Fast-food is an easy grab-and-go option for when you're short on time or just don't feel like whipping something up at home. And yeah, sometimes you just get a craving for a burger and some fries! It's important to keep in mind, though, that some fast-food items are better than others, so if you're choosing to stop in a McDonald's or Burger King to grab something, you're better off knowing beforehand what your healthiest and unhealthiest options are before you place your order. This way you can best keep your diet goals in check!

In general, going with a salad (dressing on the side) with non-fried or sugary toppings is a solid option great, as well as choosing a sandwich or entre that has grilled, rather than fried meat and fish. Anything that is loaded with fattening ingredients or that comes in a massive platter size should be a no-go given red light. Still though, here's a handy guide to the worst fast-food menu items, according to dietitians, so you can make the best decision. And while you're making healthier choices, go ahead and stock up on The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.

No matter how you spin it, a beef patty combined with bacon and cheese is going to pack a lot of calories and saturated fat.

"Many of these burger options are well above the 500 calorie mark and contain 3/4 or more of the saturated fat amount you should have in a whole day," says Ginger Hultin MS, RDN, dietitian, and author of Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Prep.

Not only do you have to worry about saturated fat, but the sodium content in these burgers can be dangerous, too. Many options often contain more than half the amount of daily sodium limits, like Hardee's Monster Angus Thickburger, says Ilyse Schapiro MS, RD, CDN. That burger has almost a pound of beef, four strips of bacon, plus three slices of American cheese with mayo. Big yikes!

Breakfast sets the tone for the rest of your day, so you want to make sure you're starting things off right. That's why you need to be careful when it comes to ordering a fast-food breakfast.

"Many fast-food restaurants offer some type of eggs, meat, and muffin, biscuit or potato combo, but these are typically very high in calories, and some as high as 800-1,000 just for that one meal," says Hultin.

McDonald's Big Breakfast with Hotcakes and Large Biscuit, for example, is a doozy, points out Schapiro. This menu item comes with hotcakes, scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, butter, and a biscuit for a meal that is packing 1,340 calories. And that's just for breakfast!

Large-sized coffee drinks, especially ones that are caramel or mocha flavored or are made with whole milk, tend to be really dense in calories and added sugar. That just makes for a disastrous combination.

"For a mocha drink from various fast-food restaurants, you could be looking at 600-800 calories, nearly a day's worth of recommended saturated fat intake, and [more than] 50 grams of sugar," says Hultin. "Easily adapt your order by choosing a smaller size, nixing the whipped cream, asking for 'light' syrup, and choosing a lower fat milk," she suggests.

And just so you know, the Butter Pecan Swirl Frozen Coffee with skim milk from Dunkin' is one of the worst ones you can orderdon't let the skim milk there fool you!

This is the perfect example of taking something that could be healthy, and quickly seeing how it can turn unhealthy.

"A salad may seem like a safe bet for your weight loss goals but with fried chicken, croutons, and [a] creamy dressing, some salads are higher in calories and fat than a burger," says Hultin. It's not that shocking to find a fast-food salad that is upwards of 500 calories, contains more than 10 grams of saturated fat, and is packing added sugar, too. Remember, anything that has the word "crispy" just means fried!

"Many 6-12 inch sub sandwiches fall into the 500-800 calorie range but some are going to be much higher in fat, calories, and sodium than others," says Hultin. Because of the variety of meats and cheeses used, Italian sub sandwiches, in particular, can easily top 1,000 calories in one sandwich. Schapiro says the Jersey Mike's Giant Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteak on White Bread is a no-go, as it has 1,850 calories and three times the amount of sodium you are supposed to have in a day. Plus, it has 152 grams of carbs and more than 30 grams of saturated fat.

Looking for more helpful tips? Your ultimate restaurant and supermarket survival guide is here!

"Wings are typically all skin, fat, and fried, plus the dipping sauce is not low calorie either," says Schapiro. The Checkers/Rally's 20-Piece Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings is a good example of how excessive this menu item can be.

"This has 2,040 calories for the entire order, which is enough total calories for the day for many people," she says. It also has 48 grams of saturated fat, and 3,320 mg of sodium, which is way more than your daily needs for the day, as The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day for most adults.

Those pies that are loaded with meat-based toppings might be mouth-watering, but they're not doing your waistline any favors.

Schapiro says a meat-packed pizza on thick bread is definitely a bad option, no matter what. And even the smaller pie sizes, like Pizza Hut's Meat Lover's Personal Pan Pizza, can be dangerous, too.

A steak salad isn't any better than one that is topped with fried chicken. These salads tendsto be high in calories and fat based, too.

"Chipotle's Steak Salad, if you get all of the toppings, like white rice, black beans, fajita vegetables, roasted chili-corn salsa, sour cream, cheese, guacamole, and vinaigrette, your salad will come to at least 1,305 calories, 117 carbs, plus over your daily recommendation for sodium and fat," says Schapiro.

Plenty of fast-food chains have decadent milkshakes, but it's best to resist the temptation, especially when it comes to those larger sizes.

"Typically made with whole milk and whole milk ice cream, milkshakes are high in calories and fat, sometimes even as much as enough calories for your entire day," says Schapiro. One over-the-top option? A large Oreo Peanut Butter Shake from Sonic, which is packing 1,720 calories, 172 grams of carbs, and 111 grams of sugar. That all is just super bad for your heart and arteries, Schapiro points out.

Oh, the French fry. It's (arguably) often the most popular fast-food side dish, but you want to keep everything in moderation if you are going to indulge in a few crispers.

"Fries tend to be high in carbs, fat, and sodium, and they don't have to have cheese on them for them to be bad for you," says Schapiro. Steer clear of the Five Guys fries, she says, which have a total of 1,314 calories are more than 1,300 milligrams of sodium for a large order. If you can't resist, get a small and always remember to share.

Excerpt from:
The Worst Fast-Food Menu Items for Weight Loss, According to RDs - Eat This, Not That

If there ever was a year to let unhealthy habits bite the dust, 2021 is definitely it for many, it'll be a year of rebuilding routines, and making redeeming choices moving forward. And it might be the first time that you're interested more in how food makes you feel rather than how you look; fortunately, there are a handful of eating plans that can help you on both fronts. Stefani Sassos, MS, RD, CDN, the Good Housekeeping Institute's registered dietitian, explains this year's best diets which can revolutionize your cardiovascular health, help you shed steady pounds, plus boost your mood won't push you towards what's commonly known as "yo-yo" dieting. "These aren't gimmicks to get you ready for a wedding in two weeks. The best diets teach you excellent nutrition principles that you can adopt for life, no matter which program you're following," she contends.

These top-rated diets and programs hold promise for anyone looking to improve their health this year; if 2021 had a singular theme, it's sustainable, Sassos says. "These diets aren't cutting out major food groups that your body needs, but rather focus on incredible staples that you're adding into your everyday routine, and keep you on a reasonable track to better habits," she adds. Only one of the diets on our list actively discourages meat, but all of them emphasize more plant-based eating, Sassos points out, adding that these plans fight cardiovascular disease and inflammation while providing more antioxidants than ever: "You're going to fill up on nutritious foods that may, in turn, help you manage your weight."

It takes some work to get yourself ready for a healthier routine, especially if you want to stick with it all year long. Here's what you should prioritize on any diet you try:

You should always consult a primary care provider and/or with a registered dietitian on an individual basis before making drastic changes to your diet. Certain pre-existing health conditions may prevent you from following prescribed dietary plans. Discuss any potential side effects with a doctor before changing your diet or trying a new one altogether.

Below, we're sharing a ranking of the best diets of 2021, a brief explanation of why each program should edge out trendier diets you see elsewhere (yes, including Keto and Whole30), and resources to help make an easier transition for you into a brand-new routine. Read on to learn why each diet is healthy in the long run, but to summarize, the best diets for you in 2021 are:

This lifestyle-based diet, inspired by healthy communities in nations like Greece, Spain, France, and Italy, is consistently ranked as the best diet for many good reasons. Snagging the top spot in U.S. News and World Report's annual diet ranking for the fourth year in a row, Sassos explains this diet comes with the least amount of rules. Stop counting calories, and start thinking about how many vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes or pulses you can stack in your day. Lean proteins are also on the menu, as well as heart-healthy fats like olive oil and nuts plus wine (!), but most Mediterranean diet meal plans take you back to solid nutritional basics, Sassos explains.

"While it's not designed for dramatic weight loss in a short period of time, these Mediterranean-style foods can promote better health in general and may lead to modest sustainable weight loss over time," Sassos says. As we've highlighted in years past, the diet-turned-lifestyle has been linked to serious longevity, among other benefits (like preserving memory and cognitive abilities!).

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of the adults in the U.S. are living with high blood pressure, but only 1 in 4 adults actually work to lower it. It's why scientists first created the DASH program in the early 1990s, targeting sources of high sodium and unhealthy saturated fats in most people's diets. Over time, a DASH diet, or "dietary approaches to stop hypertension," works to lower blood pressure naturally by asking dieters to reduce red meat consumption as well. Alcohol is curtailed as much as possible, and dieters are also asked to participate in at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of exercise each week.

Your heart health will certainly improve if you follow this low-fat, low-sodium diet. But since DASH promotes plenty of nutritional foods that can be found in other diets on this list, you can expect some weight loss, especially if you're replacing high-calorie, processed foods on a daily basis with DASH-approved meals. "It's beneficial for anyone with a family history of heart disease or, if you've picked up a habit in the last year of eating more fast food or pre-packaged convenience items, then a DASH diet can help you course correct," Sassos says.

Why does this diet help shed pounds better than others on this list? At the end of the day, it has to do with plenty of vegetables and fruit, of course, but more so with the fiber that these items introduce into your diet. Unlike other diets that emphasize priority on certain food groups and remove others (cough, Keto!), Volumetrics doesn't technically restrict you from eating your favorite foods it just requires keen moderation to be successful. If you like indulging in a small treat from time to time, you'll learn to balance these treats out with the help of Barbara Rollins, PhD, who has written the ultimate guide to getting started, The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet.

The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet: Smart, Simple, Science-Based Strategies for Losing Weight and Keeping It Off

$16.99

As you might have guessed, the diet is based on the volume of your meals, allowing you to reach for more vegetables, fruit, and plant-based items that are high in fiber and water. Developed by researchers at Pennsylvania State University, this diet's meals are designed to help you feel fuller for longer while maximizing each calorie consumed; you're encouraged to double down on servings of leafy greens and sweet fruit, as long you're replacing other caloric foods instead. Think: A half cup of salsa with as many crudit as you'd like in place of salty tortilla chips. "It's meant to make you not feel deprived because you're eating volume-rich foods that are going to keep you full," Sassos adds.

You'll be able to eat higher amounts of the following foods via the meal plans presented in Rollins' guide:

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Flexitarian diets are far from a vegan diet, but for those who have yet to hop on the plant-based train, a flexitarian diet can be much more attainable than removing all animal-sourced foods at once. Out of all the diets on this list, this offers the most flexibility, as you create guidelines and rules to help cut back meat and dairy at your own pace. Replacing meat and dairy in your diet is more about reaching for vegetables and whole grains, as "vegan" alternatives can be just as unhealthy as some convenience foods in your local supermarket.

Lastly, there are benefits to reducing your consumption of meat and dairy that goes beyond your own health and waistline both medical experts and conservationists are increasingly calling for more plant-based eating to help stem the pull of agricultural demand on our planet's resources. "Compared to veganism, flexitarian diets are more sustainable for the average dieter, and also sustainable for the planet, too," Sassos says.

In addition to doubling down on vegetarian meals and things like Meatless Mondays, you can choose a few of these smart vegan-approved alternatives to add to your weekly routine:

How to Start a Flexitarian Diet

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Many of these diets come with meal plans and recipes, available in books and guides online but digital dieting services answer more questions than most, and support users with every single decision they can make. Noom is best suited for those who need more structure and guidance, or for those who may be attempting a diet for the very first time, as it provides a layer of interactive support that you can't find in a printed book. The service starts with a long interactive "quiz" designed to help create a calorie plan for you, but you'll use the app-based service to track the foods you're eating and log your exercise (as well as other data like blood pressure). Plus, you can even sign up for 1-on-1 health coaching throughout your experience, if you're willing to pay a subscription fee.

Noom is perfect for a self-starter kind of dieter, Sassos explains, as it provides all the metrics you may need nutritional information, clear guides to what you should be eating based on a color-coded system, and plenty of recipes to cook through. But it doesn't do a full meal-plan guide, meaning you'll have to be plugged in to make your own plans for success throughout your journey.

Could this be the "next" Mediterranean diet? After all, these diets have striking similarities; they feel more like lifestyle changes than anything, both are directly sourced from cultures in countries overseas (in this case, pulled from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, among others), and both stress the same food groups. The only difference may lie in the kinds of fats and oils each approach promotes, which may actually allow more Americans to find themselves keen on a new lifestyle diet.

On the Nordic Diet, you'll turn to recipes that are high in plenty of seasonal vegetables and fresh fruits, a whole suite of whole grains, and more lean proteins found in the seas and lakes of the namesake region. You'll ditch processed, sugar-filled foods, and incorporate a bit less lean poultry and beef than you would on a Mediterranean diet meal plan. The main difference between the programs, however, is the source of healthy fats: Olive oil is swapped for canola oil in the Nordic diet, as its also extremely low in saturated fats, higher in monounsaturated fat (the good stuff!), and contains heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids Sassos explains. Like those enjoying a Mediterranean diet, Nordic dieters can work to lower cholesterol, blood pressure, inflammation, plus reduce future risk of cardiovascular disease, all the while helping you lose weight over time.

Another key difference in a Nordic diet is the emphasis on powerful, supercharged carbohydrates: You'll enjoy crackers and crispbreads made only from whole-grain barley, oats, and rye. Alongside fiber found in these whole grains, there's also fiber sourced from increased consumption of berries in a typical Nordic diet meal plan, as noted by researchers at Harvard University. Berries contain plenty of chemicals known as anthocyanins, which may lower blood pressure by directly impacting the health of your blood vessels.

The only catch (and the reason why Mediterranean diets continue to reign supreme) is the lifestyle's typical cost for most Americans. Doubling down on unprocessed grains and seafood more often can be cost-prohibitive for some, Sassos says; but it may also encourage seafood lovers to give it a try over other dietary plans.

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The Best Diets of 2021, According to Our Registered Dietitian - GoodHousekeeping.com

Intermittent fasting may be good for weight loss.

Highlights

Prospective dieters have a slew of diet options to choose from. There are different kinds of diet plans to suit each individual's preference. While keto diet ruled the most part of the past decade, Intermittent Fasting (IF) too enjoyed its own share of popularity. While there is no hard evidence of confirmed weight loss resulting from Intermittent Fasting, many people across the globe swear by this diet that must have helped them shed off extra kilos fast enough. Without proper scientific backing, we can only rely on the words of dieters who have followed this diet and also benefitted from it. But if the same surety comes from an expert, it would definitely help cement our trust in it.

Giving her vote to the Intermittent Fasting, celebrity nutritionist and health coach Karina Heinrich herself went on an Intermittent Fasting diet and also shared the many benefits of the diet in her latest Instagram post. She wrote: "I'm kicking off a week long Q&A on Intermittent Fasting. It's the number one question I get...the curiosity of this ever popular "diet" I'm pro this eating pattern when done correctly. Alas...so many are not practicing IF correctly and not reaping the many health benefits (quite possibly doing more harm than good!)."

(Also Read:Intermittent Fasting: Eat This Way To Burn More Fat While Following The Diet)

1. Weight Loss: She said if Intermittent Fasting is followed in the right way, it can easily lead to the main goal of weight loss.

2. Heart Health: Karina claimed that Intermittent Fasting may help regulate cholesterol, triglycerides and inflammatory markers.

3. Brain Health: Intermittent Fasting may protect against Alzheimer's disease and may also support the growth of new nerve cells.

4. Anti-Aging: Karina revealed that during some studies, Intermittent Fasting proved to extend the lifespan in rats by as much as 36-83%.

5. Inflammation: Intermittent Fasting may reduce markers of inflammation - reason behind many chronic diseases.

Promoted

6. Diabetes: Intermittent Fasting may help regulate blood sugar level and reduce insulin resistance.

Intermittent Fasting involves long hours of fasting and eating strictly within a particular time frame. Some people fast for 12 hours, some for 16 or 18 hours, and some fast for even a full day or couple of days altogether. We suggest you should consult an expert before embarking on any strenuous diet plan.

(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.)

About Neha GroverLove for reading roused her writing instincts. Neha is guilty of having a deep-set fixation with anything caffeinated. When she is not pouring out her nest of thoughts onto the screen, you can see her reading while sipping on coffee.

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Celeb Nutritionist Reveals Intermittent Fasting Benefits For Weight Loss, Diabetes And Overall Health - NDTV Food

The metabolic confusion diet is an eating style thats different from most other diets. Instead of aiming for a set number of calories each day, you alternate your daily calorie intake.

Though it is clearly a calorie restriction diet, it allows for more flexibility on a day-to-day basis. Proponents of the diet also believe it helps trick your metabolism into working harder and, as a result, makes you lose weight.

The popularity of the metabolic confusion diet is rising, and you may be wondering whether you should try it.

This article reviews the metabolic confusion diet and whether it actually helps with weight loss, as well as its benefits and downsides.

BOTTOM LINE: The metabolic confusion diet is an eating style that promotes cycling between high and low calorie days. While its more flexible than some traditional diets, its still a restrictive diet that may not be sustainable in the long term.

The metabolic confusion diet is also known as calorie cycling and calorie shifting.

Its a dieting style that allows you to alternate between high calorie and low calorie days or periods of time. It also recommends regular exercise, though it doesnt have strict exercise requirements.

One way to use the diet would be to alternate between high and low calorie intakes every other day. Alternatively, you might eat high calorie meals for a week and then eat significantly fewer calories the following week.

High and low calorie days will look different for each person. Though theres no formal guideline, most programs suggest around 2,000 calories or more on higher intake days and no more than 1,200 calories on low intake days.

The metabolic confusion diet is similar to modified alternate-day fasting, which involves eating 25% of your normal calorie intake one day, followed by a day of eating whatever you want (1).

Similarly, the metabolic confusion diet is designed to keep your metabolism on its toes due to varying food intake (1).

Interestingly, diets like these have been linked to better weight management and long-term compliance, since they allow you to take breaks from low calorie eating (2, 3, 4, 5).

However, a notable difference of the metabolic confusion diet is that it allows relatively more calories on low calorie days. Assuming most humans need 1,6003,000 calories per day, 1,200 calories would equate to around 4075% of your usual intake (6).

While this is still a restrictive diet, proponents believe it allows for more flexibility and more naturally matches a typical eating style. That is, some days you may eat more and others you may eat less due to factors such as your schedule and hunger levels.

Also known as calorie shifting, the metabolic confusion diet is an eating pattern in which you alternate between high calorie and low calorie intakes day-to-day or week-to-week.

The metabolic confusion diet, also commonly called calorie shifting, encourages daily exercise and eating below your daily calorie needs. Therefore, youll likely be in a calorie deficit that will lead to weight loss over time.

Proponents of the diet claim that alternating between high and low calorie days will confuse your metabolism and make it work harder since it will have to adapt to changes in calorie intake.

While you cant really trick your metabolism, you may help prevent your metabolism from slowing.

Long-term calorie restriction, which is common in many weight loss diets, has been shown to decrease your resting metabolic rate (RMR) through a process called adaptive thermogenesis. This makes your body less effective at burning calories (7, 8, 9, 10).

Proponents of the metabolic confusion diet believe it helps avoid this negative effect by allowing your body periodic breaks from calorie deprivation, thus preventing metabolic adaptations that hinder weight loss (7, 8, 9).

One study from 2014 supports this idea. The study compared traditional calorie restriction with calorie shifting over 42 days. One group of people consumed 1,200 calories per day, while the other restricted their calorie intake for 11 days and then had 3 days of unrestricted intake (11).

Participants in the calorie restriction group experienced a significant decrease in their RMR by the end of the study, while those on the calorie shifting diet maintained their prediet RMR (11).

Whats more, those on the calorie shifting diet lost significantly more weight, reported less hunger, and had greater adherence to the diet. The authors believe this style of eating allows for greater flexibility, which makes it easier to maintain in the long term (11).

On the other hand, a 1year high quality study in 100 participants found no significant differences in weight loss between people who followed a calorie shifting diet and those who did traditional calorie restriction (12).

This may suggest that the diets effectiveness decreases with time, but scientists need to do more research to investigate further.

Considering that calorie shifting allows for greater flexibility and breaks from strict dieting, people who adopt this style of eating may report greater satisfaction, making it a more sustainable option for weight loss. However, more long-term research is needed (13).

Most research suggests that the most sustainable, healthy weight loss programs are those based on a nutritious diet and regular exercise to create a small calorie deficit of no more than roughly 500 calories per day (14, 15).

Since youre in a calorie deficit most of the time while on the metabolic confusion diet, youll likely lose weight. However, the name is inaccurate because this diet will not confuse or trick your metabolism.

The metabolic confusion diet may provide other benefits.

Unlike traditional calorie restriction diets, the metabolic confusion diet allows you more flexibility in your food choices.

Since there are no formal guidelines, you can decide how many high calorie days you wish to have in a given time frame. This also makes it easier to enjoy food-related occasions such as birthdays, holiday meals, and parties.

The more flexible a diet is, the more likely you are to follow it in the long run (14, 15).

Depending on how you choose to follow the diet, you may experience less hunger.

Following a low calorie diet long term will leave you feeling hungry and tired because your body wont be getting enough energy for its daily functions. Youll likely experience body signals encouraging you to eat, such as stomach pangs and low energy (16, 17).

This may lead to unhealthy compensatory behaviors, such as binging and overeating, which are common among dieters (18, 19).

Unlike cheat days, which are designed to allow you to eat unlimited amounts of food, often to the point of feeling overfull, the metabolic confusion diet is designed to increase calories in a well-planned, intentional manner (18, 19).

Ultimately, this may help prevent your body from feeling deprived, fend off hunger, and prevent binging or overeating. However, you may need to eat more than 2,000 calories on higher intake days, depending on your age, sex, body size, and activity levels.

Though its still a restrictive diet, the metabolic confusion diet allows for breaks from low calorie days. Depending on your calorie needs, this may allow for greater flexibility, less hunger, and fewer feelings of deprivation.

Though there are some positive aspects of the metabolic confusion diet, it also has many downsides.

You can have a few high calorie days on the diet, but most of the time youre required to follow a strict low calorie diet of no more than 1,200 calories per day.

This arbitrary calorie recommendation is problematic because it doesnt consider individual differences such as age, sex, body size, and activity level. Without accounting for these, you could severely underfuel your body.

For example, a 64 (193 cm) man who weighs 230 pounds (104 kg) will need more calories than a 50 (152 cm) woman who weighs 120 pounds (54 kg). Therefore, its important to select a calorie goal based on your bodys unique calorie needs.

Otherwise, highly restrictive diets like this one will be hard to sustain long term due to feelings of deprivation, hunger, and lack of enjoyment. The best diets are those that are satisfying, enjoyable, and easy to follow.

Though the theory of the metabolic confusion diet makes sense, theres not much research on the topic. Most available research focuses on different versions of calorie shifting and alternate-day fasting, with little agreement among studies (20).

Furthermore, the human body is highly sophisticated and can easily adapt to changes in calorie intake. Your metabolism cant get confused as the name of this diet suggests. Instead it shifts depending on how many calories you consume and burn each day (21).

To assume your metabolism would get confused after the occasional high calorie day greatly overlooks its impressive ability to keep your body functioning with day-to-day differences in calorie intake.

Even though proponents of the diet say it provides greater flexibility, its still highly restrictive and may be hard to follow long term.

Though the diet allows for periodic breaks, you must follow a low calorie diet of around 1,200 calories per day most of the time. Even then, high calorie days will still be on the low end of calories for some people, with most versions of the diet recommending 2,000 daily calories.

For example, daily calorie needs for men typically range from 2,0003,000 calories, while women typically need 1,6002,400 calories per day. The lower ends of these ranges are suitable only for people who do little to no physical activity (6).

Unless youre including high calorie days often, such as every other day, its unlikely this will satisfy the hunger that results from many low calorie days in a row. Ultimately, this may be too depriving and hard to sustain.

Although its different from and more flexible than many other diets, the metabolic confusion diet is still a restrictive diet that promotes fast weight loss.

According to research, most restrictive diets fail to produce long-term weight loss. Therefore, you may benefit from following a more sustainable healthy lifestyle that encourages a modest calorie deficit through a nutritious diet and increased physical activity (14, 15, 22, 23).

Through this approach, you may lose weight without the need for a restrictive diet.

While you may lose weight on the metabolic confusion diet, it may not be sustainable long term due to its highly restrictive nature.

Although the metabolic confusion diet may be effective in the short term, theres not enough research to support its long-term benefits.

You may lose weight on the diet, but it may be hard to follow for a long time because its very low in calories. If you enjoy or want to try this eating style, its best to incorporate higher calorie days more often to avoid feeling deprived and hungry.

For example, you could try to add 2 or 3 higher calorie days between lower calorie days during the week. This would provide you with more flexibility in your diet, which could make you more likely to stick with it long term.

However, most research has found that the healthiest and most sustainable approach to weight loss is to reach a modest calorie deficit of around 500 calories or fewer per day through eating mostly unprocessed foods and exercising regularly (14, 15).

While you may be able to stick to the metabolic confusion diet more easily than to other restrictive diets, dont expect to see a drastic change in your metabolism.

Although you may lose weight with this diet, its not due to a confused metabolism. Rather, weight loss likely results from being in a calorie deficit most of the time, having better control of your hunger, and feeling less deprived, which makes it easier to stick to the diet long term.

If youre looking to lose weight but dont want to severely restrict food, youre better off following a healthy lifestyle that includes eating mostly minimally processed foods, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and managing your stress.

View post:
What Is Metabolic Confusion and Does It Work? - Healthline

Intermittent fasting refers to eating patterns that cycle between periods of eating and fasting.

Although several forms of intermittent fasting exist, most involve abstaining from food for periods of 1624 hours at a time.

When practicing fasting, your body moves through the fed-fast cycle, which is characterized by changes in your metabolism and hormone levels.

This cycle is not only responsible for the metabolic changes that occur during intermittent fasting but also credited with providing some of its health benefits.

This article takes an in-depth look at the different stages of fasting.

The fed state occurs within the first few hours after eating as your body digests and absorbs nutrients from food.

During this period, your blood sugar levels increase and higher amounts of insulin are secreted. Insulin is the hormone responsible for transporting sugar from your bloodstream into your cells (1).

The amount of insulin released depends on the composition of your meal, the amount of carbs consumed, and how sensitive your body is to insulin (2).

Extra glucose (sugar) is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen. Glycogen is your bodys primary form of stored carbs, and it can be converted back into sugar as a source of energy as needed (3).

During this time, levels of other hormones, including leptin and ghrelin, also shift.

Ghrelin is a type of hormone that stimulates hunger, and its levels decrease after you eat. Meanwhile, leptin, which has an appetite-suppressing effect, increased after eating (4, 5, 6).

Note that the fed-fast cycle resets back to the fed state as soon as food is consumed during a fast.

Also, the size and composition of your meal affect how long your body remains in the fed state.

The fed state occurs within the first few hours after eating. During this state, your blood sugar and insulin levels increase, while levels of other hormones, including leptin and ghrelin, shift.

Around 34 hours after eating, your body transitions into the early fasting state, which lasts until around 18 hours after eating.

During this phase, your blood sugar and insulin levels start to decline, causing your body to start converting glycogen into glucose (sugar) to use as energy (1).

Toward the end of this phase, your body will slowly run out of liver glycogen stores and start searching for another energy source.

This intensifies lipolysis, a process in which triglycerides from fat cells are broken down into smaller molecules that can be used as an alternative source of fuel (7).

Your body also converts amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins, into energy.

Many common forms of intermittent fasting, such as the 16/8 method, cycle between the fed state and early fasting state.

A few hours after eating, your body transitions into the early fasting state, which occurs when glycogen, amino acids, and fatty acids are converted into energy.

The fasting state lasts from about 18 hours to 2 days of fasting.

By this point, your glycogen stores in the liver have been depleted, and your body begins breaking down protein and fat stores for energy instead.

This results in the production of ketone bodies, a type of compound produced when your body converts fat into fuel (8).

This also causes your body to transition into ketosis, a metabolic state in which your body uses fat as its primary source of energy (9).

However, the transition into ketosis may not happen immediately as you enter the fasting state, but likely later on (10).

As with the fasting state in general, the size and composition of your usual diet and last meal, along with individual differences, affect how quickly you enter ketosis.

Some of the most common signs of ketosis include decreased appetite, weight loss, fatigue, bad or fruity-smelling breath, and increased levels of ketone bodies in the blood, breath, or urine (11).

Ketosis can also be achieved through other methods, including by following the ketogenic diet, which involves significantly decreasing your intake of carbs (12).

Keep in mind that ketosis is different from ketoacidosis, which is a dangerous condition that occurs when your blood becomes too acidic (13).

Ketoacidosis generally occurs as a result of illness, infection, or unmanaged diabetes, and unlike ketosis, it requires immediate medical attention (13).

Additionally, note that forms of intermittent fasting that have shorter windows of fasting ranging from 1218 hours per day may not reach this state, as ketosis may not be achieved with fasts lasting less than 24 hours, unless you also follow a very low carb diet.

The fasting state lasts from about 18 hours to 2 days of fasting. At some point during this state, your body enters ketosis, a metabolic state in which fats are broken down and used as an energy source.

During extended periods of fasting, your body enters the long-term fasting state, which typically occurs around 48 hours after food intake. Some people refer to this state as the starvation state.

In the long-term fasting state, insulin levels will continue to decrease and levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), a type of ketone body, will steadily rise (1, 14).

Your kidneys also continue to generate sugar via a process called gluconeogenesis, which serves as the main source of fuel for the brain. Ketone bodies provide energy for the brain as well at this point (1, 15).

The breakdown of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), which are three of the essential amino acids, is also reduced to help conserve muscle tissue in the body (1).

Keep in mind that long-term fasts are not recommended for most people and should only be performed under medical supervision.

The long-term fasting state, or starvation state, occurs around 48 hours into fasting. During this period, insulin levels decrease, ketone levels increase, and protein breakdown is reduced to conserve muscle tissue.

While practicing intermittent fasting, your body moves through several phases of the fed-fast cycle, depending on the amount of time that you fast.

The four phases include the fed state, early fasting state, fasting state, and long-term fasting state (starvation state).

Each phase varies based on the primary source of energy used for the body, as well as how it affects your metabolism and levels of specific hormones.

If you have any underlying health conditions or are taking any medications, be sure to talk with your healthcare provider before trying intermittent fasting.

Additionally, keep in mind that prolonged fasting should only be conducted under medical supervision.

More:
What Are the Different Stages of Intermittent Fasting? - Healthline

Just about now, halfway through the month of January, you are likely one of the 60 percent of Americans who has already "broken" your resolutions to eat healthily, get daily exercise, and go dry for January. But there's a simple fix, to help you get back on track and stay on track according to Dr. Amy Lee, an expert in weight control, obesity, and nutrition who has treated over 15,000 patients and is the chief medical officer of Lindora Clinics of Souther California. She has given talks to HBO, Hulu, PBS, and UCLA's famed "Vital Signs" series, and worked on weight control methods published in the medical journal Nutrition and Metabolism.

Dr. Lee first started her career as a medical practitioner, in Southern California, treating patients for weight-related ailments, always treating the symptoms and never the root cause. She said her work as a doctor, seeing patients who were obese or overweight and giving them medicines to try toalleviate their symptoms,and then watching them get worse, andneed more medications, and still more, never getting better or losing weight, but just getting sicker and sicker, made her want to step off that endless treadmill and become a specialist in nutritional health and medicine. So she changed everything, including her approach, and made her practice centered around the ways people can lose weight and keep it off, be healthy and avoid the need for medications in the first place.

"I realized that endlessly medicating people who had disorders related to lifestyle diseases like hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease were never going to change anything. the only way to change that cycle is to start at the beginning and help teach people to eat healthier and lose weight, not withintervention, but by helping them learn to make better choices," she explains. She has 4 simple strategies for getting back on track and staying on track, for the rest of the month, year, and a lifetime ahead.

Dr. Lee: Thinking about things in absolutes is the problem. It's not "all or nothing," that leads to success. It's taking things in the right direction.There are levels of success and you don't have to be too hard on yourself if you're doing better than last month or last year.

Tip 1. Stop thinking in terms of "all or nothing behavior." Whether you're talking about Dry January or other resolutions, we all bring in the New Year with ways that we think we can do better. And we set up these unnatural expectations. So let's say you usually have 8 drinks a week, instead of telling yourself you're going to have zero, tell yourself you're going to have 2 drinks a week, and then plan those occasions. Or if you're trying to lose weight, you can say: I am not going to eat cookies ever again,but then you have a cookie. It's how you react that makes the difference between success and failure. Don't tell yourself messed up. Tell yourself you planned to have 2 cookies a week and you're still on track.It's the "all or nothing" mentality that trips us up and makes us think we have failed. And then that leads to giving up. You can't be perfect all the time but if you are reaching realistic goals and doing better than before, or last year, then your resolutions are a success.

Understand what your goal is. If you think of Dry January, it's similar to diets in general. Realizing "Why I want to make a change this year" is part of it. If you're treating your stress with alcohol, break that cycle. Use something healthy like a walk or bike ride to get rid of stress. The habit that you're breaking is more important than being perfect all the time. So if you have a drink, tell yourself, that's one of my two, and then get right back on track.

Weget into that mindset of "all or nothing" or "black and white" thinking. When we get into that mindsetand we don't do it perfectly we have failed. But you are not going to gain weight with one cookie. So if you have a cookie, it is not going to make you fat. But when you give in and have cookies day after day, it will. So just step out of that mindset and tell yourself "I'm doing better."

Dr. Lee: Give up just one thing first.Tell yourself, no more sugar. Or if it were my choice, I would have all my patients decide: No more packaged food. Then if it's in the house you can either tell yourself -- "That's not my food" and keep your snacks in another cabinet, or if you live alone, you can just throw it all away or give it all away.

Tip 2: Give up all packaged foods and especially added sugar. The first and most important thing for us to do as healthy eaters is to get rid of junk food, added sugar, and processed food. Then eat a piece of fruit or a small number of nuts instead. If you know you have a snack attack at 3 p.m. then go eat an apple or some nuts at that time. Make the decision to give up added sugars and it will help you lose weight and feel better fast. It's the number one thing I tell my patients to change.

Tip 3. Don't compare yourselves to others. They may have a different physical makeup. Sadly, just because your husbandor your brothercan eat chips and snack all day long and not gain weight (though junk foods aren't good for him either) as women we have a harder time maintaining a healthy weight when we eat that junk. It's just metabolic. Some people can get away with it and not gain weight, or they can lose it quickly if they decide to give up beer or chips or high calories foods. As women, we are smaller and we don't handle junk food as readily as the male body does. Don't feel bad about it, just tell yourself it's a biological difference and stay away from that stuff.

Dr. Lee. You are always going to be able to have a treat or some people like to call it a cheat meal, as long as you recognize that it is the exception. If you think of it as a slippery slope then you won't be in a good mindset to get back on track. Instead think: Consistency is the key to being healthy.

Tip 4. Be Consistent. Don't make exceptions all the time, but if you are consistent, approximately 90 percent of the time you will end up with healthy results. Your body has the ability to be resilient so if you are eating a healthy breakfast and a big salad for lunch and you get nutrients 90 percent of the time, then the 10 percent of the time that you don't make a healthy choice won't make you fat or gain weight. Just tell yourself, I want to be consistently healthy, and get back to behaving that way.

Dr. Lee: I have a simple one. I ask myself, Is it worth it?

Tip 5.Ask yourself, Is it worth it? If I stop and think:Is this unhealthy choice or snack, or lapse, worth giving up my goals for, is it going to be worth it, most of the time it isn't the momentary satisfaction that will pass, but the long-term lifestyle of being healthy and maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding all the problems that come along with being overweight, either in terms of diseases or just how you feel day to day, then that reward is so much bigger than the momentary satisfaction of eating a cookie.

If you want to learn more from Dr. Lee, she is reachable at the Lindora Clinicwebsite.

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5 Ways to Get Back on Track With Healthy Habits, From a Doctor - The Beet