Search Weight Loss Topics:

Page 99«..1020..9899100101..110120..»

Home » Long Term Weight Loss » Page 99

Conceived by a self-proclaimed fasting coach with no apparent credentials in either the fields of nutrition or zoology, the Snake Diet appears to be nothing more than a contrived version of intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting, or extending the period of time between your last bite and your first bite (often from between 16 to 20 hours) is a potentially effective weight loss tool for those who can tolerate it. But the snake diet takes it to a whole other level hence the extreme weight loss results you might see online.

Robinsons protocol is based similarly on the One Meal A Day (OMAD) strategy. OMAD generally entails a daily fasting period of 22 to 23 hours with the remaining hour allotted to eating what would presumably be a large meal, whereas the snake diet regimen follows a multi-phase regimen that includes fasts of various lengths, between 24 to 96 hours, which are to be broken up by single large meals.

The diet also recommends drinking snake juice throughout the fasting period. The juice sold on Robinsons website is an electrolyte-enhanced beverage, which is essentially the equivalent of a sugar-free version of sports drinks like Gatorade, which contain sodium and potassium to make up for losses from sweat during activity. The purpose of this is likely to keep up electrolytes which tend to flag during fasts of this length. Sodium and potassium levels also could drop to dangerously low levels.

Is this a diet protocol worth trying? Unfortunately, many of the studies looking at fasts of this extreme length have been done in snakes hence the name rather than humans, so not all that much is known about the long-term safety, sustainability, or efficacy.

That said, while its not at all that absurd for an otherwise healthy individual who felt so inclined to do so to actually enjoy this style of fasting, it would take a lot of diligence and oversight to ensure a diet that was nutritionally adequate over the long-term. And lets not forget that because of the caloric restriction that tends to follow eating far less frequently, weight loss is not surprising.

But as a dietitian who has written about and reviewed the evidence on intermittent fasting, as well as practiced it personally, I can attest there are a number of metabolic benefits. However, the line between fasting and self-starvation becomes blurred when you start going multiple days in a row without food.

My advice to otherwise healthy people who feel compelled to try intermittent fasting is to steer clear of gimmicky approaches that give fasting a bad name. Ask yourself how long you can go from your last bite one day to your first bite the next and start by trying to go a bit longer. You may find that you enjoy it, or you may not. But if you find that intermittent fasting fits well with your lifestyle and supports you eating a high quality nutrient dense diet, then perhaps its worth taking a closer look at.

And with that, I slither off into the sunset.

Andy is a registered dietitian and multi-book author who has operated a private practice in Toronto since 2015.He spends his free time eating, writing and talking about kale @AndyTheRD. He can be reached at AndyTheRD.com

Original post:
Andy De Santis, RD: Is the 'Snake Diet' worth it? - The London Free Press

Agile Therapeutics is a US biotech company based in Princeton, New Jersey. It currently has one leading candidate, Twirla, which is a weekly, lower dose estrogen contraception patch for women to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Currently it is waiting for FDAs final decision with a PDUFA date of Feb.16th, 2020.

Twirla has experienced an unusually rough path for the past 8 years (Fig. 1). Its original NDA submission can be dated back to 2012. Since then it has received FDAs complete response letter ("CRL") twice, indicating a difficult and unpleasant journey. We would assume readers are familiar with its history so we are not going to introduce the details. However, We are going to state several reasons why we think Twirla will very likely get final approval this time.

Figure 1. Agile patchs regulatory history. (Source: Internet)

Reason I: Efficacy

The biggest criticism of Twirlas efficacy comes from the fact that in its large-scale trial called Study 23, the overall Pearl Index, which is the pregnancy count per 100 women in one year of exposure, stayed around 5.8. This is well above the pearl indexes derived from previous contraception combined hormonal contraception ("CHC") trials (Fig. 2).

Figure 2. European and US Pearl Indices in Contraceptive Clinical Trials. (Source: Internet)

In fact, in Agiles Adcom briefing materials, this was explained in-depth. Historically, contraceptive clinical trials enrolled highly selective populations, like women with lower BMIs who responded to CHCs much better than women with obesity. Further, the current percentage of women population with obesity is much higher than that twenty years ago. In addition, those trials did not exclude individuals with inactive sexual activities. As a result, the exceptionally low Pearl Index did not transfer to real world efficacy, as the pregnancy rates post-marketing were many times higher than those observed in the clinical trials (Fig. 3).

Figure 3. The changing Pearl Index of approved combined hormonal contraception (NYSE:CHC) over time. (Source: Internet)

FDA was fully aware of this wide gap between clinical trials and real world efficacy. Multiple changes had been made in the regulatory guidance. In 2007, it removes the hard requirement on Pearl Index 95%CI upper bound and further adjust its guidance including:

1, Modifying trial designs to provide results that reflect effectiveness in the real world;

2, Changing entry criteria to reflect real-world prescribing; and

3, Ensuring that all relevant information be provided to the prescriber, including data on subgroups.

As a result, the Pearl Indices derived from contraception trials in the past two decades kept rising steadily, and it is of no surprise that Study 23 resulted in a larger overall Pearl Index of 5.83. The question is, how large is too large?

Lets first take a look at the sub-group of BMI < 30 (Fig. 4). The Pearl Index is 4.34 with a 95%CI upper bound of 5.82. A sample study estimate that at least 14% of adult women abstain from intercourse for the past 6 month. For simplicity, we will just use this 14% as the percentage of total cycles that no sexual activity occurs. If we add this number back to the denominator, we get an adjusted Pearl Index of 3.7 and a 95%CI upper bound of 5. We think these are very reasonable numbers, in-line with recent Pearl Index from commercialized oral CHC products (Fig. 3).

Figure 4. Pearl Index of Twirla patch by BMI category. (Source: Internet)

For women with obesity (BMI>30), the efficacy is suboptimal. But it is a well-known phenomenon. Larger body weight may contribute to lower estrogen serum concentration. Subcutaneous fat may also lead to poor skin absorption. keep in mind that even the existing patch Xulane has a label stating Xulane may not be as effective in women weighing more than 198 lbs. (90 kg). So it will not be surprised that Twirla may have a similar label.

In previous communication with FDA, Agile did get a note that FDA had never approved a CHC with upper 95%CI passing 5. However, during Oct. 2019s Adcom meeting, the committee suggested that, a slight increase in Pearl Index is expected under new trial designs. Further, comparing to 85% pregnancy rate without contraception methods, Twirla is well within the range of effectiveness. These comments from field experts conclude that Twirla is an effective contraception patch.

Lastly, inside FDAs 2017 CRL, the regulator raised questions about Twirlas adhesion property. In response to FDAs questions, Agile conducted Study 25, a comparative wear study comparing the adhesion of Twirla to Xulane. The result is crystal clear: the Agile Patch has directly demonstrated non-inferiority to Xulane (Fig. 5).

Figure 5. Primary adhesion endpoint of Study 25. (Source: Internet)

From all above evidence, we think there is little reason that FDA would raise more questions on Twirlas efficacy.

Reason II: Safety

The safety profiles for Twirlas two APIs, ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel were well studied. In the pooled analysis, Twirla showed a better safety profile over other CHC oral therapies, in respect to hormone-related AEs (Fig. 6). The possible reason could be that Twirla does deliver a much lower dose of estrogen, as the company stated. For non-hormone related AEs, the most common ones are application site disorders (5.7%) including irritation, pruritus and rash.

Figure 6. The hormone related AEs in pooled data. (Source: Internet)

For SAEs, because CHCs were known to increase the risk of thromboembolic event by approximately 2 to 4 fold, special attention was given to patients who experienced deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism ("PE"). It was noted that both DVT and PE had an occurrence rate of around 0.1% among Twirla users, and women with higher BMIs are more prone to have thromboembolic events. These results are all inline with approved CHCs products.

The discontinuation rate for Study 23 is slightly higher than other CHCs (Fig. 7). However, a close examination revealed that a 26.6% people who discontinued the trial were due to either loss of follow up or subject decision. And the discontinuation rate due to AEs are around 10%, also inline with other CHCs.

Figure 7. Comparison of study discontinuation rate with other approved CHCs. (Source: Internet)

In conclusion, Twirlas overall safety profile is acceptable and consistent with approved low-dose CHCs. The most common AEs and SAEs were expected, occurring at low rates, and led to discontinuation at rates similar to approved products. There were no further risk-related concerns specified by FDA. We dont expect FDA would reject Agiles NDA due to safety reasons.

Reason III: Market demand on more contraception options

One of the biggest values Twirla brings to the market is the additional option that women can choose when considering different contraception methods. One need to choose the right option based on invasiveness, routines and efficacies. Assume readers are familiar with pros and cons of different contraceptive methods, we are not going to compare them here. However, one could argue that, Twirla does not provide enough differentiation towards Xulane, since both of them are patches delivering similar types of hormones and Twirla has yet to prove that its lower dose estrogen (Fig. 8) could actually lead to statistically significant safety profile. Although this is a fair argument, we dont think it will happen this time: FDA could simply bring this issue up back in 2017 but it didn't.

Figure 8. Mean serum concentration-time profile of ethinyl estradiol across various contraceptive methods. (Source: Internet)

Further, Agile proposed to conduct post-marketing studies to show the clinical benefit and risk profile. If the reduced thromboembolic risk could be verified, it could potentially be a great market driver, as history has demonstrated womens strong preference to conveniently used, weekly, non-invasive contraceptive patches. Ortho Evra patch once reached a stunning 10% of the entire contraceptive market, with close to 1M annual prescribers. Now, because of its risks in thromboembolic events ("TE"), its generic version, Xulane only has about 100K prescribers. If, lets say if Twirla gets very lucky and could show its preferred safety on TE in post-marketing studies, it could regain the market share that Ortho Evra patch lost in the past.

Reason IV: Trial design up-to-updated standard and a comprehensive NDA package

Lastly, considering Agiles entire NDA package, we think it is comprehensive, already addressing all FDAs concerns (Fig. 9). Further, comparing to previous contraceptive trials, we think Twirla trials design reflect the up-to-date, real world scenario about potential users demographics and associated risks.

Figure 9. Checklist for issues raised by FDA. Note the last two items have been checked as well. (Source: Internet)

Given all above evidence, we think Twirla has a 95% chance of approval. The market however, thinks the chance is around 70%. This 70% number can be derived from the option market, where a 250% implied volatility over 5 days indicated an average move to be around 35.4% (calculated by 250% * sqrt(5/250)). If we assume a zero stock value for no approval, we get the market implied probability of approval to be 1/1.354 = 73.8%.

Valuation

Agiles stock has almost doubled since Oct.2017 Adcom meeting and resulted in a current market cap of $220M. We think the valuation is very rich now. If Twirlas price is set at $50 per patch, resulting a $1800 annual subscription price, we think the maximum possible peak revenue it can generate is $200M, assuming it completely occupied Xulanes current market share. More realistically, we think it probably will grab about 50%~60% of the Xulanes current market share, giving the fact that Xulane costs about $38 per patch, slightly cheaper than Twirla. This implies Twirlas peak sale of $120M, resulting a roughly $300M valuation using discount cashflow method. This indicates a 40% upside to the current stock price, if getting approved. In addition, given the fact that Agile only has about $10M cash in hand and currently burns $5M plus per quarter, it definitely needs to raise additional capital, likely around $45M. The combined effective upside potential is merely 25%. The call options associated with the stock currently trade at 280% IV, we think this volatility over-estimate the upside moves.

Management

When we examine the qualification of Agiles executive team, we are actually impressed by their M&A capabilities.

Agiles current CEO, Alfred Altomari, was once the CEO of Barrier Therapeutics. In 2008, in his role as CEO and as a member of Barrier's board of directors, Mr. Altomari completed the successful sale of Barrier to Stiefel Laboratories, which was subsequently acquired by GlaxoSmithKline plc.

The newly joined CFO, Dennis P. Reilly (joined in Aug, 2019) has proven to be an even better M&A expert. Dennis and Alfred were colleagues in Barrier Therapeutics back from 2005 to 2008, where Dennis served as the CFO and carried forward the Barriers acquisition. From 2009 to 2017, he served as CFO of NeoStrata Company, Inc., a privately held global leader in dermocosmetics, which was sold to Johnson & Johnson. In 2017, he served as CFO and COO of Invisible Sentinel, Inc a private company, which BioMerieux acquired in February 2019. Time and time again Dennis has demonstrate to the public how capable he is to successfully sell his companies and maximizing shareholders return.

These are very strong indicators pointing to the fact that the executive team of Agile may consider selling out the company in the near future. For the past years, we knew Mylan Pharmaceutics successfully defended its Xulanes market share and won the competition over Agile. However, if we put grudge aside, Mylan is actually a perfect buyer for the company. Mylan is currently the only contraceptive patch player in the market which means it does not need to hire additional sales force. They have enough resource to do a post-marketing trials to demonstrate Twirlas safety advantage over Xulane. If they can demonstrate that Twirlas safety is inline with other low-dose oral CHCs, they may be able to greatly expand contraceptive patchs market share by several folds, reaching over $2B in peak sale. Other companies, such Johnson and Johnson, could also be potential buyers as well. In conclusion, Agiles executive team leaves investors with imaginations of a potential sale in the near future.

We are currently invested in the stock, and we plan to exit the position right after FDAs decision. We are most confident about Twirlas FDA approval decision and we do not want to gain exposure to future uncertainties.

Author: Weiwei Wang

Disclosure: I am/we are long AGRX. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Additional disclosure: Investors are always reminded that before making any investment, you should do your own proper due diligence on any name directly or indirectly mentioned in this article. Investors should also consider seeking advice from a broker or financial adviser before making any investment decisions. Any information mentioned in this article was not verified, and should not be relied on as a formal investment justification. All recommendations and other statements, unless specified, are based on the author's personal understanding/judgement and may subject to future changes.

Read the rest here:
Short-Term Catalyst And Long-Term M&A Potential Make Agile Therapeutics An Attractive Potential Takeover Target - Seeking Alpha

One of the biggest pitfalls of being on a restrictive diet is, well, the restriction. Your favorite foodsmaybe even entire food groupsare off-limits. You may be excited that youre losing weight, but you really miss ice cream and chocolate and french fries. Arent there any diets that dont involve total deprivation and sacrifice of all your worldly pleasures?

Enter the 80/20 rule, which is basically everything in moderation in action: You eat healthy 80 percent of the time and indulge 20 percent of the time. Sounds great, right? Even better, its apparently a legit mindset to adapt to get in shape. In fact, Blake Lively recently credited the approach with helping her get in shape before film roles, with the help of her trainer, Don Saladino. (An important note: Some people use the phrase 80/20 rule to mean that weight loss is 80 percent eating right and 20 percent exercising, but for this article, were only focusing on how an 80/20 rule shakes out as a diet plan.)

But following the 80/20 rule is not as simple as munching on salads 80 percent of the time and enormous hot fudge sundaes the other 20 percent. There are best practices for successful weight loss. If you play your cards right, though, this approach to eating could help you reach your goals.

Heres everything you need to know about losing weight with the 80/20 rule.

You can apply the 80/20 rulewhich many people also call the 80/20 diet when talking about weight loss, though it isn't actually a diet in the traditional senseto many areas of your life that need a dose of moderation, because its just enough compliance and restriction to see changes but not so much that you cant ever kick back and enjoy yourself. Not having to follow something 100 percent to the letter can help you stick with it long-term, an important element in losing weight and keeping it off.

To apply this rule to your diet, you eat healthy or compliant foods 80 percent of the time and then eat more freely the other 20 percent of the time. The critical part of this plan is to determine what foods make up good calories and what foods make up bad calories, says weight-loss expert Matthew Weiner, MD, a bariatric surgeon at Tucson Bariatric. Its important to measure the ratio of good calorieslike those from fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and beansto bad calories, like those from refined sugar, refined grains, cheese and other high fat animal proteins.

Depending on your calorie needs and weight-loss goals, you may need or want to move some of the healthy foods into the 20 percent category (like the animal protein, grains, and dairy). Those foods can be part of a healthy diet for many people, but others may feel better or have more weight-loss success when those foods are considered an indulgence. To hash out what types of foods and nutrients below in each category, you may want to work with a nutritionist.

If you want the best results then you have to do a little bit of math, says Amy Elizabeth Rothberg, MD, director of the weight management clinic at Michigan Medicine.

Before beginning, its probably wise to take stock of your daily and weekly intake, by logging calories a couple of days during a typical work or school week and also on the weekend, particularly with respect to alcohol and high-calorie food intake, she explains.

This will give you a baseline of how many calories you consume per day and over the course of a week, both of which are good to know, because you may eat more or less on some days compared to others (like if you work out on Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays, for example).

The 80/20 rule isn't really a dietit's a way of thinking about your food intake.

From there, you can decide how to frame your percentage split. You can calculate how many specific calories make up 80 percent of your daily or weekly intake, or count up how many meals and snacks comprise 80 percent of what you eat in total. Everything else you eat, then, would fall into the remaining 20 percent.

Both Dr. Rothberg and Dr. Weiner say it really doesnt matter whether you apply the 80/20 rule to each day (like eating three healthy meals and one treat) or to a seven-day week (like eating healthy for five days and then relaxing your diet restrictions for two). Either way, youre subject to the benefits and pitfalls of this approach to eating.

Dr. Weiner says that if you eat cleanly for five days but then binge on junk food, fast food, and sugary beverages on the other two days, you probably won't lose any weight. In fact, you could even gain some. Instead, you should still be eating healthy foods on 20-percent days, striving for what Dr. Weiner calls a modest deviation from an otherwise healthy diet.

Yup, said it: You can overeat good-for-you foods, too. Remember that, generally speaking, weight loss ultimately only happens when your caloric intake is less than your output. If youre stuffing yourself with healthy foods, you could be eating just as much as when you allow yourself a modest treat.

Limiting your indulgences to 20 percent of the time doesnt mean you have free reign to overeat on the healthier days, points out Dr. Rothberg.

Even if you crack the 80/20 code, you could still wind up not moving the scale much if youre neglecting other aspects of your health. Dr. Rothberg says people also need to reduce their overall portions, get regular exercise, and drink plenty of water.

By now, youve (hopefully) caught on that the 80/20 diet isnt a free pass to indulge in healthy or unhealthy foods. So how do you start eating like an 80/20 pro? That depends on whether youre applying it to your daily or weekly calorie intake.

You fill the majority of your meals and snacks with healthy, nutrient dense foods from the compliant list. When it comes time for your 20 percent indulgence, you reach for a snack bag of chips in the afternoon, a glass of wine with dinner, or a few squares of dark chocolate for dessert.

Remember: Even though youre allowed to indulge, you cant call half a pan of brownies a snack and expect to lose weight (even if your other meals are healthy!). The 20 percent refers to the ratio of good versus bad foods, but also to the amount of calories you eat every day.

You stick to your calorie goals for five days in a row (lets say weekdays, just to simplify). You dont have to be overly strictthat might leave you tempted to swing too far the other way when the weekend arrivesbut you should be trying to make healthy choices as close to 100 percent of the time as possible from Monday through Friday. When the weekend comes, you relax your calorie goals.

Notice that says relax, not throw out the window." Overindulging on your 20 percent days, like eating fast food for every meal, wont help you with your weight-loss goals. For example, enjoy a portioned serving of your favorite cereal for breakfast, a healthy lunch, one drink with dinner, and either the mac-and-cheese side dish or the slice of carrot cake for dessert (not both).

Like literally every other diet on the planet, the 80/20 rule will work for some people but not others, and it has both advantages and disadvantages you need to be aware of if youre considering trying it out.

The bottom line: For people looking to overhaul the way they eat on a broad scale, applying the 80/20 rule allows for just enough flexibility to learn how to make smarter, healthier choices every day. If you need strict guidelines about calories and nutrients, though, the abstract boundaries of the 80/20 rule could set you up for frustration or failure.

Here is the original post:
How To Apply The 80-20 Rule To Weight Loss, According To Doctors - Women's Health

As you curse those pounds gained while traveling, you may want to fight back before your next trip by heeding the strategies of weight-management expert Robert Kushner.

"Travel should be synonymous with the words fun, exploration, sightseeing, adventure and exciting not with words like overeating, inactive, sleepy, fatigued and feeling disappointed with oneself," says Kushner, the medical director of Northwestern Medicine's Center for Lifestyle Medicine and the co-author of a new book, Six Factors to Fit: Weight Loss that Works for You!. "By taking your health plan on the road, you can remain fit and enjoy time away."

Weight-management expert Robert Kushner shares his expertise at an Obesity Action Coalition meeting.

The new book is co-authored by his wife, Nancy Kushner, a nurse practitioner and health writer. The book, Robert Kushner says, is part of his mission to help people lose weight and take charge of their health habits.

Travelers commit many cardinal sins on the road that lead to their unfitness, he says.

The sins include: not having a restaurant plan, oversized portions, too many calorie-filled alcoholic drinks, skipping meals, not bringing walking shoes, not having a plan for a healthy routine on the first day after returning home.

Vacationers and other leisure travelers "can apply their exploring travel mentality to their own health," Kushner says. He recommends enjoying the local scene by taking a walk "to explore the new surroundings" or signing up for walking or bike tours. Travelers who like to dance can take a lesson at a local studio and go out dancing at night.

When dining, find restaurants and local cafes with healthier meal options, adopting the mindset that each meal is not a feast, Kushner says. Explore different ethnic cuisines, looking for options that include more vegetables, beans and meatless meal options.

"Think outside the box," Kushner says. "As part of a tour, we had dinner in Porto, Portugal, and brought our gym shoes to change into, so we could walk home instead of taking the bus. It turned out to be one of the best nights we had."

Both leisure and business travelers should carry healthy snacks and water and seek produce, protein and broth-based soups at airport lounges and eateries, he says. "Stay well-hydrated with water," Kushner says. "An added benefit is that people can misread feeling thirsty as being hungry."

Business travelers on long-term trips need a longer-term focus and a mindset to do extra planning to build a healthier routine, he says.

"Choose a hotel with a fitness center, and ask the hotel to remove whats in the refrigerator to make room for you to shop local and bring in your own waters and healthy snacks like fruits, yogurts, hummus, vegetables and nut packs," Kushner says. "Bypass big breakfast buffets by keeping foods in the room for a quick breakfast, such as oatmeal in a cup or high-fiber cereal with milk and fruit. Review menus of nearby cafes and restaurants to find ones that offer healthy options."

Kushner advises business travelers to be assertive when ordering off a menu or customizing a catered business lunch. "Ask for healthier substitutions tomatoes instead of potatoes or order foods your way: non-fried options, non-creamy dressing or sauce on the side."

A meditation app on a cell phone can reduce work-related stress, and plenty of sleep is beneficial, he says. "Commit to following a good sleep routine, because poor sleep will make you crave unhealthy foods and seek sedentary activities."

Link:
Puttin On The Pounds On The Road? Heres What To Do - Forbes

When Ryan Grover sat down with Coach Philip Tabor at CrossFit Coordinate in Cary, North Carolina in April 2019, he had no idea he was about to embark on a journey that would help him lose nearly 100 lb. in just nine months.

The 29-year-old weighed 348 lbs. at the time. Today, hes down to 250 lbs. The first thing Tabor got Grover to do was to come up a selfish reason he wanted to lose weight. After some soul searching, Grover had a breakthrough.

I never had a dad I could throw a ball with, or just go outside and play and be active with. And I realized that when its my turn to have kids, I dont want to be this way. Through conversation with (Tabor), we talked about what my dad was like, and it helped me realize what I wanted, Grover said.

Thus, what he really wantedhis real reason whywas to lose weight and become healthier and fitter so he could be a more capable father than his father was to him. Identifying this purpose is a big part of what helped him stick to his commitment to exercise and clean eating in the months that followed, he explained.

The reason Tabor asks his clients to find their selfish reason is simple: Nobody loses weight for others. They might say it, but at the core we only make changes when they are selfish in nature, Tabor said.

Some people say (they want to be able to have) better sex. Others say (to live a) long life. One client did it because his dad just died and he was headed there next. But whatever the reason, its their reason and I keep that in front of them. It drives them, he added.

When people are able to find their deeper reason for wanting to lose weight and get healthy, theyre then able to change their identity and their perception of themselves, Tabor explained. In Grovers case, it allowed him to shed the idea that he was an obese man, and start doing the things healthy, strong, fit people do, Tabor said.

Thats why the weight came off so fast, he added. Clearly the approach works, as Grover is one of four clients at CrossFit Coordinate who have lost 100 lbs. in the last year, while five others lost at least 60 lbs.

A second key to Grovers success is having a coach to keep him on track, Grover explained. The accountability part was the big piece for me, so I could do simple things like send (Tabor) pictures of my food. He would give me advice like, Next time shrink the portion of potatoes. Having that constant nudge from someone has been really helpful to keep me on track, Grover said, adding that the nutrition coaching he received from Tabors wife Holly Tabor, also played an integral role.

Today, Grover no longer eats at fast food joints, and he doesnt overeat regularly like he used to. Instead, he mostly eats lean protein, a lot of vegetables and some starch.

And because Grover feels like he has made habit changesas opposed to embarking on a strict, short-term diethe said he knows these changes are here to stay.

It took a while to get used to the new routine, but now I dont have a lot of cravings. I do want a pizza every now and again, but I dont miss fast food. It actually hurts when I eat it because my body is working on a much cleaner diet, he said.

He added: Its definitely a lifestyle change. I dont want to go back.

This post originally appeared on BarBend. Read the original story here.

See the article here:
This Guy Took Up CrossFit and Lost 98 Pounds in One Year - menshealth.com

While research shows little or no link between exercise and any meaningful long-term weight loss, that doesnt mean exercising, particularly resistance training, doesnt provide a long list of health benefits, both physical and mental.

From a scientific perspective, we probably don't really know how to get people to lose weight, said University of Alberta exercise physiologist Loren Chiu. But the importance of exercise goes beyond weight loss, particularly lifting weights.

U of A exercise physiologist Loren Chiurecommends this efficient full-body workout for beginners.

Sets: 3Do the first set at 50 per centof the maximum weight you can liftfor 5-6 repetitions, the second at 75 per cent and the third at 100 per cent.

Repetitions: 56 per set

Exercises: lunges, squats, overhead press, seated rows

Gym days: 23 per week

Other exercises to include: bench press, pull-downs or chin-ups, deadlifts, sit-ups

Note: A fitness professional should be consulted to advise on proper technique.

Chiu said the many benefits to be gained from resistance training begin with simply building muscle needed to carry out daily activities, while avoiding lower back pain.

There are certain muscles in the lower back, shoulders, ankles and hips that are really weak, said Chiu. We typically don't go to the gym and train those muscles specifically, but if those muscles are weak, they might give out doing such routine tasks as carrying groceries or shovelling the snow.

This need for resistance training is particularly true for people as they pass through mid-life and into their old age, according to U of A physical activity and health promotion researcher Kerry Mummery.

The current dean of the U of As Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation previously worked in Australia on a project that put female seniors with no background in strength training through a regimen of heavy weightlifting to measure the effects it had on their bone-mineral density.

The research showed that while the damage done by osteoporosis couldnt be reversed, resistance training halted the bone deterioration and even opened doors to benefits that went beyond the physical.

It affected their self-concept, said Mummery. They felt so empowered by doing this that there was almost a glow.

The importance of weight training is finding its way outside of gyms and labs, and is gaining momentum among lawmakers. For instance, Great Britain recently updated its physical activity guidelines to put greater emphasis on strength training for people as they age.

Mummery said as people age, they tend to put disproportionate importance on cardiorespiratory fitness, when their focus should really be on keeping their muscle masswhich is actually what burns calories. Generally, a pound of muscle burns an estimated six calories a day at rest, whereas a pound of fat only burns about two calories a day.

As people age, they can erroneously use scales to think that everything's fine, because they weigh 185 pounds (84 kilograms), and they've weighed 185 pounds for the last 30 years, said Mummery. But because fat is less dense than muscle, 185 pounds can look very different depending on the changing distribution of muscle and fat. More emphasis needs to be placed on the maintenance of muscle mass as one ages.

And while the consensus is that resistance training works wonders for your body, it might even be more important for your mind.

Claire Scavuzzo, a U of A post-doctoral fellow in psychology, said there's very strong evidence to suggest that exercise leads to better learning, better memory and the formation of more blood vessels in the brain.

Much of this performance increase comes courtesy of the brains fondness for lactate or lactic acid, which builds up in situations like weight training, where energy for oxygen-starved muscles is needed faster than the body can produce it.

Lactic acid has this really bad rap of being a painful part of exercise, but there's a growing body of literature that suggests lactate acts as a signal to the muscles that they need to take a break and begin repairing themselves following exercise, said Scavuzzo.

She said the cells in the brain, the neurons in particular, prefer lactate as an energy source and will consume it for the period of exercise, and for some period afterward.

The brain essentially becomes a lactate sink.

Scavuzzos lab examines the effect lactate has on sleep. She explained one common theme that crops up in the exercise literature is that people who exercise have longer periods of slow-wave sleep responsible for restoring energy and consolidating memories.

This effect was first noticed in marathon runners on the day after a marathon, she said. Serendipitously, we show that you can just drop lactate into the brain and that will amplify the amount of time the brain spends in the slow-wave periods.

Scavuzzo said the brain, much like the bodys muscles, will use this slow-wave sleep to start a process known as super compensation, in which the brain begins storing vast amounts of energy.

If you think of the brain as a muscle, it all kind of seems parallel that we'd have some sort of similar system between the two.

Scavuzzo added that because lifting weights is an intensive motor activity, more systems in the brain are expanded compared with aerobic exercise like cardio training.

The more we do, especially when more weight is added, the more we have to recruit more motor neurons to activate more muscles to push this extra weight.

View original post here:
Why weight training may be the best exercise for everyone - Folio - University of Alberta

Wrapping up another year, Pottawatomie County continues to be the apple of the Avedis Foundation's eye.

Wrapping up another year, Pottawatomie County continues to be the apple of the Avedis Foundation's eye.

Since being formed in 2012, the local foundation has granted more than $40 million in the Pottawatomie County area, committing investments into specific projects or organizations related to health and wellness, social services, arts and culture, civic and community initiatives, and education.

Three of the perhaps the most visible of Avedis' flagship initiatives were expanded last year: Community Renewal, Blue Zones Project and Community Market.

The push underscores the foundations focus to address community needs and help drive long-term culture changes.

Community Renewal

Community Renewal of Pottawatomie County supports the community through programming and infrastructure designed to restore neighborhoods from within by promoting neighbor-to-neighbor relationships and by providing central, safe locations for after-school programs and other neighborhood activities.

In 2019, the organization trained 155 residents to become block leaders in identified neighborhoods, an increase of 63 percent over the year before. Neighborhoods hosted 225 gatherings with more than a thousand participating neighbors.

In its three years in operation here, Community Renewal has gained national attention for its implementation of several Kids Clubs programs in local schools supported by a curriculum developed in Shawnee that emphasizes character development, emotional regulation, healthy relationships and leadership.

Eight area schools participate in Kids Clubs: Jefferson Elementary, Horace Mann Elementary, Pleasant Grove Elementary, Sequoyah Elementary, Will Rogers Elementary, McLoud Middle School, Shawnee Middle School and Shawnee High School.

In 2019, Avedis awarded a $460,434 grant to Community Renewal.

Blue Zones Project

Blue Zones Project is a global well-being initiative to support healthy lifestyle habits that promote longevity and quality of life. Shawnee is the first community in Oklahoma to be part of the Blue Zones initiative, with an aim of making healthy choices easier through permanent changes to the citys environment, policies and social networks.

Avedis reports that, in 2019, local Blue Zones initiatives impacted nearly 4,000 workers through updated programs and policies at approved worksites. Among those worksites are eight of the citys largest employers, seven restaurants, six public schools, and two grocery stores.

Other milestones in 2019 that align with the Blue Zones Project initiative include:

adoption of the Complete Streets policy by the City of Shawnee, requiring that streets be designed, operated, and maintained to enable safe transportation for all people;

approval of the 19th Blue Zones-approved local worksite;

several community purpose workshops, which hosted nearly 775 attendees, focusing on how to live longer, happier lives;

Avedis Foundation President and CEO, Dr. Kathy Laster said there are not many opportunities in life to bring change to a community that can have a positive outcome for generations to come.

We are fortunate to have so many large groups of dedicated volunteers who are committed to such a change, she said. The local Blue Zones Project staff continues to provide superb leadership to make our community a healthier place for all.

Community Market of Pottawatomie County

Community Market of Pottawatomie County aims to reduce food insecurity and hunger within the nonprofits surrounding area. As the states largest relief organization in terms of clients served Community Market provided more than 2.5 million meals in 2019, in addition to nutrition-related programming and referrals to other social service organizations in the area.

In December 2019, Avedis Foundation awarded a grant of nearly $158,000 to Community Market to support six programs, including a senior health program that offers healthy food options to at-risk seniors and a garden program that delivers fresh, healthy foods to those who would otherwise not have access to them.

Community Market Executive Director Daniel Matthews said the Avedis Foundations commitment to fight food insecurity and increase the quality of life in the community is inspiring.

Community Market of Pottawatomie County is dedicated to meeting the needs of thousands in our community who face hunger on a daily basis, Laster said. They continue to provide a dignified service that is honorable and fair to those who need it the most.

Establishing a sustainability program

Avedis introduced a sustainability program in 2019, developed to assist local organizations in establishing sustainability, defined as the organizations ability to cover 100 percent of its operating expenses within 10 years.

Four local nonprofits began participating in the sustainability program last year: Community Market, Community Renewal, Legacy Parenting Center and South Central Industries.

In order to reduce nonprofits reliance on foundation grants and fundraising, our board has approved a leading-edge innovation, the Sustainability Grant Program, to assist them in their efforts to become self-sustaining over time, Laster said. The idea is to help nonprofits develop a business or social enterprise whose revenues can be used to fund the organizations mission, which will have a very favorable impact on nonprofit services and overall economic development.

Health Week

Avedis Foundation hosted Health Week 2019, a citywide celebration of health and wellness for the community, from May 24-31. The foundation collaborated with several community partners to organize family-friendly activities and events designed to promote healthy habits and active lifestyles for all age groups. In addition, the foundation hosted a keynote luncheon that featured FOX Sports 1's Jenna Wolfe, host of the network's First Things First. Wolfe, a longtime broadcast journalist, is the author of Thinner in 30: Small Changes That Add Up to Big Weight Loss in Just 30 Days. Her keynote presentation addressed staying motivated to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Schools

More than 1,300 educators from all 15 Pottawatomie County school districts participated in the 2019 Celebrate Teachers professional development event hosted by Avedis in August.

Gerry Brooks, author of Go See the Principal: True Tales from the School Trenches, was the events keynote speaker. Brooks is an elementary school principal from Lexington, Kentucky, whose presentation included personal stories and humorous anecdotes to illustrate how teachers can improve their instructional abilities through personal climate and culture strategies in the classroom.

Avedis Foundation Board Member Michael P. Warwick said the presentation by Brooks was both informative and entertaining.

I spoke with several teachers in attendance, Warwick said, and they were unanimous in their appreciation for the presentation and for the foundations sponsorship for the Celebrate Teachers event.

Laster said it was an honor to sponsor Celebrate Teachers for its third year.

Avedis Foundation places great importance on one of our countys most valuable resources our teachers and it was a thrill to bring so much talent together for a day of professional growth and development, Laster said.

Roundtable meetings

Twenty area nonprofit leaders participated in Avedis Foundations Executive Director Nonprofit Roundtable monthly professional development meetings throughout 2019 to exchange information with their peers, provide professional support, and further their education on issues that are unique to the nonprofit industry.

Other grants

Avedis Foundation awarded nearly $2 million in grants to several local organizations in 2019:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma to provide one-to-one mentoring for local children;

Cities of Chandler and Prague to support Safer Routes to Schools projects;

City of Tecumseh to fund the construction of Timber Ridge Park;

Criminal Justice and Mercy Ministries of Oklahoma, Inc. to provide camp tuition for five local children;

Gateway to Prevention and Recovery to expand a wellness program;

Gordon Cooper Technology Center for its STEM on Wheels program;

Infant Crisis Services to provide funding for BabyMobile site visits;

Junior Achievement of Oklahoma for curriculum support for Pottawatomie Schools;

Legacy Parenting Center to support parent education and parent/child resources from pregnancy to age five;

Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art to support educational programming;

Mabel Bassett Correctional Facility to help fund its R.I.S.E. training and job placement program;

Mobile Smiles to provide dental services and education for Pottawatomie County adults and seniors without dental insurance;

Oklahoma Fall Arts Institute to support professional development scholarships for Shawnee-area educators;

Pioneer Library System to provide books for children;

Salvation Army Shawnee Boys and Girls Club to support local after-school programs;

Shawnee Forward Business Alliance/2018-19 Leadership Class to support a 5K fun run, Hit the Bricks, to benefit Legacy Parenting Center; and

Shawnee YMCA to expand services and community outreach programs

About Avedis

Avedis Foundation, at 1500 E. Independence in Shawnee, was established to invest in the county through grants that support projects and benefit nonprofit organizations within the foundations granting area.

The name Avedis means one who brings glad tidings, or the bearer of good news, a significance

intrinsic to the foundation's mission, to measurably improve the health, wellness and quality of life for the people of Pottawatomie County and its surrounding communities. To underscore the relevance of the name and the foundations role as a benefactor to the community, Avedis Foundation can also be recognized by its signature statement, Were here for good.

For more information, visit avedisfoundation.org.

Go here to read the rest:
Avedis Foundation: In 2019, Pott. County benefits from local grants - Shawnee News Star

Physical fitness provides countless health benefits.

Step outside for fresh air and breathe in the sense of well-being becomes apparent. Merge the two, and health experts say you have a powerful combination that offers long-lasting benefits.

Heading outdoors for physical activity not only does the body good, it also can be instrumental in preventing disease and boosting your mood, especially on dreary winter days.

Studies have shown outdoor sessions can lower blood pressure, boost the immune system and reduce cancer risk.

Local experts weigh in on some of the additional benefits of outdoor activities, as well as some ideas on how to connect with nature.

Out or in

Walking offers a host of health benefits, but does it matter whether you walk outdoors or indoors?

Khisha Anderson, coordinator of the Well Walkers Club at St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, says walking in any environment can help reduce blood pressure, lower bad cholesterol and improve heart health. But walking outdoors can provide a key aid to maintaining a fitness routine.

The main benefit to walking outside versus a treadmill is atmosphere, Anderson said. People are not as focused on the duty of exercise, watching the timer or mileage.

Instead, when outdoors, people tend to be more attentive to their surroundings taking their mind off their exercise routine.

It provides people the opportunity to smell the roses and enjoy their exercise, she said.

Debi Pillarella, director of bariatric services at Community Healthcare Systems Healthy 4 Life Advanced Weight Loss Center, says even when its cold, getting outside can create feelings of revitalization, reduce tension and increase energy.

You may even burn more calories simply by choosing an outdoor activity versus an indoor activity.

When getting outside when the mercury is dropping, the body works to keep itself warm, and the result is burning more calories, she said. Cold outdoor temperatures are said to activate brown fat, which helps the body heat up and stokes the bodys metabolism.

Theres also no cost to walk or participate in many activities outdoors, Anderson said.

Walking can be done anywhere, at any speed, by anyone, and its free, she said.

Effect on health

Heading outdoors offers several benefits to the body, and overall, can improve a persons sense of well-being, says Michelle Kelleher, a fitness instructor and trainer at the Purdue Northwest Westville Fitness Center.

When we go outside and connect with nature, it helps us connect to ourselves something that can change a day around, she said. This simple act of taking a walk outside also helps improve our overall well-being. Feeling connected and getting fresh air is a winning combo.

Especially in the winter, when the cozy blanket beckons, getting outside is important, says L.J. Mattraw, wellness manager with Franciscan Health Fitness Centers.

Being outdoors is a great way to improve your mood, he said. Physiologically, serotonin levels are usually lowest in the winter. Going outside and getting some sunlight is a great way to increase those levels and put you in a more positive mood.

Research also suggests that vitamin D levels drop in the winter, Pillarella says. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and promote bone growth.

Typically in the winter, we cover our body with warm clothing, compared to the summer, which results in less exposure to the sun where our body gets UVB rays, which limit vitamin D synthesis.

Even a 10-minute daily walk can help prevent vitamin D levels from decreasing, Mattraw says.

Grabbing a friend or workout buddy also can promote accountability and long-term lifestyle changes, Kelleher says.

Setting aside specific times to get outside might also be helpful to make it a natural routine, such as going for morning walks or going in the evening after dinner, she said.

Daily physical activity, particularly outdoors, boosts an individuals circadian rhythm, hormones and neurotransmitters, Kelleher said.

By improving our physical health, our mental, emotional and spiritual well-being improve, too, helping us to stay in balance and centered, she said.

Ideas for outdoor activity

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week.

If walking, a daily goal should be at least 10,000 steps, which is the equivalent of about five miles, Anderson said.

Going for a peaceful stroll, playing with your kids or taking an outdoor meditation class could greatly uplift your day, Kelleher said. Qigong and yoga are both great options. Dancing in the rain isnt a bad idea either.

After a snowfall, head outside for cross-country skiing, sledding, snowboarding and snowshoeing opportunities, Pillarella says. Many local parks, including the Indiana Dunes National Park, offer opportunities for winter activities.

Even making snow angels, building snow forts or participating in snowball fights can burn calories, she says.

Finding a fun activity is key and will make an outdoor activity something to look forward to, Pillarella says.

If its fun and enjoyable, its more likely to become part of your world, she said.

Take care

Though time spent outdoors is encouraged year-round by health advocates, Anderson says its important to keep in mind some precautions to ensure safety.

When walking outside during anytime of the year, especially winter, be mindful of the terrain, she said. Dress in layers when the weather is cold. You can take outer layers off as you warm up.

Drinking water is also critical, she says.

Hydration is just as important in the winter as it is in the summer, Anderson said.

Proper clothing is also key not only for comfort, but safety as well, Kelleher says.

To walk outside in the winter months, one must be prepared with snow pants, hats, coats and gloves, she said. Scarves and face masks are also beneficial.

Pillarella stresses the importance of looking at overall lifestyle changes and incorporating healthful behaviors such as getting outdoors into your routine throughout the day.

The numbers dont lie, and we really need to heed the advice of the experts and realize that although exercise is super important and highly recommended, its what you do when youre not formally exercising that really counts, she said. If you do a formal workout for an hour, but sit the rest of your day, you might be at risk for the active couch potato syndrome.

Studies have shown even among people who exercise regularly, those that exhibit an excessive sedentary behavior are at a higher risk of diseases and death, she said.

Its pretty simple the evidence is clear that the more physically active we are, the more health benefits and disease risk reduction we have, Pillarella said.

Slideshow: Outdoor winter fitness options in NWI

Go here to see the original:
Bundle up, breathe deep and enjoy the fitness, emotional benefits of winter activities - Kokomo Perspective

The keto diet has generated a lot of headlines in support and critical of the diet. Nutritionist and author Maria Emmerich writes in favour of the diet and Dr. David Jenkins, a professor of nutritional sciences, writes against its limitations.

The ketogenic diet is portrayed as an extreme or fad diet, but it really isnt. It is just meat and vegetables. When did that become extreme?

Our diet over the last 50 to 100 years has changed drastically. Most of it due to the modern food industry making highly processed versions of foods we eat and hiding sugar in almost every product on the shelves.

A ketogenic diet is what our ancestors ate most of the time. They had long winters where fruits and vegetables werent available. Also, our fruits and vegetables look nothing like what our ancestors ate. They are the result of hybridizations and cross breeding over the last 100 to 200 years, which turned them into sweeter and sweeter versions.

Just one of many examples is the peach. The wild peach was about 1 inch across and almost 36 per cent of the fruit was the stone. Todays peach is 4 inches across (67 times more volume) and the stone is only 10 per cent. Each peach eaten gives you 725 times as much sugar; an increase of 7,250 per cent.

Even following the modern guidelines of eating more fruits and vegetables will result in eating many times more sugar than our ancestors ever consumed. With modern refrigeration and canning technologies people can eat them year-round. Frozen veggies in America didnt start until about 100 years ago. As a result, our modern diet is one of the most unnatural diets and contains more sugar than we have ever consumed in our history.

The other side of the debate will probably bring up many of the same old talking points used against a ketogenic diet. Like saying it isnt sustainable or it's too hard and restrictive, it will give you high cholesterol, make you lethargic or not able to perform in sports and it will lead to nutrient deficiencies.

We are living proof that is it sustainable and with my recipes, like my Keto Comfort Foods cookbook, you can make any of your favourite recipes keto by changing a couple ingredients.

Studies have shown that on average cholesterol goes down with a ketogenic diet and other health markers all improve.

For performance, Zach Bitter is a keto runner that just broke the world record for 100 miles running it in 11 hours and 19 minutes.

The last point about nutrients is also incorrect. Animal protein is some of the most nutrient dense food you can eat. Beef has more nutrients than superfoods like kale and broccoli and beef liver is the true superfood.

The arguments in favour of a ketogenic diet for long-term weight loss are numerous. The primary issue with long-term weight loss for any diet is compliance. There are recipes that make compliance easy by substituting any of the modern recipes with healthier versions. But the main thing that helps with compliance is how good people feel. The weight loss is a bonus.

Eating a ketogenic diet switches the bodies fuel source from glucose (carbs) to primarily fat. This has several effects on the body.

First, our fat storage is much greater than our glucose storage. We can only store 1,500 to 2,000 calories in glucose (in muscle and liver) but can have almost unlimited storage in fat (even lean athletes have 20,000 plus calories stored as fat). This helps increases satiety and decreases hunger and cravings.

Some of the fats used for fuel are converted into ketones in the liver to fuel the brain and other tissues like the heart. The brain loves running on ketones and people see improved moods, mental clarity and focus. This is one reason why keto is beneficial for Alzheimers, dementia and mood disorders.

All of these factors drive compliance. People dont want to go back to feeling terrible again, having afternoon crashes, hunger and cravings cycles throughout the day, brain fog and reduced focus they have as a sugar burner. And compliance to a ketogenic diet means they have less hunger and cravings making it easier to keep the weight off.

I think the ketogenic diet is the easiest diet to stick to long term. You dont feel deprived, get to eat tasty food, have no cravings, feel amazing and your energy soars. Who doesnt want that?

Get more opinion in your inbox

Get the latest from your favourite Star columnists with our Opinion email newsletter.

Maria Emmerich is a nutrition expert and international bestselling author.

Low-carb ketogenic diets have recently come into vogue again. This kind of diet has been around a long time, although research shows there may be better ways to lose weight and certainly better ways to promote overall health.

A plant-based diet with unprocessed high-fibre carbohydrate foods will do much to sustain a healthy weight and to address the risk of developing chronic diseases. Moreover, eating this way will also help to reduce the damage to the planet and address global warming, environmental destruction and species loss.

In the prediabetic era, doctors did prescribe patients diets for type-one diabetes that provided mainly fat and protein with minimal carbohydrates. The aim at that time was to eliminate the need for insulin by restricting carbohydrates. With the advent of insulin therapy, however, in the 1920s, carbohydrate intakes were liberalized.

Over the last century, increasingly, the recommended diets for both type- 1 (insulin dependent) and type-2 (noninsulin dependent) diabetes have focused on reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease, which in type 2 diabetes is two to four times more common than in the general population.

Dietary advice is now more focused on: eating high-fibre carbohydrate foods with low glycemic indices; reducing saturated fats and cholesterol; and eliminating trans fats. These changes all help to reduce LDL cholesterol, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

The keto diet runs counter to advice from most public health agencies concerned with controlling diabetes, including Diabetes Canada. It also runs counter to advice from Health Canada for the general public to eat more fruit, vegetables, whole grain cereals and legumes, all of which are foods with carbohydrates.

THE BIG DEBATE: For more opposing view columns from Toronto Star contributors, click here.

Low-carb diets, on the other hand, encourage people to eat animal-based foods, including butter, cream, cheese and fatty meats. This dietary pattern deprives people of foods that lower cholesterol and blood pressure and increases blood levels of the new risk factor for cardiovascular disease and chronic disease Trimethylamine-N-oxide.

Keto diets are considered of some use in treating seizures and intractable epilepsy in children; they may increase the effectiveness of medication. Such diets are restrictive and require careful planning and monitoring by a dietitian and a medical team.

While this diet may reduce seizures in children, it can also be associated with slowed growth, reduced bone density leading to the risk of bone fractures, kidney stones, raised serum LDL-cholesterol and constipation. Some of the side effects may result in mobilizing bone calcium to neutralize the acid products (ketones) of fat metabolism, and with the higher fat intakes also raising serum cholesterol levels.

People who favour low-carb diets, such as the Atkins, Paleo and Keto diets, believe they help in the short-term with weight control. They reason that such diets are more satiating and the presence of ketones, produced from free fatty acid metabolism by the liver, may also depress the appetite.

They cite that people on higher protein diets with increased protein metabolism, will waste calories (the thermogenic effect of food) and that ketone body loss in the urine also increases the loss of calories from the body and contributes to further weight loss.

Some quote the Warburg effect that cancer cells may have a dependency on glucose metabolism and that unlike healthy cells, cancer cells may not adapt to ketone body utilization. In this way, tumour growth may be limited.

The problem with these conclusions is the lack of clinical trial evidence of effectiveness.

In fact, studies on low-carb diets collectively have shown little advantage for weight loss a year out. And in diabetes, they have not resulted in improved glycemic control. The possible benefits of short-term studies have not been born out in the long term.

Plant-based diets can be effective for weight loss over time and have the added benefit of being better for the planet. A move to more plant food consumption is recommended internationally for health and planetary sustainability.

David Jenkins is a professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

We have suspended your account in accordance with our Code of Conduct. For more information please visit Code of Conduct

Q:

Is the keto diet good for long-term weight loss? Share your thoughts

More:
The Big Debate: Is the keto diet good for long-term weight loss? | The - Toronto Star

From the time I was a sophomore in high school up until last fall, I counted calories in one form or another. It started with logging my daily Weight Watchers points, then switched to tracking calories in the Fitbit app to make sure I didnt go too far over my daily target.

For years, I didnt mind doing it. It felt good in a way, like I was in control. But over time it became exhausting. I couldnt take more than a few bites of something without thinking about how I would quantify that later. All of the tedious recording and number-crunching started to suck the joy out of food.

And I realized I hadnt been listening to my body, either. Sometimes Id have extra calories left over for the day, so Id grab a snack (or two) while I was watching TV, even when I was full. Other times, when I was legitimately hungry after dinner, Id try not to eat anything else to avoid going over my allotment.

It was while reading the book Body Love by holistic nutritionist Kelly LeVeque a few months ago that I realized I finally wanted to quit counting calories. After so many years of doing it, I was hesitant to stop. But overall, I was fed up.

Weve long been taught that counting (and cutting) calories is necessary if we want to be healthy and lose weight. And yes, the amount of calories we eat does matter in a general sense. But obsessing over that number at the expense of more important factors is probably a waste of your time.

Its good to know relative calories: This food is high, this food is low, for example, especially if you eat out in restaurants often, registered dietitian Abby Langer told HuffPost. But there are a lot of flaws with calorie counting as we know it.

And for some people, it works. But really, I dont recommend it, Langer continued. We can get so involved in the numbers that we experience a disconnect between the food we eat and our hunger.

When were so preoccupied with the quantity rather than the quality of the calories we consume, we miss the point. Not to mention that this seemingly healthy habit can take a toll on our mental health while doing little for our physical health in the long term.

HuffPost talked to registered dietitians, professors and other experts to figure out why were still so hung up on calories. Heres what they want you to know.

Counting calories isnt an exact science.

Youve probably heard of the calories in/calories out model, which states that in order to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. And while in theory that may be true, in reality, its overly simplistic.

For one, the model fails to take into account how the composition of those calories affects your body everything from your blood sugar levels to your insulin levels to your digestion, hunger hormones and future cravings.

In the end, calories matter, but the amount of calories we eat and burn are both influenced long-term by the types of food we eat, said cardiologist Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Our bodies are complex, and different foods create complex interactions with our bodies that can help or hinder weight control.

For example, two fun-size bags of M&Ms and two hard-boiled eggs both contain about 140 calories. But the eggs have protein and healthy fat that will keep you full and are packed with nutrients that will nourish your body. The M&Ms, on the other hand, are nutritionally void. Plus, theyre high in sugar, which means theyll spike and crash your blood sugar, leaving you reaching for yet another snack soon after.

We can get so involved in the numbers that we experience a disconnect between the food we eat and our hunger.

- Abby Langer, registered dietitian

Whats more, the tools we use to determine the number of calories we should eat to lose weight arent very precise. Many people rely on apps or widgets that ask you to plug in your age, gender, activity level, current weight and desired weight.

While these tools may give you a general ballpark figure, youd need to know your resting metabolic rate (or RMR, the number of calories your body burns at rest) to get a more accurate number. And that would require doing a respiratory test called indirect calorimetry thats not accessible to most people.

Figuring out how many calories are in the foods we eat isnt an exact science, either. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows calories on nutrition labels to have a large margin of error up to 20%. So that means that a 500-calorie muffin you ate for breakfast could really have been anywhere between 400 and 600 calories. When it comes to cooking meals at home, youd need to measure every tablespoon and weigh every ounce of your ingredients to obtain a somewhat accurate calorie count and thats just not worth the effort for many people.

Counting calories can be bad for your health.

SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images

Carefully tracking calories can be a time-consuming, draining and quite possibly a waste of your time, but those arent the only pitfalls, experts say. Here are a few ways calorie-counting can wreck your relationship with your body:

It puts us in a restrictive diet mentality.

Calorie restriction can fuel the guilt-deprivation cycle, said Alissa Rumsey, a registered dietitian and intuitive eating coach at Alissa Rumsey Nutrition and Wellness.

Restriction leads to feelings of deprivation, which leads to feelings of desperation, which leads to binges or obsessive thoughts or cravings, which leads to feelings of guilt or shame, followed by more restriction and over and over, she said. This is completely normal and not caused by a lack of self-control or willpower its because your body is sensing that restriction.

You lose touch with your hunger cues.

When youre laser-focused on hitting an arbitrary calorie number, it detaches you from your bodys internal cues of hunger, fullness and satisfaction.

Our bodies know how much we need to eat each day if we tune in and pay attention, Rumsey said. Trusting your body means you dont need to micromanage your caloric intake. Some days you will naturally need more food than others.

If we were to get out of our head and listen and connect to our body, wed eat a lot differently.

- Aaron Flores, registered dietitian

You might fixate on a number rather than on nutrition.

If youre counting calories, you might end up excluding certain nutrient-dense foods from your diet just because theyre higher in calories: think avocados, salmon, olive oil, walnuts or chia seeds. Instead, you might go for something with less nutritional value like, say, an 100-calorie pack of crackers just because it will help you stay under your allotment for the day.

From a health perspective, it is better to focus on the quality of the diet e.g. avoiding ultra-processed foods and eating adequate amounts of produce, said Arya Sharma, professor of medicine at the University of Alberta and scientific director of Obesity Canada.

You may develop an unhealthy preoccupation with food.

For some, counting calories (or any other eating plan that requires strict adherence) can lead to an obsession with food, which can result in disordered eating habits and increase anxiety and depression, Sharma said.

If you have a medical condition that requires a specific diet, it should be monitored by a health professional, such as a registered dietitian, he added.

You may be able to lose weight this way, but keeping it off will be a challenge.

Indeed, restricting calories may yield weight loss in the short term, but for many people, its not sustainable. In an analysis of 29 long-term weight loss studies, researchers found that more than 80% of lost weight was regained after five years. And its not because of a lack of effort or willpower.

Eventually the body begins to fight back, activating multiple overlapping mechanisms for preventing weight loss that were developed in our evolutionary past when food was scarce, Mozaffarian said.

Counting calories is a hard habit to break.

Caiaimage/Paul Bradbury via Getty Images

Even as health experts have begun promoting less restrictive food philosophies (like practicing intuitive eating or aiming for more nutrient-dense foods), many people are still hung up on counting calories. Why is it so hard to quit?

For one, counting calories gives us the illusion of control over one aspect of our lives our weight, Rumsey said. In reality, the fixation on calories ends up controlling us: our thoughts, our actions and emotions. And its worth noting that weight is also determined by factors that are outside of our control, such as genetics, certain health conditions or medication side effects.

The only way to stop this cycle is by getting rid of all restrictions around food and to stop calorie counting, she said. Many people have a hard time doing this because it is completely counterintuitive to what diet culture and our society teaches us: That if we dont control what we eat, then well go off the rails, when in fact the opposite is true.

Trusting your body means you dont need to micromanage your caloric intake.

- Alissa Rumsey, registered dietitian and intuitive eating coach

Nutrition can be complicated, which leaves us desperate for easy answers and quick fixes. Diet culture takes advantage of this by oversimplifying the complexity of eating: It tells us this food group is bad, this food groups is good, eat this many calories and youll be thinner, happier and more worthy of love and we internalize those messages. So when the diet fails, we end up blaming ourselves, said Aaron Flores, a registered dietitian and host of the Dietitians Unplugged podcast.

When we restrict to X calories a day, we are likely not getting enough [food], he said. When we struggle with that body feeling, we assume our body is broken that it needs too much because the book or the doctor or the dietitian told me I should only need X per day. We fear truly listening to our body, so we want someone else to tell us what to do and how much to eat.

Heres what to focus on instead.

Westend61 via Getty Images

Instead of adding up the number of calories (which, Ill admit, Im still tempted to do sometimes), I pay more attention to how balanced and nourishing my meals are. I aim for protein, healthy fat, fiber and greens/vegetables or what LeVeque has dubbed the Fab 4 at every meal. I gravitate toward foods that I know energize and satiate me.

Below, experts share some practical tips for healthier eating that you can incorporate into your own life:

Think about how what you eat makes you feel.

Is it satisfying? Enjoyable to eat? Does it keep you full until lunch or does it leave you wanting a snack after an hour?

For example, does the meal gives you sustained energy or do you have an energy crash? Rumsey said.

Tune in to what your body actually wants.

Intuitive eating encourages us to get back in touch with our bodys own signals that tell us what to eat and when rather than relying on external cues like strict diet rules.

Diet culture has disconnected us from our bodies and the wisdom that lies within it, Flores said. If we were to get out of our head, and listen and connect to our body, wed eat a lot differently.

Eat more plants and whole foods.

Fill up on foods containing fiber, healthy fats and phytonutrients like fruits, nuts, beans, virgin plant oils, non-starchy veggies, minimally processed whole grains, and fish, as well as yogurt with live probiotics, Mozaffarian said.

Cheese, eggs, poultry and unprocessed red meat can be eaten in moderation, he added.

Eat fewer processed foods.

Its best to minimize your intake of ultra-processed foods such as chips, candy, soda and packaged snack cakes basically anything containing ingredients like artificial flavors, hydrogenated oils and emulsifiers.

I recommend focusing on a few key healthy foods to add to your diet and a few unhealthy foods to drop, and building from there, Mozaffarian said.

Take a break from those nightly takeout orders: Studies have shown that home cooking is linked with a healthier overall diet. Take-out and restaurant meals are often high in sugar, sodium and unhealthy fat not to mention the portion sizes can be excessive. When youre preparing your own food, however, youre in charge of the ingredients that go into each meal to assure they align with your health goals.

If youre struggling with an eating disorder, call the National Eating Disorder Association hotline at 1-800-931-2237.

Read more:
Counting Calories Is Basically Pointless. So Why Are We Still Doing It? - HuffPost

Page 99«..1020..9899100101..110120..»

Home » Long Term Weight Loss » Page 99