Category Archives: Lose Weight Fast

Between slow-carb, keto, and intermittent fasting (IF), there are so many buzzy diets these days that its almost hard to keep track. One of the latest eating styles to gain steam isn't exactly new, but has resurfaced recently with the rise of IF and more protein-based diets. It's called the Warrior Diet, and tbh, just the name itself is pretty intriguing, huh?

The Warrior Diet was originally created in the early 2000s by Ori Hofmekler and based on his own experiences with the diet, which are outlined in his book by the same name. The diet initially revolved around very small "underfeeding" meals of dairy, eggs, fruits, and vegetables for 20 hours of the day and a four-hour "overfeeding" window.

Essentially, it was a very early version of intermittent fasting and said to mimic ancient warriors' lifestyle of training and battling throughout the day and consuming a majority of their calories during the evening in one massive feast, explains Joel Totoro, RD, a sports dietitian and director of sports science at Throne Research in Scottsdale, Arizona. Hofmeklers original plan also had exercise suggestions built into it.

Okay, the Warrior Diet does sound interesting, albeit pretty dang intense. So is it actually healthy, safe and effective for weight loss? Here, experts break down everything you need to know about the Warrior Diet style of eating.

The diet has actually evolved from its original format since it was first created and the name was coined. More recently, the Warrior Diet has been interpreted as a strict 20-hour food fast and a four-hour fueling window, with various exercise requirements, says Totoro. This is also sometimes referred to simply as a 20:4 diet or 20:4 fasting.

The current version doesnt have any food restrictions for the fueling period, but youre not supposed to eat at all during the fasting period. While this might sound similar to the popular IF diet known as the 16:8 diet, in which you fast for 16 hours and eat during an eight-hour window, it's actually very different. First, it's much easier to fit your daily calorie needs into eight hours instead of four, and in the Warrior Diet, you fast during the majority of the day, which is much more challenging than fasting overnight and into a short portion of the day, like you would with the 16:8 diet.

That depends which version of the diet you're following. The original Warrior Diet plan called for small meals of low-carbohydrate, naturally occurring foods such as eggs, dairy and nuts, paired with high-nutrient carbohydrate sources such as fruits and vegetables throughout the day, says Totoro. The daytime underfeeding period was followed by mass quantities of high-protein and high-fat foods paired with whole grain and whole-food carbohydrate sources during the overfeeding period at night. The more modern take on the Warrior Diet allows you to eat whatever you want during your eating window.

While the original diet stressed nutritious and naturally occurring foods even during the feast stages, the more modern, free-for-all mentality can lead to overeating high-fat foods that are often lacking in nutrients, says Totoro.

If youre still intrigued enough to try it, he recommends easing into a fasting period a few days a week to assess how your body responds.

Because many people consume fewer calories than they normally would by only eating during a small window with this diet, this may lead to weight loss over time, Totoro says. However, theres no scientific evidence at this point to support the Warrior Diet as an effective method for weight loss. And because the diet is so extreme, it may not be sustainable for many people.

Additionally, any evidence of potential health benefits related to the Warrior Diet is more based on the benefits of intermittent fasting in general, he says.

With IF, theres emerging evidence that for some people, shrinking the eating window may help with GI issues, blood sugar control, inflammation, and other conditions, says Totoro. But it's important to remember that everyone responds differently to fueling and activity and what works for some will not work for others.

The Warrior Diet is restrictive and pretty extreme, which means it could lead to disordered eating habits for some people, says Amanda A. Kostro Miller, RD, a registered dietitian and advisory board member at Fitter Living.

This diet promotes binge eating during the four-hour non-fasting period, which can lead to stomach distension, exacerbation of heartburn and many other GI symptoms, she explains. Some at-risk people may become obsessive about the binge session and may engage in harmful behaviors like purging to remedy feeling too full.

Like any IF diet, you may also experience feelings of fatigue and hunger during the fasting period, which are signs the diet probably isn't a good fit for you.

This type of diet isn't sustainable for an extended period of time, so it's probably not a good idea for anyone, really. But its particularly dangerous for people who take medications that should be taken with food or are time-released, says Totoro. People with diabetes should also be extra cautious, since this type of diet could mess with your blood sugar.

Athletes who are training at a high or very competitive level should consult with their coaches and health care providers before trying this diet well, he adds.

Lastly, pregnant women, children, and people who have been diagnosed with eating disorders or dealt with disordered eating patterns in the past shouldnt try this diet, says Kostro Miller.

The bottom line: The Warrior Diet is extremely restrictive and while it may lead to weight loss, it's likely not sustainable. Consult with a dietitian or health care provider before trying this diet.

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What Is The Warrior Diet? Everything To Know About 20:4 Fasting - Women's Health

Adriana Romero-Olivares signed up for 23andMe about seven years ago because she was curious about her ancestry. But the DNA testing company sends updated reports to its customers as it develops them, so in 2018, Adriana received an email notifying her that she had a new report available: a Genetic Weight report. She clicked, and it told her, Adriana, your genes predispose you to weigh about 9 percent more than average.

Learning that info was a strange pill for her to swallow. Ive struggled with my weight my entire life, says Adriana, 35. When I got the results, I felt validated, but then at the same time, I felt upset, because I struggle to accept the fact that I just can't be thin.

Over the past few years, DNA testing companies have started churning out reports like that one that specifically tell someone their likelihood of becoming overweight or obese. The thing is, getting bold text in your inbox that says you have a higher propensity to gain weight than the other people in your HIIT class can feel like a bit of a bomb, as Adriana points out.

So how reliable are these reportsand can they actually aid your efforts if you're trying to lose weight? Heres what experts have to say.

Just from pure observation, you can tell that theres a genetic component because you can look at families and see that weight gain runs in families, says Rachel Mills, a certified genetic counselor and assistant professor in the University of North Carolina-Greensboro Genetic Counseling Program. Beyond that, it gets more complicated.

Researchers dont have a firm answer in terms of to what degree being medically overweight or obese is influenced by genetics, compared to lifestyle and environmental factors. They've estimated that anywhere from 40 to 70 percent of person-to-person variability in body mass index (BMI) is due to genetic factors. (Obvious alert: Thats a wide range.)

And while researchers have already discovered hundreds of genetic variants associated with BMI, weve only got a partial picture of the genetic component so far, says Struan F.A. Grant, PhD, director of the Center for Spatial and Functional Genomics at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. Grant notes that BMI is a very polygenic trait, which means there are many, many genetic factors contributing to the trait, he explains. Each genetic variant could have a somewhat different effect on BMI, toothats something experts are still figuring out.

Just because a genetic report says that you are less likely to lose weight, that is not an absolute. Rachel Mills, genetic counselor

So what does it mean if a person has several genetic variants associated with obesity? Once we have a more complete picture of how genes drive obesity risk, we could eventually be able to get data (say, from our doctor) that helps guide how we approach weight management on a personal level, Grant says. But right now, all we definitely know is that certain genetic variants are more common in obese people compared to non-obese people.

23andMes Genetic Weight reports even explain right under your results that your predisposition doesnt mean you definitely will weigh more or less than average. 23andMe senior product scientist Alisa Lehman says that, in 23andMes model, the genetic component [accounts for] less than 10 percent of what the total difference in weight between any two people is. The company does extensive user testing before releasing reports that delve into new areas, she says. And, in this case, they wanted to make sure that customers have an understanding that genes are only one factor in weight management.

How businesses gather weight predisposition info varies company to company. For example, health-focused DNA testing and supplement company Vitagene and weight-loss platform Lose It! use results from other institutions research papers to internally calculate a persons risk of becoming overweight. (Lose It! also asks you to input your AncestryDNA or 23andMe raw DNA filesthe company doesnt do its own DNA testing.)

But 23andMe, arguably the most well-known service, uses its own data to come up with a persons weight predisposition. We have a research program that allows people to answer questions and then, from that, if they opt in, we can use their data to make new genetic discoveries, Lehman explains.

23andMe researchers released the Genetic Weight report in March 2017. They created it by looking at data from more than 600,000 research participants, including their DNA and self-reported height and weight. (Check out a sample report here.)

23andMe researchers found 381 variants associated with BMI, and used that info to create a modeling process that weighs certain variants more strongly than others and considers age, sex, and ancestry to determine the result they send to a consumer. "So when people provide us their saliva sample and we gather their DNA, we can look at those 381 places and say, 'Hey, okay, you have some variants that increase your predisposition and some variants that decrease your predisposition, and the magnitude of each of those variants differ a little bit,'" explains Lehman. "But we add up the effect of all of that to get a sense of whether your predisposition is to [weigh] a little bit more or a little bit less than average."

Depending on your ethnicity, there might also be another caveat. The largest population that 23andMe has data for is people of European descent, so researchers were only able to look at genetic and BMI data from people of European descent to identify the weight-related genetic variants and their effects. Then they looked at how well that model worked for people of other ethnicities, tweaking the model as necessary. Therefore, people who have Latino, African American, East Asian, and South Asian ancestry can get results that are somewhat customized to their ancestry, while people of mixed ancestry or other ancestries default to European. (This Eurocentric bias comes up in a *lot* of research that scans peoples genomes for genetic variants associated with a disease or trait, not just in relation to BMI.)

It doesnt appear that any companies that provide weight-related DNA results have conducted any formal research on how the info impacts peoples weight-loss efforts. Lehman says 23andMe has looked a little bit into whether the information in the Genetic Weight report has actually helped consumers with weight loss or management, but that they havent come up with anything "publication-worthy," adding that its challenging to untangle this report from other info the company provides on nutrition and exercise.

23andMe also hasnt taken a fresh look at their Genetic Weight report model since releasing it, but it plans to. We do periodically review all of the reports that we have, and Genetic Weight is coming up for that periodic review, so we will soon review it and see if any updates are warranted, Lehman says.

23andMes Health + Ancestry Service

This product includes a Genetic Weight report that tells you how much more or less than average your genes predispose you to weigh. It also explains that your predisposition doesnt mean you definitely will weigh more or less than average. Keep in mind that your lifestyle and environment have a big impact on your weight, the report reads.

HomeDNA Healthy Weight

This report tells you your general weight loss ability with diet and exercise. On a page explaining those results, the report reads: "Remember that these results only indicate your potential based on genetic factors, but many other factors also affect the outcome."

Lose It! Premium

Once you upload your AncestryDNA or 23andMe raw DNA file, this platform will tell you whether or not you have a genetic risk of being overweight or obese. In a disclaimer, the report says, These genetic variants are not perfectly predictive. You may have a high genetic score and a low BMI, or a low genetic score and a high BMI. These results may be more accurate for people of certain ethnic backgrounds.

Vitagenes Health + Ancestry DNA Tests and Reports

Customers can learn whether their genetics may make them more or less likely to become overweight with this kit. The info includes this caveat: However, your genetics alone dont define your body weight. Making healthy lifestyle choices may help keep you from becoming overweight. (Customers also have the option to upload their own raw DNA results for $29.)

Of course, some people might just like or even be motivated by having more information about themselves, and thats totally fair. But heres an interesting twist: A recent study out of Stanford University found that just knowing your genetic risk for obesity can impact the way you respond to food.

In one of two experiments, participants ate a meal and then, on a different day, ate another after hearing that they did or didn't have a high-risk genetic variant associated with obesity and lower satiety. Heres the catch: Researchers chose randomly whether participants would be told they had the genetic variant. (The researchers fully debriefed the participants about their actual genetic risk only about an hour later, while they were still under clinical supervision.)

We saw that the information we gave to people was like a self-fulfilling prophecy, says Brad Turnwald, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of psychology at Stanford University and lead author of the study. When researchers told people they didnt have an increased risk, they reported feeling full faster and even produced more of a fullness hormone. Overall, what we saw was that what people thought had as much of an impact, and in some cases a greater impact, than what peoples actual gene sequence was, Turnwald says.

The takeaway, says Turnwald, is that we need to better understand the psychological impact of these kinds of DNA test products. We're definitely not trying to say that genes don't matter at all. There are some diseases for which they really are predictive, he says. But for the majority of things like weight loss and how hungry we are and how well we exercisethings for which people are looking for explanations that they just weren't made to run or they just don't feel full based on their genesthe story is not going to be that simple.

Mills doesnt believe that its possible for any sort of calculation to exist at the moment that can accurately analyze a persons propensity to gain weight. If someone told her they were interested in one of these reports, she would ask them to think seriously about how you would use that information, Mills says.

I know, for me personally, I would see a report [that says I cant lose weight as well through diet and exercise] and maybe throw up my hands and be like, Well, Im just going to go to McDonalds because it doesn't matterno diet and exercise is ever going to help me lose weight, so why do I need to even try she continues. And that can have a really detrimental effect.

If someone has already received genetic weight report results and asked her how to interpret themor wants to know how damning they actually are, so to speakMills would emphasize this: Genetics is just one piece of the big picture, she says. Just because this genetic report says that you are less likely to lose weight, that is not an absolute.

Adriana is Mexican, and shes also a scientist, so she knows that she should take her reported propensity to be overweight with a grain of salt. She says her Genetic Weight report is one piece of information, an indicator that I tend maybe to gain weight or that my metabolism is not as fast as the average persons, she says. But shes not going to make major lifestyle changes based on it.

Over time, though, the report has had a positive effect on Adrianas mindset: The way that I think about it now is, if Im predisposed to weigh a little bit more than the average person, then I might as well just exercise and have a balanced diet for the sake of health and not necessarily for the sake of losing weight, which, for a very long time, was the main focus for me.

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How To Interpret Genetic Predisposition For Weight Gain From DNA Kits - Women's Health

The COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures have meant that gyms in the country have shut down. We no longer have access to a large amount of equipment that we may use during our workouts.

But it doesnt mean you are out of options. Whether you want to lose weight, build muscle or maintain your weight, Ive been through all three.

So do you want to stay strong, healthy, and active during this pandemic? If so, I offer some advice in this article that will hopefully help you no matter where you are at.

Mental Health and Training Goals

Our mental health is really important when it comes to our study, work, and other activities. The worst thing you can do is to tell someone to get over it.

But the focus of this article is positive advice for anyone, regardless of how you might be feeling right now. Take this exchange from Arnold Schwarzenegger, who responded to a fan with depression, and in the process, effectively started a conversation about mental health.

Arnold was a famous bodybuilder who managed to sculpt an incredible physique. But Arnold has also been an inspiring figure to so many people.

I saw you pumping other people up, and I love it.

You can be in great shape and still be affected by mental health. I am sure there are people reading this who will greatly resonate.

My advice? Tell yourself, that no matter what is you want to do, or achieve, fight for it. Use quotes that motivate you, and think of whoever is special to you, as these can all be great motivators.

Persevere.

To train your mind to succeed, I always recommend having a goal in place. Do you want to lose weight or build muscle? If so, how much?

Give yourself a target to work towards. That way, you are more likely to stay on track with your progress.

I like to think of failure as a step to success. Failure isnt the end, and this is the mindset I have right now as one of my PhD research articles is in the process of being published: you wont get everything right first time.

Picture me at the ice rink during my first time skating. I was constantly falling over.

I got back up because I wanted to keep going. And every time I fell, I kept getting up.

You can too. And I hope the lyric: I get knocked down, but I get up again is another way that words can motivate you.

Nutrition

With McDonalds, Wetherspoons and other well-known eateries closed, theres never been a better time to make your own meals. There is so much choice, that often we dont know where to start.

But my absolute best advice I was told from a nutrition coach and which is echoed by Django to Remy in Disney Pixars Ratatouille:

Food is fuel for your gains. What matters is your energy balance.

Thats right. As proof, check out this guy who lost weight by training and eating McDonalds.

Energy from food is measured in calories. The energy you use is dictated by the laws of thermodynamics.

You could, (if you wanted to) lose weight by eating fast food or takeaways every day. But its probably not the healthiest way to do it.

Instead, have a training goal in mind and adjust your calorie intake accordingly. Dont know how many calories you need?

No problem. Just log everything you eat for a week, make sure to step on the scale every morning when you wake up, and check the number on the scale at the end of the 7 days.

Depending on your goal, if the number is slightly lower than the first day (weight loss) or higher (muscle building), then youre doing a great job. Monitor the food you eat, and try to have at least three meals a day.

Dont feel guilty if you eat something like a cake, ice cream, or your favourite pizza takeaway. In my opinion, food should not be thought of as the enemy.

Except trans fats. Dont eat those, thats literally all I recommend against.

These nasty unsaturated fatty acids are found in hydrogenated oils and lard, so it is important to keep this in mind especially if youre eating processed food. Any food label on a product that says: hydrogenated on it indicates trans fat and thus, I wouldnt recommend that product if you want to stay healthy.

I also dont like the word diet, but Ill explain why. To me a diet is a short-term period of food restriction. For example, the ketogenic diet restricts carbohydrates.

This should not be confused with being vegan. Actually, being vegan is a long-term lifestyle that you can stay consistent with and thats fantastic.

Theres a key difference between diet and lifestyle. And this advice works regardless if you eat meat, dairy, fish, gluten, or not.

It goes back to the Ratatouille quote. I dont recommend restricting your macronutrients.

Ill quickly touch on two more essentials. This article could get long otherwise.

The first is hydration: I cannot stress enough how important it is to keep hydrated. Water you waiting for?

If you dont like water because of the taste, dont worry. I like to flavour my water so I can keep drinking it.

Want something to laugh about? Check out this hilarious sketch from Limmy about water.

Finally, make sure no matter what your goal is, youre consuming enough protein, but how much? Heres the number one world hypertrophy expert Dr. Brad Schoenfield to tell you.

Depending on what your goal is, you can slightly increase or decrease this amount. The thing with protein is, if youre building muscle, then protein is the fuel (protein synthesis) to repair muscle fibres from a workout, and if youre losing weight, training and consuming protein will prevent that weight being lost as muscle.

You can even build muscle while losing fat (body recomposition) and it is also possible to build muscle while in a calorie deficit. In fact, thats mostly how Ive been doing it!

Training

The last part of this article will cover training advice. If youre at home and have dumbbells thats great. If not, do not worry!

Take an empty carton of milk or orange juice, or a glass bottle, anything you find in your home and fill it with water. That is now your resistance you can use in your training!

If you really want something versatile and super cheap, invest in a resistance band. They are great for so many of your exercises as well as stretching and mobility.

Check out Athlean-X on YouTube for creative ways to train at home. It is a great channel with lots of advice about exercising, stretching, eating, and even sleeping.

Have a training plan in mind. You dont need to waste money on fitness gurus who only want to sell you programs at ridiculous prices. Here is an example of a training program.

I have managed to build my body on the cheap, but I do recommend personal training if thats in your budget. However, at home you dont need to do anything expensive.

The most important advice about training? Have the willpower to do it.

Nike says: Just do it. Schwarzenegger says: Just do something.

Hard work always pays off if done consistently. Even if that is just two or three times a week for you, thats perfectly okay!

As a final note, I hope you look after yourself, listen to your body, stay connected with the people you care about, and remember, its okay to not be okay.

Youve got this.

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COVID-19: The positive path to staying strong and healthy - Brig Newspaper

Theres no shortage of self-proclaimed gurus who swear that this pill or that herb is the secret to easy weight loss, but heres the cold, hard truth: only calories dictate how much you weigh, and a BMR calculator will help you gain muscle and lose fat. The body burns a certain number of calories every day and if you eat over that number you gain weight, if you eat under that number you lose weight.

Our goal here is to help you figure out what that number is. Once you know your basal metabolic rate, or your BMR, you can figure out how many calories you should be eating to accomplish your goal, be it muscle gain or fat loss. The answer is individual and the number below is just an estimate, a place to start no one can claim their calculator does anything more but this is the best calculator to help you get there.

Editors note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it shouldnt take the place of advice and/or supervision from a medical professional. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. Speak with your physician if you have any concerns.

There are a few popular formulas out there and the two we landed on are considered the most accurate.

Considered just a little more accurate than the other big BMR formula (which is called Harris Benedict), the Mifflin St Jeor formula is what we used to ascertain your BMR if you dont know your body fat percentage.(1) It looks like this:

Where s is +5 for males and 161 for females.

As you can see, it takes into account a persons weight, height, and age. This is the formula we use in the calculator above if you dont know your body fat percentage.

This formula, sometimes called the Cunningham formula, is more accurate. But the katch is that you need to know your body fat percentage, and almost nobody does. Most people who claim to are estimating their body fat based on a self assessment. (Ive got a four-pack, not quite a six-pack, so Im probably 14 percent.)

This is the formula:

Where is a persons lean body mass, or their total weight minus their body fat percentage.

Katch-McArdle is likely the best formula, but only if youre being accurate with your numbers and that means making an appointment to get a DEXA scan to truly measure your body fat. Dont want to? Stick to Mifflin St Jeor.

Calories are energy and your body is a machine that burns them. One calorie is the amount of energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius, and your basal metabolic rate refers to the amount of energy needed to carry out its most basic functions, like digesting food and keeping your organs functioning.

In other words, your BMR is the number of calories you would burn if you spent all day in bed, not moving.

Of course, the average person doesnt lie in bed all day without moving a muscle. This is where we see the difference between Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).

Basal Metabolic Rate: The amount of calories you burn at rest.

Total Daily Energy Expenditure: The amount of calories your body burns from all of its activities.

So how can you take your BMR and use this information to know how many calories you should eat to lose weight?

To work that out, you need to take your BMR and add to it the number of calories you burn from your daily activities. How many calories they burn, unfortunately, depends on your height and weight and body composition and a few other factors, but again, we can figure out a rough estimate.

Harvard Medical School came up with this list of estimates for the amount of calories burned per 30 minutes of activity note that even sitting and watching TV burns some calories on top of your BMR.

While that table might help, you should also note that different people have different amounts of NEAT, which stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis. Some folks walk a lot, others drive most places. Some drink a lot of water, so they get up to pee more often, which can add up to a lot more calories burned. Even fidgeting seems able to burn hundreds of extra calories per day from that.(2)

If that looks like a lot to keep in mind, consider picking up an activity tracker you can wear on your wrist, like a WHOOP strap, which will do a good job of estimating your TDEE.

The best way to get a really good idea of how many calories you should eat to lose weight is to monitor your food intake and your weight every day for about a month. Keep track of when youre gaining weight and when youre losing it. After a few weeks of trial and error, youll have a number that you can work with.

So how do you track calories? The most effective way is with a scale and an app, like MyFitnessPal or Calorie King, which have databases to tell you how many calories are in a certain food, plus you can save your favorite recipes or meals 1 tablespoon oil, 6 ounces chicken thighs, 1 cup rice, etc. so that if you repeat meals, you dont have to repeat all the work of entering it in.

Some prefer simpler ways of working out their calories, like the hand technique: figure out how many calories are in a piece of meat about the size of your palm and have one or two of those per meal with four fingers of carbs, etc.

If you do this enough, youll be able to know the calorie content of some meals without needing to bring out your scales every time you eat, but its still smart to get an app so you can enter your calorie information and track it without needing to lug a notebook with you everywhere.

This is a question about your calorie deficit: once you know the calories you burn in a day, how many should you eat to lose weight?

In order to lose weight, you should eat less than your daily calorie burn, because the body will then use stored fat for energy once its not getting enough energy from your diet. This, in turn, causes weight loss.

Its generally understood that a good rate of weight loss is one to two pounds per week, and that a deficit of 3,500 calories will likely produce a pound of weight loss. Again, this varies from person to person and its important to speak with a doctor before attempting a weight loss plan, but in broad strokes, most agree that a goal of one pound of weight loss, or a 3,500-calorie deficit per week, is reasonable.

Lets say your BMR is 2,500 calories per day. To lose a pound of weight a week, you can take the approach of eating at a 500-calorie deficit every day to produce a 3,500-calorie deficit at the end of the week, like this:

You can also cycle calorie intake throughout the week. Many find it beneficial to eat more calories on days they exercise, so another strategy that might be useful for gymgoers would be:

Some even prefer to fast for an entire day once a week which in this case would produce a 2,500-calorie deficit at once or to skip breakfast a few days a week to get to that deficit. So long as the deficit is the same by the end of the week (meaning you havent made up the calories you skipped by eating more later), theres not a lot of evidence that any method of getting to that deficit is superior.(3)

Remember that your BMR is an estimate, its a number to work with and its a great place to start, but its smart to do the extra work of weighing yourself regularly and tracking your food intake to really nail down the right number for you. Just make sure you speak with a physician or a dietitian before making big changes to your diet or supplement regimen.

Featured image viaAnton Belo/Shutterstock

You can use this calculator to work out your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and find that out. The best formulas to use are Mifflin St Jeor (if you dont know your body fat percentage) and Katch-McArdle if you do.

This stands for Basal Metabolic Rate, and its the number of calories you burn at rest without taking into account the extra calories you burn as you move throughout the day.

After finding out how many calories you burn in a day, a typical goal is to lose one pound per week, which can be achieved by eating, on average, 500 calories under your your daily calorie burn. Make sure you talk to a doctor before starting a weight loss plan.

1.Frankenfield D, et al. Comparison of predictive equations for resting metabolic rate in healthy nonobese and obese adults: a systematic review. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005 May;105(5):775-89.2.Koepp GA, et al. Chair-based fidgeting and energy expenditure. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2016 Sep 1;2(1):e000152.3.Catenacci VA, et al. A randomized pilot study comparing zero-calorie alternate-day fasting to daily caloric restriction in adults with obesity. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2016 Sep;24(9):1874-83.

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The Best BMR Calculator for Fat Loss and Muscle Gain - BarBend

The Forever Transaction: How to Build a Subscription Model So Compelling, Your Customers Will Never Want to Leave

Robbie Kellman Baxter

256 pages, McGraw-Hill Education, 2020

Buy the book

Everyone wants to be the Netflix, Amazon, or LinkedIn of their industry.Its shorthand for saying, we want the kind of forever transactions these organizations have built with the people they serve. After studying and advising hundreds of top subscriptions and membership businesses during the last 20years, Ive come to understand that The Forever Transaction is the holy grail of business.

The concept was seeded by a handful of start-ups based in Silicon Valley, where I live. Over time, it has evolved to include nonprofits, media companies, professional services providers, retailers, and even consumer products and manufacturing.

This last group, manufacturing, faces some unique challenges, both because they sell physical products and because they already have established cultures that are not optimized for subscription pricing, digital community building, and the other elements of todays most engaging businesses.

The story of how Under Armour is transforming from an apparel manufacturer into a full digital lifestyle brandprovides both inspiration and guidance.Its transformation is particularly important because having a more direct, online connection with itsmost engaged members smooths out the bumps during challenging situations. This direct connection strengthens the brand while others are losing their tether to the people they serve. I am sharing Under Armour's story here to help similar organizations working to deepen their ongoing ties with their most loyal and engaged customers.Robbie Kellman Baxter

+ + +

Under Armour, primarily known for shirts and shoes, has its roots in technological advances in athletic wear. Its first product was a T-shirt made from the same fabric as compression shorts, a solution that emerged from founder Kevin Planks frustration with cotton T-shirts that bunched up and gathered sweat under his football uniform when he was a student at University of Maryland.

From those sweaty beginnings, Plank built a business that expanded from making a better T-shirt to its current mission: Under Armour makes you better. Since the companys founding in 1996, much of the focus has been on the development of performance gear, specifically on technically innovative apparel and shoes that help athletes perform at their best. But if you treat the mission as a forever promise to customers, youll quickly see that there are many other ways to help people achieve their fitness goals. The digital world opens many possibilities.

Over the past several years, Under Armour has expanded its offerings, blurring the lines between physical and digital products. It now offers its fourth generation of connected footwear. Runners wearing certain Under Armour shoes can access gait coaching through the MapMyRun app, which assesses stride length, cadence of strides per minute, and optimal gaits depending on age, weight, sex, height, and pace. Apps like MapMyRun provide a point of entry for long-term conversations with athletes. This approach creates opportunities for customer relationships beyond selling shirts and shoes through third-party retailers.

This business goes beyond simply increasing engagement; it generates real revenue. In 2018, Under Armours Connected Fitness Division, responsible for web and mobile apps and paid memberships, posted revenues of $120 million, with an operating profit of $4 million, an 18.1 percent improvement over 2017. This digital business needs to succeed on its own, as the company reports the Connected Fitness Division separately. Connected Fitness revenue is a small part of Under Armours 2018 sales of $5.2 billion, but its a key bet for the future of the company.

Customer-centricity is core to the companys strategy. Chief Digital Officer Paul Fipps commented, At Under Armour, we believe you need to approach consumers like a hotel concierge who deeply knows his or her guests. A concierge knows all of your preferences and the context. You have an incredible experience because it is highly personalized and memorable. At Under Armour, this experience means creating products that are relevant to our customers on both a personal and community level.

Under Armour has made strategic acquisitions to fulfill this vision of the customer relationship, buying rather than building this key element of its strategy. Between 2013 and 2015, it acquired several digital fitness brands including MapMyFitness, MyFitnessPal, and Endomondo. This spending spree of more than $700 million connected Under Armour with millions of fitness- and wellness-oriented individuals, and a channel to build awareness and engagement and to learn about customer needs.

So far, Under Armour has allowed the acquired businesses to retain their brands to varying degrees, with subtle influence from the parent brand. This is deliberate, says Michael La Guardia, SVP Digital Product. Acquiring existing brands and aligning them with your existing brand is a delicate balancing act. Under Armours goal in acquiring MyFitnessPal, MapMyFitness, and Endomondo was to bring together the largest fitness community in the world and reach them with Under Armours mission to make you better. Weve been making gradual and subtle changes to the brand positioning of the apps to introduce the Under Armour brand to the community. Tests have shown us that if we move too fast, we risk alienating the existing audience, but if were too subtle, Under Armour never breaks the surface of attention.

In the early years after the acquisitions, Under Armour was pretty hands-off. But under La Guardia, the company reevaluated the strategic synergies that would be realized through better alignment between Under Armour and its digital business. The founders of MyFitnessPal, MapMyFitness, and Endomondo have moved on, but the apps and their digital experiences are now being more actively integrated into the overall business of Under Armour.

As the company evolves into what theyve called a digital health and fitness community, thereve been some challenges. As a company, Under Armour is structured around founder Kevin Planks reminder: Dont forget to sell shirts and shoes. Selling stuff is very different from building engagement and usage digital apps.

Integration posed many challenges. The companies had different structures, business models, compensation plans, and missions. In some cases, their target markets were different. There was overlap but not full alignment across customer bases. For example, weight loss is often a key part of the journey to best performance. Many of MyFitnessPals members prioritize weight loss and management over optimal performance.

The rhythms are different. The cadence of a manufacturing company is seasonal, while software businesses might release new products and features monthly if not daily, a much faster drumbeat. The hiring pools are different, with gaps in compensation. One generates revenue and profits today; the other is part of the strategy of the future. Both businesses have a strong culture of innovation, but they innovate differently. Additionally, the kinds of people who thrive in startups sometimes dont in large, matrixed organizations.

Ultimately, acquisition may seem like a faster way to accelerate digital, direct-to-customer relationships and to build recurring revenue and deeper engagement. However, a huge amount of work is needed to synergistically integrate two organizations with different businesses and cultures. La Guardia suggests that before you jump to acquire the skills and product features you need, reflect on your mission and objectives. Consider the costs of both buy and build in the context of the current competitive environment. Either can work, but neither will be without challenges. Be prepared.

Transformation from an apparel manufacturer to digital lifestyle brand has taken a while. The first acquisition occurred six years ago, and vision work happened earlier. Theres still much to do to complete the process. Under Armours relentless focus on its forever promise, and willingness to change its methods, provides a unique advantage in building forever relationships with the people it serves.

Original post:
The Forever Transaction: How to Build a Subscription Model So Compelling, Your Customers Will Never Want to Leave by Robbie Kellman Baxter | When a...

For most women, perimenopause the transition to menopause begins in their 40s. The entire menopause process typically lasts around four years and begins with the ovaries making less estrogen.

A woman is considered to be post-menopausal when she hasnt experienced a menstrual period for 12 months. This usually occurs between the ages of 46 to 52 years.

Read more: How to make work menopause-friendly: don't think of it as a problem to be managed

Symptoms of menopause can include irregular periods, hot flushes, fatigue, tender breasts, night sweats, vaginal dryness, difficulty sleeping, changes in mood and lower libido.

During menopause, hormonal changes can affect the way fat is distributed in the body, but ageing is more likely to be the cause of any weight gain associated with menopause.

Gaining weight isnt inevitable, though. Theres plenty you can do to combat weight gain as you age.

Certain areas such as your stomach are more prone to weight gain during menopause. This is because the change in hormones, which lead to a higher testosterone-to-estrogen ratio, alters where the body deposits fat. Fat comes off the hips and is deposited around the middle.

But the hormonal changes involved in menopause arent the reason you gain weight.

The weight gain that comes with menopause is a by-product of ageing.

As we age, our body stops working as efficiently as it did before. Muscle mass starts to decrease a process known as sarcopenia and fat begins to increase.

And because muscle mass is one of the determining factors of how fast your metabolism will run, when your muscle mass decreases, your body starts to burn fewer calories at rest. This might make it more challenging to maintain your weight.

Read more: Trick or treat? Alternative therapies for menopause

As we age, we tend to continue with our same food habits but dont increase our activity. In fact, aches and pains can make some people actively decrease theirs.

Not compensating for the ageing process and the change in body composition can lead to weight gain.

And this applies to men too they are just as likely to gain weight due to this process known as sarcopenia.

Due to a change in body fat distribution and increase in waist circumference, menopause can also increase your risk of other health conditions.

Read more: Hot flashes? Night sweats? Progesterone can help reduce symptoms of menopause

Following menopause, your ovaries make very little of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen helps to keep your blood vessels dilated relaxed and open which helps keep your cholesterol levels down.

Without estrogen, or with lower quantities, your bad cholesterol (known as low-density lipoprotein or LDL-cholesterol) starts to build up in your arteries. This can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Having less estrogen also results in a loss of bone mass, putting you at risk of the disease osteoporosis, which makes your bones more prone to fractures.

Weight gain associated with ageing is not inevitable. There are a number of things you can do to maintain your weight as you age.

1. Exercise

Incorporate regular daily exercise, with a mixture of intensities and variety of activities. Try to include body-strengthening exercises two days per week.

2. Weigh yourself but not too much

Weigh yourself once a week at the same time and day to monitor the trend over time. Any more than this will only create a fixation with weight. Day-to-day fluctuations in weight are to be expected.

3. Create positive habits

Create positive habits by replacing negative behaviours. For example, instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media of an evening or turning on the TV and comfort-eating, replace it with a positive behaviour, such as learning a new hobby, reading a book or going for a walk.

Read more: How to beat weight gain at menopause

4. Eat more slowly

Eat food away from technological distractions and slow down your food consumption.

Try using a teaspoon or chopsticks and chew your food thoroughly as slowing down your food consumption reduces the quantity consumed.

5. Switch off from technology:

Turn off technology after dusk to improve your sleep. Blue light emission from phones, tablets and other devices tell your brain its day, instead of night, which will keep you awake.

Lack of sleep (less than six hours per night) can compromise your decision-making abilities which might lead you to make unhealthy choices that contribute to weight gain.

6. Curb sugar cravings naturally

If youre craving sugar youre better off reaching for foods naturally high in sugar and fat first. Some great options are fruits, nuts, avocado and 100% nut butters. These foods release the same feel-good chemicals in the brain as processed and fast food and leave us feeling full.

Allow yourself your favourite treats, but keep them to once per week.

Originally posted here:
Why do women gain weight during menopause? - The Conversation AU

Aqilah Rahman

Over a week has passed since Ramadhan started in Brunei Darussalam, and since then, Muslims have been fasting every day from dawn to sunset.

During this time, perhaps youve heard your friends or family members say, Im going to lose weight this Ramadhan.

Losing weight, if done in a healthy way, comes with many health benefits such as decreased risk of diabetes, lowered blood pressure, improved mobility, as well reduced back pain and joint pain, among many others.

Several studies suggest that weight loss is also associated with positive changes in our lifestyle and psychological well-being such as better sleep, improved mood and increase in self-confidence.

As such, its important to look after our health by managing our weight.

OBESITY

Overweight and obesity are defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. Obese people are at higher risk for potentially serious health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, stroke, joint pain, sleep apnea and breathing problems.

Based on the Brunei National STEPS Survey on Non-Communicable Disease and Risk Factors 2015-2016, 28.2 per cent of people in Brunei Darussalam are obese. For people aiming to lose weight, fasting during Ramadhan can be the first step of their weight loss journey.

To lose weight this Ramadhan and after Ramadhan ends its useful to understand how weight gain and weight loss works.

ENERGY IN, ENERGY OUT

The WHO website states that the fundamental cause of obesity and overweight is an energy imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended.

To put it simply, consuming more calories than the amount you burn will make you gain weight over time.

Think of calories you eat as energy in, and calories you burn as energy out. While energy in mainly comes from the food we eat, there are many ways for us to burn calories energy out even when we do nothing.

The simple act of just breathing burns calories, because our bodies are constantly at work to make sure all parts of our bodies are functioning properly.

Of course, working out burns calories too, and comes with many health benefits to boot. When it comes to losing weight, both energy in and energy out must be taken into account.

For a person to lose weight, energy out must be greater than energy in. This can be done by increasing physical activities or eating less, or doing both at the same time. Limiting food intake can be an effective weight loss tool, and several studies have researched the weight change during and after Ramadhan.

STUDIES: RAMADHAN FASTING AND WEIGHT CHANGE

According to a study published in the Journal of Public Health, out of a sample size of 202 people, 46 per cent lost over one kg after a month of fasting during Ramadhan. Another 16 per cent lost 0.5kg-one kg.

Meanwhile, 21 per cent maintained their weight within a range of 0.5kg. The remaining 17 per cent gained at least 0.5kg, showcasing the possibility to gain weight during Ramadhan by overeating. But its also possible to lose weight this Ramadhan, as shown by the study results, and its important to remember that just regulating the food intake during Ramadhan isnt enough.

Even harder than losing weight is what comes next keeping the weight off.

In the same study, 87 participants who recorded their weight a month after Ramadhan ended gained back the weight they lost.

A recent study published in Nutrients, a peer-reviewed open access journal of human nutrition, mirrored the results of the study mentioned above.

Although the study participants lost weight at the end of Ramadhan, they also gained back the weight within five weeks after Ramadhan ended. The study concludes that Ramadhan fasting led to a decrease in weight and these findings suggest that Ramadhan fasting may be a suitable starting point as an intervention for the global obesity epidemic, including in many Muslim-majority countries.

It also points out the importance of sustainable weight management after Ramadhan.

LONG-TERM WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

Eating less and eating healthy is easier said than done, but it is doable, and is perhaps more manageable during Ramadhan when we limit our food intake between sunset and dawn. That can be the first step to weight management.

But even after Ramadhan ends, we shouldnt be complacent and go back to our old eating habits, because that would mean gaining back all the weight lost and putting our health at risk.

As always, when it comes to health, its best to seek professional medical advice to ensure getting the proper treatment safely.

The Obesity Clinic at Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital provides obesity treatment for adults and children.

Excerpt from:
Losing kilos the healthy way - Borneo Bulletin Online

I wrote about my weight loss journey in Bright Line Eating back in September 2019 (www.bit.ly/MYBLE) and January of this year (www.bit.ly/MYBLE2) and it continues.

Tony Wade: The Last Laugh

I started May 17, 2019, when I weighed 381 pounds. As of May 1, 2020, I weigh 234 pounds 147 pounds gone forever. I wore a size 4XL shirt last year; I can now wear a medium. I started out wearing a 52-waist pants; I now wear 36-waist pants. I started out with a size 14 shoe; well, I still have those.

Blood sugar? Cholesterol? Blood pressure? All normal and they were not before.

I feel wonderful physically, but I also have clarity of mind and a newfound confidence. In BLE we celebrate non-scale victories and here are a few Ive experienced:

I can easily and comfortably cross my legs now. I can and do take walks three times a week for more than an hour where I sustain a very brisk pace. I can no longer shop at the Big and Tall and Overpriced store in Vacaville . . . because their clothing sizes start at ones that are too big for me.

In the first BLE column I wrote I included this paragraph: I havent hit my goal weight yet and the obvious thing would have been to just wait until I do and maintain it to write this column, but heres why I wrote this today when I am in-between my before and after pictures: I am completely, and I mean 100%, sure I will get there and I have never felt that way before in my life.

Well, I am now in maintenance and have absolutely no doubt I will be able to stay within a range that I am comfortable with.

I switched to a whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diet Feb. 17 after watching several documentaries about the health benefits and reading the book The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, and Long-term Health by Thomas Campbell.

Now, I did it for me, but I was startled by how many people suddenly acted as if I was a fanatical carnivore hater. Not at all. Its just my choice for me.

You know, I never knew the differences between vegans, vegetarians and people who eat plant-based whole food. I mean, theres a ton of stuff designated vegan that I would never eat. I didnt know that junk-food vegan was a thing.

I prefer the term plant-powered. Its opened up a whole new world for me. The only vegetables I used to eat were those snap pea crisps. Since I started, Ive redefined what a meal is and I love it.

The good news is that BLE works for Norwegian vegans, Bulgarian vegetarians and Baltimore omnivores.

If theres a weakness to BLE, its that it is very nuanced and doesnt lend itself easily to a succinct definition. I always recommended people read the book Bright Line Eating: The Science of Living Happy, Thin and Free by Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson.

Look, you can Google the four Bright Lines (no sugar, no flour, three meals a day, weighed/measured meals), but, like a nonfiction book, BLE is not defined by what it is not.

While it is not a 12-step program, I now refer to BLE as a one-day-at-a-time food recovery program. It has helped me put food in its proper place. Meals are times for me to refuel, not a trip to Disneyland. If you have never considered yourself addicted to food, this may make no sense at all to you and thats OK. It works for me.

I dont eat special food or anything, and I certainly am not interested in desperately trying to make what I eat now somehow resemble the things I used to eat. I tried that more than 20 years ago with Atkins and it just led me back to those things and gaining all the weight Id lost and then some.

I enjoy my food more now than ever and it really is pretty simple stuff that I eat. But that is the point. I dont have the incessant food chatter bouncing around my brain anymore. My food is not boring; its clear, measured and succinct.

The concept is best summed up in a saying I often hear Bright Line Eating Engagement Specialist Sonja Johansen Waters say: I eat in black and white so I can live in color.

Reach Fairfield writer Tony Wade at [emailprotected].

Related

Go here to see the original:
The Last Laugh: Another update on my Bright Line Eating weight loss journey - Fairfield Daily Republic

From Men's Health

We get it. Squeezing in an extra workout class, batch-cooking healthy meals, the early morning cycle to work; following weight loss advice would be easier with more hours in the day. But getting up an hour earlier, or going to bed an hour later, and letting your new regimen eat into sleep is self-sabotage.

Its true that research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that low calorie dieters achieved the same amount of weight loss whether they slept for an average of 5.5 or 8.5 hours a night, but the devil is in the detail.

According to the scientists, skipping on sleep means most of the weight youre losing comes from lean mass, not fat. In other words, start burning the candle at both ends and itll be hard-earned muscle youre torching through. Just 25% of the weight lost by those getting less than six hours sleep came from fat, while those who were getting the recommended nightly amount lost twice as much.

And it gets worse for sleep dodgers. In this experiment, both groups were assigned exactly the same amount of food by the researchers. But with no lab assistant on hand to rein in impulses, sleep deprived individuals eat twice as much fat and more than 300 extra calories the next day. Thats because lack of sleep causes a spike in ghrelin the hormone that makes you feel hungry and a fall in leptin the hormone that signals you feel full. Not to mention the risk that, by spending three more hours awake, youll simply spend more time snacking. Take our advice and sleep on it.

0700: Drink two glasses of ice-cold water before breakfast. Youll not only start burning more energy, youll shave a few extra calories as your body warms the liquid.

1000: Take your kids fidget-spinner to work. It might drive your colleague mad, but you can burn 350 calories extra per day with fidgeting like tapping your feet or doodling.

1400: Chew sugar-free gum after lunch. Sure, youll have fresh breath, but youll also burn a few extra calories and be less tempted by the biscuit tray.

1900: Eat more protein at dinner. Going all-in on the macronutrient with extra chicken or tofu increases the thermic effect of your meal, meaning you burn more calories as you digest it.

Sign up to the Men's Health newsletter and kickstart your home body plan. Make positive steps to become healthier and mentally strong with all the best fitness, muscle-building and nutrition advice delivered to your inbox.

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Originally posted here:
This Weight Loss Tip Is So Easy You Can Do It With Your Eyes Closed - Yahoo Style

Weight Loss and Diet Management Market report focused on the comprehensive analysis of current and future prospects of the Weight Loss and Diet Management industry. This report is a consolidation of primary and secondary research, which provides market size, share, dynamics, and forecast for various segments and sub-segments considering the macro and micro environmental factors. An in-depth analysis of past trends, future trends, demographics, technological advancements, and regulatory requirements for the Weight Loss and Diet Management market has been done in order to calculate the growth rates for each segment and sub-segments.

Get the PDF Sample Copy of This Report:

https://www.a2zmarketresearch.com/sample?reportId=157109

Top Key Vendors of this Market are:

Weight Watchers, Abbott Nutrition, The Coca-Cola, Pepsico, Nutrisystem, Medifast, Kraft Foods, Kellogg, Herbalife Ltd, General Mills, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Amer Sports Corp, Alpro Ltd, Ajinomoto Co, AIDP, AHD International, Acatris.

Various factors are responsible for the markets growth trajectory, which are studied at length in the report. In addition, the report lists down the restraints that are posing threat to the global Weight Loss and Diet Management market. It also gauges the bargaining power of suppliers and buyers, threat from new entrants and product substitute, and the degree of competition prevailing in the market. The influence of the latest government guidelines is also analyzed in detail in the report. It studies the Weight Loss and Diet Management markets trajectory between forecast periods.

The report provides insights on the following pointers:

Market Penetration:Comprehensive information on the product portfolios of the top players in the Weight Loss and Diet Management market.

Product Development/Innovation:Detailed insights on the upcoming technologies, R&D activities, and product launches in the market.

Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of the market strategies, geographic and business segments of the leading players in the market.

Market Development:Comprehensive information about emerging markets. This report analyzes the market for various segments across geographies.

Market Diversification:Exhaustive information about new products, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the Weight Loss and Diet Management market.

For more Information, Inquire @:

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The report summarized the high revenue that has been generated across locations like, North America, Japan, Europe, Asia, and India along with the facts and figures of Weight Loss and Diet Management market. It focuses on the major points, which are necessary to make positive impacts on the market policies, international transactions, speculation, and supply demand in the global market.

Reasons for buying this report:

Table of Contents:

Global Weight Loss and Diet Management Market Research Report

Chapter 1 Weight Loss and Diet Management Market Overview

Chapter 2 Global Economic Impact on Industry

Chapter 3 Global Market Competition by Manufacturers

Chapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by Region

Chapter 5 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions

Chapter 6 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type

Chapter 7 Global Market Analysis by Application

Chapter 8 Manufacturing Cost Analysis

Chapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers

Chapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders

Chapter 11 Market Effect Factors Analysis

Chapter 12 Global Weight Loss and Diet Management Market Forecast

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If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.

Read more:
Weight Loss and Diet Management Market will touch a new level in upcoming year with Top Key players like Weight Watchers, Abbott Nutrition, The...