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Vitamin G

How to Eat What You Love and Still Stay Healthy

Fish and skinless chicken breasts as health foods? That's a no-brainer. But caloric, fatty protein sources like cheese, red meat, eggs, and bacon? You can eat them too and still stay trim, finds Tufts University research. When scientists analyzed the diets of 120,000 adults over two decades, they found that eating these often-demonized high-fat foods at the same time as "quality carbs"—like whole grains, fruit, and vegetables—helped people maintain or lose weight. But the reverse was also true: If they ate simple carbs (like potatoes and white bread) along with their steak and Cheddar, they gained weight. Experts believe the combination of complex carbs and fatty protein works to hold blood sugar levels steady, keeping you fuller longer, and also boosts resting metabolism. And this isn't an Atkins diet in disguise; the take-away, says study author Jessica Smith, Ph.D., is that it's most important to focus on the quality of carbohydrates in your diet rather than vilify any one food group. Here, dietitian Keri Gans, R.D., author of The Small Change Diet, suggests some simple pairings to try. If you love bacon... Instead of eating it in a BLT, try it with: brussels sprouts. That way you'll get the carb-protein

Vitamin G

People Are Claiming to Lose 6 Pounds in a Day on the "Moon Diet"

There are a ton of weight loss gimmicks out there, and many of us are willing to try them all. Whether it's taking supplements like ashitaba or arranging our plate as a visual diet trick, there are plenty of seemingly harmless tricks out there to consider. But the latest diet fad is a little, well, dubious: the moon diet. Apparently, the moon can help you lose six pounds in 24 hours, according to devotees. Also appropriately known as the werewolf diet or lunar diet, the moon diet is based on the concept that the moon has an effect on our bodies that's similar to its gravitational pull on Earth's oceans and rivers. The reason it's even a topic is because word on the street says several major celebrities follow the theory (but we can't name names, as there's no proof). The concept is fairly simple. According to, you have two plan options: the basic moon diet or the extended moon diet. On the basic, you're required to fast with only water and juice on either the full moon or new moon. The expected results include a cleansed body that is as much as six pounds lighter thanks to a

Vitamin G

Going Out to Eat? You'll Consume This Many More Calories Than If You Cooked at Home

Think you're being good by steering clear of the drive-through and picking a healthy restaurant instead? Maybe not, according to a new study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A kinesiology and community health professor there looked at eight years' worth of data on the eating habits of more than 18,000 Americans. Those who went out to eat consumed 200 more calories on average than people who ate at home, regardless of what kind of restaurant they visited. That might not seem like much, but think about how many times a week you meet your boyfriend for dinner or head out to lunch with a coworker—and it adds up quickly. We do commend you for resisting the occasional craving for Nachos Bell Grande or McDonald's fries; after all, opting for a sit-down restaurant instead of your fast-food guilty pleasure makes you more likely to take in vitamins and nutrients like potassium and omega-3 fatty acids. But regardless of restaurant choice, the extra fat, sodium, cholesterol, and calories are still a problem, says the new research. In fact, the study found that full-service restaurants may encourage you to overeat even more so than fast-food joints, possibly due to factors like

Vitamin G

If You're Not Losing Weight, New Research Suggests You Should Go Vegan. Here's Why

Do you feel like your weight loss has plateaued or just isn't progressing as fast as you and your summer outfits would like? A new study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that people on vegetarian diets (especially those on vegan diets) had better weight loss results than those on meat-included plans. In fact, they lost an average of 4.4 more pounds, at least in the short term. Ru-Yi Huang of E-Da Hospital in Taiwan reviewed 12 separate diet trials to determine the most effective eating plan. The trials including 1,151 dieters, who all followed a specific plan for anywhere between nine and 74 weeks. Vegetarians who consumed dairy and eggs lost more than meat eaters, as did vegetarians on restricted-calorie diets. Vegans (who consume no animal products or by-products, such as dairy and eggs) lost the most. "Vegetarian diets are more effective than non-vegetarian diets for weight loss," says Huang, who attributed the results the a high intake of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. These foods have low glycemic indexes as well as tons of fiber and nutrients to keep your body full and satisfied. If you're looking to change up your own plan, consider swapping

Vitamin G

Bikini Workout Plan: Learn Exactly How Pro Figure Models Shed Fat and Build Muscle

Welcome to the bikini series! I'm Glamour's Senior Online Editor, Marissa and I'm a huge fitness fanatic. I recently discovered pro bikini figure models—a group of women who compete in fitness competitions specifically geared toward the ideal beach body. After meeting with a local NYC team, I'm trying their exact workout and diet plan for the next month, and documenting it all here on Vitamin G. Follow my bikini plan posts to see all the updates, from what I'm eating to how I'm working out. Here's the full story below. There is an underground group of women in the fitness world that I knew nothing about until this summer. They're not the overly muscular, masculine female bodybuilders of yesteryear; they're bikini figure models with the exact type of body (almost) everyone wants on the beach: curvy and feminine, with toned arms, flat abs and a tight, round booty. The best part? It's a body you don't have to be born with to attain: A photo posted by Danielle Saitta (@yelli_flex) on May 31, 2015 at 4:54pm PDT That thing that you do, after your day job, in your free time, too early in the morning, too late at night. That

Vitamin G

The 6 Stages of Dining Out With Friends While Dieting

So, you've decided to start dieting. Congratulations! It's all fun and games during the week when you've got a schedule of work, work, Netflix, work, and nothing to deter you from your grilled chicken and yoga flow. Now it's Friday night and all your lady friends are like, "Let's get dinner!" "Sure," you think to yourself. "I'll just get a salad and Diet Coke." But here's the catch: Everyone wants to go to your local greasy gastro pub/TGI Fridays. Stage 1: Confidence You walk in feeling like a champ. You've got this. You're not going to let the hypnotic scent of high fructose corn syrup break your stride. Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels, right? Stage 2: Fantasizing Except margaritas. You didn't even think about alcohol. Everyone just ordered a round of margaritas and you start feeling...the feelings. The waiter asks what you want and you begrudgingly say, "I'll have a Diet Coke...with lemon." In your mind, the lemon is a magical piece of sorcery that will instantly get you to a happy place. But then the bread comes out. BREAD! And you start to think about last night when you were googling photos of pasta—and brownies, cookies, fries

Vitamin G

4 Tricks to Avoid Gaining Weight During Winter Binge-Eating Season



Model Diets: Would You Try These Tips & Tricks For A More Angel-Like Body?

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