Unpopular opinion: I think that having a UGW is unhealthy. Lots of fitspo/healthspo blogs have them, but I think that making a UGW is like trying to decide for your body what weight it’s healthiest at. You can’t make that decision; only your body can.
Stress and Stomach Fat
In a new study published in the Journal of Obesity, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco found that mastering mindful eating and reducing stress effectively prevented weight gain, even without dieting, and that the women who experienced the greatest reduction in stress lost the most belly fat. In a nutshell, mindful eating is about being aware of your eating patterns and thoughts rather than acting on autopilot.
In this study, 24 of the 47 stressed, overweight or obese women were randomly assigned to practice mindfulness, while the other 23 served as a control group. The mindful group participated in weekly sessions for nine weeks, which included an intense meditation retreat, stress reduction, learning to recognize hunger and fullness, and become more aware of taste. They were asked to spend 30 minutes a day meditating and practicing mindful eating. These women experienced significant reductions in cortisol, a stress hormone linked to an increased appetite and more belly fat, and were able to maintain their body weight while reducing belly fat. In contrast, the women in the control group continued to put on pounds and saw no reduction in cortisol.
Studies show that intuitive eaters eat a wider variety of foods, are more optimistic, and have better self-esteem and healthier body weights than dieters who strive to control their eating to achieve a thin ideal.
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| — | Evelyn Tribole |
According to the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, women who attended lessons about body image improvement lost more weight than the control group which did not attend lessons about body image improvement. Just one more piece of evidence that self-acceptance can have an unexpected impact in many areas of a person’s life.
A 2009 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found no differences in weight loss among dieters who ate three or six times a day (total daily calories was the same for both groups). And, after reviewing 18 studies on the topic, the International Society of Sports Nutrition concluded that meal frequency doesn’t boost metabolism or encourage weight loss. However, researchers did note that eating frequently may help keep between-meal hunger at bay.
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| — | Woman’s Day |
Chicken today contains 266 percent more fat than it did 40 years ago. What’s more, today’s chicken also has 33 percent less protein, according to a study from the Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition at London Metropolitan University. The problem is modern farming practices. Cramped environments and unnatural diets produce birds that have the same weight problems as the humans who eat them.
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University of Washington researchers calculated the cost discrepancy between healthy food and junk foods and found that 2,000 calories of junk food rings up at a measly $3.52 a day. Yet for 2,000 calories of nutritious grub, the researchers plunked down $36
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Restricting calories can actually decrease weight loss. The stress hormone cortisol was elevated in test subjects who counted calories in a study published in Psychosomatic Medicine - and cortisol affects weight. “Calorie counting is an old-fashioned concept that doesn’t take into account a food’s nutritional value.
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| — | Allure magazine, October 2010 |
Obese adults who ate a diet high in dairy lost significantly more weight and bodyfat than those who ate the same number of calories, minus it. “Without enough calcium, your body releases a hormone that causes fat storage. Leucine helps burn fat and protect lean muscle,” says Zemel, who coauthored the study.
Use smaller dishes and taller glasses. In one study, nutrition experts given large bowls to serve themselves took 31 percent more ice cream than those given medium-size bowls. When big bowls were paired with big spoons, they took 57 percent more than with smaller bowls and spoons. In another study, tenns given a tall, skinny glass poured about 5.5 ounces, while those with a short, wide glass poured an average of 9.6 ounces or 74 percent more. Your brain tends to focus on an object’s height, not its width, so it’s easy to overpour when using a wide glass. Tip: use medium size plates so reasonable portions don’t look like appetizers, and consider getting rid of wide drinking glasses.
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| — | Four Essential Tips for Mindful Eating, Dr Ander Weil |
