Yo-Yo Dieting Might Cause Extra Weight Gain

Repeated dieting may lead to weight gain because the brain interprets the diets as short famines and urges the person to store more fat for future shortages, new research by the universities of Exeter and Bristol suggests.

This may explain why people who try low-calorie diets often overeat when not dieting and so don't keep the weight off.

By contrast, people who don't diet will learn that food supplies are reliable and they do not need to store so much fat.

The study, published in the journal Evolution, Medicine and Public Health, is based on observations of animals such as birds.

Animals respond to the risk of food shortage by gaining weight, which is why garden birds are fatter in the winter when seeds and insects are hard to find.

The authors studied a mathematical model of an animal that knows whether food is currently abundant or limited, but does not know when things will change, so must learn about the changeability before deciding how fat to be.

The model shows that if food supply is often restricted (as it is when dieting) an optimal animal -- the one with the best chance of passing on its genes -- should gain excess weight between food shortages.

Dr Andrew Higginson, Senior Lecturer in psychology at the University of Exeter, says: "Surprisingly, our model predicts that the average weight gain for dieters will actually be greater than those who never diet.

"This happens because non-dieters learn that the food supply is reliable so there is less need for the insurance of fat stores."

With more and more people becoming obese, scientists are looking for evolutionary reasons to explain why many find it hard to resist overeating.

Humans evolved in a world where food was sometimes plentiful and sometimes scarce -- and in the latter case those with more fat would be more likely to survive.

Today, people can get into a vicious cycle of weight gain and ever more severe diets -- so-called yo-yo dieting -- which only convinces the brain it must store ever more fat.

The researchers' model predicts that the urge to eat increases hugely as a diet goes on, and this urge won't diminish as weight is gained because the brain gets convinced that famines are likely.

"Our simple model shows that weight gain does not mean that people's physiology is malfunctioning or that they are being overwhelmed by unnaturally sweet tastes," says Professor John McNamara, of the University of Bristol's School of Mathematics.

"The brain could be functioning perfectly, but uncertainty about the food supply triggers the evolved response to gain weight."

So how should people try to lose weight?

"The best thing for weight loss is to take it steady. Our work suggests that eating only slightly less than you should, all the time, and doing physical exercise is much more likely to help you reach a healthy weight than going on low-calorie diets," Dr Higginson says.

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Eat Bacon & Lose Your Fat

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Apple Cider Vinegar Improves Blood Sugar Regulation And Speeds Up Weight Loss

Historical evidence credits ancient Babylonians (5,000 B.C.) with creating vinegar or "sour wine" stemming from the French origin "vin airgre." The benefits were not overlooked by the Father of Medicine, Hippocrates, who historically used apple cider vinegar (ACV), or cider vinegar, to treat wounds and prescribed it as a tonic solution for a persistent cough. Studies have shown that apple cider vinegar has a profound ability to improve blood sugar regulation and speed up weight loss.

The fermentation process is required in two series to produce cider vinegar. First, bacteria and yeast break down the sugars into alcohol. Secondly, over a slow and lengthy process, acetobacterium cause the oxidation of alcohol into acetic acid.

Acetic acid distinguishes ACV by giving it a pungent, sour taste and may leave a cloudy, substance, called the mother, in the bottom of the glass. The mother is the fermenting portion of the apple and it is rich in enzymes. It is best to buy raw, unpasteurized ACV with the mother intact.

Blood sugar control

A common way of fulfilling a dietary dose of cider vinegar is to utilize it in salad dressing or take a small shot glass of the tonic before a high caloric meal, especially before consuming protein such as beef that requires a longer period for digestion. A Japanese study in 2003 found that the glycemic index (GI) was reduced by over 30% when the simple swap of a pickled cucumber was made for a fresh cucumber.

Researchers believe that cider vinegar has antiglycemic properties and plays a pivotal role in regulating sugar levels in type 2 diabetics. Specifically, it is possible that a key component of the vinegar acts as an antiglycemic agent by mocking the chemical pathway of the drug, metformin, used by diabetic patients. Side effects of metformin use include drowsiness, nausea, and diarrhea among other problems. Metformin use is also linked to liver disease and heart failure. 

Post prandial glycemia is a spike in an individual's blood glucose levels following meals. The simple introduction of vinegar consumption with a meal improved blood glucose sensitivity in several studies. The Diabetes Journal published a study in 2007 assessing the effects of vinegar on waking hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetic individuals, a condition known as "dawn phenomenon".

Noted was a 4-6% reduction in fasting glucose levels when individuals received only 2 tablespoons of apple cider prior to a meal, in comparison to a lower 3-6% fasting glucose reduction when the same individuals received pharmaceutical treatment. Another study showed that women had a 55% reduction in the blood glucose response following a morning meal containing vinegar.

Aids in weight loss

There are various factors promoting weight loss in individuals consuming a daily intake of cider vinegar (approximately one or two tablespoons). The antiglycemic effect may be attributed to the suppression of carbohydrate synthesis by inhibiting enzymes that stimulate the rate and timeframe of blood glucose concentration and consequently regulating satiety and/or appetite.

Acetic acid protects the liver by increasing tolerance of lipogenesis and fatty acid synthesis responsible for improving cholesterol levels. The synergistic nature of increased blood flow and insulin activity relays into increased energy.

Weight loss effects from apple cider vinegar are evident in a group of 155 obese Japanese individuals. Data collected signified a decrease in visceral fat, BMI and serum triglyceride levels among other health benefits. With many factors promoting the detoxification and overall health of the liver, weight loss may also be caused by the stimulation of fecal bile acid excretion when consuming cider vinegar.

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A Fat Gut to Shredded Cuts. Fat Loss Transformation

This guy has totally transformed his body. He weighed 245lb at the start and got down to 175lb @10% body fat. Inspired? 

Brutal HIIT Ladder Workout - 20 Minute HIIT Workout at Home

Feels so good to break the sweat!

10-MINUTE TREADMILL BLAST

When high-intensity interval training (HIIT) came along and gained popularity as the best way to burn fat while holding on to muscle, people started becoming disillusioned with their treadmills. Those long speed walks on an incline – which nobody really enjoyed to begin with – suddenly became less appealing. But that doesn’t mean that the treadmill itself as obsolete. On its own, the treadmill is a very effective fat-fighting tool. By applying high-intensity principles to your next treadmill workout, you can increase the amount of fat you’re burning per session – in far less time.

BENEFITS OF HIIT

The benefits of short, high-intensity training sessions are all about your post-recovery state. If you’re working harder you’re going to have a slightly elevated heart and metabolic rate, meaning you’re burning more calories over the recovery period as well as when you’re actually training.

But how much of a payoff does HIIT really offer over traditional, steady-state cardio? Some studies have shown that HIIT burns up to nine times more fat than traditional cardiovascular exercise and keeps your metabolism elevated for more than 24 hours afterwards. This means you are going to keep burning calories long after you have finished exercising.

HIIT helps burn fat while maintaining muscle through a stop-start system of training that’s transferable to almost any exercise. HIIT, as the name suggests, combines high-intensity, calorie-torching periods of activity with low-intensity recovery periods for an overall duration of as little as 10 minutes each session.

Try this HIIT treadmill workout to finish of your weight training session, and have that six-pack showing in no time at all.

THE WORKOUT

This workout will take 10 minutes. Start with a light jog for three minutes and then complete 10 minutes worth of one of the levels below. Walk for three minutes upon completion to cool down.

Beginner: 20 seconds of work 40 seconds recovery x 10 *

Intermediate: 30 seconds of work 30 seconds of recovery x 10 *

Advanced: 40 seconds of work 20 seconds of recovery x 10 *

* Does not include three-minute warm-up or cool down.

Once you can complete the advanced level and need more of a challenge, try adding a slight incline for variation, or try the exact same workout on a stationary bike.

>> Work-to-Rest Ratios: The ideal work-to-recovery ratio for interval training is to rest for 50% of the working time frame as outlined in the advanced option. If doing this correctly its very difficult, you can try one of the other programs with slightly longer recovery times. 

>> Try it Post-Workout: There is an added benefit to doing these intervals after your resistance training. This deeply depletes your carbohydrate stores to put your body into fat burning mode faster. Remember this workout is for your lean phase to get ripped quick, not for your bulking phase where you are trying to maximize size. I wouldn't recommend this workout after a hard leg session.

>> Focus on Effort: We use the treadmill here but it's not so much the equipment that you use but rather how you use it. You could get the same workout using a stationary bike, a cross trainer, a rower, a set of stairs outside, or even just out on a football field. Everyone will always have their preference and always have something negative to say about certain workout styles. The important thing with interval training is that you are working at your maximum output for the required duration. More important than that is that you are more likely to get great results if you choose some form of exercise that you enjoy. So just pick a piece of equipment and get training! The treadmill is a rather universal piece of equipment that everyone knows. But you can apply these protocols to your favorite activity and get great results.

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What's the Best Exercise to Lose Weight: Cardio or Lifting Weights?

For decades, conventional wisdom (and Jane Fonda) said cardio was the best exercise for weight loss. 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.

After 8 months of tracking 119 overweight and previously sedentary volunteers while they performed resistance training, aerobic exercise, or a combination of the two, the clear winner was…aerobic exercise. By a lot. 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 ½ 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."

For the biggest fitness gain/weight loss bang for your exercise buck, combine the two, doing your strength training first and finishing off with your cardio. An American Council on Exercise study on exercise sequencing found that your heart rate is higher—by about 12 beats per minute—during your cardio bout when you’ve lifted weights beforehand. 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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Photo: Getty Images and Wikimedia Commons. 

7 Holistic Techniques for Losing Weight

Holistic medicine approaches a person as a whole being, addressing the root causes of a problem rather than merely treating the symptoms. As a result, a holistic approach can help you achieve meaningful, long-term weight loss. Where other weight-loss efforts fail, a holistic weight-loss program can help you shed extra pounds while understanding the comprehensive causes and effects of weight gain and loss.

Why Holistic Weight Loss?

While weight gain is not itself a “disease,” overeating and obesity can contribute to a number of serious health problems, including type II diabetes, stroke, various kinds of cancer, and heart disease. Maintaining your weight close to its ideal, then, is a key component of overall health. Not only will a healthy weight help prevent debilitating diseases, but it will also result in a higher quality of life. Weight is largely a function of two components: diet and exercise. 

A holistic weight-loss program helps you work with the underlying causes of a weight problem on both sides of that equation. Why do you eat more than you should? How can you eat in a healthier way? Why do you not exercise enough? How can you improve your exercise regimen? What factors—physical, psychological, social—are contributing to your diet and exercise decisions? Discovering the answers to these questions can help you avoid undesirable patterns that prevent you from achieving an optimal weight. This is the key to long-term weight loss, and this is the core of the holistic approach.

Holistic Weight Loss

There are a number of methods by which you can apply holistic techniques to your weight-loss program:

1. Positive Messages

It is tempting to turn food, and your relationship to it, into an enemy. Many of us (often as a result of childhood and environment) punish ourselves for our food choices, or use food as a means of self-control. 

Oftentimes, this only reinforces a weight problem, making it even more difficult and intractable. People whose parents used food as a means of control—to instill a certain discipline, for example, or redirect a child’s behavior—are more likely to be obese as adults. One way to break this pattern is to engage in positive messages. Phrases such as “I can control my eating” or “My desire for a snack will soon pass” can help reinforce positive behavior. Similarly, positive thoughts such as “I love being healthy” or “I’m proud that I ate responsibly today” can help to reframe your relationship with food.

2. Meditation

Meditation is a helpful holistic technique across the board. It helps practitioners to acquire a greater mindfulness of their feelings and thoughts, becoming cognizant of emotions they never noticed before. 

Meditation can, for example, help binge eaters become aware of how they use food to deal with problematic emotions. It can also help them notice when they’re actually hungry and when they’re full. Both of these work together to address the underlying causes of overeating.

3. Psychotherapy

This therapeutic discipline helps problem eaters modify their behavior. Less concerned with finding underlying causes for behavior, cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) is about learning how to alter one’s behavior to achieve a specific goal—such as weight loss. When a person seeks the help of a cognitive-behavior therapist, he or she will learn to replace long-established patterns with productive behaviors. A therapist might explore problematic thought patterns—beliefs such as “If I am upset, I deserve to eat,” for example—that drive you to binge. CBT can also help reframe an obsession with body image, allowing you to lose weight because it’s healthy, and not because you dislike your appearance. Such techniques can prove powerful in weight loss.

4. Self-Monitoring

Keeping a journal and engaging in other self-monitoring techniques help make you more aware of what you’re eating—and why. Sometimes merely seeing a list of everything you consume throughout the course of a day can help you to avoid trips to the kitchen. More fundamentally, reflecting on the emotions, drives and outcomes associated with your diet and exercise can help shed light on an otherwise visceral, and often unmanageable, struggle. There is a rich and mutually reinforcing relationship between self-monitoring and other techniques, such as CBT, meditation, and positive messages.

5. Visualization

No one loses weight just by sitting around and thinking about it, but visualization can make it easier to keep your eye on the prize. Time spent visualizing what you will look like and how you will feel with less weight can help remind you why you are doing this in the first place. It can also help you imagine the behavior and lifestyle choices necessary for successful weight loss.

6. Exercise

Physical activity in conjunction with a sound diet is a core component of holistic weight loss. Exercise does more than just burn calories: It changes your chemistry, releases powerful neurotransmitters, strengthens and revitalizes muscles, increases energy and contributes to happiness, tranquility and a sense of well being. 

Any attempt at weight loss would be incomplete without it. In developing your workout regimen, find a routine that addresses your unique needs, that challenges you appropriately, and—most importantly—that you truly enjoy. Finding the joy in taking care of yourself is a cornerstone of holistic medicine and the key to a long-lasting exercise ritual.

7. Tailoring and Connecting

Finally, in the spirit of the holistic tradition, choose the techniques, principles, and approaches you need to achieve your unique objectives. No two people are alike, and no one method is a panacea. When you visualize, visualize the behaviors and results that resonate uniquely with you. When you exercise, choose effective routines that you yourself enjoy. If you decide to incorporate psychotherapy into your weight loss program, be fully present in the process and place yourself squarely at the center of your treatment. And when you engage in these activities, find the connections among them: Meditate after you work out, reflect on your day after therapy, engage in positive messages as you go about your routine. Across the board, embrace yourself as the owner and the subject of your weight loss routine, and make sound decisions accordingly. That will make all the difference in a successful weight loss strategy. Remember that the above techniques should always be used in conjunction with a healthy and responsible diet and exercise plan. They must also be tailored to your unique goals, challenges and patterns, in the spirit of holistic medicine. Always consult your doctor before engaging in any weight-loss regimen. 

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