ESL Podcast 291 - Going on a Diet
scale - balance; a small device that one steps on to see how heavy one is; a small machine that is used to weigh oneself
Is your bathroom scale in kilos or pounds?
to weigh - to find out how heavy something is; to find out how many kilos or pounds something is
Sheryl is too thin. She's almost six feet tall but she weighs only 115 pounds!
to gain - to get more of something; to increase in something
Many people gain weight during the holidays because they eat too much food.
diet - eating less food and/or eating healthier food to lose weight; eating fewer calories to lose weight
Jim is on a strange diet where he can eat only cabbage and grapefruit.
to shed - to get rid of something; to lose something; to reduce something
Fast runners can shed more than one pound of water every hour, so it's important for them to drink a lot of liquids.
diet pill - a medicine that helps one lose weight, either by making one less hungry, or by making one's body use more calories (energy)
This commercial says that the diet pills will help anyone lose 20 pounds in 5 days, but I don't believe it.
to take it easy - to do something in moderation; to not get too excited about something; to do something slowly and/or calmly
The car dealer said to take it easy with your new car by driving it slowly for the first 100 miles.
protein - something found in foods like meats, eggs, and beans that helps one's body build muscle
How many grams of protein should people eat each day?
empty carb - a carbohydrate that has calories but little nutrition (vitamins, minerals, or fiber), such as white bread, white rice, candy, and sugar
If you want to eat fewer empty carbs, try eating whole wheat bread instead of white bread.
yo-yo dieting - the practice of losing a few pounds, then gaining those pounds, then losing them again, and then gaining them again, over and over
Yo-yo dieting is frustrating and bad for our health. Let's talk about ways to lose weight and to keep it off.
exercise - physical activity; physical movement, usually done to lose weight or to have a healthy heart and body
The new government guidelines say that people are supposed to do at least 30 minutes of exercise each day.
to fast - to not eat or drink anything for a period of time
Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan.
to come around to (something) - to begin to see things in a new way; to begin to share someone else's opinion
I never used to like big cars, but now I'm coming around to Jorge's idea of buying a truck.
weight-loss - one's success in losing weight, so that one is less heavy than one was before.
Elijah's weight-loss plan includes eating five fruits and vegetables, drinking eight glasses of water, and riding his bicycle for 40 minutes every day.
to follow (one's) example - to do what someone else is doing
I'm going to follow Terry's example by saving 15% of the money I earn each month.
love handles - the extra fat and skin on one's sides, at the waist
My wife says she likes my love handles, but I'm going to get rid of them by exercising.
strenuous - vigorous and difficult; very active
If running is too strenuous, try walking quickly.
obese - very overweight; weighing too much; being too heavy; being unhealthily heavy
The doctor told Hank that he was very obese since he weighed almost 400 pounds.