nutrition Archives - MedFitNetwork

Reverse Dieting: The Diet After the Diet

Megan Johnson McCullough/26 September 2024/ All MFN blog/

A popular form of eating in the bodybuilding/fitness community is called reverse dieting. This type of eating follows the period after sticking to a low-calorie diet for a period for a period. The reason to eat this way is to avoid regaining a large amount of weight quickly after reintroducing higher calorie eating again. Low calorie diets are unsustainable, but when more calories are brought back, regulating how this is done can be important. Other people do reverse dieting when they feel like they have reached a weight loss plateau.

The key principle behind reverse dieting is called adaptive thermogenesis. Another term for this is metabolic adaptation. The body is telling its metabolism that energy intake is increasing but energy output needs to decrease to slow down weight loss from happening too fast. To effectively do this, the body can try a few mechanisms. The body is not meant to keep these changes ongoing, rather, they are temporary measures during the caloric restriction. Hormonal changes can take place. These are the hormones related to hunger cues which include ghrelin, leptin, insulin, and peptide YY. These hormones will either be suppressed or released to tell you to eat. Another approach is called EAT which means exercise activity thermogenesis. Overall, the body feels like it doesn’t have enough energy to exercise so you don’t burn as many calories when exercising. There can also be a decrease in NEAT which means non-exercise activity thermogenesis. This is the energy you need to live day to day life to do activities like walking or getting chores done. RMR, which is resting metabolic rate, can also decrease. The body will shift its focus to using energy for what is vital to live, versus paying attention to energy needed for less important factors like hair growth or something like nail growth. Overall, digestion can slow down. The body recognizes that less is being eaten so it slows down digestion to absorb as much as possible nutritionally from what foods that are consumed. TEF also decreases which is the thermic effect of food.

Individuals have different experiences of gaining weight after a period of dieting. In general, maintaining weight loss can be difficult and it requires the work and effort that was put in to lose the weight. Hitting or reaching a goal then abruptly stopping this behavior would eventually lead to weight gain because of the shift. Some people let go and overeat in a rebellious manner. They might even eat the foods they were not supposed to have during restriction. Some bodybuilders might even deem this as a period of binging. Activity level, environment, and food choices are all influencing weight gain factors.

The general guideline to reverse diet is that for the next 4 to 10 weeks after a diet, about 150 calories is added weekly to your eating until you get back to the amount you were having pre low calorie. The plan can be more conservative or aggressive where some people might add about 5% of calories back in weekly and others might add back in 15% each week.

This is an example if you originally ate 2,000 calories per day, restricted to 1,200, and wanted to return to 2,000 over a 12-week time frame in a more conservative manner:

1	1,260 + 60 calories (5% of starting calories) = 1,320 calories
2	1,320 + 60 = 1,380 calories
3	1,380 + 60 = 1,440 calories
4	1,440 + 60 = 1,500 calories
5	1,500 + 60 = 1,560 calories
6	1,560 + 60 = 1,620 calories
7	1,620 + 60 = 1,680 calories
8	1,680 + 60 = 1,740 calories
9	1,740 + 60 = 1,800 calories
10	1,800 + 60 = 1,860 calories
11	1,860 + 60 = 1,920 calories
12	1920 + 60-80 = 1,980-2,000 calories

The gradual process will restore energy and more control over hunger cues with each week. Staying in a low-calorie deficit then eating more has its pros, cons, and risks. Finding an eating style that is lasting and sustainable is always better than any up and down approach. Eating for a specific goal might be a circumstance that would entail restriction that replenishing, but the approach is important for your metabolism to adjust to what is taking place. Food is fuel and nutrition, but we all have relationships with it that adjust during certain periods of life. How we respond and gradually find our way back to a healthy lifestyle is what matters.

Originally printed on Every BODY’s Fit blog. Reprinted with permission.

Dr. Megan Johnson McCullough, owner of Every BODY’s Fit in Oceanside CA, is a NASM Master Trainer, AFAA group exercise instructor, and specializes in Fitness Nutrition, Weight Management, Senior Fitness, Corrective Exercise, and Drug and Alcohol Recovery. She’s also a Wellness Coach, holds an M.A. Physical Education & Health and a Ph.D in Health and Human Performance. She is a professional natural bodybuilder, fitness model, and published author.

Resources/References

Fitness Tips and Strategies to Prevent Gout Flare-Ups

Victor Alex/12 September 2024/ All MFN blog/

Gout, the disease of kings, is quickly becoming a global epidemic. You’re probably wondering why we called it the “disease of kings.” Well, the reason is pretty simple. Gout is (or was) called the “disease of kings” because it was a result of the overindulgence of food (like red meat) and alcohol in medieval times. Due to the cost of such a diet, the condition was associated with nobility. Hence the nickname “the disease of kings.”

Gout is one of the oldest joint diseases known to man, as far back as 2640 B.C. However, gout remains the most common form of inflammatory arthritis that haunts mankind in the 21st century. Although certain foods worsen this condition, scientists have found that gout occurs due to very high concentrations or build-up of uric acid in the blood.

In this article, we will shed more light on what gout is and explore useful fitness tips and strategies to help you prevent gout flare-ups. From choosing the right exercises to incorporating healthy habits into your daily routine, these tips can help you manage your condition and lead a more comfortable life.

Let’s get started on the path to better health and fewer gout attacks!

What is Gout?

Gout is a painful inflammatory arthritis caused by excessive build-up of uric acid in the body/blood. Uric acid is a natural substance in the body. It is an end-product of human purine metabolism and is excreted by the kidneys in urine. However, if it becomes too much, the uric acid circulating in the blood will form crystals that gather or deposit in the joints, leading to swelling, redness, and pain in the joints, tendons, and surrounding tissues.

Therefore, gout occurs when there’s an overproduction of uric acid in the body or when the kidney removes too little uric acid from the body. Both ultimately lead to an excessive build-up of uric acid in the body.

This condition causes painful swelling in the joints, most commonly affecting the big toe joint. However, you can have gout in the ankle, knees, feet, elbows, hands, and wrists. Gout is a chronic condition with symptoms that come and go (recur) in episodes known as gout attacks or flares. The symptoms tend to worsen during these episodes.

If left untreated, gout can cause permanent joint damage, joint deformity, and chronic pain. This can lead to immobility or a sedentary lifestyle, which will lead to muscle weakness and stiffness of the joints.

Tips and Strategies to Prevent Gout Flare-Ups

Whether you have gout and simply want to prevent future flares or you are at risk of having gout, making certain lifestyle changes will help. Prevention and management of flares is a possible endeavor.

Here are several tips and strategies to help you prevent gout flare-ups. By following these tips, you can manage your condition better and reduce the chances of experiencing painful attacks.

Stay Hydrated Always

Staying hydrated (by drinking more water) is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent gout flare-ups and reduce symptoms. The ability for uric acid excretion is proportional to urine flow. Increasing water (or other fluid) consumption helps flush uric acid out of your body. It forces the kidneys to release excess fluid, reducing uric acid concentration and the risk of crystal formation in your joints.

Water is the best and easiest way to stay hydrated. A study found that adequate water consumption in the 24 hours before a gout flare significantly decreased recurrent gout attacks. However, other fluids like herbal tea can suffice. Nevertheless, soda, alcohol, and fluids high in purines must be avoided. Aim to drink at least eight glasses of water daily to stay well-hydrated. If you have kidney disease or congestive heart failure, consult with your doctor before increasing your fluid consumption.

Choose Low-Impact Exercises

Exercising decreases uric acid levels in the blood, reducing the risk of gout or gout flare-ups. When the body doesn’t move often, the joints become stiff and less flexible. A study found that physically active males had a lower risk of gout than sedentary males. However, the pain from gout attacks makes it difficult to move around. Fortunately, exercise modalities can help restore mobility after a gout flare-up.

High-impact or strenuous muscle exercises can put too much pressure on your joints and increase uric acid levels, potentially triggering a gout attack. Whereas moderate or low-impact exercises do not have such an effect. Moderate-intensity physical activity reduces uric acid concentration in obese individuals. Therefore, opt for low-impact exercises like swimming, cycling, or walking. These activities are gentle on your joints while still helping you stay fit and active.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Carrying extra weight increases the stress on your joints and raises your uric acid levels. In summary, weight gain is a strong risk factor for gout attacks. The good news is that it is possible to lower uric acid levels and the risk of gout by reducing body weight. This can be achieved through dietary modifications and regular exercise. When you shed excess weight, it corrects both the body’s underexcretion and overproduction of uric acid.

Keeping a healthy weight through a balanced diet and exercise can lower your risk of gout flare-ups. Even losing a small amount of weight can make a big difference.

Eat a Balanced Diet: It Does Wonders!

What you eat plays a big role in managing and preventing gout. After all, people with gout (or hyperuricemia) typically have a poor diet. The trick is to have a balanced diet. By balanced diet, we mean a combination of nutrient-dense and minimally processed foods. These foods will help reduce uric acid levels and the risk of gout flares.

Avoid foods high in purines, such as red meat, shellfish, and sugary drinks, as they can increase uric acid levels. However, not all purine-containing foods increase uric acid levels and gout risk. Plant-based foods like beans and nuts are okay to eat, while animal-based foods like red meat and shellfish are not recommended.

Nevertheless, focus on a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. They contain high amounts of antioxidants, which can reduce inflammation. People with gout can also have a diet of low-fat, whole grains, low-carb, and lean proteins. Foods like cherries, which have been shown to reduce uric acid levels, can be especially beneficial.

Avoid Alcohol

Alcohol, especially beer (which is high in purines), can raise uric acid levels and trigger gout attacks. Unfortunately, there’s no way around this. Alcohol intake triggers gout attacks, regardless of the type of alcohol. So, try to limit your alcohol intake of all types of alcohol or avoid it altogether. If you choose to drink, opt for wine (as it contains antioxidants and phytoestrogen) instead of beer and do so in moderation.

Conclusion

Living with gout flares can be a painful and exhausting ordeal. Plus, the inflammation that comes with it is just too much to deal with. Fortunately, you take back control by employing the fitness tips and strategies outlined in this article.

It’s not too late to make these healthy lifestyle choices. By following the tips mentioned in this article, you can prevent gout flare-ups and live a more comfortable life. Remember, small changes in your daily routine can make a big difference in managing and preventing gout flares.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I fix gout permanently?

Gout cannot be cured, but it can be managed to prevent flare-ups. Some treatments can help slow down the progression of gout and reduce the frequency and severity of flare-ups or attacks. Making lifestyle changes and fitness strategies, such as eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and drinking plenty of water, can keep gout under control.

Are eggs bad for gout?

No, eggs are not bad for gout. In fact, they are low in purines and may lower uric acid levels in the blood. Plus, they are a good source of protein. So, people with gout can include eggs in their diet without worrying about a gout flare-up.

Can you squeeze gout out?

No, you cannot squeeze gout out. The inflammation caused by gout is quite tempting to squeeze. Moreover, gout cannot be excised without affecting the surrounding tissue. There’s simply no way to break up gout crystals physically, and trying to squeeze or massage the affected area will make the pain worse. The only way to manage gout symptoms is to reduce uric acid levels in the blood.

Victor Alex is a seasoned freelance writer with a passion for health and wellness, fortunate enough to turn his interests into a fulfilling career. With a keen eye for the latest developments in overall wellness, he crafts engaging content that resonates with his audience. When he’s not writing, Victor can be found exploring the latest trends in fitness and nutrition.

References

Kakutani-Hatayama, M., Kadoya, M., Okazaki, H., Kurajoh, M., Shoji, T., Koyama, H., Tsutsumi, Z., Moriwaki, Y., Namba, M., & Yamamoto, T. (2017). Nonpharmacological Management of Gout and Hyperuricemia: Hints for Better Lifestyle.
TotallyDuh. (2024). Symptoms and treatments for gout in ankle.
Cleveland Clinic. (2023). Gout: Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention

Eating for Arthritis and S.O.S. — Sugar, Oil & Salt… Oh My!

Christine Conti/10 May 2024/ All MFN blog/

Is there such a thing as an anti-inflammatory diet? While there is no specific “diet” that people with arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) should follow, researchers have identified certain foods that can help control inflammation. Many of them are found in the so-called Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes fish, vegetables, olive oil, whole grains, nuts and seeds, among other staples.

Stop Stress Eating with These 3 Simple Steps

Deborah Kesten, MPH/19 March 2024/ All MFN blog/

Do you often eat as a reaction to stress, anxiety, and other unwelcome feelings? Do you turn to high-fat, sugary “comfort foods” to cope with negative emotions? Discover why you stress eat in the first place, why it works, and some simple steps for doing some damage control.

Some say it’s “stress eating.” Others call it “self-medicating.” Psychologists describe it as “emotional eating.” Whatever words are used, if you often (over)eat to self-soothe negative feelings such as boredom, stress, anxiety, or anger—in other words, for reasons other than hunger and having a healthy appetite—it’s likely you’re a stress eater. Not only does stress eating increase your odds of overeating, my own original research on overeating reveals that Emotional Eating is the #1 predictor of overeating and becoming overweight or obese.^1,2

Here’s what stress eating might look like:

For Ann, stress-related overeating episodes often start after work, especially when she’s on deadline with a large project. First, she visits her local supermarket to buy a bag of potato chips, a pint of her favorite ice cream, and a bar of creamy dark chocolate. Then she heads home, changes into comfortable clothes, and turns on the TV. Settling into bed surrounded by her favorite comfort foods—and sometimes, a glass of red wine—Ann begins what she describes as “zoning out”—eating until she feels calmer—often to the point of falling in and out of sleep well before bedtime.

All the while, Ann remains vaguely anxious and distressed about her workload, and dependent on food to manage her darker moods. And she’s concerned her stress eating is keeping her overweight. At the same time, on a not-quite-conscious level, she senses the chips and chocolate allay her anxiety in some way. And she’s right: High-sugar, high-fat, high-carb food (products) do indeed relieve emotional tension. Here’s why.

The Food-Mood Connection

The idea that the food you eat can actually medicate your mood and vice versa—that your mood may motivate you to make certain food choices—was given the scientific stamp of approval in the 1970s when Judith Wurtman, PhD, a scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, uncovered a fascinating facet of the emotional eating enigma. Call it nutritional neuroscience, psychoneuroimmunology, or the study of food and mood, Wurtman launched a new field of nutrition research that has confirmed what many of us know intuitively: what you eat affects your mind and mood, your tendency to pile on pounds, even the quality of your life.

What Wurtman discovered is this: About twenty minutes after you eat a carbohydrate-rich food (such as bread, potatoes, cookies, or cake), your brain releases a naturally occurring substance called serotonin; in turn, you feel more relaxed and calm. Want to feel more perky? Consume a lean, high-protein food such as fish, and the substance that’s released (norepinephrine) lets you feel more awake and energetic (unlike the kick you get from caffeine, you’re not stimulated, just more alert). And certain fats in food end up as endorphins—substances in the brain that produce pleasurable feelings.³ More recent research, specifically on stress eating, reveals that women under stress experience strong sugar cravings that lead to overeating high-carb, high-sugar foods.⁴

The Food-Mood Syndrome: It Can Be a Vicious Cycle

Here is where the food-mood link really gets interesting. Since Wurtman’s discovery about the food-mood connection, we also know that the sugary, sweet, or crunchy and fried processed food products that emotional eaters most often choose to get a serotonin high actually contribute to deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals that can cause your emotions to plummet, leading to a serious case of the doldrums.

In this way, the food-mood syndrome can become a vicious emotional cycle. You’re feeling down, so you reach for, say, a prepackaged brownie. Sure, the brownie’s sugar and white-flour carb content will soothe and calm you, but its high sugar content has a hidden side effect: it actually depletes some nutrients that could help combat depression. In other words, the sweet concoction may somehow soothe your soul, but isn’t it ironic that at the same time, it may also contribute to anxiety, depression, and other unpleasant emotions?

3 Smart Steps to Stop Stress Eating

Want to get the mood-calming, feel-good benefits of serotonin without the vitamin and mood-robbing downside inherent in high-sugar, highly processed foods? Here are three smart, simple, proactive steps you can take to curtail stress-related overeating episodes—without the downside.

Be “B” wise. From dreary doldrums to a deeper depression, various B vitamins—including B1, B2, niacin, folate, and B12—can help you bust the blues. But most B-family relatives are processed out of refined foods, such as white flour. To help defeat depression, “B” wise and consider some especially good B-abundant blues busters found in unprocessed, unrefined grains (oats, millet, brown rice, etc.), fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds. Consuming vitamin B–rich greens such as spinach are especially good for overcoming overeating.

Shake the sugar habit. Consuming a lot of refined white sugar both damages and destroys B vitamins in the body; in this way, it contributes to deficiencies. Cut down on, or eliminate sugar from your diet, and depression often lifts—although why this is so isn’t well understood. One theory is that the “high” a person derives from sugar is due to elevated glucose (blood sugar) and feel-good endorphins, which produce feelings of relaxation and euphoria. Conversely, when a diet is low in sugar and high in B vitamins, levels of B vitamins, glucose, and endorphins remain stable, reducing odds of depression.

Sip some tea. Consuming too much alcohol to relax and de-stress can cause the loss of certain B vitamins—and deficiencies of vitamins B6 and niacin, especially, can bring you down. Not only does excessive alcohol consumption reduce the absorption of B vitamins, but it also contributes to protein and mineral deficiencies. The operative words here are “too much” and “excessive,” meaning, the tipping point is different for different people. Consider this: In place of wine to de-stress, try sipping some soothing herbal tea.

Stopping Stress Eating

The science that studies nutrients in the foods we consume, and the way they influence our brain chemistry and emotions, provides a peek into how food and the mind and body work together. By being aware of whether you “feel” like eating to assuage stress or to appease a healthy appetite, each food you choose to eat may be looked at as an opportunity to fine-tune your moods and emotions, while nourishing your body.

In other words, the key to being a success at stopping stress eating is making a commitment to eating for feel-good feelings, when you have a healthy, authentic appetite for food, and when you’re anticipating the pleasure and experience of true mind-body nourishment.

Article originally printed on integrativeeating.com. Reprinted with permission from Deborah Kesten.

Deborah Kesten, M.P.H., is an award-winning author, specializing in preventing and reversing obesity and heart disease. Her expertise includes the influence of epigenetics and diet on health, Lifestyle Medicine, and research on the Whole Person Integrative Eating dietary lifestyle to treat overeating, overweight, and obesity. She and her husband, behavioral scientist Larry Scherwitz, Ph.D., collaborate on research and writing projects. Her latest book, “Whole Person Integrative Eating” was named the “Winner” in the Health category by the 2020 Book Excellence Awards.

References:

Larry Scherwitz and Deborah Kesten, “Seven Eating Styles Linked to Overeating, Over- weight, and Obesity,” Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing 1, no. 5 (2005): 342–59.
Deborah Kesten and Larry Scherwitz, “Whole Person Integrative Eating: A Program for Treating Overeating, Overweight, and Obesity,” Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal 14, no. 5 (October/November 2015): 42–50.
Judith J. Wurtman, Managing Your Mind and Mood through Food (New York: Rawson Associ- ates, 1986).
Danielle Marques, et al, “Sweet craving and ghrelin and leptin levels in women during stress” Appetite, Vol 80, September 1, 2014, 264-270.

Sugar and Addiction Are Connected

Tambryn Crimson-Dahn/23 January 2024/ All MFN blog/

There has been a proven link between sugar and dopamine. Sugar consumption has been proven to produce dopamine in the body, causing feelings of happiness and euphoria. This explains why people with depression tend to eat more processed and sugary foods — because the sugar in those foods produces the dopamine that their body is lacking. Dopamine is the same chemical that is released in the body during the use of illicit drugs such as cocaine and heroin. For individuals addicted to illicit drugs, attempting sobriety often leads to extreme cravings of sugary substances due to the absence of the dopamine that is no longer being introduced into the body. For alcoholics, there is a similar issue because many alcoholic drinks contain sugar, which also produces high levels of dopamine. These cravings of sugar could obviously then trigger weight gain, self-esteem issues, and increase the risk of diabetes, as if the battle that comes along with giving up an addiction isn’t hard enough.

The Neural Response of Dopamine

Our brains produce dopamine in response to things our body thinks we need to survive, like sex, for example, as evolution has hardwired humans for procreation, causing the brain to deem sex a necessity for our species to survive. Once dopamine produces feelings of happiness and pleasure, we then obviously want to engage in the actions that produce those feelings again and again. Studies have shown that the consumption of sugar causes the same high rise in dopamine levels in the brain that hard drugs cause. Thus why addicts struggle with sobriety as their brain continues to crave the dopamine that was produced by their substance/s of choice. Substance use, as well as severe depression, can cause the brain to lose its ability to produce dopamine naturally, causing it to become even harder to give up sugar the longer one uses the substance or is clinically depressed.

Evolutionary Eating Habits

Throughout history, humans have needed to consume many calories to survive, which is no longer the case due to advancements in food technology and the way that food is produced now. Although we humans no longer need to consume high amounts of calories, evolution simply has not caught up yet, forcing us to have to rewire our brains consciously with the information we now know to be true about healthy eating choices. This evolutionary hardwiring in combination with long-term use of sugary food and drinks cause the body to develop a high sugar tolerance, which again, can lead to the aforementioned issues listed above.

Reducing Sugar Is A Process

When a client is struggling with addiction, they often express feelings of guilt and shame about craving sugary substances in excess. Often, they feel as if they’re switching addictions, which in and of itself makes one feel bad, but they also feel that they should be living a wholistically healthy lifestyle. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great long-term goal, however, one needs to start slowly, taking one step at a time to ensure long-term success.

“Baby steps. There’s no need to punish yourself for getting sober. This is supposed to be fun, not a chore, remember?” I’ll say with a chuckle. Starting an exercise regimen already puts physical stress on one’s body that they are unaccustomed to, which, even though it is fun, causes the body to need to adapt. That, in addition to having to abstain from the substance of one’s choice, is already enough for anybody to have to cope with. This is why people always have to be told not to beat themselves up over food cravings.

Reducing sugar intake is something that should be done gradually, over time. We’ll get there eventually, after we tackle all the other obstacles. As the adage goes, “You gotta learn to walk before you learn to run.”

Tambryn Crimson-Dahn is a certified personal trainer, fitness coach, nutritionist, and addiction recovery specialist with years of experience. After having worked in the gym industry, she now owns and operates her own company, Crimson Wholistic Fitness. She specializes in addiction recovery, depression, anxiety, and overall mental health and wellness, and enjoys psychology as continuing education.

References

Dopamine triggers sugar cravings and is used to cope with depression – Fitness Nutrition textbook, International Sports Sciences Association
https://wellnessretreatrecovery.com/sugar-and-dopamine-link-sweets-addiction/

Fueling Tips for Single and Double Workouts

Nancy Clark, RD/20 December 2023/ All MFN blog/

As one coach aptly stated, “Too many athletes show up for training, but they don’t show up for meals. They might as well not show up for training.” So true! Pre-exercise fueling makes a big difference in terms of how well athletes can enhance their performance. Food eaten within the hour before exercise does get put to good use, helping athletes train harder and longer. (It also helps curb the post-exercise hunger and sugar cravings that can easily end up as overeating.)

You can only perform at your best if you are well-fueled on a daily basis. Yet too many athletes wonder what (and if) they should eat before exercise. Rowers want to know what to grab (if anything) as they roll out of bed and head to the boathouse. Triathletes ask about how to fuel for their second workout of the day. Runners want a pre-exercise snack that will not cause intestinal distress.

No one pre-exercise food is best for all athletes. Hence, you want to experiment to learn which foods settle best in your body. Here is some guidance for planning effective pre-exercise fueling.

First, take steps to train your gut (not just your heart, lungs, and muscles).

I’ve talked to many athletes (particularly in running sports) who purposefully choose to not eat within hours of exercise as a means to avoid gastro-intestinal (GI) upset. While this may seem like a good idea for the short term, it’s a bad idea if you want to optimize performance for the long run.

The intestinal tract is trainable and can digest food during exercise that lasts >30 minutes. (The gut shuts down during short, intense bouts, so plan to eat 2 to 4 hours in advance of those workouts!) To train your gut, start by nibbling on 50 to 100 calories of crackers, pretzels, or any simple-to-digest carb within the hour pre-exercise. Once your GI tract tolerates that snack, titrate the calories up to 200 to 300—maybe a packet of oatmeal, a granola bar, or an English muffin (with some peanut butter on it for longer-lasting energy). Experiment with a variety of fruits (applesauce), vegetables (sweet potato), and grains (leftover pasta) to learn what works best for your body. You are an experiment of one.

For some athletes, GI distress can be caused by the inability to thoroughly digest specific types of carbohydrates called FODMAPS (Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides And Polyols). Common sources of FODMAPs include garlic and onion (found in the spaghetti sauce & garlic bread often enjoyed the night before a big work-out), as well as apples and raspberries. For more in-depth FODMAP information, visit www.KateScarlata.com.

Meal timing matters. When you eat matters as much as what you eat.

Too many athletes eat backwards. That is, they undereat during the active part of their day, only to consume a huge meal before going to bed. Two standard excuses for skimpy daytime fueling include:

#1: “I look forward to a big dinner. That’s when I finally have time to relax and reward myself for having survived yet-another busy day.”
#2: “I want to lose weight. I can stick to my diet at breakfast & lunch, but I blow it at night. Evening eating is my downfall.”
If either scenario sounds familiar, think again. You are going to consume the calories eventually, so you might as well plan to eat them when they can be put to good use.

Morning exercisers want to eat part of their breakfast (granola bar & latte) before they workout and then the rest of their breakfast afterwards (oatmeal, banana & PB). They then want to plan an early hearty lunch at 11:00ish and a second lunch/hearty snack at 3:00ish. The goal of the second lunch is to both fuel the upcoming workout and curb the appetite for dinner so they can then be content to eat a lighter dinner—and likely better sleep than if they had stuffed themselves with a big meal.

Athletes who do double workouts really want to eat a hearty early lunch to refuel from the morning session and prepare for the second (afternoon) session. They’ll have 4 to 5 hours to readily digest lunch before they train again.

**You might need to plan time to eat.**

Busy athletes who juggle work and/or school plus double workouts often complain they have no time to eat. Sometimes that is true and sometimes they choose to sleep a few more minutes (leaving no time for breakfast) or keep working on a project (leaving no time for lunch). Those are both choices. They could have chosen to make fueling more of a priority.

If you struggle with finding time to eat, plan ahead and schedule lunch time in your daily calendar, or set an alarm for snack-time before your 4:00 pm workout. Maybe you can convert your afternoon coffee into a latte, grab a banana, or eat an energy bar while driving to the gym or reading email? Anything is better than nothing.

If you go from work (or school) to afternoon workout, the extra-large lunch will offer fuel for an energetic afternoon workout. Alternatively, plan to have a 3:00 Second Lunch readily available (apple + cheese+ crackers; half or whole PB & J sandwich; yogurt + granola + banana).

Any fuel—even cookies or candy—is better than exercising on empty. You’ll even perform better after having enjoyed a sweet treat as opposed to having eaten nothing. (Research suggests sugar/candy eaten within 15-minutes pre-exercise can actually boost performance and not simply contribute to a sugar “crash.”)

Final thoughts

For athletes, every meal has a purpose. You are either fueling up to prepare for exercise, or you are refueling afterwards to both recover from the work-out and prepare for your next session. Fueling properly takes time and energy. You need to be responsible! Do not brush off meals and snacks as if they are optional inconveniences in your busy day.

Proper fueling requires time-management skills, particularly for students and athletes doing double sessions. You want to schedule time (rest days? weekends?) to food shop and batch-cook so you can have the right foods in the right places at the right times. You (almost) always find time to exercise; you must also find time to fuel properly.

Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD counsels both fitness exercisers and competitive athletes in the Boston-area (Newton; 617-795-1875). Her best-selling Sports Nutrition Guidebook is a popular resource, as is her online workshop. Visit NancyClarkRD.com for info.

The Protein Demands of Aging

Gerry Morton/15 December 2023/ All MFN blog, Conditions/

Remarkable changes in body composition occur as people get older. For example, physiologic proteins are reduced, including proteins that make up blood components, immune bodies, or organ tissue. This can lead to poor wound healing, poor immune function, or loss of skin elasticity.

Surviving the Holiday Season

Kristy Richardson/11 December 2023/ All MFN blog/

The hardest time of year for weight management is from Halloween until Valentine’s Day – temptations are everywhere from home to the workplace and everywhere else you go, people wear more clothes and are more covered up because of the weather, and people tend to exercise less because they are stressed, exhausted, it is cold, and they have very little time.

Here are some tips to manage weight during the holiday season…

Plan ahead

Eat something before you go out so that you are not inclined to eat everything or anything in sight.
Stock your home, office, and/or car with healthy snacks such as fruit in your home, almonds in your office, and a nutrition bar in your car.
Plan on making healthy choices for your meals such as mustard instead of mayonnaise or light Italian rather than ranch dressing.

Manage stress

Make a list of stress relieving activities that do not include food or eating such as getting a massage, exercising, listening to music, or talking on the phone.

Party responsibly

If you are attending a pot-luck party, bring something healthy so you know there will be at least one healthy choice at the party.
Eat small portions of your favorite sweets at parties.
Try to fill your plate with mostly fruits and veggies at parties.
If you want to try new dishes, only take a taster size portion so that you are not tempted to eat more than you should. Then go back and get more of what you like if you are still hungry.
Drink a glass of water after each glass of soda or alcoholic beverage in order to cut beverage calories in half.
Focus on socializing with other guests rather than eating the food available.

Keep moving

If you know you will not have time to exercise, try to fit other small activities into your day such as parking farther away, taking the stairs, and putting the shopping cart away instead of putting it to the side.
If you have a stationary bicycle or a treadmill that you haven’t used for a while, take it out and put it in front of the TV, so you can watch TV when you work out.
Take a walk alone or with your spouse, kids, or other family and friends after dinner.

Kristy Richardson is a dietitian and exercise physiologist, specializing in sports nutrition and weight management, She is the founder of OC Nutrition and also works as a nutrition professor at Fullerton College.

References

Cleveland Clinic. (2009). 8 Steps to Surviving the Holiday Weight Gain. Retrieved December 22, 2009 from: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/prevention/nutrition/holidayeating12_01.aspx

Zamora, Dulce. (2007). Holiday weight management; Surviving the Feasting Season. Retrieved December 22, 2009 from: http://www.medicinenet.com/holiday_weight_management/article.html

The Habits of Successful Weight Losers

Jason Karp, PhD/8 December 2023/ All MFN blog/

In a national television interview with Barbara Walters in 2014, Oprah Winfrey confessed that not being able to maintain her weight loss was her biggest regret. In that interview, Walters asked Winfrey to finish the sentence, “Before I leave this Earth, I will not be satisfied until I…”

“Until I make peace with the whole weight thing,” Oprah replied. Losing weight is hard; keeping it off is even harder. What is unique about those who succeed? The answer is buried deep in the archives at the Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center in Providence, Rhode Island: The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), the largest database ever assembled on individuals successful at long-term maintenance of weight loss. Founded in 1994, the NWCR includes more than 10,000 individuals who complete annual questionnaires about their current weight, diet and exercise habits, and behavioral strategies for weight loss maintenance.

Habit #1: Live with Intention

Living with intention eliminates the random approach to weight loss maintenance in favor of the systematic and methodical one that leads to results. The NWCR has shown that, when intention is behind weight loss maintenance, 21 percent of overweight people are successful weight losers. [1]

The longer people keep their weight off, the fewer strategies they need to continue keeping weight off. [2] In other words, weight maintenance gets easier. The longer your clients persist in their intention and behave in accord with that intention, the easier it is for that behavior to “stick” and turn into a habit.

What makes one individual persist at a specific behavior while another individual doesn’t? For starters, the persistent individual has a conscientious personality. In the most recent NWCR study published in 2020, conscientiousness was compared between successful weight losers from the NWCR and non-NWCR weight regainers. [3] The successful weight losers were found to be more conscientious than the weight regainers and scored higher on measures of order, virtue, responsibility, and industriousness. The scientists suggest that being conscientious may help individuals maintain their weight loss by improving adherence to specific behaviors.

In a review of 56 studies that contained 58 health behaviors, researchers at Université Laval in Quebec, Canada and the University of Limburg in The Netherlands found that intention remained the most important predictor of health behavior, explaining 66 percent of the variance. [4] In half of the reviewed studies, perceived behavioral control (believing that you have control over your behavior) significantly added to the prediction.

Habit #2: Control Yourself

Being a successful weight loser requires a lot of self-control, delaying gratification now (e.g., dessert) for the more desirable reward later (e.g., a slimmer waistline, better health, enhanced self-esteem, and happiness).

Compared to typical unsuccessful dieters, successful weight losers are better able to resist temptation, control themselves, and push back against the environment. They restrict certain foods, [5] weigh themselves regularly, [6, 7] and use digital health technology. [8]

One of the key factors of self-control is disinhibition, which literally means not being inhibited. Some inhibition is good, because it prevents people from not giving into temptation and eating whatever and how much they want. High levels of disinhibition are bad, because it leads to risky behavior. Disinhibited eating is a failure to maintain control over eating. The opposite of disinhibited eating is dietary restraint. Several NWCR studies have found that increased disinhibition leads to regaining lost weight. [9, 10, 11, 12, 13] Other studies have found strong relationships between a lack of self-control—impulsivity—and obesity. [14, 15, 16]

Habit #3: Control Calories

Successful weight losers consume fewer daily calories than the general population. Table 1 shows the number of calories the NWCR members consume per day, from the several studies that have reported it, along with the amount of weight they lost at the time they entered the NWCR.

Table 1 – Caloric Intake of Successful Weight Losers

	Calories Per Day	Pounds Lost
	1,381 ^{[17, 18]} 1,297 (women) 1,725 (men)	66 63 (women) 78 (men)
	1,306 (women) ^[19] 1,685 (men)	63 (women) 77 (men)
	1,390 ^[20]	69
	1,462 ^[21]	124
	1,400 ^[22]	62
	1,399 ^[23]	73
Average Women Men	1,406 1,302 1,705	79 63 78

Successful weight losers consume a low-calorie diet of about 1,400 calories per day, with women consuming about 1,300 and men consuming about 1,700 calories per day. By comparison, the U.S. adult population consumes an average of 2,120 calories per day (women consume about 1,820 calories per day and men consume about 2,480 calories per day). [24, 25]

Successful weight losers control calories several ways, including limiting how often they eat out at restaurants, [26] rarely eating fast food, [27] and limiting how many calories they drink. [28] They are also more likely than normal-weight individuals to have plans to be extremely strict in maintaining their caloric intake, even during times of the year when it’s easy to consume calories, like during holidays. [29]

Want to learn about more of the habits of successful weight losers? Check out Dr. Karp’s book, Lose It Forever: The 6 Habits of Successful Weight Losers from the National Weight Control Registry

A competitive runner since sixth grade, Dr. Jason Karp pursues his passion every day as a run coach, exercise physiologist, bestselling author of 10 books and 400+ articles, speaker, and educator. He is the 2011 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year and two-time recipient of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition Community Leadership award. His REVO₂LUTION RUNNING™ certification has been obtained by fitness professionals and coaches in 23 countries. His new book, “Lose It Forever: The Habits of Successful Weight Losers from the National Weight Control Registry” is available on Amazon.

References

[1] Wing, R.R. and Hill, J.O. Successful weight loss maintenance. Annual Review of Nutrition, 21:323-341, 2001.

[2] Klem, M.L., Wing, R.R., Lang, W., McGuire, M.T., and Hill, J.O. Does weight loss maintenance become easier over time? Obesity Research, 8:438-444, 2000.

[3] Gold, J.M., Carr, L.J., Thomas, J.G., Burrus, J., O’Leary, K.C., Wing, R., and Bond, D.S. Conscientiousness in weight loss maintainers and regainers. Health Psychology, 2020.

[4] Godin, G. and Kok, G. The theory of planned behavior: a review of its applications to health-related behaviors. American Journal of Health Promotion, 11(2):87-98, 1996.

[5] Wing, R.R. and Phelan, S. Long-term weight loss maintenance. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 82:222S-225S, 2005.

[6] Wing, R.R. and Hill, J.O. Successful weight loss maintenance. Annual Review of Nutrition, 21: 323-341, 2001.

[7] Butryn, M.L., Phelan, S., Hill, J.O., and Wing, R.R. Consistent self-monitoring of weight: A key component of successful weight loss maintenance. Obesity, 15:3091-3096, 2007.

[8] Goldstein, C.M., Thomas, J.G., Wing, R.R., and Bond, D.S. Successful weight loss maintainers use health-tracking smartphone applications more than a nationally representative sample: comparison of the National Weight Control Registry to Pew Tracking for Health. Obesity Science and Practice, 3(2):117-126, 2017.

[9] McGuire, M.T., Wing, R.R., Klem, M.L., Lang, W. and Hill, J.O. What predicts weight regain among a group of successful weight losers? Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67:177-185, 1999.

[10] Niemeier, H.M., Phelan, S., Fava, J.L., and Wing, R.R. Internal disinhibition predicts weight regain following weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Obesity, 15:2485-2494, 2007.

[11] Butryn, M.L., Phelan, S., Hill, J.O., and Wing, R.R. Consistent self-monitoring of weight: A key component of successful weight loss maintenance. Obesity, 15:3091-3096, 2007.

[12] Thomas, J.G., Bond, D.S., Phelan, S., Hill, J.O., and Wing, R.R. Weight-loss maintenance for 10 years in the National Weight Control Registry. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 46(1):17-23, 2014.

[13] Lillis, J., Thomas, J.G., Niemeier, H., and Wing, R.R. Internal disinhibition predicts 5-year weight regain in the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR). Obesity Science and Practice, 2(1):83-87, 2016.

[14] Chamberlain, S.R., Derbyshire, K.L., Leppink, E., and Grant, J.E. Obesity and dissociable forms of impulsivity in young adults. CNS Spectrums, 20(5):500-507, 2015.

[15] Fields, S.A., Sabet, M., and Reynolds, B. Dimensions of impulsive behavior in obese, overweight, and healthy-weight adolescents. Appetite, 70:60-66, 2013.

[16] Amlung, M., Petker, T., Jackson, J., Balodis, I., MacKillop, J. Steep discounting of delayed monetary and food rewards in obesity: a meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 46(11):2423-2434, 2016.

[17] Klem, M.L., Wing, R.R., McGuire, M.T., Seagle, H.M., and Hill, J.O. A descriptive study of individuals successful at long-term maintenance of substantial weight loss. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 66:239-246, 1997.

[18] Wing, R.R. and Hill, J.O. Successful weight loss maintenance. Annual Review of Nutrition, 21:323-341, 2001.

[19] Shick, S.M., Wing, R.R., Klem, M.L., McGuire, M.T., Hill, J.O., and Seagle, H.M. Persons successful at long-term weight loss and maintenance continue to consume a low calorie, low fat diet. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 98:408-413, 1998.

[20] McGuire, M.T., Wing, R.R., Klem, M.L., Seagle, H.M., and Hill, J.O. Long-term maintenance of weight loss: Do people who lose weight through various weight loss methods use different behaviors to maintain their weight? International Journal of Obesity, 22:572-577, 1998.

[21] Klem, M.L., Wing, R.R., Chang, C.H., Lang, W., McGuire, M.T., Sugerman, H.J., Hutchison, S.L., Makovich, A.L., and Hill, J.O. A case-control study of successful maintenance of a substantial weight loss: Individuals who lost weight through surgery versus those who lost weight through non-surgical means. International Journal of Obesity, 24:573-579, 2000.

[22] Klem, M.L., Wing, R.R., Lang, W., McGuire, M.T., and Hill, J.O. Does weight loss maintenance become easier over time? Obesity Research, 8:438-444, 2000.

[23] Ogden, L.G., Stroebele, N., Wyatt, H.R., Catenacci, V.A., Peters, J.C., Stuht, J., Wing, R.R., and Hill, J.O. Cluster analysis of the National Weight Control Registry to identify distinct subgroups maintaining successful weight loss. Obesity, 20(10):2039-2047, 2012.

[24] Wright J.D., Wang, C.Y., Kennedy-Stephenson, J., Ervin, R.B. Dietary intake of ten key nutrients for public health, United States: 1999-2000. Advance Data From Vital and Health Statistics, 334:1-4, 2003.

[25] U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Energy intakes: percentages of energy from protein, carbohydrate, fat, and alcohol, by gender and age. What We Eat in America, NHANES 2015-2016, 2018.

[26] Wing, R.R. and Hill, J.O. Successful weight loss maintenance. Annual Review of Nutrition, 21:323-341, 2001.

[27] Thomas, J.G. and Wing, R.R. Maintenance of long-term weight loss. Medicine & Health Rhode Island, 92(2):56-57, 2009.

[28] Catenacci, V.A., Pan, Z., Thomas, J.G., Ogden, L.G., Roberts, S.A., Wyatt, H.R., Wing, R.R., and Hill, J.O. Low/no calorie sweetened beverage consumption in the National Weight Control Registry. Obesity, 22(10):2244-2251, 2014.

[29] Phelan, S., Wing, R.R., Raynor, H.A., Dibello, J., Nedeau, K., and Peng, W. Holiday weight management by successful weight losers and normal weight individuals. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76(3):442-448, 2008.