Category Archives: Lose Weight Fast

A couple who binged on takeaways every night and made a daily visit to a sandwich van saw their weight balloon.

However they have lost an impressive eight stone between them after ditching the fast food.

The husband and wife Dawn and Mark Smith have seen dropping the junk food pay dividends after they had tipped the scales at almost 50 stone between them.

Wife Dawn, 29, from Ashby, described herself as once having a 'Winnie the Pooh' belly it was so pig. she said she was always overweight but became tired of looking the way she did as she weighed 20 stone.

The pair decided they had to make serious changes as husband Mark weighed in at almost 30 stone and they went on a diet together.

Dawn, who is mum to Cynthia, and Isabelle, said: "I was always the fat kid at school. I have always been active and on the go but I just ate the wrong foods.

"McDonald's and Chinese food are my favourites and I was always popping into Greggs on the playgroup run."

Dawn said her mum used to poke fun at her 'Winnie the Pooh belly' and she became embarrassed when the woman who runs the 'cob van' knew her order every day.

The mum said: "Shortbread is my real downfall but we would also snack on chocolate and crisps, sitting on the settee binging on them every night.

"We would eat takeaways every night and between Mark and myself could get through at least half a loaf of bread at breakfast - just the two of us.

"It was getting ridiculous.

"In fact, it was so bad that the cob van lady always knew my order.

"I was living in leggings and T-shirts. It was just getting embarrassing.

Mark, 37, weighed in at almost 30 stone, and had diabetes and other health issues.

Said Dawn: "We just sat down and talked about our weight. We needed to be around for our girls."

After being inspired by Dawns mums incredible 10-stone weight loss, the couple joined her at the Woodville Slimming World group in January 2019 and saw results straight away.

Dawn said: "I had tried Slimming World before and it worked but I stopped going and piled the weight back on again.

"I told myself that I will stick this out and I am not going to give in like I normally do.

"Luckily I saw results straight away. In the first week I lost 9lbs and my clothes started feeling looser.

"I felt good and it really spurred me on.

"We used to be so negative and we were our own worst enemies because we had no motivation.

"Now we are so proud of each other."

Since joining the group Dawn, who was a size 26 to 28 and tipped the scales at 20 stone and half a pound, and dropped five dress sizes and weighed around 16 stone 7.5lb.

An incredible transformation in 33 weeks.

Mark was 29 stone 10lbsand wearing XXXXXXL clothes when they joined the group and now weighs 24 Stone 9.5 lbs and is now in XXXL clothing.

The pairs weight loss has shocked lots of people, and many have commented on Dawns new figure.

She said: "My friends and family are all surprised at the difference in me but really proud.

"I cannot believe how much of a reaction I have been getting since losing the weight.

"I have had strangers coming up to me in the street saying 'I have seen you around and I cant believe you have lost so much weight. You look great'.

"I am so proud of Mark, and the girls are always excited to see if we have bought any certificates back.

"It just shows that if I can do it, I believe anyone can.

"I used to have anxiety and panic attacks but now I sit up in the group and I give out advice.

"I won woman of the year 2019 and together we won Slimming World couple of the year for 2019.

"I feel so much better, so much healthier since losing weight."

The couple, who run their own company, MD Smiths LTD (Electrical Contractors), are already making big plans for the future.

Dawn said: "The only time I have gained weight in 33 weeks is when I went on holiday to Greece.

"I am tall so I want to lose another three stone and Mark wants to lose a total of 10 stone this year.

"I am going to be 30 in March and I really want to have a big party and wear a nice dress and impress.

"I want people to say 'oh my god' and be shocked at how I look. I cant wait."

Breakfast: Four rounds of white toast, cup of tea and a packet of biscuits

Lunch: Cob with bacon, sausage and black pudding

Tea: Kebab

Snacks: Crisps and chocolate throughout the day

Breakfast: Branflakes and green tea

Lunch: Homemade quiche and salad

Tea: Fajitas and salad

Snacks: Strawberries

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Couple who binged on takeaways every night are unrecognisable now - Derbyshire Live

Dear Readers,

This is a continuation from a question last week from Suzanne of East Gwillimbury. She wanted to know what is understood about treating coronavirus holistically. I directed her to a prior article, in which I explored the various holistic interventions to strengthen the immune system naturally, which can be found here.

To read last weeks answer, in which I share a successful holistic therapy physicians in China and New York have already documented, you can go here. I also shared the single biggest thing you can do to reduce your chance of mortality from COVID-19, according to the data we have to date: reduce your insulin resistance. In addition, I would like to direct readers to a wonderful free resource Dr. Mercola has set up with in depth info on what is understood about the Coronavirus, holistically speaking. Readers can find that here.

This week we will be exploring how to reduce insulin resistance by replacing some key foods and beverages you may be consuming. Doing this and getting a little nutrition education under your belt will help you prevent or reverse type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome - and tighten that belt a couple notches, too! Dont think these small actions cant have a big impact. Many disease states are precipitated by repeated overconsumption of the wrong foods that trigger a cascade of metabolic imbalances in the body. We can change that trajectory by changing the foods we eat. Its really quite amazing and simple! Lets take a closer look.

Initially, in response to that bowl of Sugar Ohs or that Big Sugar Slurp the body secretes insulin to pack away all that sugar for energy later. It first goes into our muscles and liver, but they can only hold a small amount. So the extra gets stored in our fat cells around our middle. Its stored quickly to protect us from sugar in the bloodstream, which is very dangerous over a certain threshold and causes tissue damage. This is the bodys intelligent way of protecting us from sugar damage while not letting any potential energy go to waste.

If the sugar and high glycemic carbs keep coming with regularity or if there is too much at once, the bodys insulin generating capacity kicks it up a notch. It excretes even more insulin to reduce blood sugar levels quickly, which causes blood sugar levels to drop quite low. We now need that stored energy, but unfortunately, we cant access it.

You see, insulin inhibits our bodys ability to access fat stores for energy. This is why people have such a hard time losing weight on a high carb diet. Sure, we can expedite this with exercise, but who feels like exercise when their blood sugar is low?

When blood sugar is low we typically feel it. Suddenly we have become hangry (hungry-angry) and are roaming around snarling at everyone in our way, hunting for a quick pick-me-up. Why doesnt our partner lift a finger to help around the house - are their hands broken? They seem to work for the remote/ cell phone just fine! And would it kill the kids to pick up after themselves for once and use some manners? And who in the world named your mother-in-law God? Does God know Shes been replaced? And why cant Patricia at work mind her own bloody business and stop trying to micromanage yours? And where is that ever-loving receipt for the dry cleaning? Nevermind the diet, we NEED a muffin/ donut/ ice cap/ biggie meal and we NEED IT NOW dammit! Where is the nearest drive through? And. We. Get. In. Our. Vehicles. And. Drive. In. This. State.

And that is my explanation for current divorce rates, ADD, the terrible teens, and road rage: its actually double-double-super-sized-caffeinated-bevy-and-carby-zero-nutrient-processed-junk-food-syndrome. Say that five times fast!

And changing our diets is therefore social justice work, people! It would do much to restore a happy home life, harmony on the roads, and savings in police and court budgets, all while reducing mortality from many diseases, giving us healthier bodies with greater energy, and helping us get many years of getting even with the kids when they have their own children! Its genius! Genius (holding my organic-celery-wielding-fist high for emphasis in a silent salute)! But I digress.

This state of hangry is perplexing because were eating more than we ever have before. In fact, portion sizes have about doubled since the 1950s. And yet were hungry! When it hits, we have often just eaten a meal (or a candy bar or a bag of woo hoos or drank a super-sized hip-whip-whatsit) an hour or two ago and gotten high off the sugar no less, but now we feel like we need a nap or are starving out of our minds! This is because the energy weve stored cant be released when insulin is present. And insulin is always around in the presence of excess sugar and carbs.

This is why we are so tired and wired. And this is why I firmly assert that obesity is actually a starvation state. Were eating and eating but not getting any energy from the food!

To make matters worse, when we get a blood test in this state we can be diagnosed as hypoglycemic (having low blood sugar), for which the mainstream medical prescription is to eat something sugary or carby to get our blood sugar back up. Do you see where this is headed? The prescription only signals more insulin to be released, which, in turn shuttles all that sugar to your waistline and keeps you hangry and initiates the cycle all over again!

Human beings have never in our history had such access to so many super tasty, high glycemic, processed, carb and sugar-laden foods. And our lifestyles have never been so sedentary. Our food supply has changed more in the past 70 years than in our entire evolutionary history.

Our bodies havent adapted. So when this excessive insulin is produced repeatedly and everything we eat goes to our waistline and our bodies cant use the fat theyve stored, we have to have a shut down mode. Our bodies signal the cells to stop accepting the insulin. When that happens and sugar continues to circulate in the bloodstream for too long, it inevitably damages the tissues, causing slow degradation that we dont always notice until we lose function.

And this is what we call insulin resistance or type II diabetes. It comes with a whole host of downstream health problems.

By this point our metabolic system is seriously tired and over-reactive. In addition we have often become depleted in several key nutrients that help regulate that system and were hooked on that sweet stuff that gives us a temporary lift. Our muscles are weak from the lack of nutrients and lack of exercise due to chronic low energy. And our blood sugar is all over the place.

The holistic solution is different than the medical model. Rather than trying force more sugar into the cells we focus on restricting carbohydrates of all kinds and fasting to reduce insulin and liberate the stored fat from the cells for energy. Once the body starts to burn fat for energy, it remembers how to do that and energy levels balance out, appetite drops, and the incessant cravings stop. Its truly miraculous to experience.

We just have to know what to eat and what to avoid. So lets tackle some of the biggest offenders and what you can replace them with to reduce blood sugar naturally!

Sugar - all kinds, even maple syrup, agave, and honey! Replace with monkfruit, stevia, xylitol, or erythritol for occasional sweets. I teach people how to replace sugars with healthier ones in my stop the sugar and healthy treats classes.

Artificial sweeteners - all of these can spike insulin just like sugar does, which is why so many people struggle with weight loss when frequently consuming them. Replace with the sweeteners above.

Soda - even those with artificial sweeteners. The one made with stevia is far better, or you can switch to homemade kombucha, which is an effervescent, fermented drink that helps put healthy bacteria in your gut for better digestion. I teach people how to make it in my kombucha and fun with fermenting classes.

Vegetable oils - canola, soy, margarine, crisco, sunflower, safflower, hydrogenated and trans fats. Replace these with organic coconut, olive, avocado, and macadamia nut oils or organic butter or ghee. Or use lard, tallow, goose grease, or other animal fat. These will help improve the lining of every cell in your body.

Processed foods. Replace anything that is heavily processed and comes from a factory with whole foods that come from an animal or a plant and are in their natural form!

Baked foods. Replace all but homemade ones. And bake with low carb flours like almond and coconut flour. We tend to think of baked foods as natural but even if they are made with the best whole grains they still often spike blood sugar!

Breads - all but low carb varieties. We tend to think of whole wheat bread as healthy but two pieces of whole wheat bread spike blood sugar more than a tablespoon of white sugar or a snickers bar. And wheat is not an optimal food for many reasons.

High carbohydrate snack foods like chips, sweetened peanut butter, popcorn, candied nuts, corn chips, or others. Sure, nuts with honey on them look natural, but that honey is usually high fructose corn syrup and theyre fried in vegetable oils. For snacks reach for natural or salted nuts and seeds or unsweetened yogurt and a bit of fruit or homemade grain free granola or fresh veggies and dip or snacks with almond and coconut flours. I teach many great ones in my healthy treats class.

Potatoes and starchy tubers. If you are insulin resistant or overweight you want to limit these to a very small amount once in a while, as they are high in carbs that spike insulin.

Processed meats. Use natural meats or canned or smoked seafood instead of hyper processed deli cuts. The exception to this is quality cured or smoked meats. Read a more in depth analysis of this here.

Replacing these foods for the healthier substitutes will go a long way to helping you reduce your blood sugar naturally and prevent or stop the progress of insulin resistance. To learn how to optimize your health and potentially reverse insulin resistance completely, you can contact me to work together one on one. I also offer an email newsletter full of health news if youd like to sign up to receive it, and during COVID-19 I will be offering a variety of reduced-fee cooking and nutrition classes online. All of this can be accessed through my website at hopenotdope.ca.

Thank you again for your query, Suzanne. As always, readers are encouraged to ask their nutrition questions via the email below.

Namaste!

Nonie Nutritionista

Nonie De Long is a registered orthomolecular nutritionist with a clinic in Bradford West Gwillimbury, where she offers holistic, integrative health care for physical and mental health issues. Check out her website here.

Do you have a question about health and wellness? Email nonienutritionista@gmail.com

Information in this article is intended for educational purposes only and should not be misconstrued as medical advice, for which you should see a licensed medical practitioner.

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Ask the Nutritionist: What Do I Eat to Reverse Insulin Resistance? - BradfordToday

Trying to lose weight does not mean that a person has to give up all the snacks.Certain snacks, such as almonds and hummus, can help a person achieve their weight loss goals.Contrary to popular belief, when a person tries to lose weight, they dont have to avoid eating or just eat at mealtime.

Some studies suggest that people are more likely to maintain their weight loss if they have a healthy eating pattern.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), skippingfoods to lose weightgenerally works against you because it causes a person to overeat.

However, when a person satisfies their hunger with healthy snacks, they are much less likely to want to eat unhealthy foods or exceed their calorie limit.

Eating healthy snacks can help a person lose weight.

Some foods are better for weight loss than others.

In general, foods rich in fiber or protein tend to fill more.This means that the person will feel satiated more quickly and will be able to eat less at each snack or meal.

Other considerations are finding foods that are low in calories but high in volume or density.The more space a food occupies in the stomach, the fuller the person can feel.Again, this helps a person eat less with each snack.

People may also want to consider foods that help with metabolism and energy.Greater energy can help a person burn more calories, and better metabolism can help a person process the food they eat more efficiently.

People looking to lose weight should avoid foods that contain large amounts of:

Unprocessed foods are good options because many processed snacks contain high levels of sugar, salt, or both.Eating snacks between meals can help you lose weight.Eating snacks with healthy options can help prevent someone from overeating, as well as provide vitamins, fiber, and protein.

The following are some of the best weight loss snacks.

Hummus is a traditional Mediterranean dish prepared with chickpea puree.Due to its increasing popularity, there are often several flavor options for premade hummus sauces available in stores.People can also make hummus at home.

According to a 2016 study, hummus offers many potential benefits.Hummus provides a good source of protein and fiber, which can help a person feel fuller faster.

When people eat hummus with vegetables, they are getting the benefits of hummus, as well as any other additional nutrients from vegetables.

Celery is a low calorie vegetable.According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), two large stalks of celery count as 1 cup of vegetables out of the 2.5 cups needed per day for a 2,000-calorie diet.

Celery is primarily water, which can help a person feel full.Dipping celery in nut butter, such as peanut or almond butter, can also provide the benefits of healthy fats and protein.

Apples and peanut butter are a good diet snack.

People can be creative with their fruit and nut butter combinations if they want.According to the USDA, a medium apple provides 20 percent of a persons dietary fiber, and 1 of the 2 recommended cups of fruit each day.

Dipping a slice of apple in peanut or other nut butter also adds protein and good fat to a persons snack.

Low-fat cheese is a source of protein and calcium.

Low-fat cheese products offer many nutrients and less fat than regular cheese.

Some of the benefits include:

Low-fat cheese also contains fewer calories than whole cheese.

What can be eaten with a low carb diet?Here are some tips for a low carb diet.

Walnuts can be a very healthy and filling snack.

Walnuts provide good protein and fat.However, those looking to limit their salt intake should check the label to make sure there is no added salt.Also, a person should avoid flavored cooked nuts, as flavors often contain sugar or salt.

People should look for raw or dry roasted nuts.Walnuts are relatively high in calories, so a person should only eat a small amount per snack.

Eggs are an excellent source of protein.However, in previous years, many people thought that eggs were unhealthy due to concerns about cholesterol.

However, more recent research suggests that eggs do not raise cholesterol levels and contain many essential nutrients.

Greek yogurt is high in protein and calcium and low in fat and calories.A person can safely add fresh fruit or nuts to Greek yogurt to improve its flavor and add nutritional value.

The best Greek yogurt for weight loss is the simple variety.Greek flavored yogurts often contain extra sugar, which is not good for weight loss.

Edamame is a legume that a person can eat as a snack.Like other legumes, edamame is a source of fiber and protein.

It is also high in potassium, iron, and magnesium.When people eat it between meals, edamame can help a person feel more satisfied while providing some essential nutrients.

Popcorn is a popular snack in the U.S.Often you get a bad reputation because of the extra amount of sugar, fat, or salt that people put on you.

Air-popped popcorn does not contain these additional ingredients. Simple popcorn is a low-calorie whole grain that offers plenty of filling fiber.

A person may find it helpful to prepare healthy snacks beforehand.

The most effective way to add healthy snacks to your diet is to keep a stock of them in an easily accessible location.

For example, a person could prepare a week of snacks at the beginning of the week.Once prepared, the person can divide the sandwich into individual portions.

For example, a person can prepare hummus in a large batch at the beginning of the week by mashing chickpeas with olive oil, tahini, and seasonings in a food processor.

After preparation, they can put the hummus in small containers and accompany each container with a bag of carrot sticks.

Those who dont have time to make their own sandwiches can search for sandwich-sized portions sold at grocery stores.Many products come prepackaged in snack sizes.

People looking for pre-made and proportioned snacks should know that they are often more expensive.They will also have to be on the lookout for added sugars, salt, and fat.

Eating healthy snacks can play an important role in helping a person lose and control their weight.

People should look for snacks that are low in sugar, fat, and salt.They should also look for snacks rich in nutrients like fiber and protein.

Beans, nuts, and raw vegetables and fruits are often good choices that will help a person feel fuller and provide the necessary nutrients.

Nichole Kerr is a reporter for SYP Studios. Sarah has previously worked for Wired, MacWorld, PCWorld, and VentureBeat covering countless stories concerning all things related to tech and science. Nichole studied at Anthem Institute in Las Vegas.

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Treatment of acute blood clots - SYP Studios

Like most people, Kevin Hall used to think the reason people get fat is simple.

Why dont they just eat less and exercise more? he remembers thinking. Trained as a physicist, the calories-in-vs.-calories-burned equation for weight loss always made sense to him. But then his own researchand the contestants on a smash reality-TV showproved him wrong.

Hall, a scientist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), started watching The Biggest Loser a few years ago on the recommendation of a friend. I saw these folks stepping on scales, and they lost 20 lb. in a week, he says. On the one hand, it tracked with widespread beliefs about weight loss: the workouts were punishing and the diets restrictive, so it stood to reason the men and women on the show would slim down. Still, 20 lb. in a week was a lot. To understand how they were doing it, he decided to study 14 of the contestants for a scientific paper.

Hall quickly learned that in reality-TV-land, a week doesnt always translate into a precise seven days, but no matter: the weight being lost was real, speedy and huge. Over the course of the season, the contestants lost an average of 127 lb. each and about 64% of their body fat. If his study could uncover what was happening in their bodies on a physiological level, he thought, maybe hed be able to help the staggering 71% of American adults who are overweight.

What he didnt expect to learn was that even when the conditions for weight loss are TV-perfectwith a tough but motivating trainer, telegenic doctors, strict meal plans and killer workoutsthe body will, in the long run, fight like hell to get that fat back. Over time, 13 of the 14 contestants Hall studied gained, on average, 66% of the weight theyd lost on the show, and four were heavier than they were before the competition.

That may be depressing enough to make even the most motivated dieter give up. Theres this notion of why bother trying, says Hall. But finding answers to the weight-loss puzzle has never been more critical. The vast majority of American adults are overweight; nearly 40% are clinically obese. And doctors now know that excess body fat dramatically increases the risk of serious health problems, including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, depression, respiratory problems, major cancers and even fertility problems. A 2017 study found that obesity now drives more early preventable deaths in the U.S. than smoking. This has fueled a weight-loss industry worth $66.3 billion, selling everything from diet pills to meal plans to fancy gym memberships.

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Its also fueled a rise in research. Last year the NIH provided an estimated $931 million in funding for obesity research, including Halls, and that research is giving scientists a new understanding of why dieting is so hard, why keeping the weight off over time is even harder and why the prevailing wisdom about weight loss seems to work only sometimesfor some people.

What scientists are uncovering should bring fresh hope to the 155 million Americans who are overweight, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Leading researchers finally agree, for instance, that exercise, while critical to good health, is not an especially reliable way to keep off body fat over the long term. And the overly simplistic arithmetic of calories in vs. calories out has given way to the more nuanced understanding that its the composition of a persons dietrather than how much of it they can burn off working outthat sustains weight loss.

They also know that the best diet for you is very likely not the best diet for your next-door neighbor. Individual responses to different dietsfrom low fat and vegan to low carb and paleovary enormously. Some people on a diet program lose 60 lb. and keep it off for two years, and other people follow the same program religiously, and they gain 5 lb., says Frank Sacks, a leading weight-loss researcher and professor of cardiovascular disease prevention at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. If we can figure out why, the potential to help people will be huge.

Hall, Sacks and other scientists are showing that the key to weight loss appears to be highly personalized rather than trendy diets. And while weight loss will never be easy for anyone, the evidence is mounting that its possible for anyone to reach a healthy weightpeople just need to find their best way there.

Dieting has been an American preoccupation since long before the obesity epidemic took off in the 1980s. In the 1830s, Presbyterian minister Sylvester Graham touted a vegetarian diet that excluded spices, condiments and alcohol. At the turn of the 20th century, it was fashionable to chew food until liquefied, sometimes up to 722 times before swallowing, thanks to the advice of a popular nutrition expert named Horace Fletcher. Lore has it that at about the same time, President William Howard Taft adopted a fairly contemporary planlow fat, low calorie, with a daily food logafter he got stuck in a White House bathtub.

The concept of the calorie as a unit of energy had been studied and shared in scientific circles throughout Europe for some time, but it wasnt until World War I that calorie counting became de rigueur in the U.S. Amid global food shortages, the American government needed a way to encourage people to cut back on their food intake, so it issued its first ever scientific diet for Americans, which had calorie counting at its core.

In the following decades, when being rail-thin became ever more desirable, nearly all dieting advice stressed meals that were low calorie. There was the grapefruit diet of the 1930s (in which people ate half a grapefruit with every meal out of a belief that the fruit contained fat-burning enzymes) and the cabbage-soup diet of the 1950s (a flatulence-inducing plan in which people ate cabbage soup every day for a week alongside low-calorie meals).

The 1960s saw the beginning of the massive commercialization of dieting in the U.S. Thats when a New York housewife named Jean Nidetch began hosting friends at her home to talk about their issues with weight and dieting. Nidetch was a self-proclaimed cookie lover who had struggled for years to slim down. Her weekly meetings helped her so muchshe lost 72 lb. in about a yearthat she ultimately turned those living-room gatherings into a company called Weight Watchers. When it went public in 1968, she and her co-founders became millionaires overnight. Nearly half a century later, Weight Watchers remains one of the most commercially successful diet companies in the world, with 3.6 million active users and $1.2 billion in revenue in 2016.

What most of these diets had in common was an idea that is still popular today: eat fewer calories and you will lose weight. Even the low-fat craze that kicked off in the late 1970swhich was based on the intuitively appealing but incorrect notion that eating fat will make you fatdepended on the calorie-counting model of weight loss. (Since fatty foods are more calorie-dense than, say, plants, logic suggests that if you eat less of them, you will consume fewer calories overall, and then youll lose weight.)

Thats not what happened when people went low fat, though. The diet trend coincided with weight gain. In 1990, adults with obesity made up less than 15% of the U.S. population. By 2010, most states were reporting obesity in 25% or more of their populations. Today that has swelled to 40% of the adult population. For kids and teens, its 17%.

Research like Halls is beginning to explain why. As demoralizing as his initial findings were, they werent altogether surprising: more than 80% of people with obesity who lose weight gain it back. Thats because when you lose weight, your resting metabolism (how much energy your body uses when at rest) slows downpossibly an evolutionary holdover from the days when food scarcity was common.

What Hall discovered, howeverand what frankly startled himwas that even when the Biggest Loser contestants gained back some of their weight, their resting metabolism didnt speed up along with it. Instead, in a cruel twist, it remained low, burning about 700 fewer calories per day than it did before they started losing weight in the first place. When people see the slowing metabolism numbers, says Hall, their eyes bulge like, How is that even possible?

The contestants lose a massive amount of weight in a relatively short period of timeadmittedly not how most doctors recommend you lose weightbut research shows that the same slowing metabolism Hall observed tends to happen to regular Joes too. Most people who lose weight gain back the pounds they lost at a rate of 2 to 4 lb. per year.

For the 2.2 billion people around the world who are overweight, Halls findings can seem like a formula for failureand, at the same time, scientific vindication. They show that its indeed biology, not simply a lack of willpower, that makes it so hard to lose weight. The findings also make it seem as if the body itself will sabotage any effort to keep weight off in the long term.

But a slower metabolism is not the full story. Despite the biological odds, there are many people who succeed in losing weight and keeping it off. Hall has seen it happen more times than he can count. The catch is that some people appear to succeed with almost every diet approachit just varies from person to person.

You take a bunch of people and randomly assign them to follow a low-carb diet or a low-fat diet, Hall says. You follow them for a couple of years, and what you tend to see is that average weight loss is almost no different between the two groups as a whole. But within each group, there are people who are very successful, people who dont lose any weight and people who gain weight.

Understanding what it is about a given diet that works for a given person remains the holy grail of weight-loss science. But experts are getting closer.

For the past 23 years, Rena Wing, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, has run the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) as a way to track people who successfully lose weight and keep it off. When we started it, the perspective was that almost no one succeeded at losing weight and keeping it off, says James O. Hill, Wings collaborator and an obesity researcher at the University of Colorado. We didnt believe that was the case, but we didnt know for sure because we didnt have the data.

To qualify for initial inclusion in the registry, a person must have lost at least 30 lb. and maintained that weight loss for a year or longer. Today the registry includes more than 10,000 people from across the 50 states with an average weight loss of 66 lb. per person. On average, people on the current list have kept off their weight for more than five years.

The most revealing detail about the registry: everyone on the list has lost significant amounts of weightbut in different ways. About 45% of them say they lost weight following various diets on their own, for instance, and 55% say they used a structured weight-loss program. And most of them had to try more than one diet before the weight loss stuck.

The researchers have identified some similarities among them: 98% of the people in the study say they modified their diet in some way, with most cutting back on how much they ate in a given day. Another through line: 94% increased their physical activity, and the most popular form of exercise was walking.

Theres nothing magical about what they do, says Wing. Some people emphasize exercise more than others, some follow low-carb diets, and some follow low-fat diets. The one commonality is that they had to make changes in their everyday behaviors.

When asked how theyve been able to keep the weight off, the vast majority of people in the study say they eat breakfast every day, weigh themselves at least once a week, watch fewer than 10 hours of television per week and exercise about an hour a day, on average.

The researchers have also looked at their attitudes and behavior. They found that most of them do not consider themselves Type A, dispelling the idea that only obsessive superplanners can stick to a diet. They learned that many successful dieters were self-described morning people. (Other research supports the anecdotal: for some reason, night owls tend to weigh more than larks.) The researchers also noticed that people with long-term weight loss tended to be motivated by something other than a slimmer waistlike a health scare or the desire to live a longer life, to be able to spend more time with loved ones.

The researchers at the NWCR say its unlikely that the people they study are somehow genetically endowed or blessed with a personality that makes weight loss easy for them. After all, most people in the study say they had failed several times before when they had tried to lose weight. Instead they were highly motivated, and they kept trying different things until they found something that worked for them.

Losing weight and keeping it off is hard, and if anyone tells you its easy, run the other way, says Hill. But it is absolutely possible, and when people do it, their lives are changed for the better. (Hill came under fire in 2015 for his role as president of an obesity think tank funded by Coca-Cola. During his tenure there, the NWCR published one paper with partial funding from Coca-Cola, but the researchers say their study, which Hill was involved in, was not influenced by the soda giants financial support.)

Hill, Wing and their colleagues agree that perhaps the most encouraging lesson to be gleaned from their registry is the simplest: in a group of 10,000 real-life biggest losers, no two people lost the weight in quite the same way.

The Bariatric Medical Institute in Ottawa is founded on that thinking. When people enroll in its weight-loss program, they all start on the same six-month diet and exercise planbut they are encouraged to diverge from the program, with the help of a physician, whenever they want, in order to figure out what works best for them. The program takes a whole-person approach to weight loss, which means that behavior, psychology and budgetnot just biologyinform each persons plan.

We have a plan that involves getting enough calories and protein and so forth, but we are not married to it, says Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, an obesity expert and the medical director of the clinic. We try to understand where people are struggling, and then we adjust. Everyone here is doing things slightly differently.

In most cases, people try a few different plans before they get it right. Jody Jeans, 52, an IT project manager in Ottawa, had been overweight since she was a child. When she came to the clinic in 2007, she was 5 ft. 4 in. tall and weighed 240 lb. Though she had lost weight in her 20s doing Weight Watchers, she gained it back after she lost a job and the stress led her to overeat. Jeans would wake up on a Monday and decide she was starting a diet, or never eating dessert again, only to scrap the plan a couple of days, if not hours, later. Unless youve had a lot of weight to lose, you dont understand what its like, she says. Its overwhelming, and people look at you like its your fault.

A March 2017 study found that people who internalize weight stigma have a harder time maintaining weight loss. Thats why most experts argue that pushing people toward health goals rather than a number on the scale can yield better results. When you solely focus on weight, you may give up on changes in your life that would have positive benefits, says the NIHs Hall.

It took Jeans five years to lose 75 lb. while on a program at Freedhoffs institute, but by paying attention to portion sizes, writing down all her meals and eating more frequent, smaller meals throughout the day, shes kept the weight off for an additional five years. She credits the slow, steady pace for her success. Though shes never been especially motivated to exercise, she found it helpful to track her food each day, as well as make sure she ate enough filling protein and fiberwithout having to rely on bland diet staples like grilled chicken over greens (hold the dressing). Im a foodie, Jeans says. If you told me I had to eat the same things every day, it would be torture.

Natalie Casagrande, 31, was on the same program that Jeans was on, but Freedhoff and his colleagues used a different approach with her. Casagrandes weight had fluctuated throughout her life, and she had attempted dangerous diets like starving herself and exercising constantly for quick weight loss. One time, she even dropped from a size 14 to a size 0 in just a few months. When she signed up for the program, Casagrande weighed 173 lb. At 4 ft. 11 in., that meant she was clinically obese, which means having a body mass index of 30 or more.

Once she started working with the team at the Bariatric Medical Institute, Casagrande also tracked her food, but unlike Jeans, she never enjoyed the process. What she did love was exercise. She found her workouts easy to fit into her schedule, and she found them motivating. By meeting with the clinics psychologist, she also learned that she had generalized anxiety, which helped explain her bouts of emotional eating.

It took Casagrande three tries over three years before she finally lost substantial weight. During one of her relapse periods, she gained 10 lb. She tweaked her plan to focus more on cooking and managing her mental health and then tried again. Today she weighs 116 lb. and has maintained that weight for about a year. It takes a lot of trial and error to figure out what works, she says. Not every day is going to be perfect, but Im here because I pushed through the bad days.

Freedhoff says learning what variables are most important for each personbe they psychological, logistical, food-basedmatters more to him than identifying one diet that works for everyone. So long as we continue to pigeonhole people into certain diets without considering the individuals, the more likely we are to run into problems, he says. Thats why a significant portion of his meetings with patients is spent talking about the persons daily responsibilities, their socioeconomic status, their mental health, their comfort in the kitchen.

Unfortunately, he says, thats not the norm. The amount of effort needed to understand your patients is more than many doctors put in.

In an August op-ed published in the journal the Lancet, Freedhoff and Hall jointly called on the scientific community to spend more time figuring out how doctors can help people sustain healthy lifestyles and less on what diet is best for weight loss. Crowning a diet king because it delivers a clinically meaningless difference in body weight fuels diet hype, not diet help, they write. Its high time we start helping.

Exactly why weight loss can vary so much for people on the same diet plan still eludes scientists. Its the biggest open question in the field, says the NIHs Hall. I wish I knew the answer.

Some speculate its peoples genetics. Over the past several years, researchers have identified nearly 100 genetic markers that appear to be linked to being obese or being overweight, and theres no doubt genes play an important role in how some people break down calories and store fat. But experts estimate that obesity-related genes account for just 3% of the differences between peoples sizesand those same genes that predispose people to weight gain existed 30 years ago, and 100 years ago, suggesting that genes alone cannot explain the rapid rise in obesity.

Whats more, a recent study of 9,000 people found that whether a person carried a gene variation associated with weight gain had no influence on his or her ability to lose weight. We think this is good news, says study author John Mathers, a professor of human nutrition at Newcastle University. Carrying the high-risk form of the gene makes you more likely to be a bit heavier, but it shouldnt prevent you from losing weight.

Another area that has some scientists excited is the question of how weight gain is linked to chemicals we are exposed to every daythings like the bisphenol A (BPA) found in linings of canned-food containers and cash-register receipts, the flame retardants in sofas and mattresses, the pesticide residues on our food and the phthalates found in plastics and cosmetics. What these chemicals have in common is their ability to mimic human hormones, and some scientists worry they may be wreaking havoc on the delicate endocrine system, driving fat storage.

The old paradigm was that poor diet and lack of exercise are underpinning obesity, but now we understand that chemical exposures are an important third factor in the origin of the obesity epidemic, says Dr. Leonardo Trasande, an associate professor of pediatrics, environmental medicine and population health at New York Universitys School of Medicine. Chemicals can disrupt hormones and metabolism, which can contribute to disease and disability.

Another frontier scientists are exploring is how the microbiomethe trillions of bacteria that live inside and on the surface of the human bodymay be influencing how the body metabolizes certain foods. Dr. Eran Elinav and Eran Segal, researchers for the Personalized Nutrition Project at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, believe the variation in diet success may lie in the way peoples microbiomes react to different foods.

In a 2015 study, Segal and Elinav gave 800 men and women devices that measured their blood-sugar levels every five minutes for a one-week period. They filled out questionnaires about their health, provided blood and stool samples and had their microbiomes sequenced. They also used a mobile app to record their food intake, sleep and exercise.

They found that blood-sugar levels varied widely among people after they ate, even when they ate the exact same meal. This suggests that umbrella recommendations for how to eat could be meaningless. It was a major surprise to us, says Segal.

The researchers developed an algorithm for each person in the trial using the data they gathered and found that they could accurately predict a persons blood-sugar response to a given food on the basis of their microbiome. Thats why Elinav and Segal believe the next frontier in weight-loss science lies in the gut; they believe their algorithm could ultimately help doctors prescribe highly specific diets for people according to how they respond to different foods.

Unsurprisingly, there are enterprising businesses trying to cash in on this idea. Online supplement companies already hawk personalized probiotic pills, with testimonials from customers claiming they lost weight taking them.

So far, research to support the probiotic-pill approach to weight loss is scant. Ditto the genetic tests that claim to be able to tell you whether youre better off on a low-carb diet or a vegan one.

But as science continues to point toward personalization, theres potential for new weight-loss products to flood the zone, some with more evidence than others.

When people are asked to envision their perfect size, many cite a dream weight loss up to three times as great as what a doctor might recommend. Given how difficult that can be to pull off, its no surprise so many people give up trying to lose weight altogether. Its telling, if a bit of a downer, that in 2017, when Americans have never been heavier, fewer people than ever say theyre trying to lose weight.

But most people do not need to lose quite so much weight to improve their health. Research shows that with just a 10% loss of weight, people will experience noticeable changes in their blood pressure and blood sugar control, lowering their risk for heart disease and Type 2 diabetestwo of the costliest diseases in terms of health care dollars and human life.

For Ottawas Jody Jeans, recalibrating her expectations is what helped her finally lose weight in a healthyand sustainableway. People may look at her and see someone who could still afford to lose a few pounds, she says, but shes proud of her current weight, and she is well within the range of what a good doctor would call healthy.

You have to accept that youre never going to be a willowy model, she says. But I am at a very good weight that I can manage.

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Why Youre Not Losing Weight On Your Diet | Time

Yoga is a practice that can help build a stronger connection between your mind and body. While there are many types of yoga, some focus more on meditation and mindfulness, and others focus on strength and endurance.

As part of a regular exercise regimen, yoga can help you lose weight because it burns calories. But perhaps the larger benefit of yoga is the potential to increase mindfulness, which can reduce stress and help you live a healthier overall lifestyle.

Yoga is a set of physical, mental, and spiritual practices that help participants focus on their breath and feel more connected to their bodies.

"Yoga includes a heavy emphasis on bringing attention inward," says David Chesworth, ACSM-Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Director at Hilton Head Health. "Breathing is always a part of fitness, but in yoga you're really emphasizing a certain type of breath that you connect with body positions and postures."

There are many different types of yoga, and while they all work on connecting breath with movement, some types of yoga are better suited for certain goals.

As part of a regular exercise routine, yoga can help you lose weight, but it isn't necessarily the best method for everyone.

"When it comes to weight loss, you're gonna burn calories doing yoga, and so, it will help." Chesworth says. "But I wouldn't necessarily say if you're trying to lose weight that yoga is the golden bullet."

In addition to the mental health benefits of yoga, the practice can increase flexibility, strengthen and tone muscles, and enhance mobility.

If you're already physically active, adding yoga to your exercise routine two or three times a week could help with your weight loss goals, Chesworth says. And if you're just starting out, you can aim for once a week and build up from there.

The type of yoga you do also plays a role in weight loss, Johnson says. Some of the more physically demanding styles of yoga, like Vinyasa or Bikram incorporate postures that are more aerobic and weight-bearing, meaning they burn more calories and build more muscle than other types of yoga, and may lead to faster weight loss.

Even just a few weeks of a regular yoga practice can lead to health benefits and weight loss. For example, a 2013 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine showed a 10-day yoga program resulted in weight loss and a reduced risk of heart disease in overweight men. The men in the study had a body mass index (BMI) of 26 or greater and lost an average of 1.9 kg of weight.

Another 2013 study examined the effects of restorative yoga on overweight women and found those who participated in a 48-week yoga program lost more weight over a six month period than those who participated in a stretching program but not yoga. The yoga group lost 34 square centimeters of fat directly under the skin compared to 6 square centimeters for the group that participated in the stretching program.

While yoga may not burn as many calories as other aerobic exercises like jogging or walking, it can increase endurance and strength, which helps with weight loss, Johnson says.

A regular yoga practice can also increase mindfulness and reduce stress, which can help improve nutrition choices and contribute to a healthier lifestyle. For example, yoga may allow you to feel more in touch with your own body and respond better to hunger cues, or have a higher awareness of your eating habits and how to effectively change them.

If you're new to yoga, a good way to start is to reach out to a local studio or hire a yoga instructor.

"With a few lessons from a private instructor, one can learn to perform common breathing exercises and postures, and learn a little more about the history and philosophy of yoga," Johnson says. "An experienced instructor can guide an individual on the proper alignment of the body in the postures based on the individual's unique ability and experience."

If you're already active, but want to incorporate yoga as part of a weight loss plan, try working it in a couple days per week as a supplement to your other workouts, Cheswoeth says. If you feel intimidated by the idea of yoga or you don't have a local studio available to you, you can check out online resources, many of which are free and offer yoga for all types of levels.

Some poses you can start with at home include:

Warrior two pose. Georgeijevic/Getty Images

Start in a wide straddle. Point your right foot 90 degrees to the right and your left foot 10 to 15 degrees to the right as well. Look over your right, middle finger, so both your right foot and eyes are pointing to the right. Lengthen through the arms and bend your front knee so that it's directly over your front heel. This pose can strengthen and build endurance in the legs and outer hips.

Boat pose. Boogich/Getty Images

Sit on your mat and extend your legs in front of you. Bend your knees and lift your feet off the floor so that your shins are parallel to the floor. Extend your arms so they are parallel as well and hold for 30 seconds. This pose will strengthen your hip flexors and abdominal muscles.

Plank pose. Jenna Masoud/Getty Images

Start on all fours, then step your feet back with your heels lifted. Strengthen through your arms as if you're about to do a pushup. Engage the core and hold for 30 seconds. This pose helps strengthen the core and burn belly fat.

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Does yoga help you lose weight? The best types and poses for weight loss - Insider - INSIDER

Certified Personal Trainer

This article was co-authored by Michele Dolan. Michele Dolan is a BCRPA certified Personal Trainer in British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002.

Co-authors: 28

Updated: November 21, 2019

Views:91,732

If youre a woman trying to lose weight fast, eat mostly lean protein, like poultry or eggs, and non-starchy vegetables, like broccoli or green beans, to give your body the nutrition it needs. Try to avoid starchy vegetables, like corn or potatoes, which are higher in carbohydrates. Cooking more at home will help control both portion size and calorie count. You can also try to speed up your metabolism by getting 150-300 minutes a week of cardio and adding two days a week of weight lifting or resistance training. To learn more from our Personal Trainer co-author, such as how to avoid stress and find a diet partner, keep reading the article!

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How to Lose Weight Fast (For Women): 15 Steps (with Pictures)

Dublin, April 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Health and Weight Management Market" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This report represents an important business tool for evaluating technologies, trends, products and market participants in the health and weight management sector. The geographic scope of this study is worldwide. The report identifies the main elements of products, services, and trends in different types of industries.

The Report Includes:

Health is defined as the state of physical, mental and social well-being, in which disease is absent. Indeed, in our modern society, many people are aware of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, including weight management. However, health/weight maintenance is a difficult task for many people due to sedimentary lifestyles. That is why this market has become such a complex and sophisticated industry.

The overall health and weight management market can be divided into a number of sectors such as:

Moreover, the health and weight management industry affects other markets such as the diagnostics sector.

The overall industry offers not just products, equipment and services, but entire lifestyle programs and coaching to improve people's approaches toward nutrition and physical activity.

Obesity is on the rise in many countries (and no longer only in developed countries). Obesity can lead to the onset of other diseases, and therefore has a significant effect on overall healthcare expenses. Physical activity and proper nutrition are becoming integral parts of many modern societies. Therefore, there is a growing need for related services that most people can afford.

Technology has also an effect on this market, in the form of monitoring devices. Moreover, despite privacy concerns, the connection to social media makes this technology a popular trend, especially with millennials.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Summary and Highlights

3 Market Background

4 Fitness Industry: Equipment and Services

5 Monitoring and Weight Management Market

6 Nutrition and Weight Management Programs Market

7 Obesity Medications and Drug Development

8 Other Treatments for Weight Loss and Weight Management

9 Health and Weight Management and Diagnostics Sector

10 Patent Review for Health and Weight Management Market

11 Market Summary

12 Company Profiles

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/wrngf1

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.comLaura Wood, Senior Press Managerpress@researchandmarkets.comFor E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

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Global Health and Weight Management Market (2018 to 2025) - Featuring Fitbit, Gold's Gym International & Jenny Craig Among Others - Yahoo Finance

Potbelly.Beer belly. Muffin top. Spare tire. Regardless of what you call it, excessbelly fat is frustrating.

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services.Policy

For most people, the appearance of excess weight around the midsection is their biggest concern. But obesity medicine specialist W. Scott Butsch, MD, says the bigger issue is the increased health risks that come with belly fat.

Abdominalfat is visceral fat, stubborn fat that surrounds the organs deep within theabdomen. Researchers have proved that excess visceral fat increases a personsrisk of metabolic diseases, including:

Dr.Butsch says belly fat affects men and women differently: Men are more likelyto havemore belly fat (orvisceral fat) than premenopausal women. But aftermenopause, women begin to gain more weight in their abdominal area.

An easy wayto gauge abdominal weight gain is to just pay attention to how your pants fitor the notch on your belt, says Dr. Butsch. If things are tight, then thatmay be an early warning sign of potential health problems.

Waistcircumference correlates to visceral fat. For men, a waist circumferenceapproaching 40 inches indicates increased risk. For women, 35 inches raises ared flag.

Patientswant to know why they cant just do sit-ups to melt away the fat, says Dr.Butsch. When you do sit-ups, youre increasing muscles in the abdomen, butthat doesnt specificallytarget the visceral fat that is around the organsdeeper in the body. Instead, Dr. Butsch recommends these strategies to trim thebelly fat:

Weight lossalone can effectively reduce visceral fat, says Dr. Butsch. By losing 10% ofyour body weight, you may lose up to 30% of your body fat.

Talk to your doctor about a weight-loss method that is right for you. While there are lots of options to choose from, Dr. Butsch recommends you avoid fasting for long periods. Prolonged fasts cause the body to hold onto the visceral fat, making it tougher to lose. If fasting is your jam, an intermittent or time-restricted fasting approach may be more effective for losing belly fat.

Exercises that increase the heart rate and make you sweat help you lose weight in general both visceral fat and the subcutaneous fat under the skin. Aerobic exercise burns overall calories and helps you reduce total body fat.

Dr. Butsch says the key to losing abdominal visceral fat seems to lie in a combination approach. He suggests trying 20 minutes of whole-body strength training plus a cardio routine to strengthen muscle cells and increase fat burn.

Fructose, or sugar, causes fat cells to mature faster, specifically in the visceral fat. A diet filled with fructose-containing sodas or drinks not only increases your calorie intake, but it impacts how the belly fat develops.

If youre feeling stressed out, especially right now that were in the middle of a pandemic, your body is likely releasing the stress hormone, cortisol, into the bloodstream. This can not only lead to weight gain, but theres also a strong link between an increase in cortisol and higher amounts of visceral fat.

Do your best tode-stress if you want to whittle your middle. Dr. Butsch states yoga,meditation, therapy and physical activity as ways to dial down your stresslevel.

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Want to Lose the Belly Fat? - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

Sam told Billboard in 2017: "After the Oscars, I started going out too much, not respecting myself, drinking loads and smoking.

I wasn't looking after myself; I was going into a bit of a spiral. I'd lost contact with friends, with family. It wasn't good."

Sam has been facing criticism after being unfairly compared to Captain Tom, 99, who raised 18m for the NHS.

Trolls blasted the singer for opening up and his emotional difficulties in lockdown.

Most ignorant trolls also took the opportunity to misgender the singer, who uses the pronouns they and them.

One such unkind person said: "Sam Smith posted himself crying on social media for no ones gain but his own. Captain Tom has achieved the near impossible for nothing but to help the NHS. Captain Tom is still doing more for this country than someone who has the following to make a difference. Thats the point."

Another said: "In a world full of Sam Smith's, be Captain Tom."

But fans have urged thoughtless trolls to be kind.

One said: "Captain Tom is amazing, showing so much compassion for the NHS.. Maybe show a little for Sam Smith who clearly isnt coping too well like many of us. #BeKind"

Another said: "Whatever happened to #BeKind that everyone was preaching about last month?!?! Bunch of hypocritesFace with rolling eyes also Captain Tom Moore, you're doing brilliant sweetie. How about cheer him on instead of being a d*** and picking on others!!"

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Sam Smith weight loss: How singer compared to Captain Tom achieved diet transformation - Express

Is green tea good for weight loss?

Research in humans and animals points to a resounding sort of. What that means:

A number of small but respectable clinical trials have found that overweight people who had green teaeither in drinkable form or in extract formlost more weight than people who didnt have any. Science being science, there are also a few studies that showed no benefit from green tea drinks or supplements. Overall, I would say it may assist modestly, says Kristin Kirkpatrick, R.D.N., consultant for Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine for the Cleveland Clinic.

In studies that found a weight-loss benefit in green tea, there was a trend toward weight loss or tea drinkers lost significantly more. But its not usually a total transformation. One small study conducted at Oklahoma State University, for instance, found that people who drank green tea or took green tea extract lost about 1.3 pounds more over 8 weeks than people who drank water. Some studies suggest even decaf green tea may have a benefit.

An older study found that among people who ate regularly and exercised 180 minutes a week, those who drank a beverage with the most biologically active compounds in green tea, called catechins, had a greater percentage change in abdominal fat (belly fat) than did people who got a drink with no catechins.

There are a number of theories on why green teaespecially the main catechin called epigallocatechin gallatemight help you out a bit if youre looking to lose weight.

Its possible that catechins in green tea may actually inhibit carbohydrate digestion and absorption, Kirkpatrick says, citing a report in the journal Scientific Reports that showed lower carb absorption after people downed a green tea extract.

I think some of the most promising ones are looking at green teas effects on the microbiome, she says. Research is increasingly finding that it alters the guts microbiome, and those changes could be what makes it helpful for dropping pounds.

Kirkpatrick gets a lot of questions from her clients on whether trendy matchathe powdered version of green teais as helpful as the green tea leaves that come in teabags or as loose tea. There havent been a ton of studies on matcha alone, she says. But adds that its reasonable to think its just as useful, as green tea comes out of the leaves of the plant, and matcha is made of the ground-up plants.

While numerous studies have looked at green tea extracts taken as supplements, Kirkpatrick urges people to get their green tea from the actual tea itself; in the most whole form possible.

There are more reasons than weight to drink green tea. Kirkpatrick points out the impressive benefits being found regarding green tea and the prevention of cancer. And then there are benefits in possibly preventing heart disease, potential memory benefits and other health boosters in the green stuff.

Weight loss is so multifaceted; green tea is not going to guarantee weight loss, Kirkpatrick says. But as long as youre not getting a sugared-up version of the stuff; green tea doesnt interfere with any medications youre taking; and youre not looking for it to be a weight-loss panacea, then go ahead and drink up.

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The Truth About Green Tea and Weight Loss - Pulse Ghana