Weigh The FAQS

When it comes to losing weight, it’s better to change your lifestyle than your stomach…

Seven percent of the American population suffers from diabetes, and the numbers are rising thanks to type 2 diabetes’ connection to obesity. The good news is that obesity-related diabetes has been proven completely reversible - with weight loss and diet management. But that means that more and more people are turning to extreme weight loss measures in their battle against type 2 diabetes, including bariatric surgery.

Bariatric surgery limits the amount of food a patient can eat and digest. While the most common is gastric bypass (commonly known as stomach stapling), the lap band is growing in popularity because it’s a simpler procedure and has a lower complication rate. Basically, it’s an inflatable band that partitions the stomach into two parts allowing a tiny channel between the two sections; the very small top section becomes the patient’s “new” smaller stomach. The lap band can be adjusted or surgically removed.

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Baseball. Tennis. Hiking. Sex.

What do these things all have in common? They are all things people can (and should) train for.

Train for sex? Yep, you read right. It’s no secret that sex can be a physically taxing, albeit highly pleasurable, experience. And like any other fun physical activity, the better shape you are in, the better you can, ahem, perform. Why?

Let’s start with the no brainers—being fit means having a healthier heart and lungs, which directly relates to stamina. The same ability to walk/run three miles at a good pace contributes to marathon sessions in the bedroom.

Second up, flexibility training (stretching regularly) not only reduces risk of injury, but can reduce general muscle fatigue and back pain while increasing blood flow and muscle coordination. Increased blood flow and muscle coordination anyone? Not to mention how the same flexibility you need to get into a complicated yoga pose can be useful in other areas.

And finally, strength training not only makes you stronger and increases metabolism (which reduces overall body fat), it also increases testosterone. Why is that important? Low testosterone levels have been linked to decreased libido in both men and women.

But it’s the side effects of being fit that can help keep sexytime fun. Low sex drive has been linked to stress, fatigue and depression — all conditions that regular exercise helps reduce. Feeling healthy also improves self confidence, and as most people know, nothing is sexier than self confidence.

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Every dieter knows that junk food is bad for them. They call it junk food because it’s full of all the things people should avoid (namely: trans fats, high refined sugar, empty calories), and lacking of all the things people need (namely: vitamins, fiber, actual nutrients). And yet, around a third of the calories most American adults eat are from junk food. Instead of swearing off junk food altogether, here are some tips to get the same craving-filling taste with actual nutritional value.

FRENCH FRIES
The salt. The oil. The starch. For many people the french fry is the ultimate in junk-food comfort. Unfortunately, most french fries are loaded with trans fats and almost no nutritional value. In fact, the high starch can play havoc with blood sugar levels and make you feel worse after eating them. To fix the high-fat, high salt craving and actually get some nutrients in, pick a vegetable-based side-dish at restaurants instead. Creamed spinach or buttered broccoli aren’t great, but they aren’t as bad. If you want to do even better yet, a side salad with a salty vinegarette and some cheese should also hit that fat and salty fix. If you simply must have something crunchy and fry-shaped, at home make your own sweet potato fries by coating sliced sweet potato with egg whites and your favorite salty seasoning and then baking them in the oven. Sweet potatoes (and yams too) are much lower on the glycemic index than regular potatoes, which translates to being much better eats for you.

DONUTS
The ultimate office and road trip treat, donuts combine a fried fix with sweet sugar. They also happen to be one of the most useless foods people can consume, and worse, are loaded with hydrogenated fat. To resist the donuts in the break room or sitting in the case at your favorite coffee place, go for a bran muffin instead to get the same sugar fix. Watch the portions though — most large muffins are at least twice as big as they need to be. And if you absolutely can’t resist, settle for enjoying a single donut hole.

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