Top 10 Holiday Diet Tips of All Time

Experts offer their top tips on handling holiday diet temptations.

exerpted from a WebMD weight loss clinic feature by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

To help you survive the seasonal parties without packing on the pounds, WebMD consulted diet gurus across the country for their best holiday diet tips. Here are their top 10 recommendations:

1. Trim back the trimmings.To shave calories, go easy when adding nuts, cheese, cream sauces, gravy, butter, and whipped cream.

2. Wear snug clothes and keep one hand busy. Hold a drink in your dominant hand so it won't be so easy to grab food.

3. Chew gum. When you don't want to eat, pop a piece of sugarless gum into your mouth. This works well when you're cooking or when you're trying not to dive into the buffet.

4. Be a food snob. If you don't love it, don't eat it, And don't think it's your responsibility to sample everything on the buffet.

5. No skipping meals. "People who skip meals to save up calories tend to overeat everything in sight once they get there," says Katherine Tallmadge, MA, RD, author of Diet Simple.

6. Check it out. When you arrive at the party, grab a sparkling water with a twist, and wait at least 30 minutes before eating.

7. Add fun and games. Take the focus off food and getting family and friends more active during holiday parties.

8. Alternate alcohol with nonalcoholic beverages. Cuts calories in half.

9. Skip the appetizers. If you need a little nibble before the meal, go for the veggies, fruit, salsa, or a small handful of nuts.

10. Limit the variety.  "Variety stimulates appetite...limit your choices to just a few items and stick with these, it will be easier to control than eating a little bit of 20 different dishes" according to David Katz, MD, MPH, author of The Flavor Point Diet.


Click here to read the full story at WebMD.com

Eccentric Exercise. Bigger. Stronger. More Powerfuller. Resistant to Injury.

No, it's not a blog posting about weird exercises. It's about the ECCENTRIC or negative phase of resistance exercises.  This often under appreciated and ignored part of an exercise is important for:

1. Increasing strength 

2. Increasing muscle size

3. Giving you delayed onset muscle soreness

4. Producing maximal power, ie, in plyometric movements

5. Rehabilitating injuries like tendonitis and protecting muscles, connective tissues and joints from future injuries

Read on for some simple ideas and changes you can make to help improve your exercise program  ... whether you want to get bigger, stronger, more powerful, reduce the risk of injury , or speed recovery.

Often left unloved Consider the Chest Press. Most people think this exercise is all about the pushing (or CONCENTRIC contraction). Have you ever just let the weights fall after the last push or pull?  If so, you've eliminated the ECCENTRIC part of the exercise. In a set of 12 repetitions, you're only doing 11 1/2. Skipping the ECCENTRIC movement also reduces the time that the muscles spend working. In plyometric training, the often overlooked ECCENTRIC movement is important as a loading phase:  like a rubber band, the muscle stores elastic energy that is released in the CONCENTRIC movement.  For best results, perform the ECCENTRIC movement first with an immediate transition into the CONCENTRIC movement.  ECCENTRIC and CONCENTRIC movements for some common exercises are shown below.  EXERCISE CONCENTRIC MOVEMENT ECCENTRIC MOVEMENT Chest Press Away from body (push) Towards body Row, Lat Pulldown Towards body (pull) Away from body Biceps Curl Flexing elbow Extending elbow Triceps Extension Extending elbow Flexing elbow Shoulder Press Away from body (push) Towards body Lat Raise Raise Lower Lunge, Squat Pushing body up Lowering body

Wisely and slow Your muscles work hard to resist against the weight - or gravity - in the ECCENTRIC phase. They slow the decent of the weight in a chest press or biceps curl, or of the body in a squat, or the return of the weight stack in a cable exercise.    Muscles forcibly lengthen during an ECCENTRIC contraction, and this is believed to cause more damage to muscle fibers and sensory organs than other contractions.  In fact, delayed onset muscle soreness is mainly attributed to the ECCENTRIC phase.   Why is it good to damage your muscle fibers?  Your body responds to this damage by repairing the damage and creating new fibers.  Your muscle's sensory organs adapt and respond better to future bouts of similar exercises.  So we get bigger and stronger.  Just don't forget to rest, because this happens on the days off.  The adaptation is pretty quick, do the same exercise after 48-72 hours, and you're not likely to have the same amount of soreness.    Muscles actually absorb energy during the ECCENTRIC phase; a variety of sources estimate that they are 40% stronger than in the CONCENTRIC phase.  To get the benefits, perform the ECCENTRIC phase completely and slowly.  Most training protocols specify 2 or 3 or 4 seconds for the ECCENTRIC contraction, however, some may call for a last repetition with a 10 second ECCENTRIC contraction.  Be careful trying this, use less weight, and work with a spotter - your muscles will tire more quickly and can fail unexpectedly. Body builders often use this to continue working longer and/or harder in the ECCENTRIC phase.  For example, you might have a spotter lift the weights to perform the CONCENTRIC contraction in chest press or biceps curl, and complete the ECCENTRIC contraction on your own.

Breathe life into a stone, quicken a rock, and make you dance   More and more research is showing that emphasizing ECCENTRIC exercises and movements can be helpful in rehabilitation and prevention of tendon and muscle injuries, especially chronic tendinosis that may not respond to other therapies.  One advantage is that it can both lengthen and strengthen a muscle.  If you're experiencing chronic tendon or muscle problems, talk to your doctor or physical therapist about an incorporating ECCENTRIC exercises into your rehab program, and I can help you transition into the gym. Use can almost change the stamp of nature You may be able to prevent injuries in the first place and avoid re-injury by using ECCENTRIC exercises to "prehab" vulnerable spots.  For example, I have several clients who are runners and athletes incorporating ECCENTRIC calf exercises into their programs to protect the achilles tendon and plantar fascia.  Early intervention may help keep you from developing chronic injuries and landing in rehab in the first place.  This applies across the board, from competitive athletes to those just beginning a fitness program.

Myths About Perspiration, Fluid Replacement Guidelines, Your Personal Hydration Program

We're on track for ta hot summer, and with everybody sweating more, many of you have asked about hydration and fluid replacement strategies. This posting  reviews common myths about perspiration and provides hydration and fluid replacement guidelines to enhance performance and avoid heat related illnesses.  Information comes from authoritative sources including position stands of The American College of Sports Medicine and peer reviewed publications of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

MYTHS ABOUT PERSPIRATION #1 - The More I Sweat the More Calories I Burn.  FALSE.  Perspiration is part of our body's cooling system, it does not necessarily require burning calories or correlate with caloric expenditures.  Example:  stand outside on a very humid 90 degree day, and you will sweat profusely.  Run indoors in a very dry 65 degree environment, and you may hardly break a sweat. #2 - I Can Sweat The Weight Off.  FALSE.  -Weight loss due to sweating indicates dehydration.  This weight is water that needs to be replaced, it is not the stored body fat that you really want to lose.  In sports like boxing, MMA and wrestling, participants may temporarily sweat off a few pounds to make weight - but will immediately begin rehydration before the exercise event.

YOUR BODY'S HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM  Whether from exercise, movement or shivering, muscle activity generates heat, which your blood circulates. Your body cools itself by increasing blood flow close to the skin and through evaporation of sweat. Research has shown sweat rates range from .5 to 2 liters per hour with marked differences between individuals.  The amount of sweat varies based on individual characteristics such as body weight, genetics, heat acclimatization, and conditioning, and environmental conditions such as heat, humidity, clothing and equipment.

EUHYDRATION, DEHYDRATION, HYPERHYDRATION   Euhydration means we're at our normal hydration level and weight, and this is the most desirable state.  For most people water is about 60% of body weight when we are euhydrated. Dehydration is easily measured by calculating lost body weight before and after exercise.  Ten to 14 days of training in heat will help you acclimatize and reduce risk of dehydration. Lose 2% of body weight, aerobic exercise performance and cognitive abilities are degraded.  Lose 3-5% of body weight, there is risk of heat related illness.  The rate of sweat production declines and can lead to hyperthermia - overheating of the body and brain.  Life-threatening exertional heatstroke occurs when body temperature exceeds 104 and internal organs begin to shut down. Whether you're working out, running, walking, or even sitting outside in hot humid weather, every pound you lose is a sign that you've lost about a pint of water. Hyperhydration, drinking an excessive amount of water before an athletic event or exercise (more than euhydration), has not been found to improve athletic performance and is not recommended.

GENERAL FLUID AND ELECTROLYTE GUIDELINES NSCA provides the following general guidelines for fluid and electrolyte replacement: Before exercise event:  Drink 16 ounces of water two hours before;  drink 8 ounces sports drink 10-20 minutes before. During exercise event:  Drink a sports drink that contains 30-60 grams of electrolytes and 120-240 grams of carbohydrates per hour to prevent fuel depletion.  Drink 8 ounces of fluids every 15-20 minutes. After exercise event:  Drink 2-3 cups of fluid for every pound of body weight lost. Competitive athletes, marathoners and triathletes will benefit from a more personalized hydration program tailored.

YOUR PERSONAL HYDRATION PROGRAM  Developing your own individualized program is actually easy. ACSM's most recent position stand on fluid replacement  recommends individualized programs because our sweat rates vary. Weigh yourself before and after exercise to determine your rate of fluid loss due to sweating, and rehydrate accordingly.  If you lose a pound in a half hour, replace it with 16 ounces of fluid per half hour of exercise.  This may vary depending on weather, intensity and clothing, but over time you should be able to make adjustments. Begin to prehydrate a few hours before your exercise event, so that your stomach contents are emptied, fluids are absorbed by your body, and urine flow returns to normal.  Rehydrate during the exercise event to replenish the fluids being lost.

ELECTROLYTES, SODIUM AND HYPONATREMIA Electrolyte and sodium depletion and replacement is more difficult to individually quantify and program because it requires blood testing. Electrolyte and sodium depletion can cause muscle cramping.   Profuse sweating over time can literally flush sodium out of your body;  if not replaced, a dangerous condition called hyponeutremia resuts.     Most people don't need to be overly concerned with hyponatremia, but participants in extended exercises events, including marathons, triathalons and sports in hot humid weather should consider electrolyte replacement or salt tablets. The concern here is the potential for athletes to overhydrate with water. Interestingly, ACSM has found that sodium replacement does not reduce cramping in triathletes, implying that muscle fatigue and energy replacement may be more important factors.   Contact me  if you have any questions or want to set up some sessions to develop your personalized program, or visit TrainerCary.com for more information.

Updated Exercise Programs and Progressions Page

Find links to15 different exercise and flexibility programs, including illustrated programs and a mini self assessment, visit trainercary.com/exercise-programs.  Feel free to contact me to schedule sessions for a more detailed and customized assessment and to personalize your program to your needs, goals and fitness level.

Summer Dehydration Alert

Weight loss from exercise during the summer can be a sign of dehydration. It may seem like a good thing to lose weight after a workout, but it is actually one of the early warning signs of dehydration.  Every pound you lose working out is a sign that you've lost about a pint of water. Replace lost fluids to return to your pre workout weight, to avoid fatigue, cramping and potentially health threatening side effects.

Can Kettlebells Relieve Back Pain?

Beware the sound byte, like this recent New York Times headline Turning to Kettlebells to Ease Back Pain.

The actual study compares Danish workers who did 2-3 [PROFESSIONALLY SUPERVISED, PROGRESSIVE INTERVAL TRAINING] sessions with kettlebells a week to those who were "encouraged to exercise" and concludes that kettlebells reduced neck, shoulder and low back pain.

The same effect from strength training is well known, and the Times article links to a large scale study that shows resistance training helps reduce musculoskeletal pain.

Mentioned in the article, but missing from the headline: "kettlebells can be difficult to control, it's important to learn proper form from a certified instructor."  Kettlebells may be an effective part of a fitness program for some people, but done incorrectly there is a high risk of injury, especially to lower back and other gym members. That's why many gyms don't allow members to use kettlebells without supervision.

Like any fitness program, the first step with kettlebells should be an assessment.  To avoid risk of injury - especially to the lower back - you need to have sufficient flexibility through the hips and back. in many cases, flexibility training or preconditioning without kettlebells may be advisable.

Similar or better results may be obtained without use of kettlebells, using traditional strength training programs that entail less risk and have more scientific research behind them.

Beware the Hype

We're all trying to sell something and all having something sold to us. As a fitness consumer - OR trainer - the easiest thing can be to hitch onto the latest fad .  One year it was boot camps, now it is kettlebells, suspension training and crossfit.  There's a place for these approaches, the question is what do you need and why are they right (or wrong) for you?

Speaking of hype, another trend on the horizon is development of branded personal training programs. Right now, I can get certified as a trainer by PX90 or become a Biggest Loser Pro and have access to a huge marketing platform.To a large extent, these types of progams replace personalization with standardization.

It is smart marketing for these brands to generate more sales by selling trainer certifications. But buyer beware: Do these certifications guarantee quality and results to the consumer and trainer, or are they just a money making substitute for real knowledge and experience? Will personal training become yet another industry to fall casualty to national branding?