Yogurt is a fermented dairy product thats enjoyed worldwide as a creamy breakfast or snack.

Moreover, its associated with bone health and digestive benefits. Some people even claim that it supports weight loss (1, 2).

In fact, several diets center solely around yogurt, asserting that its key to helping you shed weight. Still, you may wonder how these claims stand up to scientific scrutiny.

This article explains everything you need to know about specific yogurt diets and whether this popular dairy product helps you lose weight.

Multiple diets feature yogurt as a key component, insisting that this food helps you lose weight quickly.

This section reviews two of these diets to determine whether theyre based on sound science.

One such diet, promoted by actress Jeannie Mai, is known as the Yoplait Yogurt Diet or Yoplait Light Two Week Tune Up. Launched by the yogurt company Yoplait, it claims to help individuals lose 25 pounds (12.5 kg) over 14 days.

This diet has you eating yogurt at least twice a day. Its rules include specific instructions for meals and snacks:

The diet reduces your calorie intake to just 1,200 calories per day and recommends that you increase your physical activity by walking 3040 minutes every day. Together, these factors result in a calorie deficit, which may help you lose weight (3, 4).

Some proponents of the diet maintain that the focus on fat-free yogurt is also beneficial, claiming that the fat in other yogurts ups your bodys production of the stress hormone cortisol. This increase is thought to boost levels of anxiety and hunger.

While research links higher cortisol levels to an increase in appetite and obesity risk, dietary fat has not been tied to a significant increase in cortisol levels (5, 6, 7).

In fact, fat-free yogurts like Yoplait Light are often higher in sugar, which has been shown to raise cortisol levels and hunger. Additionally, studies associate full fat dairy products with a reduced risk of obesity (8, 9, 10).

Furthermore, as the diet only lasts 2 weeks and is quite restrictive, youre likely to regain any weight lost if you dont transition into a more sustainable eating pattern afterward.

Overall, the Yoplait Light Two Week Tune Up is primarily a marketing campaign that isnt based on scientific evidence.

While you may lose some weight, this is a result of cutting calories not eating yogurt. This diet is unlikely to lead to meaningful or long-term weight loss.

Nutritionist Ana Luque promotes an eating pattern called the Yogurt Diet in her book of the same name, which says that yogurt is the secret to losing weight and supporting overall health.

Specifically, she declares that the probiotics in yogurt help treat obesity, lactose intolerance, digestive problems, acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), allergies, diabetes, gum disease, yeast infections, slow metabolism, and ulcers.

The book also includes a 5-week detox diet that involves eating several servings of yogurt each day.

While the author asserts that this diet helped her overcome digestive issues and lactose intolerance, theres currently no evidence to support the effectiveness of her diet plan.

Both Yoplaits and Ana Luques yogurt diets are based on the notion that yogurt promotes weight loss. However, neither diet has been studied for its short- or long-term effectiveness, and the Yoplait diet, in particular, is packed with added sugar.

Several theories suggest that yogurt supports weight loss due to its various nutrients.

Dairy yogurt is considered an excellent source of calcium, with 1 cup (245 grams) providing approximately 23% of the Daily Value (DV) (11).

Calcium is an essential mineral thats important for bone health. It has also been studied for its weight loss effects (12, 13).

Test-tube studies reveal that higher blood levels of calcium may reduce fat cell growth. Similarly, animal studies link calcium supplements to significant reductions in body weight and fat mass (13).

However, the effect of calcium on weight loss in humans is mixed.

A study in 4,733 people associated calcium supplements with significantly less weight gain over time in children, adolescents, adult men, premenopausal women, and adults with a healthy body mass index (BMI) (14).

However, the overall effect of the supplements was quite small. On average, those taking calcium gained 2.2 pounds (1 kg) less than those not taking the supplements (14).

A few other studies suggest that dietary or supplementary calcium may aid weight and fat loss in children, post-menopausal women with obesity, and men with type 2 diabetes (15, 16, 17).

Yet, several other studies dont show a significant link between increased calcium intake and weight loss (13, 18, 19, 20, 21).

As such, more research on yogurts calcium content is needed.

Yogurts protein content may aid weight loss in various ways. These include:

One cup (245 grams) of yogurt boasts anywhere from 8 grams of protein in regular yogurt to 22 grams in Greek yogurt (11, 32).

However, this dairy product isnt unique in its protein content. Foods like lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, and soy are also excellent sources of protein (33).

Yogurt is a good source of probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that support gut health (34, 35).

While research is limited, early studies suggest that probiotics especially those containing Lactobacillus bacteria, which is common in yogurt may help you lose weight and belly fat (36, 37, 38).

A 43-day study in 28 overweight adults found that eating 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of yogurt with Lactobacillus amylovorus per day resulted in greater reductions in body fat than yogurt without probiotics (38).

While these results are promising, further research is needed.

Yogurt is a good source of calcium, protein, and probiotics. While more studies on calcium and probiotics are necessary, its protein content may support weight loss.

Its nutrients aside, you may wonder what studies show about yogurt and weight loss. Notably, various ways of including it in your diet may change how it affects your weight.

In a 2-year study in 8,516 adults, those who ate more than 7 servings of yogurt per week were less likely to have overweight or obesity than individuals who ate 2 or fewer servings per week (39).

Similarly, a study in 3,440 people found that those who ate at least 3 servings of yogurt per week gained less weight and had smaller changes in waist circumference than those who ate less than 1 serving per week (40).

While intriguing, these studies are observational and cannot prove cause and effect.

In a review of six randomized controlled trials the gold standard of scientific research only one study determined that yogurt had a significant effect on weight loss (2, 41).

As such, while those who regularly consume yogurt may be less likely to have overweight or obesity, research doesnt currently show that simply adding it to your diet aids weight loss.

Interestingly, replacing a high fat, low protein food with yogurt may boost weight loss.

One study gave 20 healthy women either 160 calories (6 ounces or 159 grams) of yogurt as an afternoon snack or the same number of calories from high fat crackers and chocolate (42).

When eating yogurt, the women reported feeling fuller for longer. Furthermore, they consumed an average of 100 fewer calories at dinner (42).

Thus, replacing other snack foods with yogurt may help you control your appetite and consume fewer calories.

While regularly eating yogurt is linked to a reduced risk of excess weight and obesity, its unclear whether simply adding it to your diet aids weight loss. That said, replacing low protein, high calorie snacks with yogurt is likely to help.

Although yogurt can be part of a nutritious diet, not all products are healthy.

In fact, many yogurts pack high amounts of added sugar, especially fat-free and low fat flavored varieties.

Diets high in added sugars are associated with an increased risk of obesity and weight gain, as well as conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes (43, 44, 45, 46).

Thus, you should read the label on yogurt before buying it. Plain and unsweetened yogurts are best, as they dont contain added sugars.

As many yogurts are high in added sugars, its important to read labels and opt for plain or unsweetened varieties.

Yogurt can make a nutritious and versatile addition to your diet. Here are some healthy ways to incorporate it into your routine:

Yogurt is a versatile ingredient that can be enjoyed on its own as a breakfast or snack. It can also be used in cooking and baking.

As an excellent source of calcium, protein, and probiotics, yogurt has been lauded as a weight loss aid.

Still, fad diets like the Yoplait Two Week Tune Up and Ana Luques Yogurt Diet arent well studied and may even have negative health effects.

Yogurt may be most beneficial for weight loss when used to replace high calorie, low protein foods rather than when simply added to your diet. As it may help you feel full for longer, this dairy product could naturally lead you to eat fewer calories throughout the day.

Furthermore, regular yogurt intake is tied to a reduced risk of excess weight and obesity.

Overall, eating yogurt as part of a balanced diet can be a nutritious and satisfying way to support weight loss.

See the rest here:
The Yogurt Diet: Weight Loss Fact or Fiction? - Healthline

Every day, food influencer Eloise Head posts photos of treats like doubled-up burgers dripping with cheese, gooey brownies stuffed with peanut butter cups, and stacks of pancakes piled high with toppings and smothered in lashings of melted chocolate.

But the most common questions Head gets asked by the 400,000 people who follow Fit Waffle (and her newly-launched cooking account Fit Waffle Kitchen) aren't about her recipes or favorite restaurants, but her body.

"The most common questions I get asked are, 'Do you eat all this food?' and, 'How do you eat all this food and stay in shape?'" she told Insider.

Eloise Head's Snickers Cookie Bars. Eloise Head

While 26-year-old Head doesn't post photos of herself that often, she shares enough for her followers to see that she has an enviable physique.

And the trouble is, many people believe that to look like Head, you can't eat any of the foods she posts.

Through going on her own journey with food, fitness, and her body, Head learned that this simply isn't the case there's no such thing as "good" or "bad" foods, no single food will make you gain weight, and everything can be enjoyed in moderation.

Eating too much of any food, thus being in a calorie surplus and taking in more energy than you burn, leads to weight gain.

While some foods are more calorie-dense than others, that doesn't mean you can't still eat them and maintain or even lose weight.

"There are no specific foods that make you gain weight," Head, who is a qualified personal trainer, told Insider.

"Everything can be enjoyed in moderation, without feeling guilty afterward or feeling like you're moving further away from your goals. Even if your goal is fat loss."

Head says everything can be enjoyed in moderation. Eloise Head

Weight loss specialist and board-certified cardiologist Dr. Luiza Petre previously reinforced this point to Insider's Sophia Mistrokostas when explaining how even "healthy" foods like those prioritized on the Mediterranean diet can lead to weight gain if overconsumed.

"Calorie-loaded foods that have a healthy halo like avocado, nuts and excessive amounts of olive oil are very caloric dense and can pack fat quickly on your waistline," Petre said.

When it comes to losing weight, nutritionist Graeme Tomlinson previously stressed to Insider that "a calorie deficit is the only exercise required," regardless of which foods you eat.

"Ensuring you enjoy what you eat, and can sustain the deficit and mode of energy expenditure, you have a greater chance of consistently losing fat over time," he said.

Of course, eating lower-calorie foods will allow you to eat larger quantities while remaining in a calorie deficit, but it'll be a lot easier to maintain that deficit if you let yourself enjoy some of your favorite foods every once in a while.

While Head, of course, enjoys the foods on her Instagram pages, she doesn't eat the whole tray of brownies in one sitting she eats a portion. And this moderation is the key.

"I definitely don't eat the whole of everything I bake," she said. "I generally eat the bits I want, then share the rest with my family.

"Once lockdown is over, I hope to share it with my friends that live further away, too."

Oreo-layered brownies feature on Fit Waffle Kitchen. Eloise Head

Head also points out that she has been running Fit Waffle full-time since July 2019 the brand is her job, it's not a food diary.

"It's important to understand that Fit Waffle is my business," she said.

"The page is to showcase my recipes and foods I have tried from restaurants and food traders. The page does not showcase my diet."

She added: "I eat my food in moderation alongside a balanced diet and I stay active. There really are no secrets."

Although Head works out a lot, she trains because she loves fitness, and not to "counteract" the food she's eating.

"I generally train five to six times a week for about an hour and a half. All my workouts are weights focused, as opposed to cardio," she said.

A post shared by London Food Content Creators (@fitwaffle)Apr 15, 2020 at 1:23pm PDT

Each workout begins with a 10-minute warm-up, then stretching and foam rolling.

"I'm usually training to gain or maintain muscle and improve my strength and performance, rather than to lose weight," Head added.

She also walks every day, but mainly for her mental health, and just because she enjoys it.

Head admits that she hasn't always had such a good relationship with food.

About eight years ago when she was 18 and at college, Head, like many people, decided to go on a diet before a holiday.

"I basically cut out all foods I decided were 'bad' for me and only ate foods that I considered to be 'healthy,'" she said.

"For example, I would allow myself to eat sweet potatoes, but not white potatoes. Anything like chocolate, cookies, or fried food was completely off-limits."

Eloise Head when she followed a restrictive diet (left) and now. Eloise Head

Needless to say, Head lost a lot of weight by eating very few calories of the foods she deemed "good," and said her blood pressure was very low. She'd even get a head-rush multiple times a day where she'd black out for a few seconds at a time.

"My friends and family started to voice their concerns about my weight, but in my eyes, I still wasn't lean enough," Head said.

"After my holiday, I continued with my 'diet' and lost even more weight.

"I had fights with my mum when I wouldn't eat what she gave me for dinner. I told her that I was being healthy, because I wasn't eating 'bad' foods and I frowned on her own diet."

Head's turning point came when she first learned about a way of eating called "If it fits your macros" (IIFYM), also known as Flexible Dieting, while studying for her personal training qualification.

Macros are the three macronutrients your body needs in large amounts: carbohydrates, fat, and protein.

IIFYM or Flexible Dieting is a way of approaching nutrition that's popular in the fitness community, and essentially shows you how you can fit any food into your diet and still hit your calorie and macro targets.

"This completely changed my mindset about food being 'healthy' or 'unhealthy,'" said Head." I could see foods broken down into their macronutrient values; protein, fats, and carbohydrates."

The more Head educated herself, the more she realized her goals had shifted.

No foods are off-limits any more. Eloise Head

"I did a lot of research and started to eat towards my goals, which were now to gain muscle and start putting on weight," she said.

It took Head some years of educating herself to get to a position where she felt she could relax and eat intuitively though.

"I tracked my calories and macronutrients religiously for about four years before I felt comfortable enough to listen to my body and enjoy all foods in moderation," she said.

"My relationship with food and my body is still not perfect, but I've come a long way from where I started and have gained a lot of knowledge along the way."

Read more:

How calorie-counting actually helped me develop a healthier relationship with food

I lost 35 pounds in 6 months without going on a diet, and it taught me 7 lessons about eating for healthy fat loss

A self-taught baker's 3-ingredient dessert recipes have made her a TikTok sensation

The rest is here:
Food influencer on how to eat indulgent foods and not gain weight - Insider - INSIDER

Drinking alcohol and losing weight might sound like one of those "you can't have your cake and eat it too" scenarios (sorry for the cake visual!), but it doesn't have to be. If imbibing is part of your social schedule or just a go-to way to unwind, you don't have to give it up entirely.

Can you really drink alcohol and lose weight? You bet, if you follow these six steps.

Image Credit: martin-dm/E+/GettyImages

But (of course there's a but) if your average night out or Zoom happy hour currently features more than a few margaritas or craft beers, you may need to rethink your drinking.

Alcohol is a source of calories, after all. And one way those calories differ from, say, macronutrients like carbs, fat and protein, is that they can impair your judgment which can affect the food choices you make while drinking. Regularly pairing your drinks with fried bar food or late-night pizza and nursing a hangover with an epic breakfast the next morning will most certainly sabotage your weight-loss goals.

Wondering how to calculate your calories for weight loss? Download the MyPlate app to do the job and help you track your intake, so you can stay focused and achieve your goals!

It is possible to drink alcohol in a healthy way and still lose weight, though. Here are six tips to make it happen.

We know, this one seems obvious, but it still needs to be said. The published research on the health benefits of drinking are on moderate drinking, not binge drinking.

So, what is moderate? This means one drink per day for women and up to two drinks a day for men, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which are compiled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The one- or two-drink rule isn't intended as an average, but rather the amount you consume on any single day.

The other key factor is understanding what "one drink" really means:

Sticking to these servings and moderate drinking guidelines will help you with your weight-loss goals.

In fact, an August 2019 study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that male and female drinkers have lower odds of developing obesity compared to non-drinkers, but heavier drinking, especially in women, is associated with higher odds of becoming obese.

If you're trying to lose weight, knowing which drinks are lower in calories and sugar will definitely serve you.

Mixing up a tequila on the rocks with lime rather than a margarita will save you almost 200 calories and a whole lot of sugar.

Image Credit: bhofack2/iStock/GettyImages

Ditch drinks with multiple liquors or high-calorie mixers. A Long Island iced tea, for example, has a whopping 240 calories and 20 grams of carbs, and a margarita clocks in at 275 calories and 36 grams of carbs.

Instead, opt for some of the lower-calorie options mentioned earlier. Try a vodka and soda, and add a splash of grapefruit juice or lime juice if you're looking for more flavor. You can also try tequila on the rocks with lime, which has just 96 calories.

If you're sacrificing food calories for booze calories, you may think it's perfectly fine to skip a meal in lieu of a "liquid dinner." Not the case.

Science shows having food in your stomach slows alcohol absorption. In fact, your alcohol blood content may not reach a quarter of what it would on an empty stomach.

Plus, it can help you avoid the "drinking munchies," which is when you feel hungry after a couple of drinks. There's actually a very good scientific reason why they occur: If you have a few drinks on an empty stomach, your liver can be blocked from releasing stored glucose into the bloodstream, which can lead to low blood sugar and cause you to feel hungry, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Instead, eat a meal balanced with fiber and protein before drinking. This will help absorb the alcohol and stabilize your blood sugar levels.

When you're imbibing in a drink that "goes down easy," that likely means it'll go down quickly, too. And when that happens, especially if you're out with friends, you might be looking for a second or third drink.

Instead, go for a drink that's meant to be sipped slowly; a stronger drink like a dry martini or even one of your favorite liquors served neat or straight up. This will slow down your drinking, which will allow you to enjoy your drink and company more without overdoing it.

If you're drinking more than your one or two drinks per day, alternating your cocktails with water is a good idea, even if you aren't trying to lose weight. This trick slows down your drinking and keeps you hydrated (bye-bye, hangover!). You can even sip soda water the bubbles may help you feel full and ultimately help you drink less.

More here:
How to Drink Alcohol and Still Lose Weight - LIVESTRONG.COM

CC Sabathia has a right, like any of us, to pursue the body he wants.

Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images

This week, a picture went viral that showed former Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia in a Jordan Brand tank top suddenly looking like a prizefighter:

When Sabathia retired at the end of the 2019 MLB season, he was listed at 300 pounds. Even on his 66 frame, that usually meant a proud, hefty gut, which Yankee fans came to know well after 11 years of seeing the southpaw take the mound in form-fitting pinstripes. So the internet was understandably confused by this picture. It took confirmation from Ryan Ruocco, the other half of Sabathias sports-talk podcast R2C2 for people to believe it. Ruocco tweeted: Not Photoshopped. The big fella has been getting after it during quarantine!

Acceptance, though, quickly turned to annoyance, as baseball fans bemoaned Sabathia waiting until retirement to get in shape. The takes are endless, but can be summed up with a tweet from one commenter, who wrote, Great, the Yankees pay him millions and millions of dollars for years and years, and now he decides he should get in shape. Excellent.

There is a lot wrong with that line of thinking. For starters, the implied laziness is completely uncalled for; Sabathia was a workhorse during his tenure with the Yankees, pushing past the all-important 200-innings-pitched mark in five straight seasons. He held down an average ERA of 3.81 (for reference, the league average has been well above 4.0 the last four years), and won 134 games and a ring. He also had a fierce penchant for defending his teammates, and once got tossed out of a game knowing full well hed sacrifice a $5 million performance incentive for not completing it.

But more significantly, baseball bodies look different than those in other sports, and even vary by position. Sabathia tried various diets over the years. He lost 30 pounds before the 2012 season, and switched to a vegan diet to expedite his recovery process from knee surgery before the 2018 campaign. His lone Cy Young Award, though, came when when he was well over 300 pounds, during his 2007 season with the Cleveland Indians. Sabathia was absolutely dominant that year. And his greatest success with the Yankees two straight 19-win seasons also came when he was at his heaviest. According to data from FanGraphs, thats because Sabathias fastball lost velocity as he lost weight. He began to rely more on secondary breaking ball pitches and lose more games.

The most frustrating misconception about Sabathias post-retirement body changes is this concept that he still owes anyone anything. The 39-year-old has a right, like any of us, to pursue the body he wants. During his career, MLB Hall of Famer Jim Rice made fun of him for his donut and chicken weight. That was wrong. But so is claiming that a different physique means Sabathia is obligated to head back onto a baseball field once this lockdown ends, and perform for fans again. He did his time and he did it well. Now let the man get his squats in and post about it, if he wants in peace.

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Go here to read the rest:
CC Sabathia Is Jacked Now. That Doesnt Mean He Should Return to the Yankees. - InsideHook

Editors note: At a time when sports are shut down, we take a look (in no particular order) at some of the bizarre moments from Georgia sports history.

It was a season for the ages.

The Falcons 2007 season was the low point for the franchise during owner Arthur Blanks tenure.

Things got so bad that the head coach walked out the door with three games remaning in the season.

Listen, I havent heard from Bobby since then, retired Falcons wide receiver Roddy White said this week. I have yet to hear one thing from Bobby since he left up out of the facility.

Petrino bolted during the early evening Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2007, the players off day.

The Falcons had just been pummeled 34-14 by the Saints on Monday Night Football. Earlier that Monday,quarterback Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison in Richmond in a dogfighting case.

More would go wrong the next day.

MORE:Atlantas bizarre moments in sports

Petrino told Blank twice that he planned to stay. Instead he escaped. He left the team, coaching staff and city in the lurch. He was next seen on television as Arkansas' new head coach in a late-night news conference in Fayetteville, Ark., later that Tuesday night. He even did the school's "Woo Pig Sooey" chant complete with cheerleaders after his opening remarks.

Petrino said he stayed up all night Monday after the Falcons loss talking with his wife. I knew I wanted to come back to coach college, Petrino said at the time. It wasn't a change in mind; it was a matter of working out details.

Blank signed Petrino to a five-year, $24.5 million contract Jan. 8 that year after dumping Jim Mora.

Petrino left the players a typewritten Dear John letter announcing his departure. Safety Lawyer Milloy wrote Coward over his name with a red marker. The players were irate.

Tight end Alge Crumpler blasted Petrino. Even the mild-mannered Warrick Dunn laid into the departed coach. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer called Petrino a coward for the leaving the coaches and their families in limbo.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution Falcons beat writer Steve Wyche confirmed with a team official, who declined to be quoted by name, that Petrino was in fact quitting his job with the Falcons to accept the job at the University of Arkansas.

In later years, it was reported that Blank and Dallas owner Jerry Jones had a frosty relationship. It may have started with Petrinos departure. Jones, who played at Arkansas, had a hand in luring Petrino away.

In 25 seasons as an NFL player, Falcons kicker Morten Andersen thought he had seen just about everything.

The amount of things, the misfortune that has happened to us and affected the football team andorganization, has been unprecedented," Andersen said after Petrino left.

The players went into survival mode.

It's too much for the players to worry about, Dunn said back then. Just try to play good football and go out and not get embarrassed.

Morale in the organization was at a new low in a season rife with scandal.

Everybody is questioning everything, Dunn said. There's a lot of uncertainty from top to bottom. Its not just the players; its management, too.

Dunn would later become a part-owner of the franchise.

I cant think of another sports franchise that has gone through what weve gone through this year, Andersen said. Losing our franchise quarterback. Then having the issues with the head coach. Other personnel issues along the way ... it's been very challenging, for sure.

Defensive backs coach Emmitt Thomas was named the interim coach for the final three games (two of them Falcons losses) as the Falcons finished 4-12.

We're going to make the best out of it, Thomas said.

Even the opponents felt sorry for the Falcons.

My hat goes off to those guys, Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Clayton said. They've had to endure a lot of stuff, and players should not be put in that position.

The only good thing to come out of the 2007 debacle was the development of White, who was coached by wide receivers coach Paul Petrino, Bobbys brother.

My very first two years playing for the Falcons was a lot of pressure, White said. Going into that year, it was just a different feel. When I sat down and talked to Bobby and Paul, they wanted me to be the man. They wanted me to be the guy. So, I already knew going into the season, they wanted me to be the guy.

Petrino planned to center the offense around White and Vick.

It was a lot of things they asked of me, White said. They wanted me to lose weight. They wanted me to come in in better shape. I worked extremely hard that offseason. I think I weighed in at 205. Prior to that, I was like 215. So, I had lost 10 pounds going into that year. I was just much more quicker, faster and explosive.

White, who was a first-round pick in 2005 out of Alabama-Birmingham, had talent. Paul Petrino pulled it out of him.

I had fun, White said. Being with Coach P was fun. Bobby was cool, too, through all that mess and all that nonsense. Having to deal with the Mike Vick incident and going through that offseason, it was kind of crazy, but at the same time I felt like even though we didnt know what Mike was going to do, I felt like offensively we were going to be pretty good because of the play-calling and the way we were going to practice and stuff like that.

There have long been whispers around Flowery Branch that Vick looked spectacular in secret workouts that were allegedly voluntary at the time. White confirmed those reports.

Absolutely, when we were going through meetings and stuff like that, Mike was picking up the offense so fast, White said. In that offense, you had so many different checks, out of two-by-two and three-by-one sets, that we could check to that were colors that were actually plays.

Vick was looking forward to playing for Petrino.

Mike was like really grasping that joint and just checking down, White said. We would just go, two-minute drills and stuff like that, blue, green, black, different colors for different plays and he was looking really, really good.

Everything was looking smooth. The ball was coming out of his hand quickly.

But with the federal dogfighting case hanging over his head, the public and the media never got to see Vick in Petrinos offense.

He was getting the ball out quickly, White said. We had better quick-game stuff than we did from the old regime and a lot more play-action pass. A lot more max protection. Our offense was looking really, really good man up until that point.

It was difficult on Petrino and the team once Vicks case went sideways.

It was tough for us, White said. We always thought he was coming back. We thought this thing was going to blow over and by (exhibition) season that he would be back. Thats how we kind of took it.

Once it became clear that Vick was in deep trouble, it was too late.

The biggest blow was when we knew he wasnt coming back, we didnt know how we were going to look offensively, White said. We had literally over OTAs and everything, put in everything as if Mike was the quarterback. All of the play calls and stuff like that.

We had to go back and change a lot of that stuff when we started with Joey (Harrington) and Chris Redman and them competing for the spot because they were different kind of guys. We literally had to go back and revamp the whole system. It was a big change.

White had 63 catches going into that Monday night game. He would finish with 83 catches for 1,202 yards and six touchdowns in his breakthrough season.

The craziest part about that is that when he left, it was in the middle of the night, White said. When I woke up, I had five missed calls early in the morning from Paul. I got up and answered the phone and he was like, Hey Roddy, Bobby quit. And I was like, Man, what are you talking about? He said, Yeah, man. He just quit.

White wanted to know if Paul Petrino was staying. Paul Petrino said he wanted to stay, but went with his brother to Arkansas. He did stay in touch with White for the rest of the season.

He called every week to make sure White had the game plan down and was ready to play.

I appreciated and loved Paul for that, White said. Even to this day we still stay in contact with each other. I appreciate him for even reaching out to me the rest of that season and for being a real man and being in the meeting. He didnt have to do that.

As far as Bobby Petrino, White isnt exactly waiting for a call.

Petrinos bumpy football ride is not over. He was named the head coach at Division II Missouri State in January. During stops at Arkansas, Western Kentucky and Louisville, Petrino has posted a 119-56 record over 14 seasons.

After leaving the Falcons, Petrino had the Razorbacks rolling until he was injured in a motorcycle accident that revealed an extramarital affair with an athletic department employee. Petrino originally said he was alone, but it was later discovered that he had a female passenger and they were involved in a relationship.

After he was fired by Arkansas, he was off a year before resurfacing at Western Kentucky.

He went back to Louisville in 2014 for a second stint.

He was fired a year after quarterback Lamar Jackson, running some of the plays that were designed for Vick, won the 2016 Heisman Trophy. In addition to becoming the school's first Heisman winner, Jackson and Petrino had the program as high as No. 3 in The Associated Press Top 25 poll and within reach of the college football playoffs.

A freefall the following season led to his dismissal.

Petrino did not return an email or phone call to his Missouri State office for this article.

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Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have demonstrated a new gene therapy that builds strength and muscle mass quickly while preventing obesity even when the recipient is eating a high-fat diet. This isnt some crazy new bodybuilding tool, though, but rather something that could be used as a physical therapy aid for people with muscle-weakening arthritis or those suffering from osteoarthritis-related joint pain.

We know that obesity and joint injury are the primary risk factors for osteoarthritis, Farshid Guilak, professor of orthopedic surgery and director of research at Shriners Hospitals for Children in St. Louis, told Digital Trends. However, in cases of severe obesity or muscle loss, it is extremely difficult if not impossible to lose weight or improve muscle strength through normal exercise and diet. The goal of this study was to show the importance of muscle strength in overriding many of the harmful effects of obesity on the joint.

So far, the gene therapy approach has only been demonstrated in mice. The researchers delivered the gene for a molecule called follistatin to the muscle of eight-week-old mice, via injection. The protein blocks myostatin, a molecule normally responsible for stopping muscle growth. The mice in the experiment gained around twice their normal muscle mass and were able to completely burn off all the extra energy from an unhealthy high-fat diet. This prevented almost all the metabolic complications of obesity, such as systemic inflammation and high blood sugar, while also reducing arthritis and pain significantly.

The researchers worried that the gene therapy could potentially have a negative effect on the mices hearts. However, these fears proved unfounded and heart function in the mice actually improved, along with overall cardiovascular health.

These first studies in mice have shown that the procedure has excellent efficacy and safety, Guilak said. The next steps will be to do longer-term studies in mice and possibly larger animals to ensure safety of this procedure.

Guilak said that, should these steps prove successful, the researchers would consider testing the approach in humans with the initial trials in those with severe, possibly life-threatening diseases of the muscles, such as muscular dystrophy.

A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal Science Advances.

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New gene therapy cuts fat and builds muscle with ease. But theres a catch - Digital Trends

The cabbage soup diet has been around for many years and is still popular today. Dieters following this diet can expect to see results in just seven days, but is it a healthy diet to follow?

As the name of the diet implies, it involves eating large quantities of cabbage soup.

The diet promises slimmers to help lose up to ten pounds in a single week.

It is generally considered a quick fix diet for short-term weight loss as it requires minimal effort and has proved to be effective.

This diet is likely to cause weight loss in a short amount of time because it severely reduces your calorie intake. To lose weight, your daily calorie intake needs to be in a deficit, meaning you are burning more calories than you are consuming.

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For one week, you eat homemade cabbage soup. Each day, you can also have one to two other foods, such as skimmed milk, fruit or vegetables.

This diet is perfect to jump start weight loss or to shed a few pounds for a specific occasion or event.

The cabbage soup diet is also known by other names like the Mayo Clinic Diet, because it was developed in a hospital for quick weight loss before surgery for heart patients.

It is recommended to prepare large batches of the soup at the beginning of the week for the entire week.

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Ingredients: 2 large onions 2 green peppers 2 cans of tomatoes 1 bunch of celery 1 head of cabbage 3 carrots 1 pack of mushrooms 1-2 stock cubes (optional) 6-8 cups of water

Recipe: Chop all the vegetables into cubes In a large stock pot, add the onions and a small amount of oil Then add the remaining vegetables and cover with water and add stock cubes Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat. Let simmer until all vegetables are tender for about 30-45 minutes

Healthline recommends only sticking to the diet for around a week at a time.

You may repeat this diet if you wish to as long as you wait at least two weeks before starting it.

A positive of the diet is that you are not forced to go hungry, as you may eat as many other of the allowed foods as you want each day.

Here is a basic diet plan to follow.

The basic plan

Day 1 - Unlimited cabbage soup and fruit, but no bananas Day 2 - Only soup and vegetables. Focus on raw or cooked ready greens. Avoid peas, corn and beans. You may also have one baked potato with butter or oil Day 3 - As many fruits and vegetables as you can eat, in addition to the soup. However, no baked potato and no bananas Day 4 - Unlimited bananas, skimmed milk and cabbage soup Day 5 - You are allowed 10-20 ounces of beef, which you may substitute for chicken or fish. You may also have up to six fresh tomatoes. Drink at least six to eight glasses of water Day 6 - Soup, beef and vegetables. You may substitute the beef for grilled fish if you did not do so the day prior. Focus on leafy greens. No baked potato Day 7 - You may have vegetables, brown rice and unlimited fruit juice - but no added sugar

Mayo Clinic dietitian, Katherine Zeratsky said: You may feel weak or tired while on the diet. And once you stop the diet, its easy to regain any weight that you lost.

Fad diets like this one may be tempting, but keep in mind that long-term weight loss depends on making lasting healthy changes in your eating and exercise habits.

It is advised for long-term weight loss to opt for a healthy lifestyle change which involves exercise to keep the pounds off.

Link:
Weight loss: How to lose weight fast with the cabbage soup diet - Express