Category Archives: Lose Weight Fast

Lindsey Witte, who currently goes by Lindsey Kay, continues to document her weight-loss journey on social media, including a private group on Facebook called Second Chance Success The Real Lindsay Witte, and more recently, over on TikTok. In a September 19 post, she said she'd lost over 350 pounds from her high of 640, so she's under 290 now. And in a November 13 video, she said, "I still have a little ways to go, so you've just got to keep on keeping on. You've got to switch things up and just really, really stay positive. It's a journey, it's not a quick fix."

Although in mid-2020, Lindsey shut down rumors that she and Paul were having marital troubles (via The Cinemaholic), the situation has changed. In an October TikTok, Lindsey announced that they were divorced. As those who have watched the episode know, Paul struggled with his own addiction issues, in his case with alcohol. While Lindsey moved to Houston to continue her progress, he stayed behind and apparently had an affair with an old girlfriend. Lindsey said she was determined not to let herself, her loved ones, and her fans down despite this setback. "Failure is not an option," she said.

She's been showcasing some humor, additional confidence, and other aspects of her personality online it turns out she can even sing! It's great to see that she's thriving, interacting with her fans, and getting closer to her goal. And by the way, although there was talk about Lindsey filming a follow-up episode (per Starcasm, from January 2021) that has not materialized yet, there's still hope that could come.

View post:
What Happened To Lindsey Witte From My 600-Lb Life - Looper

Tips to get fit in the New Year - "Just get started"

Personal trainer Matt Pagano says setting realistic goals and persevering are keys to success.

SHAWN DOWD/@sdowdphoto/staff photographer

Were coming up on that time of year when holiday indulgences give way to annual fitness resolutions, many of which fizzle due to impatience and unrealistic expectations, local health experts say.

We do see a lot of people all year round looking to get healthier, but theres still that stereotypical new year, new me attitude, said Lauren Nichols, a registered dietician with Hartford HealthCare. People put a lot of pressure on themselves to make a lot of changes all at once. That doesnt really stick.

She said an individual embarking on a new healthy lifestyle plan should first ask themselves why they want a change.

Is it to lose weight because theyre uncomfortable and want to feel better? she asked. Or is it to look like someone else and somehow think losing weight will make everything about their life better which arent really the right reasons.

Nichols said people achieve higher and more long-lasting nutritional success by taking an incremental approach to eating and exercise.

Spending time with family:Jason Bakoulis steps down as Norwich Free Academy football coach

Focus on adding more fruits and vegetables to a meal and pay attention to your hunger cues instead of jumping into a diet, a word that carried a lot of tension, she said. Food is morally neutral. Theres no good or bad food. It all does something. Some have more vitamins or fiber and others give you quick energy and taste good. Its about finding a balance in eating that becomes a habit and lifestyle.

Though everybodys metabolism and baseline health is different, Nichols said a typical meal should consist of a quarter each of proteins animal-based or beans or tofu and whole grains, like wild rice or mashed potatoes, the kinds of foods that instill a feeling of fullness. The other half should be taken up by vegetables and fruits, resulting in a good balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat.

Holiday fun in Connecticut this weekend: Wreath-making, karaoke with craft beer and storytelling

But remember to be gentle with yourself, Nichols said. Dont skip meals because you might be going to a big gathering later in the day. Youll just go there super hungry. Listen to your body and try to figure out if youre eating because youre truly hungry or its a habit because there are a lot of other people around you eating.

Nichols also suggested switching the focus away from calories to ingredients.

Counting calories can be tedious and difficult to maintain, she said. And when they dont see results right away, people throw their hands up in the air in frustration. Its those small changes, like throwing in an extra handful of vegetables into a salad or putting some chopped tomatoes into your scrambled eggs, that helps. Its about adding and not taking away.

Usually, a new weight-loss regime includes vows to exercise more, resolutions that historically translate to a jump in first-time gym memberships.

But without some basic planning, those new members tend to drift away before the spring crocuses emerge, said Jolene Bowers, owner of the Summit Fitness and Sports gym in Norwich.

The first quarter of the year is the best quarter for all gyms they race through the doors, she said. But if we dont do our best to retain them, we lose 60% of those new members within 90 days.

6-week-old infant:A Griswold mother accused of killing her baby had pending felony case at time of arrest

Bowers said the same statistics apply to those beginning an at-home fitness plan.

Those treadmills end up being coat-racks very quickly, she said. We want people to be realistic and understand up front this is a lifestyle change that takes time. We dont scare them by telling them they need to be here seven days a week thats not realistic. And it takes up to three months for them to really see results and see their energy increase.

Alexa Helwig, a personal trainer and nutritional coach at Summit, spends much of her days working with clients from every point on the fitness spectrum.

Theres not a quick fix to achieving fitness, she said. You cant just cut carbs for two weeks and expect to keep any results. It needs to be lifestyle and habit changes.

Helwig, a self-described goof-ball in the gym, said making new clients comfortable is a crucial step.

That helps offset any awkward feelings or lack of self-confidence, she said. Ill usually work with them in the back functional area and work to find realistic fitness goals. If someone says they want to lose 50 pounds in a short amount of time, I might encourage them extend that timeline."

Helwig says fitness newbies should avoid the numbers trap.

The scale isnt a realistic indicator of health, she said. Muscle weighs more than fat, so a persons weight means nothing. A better indicator is checking if their clothes feel better on them or have them take progress photos.

Helwig said she recommends a three-times-per-week workout that includes a combination of weights and steps. She said the weight work gives that toned look that simple weight loss doesnt provide.

The Lindquist family:Ex-girlfriend's outburst leads to second call for mistrial in Griswold triple murder case

Helwig warned new gym-goers to concentrate on improving their own bodies rather than striving for an unrealistic ideal. She said Instagram and other media representations, with their professional lighting and unnatural poses, can be wildly deceiving.

You want to look like you and to do that, start slow and create those workout habits, she said. I try to make the experience fun and tell clients to focus on being 1% better tomorrow than today.

John Penney can be reached at jpenney@norwichbulletin.com or at(860) 857-6965.

Excerpt from:
Looking to get - and stay - fit? Experts recommend patience and consistency - Norwich Bulletin

Mehmet Oz, the celebrity heart surgeon who announced he will run for Pennsylvania's open U.S. Senate seat, is among the best-known doctors in the country.

But on his popular television program, "The Dr. Oz Show," the 61-year-old often offers misleading or downright untrue medical advice.

Though he has used his platform to promote well-accepted health advice for instance, hosting a renowned scientist to debunk the myth that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines alter our DNA he's been widely criticized by doctors, scientists, and lawmakers for peddling pseudoscience.

Here are some of his more questionable claims that have earned the Penn-educated, NY Presbyterian-Columbia Medical Center cardiothoracic surgeon such notoriety:

Hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment

Oz was among the medical experts to tout the benefits of hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug pushed by former President Donald Trump as a treatment for COVID-19, despite insufficient evidence. After studies found the drug did not provide any benefit for treating COVID-19, Oz dialed back his endorsement, saying people should wait for more substantial evidence from trials.

Risk of sending children back to school

Oz has used his national platform to give credence to COVID-19 misinformation and fuel politicization of the pandemic.

In April 2020 he faced backlash after arguing that schools should reopen because doing so "may only cost us 2% to 3% in terms of total mortality" of the population. He apologized on Twitter and said he misspoke.

Yet in a candidacy announcement posted to his campaign website, Oz again suggested the government had overblown the severity of COVID-19, unjustly limiting personal freedom.

He says Americans were "patronized and misled instead of empowered" and "told to docilely lock down and let those in charge take care of the rest."

"Elites with yards told those without yards to stay inside where the virus was more likely to spread. And the arrogant, closed-minded people in charge closed our schools, shut down our businesses and took away our freedom," he says on his website.

In the candidacy announcement, Oz says that COVID-19 critics, including unnamed Nobel laureates, were "canceled," that doctors were prohibited from prescribing legal medications "for the first time in history," and that his own efforts to fund clinical trials for drugs that could help treat COVID-19 were "banned."

His campaign did not respond to a request for additional details about the Nobel laureates, restricted medications, and clinical trials.

Green coffee as a magic bean for weight loss

Oz has featured several products on his show designed to "melt belly fat" with little evidence that they work. In 2014, he was hauled into a U.S. Senate committee hearing to address his claims that green coffee extract was a "miracle" weight-loss supplement.

Oz told senators he promoted such products because he felt his job was "to be a cheerleader for the audience."

"When they don't think they have hope, when they don't think they can make it happen, I look everywhere, including in alternative healing traditions, for any evidence that might be supportive to them," he said.

A small study in India had found the extract helped people lose weight quickly, but it was later retracted after a Federal Trade Commission complaint that the green coffee manufacturer Applied Food Sciences had paid researchers to conduct the study and that data had been manipulated.

Companies that advertised green coffee's weight-loss benefits based on the flawed study agreed to a $9 million settlement with the FTC to refund 200,000 consumers who had bought the products based on false advertising.

The companies used their spots on Oz's show to further promote their products, according to the FTC.

Garcinia cambogia extract as weight-loss miracle

Oz also helped popularize a supplement made from garcinia cambogia, a tropical fruit that resembles a small, yellow pumpkin. The hydroxycitric acid found in the fruit's rind is supposed to slow fat buildup and increase serotonin, making people feel less hungry. But studies have not found the extract to have any significant effect on weight loss.

Regardless, Oz promoted the product on his show as a "revolutionary fat buster" that could help people lose weight without diet or exercise.

Critics have speculated that Oz has financial ties to the supplements he peddles on his show. In a 2015 letter urging Columbia University to rescind Oz's faculty appointment, a group of doctors accused him of "an egregious lack of integrity by promoting quack treatments and cures in the interest of personal financial gain." The letter did not offer any evidence that Oz accepted money in exchange for promoting a product, and the television host has said he does not earn commission from any product featured on his show.

Philadelphia's opioid crisis is 'hell'

Oz came to Philadelphia in 2017 to film a segment on the city's El Campamento, a former heroin camp along a Conrail-owned strip of land in Kensington. He called the camp the "festering epicenter of the heroin crisis," drawing national attention and outrage. Later that summer, Philadelphia officials dismantled the encampment but residents and advocates have criticized the clearance, saying the city didn't offer people with addiction adequate treatment or housing options, and contending the clearance contributed to larger, more visible encampments throughout the neighborhood.

2021 The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC. Visit at inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Read the original:
Mehmet Oz has peddled 'fat burners' and other pseudoscience. Now he's running for Senate in Pa. - The Bakersfield Californian

Anne Hegerty is best known as one of the quizzers on The Chase, but she was also a contestant on Im A CelebrityGet Me Out of Here! In 2018. During her time on the show, Anne lost a stone. However, in recent years, the TV personality has reportedly lost a huge three stone in total.

A source told the Sun at the time: We believe between them the campmates have lost around four stone.

What the celebs are eating is very healthy, from veg to meat protein and fish, and that is absorbed quickly by the body.

The weight loss doesnt do any permanent damage, and most pile it back on within three weeks, especially in the build up to Christmas.

The celebs see it as a detox, although at the same time it is very difficult as they have nothing to distract them from the hunger.

DON'T MISS:

Appearing on ITVs This Morning just after having been on Im A Celebrity, Anne told Philip Schofield and Rochelle Humes that she believes the lack of salt in her diet on the show helped to kick off her weight.

Anne also spoke to the Sun about her weight loss, explaining how she maintains her ideal weight.

She said: I need to do it in small stages.

If I just try and live healthily and drink lots of water, the weight loss will come.

If I lose one or two stone, its not going to be obvious to anybody, but Ill feel better in myself.

The TV personality added that she felt more confident thanks to her weight loss, but she still found it difficult to hold down a relationship.

She said: It took years of psychotherapy before I even considered dating.

I lost weight, replaced my glasses with contact lenses and felt a lot more confident.

But I find it really hard to hold down a relationship.

Speaking about her longest relationship, Anne continued: Id fancied him for years and we were together for four months.

Even though he lived in Brighton I still felt suffocated in Manchester.

And sex was always better in my head, I felt like I was somewhere else while it was happening.

It made me realise I needed space both mentally and physically in life, and I cant make it work.

I dont think I ever will. I still get attracted to people but having a relationship isnt fair on the other person.

More:
Anne Hegerty weight loss: The Chase star on 1st transformation - diet and lots of water - Daily Express

If you are on a weight-loss diet or have lost weight in the past, you know that there are no shortcuts to leading a healthy lifestyle. From daily exercises to a well-balanced diet, following healthy practices will help in shedding those extra kilos. However, many times, a lot of us regain the lost weight very quickly. That's when we realise that maintaining weight is also as essential as losing it! But how do you exactly do that? The answer is simple by following a healthy diet and regular workout. And you can do that easily by switching some of your daily indulgences with more nutritious options! For instance, roti, a staple in Indian food, is eaten in probably every meal and is said to increase weight if made from wheat. So, if you want to give your roti a healthy twist, then here we bring you a recipe of jowar masala roti!

Jowar, commonly known as sorghum, is regarded as one of the healthiest foods available. This grain is known for its numerous health benefits, including improved digestion, increased immunity, improved heart health, blood sugar control, improved skin and hair and most importantly, weight loss! With such benefits of jowar, let us check out how to make this delicious jowar masala roti.

First, in a bowl, add jowar flour and then add chopped onions, cabbage, and carrots. Then add salt, pepper, red chilli and mix. Now slowly add lukewarm water to make a dough. Make sure that the dough is not too soft. Once it is made, sprinkle some jowar from the top and let it rest for 10 minutes. Now, make roundels of this dough and form a roti. Bake this roti on a pan from medium to high heat. When it turns golden, serve it with any sabzi and dal to enjoy!

For the full recipe of jowar masala roti, click here.

Make this delicious and healthy roti, and let us know how you liked the taste of it.

See original here:
Jowar Masala Roti: A Healthy Alternative To Your Regular Rotis - NDTV Food

A recent five-year data analysis of 2.9 lakh patients by a leading national laboratory found one in three people in Mumbai is prediabetic. In 2019, a similar analysis of 5.3 lakh patients by another laboratory in Mumbai found 25% were suffering from poor blood glucose control. Prediabetes is a condition marked by high blood glucose levels but not high enough to qualify as diabetes. It is the precursor to diabetes type 2, which is one of the major non-communicable diseases and caused 4.2 million deaths worldwide in the year 2019. According to the National Urban Diabetes Survey, 14% of Indians were living with prediabetes in 2018.

Why is the number increasing in Mumbai?

One can find the answer by looking at the citys lifestyle. Mumbai is famous for its street food with countless roadside carts selling delectable items like vada pav, samosa, chaat, pani puri, and more. At the same time, there is no shortage of western fast-food joints selling burgers, pizza, fries, etc. The city is always working, always rushing with little or no time for daily physical activity, relaxation, managing stress, or getting good sleep.

Apart from genetic predisposition, eating junk food combined with lack of physical activity could be a possible reason behind the citys diabetes and prediabetes number. The risk of prediabetes can also be influenced by other factors such as age, ethnicity, waist circumference, body weight, tobacco use, and certain medical conditions. Fortunately, prediabetes can be reversed by lifestyle modifications like eating healthy, regular physical activity, reducing stress and getting quality sleep.

Weight loss is the first step

If you are overweight or living with obesity, losing weight is the most important step to reverse prediabetes. The Center for Disease Control, USA mentioned losing just 5% to 7% of your current body weight can significantly help in reversing prediabetes and reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

However, maintaining a healthy body weight should be a holistic long-term lifestyle modality that doesnt end with losing a few extra kilos. Losing weight should also be accompanied by quitting smoking, less alcohol consumption and avoiding outside food.

Chose low-GI carbohydrates

Creating a healthy meal plan for prediabetes management begins with understanding the glycemic index (GI) of foods. To calculate the score, glucose is taken as the base with a GI value of 100. Foods are labeled as high GI, moderate GI and low GI based on their GI score ranging between zero to 100. Foods with lower GI slowly raise the blood glucose level and are preferred choices for people with prediabetes and diabetes type 2. Many people perceive carbohydrates, commonly known as carbs, as the culprit behind prediabetes and diabetes.

However, not all carbs are created the same. The amount and types of carbs you are eating in each meal influences blood glucose level. For example, a diet loaded with white refined sugar shoots up the blood sugar level quickly but complex carbs such as dietary fiber dont have a similar effect on the blood glucose levels. So, eliminating carbs isnt necessary. Include steel-cut oats, beans, non-starchy vegetables, leafy greens and low sugary fruits in your daily diet. These foods are low in GI, high in dietary fiber and prevent blood glucose spikes.

Protein power

An average Indian consumes significantly less protein than recommended. Protein is an essential macronutrient crucial for optimum physiological functions. Protein foods such as lean chicken, grass-fed lean meat cut, eggs and fish dont contain carbohydrates thus are the preferred choices of protein in the daily diet of people living with prediabetes or diabetes.

Vegetarian sources of protein include beans (kidney, lima, navy), legumes (lentil, moong, chickpea), soy products (tofu, soy chunk, soybeans), milk, paneer, cheese and yogurt. Ensure you include protein in each meal to fulfill the requirement.

Eat more healthy fats

Dont fear healthy fats. Although carbs get all the attention in managing prediabetes or diabetes, fat is an important nutrient in blood glucose management. As part of your low-carb eating plan include healthy fat sources such as almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, eggs and oily fish. To cook your food, choose ghee, coconut oil or groundnut oil. Seek expert opinion from a qualified nutritionist to choose whats best for you.

Drink plenty of fluid

Drink enough water to prevent dehydration. The amount of water you need every day depends on the climate around you, your physical activity level and body size. To avoid monotony, drink a variety of fluids such as green tea, coconut water, thin buttermilk, herb-infused water, cucumber-infused water and fruit-infused water. To know if you are drinking enough fluid, check the volume and colour of your urine, it should be pale yellow.

That said, managing prediabetes requires good knowledge of nutrients and how they impact blood glucose levels. The main goal of managing prediabetes and diabetes is avoiding foods that increase blood glucose levels and cause insulin resistance.

It is better to stay away from refined carbs, processed grains, breakfast cereals, sugary drinks and foods that contain refined carbs as a part of a prediabetes diet and focus on eating more complex carbs, lean protein and healthy fats. Along with healthy eating, include regular physical activity in your daily routine, get quality sleep at night and manage stress.

(Subhasree Ray is a Doctoral Scholar, Clinical and Public Health Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator. She can be followed on her Twitter @DrSubhasree)

(To receive our E-paper on whatsapp daily, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)

View post:
Combat prediabetes with right foods and lifestyle changes, heres how - Free Press Journal

Dr Michael Mosley often shares his weight loss tips with slimmers online as well as on television. He is the creator of The Fast 800 a diet plan that helps people lose weight quickly.

The nutrition expert continued: There is a widespread belief that if you lose weight fast then you will put it on even faster.

But is it true?

In a recent review article titled Myths, Presumptions and Facts about Obesity in the prestigious medical journal, The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers put this claim firmly into the myths category.

After looking at numerous studies which have compared rapid with slow and steady weight loss, they concluded that you would do better to lose it quickly rather than slowly.

DON'T MISS:

Looking at one study in particular, Dr Mosley said: Researchers took 200 obese volunteers and put half of them on a low calorie diet less than 800 calories a day for 12 weeks.

The other half were asked to cut their calories by 500 a day, which was enough to lose around a pound a week.

They were asked to do this for 36 weeks.

There was a very high drop-out rate among the steady dieters: less than half made it to the end of the 36 weeks. Most said they gave up because they were frustrated by the slow rate of progress.

The doctor went on to explain a little more about The Fast 800 diet, saying: The Fast 800 is a great place to start if youre looking to lose weight.

It provides you with all of the tools you will need to start changing your lifestyle for the better.

Once youve entered your goals, you will receive meal plans, recipes, shopping lists, exercises and mindful exercises to help you achieve your objective.

In terms of the types of food slimmers eat while following The Fast 800, Dr Mosley said: You should be looking to incorporate a good balance of protein, fibre and healthy fats, which is essentially the Mediterranean diet.

The good news is, whether you incorporate intermittent fasting or not, a low carb Mediterranean diet has unique power not just to restore your bodys ability to reach its ideal weight and stay there, but also to cut your risk of serious disease.

It doesnt come from a place of restriction but rather its about eating more of the right foods.

Not only will these foods keep you feeling full, but they also offer important nutrients and health benefits, and taste delicious.

View post:
Dr Michael Mosley: Better to lose weight 'quickly rather than slowly' with easy changes - Daily Express

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that causes irregular menstrual cycles due to a lack of monthly ovulation and increased levels of androgens (male

hormones). The majority of PCOS women, but not all, are overweight or obese, and they are at higher-than-average risk of acquiring diabetes. PCOS-related hormonal abnormalities, insulin resistance, and inflammation make it difficult for women to lose weight.

Also Read:5 Superfoods To Add To A PCOS Diet

However, even a minor 5 per cent weight loss can increase insulin resistance, hormone levels, menstrual cycles, fertility, and general wellbeing in PCOS women. This syndrome must be managed with care as they are approximately three times as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and depression than people without PCOS.

A healthy diet goes a long way in influencing our body and those diagnosed with PCOS can take advantage of a healthy diet.

Foods high in fibre help to control blood sugar levels, reduce inflammation, and promote intestinal health. Fibre-rich foods include whole grains, legumes and lentils, seeds, fruits and vegetables. Because fibre helps in feeling full faster, a high-fibre diet may help women with PCOS lose weight management. A high-fibre diet is also known to help lower insulin resistance, body weight, and extra body fat in people with PCOS.

Protein aids in blood sugar stabilisation and enhances feelings of fullness after a meal. It also helps with weight reduction by lowering cravings, increasing calorie burn, and controlling hunger hormones. Increased protein consumption aid in weight loss, particularly in PCOS women. It is advised that nutritious, high-protein foods such as eggs, almonds, and seafood be included in the diet.

Antioxidant-rich foods aid to reduce inflammation and managing insulin levels. Fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, and whole grains are high in antioxidants.

Refined carbs like sugar, processed foods, food packages, quick foods, refined wheat fruit juices of all kinds, soda, aerated drinks, and ice cream should be avoided. The most essential thing is to have the proper protein: carbohydrate ratio. carbohydrates: fats. A reduced carbohydrate diet helps in PCOS management due to the effect of carbohydrates on insulin levels. Women with PCOS may benefit from a low-glycemic diet. A low-GI, low-carb diet may lower insulin levels in PCOS women and help in weight reduction. Similar to carbs, even saturated fats in meat and mutton, bakery items, too much oil or ghee, fast food items should be avoided.

Limiting dairy consumption helps some women with PCOS lose weight and alleviate some of their hormonal PCOS symptoms. Also, for many women, reducing dairy consumption improves gut health and facilitates nutritional absorption.

Cardiovascular and weight-training workouts may contribute to reducing body fat and improving insulin sensitivity in women with PCOS. Let us look at how exercising helps women diagnosed with PCOS.

Regular exercise, particularly cardio, has been demonstrated to increase insulin sensitivity, lessening the risk of diabetes and other PCOS complications.

Women with PCOS are more likely to have high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.

Regular exercise, along with a healthy diet, aids in the regulation of hormones and periods.

Exercise raises your endorphin levels, which are also known as happy hormones. This assists PCOS sufferers in better managing their anxiety and stress.

Apart from changes in the diet, incorporating regular exercise is a well-known weight reduction method. PCOS can cause a woman's menstrual cycle to be disrupted and lead to increased weight gain. Losing weight can help with PCOS symptoms if lifestyle changes are implemented. When diagnosed with PCOS, nutrition and exercise are two efficient approaches to decrease weight.

Author Bio:Palak Chaturvedi, Nutritionist & Lifestyle Consultant

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

View original post here:
5 Tips To Lose Weight When Diagnosed With PCOS - NDTV Food

When it comes to losing weight, youve got numerous strategies that you know work, including:Eating more plant-based foods.Exercising more. Getting more sleep. and cutting out junk food, simple carbs, and alcohol. Once you've checked those boxes a looming question remains: What about breakfast? Should we eatearly upon waking, or start the day by elongating our window of fasting, pushing off our first meal until later?

Thats become the million-dollar question for dieters who know that intermittent fasting has gained in popularity. As simple as it sounds, breakfast is a controversial topic. Granted, your mom always told you it was the most important meal of the day, and for some people, it is. Studies even show it may help people shed pounds.

Yet truth be told, breakfast may not be the universal weight loss strategy its touted to be. Whats more, it may not be the breakfast itself that matters the most but rather, when you eat your first meal. Confused? Experts schuss out the breakfast debate below.

Theres a reason that breakfast gets touted as the most important meal, namely because science supports it. Many studies have linked eating breakfast to better health outcomes, including being at a healthier weight, having lower cholesterol levels, and reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease, says Charlotte Martin, a Registered Dietitian in Baltimore, Md., and author of The Plant Forward Solution.A study from The Journal of the American College of Cardiologyfound that people who skip breakfasthave an increased risk of death from heart disease, prompting researchers to recommend eating breakfast for heart health.

Data also suggests that breakfast skippers have a lower quality diet than breakfast eaters. Case in point: In a study from the journal Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, researchers analyzed the diets of over 30,000 adults and found that breakfast skippers missed out on valuable nutrients.

Adults who skipped breakfast had significantly poorer diet quality for the day of intake than those who consumed breakfast, they write in the study. Without breakfast, they were less likely to meet dietary recommendations for nutrients like calcium, folate, B vitamins, and vitamins A, C, and D. As a result, researchers concluded that breakfast is indeed an important way to add valuable nutrition to the day.

One of the best examples of how breakfast impacts weight comes from the National Weight Control Registry, a research study of over 10,000 individuals aged 18 and older who have lost at least 30 pounds and maintained that loss for a year or longer. Among this group, 78 percent say they eat breakfast every day.

Other evidence shows that breakfast skippers tend to weigh more than breakfast lovers. For instance, in this study from Obesity Science & Practice, those who skipped breakfast had greater increases in waist circumference and body mass index every year over a five-year period versus those who embraced the breakfast habit.

Add a good dose of protein to that morning meal, and youll help control hunger hormones, according to a study in the International Journal of Obesity. As such, youll eat fewer calories throughout the rest of the day, which can help with weight loss and weight maintenance, Martin says.

While there isresearch to support breakfast, much of the research is observational and relies on participants recording their food intake, which can be an issue. Its difficult, even impossible, to disentangle a single health behavior from the multitude of other lifestyle and dietary factors that influence weight loss and weight management, even when researchers attempt to adjust for these confounding factors, Martin says, adding that this leaves many unanswered questions. Does breakfast really help with weight or do other lifestyle factors that breakfast eaters follow influence weight loss and healthy weight maintenance?

Although valid, these questions may actually be mute, given that theres an even more important variable to consider: The timing of your first meal. Science now shows that where youre going to drop the weight is in the when factor, says Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland in Baltimore and author of The Hunger Fix. Its not about hopping out of bed and running to the kitchen to stuff your face but rather, looking at the time first and determining if its appropriate for you to have something to eat.

That starts by factoring in the time of your last meal of the day, and its hopefully not late. If youre eating after eight (p.m.), you will gain weight, Peeke says.

Once youve eaten dinner, you should close your kitchen and practice intermittent fasting, essentially time-restricted eating. If you dont change anything but this, you will lose weight, Peeke says, pointing to a study she co-authored in the journal Nature in which she and her colleagues evaluated the efficacy of a 14-hour fast on body weight. When individuals followed the eight-week program, eating for 10 hours and fasting for 14 hours combined with a commercial weight loss program, they lost a significant amount of weight. This follows your natural 24-hour circadian rhythms, Peeke says. As a result, youll have improved insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control, both of which can help reduce weight.

If 14 hours seems too long, then 12 hours is just as beneficial, Peeke says. That means if you eat dinner at 7 p.m, the earliest you would eat breakfast is 7 a.m. Just dont stretch your fasting period beyond 16 hours or else youll have to give up a meal, which will be problematic.

While theres no magic in what you eat, its best to focus on whole unprocessed foods, says Peeke who loves eating green smoothies with pea protein and flax and chia seeds for her morning meal. Just make sure your plant-based breakfast includes lean protein, slow carbs, and healthy fats, Martin says.

For instance, breakfast proteins include beans, tofu, and meatless sausage while you might choose fruit, whole grains, and sweet potatoes, which count as slow-release carbs since theyre rich in fiber, helping slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream. Meanwhile, healthy fats include avocado, nuts, seeds, and nut and seed butter.

Eat breakfast, but time it right and make sure to include protein and no added sugar to help boost metabolism and lose weight naturally.

Originally posted here:
Should You Eat Breakfast If You're Trying to Lose Weight? - The Beet

The word diet originates from the Greek dieta meaning to live normally. However, nowadays it mostly refers to restricting food to help weight loss rather than a way to enjoy food and health.

Throughout history diets have come and gone. Celebrity diets are popular and often bizarre, but are not a new thing. The Daniel Fast, which resembles a vegan diet, and which has its roots in the Book of Daniel, is perhaps one of the earliest examples of a diet. In around 450BC Daniel apparently asked if his men were as strong as the Babylonians after a couple of weeks just eating vegetables. This highlights our deep cultural links to diet: for identity, spirituality and, of course, health.

Fasting diets appear throughout our cultural history, seen in Muslim, Hindu and Christian practices. These vary from not eating during daylight through to just eating a simple vegetarian diet. In the Christian calendar, for instance, historically specific days used to be designated as meat free. The data is mixed in relation to the health effects of religious fasting, as it depends on how people eat in between fasts.

Fasting may have little to no additional benefits beyond simply inducing a calorie deficit, which itself can have metabolic benefits (lower blood fats and sugars) and weight loss.

READ MORE: Lamb Moussaka Gluten Free

Meat-free dietsAnother theme from fasting is the abstinence from meat and animal products. This was seen in the rise of the vegetarian movement in northern England during the 19th century. This movement inspired food entrepreneurs, including William Kellogg (famous for cereals) and Sylvester Graham (crackers), to develop alternative products.

The principle behind these being to follow a simple and pious diet to improve the body, mind and spirit. The followers of this movement linked eating animal products to sin and poor health.

The merits of this argument are more philosophical than physiological. But in the age of climate change awareness, the argument to reduce animal produce in our diets has perhaps reemerged as one of the tools we have to save the planet.

The first diet doctor?The 18th-century doctor George Cheyne was mocked in the press due to his weight (at one point estimated at 220kg). Many of the wealthier Georgian households would have at the time consumed a high-calorie diet, with large meals of many meats including beef sirloin and pigeon.

Cheyne developed the vegetable and milk diet with fewer calories. His own diet included milk, tea, coffee, bread, butter, mild cheese, fruits, nuts and tender roots including turnips and carrots. He drank no alcohol, barring an occasional small glass of cider.

In the 19th century, undertaker William Banting trying to manage his own weight wrote Letters on Corpulence. This is seen as the forerunner of many of the popular low-carbohydrate diets, including keto we see today. Bantings version did include a few ounces of rusk a day, but it also included more sherry or other alcoholic drinks in a day than is recommended.

Worms, cigarettes and cotton ballsThroughout history some incredibly strange and dangerous diets have been championed. During the 1920s, the slim androgynous popular look for women may have led to a drive for weight loss.

This led to a range of unhealthy practises of varying effect on weight from ingesting tapeworms, which could have led to malnutrition as vital minerals would not have been absorbed, through to instead of snacking having a cigarette, when tobacco companies added appetite suppressants to cigarettes. This was before the causal link between smoking and cancer was known, so although may have this reduced food intake, it is possibly one of the least healthy diets to follow.

The cotton ball diet is said to have been developed by models as a method of reducing food intake by swallowing cotton balls to fill the stomach and soak up stomach juices. Most cotton balls today are bleached polyester fibres and therefore this nonsensical approach to calorie restriction is neither effective nor safe.

The Mediterranean diets history goes back to at least ancient Roman times. However, it is subtly different across the Mediterranean region.

READ MORE: How the Mediterranean diet became No 1 and why thats a problem

The best-known healthy version is recorded in rural Greece, a simple diet of foods including fish, vegetables, fruit, grains, nuts and some olive oil and wine as well as a little dairy and meat as part of a food-orientated lifestyle. This is very different to the foods seen in the Mediterranean today. Global food culture changed with more highly processed foods containing fat, sugar and salt becoming available.

If we learn one thing from diets across history it is that enjoying simple food with others, and not too much, is the best way to both be, and stay, healthy.

*James Brown is an Associate Professor in Biology and Biomedical Science, Aston UniversityDuane Mellor is a Lead for Evidence-Based Medicine and Nutrition, Aston Medical School, Aston University.This article was originally posted on The Conversation and is reprinted under Creative Commons licence.

See the original post:
From the original Greek word dieta, to diet as weight loss - What changed? - Neos Kosmos