They say the pen is mightier than the sword. For dieters, it now appears the pen can be mightier than pills or surgery to help you lose twice the weight!No, you don't eat the pen. You use it to journal every last bite you eat during a given day.It's called food journaling and it doesn't take a doctor's prescription or a major life-changing commitment from you.A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows that keeping a "food diary" can double your weight loss. Researchers from Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research kept tabs on 1,685 overweight and...

We know that being overweight puts us at risk of health issues like diabetes and heart disease. But a mind-boggling new study indicates that obesity also affects your brain in two scary ways -- it shrinks and prematurely ages it! According to a story that appeared on LiveScience.com just two days ago, "A new study finds obese people have 8 percent less brain tissue than normal-weight individuals. Their brains look 16 years older than the brains of lean individuals..."The study also found that men and women classified as "overweight" have 4 percent less brain tissue and their brains appear to...

While researching monthly food holidays so I could assign features for the Diet-to-Go August newsletter, I found myself mentally backsliding to a long-ago time of innocence and excitement - a time of great joy over the simple pleasures derived from my favorite summertime foods. The research definitely fueled my look back to those hot summer days that never seemed to end and the cool treats that offered comfort from both the heat and life's little problems. Yes, problems were little back then - even if they seemed huge to a child who couldn't imagine what life had in store!But I...

Can you pick and choose foods to increase your metabolism so that you lose weight without being hungry? Are there foods you can eat to create a "calorie deficit?"Sorry, but foods don't really act like drugs to melt away extra calories or fat. They can't speed up your metabolism, and they will not break down your fat.Don't believe it; if it sounds too good to be true... it is! You can't lose weight by taking a pill, rubbing a cellulite reduction cream on your thighs, and there are no foods that can cause weight loss.I've heard about to...

I do great at dieting. Where I have trouble with a healthy lifestyle is starting and sticking with a fitness plan. Oh, sure... I always have high hopes of trimming down and toning up. I plan fitness regimens of 3 days a week of exercise and 4 days a week of treadmill.I start. Then I stop. Then I start again. Then life throws me yet another curve and I tell myself I'll put fitness on hiatus until things smooth out.A few days turns into a few weeks. My resolve melts... and so do any muscles I've managed to build.I now...

They say a fool and his money are soon parted. I say a dieting fool and his weight are doomed to stay together!Today we're turning our attention to the ways we fool ourselves into failing at dieting.Here are five foolish things you say or think while derailing your desire to lose weight or keep it off.1. I'll start my diet Monday... or tomorrow.The best time to start a diet is today... right now, in fact. I'm a procrastinator. I know how easy it is to set a future date to get started on a project... or a diet.But by giving...

Snacking is a smart weight loss strategy, especially when you're getting started on a weight loss plan. Eating smaller meals more frequently keeps you from getting hungry, and it keeps you focused on your goal.Weight loss should not mean deprivation: you're taking good care of yourself, and the results will be fantastic! Fasting depletes you of energy and motivation; healthy snacking keeps your engine burning.Fueling your body with healthy snacks is going to help you achieve your goals.But keep in mind that a snack doesn't mean something that adds extra calories to your daily diet. Nor does it mean...

Our world is in the grips of a terrible energy crisis. No, I'm not talking about the rising costs of gasoline. There is also is a hidden energy crisis that leaves most of us physically, emotionally and spiritually drained.Worst of all, many people have started to accept the notion that feeling tired and joyless is the normal state of existence."There is an epidemic of exhaustion out there," says best-selling author Dr. Judith Orloff. "People are tired and burned out, and many of them resort to overeating in order to self-medicate themselves against all of the negative energy that surrounds them."A...

Admit it. Sometimes you eat fast food. Sometimes you may even not get out of your car to eat. In fact, you eat in your car. You might even do it more than once a week or even a day.If you're eating lots of fast food, you're more than likely overweight. Research consistently shows that adults and kids who eat the most fast food are the fattest and unhealthiest. Parents like McDonald's and Burger King because they have playgrounds -- many times it's the only play area in inner cities. That's a shame, because a fast-food habit is dangerous. The...

Anytime we can eat more salads it's helpful for us in our quest for a healthy weight and for the purposes of adding more vegetables, especially leafy greens, into our diet.I have not known anyone (kids included) who don't like this delicious and nutritious salad. Enjoy!Click here to watch the simple, fun salad creation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey0dx47gLS4&feature=channel_pageMore recipes are available at http://www.pattyjames.comPatty James. M.S. is a Vital Health Educator and Nutrition Coach who founded the first certified organic cooking school and nutrition center in America....

You don't have to spend thousands of dollars to build your home gym. But a short-term investment in a few basic pieces of exercise equipment will pay dividends in the long run. The top 9 things you need are simple and relatively inexpensive, but they'll get the job done right. 1. Dumbbell SetIf you are serious about burning fat and gaining muscle then you must have a quality dumbbell set. The more muscle mass you have the more calories you burn at rest. Dumbbell sets are extremely versatile and one of the best investments you can make. 2. Barbell...

If you spend your summer vacation soaking up rays, you may want to stock up on salmon for dinner.Skin expert Adèle Green says healthy omega-3 fatty acids in salmon and other oily fish can boost your skin's defenses against the sun's UV damage.According to EatingWell.com, "Scientists think the omega-3s act as a shield, protecting cell walls from free-radical damage. So next time you head to the beach remember your sunscreen and hat, and make reservations at a restaurant that serves great seafood."For the complete story, go here: http://health.msn.com/health-topics/skin-and-hair/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100240557&gt1=31036...

As swimsuit season heats up, consumers need to beware financial schemes, bogus effectiveness claims and sometimes dangerous ingredients when buying weight loss remedies.Amazing acai berry... all-natural hoodia... weight loss "as seen on Oprah!"How many of these claims have you fallen for?In recent months, the Food and Drug Administration has issued warnings about more than 70 "natural" weight loss supplements after sporadic testing by the agency found they were secretly spiked with a variety of pharmaceuticals. They ranged from the active ingredient in the prescription drug Meridia, to an experimental obesity drug currently undergoing clinical trials and lacking safety and effectiveness...

Is eating between meals a way to sabotage your weight loss or keep the metabolism fires burning so you lose weight more effectively?That's the question posed by US News & World Report writer Katherine Hobson.She notes, "It used to be that someone who wanted to lose weight was advised to stick to three square meals a day. For adults, at least, snacking was considered an unnecessary source of extra calories, and if you were hungry between meals, well, tough; you'd just have to wait for the next one. Nowadays, it's a rare diet plan that doesn't include planned snacks." It...

According to a New York Times article, most people training for a race or sport focus on adding more miles, workouts or weight training to improve their fitness. But new research suggests that simply getting more sleep can improve athletic performance.The small study included five members of the Stanford women's tennis team.The findings were presented last week at the Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. The study was small, and some of the improvement may have been the result of additional practice time. However, the size of the change suggests the athletes received a direct benefit from more...

As the Gazette Healthy Challenge winds its way toward the finish line, we thought it would be inspirational for you to see what the contestants have been blogging about on their way to a slimmer shape. Get ready to be motivated.Blue Team Blog: http://hc2009blueteam.blogspot.com/Red Team Blog: http://gardnerbrowning.com/blog/About the ChallengeDiet-to-Go is a key sponsor of the 5th Annual Healthy Challenge Program coordinated by The Gazette Newspapers of Montgomery County, Maryland. Since 2005 when it launched the national award-winning contest, the Gazette newspaper group has selected 10-12 men and women from its Montgomery County coverage area to get healthy, lose weight and...

Recent studies seem to show people who eat more dairy products have lower weights and seem to lose weight more easily.So wouldn't it stand to reason that taking calcium supplements could have a similar result? Not so fast.A new study shows calcium supplements have no effect on weight."Even though there may be other important reasons, such as fracture prevention ... calcium supplementation is unlikely to have clinically significant efficacy as a preventive measure against weight gain in persons who are already overweight or obese," the study authors note.Read the entire LA Times feature here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/06/calcium-supplements-not-for-weight-loss.html...

Having trouble dozing off at night? Rather than let it eat at you, we've found a way you can eat away at your problem... and drift off to sleep sooner and easier!If it takes you more than 15 minutes to fall asleep at night, quicken your trip to dreamland by changing what you eat in the evening.It can make the difference between staring at the ceiling and sleeping like a baby.The best nighty-night noshes? Think light but high-carbohydrate snacks. Carbs boost levels of the brain's sleep chemical serotonin without overloading your digestive system. From Real Age, here's the rest of...

Kelly Allison, PhD., co-author of Overcoming Night Eating Syndrome, recently discussed late-night eating and weight gain for ThatsFit.com.Allison says most people have some sort of snack in the evenings, but the difference is that, with Night Eating Syndrome, the eating is usually related to eating in order to fall asleep -- and it usually affects the level of hunger during the first half of the day.People who have NES usually have little hunger in the first half of the day. They begin eating more as the day goes on and, after a while, feel resigned to the fact that they...

The following list of life's lessons is being circulated around the Internet. I can't vouch for its origin but I can tell you it'll touch you and make you want to start living a happier life... NOW.Check it out -- the 45 lessons life taught me... supposedly penned by a 90-year-old woman.1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends andparents will. Stay in touch.5. Pay off your credit cards...