Weight loss at menopause (without gaining it again)

Weight loss at menopause (without gaining it again)

What 99% of people don’t understand (I’ve seen it personally) is that intensive sport doesn’t guarantee a great figure.

If you do pushups, a marathon, or a stationary bike every day, you will of course lose fat.

But you're not necessarily going to become like Claudia Schiffer.

Your muscles and bones will grow. Your biceps and calves will swell. Depending on the sport you choose, you could:

• option 1: develop a muscular and stocky silhouette of a trucker
• option 2: become dry with protruding muscles like a tennis or running champion.

But it is not always the most effective or the most harmonious way to lose weight.

Advertising lie

In the television commercials, you see women who have a super flat and muscular belly, plump buttocks without a bit of fat, not even at the top of the thighs, magnificent breasts, both voluminous and firm… and you suggest that it is only sport (and Contrex or Volvic mineral water) that produced this result.

It’s making fun of the world.

Not only are 100% of the images you see today on TV, in the cinema or on advertising posters retouched by computer.

But it’s not the secret anyway.

It is true that, often, the “coaches” in the gym clubs have a very beautiful silhouette.

But don't be fooled: it was generally because they had a beautiful body and a lot of energy at the start that they turned to this profession and that they were recruited. To make customers want. To make them believe that, with the payment of their membership fee to the gym, they too can become like that easily.

But above all it’s commercial.

Sport, of course, helps to maintain them and to achieve an even better result.

But basically, these women have a secret, which I will reveal to you.

The secret in 11 letters

This secret is in 11 letters.

It’s a complicated word.

Most people who use it don't understand its meaning, even among those with medical training.

These 11 letters are M-E-T-A-B-O-L-I-S-M-E. "Metabolism".

"Metabolism" is the term used in medicine for all of the chemical reactions that keep an organism alive.

The metabolism is divided into two parts:

• Catabolism, or the production of body heat and energy by destroying the nutrients provided by your diet. It is catabolism that allows you to move, warm-up, and even think (the brain needs energy just like a muscle).
• Anabolism, or the making of all the compounds that cells need. It is anabolism that makes it possible to make and renew the tissues of your body: skin, organs, bones, muscles, etc. You have certainly heard of athletes who take "anabolic" products for doping. These are products that stimulate the production of muscle and bone tissue.

So, to stay alive, your body constantly needs to burn nutrients to produce heat and energy (catabolism) and to build new bricks to develop or renew itself (anabolism).

Together, catabolism and anabolism, therefore, form metabolism.

And here is where I was coming from:

Your metabolism accounts for around 70% of your total energy expenditure. A physical activity represents only 20% of your energy expenditure, and the remaining 10% corresponds to the energy consumed during digestion.

But you will see that the world is really unfair.

See how the world is unfair!

Some people, especially younger people, have a naturally high metabolism. They naturally have a lot of energy (good catabolism) and their tissues renew themselves quickly and well (good anabolism).

They are generally the most attractive people.

Not only are they more active and have a naturally firmer body.

But on top of that, no matter what they eat, they don't gain weight, even if they don't play sports.

You will also notice that these people, less chilly than the others, are perfectly comfortable in short clothes, even when everyone shivers.

You necessarily know some around you. People who, in the canteen or in the company restaurant, never miss a dessert.

Who are barefoot in their shoes, wear plunging necklines and mini skirts in winter.

Who do gymnastics only for "fun", from time to time, to have fun with friends, and who are not overweight?

Who are always alert and sparkling, as if they were vaccinated against low morale and low energy.

The explanation, you know it now: there is no miracle behind.

They are simply people who naturally have a high level of metabolism.

What they eat, they immediately transform into heat, energy, and to renew their cells (skin, hair, muscles ...) and stay young.

They have no particular merit. They were born like that. And they have no effort to do day by day.

But the birth inequality they enjoy goes even further.

Fewer diseases thanks to better metabolism

Better metabolism not only keeps you slim but also prevents many serious illnesses.

Indeed, a large belly increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension.

Being overweight also increases your risk of dyslipidemia (abnormal lipid levels in the blood), sleep disorders (apnea), or osteoarthritis because your joints are overloaded, especially in the hips and knees.

You are more likely to suffer from certain cancers, in particular cancers linked to the digestive system (cancer of the colon, gallbladder, pancreas, liver, kidney).

Finally, recent studies have linked overweight to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, that is, those that attack your brain cells and nerves.

Weak metabolism is not only suffering from a lack of energy, a tendency to overweight, and often chilliness. It’s also a higher risk of getting sick.

How to increase your metabolism naturally

Now, it is well known that your metabolic level can also be boosted by particular nutrients.

You know several: there is caffeine, which increases fat burning by up to 29% by its simple ability to boost metabolism.

Caffeine increases the body's production of heat (thermogenesis). You take off a layer of clothing because you burn more calories. A study published in 2012 has shown that a dose of 1 to 3 mg of caffeine per kg of body mass, the equivalent of 60 and 225 mg of caffeine for an adult of 60 to 75 kg, increases thermogenesis and therefore l of fat.

You will also realize this because caffeine makes you more alert, increases your speed of mind, which has been scientifically demonstrated once again in a large study I have already told you about. This effect is obtained by stimulating the functioning of the brain (the brain is our biggest consumer of glucose).

But caffeine also has a stimulating effect on muscles: if you drink a lot of coffee, your muscles will want to move so much that, if you don't ask them, they will start to tremble, in other words, move on their own!

This is why coffee is today recognized as effective against weight gain.

And that's not all: because it also accelerates anabolism (cell renewal), it helps prevent diseases as diverse as diabetes, certain cancers, and Alzheimer's disease.

Finally, note that caffeine, contrary to what has often been wrongly said, does not pose any health hazard. Today there is complete consensus among serious researchers. So much so that the health authorities themselves no longer hesitate to recommend drinking 5 or more cups a day!

Green tea for a flat stomach

Another well-known metabolic stimulant is green tea:

Several studies have shown that green tea helps you lose weight, especially in your stomach.

In a large 12-week study of 240 subjects of both sexes, it was found that green tea significantly reduced body fat, waist circumference, and overweight abdomen.

Green tea also contains a little caffeine, but the main effect is due to another compound, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

You know about ECGC because it is an important anti-cancer nutrient, which I talk about regularly. However, a meta-analysis carried out in 2010 showed that ECGCs of up to 250 mg per day have an interest in weight loss and maintenance.

Other studies have shown that green tea increases energy expenditure, which allows calories and more specifically fat to be burned more quickly. One study found that fat oxidation increased by 17% in people who had consumed green tea.

The majority of studies show that green tea extracts are also effective in controlling blood sugar and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease linked to overweight.

Put the odds on your side

Do not dream, however.

Drinking coffee and green tea, however beneficial, will not be enough to change your metabolism at all.

This is why I recommend a complex of targeted natural nutrients which, in addition to containing concentrated extracts of caffeine and ECGC of green tea, brings you a dose of two other stimulating natural products (and much less known), capsaicin and, above all, fucoxanthin.

Very few people know about fucoxanthin, which comes from the brown alga Undaria pinnatifida, or wakame, widely used in Japan.

However, a study published in December 2009 showed that fucoxanthin affects several enzymes involved in fat metabolism and causes an increase in the production of energy from lipids. You, therefore, consume your body fat faster.

Japanese researchers have also shown that fucoxanthin stimulates the production of a protein, UCP1, which can oxidize fats and promote their breakdown, which can lead to a weight loss of 5 to 10%. They have also been shown to stimulate the liver's production of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), a fatty acid from the omega-3 family, which is excellent for heart health.

Two double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have tested the effect of fucoxanthin on 150 overweight women. The subjects were followed for 16 weeks. In the first trial, the fucoxanthin supplemented group lost an average of 7 kg, compared to only 1.5 kg in the placebo group. In the second study, the metabolic level of people taking fucoxanthin was significantly higher than that of subjects taking placebo.

Capsaicin is a little better known. Found in chili peppers, it has the unique ability to stimulate the production of a very special form of healthy fats, the "brown fats" that burn calories and to accelerate the elimination of white fats ("bad fats ”).

According to a study published in 2010, capsaicin activates the specific proteins that are responsible for burning fat and suppresses those that are responsible for their storage.

Several studies have also shown that capsaicin increases energy expenditure. The increased secretion of adrenaline and norepinephrine from capsaicin may be responsible for this stimulating effect.

Capsaicin also has an appetite suppressant effect. According to the researchers, the consumption of capsaicin could decrease by approximately 74 kcal the number of calories consumed from an unlimited meal. This property is given to it by its ability to reduce the production of ghrelin, a hormone that triggers the feeling of hunger.

4 concentrated nutrients to boost metabolism

To sum up, we have here 4 concentrated nutrients to stimulate metabolism: caffeine, ECGC, fucoxanthin, and capsaicin.

Their first effect is to improve the energy production of the body and to promote the proper functioning and renewal of cells.

It is therefore relatively to your energy level, your morale, and your health that you will first feel the consequences.

But as the scientific maxim says, in nature "nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed".

If you have more energy, it will not be by magic. The fact is that your body will consume more nutrients, both for its catabolism and its anabolism (which together make up the metabolism, you understand that by now).

You can, therefore, expect weight loss, regardless of your physical activity, whether or not you do "more sport".

It's up to you, of course, to decide whether or not you want to try the experience. The purpose of this letter is not to push anyone to use it. The goal is to re-establish an essential truth, which is so important that I allow myself to repeat it again:

Physical activity, essential for health, accounts for only 20% of your energy consumption. 70% is related to your metabolism. It is the energy your body needs to stay warm, to provide your brain and organs with the energy and nutrients to function, but also simply to exist (live, repair, renew).

It is, therefore, necessary to stop giving bad conscience to people who suffer from a naturally low metabolism (and to overly value those who have a naturally high metabolism).

To be constructive, solutions must be provided. This is what I tried to do in this letter. And I would be very grateful to all readers who try to follow these tips to keep me posted on the results they will get. This will benefit the whole community.

For those of you who wish to obtain a supplement to stimulate the metabolism, the Cell’innov laboratory offers a Slimming formula (clickable link) combining caffeine, green tea, fucoxanthin, and capsaicin.

Cheers!

20 causes that block weight loss

20 causes that block weight loss

When you lose weight, your body defends itself.

It is common to manage to lose a lot of weight at first, without much effort. However, weight loss can slow down or stop altogether fairly quickly.

Icelandic nutritionist Krist Gunnars reports 20 frequent reasons for this phenomenon on his website. 

You will also find below her valuable advice for breaking through the glass ceiling and continuing to make progress.

1) Maybe you are losing weight without noticing

If you feel like you've hit a glass ceiling and can't lose more weight, maybe you just need to relax.

It is extremely common for the balance to stabilize for a few days (or weeks). This does NOT mean that you have stopped losing fat.

Bodyweight tends to fluctuate a few pounds at a time. It depends on your diet and your hormones, which have a powerful effect on the amount of water in your body (especially in women).

If you exercise to lose weight, you may also be gaining muscle mass. The phenomenon is particularly strong after the first sessions when you resume regular exercise. Bones also get stronger. They become denser, and therefore also heavier.

These are good things because the goal is to lose fat, not just weight.

It is therefore advisable not only to use the scale to measure your progress. Remember to also measure your waist and thigh, and weigh yourself once a month with a scale that calculates your muscle, fat, and bone content.

Another thing: the way your clothes fit and your impression when looking at yourself in the mirror are very good indications. This can evolve favorably even when your weight is stable. It is then your body that improves.

Morality, unless you've been stuck on the same weight for at least 2 weeks, you probably don't have to worry about anything.

2) You do not record what you ate

Being aware of what you eat is extremely important when trying to lose weight. Many people have no idea what they are really eating.

Studies show that recording what you eat helps you lose weight. It's not about counting calories or even weighing your food. Before you start your plate, put everything you plan to eat on your table, and take a photo with your smartphone. If you can't help but snack on meals (or if healthy snacks like carrots or a handful of almonds are part of your healthy lifestyle to lose weight), also take a picture.

Keep this habit before putting anything in your mouth, including drinks (except water) because they are caloric, sometimes very caloric (fruit juice, alcohol). They act on appetite even when they are at zero percent.

You can of course also write down what you eat in a notebook.

Studies show that just recording or photographing what you eat makes you lose weight faster because you track what you eat much better.

And if your scale does not want to go down anymore, go back to the film of everything you have eaten in the past two weeks. Maybe you won’t be surprised if you don’t lose more pounds.

3) you are not eating enough protein

Protein is the most important nutrient for losing weight.

Eating 20 to 30% protein can increase energy consumption by 80 to 100 calories per day; moreover, automatically, you will eat several hundred calories less per day.

It also greatly reduces cravings and the desire for junk food. 

This is explained by the effect of proteins on hormones that regulate appetite, such as ghrelin. 

If you are used to breakfast, take the opportunity to eat a lot of protein on this occasion. The traditional English breakfast of eggs, bacon and white beans (rich in vegetable protein) is ideal from this point of view.

You are also guaranteed to have no hollows during the morning, and it is even likely that you will hardly want to eat at noon (traditionally, the English did not have lunch at noon, hence the habit tea at half-past four: "Tea time!").

Eating a lot of protein helps prevent slowing metabolism, a common side effect of weight loss. It also helps to avoid gaining weight. 

4) You eat too many calories

Stagnation can have a simple cause: you just eat too many calories.

I do not recommend counting your calories for weight loss. On the other hand, it is important to have a general idea of ​​the subject, in other words, to be able to estimate roughly how much one eats calories per day.

Once a month, therefore, you can calculate for 3 days the number of calories you have eaten. This will give you insight into what you need to stick to the rest of the time. There are many free calorie calculators online on the Internet.

5) You don't eat healthily

The quality of the food is as important as the quantity.

Eating healthy improves health and regulates appetite. Healthy foods tend to fill up faster than junk food, with the same calories.

Remember that many industrial products labeled "organic" are not healthy.

Try to put on your plate only simple foods and as close as possible to their original form.

6) You are not using your muscles

It is important to work your muscles in one way or another, otherwise, your diet will cause you to lose your precious muscle mass while losing excess fat. 

Strength training in particular helps prevent slowing metabolism and ensures that your body is truly healthy.

7) You crack too often (even on healthy foods)

During a diet, it is common to want to "crack", which consists of eating large quantities of food very quickly, far in excess of the body's needs.

This is a big problem. The worst is to "crack" on unhealthy foods (chips, Nutella) but cracking on nuts, almonds, cheese or dark chocolate is also terrible.

A single bulimia session can ruin an entire week of well-balanced effort.

8) You don't do endurance

Endurance sports have gained a bad reputation in recent years, but walking, swimming, and running are still the most effective ways to lose visceral fat.

Visceral fat is that which accumulates in the belly, around the organs of the abdomen. It is the most dangerous, the most unhealthy. Getting rid of it is one of the most effective ways to improve your health.

9) You still drink sugar

Sugary drinks are the worst food to get fat in our stores. Our brains don't respond to the calories in sugary drinks to make us eat less of other foods. 

This is not only true of sugary drinks like Coca or Orangina. This also applies to energy and vitamin drinks like Vitaminwater which are packed with sugar.

Even fruit juices are a problem. They should never be consumed in large quantities. A single glass contains as much sugar like many fruits (unless you squeeze only one orange, or one apple, which doesn't do much to drink).

10) You don't sleep well

Sleeping poorly deprives you of energy. The body and the brain then seek to compensate for this by providing additional calories, especially in the form of sugar.

Good sleep is one of the most important things to look for for your physical and mental health, as well as for your figure.

Studies show that poor sleep is one of the main risk factors for obesity. Adults and children who sleep poorly have 55% and 89% additional risk of becoming obese, respectively. 

11) You have not reduced carbohydrates enough

If you have a lot of weight to lose, or if you have metabolic problems like diabetes or pre-diabetes, then you should consider a low-carb diet.

In short-term studies, this type of diet has shown to lose two to three times more weight than the conventional low-fat diet that is generally recommended.

12) you eat too often

It is a myth that many, but light, meals should be eaten during the day to speed up the metabolism and lose weight.

Studies actually show that the frequency of meals has little or no effect on burning fat or losing weight.

It is also complicated and time consuming to prepare and eat food constantly. It makes the art of healthy eating much more complicated.

On the contrary, intermittent fasting is an extremely effective method of losing weight. The time saved is astonishing, having neither to prepare, nor to eat, nor to clean one's meal. This is to avoid eating for specific periods ranging from 15 to 24 hours or more. You can find information about this in this letter on fasting.

13) You are not drinking enough water

Drinking water can help you lose weight.

In a 12-week study, people who drank half a liter of water half an hour before each meal lost 44% more weight than others. 

Drinking water has also been shown to increase calories by 24-30% over an hour and a half. 

14) You drink too much alcohol

If you like alcohol and want to lose weight, it's best to drink brandy mixed with a non-caloric drink. Beer, wine, and sugary alcoholic beverages are very high in calories.

The cocktails are the worst of all.

Also remember that the alcohol itself contains 7 calories per gram, which is huge.

That said, studies on alcohol and weight are contradictory. Moderate drinking seems not to be a problem, while alcoholism and heavy alcohol consumption are correlated with weight gain. 

15) You don't eat mindfully

A technique called "mindful eating" could be one of the most powerful tools in the world for losing weight.

This involves stopping, sitting at the table, meditating for at least 30 seconds before you start eating, savoring each bite while listening to the natural signs that tell your brain that you have enough eaten.

Many studies have shown that eating mindfully can lead to significant weight loss and reduce binge eating.

Here are some tips for mindful eating:

Eat zero distractions, just you and your food, sitting at a table;

Eat gently and chew carefully. Try to become aware of colors, smells, and textures;

When you feel the signals of satiety, drink a full glass of water, and stop eating.

16) You have a medical problem that makes it difficult

Certain medical conditions can influence weight gain and make it much more difficult to lose weight.

This includes hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome, and sleep apnea.

Certain medications also make it harder to lose weight, or can even make you fat.

If you think this is your case, discuss the matter with your doctor.

17) you're addicted to junk food

According to a 2014 study, about 19.9% ​​of people meet the criteria for junk food addiction. 

People with this junk food problem are in a situation similar to drug addicts. 

If you are addicted to junk food, eating less, or changing your diet may seem absolutely impossible. In this case, get help (Naturally Slimming program).

18) You have been too private for too long

It is not necessarily a good idea to go on a diet for too long.

If you've lost weight for several months in a row and you've hit a glass ceiling, then maybe you just need a break.

Increase your calorie intake by a few hundred a day, get more sleep, and do some strength training to gain strength and gain more muscle.

Aim to maintain your body fat for one to two months before you start trying to lose weight again.

19) Your expectations are unrealistic

Losing weight is usually a much slower process than most people think.

Although it is often possible to lose a lot of weight at first, very few people continue to lose weight at the rate of 0.5 to 1 kg per week.

Another major problem is that many people have unrealistic expectations of what it is possible to achieve with a healthy diet and exercise.

The point is, not everyone can look like a model or a bodybuilder.

The photos you see in magazines and on posters are almost always enhanced with Photoshop - nobody literally looks like that.

If you've already lost weight and feel good about yourself, but the scales don't seem to be moving any further, maybe you should start working on accepting your body as it is.

There is a point where your weight will reach a level that corresponds to the comfort zone of your body. Trying to go further is not worth it, and may even be impossible for you.

20) you are too obsessed with the diet

Diets almost never work in the long run. Either way, studies actually show that people who are dieting gain more weight in the long run. 

Rather than approaching the problem from a diet perspective, your first goal might be to become a happier, healthier, and fitter person.

Work to nourish your body rather than inflict deprivation on it, and make weight loss a natural (and welcome) side effect!

Lose weight quickly: 3 tips validated by science

Lose weight quickly: 3 tips validated by science

Everyone suggests that you lose weight quickly.

Only, most of the advice is to ask yourself to deprive yourself of something. And you risk losing all joie de vivre.

Without an iron will, you will be unable to keep your (good) resolutions.

This is why I offer you a simple three-step program for:

Reduce your appetite without you having to think about it

Reduce your weight without starving yourself

Improve your overall health

The effectiveness of this advice has been observed in large-scale scientific studies, the references of which are given in the notes at the bottom of the article.

Step 1: stop sugar and starchy foods

The most important step is to reduce your intake of sugar and starchy foods (carbohydrates) - bread, pasta, potatoes, breakfast cereals.

The goal is to eat no more than 20 to 50 g of carbohydrates per day.

Carbohydrate-rich foods stimulate your insulin secretion. Insulin is the hormone that orders your body to store your food as fat (in the stomach, thighs, and buttocks).

If your insulin secretion goes down, your fat stores will burn more easily. Rather than consuming fuel-carbohydrates, your body will spontaneously start to use fuel-fats, which will decrease your reserves.

The huge advantage of fat fuel is that you are less dependent on small appetites during the day.

In addition to losing weight, you will, therefore, be more focused on your task and more efficient at work. Your mood will be more stable, more positive, and you will feel less nervous when approaching meals.

But there is another advantage to reducing your insulin production: your body will be able to get rid of your unnecessary stocks of water and salt. People who produce less insulin also look less "puffy." Their bodies are firmer, their skin taut.

It is not uncommon to lose 5 pounds (or more) in the first week of a low sugar and carbohydrate diet. But beware, this loss will therefore also correspond in part to a loss of water, and not exclusively to a loss of fat.

Step 2: eat protein, fat, and vegetables

Each of your meals should include protein, fat, and low-carb vegetables.

Proteins: the best sources of protein are organic or enriched with omega-3 eggs, seafood, crustaceans, small fish, poultry, lamb, pork, beef.

Studies have shown that a protein-rich diet:

It makes you feel so full that without thinking you will eat an average of 441 fewer calories per day. As a reminder, the caloric needs of an inactive person are around 2000 calories per day [4].

Reduces thoughts about food. People who eat a high protein diet are 60% less likely to eat [6]. So you will be free from dreams of Nutella sandwiches, crisps, and burgers.

You will be half as likely to snack in the evening.

It sounds crazy, but eating more protein gives your cells energy.

Eating 50 g more protein per day will also burn 100 calories, as much as 23 minutes riding a bike. So it's also a way to be less tired during a slimming diet.

Fats: the best sources of good fats are olive oil and rapeseed oil (to season) and coconut oil (to cook), finally fish oils in small fatty fish (sardines, anchovies, herring, mackerel).

These fats give you a feeling of satiety for several hours.

If you work more with your brain than with your body, you should know that these facts will be used primarily to make your brain work.

Don't believe those who tell you that eating fat makes you fat, worsens your cholesterol and your risk of heart disease. This hypothesis was invalidated by science a long time ago. The effect of all fats is not the same on your health, and heart problems are especially common in people who eat a lot of sugar and starchy foods. These are the enemies.

Studies have shown that a low-carb diet lowers your blood sugar, which lowers your risk for type 2 diabetes.

A low-carbohydrate diet also lowers your cholesterol (LDL) and triglyceride levels. Finally, it rebalances your blood pressure for good heart health.

Low-carbohydrate vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, and all other cabbage, spinach, chard, green salad, celery, cucumber, zucchini, eggplant ...

Don't be afraid to fill your plate with these vegetables. You can eat it at will. They are rich in fiber, minerals, vitamins (if you eat them raw or steamed).

On the other hand, do not try to eat a diet that is low in carbohydrates and fats, and eat only protein. Because you are almost guaranteed to crack. It is too hard.

If you stick to these recommendations, you won't even have to count your calories obsessively. Of course, a little attention to this parameter is still necessary, and for that, I can recommend this calorie calculator.

Step 3: play sports 3 times a week

Exercise is not essential for losing weight with this method, but it is an interesting bonus.

You can do short sessions three times a week: warm-up, lift small weights, stretch. You can also swim or walk.

Physical activity prevents your metabolism from slowing down. So you burn as many calories as possible, which results in you losing weight.

Studies have shown that following this advice, you should lose two to three times more than forcing yourself to eat only low-fat dishes.