Are Your Favorite Shows Making You Gain Weight?

 

Sad movies can wreck more than your mascara. They can also do a number on your diet, according to research from the Cornell Food and Brand Lab.

Published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the researchers’ findings show that when 30 adults watched the tragedy Love Story in the lab, they ate an average of 28 percent more popcorn than they did when they watched the comedy Sweet Home Alabama. (FYI, Love Story is actually 10 minutes shorter than Sweet Home Alabama.) What’s more, when the researchers went dumpster diving in movie theaters across seven U.S. cities, they found that moviegoers who bought popcorn and watched the sad movie Solaris (99 minutes) ate an average of 55 percent more popcorn than those who watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding (96 minutes).

When it comes down to it, it’s really a case of emotional eating, says study co-author Aner Tal, Ph.D., a research associate in the Food and Brand Lab. “Distress in general increases eating.” It doesn’t matter if that’s over real-life tragedies or ones on the silver screen.

RELATED: 3 Ways to Stop Emotional Eating Before You Start

Sad shows aren’t the only ones that can trigger mindless munching. Previous research from the lab shows that the more action-packed the TV show you’re watching, the more likely you are to also binge on nearby snacks. That’s because fast-paced flicks are so distracting that you don’t realize how much food you’re throwing back. Meanwhile, in one study from Sweden’s Uppsala University, women ate 52 percent more food when they watched a “boring” televised art lecture compared to an “engaging” episode of a popular comedy show.

RELATED: 100 Things You Can Do Instead of Eating Mindlessly

Still, that doesn’t mean you have to nix sad, action-packed, or slow-moving shows, says lead study author Brian Wansink, Ph.D., author of Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life. When you watch one, just make sure your theater or couch setup is primed to help you hit your healthy eating goals. Serve yourself smaller portions of unhealthy foods like popcorn or candy, and if you’re at home, do it in the kitchen so you’ll have to get up and pause the show to get a refill, suggests Wansink. If you serve yourself healthy snacks like fruits and veggies, even better—that can help you get in your five-a-day. Of course, you could skip the screen-induced snacking altogether, and then you'll be free to watch your show or movie of choice without having to worry about unintentionally bingeing.

RELATED: 21 Snacks for Flat Abs

View the original article here

How I Finally Stopped Yo-Yo Dieting and Lost Almost 90 Pounds

 

The Lifestyle
Even though I played sports throughout high school and played softball in college, my weight always fluctuated between 130 and 200 pounds for most of my adult life. After my softball career ended, I continued to work out, but my active lifestyle just wasn't enough to combat my poor eating habits (I loved foods like chips, chicken fingers, and pizza). After gaining a ton of weight, I would just crash diet to get back to my low point. Typically, I stayed at 130 pounds for about eight months and then started gaining it all back again. I just couldn't get my eating habits under control. 

When I got married in 2011, my husband and I both got a little too comfortable and put on a significant amount of weight. That year, I hit 216 pounds. 

The Change
After getting a physical, my doctor told me that my cholesterol was extremely high and my BMI classified me as obese. I knew my weight was an issue because I wasn't feeling attractive, my clothes weren't fitting, and some family members had even said that they were concerned about me. On top of all that, my husband and I wanted to expand our family, and we were worried that our weight would make it harder to get pregnant. We decided we needed to make a lifestyle change and create a new normal.

We made a plan to hit the gym five to six days a week, cleaned out our fridge and pantry, and got rid of all the processed junk we had been eating. A lot of potato chips and frozen foods bit the dust that day. Then, we replaced our former go-tos with fresh foods after doing a little recipe hunting on Pinterest. Plus, we started logging all of our meals into the calorie tracker app, Lose It! It was a game changer when it came to my yo-yo dieting because I was amazed (ok, actually disgusted) at how many calories I was consuming on a daily basis. I never knew what I was putting into my body.

In addition to changing our eating habits at home, we cut back on going out to eat. Instead of heading out to restaurants, we spent quality time together looking for recipes and cooking healthy meals. Before I started trying to lose weight for good, I didn’t know much about cooking—so most of my healthy meals were super bland. After we started searching for more creative recipes, I learned how to make new healthy dishes that weren't just salads. Now we like to make like pizza with cauliflower crust and "chicken fingers" that were coated in almond flower and baked instead of fried.

Throughout my journey, it was so nice to have my husband as my support system. When one of us was feeling discouraged, we would remind each other that we were losing weight in order to enjoy a longer, healthier life together. We didn't have an end goal or a certain amount of weight we wanted to lose; we just wanted to be healthier overall. By 2011, I weighted 130 pounds—and I've stayed around that weight ever since. 

The Reward
After transforming our lives, my husband and I decided to open up our own fitness studio. We wanted to help others in our community accomplish the same kinds of things my husband and I did. If I hadn't lost the weight, I definitely would not have pursued this goal. Part of why our business is so successful is because we can set an example for our clients who are trying to change their lives.

Sarah's Tips
Have someone hold you accountable. Find a person who can help keep you motivated on your off days by giving you some extra encouragement or even meeting you at the gym. My husband really helped me stay on track.
Don't diet for the short term. You have to have the mindset that you're going to change your life forever. As someone who's yo-yoed her whole life, I know how important it is to develop a new normal. There's no expiration date on this "diet."
Enjoy the journey. Don't focus on getting to your goal weight. Instead, try to feel the difference in your body as you progress. Concentrate on things like how much energy you're gaining, going down a pants size, being able to work out longer, or lifting heavier weights.

Sarah, 31, stands at 5' 9" and lives in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

More from Women's Health:
11 Incredible Weight-Loss Transformations You Have to See to Believe
15 Ways to Get Rid of Cravings in 15 Minutes or Less
The Secret to Losing Belly Fat

View the original article here

100 Things You Can Do Instead of Eating Mindlessly

 

Drink a glass of water, talk with a friend, kiss someone, scream. There are a lot of things you can do when you're tempted to fill your pie hole with, well, pie.

In fact, Michelle May, M.D., founder of the Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Programs and Training and author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat, has rounded up these and 96 other suggestions to come up with a list of 100 things to do other than eat.

But the list isn't about not eating; it's about not eating when you're not actually hungry—and about finding a more productive way to deal with cravings that aren't based in the physical need for sustenance, says May.

RELATED: 8 Tips That Make it Easier to Stop Eating When You're Full

"For a lot of people, eating becomes a way of dealing with boredom, dealing with not wanting to do something, dealing with uncomfortable emotions," she says. "When we have a repertoire of ways to take care of ourselves other than eating, we become more focused on meeting our true needs. It's about redirecting your attention away from food and onto something else until you actually become hungry."

So when should you redirect your attention? And when should you actually eat? Whenever "hunger" strikes, May recommends taking a pause and considering what you're thinking and feeling. If you realize that, yes, your stomach is growling and you're low on energy, you probably need to eat. If your mouth is dry and you haven't had water in a while or you're thinking about work and feeling stressed, you probably should do something else, like organize, set some goals, or vent a bit.

RELATED: The Best Way to Tell If You're ACTUALLY Hungry

To find redirection tactics that work for you, use May's list (below) as a jumping-off point. Start by highlighting or circling the activities that look enjoyable to you. After all, doing your taxes so you won't think about cookie dough probably won't pan out in practice, she says. Pick some that you can do at work in a couple quick minutes, some that can keep you occupied when you're at home alone on a rainy day, and some that you physically cannot do while eating (like swimming, playing an instrument, or painting your nails).

"Suffice it to say there are a million and one things you can do besides eat," May says. Here are 100 to start.

 

RELATED: The Exercise That Could Help You Eat Less

View the original article here

10 Weight-Loss Foods Buried in Your Pantry

This article was written by Marina Liao and repurposed with permission from POPSUGAR Fitness.

When it comes to weight-loss foods, it can be difficult to tell which ones actually work and are worth buying. Not to mention, which foods contain just the right amount of fiber, carbohydrates, and antioxidants to keep you from feeling hungry. Instead of spending your money on the latest ingredients that promise instant weight-loss benefits, we found 10 readily available foods that are probably already in your kitchen to help you shed those unwanted pounds.

Oatmeal
If you're looking to lose weight but still want to indulge in carbohydrates, oatmeal is the way to go. Science has proven that this breakfast staple lowers cholesterol levels and trims waist size. And the best part is the endless possible oatmeal combinations, like fresh blueberries and cashews.

Almonds
Almonds are one of those versatile nuts you can put in to anything or eat alone. They are the best workout snack since they're high in protein and carbs but are also lightweight and nonperishable. For weight loss, almonds will reduce your desire to overeat but still keep your energy levels high.

Grapefruit
Grapefruit has all the main components of a weight-loss food. It'll kick start your metabolism but still keep you feeling full. The fruit is also loaded with fiber. Whether you choose to eat one for breakfast or serve it on the side with grilled chicken, this fruit will nix any unhealthy cravings.

Beans
Beans get a bad rap for making people feel bloated, but these nutritious little gems actually contain many weight-loss benefits. They are high in fiber, pack a protein punch, and, best of all, they are low in calories. Follow these steps to avoid feeling bloated after eating beans, and see why this food will help you shed pounds.

Spices
Certain spices like ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, and turmeric will help you burn more fat. If you're wary about the taste, we rounded up two delicious recipes for each spice that won't disappoint.

Read about five more weight loss-promoting pantry staples on POPSUGAR Fitness!

RELATED: 4 Calorie-Saving Food Swaps That Taste Like the Real Deal

View the original article here

Is It Possible for Every Woman to Get Her Abs Back Post-Pregnancy?

 Popping out a baby does a number on your body: Your boobs get droopier, stretch marks crisscross your middle, and your vagina, well, let’s not even go there. (Hint: Expect pigment changes.) But of all the issues brought on by a bun in the oven, one of the most frustrating is post-pregnancy belly flab. Is the squishiness fixable, or are flat abs a thing of the past? Even super glam Reese Witherspoon said in a recent interview with the blog Cricket's Circle that her abs were "nonexistent" after she gave birth to her three kids. So we went to an expert to find out if it's actually possible for every woman to get her core muscles back in pre-baby shape.

RELATED: 7 Honest Things Celebs Have Said About Losing Baby Weight

The truth: Though genes and your before-baby fitness level play a role, you might have to accept that some pooch is permanent. “A small number of women will be able to get a flat stomach again, but for the majority, it may take a lot of time or not happen at all,” says Alissa Rumsey, R.D., certified strength and conditioning coach and spokesperson for the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “It took nine months for your belly to stretch out to accommodate your baby, so it’s reasonable to expect it to take at least as long to lose the belly fat.”

And this is assuming that you gained the recommended 25 to 30 pounds of pregnancy weight. Putting on more than that means the fat may end up being stored as visceral fat, which is tough to get rid of. The other thing to keep in mind is that a after-baby belly jiggle may not have anything to do with your abs. The bulge can be the result of stretched out skin that’s lost its elasticity, and all the crunches in the world can’t firm it up again, says Rumsey.

RELATED: What to Do During Pregnancy to Make Losing the Baby Weight Easier

If you’re a new mom dealing with a wobbly middle or a future mom freaked out by the news, don’t be discouraged. Reframe it like this: It’s actually freeing to know that it's unlikely you'll look like Fit Mom (or Reese Witherspoon, for that matter) once you’ve delivered a kid. Good for them for being so devoted to staying in shape. But if rock-hard abs are not in the cards for your body, why sweat it? Instead, focus on being healthy and getting to a good fitness level for you by easing back into your pre-baby fitness routine on your own schedule.

RELATED: How Your Vagina Changes in Your 20s, 30s, and 40s

View the original article here

Exactly What to Eat for Dinner to Lose the Most Weight

 

This article was written by Jenny Sugar and repurposed with permission from POPSUGAR Fitness.

Want to know how the last meal of the day can help you drop pounds? We've enlisted the expertise of two nutritionists—Stephanie Clarke, R.D., and Willow Jarosh, R.D., of C&J Nutrition—to share the perfect equation for what to eat for supper to help you lose weight. Follow their advice below to start seeing results.

Calories
Aim for a range between 450 and 550 calories. If you're trying to lose weight, stay closer to 450, and if you're trying to maintain weight, especially if you're working out, shoot closer to 550 calories.

Carbs
About 45 to 55 percent of your dinner calories should be devoted to carbs, which is about 50 to 75 grams of carbs. Don't be afraid to eat carbs at night because you're worried you won't have time to burn them off. As long as you're sticking to your total calorie amount for the day, eating carbs at this meal isn't more likely to cause weight gain. Actually, eating enough carbs at dinner can dissolve those post-dinner carb cravings for sweets and chips.

Protein
About 20 to 25 percent of your dinner calorie amount should be protein, which works out to 25 to 35 grams. Protein is vital to help rebuild and maintain muscle, and since your body does a lot of rebuilding at night, ensuring your dinner includes enough protein is important. Protein also makes you feel satisfied, which is another tool for preventing post-dinner noshing sessions.

Fats
Shoot for about 15 to 25 grams, which is about 30 to 35 percent of your total supper calories. Instead of saturated fats like beef and cheese, go for monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) like olive oil, sesame oil, coconut oil, avocado, olives, and nuts and seeds.

Fiber
To help you reach the recommended daily total of 25 grams per day, aim for at least eight grams at dinnertime. This should be coming primarily from fiber-rich carb choices like whole grains, starchy veggies, beans, small amounts of fruit, and fiber-containing fats such as avocado, nuts, and seeds.

Sugars
Stick to no more than seven grams or fewer of total sugars. And when it comes to added sugar, try not to exceed four grams—that's about one teaspoon of any sweetener used in sauces or dressing.

Timing
Ideally, you should eat dinner about two to three hours after your 3:30 p.m. afternoon snack. If you plan to exercise after work, fuel up with a later-afternoon snack around 4:30 p.m. Then you can exercise at 5:30 p.m. for an hour and eat dinner by 7/7:30 p.m. As mentioned above, don't worry about eating dinner too late. As long as you don't exceed your daily calories, what time you eat won't impact your weight.

Check out some examples of perfect dinners at POPSUGAR Fitness!

More From POPSUGAR Fitness:
A Nutritionist-Approved 84-Calorie Drink That Doubles as Dessert
Do These 4 Things Before Bed Tonight to Lose Weight Tomorrow 
Healthy Foods You May Be Eating All Wrong

View the original article here

I Didn't Let Cancer Stop Me From Getting to a Healthy Weight

 

The Lifestyle
After I gave birth to my son in April 2013, I weighed 155 pounds, and I just didn't feel like myself. I decided I needed to get back to my pre-baby weight and began slowly working out at the gym. Then, my whole world was turned upside down when I was diagnosed with breast cancer almost six months later.

I had to put weight loss on the back burner, but I started researching the healthiest way to eat so that my body could be at its best during the mastectomy and chemo treatments I needed. Even though my revamped eating habits didn't impact my weight, I felt ready to conquer the disease.

By my son's first birthday, I had finished chemo, recovered from my surgery, and was in full remission. At that moment, I decided it was time to take another shot at getting back to the weight I was when I got married five years earlier.

The Change
After telling my sister I wanted to lose weight, she introduced me to the doctor she worked for, Will Aguila, M.D., who had created an eating plan called The Baseball Diet. To be honest, I know nothing about baseball, so I was a little worried that I wouldn't understand what was going on. But I decided to give it a try anyways. For the diet, Aguila gives you a list of recipes to make for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner. A typical breakfast was half of an avocado, an egg (cooked however you want), and a slice of whole-wheat toast. Lunch was usually a piece of fish with some greens, and dinner would include some kind of protein, veggies, and a carbohydrate. The "baseball" aspect of the  diet is that when you incorporate the healthy foods into your meals, you get to "move" around the bases. First base might be a serving or protein, second base could be a serving of veggies, and third base could servings of fruit or grains. Since I was already eating so healthy during my cancer treatments, it wasn't too difficult to transition into this diet. Plus, if I did slip up one day by having more carbs than I supposed to at one meal, I could subtract them from my next meal. And as it turns out, you don't need to know anything about baseball to do the diet. 

When I finally got clearance to go to the gym, I started doing circuit training three times a week, which I loved because it has a little bit of strength training and cardio. It felt great to start working out again.  

Nine weeks after setting out to lose weight, I had lost 20 pounds. Since then, I've gone on to lose five more pounds by continuing with the diet for lunch and dinner and subbing a protein shake in for breakfast. I now weigh 130 pounds. I'm so proud!

Eating healthy has really become a way of life for me—though I do sometimes have a cookie, cereal, or ice cream (I am human). If I treat myself, I know the next day I can just eat lighter to balance it out. My ultimate goal is to hit 120 pounds, the weight I was when I got married. And I'm well on my way!

The Reward
I love knowing that the lifestyle that I'm living now is going to help me be here longer for my son. When you go through something like cancer at a young age, your whole mindset changes and you just want to be alive. What I've learned by going through cancer and starting a weight-loss plan is that eating healthy can help me live a longer and more fulfilling life. 

Julie's Tips:
Make easy meals: Keeping my meals simple kept me from getting overwhelmed with cooking. That's great because when I get overwhelmed, I just want to give up.
Try to keep your stress levels down: Even though I was eating very healthy foods while going through cancer treatments, I think the stress of dealing with the disease kept me from sleeping and totally killed my metabolism. Stress made it so much harder to lose weight. I learned that if you don't take a step back and relax by having some "me time," your weight loss might not progress as much as it could.
Exercise however you can: Even when I couldn't go to the gym because of the surgery or chemo, I was walking. Staying active made it easier to get back into working out when I got the all-clear.

More from Women's Health:
How I Lost 30 Pounds—and Then Gained it All Back
5 Ways to Lose 5 Pounds—From the Guy Who Gets A-Listers in Shape
8 Ways to Mix Up Your Weight-Loss Routine When You Hit a Wall

View the original article here

How One Woman Gained Back All the Weight She Lost—Then Changed Her Mindset to Drop and Keep Off 140 Pounds

 

The Lifestyle
I always seemed to be a little bit heavier than everyone else. By age 12, I was on Weight Watchers with my mom. When I got married in 1991, though, I was 122 pounds. I had worked hard to lose 40 pounds to get to that point.

I kind of went into a downward spiral from there. Unhealthy habits—like baking and cooking for entertainment, not being mindful of what I was eating, and totally disrgarding physical activity—got the best of me. Although I wasn't an emotional eater or even a binge eater, I started gaining about 10 to 15 pounds per year after getting hitched.

By 2006, I weighed 268 pounds and sometimes had to walk with a cane because my knees hurt so badly. One day, I was walking to my car after running some errands, carrying my infant son. I tripped over a pothole, and my son and I went flying to the ground. Luckily, we were both okay, but I was really shaken up.

I realized that if I had been at a healthy weight, I would have been able to catch myself, but since I was so overweight, I wasn't strong enough to regain my balance. I thought, "My weight is no longer about me. It's time for me to take action for my son's well-being." My son already had health issues and needed a kidney transplant; obviously, I wanted to do everything I could to protect him from the health hazards I could prevent.

The Change
Not long after the fall, I saw an advertisement for a meal replacement program called Medifast. In the ad, a woman claimed to have lost 130 pounds in nine months. I thought, 'If she can do it, I can do it.' I ordered the program that day.

At first, it was really hard to quit baking, but I knew that I had to give it up if I wanted to make a difference. The program encourages you to make one non-program meal for yourself each day, so I used that as an opportunity to totally change my cooking style by incorporating lots of healthy fruits and veggies.

After losing about 60 pounds, I started walking and eventually running using an app to train for a 5-K. I'd always loved running on my own in high school, and it felt so good to get back into it again. I actually enjoyed it so much that I began training for a half-marathon and completed one not long before reaching my goal weight.

Fourteen months after starting my journey, I hit my goal weight of 128 pounds. That same week, I found out I was pregnant again. That meant I had to give up the program, and I almost immediately began putting on weight from the pregnancy.

Sadly, about three months after that, I had a life-threatening miscarriage and ended up in the hospital. Then, within three months of my miscarriage, my mother passed away and my son underwent a kidney transplant. Needless to say, weight loss was the last thing I worried about.

After the transplant, we lived in a Ronald McDonald House for about eight months while my son recovered. It was probably the most challenging place to make healthy choices, so we didn't. Instead, we ate out all the time and I stopped exercising. One year after hitting my goal weight, I had gained everything back and then some. At 272 pounds, I felt like a total failure.

After my son recovered, we went on a Make-A-Wish trip to Disneyland with former NFL player Kurt Warner, his kids, and his wife Brenda. On the way into the park, I got stuck in the turnstile. The park staff had to let me in through the stroller gate without a stroller. I was so embarrassed. Later in the trip, I chatted with Brenda about how I was frustrated with my weight-loss journey. She said, "It's never too late to become who you want to be," and that really resonated with me. From then on, I changed my mindset. I realized I didn't have to give up trying to lose weight just because I failed one time.

About a year after that, I got back on the meal replacement program and picked up my running habit again. Only this time, I decided I needed to make changes that would be sustainable forever. I stopped seeing my new lifestyle as a diet and started thinking of it as a way to live a healthy life. Even though I was doing the same program, my mindset was that I wanted to create health. I didn't have a final goal weight.

After 18 months, I lost 142 pounds and weighed 130. I felt so confident that I was going to keep the weight off that I got rid of all my clothes that were too big. 

The Reward
This past summer, I got to run a marathon in Paris. It was the most amazing experience. I feel fit and I feel healthy. I feel that me taking control of my weight has rubbed off on my family's health. I've even become a health coach for others trying to lose weight. That's something that I never would have done if I had not lost weight. 

My life would look so different if I had not decided to make a complete lifestyle change. I would probably have a knee replacement by now and would be more at risk for diseases like breast cancer and diabetes. I feel good knowing that I'm not going to die because of my own negligence. 

Stacy's Tips
Think about who you're doing it for. I'm easily distractible, but because I focused on getting healthy for my family and myself, it helped me say no to my temporary wants like sugary snacks.
Take it day by day. Every day I thought about the choices I was making with my diet and exercise. I knew that each choice I made would have an impact on my goal of becoming a healthier, happier person. If I messed up, I didn't dwell on it—I made better choices the next day.
Follow others' weight-loss journeys. When I started losing weight, I looked to other people who did what I was attempting to do and got inspired. I told myself, "If they can do it, so can I." That really helped keep me going.

Stacy Phillips, 45, is 5' 3" and lives in Gilbert, Arizona.

More from Women's Health:
11 Lazy Ways to Burn More Calories
How I Finally Stopped Yo-Yo Dieting and Lost Almost 90 Pounds
Pay Attention—This Is How a Nutritionist 'Detoxes'

View the original article here

Eat These 5 Foods to Lose 5 Pounds

Want to lose five pounds the healthy way? All you need to do is pick up these five simple ingredients on your next trip to the grocery store and incorporate them into your daily meal plan. 

1. Whole Chicken
Its juicy, iron-rich dark and low-fat white meats mean lots of options for hunger-squashing meals rich in lean protein.

2. Endive
Addictively crunchy, the leaves of this pale veg—which have next-to-no calories—were made for dipping.

3. Red Grapes
They're sweet and they contain a compound that can block fat cells from forming.

4. Snow Peas
These stir-fry faves may help turbocharge fat-burning by up to 30 percent. Woot!

5. Farro
A whole-grain-heavy diet can help blast belly blub—and this one's chewy texture is low-fat.

Make sure you're also stocked with the following ingredients:
Soy, rice, or cow's milk
Chopped raw almonds, cashews, or hazelnuts
Lemon
Low-fat Greek yogurt
Italian seasoning
Red onion
8-inch whole-wheat tortilla
Gruyère cheese
Cinnamon

Now that you're ready to create delicious fat-blasting meals, check out the recipes below!

BREAKFAST

Farro Bowl
Place 1/2 cup cooked farro in a small, microwavable bowl. Add 1/2 cup milk and microwave for 20 seconds. Stir in 1/2 cup grape halves and sprinkle with 1 tsp chopped nuts and 1/2 tsp lemon zest.

RELATED: 31 Healthy Breakfast Recipes That Will Promote Weight Loss All Month Long

LUNCH

Chicken Salad Boats
Mix 1/2 cup shredded dark-meat chicken (skin removed) with 1/4 cup grape halves, 1 Tbsp chopped nuts, 1 Tbsp chopped red onion, and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Spread on four large endive leaves to serve.

SNACK

Veggie Dippers
Mix together 1/2 cup Greek yogurt and 1 tsp Italian seasoning. Serve with 1/3 head endive and 1/2 cup snow peas for dipping.

RELATED: 21 Snacks for Flat Abs

DINNER

Chicken Endive Flatbread
Add 1/2 tsp olive oil to a pan on medium-high heat. Add 1/4 cup sliced red onion and cook, stirring frequently, until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Top a tortilla with 1/4 cup shredded Gruyère cheese, 1/2 cup shredded endive, and the onion. Bake in a 425°F oven until the tortilla is lightly browned and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Halfway through, top with 1/2 cup fully cooked diced white-meat chicken.

DESSERT

Roasted Grapes with Yogurt
Arrange 15 grapes on a cookie tray and drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Bake at 450°F until skins become firm, approximately 15 minutes. Top with 1 Tbsp Greek yogurt to serve.

For more healthy recipes and easy weight-loss tips, pick up the April 2015 issue of Women's Health, on newsstands now.

RELATED: 21 Great Desserts for Weight Loss

View the original article here

The Secret to Losing Belly Fat

 

This article was written by Jenny Sugar and repurposed with permission from POPSUGAR Fitness.

While focusing on crunches will strengthen your abs, it unfortunately will not get rid of fat around your waist. To see a difference in this trouble spot, it's essential to regularly include calorie-burning cardio in your routine. And not just any kind of cardio—it's important to focus on interval training; alternating between moderate and speedy bursts of exercise is the key.

A study in the International Journal of Obesity revealed that when compared to women who cycled at a consistent pace for 40 minutes, women who worked out for 20 minutes but alternated between eight-second sprints and 12 seconds of low-intensity cycling lost more belly fat after 15 weeks. Work out half as long and lose more fat? Sounds good to us!

You can do intervals with virtually any type of activity. Here are some ways to incorporate them into your routine:

1. Use visual goals: Run or bike at a moderate pace, and then look ahead and sprint to the mailbox that's 50 feet away or up the hill or to the end of the street. Once you reach your goal, reduce back to your moderate speed. After your breathing returns to normal, choose another goal to race to.

2. Use time: Watch the clock, and move moderately for two minutes, and then zoom as fast as you can for one minute. Repeat this pattern for at least 30 minutes.

3. Use music: Make an interval playlist, alternating between fast-paced peppy tunes and slower, chill tunes. Walk, run, or dance to the beat. Here's a 60-minute walk-run playlist, or for a faster-paced workout, try this 40-minute running playlist.

4. Use a POPSUGAR Fitness interval workout: If you find it easier to follow a cardio routine, check out these interval workouts:

45-minute fat-burning treadmill workout

Tush-toning hill repeat intervals

45-minute walk-run-sprint workout

45-minute elliptical interval workout

10-minute HIIT (high-intensity interval training) video workout

30-minute pyramid intervals

30-minute Barry's Bootcamp running workout

30-minute beginner intervals

60-minute walking-jogging workout

More From POPSUGAR Fitness:
How to Feel Less Bloated by the End of the Day
Your 2-Week Bachelorette Party Shape-Up Plan
What to Eat All Day to Start Losing Weight Now

View the original article here

How One Woman Dropped Nearly 100 Pounds and Became an Instagram Sensation

 

The Lifestyle
If you’ve ever been to the South, you know that everything revolves around food here. My parents are both overweight, so I picked up some bad habits from them like having cake for breakfast, eating a lot of fried food, and rarely consuming veggies. I also had very little self-control; I could eat a whole bag of chips without a problem and usually ate until I felt sick. As crazy as it seems, I haven’t weighed less than 200 pounds since I was 13. And since I went to a very small high school—my graduating class was 50 people—I was the biggest one in my class and was picked on pretty badly. Fitness-wise, I didn’t play any sports or work out on my own. I was a very lazy child, and that carried over into adulthood.

Being overweight really affected my life in random ways, like not wearing tennis shoes because it was so hard to bend over to tie them. Occasionally, little kids would point and say hurtful things, even if they didn't mean to be rude. By the time I got married in 2013, I weighed 312 pounds. 

The Change
One night, I was eating at a restaurant with my husband and my 1-year-old daughter, and she kept dropping her toy on the floor. We were seated in chairs instead of a booth that night, and so every time I bent down to grab her toy, the chair would come off the ground. It was embarrassing because I knew if I fell everyone would stare at me. I had to do something.

That week, my husband and I joined a gym and started going four days a week. We’d work out for an hour to an hour and a half per day. That may seem intense for someone just starting out on their weight-loss journey, but I was terrified of dying. I knew that if I didn’t make a change I was going to get diabetes or another obesity-related illness. That fear helped push me to work out.

Since you can’t run without the risk of damaging your knees when you’re 300 pounds, my workouts usually entailed walking, biking, or using the elliptical. Eventually, I started lifting weights—and I loved seeing that I was getting stronger and could do everyday tasks like picking up my daughter more easily.

I tried dieting before, and it totally backfired on me because I was only eating salads and not enough protein to keep me full and satisfied. So this time, I decided to be less strict about the food I was eating and keep a better eye on my portions by measuring out or weighing everything I ate. I began baking chicken instead of frying it, totally cutting out sweet tea—which I would drink by the gallon every week—using whole wheat pasta, bread, and brown rice instead of the white versions. Plus, I recorded all of my meals on the My Fitness Pal app, which has helped a lot. Another trick I used to re-train my brain to feel full after a normal-sized meal was drinking a big glass of water afterward. Losing weight can seriously be a mental game.

As I started losing weight, I used my Instagram account to post photos of me working out and cooking. Over time, my feed started to gain a ton of followers. Now, I have more than 8,000 and use @Roxi_Fitness to provide fitspiration. It makes me feel so good to help inspire others!

Today, I weigh 216 pounds and am looking forward to being under 200 pounds—for the first time in more than 10 years—very soon. I have no plans to go back to my old ways.

The Reward
There have been so many rewards from losing weight, both mental and physical. I used to suffer from depression and anxiety attacks, but now I feel so much better than I ever did. Another bonus of my weight-loss journey has been that going to the gym with my husband has actually made my marriage stronger. We love having the designated time to ourselves, and it makes us both feel more confident. One more thing that I love about my life after losing almost 100 pounds is that I have so much more endurance. I can’t run a mile yet, but I’m working toward it and am so thankful that I can run at all.  

Roxie’s Tips
Allow yourself a cheat meal. I don’t eat super healthy all the time. I do allow myself a cheat meal once week. Usually it will be food at a birthday party over the weekend or a nice dinner with my husband. But I know that after that meal, I will get right back on track.
Weigh yourself daily. As a woman, I know that my weight is going to fluctuate a lot depending on hormones, but I try to weigh myself as much as possible so that I know that I’m staying on track. It helps keep me accountable.
Take measurements. Some might think this is crazy, but I measured different areas of my body before I started losing weight. Those measurements really came in handy when I went through periods of not losing weight despite sticking to my plan. Even if the scale didn’t budge, my body measurements were always changing because I was shaping my body by working out, and that helped keep me motivated.

Roxie McGillberry, 24, is 5' 8" and a stay-at-home mom in Sweet Water, Alabama.

More from Women's Health:
4 Things I Wish I Knew BEFORE I Started Losing Weight
What 200 Calories of 10 Different Foods Looks Like
9 Easy Ways to Crush Your Food Cravings

View the original article here

The Top Foods People Who've Lost More Than 10 Pounds Eat for Breakfast

 

Trying to drop a few pounds? Before you totally overhaul your eating habits, take a cue from people who've already successfully slimmed down: We tapped into the data from MyFitnessPal's more than 65 million users (the app lets people track their weight, activity, eating habits, and more). Here are the most common foods those who lost at least 10 lbs logged at breakfast time. Keep in mind that this doesn't mean they were the only thing people ate each morning—but incorporating these to your a.m. routine could help you shed a size.

1. Coffee
Sipping this with your a.m. meal could be especially helpful if you're a morning workout person: A study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that consuming a caffeinated drink an hour before you start sweating can crank up your calorie burn by about 15 percent.

2. Bananas
Try them in one of these yummy banana smoothies.

3. Eggs
Research shows that loading up your breakfast with protein can help curb hunger later in the day—and may mean you eat fewer calories at lunch. So whether you prefer this protein-rich ingredient scrambled, fried, or poached, it's a smart idea to eat them first thing in the morning.

4. Blueberries
These little guys are loaded with antioxidants—and by packing your diet with nutrient-rich foods, you can lose weight without worrying about calorie counting.

5. Strawberries
Try this goat cheese-berry bruschetta for an out-of-the-ordinary breakfast that'll help you drop pounds.

6. Tea
Learn the best way to drink green tea to boost weight loss.

7. Milk
This is another great way to take in some protein first thing in the a.m.

8. Whole-Wheat Toast
Carb lovers, rejoice! High-fiber options like this can help you feel more satiated so you end up consuming fewer calories.

9. Spinach
This leafy green is a weight-loss double whammy: It's rich in fiber, and it's also one of the veggies with the most protein.

RELATED: How I Finally Stopped Yo-Yo Dieting and Lost Almost 90 Pounds

View the original article here

Cheesy, Delicious Eggplant Parmesan for Just 350 Calories

 

Each month, your favorite dishes get a healthy and delectable do-over with tips from Keri Glassman, R.D. This version of eggplant parmesan replaces breadcrumbs with naturally gluten-free quinoa for a dose of heart-healthy fats and lots of filling fiber. Eggplant's anthocyanlns, a.k.a. the compounds that give the veg its deep violet hue, may protect your noggin against aging. Even better, when you mix spinach with marinara, the sauce's vitamin C helps your body absorb more iron, a nutrient women consistently fall short on. Get the recipe below, and dig in. 

You'll need:

1 large eggplant
2 zucchini
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for roasting vegetables
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup low-fat mozzarella
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
3/4 cup quinoa
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 jar marinara sauce (24 oz), no added salt or sugar
2 cups fresh spinach

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Peel the eggplant and zucchini and slice each lengthwise.

2. Brush both sides of vegetable slices with oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and roast until tender, about 12 to 14 minutes.

3. Combine mozzarella, half the Parmesan, and oregano. Separately, mix quinoa, chia, remaining Parmesan, 2 tablespoons oil, basil, and pepper.

4. Spread half the marinara in a baking dish. Layer with half the vegetables, spinach, and cheese-oregano mixture. Repeat. Top with quinoa blend and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 350 cal, 18 g fat (5g sat), 33 g carbs, 11 g sugar, 510 mg sodium, 8 g fiber, 18g protein

For more healthy (and delicious!) recipes, pick up the March 2015 issue of Women's Health, available on newsstands now.

More from Women's Health:
Spaghetti and Meatballs for Less Than 350 Calories
12 Power Foods You Should Definitely Be Eating
What 200 Calories of 10 Different Foods Looks Like

View the original article here

I Ended My Abusive Relationship and Lost Almost Half of My Body Weight

 

The Lifestyle
Although I 've been concerned about my weight since middle school, it never bothered me enough to do something about it. As I reached my early 20s, I started eating a lot more fast food—sometimes twice a day—and picked up a serious Diet Coke habit.

During that time of my life, I found myself in a physically and verbally abusive relationship. I'd never felt so low before. And like a lot of people, I compulsively ate to cope with my emotions. When I was sad, stressed, or tired from sleepless nights, I would eat. It was a vicious cycle. By 2010, I was 22 and weighed 401 pounds. 

The Change
On my way home from work one day, I passed a gym near my office. For some reason, something just clicked and I thought, "I need to get a gym membership so I can try to change my life for the better." I did a U-turn, pulled into the parking lot, and signed up. 

After getting the membership, though, I was too self-conscious to actually work out there. So after work the next day, I started walking around the block. Over time, I added more laps to my routine until I was walking three miles every day. It really became an addiction.

I also began researching foods that would fuel my weight loss and the ones that were totally wrecking havoc on my body. I immediately dropped Diet Coke and juices and started drinking water. That was extremely hard for me. First off, I rarely drank water. Seriously, even when waiters would bring it to the table at restaurants, I wouldn't touch it—and I sure wasn't drinking it on my own. Plus, quitting my 48-cans-a-week Coke habit was not easy. Yes, that's four 12-packs of soda every seven days. I get a sugar high just thinking about it.

Cooking became a major part of my life for the first time ever. I swapped my fried fast-food meals for grilled or baked protein and filled my plate with tons of produce. 

Going out to eat or even to the mall was a mental challenge. I wasn't sure how to handle the temptation at restaurants, so I just completely avoided them for a few a while. When I went shopping at the mall, which was harder to avoid, I always brought a protein bar to keep myself from giving in to the food court. I was so focused on my goal that I didn't anything to mess it up. Eventually, I started allowing myself a cheat meal. I knew that if I didn't indulge in the foods I craved in moderation, I would end up eating them anyway and going overboard.

About one month into my weight-loss journey, I ended my abusive relationship. I felt so much better about myself. Nothing except my health really mattered to me anymore. 

Two years later—after losing 190 pounds—I weighed 211 pounds. Unfortunately, after reaching that weight, I was in a car accident that severely injured my neck and back. Those injuries kept me from going to the gym for a whole year. I was truly devastated because I missed the way my workouts made me feel. And even though I was keeping up my healthy eating habits, I gained 45 pounds back.

About a year later, my doctor gave me the green light to head back to the gym. Today, I've lost all of the weight I put on after the accident and little bit extra. Though, I have to be honest, it was so much harder to lose it the second time around. Now, I'm looking forward to getting my excess skin removed at the end of this year. 

The Reward
My Instagram account @weightlosswithannamarie—which I launched as I began losing weight—now has over 20,000 followers. I love that I have so many people looking to me for encouragement. The fact that people don't give up because I didn't give up means so much to me.

Right now, I'm studying to become a certified personal trainer, and that's something I would have never been interested in if I hadn't lost the weight. 

Annamarie's Tips
Give yourself some variety. One thing I learned is that if I committed to eating the same healthy meals day after day, I would be really tempted to binge on foods that wouldn’t benefit my weight loss. So I used recipes from cookbooks and Pinterest to spice up each meal.
Don't deprive yourself. When my family has pizza on Saturday nights, I let myself have a slice. It really gets that craving out of my system.
You need to exercise and work out to lose weight. After my car accident kept me from working out, I learned that exercise is as vital as eating healthy for losing and maintaining my weight. 

Annamarie Rivera, 27, is 5' 8" and lives in Connecticut.

More from Women's Health:
100 Things You Can Do Instead of Eating Mindlessly
I Didn't Let Cancer Stop Me From Getting to a Healthy Weight
11 Incredible Weight-Loss Transformations You Have to See to Believe

View the original article here

Pay Attention—This Is How a Nutritionist 'Detoxes'

 

This article was written by Michele Foley and repurposed with permission from POPSUGAR Fitness.

Without the monotony of the workweek to help keep you in check, it's easy to veer away from a healthy routine during the weekend. Workouts get skipped, too many cocktails are sipped, and you wake up on Monday full of regret. Instead of thinking about what you should have done, Monday marks the perfect time to get back on track, setting the tone for the rest of the week. Before you lock yourself down on a no-carb, no-alcohol, no-everything diet, start with these more approachable tips from Eve Kessner, holistic nutritionist and SoulCycle instructor.

1. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Kessner can't stress this point enough: "Drink lots of water," she says. Besides balancing out the dehydrating effects of any imbibing you did over the weekend, Kessner credits water with helping the body "flush out any toxins it's holding on to." Start the morning with our wonder beverage of choice: hot water with a lemon, which among other things has been shown to aid in weight loss. From there, be sure to drink from your water bottle throughout the day. Make it a goal to refill it more than a few times before hitting the hay.

2. Get Up and Move
When it comes to sweating out the bad stuff and upping endorphin levels, Kessner says that exercise is key. If you're up for it, she suggests a fast-paced cardio session since it will boost the body's metabolism, allowing you to better burn off some of those weekend indulgences. If you went too overboard on Sunday and the thought of a high-intensity workout has your stomach feeling queasy, opt for a walk or restorative yoga session instead.

Read the rest of Kessner's get-back-on-track tips on POPSUGAR Fitness!

More From Popsugar Fitness:
10 Foods That Help Detoxify the Body
4 Daily Habits to Shape Up for Spring
No Cleanses Necessary: 6 Daily Detox Habits

View the original article here

I Lost 100 Pounds and Overcame My Depression

 

The Lifestyle
I've always been on the heavy side. Though I was active throughout my childhood and teenage years, my weight usually stayed somewhere in the 180- and 190-pound range. Plus, obesity runs in my family. I felt like I had to fight just to be a normal weight. I will never be one of those girls who can eat burgers and fries and not gain weight.

When I was 27, my husband of seven years and I decided to call it quits—and I just stopped caring. I was so depressed that things that used to be important to me—like my health and my self-esteem—didn't matter. Essentially, I was just going through the motions of life without really being present. I got lazy, started eating fast food all the time, and never really cared to see what I looked like. Double cheeseburgers from McDonalds, corndogs, macaroni and cheese, and chips became my go-to's. By 2012, I weighed 236 pounds. 

The Change
Even when I saw photos of myself, I didn't register how big I was. For some reason, it just didn't occur to me. But when my daughter and I moved from Florida to Pennsylvania to live with family for a while, I realized that I needed to get happy and start living life again. Since my separation, everything was just passing me by.

While living with my family, I started getting active by hiking, swimming, rock climbing, and getting in touch with nature. Getting moving again helped me start feeling better about myself and prepared me to make a serious change to my life.

After moving back to Florida, I started reading the Atkins Diet book. It seemed like it was something that was doable for me, and I started following the plan.

The biggest change to my diet was drastically reducing my carb intake. It was such a challenge that I was actually kind of grumpy for the first couple of months. Another huge part was incorporating veggies. I was never a big vegetable eater, but I started making salads and eating veggies as snacks as soon as I committed to the diet. One of my favorite parts of the new routine was drinking a meal replacement shake with my morning coffee. It's so good!

Overall, I became much more cognizant of what I was putting into my body. In fact, I completely quit fast food. I haven't had any in two years.

After losing the first 50 pounds by changing my diet, I felt on top of the world—but I knew I had it in me to lose more. I decided that it was time to start going to the gym.

I started out by easing into a routine that consisted of two to three workouts a week; I would use the elliptical for as long as could and then move to the weight machines. At first, five minutes on the elliptical was all I could do, but as time went on, I made my workouts more challenging. Now, spending an hour at the gym feels like my therapy and my outlet. It's the one time of the day I can just dedicate to myself.  Sometimes, it feels like a drug—in a good way!

Outside of the gym, my daughter and I love rollerblading and playing at the park together. I try to find new ways to be active all the time.

By May 2014, I weighed 136 pounds. 

The Reward
Even though I'm not actively trying to lose weight, I plan on keeping up this lifestyle because it makes me feel so good. It's great that I can get through a long workday and have enough energy to play with my daughter afterward.

My biggest reward is being able to run around with her. I remember the times where I couldn’t spend time with her without sitting down. Before losing the weight, it was such a challenge just trying to keep up. Now, it's no problem at all.

Heather's Tips
Be consistent. The number one thing that's enabled me to lose weight is continuing to make healthy lifestyle choices daily. You've just got to get up and keep going every single day.
Get creative. When it comes to meals and exercise, you have to get creative. There were times when I would get bored and be tempted me to make unhealthy decisions. That's when I switched up my meals by finding new healthy recipes or added some variety to my workouts by getting my daughter involved; we would race on the beach or in the pool.
Keep healthy food on hand. I keep temptation at bay by carrying a meal bar or healthy snack with me all the time. That way, if I'm out and really hungry, I'm not tempted by fast food. 

Heather Baker, 27, is 5' 4" and lives in Clearwater, Florida. 

More from Women's Health:
11 Lazy Ways to Burn More Calories
11 Incredible Weight-Loss Transformations You Have to See to Believe
8 Ways to Mix Up Your Weight-Loss Routine When You Hit a Wall 

View the original article here

Will Working Out Twice a Day Actually Help You Lose More Weight?

 

Are two-a-day workouts helpful if I want to see quick results for my upcoming wedding? Or am I more likely to injure myself this way? —Kim, Morristown, NJ

More isn't always more: Doing too much can have diminishing returns, depending on how much time you have left to train. If you've got more than two weeks, don't start with two-a-days yet; your body may not be able to handle that much volume and you could increase your risk for injury.

RELATED: The Secret to Dropping More than 30 Pounds Fast

However, if you've been working out steadily for six to eight weeks and you're ready for a final push to reach peak shape right before your wedding, have at it. Adding in a second workout the last week or two can spike your metabolism, getting you even leaner and more cut for the big day. Just follow these rules:

1) Perform the higher-intensity strength-training circuit in the morning, when you're fresh. Later, do lower-intensity cardio.

2) Take at least one complete day off each week.

3) Do not perform double-headers on back-to-back days.

4) Listen to your body! Recovery is different for everyone. If you are unable to lift much weight or go as hard on your second round, you have done too much and are better off sticking to one workout that day.

—Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, CA, and author of Drop Two Sizes

Have fitness questions? Send them to askanything@rodale.com or tweet them to @womenshealthmag with the hashtag #AskWH. And for answers to reader questions on various other topics, check out the "Ask Anything" section in the April 2015 issue of Women's Health, on newsstands now.

View the original article here

How Refusing to Diet and Starting to Live My Life Helped Me Lose 40 Pounds

 The Lifestyle
I went on my first diet when I was 17. Although I had a perfectly healthy body, I started to notice it changing—my boobs getting bigger, my arms getting softer, and my hips getting wider—and I got really scared. Up until that point, I had prided myself on having a skinny, athletic body, and without that, I wasn’t sure what I had to offer. My self-worth was totally tied up in my weight.

That first well-intentioned diet led to 10 years of struggling with my weight. I found myself constantly dieting and then binge eating when I just couldn’t hack it anymore. This up and down led to countless fluctuations in the number on the scale and ultimately, more and more weight.

At my heaviest, I was at least 160 pounds—but more importantly, I was completely miserable. My self-esteem was at an all-time low, not only because of my weight but also because I had spent 10 years absolutely consumed with thoughts about food.

My life was dull, and I felt trapped in an endless cycle of dieting and bingeing. Nothing was working, and every diet just brought on more frustration and weight.

To make matters worse, the binge eating was a huge secret that I kept from everyone in my life, which led to my carrying around a ton of shame about my eating habits.  I was a smart, successful woman, and I didn’t understand why I couldn’t just figure out this food thing.

RELATED: How to Become a More "Normal" Eater

The Change
I got to a point where I just couldn’t let myself diet anymore. I was turning 26, and I looked at my life and felt a sense of urgency; I knew that if I kept dieting and waiting until I was skinny to live my life, I was going to end up watching life pass me by. I no longer wanted to turn down happy hours, spend dinners at amazing New York City restaurants silently counting calories in my head, or avoid dating because I was ashamed of my body.

I couldn’t accept that life for myself anymore.

I decided that I was going to stop dieting. I couldn’t waste one more day fighting my weight and fighting myself. So I tried something that a tiny voice inside of my was begging me to do: I started to live and to get happy immediately.

I started dating.
I worked on all of my relationships.
I booked trips I’d been wanting to take.
I started working with business, life, and relationship coaches.
I forced myself to be present when out with my friends instead of counting the calories of the beer the entire time.
I got rid of clothes that didn’t fit and gradually got new ones that made me feel great.
I quit my job in finance and started my business as a holistic health and lifestyle coach.
I ate top-notch food and enjoyed every second of it instead of feeling guilty about it.
I cooked amazing recipes.
I learned what it looked like to take incredible care of my emotions, my heart, and my body.
I quit the gym—which I had always dreaded going to—and started finding forms of fitness I enjoyed more, like going on long walks.
I fell in love and started allowing myself to feel sexy in my skin—no matter what.
I learned who I was outside of food and my body. I discovered new passions, what lit me up, and what made me happy.
I met myself again.

RELATED: The 3 Simple Steps That Helped One Woman Lose 80 Pounds

The Reward
Deciding to stop dieting and to create an amazing life, regardless of my weight,  was the best decision I ever made. I realized now that I’d had everything backward for almost a decade: Dieting leads to life feeling restrictive, boring, and dull, which lead to my using food to fill the voids even more.

The more I focused on creating a life I loved, doing things that made me happy, and taking care of myself and my needs, the less I turned to food.

Over a long period of time, my weight gradually dropped. Now, at age 28, I weigh what I weighed in high school!

But here’s the kicker: My weight doesn’t even matter to me at this point. I got happy 40 pounds ago, and life was amazing 40 pounds ago. Yes, my pants are a smaller size now, but I realized throughout this journey that I can be happy at any size. And that realization is the biggest victory.

Jamie’s Tips
Stop dieting. Dieting just doesn’t work for most people. If it hasn’t been working for you, accept that—it’s okay! Instead, start to listen to yourself. Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full, and trust that your body does know what to eat—we just have to listen.
Create a life you love now. Most of us are emotional eaters because we aren’t getting what we need from our lives. Look at how you’re using food in moments when you’re not hungry—is it for comfort? Excitement? Love? Simply notice at first, and then start to design your life in a way that gives you more of these feelings. The more you feel the way you want to feel, the less you’ll turn to food to fulfill those needs.
Work on making peace with your body. You don’t have to love your body, but try to start respecting her and getting to know her. The more you can be on the same team as her, the more natural it will feel to feed her nourishing foods and take care of her.

Jamie Mendell is a holistic health coach who specializes in helping women lose weight without dieting. To find out more about her philosophy, check out her Web site.

View the original article here

The 3 Simple Steps That Helped One Woman Lose 80 Pounds

 Sarah DeArmond (inset) / Jason Wallis

As a kid, Sarah DeArmond, now 28, was teased about her weight—for being too skinny. But during college, a lack of physical activity and her devotion to fast food took its toll. Convenience continued to trump health after Sarah got married in 2009. Rather than cooking, "we just microwaved pizzas or cheesy pastas every night," she says. Over the next three years, Sarah's weight climbed to 200 pounds. She felt exhausted all the time for no particular reason and found herself wheezing for breath whenever she had to go up a flight of stairs. To top it off, her blood pressure was sky-high. "I knew obesity could actually kill me," she says. "I wanted to live." 

In the spring of 2013, Sarah started overhauling her diet. Over the next two years, she took up weight training and cardio—and now, she's at a trim and healthy 120 pounds. 

Here's how Sarah says she was able to accomplish her goals:

• Make fitness convenient. "I got an exercise bike so I can work out whenever I want. I like to pedal while I watch TV."

• Shop smarter. "To deflect temptation at the market, I have a 'no junk in the cart' rule. I don't even set foot in the chips aisle."

• Fake-fry it. "I make 'fried' fish by dipping codfish in egg whites and whole-wheat panko and then baking it."

For more on Sarah's incredible weight-loss journey, pick up the April 2015 issue of Women's Health, on newsstands now. In the meantime, check out more inspiring weight-loss success stories and healthy ways to lose weight.

More from Women's Health:
The Small Steps I Took to Shed More Than 100 Pounds
How One Woman Gained Back All the Weight She Lost—Then Changed Her Mindset to Drop and Keep Off 140 Pounds
Eat These 5 Foods to Lose 5 Pounds

View the original article here

What’s Wrong With This "Amazing" Weight Loss Story? Everything.

Yesterday, BuzzFeed Life wrote about a recent story on a Web site called The Chive that featured "amazing" stories of dramatic weight loss. Unfortunately, not all of the transformation photos The Chive shared were represented correctly: The image above right (which has since been removed from The Chive's article) is of Anne Marie Sengillo, of Cincinnati, while she was suffering from anorexia. She had posted the photos to Reddit to explain that backsliding can happen during recovery. "My transformation from 150 pounds to 70 and then 90 pounds is not something I want anyone to see and think, ‘Wow! I want to look like her!’" Anne Marie told BuzzFeed Life. "I was very sick."

While this misuse of photos is abominable, this isn't the first time that a woman's photos have been stolen and misrepresented as weight-loss before-and-after shots. Fitness blogger Roni Noone, who lost about 70 pounds by overhauling her lifestyle, had her images stolen by a diet pill company. And the Federal Trade Commission has found several other instances of other weight-loss supplements stealing photos and attributing them to their products. (For help figuring out whether a slim-down product is reputable, check out these tips that a diet aide is too good to be true).

This latest misuse of photos is a good reminder that getting to and staying at a healthy weight is about so much more than looking smaller in one picture than another. If you or someone you know is struggling with their relationship with food, you can find help and support from the National Eating Disorder Association.

RELATED: The Scary Rise in Adult Eating Disorders

View the original article here

How to Become A More “Normal” Eater

 

For 10 years, I battled my weight, food, and my body. I was completely confused about how to eat, so even during those few times when I’d lose weight, I would gain it right back because I had no clue how to eat for my body.

I had a few friends who never thought twice about food; they would eat when they were hungry, choose food that sounded good to them, and stop when they were satisfied. It was such a basic concept, but for me, it seemed like rocket science.

Now that I'm a holistic health coach, when I work with clients, I'm on the other side of the table. They always come to me with a similar request: They just want to be “normal” eaters.

The truth is, normal eating looks different for every single person. The fastest way to become a normal eater is to depart from any sort of diet, rules, and rigidity and to instead learn to tune in to your body's fullness and hunger cues.

Think back to when thought of yourself as a more “normal” eater. This may be when you were a little kid, or it may be from when you were in college. Most of us can remember a time in our lives when food wasn’t such a big deal and we naturally maintained a stable body weight. What types of food did you gravitate toward then? Did you like three big meals or more frequent, smaller meals? What kinds of food didn’t sit well with you?

RELATED: 5 Mindful-Eating Tips for Weight Loss

We all have internal body wisdom that is better than any "diet." It tells us when, what, and how much to eat in a perfect way for our bodies. However, as we grow up and have constant input from outside sources telling us not to eat carbs after a certain time or that bananas have too much sugar, we lose trust in the signals our body naturally gives us.

Becoming a “normal” eater is all about getting back in touch with your body's inherent wisdom and peeling back anything that's blocking you from tuning into it. Here are a few steps that may help you get back to a “normal” eating pattern for you:

Challenge yourself to eat only when your body is genuinely telling you to. Many of us are so used to eating at certain “meal times” that we ignore our hunger cues. Some of us aren’t even sure what hunger feels like anymore. For two days, experiment with only eating when you're pretty sure you feel true hunger. This is likely felt in your stomach, but use this as an opportunity to learn what hunger feels like for you.

RELATED: 4 Steps That'll Prevent You From Eating When You're Not Actually Hungry

Many of us can’t find a “normal” way of eating because we forbid ourselves from eating certain foods—and then they start to develop a strange power over us. These are likely sweets and carbs, foods we’ve been told we shouldn’t eat. It’s impossible to feel normal around food when there's a constant battle between what you want to eat and what you feel you  "should" eat—and one of my favorite ways to chip away at these forbidden foods' allure is to start keeping them around more often. If chocolate is frought with anxiety for you, walk around with the best-quality chocolate bar in your purse, and let yourself have it when you really, genuinely are craving it. As you allow this food back into your life and see that nothing horrible happens when you enjoy it, you’ll slowly take the indulgence off of its pedestal—and it will start to have less of a hold over you.

Get curious about what foods satisfy you, what foods give you energy, and what foods leave you feeling empty or uncomfortable. If you’re constantly “searching for something else” after your daily salad for lunch, consider whether that salad is really satisfying you. Maybe you need to add some healthy fats or protein to it or eat half a sandwich in addition to it. Learn what types of foods make you thrive and feel happy—and which ones don’t. You can have fun with this—it's basically a giant experiment to get to know yourself better. Again, no diet can give you this information; it can only come from your paying attention to yourself.

Jamie Mendell is a holistic health coach who specializes in helping women lose weight without dieting. To find out more about her philosophy, check out her Web site.

View the original article here

Here’s Exactly What to Eat to Achieve Any Fitness Goal

Any good diet should include three things: carbohydrates (to fuel exercise), protein (to repair muscles), and fat (to keep you satiated). How you distribute those grams makes all the difference. Calories below based on a 150-pound, 5'4" woman, age 28.

20-35 percent fat
50-55 percent or more from carbs
15-20 percent protein 
Total daily cals: 2,500 (training 1 to 1.5 hours per day)

HERE'S HOW THAT LOOKS IN A DAY'S WORTH OF MEALS:

Breakfast

Overnight oatmeal with 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, 1 cup blueberries, and 2 Tbsp maple syrup Latte with 8 oz coffee and 1/2 cup 2% milk 

Mid-Morning Snack

1 apple1 Strong and Kind Honey BBQ KIND bar

Lunch

Hummus wrap with 1/4 cup roasted red pepper hummus, 1 cup arugula, 1/4 cup sliced tomatoes, 1/4 cup sliced cucumbers, 1/4 cup sliced green peppers, 1/4 cup sprouts, and 1 slice of Swiss cheese1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt with 1/4 cup dried craisins and 2 Tbsp chocolate chips  

Mid-Afternoon Snack
Green smoothie with 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 Tbsp ground flax seed, 1 banana, and 2 cups spinach 

Dinner
Stir-fry with 1 cup cooked brown rice, 5 oz chicken, 1 cup broccoli, 1 cup chopped bell peppers, 1/4 cup water chestnuts, and 2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce  
Total Calories: 2,474 (30 percent fat, 53 percent carbohydrates, 18 percent protein) 
Total Fat: 84 grams
Total Carbohydrates: 333 grams
Total Fiber: 41 grams
Total Protein: 112 grams

20 percent protein
45-50 percent carbs
25-30 percent fat
Total daily cals: 2,100 (training 1 hour per day)

HERE'S HOW THAT LOOKS IN A DAY'S WORTH OF MEALS:

Breakfast

Spinach and mushroom scramble with 1 egg, 2 egg whites, 1 cup spinach, 1/2 cup mushrooms, and 2 Tbsp grated Swiss cheese1 whole-wheat English muffin

Mid-Morning Snack

Lunch
Black bean burrito bowl with 2 cups shredded lettuce, 1/2 cup cooked brown rice, 1/2 cup cooked black beans, 3 oz shredded chicken, 1/4 cup salsa, and 1/4 avocado (sliced)

Mid-Afternoon Snack
2 Tbsp hummus with 1 cup sliced cucumbers

Dinner

1 whole-wheat thin sandwich bun with 1/4 pound lean ground beef burger patty (90% lean), 2 slices of tomato, and 2 pieces of lettuce1 cup butternut squash (sliced into fry shapes and tossed with salt, pepper, 1 tsp oil, and a pinch of chili powder), roasted at 400°F until crispy and golden, about 40 minutes1 cup shredded kale tossed with 1 tsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp parmesan cheese (season to taste with salt and pepper)

Dessert
1/2 cup frozen mango, thawed, with 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt 

Total Calories: 2,110 (30 percent fat, 46 percent carbohydrates, 25 percent protein) 
Total Fat: 72 grams
Total Carbohydrates: 241 grams
Total Fiber: 43 grams
Total Protein: 134 grams

20 percent protein
25 percent fat
55 percent carbs
Total daily cals: 1,400 (to drop 1 to 1.5 pounds per week)

Breakfast

1/2 whole wheat English muffin (toasted) with 1 cup spinach leaves (steamed), 1 poached egg, 1 slice of tomato, 1 slice of avocado, and salt/pepper/a pinch of red pepper flakes1 pear 

Mid-Morning Snack

Lunch
3 cups spinach leaves with 3 oz salmon (like the pouch kind or leftover from dinner the night before), 1/2 cup trimmed green beans, 2 Tbsp sweet onions (sliced paper thin), 1 hard-boiled egg (sliced), and 2 Tbsp low-fat honey dijon vinaigrette 

Mid-Afternoon Snack

1 piece string cheese1/2 cup mango chunks (thawed from frozen or fresh) 

Dinner

4 oz shredded chicken with 2 Tbsp low-fat Caesar dressing, 1 cup butterleaf lettuce (torn), and 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (sliced) in 1  whole-wheat tortilla 1 cup tomato soup 

Dessert
1/2 cup frozen yogurt 

Total Calories: 1,399 (23 percent fat, 56 percent carbohydrates, 22 percent protein) 
Total Fat: 36.9 grams
Total Carbohydrates: 199.4 grams
Total Fiber: 27.4 grams
Total Protein: 80.7 grams

More from Women's Health:
12 Power Foods You Should Definitely Be Eating
7 High-Protein Snacks That Can Help You Lose Weight
10 Strange Things You Get Addicted to After Starting a Healthy Lifestyle

View the original article here