Get fit? Get a dog!

Among the random stats in my head is one which crops up everytime I take my pet Nabrador out for a walk:

Dog owners walk - on average - 7 hours more than those who choose a canine-free life

So why are 55% of dogs obese? [Ed - And cat lovers, don't think that lets you off the hook. Some 53% of moggies are clinically obese!] And - on a selfish note - why am I still. Seven hours of walking alone with my dog would burn off a couple pounds a week! Of course - the answer lies in my lacksadaisical approach to dog walking... I wish it weren' true, but it is.

While I can't promise that I'm going to fit in one hour every day, I am going to make a concerted effort to get us out and about more often. Not only does it get us fit, but it gives old Barney a chance to catch up with friends, check out the ladies and give that tennis ball a good run for its money!

Thinking of getting fit with your dog? Check out Alison Sweeney's tips on taking positive steps! And, for the more daring, look into some human-dog sporting activities - like canine cross country!

Want to know more about the health benefits of walking the dog? Check this out:

Jenny Craig tops Consumer Reports diet plan review

Wondering which diet to sign up for? Weight Watchers? Slim-Fast? 

Well, according to Consumer Reports pre-packaged diet plan Jenny Craig might be a good bet.  The latest research indicates that - after 2 years - 92% of those following Jenny Craig diets are still following the programme.

With food plans priced at approximately $200 per week it must be good... Of course the same study found that participants - on average - were just 8% lighter after two years. That means that every 1% loss equates to a whopping $2600!!

While maintaining any loss is better than a gain, I long for a diet plan that sees you losing (and keeping off) the pounds - not your wallet!

How to drop a dress size in 5 days

Why is it that when we diet, all senses of reality go out the window? Maybe it's the instant gratification culture we live in or food colours inducing ADHD, but we just can't seem to wrap our head around long-term, slow paced healthy options which deliver lifelong rewards?!?

But who I am to comment - my first thoughts when I saw this article were: "Really?!? You mean with one diet I can drop a whole dress size in just five days?"

Of course, the real world set in as I started reading. It's like navigating a sea of caveats, such as:

What are the drawbacks?

It's a quick fix not a long-term solution so you could put back on any weight you lose after the plan.

When we switch into desperation mode it's so difficult to switch off the idea of a crash diet... They offer a short-term fix and the promise that you'll look that bit slimmer, feel more confident, etc on your big night!

But isn't that why - on the eighth day - God invented Spanx?

There's a ton of research out there which identifies the pitfalls of 'get thin quick' crash diets - but I don't need a lab coat to tell you that just as you didn't gain a dress size in five days, you most likely won't lose one in such a short time. 

Of course there are those who will prove me wrong. To them, I give a salute. You've made the ultimate sacrifice to the dieting Gods, succeeding where most of us fail...

But, I have to ask, is it really worth it for a night or two?

  

  

60 minutes of daily exercise keeps weight gain at bay

Spending just an hour a day participating in moderate exercise could be enough to stave off weight gain, according to the latest study findings from America.

What is moderate exercise?

According to Dr I-Min Lee, the lead author of the study - which is reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association - "'Moderate intensity' means brisk walking, casual bicycling, ballroom dancing, playing with the grandchildren."


This type of exercise can be introduced easily and cheaply into one's day. The NHS, for example, suggest taking little steps. Try walking uphill, enjoy long strolls and walk to and from the shops. And that last one could save you pounds while you lose them, too. That makes good sense to me!

Gastric bypasses linked with increased risk of alcoholism

Fancy trading in your eating addiction? According to the latest diet research from Sweden, bariatric surgery candidates who opt for a gastric bypass over a lapband could be running the risk of alcoholism.

While researchers have long been aware of the higher risk of alcohol absorption which follows a stomach staple, the new findings - announced in Chicago earlier this week - are the first to suggest a link with alcohol abuse.

The study examined records or 12,277 patients who underwent bariatric surgery over a 26 year period. Comparing them with 122,770 control subjects, researchers found that - before surgery - the obese patients demonstrated a much higher risk of depression, attempted suicide and alcoholism. And - despite surgery - these risks remained high.

Shining the spotlight on alcoholism, researchers discovered that gastric bypass patients were 230% more likely to suffer from alcoholism than their counterparts who underwent lapband surgery.

Quench your thirst

Forget cramming in your eight a day, diet researchers have found that drinking two glasses of water before each meal time could really pay off at the scales.

A study has revealed how participants in a 12-week calorie-controlled study who drank two cups of water before each meal lost - on average - 5 pounds more than those who followed the identical diet without the water. 

While diet experts have asked us to drink more water as part of our diet plans, this is the first time it's been clinically proven to increase weight loss.
I have to confess that I drink very little water - preferring cups of tea and pepsi max.  With these results in mind, I'm going to try to change introduce 2 glasses of water at breakfast time this week and roll it out slowly over the next month.

Weigh in tomorrow, so it makes sense to begin my own personal 'study' then.

PS: The Volumetrics diet draws on the importance of water in weight loss. Want to know more? Check out the book below!

Humiliation: The key to weight loss?

Put down the cereal bowl, ladies.  That two bowls a day is so last month. Tweet What You Eat is the net's latest diet craze. Forget maple syrup, low GI and baby food, this Twitter-based food and weight diary is the must-have this year for any discerning diet junkie.

Rather than restrict your food with insane rules, the diet programme is said to encourage healthy eating and exercise with the threat of humiliation - albeit self-humiliation.

For many of us our weight is a personal and often emotional issue. So, is humiliation the answer? And, if so, should it come from ourselves? Weight and health awareness is crucial, but I'm not sure that this is the perfect way forward.

A scan of sample diets on the site isn't great reading.... Dunkin Donuts... McDonalds... cookies and milk. And that's the bulk of some people's diets. The focus is on the calorie count, rather than the fat and sugar levels.  From this angle, it seems like a quick fix and a diet that definitely hasn't been designed by anyone with a long-term weight issue.

The idea of self-humiliation is enough to send me reaching for the Krispy Kremes. There's every likelihood that this could prolong the vicious cycle of gains and losses for participants. After all, low self esteem is often the best way to work up an appetite.

While I do post my weight on a regular(ish) basis on this blog, I'm doing so to illustrate my journey rather than just try to force myself to lose weight by putting it out in the public forum.  If posting your weight was enough to force you to lose weight, all of us weight loss bloggers would be writing our happily ever afters by now.

Want to get started? Check out this book...