lose body fat

Blacks are the Biggest Losers

The Biggest Loser has had a lot of winners here are some of our brothers and sisters after the show was over.

FDA says dieters should stop using Hydroxycut now!

WASHINGTON – Government health officials warned dieters and body builders Friday to immediately stop using Hydroxycut, a widely sold supplement linked to cases of serious liver damage and at least one death.

The Food and Drug Administration said the company that makes the dietary supplement has agreed to recall 14 Hydroxycut products. Available in grocery stores and pharmacies, Hydroxycut is advertised as made from natural ingredients. At least 9 million packages were sold last year, the FDA said.

Dr. Linda Katz of the FDA’s food and nutrition division said the agency has received 23 reports of liver problems, including the death of a 19-year-old boy living in the Southwest. The teenager died in 2007, and the death was reported to the FDA this March.

Other patients experienced symptoms ranging from jaundice, or yellowing of the skin, to liver failure. One received a transplant and another was placed on a list to await a new liver. The patients were otherwise healthy and their symptoms began after they started using Hydroxycut.

Iovate Health Sciences, which makes the diet pills, said it agreed to the recall out of “an abundance of caution.” The company is based in Canada and its U.S. distributor is headquartered near Buffalo, N.Y.

“While this is a small number of reports relative to the many millions of people who have used Hydroxycut products over the years, out of an abundance of caution and because consumer safety is our top priority, we are voluntarily recalling these Hydroxycut-branded products,” the company said in a statement on its Web site. Consumers can get a refund by returning the pills to the store they purchased them from, the company said.

Dietary supplements aren’t as tightly regulated by the government as medications. Manufacturers don’t need to prove to the FDA that their products are safe and effective before they can sell them to consumers.

But regulators monitor aftermarket reports for signs of trouble, and in recent years companies have been put under stricter requirements to alert the FDA when they learn of problems. In 2004, the government banned ephedra, an ingredient in many supplements, linked to heart attacks and strokes.

Katz said it has taken so long to get a handle on the Hydroxycut problem because the cases of liver damage were rare and the FDA has no authority to review supplements before they’re marketed. “Part of the problem is that the FDA looks at dietary supplements from a post-market perspective, and an isolated incident is often difficult to follow,” she said.

The FDA relies on voluntary reports to detect such problems, and many cases are never reported, officials acknowledge.

Health officials said they have been unable to determine which Hydroxycut ingredients are potentially toxic, partially because the formulation has changed several times.

Public health researcher Ano Lobb, who has studied Hydroxycut and other dietary supplements for Consumer Reports, said the problem may be an ingredient called hydroxycitric acid. Derived from a tropical fruit, it’s been linked to liver problems in at least one medical journal study. Lobb said it’s likely that other supplements containing the same ingredient remain on the market.

“You really have to be careful about dietary supplements, especially weight-loss pills,” said Lobb. “People believe that the FDA has verified that these products are at least safe and effective, and that’s really not the case. When you see fantastic claims — that’s generally what they are.”

Before and After Weight Loss Success Photos: How'd she do it?

The beautiful thing about blogging is how huge a solid network of bloggers can be. From web surfing to active community bloggin, I have been fortunate to meet and work with a lot of people. One of those people being Elizabeth, a 37 years young (she might kill me for the age disclosure) sister from Indiana. One of the reasons I love working out, is not only does it change you physically but also mentally. Below is her story…please share it as an example.

In 1997 I began having severe pain and cramping… I found out that I had endometriosis. I had surgery, thus began my ongoing battle with this disease. Every two years I would have to have surgery to scrape down my uterus, and to try to contain the growth. This was unsuccessful time after time. In between these surgeries I was given different medications to combat the pain, to try to slow the growth of the disease. By the time it was all said and done, I was on 6 different medications, including medication for hypothyroidism. In September of 2007, I had one final surgery that was supposed to take care of the problem once and for all. That surgery was also unsuccessful because in February of 2008, I ended up in the emergency room with heavy bleeding and pain so severe I couldn’t walk in. My doctor informed me that we could no longer try to prolong a hysterectomy. I had emergency surgery that Thursday to remove my uterus and my right ovary. Luckily, he was able to save the left ovary. When I left the hospital, I weighed a whopping 170 lbs. A month later I found a lump in my left breast. I had to have an ultrasound and a mammogram, which showed nothing. However, the right breast was the one that showed the fibristic tissue and could be a problem the doctor said. He also added that if I lost at least 40 lbs. I could severely cut my chances of developing full blown breast cancer my more than half.

That was it, I decided that I didn’t want to be unhealthy anymore, and I could see my quality of life lessening more and more daily. I decided that I was not going to be unhealthy anymore. That I wanted to live a productive life, that I was too young to be sick. That I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. And that I didn’t want all the diseases passed on from generation to generation from my grandparents and their parents. That I would be the one to finally break the mold of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer. My doctor released me to begin exercising in May of 2008. I bought an elliptical, and began doing cardio 4 times a week for 30 minutes. I cut out all pop, all sugar and all processed food. I also stopped eating anything that was dyed white. I started making sure that I got at least 7 hours of sleep every night. I also joined my local gym and began lifting weights. I read everything I could find about healthy eating, weight lifting, cardio, etc. By August of 2008 I had lost 30 lbs.

However, I was stuck. I couldn’t seem to lose that last 20lbs that I wanted. I still felt heavy at 5’0 tall, and still 140lbs. I ended up meeting a trainer at the gym who completely changed the rest of my life so far. I began training one day a week, and the other days he told me what to do for my exercise routine. He gave me an eating plan, and the guidelines for exercise. I started working out 6 days/ week. I started weight training 3 days/week. I began eating 5-6 small meals a day, which consisted of high protein and complex carbs at every session. I began ingesting at least 1 gram of protein per lb. of body weight. I changed my cardio from evenings to mornings. I began increasing my cardio from 30 minutes to 60 minutes / day. I started looking at life differently. I no longer lived to eat. I began eating to fuel my body to perform. To feed my muscle to continue to help it grow. The weight began falling off. I trained for 3 1/2 months, and am now currently at 107 lbs. with 11 % bodyfat. I never believed it could happen. I am healthier than I have been my whole life, even when I was younger. I am no longer on any medications whatsoever. I drink at least a gallon of water each day, get lots of green veggies. I started looking at working out differently. It no longer was a chore. It has become a way of life. I look forward to going to the gym and sweating all the toxins from the day out, and lifting weights to feel my body molding the way I want it to. To be able to manipulate the muscle, and to see the shape taking place.

I am a work in progress, just like we all are, but most of all, I want to be encouraging to others. Especially other black women. To let them know that they can succeed with their goals. They can change their bodies. They can be healthy and strong. That our genetic makeup does not “have” to predetermine the people that we are. WE are the ones to determine who we are, and what we will become. And that our daughters can look at us and be inspired to continue in our footsteps on the journey of life in a healthy and happy way.

How’d she do it? Leave a comment, email me or subscribe to BlackFitness and I’ll send you her personalized workout!

Snack of the Week: Fage Greek Yogurt

So its Sunday night, what am I doing hopefully the same thing as you. Prepping my meals for the week. Grilled chicken, tuna, salads, sweet potato fries, my emergency protein bars, fruit and veggies. This week I am adding a new treat FAGE ZERO%

FAGE’s Total 0% will give you a new benchmark to what yogurt is suppose to be. I don’t care if you don’t like yogurt give it a try. The flavored versions i.e. honey and blueberry bring this over the top. At 120 calories per serving with 20 grams of protein you can’t lose.

The 0% is so thick, rich, and creamy that it’s hard to justify upgrading to more calories.

Not convinced? Not only is this delicious and creamy, but yogurt is one of the SuperFoods we all should be eating regularly. Plus, yogurt is also ranked as one of the World’s Healthiest Foods.

This is official an alternate for my 10 o’ clock protein meal. You are cheating yourself, if you don’t at least give it a try.

Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance

Thanksgiving Diet

Current Stats: Weight 214, Waist 32.7, Moral OK

So in one word, this week was hectic. I had a strategy of eating “lite” prior to the big day but it doesn’t seem to be working. All containers, boxes and labels read lite, diet or low carb and I’m throwing down over 2000 calories.

When tough decisions came up in my life, my coach use to say “DO the MATH”. And in typical Mikey fashion I would say “huh”. In this case we can do the math, 3600 calories equals 1 pound of unadulterated fat. Over the span of a month that’s 4 pounds. Okay, I don’t want to over analyze or complicate things. It boils down to how strong is our motivation. I need everyone out there to help me and let me know there is a hope after Thanksgiving.

My only advice is get wasted and eat like a pig but don’t let it carryover, spill into December and make it a two month binge. Have fun! Call it a carb-reload or cheat day but don’t forget your motivation. While everyone is waiting till January to make a “resolution” and scraping the rest of the year, you and I decided to make a our motivation stronger.

My buddy Rusty from the FitnessBlackBook.com says it best:

“If you want to get lean badly enough, you will. I know this is a simple statement, but it is completely true. If you are not as lean as you would like to be, it is NOT due to lack of knowledge. If you don’t have six pack abs or are not lean, but want to be…my answer to you is that you just don’t “want to” reach that goal as much as someone who has. You will reach almost every goal you set in life if your motivation is strong enough.”

For now keep working out and maintain your habits the best you can and remember to be good to yourself cause no one else will!

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