obesity
How to Enjoy Your Morning
Some mornings there’s nothing more horrifying than an alarm blaring in your ear. You’ve dreaded it since your head hit the pillow: That onus to stagger into sneakers and punish yourself until the time’s up, because then you can relax and know that you’re sticking to the Schedule. You hate that alarm, but that’s the cost of being better, right? Right? We live in a workout culture defined by the need for “cleansing,” where in order to feel good about your body you first have to rid it of all its accumulated gunk. The punishment of strict diet and painful, efficient exercise is part of this purge. It’s tough not to want to get it over with as soon as possible, with your reward being to …
The Beginner’s Guide to Strength Training
Just about everyone would love to be able to run faster, jump higher and hit harder. With that said, most of us would also like to be able to climb a flight of stairs without getting winded, haul groceries without becoming fatigued and complete other daily activities with ease. Whether you’re looking to jump into the ring, sign up for a 5K or simply live a healthier life, strength training plays a big role in improving your ability to complete every one those things. The challenge is figuring out how to approach strength workouts, and finding the motivation to do so. To get you started, we’ve rounded up some of the proven benefits of strength training, along with methods on how to to implement such a program. …
5 Protein-Packed Breakfasts Under 500 Calories
You eat breakfast, make sure to balance your meals and snack sensibly, but you are still hit with mid-afternoon munchies or late night cravings. What gives? The key to keeping your appetite in check throughout the day may very well start at breakfast—but it might not just be whether you eat breakfast or not, but instead how much protein you eat. A recent study found that eating a higher protein breakfast (with around 30-35 grams of protein) reduced post-meal cravings more than just eating breakfast alone. (Plus: Eating protein at each meal throughout the day is the best way to reap its lean muscle-building benefits.) Check out these five high-protein breakfast ideas to get you started. 1. Breakfast Bento Box Place one large hard-…
9 Low-Carb Breakfast Egg Muffins Under 300 Calories
Reinvent your morning routine with a genius kitchen hack: the muffin pan. This plus a couple of eggs and tasty ingredients are all you need for easy breakfast egg muffins. And, get this: You can freeze these pre-portioned bites, so all you have to do is thaw, and pop in the microwave to reheat. Try out these low-carb recipes at 300 calories and 15 grams carbohydrates or less per serving. 9 Low-Carb Breakfast Egg Muffins Under 300 Calories 1. Spaghetti Squash Egg Cups | MyFitnessPal’s Original Recipe Spaghetti squash is a yummy way to fit veggies in for breakfast. Green onion gives these egg cups their flavor, but you can personalize this dish with your favorite spices instead. Serve with a side of sauteed spinach to increase the fiber, …
How to Break Free of Emotional Overeating
Sometimes we turn to food not because we are physically hungry, but because something is “eating us” emotionally. Many of us were taught that food can “soothe a mood,” and that by eating something when we’re upset, we will find comfort. Can you remember being a child when you fell down and scraped your knee and your mom gave you a cookie to make you feel better? Even into adulthood, we continue to use food to soothe our moods, only now with negative consequences: We realize that we still haven’t dealt with what was bothering us in the first place after we’ve consumed an entire tub of ice cream, plus we’ve eaten way more calories than our body needs. And we usually end up getting mad …
Quinoa Chicken Salad
Packed full of nutritious ingredients, this quinoa chicken salad by Food Fanatic makes a quick and easy side or main dish that can be served hot or cold. Protein-packed quinoa and chicken contribute to a whopping 27 grams of protein in a single serving! Cut down on prep time by using leftover chicken or store-bought rotisserie chicken. Print Quinoa Chicken Salad Ingredients 2 cups cooked quinoa (certified gluten-free if necessary) 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed (certified gluten-free if necessary) 1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained and rinsed (certified gluten-free if necessary) 1/2 medium red onion, chopped 1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped 1 cup cooked chicken, diced 1/4 cup fresh parsley 1/3 cup prepared vinaigrette dressing Directions Place the quinoa in a large bowl, and add the …
National Volunteer Week Spotlight: Ava Zebrick
Ava Zebrick Today we’re happy to share a volunteer who found inspiration in the advocacy work of the OAC and wanted to turn her passion into purpose by becoming an advocate for change! Ava Zebrick is an OAC member who has been involved with the organization since the 3rd Annual Your Weight Matters National Convention in Orlando, Fla. She found out about the OAC from a visitor to her support group, and later become more involved with the organization herself as an advocate for obesity awareness. Ms. Zebrick also returned to her alma mater, the University of New Orleans, to pursue a master’s degree in healthcare management, and is serving on the project management committee for a study on obesity at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. She also…
Message in a Bottle: Beware of Post-Operative Alcohol Use
Alcohol use disorders are a common and especially dangerous form of transfer addiction following gastric bypass surgery. In a web-based survey of more-than 300 bariatric surgery patients, it was found that 83 percent of patients who responded consumed alcohol either occasionally or regularly, and 28 percent of these individuals said they felt they had a problem controlling their intake. Roughly 8 percent of bariatric patients will experience transfer addiction that is serious enough to require inpatient treatment for alcohol abuse, and treatment centers are seeing a rise in patients who have had bariatric surgery. It should be noted that more than half of people who develop serious alcohol use problems following bariatric surgery did not have issues with alcohol use prior to surgery. Therefore, it is ill advised for …
Transfer Addiction Following Bariatric Surgery
Addiction transfer, or cross addiction, after bariatric surgery occurs when individuals trade compulsive eating for other compulsive behaviors. There is also strong evidence of a biological reason for cross addiction. Studies show various forms of transfer addiction in up to 30 percent of patients who have had bariatric surgery. For these patients, food is no longer being a source of comfort, distraction, reward or escape. Other behaviors or substances now substitute for eating, and can become problematic. “Process addictions,” such as gambling, shopping and sex addiction can occur, as well as addictions to alcohol and other drug abuse. In some cases, after a period of initial remission, food addiction can reoccur. Some of the risk factors that show an individual may be affected by transfer addiction include: …
How You Can Volunteer Your Time in Support of the OAC
This week, we’ve shared with you about why it’s important to volunteer for the causes you care about. In addition, we’ve also shared with you about the various work of our OAC volunteers, and how it’s because of their dedication and hard work that we’ve been able to continue our mission of supporting all individuals affected by the disease of obesity. If you’ve felt inspired by this week’s blog series and wish to show you support for the OAC as well by serving as a volunteer, you’re in luck! Continue reading to learn about the various ways that you can support our organization by volunteering your time: Share OAC Resources with Your Community The OAC has a variety of free educational resources that we provide to individuals …
The Patient’s Perspective on the Effects of Transfer Addiction
As a psychologist who specializes in treating bariatric patients, I’ve worked with many people suffering from post-op addiction issues. Because of the influx of patients I was seeing with cross-addiction, I began to offer a “Bariatric Recovery” group. This group meets on a biweekly basis and offers a mixture of psychoeducation, processing, accountability and support. I recently asked the participants in this group for feedback about their struggles, including what they would want others to understand about their addiction, advice they would give to others and what has been most helpful in their journey toward recovery. I’ve found in my many years of working with addicts of all types, that they can be our best teachers about the disease they battle. Here are some of …
Don’t Wait: Why You Should See a Doctor About Your Weight
Have you ever wondered why it is so hard to lose weight, or why it is even harder to keep it off, despite all of your best efforts, and hard work? You are not alone. Recently, scientists have discovered that obesity is a chronic, relapsing and very complicated disease. There are many reasons for this. Think of your family — did your brothers, sisters, mom or dad ever struggle with weight? There has been a lot of evidence lately that point to genetics as source for weight struggles in many families. In fact, there is a gene called “FTO gene” that specifically puts an individual at risk for higher weight and higher body fat (adiposity). Understanding obesity as a disease gives doctors the ability to look beyond …