• Helene Sula has lost 50 pounds since May 2024, mostly by walking, hiking, and tracking her meals.
• The travel content creator, 38, said she doesn't deprive herself of yummy food in foreign countries.
• Sula shared 5 ways she lost the weight and is keeping it off, even with the occasional indulgence.

Helene Sula has visited 60 countries and hundreds of cities worldwide for her job as a content creator.

As much as sightseeing is part of her job, so is trying new foods.

After living in Heidelberg, Germany, for three years, she returned to her hometown, Dallas. Over time, she began to notice changes in her body.

"I've always fluctuated, but I especially gained a ton of weight when I moved back to America," Sula, 38, told Business Insider.

Her weight gain pushed her to reflect on her relationship with food, exercise, and travel.

"Food is part of a cultural experience," Sula, who now lives in Montenegro, said. "When I travel to a new place, I want to try the food. But I had to reframe my mindset and make it my mission to realize that I can try the food — I just don't need to eat all of it right then and there."

After a year of exercising and revamping her diet, Sula has lost 50 pounds — and gained a world of self-confidence.

"I am a very positive and outgoing person, but I think over the years, that has gone away a bit because I've been embarrassed," she said. "I feel like I've finally gotten back to myself. It's been really nice."

Here are 5 things Sula does to maintain her weight loss.

1. She tracks her meals on MyFitnessPal

Sula used to eat fast food regularly and didn't pay a lot of attention to her portion sizes.

"I'd eat a spoonful of peanut butter, and snacks like popcorn and chips straight out of the bag," she said. " I would never be mindful of how much I was eating or the portions. I didn't really think about that."

Sula has become more mindful of her eating choices, attributing a big part of her weight loss success to portion control.

"I thought I was eating healthy, but I was overeating," she said. "Now, instead of having three scoops of gelato, I have one."

To monitor her food intake and ensure she's maintaining a calorie deficit, Sula uses meal tracker My Fitness Pal. It's available on iOS and Android and is free to use, though users, like Sula, can pay for a premium version.

"I track breakfast first thing in the morning, and then, later in the day, I'll track what I eat for lunch and dinner," she said.

The app has been a game changer in her fitness journey.

"I don't try to be perfect with it — it's just a good tool to make sure that I'm staying on track," she added.

2. She doesn't turn down food, but she balances treats with other items

Sula rarely stays in a city for more than a week. No matter where she is, she still tries to maintain a well-balanced diet.

"My husband and I just went to Turkey," she said. "The food in Turkey is absolutely amazing. I still watched my portions, and definitely ate healthy when I could."

For her, that means consuming enough protein, fiber, fruits, and vegetables throughout the day.

Her favorite foods to eat on the road are:

• Eggs: While getting certain foods can sometimes be difficult to find in other countries, there's one food she can always count on — eggs. "My No. 1 is eggs in the morning, I'll go for an omelet of sorts," she said.
• Fruits and vegetables like apples and carrots: Sula likes to shop at local markets and grocery stores with fresh produce.

• Deli meats: She can get most of her go-to snacks, like turkey slices and fresh vegetables, in pretty much every grocery store. "I prefer turkey, just because it's somewhat healthy," she said. "I'll go up to the deli counter in a grocery store and have them slice it for me." She'll typically eat four to six slices, paired with roasted vegetables and a piece of fruit. If she's on the go, she'll have a protein shake instead.

• Protein shakes: Not all protein brands are available abroad, so Sula isn't picky. "If I'm in the UK, I like to drink UFit, and if I'm in Montenegro, I'll drink Protein Zott," she said.

3. She keeps a grocery list in her phone that she can use in any store around the world

A big part of eating healthy is balance — knowing when to indulge or abstain, Sula said.

"If I know that I'm going to have an indulgent dinner, for lunch, I'll go to a grocery store and grab an apple, protein shake, some turkey, and some nuts," she said.

According to her, this short grocery list is fairly affordable in most countries, typically costing about $6.

To ensure she doesn't stray from the menu, Sula keeps a grocery list in her iPhone notes app. She said it's a great way to avoid overthinking and complicating her eating decisions.

"Having a list of the foods that fill me up makes the rest of my day great," she said. "It takes the guesswork out of having to think so much about what to eat. I also don't get hangry."

4. She walks, hikes, and swims wherever she is

Sula said that a lack of walking was one of the biggest contributors to her weight gain.

"I went from living in Germany and walking or biking everywhere, to living in Dallas, where I wouldn't even dream of walking down to go to the grocery store," she said.

Now, Sula tries to constantly be on the move. To help her maintain her steps and exercise, her husband, who has a Master's in exercise science, created a workout schedule that she uses even when she's traveling.

While it can look different depending on what country she's in and what she's training for, it typically looks like this:

• Monday: An interval workout of a three-mile walk, alternating between two minutes of fast-paced walking and two minutes at a slower pace.
• Tuesday: Cross-training, which typically involves swimming
• Wednesday: Rest day
• Thursday: A nine-mile walk
• Friday: An eight-mile walk
• Saturday: Rest day or 12-mile walk
• Sunday: Rest day or 12-mile walk

"My workout schedule is very flexible," she said. "I don't really go to the gym very often. I have weights that I use at home, and I watch YouTube workout videos."

"If I'm somewhere for more than a week, I might go swimming, so I have to find a hotel gym," she added. Typically, it costs her around $5 per visit.

Sula has also added long-distance hiking to her workout plan. In 2024, she walked England's Cotswold Way, a 100-mile trail of rolling hills, woodlands, and farmland that runs from Chipping Campden to Bath, about a two-hour drive southwest from London. The walk took her 10 days to complete.

"It's my goal to walk everywhere we visit," she said. "I'm doing tons of walking in Montenegro. I've done a ton of walking in France. Germany is also really good for walking."

5. She doesn't shame herself for indulging occasionally or enjoying life

Sula's weight-loss journey hasn't been perfect, and she does have a few regrets.

"For a decade, I kept gaining and losing weight," she said. "I had an all-or-nothing mindset," she said. "I told myself, 'You need to eat healthy, and if you don't, then you ruined everything,' but that's just not real life."

"You can still try all the different foods and drinks, and still enjoy life," she explained. "The same goes for exercise. Building yourself up physically and making small changes makes a world of difference."

Sula's biggest recommendation for those trying to lose weight or better their health is to listen to their body.

"I'm still on a weight loss journey, but I think my No. 1 goal is to really just listen to my body and how I feel," she said. "I realize that food doesn't go away — it's always going to be there. You can try it, but you don't need to eat 55 croissants when you're in France."

• Omada Health filed its S-1 to go public at the beginning of May.
• Now, the chronic care startup is launching new AI agent tools for nutrition.
• Omada is cashing in on a surging "food as medicine" market amid the Ozempic-fueled weight loss boom.

Omada Health just filed its S-1 to go public. Now, the diabetes care startup is bolstering its business with new tech for AI-powered nutrition.

The startup is releasing an AI agent to provide nutrition education and guide patients through goal-setting sessions about their food habits, Business Insider has learned exclusively.

The agent, called OmadaSpark, is part of a new suite of "nutritional intelligence" tools that Omada hopes will help its patients make more thoughtful and informed choices about their nutrition and drive behavior change.

Omada is tapping into a booming nutrition care market. "Food as medicine" pushes are picking up steam, especially as US Department of Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. touts his agenda to "Make America Healthy Again", while more and more patients take GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic for weight loss.

That's leading investors to back nutrition startups like Nourish and Fay Nutrition with big funding rounds — and bringing fresh business to late-stage virtual care businesses seizing on the moment like Omada.

The release comes less than two weeks after Omada filed to go public. The startup is one of two digital health companies to have publicly announced IPO plans this year, alongside physical therapy startup Hinge Health, which launched its road show last week.

Omada Health has been caring for patients with chronic conditions, with a focus on diabetes, since 2011. It's making most of its new AI nutrition tools available to all of its patients across conditions from diabetes to hypertension to obesity. That includes a "food hub" in Omada's app where patients can ask the AI agent nutrition-related questions and track their meals, with new capabilities to track patients' water intake and log meals based on food barcodes or photos of the food uploaded to the app.

OmadaSpark is Omada's first patient-facing AI tech. Dr. Justin Wu, Omada Health's vice president of clinical innovation and quality, said the startup now feels ready to allow patients to interact with AI directly after significant improvements in the underlying models. He said Omada has fine-tuned its nutrition AI with the startup's own clinical input, as well as guidelines from the United States Department of Agriculture and other organizations.

Anti-diet tech in the age of Ozempic

Omada Health CEO Sean Duffy told BI in October that metabolic health is the company's most popular entry point for new customers, which Wu said remains true today.

While Omada doesn't prescribe GLP-1s like Ozempic or Wegovy, many of its members take the drugs, and employers and insurers often contract with Omada seeking wraparound care for those patients, Duffy said in October.

Despite the recent Ozempic-fueled weight loss craze, Omada says its new nutrition tools are distinctly anti-diet.

Omada's meal-tracking feature aims to provide feedback encouraging nutrient-dense foods rather than focusing on caloric intake. Its app further tailors nutrition recommendations based on a range of factors, including users' demographics, chronic conditions, dietary preferences, and whether they're taking a GLP-1.

"At Omada, we've always had a nutrition philosophy that's moved away from a restrictive mindset to one of abundance," Wu said. "We don't want to make people feel bad about their choices — we really want to give them freedom in how they approach their nutrition. Now with AI, we're able to uplevel those tools."

Omada's approach arrives at a complicated moment for the weight loss market. Longtime player WW International, formerly WeightWatchers, filed for bankruptcy earlier this month after struggling with its strategic pivot away from calorie counting and toward wellness. Weight-loss startup Noom, on the other hand, has faced criticism over the years for marketing itself as an anti-diet app while promoting dieting mainstays like significant calorie deficits.

Omada is treading especially carefully knowing its patients may have histories of disordered eating. Wu said Omada's new AI agent's goal-setting tools will only be available at first to patients who have indicated emotional eating as a concern, to ensure the tool can support those patients' needs. The information from those sessions will also be fed to the members' care teams, Wu said, to help coaches carry the conversation forward at a deeper level.

Omada's IPO prospects

While the public markets dipped in April due to President Donald Trump's tariff proposals, key policy rollbacks have cooled market volatility and prompted plenty of companies, including Omada Health, to barrel ahead with their IPO ambitions.

While Omada's financial profile isn't quite as strong as Hinge Health's, the chronic care startup has been making progress toward profitability and high margins.

Omada banked nearly $170 million in revenue last year, up 38% from its 2023 revenue, with a 60% gross margin.

Its losses have been narrowing, but the company is not profitable yet, recording a $47 million net loss in 2024. Bankers and investors have generally pushed digital health startups to reach profitability before trying to go public, after the sector's last IPO cycle produced several company collapses.

Omada last raised $192 million in a Series E funding round led by Fidelity Management in 2022 that boosted its valuation to over $1 billion.

The startup plans to list on the Nasdaq under the ticker "OMDA".

• Michelle Kloese, 42, gained weight from early menopause and a stressful job.
• When she started a new job, she joined a health app paid for through work.
• Walking every day, logging her water intake, and meal swaps helped her lose over 60 pounds.

At 40, Michelle Kloese felt like she didn't recognize her body. In five years, she gained 38 pounds and developed high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and plantar fasciitis, a kind of foot pain caused by inflammation.

She didn't always feel like this. In her 20s, running was her main form of exercise, and she loved 5K races. Her body started to change in her mid-20s, when she experienced symptoms of early menopause, like infertility. By her 30s, bloodwork confirmed she had perimenopause, around 15 years earlier than most women.

Then, in her mid-30s, she started a demanding job as a middle school assistant principal, often starting before the school day and wrapping up after school hours. With less time to work out, a busy schedule, and irregular meals, she started to snack more.

"Somebody would leave a cupcake on my desk, so I'd eat that, or parents would bring in a basket of candy," Kloese, now 42, told Business Insider.

The change in her body really struck her after a surprise trip to Ireland for her 40th birthday. "I looked at the pictures and went, 'Oh gosh, I need to do something different,'" she said.

She had just started a new, less stressful edtech job, Kloese learned about a health app, Personify Health, connected through their insurance. The timing was perfect: she signed up, logging her steps and water intake.

She lost 38 pounds in the first year and 23 pounds the following year. Now she's in a "weight maintenance" phase, seeking to stay within a few pounds of her current weight.

"I have so much more energy — I'm not as sluggish and tired as I was feeling all the time," she said. The issues related to her weight, like high cholesterol and high blood pressure, also went away. "I have just felt a whole lot better."

Kloese shared the three habits she started and still maintains to keep the weight off.

She woke up to a full glass of water

Before, Kloese didn't drink much water — sometimes, she'd only remember to have around eight ounces of the recommended eight cups in one day. "That's one of the most challenging ones for me to do," she said.

Her goal was to get to at least 72 ounces, or nine cups per day.

Tracking her intake helped. The first thing she did every morning was drink a full, 8-ounce glass of water and log it in the app. For the rest of the day, she'd log in "steady sips", using a marked water bottle to measure her progress. It was more manageable for her to track two ounces at a time rather than feel pressure to chug a lot of water at once.

Drinking water helps with weight loss by curbing your appetite. It can also help you reach a calorie deficit if you swap it for high-calorie drinks like soda.

She swapped running for walking and yoga

While she used to run a lot in her 20s, Kloese's knees and hips hurt when she tried in her 40s. She knew she needed to try something different.

When she first made a plan to lose weight, Kloese communicated with a personal trainer through an app. The trainer said that, in her 40s, it was important for Kloese to focus on strength training as we naturally lose muscle with age. Muscle-building can also help with weight loss — gaining muscle boosts your metabolism and burns fat.

Kloese started doing at-home and online circuit workouts 3-4 times a week with light weights.

The rest of the time, she walked. She took part in a fitness challenge of walking 30 minutes a day. Weight-loss-wise, she said she saw about the same results as running.

Now, she aims to walk at least 7,000 steps a day, whether on her walking pad or on trails near her home in Florida. Occasionally, she trains for Mammoth Marches, 20-mile hikes all over the country.

She also swapped out some of the strength training with yoga, which relaxes her while still improving her strength and flexibility.

Being more active transformed her relationships with her friends. "Before, where we might've just picked a restaurant to hang out at, instead, we go out and do a hike," she said.

She made simple meal swaps

Despite snacking on sugary treats at her old job, Kloese isn't much of a sweets person. "I was a pasta-potato-bread kind of person," she said. Still, she wanted to make some more nutritious swaps.

Through the KickStart app, she logged her meals by taking photos of them. If she got a burger and fries, the app suggested lower-carb sides for next time, like a side salad or sweet potato wedges.

Eventually, she naturally made those swaps on her own, like cooking quinoa instead of white rice. She also gets pre-made meals through Factor, which she said helps her with portion control and eating a balanced diet when she's busy.

"Those were all small changes that evolved over time," she said.

• More men are getting cosmetic treatments and anti-aging procedures.
• A plastic surgeon in New York said he's seen an uptick in male clients.
• He shared the most popular treatments requested by men, from fillers to breast reduction.

Women aren't the only ones getting Botox injections.

Dr. Mark Epstein, a dual-board-certified plastic surgeon, told Business Insider he's seen an uptick in male clients over the past decade.

Where men used to make up about less than 2% of his clientele about 10 years ago, they now make up closer to 10%.

"Men are definitely getting more and more interested in taking care of themselves and looking good — it's not just for women anymore," Epstein told BI.

Age-wise, they run the gamut — 18 to 80 — requesting treatments for anti-aging and weight loss. Even facials and skin-tightening procedures, previously only performed on female clients, are seeing more male interest, Epstein said.

Epstein shared the most popular procedures men are asking for, from facial fillers to breast reduction.

Men want more hair, minus the plugs

Epstein's most popular non-surgical procedures are tied to male pattern baldness, which affects 50 million men in the US, studies suggest.

In the US, hair transplants can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000. (Or you can go to Turkey for $3,500).

Transplants can also cause scarring if not done well. Epstein believes that offices should specialize in hair transplants for clients to get the best results, not as an add-on with other treatments.

He offers a less invasive (and less expensive) option: platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, an increasingly buzzy treatment that stimulates hair growth after platelet-rich plasma is injected into the scalp.

"A lot of patients don't want to undergo a surgical procedure; they want to take advantage of PRP and all the other male hair restoration technology that is now available," he said.

Filler facelifts continue to rise

Men are becoming more interested in filler and other injectibles, whether it's for their face or penis enlargement, Epstein said.

The former is more popular in his office, with men getting Botox to smooth wrinkles and filler to make up for volume loss and skin laxity that comes with aging — a form of filler facelift that's cheaper and less invasive than a surgical one, which is nearly $12,000 on average.

Another popular non-surgical option is using "lifting threads," dissolvable sugar strands that "give a little bit of regional hike to the skin," he said.

Breast reduction is more common than you may think

Another popular option in Epstein's office is breast reduction to treat gynecomastia, or enlarged breasts in men. He's had patients ranging from their teens to their 70s, as enlarged breasts can be caused by everything from hormones and steroid use to aging.

While it's technically a surgical procedure, he said it's minimally invasive and only takes a few weeks to recover from, making it more appealing to men who want to get back into their workout routines.

Men over 40 look to eyelid lifts

Epstein's older male clients in their 40s to 60s are increasingly interested in eyelid lifts, which can reduce the appearance of aging and fatigue by removing excess skin and fat around the eye.

With over 30 years of experience in the field, Epstein said the surgery has evolved over time and is "much better than older procedures" at hiding the surgery scar and preserving the eye shape.

It's also not as expensive as a surgical facelift, costing around $3,300-$3,800 on average (though it varies on location).

Liposuction is still hot, especially in the age of Ozempic

Despite the popularity of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro, which are used for weight loss, Epstein said he's "busier every year" with liposuction clients, including a growing number of men.

Unlike weight-loss drugs, liposuction is more targeted, Epstein said. "I like to call it 'lipo-sculpture,'" he said. "It's not just removing bulk fat, it's about sculpting the body." In fact, he said his liposuction clients are usually fit or have recently undergone some weight loss.

They just want "a little bit of tweaking," such as removing fat around their midsection to reveal their muscles more.

Men want their muscles to pop

Some of Epstein's male clients are primarily focused on toning their bodies. They opt for treatments like CoolSculpting, which uses a device to freeze fat cells in certain areas, and CoolTone, which uses electromagnetic waves to stimulate muscle contraction, thereby defining muscles more.

"You really feel it's like doing 10,000 sit-ups," Epstein said.

• Drugmaker Eli Lilly announced promising Phase 3 study results for its new GLP-1 pill.
• Orforglipron is a drug similar to Ozempic but without the injection, making it more accessible.
• The pill, poised to revolutionize the weight loss world, may be up for FDA approval in late 2025.

A daily pill to rival Ozempic is one step closer to hitting the market.

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly saw its stock jump Thursday morning after announcing initial Phase 3 trial results on orforglipron, a highly anticipated medication for diabetes and weight loss.

The drug is in the same class of GLP-1 medications as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound — weekly injections that upended the weight-loss industry — but in pill form.

Lilly's head of diabetes and obesity Patrik Jonsson recently told Business Insider that orforglipron will likely unlock a much wider market, bringing the benefits of groundbreaking weight-loss drugs to people who can't, or don't want to, use injections.

"Most importantly, when you look at the global need, we expect that there are more than one billion people across the globe that are suffering from obesity," Jonsson said. "There is no way that we can meet those demands with injectable treatments today."

The race to make the perfect weight-loss pill

Lilly is racing to bring the first pill version of a GLP-1 for weight loss to market against competitors like Novo Nordisk and Pfizer, whose prospects have not lived up to expectations.

Novo Nordisk's Rybelsus, a daily pill with the same properties as Ozempic, was FDA-approved for diabetes in 2019.

However, its weight loss results didn't stack up to other GLP-1 drugs in studies, and it's not straightforward to take; users need to fast before and for 30 minutes after taking the pill.

Pfizer's daily pill, danuglipron, was scrapped after one study participant developed liver problems and recovered after they stopped taking the drug.

What we know about Eli Lilly's orforglipron

If all goes well for Lilly, orforglipron could be up for FDA approval for weight management by the end of 2025, and for type 2 diabetes treatment in 2026.

In the topline results released today, adults with diabetes who took orforglipron for 40 weeks had significantly better blood sugar control than those who took a placebo, according to a press release from Lilly.

They also lost up to 16 pounds (about 7.6% of their body weight) on average while taking the highest dose, and hadn't plateaued by the end of the study, suggesting even more weight loss could be possible.

The study — one of seven trials planned — found orforglipron is just as safe as other GLP-1 drugs, with the similar side effects like diarrhea and nausea.

The company intends to release more data later this year, Lilly's CEO David A. Ricks said in the press release.

The big question is: will it be cheaper than Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound?

While Eli Lilly has been tight-lipped about list price, analysts say there's a good chance orforglipron could cost less than the $900 monthly list price of current drugs, since a pill is easier to produce and distribute.

• My wife and I have both struggled with weight loss over the years.
• We decided to put $5,000 on the line. The money going to the person who lost the most in 3 months.
• One of us dropped 21 pounds and was able to buy the car they always wanted.

Weight loss is one of those things that has put me on a constant rollercoaster throughout my life. I've gained weight, lost it, and regained it again. Keeping the weight off completely has been daunting.

I've listened to experts saying a high-protein breakfast is the most important meal of the day, others who advocate for intermittent fasting or calorie counting, and even purchased healthy curated ready-to-eat meals. Like anyone else, I've struggled to find what works for me and what doesn't. But no matter what I've done through the years, I've never been able to maintain a healthy weight.

A friendly bet with my wife changed everything though, and now I'm down 21 pounds.

A partner with the same struggles

When my wife and I met eight years ago, we were going through similar weight struggles. She spent a lot of time at the gym and complained that she saw little to no results. With her, I felt like I could always be myself, even show my body insecurities without fear of judgment. She understood my constant weight struggles, as I did hers.

Together, we followed the Keto diet to try to eat more healthfully. For the 6 months we committed to it, we didn't enjoy the food combinations that the diet offered and we ended up giving up.

Between trying to maintain a work-life balance and caring for our three kids, it felt like we had minimal time left for self-development. It got to a point where life was so busy that getting even an hour or two to spend at the gym felt luxurious. We knew the only way weight loss would work is if we incorporated it into our 9 to 5 routines.

A $5,000 bet changed everything

I noticed my wife frequently watching what has become known as "SkinnyTok" videos on TikTok. According to her, this content is how some creators give tips on losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They also share recipes that are allegedly "nutritious yet delicious." Another creator particularly emphasized the power of walking 10,000 steps a day. I was curious.

My wife, being the most competitive person I know, suggested that we take three months, cook some of the recipes she had been saving, walk 10,000 steps every day, and add in some cardio workouts. As an extra incentive, the person who lost the most weight would receive $5,000 from our joint account to use it however they pleased. I was in!

The shared challenge was fun

Going into this, I knew two things: my wife would do everything she could to beat me and I would enjoy kicking her booty every step of the way. The significant amount of money on the line provided a lot of incentive, and thoughts of how my body would change for the better was what I needed for any extra push.

To prep, we wrote down ten healthy recipes we wanted to try and synced our devices to track each other's health activities. We started the challenge at the beginning of November and set an end date for February 1. Then it was time to let the best man, or woman, win.

Meeting my daily step count meant that I spent most of my time walking to work and running errands, rather than driving. I kept my energy up by drinking a lot of electrolyte-infused water, eating high-protein food that made me full throughout the day, and doubled down on my walking. I set aside an hour in the evenings for workouts I found on YouTube and stayed focused. Before I knew it, I was ahead of the game. I lost 6 pounds the first month

As I expected, my wife was a bit of a sore loser throughout the process. While she mostly stayed on track, she didn't reach her step counts on some days, or had "cheat days" with her meals. She kept me on my toes but I managed to beat her in the challenge and win the cash, $2,500 of which I used to purchase a car I always wanted, the 1994 Ford Taurus SHO, while the rest of the amount remains in a fixed savings account.

Finding accountability

Money provided an added incentive for my wife and I, but I know there's no price tag on how alive you feel when getting your body in shape. A weight loss journey with my partner meant more accountability on both our parts, increased motivation, and better communication.

Although I won the challenge, my wife is equally enjoying numerous health benefits as she continues to track her steps and maintain a cleaner diet while shedding pounds. I've also noticed that she seems more confident in her body. Some days are harder than others but we continue holding each other accountable by setting small, attainable goals.

• Scott Harrison's weight crept up as a father with a busy work schedule.
• At 42, he decided to learn about nutrition and get in shape without counting calories.
• He's now a personal trainer and runs a fat loss coaching business.

Scott Harrison distinctly remembers looking at the other parents at school pick-up in December 2015 and thinking they all looked unhealthy. "What example was that setting for their children?" he thought.

"Then I looked at myself, and I realized I was one of them," the dad of three from the UK told Business Insider.

It was the turning point that saw Harrison lose weight by focusing on three things: eating nutritious, whole foods; learning about how calorific foods are without counting calories; and not eliminating treats from his diet.

Harrison, 51, shared how he got in shape and has maintained his physique for a decade without giving up treats or alcohol, and how he started a business to help others do the same.

Harrison's weight crept up over the decades

Harrison started his working life as a trader in London, and he worked hard and played hard for nine years.

"I would be taken out by brokers all the time and could choose any restaurant. One of my favorite meals was steak covered in Stilton cheese, and my alcohol consumption was horrifically bad," he said.

At the time, Harrison wasn't thinking about his health — he just wanted to have fun. Now, he said, he realizes he was "chipping away at my body in a negative way."

After leaving banking, Harrison worked various jobs during his 30s and 40s, including opening a small chain of sunbed and beauty salons, a jewelry shop, and a double-glazing company.

Work and parenting kept Harrison busy, and he'd typically skip breakfast and then eat food such as sausage rolls (pastry filled with sausage meat) and sandwiches on the go. In the evenings, he and his wife enjoyed at least one glass of wine and generally shared a bottle on the weekends.

"We've got kids; we weren't falling over or feeling drunk," Harrison said. "You don't realize alcohol has a gazillion calories."

He also ate big portions of food and would order every starter on the menu when eating out.

Harrison knew he'd be healthier and feel more energized if he lost some weight, but his attempts generally consisted of eating a packet of ham for dinner, which never worked. "I didn't know what I was doing," he said, adding that he thought the ham packet, being a relatively small amount of food, was the answer.

Registered nutritionists and dietitians have previously told BI that to lose weight sustainably, people should focus on eating a variety of whole foods with a balance of protein, carbs, and fats, plus plenty of fiber, to keep themselves feeling full and nourished. Focusing on high-volume foods, which take up a lot of space on your plate for relatively few calories, can also help.

Focusing on whole foods

At age 42, Harrison's school gate revelation prompted him to make his 2016 New Year's resolution to get in shape in 90 days. The goal? "Get a six-pack, the ultimate male visual," he said.

Harrison didn't have much of a workout regime but started running and whipping battle ropes in the garden. "I could barely run for one kilometer at the beginning," he said.

His aim diet-wise was simply to eat as many nutritious, whole foods as possible, including lots of chicken, fish, and vegetables.

Harrison learned about the anti-inflammatory Zone Diet and simplified its principles of counting specific amounts of protein, fats, and carbs. He didn't count calories, but he learned about them. For example, he's more sparing with olive oil when cooking than he used to be.

To help keep himself accountable, Harrison posted on Facebook about his goal, and 36 of his friends and followers decided to join him. "I got 19 to the finish line," Harrison said.

He didn't offer meal plans, recipes, or workout regimes at the time, but he enjoyed motivating others to hit their goals. So he did it again later that year. This ultimately led Harrison to launch his coaching business, The Six-Pack Revolution. (He acknowledges, however, that the name is a turnoff for those who aren't striving for a six-pack, so he's rebranding.)

Harrison is now a qualified personal trainer and also has a registered nutritionist, a psychotherapist, and a primary care doctor on his team.

Harrison believes that what you eat makes 80% of the difference when losing weight, so he focuses on nutrition and mindset with clients, with less emphasis on workouts.

Harrison got his six-pack gradually, and his healthy diet became his lifestyle.

"I looked like Wolverine, and I felt like him as well," Harrison said. "I could stop cars with my bare hands. That's how I felt."

His diet is less strict now, but he has maintained his physique (he never weighs himself as he prefers not to focus on numbers) by eating mostly nutritious foods without depriving himself of what he enjoys.

A healthy lifestyle includes the occasional treat

Harrison is against cutting calories too low because it's unsustainable. Instead, he encourages people to focus on nutritious, filling, whole foods in reasonable quantities.

"I teach everyone how to keep their results and still party twice a week, which is for me the best of both worlds," Harrison said. "So if you want a bit of chocolate or a pint or a curry with the girls or whatever else, it's going to bounce off you because your body is now a machine that burns fuel efficiently."

Partying could mean going to an actual party, or it could be enjoying a tub of ice cream on the sofa with your kids. Either way, Harrison stressed that for sustainability, it's important to still be able to enjoy your life.

"Everything that you've ever been, everything that currently are, and everything that you are to become is reliant on your health," Harrison said. "Because if you don't have that, you don't have anything."

Desmond Watson would make NFL history as the heaviest prospect to be taken in the draft if he gets selected next week in Green Bay. 

But the Florida Gators product knows 464 pounds isn’t conducive to a long NFL career, even at 6-foot-6.

Watson was asked by Fox Sports what he was doing to shed weight before entering the league, and he knows where to start. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"Stopping while driving," Watson responded. "My biggest thing is keep going, get to where I need to get. There are stores and a lot of temptations. That’s helped me immensely. Don’t go inside the gas station. Pay at the pump. Because, inside, it’s snacks and all types of things like that. Don’t pull over. If you’re on the highway, stay on the highway until you get where you’ve got to go."

Watson turned heads when he walked onto campus in Gainesville at 385 pounds in 2021. Four years later, he’s about 80 pounds heavier than the current heaviest player in the NFL, Baltimore Ravens lineman Daniel Faalele, who was listed at 380 pounds last season. 

Weight loss has been something brought up with the Gators’ program, but Watson has continued to gain it since stepping foot on campus. 

NFL PROSPECT DESMOND WATSON SEEKS TO BECOME HEAVIEST PLAYER DRAFTED IN LEAGUE HISTORY

"It’s been like my same problem — not problem — but my same concern throughout college," he said. "I’m getting more in-depth, getting a better grasp of the things I need to do to be successful at the next level. It’s been interesting. I’ve learned a lot about myself in this process."

Watson said people in his life have taught him to treat his eating habits like "another addiction."

And he knows just how serious it can get. 

"It’s not drugs, but it’s addicting, whether that’s gaming, drugs, alcohol. I think this is my vice. I’m just trying to get a hold of it. Just like drugs can kill you, this can do the same thing. I’m trying to change my life." 

While Watson’s weight may be a cause of concern for NFL teams, the potential is certainly there for the Gators' defensive tackle who benched 225 pounds 36 times. It would’ve been the highest total of reps at the NFL Scouting Combine if Watson had been invited. 

Instead, he showcased his power and other skills to NFL teams at Florida’s Pro Day, which included a 25-inch vertical leap and a 5.93-second 40-yard dash. 

If he is drafted, Watson is expected to go in the later rounds in Green Bay. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

• When Dr. Darshan Shah was expecting his first child, he was stressed and overweight.
• He feared he wouldn't see his son grow up if he didn't make lifestyle changes.
• He lost 50 pounds and came off medications after making lifestyle changes including improving his diet.

At 42, Dr. Darshan Shah was used to being stressed. As a successful surgeon based in Los Angeles, he had spent 20 years regularly working 12-hour days, starting at 6 a.m.

But when his wife got pregnant with their first child in 2016, he realized he needed to make a change to be healthier.

"I found myself in a state of poor health. I had developed an autoimmune disease, I was 50 pounds overweight, I had high blood pressure that could not be controlled with medication, I had high cholesterol, and lots of risk factors for an early death," Shah, 52, told Business Insider. "But my son had a long life ahead of him, and I wanted to be around for it."

Shah took a year off from being a surgeon and began researching the science behind long-term health.

"I was able to completely turn my health around and completely come off 10 different prescription medications within a year. I lost 50 pounds, and my autoimmune disease completely disappeared," he said.

His focus improved at work, too, and he found that he was no longer tired. Instead, he "wanted to wake up every morning and jump out of bed to attack the day."

Shah's transformation made him realize this was the type of medicine he wanted to practice — helping people get and stay healthy rather than just addressing medical issues as they arise. In 2016, he founded Next Health, a health optimization and longevity clinic with locations across the US and in Dubai.

Now, Shah does experimental longevity treatments at his clinics, but he still thinks that getting the basics right, as he did, is key for a long, healthy life. He told BI the lifestyle changes he made.

Cutting out ultra-processed foods

"My nutrition was horrible. I was eating a lot of ultra-processed food, especially highly processed carbohydrates," Shah said, so he eliminated them from his diet.

Evidence suggests that UPFs are associated with a range of health problems. In a 2024 metareview of 45 studies involving over 9.8 million people published in the journal The BMJ, UPFs were linked to cardiovascular disease, depression, and type 2 diabetes.

Researchers don't agree on whether all UPFs are equally harmful, so nutritionists advise eating fewer without stressing about quitting them.

Getting 7 hours of sleep a night

Before his son was born, Shah said he "barely slept four hours a night."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that adults between the ages of 18 and 60 get seven or more hours of sleep a night.

Not getting enough sleep can be harmful. A 2022 study conducted on over 10,000 British civil service workers found that participants who reported getting less than five hours of sleep a night at the age of 50 had a higher risk of developing chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, and dying from long-term health conditions.

Getting enough sleep is also associated with eating fewer calories.

Now, Shah sleeps for seven hours a night and says he feels amazing.

Moving more

Shah sees exercise as an essential part of a "good health routine," and doing a mixture of strength training and cardio has been linked to living longer. He goes to the gym every other day to do a routine that is 70% strength training using free weights, and 30% cardio, for which he runs on a treadmill — plus some stretching to warm up.

Shah also tries to get up and move every 45 minutes when he's at work to break up periods of sitting.

"They say that sitting is the new smoking, and I think that's true," Shah said. "As a surgeon, you spend a lot of time either standing or sitting in one position, and that sedentary non-movement leads to a high risk of disease."

While research shows that sitting for longer than 10 hours a day is associated with a higher risk of dying early, a 2023 study of about 12,000 people over the age of 50, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, suggests a solution. It found that 22 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a day — such as doing housework, brisk walking, or cycling — appeared to offset the negative effects of being sedentary all day.

Bringing his testosterone levels to a normal range

"I had no idea that my hormones were in the toilet. But when I measured my testosterone level, it was very low for a 42-year-old male," Shah said.

Low testosterone can cause symptoms such as a reduced sex drive, erectile dysfunction, low moods, and increased body fat, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Shah used hormone replacement therapy and increased his testosterone levels to a range considered normal.

The lifestyle changes he made may also have helped. According to Cleveland Clinic, eating a healthy diet, exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding excessive alcohol and drug use can help to keep testosterone levels normal.

As BI previously reported, once considered taboo, growing numbers of men are doing testosterone replacement therapy without an official diagnosis of "low testosterone," to help them build muscle, get erections, and have more energy. However, it's unclear whether it is beneficial for young, healthy men, and side effects can include acne, hair loss, and infertility.

• A 44-year-old woman who is sedentary and wants to lose weight shared her diet with Business Insider.
• A dietitian reviewed it and recommended she eat more to boost her energy and metabolism.
• Fill out this form to have your diet reviewed by an expert.

Amanda Bonesteel, a full-time student who has a sedentary lifestyle, told Business Insider that she wants to lose weight and improve her cardiovascular health.

The 44-year-old, who is based in Michigan, said her goal is to lose 30 pounds. She occasionally goes to the gym but spends most of her time sitting.

She submitted an average day of eating to BI's Nutrition Clinic, where registered nutritionists and dietitians look over readers' diets and offer suggestions based on their goals.

Nichola Ludlam-Raine, a dietitian and the author of "How Not to Eat Ultra-Processed," told BI that Bonesteel is doing some things well, but she could improve her diet in certain areas, such as eating breakfast for more energy.

Eating a balanced dinner

Bonesteel starts the day with a coffee with cream and sugar at about 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. For lunch, she has something small like a turkey sandwich, banana, or a bowl of soup.

Her dinners vary but usually consist of a vegetable (such as green beans, cauliflower, or carrots), protein (chicken or lean beef), and carb (whole grains or potatoes).

Ludlam-Raine said that Bonesteel's dinner sounds balanced and nutrient-dense.

"Including a protein source alongside a starchy carbohydrate and a generous portion of vegetables is a great foundation for supporting both cardiovascular health and weight loss," she said. "This kind of plate structure offers fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein — all of which contribute to satiety, blood sugar regulation, and overall health."

Eating less can be counterproductive for weight loss

Ludlam-Raine said Bonesteel doesn't appear to eat enough overall, which could be counterproductive by reducing her energy levels and metabolism.

"Starting the day with only coffee that includes cream and sugar means she's going for several hours after waking without any real nourishment," Ludlam-Raine said. "This can contribute to low energy and poor concentration, and can sometimes lead to overeating later in the day due to increased hunger or cravings."

Bonesteel's lunch is also very light and may not sustain her for long, especially with her mentally demanding studies.

"If she's not getting enough protein, fiber, or healthy fats earlier in the day, her body may compensate later, potentially leading to larger portion sizes at dinner or snacking in the evening — something that's very common and often overlooked," Ludlam-Raine said.

She added: "Importantly, under-eating can slow down metabolic rate over time, making weight loss harder, not easier. So, ironically, Amanda might not be losing weight at her desired rate because she's not eating enough during the day."

If Bonesteel struggles to fit in formal exercise, squeezing in short but regular walk breaks or quick home workouts could be an easier way to boost her movement levels, Ludlam-Raine said.

Focus on healthy fats and eat regularly

With heart health in mind, Ludlam-Raine recommended Bonesteel spread meals out more evenly throughout the day, and include heart-healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds, or olive oil alongside more fiber-rich foods such as oats, legumes, and whole grains.

"Replacing added sugars in her morning coffee with a sugar-free alternative or reducing the amount slightly could also benefit her cardiovascular risk profile," she added.

Ludlam-Raine recommended Bonesteel try starting her days with a small balanced breakfast like overnight oats, Greek yogurt with berries, or eggs on wholegrain toast with tomatoes to feel more energized and make progress with her goals.

Lunches should also contain protein, fiber, and healthy fats — a more structured meal pattern could help stabilize Bonesteel's appetite and keep her energy levels stable throughout the day, Ludlam-Raine said.

"In short, Amanda has a strong foundation at dinner, but she may be unintentionally undereating earlier in the day, which could be stalling her weight loss and making her feel more tired or sluggish," Ludlam-Raine said. "A few simple tweaks could make a big difference to both how she feels and how her body responds."

• Emma Roma Jayne struggled with her weight until she got bariatric surgery in 2022.
• She lost 130 pounds in two years, and found some unexpected changes other than the weight loss.
• These changes include her feet shrinking, starting to like avocados, and losing friends.

On a family trip in 2022, Emma Roma Jayne stayed in the car as everyone else went to the beach. The thought of being in shorts in public, and having the body she was so insecure about on display, made her feel viscerally uncomfortable.

Roma Jayne, a TikTok creator and influencer partnership manager based in Australia, had always struggled with her weight. She tried to eat healthily, trying different diets and exercising "all the time," but she wasn't losing weight.

After the beach trip, her mom told her enough was enough.

"She was like, 'This isn't right. You're 22. You should be enjoying your life and be able to go to the beach whenever you want and feel comfortable.' She suggested that I should get weight loss surgery like she had," Roma Jayne told Business Insider.

So, in 2023, Roma Jayne had bariatric surgery, and her relationship with food and her body has been totally different since.

"At first, I was very much like, 'That's cheating. You need to put in the hard work to lose weight.' But I looked at weight loss surgery as a way that I could stop the food noise and then change my lifestyle, because I didn't want to spend the next 10 years still struggling with the same issues," she said.

She lost around 110 pounds in the year after the surgery. Now 24, she's lost a further 22 pounds in the year since — and kept the weight off — having made huge lifestyle changes; she now works out six times a week and eats a high-protein, low-carb, balanced diet.

While bariatric surgery is becoming less common, per one recent study, weight loss is booming as more people are prescribed drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro to lose weight.

Weight loss surgery "is the best decision I have ever made in my entire life," Roma Jayne said. "It has transformed my life completely."

Aside from the obvious, Roma Jayne has noticed seven unexpected changes after her weight loss.

People are more friendly

"There's no beating around the bush, I was definitely treated differently when I was bigger," Roma Jayne said. "People were just not as friendly, but they are so nice to me now."

She said that people hold doors for her, greet her in the street, and strike up conversations with her now, whereas before she lost weight she felt "invisible."

Her feet have gotten smaller

"One of the more random changes that I didn't even know that was a thing is that my feet shrunk," Roma Jayne said.

She has four pairs of shoes, all in different sizes, which she bought as her feet got smaller as she lost weight.

Her feet are slimmer now, and she went from a US size 9 shoe to a 7.5.

A 2014 study published in the Turkish Journal of Surgery found that 80% of the 212 participants, who all underwent bariatric surgery, bought shoes at least one size smaller a year after the surgery. The researchers suggested this could be because of fat loss on the foot, as well as the arches getting higher once there is less weight pushing them down.

Her voice has changed

Roma Jayne also said that her voice has gotten higher and sounds more clear since her surgery.

There's not much research on the impacts of weight loss on voice. A few small, limited studies have suggested that there could be minor changes to people's voices after bariatric surgery, but the differences aren't noticeable enough to hear.

Her skin is clearer

Roma Jayne has previously struggled with acne, but found that her skin cleared up when she lost weight.

She said that she eats a low-carb diet and has cut out sugar. According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, eating high-glycemic foods that raise your blood sugar quickly — such as white bread, potato chips, pastries, and white rice — is associated with acne.

Roma Jayne also has PCOS, of which acne is a symptom. The UK's National Health Service said that weight loss can improve symptoms of PCOS.

Her tastes have changed

Roma Jayne used to hate avocados, and now loves them. She also used to eat a lot of fruit, but now eats far less fruit and far more vegetables.

A systematic review of research, published in the Nutrition Journal in 2023, found that across 26 studies, it seemed that weight gain and obesity could change people's perception of tastes, and increase their preferences for sweetness. However, the authors said that these results weren't conclusive and that more research needs to be done.

She lost some friendships

When Roma Jayne lost weight, she said that she dealt with "a lot of jealousy and resentment from friends."

"I realized that they were my friends when I was bigger because I made them feel better about themselves," she said. "But now that I'm on my own journey and bettering myself and making these healthy changes, suddenly they had a problem with that."

She's more confident

"When I was bigger, I definitely used my size as a shield to protect myself from other people knowing the real me. Now that I feel so much more confident in myself and I have so much appreciation and love for myself," Roma Jayne said.

"I'm the most confident version of myself that I've ever been, and I continue to get more and more confident every day."

She said that surrounding herself with the right people has also improved her confidence.

• Brianna Oyewo lost 100 pounds and kept it off by making simple changes to her diet and exercise routine.
• She started losing weight during the pandemic, but her habits became too restrictive.
• Now she has a more flexible diet and exercise routine to stay healthy and spend time with her kids.

The pandemic was a wake-up call for Brianna Oyewo.

In 2020, after giving birth to her first child, she was worried about her ongoing struggle with emotional eating and weight. Coupled with concerns about COVID and impending motherhood, Oyewo felt it was time for a change.

"I've been overweight my entire life," she told Business Insider. "I had to do something differently, I wanted to be a mom that was very active, running around on the playground."

Oyewo, based outside of Buffalo, New York, took advantage of the extra time at home to focus on working out and eating healthier food.

Within six months, she had lost 100 pounds and counting.

But as Oyewo continued to shed pounds, doubling down on workouts and her strict eating plan, friends and family started to voice concerns that she was losing too much weight.

By 2021, she realized her habits had become excessive, and after her second pregnancy, Oyewo worked on re-building a healthy relationship to food and exercise.

Now, Oyewo is 37 years old and a busy mom of two with a full-time office job in government and a side gig as a personal trainer. She's figured out a more balanced approach to nutrition and fitness that has allowed her to maintain the weight loss.

The key has been reframing her approach to focus on sustainable eating habits and exercise, while emphasizing wins that have nothing to do with the scale, like having more energy to spend with her kids.

"It's not about what I could lose, but what I'm gaining," Oyewo said.

She eats a flexible high-protein diet

Oyewo said she overhauled her diet as part of her weight loss effort.

"The moment I became pregnant, I started paying more attention to my health," she said.

Initially, she lost weight through cutting carbs and intermittent fasting, limiting her meals to an eight-hour window each day. But over time, Oyewo said she started to go longer and longer without eating, and her routine became too restrictive.

Now her diet is flexible, with a focus on eating more healthy foods and foods she enjoys as long as they fit into a broad calorie and protein goal. She aims to get at least 80 grams of protein daily, usually more, and no more than 25 grams of added sugar.

"I pay attention to those numbers because they matter, but I don't log every single thing I eat," she said.

A typical day of eating involves foods like:

• Breakfast: Greek yogurt with fruit, eggs, and a protein shake
• Lunch: a big salad with protein and plenty of produce
• Snacks: pretzels, granola, lots of fruit like berries and apples
• Dinner: chili, soup, or chickpea pasta.

She said if she could change anything about her initial weight loss diet, it would be less restriction from the start.

"I would focus on what I can add, eating more protein, more veggies, and more healthy fat," Oyewo said. "I'm going to listen to my body, if I want to have something, I'll have it in moderation."

She sticks to short, simple workouts

Oyewo started her fitness routine with Youtube, finding exercise videos that were easy to do at home, including Tabata and HIIT workouts.

Over time, she ramped up to longer and longer sessions, eventually realizing she was overdoing it by exercising as much as two hours every day, pushing through even when she was sick.

"I didn't believe in rest days," she said.

She scaled back to avoid overtraining, and now works out between three to five days a week, depending on her schedule, for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour per day.

Oyewo works a full-time desk job, so part of her routine is moving throughout the day, including taking time over her lunch break for a walk or run up and down some stairs for 10 to 15 minutes.

At home, she still sticks to YouTube videos, and aims for activities her kids can join in with their own set of toy dumbbells.

"Outside of work, I try to incorporate my children into my workout routine so I don't have to feel like I'm sacrificing time," she said.

Oyewo doesn't sweat it if she can't fit a whole hour of exercise, preferring to be consistent instead of strict.

"If all I can get in that day is 15 to 20 minutes, I'd rather do that than nothing," she said.

She has strong social support

Oyewo said one of the biggest lessons she learned is that making healthy, sustainable lifestyle change is a team effort.

She had support (and accountability) from friends and family, including her husband, a physical therapist.

She also consulted medical professionals such as her primary care doctor, a nutritionist, and a therapist, which were key to transitioning from unhealthy, extreme exercise and dieting to more sustainable habits.

"If I could back and give myself advice, I would say — you don't know everything, and it's important to get assistance you need right from the beginning," Oyewo said. "I wasn't trying to be superwoman. I asked for help."

• Anjuli Mack, a personal trainer, has struggled with her relationship with food and fitness.
• Her weight fluctuated because she would struggle to follow strict diets, then overeat.
• Mack, 31, has learned to eat and exercise in a way that works for her.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Anjuli Mack, a 31-year-old personal trainer based in New Zealand. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

When I first started lifting weights 13 years ago, I didn't know what I was doing, but I knew I loved getting stronger. I would just pick a machine, like the leg extension, and do it for, say, one minute.

In the years since, my relationship with food and fitness has changed drastically. I've tried all sorts of fad diets, lost and gained weight, competed in bikini competitions, and become a qualified personal trainer.

However, it's only in the last year or two that I've started to feel really at home in my body. I'm in shape, I feel strong, I eat a healthy diet but have chocolate most days, and don't stress if I skip a workout.

I followed fad diets because I was body-shamed

I was first introduced to strength training as a teen and decided to try some boot camp-style workouts.

A few years later in 2012 when I went to Waikato University to study business, I joined the gym. I lifted heavy, doing what were then considered "guy" exercises, like bench presses, squats, and deadlifts. At the time, there were no other women in the weights room, but I loved lifting heavy things. I wasn't thinking about how I looked at all.

I didn't know anything about nutrition either so ate a lot.

One day, I overheard some girls talking about me. They said: "Why does she go to the gym so much? She doesn't even look like she works out."

That made me question myself. Why didn't I have abs like fitness models?

That was the start of a couple of years of fad dieting. I tried everything: keto, "detox tea," intermittent fasting, "clean eating," calorie counting. I would try anything that I thought would make me lose weight and look fit. But I couldn't stick to any of them and ended up bingeing on weekends, so I actually gained weight over time.

I was overtraining too, going to the gym two or three times a day. I pretended it was for stress relief when the receptionist commented on how much I was there.

I had an 'all or nothing' mindset

After a couple of years, I realized my relationship with food was terrible. I hired a nutritionist who helped me be more flexible while focusing on eating whole foods.

Around the same time, in 2014, I met my husband Ross at the gym. We were friends at first and he was studying health science. He taught me how to structure workouts and eat a more balanced diet, including explaining why we need carbs.

However, I still struggled with the "all or nothing" mentality.

After university, Ross and I went traveling for a few months and we ate a lot. I was the heaviest I had ever been. I wanted to get back on track and feel healthier, so I got restarted a gym routine but still struggled to stick to a calorie deficit.

Ross is a personal trainer and decided to compete in a bodybuilding show, which meant following a strict diet and workout plan. His transformation inspired me so, in 2017, I decided to enter a competition.

I hired a coach who gave me a one-page meal plan to follow for 16 weeks. I lost a lot of weight and felt great when I stepped onstage. But I hated dieting and found it so hard to stick to. I'd have extra spoonfuls of peanut butter because I was so hungry.

The competition was in May and by September I had gained all the weight back and more. I was binge eating, felt out of control, and cried most days.

I was embarrassed to go to the gym in case people gossiped about how much weight I had gained.

Getting shredded cost me my period

So I got a new fat loss coach, lost 11 pounds, and decided to compete again. My transformation photos started going viral, and I decided to qualify as a personal trainer so I could more confidently help all the women asking me for advice.

I competed in 2018 and twice in 2019, but I was way too lean and super hangry. It was too much for my body and I lost my period. I knew I needed to recover and take some time off.

In 2020 and 2021, I worked out at home, gained some weight, and my cycle came back.

In 2022, I decided to give competing one last try — it was my sixth show and I finally won and got my "pro" card. Crucially, I was much more flexible with my diet and had improved my relationship with food a lot.

I've gained 13 pounds and have a healthy relationship with food

My aim now is simply to maintain my physique and lifestyle. I can't say never again for definite, but I'm pretty sure my competing days are over.

I'm really happy with where I am now. I've gained a healthy 13 pounds since the 2022 competition and I don't want to go through the whole shredding and building cycle year after year. Being in maintenance means I'm far more sociable and see friends more too, I just keep an overall eye on my protein, fiber, and steps.

I feel sorry for what I put my younger self through, but the process taught me so much. Now I can relate to and help people in similar situations.

I have a healthy relationship with food, feel good in my body, and have reconnected with why I got into the gym in the first place — to have fun and enjoy getting stronger. And I feel I can maintain this for the rest of my life, which is the goal.

• Weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Zepbound cost $900 to $1,500 for a month's supply.
• They cost so much partly because of the time and money it took to develop them, Eli Lilly's CEO said.
• Drugmakers want to capture a fair share of the value they create before patents expire, David Ricks said.

The latest weight-loss drugs including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound have list prices ranging from $900 to $1,500 for a one-month supply.

David Ricks, the CEO of Mounjaro and Zepbound maker Eli Lilly, explained why these medications are so expensive on the "In Good Company with Nicolai Tangen" podcast this week.

1. Time and money

Developing a new drug costs about $3 billion, takes around 15 years, and has a high chance of failing, Ricks said.

The huge costs, long timeframes, and slim probability of success means "the return on that risk needs to be substantial," said the boss of America's 10th-largest company that's worth nearly $830 billion. The stock has risen 17% in the past year, and more than 500% since 2019.

Once a drug is approved and being used by millions, there will often be calls for cost-plus pricing, Ricks said. But without the prospect of large profits, "no one would have undertaken the risks to invent it."

2. Profit window

By the time their latest wonder drug is approved and hits the market, pharma companies only have about 10 to 12 years to cash in before their patent expires and rivals can produce cheaper generics, Ricks said.

Drug pricing reflects the limited timeframe they have to recoup their investment, earn sufficient profits to satisfy shareholders, and offset the cost of their many failed medications.

3. Broad benefits

When a drug patent expires, other drugmakers quickly roll out generics at a fraction of the price, stopping the inventor from earning monopoly profits but making the medication accessible to almost anyone who needs it.

"One of the great gifts of our industry is that everything we invent goes to zero for us and goes to infinity for society because generic drugs are such a great deal," Ricks said.

Ricks pointed to Prozac, which Eli Lilly introduced in the late 1980s. The antidepressant is sold around the world and "virtually free" as it costs only four or five cents a day in major markets, he said. He called it a "tremendous gift to society," and said his company deserves more credit for those long-term benefits while their drugs are under patent.

4. Fair share

When a new medication reduces costs for entire healthcare systems, its creators deserve a share of the savings, Ricks said.

He highlighted research suggesting the new generation of weight-loss drugs reduces worker absences, results in fewer hip and knee replacements, and can help with conditions ranging from alcoholism and depression to schizophrenia.

Their effectiveness in fighting conditions such as heart disease, liver disease, and diabetes could eat into 40% of the total healthcare costs of developed countries, Ricks said.

Eli Lilly aims to "capture some, not all, of the direct and indirect value we create," he added.

5. Ethics and regulation

Pharma companies could price their drugs based on what the market can bear, but Ricks said that would be unwise.

There could be "desperate people who need a medication to survive," meaning "you can get into price points that are really exorbitant and maybe make a short-term return, but you'll probably be either legislated or sued out of business if you pursue that forever," he said.

Ricks said his team consults with healthcare systems and weighs financial, scientific, and customer perspectives to ensure its prices reflect the value of its drugs without being exploitative and inviting legal or regulatory backlash.

• For the first time, a randomized controlled trial showed Ozempic curbs alcohol cravings.
• Researchers say this opens the door to researching microdosed Ozempic for alcohol dependence.
• Scientists are racing to identify the brain pathway involved to unlock new addiction treatments.

A major new study on weight-loss drugs poses a new idea for addiction treatment: small doses of Ozempic could help people cut down on drinking and smoking.

For years, GLP-1 medications have been changing people's relationship with snacking.

This week, JAMA Psychiatry published the results of a small but significant trial that showed a similar effect on alcohol cravings. For two months, 48 people with alcohol use disorder were given either a small weekly shot of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, or a placebo. Those who received the drug drank 30% less than usual and reported fewer cravings.

The federally-funded study is the first randomized controlled trial — the gold standard of clinical research — to look at Ozempic and alcohol cravings, after years of reports from Ozempic users that they feel less attached to alcohol.

There was a bonus finding, too. Cigarette smokers who received a dose of semaglutide reduced their daily cigarette consumption more than those who got the placebo.

Researchers say the results open up a whole new world of possibilities for drug developers. Could we manufacture a new, smaller dose of GLP-1 drugs that people can use to break habits?

"I could absolutely see microdosing come into play," Gregg Stanwood, a behavioral neuroscientist at Florida State University who was not involved in the study, told Business Insider.

"That could be a good thing if someone does it and successfully has a Dry January and maybe they go back to drinking in February, but it reduces binges and they go into something that's more sustainable for everyday life."

We still have major questions about what that could look like. Further trials are needed with different doses, a longer period of time, on more people.

Still, scientists are buzzing about this trial, what it teaches us about our brain's reward system, and the drug-development potential.

Here are a few reasons for intrigue, according to three researchers:

A vacuum cleaner for dopamine

We still have a lot to learn about how GLP-1 drugs work on the brain, though studies on alcohol offer some clues.

It's tempting to think that, because semaglutide can help people cut down on calories and sugar, it similarly reduces the "appetite" for alcohol. It's not that simple, Anders Fink-Jensen, professor of psychiatry at the University of Copenhagen who's researched the effect of GLP-1s on substance use disorders, told BI.

For example, animal studies showed that GLP-1 drugs not only reduced alcohol cravings in mice, but also slowed down the urge for a fix in rats who were craving cocaine, which is calorie-free.

"We know quite little about it," Fink-Jensen told Business Insider. "We just don't really know how the drugs get there. There are areas for regulating appetite and we know it reaches these areas. But how it gets to the rest of the brain, we don't really understand."

One theory is that GLP-1 drugs mitigate dopamine rushes in the brain, the feeling of pleasure triggered by certain behaviors like eating candy or sipping expensive whiskey.

It does that by boosting a specific type of protein through complex cellular processes scientists are still working out.

"It acts as a vacuum cleaner for dopamine, basically sucks the dopamine up," Stanwood told Business Insider. "Rewards like drinking, gambling, sex, share a mechanism to increase the amount of dopamine in your brain. Cleaning up the excess dopamine reduces incentive for those behaviors."

The race to explain this brain effect — to unlock a whole new drug market

There is huge potential for this area of research. Whoever can explain what, exactly, GLP-1s do to the brain will be the toast of the pharmaceutical industry. Treatments could be developed for alcohol use disorder — and so much more.

"Addictions in general, also functional addictions such as gaming addiction," Dr. Markku Lähteenvuo, a researcher from the University of Eastern Finland who specializes in how drugs affect the brain, told BI.

So, the race is on. Central dopamine regulation is "the most rooted for" theory, Lähteenvuo said, but there is no shortage of research teams looking for other explanations.

It's hard to assess the safety of such treatments without understanding quite how drugs like Ozempic work in the brain, though.

"The question is, does GLP-1 receptor activation do this all the time or just when dopamine is excessive?" Stanwood said. "If it's all the time, that could be a problem because we need these dopamine hits to reinforce these wonderful things like hugging your kids, listening to music, having chocolate cake. We don't want to clamp that down to nothing."

So far, research is supportive of the theory that GLP-1s act on excessive dopamine levels. A key finding of the latest study is that participants didn't stop drinking entirely, or even less often, but they were less likely to drink heavily and fewer drinks per session when they did.

Why you really (really!) need to consult a doctor before trying this

In the future, it's feasible that GLP-1s may be a tool for people to manage their drinking.

The tricky part is safety.

Stigma around addiction could scare off investors from developing a GLP-1 for substance abuse disorders, researchers told BI. Ozempic has other lucrative and appealing applications for which companies could develop next-gen medications, like preventing heart attacks or kidney disease.

"It could easily take three or four years or much longer if they're not interested or if data are not so positive as we hope them to be," Fink-Jensen said.

People can — and do — take GLP-1s off-label for weight loss, finding Ozempic (technically a diabetes drug) from gray market websites. Fink-Jensen said it's a risky move, even under supervision, since we don't yet understand exactly how to use this drug for addiction.

"We really suggest that people should avoid prescribing these compounds now and wait for more strong data."

• Morgan McFall-Johnsen contributed reporting.

• Tom Russell, 40, got in shape while maintaining his busy social and work calendar.
• He lost 17 pounds by strength training and focusing on eating protein.
• He didn't cut out alcohol, but drank less to help him lose weight.

Tom Russell, a director in the hospitality industry, has a grueling schedule. When he spoke to Business Insider from New York City, he was about to head back to London before setting off to Tokyo the week after.

He's also in the best shape of his life.

Russell used to work out but his sessions weren't structured or efficient. After teaming up two years ago with personal trainer Harry Cox, who runs London's private gym Club Q, Russell dropped 17 pounds over 18 months.

He built strength and maintained his busy social life and career — including lots of networking drinks.

"I look after teams in Asia as well as right through to the west coast of America. So my day can start relatively early and then it can run pretty late," Russell said.

He and Cox told BI how focusing on strength training, planning ahead, mindset, and a high-protein diet helped Russell change his approach to health and fitness — and his physique.

Planning ahead

In an average month, Russell spends two to three weeks abroad, he said. This can make sticking to a regular workout schedule challenging.

However, Cox showed Russell how he could still get results.

Every Sunday, Cox checks in with Russell and asks about his plans for the week ahead. Cox then Googles the gyms Russell will be able to access and plans workouts accordingly.

"It's hard enough for him to find the hour a day to get it done, but he doesn't want to have another hour on top of that figuring out how to do it," Cox said.

Russell has essentially outsourced one element of his life.

"He likes the mental freedom of just having to wake up, check his phone, know exactly what he needs to do, and doing it. Then he can get back to all the other things inside his head," Cox said.

Focusing on strength training and steps

For the past two years, Russell has done at least four strength training workouts a week, ideally including one with Cox.

Russell's main motivation was dropping fat and building muscle so he mainly does bodybuilding-style training, but Cox keeps longevity in mind too.

"My responsibility as a trainer is to make sure he doesn't get injured and his body's still healthy," Cox said. So, when Russell is feeling particularly tired or has a more taxing week, Cox doesn't program exercises like deadlifts which fatigue the body.

"Having a high-performing job, one can't dedicate one's whole life to the gym," Cox said. "So it was important to me that he was also able to maintain good energy levels throughout the day. He was not going into the gym and absolutely battering himself."

With little free time, Russell didn't do cardio workouts, as strength training was a more efficient way to achieve his physique goals. But he tracked his steps and made sure he was walking plenty for his overall health (and calorie burn).

Controlling the controllable

Entertaining is a big part of Russell's life so it's impossible for him to control or track everything he eats and drinks.

With that in mind, Cox encouraged him to "control the controllable" and make smart choices the rest of the time.

In practice, that meant lower-calorie, high-protein meals for breakfast (Weetabix, a banana, and a protein shake), lunch (chicken salad), and healthy home-cooked dinners including plenty of protein and vegetables when he was eating in.

At events, Russell didn't worry too much about what he ate and drank, but tried to choose lean meats such as chicken breast and fillet steak, as well as white fish.

Cutting down on, not quitting, alcohol

Russell feels working in hospitality comes with certain expectations, including drinking at his company's events.

"We need people to drink alcohol, it's a huge part of our business," he said.

Russell also enjoys alcohol, so didn't cut it out.

Cox encouraged him to reduce from drinking five or six evenings a week, to two or three. When he was drinking, he stopped after a couple and also prioritized lighter options like wine over beer. While beer typically contains around 200 calories per serving, a small glass of white wine contains around half that.

Understanding the calorie content of alcohol helped Russell realize that he wanted to hit his goals more than he wanted to drink a whole bottle of wine.

"If I'm going to eat X amount of calories through food, then I'm going to go and lob on another 500 calories through alcohol, then I'm never going to start losing weight," he said. "And it just kind of put it all into perspective."

Having the right mindset and being disciplined

When Russell first approached Cox, he felt ready to make a change. He'd been shocked by his body in vacation photos and decided that instead of feeling sorry for himself, he was going to take action.

But Russell knew he didn't want to do anything drastic or punishing that he could only stick to short-term.

"I'm still doing this job and I'm still being social, I'm still having people over and we're still going out," he said.

That said, he has put the work in.

"You have to go into it with the right mindset, with discipline," Russell said. "You say the word 'discipline' and everyone sort of shivers and runs away, but discipline doesn't have to be bad."

He added: "It's not a negative thing. If anything, it actually just gives you some structure so that you know when you want to enjoy yourself and have a good time, you can do it."

• A 48-year-old woman told Business Insider she's trying to limit carbs to lose weight.
• A registered nutritionist who reviewed her diet said she could actually benefit from more.
• If you'd like to submit your diet for expert advice, fill out this form.

A 48-year-old woman who wants to lose weight sent in an example of her daily diet to Business Insider's Nutrition Clinic, where qualified nutritionists and dietitians assess readers' eating habits.

The woman, Christine, was told that her efforts to cut carbs from her diet could actually be the wrong move.

Christine keeps herself active, telling BI that she strength trains three or four times a week does occasional reformer Pilates sessions too.

"I also walk the dog," she said. "I am gluten-intolerant and a busy mother of two children. I work full-time."

Registered nutritionist Sophie Trotman assessed Christine's diet and said that even though she wants to lose weight, she should consider eating more carbs and more substantial snacks.

"Christine is clearly making a big effort health-wise, especially in the context of all her existing commitments," Trotman said. "It's great to see Christine consuming a primarily whole-food diet, with good sources of protein and multiple portions of vegetables."

Christine limits her carbs

An average day of eating for Christine is:

• A quarter of an apple before a weight training session at 6 a.m.
• 1 to 1.5 liters of water before 9 a.m.
• A small handful of dry roasted nuts after the gym
• Breakfast: 2 eggs with vegetables, or turkey breast with salad
• Lunch: chicken thigh and potatoes cooked in the air fryer with olive oil and herbs, and greens
• Snacks: smoothie or homemade treat
• Dinner: a protein source with vegetables

"If I'm tired or feeling like something sweet, I'll have a homemade treat that is low in sugar and has some protein in (such as an almond meal-based brownie or tahini biscuit)," Christine said. "Or I might make a smoothie with almond milk, frozen banana, cocoa powder, and low-fat yogurt."

Christine said she's cut down on carbs hoping to lose weight.

"I am guilty of bingeing on rice crackers or potato chips once a week," Christine said. "I limit fruit to a smoothie, pre-workout carb snack, or a piece if I'm in the office."

Tip 1: Eat more carbs

It's a myth that carbs are fattening or hinder weight loss. To lose fat, you simply need to be in a calorie deficit, and carbs are in fact a valuable energy source.

Trotman said that limiting carbohydrates could be holding Christine back from getting the most from her workouts. "Carbs are the body's primary fuel source for exercise, and when you don't consume enough, you may struggle with energy levels, muscle recovery, and performance," she said.

A quarter of an apple before training likely isn't providing enough fuel, she said. Instead, Christine could try a slice of wholegrain (gluten-free) toast with nut butter, a banana, or a small portion of overnight oats.

"These will help to sustain her energy and improve workout intensity, ultimately supporting muscle growth and a more efficient metabolism," Trotman said.

She recommends Christine try adding slow-digesting carbs like quinoa, sweet potatoes, or brown rice to her lunch and/or dinner.

Tip 2: Snack on protein, fiber, and fats

While there's nothing inherently wrong with snacking on chips or rice crackers occasionally, regularly bingeing on them could be a sign that you're not eating enough to satisfy your hunger and energy needs, Trotman said.

With that in mind, she recommends Christine pair her post-workout nuts with a protein-rich option like Greek yogurt or a protein shake to boost her satiety and workout recovery.

It's good to prioritize protein but eating enough fiber and healthy fats will also help prevent cravings and urges to overeat, Trotman said. She recommends adding ingredients like avocados, seeds, and extra vegetables to meals to slow digestion and increase fullness for longer.

"If Christine still finds herself reaching for something crunchy and salty, she could try healthier alternatives like roasted chickpeas or homemade kale chips, which provide more fiber and micronutrients," Trotman said. She also recommends snack-sized bags of chips rather than bigger portions to encourage moderation.

Tip 3: Aim for sustainability

While exercise has many health benefits, too much of it, particularly high-intensity movement, can cause added stress on the body, which can cause some people to overeat for comfort. Swapping one high-intensity workout for a lower-impact activity like yoga or a walk could help, Trotman said.

She recommends Christine try to keep her stress levels down and sleep for seven hours a night — or as much as possible with two children.

Keeping her energy levels up by resting and eating enough should help Christine stick with her healthy lifestyle.

"Sustainable fat loss is about finding an approach that feels enjoyable and manageable long-term," Trotman said. "If a diet feels too restrictive, it may lead to cycles of deprivation and overindulgence, making weight loss harder in the long run."

• Supatra Tovar is a psychologist and dietitian who used to follow fad diets.
• She now helps clients change their mindset around food to help them lose weight in a healthy way.
• Her tips include changing what you're exposed to on social media.

A psychologist, registered dietitian, and pilates teacher who broke out of a cycle of yo-yo dieting shared with Business Insider her four tips for losing weight healthily and sustainably.

Supatra Tovar, author of "Deprogram Diet Culture: Rethink Your Relationship With Food, Heal Your Mind, and Live a Diet-Free Life," struggled with fad diets in her 30s. But now, at 52, she feels better than ever about her body.

She said changing her mindset was key to improving her diet.

1) Understand why diets don't work

"The first step to building a healthy mindset around dieting is really understanding how dieting actually works against our bodies," she said.

"We're really not designed to cut our calories in half, so the body goes into 'starvation mode.' You may lose weight in the short term, but it's deceptive," Tovar said. Extreme calorie restriction is typically unsustainable, so when we inevitably stop dieting, the body works to put the weight back on.

Tovar pointed to what is known as the set point theory, which supposes that the body tries to maintain a person's weight. It is thought to do this by slowing down the metabolism and allowing more energy to be stored as fat, research suggests. But experts don't agree on whether this set point can be reset to a high or lower level of body fat.

2) Set boundaries with unsupportive people

"There's always somebody in our lives who is telling us to diet or that we don't look good, pinching our fat, telling us to go exercise, or asking 'Do you really want to eat that?'" Tovar said.

Tovar recommended limiting the time you spend with them and surrounding yourself with people who are more positive and supportive. If that's not possible, try to create healthy boundaries around comments on food and appearance.

3) Delve inward

Tovar asks her clients to "delve inwards" to address their thoughts about food, first examining their childhoods to understand where their ideas may have come from.

"We pick up everything when we're kids, and model the behavior of adults. The messages that we get from our family — whether you had to clean your plate to 'earn' dessert, or your parents engaged in a lot of dieting — it all plays a part," Tovar said.

Next, she tells clients to "tune into" their hunger, to identify when they are eating mindlessly or emotionally, and when they're full. This helps people to practice "mindful" or "intuitive" eating, by acknowledging their cravings and eating according to their body's needs.

A big part of mindful eating, Tovar said, is not moralizing food by labeling them as "good" or "bad."

"We're just saying food is food, and allowing our bodies to eat what they want without judgment," she said. People will tend to gravitate towards healthier foods, she said.

However, experts say intuitive eating isn't suitable for everyone, particularly those who struggle with eating disorders. And Mark Schatzker, a nutrition writer, previously advised against including ultra-processed foods in an intuitive diet because the artificial flavors can trick the brain into wanting more.

4) Change what you're exposed to on social media

"You have to depopulate your social media feed from all of the content that is designed to make you feel terrible about yourself," Tovar said.

Disordered eating is often indirectly promoted on social media, through trends such as "what I eat in a day" videos and platforms pushing weight-loss ads, BI's Rachel Hosie previously reported.

Tovar recommended unfollowing any influencers, companies, and magazines that promote diet culture, and replacing them with "stuff that makes you feel good."

For her, this meant getting rid of diet-focused content and replacing it with "puppies and kittens and Kevin Bacon singing to his goats on his farm."

• Eggs are becoming more expensive and harder to find as avian flu hits US chicken flocks.
• That's bad news for some people who use GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy.
• Eggs are lean protein, eaten by lots of GLP-1 users, forcing some people to look for alternatives.

Some people using GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic for weight loss have a problem: Eggs are suddenly expensive and hard to find.

Eggs aren't just big with fitness fans and Gaston from "Beauty and the Beast." They're a logical protein option for people taking Ozempic, Wegovy, or similar medications, said Amanda Oren, vice president of industry strategy for grocery in North America at Relex, a supply-chain platform. Moreover, they naturally contain little fat, salt, or sugar — good for weight loss plans.

They're one of the foods that GLP-1 users buy more of than people not on the medication, according to a December report by market research provider Circana. The report found GLP-1 takers buy fewer fatty proteins — think big, greasy burgers, for instance, and less alcohol and salty snacks.

Many users — 49% — said in December that their households spent less on food after they started taking the drug, according to a survey conducted by Purdue University. Users generally have lower appetites and eat less.

When they are buying food, "it's eggs, and it's the meat and seafood departments that have seen the bump" in sales, Oren said.

But egg fans — whether on weigh-loss meds or not — are taking a big financial hit right now, thanks to the spread of avian influenza among egg-laying chickens in the US. The disease has led farms to cull their flocks and cut back production. In January, the US had 8% fewer egg-laying hens than it did three years earlier, a CoBank report published on Thursday found.

While avian flu has been hitting egg production in the US for a few years, prices have spiked recently. As of January 30 the cost of a dozen Midwest large eggs was $7.08, according to the US Department of Agriculture. That's up from $1.65 three years earlier.

Retailers and restaurants have reacted. Diner chain Waffle House cited avian flu on Monday as it added a 50-cent surcharge to each egg it sells. Grocery store Aldi has limited customers to buying two dozen eggs at once at some stores.

Another factor: Two laws, one in Colorado and another in Michigan, took effect on January 1 and require all eggs sold in the states to be from cage-free farms. Some suppliers weren't ready for the switch, which has contributed to shortages, Oren said.

"All of these different factors of increasing demand, and then multiple factors decreasing supply, has led to what I would call a perfect storm," she said.

High egg prices are likely to stick around, according to CoBank. A solution to avian flu isn't obvious. Demand, meanwhile, is about to take a seasonal step up, with Easter falling on April 20. Projections from the US Department of Agriculture suggest that prices could start falling in the second quarter of 2025, however.

Fortunately, people taking GLP-1s have other protein choices, Relex's Oren said.

Besides meat options — think chicken breasts — the number of lean, meat-free protein options has multiplied in recent years, she said. The options vary from long-established options like tofu to Just Egg, a mung bean-based egg substitute that previously advertised itself as avian flu-proof.

"There are a lot more alternatives today than there used to be," Oren said.

US consumers have another option, said Joseph Balagtas, director of the Center for Food Demand at Purdue University: They can keep eating eggs — and eat the price increases.

Even for GLP-1 users, eggs make up a small amount of shoppers' total grocery budgets. That, plus the fact that there are fewer good substitutes for some uses of eggs, such as in baking, means that many people are likely to continue buying.

"Many Americans are lucky enough to earn enough where it hurts, but not very much," Balagtas said. "So I don't reduce my consumption very much."

Have you or your business been affected by high egg prices and/or the egg shortage? Reach out to this reporter at [email protected]

• Supatra Tovar is a psychologist, dietitian, and pilates instructor who used to follow fad diets.
• She found that strict diets didn't work, so she made small changes to enjoy eating nutritious food.
• These included changing her social-media feed, eating slowly, and not giving up carbs.

In her late 20s and early 30s, Supatra Tovar followed fad diets such as South Beach and Atkins, which she couldn't stick to.

When she started her master's degree in nutritional science, it set alarm bells ringing over the state of her diet.

Tovar quit her job as a pilates teacher in California to take the course after she noticed her clients felt social pressure to eat less to achieve the "right" body shape. She felt a duty to educate herself to help her students, she told Business Insider.

She learned that our mindset plays a key role in what we eat, which motivated her to do a doctorate in clinical psychology. She has now been a qualified clinical psychologist for five years and a registered dietitian for 10.

"I realized fad diets just don't work," she said. "They are designed to give us false hope that they might actually work in order to get our money."

Her training taught her how to eat nutritious food and maintain a healthy weight.

At 52, she can "really love and enjoy food" and has never felt better about herself, she said.

Tovar is part of a wave of people ditching fad diets that give unsustainable results. A 2024 survey by the International Food Information Council found that consuming enough protein and mindful eating were more popular.

Tovar shared some of the changes she made to unlearn diet culture.

Unfollow social-media accounts that make you feel bad about yourself

"First, you have to depopulate your social-media feed from all of the content that is designed to make you feel terrible about yourself. And then repopulate it with stuff that makes you feel good," she said. "For me, that's puppies and kittens and Kevin Bacon singing to his goats on his farm."

In a 2023 study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, 226 participants, ages 18 to 40, completed an online survey that suggested viewing pictures of people who fit stereotypical beauty standards on Instagram was linked to a lower mood and dissatisfaction with their bodies.

Anchor new habits to old ones

People often think they have to take drastic action to change their lives, Tovar said, but small changes to our behavior can make a big difference because they're sustainable.

Tovar recommended adding a new habit to an existing "anchoring behavior." For example, she made her daily coffee an "anchor" for 20 minutes of exercise.

This chimes with what the clinical psychologist Kimberly M. Daniels previously told BI: Making one or two small changes to your diet at a time is less overwhelming and, therefore, more sustainable than adopting an entirely new one.

Eat slowly

"It takes about 20 minutes for the brain to register the presence of food in our stomach," Tovar said.

Eating slower at mealtimes can allow you to monitor how full you are so that you don't over- or under-eat, she said.

Sitting with others can also help because eating communally encourages us to have conversations and eat more slowly, she added. Another tip is to take a break during a meal for a few minutes to see whether you're still hungry.

Don't vilify foods — especially carbohydrates

Diet culture labels certain foods as "unhealthy," so people can feel guilty when they eat them. But feeling as though you are being denied foods you enjoy can make it harder to follow a nutritious diet long-term.

Carbohydrates, in particular, are commonly vilified as fattening when they are actually "our best friend," Tovar said.

Carbs are our brains' preferred energy source and aren't any more fattening than other micronutrients (fat and protein). Fat loss comes from eating fewer calories without needing to cut out an entire group of micronutrients.

"Your body absolutely adores natural carbohydrates," Tovar said. "Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes — all of them."