Weight Loss Success: Make New Habits or Break the Old?

Which works better for weight loss: creating new healthy habits or getting rid of bad ones?

A small but clinically significant study was recently published in the International Journal of Obesity that addressed this question. The good news is that BOTH interventions produced sustained weight loss at one year, with the 21 adults who created new habits having a 6.2% weight loss (roughly 12.5 lbs) and the 22 adults who worked on breaking unhealthy habits having a 4.8% (10.1 lbs) weight loss.

The intervention group that tried new habits followed the researcher’s “Top Ten Tips” which included fairly predictable weight … Read more

Starting to Exercise? Time for SOLE Searching!

If your New Year’s Resolutions include an exercise program, START by taking a close look at the BOTTOM of your shoes. If they look like mine in the picture above, get thee to a shoe store before you get moving with your walking/jogging/running plan. Note the smooth areas (not to mention the circular area trying to be an actual hole)- that means I have completely lost the tread and traction in that area.

Are new, good quality running shoes necessary? YES. After two decades of private practice (and seeing hurt knees, hips and ankles that might have been prevented … Read more

2017 Resolutions – Take 2!

Here we are, staring back at nearly half of 2017 in the rear view mirror already…so how did you do on your 2017 New Year’s Resolutions? For those of you playing along with me, you know I changed things up this year with my 20-1-7 Challenge, trying ONE new healthy habit each week. What stuck? What dropped off? What was the biggest surprise?

Looking back, I’m happy to share that the vast majority of challenges “stuck” and are part of my life routine. Which challenges became permanent changes for me?

Read more

Travel Snacks: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #19

Dr. Grimes’ 20-1-7 CHALLENGE:

  • For the first TWENTY weeks of this year,
  • Pick ONE healthy change every Sunday, and
  • Commit to that change for SEVEN days.

Travel Snacks: 20-1-7 Challenge Week #19

At home and work, I have a well-established routine for bringing healthy snacks. I always take a thinly sliced apple and a single serving-size of peanut butter or a handful of nuts. However, when I travel…the lure of french fries and Coke will create a force field that sucks my car right in to that drive through (with a long list of rationalizations why I “deserve” this treat.) … Read more