One thing that I believe keeps many people from tackling their weight issues is the myth that they will have to make huge, uncomfortable, and unpleasant lifestyle changes to make it happen.

While it is true that to get different results, one does need to do things differently, those changes don???t necessarily have to be monumental ones to get results.

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Tags: artificial sweeteners, empty calories, exercise, fad diet, fat, fitness, junk food, liquid calories, metabolism, obesity, weight gain, weight loss

Something many of us in the weight loss community have been following lately is the research on brown fat, a.k.a. brown adipose tissue, or BAT.

Why are we so interested? Preliminary research suggests this special kind of fat, found mostly at the back of the neck and along the base of the spine, seems to be connected with helping control and regulate one???s metabolism and weight.

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Tags: body composition, body fat, brown adipose tissue, brown fat, capsiate natura, genes, genetics, metabolism, obesity, weight gain, weight loss

One thing my patients and I talk about a lot is the concept of eating right. And it really isn???t surprising, considering all the conflicting information out there on the topic.

In general, I advise them to follow the current USDA dietary guidelines as far as what to eat. They were recently updated, so if you haven???t looked at them for awhile, it???s a good place to start.

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Tags: appetite, dietary guidelines, empty calories, fat, junk food, liquid calories, medical weight loss, metabolism, obesity, weight loss

You may have heard reports about a recent study that claimed to have found a link between indoor heating and weight problems. But could it be true?

I find the study very interesting. What the researchers really found wasn’t that indoor heating was making people fat, but rather that people who spent a lot of time in climate-controlled buildings had a lower amount of so-called brown fat or brown adipose tissue when compared to those whose buildings were cooler.

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Tags: BMI, body composition, body fat, brown fat, indoor heating and weight, lifestyle, metabolism, obesity, weight gain, weight loss

Year after year, lose weight tops the list of most popular New Year’s resolutions. And it’s no wonder, considering three quarters of American adults is either overweight or clinically obese.

But according to U.S. News & World Report, nearly 80 percent of those who make this resolution to lose weight will end up abandoning their plan to slim down by February.

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Tags: body composition, fad diet, fat, food addiction, lifestyle, lose weight, medical weight loss, metabolism, obesity, resolutions, weight loss

When it comes to weight loss, caffeine can be a mixed bag???and it’s certainly no magic bullet.

First, while some herbal and over-the-counter products say that the caffeine and other ingredients they contain can suppress appetite and increase metabolism, the scientific evidence for such claims is shaky at best. I don???t recommend these so-called ???weight loss enhancers??? because it???s often unclear what ingredients they contain, or at what potency. Worse, they could possibly interact in a negative way with other over-the-counter or prescription medications or cause complications for those with certain health conditions. In short, save your money (and possibly your health) and steer clear of them.

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Tags: appetite, artificial sweeteners, body composition, body fat, caffeine, coffee, green tea, liquid calories, metabolism, water, weight loss