Conn. Health I-Team Writer

Last fall, Sharon Boland was worried shed never lose the extra 70 pounds she was carrying. At age 54, everyone told her, it would be nearly impossible to slim down.

Ive probably carried weight most of my life, said Boland, a business lawyer who lives in Greenwich, but she had gained an extra 25-30 pounds in the previous few years.

Her friends were right: It is undeniably harder to lose weight after about age 50. Eating and exercise habits that worked fine during the 30s and 40s can quickly lead to extra pounds and paunches a decade or two later.

People also tend to get less active in their 50s, with no more small children in the house and more aches with which to contend.

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Further, the body loses more muscle with every passing decade. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so the less muscle, the fewer calories burned while going through lifes routines.

But experts emphasize that middle-age weight gain isnt inevitable.

Its not a done deal that everyones going to gain weight, said Catherine Staffieri, a registered dietitian with Greenwich Hospitals Center for Behavioral and Nutritional Health.

And weight loss remains possible even as middle age progresses, she and other experts insist.

Boland, now 55, is living proof.

She didnt lose much when she tried a well-known diet plan in October, or when she began lifting weights with a personal trainer a few weeks later. But in December, when she combined a nutritionists advice with twice-weekly coached workouts and 30-minute walks on other days, the pounds started falling off.

Im down 29 pounds, she said with pride and some amazement. I know I can go all the way down, because this is effortless. For the first time in my life, I think Im going to see what my body really looks like without extra padding.

Everyone needs fewer calories as they age. Staffieri estimates that most 50-year-olds need 200-500 less per day than they did in their 20s and 30s.

Weight gained in middle age also tends to clump around the belly, which increases the risk for heart disease and metabolic disorders, she said.

And theres a lot of stress in the 50s and 60s, as aging parents sicken, children still need support, and the financial demands of retirement loom, said Mireille Blacke, a dietitian-nutritionist and bariatric center program coordinator at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford.

The easiest place to stop taking care of yourself is with food and nutrition, Blacke said. Sleep, too, often gets short-shrift, which can affect metabolism and make it harder to lose weight, she said.

Everyone loses muscle mass as they age. For women, body fat increases on average of 1 to 4 percent during menopause, slowing the metabolism down by 10 to 15 percent, said Barbara Schmidt, Bolands nutritionist and a nutrition lifestyle program specialist at Norwalk Hospital.

This shift leads to a weight gain of about 12 pounds for a woman going through menopause who doesnt eat less or exercise more, said Schmidt, who also runs a hypertension program for the Department of Health in Greenwich. The same process happens with men, but more gradually.

Losing weight at any age drives up levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, making people feel hungrier than if they werent trying to lose weight, according to Dr. Maria Cecilia Asnis, an endocrinologist at the Stamford Health Medical Group, who says that people are not overweight because of a lack of willpower.

An overweight body does whatever it can to conserve calories, Asnis said, so someone who is obese and trying to lose weight will probably need to eat about 15 percent fewer calories a day than someone who has been in the normal range and is just trying to drop a few pounds.

Weight loss for someone who is heavy requires an enormous amount of willpower and very few calorieswhich is difficult to sustain, Asnis said.

Thats why people with a lot of weight to lose may need the extra help of medications or surgery, which change the bodys regulatory mechanisms, she said. Medications can generally lead to a 7 to 10 percent loss of body weight, she said, while people who undergo surgery can drop 50 to 60 percent of their excess weight.

Schmidt likes to consider food and exercise as her medications.

Combating middle age weight gain requires speeding up your metabolismand theres no better way to do that than by pumping some iron, Schmidt said. Many times, women are doing cardio, cardio, cardio. But they need to do weight training, weight training, weight training.

Transforming fat into muscle increases the metabolism and helps the body burn more calories naturally, she said.

Women over 50 should be doing weight training twice a week, in addition to getting some aerobic activity at least 30 minutes a day the rest of the week.

In terms of diet, Schmidt recommends filling your plate at least half full with vegetables before adding carbs. And not all carbs are created equal: minimize processed foods and sugar, she advised.

If Im eating foods that are high in fiber, its going to take more energy for my body to process it, and therefore Im going to be taking in fewer total calories, she said.

For her part, Boland said its the combination of eating more carefully and building muscle that has made such a big difference for her.

Youve got to marry the two, she said. Its bizarre how well it works.

This story was reported under a partnership with the Connecticut Health I-Team (www.c-hit.org)

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Connecticut experts: Weight loss gets harder, but still possible after 50 - New Haven Register

Hiking and spending time outdoors is one of the staples of the programs offered at Skyterra Wellness Retreat in Lake Toxaway.(Photo: Courtesy of Denman Bennett Images)

LAKE TOXAWAY - Dawnrae Wilson arrived at Skyterra Wellness Retreat in early April as a self-described broken person.

She was 29, working as a graphic designer in Charlotte, and so miserable with her life, her weight, her emotional pain, that Wilson was actively considering assisted suicide.

She wasnt looking for a miracle pill she had self-medicated enough but for someone or something to pull her out of the dark hole her life had become. Endless Googling for wellness and weight loss retreats led her to Skyterra, a magically beautiful getaway surrounded by state park and national forest land in the scenic resort town of Transylvania County.

Wilson checked in, and 10 weeks later, on June 16, she was set to graduate into a new life, with so much happiness in her voice, it was sometimes hard for her to get the words out quickly enough.

In my teen years I went through a very difficult personal situation. My mom and I talked about what would be most beneficial for me. We wanted something like Skyterra, but it didnt exist. I looked at a Buddhist retreat in Tibet and a yoga retreat in the Maldives, and about 30 other wellness, health-related resorts, Wilson said.

During my latest research I found Skyterra. I remember telling my mom, That place now exists. Someone created it for me.

Even in a nearly blinding downpour on the day visitors met with 16 guests at Skyterra, the name of the health, fitness and weight loss spa shone through the wet air and the dripping leaves.

Now in operation a year in the scenic resort town in Transylvania County, Skyterra has welcomed some 300 guests who come for a week or for months to get intense about their physical, mental and emotional well-being. A big part of the spas philosophy on helping to heal a persons whole body is based on the therapeutic effects of the outdoors.

Science backs up the feeling that being active, or simply being in nature, in the forest, in green spaces beyond offices, noise, computers, blinking screens and beeping text messages, can result in positive psychological and physical benefits, said Sue Crowell, Skyterra founder.

Skyterra is a health and wellness program centered around each person's unique journey. The facility includes a variety of fitness and wellness classes and activities, with everything from yoga and aquatic chi to hiking.(Photo: Maddy Jones/mjones@citizen-times.com)

She did her research, and said that learning to mindfully soak up the fragrance and peacefulness of a forest has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and blood pressure.

A literature review study published in Health Promotion International in 2005 found that in the past few hundred years as people have become increasingly disconnected from the outdoors, shifting from rural to urban areas, there has also been an increase in non-communicable diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancer, as well as mental, behavioral and social health problems.

A 2015 study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, found that a walk in the woods can be a powerful mood booster. People who walked for 90 minutes in a natural area, as opposed to those who walked in a high-traffic urban area, showed decreased activity in a region of the brain associated with a key factor in depression.

Crowell and her sister Teresa Ostler, a registered nurse, both had a background in health and wellness, but each struggled with their own state of well-being, which they say was mostly derived from stress.

After college, Crowell worked at the School of Urban Wilderness Survival, where she gained a passion for wilderness therapy that led her to earn a masters degree in psychology.

Crowell invested in a wellness company, but said she was looking for something more.. She was so busy as a corporate executive she was neglecting her own health.

She and Ostler began taking healthy living vacations at a resort in South Carolina. That idea, of health, fitness and well-being immersion, clicked a switch.

Crowell and Ostler launched Skyterra in the prettiest place they could find in Western North Carolina, once a luxury, gated resort, with 317 acres of mountains, woods, streams and waterfalls, with extravagantly comfy cabins, where they could use the outdoor setting to promoteindividualized wellness retreats.

Participants live in cottages tucked in the woods around Lake Toxaway.(Photo: Maddy Jones/mjones@citizen-times.com)

I wanted to do something that makes a difference in peoples lives, Crowell said.

Some people come for specialized needs, some people come here and think, I dont know what I need, and realize they suffer from stress. Its a full circle approach, not just health and wellness, she said.

The retreat has had 300 guests in the past year, from across the country, and from foreign countries including England, the Dominican Republic, Canada, Scotland and Egypt, Crowell said.

It is only open to 16 guests a week. They are all ages, from all backgrounds, most are women, but men are most welcome, and each has their own private bedrooms, although residents quickly become buddies. They come to shed weight, to learn to treat themselves better, transition from cancer or from alcoholism.

To an outsider the scene of water yoga, stand-up paddle boarding, outdoor tai chi and TRX classes might look like adult summer camp. But beyond the fun, there is something deeper going on.

Participants sweat in the state-of-the-art gyms, guided by instructors in rowing, spinning, running on treadmills and working out on Pilates machines, all with soothing views of the woods.

The word exercise is rarely used. It can have a bad connotation, something forced and artificial, said director of operations Amber Shadwick.

Skyterra is no Biggest Loser, where pounds are lost through humiliation, screaming trainers and vomit-inducing workouts.

The real idea is fitness to keep a body in motion, in any form of activity, the way we were before the rise of sit-down jobs, said Shadwick, leading a forest walk to a waterfall, a yoga class in an open air treehouse, or cardio classes, always encouraging.

Our goal is to meet individuals where they are on their journey, Shadwick said. We give each individual life skills around living a healthy and active life.

Some 60 classes are offered, including meditation, dance, strength training, water yoga, kayaking and fly-fishing. Guests choose what they want, and the layers of fat and stressstart to silently peel away.

Margie Dimakis, 40, came to Skyterra from New Hampshire, to work on her weight and her emotional and mental well-being. She said she couldnt find all those things under one roof in a traditional hospital setting.

She came for a week, and kept extending her stay. In late May Dimakis had been at Skyterra for six weeks.

They wanted me here, she said of the staff, and the friends she made with other guests. Every day I see a profound difference. It doesnt come without tears.

She said weigh-ins are private and only take place once a week. Dimakis said she was losing weight without trying, but its not about the numbers. She was trying things she had never done.

Im not an outdoors person, she said. But here I was after a hike, sweaty and muddy and I could care less because I was proud of myself.

Kate Hannon, director of integrative wellness, holds private sessions and leads group classes. In a soul card class one rainy day, the group sat inside always with a view of the outside discussing what a soul card image meant to them.

Andrea Espinosa picked a card where she saw an oceaniclight-filled image.

It might have to do with change, moving through something new, Hannon said. There is a lot of emphasis being placed on your head, something radiating out.

[From left to right] Skyterra attendees Margie Dimakis, Andrea Espinosa, Vicki Busch, and Director of Integrated Well-Being Kate Hannon share their thoughts during a soul card activity. Each card has a different image and each woman was asked to discuss what they saw. This activity teaches participants to listen to their hearts and trust their gut, using the cards to think on a deeper level.(Photo: Maddy Jones/mjones@citizen-times.com)

Change comes first in your head and radiates out, into a darker color. I like the idea of moving through the darkness, Espinosa said. What Ive learned here most is listening to myself.

Aside from the hiking and paddle boarding, perhaps the favorite activity at Skyterra is eating. Registered dietitian Eleni Ottalaganaworks with gourmet chef Casey Maness to prepare every meal.

Maness uses organic, farm fresh vegetables, whole foods, wild caught seafood, high quality meats, liberally spiced with fresh herbs instead of sugar and salt, and goats milk and cheese instead of dairy. The idea is to eat nourishing food, refined as little as possible, with anti-inflammatory properties, Ottalagana said.

For breakfast, plates are heaped with salad greens and avocados rather than stacked with pancakes, butter and syrup. Greens are the new toast, Ottalagana said.

A comfort food, low-calorie lunch consists of lobster bisque thick and creamy with a homemade cashew sauce to start, a cauliflower bisque for vegetarians, then roasted red pepper chicken salad, locally sourced, over fresh greens and other raw vegetables, and a chickpea salad alternative.

No alcohol is served, although guests can bring their own. For snacks there are plenty of fruits andnuts, but the favorite is golden milk, a concoction of full fat coconut milk, turmeric, black pepper, vanilla, cardamom, and other anti-inflammatory ingredients, thick and golden colored, served up like hot chocolate.

Setting fitness or other goals are not required, but many guests find them helpful. Wilson set three goals within her first week at Skyterra: fitness, self-care and nutrition.

Participants Margie Dimakis, left, and Dawnrae Wilson, right, became friends at Skyterra Fitness, a new health and wellness spa in Lake Toxaway.(Photo: Maddy Jones/mjones@citizen-times.com)

Working with Shadwick and recreation direction Ellwood Crowell, Wilson planned a one-day, 20-mile hike. When she arrived at Skyterra she couldnt walk the hilly trails and had to get around by golf cart.

I thought it would be miserable. But I finished earlier than I expected and I wasnt hating life, she said of hiking 20 miles in the Pisgah National Forest last week. It was one of the most personally fulfilling and enriching experiences of my life. Im a hiker now.

A side bonus? She lost 43 pounds in nine weeks.

Her nutrition goal was to create and prepare a healthy, flavorful dinner for the guests and staff. She used one of her familys high calorie dishes pierogis, pork and peppers - and working with the dietitian and chef, changed out the bleached, enriched flour with almond flour dough, cheddar-style goat cheese and sauted greens instead of the cheesy, fatty mush inside regular pierogis.

Her self-care, or stress management, goal was to work through the negative thought patterns that had led Wilson to hurt and talk degradingly about herself.

She set a goal to give herself a full day of pampering in Asheville, getting a pixie haircut, dying it dark, chocolate brown, buying a new outfit and jewelry.

Dawnrae Wilson fly-fishes on the Middle Fork of the French Broad River under the guidance of recreation director Ellwood Crowell at the new Skyterra Wellness Retreat in Lake Toxaway.(Photo: Courtesy of Denman Bennett Images)

I was very kind to myself. It was the physical representation of what we had been working on, she said.

Evaluating her life and what she wanted from life, led to another life-changing decision for Wilson. She will be changing careers to something in health and wellness, and will not be going back to Charlotte. She is moving to Asheville.

The mountain town has a healthy, active community, she said, where she can surround herself with a happy life and include her new obsessions hiking, paddle boarding and fly-fishing.

The life-changes did not come cheaply. A week at Skyterra runs about $3,000.

Skyterra staff have worked with Wilsons doctors to discuss her health issues moving forward, they catalogued videos of all the classes, breathing exercises and grocery shopping tips to help her transition back to the real world.

I would have written a check for twice as much because I got my life back, Wilson said.

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Wellness, weight-loss retreat uses mountains as medicine - Asheville Citizen-Times

Playing Janet Jackson Shows Off 50-Pound Weight Loss as She Reunites With Ex Wissam Al Mana in Court

Janet Jackson was out in London rocking a slimmer post-baby figure.

The 51-year-old singer and her estranged billionaire husband, Wissam Al Mana, were both seen leaving the Royal Courts of Justice on Friday.

Photo: Backgrid

An eyewitness tells ET Janet arrived to court at 10 a.m., and left around 4 in the afternoon.

"Janet was in a great mood," the eyewitness adds. "She was happy and hugging and kissing her legal team as she left the court house ... Janet had about seven people in her entourage including her brother Randi, her assistant and her legal team."

Regarding Janets weight loss, the eyewitness says She looks great! There is definitely a noticeable weight loss. It looks like she is getting back in fighting form to start her tour.

The singer's ex left alone shortly beforehand, according to the eyewitness, who say the two didn't interact at all. They did not interact at all. Wissam was seen holding

Photo: Backgrid

EXCLUSIVE: Janet Jackson Receives Over 100 Roses and Orchids From Estranged Husband on Her 51st Birthday

Earlier this month, a source close to the Jackson family told ET that the pop superstar had dropped 50 pounds since welcoming her first child, Eissa Al Mana, on Jan. 3, noting that the new mom has been "training, dieting and eating clean," as she prepares to head back on tour this fall. The source also said that Jackson is planning on bringing Eissa with her tour.

And despite the split between Jackson and Al Mana earlier this year, it seems as if the former couple is keeping things amicable.

EXCLUSIVE: Janet Jackson Has Lost 50 Pounds of Post-Baby Weight, Source Says

"Janet and her husband are separated, but have a mutual love and admiration for each other," a source told ET in May. "There doesnt seem to be a reconciliation in the future, but never say never."

Watch the video below for more on Jackson gearing up to get back on the road after baby.

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Janet Jackson Shows Off 50-Pound Weight Loss as She Reunites ... - Entertainment Tonight

If you have ever been told that coconut oil is a healthy alternative to butter or other cooking oils, you have apparently been lied to.

The Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease advisory of the American Heart Association recently found that coconut oil not only increases LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), but also 82 percent of its composition is saturated fats. Thats 19 percent more saturated fats than butter and 32 percent more than pork lard.

So, where does this misconception about the health benefits of coconut oil come from? Well, Marie-Pierre St-Onge, associate professor of nutritional medicine at Cornell University Medical School, has a theory.

READ Woman Returns Home From Work To Find A Stranger Cooking Fried Chicken

The reason coconut oil is so popular for weight loss is partly due to my research on medium chain triglycerides, she told TIME. Coconut oil has a higher proportion of medium-chain triglycerides than most other fats or oils, and my research showed eating medium-chain triglycerides may increase the rate of metabolism more than eating long-chain triglycerides.

However, her research was a bit misleading. The coconut oil she used was reportedly filled with 100 percent medium-chain triglycerides, or MCT. The coconut oil you find on your supermarket shelf typically only contains 13 to 15 percent MCT.

Conclusion: Coconut oil is still a great addition to your hair and skin moisturizingregimens, but you mightwant to consider kicking it out of the kitchen. Insert the collective noooooo! here.

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How Coconut Oil Is Sabotaging Your Weight Loss Goals - Vibe