Dropping pounds is no easy feat. Here, 28 women share the strategies they used to get slim—and stay that way.
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Friday, May 20, 2016
Friday, May 13, 2016
Best Chance of a Long Life? Not Too Heavy, Not Too Thin, Study Says
According to current guidelines, people who have a body mass index (BMI) over 25 are classified as "overweight"—which is not considered to be a good thing for your health. But new research suggests it may not be quite as bad as experts thought.
The surprising study, published Wednesday in JAMA, found that people who are a bit heavier are the least likely to die young. Using data from three different periods—1976 to 1978, 1991 to 1994, and 2003 to 2013—Danish researchers examined the link between BMI and mortality in more than 120,000 people.
The discovered that in the first group, folks with a BMI of 23.7 (in the "healthy" range) had the lowest risk of death. In the second choort, the mortality rate was lowest for people with a BMI of 24.6 (which is at the high end of the healthy range). But in the most recent group, those with a BMI of 27 (roughly in the middle of the overweight range) had the lowest risk of dying from any cause.
“Compared to the 1970’s, today’s overweight individuals have lower mortality than so-called normal-weight individuals,” explains the study's senior author, Børge G. Nordestgaard, MD, a clinical professor at the University of Copenhagen. But why remains a mystery, he says. “The reason for this change is unknown."
RELATED: 15 Eating Habits That Make You Live Longer
Nonetheless, Dr. Nordestgaard cautions people not to get the wrong idea from his research: “Our results should not be interpreted as suggesting that now people can eat as much as they like, or that so-called normal weight individuals should eat more to become overweight,” says Dr. Nordestgaard. “That said, maybe overweight people need not be quite as worried about their weight as before.”
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Thursday, May 12, 2016
Weight Loss Success Story: "I Lost 83 Pounds"
Shannon Mateo, 34, 5' 1¾", from Reno, Nev.
Before: 198 lb., size 16
After: 115 lb., size 2
Total pounds lost: 83
Total sizes lost: 7
Shannon's wearing: Puma Yoghi Essential Layer Tank Top ($30, amazon.com) and Puma All Eyes On Me ¾ Tights ($50, puma.com)
When I moved away from home to go to college at 18, the freedom to eat whatever I wanted quickly spiraled out of control—I'm talking ice cream and chips with salsa and Nutella-topped toast for breakfast. Within a year, I put on 40 pounds. My family begged me to make a change and join the gym with them, but my self-confidence was shot. I thought that not only would it be impossible to drop the extra weight, but I wasn't worth the effort anyway. Five years and two pregnancies later, I had packed on another 23 pounds.
RELATED: How to Eliminate Sugar From Your Diet in 21 Days
Finding my fit
Living in stretchy clothes, I had lost all motivation. Then, after years of excuses, I found myself accompanying a friend to the gym. When we got these, I couldn't even walk a mile on the treadmill without feeling sick. Despite that start, I bought a gym membership and began hitting the elliptical three times a week. After shedding only a few pounds, I was ready to give up. Instead, I turned to a trainer for strength sessions. We worked past the plateau, and I lost 42 pounds in a little over a year. I was still eating fast food after workouts, though; I knew that had to change.
RELATED: 20 Healthy Foods You Should Always Have in Your Kitchen
Unstoppable me
I switched to clean eating, and the rest of the weight fell off: I dropped 20 pounds and 7 percent of my body fat in just 45 days. For the first time, I could actually see my abs! Even better, I realized how amazing my body felt when properly nourished. I reached my goal of 115 pounds in November 2015. But my proudest moment? Completing a Tough Mudder with my husband five months earlier. When I crossed the finish line, I felt like I had finally proved that I was good enough for everyone, including myself.
RELATED: The 50 Best Weight Loss Foods of All Time
Shannon's slim-body rules:
Smart eating and a fitness addiction got Shannon her bod back. Now she's sharing her secrets.
1. Rock your motivation. At the gym, I wear bright clothes with fun sayings like 'Drink coffee, put on some gangster rap, and handle it.' It sets my workout tone.
2. Try an apple. If I'm not hungry enough for an apple, then I'm not really hungry. Anytime a strong craving hits, I'll eat an apple first to help curb my appetite.
3. Judge your labels. I always peruse food labels. Whenever there's something listed that I can't grow or make myself, I put the item back. It makes weeding out unhealthy processed foods much easier.
4. Indulge wisely. A lot of people have weekend cheat days, but that adds up to 104 a year! Instead of depriving myself all week and bingeing on the weekend, I choose sweets that fuel my body, like Trader Joe's Coconut Cashews.
As told to Lindsey Murray
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Wednesday, May 11, 2016
5 Little Tricks to Avoid Vacation Weight Gain
Whether it's wine tasting in Italy or a backyard barbecue at your pal's beach house, most summer getaways involve major food indulgences. Plus, many jetsetters adopt an all-bets-are-off mindset, allowing healthy eating habits to go totally out the window during travel.
"A vacation eating attitude typically means indulging in the moment and worrying about the consequences later," says Health's contributing nutrition editor, Cynthia Sass, RD. And research agrees: A recent study out of the University of Georgia found that some people who take one- to three-week vacations put on nearly a pound during their trip, while others gain as many as seven pounds. (Yikes!)
To help you avoid the same fate on your next summer vacay, we asked experts to share their no-hassle nutrition practices that keep any trip from turning into a gluttonous getaway. By following these tips, the only thing you'll have to worry about packing is your bags, not any extra flab.
Control your morning meal
Few people want to hold back at every meal on vacation. Instead, try to set the tone for the rest of the day by practicing a little bit of mindful eating and control during your first dish. "I tell clients they can control breakfast, snacks, and portions," says Stephanie Middleberg, a New York City-based RD. "Typically lunches and dinners tend to be the wildcards [on vacation], and more indulgent. So I have clients skip a carb at breakfast and keep it to one plate."
If breakfast or brunch is likely to be a decadent one, eat something beforehand, recommends Jackie Newgent, RD, author of The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook. "Enjoy a cup of berries before you go to brunch. It’ll help take the edge off of your hunger so you can order smartly," she adds.
RELATED: 3 Travel Tips to Help You Feel Zen Before Your Vacation Begins
Snack smarter
If you're going on an all-day excursion and don't bring snacks, you'll likely be ravenous by your next meal. Or, if there aren't any healthy options available en route, you may end up choosing food you normally wouldn't eat.
Newgent's fix? Remember the three P's of snacking: plan, pack, protein. "Plan ahead, pack portable snacks, and be sure your pick has protein," she says.
Take the tip a step further and build every snack with a protein and a produce. Pick a piece of fruit and pair it with Greek yogurt, a cheese stick, two tablespoons of nut butter, or 10 to 15 raw nuts. The protein element keeps hunger pangs at bay until your next meal (unlike a carb-only snack that doesn't have satiating power), while the fruit packs fiber and other key nutrients.
Grocery shop
A trip to the nearest supermarket is one of the first stops on Sass' vacations. "Go to the grocery store and load up on things to either make meals on your own or complement room service or restaurant meals," she says. Stock up on fruit, yogurt, and oatmeal for a light breakfast. As well as plain popcorn, hummus, individual nut butter packets, and healthy crackers to have smart snack options on hand at all times.
RELATED: 17 High-Protein Snacks You Can Eat On the Go
Avoid the buffet
It's tempting to pile a plate at the buffet with pancakes, fruit, bacon, scrambled eggs, and a chocolate-filled croissant on the side. But you could easily pack in a day's worth of calories if you're not careful; buffets make it far too easy to overdo portion sizes and eat past the point of fullness.
"I never eat at buffets unless they're included or my only choice," says Sass. "And if so, I stick with customizable dishes, like a made-to-order omelet with lots of veggies and avocado paired with fresh fruit, or a made-to-order stir fry that allows me to choose lots of veggies, lean protein, and light sauce with a portion of brown rice that I can control." You could also regulate portions by ordering a la carte, or treating yourself to room service if necessary.
If you do decide to stick to the buffet, don't feel obligated to eat everything in sight. "Even if I have to pay for a buffet and don't eat much, I don't see it as not getting my money's worth," Sass explains. "I tell myself I'd rather pay more for a correctly sized meal that leaves me feeling energized, rather than getting more food for that amount of money that leaves me feeling stuffed and sluggish. It's just not worth it, especially if it zaps your energy for the whole day on vacation."
Take the long way
Whether it's walking to dinner, jogging to a museum, or taking a paddleboarding break from reading on the beach, move as much as you can—even if it means taking a bit of a detour (an adventure in itself!). "Plan extra—and fun—activity into your itinerary so you can have extra delights at your destinations to fully enjoy your travel experience," Newgent says.
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Thursday, May 5, 2016
3 Reasons You Shouldn't Be Discouraged by the 'Biggest Loser' Study
You’ve probably heard a lot of buzz about the new study on Biggest Loser contestants, and their discouraging post-show weight-gain. The research, published in the journal Obesity, tracked 14 contestants for six years. The result: While each person initially shed an average of 100 pounds, only one was able to keep the weight off. The rest of the contestants regained much of the weight they lost.
But the real kicker is that it wasn't just about a lack of willpower or simply slipping back into old habits. The contestants actually experienced changes in their metabolism. Researchers found that participants’ metabolic rates slowed much more than expected, which made keeping weight off extra difficult and gaining weight back a whole lot easier. The contestants burned 600 fewer calories per day on average, compared to other adults of the same size. They also experienced a spike in hunger, due to changes in leptin, a hormone involved with appetite regulation. In other words, it was biologically more difficult for these individuals to keep the pounds at bay.
Since this story broke, I’ve seen floods of comments and reactions online like “Depressing!” and “Guess I should just give up!” But please, don't throw in the towel based on this one study. Here are three reasons it's well worth sticking to your health goals.
Your body may respond differently
This wasn't a definitive study about weight loss and metabolism. For starters, the sample size was very small and there was no control group. Which means the result may have been different for another group of participants who lost weight in another way, or at a different pace. Plus, diet plays a role. A 2012 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people who stuck with a lower-carb, higher-protein diet experienced less of a drop in metabolism while losing weight compared to those who consumed a low-fat or low-glycemic index plan. So if you're on a weight loss path don't assume you're bound to struggle with the exact same kind of metabolic slow-down.
RELATED: This Is the Last Diet You'll Ever Need
Healthy habits can affect hunger and metabolism
While hormones do play a key role in appetite regulation, there are plenty of other strategies that help keep hunger in check. Some science-backed tricks include eating lean protein and “good” fats like avocado and nuts; upping your intake of fiber-rich pulses, which include beans, peas, and lentils; eating slower and more mindfully; getting some sunlight in the morning; and listening to relaxing music. Also we now know that metabolism isn’t solely about diet and exercise—other factors like getting enough sleep and practicing meditation can impact our bodies’ ability to burn calories.
There are many success stories
Just because 13 Biggest Loser contestants had trouble keeping off the weight, doesn't mean every weight-loss story has the same ending. In fact, researchers from Brown Medical School and the University of Colorado have maintained a database of “successful losers” since 1994. The list now includes over 10,000 adults, all of which have lost at least 30 pounds and kept the weight off for more than a year. What's even more encouraging is their maintenance habits aren't extreme. A recent report, published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, focused on 3,000 people in the registry who maintained their weight loss for 10 years (an average of 70 pounds) and found their common habits include being regularly active, weighing in often, and eating consistently from day to day. These people are positive proof that you are not doomed to fail. And for even more reassurance, check out the many inspiring weight loss success stories on Health.com.
Do you have a question about nutrition? Chat with us on Twitter by mentioning @goodhealth and @CynthiaSass.
Cynthia Sass is a nutritionist and registered dietitian with master’s degrees in both nutrition science and public health. Frequently seen on national TV, she’s Health’s contributing nutrition editor, and privately counsels clients in New York, Los Angeles, and long distance. Cynthia is currently the sports nutrition consultant to the New York Yankees, previously consulted for three other professional sports teams, and is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics. Sass is a three-time New York Times best-selling author, and her newest book is Slim Down Now: Shed Pounds and Inches with Real Food, Real Fast. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
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6 Ways to Cut Calories Every Day
You don’t have to deprive yourself to cut calories. By making small, manageable changes to your lifestyle, you can achieve large health and weight loss goals. Watch the video to learn easy ways to tweak your routine to cut calories.
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Popular Weight-Loss Tricks That May Backfire
If your mom, aunt, and best friend all had success with one particular weight-loss method, would you try it? So would we. But the truth is, most popular weight-loss tricks encourage unhealthy behaviors that could backfire. Watch the video to see which trends you should avoid.
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