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Oct 27

Weight loss: How does the viral ’12-3-30′ TikTok trend to lose weight work? Should you try it too? – Times of India

The workout centres on the treadmill, which can be a great workout equipment to try your hand at to lose weight. The regime in itself, which focuses on walking is said to promote weight loss since it's a low-impact exercise form. Without being too strenuous or hard, brisk walking on the treadmill, fans claim can help boost cardiovascular health and burn fat efficiently, when followed regularly.

While walking is a beginner-friendly exercise, brisk walking, at an incline on the treadmill for a considerable amount of time (which is what the 12-3-30 workout makes you do) can deliver vast benefits, and potentially convert a low-impact exercise as such into a vigorous activity, and make you lose weight faster.

Incline climbing or walking is also a great way to test your endurance levels, and an effective exercise for fat loss since it raises your heart rate up, burning more calories while doing a simple exercise like walking. More so, when you follow an incline climb, your leg , back and butt muscles are pushed into doing more work.

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Weight loss: How does the viral '12-3-30' TikTok trend to lose weight work? Should you try it too? - Times of India


Oct 27

Is the rowing machine a good workout? – Livescience.com

If you ask a historian 'is the rowing machine a good workout' they'd likely say yes. There have been variations of rowing machines in existence since the 4th century BC (amazing!), where the ancient Greeks used them as a training device for soldiers to prepare for sea. Whilst the aims of those rowing machines had a somewhat more sinister undertone, you could argue that if an exercise approach has lasted a couple of millennia it has to be an effective one.

The real modern day version of rowing machines came into being in the mid 20th century. As the form, build quality and measurement accuracy of the rowing machines improved, they became more popular. In 1981 the first Concept 2 rowing machine design was launched and the rest, they say, is history.

Gyms the world over have rowing machines as an integral part of their kit, and they're often some of the most popular devices in each one.

A rowing machine is a low-impact, full-body cardiovascular workout that requires little in the way of technique. From a practicality point of view theyre excellent - compared to a lot of other home exercise machines theyre lightweight, small, easy to store and significantly cheaper to buy. Finally, theyre incredibly safe relative to other fitness equipment.

Lets look at these points in more detail

Rowing machines offer cardiovascular workout variety

A rowing machine offers users the chance to partake in a wide variety of cardiovascular workouts. You can perform steady state (constant workout pace and intensity for a given period of time) or HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts, both of which have been shown to be very effective at improving cardiovascular fitness and performance.

On some rowing machines (in particular the Concept 2 models), the computer has various games in-built on the machine, so you can mix up your workout by playing fitness-based games. If youre susceptible to boredom, this can help a lot!

You can also store your previous workout data on the device so you know how youre improving. Finally, app-based support gives you extra tips and advice, not to mention workout support and a training diary.

In order to lose weight we have to consume fewer calories than we burn. We do this by reducing calorie intake by following a calorie-restricted diet, then increasing our energy expenditure through exercise.

Workouts that burn a lot of calories are especially effective when it comes to weight loss. The rowing machine is an excellent calorie burner, with some particularly fit people being able to burn over 1000 calories per hour on the machine. Its hard work, but theres a significant body of evidence showing that its a very effective workout machine for all kinds of people. We've done a whole investigation on how to use rowing machines to lose weight.

Very safe - no impact on the joints

One of the concerns many people have about exercise is how safe it is. Whilst almost all gym-based exercise is very safe, the rowing machine is a stand-out in terms of low injury risk. In a study analysing gym injury data taken over 14 years, rowing machines barely featured.

Despite being part of the analysis, rowing machines didnt feature on the list of frequent-injury causes. Treadmills, bikes, weights, boxing and exercises classes all featured, but rowing machines didnt. If safety is a concern of yours, this can be put to bed.

Theres also no impact on the joints during the use of a rower, so if youve had hip, knee or ankle trouble youll be safe to use the rower without worry of further damage.

Rowing machines are easy to use

Compared to exercises such as weight training, dance classes, aerobics classes and the like, a rowing machine is very easy to use. Of course there is a technique to rowing, but thats more about efficiency than safety. Good rowing technique makes you a faster, smoother rower.We've put together a feature that compares rowing machines vs treadmills, to help you decide which is right for you.

Excellent rowing machine technique will take a few minutes to learn, unlike a dance class where youll spend a lot of time learning routines and steps, or weight training where youll learn lots of different exercises and have to be careful to execute lifts with safe and effective form.

If youre thinking of an exercise machine to have at home, a rowing machine is a solid bet. If you look at the price as the first comparison, some of the top rowing machines on the market costs around $900-$1000. A good treadmill will be $3000+, and a good exercise bike will be around $1000.

A rowing machine is smaller (8 x 2 is the usual footprint), lighter at less than 60 LBS and easier to store (can be pushed against a wall, rolled out of a room or even broken down into a couple of sections) than most other home exercise options. If you dont have a dedicated gym room, this is a big asset.

Compared to a treadmill theyre much quieter - theres no pounding up and down during use (which can be a problem if you have neighbors below you) and theres no loud motor on the front. In all fairness the flywheel can be relatively loud during a fast row, but its not a big deal.

The rowing machine burns a lot of calories, its easy to use, its very safe and gives you a fantastic, all-body cardiovascular workout. It has been proven in the scientific literature to help people improve their fitness, lose weight and improve their general health and wellbeing.

Its cheaper to buy than many of its rivals, it costs less to run and its very easy to store on account of its size and weight. The convenience of having a rowing machine at home means you dont have an excuse for missing your exercise.

Its a machine that can be used by the whole family and there really is no upper age limit. It doesnt matter if youre 9 or 90, youll still benefit from regular workouts on the rowing machine. You dont need amazing strength or mobility, just a willingness to do the work.

Finally, thanks to the low impact nature of the exercise, your post-workout recovery time is really limited. You wont be stiff and sore after rowing, so youll be able to exercise more frequently, boosting your fitness and weight loss quicker.

Today's best rowing machine deals

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Is the rowing machine a good workout? - Livescience.com


Aug 5

Is it possible to lose weight by ‘sweating’ fat? – Medical News Today

Adults with overweight or obesity are up to seven times as likely to develop chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and heart disease, compared with individuals with moderate weight.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 4 million people die each year globally due to having overweight and obesity.

Many individuals struggle to maintain a moderate weight through diet and exercise alone. Although there are few drug treatments for overweight and obesity, they have side effects.

One novel treatment strategy that scientists are exploring is to target the immune system, which is known to affect the metabolism of fat or adipose tissue.

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia speculated that they could treat insulin resistance in obese mice by boosting levels of a cytokine or immune signal called thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP).

Doctors characterize type 2 diabetes by the bodys tissues no longer responding to insulin, a hormone that regulates glucose levels in the blood.

The scientists were surprised to discover that TSLP not only improved glucose metabolism in the mice but also reduced their weight.

Curiously, the weight loss did not have associations with a faster metabolism, greater levels of physical activity, increased excretion of calories, or decreased intake of food. In fact, the mice with raised TSLP levels ate 2030% more than control mice.

Dr. Taku Kambayashi, Ph.D.,an associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Penn, who led the study with medical student Ruth Choa, Ph.D., finally solved the puzzle.

When I looked at the coats of the TSLP-treated mice, I noticed that they glistened in the light. I always knew which mice exactly had been treated, because they were so much shinier than the others, he says.

Analysis of hair from the treated mice showed that the animals were secreting more fat-rich, calorie-dense sebum from the sebaceous glands in their skin. This gave their fur a shiny, greasy appearance.

The researchers report their findings in Science.

To test the metabolic effects of TSLP, the scientists injected obese mice with a virus genetically engineered to carry the gene that makes this cytokine.

They injected control mice with the same virus, minus the additional gene.

After 4 weeks, during which all the animals ate a high fat diet, the control mice gained weight. Meanwhile, in mice with extra TSLP, blood glucose and fasting insulin levels improved, while their weight fell from an average of 45 grams (g) to a healthy 25 g.

The animals lost visceral fat the white fat that accumulates around the vital organs which experts have linked to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Sebum production also increased in their skin, giving their fur its characteristic shiny appearance.

To confirm that weight loss occurred as a result of increased sebum production, the researchers injected the cytokine into obese mice that lack the ability to produce sebum. As anticipated, these mice failed to lose any weight.

The cytokine appeared to work by sending immune cells to the skin, where they induced sebum-producing sebaceous glands to produce unusually large amounts of the fatty substance.

Sebum has a range of important functions, including blocking UV light, antimicrobial activity, and heat regulation.

Experiments revealed that, in addition to boosting sebum production, the immune cells also increased the amount of antimicrobial proteins they contained.

The researchers are optimistic that their discovery could inspire new drug treatments for overweight and obesity that work via the immune system by ramping up sebum production.

I dont think we naturally control our weight by regulating sebum production, but we may be able to hijack the process and increase sebum production to cause fat loss. This could lead to novel therapeutic interventions that reverse obesity and lipid disorders, says Prof. Kambayashi.

Next, the researchers plan to investigate how TSLP-activated T cells encourage sebaceous glands to increase sebum production.

In humans, this may yield insights into skin diseases, such as eczema, in which the ability of the skin to act as a barrier breaks down.

It could also provide a potential therapeutic strategy for this disease, Prof. Kambayashi told Medical News Today.

In humans, there are two versions of TSLP: a short form and a long form. The long form is known to cause inflammation and is involved in asthma and other allergic diseases, so the researchers hope to find that it is the short form that boosts sebum production.

The dosage in a potential human treatment would also be much lower than that used in their experiments with mice.

In mice, TSLP-induced fat loss is dramatic (they will lose all their body fat in around 2 weeks), Prof. Kambayashi told MNT.

In humans, I dont think we need to increase sebum production to that extent. Rather, enhancing sebum production by threefold or so would be sufficient to get rid of calories from one extra burger per day, he said.

Because sebum results from the extraction of lipids from the bloodstream, he added, TSLP may improve cardiovascular health, in addition to inducing weight loss.

In an editorial accompanying the paper, Marlon R. Schneider of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in Berlin points to formidable challenges for this weight loss approach.

For example, there are major differences between the physiology of sebaceous glands in humans and mice, and in the composition of their sebum.

In addition, the effects of producing copious amounts of sebum are unpredictable. The fatty acids may block skin pores and trigger acne, for example.

This is intriguing, said Naveed Sattar, Ph.D., professor of metabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom, who was not involved in the research.

But as the editorialist concludes, there are huge obstacles to thinking this new information would ever be useful to develop new treatments for obesity, he told MNT.

My guess is unlikely as the side effects on skin conditions [] may be limiting, even if this process works the same in humans, which requires confirmation.

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Is it possible to lose weight by 'sweating' fat? - Medical News Today


Aug 5

Want to Lose Weight? Include These 5 Dry Fruits in Your Diet – India.com

New Delhi: Are you planning to lose weight? Well, you are not alone in this race as in todays fast-paced world, as people are now leading a sedentary lifestyle, weight gain has become one of the major health concerns in both males and females.Also Read - Indian Youth Prefer Snacking on Almonds, According to Survey

However, with growing awareness on fitness and healthy lifestyle, people have now started making healthy eating a regular habit along with yoga and exercise to keep weight under check. In fact, weight gain leads to many health-related complications. Especially, in this Covid times, it has become imperative to maintain a good health. Also Read - Eating Almonds Twice a Day Can Improve Blood Glucose and Cholesterol Levels

Many people resort to crash dieting and fads to lose weight quickly; however, it isnt a healthy choice. In fact, instead of starving, its best to include some healthy food options to lose that extra kilos. Dry fruits are replete with essential nutrients, and also they will make you feel full keeping your hunger pangs at bay. Also Read - Weight Loss Tips: 10 Best Superfoods That Can Help Shed Kilos And Improve Your Metabolism

Include these five dry fruits in your diet to lose those extra kilos quickly.

Almonds help the most in losing weight. Experts recommend to eat almonds to get rid of food cravings at odd hours. Eating a handful of almonds, in fact, also satisfies your hunger. They are very low in calories and full of nutrients which will aid in quick weight loss. Interestingly, they help in reducing belly fat and overall body mass index. Almonds are replete with mono-unsaturated fat and fiber. Eating a handful of them keeps the stomach full for a long time.

You can also eat raisins when you are hungry. They are very less in calories and also keep you feeling full for a long period of time. Raisins have appetite suppressant properties and hence, they keep the hunger hormone (ghrelin) at bay. They reduce fat cells in the body, as well as help in reducing belly fat. You can include them in your everyday diet.

For the uninitiated, cashews are also a healthy option. Youd be surprised to know that you can include them in your daily diet to lose weight. Although you should eat them only in limited quantity. Cashew contains a lot of magnesium, which improves the metabolism rate. This is one of the important points to consider while planning to lose weight. Also, cashews contain protein, which helps in weight loss.

Peanuts contain monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which reduce inflammation in the body. Eating peanuts gives strength to the body and also aids in weight loss.

Walnuts also help in weight loss. They are rich in protein, minerals and vitamins. If you eat walnuts when you are hungry, then it will keep your stomach full for a long time. Walnuts contain such nutrients, which increase the chemical serotonin level present in the brain. This reduces the feeling of hunger. Eating a handful of soaked walnuts every day will help you in reducing weight fast.

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Want to Lose Weight? Include These 5 Dry Fruits in Your Diet - India.com


Aug 5

The #1 Cause of Visceral Fat, According to Science | Eat This Not That – Eat This, Not That

Belly fat. Few words inspire more fear in the hearts of health-minded people. And for good reason. Visceral fatthe technical term for belly fatis more than just a pooch that develops around your waistline in response to too much beer and simple carbs. It can actually be quite dangerous. Read on to find out more about those health risks, the primary cause of visceral fat, and what you can do to prevent itand to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You Have "Long" COVID and May Not Even Know It.

Unlike subcutaneous fatthe jiggly fat under the skin that you can grab or pinchvisceral fat surrounds organs deep within the abdomen, like the stomach, liver, and intestines. It's not just an aesthetic concern. According to the Cleveland Clinic, excess visceral fat raises your risk of serious metabolic disorders, including:

In women, visceral fat is also associated with breast cancer and the need for gallbladder surgery, says Harvard Medical School.

The more visceral fat you have, the higher your chance of developing these issues.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, you may be more likely to experience health problems from visceral fat if your waist is more than 40 inches if you're a woman, or your waist is more than 35 inches if you're a man.

"Research suggests that fat cells particularly abdominal fat cells are biologically active," says Harvard Medical School. "It's appropriate to think of fat as an endocrine organ or gland, producing hormones and other substances that can profoundly affect our health."

Among those negative effects: visceral fat may increase the production of inflammatory substances in the body that raise the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Visceral fat's proximity to the liver and pancreas could also increase "bad" cholesterol and inhibit the body from breaking down fat and processing blood sugar.

RELATED: The #1 Cause of Obesity

The #1 cause of visceral fat seems to be poor diet, particularly one that's high in added sugar and simple carbohydrates (which the body quickly converts to sugar). That leads to weight gain that's often difficult to lose, particularly in the abdominal area.

"Fructose, or sugar, causes fat cells to mature faster, specifically in the visceral fat," says the Cleveland Clinic. "A diet filled with fructose-containing sodas or drinks not only increases your calorie intake, but it impacts how the belly fat develops."

RELATED: 9 Everyday Habits That Might Lead to Dementia

The easiest way to reduce visceral fat is to lose weight. Ditching sugar-sweetened drinks like sodas and processed foods are a good start. Eat more fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. "Weight loss alone can effectively reduce visceral fat," says W. Scott Butsch, MD, an obesity medicine specialist with the Cleveland Clinic. "By losing 10% of your body weight, you may lose up to 30% of your body fat."

Experts also say exercise is crucial to slashing belly fat; diet won't do it alone, says Johns Hopkins Medicine. Moderate physical activity combined with strength training seems to work best.

And be sure to get enough sleep. Researchers at Wake Forest University found that dieters who sleep five hours or less every night put on 2 1/2 times more belly fat than people who slept adequately (meaning seven to nine hours a night). And to get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don't miss these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.

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The #1 Cause of Visceral Fat, According to Science | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That


Aug 5

Adding This to Your Water May Lower Weight and Cholesterol, Says Science | Eat This Not That – Eat This, Not That

Maybe you've been reading up on the surprise benefits of some of your favorite juices, like the way cantaloupe juice could seriously boost your immunity, and cranberry juice may be good for your teethreally! Science has also identified one unexpected fruit whose juice may deliver a host of health benefits with just a tiny amount dropped into your water.

Keep reading to learn about the juice that could help you lose weight and get heart-healthier. And for more, check out the Secret Side Effects of Eating Oranges, Says Science.

Medical News Today reveals that noni is a small but mighty fruit that grows from trees in Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and other tropical regions. The noni is said to hold antioxidants and other properties so powerful that it's been used for ages in Eastern medicine modalities.

RELATED: Sign up for our newsletter for daily food and wellness news you can use.

Noni is sometimes prepared into a paste or powder or pressed for its juice for the fruit's power to address a number of health needs. Scientific studies have found that noni's nutrients have been shown to relieve cases of joint pain and osteoarthritis, combat free radicals that can lead to cancer, and, like cantaloupe juice, deliver Vitamin C to support immunity.

One study discovered that heavy tobacco users who drank noni juice for a month experienced a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease. Specifically, it "significantly reduced" bad cholesterol and triglycerides.

In a separate study assessing a group of non-smokers, noni juice led to a reduction in heart rate and blood pressure. The juice has also been shown to regulate blood sugar and metabolism, decrease fat in the blood, and prevent weight gain by increasing grehlin (the hormone that tells the body we're full).

Related: Ways Drinking Smoothies Can Help You Lose Weight, Say Dietitians

Noni juice might be a Yes for your health, but observers have noted its bitter taste. The good news is that some proponents of the juice say just one ounce poured into your water (to dilute the pungent flavor) can be enough to deliver solid health benefits.

First, you may just have to do a little looking. Though noni is not commonly found at every major supermarket, a brief search suggests it's easily available online and may also be found grocers that sell Eastern foods.

RELATED: This Super Popular Asian Fast-Food Chain Just Debuted In America

It's always wise to check with your doctor before making a fitness or diet change. That goes for noni juice, which some research has discovered is not always ideal for patients with kidney or liver issues.

However, it's also suggested that in some cases, these negative health effects from noni were often due not specifically to the juice itself, but to interactions between that and other ingredients individuals had also consumed.

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Adding This to Your Water May Lower Weight and Cholesterol, Says Science | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That


Aug 5

What exactly are dieting apps doing with all your data? – Fast Company

If youve ever tried out a dieting app, you might have filled out a questionnaire asking you about your body type, weight, exercise, and eating habits, and possibly even medical information, like whether you have diabetes. Ostensibly that data is used to inform what kind of diet the app suggests, but new research reveals diet companies may be using it in other ways. According to London-based non-profit Privacy International, diet apps are sometimes sharing this data with third-party marketers and not protecting it securely. The report also raises questions around whether U.S. laws adequately protect online health data that isnt hosted by a medical entity.

Researchers at the organization filled out questionnaires for the diet apps Noom, BetterMe, and VShred several times, each time entering slightly different data to see if it rendered a different recommendation. The researchers found that regardless of the data entered, the results tended to be the same. For example, the researchers entered a variety of starting weights and goal weights into BetterMe. Each time, the suggested plan was identical, promising that the person could lose nine pounds after the first week of the program and that 83% of similar people lost more than 17 pounds on their platform. (In a response, BetterMe says that the data is used to determined a daily calorie intake and whether individuals have dietary preferences, like vegetarian).

The same was true for VShred, which asked for gender, age, height, weight, exercise habits, and workout goals. While the company did provide people with a custom set of daily macros or allowed calories, carbohydrates, fats, and protein per day, its fitness and nutrition recommendations were the same books and mobile videos regardless of the information entered. Noom, by contrast, gives clients a timeline within which they will lose weight and then asks for additional personal information as a way of predicting the shortest amount of time to meet a weight goal. In total, Privacy International estimates that Noom asks at least 50 questions about a persons mental health, physical health habits, and medical profile.

So what happens to this information? Among its other findings, Privacy International found that information inputted into VShreds website appeared in its URL, making it accessible by third party ad platforms like Google Analytics, Facebook, and Yandex. On BetterMe, only information about gender seemed to show up in its URL data. Researchers also found that Noom actively shared all of its consumer data with a company called Fullstory, a data analytics firm.

In a response to Privacy International, BetterMe cited its privacy policy. VShred did not respond to a request for comment by press time, but in its privacy policy it discloses that it collects and shares information with third parties, including geolocation. In a request for comment, a Noom spokesperson said: Noom takes its data protection obligations seriously and has developed a robust data protection compliance program to comply with evolving legal requirements. It adds that data is only shared with service providers and is collected to enhance the user experience.

While these companies are collecting health data (and in some cases medical information), that data is not protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). There isnt transparency into whether this data is being well protected or used in ad targeting, says Privacy International senior researcher Eva Blum-Dumontet.

Blum-Dumontet also raises concern over who dieting companies may be targeting. A nonprofit called Anorexia and Bulimia Care has found that eating disorder and other similar words appear among suggested keywords for ad targeting. Those ads can be really triggering, says Blum-Dumontet. It can also lead people with disordered eating habits to engage in content they should otherwise stay away from, she says.

In Europe, online data is protected by the General Data Protection Regulation, but data privacy laws in the United States are more limited and state dependent. Even still, in Europe many companies can use legitimate interest, a legal cover that allows companies to share consumer data based on a persons potential interests in a product or service. Under GDPR, companies also must obtain direct consent to collect cookies, or data generated from web browsing on a particular site. But in both the U.S. and Europe, companies are fairly well protected from lawsuits simply by clearly stating in their privacy policies that they collect and share data.

In an October 2020 lawsuit, both Noom and Fullstory were accused of illegal wiretapping, eavesdropping, and invasion of privacy for using technology to track what visitors do on the Noom website. In April, a judge dismissed the case on the grounds that the claim did not legally pass muster. In its defense, Fullstory notes that Nooms embedded script for collecting information is only temporarily downloaded onto users device and is active only while that person is connected to the website and is deactivated or deleted afterward. In its privacy policy, however, the company states, Noom may use Users information that Noom collects about User to provide User with marketing materials or relevant advertising, promotions and recommendations from Noom or our business partners.

Despite the outcomes, Blum-Dumontet says, the lawsuit is telling. I think [the lawsuit] really shows the genuine concerns of users over this kind of behavior, she says. This behavior is concerning and raising a legal challenge is still completely on the table.

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What exactly are dieting apps doing with all your data? - Fast Company


Aug 5

From 149kg to 86.5kg: Indian expat teen in UAE, addicted to fast food, shares his weight-loss journey – Gulf News

Nineteen-year-old Pranav Pokhrel today weighs 62.5kg less than what he was at one point of time, having won many battles including bullying, breakup, binge-eating and more. Image Credit: Supplied

Dubai: Indian expatriate teen Pranav Pokhrel was a chubby boy who kept gaining weight due to his addiction to fast food until he hit 149kg.

However, the 19-year-old today weighs 62.5kg less, having won many battles including bullying, a breakup, binge-eating and more.

Sharing his weight-loss journey with Gulf News, to inspire other children and teens struggling with obesity, Pranav said it was during his early teenage years that he developed a strong taste for fast food and started increasing the amount of junk he ate.

At least 17.35 children aged between five and 17 in the UAE are obese, according to 2020 statistics released by the Ministry of Health and Prevention. Unhealthy food habits and a sedentary lifestyleare the major reasons for childhood obesity.

Being around shawarma and burger joints did not make it easy at all to restrict the urge to step out and eat. And it wasnt too long before I hit a hundred kilos as a 15-year-old boy, said Pranav.

As he got older, he started skipping home-made meals and was eating out regularly. By the time I was 17, all my meals in a day were from the cafeterias and restaurants around me. I was addicted to fast food and would get cranky and aggressive without those.

That was when his weight peaked. I was almost 150kg and all hope seemed lost. My parents had given up on me for a while and I wondered whether I should too.

Hated by even strangers

Being obese made him a victim of bullying and humiliation. I was subjected to a lot of hatred by the children in my school, teachers and even strangers. They would all make fun of me for being fat because they wanted me to change. But it never got to me through the thick skin I had developed literally over the years!

Pranav said he started ignoring every person who told him to lose weight. I think that I took life for granted, I never considered the health factors that come into play when you are morbidly obese.

Doctor parents concerns

His parents Dr Gyan Prasad Pokhrel, a specialist laparoscopic surgeon, and Dr Archana Gupta, an obstetrics and gynaecology surgeon were highly concerned about Pranavs obesity.

Dr Pokhrel said he was worried about his sons laid-back attitude and his body mass index crossing 40. I believed that he would require a Bariatric surgery soon. Dr Gupta said: We both were so much worried for his weight gain that we were always discussing the consequences of this in his future life. We tried talking to him, tried to make him understand, tried to instil a fear in him about the consequences, scolded him, even snatched food from his hand. But nothing worked. We were frustrated to the core.

They tried sending him to a karate school and enrolled him in swimming classes, just to ensure he was involved in some sort of daily physical activity.

But none of that overpowered my hunger for junk food, Pranav confessed. He also joined the gym several times, but it wasnt enough to keep him motivated.

By the time he finally realised how crucial it was for him to lose weight, Pranav was in the last year of school.

As we all know, it is an incredibly hectic time in a students life. I was preparing for my SATs [for college admission in the United States], my CBSE board exams and was also busy applying for university, which really left me with no time to work towards losing weight, Pranav said.

Warrior diet and the setbacks

It was only after high school that Pranav finally decided to seriously give weight-loss a hand. I began working out in April 2019 and followed that up with what is known as warrior diet, whereby, I would eat only once in 24 hours.

With that lifestyle for the next six months, Pranav lost about 34 kilos. I started off at 149 kilos and ended the journey just before entering the university at 114 kilos, which I thought at the time was a good achievement, said Pranav, who joined University of Minnesota to pursue a Bachelors degree in Computer Science.

My parents were also happy with the results I got, but little did I know that it wasnt sustainable or even a good way to lose weight.

Pranav continued working out even when he was at his university campus in the US until November, when a scooter accident forced him to take a break from the gym for a while. I broke my right hand and it was in a cast for more than two months. I again gained about 14-15kg and my weight reached 129kg. I tried working out again after my hand healed. I was able to lose about 8-10kg over the next two months, after which, COVID-19 forced all gyms to shut down in the US and I was stuck at home with no way to work out since bodyweight exercises at home were a far-fetched option.

This was in March 2020. By September, Pranav was back to 130kg.

After a nasty breakup in October, I was depressed and food was the only comfort I had. I ate and ate and ate away the pain, and within the next month I gained about nine kilos. I was 139kg by mid-November.

Tunnel vision for eight months

When he got back home in December last year, a friend advised him to diet in a healthier way and workout regularly. I made extreme changes to my diet and workout schedule, incorporating cardio into my workouts every day. I stopped eating all kinds of junk and avoided most of the unhealthy food items. I switched my unhealthy snacks with healthy snacks such as fruit and nuts etc. Eight months later, today, I stand at 86.5kg, Pranav added.

Over the last eight months, there has not been a single day that went by without Pranav going to the gym. The protocol that I followed was extremely strict counting every calorie intake. Knowing that I am burning more than Im consuming makes me feel good and this has been incorporated into my lifestyle, said the teen who has transformed his looks drastically. Fitting into his fathers clothes now has been one of his greatest achievements.

Dr Pokhrel saidThe change in him is almost unbelievable. He has motivated his younger sister, too, towards exercising and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. She has also lost around 25kg. I hope he can be an example for many other kids here in the UAE.

Tips for obese teens

Looking back at his journey, Pranav said it was easy and comforting to keep gaining all the weight, but it was incredibly difficult to lose it.

Never in my life will I prioritise anything or anyone over my health and that is the most important lesson I have learnt through this journey. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication and consistency to get results when it comes to weight loss and every step I took, made me feel worthier of myself, Pranav said.

The fact that my lifestyle is now based on what I eat and the phobia I have of gaining weight again and again have ensured that I will not put on any more weight, he added.

He said he only has one tip to share with teens struggling to lose weight: Find a reason. Know clearly why you want to lose weight and whenever you try to cut yourself some slack, remember why you started it in the first place. Other than that, its all about maintaining a calorific deficit diet and working out four-five times per week.

He also pointed out that the role of family and friends is crucial in this journey.

My mum has been my biggest support, offering me a variety of dishes that she made. Without her, I really doubt whether Id have been able to stick to such a rigorous protocol. My grandmother was also of great support though she had pampered me a lot into gaining weight unknowingly. My sister started following in my steps and that encouraged me to work harder. My best friends, Vinayak and Gouthami, accompanied me to the gym and motivated me throughout this journey.

Original post:
From 149kg to 86.5kg: Indian expat teen in UAE, addicted to fast food, shares his weight-loss journey - Gulf News


Aug 5

This is what sustainable weight loss looks like and how you can achieve it – GQ India

Food is life. It can provide comfort, fuel the body so we have more energy through the day and help us sleep better at night. Yet, for many of us, food has become a frenemy, something we constantly control to help us lose weight.

With more radical diets, those kgs might fall off quickly, but if its happening too fast, you can be sure youll pile em back on just as quickly.

It doesnt have to be like that, though. We reached out to Boston University alum and nutritionist Amrita Kotak (@reallife.dietitian on Instagram; Frise and Shine on YouTube) to understand what sustainable weight loss looks like and how to achieve it.

1. Maintain a healthy calorie deficit

To lose weight, you need to achieve a calorie deficit i.e. you need to burn more calories than you consume. You can do this by eating less food, or less high-calorie foods, and/or by exercising more. Apps such as HealthifyMe or Noom can help you keep track of your daily calorie consumption.

While the average person consumes 2,000kcals a day, you should calculate your individual basal metabolic rate or BMR, which is a measure of the calories you burn while at rest, using an online calculator such as bmi calculator, and then your daily calorie needs based on that. Aim for no more than a 500kcal deficit per day through a combination of diet and exercise.

2. Eat a balanced diet

Focus on including protein-rich foods and vegetables in all your meals as these will help you feel full without too many extra calories. Avoid refined carbs like maida found in foods like white bread, rice and pasta and replace them with wholegrain cereals and millets.

3. Moderate exercise is a must

Aim for at least 150 mins of moderate-intensity exercise per week (exercise that increases your heart rate by about 50 to 60 percent more than your resting heart rate). This will help build muscle mass, which in turn helps to burn more calories while youre resting. Your routine should include a mix of cardio and strength training.

4. Keep track of the numbers

With a deficit of 500kcal per day, you should aim to be losing 0.5kg per week and 2kg per month. If youre losing much less or much more than this magic number, pause and evaluate where you may be going off track.

5. Eat smart

Make these smart swaps, pronto. Replace fruit juice with whole fruit; semi-skimmed milk with full-fat milk, egg whites with whole eggs.

6. Stay the course

Dont judge the success of your weight loss diet purely on the basis of what the weighing scale says. There are other ways to gauge the success of your diet.

7. Don't forget your micronutrients

Ensure youre getting your micronutrients too essential vitamins and minerals that are necessary for the optimum functioning of your body. Do this by eating a variety of foods. The rainbow diet (consuming foods of different colours) is real.

8. Change it up

Sometimes you find that you lose some weight, and then plateau. The best way to get over this hump is to change up your exercise regime (introduce strength training, for example), or tweak your diet.

9. Eat mindfully

Avoid distractions like scrolling on your phone while eating or watching TV. Focus on each bite, savour your food and stop when youre feeling full. Paying attention to what you eat can go a long way in your sustainable weight loss journey.

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Original post:
This is what sustainable weight loss looks like and how you can achieve it - GQ India


Aug 5

New Study Reveals the Trick for Getting Fit in As Little Time As Possible | Eat This Not That – Eat This, Not That

There are only 24 hours in a day, and there's only so much time you can devote to exercise in 2021. This is especially the case when it comes to weight lifting, which science has shown is one of the most crucial ways you can get fit, lose weight, ward off disease, and live a longer and more active life. After all, if you're busyand assuming you haven't rehauled your basement into your own personal Equinoxfinding your way to the nearest dumbbell rack or squat machine is way harder than popping out for a 20-minute jog at lunchtime.

Mercifully, a new study published in the journal Sports Medicine sought to "determine how strength training can be most effectively carried out in a time-efficient manner by critically evaluating research on acute training variables, advanced training techniques, and the need for warm-up and stretching." In other words, if you're short on time to liftwhich is critical for building lean muscle mass, getting stronger, and melting fatthe researchers looked to find out how you can get in a great strength-training workout in the most time-efficient way imaginable. Curious to know what to do? Read on for what the scientists found. And for more on the benefits of weight lifting, see here for The One Exercise You Need to Do to Reshape Your Body, Says Science.

When it comes to reducing your time at the gym, the study says you can save time at the beginning and end of your training session.

"Stretching is not necessary for strength training," the study succinctly notes. And though warmups are important to practically all forms of exercise, including strength training, if you're on a time crunch, you can get by with minimal or limited warm-ups. "Limit warm-ups to a few repetitions with light loads before performing each exercise," the study notes. And for more life-changing exercise advice, see here for the Secret Exercise Tricks for Keeping Your Weight Down for Good.

While weand every major health authoritywould advise you to ideally weight train at least 2 to 3 days per week, this new study says that you can achieve make solid gains only one day per week. The key to this form of pared down training is to emphasize "primarily bilateral, multi-joint exercises." (Read on for more on what those are.)

"General guidelines recommend that people train 23 times per week; unfortunately, this recommendation may cause those who find it challenging to train several times a week to not train at all," notes the study. "However, emerging evidence indicates that it is possible to achieve similar training effects by training once a week compared to a higher frequency when total weekly volume is equated."

In fact, the review cites another study that found that higher frequency weight training of 3 days per week reported "only negligibly greater increases in strength gains." "When training volume was matched, i.e. total number of repetitions (setsrepetitions) or as total volume loading (setsrepetitionsloads), no significant effect of training frequency was observed for strength gains," says the study. "Thus, training a muscle 1 day per week appears to induce similar strength gains as training3 times per week if the total training volume is the same."

In other words, when time is of the essence, you can get plenty done in one round per week.

There are two main forms of strength-training moves: single-joint moves (such as bicep curls) or multi-joint moves (such as squats). The latter are also known as compound exercises, and they target multiple muscle groups at once. If you're short on time, those are simply better.

"Multi-joint exercises activate several groups of muscles synchronously, which allows lifting of heavier weights," says the study. "ACSM guidelines state that the strength training programs should include both single- and multi-joint exercises, but recommend emphasizing multi-joint exercises as they are considered more effective in increasing overall strength and daily-life function Strength improvements in multi-joint exercises appear to be higher and more rapid than in single-joint exercises. Thus, single-joint exercises could provide little added benefit from a strength standpoint."

The study recommends you also try supersets (when you alternate two sets of different exercises with now rest in between them), drop sets (when you do a set of one exercise until failure), and rest-pause training (when you pause between each reach rep in your set). And for great fitness advice, don't miss The Secret to Getting a Lean Body for Good, According to Science.

According the study, an example one-day-per-week total-body strength training routine would be a short warmup followed by leg presses or squats, an upper-body pulling exercise such as a pull-up, and an upper-body pushing exercise such as a bench press. You'd do roughly 4 sets of each, going for 4 to 15 reps per set. And if you're ready to squeeze in more strength training, read about the surprising Side Effect of Lifting Weights Just 2 Days Per Week.

More here:
New Study Reveals the Trick for Getting Fit in As Little Time As Possible | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That



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