Dropping a couple of pounds is normally at the top of the “New Year’s Resolution” list. We all know exercising is not enough and most of the time diets don’t really work. Dr. Oz from the Oprah show has decided to put together a list of the Top 5 things that encourage weight loss without someone starving themselves to death…
The unfortunate truth is that most diets do not succeed, and it’s easy to blame that fact on a lack of willpower. But restricting food intake runs counter to the body’s natural urges. Our ancestors needed extra calories to survive times of extreme stress (say, a famine), and today, when our stress hormones spike—whether due to job frustration or a fight with our spouse—it’s as if we’re stranded on the tundra of the last ice age.
The good news is that you can outwit your evolutionary biology by implementing these five rules of successful “waist loss” that I developed with Michael Roizen, MD, for our book YOU: On a Diet .
Rule #1: Spoil Your Dinner
Remember the plant from Little Shop of Horrors, with its demands to “Feed me”? The hormone ghrelin is your body’s version of Audrey II, only it gets your attention with stomach growls instead of musical numbers. Once you’ve started eating, it takes about 30 minutes for ghrelin levels to fall and that “full” feeling to kick in. But if you eat a 100-calorie snack (like a handful of nuts) about a half hour before mealtime, your ghrelin levels will already be subsiding by the time you pick up your fork.
Rule #2: Nix Soft Drinks with Meals
Leptin is a hormone that signals the brain that you can stop eating once your body has stored enough energy from food. Yet fructose (a sugar found in soft drinks) interrupts the feedback loop, preventing your brain from getting the message. Quench your thirst with water instead.
Rule #3: Fill Up on Fiber
The ileum is a part of the small bowel that can squeeze, or “brake,” to slow the transit of food through the intestines. When that happens, you get a slow but steady supply of fuel, which keeps you feeling satiated. A high-fiber breakfast triggers this mechanism, because the bowel needs more time to absorb nutrients from fiber. The result: No more 11 a.m. stops at the vending machine.
Rule #4: Eat with Awareness
That means eating at the table, not sprawled across the couch. It also means no zoning out in front of American Idol , checking your BlackBerry, or surfing the Web during meals. Not only will mindful eating increase the satisfaction you get from food but the extra time will allow your ghrelin levels to drop even further as you eat.
Rule #5: Build More Muscle
You may have heard that muscle burns more calories than fat, but did you know that it burns a dozen times more? Aim to walk 10,000 steps a day, and begin a muscle-strengthening program, which will help steel your skeleton as well. Trainer Joel Harper has an excellent 20-minute exercise routine .
These 5 steps don’t sound that bad…
![Bret Michaels On Oprah Talking About Almost Dying And Breaks Down When Daughter Talks! [Video]](http://bossip.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/oprah-bret.jpg?w=98&h=98&crop=1)
![Top VH1 Reality Stars Who Have X-Rated Videos And Pictures [Video]](http://s1.wp.com/imgpress?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhiphopwired.files.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fhoopz2.jpg&resize=98,98)
![Young Buck Finally Free From His G-Unit Contract? [Video]](http://s0.wp.com/imgpress?url=http%3A%2F%2Fhiphopwired.files.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fyoung-buck-50-cent-400-040808.jpg&resize=98,98)
38
MzzQ2u 1/25/10, 12:09:PM
1st
Hannibal 1/25/10, 12:10:PM
F**K OPRAH!
PraDaMaMa 1/25/10, 12:11:PM
2nd…. just run or walk…and put the Twinkies down..
MzzQ2u 1/25/10, 12:18:PM
These 5 steps don’t sound bad at all…. I used to be a big, meaty girl (AINT NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT!) and after much change in the SMALL THINGS, such as eating more fiber (Kellogs raisin bran every morning, “there are more raisins” says the meaty girl!) cut out late night eating, only drinking 100% juice when I am not drinking water, and walking the steps when exiting the metro instead of the escalator, all these things daily add up to a better lifestyle. Maybe try something a little different towards a healthier lifetsyle, and then ADD maybe a little excercise or dance every day and you will see results that will last. Plus, I know I am healthier individual because of it, which is the whole point (it doesn’t hurt that I look better as well!)
Hannibal 1/25/10, 12:20:PM
ALL FAT WOMEN SHOULD GO ON A DIET, BEING FAT AIN’T SEXY AT ALL. DROP THE DONUTS AND GET ON A TREADMILL YOU WHALES!
ThatBKChick 1/25/10, 12:22:PM
O.K. Hannibal…I am riding with you on this…ain’t none of this ish helped Oprah’s or Dr. Phil’s fat a zzes….how in the hell is going to help anyone else?
Miss Amber 1/25/10, 12:34:PM
oh hannibal. i look forward to reading your comments… ::sarcasm:: for some people dieting isnt that easy. its a eating habit that has to be permanently adopted in order to continuously work. but you know this im sure.
Don't ask .... just listen 1/25/10, 12:36:PM
why does Oprah look like she weighs 110lbs in this picture??? She know she ain’t 110!!!
WhatAWorld08 1/25/10, 12:37:PM
Is Oprah losing weight too,still despise her flip-flopping self!
Hannibal 1/25/10, 12:38:PM
WELL I GOT A DIET PLAN FOR ALL OF THE PLANET SHAPED PEOPLE! I AM GOING TO TIE A HUGE BURGER TO THE BACK OF A TRUCK, THEN DRIVE IT AROUND, AND ALL OF THE FAT PEOPLE WILL CHASE IT. I’M GOING TO TO THIS EVERYDAY FOR A MONTH.
Hannibal 1/25/10, 12:39:PM
*GOING TO DO*
resurrected 1/25/10, 12:45:PM
Ok good notes I starting walking around the stadium by my house and I only walked like maybe 10 times and like twice around around the the stadium and I lost like 17 pounds in like a month and a half and when it get warmer I will be back on the grind… Walking it good because once you stop your body is still burning the face up to 12 hours later…
MissMelly 1/25/10, 12:53:PM
LOL @Hannibal’s truck.
Gmen 1/25/10, 01:36:PM
Hannibal
i hate u but i agree with you lol
Miss All That!! 1/25/10, 01:49:PM
Being broke will help a Bi*** stay in shape, and stop driving everywhere and walk… Americans don’t believe in walking no where..
Frenchman 1/25/10, 01:51:PM
Us frenchies don’t like fat people. We find them gross. Don’t get me wrong, I like a nice round plump arse as much as the next man. That said, big bellies and fat rolls are a major NO-NO.
Drenk 1/25/10, 02:18:PM
@Miss All That!!
Americans don’t believe in walking no where..
———-
YOU HIT THE NAIL RIGHT ON THE HEAD! We as a country dont wanna walk anywhere!! AND i know by where i grew up, the towns werent built with pedestrians in mind, not many sidewalks anywhere! And public transportation is a f****** joke by me, busses dont run on time
Real Talk Wit No Chase 1/25/10, 02:37:PM
Simply ludicrous, and appalling at the comments made about “Fat People”, I strongly urge that you encourage those who are in need to drop a few pounds to do so not make fun of them, we are all grown here and the jokes should have been left in grade school, besides that take that negative energy and put it some where towards being positive, like gee IDK what about the people in Haiti, try it, it is so easy to kick some when they are down as oppose to lifting them up when they are down. Sad but true society just because your “Pin Thin” that equals healthy, wrong read a book people, some people smh if you don’t prefer a larger woman get you a thin one and shut the hell up about weight and for those saying Oprah is fat she told me tell ya’ll to get like her Billionaire honestly if she was 5,000 pounds your opinion still wouldn’t matter to her she laughing straight to bank while you posting dumb comments on a website…..Real Talk with no chase I’m outtie 5000
infringedblue 1/25/10, 02:48:PM
well England has excellent transport and we walk a lot but there’s still big people around (but not like Texas proportions though – that’s a different level right there)
I think it’s more to do with the fact that fast food and highly processed, high in fat foods are so much cheaper than fruits and healthier option foods.
Eating organically, cooking your food rather than buying it ready made and making sure your meal is colourful (i.e. has a variety of proteins, carbs and different veg) would do you wonders. Eating solid meals youmade yourself you know what goes into it and you also save money…
Just say no to that microwave meal/KFC family bucket
Drenk 1/25/10, 02:53:PM
@Real Talk Wit No Chase
how big are you? seriously…?
pynk♥{On my "Kanye's Work-Out Plan" tip, LoL :)} 1/25/10, 02:59:PM
To the people knocking ‘fat’ people, just b/c you’re skinny doesn’t mean you’re healthy. Keep that in mind…
Hannibal 1/25/10, 03:12:PM
@PYNK
ARE YOU ONE OF THE WHALES?
SparkLe_B1AtCH 1/25/10, 03:30:PM
LMAO @ HANNIBAL…
I WILL CRUSH YOU LIKE THAT 350+ WHALE DID TO HER BOYFRIEND…
KANYE’S WORKOUT PLAN….
Scoopy...pretty poodle 2003 1/25/10, 03:49:PM
Real Talk Wit No Chase
Degrading fat people does not help!
Scoopy...pretty poodle 2003 1/25/10, 03:57:PM
I was trying to say that I agree with you!
Sepia830 1/25/10, 04:10:PM
@ Hannibal
Seriously, you need a personality transplant.
2Sweet 1/25/10, 04:39:PM
Just put the fork down…and step back from the plate…
laylah 1/25/10, 04:55:PM
Yeah fat people do me a favor and LOSE SOME FUCKING WEIGHT. you’re driving up the cost of HEALTHCARE for fucks sake.
Scoopy...pretty poodle 2003 1/25/10, 05:09:PM
I guess you can blame fat people for driving up health care costs. Can’t blame hollywood because cosmetic surgery is NOT covered…thank GOD! Let them waste their own money trying to recreate GOD’s work!
Princess 1/25/10, 05:16:PM
hannibal what you said was not very nice but at least you have an opinion and you never do that stupid 1st or 2nd. why do you people do that, its soooooo stupid. Or am i toooooo old.
OrangeSharpie 1/25/10, 05:38:PM
Well im really bad about soft drinks
Somali Ninga 1/25/10, 06:19:PM
dr oz is full of §hit!!!
Rihanna's sharp n witchy fingernails took the oath 1/25/10, 06:54:PM
Harpo is a pig!
TheOriginalBlkBarbie 1/25/10, 08:02:PM
pynk♥{On my “Kanye’s Work-Out Plan” tip, LoL
}
1/25/10, 14:59:pm
To the people knocking ‘fat’ people, just b/c you’re skinny doesn’t mean you’re healthy. Keep that in mind…
________________________________________________
This is true. It’s important for EVERYONE to maintain a holistically healthy LIFESTYLE. I can eat Lune Moons all day and McD’s and still not be overweight – but I don’t, and…I hit the gym! I like being active and fit. It really translates to the rest of your life and how you feel in general.
On another note, Oprah is looking a lot slimmer in these pics. Good for you girl.
Mock Rock Star 1/26/10, 01:50:AM
I love Dr. Oz
fantasy 1/26/10, 07:42:AM
The trick to a slim waist is weights and side bends. How hard is it to do side bends peaople??
To the hivebrainers.... 1/26/10, 06:02:PM
To everyone knocking fat people, Halle Berry has Type 2 diabetes. And I doubt she’s ever been “fat” or “overweight” in her life. Just something to think about…
RudeJudeCuh 1/27/10, 04:53:PM
She a billionaire can’t get on a diet?