First impressions can deceive… or worse, they can make you fat!

Many dieters are on the look-out for healthy (or healthier) food to eat. But just because a certain food features or contains a healthy ingredient (e.g. fruits, vegetables) does not mean that it’s good for you and can help you lose weight.

Christine Gerbstadt, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, says:

Foods with wholesome images — nuts, yogurt and granola — are often consumed with abandon by dieters and end up sabotaging them. Many brands of granola, for example, can be packed with up to 600 calories per cup and are loaded with more sugar than a cup of Cap’n Crunch.

Remember: It boils down to the calories consumed.

You can see perfect examples of this at your retail stores. Just flip over the package and look at the nutrition labels and I bet you’ll be shocked at the number of calories that are in some of the “low fat” foods.

If you want to lose weight, you’ll really need to compare the different products available, and choose the one that’s lower in calories.

Tracy Lee
Weight Loss for Women Over 40

A recent new study shows that lifting weights twice a week can help women over 40 prevent “middle-aged spread” and keep their hearts healthy.

According to the study’s author, Kathryn Schmitz at University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, on average women over 40 tend to gain 1 to 2 pounds a year and most of this is assumed to be fat.

The study consisted of 2 groups of overweight and obeses women. One group took part in a supervised strength training classes. The other group received a brochure that recommended they get 30 mins to an hour exercise most days of the week.

Meantime, both groups were told not to change their diets in ways that might lead to weight changes during the study.

In the end, the women in the weight-training group showed an average 3.7% reduced in their body fat while the other group’s body fat remain unchanged. Furthermore, the weight training also helped to reduced the intra-abdominal fat which is associated with heart disease and metabolic disturbances.

So, what are you waiting for?

Get started on your weight training exercises today! Don’t know how? Here’s a really great way to get the ball rolling…

==> Weight Training

Tracy Lee
Weight Loss for Women Over 40

I’m… surprised.

Or perhaps “stunned” is more apt.

I can’t quite believe that they are so many people out there who are still keen to try the infamous Atkins Diet.

You would expect the numbers to be drastically reduced after the release of so many negative reports about how this diet has caused a number of ill-effects to people’s health, right?

Recently, there was new research done by some doctors from New York University. In their case study reported in The Lancet, there was a 40-year-old woman who developed a dangerous condition called ketoacidosis, a dangerous buildup of acids called ketones in the blood which can lead to patients falling into a coma.

The patient, a 40-year-old obese woman, reported a weight loss of nine kilos (20 pounds) a month after she began the diet.

She ate meat, cheese and salads, supplemented by minerals and vitamins sold by Atkins Nutritionals Inc., the company founded by diet pioneer Robert Atkins in 1989.

She was admitted for emergency treatment, complaining of a shortness of breath, nausea and repeated vomiting that had lasted several days, as well as mild gastric pains.

Urine and blood analysis showed she had severe ketoacidosis — a condition in which dangerously high levels of ketone acids build up in the liver as a result of a depletion of the hormone insulin. Ketoacidosis, which is more usually seen among diabetics and victims of starvation, can lead to a coma.

Yes, this can lead to a coma!

I don’t know about you, but I think that is too high a price to pay in order to lose the 20 pounds.

Dr. Klaus-Dieter Lessnau, a clinical assistant professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine and co-author of the case study report says, “The Atkins diet is not a safe diet in everybody. It can cause potentially life-threatening problems.”

Well said.

So, please… Be safe, and stay away from all these low-carb diets!

Tracy Lee
Weight Loss for Women Over 40

Yes, one of every five calories in the American diet is liquid. In fact, the nation’s single biggest “food” is soda.

And if you ask me, that’s downright disgusting.

If soda is the “food” (if you can even call it that!) that’s consumed the most, is it any surprise that so many people in America are obese?

But according to an article by The Associated Press, now there’s a glimmer of hope…

In reports to be published in science journals this week, two groups of researchers hope to add evidence to the theory that soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks don’t just go hand-in-hand with obesity, but actually cause it. Not that these drinks are the only cause — genetics, exercise and other factors are involved — but that they are one cause, perhaps the leading cause.

A small point? In reality, proving this would be a scientific leap that could help make the case for higher taxes on soda, restrictions on how and where it is sold — maybe even a surgeon general’s warning on labels.

I’ve said it before, and I think it bears repeating again: If you want to lose weight, please stay away from soda, or at least drastically minimize the amount you consume regularly.

And just as importantly, stay away from the “diet” sodas — diet sodas contain artifical sweeteners and can seriously harm you. In other words, the diet sodas are even worse than the “real” sodas.

If you haven’t already done so, get on my mailing list now and I’ll keep you posted on the latest developments on this. Imagine this… are we really going to see a Surgeon General’s Warning on the soda cans?!

Tracy
Weight Loss for Women Over 40

Here’s another gimmicky product out to entice the gullible ones out there…

Made by Omega Tech Labs, it’s a lip balm (or “lip treatment” as they call it) that claims to help curb your appetites.

It contains castor, coconut, spearmint, jojoba, evening primrose, sweet orange, grapefruit, lime, ginger and yerba mate oils, and it’ll cost $4-$5 for each one month’s supply.

My suggestion? Go get a good moisturizing lip balm for your lips. Your money is probably better spent that way.

Tracy
Weight Loss for Women Over 40

Happy Valentine’s Day!

If you love chocolates, Feb 14th is a great day to indulge in some. Errm, have you hinted to your Significant Other yet?

Just make sure that you choose dark chocolates instead of the milk or white varieties.

Studies have shown that high concentrations (at least 70 percent) of cocoa found in dark chocolate help to improve vascular function by relaxing blood vessels, keeping cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels and reducing the risk of blood clots.

Dark chocolate also contains flavanols — these are plant-based antioxidants that may have beneficial effects on cardiovascular function such as improving heart function and lowering blood pressure.

Enjoy… And remember to go easy on the chocolates if you don’t want to put on any additional weight — even if they are of the dark variety!

Cheers!
Tracy

Yes, another diet has been “invented” yet again. As I write this, the Sonoma Diet is still relatively new — after all, the book was only released on December 27, 2005.

The Sonoma Diet is created by Dr. Connie Guttersen, a registered dietitian and nutrition instructor at the world-famous Culinary Institute of America.

She named the diet after California’s beautiful Sonoma County (where she lives, not surprisingly) and the Sonoma Diet is based largely on the Mediterranean diet.

One thing I like about this diet is that the emphasis is not on abstaining from certain types of food. As I’ve said many times before, that never lasts.

Instead, it preaches a balanced diet of healthy food choices, with a emphasis on portion control.

In fact, the Sonoma Diet dictates that you’ll be using a 7-inch plate or a 2-cup bowl for your breakfast and a 9-inch plate for your lunch and dinner. And you’ll be told how to fill those plates and bowl with the right amount of foods!

Another big thing in this diet is the list of the “Top Ten Power Foods” i.e. they’re the ones that offer the most nutritional bang for the calorie buck. These foods are the backbone of The Sonoma Diet, so if you look at the recipes that’s recommended for you when you’re on the diet, you’ll notice that these “power foods” are a pretty common ingredient in them.

FYI, here are the Sonoma Diet’s Top Ten Power Foods:

• Almonds
• Bell peppers
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Grapes
• Olive oil
• Spinach
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes
• Whole grains

Oh, one thing you should note is that if you don’t have the time to cook, or you simply don’t like to spend time in the kitchen, the recipes may prove to be a challenge for you if you want to consider this diet. You’ll just have to make do and hope that you can find suitable alternatives from the food places that you frequent.

Another interesting thing about the diet is the prominence of wines during your meals. So if you like wine, you’re going to love this diet!

As mentioned earlier, the diet is based on Mediterranean eating habits, and that’s why wine is such a feature in this diet. Of course, you don’t really have to follow this part of the diet if you don’t drink, but wine is definitely encouraged.

Like in some other popular diets, the Sonoma Diet is divided into three distinct phases, or what Dr. Guttersen calls “Waves”.

Wave 1 comprises the first ten days of the diet, where you are supposed to eat certain foods to “adjust” your body to overcome bad eating habits.

Wave 2 is the main segment of the diet, where you’ll stay until you reach your target weight, and Wave 3 is the maintenance program of the diet.

All in all, I must say that the Sonoma Diet is one of the more healthy diets around. Unlike some other (in)famous diets, it doesn’t ask you to abstain from core food groups like carbohydrates, or ask that you eat a lot of a certain kind of food.

If you want to know more about the Sonoma Diet, I suggest that you visit the following…

• Get the Sonoma Diet book from Amazon
• See the Sonoma Diet online support site

Tracy Lee
Weight Loss for Women Over 40

“I’ll just have a little…”

If you are not careful, this little phrase can be an absolute killer for your weight loss plans during this holiday season.

And I’m not just talking about the food.

The hidden danger is in all the alcoholic drinks and cocktails that’s being offered to you. Yes, those party drinks can do more harm other than just getting you intoxicated and embarassingly uninhibited!

Want to know more? Go read the new article I’ve just posted to my site…

Alcoholic Drinks And Its Effect on Your Weight Loss Program

Tracy Lee
Weight Loss for Women Over 40

Yes, it’s yet another one of those spray and lose weight products. When will this ever end?!

This time round it’s something called “CLAmor“, and it contains an unspecified amount of “CLA” (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) which is supposed to be able to help you in reducing fat and building lean muscle mass.

As usual, this is not a miracle spray, ok?

The jury is still out on how much CLA helps in building lean body mass, if it does help at all.

So, please do not rush out to get this CLAmor spray, nor the Flavor Spray I talked about yesterday, or even SLIMist.

In the meantime, I bet we won’t have to wait for long before the next spray product comes onto the market. These things are multiplying like rabbits!

Tracy Lee
Weight Loss for Women Over 40

Here’s comes another one of those sprays that claim to help you with your weight loss…

It’s called Flavor Spray™ and it has zero calories, zero fat, zero cholesterol and zero carbohydrates.

That’s the good news.

The makers of Flavor Spray says that “by eliminating your toppings, gravies, dressings, and sauces the flavor spray provides the flavor that most diets are missing. No longer when you diet will you crave the sweet taste, or yearn for flavor when you count calories. Just spray our flavor spray and you will no longer need to satisfy your craving for flavor. Follow a low carb meal regimen, and allow flavor spray to add the toppings and sauce to your meal.”

With flavors like Smoked Bacon, Tomato Basil, Teriyaki, Banana Split, Chocolate Fudge, and Root Beer Float, it sure does sound tempting, right?

Well, the bad news is that it contains artificial flavorings, Sucralose, Sodium Benzoate (a preservative) and Citric Acid.

Yikes!

Artificial flavorings are a no-no.

Artificial sweeteners such as Sucralose are an even bigger no-no. Stay away from them as far as you can! If you haven’t already done so, go read my previous blog entry on how artificial sweeteners can seriously harm you.

Want to hear what others say about the harmful effects of Sucralose? Go check out the potential dangers of Sucralose. You’ll be shocked.

Go tell your friends — ask them to visit this blog and learn more about these dangers for themselves. Thanks!

Tracy Lee
Weight Loss for Women Over 40