I came across an interesting phrase that my sister-in-law used recently. She referred to some of her friends as “skinny fat”. The term, she explained, referred to people who were a healthy weight but did absolutely nothing to improve their physical fitness. They were skinny on the outside but ‘fat’ on the inside. This raises an important distinction that is essential to grasp if you want to not just be a healthy weight but actually be a healthy person. There is a difference between body weight and health. While it is not possible to be obese and healthy (see my prior post The Myth of the Healthy Obese) it is possible to be normal weight and unhealthy. For this reason it is essential for your health that exercise and proper nutrition (not just calorie restriction) be a regular and central part of your weight loss plan. Your goal should not just be to lose weight, it should be to become a healthier person. Losing the weight is not enough. Continue reading “Skinny Fat”
Easy to do workouts
I think it is clear both from experience and reams of medical research that successful long term weight loss just isn’t likely to be successful unless one commits to both diet and exercise. It is so important that I dedicated 1/3 of my book to explaining exercise physiology in layman’s terms and putting forth the evidence for the most effective type of exercise. While the concept of exercise is nice in theory, in practice, it is much more difficult. Many people just don’t know where to begin. Continue reading “Easy to do workouts”
Weight Loss Success Stories
I am sometimes asked by younger folks interested in a career in medicine for advice on how they can make it through the long and grueling process needed to become a doctor. I have a few experiences from the process and made it through my self so I suppose I (or any other doctor) am a good person to ask. I think this sheds light on a very important principal in achieiving success in any field. Get guidance from people who are where you want to be. Do what they did. Continue reading “Weight Loss Success Stories”
Garlicky Grilled Tilapia With Couscous
The beauty of fish is the protein. Getting enough protein in our current cultural food environment is extremely difficult and fish is one of the best sources. If you want more on the importance of protein for your diet see my earlier post Pro Protein.
Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets
I’m not sure if this is a bad thing, but my palate has never fully grown up. I learned this a few weeks ago at a wedding when I found myself jealous of the chicken nuggets and french fries my kids were eating. It’s not that my fancy chicken with a fancy sauce was not tasty. It’s not that the salad wasn’t yummy, it’s just that I didn’t recognize some of the vegetables in it. At least I think they were vegetables. I think there was a twig of some kind. Continue reading “Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets”
The Myth of the ‘Healthy’ Obese
I was recently watching the stand-up comedy of John Pinette. For those of you who don’t know of him, he’s mostly famous for his comedy related to his obesity. In his recent performance he described how he went to the doctor for a checkup and got a “clean bill of health” based on his bloodwork and other tests.
Zucchini Turkey Burgers
- source: skinnytaste.com
In honor of turkey day, I thought I’d repost one of my favorite recipes. I’m always struggling to find adequate sources of protein which is not always easy to do in our carbohydrate flooded society. Having a diet that has a high percentage of calories from protein has many advantages (See my post Pro Protein for more details). Continue reading “Zucchini Turkey Burgers”
Wait, Actually There is Such a Thing as Big Boned
In the struggle to lose weight, there is the ever-present small voice in the back of your head whose sole purpose it is to keep you overweight and unhealthy. You know this voice. It’s the one telling you to ignore me right now.
Continue reading “Wait, Actually There is Such a Thing as Big Boned”
The Vitamin Myth
I came across a very interesting article recently that sheds light on the multi-billion dollar vitamin and supplement industry. Years of clever marketing have manipulated our ability to understand or consume these products objectively. Please read the article to get the full picture:
What Does 200 Calories Look Like?
My lovely wife forwarded this to me last night and it was too good to not pass on to you. I wanted to add the following pictures which are selection from that post which is at http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-200-calories-look-like.htm. These pictures help you visualize the importance of knowing how many calories are in the foods you eat. For more on this check out my prior posts: Why You Can’t Be Trusted and Test Your Knowledge which explain how uninformed most people are regarding their caloric intake. Continue reading “What Does 200 Calories Look Like?”
The Weight Loss Counter Revolution 