Category Archives: Lose Weight Fast

Hollywood told Amy Schumerto lose weight if she wanted to become a successful actress. For a short while, she listened,shedding some pounds for her film Trainwreck.

But as many Amy Schumer stories go, her begrudging acquiescence quickly turned into a giant middle finger. In her stand-up special Amy Schumer: The Leather Special, released Tuesday on Netflix,the comediancandidly addresses the pressures she faced to fit that leading-actress mold.

Im what Hollywood calls, very fat, she said. Somebody, like, explained to me, Just so you know, Amy, no pressure, but if you weigh over 140 lbs, it will hurt peoples eyes.

I just bought it. I was like, Okay, Im new to town, she continued. So I lost weight.

Although Hollywood might have been happy with the results Trainwreck launched her to superstardom Schumer never felt comfortable in her new body type.

I look very stupid skinny. My dumb head stays the same size but then my body, like, shrivels, she said. Nobody likes it. Its not cute on me.

So to remedy the situation, Schumer revenge ate after Trainwreck filming was complete to get back to her original weight.

I feel very good in my own skin, she explained. I feel strong. I feel healthy. I do. I feel sexy.

On that note, it may be time to officially retire revenge body and fully endorse revenge eating as our new mantra. Sorry, Khloe.

View post:
Amy Schumer Thinks She Looked 'Stupid Skinny' After 'Trainwreck' Weight Loss - Huffington Post

Men's Fitness

Why starving yourself won't help you lose weight Men's Fitness We all know the most basic principle of weight loss: You need to burn more calories than you consume. And you have a long road of weight loss ahead of you, it can easily seem like the best way to fast-track this journey is to simply consume a whole lot ...

Follow this link:
Why starving yourself won't help you lose weight - Men's Fitness

Anne Marie Gillooley shares the heartbreaking story of the loss of her son Max and the attempts to rebuild the lives of herself and her husband while keeping their son's memory alive

Just over two years ago I was over 41 weeks pregnant with our first son. I spent those days in January waiting impatiently for the first waves of pain that would tell me we were about to meet him. Instead of those pains, on a stormy Sunday afternoon I noticed an unfamiliar stillness in my straining bump. I didn't panic, I drank some juice and ate a toastie and when that failed to stir him I went to the hospital - just to be sure. In my memory of those moments I wasn't worried as I walked through the hospital doors. I wasn't even worried when the Doppler failed to pick up a heartbeat - I'd had a perfect pregnancy, perfect scans, I was still full of the innocence that healthy babies don't just die. Even when they placed the scanner on my belly and pointed out his perfect motionless heart, I didn't believe it. Denial cushioned my descent into the grief and horror of our loss, of the life-changing experiences that were to come.

I remember the dawning reality of those moments, the look on my husband's ashen face, the realisation that I was still going to have to go through labour to give birth to a dead baby, the horror of that, the revulsion initially at the thought of seeing him and holding him, the absolute blank at the thought of taking pictures.

In the haze of drugs and pain and childbirth I'm not sure when that horror eased, but when Max was born at 5.21pm on the 12th of January, it was not a dead body they placed into my arms. It was my son. His coolness and stillness and silence broke my heart in a way which I believe is irreparable, but his beauty filled me with a love which overwhelmed all else.

I am forever grateful for the hours and days we spent in the hospital with him. I am grateful for the memory my arms retain of the feeling of his weight in them. I treasure each little memento we were encouraged to preserve, his hospital name tag, some clippings of his soft downy hair, the blanket he was gently wrapped in.

Mostly, I am so grateful for the photos which were taken by the incredible [charity] Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. These photos are how we love to remember him, a perfect peaceful sleeping baby. They are our proof to the world, and some days to ourselves, that he was real, that he was beautiful - that he was not a pregnancy gone wrong but a child who died before he got the chance to live. Of course, I wish I had done more with that limited time we had. I wish more people had gotten to meet him, I wish we had felt confident enough to ask to bathe him. I wish I'd taken more time to commit every inch of his little body to my memory, I wish we had managed to get little 3D models of his hands and feet.

At the same time though, I know that even if we'd done all of these things, there would always be a lifetime of regrets. No number of items filling a memory box is a substitute for the lifetime you had planned with your child.

The last two years have passed both in a whirlwind and a crawl. In the early months I cried constantly, I wracked my brain for what I had done wrong, for how I hadn't protected him. I sat in his beautiful room and held his teddies and I wept. I am so thankful that within weeks I started to write, firstly just to give the people around us a sense of where we were, and then because I found it so healing.

My blog has become Max's legacy. I am so thankful that so many people all over the world know about him and care about him because they have read his story and seen his pictures. I am so proud that this writing has helped others in a similar situation feel understood and valid in their pain. It has also really helped people know how to deal with us.

It's not easy - I do get that. I went from being a fixer for the people around me to being so broken and jagged that people can often feel like there is no safe angle from which to approach. I remember only because I can re-read it now, my determination to become a better person because of Max.

I imagined developing this amazing sense of empathy for all sorts of struggle. I was determined not to become bitter, to not develop resentment that in a world full of people who drink and smoke and take drugs through pregnancy can have a healthy baby while I tried to do everything right and still had to say goodbye to my son.

Two years on I think it's fair to say that I'm not quite where I'd have hoped to be on that score. I am angry, I am over-sensitive to anyone slightly complaining about how difficult it is to raise children. I have boundless empathy and love for the countless amazing parents that I have met who have had to say goodbye to their children, but if I'm honest I am more dismissive of many of the other challenges people may have.

There have been surprising beacons of light we have found in the darkness of our loss. The main one is Max, because of him I am determined to live. I want to make his life count. When I see a beautiful place, or write his name on a magical beach I feel like he is closer by, that we are seeing and doing these things on his behalf.

On his six month anniversary, we both did a skydive for the first time in his memory. My relationship with Max's dad has grown so much stronger. I know that is not always the way it goes and for that I am so grateful. Although we are very different people with very different approaches, we have supported each other through or darkest days and moments, and have managed to keep communication open, sometimes through screams, sometimes through tears, but always through love and that common understanding of what we had and what we lost.

As we were told in the very early days of loss, our address book has changed, probably more dramatically than we could have ever anticipated. In the early days people know what to do, they write cards and bring flowers and deliver home cooked meals.

We appreciated, and still do, all of their efforts so much. As time passes people find it more difficult. I think they struggle to know what more to say, how to fix this. Grief is seen in our society as finite. I probably once thought the same. I have lost other people close to me, including my father who was only 57 and died two days after I found out I was pregnant with Max. As much as I have grieved for him and as much as I miss him, the truth is that his loss hasn't changed who I am at the most core level. Max's death has. I am fundamentally not the same person who walked into that hospital innocently that day in January 2015. I can completely understand how people struggle with that, how they have waited patiently for the old me to return and then slowly backed away with the dawning realisation that the old me is probably not coming back.

I understand that being around sadness and anger is exhausting, and although I am disappointed that people have drifted away, I can't say that I wouldn't have been one of them in a different situation. I try to focus on the other side, on the people who are there, who come back again and again, who try to understand, who tell their children about Max, who remember him with us.

All I want from people is to remember Max, to not make him an awkward secret, to speak his name and to remember that he is no less a part of our family after two years than he would have been if he was running around drawing dinosaurs on the walls. It's so common for people to avoid speaking to bereaved parents about their children, often under the claim that "they don't want to upset them".

This is nonsense.

A bereaved parent doesn't forget that their child has died, they live with that reality every waking hour of every day. If you're not sure if they want to talk, ask them. If it's you that can't cope with the conversation that's your choice, but know that it's a selfish one. You might be making for a less awkward chit chat but chances are you are causing huge pain for the parent who just wants their precious child acknowledged.

Two years on, and after a struggle with infertility, we are now 23 weeks pregnant with Max's little sibling. I am terrified, but I am grateful beyond words. I treasure each little kick, each sight of a healthy beating heart on a scan. We are not replacing Max, he will be this baby's big brother, and if we are lucky enough to bring this baby home, they will grow to learn about and love their big brother just as we do.

One of the most surprising things I've learned during this pregnancy is how much pregnant people don't want to hear about stillbirth. I've been advised that it isn't fair on them to share my loss with them, I've overheard them in pregnancy classes talking about how awful it is for an antenatal class to mention the possibility of stillbirth.

Not only is it hurtful beyond description that our experiences and our babies should be regarded as a 'dirty secret', it is also incredibly short-sighted to not spread awareness. So many babies can be saved through awareness of kick counting, of various warning signs of rare but dangerous conditions.

I can only imagine that these women who want to close their ears to our stories feel immune to our loss. People who've had stillbirths are not different in any way, we have just been dealt a cruel blow by life. We are your sister, your friend, your doctor, your midwife, your teacher, your shop assistant, your accountant. We will live with the unfounded but very real guilt of not delivering our babies safely into the world for the rest of our lives, please don't add to it by forcing our stories into dark corners and whispered words.

If you are a bereaved parent reading this, I am so very sorry for your loss. I wish I could tell you a timeline when the pain will ease, but grief like this doesn't work like that. It is messy and complicated. The greatest advice I can give you is to get support. In a world which unfortunately doesn't really get it, there is a massive community of people who, unfortunately, do. We will take you as you are, broken and angry, we will love your baby with you, remember them with you.

We will never start a sentence which talks about the loss of your child with 'at least'. Your baby is no less important for never having taken a breath in this world. You are no less parents for visiting a graveside rather than a playground. I went to my first Fileacin meeting only two weeks after Max's death and am forever grateful for the continued support and understanding of a community of parents who stand together in tears and in laughter, in good days and in bad.

To Max, who made me a mother. I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, so long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.

* Read Anne Marie's blog at l4stars.wordpress.com.

You can also check out feileacain.ie for advice and support for everyone effected by stillbirth.

Read more: 15 ways you can offer support to someone who has lost a baby

INM is putting together a dedicated section on independent.ie where women of all ages can share their stories of miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death. The section will serve as a testament to the women who share their stories, a memorial for the babies lost and as a resource for other women who have gone through or are going through the experience. Your stories can be anonymous or on the record and nothing will be published in any format without prior consultation with you. If you would like to be part of this and tell your story, email Yvonne Hogan at yhogan@independent.ie

Health & Living

Read the original:
'It was not a dead body they placed into my arms - it was my son' - Mum on the loss of her baby at 41 weeks - Irish Independent

We are truly a blessed generation to be born in the era of sexting. An upgrade from its older computer-generation sibling, cybersex, sexting is a magical wonderland where you can connect with your significant other by sharing erotic messages and nude pictures of each other without a care in the world. But like most magical wonderlands, even sexting has its hidden, lurking monsters. A small goof up has the power to smear your good name, or worse, put you in jail. So follow this seven-step rule and enjoy sexting, tension free!

Be wary of the persons age. Always do a background check before you sext the person. Check their social media page or ask their friends for clues. If you sext an under aged person, you may end up in prison. Better safe than sorry.

Crop out your face or anything that gives your identity away. You may trust the person with your life, but sometimes when things have to go wrong, they will! Their phone might end up in the wrong hands or hackers may leak those images. So stay safe and crop your face out of the pictures.

Always sext sober. This is a no brainer, but drunk sexting is a big no-no! The morning-after regret of an embarrassing sext is irreversible. So do yourself a favour and lay off your phone once you are drunk. Plus, in an inebriated state, you dont want to send your pictures to your family Whatsapp group.

Use a secure device. Your phone might be uploading your images to the cloud storage as soon as they are clicked. When you erase an image from your phone, it could still be present in your cloud folder. Check your phones default settings before you click any pictures.

Clean as you go. This is not just a maxim for the hospitality industry but also for those reckless sexters who dont delete evidence. If you dont want your friends or family seeing the remnants of your hot textual escapades, kindly delete the pictures and the racy messages once you are done.

Remove EXIF data. So you have cleverly cropped out your picture before sending a nudie to your person, but you could still be giving away your identity. You might unwittingly end up exposing yourself if you dont delete the metadata from your pics. Some cameras come equipped with geotags which tell where the picture was taken. If you use Windows, right click on your images, go to properties and details. There will a highlighted link on the bottom that reads Remove Properties and Personal Information click on it.

Use an app that secures your privacy. Sometimes, people are just plain mean and we are too paranoid for our own good! For us, there are sexting-safe apps like Bleep which are completely private. The messages sent here disappear soon after they are read, leaving no trace of your sexting history!

Published: March 6, 2017 11:16 am

Disclaimer: TheHealthSite.com does not guarantee any specific results as a result of the procedures mentioned here and the results may vary from person to person. The topics in these pages including text, graphics, videos and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only and not to be substituted for professional medical advice.

More:
Do you practice safe sext? 8 rules for sexting safely - TheHealthSite

One of these guys is famous and theyre both sweating (Image: AP)

Every dayyoull see another post about jumpstarting your metabolism. Maybe it will tell you to eator avoid certain foods, or maybe just to try a new exercise routine.

But few of these articles are backed by solid science. You cant give your metabolism a sudden jumpstart that turns you into a fat-burning, super lean fitness monster. You can, however, live a less shitty lifestyle that causes you to burn more energy more quickly. There arent quick fixes with immediate resultsthats why they call it changing your lifestyle.

The word metabolism just refers to all of the chemical reactions going on in your body at the same time, including digestion but also turning sugars into energy, building proteins, and doing the rest of the chemistry that keeps you alive. Your body combines all these processes to sustain itself and to maintain homeostasis: a constant state of fuel in, energy and waste out, keeping the proper levels of the chemicals you need in check.

Those googling the word metabolism are likely interested in losing weight or living a healthier lifestyle, and therefore focusing on the chemical reactions involved in digestion and eating. When it comes those parts of metabolism, homeostasis means: If it takes 1500 calories to run your body on a given day and do some exercise, your body wants to keep that 1500 level, Jo Zimmerman, Instructor in Kinesiology at the University of Maryland School of Public Health explained to Gizmodo. Sure, the rate at which your body uses fuel to create energy increases while you eat or exercise, but it returns back to normal once youre back at rest.

In other words, your body doesnt want to change its weight. Its remarkably stable, Zimmerman said.

That means most foods dont cause a meaningful change in your metabolic rate, nor does that rate generally change over time. One exception: Once youre fully grown your body uses less energy, Sarah Kuzmiak-Glancy, assistant professor in Kinesiology from the University of Maryland School of Public Health told Gizmodo. But that decrease in your daily energy requirement doesnt explain the slow weight gain people might associate with getting older. That comes from inactivity.

People say oh, my metabolism slowed down as soon as I hit 30. No, it didnt slow down a whole lot, said Zimmerman. Your activity level slowed down. You werent in college, playings sports after work with your friends, said Zimmerman. We slow down our physical activity. Were not burning as many calories. Thats our creeping weight gain.

So, here you are, out of college hoping to jumpstart your metabolism, trying to avoid packing on the pounds because youve reached your final adult height and dont have time to stay active. Everyone I spoke with said there were two ways to appreciably raise your metabolic rate: Either you can eat food, which causes your body to start using energy, or you can exercise. Caffeine and maybe even capsaicin, the molecule that makes peppers taste spicy, can make your body use up energy a little faster for a short amount of time, said Shawn Arent, Director of The New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health Center for Health and Human Performance at Rutgers University. Youre not talking 24 hour regulation, he said. Theres not a huge change in metabolic response. maybe its dozens, not hundreds of calories more energy used. Capsaicins effects might also come from suppressing the appetite, causing you to eat less, according to a New York Times report.

Ephedrine-based weight loss drugs work similarly to caffeine since ephedrine is a stimulant with a molecular structure a lot like methamphetamine. Ephedrine only offers a handful of pounds per year worth of lost weight from the added effects of a little faster metabolism, said Arent.

And, just because eating speeds up the rate at which your body does stuff doesnt mean eating breakfast, a major claim of many of those metabolism jumpstart links above, will suddenly turn you into a slim and trim health fiend. Theres nothing magical about breakfast, said Zimmerman. She pointed out that insidious homeostasis keeps your metabolism in check throughout the day when you arent eating, insidious in that your body would rather not lose weight. You should still eat breakfast, but not with weight loss as a goal. It just so happens that eating meals gives you the energy you need to survive.

So, there are no metabolism jumpstarts. Everyone I spoke to explained that if your goal is losing weight, its a slow process requiring lifestyle and habit changeseating less, eating healthier and exercising more. Assuming youre currently at a state of energy-in-equals-energy-out, Glancy recommended for one pound per week of weight loss, you would have to cut your diet down by 500 calories every day. I always promote 250 calories of caloric restriction, not eating dessert, and 250 calories of additional activity. High protein diets seem to positively affect body composition according a few studies by Jose Antonio, assistant professor in exercise and sports science at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, though the companies donating protein powder to those studies are also sponsors to the journals conferenceso we take the results with a grain of salt. Finally, complete restriction diets dont work for anyone. You must eat.

Cutting some food out of your diet without adding some form of exercise also isnt optimal. While adding muscle wont significantly raise the metabolism, said Arent, If youre losing weight and lose muscle it has a negative impact on the metabolism, he said. That means strength training like weightlifting is important for maintaining a lower weight. Losing muscle weight can make it more likely to regain fat later.

Glancy added one caveat, citing a study I reported on previously. We dont completely know how the gut microbiome, all of the bacteria that live inside of our digestive tract, fits in with all of this, she said. Its possible that our long term eating habits might change the diversity of the bacteria living in our gut, and we might be able to change the way those bacteria aid in our digestion. It seems like that might be a possibility, she said, but were not there yet in our understanding of how microbiome composition relates to function. Plus, the diet thats best for those bacteria is probably one with more vegetables and fewer refined sugars, the one doctors and nutritionists would recommend anyway.

In short, people make money from selling supplements, they make money from convincing you youre fat, and they make money telling you that there are ways to not be fat by buying their product or listening to their advice. But if youre living unhealthily, there arent jumpstarts or quick fixes to a healthy lifestyle. You have to actually change your habits.

See more here:
There's No Easy Way to 'Jumpstart Your Metabolism' - Gizmodo

CATERS

Vanessa De Bartolo, 28, from Ferntree Gully, Victoria, Australia, weighed 152kgs (24st) at her heaviest and was a size 26, thanks to a diet laden with fast food and fizzy drinks.

At 18 she began training to become a nurse and got a part time job in McDonalds, where she ballooned eating the fatty burgers and fries throughout her shifts.

By the time she landed her first job, she was too big to fit into the standard nursing scrubs and had to order them in 5XL online to fit oversee bulging frame.

It was only when she was forced to wear a seatbelt extension on a plane because of her size and was continually humiliated by her patients who made cruel comments about her weight, that she was finally motivated to change.

After joining her local Fernwood Fitness and cutting junk from her diet, shes spent the last six-years losing a huge 70kgs (11 stone) naturally, and has slimmed to a svelte size 12.

CATERS

It was tough being a nurse that was extremely overweight. My patients would often look at me funny or question if I was qualified to be giving health advice, considering I had my own obvious issues.

Vanessa said: It was tough being a nurse that was extremely overweight. My patients would often look at me funny or question if I was qualified to be giving health advice, considering I had my own obvious issues.

I was even called fat by a few people I was trying to help and it was really disheartening. I knew I ate way more food than I should but Id just shrug off the mean remarks and eat more.

Even though Id always been bigger as a kid, my issue with food had really spiralled when I got a part-time job at Maccas while studying.

Id graze on the greasy burgers and fries throughout my shift and guzzled heaps of coke. If I closed up at night, Id even take a few Big Macs home.

By the time I qualified, I was a size 26 and was riddled with health issues. I knew I couldnt go on any longer.

GettyWENN

1 of 19

Former Emmerdale star, Lisa Riley, shed an incredible 10 stone in less than a year having given up alcohol in 2015

CATERS

At the higher of her issues with food, Vanessa confesses to sneaking out at night to get her greasy fix.

She said: Id go home after a shift and eat dinner with my family, then Id make up an excuse to go out just so I could grab a Maccas or some other sort of junk. I also loved fizzy drinks and could easily get through two to three litres a day. I was out of control and had no will power.

Things only took a dramatic turn for the young healthcare professional when she was called out on the sustainability to be giving health advice.

Vanessa said: There was no denying I was unhealthy and overweight. I had to order 5XL scrubs as regular ones didnt fit and just walking from one side of the hospital to the other left me breathless.

If ever I was advising a patient about their nutrition, I could always see their eyebrows raise in disbelief. One even asked me how I could be qualified to give advice when I clearly didnt follow it myself.

CATERS

Vanessa decided to become a member of her local Fernwood Fitness and made changes to her diet, cutting out fast food and fizzy drinks.

Shes now lost 70kgs (11 stone) and wears size M scrubs to work, which has left her feeling copletel at ease around her patients.

She said: My cravings for food still come and go, but Ive learnt to control them and I feel better than ever as a result.

My weight loss has left me with some saggy skin, but because my weight loss was slow and steady, its really not too bad.

Being healthy has made me a better nurse and a happier person. It was the best decision Ive ever made.

Steve Miller wants 'Fat Causes Cancer' labels on junk food after obesity was linked to the disease.

View original post here:
Weight loss - nurse too big for 5XL scrubs sheds a whopping 11 stone doing THIS - Express.co.uk

JOLIET Joliet didnt lose a ton, but it lost a lot.

The Joliet Weight Loss Challenge ended last week with participants shedding a collective 1,463 pounds.

Thats a lot of pounds. But its not a ton, or 2,000 pounds.

The Joliet Park District, which has organized the program at the start of the year for four years, targets a ton of weight loss, which has led to the effort being dubbed Lose a Ton.

Over the last four years we lost over 8,000 pounds, which amounts to a ton a year, said Gina Rodriguez, fitness superintendent for the park district.

In 2016, the collective weight loss reached 2,416 pounds, the most for the program so far.

Maybe people just have less to give.

If they gave us 12 pounds last year, they cant give us 12 pounds every year, Rodriguez said.

There still were some big losers, which means they were winners.

The Joliet Park District awards prizes each year to the male and female participants who lose the highest percentages of their body weight.

Biggest losers this year were Maureen Pulaski of Shorewood at 15.32 percent and Bart Zimmer of Joliet at 14.3 percent.

The goal of the program is to increase fitness awareness.

Participants weigh in at the start of the program, which was Jan. 16, and with the advice of park district nutritionists and trainers if they want it, seek to lose pounds by the end of the program, which was Thursday night.

This year, 620 people weighed in. Only 277 weighed out. But the numbers weighing out are always much lower than those who start the program.

If we got over 600 people to step on a scale, thats great, Rodriguez said. Thats what were trying to do create awareness.

Follow this link:
Joliet Weight Loss Challenge participants don't lose a ton, but they do lose a lot - The Herald-News

Dr. Blackburn spent nearly his entire career at what is now Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

As a surgeon, researcher, and educator, Dr. George L. Blackburn led the way in studying how poor nutrition contributed to the nations growing obesity epidemic, and pioneered gastric bypass surgery for weight loss in New England.

It has taken 61 years from the start of weight loss surgery until today to acknowledge obesity as a disease, he wrote in an essay in the medical journal Bariatric Times published in 2015.

Advertisement

Dramatic increases in population-wide obesity have led to a global public health crisis that demands the best that those of us in the fields of science and medicine can offer to treat the disease, and alleviate the pain and suffering of those afflicted by it, he added.

Dr. Blackburn, who spent nearly his entire career at what is now Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, died of cancer Feb. 20 in his Boston home. He was 81.

Get Today's Headlines in your inbox:

The day's top stories delivered every morning.

He just kept working. He was fixated on solving major health problems, his daughter Amy of Natick said. What was quite clear to us these last few weeks was just how much my dad loved life. He just could not get enough time.

Dr. Blackburn, who was the S. Daniel Abraham professor of nutrition at Harvard Medical School, directed the Center for the Study of Nutrition Medicine at Beth Israel, where he also directed the Feihe Nutrition Laboratory.

At his memorial service last month, his friend and colleague Dr. Elliot Chaikof said in a eulogy that it is simply impossible to do justice to the enormous contributions that Dr. Blackburn made over his long career to medicine, to the fields of surgical metabolism and clinical nutrition, and to our department of surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Advertisement

Chaikof, who chairs the surgery department, added that if George Blackburn taught us anything it was the Power of One: a single teacher who can touch a generation of students at home and abroad; a single surgeon who can advance a field and not himself; a single clinician who can improve the health and well-being of a nation.

Dr. Blackburn, however, also taught us that life was not a solo act, Chaikof said. He taught us the power of teamwork, and partnership, and collaboration. He taught us the power of building bridges across departments, across disciplines, across cultures, and to leaders outside the walls of the university.

At the outset of the 1970s, working with Dr. Bruce Bistrian at what was then New England Deaconess Hospital, Dr. Blackburn codirected the groundbreaking Nutrition Support Service, a dedicated multidisciplinary team of surgeons, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and dietitians, he wrote in the Bariatric Times essay.

As a surgeon, researcher, and educator, Dr. Blackburn led the way in studying how poor nutrition contributed to the nations growing obesity epidemic.

At the time, protein-calorie malnutrition was widespread, Dr. Blackburn wrote. Our research showed that it affected 50 percent of medical and surgical patients in municipal hospitals, an outcome that drew attention to the issue and changed the practice of nutritional support around the world.

Dr. Blackburn pioneered intravenous ways to deliver nutrients to patients.

His science and research were foundational for professional organizations for which he was a founding member or leader, including The Obesity Society and the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

He also was among the first investigators for the Look AHEAD for Action for Health in Diabetes clinical trials that were part of his research until his death.

In 1973, he performed the first gastric bypass for weight loss surgery in New England, he recalled in a 2008 interview with Bariatric Times.

When he had trained as a physician and surgeon, Obesity was not part of medical education at that time, Dr. Blackburn said.

What was known about both medical and surgical treatment was misdirected; the focus was on the elimination of all excess body weight, he added. The physiology and metabolism of obesity were essentially unknown.

The youngest of three siblings, Dr. Blackburn was born in McPherson, Kan., and grew up in Joplin, Mo., a son of George Blackburn and the former Betty Warick.

Dr. Blackburns father for a time ran a company that sold equipment such as tractors and was known as the only person in Joplin who read the Wall Street Journal daily, Amy said.

Dr. Blackburn graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelors degree in chemistry and served in the Navy before attending the universitys School of Medicine so that he could use the GI Bill to help pay for his graduate studies. He was very adamant that he pay his own way, Amy said.

After receiving a medical degree from the University of Kansas and training in surgery at Boston City Hospital, Dr. Blackburn used a National Institutes of Health fellowship to pursue additional graduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He graduated with a doctorate in nutritional biochemistry.

As the field of weight loss surgery began to grow rapidly, Dr. Blackburn was a leader in setting best practice standards to curb the risk of medical errors.

He cochaired the states first expert panel on weight loss surgery through the Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety and Medical Error Reduction.

At Harvard Medical School, he directed a continuing medical education program in practical approaches to the treatment of obesity. That program evolved into an international conference that bears his name.

His many honors included receiving the Grace Goldsmith Award from the American College of Nutrition in 1988 and the Goldberger Award in Clinical Nutrition from the American Medical Association in 1998.

In 2013, he received the Master of the American Board of Obesity Medicine award, and the following year, Beth Israel named its bariatric surgical service after him.

A prolific author of scholarly articles who also wrote the mass-market book Break Through Your Set Point: How to Finally Lose the Weight You Want and Keep It Off, Dr. Blackburn had a legendary work ethic. Wed get e-mails from him at 4 in the morning, Amy said. You just knew this guy never rests.

Dr. Blackburns first marriage, to Dona L. Seacat, ended in divorce. Along with their daughter, Amy, they have two sons, David of Needham and Matthew of Denver.

In 1986, Dr. Blackburn married Susan Kelly, with whom he had a daughter, Vali Blackburn Udin of Maryland.

A service has been held for Dr. Blackburn, who in addition to his wife, four children, and former wife, leaves 10 grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

George always had a plan, Chaikof recalled in his eulogy. Actually, he had black binders full of plans. I received one the day I arrived at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and received many since. His plans were always spot on.

In a note to Dr. Blackburns family, Chaikof added that his friend passed along enough binders and assignments not only to keep me busy for the next few years but likely the next two or three chairs of surgery and probably a dean or two at Harvard Medical School. ... His loss will be felt by all of us for a very long time. It will be a hole we will not fill.

See more here:
Dr. George L. Blackburn, 81, pioneering weight-loss surgeon - The Boston Globe

When you're trying to lose weight, get into shape or manage a condition like type 2 diabetes, it can be confusing to choose from the 20 different diets that all promise superb health and massive weight loss.

One diet that has gained popularity of late is the ketogenic diet, also known as the 'keto diet', a strict low carb, high fat way of eating.

To find out more about the keto diet, The Huffington Post Australia spoke to two health experts.

"The keto diet is basically a very low-carb diet to encourage the body to use fat as fuel instead of glucose," nutritionist Fiona Tuck told HuffPost Australia. "The lower the carbohydrate intake, the quicker the body enters a fat burning state."

The diet promotes eating fewer than 50 grams of carbohydrates a day to encourage the body into a state of ketosis, where the body is almost completely fuelled by fat (rather than glucose in the form of carbohydrates).

"When we dramatically limit carbohydrate intake, the body needs to look for an alternate fuel source, calling on the body to convert its supply of fat to glucose, a process called ketosis," Tuck said.

"Ketosis produces ketone bodies which are produced from the breakdown of fats in the liver. When the body calls on fat stores to supply energy, we lose weight.

"Some keto diets promote as little as 15-20 grams of carbohydrates a day. Carbohydrates are contained in a variety of foods such as bread, rice, pasta, whole grains, fruits and starchy vegetables."

According to nutritionist Anthony Power, by drastically reducing cabrohydrates in the diet, increasing fat and pushing the body into ketosis, the body uses a more stable source of fuel.

"The ketogenic diet is producing an alternative fuel for the body, not fuelling primarily on glucose from carbohydrates. It's fuelling on the breakdown of fat. We don't need outside glucose," Power said.

"A few thousand years ago, the body needed to be able to breakdown our own fat, or fat in animal products, to fuel our brain and body. And it did that by ketones."

Fat also has a much smaller impact on blood sugar levels, Power added, especially compared to carbohydrates and protein.

While giving up carbs sounds like an impossible feat, there are two significant pros for the ketogenic diet.

"The positives -- it's a quick and reliable way to lose weight quickly," Tuck said. "So it's better suited to someone that needs to lose weight quickly in a short period of time. For example, a morbidly obese person in need of medical intervention."

Because fat does not impact insulin the way carbohydrates too, Power said the ketogenic diet is ideal for people who are diabetic or insulin resistant. Research is proving this to be effective, too.

"The World Health Organisation currently estimates that 400 million people worldwide have diabetes -- nearly half a billion people," Power said. "Why? Because eating carbohydrates (which converts to glucose) then increases our blood sugar, increases our insulin, leads to weight gain and eventually heart disease and diabetes.

"The majority of patients I use the ketogenic diet for are diabetics, those with heart disease and gastrointestinal tract issues (reflux, constipation, bloating), and they've had great results when they reduce their carbohydrates."

According to Tuck, following a ketogenic diet can be potentially damaging to health, particularly in terms of nutritional deficiencies.

"If followed under medical supervision for a short period of time, it can be very successful. However, long term is not recommended due to potential side effects," Tuck said.

"Side effects of a long term ketogenic diet can include muscle loss, dizziness, loss of mental clarity and focus, kidney damage and acidosis.

"Cutting out food groups for a long period of time may also put the body at risk of nutritional deficiencies. Limiting carbohydrate intake means a higher fat and protein intake, leading to possible over-consumption of saturated fats and proteins."

Due to the strict nature of the diet, following a ketogenic diet can also be isolating and unsustainable.

"Cutting out carbohydrates to the degree that is required for the body to go into ketosis makes the diet very limited and potentially antisocial to follow," Tuck said.

Before starting any diet, it's important to see a GP, particularly those with health conditions, who are elderly, pregnant, on medication and who have a high intensity job and rely on mental alertness or physical exertion.

"Whatever diet you start, do it for a reason and have an endpoint," Power explained.

And if you don't need to diet, don't.

"If you're getting along fine in terms of the food you're eating, your body is not inflamed, you're not diabetic, you're not overweight, then terrific. But for those 400 million patients in the world today, putting them on a carbohydrate restricted diet works."

The main principles of the keto diet is a reduction of carbs to 50 grams or fewer, and an increase in fats.

"The ideal fat is grass-fed meat and butter, olive oil, avocado, oily fish, nuts and seeds -- not having mountains of highly processed vegetable oils or margarine that have been highly treated," Power said.

A person can check whether they're actually in a state of ketosis through urine testing strips as well as through blood and breath tests.

Power does warn people against starting the ketogenic diet without supervision or properly researching (researching online for 10 minutes doesn't count).

"That's the problem. Patients can feel pretty bad -- achy, irritable, poor sleep, cramping," Power told HuffPost Australia. "But they haven't increased their sodium, potassium or magnesium.

"When you go on a ketogenic diet, your body does change, including levels of electrolytes, potassium, sodium and magnesium. You're changing in a positive way but for many patients, for the first few weeks (especially those who are diabetic or have blood sugar issues) you have to really monitor it."

Even still, the ketogenic diet may not work for you.

"Everyone responds differently. You may lose 30 kilos, your best friend may lose three kilos and feel horrible. It's such an individual thing," Power said.

"It's not 'no carbohydrates' forever. It's just finding what amount is good for you and finding that sweet spot."

ALSO ON HUFFPOST AUSTRALIA

Go here to see the original:
Here's A Simple Explainer On The Ketogenic Diet - Huffington Post South Africa (blog)

IF YOU want to shed pounds without dieting, grab a piece of fruit and try this super speedy slimming hack.

GETTY

We can all be guilty of mindlessly munching our way through huge portions or junk food snacks.

But a five-minute trick, using nothing else but a sultana, could help you re-establish a healthy relationship with food.

The practice of mindful eating teaches people to eat better and binge less, so you can revamp habits without having to diet.

Charlotte Thaarup, Australian clinical mindfulness consultant and director of The Mindfulness Clinic, has revealed that a sultana exercise can do wonders for your waistline.

Good news dieters! The 23 foods that contain NO calories because you burn more than you consume as you eat

1 / 23

APRICOTS - Calorie content: 12 kcals per apricotEating apricots is said to help reduce the risk of strokes, and heart attacks. They're also full of vitamin C, potassium and dietary fibre, which all promote good heart health

Heres what you have to do:

1. Firstly pick up a sultana and spend five minutes using your five senses with it

2. Look at it, noticing the texture and colour

3. Feel it in your hand

4. Smell it

5. Taste it, rolling it around your tongue and noticing how it feels between your teeth

Mindful eating is based on Buddhist principles of meditation and control to help you notice your thoughts, feelings and sensations during mealtimes while appreciating your food instead of unconsciously shovelling it in your mouth.

Writing on her website, Charlotte said: Whether you want to lose weight, call a truce in the war with your dear body, change your relationship with food, or reduce your daily stress by making healthier choices.

We cant pay full attention to the experience of the food in our mouth if at the same time we are stacking our fork or spoon.

20 fat-burning foods that help you lose weight

1 / 20

Avacodo - includes monosaturated fatty acids that are more likely to be used as slow burning energy than stored as body fat

How to Lose Weight Well: The Baby Food Diet explained

Strongman competitor Hafthor Bjrnsson reveals incredible

The Sirtfood Diet switches on the so-called skinny gene

Here are some of Charlottes other top tips for mindful eating:

Put your cutlery down in between mouthfuls

Notice your thought processes as you eat

Make meals memorable by laying the table nicely

Eat slowly

Sit at a table rather than in front of the TV

Keep a food diary

Read the original here:
This five-minute trick can help you lose weight without dieting - Daily Star