Latest news with #weight loss
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Nurse, 26, Lost 270 Pounds After Making These 3 Lifestyle Changes
When his doctor prescribed the first blood pressure medication, Kevin Goode knew his weight probably contributed to it. He was 465 pounds, but he thought his high blood pressure wasn't 'too serious.' Still, it remained high, and his doctor prescribed him a second drug to try to lower it. Soon after, he learned he had sleep apnea and his A1C was 'shooting upward.' If it didn't lower, Goode would need to add insulin to his growing list of prescriptions. Then his doctor gave him a warning. 'My doctor told me that I wouldn't live past 40 with this trend,' Goode, 28, a nurse at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, tells 'That's the moment that everything changed.' At the time, he was 26 and visited a bariatric surgeon for a consultation. The doctor advised Goode that he needed to lose weight before he qualified for surgery. He immediately headed to the gym and sat on a bench to lift some dumbbells. Soon, he started eating a moderate-fat, low-carbohydrate and high-protein diet. '(The doctor) wanted me to lose 20 pounds because that would show that I was dedicated enough for surgery,' Goode explains. 'I ended up losing 80 pounds.' In December 2023, he underwent surgery. As he recovered for six weeks, he was anxious to get back to his exercise routine. 'I was very much like, 'How soon can I get back to the gym?'' he says. 'I was sitting around doing nothing, and I'm not liking it.' Six weeks later, he was cleared to return to his regular exercise routine. Over time, he shed more weight, reaching 176 pounds. 'My goal from the beginning of this whole journey back in February of 2023 was, bluntly, to win back my life. It was never about the weight, never about the bodybuilding, never about looking good,' he says. 'It was very much about (how) I was told that I wouldn't live past 40, and that didn't sit right with me, and I wanted to get rid of all the diagnoses.' This year, Goode took his love of weight training to the next level and is working toward becoming a certified personal trainer. One of the trainers in the gym approached Goode and suggested he consider participating in a bodybuilding competition. 'He was like 'Have you ever thought about doing a show?' and I was like, 'No, I just love it here and I come for the health aspect,'' Goode recalls. 'That's when I looked into the transformation competition.' A transformation competition generally focuses on people who have lost weight. Goode will compete in October in Chicago. As part of his preparation, he has focused more on lifting and less on cardiovascular exercise. 'Instead of doing 45 minutes of strength training and 30 of cardio, it's more like an hour strength training and maybe 15 minutes cardio,' he says. This caused him to gain some weight, and he's now at 210 pounds, but it's 'more muscle.' His diet has changed, too, and he focuses on counting macronutrients. He still eats a lot of protein, but with lower-fat foods and now incorporates complex carbohydrates into his diet. Losing fat while gaining muscle has changed his outlook on calories and how important they are for energy, he says. Since losing weight and transforming his body with lifting, Goode feels he's become 'more emotionally intelligent.' 'I share a lot more about myself,' he says. 'I'm 20 times more confident than I have ever been in my life.' Ahead, Goode shares what worked for him when it came to transforming his body. 'Nutrition Is Going To Be Your Biggest Thing' Eating fewer calories than he burned, what's known as a calorie deficit, helped Goode shed the weight. 'Nutrition is going to be your biggest thing,' he says. 'The biggest advice as far as actually losing weight is just (being in) a calorie deficit.' 'Fall in Love with the Small Wins' Focusing too much on the scale can feel overwhelming. People might think they look great, but the scale shows their weight increased slightly. Instead of focusing on the numbers, Goode urges people to 'fall in love with the small wins.' Goode keeps a running list of his in his notes app. 'I don't have to pick up my foot to tie my shoe. I can just bend over,' he says. 'I always made a joke that laptops are not laptops. There's no way that is sitting on my lap. But now I'm like I got all this room.' But his 'biggest non-scale victory' has been the difference he's noticed at work. 'Being able to move around (the hospital) room a lot easier, being able to play with the kids without getting out of breath,' he says. 'I enjoy it so much more now because I'm not getting (to) the end of the 12-hour shifts completely, like, dead.' Find Support While Goode taught himself how to work out, he hasn't been entirely alone in his process. 'I had the community support from the gym. My mom has been a huge supporter. All the nurses at work, they've been fantastic,' he says. 'I can't go without mentioning my amazing girlfriend. She's just been super supportive.' This article was originally published on Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
I lost four stone WITHOUT Mounjaro - this is how much I actually eat in a day
A woman who lost four stone without the help of any weight loss drugs has insisted that 'volume eating' is the way to go. Ashleigh Wilson shared her full plate of lunch that included chicken flatbread with vegetables on TikTok, promising that she will feel 'sickly full' after it. But the 26-year-old from Blackpool claimed that despite the meal being large in size, it was low in calories. The respectable volume also meant that she 'will not be going to that snack cupboard' later as she will not be feeling peckish. The influencer, who once weighed 15st 8lbs, said: 'So I've now lost four stone and if anybody asks me how I did that, I always talk about volume eating. 'This whole plate is 398 calories and just over 40 grams of protein. It's just a chicken flatbread, veggies. 'So beetroot, cucumber, tomato, onion, and then some chicken breast I seasoned and chopped up and put over it. 'Got a little bit of balsamic glaze and a little bit of honey, cause I'm a sucker for honey. 'I will eat this and I will probably feel sickly full after it. 'However, best believe I will not be going to that snack cupboard, and I'll be fine, more than fine, until dinner time. 'So, yeah, you want to lose weight, start with volume eating.' In May, a mother revealed how she lost nine stone in just 12 months without resorting to weight loss jabs or surgery - instead turning to an 'old school' meal replacement diet. Mother-of-two Amy Swan began her transformation in January 2024, swapping all meals for formula products such as soups, shakes and snack bars. The strict regime - just 800 calories a day - helped her drop six stone by June, and nine stone by the end of the year. Alongside the plan, she drank three litres of water a day, but did very little exercise. In a TikTok clip that has now been viewed 2.5 million times, Ms Swan, 33, wrote: 'Here's how I went from being severely overweight, under-confident and chronically people-pleasing to nine stone, getting my spark back and setting loving boundaries—in just one year. She lost the hefty pounds by going on a total meal replacement diet where she swapped all foods for formula products such as soups, shakes and bars After six months she slowly came off the meal replacement plan and spent the rest of the year steadily working up a healthy balanced diet that doesn't involve axing sweet treats all together 'I started a total meal replacement diet—that's four products a day. 'I did this for six months. I fell off the wagon three times but got straight back to it— remember that part please. I lost six stone by my birthday at the end of June!' The strict weight loss method is designed to provide essential nutrients and a reduced calorie intake which results in rapid weight loss.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Eating foods in this order could help with weight loss and blood sugar, experts say
The order in which you eat foods during meals may affect your health, according to some nutrition experts. The concept — known as "meal sequencing" — involves first eating fiber-rich, non-starchy vegetables, followed by protein and then fats, before eating the carbohydrates on your plate. This orderly way of eating may help prevent blood sugar spikes, increase feelings of fullness and help with weight loss, according to nutrition experts who spoke to Fox News Digital. Popular 'Fibermaxxing' Diet Trend Not Right For Everyone, Nutritionist Says "Starting with vegetables, protein and healthy fats — before eating starches or sugary foods — may help blunt post-meal glucose spikes," Caroline Susie, a registered dietitian based in Dallas, Texas, told Fox News Digital. "This effect is particularly beneficial for people with insulin resistance, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes," said Susie, who is also a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Read On The Fox News App The expert noted, however, that people with diabetes should receive personalized guidance from a medical expert. Elevated blood sugar levels (known as hyperglycemia) after meals can increase an individual's risk for type 2 diabetes, according to a UCLA report. Controlling blood sugar levels can help benefit the treatment of diabetes and obesity. Experts Reveal 5-Step Approach To A Healthier Gut And Stronger Immunity Previous research published in the journal Nutrients found that patients who followed the meal sequencing method — eating vegetables before refined carbohydrates — showed a significant improvement in glycemic control and blood sugar after a five-year period, while the group that did not follow the approach did not show improvement. "What causes the sugar spikes is eating too many carbs," Sandra J. Arevalo, a New York-based registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Fox News Digital. "Eating them alone makes it even worse," she cautioned. "When eating them together with protein and fiber, we are cushioning their effect by slowing their absorption." In addition to lowering blood sugar levels, meal sequencing may also assist with weight loss. Studies have shown that eating protein before refined carbs promotes the secretion of the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) from the gut, which delays gastric emptying and suppresses appetite. "When you eat other foods first — mainly fiber-rich foods — and then you drink water, the fiber from the foods helps you feel satisfied, thus decreasing your appetite," Arevalo told Fox News Digital. "And let's not forget that fiber also helps to reduce the absorption of sugar in the blood, helping to cushion your sugar levels." Complex carbohydrates — such as most vegetables, beans and legumes — are rich in fiber and slow to digest, which causes a gradual rise in blood sugar levels, according to the UCLA report. Refined carbohydrates — such as sugar, white rice and white flour — have higher glycemic levels, which are easier to break down and contribute to faster blood sugar spikes. As nutrition experts pointed out, eating fiber before refined carbohydrates can help slow the carbs' absorption, which helps blood sugar levels stay lower during digestion. To assist with healthier food choices and to monitor blood sugar levels after a meal, experts recommend using a food rating system called the glycemic index. This rating scale determines how quickly certain foods can cause blood sugars to rise and fall, according to the UCLA report. For those interested in trying meal sequencing, Susie laid out the following steps. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter Start with eating non-starchy vegetables first, as the fiber slows digestion. Eat protein and healthy fats. This will promote feelings of fullness and slow glucose absorption. Eat the carbohydrates last, as this may lead to "lower glucose excursions," Susie said. For more Health articles, visit Everyone reacts differently to different meal plans, Arevelo noted. Both dietitians emphasized the importance of working with a licensed registered dietitian nutritionist who can help with planning balanced meals and monitoring blood sugar article source: Eating foods in this order could help with weight loss and blood sugar, experts say Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Mono diets: Are they effective, pointless or just plain dangerous?
With summer in full swing, many people will be tempted by supposedly miraculous dieting tricks to lose those excess pounds that prevent them from enjoying the perfect physique. Among them are so-called "mono diets": restrictive regimes that consist of exclusively eating one type of food for a period of time, with the aim of quickly losing weight and "detoxing." Popular examples include pineapple, apple, watermelon, peach or artichoke, as well as grain-based options like rice and protein-based ones, such as tuna or milk. Their appeal lies in the promise of simplicity and fast results. Fleeting weight loss Diets built on a drastic reduction of calorie intake can lead to swift weight loss. However, consuming such a small amount of calories means reduced blood sugar levels. To maintain energy levels, our bodies have mechanisms that compensate for a drop in nutrient intake. Initially, the body uses hepatic glycogen, the main source of the glucose reserve that maintains blood glucose levels, especially between meals or when fasting. However, once this store is depleted, the body begins to convert muscle mass to obtain amino acids which, through other metabolic routes, can produce glucose. This process, sustained over time, can lead to a significant loss of muscle mass and other metabolic disturbances. Much of any sudden weight loss is therefore the result of a loss of water and muscle mass rather than body fat, meaning these results tend to be temporary. When a person returns to their usual diet after a strict regime, it is common for them to quickly regain any lost weight -- this is known as the "rebound effect." In short, mono diets may seem like a quick fix, but they do not promote sustained weight loss, nor are they conducive to healthy eating habits. Are there any benefits? Beyond the initial weight loss, there is virtually no scientific evidence to suggest that mono diets have any real or lasting benefits. Some people report a feeling of "lightness" or better digestion, but these effects may be due more to the elimination of certain processed foods than to the diet itself. The "detox" element of mono diets can also have a placebo effect. The belief that they are somehow cleansing their body can make a person feel better, even in the absence of any proven physiological changes. Are they dangerous? Mono diets can be very dangerous, especially if they are prolonged. The main risk is the deficiency of essential nutrients, as by eating only one type of food, we miss out on the proteins, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals that the body needs to function properly. In addition, they can lead to digestive problems, metabolic disorders, musculoskeletal problems, hormonal disturbances and electrolyte imbalances, especially in people with pre-existing health conditions. Another significant danger is the creation of an unhealthy relationship with food, one marked by restriction and guilt. In extreme cases, this can lead to eating disorders such as orthorexia or anorexia nervosa. Additionally, radically limiting nutrients can affect the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain, contributing to irritability and fatigue that, in turn, negatively impact emotional well-being. Why are they so popular? Despite their risks, mono diets continue to be successful, especially on social media. Their appeal lies in their simplicity and the promise of quick results with minimal effort. Many of these diets are promoted by celebrities or influencers, giving them a false sense of credibility. Misinformation, aesthetic pressure and a broader lack of nutritional education are also contributing factors. The key takeaway is that single-food diets may be effective for quick and temporary weight loss, but they are not effective in the long term, and are dangerous if followed for long periods of time. They provide no real health benefits, and can lead to nutritional deficiencies and major health problems. For these reasons, they are not recommended, and should not be promoted as appropriate forms of weight control or health improvement. The best way to reach and maintain a healthy weight is still a balanced, varied diet, accompanied by regular physical activity and healthy lifestyle habits. Ana Montero Bravo is an associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, at San Pablo-CEU University, CEU Universities, CEU San Pablo University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The views and opinions in this commentary are solely those of the author.
CTV News
15-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
What is causing the collective weight gain and obesity?
Montreal Watch Dr. Kaberi Dsbupta speaks about the collective weight gain and obesity and the drugs that are helping people lose weight.
