Category Archives: Lose Weight Fast

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Twins Dillon and Cory Sasvari are identical in almost every way. Their laughs sound indistinguishable, their blood pressures match and even their pulse rates are the same. And, they both spent their entire lives overweight.

While playing football in high school kept their weight around 200 pounds, after graduation they just gained until they both weighed more than 400 pounds. They felt unhappy but didnt know what to do.

Looking at myself in the mirror ... I knew I needed to do something about it, Cory, 25, told TODAY.

Dillon, 25, also felt helpless and weighed 400 pounds at the time.

I didnt know what else to do, he told TODAY. I didnt have diabetes, but I was close to it.

That's when their grandmother, Leona Mesler, intervened.

She said Listen, you and your brother are the biggest I have ever seen you, Cory said. My family, they were concerned about my health I was always fatigued. I was depressed.

Mesler felt especially worried because the then 23-year-olds faced health problems. Both experienced high blood pressure and cholesterol. And Cory had gout that prevented him from moving some days.

Their entire lives Dillon and Cory were overweight. Finally, their grandmother intervened and urged them to lose weight for their health.

Mesler urged them to do something. She mentioned gastric bypass surgery and thought maybe it could help them.

They researched it and visited a doctor at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Magee-Womens Hospital, who told the twins they needed to lose 10 percent of their body weight before surgery. After meeting with a nutritionist, they had a better understanding of how to change their diets.

The first thing they did was cut soda.

I would drink two or three liters a day, Dillon said.

Simply cutting soft drinks helped tremendously.

Pre-op the weight actually fell off really quickly, said Cory who weighed 405 pounds at the time. I just stopped eating bad foods.

That meant the twins cut sugary cereals, chips, pizza and other processed foods. They noshed on vegetables, fruits, lean proteins and drank lots of water.

Before the surgeries, Dillon lost 50 pounds and Cory lost 70 pounds.

Dillon had his surgery first in April 2015 and Corys took place a week later in May.

Thats how we usually do it. Everything that I do, he does, Dillon said.

Since losing weight, the Sasvari twins feel happier and enjoy playing sports again.

Throughout their weight-loss journeys, the twins supported each other.

Luckily I had a brother who went through the same thing. We always like to compete, said Dillon.

They continue their healthy eating habits and have added exercise into their lives. Both play softball, football and hockey while lifting and running at the gym.

Surgery is not a cure all. It is just a tool to help, Dillon said.

Now, Dillon weighs 225 and Cory weighs 238. While they are happy with their weight, they both agreed they wouldn't mind losing more.

I would definitely like to get around 200 flat and start building muscle after that, said Cory. Dillon agreed hed also like to reach 200.

I dont want to be as big as I used to be, he said. "I like buying smaller clothes. I dont want to buy bigger clothes or go back to my old clothes." Today, the twins no longer need medications and feel confident.

Because I lost the weight, I am more out of my shell, Dillon said. I am more social now.

They provided tips to help people interested in losing weight.

Cory knew he had to lose weight for the doctors to perform surgery. He set a goal to lose 20 pounds. Because he focused on meeting the promise he made himself, he lost much more.

Create more goals and reach those goals, he said. Stay dedicated to what you are doing. Dont lose hope even though you will reach road blocks.

Sometimes Dillon and Cory slip into a pair of fat pants and marvel at how much smaller they are. It helps them remember how exhausting it was being overweight.

The difference is amazing and makes me want to keep going, Dillon said.

Since twins Dillon and Cory lost weight, about 175 and 167 pounds, respectively, the two can fit into one pair of pajama pants that one of them wore when they weighed more than 400 pounds.

While the twins had each others backs while they lost weight, they had loads of people encouraging them, which made it easier.

If you have negative people it is going to make you quit and gain the weight back, Cory said.

For more inspirational stories, check out our My Weight-Loss Journey page.

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Brothers lose 342 pounds combined in 2 years - Today.com

Alya Mooro | Contributing Writer | 1 day ago

The Debrief: Are we policing them our ourselves?

In some not so newsworthy news: presenter Holly Willoughby has lost some weight. At least, thats what the panel on Loose Women were gossiping about yesterday, unaware they were already on air. 'Holly Willoughbys disappearing!' Loose Womens Nadia Sawalha was heard exclaiming, while a shocked Holly looked on.

Social media users have also been expressing their thoughts on Hollys supposed weight loss, writing things like: Wish I knew how to lose that much weight so quickly and #WhereHaveHollysBoobsGone.

Its sadly not the first, nor the last time someone has expressed their opinion on someone elses physical appearance. When theres a noticeable change in a celebritys weight, especially when said celebrity is a woman, people talk about it.

If they lose weight, everyone wonders how and why, if they gain weight, everyone wonders if theyre pregnant or sick or depressed. The positive and negative connotations involved with this are a whole mine-field in themselves but also why is this any of our business? We saw the same thing recently when Rihanna, who has apparently gained some weight as of late, was re-nicknamed Thickanna. After the initial is she pregnant speculation most of the internet seemed happy with her new appearance - bar a sports writer who worried shed make being fat a trend and encourage all the hot girls to gain weight - UM WHAT!? (He subsequently lost his job so yes there is good in the world.)

Elsewhere on the interwebs came hundreds of thousands of heart eye emojis. Perhaps some departure from the usual reaction to famous women gaining weight but wait hold up why is this our business again? The fact that we place so much emphasis on womens appearances as important and valuable is detrimental, no matter whether that judgement is coloured as criticism or praise.

Thing is, it kind of feels like were basing our own worth, and forming our own judgements on appearance through that same sphere. Because if Rihanna gains weight it means its okay if I gain a little weight too, right? The internet seems to think so, with tweets like: "Rihanna's getting thick. I feel so much better about my thighs. You go gerl [sic] #Thickanna.

And while its important to have all sorts of definitions and examples of beauty, and we can rejoice that weve come quite some way to having broader definitions of that, perhaps what would be even better would be to not place so much emphasis and importance on outer appearance.

Its important to remember that our bodies are likely to grow and change multiple times over the course of our lives. That there are tons and tons of factors that play a role in the appearance of our bodies, lives and minds and that actually whats most important is that were living healthy, happy and fulfilling lives. The truth of that will, and often is, reflected in a healthy and happy appearance.

Because the thing is, not only is looking at pictures of someones shrinking or expanding ass and trying to judge them or ourselves accordingly a waste of time, but it actually wont get us any closer to achieving that. Ever.

The fact is, we just dont need bigger boobs (or a flatter stomach, or a bigger ass, or a more Instagram face.)

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Tags: rihanna

At work? With your gran?

You might want to think about the fact you're about to read something that wouldn't exactly get a PG rating

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Why Women Commenting On Other Women's Weight Is (Sadly) Not So Shocking - The Debrief

HOLLY Willoughby looked shocked today as she overheard Nadia Sawalha make a comment about her weight loss.

The 36-year-old telly favourite was presenting This Morning when she and co-host Phillip Schofield linked over to the Loose Women studio however the panel seemingly didnt know they were already live.

ITV

As they laughed among themselves Nadia was heard exclaiming: Holly Willoughbys disappearing!

Both presenters looked stunned by Nadias on-air remark, with Phillip shouting at them, Cue, cue! as Holly stood there speechless and looking upset.

Ruth Langsford quickly tried to cover up this morning, telling them: You caught us by surprise there. We were talking about incontinence Phil!

And as her co-host continued to joke with the Loose Women, Holly stood silently and looked clearly concerned by Nadias slip, while Nadia was seen looking nervously off set.

Holly managed to regain her composure quickly and went back to her usual self, laughing at Phillips joke, but no doubt the remark will sting after she had been subject to many online comments about her weight.

Yesterday fans asked on her social media how she had lost weight so quickly and even moaned that she was losing her Willoughboobies.

ITV

ITV

ITV

Posting next to her recent snaps, admiring fans wrote Wish I knew how to lose that much weight so quickly, Always beautiful, Looking slender! and How is @hollywilloughby so naturally beautiful?.

But others were more forlorn about what they saw as the loss of Hollys Willoughboobies, with one leaving the cheeky comment: #WhereHaveHollysBoobsGone.

Another crestfallen fan added No more boobies :-(.

Got a story? email digishowbiz@the-sun.co.uk or call us direct on 02077824220

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Holly Willoughby looks awkward as giggling Loose Woman Nadia Sawalha comments on her weight loss - The Sun

Losing weight is hard enough, but belly fat can be particularly hard to shift. Here are 12 science-backed ways to drop the pounds and inches from your midsection...

See also: Why belly fat is different to other types of body fat

See also: Gut health and weight loss: what you need to know

1. Cut Calories, but not too much The best way to lose weight is to cut calories and do more exercise nothing new there. But be careful. If you cut your calorie intake too low, you're likely to damage your metabolism, which will make it harder for your body to burn calories.

One study found that people who ate 1,100 calories per day slowed their metabolic rate more than twice as much as those who ate 1,500 calories per day over four consecutive days.

Worse, this drop in metabolism may continue after you start eating normally again which means you'll burn fewer calories than before you started the diet. No wonder people who lose weight on crash diets tend to put it all back on again.

2. Eat more fibre Fibre expands in your tummy and slows the rate at which your stomach empties, which helps to keep you feeling fuller for longer. Add more soluble fibre (such as oats, flaxseeds, avocados, legumes, Brussels sprouts and blackberries) to your diet and it may also help reduce the number of calories that your body absorbs from food.

A diet high is soluble fibre is also associated with lower levels of visceral fat (the dangerous kind that sits around your organs) and reduced belly circumference.

Upping your daily soluble fibre intake by just 10 grams is enough to lower fat gain around the midsection by 3.7% over five years, according to one study.

3. Drink protein shakes Most people don't get enough protein in their diet, yet studies show it can boost your metabolism, keep you feeling full, and even help to shed stubborn belly fat.

Eating lean chicken, eggs and tuna is a good way to get more protein, or consider including protein shakes as part of your overall calorie intake. Not only are protein shakes an easy way to get more protein, they've also been shown to be effective at reducing belly fat as part of a weight loss diet.

4. Make sure you get enough sleep Many studies have found a link between lack of sleep and obesity. One or two night's disturbed rest isn't going to make you pile on the pounds, but if you regularly don't get seven or eight hours of sleep a night, it can contribute to weight gain.

When you are sleep deprived, your body produces a hormone called ghrelin, which stimulates appetite. Not only that, studies show that sleep deprived people are more likely to choose calorie-dense foods which is why that chocolate muffin is so hard to resist when you're tired.

5. Take a probiotic supplement Recent studies have found a link between the quality of the bacteria in our gut and weight. People who are overweight or obese are known to have a different composition of gut bacteria than those with a healthy BMI.

Strains of probiotics that have been shown to be particularly effective at reducing belly fat include Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus amylovorus, and Lactobacillus gasseri.

In addition to taking a probiotic, try increasing your fibre intake and eating probiotic foods, such as yogurt, kefir, tempeh, kimchi and pickles.

6. Walk for 30 minutes each day There's no point doing endless sit-ups if you don't do enough exercise to burn fat. Cardio exercise, such as jogging, cycling, and aerobics not only burns calories but is also effective at toning your midsection.

Most studies suggest doing 30-40 minutes of cardio exercise per day, which could be a brisk walk with the dog or digging the garden.

Wearing a fitness tracking device is a great way to see how many calories you burn and the number of steps you take. Some trackers also measures your heart rate such as the Fitbit Charge - and will tell you when you're in the fat-burning zone.

7. Switch to whole-grain carbs Experts recommend cutting out refined carbs (like white bread, pasta and rice) and sugar in order to lose weight.

A study published in the 2010 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who increased their whole-grain consumption did not develop more visceral, subcutaneous belly fat unlike those who increased their intake of refined carbohydrates.

There's another good reason to cut back on refined carbs. When you eat high GI foods, your blood sugar levels spike and your body releases cortisol, which is linked to excess belly fat.

8. Keep moving Studies show that sitting for prolonged periods of time is just as bad for your health as smoking. Not only does sitting cause your abdominal muscles to become weak, it also leads to weight gain. Make an effort to stand and walk around for a few minutes every hour. To improve your core strength try sitting on fitness ball while you watch TV. Even when you sit still on a fitness ball, your muscles will be working to maintain your balance.

9. Eat a tablespoon of vinegar every day Research suggests that eating a tablespoon of vinegar every day could help fight belly fat. A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that obese people who consumed a tablespoon of vinegar every day for two months decreased their levels of visceral body fat. Just make sure it's in a low-fat salad dressing and not sprinkled on chips!

10. Eat more calcium Eating too much saturated fat (found in hard cheese and meat) is bad news for your belly. A study published in the journal Diabetes in 2014 found that overconsuming saturated fat increases abdominal visceral fat more than those who ate the same amount of calories in polyunsaturated fat.

While you might want to cut back or switch to half-fat cheese, make sure you're getting enough calcium. Studies show that when your body doesn't have enough calcium it starts to store more body fat. Experts suggest eating at least 700mg of calcium per day.

11. Find ways to de-stress The link between stress and obesity is well known. When the body is stressed it releases the hormone adrenaline and cortisol as part of the 'fight or flight response.' Cortisol is particularly bad for weight gain, as it triggers fat to be stored around the belly, where it's easily available to be used as energy. In addition, stress can slow the metabolism, which makes it even harder to lose weight.

To make matters worse, studies show that people are more likely to crave energy-dense foods when they're feeling stressed or anxious. If you can't get to a tai chi class, you can always buy a DVD - like Tai Chi for Beginners - and learn at home. Deep breathing, going for a short brisk walk, and listening to a guided meditation can also help reduce your stress levels.

12. Eat healthy fats Not all fats are created equal, and healthy monounsaturated fatty acids (found in nuts, seeds, olive oil and avocados) have been shown to help increase satiety and reduce your chance of accumulating tummy fat. Another good reason to follow a Mediterranean diet!

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Twelve proven ways to lose weight and shift belly fat - AOL UK

If you want to lose 10 pounds by a certain date there are, broadly speaking, two ways of going about it. You could take it slow and steady, cutting down slightly on your daily caloric intake to achieve a modest weekly weight loss, making your way to your goal weight over the course of a month or two. Or you could wait until a week or two before your target date and then give up as much food as possible, triple up on the exercise, and hope that youll lose weight fast enoughwithout literally killing yourself in the process.

Only the most imprudent among us would consciously choose the second option, right?

In this regard, stopping climate change is a lot like weight loss, according to a comment article published today in the journal Nature. The article, spearheaded by Christiana Figueres (architect of the process that lead to the Paris Climate Agreement and now vice-chair of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy), says that we only have three years to act if we want a smooth transition to a low-carbon economythe socio-economic equivalent of losing weight in a slow and steady manner.

We have until 2020, say the authorswho include a number of researchers, state and local government officials (including the governor of California), and heads of climate change focused organizationsbefore achieving the goals laid out in the Paris Climate Agreement become almost impossible. At that point, the actions that wed have to undertake would be drastic; the equivalent of crash dieting and hoping for the best.

2020 is a hard deadline. Theres no turning back if we dont bend the emissions curve within three years, says Sharan Burrow, The General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation and a signatory on the article. There are no jobs on a dead planet.

Unlike weight loss, which is in many ways still a bit of a mystery to science, we already know how to fix climate change. We just have to lower emissions something weve already started to do.

In 2016, according to the article, U.S. emissions fell 3 percent, even while the economy grew by 1.6 percent. In China, emissions fell 1 percent while the economy expanded by 6.7 percent. Curbing emissions is not an insurmountable task, and it's not going to destroy jobs.

We have finally realized that this is not an either-or situation, says Figueres. "We can create jobs, we can recreate communities that have lost jobs. We can improve the quality of life in urban and rural areas and precisely by doing what we can to improve climate change.

The authors created a six-point framework that outlines what we need to do by 2020. They call for increasing renewable energy to 30 percent of the global mix (above from the 23.7 percent it comprised in 2015). The article also calls for upgrading infrastructureslashing building energy use and turning 3 percent of building stock into either net-zero or near net-zero emissions. Other proposals include a doubling of mass transit, an increase in the percentage of electric car sales from 1 to 15 percent annually, cutting deforestation to zero, and reducing the emissions associated with heavy industries

Some of this is already happening. China has cancelled plans to build 103 coal fired plants, and Beijing has shuttered its last one, already leading to improved air quality in the city. The goal of the comment is to note whats already happening and encourage us to keep doing what were already doing; we just need to do it faster.

Despite the recent withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, and the fact that the comment is seen as a reminder to heads of state heading into the G20 Summit happening this July, the analysis hinges on physics, not politics. If we want to meet the target of a global temperature increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius laid out in Paris, we can safely emit between 150 and 1,050 gigatons of carbon dioxideTOTALfor the foreseeable human future (think millennia).

That goal is meant to keep the Earth well below an average global temperature increase of 2 degrees, which would be catastrophic. The difference between half a degree Celsius (which is about .9 degrees Fahrenheit) doesnt seem like muchafter all, who among us can tell the difference between a 71.6 F day and a 72.5 F day? The issue, of course, is that were not talking weatherwere talking climate. A 1.5 degree Celsius increase will still hurt the planet (were already seeing these effects, as evidenced by the recent bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef) but avoiding the additional half a degree would mean sparing ourselves the worst of the warming, including an increase in sea level rise by an extra four inches and the complete destruction of the world's coral reefswhich a quarter of the planet depends on for food and livelihood.

But even if runaway warming isn't something you feel concerned about, there's good reason to cut down on fossil fuel use: eventually we're going to run out of them. Following gradual carbon cutting guidelines is just another way of planning for that eventuality.

Were already seeing climate devastation changing seasons, changing peoples livelihoods, and even their lives, says Sharan Burrows. We still have time to mitigate the worst effects of global warming in a way that preserves a world worth living in, and helps our economies grow. Whether or not governments will act quickly enough is another question entirely.

See more here:
Researchers say we have three years to act on climate change before it's too late - Popular Science

The celebrity chef has lost two stone in recent years

NIGELLA Lawson wowed fans with her stunning new look after she posted a Instagram showing her filming her new cooking show.

The celebrity chef, 57, looked svelte in a black dress as she filmed TV series At My Table.

She captioned the snap: Day 2 on set with @robinfox78 on camera for new series, At My Table #atmytable.

Nigella has lost an impressive two stone in recent years, slimming down to a size 12.

Fans praised the cooks stunning appearance, with one commenting: You look gorgeous.

Rex Features

Another added: Looking fabulous Nigella, while others said she looked amazing and stunning.

Meanwhile, more fans said they were thrilled about the forthcoming series.

One wrote: So excited to hear you have a new show! and another chipped in: Cant wait to see it!

Getty Images

Nigella credited her weight loss to yoga, working out with a personal trainer and smaller portions.

Speaking to Good Housekeeping, she previously said: "I have never been on a diet to try to lose weight. I feel like I havent lost weight, but Im possibly in better shape."

Splash News

Rex Features

"As you get on in life, you value feeling well as opposed to looking well. Yoga certainly makes you feel great, and you want to carry on feeling great."

"No one should be put on this earth to go on a diet! No one should eat themselves ill either."

Fame Flynet

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Nigella Lawson shows off her incredible weight loss as she promotes new cookery show while fans praise her stunning ... - The Sun

Amber Lost 140 Pounds in 1 Year With a Simple Tool

Sometimes something very simple is all you need to make a big change. In Amber's case, that simple something was an app that helped her lose 140 pounds in just one year.

The mother of three hit a point where she decided "enough is enough" and made a positive change for her health; her decision to do so brought her from a size 24 to a four! With the lost pounds and gained health, she found a new sense of confidence, and with that, Amber has felt inspired to pursue her dreams and a new career. Check out how she got to this amazing place by making simple changes (with a lot of hard work, of course) using an app called Lose It!

POPSUGAR: What made you decide to start your weight-loss journey?

Amber Anderson: My journey started when I saw a video of myself on social media and was embarrassed at how big I looked. My children were also making comments about how big I was (they were only 4 and 6 at the time). In the next week, I went shopping in a store that carried up to a size 24. When I tried on the size 24 pants, they didn't fit. I knew I had to make a change. I was fed up with myself and how overweight I let myself get.

I have been overweight since I was in the third grade. It just gradually got worse over the years. I would eat what I wanted and was not very active. As a young adult, I lost a little of the weight, but it always seemed to add back on and add more each time.

PS: What drew you to Lose It! specifically?

AA: I chose Lose It! because I was looking for an app that could keep me accountable as well as one that would keep track for me. I have tried many different diet fads, weight-loss pills, and exercise programs; none of them ever kept the weight off. Lose It! worked for me because it has helped to not only lose the weight, but to maintain the weight loss.

PS: What's your favorite way to work out?

AA: I love working out first thing in the morning. I love running now and doing light strength training.

PS: What's your weekly exercise schedule?

AA: Fitness was a huge part of my weight-loss plan and is something I continue to do daily. For the first 10 months of my weight-loss journey I attended a Spin class four days a week for 45 minutes every morning at 5 a.m. It started my day off on the right note and I felt better each day I went. Since losing the weight, I have continued incorporating fitness into my daily routine. I now include about 30 minutes of cardio each day as well as 30 minutes of strength training three days a week.

PS: How do you keep workouts exciting?

AA: I change my workouts up each month. I try and change it so that my body doesn't become accustomed and hit plateaus.

PS: How much weight have you lost?

AA: I have lost 140 pounds in just one year.

PS: What was the first big difference, other than the number on the scale, that really made you feel proud and excited?

AA: Some nonscale victories have been to wear bathing suits without skirt bottoms for myself, being able to ride roller coasters at theme parks with my kids, and also fitting comfortably in airplane seats now. Weight loss has dramatically changed every aspect of my life. I feel so much better, I'm happier, more confident, and a lot healthier. I am more confident now and because of that, applied for my dream job as a behavioral therapist, and have been doing that now for 10 months now. I am more confident in myself and can now wear clothes that I always wanted to.

PS: How do you track your weight loss?

AA: I track my weight loss through the Lose It! app as well as a journal I started.

PS: What's a typical day of meals and snacks?

AA: My eating habits changed drastically. I eat completely different than before. I no longer crave fried and sweet foods. I eat a wider variety of fruits and vegetables now. I look for foods that I know will fuel my body and mind rather than ones that will only satisfy immediate cravings but will have terrible side effects. I am trying new foods weekly and learning that I love foods I had never tried before. Before, I was eating breads, potatoes, and pasta daily. Now my meals consist of a lot of lean meats, veggies, and fruits.

PS: Do you count calories? What's the range of calories you eat per day?

AA: The Lose It! app sets a goal of calories for you to stay under each day depending on your current weight and goal weight. As you lose the weight, your daily calorie goal changes as well.

PS: What are the healthy staples that are always in your fridge?

AA: Apples, celery, chicken, turkey, carrots, and cabbage.

PS: What role did Lose It! play in your journey? Would you recommend it?

AA: Lose It! played a huge role in my weight loss. It helped me to see what exactly I was eating and how healthy/unhealthy foods were for me. It also helped me to see how my weight-loss journey was going daily.

PS: What advice do you have for anyone starting out on a weight-loss journey?

AA: Start small and slow. Take it one day at a time. Never give up on yourself.

Image Source: Amber Anderson

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Amber Lost 140 Pounds in 1 Year With a Simple Tool - POPSUGAR

Dear Dr. Baskett: I am planning on having bariatric surgery. Should I tell my family and friends?

Dear Reader: That is something I cannot answer for you. The decision to tell family, friends and colleagues that you are going to have this surgery is a personal one. Some people will choose to tell only their closest family member (e.g. a spouse) and not their children, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, etc. They wish to keep this matter private. People dont often want to tell others because they dont want to be watched or monitored on their weight loss journey. They dont want to hear Why are you eating that? or You shouldnt be eating that! or How much weight did you lose this week? or My sister lost a lot more weight than you after her surgery!

Surgical patients also encounter those people that wish to give them advice about what they should eat or not and what they should be doing for exercise or not. Surgical patients have also shared the feeling, If lots of people know that I have had bariatric surgery, and I regain my lost weight, they will think I am a failure.

Another reason I hear that patients dont want to share their decision to have bariatric surgery is the concern of getting the comment, Oh, you are taking the easy way out. Any patient who has had bariatric surgery has struggled with his/her weight for many preceding years and is often a pro at dieting. Surgery is a legitimate treatment option for the obese person. Anyone who has undergone bariatric surgery will tell you that it is not the easy way out.

Having said all of this, it can be helpful to share that you are having bariatric surgery with your close friends and family members. Remember, the surgery is not a cure; it is a tool to help you manage your weight. You will be making changes in your day-to-day living, which in turn does affect those closest to you. Having them on board, so to speak, with you will only help to further your success.

One last thing: For those people that dont want to share with the world that they have had bariatric surgery, the question I hear is, What do I tell people when they ask me how I am losing my weight? The response can be, I am working on getting healthier each and every day" because that is exactly what you are doing!

Dr. Kathleen T. Baskett is medical director of the St. Vincent Healthcare Weight Management Clinic.

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Sharing decision to have weight loss surgery is purely personal choice - Billings Gazette

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Shonda Rhimes is opening up about how differently people have treated her since she's lost weight and why she's troubled by it.

The "Scandal" and "Grey's Anatomy" creator revealed in her latest Shondaland newsletter that both men and women began giving her more attention and respect after she lost nearly 150 pounds over several years.

Shonda Rhimes writes in her new Shondaland newsletter that people began treating her more respectfully after she lost nearly 150 pounds.

"Women I barely knew gushed. And I mean GUSHED. Like I was holding-a-new-baby-gushed. Only there was no new baby. It was just me. In a dress. With makeup on and my hair all did, yes. But ... still the same me," the 47-year-old writer, director and producer wrote, according to Entertainment Weekly.

"And men? They spoke to me. THEY SPOKE TO ME," she added. "Like stood still and had long conversations with me about things. It was disconcerting."

What really troubled Rhimes was how people felt "completely comfortable" talking to her about her body. "Telling me I looked pretty or that they were proud of me or that wow, you are so hot now or you look amazing!' she wrote.

The mom of three revealed that she was confused by the fact that "after I lost weight, I discovered that people found me valuable. Worthy of conversation. A person one could look at. A person one could compliment. A person one could admire."

Rimes wondered how these same friends and acquaintances saw her before the weight loss.

"You heard me. I discovered that NOW people saw me as a PERSON, she continued. What the hell did they see me as before? ... What words did they use to describe me? What value did they put on my presence at a party, a lunch, a discussion?"

She realized, "When I was fat, I wasn't a PERSON to these people. Like I had been an Invisible Woman who suddenly materialized in front of them. Poof! There I am. Thin and ready for a chat."

But, wrote Rhimes, "Being thinner doesn't make you a different person. It just makes you thinner."

More here:
Shonda Rhimes says she was treated differently after 150-pound weight loss - Today.com

With obesity still rising among certain groups of kids, a US government panel is renewing its advice that all children and adolescents ages 6 to 18 be screened for obesity. Screening is just the first step. Kids who are obese should then be referred to treatment programmes that use a variety of approaches to change their behaviour and help them slim down. The recommendations were issued recently by the US Preventive Services Task Force, a group of experts appointed by the Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The task forces advice influences healthcare providers and the coverage offered by health insurers. The new recommendations, which were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, earned a B grade from the task force. That means the experts determined with moderate certainty that the overall benefit of obesity screening and treatment referral is moderate. Here are more details about the new recommendations. Is screening really necessary? I mean, cant you tell if a child is obese just by looking at them? Not necessarily. As extra pounds become the new normal, fewer parents are able to recognise when their childs weight is too high. Besides, the medical definition of childhood obesity is pretty specific. You start by measuring a childs height and weight and using that to calculate his or her body mass index. Thats weight (measured in kilograms) divided by height (measured in metres) squared. There are online calculators to help you. To determine if a child meets the criteria for obesity, you compare his or her BMI to the BMIs of other kids who are the same age. Doctors use growth charts from 2000 as a baseline for these comparisons. If a childs BMI is high enough to land him or her in the top 5 percent, he or she is considered obese. Today, about 17 percent of Americans ages 2 to 19 are in this category, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Whats wrong with having a high BMI? Children with obesity are at greater risk for a variety of health conditions. These include asthma, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, high cholesterol, orthopaedic problems and obstructive sleep apnoea. The task force also noted that obese children are more likely to experience mental health and psychological issues, as well as to be teased or be targeted by bullies. What if its just baby fat? Wont kids just grow out of it? Not necessarily. Tracking studies show that about 64 percent of pre-teens who are obese grow up to become obese adults. By the time kids become teenagers, the odds are even more stacked against them nearly 80 percent of obese teens go on to become obese adults. Adults who are obese (defined as having a body mass index of 30 or higher) are more likely to develop serious chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease as well as certain types of cancer. OK, lets say my paediatrician tells me my kid is obese. Now what? The task force advises doctors to help their patients find a comprehensive, intensive behavioural intervention. Thats a fancy way of describing a weight-loss counselling programme. What am I looking for? In clinical trials, the programmes that were most effective shared several features: They included at least 26 contact hours with patients, spread out over a period of months. The ones with the best results had 52 contact hours, enough for one hour per week for an entire year. They involved not just the child but also his or her parents and siblings. They included instruction on healthful eating, including steps such as how to read nutrition information on food labels. They showed kids how to exercise safely and supervised some of their workouts. They taught kids the value of reducing their access to junk food, limiting their screen time and steering clear of other triggers that could undermine their progress. They helped kids learn how to set goals for themselves, monitor their progress and reward themselves when appropriate. Where am I going to find that? A programme like this can involve not just doctors but dietitians, psychologists, exercise physiologists and other kinds of specialists. The task force acknowledged that some families would have limited access to programmes like this, but it didnt dwell on this problem. Others did. In an editorial published in JAMA Internal Medicine, Drs Jason Block and Emily Oken of Harvard Medical School pointed out that in most areas of the United States, programmes like this simply arent available. Among childrens hospitals, for instance, only 60 percent have something that meets the task forces criteria, and only 25 percent have a programme that lasts a full year. Even if a kid is fortunate enough to live near one of these hospitals, his or her family might not be able to afford to use it, Block and Oken added. Three other doctors from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine were even more critical. In a JAMA editorial, Drs Rachel Thornton, Raquel Hernandez and Tina Cheng wrote that the task forces recommendations could wind up diverting resources from more practical public health measures that would probably do more to reduce childhood obesity. Like what? Thornton, Hernandez and Cheng touted efforts to keep junk foods out of schools and prevent companies from marketing sugary drinks to kids. Block and Oken mentioned some other policies that have been shown to improve kids eating habits, such as taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages or changes in the rules governing the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. Greater focus on policies that support healthful behaviours across all settings will be essential not only in ensuring the sustained success of treatment for established obesity, but also in preventing its onset, the Harvard pair wrote. Cant the doctor just prescribe some kind of medicine? The task force considered two medications that are sometimes used to help kids lose weight, orlistat and metformin. Clinical trials have found that both drugs helped children lose about five to seven pounds. But that wasnt enough to reduce their BMIs by even 1 point. However, the drugs did cause side effects, such as vomiting, cramping and uncontrolled passage of stool, according to the panels report. Overall, the experts concluded that the clinical benefit of these drugs was uncertain. Didnt I hear that the childhood obesity epidemic had stabilised? Thats true for American kids overall its been around 17 percent for about the past decade, according to data from the CDCs National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. At the turn of the century, that figure was about 14 percent; in the 1970s, it was under 6 percent. But some groups of kids are still getting fatter. For instance, obesity rates are still rising among African-American girls and Latino boys. Also, the proportion of kids who are severely obese continues to grow. Los Angeles Times/TNS

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Here's why experts say all kids ages 6 and up should be screened for obesity - Gulf Times