Ely Roberts is part of an entirely new generation. At 22, he’s steadfastly a member of Generation Z. You know, those kids who’ve never known a world without Facebook, or Uber, GrubHub, and Seamless. This access to instant gratification fostered Roberts’ sedentary lifestyle. He topped 250 pounds by the time he was an adult. Roberts didn’t want to waste more time being inactive, so he got up and got moving–and lost 65 pounds in the process.
“I had been heavy for most of my life, and for the most part accepted it as my fate,” Roberts shared with Men’s Health. “The biggest contribution to my weight gain was a lifestyle filled with foods and drinks that stimulate the pleasure centers in my brain.”
According to Roberts, he ate what he considered the “standard American diet,” which included copious amounts of foods he knew weren’t good for him. But, they made him feel good so he ate them anyway. And, he paired it with drinking because, well, he liked drinking.
“I did it almost every weekend and it even seeped into my weekdays too,” he said.
Though they felt good in the moment Roberts knew he was paying the price. And in the long run, he hated himself in return for what he had done to his body.
“I felt awful when I was at the peak of my obesity at 250 pounds,” he said. “My weight peaked out around the age of 21. The new accessibility to alcohol only put me further behind.”
However, there was something inside Roberts that wanted to change course. And all it took to veer onto a better path was a little challenge between him and his cousin.
“I bet you couldn’t stop drinking for a month,” his cousin said. Roberts quickly accepted the challenge. Four short weeks later, Roberts wasn’t only the victor of the challenge but was also down a full 22 pounds.
“I was shocked,” Roberts explained. “I figured, why not keep going?”
From there, Roberts made more lifestyle changes to benefit his health. He cut out sugar, began meal prepping, and educated himself about calorie deficits. Then, he joined a gym and began training with a buddy from work.
“I just kept adding one thing after another, and before I knew it I was living quite healthfully and all of these things I was doing daily became habits,” he shared. These tweaks helped Roberts lose 65 pounds in eight months to hit his new weight of 185.
“After my initial weight loss, I had a new outlook on life. I felt better in my own body, my energy improved, I wasn’t having issues with digestion or acid reflux anymore,” Roberts said of all his new body benefits. “The daily endorphin dump from training kept my brain clear and gave a feeling of euphoria; I was just happier in all aspects of life. I slept better, my eating habits were better, my confidence was improved upon.”
But just because his weight is where he wants it to be doesn’t mean Roberts is done improving. He continues to set new goals for himself on his fitness, so is now adding a bulking routine to his regime.
“That is my current goal. To never stop,” he said. “I am not finished; I can’t be finished. This is a lifestyle.”
As for how he got this to work and he thinks others can too Roberts revealed, “The way I got this to work is by throwing the word ‘diet’ out the window, and coming to terms with the fact that this isn’t short term. This isn’t something I’ll stop doing in two months. This is a lifestyle. My best piece of advice to the new trainee is to educate yourself. Learn how the body works, learn energy balance. Learn how to fuel your body and train correctly. Learn how to recover.” And lastly, he shared: “Instill discipline in your life and you’ll be surprised what you can change.”
Knife and fork over wooden cutting board and ketogenic low carbs ingredients for healthy eating concept and weight loss, top view. Keto foods: meat, fish, avocado, cheese, vegetables, nuts
Confused by all of the weight-loss plans out there ?
The good news about low-carb diets is that there are plenty of options, and not all of them involve counting carbs or sticking to a very small amount. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most popular low-carb diets and what to consider before you decide to follow them.
Keto Diet: The keto diet, aka the ketogenic diet, originally started in the 1920s as a way to help treat epilepsy, but since then it has become one of the most popular low-carb diets for weight loss. On the keto diet, you will limit your carb intake to no more than five percent of your daily calories. This will help your body hit ketosis, a state in which your body uses fat for fuel instead of carbs. While the keto diet has helped thousands of people lose weight, it’s highly restrictive, which can be hard to sustain long-term.
Atkins Diet: Another popular low-carb diet, you might remember Atkins from the early 90s. The Atkins diet is a high-protein, high-fat diet that helps you lose weight by filling up on meat, dairy, and fats, in place of carbs. Atkins has three different plans: Atkins 20, Atkins 40, and Atkins 100. All three plans involve keeping your daily carb intake low. During the first phase of the Atkins 20, for example, you will have only 20 to 25 grams of net carbs daily. As you progress within your plan, you gradually increase the amount of net carbs you can enjoy.
Whole30: The Whole30 diet is a Paleo-inspired eating plan, where you restrict sugar, alcohol, dairy, grains, gluten, and legumes from your diet for 30 days. The goal of Whole30 isn’t necessarily to lose weight but to help you combat your sugar addiction, focus on clean eating, and uncover food sensitivities. However, many people follow Whole30 as a way to detox after the holidays or lose weight before a big event, like a wedding. Because it helps you avoid eating highly processed packaged foods and promotes healthy home cooking, you might lose a significant amount of weight, depending on what your eating habits were like before you started the diet. Why 30? Creators of the diet believe that 30 days is all you need to reset your body and improve you relationship with food.
Paleo diet: The Paleo diet is another low-carb eating plan that focuses on eating lean protein, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats. The Paleo diet mimics eating patterns of our Paleolithic ancestors who ate only foods they hunted or gathered for. This means you can eat fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and lean protein, but dairy products, grains, beans and legumes, and highly processed foods, like sugar and artificial sweeteners, are off limits.
The bottom line is that low-carb diets aren’t meant to be followed long-term
If you want to follow a low-carb diet to lose weight, be sure to talk to your doctor and a registered dietitian to help you find the right diet for you. Restricting carbs can lead to nutritional deficiencies and yo-yo dieting, so you want to make sure you’re still getting a balanced diet that makes you feel satisfied and delivers the nutrients you need.
A Diet should be something you could live with forever. A lot of people say they cheated on their diet or fell off the bandwagon, but a diet you can keep for life shouldn’t feel like you got off of something.
During college, Hannah Lester knew she was the “fat friend” — and she hated it. But that didn’t stop her from living off burgers and fries. She worked at a fast food restaurant, so it was the easiest option on most days.
“I picked up fast food up on the way to class. It really became my go-to,” the school librarian, 31, from Puxico, Missouri, told TODAY. “I didn’t make very healthy choices. I was pretty lazy.”
Thanks to a steady diet of unhealthy food and little exercise, she kept gaining weight. At 5 feet 6 inches tall, she weighed 285 pounds.
After she graduated and started her first job, there was finally an opportunity to make some changes: a weight-loss challenge among her co-workers.
“It gave me a reason to lose the weight,” she said. “I kind of wanted to prove myself that I can do this.”
Lester first set a moderate goal: to lose 35 pounds from January to May 2012. She stopped eating fast food and reduced her soda consumption, going from six to one a day. She increased how much water she drank and started walking more.
“Something just clicked,” she said. “I lost that first 10 pounds and realized I could do it. I kept doing it because I wanted to win.”
Lester shed 35 pounds by March, reaching her goals two months early.
“It came off really, really fast for me in the beginning,” she said. “I needed to lose it so badly, the weight came off easily.”
After losing 50 pounds, Lester modified her habits to stay on track. She started using a stepper at the gym and went from walking one mile to four miles.
“I just started eating at home more. I didn’t actively make that decision to eat healthier,” she said.
In three years, she lost 100 pounds and she has maintained her weight for three years, before losing an additional 12 pounds. She’s proud of how far she’s come.
“I really can do something if I honestly set my mind to it,” she said. “I am truly happy with what I accomplished.”
Lester, who shared her story in the Start TODAY Facebook group, provides tips for others hoping to shed weight.
1. Keep ‘fat’ clothes as a reminder.
Simply glancing at her old clothes helps Lester remember how far she has come and how she doesn’t want to regain the weight.
“I went from a size 22 to a size 12 — a 2X to a medium,” she said. “That is almost more important than saying I lost all this weight. I can visually see (it by) looking at an old t-shirt.”
2. Celebrate non-scale victories.
When Lester was losing weight, she felt frustrated when the number on the scale wasn’t getting smaller.
“The scale was almost my enemy,” she said. “If … I didn’t like what it said, I was going on a downward spiral.”
That’s when she realized she had to focus on how she felt or how her clothes felt as a measure of success.
“These pants were a little snug but now I don’t have to unbutton them. That is what I look for,” she said.
3. Set reasonable goals.
While Lester knew she needed to lose more than 35 pounds, she was overwhelmed by shedding large amounts of weight. That is why she kept her goals reasonable. After she lost 35 pounds, she focused on losing 50 pounds. Then 75 pounds. This kept her motivated.
“Don’t set a big huge goal that you may not reach right away,” she said. “Set little goals. Make a goal just to walk for 30 minutes every day. Make a goal to cut back on something you eat a lot.”
4. Do what feels right for you.
Lester knows a lot of people who are successful with low-carb diets. That doesn’t work for her so she skipped it. Over the years, she learned that working out in the morning, running or walking three or four miles, keeps her energy up for the rest of the day.
“If I wait until the afternoon, I tend to skip workouts,” she explained.
She believes she’s so successful because she does what feels right for her instead of following the pack or seeking out another trend.
“Find what works for you. Not every diet, or lifestyle, works for everyone,” Lester said.
Everyone stores their groceries differently, and sometimes that sparks debate over where specific ingredients should be kept. Should butter go in the fridge or on the counter? What about ketchup? And do you store your nuts in a container in the cupboard or the fridge? Sometimes, the best place to store some of your grocery items can come as a surprise, so we gathered up a few items that could go either way. In most cases, these groceries won’t go bad right away if you happen to leave them on the counter or in your pantry, but they’ll last longer in the fridge (which might mean you can save a little on your grocery bill, too!).
1. Nuts (and Natural Nut Butters)
We know you’re probably used to leaving your nuts out on the counter or tucked in the pantry, but if you want them to last, it’s better to keep them in the fridge. The oils in nuts can go rancid over time but storing them in the fridge will help prevent that. You can still store nuts on your countertop for a couple of months, but if you have any that you want to save longer, just pop them in the fridge. If you feel like they’re getting a stale flavor from the fridge, toast them for a few minutes and they’ll be snack-worthy again. The same is true for natural nut butters too, like organic peanut butter. The oils in natural nut butters can also go rancid, so you should keep them in the fridge after opening a jar.
2. Whole Grain and Whole Wheat Flours
Flour is undeniably a pantry staple, but if you stock your shelves with whole grain or whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose, you should make some space for it in the fridge. As the name suggests, whole grain flour is made from whole grains of wheat—that includes the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. The bran and the germ are high in vitamins, nutrients, and healthy fats, which can go rancid over time (and they can also attract unwanted pests to munch on your flour). To help preserve them and keep away pantry pests, store any whole grain flour you have in your fridge. In contrast, all-purpose flour is usually made with just the endosperm, which doesn’t have as much oil, so it’s fine to keep in your cupboard.
3. Condiments (Like Ketchup and Soy Sauce)
Restaurants may leave their ketchup bottles out on the table, but that doesn’t mean you should. Heinz has stated before that their ketchup is shelf-stable due to its natural acidity, but they also added a caveat: Consumers should still refrigerate their ketchup after opening it. Once your ketchup is open, it’s easier for the product to deteriorate over time, especially after a month at room temperature (you should also refrigerate homemade ketchup). Soy sauce is a similar case—it’s unlikely to spoil if you store it in your cupboard because of its high sodium content, but it can still lose its flavor over time if it’s not stored in the fridge.
4. Sweet Corn
For the best flavor, you should cook and eat sweet corn right after it’s been picked. But if you wind up with a lot of extra ears on your hands, don’t leave them out on your countertop like you would with most fruits and veggies. Unless you preserve your corn, sweet corn starts to lose its flavor after harvesting. Storing it in the fridge with the husks on will help it to last longer, and keep more of its sweet flavor.
5. Flour Tortillas
It’s true that you probably just grab a bag of tortillas off the shelf at the grocery store, but once you get them home and open them, you should keep leftovers in the fridge. This isn’t a case where your extra tortillas will go bad right away if you leave them on the counter, but they will dry out sooner than if you store them in the fridge. Keeping your flour tortillas in the fridge will extend their shelf-life by as much as a few weeks, so it’s worth saving those extras in the fridge for the next taco night.
These tips may leave you with less space in your fridge, but trust us, they’ll pay off in the long run. While there are plenty of foods that are better left out of the fridge, in these instances, giving up some fridge space will help your groceries last longer and taste fresher when you use them. Plus, you can finally settle the debate in your house about whether ketchup belongs in the fridge or on the counter!
Some good tips from Better Homes and Gardens and By Andrea Beck.
Intermittent fasting is as simple as a schedule that divides your day into two parts: an eating window and a fasting window. While most diet plans are fundamentally concerned with WHAT you eat, this plan is all about WHEN you eat, and that’s it.
There’s no meal planning, no shopping lists or other advance preparation. You can customize your eating schedule based on your lifestyle, and then all you have to do is follow the schedule! The structure of intermittent fasting is meant to make the most of your body’s natural metabolic processes every day, so that you can be on your way to long term optimal health.
The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting might just be the simplest diet you’ve ever encountered, and it has something for everyone–whether you’re looking to lose weight, increase your athletic performance or boost your brain health. In fact, the results are so potent, they almost seem to good to be true. We were skeptical too, so we’ve compiled a list of all the health benefits supported by scientific studies:
1. Weight loss and maintenance
By training your body to burn fat for energy, intermittent fasting will tap into your body’s natural weight loss mechanisms. Plus, the simplicity of the plan means you’re much more likely to stick with it!
2. Increased energy
Unlike so many calorie restriction diets that can make you feel sluggish, the intermittent fasting schedule is designed to regulate your hormones so that you’re always easily accessing stored fat for energy. No more afternoon slumps!
3. Increased mental clarity and focus
Intermittent fasting has the ability to boost your brainpower because it increases your BDNF, which supports brain connectivity and new neuron growth.
4. Better cognitive function
The hormonal changes that occur when you follow intermittent fasting have actually been shown to provide protection against neuro-degenerative diseases that affect your memory and brain function.
5. Regulated blood sugar and insulin levels
The quickest and most efficient way to lower insulin levels is through fasting. While you’re in your fasting window, no new glucose is being supplied to your body, which means your body has no choice but to use up stored glucose.
6. Support healthy cholesterol and blood pressure
Intermittent fasting is an excellent prescription for heart health, because of its ability to support your liver’s cholesterol production at a healthy level. Studies have shown that 70 days of alternate-day fasting can reduce LDL cholesterol by 25 percent.
7. Reduced inflammation
Your body relies on a process called “autophagy” to clear out old and damaged tissues and cells. When you fast and give your body a break from the constant effort of digesting food, it seems to be able to focus more energy on repair, which means alleviating inflammation in the body.
8. Increased metabolic rate
When you practice intermittent fasting and successfully switch your body into fat-burning mode, your body is actually using adrenaline to release stored glycogen and access fat to burn. These increased adrenaline levels will speed up your metabolism.
9. Long term anti-aging benefits
There are numerous studies indicating that intermittent fasting can help you live longer, plus it might be able to help you fight off cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Most Popular Intermittent Fasting Schedules
So, you’ve decided to give intermittent fasting a try (congratulations!), and you need to know what the eating schedule is. Even just a quick online search probably gave you an overwhelming amount of information about the different kinds of plans, durations, days, etc.
With such a wide variety of intermittent fasting regimens, how can you figure out which one is best for you?
Not to fear, we’ve put together a helpful breakdown of the different schedules. After all, you want to make sure you’re choosing a schedule that works well with your lifestyle and can maximize the incredible health benefits that intermittent fasting can give you.
The 16/8 Schedule
This is easily the most popular of all the intermittent fasting schedules. It combines an 8-hour eating window with a 16-hour fasting window. So, for example, only eating between the hours of noon and 8:00 p.m.
Pro: This is the most common schedule for a reason. It fits pretty seamlessly into most lifestyles, seeing as how you can choose to skip either breakfast or dinner, depending on your personal preferences. Also, you’re sleeping during a good chunk of the fasting window, which makes it easier.
Con: 16 hours can be a long time to go without food when you’re new to fasting. After one or two weeks, most people hardly notice any more hunger pangs, but it does take your body a little while to get adjusted to this schedule.
Who it’s for: This schedule is suited for just about anyone, but especially if you’ve already experimented with shorter fasting windows, you might want to give this one a try. It tends to hit the sweet spot for most people as far as being manageable while still providing noticeable benefits.
The 12/12 Schedule
This is typically the best way to start out for anyone completely new to fasting. It used to be quite normal for people to fast for 12 hours. Dinnertime around 7pm, breakfast at 7am. Enter the advent of freezer food and late night snacks, not to mention the longer work days which cause people to stay up later.
Suddenly we are eating around the clock, and it’s wreaking havoc on our blood sugar and waistlines. Did you know that your body doesn’t actually switch from a “fed” state to the “fasted” state until about 4 hours after you’ve finished your last meal?
Pro: This schedule requires minimal effort. It is a great way to reset your body to what is more natural for it (giving your digestive system a break overnight). Plus, you’ll probably sleep better and you’re not likely to experience any hunger pangs with such a small fasting window.
Con: Because the fasting window is relatively small, you’re not likely to see as many health benefits as quickly as you would on a plan with a longer fasting window. This is because it typically takes your body anywhere from 8-10 hours after enjoying your last meal to get to a fasted state. Only then do you enter fat-burning mode. So with a 12-hour fast, you’re only going to be in fat-burning mode for maybe 2-3 hours.
Who it’s for: Anyone new to fasting or struggling with the idea of giving up food for too long.
The 20-Hour Fast (Warrior Diet)
A 20-hour fasting schedule has been popularized by the “Warrior Diet,” which was created by Ori Hofmekler. Inspired by the eating habits of ancient Spartan and Roman warriors, this plan requires you to eat all your food within a four hour window. So, for example, only eating between 2pm and 6pm. The Warrior Diet also encourages a focus on high-intensity interval training and a diet of unprocessed foods.
Pro: Because this is a pretty condensed intermittent fasting schedule, it can work really well for folks with a hectic lifestyle. You only have to worry about preparing and eating food for 4 hours per day, and the rest of the day you can just focus on getting everything else done. Also, many people report getting very deep and restful sleep when they follow this plan.
Con: It can be difficult for some people to go a full 20 hours without consuming any calories, especially when you’re just starting out with fasting.
Who it’s for: Someone who already has some experience with intermittent fasting but who is looking for faster fat-loss results. Also, there are online testimonials of folks who started with the 16/8 plan but found that they were still experiencing sugar cravings and a desire to overeat during the 8-hour window. These folks found great success with the Warrior Diet, because it is nearly impossible to overeat in a 4-hour eating window, given the limited space in your belly!
The 24-Hour Fast
Despite how it sounds, a 24-hour fast does not require you to go a whole day without eating. You will just be fasting from dinner one day until dinner the next day. Or breakfast to breakfast or lunch to lunch, depending on what you prefer. If you have dinner at 7pm tonight and don’t eat again until 7pm tomorrow, you’ve just completed a 24-hour fast.
Pro: This one can be very complementary to a busy day at work. Let’s say you have a super hectic day at the office or maybe a full day of travel. Instead of stressing about when and what to eat in the midst of your chaotic day, just take a break. Don’t worry about eating all day, until whenever you get home for dinner.
Con: You don’t want to do this one every day. It’s not recommended to do a 24-hour fast more than twice per week.
Who it’s for: People whose busy schedules could benefit from eliminating the stress of finding, preparing, eating and cleaning up food for an entire day, a couple days per week.
The 5:2 Diet
This plan is a little different than most traditional intermittent fasting schedules. Instead of completely abstaining from food during any set fasting window, you instead just dramatically limit your calories during a period of time. Specifically, you eat normally for 5 days of the week. On the other two days (your choice), women limit their calories to 500 for the day, and men stay below 600 calories per day.
Pro: You never have to face a time period where you’re not allowed to eat anything. This is a great plan to ease your way into the concept of fasting, without diving in all the way.
Con: You do have to be pretty precise about counting calories twice a week, which can be a pain. That means you need to look up the caloric content of everything you’re eating, measure out your portion sizes, and keep track throughout the day.
Who it’s for: People who enjoy the process of counting and tracking calories. (We know you’re out there!) This is also a great plan for anyone who is daunted by the prospect of having to face hunger pangs while fasting, because you never actually have to go without food on this plan.
Tim Ferriss 3-Day Fast Protocol
Tim Ferris has developed a three-day fasting protocol that is meant to accelerate your transition into ketosis, also known as fat-burning mode. Here’s what it looks like:
Stop eating by 6pm on Thursday. On Friday morning, go for a 3-4 hour walk while drinking lots of water. This should use up your body’s remaining glycogen stores, which will then transition you into ketosis. You don’t eat anything all day Friday and Saturday, but Tim does recommend supplementing with MCT oil or other ketone sources. You continue your fast into the daytime on Sunday and then break your fast with dinner on Sunday evening, right around 6pm. Tim’s protocol recommends doing this kind of 3-day fast once a month.
Pro: This plan has proven results for dropping people into ketosis much more quickly than other schedules. And because you stay in ketosis for several days, you can expect accelerated fat loss, plus reduced inflammation and increased autophagy (cell regeneration).
Con: Fasting for several days straight is not easy for the uninitiated. You also have to plan your day around being able to go for a long walk on the first full day of fasting. And, definitely expect to have lower energy levels throughout the fast.
Who it’s for: Anyone who’s highly motivated to get accelerated benefits of intermittent fasting. If you’ve already experimented with other schedules and maybe are looking for a kickstart to break through a weight loss plateau, this might be the right plan for you.
Alternate Day Fasting
This intermittent fasting schedule is actually a hybrid plan, where you can pick either the 16/8 schedule, the 12 hour fast, or the 20-hour fast. Then, instead of following that plan every single day, you would only adhere to your chosen fasting window every other day.
Pro: This approach tends to make any intermittent fasting schedule much more manageable and customizable.
Con: It might take a little longer to see health benefits, since you’re not switching your body into the fasted state every day. Please note: this doesn’t mean you won’t see benefits! Plenty of people get awesome results with alternate day fasting, and they find it much easier to sustain.
Who it’s for: Anyone not ready to commit to a full intermittent fasting schedule every day. Also, this approach definitely seems to work better for some women. You can read more about how intermittent fasting can affect women differently further below.
36-Hour Fast
This is a more intense fasting approach, typically deployed in situations where there is physician oversight and you’re trying to regulate Type 2 Diabetes. It looks like this: Finish eating dinner by 7pm tonight, don’t eat at all tomorrow, and then have breakfast after 7am the day after tomorrow. Dr. Jason Fung has used this protocol with great success in helping those who suffer from Type 2 Diabetes.
Pro: Excellent success rate, over the long term, for managing insulin sensitivity.
Con: Quite difficult to implement.
Who it’s for: Primarily recommended for those trying to manage insulin sensitivity.
One simple, but effective, diet change that could help you lose weight is asking two questions. First, ask if you’re hungry and then ask what you’re in the mood to eat.
Photo by Evgeny Karandaev/Shutterstock
Understand Why
People often eat for reasons besides physical hunger. Understanding why you want to eat a certain food could help you determine if eating is the best solution. “You could be procrastinating, or bored, or stressed. Or maybe you just really need a hug. Distract yourself for five to ten minutes, a buffer time to decide if you’re really hungry,” says Jennipher Walters, a certified personal trainer, co-founder of Fit Bottomed Girls LLC, and author of The Fit Bottomed Girls Anti-Diet. Here are easy ways to lose weight naturally.
Try taking your lunch break earlier
astarot/Shutterstock
According to a recent study published in Obesity, taking an earlier lunch break could help you lose weight. Participants who ate their lunch earlier lost 25 percent more weight than those who dined after 3 p.m. All participants consumed the same amount of calories and the same foods. Researchers speculate that this weight change could be attributed to hunger triggering cravings for junk food.
Stick to an eating schedule
Mita Stock Images/Shutterstock
Fiola Sowemimo, MD, board-certified in internal and bariatric medicine, says that the quality and quantity of food you eat is only half of the weight loss equation. “Regardless of which diet you choose, when you eat is important too,” Dr. Sowemimo says. Starving during the day and ignoring hunger could lead to bingeing later, she says. Plus, Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RD, adds that the peaks and valleys of hunger throughout the day could make it more difficult to manage cravings. Eating regular meals at regular times could actually help normalize your metabolism.
Don’t hoard your calories
Saving your calories for a big meal, later on, is not recommended, says Danielle Pashko, the author of Breaking Your Fat Girl Habits: Weight Loss Mistakes Even Healthy Chicks Make! This bad habit leads to overeating. Instead, try having a protein-full snack to ward off hunger two hours before your big meal.
Give intermittent fasting a try
Clinical nutritionist Stephanie Moore says intermittent fasting could be a great way to challenge the body to burn more fat and maintain muscle. Some studies have also found that regular short-term fasts could boost metabolism by 3.6 to 14 percent. Intermittent fasting is a convenient way to restrict calories without consciously trying to eat less. Many studies show that it is an effective weight loss strategy if people don’t overcompensate calorie-wise with their meals.
Sit down and eat without distractions
Mindful eating is vital for a healthy diet, according to McKenzie Flinchum, RD, LD/N, CPT, Founder of The Flexible Dietitian LLC. “We tend to eat for many other reasons besides hunger, including boredom, celebrations, food cravings, etc.,” Flinchum says. “When a person sits down while eating, he or she is more conscious and is better able to pay attention to the whole process.” That said, eliminating other distractions while eating is beneficial too since a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that distracted eating may add to weight gain.
Source: Readers Digest
Related: Pt. 2: 30 Tiny Diet Changes That Can Help You Lose Weight – TUTORING YOU
There are countless dieting tips, tricks, recipes, and meal plans available in a single Google search, all promoting different ways to lose weight. But beyond the hacks, what you eat and the amount you eat are affected by more than just your degree of motivation and the desire to look good. Even if you’re on a diet plan meant to help you lose weight fast, sometimes it’s still a struggle thanks to the natural urges of your body.
The first thing to understand when you want to lose a few pounds is set point weight. This is your body’s “happy weight,” including the amount of fat the body feels most comfortable carrying around. According to Dara Dirhan EdD, MPH, RDN, LDN, this amount of fat also becomes what the brain has determined to be the best for optimal function. “Two hunger hormones are responsible for trying to regulate the body’s set point: ghrelin and leptin.” Ghrelin is known as the “hunger hormone,” as it is secreted when energy in the brain is low. This hormone creates that hungry feeling that convinces you to consume glucose—your brain’s preferred source for energy. Leptin is known as the “satiety hormone,” because it signals the brain when you’ve eaten enough and energy levels are met.
These signals have three primary functions, according to David Prologo, MD, a dual board-certified obesity-medicine physician and interventional radiologist. They tell your body when to seek food, when to slow down and conserve energy, and when to store fuel for a coming “famine”—all in the name of survival.
“The brain isn’t concerned with looking slim and pretty,” Dr. Prolongo says. “It is concerned with maintaining life.” Your body and brain are programmed to remain stable at your set point. Therefore, when you first start a new diet—or you aren’t consuming enough energy for your brain’s needs—you can experience symptoms like weakness, hunger, depression, fatigue, and headaches, among other symptoms. The good news is that after several weeks the brain eases up on these signals. Dr. Prologo says your body finds a new set point.
Dr. Jason McKeown, MD, neurologist, and CEO of Modius Health, adds that once your body reaches a new set point, you’ll specifically see a reduction in your appetite and cravings. “To maintain results, diets in the long term can influence this set-range, making your brain [sic] adapt and be comfortable at a lower weight,” Dr. McKeown says. Conversely, overeating certain foods high in sugar and saturated fats in the long run could shift the set point for body fat upward.
Changing how the brain works takes months and sometimes even years, so diet and weight goals should be considered. “In the long run you could reset the weight range that your brain has established, which will cause your body to speed up metabolism and decrease appetite, becoming comfortable with a lower weight,” McKeown says. “Whereas in the short run, you may lose a few pounds, but you’ll often plateau and see the weight creep back up as it’s not enough to influence the weight your brain and body is happy with.”
The quality of your diet is another variable. For brain health and well-being, Dirhan recommends choosing a whole-foods diet as much as possible. “This means staying away from foods that have been processed or refined and incorporating more low-energy dense foods (foods lower in calories) into the diet, like fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat, poultry, fish, and whole grains,” Dirhan says. “Instead of focusing on a ‘calorie salary,’ sticking to a whole-foods diet and practicing mindful eating are sure to make the brain happy while aiding in weight loss.”
Focusing on calories is just one of many things keeping you from losing weight. Farrah Hauke, Psy.D., a psychologist in Scottsdale, Arizona, who specializes in weight management and weight loss, agrees and adds that we are more likely to binge when we are overly restricting what we eat. Plus, when we eat foods higher in fat or sugar, our brains release “feel-good” chemicals that make these experiences rewarding, Dr. Hauke says.
Specifically, when we eat “junk food,” dopamine neurons are activated. “We don’t see this same brain stimulation with ‘diet foods’ such as broccoli and grilled chicken breast,” Dr. Hauke says. The lack of dopamine sparked by traditionally strict diets means we are also less likely to find dieting reinforcing. Thus, Dr. Hauke says we need to find ways to reward ourselves, feel satisfied, and avoid “cognitive distortions”—negative thinking patterns that contribute to the common all-or-nothing diet approach.
Dirhan, Dr. Hauke, Dr. McKeown, and Dr. Prolongo all agree that rigid rules, unrealistic expectations about eating, and fad diets aren’t the best strategies for your body and brain. Instead, focus on the quality of your diet, listening to your body’s hunger cues, and adding physical activity. This, along with these tiny changes, can help you lose weight.
WOW! I am so impressed with this man. What tremendous will-power!
By Jen Babakhan & Readers Digest
Hovig Ayvazian says he first noticed he was packing on pounds when the little tasks of life left him out of breath. Things like putting his socks on—and having to hold his breath to reach his feet—let him know that his weight gain was getting to be unhealthy. But then he came up with a plan that still allowed him to eat his favorite food—and shed 100-plus pounds.
Ayvazian is a 50-year-old Domino’s Pizza franchise vice president, and he tells Reader’s Digest, “I used to be very active in sports, but life and work stresses eventually took over. The inactivity began to add up. At first, it was five pounds a year, and then 10. It was a gradual thing until I knew I had to do something.”
After a couple of unsuccessful attempts at losing the weight, Ayvazian was beginning to lose hope. “My health was borderline. When they did blood tests, all of them came back on the edge of being unhealthy. I just finally thought to myself, if I want to see my kids’ future, something has to change. I have to do this before it gets worse. Enough is enough.”
When a co-worker mentioned that she had lost weight using Lose It! an app that allows users to track calories, nutrition, and set weight loss goals, Ayvazian was intrigued. Once he learned how it worked, he was sold. “I’m a numbers guy and I’m competitive. I loved being able to compete with myself to meet the goals I set. I also began to see the nutritional value of the food I was eating, and that helped me make better decisions.”
Ayvazian’s ultimate goal was to lose 160 pounds—but he knew better than to make that his first goal. “I set the first goal at 47 pounds. I wanted to set a small, achievable goal that wasn’t overwhelming. When I met that one, I set another 30-pound goal, and I just kept setting new ones from there.” Ayvazian says his love of pizza (Domino’s Brooklyn Style and Philly Cheese Steak pizzas are his favorites) and the fact that he didn’t have to give it up to see results has kept him motivated. “I plan cheat days or cheat meals every 10 days or so. It keeps me going because if I know one is coming up, then it’s easier to turn down tempting foods in front of me.”
He’s lost 120 pounds so far and has changed up his diet along the way. Ayvazian says that after cutting calories helped him lose the first several pounds, he began incorporating more protein into his diet (Domino’s chicken wings are one of his favorite go-to snacks); eventually, he switched entirely to the keto diet. The move to following the high-protein keto plan helped him push through a weight-loss plateau, and he credits it with helping him lose the last 20 pounds.
“I’m excited about my next doctor’s appointment. I’ve gone off of my blood pressure medication and my insulin levels are normal again. My resting heart rate is better and I’m sleeping really well.” He says he’s playing soccer and basketball again. “When you’re big, you avoid things like sports because they’re hard to do, but now I don’t even have to think about it.”
The keto diet has many benefits—and some drawbacks. Today, he says he stays focused on getting back on track when, for example, the inevitable cheat day turns into a cheat week. “For me, it’s important to even log the embarrassing days, the bad days, because that’s life. It’s self-accountability and bouncing back that works. You can’t beat yourself up for going off track. Just log what happened, and then reset.”
Carrie Underwood is known for her toned and healthy body. She posts her weight loss secrets on Instagram and shares how she maintains her figure despite having two kids, Isaiah and Jacob. Here are five of her valuable ideas on how to maintain a sexy physique postpartum.
Constant Exercise
Every day, Underwood posts her exercise routine for reference to those who yearn for a healthy body like hers. She shared how challenging it was for her to shed off weight after having her second child Jacob.
The “American Idol” Season 4 winner admitted that her body did not function as well as when she had her first child, Isaiah. She said that her body has not recovered from gaining weight and losing it faster than it did last year, Celebrity Insider has learned.
Despite her difficult journey, she suggested that continuing a routine exercise is key to maintaining a healthy physique. She noted that it’s important to continue the healthy habit of exercising even though one is only losing weight at a slow rate. The singer also stated that focusing on every pound and body area is not helpful in the weight loss process.
Food Journaling
Underwood has also shared her meals on social media. She uses the FitnessPal application to keep track of the foods she eats. The mother of two noted that it helps people avoid eating more than necessary and restricts their calorie intake. Among Underwood’s favorite meals are oatmeal and cereals like Kashi Go Lean and Heart to Heart and she prefers eating them without milk, according to Cosmopolitan.
The fitness enthusiast has also highlighted the importance of accepting what her body is capable of achieving instead of being too hard on herself. She shared her insight into how difficult it was for her to lose the extra weight after feeling bloated this year. She said it was more productive for her to continue her routines and just accept the limits to her fitness goals.
Positive Outlook
Underwood also stressed that being too hard on yourself does not help in your weight loss journey. She cited that maintaining a healthy lifestyle goes beyond physical health but also mental stability. If you do not follow a positive outlook while working on your goals, you will not feel content. The “Cry Pretty” songstress cited that when she was too hard on herself, achieving her goals became harder for her to accomplish.
Perseverance
Lastly, Underwood has shared that not giving up on one’s goals is an important factor in achieving a healthier body. She posts her journey every day, showing that one of her weight loss secrets is perseverance. She said that worrying about the number of pounds you lose per exercise or becoming anxious in achieving faster results does not help. She noted that consistency is what helped her achieve a healthier body.
This looks good enough to serve at home. j/k. BEWARE:
7 scary things that can happen to your body if you eat too much processed food
Ok, let’s read the bad news.
Eating processed foods containing high-fructose corn syrup, nitrates, artificial sweeteners, MSG, food coloring, and other ingredients can take a toll on your health. These ingredients are hiding in many of your favorite foods including breakfast cereals, takeout meals, soda, and deli meats. Eating too much processed food is linked to obesity, digestive issues, and sleep disturbances.
Like most things in life, eating processed foods in limited amounts is OK, especially if the food has been minimally processed. It’s when you find yourself eating too many foods filled with sugar, salt, and questionable ingredients that things can take a turn for the worse. That’s why INSIDER asked the experts to give their input on the scary things that can happen to your body if you eat too much processed, junk food.
Digestive issues can be a result of excess junk foods
It’s no secret that what goes in must come out. And when the foods you’re putting in your body are processed, there’s a good chance you’ll experience some digestive issues. Dr. Farshad Fani Marvasti, MPH, director of public health, prevention & health promotion at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, told INSIDER that any processed foods – which according to the USDA comprise over 60% of the standard American diet – can cause digestive problems.
These foods have various chemicals and additives in them that are very difficult for our bodies to digest and process,” he explained. Plus, the additives are toxic to our microbiome (the good bacteria in our bodies). Marvasti said a good way to know the difference between a real food or processed food is to see the list of ingredients.
“If you don’t recognize the ingredients, it’s unlikely to be a ‘real’ food and you may have digestion issues and other related health issues,” he added.
Eating too much sugar and simple carbohydrates can cause fatigue and brain fog. The energy crash and resulting brain fog that happen from too much processed food is something most of us are all too familiar with.
Low blood sugar can happen when you eat a lot of simple carbohydrates
When you eat a lot of simple carbohydrates, your blood sugar initially increases.
You might experience less discipline when it comes to eating
“Processed foods are hyper pleasurable,” meaning every time we eat, we get a positive reward response. “This helps motivate us to eat in order to survive.”
Insulin resistance is a possibility if you eat too much sugar
Registered dietitian Linzi Cruz, LDN, CLT, told INSIDER that when we consume processed foods with high fructose corn syrup, we force the liver to output more sugar, raising blood glucose levels and contributing to increased insulin production to counteract this cascade of events. Over time, Cruz said too much correctional insulin around the cells could cause them to become insulin resistant, leading to pre-diabetes and obesity.
Processed foods can lead to an increase in anxiety and other mood disorders
When anxiety strikes, it’s not uncommon to reach for sugar-packed snacks and other processed foods. Unfortunately, the more you eat, the worse your anxiety gets. Which makes you wonder if an increase in processed foods can trigger anxiety and other mood disorders.
Eating too many processed foods can affect your sleeping patterns
A good way to throw your circadian rhythm off balance is by eating processed foods before bed. “An imbalance of too many processed carbs and too little proteins and healthy fats can send your adrenaline into a frenzy,” explained Cruz. Eating sweets at night can cause a surge of adrenaline, which Cruz said prevents the natural pattern of serotonin and often impacts sleeping patterns.
Was that seven? I lost track. Still haven’t had my coffee. Anyway, just remember, everything in moderation. Really!
