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Should you use a fad diet to lose the holiday weight?

Should you use a fad diet to lose the holiday weight?

Taking off those extra holiday pounds is rarely easy — at least not as easy as it is to pack them on.

Fad diets can offer a quick fix, but more often than not dieters end up gaining the weight back.

And fad diets rapidly become bad diets without the structure of a healthy, balanced diet and exercise plan.

Many people have tried some form of a fad diet at one time or another, possibly without even realizing it.

Do the Cabbage Soup Diet, Chocolate Diet, Scarsdale Diet, Three-day Diet, Seven-day All-you-can-eat Diet, One Good Meal Diet, Chicken Soup Diet, Metabolism Diet, Russian Air Force Diet, or Grapefruit/Fruit Juice Diet sound familiar?

What about diets promoted by so-called nutritional “experts,” such as the Zone diet, South Beach diet and Atkins diet?

Or the ubiquitous Slim Fast franchise which spawned an entire meal replacement bar and drink industry?

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends “adopting healthy eating habits permanently, rather than impatiently pursuing crash diets in hopes of losing unwanted pounds in a few days.

“Many of these diets — like the infamous Cabbage Soup Diet — can undermine your health, cause physical discomfort (abdominal discomfort and flatulence) and lead to disappointment when you regain weight soon after you lose it,” the AHA Web site states.

* Promises people can lose weight and keep it off without giving up “fatty” foods or exercising on a regular basis.

If a diet plan or product sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

* Bases its claims on “before and after” photos.

* Offers testimonials from clients or “experts” in weight loss, science or nutrition.

Remember that these people are probably being paid to advertise the diet plan or product.

* Draws simple conclusions from complex medical research.

* Limits food choices and doesn’t encourage balanced nutrition by eating a variety of foods.

* Requires spending a lot of money on things like seminars, pills or prepackaged meals in order for the plan to work.

But the AHA says there are a number of ways to keep the pounds off, including physical activity and nutritional plans designed for permanent use.

According to the AHA, physical activity — such as walking 30 minutes most or all days of the week — helps prevent weight gain and maintain a healthy weight.

Physical inactivity is also a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

Following a regimen for a few weeks won’t give you the chance to learn about how to permanently change your eating patterns.

The AHA site added, “a healthy diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat dairy products, along with regular physical activity, can help most people manage and maintain weight loss for both cardiovascular health and appearance.”



Often, ‘fad’ amounts to ‘bad’ when it comes to diets (Monroe Times)

MONROE — Taking off those extra holiday pounds is rarely easy — at least not as easy as it is to pack them on.

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How to avoid the holiday weight gain

How to avoid the holiday weight gain

FESTIVE fatties got an unwelcome present from diet experts yesterday - a warning it will take them three months to lose the weight they have piled on.

Britons put on an average of eight pounds - just under four kilos - from over-indulging to celebrate Christmas and New Year, a study reveals.

The 7000-calorie Christmas Day binge is a major factor, but weight gain starts in November when the first office parties begin, according to meal replacement firm Slim Fast.

Then there is a stream of parties and functions up to the family get-together for the big meal itself and the following days off, spent by many of us lying around tucking into sweets, snacks and booze.

The Christmas Day calorie intake is the equivalent of three-and-a-half days of normal calorie consumption, according to the research.

For those who want to avoid doing too much more damage, their report offers helpful tips, such as eating a healthy meal before going to a party to avoid snacking.

The report also suggests dancing whenever possible at functions because it can knock off 100 calories in just 20 minutes.

Another hint from nutritionist Fiona Hunter is to reward good eating behaviour.

For instance, award yourself a half-hour lie-in for every day without chocolate.

She said: “Most people see the after-effects of the festive season for weeks afterwards and what with the anti-climax of all that fun, January can be a very miserable time.

The fastest way to depress yourself is to compare your weight and shape to others.”



3 MONTHS TO SHIFT CHRISTMAS STUFFING (Daily Record)

FESTIVE fatties got an unwelcome present from diet experts yesterday - a warning it will take them three months to lose the weight they have piled on.

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Slim-Fast Meal Replacements Effective in Controlling Hunger and Helping Lose Weight

Slim-Fast Meal Replacements Effective in Controlling Hunger and Helping Lose Weight

A clinical study has confirmed that a 190-calorie Slim-Fast Optima® meal replacement shake was effective in controlling hunger significantly longer than a 400-calorie meal consisting of a hamburger and a soft drink.

Start losing weight now!

The study, a head-to- head/food-to-food challenge conducted at the University of Arkansas, also found that the Slim-Fast Optima Shake controlled hunger significantly longer than a 190-calorie yogurt and as long as a 400-calorie breakfast of a bagel with low-fat cream cheese and a glass of orange juice.

Hunger control remains an important issue for dieters.

According to a new consumer survey conducted by TSC, a division of Yankelovich, for the second year in a row the biggest reason people fall of their diet is because of hunger, and almost two-in-three people admit that hunger causes them to cheat on a diet.

The research also states that 83 percent of consumers identify a hamburger as one of the most filling foods, and in a one-to-one comparison, 73 percent of the respondents believe that a hamburger will keep them feeling full longer than a meal replacement shake.

These consumer impressions highlight the importance of better understanding the ability of specific foods to control appetite and pose an interesting juxtaposition to results of a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Arkansas that demonstrates a 190-calorie meal replacement shake controls hunger longer than a hamburger.

During a five-hour period after each meal, appetite ratings such as hunger, fullness, and the desire to eat another meal or snack were measured at regular intervals.

The results demonstrated that the 190-calorie Slim-Fast Optima shake controlled hunger for 4 hours and 52 minutes-significantly longer (+42 minutes) than a 400-calorie meal of a hamburger and a cola (similar to a hamburger and a 12-oz soda ordered at any fast food chain restaurant), significantly longer (+77 minutes) than a 190-calorie custard-style yogurt and statistically the same as a 400-calorie meal of a bagel with low-fat cream cheese and a glass of orange juice.

Similar results were observed for fullness, desire for a meal and desire for a snack.

And when expressed on a per-calorie basis (minutes/calorie), the Slim-Fast shake outperformed each meal/snack option (see Table 1).

“This research is surprising because it shows that a meal replacement can be more effective at controlling hunger when compared to other common food choices,” said Jean-Francois Meullenet, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Arkansas Department of Food Science.

“We found that that a highly nutritious, low-calorie shake for breakfast or lunch will control hunger longer than seemingly more satisfying foods, giving consumers a lower-calorie alternative that can stave off cravings and help them succeed at sticking to their diets.”

The Slim-Fast shake was able to control hunger as long as the bagel and juice meal option in less than 1/2 the calories and with significantly more nutrition per calorie-an important consideration for dieters who want to reduce calories without sacrificing satisfaction or nutrition (see Table 2).

A Slim-Fast Meal offers a more nutrient-dense alternative to all of these meal options, providing balanced nutrition with 1/3 of most essential vitamins and minerals per serving-including 50% of the daily value for calcium and 100% of the antioxidant vitamins C and E– a more robust nutritional profile of essential nutrients and lower in fat and sugar than many other commonly-eaten morning and afternoon foods.

“Dieters need to find ways to set themselves up for success when cravings strike, and eating foods that are nutrient-dense as well as satisfying is a good strategy,” stated Patricia Groziak, M.S., R.D., Senior Manager, Medical Marketing for Slim-Fast.

“This research proves what we already knew, that Slim-Fast Optima shakes are a great low-calorie, nutritious meal choice for breakfast or lunch that can significantly control appetite relative to other food choices of equal or greater calories.

Delivering balanced nutrition and hunger satisfaction in a rich, creamy shake is a great choice for consumers to not only help them battle against cravings but also achieve their weight loss goals.”

Last year Slim-Fast reformulated the Slim-Fast Optima shake.

It is the first of its kind as a new option for weight loss using a unique, proprietary blend of common food ingredients — namely fats and proteins — in a great tasting shake with a nutritionally balanced formula.

The new shake is proven to control hunger for up to 4 hours and is based on research, conducted over the last four years, to identify the best ways to use the food ingredients in Slim-Fast to maximize its ability to stimulate and prolong the natural processes that send fullness signals to the brain.

The result: the feeling of fullness lasts for up to 4 hours, helping dieters better manage between-meal hunger.

Slim-Fast is a proven, effective way to lose weight and keep it off.

The use of meal replacements is recognized by nutrition professionals as an effective and successful weight management strategy that helps dieters with portion control.

Slim-Fast, the leading brand of meal replacement shakes and bars, is one of the best researched of all diet plans, supported by 35 published clinical studies that demonstrate effective short- and long-term weight loss results and weight maintenance.

In fact, results of both 3-month and 1-year studies as well as those carried out to 4 years show that those groups using meal replacements consistently had significantly greater weight loss (7% to 8% initial body weight) than those following traditional reduced-calorie diets.

In addition, study results show improvements in mitigating the health risks associated with obesity, including type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and osteoarthritis.

Start losing weight now!



Study Finds Slim-Fast Meal-Replacement Shake Controls Hunger Longer Than a Hamburger and a Soda (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)

A clinical study has confirmed that a 190-calorie Slim-Fast Optima® meal replacement shake was effective in controlling hunger significantly longer than a 400-calorie meal consisting of a hamburger and a soft drink.

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