Weight Loss

• Artificial Sweeteners Can Actually Cause Weight Gain

  If you are simply trying to lower blood sugar, artificial sweeteners can be helpful, but when it comes to weight loss, keep in mind that artificial sweeteners can actually increase your caloric consumption, appetite, and...[more]

• Debunking the Myth of Sports Drinks

  A doctor at the hospital where I work likes to say that soda is the same thing as poison. As a dietitian, I would say soda is a major problem for most of my patients...[more]

• Can You Really Lose Weight with the New FDA-Approved Drug?

  For the first time in over a decade, the Food and Drug Administration has approved a new prescription weight-loss medication called lorcaserin, which will be sold under the brand name Belviq. This new diet drug,...[more]

• The Skinny on Losing Weight with Green Coffee Beans

  The latest buzz brewing in the nutrition world is the recent link between green unroasted coffee beans and weight loss. A recent study found that overweight individuals lost a significant percentage of their body weight...[more]

• Skinny Summer Cocktails

  A delicious, refreshing cocktail can help you relax after a long day. Whether you're meeting friends or coworkers for drinks at happy hour, or you're whipping up a bevy of beverages for a summer gathering,...[more]

• Weight Loss Myths Debunked

  Myth: I can use a quickie diet or pill to lose weight and keep it off. Fact: Pills and fad diets do not provide lasting results and can be dangerous. Fad diets and pills are...[more]

• 5 Healthy Foods Perfect for the Microwave

  The microwave often gets an unwarranted bad rap when it comes to healthy eating. People often think only highly-processed frozen dinners belong in there. However, your microwave could be a great asset in your healthy...[more]

• Getting Bikini-Season Ready Part 3: Maintenance

  In the last part of the three-part series about getting your body bikini-season ready, we'll focus on perhaps the most important and often the most difficult part of any weight-loss or exercise plan--keeping the weight...[more]

• Getting Bikini-Season Ready Part 1: Your Diet

  With summer just around the corner, you may be wondering what last-minute steps you can take to get your body bikini-ready. While we want to strive for a strong, healthy body year-round, the thought of...[more]

• Feeling Full on Fewer Calories

  One of the biggest obstacles you'll encounter while cutting back on calories is feeling full throughout the day. Hunger will sneak up on you when you least expect it, and it's best to be...[more]

• Lack of Sleep: A Weighty Issue

  Not getting enough sleep can do more than just make you feel sluggish the next day--it can actually sabotage your weight-loss goals. When you feel tired or low on energy, you typically reach for starchy...[more]

• Spicy Foods: How Pepper Can Help Curb Hunger

  Hot peppers not only add delicious heat to your favorite dishes, they can also provide an array of health benefits. Hot peppers contain a component called capsaicin, which has been shown to kill off cancer...[more]

• The 10 Easy Steps to Weight Loss

  Over the last 20 years, food portions have increased dramatically. As the size of our plates have grown, so has the expectation that the larger amount of food we receive, the better the value. However,...[more]

• 5 Best-Kept Secrets to Include in Your Diet

  You always hear about foods that you need to avoid or eliminate from your diet. What about foods that you should be eating, but may not be aware of? Here are a few that may...[more]

• The 8 Powerhouse Foods You Should Be Eating

  These 8 powerhouse foods are filled with nutrients that are very beneficial for your body. Consider adding these foods to your diet to assist in weight loss and add antioxidants, fiber, and omega 3's -...[more]

• Smart Substitutions: 5 'Staples' to Trade Out of Your Pantry

  Any stop to the grocery store is made quicker and easier when you just have a few 'staples' to pick up. There are many things we like to keep on hand for snacks, quick dinners,...[more]

• 9 Tricks to Staying Healthy When Eating Out

  Eating out can be a gamble especially for people who are watching their weight or managing certain health conditions. Many of the foods prepared outside of the home are high in calories, fat, sodium, and...[more]

• 5 Eating Habits You Should Break

  Some of your daily habits may be hindering your health or weight loss goals. Little things you do throughout the day can either propel you forward or take you back a step, and either way,...[more]

• Smart Substitutions: Eating Out

  Many foods offered at restaurants are not prepared in the same healthful way that you would make them at home. Heavy use of sugar, oil, butter, refined grains, and salt is all too common. But...[more]

• Healthy Living 101: The Ins and Outs of Fiber

  Fiber comes from plants and can be found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Fiber is the portion of plant foods that the body is not able to digest or absorb. What...[more]

• 5 Common Foods That Are Ruining Your Waistline

  When I speak to clients, I frequently hear the words: "I thought that was good for you!" There are many foods that seem to be "healthy" but may actually be helping you gain weight. Here...[more]

• Smart Substitutions: Sweet Cravings

  Eating healthy does not mean that you must eliminate all sweets from your diet. You just have to be smart about how you satisfy your sweet tooth. It's normal to gravitate towards sweetness; the problem...[more]

• Celebrate Valentine's Day in a Healthy Way

  Valentine's Day brings not only feelings of love and joy, it also brings high-calorie chocolates, candies, cookies, and other treats. Since February is American Heart Month, which aims to encourage adopting permanent lifestyle changes to...[more]

• Healthy Living 101: Understanding Whole Grains

  Whole grains are made up of the entire or "whole" grain, including the bran, germ, and innermost part of the kernel, the endosperm. Each portion of the grain or seed plays an important role in...[more]

• Being a Couch Potato Is More Harmful Than You Think

  The idea of "couch potatoes" tends to conjure up images of overweight, lazy unkempt slacker-types. We've heard about the research that has shown that the more hours of television watched per day, the higher the...[more]

• Healthy Living 101: Classifying Foods

  Foods can be classified by the way they affect the body and/or by their food group. It is important to understand both in order to balance your meals and achieve optimal health. Macronutrients The Merriam-Webster...[more]

• The Truth About Brown Fat

  You may have heard of the term "brown fat" before, so what does that mean exactly? It's not a type of fat you cook with, but rather a type of fat in your body....[more]

• Proteins, Fats, and Carbs: How to Balance Your Diet

  Dieting can be confusing. High-protein diets claim to help you lose weight quickly, but can lead to high cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease. High-carbohydrate diets may be low in fat, but can...[more]

• Excess Weight Ages Us More Quickly

  We all know that being overweight or obese can pose threats to our health, especially at a young age. But what effects does overweight or obesity have on the actual aging process? Obese Children Become...[more]

• Healthy Living 101: How to Read a Nutrition Label

  Too often, purchasing food can be confusing, especially with all of the persuasive marketing tactics used by food companies. Learning how to read, understand, and compare food labels can help you maintain, manage, control, and/or...[more]

• Eat This, Not That: Calorie Cutters

  If you eat more calories than your body needs, your body will inevitable store them as excess weight. The trick is to reduce your calorie intake without feeling like you are depriving yourself - and...[more]

• Ideal Body Composition: What You Should Know

  We live in a culture that has become increasingly more obsessed with body image and weight. Dangerously thin bodies are celebrated and coveted, perpetuating the unrealistic goal of obtaining an ideal body--one devoid of any...[more]

• Eat This, Not That: Breakfast Edition

  You've heard that breakfast is the most important meal. It boosts your metabolism, staves off hunger, and provides you energy to start and get through your day. But what if you are making bad breakfast...[more]

• Real FitDay Users Share: What Was Your "A-Ha" Moment?

  What sparked you to embark on your fitness journey? For many of us, it was one moment or incident - the "a-ha" moment - that got our butts in gear and changed our lives forever....[more]

• Meal Planning Made Simple

  The key to long-term weight management and healthy eating is consuming a balanced diet. Restrictive eating and fad diets may provide temporary weight loss, but they may also provide fatigue, hunger, food fantasizing, malnutrition, binging,...[more]

• 10 Tools to Help Keep You on Track

  1. Good Pair of Shoes Make sure you have a pair of shoes that fit you well and are made for the type of activity you plan to do. For example, don't plan to jog...[more]

• 4 New Year's Resolutions You Can Keep!

  The new year is here! While many, many people plan to use this landmark time to get healthier or lose weight, the problem with these goals is that they are difficult to maintain. Most...[more]

• Healthy Kitchen Staples to Start 2012

  If you want to make over your health, refrigerator, and pantry, then make a note of these 12 staples that will get you eating right in the New Year. 1. Assorted Whole Grains Cereals, pasta,...[more]

• The Healthy Food Halo

  Have you ever noticed that certain foods are deemed "healthy" and we seem to think we can eat these foods in unlimited amounts because of their purported health benefits? This has been referred to as...[more]

• 10 Tips to Help You Achieve Your New Year's Health Goals

  With the new year comes the opportunity for a fresh start. For many people, this means leading a healthier lifestyle and losing weight. If this is your goal, follow these tips to stay on track....[more]

• The FitDay Guide to Healthier Holiday Baking

  The holiday season always seems to throw us all into a baking frenzy. We whip up dozens of cookies, cupcakes, pies, candies, and other treats that we then decorate with beautiful holiday colors. While all...[more]

• 5 Ways to Eat Mindfully at Holiday Parties

  The holidays can cause an internal struggle between the desire to splurge on festive treats at numerous feasts and the will to avoid the inevitable weight gain that ensues after overindulging. However, there are ways...[more]

• What You Should Know: The Risks and Rewards of Bariatric Surgery

  The National Center for Health Statistics report that 30% of adults (over 60 million) and 17% of children and adolescents (12.5 million) are obese - i.e. having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 and...[more]

• Using Thanksgiving Day Leftovers in a Healthy Way

  Turkey Day has come and gone, leaving us all feeling a little softer around the middle. So what are you supposed to do with all of those leftovers if you're trying to avoid overeating several...[more]

• Spilling the Beans on Bean Benefits

  We all know that fiber is an important part of a healthy diet. We also know that fiber is likely our closest ally when it comes to feeling full in between meals and snacks, which...[more]

• Stress Eating: What You Can Do to Keep It at Bay

  Stress, boredom, or any array of emotions can lead to cravings for food. If these cravings take control too often, you might find yourself eating large portions of high calorie, sweet, and/or fatty foods. However,...[more]

• Can Eating More Frequently Lead to Weight Loss?

  Have you ever wondered how some people can eat quite frequently but never seem to gain weight? It's often said that eating smaller, more frequent meals fuels your metabolism and helps keep you satisfied throughout...[more]

• Healthy Holiday Eating: A Comparison of Two Meal Plans

  During holiday gatherings, you may be confronted with array of food and drink options that you rarely see during the rest of the year. Though overindulging could derail your health plans, do not despair! Study...[more]

• A Guide to Healthy Holiday Eating

  The holidays are upon us with 6 weeks of temptations from the end of November to the beginning of January, with well-wishers who leave plates of cookies at the office or drop by with gooey...[more]

• 5 Ways to Prevent Weight Gain When You Can't Make Your Own Food

  Staying healthy can be difficult when you have limited resources. College students, for example, typically live in dorm rooms with only small refrigerators and no access to stoves or other kitchen appliances. Frequent business travelers...[more]

• Understanding Metabolism: How It Influences Weight Control

  It may be tempting to blame your failed weight loss attempts or weight gain on a slow metabolism. However, it is rare that excessive weight gain from a medical problem slows metabolism, as in cases...[more]

• Not All Calories Are Created Equal

  For decades, we've been taught that weight loss comes down to the simple idea of "calories in versus calories out." This equation is simple and can not be escaped. To lose weight, you must take...[more]

• What Are Carbs? How They Work (and How to Get Them to Work for You)

  Most people view carbohydrates as "evil" foods. Found in breads, pastas, cereals, and almost everything sweet, carbohydrates receive a bad reputation for causing weight gain. In reality, carbohydrates provide energy your body needs to help...[more]

• Understanding Metabolism: How to Boost Yours with Exercise

  The secret to permanent weight loss is training your body to be a more efficient calorie-burning engine by maximizing your metabolism. Metabolism is the rate at which a person burns energy, and this is measured...[more]

• "Off-Limits"? Think Again! How Cheating Can Help You Succeed

  We've all heard the old adage "cheaters never prosper." But when it comes to following a healthy diet to lose weight or maintain your current weight, do cheaters prosper? Some diets allow for certain "cheat"...[more]

• Measuring Fat and Weight Loss: More Than Stepping on the Scale

  In light of the constant stream of fad diets and the increasing concern for obesity, researchers are constantly looking for the best measure of weight loss. Most people judge their weight loss by checking the...[more]

• Protein and Dairy: A Dieter's Best Friends?

  New research has found that increased consumption of protein, particularly protein from dairy foods, helps people who are dieting lose more fat and preserve lean body mass (muscle) during exercise- and diet-induced weight loss. The...[more]

• Kañiwa: The Next Superfood?

  People are always on the lookout for the latest and greatest foods to help enhance their health and prevent risk of disease. The term "superfood" has captivated consumers and increased their interest in purchasing products...[more]

• Can the Secret to Successful Weight Loss Be as Simple as Chewing More?

  In desperate attempts to lose weight, people are willing to try just about anything. New fad diets are constantly popping up, and the diet industry makes boatloads of cash every year. Americans spend about $40...[more]

• The Good News About "Bad" Fats

  Most people are probably aware that fat is "bad" for you. A diet high in fat is shown to cause many health problems, including heart disease, high cholesterol, and weight gain. However, not all fats...[more]

• 4 'Bad' Foods That Are Actually Good for You

  As a dietitian, I sometimes find people carefully watching what I choose to eat. The common misconception is that while I have a healthy lifestyle and maintain both my weight and physique, I must greatly...[more]

• Carbs and Dairy: Is It Really Safe to Skip Them?

  As a child, I was taught that my meals needed to come from 4 simple food groups: grains, seafood/meats (including beans), dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese), and fruits/vegetables. Since then, the USDA has issued numerous versions...[more]

• Pre-Diabetes and How You Can Stop It

  Many people will develop diabetes in their lives. The causes of Type II diabetes are most often related to weight gains from taking in too many calories and not getting enough exercise. A lack of...[more]

• Getting Enough Fiber Is Easier Than You Think!

  The average American is not consuming enough fiber. Most health experts recommend approximately 25-35 grams of fiber every day. A few of the numerous benefits of fiber include its ability to stabilize blood sugar, reduce...[more]

• Quick, Healthy Snacks and Lunches-to-Go

  When life gets busy, eating right can be hard to do. Our increasingly chaotic lifestyles are jam-packed with so many long hours working, taking care of families, trying to maintain healthy relationships, and many other...[more]

• US News Ranks the "Best Diets"

  US News and World Report recently released with a ranking of twenty diets. Their findings were based on seven criteria: short term weight loss, long term weight loss, ease of following, nutrition, safety, effectiveness for...[more]

• Nutritive Versus Non-Nutritive Sweeteners

  Sweeteners, whether they be nutritive (provide calories) or non-nutritive (do not provide calories), are added to a multitude of foods and beverages. Sweeteners not only provide a sweet flavor to foods, they are also used...[more]

• 16 Surprising Sources of Protein

  Protein does more than just build strong muscles. It also strengthens bones, increases satiety, protects against heart disease, and helps support a healthy immune system. We also know that consuming plenty of protein is an...[more]

• What Are Net Carbs?

  Most people who are concerned about their health are very familiar with food labels. You've probably looked at your fair share of Nutrition Facts panels, ingredient lists, and health claims on packaged foods. Reading labels...[more]

• Eat This, Not That: A Comparison of Two Meal Plans

  Every day, we are constantly faced with choices about what to eat. For most of us, it's got to be quick and easy, and it's got to taste good. Unfortunately, the healthy benefits of a...[more]

• Low, Less, and Lite: How to Decipher 'Healthy' Food Labels

  Ever walk down a grocery store aisle and try to decipher labels? Or have you had a hard time deciding whether a product labeled as "low fat" is better than "low sugar?" You are not...[more]

• Great Flavor with Healthy Additives

  Can you really add flavor without adding calories or risking adverse health effects? We have all heard that we should cut down on the salt we add to our foods to prevent hypertension, and that...[more]

• 3 Steps to Smart Snacking

  If you ask anyone in the health profession how often you should eat, you will most likely be told to eat 5 to 6 small meals spread out over the course of each day. The...[more]

• Losing Obesity Weight Quickly and Healthily

  Losing obesity weight requires longterm changes in diet and exercise habits. While many who are overweight or obese would like to lose the weight quickly, it's much more beneficial to lose weight gradually. Those...[more]

• The First Steps For Fighting Morbid Obesity

  There are many small steps you can take in your everyday life to begin to fight morbid obesity. If you have recently had a health scare or have just decided you want to make...[more]

• 5 Nutrients Vital to Weight Loss

  The nutrients you eat can play a vital role in weight loss. Losing weight isn't just about cutting calories, as a low-calorie diet can do more harm than good if you aren't getting the...[more]

• Controlling Obesity With Food: What To Avoid

  Controlling obesity with food choices is one of the easiest ways to make a difference in your weight. One of the main causes of obesity is simply a high caloric intake. By cutting out...[more]

• 7 Portion Control Tips For Dieters

  One of the key elements to losing weight and keeping it off is practicing portion control. You can eat the best food for your body, but if you are intaking too many calories daily,...[more]

• Sugar Nutrition Facts And Alternatives

  Have you ever wondered why so many diets are concerned about sugar nutrition? After all, it's a naturally occurring substance that we need, that makes things taste good, and that makes us feel good.  What...[more]

• Naturally Combating Hyperthyroidism And Involuntary Weight Loss

  Hyperthyroidism, which is also referred to as thyrotoxicosis, is a condition in which an overactive thyroid gland produces an excessive amount of thyroid hormones that circulate in your blood. The thyroid hormones circulating in...[more]

• Substituting Agave Nectar For Other Sugars

  Agave nectar is a healthy, unrefined natural substitute for refined sugars and artificial sweeteners. Agave nectar is a natural sweetener made from plants out of Central Mexico. It adds wonderful flavor and also provides...[more]

• 9 Metabolism Boosting Foods For Faster Weight Loss

  As amazing as it may seem, it is possible to boost your metabolism with metabolism foods. Since  metabolism is basically how fast and efficiently your body burns the calories you eat every day, the...[more]

• Calculating Calories Burned From Your Exercise Routine

  The amount of calories burned from your exercise routine depends on the duration and intensity of the exercise, as well as on your weight. Once you find out this amount you can increase it...[more]

• What's A Calorie? How Many Do I Need?

  There are very scientific terms that define a calorie, but the precise definition is better replaced by a simpler standard for our discussion. A calorie is a unit of measure for energy, that our...[more]

• Lipid Facts You Should Know

  If you are currently on a diet or are simply trying to be more health conscious then you should know a few things about lipid in your body. The first thing you should know...[more]

• Tea Antioxidant Myths And Facts

  A tea antioxidant is widely known to be an excellent source for antioxidant nutrition. There is a debate regarding the effects of antioxidants in the human body and what teas provide the most nutrition....[more]