Category Archives: Lose Weight Fast

Rebel Wilson has revealed that she decided to lose weight after a doctor told her it would enhance her egg quality and increase her chances of conception after the age of 40.

The Australian actor has undergone a major health transformation over the last few years, shedding 4.5st (63lbs) to boost her fertility and improve her overall wellbeing. After committing to a healthier diet and exercise routine at the beginning of 2020, Rebel reached her goal weight of 11.7st (165lb) just before the Christmas holidays.

The Pitch Perfect star has now shared more details on her motivation for slimming down, recounting one particular life-changing conversation she had with her doctor.

"When I was going through and looking into fertility stuff, the doctor was like, 'Well, you'd have a much better chance if you were healthier'," she said on Instagram Live.

"I was actually a bit offended. I thought that even though I was bigger, I was pretty healthy," the lovable comic added. "So that's what started itthat if I lost some excess weight, it would give me a better chance of freezing eggs and having better quality eggs."

With the knowledge that a higher BMI could negatively affect her fertility, Rebel jumped headfirst into her healthier lifestyle.

"At first it wasn't even for myself, it was thinking of a future mini-me and their quality. That's what kick-started it," she added.

The success of her weight loss has been a proud achievement for Rebel, who admits she harbors regrets over postponing the journey for so long.

"Now that I know I can do it, sometimes I feel sad that I didnt do it earlier," she told InStyle in May 2021. Maybe I should have tried when I was 30, not 40. But everybodys journey is different, and its not a race or competition.

(Image credit: (Christopher Willard/ABC via Getty Images))

Rebel's health journey commenced with a stint at Austrian wellness retreat VivaMayr, where she was taught the basic rules of losingand keeping offexcess weight. One crucial takeaway lesson she gained was the power of walking for weight loss, as well as the importance of a fiber-rich food plan for long-term health.

"While there I learned that moderatenot even fast-pacedwalking is the best way for me to lose unnecessary body fat," she told Shape magazine. The luxurious medical clinic also upgraded her eating habits, introducing her to the benefits of a whole foods, plant-based diet. Rebel was placed on a nutritious meal plan of high-alkaline foods, such as vegetables, fresh fish, and sheeps milk yogurt, as well as a complete detox from caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.

The Hustle star enjoyed the experience so much that she even returned for another stay in November 2020, to "boost my immune system and lose my last two kilos.

"The goal was never to be skinny,"she said. "It was never to fit into a certain dress size. I put in a weight [goal] because I needed some tangible thing."

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Rebel Wilson reveals wanting to freeze her eggs was the motivation behind her weight loss - Woman & Home

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Melina Jampolis, M.D., is a board-certified physician nutrition specialist. She currently maintains a small private practice in Los Angeles, specializing in nutrition for weight loss, disease prevention and treatment.

In addition to being a Forbes Health Advisory Board member, Dr. Jampolis is the author of several nutrition books. Her most recent, Spice Up, Live Long focuses on the health benefits of herbs and spices.

In a conversation with Forbes Health, Dr. Jampolis shares her thoughts on a number of complex nutrition topics, including the myth of boosting your metabolism, the truth behind intermittent fasting and why you shouldnt eat fat alone.

The concept that you have to eat every three hours to boost your metabolism.

Im a snacker. I dont do well eating big meals. So I do have to eat every few hours. Not to stimulate my metabolism, but to keep my blood sugar and energy levels stable. But thats the reason for it. Equating it to metabolismis something I wish would go to the wayside.

Snacking is important to prevent getting too hungry so that you make poor choices at meals. Thinking that it does something to boost metabolism is really an incorrect interpretation of the science.

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That all carbs are bad. That gluten is bad for everybody.

My goal is to make life easier, and just saying everybody should be off gluten and dairy no matter what because it causes leaky gut and inflammation, thats just flat-out wrong. I wish we could be a little more targeted, and not just make blanket statements about cutting nutrients.

Its absolutely legit, but theres a lot of misinformation out there. When we look at fasting, its been done historically in cultures across the world for thousands of years. So, this is nothing new, per se.

Most people are talking about time-restricted eating, which is eating in a six to eight-hour window and then fasting the remainder of the day. This is nuanced, though. Studies have shown that the window is just as important. All of the research has been done from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. And that really is the rub.

Its easy to skip breakfast. But for a lot of people, its really not that livable to stop eating at 6 p.m. Youre sitting there at the end of the day, youre relaxing, youre watching TVand youre just going to drink chamomile tea? But thats where the research is the most robust.

The [research] actually shows that if youre doing the OMAD (one meal a day), and you have that meal late at night, it actually may be associated with a worsening of cardiometabolic variables, like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and not as robust with weight loss. I think having your last meal earlier in the day is probably the most important aspect of it.

There is some legitimacy with periods of prolonged fastingbut you can really get some of the same benefits from intense exercise and things like that. Its definitely legit if you do it correctly and it works in your lifestyle.

I am obsessed with the 100-calorie packs of Blue Diamond almonds. There is some research that from a psychological standpoint, having these 100-calorie packs, even for people with compulsive eating disorders, [its] built-in portion control, and its so important.

Whenever Im working with patients to get them to eat better long term, it goes back to making peoples lives easier. Could I be super organized and get a measuring cup and make my own every week? Yes, but Im not that person. I run out the door, Ive got to get the kids to school, [so I just] always have a bag in my purse.

My second favorite snack is called Bada Bean Bada Boom. I am obsessed with the health benefits of beans. I dont eat them as often as I would like in cooking because Im not a good cook, but they have these 100-calorie snacks of dried beans and theyre really crunchy and salty.

I need a little bit of protein and healthy fat in order to really feel full, for satiety. Thats why these portion-controlled, healthy fats or carbs really personally help me manage my weight.

Building in portion control any way you can is favorable. But I will say that one of the concepts I think is one of the most important in nutrition and weight management is the concept of calorie density. Dry, salty snacks like that dont have any water component to them, and I dont think theyre as satiating.

I do think on some level were volume eatersso when you think about a Wheat Thin, when you chew it, it dissolves into nothing. So it doesnt take up a lot of volume in your stomach. For my patients, I would much rather see them doing a 100-calorie pack of Skinny Pop, because popcorn is infused with air, it takes up more volume and it takes longer to eat.

Im always evaluating things and trying to bring in the healthlike popcorn is actually a whole grainwith convenience, livability and the impact on weight management with 70% of the population obese or overweight. A diet is not something you should be temporarily on, it really should be something that is integrated into your daily habits.

I know a lot about nutrition, Ive been studying it obsessively for 20 years. And Ive also kept an open mind throughout my study, so very little surprises me. But I found out the polyphenols in herbs are actually diminished with air drying.

I think its because being constantly exposed to oxygen and oxidative stress may have depleted them. And it doesnt happen with freeze-drying or microwave-drying. So if youre just hanging up the rosemary, it does somewhat diminish the health benefits.

Also, herbs do have a shelf life because of their bioactive compounds. So thats part of the surprise aspect of regular air drying not being effective. If youre opening up spices a lot and theyre exposed to oxygen, theyre going to lose their potency a little bit more quickly and their health benefits.

The concept of energy density, which was pioneered by Barbara Rolls. Do everything you can to integrate more vegetables into your diet. So instead of having a bean salad, you add vegetables to your beans. Anything to add volumeI think psychologically and physiologically itll make it easier to control calories, which we are all eating far too much of.

Its not to say you cant eat fat. You need healthy fat to absorb the fat-soluble nutrients in fruits and vegetables. You need it for satiety. So I dont tell people to cut fat. But never eat fat alone. Always combine it with a lower calorie density food. If you think like that and get in the habit of doing that, you will be more mindlessly able to manage your weight and optimize your health.

The National Institute of Health, starting in 2020, did a 10-year initiative for supporting research in precision nutrition. I think that is critically important for our field. So, [for example] the fact that vitamin D is shown to be effective in this patient population but not this one, it may be because of the genetic variant in the vitamin D receptor or something like that. I think that being able to give more precise recommendations could be a game-changer.

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I really believe that doctors need to play a more important role in administering and guiding their patients from a nutrition standpoint. I think it has to start at the top. Unfortunately, our attempts at introducing more nutrition education in the United States in medical school have not been that successful yet.

Ive been talking about food as medicine for 20 years now; I really believe in it. But I need other doctors to really buy into that to have the trickle-down effect to where it really is an accepted part of medicine, not just nutrition and medicine. They really should be together. Nutrition is at the core of every disease, head to toe, there is a nutritional component to everything. I hope that we can push the needle a little bit to train physicians appropriately so they can oversee this growth.

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The Pulse: Intermittent Fasting, Caloric Density And More With Melina Jampolis, M.D. - Forbes

You've probably heard of an air fryer. In fact, you probably have friends who are obsessed with theirs. The air fryer has exploded in popularity in the last few years with the promise of perfectly fried food using very little to no oil.

There are so many reasons home cooks love air fryers: They cook food quickly, make great gifts, are easy and safe to use and so much more.

Let's take a look under the hood and get the lowdown on air fryers.

Quick tip:We tested several different air fryers to determine which ones performed the best. Read our guide to the best air fryers.

Hot air circulates to create the Maillard reaction. Cavan Images/Getty Images

Contrary to its name, an air fryer doesn't actually "fry."

"It's a mini-convection oven that cooks food by circulating hot air around it with a fan. This way, food is cooked by convection, which means it can approach the crispiness of fried food while using far less oil. But the intense hot air is also ideal for roasting and even allows you to prepare dishes you might otherwise cook on the grill," says Dan Zuccarello, Executive Food Editor for Cookbooks at America's Test Kitchen.

In practice, what this means is achieving the Maillard reaction from hot air rather than hot oil. The Maillard reaction is what causes food to turn brown and crispy. It's the result of heating sugar and proteins, which is how steaks get that wonderful sear, chips become crisp, and pastries achieve their beautiful golden brown.

In an air fryer, food sits in a perforated or wire basket which ensures all sides of the food make contact with the hot circulating air, cooking it both thoroughly and quickly and crisping along the way.

You'll still need a little oil that's what the air heats to create the browning. And while you won't get the same level of deep golden brown as you would in a deep fryer , you do get the advantage of quickly cooked food with much less oil and fat hitching a ride.

Extra large models can handle a whole chicken. THEGIFT777/Getty Images

The no-fuss factor is key. Air frying doesn't need constant babysitting since it is set to a timer, has regulated temperature, and automated shut-off. At most, you may need to flip your food halfway through its cooking time or check on things as they approach doneness.

It's a huge time saver. Air fryers been a hit for busy parents (or anyone, really) or for those nights where you don't want to turn the stove or oven on. You can skip heating up your butter or oil altogether.

Food also cooks faster in the air fryer thanks to the compact size and hot air circulation. Because every minute counts in the kitchen when you are short on time.

"The ability to crisp up a batch of chicken nuggets or a couple hand pies, or roast carrots, without embarking on a cooking project makes this a lifesaver for busy parents. We found that we could even create make-ahead freezer simple meals that could be crisped in the air fryer on a moment's notice," says Zuccarello.

Cleaning up is super easy. "The enclosed basket of an air fryer also translates to a clean kitchen no splattering oil or multiple dirty pots and pans. The baskets are simple to clean: Most are nonstick and dishwasher safe," says Zuccarello.

Hardy veggies hold up better than leafy greens. LauriPatterson/Getty Images

When it comes to what you can cook in an air fryer, the possibilities are (almost) endless. But there are certain things that will turn out great and other things better cooked by other methods. These types of foods will turn out great in an air fryer:

But there are a few things you may want to steer clear of cooking in an air fryer.

"I'd say don't try to cook anything that needs a lot of liquid to cook, such as uncooked rice. Avoid anything that uses a wet batter that you normally deep fry, like tempura batter, as it will just make a mess," says Michelin star-trained chef Jason Lloyd.

Also shy away from anything that needs to be cooked low and slow, like tough, fatty cuts of meat (think pot roast), shares blogger Laura Miner of Cook at Home Mom.

Ditto to leafy greens (they will dry out), cheese without a base like bread, or things that require soaking, braising, or water absorption.

Using an air fryer instead of deep-frying lowers the calorie count of that food and reduces fat intake, which can reduce the risk of developing heart disease , says nutritionist Sandy Younan Brikho, MDA, RDN.

Because little to no oil is used (as opposed to deep frying foods) the food you cook doesn't absorb as much fat. Weight loss can be a result because of the decreased fat intake and decreased calorie intake, but not everything you cook in an air fryer will be low-calorie.

Air fryers use convection heat hot air quickly circulated by a fan to achieve crisp food quickly and with very little oil. They're most well-known as a lower-calorie alternative to deep frying, but they're also wonderful for roasting, reheating leftovers, and getting dinner on the table quickly.

See the rest here:
How an air fryer uses convection to create that crispy crunch - Insider

If youre a manga fan or a fitness enthusiast plugged in to the latest workout trends, you may have heard about the One Punch Man workout.

The workout originates from the Japanese superhero franchise One-Punch Man by the pseudonymous manga artist ONE. Its popular among fans of the series, in part due to online influencers attempting to follow the routine for 30 days to several years.

This article breaks down everything you need to know about the One Punch Man workout, including its origin, structure, risks, benefits, and effectiveness.

As mentioned, the One Punch Man workout comes from the manga and subsequent anime series of the same name.

The series revolves around the fictional superhero Saitama, known as the One-Punch Man. Saitama is incredibly strong and can defeat any opponent with a single punch. In fact, Saitama plays a pivotal role in the series ongoing conflict between monsters and superheroes.

Saitama claims to have developed his strength by following the One Punch Man workout, which consists of 100 situps, 100 pushups, 100 squats, and a 6.2-mile (10-km) run.

After following the workout for 3 years, Saitama loses his hair but develops his one-punch knockout power, which ultimately allows him to defeat the monsters.

Thus was born the One Punch Man workout.

The One Punch Man workout originates from the manga series by the same name. In the story, following the workout daily for 3 years enables the main character to defeat any opponent with a single punch.

Heres a brief summary of the pros and cons of the workout:

Following the One Punch Man workout as described in the book is fairly straightforward at least in theory. Simply perform 100 situps, pushups, and bodyweight squats and a 6.2-mile (10-km) run every day.

The following breaks down the technique for each bodyweight movement:

Situps are a classic bodyweight core exercise that primarily trains your abdominal muscles and hip flexors.

To perform situps:

Pushups are a bodyweight exercise that engages your chest, shoulders, and core.

To perform pushups:

Bodyweight squats are a lower body exercise that primarily targets your glutes and quadriceps, with some activation in your calves and hamstrings.

To perform bodyweight squats:

The full workout calls for 100 repetitions of each movement, performed using proper technique, followed by a 6.2-mile (10-km) run.

In theory, youre encouraged to perform the workout without much rest. Yet in practice, you may need to rest occasionally during the 100 reps, as well as between exercises.

The full One Punch Man workout involves 100 situps, pushups, and squats followed by a 6.2-mile (10-km) run. All reps should be performed with proper technique.

The benefits of the workout include muscular strength and cardiovascular fitness improvements.

The following are research-backed benefits of performing the bodyweight movements used in the One Punch Man workout (1, 2, 3):

Running is the final component of the One Punch Man workout. Ample research suggests that running regularly improves your fitness.

The following are general research-proven benefits of running regularly for fitness (4, 5):

The benefits are largely dependent on the duration of the exercise, with longer runs associated with greater improvements in health.

The bodyweight movements and running in the One Punch Man workout can provide an array of positive effects on health and fitness.

Assuming you follow the One Punch Man program as originally designed, you will primarily work the following muscles:

Performing the One Punch Man workout as described trains many muscles in your upper and lower body.

Although there are some research-backed benefits to the exercises included in the One Punch Man workout, there are also risks worth discussing.

The first major issue is the excessive volume.

If youre not already in shape for this level of workout, performing the high number of repetitions will be difficult. In fact, unless you have experience with calisthenics and are already in shape, youre unlikely to be physically able to perform every rep with proper technique.

Using poor technique on movements like pushups and squats places undue stress on your joints and may cause both acute and overuse injuries.

When it comes to running, 6.2 miles (10 km) is a long distance, particularly if youre not already a proficient runner.

Although you might be able to force out that grueling distance without running training, youll be risking injury since your joints and muscles arent conditioned for that volume of running.

On top of the excessive volume in each workout, youre encouraged to follow the program every day.

Its highly unlikely that you can go from deconditioned to performing this workout every day without seriously risking an overuse injury, a poor technique injury, or under-recovery issues.

Regardless of your exercise regimen, one or more weekly rest days are always a good idea.

Using situps as the only core training exercise in a calisthenics program is not in line with the latest research on effective core training.

In general, a large body of research recommends that strength and conditioning professionals focus on compound multijoint exercises for maximal functional core training (6).

Further, a recent study on the benefits of core training utilized a combination of different exercises not including situps to develop functional core strength and improve trunk stability. Trunk stability is the ultimate goal of core training (7).

The study concluded that the core can and should be trained through many movements that target the overall musculature. Situps alone are not a comprehensive core training program.

Additionally, although many people can safely do situps, research suggests that situps can cause or worsen low back pain in susceptible individuals. This means this exercise especially 100 reps of it isnt appropriate for everyone (8).

The One Punch Man workout promotes excessive exercise volume for beginners and can easily lead to injuries from overuse or poor technique. Additionally, situps are not a safe exercise for individuals prone to low back pain.

Although the original One Punch Man workout is an incredibly challenging routine, from a comprehensive fitness standpoint, it leaves a lot to be desired.

The biggest issue is that the workout includes only a few of the key movement patterns needed for a comprehensive fitness program:

The following movement patterns are neglected:

The One Punch Man workout also neglects training of different movement speeds and resistance levels.

Assuming you can complete a full One Punch Man workout, you will primarily train your muscular endurance through bodyweight exercises and your aerobic endurance through running.

The following athletic components are neglected due to the limited use of different movement speeds, limited exercise types, and lack of external resistance:

Although muscular endurance and aerobic endurance are not bad things to work on, they are far from a complete set of athletic skills.

The One Punch Man workout is not a balanced workout routine due to neglected movement patterns and a lack of comprehensive athletic training.

The central claim of the One Punch Man workout is that it gave Saitama the power to defeat any opponent with just a single punch.

While this account is obviously fiction, you might be wondering whether the workout increases your punching power.

The answer is that it depends.

Punching is a specific athletic skill that involves striking with a closed fist. The punching movement depends on rotation and explosion from your feet, hips, and shoulders transferred into the forceful impact of your fist into a target.

For a powerful punch, proper coordination among all the muscles involved is far more important than the strength of any single muscle. So, if you already have an excellent punching technique, strengthening your muscles might improve the maximum power of your punch.

Still, without proper punching technique, additional strength likely wont drastically improve the power of your punch.

If your goal is to develop a powerful punch, youre better off incorporating boxing training into your workout routine as opposed to only doing bodyweight movements and running.

While boxers, kickboxers, and MMA fighters include variations of situps, pushups, squats, and running into their training programs, the actual sporting technique within each martial art is the primary driver of their ability to hit hard with each punch.

The One Punch Man workout is not effective on its own for improving punching power. However, if you already have a good punching technique, it may offer some benefits.

If you still want to do the workout, you may be better off approaching it as a challenge rather than an effective workout routine in its own right.

Building up to the full routine will certainly offer some physical benefits, such as improving your running endurance and training certain muscles.

However, the workout isnt optimal on its own for the long-term progression required for true development of strength, athletic ability, and punching power.

Nevertheless, theres nothing wrong with setting the goal of completing the One Punch Man workout. Just think of it more as a challenge like running a marathon or competing in a sports event than a long-term proper training program.

If you aspire to complete a One Punch Man training program, your best bet is to start with a fraction of the overall workout and build up to the full session.

Start with 1020% of the volume and slowly work your way up to the full training program. For example, you could start with 10 reps of situps, pushups, and squats followed by a 0.62-mile (1-km) run.

Depending on how you feel, you can then add 5 additional reps and 0.3 miles (0.5 km) at the end of each week and build up to the full workout.

Keep in mind that its better to do fewer reps with proper form to protect your body from injury than to go too hard too soon and potentially hurt yourself.

Additionally, consider taking 23 weekly rest days and mix up your training program after a few weeks.

Finally, if situps cause or worsen low back pain, switch them out for another core exercise such as bird dogs or skip them altogether.

Its best to think of this workout as a challenge rather than a comprehensive fitness program. Unless youre already in good physical shape, the daily exercise volume can be unattainable. Start slowly, focus on proper technique, and take rest days.

The One Punch Man workout is an intense routine inspired by the Japanese manga and anime series of the same name.

It consists of 100 situps, pushups, and squats followed by a 6.2-mile (10-km) run. In the fictional story, the character Saitama performed this routine for 3 years, ultimately developing the strength to defeat any opponent with a single punch.

Although the routine is physically challenging and trains a variety of muscles, its not an optimal workout program.

The initial volume is too high for most beginners, and the limited movements and athletic components mean it isnt a comprehensive program for long-term fitness development.

Plus, without specific training in punching sports like boxing or kickboxing, you wont significantly increase the power of your punches.

Nevertheless, if youre a fan of the series or just looking for a physical challenge, working toward doing the full One Punch Man program is an acceptable goal just be sure to start slowly and build up to the full workout.

Ultimately, any single workout program will need to be switched out for other programs with time if you want to develop lifelong fitness.

Read the rest here:
One Punch Man Workout: What It Is, Benefits, and Risks - Healthline

Obesity rates in the U.S. have risen over the last few decades and so have the myths and misconceptions about the condition. People online as well as mass media often advocate beliefs that lack supporting data, further entrenching misconceptions about f the obesity epidemic in the country.

To compile a list of 16 common obesity myths, 24/7 Tempo reviewed more than a dozen medical sources as well as information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and other organizations that focus on health.

The causes of obesity are complex and cannot be explained solely by calories in and calories out, or by diet and exercise alone. Many programs treating obesity focus on physical activity and instilling healthy eating habits, therefore ignoring other possible contributors to excess body weight.

Much has been written about obesity and perhaps even more about metabolism, which often undeservedly gets the blame for obesity. Its hard to separate fact from fiction. These are the 17 biggest myths about boosting metabolism that just wont go away.

Click here for 16 common myths about obesity that need to go away.

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Everything You Know About Obesity Is Wrong - 24/7 Wall St.

Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle good morning, stomach.

You may have heard about the fat-burning benefits of rolling out of bed and jumping right into a workout, but is this recent workout trend all its cracked up to be? While fasted cardio does work for some lifestyles, read this before you try it for your own weight loss journey.

Fasted cardio is performed when your body is in a fasted state, which means it isnt digesting food. Basically, it means doing cardio on an empty stomach.

This would normally happen first thing in the morning, after sleeping overnight, but it can also happen later in the day if you practice intermittent fasting.

Compared to nonfasted cardio, fasted cardio is touted as a way to accelerate fat loss. And although that sounds great, its effectiveness has not been fully proven. Lets dive deeper.

Mostly, yes. If youre generally healthy, its probably just fine to incorporate short or moderate-length steady-state fasted cardio sessions into your routine.

However, if youll be exercising for any extended period of time or doing a high intensity workout, fasted cardio can be risky due to potential side effects of low blood sugar or dehydration, such as lightheadedness, dizziness, shaking, or even passing out.

The idea behind fasted cardio is that if you fast overnight and work out first thing, your body is depleted of glucose its main source of energy and will instead use stored fat for fuel.

Research is mixed on the effectiveness of this approach.

One review found that, in several studies, fasted exercise led to higher metabolic performance after the workout was complete. However, the same review noted that for prolonged aerobic activity, eating before the workout enhanced performance (1).

While more research is needed to make more concrete claims, fasted cardio has some other potential benefits:

The most important aspect of weight loss is burning more calories than you consume. Research is mixed on whether fasted cardio actually promotes fat loss.

In one study, 20 young females were split into two groups one group did 1 hour of fasted steady-state cardio, and the other did 1 hour of nonfasted steady-state cardio. Both groups exercised 3 days per week for 4 weeks and followed a diet with a calorie deficit (2).

Researchers found no difference in weight loss or body composition between groups (2).

However, some research does support fasted cardios increased fat-burning effects during a workout.

A review of 27 studies published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2016 concluded that aerobic exercise performed in the fasted state induces higher fat oxidation than exercise performed in the fed state (1).

This research illustrates that while fasted cardio may burn more calories than nonfasted cardio during the session itself, the difference it makes to total daily calorie expenditure in a span of 24 hours is trivial.

Non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT for short, is energy expended on all daily activity that arent exercise, eating, or sleeping. This value has been shown to account for about 15% of calories burned in a day, depending on a persons activity level (3).

In general, if youre looking to lose weight, increasing your daily movement, whether fasted or not, is still the best plan.

Moving more every day walking, taking the stairs, getting up from your desk regularly, playing with your kids will have a larger impact on weight loss than a 30-minute session of fasted cardio.

Although fasted cardio does have some benefits, its important to be aware of potential risks.

If there are not enough carbohydrates in your system for energy, your body begins a process called gluconeogenesis, which converts protein into fuel (4).

This means theres less protein left to rebuild muscle. Low intensity steady-state cardio may be better than high intensity exercise in a fasted state that way, your body relies on free fatty acids for fuel rather than burning carbohydrates (5).

Especially if youre knocking out a moderate or high intensity workout like HIIT, boot camp, or weight training on an empty stomach, your energy levels will not be up to par without some fuel beforehand. Also, look out for signs of low blood sugar and dehydration.

Avoid fasted cardio if you have a medical condition thats affected by low blood sugar or blood pressure or if youre pregnant.

Its also best for complete beginners to shy away from fasted cardio understanding your body well should be the first step on your exercise journey.

If youre generally healthy, the decision to incorporate fasted cardio is a personal one. If youve never tried it before, start slowly.

First, make sure to hydrate before and during the session.

Try a low to moderate intensity steady-state session like walking, running, biking, or the elliptical for 10 minutes and see how you feel. If it goes well, work your way up to 30 minutes as time goes on.

Afterward, make sure to fuel up with a balanced meal or snack packed with protein and carbs.

Avoid high intensity work where your heart is pumping hard or any session more than an hour long during fasted cardio.

You can incorporate low intensity steady-state fasted cardio on multiple days throughout the week, but make sure youre taking 1 or 2 rest days too.

Cardio, fasted or not, is great for your body. And while nutrition is key for weight loss, cardio can help you reach a weight loss goal.

While research on its metabolic effects is still inconclusive, fasted cardio may work better for your lifestyle or preferences, so if youre generally healthy, feel free to give it a go.

Continue reading here:
Are There Benefits of Fasted Cardio? - Healthline

by Sandi Morse,

FITBIT INC: July 13, 2021 - See if this sounds familiar: 'I've been on a diet for most of my life. I've tried everything under the sun to lose weight and nothing ever works. Even if I do lose weight I always gain it back and I feel like a failure.' Do you feel like someone is reading your mind? Well, no one is actually reading your mind. This is just that common.

In fact, did you know that the average 45-year-old American female has been on 50 diets in her lifetime? Maybe this number seems high, but consider that most people donate their annual New Year's resolution towards the pursuit of weight loss and that number adds up really quickly. This is part of an oppressive system known as diet culture.

If you've been caught up in this you're certainly not alone. And many people (if not most) want to lose weight. The desire to be thinner is nothing to be ashamed of, it's what society tells us we should work towards achieving at any cost. The thing to know is that these messages aren't coming from a place of health. They are coming from a place of clever consumerism.

If you were to make a list, chances are you could come up with 30 different diets you've heard of over the years. They may have different methods, but each has two things in common. First, they are based on some form of restriction-whether it's restricting calories or restricting certain foods or food groups. And secondly, they don't work-at least, longterm. They may work for some temporarily. But one-third to two-thirds of weight loss is regained within a year and almost all weight is regained within 5 years. Furthemore, the majority of those will gain back more than they lost.

So why is it that despite diets only working for 5 percent of people, millions of people keep trying them? Well, the diet industry is a 72 billion dollar industry. That's right, billion. And if the diets worked they'd lose out on one of their primary sources of revenue-repeat customers.

A diet is any specific pattern of food intake for the purposes of weight loss. Still not sure? If it asks you to restrict anything (other than for allergies or medical diagnosis), it's a diet. If it has rules, it's a diet. If they call it a 'lifestyle' but it's still aimed at weight loss? You guessed it, still a diet.

This is an important question with a lot of science and research behind it. But essentially, there are both psychological and physiological reasons behind this. On an emotional level, restricting foods makes us feel deprived.

Consider if there are foods that you crave and perhaps won't even allow in your house. Chances are those are the foods that you've deemed 'bad' and are 'forbidden.' The trouble is, inevitably, you will give into the craving and feel a lack of control over it and likely overeat. This is known as the restrict-binge diet cycle as demonstrated below.

Labeling foods good, bad, clean, or junk is a fast track towards an unhealthy relationship with food-despite what some weight loss programs will tell you. Even the labels of healthy and unhealthy can have some risk. While it's true some food choices may have more nutritional value than others, the labels still encourage a black and white mentality around food.

This black and white thinking can take away from the joy and pleasure from food. Having a psychologically healthy relationship with food would be impossible if you're obsessing about food and feeling guilt and shame when you eat outside of the 'rules' of [fill in the blank] diet. That promotes anxiety, not health.

On the physiological side, when we restrict food, our bodies don't know we're doing this on purpose. All our body understands is that it's going into starvation mode, and it quickly gears up to protect itself by slowing down the metabolism and going into conservation mode. And so our weight goes up and down-sometimes over a period of weeks or even months-resulting in what is known as weight cycling. And weight cycling has significant health risks including heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and depression.

The hard truth is that humans have different hair colors, different eye colors, different heights, and yes, different body shapes and sizes. Not everyone was meant to have what society has deemed the 'thin ideal.' Trying to force your body into a certain shape and size comes with emotional and physical consequences and rarely (if ever) works. Biology will always win.

'But I want to be healthy!' you say. That's an admirable goal and one that fortunately is a lot easier than you've been led to believe. Research has shown that even small improvements in your health behaviors can have a significant impact on your overall health and well-being, regardless of any changes in weight.

So what does that look like? The best news is that it can actually look like behaviors that you enjoy! Hate the gym? Stop going! Love yoga? Work on adding an extra in-person or virtual class in your week. Hate cauliflower? Don't eat it! Love salads? Challenge yourself to add a new veggie or different protein to it this week. Honoring your body's needs and cues about hunger and fullness, as well as moving in a joyful way, is the surest path towards sustainability.

What's next? So you've decided you've had enough of diet culture and you're ready to break the cycle. Give yourself a quick pat on the bat-this takes courage. Your next step might be to consider an intuitive eating approach. Registered dieticians designed intuitive eating with the goal of breaking the obsession with food and weight loss and moving towards nutrition for fuel and for pleasure. You may also want to look into HAES, or the Health At Every Size movement. Backed by 50 years of research, HAES celebrates body diversity and encourages weight inclusivity, respectful care, health enhancement, eating for wellbeing, and life enhancing movement.

'What if I gain weight?' you may wonder. This is an understandable question. Because even if a person can shift their mindset to a focus on health instead of weight loss, society hasn't shifted its mindset yet. There remains a high prevalence of weight stigma and fat phobia despite a rapidly growing anti-diet culture movement.

Perhaps the better question to ask would be 'What if I gainbetter mental health? An improved relationship with food and my body? Freedom from obsessive thoughts about food, calories, and macros? Enjoyment from moving my body? Satisfaction from foods I actually enjoy? Better health outcomes?' Then consider which of these is most in alignment with your values and your motivation.

There's no shame in having wanted to pursue weight loss. Many people do this because our society tells us that thin is better-or perhaps there has even been a push from well-meaning family, friends, or even medical professionals. However, science and research support that an individual can be healthy at any size and that weight cycling and intentional weight loss can have both physiological and psychological side effects. After all, if it was really about health, people would post before and after lab results, not before and after photos.

But ask yourself this: what could we each accomplish if our time, energy, and money was spent on other pursuits versus shrinking ourselves? You deserve more than an ideal body. You deserve an ideal life.

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or condition. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, altering your sleep habits, taking supplements, or starting a new fitness routine.

Sandi Morse

Sandi Morse is the Senior Clinical Specialist with Fitbit Health Solutions at Google. She is a licensed clinical social worker with 20 years of experience working in mental health. She has worked with individuals, groups, and families with a wide variety of medical and mental health conditions and has special expertise in the areas of eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image issues. She resides in Dallas, Texas, with her husband and their dog Tarzan.

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What You Need To Know About Diet CultureAnd How To Break Free - Boxscore

As sure as God made little green apples, America's most abundant fruit is loaded with health-promoting nutrients like antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other good-for-you compounds. It's hard to go wrong when you start your day shining up a Mac, Red Delicious, or Honey Crisp on your sleeve. It's no wonder some clever Welsh bloke from Pembrokeshire had the wisdom to coin the adage that eventually shortened to, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away."

That pearl of wisdom still holds true. In the pantheon of snack foods, the apple reigns supreme as the largest source of antioxidants from fruits consumed in the United States. These plant-based compounds containing phenols can halt the reaction of free radicals with other molecules, preventing damage to your DNA, which in turn may slow aging and protect against chronic disease.

But that doesn't mean there are no negative side effects associated with eating apples. There are, but consider the alternatives before making apples a forbidden fruit. First, take a bite out of these good and not-so-good side effects of eating apples, according to science. And for more Eat More Fruit advice, check out our story about Ways Eating Fruit Can Help You Lose Weight.

Apples are a rich source of phytochemicals: powerful compounds that studies show have strong antioxidant activity, inhibiting the growth of cancer cells and decreasing the oxidation of blood fats.And epidemiological observations suggest that eating apples may reduce the risk of certain cancers. A review of studies published in Planta Medicafound that people who ate one or more apples a day had less risk of multiple types of cancer than people who ate fewer apples.

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Don't ever peel an apple. Why? Two-thirds of the fiber and most of those free-radical-fighting antioxidants are found in the peel. Apples are a good source of pectin, which is a soluble fiber found in apple peels that can help support heart health by lowering LDL "bad" cholesterol and also improve blood sugar control, reducing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. By combing with water in the digestive system, pectin forms a gel that slows down digestion and prevents carbohydrates from being quickly absorbed into the bloodstream.

"Apples are mostly made up of water and fiber and are relatively low in calories, making them a filling snack and perfect for weight loss," says Lisa R. Young PhD, RDN, author of Finally Full, Finally Slim: 30 Days to Permanent Weight Loss One Portion at a Time.

Try eating a small apple as an appetizer before dinner instead of cheese and crackers or breadyou'll save calories and fill your belly. In a clinical trial published in Nutrition, researchers gave three groups of overweight women one of three foods with which to supplement their meals: apples, pears, or oat cookies, and instructed them to eat their supplement three times a day. At the end of 12 weeks, only the fruit eaters lost weight (an average of 2.7 pounds!).

If you're finding yourself having regular trouble staying regular, start crunching on this natural laxative. The insoluble type of fiber in apples will help prevent constipation by drawing water into your intestines and adding bulk to your stool, making it move through your bowels more quickly. Apples also contain sorbitol and fructose, which also draw water into the intestines and soften the stool.

Read more:The Best Supplements for Digestion, According to Dietitians

Eating apples can fertilize a healthier gut. In a study in Frontiers in Microbiology, researchers discovered that the typical apple delivers 100 million bacteria to your gut, 1,755 different kinds, that is if you eat the whole thing, including peel, fruit, stem, and seeds. But even if you skipped the seeds and stems, you'd still get an abundance of different strains of bacteria to grow a diverse garden of microbes, the hallmark of good gut health. A healthy, diverse gut microbiome has been linked to a stronger immune system and reduced risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Apples have been called "nature's toothbrushes." The thinking has been that chewing the fibrous fruit scrubs away food particles and plaque. But while crunching on an apple after dinner will probably dislodge that annoying piece of spinach between your teeth, it doesn't take the place of a good brushing. A 2018 report in Plos One found that eating apples, which are highly acidic, is associated with tooth wear in the enamel and early exposure of the dentine beneath the enamel. Eating apples creates an acidic environment in the mouth, which provokes a lowering of the pH of plaque. Long periods of low pH allow cavity-causing bacteria to flourish, the research showed.

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Secret Side Effects of Eating Apples, Says Science - Eat This, Not That

Anabolism and catabolism may sound like superheroes from your kids favorite TV show, but these terms actually come from the health world. Doctors, dietitians, health coaches, and bodybuilders use their understanding of these two functions to create diet and exercise plans that can influence your metabolism (how your body uses energy) and ultimately, your overall health.

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But what exactly are anabolism and catabolism? Registered dietitian Anthony DiMarino explains how these processes work and gives some helpful tips for ensuring that your metabolism is running at full speed.

When you think catabolism, think digestion, says DiMarino. This process takes larger structures like proteins, fats or tissues and breaks them down into smaller units such as cells or fatty acids.

Catabolism occurs when youre digesting food. For example, its the process that dissolves a piece of bread into simple nutrients your body can use, like glucose (blood sugar). And if your body isnt getting the food and nutrients it needs to fuel daily living, catabolism is the mechanism that breaks down muscle and fat for energy.

Anabolism is the opposite of catabolism: Its the mechanism that takes smaller units like nutrients, cells, or amino acids and bonds them together to create bigger structures.

One example of anabolism in action is when your body is trying to heal a cut. It adds tissue and structures around that wound, DiMarino explains. Its also the process involved in a childs growth and in building stronger muscles.

Hormones act as messengers, telling your body what functions to perform. They trigger anabolism and catabolism.

Catabolic hormones are often activated under stress, such as when you have a fight-or-flight response. They include:

The anabolic hormones are responsible for growth and tissue repair. They include:

A lot of uncontrollable factors, including age, gender and genetics, direct your metabolism. But, says DiMarino, you can positively influence hormones that play a role in anabolism and catabolism with these healthy habits:

Catabolism functions no matter what you give your body, states DiMarino. It breaks down food, whether its junky or nutritious. Whatever it doesnt use for energy now, it stores for later (hello, extra pounds).

But anabolism is entirely different. It only functions properly when youre getting enough nutrients through foods like vegetables, fruits and lean meats. Your body needs high-quality building blocks to heal, repair and grow.

Different types of exercise are considered anabolic or catabolic, depending on whether they use energy to build or break down something.

Theres been a lot of research on the best type of exercise for weight loss. Cardiovascular workouts (catabolic) are great for burning a lot of calories quickly. But weight-bearing exercises (anabolic) produce an afterburn effect using more calories over a longer period to repair muscles, reports DiMarino. What weve found is that doing a combination of anabolic and catabolic workouts is most effective.

Anabolism and catabolism are both crucial parts of your metabolism. They fuel your everyday activities, from jogging to healing a paper cut. The best way to support those processes and boost your metabolism is to adopt healthy habits. That way, youll be in the best shape to deal with whatever life throws your way.

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Anabolism vs. Catabolism: The Role They Play in Your Metabolism - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

I have chosen the best picture of mine (taken before marriage when I used to weigh around 70 kgs) and kept it as my wallpaper on my mobile screen. I look at it and think Ill definitely look like that again! Losing kilos and inches bring a boost automatically and drive you to go further for your betterment.

How do you ensure you dont lose focus?

Taking a look at those pictures when I started looking terrible gives me a feeling of fear. I tell myself that I dont want to be that again!

Whats the most difficult part of being overweight? Being unhealthy takes a toll on your overall daily activities, it makes you lazy and depressed. When you start feeling bad about your looks, you gradually slip into depression. Its such a bad thing to happen to anyone.

I started losing confidence, tried to escape family gatherings, weddings etc. Climbing stairs or walking a mile or two would leave me gasping for breath. This was my condition a few months back.

What shape do you see yourself 10 years down the line?

I cant say anything about the shape I would like to be in 10 years down the line. But yes, I would be more than happy to reach my ideal body weight according to my age and height etc. If I think about it, I would like to weigh around 60-65 kilos and feel lighter with age.

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