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I didnt need any weighing scales to tell me Id gained weight, my belt and clothes had dutifully informed me of that, but I still winced when faced with the truth that Id gained 1st (6kg).

For a moment I wondered would giving the scales a quick kick while telling it how evil it is make me feel better? No, shooting the messenger would not help. It was just another measurement instrument and, like the measuring tape I had flung on the floor minutes earlier, was not conspiring to tell me lies.

Clearly, the fault of this weight gain lay with my injured right foot the destroyer of all my goals, plans and progress Id made. I scowled down at my foot, still bandaged and looking back at me smugly after two months of demanding my attention every day. But I knew where the fault truly lay. I apologetically picked up the tape, nudged the scales gently back under the press and let out a long, exasperated sigh while collapsing on to the couch knowing the real cause of the weight gain was down to me, my own mindset and resulting actions. Life is unpredictable and Id reacted with silly self-pity and frustration when derailed from my plans with an injury.

I was annoyed with what I had done, but looking back now Im glad it happened as it was a lesson I needed to learn from. I needed to take time to figure out new strategies to cope with setbacks in life as that will matter most long term for my future health and well-being.

A few weeks ago the injury signals started to appear to remind me to prioritise looking after my health again, and Id mostly ignored them being wrapped up in peak self-pity mode. Ive significantly changed my relationship with my body, mind and food over the last two years and lost more than 3st 7lb (22kg).

I have spent the time since ingraining healthier habits into my daily routine so they became automatic. Over months, step by step, I introduced healthier behaviours to replace my many bad habits, which included skipping meals, binge-eating, treating exercise as punishment for eating to excess and restrictive fad diets. Progress was gradual but the results were long lasting and, surprisingly, it all became more enjoyable as the weeks passed.

The old me would have avoided the reality of my current weight gain for many more months, and not spoken about it, while letting thoughts of guilt, shame and anger lurking around my mind fester and silently torment me. It has taken time but realising that although Im confident and happy in most areas of my life, openly acknowledging my self-destructive eating and fitness habits was empowering.

In terms of problems people have, especially ones that are out of their control, its minute, and I was too embarrassed to admit it bothered me for some time and worried I would be judged. But it did bother me. It bothered me I felt disconnected from my own body and Id started to notice small health implications, and then started to fear future ones as my unhealthy habits continued to grow. I also missed feeling energetic and physically strong. But when I eventually did admit it, I immediately felt lighter, both physically and mentally, and thoughts of weight loss and fitness failures started to fade. I could see with some patience I could change what I then considered weaknesses into strengths.

Not everyone has that choice and I was grateful that I did as through the years Ive seen there are a myriad of complex reasons people gain or lose weight from illness and medications to genetics, and many others in between.

Tracking my habits helped me see what small changes I could make and it was a relief to feel in control again. Unhealthy habits had embedded their way into my life so I thought why couldnt healthy behaviours do the same? It has been a slow process but it has worked although weight loss has not gone on a smooth line there have been numerous ups and downs along the way.

Over the last year, Ive recognised different behaviours I needed to tackle and improve such as self-sabotage when Im almost at the finishing line of achieving a goal, relapsing into striving for perfection and being committed to an all or nothing approach when all it does is slow down my progress, and generally lacking patience in seeing results. But Ive also learned that if I keep going, try implement different experts advice to see what works for me and be more compassionate to myself that Ill get there.

My plan for losing my first 3st (19kg) was step by step through keeping a journal from time to time, reducing my binge-eating, eating meals more often, replacing junk food with healthier versions and taking at least 30 minutes every day to move my body in some form of exercise. Exercise and moving my body more had played a large part in continuing to do all those things, and developing a healthier mindset, relieving stress, getting outdoors and generally feeling better. It had mattered more than Id realised. I didnt do a large amount of exercise, but I dearly missed it when I couldnt do it.

My latest setback was a necessary one for me to develop new habits to avoid weight gain happening in the future and be more resilient. I got an injury, a random injury that was simply part of life, but Id decided to become focused on my frustration at not being able to progress with my goals that Id almost reached. My common sense took a holiday, I ate larger meals than I did when I could exercise and began to mindlessly eat higher-calorie sugary snacks. My sleep quality and quantity lessened, and a vicious cycle of sugary snacks and feeling tired began to take hold. I started to forget what it was like to feel healthy and energetic. I know from experts advice that nutrition counts for 70 to 80 per cent weight loss, so there was no need for me to gain weight.

Logically, I couldve reduced the amount of food I normally ate slightly, and I would have maintained my weight. I couldve used my spare time to have a look at my nutrition there was plenty I needed to work on from tackling my resistance to cooking, what nutrients Im not eating enough of and what types of foods I should be eating more of to stop my energy dropping in the evening. I didnt like the forced change to my routine and I reacted badly. Its a trigger I know Ill deal much better with next time.

Its been two weeks since I stepped on the scales and decided to cut back on the sugary snacks, reduce portion sizes of my meals and try different types of exercise. Already my sleep has improved and my belt is looser. Ive a new appreciation for my healing foot (and Ive stopped scowling at it). Returning to workouts was daunting after a break but not as bad as Id imagined.

Getting back on track isnt always easy but its worth it, and Im once again enjoying finding my way to my natural weight and seeing what new limits I can push my body to reach.

Rachel Flahertys column is about getting fitter and healthier. Contact Rachel on Twitter@rachelfl,Instagramor emailrflaherty@irishtimes.com

Sign up for one of The Irish Times'Get Runningprogrammes (it is free!).First, pick the eight-week programme that suits you.- Beginner Course:Acourse totake you from inactivity to running for 30 minutes.- Stay On Track:For those who can squeeze in a run a few times a week.- 10km Course:Designed for those who want to move up to the 10km mark.Best of luck!

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Openly acknowledging my poor eating and fitness habits was empowering - The Irish Times

Caroline Toal is the lead Slimming World consultant in this area.

With every new year comes resolutions one of the most common being to lose weight. So if youre looking to kick-start your 2020 with a lasting change, Westmeaths slimming experts are sharing their tips to make your new year weight-loss resolutions a reality and all without giving up your favourite foods!

Caroline Toal, who will be celebrating eight years as a Slimming World consultant on January 9, says: With the rise of trendy fad diets, people are often seduced by the promise of fast weight losses and take quick-fix routes to lose weight.

However, these methods of weight loss arent sustainable after all, who wants to feel hungry all the time or give up their favourite foods indefinitely?

Especially when that often means that by February, new years resolutions are a distant memory.

After a phenomenal year in 2019 celebrating its 50th anniversary since it was founded in 1969, Slimming World has helped millions of people to reach their dream weight.

Theres no magic pill when it comes to weight loss and the best weight loss plan is the one you can stick to.

Michelle who is a consultant in Kinnegad since September 2013, says: Our members lose weight by making small changes to the way they shop, cook and eat and filling up on Free Food foods that are low in calories but satisfying like pasta, lean meat, fruit, veg, potatoes and more.

So they dont have to go hungry or give up their favourite meals, as well as gradually becoming more active and getting bucket loads of support along the way.

They develop healthy habits that they can keep up for life, so they can not only reach their target weight but stay there forever.

So, this new year, why not take advantage of just over 50 years of successful slimming experience, and join us at Slimming World?

Here John, Liz and Cathriona share their top tips to help you discover a new you this new year:

1. Make small and simple swaps

A huge misconception about losing weight is that you have to make dramatic changes and survive on lettuce leaves and carrot sticks.

However, with Slimming Worlds Food Optimising eating plan, members are encouraged to make small and simple swaps like switching from oil to low-calorie cooking spray and full-fat butter to low-fat spread, and swapping the white bread for wholemeal bread.

Losing weight is much easier when you get in the habit of planning your meals for the week.

Pick meals that you know youll enjoy, try new dishes to keep things interesting and make a shopping list its impossible to enjoy healthy meals if you dont have the foods you need to make them in your kitchen!

When youre losing weight, having a strong support system around you is vital. If you join a Slimming World group your fellow members, who are all on the same journey as you, will celebrate with you and boost your weight loss when youre doing well, and pick you up if you ever have a more difficult week.

But dont run before you can walk! If you currently lead a more sedentary lifestyle, and the thought of exercise makes you sweat, dont let your fears steer you away from getting active after all, exercise isnt just about Lycra and aerobic classes.

At Slimming World we encourage our members to make simple swaps from taking the lift and using the car for short journeys to taking the stairs and walking to the shops. Increase your activity levels gradually until you reach the recommended level of 30 minutes five times a week.

Having a visual reminder of your long-term goal is a great way to help you stay on track with your weight-loss journey. Not only is it a great way to see the amazing progress youre making, its a good way to keep yourself inspired and committed. Some members recommend using measurement charts and progress pictures to keep them motivated not only will they remind you why youre losing weight, theyre fun too!

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Slimming World consultants share new year weight-loss tips - Westmeath Examiner

America is in the midst of a keto craze. The trendy diet which bans carbs to make your body burn fat for fuel has kicked Weight Watchers derrire on the stock market, captured the endorsement of celebrities such as Kourtney Kardashian and Halle Berry, and deluged the internet with recipes and copious social media chatter about pounds lost.

Now the popular diet even has a day named after it. The Vitamin Shoppe, which wants to sell you a ton of keto-based products, has named the first Sunday of this new decade National Keto Day.

What on Earth justifies granting a day to memorialize a fad diet? said Dr. David Katz, founding director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center. The grapefruit diet surely warrants its own day too!

Katz is no fan of keto, or any other diet that restricts entire food groups, calling them unhealthy and unsustainable.

Losing weight fast by using a severely restricted, silly, unbalanced diet inevitably leads to even faster weight regain, said Katz, who is the president of the True Health Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to health promotion and disease prevention.

Absent ketosis, keto is just a false label for some kind of diet that presumably restricts added sugar and refined carbohydrate which, frankly, any good diet does, Katz said.

Katzs low opinion of keto is echoed by many nutritional specialists across the country. Katz joined 24 other top names in the field to rank 35 popular weight loss programs for 2020 recently put out by U.S. News and World Report.

The popular keto diet flunked, coming in next to last which it has done for several years now. Only the highly restrictive protein-only Dukan Diet ranks lower.

Most health professionals are concerned that the degree of carb restriction requires someone to cut out many of the foods that have been consistently recommended as being healthy: fruits, beans/legumes and whole intact grains, said Stanford professor Christopher Gardner, who conducts research on low-carb diets at Stanford Prevention Research Center.

With such negative reviews, just how did keto capture such a faithful following? Experts say its because its legions of fans are focusing on the short-term benefits of fast weight loss, without factoring in possible long-term risks.

What is keto?

Keto is short for ketosis, a metabolic state that occurs when your liver begins to use stored fat to produce ketones for energy. The liver is programmed to do that when your body loses access to its preferred fuel carbohydrates and thinks its starving.

The diet has actually been around since the 1920s, when a doctor stumbled on it as a way of controlling seizures in children with epilepsy who didnt respond to other treatment methods.

It was recognized long ago that denying the brain access to glucose, and converting to ketone-based metabolism, dampens brain electrical activity, Katz said. But why on Earth would you want to dampen brain electrical activity unless you had refractory (unmanageable) epilepsy?

Creating ketosis is not as simple as it seems. Your liver is only forced into producing ketones when carb intake is drastically slashed. In the keto diet, you limit your intake of carbs to only 20 to 50 a day, the lower the better. To put that into perspective, a medium banana or apple is around 27 carbs, the full days allowance.

It can take several days to weeks before your body fully transitions into burning fat. In the meantime, it will scream for carbs, and (speaking from personal experience) will punish you by sending a zombie to suck out your brains, a vampire to drain your blood and a giant troll to jump up and down on your body.

The feeling of fatigue and malaise is so bad that keto-lovers have christened the experience keto-flu.

Youll also have keto-breath, a wonderfully metallic smell similar to nail polish remover emanating from your mouth. Other than urination, thats the only way ketones can escape your body.

Drinking water might help with dragon-breath. Youll also need to drink a lot of water to try to counter constipation and other gastric-grumblings due to the lack of fiber from fruits and starchy veggies.

Once all that passes, keto-lovers maintain, youll have more energy, a more focused brain, and best of all, very little hunger.

But those effects only last if you stay in ketosis. Cheat a bit, and your body scrambles to go back to what nature intended.

Therefore low-carb diets like keto rely heavily on fats to fill you up. At least 70% of the keto diet will be made up of fat some say its more like 90%. Of course you can get all that fat from healthy unsaturated fats such as avocados, tofu, almonds, walnuts, seeds and olive oil.

But just in case you cant eat that many avocados, the diet also allows those not-so-good-for-your-arteries saturated fats like lard, butter, palm and coconut oils as well as whole-fat milk, cheese and mayonnaise.

And heres a twist: You cant rely too much on lean protein to accomplish ketosis. Eat more protein than an average 20% of your daily calories and your body will use that, and not fat, for fuel. Bye bye, ketosis.

Therefore protein sources for ketosis reply on skin-on poultry, fattier parts like chicken thighs, rib-eye steaks, grass-fed ground beef, fattier fish like salmon, beef brisket or pork shoulder, according to U.S. News, as well as get ready America bacon!

Yessss. Thats why this is a popular diet right? Like the dog in the 1980s commercial, we as a nation collectively jump up and down for bacon.

Dirty vs clean eating

Of course the lure of all-the-bacon-or-fat-you-can-eat was arguably behind the initial success of the Atkins diet that exploded into popularity in the 90s. It was followed by more low-carb options such as South Beach, Paelo, Whole30 and Zone, among others.

Yet critics say those initially popular plans have struggled to keep the publics interest as dieters have succeeded in losing some weight, only to fail to keep it off over the long term.

Atkins has rebranded, offering different levels of carb restriction they call Atkins 20 and Atkins 40. Colette Heimowitz, Atkins vice president for Nutrition Communication & Education, told CNN the companys approach allows for more flexibility than keto as we encourage people to incorporate foods back into their meals and find their carb tolerance level.

Keto appears to be undergoing the same process, with some promoting clean keto, which focuses on using all those avocados, nuts and seeds for fat sources, instead of dirty keto, in which folks take the buns off their fast food burger and chow down.

Clean keto advocates admit that it takes a good deal of effort to research food items and plan and prep meals, so unsurprisingly, many a keto eater takes the easy way out, eating a diet centered around foods like bacon, cheese, butter, and packaged foods, according to an article on the Vitamin Shoppes Keto HQ.

And thats the crux of the problem for nutritionists.

Most people who claim to eat Paleo use that banner to justify eating any kind of meat they like, notably, bacon, burgers and pepperoni, Katz said. There was no paleolithic pepperoni!

No doubt, the same is going on with keto people invoke the label to eat the foods they want to eat, notably processed meat, he said. I suspect a very tiny minority of those attempting to eat keto are either eating clean or are in ketosis.

What do the studies say

Then theres the issue of varying health claims for keto and other low carb diets.

The ketogenic diet is designed to be a short-term diet, and there are a number of studies and trials demonstrating its effectiveness, said chiropractor Josh Axe, a spokesperson for the Vitamin Shoppe, in statement.

When done correctly, it can be a great tool used to treat and prevent several chronic conditions while also supporting overall health, said Axe, who is the author of The Keto Diet: Your 30-day Plan to Lose Weight, Balance Hormones and Reverse Disease.

An Atkins spokesperson pointed to a two-year study by a health group selling ketosis diet interventions and told CNN in a statement that todays science shows people can improve health markers pertaining to weight loss, cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome when they control carbs.

Not exactly accurate, according to Gardner and Katz.

Theres very little research, and to the best of my knowledge, all of it is linked to a company marketing the keto diet, Katz said.

The bottom line is that despite its current popularity, we have very few studies that can support or refute its impact on health, Gardner said.

The National Lipid Association Nutrition and Lifestyle Task Force reviewed all the available evidence in 2019 and found low and very-low carb diets are not superior to other dietary approaches for weight loss, and in some cases even raised cholesterol levels.

In addition, they found three separate observational studies, including a large prospective cohort study with long-term follow-up, showed an association between very low-carb diets and all-cause mortality.

So far, at least, it appears science has found the benefits of low-carb diets are fleeting.

What the early studies have shown is that there are early benefits in terms of weight loss and glucose control, Gardner said. But in the few studies that have gone on for 12 months, the benefit in comparison to other diet approaches diminishes and is no longer statistically significant.

Which is why nutritionists fail to see the benefit of subjecting your body to the stresses of a low-carb diet just to lose a bit of weight, gain it back, and then start all over again.

To achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, or optimize diabetes or heart disease risk factors, we should not be focusing on a diet, said Alice Lichtenstein, director and senior scientist at Tufts Universitys Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory.

We should be focusing on dietary patterns, making changes in current practices that can be sustained lifelong.

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Experts say the keto diet isnt sustainable, so why is it so popular? - KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis

Although cereal is a popular and easy breakfast option, it could be hurting your weight loss goals. Even supposedly healthy cereals can have surprising ingredients that hinder your ability to lose weight quickly. To make it easier to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy cereals, we spoke to Lisa Richards, nutritionist and author of The Candida Diet.

Richards explains the main problem with breakfast cereals: Cereal is a go-to breakfast food for many people, even those who follow a relatively healthy eating pattern. However, there are some ingredients in breakfast cereals, including those that claim to be good for you, that are unhealthy.

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The biggest health concern with cereals are their refined carbohydrates. Richards explains, "Because of the way many cereals are made, the use of refined grains is very common."

Just because it is common, however, does not make it healthy. "This form of carbohydrate is highly inflammatory and turns to sugar quickly in the body. Always check the ingredients list and avoid cereals that state enriched flour, even if it says it is wheat. This ingredient could be slowing down your health and weight loss goals," Richards tells SheFinds.

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Another ingredient to stay away from is sugar. Richards says, "This is a fairly obvious ingredient to limit in breakfast cereal. However, it can often be listed under different names to hide the amount the cereal contains."

With that in mind, although you may think your cereal is low in sugar, it could be disguised under a different name. Richards warns, "Some common alternative sugar names include: HFCS, fructose, sucrose, caramel, castor sugar, sorghum syrup, invert sugar, evaporated cane juice, and agave nectar."

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According to Healthline, starting your morning with one of these cereals could hurt your long-term weight loss goals: "Starting the day with a high-sugar breakfast cereal will spike your blood sugar and insulin levels."

This could affect your cravings later in the day. "A few hours later, your blood sugar may crash, and your body will crave another high-carb meal or snack potentially creating a vicious cycle of overeating," Healthline explains.

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According to Eat This, Not That!, there are a wide range of high-sugar cereals from the more obvious ones to the more surprising ones. As always, your best bet is to pay close attention to the nutrition label and stick to cereals that are low in sugar and refined carbs. Keeping an eye out for alternative sugars when choosing a cereal can also help you stay on track for your weight loss goals.

More:
The Worst Breakfast Cereals That Are Slowing Down Your Weight Loss, According To A Nutritionist - SheFinds

While Adele never fails to impress millions with her beautiful voice, her recent holiday pictures have got tongues wagging! Looking slimmer and toned up than before, the 31-year-old's transformation is one to seek motivation from!Well, what if we told you, the success behind Adele's transformation is eating smart? A fan of 'sirtfood diet', Adele followed this diet to lose weight and get into a healthier and (needless to say, impressive) shape.What is the sirtfood diet?The latest diet cleanse which has got the world raving about it follows a scientific approach to battle weight gain.The diet popularises on the use of 'sirtfoods', which are some special foods which work by activating certain protein chains in the body, known as sirtuins. According to science, these antioxidant agents act as protectants that help slow down aging, boost metabolism and regulate the body's inflammation, hereby helping in fat loss.

Studies have also found that the sirtfood diet can help people lose up to seven pounds (3 kilos) in under a week's time.

As complex and scientific as this diet plan sounds, the diet encourages you to include some of the most commonly found kitchen ingredients as well as some indulgent foods. Some common foods allowed in this plan include foods like oranges, dark chocolates, parsley, turmeric, kale, and even red wine.

The diet, though considered to be a fad, focusses on maintaining a restrictive weight loss strategy one week. While the first three days makes you limit your calorie intake to 1000kcal (consuming three sirt food green juices and having a meal). The remaining days, you are allowed to increase your calorie intake to 1500kcal and have two meals a day (along with two sirtfood juices). Post this, the maintenance phase recommends you to eat up to three balanced foods rich in sirtuin, coupled with an effective workout strategy to lose weight, making it all the more sustainable.

Since it is rather restrictive in nature, many stay wary of the diet plan working in the long run. The diet restricts your calorie intake and can devoid you of other needed nutrients, so, it is not a long term, sustainable diet plan for weight loss.

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All you need to know about the Sirtfood diet which helped Adele lose 22 kilos! - Times of India

Now that the holidays are over and the new year has begun, millions of people across the world are jumping on the healthy lifestyle bandwagon and looking to shed some pounds before the warm summer months creep up.

Following a diet requires research (many fad diets can become dangerous to your health), strategic planning and strong willpower. With the emergence of the fitness world on social media, there are even more diets and weightless plans to sift through now than ever before.

A new ranking from the U.S. News & World Report provides a detailed guide outlining the best diets to follow in 2020. These diets have been scientifically researched and are backed by a team of nationally recognized experts in diet, nutrition, obesity, food psychology, diabetes and heart disease.

Looking to live a healthier life in 2020? Click through the photos above for a look at the 15 top-rated diets this year, according to U.S. News & World Report...

U.S. News editors and reporters compiled a first edition of the ranking by creating profiles using data from medical journals, government reports and other resources. A panel of health experts then reviewed the profiles and rated each diet by seven categories: how easy it is to follow, its ability to produce short-term and long-term weight loss, its nutritional completeness, its safety and its potential for preventing and managing diabetes and heart disease, according to the report.

Each diet was then scored and ranked into different diet rankings, from best diets overall to best heart-healthy diets. The diets featured in the best diets overall ranking combined ratings from all seven categories. The No. 1 best diet was required to be easy to follow, effective for weight loss, protect against diseases such as diabetes and heart disease and be nutritious and safe.

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The best diets to follow in 2020, according to U.S. News & World Report - Houston Chronicle

How one millennial learned the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

By Melissa Jacobs

Photo By Tessa Marie Images.

In 2013, Chelsea Chen was 25 years old and ready to tackle her first executive-level job at a Philadelphia-based accounting firm. Then tax season hit, and Chen found herself working almost 80 hours a week. She knew how to manage balance sheets, but not her own work-to-life ratio. The stress took a toll. The nature of my job was to work with teams and get reviews after each project, says Chen. There was a lot of pressure to get good feedback for the team and for my own performance.

Ingesting a steady diet of takeout food and snacks, Chen gained 20 pounds. I wasnt focused on what I was eating, she admits. I never had to pay attention to it in the past.

Once she did pay attention, Chen lost weight by making better food choices. Mindful eating came naturally thanks to a childhood spent in China, far away from processed foods. She also enjoys exercise, so she took up hiking in Valley Forge National Historical Park, walked on the Radnor Trail and joined a gym near her apartment in Wayne.

As her weight went down, Chens career took off. In 2016, she landed a job at another accounting firm, which required commuting from Wayne to Center City and juggling more stress. She was on her way back to square one. All I did was work, she recalls. I ignored everything else.

That included exercising and paying attention to her diet. She also stopped dating a man shed been with for a few months. Within a year, Chen packed on 65 pounds.

Chens story is not unusual. The Health of Millennials, a 2019 report issued by Blue Cross Blue Shield, surveyed 55 million Americans with commercial health insurance who were born in the early 1980s through late 90s. The study concluded that one-third of them have conditions that reduce their quality of life and life expectancy.

In fact, millennials have higher prevalence rates for nearly all of the top 10 health risks than Generation Xers did when they were in the same age range. Dr. Richard Snyder, chief medical officer at Independence Blue Cross, emphasizes the importance of encouraging people at younger ages to take a more proactive role in their preventive care and managing their physical and mental health.

When she turned 30, Chen decided to take control of her health. In 2018, she enlisted the help of certified personal trainer George Holifield, fitness manager for Philadelphia Sports Club in Radnor. Holifield created an exercise routine that fit Chens schedule, and she was soon working out five days a week for one hour.

But as it turns out, Chens schedule wasnt the root issue. She simply hadnt made her health a top priority. People make time for what they want to make time for, says Holifield. To make that time, we have to let go of what isnt worthwhile and doesnt serve us. Thats true in fitness and in life.

Cardio was the first thing Chen let go. Contrary to popular opinion, weight trainingnot cardiovascular exerciseis the key to maintaining long-term fitness. Once she stopped wasting time doing cardio, Chen was able to focus on weight training. Now, she does cardio only one day a week. Weight training builds lean muscle mass, increases bone density and activates the metabolism to burn fat, not just water, Holifield says. Sustainable results are achieved when your body is composed of muscle mass, not fat mass.

Related Article:Six Local Experts Weigh in on How You Can Find Your Power.

Chen also stopped dieting. Instead, Holifield focused on nutrition and portion control. Most people dont eat enough of the foods that stimulate the metabolism to burn fat, not store it, he says. Quality consumption is key.

While that may sound overwhelming to some, Chen says the changes were gradual. George started me with basic things and didnt ask me to start or stop anything that was too difficult, she says. He just asked me not to quit.

And she didnt. Three months into the program, Chen started to shed fat. But weight loss was Holifields secondary goal. Most important is the mind-body connection, he says. You have to first train someones mind to be positive, energetic and excited. If you focus on that, you wont have time to be negative.

It took Chen a year to hit her goal weightbut the number on the scale isnt her biggest achievement. Im happy, she says. I got my life back.

That includes a new job in Wilmington, Del., a new apartment in Chadds Ford and a new man. Chen is sharing her story with other people, hoping to spark positive change. She started with her family. During a four-month visit from China, Chens 56-year-old mother trained with Holifield and lost 15 pounds.

Further proof that its never too late to make positive change, Chen says.

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How Chelsea Chen lost weight and learned to maintain a healthy work-life balance - Mainline Today

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"If I didn't have this bag, everything I put in my mouth would drain down the front of me," Shelly Lienhart, 55, of Holt says Monday, Dec. 30, 2019.(Photo: Matthew Dae Smith/Lansing State Journal)

Shelly Lienhart has lost nearly 10 pounds in the last five months. It wasnt a cause for celebration. The weight loss worried her.

At 52, sheweighs 66 pounds.

And she fears shell keep losingweight if Medicare continues refusing to cover the medical equipment and medicine she saysshe needs to survive.

They are letting me waste away to nothing like my life doesnt matter. How much weight can I lose? Lienhart said. I feel like Im starving to death, and Medicare isnt doing anything about it.

Lienhart, who lives in Holt, weighed 100 pounds at her healthiest. But that all changed after cancer ravaged her body five times and left her with long-term medical issues.

Surgeons removed her stomach and esophagus after she suffered from stomach cancer and four bouts of esophageal cancer.

Lienhart wasleft with a unique medical condition that befuddled her doctors, she said. Because of it, she qualified for disability and then Medicare, the federal health insurance program thatcovers thoseage 65-plus and disabled individuals.

Im so unique. (Doctors) dont know what to do with me, Lienhart said. Anytime I go in (for an appointment), theyre like What do I do?

Lienhart began advocating for herself after Medicare denied her medical claims for ostomy bags, which she attaches to a hole in her neck to drain saliva and collect any food or drink she tastes, and also a nutritional formula thatshe said will help her gain weight.

The 55-year-olduploaded a video about her health challenges to Facebook in December. Since then, the video has received nearly 10,000 views.

Medical equipment suppliers and businesses donated 15 boxes of ostomy bags to Lienhart in response.Each box contains 10 ostomy bags, the medical equipment Lienhart said she will need for the rest of her life.

But Medicare told her she isn't using the ostomy bagsas intended.Ostomy bags are traditionally used to collect stool and urine.

Considering Lienhart uses one ostomy bag a day, eventually shell need to buy more on her limited income, she said.

And so shes seeking a permanent solution.

Lienhart was first diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2002.

She battled esophageal cancer from2012 to 2015, which iswhen she had her last surgery.

Lienhart wasnt a candidate for a procedure in which doctors stretch the intestine so that patients can eat and swallow post-surgery. Radiation had done too much damage.

So Lienhart was forced to havea hole in her neck, a fistula.

Anything I put in my mouth goes through that hole, Lienhart explained.

Lienhartattaches an ostomy bag to her neck, which she saidhelps drain fluid, such as saliva.

Shelly Lienhart, 55, of Holt on Monday, Dec. 30, 2019. She is a survivor of stomach and esophageal cancer. Her nutritional needs are met intravenously. Everything that goes into her mouth, as well as saliva, drains into an ostomy bag.(Photo: Matthew Dae Smith/Lansing State Journal)

Nurse PractitionerCaralee Kay Smithdiscovered Lienharthad droppedfrom 95 to 91 pounds within a monthpost-surgeryin September 2015, according to copies of University of Michigan Hospital recordsLienhart shared with Lansing State Journal.

Lienhart told Smith she hadn't received her"neck ostomy supplies and her feeding tube formula in a timely fashion," according to Smith'srecords. That is why Lienhart believed she lost the 4 pounds, the records said.

Smith's records also indicatedthat Lienhart neededthe ostomy bags for "drainage." The nurse practitioner wrote:

"We contacted outpatient discharge planning and asked them to contact the patient regarding her inability to obtain both feeding tube supplies and ostomy supplies in a timely manner. She wishes to return to work and may do so after collaboration with her ostomy team in finding her a suitable drainage bag and when she is ready."

From that point forward, Lienhart's ostomy bags were covered by Medicare.

Medicare stopped covering themin 2017, Lienhart said, because she wasnt an ostomy patient using them to collect stool or urine.

She now pays out of pocket for the bags. She has paid anywhere from $33 for a box of 20 on Wish.com to $68 for a box of 10, depending on the supplier.

Lienhart has been seeking help ever since, but there is one assistance program she hadnt yet explored.

The Michigan Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Programis a non-profit that provides freecounseling to residents throughout the state.

The programs executive director Jo Murphy advisesMedicare beneficiaries to appeal when a claim is turned down.

There are different steps in an appeal. It can be expedited if someone was going to die tomorrow, but its case by case, Murphy said. Sometimes it could be an easy fix. Sometimes its something as crazy as a billing code (causing the denial).

Lienhart contacted Medicare after her claim was denied. She also found an online advocacy firm to help her with an appeal. But she hasnt heard back from the agency, and she isnt sure if theyre still working on her case.

People should not just give up if they have a claim turned down, Murphy added.

Murphy recommended working with community agencies, including her program,which was employeeswho specifically work on tough cases.

After speaking with Lansing State Journal, Murphy recommended that Lienhart get in touch with her organization to discuss her case.

Another option for Medicare beneficiaries is to see if they qualify for Medicaid.

Medicaid coverage is based on income and assets, according to Lynn Sutfin, public information officer at the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services.

Lienhart, who said she lives on a limited income, wasnt sure if she qualified for Medicaid, citing her Medicare, which she qualified for because she is on disability.

But it is possible to be eligible for both.

If Medicare does not cover an item, Medicaid could potentially cover it if the item is deemed medically necessary, Sutfin said. However, if Medicare deems an item not medically necessary, Medicaid is prohibited from covering the item.

Sutfin recommended that Lienhart and others in similar situations check their Medicaid eligibility.

Medicare told Lienhart they also wouldnt cover Total Parenteral Nutrition, a nutritional formula thats inserted into the bloodstream.

With this dietary (formula), maybe there are other options, said Murphy. With Medicare, everything needs to be medically necessary and doctored ordered.

In Lienharts case, Medicare covers Vivonex RTF, a 2,000-calorie nutritional formula that she puts into her body intravenously. The formula typically costs $9,000 a month, and TPN is much more expensive, according to Lienhart.

The cost of a Parenteral Nutrition program is reported to be "very high," according to theNational Institutes on Health.

But many things factor into the cost, such as"the condition being treated, the type of nutritional product, the composition of the nutrition, levels of nutrients, various supplies" and more, explained Sutfin.

Temporarily using Total Parenteral Nutrition in conjunction with Vivonex RTF would help her gain weight, Lienhartsaid.

With Vivonex RTF alone, Lienhart added,she dropped to 66 pounds over the last few years.

Total Parenteral Nutritionis usually covered by Medicare, according to Sutfin.

So it is unclear why Medicare wont cover Total Parenteral Nutrition for Lienhart, but its possible the provider is choosing to cover one formula rather than both.

No matter the reason a Medicare beneficiary is turned down, Murphy believes its important for everyone to learn to advocate for themselves.

Its unfortunate, but that is how health care is. Its a complicated and overwhelming system," Murphy said."Some give up, and we dont want them to do that. There are other options. There is more than one option in most cases.

Lienhart hasnt given up.

Because of her Facebook video, two members of Congress,Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters,have reached out and offered to help her get her ostomy bags covered.

Whether shell get TPN covered to help her gain weight is still a question mark.

"I've lost muscle because I have no more fat to lose," Lienhart said.

To apply for Medicare, visitwww.medicare.gov

To appeal a decision from Medicare, visitwww.medicare.gov/claims-appeals

To apply for Medicaid, visitwww.michigan.gov/mibridges or contact a Michigan Department of Health & Human Services office atwww.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-73970_5461---,00.html

To appeal a decision from Medicaid, visitwww.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-71547_4860_78446_78448-16825--,00.html

Contact LSJ reporter Kristan Obeng at KObeng@lsj.com or 517-267-1344. Follow her on Twitter @KrissyObeng.

Support local journalism: Subscribe to LSJtoday.

Read or Share this story: https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/2020/01/06/holt-woman-says-medicare-wont-cover-what-she-needs-survive/2776460001/

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Holt woman who dropped to 66 pounds says Medicare won't cover what she needs to survive - Lansing State Journal

Visceral fat, in contrast to subcutaneous fat - the type of fat you can pinch, lies hidden under the surface. You may not be able to see it, but visceral fat poses a far greater health risk than subcutaneous fat.

It is stored dangerously close to vital organs such as the liver and intestines, which means carrying too much of it can trigger a number of chronic and potentially life-threatening diseases.

Visceral fat build-up is usually the result of unhealthy dietary decisions so drastically cutting back on the worst culprits can help to reduce the harmful belly fat.

According to research published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation, one of the main dietary offers is sugar-sweetened beverages.

Data from the Framingham Heart Study - a long-term, ongoing cardiovascular cohort study of residents of the city of Framingham, Massachusetts - showed that among middle-aged adults, there was a direct correlation between greater sweetened beverage consumption and increased visceral fat.

After looking at both sugar-sweetened beverages and diet soda consumption, the researchers did not identify this association with diet soda, which is often promoted as low in calories and sugar.

READ MORE:How to get rid of visceral fat: Best exercise to beat the harmful belly fat

"There is evidence linking sugar-sweetened beverages with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes," said Caroline S. Fox, M.D., M.P.H, lead study author and a former investigator with the Framingham Heart Study of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

She continued: To policy makers, this study adds another piece of evidence to the growing body of research suggesting sugar-sweetened beverages may be harmful to our health."

While the exact biological mechanism is unknown, Jiantao Ma, M.D., Ph.D., post-doctoral fellow at the NIH and co-leader of the study, said that it's possible that added sugars found in sugary beverages may be the culprit.

This explanation is consistent with a growing body of evidence that links added sugars to visceral fat gain.

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Research shows that added sugar contains roughly 50 percent fructose, a simple sugar that is metabolised by the liver.

In large amounts, fructose can get turned into fat by the liver and this may increase visceral fat storage.

This process also suggests that eating less added sugar and fructose may be an effective way to lose visceral fat.

Additionally, in a study in 41 children aged nine to 18, scientists replaced fructose in their diets with starch that provided the same amount of calories.

They found that this simple change reduced liver fat by 3.4 percent and visceral fat by 10.6 percent in just 10 days.

In addition to shunning the worst dietary offenders, you should pay attention to portion size, and emphasise complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) and lean protein to combat the harmful belly fat, advises Harvard Health.

Engaging in physical exercise is another proven way to help reduce the harmful belly fat.

Harvard Health recommends engaging in regular moderate-intensity physical activity at least 30 minutes per day (and perhaps up to 60 minutes per day) to control weight and lose belly fat.

Many studies support this advice, showing that aerobic exercise in particular can help you lose visceral fat, even without dieting.

For example, an analysis of 15 studies in 852 people compared how well different types of exercise reduced visceral fat without dieting.

They found that moderate and high-intensity aerobic exercises were most effective at reducing visceral fat without dieting.

Strength training (exercising with weights) may also help fight visceral fat, although, as Harvard Health notes, spot exercising, such as doing sit-ups, can tighten abdominal muscles, but it won't attack visceral fat.

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How to lose visceral fat: Cut back on these types of drinks to reduce harmful belly fat - Express

A SPUR of the moment decision lead this couple to a combined 60kg weight loss.

A year ago, Steph Marriage was sitting on her back veranda watching her daughters play and decided she wanted to have more active fun with them.

She got her partner John Ramm on board and together they embarked on a mission to get fitter.

John Ramm and Steph Marriage went on a weight loss journey so they could play more actively with daughters Georgia, 3, and Baylee Ramm, 1. Photo: Sam Reynolds

Over the past year, Miss Marriage lost 24kg and Mr Ramm dropped 35kg.

Miss Marriage said it all began when she saw an ad for a six-week challenge and decided there was nothing to lose by signing up.

I figured I only had something to gain if I really gave it a go. she said.

She said the first few weeks were tough.

Two weeks into the TruFit challenge I started to really struggle with sugar withdrawals because I was such a sweet tooth, she said.

She said about week six, it all got a bit easier.

If youre exercising regularly your muscles get used to being worked and the feeling of being sore all the time gets less and less, she said.

And once you push through the first few weeks with your eating, it becomes second nature.

Mr Ramm said the lifestyle change involved a mind reset, but he had not looked back.

Before, I couldnt play with the kids, he said.

All I wanted to do was sit and watch TV and now I dont even like TV.

Georgia Ramm, 3, enjoys watching dad John Ramm do pushups. Photo: Sam Reynolds

The couple achieved their goal of being more active with their daughters.

We often go for hikes as a family up Mt Biondello, Miss Marriage said.

Were working up the courage to do Mt Larcom with the kids.

The couple said they had to sacrifice time with their children to make time for training.

I felt guilty taking time away from my kids to devote to myself, Miss Marriage said.

You dont realise until further down the track that its better for the kids in the long run.

John Ramm before his he lost 35kg

For long term results, consistency is key, she said.

Around the six-month mark when you start to lose weight and gain confidence is when you start to slip into bad habits, she said.

Its hard to get back on what youre supposed to be doing.

Miss Marriage said like most people, her diet had a blowout over Christmas, but she switched back to her healthy routine.

Read more here:
'Nothing to lose': Couple's incredible transformation - Observer

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