Tagged with 'womens-health'

When I have conversations about weight loss with women at any age—30’s, 40’s and 50’s, the topic of alcohol frequently comes up.

One thing I like to tell women is that alcohol is metabolized differently than other foods and beverages. The digestive process changes when alcohol is present because alcohol gets immediate attention. It's viewed by the body as a toxin and doesn’t need to be digested.

When the body is focused on processing alcohol, it is not able to properly break down foods containing carbohydrates and fat so those calories are converted into body fat and are carried away for permanent storage in your body.

Low doses of alcohol appear to reduce the risk of heart attacks and certain strokes. Larger amounts increase the risk of many health problems such as liver disease, high blood pressure, behavioral problems, and premature death. But women face an extra risk: Even low doses of alcohol can raise their risk of breast cancer.

Don’t Sabotage Your Weight Loss Efforts

Strategies for including alcohol without sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

Quantity is Make or Break

Probably the most important consideration is quantity. One glass of many types of alcoholic beverages is usually ok. It's the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th glass that takes total calories out of the weight loss range, and more likely into the weight maintenance or even weight gain range.

Lower Calorie Options

Lower calorie alcohol choices include wine and hard liquor. Wine contains 20 calories per ounce, so there are 100 calories per 5 ounce glass. This is reasonable for a weight loss diet. Just stick with only one glass and 5 ounces or less. The number of calories in hard liquor depend on the proof, so 100 proof liquor contains 125 calories, and 80 proof liquor contains 100 calories. If drinking beer, try a lower calorie, light alternative.

Mixers Beware

Added mixers, syrups, soda pop, and tonic are the culprits that really boost the calories. Try soda water, diet soda, or a fresh squeeze of lemon or lime.

Opt Out on Mixer

Skip the mixer altogether. Try ordering your favorite spirit or one of the new flavored liquors on the rocks. Infused vodkas are very popular because they're not sweetened rather infused with flavors, from jalapeno to peach, which doesn’t add any extra calories.

Pass on Liqueurs

Limit high-calorie liqueurs. These are extremely deceptive (they taste so good) and will add enormously to overall calorie content.

Inhibitions Drop

Keep healthy food on hand when drinking. Drinking will relax the inhibitions and cause one to compromise their nutritional habits.

Include Water To Slow the Pace

Drink water between alcoholic drinks. This will help to slow the pace of quantity consumed and also increase feelings of fullness and may help to prevent over consumption of alcohol. Water will also keep your hydrated.

What strategies do you when you want to imbibe while losing weight?

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

I’ve always heard breastfeeding burns something like 500 calories per day. That’s comparable to exercising for an hour every day! I’ll take it! However, in reality, I’m about 6 months into this exclusively breastfeeding gig, which is not easy might I add, and I’m slightly disappointed in something…the pregnancy weight isn’t melting right off as promised. Grrrr! I lost weight initially, but am still holding onto 10-12 pounds that just won’t budge. 

What is going on? Is the weight loss promise a big ‘ol myth? 

I did some digging to get to the bottom of this and found...

9 interesting tidbits about the impact of breastfeeding on mom's weight loss:   

1.  Research on this topic varies, but the one thing it has in common…the relationship between breastfeeding and losing the weight gained while pregnant remains unclear.  

2.  The results from a review of 35+ studies about breastfeeding and weight loss found the available evidence challenges the widely held belief that breastfeeding promotes weight loss. (1)

3.  On the other hand, according to the La Leche League, breastfeeding women who eat to appetite lose weight at the rate of 1.3 to 1.6 pounds per month in the first 4 to 6 months, but there is a wide variation in the weight loss experience of lactating women (some women gain weight during lactation). Women who continue breastfeeding beyond 4 to 6 months ordinarily continue to lose weight, but at a slower rate than during the first 4 to 6 months. (2) 

4.  Moms who exclusively breastfed lost more weight than moms who did not exclusively breastfeed. (3, 4)

5.  Breastfeeding mothers tend to lose more weight when their babies are three to six months old than formula-feeding mothers who consume fewer calories. (5) Another study of mothers at one month postpartum found that mothers who breastfed (either exclusively or partially) had slimmer hips and weighed less than women whose babies received only formula. (6)

6.  Frequency and duration matter. The more frequent you breastfeed and the longer you breastfeed (ie: number of months) is associated with more postpartum weight loss. (7)   

7.  Just exercising while breastfeeding does not promote weight loss as effectively as the combination of exercise plus decreasing calorie intake. (8) 

8.  Good news, gradual weight loss does not negatively affect milk production and exercise has little effect on breast milk composition. In fact, one study showed exercising women having a slightly higher milk volume. (9)  

9.  Losing weight quickly is not ideal anyway. According to Breastfeeding and Human Lactation, rapid weight loss should be avoided because fat-soluble environmental contaminants and toxins stored in body fat are released into the milk when caloric intake is severely restricted. I certainly don’t want that! (10) 

Bottom Line: Breastfeeding does help you lose the weight you gained during pregnancy, but breastfeeding in itself is not a weight loss program. Our bodies are not all equal and some breastfeeding women will respond differently to nursing than others. Losing weight will also require healthy eating and some exercise.

What about other moms out there...did breastfeeding help you lose weight? I’d love to hear your story.

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

References:

1.  Neville CE et al.  The relationship between breastfeeding and postpartum weight change-a systematic review and critical evaluation.  Int J Obes (Lond).  2013 Jul 29.

2.  Subcommittee on Nutrition during Lactation, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, Nutrition During Lactation Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1991 p.15, 74, 140.

3.  Samano R, et al.  Effects of breastfeeding on weight loss and recovery of pregestational weight in adolescent and adult mothers.  Food Nutr Bull.  2013 Jun;34(2): 123-30.

4.  Baker JL et al.  Breastfeeding reduces postpartum weight retention. Am J Clin Nutr.  2008 Dec;88(6): 1543-1551.

5.  Dewey et al.  Maternal weight-loss patterns during prolonged lactation.  Am J Clin Nutr. 1993;58: 162-6.   

6.  Kramer, F. et al. Breastfeeding reduces maternal lower-body fat J Am Diet Assoc. 1993;93(4):429-33.

7.  Da Silva MD, et al.  Breastfeeding and maternal weight changes during 24 months post-partum:  a cohort study.  Matern Child Nutr.  2013 Aug 14.

8.  Lovelady C, et al.   Balancing exercise and food intake with lactation to promote post-partum weight loss.  Proc Nutr Soc.  2011 May;70(2):181-4. 

9.  Lovelady C. et al. Lactation performance of exercising women. Am J Clin Nutr 1990; 52: 103-1.

10.  Breastfeeding and Human Lactation. 3^rd Edition, Riordan, p. 440.