no complaints...uh-huh...it was tasty, light, filling, zesty...

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

The Magical Fruit


Spilling the Beans
Originally uploaded by Roger Smith
When I first started this eating plan, I seriously increased the amount of beans in my diet. It went from an occasional side dish to one cup at every meal. While I was thrill with the weight loss, my wife wasn't too pleased with the... *ahem* super gaseous releases.

Beans contain indigestible sugars, so when they reach our intestines, the bacteria that live there go wild. The have quite a feast and the result is lots of gas. Its the same process that makes beer bubbly and bread rise. Except inside of the human body, its much less pleasant.

In addition to over-the-counter remedies for gas, dieters can also try gentler beans like lima beans and split peas. Lee Perkins, president of the Pacific Grain and Foods in California, recommends mixing beans with other foods to help digestion.
Adding an enzyme by including a carrot or onion can help break down the complex sugars to simple sugars...

Monday, December 10, 2007

Put Ketchup on Everything


Trying Hard to Ketchup
Originally uploaded by hexod.us
When I was growing up, we put ketchup on potato chips and then low and behold, years later, they sell pre-ketchuped chips. Now scientists are recommending that we put ketchup on everything. Research by Finnish scientists indicates that eating ketchup can help lower bad cholesterol.

Volunteers for the study that was conducted at the University of Oulo in Finland were asked to add a ketchup to their breakfast, lunch and dinner. They saw a twelve percent drop in their LDL cholesterol levels. The changes were seen in as little as three weeks.
The changes we saw can be regarded as significant, considering that the time period was only three weeks and all the volunteers had normal cholesterol levels to start with.
It is important to note that the study wasn't very extensive or in-depth; it only involved twenty-one people. Still, tomatoes have long been regarded as a powerful health food, in part because of lycopene, the chemical that gives tomatoes their distinctive red color.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Abusing Over-the-counter Diet Products


western medication
Originally uploaded by ica~icarus
Over-the-counter diet products are being abused by young girls who can walk in to drug stores and purchase them without any questions being asked. Unfortunately, instead of making lifestyle changes to achieve a healthy weight, they are using pills to slim down for a special event and then returning to unhealthy eating.

These products, including Optifast and Celebrity Slim, use meal-replacements and herbal supplements to promote rapid weight loss. While they offer real benefits to the obese under medical supervision, they should not be used by young girls to achieve the super-skinny figures of their celebrity idols.

Clare Collins, of the University of Newcastle, called for these programs to be to be banned for those under 16 unless they have a prescription. Fortunately, it looks like some companies in the diet industry agree. Paul Kirkham, the technical director of Aminoactive, which launched Celebrity Slim, had the following to say:
We do know that girls are using these products inappropriately and I think an age ban is something we would agree with.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Santa Claus on a Diet?


Santa Claus
Originally uploaded by fabbriciuse
When I was younger, I always got so excited on Christmas Eve. I would diligently put out the cookies for Santa and then lay in bed, desperately trying to fall asleep so that when I woke up, it would be Christmas. However, I never once though of Santa Claus as a role model. I never said "Hey, when I grow up, I want to be a jolly fat man with a bowl made of jelly." However, the acting U.S. Surgeon General Steven K. Galson thinks that Santa should be a better role model for children.
"It is really important that the people who kids look up to as role models are in good shape, eating well and getting exercise," acting U.S. Surgeon General Steven K. Galson was reported as saying after a recent presentation on obesity.

Santa has respectfully said "no, no, no" to going on a diet. Thankfully, except for a few bureaucrats who like to hear themselves pontificate, most people seem to understand that Santa isn't there to be a fitness role model. In fact, Susen Mesco, president of an event planning company American Events, put things in to good perspective.
"We have so many things to worry about in the universe besides Santa saying Merry Christmas, 'ho ho ho' and what Santa's chowing down on."
Besides, Ronald McDonald is slim -- does that make him a good role model for children? If you want kids to learn about fitness through hamburgers, french fries and milk shakes, I guess so.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Negative Calorie Foods


celery
Originally uploaded by Daveybot
The other day I was listening to an episode of a now defunct podcast, and the one host said that she was allowed to eat all of the celery she wanted because it was a negative calorie food. I've heard that Enviga claims to burn more calories than it has in it, but I hadn't heard that some foods were naturally like that.

Well, the truth is, they aren't. According to an article on the Weight Loss International site, there is only one negative calorie food: cardboard. Since our bodies lack the enzymes needed to properly digest cardboard, it would pass through our body without being broken down. This passing process would take a very minimal amount of energy.

The foods on the "negative calorie" list include some really healthy choices though, like celery, broccoli and lettuce. So even if these foods don't help you lose weight by burning extra calories, they will help by being better for you than donuts and cupcakes.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Vote Against Prohibition!


Vote Against Prohibition!
Originally uploaded by spike55151
On this day in 1933, Utah was the last state needed to ratify the 21st amendment. Since then, Americans have been able to enjoy alcohol again. Conveniently, this day is between Thanksgiving and Christmas, giving us one more holiday to celebrate during the holiday season!

You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.

Frank Zappa

For more information, check out the Repeal Day website.
 

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Snake Oil Vending Machine

As if it wasn't bad enough that vending machines nation wide are stuffed to the brim with unhealthy snacks, leaving very little room for healthy choices, now it appears that we're going to be seeing snake oil in them. I saw this video of a weight loss vending machine over on GeekFit and I have to say, it looks like someone spent a lot of money to develop an infomercial on wheels. At least it has one of the classic scam warning signs of; a bogus promise:
Eat all you want and still lose weight.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Read the Fine Print

A few years ago, I noticed an article in a salicious magazine that read more like an advertisement than anything else. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that, in very small print, the article did admit to being an advertisement. I chalked it up to being another seedy ad for a male enhancement product, similar to the glut of junk e-mail I receive daily.

But since then, I've noticed similar borderline deceptive advertisements in more main stream magazines. In my mind, these companies wouldn't be advertising their herbal supplements for erections, weight loss and more in this manner unless they hoped to confuse the reader in to believing it is a real article. Although it has been some time since I read a newspaper, it would appear that they too are plagued by these article-formatted advertisements too.

Two days after the Vytalin ad, there followed a full-page ad for a "joint health miracle" found in a product known as Trigosamine. This particular "breakthrough" was described in what was designed to look like a news story, complete with a writer's byline.
If you see an article in a reputable magazine or newspaper extolling the virtues of a new miracle weightloss pill, make sure you search the entire page for that small "Advertising" label. Better yet, research the claim by turning to the internet, your doctor or your pharmacist.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Crunchy Beans

The last time I tried corn nuts, I thought I was going to crack my teeth. These Roasted Garbanzo Beans are a crunchy alternative that I've found to be a great addition to my eating plan since most beans have the same, squishy texture. I made them last week and found that they aren't exactly corn nuts, since they don't crunch the whole say through. I will also warn that they were pretty mushy when I reheated them in the microwave. All in all, I'd recommend eating them fresh out of the oven (let them cool first!) and sharing with friends to finish off the whole batch.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Cheat Day at the Wachovia Center

Yesterday was my cheat day and I spent the evening watching the Flyers game. Things didn't go very well for me or the team.

Although I was excited to eat cheese steak and cookies while drinking a cold beer, my stomach didn't seem to appreciate the sudden glut of refined carbs. Like the Flyers, I spent the second period fighting a losing battle while my stomach waged war on the vile intruders. The third period went better and by the time I got home, I felt fine. I did stop to enjoy a Coffee Coolatta which was exceptionally delicious. I may make that a permanent part of my cheat days.

I wasn't prepared for the dramatic increase in my weight this morning though. I went from 405 to 411 in one day, but I have to imagine that it is a combination of water retention and undigested mass. I did some research today and couldn't find anyone else mentioning a drastic difference due to a cheat day. I'm confident I didn't ingest 21,000 calories yesterday, so most of that weight shouldn't be sticking around.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Eating Plan for December 2007

The first eating plan I'm going to follow is simply titled How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise. It was written as a blog post by Tim Ferris, the author of the 4-Hour Workweek. I know what you're thinking! "Jon, didn't you just say you were going to follow a sensible plan that includes diet and exercise." Tim recommends both diet and exercise, so the post title is a bit misleading, but the point he is trying to make is that you can change your body with diet, exercise or supplements if applied correctly. The best results will come from doing all three together.

His eating plan is relatively straight forward with four simple rules:

Rule #1: Avoid “white” carbohydrates.
Rule #2: Eat the same few meals over and over again.
Rule #3: Don’t drink calories.
Rule #4: Take one day off per week.

The recommended diet includes eating unlimited amounts of vegetables, beans, legumes and lean protein. I actually started this eating plan the day after Thanksgiving because I needed something to do with ~18 pounds of left over turkey. I packaged it up with broccoli and kidney beans and froze it. That's what I've been eating for about a week now. Other than that, I have eggs, black beans and salsa for breakfast.

When I started on Black Friday, I weighed 417. Today, on the first, I'm at 405.

Today is my first "cheat day" and I'm going to a Flyers game for my company's office party. I'm glad that this eating plan includes a scheduled day off, because I doubt there will be beans or vegetables at the game. I'm expecting cheesesteaks and soft pretzels as far as the eye can see.

Step right up!

Come one, come all -- see the miraculous corpulence cure!

Welcome to my blog. My name is Jon and this is my journey to go from 400+ pounds go a reasonable weight for my height. According to BMI, thats about 183, but in the end, I think I'm going to end up basing it off my body-fat percentage and waist size. I heard the other day that your waist size should be half of your height, so when I'm donning 36" pants, I'll rejoice.

Over the past two years, I've tried all the diet snake oil I could find. I've tried liquid diets, mono-food diets, plans that claimed exercise wasn't needed or that I could eat whatever I wanted. I probably would have tried more if some of the more outlandish ones weren't also expensive.

But lately, I've been listening to the podcasts of some guys who have lost weight and kept it off doing things that seem completely reasonable to me: eating nutritious food and exercising. Each of them have followed different plans, from Dr. Atkins program to Dr. Ornish' plan.

How am I planning to get my weight down and keep it like that?

"Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find it."
-- Bruce Lee

I'm going to try out different eating and exercise plans that seem sensible to me. My current plan is to try each one for a month, take the parts of it that worked for me and add them to an ever growing list that is my diet. I'm sure I'll also pull in information from the various diet and fitness blogs I read on a daily basis.

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one."
-- Mark Twain

My first goal is to get below 400 before the end of the year and maintain that weight into January. I want this to be the last year that the scale ever says 400+ for me.