Category Archives: Lose Weight Fast

Boulder, CO (PRWEB) March 31, 2012

Optibike Electric Bicycles is proud to announce Bob Brewer of San Diego, CA the winner of the 2011-2012 Optibike Weight Loss Challenge.

Bob Brewer lost 89 lbs., beat diabetes and is free of the debilitating disease. Brewer wins $5000 to donate to a charity of his choice.

Contestants spent the year riding their Optibike, changing eating habits and learning healthy lifestyle living with the guidance of a coach. Optibike is the first to offer an E-bike Coaching Program- the only fitness program designed specifically for electric bike riders. The average weight loss in the program was 40 lbs.

Bobs story is one of inspiration, dedication and a life-changing goal.

Bob Brewer is a regular guy. He spent his life building a successful family business. The money was good and all the perks that came with it were even better. Then at age 53, he found himself overweight, way overweight. And diabetic. He was 57 and 270 lbs. The doctor called him morbidly obese. Thats when fear set in.

A young death just wasnt an option for Bob. So what was a guy like Bob to do? A little exercise for a few days wasnt going to fix the problem. An entire lifestyle shift was in order. But it sounded so hard and complicated. That is when Bob joined the Optibike Weight Loss Challenge with coach Traci Brown.

The Optibike Weight Loss Challenge is a year long coached lifestyle and fitness program. A community is created around the enthusiasm for weight loss and cycling with the Optibike. Optibikes are the perfect match for the challenge. Being electric, the Optibike gives a push when the rider needs it. The intimidation factor is gone. The rider gets a great workout, can push their athletic limits, and get some assistance when needed.

Bob found fun, along with success, in the Optibike community and started riding his Optibike every day. He followed his program closely and monitored his progress. The program consisted of riding every day with a specific plan, walking if he couldnt ride, eating lower carbohydrates, less meat and more fish, cutting out soft drinks and alcohol, Bob has only had water to drink for a year.

The results: Bob has lost 89lbs and hes still going. He is exercising every day, riding his Optibike and walking, and totally off all medications. He is excited about life and he still has not had anything to drink but water. And all this happened because he decided to save his own life with the Optibike Weight Loss Challenge.

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Optibike Weight Loss Challenge Contest Winner Announced

Damaris Cain knows what success looks like following weight-loss surgery. She can see it in the 60 pounds she has lost in a year following her surgery, and the achievements of Laura Cain in the two years since her procedure.

Damaris Cain's weight gain corresponded with her rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis in 2005. In the process of getting her RA under control she developed diabetes, high blood pressure and fibromyalgia.

Once my rheumatoid arthritis was controlled by medicine, I wanted to get the weight off because I wanted to be healthier and feel better, the 39-year-old Cape Girardeau resident said.

In March 2011, bariatric surgeon Dr. Van Wagner completed a sleeve gasteroectomy for Damaris. In the procedure about 85 percent of the stomach is removed, leaving a sleeve-shaped pouch with about 15 percent of its original capacity.

My diabetes is gone. It was really like it just disappeared. I was so incredibly happy, Damaris said. My high blood pressure is better. It has not been resolved, but within two months of my procedure, I was able to move down to a lower dose of blood pressure medicine.

With sleeve gasteroectomy the stomach is reduced from about the size of a football to the size and shape of a banana, Dr. Wagner said.

Patients don't have as much appetite, and they are simply not able to eat as much food, he said. The gastric sleeve eliminates the portion of the stomach that produces a hormone that stimulates hunger.

The change in diet was not as difficult as Damaris envisioned.

I thought that would be the hardest part, but it actually has been the easiest, she said. My taste for food has changed. Pre-surgery I would have eaten all the carbs, but now I don't even like white bread. Before surgery I never ate fish, and now I really like it.

The paradox of having a smaller stomach has made me seek out tastier food. I know my stomach will not hold as much, so I want to make sure what I eat tastes good, Damaris said.

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Weight loss surgery success includes improved health

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire -03/29/12)- The FDA is close to approving the first weight loss drug since Roche Holding AG's Xenical in 1999. Obesity treatment manufacturers may need to study the heart risks of their medicines before U.S. regulators weigh approval, Food and Drug Administration staff said in a report. Paragon Report examines the outlook for companies in the Biotechnology Industry and provides equity research on Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARNA - News) and Roche Holding Ltd. (Pinksheets: RHHBY.PK - News).

Access to the full company reports can be found at: http://www.paragonreport.com/ARNA http://www.paragonreport.com/RHHBY

Vivus Inc., Orexigen Therapeutics Inc. and Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. are in a race to bring the first weight loss pill to the market in 13 years.

An advisory panel will hold a hearing on the drugs in Silver Spring, Maryland, starting March 28. The FDA is not required to follow the panel's recommendations. The potential approvals come 15 years after the fen-phen appetite-suppression drug combination had to be pulled from pharmacies when it was linked to heart valve abnormalities. The advisers will consider whether "obesity drugs without a theoretic risk or signal for" cardiovascular harm "should be required to rule out" some level of cardiovascular risk before approval, the FDA said in the report.

The Paragon Report provides investors with an excellent first step in their due diligence by providing daily trading ideas, and consolidating the public information available on them. For more investment research on the Biotechnology Industry register with us free at http://www.paragonreport.com and get exclusive access to our numerous stock reports and industry newsletters.

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has recently reported that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted the filing of a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for lorcaserin, an investigational drug candidate intended for weight control, including weight loss and maintenance of weight loss, in patients who are obese or patients who are overweight and have at least one weight-related co-morbid condition. The acceptance of the MAA filing begins the EMA's review process.

Roche Holding Ltd. announced previously that it has extended its cash tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Illumina, Inc., at a price of $44.50 per share, to 6:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 20, 2012. The tender offer was previously scheduled to expire at 6:00 p.m., New York City time, on March 23, 2012.

The Paragon Report has not been compensated by any of the above-mentioned publicly traded companies. Paragon Report is compensated by other third party organizations for advertising services. We act as an independent research portal and are aware that all investment entails inherent risks. Please view the full disclaimer at http://www.paragonreport.com/disclaimer

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Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. Race to Bring First Weight Loss Drug to Market Since Roche Holding AG's Xenical in 1999

Published: March. 30, 2012 at 1:56 AM

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., March 30 (UPI) -- Obese white teenage girls who lose weight might not get a boost in self-esteem or feel better about themselves, U.S. researchers said.

Sarah A. Mustillo, a Purdue University associate professor of sociology who studies obesity in childhood and adolescence, used data from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study.

"We found that obese black and white teenage girls who transitioned out of obesity continued to see themselves as fat, despite changes in their relative body mass," Mustillo said in a statement. "Further, obese white girls had lower self-esteem than their normal-weight peers and their self-esteem remained flat even as they transitioned out of obesity."

The health and weight of more than 2,000 black and white girls was tracked for 10 years, starting at ages 9-10, as part of the national study. The girls were separated into one of three groups -- normal weight, transitioned out of obesity and chronically obese -- based on their body mass trends during the 10-year period.

There was a difference in self-esteem levels between races. Self-esteem for black girls transitioning from the obese to the normal range rebounded, but teens of both races continued to have negative body perceptions.

"The self-esteem for black girls was lower overall to begin with, but for those who moved into the normal weight range, self-esteem increased more than it did for any other group of girls," Mustillo said.

The findings were published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

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Weight loss may not boost teen self-esteem

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Editor's note: Dr. Melina Jampolis, CNN's diet and fitness expert, is a physician nutrition specialist and the author of "The Calendar Diet: A Month by Month Guide to Losing Weight While Living Your Life."

(CNN) -- Q: Is there a safe way to drop weight quickly for spring break?

A: A juice fast or cleanse may help you drop weight quickly, but such measures can leave you tired and flabby. Cleanses lack the nutrients you need, and you may lose muscle as a result of inadequate protein intake.

Instead, here are some tips to help you drop weight quickly while maintaining muscle mass and keeping energy levels high:

Double your vegetable intake and cut carbohydrates in half.

Research shows that dieters lose weight more quickly on a low-carb diet, but generally only for the first six to 12 weeks. So if you want to drop weight quickly, cutting back on starchy carbs -- bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, cereal, crackers -- can help.

Increasing your vegetable intake helps you cut calories without cutting portion sizes, allowing you to feel full on fewer calories.

For a health bonus, cut out sugar and processed grains, as these carbs are the least satisfying and nutritious.

Make workouts more effective.

Continue reading here:
Drop weight quickly for spring break

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Editor's note: Dr. Melina Jampolis, CNN's diet and fitness expert, is a physician nutrition specialist and the author of "The Calendar Diet: A Month by Month Guide to Losing Weight While Living Your Life."

(CNN) -- Q: Is there a safe way to drop weight quickly for spring break?

A: A juice fast or cleanse may help you drop weight quickly, but such measures can leave you tired and flabby. Cleanses lack the nutrients you need, and you may lose muscle as a result of inadequate protein intake.

Instead, here are some tips to help you drop weight quickly while maintaining muscle mass and keeping energy levels high:

Double your vegetable intake and cut carbohydrates in half.

Research shows that dieters lose weight more quickly on a low-carb diet, but generally only for the first six to 12 weeks. So if you want to drop weight quickly, cutting back on starchy carbs -- bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, cereal, crackers -- can help.

Increasing your vegetable intake helps you cut calories without cutting portion sizes, allowing you to feel full on fewer calories.

For a health bonus, cut out sugar and processed grains, as these carbs are the least satisfying and nutritious.

Make workouts more effective.

See the rest here:
Drop pounds quickly, safely for spring break

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire -03/29/12)- The FDA is close to approving the first weight loss drug since Roche Holding AG's Xenical in 1999. Obesity treatment manufacturers may need to study the heart risks of their medicines before U.S. regulators weigh approval, Food and Drug Administration staff said in a report. The Paragon Report examines the outlook for companies in the Biotechnology Industry and provides equity research on VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ: VVUS - News) and Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: OREX - News). Access to the full company reports can be found at: http://www.paragonreport.com/VVUS http://www.paragonreport.com/OREX

Vivus Inc., Orexigen Therapeutics Inc. and Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. are in a race to bring the first weight loss pill to the market in 13 years.

An advisory panel will hold a hearing on the drugs in Silver Spring, Maryland, starting March 28. The FDA is not required to follow the panel's recommendations. The potential approvals come 15 years after the fen-phen appetite-suppression drug combination had to be pulled from pharmacies when it was linked to heart valve abnormalities. The advisers will consider whether "obesity drugs without a theoretic risk or signal for" cardiovascular harm "should be required to rule out" some level of cardiovascular risk before approval, the FDA said in the report.

The Paragon Report provides investors with an excellent first step in their due diligence by providing daily trading ideas, and consolidating the public information available on them. For more investment research on the Biotechnology Industry register with us free at http://www.paragonreport.com and get exclusive access to our numerous stock reports and industry newsletters.

Vivus' Qnexa is a controlled-release formulation that combines low doses of two older generic drugs: the stimulant phentermine, which cuts appetite, and topiramate, which increases the sense of feeling full. Topiramate is also sold under the brand name Topamax by Johnson & Johnson to treat migraines and seizures.

In their most recent financial results, for the three months ended December 31, 2011, Orexigen reported a net loss of $4.3 million, or $0.09 per share, as compared to a net loss of $11.3 million, or $0.24 per share, for the fourth quarter of 2010. As of December 31, 2011, Orexigen had $101.7 million in cash and cash equivalents and an additional $45.8 million in marketable securities, for a total of $147.5 million.

The Paragon Report has not been compensated by any of the above-mentioned publicly traded companies. Paragon Report is compensated by other third party organizations for advertising services. We act as an independent research portal and are aware that all investment entails inherent risks. Please view the full disclaimer at http://www.paragonreport.com/disclaimer

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VIVUS, Inc. and Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. Await FDA Approval for Weight Loss Drugs

Although some diets may be easier for you to stick to or be more satiating, the bottom line is that you need to eat less to reduce body weight.

Africa Studio/Shutterstock

One problem in studying the effects of dietary composition is that it is not possible to vary the proportion of one component without changing the others. At the extremes of weight-loss diets, the Atkins and South Beach diets are low carbohydrate but high fat, while the Ornish diet is low fat, high carbohydrate [1]. To compare the effects of such diets outside metabolic wards, researchers must deal with study subjects whose dietary and other behaviors are not easily controlled.

Investigators do everything they can to encourage compliance with study protocols. But they confront a major challenge: Telling free-living people what you want them to do does not necessarily mean that they will follow your instructions or tell you the truth about what they are eating. And you have no easy way of getting around this problem. Because dietary intake methods all depend on accurately disclosing what subjects consume -- something impossible for most people to do -- the lack of an easy way to measure true calorie consumption in weight control studies must be considered "the fundamental flaw of obesity research [2]."

But that's not the only problem. When conducting clinical trials that compare one diet to another, researchers also face challenges in enrolling enough study subjects to satisfy statistical requirements, getting study subjects to stick to the prescribed diets, and retaining participants in the study throughout its length. Furthermore, clinical trials of diet and weight loss are expensive to conduct, and few are able to last long enough to observe whether initial weight losses were regained. These considerations make it especially difficult for investigators to evaluate the results of dietary studies objectively and for others to interpret the significance of the findings. Keep these caveats in mind as we take a look at some of the studies attempting to find out whether varying the proportions of protein, fat, and carbohydrate makes any difference to weight loss in real life.

LOW-FAT (AND, THEREFORE, HIGH-CARBOHYDRATE) DIETS

Atwater Values indicate that fat has more than twice the energy value of either protein or carbohydrate. It makes sense to think that cutting down on fat would help with weight maintenance or loss. In the United States the various editions of the Dietary Guidelines have long promoted lower-fat diets: "Avoid too much fat" (1980, 1985), "Choose a diet low in fat" (1990, 1995), "Keep total fat intake between 20 to 35 percent of calories" (2005), and "Reduce intake of solid fats" (2010). The more recent editions have focused on limiting saturated fat and cholesterol intake rather than total fat per se in recognition of the potential role of these components in heart disease risk. But the newer guidelines also recognize that from the standpoint of body weight, calories from fat are no different from calories from any other source.

This is a shift from the earlier recommendations that reshaped the marketplace. In the early 1990s, advice to reduce fat intake was all that food companies needed to hear to start making low-fat versions of many common foods -- low-fat cheese, mayonnaise, and peanut butter, for example -- along with oxymoronic products such as fat-free half-and-half and fat-free (but equally caloric) cookies. Such products are not necessarily healthier than the products they replace, and rarely taste as good.

But the relationship of dietary fat to obesity is still of much interest. For one thing, it takes hardly any energy to store excess fatty acids as body fat, whereas it takes a bit more energy to make fatty acids from excess dietary carbohydrate. For another, proponents of low-fat diets cite experimental observations demonstrating a connection between fat intake and overweight:

Some experts, however, view such evidence as not at all specific to fat, as it could just as easily relate to high-calorie diets from any source. Low-fat diets are necessarily high in carbohydrate -- the calories have to come from something. The range of protein is diets is typically 10 percent (low) to 20 percent (high) of calories; it can't be more, because foods are low in protein -- we don't need much. The real issue in real diets is carbohydrate v. fat. Few studies of such difference control for calories. Overall, studies of dietary patterns typically find no association between either the amount or the type of fat in the diet and subsequent weight gain over periods of several years [4].

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Why Calories Count: Do Some Diets Work Better Than Others?

Dave Rice, March 29, 2012

A local company has begun marketing a snack food it describes as the worlds first family friendly weight loss gummies.

Gummy Owls are marketed by Green Forest Nutrition, makers of a blood-sugar stabilizer called Glucocil. Right now the product is only sold through the companys website, though company founder Lee Zhong told the San Diego Business Journal that he hopes to see them sold at GNC stores in the near future.

Green Forest says that Gummy Owls are made from a yam super fiber called konjac mannan, are sweetly flavored and clinically proven to safely reduce body weight and fat in adults and children (ages 12 and up). The company boasts that konjac mannan is the only dietary fiber approved for weight loss by the European Food Safety Authority, an agency of the European Union. Eating at least nine of the gummies a day while following what the promoters describe as a Eat Right, Be Active, Have Fun lifestyle is claimed to result in weight loss of a pound per week.

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Published: March. 28, 2012 at 11:45 AM

SAN DIEGO, March 28 (UPI) -- Green -- unroasted -- coffee beans might be the weight-loss pill that has been sought for so long, a U.S. researchers suggested.

Joe Vinson of the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania and colleagues said the study involved 16 overweight or obese people ages 22-26, who took capsules of the extract or capsules containing a placebo, an inactive powder, for a total of 22 weeks.

The low dose consisted of 700 milligrams of the coffee extract, and the high dose was 1,050 mg. This "cross-over" study cycled participants through the two doses and the placebo, each for six weeks. Such studies have advantages because each person serves as his or her own "control," improving the chances of getting an accurate result, Vinson explained.

"The study participants' calories, carbohydrates, fats and protein intake did not change during the study, nor did their exercise regimen change," Vinson said.

Participants lost an average of 17 pounds during the 22 weeks of the study -- an average of a 10.5 percent decrease in overall body weight and a 16 percent decrease in body fat.

"Based on our results, taking multiple capsules of green coffee extract a day -- while eating a low-fat, healthful diet and exercising regularly -- appears to be a safe, effective, inexpensive way to lose weight," Vinson told the American Chemical Society symposium in San Diego.

Vinson said the green coffee beans' effects were likely due to chlorogenic acid, which is present in unroasted coffee beans.

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Weight loss in a pill contains coffee bean