FAQs

The simple answer to your question is yes, given enough time. More...

When you increased your activity level and logged your food, making you more aware, you lost weight. Then the holidays hit and you got a little loose on the eating and your weight went back up. Very normal. More...

Exercising a particular body part does not mean you will automatically lose a significant amount of fat from that area. This is a common myth called spot reducing. More...

If all is well now you should have no problem getting back into exercise. It is not ideal to start training very heavy or with high volume, but to work into your program. More...

The simple answer is no. The laws of physics never ignore you, regardless of your age. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. More...

In short, we don’t know. The research on genetics and how they interact with your diet is still in its infancy. More...

The contestants on the show get to exist in a controlled environment where their primary daily activity IS activity, and they are medically supervised during their time on the show. More...

It should happen soon. You must be adding muscle at a rate that equals your fat loss. If you’ve added resistance training, then this has allowed you to add some muscle (a good thing) but it is unlikely that it will continue at this rate, unless that’s your primary goal. More...

When it comes down to it – the calories you burn and consume daily determine your weight. So – if you need to eat 1,500 calories to lose weight it doesn’t matter what you eat from a pure weight loss standpoint. More...

Sadly, you cannot. Where fat comes off of and when is not determined by what exercise you do, but genetics. The idea that working a certain muscle burns fat from that area is referred to as spot reducing, and it is a fitness myth that has no basis in reality. More...

The goal for fat loss is to burn more calories daily than you eat and drink. Exercise helps you increase your daily calorie burn and lets you get away with eating a bit more food than dieting alone. More...

To limit muscle loss, follow a sensible, reduced-calorie diet and maximize your cardio workouts by increasing the intensity, not just the time. Also, supplementing with a multi-vitamin and mineral and/or branched chain amino acids (BCAA), as well as proper pre and post workout eating can reduce muscle breakdown--and even increase muscle building--while trying to lose fat. More...

According to the research the answer to your question is that sleep deprivation is associated with weight gain but does not cause excess weight gain and obesity. In others words, those who sleep more each night tend to put on less weight than those who sleep less. More...

The first step in controlling and changing emotional eating is to learn the high risk situation(s) that cause you to eat when you are not hungry. More...

The short answer is yes. Now let's discuss why. You’ve probably heard for years that you do not need to take supplements because you can get everything you need by eating a healthy diet. The biggest obstacle to this approach is that no one consistently eats a healthy diet or can define what a healthy diet is. More...

Emotional eating tends to start with some type of trigger. The first step is to identify the people and situations that trigger it. More...

First of all, keep in mind that you can still reach your calorie deficit on the days you don’t hit your calorie burn target by eating less. To increase your calorie burn during the day, you have to move every chance you get; especially when you’re not at work. Every movement burns calories and small bouts of activity add up when you’re consistent. Here are some tips. More...

Theoretically, during the first hour after you eat the digestion of any food will increase your metabolism. Your best bet for keeping metabolism revved up: Build or maintain muscle, snack on low-calorie, high-fiber, high-protein foods, and keep moving! More...

Not taking in enough water can impair every function in the human body to some degree. However, drinking more water is not a weight loss program. Excessive fluid intake will not enhance fat loss. In fact, there is a real danger to excessive fluid intake called hyponatremia or water intoxication. More...

There are no specific exercises that are best for everyone, but the following information should be helpful. While working out with weights try to minimize your use of machines that let you sit or that guide you through the movement. More...

As long as you are consistently in a calorie deficit, you’ll lose weight. Research studies on the number of meals eaten daily and how it affects appetite and weight loss show mixed results. The best approach may be to follow a meal pattern that fits your lifestyle and focus on maintaining your deficit. If you’re having a hard time doing that because you get extremely hungry and then overeat – use foods that you can carry easily. Single serving packages of almonds, crackers, cheese and fruit work well. More...

First remember if you’re not losing weight/fat, you are NOT in a deficit, regardless of your calculations. Our experience working with thousands of clients is that people are eating more than they think they are. More...

Fluids can temporarily skew your weight. Because fluid balance is essential for health, the body tightly regulates fluid status by stimulating thirst and increasing or decreasing fluid output (urination). More...

You may be at a plateau, which eventually happens to everyone. As you get in shape, you become more efficient at burning calories (like getting a tune-up for your car) which means that you burn fewer calories than you used to. More...

It’s better to think of the goal in pounds of fat loss and let the percentages fall where they may. We measure body fat as a percentage of total body weight but calculate the loss in pounds. More...

If you are determined to keep the weight off then you will be motivated enough to do what it takes to maintain. The maintenance phase of weight loss is the most challenging because the excitement of the weight loss experience has come to an end, and the old habits start to creep back. More...

It can if you end up eating more and burning fewer calories. Premenstrual symptoms such as fatigue, increased cravings and appetite can affect your calorie burn and intake. If you have days when your energy level is low – make extra effort to fit in activity so you meet your daily step or calorie burn target. More...

There are some scientists who believe in individual “set points,” which may explain the difficulty many people experience when it comes to maintaining weight loss. Practically speaking, your “set-point” is influenced by your attitudes towards eating and activity and your appetite/satiety. More...

Building muscle helps with the fat burning process because a pound of muscle burns more calories than a pound of fat (approximately two times more at rest and up to ten times more when exercising intensely). More...

Insulin plays a major role in keeping us alive, but in short, this hormone is not responsible for weight loss or continuous body fat gains. Only we are in control of our weight. More...

Both supplements and meal replacement bars and drinks can help you reach your goal. More...

Some carbohydrates are healthier than others, but ultimately eating more calories than you burn makes you fat, whether those calories come from carbohydrates, protein or fat. More...

Yes, you will succeed at weight loss no matter when you consume your food as long as you eat fewer calories than you burn, even if you only eat 2 or 3 meals a day. More...

Yes. If you continue to do the correct things (eat less than you burn), you will continue to lose fat. More...

Be sure to give your skin time to correct itself. If it is still early in your weight loss program, be patient; things may improve. More...

If you are managing your insulin properly, you can lose weight just like anyone else. It’s simply a matter of burning more calories than you consume. More...

We were not able to find any information to support this. In fact, fiber is generally beneficial due to its contribution to fullness. More...

When walking is used in conjunction with an appropriate calorie diet, weight loss will occur. More...

There is no published, scientific evidence that consuming apple cider vinegar leads to weight loss. More...

There is no such thing as “starvation mode” or a significant slowing of metabolism for someone pursuing weight loss, even when they’re on a very low calorie diet. More...

Yes, and these are the ideal conditions for long-term success, but it takes the right formula of calories, nutrition and exercise to build muscle while losing body fat. More...

According to recent scientific studies, the more the better...when weight is plotted over time, the trend is extremely accurate and indisputable at determining the body’s change. More...

No. Eating more calories than you burn makes you fat, whether those calories come from carbohydrates, protein or fat. More...

No. If you did consistently avoid these foods for any extended period, your health would likely suffer as all of these foods provide many benefits to the human system. More...

It is quite common for those who are heavier to shed some lean body mass (LBM) when they first begin losing weight (it is considered normal to have 1/4 of weight lost come from LBM). More...

The only weight loss benefit resulting from a colon cleanse is the weight removed from your intestines. In other words, the number on the scale may go down immediately after you cleanse, but unless you are “dieting” that number will return to normal soon after. More...

No and no. Some religions call for occasional fasts, and some people derive satisfaction from fasting. But a fast won't "cleanse" your body of "toxins" in any way. More...

Metabolism is the rate at which the body uses energy to support all basic functions essential to sustain life, plus all energy requirements for additional activity and digestive processes. There are three components to energy expenditure More...

Although not approved for weight loss, in the short term under a qualified doctor’s care, using hCG during dieting is generally safe but a poor weight loss solution. More...

By moving every chance you get. First, take note that your body is burning calories all the time. More...

An adult brain uses ~110 calories per pound/day. More...

Everything you do burns calories. If you are asking if swallowing ice water leads to a greater amount of calories burned More...

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) doesn’t affect satiety (feeling of fullness) any different than other caloric sweeteners. More...

Everything “around you” (the environment) and “in you” (genetic makeup including internal biology) controls your appetite. More...

Diet is far more effective and easier in producing weight loss but exercise More...

No the “starvation mode” does not exist for any human being. More...

Push backs from the dining table are the best exercises for “flattening” the stomach. In other words, you can’t spot reduce More...

Make it up in the next day or two by eating less until your AVERAGE daily calories are back in line with your goal, IF, you want to stay on goal More...

There are herbal ingredients that have been shown in clinical trials to be effective at starting or accelerating weight loss More...

Shakes, or meal replacement-type mixes and have been shown to help people lose weight and keep it off. More...

In the context of weight loss, metabolism is considered how fast and how many calories you burn daily, therefore theoretically, metabolism More...

Your dotFIT program will do it for you. For a general estimation, use the following: More...

A weight loss plateau is solely caused by one’s average daily calorie burn coming into balance with their food intake - regardless of how it happens More...

No simply a myth. If you do not eat before you train/exercise, you decrease your body’s ability to maximize fat burning. More...

Yes, you should always eat before a workout, but the timing and size of your meals and snacks will depend on your goal and More...

No, reducing calories is by far the best single method for losing weight but exercise and diet is the best method of maintaining the loss More...

No, reducing calories is by far the best single method for losing weight but exercise and diet is the best method of maintaining the loss More...

Taking water weight fluctuations out of the equation because it has nothing to do with losing body fat, one single factor determines the rate More...

The same way everyone else does - by scheduling your meals so you eat fewer calories than you burn until you reach your More...

The good news for you is 2-fold: 1) you don’t need traditional exercise to lose weight and 2) “exercise” can be as simple as moving More...

The acai berry may be a good source of antioxidants, fiber and healthy fats, but that doesn’t mean it’s a better choice than other fruits containing More...

If you have the true “double chin” it generally means you are carrying excess fat under the chin near the throat area. The fat tends to sag More...

Yes there are natural and synthetic (drugs) compounds that can slightly increase resting metabolic rate (RMR), which is the amount of calories you burn More...

Anyone can boost their metabolism by simply consistently increasing their physical activities, including standing and moving in More...

There is new recent evidence that multivitamins may be helpful in controlling weight. At the very least, a daily multivitamin and mineral tablet (MVM) can supply More...

Vitamins are not metabolism boosters in adequately fed people. However, vitamins perform important functions in almost all More...

In all studies, meal replacement bars and shakes have been shown to be an extremely effective weight loss aid, and, in almost all cases More...

Stimulant-type supplements are often referred to as “fat burners”. If properly formulated, they may slightly increase your daily calorie burn More...

Yes, L-Carnitine supplements appear to be safe but they probably won’t help you lose weight. To date, there has been no More...

Unfortunately, fructose has been over-vilified by some scientists and media as a potential cause of obesity. Fructose, a sugar found naturally More...

No, or certainly none that have been discovered. It would be great if there were such a pill. Recently however, More...

No – unless you had a clinical deficiency of B-vitamins, which weakened your energy metabolism causing muscle wasting and/or More...

Although HCG is not approved for weight loss, in the short-term, under a qualified doctor’s care, using HCG during dieting is More...

The body naturally does an amazing job at balancing calories consumed and calories burned to keep your weight relatively stable daily. Therefore, More...

Yes. There are compounds extracted from natural sources that can slightly increase resting metabolic rate (RMR, or metabolism), which is More...

Not according to the majority of exercise studies. The general conclusion from many, including the most recent studies on exercise More...

The same way everyone does: eat fewer calories than you burn until you reach your goal. Use the dotFITprogram to find out More...

The same way everyone does, eat fewer calories than you burn until you reach your goal. Sometimes being 40 makes it less convenient or more difficult More...

The goal will be to maintain your healthy weight, which has been an elusive proposition for most dieters. The large majority of More...

If you are watching and controlling your caloric intake, you can probably get away with the minimum recommendation of 150 min/week of what More...

Successful weight losers would be defined as people that lose weight and keep it off for at least 3 years. Successful weight losers/maintainers never More...

The number on the scale only tells you your weight, and while weight compared with height (your body mass index or BMI) can be an indicator More...

If you don’t know how much you’re eating, you won’t know when to stop, making you unable to control unwanted weight gain. Knowing how many More...

Not everybody does; in fact it’s quite common to lose weight when highly stressed. Stress affects everyone differently and that includes how More...

In very simple terms, a high-fat diet cannot satisfy your appetite as well as a high-protein diet when the calories are equal in both. This More...

Phenphedrine is a weight loss supplement that contains mostly stimulants including caffeine (in the form of Dicaffeine Malate) and therefore More...

From a health standpoint, if you are getting all your necessary nutrients from the allowed foods and you supplement anything you may be More...

Yes, but not many. The most popular drugs prescribed for weight loss are Phenterimine (an appetite suppressant) and Xenical, which blocks More...

Before you swallowed the food, it contained a number of calories or what we call potential energy measured in calories. Not until the food is More...

Actually the right combination of foods (e.g. fibrous foods along with an appropriate protein and fat percentage of total calories, etc.) will help More...

No. Eating more calories than you burn makes you fat, whether those calories come from carbohydrates, protein or fat. Any amount of food/calories More...

No. Eating more calories than you burn makes you fat, whether those calories come from carbohydrates, protein or fat. Any amount of food/ More...

No, in fact, you are welcome to eat your last meal in bed if you want—just don’t consume more calories than you burn for the day. By the way More...

No. Eating more calories than you burn makes you fat, whether those calories come from pasta, meat, soda, sauces or vegetables. Any More...

No. Eating more calories than you burn makes you fat, whether those calories come from pasta, meat, soda, sauces or vegetables. Any amount More...

No, unless you decided to live a less healthy lifestyle. Unless you have a medical condition that disallows these foods, if you did avoid all of the More...

Excess of any food is stored as fat if your total calories (combination of protein, fats & carbs) exceed your body's needs to maintain More...

Not unless you love it. Reducing calories, as opposed to burning the extra calories, is by far an easier method of reducing weight quickly. That said, More...

That's just an idea left over from the 1980s. When it comes to weight loss, it’s the total calories in versus out for the day, and you would never More...

That extra stuff around your rear is not something that keeps growing from exercise; it’s from eating too much. Don’t worry about any exercise More...

Depends on your goal, but when it comes to fat loss, it hardly makes a difference. Most weightlifters prefer after because they like to More...

You are correct, most machines display more calories burned than actual because they basically use only heart rate combined with individual More...

Basically whichever one you like—mix it up, keep it fresh but go at high intensity for the best results if weight loss is the goal. Make sure you More...

No, 65% are—and believe it or not, that’s the good news. According to a new study, the majority of the remaining 35% are simply More...

Yes, there’s more at stake than just the way you look. Recent studies show that approximately 65 percent of Americans are overweight. And, More...

False. Someone must have made that up by contorting science to package and sell something. When you eat too many total calories of ANY More...

If you feed yourself properly, including taking a multivitamin/mineral daily, you would only add muscle by performing high intensity More...

Hormone differences distribute fat in different places. Females need fat in breast and hip areas as an aid to birthing and caring for offspring. Additionally More...

You can’t -- there is no such thing as spot reducing, which is probably obvious to you by now because your thighs generally move more than More...

Humans, as periodic eaters, need insulin to survive. Insulin helps the body release stored energy over time to fuel the body’s continuous needs More...

This is a tough question because insulin responds to virtually everything you put in your body. But we will briefly describe insulin’s functions: More...

Low iron means low energy, potentially leading to burning fewer calories and therefore forcing you to continue to lower your calorie intake More...

There is probably no direct relationship but some research hints at an indirect relationship. The main reason calcium is being linked with fat loss More...

Simply because they probably liked it and they were likely at a point in their life that any basic healthy diet, better than they were previously consuming, More...

If you have health problems related to heart disease or being very overweight, measuring heart rate can be a prescription number to make sure More...

You need to use the bodybuilding formula of feeding the muscle while starving the body fat. Meaning, eat correctly and enough including protein intake More...

Losing muscle is not generally healthy, slows our metabolism and can be debilitating in the long run when it comes to daily functioning. Therefore the More...

Yes – but what is happening to you is every bodybuilder’s dream. If your statistics are correct, you’ve gained over 10LBS (estimating More...

The right answer is to restructure your diet but within the total calories appropriate for your overall body composition goals (e.g. weight/fat loss, or muscle gain). More...

First of all the “starvation mode” does not exist for any human being. Unfortunately, even some well-known health professionals have contributed More...

We never recommend losing more than 1-2 pounds/week and therefore your calorie deficit should not exceed 1000calories/day unless More...

What you mean is what is the biggest deficit you can be in and not lose muscle/lean body mass (LBM). We say this because there is no starvation mode More...

With all due respect, only a 90LB bedridden person would burn so few calories daily. Therefore, unless that describes you, you need to improve the More...

There is no such thing a spot reducing so no exercise by itself will work for your "pooch." Unfortunately it’s going to be all about your calorie balance, meaning you More...

Yes, and it’s very common among athletes, especially bodybuilders and people new to weight training but it requires daily food planning and supplementation More...

Wow, three questions in one. First of all, there is no ideal body fat that you should as long as you are below an unhealthy amount, which is More...

Contrary to popular belief, nothing truly significant happens to your metabolism at anytime except in severe starvation when your body fat would be EXTREMELY low More...

Yes, you can and that's what we always recommend, or at least try not to lose muscle when dieting. With conventional dieting (as prescribed by More...

Once you know how many calories you are allowed daily to achieve your goal, you want to spread them out as much as you can. More...

You are not alone; in fact, we are all "wired to eat" whenever food is available as it is a leftover survival trait that allowed our species to survive More...

Cayenne pepper capsules that are commonly recommended for assisting with fat loss are generally 3-600 mg a piece and often recommended to take 1-4 capsules More...

Alcohol is notorious for leading people to overeat because of its physiological effect on appetite and because it is generally consumed in a social setting where More...

Yes, as long as you make it up if you are striving to arrive at a weight loss goal by a certain date. Otherwise put your diet on hold and just maintain your weight More...

Depends on the athletes physiological state (health and potential contraindications) and what he/she decides to use, but in general health and fitness More...

You need to pay attention to your desired weight year-round by weighing regularly and adjusting your daily calories according to undesired weight More...

By definition a female athlete should have a healthy body if they are following proper athletic eating, supplementing and training plans. Therefore More...

As an athlete you should certainly be on a healthy athletic-type diet that helps you maintain your performance and desired physique. But as far as More...

Depends on how much total weight, including fluids, was lost and how long after weigh-in you have before the match/game. Generally speaking, More...

You need to eat like an athlete in order to keep your energy systems full before all training and climbing events and allow the body to recover More...

No. Companies marketing leptin or ghrelin supplements don’t actually have any of the hormones in the pill but rather compounds that are purported to increase or decrease More...

This should not be considered a weight loss product other than because of its potential to remove weight from your intestines. Weight loss is caused by taking in fewer calories than More...

Fruta Planta is a Chinese weight loss product that claims simple, fast weight loss without diet or exercise. The supplement is supposed to boost your metabolism, curb your appetite and More...

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The African Mango diet is the newest diet/supplement on the market promising rapid weight loss by eliminating unwanted fats from the body. Eating a specific wild mango from More...

The “Food Lovers Fat Loss System” is a 21-day weight loss program that promises after the 21 days, you will never need to diet again. This program revolves around More...

If you are trying to gain weight, try not to skip meals. You can still gain weight by simply eating more calories than you burn for the entire day. More...

The short answer is NO. When our calorie intake consistently exceeds or matches our calorie burn, we do not lose weight. Period. Sources that claim toxins within our bodies cause More...