Thursday, February 23, 2017
Monday, February 13, 2017
I Lost 72 Pounds By Eating More Food
Meghan Gilbert, 20, 5'4", from Dallas
Before: 200 lb., size 16
After: 128 lb., size 0
Total pounds lost: 72 lb.
Total sizes lost: 8
Growing up, I never knew the importance of exercise (the most activity I would get was at band practice). That, combined with my love of sweet tea and fast food, was a recipe for weight gain. In fact, by my senior year of high school, my petite five-four frame was weighing in at 190 pounds. I thought the only way to lose was to severely restrict my calories, so I started limiting my meals to just a few crackers here and there. Sure, I shed a few pounds, but I was constantly famished and exhausted. It was clear that if I wanted to drop weight, I needed to fuel my body the right way.
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RELATED: 6 Reasons Why You Can't Out-Exercise a Bad Diet
Falling for fit
I revamped my eating habits, adding protein-packed meals, like chicken or eggs with a side of good carbs and veggies, to my diet. I also started jogging-slash-walking for an hour and a half three times a week. Within two weeks I had more endurance, and my energy levels were up, too. The real change came, though, when I began dating a personal trainer. With his help, I started hitting the gym twice a day, five times a week, doing cardio in the morning and strength training at night. I loved the feeling I got after putting my all into a workout—and the soreness the next day was confirmation that I was steadily working toward my goal. My can-do attitude paid off: Four months later, I was down about 65 pounds.
Sharing the health
Today I no longer pay attention to the scale. I’m also more lenient with my diet—I eat healthy most of the time but treat myself when I want. I love that I found a balance that keeps me happy, healthy, and loving my body. I try to project this message on my Instagram account, @megsmotivationn, to inspire others to reach their goals, too.
RELATED: 57 Ways to Lose Weight Forever, According to Science
Steal Megan’s moves
Follow your inspiration: My Instagram feed is filled with accounts that encourage me to love and take care of myself. One favorite is @tk_line09; every day, she posts a motivational quote or an empowering gym selfie. These help keep me on track.
Amp up exercise: On days I’m feeling sluggish, I’ll have a cup of coffee 30 minutes before I go to the gym. The caffeine keeps me working hard. Plus, research shows it can help you burn more calories post-exercise.
Indulge with friends: I typically have one or two meals each week where I eat whatever I want. To make them more rewarding, I use them as a time to socialize with pals.
Counter cardio: The treadmill is great, but I believe my weight loss came more from strength training. Exercises like deadlifts and squats helped me shed pounds fast.
Meghan is wearing: Reebok OSR Compression Bra ($55; reebok.com for similar); Reebok C Spike tights ($65; reebok.com); and Zoku Runner ULTK sneakers ($125; reebok.com).
As told to Lindsey Murray
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Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Your Personality Is the Key to a Slimmer You, Says Trainer Jen Widerstrom
You can't take a one-size-fits-all approach to losing weight, according to Jen Widerstrom, fitness expert and trainer on NBC’s The Biggest Loser. That's why she wrote her new book, Diet Right for Your Personality Type: The Revolutionary 4-Week Weight-Loss Plan That Works for You ($17; amazon.com), out today. Widerstrom's plan does more than provide eating tips and workouts to help you drop pounds; it also takes into account your personality and behavioral traits, your triggers, what you care about, and other motivating factors to help you customize a diet plan that you'll actually stick to.
“A lot of diet plans come out that don’t include the individual in the plan,” Widerstrom says. “If we don’t identify who you are, we’re not going to find a plan that’s successful for you.” After years of training and coaching thousands of people, Widerstrom identified five core personality types and developed a month-long plan for each based on what’s proven to work best for that person’s behavioral patterns.
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“It has to be different because we’re all different. What would work for you, may not work for me,” she says. “The information behind food, protein, water, fiber, and veggies all exists very similarly throughout all the plans because that is what’s effective in nourishing our bodies. It’s not so much the information I’m giving, it’s the way I’m applying it.”
Widerstrom says she worked with a psychologist to create a simple 20-question assessment to help readers identify which of these five personality types they identify with the closest:
The Organized Doer
The Organized Doer thrives on structure and checklists; the only thing they love more than checklists is crossing things off those lists. “These are the people that like getting up at the same time every day, probably eat the same thing every day, and have no nutritional variety,” Widerstrom explains. “But when given the right plan, they can do very well.”
To cater to their organizational needs, Widerstrom created a step-by-step meal plan, noting exactly what to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Throughout each of the four weeks, Widerstrom includes a detailed grocery list categorized by food groups, which foods to prepare ahead of time, and even the exact amount of water to drink. Knowing how important sticking to a plan is for this type of personality, she made it simple by giving them all the information they need in a systematized list that they can check off as they go.
WATCH: Jen Widerstrom's Full-Body Superset Workout
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The Swinger
The Swinger can be described as the life of the party and a people person. “These are the people that go to Barry’s Bootcamp or SoulCycle because they love what’s trending and what’s cool, and when they’re there they know the instructor’s name or get groups of people together for coffee,” Widerstrom says. “But they skip around a lot and never allow a program to fully sink in, so nothing works. The programs could work, but they never give it a full go or the opportunity to be effective.”
For these non-committers, it’s important for them to be held accountable for the programs they start so they can actually follow through and finish them. In their diet plan, Widerstrom gives menu options for each meal and snack so they feel like they have a say in the decisions, while they’re actually being guided. She compares it to a mom disciplining a young child: “You’re going to do what I asked you to do regardless, but we can do it your way or we can do it my way.”
The Everyday Hero
These are the people that are ‘everyday heroes’ in the lives of their loved ones; they spend so much time helping others that self-care tends to come last on their to-do list. This can often be found in mothers, parents, nurses, police officers, and community service people. “They are extending so much care for everyone else that they become careless with their own health,” Widerstrom says. “Helping them prioritize themselves and their own needs in an effective way is a big turnaround for them.”
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Due to their busy schedules and suppressed “me” time, Widerstrom created the simplest meal plan possible for these folks, using healthy options of pre-packaged snacks and meals, and only relying on a slow-cooker for more involved dinners throughout the week to do most of the work for them. The detailed grocery list and easy-to-follow meal plan with minimal cooking finally gives the everyday heroes a chance to invest in themselves and their own health.
The Never-Ever
Never-Evers are very intelligent and effective people, but they tend to deny or avoid facing their health problems because that would mean they have to deal with it. “It’s scary for them because living in denial is easier for them than the fact that they may fail at weight loss,” Widerstrom says. “They’re a bit more stuck than the rest.”
To combat their fear of failure, Widerstrom created a benefits-based food program to help them see their successes as they happen, motivating them to continue and not give up. “Instead of giving them a course of action to follow, I give them a cause of action,” she says. “Week to week, they’ll be given new directives, points of focus, and goals.” This keeps them focused on the big picture, so they’ll feel successful quicker and will feel driven to continue.
RELATED: The Same 10 Weight Loss Mistakes Everyone Makes
The Rebel
Widerstrom describes The Rebel as “kind of like a tornado.” They’re unpredictable and chaotic, but once they set their mind to something, they’re as determined as ever.
“They like to find their own way, without guidelines, to get sh*t done,” she says. “But because there’s no guidelines, that becomes negatively represented in their training habits, food portions, and timing.” To satisfy their spontaneous and impulsive personalities, Widerstrom created a meal plan that is “all about guidelines without containment.” She focuses on controlling portion size, combating cravings, and regulating meal times to create stability and routine, leading the rebels to live healthier lives.
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Monday, February 6, 2017
10 Easy Ways To Slash Calories
This article originally appeared on Time.com.
Cutting a few calories here and there won’t show up on the scale immediately, but making consistent changes will. Here are10 effortless ways to sidestep excess calories throughout your day—without missing them at all.
Drink your tea or coffee plain
A recent study published in the journal Public Health found that people who drink their coffee black consume about 69 fewer calories a day, compared to those who add cream, sugar and other extras to their cups. For tea drinkers, skipping the add-ins saves about 43 calories a day.
Get more fiber at breakfast
“If you choose a high-fiber breakfast cereal, you’re going to feel full sooner and eat less of it overall,” says dietitian Kristi King, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and clinical instructor at Baylor College of Medicine. Oats are one good option: In a 2015 study published in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism (sponsored by the Quaker Oats Company), participants who ate oatmeal consumed 31% fewer calories at lunch than those who ate sugared corn flakes.
Swap soda for carbonated water
Cutting out one can of soda or sugar-sweetened beverage a day could save you about 150 calories. “My favorite tip for cutting back on soda is to switch to sparkling water,” says King. “You can add fruit or even a little sweetener if you want some extra flavor, but even then you’ll be cutting way back on the sugar in soda.” Switching to diet soda will save you calories as well, but some research suggests you may compensate for them elsewhere.
Eat protein throughout the day
Eating meals and snacks with protein, found in nuts, seeds, lean meat, soy and dairy, can stop you from feeling hungry by mid-afternoon and yielding to candy’s sweet lure, says King. Research backs this up: A 2016 review published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that high-protein meals have a greater effect on fullness than low-protein ones.
Watch your salad toppings
Kudos for skipping the bread, but choosing a salad won’t automatically save you calories. “You really want to stick with veggies and be careful about the other stuff you’re putting on there,” says King. “Cheese, croutons, bacon and even dried fruit can be really high in calories, so if you’re being very calorie-conscious, it’s best to avoid those.”
Order food before you’re hungry
If your favorite lunch spot has online ordering or a call-ahead option, take advantage of it. A 2016 study published in the Journal of Marketing Research found that people who selected catered food options at least an hour before eating tended to order fewer calories than those ordered at lunchtime and ate immediately. Waiting until you’re hungry to decide what to eat increases your odds of overindulging, say the study authors.
Keep your kitchen clean
When it feels like everything around you is cluttered and chaotic, keeping your diet under control may seem like less of a priority, say researchers at the Cornell University Food & Brand Lab. In a 2016 study published in Environment and Behavior, they found that women who spent 10 minutes in a messy kitchen ate twice as many cookies—and 53 more calories, on average—than those who waited in the same room when it was clean and organized.
Do more cooking at home
If you’ve already resolved to do more home cooking this year, it may help to know that—on top of its other benefits—the habit helps you cut calories. A 2015 study in the journal Public Health Nutrition found that people who cooked dinner six or seven nights a week consumed about 150 calories fewer per day than those who cooked once a week or less. Frequent home cooks also tended to make healthier choices, and consume fewer calories, on nights they ate out.
Cut back on cooking oil
“When you’re sautéing vegetables or cooking on the stovetop, one of the best things you can do to cut calories is to use a nonstick cooking spray instead of oil in your pan,” says King. (A tablespoon of oil has about 120 calories.) You can also sub in a few tablespoons of chicken, beef or vegetable broth, she adds. “It will help prevent sticking to the pan and give your vegetables more flavor.”
Don’t eat in front of the TV
Eating dinner (or even worse, a bag of potato chips) while watching television is asking for trouble, says King. Not only can we overeat because we’re not paying attention to portion sizes, but our brains may not fully register that we’ve eaten at all, triggering hunger sensations soon after. The more distracting the entertainment, the worse news for your waistline: A 2014 study in JAMA Internal Medicine found that people who watched an action movie ate more calories than those who watched a low-key talk show.
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Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Former Fat-Shaming Bully Apologizes on Reddit After Gaining Over 100 Pounds Himself
Sadly, body shamers are everywhere. In the last few weeks alone, trolls called photos of Simone Biles in a swimsuit "ugly" and "gross," Amy Schumer's social feeds were filled with hateful comments after she was cast in an upcoming Barbie movie, and Lena Dunham felt the need to defend her un-Photoshopped Glamour cover.
Now, at least one body-shaming bully is trying to make amends with the people he used to harass. On Tuesday, Reddit user roundrobinator posted to the weight loss subreddit LoseIt an "Open Letter of Apology." "I am the one who was giving you dirty looks in the grocery store. I am the one who rolled their eyes at you in the restaurant. I am the one who shared that insensitive meme," he says at the beginning of his screed. Later, he reveals what caused his change of heart: After a lifetime of being thin, he ruptured his Achilles' tendon and gained 119 pounds, and became the butt of the same types of jokes and insensitive comments he used to dish out. He wrote the apology letter shortly after a random passerby made pig-snorting noises at him.
"[I hoped] that someone like me who's never been big and tended to judge those who are would read this and just go out into the world with somewhat of a different perspective the next day," roundrobinator told Health via Reddit. (He declined to provide his real name.) He also said he wants to be a more body-positive role model for his daughter.
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The letter received an outpouring of positive comments—more than the anonymous writer says he ever could have imagined. He says other Reddit users have offered him health advice books they've written, complimentary consulting services, and simply (but arguably most importantly) words of support on his journey to reclaim his own health.
Regardless of the author's motives, he concludes his apology with a message we wish we saw more often: "I know now that you are so much more than your weight."
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Thursday, January 12, 2017
Do This During Your Workday to Burn More Calories and Fat
This article originally appeared on RealSimple.com.
You already know that getting off your butt for periods of time throughout the day can reduce some of the harmful effects of too much sitting. (Hello, standing desk!) But a new study from the University of Glasgow in the U.K. suggests that you’ll get a bigger health boost if you focus not only on the number of hours you spend standing, but on the number of times you stand up, as well.
Specifically, men in the study burned more calories and fat when they stood up more frequently throughout an eight-hour period (for 90 seconds at a time), than when they stood for longer blocks (15 minutes at a time)—even though the total time they spent standing was the same.
This fact alone isn’t surprising, say the researchers, since each sit-to-stand (and stand-to-sit) transition requires muscle activation and energy expenditure; it’s also been shown that fidgeting and toe-tapping burn extra calories, for similar reasons. But this is the first time different standing intervals have been tested against each other, providing actual numbers to back up this common belief.
The research, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, involved 10 overweight men who each participated in three 8-hour scenarios over the course of several weeks. In one scenario, the men sat for the entire day, getting up only for bathroom breaks. In a second scenario, they alternated sitting or standing every 15 minutes. The third scenario was similar to the second, except some of those blocks were broken down further into 90-second sit-and-stand intervals.
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In both sit-and-stand scenarios, the men were on their feet for four hours total. But while the second scenario involved 32 transitions between the two positions, the third scenario involved 320. And that made a difference: While the second scenario burned 10.7 percent more calories than sitting continuously, the third burned 20.4 percent more.
Put another way, the men burned about 76 calories more throughout the day when they stood in 15-minute blocks, compared to sitting only. But their bodies burned an additional 71 calories, on average—and oxidized about 7.1 grams more fat—when they upped the frequency of ups and downs.
Over a period of four weeks, the authors calculated, those scenarios could translate to a weight loss of 2.7 pounds and 4.9 pounds, respectively. The fact that standing more frequently boosted fat oxidation (the process by which the body breaks fat molecules) may also have implications for weight management, the authors say, since high fat-oxidation levels seem to protect against long-term weight gain.
Exercise physiologist Tom Holland, found of Team Holland LLC, says that despite the small sample size, the findings make sense and should be considered “excellent news.”
“Not only do you not have to stand all day while at work or at home, you will actually benefit by alternating sitting with standing,” Holland told RealSimple.com in an email. (Holland was not involved in the study.) “I believe one reason is that rising from a seated position and lowering your body weight back down repeatedly takes more effort and expends more energy than does continuously standing stationary.”
It may be tough—not to mention detrimental to your productivity—to change your position every minute and a half throughout the day. But try switching it up as frequently as you realistically can, says Holland. “Think of it as interval training,” he says. “You are in effect adding squats to your standing routine.”
It should be mentioned, however, that the researchers found no substantial effects on glucose, insulin, or triglyceride metabolism for either sit-stand scenario, compared to sitting only. In other words, it didn’t provide all of the physiological benefits that a more intense workout would.
So could standing up more frequently ever take the place of actual exercise? Not a chance, says Holland. “But it can help mitigate the deleterious effects of sitting for extended periods of time,” he says. “It’s a part of being more active throughout the day. It all adds up.”
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