Miami Heat forward James Johnson, drives to the basket against Philadelphias Robert Covington, in the second quarter of the Miami Heat vs Philadelphia 76ERS, NBA game at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami on Wednesday, March 01, 2017. (Pedro Portal/Miami Herald/TNS)

MIAMI Weight loss programs use before-and-after photos to attract customers to their service. The Heat use before and after photos to attract players to their culture.

James Johnson is proof.

The Heat forward has never been in this kind of shape before. Over the first seven seasons of his NBA career, the 6-foot-9 Johnson didnt make his body a priority as he arrived to Miami this summer at 275 pounds with 14.5 percent body fat.

Just 64 games into his first season with the Heat, Johnson is down to 238 pounds and 6.75 percent body fat. He missed Mondays win over the Cavaliers more out of precaution after receiving three stitches to close a cut on his right elbow from Saturday, but Johnson hopes to return for Wednesdays home game against the Hornets.

What got the 30-year-old Johnson to finally make his body a priority after seven mediocre NBA seasons?

Was it the fact that Johnson was forced to take an underwhelming one-year deal worth $4 million this past summer in the middle of a free agency period that included unprecedented spending? Or was Johnson tired of just scratching the surface of how good of a player he could be?

Probably a little bit of both. But the Heat deserve some credit, too.

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[James Johnson the reason Heat players say Rodney McGruder has honeydew meloneyes]

Johnson remembers arriving to Miami this past summer and being asked to take a shirtless picture for a before-and-after photo series the team had planned for him.

I never had done a before-and-after, Johnson said referring to his previous NBA stops in Chicago, Toronto, Sacramento and Memphis. We got in there and they told me I had to take off my shirt. We had to take a before picture. It was weird to me. It was really weird to me. I thought I was going to be the only one because I came in something huge. I thought they were going to show me progress or what I dont want to get back to.

But Johnson is not the only player the Heat have asked to do this. It didnt take him long to realize that.

I ran through their iPad magazine, Johnson said. It was like a magazine, their iPad, their own accomplishments with other players and I saw it with my own eyes. And from the point I saw that iPad, I wanted to change myself.

Johnson said there were a ton of Heat weight-loss success stories on the iPad that blew him away, but he singled out Joe Johnson as the guy who really caught his eye. Why? Joe spent just the final three months of the 2015-16 season with the Heat and he was still able to change his body like that.

It has a lot to do with the player, but all the compliments and all the rewards should go to the Forans, Johnson said.

Thats Heat strength and conditioning coach Bill Foran, and his son and assistant strength and conditioning coach Eric Foran. Even though Johnson will be an unrestricted free agent this summer with a big pay raise expected to come his way, he plans on keeping the Forans close by as he works to keep from putting weight back on in the offseason.

I dont think Im going to leave Eric Foran or Bill Forans side during the summer, Johnson said with a smile. I dont think this is it for me. I still feel I have a long way to go and I want to get there body wise. I think the game will follow.

Johnsons new and improved body has already produced a new and improved game. Hes averaging career highs in points (12.1), 3-point percentage (33.9), rebounds (4.9) and assists (3.4) off the bench in his first season with the Heat.

On the defensive end, Johnson has been just as effective. Among players who have played at least 30 games this season, he ranks seventh in the NBA with an opponent field goal percentage of 39.1 percent.

I love where hes going, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Johnson. We want to continue to be open to where he can get to next. Hopefully were not going to stop here. Hopefully theres another level or two or three, whatever it may be, that he can get to.

And as the weight drips off of him, Johnson feels like a more agile and athletic version of his former shelf. This is coming from a man who could already do a running front flip and a standing back flip before losing the weight, and is also a second-degree back belt with a 21-0 record in kickboxing and 7-0 record in mixed martial arts bouts (and says he can roundhouse kick a wedged basketball off the rim).

I feel like that the more weight I lose, the more I unleash skills that I didnt think I was capable of having or doing, Johnson said. Just being able to do more things agility wise. I can move, cut through smaller spaces, and definitely give more effort out there in the game. I can go from 100 effort to 150 now.

A clean diet has been a big part of Johnsons weight loss program. Hes eating out less and eating more home-cooked meals.

Just ask Johnson if the Heat culture is a real thing and hell give you a testimonial thats stronger than most of the ones you hear in weight-loss program commercials.

Its super real, Johnson said. This culture is real. Not only that, you know the kind of practices we have. We have those kind of practices where you cant go out and hang out all night and think youre going to be able to come to practice and really go hard because Ill call you out, everybody on this team will call you out. We wont leave it to the coaches to call you out. We take care of that ourselves. Thats the inside of this locker room.

Now, Johnson doesnt have to look through the Heats iPad for weight-loss success stories. His own incredible before-and-after photo was sitting at his locker before Wednesdays home win over the 76ers.

One of my most happiest moments, Johnson said, looking back at when he first saw the photo.

I even had to call my old lady and say, Yo, Im sorry you had to be with this guy. I didnt know it was that bad. She was at the pool with me and Im thinking Im good. But they were really just staring at her the whole time, I guess. Its just good motivation and its a good reminder not to go back.

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Women's Health

What Happens To Your Weight Loss When You Do The Same Workout Every Day Women's Health And that's exactly what's going to burn the most calories and build the most lean muscle, which is clutch for weight loss. (Dance your way fit with High-Intensity Dance Cardio, the first-ever socanomics DVD!) Remember, your body is a master adapter ...

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Photo: Rostislav Sedlacek / Rostislav Sedlacek /Fotolia

The Connecticut Better Business Bureau urges those seeking speedy weight loss to be careful, as many of these methods can be hazardous to ones health.

The Connecticut Better Business Bureau urges those seeking speedy weight loss to be careful, as many of these methods can be hazardous to ones health.

BBB: Look out for weight-loss scams

With 2017 already nearing the end of its first quarter, odds are that most New Years resolutions to lose weight have long been ditched. But there are likely those still looking to reduce, but who dont want to go about it the old-fashioned, labor intensive way.

However, the Connecticut Better Business Bureau urges those seeking speedy weight loss to be careful, as many of these methods can be hazardous to ones health.

Consumers who have had little or no success losing weight with the traditional approach often turn to alternative weight loss methods. They include prepared meal programs, protein bars, shakes, diet books and weight loss supplements. According to an estimate from Marketdata Enterprises, Americans spend a staggering $60 billion annually trying to lose weight.

Consumers dont have to look very hard to find an ad for a product that makes exaggerated claims about its effectiveness and typical weight loss results, said Connecticut Better Business Bureau spokesman Howard Schwartz in a news release. Ads for weight loss supplements may make unrealistic promises, and some ads are illustrated with faked before and after photos. Some sellers even set up fake news sites to peddle their products.

According to the Better Business Bureau, weight-loss supplements seldom live up to their inflated promises, and regulators say the industry is fraught with misinformation. In the last decade, the FDA has brought more than 80 actions against companies making deceptive weight loss claims.

The FDA is not charged with regulating the supplements,though some of the pills, capsules and powders have been pulled off the market because they were tied to problems such as increased risk of heart attack, stroke, hepatitis, jaundice, heart damage and lung disease.

Consumers can encounter different problems with health clubs and gyms, including difficulties canceling contracts, unauthorized billing and the sudden closure of an exercise facility.

Starting off National Consumer Protection Week, Better Business Bureau and Department of Consumer P offer these tips to avoid problems with weight loss businesses and supplements:

1. Check with a physician before taking any non-prescription weight loss supplement to determine whether it is potentially dangerous or may interfere with medicine for existing medical conditions.

2. Ask your doctor whether you are a candidate for a weight loss medical procedure or prescribed medication.

3. Be skeptical of products that promise miraculous results in a short time frame.

4. Consumers can verify that their health club is properly licensed by visiting elicense.ct.gov, and research a prospective facility at bbb.org, to see what other consumers have to say about their experience with the facility.

5. If a health club closes abruptly, consumers holding contracts may be eligible for relief from the Health Club Guaranty Fund.

Consumers with complaints regarding health clubs are urged to file a complaint with Better Business Bureau and contacting DCP by email at DCP.frauds@ct.gov, or calling 860-713-6100.

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BBB: Look out for weight-loss scams - CT Post

Then strength training muscled its way into the spotlight as the must-do move for revving your metabolism and losing weight in your sleep, prompting many exercise enthusiasts to join #TeamNoCardio.

So a few years ago, Duke University researchers took to the lab and conducted the largest study of its kind to compare the two and get an answer once and for all.

The cardio group lost about 4 pounds while their resistance training peers gained two. Yes, the weight gain was attributed to added lean mass.

However, that muscle mass didn't lead to any meaningful fat loss over the course of the study. In fact, the aerobics only group shed more than 3 pounds of fat while the lifters didn't lose a single pound despite the fact that they actually exercised 47 more minutes each week than the cardio group.

Not surprisingly, the cardio-plus-resistance group improved their body composition best -- losing the most fat while adding some lean mass. But they also spent twice as much time in the gym.

It's simple math, says study co-author Cris Slentz, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at Duke University. "Minute per minute, cardio burns more calories, so it works best for reducing fat mass and body mass."

That's not to say that you shouldn't lift weights, especially as you get older and start losing muscle mass, he notes. "Resistance training is important for maintaining lean body mass, strength and function, and being functionally fit is important for daily living no matter what your size."

That means more calories burned.

It's also important to remember one essential fact about exercise and weight loss, says Slentz. "Exercise by itself will not lead to big weight loss. What and how much you eat has a far greater impact on how much weight you lose," he says.

That's because it's far easier to take in less energy (calories) than it is to burn significant amounts and it's very easy to cancel out the few hundred calories you've burned working out with just one snack.

Where exercise appears to matter most is for preventing weight gain, or for keeping off pounds once you've lost weight, says Slentz. "Exercise seems to work best for body weight control," he says.

The National Weight Control Registry, which since 1994 has tracked more than 10,000 people who shed an average of 66 pounds and kept it off for at least five years, would agree.

Ninety percent of successful weight loss maintainers exercise for about an hour a day and their activity of choice is cardio, simply walking.

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Cardio vs. weights: Which is actually better for weight loss? - CNN

March 6, 2017

COURTESY PHOTO Pictured is Dr. Shalva Sol Nash.

By BILL BROTHERTON

LYNN More than one-third of Americans are overweight or obese, according to the most recent findings of the Centers for Disease Control. And every year those numbers increase.

Dr. Shalva Sol Nash, who has owned and operated Brookline-based Weightloss Boston since 2002, has had great success using the holistic Sadkhin weight-loss method. Nash is expanding his practice to Lynn, opening an office at 20 Central Ave. in the building that houses Lynn Community Health Center.

Nash says his patients have achieved substantial weight loss without pills, heavy exercise or prepared foods. He adds the Sadkhin method facilitates naturopathic, drug-free and rapid weight loss using acupressure to curb the hunger and cravings typically associated with a restricted diet.

I use an acupuncture technique, where small steel beads are placed behind the ear and held in place with surgical tape, said Nash. He said there are 16 bioreactive pressure points in the body, and the stimulating beads are put in different spots to target specific organs, suppressing hunger and fighting fat deposits. Clients must be 18 or older, and an office visit to change the placement of the beads is required every 10 days.

Plus the patient must follow an initial dietary plan/cleansing program (fruits, vegetables, yogurt, milk) that promotes safe weight loss.

One client suffered from diabetes and had (blood sugar levels) numbers of 230 when she first met with us, said Nash. She followed the program and, gradually, the dosage of her medication was reduced. Finally, her numbers were down to 70 and she took no more insulin. She also lost a lot of weight.

Harrington spreads goodwill overseas

Nash was a medical doctor in Russia, having graduated from First Moscow State Medical University, before coming to the United States in 1997. Dissuaded by the intensive, years-long process to get accreditation in this country, Nash, who lives in Lynn, first worked as a phlebotomist at Beth Israel Medical Center and then as an EKG technician at Cambridge Hospital before training with Dr. Grigory Sadkhin in New York. He said he is one of the few licensed Sadkhin practitioners in New England, the only one in Massachusetts. He says many of his clients live on the North Shore, and the Lynn office will eliminate their commute to Brookline.

For more information, go to weightlossboston.com or call 617-277-8844.

Bill Brotherton is The Items Features Editor. He can be reached at bbrotherton@itemlive.com.

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Weight-loss doctor expanding practice - Daily Item

Men's Health

This Guy Went From Eating 10000 Calories Per Day to Losing 370 Pounds Men's Health Anyone who's ever tried to lose even a few pounds knows how hard it is to keep the weight off permanently. But for one man who lost 370 pounds, the weight loss wasn't the hardest part -- it was dealing with the excess skin afterward. Florida resident ... and more »

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News & Observer

Need to lose weight safely? Win a copy of 'The Mayo Clinic Diet' News & Observer The second edition of the bestselling book The Mayo Clinic Diet (Mayo Clinic, $27.99) is a revised and updated guide to a healthy and safe way to lose weight and keep it off. This is the first diet developed exclusively by the Mayo Clinic, and it ...

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Need to lose weight safely? Win a copy of 'The Mayo Clinic Diet' - News & Observer

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While most of us are stalking our favorite celebrities to read about the crazy new diet they're trying or the detox they swear by, Timothy Caulfield has made a living out of debunking them. You wouldn't guess he's the sort to try the Gwyneth Paltrow-backed Clean Cleanse or experiment with cryotherapy, which claims to literally freeze your fat off, by his official profile on the University of Alberta website. He's a law professor there and the Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy. But scroll past the stem cell and chronic disease jargon and you'll notice something funny in the last line of his bio: Caulfield's the author of a book called Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?: When Celebrity Culture and Science Clash.

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One click through to his Twitter page verifies that this is Caulfield's real passion. He's not buying Paltrow's goop and he doesn't think you should, either. Here are three things he wants you to remember.

In his book, Caulfield confesses something after being on Gwyneth's Clean Cleanse for a few days. "You will lose weight, temporarily, on a cleanse as I was clearly doing but it has absolutely nothing to do with the removal of toxins. The weight loss that happens on a cleanse is the direct result of two factors: eating fewer calories and monitoring what you are eating, which leads to eating fewer calories." At the end of the day, dieting (when done right and safely) is just eating healthfully, and your body will reap the benefits as long as you're keeping up the hard work. Apparently Tom and Gisele have the willpower to eat like damn patriots for the rest of their lives, and Taylor Swift can shake off sugar for the foreseeable future. Can you? As Caulfield put it: "Three weeks after my cleanse: All the weight is back on my old, flabby frame. Infuriating."

If there's one subject Caulfield harped on most in his book and on the phone with us, it's that there's no such thing as a scientifically backed detox. "Despite the remarkable popularity of the practice, there is absolutely no evidence to support the idea that we need to detoxify our bodies in the manner suggested by the cleansing industry," Caulfield writes. That's what your organs are for, and unless they aren't functioning properly, they're taking care of the detoxification process on a daily basis. So Beyonce's Master Cleanse and the teatox trend that every celebrity and their mother is trying? Not worth your time or money.

Sometimes they fall prey to the same scams we do. Kate Hudson, a supporter of the Alkaline Diet, has remained mum since its founder faced jail time for practicing medicine without a license. What's more, sometimes they don't believe what they're posting about on Instagram or Facebook. The world of celebrity endorsements is lucrative: Stars stand to make anywhere from $3,000 to $250,000, depending on the size of their following. I mean, what would you promote for that kind of pocket change?

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PEOPLE.com

Experts Explain How to Tell If Your Breastfed Baby Is Getting Enough Nutrients PEOPLE.com According to studies, she adds, It has been shown that 10% of vaginally-delivered, healthy term EBF [exclusively breast-fed] babies and 25% of cesarean-delivered, healthy term EBF babies experience excessive weight loss of more than 10% from ... and more »

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Experts Explain How to Tell If Your Breastfed Baby Is Getting Enough Nutrients - PEOPLE.com

The Sport Review

Protein World: The Slender Blend review The Sport Review There are loads of products on sale these days to help you lose weight fast and get lean in a healthy way. But we were really excited to try out Protein World's Slender Blend because of the positive reviews we have read about the British company's ...

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Protein World: The Slender Blend review - The Sport Review