Diet and Nutrition

Chaz Bono to Lose 50 Pounds with Help from Dr. Travis Stork

Chaz Bono, child of singing sensations Sunny and Cher, has had his share of difficulties throughout life. The pressures of having famous parents, an addiction to prescription painkillers and alcohol, and a long journey from being born a girl to choosing gender reassignment surgery have been closely scrutinized in the media throughout his life. Now Bono is about to tackle another difficult issue, his weight.

The writer, musician, and LGBT activist reveals on The Doctors November 14 how he has struggled with his weight his whole life. Dr. Travis Stork lays out a plan for the 250-pound, 5 foot 5 1/2 in. Bono to lose 50 to 80 pounds. An upcoming episode will reveal the transformation.

Although he said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that discussing his weight is painful for him, Bono knows that he needs to get help for the problem. “I don’t like to talk about this issue. It’s very personal for me, and very difficult,” he said.

While we applaud Bono’s effort to achieve a healthier weight, it is interesting that he chose to get help from Stork, an emergency medicine physician with no background in weight loss management. He has his M.D. from the University of Virginia and worked at Vanderbilt Medical Center’s emergency room, specializing in trauma care and acutely ill patients. Although well-qualified as a physician, a specialist in weight loss, with experience in fitness training and nutrition, would be a better match for Bono. Stork is better known for his appearance on The Bachelor than any weight loss program. He wrote a weight loss book called The Lean Belly Prescription, but then, he also penned Don’t Be That Girl, showing he feels his expertise is very multi-faceted. (more…)

Posted on November 9, 2024 by SarahS

Small Goals Keep Jennifer’s True Weight Loss Story on Track

The most recent goal Jennifer had in her weight loss journey was to get down to the weight printed on her driver’s license. In the past month, she accomplished that. She’s now three pounds under her license weight and says “I really need to go get a new driver’s license.”

She’s doing a lot of things right in her weight loss, which we’ve been following since summer. For one, she’s not on a diet. She’s establishing healthy habits that are helping her achieve one goal at a time (which is one of the healthiest habits of all when losing weight). Setting small, manageable goals helps you enjoy achievement all along the way, rather than feeling like you’re pursuing something that, for many, will takes months and even years to achieve.

Since the start of her journey in February of this year, Jennifer is down a total of 44 pounds, currently weighing in at 257 pounds. She’s down from a size 26 to a size 22 and has bought a few new clothes. She admits to still ordering things online, but is pleased with how they definitely fit when they arrive.

She’s also celebrating what she called a breakthrough this past month. “I did spiderman planks!,” Jennifer bragged. “It’s a big deal to me!” She talked about not being able to do them at all before and now she can hold one for 20 seconds. (more…)

Posted on November 9, 2024 by Natalie K

Liquid-Only Diet Prepares Supermodel Adriana Lima for Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show

How do supermodels prepare for a Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, especially if they’ve just had a baby eight weeks ago? For Adriana Lima, the answer is to turn to a completely liquid diet for a solid week and a half and work out twice a day.

The mother of Valentina, 3, and Sienna, born in September, earned $7 million in 2024, giving her ranking on Forbes’ annual Celebrity 100 list. Her biggest earnings come from being a Victoria’s Secret Angel, but she appears in a diverse listing of modeling ads, television commercials, and acting spots. She likens her career’s required runway preparations to athletes training for a marathon.

Lima, 31, shared her training regimen with The Telegraph UK before last year’s show. She said she works out daily with a personal trainer, then twice a day for the three weeks leading up to the show. Lima does a variety of exercises like boxing, lifting weights, and jump rope she described as “really intense.”

After the birth of her first child, Lima said “it was easy” to lose her baby weight by hitting the gym once or twice daily for one to two hours, along with a portion-controlled diet of four ounce meals.  (more…)

Posted on November 8, 2024 by SarahS

5-Minute Breakfast Ideas to Fuel Your Mornings in a Hurry

By Bob Greene for TheBestLife.com

I’m a big fan of breakfast—in fact, starting off each day with a healthy, balanced breakfast is one of the key guidelines on my Best Life plan. A morning meal jump-starts your metabolism, delivers some much-needed energy after a night’s rest and can help with weight loss.

Don’t think you have the time? Check out these five dishes, which you can throw together in five minutes or less.


Speedy Cereal

Be picky about what you pour into your bowl. Our guidelines: Opt for a cereal that has at least 4 grams of fiber, no more than 5 grams of sugar, and no more than 120 milligrams sodium per 100 calories. (Click here for a list of healthy cereal choices.) Top it off with fat-free or one-percent milk or calcium-enriched soy milk. To add more nutrients and flavor, top with some fresh fruit or a tablespoon or two of nuts. Or try this shortcut: Mix a few healthy cereals together, put them in a re-sealable plastic bag, and go. (more…)

Posted on November 8, 2024 by BestLifeDiet

5 Biggest Diet Myths Debunked on Dr. Oz

Check out Dr. Oz’s November 7 episode to find out the five biggest diet myths people believe today. The stage becomes a scientific laboratory as Dr. Oz dons safety goggles and joins his friend Science Bob to discover what’s true and what’s not in the world of dieting. 

Questions such as “does water shrink your waistline?,” “does aging make you gain weight?,” and “should you wait until you’re hungry to eat?” are debunked as myths as Dr. Oz gives audiences the real truth behind these misconceptions. He shares the shocking myths that your own doctor believes and that he was also told in medical school that simply are not true. (more…)

Posted on November 7, 2024 by SarahS

Qsymia Sales Prove Disappointing Thus Far

Vivus Inc. has released a diet pill called Qsymia – one of only two diet pills (the other being Belviq) to be released in the last 13 years. Vivus applied intense pressure on the FDA earlier this year to approve the obesity-targeted drug for for the two-thirds of Americans who have a body fat percentage high enough make them obese.

The problem? Qsymia shares were down 24 percent on Tuesday. Since their launch mid-September, they’ve only seen $41,000 in sales. Analysts were expecting around $310,000 by this point.

Vivus Inc. Chief Commercial Officer Mike Miller stated his concern over the pill’s insurance coverage.

“About 30 percent of patients chose not to fill after receiving a [Qsymia] prescription due to cash outlay,” he said. “The average retail price for the patient for 30 days or the recommended dose is approximately $160. Currently, we’re seeing one out of five [patients] being covered by third-party insurance with an average co-pay of $62.” (more…)

Posted on November 7, 2024 by Danielle

Camilla Duchess of Cornwall Warns Teens Against Fad Dieting

Camilla Parker Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall, is championing a new cause these days: Her concern for teens and the path they’re heading down with their diets, which could lead them to a life of suffering from Osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a disease that affects the bones, making them fragile and easily breakable. Currently nearly 3 million people in the UK are suffering from the disease, and more than 250,000 fractures occur every year as a result.

Some suspect it’s the non-dairy and wheat-free fad diets that are putting these teens at risk. If they fail to build their bone strength up prior to reaching the age of 35, their chances of developing the disease are much higher.

“To unite with all of you today is so important, to get the message worldwide to people that it can be prevented,” said Bowles.

The Duchess has such as strong opinion regarding this topic as both her grandmother and mother have been affected by the disease. She watched her mother lose 8 inches in height and suffer from serious digestion issues as a result, which eventually led to hear death at the young age of 72. Her personal experience with the disease in her family led to her become the President of the National Osteoporosis Society in the UK. (more…)

Posted on November 7, 2024 by Danielle

Al Sharpton Credits 100 Pound Weight Loss to Vegetarian Diet

Reverend Al Sharpton is making news for something other than his political and religious beliefs this morning. The infamously outspoken reverend appeared as a moderator for the election last night on MSNBC looking much slimmer than his former self. Once tipping the scales at nearly 300 pounds, Sharpton is now well below the 200-pound mark and credits his dramatic transformation primarily to a vegetarian diet.

Sharpton is no newcomer to the vegetarian scene. He began appearing on behalf of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) as early as 2006 to raise awareness about the maltreatment of chickens, specifically within the KFC corporation.

That same year Sharpton was awarded the PETA Humanitarian Award. During his acceptance speech at the New York City gala, he shed more light on his clean eating habits.

“Avoiding meat is the way to eat for anyone with a highly-charged life,” he said. “A vegetarian diet has a way of absorbing the stress and gives you greater endurance. I don’t eat many starches or [refined] sugars. I just love greens and grains. I eat a lot of salad and fruits. I feel like a new, improved me.”

Sharpton appeared on the Wendy Williams show in October 2024, where he shared that he forgoes meat altogether with the exception of fish once or twice a week. He also touted his new-found appreciation for fruit and vegetables, which now make up a great majority of his diet. (more…)

Posted on November 7, 2024 by Dana

GMO Labeling Didn’t Win the Battle in California, but We Haven’t Lost the War

What a night! Democracy in action kept most of us up very late on a work night as we watched the results come in for president and the various state issues. Many of us woke this morning with a mix of emotions as some of our policies passed and some did not. One issue in particular that kept us on our toes and saddened us this morning was the vote on proposition 37 in the state of California. As it looks this morning, food will not have to be labeled indicating its inclusion of GMOs, genetically modified organisms that require labeling in more than 50 other countries.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported on this issue, stating that 94 percent of precincts had reported and by a narrow margin voters said no to GMO labeling. This was a hard blow this morning for those in the yes movement, but those who have fought so diligently on the campaign are remaining optimistic.

“This is only the beginning of consumer enlightenment and transparency in the food supply. We will prevail now,” commented Leah Segedie, a volunteer with California Right to Know and founder of Mamavation.

As it can be with all political issues, it probably came down to money. Those who were opposing the labeling ballot did so by saying that it would cost the consumers more money if foods were forced to label. This side also had big financial backers. The biotech giants who produce GMOs helped contribute to the $42 million the no campaign raised. Companies such as Monsanto, DOW, and even major food companies like Pepsi Co. all chipped in from their deep pockets to make sure the people do not have the right to know what’s in the food they purchase. Some surprising companies have donated to the “no” side as well. Companies we all deem as healthy and natural such as Horizon Organic, Cascadian Farms, and Kashi all have supported the no labeling vote. This really make you wonder about our “health food” companies. (more…)

Posted on November 7, 2024 by Lacy

An Average of 98 Pounds Lost Highlighted in the “The Weigh We Were” Weight Loss Stories

A behavioral method first used to save malnourished children in Vietnam might not seem like it has much in common with a television program spurring Americans to lose weight, but it does. They both use the positive deviance approach, a concept that looks at people in a community who have successfully found better solutions to a widespread problem than their peers. These positive deviants, as they are called, are no different from anyone else, with no extra resources or skills, yet they have conquered their challenges better than most in the community.

With obesity becoming such a prevalent problem in our society today, positive deviants can have a great impact on their communities to encourage others that lasting weight loss is possible. The Weigh We Were, which premiered October 30 on Georgia’s Public Broadcasting Service, aims to do that by featuring real weight loss stories from people just like you.

The show was created by Kat Carney, former Consumer Health anchor for CNN Headline News, whose own weight loss story includes weighing 240 pounds 13 years ago before she successfully shed 90 pounds. She started a website hoping to inspire others with weight loss stories, and the television program grew out of that.

“There’s this constant messaging about weight loss that you can’t do it, but I knew you can do it – I did. I put out messages for real life weight loss stories, wanting just 4 or 5, but in the end, 32 people responded,” Carney said.

She said that the stories she heard were all amazing, but they were also surprisingly simple in how they achieved major results. The average weight loss of the participants was 98 pounds. Out of the 32 featured on the show, only two used commercial weight loss programs, while another two had bariatric surgery as part of their regimen to get fit. (more…)

Posted on November 6, 2024 by SarahS

Pepsi Drinkers Vote for Obama; Diet Dr. Pepper Drinkers Vote for Romney

As we all head to the polls to cast our votes for president today, you should know you’ve been watched. Our actions have been reviewed and categorized by marketing analysts to the point that they say they can predict your vote based on your consumer behavior. Something as insignificant as a tweet about your favorite soda has been documented and analyzed and that affinity for a certain brand has you pegged Republican or Democrat.

If you’re a Diet Dr. Pepper drinker, you’re probably going to vote for Mitt Romney today. If you are a Pepsi drinker, your vote is likely for Barack Obama today. These statistics and so many more have been collected through a task that is called micro-targeting. Tarun Wadhwa reported in The Huffington Post that it became apparent in 2000 that only seven percent of voters were being reached by traditional ads. Something more effective needed to take place, and this is what lead to micro-targeting.

Since our lives are lived so publicly today, thanks to online activity, ads can be delivered to a potential voter based on their personal traits. To accomplish an accurate understanding of voters, tons of facts have been uncovered. As the facts were analyzed, separated, and charted, it became eerily accurate. (more…)

Posted on November 6, 2024 by Lacy