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Oprah Winfrey has once again taken to the airwaves to talk about her experiences with weight loss, this time focusing on how medications like Wegovy and Zepbound can transform the lives of people with obesity.

During the hourlong ABC broadcast, An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame, and the Weight Loss Revolution, the media mogul stressed how stigma shaped her struggles with weight and how medications changed not just her body size, but also her understanding of what causes obesity and what to do about it. She didn't say which medication she takes, but the special did highlight newer injected weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound.

In my entire life, I never dreamed that we would be talking about medicines that are providing hope for people like me who have struggled for years with being overweight or with obesity, Winfrey said during the special, which is now available on Hulu.

RELATED: Everyday Health's Survey and Special Report: Weight Loss Reframed

So I come to this conversation in the hope that we can start releasing the stigma and the shame and the judgment to stop shaming other people for being overweight or how they chose to lose and not lose weight, Winfrey said. And more importantly, to stop shaming ourselves.

Here are some key takeaways from the special, including tips from Oprah and several medical experts who joined her for the conversation about weight loss.

One message came through loud and clear: Shame doesnt solve anything.

During the special, Winfrey recalled how she used to think about herself and her body, and how weight loss medications helped her move away from those negative thoughts.

There is now a sense of hope, number one, and number two, you no longer blame yourself," she said of her experience with weight loss drugs. When I tell you how many times I have blamed myself because you think, I'm smart enough to figure this out, and then to hear all along, it's you fighting your brain.

In the past, Oprah said she thought about dieting and weight loss as an exercise in willpower.

She recalled that what was cast as a triumph over obesity earlier in her career the day in the late 1980s when she wheeled out a wagon of fat on her talk show to represent her wildly successful weight loss efforts happened because she starved herself for five months.

After losing 67 pounds on a liquid diet, the next day, the very next day, I started to gain it back, Winfrey said.

Theres a name some people have for obsessive thoughts about what to eat: food noise. In a nutshell, food noise involves intrusive thoughts about eating that can contribute to disordered eating.

Oprah said that, looking back on her previous struggles with her weight, its possible food noise played a role. Medications helped quiet that noise, she said.

For the people who think that this could be the relief and support and freedom that youve been looking for your whole life, bless you, because theres space for all points of view, she says of people who think medicines might help silence their own internal monologues about food.

During the special, Winfrey, who left the board of WW (Weight Watchers) last month after a decade promoting the brand, said she invited Sima Sistani, the chief executive of WW International, to join her onstage to tackle a really tough topic: why some people succeed with weight loss and others dont. Sistani described why WW now embraces weight loss medicines along with its long-standing support for lifestyle changes.

We are the most clinically tested, evidence-based, science-backed behavior change program, but we were missing the third prong, which was biology, Sistani said. There could be somebody who needs medication because they have that biological underpinning, and what was so important is for us to provide that care and also to help people release the shame.

Echoing Oprahs message throughout the special, Sistani also acknowledged that dieting isnt necessarily enough on its own for people to manage their weight.

For all those people who came side-by-side and took on the behavior change, some of them walked away without the success, Sistani said. And to those people I want to say, its not your fault.

Two physicians also joined Oprah for the special, W. Scott Butsch, MD, the director of obesity medicine at the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, and Amanda Velazquez, MD, the director of obesity medicine at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. They both have financial ties to companies that make weight loss drugs, and they talked about how these medicines can address the biological underpinnings of obesity.

Theres a spectrum of obesity; its not one disease, its many different subtypes of a disease, Dr. Butsch says. Without recognizing this, its easier to believe the false idea that people with obesity made poor choices that failed to control their weight with good eating and exercise habits.

This is just a reflection of someones uneducated belief that this is a self-inflicted condition, as if people who have obesity want to have obesity, Butsch added. That these are weaker people who have no willpower and who cant cut it and people who are thin have willpower and can cut it.

After years of thinking that gaining and losing weight was a matter of willpower, Oprah now has a new perspective. And with that knowledge, she said shes found a new way to combat the shame and stigma that can come from having obesity or taking weight loss medicines to treat this condition.

All these years, I thought all the people who never had to diet were just using their willpower and they were for some reason stronger than me, Winfrey said.

But now I realize y'all weren't even thinking about the food, Oprah said. It's not that you had the willpower. You weren't even thinking about it. You weren't obsessing about it.

Original post:
6 Lessons From Oprah's TV Special on Weight Loss Drugs - Everyday Health

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Intermittent fasting when people only eat at certain times of day has exploded in popularity in recent years. But now a surprising new study suggests that there might be reason to be cautious: It found that some intermittent fasters were more likely to die of heart disease.

The findings were presented Monday at an American Heart Association meeting in Chicago and focused on a popular version of intermittent fasting that involves eating all your meals in just eight hours or less resulting in at least a 16-hour daily fast, commonly known as time-restricted eating.

The study analyzed data on the dietary habits of 20,000 adults across the United States who were followed from 2003 to 2018. They found that people who adhered to the eight-hour eating plan had a 91 percent higher risk of dying from heart disease compared to people who followed a more traditional dietary pattern of eating their food across 12 to 16 hours each day.

The scientists found that this increased risk also applied to people who were already living with a chronic disease or cancer. People with existing cardiovascular disease who followed a time-restricted eating pattern had a 66 percent higher risk of dying from heart disease or a stroke. Those who had cancer meanwhile were more likely to die of the disease if they followed a time-restricted diet compared to people with cancer who followed an eating duration of at least 16 hours a day.

The study results suggest that people who practice intermittent fasting for long periods of time, particularly those with existing heart conditions or cancer, should be extremely cautious, said Victor Wenze Zhong, the lead author and the chair of the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China.

Based on the evidence as of now, focusing on what people eat appears to be more important than focusing on the time when they eat, he added.

Zhong said that he and his colleagues conducted the new study because they wanted to see how eating in a narrow window each day would impact hard endpoints such as heart disease and mortality. He said that they were surprised by their findings.

We had expected that long-term adoption of eight-hour time restricted eating would be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular death and even all-cause death, he said.

The data didnt explain why time-restricted eating increased a persons health risks. But the researchers did find that people who followed a 16:8 time-restricted eating pattern, where they eat during an eight-hour window and fast for 16, had less lean muscle mass compared to people who ate throughout longer periods of the day. That lines up with a previous clinical trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine, which found that people assigned to follow a time-restricted diet for three months lost more muscle than a control group that was not assigned to do intermittent fasting.

Holding onto muscle as you age is important. It protects you against falls and disability and can boost your metabolic health. Studies have found that having low muscle mass is linked to higher mortality rates, including a higher risk of dying from heart disease, said Zhong.

He stressed that the findings were not definitive. The study uncovered a correlation between time-restricted eating and increased mortality, but it could not show cause and effect. Its possible for example that people who restricted their food intake to an eight-hour daily window had other habits or risk factors that might explain their increased likelihood of dying from heart disease. The scientists also noted that the study relied on self-reported dietary information. Its also possible that the participants did not always accurately report their eating durations.

Intermittent fasting has been widely touted by celebrities and health experts who say it produces weight loss and a variety of health benefits. Another form of intermittent fasting involves alternating fasting days with days of eating normally. Some people follow the 5:2 diet, in which they eat normally for five days a week and then fast for two days.

But time-restricted eating is generally considered the easiest form of intermittent fasting for people to follow because it doesnt require full-day fasts. It also typically doesnt involve excessive food restriction. Adherents often eat or drink whatever they want during the eight-hour eating period the only rule is that they dont eat at other times of day.

Some of the earliest studies on time-restricted eating found that it helped prevent mice from developing obesity and metabolic syndrome. These were followed by mostly small clinical trials in humans, some of which showed that time-restricted eating helped people lose weight and improve their blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. These studies were largely short-term, typically lasting one to three months, and in some cases showed no benefit.

One of the most rigorous studies of time-restricted eating was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2022. It found that people with obesity who were assigned to follow a low-calorie diet and instructed to eat only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily lost no more weight than people who ate the same number of calories throughout the day with no restrictions on when they could eat. The two diets had similar effects on blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and other metabolic markers.

The findings suggest that any benefits of time-restricted eating likely result from eating fewer calories.

Christopher Gardner, the director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, said he encouraged people to approach the new study with healthy skepticism. He said that while the findings were interesting, he wants to see all the data, including potential demographic differences in the study subjects.

Did they all have the same level of disposable income and the same level of stress, he said. Or is it that the people who ate less than eight hours a day worked three jobs, had very high stress, and didnt have time to eat?

Gardner said that studying intermittent fasting can be challenging because there are so many variations of it, and determining its impact on longevity requires closely following people for long periods of time.

But he said that so far, the evidence supporting intermittent fasting for weight loss and other outcomes is mixed at best, with some studies showing short-term benefits and others showing no benefit at all. I dont think the data are very strong for intermittent fasting, he added. One of the challenges in nutrition is that just because something works really well for a few people doesnt mean its going to work for everyone.

He said that his biggest complaint with intermittent fasting is that it doesnt address diet quality. It doesnt say anything about choosing poorly when youre eating, he said. What if I have an eight-hour eating window but Im eating Pop Tarts and Cheetos and drinking Coke in that window? Im not a fan of that long term. I think thats potentially problematic.

Do you have a question about healthy eating? Email EatingLab@washpost.com and we may answer your question in a future column.

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Intermittent fasting may raise risk of heart disease death, study shows - The Washington Post

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Be gone, toxins! Those three words sum up the main objective of many internal cleanses and detoxes. These quick-fix programs supposedly remove all sorts of icky stuff from your body to make you healthier.

Its easy to do, too: Just swap out some regular ol foods in favor of some special drinks, powders or smoothies, and then let the magic happen!

If you think that all sounds too good to be true well, you may be onto something. So, lets explore the world of cleanses and detoxes a little more with registered dietitian Kate Patton, MEd, RD, LD.

Fans of cleanses and detoxes often claim they experience benefits like:

So, how does this happen? The theory is that eliminating solid foods or specific food groups helps your body shed toxins gumming up your system. Detoxification diets and cleanses often recommend consuming primarily drinks like special water, tea or fruit and vegetable juices.

The idea is to give your digestive system a break, allowing it to heal and better absorb nutrients in the future, explains Patton. And most of the time, the ingredients suggested in a cleanse or detox arent necessarily bad for you.

The terms cleanse and detox are often used interchangeably. In some cases, theyre even merged in phrasing. (A detox cleanse, anyone?)

If there is a subtle difference, though, its this: Cleanses tend to focus more directly on your digestive system and literally flushing you out, while detoxes may take a broader approach that extends to your liver, kidneys and other organs.

There isnt exactly a mountain of scientific research proving that cleanses or detoxes offer the many claimed health benefits, reports the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).

Now, its true that a few small research studies show positive results for weight loss, insulin resistance and blood pressure but the research isnt quite rock solid, according to the NCCIH.

And various study reviews of detoxification diets raise more doubt than offer validation.

Bottom line? Be skeptical of health claims connected to cleanses or detoxes. Theyre just not likely to do what they say, says Patton.

While cleanses and detoxes may not work magic, there are some potential benefits, notes Patton. They include:

Theres a chance that trying a detox or cleanse may create a health issue instead of resolving one. Concerns about detoxification programs include:

Theres no shortage of cleanse and detox programs. Just go searching for ideas on TikTok. Its overwhelming. But here are a few of the more popular options and why they deserve some caution.

Consider green tea the official drink of superfoods. For proof, check out this medical literature review. It gushes about green teas ability to combat cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and other health concerns,

Good stuff, that green tea but that doesnt mean drinking it by the gallon can cleanse your whole system and make you more radiant.

Too much green tea can cause issues, too. Drinking an excessive quantity of green tea or taking high dosages of green tea supplements is linked to arrhythmias, sleep disturbance, constipation, high blood pressure, rash and liver injury, warns Patton.

An entire industry has been built around the notion of cleaning out your system with a series of juices. The idea is that all those vitamins and minerals can kick-start your system by purging toxins and giving you a clean slate.

At least one study shows that because juicing is commonly associated with low consumption of calories, it can lead to some quick weight loss. But the effects arent likely to last.

Some people claim that drinking water laced with lemon, apple cider, cayenne pepper or other additives will do amazing things for you. Clearer skin! Weight loss! Better poops! The list goes on and on.

Lets start with the obvious: Theres nothing wrong with drinking water, which is super important for your body to function properly.

But a water detox drink? Meh. Its probably not going to do much for you. But if flavoring your water with a little cucumber or vinegar for that matter is your thing, go for it. Just dont expect any miracles, cautions Patton.

And be careful not to chug excessive amounts of water. Drinking too much can flush out electrolytes your body needs, says Patton. (Pro tip: If you drink so much water that your pee is constantly clear, youre overdoing it.)

Learn more about how much water you need a day.

Theres little proof that a planned cleanse or detox lives up to the promises and high expectations often connected to the concept.

In a way, too, youre trying to do something your body naturally does. Your digestive tract, liver, kidneys and skin break down toxins daily and get rid of them through your urine, stool and sweat.

Your body is built to take care of business, says Patton. If you fuel it with a balanced diet of whole foods such as vegetables, fruit, whole grains and legumes, itll help you get the results youre looking for without starting a special cleanse or detox.

More here:
Detox or Cleanse? What To Know Before You Start - Health Essentials

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In the past few decades, practices like intermittent fasting and time-restricted fasting have gained wide acceptance as tools for weight loss and other (potential) health benefits. As is often the case, if a practice is proven to be effective, some people will presume it to be even more beneficial if it is taken to an extreme.

One of the extreme variations of fasting, which isnt new but has become popular thanks in part to celebrities like UFC President Dana White, is water fasting. The belief is that you can rapidly unlock tremendous physiological improvements by lengthening the time that your body subsists on only its most essential nutrient good old H2O.

Laura Douglass, MD, is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist with fellowship training in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. She is an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicagos Pritzker School of Medicine, where she is also the director of the Transabdominal Cerclage Program. Laura is a graduate of both the Wayne State University School of Medicine, and the residency program of the University of Chicago.

Water fasting is the act of depriving your body of any nutrients other than water for a set period. While terms like intermittent fasting or time-restricted fasting typically apply to fasts of less than 24 hours, water fasting generally refers to fasts lasting longer than 24 hours. In some extreme cases, these fasts may extend for multiple weeks. In his viral video highlighting his own experience, Dana White said his water fast lasted 86 hours.

Studies indicate that there are multiple reasons why you might consider it worth the potential risks to eliminate all food and other supplements from your diet and simply drink water.

[Read More: How Much Water Do You Really Need to Drink a Day?]

Many religious or cultural fasts include water as an option to consume, and short-term fasting for a few days would be unlikely to yield any downsides for a healthy adult, said Douglass. During a short-term fast, the body converts to breaking down fat stores to extract nutrients. The downside occurs when the fast goes for too long, at which point muscle wasting will occur.

The most obvious outcome of a water fast is losing body weight. By depriving your body of food altogether, you induce ketosis, during which your body turns to its fat stores for energy, and feeds off the resulting ketones instead of glucose. (1) Across multiple water-fast studies, participants dropped significantly, with more body fat lost than fat-free mass. (2)(3)

Water fasts have been credited with improving the moods of some study participants. Some shorter-term fasting studies have shown some links between fasting and reductions in anxiety, depression, and fatigue. (4) Also, test subjects in one water-only fasting study experienced reduced anxiety following fasting, although this effect was limited to older test subjects. (5)

If you suffer from high blood pressure, a water fast may help bring it back down (though never try anything without talking to your doctor first). A medically supervised water fast of 10 to 11 days resulted in the average test subject experiencing a drop in blood pressure of 33/13 mm Hg. (6) Moreover, the test subjects with the highest initial blood pressure readings experienced the steepest declines in blood pressure.

If you find yourself plagued by chronically high cholesterol, a water fast may offer a potential solution. Similar to the case with intermittent fasting, an extended water-only fast was demonstrated to lower LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol following refeeding. (7)

While low insulin levels are dangerous, high insulin levels are indicative of an overactive pancreas, and also a warning that type 2 diabetes might be looming. (8) Water-only fasting has proven to be an effective intervention for lowering blood sugar levels, thereby reducing the insulin present in the bodies of study subjects. In one study, the insulin levels of test subjects experienced a nearly three-fold plunge below baseline levels. (7)

While the aforementioned water-fast outcomes all sound like study-backed ways to enhance negative health conditions, thats only half of the story. In most cases, studies exploring the outcomes of water-only fasting have unearthed undeniably dangerous side effects of this type of fasting. If you ever intend to participate in a water-only fast, these risks to your well-being should be considered.

[Read More: 8 Natural Ways to Decrease Appetite]

A fast of only a few days would be unlikely to cause serious issues, but if it were prolonged, nausea and GI upset would be among the most mild problems that could happen, explains Douglass. This is especially true if negative consequences like muscle wasting occurred during the fast.

Extended water-only fasting deprives your body of macronutrients and micronutrients deemed essential for optimal energy production. Most study results suggest that fasting is either detrimental to athletic performance, or has no effect. (9)(10) However, there are no strong indications that your physical performance will improve once your body enters a fasted state.

As your body begins to recognize the loss of the nutrients it craves, you will probably experience a downturn in mood, or an increase in irritability. Micronutrients like B vitamins, vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, selenium, iron, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids are all linked with optimal brain and nervous system function. Deficiencies of these nutrients have been linked with depressive symptoms. (11)

The results of at least one study found that fasting contributed to the practice of disordered eating. (12) For the record, the study in question specifically involved intermittent fasting and its effects on adolescents. However, it is worth considering the likelihood that regular water fasting might introduce you to a pattern of unhealthy dietary behaviors, like extended food avoidance.

[Read More: 9 Types of Diets How They Work and Pros & Cons]

As a consequence of an eight-day water fast, test subjects experienced several dangerous metabolic issues. This included low serum sodium levels, elevated uric acid levels in their blood, hypoglycemia, and aggravated ketogenesis. (3) Several of these conditions have been linked with diagnoses of gout and kidney stones.

While studies have shown that water-only fasting decreases insulin levels, they also indicate a subsequent increase in insulin resistance. (13)(14) In response to insulin sensitivity, your pancreas will make even more insulin, a general characteristic of prediabetes. As such, while water fasting may temporarily reduce the insulin present in your body, it may increase the likelihood of greater future insulin overproduction.

Eliminating nutrients from your diet means you will not get the recommended amount of protein to repair your muscle tissue after exercise. (15) As a result, lifting heavy weights during prolonged fasting will leave microtears in your muscle fibers without sufficient amino acids available to repair them. (16) This will lead to reduced muscle mass and muscle weakening over time.

[Read More: How Much Water Do You Actually Need While Training?]

Over the course of a five-day water-only fast, participants lost an average of 26 percent of their IGF-1, which is a hormone that contributes to tissue growth in adults, including muscle growth. In addition, participants in the study lost a significant number of B cells and T cells, both of which are white blood cells that are vital to warding off illnesses. (7)

If you participate in a fast lasting more than five days, you are at high risk for fatal refeeding problems. (17) Even if all goes well during your fast, low levels of potassium, phosphate, or magnesium are likely to bring about refeeding syndrome. This is a condition marked by adverse effects ranging from muscle weakness and vomiting to seizures, coma, and potential death.

[Read More: How To Stay Hydrated While Working Out]

BarBend deems all recommended macronutrients and most micronutrients essential to maintaining proper bodily functions. Therefore, we do not advise our readers to casually participate in water fasts. Even if you have been diagnosed with a medical condition for which water fasting has been deemed an appropriate medical intervention, a water fast should only be observed under the care of a licensed healthcare professional.

[Read More: Learn How to Make a Homemade Electrolyte Drink from a Certified Nutrition Coach]

As with most diets taken for quick weight loss, you probably wont sustain the losses for very long after the fast ends, advises Douglass. Going without food for long periods of time is dangerous, and the longer a fast goes, the more difficult it is to bring you out of it safely. And if youre doing all of this for long-term weight loss, a water fast is unlikely to give you a true edge.

While medically supervised water fasting appears to result in some physical benefits to those who follow it, results have been mixed. Any potential positive outcomes of water fasting appear to be accompanied by detrimental consequences. As such, you should exercise extreme caution before you choose to embark on a water fast, as there is an elevated risk that you may not emerge from such a fast completely unscathed.

Personally, I would never advise someone to begin a water fast, not even post-op patients, insists Douglass. Thats because early feeding especially of carbohydrates before and after surgery yields better recovery and return of bowel function, with less morbidity. I could never advise a healthy person to undertake such a dangerous course of action on their own.

If you still have questions about the safety and efficacy of water fasting, we provide clear answers for you here.

Study results indicate that you can lose significant weight by water fasting. Test subjects involved in one 10-day controlled water fast lost an average of 10 percent of their body weight, amounting to an average of 16 pounds per subject. (2) Moreover, a higher percentage of the weight lost consisted of body fat, and the majority of the lost body fat remained absent following post-fast refeeding.

According to expert opinion, a healthy person can survive for up to two months (in extreme cases) on water alone. (18) However, water fasts lasting longer than five days create circumstances under which refeeding must be conducted very carefully to avoid potentially fatal consequences. (17)

How you should break a water fast depends upon its length. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence advises that refeeding begins at no more than 50 percent of your energy requirements if youve been fasting for over five days. (17) Furthermore, it is advised that refeeding begins only after your plasma electrolyte levels have been carefully measured by a medical professional in order to avoid adverse events.

Water fasting has many risks. During a water fast, you are likely to experience increased irritability, a reduction in energy, compromised muscle repair, potential kidney damage, and reduced levels of key hormones. Following the fast, you are also at risk of refeeding syndrome, which is a potentially fatal condition.

Featured Image: Oleggg / Shutterstock

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Water Fasting: What is It and is It Safe? - BarBend

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The popular mobile booking platform has profoundly changed the boutique fitness sector since its inception in 2013 All products featured on Athletech News are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission

ClassPass was founded in 2013 by Payal Kadakia and Mary Biggins and has since shaken up the fitness and wellness industry. Acquired by Mindbody in 2021, the subscription service allows users to book classes and experiences at thousands of studios, gyms, salons, and spas using credits.

Classes are available in more than 2,500 cities worldwide, and the service also comes with over 4,000 on-demand workouts.

Now that in-person workouts are back and seemingly bigger than ever, Athletech News decided to give ClassPass a try.

Pros

For those who appreciate variety, ClassPass certainly delivers. It not only offers mainstream, nationwide studio brands like Barrys, Solidcore, and SoulCycle, but local establishments as well. The service is best for those who want to step outside their usual routine to try out more health and wellness businesses in their area. One of the best parts of using the app was getting to try all the studios in my area that I had long overlooked.

Each class or service is a listed number of credits, which depends on the time of day, user demand, and the number of times a user has visited. Membership costs range from as little as 6 credits to as many as 100 credits per month, which ranges from around $20-$200. Users can browse classes by credits, and many studios have a first-timers deal, so trying out different workouts and services is encouraged.

I found the process of hunting for deals enjoyable. If you have flexibility around timing, ClassPass could be a great fit, as credits go a lot further during off-hour workouts. There were also limited-time deals that provided great value. For example, some studios or services had a limited-time discount. ClassPass is also great for travelers, as it works in most major cities, so users can maintain their workout routine on the road.

The service also limits the number of workouts you can do at certain studios, which forces variety. Class reviews were moderately helpful for finding new spots, but most of the reviews were very positive: I was hard-pressed to find an overall studio rating under 4.7/5. There were also no written reviews, which could be a good value-add for the platform. Adding friends on the service also allows users to see where their connections are going for inspiration, which I also found to be a fun way to align workout schedules.

ClassPass also offers beauty and wellness services, which are easy to book. It requires a user request to book a service for a specific time, which the business then approves. My approvals were quick, generally just several hours, and I liked that I could make a reservation digitally even at small businesses.

Cons

Many of the downsides of ClassPass are area- and preference-dependent. For example, class credit costs unsurprisingly vary a lot by area. A class in New York will likely be more expensive than one in Washington D.C. or Boston. Convenience also obviously varies by location; for example, in certain parts of New York City, there are very few businesses available on ClassPass, but in others, there is one on every block.

Most of the hidden gem classes are around 3-4 credits in bigger cities, larger studios are 5-10 credits, and popular workouts like Solidcore, SoulCycle, and CorePower Yoga are 10-14+ credits. The popular studios also book up quickly in some areas.

One downside of the service is that the number of credits a user can roll over month to month is dependent on membership tier. For example, if you buy 18 credits per month, you can only roll over 18 credits. For those hoping to save up credits for a larger service like a massage, that might not be possible if you have a lower-credit membership. Adding credits is possible but might not make sense financially depending on the desired service.

Lastly, although this is typical in the world of workout studios, cancellation fees are high. This provides built-in accountability, but also might not be best for those who have variable schedules.

Final Thoughts

Overall, ClassPass is a great service that will add variety to your workout and wellness routines. For those with flexible schedules, credits will likely go further, but it can drive value for all users who have enough participating businesses in their area.

Read more ATN Product Reviewshere.

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Product of the Week: ClassPass Offers Fitness Variety, Flexibility - Athletech News

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Embarking on a weight loss journey is akin to a marathon, not a sprint, says Dalia Beydoun, R.D. Each persons weight loss journey is unique, with its own timeline, hurdles, and milestones. But for the majority of people, safe and sustainable weight loss takes time."

In general, though, weight loss can be delineated into three stages: rapid weight loss, gradual weight loss, and maintenance. The length of each stage depends on the individual, Michelle Routhenstein, R.D., preventive cardiology dietitian says. Being able to identify these stages may be a key sign of healthy and sustainable weight loss.

Ahead, dietitians spell out what you should know about the difference stages of weight loss, how much weight you can lose safely, and more.

There are a few.

It's not uncommon to see substantial drops in weight right at the beginning of a weight loss journey, as the body adapts to new habits, expands Tiffany Ma, R.D.N.

[This] rapid weight loss stage is the initial, and typically, the shortest stage. This is the time when diet modifications have just begun and there is a significant drop in body weight within a short period, says Beydoun. During this stage, individuals usually experience a pronounced decrease in water weight, likely due to a reduction in glycogen stores which are used up for energy when the body is in a calorie deficit.

This stage can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on factors such as starting weight, dietary changes, and physical activity levels," she says. "While rapid weight loss can be motivating, much of the initial drop on the scale can be attributed to fluid loss rather than fat loss."

People often incorporate drastic calorie restriction or extreme exercise regimens to hit this rapid weight loss stage quickly, says Routhensteinas you might see wrestlers do right before a weigh-in, or when someone needs to lose a few pounds to fit into a suit for an occasion. This approach can lead to muscle loss, nutrient deficiencies, and potential health risks such as gout attacks and liver issues."

Gradual, or slow weight loss, is the next stage of losing weight. As the body adapts to the changes introduced during the rapid weight loss phase, progress may slow down during the second stage, says Ma. This phase involves a more gradual and sustainable rate of weight loss, typically ranging from 0.5 to two pounds per week.

During this stage, individuals may focus on incorporating healthier eating habits, regular physical activity, and behavior modifications to support long-term weight management. It can last for several months or years, depending on the individual.

The pace of weight loss slows down compared to the initial rapid phase, but it is often more indicative of true fat loss rather than water weight," says Beydoun. You may be losing weight less quickly, but this stage of weight loss is what creates your success for the long haul. It allows for better preservation of muscle mass, reduces the risk of negative health consequences, and promotes long-term weight maintenance.

Once youve reached your goal weight range, your attention shifts to sticking at that weight for the months and years to come. This stage may come unintentionallywhat was once your calorie deficit becomes your maintenance calories as you lose weight.

Weight maintenance refers to the phase following successful weight loss where individuals actively work to sustain their achieved weight through continued adherence to healthy habits and lifestyle changes, says Beydoun. This phase is key for preventing the regaining of weight by anchoring those long term habits. It involves finding a sustainable balance between calorie intake and expenditure without excessive restriction, maintaining regular physical activity, and monitoring progress."

If youre noticing that you dont go directly from rapid weight loss to gradual weight loss, youre not alone.

Between the rapid and gradual weight loss stages, its common to experience intermediate phases of weight fluctuations and plateaus. While weight fluctuations are normal, plateaus may often require adjustments to dietary and exercise strategies, says Beydoun. These stages might make your weight loss journey more challenging, but they do show the value of long term lifestyle changes as opposed to rash, short term extreme diets.

Fluctuation between stages happen when individuals encounter obstacles like plateaus, cravings, and social pressures, Routhenstein says. "Successfully navigating this stage involves adapting strategies, building resilience, and seeking support to overcome setbacks and continue progressing towards long-term weight loss goals."

As we touched on above, to ensure sustainable, healthy weight loss, most people dont want to lose more than two pounds a week.

Rapid weight loss is not recommended, as losing more than two pounds in a week can cause muscle loss and increase the risk of gout attacks and liver scarring, says Routhenstein.

Not all weight loss is fat loss.

Fat loss refers to a decrease in body fat mass specifically, while weight loss encompasses any reduction in overall body weight, including water weight and muscle mass, says Routhenstein. Prioritizing fat loss through healthy lifestyle changes is preferred over simple weight loss for improved body composition and overall health."

The key concept here is zooming in on long-term fat loss over weight loss. It's essential to focus on sustainable fat loss rather than simply chasing a lower number on the scale since preserving lean muscle mass will promote overall health, says Ma. To avoid losing muscle mass while losing weight, prioritize strength training and keep up your protein intake.

Maintenance requires ongoing adherence to the healthy eating habits you participated in while you were losing weight and participating in regular physical activity, and whatever other lifestyle modifications you utilizedlike limiting alcohol and avoiding cigarettes and other drugs, Ma says. It's a lifelong commitment to health and well-being and is often considered the hardest part about ones weight loss journey, emphasizing sustainable habits rather than short-term fixes.

Perri is a New York City-born and -based writer; she holds a bachelors in psychology from Columbia University and is also a culinary school graduate of the plant-based Natural Gourmet Institute, which is now the Natural Gourmet Center at the Institute of Culinary Education. Her work has appeared in the New York Post, Men's Journal, Rolling Stone, Oprah Daily, Insider.com, Architectural Digest, Southern Living, and more. She's probably seen Dave Matthews Band in your hometown, and she'll never turn down a bloody mary. Learn more at VeganWhenSober.com.

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What Are the Stages of Weight Loss? Dietitians Explain - Men's Health

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Gaining weight in pregnancy can be difficult to accept, despite it being very normal. On average, most women gain around 10kg 12.5kg during their pregnancy, according to the NHS.

However, the weight gained during pregnancy is not because you are eating for two it actually comes from your baby growing and your body storing additional fat to help with milk production after birth, and it is completely normal and healthy.

Though it can be a shock seeing the scales jump up so fast, it is never advised to lose weight while pregnant. In fact, intentionally losing weight by dieting or exercising outside of your norm can be dangerous for both the mum and the baby.

Kate Hilton, a clinical dietician at FeelGut says: For most pregnancies, the focus should be on maintaining a healthy balanced diet to support the babys growth and development.

There are risks when trying to lose weight during pregnancy, the chances of delivering a baby with a low birth weight are increased. Restricting calorie intake can also lead to inadequate intake of essential nutrients required for foetal development, such as folic acid, iron, calcium, and protein, crucial for your babys development.

My advice would be to not make any drastic changes to your diet during pregnancy, instead; engage in regular moderate physical activity which can support overall health during pregnancy without the goal of weight loss.

It can be mentally, emotionally and physically challenging to accept your new body, but personal trainer and nutrition coach Sarah Campus of LDN mums fitness is a huge advocate for being strong and fit for birth, but NOT loosing weight unless told by your GP.

She said: Trying to lose weight whilst pregnant is not advised because you could be depriving your growing baby of nutrients that they need to grow and develop. It is advised to go for healthy weight gain with good nutrition and exercise while pregnant.

Being pregnant is not the time to be dieting, restricting calories, hitting personal bests. It is a time to nurture your body and that of your growing baby.

Sarah explained that though obesity or being overweight during pregnancy can lead to problems such as high blood pressure, preeclampsia and issues with blood clotting, you should not go to extremes during your pregnancy.

She advises: The best way to have a healthy pregnancy is to optimise your health prior to pregnancy. During pregnancy its advised to focus on healthier foods, including vegetables, proteins, whole carbs, as opposed to processed foods. It is ok to monitor your weight and make adjustments to your eating habits throughout your pregnancy, but good to be guided by a health care professional.

Continue to exercise to keep your entire body healthy and strong. Talk to your health care professional about safe exercise, especially after the 12th week of pregnancy.

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Here's Why You Should Never Try To Lose Weight While Pregnant - HuffPost UK

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New research has found fast-mimicking diets could slow down ageing. (Getty Images)

Diets that mimic fasting may be able to make a person "two-and-a-half years younger" by reducing their biological age, a new study has suggested.

Researchers found that a fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) can lower insulin resistance, reduce liver fat, and slow immune system ageing.

It can also decrease the risks of age-related illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

When these benefits are combined, researchers found this fasting-like diet can result in a lower biological age for humans.

Created by a laboratory at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology in California, a fasting-mimicking diet is a five-day diet which is high in unsaturated fats and low in overall calories, protein, and carbohydrates.

It is designed to mimic the effects of a water-only fast while still providing the necessary nutrients.

The style of fasting is also supposed to make it easier for people to follow and stick to this kind of diet in practice.

"This is the first study to show that a food-based intervention that does not require chronic dietary or other lifestyle changes can make people biologically younger," senior author Professor Valter Longo explains.

"This is based on both changes in risk factors for ageing and disease, and on a validated method developed to assess biological age."

For the research Professor Longo and his team analysed the effects of the FMD in two clinical trial populations each with men and women between the ages of 18 and 70.

Participants underwent three to four monthly cycles of the FMD, during which they adhered to the diet for five days and then ate a normal diet for 25 days.

While sticking to the FMD, they ate things like plant-based soups, energy bars, energy drinks, crisps, and tea all of which were portioned out over the five days.

They were also given a supplement which provided high levels of minerals, vitamins, and essential fatty acids.

Meanwhile, a control group was instructed to eat either a normal or Mediterranean-style diet which is what the FMD participants ate in their time-off.

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Results, published in the journal Nature Communications, revealed that those in the FMD group had lower risk factors for diabetes, including less insulin resistance and lower HbA1c levels.

They also had decreased abdominal and liver fat, which is associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome, and an increased lymphoid-to-myeloid ratio, which is an indicator of a more youthful immune system.

Further statistical analysis of both clinical studies also showed that the FMD participants had reduced their 'biological age' by two and a half years on average.

Biological age is a measure of how well a persons cells and tissues are functioning, as opposed to chronological age.

"This study has shown for the first time evidence of biological age reduction from two different clinical trials, accompanied by evidence of rejuvenation of metabolic and immune function," Professor Longo explains.

First author Professor Sebastian Brandhorst adds: "Our study also lends more support to the FMDs potential as a short-term, periodic, achievable dietary intervention that can help people lessen their disease risk and improve their health without extensive lifestyle changes."

The research team from USC Leonard Davis hopes that their findings will encourage more doctors across Europe and the US to recommend the FMD to patients with higher disease risk factors, as well as to typically 'healthy' people who may be interested in the other benefits including slowing the ageing process.

Previous research by Prof Longo has indicated that brief, periodic FMD cycles can promote stem cell regeneration and lessen chemotherapy side effects.

Meanwhile, trials on mice have found that the FMD can reduce the signs of dementia.

However, the new study was the first to demonstrate the effects of the FMD on insulin resistance, liver fat, immune system ageing, and biological age.

What is a fasting-mimicking diet?

FMDs, or Fasting Mimicking Diets, are diets designed to mimic the effects of fasting on the body without requiring complete abstinence from food.

"Typically, these diets involve significantly reducing calorie intake for a set period, usually ranging from three to five days, while still providing essential nutrients," explains gut health expert and owner of supplements brand Miracle Leaf, Agnieszka Kozlowska.

"The idea is to trick the body into a fasting state, prompting a range of physiological responses similar to those seen during prolonged fasting."

Kozlowska says one of the key benefits of FMDs is their potential to promote cellular rejuvenation and repair.

"When the body enters a fasting state, it initiates processes such as autophagy, where cells break down and remove damaged components," she explains. "This can help clear out old and dysfunctional cells, making way for new, healthier ones.

"By mimicking fasting, FMDs can stimulate these repair mechanisms, potentially slowing down the ageing process and promoting overall cellular health."

Another area where FMDs show promise is in supporting gut health.

"The gut microbiota, comprised of trillions of microorganisms, plays an essential role in digestion, immune function, and overall health," Kozlowska explains.

"Research suggests that FMDs can help promote a healthy balance of gut bacteria by creating an environment that prevents harmful microbes, promoting the growth of beneficial ones," she continues.

"While more research is needed to fully understand the effects of FMDs, the preliminary evidence is promising."

Additional reporting SWNS.

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The advice is clear-cut: Sit less and purposefully move more for heart health.

But how does exercise help keep your heart healthy? How much exercise do you need? And what kinds of exercise should you do?

All valid (and important) questions.

We talked with preventive cardiologist Vikas Sunder, MD, and cardiac rehabilitation expert Erik Van Iterson, PhD, about what exercise does for your heart health and how to get started on a heart-healthy exercise program that fits your life.

The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week. Thats aerobic exercise the kind that gets your heart rate up for more than a few minutes.

Additionally, an ideal exercise program for heart health also incorporates about an hour of strength-training exercises per week. Two sessions of resistance training for about 30 minutes at a time is a typical recommendation.

Those suggestions may change depending on your health, your goals and your current amount of physical activity. And reaching that standard could take some time. Thats OK.

The goal should be to first and foremost avoid sedentary behaviors that take up the majority of your day, Dr. Sunder notes. Anything that people can do to move more than their baseline is important progress toward improving their heart health.

Aerobic and strength-training exercises are both important for a healthy heart.

When your heart functions in a healthy way, its more able to interact and communicate with other organ systems, Dr. Van Iterson points out. Your whole body benefits from well-oxygenated blood moving from the heart, out to your body and back again. Exercise helps to improve that entire process.

What specifically can you look for as heart-healthy benefits of exercise? Dr. Sunder and Dr. Van Iterson share just a few.

Getting your body moving has plenty of heart-healthy benefits that directly affect how your heart works. Among them:

Scientific data has consistently shown that aerobic, or cardio-style, exercise improves not just the circulation within your heart, but also the circulation throughout your entire cardiovascular system, Dr. Van Iterson shares. That ability to circulate blood in an effective and efficient way typically leads to powerful reductions in cardiovascular risk.

You may have heard that a round mid-section (or so-called apple body shape) can be a sign of potential health problems. And its true.

A high waist circumference (the measurement around your belly button area) can be a sign that you may have higher-than-healthy levels of fat deep inside your abdomen, surrounding your organs. Its called visceral fat, and too much can be dangerous to your health.

High levels of visceral fat can have detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system and increase systemic inflammation, Dr. Sunder affirms.

Aerobic exercise and strength-training exercises that incorporate your core can help burn fat and increase the overall proportion of lean muscle throughout your body.

Strength-training exercise can help your body gain more lean muscle mass. And muscle helps keep your body and heart healthy by improving your metabolic rate. In other words, muscle helps your body burn calories more quickly even when your body is at rest.

Unlike fat cells, muscle tissue is metabolically active, Dr. Van Iterson explains. That means that when you have a higher muscle mass, its not only during the literal act of exercise that your metabolism revs up; its working almost all the time.

Exercise releases feel-good hormones called endorphins that help improve your mood and reduce your stress levels. Thats important because your mental health plays a big role in keeping your heart healthy. And as exercise makes you feel good, it should help with keeping up your motivation to do more exercise consistently.

We know from studies that mental health concerns like anxiety and depression are associated with increased risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiac events, Dr. Sunder says. And regular exercise can greatly decrease your risk for anxiety disorders and depression.

Exercise is like the beginning of a chain reaction. It increases endorphins, which makes you feel happier. In turn, that lowers your stress, which improves your mental health. And improved mental health lowers your risk for a slew of heart-related health conditions.

The No. 1 rule for starting a new exercise program is to start small and build up gradually. Because consistent exercise over time is the key to success.

Your exercise routine needs to be something that you can sustain over time, Dr. Van Iterson advises. I encourage people to view exercise as something theyre doing to set themselves up for long-term success. Overloading your system by doing too much too fast will turn out to be a counterproductive experience.

Feeling exhausted and being out of breath at the end of a workout arent typical signs you should use to evaluate whether you had a good workout. In fact, those feelings commonly signal that you overdid it.

Avoid the trap of doing one really intense exercise session and then needing a few days to recover before being able to exercise again.

If youre new to exercise, Dr. Sunder and Dr. Van Iterson recommend starting with aerobic activities. After you consistently meet or exceed your aerobic exercise goal, consider adding in some strengthening exercises.

Try starting with these exercises to improve your heart health.

Doing aerobic, or cardio, exercise is the first step to improving your heart health.

The biggest thing that gets overlooked is that you can keep it simple, says Dr. Van Iterson. Its really thinking about what we consider cardio or aerobic exercise, like walking. For others, it can be running or jogging. It all depends on where youre at in your life and identifying realistic goals, what recent background you have with exercising and if you have any risk factors like a family history of heart disease.

Remember, too, that even your day-to-day activities matter.

Even cleaning your house, gardening or shopping can be ways to get in some physical movement that benefits your heart, Dr. Sunder notes. That all counts as time spent up and moving, which, ultimately, is the goal.

Schedule your exercise in ways that work for you. If you dont always have a half-hour block to dedicate to exercise, dont let it discourage you from doing what you can. Even if you can get 10 minutes in a day, its worth it.

Here are a few examples of exercise that benefits your heart health:

For some people, strength-training exercise can conjure up images of powerlifting on a sweaty gym bench, and if thats your thing, more power to you.

But there are other exercises that can help build muscle and improve your heart health that may be more approachable for newcomers.

You start by trying:

Anything you can do to get your body moving is going to benefit your heart. And the rest of your body. And your mental health. So, start small. Keep going. And show your heart the love it needs.

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Weight loss can be a sensitive subject for many, and for social media influencers, teetering on that fine line can be detrimental for their career. Even for people like Mark Gaetano, best known as @snarkymarky on TikTok to his millions of followers, who had the best intentions.

At the start of 2021 I decided to go on a weight-loss journey because I just wasn't really happy with how I was feeling, Gaetano tells EatingWell. That was my main motive, the way that I was feeling and my lack of physical ability. In fact, my epiphany was I was walking up a flight of stairs and I was just so out of breath that I thought, I can't be living like this anymore.

I started losing weight, and I am a young man who was already overweight, so that's obviously going to hasten the weight-loss progress, he explains. And I started sharing that I was on a weight-loss journey because it was starting to become physically evident that I was losing weight.

Through sharing his journey and expressing that his weight loss was the result of a low-calorie diet and exercise, his fans were mostly encouraging.

Initially, everyone was very, very supportive and they were super happy for me, Gaetano says. They were glad that I was broadcasting this and sharing this healthy transformation with my audience.

By December 2021, Gaetano had lost 125 pounds, so he decided to share this news with his followers.

That was where the comments started to skew negatively because I had posted a video saying that I was no longer overweight, he explains. That was a metric that I was using based off of BMI, which now I know has its very many flaws, but that was my metric that I was using at the time.

Gaetano is right in that body mass index, more commonly known as BMI, isnt the best indicator of your overall health. But instead of the comments being informative about the problems with depending on BMI, they were more accusatory towards the influencers intentions.

Most people were still very happy and celebratory, but there was still a corner of the internet that was not happy with me and was not happy with my tone and my rhetoric in celebrating my weight loss, he says.

Despite this, Gaetano continued his health and wellness progress throughout 2022. In 2023, the TikTok star admitted to gaining back some weight, which resulted in the negative comments shifting. This caused Gaetano to make a response get ready with me video to address these comments, and the video has since gained over 670,000 views.

As Im making more videos, people are of course in the comments, Oh, you gained weight, [and] Oh, I knew that weight loss wasnt going to be sustainable, I knew this was going to happen, I knew he was going to gain weight, which is so rude, he says in his video response. Why are you preying on someones body to change a certain way?

If you think someones words can be dangerous and may be promoting negative aspects of diet culture, consider messaging them directly or leave an informative comment suggesting a change of language instead of an accusatory one. More often than not, their intentions stem from an innocent lack of understanding. As Gaetano continues to give updates on his health journey, its important to remember to never critique other peoples bodies, even if they are choosing to share their health updates, habits and routines. When EatingWell asked Gaetano for advice on how to handle unwarranted comments about weight loss and weight gain, he chose four simple words: Block out any noise.

There are going to be people around you that will be happy to see you succeed, but theres also going to be people around you preying on your downfall, Gaetano further tells us. At the end of the day, its important to focus solely on how you feel, and not anyone else.

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Why Does Social Media Run on Comments About Weight? TikToker Shares How to "Block Out Any Noise" - EatingWell

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