Category Archives: Lose Weight Fast

Shelli Johnson recalls the humiliation she felt, upon stepping onto the doctors scale while pregnant with her first son, like it was yesterday.

Now everythings digital, but back then it was one of those balance-beam scales, she says, and I remember the nurse setting it at 250 then having to chunk the little thing over to 300. I was devastated. I was like, This isnt real. This cant be happening. It was the heaviest Id ever been.

The not-so-magical number? Three-hundred-four more than twice the healthy weight range for her 5-foot-8 frame.

That excruciating moment, she says, came in 2001, at a time in her life when she was struggling with depression and bulimia, when she would have much preferred to be invisible. The revelation cut so deep that at her next prenatal checkup, she got onto the scale with her back to the numbers, while politely asking not to be told the results.

These days, however, the Lake Wylie, S.C. writer and graphic designer is no longer trying to hide her body or shy away from knowing about her weight. In fact, nearly two decades later and 174 pounds lighter, shes put herself out there in an extraordinarily public way: This month, a beaming, slimmed-down Johnson was featured along with two other women on the cover of People magazines annual Half Their Size! issue.

Its a major milestone in a lifelong journey that has seen her endure a seemingly never-ending string of miserable weight-loss failures (as a result of everything from fad dieting to, incredibly, the influence of Nazi Germany) followed by years of incredible successes thanks to something called intuitive eating, which she credits with, among other things, giving her the ability to satisfy sugar fixes with just one or two bites of a doughnut.

But the journey, says Johnson, now 48, isnt over yet. It might never be.

On the surface, Shelli Johnson appeared to be a pretty normal, active kid while growing up in rural Ohio in the 70s. She took horseback-riding lessons, rode her 10-speed bicycle all over town, ran around in the woods near her house, and skated on the local pond in the wintertime.

But despite all of that, she didnt necessarily look like a normal, active kid. She weighed more than most of her friends, and as she progressed through elementary school, she gradually became more overweight.

Her father wasnt helping matters, either. At all.

Raised in Germany during the second World War, by parents then loyal to Adolf Hitler, he clung in adulthood to a mentality that wasnt compatible with his daughters size.

I was brought up in this we-have-to-be-perfect, we-dont-tolerate-weakness environment, Shelli Johnson says. I mean, Ive watched videos on how Hitler was teaching children, and what I was taught as a kid was exactly what my father was taught.

Basically, being overweight was unacceptable to him. Completely unacceptable. He would point out that I was eating too much, he would point out that I was fat, he would point out that I had a double-chin. In front of others. Which I think was his way of trying to motivate me. But that made me feel worse. So I would overeat. From there, it just spiraled.

By the time she was 9, Johnson was sneaking herself and a collection of sweets into her closet, or into a locked bathroom in part because eating gave her such comfort and because food was such a reliable friend, something that soothed her soul and provided a respite from the anxiety she felt around her father.

By the time she was 13, she was forcing herself to throw up after every meal or big snack, stealing away to the nearest toilet six or seven times a day in an effort to lose weight a brutal habit that continued for more than a decade, one she wouldnt be able to fully kick until she was 30 years old.

And by the time she was 14, she was into her dads shaving kit, toying with the idea of doing something drastic involving his razor and her left arm, once even taking a hesitant slice that was deep enough to draw blood but not so deep that it left a permanent scar.

Upon graduating from high school, Johnson weighed 220 pounds.

She couldnt help but wonder: Am I always going to be this big?

Little did she know that the answer was a big, fat no but that she was going to have to get even bigger, and then smaller, and bigger, and smaller, and bigger, and smaller again, before true change would occur.

Johnson went on to college, where she earned a bachelors degree in journalism, and grad school, where she earned a masters in fiction writing.

In a practical sense, though, she was just as much a student of dieting.

Throughout her 20s, she tried it all, from mainstream diet programs like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem to super-restrictive fad diets like No Sugar No Flour and downright absurd Hail-Mary diets like the one that saw her eating nothing but rice cakes and lettuce every day.

The funny thing is, most of them worked. At least, in the sense that shed shed weight 60, 70, 80 pounds at a time, often quite quickly. The problem was keeping it off. As she says, they call it yo-yo dieting for a reason.

Johnson was 30 years old when she stepped onto the scale and saw she was 304 pounds, while pregnant and on the bottom end of another yo-yo. She continued floundering with her weight after she had her first son, and again after she had her second a couple of years later. Eventually, she just threw up her hands in defeat.

I was so tired and exhausted and ashamed, she says. I felt like a failure, and I was tired of feeling that way. So I was like, OK, I give up. Nothing works for me. There must be something wrong with me. It must be me.

It wasnt until she was on the brink of 40 when she finally had her aha! moment.

Multiple aha! moments, in fact.

First, she came to the conclusion that dieting was never going to work for her, especially not the harshly restrictive ones. Anyone can sustain them for awhile, but virtually no one, she felt, could sustain them for the rest of their lives.

Second, she decided that food wasnt her problem, but rather her relationship with food was the issue. Throughout her life, shed responded to stressors by overeating; shed looked to use food to fix her problem, to fix her mood, to put a mask over some sort of emotional pain or distress she was experiencing. Shed been eating, all too often, based on her emotional needs.

And third, she got turned on to whats called intuitive eating, which basically builds off of the notions that serve as the foundations for those first two beliefs by positing this: If you eat when youre physically hungry and stop eating when you feel full, while allowing yourself to eat whatever you want, youll be happier emotionally; as a side benefit, advocates say, theres a good chance youll shed pounds.

Armed with this mindful new strategy, Johnson who at the time weighed more than 260 pounds lost nine in her first week as an intuitive eater, in 2010. But it didnt always yield jaw-dropping results: At another point on her intuitive-eating journey, it took her about six months to lose nine pounds.

Its all about trusting the process, she says. Its about listening to your body and not letting it be controlled by your emotions.

I try to tell people, You have two options: You can say, this isnt working and chuck it and go try to diet again or you can say, OK, what am I doing that I need to be doing better? What do I need to change? Because something is going on here. And a lot of people dont want to hear that. I never wanted to hear it. But once you figure out what that is, the weight will come off. It worked for me.

Wondrously. Between 2010 and 2012, Johnson lost a little more than half of her body weight, landing right around 130 pounds. (Though just a coincidence, its worth noting here that she also lost her father during this period.)

But even more impressive is that shes kept it off since then, even while eating she says whatever she wants, whenever she wants.

Which brings us back to that doughnut, and her ability to limit her consumption of it to just a bite or two.

How does she do that, exactly?

I mean, thats all I need to get what I wanted, she explains. Im sated. (Before intuitive eating) itd be like, I want a doughnut, but Im gonna have a salad because salad is healthy. Right? So you eat the salad, and then you end up grazing the rest of the day, because you didnt actually eat what you wanted. If you eat the doughnut, you got what you wanted, and then youll stop eating.

Pressed on the subject, confronted with the argument that it almost sounds too easy, and that eating a single bite would seem like a significant challenge for most doughnut-lovers, she counters:

You can do it once you deal with all of the other stuff. If you dont deal with the other stuff, its gonna be really, really hard for you because youre gonna be looking at that doughnut not as fuel, but as, This is gonna fix my problem. Its gonna have a connotation it shouldnt have. Thats why, if I want a doughnut, I have a doughnut. Then Im full after two bites. Because Ive dealt with the other stuff.

Do I still struggle? Every once in awhile, yeah. If Im an emotional wreck over something, sometimes I do.

In another fairly recent, more-specific example, Johnson shares about a time when she found herself thoughtlessly scarfing down four cookies before stopping herself and literally asking herself out loud, Whats the matter? What do you need?

As she took stock of the situation, she says, she realized it was because shed been coping with a rejection, and that she was using the cookies to numb the pain of the rejection. In her 20s or 30s, she would have kept right on binging. But after taking a step back, she found another, healthier way to deal with her emotions.

Since 2012, Johnson says, the heaviest shes gotten is 140 pounds. At times, shes been as light as 128.

Its been a game-changer, of course.

Shes so much more mobile, so much more flexible, so much more able in general to dabble in physical fitness. Shes back to horseback riding after years of being too overweight to do it, and is at Anne Springs Close Greenway saddled to a horse named Cinch once a week. She practices the martial art of krav maga at a studio not far from the home she and her husband of coming up on 25 years and their two boys share in Lake Wylie. She does yoga, she hikes, she swims, but she does it in moderation. She is not, she says, a workout fiend.

But more than anything, she feels as comfortable in her body as ever.

She doesnt feel the urge to try to hide her body in crowded rooms. Doesnt constantly worry about strangers muttering under their breaths about her size. Doesnt have to shop in stores for large women, or settle for shapeless, formless clothing.

And Johnson wants others who struggle with their weight, and body-image issues, and their relationship with food to find the same sense of self-confidence and contentment.

In the interest of doing just that, in fact, she recently published a book Start Where You Are Weight Loss (through a company she established, Alpha Doll Media) that doubles as both a memoir that chronicles her journey in greater detail and a self-help guide that explains strategies for losing weight without depriving you of eating food that you actually enjoy. (Theres also a companion book that urges readers to fill in blanks by answering questions designed to inspire introspection.)

Johnson says she spent four years writing the book, and that she had planned to have it out this month even before People told her she would be on its cover; so the fact that it was released just days before the magazine hit newsstands is, apparently, an extremely happy accident that has gotten 2020 off to a remarkable start for her.

No, she says being thin hasnt made her life perfect. She still has problems just like everybody else, and deep, down, theres still some residual pain.

I wish somebody had told me a lot earlier that it wasnt about food. I spent years using it in a way it was never intended to be used. I used to look at it as an emotional release and a comfort, as a friend, and I gave it all kinds of emotional connotations that it shouldnt have had. It took me way too long to start looking at food as fuel so I can go do the things that I want to do and reach my goals and be healthy and strong.

She pauses, then a soft, confident smile forms on her face.

But theres nothing I can do about that, and it doesnt do me any good to hang onto that. It doesnt. You have to let go. Ive let go. Im good now.

And theres one thing she doesnt worry about anymore: I honestly dont see myself being overweight again ever.

Read more:
She lost half her body weight and landed on the cover of People. What's her secret? - yoursun.com

The perfect smoothie is both delicious and healthy. But before you pull out your blender, you'll want to read about the common smoothie slip-ups that can mess up your diet, or even lead to weight gain.

Make your smoothies healthier by avoiding these common smoothie mistakes.

Credit: Rimma_Bondarenko/iStock/GettyImages

Read on to find out the pros and cons and our favorite, dietitian-approved recipes.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, smoothies are a useful way to get more fruit and vegetables in your diet (other than, well, eating them). Unlike juices, they're usually made from whole fruit and vegetables, so they're higher in fiber and lower on the glycemic index. This means less blood sugar highs and lows, which can help control cravings.

Smoothies are easy to make (apart from cleaning the blender!) or grab and go when you're out and about. They're useful for those days when you have no time for breakfast or have just finished a workout and need a quick refuel.

Not into leafy greens but know you need to eat more? Try blending them into a fruit smoothie for an easy win. The sweet taste will offset that of the offending vegetable. But keep in mind that plenty of vegetables are sweet too.

"My fave veggies for smoothies are spinach, any greens, frozen cauliflower or frozen broccoli. You cant really taste them!" says Isabel Smith, RD, CDN, a registered dietitian based in New York City.

Smoothies can be part of a healthy weight-loss diet.

Credit: Vera_Petrunina/iStock/GettyImages

Smoothies can be part of a healthy diet that supports your weight-loss goals as long as you don't fall prey to these common smoothie mistakes.

1. Drinking Too Many Calories

Although the mechanism isn't fully understood, scientists believe that we are more likely to over-consume calories if we drink rather than eat them.

"Liquid calories don't register in your body the way that solid calories do," explains Jennifer Koslo, PhD, RDN, dietitian, certified personal trainer and author of Healthy Smoothie Recipe Book: Easy Mix-and-Match Smoothie Recipes for a Healthier You and The 21-Day Healthy Smoothie Plan: Invigorating Smoothies & Daily Support for Wellness & Weight Loss. "So you can drink a smoothie and, depending on how thick it is, feel hungry soon after."

A much-cited August 2004 study in JAMA found that women who consumed sugar-sweetened beverages put on more weight than those who didn't. An effect that researchers attribute to the fact that drinks can contain a lot of sugars, yet the body cannot recognize and adjust intake to compensate, as it does when you are full after a solid meal.

The fix: Don't add too many smoothies to your diet, keep an eye on calories and consider smoothie bowls. The thicker texture helps your body know that it's full. According to the Harvard T. H Chan School of Public Health's healthy beverage guidelines, smoothies shouldn't be drunk daily due to their calorie content.

If you're using it as a meal replacement, a smoothie should contain about 300 to 450 calories, Smith says. Stick to 100 to 250 calories for a snack.

"The biggest mistake I see is that people just mix a ton of fruit with fruit juice and blend. That equals a nap for me hello, sugar crash, " Smith says.

Keep in mind that a large, fruit-only smoothie can have over 500 calories.

The fix: Skip fruit juice, since it only adds calories and isn't needed if you're using whole fruit. Use water, dairy milk or a milk alternative as your base instead, Koslo says.

When it comes to whole fruit, Smith recommends adding no more than 1/2 to 3/4 cup of fruit per serving and rounding out the drink with other ingredients.

3. Not Adding Filling Protein, Fiber or Fat

"If you want smoothies to be satisfying and help with weight loss, then there needs to be a balance of slow-digesting carbohydrates, some sort of protein and then some healthy fat and fiber," Koslo says.

Why? "Protein and fat help to keep us feeling full and they slow digestion," explains Smith. "Liquids digest more quickly than solids do, so adding some extra fat and protein can help to slow this process down and keep us fuller for longer."

Adding extra protein to your diet may even help you lose weight. Although a small sample size, a February 2015 study in the journal Nutrition found that women who ate a high-protein breakfast felt fuller and ate less at lunchtime, compared to a low-protein or no breakfast. Plus, a December 2019 meta-analysis in Advances in Nutrition found that people who are actively cutting calories to lose weight should eat more protein than the average person.

The fix: Aim for 17 to 25 grams of protein per smoothie if you are using one as a meal replacement, 10 to 12 grams for a snack, says Smith.

Good protein choices include greek yogurt, cottage cheese or white beans and peas. Or choose from one of the many dairy- or plant-based protein powders protein powders now available.

For fiber, try ground flaxseed, a tablespoon of nuts or some soaked oats. For fats, good options are a third of an avocado or 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or nut butter.

Make healthy smoothies with a good balance of protein, fiber and fat.

Credit: kupicoo/E+/GettyImages

Many recipes or bottled smoothies include added sweeteners like honey or agave, which only add to the sugar and calorie content without the benefit of extra nutrients.

The fix: The right recipe should be sweet enough! Call on the natural sugars in fruit when you're making a smoothie at home and skip the other sweeteners (yes, even the "natural"-sounding ones). Adding fruit gives you the benefit of filling fiber and other nutrients. When buying bottled, check the ingredients to make sure there are no added sweeteners.

5. Drinking Them With Meals

If you want to drink a smoothie with a meal, you have to lower the calorie content of the meal to compensate, or you'll end up consuming much more than you think.

The fix: The best way to enjoy smoothies is as a breakfast replacement or snack, not with a meal. "A lower-calorie smoothie as an afternoon snack would be good, instead of reaching for empty carbs like pretzels or candy," Koslo says.

The Everyday Green Smoothie has 144 calories and 6 grams of fiber per serving.

1. Everyday Green Smoothie

This one isn't too sweet (no sugar bomb here). Plus, it's balanced with plant-based protein and a healthy dose of greens for good measure.

The Hidden Spinach Smoothie has 160 calories and 8 grams of protein.

2. Hidden Spinach Smoothie

Spinach is a favorite for smoothies because its texture and taste are so much easier to hide than kale, and it allows the bright flavors of your raw fruits to shine through. This recipe uses steamed spinach because it's easier to digest.

The Bunny Food Smoothie contains 295 calories, 6 grams of fiber and 13 grams of protein.

The tofu, veggies and fruit in this smoothie might sound like an unusual combination, but the subtle sweetness from the fruit and creaminess from the tofu makes this a delicious and easy way to start the morning.

The Pumpkin Spice Smoothie has 255 calories and 15 grams of protein.

4. Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

Push the sugary pumpkin spice latte aside and enjoy the pure taste of pumpkin in this beautifully spiced, warm smoothie that's packed with vitamins, fiber and heart-healthy fat.

The Paradise Smoothie has 318 calories and 19 grams of protein.

A nutrient-dense smoothie, this drink offers a punch of antioxidants, protein, vitamin C and healthy fats. Koslo recommends swapping the grapeseed oil for flax oil in this recipe.

See the rest here:
How to Make Smoothies Healthier and Smoothie Recipes to Try - LIVESTRONG.COM

Scandies Rose (file image via social media)

By The Maritime Executive 01-24-2020 07:55:00

The U.S. Coast Guard has launched a Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) to look into the loss of the Scandies Rose, the crab fishing vessel that went down in the Gulf of Alaska on New Year's Eve. An MBI is the Coast Guard's highest level of inquiry for a marine casualty, typically reserved for severe accidents with multiple loss of life. The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting a parallel investigation.

On December 31, the Scandies Rose was under way off Sutwik Island, Alaska, headed west to start her Bering Sea crabbing season. At about 2200 hours, she listed and quickly sank. Five of her seven crewmembers were lost at sea, including the captain.

According to survivor Dean Gribble, the Scandies Rose sank about 10 minutes after she took on a sudden and unusual list. The captain made a mayday call, which was received by USCG Air Station Kodiak. Gribble told KOMO News that he got his immersion suit on after a struggle with the zipper, and passed out suits to the rest. He was still calling to them to get out of the deckhouse when the vessel went down. Gribble and crewmate John Lawler managed to get to a liferaft that popped up from the sinking boat, and they waited in the raft for a Coast Guard helicopter to reach them.

It was surreal, Gribble told KOMO. A very beautiful moment. I dont know how I can thank them enough. Theyre really brave people to go out in those kinds of conditions.

The cause of the casualty is under investigation, but the marine forecast for the waters off Sutwik Island that night called for heavy freezing spray. In icing conditions, crab pots stacked on deck can load up with extra weight quickly, potentially leading to capsize- a factor cited in multiple previous crab boat disappearances, like the loss of the fishing vessel Destinationand her crew in 2017.

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Coast Guard Launches MBI for the Loss of the Scandies Rose - The Maritime Executive

Call it what you will: An eating plan, a lifestyle, a diet, a philosophy, but few things garner such heated debate as how to lose weight. The truth is, whether youre on a low-carb keto program, devoted to the Paleo lifestyle, all in on the Whole 30, or remain committed to low-fat eating, these plans have more in common than you think. Whats more, follow any one of them religiously, and youll likely notice results.

In one recent study, Stanford University researchers put more than 600 overweight adults on either a healthy low-fat or low-carb diet. It turns out, participants had similar levels of weight loss success on each plan. Researchers looked for clues (such as insulin levels and gene patterns) to see if there are any factors that might make someone more successful on either diet, but after combing through the data, they were not able to make any connections.

What they did note is that eaters on both plans followed some really simple advice. This advice is the common thread among all healthful weight loss and dietary approaches. So if youre looking for the best way to lose weight, focus on these three commandments of healthy eating.

Considering that 1 in 10 Americans fail to meet their produce requirements, its pretty safe to say you need to eat more vegetables. And no matter what food philosophy you subscribe to, vegetables are a big part of the program. Vegetables have a lot going for them: They fill you up for very few calories, and they flood your body with the nutrients it needs to fight diseases, like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.

If you follow food trends, you might think you have to fall in love with cauliflower and kale to reap all the rewards that vegetables offer, but that isnt the case. Be it broccoli, carrots, red peppers, cabbage, spinach, asparagus, brussels sprouts or any other vegetable, the idea is to eat a variety of them and find plenty of ways to enjoy their goodness. So if you just cant stomach steamed Brussels sprouts, try them roasted, or give sauted brussels sprouts a try. If raw zucchini isnt your thing, see if you like it spiralized into noodles or grilled on a grill pan.

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Using a layered approach is another great way to build a good veggie habit. For example, start with a food you already enjoy say, pasta and layer some vegetables into your bowl. This can help you explore a new food with one you already love eating, and from there, you can try new ways to savor it. Take spinach, for instance. After trying it with pasta, you may want to fold it into an omelet or another favorite food, or explore it on its own with different cooking techniques (sauted or steamed) or different flavor additions (garlic or golden raisins). The possibilities are limitless!

Ive converted countless veggie haters into veggie eaters, and upping your vegetable game can have tremendous payoffs in how you look and feel.

You can blame biology for your sweet tooth. Were hardwired to have a preference for sweets, and this drive is universal and begins early on, according to research on the subject. Sugar makes food taste good, so food companies add it to everything from breads to soups to salad dressings to cereals, yogurts, and more. This adds up to way too much sugar!

On average, Americans consume more than 19 teaspoons of sugar per day far in excess of the American Heart Associations 6 teaspoon limit for women and 9 teaspoon limit for men. This is not doing your waistline any favors, which is why every weight-loss plan advocates eating less sugar.

There has been some confusion that a low-fat diet means you can feast on low-fat cookies and other treats, but this, again, is the food manufacturers influence. The true intent of low-fat dining is to eat more healthful foods that are naturally low in fat: fruits, vegetables, beans, lean proteins, and whole grains.

There is plenty of research to support a low-fat lifestyle, just as there is strong evidence that you can lose weight by cutting carbs. Different approaches work for different people, but if you want to slim down, cutting back on added sugars is consistent advice across all programs.

One more note on added sugars: Whether you call it agave, cane juice, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, fruit juice concentrate, date sugar, or any of the 61 names for added sugar, they all spell trouble for your health and your waistline.

Im in favor of any program that promotes whole foods over hyper-processed fare, and this is one thing the popular diet plans can agree on. Overly processed foods have been linked to weight gain, perhaps because many unhealthy packaged foods (think: potato chips, ice cream, frozen pizza, cookies, and the like) lack the fiber found in many whole foods, including vegetables. Fiber helps fill us up, and research suggests that by simply adding more fiber to your menu, you can lose weight nearly as well as a more complicated approach. Consistently choosing whole foods is one way to do this.

Newer research suggests its easier to overeat processed foods. Think of how long it takes to eat a fast-food sandwich compared to a plate of fish, salad, broccoli and brown rice. When researchers conducted a similar experiment, matching meals for calories, carbs, protein, fat and sugar, and allowing people to eat as much (or as little) as they liked, they found that people ate about 500 calories more per day when eating heavily processed foods and they gained an average of two pounds during the short study period. They ate more, ate faster, and experienced some changes in their appetite-regulating hormones that can make it harder to feel full. But those same folks lost about two pounds when given the whole foods diet, suggesting that prioritizing whole foods can help you regulate your appetite and weight.

Whole foods include fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, eggs, seafood, chicken and so on. Food philosophies may differ around which of these foods to emphasize, but thats okay, since the evidence shows that there isnt a single best way to lose weight. The goal is to select an approach that feels sustainable to you. If youd like to live without pasta, perhaps a low-carb method centered around vegetables and quality proteins, like seafood, chicken and lean beef would be a good fit. Vegans and vegetarians can lose weight by choosing fruits, vegetables, whole grains and plant proteins. Nut lovers may do well shedding pounds with a Mediterranean-style menu. Whatever diet appeals to your appetite and way of life, focusing on whole foods is something that all plans promote.

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The best way to lose weight boils down to these three things - NBC News

Is your new year's resolution is to lose belly fat and get fit? Although there's no magic bullet, there are ways to burn belly fat (or 'lose weight' as we used to call it) that are tried, trusted and true. That doesn't make them easy or quick, and this is not about telling you how to get a six pack although we have plenty of articles on that topic. No, this is just about having a healthy lifestyle and feeling comfortable with the girth of your stomach.

To that end we've got here for you proven advice and key tips to lose belly fat quickly, healthily and sustainably. As we just said, there are no quick fixes here; we want you to develop habits that ensure you'll stay trim for good.Weve also got the lowdown on the best exercises to lose belly fat, and all the gear youll need to get started although, of course, the most important 'gear' is the bit between your ears.

There's no hard-and-fast rule for slim-down success: the best way to lose belly fat is the way that works around your lifestyle. If you follow an unsustainable plan, you won't last: it's as simple as that. In this article we lay out five principles that are applicable to everyone, whether you're a total beginner starting your weight-loss journey or a seasoned pro who fell off the wagon over Christmas.

These guiding lights will keep you on the straight and narrow, whether you've got time to hit the gym every day or a shift worker looking to manage your schedule. Dont try to take on more than you can reasonably fit into one day. And, despite the name of this feature, don't fixate on 'belly fat'. It's important to reduce visceral fat, which does tend to lurk around the belly area, but that is best achieved by trying to slim down and tune up overall.

Here are five strategies to help you start losing weight.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The short answer to the question of how to lose belly fat is to burn more calories than you consume on a regular basis. In the fitness world, this is known as achieving a "calorie deficit".

If this sounds like a waking nightmare, there's a trick to it: what you need to do is ensure youre eating the correct kind of food to make sure you feel full and sated, even when consuming fewer calories than you're burning off. Certain foods are "empty calories" while others release energy slowly, keeping you fuller for longer.

But before that, you'll need to find a good way to track your calories burned and calories taken in. The free MyFitnessPal app is one of the best ways to record your calorie intake, but to track your calories burned, you'll need a dedicated fitness tracker. If you already own a smartwatch, most will offer calorie tracking as standard, but for those yet to make the plunge, the Fitbit Versa Lite is the best activity tracker you can buy right now. Check out the deal below.

Oh, and staying hydrated is crucial, as well

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Spiralizing vegetables is a great alternative to pasta

(Image credit: Flickr)

Intermittent fasting is becoming more and more popular. It involves significantly cutting calories or abstaining from food altogether for a portion of the day or week, and then cramming all your calories into a much shorter time window.

The best-known intermittent fasting plan is the 5:2 diet, where you eat as you normally would (although hopefully a bit healthier) for five days a week, then scoff no more than 600 calories two days a week.There are also variants of this diet where you consume almost no calories, two days per week. This is much more doable than it sounds, so long as you are in good general health, but it's not exactly fun.

However, for trainees who are serious but not that serious, there's the 16:8 diet. With this diet you have only 8 hours a day to fit all your meals in, but can only drink water (and maybe some black coffee, if you're feeling naughty) within a 16 hour fasting period outside of those 8 hours. Most choose to eat from 10am to 6pm, but as long as you stay within an eight hour window, you can start and finish at any time of the day. This isHugh Jackman's strategy, so if you have ever wanted to be in Wolverine shape

Why try fasting, though? Well, during the fasting period the body will run out of sugar to run on, and so will start eating up the bodys fat stores. The big negative is the adjustment period: if you're used to a big breakfast or an early dinner, a 16-hour fast feels tough at first, especially if you're exercising. You're going to get seriously cranky.

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Weight training is a great way to tip your muscle-fat ratio the right way

(Image credit: Getty Images)

There are two main types of exercise: cardio training and weights, otherwise known as resistance training.Although cardio burns a lot of calories while you do it, weight training builds muscle which burns more than fat as you go about your day. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you'll burn even when not working out.

Resistance training may seem scary if you're doing it for the first time, especially in the gym when the area's dominated by serious lifters, but you dont have to start adding big plates to the bar right now. There's plenty of ways to get started at home with smaller weights such as dumbbells, kettlebells and even medicine balls.

Were not going to list every single lifting exercise, so why not pick the body part you want to start toning up and check out some of our muscle-building how-tos. One you've done that, grab one of the best dumbbell sets on the market. They're not just for arms: you can use a dumbbell to work your core, shoulders, and even your legs with combination movements. Once you're comfortable in your own home, you can move on to more advanced equipment at the gym.

BodyPower 20 kg Cast Iron Spinlock Dumbbell set | was 59.99 | now 39.99 from Fitness SuperstoreYou just can't beat a good old pair of cast iron weights, and a testament to this is the fact they can be found under the beds of dads and granddads up and down the country. Get your own and they will last a lifetime and for all of their noisy, palm-chafing downsides, there is a kind of nostalgic loveliness to the spin collar set-up.View Deal

All of this aside, dont neglect cardio, as regular cardio workouts are important for fitness and stamina.

Electric Muscle Stimulation can help your muscles recover faster

(Image credit: PowerDot)

It may seem gimmicky when you unwrap your new six-pack vibrating belt, complete with a picture of Ronaldo on the box, but don't roll your eyes just yet. While you can't just sit there eating crisps and expect to get ripped, Electric Muscle Stimulators can help as part of a controlled dietary and exercise plan.

EMS can cause the muscles to contract, essentially tensing and untensing rapidly. During downtime post-workout, you can continue to encourage muscle growth with EMS, while the right bit of kit can also encourage faster recovery, allowing you to get back in the gym all the quicker. According to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, EMS stimulates the muscle in the same way as a massage, prepping it for the next go-round.

It's not a bona fide shortcut to a six-pack, but it can speed up the muscle-building process with regular use. Check out our choice below: the PowerDot 2.0, a smart muscle stimulating solution you can control from your phone.

(Image credit: Sixpad)

Alternatively there is always SIXPAD as used by Cristiano Ronaldo, a man who takes great pride in his body. Perhaps a little too much pride, the unkind or jealous might say. Amazon also sells all manner of abs belts by brands we have never heard of, for about 20. Needless to say we dont recommend these.

PowerDot 2.0 - Smart Electric Muscle Stimulator | now 185 at AmazonThis neat muscle stimulator works from your phone, allowing you to control intensity, stimulation and goal. Reduce your recovery time and increase muscular performance, as the PowerDot working to support your gym schedule. This model has two stimulators, but you can scale up to four for 325View Deal

Planks are a tough abs workout and a great end-of-workout finisher

(Image credit: Taco Fleur from Pixabay)

As well doing both muscle-building and cardio exercises, if you want to lose belly fat its also important to switch up the pace of your workout.

Every time you workout, you should exercise using both steady state (working hard but not at max capacity, such as during brisk jog) and high intensity (going flat out, like sprinting) to torch your abdominal fat.

Steady state or aerobic exercises include cycling, running or uphill hiking.Its a crucial part of losing belly fat because it burns through your fat stores. However, it also uses your sugar stores for energy first, so you need to do steady-state for long enough to use up all that sugar before it eats into your fat reserves.

High intensity workouts use mainly sugar for fuel, so they don't hit the fat right away, but it does help in building muscle, which will help you torch fat even on days you're not exercising. Explosive weight lifting, sprinting and HIIT-friendly exercises like mountain climbers are all great high-intensity exercises.

A good fitness tracker will help you to gauge the intensity of your workout by monitoring your heart rate. For overall fitness trackers, check out the Fitbit Versa Lite above, but for a dedicated running watch, you can't beat the Garmin Forerunner 645, the best on the market right now.

Find out more about heart rate zone training

Garmin Forerunner 645 | now 276.93 at AmazonGarmin dominates the running/fitness watch category so totally, it's almost embarrassing for the competition. The most recent addition to their premium line, the Garmin 645, incorporates GPS and wrist heart-rate tracking, which is good for monitoring your resting and all-day rates. The 645 crunches a lot of data to suggest recovery times, make a decent stab at estimating your VO2 Max, tell you how optimal your training load and lots, lots more.View Deal

FitBit Aria 2 smart bathroom scale | was 119.95 | now 105.00 on AmazonThis clever scaletells you your weight, BMI and body fat percentage which is all a lot of people want. It then reports this to your Fitbit account, so you can monitor your weight trends and use it alongside your Fitbit wearable's daily calorie-burn estimates. Add MyFitnessPal or Fitbit's own dietary features and you can then sync your meal-plans, daily calories consumed and weight goals, if you want.View Deal

The most important thing to bear in mind is this: losing weight takes time. You'll have setbacks and slip-ups, but if you stay committed to your goal, you'll be fitter and healthier in 2020, building up great habits for many years ahead.

Need some help to get started? Check out all the latest deals on the kit you'll need to get fit in 2020.To start with, you'll need a killer playlist and a good set of workout headphones to listen to it on:

Beats By Dre Powerbeats Pro | now 219 on AmazonPowerbeats Pro are a 'game changer' for Beats; the quality of them is over and above anything the brand has produced before. Designed for workouts and running, the clever design of these true wireless buds means they stay still in your ears during even the most arduous physical jerks. Battery life is way better than most true wireless buds at 8-9 hours and they recharge incredibly fast.View Deal

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How to lose belly fat: burn fat and reveal your abs in 2020 with these 5 techniques - T3

James Martin will often appear on the small screen to share his cooking tips with Britons. In the past, the chef has been open about his incredible weight loss journey. What did he do to slim down?

The TV chef recently shared snaps online showing his ten year transformation.

He has dramatically slimmed down during his career and most recently showcased a 1st 7lb weight loss in May 2018.

Speaking at the time, he revealed his TV appearances motivated him to make a change.

James told Mail Online: You kind of watch and go, 'oh God there's a bit of chin happening there'. And everybody's TVs are bigger now.

READ MORE: Weight loss diet: One drink can help burn fat fast - how much should you have?

Before you used to watch TV on a small one and now they're massive."

Working in the public eye, he revealed negative comments persuaded him to change his lifestyle.

I looked on social media and every comment was about me being fat, he told The Sun.

So I lost a stone-and-a-half. And no doubt Ill lose another stone on this tour.

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It is reported he cut back on butter and foods high in fat to help him get into shape.

However, he has admitted he will use lashings of fatty foods when cooking on his show.

He said: If you want to do Weight Watchers this show probably isnt for you!

I have double cream, full fat milk, cheese and butter and thats just for one of the side orders on this tour.

But I like food. Ive always been surrounded by food. I was brought up on a farm, I worked on a farm producing pigs.

You have to understand food and I am seriously passionate about ingredients.

On social media, the popular chef will often share posts of healthy meals he has cooked.

However, it was exercising that first helped him lose a staggering amount of weight.

Previously weighing in at 19st 7lb, James lost a huge amount of weight when he competed in the reality dance show, Strictly Come Dancing in 2005.

While on the show, contestants will follow an intense training regime and James managed to dance off an impressive five stone.

Opening up on the training routine, he said he eventually trained seven days a week for 10 hours.

The routine helped him kick start his weight loss journey.

View original post here:
James Martin weight loss: TV chef used this trick to shed a whopping six stone - Express

My name is Kelly Nieto (@kelly.nieto), and I am 30 years old. I live in Long Island, New York, and I am a bank operations trainer. After my husband committed to his weight-loss journey, I saw his amazing progress and knew it was my time, too. And now? I've lost 110 pounds.

I was always heavy as a child, but I really started noticing my weight around the age of 10, when I started to get made fun of at school. I was always confident and outgoing and never really let things bother me, but the teasing about my body started to get to me. I begged my mother to let me start WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers) and, with my doctor's blessing, she finally agreed. I lost about 30 pounds and I actually ended up a bit underweight. Naturally, the kids at school taunted me about that, too, spreading rumors I had an eating disorder.

I finally got to a healthy weight by the time I was 13, after getting involved in a lot of sports teams at school. Then, when I was 16, I met my now-husband, and some happy weight from being in a great relationship started to creep on. For example, we started going out to dinner a lot, and I gained 90 pounds gradually (and he gained 100 pounds).

When we got engaged, I knew I didnt want to be unhappy and unhealthy on my wedding day, so I joined WW againbut something just wasnt clicking. I didn't feel the fire or sense of motivation. I only lost about 25 pounds ahead of my wedding, and thats where I stayed for about a year. I eventually gained those 25 back, and then some.

He started eating healthier (bringing a sandwich to work instead of buying fast food, for instance) and working out. When he started experiencing real weight-loss changes, I was so motivated and knew that, this time, I was going to do it. We were a team through everything else, and I knew we needed to go through this as a team, too.

I knew we would be unstoppable if we were supporting each other and doing it together. So in August 2015, at 26 years old, I decided this time WW was going to work for me. I was finally going to commit to it. I lost a total of 70 pounds, slowly making changes to my nutrition to really fuel my workouts and meal prepping all of our lunches.

Eventually, my meals werent fitting into the WW points system due to the way I was trying to fuel my body with enough protein for my workouts, so I decided to continue on my journey on my own, without WW. It was so scary at first to stop WW and lose weight without the guidance, but I felt in my heart that I could do it.

Spoiler: I lost another 40 pounds on my own by doing intense workouts and meal prepping.

There isnt anything wrong with counting calories. But for me, I had fitness goals I was determined to achieve, and I knew monitoring my carbs was going to be more of a necessity for me. I downloaded the app called myMacros, which is like a calorie counter for macros, and it was so helpful to determine where my levels should be, and how on track I was. The best thing was I could link my husbands account to mine so he could track the meals I was cooking for us, too.

I know there are a lot of diets out there that restrict one of the macronutrient groups, generally either fat or carbs. Personally, I believe that every nutrient out is vital to my body in some way. So, I eat a balanced diet of a healthy amount of protein, carbs, and fats. Having a substantial-enough combo of all three fuels my workouts properly, helps me with recovery, and keeps me full and energized.

My husband was and continues to be a huge factor in how I structure my workouts. He has lost so much weight (175 pounds) and gained so much muscle that he is the primary source of inspiration for me in the gym. I work out with him when I can and model my session after him when I cant. He pulls most of his workouts from YouTube or Instagram.

I stopped making excuses, accepted what I had done to end up at that point, and became obsessed with fixing my ways. If you want to change the outside, you have to change the inside: your outlook. Find that one reason you are going to choose to live, and never stop fighting for it.

This journey has changed my life because it has allowed me to become the person I always knew I was. Sure, I was always an outspoken and outgoing person. But I always knew all people could see was my size, so I always felt I had to compensate somehow. Now, I am unapologetically me, and I love that.

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'I Count Macros And Work Out With My HusbandAnd We've Lost Nearly 300 Lbs. Combined' - Women's Health

A DAD who weighed more than 19 stone, drank all night and lived off fast food has told of how he turned his life around and lost nine stone in a year so that he could be there for his children.

Back in 2016, dad-of-three Paul Hankin, from Billinge, was caring for his disabled daughter Madison and wife Emma, who had breast cancer.

Ex-soldier Paul, a Northern Ireland veteran, started to rely on drinking, particularly super strength cider, and fast food".

Emmas condition improved but the couple went on to separate. Pauls heavy drinking and fast food diet spiralled out of control as he tried to numb the pain.

Tragically, Emmas health deteriorated and she died. Paul realised his daughters needed him and so he admitted himself in Whiston Hospital, setting himself the mammoth challenge of turning his life around to be there for his children.

By this time, the weight of 5ft 9ft ins tall and was above 19 stone.

Paul, 40, said: With the stress I started to drink heavily, my wife Emma got better but then we separated and that caused more stress so I abused drink and food and then she died.

On top of this my best friend died and I just used this as an excuse to drink more super strength cider every day. Another very close friend died. I carried both of them at there funerals it tore me to shreds... so had more drink and ate more terrible food.

I ate kebabs, burgers, chippy, pizzas, McDonalds everyday.

By this point I was a full blown alcoholic with daughters to care for who just lost their mum.

Paul admits his mental health had deteriorated and mental scars of the 1998 Omagh bombing, which killed 29 people injured and injured many more, still haunted him.

He told the Star: I had to put Madison in residential care as I wasnt coping and I was depressed with PTSD from my time serving in Northern Ireland where I was one of the first at the scene of the Omagh bombing.

I was sleeping and hungover till school pick up time then would drink again from the moment they went to bed.

Enough was enough, so in November 2017 I admitted myself in Whiston Hospital for a month where I got told I had liver disease and if I drank again Id be very ill and possibly dead.

I completely changed my life, I changed my addiction from food and drink to fitness and nutrition, a friend offered me personal training sessions and in a year I had lost nine stone.

The dad says the weight loss has been a mental transformation as well as a physical one.

He added: Im now a happier person, a better dad and a healthier person who will get to see his children grow up.

I hit rock bottom, but I want to share my story to show there is light at the end of that dark dark tunnel.

If you are struggling with anything in your life right now reach out and talk about it.

More:
Dad who lived off fast food and booze after going through tragedy lost 9 stone after turning his life - St Helens Star

Visceral fat is stored in the abdominal cavity hidden from plain sight. Too much of the stuff can increase the risk of serious health complications, such as heart attacks, heart disease, breast cancer and Alzheimers disease. Researchers have now shown how a certain eating plan can reduce the harmful belly fat.

In fact, there are several studies that confirm intermittent fasting may help people lose visceral fat.

A large review of studies recorded that following an intermittent fasting plan helped reduce visceral fat by four to seven percent over a period of up to 24 weeks.

Intermittent fasting involved cycling periods of eating and fasting either completely abstaining from food or eating very little.

The main focus of intermittent fasting is when you eat, not what you eat (which is typical of any kind of diet).

There are three popular methods of intermittent fasting: the 16/8 method, Eat-Stop-Eat and the 5:2 diet.

The 16/8 method

Also known as the Leangains protocol, the 16/18 method involved skipping breakfast and restricting the eating period to eight hours, such as 11-7pm.

This then means from the evening onwards, till the next brunch time, youll spend 16 hours of fasting.

READ MORE:How to live longer: Five habits you need to eliminate to increase your life expectancy

Eat-Stop-Eat

This intermittent fasting method involves fasting for a whole day (24 hours) once or twice a week. A good example of how this works is when you eat dinner then wait till the same time the next day to eat another meal.

The 5:2 diet

For five days you eat normally and, for two non-consecutive days each week, you only consume 500-600 calories.

Believe it or not, intermittent fasting is thought to be more natural than eating three or four meals per day.

This is because, in ancient times, hunter-gathers didnt have the option of popping to the store and so could not eat for days at a time.

As a result, humans evolved to be able to function without food for extended periods of time reportedly, it can stretch pass three weeks (but, of course, this isnt recommended).

When you fast, several cellular and molecular adjustments start to take place within the body.

For one, the body adjusts hormone levels and insulin sensitivity improves, enabling stored body fat to become more accessible.

Secondly, the levels of growth hormone skyrocket which has benefits for fat loss and weight gain.

nd thirdly, when fasting, cells initiate cellular repair processes. This includes autophagy, which is the bodys way of removing old and damaged proteins that build up inside of the body.

Intermittent fasting is thought to reduce calorie intake, and lead to weight loss just as long as youre not scoffing away like a starving animal for those moments when you do eat.

Bear in mind that you could be slim on the outside and still be carrying dangerous levels of visceral fat on the inside.

A good way to measure levels of visceral fat aside from an expensive CT scan is to get the tape measure out and record your waist to hip ratio.

Read more here:
How to lose visceral fat: The eating plan proven to help reduce the harmful belly fat - Express

Green tea is considered as one of the best beverages for weight loss as it helps detoxification and boosts metabolism. As it has low calorie, it can be an idle replacement for coffee and tea.

Those who want to lose weight fast should add green tea to their daily diet. Check below as to when and how to have green tea for your weight loss goal.

Green Tea for Weight Loss

It is believed that one should have 2 to 3 cups of green tea a day but the amount varies from person to person.

If possible, use green tea leaves instead of green tea bags. While making the tea, dont overheat it as it may damage the catechins.

As ones metabolism rate is higher during the day, it is often suggested that green tea should be taken after having breakfast and lunch.

Some Side Effects of Green Tea

When one drinks green tea on an empty stomach, it may lead to stomach ache and nauseous symptoms.

Green tea can lead to dehydration and in case of excessive consumption it may cause reduce iron level in the body.

Some people have also complained of headache after consuming the tea. Besides, it is believed that green tea affects people on medications.

(The content is just for informative purpose and one should always consult a doctor before taking up any type of weight-loss regime)

Excerpt from:
Weight Loss: Green Tea To Burn Fat & Its Side Effects - Odisha Television Ltd.