Red meat, in addition to other processed meats, increases the risk of this disease.

So does excess body fat, abdominal fat and alcohol.

Fiber offers protection as does physical activity.

Surprised?

I think it is.

I think that we WANT to lose weight, but we can’t agree on the way to do it.

Do we eat less (decrease spending)

Do we exercise more (increase revenue)

or do we do both?

I think you know my feeling. You simply MUST work both ends of the equation and eat less AND rev your metabolism through strength training.

So quickly, a difficult situation seems easy.

Could the same happen in D.C.?

Obese dieters’ brain chemistry works against their weight-loss efforts
URBANA – If you’ve been trying to lose weight and suspect your body’s working against you, you may be right, according to a University of Illinois study published in Obesity.

“When obese persons reduce their food intake too drastically, their bodies appear to resist their weight loss efforts. They may have to work harder and go slower in order to outsmart their brain chemistry,” said Gregory G. Freund, a professor in the U of I College of Medicine and a member of U of I’s Division of Nutritional Sciences.

He particularly cautions against beginning a diet with a fast or cleansing day, which appears to trigger significant alterations in the immune system that work against weight loss. “Take smaller steps to start your weight loss and keep it going,” he said.

In the study, the scientist compared the effects of a short-term fast on two groups of mice. For 12 weeks, one group consumed a low-fat diet (10 percent fat); the other group was fed a high-fat (60 percent fat) and had become obese. The mice were then fasted for 24 hours. In that time, the leaner mice lost 18 percent of their body weight compared to 5 percent for the obese mice.

Freund said that there is an immune component to weight loss that has not been recognized. “Our data show that fasting induces an anti-inflammatory effect on a lean animal’s neuroimmune system, and that effect is inhibited by a high-fat diet. Some of the brain-based chemical changes that occur in a lean animal simply don’t occur in an obese animal,” he said.

This breakdown occurs because obese animals resist down regulation of genes that activate the interleukin-1 (IL-1) system and associated anti-inflammatory cytokines, he said.

The scientist also studied differences in the behavior of the two groups of mice, monitoring how much they moved, administering tests to discern the animals’ ability to learn and remember, and noting whether the mice exhibited signs of depression or anxiety.

The results suggest that beginning a diet with a fast or near-fast may alter brain chemistry in a way that adversely affects mood and motivation, undermining the person’s weight-loss efforts.

“The obese mice simply didn’t move as much as the other mice. Not only was there reduced locomotion generally, they didn’t burrow in the way that mice normally do, and that’s associated with depression and anxiety,” he said.

Beginning a weight-loss program in a depressed frame of mind and with decreased motivation doesn’t bode well for the diet’s success, he noted.

BRAND new info out about the essential role of exercise to manage type II diabetes.

Nine experts say:

1. 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic exercise

2. Two, and ideally three resistance training sessions a week. That is VERY new from the past recommendations.

In “The Cardio-Free Diet,” I added a whole appendix on preventing and managing diabetes with my eating and exercise plan. If you are struggling with this issue or know someone who is, then I would check out that book.

Jim

Just got back from an errand on Michigan Avenue in Chicago and spotted not one, but three really obese men smoking, and they were probably in their 50s or 60s.

You have to wonder, “what are they thinking?”

We know obesity raises the risk of heart disease and cancer, to name a few. Couple that with smoking and aren’t you just playing with a major fire, fueled with a lot of gasoline?

Plus, most smokers are on the leaner side as they satisfy their oral fixation with the cigarette rather than with the food. I know it worked for me years ago when i was struggling with my weight.

Now, don’t anyone take up smoking because of my comment. Some of you have read in the past that a LOT of the little LA celebrities smoke up a storm. I know as I have seen them huddling around corners on Rodeo Drive and Sunset Boulevard as they furiously puff away.

Jim

My firm now offers SKYPE training and we are getting very busy. People like the SKYPE because:

1. They need help getting started.

2. They want to make sure they are performing the exercises correctly.

3. They need help progressing.

4. They LOVE the accountability of the appointments. Many say they are eating better because they know they have to report in.

Give my office a call, 773-244-0123, if you are interested.

Jim

People, it’s brutal outside in many parts of the country.

This is a time to eat VERY little and when you do, make it high water content food like fruits and veggies.

I am in North Carolina giving a speech and am about to go to lunch. So far, I have eaten:

1. One Apple
2. Two Eggs
3. Two small Cups of Fruit
4. Two More Apples

And I gave a three hour speech and just did 35 hard minutes of interval strength training.

I’m going to have a salad with protein and iced tea for lunch and will eat very lightly for dinner.

You will stay cooler is you eat less and lean out. Trust me.

Jim

Everyone:

HUGE apology as my computer crashed with ALL my login passwords.

It’s Monday the 18th. You should be:

1. Weighing in every Monday

2. Eating a TON of fresh fruits and veggies as they are in season.

3. Getting a few minutes of sun every day.

4. Pounding the water and green tea.

Leaving tomorrow for the Carolinas, so I will have more time to blog.

Again, sorry!!!

Jim