My Strong Medicine

The adventures of a male nurse navigating through life, staying fit, surviving the journey.

Posts Tagged ‘weight loss’

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The Biggest Loser’s silver lining

Posted by Sean on June 5, 2011

I’ve admitted this more than once on here about having no love for ‘The Biggest Loser’. They do have a couple things right though…

The 5 secrets to the Biggest Loser

For some strange reason most of John Q Public is continually fascinated by the TV show ‘The Biggest Loser’. They seem to be in awe of the amazing and breathtaking results that the contestants accomplish.

“How do they do it?”

“What’s their secret?”

Some take the road of negativity and place blame on the show for sending such a mixed message (I’m guilty of this):

“If I had a personal trainer, I’d lose weight too!”

Now, let me be clear, I think the show itself is bad for your health. It gives some pretty mixed messages about how to lose weight, and what you should and should not do. But the show does have a silver lining that we can all benefit from. It gives you the tools and the key ingredients on how to successfully lose those extra pounds. Not only lose them, but keep them off!

Here is what the show possess that you need to incorporate into your lifestyle in order to see the changes you desire:

Motivation

The money! Who doesn’t want to win the cash? I don’t know about you, but I could use $250,000. Of course none of us can find THAT kind of motivation, but something that motivates you on a daily basis. Whether it’s a cash prize or not. Some people will place bets with fellow co-workers or family & friends. You decide on the what/when/where, but YOU decide. Because in the end it has to motivate YOU and no one else. You’re gonna need that motivation when it starts to get tough and you start getting tired.

Support

The contestants not only have the support of the trainers and that panel of ‘judges’ at the end of each show (sorry I don’t really watch the show), but they find support amongst fellow cast members, contestants and family. Find support with those that are fighting the same fight as you, or have been through what you are going through. The energy you channel from their validation is empowering.

Deadlines

I for one think that the weekly deadline is a bit extreme, but it’s reality TV, not real life. Create reasonable, realistic and reachable deadlines. Whether they are daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc. You set the deadline. But you better be sure to stick to them and not change them to your liking, or change them because you missed the deadline. Create them and stick to them. Period. No excuses. Use the deadlines to help monitor your progress.

Guidance

There isn’t a soul out there that knew everything there is to know about losing weight when they started. They utilized their resources and learned from those that are more educated or ‘field ready’. On the show, it’s relatively easy to seek guidance since they have personal trainers they report to. I only caution you to seek guidance carefully, because there are people out there who will guide you in the wrong direction. Stay away from the absolutes. There is more than one way to skin a cat, don’t let anyone lead you in to believing their way is the only way.

Feedback

Ultimately this is bread and butter of the show. Every week the contestants get feedback on what went right, what went wrong. They are confronted about their weaknesses and congratulated on their strengths and accomplishments. The feedback is the pivoting lever that helps you maintain balance and keeps you moving forward towards your final goal. No feedback = no progress.

Use these tools with ANY lifestyle change or program of your choosing and you will succeed. It’s really that simple.

The 5 secrets to the Biggest Loser | Scrubs Magazine

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Losing weight: risk vs benefit

Posted by Sean on April 18, 2011

I won’t bore you (again) with my thoughts on weight loss efforts ‘in a pill’. This particular article caught my eye because a watchdog group is asking the FDA to remove a particular weight loss pill from the market.
Scary to think this pill – which is just to help you lose weight, comes with a black box warning.
Black box warning = severe harm and possible death (liver damage / failure in this instance)
Here’s the comical ingredient to this horrible equation (quoted from a physician):

“The way they’re used in the real world, by obese patients who mostly don’t do the diet and exercise that is supposed to go with them, they make so little difference,”

Amazing how some our resting their laurels on this pill – but yet even with the pill it’s recommended to diet and exercise?

Hmm.

Amplify’d from www.medpagetoday.com

Public Citizen Asks FDA to Ban Weight Loss Drug

WASHINGTON — Citing the drug’s potential to damage the liver, pancreas, and kidneys, the watchdog group Public Citizen has ask the FDA to remove marketing approval orlistat (Xencial, Alli) — the only remaining FDA-approved weight loss drug.

The group sent a petition to agency commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD, asking the FDA to ban the drug because its risks outweigh its “minimal clinical benefits.”

The drug already carries a black box warning for liver damage, which the FDA added to the label last year.

But Public Citizen claims the label warning is not enough.

The group said its own analysis of FDA adverse event reports found 47 cases of acute pancreatitis and 73 cases of kidney stones in patients receiving either the prescription or over-the-counter version of the drug.

The prescription version, marketed as Xenical, contains 120 mg of the drug and was approved in 1999, while Alli, the over-the-counter version approved in 2007, contains half of that.

Several physicians contacted by MedPage Today and ABC News said they wouldn’t be affected by a ban on the drug because they don’t prescribe or recommend it.

“I have never recommended this drug over the counter, nor have I written a prescription,” Randy Wexler, MD, MPH, of Ohio State University, said in an email.

Lee Green, MD, of the University of Michigan, said even in controlled trials, in which participants are motivated and have lots of support, the drugs only helped them “lose a few pounds.”

“The way they’re used in the real world, by obese patients who mostly don’t do the diet and exercise that is supposed to go with them, they make so little difference,” he said.

Those opinions are reflected in a trend of drooping sales and prescriptions.

Last year sales of Alli totaled $84 million — down from $145 million in sales when it debuted in 2007. Similarly, prescriptions for Xenical fell from 2.6 million in 2000 to about 110,000 in 2010, according to data from Public Citizen.

Orlistat works by inhibiting enzymes that break down fat, enabling it to be excreted instead of absorbed in the small intestine.

This process, however, can prevent the absorption of certain fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E, and K, the group said.

The physicians who were contacted said it can also lead to diarrhea or stool leakage.

Orlistat remains the only pharmacological option for the treatment of weight loss. Last year, the FDA rejected three investigational weight loss drugs — Qnexa, Lorqess, and Contrave — and the other approved drug, sibutramine (Meridia) was removed from the market.

This article was developed in collaboration with ABC News.

Read more at www.medpagetoday.com
 
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The quick fix to losing weight

Posted by Sean on April 8, 2011

While this is rather comical (duh- it’s a comic strip) it also hits a nerve. This really is the attitude most have when it comes to losing weight/ fitness / health / etc.
For some crazy reason they think that they weight they are carrying around that took them decades to gain can miraculously be eliminated over a short ‘spurt’ of sweating or dieting.
Sorry folks, it ain’t happening. Not safely, not effectively, and surely not permanently.
Sure if you wanna drop 10bls in a week – it’s entirely feasible. But don’t think it will stay stay off permanently when you starve yourself or use some crazy crack-pot exercise scheme.
Slow and steady wins the race. Slow and steady.

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Here’s THE Secret to Losing Weight …..

Posted by Sean on March 7, 2011

Never..

2011-03-07 at 12.40.54

Ever…

2011-03-07 at 12.41.36

Take the Elevator

2011-03-07 at 12.41.46

Not even when you park on the 7th floor of a parking garage.

Take. The. Stairs.

I met on campus with a group of classmates for our end-of-semester group project planning. I parked in one of the many parking garages. I took the stairs down and on the way back up.

The elevator is only faster at one thing: getting you farther and farther away from your goal.

Stay strong out there folks.

Posted in fitness, health | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

Newest Weight Loss Program

Posted by Sean on January 20, 2011

It could work….!
Maybe.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/bn0ed

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Weight Loss Inspiration Story & Community

Posted by Sean on November 7, 2010

This is another breath-taking inspirational story.

Watch this video and be amazed at how it’s almost a different person.

Ben Does Life

 

Ben is as real as it gets. He’s honest about his journey, it’s ups and downs, and how easy/tough it can be. I’ve been bumping into more and more fitness tumblr users through his posts.

On Tumblr I found the tag :fitblr.

This was a goldmine of fitness fellows who have their own Tumblr blogs, stories, tips & tricks, as well as an avenue for support and assistance along their fitness journey.

If you have any interest in learning how the ‘normal’ average Joe and Jill lose weight, pound by pound, inch by inch, day by day – get on Tumblr and follow this tag.

Heck come follow me: My Strong (Tumblr) Medicine.

I absolutely love the ‘community’ attempt Tumblr makes with their ‘dashboard’ settings, their ‘likes’, the oh-so confusing ‘notes’ and the integration of the Disqus commenting system.

There isn’t much I’m not liking about my new fitness Tumblr community of fitblr’s. Come join us!

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Still Battling The Snack Attack

Posted by Sean on October 25, 2010

29_couch_potato_watching_tv_and_eating_donuts

Image source: sodahead

A couple years ago, thanks to my wife’s super-awesome tutelage, I realized my weight would never change until I changed my worst eating habits.

My wife’s secret to here successful weight maintenance is her relentless and unwavering ability not to cave in to food cravings. She is able to say ‘no’ to any food she desires any time she wants. Even if it’s her most favorite salty food, if she doesn’t want it or need it – she says no. (Don’t ask me how she does it – darn right freak of nature if you ask me!)

Not me.

I stunk at it. In fact I was well on my way to tipping the scales upwards of 250+ had it not been for her kind-hearted and obvious assessment of my eating habits.

The television is not my friend. OK, let me rephrase that, watching television is not my best attribute. I have to always be eating something for some strangely-odd reason when watching anything! Whether a 30 min TV episode, or a 2 hour movie – I’m stuffing my face.

I used to be so bad at it, that I’d take a whole bag of chips in the room…and devour the whole thing in one sitting!

*BLEGH* Sick

It’s taken a lot of discipline, struggle, coaching, and sheer will power, but I’m better. I still have to snack on something, but I’m smarter about it.

The chips no longer enter our household, anything in the cupboard is always on the healthy side of the scale, and quite honestly I only sit in front of the TV once (maybe twice) a week (until recently).

Lately I’ve been watching a little more TV with my wife – so I have to re-evaluate my battle plan.

I decided to start buying more vegetables. Now when I’m plopped in front of the TV, I snack on the veggies with some low-fat dip. Yes, I have to have some sort of dip (sorry). I try not to over-indulge with the dip and keep my cravings in check.

Weight loss and healthy weight maintenance is a daily battle for me (and everyone). Never be so stubborn and set in your ways so not to re-evaluate your battle plan when things change.

I like my weight – and I’d like to keep it that way. This lil tweak in my eating will hopefully keep me there.

The battle wages on.

Posted in fitness | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

Fat Zapper?? REALLY?!

Posted by Sean on September 17, 2010

“Many Americans long for a way to get trimmer waists or bellies without having to diet, exercise, or go under the knife.”

This proves my point. Everyone wants the easy way out.

GRR.

Amplify’d from blogs.consumerreports.org

FDA approves new non-surgical fat zappers
Fat zapperMany Americans long for a way to get trimmer waists or bellies without having to diet, exercise, or go under the knife. The Food and Drug Administration just approved two devices that sound like the answer to that prayer, and more are under consideration, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Zeltiq, a thermal cooling device that is already approved to minimize pain and injury during laser and dermatological treatments, is now approved to freeze fat cells under the skin, causing them to dissolve over ensuing months. The other newly approved device, Zerona, zaps fat cells with a low-level laser, causing them to empty during the weeks following the procedure.

There’s no doubt the new devices will generate interest. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that Americans received just under 200,000 liposuction procedures in 2009, and non-surgical interventions are likely to appeal to even more people. But most of the 68 percent of American adults over 20 who are overweight or obese should probably avoid these treatments. The manufacturers say they are designed primarily for people of normal weight who have nagging love handles or tummy fat.

We look forward to examining these new devices more closely in the future, including consideration of some potential risks discussed in the Wall Street Journal article. But even if the devices prove to be perfectly safe and effective for eliminating fat in isolated trouble spots, for those who are overweight or obese, there is still no alternative to diet and exercise. Weight loss drugs are few in number, of limited effectiveness, and one of them is currently under a great deal of scrutiny.

Read more at blogs.consumerreports.org
 
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'Where' You Are Heavy Is More Important Than 'How' Heavy You Are

Posted by Sean on August 27, 2010

It seems that where your adipose tissue is distributed throughout your body matters in the battle against the bulge. Your success or failure can be contributed to ‘where’ you are ‘fat’.
The long time question and comparison of why someone loses weight and the other doesn’t even though they weigh the same, look the same, etc, seems to be linked to ‘where’ the heaviest part of your body is (the most adipose tissue). Or a more blunt way of saying ‘where’ you are the fattest.
Abdominal fat is of course the ‘culprit’. Is anyone surprised?
More proof to support all the evidence and information out there about how detrimental abdominal fat is to your health.

Amplify’d from www.medicalnewstoday.com

Fat Distribution Plays A Role In Weight Loss Success In Patients At Risk Of Diabetes
Why is it that some people lose weight and body fat when they exercise and eat less and others don’t?
“Abdominal and liver fat are the two most important factors in predicting whether a lifestyle intervention will be successful.”
“The participants who improved their health status as a result of diet and exercise started out with lower baseline levels of abdominal and liver fat,” Machann said. “In our study, these two factors predetermined whether or not a lifestyle intervention would be successful for a particular individual.”
Read more at www.medicalnewstoday.com
 
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Choose Your Food Wisely

Posted by Sean on August 26, 2010

So, not that you haven’t already heard, but here is more scientifically proven evidence that what you eat determines your body composition and level of body weight.
Even a brief moment of ‘cheat’ eating has long-term effects.
Be careful what you eat, choose wisely.
This particular evidence is a strong supportive argument when discussing the battle of weight loss plateaus.
Not losing weight? Maybe it has something to do with what you ate a year ago?
Baffling.

Amplify’d from www.medicalnewstoday.com

A Moment On The Lips, A Year On The Hips
A short period of excess food consumption can have long term effects on your body weight and fat storage even after the initial weight is lost. A study published in BioMed Central’s open access journal Nutrition & Metabolism has found that a four-week episode of increased energy intake and decreased exercise can cause increased weight and fat mass more than two years later when compared to control individuals.
The study provides interesting new evidence to suggest that even a short period of excessive eating and a lack of exercise can potentially change an individual’s physiology, causing it to be harder to lose and keep off weight. Ernersson summarised, “The change of fat mass was larger than expected when compared to the controls, it suggests that even short-term behavioural changes may have prolonged effects on health.”Read more at www.medicalnewstoday.com
 
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