The Hunger Game

Our bodies are made of complex systems that constantly control and self-regulate countless aspects including temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and hunger…

Ghrelin: from the acronym GHR (“growth hormone-releasing peptide”) +‎ -lin (common hormone suffix), with an incidental pun on prefix greh- (“to grow”) and English growling.[1]

Energy and Hunger Management

As we have blogged before, ghrelin is a powerful protein that our bodies use to signal hunger to the brain, a naturally produced hormone which we can indirectly affect by application of some good habits.

• The One Easiest Weight Loss Tip Ever
• How Fatty Foods Drive Hunger
• Sweet Dreams of Weight Loss Come True

Medical weight loss addresses the hunger factor to help you reduce cravings and shed weight naturally by the body’s natural pathways. The benefits of losing weight may be obvious, yet worth considering some of the less familiar aspects as well.

• The Difference Losing 20 Pounds Makes
• Can Your Daily Schedule Cause Obesity?
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• Health Benefits of Losing Weight

Manage Your Weight, Improve Your Health

You can discover how easy it can be to lose weight with physician supervision. Dr Aron is a bariatric physician — medical specialist in the field of weight loss.

Contact her office to schedule an appointment or Visit online at WeightLossNYC.com

Weight Loss Tips for Dining Out

Nationwide statistics show Americans dining out for almost 1/3 of their meals, with almost 1/2 of their food budget spent at these establishments.[1]

Given our tendency to dine out, it is worthwhile to consider ways you can manage and maintain your weight loss dieting program on the go. Some simple guidelines follow, as well as some links to some of our more popular posts past:

• Dr Aron’s Simple Diet Tips
• Slim Down with Soup
• 7 Easy Eating Tips to Slim Down
• Gain More Self Control, Not Weight
• 5 Unusual Weight Loss Tips
• Your Social Circle Can Make or Break Your Eating Habits
• Fast Weight Loss the Low Fat Way

Simple Tips for Planning Ahead

• Avoid unlimited buffets and junk food franchises. Salad bars are good if you choose the healthy staple items not the dangerous ones.
• Cater to places with extended menus to help you find healthy choices you will like. Favor seafood and salad places for healthier fare. Soups can be good, but know what you are choosing. Ask.
• Best to plan ahead to dine out instead of splurging on surprise outings. Consider reviewing online menu before going so you will know what you will have.
• Focus on eating for nutrition, not as a social activity. Make reservations to manage your cravings and limit the temptations to drink and snack while waiting. You can even have some small healthy crudite before leaving home to settle your stomach.
• Stay away from large portions and fried food places. Know what is reasonable for you to eat and enjoy with your diet.
• Consider sharing entrees with friends to manage your portions. Don’s be shy about tossing aside bread and extra carbs. Send away any extra munchies the waiter puts on your table. Only eat what you intend to eat.
• As always, start to drink water as soon as you arrive and while waiting for meal.
• Ask your server about options — extra salad instead of a heavier side dish. Bring your own dressing if you want to be sure of low calories. Add veggies to your entree to fill you up and slow you down.

Power Tips — Know your Menu Vocabulary

• Bad: Buttery, Breaded, Buttered, Fried, Pan-Fried, Creamed, Scalloped, Au Gratin.
• Better: Grilled, Baked, Steamed, Broiled, Poached, Stir-Fried, Roasted, Blackened.
• Avoid: Cream sauces, made with milk, mayonnaise, cheese or oil.
• Look for tomato based sauces instead. Order all sauces on the side and use sparingly.

Follow Your Diet Plan

As always, follow the diet guidelines presented to you by Dr. Aron. She will have told you your calorie limits and suggested foods for you to enjoy and avoid. Fill up on water, salad and vegetables first. Focus on your friends more than the food. Slow down and pace yourself so you can enjoy your meal and not be left hungry and crave more. Your body also needs time to recognize the food in your system to trigger satisfaction. It is also more than OK to leave the table a little hungry. You never need to stuff yourself, be gentle to your body.

Looking for More Motivation to Lose Weight?

Align with Dr. Aron at WeightLossNYC™ and start losing weight today. Call 718-491-5525 or visit WeightLossNYC.com

Taste with Your Brain?

Over recent years many people have been reaching for artificial sweeteners, thinking that it’s healthier than the real thing. It turns out that your tastebuds don’t know the difference between sugar and sweetener — but your brain does.

A new study out of the Netherlands used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain responses in people sipping two different orangeade drinks — one mixed with sugar and another mixed with four artificial sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame K, cyclamate and saccharin).

The sugar and sweeteners were found to stimulate the amygdala, which is the part of the brain that detects pleasure. Only the sugared drink stimulated the caudate in the brain, showing that the human brain can tell the difference between a caloric drink and a noncaloric one.

Other research on artificially sweetened beverages include:

• They can activate parts of the brain that create appetite, but do not satiate it.
• Increased appetite has been found to occur in people who don’t consume artificially sweetened beverages often.
• People who drink artificially sweetened beverages regularly tend to weigh more than those who don’t.
• For those who consume a lot of artificially sweetened beverages, however, their brains, can become used to the sweeteners and may not necessarily cause them to eat more.

Sweet Opportunity

Visit WeightLossNYC.com to learn more about medical weight loss and how you can lose weight fast under physician supervision. Dr. Aron is a leading bariatric physician in Brooklyn.

Slow down your eating to speed up weight loss

When you sit down to eat, do you savor it slowly or do you gobble it up in record time? Did you know that eating quickly can make you gain weight because your body hasn't registered how full your stomach really is?

Well, that's not the only news. Taking your time to eat can help prevent you from overeating, but there's a difference in how this affects your body, depending on whether you're considered normal weight, overweight or obese. Read on for more details.

Eating quickly can make you gain weight because your body hasn't registered how full your stomach is. Taking your time to eat can help prevent you from overeating, but how this affects your body depends on whether you're considered normal weight, overweight or obese.

Bite for bite, pound for pound

In the study published by the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, two groups were observed: one group of normal-weight individuals and another of overweight and obese individuals. Both groups were asked to consume two meals, one at a slow pace with no time constraints in mind in which they were asked to stop and put the spoon down in between bites, and a second one at a fast speed with an imagined time constraint, large bites and quick chewing without putting the spoon down for breaks.

The results:

• Both the normal-weight and overweight groups were less hungry after eating the slower meal.
• They also tended to drink more water, which could have affected the amount of calories they consumed.

What can we learn from this? Taking our time and enjoying our meals—healthy food, mind you—we can ensure we'll be taking in a proper amount of calories. Plus, don't forget your H₂O…

Get more than diet tips

Learn how to lose weight and stay healthy: Call us at 718-491-5525 today and schedule your first appointment with Dr. Aron

Weight Loss Heroes

Who are Your Heroes?

“Who are the heroes in your world -- the people who've got your back no matter what?”

— Oksana Aron, M.D.

Stay healthy at the office

From birthday parties to business meetings, social events almost always involve food and lots of it. While we can’t get away from that fact, we can approach it in a healthier way. Here are some healthier ideas and alternatives for the next time you plan another business meeting or social gathering.

First on the agenda: Healthy meeting food

In business meetings especially, you need to be able to focus, but why do they feature sugary and fattening foods like donuts and pizza? Those who are trying to stick to a diet either give in to temptation or skip eating—neither of which benefits you. Instead, why not provide healthier foods and snacks so people can actually be nourished? Bonus: people will also be able to pay attention without suffering from a sugar crash.

The following are just a few tips and guidelines for healthier making healthier choices when planning for business meetings or any other kind of gathering:

• Serve water, skim or low-fat milk, real fruit juice and unsweetened drinks
• Present foods in halves and smaller portions
• Offer real Fruits and Vegetables
• Choose whole grain breads, pastas and cereals
• Serve a max of 4 ounces of meat per serving
• Always have a vegetarian option available
• Instead of a heavy dessert, include something small such as fruit or a small cookie

If you still don’t know where to start, check out these healthy and delicious options below for inspiration.

Breakfast:

Oatmeal, Fresh Fruit, Veggie Omelets or High-Fiber cereals

Snacks and Refreshments:

Whole Grain muffin halves, Fresh Fruit and Veggie plate with Low-Fat dips, Whole Grain crackers and Low-Fat cheeses

Lunch or Dinner:

Mixed Green Salad with low-fat dressing, sandwich halves, broth-based soups, Veggie pastas with low-fat cheese and Tomato sauce, Steamed Vegetables

Weight Loss Plan

Get a structured weight loss plan and diet from Dr Oksana Aron of WeightLossNYC. If you’ve been struggling too long on your own, now’s the time to get real help. Call 718-491-5525 to make your first appointment with Dr. Aron, who will work with you one-on-one to help you achieve the results you seek.

Source: New York State Department of Health Center for Community Health

Slim down tips and tricks

Have you exhausted just about every diet plan or silly weight loss tip? Are you ready to learn about how to lose weight in a super-easy manner? Well, here are a few tips and mind tricks you can use that actually work. Read on and try them out.

1. Try Yoga

Women who do yoga typically weigh less than those who do not, according to the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. They’re also more likely to be mindful when they eat, which helps prevent overeating.

2. Eat Home-Cooked Meals

Those who eat at home at least 5 times a week instead of dining out are more likely to be successful at losing weight, says Consumer Reports.

3. Take Breaks when eating

Most people take a break and put down their eating utensils at a certain point while they eat, called an eating pause. When this happens, don’t take another bite for a while until you actually feel hungry. This may help you realize you’re already satisfied but not quite stuffed.

4. Time It

Set a timer for 20 minutes while you eat to promote slow eating and savor each bite. Pay close to attention to every sensation while you eat, which results in your body triggering satisfaction hormones. When you eat quickly, your body doesn’t trigger the hormones, which can ultimately lead to overeating.

5. Keep your eye on the prize

Motivating yourself to lose weight every chance you get also helps. So hang up that sexy pair of jeans or little black dress that’s a little too snug for you right now so you can see it every day — and be motivated to keep at your weight loss goal.

Slim down and keep the weight off

… with a one on one consultation with Dr Oksana Aron. Her medical weight loss plan is designed to help you lose weight fast, and is backed by medical research. Call WeightLossNYC today at 718-491-5525 and get started.