4 Steps to Prevent Pound Rebound

When it comes to the scale, what goes down usually comes up; 95% of dieters regain the weight they lost within 3 years.  Want a few tips to help prevent regaining weight and beat the statistics?

NIBBLE BEFORE YOU NETWORK

Nearly 55% of regainers said office culture (business lunches, happy hours, birthdays and other office functions) is a diet saboteur.  Outsmart any overdulging by snacking on a handful of nuts or a fibre-rich bar such as Fibre 1 (around 140 cals) or 1/2 a Clif Bar (or make your won!) before you meet with clients or coworkers. 

GIMME FIVE!
The still-svelte people are twice as likely to eat a total of five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily.  You can eat a pile of filling produce instead of a measly handful of chips for the same amount of calories or less.

SHELVE THE DIET BOOKS
When regainers start to put pounds back on, they are more likely to turn to diet books instead of the plan that helped them lose the weight in the first place.  Diet books can be a great refresher, but they can't replace healthy behaviours.  For a little "light" reading, try a low-cal cookbook.

POWER THROUGH AN HOUR
Succesful losers continue to exercise for 30 to 60 minutes a day.  Don't drop your workout regimen once the pounds have melted off.  Exercise gives you an edge - burning even an extra 100 or 200 calories a day can help halt weight gain creeping back on.  Be sure to change your routine to help prevent boredom and your body adapting to doing the same thing all the time.

"The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat are really good friends." - Anon

Get Back on Track

Ah...vacation...holidays!!  As much as we love them...Does this sound like you???

Q.  I recently went away on vacation and spent the entire time drinking and eating fatty foods.  Now I'm sluggish and "out of whack!"  Are there any healthy ways to quickly get myself back on track?

A.  As with all overindulgences, it takes time to return to equilibrium.  Getting plenty of rest, exercising regularly, being well-hydrated and abstaining from alcohol for several days will usually do the trick. 

You may have missed out on some sleep and incurred a sleep debt.  If this is so, it's impossible to predict how much sleep you'll need to make up the deficit.  Say you've been awake for 24 hrs straight due to traveling - you'll probably need to "catch up" on at least the 8 hrs you missed.  I would suggest increasing your sleep for 1-3 subsequent nights to make up the deficit.  Pay close attention to your body; if you are still tired when you wake up, you'll need more sleep.  If not, you're more than likely already caught up!

In terms of detoxifying your body, fatty foods are not toxic.  Periodic excess of high-calorie comfort dishes is unlikely to cause long-term effects such as weight gain or elevated cholesterol.  Alcohol, however, is toxic.  Once consumed, it metabolizes into a toxic substance called acetaldehyde - which is more harmful to the body than the ingested alcohol itself.

I recommend spending the next week paying special attention to eating lots of fruit and veggies, in addition to drinking a minimum of 8-10 glasses of water daily.  Give your body a rest.  Get your mind and body back on track through some light cardio, light exercises and/or yoga.  If days go by without a sing of improvement, see your Doctor or nutritionist to review your diet.  Overindulgences have an effect on your homeostasis, but continued overindulgences can have more serious and long-term consequences!

“A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in.” - Robert Orben

Beauty Sleep

Sleeping too little or too much could pack on the pounds! 

Despite traditional thinking that sleeping too much might cause weight gain, research is showing that sleeping too little can also cause weight gain.  Several studies have been done in this area.  In one particular study, scientists tracked the sleeping habits of 276 adults for over 6 years. 

Compared to people who slept 7-8 hours per night, those who slept 9-10 hours a night gained an average of 3.5 pounds more and those who slept 5-6 hours a night gained more than 4 pounds more.

Undersleeping is probably worse than oversleeping when it comes to controlling body weight, say the researchers.  People getting less than average-length sleepers were at a 27% greater risk of obesity, while extra  long sleepers had a 21% higher risk of becoming obese.  Researchers believe that too little sleep may cause hormonal changes that stimulate appetite, among other factors.

I know when I am short on sleep, I certainly crave carbohydrates....especially those simple ones...breads, candy, crackers, cereal, etc

So...turn off the TV and get to bed!

"There is one thing people like that is good for them: a good night's sleep." - Ed Howe