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Are carbohydrates really the enemy? 08 Mar 2012

Sharon Hultzer

THE dieting world is certainly an ever-growing one with variations of extreme fads and diet methods repeating and reinventing themselves through the decades. Many self-professed lifetime dieters have developed strong views on what works and what doesnt work, what foods are friends versus which ones are foes. The ultimate aim of most weight-loss diets is to lose weight as quickly and painlessly as possible, often with little regard for long-term success and health. Options range from starving, to eating only fruit, to drinking only soups, to surviving on salads and water. Lately, the most spoken-about diet in the media is the high protein and fat, very low (or no) carbohydrate strategy.

What is the truth behind these weight-loss methods, and is there a one-size-fits-all option that guarantees success to everybody prepared to put in the effort?

Simply stated, weight loss requires that we put less fuel into our body than what we use. In other words, expending more energy than we eat will place us in a negative calorie balance forcing the body to use up its stored fuel sources. The frequently asked question is: Does it matter what fuel source we give the body? Should we eliminate certain sources completely and eat specific food groups to encourage speedier results?

As we have discussed before, people dont all respond the same way to the same dietary changes. Some people lose weight relatively easily when reducing fat in their diet, and others seem to lose weight best when reducing starchy foods. Our genetic make-up certainly plays a role, but the basics still remain. Our body needs a balance of all the main macronutrients to survive healthily. Completely eliminating any of these groups has serious health implications.

We need protein to build and repair muscles and cells on a daily basis. Carbohydrates are the essential source of glucose that our brain in particular needs to function, as well as an essential source of glycogen for powering our muscles. Fats are also needed to keep our cell walls healthy and to allow for adequate hormone production. All these macronutrients are used for a plethora of other functions this is simply a brief overview.

The most famous very low-carbohydrate diet is the Atkins diet. It allows eating as much protein and fat as required, while severely limiting all carbohydrate-containing foods, including starchy vegetables (such as butternut), potatoes, breads, crackers and even fruit. In the absence of adequate carbohydrate, the body burns up fat as a fuel source which is, of course, the attractive draw card. However, the fat is not broken down completely (as it would be in the presence of carbohydrate) and yields ketones and a state called ketosis. Prolonged ketosis causes the body to metabolise muscles, tissues and organs to find additional fuel. This can be damaging to the body, not to mention the associated feelings of weakness and tiredness. In the state of ketosis, the body loses a lot of water. This leads dieters to believe they are achieving weight loss, but it is not fat that is being lost and as soon as any carbohydrate is eaten, the water weight is quickly recovered.

While no-carbohydrate diets are dangerous and have not been shown to yield any better weight-loss results in the long term, there may be a place for adequately designed low-carbohydrate diets. It is possible to develop a lower carbohydrate diet that will ensure that the minimum-required carbohydrate is available to protect against muscle breakdown. This may be effective in certain individuals yielding a speedier weight loss initially.

This initial better result is short-lived however. Long-term follow-up studies show that similar weight-loss results are achieved after 12 months when following a diet containing moderate carbohydrate (what we would term a balanced diet). If you are going to attempt a low-carbohydrate diet, dont simply follow a general plan. Ensure that you plan it with your dietician to avoid dangerous complications.

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Are carbohydrates really the enemy?

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NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire -03/07/12)- Today DietBet.com, an online social dieting game that gives players the opportunity to compete to lose weight, announced several members of All Pro Eating will pull a dietary 180 and participate in a dietbet. This out-of-ordinary weight-loss challenge kicks-off with a "last supper" competitive eating contest of gigantic New York style pizza slices followed immediately by a weigh-in at the perfect location for such an event, Ripley's Believe It or Not! Times Square Odditorium, located at 234 West 42nd Street, on Friday, March 9 at 11:30 am.

The public is invited to cheer on the eaters as they bulk up before embarking on their four-week weight loss competition. Hopefully the competitors -- and the scales -- can handle getting a little cheese grease and tomato sauce on them from the 32" Koronet pizzas. The eating contest will be immediately followed by the official weigh-in to kick off the dietbet.

Players who reach their goal of dropping four percent of their starting weight in four weeks will split a $1,000 pot. Trained to do nothing but consume everything in front of them as quickly as possible, these men-turned-eating-machines will think twice before competing over the next month in wing-offs, hot dog races, taco triathlons, and milkshake marathons.

Members of All Pro Eating participating in the competition include:

The Champ, The Cannon, and Sisco-Kid will be competing live at Ripley's Odditorium on 42nd Street, while the others will be weighing in remotely. Ripley's Believe It or Not! Times Square's own Greg Dubin, known as the "Great Dubini," will emcee the fattening festivities.

"Competitive eaters going on diets, giant slices of pizza -- you know we're excited to host DietBet's event," said Michael Hirsch, president/general manager of Ripley's Believe It or Not! Times Square. "At Ripley's, we celebrate the unexpected and can't wait to watch this group of pro-eaters in their last meal before starting such an unbelievable feat."

DietBet injects fun, competition, and social collaboration into Americans' seemingly never-ending quest to shed extra weight. Players use the DietBet message boards to offer both encouragement and trash talk. Getting into the spirit, Will "The Champ" Millender recently shipped a case of Twinkies to Todd "The Hungry Genius" Greenwald.

"I've been in all kinds of eating competitions and this is one of the most unusual," said Jammin' Joseph Larue. "Getting professional eaters to lose weight... it's like asking fish to walk or librarians to scream."

"We relish the opportunity to watch these expert eaters tackle a different kind of food-related competition. We're curious to see what they do to fill the time. Maybe Joel 'The Cannon' will get into Words With Friends," said Jamie Rosen, DietBet's founder. "Traditionally, 'diet' has been viewed as a four-letter word and we're proving that with DietBet, weight-loss can actually be fun."

About DietBetDietBet is an online social dieting game that gives players the opportunity to win money through weight-loss competitions. Dietbetters play with friends and co-workers and put money into a pot; whoever reaches the goal by the end of four weeks wins the pot (or splits it). It's motivation through friendly competition, with real rewards. Founded by Jamie Rosen and launched in December of 2011, DietBet makes losing weight fun. Find DietBet on Facebook and Twitter.

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Professional Eaters Devour Giant Pizzas, Then Go on Diet

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UpdatedMar 7, 2012 4:15 PM ET

Amar'e Stoudemire began a weight-loss program 10 days ago in an attempt to shed 15 pounds, and the results were evident Tuesday night.

The Knicks forward told the New York Post he has already dropped about 10 pounds in 10 days, getting down to 250 pounds from 260. Stoudemire said the goal is to get to 245 pounds.

He looked quicker and more explosive Tuesday, racking up 26 points and seven rebounds and hitting 10 of 18 shots. Stoudemire was the lone starter to play with the second unit that staged a fourth-quarter comeback in the 95-85 loss to the Mavericks.

Stoudemire came to camp bulked up and appeared slower to the rim, prompting the medical staff to decide on implementing a weight-loss program.

"Sometimes you have to understand what it takes to get better," Stoudemire said. "I had an offseason where I picked up a lot of muscle. Ten pounds of muscle. Now I'm going to get back to my normal self of attacking the rim."

Stoudemire blamed a back injury suffered during last spring's playoff loss to Boston and the ensuing six months of rehab for putting him out of rhythm.

He credited his high metabolism with helping him drop the weight quickly, adding, "I changed eating habits and am doing wind sprints after practice."

The 29-year-old is averaging 17 points per game this season, down more than six from last year, and he failed to make the All-Star team for the first time since 2006 when he was injured.

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Stoudemire uses program to lose weight

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New online guide guarantees ideal body weight for life and features virtual coaches

TORONTO, March 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - In a world of fad diets and weight loss gimmicks, the 29 DAYS Lose Weight Program represents a complete departure because it's not a diet at all. Rather than pushing obsessive calorie counting and unrealistic food restrictions, the program takes an innovative approach to weight loss by addressing the root causes for undesired eating behaviour.

29 DAYS is a roadmap that promises lifelong change, not a temporary fix. The program tackles human behaviour by teaching people the science and psychology behind weight loss and empowering them to replace old eating patterns to new healthy habits within a month.

"29 DAYS is not another diet," said founder and president of 29 DAYS Richard Fast. "The first step to losing weight is getting yourself to do what you already know our program does that. It sounds simple, but that's the key piece missing from other plans. Fad diets completely ignore the powerful force of the mind. Once passion fades or the diet ends, you'll revert back to old eating habits, lifestyle and weight."

The program offers members a new lifestyle that includes learning to savour favourite foods without binging or guilt trips, realizing how easy it is to exercise when you start by squeezing it into 60-second bursts, and discovering secret ways that water can help shed pounds.

Through daily interaction online, members of 29 DAYS will take simple, logical steps to change the way they think about food and break bad eating habits. To keep people motivated and on track, a virtual coach makes one-on-one contact twice a day to guide members toward adopting a new mindset as the route toward permanent weight loss. The program requires on average about 15 minutes a day to complete required readings and journal entries.

Just how different is this program? By Day 3, members will learn why crash diets are damaging to permanent weight loss goals. The first part of the program is so focused on the psychology of weight loss that members make no changes to their lifestyle until Day 15.

The 29 DAYS step-by-step program includes four phases:

Week 1 AWARENESS - learn observation and awareness techniques to understand current bad habits; use tools to fight against food triggers such as stress or boredom

Week 2 COMMITMENT - develop individual ideas on how to make permanent changes; tailor plans for personal weak spots; build powerful thought processes and gain control

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29 DAYS Lose Weight Program Starts with the Brain to Change the Body

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Weight-loss supplements advertised as fat blockers, appetite suppressants or body-composition changers usually have little effect especially over the long term and may even harm you, according to a new U.S. study.

Of the hundreds of products reviewed by Oregon State University researcher Melinda Manore, many were scrutinized in randomized clinical trials to prove their effectiveness, and only a few products such as green tea, fibre and low-fat dairy supplements resulted in a modest weight loss compared to placebo groups.

Manore, whose study was published in Tuesday's online International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, also notes that most of the supplements that had any weight-loss benefit were also tested as part of a reduced-calorie diet, meaning purchasing such products usually amounted to a waste of money.

"There is no strong research evidence indicating that one specific supplement will produce significant weight loss, especially long term," her study concludes. "Some foods or supplements may complement a healthy lifestyle to produce small weight losses and/or prevent weight gain over time."

"For most people, unless you alter your diet and get daily exercise, no supplement is going to have a big impact," Manore, a professor of nutrition and exercise sciences who is on the science board for the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, said in a release.

In the U.S., weight-loss supplements are a $2.4-billion-a-year industry. The overall weight-loss industry in Canada and the U.S. is estimated to be worth $44 billion US.

Health Canada notes that an increasing number of Canadians are using health products for weight loss, including prescription drugs and natural health products. However, since 2007, Health Canada has issued warnings involving at least 170 weight-loss products, including the supplement Hydroxycut, which in the U.S. has been linked to at least a dozen cases of liver toxicity and one death.

Although some weight-loss supplements may provide benefits when used properly as part of a weight management program, misuse can pose serious health risks, Health Canada warns. It urges anyone considering use of weight-loss products especially people under age 18, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or those who have any medical conditions or serious diseases such as heart problems, high blood pressure or diabetes to discuss any potential risks with a health-care practitioner.

The supplements examined in Manore's study fell into these categories:

Chitosan, which blocks absorption of fat or carbohydrates.

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Weight-loss supplements deemed a waste of money

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Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images

Mila Kunis attends the Christian Dior Ready-To-Wear Fall/Winter 2012 show as part of Paris Fashion Week at Musee Rodin on March 2 in Paris, France.

By Diane Mapes

Losing weight like a star may seem like a dream come true. With a personal trainer, personal chef, personal dietitian and personal assistant at your side, who couldn't shed 20 pounds in a few short weeks?

But a new interview with actress Mila Kunis in Harper's Bazaar indicates that fast weight loss (in this case for a role) can sometimes result in fast weight gain -- in all the wrong places.

Already lean, Kunis dropped 20 pounds in order to play Natalie Portman's ballerina frenemy in "Black Swan." At 95 pounds, Kunis says "I was muscles, like a little brick house, but skin and bones."

Unfortunately, when she gained the weight back, Kunis says it ended up in completely different places.

"All the weight that left my chest went to my side hip, my stomach," she told the magazine.

Andrea N. Giancoli, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, says redistributed weight isn't uncommon after drastic weight loss (and weight gain).

"What often happens with extreme weight loss and when you lose weight very quickly is that you lose muscle tissue," she says. "Unfortunately, when we gain the weight back, it comes back as fat."

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Mila Kunis, 'Black Swan' and how extreme diets warp your body

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10-02-2012 21:43 So it bothers me to see so many people suffer so here are some tips to do it safely. 1 Have something without carbs as soon as you get up like a pre made protein shake. 2 Have don't change anything else. 3 Don't eat after 5. 4 Try to drink 64 oz of water a day. There are these weight loss myths and secrets that you have to run a million miles or you don't I don't agree. Yes there are toning secrets Like GETTING RID OF FLABBY ARMS. 1 Do triceps push ups because the triceps make up 64 % of your arm.

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How to lose weight fast without a lot of change - Video

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Your fitness questions answered

Topics: Leg and knee pain deriving from ITB/Sciata issues, Max HR and age, Benefits of Spin Classes, Pushing yourself over the top pros and cons?, Knee Pain and Q-Factor, Scott Saifer versus Chris Carmichael, Differences in thigh sizes, Asthma affecting HR zones?, Disappointment with results

Got a question for the fitness panel? Send it to fitness (at) cyclingnews.com. Try and include as much relevant information as you can think of. Remember, the more details you can provide the better the panel can tailor their response to your question.

Emails may be edited for length or clarity, but we try to publish both questions and answers in their entirety.

To find advice that relates to you more easily:

Leg and knee pain deriving from ITB/Sciata issues

Max HR and age

Benefits of Spin Classes

Pushing yourself over the top pros and cons?

Knee Pain and Q-Factor a thorough response from Steve Hogg

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Cyclingnews Fitness Q&A - March 8, 2012

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In a city where foie-gras burgers are de rigueur, cupcake shops are as ubiquitous as Starbucks and after-work drinks can easily turn into all-night, Champagne-swigging affairs how do Manhattan women manage to stay so damn skinny?

In her new book, The Manhattan Diet, out March 27, author Eileen Daspin sets out to uncover the tricks, rules and regimens behind some of the boroughs tiniest bodies.

Drawing on the secrets of her skinniest friends, Daspin reveals that Manhattan women dont starve themselves they eat good quality food and the occasional treat. Her 46-year-old friend Debi Wisch, who lives on Fifth Avenue and runs a jewelry business, is the perfect example. For breakfast, Wisch eats Fage yogurt with berries and fiber cereal. Lunch is a salad or a wrap. Dinner is fish and vegetables. She snacks a lot on cashews or blueberries, not junk food. If she wants something sweet, she grabs a piece of candy.

I try 90 percent of the time to be good and the other 10 percent just to enjoy, she says. (Wisch, for the record, is 5-foot-4, weighs about 110 pounds and has the arms of a 20-something.)

Manhattan women, Daspin states, are also crafty about keeping temptation out of reach. They dont keep trigger foods like peanut butter in their homes, she insists. And one of Daspins more extreme friends, who runs seven miles a day and has perfect posture and a killer bod, throws away any leftover food that entices her pouring water over it for good measure.

Sauces are kept to a minimum. When dining on Chinese, one of Daspins friends only orders string beans and rice. The oil on the string beans is enough to moisturize the rice, she tells the author. I eat with chopsticks, which helps [me] take smaller bites. Daspin, for her part, only indulges in tiny tastes of high-calorie food, even though shes married to an executive chef, Cesare Casella of Salumeria Rosi on the Upper West Side. I use a teaspoon to scoop up a few grains of risotto, Daspin writes. I taste everything but eat almost nothing.

Rather than staving off hunger with sugar-free snacks like Diet Coke and Tasti D-Lite, Manhattan dieters snack on a Tootsie Roll lollipop or 3 Twizzlers for a daily rationed cheat."

Really enjoy what you eat, but just eat less of it, says Daspin, who is a size 10.

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Tom Turnbull of Latrobe is thrilled to be a "big loser."

Turnbull, a sixth-grade teacher at Baggaley Elementary School in Unity, lost 53 pounds and 16.8 percent of his body weight in an eight-week weight loss challenge among 110 faculty and staff at the Greater Latrobe, Derry Area and Ligonier Valley school districts.

"This is so much fun. It is easier with the competition. It's been a battle for eight weeks," said Turnbull, who worked out twice a day for 10 days to drop pounds before the final weigh-in on Friday. He had been losing weight since the contest started in January -- timed perfectly for those who made New Year's resolutions to lose weight and eat healthier.

Although Turnbull's weight loss was impressive, he did not win the "Diet Between the Districts Weight Loss Competition." Those honors, based on the percentage of weight loss, went to Lou Keyser, a Greater Latrobe Junior High School teacher who dropped 25.1 percent of his body weight.

Celebrating at the Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Hempfield last week, the participants said the program motivated them to lose weight. Collectively, the 110 contestants lost more than 1,700 pounds, said Tim Evans, a Greater Latrobe School District health and physical education teacher who organized the competition.

"The main reason that we run the contest is due to the fact that as teachers, we need to be good role models. Our students look up to us," Evans said.

The competition provides an opportunity to open up a conversation between teachers and students about healthy eating and exercise, Evans said.

"If they see us eating healthy, exercising and maintaining a healthy body composition, then it will make them want to pick up these habits as well," said Evans, who came in second in the contest, dropping 24.9 percent of his weight. Evans, who shed 51 pounds during the challenge, said he would have won had he lost one more pound.

In order for the contestants to reach their goal, Evans, a personal fitness trainer for 11 years, promoted a dual approach of metabolic exercise and a diet that called for eating five small meals a day, no more than 300 calories a meal. Many of the contestants joined fitness clubs to get in shape.

One contestant, Kristine Lynch, a substitute personal assistant at Baggaley Elementary School, joined the competition because she wanted to loss weight "in a way to keep it off," she said.

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Diet Between the Districts: Teachers, school staff gain by losing

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