John Cox

Blogs · @wyome

Tagged weight loss · everything

www.gq.com

How to Get Shredded the Right Way

Getting visible abs requires reducing body fat to around 12% through a balanced approach combining strength training, moderate calorie deficit (around 500 calories), adequate protein intake (1.6g per kilogram of body weight), cardio, and consistent sleep—not through extreme methods like crash diets or starvation. Results typically appear within four to nine weeks, with noticeable changes visible after four to six weeks, though the timeline depends on individual factors like genetics and starting body composition. The safest method prioritizes progressive strength training, whole foods, and patience rather than the drastic weight-loss tactics used by elite athletes preparing for competition.

Permalink nutritionfitnessweight losstags

www.news-medical.net

Natural compound found in olives can lower blood sugar levels and promote weight loss

A Virginia Tech study found that elenolic acid, a compound derived from olives, significantly reduced weight and improved blood sugar control in obese diabetic mice—with effects comparable to the injectable drug liraglutide and superior to metformin. The researchers identified that elenolic acid works by stimulating the release of metabolic hormones (GLP-1 and PYY) in the gut, which promote satiety and regulate blood sugar, rather than targeting metabolic tissues directly. While the natural concentration in olive products is too low to produce these benefits, the findings suggest elenolic acid could be developed into a safer and cheaper alternative to existing obesity and diabetes medications.

Permalink nutritionhealthweight lossscience

www.foodandwine.com

Trump Officials Swear by the ‘Sauerkraut Diet’ — but Does It Actually Work?

The so-called [[sauerkraut]] diet, created by [[Sean O’Mara]], is a lifestyle plan popular with several members of President Trump’s Cabinet and highlighted in the [[Wall Street Journal]], centered on fermented foods, [[grass-fed meat]], extended fasting, brief high‑intensity workouts, and other hormetic practices. Advocates claim the regimen restores the gut microbiome, boosts immunity, and can trigger GLP‑1–related weight effects; doctors report common weight loss but emphasize the evidence is limited. Nutrition experts place value on fermented foods for microbiome diversity and reduced inflammation, yet warn the meat‑heavy approach can raise LDL cholesterol in susceptible people and fermented products can be high in sodium. The article summarizes existing small studies, offers fermented‑food shopping guidance, and underscores that the diet’s long‑term risks and benefits remain insufficiently studied. Readers should consult clinicians before making major dietary changes.

Permalink foodnutritionhealthweight loss

www.themanual.com

The ultimate guide to the Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes whole, plant-based foods—vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and olive oil—modeled after traditional eating habits in Greece and Italy during the 1960s, when these regions had notably low rates of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Extensive research shows the diet reduces cardiovascular disease risk by roughly 30%, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, aids weight loss, and is more sustainable than restrictive fad diets because people actually stick to it long-term. The approach avoids processed foods, refined grains, processed meats, and artificial ingredients while allowing moderate amounts of fish, poultry, dairy, and eggs, with red meat consumed sparingly.

Permalink foodnutritionhealthweight loss

www.scientificamerican.com

Can You Change Your Metabolism?

Most claims about boosting metabolism are either dangerous or false, according to experts, because metabolism is largely determined by body composition—particularly muscle mass—and remains relatively stable despite diet trends and exercise routines. While building muscle through exercise and consuming protein can produce modest increases in metabolic rate, the body compensates for increased activity by reducing energy expenditure elsewhere, and metabolism doesn't actually decline significantly until around age 60, contrary to popular belief about a "middle-aged slowdown." Ultimately, weight loss depends on eating fewer calories overall rather than on metabolism hacks, though protein and fiber can help with satiety.

Permalink nutritionhealthfitnessweight loss

www.esquire.com

Does Fasting Work? The Strange Results of Living on Soup and Water for a Week

The author, a wine-drinking, indulgent writer, undergoes a week-long fast at the Buchinger Wilhelmi clinic in Spain, consuming fewer than 250 calories daily in broth, juice, and honey while receiving massages and spa treatments in a luxurious resort setting. Initially skeptical and preoccupied with fantasies of food, he adapts by day five as ketosis sets in, loses fourteen pounds, and experiences a psychological shift—not a temporary hunger fix but a genuine recalibration of his relationship with appetite and self-discipline that makes him question whether constant indulgence actually equals living well.

Permalink healthweight losswellnesslifestyle

physiqonomics.com

You're Not Losing Fat Because You're Eating Too Damn Much (Even When You Don't Think You Are)

This piece debunks "starvation mode" and slow-metabolism excuses for stalled fat loss, arguing instead that people—including trained dietitians—systematically underreport and misjudge how much they actually eat, often by hundreds of calories a day. It walks through the "obesogenic environment" (calorie-dense, hyper-palatable, cheap food) and specific cognitive traps like the health-halo effect (organic, diet, and protein-branded foods getting overeaten), portion-size illusions, mindless desk snacking, and hidden calories in restaurant meals, salads, juices, and "just a splash" of cream. The practical takeaway is that tracking/weighing food, even temporarily, is the real fix since awareness—not willpower or metabolic damage—is what's usually missing.

Permalink nutritionfitnessweight lossmetabolism

parade.com

Easy Meals for Weight Loss, According to an Endocrinologist

An endocrinologist argues that age-related weight loss struggles, especially for women dealing with declining estrogen, are best addressed through a whole foods, plant-based diet rather than carb-cutting, since complex carbs like lentils, beans and legumes stabilize insulin and keep you satiated. She flags the widespread mistake of slashing carbs entirely, and instead offers her own go-to meals—bean-heavy chili, quinoa-chickpea salad, and lentil soup—as practical, satisfying options for sustainable weight loss.

Permalink nutritionrecipeshealthweight loss

Scientific American

Can You Change Your Metabolism?

Most claims about "boosting metabolism" are either false or dangerous, according to evolutionary anthropologists and nutrition researchers—your metabolic rate is largely determined by your body composition (particularly muscle mass) and doesn't significantly slow until around age 60, contrary to popular belief. While building muscle, eating protein-rich foods, exercising early in the day, and getting good sleep can make small improvements to metabolic rate and weight management, the body has a set energy expenditure boundary that adjusts when you try to push past it through extreme exercise or calorie restriction, making sustainable weight loss fundamentally about consistently eating fewer calories rather than "revving" your metabolism.

Permalink nutritionhealthweight lossscience