Writing Article on Portion Control

I found out it is easier to control Kcal than control portion.
For example,
My stomach can hold roughly 40oz water + one cabbage + one half breast + oil.
Then I'll just cook a vegie chicken breast soup and use oil to
increase/decrease kcal.

What I meant is;
To increase kcal per soup, add more tbs of my favorite oil(canola oil).
To decrease kcal per soup, decrease tbs of oil.

To increase/decrease portion of the soup to suite personal difference, just
increase/decrease volume of water.

On 3 Apr 2006 18:07:39 -0700, [email hidden] wrote:

=>Hello,
=>
=>I am a freelance writer working on an article on portion control for a
=>major women's magazine. I am looking for women, ages 30-50, who have
=>lost weight by reducing the portion sizes of their meals. Specifically,
=>I am looking for ways that you found made this easy (eating off smaller
=>plates, buying single-serving snacks, sharing meals in restaurants,
=>etc.). If you are interested in being interviewed (the interviews are
=>about 15 minutes long and conducted by phone), please send me an email
=>with "portion control" in the title and I can tell you more about the
=>article.
=>
=>Thanks so much. I appreciate your help.
=>
=>Best,
=>Alicia Potter
=>[email hidden]

---
The more we know, the less we know.
Low carb cures hungry but stop not craving.
k 1 6 8 9 a t h o t m a i l d o t c o m

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I am a freelance writer working on an article on portion control for a
major women's magazine.

Here we have one of the major causes of continuing obesity, a writer who
wants to publish an article on weight loss but who has to begin research
from scratch. Mis-information in magazines and newspapers has caused a
lot of grief to many who followed their weight loss and diet
suggestions. Most readers cannot tell if the writer of an article has
genuine skill and experience, or is like this woman, just looking for
any subject that will get her published, regardless of how accurate or
valid her work might be.

Google shows a history of this woman attempting articles in several
areas, psychological, medical, relationships, etc., and now diet, but
shows no published articles on any of these subjects under her name. It
shows that she was in creative writing class ten years ago, not a
journalism college. She may not have any valid training in research
methods, creative writing doesn't teach the same skills as a journalism
degree course.

People like this if they can manage to get published, (most editors
don't accept submissions from writers who are out of their skill areas)
is very likely to add to the existing confusion about diet, nutrition
and weight loss. Many people initiated a lifetime of problems managing
their weight simply because they gave credence to articles written by a
people who are total novices in the areas of diet and nutrition. They
jump from one unrealistic and unproven diet to another, simply
attempting to follow advice written by people who start out like this woman.

If she has a skill and some experience in this area, and it doesn't
sound as though she does, then she can come back and post links to any
published work and let people assess her ability to use data she
collects in worthwhile manner.

Until that time, as far as I am concerned, she will receive no
assistance or advice from me. I am sick of seeing amateur rubbish passed
off as expert in less discerning women's magazines. Others can make up
their own minds of course.

Regards

David

--

To email me, please include the letters DNF anywhere in the subject line.

All other mail is automatically deleted.

x-no-archive: yes

J. David Anderson said:

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I am a freelance writer working on an article on portion control for a
major women's magazine.

Here we have one of the major causes of continuing obesity, a writer who
wants to publish an article on weight loss but who has to begin research
from scratch. Mis-information in magazines and newspapers has caused a
lot of grief to many who followed their weight loss and diet
suggestions. Most readers cannot tell if the writer of an article has
genuine skill and experience, or is like this woman, just looking for
any subject that will get her published, regardless of how accurate or
valid her work might be.

Google shows a history of this woman attempting articles in several
areas, psychological, medical, relationships, etc., and now diet, but
shows no published articles on any of these subjects under her name. It
shows that she was in creative writing class ten years ago, not a
journalism college. She may not have any valid training in research
methods, creative writing doesn't teach the same skills as a journalism
degree course.

People like this if they can manage to get published, (most editors
don't accept submissions from writers who are out of their skill areas)
is very likely to add to the existing confusion about diet, nutrition
and weight loss. Many people initiated a lifetime of problems managing
their weight simply because they gave credence to articles written by a
people who are total novices in the areas of diet and nutrition. They
jump from one unrealistic and unproven diet to another, simply
attempting to follow advice written by people who start out like this
woman.

If she has a skill and some experience in this area, and it doesn't
sound as though she does, then she can come back and post links to any
published work and let people assess her ability to use data she
collects in worthwhile manner.

Until that time, as far as I am concerned, she will receive no
assistance or advice from me. I am sick of seeing amateur rubbish passed
off as expert in less discerning women's magazines. Others can make up
their own minds of course.

Regards

David

Soon as I saw her dope question, I dismissed her.

Susan

J. David Anderson said:

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I am a freelance writer working on an article on portion control for a
major women's magazine.

Here we have one of the major causes of continuing obesity, a writer who
wants to publish an article on weight loss but who has to begin research
from scratch. Mis-information in magazines and newspapers has caused a
lot of grief to many who followed their weight loss and diet
suggestions. Most readers cannot tell if the writer of an article has
genuine skill and experience, or is like this woman, just looking for
any subject that will get her published, regardless of how accurate or
valid her work might be.

Google shows a history of this woman attempting articles in several
areas, psychological, medical, relationships, etc., and now diet, but
shows no published articles on any of these subjects under her name. It
shows that she was in creative writing class ten years ago, not a
journalism college. She may not have any valid training in research
methods, creative writing doesn't teach the same skills as a journalism
degree course.

People like this if they can manage to get published, (most editors
don't accept submissions from writers who are out of their skill areas)
is very likely to add to the existing confusion about diet, nutrition
and weight loss. Many people initiated a lifetime of problems managing
their weight simply because they gave credence to articles written by a
people who are total novices in the areas of diet and nutrition. They
jump from one unrealistic and unproven diet to another, simply
attempting to follow advice written by people who start out like this woman.

If she has a skill and some experience in this area, and it doesn't
sound as though she does, then she can come back and post links to any
published work and let people assess her ability to use data she
collects in worthwhile manner.

Until that time, as far as I am concerned, she will receive no
assistance or advice from me. I am sick of seeing amateur rubbish passed
off as expert in less discerning women's magazines. Others can make up
their own minds of course.

Regards

David

I agree, the ignorant leading the ignorant. And instead of researching
the topic in depth, or interviewing people with education or expertise
in the area she fishes for lay people to interview. As if that will add
in anything in anyway to the body of knowledge.

TC

OK, let me clarify ... This is an "assigned" article (I have a
contract); I am not "attempting" an article. I have 10 years'
journalism experience and have published in ELLE, SELF, HEALTH and
other national magazines as well as newspapers. And the women I am
looking to interview will be a small part of the article -- not
providing advice in lieu of experts. I am interviewing nutritionists,
nutrition researchers, and MDs from major hospitals and universities
(Harvard School of Public Health, Duke University Medical Center, New
York University, Penn. State, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell
University, Massachusetts General Hospital). And all writers begin
their stories "from scratch"; you cannot lift other writers' reporting.
Likewise, it is always helpful for readers to hear of real women who
have put some of the theories into practice and found them successful.
And, yes, I am a generalist writer -- I write on many different topics
that interest me. This is common. I have a piece in the current issue
of HEALTH (no, not diet-related). As for other web links, many
magazines simply do not archive their articles online. So ... based on
this, if you would like to email me, I would be happy to hear from you;
I can even send you Xeroxed clips. (I should note, though, I am looking
for women in the United States; I should have included that info in my
original post). If not, then I understand your caution. I certainly do
not want to offend anyone; however, I have found in the past, on
various topics, that people are often interested in sharing their
experiences with others. That was my reason for posting here.

Best,
Alicia

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I am a freelance writer working on an article on portion control for a
major women's magazine. I am looking for women, ages 30-50, who have
lost weight by reducing the portion sizes of their meals. Specifically,
I am looking for ways that you found made this easy (eating off smaller
plates, buying single-serving snacks, sharing meals in restaurants,
etc.). If you are interested in being interviewed (the interviews are
about 15 minutes long and conducted by phone), please send me an email
with "portion control" in the title and I can tell you more about the
article.

Thanks so much. I appreciate your help.

Best,
Alicia Potter
[email hidden]

--
1) Eat Till SATISFIED, Not STUFFED... Atkins repeated 9 times in the book
2) Exercise: It's Non-Negotiable..... Chapter 22 title, Atkins book
3) Don't Diet Without Supplemental Nutrients... Chapter 23 title, Atkins
book
4) A sensible eating plan, and follow it. (Atkins, Self Made or Other)

Deciding on the size of a porton has a lot to do with the food that is
going to be in the portion itself. If the food is low-carb and has few
calories, I will have a larger portion than if the food has more
calories and carbs. Therefore I might have a couple of loose cups of
salad or a cup of cooked spinich, but only a couple of tablespoons of
rice. I decide what I am having before the food is cooked because there
are times when it is not worth the time or effort to cook a very small
amount of a particular food. Rice is a good example of this. It takes a
reasonable amount of time to cook rice (at least 15 minutes) and it's
not worth cooking only a quarter of a cup or less. In addition, I never
keep leftovers of high carb/calory foods because the temptation to eat
them during the evening is too great.

Barbara

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I am a freelance writer working on an article on portion control for a
major women's magazine. I am looking for women, ages 30-50, who have
lost weight by reducing the portion sizes of their meals. Specifically,
I am looking for ways that you found made this easy (eating off smaller
plates, buying single-serving snacks, sharing meals in restaurants,
etc.). If you are interested in being interviewed (the interviews are
about 15 minutes long and conducted by phone), please send me an email
with "portion control" in the title and I can tell you more about the
article.

Thanks so much. I appreciate your help.

Best,
Alicia Potter
[email hidden]

x-no-archive: yes

Quoted message said:

OK, let me clarify ... This is an "assigned" article (I have a
contract); I am not "attempting" an article. I have 10 years'
journalism experience and have published in ELLE, SELF, HEALTH and
other national magazines as well as newspapers. And the women I am
looking to interview will be a small part of the article -- not
providing advice in lieu of experts. I am interviewing nutritionists,
nutrition researchers, and MDs from major hospitals and universities
(Harvard School of Public Health, Duke University Medical Center, New
York University, Penn. State, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell
University, Massachusetts General Hospital). And all writers begin
their stories "from scratch"; you cannot lift other writers' reporting.
Likewise, it is always helpful for readers to hear of real women who
have put some of the theories into practice and found them successful.
And, yes, I am a generalist writer -- I write on many different topics
that interest me. This is common. I have a piece in the current issue
of HEALTH (no, not diet-related). As for other web links, many
magazines simply do not archive their articles online. So ... based on
this, if you would like to email me, I would be happy to hear from you;
I can even send you Xeroxed clips. (I should note, though, I am looking
for women in the United States; I should have included that info in my
original post). If not, then I understand your caution. I certainly do
not want to offend anyone; however, I have found in the past, on
various topics, that people are often interested in sharing their
experiences with others. That was my reason for posting here.

Alicia, if you'd done your background research, you would've asked a
different question on this particular newsgroup than one about portion
control.

For most folks on low carb diets, the portions control themselves
(though not always) due to macronutrient make up of the diet. Even the
most cursory review of various weight loss plans would've revealed this
to you.

Susan

Susan wrote:
:: x-no-archive: yes
::
:: [email hidden] wrote:
::: OK, let me clarify ... This is an "assigned" article (I have a
::: contract); I am not "attempting" an article. I have 10 years'
::: journalism experience and have published in ELLE, SELF, HEALTH and
::: other national magazines as well as newspapers. And the women I am
::: looking to interview will be a small part of the article -- not
::: providing advice in lieu of experts. I am interviewing
::: nutritionists, nutrition researchers, and MDs from major hospitals
::: and universities (Harvard School of Public Health, Duke University
::: Medical Center, New York University, Penn. State, University of
::: Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Massachusetts General Hospital).
::: And all writers begin their stories "from scratch"; you cannot lift
::: other writers' reporting. Likewise, it is always helpful for
::: readers to hear of real women who have put some of the theories
::: into practice and found them successful. And, yes, I am a
::: generalist writer -- I write on many different topics that interest
::: me. This is common. I have a piece in the current issue of HEALTH
::: (no, not diet-related). As for other web links, many magazines
::: simply do not archive their articles online. So ... based on this,
::: if you would like to email me, I would be happy to hear from you; I
::: can even send you Xeroxed clips. (I should note, though, I am
::: looking for women in the United States; I should have included that
::: info in my original post). If not, then I understand your caution.
::: I certainly do not want to offend anyone; however, I have found in
::: the past, on various topics, that people are often interested in
::: sharing their experiences with others. That was my reason for
::: posting here.
::
:: Alicia, if you'd done your background research, you would've asked a
:: different question on this particular newsgroup than one about
:: portion control.
::
:: For most folks on low carb diets, the portions control themselves
:: (though not always) due to macronutrient make up of the diet. Even
:: the most cursory review of various weight loss plans would've
:: revealed this to you.

Of course, given that most of the medical community itself doesn't
understand this simple fact (and don't do even cursory reviews, either)
probably means we ought to give Alicia a pass, especially if she tries to
incorporate this information into her article. Otherwise, NOT!

x-no-archive: yes

Roger Zoul said:

Of course, given that most of the medical community itself doesn't
understand this simple fact (and don't do even cursory reviews, either)
probably means we ought to give Alicia a pass, especially if she tries to
incorporate this information into her article. Otherwise, NOT!

But plenty of research does demonstrate it. A journalist would've
started there.

Here, I'll try to start the ball rolling:

Pediatrics 1999 Mar;103(3):E26 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut

High glycemic index foods, overeating, and obesity.

Ludwig DS, Majzoub JA, Al-Zahrani A, Dallal GE, Blanco I, Roberts SB.

Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Children's
Hospital,Boston, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically in
recent years. However, the role of dietary composition in body weight
regulation remains unclear. The purpose of this work was to investigate
the acute effects of dietary glycemic index (GI) on energy metabolism
and voluntary food intake in obese subjects. METHODS: Twelve obese
teenage boys were evaluated on three separate occasions using a
crossover study protocol. During each evaluation, subjects consumed
identical test meals at breakfast and lunch that had a low, medium, or
high GI. The high- and medium-GI meals were designed to have similar
macronutrient composition, fiber content, and palatability, and all
meals for each subject had equal energy content. After breakfast, plasma
and serum concentrations of metabolic fuels and hormones were measured.
Ad libitum food intake was determined in the 5-hour period after lunch.
RESULTS: Voluntary energy intake after the high-GI meal (5.8 megajoule
[mJ]) was 53% greater than after the medium-GI meal (3.8 mJ), and 81%
greater than after the low-GI meal (3.2 mJ). In addition, compared with
the low-GI meal, the high-GI meal resulted in higher serum insulin
levels, lower plasma glucagon levels, lower postabsorptive plasma
glucose and serum fatty acids levels, and elevation in plasma
epinephrine. The area under the glycemic response curve for each test
meal accounted for 53% of the variance in food intake within subjects.
CONCLUSIONS: The rapid absorption of glucose after consumption of
high-GI meals induces a sequence of hormonal and metabolic changes that
promote excessive food intake in obese subjects. Additional studies are
needed to examine the relationship between dietary GI and long-term body
weight regulation.

Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
Controlled Clinical Trial
PMID: 10049982 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

J Pediatr. 2003 Mar;142(3):253-8. Related Articles, Links

Comment in:
J Pediatr. 2003 Mar;142(3):225-7.

Effects of a low-carbohydrate diet on weight loss and cardiovascular
risk factor in overweight adolescents.

Sondike SB, Copperman N, Jacobson MS.

Division of Adolescent Medicine, Schneider Children's Hospital, New Hyde
Park, New York 10128, USA.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the effects of a low-carbohydrate (LC) diet with
those of a low-fat (LF) diet on weight loss and serum lipids in
overweight adolescents. DESIGN: A randomized, controlled 12-week trial.
SETTING: Atherosclerosis prevention referral center. METHODS: Random,
nonblinded assignment of participants referred for weight management.
The study group (LC) (n = 16) was instructed to consume <20 g of
carbohydrate per day for 2 weeks, then <40 g/day for 10 weeks, and to
eat LC foods according to hunger. The control group (LF) (n = 14) was
instructed to consume <30% of energy from fat. Diet composition and
weight were monitored and recorded every 2 weeks. Serum lipid profiles
were obtained at the start of the study and after 12 weeks. RESULTS: The
LC group lost more weight (mean, 9.9 +/- 9.3 kg vs 4.1 +/- 4.9 kg, P
<.05) and had improvement in non-HDL cholesterol levels (P <.05). There
was improvement in LDL cholesterol levels (P <.05) in the LF group but
not in the LC group. There were no adverse effects on the lipid profiles
of participants in either group. CONCLUSIONS: The LC diet appears to be
an effective method for short-term weight loss in overweight adolescents
and does not harm the lipid profile.

Publication Types:
Clinical Trial
Randomized Controlled Trial

PMID: 12640371 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Susan

Yes, please do take Roger's advice and give me a pass at this point. I
have received many replies and should be all set. Thanks to those who
sent emails. And, as you so rightly point out, there is much research
to be done on the topic, so I best return to it. Anyone looking to
correspond with me should send directly to my email address and not the
forum.

Thanks again. I appreciate your help.

Alicia

Quoted message said:

OK, let me clarify ... This is an "assigned" article (I have a
contract);

Lucky girl.

I am not "attempting" an article. I have 10 years'

Quoted message said:

journalism experience and have published in ELLE, SELF, HEALTH and
other national magazines as well as newspapers.

Listing your credentials and any previous writing credit in a similar
area when requesting information would help alleviate the sort of
suspicion that arises from a "cold" request like yours.

Another point is that many use a pseudonym when posting and would likely
have to use a real address if emailing you. Unless you provide
bona-fides (without email requests) many will be reluctant to expose
their real names and email addresses. You could be anybody.

And the women I am

Quoted message said:

looking to interview will be a small part of the article -- not
providing advice in lieu of experts.

Good, because a great many people on newsgroups lie, particularly in
diet and fitness NGs. They tend to be less than honest (often with
themselves as well as others) about the amount they eat, the types of
food they eat and the amount of exercise they do. I would not rely on
any data from people that I didn't know reasonably well. By the way, why
are you only looking at women for data? These diet related newsgroups
are well populated by both sexes.

I am interviewing nutritionists,

Quoted message said:

nutrition researchers, and MDs from major hospitals and universities
(Harvard School of Public Health, Duke University Medical Center, New
York University, Penn. State, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell
University, Massachusetts General Hospital).

Sounds good.

And all writers begin

Quoted message said:

their stories "from scratch";

Not so, not even close to being so. Many writers have specialty areas,
niches where their level of knowledge and experience puts them well
above "scratch" when beginning a new article. Most editors of my
experience will not accept submissions or assign articles to writers who
do not have a least a small degree of familiarity with the subject.
Perhaps in the US they are less discerning, I only have experience of
Aus and UK publications.

Quoted message said:

you cannot lift other writers' reporting.

No one was suggesting that you take up plagiarism as a hobby, just that
having some previous experience, a little bit of history, would be a
good starting basis.

Quoted message said:

Likewise, it is always helpful for readers to hear of real women who
have put some of the theories into practice and found them successful.

As I said, many lie (or exaggerate, pick your verb), and unless you can
see the person you can't determine whether they are successful in losing
weight or fatter than when they started. Hearing about real women who
had real success might be helpful, but unless you can be sure that they
are truly successful you are wasting both your own and your readers' time.

If you spend some time reading a group, getting to know the
personalities, you will find that some of the regular posters have web
sites with progress photos and a long detailed history of their weight
loss successes and failures. These would be good people to interview,
not just any lurker who responds. There are many very successful long
time "losers" here, you need to determine who they are, at least I would
assume so if you are concerned with accuracy in your research.

Quoted message said:

And, yes, I am a generalist writer -- I write on many different topics
that interest me. This is common. I have a piece in the current issue
of HEALTH (no, not diet-related). As for other web links, many
magazines simply do not archive their articles online.

Many, including some you mentioned, do.

So ... based on

Quoted message said:

this, if you would like to email me, I would be happy to hear from you;
I can even send you Xeroxed clips. (I should note, though, I am looking
for women in the United States; I should have included that info in my
original post).

Why? If someone has a method that works, why does it matter where they
post from? If you are on a contract the phone costs shouldn't be a
consideration.

If not, then I understand your caution. I certainly do

Quoted message said:

not want to offend anyone; however, I have found in the past, on
various topics, that people are often interested in sharing their
experiences with others.

Many are, and many who love to talk are those that love to
lie/exaggerate. You could spend some time reading the NGs, get to know
the people then be a little selective with regard to who you interview.

That was my reason for posting here.

Quoted message said:

Best,
Alicia

Regards

David

--

To email me, please include the letters DNF anywhere in the subject line.

All other mail is automatically deleted.

Quoted message said:

I am a freelance writer working on an article on portion control for
a major women's magazine. I am looking for women, ages 30-50, who
have lost weight by reducing the portion sizes of their
meals. Specifically, I am looking for ways that you found made this
easy (eating off smaller plates, buying single-serving snacks,
sharing meals in restaurants, etc.).

I am a freelance writer working on an article on getting laid for a
major men's magazine. I am looking for men, ages 30-50, who have
gotten laid with super-hot women by using quick pickup lines.
Specifically, I am looking for ways that you found make getting laid
easy (asking nicely, promising them gifts, licking your nose, etc.).

I know it's possible, because I want it to be so.

--
Aaron -- [email hidden] -- 285/240/200
http://360.yahoo.com/aaron_baugher