Slim People in Progress

LAUGH WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND LOSE WEIGHT

My sister and fellow WW sent this to me today - quite appropriate, I think!

By Victoria Wesseler
Lifestyle, Gardening, and Culinary Writer.

Every once in a while I run across a bit of information that sounds just too good to be true. When I heard that a group of researchers from Vanderbilt University’s Department of Medicine announced that laughing caused people to burn extra calories, I just had to investigate it. I wondered if there could be at least a kernel of truth in their study, which hinted that laughter might be a way to lose weight. After all, studies have shown that laughter, which has been said for years to be good medicine, can enhance the immune system, reduce stress, and keep our hearts healthy. That's all great, but what could it do for my waistline? Could I laugh my way back into my skinny jeans? Before I replaced my hour on the treadmill with an hour of watching my favorite sitcoms, I thought I should investigate the study’s findings.

Turns out that the study is real and does, in fact, show that genuine laughter causes an increase in energy expenditure. The study’s methodology and results were recently printed in the International Journal of Obesity (2007) 31, 131-137. Note the use of the term genuine. The researchers say that fake laughter, such as the giggle you force out at an old joke told for the tenth time by your distant (but not distant enough) relative at a holiday dinner, doesn’t count. To be beneficial, the laughter has to be a sincere, spontaneous laugh.

Weight Loss Hacks

Lifehacker has a great post with tips for losing weight -- seems to be the #1 New Year's Resolution.  Even better than the post are the dozens of comments from readers with their own tips and success stories.

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Arkansas Governor's Mission

In today's New York Times, there's an article about the success that Arkansas Governor, Mike Huckabee, has had on his weight loss program.  Huckabee lost 100 pounds over 3 years through strict diet and exercise.

He's become an evangelist for diet and exercise as well as building awareness in children through programs in school.  Not everyone is happy about his evangelism though. 

The governor insists he does not want to create a “nanny state” or a “grease police.” Many of his policies include incentives like exercise breaks for state employees. He has expanded state insurance coverage to cover obesity treatment. He advocated restricting access to vending machines for high school students and replacing the sugary sodas in them with juice and water. Arkansas is one of a handful of states where the nutritional guidelines for school lunches are stricter than the federal requirements.

Unfortunately, I don't think you can legislate healthy living.  A person's got to want to do it for his or her self in order to be successful.  Thoughts?  Comments?

Drink Lots of Water!

Every week at my Weight Watchers meeting, it is stressed that drinking water is an important key to weight loss.  As part of the program, we're encouraged to drink 6 eight ounce glasses of water and track our progress.  I do my best; I have a 20 oz. water bottle at my desk all day and sip away at it.  But I think I still don't drink enough. 

I found an article that articulates Why Water is the Secret Weight Loss Miracle.