Weight Loss Meal Plan for Women
The keto diet hype shows no signs of slowing: The low-carb regimen is still massively popular, with celebs like Al Roker and Jenna Jameson crediting the diet for serious weight loss in recent months. It’s easy to see why a diet that promises quick results—and that technically allows you to still enjoy foods like burgers and cheese—would be so tempting. But before you try it, it’s important to realize that keto can also have its downsides and that there’s a lot health experts still don’t know about its long-term effects on the body. Following the keto diet for an extended period of time can be difficult, and even some of its top proponents warn against sticking to its strict guidelines (like cutting back carbohydrates to 50 grams a day or less) for more than 30 to 90 days. Other researchers warn that sticking to the diet long-term could even be dangerous. Here are a few reasons why. RELATED: 7 Dangers of Going Keto Low-carb diets could lead to vitamin or mineral deficienciesLimiting carbs to 50 grams a day or less likely means you’re cutting out unhealthy foods like white bread and refined sugar. But it also means you may have to cut back on fruits and certain vegetables, which are also sources of carbohydrates. That’s a concern, says Annette Frain, RD, program director with the Weight Management Center at Wake Forest Baptist Health, especially if someone is spending more than a few weeks on this type of diet. “Fruits and vegetables are good for us; they’re high in antioxidants and full of vitamins and minerals,” she says. “If you eliminate those, you aren’t getting those nutrients over time.” It may also be hard to get enough fiber while you’re cutting back so severely on carbohydrates, since whole grains are one of the biggest sources of this important nutrient. That can lead to digestion problems (ranging from constipation to diarrhea), bloating and weight gain, and even elevated cholesterol and blood pressure. RELATED: 5 Superfood Carbs You're Probably Missing on the Keto Diet It may affect your athletic performanceThere’s no shortage of athletes who have jumped on the keto bandwagon, but some researchers worry that they could actually be sabotaging their strength and fitness. In a recent study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, researchers found that participants performed worse on high-intensity cycling and running tasks after four days on a ketogenic diet compared to those who’d spent four days on a high-carb diet. The body is in a more acidic state when it’s in ketosis, lead researcher Edward Weiss, PhD, associate professor of nutrition and dietetics at Saint Louis University, previously told Health, which may limit its ability to perform at peak levels. Sure, keto can help athletes lose weight, which can be helpful for speed and endurance. “But I’m very concerned that people are attributing the benefits of weight loss to something specific in the ketogenic diet,” Weiss said. “In reality, the benefits of weight loss could be at least partially canceled out by reductions in performance.” RELATED: 4 Ways the Keto Diet Can Affect Your Workouts Relaxing the rules can cause weight re-gainBecause the keto diet is so strict, many variations of the diet recommend incorporating several stages. The first stage, usually the first one to three months, is extremely low-carb and allows for very few “cheat days,” if any at all. It also requires keeping close track of your carbohydrate and fat consumption to ensure your body is entering ketosis. But then, people may transition to a more relaxed form of keto that allows for more carbohydrates or less monitoring—sometimes known as lazy keto, keto cycling, or “maintenance mode,” as Jenna Jameson has called it. The problem here, says Frain, is that weight re-gain is almost inevitable. “Keto can be a great jump-start to weight loss, but the reality is that most people can't adhere to it for very long,” says Frain. “Often, people are going into ketosis and losing weight, then coming out and gaining it back and falling into this yo-yo pattern, and that’s not what we want.” In addition to being extremely frustrating, she says, these types of weight fluctuations are also linked to a higher risk of early death. The type of weight you gain back is important as well. If you lost weight when you first started on keto, you likely lost some muscle mass along with fat tissue, says Kristen Kizer, RD, a nutritionist at Houston Methodist Medical Center. Now, since you’re following a high-fat diet, you will probably gain back more fat and less lean muscle—which not only looks and feels different on the body, but also burns calories at a slower rate. This can affect your metabolism and make it more difficult to lose weight again in the future. RELATED: 4 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight on the Keto Diet, According to Nutritionists It may also damage blood vesselsEnjoying a “cheat day” in the short-term on the ketogenic diet can also have long-term consequences, say researchers from the University of British Columbia. In a recent study published in Nutrients, they found that indulging in a high-sugar treat (like a large bottle of soda) while on a high-fat, low-carb diet can actually damage blood vessels. “My concern is that many of the people going on a keto diet—whether it’s to lose weight, to treat type 2 diabetes, or some other health reason—may be undoing some of the positive impacts on their blood vessels if they suddenly blast them with glucose,” said senior author Jonathan Little, associate professor in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences, in a press release. “Our data suggests a ketogenic diet is not something you do for six days a week and take Saturday off." RELATED: The 6 Biggest Keto Diet Mistakes Too much fat can raise chronic disease riskHealth experts worry about how a long-term keto-style diet can affect the heart and arteries. A not-yet-published study, presented at the American College of Cardiology’s annual Scientific Session, found that people on low-carb diets are more likely to develop atrial fibrillation (AFib) compared to those who eat moderate amounts of carbohydrates. AFib is the most common heart rhythm disorder and raises the risk of stroke and heart failure. It’s not just the heart they’re worried about either. Research presented earlier this year at the European Society of Cardiology Congress found that people who followed low-carb, high-fat diets had an increased risk of dying from cancer and all other causes during the study period. And a recent study in the Lancet also found that low-carb dieters who consumed large amounts of meat and dairy had a higher risk of early death compared to those who consumed carbs in moderation or who consumed mostly plant-based protein. Most of this research, it’s worth pointing out, is still observational—meaning that it’s only been able to find associations with certain health outcomes and not cause-and-effect relationships. Frain says that, overall, there’s not enough long-term research to know exactly what the ketogenic diet does to the body over an extended period of time—or why it seems to affect some people differently than others. But she advises anyone who’s thinking about trying keto to strive for balance, not for extremes. “It’s important to look at what you’re missing in a diet and what is really sustainable for you,” she says. “You want to make sure you have satisfaction and satiety from the foods you’re eating and that you feel good and are getting great nutrition from a variety of foods. That’s what will help you keep it up and keep the weight off.” To get more diet stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Balanced Bites newsletter via Weight Loss - Health.com https://ift.tt/2HWUc8g
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Excess weight in your midsection can be annoying—not only because it’s so darn tough to ditch, but because it also has an impact on your overall health. Extra belly fat ups your risk of issues such as heart disease and diabetes, and, according to certified strength and condition specialist Michele Olson, PhD, life is filled with sneaky little saboteurs that make putting on the pounds in this area way too easy. “Due to changes in hormones, daily stresses, lack of sleep, coupled with possibly pregnancies, the fat women gain is often stored increasingly in the belly area,” explains Olson, also a senior clinical professor at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama. And while you can’t exactly spot reduce, you can make lifestyle changes that can help you lose belly fat—and fast. Here, healthy-living pros offer their best science-backed strategies for winning the battle of the bulge. RELATED: This 30-Day Plank Challenge Will Transform Your Core in 4 Weeks Clean up your dietIf you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a million times: Abs are made in the kitchen. Unfortunately, if you regularly eat ultra-processed foods (think chips, store-bought baked goods, and candy), you won’t be able to see yours. “These foods are produced using sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup, which in high amounts has been shown to promote visceral fat accumulation in the liver, leading to weight gain, inflammation, and related diseases,” explains Rachel Fine, RD, owner of To The Pointe Nutrition. Instead, opt for eats that have healthy amounts of soluble fiber such as oatmeal, sweet potatoes, avocado, and citrus fruits. Research reveals that an increase in these foods is linked to a decrease in visceral—aka belly—fat. RELATED: 10 Reasons Your Belly Fat Isn't Going Away Slow down on spiritsReducing alcohol intake can also help, says Fine. Alcohol contains about seven calories per gram—"just under fat, which equates to nine calories per gram.” And because alcohol is absorbed quickly, “when over-consumed, alcohol metabolism impairs metabolism of other macronutrients, such as carbs and fat, promoting…fat storage rather than breakdown,” she says. While you’re rethinking your drinks, limit your consumption of carbonated beverages as well, advises Vanessa Voltolina, RD, a New York City-based registered dietitian, noting that those fizzy drinks, though yummy, can cause belly bloat. (Sorry LaCroix!) Instead, stick to water, which Emily Incledon, RD says can act as an appetite suppressant, as well as help flush out your body to decrease the feeling of being bloated. RELATED: 11 Best Oblique Ab Exercises for Women Who Want a Toned Core Make sure you exerciseGreat news: Working out is good for more than just adding years to your life, boosting your brain health, and reducing stress levels—it can also help you rein in your gut. In fact, research in the journal Cell Metabolism reveals that exercise specifically helps reduce visceral fat. The key to losing belly fat with exercise, though, is making sure your sweat session is intense. You’ll want to be working at 85% of your max heart rate at least, says Olson. “The higher your heart rate, the higher the release of epinephrine into the bloodstream and cells,” she explains. “A positive side effect of epinephrine is that it also activates greater release of abdominal fat into the bloodstream to be used for energy.” So what type of exercise is best when it comes to burning belly fat? Olson recommends intense weight training, Tabata interval training, sprint-style cardio, and kettlebell exercises. Of course, a little ab work won’t hurt either—especially moves (like dead bug) that target the transverse abdominus, the deep core muscles that act like a girdle for the waist, cinching you in all over. RELATED: The 8 Best Lower Ab Exercises for That Hard to Tone Spot Don't skimp on sleepFalling short on zzz’s is also a surefire way to put your waistline in jeopardy. That’s because sleep deprivation knocks your hunger hormones out of whack, leading to an increase in ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, and a decrease in leptin, which signals when you are satiated. What’s more, research has shown that when you aren’t well-rested, you’re also more likely to reach for junk food (hello Ben & Jerry’s!)—and it may even become harder for you to build muscle mass. To help keep belly fat in check, aim to cuddle with your pillow for at least seven to eight hours each night. And if possible, hit the hay at the same time each night—one study found that women who did so and clocked around eight hours of sleep per night had lower body fat. RELATED: This 10-Minute Resistance Band Ab Workout Will Work Your Entire Core Just relaxStress, which can come in many forms, can wreak havoc on your health. Whether it’s something you consider to be a “big” deal, like working on a project to meet a crucial work deadline, or something smaller, like someone cutting you off on your morning commute, your body treats it all the same way—by enacting your fight or flight response. “As your body’s perception of stress increases, cortisol, often called the stress hormone, is released from the adrenal glands,” explains Nana Yaw Adu-Sarkodie, MD, a board-certified family physician practicing home-based care in Baltimore. “Normal levels are released when you wake up in the morning or during exercise. Chronic stress can lead to increased cortisol and other stress hormones, leading to increases in sugar in the bloodstream, weight gain, digestive issues, depression, and a host of other health effects.” A study in Psychosomatic Medicine confirms the link between stress and weight gain, revealing that women who are most vulnerable to the effects of stress are more likely to have excess abdominal fat and higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. One reason could be that women tend to eat more, especially sweets, on days they are stressed, according to a study in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology. Which is why it pays to keep your cool. One way to do so: practicing mindfulness. According to a 2011 Journal of Obesity study, women who experienced the greatest reduction in stress by effectively mastering stress-reduction techniques tended to lose the most deep belly fat. So go ahead and take some deep breaths, hit the mat for some anxiety-relieving yoga, or open up one of those guided-meditation apps. Your belly will thank you in the long run. To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter via Weight Loss - Health.com https://ift.tt/2Yjp74r The secret is out: Decluttering your kitchen has a surprising advantage that goes way beyond organization. Turns out, it can seriously improve your diet and even help you lose weight. By now, you’re probably well aware that tidying your living spaces is a thing, thanks to our latest lifestyle guru Marie Kondo and her bestselling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and Netflix series, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo. And yes, the rumors are true, having a tidy home really can make you feel lighter (both mentally and physically). RELATED: 8 Kitchen Gadgets That Make Healthy Cooking Super-Easy, According to Nutritionists Studies have shown that a tidy kitchen can spark clean eating habits by reducing the stress that drives us to make unhealthy choices. A 2016 study published in the journal Environment and Behavior looked at what happened when both stressed and non-stressed women walked into a messy kitchen versus a clean kitchen. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the stressed women in the messy kitchen consumed more calories than those in the clean kitchen. But even the non-stressed women ate more just due to the mess. Want to use Marie Kondo’s KonMari tidying methods in your kitchen? All you have to do is follow the five steps below. Ask, "Does this spark...healthy choices?"Pull everything out of your pantry so you can go through each item individually. Instead of asking yourself the famed question “Does this spark joy?” as the KonMari method recommends, ask yourself, “Will this improve my health?” If the answer is no, it's time to throw it away or donate it to a food bank. As you put everything back in your pantry, reorganize by assigning a designated area for each type of food (canned goods, grains, baking ingredients, spices, etc.) to make healthy cooking a cinch. RELATED: 10 Time-Saving Kitchen Hacks You’ll Wish You Tried Sooner Declutter your countertopsOne of the best ways to keep your calories in check is by keeping nothing on your counters. Really, nothing. Dish soap and sponges should be stored under the sink. Small appliances like your toaster or blender should be tucked away in a cupboard. The only exception: a bowl of fresh fruit. A 2015 study in Health Education and Behavior looked at hundreds of households and found people who had junk food like candy, chips, or cookies on their countertops weighed significantly more than those who only kept fruit out on display. Having a squeaky-clean countertop might also inspire you to finally cook more meals at home. How? Well, for starters, you won't feel stressed just from stepping into your kitchen. Reorganize your refrigeratorLike you did with your pantry, take everything out of your refrigerator and freezer so you can assess, item by item, what you should keep. Toss anything that's expired or straight-up unhealthy. Oh, and those UFOs (unidentified frozen objects) hiding in your freezer have got to go. Then, reorganize in a way that fits how you cook, keeping your go-to items easily accessible. RELATED: 10 Ingredients Meal Prep Pros Always Have in Their Kitchen You should also make a shopping list of perishables before you go to the supermarket; that way you'll only buy what you really need. Remember, most meats and cheeses are fresh for about a week. Produce and leftovers have even shorter shelf lives, clocking in at just a few days. And yes, frozen foods can spoil too. Nothing should be kept in your freezer for more than a year. Clean out your cupboardsCupboards and drawers are lifesavers when it comes to keeping things out of sight and off your kitchen counters. But you want your cupboards to be organized and tidy—not jam-packed with stuff you never use. Take everything out of your cupboards and drawers and keep only the essentials. Donate extra dishware, silverware, and cookware, and let go of things like cake stands, Jell-O molds, and Bundt cake pans that you rarely (if ever) use. Set a mealtime routineMarie Kondo recommends practicing mindful eating by having all meals and snacks while seated and at a table. That means no eating while standing in your kitchen multitasking or while sitting in front of the TV. Having a dedicated ritual around mealtime is one of the best ways to be more thoughtful about what you’re eating and the impact your food choices are having on your body. Plus, if Marie Kondo does it, it might as well be a golden rule, right? RELATED: The 50 Best Weight Loss Foods of All Time via Weight Loss - Health.com https://ift.tt/2ug0Cak Most people probably think the body positivity movement is inclusive. But sometimes overweight women who are actively trying to lose weight get criticized within the body positivity space. This happened to Kelly Howland, 31, an Instagram blogger who writes about her struggle with binge-eating disorder. last month, Howland posted a photo of herself standing in the pants that fit her right before she started losing weight in May 2018. Since then, she’s gone from a size 24 to a 12 in less than a year, losing about 64 pounds. RELATED: The Eating Disorder Many Women Don't Know They Have While that's an amazing achievement, she hasn’t always had the support of people in the body positive community. Howland tells Health that even though binge-eating disorder is a life-threatening condition, just like anorexia, sometimes people avoid speaking about it for fear of sounding anti-body positivity. “It can kind of be frowned upon to lose weight intentionally in the plus-size world," she says. "It doesn’t apply to everybody, but you kind of get pushed to the fringes,” she says. RELATED: Is Food Addiction Really a Thing? Eating Disorder Experts Can't Agree on an Answer An expert agreed that binge-eating disorder gets a smaller spotlight than other eating disorders because it’s less perceptible to observers. “[Binge-eating disorder is] not as noticeable—it can be more secretive,” Nancy Farrell Allen, RDN, tells Health, adding that patients who have the disorder often eat in isolation and can be afraid of eating in front of others. “They won’t go to the restaurant," she says. "They won’t sit at the family dinner table." On Instagram, Howland called for a balance between the reality of binge-eating disorder and the ability to love yourself no matter what your weight. “Sometimes I think we’ve accidentally swung the pendulum too far and now we ignore the issue of binge eating for fear of encouraging starvation or even just stepping on the toes of the body positivity movement,” she wrote. She tells us that she didn’t come to terms with her binge-eating habits until one day last spring, when she couldn’t stop herself from going to a drive-thru to get food. I’m not going to do it, she told herself repeatedly at the time. But she was addicted. “My car just kind of went there,” she says. RELATED: 9 Ways to Help a Friend With an Eating Disorder Howland realized stress and anger were triggers that resulted in binge-eating episodes, and Allen confirmed that emotional lows often lead to these episodes. Sharing her weight-loss journey on social media has contributed to her success, Howland believes. “Sharing on Instagram created accountability—it’s harder to quit something if other people know you’re doing it,” she says. She has a simple piece of advice for people who are working toward a healthier lifestyle: Be nice to yourself. “It’s really important that people love themselves," she says. "You cannot hate your body into health. Any changes you make have to come from a place of love and compassion with yourself.” RELATED: 7 Things You Shouldn't Say to Someone Who's Had an Eating Disorder via Weight Loss - Health.com https://ift.tt/2FpdAZK Losing the baby weight isn't easy for anyone—even "Bikini Body Mommy" founder Briana Christine. The mom of four (with her fifth child on the way!) is a personal trainer whose fitness challenges have helped countless other mamas transform their bodies. But Christine, who lost 100 pounds in 2011 after the birth of her third child, wants to make something clear to the tens of thousands of women who follow her on social media: Moms are so much more than just a number on a scale. On Thursday, Jan. 11, the pregnant workout guru posted an honest, heartfelt "PSA" to Facebook. She also shared what she's weighed over the course of the past seven years, noting where babies were born and when she was still breastfeeding. RELATED: 11 Fitness Influencers Get Real About How Their Bodies Changed After Giving Birth The gist of Christine's PSA? As she put it, "My goal is to honor, love, and respect my body in 2019...the same as I have done in every other season of my life since founding this amazing community!" That community of "Bikini Body Mommy" fans seemed to really appreciate Christine's reminder that "worth is not defined by the numbers on the scale or what size clothing I'm in." One mom commented she was "doing the ["Bikini Body Mommy" fitness] challenge because it makes me stronger and healthier. Even if I stay the same weight throughout, it's worth it to be a better me, whether at 190 or 150 pounds." RELATED: This Mom Shed Her Post-Baby Weight by Working Out Only 20 Minutes a Day Another commenter wrote that while she was "having a really hard time dealing with not losing the baby weight yet this time around," she "keep(s) coming back to your page to remind myself it’s okay, and it's really how it is for some people." Christine told Parents.com she "read every single comment, and there isn’t a single one that I don’t take time to digest fully." "It's always terrifying to put yourself out into the world in such a vulnerable way," said Christine. "Usually if my heart is racing when I click 'post,' I know I'm about to share something impactful. That happened with this specific post, and I couldn’t be more grateful." "The whole reason for sharing my story publicly over the last seven years has been because it has given me the ability to positively impact another women’s [lives]," she added. "The fact that this particular post resonated with so many, was no exception." RELATED: Kym Herjavec Shows Off Her Post-Baby Body Transformation 9 Months After Giving Birth to Twins It can and often does take moms a year or more to lose the pregnancy weight, and that's perfectly normal. "You need to think of pregnancy as an 18-month experience: nine months of gestation, nine months postpartum," Eileen Behan, R.D., a dietitian in Portsmouth, N.H., who specializes in weight management for individuals and families, told Parents.com. "This is a time when there's a lot happening—you're adjusting to your new life, your body is trying to replenish itself after pregnancy, you've gone through labor and delivery, and you may be breastfeeding," added Behan. "It's a lot to adjust to, so don't beat yourself up if you're not bouncing back as quickly as you'd like." Wise words to remember! To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter This article originally appeared on Parents.com via Weight Loss - Health.com https://ift.tt/2ubtYGQ At just 34 years old, Maggie Wells found herself weighing more than 300 pounds. Her health was suffering, but what scared her most might surprise you. "I wasn't afraid I was going to die because of my weight, but I was afraid that just if something happened, my kids would have no pictures to remember me," Wells told Good Morning America. "My son was 6 at the time and I think we had two pictures together." For years, Wells was too embarrassed to be in family photos, which ended up being the push she needed to make a major lifestyle change. In January of 2018, she made the decision to cut out all added sugars from her diet and start reducing her carbohydrate intake. Within a month, she had already lost 24 pounds. From there, she took her weight-loss journey one day at a time. Rather than focusing on losing "200 pounds or even 20 pounds, I would just focus on 24 hours," she told GMA. "I would tell myself, 'I only have to get through the next 24 hours. If I want [a specific food or drink] at this time tomorrow, I'll allow myself to have it." RELATED: The 4 Things This Woman Cut Out of Her Diet to Lose 30 Pounds in 100 Days Photo: Facebook / Get It, Girl After gaining discipline around food, Wells eventually switched to the ketogenic diet, a high-fat, low-carb diet that has led to many weight-loss transformations. Not having the resources to buy expensive and hard-to-find cooking ingredients and substitutes, she made meat, vegetables, and eggs key components to most of her meals. "I found that this diet can be done by anybody on any budget," she said. RELATED: Here's How 15 Real Women Lost 50+ Pounds Today, Wells is down 185 pounds, which she credits to simply being more mindful of what she puts in her body. Now that she's at a more comfortable weight, she's taken the next step in her health journey by starting to incorporate exercise into her routine. (Inspired? Check out our 30-Day Shape Up Your Plate Challenge for Easy, Healthy Meal Planning) "I feel like I'm 15 years younger," she said. "I don't know how to describe it other than I feel like a brand-new person. I have mental clarity and literally a whole new lease on life." RELATED: The Hidden Danger of Yo-Yo Dieting You Need to Know About And yes, she's also gained the confidence to be in photos—and recently created a Facebook page to document her journey. She prides herself on sharing real and raw photos of herself that are completely unedited. Her goal of putting herself out there? To show people that losing extreme weight is not as glamorous as you may think, but empowering nonetheless. She's also open about the impact of not getting skin removal surgery. "Surgery is not an option for me, financially, so my body isn't altered," she said. "People are seeing [the] real deal of your body when you lose a lot of weight." RELATED: This Numberless Scale Changed the Way I Think About Weight Loss Most importantly, she's happy that her weight loss has allowed her to be more present for her family—and especially her kids. "I could have lived the rest of my life being a bystander," she said. "Now I get to be a participant in my life and my children's lives." To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter This article originally appeared on Shape.com via Weight Loss - Health.com https://ift.tt/2O5PsOw Vicki Gunvalson Celebrates Daughter and Son-in-Law's Combined 85-Lb. Weight Loss on Keto Diet3/11/2019 Vicki Gunvalson is continuing to sing the praises of the controversial keto diet after her daughter and son-in-law lost over 85 lbs. with the low-carb, high-fat program. The Real Housewives of Orange County star celebrated her family’s weight loss on Instagram, Tuesday, with a photo of daughter Briana Culberson and son-in-law Ryan Culberson showing off their svelte smiles. “Just wanted to share this incredible photo of Briana and @ryan_culberson. Together they have lost over 85 lbs since last summer,” Gunvalson, 56, wrote. “She feels better and is healthier than she has been in a long time. Missing her so much across the miles, but couldn’t be more proud of both of them.” Ryan also shared the photo to social media, writing, “Celebrating being 86 pounds lighter between the two of us! What are you waiting for?” RELATED: 7 Keto Meal Delivery Services That Make Low-Carb Dieting So Much Easier Briana previously expressed her happiness with the keto diet in January, writing on Ryan’s Instagram that she lost 45 lbs. and saw an improvement in her lupus symptoms. “The face on the left is of an average American diet, never felt good, having constant lupus flares, and on and off steroids for almost a year,” she wrote alongside a side-by-side before and after photo. RELATED: The Keto Diet Is Super Hard—These 3 Variations Are Much Easier to Follow She continued, “The face on the right is strict Keto, steroid free, and lupus flare free! I’ve lost 45 lbs on keto so far but most importantly my health has greatly improved!” Briana’s lupus diagnosis was made public on The Real Housewives of Orange County season 11 finale in 2016. The keto diet, meanwhile, has drawn both criticism and praise from various celebrities. One of its most vocal critics, celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels, told Shape that keto dieters face “micronutrient deficiencies” because they’re consuming too much fat, too many calories and too many animal proteins. RELATED: 10 Keto-Friendly Vegetables You Should Eat More Of “On top of all that, our cells are made of protein, fat, carbohydrates and nucleic acids. When you’re not eating all of the macronutrients you’re literally starving your body, you’re starving your cells,” she said. “Those macronutrients have very specific jobs for your biochemistry; for your body to do what it needs to do for you to continue living in the healthiest way possible. So if you want to look your best, feel your best and live your longest, that is not the diet for you.” The Real Housewives of Orange County’s Tamra Judge also had issues with the program, saying in October that she quit keto after getting sick with the “keto flu,” a side effect that brings on body aches, fatigue, dizziness and nausea. Still, the program has fans in other famous faces, including Al Roker, Mark Consuelos, Vinny Guadagnino and Halle Berry. Roker, 64, said on the Today show in January he’s found success with the diet since starting in September, and saw improvements in his cholesterol and blood pressure levels. He also slammed Michaels’ criticism, instead encouraging viewers to do whatever they needed to lose weight. “My point is, what works for you, works for you,” he said. “There’s science on both sides that says it’s not a great idea and science that says it is a good idea. I think it’s up to people – with their doctor, with their medical professional — [to make their own decision].” To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter via Weight Loss - Health.com https://ift.tt/2VQqeWX It’s a scenario so many women can relate to: You succeed at losing weight, only to gain it back six months later. You shed the pounds again, but they return...and the cycle continues. This up-and-down routine is the definition of yo-yo dieting, and as a new study shows, the term isn’t reserved only for people who yo-yo drastic amounts of weight. Preliminary research presented at this week's scientific conference of the American Heart Association (AHA) found that women who yo-yo diet as little as 10 pounds have a higher number of risk factors for heart disease than women who have never been on that gain-lose-gain merry-go-round. RELATED: I Was Born With a Heart Defect That Could've Killed Me by Age 4. I'm 25 In the study, researchers at Columbia University focused on 485 women, asking them how many times they've lost and then regained at least 10 pounds in any given year. The average age of the study subjects was 37, and the average BMI came in at 26. (A woman with a BMI of 25 or higher is considered to be overweight.) Unsurprisingly, the researchers found that yo-yo dieting was very common; 73% of the study subjects reported losing and regaining a minimum of 10 pounds at least once—and some cycled the weight up to 20 times in their lifetime. The scary part: Women with a yo-yo dieting history scored lower on an AHA measure called “Life’s Simple 7.” These are seven heart-protective lifestyle markers the AHA has identified as being important to cardio health: “eat better,” “get active,” “lose weight,” “quit smoking,” “reduce blood sugar,” “control cholesterol,” and “manage blood pressure.” The more times a woman yo-yo dieted, the worse she scored on the AHA measure, researchers found. “Achieving a healthy weight is generally recommended as heart healthy but maintaining weight loss is difficult and fluctuations in weight may make it harder to achieve ideal cardiovascular health,” Brooke Aggarwal, senior author of the study, said in a press release. RELATED: More Young Women Are Having Heart Attacks. This Might Be Why The yo-yo dieters were also 82% less likely to have a BMI in the healthy range. That makes sense, as research shows that it’s common for people to lose weight quickly on a diet only to slowly gain it back. One 2015 study in Obesity Reviews stated that when it comes to dieting, “weight regain is generally the rule.” In fact, as much as two-thirds of the pounds lost are regained within the year. And almost all the dropped pounds come back within five years, the 2015 study found. The authors of the latest study clarified that while their research found a link between yo-yo dieting and heart disease risk factors, they stated that more (and longer-term) research is needed. This isn’t the first time that studies have suggested an up-and-down weight can be harmful to a person's health. A 2018 study linked weight fluctuations to a greater risk of mortality (though it wasn’t associated with heart disease). On the other hand, a 2014 research review of 20 previous studies found that weight cycling did not have a negative impact on health. What's the takeaway if you're a yo-yo dieter? You might want to consider the role fad diets play in all of this. Most plans that promise quick weight loss of more than a pound a week are almost guaranteed to fail—because even if you do drop weight, the diet itself is difficult to sustain. Plus, many plans don't provide you with the information and tools to keep the weight off. Eventually, the pounds creep back on. A better way to lose weight is to eat with your health in mind. In other words, don't diet; instead, load up on nutritious, whole foods (such as lean protein, fruits, veggies, legumes, and whole grains) and stay active—and let your body shed any excess weight at a slow, steady, sustainable pace. RELATED: Heart Attack Signs Every Woman Should Know via Weight Loss - Health.com https://ift.tt/2tYmiHX Woman Who Lost 350 Lbs.—and Was Still Body Shamed—Is Getting Skin Removal Surgery on Her Legs2/25/2019
After losing 350 lbs., the first thing Jacqueline Adan wanted gone were the layers of loose skin now covering her legs. “They’re my biggest insecurity,” the 32-year-old tells PEOPLE. “I always struggled with loving my legs, and the size of them.” And they were also a source of bullying — Adan, a Montessori preschool teacher — went viral in 2017 after she shared a photo of herself on the beach, post-weight loss, and said that a couple nearby started pointing and laughing at her legs. But when she started the long and painful process of skin removal surgery in 2016, her doctor said that she would have to be patient. RELATED: How to Get Rid of Excess Skin After Weight Loss “He said that we’re putting my body back together like a puzzle, and we can’t start with the legs,” Adan explains. “We started with my stomach, because it was the largest area, and then we did the upper part of my stomach and my arms.” The surgeries and the lengthy, difficult recoveries that followed took three years, and during that time her legs struggled to hold up the excess skin around them. “The pain in my legs from the loose skin keeps getting worse, because they’re just so heavy,” she says. “I was going to physical therapy because my knees and my hips couldn’t keep carrying that weight, and there’s nothing I can do until I get the skin removed. They started putting me in compression garments to hold the skin, but then all the loose skin got pulled to the top. All the leg skin is sitting at the top of my hips. I just need it removed.” RELATED: Woman Who Lost 350 Lbs. Shares Her Excess Skin After Liposuction: 'It's a Big Insecurity for Me' On March 21, Adan is finally getting her wish. After a consult with her doctor last week, they determined that she’s ready for skin removal surgery on her legs. Over the 7-hour surgery, Adan’s doctor will cut from the groin area down to the backs of her knees to take off pounds of excess skin. But as excited as she is for the surgery to finally happen, Adan struggled with her mindset after their consult. “I started getting really hard on myself and angry because I have to get this surgery, and asking myself why I let myself get to 500 lbs., and all that negative talk started coming in,” she says. “I started getting annoyed with myself that I have to go through another intense surgery that I could have avoided if I didn’t get myself to 500 lbs. But I can’t change the past. I have to focus on right now and getting mentally prepared so I can deal with it in the best way possible. Going into these surgeries with a positive mindset is so important because it helps you heal faster.” RELATED: Woman Who Lost 350 Lbs. Body Shamed on the Beach Again—Even After Skin Removal Surgery And Adan is thrilled at the thought of hitting the beach post-surgery. “The next time I’m on a beach or in a bathing suit all that skin is going to be gone, and it makes me really emotional,” she says. “I get so excited thinking about what it’s going to feel like and what bathing suit I’m going to buy. I’ve been so hard on my body and my legs, and others have been so cruel about my body and my legs, and I’m excited to know what it’s going to be like without all that skin.” To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter via Weight Loss - Health.com https://ift.tt/2ThDjei If someone told you keep track of every single thing you eat while you're on a weight-loss plan, the first thing to pop into your head would probably be, I do not have time for that. Well, you might want to think again. Turns out, people who log what they eat for just a few minutes every day are the ones watching that number on the scale go down. A new study published in the journal Obesity had about 150 people track what they ate for six months as part of a weight-loss program. By the end, those who lost the most weight spent just under 15 minutes a day on average logging their intake. Their motto: "Write it when you bite it." RELATED: How to Figure Out Exactly How Many Calories You Need to Lose Weight, According to a Nutritionist Just think, 15 minutes is half as long as one episode of your favorite Netflix show. It's a fraction of the time you spend scrolling through social media at night or stressing out about things that are out of your control (let's be honest, we all do it). The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Vermont and the University of South Carolina, found those who lost 10% of their body weight (aka the most successful of the bunch) spent an average of 23.2 minutes recording their intake every day during the first month of the program. But by the sixth month, that time dropped to 14.6 minutes. Recording their intake meant "recording the calories and fat for all foods and beverages they consumed, as well as the portion sizes and the preparation methods," according to the study. Spending more time recording didn't equal more weight loss. However, how often a person logged into the tracking program actually did. RELATED: The Number One Thing You Need to Do to Lose Weight Forever, According to Experts "Those who self-monitored three or more time per day, and were consistent day after day, were the most successful," Jean Harvey, chair of the Nutrition and Food Sciences Department at the University of Vermont and the lead author of the study, said in a press release. "It seems to be the act of self-monitoring itself that makes the difference—not the time spent or the details included." Harvey and her team hope the study encourages dieters to use tracking apps and to realize they're not nearly as time consuming as everyone seems to think. "People hate it; they think it's onerous and awful, but the question we had was: How much time does dietary self-monitoring really take?" Harvey said. "The answer is, not very much." RELATED: Weighing Yourself This Many Times a Day Could Actually Help You Lose Weight via Weight Loss - Health.com https://ift.tt/2GIj43H |
AuthorFor it to be successful, an eating plan needs to purposive and easy to incorporate in to the daily routines of a person. Weight loss is a process, and when you possess a complete lot to lose, normally it takes years to achieve a healthy weight. When you shouldn't automatically assume Fat Watchers is giving diverse or better diet assistance than your doc, having access to weight damage buddies to help keep you on the right track and motivated is definitely a big advantage of programs like Pounds Watchers, regarding to Elizabeth Ward, a registered author and dietitian of MyPlate for Moms. Being over weight in just a matter of 10-20 pounds is not really an issue to possess a strict diet program. ArchivesNo Archives Categories |