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Get Your New Year’s Resolutions Started Early With 6 Weight Loss Facts

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January resolutions are just around the corner! For this blog, I’ll be summarizing an article written by Alice G. Walton for Forbes.com in September 2013. If you’d like to read the entire article, which I highly suggest, please click here.

 

  1. Dieting beats exercise. Of course, you’re doing your best when you do both, but you simply cannot out-exercise bad eating habits. Eating fewer calories is 80% of weight loss effectiveness. Phentermine can help reduce your appetite; come see us to learn more about it.
  2. Exercise does boost your metabolism. Exercise helps keep your metabolism up, which makes maintaining your weight loss so much easier. And of course, it provides tons of other benefits as well: better sleep, feeling stronger, better heart health, stronger bones and joints… I could go on and on!
  3. You may have to work harder than others to maintain your metabolism. Research has shown that formerly sedentary people who recharge their metabolism may never quite get back to normal, so they may have to work harder than their always thin friends to get and stay trim. Not a pleasant fact, but something you may have to deal with.
  4. There is no one best diet. Paleo, low-carb, low-fat, vegetarian, and dozens of others will all work, but you have to decide to stick with it.
  5. A calorie is a calorie…BUT! It’s true a calorie can come from any source, be it fat, carbs, or protein. But to be healthy, you want to eat mostly highly nutritious foods, like fruits and veggies and whole grains and low-fat meats. Avoid the junk food – you’re likely to feel full quicker with higher fiber foods like fruits and veggies, and therefore eat fewer calories.
  6. Habits are the key. You can’t eat right for just a few weeks or a few months and then expect to stay thin and healthy. You have to decide that this journey is about a change in lifestyle, one where you are constantly learning about your food intake and exercise habits for the rest of your life. Start with a few small changes, and once those are ingrained, add a couple of new ones. You can make it happen!

 

Come see us at Cordova Medical Clinic to get started on your New Year’s Resolutions for 2018!

MyFitnessPal To Lose Weight

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I recently participated in a 7-week Transformation Challenge at the gym I belong to.  We all tried to improve our strength and stamina over that period, with a baseline workout on Day One that was repeated on the last day.  But most people were also trying to lose weight.  My goal was to lose 10 pounds over the 7-week period.  And for one of those weeks, I was going to be on vacation. Yikes!

 

I didn’t quite reach my goal – I lost 7.5 pounds.  Looking back on it, I lost all of that in the first 4 weeks, then I plateaued.  And I think I know the reason why: I stopped keeping a journal of my calorie intake.  I had decided to enter all my food and exercise into the MyFitnessPal app on my phone.  At about 4 weeks, I decided I didn’t need to do that any more because I knew about how much to eat and what kinds of foods to eat.  Maybe so, but I wasn’t accountable for all of my calories, so my actions didn’t follow the plan.  I know this to be true because I didn’t lose weight for 3 weeks: if I had a calorie deficit, I would’ve still been losing. (My exercise remained the same throughout.)
MyFitnessPal not only helped me lose weight, but it taught me a few things.  I started reading labels more.  I discovered new protein-rich foods that are also low-calorie, such as Greek yogurt.  I learned on vacation that a dozen raw oysters on the half shell are only 114 calories and have 12 grams of protein.  You can bet I repeated that snack!  I also found out how to use the barcode reader on MyFitnessPal to enter a new food, which made using the app even easier.  I plan to lose a few more pounds in the next month, and I know I will do it with MyFitnessPal.  If you want to lose weight, give MyFitnessPal a try.  I think you’ll like it.

HEALTHY DESSERT ALERT!

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Holy cow! How is it I just now heard about this great healthy ice cream? My daughter brought home a couple of pints of ice cream a week ago. I just looked away, since I assumed they were high-calorie treats and I didn’t want to blow my healthy diet. But my wife pointed out that the entire pint of Lemon Cake flavor has only 240 calories! My favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor is 1040 for the whole pint. Then she brought out the Birthday Cake flavor. It was very good, too. I’ve since tried Strawberry, Pistachio, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Cup, and Chocolate Almond Crunch – all delicious! Some are a bit higher in calories; for instance Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is 360 calories per pint, but that is as high as they go, and that’s still only 1/3 of the calories of regular ice cream.

 

If you have a problem with your appetite, Phentermine is a great appetite suppressant, and we can prescribe that for you at Cordova Medical Clinic. But eating higher protein meals and snacks also helps you feel full longer, as does fiber. Halo Top ice cream is great in that respect too: Vanilla Bean flavor has (per pint) 240 calories, 24 grams protein, and 12 grams fiber. These make an excellent pre- or post-workout snack or late evening snack. If you haven’t seen you favorite flavor, they have 17 to choose from. They are carried locally in Kroger’s and Whole Foods. Let us know your favorite on our Facebook page. I’m voting for Strawberry. Today, that is.

Is Protein Your Key To Weight Loss?

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Protein is one of the three macronutrients every human needs daily to survive and thrive. (The other two are fats and carbohydrates.) But can extra protein be your key to weight loss? It can be: high-protein diets are one good option for you in your weight loss plan. Any good weight loss plan should also include exercise at least 5 days a week. And if you follow a good exercise program, you will need more protein to rebuild and grow your muscles. So why not use a high-protein diet in conjunction with that exercise?

 

For most Americans the foods we overeat the most are carbs and fats. If you try to eat mostly lean proteins, you can let them take the place of carbs and fats. Examples of protein-rich foods are meat, fish, eggs, milk, cottage cheese, beans, peas, and nuts.

 

You need some carbs and fats, but try to eat things that are not loaded with them. The other great thing about protein is that it will help satisfy your appetite, so you eat less often and smaller portions. (Phentermine is a prescription appetite suppressant that also curbs your appetite. If you think you might need help with this, come see us at Cordova Medical Clinic.) People who eat a protein-rich breakfast eat about 200 calories less per day than people who consume a carb-heavy breakfast.

 

So how much protein should you eat daily? The minimum is 0.36 grams per pound of body weight, so about 65 grams of protein for a 180-lb person. However, if you exercise 3-5 times a week for 45 minutes, you need much more to help rebuild muscles. Also, you need more if you are taking in fewer calories than you need daily on a weight loss program. So a good rule of thumb is to double the minimum recommendation. That would be 0.72 grams per pound of body weight, or about 130 grams of protein daily for a 180-lb person. Protein is best utilized by your body to build muscle in smaller portions. Eat about 20-30 grams 5 to 6 times daily.

 

A Healthy Breakfast: 4 egg whites, 1 yolk, ¼ cup fat-free cheddar cheese. Only 165 calories, with 23 grams of protein, and delicious! If you skip the egg yolk, you drop 55 calories.

 

 

How To Set Realistic New Year Resolutions You Can Keep

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Research shows that about 50% of Americans make New Year Resolutions, 25% are broken within the first 2 weeks, and only about 8% actually achieve them at all. Here’s some advice on strategies to set realistic obtainable goals for your new year.

 

Be Specific

Try not to be too general when setting a goal. If you’ve committed to ‘ do more exercise’ you need to be sure you define what that means. Let’s be real, who doesn’t benefit from doing more exercise? The problem is, when you’re not specific it’s easy to let exercise fall by the wayside. You would be better off committing to a certain number of days a week or minutes per day even if you start small and work your way up.

 

The All Or Nothing

Try to stay away from words like ‘No’ & ‘Never’. Words like these can really set you up for failure. If you say ‘I’m NEVER going to have ice cream again’ and you go to a birthday party and you have it, then you can feel like you’ve already broken your resolution. This can cause someone to stop working towards his or her goal. The thing to remember is, any effort towards your goal is better than no effort at all.

 

Don’t Get Discouraged

Remember, none of us are perfect. Don’t turn mistakes or temporary failures into excuses to give up. It’s better to identify what caused the mistake, set up a new plan, and move forward.

 

Achieving your ultimate goal isn’t about how long it takes you to get there, but more importantly it’s recognizing what your goals are, being realistic, and staying committed. Cordova Medical Clinic is a great place to help you get started. We offer the appetite suppressant phentermine right here in our clinic to help you reach your goals. Let’s make 2017 your year!

5 Healthy Food Swaps to Try for the Holidays

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Healthy eating during the holiday season can be a challenge. Try these five food substitutions (and others like them) to cut down on the calories without denying yourself the nostalgic treats you love.

Baked apples instead of apple cobbler or pie

Though apples are sweet, much of an apple pie or cobbler’s calories are in its crust and the added sugar that goes into the filling. Baking fresh apples with cinnamon and spices can deliver many of the same flavors without the empty carbs and fat.

Popcorn and nuts instead of party mix

Pop and season your own popcorn in the microwave for a light treat that satisfies your crunch craving. Add protein-packed nuts for extra appetite control and long-lasting satisfaction. They’re a much healthier alternative to sugary snack mixes.

Fresh fruit salad instead of fruitcake

Many of the flavors in fruitcake—the ginger, nutmeg, allspice, orange zest—are naturally low or no calorie. Try making a spiced rum fruit salad to enjoy a sweet, slightly boozy bite that won’t add the same padding to your waistline.

Turkey instead of holiday ham

Turkey’s not just for Thanksgiving! This lean protein can also be a flavorful alternative to holiday ham or roast red meat. Just watch out for sweet or fatty glazes or cooking methods that add to the calorie count!

Hot tea instead of hot cider or cocoa

Today’s hot beverage market makes it easy for you to find low- or no-calorie teas and herbal infusions to warm you on cold winter nights. Instead of cider or cocoa, reach for a new blend until you find one that fits the season.

Ready for personal weight loss coaching, real food recipes and more? Call Cordova Medical Clinic today at 901-888-1000 to see how we may be able to help you achieve your weight loss goals.

5 Healthy Food Swaps to Try for the Holidays

Losing Weight over the Holidays II

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The holidays are all about family, friends and—let’s be honest—food. Though this time of year can be challenging, know that it is possible to stay on track and achieve your weight-loss goals.

  1. Research low-calorie alternatives to the festive foods you look forward to. Pumpkin, for example, is actually a high-fiber, nutritious food you can enjoy guilt free if you pick the right recipes. Turkey, too, is a lean, healthy protein if you prepare it right and practice your portion control.
  2. Plan for small indulgences. If you let yourself feel too deprived, you may be tempted to get off track and have a harder time getting back on it. Budgeting for a glass of eggnog, a slice of pie, or a glass of champagne to toast the new year may help you feel empowered and in control of your weight-loss plan, rather than restricted.
  3. When possible, suggest potlucks for holiday gatherings. This will allow you to bring a “safe” dish that fits your meal plan, and may also take some stress off the host or hostess.
  4. Reconsider food gifts. Unless baking is your particular passion, you shouldn’t feel obligated to make cookies or cakes as gifts for neighbors and coworkers. There are other DIY gifts you could try that won’t tempt you to lick bowls and sample batches.
  5. Don’t be afraid to say no. It’s much easier to decline an invitation to an indulgence-focused event, like a cookie exchange, chocolate festival or pub crawl, than try to resist temptation as you tag along. You can always suggest a non-food alternative gathering for another time.
  6. Maintain your exercise routine. Free time is always in short supply around the holidays, but it’s essential to carve out time each day for self care. Exercise will not only help you battle any dieting missteps, but also reduce stress and keep you energized for the challenges of the season.

 Best of luck in your fitness goals and happy holidays, from all of us at Cordova Medical Clinic! Call us today at 901-888-1000 to see how we may be able to help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Losing Weight over the Holidays

 

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