Stan Spencer's Blog: Science of Weight Loss, page 3

Eat a Bigger Breakfast to Lose Weight

Many dieters try to lose weight by eating a small breakfast or skipping it altogether. A study by scientists in Virginia and Venezuela suggests that eating a larger breakfast may be a better weight loss approach. They found that dieters who ate a 610-calorie breakfast each day initially lost less weight than dieters who ate a 290-calorie breakfast, but were more successful at keeping the weight off. Dieters who ate the small breakfasts regained much of the weight they had initially lost. By t...

Easy Millet Recipe for a Gluten-free Whole Grain Hot Breakfast Cereal

Image by Elke Wetzig

People who start eating more whole grains tend to lose weight, according to a recent Harvard study. A good place to start adding whole grains to your diet is with breakfast. Old-fashioned oatmeal is a good choice. Cracked wheat is another good whole grain hot breakfast cereal. If you have a wheat allergy or intolerance, or if you want a little variety, try millet. Millet is a small grain that has been a food staple for centuries in much of Africa and Asia. It is gaining po...

Exercise Makes You Happy!

That’s according to scientists at Harvard University who conducted a study to find out what kinds of everyday thoughts and activities make people happy. Over two thousand iPhone users participated in the study. The researchers created an iPhone app to prompt the participants at random times as they went about their daily lives. Each time they were prompted by the app, the participants were to report on what they were doing, thinking, and feeling. Those who were exercising reported feeling hap...

Count the Exercise Cost of Calories

A bottle of sugary (non-diet) soda contains about 250 calories. That’s a lot. Reminding yourself of this fact can give you the extra motivation to pass up the soda and go for a drink of water instead. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health think they have found an even better motivation: exercise cost.

To test their theory, they created a sign with the words “Did you know that working off a bottle of soda or fruit juice takes about 50 minutes of running” and posted...

Walking Helps Prevent Chocolate Abuse

Walking can help you lose weight, and it’s not just because of the exercise. In a study by scientists at the U. of Exeter, chocolate lovers who were asked to take a brisk 15-minute treadmill walk before beginning work snacked on only half as much chocolate as study participants who were allowed to skip the walk and rest instead.

In an earlier study by the same group, a 15-minute walk was found to significantly reduce chocolate cravings.

You can read more about the walk to eat less chocolate an...

Greek Dip for Weight Loss

Tzatziki is a delicious and versatile low-calorie dip. Use it to provide some counter-temptation to all of that holiday junk food. Here’s a very simple recipe.

Tzatziki (Cucumber Yogurt Dip or Sauce)

Peel a cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds by scraping out the center portion of the cucumber with a spoon. Grate the cucumber and press it with a paper towel to remove the extra liquid. Mix the grated cucumber with 2 cups plain Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon fresh dill or mint (or...

Thought Suppression and Overeating

Trying to suppress thoughts of a craved food can cause you to eat even more of it at the first opportunity. That’s what St. George’s University of London researchers concluded after observing 116 chocolate-tasting female undergraduates. The women had been divided into three groups. One group was told to think about anything but chocolate for five minutes, another group was told to think about only chocolate, and the third group was told to think about whatever they wanted. Later, when the wom...

More Breaks, Less Weight

In a study of nearly 5,000 US adults, researchers found that those who took more breaks from sitting tended to have smaller waists. The link between more breaks and a smaller waist was significant even after taking into account total time sitting and daily exercise habits. Several recent studies have shown that sitting is generally bad for your health. This study gives hope that a few more breaks during the day may help to counteract some the negative consequences of all of that desk time. Dr...

Easy Greek (Strained) Yogurt Recipe

Greek or strained yogurt is a thick, rich, creamy yogurt that can be eaten alone or used in recipes as a low-calorie, high-protein substitute for sour cream or cream cheese. Use it to make dips, spreads, cheesecake, sauces, etc. It’s easy to make Greek yogurt using plain low-fat yogurt.

Easy Greek Yogurt

Line a strainer or colander with a layer of cheesecloth or coffee filters. Add plain home made low-fat yogurt (or any plain low-fat yogurt without added stabilizers). Let the liquid drain for a...

Eat Light Granola to Lose Weight

In a huge 20-year study, Harvard University scientists found that participants who increased their consumption of nuts, whole grains, and fruit tended to lose weight. Light granola is an excellent source of these natural weight-loss foods. Try the recipe below.

Light and Crunchy Granola

Preheat oven to 300°F. Combine 1/3 cup plain yogurt, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Mix well. Stir in 3 cups rolled oats (not instant) and 1 cup chopped p...