losing weight

Why Intermittent Fasting May Not Be Great For Your Health

July 29, 2019 By Amanda Blankenship Leave a Comment

The weight loss industry makes billions of dollars a year from Americans attempting to lose a few pounds. Some individuals have combated this billion-dollar industry with trying things like intermittent fasting. Of course, you’ll spend less money on food when you simply don’t eat for a certain period of time, but at what cost?

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is something people do to increase their metabolism, lose weight, and possibly even reduce inflammation. To perform this type of fasting, you go without food for a set period of time every day. During this time, you can only drink water.

Many people fast for 16 hours and eat within an 8-hour window. So, if you start eating at 8 a.m., you’d only eat until 4 p.m. Then you’d fast again until 8 a.m. the next day.

Others use something called the 5:2 method. This means fives days out of the week you eat a normal number of calories. The other two days you have a restricted caloric intake (usually between 500 and 600 calories).

Dangers of Fasting

Billions of people worldwide fast for various reasons, including weight loss. However, many extreme diets or going without eating altogether can have some positive (and negative) impacts on your physical and mental health. More recently, the negative impacts of intermittent fasting have come to light.

Cons of Fasting

“Intermittent fasting is a gateway to an eating disorder,” Evelyn Tribole, registered dietitian and co-author of Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works stated. Oftentimes, when you get used to not eating, you just stop eating. Some individuals may fall into habits that lead to developing an eating disorder.

At the same time, those who don’t fall into anorexia may find themselves binge eating when they come off their fast. They may do really well for a few weeks, then when they stop their fasting period, they binge and gain the weight back, which can be just as harmful. Most importantly, you lose touch with your body’s ability to know when you need food and when you don’t.

On top of how intermittent fasting can change your relationship with food, it can also impact your social life. Many people who have done this type of fasting note that the social side effects were what almost broke them in the beginning. It is more difficult to go out with friends for a bite to eat when you don’t eat most of the day. Also, not all your friends and family will agree with you just not eating.

Pros of Fasting

That being said, there are plenty of benefits to intermittent fasting. Some individuals find that during periods of fasting they are able to think more clearly and feel happier. Additionally, most people who perform any type of fasting see some weight loss results, though they vary from person to person.

As with any extreme change in your lifestyle, be sure to consult with your physician before fasting or adopting any new diet.

Readers, have you tried intermittent fasting or any other kind of fasting? How did it impact you?

People Spend $60 Billion a Year Trying to Lose Weight: 5 Diets That Work

January 7, 2019 By Amanda Blankenship 1 Comment

Thirty-eight percent of individuals who made resolutions for 2019 resolved to lose weight or exercise more. If you are one of the millions of people trying to get healthier, there is a $60 billion diet industry you should know about. Plus, here are the diets that work, according to the experts.

People Spend Hundreds Getting Healthy

Americans spend more than $60 billion trying to lose weight or get healthy each year. Considering there are around 75 million Americans trying to lose weight, that means each individual is spending at least $800 per year.

About $3 billion of that is spent on losing weight annually goes to companies like Weight Watchers and other paid weight loss programs. Another $3 billion is spent on weight loss supplements and diet pills. Home delivery services (like Nutrisystem) account for another $1 billion.

Diets That Work

If you’re putting serious cash into getting healthier, you probably want a definitive answer on diets that work. Over the years it has fluctuated. Is a low carb diet ideal? How does it stack up against a low-fat diet? The five plans listed below are said to work for long-term weight loss.

1. The Mediterranean Diet

Those who follow the best diet plans each year know that the Mediterranean diet was ranked number one last year as well. It is an oil-rich diet and focuses on fresh veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats. Additionally, it encourages dieters to reduce sugar, red meat, dairy, and processed foods. The Mediterranean diet has been known to help lower the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and some cancer.

2. DASH Diet

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. So, it is no surprise many people looking to lower their blood pressure adopt this diet. The DASH diet involves reducing the amount of salt in your day-to-day eating. It also encourages you to eat foods that are full of heart-healthy minerals (calcium, potassium, magnesium). Like the Mediterranean diet, it also limits the amount of sugar and red meat you consume.

3. Flexitarian Diet

This diet is “new” to the list. Many people try to go vegetarian to better their health. However, giving up meat altogether is unthinkable for some. That’s where the Flexitarian diet comes in. This essentially limits the amount you eat meat each week to once or twice. The rest of the time, you follow a vegetarian diet. Doing this has been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.

4. MIND Diet

As you may have guessed by its name, the MIND diet is focused on improving brain health through the food you put into your body. MIND stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. People following this diet are encouraged to eat three servings of whole grains, a salad, another form of vegetable, and a glass of wine each day. While it has not yet been determined whether or not a diet can really improve your brain health, the diet certainly changes people’s mindset when it comes to food.

5. WW – Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers, now known as WW, has been around for years and it continues to lead people to succeed with their weight loss goals. In fact, it is number one in the country as far as commercial diets are concerned. If you’re not familiar with the program, it places a point value on foods based on the calories, sugar, fat, and protein content. You are given a certain number of points to stick to each day and you keep a food diary to track them.

The Best Diets in 2019

If you’re looking for a goal-specific diet, these are how each is ranked, according to US News.

See a full list of the best diets here.

While $60 billion seems like a lot, it pales in comparison to the $300 billion fast food industry. However, everyone could save a bit of cash and stay away from fad diets. Instead, stick to these diets that work or consult a health professional to find something that works for you.

Readers, did you resolve to get healthy in the new year?

10 Changes I Made to Lose 100 Lbs and Save Money

February 3, 2018 By Alexa Mason 17 Comments

By David Cummings

It’s funny how it’s the little things that seem to make clear what you have known all along, but refused to acknowledge. On March 20, 2011, I bent down to tie a shoelace that had come loose — and I couldn’t. I literally stood there stunned. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t bend over to tie my shoe. It was at that moment that I realized that I had to do something about my growing weight problem. I thought to myself, why not combine my financial goals with my weight loss goals?

Here’s how I did it…

1. I Replaced My Dishes

OK, I know this sounds like a lousy way to save money. Anyone that has priced dishes lately knows that throwing away all your dishes and getting new ones can be quite expensive, but that’s not exactly what I did. Instead, I only got rid of the big dinner plate sized dishes (I donated them to a local thrift shop) and replaced using those with all the smaller plates that came with my set. I know it sounds stupid, but this one thing did wonders for me losing weight.

One of the biggest problems that I always have when it comes to food is that no matter how big a dish I had, I always filled it with food and then I would always eat everything on my plate. The portions I was eating were enormous and it really was ridiculous.

By switching to smaller plates, all of a sudden I could only put a certain amount of food on it (it works out to be about 1/4 of what can go on the bigger plates) and this has had a tremendous amount with helping me control my portions. I don’t know how much is psychological (that whole “a larger number means more” mentality), but I feel fuller when I eat two plates of food off of the smaller plates than I did a single of the larger plates even though the food portion is half as much.

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2. I Drink More Water

I have one exception to my rule about pouring my drinks into small glasses. I am allowed to drink as much water as I want and I have a large water bottle that I carry around with me everywhere I go. This is my main form of hydration today as opposed to the vast quantities of sweet drinks that I used to consume before. By always having a water bottle with me, I can quench my thirst without having to go to the refrigerator to get something that is sweet. If I’m really craving something sweet, I can get it and pour it into the small glass. Simply by having the water bottle and getting into the habit of drinking water most of the time, I have greatly reduced the number of calories I take it through liquids and saved a lot of money.

3. I Kicked My Coke Habit

I had a terrible coke habit. No, not the type that could land you in prison for decades, but the soft drink. I was drinking close to a six-pack a day (I know, I don’t even like to think about it today). I now don’t drink Coke at all. I’m not exactly sure what the entire process was to achieve this. I think it started with the smaller glasses. It was a pain to have to fill up 5 glasses to drink a single can, so this initially cut down the amount I was drinking. At some point, I realized that I was drinking colored corn syrup and eventually eliminated it from my diet. Now not only do I feel a lot healthier, my wallet feels a lot that healthier too.

4. I Prepare Healthy Snacks

I snack. It is something that no matter how hard I try not to do, I still haven’t been able to overcome. Knowing this, I have to have healthy snacks prepared for when these cravings hit. If I don’t have healthy snacks that I can eat, I will be out the door to buy unhealthy snacks in a second. This is one of the most important parts of me being able to lose the weight I have so far.

The biggest challenge I have is finding a variety of healthy snacks that are easy for me to make (I’m not a great cook) so that I don’t get bored with my regular fruit and vegetable snacks. If anyone has a good resource for me on this, I would be extremely thankful as this is one area that is a constant struggle.

5. I Plan My Meals

Part of the trouble I had was that I never thought about what I was going to eat until the minute I became hungry. The result was that I chose a lot of unhealthy premade food because it was easy and I could quickly get it into my stomach to fill it up. It’s difficult to lose weight when you are constantly eating premade food.

When I realized this, I learned to plan my meals ahead. I’m not a very good planner, so I’m still working on this one, but I am getting better. By having meals planned ahead of time, I’m never left at the last minute without something that allows me to make the excuse I can go out to eat or grab a quick bite somewhere. I make my meals the night before so that they are ready in the morning so I’m not rushed to get out the door and not have time to make them. I plan my meals for the week ahead so I know what I’m having each night (the slow cooker crockpot has been heaven sent for this) so I’m not sitting there thinking what am I going to have to eat each night. By putting a little planning into it, I’ve learned to eat much healthier than when I had to decide what to eat on the fly.

6. I Park Farther Away

One of my biggest challenges with losing the weight is that I’m not a person that enjoys exercise. I had to figure out ways that would make me move around that didn’t seem like exercise to me. One of the most effective ways that I found was to park at the far end of all parking lots so that I had to walk farther whenever I needed to go someplace. It may not seem like it would make a huge difference, but it has definitely helped me get a lot more exercise than I would have done so otherwise.

7. I Take The Stairs

Another one of those small additions I used to increase my exercise is that I stopped taking elevators. Instead, I now take the stairs. This, again, is a small step to get me to move around, but it has made a huge difference in helping me to lose the weight and get exercise that I wouldn’t otherwise get.

8. I Sleep When I’m Tired

This probably sounds like a weird one to have on my losing weight list, but it’s another one that I discovered as I began to pay more attention to the triggers that make me eat. I have learned that when I start to get tired, it’s time for me to go to bed. If I remain awake when I am tired, I start consuming food to try to help me stay awake. Once I learned that being tired was one of my eating triggers, I have learned to go to bed a few hours earlier than I used to go to bed. I now usually sleep eight hours a night (I used to sleep less) which allows me to get a good night’s sleep so that I don’t get tired during the day. This has made another huge difference when it comes to me consuming food.

9. I Practice Stress Relief

Another food trigger that I discovered within myself is stress. When I get stressed out, I start to eat. I have learned to spot when stress is coming on and try to relieve it in different ways. One of those is to get outside and breathe fresh air. A short walk is even better. When this isn’t possible, I also have stress balls at my desk that I can squeeze. I am in the process of learning some breathing techniques that I have high hopes will be another effective tool in my stress relief arsenal. I still have a way to go to work on this trigger because I’m not always successful in reducing my stress, but I’m getting much better at it. As I do get better, I find that I can tell when the stress is coming and I can deactivate it before I start eating.

10. I’m Aware This Is A Life Change, Not A Diet

This is something that I have slowly come to terms with. I realize that what I am doing today is something that I am going to have to do for a lifetime, not just until the weight is gone. If I want to continue to lose weight and then keep that weight off, I am going to have to continue these changes in my lifestyle. This has been more difficult to come to terms with than I thought because there are so many commercials out there that peddle quick and easy fixes. Losing weight is neither quick or easy, and I have come to realize that a lifestyle change is the only way for me to ultimately succeed.

In addition to losing the weight, a huge financial benefit is that I have cut my costs by about $500 a month making these changes. I have no idea if any of the above methods that have worked for me will work for you. As I said before, I am not an expert in weight reduction and these are just some of the changes that I have made that happened to work for me through trial and error. I hope that even a couple may help if you are struggling to lose weight. If you are also on a journey like myself, I would love to hear any other lifestyle changes that you have adopted that have helped you that I can also try.

David had been a long time-Saving Advice reader that felt sharing his story might help others struggling with similar weight issues. He is considering starting a blog about his daily struggles with weight and money.

(Photo courtesy of Alan Cleaver)

Sugary Drinks Could Change The Way Your Body Burns Fat

July 23, 2017 By James Hendrickson 1 Comment

One in three Americans drink soda or some other form of sugary drink on a daily basis. Considering the rising number of cases of diabetes and obesity-related deaths in the country, that is alarming. To top that off, sugary drinks may be adding fuel to the weight gain of Americans.

That’s right. McDonald’s isn’t just helping you pack on the pounds with their food but adding on a sugary drink will help you keep the weight. A recent study showed that adding a sugary drink to a protein-rich meal (say, a Big Mac combo) can decrease your body’s ability to burn fat by 8 percent.

The ‘War’ on Sugar

It’s been no secret that you shouldn’t be taking in huge amounts of sugar on a daily basis. Although that seems like common sense, one-third of Americans are still drinking sugary drinks every day. Sugary drinks like soda and energy drinks have been linked to a rise in heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity for years. In fact, cities like New York have tried to wage war on sugar by placing higher tax on sugary drinks. Though there have been numerous studies as to why these drinks are so bad for you, the most recent study may provide a bit more of a reason as to why sugary drinks are doing so much harm.

How Sugary Drinks Impact Your Metabolism

The study, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, consisted of 27 participants. Each individual stayed in an isolated room. During their time in the room their levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide, temperature, and air pressure were all measured, making it possible for the study researchers to measure each person’s metabolism.

Each participant spent 24 hours in the room at a time. They’d be given breakfast and lunch with either a sugary drink or artificial sweetener. Those who had been given a sugary drink had a slower metabolic rate (by 8 percent). They were also more likely to crave salty snacks in the hours following the meal.

It’s All About Pairing (And Moderation)

What researchers would like to point out is that a lot of how sugary drinks (and anything else you put in your body) affects your health has a lot to do with the other things you are putting in your body as well. Researchers found that meals higher in protein paired with sugary drinks would decrease their ability to metabolize the food by 8 percent.

Meals with high protein (15 percent protein or more) paired with sugary drinks made noticeable changes in the subject’s metabolism. A meal with 15 percent protein partnered with a sugary drink would reduce fat oxidation by about 7.2 grams, according to Tech Times. This means every time you go through the drive thru at your favorite fast food and order a number five with a large Coke you’re slowly your body’s ability to burn fat down.

All in all, everything in life has to come with moderation. No one is saying you have to cut sugary drinks out of your life entirely but certainly don’t drink them every day and, if you do, don’t pair it with a big juicy burger. Be conscious about what you’re putting in your body so that you always get the best out! Also, check out these 10 healthy soda alternatives.

If you enjoyed this article you may enjoy chatting with members of the Saving Advice community in our forums.

Photo: Nature World News

New Study Suggest Low-Carb Diet Better than Low-Fat Diet

September 1, 2014 By Kal Kurdi 7 Comments

Study: A low carb diet is better than a low fat diet

According to a new study, a diet low in carbohydrates is better for you than a diet focusing on low fat. Recent trends have already suggested that the low-carb approach is better for losing weight, but this new study suggests low-carb could be better for your heart, as well.

Lead author, Dr. Lydia Bazzano of Tulane University in New Orleans has said that according to her new study, results have shown that with proper nutritional counseling people can in fact lose more weight than a low-fat diet, while simultaneously lowering the risk of heart-disease. Dr. Bazzano is directly quoted with saying, “This study shows if you are overweight and have cardiovascular disease risk factors and haven’t had success on other diets, certainly a low-carbohydrate diet is worth a try.”

As there had been no solid results before this new study, researchers feared the outcome because diets low in carbs tend to be higher in fats; patients who were suffering from or at risk of heart-disease were advised against attempting this method, if they were advised about it at all. This latest study puts to bed many of the concerns that were once holding doctors and nutritionists alike back from suggesting a low-carbohydrate diet as an alternative means of both lowering risk and losing weight.

Carbohydrates are typically found in foods like sugar, starches, fiber and are used to provide our bodies with energy. Not all carbohydrates are bad, but the ones we encounter most frequently are. Bad carbs can be found in things like refined wheats, processed chocolates, and a multitude of other places. The carbohydrates found in things like fruits and whole grains are generally considered healthier than the former.

The results were rather impressive, with those who had dieted by reducing their carbs had lost an average of 8 pounds more than those who had participated in the low-fat diet. To add the proverbial icing to the cake, the results had also shown no increase in patients’ cholesterol levels.

Dr. David Jenkins of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto and the Keenan Research Center at St. Michael’s Hospital was quoted saying, “I think it’s another testament to what one can do with a more plant-based diet using the right macronutrient profile,” though he had no direct involvement in Dr. Bazzano’s study.

(Photo courtesy of dollen)

Diet Soda May Help to Lose Weight, but These Are Better Alternatives

May 30, 2014 By Jeffrey Strain 17 Comments

diet soda helps lose weight more than water

There has been a lot of debate on whether or not diet drinks can help you lose weight. A recent study (PDF) published in the journal Obesity found those who drank diet drinks lost a larger amount of weight than those who drank water (Note: this study was conducted for the beverage industry and there have been some questions about the methodology. Even the researchers concede they don’t know why those who drank the diet soda lost more weight since the study’s design didn’t allow them to identify what caused the greater weight loss). On the flip side, there have been a number of studies that show people who drink diet soda have a greater chance at being obese than those who don’t, and even a higher chance of being overweight than those who drink regular sugary soda.

In many ways, I think that the debate is framed entirely in the wrong light, especially if the object is to not only healthily lose weight, but doing it while saving money. In the study, those who drank diet soda lost more weight, but it’s important to note that both groups lost weight. Over the 12-week period, one group lost about 14 lbs while the other lost 10 lbs. While the beverage industry would like to frame this as proof their products are better for losing weight, the fact is that both helped people lose weight, and one costs a lot less. There are many alternatives to soda which will help you lose weight, cost a lot less money, and are chemical free.

Water

Water is an excellent alternative to diet soda that doesn’t cost a dime to consume (if taken from the tap). It can save hundreds of dollars over soda during the course of a year. Water alone probably won’t be able to replacement diet soda completely since it lacks the sweetness and carbonation that many people crave, but it can be a great substitute the majority of the time.

Naturally Flavored Water

For those who do crave a bit of sweetness in their drinks, a good alternative is naturally flavored water. Skip the flavored water in the store (they are often loaded with extra sugar), and make it yourself. All you need to do is slice up fruit and veggies (lemons, oranges, strawberries, cucumbers or whatever taste you like), add them to a pitcher of water and let them soak for a few hours. The juice from the fruits will combine with the water giving you a bit of sweetness while being a lot healthier for you.

Black Coffee

The key with black coffee is that you don’t drink too much of it, and you refrain from adding anything to it like cream or sugar. It contains caffeine that will help those who drink diet soda for the pick-me-up, doesn’t have any fat and only contains a few calories. For those who want taste and aroma to their drink, it can be a good alternative plain water. When brewed at home, it is significantly well than buying cans of diet soda.

Unsweetened Iced Tea

Another wonderful alternative to diet soda that costs significantly less is unsweetened iced tea. While it won’t give the sweetness of a diet soda, it does give more taste than plain water. It’s an easy drink to make by brewing some tea, then filling a pitcher with ice and leaving it in the refrigerator. The few teabags you use will cost pennies rather than the dollars you would spend for the same amount of diet soda.

Green Tea

Green tea, much like iced tea, is another wonderful alternative. It has more caffeine that regular iced tea that can give a jolt to those who miss that aspect of the diet soda, but doesn’t have any calories. It also is a drink that can be consumed either hot or cold, depending on the season. Even better, it also contains a variety of antitoxins that make it a much healthier alternative. Green tea is usually a bit more expensive than regular black tea, but it still costs pennies compared to the cost of diet soda.

Seltzer

For those who like the bubbles and fizz that comes with sodas, a good alternative is seltzer water. Unflavored seltzer will have no calories, and flavored will usually have few calories. A great option is to do the same as with regular water and add some fruit to naturally bring in your flavor of choice to the drink. The cost of seltzer is usually less than diet soda, but you can save even more by purchasing a seltzer maker like soda stream if you drink a lot of it.

In the end, the question shouldn’t be whether or not diet soda is good for diets, but what are alternatives which are healthier and cost less while still helping you lose the weight you want to lose.

(Photo courtesy of globochem3x1minus1)