A weight loss study, published on July 17, from the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that one ingredient many Britons eat every day could be making them fat.

The report found artificial sweeteners may be associated with long-term weight gain and increased risk of obesity.

And not only will they scupper your weight loss aspirations, they can also increase your risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, according to the new study.

Cutting foods high in these artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, neotame, saccharin and sucralose is one simply way to keep off the pounds.

Britons should be careful of the foods they consume in terms of sweeteners, as its not just the obvious fizzy drinks and sweets that have them.

Researchers from George Washington University found three-quarters of packaged foods have artificial sweeteners inside.

They include ketchup, whole-wheat bread, greek yoghurt, cereal and sugar-free chewing gum.

So make sure you thoroughly read packets to stay away from the artificial sweeteners.

The NHS said: Artificial sweeteners are low-calorie or calorie-free chemical substances that are used instead of sugar to sweeten foods and drinks.

They are found in thousands of products, from drinks, desserts and ready meals, to cakes, chewing gum and toothpaste.

However, the new research indicates that artificial sweeteners may have negative effects on metabolism, gut bacteria and appetite.

Author Dr. Ryan Zarychanski said: "We found that data from clinical trials do not clearly support the intended benefits of artificial sweeteners for weight management."

Dr. Meghan Azad added: "Given the widespread and increasing use of artificial sweeteners, and the current epidemic of obesity and related diseases, more research is needed to determine the long-term risks and benefits of these products.

Now scientists have claimed that maintaining a low calorie diet is crucial to staying young after studying how the human body clock changes with age.

The research team believes that avoiding high calorie foods makes the metabolism perform like that of a younger person.

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Weight loss: Diet plan without THIS food you consume daily offers the best weight loss - Express.co.uk

Javier Hernandez has overcome a lot of obstacles to get to where he is today.

I was always overweight, Hernandez, 32, tells PEOPLE. Out of eight kids, I was the fat one with the huge appetite. But life at home was hard. Raised by a single mother in the projects of Tempe, Arizona, Hernandez and his family didnt have a lot of money. My food options werent the best we would have cheap fast foods, donation boxes of foods, he says. Playing outside wasnt much of an option due to the high crime rate in our projects. They even endured bouts of homelessness.

He continued to struggle throughout his childhood, losing his older brother when he was 16 years old and going through a painful breakup a few years later. He became severely depressed. Friends intervened when they saw him struggling. They reminded me of a promise I made to my late brother to fix myself, says Hernandez, who weighed 325 lbs. at his heaviest. Iknew I was damaged inside and out and needed to make a change.

In 2011, he began the process of losing weight.When I first started, I knew that I didnt want to be thin I wanted to be built, says Hernandez, who shares his weight loss journey on Instagram. I also knew that I had to get rid of all the things that could be making me overweight, like sweets, fried foods and tortillas.

FROM PEN:Half Their Size: Lindita Weighed 250 lbs. Before Deciding To Lose The Weight

So he ditched his food vices for a mix of healthy proteins (eggs, chicken, protein shakes) and complex carbs (quick oats and sweet potatoes). To help battle my appetite, he says, I would consume a ton of veggies like broccoli, green beans and spinach.

Hernandez also found solace at the gym, where he worked out seven days a week. By 2012, he had lost 120 lbs. and decided to enter bodybuilding.coms male transformation contest. He was ecstatic when he actually won. I was super surprised, he says. Nothing like that ever really happens for me.

The experience inspired him to enter a physique show and he continued losing weight, getting down to about 170 lbs. But a couple weeks before the 2012 competition, Hernandez was hit with another blow: He lost a second brother. It sent him into an unhealthy spiral, and he gained back some of the weight.

I knew drinking and eating myself away wasnt going to help, says Hernandez, who finally decided to recommit to his healthy routine.

After losing weight a second time, he got a tummy tuck to get rid of loose skin.

He also renewed his commitment to physique shows, competing in his first in 2014. Hernandez put on more muscle after his surgery, currently weights 180 lbs. and continues to compete. He is also studying to get certified in sports medicine.

And he also now has a strong support system cheering him on.

When I first started [this weight loss journey] I was on my own, says Hernandez, who is married with two young sons. [Now] I want to keep up with [my kids]. They keep me driven; they keep me motivated. They are never going to be my excuse, they are always going to be my reason.

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After Surviving Family Tragedy, This Man Lost 100 Lbs. and Became a Bodybuilder - PEOPLE.com

Federal officials are warning health providers about weight loss balloon devices after five people died unexpectedly shortly after being treated with them.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a report that since 2016, five people died after using liquid-filled balloon weight loss system intended to treat obesity. In the procedures, patients are mildly sedated as a deflated balloon made of silicone is inserted through the throat and into the stomach, after which it's filled with saline to take up space in the stomach. The balloon is designed to remain in place for several months. Four of the deaths occurred after patients used the Orbera Intragastric Balloon System, manufactured by Apollo Endo Surgery, and one took place after a patient used the ReShape Integrated Dual Balloon System, which is made by ReShape Medical Inc.

MORE: I Swallowed a Balloon For Weight Loss and Lost 40 Lbs.

In each case, the person who received the weight loss balloon died within a month or less of having the balloon placed. In three cases, the person died one to three days afterward.

"At this time, we do not know the root cause or incidence rate of patient death, nor have we been able to definitively attribute the deaths to the devices or the insertion procedures for these devices," the FDA writes, adding that it is looking into two other deaths.

The alert from the FDA does not mean that the agency has definitively proven that the balloons caused the deaths, but that they are looking into it. The agency recommends that doctors closely monitor patients who are using these devices.

Read more:
Five People Die After Using Weight Loss Balloons for Obesity - TIME

RELATED: 7 Changes To Make If You Want To Lose 20 Pounds Or More

Now, UpOwlNight says hes figured out why. It's so weird to me, that after I admit it and accept it, that I realize I've always known I was lying to myself, he writes. I tell myself I can do it fast.

The Redditor says he reads recommendations that people should strive to lose a pound or two a week and writes them off because he thinks that will take too long. I always think I can kill it at the gym, or skip a meal here or there, or completely give up drinking and knock this fat thing out quick, he writes. I simply cannot do that. Eight years have proven it to me, and countless failed attempts make me realize how silly it would be for me to fall down that same insane rabbit hole of three hours per night at the gym, and 1,800 calories per day.

I just had this really sad realization that the only reason I haven't reached my goal weight after 8 years is because I have been fighting doing this the "right" way. from loseit

I'm not saying I'm not going to try again, I'm just saying I'm going to try something I've never tried before; one pound a week, he writes. I don't know what happened, maybe the eight years is weighing on me harder, but 52 pounds a year doesn't sound so bad. Thirty pounds a year doesnt sound bad. The only thing that sounds bad is going insane again for four months at the gym, and suffering and starving myself, and having insane ups and downs that I'm cured, and that I'm not cured, and then giving up, and gaining it all back.

Check out some of the weirdest weight-loss trends throughout history:

In the comments, people shared stories of their own struggles and words of support. Good post buddy! I fully support your plan and think its smart, one commenter writes. Slow and steady is a great and safe way to lose weight. My man, that was exactly the realization that led to me finally making real sustained progress on losing weight, another adds. You can do it too. I won't lie and say it will be easy, but doing it this way is definitely easier. Get after it, bro. (Hit the reset buttonand meet your weight loss goals with The Body Clock Diet!)

Experts have long said that one to two pounds a week is the most you should be losing to set yourself up for sustainable, long-term weight loss. Cutting out entire food groups isn't great either because it's more likely you'll fall off the wagon and overindulge, which doesn't get you anywhere.

If youve been struggling to lose weight for a while and arent getting anywhere near your goal, maybe its time to take a page of out this Redditors book and get real about what's holding you back. It could get you farther than you think.

Link:
This Redditor Just Dropped A Truth Bomb About The Huge 'Lie' That Kept Him From Losing Weight - Women's Health

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The minute a beach vacation, a high school reunion or a friends wedding pops up on the calendar, we immediately wage war on carbohydrates.

No bagels

No pasta.

Definitely no potatoes.

But is banishing carbs really the best plan of attack to slim down, tone up and feel your best? Not to mention, where do carbs come into play when it comes to our overall health? And why have they become the scapegoat for our muffin top?

People love to say things like I am on a low-carb diet or I'm not eating carbs right now. Typically, they're referring to pasta and bread, but what many don't know is that dairy, fruit and vegetables have naturally occurring carbohydrates! says Courtney Ferreira, RD, owner of Real Food Court nutrition consulting. If you are eating broccoli, you are eating carbs.

So before you ban every carbohydrate from the menu know the facts.

Carbohydrates are a actually a macronutrient (along with protein and fat) and they play a very vital role to your overall health, productivity and yes, your weight-loss success.

Its really important for people to understand that the bodys preferred source of fuel for most everyday activity is carbohydrate. And your brain and red blood cells rely on carbohydrate almost exclusively for fuel, says Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD, director of Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training at Herbalife Nutrition. So following a very low-carbohydrate diet can really shortchange your physical and mental performance; you cut down (or out) so many healthy foods and that limits your intake of many important vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and fiber that are critically important to good health.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that 45 to 65 percent of the calories we eat come from carbs. Since it makes up such a large chunk of our diet, it's worth it to school yourself on the myths that are misinforming how you consume this important nutrient.

Fact: Yes but it would also mean nixing fruits, vegetables and whole grains

Yes, that plate of steamed veggies you ate for lunch contained carbs.

Carbohydrates vary widely in terms of their nutrient density, so everything from a green bean, which is a good source of fiber, protein [and other vitamins and minerals] to a slice of white bread, which does not offer much other than carbohydrates, is considered a carbohydrate, says Pegah Jalali, MS, RD, CDN, an NYC-based pediatric dietitian.

Instead of saying, I can't eat that, ask, what is a source of carbs that will provide me with more nutrition?

Instead of saying, I can't eat that, ask, what is a source of carbs that will provide me with more nutrition?

She recommends that people move away from the obsession with banning all carbs and focus on the types of food theyre eating. If you are eating mostly fruits and vegetables, then it is fine if your diet is high in carbohydrates, says Jalali. On the flip side, if your diet is high in carbohydrates, but you are eating mostly processed foods like packaged breads, cookies and chips then that is a completely different diet.

Ferreira advises her clients to think about the different foods that contain carbohydrates on a spectrum. On one side are the foods you can eat in unlimited quantities nutrient-dense, fiber-rich and whole-food carb sources like green veggies and fruit. Towards the middle are nutrient-dense, but also carbohydrate-dense, foods such as white potatoes, that should be balanced out with those at the eat as much as you can end, she says. On the other end of the spectrum are foods like breads and pasta. "While these still have a place in the diet, they require balancing out in order to create a diet that provides nutrients we need," says Ferreira "I really urge people to start looking at carbs in this new way. Instead of saying, I can't eat that, [ask] what is a source of carbs that will provide me with more nutrition?

Fact: There are simple and complex carbohydrates

The main reason [carbs get a bad rap] is that when people think carbs they think starch, like white rice, pasta, potatoes or white bread, says Bowerman. While many refined carbs dont offer up much nutritionally, there are lots of good carbs healthy foods that provide carbohydrates your body absolutely needs every day to function properly.

In actuality there are three types of carbohydrates: fiber, sugar and starch. Where things get confusing is when we look at specific foods, which can contain different types of carbohydrates. They can either be labeled simple or complex based on their chemical makeup. Complex carbs contain a complex chain of sugars as well as some fiber, protein and/or healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, says Rebecca Lewis, registered dietitian at HelloFresh. The presence of fiber, protein and fats is important because it slows digestion, prevents a spike in our blood-sugar levels, and helps us to feel full and satisfied for longer (i.e. curbs cravings).

Thats why carbohydrate-containing foods like starchy vegetables, legumes and whole grains are included in many healthy diet plans.

Follow the 10:1 rule: Choose foods where for every 10 grams of carbs, there is 1 gram of fiber.

Follow the 10:1 rule: Choose foods where for every 10 grams of carbs, there is 1 gram of fiber.

The simple carbs, often found in processed foods and drinks, are easier for the body to break down, meaning they dont keep you full as long and can lead to erratic blood sugar levels.

Thats not to say that simple carbs are always bad for us.

Simple carbohydrates are found in fruits, veggies and dairy all of which are healthy choices as they also contain good stuff like vitamins, minerals, and fiber, says Lewis. However, simple carbs are also found in less healthy foods like refined grains, processed snacks, sweets, soda and juice, which lack extra nutrients. These foods are very quickly digested, which can cause swings in our blood sugar levels and often leave us hungry for more.

The trick is to look for foods that have a more robust nutritional profile. That apple may have simple carbs, but it also contains a hefty dose of fiber to slow down the digestion of the sugars.

Fact: Its not the carbs making you fat, its the sugar and calories

Anything is fattening if you eat too much of it, and not all carbohydrate-containing foods have the same calorie density, says Bowerman. This myth persists because many people who eat a lot of refined carbs and sugar do lose weight when they cut back on these foods. But it isnt because theyve cut out all of the carbs, its because they have cut out a lot of the calorie-dense foods.

Research actually shows that while low-carb eaters tend to lose more weight at first, after one year, that weight loss levels out and is no different than those who eat a low-fat (moderate carb) diet.

That being said, when it comes to carbohydrate-containing foods and weight gain, sugar and excess calories tend to be the culprit.

Really the secret behind carbohydrates is to identify and limit the amount of added sugar in your carbohydrate sources; highlight whole foods like fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains; and pay attention to portion sizing carbohydrates along with your protein and fat sources, says Amanda Markie, MS, RDN, LD, Outpatient Dietitian at UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center. Sugar can be found naturally in foods like fruits and milk products, as well as being more concentrated into your processed foods like sodas, candy or baked goods, explains Markie.

Research shows that while low-carb eaters tend to lose more weight at first, after one year, that weight loss levels out and is no different than those who eat a moderate carb diet.

Research shows that while low-carb eaters tend to lose more weight at first, after one year, that weight loss levels out and is no different than those who eat a moderate carb diet.

So you want to ensure that youre choosing sources of carbohydrates that have this naturally-occurring sugar.

Also look for higher dietary fiber with a lower amount of added sugar, which you can identify if it is one of the first ingredients on the ingredients list, says Markie. Limit those foods that have sugar within the first two to three ingredients."

And just because youre choosing the higher-fiber, low-sugar options doesnt mean you can eat them in unlimited qualities: portions matter.

Four cups of quinoa will make anyone gain weight. The quantity is the key strategy, said Monica Auslander, MS, RDN, the founder of Essence Nutrition. For example, I'll eat steel cut oatmeal, but only 1/3 cup a day. I'll eat beans, but only 1/2 cup at a time. I'm a petite person and not an athlete, so I can't afford to have three slices of Ezekiel bread for breakfast, a sweet potato at lunch, and three cups of quinoa at dinner.

Fact: The right carbs stabilize blood-sugar levels for sustained energy

A 2014 study published in the Nutrition Journal found that participants who ate a high-carbohydrate, high-fiber, vegan diet (they got 80 percent of their calories from carbs) actually saw a drop in average blood sugar, plus lost weight and had significant improvements in blood pressure.

Plus, that glucose that our bodies gleans from digestible carb is needed for the functioning of multiple organs, including the brain. So that sugar in the blood stream isnt just okay its necessary. The problem is when they are released all at once in high doses.

One thing that we must all remember is that carbohydrates are essential to fuel your brain, boost our energy and maintain our metabolism. The key is to eat the right kinds of food that contain carbohydrates, says Meghan Daw, RD, LDN, from Fresh Thyme Farmers Market. These foods contain carbohydrates that are more complex, meaning they contain fiber and other nutrients that take time to digest and allow a slow release of sugar into the body. This slow release does increase blood sugar levels over time but not all at once, preventing some unwanted blood sugar level spikes and symptoms that come along with those spikes.

Fact: Not always ... you also need to use common sense.

The Glycemic Index is a system that rank foods based on how much a certain portion increases blood sugar when compared to pure glucose.

"One major setback [to the use of the Glycemic Index when choosing what carbohydrates are best] is that this index measures the bodys response when the carbohydrate is eaten without other foods, but how often are we eating a carbohydrate at a meal on its own?" says Markie.

You may have a baked potato for dinner, but there's a good chance it's accompanied by a piece of salmon and some veggies. "Having these foods together can change the speed of digestion and your bodys response," says Markie.

The Glycemic Index can be a guide in determining which foods are the better choices, she adds. Those lower on the scale may be higher in fiber, which slows digestion. But you need to use common sense to make the final judgement.

"There are other cases in which the Glycemic Index does not direct the consumer toward the most healthful choice," says Markie. "For example, a soda has a Glycemic Index of 63, while raisins have a Glycemic Index of 64, however that does not mean raisins and soda have the same nutritional value."

It's a tool you can use, but it should be one tool out of many, as it doesn't take into account the other nutritional values of the food, she adds.

Fact: The source of those carbs matter

At the end of the day, all carbs are not created equal. So blindly counting net carbs isnt the best way to establish a healthy diet. But food labels in their current state can be tricky to decode.

Reading labels will provide you with the quantity of carbohydrate that is in the food, but it doesnt necessarily tell you about the quality, says Bowerman. For example, I have patients who dont drink milk because of the carbohydrate content, but the carbohydrate in milk is not added, its simply the natural sugar (lactose). But its hard to tell from a label which carbs are natural and which are added, and unless you read the ingredients list as well, you wont know the source of the carbohydrate.

For most packaged items, a high fiber count can be a good sign that a food is a healthy choice. Lewis recommends following the 10:1 rule: Choose foods where for every 10 grams of carbs, there is 1 gram of fiber.

However, Bowerman caveats that manufacturers can also add fiber to products afterwards, so you should check the ingredients list for a whole food source to ensure the fiber is naturally occurring.

Luckily, deciphering the label is about to get a bit easier. The new food label to be implemented in July 2018 will specifically call out how much of the total sugar in a food is added, making it easier to distinguish between the unhealthy sugars youll find in many processed foods and the natural-occurring sugar in whole foods like fruit and milk.

Until then, you cant go wrong by choosing whole-food sources of carbohydrates that only have one ingredient themselves!

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The rest is here:
6 Myths About Carbs That Are Preventing You From Losing Weight - NBCNews.com

Eddie McGuire before and after he went on the extreme detox program. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

MEDIA heavyweight Eddie McGuire shed 15kg in just three weeks ... by not eating.

McGuire started the intensive diet program based on Chinese herbs in May, describing it as extreme.

For the first two weeks he drank three cups of herb tonic a day in place of meals.

In the third week he was able to introduce half a cucumber and a meagre 50g serve of chicken into his daily meal plan.

Eddie McGuire. Picture: Wayne LudbeySource:News Corp Australia

McGuires new slimline look has been noticed.

Every fat bloke in Melbourne has rung me about it, he laughed.

Eddie McGuire. Picture: Wayne LudbeySource:News Corp Australia

When you get to my age (52) you get home at night, you are tired, you have been going since 4.30am in the morning and you think, I will train tonight, and then suddenly you want to see your boys and your wife, or the kids need support with their homework, or they want to have a kick of the footy, and invariably you just run out of time, McGuire said.

McGuire, following his detox program. Picture: Alex Coppel.Source:News Corp Australia

And I have probably been the classic case of the person who has put on one-and-a-half kilos a year for the past 10 years and suddenly you look out the window one day and you see a fat bloke looking back at you and you realise it is a mirror.

McGuire chose the 101 Wellbeing Program by Dr Shuquan Liu, the same as used by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull several years ago, as part of a health overhaul.

McGuire admitted the first part of the program was pretty intense.

You are provided with these Chinese herbs, about half a cup, you get to drink three of them a day, and some water, and a couple of cups of tea and that is it, he said.

I did not eat for two weeks, and in the third week I was allowed to have half a cucumber before 1pm and 50 grams of chicken, which in the past would not have got stuck in my teeth.

It has taken all the heat out of my body, I feel great, I did not feel tired at any stage, and did not actually even feel hungry, believe it or not.

Eddie McGuire enjoying his cucumbers. Picture: TwitterSource:Supplied

The extent of McGuires transformation was best illustrated last month on a Friday evening where he was seen hosting an episode of Millionaire Hot Seat recorded several weeks ago on Channel 9 at 5pm and then a matter of hours later was live in the Fox Footy studio debating the football issues of the week.

McGuire said the challenge was now to maintain his new weight.

The next stage for me is to get myself physically fit again and keep the discipline up and make sure I dont plonk it (the weight) back on.

Writer Brigid Delaney underwent the same detox program and wrote about her experience

Brigid Delaney lost a lot of weight when she starved herself on a controversial detox but says she wouldnt try it again.Source:Supplied

The most difficult thing Ive ever done is go two weeks without food not a morsel, not a skerrick, not a crumb.

Id been living in New York, indulging in burgers, fries and bourbon. It was winter, my clothes were tight, my skin looked rough.

I yearned to feel healthy again. I didnt feel sick more just sub-optimum, lethargic; aching joints on the inside, a coat of grease on the outside, spotty and paunchy with bloodshot eyes. My mood was low. Dont put me on Facebook! I had to say more than once, as friends took my photo. I needed to lose about 20 kilograms to get back into a healthy weight range. I needed to reset my body and my life.

Around this time, a curious opportunity landed in my inbox. It was a magazine assignment. Would I be interested in writing a first-person account of a controversial detox that lasts for 101 days? In 2011 Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy emerged after two weeks on the fast, supported by Chinese herbal medicine. His weight loss was so dramatic, people initially speculated he had cancer.

In response, warnings were issued about extreme fasting. The Australian Medical Associations vice president, Dr Geoffrey Dobb, said starvation and herbal tea was not the answer to losing weight. Any rapid weight loss can be followed by a rebound if people are unable to sustain the program they have entered into.

Brigid Delaney didn't feel well when she was on the diet. Source: SuppliedSource:Supplied

The regimen is not for the faint-hearted. It starts with no food for fourteen days, before moving on to small amounts of solids: half a cucumber on the first day, 50 grams of poached chicken the next (think the size of three fingers), then an egg on the third day, then back to the cucumber. Repeat the cycle for the next sixty days. Black tea and water were permitted. The Chinese medicine a mixture of herbs was to be taken orally, three times daily. The herbs give you around 250 calories a day.

I returned to Australia and signed up to the program. The night before I started detoxing, I had one final splurge. Holding a detox party with a group of friends, I had five or six glasses or wine, some champagne, cigarettes and around 2am, a burger.

In my initial appointment I was weighed and had a procedure called cupping. Staff at the fasting clinic told me that the discolouration around my back after the cupping showed that oxygen was not reaching my vital organs because the internal fat inside my body was crushing them. The detox, I was told, would shrink the internal fat, restoring my organs to optimum working condition.

Days one to three without food were tough. The liquids kept me feeling full, but without meals to prepare, plan and enjoy I was left a bit unmoored. I was tired, crabby and lacked energy. I hid in my room while my flatmate cooked delicious smelling food and once, when I went out to buy tea bags, I ended up trailing a man who was carrying a box of pizza the smell driving me crazy.

Brigid Delaney had a tough time on the detox diet.Source:Supplied

In the first week, I was plagued by headaches, low level aches and pains, deep fatigue and boredom. When I slept (sometime for 14 or more hours) my dreams were vivid and strange. I thought about food constantly.

So what was going on in my body in the early stages of the detox?

On the first day, six to twenty-four hours after beginning the detox (known as the post-absorptive phase) insulin levels start to fall. Glycogen breaks down and releases glucose for energy and these glycogen stores last for roughly twenty-four hours. Then gluconeogenesis (literally meaning making new glucose) occurs in the next twenty-four hours to two days. This is when the liver manufactures new glucose from amino acids. Glucose levels fall but stay within the normal range providing you are not diabetic. This is the body using the last of its sugar supplies up before it switches into ketosis the fat-burning mode beloved by body builders, anorexics and paleo devotees.

Amanda Salis is the Associate Professor at the University of Sydney, who leads research and multidisciplinary clinical trials at the Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders. Her research focuses on understanding and circumventing the bodys adaptive responses to continued energy restriction, a phenomenon she terms the famine reaction. She says the reason I am sleeping so much is that your body goes into conservation mode when you are fasting. There is not enough fuel to enable your muscles to move. Neurochemical changes are occurring in your brain, also making you feel lethargic. Its like being hit by train.

On day two I discover I had lost a kilogram already an even, satisfying one kilogram.

On day three I lose almost two kilograms so that is almost three kilograms in three days.

The rest of the first week was torture. It felt like having a really bad flu. On the fifth night I was woken by chest pains that made me fear I was having a heart attack. (Associate Professor Salis later tells me, that when starving the body will feed off muscle, even bone. The heart muscle is not immune from being catabolised.)

By day five without food, there is no hiding from the truth: I smell bad. Really bad. Not sweaty, but like something thats been left in the bin too long and is rotting. When I cry, even my tears smell bad.

By week two I am still losing around a kilogram a day, but miraculously my energy is returning even though Im still not eating. My skin and eyes are sparkling, my hair shiny and my clothes were loose. My brain feels like it has switched from dial up to super fast broadband. I feel sharper.

Yet, there is still the hunger. Most nights I wake up around 4am, starving.

Such a regimen is, obviously not sustainable. I did a modified version of the detox for another 87 days and lost 14 kilograms.

Unfortunately when I went back to eating and drinking normally (not excessively, just normally) all the weight came back on.

Would I do the detox again? Probably not they were two of the toughest weeks of my life.

Brigid Delaneys book on the wellness industry, including fasts and detoxes, is called Wellmania and is out now.

This article written in conjunction with Fiona Byrne from the Herald Sun

Former AFL Footy Show host Eddie McGuire is back to front the new look show. Courtesy: Nine Network

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I went on the diet that helped Eddie McGuire lose all that weight - NEWS.com.au

It is easy to lose weight but maintaining the weight loss is a tedious and a never-ending challenge. You require determination, proper know- how and realistic goals. Initially starting with small changes in diet and exercise to achieve long term weight loss.

Truths about long term weight loss

Early morning Breakfast: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it breaks the overnight fasting period. It replenishes the supply of glucose and provides other essential nutrients that keep boosts the energy level throughout the day.

Personal weight loss goal: A proper diet and an exercise plan is must for long term weight loss. The amount of calories that you take should be reduced. Another way to burn fat is through exercise. However, everyone burns calories at different rate.

Balanced diet: Plan a healthy and a nutritionally balanced diet. Eating smaller portions and five meals a day is advisable. Limit yourself to processed, fatty, sugary and salty foods. Aim for eating fresh fruits and vegetables. Also, chose nutrient rich foods with a mix of proteins.

Proteins: Adding proteins to your diet is the simplest and an effective way to reduce weight. Proteins help in fighting cravings and increases the metabolic rates. This will automatically help you lose weight.

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Must Know: 5 Harsh Realities About Weight Loss - Doctor NDTV