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When a lot of people think about weight loss, it involves giving up all the foods that you love and busting butt at the gym five days a week. If you're a lazy girl like me, you've probably tried that route and failed more times than you'd like to admit. Here's how to successfully lose weight, the lazy way.

You don't have to break up with carbs or any food group to lose weight. There is absolutely no reason to ban the things you love in order to lose weight. In fact, doing so may only increase your cravings and lead you to failure. The one thing you need to do to lose weight is eat fewer calories than you burn. Instead of giving up on foods you truly enjoy, be mindful of portions and try to balance every meal out with whole, natural foods.

What if I told you a gym membership is in no way necessary to lose weight? As long as you are watching what you eat, exercise is not even necessary to lose weight. However, if you want to speed up the process, upping the number of calories you burn is the way to go. You can do this simply by incorporating more regular movement into your day.

Take your dog for an extra walk each evening. Park farther away from your office. Switch out a night per week of binge-watching Netflix for playing badminton in the yard or taking a stroll around the neighborhood. Investing in a fitness tracker is a great way to challenge yourself to gradually increase your everyday activity level, and you can even compete with friends, if that's your thing.

Body weight can fluctuate several pounds per day, regardless of whether or not you're losing fat. Hormones, bathroom habits, and diet can all cause temporary water weight gain. Don't bother getting on the scale every day. You may find yourself discouraged or even throw in the towel completely trying to decipher the ever-changing number you face. Pick a day of the week and a time of day. That's when you'll weigh in each week. Then, put the scale away and do not touch it again until your weigh-in day comes around next week.

You can drink juice, soda, and alcohol and still lose weight. However, you'll quickly realize that these items should be categorized as treats rather than daily drinks, due to their high caloric content. Water, unsweetened tea, or diet beverages (if you're OK with artificial sweeteners) are your new best friends. They will help you feel full between meals and aid with digestion, which can sometimes struggle to adjust to dietary changes.

Losing weight is simple, but that does not mean it is easy. Search online for weight-loss support groups

that embrace practical, safe (and yes, "lazy") approaches to achieving your goal. Like-minded supporters in your corner means you'll be more likely to reach out for advice in those inevitable moments of frustration instead of reaching out for extra-large fries at the nearest drive-through.

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The Lazy Girl's 5-Step Guide to Weight Loss - POPSUGAR

WFAA 2:57 PM. CDT July 31, 2017

istock(Photo: Leoshoot)

8 Mental Hurdles Keeping You from Losing Weight

By Melody Foster

Its easy to identify the tangible reasons youre not losing weight. Eating too much (or too little), eating the wrong kinds of foods, stress eating, not getting enough exercise (or exercising too much but not getting enough nutrition) can cause you to gain weight or make it difficult to lose weight.

Whats harder to put your finger on are the psychological factors that come into play and the ways in which your mental state and emotions may be holding you back from reaching your goal. If you are overweight and are ready to lose weight, its time to address these psychological hurdles preventing you from shedding those unwanted pounds.

Youve Developed Bad Habits It may be the little things you do day in and day out the daily habits you do without thinking, such as not getting enough sleep, drinking too much coffee, not drinking enough water, grabbing a handful of candy on your way past your co-workers desk, hitting up the drive-thru on your way home, your evening cocktail that are keeping you from losing weight. Not only do you need to learn to recognize these habits, but understand the underlying cause that may be the driving force for these habits. Evaluate your emotions and circumstances surrounding these habits. Address those context clues to help you break the cycle of bad habits and replace them with new, healthier habits, such as exercising when youre stressed, rather than reaching for another glass of wine.

You Worry About What Others Think If youre more worried about being accepted and not offending those around you, then you may struggle to make the choices that are right for you and your health goals. Its time to learn you dont have to say yes to every invitation to Happy Hour or to eat the cookies your coworker brought to work today. When you do find yourself in social situations, have a plan of attack. Drink water, situate yourself as far from the food as you can, and focus on conversations with those around you rather than the buffet of food thats in front of you. Over time, youll learn that most people dont notice and youre not as strange as you think.

Youre Afraid of Fat Say it with me, all fat is not bad. Weve been so conditioned to assume all fat is bad, but there is such a thing as healthy fats, and consuming a high fat, low carb diet can be healthy. Eating the right amounts of healthy fats such as fatty fish like salmon, hummus, avocado, Greek yogurt, grass-fed beef, coconut oil and nut butters can help improve your blood cholesterol levels and lower your risk of developing heart disease. You may even find that when you watch your carbs and eat the right amounts of fat, youll have more energy and lose weight more quickly.

Youre an Emotional Eater Were all guilty of eating for comfort from time to time. Its ingrained in our culture. We both celebrate and mourn with food. When youre stressed or upset, eating food can make you feel better, but developing a habit of emotional eating will only lead you down the road to obesity. If youre struggling with emotional eating, talk to your doctor or seek help from a psychologist who may be able to help you address the underlying issues of your comfort eating.

Youre Too Embarrassed to Go to the Gym First of all, its important to remember that everyone at the gym is there because they are trying to lose weight, build muscle or simply stay healthy. And many of them are just as self-conscious as you. Dont be so embarrassed by what you see in the mirror that you hold yourself back from changing your reflection. Schedule an appointment with a personal trainer who can help you develop a plan that suits your body type, abilities and needs. Working with a trainer can also help give you the confidence you need to make exercising a habit. If you cant overcome your fear of the gym, dedicate yourself to working out at home, going on regular hikes or bike rides. Theres plenty you can do outside the gym to get your workout in.

Youve Given Up As long as you have breath in your lungs, its never too late to get healthy. Hitting a weight loss plateau is completely normal, and its even normal for a stall to last months on end. When you have a lot to lose, the weight may fall off quickly at first, but those last 10 or 20 pounds could take months. Although this is discouraging, do not give up. Stay focused on the milestones youve accomplished. Keep working at improving your fitness level and take measurements, as it isnt uncommon to lose inches while the number on the scale stays the same. Stay committed and you will reach your goal.

You Have an All-or-Nothing Mindset Having one bad day doesnt mean youve fallen off the bandwagon altogether. Dont bail because you cant afford what you deem to be the healthiest food. Simply make better choices with what you have in front of you, and youll reap the benefits. Its possible to be less than perfect and still lose weight.

You Play the Comparison Game Its instinct to constantly compare ourselves to others, but that doesnt mean its healthy. Basing your choices on other peoples experiences will keep you running from one diet or fitness plan to the next. Stop worrying about what your friend is doing and instead focus on what works (or doesnt work) for you.

If you need help finding a weight loss solution that works for you, contact Nicholson Clinic today.

About the Author

Melody Foster is a Dallas-based freelance writer and contributing author to the Nicholson Clinic blog. Melody researches and creates content for clients in industries ranging from health care, fitness and nutrition to interior decorating, legal and social good.

2017 WFAA-TV

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8 Mental Hurdles Keeping You from Losing Weight - WFAA

Carbohydrates are the macronutrient that fuels your body. In fact, they represent over 50 percent of Americas daily calories. Carbs are a complicated mixture of sugars, nutrients, fiber and calories. But all carbs are not created equally. Too much pasta, cookies and starchy carbs can lead you down the road to stress, weight gain and overall poor health. So, when I found myself packing on the pounds, depressed and retaining water due to a sluggish thyroid, I decided to go cold turkey literally.

For some, cutting out carbs may seem drastic. For me, I needed to see positive changes, fast. When it comes to dieting, Im more of a fast and furious type of gal. After a drastic reduction in carbs I noticed some extreme changes in my body and health. Some were awesome and motivated me to push on. Others, not so awesome, which is why I only chose to follow this diet for one month.

The carbs I chose to cut from my diet included sugar (and anything that contains sugar), potatoes and all starchy vegetables, rice and pasta, wheat breads, crackers and cookies, legumes, fruit, milk and of course all junk food. Although, I cut out the starchy and sugary carbs from my diet, I still included lots of healthy greens like broccoli, kale and spinach. I also indulged in homemade ground almond or coconut flour biscuits. However, I also eliminated any extra salt from my diet, and even avoided salty foods like bacon and processed meat. Heres what happened.

For someone like myself who struggles to lose a pound due to hypothyroidism, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself losing weight, quickly. In fact, in the first week, I lost eight pounds! I know what youre thinking water weight. Lets face it, we are much more diet-savvy these days. So, its understandable that critics of low-carb diets would suggest the weight loss is attributed to water weight. And they would be right, at first anyway. But, thats not such a bad thing. Retained water can add 10, 20 or more pounds to a persons body, depending on how large the person is.

The initial weight loss is exciting and a definite motivator, but it eventually slows to one, two or three pounds per week. By reducing calorie-dense carbs, you reduce the calories you consume daily, which forces your body to burn fat stored around your midsection. After one month, I lost 19 pounds in total!

After long days in front of the computer, it was common for me to look down and see that my feet were somewhat swollen. The Mayo Clinic suggests that mild cases of edema or water weight may be the result of sitting or staying in one position for too long, eating too much salty food and even premenstrual symptoms. For me, it was all the above. I propped my tootsies up and tried various herbs, but nothing seemed to relieve the swelling. However, when I cut carbs from my diet, I noticed that my feet no longer swelled up.

Theres good reason for that. Diets high in carbs and sodium force the body to store water between cells. The average person retains about 1.5 pounds of water weight just from carbs on a regular basis. When you overdo the carbs, your body naturally increases water. But, your body doesnt really need this extra water. So, when you cut out carbs, your body eliminates the excess water, resulting in weight loss.

When you cut carbs to the bare minimum, your body enters a state called ketosis, where your start burning fat for fuel instead of the usual carbs. Funny thing about ketosis, it turns your breath a bit funky. And, since it comes from within, no amount of brushing or flossing can change that.

No surprise here, sugar is highly addictive and extremely difficult to quit. Ive never smoked, but I imagine that it may be as difficult as quitting cigarettes. In fact, it may be worse. And boy did I struggle through cravings. One study from France shows that sugar addiction may induce reward and craving that are comparable in magnitude to those induced by addictive drugs. In retrospect, cutting carbs and increasing good fat is probably one of the healthiest and easiest ways to quit sugar. After one month, sugar had lost its appeal. I now prefer natural sweeteners and rarely choose processed sugar.

Few carbs and too much protein left me bloated and constipated. I was no longer getting the fiber I was used to and that meant I was no longer regular. Its probably the worst thing I experienced when cutting carbs. However, a little senna tea went a long way for relieving my symptoms.

When youve been living off carbs as a primary fuel source, its no wonder that your body needs to adjust to a low-carb diet. If it wasnt for my morning coffee, you probably would have found me snoring, face-down on my keyboard. When carbs are limited, the body begins to feel weak and energy becomes depleted. As your body adjusts to the lack of carbs, it soon switches from burning carbohydrates for fuel to burning fat. This requires extra energy, which not only left me feeling lethargic but also a little brain dead.

My brain needed carbs to stimulate the production of the mood-regulating hormone serotonin. When I removed carbs from my diet I felt irritable. And Im clearly not alone on this one. An Australian study published in JAMA evaluated overweight adults. They found that those who followed a strict low-carb diet for one year reported more crankiness compared to those who followed a higher-carb, low-fat diet, even though both groups lost similar amounts of weight.

Theres something to be said for taking control of your diet, rather than allowing your diet to control you. The simple (or not so simple) act of eliminating carbs gave me back a sense of control that my diet was sorely missing. Yes, there were cons to eliminating carbs from my diet, but for what its worth, it also gave me a sense of empowerment.

Katherine Marko

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I Cut Carbs Out Of My Diet For 30 Days, Here's What Happened - The Alternative Daily (blog)

The Three Requirements before Starting Weight Loss Programn (healthcentral)

JAKARTA, NETRALNEWS.COM - Many people think that when they want to lose weight quickly, they must do lot of physical activity. Whereas according to dr. Rika Haryono, SpKO, sports medicine specialist, lose weight quickly will be very dangerous for the body.

So the recommended weight loss is gradually and still maintaining the rules of health. Excessive weight loss, eg with excessive exercise can cause muscle injury.

While an unbalanced diet causes indigestion, to take slimming drugs that can cause interference in the body.

There are at least three conditions a person needs to meet to lose weight. The first condition is indeed a condition of weight gain and obesity. The second requirement is to do diet and exercise properly and correctly.

While the third condition is to commit and responsibility to yourself so that goal can be achieved.

Then, the speed of weight loss was no normal physiology. To get rid of fats that already stick in the body requires a time of burning metabolism, which requires physical activity.

If weight loss is too fast, it is feared not fat loss, but water or other components in the body such as glycogen or muscle reserves.

In addition, weight loss too quickly will make the body surprised. As a result metabolism becomes slower and weight loss becomes bad. If the weight loss program is done properly then it will not cause side effects that endanger the body.

But if done wrongly, such as not consuming enough energy and other nutrients it can cause the body to experience hypoglycemic or blood sugar levels fall below normal. This is what makes the body weak, shaking, even fainted.

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The Three Requirements before Starting Weight Loss Program - Netralnews

I'd always believed that things like coconut oil and olive oil were part of a healthy diet. I ate them regularly with just about every meal I cooked with olive oil, spread coconut oil on my toast, and drizzled avocado oil on my hummus. A few months ago, though, I learned that oil is technically not part of a whole-foods, plant-based diet. I was shocked to learn that there was virtually no nutritional value to the oils that we're so used to eating on a daily basis.

Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT, a plant-based dietician and health and fitness expert, confirmed that this is true. "Oils are a processed food," Hever told POPSUGAR. "Basically, the fat is stripped out of the intact food (be it an olive, coconut, or avocado), leaving behind the fiber and many other nutrients."

Hever also reminded us that oil "contains 120 calories per tablespoon, almost 2,000 calories per cup!" But even worse than that, there isn't any satiating fiber in oil, so eating oil regularly is an easy way to consume way more calories than your body needs and that can quickly lead to weight gain.

This was hard for me to believe at first, but I decided to go cold turkey and cut out all oil from my diet. It was strange at the beginning. I thought I wouldn't be able to roast vegetables or even saut an onion. You'd be surprised, though, to find that lots of foods release their own natural water or oil, so you don't even need something like olive oil to cook most things. For example, onion naturally contains oil that's responsible for its smell and taste, and you can see it being slightly released when you saut it in a pan with nothing else. Besides, if I felt like some foods were sticking too much to the pan while I was cooking, I would simply add a little bit of water.

After two months of eating no oil at home and very little oil while eating out, I noticed my belly was a bit flatter than it was before. It was a small change, but it was a gradual one that became more noticeable over time.

That being said, healthy fats are an important part of our diet, and Hever says we shouldn't ignore them completely. "The best food sources of healthy, disease-fighting fats are nuts and seeds," she said. "We only need about one to two ounces a day to meet our essential fatty acid requirements." You can also opt in for some avocado in your dish rather than cooking with oil.

I upped my intake of avocado after I gave up oil, while also logging in all my food to the macros app on my phone to make sure I was getting enough healthy fats. Between avocado, almonds, and chia and flaxseeds, I was getting more than enough of what I needed.

"Because of their high caloric density, I recommend minimizing intake of oils," Hever said. It could save you a lot of empty calories that you really don't need.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Anna Monette Roberts

Continued here:
I Cut This Out of My Diet to Lose Weight, and No, It's Not Carbs - POPSUGAR

Morgan Bartley says she had always been the chubby girl.

I was overweight as young as I can remember, says the Instagram star, who is featured in the current issue of PEOPLE.

But Bartley says her weight-gain accelerated after ovarian torsion caused her to lose an ovary at the age of 12 and have surgery to untwist her remaining ovary at the age of 14. The Southern California native began experiencing menopausal symptoms and went from overweight to obese. Told she might never have kids, she developed depression and a binge-eating disorder, gaining 70 lbs. in a year.

Life has been hard, she says. It was all things I couldnt control.

At 17, Bartley weighed almost 300 lbs. Then she resolved to lose weightand post every step of the way on her Instagram account, @morganlosing.

I realized, Theres so many things that I want to do in my life, and Ill be damned if my weight is the thing that prevents me,' she says.

As followers cheered her on (she has 152,000 on Instagram and 16,000 subscribers on YouTube), Bartley, now 20, slimmed down to 175 lbs.

At times the support Ive received has been the only thing thats kept me going, she says.

Bartley had tried many diets since age 10, but posting photos helped her keep the weight off, she says. If everyone knew I was trying to lose weight, Id feel accountable.

She got a trainer, went on a high-protein, low-carb diet and lost 25 lbs. before getting a vertical-sleeve gastrectomy, which reduced the size of her stomach, in August 2015.

FROM PEN:Half Their Size: Christina Jordan on the Moment She Decided to Lose Weight

Theres been controversy along the way: In March Instagram apparently deleted one of her posts featuring before-and-after swimsuit shots (including the one above), possibly because other users found them inappropriate.

It sucks some people express negativity, she wrote. I look pretty freakin bomb in a bathing suit, and thats after a lifetime of letting insecurities hold me back from experiencing life.

The post was quickly restored.

Bartley had excess skin removed in 2016 and wants to have a full body lift once she reaches her goal weight of about 145 lbs.

Shes now working at a fitness studio and getting certification as a personal trainer, and she has switched her college major from child development to business so she can capitalize on her online following and create a company that helps others lose weight.

I want to help people change their lives, says Bartley, who had her eggs frozen and hopes to one day start a family. I feel thats what Im supposed to do with my life.

Go here to read the rest:
She Lost 100 Lbs. with the Help of Instagram! - PEOPLE.com

Monday, July 31, 2017 4:30 PM UTC

Many of us are always looking for the easiest way to lose a few extra pounds. Whether you are trying to slim down for beach season, or trying to fit into a slightly too tight wedding dress, dieting seems like the best option. Although healthy eating and exercise are the best ways to lose weight, fad diets sound appealing with their promises of overnight success, but which ones really work and which ones will leave you disappointed?

What is a Fad Diet?

A fad diet can be defined as any diet that promises quick weight loss through a diet that is considered unhealthy or unbalanced. Fad diets are usually targeted at those who want a quick fix to weight loss and dont really like to exercise. While some dieters claim to lose weight overnight with a fad diet, it isnt always fat that they are losing, but water weight instead.

So why are fad diets so appealing if there are many claims showing that they are not that effective? This is because some fad diets do work. The ones that restrict certain foods or the amount of calories one consumes will cause the body to burn fat but the diet must include exercise. That, and the sometimes-bland food choices, make fad diets difficult to follow for more than a month or so. Factor in the fact that fad diets could be harmful to your health and you have to question why eating right and exercising frequently arent chosen.

Determining if Your Diet is a Fad Diet

To determine if a diet you are considering is a fad diet, you should ask yourself these questions:

Does it promise quick weight loss?

Does it sound too good to be true?

Does it help sell a companys product?

Does it lack valid scientific research to support its claims?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, the diet is probably a fad diet. There are many fad diets to choose from and when most people choose one, they look for the diet that sounds easiest or that offers the foods they like best. This is one reason that many people fail when dieting. They want to still eat the same way that they are used to and lose weight.

Some Common Examples of Fad Diets

There are many different fad diets to choose from and some are better than others at effectively helping you to lose weight. Here are some of the more popular fad diets in the UK.

High-Protein Diets

High protein diets require that you eat large amounts of protein and little else. This may sound like a good idea since protein is good for you after all, but in fact, it could be dangerous to your health.

Eating too much protein can actually harm your kidneys and liver and protein alone doesnt build muscle. Proper diet and working out with weights does.

Liquid Diets

A liquid diet cuts out everything that is a solid food and could mean that you are missing vital nutrients and fibre in your diet. These nutrients are what keeps you healthy and helps to prevent disease.

Grapefruit Diet

Restrictive diets such as this one requires that you eat one type of food and one type of food only. As with the liquid diet, you could be missing out on nutrients and some much-needed calories that grapefruit doesnt offer.

Fasting

Fasting is a very dangerous diet that should be avoided. Even though the scientific research is there, losing weight this way could cause you to become dizzy, fatigued or very sick. Plus, when you fast, your body goes into starvation mode and slows down your metabolism. This, in turn, reduces the number of calories you will burn.

Problems Associated with Fad Diets

Fad diets may help you lose weight quickly, but the weight loss is usually short lived. Are the risks worth the reward for some people? Before you answer that, lets take a look at some of the risks and problems that are associated with fad diets:

Keeping all of this in mind, do fad diets have any positive attributes? We can clearly see that they work at helping people lose weight quickly but often that weight comes back just as quickly. One factor that we can see as a positive for fad diets is that they can be used to educate people as to how poorly they are eating and to give them some food choices and diet plans that may work for them. We can also say that the initial weight loss can be a good motivator for someone just starting a diet and exercise plan.

So, what is the best way to lose weight and keep it off? A healthy diet and regular exercise are proven effective and have already helped people across the UK lose weight successfully. Dont like to work out? Make your workout fun by using a mini trampoline designed especially for those who want to work out but dont have the time to go to the gym.

Dont like to eat healthy? Try it just a couple of days per week at first and slowly incorporate it into your diet routine. Studies show that those who choose to eat healthy all at once, often fail at sticking to their diets. By adding in healthy choices whenever possible and slowly, you will have greater success and you will begin to see a difference in your weight.

If you are considering a fad diet, consult your physician beforehand to ensure that you are healthy enough to take on such a drastic lifestyle change.

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Do Fad Diets Really Work? - EconoTimes

After decades of pushing single plans and products that didnt prove effective for a large chunk of the population, the health and wellness industry is finally zeroing in on more precise solutions tailored to the individual.

Heres a look at some of the latest programs, tools and products designed to take your overall health to the next level.

Viome, a Silicon Valley startup founded by tech billionaire Naveen Jain, uses an analysis of the microorganisms in your gut microbiome, as well as your metabolism and the proteins in your blood to make create personalized dietary recommendations that he says will enhance biochemistry, promote weight loss and ward off disease.

The new service delivers test kits that collect information through stool samples, saliva and blood glucose testing. The results and dietary recommendations are delivered via a consumer app. Follow-up tests kits track progress.

Cost: $59 a month for a yearlong plan, or an upfront annual discount of $599. Viome.com

Viome / Viome

Viome, a Silicon Valley startup founded by tech billionaire Naveen Jain, uses an analysis of the microorganisms in your gut microbiome, as well as your metabolism and the proteins in your blood to make personalized dietary recommendations to balance that biochemistry, enhance weight loss and ward off disease.

Viome, a Silicon Valley startup founded by tech billionaire Naveen Jain, uses an analysis of the microorganisms in your gut microbiome, as well as your metabolism and the proteins in your blood to make personalized dietary recommendations to balance that biochemistry, enhance weight loss and ward off disease. (Viome / Viome)

Getting a workout plan from your gym is certainly a start, but what if it doesnt work for your body? TRX, maker of the popular suspension trainer, has launched TRX MAPS, which analyzes your individual mobility, muscle activation, posture and symmetry to prescribe a better workout just for you. The unit scans your body as you squat and in 22 seconds delivers a digital assessment of your bodys weak areas to your smartphone. This information can be used by a trainer to tailor daily workouts to address these deficiencies and to help clients avoid injuries. Fitness enthusiasts also can get their own customized workouts to stretch and strengthen these areas on their own via the TRX consumer app.

Its very tailored to the individual user, says Paul Zadoff, TRX president. We can show you how to train better and get fit more quickly. But just as important, he says, we can make you more durable.

Cost: Varies with the gym. App subscription is $4.99 a month. Get.TrxTraining.com

TRX / TRX

TRX, maker of the popular suspension trainer, is launching a new in-gym innovation in mid-July called TRX MAPS, which analyzes your individual mobility, muscle activation, posture and symmetry to prescribe a better workout for you. The unit scans your body as you squat, and in 22 seconds delivers its digital assessment of your body's weak areas to your smartphone.

TRX, maker of the popular suspension trainer, is launching a new in-gym innovation in mid-July called TRX MAPS, which analyzes your individual mobility, muscle activation, posture and symmetry to prescribe a better workout for you. The unit scans your body as you squat, and in 22 seconds delivers its digital assessment of your body's weak areas to your smartphone. (TRX / TRX)

Fitness tracking is getting more individualized too, so that all of that activity you engage in, from spinning to yoga to house cleaning, now counts toward your fitness goal. Rather than shooting for the traditional one-size-fits-all 10,000 steps, Mio Globals Slice fitness tracker looks at your overall daily effort.

It translates heart rate data from its bracelet into a single personal activity intelligence (PAI) score, so any effort that gets your heart rate up increases your score and helps you reach a personalized goal, which changes as your fitness improves. The idea is to try to keep your individual PAI score above 100 each day to decrease your risk of disease and increase your lifespan. The algorithms behind PAI use a host of factors from age to gender to resting heart rate and are derived from the Hunt Study, which tracked outcomes for 45,000 individuals over 25 years, pinpointing the activity threshold necessary for greater health.

Cost: $129. MioGlobal.com

Mio Global / Mio Global

Mio Global's Slice fitness tracker.

Mio Global's Slice fitness tracker. (Mio Global / Mio Global)

Trying to go Whole 30? Not sure whether the Mediterranean diet is right for you? Prepared meal delivery service Territory (formerly called Power Supply) allows you to filter prepared meals by nutrients, calories and diet programs (Paleo, low carb, etc.) and get deliveries up to twice a week. You can also filter your picks at the outset to avoid ingredients that are problematic for you.

Price: Meals start at $10.50. Shipping is $4.99, or free if picked up at local gyms. TerritoryFoods.com

Johnny Jaquez / Territory

Grilled salmon, by Territory.

Grilled salmon, by Territory. (Johnny Jaquez / Territory)

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Maybe this is why you can't lose the weight - Los Angeles Times

The wind is cold, the rain hurling in my face is even colder, and about the only upside to the frigid January temperatures is that Im too numb to feel the blood oozing out of my ear. A class of bewildered schoolchildren and their teachers on a nature ramble are looking askance at us and its all I can do not to put on a Christopher Lloyd voice and yell Its a science experiment!

Were on a local climb with one bike, five kilos of lead weights, a five kilo weighted vest and a very cold scientist, Paul Hough, who leads the physiology team at St Marys University and wrote Advanced Personal Training: Science to Practice.

In keeping with his work in that book, were taking some of the science of climbing out of the lab and onto the road where it will actually be applied. In the run up to a hilly event such as Velothon Wales, its easy to become obsessed with saving weight for the climbs, but unless you have a body fat percentage in single figures and a bike that you needed a mortgage to buy, theres a good chance youll face the cyclists dilemma: with limited time and resources available, is it better to lose weight from me or the bike?

My first run was with the weight vest

Cycling Plus deputy editor Paul Robson and I will take turns to dash up the 1.5km climb at rather more than our comfortable pace, equipped with heart rate monitors, power meters and a stopwatch. My first run will be with the weight vest, after which Paul will do the same ride on a bike adorned with kilo weights in the bottle cages and frame bag.

After that it will be my turn with the weighted bike and his turn with the vest. The tests are done in that particular order so that excess spikes in our blood lactate will be highlighted there will be a natural increase in blood lactate in our second runs due to the lactate generated by the first climb, but by making sure that were not working in identical patterns well be able to see if there are spikes rather than natural climbs in our levels, and relate them back to the load being carried.

Paul pops on the five kilo weighted vest

Paul Hough will be taking blood samples from our earlobes immediately after each climb and relating them to the other data. So our rides arent influenced by watching power figures, the Garmin is taped up to hide the stats that Hough will use to analyse our performance.

Armed with a roll of biohazard tape I head down the hill to prepare the course, marking a start line 1.6km from the top and a warm-up line a few hundred yards further down, allowing us to shake off inertia and start turning the gear over before hitting the second mark and starting to go harder.

From the moment I start to push its apparent that something is off kilter. This is a familiar climb, and although Im pushing a bit harder than I normally would, Im not seeing as much of a return on the effort as Id expect. It feels like theres just a tiny bit more resistance than usual, as if the air were denser.

As I round the first bend I knock it down a gear and find a rhythm at a slightly slower cadence than usual. Im not labouring over the climb, Im making a sustainable effort, but Im slower and less comfortable. As I approach the next bend I become aware of an ache in my lower back, and as I round the corner I find myself unexpectedly puffing and blowing, my ribs stretching the straps of the weight vest with each inhalation.

Kilo weights are loaded into the bikes saddlebag

Its not a terrible experience, and certainly not one that would stop me if I were in the middle of a long ride, but as I come to a halt at the top of the hill Im aware that a climb that I usually take great pleasure in was no fun at all.

As Paul Hough scratches a drop of blood from my ear and notes down the readings from the Garmin, I explain to Paul Robson where to find the warm up and start markers, and he begins loading the weighted bags and bidons onto the bike for his first ascent.

Its slightly embarrassing how quickly hes back in the picnic area thats serving as our impromptu phlebotomy lab. His ascent has been two minutes and 37 seconds faster than mine. The question is, how much is that down to our respective difference in fitness, and how much is due to the difference in where weve carried our extra 5kg?

We rode blind, basing our performance on feel, rather than any specific power numbers

Having discarded the vest, swabbed my ears and remounted the bike, I start my second run. The difference is instantly apparent. The weighted bike is stodgier, with the back wheel feeling fixed in place while the front roves back and forth, but for all that its marginally less nimble, its no less sprightly. Im quickly up to speed, spinning comfortably, my cadence a little higher, my speed a little faster, and all for less effort.

Unlike the first ascent, the climb is fun again. Not unlike the first run, Paul proceeds to smash my time to bits on his second run. A second round of ear-piercing follows and then, in true cyclist fashion, we head to the cafe to eat cake and talk about our ride.

By the pricking of my my... earlobes? That wasnt in Macbeth

The first thing we discover is that the lactate tests imply (but dont prove) that any build up is natural, rather than affected by the location of the weight. My figures climbed from 5.6mmol/L to 10.6mmol/L between the first and second rides, while Pauls went from 3.6 to 11.3, despite the tests being carried out in the opposite order.

Your vest score was lower than with the bike says Hough, and with Paul it was the opposite. Thats why we do a counterbalance if youd both gone with the vest or bike first, it might have looked like the spike related specifically to that. On a cold day like this, the blood flow is less, so the lactate isnt shuttled back into the muscle and recycled.

Poring over the data, it becomes apparent that theres comparatively little in it. Regardless of whether the weight was on the bike or the body, our average power outputs never varied by more than a few watts, and our average heart rates were broadly similar for both climbs. The weighted bike run saw my cadence increase by about 9rpm, while Pauls barely varied between runs, increasing by just 3rpm.

Three brains stare at the numbers and conclude that, yes, Paul is that slow

What is noticeable is that in both cases the climb with the weight on the body was faster than with it on the bike, in my case by a statistically insignificant two seconds, but in Pauls case by 16 seconds having extra weight on the bike apparently costs him around a second every hundred yards of climbing.

For a lot of cyclists that last point would represent the only part of the data that mattered, and yet it throws into sharp relief the contrast the tests revealed: It was much harder and less enjoyable with the vest on, says Paul. I definitely noticed the weight more when it was on me, even though I was technically faster. I noticed the weight on the bike, but when the weight was on me the bike felt light and I felt much worse.

The placement of the weight has comparatively little effect on the physiological numbers, seems to have a small effect on the speed, but has a huge effect on the perception of the effort.

We both dealt with the extra weight on the bike better than the extra weight on our bodies

Both Paul and I had a miserable time lugging bodyweight up the hill, but were perfectly happy when dealing with extra bike weight. Over the course of a long, hilly event, avoiding that misery might be worth more than potentially being a little bit faster, especially as that misery took a physical form during my bodyweight ride I had a burning ache in my back, a discomfort Paul noticed slightly later too.

Thats the ergonomic effect of carrying weight, explains Hough. Often, if youre overweight youre more likely to have lower back problems, especially when cycling, because in that position theres more load on the spine. Also, if youre an overweight cyclist its not just about the weight, its about surface area. If youre carrying a lot more body fat youre less aerodynamic as well. Thats an additive effect: not only is your power-to-weight ratio lower, but youve also got more drag, so thats going to make you slower as well.

It turns out that losing weight from your body rather than your bike could be a better investement

Depending on what your body fat percentage is, I think it would be better to lose weight off yourself rather than focus on the bike too much. Its a bigger investment in both time and effort, but over the long term its a better price to pay. Less drag, better long-term health outcomes, and it can improve your training by improving your vitality.

Often when you try to lose body fat you clean up your diet, and with a better diet training adaptations can be better as well. The process of losing body fat has all sorts of little additive benefits.

Thats all well and good, but there are very few cyclists who arent also bike-fetishists, and hearing a physiologist suggest that theres more benefit in working on your body than your bike can be disheartening, but fear not according to Hough losing weight off the body can justify buying a lighter bike...

Weve tested people in the lab who come in with ceramic bearings and two-grand wheels, and its obvious that they could have lost a couple of kilos to make those same gains, but if you get your body in its best shape possible, the benefits when you move to a better bike with better components will be exponential.

This feature was supported by Velothon Wales.

This article was originally published in Cycling Plus magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.

Here is the original post:
Losing weight from your bike or your body which makes you faster? - BikeRadar.com

How many of us have pledged to eat more healthily and exercise on a regular basis only to find that we are very soon falling into our old methods of eating and lazing around on the couch? Rather than make empty promises and go cold turkey on all the foods and drinks that we love (the recipe for all diet failings!) there is a new approach that we can take that will allow us to lose weight easily.

Surgical intervention

If you are looking for a quick fix solution to streamlining your silhouette, whether you are male or female, one of the ways in which you can do this is through undergoing vaser lipo. This method of fat removal is far less invasive than what we may know of in the traditional sense of liposuction. The targeted fat removal of this process means that less damage is done to the areas you want to remove fat from and thus means there is less needed for recovery and virtually no scarring too.

Reduce how much you eat out

While eating out can offer you the chance to catch up with friends, avoid doing the washing up and make for an easy dinner solution, it can actually make it that much easier for you to pile on the pounds! Eating out less will allow you to make better food choices and probably end up eating something far healthier at work. If you should have to eat out then why not consider swapping a bowl of pasta for a chicken salad instead?

Out of sight, out of mind

Many people have proven the fact that it is much easier to feel better about yourself and lose weight when you stop stocking the house with snacks and confectionary. When you have a preserve of chocolate or crisps in the house or in the drawer at home of course you will be more tempted to snack. Through removing temptations from your living space you will find that you start dropping weight off easily.

Have breakfast

While a lot of people tend to blame their busy working lives on missing breakfast perhaps they should reconsider missing when they find out that they could actually be adding to their weight as opposed to it helping them lose it. Through eating a healthy 300 calorie breakfast you will be better able to not only concentrate but last longer before having to snack or eat more than you usually would for lunch.

Stop smoking

One of the best ways to lose weight quickly and easier as well as improving the overall wellbeing of your body is to quit smoking. Smoking not only has a devastating impact to almost every part of your body but it also prevents you from working out to your fullest potential as your lungs are weaker and can take in less oxygen.

Regardless of what steps you take to lose weight just be sure to gradually introduce more healthy habits into your day to day life. This will ensure that your weight loss is not only consistent but for the long term too!

Read more:
How to Lose Weight Easily - Times Square Chronicles (press release) (registration)

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