FitSugar

Low-Carb, Low-Calorie, and Gluten-Free Pasta Alternatives

Leta Shy — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:06:27 PDT

Anyone on a low-carb diet thinks of pasta as the enemy. Even with whole wheat pasta alternatives, many people forgo their favorite Italian dish in order to cut back on carbs or can't eat it because of gluten. But the lure of a comforting plate of spaghetti is so much that there are plenty of pasta-esque dishes to calm cravings. Here are five low-carb, low-calorie, or gluten-free (or all of the above) pasta alternatives!

Source: Flickr User Kasia Wyser-Pratte

The Paleo Diet: Are Our Ancestors the Key to Weight Loss?

Michele Foley — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:57:57 PDT

The Paleo Diet, or Caveman Diet, is gaining momentum in the fitness world as a healthy way to lose weight. My trainer is all about the Paleo Diet - a meal plan based on the dietary habits of our Paleolithic, cave-dwelling ancestors. We're talking wild game, meat, and seafood, and vegetables, fruit, seeds, and nuts. What you won't find as part of the Paleo Diet are foods that developed during the agricultural and industrial eras like grains, dairy, legumes, refined sugars, and any other processed foods.

Given the Paleo Diet's low-carb leanings, it makes sense that it's gaining popularity as an effective way to lose weight. On the calorie meter, protein, vegetables, and fruit give a lot of bang for the buck, and the elimination of grains, refined sugars, and legumes can dramatically drop a person's daily calorie intake. The big question is whether or not the Paleo Diet is healthy and can be sustained for the long run.

Keep reading to find out if the Paleo Diet is a healthy solution to weight loss.

Sarah Jessica Parker Loves The Hamptons Diet, But What Is It?

Michele Foley — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 03:06:40 PDT

Founded by the former medical director of the Atkins Center, Fred Pescatore, MD, The Hamptons Diet is what you'd get if the Mediterranean Diet, South Beach Diet, and Atkins Diet crossed paths. It's also got major celebrity draw: Sarah Jessica Parker, Renée Zellweger, and Kim Cattrall follow The Hamptons Diet, and Kate Hudson went on it to help lose her baby weight.

That's good and all, but what is it exactly? Keep reading to find out!

Mediterranean Diet and Low-Carb Diet Neck and Neck

FitSugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:00:00 PDT

When it comes to dieting, we all want to know what is most effective. A new study performed in Israel found that a low-carb Atkins like diet and the Mediterranean diet outperformed the low-fat diet. The study lasted two years, considerably longer than previous studies, and the weight loss period was limited to 6 months with a maintenance period of 18 months – I think the maintenance period is truly where a diet's success can be measured.

To see what the different dieters ate, just

read more. Here's a breakdown of what randomly assigned 322 moderately obese participants ate:

Low-Fat: Based on the American Heart Association guidelines, women ate 1,500 calories a day and men ate 1,800. Only 30 percent of daily calories came from fat, and dietary cholesterol was restricted to 300 mg – an egg has about 210 mg. Meals were built around low-fat grains, veggies, beans and fruit.
Low-Carb: Based on the Atkins plan, calories were not restricted but the daily intake of carbs was limited to 20 grams of carbs a day, for the first two months, but increased to 120 grams for the remainder of the study – a half cup of cooked white rice contains about 30 grams of carbs. Participants were to obtain fat and protein mostly from vegetarian sources and avoid trans fat.
Mediterranean: Based on Harvard Medical School's Walter Millet's dietary suggestions, women ate 1,500 calories a day and men ate 1,800 calories. Only 35 percent of the calories were to come from fat, mostly in the form of olive oil and nuts. The meals were high in veggies, but low in red meat. Beef and lamb were replaced with fish and chicken.

The results were pretty interesting. On average, those following the low-carb diet lost 10.3 pounds and the average weight loss for the Mediterranean diet was 10 pounds even. The low-fat diet average weight loss was 6.5 pounds. Interestingly enough, the women following the Mediterranean diet lost 13 pounds compared to the women on the low-fat diet who only lost one pound. All the diets show other health benefits as well, with an increase in healthy cholesterol in the low-carb diet and a decrease in blood sugar levels in the Mediterranean diet. The bottom line is that all the diets offer benefits and there is not a one size fits all approach to dieting. If counting calories doesn't work for you a low-carb option might be best for you, but if limiting carbs is beyond measure for you then go Mediterranean. The trick is to pick a diet, or should I say lifestyle, that you can follow for the long term. Have you followed any of these diets? Tell us how it worked for you in the comment section below. Source

Considering Low Carb? Then Consider This

FitSugar — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 11:00:00 PDT

With the influx of low-carb diets, it's hard to ignore the amazing claims of weight loss by skipping out on breads, pastas and others. Problem is, what you don't hear about is the potential issues with going low-carb.

Here are some things to consider before you start a low-carb diet:

A low-carb diet may not be the best idea for anyone with diabetes, kidney stones, high cholesterol, or women who are pregnant.
Some people on a low-carb diet may need to take a multivitamin as well as a fiber supplement to get needed nutrients missing from your diet.
Since most low-carb diets are high in protein, be sure to drink a lot of water to combat potential dehydration and liver damage.
It's always a good idea to consult your doctor before starting any new diet; low-carb is no exception to the rule.
Finally, have you ever tried eating a hamburger with no bun? Try it first, then decide if you still want to go low-carb.

Source

Have you ever tried a No or Low Carb diet?

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 07:30:00 PDT

By now, you all know that I am curious and nosy. This time I want to know if...

Source

Eat Cake For Breakfast and Lose Weight, Study Says

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:21:52 PST

If your insatiable sweet tooth is preventing you from losing weight, findings from a recent study may be just the thing to help you slim down. Researchers found those who ate a large breakfast that included something sweet lost weight and were able to keep off more pounds than those who ate a small breakfast.

A group of 193 obese adults (not a huge study) were split into two groups. One ate a large, 600-calorie breakfast that included a sweet item such as a cookie, cake, or doughnut. The other group ate a 300-calorie breakfast with no dessert. Both groups ate the same amount of calories daily: 1,600 for men and 1,400 for women.

Keep reading to find out more details about cake and weight loss.

Fat-Proof Your Life

Health — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:06:06 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

By Maridel Reyes

It's true that there are certain times in your life when extra poundage seems to appear out of nowhere . . . and settle on you. In fact, experts have honed in on the exact moments when you're most vulnerable to weight gain.

"Life transitions, having a baby, and going through menopause cause many women to pile on pounds," says Susan Albers, PsyD, author of But I Deserve This Chocolate!: The 50 Most Common Diet-Derailing Excuses and How to Outwit Them. "But with planning and prep, you can stay thin."

We asked top experts for their strategies to help you ward off weight creep - and even shed pounds - at these tricky stages. Solutions ahead.

Getting married

Heavier ever after? It can be the flip side of wedded bliss: "Six out of 10 of my clients come back heavier after the honeymoon," says celebrity fitness and wellness guru David Kirsch.

Health.com: 25 Diet-Busting Foods You Should Never Eat

Young newlyweds pack on an extra six to nine pounds in the five years after getting hitched compared to singletons, according to research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. And most of that gain happens in the first year of marriage.

"Couples start to mirror each other's eating habits," explains Albers. "You might be matching him calorie for calorie without realizing it."

Learn how to keep the pounds down postmarriage and in the mommy years, after the break.

Weight Loss Rules You're Allowed to Break

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:58:49 PST

If you love to eat, losing weight can seem so structured, you immediately get frustrated and grab the first decadent food you can find. Even though there are some very specific guidelines that can help you reach your goal faster, there's no one-size-fits-all weight-loss plan for everyone. Here are five rules you can bend and still drop pounds from the scale.

No Cheesecake, Wine, or French Fries
While dessert, alcohol, and fried foods tend to be high in calories, just because you want to lose weight doesn't mean you have to live without the foods you adore. Actually, denying yourself the bites you crave can backfire, causing you to feel deprived, resulting in bingeing. You can't eat these foods all the time, but it's perfectly healthy to enjoy a few spoonfuls of ice cream or a small glass of chardonnay every once in a while. Just limit your portion sizes and only indulge about once a week.

Salad, Every Day
Salads aren't for everyone, and the dissatisfied feeling you get afterward could cause you to head to the nearest pizza joint. Plus salad toppings can really add up. When a bowl of greens is covered in candied walnuts, cheese, dried cranberries, avocado, and creamy dressing, a seemingly healthy salad can run higher in calories than a burger. If you're not into a bowl of raw veggies, choose other low-calorie meals that incorporate veggies such as sandwiches, broth-based soups, grilled veggies, and whole-grain salads. You have to enjoy the foods you're eating in order to stick with a healthy meal plan.

Keep reading to find out three more diet rules you can break and still lose weight.

Naomi Campbell Feels Carbs Are a Treat

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:07:03 PST

With the birth of the Atkins diet, carbs immediately got a bad reputation. It seems like everyone I know has gone on a carb-free diet at least once in their lives to lose weight, and even Naomi Campbell is no stranger to forgoing carbs. In the March issue of Harper's Bazaar, the 41-year-old model admits that she's blessed with a high metabolism, but she also exercises and watches her diet. Naomi works hard to maintain her famous model figure and says, "For me, carbs are a treat now."

I can see ditching refined carbs - foods made with white flour, like bagels, cookies, cakes, and pasta - since they have very little nutritional value. But whole grain bread and cereals, whole wheat pasta, and whole grains like quinoa and barley are super nutritious. These complex carbs contain protein to sustain energy levels and filling fiber to curb hunger, both of which can help you lose weight. However, there is definitely some validity to cutting carbs and losing weight. A recent study showed that cutting carbs twice a week was more effective than eating a low-calorie diet, so I can see why some women may choose to limit their carb intake in the name of weight loss. How do you feel about carbs?

Source: Karim Sadli for Harper’s Bazaar