Dieting With A Partner Doesnt Work — One of You Will End Up Lighter The Other Upset

Dieting is a miserable practice that can easily leave anyone irritable, unhappy, and hungry, so it makes sense to think that dieting with a partner will make it easier and more enjoyable. Well, you might want to hold off on the buddy system for now; a new study found that dieting with a partner doesn’t work.

The study, published in Eating Behaviors, surveyed 50 overweight couples that had made New Year’s resolutions to lose weight. The survey asked questions about how much confidence the participants had in controlling their food portions when they were alone and when they were eating with company. Participants were asked if they agreed with statements like “When eating out with friends, they influence how much I eat” and “I feel confident that I can leave food on my plate if I think a serving size is too large.”

Overall, the study found that when couples diet together, only one person is successful. The main reason for this is because as one partner is accomplishing their goal, the other loses confidence in their own efforts. It seems counter-intuitive, because partners are supposed to be support systems for one another, but it turns out that being close to someone who is successful in a similar goal undermines the other’s confidence.  It also appears as if women have a disadvantage in couple’s dieting form the get-go; the women who participated in the study reported being less confident then men in their ability to control portions.

It’s easy to scoff at the outcomes of this study, especially for those who view dieting as an exercise in vanity. However, this information is useful for those who are dieting in order have a healthier lifestyle.  And it’s not easy! As author of the study Jennifer Jill Harman points out, portion sizes have increased 700 percent over the last 30 years, so understanding portion control and eating healthier is more important than ever. So for those of you who are serious about losing weight, do yourself a favor and don’t ask the significant other to join in your diet…you’ll be more successful on your own.

By Alanna Greco

Source: http://www.bustle.com/articles/54204-dieting-with-a-partner-doesnt-work-one-of-you-will-end-up-lighter-the-other

Running For Weight Loss 10 tips to get you up and running in the morning

Exercising early is beneficial, but if you’re not a morning person, motivation can prove elusive. We asked Matt Crowe, Managing Director of Sydney’s Odyssey Health Club & Spa and a qualified running coach, personal trainer and dedicated marathon enthusiast, for his top 10 tips to get you running soon after you rise.

The 5-minute rule

Whenever you feel reluctant or tired, make a deal with yourself: just do 5 minutes.

“If I don’t feel better [after 5 minutes], I will just walk or go home,” he says.

Chances are you’ll keep going, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t – there’s always tomorrow. 

Find a buddy or join a running group

“You’ll find a million excuses if it’s just you,” warns Crowe.

Lifelong friendships are born and romance sometimes blossoms in these groups, so the impact can be life changing as well as fitness enhancing.

Have a goal or race in mind

“You need a reason to get up every day,” says Crowe. 

Fun runs are great and happen regularly all around Australia and the world.

Follow a program

“This is so beneficial because it’s your blueprint to success,” explains Crowe.

Sometimes just having a plan in place is enough to get you going, because you can see what you need to do on any given day. 

Sleep

No surprises here. 

“You do need sufficient rest,” says Crowe. “7.5 hours a night is about optimal.”

Moderate alcohol

“No alcohol? Well, I’m not so big on that one,” admits Crowe. 

He suggests no more than two drinks the night before is fine for running the next day, before adding,  “That said, the bigger the night you’ve had, the sooner I want to get you out running.”

Raise money for charity

Committing to fundraising fitness groups like Can Too can be great motivation: it’s bigger than you now; you’re running for a cause.

Says Crowe, “I fully endorse these running groups because [they] get people out there doing it – often people who might not otherwise.”

Embrace variety

Go away for running weekends and regularly change your running route from home; variety is critical for maintaining interest for most people.

“We try and mix it up and rarely do the same run twice, because people get bored,” agrees Crowe. 

Explore the trail networks nearest where you live – you might be surprised.

Play music

If you’re struggling, try putting your headphones on at home – just hearing your favourite running beats will help get you out the door.

Treat yourself

“It’s important to have reward mechanisms,” agrees Crowe. “Say, ‘If I can do all these runs in 6 weeks, I’ll...’” 

If 6 weeks is your idea of eternity, dangle smaller carrots along the way.

Source: http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/fitness/running/10+tips+to+get+you+up+and+running+in+the+morning,32033

Fresh Vegetarian Garlic Soup A Good Recipe To Use Up Your Garlic And Zucchini Harvest Plus Raw Zucchini Ribbon Salad

Sauté smashed garlic cloves and chopped onion.

Peel and chop the zucchini.

Dont throw out your zucchini peels. Make this raw salad!

Its Harvest Time - What to do with Fresh Garlic

Every year I grow way too much garlic. My peak crop was almost 400 heads. This year I controlled myself a bit and only grew about 100 heads. See how easy it is to grow your own garlic in my posts, Growing Garlic In Your Home Garden and Harvesting and Curing Garlic. So what do you do with a bumper crop of garlic? One idea is to make this healthful garlic soup. There is no need to wait until your garlic is cured to make this recipe. It tastes great when you use "fresh", uncured garlic. (Garlic from the store works just fine also). If you simply have too much garlic from your garden to use up, try making your own Garlic Powder.

Why is there Zucchini in this Garlic Soup?

As I was experimenting with different ways to make a garlic soup, I happened to be at my friend Rays house. He is a gardener extraordinaire and always plants way more veggies than one family can possibly consume. This year he exceeded the legal limit of zucchini. One plant is enough for a family, two for the neighborhood but he has over a dozen. Seriously - an entire city can be fed with the amount of zucchini he has coming out of his garden. Lucky for me, I got to go home with an entire bag of it. Hence the 8 cups of chopped zucchini in this recipe. I also added cannellini beans to thicken the soup and provide an extra shot of protein and cholesterol lowering qualities.

Dont Throw Out the Zucchini Peels

Because I wanted a white garlic soup, I peeled the zucchini. As I was peeling them, however, I felt a tug at my heart as the beautiful fresh peels were landing in the sink. I quickly scooped them up, rinsed them off and decided to make a nice raw salad. I just placed them in a bowl, tossed them with my Home made Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing and topped the zucchini ribbons with a few fresh blueberries and chopped walnuts. Using the peels left over from this garlic soup recipe mades about two servings and Doug and I munched the salad while we were waiting for the garlic soup to simmer.

For other raw zucchini recipes, see Raw Zucchini Spaghetti with Walnut Meatballs or Raw Vegan Lemon Basil Pesto on Raw Zucchini Spaghetti. For a raw zucchini soup try Creamy Raw Vegan Zucchini Soup with Crushed Pistachios or Raw Zucchini Soup topped with Raw Goat Milk Feta.

The Benefits of Garlic

Garlic is a true power food. Its phytochemicals include saponins, quercetin and organosulfurs like allicin. To get the most health benefits from garlic, make sure you chop or smash it and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before cooking. Garlic has associated with health benefits such as lowering cholesterol, lowering cancer risk, having antibiotic, anti-viral, anti-parasitic and anti-fungal qualities. It has also been said to have a blood cleansing properties and also the ability to bolster immunity. Its a component of the healthy Mediterranean diet.

Vegetarian Garlic Soup with Zucchini and Cannellini Beans

[serves 4]

1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves, smashed (1 large or 2 small heads)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion

4 cups veggie broth (home made is better)

8 cups zucchini, peeled and diced

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)

1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese (omit for vegan recipe)

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Peel and smash garlic cloves and set aside for 15 minutes while the beneficial phytochemicals in the garlic are developing their healthful qualities.

Sauté the garlic and onions slowly in olive oil over a low to medium heat for about 10 minutes. They will become clear - do not brown. Add broth, zucchini, bay leaf, thyme, sage, salt and pepper and cannellini beans. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove bay leaf. Blend the soup until smooth by putting it into a blender or using a hand blender in the soup pot. Stir in the lemon juice, adjust salt and serve topped with fresh parsley, parmesan and some additional freshly ground black pepper if desired.

Per serving: 222.5 calories, 4.8 g fat, 1.0 g saturated fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 11.4 g protein, 36.7 g carbohydrates and 14.8 g fiber.

A Cornell scientist came up with four ways to lose weight without dieting

The best diet may be the one you don’t know you’re on.

If you change just one lifestyle habit, instead of struggling to power through a traditional “diet,” you can lose two or more pounds each week. If you change up to three habits, you may lose more. Sounds simple? It can be, according to Dr. Brian Wansink, consumer behavior psychologist and marketing professor at the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University who is on a mission to end dieting through what he calls “mindless eating,” which he details in his new book, Slim By Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life.

Wansink is one of a growing number of academics, researchers, social scientists and physicians who support the “small changes theory” as a means to combat weight loss and fight obesity. Simply put: Research and statistics show that small changes can have big payoffs.

“One thing that happens with people who are overweight is that they often feel their situation isn’t solvable, and they are on the verge of giving up,” explains Wansink. “What we’ve found over and over is that making one small change, like eating off a smaller plate, leads to a small weight loss, and then that triggers making more changes. Within a year, a person’s lost 35 pounds without ever ‘dieting.’ That’s our goal.”

Wansink coined the term “mindless eating” with his 2006 bestseller, Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. Now he and his cohort are applying the values of “mindless eating” to weight loss, advocating that small lifestyle and food habits changes can be so easy that you don’t have to think about them for them to be effective. Best of all: Mindless eating negates the need for willpower.

“It’s so much easier to be ‘slim by design’ than by using willpower,” Wansink says. “You make one change, it’s done. Willpower is a 24/7 unending job.”

Who ends up being overweight

Wansink and his colleagues have delineated 62 typical types of eaters. “The assessment helps determine what kind of eater a person is, so we can give them tips that work for them,” says Wansink. According to their findings, the five most typical types of overweight eaters are:

Meal stuffers who don’t cook, who live with their families and watch four or more hours of TV per day.

Meals stuffers who are emotional eaters, live alone, and buy carryout food or order in at least three days per week.

Snack grazers who do most of their snacking away from home, are female, and who prefer salty snacks or baked goods more than candy (except chocolate).

A parent who doesn’t like to cook, but who wants the family to eat better or eat less.

Women (25-35) and men (45-60) who eat more than eight lunches or dinners away from home, and who eat more for the taste experience than to fill up on food.

Four different solutions

The four most essential lifestyle changes for adults who want to lose weight are as follows:

1. Make sure the only food on the kitchen counter is a fruit bowl

One of Wansink’s recent “in-home” studies shows that having potato chips visible in the kitchen can add eight more pounds to a woman’s frame than to another woman who didn’t. Women who kept a box of cereal out on the counter weighed 21 lbs. more than those who didn’t. Women who kept a fruit bowl out instead, however, weighed 8 lbs. less than women who did not.

2. At restaurants, order half-size entrees and use the “Rule of Two”

For the Restaurant Indulger, Wansink says, “Use our restaurant ‘Rule of Two:’ Order a reasonable entrée that sounds good to you, and choose only two other items to go with it. It can be an appetizer and a glass of wine, a bread roll and a dessert, two bread rolls, etc. This will lead you to choose the two items you want the most without feeling deprived.” Do this, and you’ll eat 21-23% fewer calories, Wansink’s findings show.

3. In the grocery store, fill the front of your cart with fruits and veggies

It’s the “we eat what we see” theory in action. Also, chew gum. Shoppers who kept their mouths busy with sugarless gum while shopping bought 7% less junk food, Wansink and his colleagues found in another study.

4. If you work outside the house, commit to not eating at your desk

Ask your workplace to help you by offering healthful choices and free fruit in break rooms or cafeterias. Also, pay with cash. Wansink reports that people who pay with cash at work buy fewer sodas and desserts.

The main idea behind Slim by Design, Wansink says, is to empower readers to create a bigger movement across the nation by identifying “booby-trap” hotspots: restaurants, workplaces and stores, then tweeting, Facebook posting, emailing or mailing their requests for healthful changes directly to those venues. While it may seem too good to be true that corporations and workplaces will listen, Wansink says they will because it’s in their interest in the bottom-line. “A grocery store chain may not want to listen to government,” Wansink explains. “But it does need to listen to a person spending $5000 a year in one of its stores. If not, it’s going to be losing a lot of money.”