Should You Weigh Yourself Daily? Here's What Research Says

Should you weigh yourself daily? Weight Watchers and some other programs say, "No". In this podcast episode (player below), you'll learn what research tells us.

The “Weight for Wellness” podcast and blog are for people on a weight loss journey for health and wellbeing. Rather than promote a specific program, we look at what science based research has to say about weight loss and health enhancing approaches. 

Listen to the podcast by clicking the player or clicking the link. The highlights from this episode are summarized below the player.

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Episode Show Notes

If You’re attempting to lose weight, should you weigh yourself daily? 

In this episode we tackle a question many of us struggle with: How often should I weigh myself?

Weight Watchers and some other popular programs say weighing weekly or even monthly is the right frequency, but what does science say? What does the research tell us?

We look at two studies, one from 2005 published in the “Annals of Behavioral Medicine”, and a second presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in November 2018.

These studies looked at the effects of weighing yourself frequently. One study followed participants for two years and the second for a year. Results: Participants who weighed themselves daily or near daily lost or maintained weight while those who rarely or never weighed themselves gained weight.

Steve Carter, the podcast host and CEO of Stress Solutions, LLC identified probable reasons why for most people daily or near-daily weighing helps to keep you focused on your ultimate target weight and on the behavioral practices you’re choosing to do that keep you on track.

Steve also shares other measures and ways to assess weight and health progress along with suggestions for staying focused on those health goals.

Stephen Carter | Stress Solutions, LLC | www.EFT-MD.com

Citations / Resources:

“Weight for Wellness” blog. https://WeightForWellness.blogspot.com.

“Daily weighing may be key to losing weight”. Includes study citation.  https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-11-daily-key-weight.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

“To Weigh, Or Not To Weigh...That Is The Question”. Includes study citation. https://www.medicinenet.com/to_weigh__or_not_to_weighthat_is_the_question/views.htm

Can You Lose Weight With Intuitive Eating?

The article below is being republished under a Creative Commons License. It's one of the foundation resources for the "Weight For Wellness Show" podcast, entitled, "Can You Lose Weight With Intuitive Easting?".

Click The Player to Listen to this blogpost companion podcast, "Weight for Wellness" episode or go to https://podcastplayer.io/podcast/stephencarter/6d.

Intuitive eating: a 'diet' that actually makes sense

Lesterman/Shutterstock

Melissa Barker, Royal Holloway

Diets for weight loss usually involve restriction. The 5:2 diet relies on restricting calories, and the ketogenic diet relies on restricting particular types of food.

Research suggests, however, that restrictive dieting can lead to a higher body mass index (BMI) over time and a greater future likelihood of being overweight. There is also evidence suggesting food restriction can lead to a preoccupation with food, guilt about eating, and higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress. So, if diets don’t always help you lose weight and could contribute to psychological problems, what other solutions are there? Recently, there has been an increasing focus on the concept of “intuitive eating”.

Intuitive eating was popularised by two dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, who published a book on the subject and developed a website dedicated to the topic.

The goal of eating intuitively is to listen to your body and allow it to guide you about when and how much to eat, rather than being influenced by your environment, emotions or the rules prescribed by diets. The concept is similar to mindful eating, and the terms are often used interchangeably.

Mindful eating involves developing an awareness of internal hunger and satiety cues and making conscious food choices. It emphasises the importance of paying attention to the emotional and physical sensations experienced while eating.

Unlike many other diets, intuitive eating encourages you to eat what you want – no food is off limits. While some may expect that this could lead to adherents to the diet eating more high-fat or high-sugar food, research suggests that this is not the case. In fact, advocates of intuitive eating suggest that the more you restrict yourself, the more likely you are to binge later.

The concept of intuitive eating is simple, and it doesn’t involve complicated dietary rules. But what does the evidence suggest?

No foods are off limits with intuitive eating. RONORMANJR/Shutterstock

Positive effect on mental health

In terms of weight loss, it is not yet clear that intuitive eating is more effective than calorie restriction. Results from observational studies have found that people who eat intuitively have a lower BMI than those who don’t. However, since people who restrict may do so because they already have a high BMI, it is difficult to determine the true effect intuitive eating had. Also, the results from intervention studies with overweight or obese people are not as clear.

For example, one review found that of the eight studies they assessed, only two found a reduction in weight from intuitive eating. In a more recent review, weight loss was seen in only eight out of 16 studies. And out of these eight, weight loss was statistically significant in only three.

Unlike other diets, the focus of intuitive eating is not on weight loss but rather on addressing the reasons that people eat. So, even if its effectiveness as a method of weight loss is uncertain, it could still provide benefits by promoting healthy eating behaviour.

This possibility has been supported by research suggesting intuitive eating may lead to a reduction in binge eating symptoms and eating for external and emotional reasons. Intuitive eating is also associated with greater positive body image, body satisfaction, positive emotional functioning and higher self-esteem.

Finally, a recent study found that higher levels of intuitive eating predicted lower eating disorder symptoms, compared with calorie counting and frequent self-weighing. This contrasts with typical restrictive dieting, which has been associated with an increased risk of disordered eating, a risk that may be greater for those who also experience symptoms of depression and low self-esteem.

While more research needs to be conducted to establish if intuitive eating can lead to weight loss, the positive effects on mental health and healthy eating behaviour are promising.

Listen to yourself

One problem with intuitive eating is that it assumes we can accurately tell how hungry or full we are. Research suggests that people who are better at perceiving internal sensations may also eat more intuitively. However, since there is evidence that people with eating disorders have difficulty recognising signals from inside their body, it seems possible that some people may struggle to respond to the intuitive eating approach simply because they struggle to listen to their own bodies.

Also, while it seems logical to only eat based on internal sensations rather than environmental cues, for many people this is not a practical solution. The time that you eat is often out of your control, such as sticking to specific family mealtimes, or designated times during work to have a lunch break. While in principle eating when you are hungry seems ideal, in practice it is not always possible.

Intuitive eating may be an effective way to lose weight, but so far there is not enough evidence to suggest that it works better than conventional, calorie restrictive diets. But the benefits to psychological health that eating intuitively provides suggest that it is a much more healthy approach to how you eat.

It may not work for everyone, particularly those who struggle to feel sensations in their own bodies. But at a time when it seems that everything in our environment is telling us what to eat and how much to eat, it may be worth taking time to listen to your body to find out what you need.

Melissa Barker, PhD Candidate, Royal Holloway

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Other Resources Identified in Podcast Episode:

Intuitive Eating Program Website: https://www.intuitiveeating.org/

Book: "Intuitive Eating - A Revolutionary Program That Works", by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN,  and Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDRD, Flaedp, FADA, FAND. Available on Amazon.com and other book resellers.

Studies: Simple Diets Can be Best, Water Before Meals Works, Baking Soda Fights Autoimmune Disease

Scale, measuring tape and fruit

The, "Weight for Wellness" podcast is for those people who want to achieve their ideal weight using evidence based science studied methods.

In this "Weight for Wellness" episode, we explore three studies, two relevant to weight loss and a third that supports weight loss and potential reduction in inflation conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. 

Listen to Podcast

To listen to this, "Weight for Wellness" podcast episode, click the audio player below or visit https://podcastplayer.io/episode/stephencarter/6d/2p9

Simple Diets Can Be Best

Our first study is from the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Fifteen obese adults participated in this 12-week study, that included individual dietary counseling sessions to attain a daily goal of higher fiber (35 grams per day) and lean protein (0.8 grams per kilogram of an individual’s ideal body weight per day). Ninety three percent of participants approved of the diet and 92% never felt Hungary during the 12-week study period.

Drinking Water Before Meals Works

In a WebMD post, we learn that consuming 16-ounces of water 30-minutes before meals can be a simple and effective way to loose weight. During the 12-week study, participants who drank about 16-ounces of water 30-minutes before each meal lost on average about 9.5 pounds.

In the third study from the Medical College of Georgia, we learn drinking baking soda could be an inexpensive, safe way to combat autoimmune disease. The organ that responses to consuming baking soda is the spleen, an important part of our immune system.

Drinking Baking Soda May Help Inflammation Conditions Such as Rheumatoid Arthritis

If we choose to drink 16-ounces of water before each meal to loose weight, adding baking soda to at least one of those glasses of water could be a powerful way to help reduce inflammation and enhance health.

Three studies cited in this episode of the "Weight for Wellness Show" podcast are linked below.

To listen to this episode, click the player link below. If you don't see the player, click https://podcastplayer.io/episode/stephencarter/6d/2p9.

Blessings and great health,

Steve Carter, CEO Stress Solutions, LLC | www.EFT-MD.com



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Study Citations:

Pilot study shows simple dietary changes can lead to modest weight loss

https://www.umassmed.edu/news/news-archives/2018/04/pilot-study-shows-simple-dietary-changes-can-lead-to-modest-weight-loss/

Drink Water Before Meals to Lose  

https://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/news/20150828/water-weight-meals-obesity

Drinking baking soda could be an inexpensive, safe way to combat autoimmune disease: study

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-04-soda-inexpensive-safe-combat-autoimmune.html?utm_source=tabs&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=story-tabs

Important Note: No information in this or any other post on this blog or discussed in the podcast is offered as medical guidance. The content is offered for informational purposes only. Please consult your licensed medical doctor for weight loss and health and wellness guidance.

Can Pasta Help You Lose Weight? One Major Study Says "Yes!"

Click player to listen to podcast.

The blog post below is a summary of the, "Weight for Wellness Show" podcast episode 6. Listen by clicking the player above or by clicking http://bit.ly/2H5LAg4.

I don't know about you, but I love pasta! But I've been concerned that pasta and healthy eating can't co-exist. It turns out, my concerns seem to be misplaced. A newly released study tells us pasta can be part of a healthy diet without packing on the pounds.

Pasta is a Low Glycemic Index Food Source

Unlike the vast majority of refined carbohydrates that rapidly absorb into the bloodstream, due to it's low glycemic index properties, pasta causes smaller increases in blood sugar levels compared to high glycemic index foods.

St. Michael's Hospital Meta Study of Pasta and Weight

A newly published study from St. Michael's Hospital conducted a review of 30 studies with nearly 2,500 participants who consumed pasta in place of other carbohydrates as part of a healthy low glycemic index diet.

Lead author Dr. John Sievenpiper, a scientist with the hospital's Clinical Nutrition and Risk Modification Centre, comments,

"In fact analysis actually showed a small weight loss. So contrary to concerns, perhaps pasta can be part of a healthy diet such as a low GI diet."

GI in his comment refers to glycemic index.

Study participants on average consumed about 3.3 servings of pasta a week in place of other carbohydrates. A serving equals about 1/2 cup of cooked pasta.

Weight Loss and Pasta

At the 12-week check-in, participants lost about one pound as the median loss amount.

Returning to Dr. Sievenpiper conclusions,

"In weighing the evidence, we can now say with some confidence that pasta does not have an adverse effect on body weight outcomes when it is consumed as part of a healthy dietary pattern."

As always, consult your doctor about weight loss and health before engaging in a diet or exercise program.

Blessings, light, and optimum health,

Steve Carter | Stress Solutions, LLC | www.EFT-MD.com

P.S. If you're a stress eater and would like to learn how to keep cravings in check, visit us at www.EFT-MD.com to learn how we at Stress Solutions, LLC can help.

Sources for this post:

"Study suggests pasta can be part of a healthy diet without packing on the pounds": http://www.stmichaelshospital.com/media/detail.php?source=hospital_news/2018/0403 and, https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-04-pasta-healthy-diet-pounds.html

"How useful is the glycemic index": https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-01-glycemic-index.html#nRlv

Sugary Drinks & Heart Health - Is That Soda Putting Your Heart at Risk?

In this, "Weight for Wellness Show" podcast (player below), you'll learn about a study presented at the 2018 American Heart Association hosted major research gathering on global heart health issues.

American Heart Association Study

This important study found adults over the age of 45 who consume large amounts of sugary beverages including soft drinks, fruit drinks and fruit juices may have a higher risk of dying from heart disease or other causes, compared to those who drink fewer sugary drinks.

Estimate of Possible Death Toll World-Wide for Soda Drinks

We also discuss briefly another research study from 2013 which found that about 180,000 deaths world-wide may be caused by sugary soft drinks.

We look at whether it makes sense if you're choosing to loose weight to remove all sugary drinks from your diet.

Stephen Carter | Stress Solutions, LLC | www.EFT-MD.com

Sources:

"Drinking sugary drinks may be associated with greater risk of death".
https://newsroom.heart.org/news/drinking-sugary-drinks-may-be-associated-with-greater-risk-of-death

"180,000 deaths worldwide may be associated with sugary soft drinks"

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-deaths-worldwide-sugary-soft.html

Click audio player to listen to podcast episode:

Is Your Diet Killing You? How to Avoid Ultra-Processed Food and Stay Healthy!

In this post, we'll look at a study exploring whether highly processed foods can lead to cancer and other serious medical conditions. 

We’ll also look at what percentage of our daily food consumption is made up of highly processed foods and what that can mean for health. Finally, we’ll talk about easy ways to lower your consumption of highly processed foods, and why it’s important to do so. 

British Medical Journal Study

A  British Medical Journal study reports a possible association between consumption of highly processed or so-called "ultra-processed” food and cancer. Their study suggests a possible link between highly processed foods and caner.

Further exploration is needed, but these results suggest that the rapidly increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods, "may drive an increasing burden of cancer in the next decades," researchers warn.

What Are Ultra-Processed Foods?

Ultra-processed foods include packaged baked goods and snacks, fizzy drinks, sugary cereals, ready meals and reconstituted meat products—often containing high levels of sugar, fat, and salt, but lacking in vitamins and fibre. They are thought to account for up to 50% of total daily energy intake in developed countries.

A few studies have linked ultra-processed foods to higher risks of obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. But firm evidence linking intake to risk of disease is still scarce. 

Study Design

To gain more clarity on the possible link, a team of researchers based in France and Brazil evaluated potential associations between ultra-processed food intake and risk of of increased cancer in general and breast, prostate, and bowel (colorectal) cancers in particular. 

Their findings are based on nearly 105,000 healthy French adults. Twenty-two percent of those studied were men and 78% were women with a total study group average age of 43 years. Participants completed at least two 24-hour online dietary questionnaires designed to measure their usual intake of 3,300 different food items.

Foods were grouped according to degree of processing and cases of cancer were identified from participants' declarations validated by medical records and national databases over an average of five years.

Several well known risk factors for cancer, such as age, sex, educational level, family history of cancer, smoking status and physical activity levels, were taken into account.

Study Results

Study results showed a 10% increase in the proportion of ultra-processed foods in the diet of study participants was associated with an increase of 12% in the risk of overall cancer and 11% in the risk of breast cancer.  No significant association was found for prostate or colorectal cancers.

Further testing found no significant association between less processed foods such as canned vegetables, cheeses and freshly made unpackaged bread, and risk of cancer. 

The consumption of fresh or minimally processed foods such as fruits, vegetables,, rice, pasta, eggs, meat, fish and milk was associated with lower risks of overall cancer and breast cancer.  

Ultra-Processed Foods in the U.S. Diet

In another study published on March 9, 2018 in the, “British Medical Journal Open”, researchers concluded ‘ultra-processed' foods make up more than half of all calories consumed in the US diet, and contribute nearly 90% of all added sugar intake.

This study points to salt, sugar, oils, fats, along with flavorings, emulsifiers, and other additives designed to mimic the qualities of 'real foods’ as being common ultra-processed foods. Soft drinks, packaged snacks, deserts, packaged baked goods, chicken and fish nuggets, and other reconstituted meat products are also typically ultra-processed food items.

Study researcher looked at dietary intake for more than 9,000 U.S. residents in the years 2009 and 2010. They were particularly interested in people who consumed more than 10% of total energy intake from added sugars. Ten percent is the maximum intake recommended for good dietary health. Nearly 60% of caloric intake was from ultra-processed foods that resulted in nearly 90% of energy intake from added sugars. 

What Health Organizations Say

The World Health Organization, the American Heart Association and other professional health organizations warn that excess added sugar consumptions can result in weight gain, obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, and cardiovascular disease. Based on the scientific research, consuming ultra-processed food is bad news for health. 

What can we do? 

First, read labels. Know what you’re eating. If a processed food item is high in sugar - to include artificial sweeteners and high-fructose corn syrup - think twice before purchasing that item. Look for low or no processed food items instead. 

Second, shop the outside perimeter of the grocery store. Typically, fresh produce and fruits are either on the right or left side of the store as you enter the front door. Most processed food items are in the middle aisles with colorful packaging and displays. Avoid these aisles and buy fresh produce, fruits, preferably organic or locally grown. If you eat meat, buy non-processed meat as lean as possible. 

Third, shop your local farmers markets. When shopping farmers markets you usually can talk with the farmers who raise the food. Ask them how their food is grown, whether they use pesticides, and what sustainable farming methods they’re using. Buy local, buy fresh, and if possible, buy from farmers directly. 

Stephen Carter | Stress Solutions, LLC | www.EFT-MD.com

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Sources for this show and post:

Explore further: Added sugars likely to have greater role than salt in high blood pressure and heart disease 

More information: Ultra-processed foods and added sugars in the US diet: evidence from a nationally representative cross-sectional study, BMJ Open, DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009892 

Explore further: Consumption of processed meat may increase the risk of breast cancer, according to a new study. 

More information: Consumption of ultra-processed foods and cancer risk: results from NutriNet-Sante? prospective cohort, BMJ (2018). www.bmj.com/content/360/bmj.k322 

Editorial: Ultra-processed foods and cancer, BMJ (2018). www.bmj.com/content/360/bmj.k599 

Could a Standing Desk Help You Lose Weight?

In this episode of, “Weight for Wellness” you and I will look at whether working at a standing desk can help you lose weight and why it may not be a good idea even if it does.

This is your host Stephen Carter of the, “Weight for Wellness Show”, the show where you can learn and apply the latest scientific discoveries about achieving your healthy weight.

A new study published in the, “European Journal of Preventive Cardiology” looked at 46 studies that included 1,184 people to determine if standing for extended periods could help shed weight.

Based on the study data, If you’re a woman, standing burned about 0.1 calories per minute more than sitting. Men burned 0.19 calories per minute compared to sitting. If you’re a 145 pound woman who stands six-hours a day, theoretically you could burn about 55-calories a day. Assuming that’s done daily throughout the year, that could result in about 5.5 pounds of fat loss. 

This isn’t exactly headline making weight loss, but when we’re overweight every lost pound matters.

Ah, but let’s wait a bit before running out and spending money for a standing desk. Is there a downside to standing for extended periods?

Downside of Standing Desks

In a study published in the journal, “Ergonomics”, researchers at Curtin University in Australia tracked 20 people as they worked at standing desks for two hours. Their findings included:

Reported discomfort increased significantly for the lower back and lower limbs. This finding supports earlier research suggesting long-term standing can lead to swelling veins that could increase heart risk.

Mental reactiveness slowed after about 75-minutes. Creative decision making improved slightly, although there’s no data to show if this slight improvement is sustained with longer periods of standing. In my experience, it’s tough to be creative if you’re feeling discomfort in your back and legs.

Given the evidence, in my view there is little benefit of using standing desks as a weight loss tool. For most people, six hours of daily standing is too physically taxing on the back, legs, and - with possible swelling - potentially the heart.

Walk Your Way to Healthy Weight Loss

What does make sense is incorporating a low impact exercise such as walking into your daily activities. While the number of calories burned by walking will vary depending on weight, distance, and other factors, typically a 180-pound person will burn about 100 calories per mile while someone weighing 120-pounds will burn about 65 calories per mile. 

Walking speed will vary depending on multiple factors, but taking a walking speed of about 3-miles per hour, a 20-minute walk could burn about 83 calories for a 150-pound person. 

If you increase the speed, distance, or both, you could burn even more calories. In addition, you get the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of exercise above and beyond what is possible with extended standing.

Stand, Move, and Breathing Break

Does getting up out of your chair frequently throughout the day have benefits? Of course it does. Taking a stand, move, and breathing break every 30 to 45-minutes at a minimum can be highly beneficial. 

Physical activity is vital for health. Choosing a weight loss approach that combines healthy eating and exercise can be a winning approach to achieve and maintain optimum weight. Of course, you’ll want to talk with your doctor before starting a weight loss or exercise program.

Until our next visit, this is your “Weight for Wellness” host Stephen Carter asking you to please, stay well, stay active, and stay blessed!

Blessings, light, and wellbeing,

Steve Carter | Stress Solutions, LLC | www.EFT-MD.com 

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Sources for this show and post:

“Differences of energy expenditure while sitting versus standing: A systematic review and meta-analysis”; “European Journal of Preventive Cardiology”; http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2047487317752186

“Standing desks increase pain and slow down mental ability, study suggests”; “The Telegraph”; https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/02/23/standing-desks-increase-pain-slow-mental-ability-new-study/