Women's Health

5 Weight-Loss Mistakes You Didn't Know You Were Making Women's Health If it feels like you've been trying to slim down for weeks, months, maybe even years, and nothing's happened, we feel you: The struggle is real and the frustration even more so. But before you think about waving that white flag, you might want to ...

See the original post here:
5 Weight-Loss Mistakes You Didn't Know You Were Making - Women's Health

Breaking News

Eddie Lacy's off-season diet plan is already paying off HUGE -- the NFL star just cashed a $55k bonus check from the Seattle Seahawks for hitting a major weight loss milestone.

EL's weight issues are no secret -- and when he signed his new deal with Seattle, the team tied $385k to specific weight loss targets ... since he reportedly blew up to 267 during the off-season.

The first checkpoint was $55k if Eddie hit 255 by May 15. The good news -- he's 253.

Cha-ching.

The next goal is 250 lbs by June which he must maintain through August. Then he must stay at 245 through the season. Basically, he gets $55k for each month he hits the target weight.

Eddie's tried P90X in the past -- and the program famously slimmed him down into the low 240s.

The big issue for Lacy ... dude loves Chinese food -- LOVES IT.

We did some Yelping -- looks like there's a handful of Chinese joints right near the Hawks practice facility.

Stay strong, Eddie ...

More:
Eddie Lacy Gets Fat Bonus Check from Seahawks for Hitting Weight Loss Goal - TMZ.com

After losing more than 130 pounds, Texas mom Jordaan Kirkham has a lot to be proud of: she's happier, healthier, and able to do more with her kids and her husband can pick her up, as she recently celebrated in a now-viral Instagram post.

When the couple realized this one day at the pool, Kirkham asked her mother-in-law to snap a photo of them, local news station KVUE reports. She decided to post the photo to Instagram to not only celebrate her progress, but also to start an important conversation about one of the less glamorous parts of extreme weight loss: the loose skin that comes with it.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

"The excess skin is real, but that's what you get when you've lost 130 lbs," she wrote in her caption. "Anyways, this post isn't about my skin, it's about the fact that my husband can pick me up! Hot damn."

The young mom's post clearly struck a chord with her followers, as it quickly went viral and racked up more than 48,000 likes. But this isn't the first time that Kirkham has spoken out about loose skin post-weight loss. In fact, she talks about her own struggles with loose skin frequently: Just last week, for example, she posted a before-and-after transformation photo showing off her loose skin and raising awareness for her GoFundMe page, where she's working to raise money for an eventual skin removal surgery.

"Guess what?! If you lose over 130 lbs, more than likely you're going to have loose skin. AND that is OK!" she wrote in the caption. "I would much rather carry around a a couple extra pounds of skin vs. hundreds of pounds of fat!"

Although Kirkham says she still wants to lose a few more pounds before undergoing surgery, she's come so far already: She had always been overweight, but she really began to struggle with her health after getting pregnant in 2013. After two years of giving into cravings and avoiding the scale, she weighed more than 310 pounds.

Finally, after seeing several unflattering photos of herself that her family had taken over the holidays, the young mom began her weight-loss journey in January 2015. She adjusted her eating habits and incorporated easy Pinterest workouts into her daily routine, ultimately shedding more than 130 pounds and reaching her current weight of 173.

At the end of the day, Kirkham is excited to be taking good care of her body and getting active with her kids, who she says have been her "motivation from the start." And no matter what internet trolls say, she's proud of her progress and all the new things her body can do.

"I would love to have the excess skin removed one day, but for now, I'm so very proud of myself for coming this far in my journey," she told KVUE.

You can donate to Kirkham's skin removal surgery fund here.

[h/t KVUE]

Link:
Mom Shows the Honest Reality of 130-Pound Weight Loss in Her Viral Photos - GoodHousekeeping.com

One day, my kids wanted to play on the trampoline and I couldnt, remembers Megan Politi.

The Whetstone mother of four says that seemingly small event was the impetus for her to adopt lasting lifestyle changes.

For some, the pressure for a summer body overrides the desire for overall improved health. For Politi, the two were hand in hand.

At the start of her weight loss journey three years ago, Megan -- who describes her height as fun size weighed 175 pounds. She immediately set a goal of losing between 40 and 50 pounds.

Shane Early aka The Diet Doc of Sierra Vista helps his clients become better versions of themselves using science based techniques that ensure both weight loss and health and wellness. He says mindfulness is the first step to getting a handle on diet.

It can be as simple as tracking the foods and times we eat, he said. Oftentimes, we do things habitually and don't even realize were doing them.

He goes on to say overly restrictive diets can lead to phenomenon he calls super compensation.

You may lose eight pounds on that restrictive diet, but once you start eating again, youll gain back that eight and then some, he said.

While its nearly impossible to out exercise a bad diet, physical activity is a key component to lasting change. Early says many of the same principles for maintaining a good diet apply to a successful exercise program.

Consistency is key, but choose activities you enjoy. This is what makes the exercise and weight loss sustainable, he said, adding that running, weight lifting, swimming and even playing with grandchildren are all options.

Really, anything that gets you moving more than you otherwise would works.

Politi makes fitness a family affair. I love when my boys join me, she said. When shes not taking them to local parks, her children often accompany her to group fitness classes around town.

But that doesnt mean she hasnt fallen for the occasional get slim quick shortcut.

Oh, there was my slimming colon cleanse ordeal, laughs Politi. Worst mistake of my life! I dont think I even left the bathroom, much less the house for a whole day.

After that escapade, I was like no, were just going to have to do it the right way.

The Diet Doc has heard of the cleanses and more.

Oh! There are so many, he said of the gimmicks. Shakes, juicing and wraps seem to popular right now. Ive heard of coffee enemas, water pills, so many kinds of pills...

In the end, The Diet Doc says a successful weight loss journey includes consistent exercise, a sensible diet and forgiveness.

People tend to be hard on themselves when they mess up, he shares. I ask them if they would take to their best friends the same way they talk to themselves.

Politi agrees. Diet and exercise have helped her lose 30 pounds so far.

Negative self-talk doesnt work, she said. Everybody is going to try that quick fix or a crazy diet.

Eventually, you realize youre just going to have to work for it.

Original post:
No magic pill: Diet and exercise equal successful weight loss - Sierra Vista Herald

Every week, it seems another trendy weight loss beverage is making headlines take the craze over apple cider vinegar, which is sometimes abbreviated ACV.

ACV is made from crushed apples combined with yeast and bacteria for fermentation. Some alternative medicine experts are praising the acidic substance as a miracle diet remedy, saying that downing 1 tablespoon per day can help you drop a few pounds fast.

WHY YOUR SNACKING HABIT MAY BE LEADING TO WEIGHT GAIN

It is recommended to drink a tablespoon in a glass of water twice a day at the start of a meal to help you break down the food, especially carbohydrates, Mia Stern, a certified holistic wellness counselor and natural food chef, told Fox News. This effect is crucial for weight loss because carbohydrates that arent broken down effectively get stored in the body as fat rather than being used as energy.

Although ACV is packed with nutrients like vitamin C, folate, potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium, not all experts are convinced it can help you shed weight.

Much has been made of the weight loss effects of drinking apple cider vinegar, but only one study has been done that showed a benefit, Frances Largeman-Roth, RD, author of the book Eating in Color, told Fox News.

WINE AND WEIGHT LOSS: WHAT TO DRINK IF YOU'RE ON A DIET

The study, which was published in the August 2009 edition of the journal Biosceince, Biotechnology and Biochemistry, was conducted in Japan on a small group of obese but otherwise healthy people, and the results suggested only a minor weight loss benefit after 12 weeks, she explained.

For diabetic patients, adding apple cider vinegar to your diet may affect your blood sugar, Largeman-Rot said. The unfiltered variety partially blocks the digestion of some starch and can act as a probiotic, she explained.

10 FOODS THAT CAN HELP PREVENT DIABETES

Largeman-Roth added that, for most people, its perfectly safe to add a little apple cider vinegar to your diet, but if you have diabetes, you should talk to your doctor before trying it. Diabetes patients may risk serious illness or death if they do not keep their blood sugar controlled.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Visit link:
Can drinking apple cider vinegar lead to weight loss? - Fox News

Americans have a love, hate relationship with dieting. An estimated 45 million Americans go on a diet each year. They spend an average of $33 billion on weight-loss products in their pursuit of a trimmer, fitter body. What if you could never go on another diet and still lose weight and achieve optimal health?? The answer may be in your genes.

"Your requirement for food is as unique as your fingerprints. What works for one person may have little effect on another and often can make a third person worse," Dr. Ellen Fisher, M.D. of Stuart says. Dr. Fisher, an anesthesiologistwith advanced training in nutrition, has more than 23 years of experience using food as medicine.

"We are all biochemically unique, metabolically individual and have differing nutritional needs," she says.

She developed a customized nutrition plan based, "On the theory that every single person has a genetic requirement for food to be healthy. What we do is we test them and we call the result their genetic metabolic identity."

No blood is drawn. This "test" is a lengthy questionnaire about food, eating habits, emotional and physical health. She says you will fall into one of 3 categories. "What we say is you either prefer more carbs, prefer more proteins and fats or are mixed. You want to eat optimal foods and eliminate as many that are not good for you as you can."

Processed food and refined sugar are the first things to go. Dr. Fisher says the focus is on eating real food even some foods that you may think are forbidden. "People are like butter, I can eat butter, that's the beauty yes, it's a healthy, healthy fat. Margarine is processed, spreads are altered and processed."

Of course, those with a predisposition to heart disease or diabetes may want to trade that butter for something heart healthy like avocado.

"Once you know your genetic metabolic identity, we can direct you in the ratios of food, the proteins to carbs to fats, in other words, your fuel mix. And how do you know that you're eating the right fuel? It's how you feel after you eat. Are you full, craving, stuffed, energetic, sleepy, hyper, or are you balanced in your emotions?"

Dr. Fisher, says eating like this will lead to realistic weight loss. "You can lose 1/2-to-1 pound a week, that's 52 pounds in a year!!"

She says keep the focus on health, not the number on a scale. "What is success? People stop thinking about losing pounds, counting calories. They feel good, sleep better, come off medicines, who wouldn't want that."

Prices for Dr. Fisher's customized nutrition plans range from $375 to $1,100.

For more information: (772) 247-2477 or http://www.findingyourweigh.org

See the original post here:
Could your genes hold the key to weight loss and optimal health ... - WPTV.com

With summer and summer apparel coming, many people will take to their bathroom scales to see what havoc winter hath wrought. Of course, people like to look trim for cosmetic reasons, but NEWS FLASH: being overweight is far more importantly associated with increased morbidity (illness, disease) and mortality (death).

To put an individuals weight into better perspective, we doctors often measure a body mass index (BMI), which is body weight in kilograms divided by the square of a persons height in meters. A normal BMI is considered to be 18.5 to 24.9; 25.0 to 29.9 is overweight; 30.0 to 34.9 is obese, and anything higher than that is really obese.

BMI is not a perfect measurement because it cant tell the difference between lean body mass (muscle) and fat, i.e., a kilogram is a kilogram is a kilogram. But if you graph body mass index and mortality, the result looks like a half-pipe in a snowboarding competition: mortality rises sharply as weight rises, until we get flung into the afterlife attempting a tricky half-cab quadruple backflip.

In 2013, a study came out that seemed to shred this half-pipe BMI/mortality graph. It appeared that people with BMIs in the overweight range were actually healthier than those in the normal range, and that those in the mildest obese category did just as well as those with a normal BMI.

You dont have to drink beer to get this 'beer belly,' and this kind of fat seems to be far more unhealthy than the fat deposited just beneath the skin.

For public health officials, this was the equivalent of a study showing that light smokers were healthier than non-smokers. What!?! The results didnt make sense, and it didnt take long for experts to point out potential reasons why: smoking bucks the trend by lowering BMI but increasing mortality; and unintentional weight loss is typically a sign of ill health. Indeed, mortality rises for those with low BMIs.

A new study that came out earlier this month in Annals of Internal Medicine tried to clarify whether the BMI/mortality curve is indeed a clean half-pipe, or as the 2013 study suggested, one with a few moguls in it.

Researchers looked at data from three studies that followed over 200,000 nurses and doctors for 16 years. They used the participants maximum BMI over the entire study period, and for most of them, that was their most recent BMI. (Yes, we get bigger as we go.) But for some people, this was not the case they had once been obese, a BMI of 32 perhaps, but had now fallen into the normal range with a BMI of 24.

That should be good news, but since most weight loss is unintentional and an indicator of looming or active disease, this was actually ominous: disease was pushing these people into the normal BMI category and skewing the mortality data. When taking this into account, the BMI mortality graph looked like the predictable half pipe: being overweight was modestly unhealthy, and being obese was very unhealthy a dangerous Backside Triple Cork 1620.

An accompanying editorial by Jean-Pierre Desprs, a Canadian expert on cardiometabolic risk factors, put this latest research into a sharper clinical perspective.

Desprs reemphasizes that body mass index is imperfect because it cannot tell the difference between lean body mass and fat, or where the fat is. And thats important because to humans, fat is like real estate: location matters.

So-called visceral fat is fat deposited in normally lean tissues such as the liver, heart or skeletal muscle, and perhaps most prominently in the drapery of tissue called the omentum that surrounds the intestines. You dont have to drink beer to get this beer belly, also called central obesity, and this kind of fat seems to be far more unhealthy than the fat deposited just beneath the skin.

Although being in the overweight category (a BMI of 25 to 29.9) only modestly increases mortality risk, the editorial points out that the overweight category also has the largest individual variation in both body composition and body fat distribution. Overweight people with central obesity, perhaps best measured by a waist-to-hip ratio, had more than modest risk. Conversely, those with excess weight, but no beer belly, were at less than modest risk.

In a 2015 paper in The Canadian Journal of Cardiology, Desprs argues that weight loss should not be the sole target. He pointed out that weight loss studies using calorie deprivation alone have shown few cardiovascular benefits, while studies that emphasized good nutrition (not just limiting calories, but offering healthier calories) showed improved outcomes.

He also noted the fat and fit phenomenon, where people who are abdominally obese but still very active have a markedly lower risk of heart disease than inactive individuals.

Desprs suggests six simple public health messages that might be more nuanced and helpful than the drop the weight, BMI-centric mantra.

One suggests placing less emphasis on calorie restriction and more on nutritional quality, and another suggests an improved focus on waist loss, not just weight loss.

Three of the six emphasize physical activity and fitness, and you can get some of that simply by trying to figure out where in the world you put your summer clothes.

Twin Cities Public Television - 2017. All rights reserved.

Here is the original post:
Why 'Waist Loss' Is More Important Than 'Weight Loss' - Next Avenue

It sounds counterintuitive, but the fat found in coconut oil can actually help your body burn fat, says certified nutritionist and naturopathic physician Bruce Fife, author of The Coconut Oil Miracle and president of the Coconut Research Center. How? The saturated fat found in coconut oil and palm kernel oil is made of different fatty acids than other oils (think seed, canola, and avocado). These medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) take another route through the digestive system and end up competing with glucose to become the body's preferred energy source, according to Dr. Fife. When cells use MCTs instead of glucose for fuel, the body's metabolism is boosted for up to 24 hours, says Dr. Fife. That means you'll burn calories even when you're sitting at your desk, driving, or watching Netflix.

Getty Images

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

But what about all the bad things you've heard about saturated fat? While the American Heart Association has long recommended a diet low in saturated fats to prevent heart disease, an editorial published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine last April seems to have shattered the myth that saturated fats clog arteries. In fact, a 2004 study that still holds true today found that, in postmenopausal women with coronary heart disease, a "greater intake of saturated fat was associated with less progression of atherosclerosis [plaque build-up in artery walls] whereas carbohydrate and polyunsaturated fat intake were associated with greater progression."

Women who have a high total cholesterol (TC) to high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "the good cholesterol") ratioan indicator of high cardiovascular disease riskcan "replace refined carbohydrates with healthy high fat foods, such as coconut oil, to rapidly drop" that ratio, says Dr. Fife. He recommends using organic, unrefined, virgin coconut oil, which has the least amount of processing. However, if you can't stand that coconut taste or smell, opt for a refined versionbuying organic will ensure it was refined using steam, not chemicals.

Here are five ways to get started using coconut oil for weight loss:

Coconut oil satiates your hunger for longer periods of time compared to other fats. Just adding it to your breakfast, by stirring a spoonful into your coffee, for instance, "will keep you satisfied longer," says Dr. Fife. "You'll have less of a tendency want to snack between meals, and when the next meal comes around you won't be so starving you overeat."

Getty Images

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Introduce coconut oil to your diet by using it as a substitute for margarine, vegetable oil, and/or olive oil. Or simply eat a tablespoon at a time, increasing the amount until you feel satiated and are still losing weight without going over your calorie limit.

One way to kick-start weight loss and end yo-yo dieting is to trick your body into thinking it has enough fat already so it stops storing it. We need fat in our diets to lose excess weight and keep it off, according to Dr. Fife. Fats help build cell membranes, certain hormones, and connective tissues, among other things. Low-fat diets encourage the body to burn sugar for energy, but high-fat diets give it the energy and building materials it needs to begin building and repairing with fat instead of storing it.

Getty Images

Liquid coconut oil can be added to salad dressing or homemade mayonnaise to help digestion and maximize nutrient uptake, says Fife.

When making white rice, adding a teaspoon of coconut oil to the boiling water for every half-cup of rice may reduce the number of calories your body takes in by 50 to 60 percent, according to research presented at the 2015 National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society. The trick is to let the coconut-oil water and rice simmer for 20 to 40 minutes, then refrigerate it for 12 hours.

Getty Images

For more in-depth advice on how to use coconut oil for weight loss check out The Coconut Ketogenic Diet.

I Lost 169 Lbs And It Totally Transformed My Face

29 Weight Loss Tips From Women Who Lost 100 Pounds

Follow Woman's Day on Instagram.

See the original post:
5 Easy Ways to Use Coconut Oil for Weight Loss - WomansDay.com (blog)

Astudy has concluded that our fundamental knowledge of salt is apparently totally off base and this news will make lovers of salty food quite hopeful.

According to an April 2017 study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, German scientists found that people who eat more salt are actually less thirsty than originally thought, although hungrier. They also discovered that the more salt mice consumed, the more calories they burned. In fact, these rodents needed to take in 25 percent more foodjust to maintain their weight.

Jens Titze, the lead author, has been studying this topic since 1991, when he was a medical student in Berlin, according to a report from the New York Times. This investigation eventually led to examining the effect a high-sodium diet had on crew members from a Russian space program, as well as mice.

So should salt be considered the newest weight loss food?

Its hard to say based on limited data, Randy Wexler,M.D., an associate professorof family medicine at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells Yahoo Beauty. We do, at times, become surprised at what we thought we knew. However, this requires more evaluation to know if this is true.

Erin Palinski-Wade, author of Belly Fat Diet for Dummies, explains to Yahoo Beauty that according to the study findings, high sodium intake triggered an increasing production of glucocorticoid hormones to break down fat and muscle. And this does require energy, so it would indicate that calorie expenditure may increase with a high sodium diet, she says. However, increased appetite was also seen with elevated sodium intakes, so I would not recommend this strategy as a form of weight loss.

As for the currently understood role sodium plays in weight, Wexler states that at its most basic level, increased sodium causes water retention, which leads to weight gain. However, in general, the body reaches a steady state or if the salt load was temporary, then the individual will go through diuresis [urinate more], and weight will usually return to baseline, he continues. As for salt stimulating weight fluctuations through other mechanisms, it is conceivable but still not possible to say.

Palinski-Wade adds that further research may also conclude that high-sodium diets may not lead to weight gain. Yet in real-life settings, diets rich in sodium are usually this way due to an increased intake of processed foods, she explains. If you eat a diet high in sodium from fast foods, processed foods, excessive snacks, etc., you are most likely also taking in a diet rich in refined carbohydrates, saturated fats, and calories, which would cause weight gain regardless of your sodium intake.

Both experts also agree that salt regulation remains a complex issue.

For example, we know salt also causes changes in cardiac function and the pliability of blood vessels in a manner separate from water retention, which can impact cardiac function, says Wexler. Salt also plays a role in any number of body mechanisms, though it is not always clear. The bottom line is we are still learning much about salt and how it impacts the body, which can be said of many things about how the body works.

And Palinski-Wade points out that separate research suggests that some individuals are more sodium sensitive than others, which calls into question whether studies such as this current one apply to the general population or just a percentage of people.

As a nutrition professional, my ultimate goal is to have my weight loss clients focus on a nutrient-rich diet filled with vegetables, fruits, fiber, and whole grains, along with lean proteins and plant-based fats, Palinski-Wade concludes. Although sodium should be a focus, a well-rounded diet that is focused on whole foods over processed foods is, in my opinion, a more important focus.

Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty.

See the article here:
Eating Salt May Actually Help With Weight Loss, New Research Suggests - Yahoo Health