Articles, Weight Watchers

Fact Versus Fiction: Fitness Claims

0 Comments 06 May 2011

Question:
If don’t feel discomfort or pain, is there any benefit?
Answer:
Exercise should not hurt. If you’re feeling uncomfortable, you may be pushing yourself too hard. Choose something you enjoy and ease into it.

Question:
Is it true that the more you sweat, the more fat you lose?
Answer:
If you exercise in the heat or in a rubberized suit, you will sweat profusely and lose weight. The weight loss will be a result of lost water, not lost fat. Those pounds will return just as quickly once you replenish your body by drinking and eating. Keep in mind that how much you sweat is not a good indicator of energy expenditure. Perspiring is more dependent on factors such as temperature, humid­ity, body composition, lack of conditioning and individual variance.

Question:
Can you burn fat from specific areas of the body by exercising those areas?
Answer:
Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as “spot reduction.” When exercis­ing, your body produces energy by metabolizing fat from all regions of the body, not just from the body parts involved. For example, doing sit-ups will not trim fat from your abdomen. It will tone the muscles, but aerobic exercise is needed to burn the fat.

Question:
If I don’t have time for an extensive, time-consuming workout, why bother?
Answer:
A little bit of something is better than nothing, so all those leg jigglers, toe tappers and finger rappers are burning a few more calories than someone not moving at all! Studies have shown that measurable conditioning and calorie expenditure can take place with workouts as short as fifteen minutes a couple of times a day. You don’t necessarily have to change clothes and be drenched with sweat to do your body some good. Put aside a little time to start with and expand your workout as you find time or want to make more of a commitment.

Question:
Is it true that weight training turns fat into muscle, so if I don’t lose weight before starting a weight training program, my extra weight will turn into muscle and I won’t lose the weight?
Answer:
Fat and muscle tissue are distinctly different. One may not become the other. Through weight training, you will be increasing your muscle tissue, not turning fat into muscle. Weight training will strengthen and tone your muscles. The way to lose fat is through aerobic exercise.

Articles, Weight Watchers

Is Olive Oil Better For You?

0 Comments 27 April 2011

Fact:
Eating a healthful diet means one that is similar to that of the Mediterranean region, with plenty of olive oil.

False:
Olive oil may be helpful in reduc­ing the level of “bad” low-density lipopro­tein (LDL) cholesterol while maintaining the “good” high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level in our blood. Thought to be the culprit in heart disease, LDL cholesterol contains most of the cholesterol found in the blood and is asso­ciated with making cholesterol available for cell structures, hormones and nerve coverings. LDL cholesterol also deposits cholesterol on artery walls. Conversely, HDL cholesterol helps to remove choles­terol from body tissues and blood and return it to the liver to be used again, thus this recycling process has earned the “good” cholesterol label.

Regardless of what experts tell us about this golden oil pressed from olives, it’s still 100% fat, so it supplies the same amount of fat and calories as butter, mar­garine or other oils. Just the makeup of the fatty acids is different. So use olive oil sparingly, as you would any oil.

Articles, Weight Watchers

Best Menu Choices When Dining Out

0 Comments 24 April 2011

There are so many choices when dining out. To help you choose, we’ve listed some of the best menu options to select if you’re trying to watch what you’re eating.

Appetizers:
Shrimp cocktail, broth-based or bean soups, grilled or roasted vegetables (with­out oil), grilled polenta without cheese, salad with low-fat or fat-free dressing or dressing on the side, and bread without butter or olive oil.

Seafood:
Choose broiled, grilled or poached. Good choices include salmon, swordfish, flounder, whitefish, halibut, grouper, orange roughy, walleye, shrimp, scallops and lobster. Season fish with fresh lemon, cocktail sauce or horseradish rather than melted butter or tartar sauce.

Italian:
Choose tomato sauces versus cream sauce or pesto. Meatless tomato sauces are usually available. Order plain pasta rather than cheese- or meat-filled ravioli, tortellini and stuffed manicotti. Skip the butter or olive oil and Parmesan cheese with your bread. Avoid dishes with a lot of cheese or ask that if cheese is used for a topping, that it be left off, or half the amount used.

Chinese:
Choose chow mein, lo-mein, veg­etable mixtures with chicken, seafood, beef or pork, meatless stir-fries, steamed dishes and white rice. Ask that no oil be used to prepare your food.

Mexican:
Choose fajitas and ask that no oil be used to cook the meat or chicken and onions and peppers. Other choices might be soft tacos with beef or chicken, black bean or chicken burritos and chicken enchiladas without the cheese. When ordering, ask that sides of cheese and guacamole not be brought to the table and unless they offer low-fat or fat-free sour cream, skip that too and request extra salsa instead. Avoid snacking on the predinner chips and salsa unless the chips are baked and not fried or sample a cup of broth-based soup or meat­less chili.

Japanese:
Choose grilled, broiled, simmered and steamed entrees such as teriyaki, yosenabe or shabu-shabu. Plain white rice is a good choice to go with your meal but remember that one cup has 200 calories.

Dessert:
If you only want a couple of bites of rich dessert, share it with it with your compan­ions or choose low-fat frozen yogurt, sorbets, ices, fresh fruit or order coffee, tea or an espresso drink (made with low-fat milk) instead of a traditional dessert.