Lose Weight: Do a Puzzle

263-pound woman lost weight to enlist

(NEWSER) - A Texas woman shed 113 pounds to join the Army, saying she was startled into action after being told she was too heavy to qualify. “I’ll never see her again,” a recruiter says he thought on meeting 263-pound Ashley Barrett-Carter, the Dallas Morning News reports. Now in basic training, the 21-year-old says of the weighty accomplishment: “It's given me the courage to follow through.” More»

Keeping weight off made much tougher by brain, hormone cues to get it back

(NEWSER) - Your body doesn't want you to lose weight, scientists say, and makes it tough to keep off pounds lost. Scientists tell the Los Angeles Times that brain and hormone cues increase post-diet as natural processes try to get that old figure back. And while research into the heavy issues is still ongoing, exercise and medications are seen to help. More»

Common mistakes can prevent weight loss

(NEWSER) - If you've mustered the energy to lose weight, nothing is more frustrating than not seeing results. Men's Health lists some common mistakes:

1. Too much carb consumption
2. You're eating low-fat foods, but more of them
3. Skipping breakfast can lead to sugar bingeing

Studies don't support connection between working out and slimming down

(NEWSER) - The idea that exercise is the key to shedding pounds is relatively modern—and a whole lot of hogwash, Gary Taubes argues in New York magazine. Though the theory that working out makes us lose weight has been around since the 1960s, scientific research has consistently shown that the relationship between weight and exercise is spurious. More»

The truth may not set you free—but it might make your pants looser

(NEWSER) - Nutritionist Joy Bauer, the "Today" show's diet editor, looks at some popular dieting myths—or are they?

1. Diet and exercise can transform fat into muscle: The one can't become the other.
2. Metabolism slows with age, and there's nothing you can do about it: Exercise can maintain your burn.