Tag Archives: Dieting

Health

‘Reverse Dieting’ Is Not a Weight Loss Cheat Code

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To hear the TikTok girlies tell it, there’s a hack that will let you EAT MORE FOOD! While NOT GAINING WEIGHT! And it’s great if you are SICK OF DIETING! Never mind that one can achieve all those goals by a simple trick called “not dieting anymore.” No, it needs a name and a strict protocol: reverse dieting.

The basic idea of reverse dieting is that you slowly add a few more calories to your diet every week. So s you normally maintain your weight on 2,000 calories per day, but you’ve been eating 1,500 calories to lose weight. You might then “reverse diet” by eating 1,600 calories a day next week, 1,700 calories a day the week after that, and so on. Eventually you’ll be back up to 2,000 calories, or maybe even more.

This is not a trend that originated on TikTok. The term seems to have come from bodybuilders, whose sport requires that they engage in extreme cycles of bulking (gaining weight to gain muscle mass) and cutting (losing as much fat as possible before stepping on a stage). While the process can create dazzling physiques, it also fucks with your metabolism and overall health.

Reverse dieting is one approach for transitioning from an extreme cut, to maintenance or bulking: Instead of just pigging out the day after your bodybuilding show, you might rather slowly increase the amount of food you eat as you find your maintenance calories again.

This idea spawned the current trend of influencers pitching reverse dieting as the cure for all your diet-related complaints. But it doesn’t work that way.

The science behind reverse dieting

Some of the claims you’ll hear from thin women flexing their abs on TikTok, and from the bodybuilders saying to just trust them, bro, are true. Among them:

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  • Your metabolism adapts to dieting, so over time you have to eat less and less food to keep losing weight (this is a known thing).
  • After dieting a long time, you may be eating a miserably low number of calories.
  • Eating more food will allow your body to stop being so stingy with the calories, and can increase the number of calories your body burns.
  • After increasing your calories, someday you may be able to lose weight again while eating more food than when you were in the depths of your diet.

There are also a number of untruths and half-truths that come up. You may hear that increasing your calories too fast after a diet will make your body pack on fat, or that you can add 1,000 calories and still be losing weight, or something something hormones something cortisol. (Scroll long enough on fitness TikTok and somebody will explain that all your problems are due to cortisol. Take a drink.)

In any case, this is where “reverse dieting” comes in. Supposedly the cure to all of these ills is simply that you need to add 50 to 100 calories to your diet each week. The process is slow and requires patience, but stick to it and you too could look like this girl (imagine me moving my head to point at the before-and-after photos I’ve greenscreened behind me) on 2,400 calories instead of 1,200.

So what’s actually true about reverse dieting, and why is everybody so into it? Let’s take a closer look.

When it goes right, “reverse dieting” is just “not dieting” but with more rules

After reading all of those bullet points above, you might think, OK, so why not just stop dieting? You’ll get to eat more food, your body will burn more calories, and from there you can either diet again or—crazy idea here—just not diet anymore. Heck, you could give gaining weight a try.

And that is, in fact, the real answer. Just stop dieting. The world will not end. You can eat food again, and you will be fine. So why reverse diet?

As Eric Trexler, a nutrition and metabolism researcher, puts it here, the original reverse dieters’ goal was to smoothly transition from a calorie deficit, to maintenance, to their first bulk after a bodybuilding contest without gaining any more fat than they needed to. One problem with this approach is that after bodybuilders diet that hard, they need to regain fat. You can’t stay dangerously lean forever, and that’s true whether you’re a meathead or a TikTok girlie.

On social media, reverse dieting is often described as a way of continuing to diet while eating more calories. It’s true that if you’re in a 500 calorie deficit and you’re only adding 50 calories a week, you’ll continue to be in a deficit for a very long time—10 weeks, at that rate. Trexler notes that “this would serve only to delay even the most basic and immediate aspects of recovery, and make [the dieter’s] life unnecessarily difficult.”

Reverse dieting is not a cure for chronic dieting

There are two things going on here, I think. One is relatively harmless. Let’s say you’ve been on a diet and you’re ready to start gaining weight. Instead of eating an extra 1000 calories each day (to go from a 500 calorie deficit to a 500 calorie surplus), you can eat an extra few hundred this week, and add a few hundred more next week, and so on. You’ll be less surprised by changes in your weight (eating more food means there’s more food in your belly, so the scale might tick up a bit just from that) and it may be easier to figure out approximately how many calories you should eat going forward.

But that’s not how it’s being described on social media. Thin women are telling chronic dieters that they can eat more food while continuing to be very thin, if only they follow a strict reverse dieting protocol. But the strictness and the expectations can be damaging on their own.

For an extreme example, check out this video from a registered dietitian and eating disorder specialist. She describes a woman who was getting help for eating disorder recovery. The woman had such a low body weight, with associated health issues, that the dietitian says she “need[ed] to gain weight immediately.” But instead of following guidance from her care team that would have her gaining a pound a week, she secretly put herself on a reverse diet protocol. By adding just 50 calories each week to the too-low amount she was already eating, it took her three months to gain a whole pound of body mass—basically delaying her recovery by three months.

And here’s where I think we need to take a closer look at why reverse dieting posts are so popular in corners of social media that are focused on weight loss. While eating more sounds healthier—it’s a good start!—following a strict reverse diet is just another way of restricting.

Reverse dieting is sometimes just a way to restrict more

Let’s say, as in many of the examples on TikTok, that you are somebody currently eating 1,200 calories (officially a starvation diet) and no longer losing weight. Even if you are a small woman who never exercises—maybe because you don’t have the energy?—a healthy amount of daily calories will likely be 1,600 or more. So you’re supposed to eat 1,250 next week? And then 1,300 the week after that? At that rate, it would take eight weeks to get you up to the number that should be mere maintenance for you. Even if you don’t have an eating disorder, you’re creating the same problem for yourself as the ED patient in the dietitian’s case study.

What’s even more concerning to me is that 50 or even 100 calories is an extremely precise amount. If I’m aiming to eat 2,000 calories a day, maybe some days I’ll have 1,950 and some days I’ll have 2,100. Over time it balances out. But if you’re trying to hit exactly 1,850 and not 1,900 (because 1,900 is next week’s target) you’ll have to track your food meticulously. This is the kind of lifestyle where you’ll be weighing your toast before and after you spread the peanut butter, and you won’t want to eat at a restaurant, because how many calories are in each menu item? What if they’re heavy handed with the sauce?

In my scroll through #reversedieting TikTok, I found women saying that they had to miss out on family meals and deal with concern from their friends during their reverse diet. Clearly, they have not taken a step very far out of diet-land. For these folks, it actually seems like the “reverse” is essentially a way of extending their diet. You could be eating at maintenance for those eight weeks, but you’re restricting instead. And then what? Reverse dieting is often described as a way of increasing your calorie burn so you can diet again.

Even when the influencers show themselves gaining muscle and eating genuinely healthy numbers of calories (assuming that the numbers they cite are true), it’s still all couched in language around leanness and thinness, and features photos of their abs. Prioritizing leanness even while gaining muscle is some backwards-ass shit. It’s okay to not be able to see your abs while you are trying to make yourself bigger. As strongman JF Caron famously put it, “abs is not a thing of power. Is just a sign you don’t eat enough.”

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Health

Intermittent Fasting May Not Affect Your Chances of Weight Loss, Study Suggests

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New research casts doubt on certain claimed benefits of intermittent fasting, finding no link between a person’s timing of meals and their chances of long-term weight loss. The frequency and size of people’s meals, however, was linked to modest changes in weight.

Scientists from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health recruited adult patients from one of three major health care systems to use an app (“Daily 24”) where they would report their sleeping and eating habits for up to six months. These reports were then used as a barometer for people’s routine eating and sleeping behavior. The researchers also kept track of the volunteers’ health outcomes, including weight, before and after the study began through their electronic medical records. About 550 people used the app during the study period, and the researchers were able to track these people’s weight over an average length of six years.

The team found no significant association between the timing of meals and annual changes in weight in their study sample. People who reported skipping breakfast or taking long breaks between meals, for instance, didn’t noticeably lose or gain any more weight on average than those who didn’t do that. The findings were published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

This type of study is known as observational research, which can only be used to find correlations between two variables, not necessarily a cause-and-effect relationship. And this study in particular wasn’t measuring what might happen to people who newly decide to start intermittent fasting, but rather the possible effects of someone’s regular eating habits on their weight over time. That said, several small trials, including one published last April, have tracked people as they started dieting and have found that intermittent fasting may not provide any added weight loss over a typical eating schedule.

“Based on other studies that have come out, including ours, we are starting to think that timing of meals through the day most likely doesn’t immediately result in weight loss,” lead author Wendy Bennett, an associate professor of medicine in the division of general internal medicine at Johns Hopkins, told CNN.

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Bennett and other researchers studying the topic have cautioned that their results don’t necessarily rule out that intermittent fasting can have some unique positives. It’s possible that some populations, such as those with type 2 diabetes, could experience greater weight loss than they would otherwise while fasting. And for some people, intermittent fasting might simply be easier or preferable as a way to keep track of their eating.

Still, for those who are trying to diet, these findings suggest that there are other patterns they should be more mindful about than timing. The study found that people who ate more frequent medium or large meals during the day gained modest amounts of weight over time (up to two pounds a year linked to every extra meal a day on average). Conversely, eating many small meals throughout the day was linked to a small amount of annual weight loss.

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Health

Don’t Waste Your Time With These Terrible Diet Tips

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It’s the new year and everybody’s on a diet—I mean, a wellness journey. Whether you want to lose weight or not is none of my business, but I do beg you to please, please let all the following silly weight loss “hacks” die. Many of them verge on disordered eating behaviors, while others are just ways to make yourself miserable for no reason.

(By the way, if you feel like your relationship with food is out of control, the National Eating Disorders Association has a screening tool, helpline, and more resources here.)

Smaller plates don’t make us eat less

This one is a classic: Serving yourself on a smaller plate is supposed to make a small amount of food look bigger. Therefore, you’ll eat less food overall, and eventually lose weight.

But our brains and bodies are too smart to actually be tricked by that. The idea that smaller plates promote smaller portions came from a lab that was later found to be engaging in sketchy research practices. Other labs ran their own plate size experiments and found that people usually don’t eat less when given smaller plates. What’s more, we get better at estimating portion sizes when we’re hungry. The small plate hack wasn’t fooling us after all.

Drinking a glass of water isn’t going to satisfy your hunger

There’s a common healthy eating tip that says if you’re hungry, you should have a big glass of water, because sometimes our bodies can’t tell hunger and thirst cues apart.

But there’s no evidence that this is true, or that drinking a glass of water will help. One of the oft-cited papers on hunger, thirst, eating, and drinking found that we actually get a little hungrier after drinking—so even if it were true that our bodies mix up the signals, the proposed solution isn’t likely to help.

Ultimately, there is nothing wrong with drinking a glass of water if you think you might like one, whether you’re hungry or not. But don’t fool yourself into thinking that hunger pangs are your body telling you that you’re thirsty. Your body knows the difference between food and water, okay? That’s why you haven’t starved or dehydrated to death yet.

It’s not necessarily a good idea to eat like a bodybuilder

There’s a stereotype about bodybuilders eating nothing but chicken breast, brown rice, and broccoli out of little plastic containers. They eat with discipline and end up shredded, so this must be a healthy meal choice, right?

While it can be a fine meal if you enjoy it, this combination is not the best or only way to meal prep—especially if you aren’t a fan of the individual components. Chicken breast and rice are both notoriously unforgiving when it comes to meal prep, anyway. They tend to dry out, especially if you prepare them without marinades or sauces.

So ditch your idea of what healthy food looks like, and make a plan that involves foods you actually enjoy. Upgrade to chicken thighs, learn to use a good marinade, throw that dry rice in a waffle maker, or just make an entirely different recipe. It’s okay for food to taste good.

Oh, and while we’re discussing bodybuilder habits: no, eating many small meals does not “boost” your metabolism.

It’s a diet, not a lifestyle change

This last one isn’t so much a hack as an oft-repeated platitude: “It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change.” If you’re trying to lose weight, please do not make this a lifelong process. Dieting is the act of deliberately undernourishing yourself. If you want or need to do it for a short time, then own that choice, and do it in the healthiest manner you’re able. But once you’ve lost some weight, get back to fully nourishing your body again.

After all, it would not be healthy or smart to lose weight forever. Since the way we lose weight is by eating fewer calories than we burn, the exact meals and habits that help us lose weight are not going to be the ones that help us maintain our ideal weight once we get there. At the very least, you’ll have to increase your portions.

So if you feel like your current diet or habits need to change, make sure to separate out what should change in general (example: cook at home more often) and what should change temporarily (example: smaller portions). Healthy eating and undereating are not at all the same thing.

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Health

Bacteria Inside You May Explain Why Weight Piles on After Dieting : ScienceAlert

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Restricting our food intake can result in a range of health benefits, including reducing the risk of obesity. But when the dieting stops, the weight often piles back on, and a new study in mice may have identified why.

Scientists from the Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and the Chinese Academy of Sciences think they may have identified the bacteria responsible for the change in metabolism.

In trials involving mice being put through 10 different dieting protocols, species of Lactobacillus and their metabolites were shown to increase in the guts of the animals once their fasting ended and they were reintroduced to a less restricted diet. That microbiome change, the researchers discovered, assisted the intestinal tissues in absorbing more fat.

It’s likely that the same process happens in the guts of humans, and periods of intermittent fasting or controlling calorie intake encourages the gut to increase its ability to extract fat from our diet, making it more likely for weight to be regained.

“Weight regain after dieting is still a big challenge, and the underlying mechanisms remain largely elusive,” write the researchers in their published paper.

“Here we show that refeeding after various types of dieting induces quick fat accumulation in mice and enhanced intestinal lipid absorption contributes to post-dieting fat mass increase.”

The precise chemical changes that coincided with increased levels of gut Lactobacillus included enhanced intestinal lipid (fat) absorption, increased lipid absorption in white adipose tissue, and decreased total lipid oxidation which has been linked to obesity in the past.

In the same study, the researchers identified a potential way of stopping the weight from returning after dieting: they fed the mice a variety of diets with differing levels of protein, finding that a high-protein diet restricted the growth of Lactobacillus, thus limiting the amount of fat that was accumulated.

By experimenting with the foods given to the mice post-diet, the team confirmed that the composition of the food they subsequently ate – that is, the level of protein in it – was more important than caloric intake in terms of suppressing fat increases.

“We demonstrate that feeding with a high-protein diet after dieting significantly prevents fat mass accumulation and even partially maintains the fat-loss effect induced by dieting, providing a potential practical way to prevent obesity after dieting,” the researchers write.

The conclusion is that high-protein foods could help keep the weight off in humans after dieting as well, although more research is going to be needed to know for sure – studies carried out over a longer time period and involving actual people.

Knowing there’s a possible increase in the intestinal tissues ability to absorb fat, apparently driven by the Lactobacillus bacteria, provides a target for researchers. The reason many people may struggle so much at keeping their weight loss may not just be a case of people eating more, or spending less time exercising after dieting, but a fundamental microbiome shift.

Another finding to emerge from this current study is that penicillin treatment was also able to restrict the growth of the Lactobacillus bacteria, potentially offering another antibiotic-based approach to preventing weight gain after dieting.

“Determining whether a high-protein diet has similar positive outcomes in individuals who seek to keep weight off will be the most clinically impactful next experiment,” gastroenterologist Amir Zarrinpar from the University of California, San Diego, who wasn’t involved in the research, writes in an accompanying commentary.

The research has been published in Nature Metabolism.

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Health

The One Healthy Bread You Can Eat Every Day Without Gaining Weight

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When trying to lose weight or prevent weight gain, what you eat (and portion sizes) matter just as much as the amount of exercise you set aside time for. With that said, we reached out to registered dietitians, nutritionists and other health experts for tips when it comes to choosing the healthiest bread that won’t lead to weight gain (when eaten in moderation, and when paired with a balanced diet and regular exercise). Read on for suggestions, insight, and all things whole wheat and whole grain bread. from Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD, registered dietitian at Balance One Supplements, and Lisa Richards, registered nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet.

 

 

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Weight Loss Benefits Of Whole-Wheat/ Whole-Grain Toast

Bread, Best notes, “is a food that should be eaten in moderation” due to its processed and refined nature. White bread, she explains, is “calorically dense and inflammatory.” Eating this kind of bread on a regular basis will “lead to weight gain,” she says, because most of these breads are “made from refined grains, sugar, and preservatives.” These, she stresses, are inflammatory ingredients and are also broken down quickly to be stored as fat.

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Richards concurs, and says that to avoid this, choosing “whole wheat bread or other whole grain breads that have not been refined” is key. Refined carbohydrates, Best says, have many negative side effects for our health, and belly fat is just one of them. “White and enriched breads in particular have undergone a refining process where the fiber and beneficial nutrients are removed and, possibly, replaced with synthetic versions,” she adds. The “fiber content of whole grains and breads” made with them, Richards continues, will “help you reach your weight loss goals” as they contain the important nutrient that will keep you full, satiated, provide necessary energy to exercise, and importantly, make you less likely to eat more later on. 

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One rule of thumb Richards provides is to always “look at the ingredients list” on your favorite bread, and to also “avoid any breads that start with the word ‘enriched.'” A diet high in fiber and protein overall, she adds, can help to reduce and prevent belly fat while boosting your metabolism. “An increased metabolism will lead to weight loss and having a feeling of fullness will prevent overeating and indulging in calorie-dense, sugar-laden foods,” she says, emphasizing the importance of skipping white bread if your goal is to prevent weight gain, and to choose a whole grain or whole wheat option instead.

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Health

4 Dietitian-Approved Stew Recipes For Weight Loss Over 50

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The key to healthy weight loss over 50 is by creating a balanced diet (with ample protein and fiber), exercising regularly, and not overdoing it. With that said, we checked in with dietitians, nutritionists and other health experts to learn more about essential nutrients your body needs for not only healthy aging, but in order to lose weight, if that is your goal. With the coldest months of the year just around the corner, we rounded up tasty and healthy stew recipes as well, to aid your weight loss journey!

Read on for suggestions and insight from Nicole Olen, RDN, registered dietitian, nutritionist and health expert,  Jake Dickson, CPT-NASM, certified personal trainer and contributing editor at BarBend, Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD, registered dietitian at Balance One Supplements, and Stephanie Wells, MS, RD, registered dietitian and owner of Thyme To Go Vegan Nutrition Services.

 

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1. Cannellini Bean Stew

Fiber is not only essential for a healthier digestion over 50, Olen explains, but also vital for healthy weight loss, as eating enough of it will keep you satiated and fuller for longer (and less likely to snack more later on!)

 

For a quick way to add more fiber to your seasonal stew, Olen suggests following a recipe with beans, such as this one. “For more fiber, swap out your beef, pork, or. chicken with lentils or beans instead,” she advises, adding that “lots of soups, stews & slow cooker meals can easily use beans as well.” For dipping, she suggests “swapping out refined grains for whole-grain options when you can, like whole-wheat bread, English muffins, bagels, or tortillas” to go along with your stew.

 

This stew recipe has plenty of vegetables (tomatoes, carrots, onions) and fiber-filled beans to support your weight loss journey, while also keeping you cozy on a warm day.
 
Ingredients: onions, garlic, carrots, extra virgin olive oil, chopped tomatoes, dried bay leaves, vegetable stock cubes, water, cannellini beans, wholemeal bread (optional)
 
Full Recipe

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2. Slow Cooker Moroccan Chickpea & Turkey Stew

While fiber is crucial for healthy weight loss, protein is as well, Dickson explains. By centering your favorite winter stew around a protein source, you will be able to stay satiated and build lean muscle (and shed fat in the process). For a cozy (and clever option with Thanksgiving coming up), Dickson recommends using ground turkey in your stew (and you can use leftover turkey from the upcoming holiday!) “In place of ground beef, I think ground turkey is a popular choice [for weight loss-friendly stews] because of the meat’s low fat and high protein content,” Dickson says.
 
It’s versatile enough to be “thrown into a wide range of dishes, from soups to stews,” he continues, adding, “true, some cuts of turkey are healthier than others, but the whole bird is healthy and lean.” He also advises to be wary of “prepackaged lunchmeats, as they frequently include excessive amounts of salt and other unhealthy additives.” This stew recipe is not only weight loss-friendly, but also gluten-free. It includes ground turkey and chickpeas, another great source of protein. It also features tasty ingredients and spices that promote optimal gut health, like turmeric, paprika, and essential veggies like carrots and celery.
 
Ingredients: lean ground turkey, extra virgin olive oil, chopped onions, garlic cloves, poblano peppers, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes, chickpeas, fat free chicken broth, turmeric, paprika, coriander, bay leaves, crushed red pepper flakes, coarse salt, parsley, spearmint
 
Full Recipe

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3. Quinoa & Vegetable Stew

When you begin working towards a weight loss goal, being realistic and attainable is important for sustainable success, Best explains. “A healthy and sustainable weight loss is typically around 1-2 pounds per week,” she points out, while reiterating that stews that are “rich in fiber, protein, and/ or healthy fats” will help to keep you full and satisfied while “not increasing your calorie intake significantly.”She specifically recommends opting for quinoa in your meal, as it is a “plant-based complete protein, which means it contains all nine essential amino acids.”

Complete proteins are typically “animal food sources only,” she notes, which makes quinoa ideal for any vegan diet. “It is also gluten free, high in fiber, and antioxidants,” she says, and these characteristics make it an ideal grain for a gluten free diet, as well. Ultimately, apart from promoting healthy weight loss, the “fiber and antioxidant content” in quinoa are beneficial for immune health. This stew recipe includes quinoa along with other healthy vegetables and sources of carbohydrates such as corn, peas and red potatoes.

 

Ingredients: olive oil, chopped onions, bell peppers, garlic, paprika, ground coriander, ground cumin, low-sodium vegetable broth, red potatoes, white quinoa, corn, tomatoes, frozen peas, salt and pepper, queso fresco or feta cheese crumbled, avocadoes, minced cilantro

 

Full Recipe

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4. Sweet Potato Stew

Another great vegetable for weight loss is a sweet potato, Wells says, and these can be added to any great stew for a healthy source of carbohydrates, energy, antioxidants, and more. When it comes to stews, soups and other hot meals, she instructs to “include starchy vegetables” like sweet potatoes in them. “Starchy vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes provide fiber and antioxidants, in addition to their energy-providing carbohydrates.” She adds that these foods help “keep you full for longer throughout the day,” and when making stew, it’s important to include resistant starch.

 

“When cooked and cooled, some starchy foods form resistant starch,” Wells notes, continuing that “resistant starch acts like fiber in the gut, promoting feelings of satiety, decreasing hunger, and providing fuel for the beneficial bacteria in your gut.” This stew centers entirely around sweet potatoes, and also features the gut-loving spice turmeric, the healthy digestion-promoting veggie, kale,  and anti-inflammatory coconut milk.

Ingredients: olive oil, white or yellow onion diced, chopped fresh ginger, garlic cloves grated or diced, pink salt or sea salt, paprika, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, carrots sliced, spinach or chopped kale, sweet potato diced, vegetable stock, full-fat coconut milk, cooked jasmine, basmati, or wild rice

 

Full Recipe

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Health

3 Morning Mistakes That Doctors Say Make Inflammation And Weight Gain So Much Worse

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How you start off your morning matters when it comes to not only your overall health, but also your ability to lose or maintain weight. If your goal is to prevent weight gain, indigestion, inflammation, and prioritize your gut health, we’ve got you covered. We checked in with doctors, nutritionists, dietitians and other health experts for three common morning mistakes to avoid for a healthier metabolism and digestion. Read on for tips, suggestions and insight from Dr. Daniel Boyer, MD, health expert and writer at Farr Institute, Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD, senior dietitian at UCLA medical center, and Lisa Richards, registered nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1. Skipping Breakfast

You may have heard time and time again that breakfast is the “most important meal of the day,” and it’s worth repeating, Boyer says, because it’s true. “Make sure to eat breakfast after waking up,” he stresses, as “skipping breakfast can lead to blood sugar spikes and hormonal imbalances that can cause bloating and inflammation.” By making time to have a daily breakfast, he notes, you are instantly promoting a healthier, more consistent digestion. Becoming hungry just after waking up, and satisfying this, is a great sign of a healthy metabolism, Boyer explains. In addition, he suggests “opting for a whole grain-rich breakfast with protein and fiber to keep you feeling full longer and prevent cravings later in the day.” This will also help prevent weight gain, he adds.

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Fruits that are “low in sugar and high in fiber,” are a great place to start when planning your first meal of the day. “Fruits low in sugar can help prevent blood sugar spikes that can lead to bloating and cravings later in the day, while high-fiber fruits help promote healthy digestion and regularity (which can also lead to less bloating),” Boyer continues. Some examples of these fruits that Boyer lists include “berries, apples, pears, plums, peaches, figs, kiwis, coconuts, and bell peppers.”

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2. Eating Sugary Pastries

As noted before, your breakfast is crucial regarding your energy levels for the rest of your day, so choosing a sugary pastry, cereal, or other treat for your first meal will lead to energy crashes and hunger later on, Hunnes warns. This, she stresses, can also lead to weight gain as you will feel the need to satisfy cravings when not initially satiated from your breakfast. The worst breakfast choice when it comes to inflammation and weight gain, Hunnes says, are sugary pastries made with refined carbohydrates. “The least healthy type of carbohydrates to eat are ultra-processed carbohydrates that are frequently found in packaged foods such as pastries like Pop-Tarts, energy bars, and pastries,” Hunnes explains.

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“The reason these types of carbs are not great at any age, let alone over 40, is because they provide no nutritional benefit, they are often devoid of vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds,” she continues.  This is terrible for the metabolism, Hunnes urges, because it leads to “insulin spikes, increases in IGF-1, an inflammatory marker, and increases risk for chronic diseases and deposition (fat storage)” of calories in the body. If you still want the taste of something sweet in the morning, she recommends adding your favorite “fiber-filled fruit” to your “bowl of oatmeal,” as “fiber can prevent and reduced inflammation by keeping the G.I. track moving.” It does this, she says, by “attracting water into the gut and making the waste softer with more fluid, thereby making it easier to pass.”

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3. Adding Heavy Creamers/ Sweeteners to Your Coffee

Coffee on its own, Hunnes says, is great for your metabolism and digestion, as drinking it in the morning can “help with bloat because it encourages peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract,” and encourages consistent, stable, and comfortable digestion. In addition, Boyer adds that a cup of black coffee is also filled with “healthy antioxidants,” and its caffeine can provide much needed energy to start your day. However, Richards warns, adding a sugary creamer or lots of sweeteners can add extra calories that can set back your weight loss progress, and lead to indigestion and inflammation. “Adding milk or creamer to coffee is a practice done by most coffee drinkers to enhance the flavor and creamy nature of the often bitter and acidic drink,” she acknowledges, noting that “while it is common, adding creamer is also a way calories, sugar, and fat sneak into our diet and it adds up quickly.” While Richards points out that this isn’t to say that everyone should drink their coffee black, it may be beneficial to avoid certain coffee creamers.

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She advises to “always read the nutrition and ingredient labels for fat, calories, and added sugar.” Ideally, Richards suggests that it is best to avoid any added sugar, but 1-2 grams should be your limit. Additionally, Richards tells us that refined sugar, which is commonly called table sugar, is a type of sugar that is harmful to your gut and weight for many reasons. “This type of sugar is sucrose, and is highly inflammatory as well as a food source for bad gut bacteria,” she says. Richards continues that “inflammation and an overgrowth of harmful gut bacteria will result in negative health effects in many areas of the body.” While it can be found naturally occuring, the synthetic or commercially made sugar should be “avoided as much as possible.” For those that need their coffee sweet, monk fruit can be a great option, she recommends. “Monk fruit extract contains some incredible compounds that are 300-400 times sweeter than cane sugar,” Richards concludes, and here’s the real kicker, it’s “virtually calorie-free.” That means it “won’t affect blood sugar levels, and it won’t rot your teeth.” Good to know! 

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Health Experts Agree: This Is The One Type Of Snack You Should Stop Eating (It Causes Inflammation!)

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This post has been updated since it was originally published to include more expert insight.

In order to promote and support a healthy metabolism, it’s vital to evaluate what you eat in a day and acknowledge where you can add more nutrients and ultimately, create a balanced diet. With that said, it’s equally as important to take note of what snacks make you feel sluggish, have less energy or cause inflammation and indigestion.

We checked in with health experts to learn more about one common type of carb found in many processed snacks and beverages that is best to avoid for a healthy metabolism and optimal energy. Read on for tips and suggestions from Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD, registered dietitian and Melissa Morris, ACSM-certified exercise physiologist and ISSN-certified sports nutritionist.

 

 

 

 

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The Ultimate Worst Carbohydrate: Added Sugars In Processed Foods

The least healthy type of carbohydrate to eat for a snack is an ultra-processed one that is frequently found in packaged foods such as pastries (think Pop-Tarts, energy bars or bakery goods), Hunnes explains. The reason these types of carbs are not great at any age, let alone over 40, she notes, is because they provide “no nutritional benefit, they are often devoid of vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds.”  This, she says, is terrible for the metabolism because it “leads to insulin spikes, increases in IGF-1, an inflammatory marker, and increases risk for chronic diseases and deposition (fat storage) of calories in the body.” 

 

 

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Morris agrees, and said she believes that the “worst type of carbohydrates to eat at any age are added sugars,” which are found in sugary drinks, junk food, processed foods, and desserts. “Added sugars just add extra calories without many healthy nutrients,” she says, and points out that too much added sugar in the diet can also increase inflammation in the body; “This impacts the immune system and can increase the risk for many chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.”

 

 

 

 

 

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Instead of these types of carbs, Hunnes stresses that “we are best off to eat the least processed carbohydrates possible, such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, fruits, and vegetables, in their natural form unprocessed.”  These, she says, are “not harmful for our metabolism and are anti-inflammatory, high in fiber, and help regulate weight.” 

 

 

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Morris agrees, and says that it’s also important to understand the different types of carbs when creating a healthy diet after 40 to reap the most benefits. “There are different types of carbohydrates in the foods we eat so we have to understand that concept first,” she says. “There are simple carbohydrates or simple sugars and there are complex carbohydrates,” she continues. 

 

 

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A few examples of simple carbohydrates that Morris lists are sucrose (table sugar), fructose (fruit sugar), and lactose (milk sugar). Complex carbohydrates are found in foods with starches and fiber, she explains, and fruits, vegetables, and grains have complex carbohydrates. “Complex carbohydrates take longer to be digested, so they help keep us full longer. They also usually have more vitamins and minerals than foods with simple carbohydrates,” she concludes. The more you know! 

 

 

 

 

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Health

8 Proven Ways To Lose Weight Without Dieting

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When it comes to losing excess fat, it’s a given that dieting can help you burn off those extra pounds. However, while eating less can help you get a fitter body, many people find the process of counting calories and depriving themselves of their favorite foods taxing and, as such, find it hard to stick to a strict diet. Luckily, there are various proven ways to lose weight without dieting.

You will have to make certain changes. However, instead of cutting down on eating and dealing with the mental woes of dieting, you can lose weight by increasing your activity, changing the times you eat, or even using certain tricks to boost your metabolism. Using these tricks together can result in significant weight loss. Here are 8 proven ways to lose weight without going on a diet.

1. Do Cardio In The Morning Before Eating

Cardiovascular exercise such as running, cycling, or stair climbing can do wonders for burning calories and reducing your body fat. And while those who avoid dieting probably don’t want to start rigorous exercise routines, you can get amazing results by doing short cardio workouts before eating.

A study from the British Journal of Nutrition found that those who did cardio in the morning in a fasted state (i.e. before eating) burned a whopping 20 percent more fat than those who ate a meal beforehand. This is because when your body is in a fasted state, it burns fat for energy instead of carbs. As such, working out for just 20 minutes each morning can work wonders.

2. Get More Sleep

Even if you’re not a fan of reducing your calorie intake or increasing your physical activity, you can often lose a few extra pounds simply by working on your sleep schedule. Sleeping less can make you feel more fatigued throughout the day, but it can also cause you to gain more fat.

A 2010 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal found that just three extra hours of sleep resulted in subjects burning 400 calories a night. In addition to that, subjects who got 8.5 hours of sleep per night lost 60% less muscle than those who got 5.5 hours of sleep per night, and extra sleep helped boost their metabolisms.

3. Drink More Water

Another proven way to lose weight that doesn’t involve going on a strict diet is to simply drink more water. Some people worry about drinking more water as the extra water weight can raise the number on the scales. However, this weight gain is only temporary and you’ll ultimately burn a lot more fat.

What’s more, a 2013 study in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research found that girls who drank 500ml of water before each meal lost more weight and reduced their body mass index without any other dietary changes. As such, you should try drinking half a liter of water before each meal to boost your metabolism and reduce your hunger.

4. Get More Protein

Increasing your protein intake is one of the best ways to boost your metabolism and lose more weight. A 2008 study in the

Fortunately, you don’t have to change your entire diet to get more protein. Many people see positive effects simply by drinking a couple of protein shakes each day. However, you might want to enhance your results by eating a high-protein breakfast to kickstart your metabolism and make yourself feel more full.

5. Try Intermittent Fasting

Dieting isn’t the only way to burn extra fat. Interestingly, you can consume a lot of calories each day yet still manage to lose weight as long as you only eat your daily meals within a short window. This is known as intermittent fasting and many athletes swear by it.

Intermittent fasting generally involves getting all your daily meals within an 8-hour window and fasting for the remaining 16 hours before eating again. When your body is in a fasted state, it’ll turn to fat stores for energy, resulting in you lowering your fat mass and ultimately losing weight. However, you’ll still need to avoid overeating during the eating window.

6. Avoid Stress And Anxiety

Daily stress and high anxiety levels can be incredibly counterproductive for those who want to lose weight. Stress and anxiety elevate your cortisol levels, which induces hunger and cravings for comfort food. This can quickly result in you overeating if you’re not careful.

Fortunately, there are various natural ways to manage your stress and anxiety levels. Exercising is a great way to reduce stress while also losing weight. Ensuring that you get more than 8 hours of sleep each night will also help significantly. You should also avoid daily stressors. For instance, if you find your daily commute to work stressful, try walking or cycling instead.

7. Lift Weights Regularly

If you’re not a fan of dieting, one of the best ways to keep your body in check is by resistance training. Training with heavy weights not only helps you burn calories but can also help you build extra muscle. For every extra pound of muscle you gain, your body will burn more calories even when it’s resting.

It also has other benefits. For instance, when you lift weights, more of the food you eat will go to repairing and rebuilding your body, meaning you can gain muscle while losing fat. In many cases, those who lift weights even find that they can eat more than they usually would while still maintaining or even losing weight.

8. Boost Your Vitamin D Levels

While various vitamins and minerals help to keep your body in check and potentially boost weight loss, vitamin D is arguably the most important. Many people suffer from vitamin D deficiencies, which can often result in metabolic syndrome, depression, and anxiety, all of which will contribute to weight gain.

It’s also surprisingly easy to boost your vitamin D levels. Spending 30 minutes in the sun each day can help naturally increase your vitamin D levels. Certain drinks, such as fortified orange juice, are also high in vitamin D. You can also take vitamin D supplements to keep your vitamin D levels high.

Conclusion

While the fastest and most effective way to lose weight is to combine a healthy diet with a good exercise routine, you can try these effective options that don’t involve going on a diet. Whether you’d rather intermittently fast each day, drink more water, or simply sleep more, all of these things can contribute to weight loss.

Of course, for the best results, you should try as many of these tips as possible in conjunction. Soon enough, you’ll notice that you find it much easier to lose weight. With that said, keep in mind that you’ll likely still gain weight if you’re overeating.



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Health

Can’t lose weight by dieting alone? Researchers have bad news for you

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For those who starve themselves to cut calories but still don’t see results — you’re not alone.

Researchers at the University of Ottowa have identified a separate group of obese people who are especially resistant to losing weight through dietary changes alone, according to a report published on Wednesday in The Lancet’s eBioMedicine journal.

The findings contradict a long-held belief that diet alone is enough to bring about significant weight loss, with exercise added as a supplemental treatment to help boost the benefits of healthy eating.

“If you look at a large group of people who are overweight and trying to lose weight, they don’t respond to exercise very much. But now we’ve found that people in this [diet-resistant] obesity phenotype really do,” said endocrinologist Dr. Robert Dent, who collaborated with Ottowa colleagues Drs. Mary-Ellen Harper, Chantal Pileggi and Ruth McPhereson on the study.

“What the findings are telling us is that when we see individuals with obesity who don’t respond to dietary restriction, they should be shunted over to physical activity,” Dent explained in a statement for the university’s newsroom.

Those considered to have “diet-resistant” obesity fall in the bottom 20% for the rate of weight loss while following a low-calorie diet. Those are the folks for whom exercise should be prioritized, the doctors argue.

Based on clinical records from more than 5,000 patients, 20 such women were asked to participate in a workout regimen designed to analyze changes in skeletal muscle metabolism — one critical indicator of health in metabolic patients.

Fat metabolism in the skeletal muscle is regulated by the mitochondria, and those with “diet-resistant” obesity show lower mitochondrial activity in their bones than those with “diet-sensitive” obesity, according to the researchers.

Participants were put through a total of 18 workout sessions, three times a week for six weeks, involving treadmills and weightlifting.

For the group already at a mitochondrial disadvantage, exercise was shown to boost activity in the skeletal muscle, while those with comparably higher mitochondrial activity at the start of the experiment saw no added benefits in that regard.

For decades, “diet-resistant” patients have been accused of failing to adhere to a low-calorie meal plan, based on a lack of pounds shed. Now, researchers hope their new approach will lead to more tailored care.

“It’s exciting and important work. These findings have clinical implications and reveal molecular mechanisms that will drive research for many years to come,” said Harper, whose team hopes to soon relaunch their study with an even larger cohort.

Obesity has been called an epidemic here in the US, where more than a third of adults (41.9%) age 20 and older weigh too much, according to Centers for Disease Control statistics. Add overweight adults who fall just short of clinical obesity and the percentage rises to a staggering three-quarters (73.6%).

The consequences of carrying too much weight are high — with an increased risk for developing deadly and debilitating diseases across the board, including diabetes, heart disease, musculoskeletal disorders and several types of cancer. The condition is also known to weaken the immune system, which makes overweight people more susceptible to illnesses, such as COVID-19.

“For those individuals who have obesity and who’ve had enormous difficulty losing weight, the message for them is: You are in a group of individuals for whom exercise is particularly important,” McPhereson added. “And that’s really going to help you lose weight.”

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