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Avocado, houmous and nut butters are staples in many millennials diets.

You only have to have a scroll through Instagram on a weekend morning to see a stream of delectable brunch snaps.

Our favourite foods are trendy, healthy and so popular we make memes about them.

However, according to new research, these foods could also be changing how our bodies react to hunger.

Researchers from the University of Georgia have found that foods rich in polyunsaturated fats may be influencing our hormones and altering our appetites.

These foods - such as avocado, quinoa, chickpeas, salmon, chia seeds, olive oil and walnuts - have already been linked to improved problem-solving skills and better memory.

And now scientists are saying eating foods high in polyunsaturated fats may contribute to overall weight loss.

They also hope this way of eating could help tackle the obesity epidemic.

To reach their conclusions, the researchers measured participants (aged 18-35) hormone changes - allowing for examination of their physiological hunger and satiety - when following a diet heavy in polyunsaturated fat.

They also asked participants to indicate on a scale how hungry or full they were and how much they thought they could eat.

Those who consumed a lot of polyunsaturated fats were less hungry and felt fuller for longer than those who didnt follow the diet.

Appetite hormones play an important role in regulating how much we eat, said lead researcher, Jamie A. Cooper, PhD of the University of Georgia.

These findings tell us that eating foods rich in PUFAs (polyunsaturated fats), like those found in walnuts, may favourably change appetite hormones so that we can feel fuller for longer.

The reason following such a diet resulted in better appetite control is that it decreases the hormone ghrelin which controls hunger and increases peptide, the hormone that controls satiety.

However its important to note that the study was on a small scale, with just 26 participants, and larger-scale research needs to be undertaken.

This research does however point to the growing body of evidence which suggests eating fat does not make you fat.

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Diets high in polyunsaturated fats could reduce appetite, study says - The Independent

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It seems like everyone you meet is eating a special diet right now, and its easy to mix them up.

I cant tell you how many times someone has suggested the gluten free or paleo optionwhen I ask about whats vegan on a menu, for example. Special diets can overlap, which, I think, is where the confusion comes in. Ifthe only vegan youve ever met is also gluten free, you might think that vegans dont eat gluten. But many of us do, with glee!

Here are some of the most common special diets and what theyre about.

You can sort of break down the why behind common special diets into two broad categories:

The ethical reasons forchoosing a special diet areusually about animal rights, human rights, or the environment. Maybe youre eating veganor plant-based, because you want to reduce your carbon footprint or fight climate changeor protect animals, for example.

Health is an even more broad category when it comes to why people choose special diets. Some folks are looking to lose weight or maintain weight loss.

Theres also evidence that some special diets can prevent or even cure chronic disease. Sometimes, a special diet is not a choice, and a gluten free diet isa great example. Going gluten free is very hip right now, but forsomeone withceliac disease, its a life or death decision.

There are dozens ofnuanced special diets out there, and thisglossary is meant to address theones that you are most likely to encounter. It doesnt include short-term weight loss diets, and it leaves out some special diets that are less popular.

These are some of the most common special diets that youll encounter, arranged alphabetically.

DASH is aspecial diet aimed at controlling high blood pressure. It is a low-sodium diet that focuses on whole grains, fruits, and veggies. You can eat small amounts oflow fat dairy, lean meats, fish, nuts, and seeds on the DASH diet.

This is a somewhat broad special diet, and how flexible a flexitarian is depends on why he or she chose to eat this way. A flexitarian avoids meat (and sometimes all animal products)but will sometimes still eat meat or dairy.

Someone who is gluten free avoids all food with gluten. This includes foods you mayalready know about, like conventional breads and pastas, butgluten hides in all kinds of other products, like soy sauce and even makeup. Depending on why someone is gluten free, eating gluten can potentiall cause serious health problems.

A locavore is someone who focuses on eating food grown locally. This can include or exclude animal products. Like a raw diet, notevery locavore eats 100 percent local, but they will choose local options whenever possible.

Macrobiotic diets have come a long way since the 70s and 80s when they were even more popular. Back then, they were very restrictive, but people have reimagined the macrobiotic diet since then. In a nutshell, itcan describe a vegetarian or pescatarian diet with afocus on whole foods andmindful eating.

A paleo diet is supposed to mimic the way people ate during paleolithic times. It focuses on meat,eggs, fruits, nuts and seeds, and unsaturated oils.There are paleo vegans, as well, who follow a paleo diet, minus the meat and eggs.

A pescatarian diet is a vegetarian diet, plus seafood. Pesca is Latin for fish.

A plant-based is another way to refer to a vegan diet. Someone who is plant-based usually eatsthis wayfor health reasons, so theydont necessarily live a vegan lifestyle.Theres also a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet movement, which describesa plant-based diet thats free from processed foods, refined sugars, refined oils, and alcohol.

Raw food is a dish that hasnt been heated above117F (48C). The idea is thatcooking food destroys some of the nutrients in it. People on a raw diet may or may not eat 100 percent raw, and they can eat animal products, as long as those are also raw.

A raw vegan follows a raw diet without any animal products.

Vegan diets, like plant-based diets, are free from all animal products: meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, honey,gelatin, etc. Unlike someone eating plant-based, though,veganism is mainly about ethics, not health. Though, of course, some people do choose a plant-based diet for ethical reasons. Veganism just takes that further in some ways and is less discriminatingin others. Vegans can eat refined foods, drink alcohol (as long as its not processed with animal products), eat gluten, and eat sugar. If a food doesnt come from an animal, its vegan whether its healthy or not.

A vegetarian diet is a vegan diet, plus eggs and dairy.Before veganism became popular, early vegans sometimes described themselves as strict vegetarians. Here are the sub-categories of a vegetarian diet:

A pescatarian diet is not a type of vegetarian diet, because fish are not plants. For a definition of pescatarian, see the section on that diet above.

All images via Thinkstock.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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A Glossary of Common Special Diets - Care2.com

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If youre sleeping then youre not eating.

Thats the idea behind a worrying new trend where anorexics abuse sedatives in the hope of losing more weight.

Dubbed the Sleeping Beauty Diet, it has caused concern among experts.

Instead of eating food, women are knocking themselves out with the help of sleeping pills, snoozing through meal times.

Those following the dangerous trend severely restrict their calorie intake,sleeping for up to 20 hours a day, in extreme cases.

Perhaps even more worrying, the trend, also dubbed narcorexia, is proving popular on pro-anorexiawebsites.

One user wrote: This diet is perfect for the end of the school semester, or just for people who have a lot of extra time on their hands.

'PRETTY LITTLE LIARS' STAR TROIAN BELLISARIO DETAILS ANOREXIA STRUGGLE IN NEW MOVIE

Less extreme advice advocates a better nights sleep each night and a healthy eating and exercise plan.

The Sleep Doctors Diet Plan by Dr Michael Breus suggests people exercise no less than four hours before bed and get at least seven hours of shut eye per night.

But it has been taken to the extreme as people seek ways to skip meals.

The Suns nutritionist Amanda Ursell said the new trend was shocking and is not to be dismissed lightly.

Most of us need three meals a day just to sustain us from an energy point of view. If you skip breakfast your ability to concentrate and focus in the morning and your mood are going to be not as good as if you did have breakfast. And if you skip lunch the same thing will happen in the afternoon," she said.

Eating disordersare really big issues and they profoundly affect your physical health and your mental well-being. This is not to be dismissed lightly, this trend towards sleeping diets, because they are deeply, deeply worrying, she added.

More than 725,000 men and women in the UK are affected by eating disorders, according to the UKs eating disorder charity Beat.

Ursell added that recent data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey suggests that many women already struggle topack enough nutrients into their dietsand as a result often suffer deficiencies in iron, calcium and other nutrients.

If you are cutting out food, you are going to be malnourished. If you are then starving yourself through sleeping, youre just going to exacerbate it, so you will feel shocking when you do wake up. Sleep itself wont sustain you. It is almost inconceivable that someone has put this out there, she said.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is important for maintaining good health.

The NHS recommends eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, basing meals on starchy foods like rice or pasta, eating lean proteins like fish and legumes and drinking plenty of water.

Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses with complex causes. The messages and methods of losing weight promoted by the diet industry are unlikely to be the sole and direct cause of an eating disorder, but they may exacerbate the problem or be a contributing factor for someone who is vulnerable to developing one or is already ill, a spokesperson for Beat said.

If someone has become obsessive about what theyre eating or appears to be going to extremes in order to lose weight, it could be a sign that they are developing or have developed an eating disorder. The important thing is not to delay, as the sooner someone is treated, the better their chance of full recovery, she added.

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If you or a loved one are struggling with an eating disorder and are in need of support, please call the National Eating Disorders Association Helpline at 1-800-931-2237.

This article originally appeared on The Sun.

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Dangerous fad diet encourages sleeping instead of eating - Fox News

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source Getty Images/Jason Merritt

Eat like a baby. Cook like a caveman. Snack on one color of the rainbow each day of the week.

These habits belong to some of the viral diets that celebrities from Beyonc to Taylor Swift have sworn by.

Oddly enough, some of these eating plans contain nuggets of wisdom that could help you lose weight. Still, the bigger danger with any diet is that it sets us up for unhealthy habits we can't maintain, says Andy Bellatti, a registered dietitian and the cofounder of Dietitians for Professional Integrity.

"I know many people who've gone on some kind of crash diet for a week and lose a bunch of weight and a few months later they're back to square one."

With that in mind, here's the dirt on the strangest viral diets along with some science-backed wisdom about what actually works if you want to lose weight and keep it off.

The hype: Actresses including Jennifer Aniston, Kirsten Dunst, and Gwyneth Paltrow, have all reportedly done the pH or "Alkaline" diet, which advocates swapping so-called acid-forming foods like meat, fish, dairy, and grains with alkaline ones like fruits, nuts, beans, and vegetables.

The truth: The diet is based on the misleading idea that you can change your blood pH with food. While the pH of the stomach is acidic, the blood is slightly alkaline, something the food you eat can't change. Still, one positive part of the diet is that it advocates eating more fruits and veggies, something most dietitians agree we should all be doing.

The hype: Beyonc reportedly used the Master Cleanse to slim down before the movie "Dreamgirls." The cleanse involves drinking a lemon juice-based mixture to allegedly clean out the system and speed weight loss.

The truth: Any diet that's based around the idea of detoxing is probably bogus, since our bodies naturally detoxify themselves.

The hype: Singer Tim McGraw sticks to a paleo diet, a meal plan free of dairy, legumes, refined sugar, alcohol, and grains.

The truth: The US News and World Report ranks the paleo diet 36 out of 38 diets, saying that it can be tough to follow and is somewhat "nutritionally incomplete."

The hype: Slashing carbohydrates from your diet will force your body to burn fat, and celebrities including Adriana Lima, Megan Fox, and Mick Jagger are supposedly doing it.

The truth: First developed to treat childhood epilepsy, ketogenic or "keto" diets have become something of a fad among the Silicon Valley crew. The plan mimics starvation, sending the body into a metabolic state called ketosis. Some studies have linked the plan with a variety of health benefits from weight loss to a reduced risk of chronic disease, but it can also come with side effects like nausea, headaches, and fatigue - all of which could make it tough to stick to.

The hype: The Baby Food Diet, which involves eating 14 jars of baby food with the option of adding in one low-calorie meal each day, has been traced to celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson, who's since denied supporting it. Celebrities including Reese Witherspoon have allegedly tried it.

The truth: The diet is likely linked with weight loss because it involves calorie restriction, rather than having anything to do with the baby food itself. An average jar of the stuff has around 80 calories, so if you ate the number outlined in the diet, you'd end up with roughly 1,000 calories each day, not counting the allotted single meal.

The hype: Snooki reportedly lost weight in 2010 with a diet based on special cookies created by Sanford Siegal, who calls himself "The Cookie Doctor." The three-week plan involves eating six of the 90-calorie treats a day and one small meal.

The truth: Like the Baby Food Diet, the reason the Cookie Diet could be linked with weight loss is because of calorie restriction - all of those cookies only add up to 540 calories, about the equivalent of a single meal. A look at the ingredients in Siegal's "cookies" (wheat bran, beef protein, egg whites) also suggest they're more of a high-protein, high-fiber snack than anything else.

The hype: Shortly after singer Sam Smith took home four top awards at the Grammys in February, he started shedding pounds, crediting his transformation to nutritional therapist Amelia Freer and her "Nourish and Glow" 10-day plan. Freer also had him exercising regularly and eating lots of fresh veggies, fruit, lean meats, and some seafood while abstaining from pastries and ice cream.

The truth: There's nothing about the plan that's outright unhealthy. If you can keep up the habits you start with in the 10 days on the plan, it might work for you.

The hype: Singer Katy Perry claims the "M Diet," which involves swapping a meal with raw mushrooms for two weeks, helps her get lean only in select areas of her body, namely her waist, hips, and thighs.

The truth:"There's no evidence that any diet will help you lose weight in a particular spot," registered dietitian Katherine Tallmadge told LiveScience. Again, you can chalk any weight loss that results from this plan to calorie restriction. While a traditional meal is around 700 calories, a cup of raw mushrooms is about 20.

The hype: The day before his 44th birthday, artist Jay Z joined partner Beyonc in a 22-day "vegan challenge." Now, both stars are partners in a vegan food company founded by their personal trainer, Marco Borges, called 22 Days Nutrition.

The truth: As with any eating plan, if you can stick with the lifestyle changes it advises for a long time, it might be worth a shot. Experts also advise people transitioning to a vegan diet to replace meat and dairy with foods that have a similar nutritional profile, like tofu, beans, and dark, leafy greens to ward off nutrient deficiencies. Also, instead of Bey and Jay Z's plan, which costs about $600 for 22 days, you might want to simply try going vegan with a friend.

The hype: Singer Christina Aguilera reportedly went on the seven-day Color Diet at one point, eating foods of one color each day. Day one starts with white, which is followed by red, green, orange, purple, yellow, and, on the seventh day, all of the colors.

The truth: Different-colored foods do often provide different nutrients, so the temporary plan might help encourage you to try new things that you might otherwise ignore, from purple yams to emerald green kale. If you start by eating one color of fruits and veggies every day, you can establish a healthy habit of incorporating color into your diet, but don't forget the protein and whole grains.

The hype: Hollywood fitness trainer Harley Pasternak is the author of the New York Times best seller "The 5-Factor Diet," which encourages people to eat five 5-ingredient meals per day, each of which allegedly take just five minutes to prep.

The truth: The plan, more of a lifestyle and less of a temporary "fix-it" diet, is based around the idea that each of your meals contains one of each of four main food groups: protein, complex carbs, fiber, and healthy fats. The fifth group is water or other sugar-free drinks.

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11 viral diets and the ones that actually work - Business Insider Nordic

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Some people had churchtheir fathers were pastors. My father was an officer in the Navy, so we had the gym.

Physical readiness is required for anyone in the military. There are fitness tests, whether youre pushing papers or slinging an M-16 at a checkpoint overseas. A sailors physical condition matters whether theyre in a combat zone or not. I still remember my father telling me, one night at dinner, that if they ran out of people at the front, eventually it would be his turn. Thats why were ready.

If you grew up in a military family, you understand being ready.

We were ready all the time, for everything. We were always 10 minutes early. We packed the day before air travel, and left with plenty of time to spare for security and tickets. I have no memories that include my parents forgetting to stow some needed piece of equipment, like a picnic knife or bottle opener. Always prepared.

My father taught me that readiness begins in the body. How will you defend yourself if youre not strong? He left the house at 4 a.m. every morning with a travel mug of black coffee, heading to the gym at the Pentagon. This was after a hip injury ended his running. The injury meant he was tied to the gyms machines, stationary bikes, and pool. It also meant that finally, I could keep up with him.

One of my earliest memories: I am in first grade. It is the balmy part of spring in Waldorf, Maryland. My father, impossibly tall, is putting on his grey running shoes. He is a marathoner. He has run over 100 races. He asks if I want to come with him. Its an easy one today, he says. Just a mile or so.

Thrilled, I stand in front of the closet in the bedroom I share with my sister. I agonize over what to wear, change clothes a few times, and finally pick a bright magenta and teal sweatsuit. My sneakers are battered, but I put them on anyway. I imagine myself in a photo, posed next to my dad. We have never done anything like this before. I think: He will be so proud of me. We will go running together all the time.

Instead, hes waiting on the sidewalk with his hands on his hips, wondering what took so long. Thats what youre wearing?

He shrugs, and sets off in an easy lope that, as an adult, I recognize as the slowest possible stride you can maintain without just reverting to walking in long steps. I pad alongside him, puppyish. The block where I practice riding my bikeit still has training wheels, much to my shameis longer than I thought, and in a few minutes I realize that the sweatsuit was a terrible idea. Im humid and my face feels sticky. I have never run like this, without joy or playfulness, at a steady pace. My father, the metronome, ticks on ahead and I fall behind him.

He circles back. If you cant keep up, you need to go home, he says.

I dont remember if I had an answer. He picked up speed at the corner and disappeared, never once looking back. I walked home crying, tore off the sweatsuit, and threw it on the floor. I refused to wear it again, even only the top or the bottoms, separately. Even when all my other clothes were dirty. Finally, I outgrew it. My mother packed it in a plastic bag and donated it to the VA.

But after the hip injury, he couldnt run away from me. Starting in high school, my father started taking me to the gym with him when he went on the weekends. He took me there on Take Your Child To Work Day, too. The Pentagon, as you might imagine, had an extremely nice, top-of-the-line facility in one of the buildings on its compound. It had just been remodeled.

The Pentagons gym used to be a simple, Soviet-style weight training room with a couple of treadmills, showers, and changing areas. The renovation transformed it into a glossy, futuristic training facility, like something from a sci-fi movie about athletes in space. A track, suspended over the main gym area, looped around the inside of the building. There were saunas and pressurized rooms, a rock climbing wall, and clean, new equipment that smelled of vinyl. I may be imagining these details, but it is more likely that I am not.

The Pentagon gym had a shallow pool which was not part of the renovation. Its water tasted like bleach and salt, and was dimly lit by greenish lamps at the end of each lane. My goggles fogged up. There was nothing to see, so it didnt matter. I did laps for an hour, too chicken to try a flip turn.

This was when I was still young and new to my body. I had a few years to go before femaleness caught up to me. My period hadnt started yet; my breasts were latent, not even in the bud stage. I was 510 already and very thin. Lean. In those days, it wasnt uncommon for strangers to ask me, Are you a boy or a girl?

Both. Neither. Do I have to choose? I couldnt ever give a straight answer, because I didnt have one. The words Im a girl stuck in my throat. I wasnt a girl. And, at that point in my life, I didnt have to be one. I could still be a child. I was comfortable with my otherness. All I cared about was becoming faster, stronger. I read fitness magazines and learned how to build muscles, how to use interval training to improve my sprints, and the importance of fasted cardio.

This was the era of female bodybuilding, the Miss Olympia competition, and American Gladiators. My dad gave me a poster of these formidable looking women, and I tacked it on my wall. They didnt look humantheir outfits were reminiscent of the comic book goddesses I loved, Wonder Woman and the Insect Queen. Their bleached teeth glittered. They wore bikinis and their breasts were eaten up by their pectorals. It was impossible to imagine them crying, or being afraid to walk to their car alone at night. It was never my aim to wear the suit of thick muscles these women did. But I envied their strength, and the freedom it gave them. They were more powerful than a man, even a very strong one. They had nothing to be afraid of.

My dad described these women as iron babes.

I got a book about swimming and worked at perfecting my form. Even wearing a womens swimsuit, I was called sir.

The swimming book suggested working on my cardiovascular endurance, so I ran in my neighborhood before school, 3 to 5 miles every day. I loved the way my feet hammered the sidewalk, making me feel like I was forged from iron. In PE, I did push-ups the regular way, never on my knees. I thought about the way my body could move through the water.

The nearby community center had an Olympic-sized pool. I got my first job there, as a lifeguard. I worked out in the community center gym before my shift and swam laps after it, when the pool was closed. I could swim from one end to the other underwater, holding my breath. I fantasized about joining a swim team. In my fantasy, my parents sat on the cold aluminum bleachers, their applause swallowed up by the water in my ears. In reality, sports were not a possibility for me, because the practices and matches conflicted with our familys schedule. I trained on my own. I found new ways to challenge myself.

For lifeguard drills, we practiced rescuing cinder blocks wrapped in duct tape from the deep end. It was supposed to simulate the dead weight of a drowned 350-pound person. Once wed dragged the block to the surface, we had to tread water for a minute or more, hoisting the prop overhead. Head and neck out of the water. Arms straight. I held the record for this. I would stare at the clocks long red minute hand, not caring that my arms and legs were burning. Pain is weakness leaving the body. I thought that, then. I still believed discipline was the pathway to love.

The girls around me were starting to soften, wear bras. Theyd stroke each others legs to admire their hairlessness, how close and smooth the shave was. They talked about boys. How many bases he got to. Who was a slut. I stayed separate from this. When I ran, or moved my body, I knew that what I looked like didnt matter. I was a verbnot a noun, like them.

A modeling agent scouted me based on my height, but it didnt go anywhere. I did not know how to pose like a girl. And I had those shoulders. I was long but not willowy. I was starting to look like my dad.

To me, queer was shorthand for the wilderness outside the dominant genders. Weird was another word for it. I was queer because I didnt belong in my cultures narrowly defined heterosexual roles. I didnt want to be straight, and straight people didnt want me on their team. I couldnt even pretend convincingly. In dresses or makeup, I looked more boyish than ever.

My body was made not for decoration but for performance. But I wasnt a guy, either. I didnt covet masculinity or the horrible, strangling privilege that came with it. Boy, or girl? I didnt belong in either locker room.

Trans is not short for transformation or even transition. Trans indicates the distance we travel from one point of gender expression to another, through the unmarked territory between male and female and all the other colors and shapes our identities take. I found that the further I got from the binary, the happier I was. I liked myself when I was other. Outside gender, I could be free.

At school, they called me a dyke and a faggot because I kissed girls and dated girls and I would fight you if you got in my face.

I played intramural football and basketball with a dozen guys my age, mostly black, all accepting of me. I went to my senior prom in a tuxedo; my date was a beautiful girl whose name I dont remember. I buzzed my hair off. I attempted to kill myself twice.

I kept running, lifting. Working. I stayed in the water as much as possible. I felt like there was a shadow in me, the true shape of myself. It kept surfacing even though I tried to push it down, back down into the depths.

Then, right after my high school graduation, my father was transferred to the Naval hospital in San Diego. The gym there was even nicer. I got a job in the civilian Human Resources office. My dad and I carpooled in the morningtwo travel mugs of coffee, slipping out the door like lanky ghosts. Those morning commutes are some of my favorite memories of my father. I dont remember if we bothered trying to talk to each other or if we just listened to NPR. In the gym, we went through our separate routines and said have a good day to each other on our way to the showers.

I was almost 18. My breasts had arrived and men looked at me differently. I took less pleasure in exercising where I could be seen. If I ran in the morning, around our neighborhood, I risked being yelled at. Chased. Grabbed. The gym was static, but it was well lit and safe.

At the hospital, someone who saw us together asked if I was my dads girlfriend. Whenever I went somewhere alone, strange men commented on my body. They told me what theyd like to do with my body. They told me what I was good for. I looked feminine enough, I guess. I felt like I was piloting a sex toythis beautiful, rubbery body with my brain inside of it. I walked and talked from deep inside myself, not understanding why nobody saw the weird, androgynous creature inside my shell.

Later, I learned about gender dysphoria and body dysmorphia, which are beautiful words that describe the horrible feeling of not being at home in your own body. Or your own body not being, in some way, a right extension of your personhood.

That is different from wishing you were taller, or less fat, or had a defined waist and less cellulite. Everyone, to some degree, wishes they could alter their appearance. That is not the problem I have. My body dysmorphia makes that desire to transform myself an imperativeif you dont change this, now, you will die. My body dysmorphia means that this woman-body I live in feels like an itchy costume. There are days when it is difficult to leave the house or even look in the mirror. I do not wish to be seen. I dont like my corporeality. It is painful to feel other peoples eyes on me.

At the same time, my gender dysphoria means that I feel pain because my body does not match the way I see myself. I do not want to be masculine, or live in a male body. Nor do I identify as femaleI have a womans body, but I am not a woman. In a perfect world, I dont have to choose boy or girl. I am neither: Im an athlete. A body in motion.

Short of surgery and hormonal treatment, I will always look feminine. The tools at my disposalexercise, diet, special clothes, a good barberonly take me so far. I have a soft face, full lips, delicate hands, and an hourglass figure. My body hair is light. Erasing these things would take me back in time, to the brief period of prepubescence when I was physically myself. There is no such thing as perfect androgyny, and as Ive aged, Ive found ways to modify and bind and dress myself to dampen the sense of wrongness I feel in the body Ive been given.

Many people do this. Their reasons are sometimes the same as mine.

I practice gratitude for my health, and I try to accept the way I look, the way I might be grateful for the gift of an ugly winter coat as the weather is turning cold. It doesnt suit me, but the alternative? To freeze.

I found ways to be more comfortable in this body of mine. I negotiate with my body dysmorphia and gender dysphoria on a daily basis. Getting to a place of acceptance usually necessitates being less comfortable first. But whats discomfort? After all, havent I spent the last two decades trying to build the body I wanted to live in? How many pull-ups have I done? How many squats? How many days without carbohydrates?

In the last 20 years, Ive run a distance greater than or equal to the Earths equator. If this was a fairy tale, I would have earned my wish long ago. And yet. I am 33 and still myself. If anything, every year I look less like the self I imagined I could become. Time is pulling me away from the bright, untouched body I used to call home.

Im losing my androgyny. But I still get called sir.

My father retired from the Navy in 2006, shortly after I graduated from college. There is a photo of us somewhere, sharing a cigar on the campus lawn. My diploma, in its dummy folder, lies in the grass. My father and I wear matching expressions of dissatisfaction. That year, he stopped working out. I havent been to the gym with him since. When I ask what hes doing for fitness, he shrugs. He walks a lot, he says. He might get a weight set. He does push-ups when he remembers. He tells me hes getting fat.

There is no way hes getting fat, I say.

And hes not. What he means is, I dont need to be ready. When we meet up in Portland, he compliments my fitness. My strength is apparent, and I have new definition in my abdominal and back muscles. Im trim now, built more like a boxer than someone who runs.

You should get back in the pool, he said to me once. You were a great swimmer. You had a movie star stroke.

Of all the things I was ready forthat was not one of them. I was not prepared for him to praise any little thing about me. I didnt expect to have a father who noticed.

But isnt that the first part of love? Because once theyve noticed, maybe theyll start to see youthe you that is sleek, strong, and beautiful. Whole and perfect. Your true self and its name. The self that you built to be a container for all that love.

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The Temple Of Fitness - HuffPost

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Which way to Muscle Beach,Jonah Hill?

The Oscar-nominated funnyman was photographed leaving a Los Angeles gym on Friday afternoon, and we couldn't help but notice he's looking superbuff (yes that's aSuperbad pun) these days. Jonah's biceps were out for the world to see in a navy blue tank top, which he paired with black shorts,high socks and tennis shoes.

Safe to say this celeb is laying out by the pool this weekend.

TheWolf of Wall Street Star knows a thing or two about weight loss, and over the years has become famous for his fluctuating figure. After gaining 40 lbs. for 2015'sWar Dogs, Hill recruited his22 Jump Street co-star for some fitness and nutrition tips.

"I gained weight for this movie War Dogs, and then I wanted to get in better shape, so I called Channing Tatum, and said, 'Hey, if I ate less and go to a trainer, will I get in better shape?'" the comedian shared on The Tonight Show. To which he said the Magic Mike actor responded, "Yes, you dumb motherf--ker, of course you will, it's the simplest thing in the entire world.

Cousart/JFXimages/WENN.com, Rachpoot/MEGA

Jonah explained, "I went to this nutritionist, and he's like, 'Write down what you eat every day and email me.' I wrote down like yogurt, salad, chicken-whatever. He didn't email back. He usually says, 'OK' or something."

Turns out instead of his nutritionist, Jonah was sharing his weight loss secrets with music's biggest rapper. "It must have been 'D-R,' cause it was doctor, and I sent it to Drake," Jonah revealed.Oops...

Three years prior in 2012, he credited a strict (but delicious!) meal plan for helping him shed weight before shootingMoneyball."It was just mostly diet," he shared with ABC News. "I wish there was some crazy thing that I did, like a pill or a genie or something. But it was, unfortunately, I went to see a nutritionist, and he told me what to eat to change my habits and stuff. I found that Japanese food was very helpful to me."

Whatever Jonah is doing this time around, it's definitely working. Looking good!

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Jonah Hill and His Bulging Biceps Serve Up Major Fitness ... - E! Online

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SpikeBoarding: A New Low-Impact Fitness Secret Wall Street Journal (subscription) SpikeBoarding: A New Low-Impact Fitness Secret. A St. Louis executive swears by the sport, which combines elements of Nordic skiing, skateboarding and stand-up paddling. By. Jen Murphy. June 17, 2017 7:00 a.m. ET ...

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SpikeBoarding: A New Low-Impact Fitness Secret - Wall Street Journal (subscription)

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Patriots Wire

Julian Edelman praises Tom Brady's fitness guru for keeping him productive late in career Patriots Wire Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman recently signed an extension to stay with the team until 2019, which will bring him to the age of 33. Already in his thirties, Edelman is at risk for a steep decline, but his 2016 season was one of his most productive. and more »

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Julian Edelman praises Tom Brady's fitness guru for keeping him productive late in career - Patriots Wire

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Fitness First USA, a division of parent company A&Z Pharmaceutical, Inc. is opening a flagship retail and e-commerce facility in Mount Pleasant.

The company established Fitness First USA 20 years ago in Portsmouth, N.H., and is relocating it to Charleston County and expanding its operation with the facility at 547 Longpoint Road, Suite 102.

The companys initial first year investment is $600,000 and the creation of 10 new jobs. Additional local growth and investment is anticipated. The company considered expanding in New York City before settling on Mount Pleasant.

Fitness First USA is a health and wellness center with a retail store offering vitamins, supplements, fitness products, digestion aids and "superfoods," holistic products, personal care items, childrens products, healthy food, snacks and drinks, accessories, and apparel. It also includes an education center that will offer yoga classes, personal training and wellness seminars (focused on a range of topics from nutrition to meditation), and a tasting bar with smoothies and juices using supplements sold in store.

Fitness First is the second company to locate here as part of South Carolina Department of Commerce and Charleston Regional Development Alliances Landing Pad program, which is designed to help established companies enter the Charleston market for the first time. It simplifies what could be an overwhelming experience, minimizing risks and guiding them through the process.

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Fitness First USA relocates flagship store to Mt. Pleasant - Moultrie News

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wtkr.com

Virginia Beach's God Body Squad forges faith, fitness, and fun wtkr.com Starting in 2012 with a handful of members, the group has grown in size and since the opening of the Hillier Fitness Park on the beach, it's given the group a central location to get fit. "This is like church for me, and a lot of these guys," said ...

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Virginia Beach's God Body Squad forges faith, fitness, and fun - wtkr.com

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