Belly fat is one of those things that tend to plague certain people their entire lives, like tax returns and awful relatives.

But what if I told you that there was a way of getting rid of it in just four weeks?

No, Im not talking about liposuction. Im talking about a little boutique gym-cum-members club nestled just off the Portobello Road, called The Library.

Its one of two 15 minute HIIT training houses (the other being The Clock on Wimple Street), founded by Zana Morris, which promises to reboot your body to burn fat and build muscle in next to no time.

Ive always been pretty fit but for some reason (primarily crisps and beer), Ive never been able to shift the sliver of fat around my belly button.

So when I was approached to join The Library for a month on the premise that theyd blitz my body of its reticent fat, I was skeptical.

I meanIve run a marathon and I basically looked the same (albeit more haggard) at the end as I did before starting training. What good would 15 minutes of HIIT do me?

Having been a runner for most of my life, Ive got strong legs but due to various injuries, have ended up with imbalanced glutes which has only further aggravated knee and ankle problems. Zana promised that shed strengthen up the left one so theyd finally be the same size, while improving my overall upper strength.And thats something Ive really needed to improve on.

Shamefully, in all my 27 years, Ive never been able to do monkey bars; Ive never had the strength to heave my body from one bar to the next. I accepted Zanas offer, hoping that this regime of lat raises, tricep moves and pull-ups might finally see me crowned queen of the jungle gym.

So, what does The Library regime entail?

Its a double pronged approach of diet-and-exercise. Every week, you get weighed and measured (rather like Weight Watchers) in a private consultation where your fat is measured with calipers and tape measures are brought out to check on biceps, thighs, calves, chest, hips and waist.

Most people are put on a high-fat, low-sugar diet to begin with before switching to a low-fat plan. In fact, Zana is a leading authority on high-fat diets, having published a book on the subject.

I, however, was put on the low-fat plan from the beginning after a lengthy consultation which involved talking about my goals, lifestyle, and taking every measurement under the sun.

Im quite fortunate in that I tend to eat the same meals every day for weeks at a time without getting bored. I ate pretty much the same breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for five weeks but started to experiment towards the end with cauliflower risotto and pizza bases as a carb-free, low fat and sugar alternative to bread and arborio rice.

Prior to starting the plan, Id have a bowl of porridge with big lumps of peanut butter and honey for breakfast, two largepitta wraps with hummous for lunch and a dinner heavily composed of pasta or rice. Id eat a lot of crisps and carby snacks. It wasnt an awfully unhealthy diet but it was quite heavy, which when I was running very much, probably wasnt being burned effectively.

I also used to be hungry quite a lot but on the Librarys meal plan, I can safely say that Ive never been so full and satisfied.

The idea is to significantly up your protein intake and cut the carbs. Fill up on as much green stuff as possible have huge green salads with your meals. I dont eat meat and cant eat too much fish at once so I bulked my meals out with a few slices of halloumi and sometimes an egg.

Youre also allowed a few bits of dark chocolate (85% cacao and above) which can be a useful treat when youre craving something a little sweet.

Heres what I ate almost every day:

Breakfast: 250g 0% fat Greek yoghurt with flaxseeds and berries

11 am snack: two corn cakes

Lunch: big bowl of salad (spinach, broccoli, peas) + two boiled eggs/tin of tuna

4 pm snack: roasted beans and seeds

5.20 pm work out

Dinner: fish fillet with fried onions and mushrooms, grilled halloumi, big salad (spinach, broccoli, peas, asparagus)

Snack: chocolate protein shake

The key to success is preparation.

I would come home from my workout, cook my dinner and then cook my lunch and set out my breakfast. Trust me, looking for a ready-prepared, low-fat, low-sugar lunch during your midday break is a nightmare.

Two of the five weekends I spent abroad and I did panic about workouts and meals before jetting off. But the fantastic thing about this plan is its simplicity and it actually can be done anywhere which gives me hope for keeping it up, albeit with slight modifications.

Most hotels have gyms and weights and if you do want to keep your weight down, its pretty simple to swerve carbs and fats abroad if you want to. I sort of said to myself that as long as I worked out and tried where possible to stick to my dietary regime, I could afford to treat myself.

I had carrot cake for breakfast every day in Italy and pistachio-filled dates in Dubai. But I did try and opt for fish and salads where possible. You cant go on holiday and martyr yourself you just have to pick your battles.

There are never more than about five people in the gym at any one time. In fact, the most I ever saw were about three meaning that every day is pretty much a PT day.

The Library and Clock gyms are unique in the equipment they use. There are no free weights. No treadmills. The workouts revolve around a single machine with eight stations.

You rotate from legs to arms to back and shoulders, doing three rounds of six reps. It sounds like nothing and its over in a flash but the results are mad. I started squatting 52kg and within three weeks was squatting 100kg on the machine. The progress you make is crazy.

Every day, you take your weight card, hand it to the trainer and theyll tell you exactly what to do. Theres no humming and hawing over what you should do that day you dont have any say. And if youre a bit nervous or new to weight training, thats a major anxiety already dissolved. It can be hard going into a weights room if you dont know what youre doing to say nothing of it being dangerous.

While the workouts are super quick, the whole process is pretty intense. Youre in and out before you know whats hit you leaving you with way more time in the evening to relax or meal prep than youd normally have if you were hitting the gym after work. But the amount of preparation that goes into the food element it is quite immense.

In just five weeks of quick-but-relentless weight training sessions and a very simple meal plan, I lost 5% of my body fat including that belly padding.

I started out, according to their calculations, with 22% body fat and ended at 17.9% converting most of it into muscle.

And every single week, the numbers came down. My first weigh and measure, Id already lost 2%, and from there it was a steady trickle.

Week 1

Weight: 135.6lbs (9st 7lbs)

Waist: 26.5 in

Abdomen: 28 in

Body fat percentage: 22%

Week 5

Weight: 131.4lbs (9st 3lbs)

Waist: 25

Abdomen: 25.5

Body fat percentage: 17.9%

I also lost a load of fat from my back (did I have an unusually padded out back before?!), the calipers going down from 12 to 8.5.

Ive never come across a more effective regime for burning fat and gaining muscle. If you follow their advice, youll achieve exactly what they promise.

Its hard, dont get me wrong. But if youre serious about your goals, then this is a regime that will get you there.

Really, youre supposed to go to The Library or Clock five times a week but for many of us, thats impractical especially when you have to book in. If you dont turn up, you get fined. If you dont book in for a prolonged period of time, trainers will chase you.

For me, I found that I could make it three or four times and then would often work out on my own for the other one or two days. But getting that core weight training in is key and having one-on-one training is absolutely invaluable.

Dieting is hard and something that Ive never really done before. This is a very restrictive plan, and the trainers are aware of that which is why theyll ask you how its going and if they can help out with suggestions or modifications. Talk to them.

I found that going completely carb-free was killing my soul so started to make things like cauliflower pizza. I also ate lots of protein seed mixes and corn cakes. I cant not snack but rather than snacking on high fat or sugary things like crisps or croutons, I could satisfy my cravings with foods that were either very low calorie or were much more nutritious.

I found that I could get quite stressed about what to eat but after three weeks, I got used to it. I started opting to eat out in slightly nicer, better quality restaurants where I knew Id get a nice piece of fish and salad or great vegetarian food that didnt rely on sweet potato fries to carry it through. Ive had some of my favourite meals since being on The Library plan, simply because I opted to try something I wouldnt normally go for, choosing better quality ingredients and menus.

Since finishing, Ive been on holiday and really relaxed. Ive still been working out but Ive drunk wine, eaten ice cream and churros. A 10 day blow out once a year is necessary. But Im now back and on the plan although this time, Im adopting an 80:20 approach to make it more sustainable. Im undoubtedly the fittest and leanest Ive ever been and when its so simple, it seems crazy not to keep it up.

And, youll be pleased to hear, I finally conquered the monkey bars on holiday. The sense of achievement was definitely up there with going past the finish line at the London Marathon.

So, if you want to really kick start a fitness regime, get in shape for a particular event, or see what your body can do, then head along to The Library.

After all, who doesnt have 15 minutes to spare?

MORE: Fitness blogger Anna Victoria urges people to stop feeling guilty for cheat days

MORE: 8 common fitness mistakes that are stopping you from reaching your goals

Read the rest here:
Can you really lose your belly fat with just 15 minutes of HIIT a day? Yes. - Metro

I've always been an all-or-nothing kind of person. If I'm going to try a new workout, I go all in from the very beginning and probably do it every day for the first few weeks so I can get the hang of it. The same goes for diets. I've tried many different diets over the years, sometimes in the name of weight loss, other times in the search for more energy and less bloating. None of them worked in the long run for me and trust me, I tried my very best to make them work.

Today I eat a strictly plant-based vegan diet. Personally, I think it's misleading to call it a diet, since it feels more like a lifestyle to me. I don't eat any animal products, refined sugar, or processed foods, and every morning I wake up feeling better than I ever did before I was vegan. Plus, it's extremely important to me to do my part in the fight against climate change and animal cruelty. I had a long, winding road that got me to full-time veganism, and along the way, these are the diets I tried (and strongly disliked) along the way.

Keep in mind that just because these diets didn't work for me, it doesn't mean they won't work for anyone else, including you. Everyone is different and will respond uniquely to dietary changes. As always, though, chat with your doctor before making any drastic changes in your lifestyle.

Two years of my life were devoted to going to CrossFit on the regular, so naturally I fell into the Paleo scene. When I first started eating Paleo, I could see a difference in my waistline pretty quickly. I shed a layer of fat within the first few weeks, which was probably due to the fact that I was no longer eating any bread, dairy, packaged foods, or sugar.

That being said, the Paleo high didn't last long. Because of all the meat I was eating (which was a lot of meat), I was experiencing constipation and frequent exhaustion. All the beef and chicken was weighing me down, and I didn't like the way it made me feel overall. Just as importantly, I didn't lose enough weight to make the whole thing worth it. After my waistline shrunk a little, I didn't see any significant changes. In fact, I was convinced that the excess amount of protein was doing me more harm than good.

You may have heard of intermittent fasting and its many benefits, which extend far beyond weight loss. The 5:2 Diet revolves around eating normally for five days each week and choose two nonconsecutive days where you abstain from eating. Sound miserable? It is only at first, though. Technically, the 5:2 Diet states that a woman can eat around 400 calories of food on her fasting days. I chose to fast every Monday and Thursday, so I would eat a banana in the morning and a small portion of protein at night.

I'll admit that I was the thinnest I've ever been when I followed the 5:2 plan, which is exactly what happens when you restrict yourself from consuming calories. But the cost it came with simply wasn't worth it. On the two days I fasted, I was really tired and couldn't exercise and call me crazy, but I'm the kind of person who loves to work out every day in some capacity. Eventually, my fatigue caught up to me and I transitioned into a 6:1 diet. It wasn't long before I returned back to a normal 7:0 program.

All in all, I can see how this diet improves digestion (I went to the bathroom like a champion every single morning) and promotes more self-control over your hunger urges, but the bottom line is that I love food and exercise, and I don't think I should sacrifice either.

After my first time going vegan in 2011, I dabbled in the raw-food diet, which is when you eat all your food raw, or cooked under 118 degrees Fahrenheit. This was by far the most time-consuming, most expensive diet I've ever done. More importantly, it made me feel crappy. I was bloated almost all the time, which is a common side effect of consuming a large amount of raw foods, so it became more uncomfortable than anything else.

I discovered the Dukan Diet when I was in my last year of college. Its method is designed by a French physician who claims that you can lose 10 pounds in the first week of the diet. My naive mind believed this wild claim, so I gave it a shot. The Dukan Diet is a high-protein, low-fat, and low-carb program that gives you 100 different foods to choose from, and you can eat as much as you want from that group. I didn't lose any weight even though I was fully dedicated to the program for six weeks, mostly because your body needs healthy fats in order to shed pounds. More than anything, I think I just really missed having a full, well-rounded meal.

I've always been insecure about my height (I'm 5'2"), and since I was a little girl, I dreamed about growing taller and having long legs and arms. So when I first read about the Petite Advantage Diet, I thought it was going to be my saving grace. Dietitian Jim Karas describes the diet this way: if you fill up a kiddie pool with the same amount of water as a regular pool, it will overflow; the same goes for short women. In other words, we need to eat much less than our taller friends if we want to lose weight.

The program has you eating 1,100 calories for two days, and then 1,400 calories the next day, and you continue forward with this rotation. For someone who works out as often as I do, this calorie restriction proved to be very difficult for me. On top of that, the Dukan Diet relies heavily on simply counting calories, so there is little emphasis put on the quality of the calories you consume. That meant I could eat a packaged string cheese whenever I wanted or a frozen dinner as long as it didn't leave me in a surplus of calories.

It ultimately left me feeling sluggish, tired, and generally unhealthy, and although I lost a few pounds, it wasn't anything I would ever try again (or recommend to anyone).

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Sheila Gim

Continued here:
Which Diets Don't Work? | POPSUGAR Fitness - POPSUGAR

Healthy eating may not lead to healthy weight loss

In an effort to shape up and lose weight many people begin to eat more healthily. Plans like the Joe Wicks body coach encourage us to include lean protein, lots of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds salads and wholefood grains in our diet.

Although swapping the big mac for a big portion of vegetables is undoubtedly healthy, it may not be right if you are looking to lose weight. In fact if you are eating too many of the wrong healthy foods, you may actually start to gain weight.

Overall calorie deficit paramount for weight loss

Regardless of how you are eating, overall calories remain the most important factor for weight loss. Keeping in mind that the maximum sustainable weekly weight loss is 0.9kg a week (or 2lbs), the mathematics becomes clearer. As we are only looking to lose fat losing muscle mass really slows the metabolic rate, making weight loss harder that is the best place to start. Remembering that human body fat isnt just pure fat as it contains water and proteins, we typically calculate 900g of human fat to be the equivalent to between 3,400 and 3,700 calories. So if we divide this by seven for seven days a week, we come to the magic number of about 500. This then is the amount by which we need to undercut our energy requirement by daily to lose that 2lbs/900g every week.

Healthy eating not the same as weight loss eating

Although eating a healthy diet usually means that the foods you consume will contain fewer calories, if you have enough of these foods any food you will gain weight. If you are eating more energy - even healthy energy than you need, you will gain weight. Great examples of healthy but calorific foods are nuts, seeds and plant oils. Although very healthy, they contain large amounts of fat. Thus they are very high in overall calories. So yes they are good for you, but pack so much energy that they will hamper any weight loss efforts if eating in large amounts. Another good example is the avocado. Healthy - yes! But again their high fat content means that they are not the best choice for those looking to lose weight.

Arent there other factors?

Yes hormones play a large part. Even if you consume less energy than you need, hormonal imbalance will hinder weight loss. This could be caused by the presence of too much insulin sugar and starch consumption being the usual culprits. Sleep and stress also feature. A lack of sleep and too much stress will lead to cortisol (the stress hormone) being present in the blood which again makes you more efficient at storing fat as a survival mechanism. BUT overall calories are still the most important factor.

So what steps should I take?

In the short term calorie-counting apps will give you a really great lesson in the calorie content of different foods. Other well known plans like Weight Watchers and Slimming World will also make sure that your energy intake is right for weight loss. If those sound too off putting then eating healthy foods most of the time (80 per centsay) with occasional treats can work, but waking up hungry and ready for breakfast is a good sign that you are close to the 500 calorie deficit needed. Strength training will ensure that you only lose fat and not muscle, keeping the metabolic rate high. Moderating stress and getting proper sleep will be the icing on the cake that leads to success!

Read the original here:
Diets don't work: Healthy eating and weight loss eating - Maidenhead Advertiser

Welcome to How I Got This Body, our look at some of the amazing things the human body is capable of and the Washingtonians who put their bodies to the test. Want to share your transformation story? Email ccunningham@washingtonian.com.

Who I am:Kristi Cook, 27, a healthcare management consultant from Arlington

How I transformed:Ive lost somewhere between 30 to 40 pounds since 2009, and about ten of those pounds were lost within the past two years. Most people would say thats a pretty low number over such a long period of time, but Ive built a good amount of muscle in the process. However, the most significant change for me has been my shift from fad diets and sporadic exercise routines, to consistency in working out and eating healthy, wholesome foods.

What inspired my change: Most of my teenage years and early-to-mid 20s were comprised of the vicious diet/binge cycle. For weeks or months, I would try out a new fad diet to only give up a short while later and begin eating everything in sight. Throughout middle and high school I was a multiple sport athlete and therefore very active, but following high school, I exercised very infrequently. In the fall of 2015, I came across fitness trainer Kayla Itsines account while scrolling through Instagram and learned about her BBG (Bikini Body Guide) program. After learning more about her focus on the mental side of fitness and health and discovering the BBG community, I became inspired to make a long-lasting change.

My exercise plan:Almost two years ago I started the BBG (Bikini Body Guide) program, which revolves around three 28-minute resistance (or HIIT) workouts a week. It also incorporates three to four low intensity workouts per week, which can be any 35 to 45 minute low-impact exercise of your choiceeven something as simple as going for a walk. I used the BBG guides for about a year and a half, and have since tried to mix it up by taking cycling classes at Flywheel, weight lifting, andgoing on walks/jogs. Once in a while I like to throw some yoga and dance fitness into the mix as well. Ive realized that its so important to find a type of exercise that you enjoy, otherwise, it may not be sustainable. On average, I exercise five to six days a week; I like to get my workouts done in the morning before work, so that way I can never say that I have no time or that something more important came up.'

My healthy eating plan:The biggest change Ive made has been adopting more of a paleo lifestyle by eating less processed foods and instead eating more fresh fruits and veggies, protein, and healthy fats. However, I have to confess that I dont stick to the paleo diet 100 percent, and I havent banned a single food from my diet. If Im truly craving a treat, I will have it in a small portion. In the past, Ive found that completely restricting a particular food/food group altogether leads to binges later down the road (at least for me).Another big change to my diet was switching out Diet Coke for seltzer water (black cherry is the best!), though I do admit to having a Diet Coke once every few months if Im truly craving it. I know this sounds incredibly clich, but its important to have balance.

I like to get my workouts done in the morning before work, so that way I can never say that I have no time or that something more important came up.

How I stuck to my goals:Almost two years ago, I found the BBG community (on Instagram) as my source of inspiration to get me started. Several months after making a fitness account of my own, I ended up meeting some of the girls in real life. We quickly became friends and to this day we continue to get together for workout classes or just for fun! Ive come to understand the importance of surrounding yourself with people who have health and fitness goals similar to your own. Ever since making a lifestyle change and being consistent with my meal prepping and fitness routine, it has become second nature to maintain a (mostly) healthy lifestyle and continue reaching my goals.

How my feelings about myself have changed:Before making a lifestyle change, I would often become upset because I didnt feel comfortable with the way I looked or how I felt in certain clothes. I wont lie and say I never feel that way anymore, but those feelings are now few and far between. After becoming consistent with my health and fitness routine, I quickly noticed improvement in both my mental and physical state, energy levels, and overall happiness.

One piece of advice: My biggest piece of advice would be to ensure consistency! Meal prepping is a great way to make sure youre not making impulse decisions when it comes to food. As for your exercise routine, try to find something that you enjoy so that it doesnt feel like a chore. If you get bored easily, you should switch up your workouts from time to timejust make sure you remain consistent in doing something that works for you.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Associate Editor

Caroline Cunningham joined Washingtonian in 2014 after moving to the DC area from Cincinnati, where she interned and freelanced for Cincinnati Magazine and worked in content marketing. She currently resides in College Park.

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How I Got This Body: Less Fad Dieting and Diet Coke, More Seltzer and Fitspo Friends - Washingtonian.com

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In December 2015, Natalie Moxey was opening mail when she found a Christmas card that really surprised her. The local Indian restaurant, where she and her family ordered many meals, sent a holiday greeting. While the restaurant probably sent cards to all its customers, Moxey took it personally.

It is quite a scary thing to think you order enough food from a take-away company that they send a Christmas card, Moxey, 31, of Eversham, England, told TODAY. I reached rock bottom.

Mom of 2 loses 93 pounds in less than 2 years Play Video - 0:57

Mom of 2 loses 93 pounds in less than 2 years Play Video - 0:57

At the time, she weighed 261 pounds at 5 feet 11 inches tall. She had been overweight since she started having children. Like so many women, she gained the baby weight and failed to lose it. But it was her two sons that made her realize she had to make healthy changes.

If I am going to live to see my boys grow up the way I wanted to I am going to have to lose weight, she said.

Natalie Moxey took loads of "before" pictures and when she felt frustrated during her weight loss, she'd look at them for inspiration.

Around the same time, she also received an advertisement for Slimming World, a weight-management plan that focuses on healthy eating habits and portion control.

It felt a bit like fate, she said.

Like many women, Natalie Moxey gained weight when she was pregnant with her two sons, but never lost the weight.

In January 2016, she attended a meeting and wondered if the program could possibly work. In the past she tried diets and they always failed. But she decided to give it a shot. Instead of ordering take out she and her husband started making meals at home. In the first week, she dropped 7 pounds.

To have a plan where you can still enjoy this amazing food and still lose weight was a bit revolutionary, Moxey said. "I didn't really believe it."

At first, Moxey struggled to exercise but as she kept losing weight, she became more active.

I increased my walking, she said. Then in three or four months in 28, 30 pounds down I started to do exercise classes.

To her surprise, Moxey even started running.

I am not a runner, she said. I run regular 5Ks and 10Ks and I really enjoy it now.

Since January 2016, Moxey lost 93 pounds and weighs 168 pounds, which is her target weight. She recently celebrated reaching this milestone.

It was a pretty incredible feeling, she said.

After losing 93 pounds, Natalie Moxey feels like she is a better mom.

During the past 18 months, Moxey learned she was stronger than she thought.

I have taken control of what I do to myself and my body, she said. It helped me find my self-worth again.

Most importantly, it helped her become the mom she always wanted to be.

Being healthy and happy is what you need to be a good mum, she said. That is really important to me that (my sons) see that working to improve yourself is a positive thing.

Moxey provided a few tips to help others hoping to lose weight.

What it's really like to lose 100 pounds Play Video - 1:01

What it's really like to lose 100 pounds Play Video - 1:01

Even when Moxey disliked her appearance, she took pictures of herself. Looking at old pictures helped her stay focused on her weight-loss goals, even when it felt too overwhelming.

It is an amazing motivation to push yourself to keep going, she said.

Moxey thought that losing weight meant giving up pasta and potatoes. But she found a plan that taught her portion control, which helped her feel satiated, while still enjoying foods she loved.

I followed diets in the past and they are incredibly restricted and you feel miserable. It is just no way to live to basically be living with your stomach rumbling, she said. Dont let anyone tell you that you cant enjoy your food.

After her local Indian restaurant sent her a Christmas card for being such a good customer, Natalie Moxey knew it was time to lose weight. She lost 93 pounds in 18 months.

When Moxey first started Slimming World she set smaller goals, such as lose 5 or 10 pounds in a month. And when she reached those little goals, she rewarded herself.

If you do hit these mini goals, go and buy yourself new dress or go out to the cinema to celebrate, she said. "You have to be kind to yourself or you just wont get there."

For more weight-loss inspiration, check out TODAY's My Weight-Loss Journey page. If you're ready to start making small changes for a healthier life, sign up for our One Small Thing newsletter.

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'I reached rock bottom': How this mom lost 93 pounds to transform her life - Today.com

The latest trend in nutrition isn't a fad diet or newly discovered supplement; it's your DNA.

Unlocking the secrets of one's genetic code used to be confined to the laboratory, but increasingly, the big business of DNA is now going after your eating habits.

Scientists already know that variations in our genes determine how well our bodies metabolize certain compounds for example, people with a variation of the CYP1A2 gene metabolize caffeine more slowly, and are at an increased risk of heart attack and hypertension if they drink more than a couple of cups of coffee a day.

Companies now want to take the buzz over DNA testing one step further and market the tests as a way to determine how peoples bodies handle nutrients. And tech firms are stepping up to fill that demand. More and more genetics startups are getting into nutrition, with tests that claim to help people choose the best food to eat to feel good and even lose weight.

Genetic testing service 23andMe has genotyped more than 2 million customers to determine ancestry and genetic health risks, and Nutrigenomix offers tests designed to help medical professionals make recommendations for a person's intake of sodium, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, and yes, caffeine.

Ahmed El-Sohemy, a professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto and the founder of Nutrigenomix, points to research that shows the "one-size-fits-all model of nutritional guidance" is not the most effective way for people to eat healthily or lose weight.

"There's research now showing that people who get DNA-based dietary advice are more likely to follow recommendations. So not only are people getting more accurate dietary advice, but they are more likely to follow it," said El-Sohemy.

Now, there's a new kid on the block: Oakland-based personalized nutrition company Habit.

"We think we're going to disrupt the diet industry," Habit founder and CEO Neil Grimmer told NBC News. "When you think about moving from a one-size-fits-all approach to food to something that's highly personalized, it changes everything. It changes the way you shop. It changes the way you eat. And quite frankly, it even changes the way you think about your own health and well-being."

Habit's home testing kit containing DNA cheek swabs, three finger-prick blood tests, and a special shake. The bloodwork is designed to show how your body metabolizes the huge amounts of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in the shake. Chiara Sottile

At Habit, it's not just DNA data they're using to make diet recommendations. For $299, Habit sends customers an at-home test kit containing DNA cheek swabs, three finger-prick blood tests, and a "metabolic challenge shake loaded with 950 calories. Users take one blood test prior to drinking the shake, and two more timed blood pricks afterwards. The bloodwork is designed to show how your body metabolizes the huge amounts of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in the shake.

"You layer in your blood work, your fasting blood work, and you layer in your metabolism, and all of a sudden you have a really clear picture of what's going on inside yourself," said Grimmer.

The Habit test kit also asks you to measure your waist circumference and provide information about your weight and activity level. Users send in the DNA swabs and blood sample testing cards sealed in a pre-paid envelope, and then get their results back a couple weeks later.

Health-conscious San Francisco resident Michelle Hillier was introduced to Habit through a friend. When she received her test results, she was surprised to learn she is a diet type Habit calls a "Range Seeker" meaning she should eat about 50 percent of her daily calories in carbohydrates, about 30 percent from fat, and 20 percent from protein.

"You hear so much about how you need so much protein, and I'm a pretty active person so I had been really upping my protein. And to find out that I'm supposed to have more carbs than anything else was really surprising to me," said Hillier, who is not affiliated with the company.

She also learned that she has genes that are impactful for lactose and caffeine sensitivity, something she had suspected. Like all Habit users get for the $299, after she received her test results, Hillier had a 25-minute phone consultation with a registered dietitian from the Habit team.

Michelle Hillier, pictured, learned she is a "Range Seeker," which means she should eat about 50 percent of her daily calories in carbohydrates, about 30 percent from fat, and 20 percent from protein. Chiara Sottile

The Habit test kit is now available nationally (except in New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, because of regulatory restrictions). In the San Francisco Bay Area, Habit users get an added perk: the company will cook you fresh meals in their Oakland kitchen based on your diet recommendations and deliver them to your door weekly.

Hillier receives about three dinners a week costing between $10 and $15 a meal and she can choose her meals with Habit's online dashboard.

For Hillier, the Habit meals have been a positive addition to her already healthy lifestyle, though she admits: "The shake was awful," referring to the metabolic challenge shake. "It was like drinking seven coffees, four avocados, and a scoop of ice cream," said Hillier with a laugh.

Blood pricks and a "Challenge Shake" that lives up to its name could be barriers for some people but, Hillier says, it was well worth it for her.

"I've noticed that my clothes are looser on my body, I feel better. I noticed that I have more energy, honestly, since I started doing the meal plans," said Hillier in an interview, noting she's lost about seven pounds since she started receiving the Habit meal plans in May.

Kristin Kirkpatrick is a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, where they offer DNA testing kits from Nutrigenomix.

"Many of my patients have mentioned to me that it [nutrigenomics] has truly changed the way that they eat. But I don't think it's the first step. I think seeing a professional and going over what those important goals and barriers are is definitely what you want to do first, said Kirkpatrick in an interview with NBCs Jo Ling Kent.

As some urge potential consumers to do their homework and speak with their own healthcare professional before they take the plunge into their genetics, the market for DNA-based products is racing ahead. Just last month, Helix, a personal genomics company, launched the first online "marketplace."

Customers who have their genome sequenced with Helix get access to a slew of services from other emerging genomics companies ranging from Vinome,which aims to pick wine for you based on your genes, to EverlyWell, which offers food sensitivity and metabolism tests.

"People are very interested to go beyond the generalities that they've seen and get more specific to what's actually impacting their genes," said Kirkpatrick, though she warns this kind of testing "may not be ready for primetime."

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics agrees, writing in a 2014 opinion paper that, "...the use of nutrigenetic testing to provide dietary advice is not ready for routine dietetics practice." In the same paper, the Academy did also characterize nutritional genomics as insightful into how diet and genes impact our phenotypes.

"I don't think it's going to answer every single question that you may have about your health and it's definitely not going to answer things that are very specific to health ailments that you may have," Kirkpatrick told NBC News.

"Will it put you in the right direction towards knowing what foods you need to increase? What foods perhaps you should have less of and what's the best source of protein or fat related to weight loss? Absolutely," Kirkpatrick continued.

By 2020, the genomics market is expected to generate a staggering $50 billion globally, and diagnostic tools, health tech, and wireless wearables are expected to boom from $2 billion to $150 billion globally, according to one analysis.

"I think this is the start of a highly personalized future," said Habit CEO Neil Grimmer. "What we really hope to do is actually dispel a lot of the myths, get rid of the fad diets and actually get something that's personal to you."

Michelle Hillier says her Habit "nutrition coach," a registered dietitian, also advised her that she should consider factors beyond just her test results.

"She said take the results with a grain of salt, because you have to first see how you feel when you eat this way. It's not meant to be the 'end all be all,' but it is a guide like anything else," said Hillier.

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Trying to Find a Healthy Diet? Look to Your Genes - NBCNews.com