Robard Weight Loss

Obesogens: Chemicals That Make Losing Weight Even Harder

Ever heard of obesogens? I hadn’t – until I came across an article blaming them as one reason individuals may find it hard to lose their “last 10 pounds.” While it’s been proven time and again that a key factor to weight loss is eating healthy and exercising, experimental studies are showing that there may be environmental factors – endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) - that cause the endocrine system (which produces the hormones that regulate our bodies) to go awry.

The average American is exposed to anywhere between 10 and 13 pesticides a day (through food, beverages, and drinking water), and 9 of the 10 most common pesticides used are EDCs. While additional research needs to be conducted to form concrete conclusions about their effect on weight loss, limiting exposure to these pesticides for just five days can reduce your exposure to non/near non-detectable levels. How?

1. Know when eating organic is worth it. There are two lists to be mindful of, The Dirty Dozen and The Clean Fifteen. Knowing which list your common fruits and vegetables fall under will help you decide whether or not to buy organic. Those items on the former list contain the highest levels of pesticides; items on the latter show little pesticide residue when tested.
   
   The Dirty Dozen (starting at the worst): celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries (domestic), nectarines, sweet bell peppers, spinach, kale/collard greens, cherries, potatoes, and grapes (imported).
   
   The Clean Fifteen: onions, avocado, sweet corn (frozen), pineapples, mango, sweet peas (frozen), asparagus, kiwi fruit, cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe (domestic), watermelon, grapefruit, sweet potatoes, and honeydew melon.
2. Don’t eat plastic. Don’t roll your eyes – we all do it! But, you can minimize your exposure to the chemicals found in plastic by: 
   
   • Stop heating up your food in plastic containers and/or putting plastic containers in the dishwasher. Boiling liquids in them increases leeching of obesogens into the foods they contain.
   • Avoid buying fatty foods wrapped in plastic wrap (generally made from PVC, unlike at home plastic wrap, which is made from polyethylene), as the fatty tissue in these foods can store EDCs.
   • Cut down on canned goods and look for the same items in pouches instead, as many cans contain major obesogens.
3. Choose foods from the pasture.
   
   Grass fed animals, as opposed to confined, grain-fed ones, contain no EDCs (and carry a lot more vitamins).
   
   When choosing fish, stick with small, lean fish, such as anchovies, Atlantic herring and mackerel, and wild-caught Alaskan salmon.  Remember: Big fish eat smaller fish, therefore carrying a much higher toxic load.
4. Filter your water.
   
   Most people agree that it tastes better anyway, but filtering your water will help to get rid of pesticides and chemical pollutants found in tap water. Make sure it meets the NSF/American National Standards Institute’s standard 53 (it should say this on the packaging), so that you are treating your water for health and aesthetic concerns.

Just remember: Using these guidelines to make informed decisions and minimize exposure to obesogens should be complementary to a healthy diet and exercise program – as both are key elements to successful weight loss and weight maintenance.

Source: http://shine.yahoo.com/event/loveyourbody/why-you-cant-lose-those-last-10-pounds-1964849/

Weigh in on the Issue: Pushing Others to Seek Weight Loss Assistance

"I've been on a diet program for a while now and have found really great success with it. On top of losing weight, I'm finally beginning to understand a lot of the unhealthy behaviors that got me to the point where I needed help. I really think my friend could benefit from the same program that I was on, but I don't know how to approach the subject with her without getting her angry. I don't want her to hate me - but I really think she needs to be nudged in the right direction. Should I keep quiet and just let her continue the way she is... or is there something I can say that will enlighten her without inciting anger?"

What do you think? As dieters and weight loss counselors, what advice would you give to this concerned friend?

7 Additional Methods of Motivation

The third, and final, installment of the 7 Methods of Motivation series is based on motivational thoughts and tips.  

15. Strength training.
Core strengthening exercises will help make you healthier and more attractive.
16. Shop on a full stomach.
When you're hungry, food looks a lot more appealing and you'll be tempted to buy junk.
17. Eat enough protein.
Your muscles need protein to rebuild. Without enough of it, you'll get very little from your workout.
18. Drink water.
Hydrate throughout the day. It takes a couple hours for your body to absorb water, so you need to do more than just fill up before your workout.
19. Use exercise to relieve stress and frustration.
20. Let exercise be your time to think.
There's nothing better than working out and letting your mind stray to other places.
21. Get to bed!
If you get seven hours of sleep, your body will function better, you will be fresher and more productive with your time when you are awake. Turn off the tv, get cozy, and catch up on the zzz's.

I'd really like to know what advice you would give to other dieters.  Leave your tips in the comments below!

7 More Methods of Motivation

Part two in our list of methods of motivation to help you with your weight loss!

8. Keep one pair of "fat" jeans.
Image how it will feel when you put them on and realize that - without a belt - they'd come falling down.
9. Make it manageable.
Strive to integrate a workout into your life at a manageable pace. Keep it at 20-30 minutes to start and gradually raise it to keep it accomplishable.
10. Hate to run? Then don't!
Instead - pick an activity that you enjoy. Working out doesn't have to be work.
11. Swing your partner round and round...
Or take a walk together, or dance. Find something enjoyable that you and a friend can do together. Use the buddy system for motivation and to hold one another accountable.
12. Do a 30-day challenge.
See if you can rise to the occasion! Put in rewards and recruit others to be part of it.
13. Make it routine.
Put your workout in your calendar just as you would an appointment. This consistency will make you more consistent at doing it.
14. Listen to your body.
If you feel you are overdoing it - you probably are. Rest and allow your body to recover. If you feel sharp pain or pain in your joints, stop immediately.

What do you think?  Do you have any tips to offer our readers>?  Have you used any of the tips in this part successfully?

7 Methods of Motivation

We've compiled a list of some of the most popular and innovative methods of motivation to help you in your weight loss. Below is Part One of this three part series. Check back next week for parts two and three!

Feel free to leave your own ideas and tips in the comments below!

1. Set goals.
Make sure each goal you set is reasonably attainable. Set a time limit to accomplish it in. This will help you to constantly add to your program and make is successful.
2. Keep a journal.
Post in your journal or log every day. You will see data pertaining to your progress and what you're doing right/wrong, calories burned, etc. Use this as a way to hold yourself accountable.
3. Chart your progress.
Take a fitness assessment to see your current weight, body fat measurements, and BMI. In three months, take these figures again to see what progress you've made.
4. Weigh yourself every day.
5. Count your steps.
Take the stairs and count the number of them to divert your attention. Get a pedometer and track how many steps you're taking each day. Every small step is progress.
6. Read success stories & motivational quotes.
Others stories can propel your desire to successfully live (and write) your own.
7. Have a photo shoot.
Take a picture of how you look now. As you progress in your program, periodically take a picture to see how much you've changed.

What Would You Do? Weigh in on a Personal Issue

"I have recently lost weight and now my significant other/friend/family member is acting very bitter towards me. Our relationship hasn't been the same since I made this change. Shouldn't he/she be happy that I'm being healthy? I just don't know what to do about it. Help!"

I found a similar question posed on a message board, and would now like to extend it to you:

If you're a dieter, have you gone through something similar, or if you're a professional, have you had a similar scenario posed to you? If so - what were you told/did you say? What advice would you give to someone in this situation? All comments and advice are welcome. I'd love to know what you think!

Are weight loss ads doing more harm than good?

Have you read a magazine or newspaper, watched television, or surfed the Internet lately? If so, chances are at some point you've come across an ad for a weight loss program or product that contained a plus sized model. A new study from ASU, the University of Cologne in Germany, and Erasmus University in the Netherlands has found that these ads can have a direct impact on your self esteem. They concluded that an overweight consumer "demonstrated lower self-esteem - and therefore...less enthusiasm about buying products - after exposure to any size models in ads (versus ads with no models)," and "normal-weight consumers experienced lower self-esteem after exposure to moderately heavy models." A big part of this shift in self-esteem comes from the perceived distance between your size and the models size.  Those individuals in the normal to high BMI ranges tend to have lower self-esteem when viewing plus sized models.

A big part of this shift in self-esteem comes from the perceived distance between the viewer's size and the model's size. Individuals with higher BMIs tend to see themselves as drastically different than thin models and identify themselves as similar to plus sized models; those with a BMI in the normal range tend to fear they are similar to plus sized models. It is the identification and/or disassociation of one's self with the models that causes the negative shift in self-esteem.

You can read more about this study at PhysOrg.com, but I'd really like to know what you think. Do you feel that ads containing plus sized models - even those with the best intentions like Dove's Real Women campaign - can be doing more harm to one's self esteem than good?