Saturday, December 25, 2010
From HCG Diets to Shake Weights: Fitness Trends in Review
Dec 01, 2010
From tapeworms and Thighmasters to fad diets and blubber-shaking machinery, the only sure thing in the fitness world is that there will always be a new trend claiming to be the secret to quick and easy weightloss or eternal youth. Often, these fads make unrealistic promises or are downright unhealthy. Sometimes, though, trends bubble up for a reason—because they work. Here’s a look at five current fitness trends and my suggestions as to whether you should “hit it” or “quit it.”
HCG Diet: Fad diets are a dime a dozen. All the ones that “work” use the same trick: They have some loosely-tested medical theory that distracts you from the fact that you are just doing good old calorie cutting. This is true of most low-carb and non-medically-indicated gluten-free diets, and it’s certainly true with the HCG diet. In its truest form, the HCG diet requires daily injections of a hormone found in pregnant women that is supposed to help release fat stores. Of course, the internet has sprung up with sites offering to sell you HCG in pill form. But HCG is not active in an oral form, so the pills you find on the internet are pure placebos. In either case, the HCG is more or less a red herring anyway. The real way the HCG diet “works”—you are only allowed 500 calories per day! Yes, you read that right—500 calories. Of course you are going to lose weight in the short-term, but a 500-calorie diet is something one should never undertake without the strictest of doctor’s supervision.
The Verdict: Quit It. If you want to lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn by creating a sustainable deficit, which can be done by anyone, anywhere, for free! If you must, you can take a few twenty-dollar bills out of your wallet and flush them down the toilet for motivation, which would be better than spending your hard-earned cash on this internet gimmick.
P90X: The saying goes, “At any given time, there is an episode of I Love Lucy playing somewhere in the world.” I think the same is probably true of the P90X infomercial—possibly twofold. The parade of jaw-dropping transformations and well-oiled “after shots” just reek of scam. But, you know what…? The hype machine of the infomercial doesn’t change the fact that P90X is a really solid, well-rounded, old-school weight and cardio program that will deliver great results to anyone who has the dedication to push themselves through the workouts and, most importantly, reel in their diet. It delivers the same kind of solid workout experience you can get from taking several classes at a gym, which makes it ideal for parents and people who like the flexibility of working out at home. (One caveat: If you are a woman looking to lose weight, it’s likely the nutrition guide that comes with the program will suggest far too many calories. Here are some suggestions for alterations.)
The Verdict: Hit it! Just don’t expect that something magical will happen when the UPS man delivers the package to your door. As with any workout program, you’ll need the commitment to hit the workouts hard and change your diet to see results.
Shake Weight: Due to a so-bad-it's-good advertising campaign, the Shake Weight has become a viral video darling and even landed a starring role on an episode of South Park. But, is it any good as a workout tool? Hardly. I purchased the Shake Weight in the “for men” size and ran through the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it enclosed workout DVD. For starters, I can think of very little that would actually “get you ripped in only 6 minutes per day” aside from deadlifting a small SUV repeatedly. And, while I did have difficulty shaking the weight for the specified period, I’m chalking that up to a slippery handle and biomechanically-shaky moves. I felt no delayed muscle soreness that would indicate that the workout had done anything different from my usual weight regime. Plus, it works only three muscle groups, and there’s certainly not enough weight involved in any case to “get you ripped.” In fact, I’d argue good ole pushups, dips, and pull-ups would do a much better job of that than this noisy gizmo.
The Verdict: Quit It. Spend your thirty bucks on a pair of 20-pound dumbbells that you can use for curls, presses, squats, and lunges to get a full-body workout. Bonus tip: If you want to get the whole Shake Weight experience with your dumbbells, just stop your curl or press mid-way through the rep and do micropulses or hold the isometric contraction for 30 seconds. Oh, and make funny faces. That’s the important part.
HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training): High Intensity Interval Training is the talk of the gym, promising to burn the most calories in the least amount of time and elevating post-exercise calorie burn for up to 24 hours after the session. HIIT is a great addition to most workout programs, and all these claims are backed by solid research, but here’s the thing—most people don’t do HIIT right. It’s more than just hitting the “interval” button on the elliptical while reading the latest copy of Cosmo. A true HIIT workout session involves a warm-up followed by one minute of all-out intensity and one minute of recovery, repeated no more than 10 times, and followed by a cool down. To be true HIIT, the all-out bursts must be can’t-go-for-a-second-longer intervals, and at the end of the 20-30 minute session you should be absolutely beat.
The Verdict: Hit it! High Intensity Interval Training is a great way to get the most out of your workout time. Remember, though, that a true HIIT will leave you utterly depleted and require proper recovery, so don’t do this kind of workout on back-to-back days. Also, don’t put too much weight on the promise of increased post-exercise burn—any workout program will do this. Just focus on blasting through those calories in the workout timeframe and consider any additional benefits as gravy. I tell my clients: With HIIT, if you don’t feel like a flailing fool in the gym, you probably aren’t doing it right.
High-Antioxidant Drinks and Supplements (Acai Berry, Pomegranate, etc.): It seems that anti-oxidants have been added to so many products these days, promising everything from better heart health to eternal youth. Notably, the beverage aisle is jam-packed with high-antioxidant drinks, but most of these drinks are nothing more than expensive fruit punch, with little to offer than massive quantities of sugar and some vitamins tossed in to make for better marketing. Yes, a diet sufficiently high in anti-oxidants is important for good health, but a well-rounded diet full of multi-colored foods will not only provide you more than enough vitamins and minerals, it will contain other important phytonutrients and fiber naturally. I am always wary of artificially adding nutrients to our food outside the ratio of what you’d find in a healthy, well-balanced diet. There is even some evidence that too many anti-oxidants might reduce the positive adaptations to exercise.
The Verdict: Quit it! Don’t reach for a pricy, sugary, calorie-bomb just because it claims to have anti-oxidants or other health benefits. If you are eating a well-rounded, colorful diet, you are probably doing fine on the anti-oxidant front. Try as we might, we really can’t improve on water for drinking.
If you’ve got a fitness trend you’d like me to investigate, drop me a note.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Extreme Fitness: Calorie-Torching Workouts
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
SELF 7 Foods that Speed Weight Loss
Nov 24, 2010
Leftover Halloween candy, Thanksgiving dinner, holiday sweets—with so much delicious food floating around this time of year, who wants to think about dieting? Not me! Trouble is, this is exactly the time of year we undo all that hard work we did to get fit last spring and summer: Americans gain (on average) a pound during the holidays each year, according to the National Institutes of Health—which may not seem like a lot, except we also tend to hang on to those yearly pounds, and they can add up (10 pounds in a decade!). Here's the good news: Enjoying more of certain foods and drinks can actually help speed weight loss by boosting metabolism! And we're not just talking about celery and carrots (although those are good). Cheese, at least in small doses, could help fend off holiday heaviness—not to mention make your taste buds very happy. Try adding a few of these satisfying fat-burning snacks and sips to your daily intake and enjoy season's eatings without the stubborn pounds!
Weight loss food: cheese
Women who ate an ounce of full-fat cheese (picture a wedge about the size of your thumb) daily gained fewer pounds over time than their less-cheesy peers, a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows. Whole dairy contains conjugated linoleic acid, which may stoke your metabolism. One low-cal wonder: full-fat ricotta. It weighs in at a scant 49 calories and 4 g fat (2 g saturated) per ounce and has the lowest amount of sodium of any cheese out there. For a decadent-tasting dish, toss ricotta with pasta and fresh herbs or stir it into jarred tomato sauce for a flavor upgrade.
Weight loss food: almonds
These are my favorite go-to snack—I carry almonds with me almost everywhere I go (car, purse) in case of a hunger emergency. I rely on them so much to tide me over between meals, so it's a good thing they have built-in fat-burning power: Dieters who ate 3 ounces of these nuts every day—that's about 12 almonds—reduced their weight and body-mass index by a solid 18 percent compared with an 11 percent drop in the no-nut group, a study in the International Journal of Obesity finds. You eat less bread at the lunch table when you're not famished, and almonds are high in alpha-linolenic acid, which can actually speed the metabolism of fats.
Weight loss food: coffee
The caffeine in 1 cup of joe temporarily revs metabolism by up to 15 percent, torching an extra 15 to 25 calories on average, says Paul Arciero, Ph.D., associate professor of exercise science at Skidmore College. Researchers don't know whether drinking more delivers a bigger boon (for those of us who drink plenty all day, there may be even more reasons to love our java!), but for the most benefit, order yours black; sugar and milk reverse the fat-scorching effects.
Weight loss food: peppers
A compound in chile peppers called capsaicin—the stuff that gives peppers their kick—could help you burn up to 100 extra calories a day, according to research presented at the Experimental Biology meeting in Anaheim, California. Experts suspect that capsaicin binds to nerve receptors and sends fat-burning signals to the brain. Don't like super spicy peppers such as habaneros or jalapeos? Go for a milder version like poblanos; research suggests you don't have to embrace hot-spicy cuisine to get capsaicin's metabolism-boosting benefits.
Weight loss food: green tea
Sipping three cups of green tea a day may kick up your metabolism enough to erase 30 calories daily, a study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise shows. Experts attribute the benefit to a compound called ECGC, and that extra burn can help you shed about 3 pounds a year! Not everyone loves the flavor of green tea, so if you find it too bitter, try a brew that's naturally sweetened, such as The Republic of Tea's Honey Ginseng or Ginger Peach Green Tea.
Weight loss food: eggs
The amino acids in egg whites help build lean muscle that may in turn help rev metabolism. Scramble up a few for breakfast and top with shredded cheese—remember, it's a fat-burner, too! Another good reason to have eggs first thing: Consuming a high-fat morning meal was shown to help mice burn more fat than those that ate a carb-rich breakfast, a study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham finds. The researchers say that eating a little fat early may shift your circadian clock to help you burn more body fat all day long.
Weight loss food: portobello mushrooms
These 'shrooms deliver copper and pantothenic acid, which help keep your metabolism humming. Bonus: Portobellos are also high in potassium, a mineral shown to help shuttle salt out of your body to beat belly bloat. Throw a mushroom kabob on the grill (or make them into a true veggie burger), or whip up this healthy take on classic eggs Benedict for a yummy fat-burning brunch dish.
Grilled Portobello Benedict
Serves 4
Vegetable oil cooking spray
4 portobello mushroom caps (about 4 oz each)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
4 slices Canadian bacon
4 large whole eggs
4 large egg whites
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tsp prepared basil pesto
8 fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons
4 tsp freshly grated Parmesan
Coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray. With a spoon, gently scrape out the dark inside of each mushroom cap, being careful not to break cap. Brush both sides of caps with oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. Grill mushrooms over medium-high heat until juices begin to release, about 7 minutes per side. Transfer each mushroom to a plate, top side down. On same grill or grill pan, cook bacon over medium-high heat until warm, about 30 seconds per side. Place 1 slice bacon onto each mushroom cap. Whisk eggs, egg whites and 2 tbsp water until well combined in a bowl. Coat a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-low heat. Add eggs and scramble until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Divide eggs among mushroom caps. Drizzle 1 tsp pesto over each; top with basil and 1 tsp Parmesan.
THE DISH 240 calories per serving, 14 g fat (3.5 saturated), 7 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 20 g protein
SELF Why Guys Lose Weight Faster than Women and How to Steal their Secrets
Nov 30, 2010
Cliche or not, life isn't fair—especially when it comes to the fact that men lose weight so much faster than women, and usually when they're trying only half as hard! Seriously, it's like magic (but more annoying!): A guy will grab his gut, announce that it's got to go, and—presto!—a month later he's a slim Jim. Meanwhile, women toil away at the gym for weeks before seeing a 1-pound difference on the scale. What gives? The editors at SELF decided to investigate, and turns out, guys' slim-down strategies aren't all that complicated—surprise—and they can work for women, too! Steal these firm-up-fast secrets, and share them with your girlfriends. It's time to level the slimming field.
Eat real food
Guys don't usually munch on things like 100-calorie snack packs; research shows men are less likely to eat goods labeled diet or low-cal. And that's fine because you get more nutrients (and avoid unhealthy saturated fat) by fueling up on whole foods, which are also more psychologically filling, says Heidi Skolnik, former team nutritionist for the New York Giants. So that means snacking on nuts, yogurt, hummus, cheese sticks, fruit and vegetables and skipping that totally unsatisfying small serving of crackers? Sign me up!
Have a one-track mind
Whether it's for hitting a golf ball or dieting, men tend to have laserlike focus when they choose to. "They're wired to concentrate on a single thing, whereas the female brain evolved to approach tasks from a wide perspective," according to Helen Fisher, Ph.D., a biological anthropologist at Rutgers University at New Brunswick, New Jersey. So a guy might decide to cut out beer entirely or do a Saturday boot camp; that's his big plan. Most women try to tackle the whole problem at once, vowing to nix all carbs, cut out alcohol, steam every vegetable, and hit the gym daily at dawn. No wonder we fail; it's a chore just thinking about it! Instead, pick your single worst eating habit (diving into the bread basket at dinners out or late-night ice cream binges or fridge raids?) and a challenging fitness goal (attending Spin classes more often?) and attack only those for four weeks. Totally doable, right? Now add a second goal: Keep building on good habits and watch the pounds drop off.
Pump iron
Start thinking of your gym's weight room as the "lose weight" room. Strength training, which only about 17 percent of women do, revs metabolism, torches calories and sculpts sexy muscles. It's so effective, you should think of your current cardio as secondary to strength training, which can be 60 percent of your fitness commitment right now, says Holly Perkins, an ExerciseTV trainer in Los Angeles. Another dude to-do: Spend less time on machines and embrace free weights, especially barbells, which work more muscles. (Borrow these moves from the boys.) And don't be discouraged if the needle on the scale nudges up a smidgen at first: Remember, the muscle you're gaining weighs more than the fat you're losing; you may not drop pounds, but you'll be smaller and leaner—go by how your favorite jeans fit!
Don't (over)think—do
Remember Rocky? The Italian Stallion didn't worry about when or where he'd train or whether he'd win; he began punching sides of frozen beef. "Most men throw themselves into an exercise program without much planning; most women ask a lot of questions and may even overthink things, which can create excuses and lead you to put off starting," says Tracie Rogers, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Arizona School of Health Sciences. Skip right to the action—and results! Why not lace up and go for a quick jog right now? Curious about CrossFit? Sign up for a class right now, and pay so you can't talk your way out of it later. Your new mantra: Try a new fitness class today; pounds gone tomorrow!
Feed your ego
We women are as competitive as guys, but our ego isn't as tied to how fast we run or what we bench-press. Maybe it should be! Turns out, one's ego is a powerful motivator. The next time you have an amazing workout, tell a friend, boast to your brother, post it on Facebook, or even just say to yourself, Boot camp busted my butt today! To pump up your body confidence even more, work out with a superfit friend and don't let her out-exercise you.
Act oblivious
It's no shocker: Men worry less than women do about what random Joe Schmoes think of their body. (Even in the locker room, my husband reports, men of all shapes strut around towelless.) I wish it were as easy as simply deciding to adopt a guy's total body confidence! But flattering workout clothes can nudge your cute-at-the-gym meter enough that—like the guys—you're able to focus more on taking that class, lifting the weights or hitting the pool, all of which will get you fit.
Ditch the dinner drama
A guy sees pizza and thinks, Yum, pizza for dinner. Women think, Uh-oh, pizza is my weakness, or, Ah, pizza will be just the mood booster I need, Skolnik says. One study found that women binge eat more than men do, possibly because we eat to soothe ourselves. And when emotions, not your stomach or brain, drive choices, it can be a diet disaster. Instead, try to think of food as fuel. Take bites because you're hungry or need energy, not because of stress, unhappiness or just plain boredom. Think about what your choices will do for your health and let yourself indulge occasionally without the guilt. Pizza? Yum! Have some, move on.
Guess what else helps guys lose faster? Their attitude and the fact that they give themselves credit for the smallest victories, whereas women have a tendency to be too hard on themselves. "My female athletes become distraught or beat themselves up if they don't notice results right away," says Robert Pennino, president of Terrier Tri coaching in New York City. Ban that thinking! Keep telling yourself that not every day will be a winner but that you will win at weight loss. A skipped jog doesn't mean failure—your next meal or sweat session is another chance to keep at it. And you'll love your results at the finish line!