10 Things You Need to Know About Losing Weight

BBC One, Wednesday 27^th May, 2009 [ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ksh7c ]

There are very few among us that couldn’t do with being fitter and shedding at least one kilo.  Most of us have various methods that we have tried to lose weight with varying success.  This BBC show that was recently aired on the BBC Channel on Foxtel puts some research behind 10 important things that people aiming to lose weight should know.

If you are serious about losing some weight, do yourself a favour and spend 60 minutes watching this show.  If you can’t get to it, here is a summary of the points highlighted in the show. 

1.         Don’t Skip Meals

 The program conducted two studies of the brain’s response to low calorie and high calorie foods: one without consuming breakfast and one after consuming breakfast.  The first response without eating breakfast showed that the brain ‘lit up’ more when shown high calorie food.  The brain’s response after consuming breakfast showed that the brain did not ‘light up’ to either high or low calorie food.  The activity from the brain in the first response, when it missed breakfast, was due to Ghrelin, a high powered hormone, which is released when the stomach is emptying.

Ghrelin sends a message to the brain which then sends the message to the stomach: ‘fill me up now!’.  This primitive response triggers a powerful urge to eat high calorie food to compensate.  Will power may not be strong enough to fight it. 

2.         Reduce Plate Size

A lot of scientific study has proven that reducing your plate size from 12” to 10” will reduce your calorie intake by 22%.  In this program’s study an audience was evenly divided and given either the medium size or large size popcorn to eat whilst watching a movie.  Those with the large size popcorn ate 45% more popcorn because they were given more and they did not realise they were full.  To stop eating when full, change to a smaller plate size.

3.         Count Calories

By making small changes in your diet you will make a large difference in your waistline.  Avoid calorie laden food to avoid putting on weight.  Choosing low calorie versions of food can dramatically change your calorie intake, as evidenced below.

Low Calorie Food	Calories	High Calorie Food	Calories	Calorie Saving
Black Coffee	30	Cappuccino	300	270
Toast	125	Pastry	270	145
Grilled Chicken Salad	250	plus dressing/croutons	450	200
2 apples	120	1 chocolate bar	300	180
Thin crust pizza	850	Deep pan pepperoni	1400	550
Bloody Mary Cocktail	125	Pinacolada	280	155
TOTAL:	1500		3000	1500

4.   Don’t Blame Your Metabolism

Statistics show that we blame our slow metabolism and under record our calorie intake.  We do not include snacks or think that healthy food calories count.  We think we are eating well by eating large portions of healthy foods, but large portion sizes are stored as excess fat.

The Show’s volunteer always believed she had a slow metabolism – but, by scientifically checking, it was found to be near perfect.  Over nine days she was asked to keep a Video Diary for four days and then a written diary for the next five days.  Meanwhile she was asked to drink an ‘isotope marker’ for the scientists to examine and compare what she actually ate to what she said she ate.  It showed that she was not honest in her admission.  She omitted 43% of her calorie intake, either by forgetting what she consumed or by not counting her healthy calories.

5.         Protein Reduces Hunger Longer

A study with three volunteers showed that the person who added 10% more protein to his breakfast was “felt fuller” for longer.  Protein triggers PYY (a protein that controls hunger pains).  Protein sends more PYY into the blood stream than any other food source.  By eating more protein with your breakfast, you will ensure that you will eat less for lunch.

6.         Soup Keeps You Full

This study examined how soup signals to the brain that the stomach is still full and not hungry.

Two groups of army volunteers were given exactly the same volume of rice, chicken, vegetables and water to consume for lunch.  One group was given the food as a meal plus a glass of water, the other group were given exactly the same amount of food but with the water added and blended into a soup.  Each group had an ultra-sound directly after consuming lunch, and then again after hours of exertion.  The ultra-sound of the group who consumed the soup showed that their stomach contents remained fuller for longer.  This was explained by showing how the cup of water on top of the meal, from the first group, made the stomach briefly expand, but the water travelled straight through. The ultra-sound of the second group, which consumed the soup, showed that the blended mass of soup kept the stomach fuller for longer as it could not drain out quickly.

7.         More Choice Makes You Eat More

Evolution has affected our appetite.  In prehistoric times, as hunters and gatherers, we found a variety of food sources. Our bodies instructed us to seek out a variety of food wherever we could and that influenced how much we ate.  A survey has shown that we eat 30% more when given a variety of food.  When given the choices at a buffet, our instinct kicks in and tells us that we need to try everything.  This will result in consuming far more calories than necessary.

The reporter placed two equal amounts of sweets in bowls in a canteen and videoed the results.  One bowl of sweets was all the same colour, the other bowl was full of colourful sweets.  The colourful sweets were rapidly consumed first, whilst the single colour sweets were not completely consumed, hence confirming that variety influences what we eat. 

8.         Low Fat Dairy-food Helps Excrete More Fat

It has been recognised that calcium in dairy products binds to fat molecules in food and forms a soap-like substance in the small intestine that we cannot absorb, so it goes straight through, and is excreted.

The show demonstrated this using a two-week test with a volunteer that involved eating exactly the same calorie intake over two consecutive weeks.  In the first week the volunteer had very little dairy intake whereas over the second week he included a lot more low-fat dairy foods in his diet.  At the end of each day his faeces sample was sent to Holland for analysis.  The results for the two weeks were recorded and it was established that the volunteer passed twice as much fat during the second week of the experiment, proving that the higher intake of dairy-food increased excretion of fat.

9.         Exercise Keeps On Burning Fat Even During Sleep

After exercise there is what is called an ‘after-burn’ effect.  This means fat is burned after exercise and even during sleep.

This experiment had a volunteer walk for 90mins at 4 mph up a 5% incline.  His oxygen and carbon dioxide levels were recorded and showed that during the exercise period he had burned 161 calories and 19 grams of fat, a disappointingly small amount given the exertion.  The volunteer returned the next day to have his oxygen and carbon dioxide levels measured.  It showed that after sleep his metabolic rate had used 49grams of fat and would keep using more, until the twenty-two hours had elapsed. 

Our bodies burn different fuels for energy – carbohydrate and fats.  During exercise muscles use carbohydrate first.  After exercise our carbohydrate store has been depleted and it will take up to twenty-two hours to replace, so our body is forced to use fat instead.

10.     Keep Moving and Lose Weight

We can do more exercise by making small changes in our daily routine.

The volunteer wore a heart monitor for two successive days.  The first day she went about her normal daily routine and the heart rate results recorded.  The second day she added extra exertion into her routine where ever possible.  Exercise was included such as using stairs more often, standing and moving around whilst on the phone, walking up rather than standing still on the escalator, walking during lunchtime, getting on a stop later and off a stop earlier for public transport to increase exercise etc.  The results showed that her heart rate was higher for longer periods of time on the second day where she had used an extra 240 calories.  By continuing at this pace for one year she would lose 12kg.

Conclusion.

There are several simple things that we can all implement into our daily routines that will enable us to reduce weight and remain healthier longer.  Getting hold of the show and implementing the 10 tips will be a life enhancing exercise.