HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT: KNOW THE GET LEAN LINGO

HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT: KNOW THE GET LEAN LINGO

The Skinny on Your Weight
Loss Vocab

Knowing the right get lean lingo will help you lose
weight quick

Amy Paturel


A is for Alcohol
You booze, you lose: A daily serving of hooch may
be better for keeping off weight than abstaining.
Alcohol may increase leptin, a hormone that curbs
your appetite for sweets. To get the perks with
minimal calories, order a glass of sauvignon blanc
(119 calories per 5 ounces).

B is for Buddies
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of
Medicine compared solo dieters to teams of dieters.
After 10 months, the latter were likelier to have
maintained their loss (66 percent versus 24
percent).

C is for Cortisol
Your adrenal glands secrete this stress hormone to
help you handle threats, but too much can be bad
news. Last year, researchers at the University of
Leeds in the U.K. linked high levels of cortisol to
increased snacking on junk food. Spend the cash
you'd pay for a big dinner on a stress-reducing
massage.

D is for Density
A yearlong study published in the American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition found women eating water-rich
foods low in calories but high in nutrients (like
veggies) as part of a low-fat diet lost more weight
than those who only cut back on fat. They were less
hungry than the low-fat-only bunch, too, most
likely because they ate 25 percent more food by
weight. Go for grub with an energy density (calories
per serving ÷ weight in grams of serving) of 2 or
less.

E is for Estimation
Developing an eye for appropriate serving sizes can
make or break your diet. Commit these serving-size
visuals to memory:
3 oz lean meat = a standard deck of 52 cards
1/2 cup of fruit, vegetables, or grains = half a
baseball
1.5 oz cheese = 3 dominoes

F is for Fructose
A study published last year in the journal
Hepatology found that feeding fructose-laced water
to rats increased their risk of obesity. Ditch the
artificially sweetened juices and sodas and get your
fructose from fruit--a form that researchers say
could be kinder to your waistline.

G is for Grapefruit
Kick off every meal with half a ruby red or 8 ounces
of grapefruit juice--you could speed up your weight
loss. Subjects of a 2006 study in the Journal of
Medicinal Food who ate half a grapefruit before each
meal lost more weight after 12 weeks than those
who didn't (3.5 pounds versus less than a pound).

H is for Hydration
Studies have shown that drinking water can slightly
increase your caloric burn rate. The researchers
behind one such study at Franz-Volhard Clinical
Research Center in Berlin estimate that sipping six
extra 8-ounce glasses a day can burn 17,400 more
calories (about 5 pounds of fat) per year.

I is for Insulin
The amount of this sugar-regulating hormone you
secrete may dictate the diet you should follow. A
study published in the Journal of the American
Medical Association found that high insulin
secretors dropped about 13 pounds on a low-carb
diet but only about 3 on a low-fat/higher-carb diet.
Look in the mirror: If you store fat in your belly
(have an "apple" body shape), you're more likely to
secrete excess insulin and benefit from fewer carbs.

J is for Journal
If you write down everything you eat, research has
shown, you can cut your intake by 500 to 1,000
calories a day. And you'll keep the weight off: Food
journaling is one of the successful behaviors used
by people in the National Weight Control Registry, a
list of dieters who have maintained a loss of 30
pounds or more for at least one year.

K is for Ketosis
The point at which your body runs low on carbs
and starts burning fat stores for fuel, ketosis can
jump-start a diet or bust a plateau. Studies show
that dieters who restrict carbs typically lose more
weight during the first 3 to 6 months, but after
about a year their results are comparable to those
who go low-fat. So after dropping those initial
pounds, it's okay to have whole-grain pasta and
bread again--in moderation.

L is for Leptin
Fat cells secrete this hormone to tell your brain
you're full. But researchers have found that fasts and
extremely calorie-restrictive diets can lower leptin
levels, prompting you to eat more. To keep this
hormone in balance, strive for a slow, steady weight
loss--no more than 1 to 2 pounds per week.

M is for Milk
You might get better results from your workout if
you imbibe moo juice. A study in the American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that downing 2
cups of skim milk after intense weight-lifting
workouts built more muscle and burned twice as
much fat as drinking carbohydrate beverages (such
as a sports drink). But go with real cow's milk--in
the study, drinks made from soy had no effect.

N is for Numbers
Nobody enjoys weigh-ins, but research shows that
people who hop on the scale once a day are more
likely to lose and to maintain their loss. Make a
standing appointment for yourself--just don't
obsess over the number you see.

O is for Omelet
Eggs are an ideal protein source, says Jonny
Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S., author of The 150 Healthiest
Foods on Earth. Protein helps build muscle, which
will fry more calories per pound than fat. Bonus:
You'll burn about 25 percent of the eggs' calories
just by digesting them (protein metabolism uses
more energy than that of fat and carbs). A two-egg
omelet takes you a quarter of the way to your
protein RDA.

P is for Peanuts
Subjects in a study at Purdue University received
about 500 calories' worth of peanuts a day to eat at
their discretion. After 8 weeks, they had gained an
average of about 2 pounds--much less than the 8
pounds researchers had predicted. Probable cause:
The high-protein and high-fiber nuts filled them
up. And after 19 weeks, they also had boosted their
resting metabolic rates by 11 percent, possibly due
to the fatty acids in the nuts. Take the edge off your
appetite by snacking on a handful (a quarter-cup)
per day.

Q is for Quinoa
Quinoa (keen-wa) has more hunger-taming protein
and fiber and less carbs than most other whole
grains. Swap it for white rice and other refined
grains.

R is for Replacements
Researchers at the University of Kansas found that
dieters who drank liquid meal replacements lost just
as much weight over 52 weeks as those who used
the weight-loss drug Orlistat with regular meals.
Who needs pills?

S is for Stress
Scientists at Georgetown University fed two groups
of mice a diet of high-fat, high-sugar feed and
measured how much weight they gained. Stressed
mice (you don't want to know how they pushed them
over the edge) gained more than twice as much
weight as the group with the same diet but no
stress. The reason? Researchers believe that stress
causes the release of a molecule that helps increase
the size and number of fat cells. The next time
you're feeling the strain, do yoga (see Y) instead of
dessert.

T is for Tea
The fat-busting benefits of green tea boil down to
disease-fighting compounds called catechins. One
study of 240 Japanese men and women found that
when subjects drank green tea containing 583
milligrams of catechins per 12-ounce cup, they
dropped more weight--and inches--than those who
ingested tea containing only 96 milligrams. Max
your results by steeping your bag of green tea as
long as possible. The darker the hue of your brew
(and the more bitter it is), the more catechin-rich the
cup.

U is for User-Friendly
A recent study in the Journal of the American
Medical Association assigned 160 overweight and
obese volunteers to one of four popular diets for 6
months. They found that the strongest predictor of
weight loss wasn't the type of diet but compliance
with the selected plan. The takeaway: Find a plan
you can live with so you'll stick to it.

V is for Vinegar
A study published in the Journal of the American
Dietetic Association found that swallowing 60 grams
(about 4 tablespoons) of an apple cider vinegar
mixture with a high-glycemic-index meal caused
test subjects to eat 200 to 275 fewer calories over
the rest of the day. If you can't stomach the stuff
straight, try mixing it into a low-fat dressing.

W is for Weights
If you've put off pumping iron, get to it. According
to experts, you burn calories faster after a strength-
training session than you would after a cardio
session. And researchers at the University of
Alabama at Birmingham found that lifting weights
three times a week for 25 weeks caused women to
lose an average of 4 pounds of body fat.

X is for Xenical
This prescription fat blocker made news last year
when the FDA green­lighted its over-the-counter
version, Alli. But both drugs come with an
unfortunate side effect: loose stools. We say pass on
the gas and slim down the old-fashioned way.

Y is for Yoga
A study at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center in Seattle found that normal-weight women
who practiced yoga for four or more years gained
three pounds less over 10 years than those who
didn't. Grab a mat and get going.


Z is for Z's
When you skimp on sleep, your brain thinks you're
low on fuel and sends a message to your stomach to
start growling. A study published in the American
Journal of Epidemiology found that among 68,183
women, those who slept for 5 hours or less were an
average of 5 pounds heavier than women who
snoozed for 7 hours. Want to stay slim? Go to bed.




Last updated: January 7, 2010 Issue date:
January/February 2008

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secrets