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Warren Buffett celebrated this his 87th birthday Wednesday, with help from (or in spite of) McDonald's (MCD) , Utz, See's Chocolates, Dairy Queen and Coca-Cola (KO) .

The Oracle of Omaha has an estimated net worth of more than $70 billion, ranking him among the top five richest men in the world. Yet, the Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) (BRK.B) CEO's private life has been defined more by comfort than conspicuous spending. He still lives in the same home he bought in 1958 for $31,500, which amounts to little more than $260,000 in 2017 dollars.

"My life couldn't be happier," Buffett said a Berkshire Hathaway shareholder's meeting in 2014. "In fact, it'd be worse if I had six or eight houses. So, I have everything I need to have, and I don't need any more."

However, what Buffett eats is just as interesting as how he spends his money. In 2015, in a lengthy discussion with Fortune, Buffett noted that he is "one-quarter Coca-Cola." While he only owns 9% of the Coca-Cola company itself, he says that a quarter of the estimated 2,700 calories he consumes each day come from the five Coca-Cola products he drinks each day. That includes original-recipe Coca-Cola consumed at work and the Cherry Coke he drinks at home.

Buffet will have a Coca-Cola with a breakfast of potato sticks made by Utz of Hanover, Pa., and will occasionally sub in a bowl of ice cream. However, Buffett has also stated in the HBO documentary Becoming Warren Buffett that he also pops into a local McDonald's each morning for breakfast. Before he ventures out, he tells his wife how much money to put in a cup in his car and, in exact change, buys breakfast based on how the stock market is performing.

"When I'm not feeling quite so prosperous, I might go with the $2.61, which is two sausage patties, and then I put them together and pour myself a Coke," he told director Peter Kunhardt in the documentary. "$3.17 is a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit, but the market's down this morning, so I'll pass up the $3.17 and go with the $2.95 [sausage, egg and cheese]."

This isn't a habit he restricts to breakfast, either. When he took Microsoft founder Bill Gates to lunch a few years ago, he decided on McDonald's as the venue. The result made it into Bill and Melinda Gates'2017 annual letter.

"Remember the laugh we had when we traveled together to Hong Kong and decided to get lunch at McDonald's?" Bill wrote. "You offered to pay, dug into your pocket, and pulled out coupons!"

But Buffett's diet doesn't make him cheap. In fact, it's cost him quite a bit of money in the past. Buffett bought See's Candies for $25 million in 1972 not just because he saw potential in it, but because he loved its nut fudge and peanut brittle. Buffett bought Dairy Queen for $585 million in 1997 not just for its low overhead and growth potential, but because he enjoys it himself.

"What I usually get is a sundae," Buffett told Yahoo Finance."I get the small sundae for the ice cream and the extra large sundae for the topping. So I mean, I just smother in the cherry topping and then pour a lot of nuts on it."

In fact, if you go to Omaha, you can visit Buffett's McDonald's, Dairy Queen and favorite steakhouse, Gorat's, and eat like a billionaire for less than $50. But should you? Last year, through journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin, a Berkshire Hathaway investor questioned Buffett's investment in Coca-Cola, saying it contributes to roughly 137,000 deaths a year from diabetes, 45,000 deaths from heart disease, and a few more thousand a year from cancer. A year earlier, Bill Ackman said Buffett's investment in Coca-Cola was immoral.

Buffett's answer? "There's no evidence that I will any better reach 100 if I had lived on broccoli and water," he said.

That doesn't necessarily mean that eating 2,700 calories of fast food, soda and snacks will get you to 87 years old.

Jessica Weneger, a registered dietitian in Buffett's hometown of Omaha, notes that it's difficult to hand out blanket nutrition recommendations without knowing Buffett's other eating habits, his medical diagnosis and what his current exercise plan looks like. Based on Buffett's own estimate of 2,700 calories per day, Wegener says that there is always a concern that it could lead to weight issues and obesity, which in turn can lead to chronic disease. She also says that high caloric content could also simply be a byproduct of unconscious overeating.

"I believe that no one can follow a diet of food that they don't like," Wegener says. "I would suggest decreasing total intake of higher calorie and saturated fat foods by eating smaller portions of his current favorites and add more fruits and vegetables to go alongside to balance out his less nutritious food choices. I would also discuss how he feels to find out if his diet could be effecting his overall health and wellness."

Buffett has made attempts to explain his high-sugar, high-salt diet in the past. In 2015, for example, he told Fortune, "I checked the actuarial tables, and the lowest death rate is among six-year-olds. So I decided to eat like a six-year-old. It's the safest course I can take." However, when a writer from Fusion attempted to eat like Buffett -- including his dinner favorite of chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and a strawberry malt -- she was sickened after one day. Omaha dietitian Wegener notes that dietary habits vary widely by individuals and that what works for Buffett, or even those who follow the kale trail and turn green just looking at what he eats in a day, won't necessarily work for others.

"For those people who use the excuse that Warren Buffett does it, I would encourage them to assess their current health, how they feel, their relationship with food and to not compare themselves to anyone, as no one has the same genetic make up that they do, unless they have an identical twin," Wegener says. "Each person needs to follow the plan or type of eating style that works best for them."

What canWarren Buffett buy with his billions?

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A large, 18-country study may turn current nutritional thinking on its head.

The new research suggests that it's not the fat in your diet that's raising your risk of premature death, it's too many carbohydrates -- especially the refined, processed kinds of carbs -- that may be the real killer.

The research also found that eating fruits, vegetables and legumes can lower your risk of dying prematurely. But three or four servings a day seemed to be plenty. Any additional servings didn't appear to provide more benefit.

What does all this mean to you? Well, a cheeseburger may be OK to eat, and adding lettuce and tomato to the burger is still good for you, but an excess of white flour burger buns may boost your risk of dying early.

People with a high fat intake -- about 35 percent of their daily diet -- had a 23 percent lower risk of early death and 18 percent lower risk of stroke compared to people who ate less fat, said lead author Mahshid Dehghan. She's an investigator with the Population Health Research Institute at McMaster University in Ontario.

The researchers also noted that a very low intake of saturated fats (below 3 percent of daily diet) was associated with a higher risk of death in the study, compared to diets containing up to 13 percent daily.

At the same time, high-carb diets -- containing an average 77 percent carbohydrates -- were associated with a 28 percent increased risk of death versus low-carb diets, Dehghan said.

"The study showed that contrary to popular belief, increased consumption of dietary fats is associated with a lower risk of death," Dehghan said.

"We found no evidence that below 10 percent of energy by saturated fat is beneficial, and going below 7 percent may even be harmful. Moderate amounts, particularly when accompanied with lower carbohydrate intake, are probably optimal," she said.

These results suggest that leading health organizations might need to reconsider their dietary guidelines, Dehghan noted.

But not everyone is ready to throw out current dietary guidelines.

Dr. Christopher Ramsden is a clinical investigator with the U.S. National Institute on Aging. "There's a lot more information that's needed. They did a great job and they're going to have a lot more coming out of it for years to come, but it's hard to get it down to recommendations regarding food at this point," he said.

"It really highlights the need for well-designed randomized controlled trials to answer some of these questions," Ramsden added.

The researchers noted that their study did not look at the specific types of food from which nutrients were derived. And, that, said Bethany O'Dea, constitutes a "major flaw from a nutrition standpoint." O'Dea is a cardiothoracic dietitian with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

"For example, eating a healthy carb like an apple is more nutrient dense and better for you than eating a bag of processed potato chips," O'Dea said.

"Furthermore, the study did not take trans fats into account, which hold heavy evidence of being unhealthy and contributing to cardiovascular disease," she pointed out.

Current global guidelines recommend that 50 percent to 65 percent of a person's daily calories come from carbohydrates, and less than 10 percent from saturated fats, the researchers said.

Dehghan suggested that "the best diets will include a balance of carbohydrates and fats, approximately 50 to 55 percent carbohydrates and around 35 percent total fat, including both saturated and unsaturated fats."

All foods contain three major macronutrients essential for life -- fat, carbohydrate and protein. The optimum amounts a person should eat has been the focus of debate for decades, with the pendulum swinging from low-fat to low-carb diets over time.

For this study, Dehghan and her colleagues tracked the diet and health of more than 135,000 people, aged 35 to 70, from 18 countries around the world, to gain a global perspective on the health effects of diet.

Participants provided detailed information on their social and economic status, lifestyle, medical history and current health. They also completed a questionnaire on their regular diet, which researchers used to calculate their average daily calories from fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

The research team then tracked the participants' health for about seven years on average, with follow-up visits at least every three years.

The investigators found that high-carbohydrate diets are common, with more than half of the people deriving 70 percent of their daily calories from carbs.

High-carbohydrate diets have been linked with increases in both blood cholesterol and in the chemical building blocks of cholesterol, Dehghan said.

While the experts continue debating what's the best diet, what should you be eating?

O'Dea said, "Your diet should consist of healthy carbs, lean protein, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Remember to avoid processed snacks that contain trans and saturated fats, and opt for a healthy carb source."

The study was scheduled to be presented Tuesday at the European Society of Cardiology annual meeting in Barcelona, Spain. The research was being published online as two studies on Aug. 29 inThe Lancet.

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Large diet study suggests it's carbs, not fats, that are bad for your health - CBS News

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Dear Doctor: Are there foods and drinks that can help firm up loose stool, so that there isn't an occasional "surprise" when passing gas? Probiotics haven't helped, and multiple tests have proven negative for anything but chronic inflammation.

Dear Reader: We're glad to hear that your doctor has ruled out a medical cause for your experience with loose stools. And since you haven't referenced diarrhea, we'll assume that's not relevant to the issue you're having.

In many cases, this is the result of something in the diet, so let's start with the basics of digestion.

For the most part, digestion is a "wet" process. Food goes into our mouths and we chew, adding saliva to substances that, to some degree or other, already contain moisture. In the stomach, the chewed food gets further broken down by powerful acids, which deliver a liquid slurry to the small intestine.

Here, digestive juices from the pancreas, liver and intestine finish the dismantling process. The digested nutrients are then absorbed by the walls of the small intestine, where they enter the blood and are delivered to the rest of the body.

As the waste products that are left behind begin to move through the large intestine, the stool is formed. The job of the large intestine is to absorb water from these waste products, along with any stray nutrients. This process changes the waste from a liquid form into the firm mass of the stool. This is then stored in the rectum until a bowel movement occurs.

The upshot is that loose stool is the result of excess water that was not removed by the large intestine. Since illness and infection aren't the cause, let's look at diet.

Dietary sugars, which can increase the absorption of water, may exacerbate loose stools. That's in part because sugar is hygroscopic, which means it attracts and absorbs water. In addition, some people lack adequate enzymes to digest certain sugars. These sugars can include sorbitol, which is found in prunes, peaches and apples; mannitol, which is found in pineapples and asparagus; and xylitol, a sugar present in lettuce and strawberries. Each of these can have a laxative effect. The sugars in wine and beer can cause loose stools, as can lactose, the sugar found in milk products.

Caffeinated beverages, fried foods, fatty meats and additives like MSG and artificial sweeteners can also cause problems. In fact, for many individuals who experience digestive problems, the question may be not what to add to your diet, but what to eliminate from it.

If you're up for it, you might try an addition diet. Start with a small but nutritious range of foods that result in normal bowel movements. Think lean meats, small portions of vegetables, and potassium-rich foods like bananas. Then, one by one, begin to expand the range of foods in your diet. There are probably certain foods that your body absorbs better than others.

By proceeding slowly and keeping a food diary, you may be able to pinpoint the culprits and tailor your diet to your specific needs.

Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o Media Relations, UCLA Health, 924 Westwood Blvd., Suite 350, Los Angeles, CA, 90095.

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A healthy diet not only does a body good; it can nourish your brain as well.

Remember to include omega-3 fatty acids in your diet, which may lower your risk of Alzheimer's disease, researchers have found.

Theres so much evidence this type of fat is good for you, NBC News medical contributor Dr. Natalie Azar vowed to find more ways to incorporate it into her routine.

I decided today, I think Im going to start, she said.

Small things that can make a big difference in your diet Play Video - 3:20

Small things that can make a big difference in your diet Play Video - 3:20

You can find omega-3s in oil that collects in the fatty tissue of cold-water fish, like salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout and sardines, or in plant sources, such as walnuts.

If you're a fan of salmon, remember to opt for the wild-caught Alaska kind, which has the least contaminants. Its available from late spring until early fall.

Small ways to boost energy, get healthy skin and reboot your brain Play Video - 4:10

Small ways to boost energy, get healthy skin and reboot your brain Play Video - 4:10

Omega-3 fatty acids are good for your heart, too: They reduce the risk of abnormal heartbeats, reduce your triglyceride levels, slow the growth rate of plaque in your arteries and lower blood pressure, the American Heart Association says. AHA recommends eating fatty fish often a staple in the diets of people who live long, healthy lives at least twice a week. Eating a handful of walnuts every day could have similar benefits, experts say.

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Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco opened up about how she maintains a healthy diet in an exclusive interview with Us Weekly on Wednesday, August 30.

The 31-year-old actress, who partnered with Panera Bread to help introduce their new craft beverage station, revealed that she eats mostly clean, unprocessed foods. I haven't been eating that much meat lately, she told Us. So I'm kind of into tofu, which is a new thing for me and a lot of vegetables.

The star went on to say that she tries to avoid sugary drinks due to their high calorie content. I do think we forget how many calories are even in just like a juice no one realizes it's hundreds of calories!

As an alternative, the 8 Simple Rules alum turns to ice tea from Panera Bread as a low calorie substitution.

But the Wedding Ringer actress does allow herself to indulge. I do cheat. I love pizza every once in a while and honestly I love a soda every once in a while a real Cola! Until I saw that there were 17 spoonfuls of sugar in it and now I'm like, OK, maybe one sip and then throw it out.

And while the animal lover recognizes that its nice to occasionally indulge in junk food, she quipped: No one eats a giant meal and burger and a soda and feels great after. You feel good when it's happening.

When the California native does indulge, she told Us she prefers to dine at restaurants that display their calorie content upfront. I think it's nice when it's in front of your face. You know exactly the calories, you know what's going in, so it keeps you a little bit more accountable.

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Hot mama alert!

Jessie James Decker has a smokin' hot bodand she's finally opening up about her diet and fitness secrets. The mom of two and star of Eric and Jessie knows that it's hard to eat right and exercise, that's why she swears by the South Beach Diet and just 20 minutes of circuits every day.

"It's tough, but I think the great thing about South Beach [Diet] is that I have the food at my home and I keep the snacks with me," she shared. "But the great thing is even if you don't have South Beach physically in your hands, you can still do South Beach."

"It's heavy proteins, It's veggies and It's very low carbs. That's the philosophy I used to lose all of my baby weight," the songstress explained. "And so when I am on the road, I do grab the bars and the snacks to stay on top of it, that way I don't grab like a bag of Cheetos or something."

She continued, "It's really easy and you don't have to give up everything that you love. That's the important part. If you starve yourself, you're just going to go crazy."It takes more than simply eating right to get abs like those. So what is her go to exercise routine?

"I always say, you just need 20 minutes a day. That is it. 20 minutes to do really fast circuits and you can bring some weights with you to work. I don't know, sneak where you are. I'll do it in the hotel room," she shared. "There is many places you can do this, but you can write a list of little circuits to do, like 20 jumping jacks, 10 push ups, and you just do it over and over and over again until you break a sweat. 20 minutes, that's all you need."

Even her professional athlete husband Eric Decker has trouble keeping up with her! "She's very athletic. We did a workout with my trainer not too long ago and I'm huffing and puffing and she's just like, "Okay, what's next?"' he revealed.

"I'm just a little energizer bunny, I just have a lot of energy," Jessie explained. "I'm going to be that little old lady that's just like walking around and just like full of energy, probably with bright red hair or something crazy."

Even with their focused commitment tohealthy eating and exercise, they still indulge in the occasional cheat day. "My cheat days are bread, bread, bread and cookies. I love bread! I have these little cheese trays at home," Jessie dished.

As for Eric, fatty foods is the way to go. "Donuts. Donuts and cake," the NFL star revealed. "He cheats all day long and his body still looks like this," Jessie joked. "He could eat like 6,000 calories a day if he wanted and nothing would happen to him."

Get all their secrets in the video above!

Watch the season three premiere of Eric & Jessie Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 10 p.m., only on E!

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The gut health-conscious among us are buzzing about the Hadza tribe, a small group of hunter-gatherers in Tanzania. For the most part, the Hazda eat only food they find in the forest, and because of their diet, they have remarkably healthy microbiomes, which means they have remarkably healthy guts. Seasonal cycling in the gut microbiome of the Hadza hunter-gatherers of Tanzania. Smits SA, Leach J, Sonnenburg ED. Science (New York, N.Y.), 2017, Aug.;357(6353):1095-9203. So all that buzz might actually be for good reason.

But let's back up. What even is a microbiome? Basically, it's the collection of bacteria in our gut that's vital to digestive and metabolic health and the key to a strong immune system. Unfortunately, the low-fiber, high-sugar Western diet has changed our microbiomes so much, we don't have as wide a variety of gut bacteriameaning our bodies are more susceptible to things such as irritable bowel syndrome, food intolerances, metabolic syndrome, gallstones, diabetes, and even chronic depression. The human microbiome: at the interface of health and disease. Cho I, Blaser MJ. Nature reviews. Genetics, 2012, Mar.;13(4):1471-0064.

But not all hope is lost. A recent study looking at the Hadza people showed their microbiomes actually change over time, depending on what they're eating. In the dry season when they snack on things such as berries and honey, their gut bacteria is more diverse, but in the wet season when they eat a lot more meat, their micobiomes look strangely similar to ours. Why? Researchers think fiber might be the key.

We repeat: FIBER. Yep, the same stuff your grandma mixes into water. And this isn't anything new. There's a ton of evidence that fiber has a major impact on gut health, probably more so than kombucha or kimchi (or that probiotic you're taking). Microbes feed on fiber, producing short-chain fatty acids, which have been tied to myriad health benefits, such as reduced inflammation and protection against heart disease. Cardiovascular benefits of dietary fiber. Satija A, Hu FB. Current atherosclerosis reports, 2013, May.;14(6):1534-6242. Bonus: Increasing your fiber intake is way easier (and way cheaper) than flooding your body with fancy probiotics.

Americans consume only about 15 grams of fiber per day. Fiber Intake of the U.S Population.Hoy MK, Goldman JD. Fiber intake of the U.S. population: What We Eat in America, NHANES 2009- 2010. Food Surveys Research Group Dietary Data Brief No. 12. September 2014. Dietary guidelines recommend 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men, while Hadza people average 100 to 150, which means we need to seriously step up our game. This doesn't mean we have to begin hunting and gathering; we can start by reducing the amount of processed food we eat and adding things such as pulses, whole grains, berries, fiber-rich veggies to our diet.

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Guys, This "New" Hazda Diet Has Actually Been Around Forever - Greatist

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Thanks to all of the research and documentaries we have at our disposal that discuss vegan and vegetarianism, more people are becoming aware of the many health benefits your body can reap simply by going plant-based. I recently made the switch myself, and in addition to better digestion, clearer skin, and having more energy than I've ever had before, my PMSsymptoms have thoroughly improved. Of course, everywoman's menstrual cycle is unique, so how a vegan diet affects your period will depend on your individual body, and ultimately, how you take care of it in this new lifestyle.

Bottom line: There's a huge difference between eating meat and not. Meeting thenecessaryvitamins and nutrientsthrough fruits, vegetables, and legumes can be a challenge after consuming meat for so long. It's mostly trial and error, but it's more important now than ever to pay close attention to what foods you'reputting into your body.

Whitney Tingle and Danielle Duboise, co-founders of Sakara Life, tell Elite Daily,

Period irregularities are caused by hormone imbalances, so relying on nutrient-dense foods (like plants) is a great way to fight period pains and mood swings.

Instead of Advil, pop some vitamin E-rich almonds or dark leafy greens, which contain magnesium.

Not getting your period is a sign that something is off internally, but amping up your nutrition offers a natural solution to combat imbalances.

Similarly to how eating a square of dark chocolate might ease your period cramps, eating the correct variation of plant-based foods can greatly benefit your body during that time of the month.

Nationally renowned women's health expert Jennifer Wider, MD told POPSUGAR,

Many women who adopt a plant-based diet have touted the benefits when it comes to their monthly cycles. They describe lighter periods, less PMS symptoms including, mood swings, cramps, and even bloating.

The first thing I noticed after switching from meat-eater to plant-based was my otherwise heinous PMS cramping had dwindled. I still experience subtle pain, and my bowel movements are still plentiful, but I'm no longer cowering in fetal position for seven days straight.

And that water-retention baby I'd be carrying prior to, throughout, and post-period? It shrunk! Normally, I blow up like a balloon on my period, all thanks to the water weight as well as the salty-sweet cravings I give in to. Because I'm eating predominantly natural sugars, leafy greens, and less animal product, the swelling has gone down.

Dairy products, especially, can play a role in PMS symptoms hitting an all-time high. Beta-casein protein found in cow's milkcan cause serious cases of inflammation, which triggers physical PMS symptoms. So if you're not sold on going completely plant-based, it's definitely worth it to at least cut back on dairy.

And as for your actual flow, bleeding might be lighter than usual.

Dr. Prudence Hall, founder of The Hall Center in Santa Monica, CA, tells Elite Daily,

All of our hormones are derived from cholesterol, so we need to have adequate amounts of healthy fats in our diet that can ensure that we can make those hormones.

If we consume a diet that's primarily plant-based and mostly grain-based, that will negatively affect our menstrual cycle (by causing hormone disregulation with symptoms like moodiness, cramps, irritability, feeling emotional, and bloating).

Oftentimes, a plant-based diet turns out to be a simple carbohydrate diet, and that's not good for our hormones. It can cause inflammation, increase PMS symptoms, cause bloating, etc.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with adopting a plant-based diet, as long as you are getting the necessary vitamins and nutrients every human body needs to thrive. That being said, there are ways to take this lifestyle to an extreme and, as a result, put both your menstrual cycle and body at risk.

It all comes back to making sure all of the essential vitamins and nutrients are accounted for. In order to do this, it might be beneficial to review what you ate on a daily basis, take notes, do your research, and figure out what you're getting enough of, and what's missing from your diet. It should be easy to supplement from there.

Missing a period can be normal (stress, a vigorous fitness routine, or pregnancy could all be contributing factors), but generally, it's a red flag that shouldn't be ignored.

Oftentimes women who follow a strict vegan diet have a lowbody mass indexand depleting estrogen levels, which causes their menstrual cycle to significantly lighten up or disappear altogether. Coming from a woman who has had her period for over 14 years, this partially sounds like grounds for celebration, butwhen you get down to it, it really is a scary thought.

To lead a trulyhealthy lifestyle, whether you prefer for it to include animal meat or not, it's important to eat enough of the right foods. That means consuminghealthy fats, protein, and enough calories to sustain your energy throughout the day. Make sure all are accounted for, and it shouldn't be a problem.

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I've always been an all-or-nothing kind of person. If I'm going to try a new workout, I go all in from the very beginning and probably do it every day for the first few weeks so I can get the hang of it. The same goes for diets. I've tried many different diets over the years, sometimes in the name of weight loss, other times in the search for more energy and less bloating. None of them worked in the long run for me and trust me, I tried my very best to make them work.

Today I eat a strictly plant-based vegan diet. Personally, I think it's misleading to call it a diet, since it feels more like a lifestyle to me. I don't eat any animal products, refined sugar, or processed foods, and every morning I wake up feeling better than I ever did before I was vegan. Plus, it's extremely important to me to do my part in the fight against climate change and animal cruelty. I had a long, winding road that got me to full-time veganism, and along the way, these are the diets I tried (and strongly disliked) along the way.

Keep in mind that just because these diets didn't work for me, it doesn't mean they won't work for anyone else, including you. Everyone is different and will respond uniquely to dietary changes. As always, though, chat with your doctor before making any drastic changes in your lifestyle.

Two years of my life were devoted to going to CrossFit on the regular, so naturally I fell into the Paleo scene. When I first started eating Paleo, I could see a difference in my waistline pretty quickly. I shed a layer of fat within the first few weeks, which was probably due to the fact that I was no longer eating any bread, dairy, packaged foods, or sugar.

That being said, the Paleo high didn't last long. Because of all the meat I was eating (which was a lot of meat), I was experiencing constipation and frequent exhaustion. All the beef and chicken was weighing me down, and I didn't like the way it made me feel overall. Just as importantly, I didn't lose enough weight to make the whole thing worth it. After my waistline shrunk a little, I didn't see any significant changes. In fact, I was convinced that the excess amount of protein was doing me more harm than good.

You may have heard of intermittent fasting and its many benefits, which extend far beyond weight loss. The 5:2 Diet revolves around eating normally for five days each week and choose two nonconsecutive days where you abstain from eating. Sound miserable? It is only at first, though. Technically, the 5:2 Diet states that a woman can eat around 400 calories of food on her fasting days. I chose to fast every Monday and Thursday, so I would eat a banana in the morning and a small portion of protein at night.

I'll admit that I was the thinnest I've ever been when I followed the 5:2 plan, which is exactly what happens when you restrict yourself from consuming calories. But the cost it came with simply wasn't worth it. On the two days I fasted, I was really tired and couldn't exercise and call me crazy, but I'm the kind of person who loves to work out every day in some capacity. Eventually, my fatigue caught up to me and I transitioned into a 6:1 diet. It wasn't long before I returned back to a normal 7:0 program.

All in all, I can see how this diet improves digestion (I went to the bathroom like a champion every single morning) and promotes more self-control over your hunger urges, but the bottom line is that I love food and exercise, and I don't think I should sacrifice either.

After my first time going vegan in 2011, I dabbled in the raw-food diet, which is when you eat all your food raw, or cooked under 118 degrees Fahrenheit. This was by far the most time-consuming, most expensive diet I've ever done. More importantly, it made me feel crappy. I was bloated almost all the time, which is a common side effect of consuming a large amount of raw foods, so it became more uncomfortable than anything else.

I discovered the Dukan Diet when I was in my last year of college. Its method is designed by a French physician who claims that you can lose 10 pounds in the first week of the diet. My naive mind believed this wild claim, so I gave it a shot. The Dukan Diet is a high-protein, low-fat, and low-carb program that gives you 100 different foods to choose from, and you can eat as much as you want from that group. I didn't lose any weight even though I was fully dedicated to the program for six weeks, mostly because your body needs healthy fats in order to shed pounds. More than anything, I think I just really missed having a full, well-rounded meal.

I've always been insecure about my height (I'm 5'2"), and since I was a little girl, I dreamed about growing taller and having long legs and arms. So when I first read about the Petite Advantage Diet, I thought it was going to be my saving grace. Dietitian Jim Karas describes the diet this way: if you fill up a kiddie pool with the same amount of water as a regular pool, it will overflow; the same goes for short women. In other words, we need to eat much less than our taller friends if we want to lose weight.

The program has you eating 1,100 calories for two days, and then 1,400 calories the next day, and you continue forward with this rotation. For someone who works out as often as I do, this calorie restriction proved to be very difficult for me. On top of that, the Dukan Diet relies heavily on simply counting calories, so there is little emphasis put on the quality of the calories you consume. That meant I could eat a packaged string cheese whenever I wanted or a frozen dinner as long as it didn't leave me in a surplus of calories.

It ultimately left me feeling sluggish, tired, and generally unhealthy, and although I lost a few pounds, it wasn't anything I would ever try again (or recommend to anyone).

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Sheila Gim

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Which Diets Don't Work? | POPSUGAR Fitness - POPSUGAR

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You have to credit Samsung for its chutzpah. The company's tried every way it can think of to make its smartwatches happen, refining its line of Gear products year after year. Still, not even the latest Gear S3one of the best smartwatches on the marketwas enough to put Samsung in the conversation with Apple on the smartwatch side, or Fitbit on the fitness side.

Now, Samsung's hoping to take on both Fitbit and Apple by introducing the only device you ever need on your wrist. Ahead of the IFA trade show, the company announced the Gear Sport, a durable smartwatch that's just as powerful as your average fitness tracker and way better looking. Samsung also announced a new version of its ugly Gear Fit fitness band, and an upgraded pair of its Gear IconX wireless earbuds. The buds might be worth a look, since they can track your workouts, store music, and chart your workout progress without the aid of your phone. Still, of the three, the Gear Sport has the best chance to really matter.

For starters, the Gear Sport looks a whole lot better than the other options on the market, including the hideous new Fitbit Ionic. Samsung gave it a round display and a slightly squared-off bezel, creating a rugged, Casio G-Shock kind of vibe. It's compatible with any 20mm watch band, so you can dress it up or down as you pleaseand it'll go four days between charges. You can tap on the 1.2-inch display to take calls, chat with Bixby, or control your smart-home devices. It also tracks workouts, plays music, and lets you go to Starbucks without your phone. At 11.6mm thick, it's still a hefty watch, but not unreasonably soa Rolex Daytona measures 11.2mm. It's lighter, smaller, and slicker than the Gear S3, which was already among the best-looking smartwatches you could buy.

It's not just a watch, though. The Gear Sport is a supercharged fitness device with improved heart-rate monitoring, automated activity tracking, and a family of apps to seamlessly store all your data and serve up recommendations, thanks to a partnership with Under Armour. It can go into the pool without breaking, and track your swimming in the process with the Speedo app. Samsung also worked with Spotify to allow you to download playlists to the watch (at least until you fill the 4 gig capacity), which gives it a big edge over the Apple Watch. It's not nearly the fitness beast Fitbit launched, which tracks your breathing and oxygen consumption and all sorts of other crazy things, but Samsung's offering a lot of the same features in a much more attractive package.

If we're talking Gear Sport versus Apple Watch, the divide is simple: The Apple Watch works on Apple devices, and the Gear Sport works on Android. Sure, the Gear Sport technically supports iOS, just like the Gear S3. But you can't do much of anything with a Gear Sport and an iPhone. (Which is fine! Buy an Apple Watch, ya goober.) For Androiders, the Gear Sport fills in nicely.

The Gear Sport's wildcard, as always, lies within its Tizen operating system. It doesn't have as many apps as Android Wear or Apple's WatchOS, and using a Gear Sport means swapping Google Assistant for Bixby, which definitely qualifies as a downgrade. Still, Tizen has become dramatically more usable over the years, and at least holds its own when it comes to fitness and notifications. It's even better if you use other Samsung devices, but works fine across the Android universe.

As of now, three different smartwatches line the top of the market. The Apple Watch is winning, and the Fitbit Ionic hopes it can win over people who care more about fitness than style. Samsung's betting that a lot of Android users are looking for something that looks like a watch and works like a Fitbit. That's what it made.

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Samsung Gear Sport Takes on Fitbit and Apple in One Device - WIRED

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