Using Calories to Your Advantage

Maintaining a healthy weight and/or losing unhealthy weight is a science. What does it all boil down to? Calories, plain and simple.

You don't have to obsessively count every single calorie, but here's some food for thought if you want to lose weight or simply want to maintain it.

To lose weight, you need to consume less calories than the ones you burn (via exercise or typical daily activities).

To maintain your weight, you just need to consume the exact number of calories that you need and burn daily.

Figure out how many calories you need

Here’s a quick formula to estimate calorie needs on a daily basis:

Your Weight X 12 = Number of calories needed for weight maintenance

To lose about 1 pound per week: Reduce intake by 500 calories/day

Tip: Make sure you're filling up on healthy calories and not a bunch of junk!

Need help coming up with a healthy diet plan you can actually stick to? Call 718-491-5525 today and get started!

Source: abcnews.com

Gain More Self-Control, Not Weight

There's a lot more science to how much we eat than we think. According to a new study called "Plate Size and Color Suggestibility" published in the Journal of Consumer Research, the color of your plate affects how much food you eat.

When there is a low contrast of color between your plate and food, you will serve yourself and eat more food--as much as 22 percent more--than when there's a high contrast of color between your plate and food. Over time, this can cause extra pounds and an expanded waistline.

The study also found that reducing the contrast of color between your dinnerware and background (tablecloth, place mat) can reduce over-serving by up to 10 percent.

Takeaway: Don't just vary the color of healthy foods such as veggies and fruits on your plate--also work on dining with plates in a sharp contrast to what you're eating so you pay more attention to portions. Choosing a dining "background" with a low contrast to your plate will enhance the effect.

Another tip: Serve on small plates for smaller portions. The larger the plate, the larger the portions!

Make a weight loss diet plan that gets results quickly and safely. Schedule an appointment with WeightLossNYC today by calling 718-491-5525!

Source: foodpsychology.cornell.edu

Image: Chaiwat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Like Fatty Foods? Blame Your Tongue!

If you've ever wondered why you crave fatty foods, researchers think they may have unlocked that mystery.

Our tongues apparently are to blame for liking fatty foods because of a gene found to make some people more sensitive to the taste, according to researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

A variant of the CD36 gene, the study found, makes some people more sensitive than others to the taste of fat and may partly explain why some become obese. Those who were less sensitive to tasting fat in foods may want to eat more, which could potentially cause them to gain weight. Additionally, the more fat that people eat in their diet, the less sensitive they are to detecting it in food.

Based on the study, a diet high in fat affects this same sensitivity and can make people produce less of the CD36 protein that would help them detect fat in food. It is possible, however, that the amount of that protein can be modified in a positive way by eating a healthier diet.

This bit of news is encouraging because it's never too late to start living a healthier life. Now's the time to take action. Give WeightLossNYC a call today at 718-491-5525.

Source: ScienceDaily


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Make Diet Changes to Lose Extra Weight

Gallup’s annual Health and Healthcare survey shows that 52% of all U.S. adults who say they have succeeded at losing weight at some point in their lives said it was due to dietary changes more so than exercise.

How did they do it? Respondents who did lose weight said they altered their diet in the following ways:

1.) eat less
2.) count calories and watch portions
3.) eating more natural foods

The general nature of Americans’ responses -- eating less and working out -- shows that most people find weight-loss success by maintaining good overall health habits, not by relying on quick fixes -- 1% said they had gastric bypass and 4% said they used diet pills/drugs.

Other facts from the study showed that Americans in general still need to improve their diet and get more exercise to combat the high rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

The good news: Even modest weight loss (5% or 10% of total body weight) can improve a person's blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Call 718-491-5525 today to start a weight loss plan that works!

Source: Gallup

Image: Piyachok Thawornmat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Children Are Snacking Now More Than Ever

Children today are snacking more than ever, and they're snacking all day long on junk food, says a new study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Childhood obesity is on the rise, and it's no surprise, considering that 27 percent of children's daily diets now consist of such junk food snacks as chips and candy.

Below are a few facts from the study:

Children--even some at a very young age--snack as frequently as three times a day.

Children eat three meals a day, but also snack on a lot of empty-calorie foods during the day.

Between 1977 and 2006, children's caloric intake from snacks increased by an average of 168 calories per day (up to 586 calories total).

They are more likely to drink fruit juice and other sugar-sweetened drinks than milk and are less likely to eat a fresh fruit or vegetable at snack time.

Eating habits start at a young age, which makes it important to establish healthy eating habits, including eating fresh, healthy foods at snack time instead of junk, early on. Parents also need to set a healthy example for children to model after to prevent childhood obesity and encourage a healthy lifestyle for the entire family.

Schedule your first appointment at WeightLossNYC today!

Source: UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A New Year, a New You

Next year, I'll be more disciplined.

Next year, I'll lose the weight.

Next year, I'll...

Every year, it's the same. You make up a list of resolutions that you don't end up fulfilling, and the number on the scale continues to go higher.

Don't let it be another year like this.

Make yourself the New Year's resolution of making an appointment with Dr. Aron at WeightLossNYC to start the new year off right. 2012 is the year you make a real change, so don't delay and call 718-491-5525 today!

Check out:

Your First Visit to New York Medical Weight Loss Center

About Our Medical Weight Loss Program

Weight Loss Success Stories

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Fattening 'Diet' Foods

The real calorie, sugar and fat content of popular "diet" foods will surprise you. Read on to learn about the fat traps lurking in foods you think are healthy for you.

Yogurt
Flavored yogurt can be packed with as much as 31 grams of sugar per cup. Low-fat plain yogurt is a healtheir choice and fat-free Greek yogurt has less sugar than plain yogurt but twice the amount of protein.

Sugar-free snacks
Sugar-free snacks such as cookies and candy are no better than the real thing. When sugar is removed, fat and calories are typically added, so it's not helping your diet at all.

Trail mix
You have to be careful with the type of trail mix you buy. The kind with banana chips (which are usually deep-fried) or yogurt-covered raisins (which may contain partially hydrogenated oil) will have trans fats and saturated fats.

Veggie chips
With veggie chips, be on the lookout for potato chips posing as a healthy snack, as veggie chips are often just potato flour with food coloring with plenty of salt, fat and calories. Make sure they are made of an actual veggie, which would be the first ingredient listed.

Smoothies
Smoothies can contain as much as 500 calories and 17 grams of fat depending on what's added to them in the mixer. Stay away from those with frozen yogurt, sorbet or sherbet added. Better yet, make your own with fruit only.

Ground turkey
Many healthy eaters turn to turkey as an alternative to beef, but it can sometimes be as fattening or even more so than beef. How so? Ground turkey contains skin and a 3-ounce serving can contain 13 grams of fat, which is three times the amount in lean ground beef. Make it a point to check nutrition labels and always opt for the leanest meat selection.

Get started on a personalized weight loss plan. Call today!

Source: Fitness Magazine