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After years of dealing with a nationwideweight problem, it seems Americans havedeveloped a correlated obsession with weight loss. A survey taken between 2011 and 2012 reported that more than two-thirds or 68.6% of American adults were either overweight or obese. Another study found that millions of Google searches every month include keywords How to Lose Weight, and more than 50% of the related keywords in this Google study referred to losing weight fast or quick. It seems that after years of carrying around extra pounds, Americans arelooking for a way to drop the weight and fast.

Major commercial diets like Weight Watchers, Slim-Fast, The Mayo Clinic Diet, and Nutrisystem are proven to work and even have doctors backing up their methods and nutrition, but this doesnt stop our weight-obsessed culture from taking it to the extreme now and then. When people want to shed pounds quickly, they often turn to unhealthy crash diets or unusual weight loss solutions. Here are five of the craziest, oftenunhealthy, weight loss tactics out there. Its important to note that just because these plans yield results does not mean you should try them!

Have a major sweet tooth? Chances are you splurge after dinner or maybe even for a rare ice cream cone on a warm afternoon, but how often do you eat dessert with breakfast? One study has found that obese adults who wanted to lose weight were able to do so if they ate a breakfast full of carbs, protein, and dessert. The study found that not only did participants lose an average of 30 to 33 pounds on the calorie-restricted diet after four months, but that those who had dessert with breakfast continued to lose weight (an average of 15 pounds) after the program ended.

Love beer and brats? The questions is: How much? Evo Terra, an online executive from Arizona, loved the duo so much he subsisted on a primarily beer and sausage diet for 30 days. The result was almost 20 pounds of weight loss. Using calorie counting and restriction, Terra consumed around 1,500 calories worth ofhigh-quality sausage and craft beersdaily. According to Terra, the key is toeat organic, quality-made sausages and guzzleIPAs or hops-heavy stouts. While this crazy diet has plenty of protein, itisnt going to win any awards for overall nutritional benefits.

What if your tendency to lose and gain weight was more dependent on the bacteria in your stomachthan the foods you did or didnt eat?This is a theory that Raphael Kellman, M.D., who wrote The Microbiome Diet, promotes. He argues that instead of worrying about the amount of carbohydrates, protein, and fat you consume, you should focus your energy on the good and bad bacteria in your body. According to research, ingesting more good bacteria helps beat cravings and fight weight gain. To up your good bacteria levels, try taking a dailyprobiotic supplement or eatplain yogurt, which is rich in live and active cultures.

Remember Subway spokesman Jared Fogle? He lost 245 pounds by eating Subway sandwiches twice a day for a year. His impressive weight loss made him the brands spokesman for many years and his chain diet results inspired others. More recently, Christine Hall of Virginia took advantage of Starbucks calorie-labeled foods and store accessibility to lose 75 pounds over two years.

This is more of a crash diet than anything else. It entails eatingcabbage soup for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for seven consecutive days. Most dieters report losing around 10 pounds on this low-calorie soup that is stocked with green onions, green peppers, tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms, celery, and of course, half a head of cabbage. The cabbage soup diet works because even though the soup is low in calories, its water-based, which makes you feel full.

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Weight Loss: 5 of the Strangest Diets (That Actually Work) - The Cheat Sheet

MICHAEL JAROSKY

Last updated10:44, March 23 2017

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Is it what you eat, or how much you move, that really counts?

I was offended when a respected US magazine recently hit my Facebook feed suggesting "back to the couch you go, because running isn't helping you lose weight." Respectfully, I call BS to that conclusion.

The crux of the article was an argument echoed at many smoothie bars across the globe: should you count calories or burpees? What's more important for weight loss? Food or fitness?

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAID

Sports nutritionist Nick Greensaid "in most cases, nutrition plays a big role with weight loss. Most people are familiar with the phrase 'you can't outrun a bad diet'".

READ MORE: *Do more, eat less - that's the secret to success *Why is exercise useless for weight loss? *Taking a break from your diet helps long-term weight loss, research shows

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Maintaining a healthy exercise routine is essential to living a better quality life.

Alexandra Kookarkin, exercise physiologist and nutritionist, explained that "exercise has a huge role in fat burning, but it's the diet that will ultimately make or break the weight loss success".

Samantha Gemmell, nutritionist, replied, "In my experience, diet is definitely more essential than exercise... It's a lot easier to eat a few too many kilojoules than it is to exercise them off. Most people underestimate their food intake and overestimate the energy they burn by exercising".

Sharon Thurin, founder of Slim Secrets, said, "without a doubt what we eat is far more important from a weight loss perspective than exercise".

"IF WE CHANGE WHAT WE EAT"

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Diets have been shown to fail in the long run, with many reporting that they put weight back on.

Nutritionist Fiona Tuck broke it down like this: "[to burn off]40 minutes of intense weight lifting equals two beers; 20 minutes brisk walk equals one glass of champagne; 45 minutes brisk walk is one doughnut.

"Weight loss comes down to 80 per cent what we eat and 20 per cent how much we exercise. If we change what we eat we will lose weight, it is that simple."

And Dr. Karen Phillip, counselling psychotherapist, clinical hypnotherapist and naturopathic nutritionist explained: "I work with many individuals in their pursuit of a slimmer body. The main issue is diet I have many people who have done hypnotherapy choosing correct foods, eating smaller portions and losing weight. No gym required."

Lastly, GPNick Tellis threw in his two cents, saying, "when weight loss is your aim, diet is your game".

CONTRARY TO POPULAR OPINION

The professionals have had their say it's diet, diet, and more diet. I disagree not to play devil's advocate but because I believe in a 50 per cent diet and 50 per cent exercise commitment when it comes to weight loss and a new, happier, and healthier lifestyle. Exercise is a key element in weight loss, and it's a key element in keeping the weight off.

Colleagues might say I'm putting the cart in front of the horse. Fine. But there's a reason why I support exercise as a weight loss (and more) tool.

It's because of happiness. Take an overweight person who adores food. Now put them on a plan to eat less, and watch their mood, life, and energy sour. Sure, that crash diet might have them on a weight loss path, but I'd rather have them eat more, and have the caloric deficit come via exercise they'll be fuller, happier, and healthier.

RETHINKING YOUR HABITS

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The benefits of exercise aren't just physical, but also psychological.

We've got to stop with the laziness. Sure, it's easier to give up 500 calories of fizzy drink per day than it is to burn off 500 calories we love to do less because we're lazy. Tell an overweight individual weight loss is 80/20 food-fitness, and guess what's going to be neglected?

The reality is the body wants, needs, and loves to move. Exercise improves energy throughout the day while burning calories. It's a weight loss fact. We need a global "Get the Bum off the Couch and Move" movement.

LIES YOUR DIET TOLD YOU

In 2007 UCLA conducteda rigorous studyof dieting, and their conclusion was this: Diets don't work.

"You can initially lose five to 10 per cent of your weight on any number of diets, but then the weight comes back," said Traci Mann, UCLA associate professor of psychology and lead author of the study. "We found that the majority of people regained all the weight, plus more."

GET UP AND GO

It also because of science. Exercising reduces stress and anxiety while increasing self-confidence. It increases strength and flexibility. Exercise reduces heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Need more benefits? Better bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, sleep, and appearance.

Because of resting metabolism. People who exercise with intensity at their goal weight are able to eat more because their bodies continue to burn calories even while resting, improving what's known as the Resting Metabolic Rate. They don't put on weight.

However those just coming off a diet? Their RMR is unmoved because of too little activity. A bit of naughtiness goes straight to the waistline as they revert back to their original weight. Exercising as a habit breeds weight loss, then guarantees weight maintenance.

AGREE TO AGREE (AND DISAGREE)

Of course I agree with my colleagues from above that healthy diet is an integral component of weight loss. And hell, maybe we've all got it all wrong and built a mega-billion industry around it. The issue isn't weight loss its longevity.

But people who are physically active tend to be healthier and live longer. The heart and body does not like weight in later years, and our bodies were meant to move with speed, power, and strength three things that exercise gives us. Don't just exercise for weight loss; exercise to live longer.

But food with no fitness? It's like Tim without Tams. Jekyll without Hyde, Bonnie without Clyde. Newman without Redford. A selfie without narcissism. Hamish without Andy. Bieber without talent.

Actually, I can imagine that last one. I just cannot imagine weight loss without exercise.

Michael Jarosky is aSydney-based personal trainer who champions a charity weight-loss event, Droptober.

- Executive Style

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Is diet really more important than exercise when it comes to weight loss? - Stuff.co.nz

One day, it just might be you.

A senior, home-bound or just home from the hospital and unable to do much for himself. A disabled person, unable to work and trying to scrape by on disability payments. Someone, living by herself with no friends or family nearby, and recovering from a medical episode.

Those are the people helped each and every day by Meals on Wheels of Greater Lynchburg. Tuesday, community leaders from across Central Virginia rode shotgun with Meals on Wheels volunteers as they went about their appointed daily rounds, delivering a hot meal to more than 660 folks and checking in to see how theyre faring. The ride-along gave them the chance to see up close a side of Central Virginia thats often hidden from view.

And if you wonder whether or not the success rate of Meals on Wheels is, in any way, quantifiable, just consider these numbers:

In 2016, Meals on Wheels served 663 Central Virginians, 106 more than in 2015.

Volunteers delivered 75,354 hot meals to seniors and others in need, 13,456 more than in 2015.

And because companionship of any kind is so rare in many of these folks lives, Meals on Wheels also provided 123 pet owners food for their furry friends and companions.

In 2016, Meals on Wheels army of volunteers logged 16,728 volunteer hours and 87,313 volunteer miles serving others throughout Central Virginia.

But when you look back just a couple of years, you see how much the need has truly grown in our region. In 2014, volunteers delivered 50,000 hot meals to 388 clients. Thats almost a 71 percent growth in the number of clients and almost a 51 percent jump in the number of hot meals delivered.

Meals on Wheels of Greater Lynchburg receives 100 percent of its funding from local sources. Individual donations account for half of the nonprofits annual budget, while grants, fundraising events and contributions from churches and other houses of worship account for the rest. There are no state or federal dollars involved.

People of all ages and all incomes are accepted into the program. More than 8 percent of clients pay full price for the service; about 16 percent pay on a sliding scale based on ones ability to pay; and about 76 percent receive their meals at no charge. Meals are diabetic and heart-friendly, and staff can even work with a clients doctor to provide special diets.

So many people, especially the elderly living on their own, are in danger of being food insecure and lapsing into an unhealthy diet that simply keeps them functioning. Just stop to consider that a years worth of home-delivered meals costs about as much as a days stay in a hospital, and you begin to see the great value of Meals on Wheels. Keeping people healthy in their homes is much more cost-effective than getting them healthy in a hospital.

Learn more about Meals on Wheels of Greater Lynchburg at http://www.mealsonwheelslynchburg.org. A contribution of either your time or your resources will ripple through the community and the lives of hundreds of people in ways you cant even imagine.

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Sustenance For the Body and the Soul - Lynchburg News and Advance

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A fasting diet doesnt mean you feel like you're starving.

Numerous studies have shown fasting impacts the reduction of chronic disease risk, longevity and weight loss. Most diets are all about giving up what you love and feeling deprived; whereas fasting diets may actually make those cravings go away. Here are five ways to get started.

This essentially means front-loading all of your calories to avoid consumption after a cut-off time, like 5 p.m. Many of my patients fast while they sleep, or skip dinner all together, allowing at least 12-14 hours between their last meal of the day and their first meal the following day.

Choose your plan based on your goals. Fasting is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and success often means trying different models.

RELATED: Intermittent fasting: Is restrictive eating right for you?

You'll have two "on days, where you'll consume 500-600 calories, split between breakfast and dinner. The other five days of the week are your off days, where you'll follow a healthy diet without calorie restriction. This intermittent fasting plan may help to reduce hunger and cravings and may also have beneficial impacts on insulin and C-reactive protein.

Studies show a monthly, periodic approach to fasting can help to increase longevity and reduce your risk for cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

For five consecutive days each month, consume about 35 to 50 percent of your normal calorie intake, divided between 10 percent protein, 40 percent carbohydrate and 50 percent fat. For example, if your normal intake is 1,800 calories, youll bring it down to 700 calories, and focus on lean proteins, healthy fats and high-fiber carbohydrates.

RELATED: Should you really be fasting? 3 diet myths get busted

While on any of the plans listed above, try to choose carbohydrates that are higher in protein and fiber they'll help you stay fuller, longer. Here are a few changes to make:

Dehydration is often misinterpreted as hunger. Fill yourself up by choosing calorie-free herbal tea, decaffeinated coffee and sparkling or plain water. Avoid artificially sweetened beverages, which will only increase sugar cravings and appetite.

If youre attempting a fasting diet, lack of sleep is a recipe for disaster because it negatively alters your hunger and satiety hormones. Finally, as with any new diet, have a discussion with your doctor beforehand.

Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, R.D., is the manager of wellness nutrition services at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, and the author of "Skinny Liver." Follow her on Twitter @KristinKirkpat. For more diet and fitness advice, sign up for our One Small Thing newsletter.

Original post:
6 ways to make a fasting diet work for you - Today.com

Keith Roach, To Your Health 5:43 p.m. ET March 21, 2017

Dear Dr. Roach: There was some controversy recently in a medical journal about the risk of sugar intake for heart disease. What is your take?

M.P.

Dear M.P.: There was a recent article in the Annals of Internal Medicine that evaluated recommended limits on added sugar in food. The guidelines came from the World Health Organization, Public Health England and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Although their guidelines were different, all recommended limiting added sugar intake.

The paper, which was funded by a trade group, concluded that the guidelines were based on low-quality evidence and do not meet criteria for trustworthy recommendations. Thats the controversy.

I did an extensive search of recent articles on the health effects of high-sugar diets. I found two fairly well-done trials that show a modest increase in risk of chronic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, breast cancer and gallbladder disease) in people who have higher-glycemic-index diets.

I also reviewed a companion piece in the Annals, which found evidence that studies supported by manufacturers of sugar-sweetened beverages were much more likely to find that sugar is NOT a good cause of chronic disease than studies that were independently funded.

This suggests that the sugar industry may be trying, as did the tobacco industry, to discredit work on diet. I must unfortunately conclude that the Annals review paper has a potential for conflicts of interest.

Nearly all authorities agree that excess dietary sugar is a significant risk factor, not only for the development of diabetes, but also for other serious medical conditions. I continue to recommend against excess sugar intake. However, I cant say exactly how much is safe, so I think using a guideline, such as the U.S. Health and Human Services recommendation to limit to less than 10 percent of daily calories, is rational.

Dear Dr. Roach: It seems a lot of people have high total cholesterol and take drugs for it.

But what do you think of an elderly person having a total cholesterol of 138 without taking any drugs? It seems to me this is an unhealthy situation, and somehow this person needs to do something to increase his cholesterol. How would a person do this? The stats are triglycerides 99, HDL 45 and LDL 74.

R.I.

Dear R.I.: Unfortunately, I cant answer the question, because a low cholesterol level can be either a healthy or an unhealthy finding, depending on the circumstance.

For a healthy, active elderly person of normal weight, the numbers you told me about would represent a low risk of heart disease. However, low cholesterol levels, particularly in the elderly, often go along with poor nutritional status and chronic disease. It wouldnt surprise if you told me the person you are referring to has a serious chronic illness (of almost any type).

If the person does have chronic illness, the cholesterol is a marker for a problem, not a problem in itself. Therefore, the treatment isnt increasing the cholesterol (especially with unhealthy foods); rather, the treatment should be directed at the underlying disease. If a disease is unknown but suspected, then a careful history and physical exam, with a judicious laboratory evaluation, is warranted.

Email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu.

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Doc: Authorities agree too much sugar intake is risky - The Detroit News

BRISTOL Tastes of home will fill the Sheriden Woods Health Care Center under the guidance of the new director of dining services, Matt Mazzone.

His mission is to create diets that are as close as possible to what the residents would eat at home while still following doctors considerations, such as residents with diabetes getting smaller slices of cake or pie. The center specializes in providing its patients with Lymphedema management, short-term and long-term rehabilitation, respite and hospice and dementia care.

Mazzone is motivated by making a difference to the variety of guests who he serves.

You never know if its their anniversary or even their last meal in our situation. I want to make it as memorable as possible, Mazzone said.

Its a 365 day job. Thats assumed, but it really is. You have to feed 400 meals a day, 365 days, whether there is a blizzard or other catering functions. You have to make sure they put out the top quality product to the audience, make sure deliveries are there, and that staffing is where it should be, Mazzone said.

One challenge he faces that people might not expect is as more things are easier to research online, people have a tendency to think they are more educated than professionals, Mazzone said. Sometimes he finds it difficult to explain everything from start to finish.

Everything is so accessible through cell phones, so they want things instantly and think they know better than you do, he said.

With his education and work at a country club, fine dining restaurant and an Italian restaurant, he has many years of experience contributing to his knowledge.

Mazzone didnt always know that he wanted to work in the culinary arts, but found that it was always really easy for him. He grew up watching The Food Network when it began to take off in the mid to late 90s with his dad and it inspired him.

He began to make his passion a career in the culinary program at HC Wilcox Technical High School. His next step was continuing his education by majoring in Food Service Management and minoring in Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales.

To this day, Mazzone never wants to stop learning and educating. He plans to help develop the team at Sheriden Woods and take time for self-reflection on how he can improve. His main focus in his new role is to enhance the life of the residents through the dietary program and educate and train the staff while ensuring the food quality is to the five star standards. Educating the staff will involve culinary exercises and daily group meetings.

Last year Sheriden Woods was deficiency free, according to the Department of Public Health. Mazzone would like to continue that record and improve resident satisfaction through the dietary experience he helps provide.

Continue reading here:
Sheriden Woods announces new director of dining - Bristol Press

I know youre probably thinking, Ugh, another diet Ill think about starting but never will.

But, Ill tell you right now that the Mediterranean diet probablyisnt like any other diet youve tried before.

With this diet, you dont have to give up pizza or work out for three hours every day to get results.

Itsone of thebest diets out there, and for a few good reasons.

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The Mediterranean diet encourages people to adopt eating patterns rich in fruits and vegetables, healthy fats (such as those found in fish, seafood and nuts) and whole grains.

But, a lot of fad diets do the exact same thing.

So, heres what makes the Mediterranean diet unique, and a few quick suggestions to make this diet work for you:

Many diets we know and hate try to help us lose weight by restricting calories and cutting out important food groups.

Not many of them have a built-in exercise component to go along with their healthy eating suggestions, which is why the Mediterranean diet is a definite must-try.

Its emphasis on staying active is actually what makes this diet special, and its probably why its results have proven so positive in so many people.

The Mediterranean diet pyramidincludes physical activity in its breakdown of recommendations for living a healthy lifestyle.

Experts dont just recommend 150 minutes of moderate physical activity weekly for the fun of it. Just 30 minutes of fitness five days a week can strengthen your heart, help you lose weight and curb your cravings for your go-to unhealthy snack foods.

Studies have also shown that shorter, higher-intensity workouts are much more effective than longer, lower-intensity activities.

So, you dont have to spend hours at the gym every day to be healthy. Thirty minutes is really all it often takes.

There are different kinds of processing when it comes to food.

Every food you eat, even fruits and vegetables, goes through minimal processing before it hits grocery store shelves so its safe for you to eat.

Its the heavily processed foods that are damaging to our health in the long-term (think microwave meals, frozen pizzas and even potato chips).

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Experts estimate that over half the calories Americanseat are heavily processed, but the Mediterranean diet can help you knock down your junk food cravings for good.

It lists specific kinds of foods to avoid, all of them in the heavily processed category.

Foods to avoid on the Mediterranean diet include anything containing refined grains (like breakfast cereals), added sugars and processed meats, which are linked to an increased risk of cancer.

The first question you probably ask when presented with a new diet is: Does it work?

Science has a way of disproving fad diet claims with good old-fashioned facts. The good news is, researchers have had their eyes on the Mediterranean diet for awhile, and the results will restore your faith in meal planning.

There have been a number of studies on the positive effects of the Mediterranean diet.

Results show that those who follow the diet over longer periods of time experience healthy weight loss, increased heart health and reduced risk for certain types of cancer.

1. Start slow.

A healthy diet is pretty much just a series of breaking old habits and replacing them with new ones.

Depriving yourself of all the foods youre used to eating in the beginning is the simplest recipe for failure.

Slowly introduce new foods (and a new fitness routine) into your life over the first few weeks. Give your body and your mind time to adjust.

2. Eat a variety of foods.

The biggest mistake you can make when trying a new diet even one proven to work is cooking the same three meals over and over again. It gets boring fast.

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A combination of different fruits and vegetables, proteins and whole grains at each meal will also help fill you up faster, which is super helpful when it comes to portion control and avoiding extra calories.

3. Choose fitness activities you love.

Exercise wont happen if you dread all 150 minutes of your workouts every week. Switch it up, too.

Stepping onto the treadmill every time you hit the gym has the same effect as eating salad for dinner every night. Yawn!

Do something different to keep yourself entertained while also working out different muscle groups in the process.

We may be looking at this whole diet thing all wrong. Its not about restriction or over-exercising to lose those last 10 pounds.

Its about figuring out how to make good food and enjoyable exercise happen.

Maybe this diet wont work for you, but you never know until you try.

It could be exactly what you need to slowly learn how you personally can eat healthier and work out more effectively on your own time.

Subscribe to Elite Daily's official newsletter, The Edge, for more stories you don't want to miss.

Meg Dowell is the creator of Novelty Revisions, dedicated to helping writers put their ideas into words. Follow her on Twitter @MegDowell to start learning to live a smarter, healthier life.

Read more here:
Why The Mediterranean Diet Is The Fastest Way To Lose Weight And Build Muscle - Elite Daily

As a registered dietitian , I dont believe in diet "cheat" days or meals. Well, I dont really believe in diets either, but since many people are on some diet or other, they're still worth discussing. If you are on a dietor just trying your hand at healthy eating in generaland youre indulging in cheat days or cheat meals, let me explain why I cant get on board.

Eating seems to have devolved into the territory of the morality police: good versus bad . Dirty versus clean. Cheating versus staying loyal to your eating plan. But food is just thatfoodand making it into a moral issue is unfortunately becoming the new standard.

Before we dive in, it's worth noting that as with any diet or plan, cheat days may work for some people. A piece of 2016 research in Journal of Consumer Psychology found that "cheating" on a diet can actually help you lose weight because it wards off feelings of deprivation.

But for many people, it's not that simple. Here's why.

My primary concern with cheat days is the emotional implications of morally categorizing your eating habits. Sure, you can go overboard on a cheat day and eat a ton of crap and feel physically sick from it, but I think the emotional consequences can almost be more damaging.

Meaning, if you cheat, then overcompensate out of guilt by restricting your diet for the days following the indulgence, then overeat because youre restricting, it can become a soul-sucking binge cycle. The rapid influx of sugar , fat, and refined carbohydrates that make up many cheat meals often exacerbate this, leading to an extended binge either due to guilt, that "last chance" feeling, or through the actual composition of those foods. Obviously this defeats the purpose of the cheating concept, but it can also lead to feelings of failure.

This diet merry-go-round is a common reason why diets (or cheat days/meals on diets) dont work for most people.

Restricting food for a particular day can create tension around eating and cause you to crave, then overeat, the very foods that youre trying to avoid. As anyone who has ever been on a diet knows, that forbidden-fruit feeling can be very real. Obsessing about the "bad" foods youre going to take a swan dive into once your cheat day arrives is distracting and unhealthy, not to mention often a precursor to going overboard.

If you feel like you're eating "good" foods out of obligation so you can get to the cheat days, eating becomes merely a means to an end, which is pretty much the opposite of what it should be. Finding pleasure in food and nourishing your body and soul is a healthier, more satisfying way to view food. Instead of choking down a salad and then dreaming about the many cupcakes youre going to eat on your cheat day, wouldnt it be better to eat healthy food you actually enjoy ( it doesn't have to be salad !), have a cupcake whenever you want it, and move past the whole good/bad thing?

I work from a perspective of normalizing all foods. That means that even though some foods are healthier than others, its not a big deal to have an indulgent amount of a less-healthy food every day, then just get over it. Treating yourself often enough can defuse the attractiveness of those "forbidden" foods.

My clients find that eating this way is not only easier and more enjoyable, it also has no bad repercussions on their weight. On the contrary, it makes eating an overall healthy diet simpler because theyre stepping away from the obsessive "can't have this" mindset. No foods are off-limits and only allowed when you're cheating, aka being "bad." Think of it as the 80/20 or 90/10 rule. Im all for it.

If cheat days work for you and are helping you get closer to your health and fitness goals, thats great, and by all means you should continue with them! But if you feel that method isn't working for you, try a different approach. The best diet is one that you can live with for the long term.

Keep in touch with me on Twitter , Instagram , and Facebook . For diet reviews, blog posts, and recipes, check out Abby Langer Nutrition .

You may also like: How To Make Healthy High-Protein Avocado Boats

Continue reading here:
Why 'Cheat' Meals Can Actually Sabotage Your Healthy-Eating Goals - SELF

If you havent seen it thrown around Reddit, you might have heard itballyhooed by a gym bro: ketosis just works, bro! You get to eat all the bacon and cream you can stomach, shred fat, maintain muscle, and still dominate your sport.

The very, very high-fat ketogenic diet is one of the hottest trends in nutrition, but while there are some success stories in endurance athletes, theres very little evidence in strength sports. It may be delicious, but is it a smart pick for your next meet?

Your body kicks into ketosis when carbohydrate intake is so low that the body doesnt want to use it as a fuel source. Typically, that happens when fat makes up 60 to 70 percent of overall calories, protein 20 to 30 percent, and carbs are under 50 grams per day. It usually takes less than a day for your body to start producing ketones for fuel a sure sign is when when your breath starts to smell of acetone, a ketosis by-product. (Incidentally, it kind of stinks. Like a mixture of fruit and nail polish remover, in which acetone is a key ingredient.)

If you look at one of the main fuels the body can burn, carbohydrates and fat are the main two, and a layer down are the sort of subfuels, lactate and ketones, says Dr. Mike T. Nelson, CSCS, an adjunct professor at the Carrick Institute whose PhD focused on metabolic flexibility.

Historically, ketones have not shown up in the body in enough quantities for the body to use unless youre in starvation, he explains. But you can get there via whats called a ketogenic diet. When you do that, your body will start producing ketones, which can then be used for fuel. Then youre in a state of ketosis.

Though first suggested as a therapeutic tool by the Mayo Clinic in the 1920s, it wasnt until the late 20th century that ketosis gained popularity as a tool to treat epilepsy and other brain disorders. Some research has shown that more than half of children with epilepsy who go on the diet experience at least fifty percent fewer seizures.

Thats always been its main use: therapeutic. Theres also some shakier evidence that it can help the body to fight cancerous tumors and prevent diabetes.

Its benefits like these that have spurred some corners of the health and fitness industry to try and stay in ketosis in their day-to-day lives. (Tim Ferriss has claimed it helped to cure him of Lyme disease, and he continues to cycle ketogenic phases to this day.)

It may also help folks to burn more fat while retaining muscle. Naturally, its this possibility that causedsix pack aficionadosto perk up and the diet to spread like wildfire. From there came communities like Ketogains, where some members can be found swearing up and down that all but eliminating carbs increases performance and aesthetics to unprecedented levels.

The problem is that while theres some evidence that ketosis may not be detrimental for some endurance athletes, theres very, very little clinical evidence as to whether or not it can benefit strength athletes.

But we know enough about how the body uses different energy systems to have a pretty good idea.

The short answer: low reps.

Since we dont have a lot of direct data, you have to ask what energy source are strength athletes using? says Nelson. If we look at Olympic lifting and powerlifting, its extremely explosive power, the duration of time is very short, so its primarily the ATP-CP energy system. So, ketosis in those athletes may be OK because theyre typically doing brief high output with pretty long rest periods.

He explains that if youre keeping sets at between roughly one and three reps with long rest periods of three to five minutes, this may be long enough to regenerate the ATP levels (a method of intracellular energy transfer) even if youre in ketosis.

So I would say keto is OK not great but its OK during peaking phases where volume is very low and youre having a very high intensity effort as opposed to high volume, says Dr. Mike Israetel, an assistant professor of nutrition, exercise science, and public health at Temple University and co-founder of Renaissance Periodization. The higher the total volume of work you perform in training, the more youre going to rely on glycogen and carbohydrate to potentiate that performance. In strength sports, because the work is typically not as high in duration, people can get away with lower carbs in general.

Functional fitness, strongman, and anything with high volume.

The higher the volume of training, the worse keto starts to perform, Israetel continues, saying that he would even caution against it for sets of more than six reps. CrossFit is maybe the worst category of sports for which you should try to do keto. Its an incredibly terrible mismatch.

This is because functional fitness athletes do high volumes of training and a lot of work around the lactate threshold. When exercising at a high intensity for between one and three minutes, the body primarily uses the glycolytic energy system which as the name suggests runs off of glucose. If youre in ketosis, your glycolytic system isnt running properly and your performance suffers.

Whats interesting is that ketogenic folks dont necessarily have low glycogen levels in their muscles. Remember that almost all the studies on ketogenic training have been performed on endurance athletes, and when theyre highly adapted, the glycogen levels in the muscles are often fine.

The issue is that if youre in ketosis and your body thinks it needs to be running on ketones, you may not be able to use those stored carbohydrates effectively. Even if your body has all the pieces to run its glycolytic system, it wont. (At least not well.)

Its an access issue, not the amount thats being stored, says Nelson. Its like a gas tanker truck being pulled over at the side of the road because its out of gas. Its not like theres no gas in the tanker truck, its that theres no direct line to the engine.

While the volume is typically a little lower, the same rules apply for strongman: its a sport that typically requires thirty to ninety seconds of more or less continuous output, which means its an energy system that runs best on carbs.

As the events turn from the shorter events to the longer events like stone loading, log for reps, deadlift for reps, you would pay for ketosis, says Israetel. Youll have a couple of reps missed on everything. Its not recommended for performance.

Endurance runners can sometimes manage well on ketosis because their sport is performed at a relatively low intensity, so an athlete can have some pretty decent performance using ketones as fuel. But while that may be true, there are still no world-class ultramarathoners who dont eat carbs.

Its also important to note that while it may facilitate fat loss, ketosis is probably lousy for muscle gain. Thats in part because insulin, despite misconceptions that it should be minimized at all costs, is actually highly anabolic.

In bodybuilding circles where low-carb diets like keto are the most popular, youll see an interesting relationship where theyre very popular but only in fat loss stages, says Israetel. But in muscle gain phases, very few bodybuilders stay on low carbs.

In some corners of the fitness world, runners will train in ketosis to help their bodies better learn to use fat stores for energy and then, right before an race, theyll consume a huge serving of carbohydrates. The idea is that the athlete will then be able to efficiently use both forms of fuel, and while its a nice theory, it doesnt really hold up in practice.

Research[1][6] didnt see much of a performance change, and thats probably because they gave them a whole ton of carbohydrates while the machinery to effectively use them was impaired, says Nelson, who notes that the right enzymes to effectively use carbohydrates were not present in high enough amounts. It probably takes at least a couple of days and maybe a few weeks before those enzymes are back up and running at full steam.

Ketosis makes an athlete more effective at using fat stores for energy while making him or her less efficient at using carbohydrates for energy. But in his clients (and yes, this is anecdotal), Nelson has found that a good way to produce an athlete who is efficient at using both forms of fuel is intermittent fasting.

We know that ability to use fat during rest and low intensity exercise is highly variable, ranging from 23 to 93 percent [4], he says. So some can use it much more effectively than others[2][3]. If I think someones ability to use fat is impaired, Ill have them do periods of fasting of up to twenty-four hours or even longer to get that acute change in fat use without messing up their ability to use carbohydrates to the highest degree, he says.

He has his clients do long, slow, aerobic fasted training once or even twice per day in order to minimize insulin and train their bodies to use fat as much as possible without producing the kind of enzyme changes seen in ketogenic athletes that can reduce the ability to use carbohydrates. I can give them carbs the very next day and they can still use them to a high degree, he continues. So Im not screwing up their ability to do strength and power type activities.

People have been looking for the unique benefits of cutting carbohydrates out for a long time, and outside of some benefits in diseased populations, epileptics etc. there s just no benefits, it just wont happen, says Israetel. Not surprisingly, theres no big potentiation effect in anything when you remove something from your diet. So I think that situation with keto is, can it work in some places where its not terrible? Yes. Is it an enhancer? Ive never seen anything it enhances outside of some disease conditions.

We love bacon as much as the next person, but maybe dont forget the home fries.

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Does the Ketogenic Diet Work for Strength Training? - BarBend (blog)

Theres a lot of buzz in Washington about reducing the size of the federal workforce. The release of the Trump administrations first budget gave us a better idea of the political agenda for those cuts, and many valid and popular government programs could be at risk.

Ive been reading a new book that tells a different story: A Square Meal: A Culinary History of the Great Depression focuses on the years following the crash of 1929, and how federal involvement in agriculture, welfare and nutrition shaped the nations health.

Authors Jane Ziegelman and Andrew Coe remind us that there was a time when the federal government had almost no role in the private lives of its citizens. Although there were cycles of boom and bust in the economy, individuals expected little or no help from Washington, and Washington had little or no interest in helping individuals.

The unexpected depression of food prices in the 1920s, which devastated the farm economy, seemed to have little impact on the folks who lived in cities, where urban prosperity cushioned professionals, office workers and most factory laborers from hardship. The Roaring Twenties left the farmer behind.

And the Depression only made it worse. President Hoovers platitudes about hard work were at odds with long breadlines, reports of malnutrition by social workers and school employees, and headlines about crops being left to rot in the fields because it was too expensive to harvest them.

The Red Cross became the chief distributor of welfare, mostly in the form of grains, milk and other staples, but their efforts were limited and inadequate. In New York, Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt paved the way for more centralized efforts to feed and clothe the people. Led by his welfare chief Harry Hopkins, a social worker, the push for a national effort came with the 1932 presidential election. FDR took over the White House from the hapless Hoover, and Hopkins went to Washington to implement the National Recovery Act.

Private welfare, always a somewhat stingy and unreliable form of aid, was replaced by national support for the needy, and every conceivable program promoted hard work as a condition for receiving support. With unemployment rising to 25 percent or more, the alternative to welfare would have no doubt triggered revolutions like those that had swept the Communists to power in Russia and the Nazis in Germany.

With the aid came the power to recommend what people ate. Home economists were held in high esteem, putting many people to work who had training in the scientific study of food. Many believe that improvements in diet prepared American youth to fight and win World War II.

Eleanor Roosevelt became the nations advocate and role model, adapting the White Houses menus to put on the presidents platethe same simple, cheap and often bland food that his people were eating. Privately, FDR didnt think much of it. He came to detest the housekeeper, one Mrs. Nesbitt, who watered down his favorite stew and put meatloaf on the table rather than fresh game.

The shift in diet changed America in more ways than that. Malnutrition decreased. Prior to the 1930s, farmers and factory workers focused on intake of calories. Around the turn of the 20th century, most American adult males ate at least 4,000 calories a day to retain energy for their labors. Today, most adults should eat fewerthan 3,000. The popularityof fast food and the additives that expand its production have resulted in a national crisis of obesity.

How the wave of Trump-era cuts could affect our daily lives is still unclear. But A Square Meal reminds us of the value of some federal leadership in the field of public health.

Keith Runyon is a longtime Louisville journalist and former editorial page editor for The Courier-Journal. His commentaries run every Friday on 89.3 WFPL and wfpl.org.

Excerpt from:
Commentary: How Government Intervention Changed American Diets - 89.3 WFPL

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