Does dieting make You Put on Weight

Why frequent dieting makes you put on weight – and what to do about it

Grapefruit diet? Probably not worth it. Sophie Jonasson from Sweden, CC BY-NC-SA

People who regularly go on diets tend to lose weight initially but bounce back and even gain weight after stopping the regime. This phenomenon – dubbed yo-yo dieting – is associated with changes in metabolism and is one reason why the vast majority of calorie-based diets fail. But exactly what causes these metabolic changes has remained a mystery – until now.

Previous studies in identical twins who differed in dieting patterns have shown that non-genetic factors are largely responsible. The working hypothesis was that when you gain weight you somehow “reset” your internal thermostat corresponding to the higher weight level and so when you lose weight – your body does all it can to return to that new higher set point. Now new research, published in Nature, explains why this happens to some people more than others and, importantly, how it could be reversed.

The study, by an Israeli group of scientists, mimicked human yo-yo dieters in lab mice. The researchers fed the mice in several cycles of alternating weight gaining and losing diets. They started with big, high-fat portions to fatten them up then slimmed them down with a diet of normal, light meals, then repeated the regime. Like humans, the mice slowly gained weight compared to other mice on steady diets of similar calories – even those on continuous high-fat diets.

Mice who bounced back and had increased weight regain after dieting had a lower energy expenditure than those on steady diets but still ate the same amount of food. We know this change in body metabolism occurs in yo-yo dieters. But the new study managed to figure out why – by looking at a forgotten organ of the body.

The Conversation is a news organization dedicated to facts and evidence

In humans, this organ weighs nearly as much as the liver and is located in our lower intestines. It is the microbiome – the community of microbes that outnumber our cells and have a hundred-fold more genes and enzymes capable of digesting foodand regulating our metabolism and immune systems. It turns out that changes to the gut microbes were responsible.

Such hard work dieting, and no pay-off. cunaplus

There were marked differences in the gut microbes of the yo-yo dieting mice compared to the normal ones – including a reduction in diversity, which is correlated with obesity and other metabolic problems in humans. When they transplanted these disordered microbes from the weight regainers into normal mice on normal diets they saw them gain weight – showing that the altered microbes were ultimately responsible. They could explain how the microbes caused weight gain by looking at how they digested the plant fibre – their staple diet.

The study found that the altered microbes were under-producing healthy compounds generated from the plants called polyphenols (flavonoids) in the gut after dieting. These polyphenols are key to a healthy gut and the reason why many brightly-coloured foods are gut friendly. Taking poyphenols has in fact been associated with better health and less obesity. The exciting result of this is that, because microbes are involved, the changes post-diet are potentially reversible.

Avoiding the yo-yo trap

The researchers tried a number of methods to reduce the weight gain in the yo-yo dieting mice. First, they gave them antibiotics which altered the microbes and increased polyphenol levels. This cured the problem, but isn’t exactly a practical solution for humans. They then tried fecal transplants which also worked, but are again a bit drastic in humans. As taking a tablet is safer and easier, they then tried to replace some of these specific polyphenols by supplementation in the diet. Luckily, even this could reduce the weight gain.

So what are the lessons for humans? Assuming a similar mechanism is at work in humans, which is likely, it’s pretty clear. Episodic weight loss can be metabolically dangerous – damaging your microbes and making you burn less energy. The solution – while we await some magic supplements – is looking after your microbes as you transition back onto normal foods after a diet. In particular, you need to feed them plenty of fibre and polyphenol-rich foods which, as well as the obvious fruit and veg, include nuts, seeds, olive oil (extra virgin), coffee, dark chocolate and even a glass of red wine.

The best approach if you really want to lose weight long term is to avoid crash diets and calorie counting altogether, which are doomed to fail. Instead eat real diverse food, plenty of fibre and let your microbes take care of the rest.


More on evidence-based articles about diets:

Prevent Weight Gain

By Claire Madigan, Senior Research Associate and Henrietta Graham, PhD Researcher, Loughborough University

Loughborough, Oct 2 (The Conversation) Between the ages of 20 and 55, most adults gain between 0.5 and 1kg a year, which could see some people become overweight or obese over time. This weight gain isn’t usually the result of overeating large amounts of food.

Instead, it’s usually caused by eating a small amount – around 100-200 extra calories – more than is needed each day.

The good news is that we may be able to prevent ourselves from gaining weight by making small changes to our diet or physical activity. Our recent review found that eating 100-200 calories less, or burning an extra 100-200 calories each day, may be enough to stop ourselves from gaining weight in the long run.

This is known as a “small-changes approach”, which was first proposed in 2004 by James Hill, an American expert on obesity, to help people manage their weight.

Many small studies have investigated the use of the small-changes approach for weight management. We combined the results of these smaller studies into a larger review to get an average (and more statistically reliable) result of the effect of this approach on weight management. We looked at 19 trials – 15 of which tested a small-changes approach to prevent weight gain, and four that test this approach for weight loss.

We analysed the data of nearly 3,000 people in weight-gain prevention trials, and 372 people in weight-loss trials. Participants were aged between 18 and 60, 65 per cent of whom were female.

In those who used the small-changes approach to prevent weight gain, we found that participants gained almost 1kg less compared with those who didn’t use this approach over a period of eight to 14 months. The 1kg difference was statistically significant, meaning it was unlikely to be the result of chance.

While the small-changes approach was shown to be effective for preventing weight gain, it was not proven to be effective for weight loss.

The trials we looked at used a number of different small changes to help participants prevent weight gain. Here are some of the successful techniques used in these trials:

Get off the bus one stop earlier and walk the rest of the way. You may end up walking ten to 15 minutes more and this could help you burn up to 60 calories. Doing this on the way home as well could mean you burn up to 120 calories.

Skip the chips that come as a side. Small portions of oven chips served alongside main meals contain hundreds of calories . Saying no to these – or opting for a salad or vegetables as a side instead – could help you reduce your daily calorie intake by up to 200 calories.

Switch from a regular to a diet drink. Although it might not taste the same, making this switch could reduce your calorie intake by 145 calories. However, recent research suggests that switching to diet drinks may not be great for weight management – so choosing to drink water instead of your regular fizzy drink might be best.

Have an Americano instead of a latte. The milk in a regular latte can contain up to 186 calories, so switching to an Americano could prevent weight gain.

Add one less tablespoon of oil while cooking. One tablespoon of olive oil, for example, contains slightly over 100 calories, so using less can be one way of avoiding additional calories.

If you have something sweet, save half of it for tomorrow. Eating only half a KitKat, for example, could reduce your calorie intake by about 102 calories – and give you something to look forward to tomorrow.

Take one or two fewer potatoes in your roast dinner. One medium roast potato can contain as many as 200 calories, so be mindful of how many you put on your plate.

Take phone meetings while walking. You could burn an extra 100 calories if you opted to take a 30-minute phone call on the go.

Avoid sweets. Saying no to cakes, biscuits and other sweets could help you easily cut an extra 100-200 calories from your diet – maybe more, depending on the food.

Take your dog for an extra 30-minute brisk walk each day. The dog will appreciate it, and you could burn over 150 calories.

The small-changes approach has many advantages for managing weight. First, small changes are easier to incorporate into everyday life over larger ones. For example, it’s easier to eat 100-200 fewer calories a day than to eat 500 fewer calories each day (basically, an entire meal).

Small changes are also easier to maintain in the long run, which is key to managing weight. And, if people succeed at making these small changes, it may lead them to make bigger changes in their life. (The Conversation) RUP

Rectus Abdominis Diastasis

https://diastasisrehab.comAlso known as Diastasis Recti.

Big words, what do they mean? For this website, they are refering to overweight seniors. Not all but some of us have this condition. Its found in men and women and myself. The cause is from genitics to child birth and age of course.

RAD Defined

Rectus Abdominis Diastasis is an anatomic term describing a condition in which the two rectus (abdominal) muscles are separated by an abnormal distance ( more than an inch).

Acquired RAD can result from any number of conditions that weaken the “linea alba” ( the fibrous structure that runs down the midline of the abdomen in humans). This fibrous structure is connected to the rectus abdominis muscles at the vertical midline ( your six pack abs). When these muscles are moved apart the belly will bulge, also called a beer belly or in women a mommy tummy.

Without proper attention, exercise adaptations, or workout modification, diastasis recti can linger on for years. Though not considered an urgent care emergency, when the internal organs don’t have the full support of the abdominal muscles, men can experience a variety of unpleasant symptoms. Indicators include; difficulty performing certain movements or exercises, back pain, constipation, and (in rare cases) damage to the area with improper lifting which may even result in a hernia!

Repairing RAD

The Tupler Technique is an evidence-based exercise program to treat diastasis recti. This was developed by Julie Tupler, an RN, and expert in the treatment of rectus abdonminis diastasis. The treatment works for both men and women and accomplished by doing the following, which was found at “https://www.daimanuel.com/2016/02/17/diastasis-recti-in-men-what-you-need-to-know/”

1. Continuously approximating or bringing both the connective tissue and muscles closer together with the Diastasis Rehab Splint®. This takes the stretch off the “stretched-out” connective tissue and puts the connective tissue in a better position to heal and do the Tupler Technique® exercises. This also puts the outermost abdominal muscles in a better position to do the exercises. To strengthen abdominal muscles they must be close together and move from the front to back. When they are separated they will move sideways which not only does not strengthen the muscles but it stretches the connective tissue.

2. Protect the connective tissue from getting stretched from activities and movements that stretch it (i.e crunches, forward crossover movements, downward-facing abdominals or movements that flare the ribs).

3. Develop transverse awareness and strength with the Tupler Technique® exercises so the transverse muscle can then be used with activities of daily living and also while working out. The Tupler Technique® exercises for diastasis recti will put tension on the “splinted” connective tissue which will help to make it stronger.

Below is additional reading found at DC-dermdocs.com

Those that are familiar with diastasis recti often identify it as an issue that women commonly experience post-pregnancy.

But did you know that it can also present in men and that heavy-weight body builders and professional athletes are the most prone to abdominal muscle separation?

In fact, diastasis recti in men is more prevalent than you may assume and is frequently misdiagnosed despite causing cosmetic and functional issues.

Keep reading to learn more about this condition, including the causes and symptoms of diastasis recti in men.

What Is Diastasis Recti?

Diastasis recti occurs when excess pressure in exerted on abdominal muscles, it can cause them to separate and allow contents to protrude through the abdominal wall.

It’s also associated with a stretching and thinning of the connective tissue that binds the vertical muscles on each side of your belly button, known as abdominis recti.

What Causes Diastasis Recti in Men?

Diastasis recti in men develops gradually over time and is often misdiagnosed as a beer belly or weight gain.

While it’s usually caused by pregnancy in women, researchers have identified four causes of the condition in male patients.

To most common contributing factor is improper exercise and weight-lifting, especially when it comes to sit-ups, crunches, push-ups, and front planks.

In addition, excess weight and obesity can also place undue stress on abdominal muscles and cause them to separate and weaken. It’s important to note that this can be caused my muscle or adipose tissue and that’s why it’s commonly seen in heavy-weight bodybuilders.

Family history is another reason that men may encounter diastasis recti, and if their father or grandfather had it, then they are more susceptible to it as well.

Finally, age and certain medical conditions such as cirrhoisis of the liver and abdominal wall cancer may be other culprits of diastasis recti in men.

What Are the Associated Symptoms?

The hallmark sign of diastais recti in men is a vertical bulge that appears between abdominal walls when men do a crunch or get up from lying or sitting down.

Other symptoms that may be less distinguishable, but can signal abdominal separation include:

Constipation, lower back pain, urinary incontinence, difficulty breathing, discomfort in body movements, and a weakened core.

For additional information on the causes and symptoms of diastasis recti in men, please call DC Derm Docs today to schedule a consultation.

 

DIET PILLS

Do We Need Pills?


Pills, Pills, Pills, do  we really need all thoughs pills, been asking myself this question for many, many years. I’m a pill taker, are you? I do believe if I stopped taking all my pills that I would be just fine. But then again, I do believe some of them help. My doctor started me on aspirin about 20 years ago, and I still take it. My doctor also had me on a statin, which I don’t take now. I tried a number of different statins to keep my cholesterol down. But over time the side effects were terrible, Joint pain became so bad that I no longer took long walks and had trouble sleeping because of joint pain. To keep my cholesterol in check I take red yeast rice, it works with no side effects on me. Of course the doctor didn’t prescribe this, but is OK with its use. My joint pain is gone now, but it did take almost a year to recover.

I also take glucosamine and chondroitin, the benefits are small for joint pain. At 70 years old, I’ll take any help I can get. Now if you’re a man, you may have heard about saw palmetto berries. This is a supplement that reduces your prostate and helps you pee a larger stream. This one differently works for me, been using it for many years with no side effects.

Pills, Pills, Pills;  when I turned 50 years old, my eye site changed, I needed readers in low light conditions. I also noticed if I looked at a telephone pole a long ways away, there was 2 poles not one. So, off to the eye doctor and bifocal glasses. Five years ago my wife had me start taking lutein and zeaxanthin for my eyes. To my surprise my eyes have gotten better, no more double vision at a distance. I still need the readers though. I can’t say for sure that the lutein was the fix for my eyes, or just nature doing its thing.

Some more popular cardiovascular support supplements I take are: omega-3, and CoQ10 along with the old-fashioned multi vitamin.

Pills, Pills, Pills; this is the handful of nonprescription pills I take every day, and have taken for the past five plus years.

Now, these last three. The Keto diet is all the rage right now, and this keto pill is not the diet, but another supplement to take advantage of the latest fad. I first tried this “eminence vitality Keto BHB” and thought it was working, and after a week it wasn’t working for me anymore.

Also, tried pine pollen and black, red, and yellow Maca root. These have not done anything for me, although, I’ve only been using them for a couple weeks now.

Appetite Suppressants


A natural appetite suppressant is fat. And I mean the healthy fats like nuts, avocado and extra virgin olive oil. Researchers at UC Irvine discovered that oleic acid, a “good” fat, helps trigger the small intestine to produce oleoylegthanolamide, a compound that finds its way to nerve endings and transmits a hunger-curbing message to the brain. The fat also delays the stomach from emptying, giving you a full feeling longer.

Try eating whole rye foods instead of whole wheat. Research shows that rye triggers a lower insulin response, and gives you a fuller feeling after eating. Its available in the form of crackers, rye pasta, and rye flakes.

Fragrant seasonings used in preparing meals can help one eat less. Using rosemary, cinnamon, basil, grated ginger add favor and antioxidants to prepared dishes.

Another effective method is to eat slower. Slow eaters take in fewer calories per minute, and experience a higher level of satiety, despite eating less.

And last, your surrounding are important, including mood. The more pleasurable the meal and less you tend to eat.

Not to be left out: coffee. A moderate amount of coffee can boost metabolism and suppress your appetite. What’s the secret? Caffeine, along with antioxidants from the coffee beans.

Conclusion


Pills, pills, pills; pills have a place in our modern world, I don’t know if we’ll ever be without them.

Biking

Biking is our topic today!!


As a kid I was on a bike all the time, I remember learning how to ride. I think I was 5 years old, I learned with my best friend. His name was Warren, his parents had a large circular drive and in the middle was a long large wood beam. We was  to small to get on the bike, but by standing on the beam we could start and ride around the drive. One of those memories you don’t forget! And like the saying goes,”its like learning to ride a bike, once you learn you don’t forget”.

So here we are, 65 years later, I’m still steady riding the bike, although getting on and off is not as solid. So I’m more careful doing both. For me riding a bike may be the best exercise for me. Not only is it a cardio workout, your balance is sharpened, legs, and to some degree all the muscle groups worked

 

Now if you don’t have the stamina to go very far, you might try what I’m doing. I now do all my riding on an Ebike. Yes that’s an electric assisted or pedal assisted bike. Instead of being dead tired after 10 miles, I can easily go 30 or more miles. My allotted time runs out before I do. Although the workout is less strenuous, it is much more enjoyable, meaning I will do it more often. More and more seniors biking today, and the sport is growing, with cities and states adding more bike paths in ourcommunities. I really like the bike paths where

I don’t have to worry about cars and disstracted drivers.

Back to ebikes, ebikes today can cost from $500 to $10,000 depending on your buget and ability. The cheaper ebikes are fine for paved paths and roads. More expensive bikes do more things better, and this brings me to;  off-road riding. The more expensive bikes are mountain bikes, with full suppension and disc brakes and up to 30 speeds and able to travel 50 to 60 miles on a single battery charge. Of course that’s under ideal conditions. The newest bikes being built are now only 10 or 11 speeds, and this seems to be plenty, especially on an ebike with its added power. And how much is the added power? I have 2 ebikes, my older one is 750 watts. That’s about one horsepower, it will climb anything. My newest ebike is 250 watts, which is about 1/3 hp which seems to match the bike better for its mission off road. Power assist in and out is smoother. The older technology had brake sensors, if you applied front or rear brakes the motor shut off. The newer ebike does not have the sensors, this allows you to apply braking while under pedal assist power. When going very slow as in tight turns, the bike is more stable if under power.

Another important feature of the high-end Ebike is dropper seats. With drop seats, when you come to a difficult area you push a button and the seat will drop, allowing you to touch the ground with both feet. Also, when going down a steep hill, dropping the seat will move your weight back giving you more control. When mountain biking, there will be times when you will encounter a very steep trail section, keeping your weight over the rear wheel as much as possible is very very important. Our center of gravity rides high between the two wheels and as the bike goes down a steep hill, the front wheel is lower than the rear, shifting the center of gravity forward. If the center of gravity moves in front of the front axle, you are about to have a very unpleasant accident, going over the handlebars with the bike landing on top of you. This lesson about the center of gravity is learned quickly. You can not ride a bike the same way you ride a motorcycle, the center of gravity on a motorcycle is so much lower, making it difficult to do the “over the handlebar” trick.

As we get older, hopefully we get smarter. For me, I ride the easy trails now. When I see a very steep trail, the lesson of gravity center comes back to me.  This means I may walk the section of the trail, which is OK!

I’m getting off track from my original intension. This is written with seniors in mind so let me back up a bit. The ebike is the wave of the future, I feel certain it will just get more popular. One of the problems older people had is just getting on the bike. Some of us, myself encluded, learned to start and stop by swinging the right leg over the seat as we gave the bike a good shove off with the left foot on the pedal, pushing with the right and then swinging it over. And getting off in the reverse order. My wife and many others never did learn this. She will tip the bike over a bit and straddle it, and on her tip toes procede to start from there. And getting off a little more difficult in trying to unstraddle the stopped bike. I was unable to find a step-thru mountain ebike with full suspension, so she manages just fine with the standard frame. As you may have noticed I said “full suspension”, the wife found out quickly how much smoother and easier on your bottom a full suspension bike is. Its one of those spoiler features that you just don’t want to be without.

The step-thru style bike is without question the style of choice for seniors. No swinging of the leg over the bike. Most of our legs don’t swing anymore. Although very few of this style come in full suspension, most of these riders will be on paved paths and roads where you don’t need the suspension. Ebikes can be purchased online or at bike stores. It is much better to go to a bike store where they can match you to the correct bike, and let you try out different models.

Conclusion


Biking can be one of the best forms of exercise for seniors that like to get outdoors.

Aging and Weight

SENIOR WEIGHT LOSSseniors-with-backpacks

MY EXPERIENCE


What pushed me to make this website? It was my frustrations with the inability to loss weight at my current age of 70. When I was as young as 25, when my pants started getting to tight to snap, all I needed to do was cut down on second helpings at the dinner table. What seemed like the next day, my pants fit again. Then in the mid 30s, it wasn’t the next day but the next week to get back easily into my pants. By the 40s it was taking months to trim down just a little, and each decade I was up one pant size. I excepted the size increase with age, but I hated it. I still have boxes of still good pants, hoping to get back to that size.

Something happened in my 50s, I no longer could drop weight gains. My 1st realization of this happened when my wife and I returned from a 10 days cruise. I had gained 10 pounds in 10 days, and weeks and months went by and it was still there. All the free foods and deserts was my downfall.

So as I entered my 60s, I hated to see myself in the mirror, that wasn’t me looking back at me. Many attempts at dieting had failed. There must be a way to do this I said to myself. And on we go!!

PITFALLS ALONG THE WAY


There are many pitfalls along the way. Family, friends, social gatherings, all these things tend to have food involved. Many times work will keep you busy, and you won’t have time for exercise or you won’t get as much exercise as you need.


EXERCISE – DOES IT WORK

Does exercise work? Yes it does if you do it, but we don’t do it. This is the problem with exercise it’s hard to do on a regular basis. Does exercise work?


Yes it does if you do it, but we don’t do it. There’s an old saying we are what we eat. That said if we eat a big Mac from McDonald’s we are going to need to run about 5 to 6 miles to burn it off or walk about 12 to 15 miles I don’t wanna do that do you? And most senior citizens walk they don’t run. For me I stay away from big Macs.

AGE – EVERYTHING IN MODERATION


As we age everything slows down, our metabolism become slower. With a slower metabolism we need less fuel, less food and less exercise. At least less exercise sounds good to me. Everything in moderation is a good rule of thumb I found especially when it comes to food. I find it easier to eat less than it is to exercise more.

Conclusion


Your conclusion is all that matters. I hope this has helped you in someway, or reinforced your beliefs and ideas.

Please feel free to contact us at: dn@myseniorweightloss.com.