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Summary: Diet and lifestyle programs designed to impact DNA methylation resulted in an average decrease in biological aging of 4.6 years, a new study reports.

Source: Impact Journals

ResearchersKara N. Fitzgerald, Tish Campbell, Suzanne Makarem,andRomilly Hodgesfrom theInstitute for Functional Medicine,Virginia Commonwealth Universityand theAmerican Nutrition Associationreported on a case series of six women who completed a methylation-supportive diet and lifestyle program designed to impact DNA methylation and measures of biological aging.

The modifiable lifestyle intervention used by participants in this case series was first investigated in a pilot clinical trial in which participants (all men between the ages of 50-72 years) reduced their biological age by an average of 3.23 years as compared to controls.

The case series reported on herein was conducted to further the investigation of a modifiable lifestyle intervention that was largely the same in other populations; importantly in women.

The team carried out an intervention consisting of an eight-week program. This program included guidance on diet, sleep, exercise, and relaxation, supplemental probiotics and phytonutrients and nutritional coaching.

DNA methylation and biological age analysis (Horvath DNAmAge clock (2013), normalized using the SeSAMe pipeline [a]) was conducted on blood samples at baseline and at the end of the eight-week period.

Five of the six participants exhibited a biological age reduction of between 1.22 and 11.01 years from their baseline biological age.

There was a statistically significant (p=.039) difference in the participants mean biological age before (55.83 years) and after (51.23 years) the 8-week diet and lifestyle intervention, with an average decrease of 4.60 years.

The average chronological age at the start of the program was 57.9 years and all but one participant had a biological age younger than their chronological age at the start of the program, suggesting that biological age changes were unrelated to disease improvement and instead might be attributed to underlying aging mechanisms.

This case series of women participants extends the previous pilot study of this intervention in men, indicating that favorable biological age changes may be achievable in both sexes.

In addition, the investigation of otherwise-healthy individuals, rather than those with diagnosed disease, suggests an influence directly on underlying mechanisms of aging instead of disease-driven aging.

Author: Ryan BraithwaiteSource: Impact JournalsContact: Ryan Braithwaite Impact JournalsImage: The image is in the public domain

Original Research: Open access.Potential reversal of biological age in women following an 8-week methylation-supportive diet and lifestyle program: a case series by Kara N. Fitzgerald et al. Aging US

Abstract

Potential reversal of biological age in women following an 8-week methylation-supportive diet and lifestyle program: a case series

Here we report on a case series of six women who completed a methylation-supportive diet and lifestyle program designed to impact DNA methylation and measures of biological aging.

The intervention consisted of an 8-week program that included diet, sleep, exercise and relaxation guidance, supplemental probiotics and phytonutrients and nutritional coaching.

DNA methylation and biological age analysis (Horvath DNAmAge clock (2013), normalized using the SeSAMe pipeline [a]) was conducted on blood samples at baseline and at the end of the 8-week period.

Five of the six participants exhibited a biological age reduction of between 1.22 and 11.01 years from their baseline biological age. There was a statistically significant (p=.039) difference in the participants mean biological age before (55.83 years) and after (51.23 years) the 8-week diet and lifestyle intervention, with an average decrease of 4.60 years.

The average chronological age at the start of the program was 57.9 years and all but one participant had a biological age younger than their chronological age at the start of the program, suggesting that biological age changes were unrelated to disease improvement and instead might be attributed to underlying aging mechanisms.

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ASU's Inside-Out Exchange Program arose from a need to humanize the education system, according to program director Kevin Wright.

The program places incarcerated students and ASU undergraduate students together in a classroom setting with the goal of creating an actionable project designed to improve the correctional system.

"It's about focusing on what makes us human, whether we're incarcerated or not," Wright said.

The course is a partnership between The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry, but the program originally started in 1997 at Temple University by Lori Pompa. Since then, the now-international program has extended to 48 states and 12 countries, with upwards of 60,000 participating students, Wright said.

The class features an equal number of ASU students and incarcerated students from an Arizona State Prison Complex facility. Though the incarcerated students aren't actively enrolled at ASU while in the program, upon their release, they can apply to the University and the credit earned will be honored.

Wright, associate professor at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and director of the Center for Correctional Solutions, brought Inside-Out to Arizona through the Center for Correctional Solutions in 2016.

The course, titled "Motivational Justice," centers around principles of motivation, driving forces and purpose, within the lives of incarcerated and non-incarcerated students. The main component is mindfulness.

"It's a curriculum that says by embracing the elements that make us all humans things like the desire to have autonomy and mastery of purpose and meaning in our lives we can approach the way that we view the justice system," said Alexis Klemm, a graduate student in criminology and criminal justice and facilitator for the Center for Correctional Solutions.

The curriculum is non-traditional in that it is not lecture-based, instead focusing on discussion and interactive activities. The model was something Wright had seen within education specialized for incarcerated settings.

The motivation for involving ASU in a program like this was reinvigorating the humanity and stories he'd seen in correctional facilities and moving away from "the flat lecture or PowerPoint style," Wright said. "We can do better than this on the student side."

Though most lessons involve interaction among students, some lessons encourage introspection like bringing students back to their childhood by introducing a coloring exercise.

"There aren't a whole lot of opportunities to be mindful versus mindless in prison, but these small kind of childish ways are a way that we may be able to do that," Klemm said.

The class also works together to complete a puzzle, where everyone has a certain number of pieces. At the end of the exercise, the incarcerated students reported that "for the first time, they had forgotten they were in prison," a place where close proximity is not a comfortable thing, according to Klemm.

Klemm aids Wright in facilitating the program. She was a member of the class in Fall 2019, held at the women's prison in Arizona.

The class experience changed her career trajectory from FBI investigator to Inside-Out facilitator. She has been in correction spaces ever since.

"It's a really unique perspective. For me personally, it was my first introduction to tangible, real ways that we could be looking at the justice system and changing the justice system rather than just broadly addressing what's wrong with it," Klemm said.

The Center for Correctional Solutions has other initiatives, among them, an incarcerated student art program called Art from the Inside, which offers an outlet for incarcerated individuals to sell their art to the general public.

It grew from the "Inkarcerated: Creativity Within Confinement" program at the Unexpected Gallery in May 2017, where all proceeds went to youth and family charities.

READ MORE: 'Creativity Within Confinement': ASU students to display prisoners' artwork to raise awareness of prison programming

Bruce Ward, co-curator of the Inkarcerated Art Show and fellow at the Center of Correctional Solutions, was incarcerated from 2009-2020. He participated in the Inside-Out Exchange Program at the Florence North Unit and the Inkarcerated Art Program.

Ward, an ASU undergraduate student who studies sculpture, embraces mindfulness and the reduction of recidivism along the same lines of the Inside-Out Program.

"One of the reasons I have credibility as a mentor on how to adapt to this society is because I failed once," Ward said.

As a former marine, Ward likened reintegration into civilian society after the military to reintegration after incarceration.

"The time to form a new identity is now while you're incarcerated, not the day you get out," Ward said.

According to Ward, the secret is finding purpose before you're out. He said if he'd had access to a community-based program like Inside-Out or Inkarcerated after the military, he may not have become a criminal statistic.

While incarcerated, he found his purpose mentoring other artists within the cellblock. Drawing became a process of self-improvement for himself.

"I was reflecting and introspecting for the first time," Ward said. "Having those opportunities, those chance meetings with ASU, and getting the education from them. When I got out, nine days later, I was at ASU studying sculpture."

The Inside Out Exchange Program, the Inkarcerated Art Show and other programs under the umbrella of the Center for Correctional Solutions have the similar goal of establishing a connection between incarcerated individuals and students.

When Wright began the program, he thought it would benefit ASU students to see the humanity in incarcerated individuals as they prepare for roles in law enforcement.

What he didn't realize was that the growth would go two ways. The incarcerated individuals, many of whom had some hardened and pre-conceived notions of the criminal justice system, also saw the humanity in the ASU students who were studying to be lawyers and law-enforcement officers.

"We sometimes see a shift or a change of perceptions in the criminal justice system based on showing the humanity of our ASU students," Wright said.

Edited by Sadie Buggle, Piper Hansen and Anusha Natarajan.

Reach the reporter at kbartune@asu.edu and follow @BartunekKaren on Twitter.

Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.

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PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea - Six Wisconsin Army National Guard noncommissioned officers visited Papua New Guinea March 20-27 to conduct a senior information exchange with counterparts from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force as part of the State Partnership Program.

The partnership between the Wisconsin National Guard and Papua New Guinea began in 2020. Since then, they have had several key leader engagements and site visits to build that relationship.

The NCOs who participated in the March exchange have expertise in health services and medical readiness, sustainment, engineering, infantry and public affairs. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen the relationships between the two countries NCOs and gather information about the operations, training and equipment used by the PNGDF to help shape future training exchanges.

The Wisconsin National Guards health services and medical readiness NCO representative, Sgt. 1st Class Clint Vervoren the noncommissioned officer in charge of the Wisconsin Army National Guards Health System Services spent the week exchanging medical information with PNGDF medics and medical readiness NCOs. He also visited their regimental aid posts and military hospital.

Sharing our medics capabilities and protocols, both for treating civilian and military personnel, helps us establish possible future training programs that will enhance the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, Vervoren said.

Wisconsin National Guards sustainment NCO representative, 1st Sgt. Aaron Ritchie the senior supply sergeant for the 64th Troop Command visited with the PNGDFs Force Support Battalion (FSB) and its subordinate companies consisting of maintenance, supply, transportation, signal and military police.

PNGDF Warrant Officer Edgar Kuliniasi, with the FSB Maintenance Workshop, said working with the Wisconsin National Guard has been a matter of progression for their forces.

Its important we come together and learn from each other, Kuliniasi said.

Kliniasi said this visit helps both partners better understand each other for future operations. Ritchie agreed.

Our forces operate similarly in terms of their internal supply chain not only within garrison but their resupply routes to the forward operating bases in different parts of the country, Ritchie said. The Defence Forces frequent missions allows them to execute their resupply expertise almost daily.

The two Wisconsin Army National Guard engineer NCOs traveled to Lae, Papua New Guinea, to meet senior leaders at the PNGDF Engineer Battalion.

Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph Gudleske, the senior enlisted leader for the 173rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, said the PNGDF engineers are very proud of their engineer apprenticeship program and work.

The engineers work on a lot of the civilian roads and projects in Papua New Guinea, Gudleske said. Theyre constantly working on projects within the community.

One of the PNGDFs primary missions is natural disaster response. That was also one of the topics discussed in December when Maj. Gen. Paul Knapp, Wisconsins adjutant general, visited Papua New Guinea for the official signing of the partnership agreement.

Natural disasters can devastate a community, its people and vital infrastructure at any time, Knapp said. In Wisconsin, civilians handle most emergencies with the military assisting as needed.

The PNGDF operates differently in this aspect, as its Defence Force, including engineers, play a significant role in natural disaster relief.

This could be a good chance for us to work with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force as far as floods, fire breaks and fixing bridges, Gudleske said. We dont really get that opportunity in the Guard because the civil sector does a lot of that.

Future training opportunities are the backbone of maintaining a long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationship between the Wisconsin National Guard and Papua New Guinea. Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers are scheduled to return this summer for the exercise Tamiok Strike.

First Sgt. Dustin Zabinski from Troop C, 1st Squadron, 105th Cavalry the infantry NCO representative during this exchange is returning to Papua New Guinea for Tamiok Strike with one of his platoons.

Zabinski said working with NCOs during this exchange has helped him identify the training that will best benefit both partners during the exercise.

Im looking forward to our Soldiers getting the opportunity to improve on survival skills as well as advance our partners training in infantry tasks, Zabinski said. It will be exciting to embed with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force and get to be a part of their military culture during the exercise.

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A systematic review reveals that lifestyle changes through intensive behavioral weight loss programs can decrease the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes for at least five years, even if some weight is regained.

According to a systematic review of research published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association, even if some weight is regained, making lifestyle changes in an intensive behavioral weight loss program can lead to a decrease in cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes risk factors for at least five years.

According to the 2023 Statistical Update by the American Heart Association, globally, overweight and obesity contributed to 2.4 million deaths in 2020. People struggling with obesity or who are overweight are more susceptible to high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which increase the likelihood of cardiovascular disease. They are also at risk of developing insulin resistance, a precursor to Type 2 diabetes.

Behavioral weight loss programs can help people lose and maintain a healthy weight by encouraging lifestyle and behavior changes, such as eating healthy foods and increasing physical activity. Regaining some weight is common after behavioral weight loss programs. Some observational studies suggest this weight change pattern of weight loss followed by weight regain may increase cardiovascular risk. However, according to the authors of this analysis, data from randomized trials and long-term follow-up studies is lacking.

Many doctors and patients recognize that weight loss is often followed by weight regain, and they fear that this renders an attempt to lose weight pointless, said study co-senior author Susan A. Jebb, Ph.D., a professor of diet and population health at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. This concept has become a barrier to offering support to people to lose weight. For people with overweight or obesity issues, losing weight is an effective way to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

In this review, researchers assessed international scientific studies available in 2018 to compare risk factors for cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes among people who followed an intensive behavioral weight loss program to those who followed a less intensive or no weight loss program. The studies in the analysis included diet and/or exercise interventions, partial or total meal replacement, intermittent fasting, or financial incentives contingent on weight loss. The studies took place in a variety of settings and included varying modes of delivery (in-person, app-based, telephone, etc.).

Researchers combined the results of 124 studies totaling more than 50,000 participants, with an average follow-up of 28 months. They used the combined results to estimate changes in risk factors for cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes after weight loss. The average weight loss across the different studies ranged from 2-5 kilograms, or 5-10 pounds. Weight regain averaged 0.12 to 0.32 kg (0.26 pounds to 0.7 pounds) a year. Participants were an average age 51 years old, with a body mass index of 33, which is considered obese.

Compared to people in a less intensive program and those in no weight loss program, participants who lost weight through an intensive weight loss program had lower risk factors for cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. These lower risk factors lasted for at least five years after the weight loss program ended.

Based on pooled results of the studies reviewed, on average:

These changes are important because they represent improvements at the population level, Jebb explained.

In a preliminary finding, the decreased risk of being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease or Type 2 diabetes also appeared to remain lower even after weight regain. However, few studies followed people for more than 5 years and more information is needed to confirm whether this potential benefit persists, Jebb said.

Most trials look at whether new treatments are effective and focus on weight change in the short-term rather than the effect on later disease, Jebb said. Individual studies are often too small to detect differences between groups in the incidence of cardiovascular conditions because, fortunately, they affect only a small proportion of the whole group, and studies may not continue long enough to see the effects on hard outcomes, such as a new diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes or a heart attack.

Our findings should provide reassurance that weight loss programs are effective in controlling cardiovascular risk factors and very likely to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease, she said.

Evidence suggests that cardiovascular health is improved by following the American Heart Associations Lifes Essential 8 health metrics: eating healthy food, being physically active, not smoking, getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy weight, and controlling cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels.

The analysis had several limitations: information included in the review was not updated after 2019 and the review focused on research papers published in English, so eligible studies written in other languages may have been missed.

An accompanying editorial notes that much remains to be understood about various weight loss interventions, their long-term impact, and how this impact may be diminished by regaining weight. Behavioral weight loss programs constitute the backbone of weight management in clinical practice. However, they are often resource intensive, and emerging medication therapies are expensive, according to editorial authors Vishal N. Rao, M.D., M.P.H., and Neha J. Pagidipati, M.D., M.P.H., both from the division of cardiology at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina.

The present study has interesting implications for the impact of weight regain that may occur after pharmacologic therapies, they write. What is still unknown is whether these temporary improvements in weight and cardiometabolic risk factors after weight loss intervention (behavioral or pharmacological) lead to long-term clinical benefit. In other words, is it better to have lost and regained than never to have lost at all?

Reference: Long-Term Effect of Weight Regain Following Behavioral Weight Management Programs on Cardiometabolic Disease Incidence and Risk: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis by Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, Annika Theodoulou, Jason L. Oke, Ailsa R. Butler, Anastasios Bastounis, Anna Dunnigan, Rimu Byadya, Linda J. Cobiac, Peter Scarborough, F.D. Richard Hobbs, Falko F. Sniehotta, Susan A. Jebb and Paul Aveyard, 28 March 2023, Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.DOI: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.122.009348

The study was funded by the British Heart Foundation and the National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre.

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ZUUNMOD, Mongolia Two Advisor Teams from 2nd Battalion, 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade partnered with the Mongolian Land Forces Command during a multi-month rotation into theater beginning in Oct. 2022, focused on strengthening Mongolias peacekeeping operations and Non-Commissioned Officer development initiatives.

Since early 2021, 5th SFAB has maintained a persistent partnership with Mongolias LFC, the army component of the Mongolian Armed Forces.

The two teams that employed to support this partnership over the course of the current force package are Company Advisor Team 5220 and Maneuver Advisor Team 5223.

Both CAT 5220 and MAT 5223 have been employed in Mongolia before, said Maj. Steve Morse, Team Leader for CAT 5220. We benefit immensely from the country experience and continuity of relationships on both teams this persistent partnership provides.

Morse is the commander of 5th SFAB operations in Mongolia.

The continuity enriches our Advisors relationships and advising efforts, and with our partners, it ensures we remain closely aligned with their priorities, Morse said.

In support of those priorities, Advisors have been providing daily advising at the tactical level over the last several months in small unit leadership, interoperability, and NCO development.

Staff Sgt. Richard Kennedy, the team Medical Advisor, is one of several with previous advising experience in Mongolia and noted previous time in Mongolia helped me to grasp the cultural and army differences better, allowing me to communicate, instruct, and create relationships more effectively.

Earlier this year, both teams supported a bilateral exercise called Zev (meaning arrow tip) focused on these training objectives in an extreme cold weather environment an operating environment with which Mongolia is very familiar.

The unit commander and I spoke often, and hed often rib us about the weather, related Maj. Morse. It says here Extreme Cold Weather training, hed tell me, referring to part of the title of the event. In Mongolia, this is not extreme.

In Mongolia, temperatures frequently dipped to -40 degrees and below during training.

We ensured all our advisors had basic cold weather training, including several with advanced training from the Alaska schoolhouse, Morse said.

We combined with the Mongolians mastery of the elements and experience, creating conditions for a powerful subject matter exchange opportunity throughout training.

Staff Sgt. Michael Catanzaro, the Senior Operations Advisor for MAT 5223, and Staff Sgt. Roy Wilson, the teams Assistant Operations Advisor, completed cold weather training taught by the Northern Warfare Training Center.

The NWTC is located at the Black Rapids Training Site in Alaska, this was an integral part of the teams preparation for the winter training.

The [Cold Weather Leaders Course] covered multiple topics from preventing injuries, to maintaining equipment, to land navigation, all in extreme cold and mountainous terrain, Catanzaro explained. The training allowed us to provide a baseline of knowledge to both our own advisors and our Mongolian partners.

Headquartered at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington, 5th SFAB Advisors have limited ability to train on cold weather operations.

This training helped us have an exchange about how to use our issued cold weather gear, prevent cold weather injuries, and conduct combined small unit operations, Catanzaro said.

Staff Sgt. Wilson, who completed the Isolation Survival Cold Region Course, added, the exchange of knowledge helped us to understand each others gear and equipment and allowed us to conduct squad and platoon operations safely.

In addition to cold weather training, MAT 5223 also benefited from their experience training with partners at the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center in Hawaii earlier in the employment.

After JPMRC, the team was in an effective mindset to integrate with Mongolian LFC, explained MAT 5223 Team Leader, Capt. Dylan Ward.

JPMRC gave us extra experience in developing programs of instruction to train with a partner force, team resiliency from conducting a field training exercise in austere conditions, and useful context in training small unit operations after seeing partner integration during a real, large-scale exercise," Ward said.

Advisors have also supported Mongolias initiatives to expand its NCO development.

Last summer, in 2022, SFAB advisors supported the inaugural rotation of the Junior Sergeant Course, a course which complements existing NCO education in the Mongolian National Defense University, describes 1st Sgt. Fernando Villafana, the teams senior NCO.

SFAB Advisors were integrated into the program of instruction.

Our team is supporting the current course, with Mongolian instructors-in-training who will begin lead in future courses.

Sgt. 1st Class Nicholas Rouse, an infantryman currently serving as CAT 5220s Senior Support Advisor, explained how these initiatives are connected.

NCO development is an important complementary effort to small unit leadership and peacekeeping operations, Rouse said. The NCO training focus on engraining fundamental leadership qualities into junior Sergeants at the squad level. This is critical training to enable them to better plan, prepare and execute tasks at echelon.

In addition to training, the Mongolians have welcomed Advisors into their cultural and social experiences.

Sgt. 1st Class Lester Reed, CAT 5220s Fires Advisor, explains: Cultural activities lets them know that we are invested in them and gives everyone a break from the training. Basketball [a popular sport in both countries] was a great way for them to work as a team and build chemistry.

In a particularly special event, the Advisors Mongolian partners hosted us for a celebration of Tsagaan Sar (meaning White Moon, the Mongolian Lunar New Year), Morse said. The Mongolians invited us into a traditional ger, owned by the cattle farmer who provides meat for the local unit.

Advisors had the opportunity to ride horses, help with farming chores, and participate in Mongolian traditions.

These professional relationships extend beyond Advisors efforts while on the force package, as they work together again at other exercises, conferences, or train together again in Mongolia, Morse said.

The 5th SFAB Advisors of Force Package 23-1 in Mongolia will transition efforts to the next force package to continue the partnership into the Summer of 2023.

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In addition to education and criminal justice reform, this years legislative session has also seen culture war related issues at the forefront. Various bills have been filed, passed by one chamber of the legislature or signed into law by Gov. Sarah Sanders that deals with cultural issues.

Laura Kellams, the Northwest Arkansas director for the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, said labeling legislation as culture war issues can downplay the impact legislation has on the lives of citizens.

We dont consider the culture war when were determining whether or not to be for or against a bill. Were focused on a bills ability to have an impact on children, she said.

Kellams cited SB71 as an example of a bill that is cultural in nature but has an impact on education and opportunity for children. The bill was filed by Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, and was described by him as a way to end affirmative action in Arkansas state government and higher education. Kellams said affirmative action programs are necessary for student success.

This bill would significantly harm that effort because it would eliminate targeted scholarships meant to draw Black, Indigenous and other people of color into teaching careers in hard-to-recruit areas like the Delta. These programs were created very purposely because the research shows that they make big and positive differences in childrens educational outcomes, she said.

According to a study from John Hopkins University, having one Black teacher in elementary school makes Black children more likely to graduate high school and it also makes them more likely to enroll in college. While testifying for the bill, Sullivan has said the bill wont end programs that critics worry will be ended. He has argued his bill will bring equality to the state.

Anna Beth Gorman, executive director of the Womens Foundation of Arkansas and former Democratic nominee for Secretary of State, has raised concerns that Sullivans bill would outlaw the Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Division (MWOBE), which is under the supervision of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC).

According to the AEDC, the MWOBE facilitates the growth, development and expansion of minority and women-owned businesses by helping them gain access to information, new market opportunities and financial resources. Sen. President Pro Temp Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, said mentorship opportunities will still be available for AEDC even with this bill being passed.

If we want to mentor women, we can mentor women. We can mentor people of all colors and of all races. If were going to have mentor programs, we should be inclusive. If we want to do something about sexism and racism, I think we should just stop talking about it. We should treat everyone equally and fair and thats everyone, he said.

TRANSGENDER ACTIONSOn March 14, Gov. Sanders signed into law Act 274 a bill that would allow healthcare professionals to be sued for medical practice for gender-affirming procedures. According to SB199, gender transition procedures include surgical service and prescribed drugs that alter physical or anatomical characteristics that are typical for the individuals biological sex. Bill opponents said the bill limits transgender children from receiving the healthcare that they need.

Alexa Henning, communications director for Sanders, said the governor supports the bill because it protects kids.

Only in the far-lefts woke vision of America is it not appropriate to protect children, Henning said.

There have also been so-called bathroom bills filed that critics say target the transgender community. Gov. Sanders has signed into law HB1156, now Act 317, which doesnt allow individuals using the restroom that aligns with their gender identity. Kellams also cited this bill as an example of a culture-related issue that could lead to unintended harm.

Everyone wants kids to be safe in school bathrooms. But theres no research to support the notion that transgender students pose a threat when they use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. Instead, the research shows that three-quarters of transgender children surveyed felt unsafe at school. And transgender people are at very high-risk of experiencing violence, starting even before adolescence, she said. This bill was written under the premise that it will ensure student safety. Instead, it will put some of our most vulnerable students in harms way.

In a statement to the Associated Press, Sanders administration believes the bill will protect children.

The Governor has said she will sign laws that focus on protecting and educating our kids, not indoctrinating them and believes our schools are no place for the radical lefts woke agenda, Alexa Henning, Sanders spokesperson, said. Arkansas isnt going to rewrite the rules of biology just to please a handful of far-left advocates.

PARTY INPUTGrant Tenille, chair of the Democratic Party of Arkansas, said the Republicans are the reason for the emergence of culture-related issues, which he sees as harmful. Tenille said he believes the Republicans are focusing on culture-related issues as a way to excite their base.

Theres no Democratic bill thats been filed that attacks any individuals way of life that I can think of, and Id be happy if somebody could tell me, he said. I think that by-and-large, these bills are designed to excite and inflame the base of the Republican Party in Arkansas which is largely rural and evangelical.

Hester said the Republican party is fulfilling the promises they made with their voters and said such bills indeed do energize conservative voters. Hester disagreed with Tenille and said Republicans are solving issues that need to be addressed that both Democrats and Republicans want to see solved.

We see the national trend of boys using girls bathrooms. On a national level young ladies with integrity are forced to share locker rooms with men and its not just acceptable. People in Arkansas dont want this, he said.

Cody Hiland, Republican Party of Arkansas chairman, agreed with Hester about the reason why cultural issues have been brought up during the legislative session. He said Republicans in the House and Senate campaigned on these issues.

The truth is the culture war was brought to them, its fresh in the minds of the people of the state, Hiland has said.

OTHER CULTURAL ISSUE ACTIONS HB1307, now Act 411, prevents Arkansas from investing in publicly-held companies engaged in ESG (environmental, social and governance) actions. Republicans criticize ESG as unnecessary woke corporate polity. At the national level, Congress passed a bill similar to HB1307, but was vetoed by President Joe Biden.

Another bill relating to schools and transgender students is HB1468, which bans teachers from calling students by their preferred pronouns unless the parent approves of the pronoun. As of April 5, the legislation has not been passed in the Senate.

SB270, now awaiting the governors signature, would charge someone with a misdemeanor for refusing to or making an attempt to leave, if they are in the bathroom of the opposite sex while a child is present. The bill was revised to add the language that it would only be a crime if the person enters the bathroom for the purpose of arousing or gratifying a sexual desire. The bill passed in the House Judiciary Committee but still hasnt been voted on by the full House.

Gov. Sanders signed into law legislation that would allow for an anti-abortion monument to be placed at the state Capitol. SB307, now Act 310 requires the Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission to handle the design of the monument.

A bill has passed the House to regulate libraries. The bill still needs to pass the Senate and be signed into law by Sanders. SB81, now Act 372, would allow for books to be challenged in public libraries, with library officials having the option to appeal the challenge with the local and city government. Republicans have said this bill is needed to challenge books they have found in libraries that are inappropriate.

SB43, now Act 131 classifies drag performances as adult-oriented business. The bill bans drag shows from being performed on public property.

HB1615 was filed to amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and create the Conscience Protection Act. HB1615 would allow for businesses whose religious exercise was burdened to sue the state. The bill has passed the House, but has not been considered in the Senate. Last year, Arkansas voters in 2022 rejected the Government Burden of Free Exercise of Religion Amendment which was similar to the language in HB1615.

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Knowing your BMI tells you whether you might be carrying extra pounds. But it doesnt tell you how much muscle you have or where the fat is located, two factors that are important in determining whether you need to lose weight.

With age, the amount of fat you have increases and the amount of muscle decreases. This age-related loss of muscle, called sarcopenia, is associated with a higher risk of falls, frailty, and early death. In addition, that extra fat may accumulate in the midsection (called visceral fat) and infiltrate muscles and organs, such as the liver. This shift, which happens regardless of the BMI, contributes to an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and more.

Thats why some researchers point to body composition testing, which determines the percentage of body fat, as a way to get a more accurate idea how weight could be affecting health. A 2020 review published in Frontiers in Nutrition found that evidence supports the role of low lean mass [i.e., muscle] as the actual predictor of mortality when used in place of BMI.

There are easy ways to figure out where you stand in terms of body fat and muscle.

First, measure your waist circumference, which will help you see if youre carrying too much visceral fat. Place a tape measure around your middle, just above your hip bones. If the number is greater than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women, your disease risk is higher.

An inexpensive way to measure body fat is to use skinfold calipers (available at many gyms). But a DXA (dual X-ray absorptiometry) scan, which your doctor may have already recommended to test bone density, can tell you how much fat and muscle youre carrying and estimate the amount of visceral fat. So if youre getting a DXA scan for your bones, ask for those results. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, a poor result for people ages 60 and over is a body fat percentage greater than 25.7 for men and over 30.9 for women. (Note: Scales that measure body fat might not give accurate results, CRs tests have found.)

Next, with these numbers in hand, consider your health and lifestyle. Are you in good health or are you trying to manage one or more chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, COPD, or osteoarthritis? Do you have trouble moving around because of excess weight or can you do all the things you want to do, such as playing with your grandkids, volunteering, or just sleeping soundly? Focusing on these factors is a better approach for evaluating if you need to lose weight than focusing on what the scale says alone, says Laura Mosqueda, MD, a professor of family medicine and geriatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC in Los Angeles.

For example, if youre 5 feet, 6 inches and weigh 160 or 170 (a BMI of 25.8 or 27.4, respectively); your waist size is within the guidelines; and youre active and healthy, you probably dont need to worry about losing weight. But if you have underlying health conditions or youre carrying excess pounds around your middle, you may be better off trying to drop some weight. If necessary, your doctor can help you determine how weight changes could affect your health.

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What's a Healthy Weight for You? - Consumer Reports

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People who want to lose weight generally have a target weight to work towards. It's not uncommon for those who do to also have a specific time frame in mind. Losing 10 pounds in a month is a surprisingly common weight loss goal.

But how easy is it to lose 10 pounds in a month and what's the best way to do it? The truth is, although many dieters may find it difficult to do, it's certainly possible to reduce body weight in 4 weeks. Lots of people have done it already and some of them have lost much more.

However, a weight loss goal such as this will require planning and determination. This article provides tips and information that will help you to retain your focus and plan for realistic weight loss goals and success.

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PhenQ helps to boost the body's metabolism, which means that it can burn calories more efficiently, even when the body is at rest. This can help people lose weight more quickly, as their body is burning more calories than it normally would.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends setting a weight loss goal of 1-2 pounds per week. So do many weight loss experts. Unfortunately, if you follow this advice you will not be able to reduce your body weight in the allotted time frame of a month.

To lose 10 pounds in 4 weeks, you will need to lose 2 1/2 pounds a week. This would allow you to reach your goal in 28 days and, unless you begin your quest in February, you will have two or three extra days if you need them.

You will need to place a low-energy diet at the heart of your weight loss plan. Unless you have health issues that prevent this, it will be helpful to burn extra calories through exercise as well.

Before you begin following a diet plan that is strict enough to allow you to reduce body weight quickly in a month, it's best to book an appointment with your family doctor and check if this is a safe goal for you to pursue.

Presuming you are in reasonably good health, there will probably be no issues to deter you but it's still a good idea to check.

Related Content: Best appetite suppressant diet pills for men and women

If you have 10 pounds to lose, your body has been storing fat. It only does fat burning and does this when your diet provides it with more energy than it needs. If your diet does not provide enough energy, your body burns fat instead.

Although it's also possible to use kilojoules, it's more common to measure the body's energy intake and expenditure in calories.

The body takes in energy from food and expends it in multiple ways. The main thing it does is use energy to keep us alive. Even when we are asleep, the body is using energy to keep our hearts beating, power our lungs, digest food, and perform numerous other essential tasks.

The energy expenditure required to do these things is called the basal metabolic rate (BMR) or resting energy expenditure (RMR). It's how much energy you would use if you spent 24 hours a day resting in bed.

Several factors, including sex, age, and body bulk can influence BMR. The best way to get an idea of your body's energy requirements is to use an online calorie calculator. [1]

You will need to know your BMR. The knowledge will help you to craft a weight loss plan that allows you to lose weight safely.

Physical activity requires energy. When your muscles are in motion, "metabolism" increases causing your calorie expenditure to rise above your BMR. The more active you are, the more calories you will burn.

Although it's possible to reach your ideal weight just by modifying your diet, it's best to increase your activity levels as well.

You need to burn 3,500 calories to lose one pound of body fat. That means, if your diet causes a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day, you would lose one pound of fat by counting calories per week.

To lose 2 1/2 pounds per week, your diet would have to be much stricter. It would need to force your body to consume fewer calories and break down enough fat to provide 1,250 calories per day. After a month, you would have reduced your body weight just by dieting.

However, this is easier said than done. To be successful, you will need to track your daily calorie intake in a food diary or weight loss app.

In all probability, this will involve lots of looking at food labels and weighing and measuring when you eat foods that are not distributed with nutritional information. The best way to do this is to use a food calorie calculator. https://caloriecontrol.org/healthy-weight-tool-kit/food-calorie-calculator/

To experience quick weight reduction via aerobic exercise, you would need to ensure your level of physical activity causes a calorie deficit of 1,250 calories per day.

Due to work and family commitments, most people don't have enough time to follow such a time-consuming exercise plan.

The best way to lose 10 pounds in a month is by constructing a weight loss plan that combines a low-calorie diet with a low to moderate-intensity exercise plan.

Walking is a good and healthy way to burn more calories per day without over-exertion. However, the amount of calories you burn by walking will vary according to your weight, your pace, and the distance you walk.

Nevertheless, the average person is likely to burn 100 fewer calories per mile during a walk.

If you were to take a 6-mile walk, 5 days per week, and keep a pretty brisk pace, you should be able to lose one pound per week just by walking. Combine that with a suitable diet plan and you should have no problem losing 10 pounds in a month. [2]

As with walking, or any other physical activity for that matter, the amount of calories you burn while running will be influenced by factors such as your weight and how far you go.

However, you should be able to burn at least 200-500 calories during a 30-minute run and up to 1000 calories in an hour.

If you spend 60 minutes running, three times per week, you should be able to lose 3-4 pounds per month.

According to the Harvard University website, people who weigh 125-185 pounds should burn 90-126 calories during a 30-minute weight lifting session. [3]

More vigours activity may increase this to up to 252 calories per 30-minute session.

However, 30 minutes is a very short weight training session. The average workout is more likely to be closer to an hour in length. During that time, it should be possible to burn 180 to 504 calories.

So, even if you were to only have three weight training sessions per week, you should be able to burn up to 6,048 calories per month by lifting weights and burn almost 2 pounds of fat. The important part is losing fat and building muscle.

Although it's easier to lose weight by running than lifting weights, every little helps and when muscle mass increases so does metabolism.

Taking a combination fat burner and appetite suppressant is likely to move you much closer to your goal of losing 10 pounds in a month. However, the best options can speed up the progress you are already making with diet and exercise.

The best diet pills can also make your weight loss journey less unpleasant by controlling your hunger pangs and removing additional hurdles from your path such as low mood and diet-related fatigue.

Hunger is one of the worst aspects of the weight loss process. In addition to being unpleasant, the hunger sensation can also be very distracting and can interfere with people's performance at work.

Diet plans that support weight losses of 10 pounds a month will inevitably cause worse problems with hunger than diet plans that aim to provide weight losses of 4-8 pounds a month.

It's very easy to give in to hunger. Too easy. That's why so many dieters fail to make progress. A good appetite-suppressing diet pill can make a world of difference.

Diet pills that fight fatigue can be very useful too. All the top options control hunger and fatigue. They increase metabolism too.

The best diet pills elevate BMR by providing thermogenic compounds such as red pepper capsaicin. They help you to burn extra calories regardless of whether you are sleeping or your body is in motion.

Although pills are in no way a substitute for diet and exercise, if you are using a good diet pill it will become easier to reach your goal of losing 10 pounds in a month.

People who set this type of weight loss goal often hope to lose weight fast because they "want to get in shape" for a wedding, vacation, or similar event that's scheduled to occur the following month.

There may also be medical reasons. For instance, overweight people are often advised to lose weight before they undergo surgical operations.

The need for speed may also be due to a health scare such as a suspected heart attack or the death of an obese family member or friend. Issues like these can provide a turning point that motivates people to lose weight fast.

Although it's generally easier to stick to the CDC's recommendation and only try to lose 1-2 pounds per week, a weight loss regimen that allows you to lose as many calories as 10 pounds a month is far from being a crash diet.

Crash dieters are more likely to shoot for their weight loss goals with losses of 10 pounds a week. This is extreme, unhealthy, and not recommended. Losing 2 1/2 pounds per week is a much safer weight loss goal.

One of the best reasons to lose weight is it improves health and increases longevity. When you attain and maintain a healthy body weight it can also improve your quality of life.

When you are overweight, it places extra strain on the heart. It places unnecessary strain on the joints as well and, should you fall over, you are more likely to get hurt.

Obesity also increases susceptibility to certain undesirable medical conditions such as sleep apnea and type-2 diabetes. [4]

Although there are plenty of reasons why it can be advantageous to shed ten pounds rapidly, there are also good arguments against this type of 30-day weight loss regimen.

Higher levels of fatigue and hunger are likely to be two of the main negative issues. However, as we have already pointed out, diet pills can be very useful for keeping both of these issues under control.

Setting a specific weight loss target and naming a date, may also prove to be very disheartening if you realize your rate of progress is unlikely to support your ultimate goal.

Unless you have a very specific need to lose weight by a certain time, you may want to move the goalposts and aim to lose 12 pounds in 5-6 weeks. It would make your life easier. Every pound lost is a step in the right direction, even if you are only moving forward at the rate of one step per week.

From the very first day, you need to plan for success and stick to your schedule. It's generally best to break things down and, instead of focusing on 10 pounds a month, aim for 2 1/2 pounds every week.

Create or buy a food journal and then log what you are eating each day. Be precise. Look at food labels and/or use an online calorie calculator to work out how many calories you are consuming a day.

If you are trying to burn extra calories with exercise, keep a training log as well and use an online calculator to work out your daily calorie requirement. Doing so will help you to plan a diet and exercise routine that will guarantee your weight loss success.

Step on the scales daily or at least every other day to keep track of your calorie consumption and progress. If you are behind schedule, decrease your daily calorie intake further or increase activity to help you gain more extra calories. Better still, consider doing both.

If you are on target, or ahead of target, your diet and exercise logs will show you how you have achieved your weight loss. Try to stick to the same calorie intake and expenditure moving forward, you are obviously doing things right.

The best diet pills can make your life easier by boosting energy and controlling hunger. They can also speed up your progress. There is nothing to be ashamed of if you decide to use a weight loss pill to help you. Plenty of other dieters are doing the same.

Processed foods often contain added sugars and fats that may slow your progress and make it harder to lose 10 pounds in a month. Choose plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, fish, and whole grain foods instead.

In addition to being lower in calories, such healthy meal options are also richer in nutrients and unlikely to contain chemicals or preservatives. They are healthier all around.

Many people do not drink enough water. This can make losing weight harder because the brain sometimes confuses thirst with hunger. [5]

Water also has a stomach-filling effect that can help keep hunger away.

It's also worth noting your need for water will be greater if you are exercising regularly and sweating a lot.

When you know how to do it, it's certainly possible to lose 10 pounds or more in a month. It's a somewhat ambitious goal but plenty of people have done it before.

As with most things in life, shooting for this type of weight loss target has its pros and cons. This article lists some of the most important ones along with some additional weight loss tips.

However, we are not encouraging you to lose 10 pounds in a month, though the fact that you have taken the time to seek out this information suggests that may be what you are planning to do.

Neither are we trying to discourage you from setting this goal and, although we have explained how you can lose 10 pounds in a month, we must point out an article like this is no substitute for professional medical advice.

In our view, all weight loss is good. It doesn't matter if the results come fast or slow. The only thing that matters is that you make progress. Nevertheless, if you choose to do so, you may be amazed at how much you can achieve in a month.

1. Basal Metabolic Rate Calculator: https://www.garnethealth.org/news/basal-metabolic-rate-calculator

2. Calories Burned Walking Calculator: https://caloriesburnedhq.com/calories-burned-walking/

3. Calories Burned in 30 Minutes for People of Three Different Weights: https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-for-people-of-three-different-weights

4. Health Risks of Overweight & Obesity: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/adult-overweight-obesity/health-risks

5. Relationships Between Human Thirst, Hunger, Drinking, and Feeding: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2467458/

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Best Way to Lose 10 Pounds in a Month - How to Lose 10 lbs in 30 ... - Dailyuw

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A man who has vowed to eat nothing but McDonald's for 100 days has revealed that he has lost a total of 34 pounds and has lowered his cholesterol as he nears the halfway point of his experiment.

Kevin Maginnis, 57, from Nashville, Tennessee, has been chronicling his weight-loss journey on TikTok after announcing in late February that he would be ordering breakfast, lunch, and dinner from the fast-food chain for the next three months.

Per the rules he set for himself, he is only allowed to eat half of what he orders, but he has free reign to get whatever he wants, including dessert. He also adheres to eating just three meals a day without snacks and drinking water instead of soda.

The business coach, who uses the handle @bigmaccoaching, has gone from 238 pounds to 204 pounds in a little over six weeks with 56 days to go. His success has even inspired his wife, Melody, to try his McDonald's diet for herself.

'I'm never depriving myself. Im eating McFlurries, Im eating cinnamon rolls, Im hitting Big Macs, Im eating French fries,' he told Today. 'Im just delaying myself because Im going eat the whole thing. Im just not going to eat it all in one sitting.'

Maginnis has yet to stray from his eating plan, even when he celebrated his birthday on Tuesday. His goal is to lose 50 pounds by the time the 100 days are up, but he refuses to call the challenge a 'diet.'

He explainedthat he is focused on portion control and only eating when he is truly hungry, not deprivation, which has kept him from feeling bored with his meals or tempted to eat something else.

'Hunger, it turns out, is one of the best seasonings you can add to anything,' he said.

Critics, including medical professionals, have voiced concern that eating nothing but McDonald's would be damaging to his health, but he said he has significantly lowered his cholesterol thanks to his weight loss.

'There's a lot of people that were worried that my cholesterol would go up. Eating cholesterol isn't the problem,' he insisted in a recent video.

Maginnis explained that by getting rid of his obesity and eating smaller amounts, his 'cholesterol is going down.'

However, he isaware that what he is eating isn't particularly healthy, but his goal is to lose weight before changing his diet for the better.

'Eating different macronutrients that are going to help my brain function if Im dead, my brain function is not going to improve, so let's get rid of this [obesity] killer first,' he told Today.

To his surprise, his wife, Melody, has decided to follow in his footsteps. He noted that he is a 'smart man' and never suggested that she join him.

She did it on her own accord and has already lost 3.5 pounds in five days byeating half-portions of McDonald's meals. He has since started tracking her progress as part of his TikTok series.

'I think shes beautiful now so its just the health reasons [that are motivating us],' he said. 'We want to get into a better overall healthy weight.'

Maginnis went viral six weeks ago when he announced on TikTok that he would be eating only McDonald's for 100 days in a bid to lose weight.

'I woke up this morning and I weighed 238 pounds. It's February 21st, 2023, and I decided that that is absolutely unacceptable,' he shared at the start of his video.

'It's not as much what you're eating, it's the quantity that we're eating that really jacks us up,' he said, adding, 'I know many of you are gonna think I'm crazy, but let's find out.'

The clip has been viewed more than 2.3 times and has received over 3,600 comments that were a mix of supportive and appalled.

On the first day of his diet, he opted for a sausage, egg, and cheese McMuffin and a hash brown for breakfast. He only consumed half of the meal and saved the rest for lunch.

Dinner that night was half a QuarterPounder 'done like a Big Mac' and half a medium fry. He had bottles of water with all three of his meals.

His portions are relatively small, and he admitted on the second day that he was feeling the effects of cutting his calorie intake.

'One thing I'm noticing is I'm feeling a little more heat in my stomach,' he said of his growing hunger. 'I'm coining a new catchphrase: "Seek the heat before I eat."'

By the third day,Maginnis shared that he had lost three pounds.

He also got blood work done, so he could see how his fast-food diet was affecting his health in addition to the number on the scale.

'Can we go from French fries to fit guy?' he asked in one playful clip.

Maginnis has been posting daily videos documenting his experience, and at the end of the first week, he was down 10 pounds.

After getting his blood work back, he noted that the numbers were not great, but he believed that by losing weight, he would improve his stats even if he is chowing down on McDonald's day and night.

Ten days into the challenge, Maginnis revealed that he had lost a total of 12.5 pounds and was down to 225.5 pounds.

That same day, he appeared on theToday show to discuss his viral diet.

'It's absolutely working,' he told hosts Carson Daly and Sheinelle Jones.

Maginnis explained that was a wrestler and used to box in the military, so he has had prior success with cutting calories to 'make weight.'

'You have to get to that part of your stomach where you have some heat in your stomach,' he said. 'They call it hunger; I call it my incinerator turning on to burn off all the excess fat.'

Daly was curious to know why he had chosen to eat McDonald's for 100 days straight, especially after he confirmed that the fast-food chain was not sponsoring him.

'Im big [and] my name is Maginnis, so the nickname Big Mac has been thrown out at times. I figured, "Why not embrace it?" And I like McDonald's,' he said.

Jones had assumed he'd be eating nothing but salads, so she was admittedly surprised to see that he was dining on burgers and desserts.

Like many people, she wanted to know if he was consulting with doctors to see what this diet was doing to his insides.

'I have cardiologists that love it and cardiologists that hate it,' he shared. 'Just like the comments on TikTok.'

When asked about his pre-diet blood work, he noted that it was 'going in the wrong direction,' but that didn't scare him off his fast-food regimen.

'My belief is [I] will be down 50 pounds by the end,' he said. 'My health with be better, my blood work will be better and if you don't believe me, follow along.'

Maginnis'schallenge has reminded many people of the 2004 documentary Super Size Me, which chronicled Morgan Spurlock's attempt to eat only McDonald's food for an entire month.

Spurlock ate at the fast-food chain three times a day for 30 days. His physical and mental health rapidly declined, and he gained 24.5 pounds by the end of the experiment.

Maginnis was adamant that his version of the McDonald's diet would prove that portion control is what matters when it comes to weight loss.

On Wednesday, he celebrated being down 34 pounds with a sausage, egg, and cheese McGriddle for breakfast.

'Day 44, down 34 pounds, 4 pounds away from being in the wonderful 100s eating nothing but McDonald's,' he said before taking a bite of his sandwich.

Read more here:
I'm eating nothing but McDonald's to lose weight... with VERY surprising results - Daily Mail

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High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and other types of aerobic exercise get a lot of attention when talking about exercise for weight loss. But strength training whether free weights or bodyweight-only may help budge the number on the scale, too.

Read on to learn how. Then use our four-week plan to get started with strength training for weight loss.

Like other forms of exercise, strength training challenges your body, which increases your calorie burn (compared with just sitting still). Weight loss happens when you burn more calories than you consume over a period of time. So if you pair strength training with a moderate calorie restriction, you may lose weight over time.

Speaking strictly about calories burned, aerobic exercise generally wins over strength training. According to estimates fromHarvard Health, a 155-pound person burns roughly 108 calories in 30 minutes of general weight lifting. That same person burns 252 calories, cycling at a moderate intensity for the same time.

But strength training can bolster healthy weight loss beyond the simple equation of calories burned, explains Mike T. Nelson, PhD, an exercise physiologist in Minneapolis. Only looking at [resistance exercise] in terms of calories in, calories out is a little too reductionist for my taste.

Research suggests that resistance or strength training is part of a weight loss program (along with calorie restriction or aerobic exercise) for overweight or obese adults, those interventions are more effective. Thats because strength training helps promote muscle growth, while reducing overall body fat, more evidence shows.

Typically, weight loss efforts (calorie restriction plus aerobic activity) cause people to lose muscle in addition to fat, Dr. Lyon explains. But when youre resistance training, youre building muscle, so youre preserving that strength while burning extra calories. Aerobic activities (running, jogging, cycling, and others) also strengthen the muscles youre working, but generally less effectively than resistance training does.

The real benefit of strength training for weight loss lies in the maintenance of lean tissue, says Gabrielle Lyon, DO, a functional medicine practitioner and the founder of the Institute for Muscle-Centric Medicine in New York City.

In short: When youre resistance or strength training as part of a weight loss plan, the pounds that you lose are more likely to come from fat mass than muscle mass compared with weight loss plans that include calorie restriction alone or just calorie restriction and aerobic exercise.

Why do you tend to lose more fat mass than muscle mass when strength training is part of a weight loss plan? Theres the fact that youre building muscle. Plus, muscle is metabolically active tissue that requires energy (calorie expenditure) to maintain. In contrast, fat does not, per apast report.

Losing muscle has the undesirable effect of lowering your resting daily calorie burn, which can lead to weight gain over time (unless youre accordingly limiting calorie intake), Lyon explains. In fact, muscle loss is a key reason many people gain fat as they age, according topast research.

Strength training can help you keep your metabolism up and prevent unwanted fat gain, Dr. Nelson notes.

In a systematic review and meta-analysis published in September 2021 in Sports Medicine, researchers gathered data from 58 research papers that used highly accurate forms of body measurements like body scans (these differentiate between fat mass and lean mass). Their findings reveal that people in the studies lost an average of 1.4 percent of their total body fat after five months of only strength training.

Those results are similar to how much you might lose through cardio. The strength training programs differed between studies, but participants trained for roughly 45 to 60 minutes per session, an average of 2.7 times per week.

More importantly, the muscle you build through strength training helps your body use nutrients from food. When you contract skeletal muscles, they secrete myokines, proteins that help with directing and partitioning fuel like carbohydrates (glyocgen and glucose), Lyon says.

Researchshowsthat resistance training improves insulin resistance, which when your cells dont respond to insulin, a hormone your pancreas makes to help regulate blood sugar levels. When your body cant respond to insulin, your body has to make more, causing insulin levels to stay elevated. Elevated insulin levels can result in weight gain and diabetes, per theCleveland Clinic. By extension, improving insulin resistance may help with weight loss and weight maintenance.

For weight loss specifically, Lyon recommends strength training for 45 minutes three or four days per week, and working hard enough where youre close to total muscle fatigue for the muscle group youre working at the end of your sets (or the feeling like you couldnt do one more rep). This doesnt mean you have to lift heavy, but you have to put in enough effort to feel like youre being challenged, she adds.

You can start with fewer or shorter strength sessions, if needed. However, aim to perform at least two full-body strength workouts per week, as outlined in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) physical activity guidelines. Opt for bodyweight, resistance band, free weight, or exercise machine workouts.

Add 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise (also included in the guidelines) per week for a balanced workout regimen.

Lyon also recommends incorporating high-intensity interval training (HIIT) a few times a week (which can count toward the HHS aerobic exercise recommendations). High-intensity interval training is a very efficient way to move the needle compared with steady-state cardio, which ends up taking a lot of time, she notes. Try alternating a 1-minute sprint on a stationary bike with a 1-minute recovery until you reach 10 minutes.

Before you start training or change your workout routine, get checked by your health care provider if you have a preexisting condition like hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a heart condition, or another issue that may interfere with your ability to safely exercise, says Robert Waskowitz, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist with Orthopedic Associates of Hartford in Connecticut. Your doctor can review your workout program and make suggestions in terms of what will be both safe and effective for you, he adds.

Once youre ready to begin, try this program approved by Lyon:

Day 1 45 minutes full-body resistance training plus 30 minutes cardio

Day 2 30 minutes cardio

Day 3 45 minutes upper-body resistance training plus 30 minutes cardio

Day 4 30 minutes cardio

Day 5 45 minutes lower-body resistance training plus 10 minutes HIIT

Day 6 20 minutes cardio

Day 7 Rest

Day 1 45 minutes full-body resistance training plus 30 minutes cardio

Day 2 30 minutes cardio

Day 3 45 minutes upper-body resistance training plus 30 minutes cardio

Day 4 30 minutes cardio

Day 5 45 minutes lower-body resistance training plus 10 minutes HIIT

Day 6 20 minutes cardio

Day 7 Rest

Day 1 45 minutes full-body resistance training plus 30 minutes cardio

Day 2 30 minutes cardio

Day 3 45 minutes full-body resistance training plus 10 minutes HIIT

Day 4 30 to 45 minutes cardio

Day 5 45 minutes upper-body resistance training plus 30 minutes cardio

Day 6 45 minutes lower-body resistance training plus 10 minutes HIIT

Day 7 Rest

Day 1 45 minutes full-body resistance training plus 30 minutes cardio

Day 2 30 minutes cardio

Day 3 45 minutes full-body resistance training plus 10 minutes HIIT

Day 4 30 to 45 minutes cardio

Day 5 45 minutes upper-body resistance training plus 30 minutes cardio

Day 6 45 minutes lower-body resistance training plus 10 minutes HIIT

Day 7 Rest

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Are Strength Training Workouts Good for Weight Loss? - Everyday Health

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