Weight Loss With Age

The Harvard Medical School newsletter says that as we get older:

"We lose muscle mass and bone density, so while we may weigh the same as we used to, or even less (and congratulate ourselves on being thin), we may actually be lugging around more fat tissue. So we need to keep an eye on our waist size, not just our weight, especially after about age 50. Waist size is a fairly accurate reflection of how much visceral fat we’ve accumulated in our abdomens. And visceral fat is the metabolically active form of fat that causes so much harm."

Change Your Plate Size

www.smallplatemovement.com says: “A person tends to over-serve onto larger plates, and because people consume an average of 92% of what they serve themselves, larger plates lead to larger food intake. A two inch difference in plate diameter — from 12" to 10" plates — would result in 22% fewer calories being served, yet it is not drastic enough to trigger a counteracting response. If a typical dinner has 800 calories, a smaller plate would lead to a weight loss of around 18 pounds per year for an average size adult.”

Change Hands And Lose Weight

Many of us have lots of automatic eating habits, for example, always having popcorn at the movies/cinema or always eating chocolate while you watch your favourite television show. It may be difficult to change particularly if other people are involved, but researchers from the University of South Carolina have found a simple way to eat less, using the non-dominant hand. “Using the non-dominant hand seemed to disrupt eating habits and cause people to pay attention to what they were eating.” 

(Neal et al., “The Pull of the Past: When Do Habits Persist Despite Conflict With Motives?” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin: 2011)

Crash Dieting

Bobbie Saccone, registered dietitian and nutrition counselor at the Indiana University Health Center in Bloomington says:

“Crash diets, which typically involve severely reduced calorie intake, can have the following negative side effects: low energy, poor concentration, increased depression and irritability, and increased risk for binge eating. And ultimately, they can slow down your metabolism…. In the case of weight loss, the tortoise really does beat the hare. For permanent success, it's best to make small healthful changes in diet and exercise and stick with them so they develop into your regular habits."

Beware Of Health Halos

Studies from the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab found that consumers eating at a fast food restaurant perceived as ‘healthy’ (such as Subway) were more likely to underestimate their calorie intake by an average of 151 calories than if the consumers were eating at a fast–food restaurant perceived as ‘unhealthy’ (such as McDonald's). Additionally, the research indicated that consumers were more likely to order sides, drinks, and desserts if their entrée was perceived to be healthier. So, don’t use a low-fat meal as an excuse to eat or drink more, otherwise you could end up eating a lot more than you intended.

Plan Your Weight Loss

OK, so you know what you want to achieve, but you need to plan what to do:

• What information do you need?
• Whose help do you need?
• What equipment do you need?

Work it out and go get it.

Social Events And Dieting

The Duke University Medical Center says:

“Eat something before going to an event with alcohol. The effects of alcohol are felt much more quickly on an empty stomach and can lead to overeating and over-drinking. Also try to drink one glass of water before each glass of an alcoholic beverage.”

Alcohol & Calories

Amongst adults who drink, alcohol accounts on average for nearly 10% of their calorie intake, but a survey by Alcohol Concern of 1,000 drinkers in Wales found that of those who said they usually kept track of the number of calories they consumed, 43% did not include calories from alcohol as part of this.  You're only fooling yourself if you do this. A large glass of wine or a pint of beer or a pint of lager has around 185 calories.

Are You Deceiving Yourself?

The UK NHS says that 8 out of 10 people think they exercise enough, but in reality only 3 out of 10 actually do. You should be doing at least 30 minutes five times a week.

Getting Results

Holly Rigsby of www.FitYummyMummy.com says: “Too often we get hung up the idea of ‘getting results’ as if they are a fixed end point – putting happiness on hold until the ideal body is achieved. Appreciating the process is just as important as reaching the goal. Enjoy the journey; recognize AND CELEBRATE THE SMALL SUCCESSES ALONG THE WAY. These are the changes that matter most and are key to true and lasting results.”

When Family/Friends Don’t Help

If you want to lose weight, your family/friends may not be helpful. This may because they know they need to lose weight too, but don't want to. So they may try to sabotage you by tempting you with food they know you like.

If you're in this situation, plan your responses to common sabotage tactics from family members. For example, if a family member is often tempting you with unhealthy food, try these responses: “Thanks, but I just ate” or “It looks delicious, but I will pass”. If they are persistent, you can say “I’m trying to do something good for myself. Please support me in this.”

For more support and ideas check out this web site - it's aimed at kids and teens, but has resources for anyone who wants to get rid of those pounds: www.weigh2rock.com

Weight Loss Plateaus

The Duke University Medical Center says: “Flush out excess water. Often, plateaus are due to fluid retention. To eliminate excess fluid, restrict your salt intake, drink more water, exercise, and eat more fruit--especially cantaloupe, honeydew, oranges, and bananas, which contain water-eliminating potassium. (Just don't go overboard - they still have calories.)”

Justifying What You're Eating

Do you find yourself justifying what you're eating? For example:

• I've had a hard day at work
• I deserve a treat now and then
• I didn't eat any breakfast
• I must have burned loads of calories when I was at the gym

It could be that you're giving yourself an excuse to eat unhealthy food.

Is it an excuse or a reason?

Children And Food

The authoritative Cancer Project says: "Avoid using food as a reward. Offering food as a reward encourages children to disregard their hunger cues—leading to overeating later in life. Celebrate good behavior with a fun outdoor activity or in some other non-food way.

Live Long, Live Well

In a study presented at the International Congress on Obesity in Stockholm 2010, researchers tracked more than 5,000 military conscripts starting at the age of 20 until up to the age of 80.

They found that at any given age, an obese man was twice as likely to die as a man who was not obese and that obesity at age 20 years had a constant effect on death up to 60 years later.


If you're a young man, you may not be that worried now about what happens to you when you're 60, but along with the obesity goes increased chances of some cancers, breathing problems, back problems, diabetes, arthritis, depression and much more. You could be obese and be perfectly health and then one day drop dead, but it's not that likely. You are much more likely to suffer ill health and restrictions in your pleasure in life long before you reach 60.

Feeding Your Heart

Karen Knowler, the Raw Food Coach, says: “When the heart is hungry the hand tends to reach out, and down the chute goes the ‘love’. For real and long lasting weight loss, all areas of life need to be looked at. How happy are you at home, in your relationship, in your work, in your everyday life? How emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically fulfilled are you? As long as you feel empty inside you will likely have a tendency to fill it up with something, anything, and that, more often than not, will be food.”

Lose Weight With A Food Diary

A food diary can help you eat better. Often writing down everything you eat means you end up eating less. Several studies have confirmed that keeping a food diary helps you lose weight. A study from Kaiser Permanente’s The Center for Health Research (USA) shows how important this is.

“The more food records people kept, the more weight they lost,” says Jack Hollis PhD, a researcher at KPCHR and lead author of the study published in the August 2009 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. “Those who kept daily food records lost twice as much weight as those who kept no records. It seems that the simple act of writing down what you eat encourages people to consume fewer calories.”

Dealing With Cravings

Duke University Diet & Fitness Newsletter says: “Try thinking of cravings as ocean waves. Just as a wave recedes after it peaks, a craving will recede if you do not feed it with your thoughts or actions. Instead of giving in to a craving right away, give it some time to pass. Distract yourself for a few minutes by reading or writing in your journal, taking deep breaths, going for a walk, talking about how you feel, or using such positive self-talk as "This urge won't last forever, and I am in control. I am feeling uncomfortable, but I can wait this out." Remember, bingeing might make you feel better for a short while, but you will feel better in the long run if you find a healthier outlet instead.”

Maintaining Weight Loss

The US government Centers For Disease Control says:

“To maintain your weight: Work your way up to 150 minutes of moderate‐intensity aerobic activity, 75 minutes of vigorous‐intensity aerobic activity, or an equivalent mix of the two each week. Strong scientific evidence shows that physical activity can help you maintain your weight over time. However, the exact amount of physical activity needed to do this is not clear since it varies greatly from person to person. It's possible that you may need to do more than the equivalent of 150 minutes of moderate‐intensity activity a week to maintain your weight.”

Helping Overweight Children

Helping overweight children can be very difficult. There's a web site that has lots of resources for parents and kids - do check it out. There's also an excellent book written by Dr Robert A Pretlow called Overweight: What Kids Say.