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Yesterday I spent the evening chatting with a friend of mine on the phone about her frustrations to lose weight. My friend had a hysterectomy two years ago, and although she has fully healed physically from the surgery she continues to heal emotionally. Before the surgery my friend was only slightly overweight, however being laid up after the surgery and finding comfort in food caused her to gain quite a bit of weight. In the last year she claims she has tried different diets to lose weight, but none of them seem to do any good. At this point she is concerned that managing weight loss after a hysterectomy comes with different challenges she may not have prepared for. In an effort to understand this better, last night after our phone call I did some research about how a hysterectomy can affect weight.
 A hysterectomy can cause physical and emotional changes that can make managing weight and losing weight more difficult. Not all women will have to face the reality of a hysterectomy, but it is something some will go through. Some have this as an elective surgery, but it is usually done as a result of a medical condition. It can be done as a result of cancer, or perhaps a patient has uncontrollable endometriosis and the best answer for them is to have the hysterectomy. There are many emotional and physical ramifications that come with a hysterectomy. Just one of these things would be possible and unexpected weight gain after the surgery.
Having a hysterectomy is a major surgery. This means there are going to be restrictions when you have gone through the procedure and are sent home to recuperate. As with anything like this, you are going to be put on bed rest and then limited activity for a while. This can be a prime time for you to put on weight. Some people lose appetite after surgery, but they generally get this back long before they can resume normal activities like exercise. You have to watch what you eat.
Your surgery is also going to limit your exercise program greatly for a period of time. It depends on your doctor’s recommendations and how well you heal. However, you can expect that your appetite and eating too much after surgery is not your only problem. If you exercise regularly, you are going to have a hard time lying still. You could lose some of the progress you have made as well. Ask your doctor about things you can do safely while healing – if there is anything at all. Also, take it easy when you get back to exercise, as you may not be in as good of shape as you were before the operation.
Hormones can play a small role in weight gain after hysterectomy, but does not have to be a huge factor if you understand what is going on. When a hysterectomy is performed, the body no longer produces estrogen on its own. That means it must be supplemented. This will not cause weight gain, but it can cause fluid retention. Also, progestin can cause appetite to rise, but most do not actually need to take this after a hysterectomy. Talk with the doctor if this is a concern.
Managing weight loss after a hysterectomy comes with some unique challenges both physically and emotionally, but that does not mean it is impossible. If you understand the changes that will happen to your body physically and mentally then you will be better able to prepare and do what you can to keep extra pounds from piling up post-surgery. Have an ongoing discussion with your doctor about your concerns and what you may be doing right and wrong. This can help you keep weight gain to a minimum and get the extra off once you are restored to full health.
Other Related Posts and Articles You May Find Interesting: “Top Reasons Why You Cannot Lose Weight“, “Menopause Diet“, “Hormone Replacement Therapy“, and “Weight Loss, Insulin Resistance and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome“.
Well, it’s weekly weigh in time again. This week marked the end date (August 23rd) of my goal to reach 170lbs. I realized a few weeks back that reaching this goal was probably not going to happen, but I have been trying my hardest to get there. I admit that lately I have been slipping up more than usual with the old diet. I miss the carefree days of eating whatever I wanted, but I don’t miss being 30 pounds heavier either. Losing weight takes so much effort and I have to keep reminding myself of all the hard work I’ve done and how stupid it would be to undo it all.
Part of my struggle to stay on track with my diet comes from the fact that my weight loss seems to have slowed down. Yesterday morning at my weekly weigh in my weight was…
188 lbs
Last week I gained four pounds and this is scary for me because it’s the first time in a while that the scale has started to go up instead of down. I know that I still have a lot of weight to lose, but sometimes weight loss becomes very stubborn. When this happens I know that the best thing to do is mix up my routine, calorie-wise and exercise-wise.
Over the past month in particular, I have not pushed myself to a new level physically. To overcome a weight loss plateau, increasing the intensity of your workouts and including variety in your exercises is key. So this week I will try to do this as best as possible.
As for my diet, I consume an average of 1600 calories a day and have been doing this since last January. Obviously, this calorie intake is not doing the trick anymore and may be a bit high for someone of my current weight and size. For the next month I will adjust my calorie intake down to 1400-1500 calories a day and see how that goes.
Hopefully I can start losing weight again by next week. Weight loss plateaus and weight gain can be very frustrating and make it even harder to stay motivated.
Speaking of motivation, setting a realistic weight loss goal to work towards can really help keep you on track. Since my goal date just passed, I would like to set another goal for myself right now. Since my weight is 188lbs and my goal weight was 170lbs, I still have 18 pounds to lose. Since healthy weight loss happens at about 2 pounds per week, a realistic goal would be to lose 18 pounds in 9 weeks. I like to make things a bit more challenging for myself, so I will give myself 8 weeks, or until October 20th to reach my goal weight of 170lbs.
Ahh, I feel better already. Now I have my goal set and I can get to work trying to reach it. Wish me luck.
Losing weight can be a difficult process. This is mainly due to the fact that it involves changing your current habits and adopting a new lifestyle that can sometimes be difficult to cope with. Nevertheless, there are certain things you can include in your weight loss program that can help make the process a little easier and faster, such as providing your body with antioxidants.
 Antioxidants remove free radicals from the body and help to improve metabolism and overall health. Berries are some of the most potent natural sources of antioxidants. What are Antioxidants?
An antioxidant is a substance that reduces or prevents the process of oxidation by protecting the body’s cells from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that are missing an electron. Our bodies are exposed to free radicals all the time. Some of the external sources of free radicals are radiation (e.g., from sun exposure or X-rays), ozone and nitrous oxide, heavy metals (i.e., mercury, cadmium, lead), smoke, alcohol, saturated fats, and other chemicals and pollutants. Our bodies also produce free radicals by carrying out essential activities, such as energy production and immunity. Free radicals are produced by our bodies even more when we exercise.
Do Antioxidants Enhance Weight Loss?
While it is clear antioxidants have a positive affect on our health and help to protect our cells, they do not directly themselves help you to lose weight. The role of antioxidants play in weight loss is that they provide the body with the nutritional support it needs to keep it strong and energized during the fat burning process.
How Our Bodies Burn Fat
To understand how antioxidants can help the weight loss process, you need to take a closer look at what occurs when we lose fat. While most people tend to look at fat as their enemy when they are overweight, it is imperative that you realize fat is necessary for our health. There are two types of fat:
1. Essential fat – necessary for many body functions including reproduction.
2. Storage fat – Essential for protecting some of the body’s organs.
The fat in our bodies is stored in our adipose tissue. This tissue contains lipids that are needed to transform nutrients into energy. Fat cells have many functions and one of them is to store toxins that are released throughout the digestive process. Thus, when you reduce the fat in your body, the amount of toxins in your body increases and this can result in some negative side effects. For instance, the extra toxins often affect the liver, causing it to work overtime to process and remove them. Moreover, when fat molecules are broken down, a process called oxidation, they release free radicals, which can result in cell, protein and DNA damage.
Oxidation occurs when free radicals (unstable atoms) attack cells to re-stabilize themselves. The re-stabilized atoms release more free radicals and the process continues like a chain reaction throughout the body until the free radicals are stopped. The body will create its own antioxidants to help stop the reaction, but often there is not enough, which is why ingesting foods or supplements rich in antioxidants can be beneficial to keeping your body strong during the fat-burning process.
Antioxidants Provide Nutritional Support
Thus, when you lose weight, you are not only shedding excess fat, you are also losing some of the nutrients in your body that are needed to maintain good health. Also, if you are exercising as part of your healthy weight loss program then your body will be creating even higher levels of toxic by-products. Therefore, antioxidants can help provide your body with the nutritional support it requires during the oxidation process, reducing the stress on your body and keeping energy levels and metabolism as high as possible.
It is important to keep in mind that the actual amount of weight loss that can be associated with taking antioxidants is still unknown. Likely, this amount fluctuates between individuals and the sources of the antioxidants you consume. From a health perspective, I tend to consume all of my antioxidants from fruits and vegetables, particularly berries. I choose these sources over taking pills because these natural sources also tend to be high in fiber, which is good for digestive health.
Sources of Antioxidants
Antioxidants can be found in specific vitamins and minerals and are in a variety of food sources, especially certain fruits and vegetables. They are also available in supplement form. Try adding a few of these antioxidant foods to your diet every day: cherries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, currants, pomegranate, grapes, oranges, plums, pineapple, kiwi fruits, grapefruits, apricots, prunes, dates, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, kale, red cabbage, peppers, parsley, artichoke, brussels sprouts, spinach, lemon, ginger, beets, broad beans, pinto beans, soybeans, barley, millet, oats, corn, cloves, cinnamon and oregano.
Other Related Posts and Articles You May Find Interesting: “Resveratrol Weight Loss Supplements Review“, “Weight Loss with Maqui Berry“, “Acai Berry Health Benefits“, and “Best Foods for Weight Loss“.
Here’s the equation for losing weight, in it’s most simple form: Exercise + Healthy Diet = Weight Loss. The reason I mention this equation, one which seems completely common sense, is that there has been a lot of conversation lately about how exercise may cause weight gain and work against your weight loss efforts. This misleading fact about losing weight was recently promoted in a Time Magazine article “Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin” and has been at the center of some fiery debate.
 When trying to lose weight it is not only important to exercise, but also to follow a calorie-restricted and healthy diet. At the center of this debate is a rather poorly executed study that found that people who exercise regularly, both men and women, eat more food. Because the people in this study did not have food restrictions and were permitted to eat whatever they wanted, following exercise many would overeat or make poor food choices. It should be of no surprise that the group that was exercising and following up their calorie-burning efforts with a meal full of carbs and empty calories did not fair well when it came to weighing in. And so, from these results, the article came to the conclusion that exercising can make you hungry, cause you to overeat and make poor food choices and thwart your efforts to lose weight. For the hundreds of thousands of people around the world who have been making the effort to get regular exercise as part of their program to lose weight, a big sigh of relief was heard when this article was published, but you may not want to throw out your running shoes and burn your gym membership quite yet.
If you are here visiting Weight Loss Center then chances are you are looking for information about losing weight. You will read in many of our articles that weight loss is only achieved by following a healthy, calorie-restricted diet and increasing your activity level. Again, the equation is: Exercise + Healthy Diet = Weight Loss. The Time Magazine article and study had many flaws, but the biggest one was overlooking the importance of “DIET” as part of the whole weight loss picture. Afterall, how can you expect to lose weight if you don’t restrict your calorie consumption and make healthier food choices. Unless you are exercising as hard as an Olympic althlete in training, then the only way to lose weight is to combine exercise with a healthy, calorie-controlled diet.
Then I ask… what about the hundreds of thousands of people who exercise regularly and push themselves physically not because they are overweight, but because they want to be healthier. Exercise isn’t just for the overweight or obese, it is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. I didn’t see much mention of the health benefits of being active in the Time Magazine article, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know there are many. Just a few of the most important health benefits of exercising regularly are: lowered risk of heart disease, lowered risk of diabetes, lowered risk of high blood pressure, lowered risk of certain types of cancer, helps to build and maintain healthy bones, joints and muscles, and improved emotional and mental well-being.
For those of us who exercise to lose weight, there is one major benefit that can be easily overlooked – exercise helps prevent the loss of lean tissue (i.e. muscle). When daily calorie intake is lowered your body will start to look elsewhere for energy. Although you may have lots of energy stored as body fat, your muscles are much easier to use as a fuel source. For people who reduce their calorie intake, but don’t bother with exercise, they will lose some of their valuable lean tissue. For people who reduce their calorie intake and exercise regularly, the body will be forced to use mostly fat instead of muscle to stay energized. This is what you want – to burn body fat and not muscle. Since the amount of muscle your body has directly correlates to how fast your metabolism is, it makes sense that you should be doing everything in your power to tone and build muscle with regular exercise (Check out this great forum discussion about this here “Preventing Muscle Loss while Dieting“).
From my own personal experience with weight loss I can tell you with the utmost confidence that without exercise I would not have been able to lose much weight at all. Yes, it’s true that exercising can make you hungry, but that hunger is a result of your body trying to restore and repair following activity. This is a normal phenomena that happens. Instead of shying away from exercise because you think it will make you hungry and make bad food choices, embrace exercise and make smart food choices. Having something to eat after exercise is an important part of being healthy and I discuss this in my blog post “Eating After Exercise” as well as provide some healthy snack options.
Some people will argue that changing your diet and adding regular exercise to your life at the same time may be too much and cause people to fail at their diets. I think that if you want to lose weight then you need to change the way you eat right away by lowering your calorie consumption and limiting the amount of refined and processed foods you eat. For some people, just doing this will be a challenge and if this is the case then focus on that first before worrying too much about exercise. This is not to say, however, that you can’t make small changes in your life to get more active, such as taking the stairs or walking to the next bus stop or going for a 10 minute walk during your lunch break. Once you feel confident about dieting then adding exercise should be your next step, and is an important one. No matter what a magazine, book or person tells you, exercise is a necessary part of any weight loss endeavor and is essential for overall good health.
Other Related Posts and Articles You May Find Interesting: “Top Reasons Why You Cannot Lose Weight“, “Gaining Weight When Dieting” and “Diet and Exercise“.
I was spending time last night with a good friend of mine who underwent breast reduction surgery in the past year. This surgery was necessary for her because the large amount of weight she had been carrying in her chest region for the past many years had finally taken its toll on her back. For as long as I have known her, my friend has suffered from bouts of terrible back pain due to the extra weight she has to carry around. Finally, with the development of early arthritis in her back and chronic back pain she underwent surgery to remove some of the burden.
 One important health benefit of losing weight that is often overlooked is that weight loss can help to relieve back pain, particularly in people who are obese. As we chatted last night I also learned that her doctor has put her on a pretty aggressive weight loss diet and has prescribed her to use the diet pill Phentermine. All of this is to try to lower her weight to take even more stress from her back and continue to relieve her back pain. It makes common sense that weight loss can relieve back pain, but I never really thought about its importance before. However, for those people who suffer from back pain, most will tell you that they would do almost anything to get rid of it, even if it requires them to shed some pounds.
Individuals suffering from obesity report frequently that they also suffer from back pain. In fact, chronic back pain and being overweight or obese are often diagnosed at the same time by many general practitioners. The problem with this is not just that it is uncomfortable for the sufferer, but that it also makes it much more difficult for the individual to lose weight. This is because a proper healthy weight loss program requires that the person adopt a healthy lifestyle of nutritious eating and regular exercise. When suffering from back pain, this exercise becomes a much more challenging effort.
Being overweight can lead to back pain very easily because of the way the body is designed. The spine provides the entire body with support. Therefore, the more you weigh, the more the spine is required to support. After a certain point, weight can cause more strain to the spine than it was designed to handle and only weight loss can provide long-term relief.
Therefore, if you are obese and suffering from back pain, a weight loss plan should become one of your primary goals. Make an appointment as soon as possible to speak with your doctor so that you can discover some exercises that you’ll be able to do without aggravating your back pain any more than it is already bothering you. With every pound that you lose, you will find that there is even more relief to your back problems. Furthermore, you’ll feel better overall both physically and emotionally.
Remember to keep up with the exercises that your doctor tells you to do. This may include short walks that increase as you build up your physical fitness and endurance. They may also include such low-impact sports as swimming, aquacise or using low-impact cardio machines. Make sure that you don’t let these exercises slide as they will be making a difference to your body every time you take part in them, whether you can tell or not. Drink a large amount of water, eat foods that are more nutritious than your current diet and reduce your portion sizes at meals. This will ensure that your metabolism is running at its best and that your body is able to function at its top ability. Even eating better should help to reduce the pain that you feel in your back as it allows for more effective healing, better lubricated joints, and decreased inflammation.
If you take care of your body, it will start to take care of you once more.
Other Related Posts and Articles You May Find Interesting: “Using Weight Loss to Treat Knee Arthritis“, “Exercising When Overweight” and “Exercise Tips for New Dieters“.
My weekly weigh in day came and went yesterday with such a blur that I forgot to update all of you good folks. Despite the fact that I have been nothing short of an angel when it comes to following my healthy diet, not cheating and getting more and more exercise all the time, when I stepped on the scale yesterday morning it read…
184 lbs
Sigh… this is the same weight I weighed last week. It can be really discouraging when you put a good effort into losing weight and it doesn’t come off. I keep reminding myself that I’ve had a good run over the past couple of months and have been losing consistently, so I’ll try my best not to get discouraged. Hopefully next week I’ll have something better to report than “No Weight Loss”. Have a great day everyone :).
The other day a visitor to our blog commented on my post “What to Eat Before and After Exercise” and after re-visiting this blog post I felt it would be helpful to discuss just the topic of eating after exercise. I have learned quite a bit more about this topic since writing that previous post back in February 2009. One of the most important aspects to post-exercise nutrition that I have learned is that protein is an important part of the equation.
 Eating after exercise is an important for providing your body with the nutrients needed to repair muscle and restore glycogen. When you’re working out you want to receive the best overall benefits for your body. Not only does this involve exercising your muscles, but it also includes helping them recover following exercise. When your muscles are given the proper nutrients they need to recover quickly you will build and tone muscle faster, which helps you to get the most out of your workouts.
People who are trying to lose weight may think that eating after working out is going against their efforts to shed pounds. However, this is not correct. When you exercise your muscles, particularly with endurance and weight lifting activities, you damage them. The only way to help them repair quickly and replenish glycogen stores (glycogen is stored in muscle and provides energy) is to eat after exercise, even if it’s a snack. The reason you want them to repair quickly and replenish glycogen is because you want to be able to exercise efficiently, not just one day a week, but every day. The most common side-effects when you don’t eat after exercise and don’t help your body repair are dehydration, fatigue and injury.
From the large amount of reading I have done, and the experimenting I have tried to figure out the proper way to eat after exercise, it is clear that there is no solid rule other than you should make sure you have a meal, even if it’s a snack, anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours following exercise. This meal should include the right carbohydrate to protein ratio as well as be healthy and nutritious.
Figuring out the right carb:protein ratio can be a bit tricky, and there is a variety of opinions by nutritional experts as what this ratio should be. Some scientific research suggests the ideal ratio for eating after exercise is around 2.5:1 of carbohydrates to protein. However, I have also read that this ratio can be 3:1 and even 4:1 carbohydrates to protein. I think that it is safe to say that if your carb:protein ratio is somewhere between 2.5:1 and 4:1 you will be in the optimal range for providing your muscles with the nutrients they need to recover.
At McMaster University in Canada, a muscle physiology researcher, Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, has been studying nutrition relating to optimal performance including what to eat after exercise, and what all of those sport supplement makers promise. Primarily, it is important that you achieve the ideal protein and carbohydrate ratio so that you will be able to recover your body after your workout by providing it with exactly what it needs to regenerate after intense activity. What surprises many is that even though Dr. Tarnopolsky works out regularly, he does not rely on the use of energy bars, drinks, or shakes to obtain this coveted protein and carbohydrate ratio. What he does do to recover after exercise is drink a lot of water, eat real food, drink fruit juice, and eat fruit and he sees significant results as the outcome.
There are many workout supplements and products out there that are designed to help your muscles recover following exercise. The problem with many of these products, however, is that they are costly and not as nutritionally balanced as you may think. What Dr. Tarnopolsky and other sport nutritionists agree on is that as long as the proper carb:protein ratio is eaten within the right window of time after working out, you can just as easily and much more cheaply use real food, such as fruit and grains, in the same way as others utilize those “recovery” products produced in the bodybuilding industry. Furthermore, when whole foods are chosen there are a number of additional overall nutritional benefits as they contribute more effectively to a well balanced diet that is high in nutrients and fiber.
Here are some examples of healthy snacks to eat after exercise according to their carb:protein ratios:
| Post-Exercise Snacks |
Carb:Protein Ratio |
Calories |
| 4 pieces Melba Toast with 1/4 cup tuna salad and 1 plum |
2.5:1 |
204 |
| 1 medium apple and 1 1-ounce slice partly-skimmed mozzarella cheese |
2.6:1 |
157 |
| 1 cup cheerios with 1 cup skim milk |
2.9:1 |
190 |
| 1 cup apple juice, 1/2 cup grapes and 1/2 cup beef jerky |
3.1:1 |
356 |
| 1 cup plain, low-fat yogurt and 1 cup fruit salad |
3.2:1 |
280 |
| 1 cup chocolate soy milk and 1 kiwi fruit |
3.3:1 |
166 |
| 1 medium apple and 1 cup skim milk |
3.3:1 |
152 |
| 1 medium banana and 2 tablespoons peanut butter |
3.6:1 |
293 |
| 1 medium banana and 1/4 cup almonds |
3.9:1 |
309 |
| 1/2 plain bagel with 1 tablespoon lite cream cheese |
4:1 |
170 |
Eating after exercise is meant to help your body to recover from exercise and be ready to perform optimally the next day. After all, using your muscles to a certain degree does indeed damage them and providing them with the nutrients they need to repair is a natural process that helps them grow. Therefore, by eating the right foods, you can heal them more quickly so that you can get back to exercising with the energy you need to keep going, whether your goal is to lose weight or complete the Iron Man. Make sure to also drink plenty of water following exercise to rehydrate your body.
Other Related Posts and Articles You May Find Interesting: “Exercise Routine that Maximizes Weight Loss“, “Foods that Boost Metabolism“, “Fat Burning Exercising” and “Carb Protein Fat Ratio in a Healthy Weight Loss Diet“.
I went to visit a friend over the weekend who made me the most delicious meal. She has been a vegan for over 10 years now and over that time she has learned how to serve up the best non-meat meals that can please even a meat eater like myself. After an incredible dinner of portabello mushroom burgers and salad, we all feasted on the pièce de résistance, the tofu chocolate cheesecake. This dessert was so decadent that I feel inspired to give tofu a place, be it a small place, in my weekly diet if I can. Really the only tofu recipe I’ve ever made is Shake ‘n Bake Tofu Steaks (see recipe below this post), but I’m interested in branching out a bit.
 This is a picture of a Chocolate Marble Tofu Cheesecake that was published, along with the recipe, on simplyannes.blogspot.com. I didn't know tofu could look so good. Truthfully, I am not a big fan of soy products in general and I don’t usually buy them or eat them. Although I know they have some great health benefits, I am also aware that some studies suggest they can have some unhealthy effects. So before I head out and buy some tofu for my refrigerator, I decided to look into how healthy soy products really are. I found this information really interesting and have summarized it below.
Soy is often considered to be a great source of protein and is available in a variety of forms, such as tofu, soymilk, soy cheese,tacos, burgers, etc. Soy products are enjoyed by those looking for an alternative to certain beverages and foods, such as milk and meat (i.e. lactose intolerant individuals, vegetarians, vegans) and by many people who believe it to be a healthy food that is natural and good for you.
There is no question that soy certainly does contain a lot of healthy ingredients. Soybeans are rich in protein and have the highest concentration of protein compared to all other legumes. They are also rich in vitamins A, B1, B and other minerals and are a good source of fiber. In terms of soymilk there is a larger variety of complex carbohydrates compared to cow’s milk. This makes the soy beverage a better choice for some diabetics as it is less likely to over stimulate blood sugar levels.
In terms of calorie content in regard to soymilk, a single cup of unsweetened soy milk contains 90 calories and a total fat content of 4.5 grams, with 0.5 grams of saturated fat. Thus, it is very low in fat and highly unsaturated. It also has no cholesterol. Furthermore, one of the elements found in soy is isoflavones that is a photochemical derived from plants and is biologically active. It is believed that this compound may help relieve symptoms of menopause, prevent cancer, slow osteoporosis and decrease the risk of heart disease.
However, just as soy may have many health benefits, it also carries some health risks. For instance, due to the fact that soy products contain phytic acid, in some cases they can actually cause a person’s body to block the absorption of proteins and minerals, including magnesium, iron, calcium and zinc. Furthermore, it is also thought that soy can have a negative affect on the thyroid, inhibiting the performance of this gland. Therefore, people with pre-existing thyroid conditions are warned not to use it, especially since the link between soy and thyroid disease and cancer is not fully understood.
Some researchers believe there may also be a link between soy and breast cancer. The reason is it is high in phytoestrogens, a natural chemical that exists within the plant and mimics the female hormone estrogen. Though it is not fully understood why, it is thought that due to the fact estrogen stimulates cell production in different part of the body, including the breast, the more estrogen a non-menopausal woman is exposed to, the greater her risk for breast cancer.
Hence, while soy products certainly do have some great benefits, they do carry certain risks that shouldn’t be ignored. For the most part, however, eating soy products once or twice a week will not pose any danger to your health. Really, the only people at risk are the ones who eat a diet rich in soy. The good news is that there are limitless vegetarian and vegan options so that soy does not have to be a staple of your diet, even if you don’t eat meat.
Shake ‘n Bake Tofu Steaks
1 block firm or extra firm tofu (freeze first then defrost before cooking)
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 box Shake ‘n Bake
This recipe is sooo easy. Take your defrosted tofu out of its container and squeeze as much of the liquid out of it that you can without mushing it all up. Cut the block of tofu down the middle lenght-wise so you have two big tofu steaks. Pour the vegetable stock into a shallow dish and place in the tofu steaks. Rub the steaks with the olive oil and honey and let them sit in the stock marinade for at least 20 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 400 F. Put the tofu, one steak at a time, in the Shake ‘n Bake bag along with the seasoning and shake it up (not too hard or it will break apart). Do the same with the other steak. Place the steaks on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes, or until nice and crispy, flipping them once. Enjoy.
Other Related Posts and Articles You May Find Interesting: “Eco-Atkins – Atkins Diet for Vegetarians“,”Foods that Improve Heart Health“, “Healthy Weight Loss Diet May Prevent Cancer” and “Are Health Foods Really That Healthy?“
If you’re serious about losing weight and have been looking into different tools for helping you do so, then the odds are that you’ve come across information about resveratrol at some point or another. That being said, you’ve also likely heard some advertisements about it regarding how good it is for weight loss, at least that is the claim. However, there has also been a great deal of controversy surrounding that product saying that the truth of the matter isn’t exactly what the ads claim it to be. So what is it that you can really expect from resveratrol weight loss supplements?
 Resveratrol, a compound found in red grapes, some berries and peanuts, is a powerful antioxidant that is becoming a popular weight loss supplement, but does it really work? There is some science behind the claims that resveratrol helps with weight loss, however, it’s not easy to find anything that is written in everyday English instead of medical jargon that would take an additional university degree to understand. The following is a no-nonsense resveratrol weight loss supplements review that outlines the benefits and drawbacks of this product.
Resveratrol weight loss supplements are advertised as having the ability to help out with fat loss. In terms of marketing, it is considered to be a weight loss aid. Research studies from several notable institutions have examined the way that resveratrol impacts general health and weight loss and it was actually discovered that there are several health benefits such as its properties as an anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agent as well as its ability to lower blood sugar levels and improve cardiovascular issues.
Clearly, there are advantages to taking resveratrol when it comes to actually trying to improve your overall health, but the outcomes of those clinical studies didn’t mention losing weight, only other health benefits. So, can resveratrol supplements actually help you to shed those pounds?
In terms of characteristics that can help to define it as a weight loss aid, the following are all properties that resveratrol supplements provide:
- Higher rate of metabolism – Resveratrol acts as an antioxidant in the body. Although the power of antioxidants to promote weight loss is still questionable, some research has found that antioxidants help to make the metabolism work more efficiently. An efficient metabolism means that more calories are burned, even when the body is at rest. An increase in metabolism, combined with a calorie-reduced diet and regular exercise could result in weight loss.
- More energy – With a more efficient metabolism comes a higher amount of overall energy. Physically, you’ll feel more energized. Since exercise is a key element to losing weight, you’ll benefit from this added energy that resveratrol may provide.
- Suppresses the appetite – Limiting the amount of food we eat is can be very tricky when dieting. Resveratrol supplements claim to suppress appetite. This effect is not something that all users claim to experience, however. Resveratrol likely does not suppress appetite as much as it reduces hunger. This is because of its ability to stabilize blood sugar levels. When blood sugar is stabilized, there will not be the drastic up and then down spike that normally occurs after eating a meal. By preventing a drastic downward spike in blood sugar, resveratrol may help to reduce hunger. Of course, even if you are taking resveratrol weight loss supplements you should still monitor your portion sizes at meals closely as it will not prevent you from overeating.
From the research I have done to write this review of resveratrol weight loss supplements I have come across a few important points to keep in mind. Firstly, clinical human studies have found that when resveratrol is ingested it is metabolized rapidly by the body and for this reason it has very low bioavailability (meaning very little of it will actually enter your blood stream where it will do its good work). Also, most animal and cell research that has been done with resveratrol has been done with that compound alone and few studies have actually explored the effectiveness of its metabolites (metabolites are what are formed when your body metabolizes resveratrol). Due to these facts, there is still quite a bit of debate over how effective resveratrol is both for as a weight loss aid as well as a health supplement.
If you are thinking that resveratrol weight loss supplements may be something that you would like to try then begin by eating some natural foods that contain it before you dish out a bunch of money. Natural food sources of resveratrol include red grapes and skins of red grapes, red wine, grape juice made from red grapes, raspberries, mulberries, blueberries, cranberries and peanuts.
Other Related Posts You May Find Interesting: “Red Wine May Aid Weight Loss“, “Alcohol Affects Risk of Cancer and Heart Disease in Women“, “Weight Loss with Maqui Berry” and “Acai Berry and Weight Loss“.
There are two things in the world that are hard for most people: giving up an addiction, such as smoking or alcohol, and losing weight. There are many things that are hard, but these two tend to be real problems for those that under take them. Losing weight is something that some fight with for most of their lives and they can fail over and over again. When this happens, some people will resort to weight loss methods that are drastic and exceptionally unhealthy. This is never a good thing or a long term fix for weight problems.
 Weight loss desperation and the use of unhealthy weight loss methods can result in permanent injury and even death. Losing weight should never be that important. Some can go on diet after diet only to fail time and time again. This can be very frustrating, as most of us know. While many of us will keep trying diets until we find one that suits us and our lifestyles, some people’s frustration leads them to take drastic and unhealthy steps to shed pounds. Of all the unhealthy weight loss methods that weight loss desperation can cause, starvation diets, anorexia, and bulimia are three of the most severe. In my own lifetime I have known too many women who have gone down one of these dark paths to lose weight. There are some very serious psychological issues that must be addressed for anyone who suffers from an eating disorder (this includes those who suffer from emotional eating and food addiction as well). Please read Weight Loss Center’s article “Eating Disorders” for information about these conditions and resources for getting help and support.
It is rather common practice for people to desire some sort of rapid weight loss before a big event. Three of the most common events people desperately try to lose weight for are weddings, going back to school and high school reunions. It’s funny how we can know these events are coming for months, or even a year or more, but it is only a month before that most of us decide to try to lose weight. In pre-event desperation, some people resort to unhealthy weight loss methods to fit into their dress or lose the double (or triple) chin. One of the most commonly used methods, other than starvation diets, is the use of diet pills that contain diuretics. What these pills do is force your body to rid itself of water, causing it to become dehydrated. Although it may help someone shed a few pounds before the big day, use of these pills for longer than a week can have some terrible side effects including severe constipation, kidney damage and reduced metabolism. Of course, this type of weight loss is not sustainable by any means. As soon as you stop taking the pills and drink a few glasses of water, your weight will be the same, or higher, than it was before.
Another life-altering event that may sometimes result in weight loss desperation is becoming newly single or dating. This period of getting out there and looking for that perfect someone can wreak havoc with our self-esteem and self-confidence. Despite the fact that choosing a partner on looks alone will very rarely work out, your appearance is part of the first impression that you make. The stress of dating can have some men and women using unhealthy weight loss methods to try to attract a mate.
Whatever the event in your life that has you wanting to lose weight, it is of utmost importance that you follow a safe weight loss method. Although you may be desperate to lose weight in a short period of time, none of the methods that achieve this are sustainable or healthy. There are only two outcomes that will result from unhealthy weight loss methods, such as taking diuretics or starvation diets: you will harm your body and you will gain all the weight you lost back.
The best thing you can do to avoid falling into one of these weight loss desperation pitfalls is to PLAN AHEAD. If you know that you have a special event coming up in the next few months or year and want to be thinner for it then start losing weight as soon as possible (of course, given you have extra weight to lose). Eat healthy, lower-calorie meals, get regular exercise and drink plenty of water and you will be on the road to better health and a slimmer you in no time.
Other Related Posts You May Find Interesting: “Health Dangers of Being Underweight“, “Brain Surgery for Weight Loss“, and “Weight Loss Obsession“.
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