Tag Archives: #Diet

Ytterligare 5 tips för att gå ner i vikt

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Jag har tidigare redogjort för mina 5 huvudtips för att gå ner i vikt: räkna kalorier, optimera kosthållningen genom att äta näringsrika och mättande men energisnåla livsmedel, äta tre mål mat om dagen, träna cardio om nödvändigt, samt konsumera lightprodukter i stället för att unna sig energitäta onyttigheter.

I detta inlägg tänkte jag komplettera med ytterligare 5 tips som visar på hur man gradvis kan gå från att äta mer till att äta mindre, samt att lägga till viktig extramotion som är tidseffektiv eller behaglig.

1. Ta bort några livsmedel
När man inte går på diet tenderar man att äta mer “onyttiga” livsmedel, som snabbmat, fikabröd, glass och godis. Det finns en poäng med att äta en del sådant för att öka styrka och muskelmassa, men det är ändå dessa som ska tas bort först eftersom de är näringsfattiga men energitäta.

2. Byt ut några livsmedel och lägg till mer av andra
En del “onyttiga” tillika energitäta livsmedel är ännu bättre än glass och godis, till exempel jordnötssmör som innehåller fett, kolhydrater och proteiner och ger både snabb och långverkande mättnad.

Om man ändå tänker sig att det vore bra att ta bort detta kan man dels byta, dels äta mer av de livsmedel som man redan äter. Förslagsvis kan jordnötssmör ersättas av det lite dyrare mandelsmöret, som man då äter lite mindre av som pålägg på till exempel fullkornsbröd. Samtidigt ser man till att öka intaget av kvarg och kycklingfilé för att få i sig mer protein som ökar mättnad och minimerar muskelförlust.

Jag brukar även byta ut choklad (cirka 560 kalorier per 100 gram) mot diverse goda proteinbars (cirka 380 kcal per 100 gram).

3. Gå långpromenader
Att gå långpromenader kan vara lite kontraproduktivt om man vill bygga muskler, men på våren – om och när man vill gå ner i vikt – är det alldeles utmärkt att göra ensam eller i sällskap.

Långpromenader i rask takt är väldigt trevligt, ett nyttigt nöje, och är bättre än att sitta inne på förmiddagar eller kvällar. Ibland hinner man med två entimmespromenader på en dag. Det är inte lika effektivt som intervallträning, men väger man in trevnadsaspekten är det klart värt.

4. Gör korta men effektiva intervallpass
Riktigt hård och intensiv intervallträning är inget för vardagsmotionären, eller ens för den genomsnittliga gymbesökaren. Som tur är kan man göra det enklare för sig, och ändå dra nytta av de många fördelarna som det ger.

Det räcker med att hitta en backe i närheten av där du bor. Spring med 70-80% av din kapacitet mellan två märken, till exempel lyktstolpar som befinner sig cirka 50 meter från varandra, och jogga sakta ner tillbaka. Upprepa. Sammanlagt 10 gånger. Öka intensitet efterhand och lägg eventuellt till fler gånger, till 15.

Detta tar ungefär 10 minuter och sedan kan du fortsätta med en långpromenad eller gå hem. En gång i veckan räcker.

5. Använd hungerdämpande och förbränningsökande preparat
Ett sätt att bränna lite fler kalorier, dämpa hungern, och påminna sig själv om att man befinner sig i en viktminskningsfas och ska hålla sig borta från fel mat, är att konsumera några fettförbrännande preparat. Passa på när till exempel Gymgrossisten har rea på sina produkter.

Förslagsvis kan man ta det under de sista tre veckorna av en längre dietperiod.

Great review on intermittent fasting

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Previously I have written about intermittent fasting, followed the diet since January 2010, and I have also written about two types of IF in my Swedish book.

Overall I think that IF is great for a significant share of normal people who want to live and eat healthy and exercise sound control of their daily lives. It has many benefits, such as larger evening meals, high energy levels in relationship to calorie intake, and delayed self-gratification.

Some other important benefits are stressed in this article, which offers an excellent overview of this topic. Some aspects that I have not previously reflected upon, such as that IF indirectly increases spiritual wellbeing, that it can rejuvenate the skin, and that it triggers autopathy are elaborated in this piece.

Is it healthy to be on a diet?

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For some time ago someone in my extended family told me – like it was some sort of truth – that it is unhealthy to lose a lot of body fat. The very same person also stressed that I do not look healthy sometimes. This is not something new: some normal people have their opinions about fitness, both the muscles and the dieting phase, and the critique can be more or less misguided. Here is my brief answer to that kind of assertions.

First of all, is the person natural? If the person is natural and does not use PED (performance-enhancing drugs) then it is healthy in that regard. Secondly, what is the person eating? If the person is eating properly and includes all the macronutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamines, minerals etc.) and drinks proper amounts of water then it is even more healthy, and probably better than what most people eat and drink (including those fitness people who are currently not on a diet and thus consume more crap food). Thirdly, which phase of the diet are we talking about? If your body fat percentage is as low as, let’s say, 4%, or even lower, well then it is not healthy. But everything above that benchmark should be considered healthy. For girls and women, one should probably add about 10%: hence, everything below 15% is not healthy, but until that point it is. Thus it is more healthy for a female person to have 22% of body fat than 34%. Dieting is a process and it is only certain extreme phases or levels that might be somewhat detrimental for a person’s well-being.

People have to stop thinking in terms of black or white, and instead think of physical fitness more in terms of a spectrum with certain extremes that ought to be avoided. Physical fitness – when it hinges upon proper amounts of training and nutrition – can in many cases, but not always, overlap a healthy lifestyle. For most people, in most phases of dieting, it is most likely healthy to be on a proper diet with the goal to lose body fat.

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Healthy and aesthetic

The Okinawan diet

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Okinawa is the name of a Japanese prefecture, a particular island, and sometimes also referred to as a group of subtropical islands in the Japanese south. (However, some of these islands should correctly and more specifically be labelled the Ryukyu Islands.)

Besides from being beautiful, the Okinawa region is known for its density of centenarians, i.e. those who have lived 100 years or more, and this palpable phenomenon’s interrelationship to a healthy diet and lifestyle. Hence, the Okinawan diet, a term that has become quite well-known in the Western world as well.

In this post, I will briefly examine this particular diet, and describe the extent to which it might be followed strictly or at least significantly influence one’s own particular dietary habits. Moreover, I will explain how it can be modified in order to correspond more optimally to a fitness and bodybuilding lifestyle and diet. I will have the research article “The Okinawan Diet: Health Implications of a Low-Calorie, Nutrient-Dense, Antioxidant-Rich Dietary Pattern Low in Glycemic Load” as a point of departure and reference.

The article’s abstract tells us:

Residents of Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture of Japan, are known for their long average life expectancy, high numbers of centenarians, and accompanying low risk of age-associated diseases. Much of the longevity advantage in Okinawa is thought to be related to a healthy lifestyle, particularly the traditional diet, which is low in calories yet nutritionally dense, especially with regard to phytonutrients in the form of antioxidants and flavonoids. Research suggests that diets associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases are similar to the traditional Okinawan diet, that is, vegetable and fruit heavy (therefore phytonutrient and antioxidant rich) but reduced in meat, refined grains, saturated fat, sugar, salt, and full-fat dairy products. Many of the characteristics of the diet in Okinawa are shared with other healthy dietary patterns, such as the traditional Mediterranean diet or the modern DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Features such as the low levels of saturated fat, high antioxidant intake, and low glycemic load in these diets are likely contributing to a decreased risk for cardiovascular disease, some cancers, and other chronic diseases through multiple mechanisms, including reduced oxidative stress.

It is notable that contemporary Okinawans in general – much like many other populations in the industrialized world – have started to eat more Western-style and thus consume more salt, sugar, meat and processed fats. Thus it is the traditional Okinawan diet that has health benefits, since it consists of nutrients – (particularly potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, and carotenoids) and fiber – that seem to be what the sweet potato in particular contains in abundance. Other important nutrients from the sweet potato are vitamin A, B, B6 and E.

Westerners in general and Americans in particular ought to be influenced by the Okinawan diet at the expense of typical American/Western foodstuffs such as red meat, sugar, high-GI carbohydrates and processed and saturated fats. The dietary habits of humans are more or less linked to cardiovascular diseases and certain forms of cancer, and to eat more properly is one important dimension in that respect:

Based on dietary intake data or evidence of public health problems the USDA indicates that many adults lack sufficient amounts of dietary fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and the antioxidant vitamins A (as carotenoids), C, and E [2]. At the same time, the USDA reports that in general, Americans consume too many calories and too much saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sugar, and salt [2]. Moreover, overconsumption of foods that are calorie-dense, nutritionally poor, highly processed, and rapidly absorbable can lead to systemic inflammation, reduced insulin sensitivity, and a cluster of metabolic abnormalities, including obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and glucose intolerance (commonly known as metabolic syndrome), affecting about one third of Americans and an increasingly serious problem in virtually all developed nations.

Besides from low calories and sweet potato consumption, other ingredients and foodstuffs, such as mugwort, seaweed and fennel, have health benefits, and thus blurr the distinction between food and medicine:

The distinction between food and medicine blurs in Okinawa, with commonly consumed ‘‘herbs’’ such as fuchiba (mugwort), kandaba (sweet potato leaves), ichoba (fennel), aasa (green seaweed), ngana (bitter leaf), and others utilized as both foods and medicine. All contain powerful antioxidants, with high amounts of carotene and other antioxidant properties (aasa seaweed has close to 9000 mg of carotene per 100 g)

Overall, the Okinawan diet is more related to wellness than fitness. However, with a combination of typical traditional Okinawan foodstuffs, and more calories from eggs, fish, chicken and low fat dairy products (quark and cottage cheese), it is possible to synthesize a fitness diet that has both physiological and aesthetic benefits.

Personality and obesity

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As I have asserted in earlier posts, personality is partly genetic, partly malleable (let’s say 50/50 for the sake of simplicity). Hence, one cannot blame oneself for every negative outcome or behavior, but still to some extent a person can be changed – hopefully in the right direction.

For instance, a person can learn to be more extrovert, conscientious, agreeable and less neurotic; and a too agreeable person – someone who might be used by other people due to a complete lack of cynicism – can learn to be slightly more antagonistic and calculating.

Personality traits can often be linked to the so called Big Five personality factors: Openness, Conscientousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. In addition, there are of course other important characteristics such as the Dark Triad (narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy). However, in the current post I will only focus on the Big Five and their links to obesity, or adiposity.

As substantial research indicates, personality traits are related to people’s tendency to gain weight. The research article “Personality and Obesity across the Adult Lifespan” (2011) stresses the significance of personality traits for obesity:

Societal shifts in food quality, quantity, and availability are certainly major contributors to this recent increase in obesity. Yet, many other factors are also implicated in weight control. In particular, personality traits are consistently associated with the controllable behaviors that lead to obesity (Provencher et al., 2008) and personality has an effect on adiposity even after controlling for known demographic and genetic influences (Terracciano et al., 2009). Most studies of personality and weight have been cross-sectional; long-term longitudinal studies are needed to test how personality is associated with weight change across the adult lifespan.

The authors also emphasize the importance of avoiding obesity for a variety of reasons – health, individual well-being, as well as economic and social status:

Body weight is a fundamental individual difference variable that has a pervasive effect on nearly every aspect of our lives. Although most commonly implicated in physical health, adiposity contributes to a variety of psychological processes, such as well-being, identity formation, and person perception. Overweight individuals are prone to depression (Luppino et al., 2010), have poor body image (Schwartz & Brownell, 2004), are evaluated negatively by others (Crandall, 1994), and are ascribed traits based on their body size (Roehling, Roehling, & Odland, 2008). In fact, just being associated with someone who is overweight can lead to negative evaluations (Hebl & Mannix, 2003). As such, body weight contributes to how we understand ourselves, how we see others, and how others see us.

As far as earlier studies indicate, Conscientiousness is the most consistently related to overweight of the Big Five. More conscientious people are less likely to be obese and the other way around. This has got to do with one of its corresponding main characteristics, self-discipline:

The traits within the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality, Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness, have been linked to health behaviors and outcomes in general (Friedman, 2008; Goodwin & Friedman, 2006; Ozer & Benet-Martínez, 2006) and to abnormal weight in particular (Brummett et al., 2006; Chapman, Fiscella, Duberstein, Coletta, & Kawachi, 2009; Terracciano et al., 2009). Of the five traits, Conscientiousness is the most consistently associated with adiposity. Across different personality measures, populations, and both self-reported and clinician-assessed weight, conscientious individuals have lower adiposity (Brummett et al., 2006; Chapman et al., 2009; Roehling et al., 2008; Sullivan, Cloninger, Przybeck, & Klein, 2007; Terracciano et al., 2009). In particular, the order and self-discipline facets of Conscientiousness are strongly associated with weight (Terracciano et al., 2009). Presumably, those who score higher on Order and Self-Discipline are leaner because they are organized and stick to their diet and meal schedule. The lifestyle choices of individuals high in Conscientiousness likely contribute to their healthy weight. These individuals, for example, are physically active (Rhodes & Smith, 2006), restrain from binge eating and drinking (Rush et al., 2009), and are less likely to have disordered eating (Bogg & Roberts, 2004).

Another important notion is that weight is not static – it is misguided to put oneself into everlasting categories. The important thing is to change the ‘eventual fact’ that one has to gain fat weight over time in one’s life span:

For most people, weight is not static, but fluctuates over time. As individuals age, their metabolic needs decrease, but their energy intake typically remains constant or increases (Bosy-Westphal et al., 2003; Elia, Ritz, & Stubbs, 2000). As a result, until old age, adults tend to gradually gain weight as they age. Similar to weight at any one given point in time, there are considerable individual differences in the extent to which BMI fluctuates across the lifespan.

The general conclusion:

Neuroticism and Conscientiousness are both associated with the health-risk behaviors that contribute to abnormal weight. Individuals high in Neuroticism and low in Conscientiousness are more likely to smoke (Terracciano & Costa, 2004), abuse drugs (Terracciano, Löckenhoff, Crum, Bienvenu, & Costa, 2008), be physically inactive (Rhodes & Smith, 2006), and binge eat and drink (Rush et al., 2009). Consistent with these more recent studies, a meta-analysis found that Conscientiousness correlated negatively with health behaviors that are among the leading behavioral contributors to mortality, including disordered eating, physical inactivity, alcohol and drug use, and smoking (Bogg & Roberts, 2004). Individuals high in Neuroticism, in addition to their other health-risk behaviors, tend to be overly concerned with their shape and weight and, despite their attempts at restraint, tend to lose control over their food intake (Provencher et al., 2008). One outcome of these maladaptive cognitive and behavioral patterns is difficulty with weight regulation.

So if someone has a problem with binge eating, obesity and/or fast fat weight gains, it may important to try to be less neurotic (easier said than done for many who suffer from depression or anxiety disorders) and more conscientious. Perhaps a well-planned and consistent diet schedule with the aim to lose weight over time may be a very wise investment – and even to help save money in the long run.