Thousands of diets make it look so easy lecturing on what to eat and what not to eat, often contradicting each other. But the reality is that there is no silver bullet or magic pill and the process is downright messy. It’s time to address the real challenge – how to change.

With so many different eating styles to choose from (auto-immune diet, paleo, keto, gluten-free, etc.), ironically, the transformation process is remarkably the same no matter how big or small the change.

APPLY A FEW BASIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES

Applying a few basic change management principles to support a food and health transformation is a proven recipe for success.  The “5 Bites to Better Health” provides a step-by-step process to transform eating habits and health one bite at a time.

1. Begin with the end in mind. The first question that must be answered is “why change?” Focusing on the health benefits to be gained from a food change (i.e., reducing joint pain, minimizing migraines or increasing energy) is a stronger motivator for long-term results than weight alone.More importantly is the question, “why change now?” Be honest about why now is the time to make a diet change. Perhaps some recent test results, a diagnosis or birth of a niece or grandson is creating that sense of urgency to make a health change today!
2. Go slow to go fast. While a drastically new diet may provide short-term results, it’s best to use a “go slow to go fast” approach for long-lasting benefits. Compare your current eating style with your targeted food plan and start making a few changes each week. Gradual change, one bite at a time, in support of a long-term goal, creates sustainable changes that last a lifetime. Instead of eliminating all carbs on day one, substitute a lentil pasta or zucchini noodles just one night this week to kick-start your progress.
3. Focus on Personal Best Foods. When embarking on a new way of eating, most people focus on all the foods they need to give up such as processed foods or sweet snacks. Instead, identify all your favorite “personal best foods” that are included in the food plan. Brainstorm new ways to prepare and incorporate them into more meals throughout the week. It’s common to fall into an eating slump and easily forget about all the many delicious and nutritious foods to choose from.
4. Create food flexibility. Forget identifying a hundred specific dinner recipes on Pinterest that require hundreds of ingredients that will be used once. Rather, create a set of ten simple recipe techniques that incorporate of variety of your personal best veggies, proteins and grains or beans. This provides the skills and flexibility to make a variety of meals depending on what you have on-hand.
5. Celebrate success and raise the bar. Especially when making gradual changes, it’s important to stop and reflect on the progress made along the way. People often don’t realize how bad they felt until they feel better! Changing eating habits one ‘bite’ at a time continues to get easier with practice. Use your new change skills to ‘raise the bar’ to make even more positive changes to your diet and health. Perhaps cutting down on sugar consumption was a success so now it’s time to try eating more leafy greens!

FIND YOUR PHYSICAL AND VIRTUAL TRIBE OF SUPPORT

Finding a physical and virtual tribe of support is extremely important throughout the food change process. Find people that really “get it” whether that person is your neighbor, co-worker or someone in a Facebook group aligned with your eating style or health problem.

Over 50 percent of people in our survey who were transitioning to a diet for health reasons, said that “talking to others who had a similar health problem or diet” was helpful.*

Practice your newly found change skills apply the process to support a transition to non-toxic beauty and cleaning supplies or pesticides. It can even help to switch up your workout routine!

Most people have one thing they want to change about their diet and health no matter how healthy they eat and live today. What’s your one thing and what’s the first step you will take today to get started?

Marissa S. Costonis, H.C. is a health change guru and author of the new #1 Amazon bestseller, Change BITES! 5 Change Management Strategies to Transform Your Health. She combines her background in corporate change management with her passion for health and works as a Certified Health Coach in her practice, Change BITES.

*Marissa conducted a survey was conducted to over 100 participants who “had a health problem that may be impacted by changes in diet”. Results are outlined in the book, Change BITES.

According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, in 2017, 228,000 people underwent surgery to restrict the amount of food the stomach can hold or reduce the absorption of nutrients or both. Surgical techniques vary according to the needs of individual patients. Some procedures are reversible; some change the hormonal environment in the gut in ways that reduce appetite and enhance feelings of fullness; some reverse the mechanism by which obesity causes type 2 diabetes.

Weight loss surgery combined with a commitment to healthy diet and exercise habits delivers life-changing benefits, but even with the most successful outcomes, there is one common and distressing side effect that inhibits the full realization of the benefits: Many people who achieve dramatic weight loss are left with unsightly and uncomfortable saggy excess skin that is immune to the effects of diet and exercise and can interfere with the activities of daily living.

Skin stretches to accommodate excess weight. When the weight is lost gradually, the skin is more likely to shrink back to conform to the body’s new dimensions but when weight is lost rapidly, as with bariatric surgery, the skin’s elasticity cannot keep up.

Not everyone will suffer the same degree of post-surgical excess skin. Elasticity is affected by genes but also decreases with age, sun exposure, and smoking. In general, the part of the body that carried the most weight is where the skin is most stretched and least elastic and where loose, sagging skin will be most troublesome. For many people, that area is around the middle.

PANNICULECTOMY

Excess fat and skin that hangs down from the abdomen is known as a pannus. There are two primary surgical techniques for contouring the abdomen: A panniculectomy removes the pannus for functional reasons; an abdominoplasty (or tummy tuck) removes the pannus but also tightens the underlying abdominal muscles and relocates the belly button for cosmetic reasons.

The anatomical structures of the lower abdomen that are involved in these procedures are: the abdominal wall, composed of muscle and tissue, which may become weakened over time or disrupted by surgery; subcutaneous fat stored outside the abdominal wall; and skin that has stretched, no longer molds to the body, and, with excess fat, hangs in folds to form the pannus.

A panniculectomy focuses specifically on removing the fat and skin that hang from the lower abdomen over the groin and, often, the thigh

Panniculectomy is a functional surgery. The excess tissues are heavy, causing back pain, and skin rubbing on skin causes rashes, infections, and skin ulcers. The belly button is resected so that the patient does not have a belly button after surgery.

ABDOMINOPLATY (TUMMY TUCK)

An abdominoplasty (or tummy tuck) similarly removes excess fat and skin and also tightens the muscles of the abdominal wall; usually the navel is relocated as well.

It is performed as a body contouring procedure for cosmetic reasons to flatten the upper and lower abdomen and remove excess skin. In some cases, liposuction can be performed as an additional procedure to contour the trunk.

Panniculectomy and abdominoplasty are similar procedures, and they both involve resecting excess abdominal skin and fat. Either may be part of a body contouring plan after bariatric surgery, generally about 12-18 months later when optimum weight has been achieved and healthy eating and exercise habits have been adopted. Along with a healthy lifestyle, body contouring helps fulfill the promise of dramatically improved physical and emotional health delivered by bariatric surgery.

Constance M. Chen, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City with special expertise in the use of innovative natural techniques to optimize medical and aesthetic outcomes for women undergoing breast reconstruction. She operates at Lenox Hill Hospital and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. She is Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery (Plastic Surgery) at Weill Cornell Medical College and Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery (Plastic Surgery) at Tulane University School of Medicine. www.constancechenmd.com

Most people are surrounded by lots of good, but unhealthy food choices during the holidays. It’s so easy to overeat and consume more calories than you even realize. This is especially true at holiday parties and special dinners. Now, with New Year’s Eve approaching, you may still be dealing with events that feature tempting foods. According to the Calorie Control Council, the average American consumes over 4,500 calories and around 229 grams of fat during a typical holiday gathering. This includes the snacking,meals, and desserts. The calories and fat can quickly add up, and with people grazing all day, they may not be aware of just how much it’s added up to.

To Help you get through these last festive and food-filled days before the end of the holiday season, here are some tried and true tips that will help you.

• Manage your indulgences. Try small tastes of what you want to try, rather than having an entire serving. Keep good mental notes on what you’ve eaten and when. Sometimes it’s easy to forget you had a big breakfast, went out to a holiday party at lunchtime, and are now at a friend’s holiday party surrounded by treats. If you remember those things, you may be more likely to minimize the feeling of wanting to dive headfirst into the punch bowl.
• Pick and choose events. Just because you are invited to events does not mean you must go to them all. Be selective if you get invited to many, choosing the ones you really want to attend. Not only will this probably save on the over indulgences, but it will also allow you to slow down and not feel rushed all winter.
• Remember summer. It will be summer again, and sooner than you think. It is nice getting to wear warm, comfortable clothes, but don’t let that lull you into thinking you’ll be wearing them year-round.
• Eat ahead of time. If you have something small to eat before attending a party, you will be less likely to overeat once you are there. Make what you eat ahead of time healthy, such as some salad or raw veggies with hummus.
• Watch your choices. Holiday parties are filled with many options, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try to opt for the healthier choices. Look for lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and try to avoid drinking too much alcohol, which is loaded with empty calories.
• Plan ahead. If you know you will be going to a party or dinner, try to eat healthy at your other meals throughout the day. This way you don’t sabotage your diet all day long. Also, avoid standing anywhere near the food in order to mingle with people. Doing that will put you in a position to unknowingly graze and pick up hundreds of extra calories.

Even if you are diligent in maintaining your exercise program, you have to watch your food intake. You can’t out exercise a bad diet. The food you eat and the amount of calories you consume play a huge role. You can get through the holidays without gaining that extra 5-10 pounds, but it’s going to take some effort.

While it’s important to eat healthy all year long, it becomes especially so during the holiday season when there are so many temptations. Opting for healthy foods will help keep you feeling good, having high energy during what is often a stressful season, and will help you avoid weight gain. Healthy foods to include in your diet are those that are high in fiber and are nutrient dense, including fruits, vegetables, lean sources of protein, and whole grains. At holiday parties, look for the fruit and veggie tray and salads, and fill half of your plate with them, leaving only a little room for other options.

Sarah Walls has over 15 years experience in coaching and personal training. Owner of SAPT Strength & Performance Training, Inc, founded in 2007, she offers coaching to develop athletes, adult programs, team training, and has an online coaching program. She is also the strength and conditioning coach for the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, and has over eight years of experience working as an NCAA D1 strength and conditioning coach and personal trainer. To learn more, visit the site: www.saptstrength.com.

SAPT Strength & Performance Training, Inc.

Located in Fairfax, Virginia, SAPT Strength & Performance Training, Inc. is a high performance training club that specializes in helping to develop athletes of all ages. They offer athletic training programs for youth, college students, and amateurs. The company was founded in 2007 by Sarah Walls, a professional strength and conditioning coach and personal trainer with NCAA D1 experience, who is the strength and conditioning coach for the WNBA Washington Mystics team. To learn more, visit the site: www.saptstrength.com.

The CENTRAL MRI is a randomized, controlled trial conducted at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), in collaboration with the Dimona Nuclear Research Center and Soroka University Medical Center in Israel, as well as Harvard University and Leipzig University in Germany. The research group, led by Drs. Iris Shai, Yftach Gepner, Ilan Shelef and Dan Schwarzfuchs from BGU and Dr. Meir Stampfer from Harvard University, sought to assess how distinct lifestyle strategies would impact specific body (adipose) fat deposits.

A release from Ben-Gurion notes that to map these deposits, the team collected an unprecedented quantity of whole body MRI data in benchmark six-month and 18-month scans, each with 300 data points, from moderately overweight to obese men and women.

The release quotes Prof. Iris Shai, the primary investigator of the CENTRAL MRI trial, as saying. “Weighing patients or using blood tests to detect changes, hasn’t, until now, given us accurate pictures, literally, of how different fat deposits are impacted disproportionately by diet and exercise.These findings suggest that moderate exercise combined with a Mediterranean/low carb diet may help reduce the amount of some fat deposits even if you don’t lose significant weight as part of the effort.”

In the study, even with only moderate weight loss, the Med/LC diet was found to be significantly superior to a low-fat diet in decreasing some of the fat storage pools, including visceral (abdominal deep), intra-hepatic (liver), intra-pericardial (heart), and pancreatic fats. However, fat deposits in renal-sinus (kidney), femoral-intermuscular or the cervical (neck) were only altered by weight loss and not by specific lifestyle strategies.

The various fat deposits exhibited highly diverse responsiveness to the interventions, along with moderate, long-term weight loss. In general, the greatest fat deposit decreases were hepatic (-29 percent), visceral (-22 percent) and intra-pericardial (-11 percent). Pancreatic and femur intermuscular fat deposits were only reduced one to two percent.

“We learned in this trial that moderate, but persistent, weight loss may have dramatic beneficial effects on fat deposits related to diabetes and cardiovascular diseases,” Prof. Shai explains. A Mediterranean diet, rich in unsaturated fats and low in carbohydrates, was a more effective strategy than an iso-caloric low-fat diet to dramatically reverse morbid fat storage sites.

The 18-month trial included 278 sedentary adults in an isolated workplace, the Nuclear Research Center, with a monitored lunch provided. The participants were randomized to iso-caloric low-fat or Med/LC diet+28gr walnuts per day with or without an added moderate workout at least three times weekly and a supervised, free gym membership.

The CENTRAL MRI trial followed the groundbreaking DIRECT two-year trial (NEJM 2008) and its four-year follow-up (NEJM 2012). These found that Med/LC diets were effective in improving the cardio-metabolic state and in reversing carotid atherosclerosis (Circulation 2010). Based on those findings, the researchers asked whether internal body fat redistribution, rather than mild weight loss differences between the diets, may underline the significant health benefits attributed to Med/LC diets.

The researchers also found that the decline in hepatic fat and each one of the abdominal fat deposits had specific related health outcomes. After controlling for several parameters, losing visceral fat or hepatic fat were independently associated with improved lipid profile. Losing deep subcutaneous fat was associated with improved insulin sensitivity, and losing superficial subcutaneous fat remained neutral, except for association with decreased leptin hormone.

“In conclusion, the CENTRAL study demonstrates that improving nutritional quality and being physically active can improve cardio-metabolic risk markers through changes in visceral/ectopic fat deposits that are not reflected by changes in body weight alone,” Prof. Shai says.

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The CENTRAL trial was supported by grants from: The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG): SFB1052; the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Obesity Mechanisms, The Israel Science Foundation (ISF), Israel Ministry of Science and Technology (grant # 3-13604), and the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Research Foundation.

You can eat whatever you want if you workout

Unfortunately, a half hour on the treadmill isn’t going to help you lose weight if you reward yourself by downing a few slices of cake and an order of French fries. The treadmill told you that you burned off 500 calories, but those estimated machine readouts are not always accurate. It’s near impossible to out-exercise a bad diet unless you plan to spend half your day in the gym. You must workout and eat smart to see results.

Organic food is diet food.

The word organic is enticing, but it’s also misleading. Organic means a food is grown without pesticides or other chemicals and is not genetically modified. But it says absolutely nothing about the nutrient value of the food itself, or whether it’s a good dietary choice, or whether it has excessive fat, sugar, or starch. Organic sugar is still sugar. Organic white flour is still white flour. Organic butter is still butter and organic lard is still lard.

You Can Lose 10 Pounds in 2 Weeks.

You probably can lose 10 pounds in two weeks if you crash-diet, but that pace is rarely sustainable. Most of the weight will return once you start eating normally. To truly lose 1 pound, you need to “eliminate” 3,500 calories—the amount stored in a pound of fat—by eating less and moving more. If you cut 500 calories (or cut 300 and burn 200 through exercise) every single day of the week, you’ll lose about a pound a week. And that’s real weight loss.

Cleanses and detoxes are a good way to jump-start a diet.

Nobody needs to detox.

Unless you’ve been poisoned, you have a built-in, super-efficient system for filtering out most of the harmful substances you eat. It’s made up of two toxin-bashing organs: the liver and the kidneys. Our kidneys filter our blood and remove any waste from our diet, and our livers process medications and detoxify any chemicals we ingest. Paired together, these organs make our bodies natural cleansing powerhouses.

You can’t eat after 8pm

It doesn’t matter what time of day you eat. It is what and how much you eat and how much physical activity you do during the whole day that determines whether you gain, lose, or maintain your weight. No matter when you eat, your body will store extra calories as fat. If you want a snack before bedtime, think first about how many calories you’ve eaten that day.

You must keep your blood sugar topped up, and eat little and often to achieve it

This is one of the least accurate bits of advice. Every time you eat a carbohydrate, and your blood glucose levels rise, the body needs to release a substance called insulin (from the pancreas) to return your blood glucose levels to normal. Any “topping up” simply places a demand on the body to get the blood glucose levels back down again. This might be the  reason for the explosion in type 2 diabetes – the body is asked to release insulin too much, too often and has no way of recognizing some of the foreign substances we consume in modern man-made food.

Wait Until You’re Hungry to Eat.

Myth!: By waiting to eat until you’re very hungry, your hunger simply builds and builds until it’s all consuming, causing your appetite to spiral out of control. In fact, new research reveals that by skipping breakfast, you’ll end up eating more calories in total and making less healthy food choices throughout the day than you would have otherwise. Research also shows that forgoing breakfast activates your body’s insulin response, triggering fat storage and weight gain.

Dr. Christopher Calapai, D.O. is an Osteopathic Physician board certified in family medicine, and anti-aging medicine. Proclaimed as the “The Stem Cell Guru” by the New York Daily News, Dr. Calapai is a leader in the field of stem cell therapy in the U.S. His stem cell treatments have achieved remarkable results in clinical trials on patients with conditions as varied as Alzheimer’s, arthritis, erectile dysfunction, frailty syndrome, heart, kidney and liver failure, lupus, MS and Parkinson’s.  

Dr. Calapai started his practice in New York City in 1986 and for over 25 years he has hosted nationally syndicated radio shows, including his two weekly call-in shows on WABC 770-AM, where he offers health and medical advice. He has a show on Saturday morning 8-9am and Sunday evening from 6-7pm. He has consulted with numerous high-profile individuals including Mike Tyson, Mickey Rourke, Steven Seagal, and Fox series Gotham’s, Donal Logue and worked as a medical consultant for the New York Rangers hockey team as well as various modeling agencies. Please visit www.drcal.net

A release from Kaiser Permanent notes that the study was designed to evaluate the impact of a real-world telephonic coaching program on weight loss among patients whose goals were to manage their weight, improve healthy eating habits or increase their physical activity.

For this study, researchers reviewed the electronic medical records of nearly 1,000 Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California who participated in at least one voluntary wellness coaching session to address healthy eating, active living and weight loss strategies. Participants were then compared to a matched control group of more than 19,000 members with similar baseline weight, weight gain and other characteristics, who did not participate in wellness coaching.

The release quotes Julie A. Schmittdiel, PhD, research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research and the study’s lead author, as saying, “We found that patients who participated in the coaching sessions lost clinically significant amounts of weight, which is so important because even a small amount of weight loss can help patients experience significant health benefits over time. And because obesity and diabetes are major health issues in the United States, behavioral interventions within clinical settings may be an important means for addressing healthy behaviors.”

Many major health care organizations offer health and wellness coaching programs for their members. Kaiser Permanente offers voluntary wellness coaching by phone to all its members nationwide for no additional fee, specifically targeting weight management, healthy eating, physical activity, tobacco cessation and stress reduction. The coaching is provided by masters-level health professionals who are trained in evidence-based coaching methods, including motivational interviewing.

“Since the wellness coaching program was launched in Northern California in 2010, we have learned that our members appreciate the opportunity to receive lifestyle coaching on their own schedules by phone,” said co-author Nancy Goler, MD, Kaiser Permanente Northern California associate executive director and former director of the Wellness Coaching Center. “Now we have strong evidence that coaching may be helping members to live healthier lives.”

The current research is the latest study in a series conducted by the Natural Experiments for Translation in Diabetes (NEXT-D) to assess the effectiveness of wellness coaching in a large, integrated health care system. In November 2015, a study in the American Journal of Health Promotion found that Kaiser Permanente wellness coaching participants were able to quit tobacco at higher rates than matched controls (31 percent vs. 23 percent) and that their quitting rates were comparable to people who attended in-person group classes.

Likewise, a study in Preventing Chronic Disease in October 2013 found that patient satisfaction levels with coaching were high among Kaiser Permanente members participating in two or more wellness coaching sessions. Survey results showed 70 percent were satisfied with the program and 71 percent would recommend it to others.

Lack of Sleep

There are two issues at work with sleep and weight gain. First, if you’re up late, the odds are greater that you’re doing some late-night snacking, which means more calories. The other reason involves what’s going on in your body when you’re sleep-deprived. Changes in hormone levels increase hunger and appetite and also make you feel not as full after eating.

Medication

Many anti-depressant medications cause weight gain—so if you’re depressed and taking pills for it, expect to see a bump in weight between 5 and 15 pounds, with continued gradual accumulation over the years. If you’re not taking pills, there’s evidence that feelings of depression can correlate to weight gain. If patients are taking anti-depressants  that could be the culprit of their weight gain, they should see their prescribing doctor and be weaned off slowly. There’s a long list of medications that can cause weight gain: If you’re taking birth control pills, excess hormones for hormone therapy, steroids, beta-blockers for heart disease and blood pressure, anti-seizure meds, breast cancer medications like Tamoxifen, some treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, and even some migraine and heartburn medications, you may notice pounds creeping on.

Your gut is slow

Digestive issues, including slow bowel movements, may also account for excess pounds. Ideally, you eat, and then, an hour or so later, you have a bowel movement. But once or twice a day is still in the healthy range. If you’re not so regular, dehydration, medications, low fiber, or even a lack of good flora in your gut could be to blame. If constipation is your only symptom, then trying probiotics can help your digestive tract work properly  If you’re still having trouble, check with your doctor to rule out a range of disorders, including hypothyroidism or a neurological issue.

You’re getting older

It’s the one condition that’s unavoidable. Often, I hear patients tell me they think their metabolism is slowing down, This is real. We don’t burn as many calories at 40 or 50 as we used to burn at 20. So we need more exercise and less foo to keep the metabolism going. Remember that all calories are not equal when it comes to weight. Eating lean protein will cause your body to burn calories more efficiently. On the other hand, carbs are something your body tends to burn more slowly and even store in your body more readily.

You have plantar fasciitis

“Many musculoskeletal conditions, including plantar fasciitis, but also osteoarthritis and knee or hip pain, can result in unintentional weight gain,” says Dr. Calapai. “Plantar fasciitis certainly can force you to cut back on your activity enough to cause weight gain.”

You have Cushing’s Syndrome

Weight gain accompanied by high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and changes in your skin tone and quality, including purple or silvery stretch marks on your abdomen and ruddy cheeks, could be a sign that your body isn’t processing nutrients the way it should, due to a cortisol-producing tumor on one of your adrenal glands. The syndrome affects only about 15 in every million adults annually, so proceed with caution before demanding a battery of tests. Cushing’s Syndrome is not terribly common, but one of the telltale signs is that your fat distribution is more in the midsection of your body, leaving your arms and legs looking more slender.

Liquid Calories

It is often overlooked that liquids have calories. Calories from juices and soft drinks can quickly add up and at restaurants where free refills are the norm, the calorie build-up can go unrecognizedLiquid calories have no satiety factor. Satiety relates to how long we stay satisfied after we consume something. If you ate 500 calories of healthy solid food, he/she would be full and unlikely to eat anything for quite some time, but after drinking the same amount of calories in orange juice, cola or root beer, you might be hungry minutes later.

Weight Training

Many people do not realize that weight gain is not just fat gain. Weight training can increase your muscle mass, therefore increasing your weight. When you gain muscle faster than you lose fat, your body mass is increasing.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS):

PCOS is one of the most common reproductive problems diagnosed in younger women, striking perhaps up to 10% of women who are of childbearing age (i.e. roughly 12-45 years old). It involves the development of many small cysts on the ovaries, as well as menstrual disturbances. The hormone disruption caused by PCOS has many unpleasant consequences, including unwanted weight gain (usually because of a higher resistance to insulin). If you also suffer from acne, find that you are hairier than most women and do not have regular periods, ask your doctor about being tested for PCOS. This usually involves blood tests and an ultrasound of your ovaries. If you do have PCOS then you can lose the unwanted weight, but the unfortunate fact of the matter is that you will have to adopt an attitude towards healthy eating and exercise that is substantially more diligent than that of your peers.

Quitting Smoking:

Although making the decision to stop smoking is extremely good for your body in a great many respects, most people who do quit smoking end up gaining around seven to ten pounds. Most of this is due to the fact that reaching for cigarettes tends to be replaced with reaching for snacks, but the new absence of nicotine in your body will also lead to a drop in metabolic rate (so you won’t be able to eat as much as you used to without gaining weight).

Carb intake makes it difficult for your body to burn fat as a primary fuel . Low carb diets work well to burn fat and lower cholesterol and lose weight. If you suspect you are gaining weight that you can’t attribute to your eating habits, medications, or lack of exercise, a few tests—including a blood test and urinalysis, to get an accurate check of your body’s cortisol levels, will give your doctor the first clues to this condition. If the levels are deemed excessively high, then your doctor will order further tests, like a CT scan of your pituitary and adrenal glands, to determine if a tumor exists. If the tumor is confirmed, doctors will likely perform surgery to remove the tumor (and possibly the affected gland), followed by a course of steroids to help regulate the remaining gland.

Dr. Christopher Calapai, D.O. is an Osteopathic Physician board certified in family medicine, and anti-aging medicine. Proclaimed as the “The Stem Cell Guru” by the New York Daily News, Dr. Calapai is a leader in the field of stem cell therapy in the U.S. His stem cell treatments have achieved remarkable results in clinical trials on patients with conditions as varied as Alzheimer’s, arthritis, erectile dysfunction, frailty syndrome, heart, kidney and liver failure, lupus, MS and Parkinson’s.  

Dr. Calapai started his practice in New York City in 1986 and for over 25 years he has hosted nationally syndicated radio shows, including his two weekly call-in shows on WABC 770-AM, where he offers health and medical advice. He has a show on Saturday morning 8-9am and Sunday evening from 6-7pm. He has consulted with numerous high-profile individuals including Mike Tyson, Mickey Rourke, Steven Seagal, and Fox series Gotham’s, Donal Logue and worked as a medical consultant for the New York Rangers hockey team as well as various modeling agencies. Please visit www.drcal.net

1. You shed friends along with pounds.

Dr. Sanam Hafeez PsyD a NYC based licensed neuropsychologist, a teaching faculty member at the prestigious Columbia University Teacher’s College, explains that, “It is normal to lose friends as you lose pounds. As you see the payoff from the lifestyle changes you’ve made you may feel disconnected with friends who may still eat and drink things you no longer do. You’re evolving,” offers Dr. Hafeez. She also adds that, “It’s common to notice jealousy, and digs. You may even experience exclusion from dinners out presuming you wouldn’t want to indulge.”

Have faith that your true friends will love you at any size. “It will actually be difficult to tolerate any gossip, negativity or activities that are counterproductive. The last thing you need are people who bring you down when you are doing something positive for your well being. Look out for yourself. At times that may mean distancing from certain people,” advises Dr. Hafeez.

2. Loose skin becomes the new thing you notice.Once you reach your goal weight, you may love how you look in clothes but naked in or a bathing suit is a whole other story. This is most common when weight loss is significant. Even when weight training is part of the regimen, loose skin does happen.

Dr. John Zannis a board certified plastic surgeon based in New Bern, North Carolina frequently sees and treats patients who went through a weight loss transformation. According to Dr. Zannis, “Loose skin can gather at the stomach, under arms, breasts, buttocks, inner thighs, face and neck. The more significant the weight-loss is, say 50 pounds and above, the more likely a plastic surgeon is sought out to explore body lifts that specifically address loose skin after weight-loss.”

3. You have more energy, are excited about life and can do more!

As you change your diet, add daily exercise to your new lifestyle and see the weight melt off, you gain energy! You don’t feel the need to hit the snooze button anymore. You may wake up energized for that 7am powerwalk or you may be inspired by that beautiful new dress you get to wear to work, another dress size dropped. Yay!

“Use newfound energy to your advantage, encourages Dr. Hafeez, your brain is forming new neuropathways as your perception about your body starts to change. That flight of stairs that was once an obstacle is much easier. Simple things like putting on shoes, picking up toys and pushing a vacuum are done with ease. As you take notice of what your body can do, you gain more confidence and want to do more. This energizes you both physically and mentally,” she adds.

4. Shopping gets interesting.

It is common to get overwhelmed with options now that you can shop the way you always dreamed of.  Perhaps your new strong, shapely legs have inspired you to wear dresses again for the first time in years. Or after always covering your arms, you may opt for sleeveless tops. Either way, trying new looks outside of your comfort zone can be daunting. Dr. Hafeez advises to, shop on your own or with someone you really trust. “It is important that shopping is made to be fun by approaching it as a style experiment. Don’t expect everything to look perfect just because you are a much smaller size. Some things will work, others won’t. Look for clothes that feel good. When you smile in the mirror that’s a sign you’re on track.”

5. You make yourself, your health and well being top priority and start to inspire others.

When you lose a noticeable amount of weight other people want to know how you did it and how you are keeping the weight off. Your immediate family may also adapt to your dietary changes and experience weight loss by association. When your kids see you wake up every morning to exercise they see that anything worth having requires commitment. Your significant other may be inspired to also lose weight. “When you take care of yourself and are in a positive mindset, it has a positive impact on everyone you interact with. When the mind and body are aligned you love the way you look and feel, you’re happy and someone others can look up to.”

For information on Dr. Sanam Hafeez visit: http://comprehendthemind.com/about-us/

For information on Dr. John Zannis visit: http://www.zannisplasticsurgery.com/plastic-surgeon-new-bern-nc/

Hypnosis is a state of inner absorption and concentration, like being in a trance. Hypnosis is usually done with the help of a hypnotherapist using verbal repetition and mental images. When you’re under hypnosis, your attention is highly focused, and you’re more responsive to suggestions, including behavior changes that can help you lose weight.

A few studies have evaluated the use of weight-loss hypnosis. Most studies showed only slight weight loss, with an average loss of about 6 pounds (2.7 kilograms) over 18 months. But the quality of some of these studies has been questioned, making it hard to determine the true effectiveness of weight-loss hypnosis.

Weight loss is usually best achieved with diet and exercise. If you’ve tried diet and exercise but are still struggling to meet your weight-loss goal, talk to your health care provider about other options or lifestyle changes that you can make. Don’t rely on weight-loss hypnosis alone because it’s unlikely to lead to significant weight loss.

This article originally appeared on the Mayo Clinic website and is reprinted with permission.

As a specialty editor for the nutrition and healthy eating guide, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.

A Marinette, Wis., native, Katherine is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.

She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in wellness nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and nutrition education related to weight management and practical applications of nutrition-related lifestyle changes.

Other areas of interest include food and nutrition for all life stages, active lifestyles and the culinary arts.

She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.

A new study that examined the dietary habits of more than 18,300 U.S. adults found the majority of people who increased their consumption of plain water – tap water or from a cooler, drinking fountain or bottle – by 1 percent reduced their total daily calorie intake as well as their consumption of saturated fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol.

People who increased their consumption of water by one, two or three cups daily decreased their total energy intake by 68 to 205 calories daily and their sodium intake by 78 to 235 milligrams, according to a paper by University of Illinois kinesiology and community health professor Ruopeng An. They also consumed 5 grams to nearly 18 grams less sugar and decreased their cholesterol consumption by 7 to 21 milligrams daily.

“The impact of plain water intake on diet was similar across race/ethnicity, education and income levels and body weight status,” An said. “This finding indicates that it might be sufficient to design and deliver universal nutrition interventions and education campaigns that promote plain water consumption in replacement of beverages with calories in diverse population subgroups without profound concerns about message and strategy customization.”

An examined data from four waves (2005-12) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. Participants were asked to recall everything they ate or drank over the course of two days that were three to 10 days apart.

An calculated the amount of plain water each person consumed as a percentage of their daily dietary water intake from food and beverages combined. Beverages such as unsweetened black tea, herbal tea and coffee were not counted as sources of plain water, but their water content was included in An’s calculations of participants’ total dietary water consumption.

On average, participants consumed about 4.2 cups of plain water on a daily basis, accounting for slightly more than 30 percent of their total dietary water intake. Participants’ average calorie intake was 2,157 calories, including 125 calories from sugar-sweetened beverages and 432 calories from discretionary foods, which are low-nutrition, calorie-dense foods such as desserts, pastries and snack mixes that add variety to but are not necessary for a healthy diet.

A small but statistically significant 1 percent increase in participants’ daily consumption of plain water was associated with an 8.6-calorie decrease in daily energy intake, as well as slight reductions in participants’ intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and discretionary foods along with their consumption of fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol. For people who want to control their weight or reduce their intakes of sugar, sodium and saturated fat, tap water may be what the doctor ordered.

A new study that examined the dietary habits of more than 18,300 U.S. adults found the majority of people who increased their consumption of plain water – tap water or from a cooler, drinking fountain or bottle – by 1 percent reduced their total daily calorie intake as well as their consumption of saturated fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol.

People who increased their consumption of water by one, two or three cups daily decreased their total energy intake by 68 to 205 calories daily and their sodium intake by 78 to 235 milligrams, according to a paper by University of Illinois kinesiology and community health professor Ruopang An. They also consumed 5 grams to nearly 18 grams less sugar and decreased their cholesterol consumption by 7 to 21 milligrams daily.

“The impact of plain water intake on diet was similar across race/ethnicity, education and income levels and body weight status,” An said. “This finding indicates that it might be sufficient to design and deliver universal nutrition interventions and education campaigns that promote plain water consumption in replacement of beverages with calories in diverse population subgroups without profound concerns about message and strategy customization.”

An examined data from four waves (2005-12) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. Participants were asked to recall everything they ate or drank over the course of two days that were three to 10 days apart.

An calculated the amount of plain water each person consumed as a percentage of their daily dietary water intake from food and beverages combined. Beverages such as unsweetened black tea, herbal tea and coffee were not counted as sources of plain water, but their water content was included in An’s calculations of participants’ total dietary water consumption.

On average, participants consumed about 4.2 cups of plain water on a daily basis, accounting for slightly more than 30 percent of their total dietary water intake. Participants’ average calorie intake was 2,157 calories, including 125 calories from sugar-sweetened beverages and 432 calories from discretionary foods, which are low-nutrition, calorie-dense foods such as desserts, pastries and snack mixes that add variety to but are not necessary for a healthy diet.

A small but statistically significant 1 percent increase in participants’ daily consumption of plain water was associated with an 8.6-calorie decrease in daily energy intake, as well as slight reductions in participants’ intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and discretionary foods along with their consumption of fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol.

While An found that the decreases were greater among men and among young and middle-aged adults, he suggested they could have been associated with these groups’ higher daily calorie intakes.

The study was published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.