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Sure she looks better, but its the greatly improved health that keeps Alisha Neal devoted to the ketogenic diet to the point that she advocates it for others.

During the past six years, Neal has lost then kept off 160 pounds. She credits that weight loss, and the ensuing health improvements, to the diet she and others nickname keto.

A person on a ketogenic diet avoids carbohydrates, such as sugars, breads, potatoes and corn, and instead gets nourishment from fats and proteins, as well as vegetables that dont have carbohydrates.

The main guideline is to not consume more than 50 grams of carbohydrates in a day, she said. The amount of nutrients needed depends on body weight, she said: Someone who weighs 200 pounds should keep fat and protein around 100 grams each daily.

The average American eats 300 to 500 grams of carbohydrates each day, she said.

My journey started when I hit puberty, she said at a recent program at Calvarys Hill United Pentecostal Church. I started gaining weight.

Lots of issues

Between 2010 and 2013 she had two back surgeries, with about six months of bed rest to recuperate from them, she said. She had hypertension, fatty liver disease, thyroid disease, goiter disease, depression and anxiety.

By the time she as pregnant with her second child, her health was so bad she developed insulin resistance and gestational diabetes. When I had her [in May 2013], I was so sick an emergency Cesarean section was needed, she said.

After the baby, her gestational diabetes evolved into Type 2 diabetes.

Neal was only 28. Her doctor told her that if she didnt lose weight, she would have a heart attack before she turned 30. She was on seven medications and had to see her doctor quarterly.

She started keto in August 2013 to reverse her Type 2 diabetes, she said. However, her diet had other benefits as well: Her other medical problems went away.

Now Im on zero medications, she said, and she sees the doctor now only once a year.

Although she credits the ketogenic diet with her success, Ive never said the word keto to him [her doctor], because he is still in the mindset that people need fruits, grains and sugars as parts of a healthy diet, she said.

Carbs and sugars are inflammatory, she said, so stopping consuming them helped with my back and arthritis.

Before she lost weight, I stayed at a pain level of 8 or 9 on a regular basis, out of a 10-point rating system, she said. Now shes never above a 2 or 3, she added.

She remained on keto during her third pregnancy, which was healthy, she said.

The ketogenic state causes the body to burn fat for fuel instead of glucose, she said. That state is called fat adaptive.

When you become fat adaptive, your body does the work for you, she said.

The ketogenic diet is not a difficult diet to stick to, she said: The high fat and high protein keeps you full with keto, youre just not hungry, literally.

She most commonly eats eggs, meat, butter and cheese, she said. A typical dinner may be a salad or steak and broccoli.

She eats berries but not the other fruits, because they spike my insulin, she said.

Its harder to eat out while on a ketogenic diet, she said, but Hardees is a good choice: They will do any sandwich low-carb. At Chick-Fil-A, she has the roasted bites, grilled chicken tenders or roasted chicken bites salad.

Tough diet

To prevent feeling hungry enough to eat on the run, she always carries nuts, cheese or jerky in her pocketbooks for quick snacks.

For the keto diet in particular, and healthy eating in general, while shopping stay on the outside aisles, she said. Dont even go on the inside, where the prepackaged convenience foods are.

If it was made in a factory, dont eat it, she said.

The ketogenic diet isnt easy to start, she said: I was sick as a dog for a week, nauseous and just miserable.

It can be very hard on your body to detox from sugar, but its worth it, she said.

That sickness the comes from stopping carbohydrates is called keto flu, she said.

Keto flu is caused by low electrolytes and can be avoided by taking supplements of magnesium, potassium and sodium, she said.

Dont fall into gimmicks, such as keto coffee, she said they dont have any special advantages.

Never go back

Neal is suspicious of most artificial sweeteners, which she says spikes her blood sugars. She only uses Truvia.

Any ingredient with spelling that ends in ose is a sugar, she said.

Dont be tricked by diet sodas, she said, which are just as bad as regular soda.

Dont worry about craving certain foods, she said, because there are always tasty alternatives. One is cheese waffles, with the crunch and texture of traditional waffles.

Neal said her devotion to the carb-free lifestyle is easy to follow.

When youve been in excruciating pain, you never want to go back.

She has not cheated on her keto diet in five years, she said except for once.

Her husband talked her into eating a funnel cake one day. She threw up and remained sick for two or three days and her arthritis flared up badly.

Literally, keto saved my life, and thats why Im so passionate about it. I know theres a better life. The American diet is killing us.

Holly Kozelsky is a writer for the Martinsville Bulletin; contact her at 276-638-8801 ext. 243.

Excerpt from:
Alisha Neal's 160-pound weight loss with keto -- and she said it saved her life - Martinsville Bulletin

Unlike many diets, the Mediterranean diet doesn't promote a specific step-by-step eating pattern or menu planner.

Instead, it offers an over-arching philosophy to lifelong healthy eating habits.

A number of studies into the traditional diet of the people from the island of Crete, in Greece along with other Mediterranean populations have found this diet particularly beneficial for good heart health.

Over the years, there have been numerous translations of the diet and it's increasingly being used as a means of controlling weight as well as improving overall health.

We've examined seven popular diets to find out what you can eat and whether they work.

Breakfast: A hard-boiled egg, bread topped with tomato, red onion, cucumber, herbs and olive oil, plus yoghurt with honey.

Snack: A small handful of almonds.

Lunch: Soup made with white beans and vegetables, sprinkled with crumbled feta, wholegrain bread, and some apricots (fresh or dried).

Dinner: Grilled fish with lemon and herbs, roasted vegetables, and one glass of wine.

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The Mediterranean diet is often promoted for its proven benefits on heart health and reducing the risk of diabetes.

But it is also gaining recognition as an effective tool in weight management, especially when coupled with portion control or kilojoule reduction.

It is a balanced diet as there are no restrictions on major food groups.

Thinking about trying a new diet? Before you do, read this advice from Dr Sandro Demaio.

Meanwhile, the consumption of red meat is low from a couple of times per month (traditional Cretan diet) to small portions of less than 100g a few times a week (modern translations).

It is not a prescriptive diet and for many people, the lack of menu planners and step-by-step eating patterns may make it difficult for them to get motivated.

There are Mediterranean and, in particular, Cretan cookbooks, but it's up to you to devise your own weight loss steps and goals and to devise your meals according to the basic principles and the Mediterranean diet pyramid.

However, this has the advantage of making us think about our food choices.

This is general information only. For detailed personal advice, you should see a qualified medical practitioner who knows your medical history.

This story, which was originally written by Pamela Wilson and published by ABC Health and Wellbeing, has been reviewed by Dr Rosemary Stanton OAM, nutritionist and visiting fellow, School of Medical Sciences, University of NSW, in 2019.

Link:
What's the Mediterranean diet and how can it help me lose weight and feel better - ABC Life

Its hard to ignore hunger, a powerful drive designed to get your attention and keep the body from starving.

Regular meals that fill the stomach and intestines should calm it down, but what if youre always ravenous for another bite of food, no matter how much you eat?

Hunger is complicated and can have many different triggers, said Dr. Monique Tello, a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School, practicing physician and director of research and academic affairs for the healthy lifestyle program at Massachusetts General Hospital.

One is hormonal, so peoples hormones in particular ghrelin, a gut hormone can have a stimulating effect on the sensation of hunger and appetite, Tello, author of Healthy Habits for Your Heart, told TODAY.

Other signals are more psychological, and these are very commonly the trigger for peoples hunger.

First, its important to rule out any medical issues. Anybody who is feeling very hungry all of the time and isnt able to gain weight or is losing weight should see a doctor, Tello said.

Conditions that could cause constant or excessive hunger, also called polyphagia, include:

Hyperthyroidism: When the thyroid is overactive, a persons body and metabolism are all revved up, Tello noted. Besides being hungry, patients feel jittery, shaky and their heart may be racing.

Diabetes: People with type 1 diabetes lose the ability to make insulin so their body cant process sugar. Theyre usually telling me: Im eating and eating, Im losing weight and I feel terrible, Tello said. Hunger can also be a symptom of type 2 diabetes, where the body is resistant to insulin.

Damage to the hypothalamus: This part of the brain helps regulate feelings of appetite and satiety. If its damaged because of a tumor or head trauma, it can cause uncontrollable hunger and hypothalamic obesity.

Drugs like prednisone a corticosteroid steroid commonly used as an anti-inflammatory or an immunosuppressant medication can also increase hunger, said Beth Kitchin, an assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. So can some hormone therapies for women going through menopause.

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She always asks people who complain theyre constantly hungry whether they have started taking any new medicines or changed their doses.

If there isnt an underlying medical issue, the problem could be in the head.

Its reasonable to be hungry every three to five hours given how the human digestive system works, Kitchin said. But ever-present food marketing on TV and the constant stream of food porn on social media can trigger people to eat often and a lot, both experts noted.

There are also deeply ingrained cultural triggers, like the idea of eating three meals a day plus snacks, Tello said. She hates the myth of breakfast or the notion people have to eat as soon as they wake up.

I tell patients, The more you eat, the more you want to eat, Tello said.

The more people eat, the larger the stomach gets. The stomach can stretch to accommodate large amounts of food its a distensible organ. Then if its empty, it signals hunger. Well, if youve got a huge stomach from eating so much so often, the minute your stomach is empty, its signaling you to eat and youre going to eat more.

A persons state of mind can play a role, too. Stress can increase levels of ghrelin, research has shown, and being sleep deprived is associated with higher levels of the hunger hormone.

Boredom, anxiety and depression can also send people looking into the refrigerator when theyre not truly hungry.

Sometimes the best answer to the question Why am I always hungry? is the simplest one: Youre eating too little, exercising too much, or both.

Kitchin often sees it at the beginning of the year when patients go too far with their New Years resolutions.

When people tell me Im so hungry, I look at their food diaries and I can see why theyre hungry. Theyre just not eating enough sometimes, she said.

Dont make yourself hungrier than you need to be: Limit your exposure to TV and social media. Try to watch your favorite shows without being exposed to advertising, Tello said. She gets her groceries delivered so she can avoid being bombarded by food marketing in the grocery store.

Get honest: Ask yourself, "Am I really hungry? Or am I bored?" Remove yourself from any food temptations if it's the latter. Get help to deal with anxiety or depression rather than self-medicating with food.

Consider intermittent fasting: It can reconnect you with true, biological hunger; make it easier to recognize feeling full; provide daily structure and break the habit of snacking, experts say.

Going without food for a while can help the stomach to shrink, and help people to eat less and experience hunger less, Tello noted.

I have patients who eat one meal a day and they are fine. I have an aunt who never eats breakfast, she doesnt feel hungry until lunch time and shes at a really healthy weight, Kitchin added.

Feel fuller by adjusting the quality of your diet: Avoid processed carbohydrates and sugars found in foods like white bread, baked goods and cereal. Aim for a satiating diet higher in fiber, protein and healthy fats, Tello advised. Dip carrots into some peanut butter, enjoy a hard-boiled egg or munch on an apple. Such choices will keep you more satisfied, longer.

Foods that naturally contain a lot of water cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, grapes and so on are more satiating than other options even though they have fewer calories, said Dr. Michael Greger, author of How Not to Diet: The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss.

These higher-volume options take longer to eat, which seems to signal the brain that youre filling up.

Watch your alcohol intake: Alcohol lowers a person's inhibitions and self-discipline, which can make you eat more.

Excerpt from:
Why do I always feel hungry? Why you eat even when you're full and how to stop - TODAY

The Atkins diet, created by Dr Robert Atkins and popularised in his initial book published in the early 1970s, is very low in carbohydrate and high in protein and fat.

It's based on the theory that when we consume very little carbohydrate, the body will burn fat for energy.

It's also claimed that eating very little carbohydrate will reduce the body's production of insulin, keeping blood sugar levels steady and food cravings at bay.

Dieters follow four phases to achieve weight loss.

Phase one: Every meal includes protein-rich foods (any kind of meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, cheese) and only selected low-carbohydrate vegetables (such as mushrooms, lettuce, cucumber).

Extra fats from oils, cream or butter (as well as the fat on meat) are permitted but all fruits, many vegetables, all kinds of grains, legumes, milk and all sugars are excluded.

This phase needs to be continued for at least two weeks.

Phase two: Same as phase one, except you can introduce nuts, seeds, legumes, more vegetables (but only those low in carbohydrate) and a small amount of low-carbohydrate fruit such as berries and melon, plus full-fat yoghurt.

This phase continues until you are within 5 kilograms of your desired weight.

We've examined seven popular diets to find out what you can eat and whether they work.

Phases three and four: Progressing into the maintenance phases, you can eat a wider variety of vegetables, legumes, fruits and a few wholegrains such as oats and brown rice.

The maximum amount of carbohydrates starts at 20g per day in phase one and increases to 25-60g per day in phase two.

Once in phase four, you increase your carbohydrate by 10g each week until you find a point of 'balance' at which your weight is stable.

Although it claims not to restrict kilojoules, so many foods are excluded that the total kilojoule count per day is below usual levels.

Induction phase:

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with cheese, steamed spinach.

Snack: Atkins-approved powdered vanilla shake.

Lunch: Roast beef, mixed greens, tomato, and radish.

Snack: Atkins-approved chocolate.

Dinner: Grilled salmon, roasted asparagus, tomatoes, endive.

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You are likely to lose weight on this diet, but research has shown it is no more effective in the long-term than more balanced diets.

The rigid approach to this diet may make it easy for some people to follow at least in the short term but studies suggest in the long term, it's too regimented for many people to stick to.

Various supplements were initially made by an affiliated company.

Thinking about trying a new diet? Before you do, read this advice from Dr Sandro Demaio.

Ownership has since passed to different companies and modern versions of the diet have reduced the protein content to some extent and recommended healthier fats such as olive or other liquid oils and avocado.

However, dieters are still given advice that contradicts what the vast majority of health experts recommend.

For instance, they are told a double cheeseburger with extra bacon (a meal high in salt and saturated fat) is fine as long as they reject the bun.

There is some evidence that low carbohydrate diets may be useful for some people with type 2 diabetes, at least in the short-term.

Overall though, the vast majority of medical experts consider the cons outweigh the pros.

The risk of heavy red meat consumption is problematic as the World Cancer Research Fund says that a high intake of red meat, especially processed meat, raises the risk of bowel cancer.

Are the fruit and veggies you're buying about to go rotten? Armed with the right information, you can pick the freshest produce when shopping at the supermarket.

Current guidelines in Australia suggest eating a maximum of seven serves of lean red meat a week, which is equivalent to around 655g raw red meat a week.

And in spite of some conflicting research findings about saturated fats, the evidence linking this type of fat with heart disease remains strong.

Many studies also back the importance of including wholegrains and a wide range of fruits and vegetables, as well as certain dairy products that are restricted in the Atkins diet.

This is general information only. For detailed personal advice, you should see a qualified medical practitioner who knows your medical history.

This story, which was originally written by Pamela Wilson and published by ABC Health and Wellbeing, has been reviewed by Dr Rosemary Stanton OAM, nutritionist and visiting fellow, School of Medical Sciences, University of NSW, and was updated in 2019.

The rest is here:
How does the Atkins diet work and will it help me lose weight? - ABC Local

The philosophy behind the alkaline diet is that Western diets are too acidic and lead to acidic waste build-up in the body, wreaking havoc on our organs and leading to chronic disease.

In chemistry, a pH scale assigns values on a scale between 1 and 14 to substances based on their acidity or alkalinity. Values above seven are alkaline; those below seven are acidic.

Advocates claim that by eating 70 per cent alkaline foods and 30 per cent acidic foods, you'll create an environment in your body that is optimal for health and physical exercise.

They say this will result in a reduced risk of health problems such as obesity, cancer, arthritis and osteoporosis.

For most versions of the diet, 70 to 80 per cent of the daily intake includes foods that are claimed to produce an 'alkaline ash' when they break down in your body.

These include foods such as:

We've examined seven popular diets to find out what you can eat and whether they work.

The remaining 20 to 30 per cent of the diet include foods that are claimed to be 'acid-producing', such as:

Some versions also advise using 'alkaline' or 'ionised' water.

Some bottled water from springs is naturally slightly alkaline because it contains certain minerals; other water can be made alkaline by a process called ionisation.

To check you are consuming the right balance of foods, you are advised to measure the acidity of your urine to check it falls into the alkaline level.

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Breakfast: Tofu scramble with kale and mushrooms or millet cooked in unsweetened almond milk topped with ripe banana, dried figs, and almonds.

Snack: Cherries, watermelon, or a ripe banana.

Lunch: Lentil soup, with added leafy greens

Dinner: 100g of fish, chicken, or salmon, one sweet potato, and a garden salad.

The diet is not all bad and it might lead to weight loss, but not for the reasons claimed.

It could also be harmful and its principles are not supported by evidence.

Thinking about trying a new diet? Before you do, read this advice from Dr Sandro Demaio.

In particular, experts point out that:

Remember to consult your doctor before starting any new eating plan if you have an underlying health condition or history of an eating disorder.

This is general information only. For detailed personal advice, you should see a qualified medical practitioner who knows your medical history.

This story, which was originally written by Pamela Wilson and published by ABC Health and Wellbeing, has been reviewed by Dr Rosemary Stanton OAM, nutritionist and visiting fellow, School of Medical Sciences, University of NSW, and updated in 2019.

Read this article:
What is the alkaline diet and can it lead to weight loss? - ABC News

CHARLOTTE, N.C. It's no secret that supplements are a huge industry; we're talking $50 billion last year, and you can buy them just about anywhere.

People take supplements for a variety of reasons: to lose weight, to get a better night's sleep, or to make up for nutrients they don't get in their diet. If you can name it, there's a pill for it.

But supplements can be dangerous and could even lead to liver failure and death. You can buy these pills anywhere, including online or at your local grocery store, but the supplement industry is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Atrium Health's Mark Russo, MD, says he treats patients all the time who have gone in for liver problems after taking supplements. He says there's a direct link between supplement use and liver failure. His advice: take them at your own risk.

RELATED: Vitamin and mineral supplements recalled for cancer, lead poisoning risk

RELATED: Weight loss, energy supplement ingredient could cause miscarriage, FDA warns

"There is, and it's usually not one person that develops the problem," Dr. Russo said. "For example, many of these cases it's 50 or 100 cases throughout the world, and the only identifiable factor is that specific supplement."

According to the FDA, the number of cases goes up each year.

"People look for shortcuts and sometimes those shortcuts can cause them a serious problem or even their lives," said Dr. Russo.

But the FDA doesn't regulate supplements. Instead, it's up to the companies that distribute supplements to make sure their own products are safe.

"In general, when patients call me and ask, 'can I take supplement X,' I say take it at your own risk," said Dr. Russo.

He points out that just because something is natural doesn't mean it's safe, and he recommends always checking with your own doctor before taking anything. At the very least, you can check out Livertox, a website with tons of information on supplements and any issues related to them.

See the original post here:
Doctor: Over-the-counter supplements linked to liver failure, death - WCNC.com

Being overweight not only shatters your self-confidence but also leaves you feeling lethargic and uneasy, all the time. 24-year-old Tanya Narwani realised that she needed to do something about her growing weight if she wanted her confidence back. That was the moment she decided to adopt a healthy lifestyle to get back in shape. Her weight loss transformation is a living, breathing example that anything is possible if you put your heart into it.Name: Tanya NarwaniOccupation: Tax Consultant

Age: 24 yearsHeight: 5 feet 4 inches

City: Hyderabad

Highest weight: 67 kgs

Current weight: 50 kgsWeight loss: 17 kgs

Duration it took me to lose weight: 1 year 8 months

The turning point: I have always liked dressing up to the nines and wear good clothes. This is why it was really heartbreaking for me when I could no longer fit into the clothes of my choice and could not even buy the beautiful dresses displayed in the shops.

I realised the weight had taken a toll on my confidence levels and the way I approached my life. I needed to lose weight and get back in shape to lead my life to the fullest. This is why I decided to take matters in my own hand and take charge of my health.

My breakfast: I have a handful of almonds and walnuts with three glasses of water in the morning. For my breakfast, I keep switching between poha, white omelette, idli sambar and a glass of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice without sugar.

My lunch: Plain dosa, Idli sambar or uttapam My dinner: I have made it a point to eat my dinner by 8 pm, no matter what. I have two chapatis, a portion of vegetables, a bowl of dal and curd.

Fitness secrets I unveiled: I have realised that you do not really need to hit the gym every day to lose weight, you just have to choose to be physically active every day to lose weight. For example, I make it a point to walk for an hour every single day, without fail.

Low-calorie recipes I swear by: Makhanas (foxnuts) are one of the best options of snacking and they are incredibly tasty as well.

Whats the most difficult part of being overweight? One of the worst aspects of being overweight is realising that your favourite clothes have stopped fitting you. I do not really pay heed to what others have to say about my weight or body, but when I could no longer wear the dresses of my choice, I was really heartbroken.

What are the lifestyle changes you made? I made a couple of lifestyle changes and made it a point to follow them strictly. It completely changed my life:

1.I stopped having soda, sweets and fried food items

2.I eat healthily and think healthy

3.I have made it a point to walk for an hour daily and it has done wonders to my body.

More here:
Weight loss story: I lost 17 kilos to fit into the clothes of my choice and it completely changed my lif - Times of India

At just 29 years old, Justin Simpson got a not-so-stellar report card on his health. His doctor called his cholesterol level "embarrassing" and said his liver had become so fatty that he was considered prediabetic.

Justin Simpson lost 95 pounds and became a personal trainer along the way.

Credit: Justin Simpson/LIVESTRONG.com Creative

At that time, he was at his highest weight ever 305 pounds but also at his lowest point emotionally. He knew something had to change. Armed with motivation to live and lead a healthier lifestyle, he made some big, big changes. Here, he shares his decade-long journey in his own words.

No one likes going to the doctor and I definitely didn't. What's even worse is when your doctor looks you straight in the face and says your blood pressure is an indication that you could die very soon. Once she said that, I knew I had no other choice but to make some serious changes, and fast. I was only 29 years old how could I be close to death?

Not only did I want to have a long, healthy life, but I also really wanted to go on adventures. I had always dreamed of traveling, and I realized how unrealistic that was given my state of health and my weight. I knew it wouldn't be fair to my travel partner if I had to stop for a break every 15 minutes or had to carry insulin my entire trip.

Though I transformed my lifestyle for myself, a big motivation was to not let down those who depend on me.

"There's no such thing as before and after, there's only before and in-progress."

In 2009, when I left that doctor's appointment, I was 305 pounds. Over the next five years, I tried a couple of bad crash diets. I also tried the Mediterranean diet, which was recommended to me by that same doc. I knew from the moment I bought a book about it that it wasn't for me, but I really wasn't sure what else to do.

Over the next five years, I lost 30 pounds thanks to a lot of weight fluctuation and crash diets. Really, I didn't know how to eat, didn't want to learn and didn't push myself.

In fact, it wasn't until July 2014 that I decided to take it seriously. I started then with a weight of 275 and got down to 210 by November 2015, which is about where I've stayed ever since.

So how'd I get there? I like to say that the journey of health is ongoing, and my philosophy has always been 'There's no such thing as before and after, there's only before and in-progress.'

While this is true, I did take some proactive steps over the last decade to drop nearly 100 pounds and get my body fat percentage down to 14 percent.

For starters, I now love to cook! I challenged myself to find ways to enjoy foods I knew were good for me but had never liked. I also started tagging along with my friends to cycling classes and, perhaps most importantly, I started Couch to 5K with the intention of running my first 5K before I turned 30.

I hit that goal, just two weeks shy of my birthday, at the Hot-to-Trot Thanksgiving Day 5K in Knoxville, Tennessee. The very next day, I walked into TITLE Boxing Club, and life changed forever. That's when I began my journey training as a boxer.

For the next year, I was a member and the weight really started to fall off. Inspired by my own improvement, I wanted to help others make better choices and meet their goals, so I became a boxing group instructor. A few months later, I decided to go even further and become a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)-certified personal trainer.

Today four years later! I'm a board-certified personal trainer with a nutrition specialization and a growing list of clients. I have been promoted to director of my gym, and recently, I was nominated as the Best Personal Trainer in a city-wide poll.

Did you know that keeping a food diary is one of the most effective ways to manage your weight? Download the MyPlate app to easily track calories, stay focused and achieve your goals!

My fitness journey, undeniably, has played a major part in my transformation. It's hard to believe that I once couldn't run a 5K, when now, that's easy for me.

However, as a person who loves to eat, nutrition was my biggest, most difficult hurdle to overcome. For years, I postponed cleaning up my meals because I had a negative perspective on what 'eating healthy' would look like. If I'm being honest, I truly believed I'd have to eat salads all the time, and trust me, I'm definitely not a salad guy.

"I lost about 100 pounds, but I rarely ever ate any salads and never starved myself. Knowledge is indeed power!"

What clicked for me is when I changed my mindset. Instead of focusing on all that I couldn't have, I decided to think about what I could have. I really believe nutrition is a process and you have to trust it.

I did everything I could to learn about foods and learn how to cook, and I challenged myself to try anything and everything. And guess what? I lost about 100 pounds, but I rarely ever ate any salads and never starved myself. Knowledge is indeed power!

Boxing helped Justin lose the weight and keep it off.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: If I would have put myself on a very restrictive diet that was only about leafy greens and olive oil dressing, I wouldn't have met my goals. (And I wouldn't be helping so many others to meet their own, too!) Giving myself the ability to eat what I like within reason, of course helped me to keep meals fun. I knew if I was miserable every single time I ate, I would have given up fast.

Instead, I made little changes to my habits, little bits at a time, and found new, sustainable ways to eat clean and actually have fun with food. Over time, I didn't have to make 'conscious' health decisions anymore because it had become the normal way I ate.

I understood that if I wanted to make long-lasting change, I would need to take on something that I could do forever. I had been learning a lot about the paleo diet and thought it seemed like a good method that I would enjoy, so I started cooking mostly meals I'd tracked down from paleo recipe websites. I was getting to eat vegetables I liked, plenty of lean proteins that I liked and I grew to love it! There were even paleo versions of some of my favorite high-calorie meals (hello, country-fried steak!).

"I never eat something I don't want to eat, so I'm left with a nutrition philosophy that I can use forever."

But I also knew that even paleo wasn't fully sustainable for me if I were to remain strict, so I was never 100 percent strict. Rather, I used paleo as a starting point. This means if I wanted to have a bit of rice, I'd do it but I'd watch my portions. If a coworker brought in cookies, I'd have one but limit myself to that one. So I was primarily following paleo but also being very aware of what I was taking in that fell outside of that scope.

Once I became a trainer, my schedule exploded and it was very difficult to cook fresh meals every day, so I started getting my feet wet with meal prepping. I started small by just making my lunch for the week and then eventually started batching my dinners as well. It took a few weeks before I latched on to the concept because the idea of eating the same thing day after day for a whole week was boring to me... but I quickly realized how much time and effort I was saving.

Meal prepping then led me to my current philosophy of not being afraid to try new foods but also being OK with eating a lot of whatever you like. I love sweet potatoes and I could eat them every day, so I do! I could eat seasoned ground turkey every day, so I do. I never eat something I don't want to eat, so I'm left with a nutrition philosophy that I can use forever.

In those early days my focus was more on making better daily decisions than it was staying under a calorie limit. I quickly found that I would be consuming a calorie deficit automatically by simply eating cleaner, healthier foods!

"The hard truth? You're going to mess up your diet. You're going to have weeks where you gain weight. But you don't need to beat yourself up for it! You're not a failure, you're a person."

Nowadays, I calculate my caloric needs using the Harris-Benedict equation to get my basal metabolic rate and total energy expenditure. I adjust my daily requirement based on my current goal (cutting weight or bulking mass) and then break down my macros from there. I want to set a good example for my clients while also teaching them how nutrition works, so I'm very transparent about how my macros break down and why they break down the way they do.

I do not track micros but I do eat a variety of vegetables throughout the day, supplement with a daily multivitamin and occasionally have some powdered greens in the afternoon, so I have no reason to believe I'll be out of balance anytime soon.

Boxing is a very personalized sport: It's you and the bag, or you and your opponent. It also requires a great deal of self-discipline and training, and you have to be your own biggest supporter to get through the workouts. The same is true with any sport and with any lifestyle change. That's why it's so important to be kind to yourself and to be positive.

Something I hate is the phrase 'cheat meal.' I also hate when people bring treats to an office and coworkers turn them down because they're 'being good.' This insinuates the rest of us are 'being bad' for enjoying a cookie.

Join the LIVESTRONG.com Challenge Group on Facebook to learn about the latest 30-day challenges and get support and encouragement from other members along the way!

The hard truth? You're going to mess up your diet. You're going to have weeks where you gain weight. It's part of it, and it's just how it goes. But you don't need to beat yourself up for it! You're not a failure, you're a person. You learn from it, and you move on. Too many times people get discouraged with themselves when they make a bad decision or suffer a setback and it causes them to give up completely. I feel like taking away these critical phrases and thoughts and being more forgiving of ourselves will take us all a long way.

When you're a fan of yourself and your own cheerleader, you give yourself the responsibility you need to succeed. It's important to understand that no one else can lose your weight. No one else can get you to the gym or maintain your diet. You may have dietary limitations or medical issues, but it's ultimately up to you to take responsibility for yourself, work around your limitations and go get your own success.

Accountability partners are awesome, workout buddies are great and a supportive significant other is an amazing thing to have, but at the end of the day, your success depends on your efforts and your attitude.

Accept that and watch your success start pouring in!

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How Boxing Helped One Man Finally Achieve Long-Term Weight Loss Success - LIVESTRONG.COM

This is what weight management psychologist Glenn Mackintosh calls thinsanity in his excellent new book Thinsanity: 7 Steps to Transform Your Mindset and Say Goodbye to Dieting Forever.

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After working with thousands of patients, Mackintosh knows that learning to accept your body after being told your whole life that its wrong, is hard and takes work. It doesnt come from one "ah-ha" moment (or one open letter written to your mother).

In fact, for many people complete body acceptance may be too much to ask.

Wanting to lose weight is not all or nothing, it's not that you have a 100 per cent desire to lose weight or you are completely free of any weight concern. It's often a matter of degrees, says Mackintosh. If you make your weight a smaller focus in your life, that's a big win.

Body hatred and insecurity can pop up at different times during our lives so the choice to reject weight loss dieting is a choice that we may have to make over and over again.

Diet marketing is so alluring that even if you really do understand the principles, you'll have to catch yourself and pull yourself back from that dieting precipice, multiple times over the course of your lifetime.

In Thinsanity, Machintosh writes that first step on the path to body acceptance or at least reducing the importance of your bodys appearance in your life is to accept the reality. Diets dont work.

If you're listening to your body's signals and you're eating intuitively, then you can't ask anymore of yourself than that.

No, really, they dont work. There is not, there never has been and their never will be a wonder diet that is going to succeed where all the others have failed.

As Mackintosh writes, Despite what they adverstise, all diet- and exercise-based weight loss plans result in short-term weight loss, followed by weight re-gain to pre-diet weight within a few years, then rising significantly above pre-diet weight within five years.

The reality is that people who try to lose weight gain more weight than those who dont.

Yes, but what about your colleague/friend/hairdresser/great aunt Agnes who did Atkins/5-2/Paleo/juice cleanse and lost weight and has managed to keep it off?

Mackintosh cautions people not to be fooled by the very few people who have succeeded with weight loss dieting. Diets have a three per cent success rate, so for every three people showing off their new body on Instagram there are approximately 97 who tried the same approach and failed.

We do have to be mindful of people who overuse their personal journey. I don't think that having that personal experience is the best qualification for helping others on that journey because we know that journey is actually ineffective for most people, and has done a lot of people more harm than good, says Mackintosh.

Instead of continuing to chase the pot of gold at the end of the dieting rainbow, Mackintosh encourages people to focus on the process of living well.

If youve started moving your body from a place of joy, you're listening to your body's signals and you're eating intuitively, then you can't ask anymore of yourself than that. And neither can anyone else, says Mackintosh. It's not a cop out, it's about learning to take care of ourselves from a place of acceptance.

If you make your weight a smaller focus in your life, that's a big win.

Other than the delusion of one day stumbling upon a diet that will succeed where all the others have failed, something else that perpetuates our thinsanity is body judgement not just of ourselves but of other people.

Have they gained or lost weight, toned up, started to grey, getting wrinkles, or have bags under their eyes? These observations and body comments are often shared with the same frequency as weather reports.

Some may say that this is just harmless banter or small talk. But when youre focusing on and judging other peoples bodies you are also focusing on and judging your own.

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We live in this ecosystem of thinsanity, where it becomes okay to judge, criticise and deconstruct all bodies, and then quite naturally that's being applied to ourselves, says Mackintosh.

If you find it impossible to reduce your own body hatred, part of the answer could lie in changing the way you view other peoples bodies. Be kind about other peoples bodies and you just might find yourself being kinder to yourself.

Thinsanity: 7 Steps to Transform Your Mindset and Say Goodbye to Dieting Forever is published by Hachette Australia.

Writer, author of '30-Something and Over It'. View more articles from Kasey Edwards.

Continued here:
The good news is it's entirely possible to stop hating your body - The Sydney Morning Herald

CNA With the whole Chinese New Year (CNY) period slowly wrapping up, the strong desire to lose weight and get active usually kicks in right about now.

Youve had your fill of pineapple tarts, your Fitbits been registering fewer than 3,000 steps a day for the past week and you have been guilty-reading all those news articles calculating how much exercise you need to do to burn off that single spring roll.

It does look like you have a lot of walking to do to shake off those post-CNY love handles but who has the time to take 10,000 steps a day? Thats eight kilometres.

WHY 10,000 STEPS IN THE FIRST PLACE?

From manufacturers of wearable fitness trackers to advocates of Singapores National Steps Challenge, anyone who has an interest in helping you become healthier would have seeded this in your mind: aim for 10,000 steps a day.

That seems like a tough task. On average, Singaporeans take about 5,674 steps per day, according to a Stanford University study published in the science journal Nature in 2017. If you take fewer than 5,000 steps a day, you are considered sedentary. Which is not good.

There is an association between sedentary behaviour such as prolonged sitting, and various health risks such as risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and death, said an associate consultant with the Division of Endocrinology at National University Hospital Dr Amanda Lim. Walking and moving around a little bit throughout the day may reduce these risks, especially if a persons baseline activity level is sedentary.

But where did 10,000 steps come from specifically? It began as a marketing campaign for a pedometer shortly before the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. Its name, Manpo-kei, comes from man for 10,000, po for steps and kei for measure in Japanese. The campaign encouraging users to walk 10,000 steps a day was so successful that the number has become the definitive goal on todays fitness trackers and in wellness programmes.

SO, DOES IT REALLY WORK?

The virtues of the 10,000-step guideline were not examined in depth until Professor I-Min Lee from Harvard Universitys TH Chan School of Public Health did; her study was published in the Journal Of The American Medical Association in May 2019.

Professor Lees research, ranging from 2011 to 2015, was based on 16,741 women aged 62 to 101 the same population she had worked with previously to study the relationship of physical activity and health in older women. During this period, the participants wore tracking devices during waking hours.

What the professor found was interesting. Instead of 10,000 steps which, honestly, not many of us succeed in achieving she discovered that participants who averaged 4,400 daily steps already had a 41 per cent reduction in mortality.

That percentage increased the more steps the women took, but up to a certain point. In fact, mortality rates levelled off at approximately 7,500 steps per day.

Living longer aside, aspiring to 7,500 steps rather than 10,000 steps is also a more attainable goal.

This is good news as, on average, Singaporeans walk around 5,000 steps per day and an additional 2,500 steps daily is an achievable goal for most, said an orthopaedic surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospitals International Orthopaedic Clinic Dr Alan Cheung.

WHAT ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS?

When it comes to weight loss though, it is not as simple as walking X number of steps to burn off the calories of each kueh bangkit you ate.

In fact, steps are not big contributors to weight loss; 10,000 steps would torch just about 300 to 500 calories, depending on the intensity of your walk, said associate consultant with Changi General Hospitals Sport and Exercise Medicine Dr Mandy Zhang. To lose about half a kilo a week, you will need to have a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories a week, said Dr Zhang, ideally from both exercise and diet.

Instead, other factors such as your basal metabolic rate, thermic effect of food (the energy your body requires for digesting food) and, of course, exercise, play bigger roles, said Dr Lim. And by exercise, she is referring to the Health Promotion Boards recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week.

Interestingly, steps are not regarded as exercise but, a component of energy expenditure called non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), said Dr Lim. This includes standing up from a seated position or taking the stairs when the MRT escalators get too crowded. As long as it is an activity that requires some form of physical exertion, it is counted as NEAT.

In general, the number of steps a person takes per day does not directly contribute to those 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, unless the individual is walking at a pace or at an incline that pushes the heart rate to the moderate intensity zone, said Dr Lim.

And there is also your circadian rhythm the internal clock that governs when you sleep and wake to consider. Constantly messing up your sleep cycle can prevent your body from working efficiently and affect digestion, metabolism and use of fat stores, said Dr Zhang.

CAN YOU STILL MAKE THE 10,000-STEP GUIDELINE WORK?

That is not to say you should not bother trying to hit 10,000 steps a day.

It is an easy start for getting yourself out of a sedentary lifestyle, which, according to Dr Cheung, is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality.

Moreover, physical inactivity is estimated to be the main cause for around 25 per cent of breast and colon cancers, diabetes and ischaemic heart disease, he said. Worryingly, one in 10 Singaporeans has diabetes and Singapore has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the world.

If 10,000 steps in a day seem impossible, Dr Lim suggests increasing the target by 500 steps per day for one week. Once the target becomes comfortable and easily achievable, you can increase the target further. Any increment in activity and reduction in sedentary time is beneficial, she said.

Also, people should remember that missing targets is only human. Dont be too hard on yourself or give up entirely, she said. Healthy living is a cumulative and long-term process. Focus on the benefits and remind yourself that any improvement, no matter how small, is beneficial.

Dr Lim also emphasised that it is extremely difficult to lose weight through exercise alone without controlling diet, so do not see the 10,000 steps as the be all and end all to your post-CNY weight-loss effort.

Read the rest here:
Does walking 10,000 steps a day really help in your weight loss efforts? - Borneo Bulletin Online

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