by Leigh Ann Otte

Happy New Year!

Did you make any resolutions? Weight-loss commitments, perhaps?

If you were brave enough to announce such intentions, your ears have probably fallen off from all the advice you’ve received. But … we bet your eyes are still in place! Are they? Oh, goody, because we’ve got five expert tips that will surely put you on the track to success.

1. To stay fuller and eat less, begin meals with a high-fiber, low-calorie appetizer. (Examples: salad, tomato- or broth-based soup, vegetables with hummus.)
2. To burn fat quickly, do aerobic exercise 45 minutes a day, five days a week. (If this is daunting, you may want to work up to it.)
3. Walk at a brisk pace to burn more calories. Running may burn even more–along the same distance.
4. Consider exercising in the morning. You may be more likely to stick with it because of fewer distractions.
5. Think hard before taking “natural” diet pills. They aren’t regulated like normal medicine.

Want the details? Check out this week’s featured article, “Weight-Loss Tips From the Experts.” It also busts a few myths. Did you know eating at night isn’t inherently bad?

What are your New Year’s resolutions?

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Leigh Ann Otte is the managing editor of MyFamilyDoctorMag.com and a freelance writer.
This information is not meant to be individual advice. Please consult your doctor for that. See our disclaimer here.

We came up with eight good reasons you’re not losing weight. Well, maybe.

The truth is, most of us can lose weight and even keep it off if we do the right things. But every once in a while, there really is a good reason those pounds just won’t come off.

In “8 Reasons for Weight Gain That Are Not Your Fault!” we list signs, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment for a variety of causes. Yes, family history and medicine are two of them. But did you know lack of sleep may contribute to weight gain? Stress and depression can too. And then there are serious diseases that are important to get diagnosed, like underactive thyroid and PCOS.

So check ‘em out. If they don’t speak to you, maybe they’ll ring true of a friend. Then the question becomes, how do you delicately forward the article?

Good luck with that.

Pssst … sign up for our free e-newsletter! You’ll get fascinating articles delivered once a month.

by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

The AARP has teamed up with Carole Carson, author of From Fat to Fit, for a collective 2 month weight loss challenge.  It’s easy to sign up and become a part of this group effort.   Carole gives some great tips.  (note why do I keep writing it “from fit to fat”, must be freudian)

The combined incentives of a group goal, support forums (kind of like a virtual weight watchers), and  Carole’s coaching advice should help you shed that winter insulation.  Two months will give you time to see enough progress in the mirror to continue onward.

A study, earlier this year,  concluded the average person gains weight in the winter, especially during the holidays.  It’s only a few pounds and they lose some the rest of the year.  The problem is they never lose it all.  The cumulative gain of a pound or two adds up.

This challenge is for all ages.  Check it out.

Did you put on a few pounds this winter like me, or were you all good boys and girls?

by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

Have you ever reached a plateau in your weight-loss quest?  You start off well, lose a few pounds (probably some of it water weight), think you’re doing so well … and then the scales just won’t move anymore.  It’s frustrating. I’ve heard so many say, “I’ve tried, and I just can’t lose weight.”  They just quit trying.

Don’t give up.  Here are a few suggestions to help you beat that weight-loss plateau and go on to success.

(more…)

by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

Yes, you can lose weight, at least for a price.

A study in this week’s JAMA proves, if you show them the money, they show you the weight loss.

(more…)

by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

CNN.com tells the story of a self-taught guy who dropped almost half his weight. It looks like he is the poster child for how you lose weight healthily and keep it off. His big edge is his motivation, that he knew he had to do it, and would do what it takes.

Don’t miss the photos, which you can scroll through at the top of the story.