Dr Aron is a Bariatric doctor specializing in working with patients who have been unsuccessful with previous weight loss methods
New Year's Weight Loss Resolutions
Read Nutritional Labels For regular readers of our WeightLossNYC™ diet blog, you already know to read nutritional labels with special attention to sodium , sugar and fat , and especially artificial sweeteners especially high-fructose corn syrup We've even advised you that organic foods aren't always good calories . Here are a couple more key examples of how food labels can expose the hype:
Duck the Dip Even seemingly healthy avocado goes incognito when packaged as "guacamole dip" — watch out for such products offering even as little as two percent avocado. (Do you even want to know what the other 98% is?) “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that American men eat 7% more calories than they did in 1971; American women [are eating] 18% more—an additional 335 calories a day!”
Low Hanging Fruit Make Smart Food Choices Every day we make food choices, and for those of us seeking healthy options often find ourselves tripped up by seemingly safe if not favorable choices, only to find, well, read on..
Popular yogurt cups with fruit on the bottom are often really laden with so much sugar negating any real benefit of favoring yogurt for your diet. Consider adding your own fresh fruits to healthier yogurt brands.
Men's Health recently exposed unhealthy ingredients lurking in many popular foods, serving up a reminder that we should always read the labels when buying any packaged foods.
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Follow a program. Lifestyle programs use many different approaches. It is okay to count calories, fat grams or carbohydrate grams to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Other preferences may lead you toward vegetarian or meat-based approaches. Internet support groups, diet books, packaged food programs and work-site groups can all help. (I don’t know of any legitimate lifestyle program that promotes eating “junk food.”)
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Got Questions?
Some patients tell me that changing what they eat is difficult, even “the hardest thing that that they’ve ever done.” Under medical supervision, medications and “prescription-strength” diets may be necessary to overcome hunger. If you have medical problems like diabetes or high blood pressure, these conditions need to be monitored if you are making a major change in your diet.
We're here to help. Dr Aron & WeightLossNYC™ staff can help you make smart choices with your diet plan. Consider Antoinette who recently shared with us how her love for her native foods were adapted to suit her weight loss plan . (c) 2010 New York Medical Weight Loss Center, http:// WeightLossNYC.com
Losing Weight is a Step Toward a Healthier Lifestyle
Feature Article by Dr Aron, WeightLossNYC Medical Weight Loss Center With the spotlight on childhood obesity , many families and schools are trying to address overweight and obesity as school begins. I have heard lots of chatter about what people are planning to do, and I want to share some pointers from recent research and clinical experience. 1.
Assess what you eat and drink. A simple way to do this is to write down everything that you eat or drink for a few days. Look at the list and attack the sources of empty calories. The likely offenders are sweet tea, sugared soda, bread, french fries and chips. Dietitians and weight loss programs also recommend writing down what you eat because it makes you think twice before eating.
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Seek help if you take medication, or if you can’t do it on your own.
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Have your health measurements checked periodically. While there are many recommendations for “healthy eating,” you cannot know what foods are best for you unless you have certain tests checked by your doctor. I see people who are frustrated because even though they are doing everything that they have been told for general healthiness, they look and feel unhealthy. In many instances, the “general recommendations” are not appropriate for individual people.
I have seen “lifestyle therapy” improve or eliminate type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, sleep apnea, asthma and many other health problems that are so common today. Losing weight is just one step toward a healthier lifestyle.
About the Author — Oksana Aron, MD , the Director of the WeightLossNYC Medical Weight Loss Center , and a member of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (www.asbp.org). (c) 2010 New York Medical Weight Loss Center, http:// WeightLossNYC.com
Building in a Workout to Boost Your Success!
Eliminate junk food. Eliminating junk food may be all that you need to do if you are drinking regular soda, and are eating “nabs” and potato chips. I often hear, “But I don’t eat much of it.” However, the unwelcome truth is that just a little sugar and starch can turn off your body’s ability to lose weight. Some people, I fear, are very sensitive to sugar, and need to get it out of their lives completely. 2
We all hear about working out, but how can we make it work in — into our lives?
2,000 steps is a mile
Make it Manageable Strive to integrate a workout into your life at a manageable pace. Keep it at 20-30 minutes to start and gradually raise it to keep it accomplishable
Swing Your Partner Round and Round Dance! Or take a walk together. Find something enjoyable that you and a friend can do together. Use the buddy system for motivation and to hold one another accountable.
Do a 30-Day Challenge See if you can rise to the occasion! Put in rewards and recruit others to be part of it.
Make it Routine Put your workout in your calendar just as you would an appointment. The consistency will make you more reliable at doing it.
Their suggestions are in addition to decreasing caloric intake , to add 3 to 4 thousand steps per day. Excerpts from their chart include: • Taking a good 20 minute walk at lunchtime can account for 2,000 steps per day
(c) 2010 New York Medical Weight Loss Center, http:// WeightLossNYC.com
• Four laps around a sports track is one mile, or 2,000 steps.
Lose 50 lbs in 5 months
• At work, consider walking to people near you to communicate, over email or phone. Small distances over the day can add up!
Lose weight fast with Dr. Aron, Bariatric Physician and Weight Loss Expert. Learn more about her non-surgical medical weight loss program .
Another Congratulations to Cynthia for her “25% off Thanksgiving weight-loss special” — She's lost 50 lbs in 5 months — 25% off her starting weight. She's thrilled to talk about it, and here in her own words describes how she lost her weight. (c) 2010 New York Medical Weight Loss Center, http:// WeightLossNYC.com
Lose Weight, One Step at a Time
• Take 100 step walk breaks during the day; Try taking longer walks in your routine including longer route to restroom, and extended walking before shopping at a mall. (c) 2010 New York Medical Weight Loss Center, http:// WeightLossNYC.com
New Protein Bars with Satisfying Flavor Protein + Great Taste = Less Hungry
Walk This Way Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise research has shown Americans walking less than other nations studied with lower obesity rates . Their conclusions suggest we try to increase our walking in our daily routines , as USA today has prepared some handy tips. Fewer than 5,000 steps a day is considered sedentary; 5,000 to 7,499, low active; 7,500 to 9,999, somewhat active; 10,000 or more active
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Strawberry Cheesecake protein bar only 140 calories? It's great to know you have a new choice with new flavors - ask the front desk on your next visit for a variety box (shown) or buy any single flavor seven-pack for the same great tasty price.
New protein bars with satisfying flavor Remember that proper nutrition and balance are crucial for your weight loss diet success .
Exclusively available at WeightLossNYC Ask Dr. Aron if you have any questions about inclusion of any meal substitution supplements or to give us feedback on the items you like best. (c) 2010 New York Medical Weight Loss Center, http:// WeightLossNYC.com
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