Negative Attitudes Can Influence Weight

Author and personal trainer, Lori Wengle

They say attitude is everything and when it comes to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, this certainly holds true. Lori Wengle, personal trainer and author of the book The Fat Princess No More, discovered how negative attitudes can influence weight. See what changes she made in her attitude to get to her ideal weight and find out what she recommends for you.

LoveToKnow (LTK): You have said that for you, physical change didn't happen until you made a mental change. What does this mean?

Lori Wengle (LW): After years of being overweight or obese, I realized I was going about things so wrong. I wanted to lose weight for years and years and yo-yo dieted year after year. The mental change that came about is I did not need to diet anymore. I needed to eat healthy, exercise and not obsess about the scale. Nothing was going to be perfect overnight; I had to give myself time to lose weight, weight train and be kinder to myself. If I had a bad day and ate something not too healthy, I had to forgive myself and move forward. The old Lori would have wrecked the whole day with my food choices, thinking since I screwed up one meal, why not make the whole day a massive binge day! The new Lori was kinder to herself and realized it was one mistake, get back on the wagon and just do it.

Another mental change was with exercise! I always knew I needed to exercise, and did so many times. I remember doing all kinds of infomercial workouts, the latest trend, etc. But after some time, I began to not see results and would quit. Eventually, I began to be my own advocate and researched working out and exercise trends. The mental change I had to make is to realize, I had to consistently work out three to four days a week, regardless of anything else. If I wanted to see change in my body, I had to change my thoughts about exercise and I made a daily list of how I felt after working out (which was always wonderful).

Exercise made me feel great, look better, feel stronger, gave me confidence and yet every day I struggled to get to the gym, until one day I realized I needed to do this for ME, so I could finally feel great and look better. I deserved this, my body deserved it and I needed it, like a prescription drug for an illness. Everything changed at that time and I can proudly say, I have been consistent at exercise and healthy eating since 2003! Why? Because I deserve to feel good about myself, happy with body and happy with life, finally!

LTK: What are some common mental obstacles and attitudes people face when trying to lose weight?

LW: The most common mental or attitude obstacles people face is that they do not have enough time to carve out an hour or two a day to eat healthy and exercise. It is stressful to wonder, especially in today's busy schedules, how to find the time for yourself. We do everything for our families, friends, kids, but it is hard for us to make time for ourselves.

Understand that we all need to make time for ourselves to live a long and healthy life!

Another obstacle that many of us use is self defeat! After years of being overweight, sometimes we believe deep down inside that we will never succeed. This obstacle consumed me for decades. It was not until I made realistic goals, and achieved those goals, that I finally lost the weight once and for all! I began with a goal of achieving 195 lbs (down from 242). That was a big goal, but I was kind to myself and set a goal of one pound a week, not getting too crazy with major changes. I made better choices for food and spent more time playing with my then young daughter (almost 20 now).

Then when I achieved that goal, I made another goal of hitting 180, my all time skinniest weight ever! After that I made much smaller goals because I was not sure if I could get any smaller. The next goal was 172, then 167, then 162, then 157 and so on. By making these small goals, I had many successes which led me to go all the way and surpass any of my expectations!

LTK: How do negative attitudes affect our food choices?

LW: When my attitudes are negative in general, I eat poorly. It happens still today to me a few times a year. If I feel like a failure because I missed a workout or ate something I shouldn't have, I immediately stop that type of thinking and give myself a break. I KNOW that if I obsess about it, I will spend the day binging, which is self defeating. I now know that I have to get over it quickly and get back on track.

I use music or a good workout to get my mind off myself defeating, negative attitude and begin living my life again. It did take years to get here, but everyone can change their attitude and forgive themselves. It takes practice but feels so good when you don't obsess about every little mistake.

LTK: How can negative attitudes be changed?

LW: To change these attitudes it takes a lot of perseverance! I feel many of these obstacles have a lot to do with feelings of guilt about spending time on ourselves. Somehow we have to understand, the better we feel, the better we can take care of everyone in our lives.

I spent lots of time writing a food/mood journal and exercise journal and would always put down comments that would help me defeat some of my common attitude adjustments I needed. I would write [things like], "You deserve to be happy with your body."

LTK: What common food misconceptions sabotage weight loss and how can those be corrected?

LW: The biggest issue that I have and my clients have is serving size rather than food misconception. We really do know what we should eat or should not eat. The biggest issue is what a serving size is!

After I grocery shop for the week, I split everything up into serving sizes immediately. When I cook for my week, I again put all my food in serving size baggies so that I can grab and go. I can visualize, after much research, what a serving size of chicken looks like or a serving of fruit.

LTK: What other tips can you share about having the right attitude for weight loss?

LW: Weight loss is a journey, kind of like beginning your first day at college. Both can overwhelm you. When you begin college, if you don't take your courses one quarter or semester at a time, you would be overwhelmed. Well the same holds true for weight loss. Set realistic goals that are attainable for YOUR body. Make sure you have successes and praise yourself often for your good attitudes, weight loss, and exercise plan. If you change your mindset to say, "I need to eat healthy and exercise often, period," then you will not think of it as the D word (diet); you will think of it more as a learning journey. It's all about you. Better health, better body image and a happy you.

Remember, Extreme Weight Loss is one to two pounds per week! Extreme Weight Loss is attainable and sustainable weight loss!

LTK: Anything else you'd like to share?

LW: Be kind to yourself, forgive yourself and understand you deserve to feel good! If you are on a diet and the diet dictates you can never eat certain food, find a different diet.

If I had to go through life thinking I could never eat a piece or two of pizza, I am not sure if I could continue on. Everything I eat is in a serving size, so nothing is out of the question for me as a treat from time to time. And I use a pay forward program for those times that I want a yummy treat. If I know I will be at a wedding or other event where food may tempt me, I do extra cardio or workouts that week to burn the extra calories BEFORE I go to the event. That way if there is something I really want, I don't have to feel guilty about eating something considered bad for me. I already paid it forward!

To learn more about Lori and her methods for getting fit, visit her website ChangeYourWorldFitness.com. There you can find out about her Personal Trainer in a Box program as well as her book, The Fat Princess No More.

LoveToKnow would like to thank Lori Wengle for taking the time for this interview.

New Weight Watchers Program Points Plus

Weight Watchers has always stressed the importance of healthy food choices in their weight loss programs, and their new Weight Watchers Points Plus program continues to emphasize this point. In addition, the revamping of their original weight loss program takes into account the fact that not all calories are created equal and thus the idea of "counting points" was reexamined and a new program created.

The new Weight Watchers Points Plus program offers quite a few changes from the original version. The new program emphasizes the need to look not just at caloric intake but also at the quality of foods you choose for the program. While you will still count points, the point system has changed with points for many foods, especially those that are processed or contain sugars, being much higher in value and points for other foods, like fruits and vegetables, containing few or even zero points.

The Points Plus program encourages participants to choose foods rich in fiber and protein and limit those foods that contain empty calories. No longer are 100 calorie snack packs and a 100 calorie apple treated as equal. Foods which are high in fat and simple carbohydrates are assigned more points, while fiber-rich foods are assigned fewer or zero points. To participate in the program, dieters do the following:

Fill out a form listing age, gender, height, and current weight. Receive assigned Points Plus daily and weekly allotment based on the above information. Eat at least 1200 calories daily. Calculate points based on the new system, which typically allows more daily and weekly point values. Calculate points based on how hard the body works to process certain foods, such as protein and fiber as opposed to fats and carbohydrates. Participate online, in person, or as a combination of the two.

The most important part of the Points Plus program is choosing the right foods. While the old program gave point values to fruits and vegetables, the new program allows dieters unlimited quantities of fresh fruits and non-starchy vegetables. The program takes into account the 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines and stresses the importance of eating three well-balanced meals as well as healthy snacks. The program also encourages participants to fill up on "power foods" which include the following:

Whole grains Lean meats, such as chicken, turkey, and fish Fresh fruits Non-starchy vegetables, such as asparagus, bamboo shoots, green beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, eggplant, collard greens, leeks, mushrooms, okra, onions, peppers, radishes, spinach, sugar snap peas, squash, tomato, turnips, zucchini Low-fat dairy

If you've participated in the original Weight Watchers program, you'll see several differences between it and the new Points Plus Plan.

The old plan focused more on caloric intake. The new plan focuses on filling up on healthy foods. The old plan allotted points based more on calories rather than on the type of food. The new plan focuses on whether foods contain protein and fiber as opposed to foods which are high in sugars and carbohydrates. The old plan allotted points to fresh fruits, such as 1 point for a small banana or apple. The new plan allots a point value of 0 to fresh fruits.

While many dieters found success with the original Weight Watchers plan, the new plan takes into account the importance of choosing healthy foods. As you embark on this new diet program, however, it's important to keep a few points in mind if you are going to find success.

Throw away all your old point value information, and base your food choices only on the Points Plus plan. Don't try to combine the two plans because the point values have changed for most of the foods, and many foods have higher point values. Although fresh fruits have a zero point value, don't think you can stuff yourself with fruit. Eat until you are satisfied.

Finally, use your points wisely, and choose those power foods that will provide your body with plenty of protein and fiber. The Weight Watchers Points Plus Program will change the way you look at food and provide a safe and healthy way to take off that excess weight.

Does the Shake Weight Really Work?

You've probably seen advertisements for the Shake Weight on television. Promising to tone arms in no time, the Shake Weight television ads show fit women holding a weight in front of them and shaking it with all of their might. Advertising aside, the question remains for many, "Does the Shake Weight really work?"

In order to determine whether the shake weight really works, it is important to look at the promises the manufacturer's advertising make. When you purchase or order a shake weight, for $19.94, you will receive:?

A 2.5-pound dumbbell-style weight that has a mechanism allowing you to shake it back and forthA quick reference cardAn instructional DVD

A similar Shake Weight for men exists, using a 5-pound dumbbell.

According to manufacturer advertising, by using the Shake Weight for just six minutes each day, you will gain toned upper arms, chest, and shoulders. The triceps region remains a difficult area for many women, and the prospect of toning that flabby area under their arms makes the Shake Weight particularly enticing. This is especially tempting since the manufacturer also claims it designed the weight with women in mind, and that its results are scientifically proven. According to the manufacturer, the product works better than standard dumbbells because of a process known as "dynamic inertia." Both the men's and women's products promise to burn more calories than traditional weightlifting, and lead to an increase in muscle size and strength.

With Shake Weight's claims, it is possible to perform a point-by-point analysis as to their veracity.

Scientific Proof: Regardless of the claims of scientific proof, Shake Weight does not include information about the sources or studies leading to that proof in their literature, although one article that appears to be a company-planted marketing piece suggests that studies were performed at "a California fitness simulation company." With lack of transparency about the source of any claims of scientific proof, it is difficult to ascertain exactly how the company can make such a claim. Further digging unearthed this manufacturer-commissioned?report,?which used digital human modeling simulations (not real humans) to determine the efficacy of the product.Dynamic Inertia: No standardized definition appears for the term "dynamic inertia." In fact, it appears to be a term made up to market the Shake Weight. No studies exist that show dynamic inertia to be an established and tested model for improved fitness.Burns Extra Calories: The more muscle groups you involve in a movement, the more calories you burn. Likewise, utilizing larger muscle groups burns more calories than using smaller muscle groups. Workout intensity also factors into the number of calories burned. The Shake Weight utilizes mostly the shoulders and triceps, with some biceps and chest involvement as well. These are some of the smaller muscle groups in your body, and the intensity of the workout is relatively light. It is unlikely, based on these factors, that using the Shake Weight will burn more calories than other types of activity.Increase Muscle Size and Strength:?You increase the size and strength of your muscles by performing activities that place micro-tears in them. As they repair those tears with new tissue, the muscles grow stronger. In order to continue to gain size and strength, you need to progressively work with more resistance (heavier weights), or your progress will stop. A single 2.5-pound weight for women or a 5-pound weight for men may provide a slight increase in strength initially if you are very sedentary; however, it is unlikely to provide ongoing strength and size gains for people who are fit.

Based on the above, it is unlikely that the Shake Weight works as promised. While some may notice slight gains in strength or tone, the chances of improving your level of fitness using this product are relatively slight. The Shake Weight may work well for extremely sedentary people, or for those who are only able to pursue upper body activities.

The best way to get fit and burn calories is through a combination of diet, strength training activities, stretching, and aerobic activity. No miracle products exist that speed up this process. Consider working with resistance bands if cost is an issue.

While it may seem as if using "miracle" fitness products like the Shake Weight will help you gain strength, it is important to thoroughly research claims made by manufacturers of such products. In many cases, those manufacturers make grand promises based on loose or non-independent research. If in doubt about a product like the Shake Weight, talk with a health or fitness professional.

Why Metabolic Burnout Makes It Hard to Lose Weight?

If you struggle to lose weight, you may suffer from metabolic burnout. What is metabolic burnout, and why does it make weight loss difficult? LoveToKnow recently spoke with Valerie Berkowitz, registered dietitian and author of The Stubborn Fat Fix, to learn more about metabolism burnout and how it may be affecting your weight.

LoveToKnow (LTK): What is metabolic burnout and how is it caused?

Valorie Berkowitz (VB): Metabolic burnout is a term described in my book, The Stubborn Fat Fix, and it is exactly what the name implies. Metabolic burnout is the result of many years of abuse (stress, lack of sleep, prescription and over-the-counter medications, poor diet and exercise patterns) that cause your organ(s), i.e. your adrenal glands, pancreas or thyroid, to work less efficiently. Your internal balance is thrown off and the body struggles to bring itself back into equilibrium.

LTK: How can someone know if they have metabolic burnout?

VB: There are many different symptoms but a few are: fatigue or inability to fall asleep, hunger and difficulty losing weight. In chapter five of The Stubborn Fat Fix there are easy to answer questions that help identify and categorize the factors that cause metabolic burnout and lead to "Stubborn Fat" such as yeast overgrowth, thyroid, adrenal and hormone issues and insulin imbalance.

LTK: How can metabolic burnout lead to cravings?

VB: This is a good question. There are many different ways but here are a few scenarios:

If your tired, you may crave food to give you energy If your blood sugar is not balanced and it dives too low, you get hungry Poor food habits can lead to too many calories but not provide enough nourishment to help the body function properly, so cravings are signals from your body to communicate that it is hungry

LTK: Why is it so difficult to lose weight, if someone suffers from metabolic burnout?

VB: The body is shifting its energy to help maintain balance of the organ systems that are affected by metabolic burnout because health, not weight loss, is its priority.

LTK: How important are supplements and why?

VB: Supplements are very important because they provide reinforcement of the nutrients that have been missing or are not being utilized appropriately. They help restore balance to the organ systems that have been dealing with metabolic burnout for so long.

LTK: What specific supplements do you recommend for balancing metabolism and weight loss?

VB: Use brands that have a GMP (good manufacturing practice) seal or ask your healthcare expert on the brands they recommend and are reliable such as Nordic Naturals, Solgar, Puritan's Pride or Rainbow Lite.

Supplements cannot trigger weight loss without a proper weight loss diet. With that said, I suggest a multivitamin, Omega-3, calcium with vitamin D, magnesium and boron, L-carnitine, COQ10 and alpha lipoic acid. A probiotic can be useful if you have yeast overgrowth.

LTK: What are some tips you can share to help balance the metabolism and start losing weight?

VB: Change bad habits, it is not easy but it is necessary. A quick fix will not work. Get more rest and practice stress management techniques. Follow the nutrition plan in The Stubborn Fat Fix - avoid commercially prepared foods and eat a variety of unadulterated whole foods and supplements that provide nutrients that build good health.

LTK: Anything else you can share about metabolism burnout and losing weight?

VB: If it's difficult to lose weight it may not be your fault. You may be following your nutrition plan and not getting results because your body is not on board with your plans. Take care of your body and it will take care of you.

Cutting fat and calories does not always work; nourishing your body with nutrient dense foods like fiber rich healthy carbohydrates from non-starchy vegetables, protein and healthy fats will bring your body back into balance and get you the weight loss you deserve. Lowering fat is not always good for weight loss because fat fills you up and helps to curb hunger. It also helps support the immune function, hormone balance, nerve and heart function and inflammation.

LoveToKnow would like to thank Valerie Berkowitz for sharing her insight on metabolism burnout. To learn more, check out The Stubborn Fat Fix. If you are in the New York area, you can also visit the Center for Balanced Health where Valerie serves as a registered licensed dietitian, certified diabetes educator and certified lifestyle counselor.