Most of us are quite aware that sugar – other than what occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables – is not healthy for us. And this is true whether or not you have an issue with your weight. Let’s dig into the reasons for this, looking especially deep into that sweet culprit, high fructose cornContinue reading “High-Fructose Corn Syrup & Other Sugars”
Tag Archives: Weight maintenance
Avoiding Diet Burnout
I’ve been on my current eating plan for over a year straight. In the past, I don’t think I’ve lasted more than a few months before giving up in disgust. Why do we sometimes lose our motivation? How can we avoid diet burnout? First of all, what exactly is diet burnout? According to a MyFitnessPalContinue reading “Avoiding Diet Burnout”
Set Point & Settling Point Theories
Imagine our prehistoric ancestors – captives of seasonal food availability, no security net to provide food during times of famine, no advanced medical care to set a broken bone. Something like stumbling down a ravine and breaking your ankle could be fatal if your body couldn’t sustain itself when food was scarce. Luckily, our bodiesContinue reading “Set Point & Settling Point Theories”
Maintain Habits to Maintain Weight Loss
As you may know, I belong to several Facebook weight loss and maintenance groups. Oftentimes the questions I read there are the inspiration for my blog posts. This happened recently, when I read about a dieter who is near her weight loss goal. She wanted to know what comes next. And that is exactly whereContinue reading “Maintain Habits to Maintain Weight Loss”
In the News: Low Fat vs. Low Carb Diets’ Effects on Mortality
In a (very) long term study of nearly 400,000 participants aged 50-71, it was found that those eating low fat diets had significantly reduced overall mortality “by 18%, cardiovascular mortality by 16%, and cancer mortality by 18%” (1). The study differentiated between healthy and unhealthy diets for both low carb and low fat versions. ForContinue reading “In the News: Low Fat vs. Low Carb Diets’ Effects on Mortality”
What Do You Do When the Refrigerator Calls? Solutions for Cravings
Lately I’ve been reading a lot of Facebook posts about cravings and snacking. It’s very easy to succumb to the siren call of the refrigerator. Sure, you can avoid keeping treats in the house, but if you have a car or public transportation, you can easily get the snack or delicious drink you’re craving. WhatContinue reading “What Do You Do When the Refrigerator Calls? Solutions for Cravings”
Taking a Break: Intermittent Dieting
If you are in the maintenance phase of your journey to better health, you have already been taking a break from more stringent dieting and calorie deficits. But even if your goal is to lose more weight, it may be a good idea to take a planned break where you learn to maintain your weight.Continue reading “Taking a Break: Intermittent Dieting”
Exercise: Creating a Home Gym
My home gym, pictured above, took shape as a matter of happenstance. Our last child permanently moved out and our neighbor decided to trash her functional treadmill at right about the same time. Physical therapy for my knee was actually making it worse but I realized that my knee felt better after cycling. And thatContinue reading “Exercise: Creating a Home Gym”
Non-Scale Victories
We need to keep our motivation up throughout our journey to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Often it seems like the scale just isn’t cooperating, especially during the holiday season. Even healthy changes, like increasing our strength training, can result in a plateau. At times like these, we should celebrate the non-scale victories inContinue reading “Non-Scale Victories”
Food Prep: Cook Smart, Eat Well
Cook Smart, Eat Well by Jennifer Welper is a new cookbook published by the Mayo Clinic Press. It does not strictly adhere to the Mayo Clinic Diet, but is based upon the principles of the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid. According to the Mayo Clinic, the foundation of our diet should consist mainly of fruitsContinue reading “Food Prep: Cook Smart, Eat Well”
Setting Goal Weights
Whether you are currently in the maintenance or the weight loss phase, establishing goals can be motivational. This is an important step we may take many times during our journey. Let’s learn more about setting goal weights that can help us to move forward even when it feels like progress is slow. For more onContinue reading “Setting Goal Weights”
Self-Care & Exercise: Deep Breathing
Deep breathing exercises have been associated with reduced stress, anxiety, and depression in numerous studies (1). By reducing cortisol levels, deep breathing exercises can normalize our hormone levels, leading to fewer cravings and reduced appetite. Deep breathing can also improve focus which is a valuable skill for weight maintenance (2). Diaphragmatic breathing (explained below) canContinue reading “Self-Care & Exercise: Deep Breathing”
Women’s Clothing Sizes: The Marketing of Vanity
If you have ever used a commercial sewing pattern, you were probably shocked to discover that your ready made clothing size was not your pattern size. For example, currently I’d take size 20 shirt in Butterick patterns, as compared to a size 14 in Target’s Knox Rose brand (1, 2). This is because most women’sContinue reading “Women’s Clothing Sizes: The Marketing of Vanity”
Food Prep: Very Low Calorie Foods
Looking for foods to help you feel full without derailing your eating plan? As it turns out, there are many low calorie options, and some of them are great alternatives to the more calorie dense foods you may be craving. To learn more about cravings and how to address them, please see https://lindawbrowning.com/2023/03/18/dealing-with-cravings/ Remember toContinue reading “Food Prep: Very Low Calorie Foods”
Exercise: Joining a Gym or Health Club
Joining a health club can provide a much needed boost to your current fitness routine, but only if you actually show up and participate. Is a gym membership right for you, or is it a waste of money and time that might be better spent on home equipment and/or a fitness app subscription? I haveContinue reading “Exercise: Joining a Gym or Health Club”
Dealing With Cravings
A craving is a strong eating motivation for a specific type of food. At times we can feel a compulsion to eat these particular foods even when we are not hungry (1). Let’s look at why we have cravings, and what we can do to help decrease their influence over our eating choices. Cravings “actuallyContinue reading “Dealing With Cravings”
TOPS: Take Off Pounds Sensibly
75 years ago, Esther Manz invited friends into her Milwaukee, Wisconsin home for a weight loss, mutual support meeting. Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) is still helping dieters with weekly meetings throughout the United States and Canada, as well as Zoom meetings for those unable to attend in person. Other tools and videos available onContinue reading “TOPS: Take Off Pounds Sensibly”
Food Prep: The Dangers of Restaurant Food
If you are a proponent of frequent weigh-ins like me, you may have noticed an unfortunate pattern between your weight and your restaurant visits. Eat out more often, and your weight goes up, even if you select menu items that are listed as lower calorie options. How is that possible? Could it be the addedContinue reading “Food Prep: The Dangers of Restaurant Food”
Exercise: The Benefits of Yoga
Yoga can have many health benefits – both physical and psychological. Let’s take a look at some studies to learn if this exercise is right for you. Yoga is based upon an ancient practice first recorded in India about 5,000 years ago (1). Modern yoga focuses on strength, flexibility, agility, and breathing. There are manyContinue reading “Exercise: The Benefits of Yoga”
Fat Shaming, Weight Stigma & Bias
This can be a painful topic, and it was hard to even know where to start. But it’s important to address the unfair treatment that many of us have experienced. I chose this image of a strong person breaking through a barrier of bricks to represent today’s topic. It symbolizes what I’d like for usContinue reading “Fat Shaming, Weight Stigma & Bias”
Maintain Weight Loss 