The sun is shining for more hours during the day and the rain is letting up. It’s the perfect time to start walking or work in the yard. Spring and summer bring with it a greater variety of fresh produce to eat. Start thinking of ways you can add some healthy habits to your routine this spring.

Get Ready For Spring-Fitness Tips

It’s such a pleasure when the icy temperatures back off and the snows start to melt: proof positive that spring will soon be here! Unfortunately, it’s also a time when many of us realize that warm weather clothing will soon be in order yet we will still be carrying a winter spare tire around our mid-sections. If this rings a bell of familiarity, don’t panic: just get moving! Here are some fitness tips to help you get ready for spring.

Rethink your menu

The old adage really is true: calories in, calories out! You cannot get fit and lose weight for spring through exercise alone. You simply have to rethink your menu choices at every meal; the problem with this is that attacks of “the hungries” can serve to sabotage our best efforts. Choose foods that are filling, but low in calories to stave off those attacks: oatmeal for breakfast, low calorie soups for dinner, raw vegetables and fruits for snacks.

Start slowly

If you’ve been lazy with your exercise routine all winter long, don’t expect to be able to segue right into your fitness regimen from last summer: it will only lead to discouragement and even injury. Start with walking 20 minutes a day for a few weeks then start pushing yourself further until you are back to your regular exercise routine.

Join a gym

Being around other committed fitness-a-holics will give you built-in workout buddies who will support you in your efforts. A great fitness club also offers certified trainers and instructors who can give you the personal attention and motivation you might need after a long, lazy winter.

Don’t put off getting in shape till you want to fit into that sun dress: do it now and you’ll be ready for warm weather when it finally gets here in earnest.

The Energy Club ( http://theenergyclub.com/ ) is a friendly neighborhood gym in Arlington that offers premium services; expert personal training; fun group exercise classes; sports teams; and outdoor adventures.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ryan_Coisson

How can you take care of your family or your work without first taking care of you? When you don’t take care of you, and you keep giving of yourself, you’re giving dregs. What you want to do is fill yourself to overflowing, so others get the extra and you’re not depleted. This article will give you tips on how to keep you to overflowing.

Lifestyle – How to Maintain a Healthy and Balanced Lifestyle

1) Eat the right food rich in fiber, green veggies, more fruits but less in red meat, fats, carbohydrates and sweets. Always keep a balanced diet as your top priority for the day. Take note that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

2) Sleep regularly at least 6.5 hours and not over 7.5 hours a day to be more productive at work and so as not to weaken your immune system.
An effective sleep is during nighttime starting from 9 o’clock when body’s adrenal system is recovering. How well we sleep can seriously alter the balance of hormones in our body. A good night’s sleep can improve the memory by 30%.

3) Exercise daily for at least 30 minutes; outdoor exercise enhances oxygen circulation to the blood and allows sunlight’s natural Vitamin D effect to build bones, to strengthen immune system thereby, healing diseases caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi.

4) Pray, think on something to thank God for and meditate on His Word, the Bible before you start and end your day. This will help you clear out your negative energy and your unnecessary worries. It will promote a placebo effect of wellness in your spirit, mind and body.

5) Schedule your “To Do’s” and arrange them according to its priority of importance. The best time to do this is during the night before going to bed when you’re not in the rush.

6) Develop a good study habit or reading good quality books.

7) Set a time to recreate with family and personal interests such as pertaining to music, sports, hobbies, cuddling with pets, crafts, travel, livelihood programs, community or church service together.

Keep yourself and your family healthy by maintaining proper hygiene such as: daily bathing, brushing/flossing the teeth after every meal and frequent hand washing with an anti-bacterial or sulfur soap.

Author: Rose Jane- ESL/IELTS Tutor Online; Exporter of Fashion Accessories; Artist-Songwriter http://www.heartycreations.com  Skype: rosejane10; MSN LIVE: englishlife Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rose_Jane

Look at the health continuum like a yard stick. The left end represents the high-fat, high-cholesterol, low-nutritional, fast, easy, and extremely unhealthy. The right end represents the, cardboard tasting, well-balanced, organic, naturally grown, and uber healthy. Now, if you want to jump from the far left-end all the way to the right-end in one step your body would go into shock, and you might as well shoot yourself in the foot, it would be less painful. However, if you take small steps from left to right you’ll accomplish your goals without stressing out. Think about it; anything you do that’s even a little closer to the right is a step in the “right” direction, if you’ll pardon the pun. Read this article and start making the right steps.

5 Simple Health and Wellness Activities That Anyone Can Easily Implement

How many of you get ideas when taking a shower?  I’ve heard a number of people say that creative ideas come to them when they’re “all wet.”  I’m no exception.  I’ve realized that people enjoy short, doable bullets that they can easily begin to implement when making changes around their health and wellness.  So, last week I had a few bubble to the surface while in the shower.

1. Five days a week eat an organic apple.  We all know that eating apples are a good thing for us to do.  What can you do to become more diligent about eating an apple a day?  Since apples are one of the highest sprayed crops in terms of pesticide use, I recommend eating organic apples.  Most supermarkets are now carrying some organic produce and apples are usually one of the most popular items.  Buying them in two to three pound bags is usually more economical.  Apples contain fiber, antioxidants and phytonutrients, all of which benefit our bodies.
2. Seven times a week eat a large leafy, green salad.  (Iceberg lettuce does NOT count here.)  Use organic spring mix, mixed baby greens or romaine lettuce.  Include spinach and lots of other fresh vegetables such as cucumbers, carrots, colored peppers, onions, tomatoes and avocados.  Many nutritional experts advocate eating a fresh, green salad with lunch AND dinner.  In case that’s a bit much for some of our readers, begin with eating one seven times a week.  We enjoy walnuts and or sunflower seeds on our salads as well as a few dried cranberries.
3. At least three times a week have eggs for breakfast instead of cereal.  I don’t recommend eating cereal at all but if you’re beginning to make a shift here, then begin with eating eggs a few days instead of cereal.  Eat the entire egg, the way God created it.  Soft boiled, scrambled, or over easy are all acceptable.  I recommend using coconut oil for cooking.  By the way, eggs do NOT cause elevated cholesterol.  That’s a huge myth and a topic for a future article.
4. Five nights a week get to bed before or by 10:30.  Your body will thank you.  Again, most wellness gurus say to be consistent every night of the week with the bedtime, most maintaining that 10:00 is optimum.  However, if you’re accustomed to staying up until 11:30, then begin by backing up your bedtime to 10:30 at least five nights a week, then optimally 10:00 each night.  The body repairs, restores and recharges itself while we sleep.  Inadequate rest and sleep contributes to many health issues and may even shorten life span by eight to ten years.
5. Decrease your intake of fried foods to…ZERO times a week.  Seriously, there are no acceptable numbers for eating fried foods.  If you’re currently eating fried foods, then may I challenge you to examine how many times a week you’re eating them, and decrease that number starting today.  Fried foods are one of the worst health robbers that we could ever eat.  Why risk eating them?

And now I’d like to invite you to get your free instant access to the first chapter of our wellness eBook which explains the six basic principles of wellness when you visit http://wellness777.com/freebook

You’ll receive information on the major wellness factors which everyone can implement and which will quickly and reliability improve one’s quality of life.

From Sharon Graham, R.N. – the other half of The Coaching Pair
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharon_Graham

February, the time for love. Love and health are connected, specifically your health. For the love of a great and happy year read this article to get tips on how to increase your happiness.

Health, Wealth, and Love

What is happiness? The dictionary defines it as “a state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.”

Like many dictionary definitions, this may be accurate, but needs to be more specific to be of practical use. How do you experience this “state of well-being?”

One of the best practical definitions of happiness that I have come across is provided by Charles Haanel in his classic work “The Master Key System.” According to Haanel, there are only three things that can be desired in the “world without.” They are health, wealth, and love.

I have heard a number of people talk about the desirability of health, wealth, and happiness, but I don’t believe that is as accurate as Haanel’s observation. That’s because the three components of happiness are health, wealth, and love. And just as you can create virtually any color of the rainbow with the primary colors of red, yellow, and blue, you can create any shade of happiness by learning how to control these three areas of your life.

The people who are the happiest are those with the most abundant health, wealth, and love. It’s true that exceptional people can be happy without the exterior manifestation of these qualities, but most people need some level of each in order to “feel” happy.

Those who have poor physical health due to an accident or illness, but who attain happiness, have learned to compensate their physical condition with superior mental, emotional, and spiritual health. A shining example of this is Christopher Reeve. But note that he also had an abundance of financial wealth and an enormous amount of love from his wife, family, and friends from around the world.

There are those without massive amounts of wealth who are still happy. But a close examination of their situation often reveals that they at least have sufficient wealth for their needs and good health and lots of love in their life. For every person without a lot of wealth who is happy, there are many more who live in unhappiness and fear. Being able to manage and increase wealth in a positive and peaceful way certainly increases a person’s happiness.

And what happiness can possibly be complete without love? Love, true love, is the most important quality of all. Not just the love between husband and wife, parent and child, but love for all human kind. But it is the love of those closest to us is necessarily deeper and brings the greatest levels of happiness. No one can be truly happy who does not have a heart filled with love and gratitude. There is no one quite so miserable who lives a life of indifference or in some cases hatred toward others.

The fantastic news is that each of these three components of happiness have their starting point in “the world within.” The world within is your heart, mind, soul, spirit. To improve in any one of these areas of happiness, the first place to start is with the world within. That means that every person of sound mind has the capacity to improve each area regardless of their current condition. If you have enough mental capacity to read and understand this article, you have every resource you need to create happiness for yourself.

You want excellent health? First, improve the overall quality of your thoughts. There is a mind-body connection that is undeniable. Positive thinking actually creates chemistry in your body that improves health. Second, use your mind to create excellent health habits (the right foods and the right exercise for your situation). Create the right causes, and the right circumstances will follow.

You want abundant wealth? It has long been established that all wealth ultimately flows from thought. Study and take advantage of the laws of wealth. Improve the use of your imagination so that you are able to create new opportunities for yourself. Take control of your financial habits and increase your awareness of how you use your money. If you use your mind to use your money wisely, more money will flow into your life.

You want more love? Love, being the one complete intangible of the three, ultimately comes entirely from within. To increase the amount of love in your life requires only an improvement of attitude. To receive more love from others only requires that you give more love to them.

It is this intangible quality of love that makes love the greatest value of all. Without some measure of love, of what real value is health or certainly wealth? This is why those who truly love are the happiest of all people.

“…and the greatest of these is love.”

Copyright (c) 2005 Bill Marshall – All rights reserved. Feel free to republish this article provided you include the copyright information and the weblinks where possible.

For practical self-improvement tips, visit http://www.poweraffirmations.com. Get my new free e-book, “Power Affirmations: Power Positive Conditioning for Your Subconscious Mind”

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Marshall

The holidays are over. They are just a faint memory of family and festivities. Well, not quite. You have a blatant, extremely rude reminder hanging around your hips. How horrible! Well, fear not, this article can help you get back in shape after the holidays.

Holiday Aftermath – How To Get Back In Shape After The Holidays

Now that the holidays are over, when you look in the mirror your waistline may seem a bit larger than it was before the holidays started. Whether it was the silky-smooth egg nog, the deliciously-decadent chocolate cake, or mama’s home-made fruit cake, you may have only gained a few extra pounds from your holiday indulgences but the effect it will have on your health may be far-reaching.

Studies indicate that during the holiday season, most people may only gain about a pound during the season between November and January. This study may come as a surprise to a number of people since most people believe that they gain between five and ten pounds over the holidays. In a study, researchers found that volunteers overestimated their holiday weight gain by about 5 pounds. However, in reality, only a small percentage of people actually gained more than 5 pounds over the holidays.

This is good news for most people. However, the bad news is that any extra weight that is gained over the holidays is not lost during the rest of the year. Researchers say that although the weight that most people gain during the holidays is small, it will usually accumulate from year to year and can lead to serious health problems including obesity later in life.

This study underscores the importance of developing a plan to deal with the extra weight that you may gain during the holiday. Deciding today to lose holiday pounds by eating healthy and exercising is the first step to getting in shape after the holidays.

The first thing you may want to do is to take small but consistent steps to gain control over your weight and take charge of your health. For example, if you were not very active during the holidays, then don’t train like an Olympic athlete now. If you try to do too much too fast you may be setting yourself up for failure. The best approach is to begin every step that you take slowly and increase your efforts from there.

One great strategy that will help you lose weight and improve your health is to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Not only are fruits and vegetables low in calories but they also supply your body with much needed vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.

Another strategy you can employ is to cut about 800 calories a week from your diet by either eating less or exercising more. The best solution, of course, is to eat less and exercise. When combined with exercise, eating smaller, healthier portions of food is a sure-fire method of losing weight and getting in shape.

Just 20 to 30 minutes of exercise performed 3 to 4 days per week is sufficient to achieve noticeable improvements in your health. Moreover, if you don’t have a lot of time, those 30 minutes of exercise do not have to be performed all at once. If you’re short on time, try breaking up your fitness routine into small segments of 10 to 15 minutes each throughout the day. Then, when you have more time, you can schedule in more physical fitness into your routine.

If you gained a few extra pounds over the holiday, the result of not taking action can have serious implications on your health. Deciding today to take a proactive approach to your health and your weight is the most important first step you can make to optimum health and a healthier new you.

Patricia is a health focused content author and wants to help you lose your holiday pounds. For the latest Diet, Fitness and Weight Loss Tipsthat work please visit Patricia’s site at http://www.squidoo.com/weightloss-dieting-fitness/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patricia_Zelkovsky

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We’re coming into the season of food. There will be food at work, at every receptionist’s desk, you’ll be sent food, you’ll cook food. Here some food, there some food, everywhere is food, food, food. Don’t dispair! We’ve got help for trumping temptations during the holidays. Read this article for tips on handling holiday  temptations.

Five Tips for Handling Holiday Diet Temptations

Well, the holiday season is upon us and that means a whole lot of parties, foods, and diet temptations. It doesn’t take much to go a little crazy and before you know it you’ve kissed your diet goodbye. These things can happen without you even realizing it but just because you’ve set your diet back a few weeks, it doesn’t mean it’s completely over. It only takes a little bit to learn how to control yourself from an out-of-control eating and drinking binge.

Try not to worry too much either if you can’t work out the exact calorie number of everything you ate. The holidays only last a couple of weeks so you only need to choose wisely most of the time. You won’t do too much harm to your diet. A few dietary experts are here to give you a helping hand, follow these five tips for eating healthy during the holiday season:

• Go easy on the trimmings – Take it easy on loading up your plate with all the extras which may add some taste but also those calories. I’m talking about nuts, cheese, cream sauces, gravy, butter, and whipped cream. None of this stuff will fill you up but will fill out your waistline. Try to cut these calories wherever you can. You want to leave get through the holidays feeling satisfied, not stuffed.

• Drink and nonalcoholic beverages – Alcoholic mixed drinks and beer are loaded with calories. No mixed drink you can make can compare to the calorie intake as eggnog can. One way to limit your calorie intake when drinking is to switch to a glass of water now and then between alcoholic beverages.

• Limit your choices of food – Dietary experts recommend putting only two items of food on your plate every time get up to fill up your plate. You don’t need to limit the amount of times you go back to the food table but watch how much you take back from it. A little bit of variety sparks your appetite. By limiting your food choices to few different items and sticking only with these, you will find it easier to control your food consumption and not eat a sample of everything available.

• Be picky – If you don’t think you’ll like a particular food, then simply don’t eat it. Look over your choices of food for what you like the best. Pass on the ones you don’t like enough to risk overeating or the ones you can get anytime of the year. You are not held accountable for eating everything that was put out for the party. It’s ok to use some restraint. Stick to what are your favorites.

• Don’t skip meals – Don’t change your eating habits or schedule during the holidays. If you have a party to attend, treat your eating schedule are you would any other day. Many people make the mistake of skipping meals in order to save up calories only to find themselves overeating later on. Try to eat sensibly throughout the day. This can take some of the hunger edge off your appetite and giving you a little more restraint later on.

Visit the experts at Dual Action Cleanse at http://www.dualactioncleansenow.com. Dual Action Cleanse’s all-natural colon cleanser has changed hundreds of thousands of people’s lives through gentle and effective whole body safe and effective body detox.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tl_Kleban

It’s amazing how many things we do over the years that eventually wear out our parts. Just like your car, one that you’ve had for a number of years. If you ride the brake, it’s going to wear out faster, using the clutch whenever you drive is going to wear out the clutch. The same thing happens with the body. Unfortunately, there’s not a body-part replacement catalog that allows us to order and replace the parts we wear out on us. That’s why we need tips and techniques to help us keep from wearing out those precious, one-of-a-kind, body parts. Read this article to get one of those tips.

The Wrong Ways to Sit on Your Office Chair

Who would have thought there was a wrong way to sit in an office chair? I guess there is a wrong way to do just about anything, but when it becomes detrimental to your health, that is when a real problem arises. In fact, sitting is harder on your back than standing. Studies have actually proven that sitting in a properly adjusted chair that encourages motion reduces cumulative trauma disorders to nerves, tendons, and the neuromuscular system. I, of all people, am extremely guilty of sitting in my office chair the wrong way, which is a very bad habit I am working on fixing. In order to motivate myself to break the habit, I did some research on why it is detrimental to sit incorrectly. I have come to notice myself and others sitting in 3 common positions that are actually harmful to your health.

The first is my favorite, which is sitting cross legged/indian style while sitting in my chair. Over time, I have learned that knee problems can develop from sitting in this position, as comfortable as it. Especially if one sits in this position over the span of many years. Although I am still getting back support from my chair, I am losing blood flow to my legs which can cause them to cramp up. This tends to happen a lot, forcing me to switch to another bad position.

Normally I then switch to putting my feet on a footrest. Now, I know you are thinking, what is wrong with using a footrest? Normally footrests are very effective…except when you are using another chair as a footrest. Footrests are supposed to make it so that your knees are at about a 90 degree angle because this position promotes the best circulation. My legs are completely straight when I use my chair/footrest which promotes very bad circulation.

The last bad position I tend to sit in, is with my back far away from my chair, slumped over on my desk. While this does help me read my computer monitor better, it also is causing cumulative trauma to my back. The best solution for this, is increasing the size of the font on the screen you are reading or getting a larger monitor with a monitor arm that will allow you to adjust how close the computer is to your face.

After reviewing all my bad habits, clearly it is time to break them and start sitting better in my office chair. Some tips I learned to prevent myself from sitting incorrectly are get up and move, keep the body in alignment while sitting in an office chair, choose ergonomic office chairs when sitting, and use posture friendly props. It is best to take a break from sitting in an office chair every half an hour or so for a few minutes in order to stretch, stand, or walk. When sitting in an office chair, take advantage of the chairs features. Also if you are sitting in an ergonomic office chair, you are able to adjust the back for lumbar support. Footrests, portable lumbar back supports, or even a small pillow can be used while sitting in an office chair. And of course, posture is important! The proper way to sit in a chair is to keep both feet on the ground, sitting up straight, with your back firmly rested against the seat. Follow this advice and you will be sitting better in no time.

Chelsea Alves is the marketing manager for Sitbetter.com, a company dedicated to finding the best chairs for you, at the best price possible, with the best customer service available. For more information on ergonomic products visit http://www.sitbetter.com/. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chelsea_Alves

There are many aspects in life that you have to keep balanced in order to achieve total or overall health, security, and happiness. You need to improve each and every aspect to give your self a chance for growth and development. It is not very easy to achieve a balanced life but with enough determination and knowledge about how to do it, it is not impossible. 

One of the most important area or aspect of a person’s life is the body. You have to make sure that you will keep your body healthy and strong to be able to do and perform all of your duties and responsibilities. Eat a proper diet and keep your body fit by doing regular exercise or going to the gym. Aside from keeping the body healthy, these could also make you look more attractive. Feeling and looking beautiful will also contribute to the personal aspect of your life. 

The personal aspect includes your emotions, feelings, and the way you think about certain things. It is advisable to always maintain a positive outlook in life. Your mind is a very powerful organ as it could control your feelings and emotions. Don’t let negative feelings such as insecurity, self pity, sadness, and disappointment get the best of you. Thinking positive and being optimistic will do wonders. They will also help you achieve contentment in life that will eventually turn into happiness. 

There are other aspects of life that also contribute to a person’s total happiness and one of these is the financial aspect. Though it is true that money and material things should not be the focus of your attention, the fact still remains that this is very important in order for a person to survive in this world. Save money by keeping a part of your regular income or invest in something that could really return your investments. This will help give you a sense of security, peace of mind, and will prevent any financial troubles in the future. 

Although your present job could give you a steady source of income, it doesn’t mean that it’s the perfect job for you. It is also important that you like what you are doing because this will lessen or reduce the stress level that you get and will give you the motivation to improve your work performance. If you want to expand your knowledge, skills, and abilities, you could take additional education or personality development program which is another aspect of life and life is a continuous learning process. 

You should also have some time to improve your social life. Go out with your friends or spend some quality time with your family. This will somehow give you the feeling that you are being loved and that there are lost of people who love you and will always be there to support you. The spiritual aspect of your life is also important especially if you feel that you need some guidance or enlightenment during tough and hard situations. 

After a long time of hard work, it is advisable to take a break and reward your self with something that could make you relax and relieve you from stress, tension, and pressure from work. You can try out new sports or start a new hobby that will match your interests. It could be any kind of fun activities that you can do by yourself or with friends and family. A balanced life can do many great things that will make you completely healthy and happy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sanjana_Antony

Debbie Mayer, who was part of the clinical trial, poses at her home in Brockton, Mass. Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009. Low-fat or low-carb, as long as your diet lowers calories and you stick with it, you can lose weight, finds a federal study that followed people for two years – one of the longest such comparisons. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole)

LOS ANGELES – Low-fat, low-carb or high-protein? The kind of diet doesn’t matter, scientists say. All that really counts is cutting calories and sticking with it, according to a federal study that followed people for two years. However, participants had trouble staying with a single approach that long and the weight loss was modest for most.

As the world grapples with rising obesity, millions have turned to popular diets like Atkins, Zone and Ornish that tout the benefits of one nutrient over another.

Some previous studies have found that low carbohydrate diets like Atkins work better than a traditional low-fat diet. But the new research found that the key to losing weight boiled down to a basic rule — calories in, calories out.

“The hidden secret is it doesn’t matter if you focus on low-fat or low-carb,” said Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which funded the research.

Limiting the calories you consume and burning off more calories with exercise is key, she said.

The study, which appears in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine, was led by Harvard School of Public Health and Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana.

Researchers randomly assigned 811 overweight adults to one of four diets, each of which contained different levels of fat, protein and carbohydrates.

Though the diets were twists on commercial plans, the study did not directly compare popular diets. The four diets contained healthy fats, were high in whole grains, fruits and vegetables and were low in cholesterol.

Nearly two-thirds of the participants were women. Each dieter was encouraged to slash 750 calories a day from their diet, exercise 90 minutes a week, keep an online food diary and meet regularly with diet counselors to chart their progress.

There was no winner among the different diets; reduction in weight and waist size were similar in all groups.

People lost 13 pounds on average at six months, but all groups saw their weight creep back up after a year. At two years, the average weight loss was about 9 pounds while waistlines shrank an average of 2 inches. Only 15 percent of dieters achieved a weight-loss reduction of 10 percent or more of their starting weight.

Dieters who got regular counseling saw better results. Those who attended most meetings shed more pounds than those who did not — 22 pounds compared with the average 9 pound loss.

Lead researcher Dr. Frank Sacks of Harvard said a restricted calorie diet gives people greater food choices, making the diet less monotonous.

“They just need to focus on how much they’re eating,” he said.

Sacks said the trick is finding a healthy diet that is tasty and that people will stick with over time.

Before Debbie Mayer, 52, enrolled in the study, she was a “stress eater” who would snack all day and had no sense of portion control. Mayer used to run marathons in her 30s, but health problems prevented her from doing much exercise in recent years.

Mayer tinkered with different diets — Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach — with little success.

“I’ve been battling my weight all my life. I just needed more structure,” said Mayer, of Brockton, Mass., who works with the elderly.

Mayer was assigned to a low-fat, high-protein diet with 1,400 calories a day. She started measuring her food and went back to the gym. The 5-foot Mayer started at 179 pounds and dropped 50 pounds to 129 pounds by the end of the study. She now weighs 132 and wants to shed a few more pounds.

Another study volunteer, Rudy Termini, a 69-year-old retiree from Cambridge, Mass., credits keeping a food diary for his 22-pound success. Termini said before participating in the study he would wolf down 2,500 calories a day. But sticking to an 1,800-calorie high-fat, average protein diet meant no longer eating an entire T-bone steak for dinner. Instead, he now eats only a 4-ounce steak.

“I was just oblivious to how many calories I was having,” said the 5-foot-11-inch Termini, who dropped from 195 to 173 pounds. “I really used to just eat everything and anything in sight.”

Dr. David Katz of the Yale Prevention Research Center and author of several weight control books, said the results should not be viewed as an endorsement of fad diets that promote one nutrient over another.

The study compared high quality, heart healthy diets and “not the gimmicky popular versions,” said Katz, who had no role in the study. Some popular low-carb diets tend to be low in fiber and have a relatively high intake of saturated fat, he said.

Other experts were bothered that the dieters couldn’t keep the weight off even with close monitoring and a support system.

“Even these highly motivated, intelligent participants who were coached by expert professionals could not achieve the weight losses needed to reverse the obesity epidemic,” Martijn Katan of Amsterdam’s Free University wrote in an accompanying editorial.

Cutting calories key to weight loss: study

Overweight patients cast a shadow at a weight reduction clinic. A new study has found that eating heart-healthy, low-calorie foods and exercising is the key to losing weight regardless of levels of protein, fat or carbohydrates.(AFP/File/Frederic J. Brown)

The research, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health, seems to argue against blanket use of diets that do not necessarily limit calories but call for eating certain foods such as vegetables or proteins, at the expense of others.

The NIH study of 811 volunteers, 38 percent of them men and 62 percent women, aged 30-70 and either overweight or obese, looked at diets that have been popular in the United States in recent years, even as the number of obese Americans has soared.

The “Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies (POUNDS LOST) study found similar weight loss after six months and two years among participants assigned to four diets that differed in their proportions of these three major nutrients,” said researchers.

“The diets were low or high in total fat (20 or 40 percent of calories) with average or high protein (15 or 25 percent of calories). Carbohydrate content ranged from 35 to 65 percent of calories.

“The diets all used the same calorie reduction goals and were heart-healthy low in saturated fat and cholesterol while high in dietary fibre,” said researchers, whose study is published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Participants lost an average 13 pounds (5.9 kilos) at six months and maintained a nine-pound (four-kilo) loss at two years.

“These results show that, as long as people follow a heart-healthy, reduced-calorie diet, there is more than one nutritional approach to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight,” said Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, director at NHLBI.

“This provides people who need to lose weight with the flexibility to choose an approach that they’re most likely to sustain: one that is most suited to their personal preferences and health needs,” she stressed.

Sixty-six percent of US adults are overweight and of those, 32 percent are obese, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show.

By AFP – Thu Feb 26, 8:42 AM PST