The Truth Behind the 5 Biggest Weight-Loss Lies

There are a handful of basic weight loss rules that just make good sense. Like, slow and steady weight loss is easier to maintain over time, eating breakfast will help you drop pounds, and setting realistic goals will make you more likely to achieve them. Right? WRONG. 

"Many of the common messages about combating obesity have little scientific support and, in some cases, are scientifically refuted," says Dr. David B. Allison, director of the Nutrition Obesity Research Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and co-author of "Myths, Presumptions, and Facts about Obesity," a study published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine that's causing quite a scientific storm. "And regardless of our enthusiasm for proposed programs, we must remember our duty to be unfailingly honest about what the scientific data actually shows." 

After zeroing in on what they found to be the most pervasive weight-related claims being propagated by the media, government and even the scientific community, the researchers set out to uncover the truth. 

Here, their top 5 most surprising findings:

THE MYTH: Setting realistic goals for weight loss will help you stick with it.

The Truth: There is no empirical data showing this correlation. Several studies have actually shown more ambitious goals can actually boost weight loss outcomes.

THE MYTH: Sex burns major calories-about 100-300 per session.

The Truth: A roll in the hay is about the same as taking a leisurely stroll-more in the ballpark of 14-21 calories depending how long you can go.

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THE MYTH: Significant, rapid weight loss cannot usually be maintained over time. Slow and gradual is the way to go for long-term results.

The Truth: Rapid weight loss early on in clinical trials is actually associated with lower body weights when the trials end-and it can help motivate you to keep going. 

THE MYTH: Regularly eating breakfast can help keep weight down.

The Truth: Two randomized, controlled trials that studied the outcome of eating versus skipping an A.M. meal showed no effect on body weight. 

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THE MYTH: Snacking leads to weight gain.

The Truth: Neither controlled trials nor observational studies have shown a consistent relationship between snacking and increased BMI. 

Frustrating, right? The war against unwanted pounds is dirty enough. Who needs bogus advice clouding our judgment? As Dr. Allison says, "To quote John Lennon, 'Just give me some truth.'" 

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/5-biggest-weight-loss-lies-140500820.html

Davina McCall trainer Jackie Wren’s shape-up quest, part 11

Jackie is feeling fab and looking fine as her challenge draws to a close.

I can’t believe how quick the last 11 weeks have gone. I feel really fit and I'm in a much happier place than I was at the start of my challenge. Earlier today I was chatting to a neighbour and the first time ever since I lost my baby girl, I found myself talking about her. It wasn’t until I came into the house that I realised what a massive step forward I had made in my life. It has taken me a while to associate my weight gain with my loss, but it’s a moment in time that has totally changed the rest of my life.

This week I had my Birthday and had the best weekend I can remember for a long time. I went out and bought myself lots of size 10 dresses to celebrate! When I look back to how I felt about myself  I am so grateful for the chance to heal some wounds and regain my happiness, my contentment and my figure.

I've had to be very disciplined with exercise this week as the weather has continued to be lovely and hot. I'm still enjoying my early morning workouts and I find jogging so much easier now that I have less weight to carry! I've been running a route that's about 5 or 6 miles. I completed my midnight charity walk for St. Catherine’s Hospice last weekend and I wore skin tight silver lycra shorts and a short top! Lots of people commented on how great I was looking, which gave me an incredible boost. I felt on top of the world!

This week I can truthfully say that I have totally lost all my unhealthy eating and drinking habits. I did have some alcohol for my Birthday but it’s not something I enjoy doing regularly anymore. Also my eating habits have drastically changed; I could not imagine eating some of the processed or high fat and sugar foods I used to.

I have one more week to go until my end-of-challenge photo shoot with Health & Fitness magazine and I'm 100% confident I'll be wearing my skinny jeans for the rest of the summer. I have a little bit of loose skin around my tummy to work on but I am body brushing and massaging the area to increase oxygen and collagen production. But, to be honest I'm so happy with how I feel emotionally and how much healthier I feel, that a little bit of baggy skin is just a cosmetic inconvenience!

Have a happy week,

Love Jackie xxx

http://www.womensfitness.co.uk/blog/837/davina-mccall-trainer-jackie-wren%E2%80%99s-shape-quest-part-11

Lose weight fast

Slim down fast with these top fat loss tips from H&F magazine

Whether you want a flat stomach and firm bottom, or you need to lose a few pounds to fit into your favourite summer dress, the key to weight loss success is to combine exercise with a healthy diet. There's no point slogging away at the gym, then ruining your efforts with all the wrong foods. Those washboard abs will be hidden under a layer of calorie-induced flab!

Follow our diet tips for fast weight loss:

1. EAT THE RIGHT FUEL
When you’re training hard and aiming to lose weight, it’s important to eat frequently, to constantly fuel your metabolic fire. But you need to add the right fuel! By feeding your body with a good balance of lean protein (which you should eat at every meal including snacks), good fats and carbs – primarily from fruit, veg and legumes – you’ll find cravings for sugar and calorie-laden carbs decrease along with your waistline. And, as protein takes longer for the body to break down and requires more energy to do so, you’ll stay feeling fuller for longer.

2. DRINK YOURSELF SLIMMER
Do yourself a double favour by switching to water instead of other drinks, wherever possible. Not only will you cut your calorie intake by up to 500 calories a day, you’ll also increase hydration levels, too. This, in turn, can reduce the amount you eat. Research shows that even mild levels of dehydration can cause your brain to confuse thirst with hunger. Lattes (300 calories), fizzy drinks (150 calories) and fruit juices (120 calories) soon mount up without you even noticing. 

3. CHEAT YOURSELF SLIM
As with any new habit, sticking to a diet can be tough. At my fitness club Phoenix Pro Fitness, we recommend sticking to a diet plan 80-90 per cent of the time. This means that each of our members is allowed at least one cheat meal per week where they can have anything they like, which means they’re more likely to stick to a healthy eating plan. Eating more calories than your daily norm also boosts your metabolism and increases your rate of fat burning. Studies show the calorie surplus of a cheat meal can elevate your BMR by nine per cent. Being in caloric deficit reduces the appetite-regulating hormone leptin, but a cheat meal increases leptin production, to help beat your hunger cravings. 

4. TIME YOUR CARBS
Save your starchy carbs (bread, pasta, potatoes, rice) for after training, within a two-hour window. This serves two purposes: first, it means you’re taking in starches when your body is low on glycogen so they’ll be used to replenish your muscle glycogen stores rather than being squirrelled away as excess fat. Second, it means you’ll regulate your intake of starchy carbs without having to count points or calories.  In my experience, few people get fat by eating too much protein or too many vegetables.

5. JUGGLE YOUR MEALS
Juggling the ingredients of your favourite meals by reducing the carb content and increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables, can cut calories while doubling your nutrient intake. For instance, spaghetti Bolognese contains around 600 calories. But if you use 50 per cent less meat and spaghetti, and add more veg such as peas, sweetcorn, tomatoes, mushrooms and grated carrot (which dissolve during cooking to give a fabulously rich and velvety texture), not only will you create a tastier, more filling, vitamin- and mineral-packed meal, you’ll halve the calories to around 300 per serving. Apply this process to your other meals and watch the pounds disappear without feeling hungry!

6. SLIM STARTERS
Salad vegetables are at their best this time of year, so make the most of the seasonal produce and eat a small bowl of salad before your main meal. Not only is this a great way to increase your fruit and veg intake but, according to a study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, it also means you’ll eat up to 12 per cent fewer calories. Just remember to go easy on the salad dressings though!

7. GET YOUR 4:1
We know we should eat our five a day. But five pieces of fructose-packed fruit will send your insulin levels soaring and your sweet tooth into overdrive, which can make staying on an even keel difficult. It’s hard to fight the urges produced by chemical reactions in your brain, such as the release of calming serotonin after ingesting carbohydrates. I recommend you stick to a ratio of 4:1 vegetables to fruit. Plus, to get all the daily nutrients, fibre and sustenance you need, you should be shooting for 10 servings of veg and fruit per day, not five. So pile ’em up!

For more weight loss tips subscribe to Health & Fitness magazine.We'll give you three issues for £1! 

http://www.womensfitness.co.uk/healthy-eating-tips/806/lose-weight-fast

Rapid weight loss diet

Switch your body to fat burning mode

Want to increase your fat burning potential? Then it might be time for you to up the temperature. Thermogenesis is the process of heat production in the body, which speeds up your metabolism and helps you burn more calories. The easiest way to raise your body’s core temperature is by exercising, but you can also do it through diet.

Hot StuffSome foods raise your metabolism higher than others and therefore burn more calories. These include spices, protein, coconut oil and green tea. You can burn 40-100 extra calories a day by eating more of these foods. Good news if you’ve reached a plateau and want to lose extra pounds.

Protein has a greater thermic effect than fats and carbohydrates because it takes longer to digest, using more energy. It also has a satiating effect, so it will stave off hunger for longer. Spices such as black pepper and chilli are also effective. A Dutch study found that 10g of chilli per meal raises your body temperature straight after eating. The active compound capsaicin boosts metabolism, fat oxidation and may also reduce appetite. Black pepper contains piperine, a chemical that fires up your metabolism. It also increases the absorption of health-promoting nutrients passing through the lining of the gut.

Another study, published in the Journal of Obesity, reported that the caffeine and catechin antioxidants in green tea work together to blast fat cells. Swiss scientists found thermogenesis in rats was increased by as much as 77 per cent with a green tea supplement. To reap the benefits, aim to drink a cup of green tea every two hours.

Coconut oil stimulates your metabolism by up to five per cent, according to research published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Medium-chain fatty acids in the oil are converted to energy easier than long-chain fatty acids – which occur in 98 per cent of animal and plant fats – so are less likely to be deposited in fat cells. Try replacing your regular cooking oil with coconut oil for healthy stir-fries, but use it sparingly as its high in calories.

There are numerous thermogenic supplements on the market, but altering your diet is a safer and healthier way to promote fat burning. Exercise regularly, cut processed food from your diet, add some thermogenic foods and you’ll soon improve your metabolic rate. 

http://www.womensfitness.co.uk/healthy-eating-tips/843/rapid-weight-loss-diet