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Breakfast and Weight Loss
Posted by Janine Wong MS, RD on January 21, 2013
The Starting Line: What type of breakfast is the most beneficial for weight loss? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It has become a cliche, but years of research support it. However, the frequency of skipping breakfast has increased from 14% in 1965 to 25% in 1991. Some people believe that cutting breakfast is an easy way to limit calories and lose weight. Studies have found that this str...
Caffeine and Running
Posted by Janine Wong MS, RD on December 10, 2012
The Starting Line: Does caffeine improve running performance? Caffeine is a safe and naturally occurring drug, well known for its “energy boosting” properties. Many beverages and foods naturally contain caffeine, and it is a popular additive in energy and sport drinks and gels (see table below). Caffeine is absorbed rapidly via the stomach lining, peaks in the blood in 30 minutes to 2 hours,...
Liquid Calories and Weight Loss
Posted by Janine Wong MS, RD on November 26, 2012
The Starting Line: Do calories from liquids contribute to weight more than calories from solid food? Sugar-sweetened beverages get a lot of the blame for the obesity epidemic. There are a variety of proposed reasons for why liquid calories affect our bodies differently than solid calories; liquid calories do not require chewing, they stimulate digestion differently than solid calories, and they empty fa...
Dietary Supplements
Posted by Janine Wong MS, RD on November 6, 2012
The Starting Line: Which dietary supplements are safe and effective? A dietary supplement is any product designed to increase a specific component of the diet, including vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals, and amino acids. Many substances can be sold over the counter as dietary supplements, even steroids. A recent study by Tscholl, et al concluded that the incidence of supplement use among athletes i...
Self Monitoring for Weight Loss
Posted by Janine Wong MS, RD on October 29, 2012
The Starting Line: What self-monitoring methods are available to help me lose weight? Self monitoring is regularly recording your dietary intake, physical activity, and weight. Studies consistently show that overweight and obese people who self monitor will lose more weight than those who do not. While the optimal level of self monitoring has yet to be determined, increased frequency of self monitoring is ass...
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