Is It Better To Exercise Alone Or With A Group?

Over the years I have worked out alone, with one or two friends and with a large group and I can definitively say it's better with at least one other person. I found in my case that I was more consistent and exercised more frequently when I was accountable to at least one other person.

You know the days when you don't feel like going to the gym, well when your friend(s) will be at the gym waiting for you; you feel bad and drag yourself to meet them.

Sometimes my friends encouraged or pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and do things that I wouldn't normally. This was how I started yoga, completed a full and two half marathons. And also how I had my first and only spinning class (but at least now I know I hate spinning).

There is research to back up my anecdotal evidence. One study found that 64% of women train harder, exercise longer and more often, and burn more calories with friends than when they exercise alone. Furthermore, 31% say that their friends are their motivation to stay in shape.

Of course, if you enjoy exercising alone, just continue. But if you need some support and motivation find a friend or join a group. I would caution you, that it is important that your partners be at a similar fitness level otherwise you'll only be discouraged and hate it.

Also, although it's not impossible to use a home gym with one or two friends, you will probably now have to consider exercising outside your home.

Depending on where you live, you'll probably have no difficulty finding an appropriate group. Good luck!

The Scientific Facts About Gluten

Most days I feel like I'm the only person on earth who isn't gluten free. In my local supermarkets there is now a gluten free aisle packed with products that are more expensive that it's gluten original. Restaurants are also catering to this market. It's now impossible to avoid the gluten discussion.

However, I have found that most of those who are on a gluten free diet are doing so to lose weight but there is no scientific evidence to support this decision. Going gluten free is an extension of low carbohydrate fad. According to a new survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center 63% of Americans believe that a gluten-free diet could improve their mental or physical health.

What is gluten?

Gluten is the protein found in grains like wheat, barley, rye and possibly oats. It is most common in breads, pasta, pizza and cereal. There are about 1% of Americans who have been diagnosed with celiac disease. These individuals have an immune reaction that is triggered by eating gluten. They develop inflammation and damage in their intestinal tracts and other parts of the body when they eat foods with gluten. There may be another group of people who are gluten sensitive.

One issue is that many people feel there are gluten free by eliminating bread, pasta and pizza. However, gluten is in more products that one would imagine. According to Macleans, gluten "may appear on labels in Latin as triticum vulgare or hordeum vulgare or secale cereale. Or the label may feature ingredients that people don’t realize contain gluten, including bulgur, couscous, farina, malt and seitan."

Should you avoid gluten?

According to this article by Harvard Medical School, "there is no compelling evidence that a gluten-free diet will improve health if you don’t have celiac disease." However, in spite of this, many people claim to feel better when they eliminate gluten from their diets. But before you jump on the bandwagon, consider the negative side effects of a gluten free diet.

Gluten-free foods:

• have more sugar, fat and salt
• sometimes have more calories
• have less folic acid, iron and other nutrients
• are more expensive

When you look at the above list, you'll see that it's no surprise that some people actually gain weight while on a gluten free diet.

If you have already switched to a gluten free diet and feel great. Excellent. However, if you are still considering eliminating gluten, be aware of the negative side effects and the fact that science is not on your side.

3 Meals vs. 5 Small Meals Per Day

My generation grew up on three square meals per day. We were also admonish for snacking before a meal and spoiling our appetites.

For the last several years, many diet experts advised us to eat 5 or 6 mini meals per day. This was always difficult for me. It was hard enough to eat a healthy breakfast and lunch due to my work commitments and environment, now I was required to 'brown bag' even more healthy foods. I also found that eating small meals was not satisfying to me and I counted down the hours and minutes to my next mini meal.

As reported in this article by Medical News Today, research has shown that it doesn't matter if you have 3 meals or 5 small meals. Your body only knows your total caloric intake. For example if you ate 2000 calories in 3 or 5 meals it's all the same.

Another diet myth busted. Trust your body if you feel better eating 5 meals continue, but don't do it because it's the best route to take for weight loss.

Can You Really Increase Your Metabolism?

We can't help but read the numerous recommendations to boost our metabolism.  Green tea, chili, more muscle, drink more water, and so on, and so on will increase your metabolism. My personal anecdotal evidence shows that none of these foods or things can significantly boost metabolism. I naturally love extra spicy food. The hotter, the better. In fact if chili was as effective as some say, I actually look like I'm anorexic! I also went through a period of time when I drank cups and cups of green tea and bottles and bottles of green ice tea. And, once again, there was no significant impact on my weight loss.

The reality is there are many foods and drinks that will increase your metabolism, but the boost is so negligible that it's hardly worth considering. Also, none of the foods or drinks can sustain the increase for a long period of time.

According to this article by women's Health Magazine, research shows that drinking two to four cups of tea per days helps you burn about 50 extra calories. So if you do the math, in 70 days you'll lose one pound (3500/50)! I think there are more effective and faster ways to lose one pound. Here's another take by Shape Fit on why trying to boost your metabolism is a waste of your time.

The more research I do, the more I'm convinced that there are no shortcuts or gimmicks. Just stick to the basics and you'll get a healthy and fit body eventually.

Is Your Metabolism To Blame For Slower Weight Loss?

Those of us who struggle with our weight, have long known that there is more to our weight loss than simply restricting calories and exercising. We have observed how easy it is for us to gain weight and how much harder it is for us to lose it. We have painfully lived through diets that worked for some but not as well for us. Why is that?

A new study may provide the answer. Researchers looked at a small group of obese men and women in an in-patient program. The participants fasted for one day and were then put on a 50% caloric restriction diet. What they found is that those who lost the least amount of weight were the ones whose metabolism decreased the most during the day of fasting. The researchers concluded that this group has a 'thrifty' metabolism.

Is your 'thrifty' metabolism to blame for your slower weight loss? Perhaps. However,  according to the lead researcher, “The results corroborate the idea that some people who are obese may have to work harder to lose weight due to metabolic differences. But biology is not destiny. Balanced diet and regular physical activity over a long period can be very effective for weight loss.”

So no need to give up. Your journey to being healthy and fit may be slower and longer, but you'll get there. Don't give up!

The Scientific Facts About Diet Detoxes and Cleanses

It's hard to avoid the various claims for diet detoxes and cleanses. In fact it very tempting especially with the number of celebrity endorsements. However, there is absolutely no credible research that recommends detoxes or cleanses. Our bodies come well equipped with a liver, kidneys, skin and lungs that will remove any harmful substances. Furthermore, these organs don't need any help to be more effective and efficient from any of these drinks on the internet.

Nor do you need your colon irrigated. Several years ago, on the recommendation of a friend, I had colon irrigation. I'm on the low end of the range of bowel movements and I sometimes feel that if I got fid of 'waste' sooner and more often that I would be healthier and slimmer. After going through this procedure, nothing changed, even in the short-term. Don't waste your money!

The strongest article on detoxes, cleanses and colon irrigation that I found was published by The Guardian recently. Also, check out this CBC Marketplace report on Dr. Oz's detox. The report concluded that "the detox treatment didn’t result in a negative change in health status. But there was also no improvement.”

This infographic by Prevention perfectly explains what happens to your body when it's on a cleanse.

Once again, eat a healthy diet and exercise and don't fall for any of these scams!

Best Weight Loss Advice From The Top Diets

By now, you, like me is a weight loss expert. We have learned that there are parts of each diet that makes sense, works for us and we can do and live with forever. On the other hand there is some advice that is difficult to follow both short-term and long-term or simply won't work for us. My current approach is find advice that I makes sense for me and my life - an individualized, customized approach, if you will.

I recently read an article on Health.com that summarized and best and worst advice from the top diets. Here's my list of the best tips:

Dr. Phil - Best Tip: Reduce your exposure to unhealthy foods and to cues that cause you to eat.
This works because: You can't eat what isn't there!

You: On a Diet - Best tip: Pick a range for your ideal weight instead of fixating on a particular number.
This works because: You'll feel guilt-free when faced with the small fluctuations that occur naturally day-to-day.

Skinny Bitch - Best tip: Read the ingredients.
This works because: You won't eat anything you can't pronounce.

French Women Don't Get Fat - Best tip: Add "petit" and "peu" to your French vocabulary.
This works because: You can have a little of everything if you stick to small portions.

The Beck Diet Solution - Best tip: Differentiate between cravings and hunger.
This works because: If you can tell the difference between wanting to eat and needing to eat, you can cut out unnecessary calories.

The Thrive Diet - Best tip: Eat less processed food.
This works because: Sticking to whole, fiber-rich foods will help you lose weight.

Remember only do what works for you.

Diet Friendly Alcoholic Drinks

Most of us are aware that consuming alcohol while on a diet is not the best or smart choice. However, sometimes you are in a situation where it may want to indulge or it's hard to sip water all night. So what are the best, diet-friendly alcoholic drinks?

These are the best choices according to Spark People:

• Red or white wine
• Scotch
• Vodka
• Light  or draft beer
• Martini
• Manhattan

Conversely, and as you can guess, according to Live Strong stay away from sweet, sugary mixed drinks, such as:

• Margarita
• Long Island ice tea
• White Russian
• Slushy
• Irish Coffee
• Pina Colada
• Eggnog
• Mai Tai
• Brandy Alexander
• Amaretto Sour

I must admit that some of my favourite cocktails are in the second group. If you can't refrain, choose wisely and remember moderation is the key on your journey to being healthy and fit.

Wieight Loss Surgery vs Weight Management

A recent study concluded that "gastric band and weight management therapies offer similar health benefits for overweight diabetes patients."

With gastric band surgery, a band is placed around the stomach to make it smaller. The band is adjustable and therefore the size of your stomach is adjustable. Logically a smaller stomach leads to the patient eating smaller meals and consequently losing weight.

Patients are counselled that the surgery is a weight loss tool and are encouraged to eat healthy foods and exercise. Generally patients lose an average of 1.5 to 2 pounds per week, after the first few weeks. The average weight loss is similar to what you can achieve with a commercial program or on your own.   

A few years ago, after a lengthy and careful consideration I decided to have gastric band surgery. My main reason was that I was looking to not just losing weight but keeping it off forever. As we all know, the difficulty is maintaining weight loss and not reverting back to old habits. With a smaller stomach, one would imagine maintaining your weight loss should be better than with other strategies.

While some may be surprised by the study's result, I am not.  Everyone's experience is different. For me, the first eight months were what one would expect. The scale was moving in the right direction. However, the following five years, I was either losing weight, but throwing up every day (sometimes after every meal) or gaining weight because I had to loosen the band to avoid being sick.

The gastric band not only dictates smaller meals, but there many foods one must avoid and there are a number of 'rules' one must follow. For example, you must eat slowly, chew, chew, chew your food and you can't have any drinks while eating. Eventually, in my experience, one eats things that 'melt in your mouth', not lean protein, complex carbohydrates, legumes, fruits and vegetables.

Considering the findings of this study and my personal experience, gastric band surgery is not the best solution for long-term weight loss. Once again, there are no short cuts.