Entries from June 2008 ↓

Here’s a little something before I head out-of-town for a few days:

Are you bound to bistros and cafe for the time being? The choices you make when you are dining out will ultimately make or break your goals, so if you are trying to lose the gut, you must ensure that you have planned out where you are eating and what’s on the menu. Thank goodness for the internet because nearly every major restaurant (especially franchises and chains) displays their menu and the nutritional values of the food they serve right on their website! This is especially important when you are traveling or on vacation, where you may not have the ability to tailor your calories and macronutrients as exact as you would at home. Now, if the restaurant is smaller and does not list their nutrition, you’ll want to ask your waiter what choices are offered for dieters.

Then again, if you’ve been working hard for the vacation that you are now enjoying, and you feel like you are where you want to be, by all means have at it. Splurge a little, it will keep you from going insane from calorie deprivation!

It’s amazing how despite the sheer bulk of extensive research and information we have available today on health, many still remain grossly obese and inactive. One would think that America would be at the peak of good health; truth is, it’s dead opposite. America is larger and lazier than ever.

The obesity rates are climbing and it doesn’t look like they will be dropping any time soon. In fact, obesity is now the second leading cause of preventable death ¹, following close behind tobacco usage. What’s worse, approximately 62 percent of females and 67 percent of males are obese ². That’s approaching three quarters of America! Absolutely pathetic.

So what exactly is causing this epidemic? Poor dietary habits and physical inactivity. Weight problems are hardly attributed to genetics, and even in the unlikely case that genetics is to blame, the advances today allow for much control over these inherited genetic problems. America is also known for its’ quick-fix mentality, another huge contributor to our staggering numbers. Take a drive down any American town or city and you’ll see what I mean- a fast food restaurant or ice cream shop on every street corner.

I pulled into the Kroger’s Grocery Store parking lot yesterday and along the way, this car pulls into a handicap spot going ninety to nothing. Out comes this rather large woman; she rolls out of her car and waddles up to the store entrance. I walked by the front of the car and sure enough, she had a handicap parking permit. It’s sort of a habit of mine- anytime I see a car pull into one of those spots, I want to know if the person is really physically capable. Anyway, she had one hanging from her mirror. What I want to know is, by what criteria was she qualified as a handicap? When has obesity ever been defined as a disability? To my knowledge, never! She had no wheelchair or walker and no problem walking to the front. She walked in just fine. She was clearly not a handicap, and let me just say this, obesity IS NOT a handicap. Paralysis, immobility, the lack of limbs- these are handicaps. Do you think diet and exercise will fix them? Nope. But will diet and exercise fix obesity? You bet. If anything, the lady should have parked further away to offset her lack of exercise and burn some calories before she buys more Oreos and Whole Milk in the grocery store. What if she had taken the last handicap spot and some poor old crippled guy had to roll his wheelchair half a football field’s distance to reach the store? That’s my point.

What can be done about this? Here’s some tips I’d give to the overweight American with “little time” or a lack of motivation for exercise and clean eating:

1. Go into your kitchen. What you have in your pantry will define your health. If you have cookies, doughnuts, and other assorted trash foods, dump ‘em. They are useless for your health, they do not satiate your hunger, and they waste your money. If your great-grandma hasn’t heard of it, don’t eat or buy it!
2. Make time for exercise. You’re telling me you don’t have thirty minutes out of your day where you can squeeze in some exercise? Total bull! You need to do some serious restructuring of your time. Go to Zen Habits and learn how to “Get Things Done” and be more productive.
3. If you plan on “marathoning” your favorite TV shows, at least move around every once in a while. If you are a 24/7 blogger, become a 23.5/7 blogger (that other half hour for exercise, obviously) and you’ll not only look better, but you’ll think better and write better. Israel at Fat Man Unleashed has the perfect solution for bloggers. Hell, if you have to, hop on the floor and do some push-ups or crunches. Do some barrel rolls on your couch. Do something.
4. Befriend someone with a flawless physique and great habits. Hang around with them for a little while and I guarantee you will pick up some of their better habits. Make them a gym partner and have them push you. Maybe you’ll eventually do the same for another.
5. Hire a personal trainer. A good one. Not one of those that has the gut-hanging-over-the-belt-buckle syndrome, but someone that looks good. After all, why would you hire a fat trainer? The best ones practice what they preach and look it.
6. Take a look around. Do you want to be like everyone else? Do you want to be a follower? Or would you rather take control, become a leader, and possess a figure that places you in the top percentile of Americans? The choice is yours.

Evidently, America’s attitude is unwavering. It does not matter how many times dietitians, nutritionists, personal trainers, and doctors tell you. The only way you (and many others) can change the ugly, fat statistic is to make the decision to lose it (fat), take action upon it, and help others do the same by sharing your successes. Start a weight loss blog and publish your daily milestones. Tell your neighbor about your new progress. Show yourself that you have control, because only you can shape your reality.

References:

1. Ali H. Mokdad, et. al, “Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000,” JAMA. 2004;291:1238-1245
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: National Center for Health Statistics. “National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.” 2002. (Table 70).

How often have you been told to consume five or six small meals a day? Chances are you’ve heard your fair share. For years, health authorities have stated that a higher meal frequency is significant in maintaining an optimum metabolism and that by consuming fewer meals, you would bring about your body’s starvation mechanism, causing you to store body fat. With such staunch claims as this by health magazines, personal trainers, and the media alike, how can they be refuted? Here’s a word for you– science. Recent studies have revealed that the former is not true.

Why, then, is this advice considered the mainstream? Perhaps it was another marketing ploy by big magazine publishers back in the day to draw in subscribers. Or may it was the best way to help people understand the need for eating less. Nobody wanted to discredit the claims; it made sense. After all, wouldn’t eating smaller meals at a higher frequency seem to place lesser stress on the metabolism? It would certainly seem that way.

Here’s the justification behind all this:

Twenty-two females between the ages of 18 and 74 (M=30, SD=15) volunteered for the study. All of the females had to meet specific criteria to be a participant. The criteria were based on variables that could have affected metabolism. Participants were not to have exercised in the previous three months. They were not to have any known metabolic disorders. They were not to be taking any medications or dietary supplements that could potentially affect metabolism. Lastly, participants were not to be pregnant or lactating.
Procedure

Participants were accepted on a rolling basis. When an individual committed to participate in the study, she scheduled a time for an orientation session. At the orientation session, each participant signed an informed consent form. She was then given specific instructions on the desired method to record what and how much she ate in the diet diary. At this time, the participant was also debriefed on how the procedure for obtaining resting metabolic rate would be conducted. At the end of seven days the diet diary was turned into the research team. In addition, a preprandial RMR test was conducted in the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Human Performance Lab. Prior to testing, participants were to minimize their physical exertion and to have fasted for at least six hours. The Quinton QMC metabolic cart was calibrated and then the mouthpiece was attached to the participant. She was then instructed to lie in the supine position on a padded table. Resting metabolic rate was measured by indirect calorimetry. The test was performed for 20 minutes; however, only data from the last five minutes was utilized in the study. Diet diaries were analyzed using NutraQuesttm nutritional software (Mc Graw Hill Inc.).

RESULTS
Average meal frequency (AMF) was calculated by averaging each participant’s total meals a day. This number was then averaged across participants to yield an overall AMF of 2.7 meals a day. Participants who reported an average daily meal frequency (ADMF) of greater than 2.7 were categorized into the high meal frequency (HMF) group. Participants who reported an ADMF of less than 2.7 were categorized into the low meal frequency (LMF) group. An eating session was defined as anytime during the day a participant consumed any amount of food. For each participant, an average daily eating session (ADES) was calculated by adding up the total eating sessions in the seven day period and dividing by seven. The overall ADES was calculated by averaging all of the participants’ ADES, which yielded 4.7 daily eating sessions. Those participants who reported an average greater than 4.7 eating sessions were categorized in the high eating sessions group (HES). Those participants who reported an average lower than 4.7 eating sessions were categorized in the low eating sessions group (LES). Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to detect a relationship between HMF or LMF and RMR and also between HES or LES and RMR. Average daily caloric intake and age were used as covariants to determine any effects on RMR. Alpha level was set at .05.
Results of ANCOVA revealed no significant relationship between HMF and RMR and also between LMF and RMR (F=0.001, p=0.981). Also the results of the ANCOVA revealed no significant relationship between LES and RMR as well as HES and RMR (F=0.601, p=0.450).

-Goodman-Larson et al. UW-L Journal of Undergraduate Research VI (2003).

Now, if reading all that scientific nomenclature is not your fancy, here’s the conclusion that was made following the study: Regardless of meal frequency by each individual, there was no correlation between frequency and metabolism. Tell that to your personal trainer!

From a psychological standpoint, eating less per meal at a higher meal frequency makes sense in that it may prevent one from overeating and those late night gorges, especially when on a reduced calorie diet. Although not significant, the appetite suppressive qualities of a higher frequency meal intake may help during dieting.

Many will argue that by eating less frequently with larger meals, you will raise blood insulin levels, causing lipogenesis (the storing of fat). This model’s theory was that the raised insulin levels increased LPL activity (Lipoprotein Lipase was the supposed rate limiter for free fatty acid uptake and fat metabolism/synthesis), thus it was the single factor for fat storage. The problem with the insulin > fat storage model is outdated and there are many other factors outside of insulin which dictate fat storage and metabolism. For instance, Chlyomicrons alone (byproducts of fat digested in the stomach) can rouse free fatty acid uptake and triglyceride production, even in the absence of insulin. Bye-bye insulin model!

It all comes down to your macronutrient breakdown and your total caloric intake. It’s entirely a matter of preference as to whether or not you choose to have half a dozen meals or three meals. More active folks might get hungrier more often, so six meals sounds like a treat. I eat more than six meals because I eat like a horse and I’m always on the go. I know many extremely ripped and lean individuals that eat three or four meals in a day. Eat however often you feel you need to eat, within reason. If you are hungry, chances are your body is telling you to eat something, so shut it up by feeding it. If you are wise with your caloric intake, you may find that you can eat a few decently portioned meals and snack and graze intermittently to keep hunger satiated. Then again, if eating all day isn’t your fancy, go with three meals (I’d keep the baseline at three, since it’s hard to down four digit calorie meals (>1000 kcal) at one sitting without bloating up like the Pillsbury Doughboy).