Obese Lose More Weight Permanently on Low Fat Diets;
Research Signals Diet Trend Change for 2004
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AVENTURA, Fla., Nov. 25, 2003:-- In the most comprehensive study of long-lasting weight loss ever conducted, called the National Weight Control Registry, scientists studied more than 4,500 people who lost, on average, 66 pounds and kept it off for six years. The vast majority follows a diet low in fat and high in natural, fiber-rich carbohydrates like fruits and vegetables. Less than 1% follows a high-fat, high-protein diet. As the holiday season begins this week with traditional overeating at the Thanksgiving dinner table, health professionals are urging Americans to watch what they eat and try to limit their consumption.

Pritikin Longevity Center's nutrition and exercise experts have developed the following tips to help Americans get through the holiday binges and shed pounds permanently, as well as derive the many other scientifically documented health benefits, including lowered blood pressure, diabetes control, and avoidance of bypass surgery and other heart-related problems. TOP


Top 10 Tips For Healthy,
Long-Term Weight Loss In 2004

1. Eat big and bulky to become small and slim

When you choose "big" foods like fruits, vegetables, salads and soups, which are bulked up by fiber and water, you're eating a lot of food that fills you up, but not a lot of calories. "Little" foods (lots of calories packed into tiny, unsatisfying portions) include cheeses, sugar-rich snacks, and dry foods like crackers and cookies, (including fat-free varieties). They're little in size but dense in calories.

2. Cheat smart.

When you're craving the fat-rich, calorie-rich stuff, you can use the low- calorie-dense foods to not only limit damage but also enjoy the food more. TOP

For example, cut down on the number of chips you eat by pairing each bite with lots of chunky, filling (but low in calories) fresh salsa. If you want a little fat, like olive oil or guacamole, balance it with foods like salads and other vegetables that are very low in caloric density.
 

3. Get hot first thing in the morning.

Hot cooked cereal like oatmeal has one-fifth the calorie density of dried cereal. Hot cereal has 300 calories per pound; dried cereals pack in 1,400 to 2,000 calories per pound. Plus, hot cereal is more filling. It keeps you fueled well into late morning, helping you avoid the 10 a.m. munchies.

4. Start out with a big, satisfying salad.

Scientists at Penn State recently found that volunteers who ate a big veggie salad before eating a main course ate fewer calories overall than those who didn't have a first-course salad. But make sure to use a low-fat dressing or you'll lose the benefit. TOP

5. Eat, don't drink, your calories.

Calories in liquid form (sodas, alcohol, juices) are a lot more fattening than filling. "Rather than drinking fruit juice, eat your fruit," advises Dr. Jay Kenney, nutrition researcher at Pritikin. Peel an orange. Finish off a big crisp apple. For the calories in one kid-size box of apple juice, you can enjoy an apple, orange, and a slice of watermelon. These whole foods have a lot more staying power than their liquid counterparts.

6. Dine on pasta rather than pizza.

Pizza dough is dense with calories -- about 1,250 per pound (without the cheese, sausage, and pepperoni.) When you're dining Italian, a much better choice is pasta. A linguini puttanesca (olives, mushrooms, tomato sauce, fresh basil), arrabbiata (spicy tomato sauce) or vongole (clams with marinara sauce) takes you down to 600 or 700 calories per pound.

7. "Triple the veggies, please"

Often, a side of vegetables in a restaurant is really like garnish -- a carrot and forkful of squash. When ordering, ask for three or four times the normal serving of veggies, and offer to pay extra. "I've never been charged," says dietitian Jeff Novick, "and I've never been disappointed. I get full, not fat."

8. Exercise daily.

Study after study has found that people who lose weight and keep it off commit to daily physical exercise. Dr. Robert Bauer, Medical Director at Pritikin, says "If you burn an additional 300 calories each day by exercising (about three miles of walking daily), and you don't increase your caloric intake, you could easily lose 30 pounds in a year." TOP

9. Got 5 minutes? Use it and lose it.

If your day is too busy for a full workout, slice it up into more manageable chunks -- five minutes here, 10 minutes there. Take stairs. Park at the far end of the lot. Keep walking shoes at your desk. Walk while you talk on the phone or while you think. Several short bursts of activity throughout the day really can help you burn calories and shed pounds.

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention say that if you spend 10 minutes a day walking up and down stairs, you could shed as much as 10 pounds over the course of a year.

10. Pump 'em up.

To rev up your metabolism and burn more calories even when you're sitting, start lifting weights. The good news: 15 minutes every other day does the job. New research has found that just one set of each weight-lifting exercise yields virtually all the muscle-building benefits of two or three sets. TOP

"The trick is achieving maximum fullness, or satiety, for every calorie you eat," advises dietitian Jay Kenney PhD, RD. Satiety is a measure of how full you feel after eating a meal or snack and how long it takes for hunger pangs to come back after you eat. The longer it "sticks to your ribs," the more satiety that meal has.

"Follow these 10 tips," encourages Pritikin medical director Dr. Robert Bauer, "and you really do have a complete program, one that sheds pounds, satisfies your hunger, is easy to maintain year after year, and keeps you healthy -- free of heart disease, diabetes, and many other illnesses."

You can achieve satiety on a lot fewer calories by filling up on foods that are low in calorie density (foods that are low in calories relative to their weight). They'll help you avoid those nagging hunger pangs that send the rest of us out for calorie-rich, pound-producing foods like a double- cheese and sausage pizza. TOP

Source: Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa

The Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa, located at the Yacht Club of South Florida's luxurious Turnberry Isle Resort, promotes healthy lifestyle change through education, proper nutrition and a personalized exercise plan.

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