If you have problems controlling your portions, listen up.

A new study has found that the use of specially-designed plates and bowls can help overweight and obese patients with weight loss, according to ABC News.

In this study, published in the most recent issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, Dr. Sue Pedersen and colleagues from the University of Calgary, used a commercially available, calibrated portion control plate and cereal bowl called the Diet Plate with markings indicating how much of each food group should be served.

Patients using the plate and bowl for six months lost an average of about five pounds, compared to the control group that lost less than half a pound.

The Diet Plate concept looks interesting and easy to use. And there are plates for men, women and children. If I wasn't low-carb, I would definitely try it.

If any of you have, let me know what your experience has been.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

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Alli, the first over-the-counter diet drug to win FDA approval, is off to a roaring start with the nation's dieters, but it hasn't been without controversy.

Many are questioning whether the side effects outweigh the benefits. The GlaxoSmithKline drug prevents the body from breaking down and absorbing fat, but it can also cause gas with oily discharge as well as frequent or loose stools.

MyAlli.com suggests it's probably a "smart idea" to wear dark pants and bring a change of clothes to work if you use the drug. Ewwww!

At least one gym is using the side effects to try to up its membership. I heard a New York Sports Club ad on the radio today questioning the cost and the benefits of Alli. It suggested you join the gym instead.

And so do I. As a former user of Xenical, the prescription form of Alli, I must say that an hour in the gym is much better than worrying about controlling your bodily functions.

But if you are trying it, let me know how it's working for you.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

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The Gila monster's poison may bring sweet weight loss relief to some diabetes patients, according to a new study.

Byetta, a drug whose active ingredient is the synthetic version of a protein produced in the spit of the Gila monster, has been found to cause considerable weight loss in some of its users, according to an article in the U.S. News & World Report.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

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With just days to go before a deadline, a lot of the fast food places in New York City are refusing to list caloric content on their menus, according to the Associated Press.

The new regulation goes into effect Sunday but Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, KFC and Taco Bell haven't budged. They are hoping a lawsuit will get the new rules tossed.

I don't blame them, I would too. Kind of hard to sell that Double Whopper with Cheese when a customer sees that 990 calories beside it on the menu. That's one heck of a Whopper, huh?

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

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Michael Moore has gained notoriety once again for his new film "Sicko," but a Chicago Tribune reporter recently talked with him about weight loss.

In an interview with Julie Deardorff , the filmmaker talked about diet pills and revealed his method for dropping 30 pounds.

Find out if his methods with work for you and see video of his latest rally for universal health care.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

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Ari Goldman usually writes about religion for the New York Daily News, but he recently turned his attention to weight loss.

This week, he shared the rules of "Ari's Kosher Weight Loss Plan for Middle Aged Guys." It has five basic principles:

1. Cake is trayf (unkosher). I look at cake and I see ham sandwich, shrimp and cheeseburger. Never touch the stuff.

2. Never eat after 10 p.m. When the clock strikes 10, it is Yom Kippur. No food whatsoever.

3. Walk don't run. I exercise but I'm careful. If you run, you could fall, or damage your knees. Walking is enough on this diet plan.

4. Avoid treadmills. Get outdoors. The fresh air aids weight loss.

5. Cheat. Just like halacha - Jewish law - has loopholes so does "Ari's Kosher Weight Loss Plan."

Check out the full column for a humorous take on losing weight.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

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If you eat when you're feeling stressed, tired or angry, you're not alone. Many of us respond to emotions by overeating.

So how do you tell whether you're eating to soothe your emotions or just because you're hungry?

Diet-Blog.com recently posted 8 indicators of emotional eating from Roger Gould's Mastering Food. Among them: Your hunger comes on suddenly and you don't stop eating in response to being full.

Check out the full list and see if any of the indicators apply to you.

To be honest, pretty much the whole list has applied to me -- just in the last few weeks!!

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

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Foods that fill you up without adding a lot of calories can help you lose weight, a new study suggest.

Obese women who reduced the "energy density" of their diet by cutting their intake of fats and adding more fruits and vegetables lost more weight over a 12-month period, and felt less hungry, than did those who simply reduced their fat intake, according to a Reuters report.

Check out the full article and see what you think.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

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Everywhere you look on the Internet, someone is blogging about his or her weight loss experience.

And most don't spare us the details of the highs, lows and in-between of shedding unwanted pounds.

The Los Angeles Times recently took a close look at the phenomenon by sharing the story of Jason McCabe Calacanis, who chronicles his weight issues on calacanis.com, his blog on Internet business ventures.

In the words of Calacanis: Fatbloggers unite!

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

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Low-carbohydrate diets may increase the risk of bowel cancer, according to Scottish scientists.

Researchers from Aberdeen's Rowett Research Institute believe there is a link between eating less carbohydrate and reducing cancer-fighting bacteria, according to BBC News. The acid, called butyrate, is produced by bacteria and helps kill off cancerous cells.

The researchers said they found low-carbohydrate regimes could cause a four-fold reduction in the cancer-fighting bacteria.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

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This week's Dieter's Diary focuses on the Abs Diet, which claims to help you flatten your midsection and firm up your body.

Dieters must eat six meals a day, a rule Alexis Korman found hard to follow. She also found the book hard to follow.

Read the full article for Alexis' complete experience and check out our full gallery of the Dieter's Diary.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

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Forget giving kids the soft sell on weight loss, experts tell the Associated Press, just call kids obese.

Less blunt terms used by the government and many doctors diplomatically avoid the term "obese." Instead, they refer to children many would consider too fat as being "at risk for overweight," and "overweight" for those others would consider obese.

Those categories don't adequately define the hefty problem, according to the group, which was convened by the American Medical Association and funded by federal health officials including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I'm all for the honesty. Maybe if a doctor had expressed concern and explained the dangers to me when I was younger, I would have listened. Being termed "healthy" didn't really help.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

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This week, the Dieter's Diary takes on the Special K Challenge.

amNY.com's Lauren Johnston replaced two meals with Special K cereal and breakfast bars for a week. She lost just under three pounds.

Check out her article to see if the plan would work for you. And feel free to peruse our complete gallery of Dieter's Diary articles.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

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Last week, I wrote about my lack of motivation. Well, over the weekend, I tried to get back in the swim of things, literally.

Saturday evening, I returned to the pool at the Cross Island YMCA for the first time in about six weeks. I managed to swim about 20 laps, but it wasn't pretty. Boy, was I rusty! I was sputtering terribly for about the first 15 minutes or so. After that, I began to breathe normally again.

I definitely felt better afterward and I slept pretty well. Now, I just have to keep it up. What do you do to keep yourself on the exercise trail? Let me know. I need all the help I can get.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

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British health officials are finding a new twist on the obesity crisis -- overweight people who are undernourished, according to an Associated Press article.

Experts say the poor state of the average British diet -- often high in fat, salt and calories, but low on nutrition -- means malnutrition is a problem even though food is plentiful.

"You can't always tell if a person is malnourished with your eyes," said Dr. Marinos Elia, a professor of clinical nutrition and metabolism at Southampton University. "People may be eating too much food, but they may not be eating enough fruits and vegetables."

Are you malnourished? Check out the full article and see what makes a person undernourished.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

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Tricking your tongue into thinking apples taste like hamburgers could be the next big step in fighting obesity, Australian researchers say.

A team at Deakin University hope they will be able to fool tiny tastebuds for fat and salt and fool the receptors into believing healthy foods actually taste deliciously fatty, according to couriermail.com.au

"This would result in much lower salt content in processed foods, lower salt consumption for the general population, and therefore fewer dietary related health risks," said Dr. Russell Keast.

Now, if they could just make crackers taste like chocolate, we would be in business......

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

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Contrary to widely-held opinions, many Americans do manage to keep off some of the weight they lose, according to a national survey reported by Reuters Health.

Government researchers found that 59 percent of 1,310 U.S. adults who'd ever lost a substantial amount of weight were still close to their weight of a year before -- which in all cases was at least 10 percent lower than their heaviest all-time weight.

However, one third of the subjects had regained a significant amount of weight over the year, the researchers report in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

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Dear readers, I have finally returned from my long absence. Thanks for being patient with my during my time away. I promise to once again travel the diet and weight loss road with you.

Actually, I have to. I gained several pounds during my very stressful time away and I am desperate to shed them. Problem is, I am somewhat lacking in motivation. So, as usual, I went trolling on the web to see what I could find.

Reader's Digest features a whole section of tips on adopting a healthier attitude, controlling cravings and more. About.com also has a strong section on support and motivation.

So wish me luck as I get back on the weight-loss horse. And let me know what tips you have for motivation.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

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