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My friend slaps his belly, claiming to have no idea why he can’t lose the last 15 pounds. ”I run, I watch what I eat, what’s going on?” he laments, while a glass of wine sloshes in his hand.
With the reported health benefits associated with wine, it’s easy to justify a glass or two with dinner. But wine contains a lot of sugar and alcohol, which equals calories. A lot of them.
Depending on the wine, a single 5 oz serving will contain anywhere from 100 to 250 calories. If your serving size is bigger, which is likely if you are using the larger glasses that have become popular in recent years, then your calorie intake is going to be that much more. My belly-slapping friend, who was sipping a Cabernet out of a large Riedel glass, probably only had two glasses at dinner that evening. Even though the glass looked less than 1/2 full, each glass probably contained at least 7 oz. In total, he consumed anywhere between 350 and 550 calories on top of his normal food intake for the day. At that rate, several times a week, it won’t take long before he’s packing on pounds. From a calorie standpoint, he might as well be eating an extra Big Mac after dinner every night.
I love wine with dinner and am a big believer in not only the health benefits, but the social benefits that come from sharing a bottle of wine with friends. But if you are trying to lose weight, wine may be your enemy.
If you want to learn more about how wine, and alcohol in general can fit into a weight loss plan, you can always ask our nutrition specialists on iChange. It’s free.
I did some research this week on the evolution of weight loss programs. We often refer to iChange as the “next generation” of program, using internet and mobile technology to be a “virtual support system.” But to make a claim about next generation, I wanted to understand the older generations that we are building upon. Here’s what I learned:
The Weight Loss Stone Age (before 1960). Prior to the founding of Weight Watchers and the emergence of many of the popular diet programs we know today, the concept of dieting and weight loss was at best, unsophisticated, and at worst, absurd. If you needed to lose weight, you were pretty much on your own, or in extreme cases, you would receive help from the family doctor. There were a few “fad” diets that started as early in the 1800’s, many of which are laughable today (although many of today’s diets are still laughable). Some favorites:
Support Systems (Started with Weight Watchers in 1961). In the 1940’s and 1950’s the concept of group counseling and support emerged as a highly effective means of helping individuals with health-related issues. The Mayo Clinic began using group therapy for patients and Alcoholics Anonymous emerged as a gold standard for addiction recovery. Weight Watchers adapted the support system model into their group weight loss programs in the 1960’s. Since then, millions of people have participated in Weight Watchers groups, and it continues to be a $1 billion/year business for the company.
Popular Diet Books (starting in late 1960’s). The 1960’s saw the emergence of diets that look familiar to us today. The low-carb dieting fad became popular with the Stillman Diet (published in 1967), and followed up in 1972 with Dr. Robert Atkins’ book, Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution. While moderately popular at the time, Dr. Atkins’ book was roundly criticized in the medical community for a lack of scientific evidence. Of course, many doctors embraced his theories several decades later. Other popular diets included the Scarsdale Diet (1978) and The Cambridge Diet (1980s).
Self-Managed Web Programs (starting in late 1990’s). Over the last 10-12 years we’ve seen amazing growth in online programs that make dieting a more convenient exercise. Many programs offer online meal plans as well as online trackers to record and monitor progress. Some have migrated to mobile devices giving people the ability to track progress on the run. Although Weight Watchers was founded on the principal of group interaction, their popular Weight Watchers Online has focused on giving individuals tools to manage themselves.
The Next Generation: Virtual Support Systems (today). We believe the next big wave in weight loss, and health management in general, will be to use technology to help people connect with practitioners, counselors, and support groups to get the help they need to be successful. Weight Watchers revolutionized the offline version of group support for weight loss in the 1960’s which continues to be effective to this day. But having to go to a remote strip mall every Tuesday at 7pm for your weigh-in and group meeting seems out-of-date in an age where technology can help bring the support to you. Our belief is that as individuals have become more comfortable socializing with others online, it only makes sense that they will quickly evolve to the point that receiving advice and support for health-related issues will become second nature. We hope that iChange will be a leader in this next phase of evolution.
Sleep is a frequent topic among iChange members. Lack of it seems to lead to higher levels of hunger, poorer decision-making, and generally, a higher chance of letting the best intentions fly out the window. Our nutritionists and dietitians counsel members on sleep, encouraging them to set a regular sleep schedule and get at least 7-8 hours per night. But what does the science say about the connection between sleep and weight loss?
The answer is that there is a direct correlation between lack of sleep and increased hunger but there haven’t been enough studies to show a causal relationship (meaning that lack of sleep CAUSES increased hunger, and therefore weight gain). The Washington Post does a nice job covering where research is on the subject here.
However, just because the scientists haven’t yet designed a study to show that sleep deprivation isn’t a direct cause of weight gain doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Most nutritionists we speak with have ample anecdotal evidence that there is a causal relationship and the belief seems to be penetrating mainstream medical thought. Dr. Michael Aziz, doctor of internal medicine and founder and director of New York City’s Midtown Integrative Medicine and author of The Perfect 10 Diet points to proper sleep as an important aspect of weight loss. Some of his tips from the Washington Post article:
– “Go to sleep and wake up at the same time most days.” We can perhaps slide a bit on weekends, Aziz says, but usually we should aim to be in bed at — are you ready? — 9:30 or 10 on weeknights.
– Eat your last meal one to two hours before going to bed.
– Avoid what are commonly called simple carbohydrates and “sugary stuff” at that meal or at bedtime. Such foods will bump up insulin production. “When our insulin is very high, we can’t get to sleep,” he says. Instead, choose whole-wheat crackers, which can control insulin. Or eat turkey or bananas, both of which contain tryptophan, which is believed to trigger sleepiness. Lettuce, too, has a “long history of helping people get to sleep,” Aziz says.
– Avoid caffeinated coffee, tea and soda. And alcohol, which Aziz says “can make us go to sleep, but it’s not the deep sleep” that we need to produce growth hormone (which in turn helps regulate insulin).
– Practice good sleep hygiene. That means turning off all electronics, including the TV, and creating as quiet a sleep space as you can. Lower blinds and turn off lights so your room is as dark as possible. Make sure the room temperature is comfortable. Consider taking a warm bath or doing some gentle stretches — but not heart-pumping exercise — before turning in.
So sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite.
Marcia was one of the first people to sign up with iChange when we launched last year. We are so proud of her progress since then. Here’s a post from her iChange Nutritionist, Linda Miner:
MARCIA IS DOWN 40 POUNDS: One of our great success stories here is Marcia. If you haven’t read her blog about her journey here, you really should. http://myweighback.wordpress.com/ She tells a story that many of you are going to relate to. She is a woman who tried every diet under the sun, was totally skeptical, asked a million questions but agreed to follow the plan and the results speak for themselves. The most important thing is all the awareness Marcia has gained about how her body responds to food and what she really needs to feel good. I just told Marcia that she has done something else incredible for her body – she has potentially eliminated the need for an extra 12 MILES OF BLOOD VESSELS. For each 10 pounds of fat, the body builds 3 miles of blood vessels. This is why obese people have high blood pressure, the heart has to work extra hard to get blood through all these extra miles of vessels. Most of us would have trouble walking 12 miles so think about how much extra pressure has been taken off her heart. It’s very exciting. Congratulations Marcia and keep up the good work. Linda Miner
Nice job Marcia. And you too Linda!
We launched our new nutritionist-led weight loss groups at the beginning of the year, and judging from the weight loss, they are doing really well. Diana Young, RD, is leading our first three groups of ~10 people each, and across the board, participants are losing > 2 pounds per week, and seem to be feeling good while doing it. Our goal is to help our members lose weight at a healthy rate and to help build habits to keep it off. The group goal of 100 lbs in 30 days is definitely within reach.
Over the next few months, we will be experimenting with different size groups to see if we can identify an optimal number of people. The goal is to get enough people in a group to create the buzz and activity to provide motivation, but keep it small enough to build trusted relationships among members.
Two of our nutritionists are offering amazing deals to kick off the New Year. If you are serious about wanting to lose weight and feel like you could use the benefit of working with a professional, I strongly encourage you to try them out. They have never offered them at such low prices.
The first is a $9.99 30 Day Weight Loss Program with Diana Young. The session starts the day after New Years Day, January 2, and concludes on January 31. For the month of January, you will be guided as part of a small group of people online (no more than 10), by Registered Dietitian Diana Young. She will give meal plan guidance and provide daily check-ins with the goal of helping the group lose 100 pounds. Sign up today as space is limited.
The second is an intensive One-on-One Counseling Program with Registered Nutritionist Linda Miner. In this program, Linda gives you her full nutrition workup, including the advanced Metabolic Typing Assessment, to create a plan that is highly customized to your body’s specific needs. Linda’s program is suited for people looking for a high degree of direction, support and nutrition expertise to make a major change in their lives. She’s pricing the first 60-day phase of the program at only $99/month (50% off the regular program price). If you choose to stick with the program, later phases run as low as $29/month. She also offers a 100% money-back guarantee.
Happy Holidays!
I received an email this week that one of our members started a blog about her experiences. We’ve been so thrilled to see Marcia’s progress on iChange and are very happy to see her talk about the experience publicly. Take a look to see the struggles and successes she’s had so far.
http://myweighback.wordpress.com/
24 lbs so far. Keep it up Marcia!
We have been pleasantly surprised by the incredible response to iChange and the opportunity for our counselors to meet so many people who struggle with both the emotional and physical pain of weight gain. The pain is extreme for many of our members. I’ve lost track of the number of times our counselors have told us about meeting a new iChange member who, due to her weight, simply does not want to leave home to go to the grocery store, let alone visit a gym or a nutritionist. We hope that our online counseling services can help all those people get started on a program from the privacy of home. One of our goals is to help each individual, working from home with one of our nutritionists or dietitians, achieve a weight and a comfort level that makes it fun to leave the house again.
We are pleased to welcome Certified Nutritionist Sam Rose to iChange. In 1999, Sam opened The Rose Nutrition Center in West Los Angeles, and has helped thousands of individuals achieve their health goals and lose weight. Sam takes a comprehensive view of your diet and lifestyle to help you control everything that can cause weight gain and weight retention. He not only examines your diet and physical activity, but also, other important elements that can have a direct impact on your weight, such as stress, sleep pattern, digestion and elimination. Sam now offers all of his personal counseling services online through iChange.
Click here, if you would like to learn more about Sam’s program or try the free 7 day trial.
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: Whoa, nice post. I just found your site and I am already a fan. :]
: You can get more information on the programs and sign up at iChange.com.
: This site sounds amazing, I've been looking for something like this and haven't been able to find it. where can I sign up?
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