Sleep Showdown

Don’t you love it when science backs up what you’ve always argued as fact? A new study by bed manufacturer Eight has determined that mothers face more challenges sleeping than fathers do. We’re not taking sides, but this is one to bring up the next time the kids wake up at 4 a.m. (And don’t forget to educate yourself with our infographic on your sleep habits.)

Paleo Power

Takeout menu on the wall, what’s the trendiest diet of all? Paleo, according to delivery service GrubHub, which tracked its customer orders according to popular healthy-eating plans. Is this plan for you? Read our dietitian’s take.

I Dream of Cloud Eggs

Unicorn lattes? That’s so last season (and a little too controversial). The latest food trend is still pretty ethereal: cloud eggs, which are sweeping Instagram. They’re not easy to make (here’s how to do it, if you’re brave) but they sure look pretty. And the best part? They’re still healthy.

WATCH > ASK A TRAINER ABOUT ROUTINES

Like This Post, Lose That Pound

If you’re using MyFitnessPal to track what you eat, you’re utilizing what we think is the most powerful tool out there to hold yourself accountable and assist in your quest to lose weight. But many people are using Instagram to supplement — and in many cases, replace — their food diaries with photos of what they eat. A new study by the University of Washington backs this up and weighs the pros and cons of relying on the popular social media platform to track your intake.

Exercise Is Brain Power, Too

We read about studies all the time that claim running helps you live longer or regular exercise maintains memory. What about all of them rolled into one? A pair of studies finds aerobic exercise is good for your brain, period, in a number of ways. So get moving already!

You’re An Animal, We Swear!

Go ahead, let that bomb slip. We won’t judge. A new British study suggests swearing while you exercise can increase your performance. How? That profanity-laced tirade may help you push through your workout. &@%*!

This Runner Is No Croc

OK, let’s get this straight: At MFP we recommend supportive, well-constructed footwear when you run a race. But we’ve still gotta give it up to this teenager who finished a half-marathon in Indianapolis wearing a pair of crocs … in 72 minutes.

READ MORE > WE TRIED BARRY’S BOOTCAMP — HERE’S WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

So Hot in China

Marathons are the latest thing in China, according to this report from NPR. The proof? The world’s most populous nation is scheduled to host more than 400 this year; that’s up from just 22 in 2011. It’s even pushing to be included in the World Marathon Majors circuit.

Mighty (Marathon) Mouse

There’s “couch to 5K” and then there’s GW1516. In a study by biotech firm Genentech, mice given this particular compound ran 100 minutes longer than a control group. It’s not a quick fix, nor has it been tested in humans, but the hope is that the scientists eventually can synthesize the compound into a drug that helps people who have heart conditions or other issues with exercise.

Hold That Pose (and Hold My Beer)

Last time around, we told you about the strange trend of goat yoga. This time, it’s beer yoga. Which is … exactly what it sounds like, according to GQ. It may surprise you to hear this trend originated at Burning Man. Just kidding — you’re not surprised.

Much like his father, Henry had been heavy for most of his life, with a steady weight gain that became more pronounced as he headed into high school years. Because of that, he struggled with confidence issues and low self-esteem.

To make matters worse, he was watching his dad’s weight surge — along with the types of problems that obesity can bring. At just 5-foot-2, his father was nearly 600 pounds at his heaviest when Henry became a teenager, and that caused issues like high blood pressure, severe sleep apnea, chronic knee pain and pre-diabetes.

“My dad passed away because he was obese, and I swore I would never let that happen to me,” he recalls. And although he had made this promise to himself, it was difficult for him to actually make any major shifts in behavior to change the situation. When he stepped on a scale right after his high school graduation, the number was like a splash of cold water.

“To my disbelief, I was 240 pounds, and immediately I thought of my dad,” says Henry. “That was exactly half his weight when he died. It felt like a turning point. I could either go down the path he did, and keep gaining weight, or I could go in the other direction. I knew if I didn’t change something soon, I was going to end up like him, and I didn’t want to put my family and friends through that.”

Thankfully, he chose the healthier route.

His first changes were to start drinking more water and eating food he believed to be more nutritious, but after months of that strategy, his weight didn’t budge. After adding exercise to his routine and getting more focused with his food, Henry managed to gain some traction and lost about 40 pounds, but he still felt like his results could be even better.

Feeling frustrated, he started researching more exercise options and food plans, and came across a bodybuilder on YouTube who talked about MyFitnessPal. When he heard more about food tracking as a way to lose fat and gain muscle, he immediately wanted to give it a try.

After downloading the MyFitnessPal app, he was surprised by how easy it was to use. He especially appreciated the barcode scanner and the frequent notifications and tips to help him stay on the right path.

“Because of the app, I started to see results in a much shorter amount of time,” he says. “And it really helped with some of the challenges that came up along the way.”

These challenges included ditching his beloved soda in favor of water and balancing work with exercise. He also recalls feeling a lack of support from some family members, but even that was eased by seeing his progress and connecting with the MyFitnessPal community.

Since starting his journey with MyFitnessPal in January 2018, Henry has lost 100 pounds — and has noticed much more than physical changes.

“Finally, I feel like I’m learning to love myself and to have confidence,” Henry says. “If I had to give advice to anyone starting out where I did, I would say just stick with it. You didn’t gain the weight overnight, so it won’t come off overnight. But if you’re consistent and focused, you can get there.”

She began her weight-loss journey in her late 50s, and over the course of four years, lost 200 pounds by changing what she ate and how often she moved.

“I truly believe that we can transform our lives at any age,” she says. “I am proof.”

Before her weight loss, Reynolds already had a full life: a husband of 40 years, two adult sons and a thriving career as the founder and president of a nonprofit. But her busy life also required plenty of sacrifices.

Reynolds strongly believed in the mission of her nonprofit, which helps schools raise student achievement, specifically low-income students, and she worked long hours to support it. She would pull all-nighters several times a week and eat high-calorie foods like cookies and candy to help her stay awake.

As her organization grew, so did her waistline. Soon, the 5-foot-7-inch Reynolds weighed 335 pounds.

At the urging of family members who were concerned about her health, Reynolds tried to lose weight several times, usually through various low-calorie diets. But the plans were too extreme, focusing solely on numbers without much regard to nutrition or satiety. Long-term, they just weren’t sustainable, and Reynolds gained the weight back every time.

In April 2012, she reached a breaking point. She could no longer fit in a restaurant booth, buckle a seat belt or even bend over to tie her shoes. Just walking more than half a block, climbing a flight of stairs or talking in front of an audience left her gasping for air.

She decided she needed to lose the weight for good, which meant taking a different approach.

Reynolds threw out the low-calorie, quick-fix mindset and switched to a whole food-focused nutrition plan that included five meals per day and all food groups. She promised herself this wasn’t just another diet; this was for life. To help her reach her goals, she downloaded MyFitnessPal and started logging her food one day in advance, so she had no choice but to stay on track.

Reynolds knew exercise would only speed her weight loss, so she also started walking. Her first walk was to her neighbor’s driveway, about 100 meters from her back door. She held on to her husband’s arm for support and stopped halfway to rest. Each day, they walked one more driveway, until she could walk 3 miles on her own.

Eventually, she began attending a water aerobics class where she would swim breaststroke, and from there, she added a spin class. Though it wasn’t intentional at the time, she had all three components of a triathlon: swim, bike and run. As her fitness increased, she decided to go for just that.

“Without telling anyone, I signed up for my first sprint triathlon,” Reynolds says. “On race day, I was scared to death. I finished second-to-last, but I didn’t care. I had finished! I felt like I had won the Olympics, and I loved the friendly, supportive triathlon community.”

Reynolds was soon hooked on the sport, and she knew every pound of the excess weight she lost would only make it easier for her to get across the finish line.

Over the course of four years, she went on to lose 200 pounds — 100 pounds in her first year and an additional 100 pounds in the three years following — but weight loss was just the beginning. As she continued to race, she discovered an inner athlete with an insatiable competitive spirit that eventually had her competing across the globe.

If you ask her today about her favorite moment from this journey, it’s not when she stepped on the scale and saw a weight-loss milestone. Instead, it’s when the results were posted for the 2017 Age Group Triathlon World Championship in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Shaking her head with wonder, and as tears filled her eyes, she learned she had placed sixth against the best triathletes in the world and was the top American competitor.

“Five years earlier, I weighed 335 pounds and couldn’t tie my own shoes,” she says. “Now, I was competing on behalf of the United States and wearing the same triathlon uniform that the USA Olympians wore. Now, people yelled, ‘USA! USA! USA!’ as I raced.

“As my grandchildren like to say, ‘Best day ever!’”

Today, Reynolds continues to train and live a healthy, active lifestyle. She still logs her food every day on MyFitnessPal — plus her activity on the MapMyRun and MapMyRide apps — but now focuses on sports performance instead of weight loss.

She’s also written a book about her incredible journey, entitled “The Athlete Inside: The Transforming Power of Hope, Tenacity, and Faith,” which will be released in April 2020. She is donating proceeds from the book to the USA Triathlon Foundation, whose mission is to “transform lives through sports,” a cause that’s deeply personal.

Reynolds encourages others to go in search of their biggest dreams, no matter their age or limitations. They might be surprised by what they find.

“You don’t know who might be hiding inside of you until you have the courage to take the first step toward discovering that person,” she says. “I say, ‘Go for it!’ What’s the worst that could happen? You don’t lose weight. But what’s the best that could happen? You become a new you!”

In 2011, Galit was a full-time college student with a full-time job, and he was running on empty. “I would work during the day, then go to class at night,” he remembers. “I would arrive home so late, I wouldn’t even have time to make dinner.”

To save time, he turned to convenient fast-food options, choosing between a 24-hour Subway and a Carl’s Jr. five nights a week. Eventually, his weight crept up to more than 300 pounds.

One February morning as he was getting ready for work, Galit bent down to tie his shoes. When he stood up, he noticed he was out of breath. It was a turning point.

“I felt so terrible and ashamed that tying my shoe was now a difficult chore for me, physically,” he says. “I knew right then and there, I had to make some serious changes.”

Galit had another huge motivator on his side. He had long dreamed of becoming a police officer, but to seriously pursue law enforcement, he would have to get in shape.

“At my weight, I would never have been considered for a position as an officer,” explains Galit. “Even if I had miraculously been hired, I would never have been able to perform in the police academy in the physical condition I was in.”

Though he wasn’t quite sure where to begin, he was confident his diet was the biggest contributor to his weight gain. He decided to start with just one rule he wasn’t allowed to break: He could not eat anywhere that had a drive-thru.

As part of his new commitment to eating better, Galit turned to MyFitnessPal for help, logging all of his meals and exercise.

“I immediately loved how MyFitnessPal could give you a basic rundown of how many calories you needed to maintain a caloric deficit and lose fat,” he says. “I also loved how I could log my workouts and see the direct benefit exercising had to my weight loss.”

According to Galit, being able to clearly see what he put into his body each day kept him accountable. When he had hard days where he missed his goal, he could quickly identify what corrections he needed to make later in the week to get back on track.

The payoff didn’t take long. Galit, who weighed himself weekly, began to see a noticeable difference after a month. He also woke up in the morning with more energy, which helped him be more productive at work and school.

The results became undeniable in the fall of 2011, when a friend showed him a recent picture of himself. Galit was floored. “I would always try to avoid taking pictures while I was overweight because I didn’t like the way I looked,” he says. “When I looked at this picture, I didn’t really recognize myself. It was eye-opening! I felt so proud, and it made me want to push harder.”

Galit eventually lost more than 100 pounds, and with his new, healthy lifestyle in-tow, he enrolled and graduated from the police academy — a massive feat that still isn’t lost on him today. “I feel a great sense of pride in myself every time I put on my uniform,” he says.

Looking back on his journey, Galit says becoming aware of what he put in his body each day made the biggest difference. He now advises others who want to lose weight to discover their “why” and to remind themselves of it every day.

And if they’re as confused on where to start as he once was, he advises simply picking one rule and committing to it, no matter what. “If they can stick to following just that one rule, they will be on their way to forming other lasting habits.”

Physically, his back, knees and feet hurt so much that at one point he was taking more than 2,400mg of ibuprofen every day, significantly increasing his risk of organ damage and heart attack. Romantically, the now 35-year-old began to feel a strain on his marriage, as his wife took on every domestic responsibility from cleaning and laundry to cooking and grocery shopping. Emotionally, Treglia spiraled into a dark place where he felt like he was just “sticking around” to earn money as an IT professional — but didn’t have much purpose otherwise.

“I was basically waiting to die,” he recalls. “I thought, what am I even here for?”

He knew bad habits had gotten him to this point. Even though he describes himself as a “husky kid,” Treglia kept maintained his weight by playing sports like soccer and tennis in high school, but when he didn’t play these sports in college, his weight began climbing quickly. After getting married and starting a sedentary job, the Pittsburgh resident says the pounds kept piling on, especially with multiple fast-food spots within a quarter-mile of his home.

Although sitting at the computer for hours was a large part of his weight gain, it also turned out to be his most valuable resource when it came to a starting point.

While browsing Reddit, he found a subthread about MyFitnessPal and how people were using the app to lose weight simply by tracking their food. Since he’d had some initial success with Weight Watchers in the past, he was familiar with food tracking and thought he’d give it another try, especially since some Reddit posters had also been more than 600 pounds.

“It was very helpful to hear that people were losing weight just by tracking calories without going to a gym,” he says. “I figured I could give that a try.”

In addition to being diligent about inputting his daily food, he started watching videos on meal prepping and dug out his old Fitbit to increase his daily step count. Although he was pleased with finally taking a new, healthy track, he admits it wasn’t always easy.

“After a month, I would have murdered someone for a Big Mac,” he says. “There were days I broke down and cried because I couldn’t eat fast food. I didn’t realize how much food had taken over my life.”

But, as he introduced healthier, lower calorie foods into his meals, the weight-loss journey began to get easier, especially when he started to see major results. After five months, he’d lost 100 pounds and bought a weight set for strength training.

His activity levels increased as well, with more of the weight gone. He was able to go golfing again, bought a bicycle — which he hadn’t been on since age 14 — and signed up for an obstacle course race, confident he’d be ready when it’s scheduled in 2019.

As the weight kept dropping, Treglia also went to New Orleans on a vacation with his wife, a trip that included plantation tours he would never been able to do at his highest weight. “We could do all the touristy things, and that felt great,” he says. “As soon as we got back, we booked a trip for Orlando as a reward to myself for hitting 300 pounds.”

He wasn’t the only one seeing big changes — his wife said it felt like she married a new person. And his doctor didn’t recognize him at a recent checkup, thinking she’d grabbed the wrong patient chart.

As of late September, Treglia had lost 317 pounds and feels like he’s not done yet — he wants to get down to 250 pounds by early December as a Christmas gift to himself. The daily pain he once endured has lifted — his physical issues are gone, his marriage is stronger than ever and he now feels a sense of joy and optimism every day.

He still tracks his food on MyFitnessPal as a way to stay accountable and finds support on the MFP message boards, where he’s picked up tips on nutrition and exercise and also connected with a community that cheers him on.

“Connecting with people about their struggles and successes has helped me make it through my journey,” he says. “I realize I have a lot more to lose, but I already feel like a new person.”

For 53-year-old Rick Monita from St. Paul, Minnesota, this nudge came in the form of a pivotal doctor’s appointment, where he was diagnosed with several health issues directly correlated to his weight. Unfortunately, the diagnosis made sense to him; he would get winded and have trouble breathing just walking up a flight of stairs or walking short distances.

“At the doctor, I learned my weight was at 389. They did tests, and my blood pressure was through the roof,” says Monita. “I was prediabetic; I had a slightly enlarged heart and severe sleep apnea — that finally was the trigger. I said I have to do something or else I probably will die soon.”

Monita had battled weight issues his entire life, and when his sister died in July 2011, he turned to alcohol and food as a coping mechanism to deal with his severe depression. Eating fast food for lunch and dinner daily, he quickly put on an additional 100 pounds.

“To be honest, I didn’t really care about life, and I probably had thoughts of suicide,” he says. “There were a lot of things going through my mind, but after a while, I finally started thinking, ‘is this what I really want?’ After that doctor’s appointment … that’s when I decided to try to do something and to be around for my young nieces and nephews and my family.”

Although he qualified for gastric bypass surgery and weight-loss medication, Monita set out to try to lose weight naturally. His doctor referred him to a local dietitian, who started by recommending certain healthy protein, carbs and fats. For someone unfamiliar with healthy eating, this meant Monita had to break old habits and give up his favorite sugary drinks and processed foods.

“She gave me meal prep ideas, and I did that religiously on Sundays,” he recalls. “I tried to cut out as many carbs as possible — breads and butters were a real downfall for me. I was also big on soda pop; I drank a lot of sugar. I started reading nutritional facts on food and realized how much sugar was in stuff. I pretty much quit eating processed food. Two years later, I don’t even crave pop, and I can’t remember the last time I had it.”

Accountability was a significant driving force in Monita’s journey. He had weekly check-ins with his dietitian, which drove him to show up to each appointment having hit certain goals. To further this accountability and make it easier to make healthy choices, his dietitian recommended he start using MyFitnessPal.

“Initially, I started using MyFitnessPal to punch in my lunches, but then I started using it for my meal planning,” he says. “I’d plan my week’s meals, and that became my healthy shopping list for the grocery store. It helps that everything is in there for you. You type something in, and it saves so much work.“

With a solid dietary foundation for the first time in his life, the pounds started falling off. And, surprisingly, Monita didn’t visit a gym one single time during his journey — most of his exercise came from walking. Every day, like clockwork, he’d walk before work, squeeze in a walk during lunch and even walk in the evenings after he got home.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though. After a bad back injury and the challenge of transitioning to a home office during the COVID-19 pandemic, his habits were thrown off and he saw his weight begin to creep back up. This was another pivotal moment for him. He refocused and set new goals to stay motivated and on track.

Today, Monita has reached his goal of losing 215 pounds, weighing in at 174 pounds, and has a better self body image and outlook on life than ever before. He now wears a size large shirt and has a 34-inch waist, which is a huge departure from the 4XL shirts and 54-inch waist he once owned. Seeing his transformation in the mirror is motivation to not become complacent and slide backward, but to continue working hard to stay where he is.

“My life is so different now, and it’s not something I’m ashamed of, it’s part of the story,” he says. “I don’t use my CPAP machine, my blood pressure is excellent and I’m not prediabetic. Everything is good.”

Unlock an experience that’s like having a dietitian, trainer and coach — right at your fingertips. Go Premium for expert guidance and exclusive tools that will help you reach your personal health goals.

Looking back, the 26-year-old now realizes she became a “true homebody” during that stressful time.

“Everyday life for me was, literally, worrying about and taking care of my kids 24/7,” she says. “I didn’t necessarily care about my own well-being. My day and life revolved around my kids and their schedule — feedings, naps, baths and bedtimes.”

She remembers mealtimes as especially hectic. For her own meals, Baggott would throw together whatever she could find, which usually meant pasta, fried foods, fast food, takeout or anything else that was quick and easy.

With little time for self-care and a diet that didn’t prioritize health, Baggott began to put on weight. Though there wasn’t a definitive moment that caused her to desire change, she started to rethink her lifestyle in August 2015 when her husband committed to a new healthy living regimen.

As he began to eat better, work out and subsequently put on muscle, Baggott was supportive, but she didn’t think about joining him until she realized the difference these actions were making in his mood. Not only was her husband fitter, he was also much happier. He seemed to genuinely enjoy this new way of living.

“It hit me then that I could and should join him on this journey and that it wasn’t selfish of me if I wanted to also take care of myself and not only the kids,” remembers Baggott.

Though Baggott wanted to lose weight, she says her motivation was less to look a certain way, but ultimately to feel a certain way.

“I wanted to feel great about myself again,” she says. “I wanted to care about myself again and I wanted to feel what it felt like to love myself again.”

Baggott started to do some research and read an article about tracking calories to encourage weight loss. Soon after, she downloaded MyFitnessPal, which she used to track everything she ate for the next two months.

“MyFitnessPal was a legit lifesaver for my journey,” she says. “It helped me learn correct portion sizes. It helped me learn how to adjust what I was eating so that I was getting the right macronutrients. And it cheered me on when I would lose weight.”

Baggott continued using the app off and on for the next year and a half. Any time she felt like she was losing her sense of correct portion sizes, the app always helped her figure out what was appropriate for her body size and goals so she could push on.

Within the first month, Baggott lost 10 pounds and felt an immediate difference in her health. She says the initial weight loss made her even more motivated to maintain her new lifestyle, which emphasized simplicity over complicated nutrition plans.

During her journey, Baggott did not cut out food groups, monitor her sugar intake or stop eating her favorite treats. Instead, she simply found healthier versions of her favorite meals and snacks.

For example, one of Baggott’s favorite foods is rice, which she eats almost every day. Instead of cutting it from her diet — which can be a common recommendation on low-carbohydrate plans — she simply switched from white rice to brown rice. She also loves tacos, so she started making them at home, using 97% lean ground beef and whole-wheat fajita shells.

“I made simple adjustments like that with all the meals I loved,” she says. “If you make too drastic a change, it may not be a lifestyle change, and instead, only a temporary thing.”

By April 2016, Baggott had surpassed her goal, dropping from her starting weight of 174 pounds to 115 pounds. Eventually, she decided to add more calories back into her day to focus on maintenance.

Her newfound passion for healthy living has also led to a career change, when she realized she wanted to help other women learn to take care of themselves and put themselves first. Now as an online coach, Baggott uses her firsthand experience to support her clients.

“My goal is to be able to help as many girls as possible to not only achieve a physical appearance they love, but also help them with their mental health and get them to a place where they love themselves unconditionally,” she says.

That starts with not punishing yourself or making drastic changes to your diet, which is her top tip for anyone looking to lose weight.

“Cutting out carbs may help you lose weight, but it also helps you double your weight gain when you bring it back into your life,” she says. “My advice is always to do what you’ll be able to maintain and be consistent with.”