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Your 30th birthday is one of those big milestones everyone celebrates in some big way. Even if you hate birthdays, you probably remember what you did when you turned 30.

For Brendan O'Donnell, now 34, his 30th birthday was also a wake-up call.

The York, England, resident celebrated with his family by planning a long weekend in London, followed by a trip to Spain for a music festival.

"During the festival, I felt uncomfortable all the time," O'Donnell explained. "It was over 100 degrees and I didn't want to go out and do things. I wanted to stay inside, in the shade. I couldn't sleep. I just remember thinking, you shouldn't feel like this. This isn't right."

It was August 2013 when they returned from their trip, and O'Donnell stepped on the scale for the first time in a long time and learned he weighed 359 pounds.

He knew something had to change. O'Donnell discussed his feelings with his wife, and together they decided to join a weight-loss plan called Slimming World.

The couple decided to lose weight together and kept each other motivated!

"I wasn't convinced that a diet would work for me in the long term, but decided to give it a try," O'Donnell remembered. He and his wife tried to eat healthier before, but always wound up falling back into their old ways. Before they started on their journey, "cooking" meant taking food out of the freezer and putting it in the oven.

RELATED: Combined, this couple lost 298 pounds in a year by following these 3 steps

O'Donnell and his wife put together a weekly menu, planning out what they would eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner using new ingredients they hadn't tried before. It worked: In a week, O'Donnell had lost 13 pounds. By week two, he was down another 8 pounds.

Over the course of 10 months, O'Donnell continued to lose an average of 3.5 pounds per week. Overall, he lost 157 pounds, and his wife lost 56 pounds. Here are a few tips that O'Donnell learned along the way:

"I never did any exercise," O'Donnell said, but when he started losing weight, he decided to sign up for a couch to 5K app simply "to prove it can't be done." But after eight weeks, he ran for 30 minutes without stopping. Running has become a new healthy habit for O'Donnell, who ran a marathon last year.

Today, Brendan gives running two thumbs up.

"We made a recipe during our first week on the Slimming World program and I fell in love with it," O'Donnell recounted. "It's barbecue pulled pork, and if I haven't had it in a couple of weeks, I get upset." Other favorites included curries and lean ground-beef burgers.

RELATED: 7 women on what it's really like to lose over 100 pounds

"Check out stories from people who have done it before," he said. "They inspired me and made me want to give it a go. They made me think that I could succeed, too."

Brendan posing in one of his old shirts, which is way too big now!

RELATED: Man loses 176 pounds in less than a year, thanks to 3 easy steps

"I never felt deprived when I craved something like chocolate or candy. I knew I could have it because I could make an allowance in my plan," O'Donnell explained. "If I wanted to have that chocolate bar or glass of wine or beer, it wouldn't be a problem. Treats were part of the menu!"

Every time O'Donnell and his wife tried to lose weight, they wound up giving up.

"I needed plan and I needed to address my relationship with food," O'Donnell said. "What was so great about it (the Slimming World plan) was the support and the way the plan was structured to encourage people without making them feel guilty."

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

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5 steps that helped this man lose 157 pounds in a year - Today.com

One thing that I pay close attention to when I have a patient seeing me for weight management is what medicines they are currently taking. Medicines, while being very helpful to prevent and treat illness, can have various side effects. Weight gain or difficulty with weight loss is one of these side effects. For instance, type 2 diabetic patients commonly take medicines called sulfonylureas to keep their sugar under control. Examples of these are glipizide and glyburide. While these medications can be effective for blood sugar control, they can often contribute to difficulty losing weight. Since weight loss can be an important way to treat your diabetes, these medicines can interfere with treating an underlying cause of your type 2 diabetes despite the fact that they help bring your blood sugar down. Another diabetic medication that can cause weight gain is one well known to diabetic sufferers, that is insulin. I mentioned on a previous article that insulin can stimulate the storage of sugar into fat. You can imagine that the higher the dosage of insulin required to keep your blood sugar under control, the more potential for weight gain. That is why if I have a type 2 diabetic patient attempting to lose weight, I will often stop or reduce their insulin and sulfonylurea as it will not only promote weight loss but it will help prevent low blood sugars from their dieting attempt. It is important to note that stopping insulin is not an option in type 1 diabetic patients, as this will lead to a life-threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis. Nevertheless, proper dieting often reduces the insulin requirement of a type 1 diabetes patient.

Another commonly prescribed class of medications that can hurt weight loss attempts are the psychiatric medicines, such as those used for depression. Not all anti-depressants are known to promote weight gain but weight gain is often a side effect that we see in medicines like amitriptyline, mirtazapine and paroxetine. Yet another class of medications known to hinder weight loss attempts are the beta-blocker medicines. These are medicines which we use to help treat conditions like high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and congestive heart failure. Examples of these are medicines are atenolol and metoprolol. In addition to causing the potential side effect of fatigue, they can contribute to difficulty losing weight.

That being said, this doesnt mean that you should just stop these medicines on your own as they do have clear benefit in numerous health problems. Also, suddenly stopping some of these medicines can cause withdrawal-type symptoms. However, if you are serious about attempting to lose weight, it would be very reasonable to talk to your physician about whether these medicines can either be substituted or have their dose reduced. Sometimes, due to a variety of medical reasons, the answer may be no, but it is worthwhile to bring this up with your doctor.

Dr. Roy Barco welcomes your questions concerning health and wellness. Please Facebook him at http://www.facebook.com/roy.barco.5 where you can submit questions for the column, or write to:

True Medical Group

Shoals Professional Building

203 Avalon Ave, Suite 120

Muscle Shoals, AL 35661

256-286-4026

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Do Any Kind of Medicines Interfere with Weight Loss? - courierjournal

New York Times

Do We Need to Give Up Alcohol to Lose Weight? Not Necessarily New York Times People trying to lose weight or not gain weight are frequently advised to lay off the booze. Although organizations like Weight Watchers offer ways to drink wisely within their plans, alcohol, with seven calories a gram and no compensating ... Good News: You Don't Have to Give Up Booze to Lose WeightCosmopolitan.com Good News: Alcohol Might Not Cause You to Gain Weight After AllMen's Health all 3 news articles »

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Do We Need to Give Up Alcohol to Lose Weight? Not Necessarily - New York Times

Life & Style Weekly

Mama June Admits She Won't Get Married Again Following Impressive Weight Loss! Life & Style Weekly The reality star, who has been chronicling her impressive weight loss on her new show From Not to Hot, may be looking better than ever, but she has no plans to get married again. MORE: Mama June Reveals the Reason for Her Weight Loss Is to Get ... and more »

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Mama June Admits She Won't Get Married Again Following Impressive Weight Loss! - Life & Style Weekly

Jonah Hill leaves the gym in Los Angeles on March 11. Credit: Mega

Superskinny! Jonah Hill, who gained 40 pounds for his latest onscreen role in War Dogs, left an L.A. gym session Saturday, March 11, looking trimmer than ever.

Since the actor, 33, rose to fame as a high school geek in 2007s Superbad, his weight has yo-yoed for various roles. Back in 2011, he lost 40 pounds before starring in Moneyball with Brad Pitt. Hill has credited clean eating, including a Japanese food diet, for his weight loss.

It was just mostly diet, he admitted to ABC News in 2012. I wish there was some crazy thing that I did, like a pill or a genie or something. But it was, unfortunately, I went to see a nutritionist, and he told me what to eat to change my habits and stuff. I found that Japanese food was very helpful to me."

Hill ultimately gained back the 40 pounds to film War Dogs in 2015. To get in shape again, Hill hired a nutritionist who encouraged him to maintain a food journal which he accidentally once emailed to Drake and he enlisted help from his 21 Jump Street costar Channing Tatum. I called Channing Tatum and said, Hey, if I ate less and go to a trainer, will I get in better shape? the L.A. native told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show in August. And he said, Yes, you dumb motherfer, of course you will. Its the simplest thing in the entire world.

Next up, Hill will play a man locked up in a mental institution for Netflixs Maniac,which will reunite him with Superbad costar Emma Stone. The series starts filming in August.

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Jonah Hill Looks Slimmer Than Ever After Losing Weight He Gained for 'War Dogs': See the Pics - Us Weekly

Health Beat: Aspire for weight loss

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Standing six feet, four inches tall, Wilcoxon, 44, leaves a big impression.

"The most I ever saw on the scale was 409 pounds," said Eric Wilcoxon.

These days, he is more than 135 pounds lighter after a lifetime struggle with diet and exercise that impacted his life and his health.

"I sat in my chair for probably the last two years before I had this done," Wilcoxon said.

"When it's your husband, you don't want anything to happen to him," explained Wilcoxon's wife, Christy. "I'm getting emotional here. I don't want him to die."

Dr. Vladimir Kushnir, a bariatric endoscopic surgeon at Washington University in St. Louis, recommended Wilcoxon undergo an endoscopic procedure to implant the Aspire Assist.

"The device is a modified feeding tube with a larger external portion and a smaller internal portion," said Kushnir.

Thirty minutes after a meal, Wilcoxon connects the tube to a water canister and pumps out about one-third of his stomach.

Research summary - Aspire for weight loss

"Similar to what happens with weight loss surgery, some of the food you eat doesn't go where it naturally would, which helps you lose weight because you dont absorb as many of the calories," Kushnir said.

"A lot of people do think it's gross, but I'm really not overly concerned about what other people think," Wilcoxon said.

Wilcoxon watches what he eats in order for the Aspire to work. He drinks a lot of water and chews his food a lot.

"People don't comprehend how much you have to chew in order to do this," Wilcoxon said. "This tube in my belly is no bigger than an ink pen sitting on your desk."

Wilcoxon credits that tube plus a healthy diet with allowing him to do things he couldn't before, like coach his son's football team.

The FDA approved the Aspire Assist last year for obese patients. Patients must not have undergone any other surgical weight loss procedure to be considered for Aspire Assist. Unlike other weight loss procedures, the Aspire Assist device can be removed.

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Health Beat: Aspire for weight loss - WFMZ Allentown

= By NELLY BOSIRE 12 hoursago

Suzy* is a bubbly 26-year-old first-time mum. She is excited about motherhood, and having had an uneventful pregnancy and delivery, she has nothing to complain about. When she comes for her post-natal clinic at two weeks, she is doing well, and has settled into breastfeeding rather easily.

Her final post-natal clinic is rather dramatic, though. She is accompanied by her older sister, who is not amused that the new mum has gained seven kilogrammes since the delivery of her baby, not counting the nine kilos gained during pregnancy. From a svelte 56kgs to an uncomfortable 72 kilogrammes! She has no fitting clothes and has invaded her sisters wardrobe

Motherhood is one of the most cherished states for a woman. It brings contentment, excitement, a sense of accomplishment and even social elevation in some communities. In Africa and India, most communities will look down on a woman who has not achieved this feat.

During pregnancy a woman should, on average, gain eight to 12 kilogrammes by the time the baby is being born at term. This weight is derived from the baby itself, the amniotic fluid, the placenta, the increased breast tissue, the expanded maternal blood volume and a bit of fat stored in preparation for breastfeeding, commonly noticed under the shoulder blades.

The smaller the woman, the more likely she is to gain less weight. The obese woman has challenges balancing the necessary weight gain against an excess that is unhealthy.

Women with pregnancy complications such as pre-eclampsia will gain several more kilogrammes due to excessive retained fluid. This weight gain is usually sudden and the patient appears puffy.

The expectant womans calorie requirements in pregnancy varies with gestation. In the first trimester, one has no need for extra calories, hence dietary intake should provide about 1,800 kilocalories a day. This requirement goes up to 2,200kcal in the second trimester and 2,400kcal in the third.

The myth about a pregnant woman eating for two is not only false, but outright harmful. Extra calories during pregnancy lead to piling on unnecessary weight that may lead to unwarranted obesity. This myth continues into the post-natal phase under the pretext of breastfeeding. Studies have shown that women who put on weight beyond the recommended pregnancy kilos have a higher chance of retaining the excess weight right up to a year after delivery.

Once the baby comes, the new mum has a new mountain to climb. Well-meaning family members will visit with heaps of food and they expect the new mum to eat non-stop for the duration of breastfeeding.

Mugs of hot chocolate, porridge, soup and fermented milk are served without ceasing. Food servings are increased and the number of meals increases from three to five. Woe unto her if she has challenges with a good flow of breastmilk, or if the baby is colicky and cries all night. She will be forced to eat more to produce enough milk for her baby.

Within weeks, instead of shedding the baby weight, the new mum continues to gain weight at an alarming rate. Since she is still on maternity leave and does not need to dress up; she wears comfortable loose clothing and has no idea that her wardrobe no longer fits.

Suzy is in this trap. She has a doting mother-in-law who is visiting her first grandchild. The older lady spends all day in the kitchen cooking one delight after another and Suzy cannot resist pigging out.

In the breastfeeding phase, all Suzy needs is an extra 500kcal in addition to her daily requirements to cater for the baby. This way, women are able to lose the stored pregnancy fat and resume normal weight. What is required in large volumes is water. Quite an amount of water is lost in the breastmilk and it is important to replace this.

It is not in order to keep unnecessary weight under the guise of having more babies. Most lazy mothers will ignore the weight and cite their desire to have another baby and complete the family size as the excuse.

They will plan to lose the weight after they are done with having a second baby. The danger is that, with each successive pregnancy, they are already starting from a point of disadvantage, by being overweight or outright obese. The weight loss project ultimately becomes even more difficult.

Post-pregnancy weight loss must start from the delivery room. The mother should learn to eat only what her body requires. She must decisively choose what she needs to eat and not let that be dictated to her. Simple exercises such as brisk walking and swimming to boost metabolism are encouraged. Above all, breastfeeding in itself helps with the weight loss as the body is pushed to use the pregnancy fat that was stored specifically for this.

This is also a good period to initiate weight loss in those diagnosed with obesity during pregnancy. The danger of rapid weight loss in pregnancy is gone and the joints are under less pressure hence can tolerate exercise.

Look out for the contraceptive used too. Some women may gain weight especially if they use progesterone-based hormonal contraceptives. For this group of women, safe options are available and should be used as needed.

Also note that each woman is inherently different, some may have a high metabolism and lose weight in weeks. Others need a little longer to catch up. Whatever the case, shed off the post-natal weight safely.

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Best way to lose baby fat? Eat for one! - Daily Nation

...these important features will encourage physicians and their patients alike to adopt HydroSlim as the new standard for a first-line therapeutic option in their battle of the bulge.

Clearwater Beach, FL (PRWEB) March 13, 2017

SWELL is a multi-patented, ingestible, superabsorbent hydrogel technology specifically designed for weight loss. The approval comes on the heels of the successful, SHORT-1 Pivotal Trial (Superabsorbent Hydrogel for Obesity Reduction & Treatment) - an 8-week, Pivotal, Phase III, randomized, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that evaluated 126 overweight and obese, otherwise healthy volunteers (38 men and 88 women) between the ages of 18 and 70. The SHORT-1 Trial is the largest clinical trial of its kind; and was led by Dr. Rafael Guerrero, Professor of Clinical pharmacology, nutrition and dietetics, University of Extremadura; University Center of Mrida. SHORT-1 demonstrated highly statistically significant and clinically relevant improvement in all three of the studys primary endpoints: Total Body Weight, Body Mass Index, and Abdominal Girth; with a mean placebo-adjusted weight loss of 13 lbs. in 8 weeks (p<0.0001) without the addition of diet, exercise, or other behavioral modifications. Of Note: all 63 participants (100%) in the HydroSlim group lost weight during the study period. No significant side effects or adverse events were reported.

Lior Sher, JD, Wellosophys Founder, Chairman and CEO stated: HydroSlim is an unprecedented scientific achievement spanning eleven years of development with SHORT-1 being our eleventh clinical trial. No other hydrogel for weight loss has been studied as extensively. The CE Mark culminates five years of intense pre-clinical and clinical development - working with some of the most highly-respected physicians and scientists in Europe. HydroSlim has demonstrated superior safety and effectiveness as a simple, sustainable, non-pharmaceutical, non-invasive solution to promote early satiety - the essential missing piece in the weight loss puzzle for most people struggling to lose weight. We believe that these important features will encourage physicians and their patients alike to adopt HydroSlim as the new standard for a first-line therapeutic option in their battle of the bulge. SWELL is a category-creator. It is currently sold under private labels in both Russia and Chile as a Class IIa Medical Device, and as a dietary supplement in other jurisdictions. We are privileged to work with an outstanding partner like Eladiet to expand our marketing efforts throughout the European Union.

Eladiets CEO, Carla Gaya Boix, LLM, MBA, added: We are proud to partner with Wellosophy in this venture. We loved the SWELL technology from the moment we saw it; and are honored to be the exclusive European Manufacturer of such a great product. Its clinical performance has exceeded all of our expectations. There really is nothing like it in the world. At long last, there appears to be a simple, safe and effective means for people to safely lose weight without feeling hungry. HydroSlim provides an elegant solution for a critical unmet medical need. Patients now have a clear choice that bridges the gap between side-effect laden drugs and expensive invasive surgery.

Dr. Richard Davis, MD, Wellosophys President and Chief Science Officer explained: SWELL is an ingestible, ultrapure, bioinert, hydrogel material that has been specifically designed to rapidly absorb hundreds of times its weight in water in the stomach. When consumed with a sufficient amount of pure water, 30 to 60 minutes prior to meals, the thousands of microbeads of SWELL in each capsule expand in the stomach to form what looks like a slurry of tiny caviar particles which collectively occupy a volume about the size of a large apple. As the microbeads expand, they trigger gastric stretch receptors in the stomach lining to engage the Leptin and Ghrelin hormone cascade which causes the brain to signal gastric fullness thus providing a sense of early satiety at mealtime. Our multiple international studies have consistently shown that patients from all cultures and dietary traditions can comfortably and reliably reduce their meal portions by anywhere from 35% to 50% without feeling deprived. This allows people to eat less without feeling hungry, so they sustainably lose weight slowly, safely and naturally. SWELL is indigestible and non-absorbable; which eliminates the potential for any significant side effects or adverse events. The soft slippery microbeads pass gently and naturally with the meal through the GI tract just like lentils, corn or other common indigestible foods. We are delighted that the EU regulators have provided their citizens with a powerful new tool to combat the obesity epidemic.

Wellosophy (Clearwater Beach, Florida) is a privately-held, US-based biotechnology company developing novel therapies that safely promote weight loss in overweight and obese patients. For more information, visit http://www.Wellosophy.com

Eladiet (Barcelona, Spain) is a leading European cGMP and CE-certified maker of Nutraceuticals and Medical Devices. For more information, visit cm.Eladiet.com

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Wellosophy and Eladiet Announce Receipt of the CE Mark for ... - PR Web (press release)

For many people, when they decide its time to lose weight, they want to see instant results however, thats not the healthy way to go in the long run. In this case, slow and steady really does win the race. Im Wendy Corr, with todays wellness tip!

In America, about 68 percent of people age 20 years and older are obese or overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The majority of these people want to lose weight or have considered losing weight but many get frustrated when they dont see rapid results.

Rapid weight loss means losing more than 2 to 3 lbs. a week. Most often diet pills, patches or creams, and severe calorie restrictions will result in rapid weight loss.

But most medical professionals advise that a safe rate of weight loss is between 1 and 2 pounds per week so it can take between 25 and 50 weeks to lose 50 pounds.

So, why is slower the way to go when it comes to losing weight?

While losing weight quickly seems wonderful on the surface, rapid weight loss has many disadvantages.

You often regain any weight you lost, and you may even gain back more than you lost. Rapid weight-loss diets may even cause you to suffer from health consequences like fatigue, dehydration and nutrient deficiencies.

Mayoclinic.com points out that slow weight loss increases your chances of losing actual fat, rather than burning lean muscle tissue, which often occurs with rapid weight loss and fad diets. Plus, when you take more time, your metabolism remains stable, and you will lose weight at a steady pace.

With slow weight loss, you can ensure that youre eating healthy, because you can take the time to make gradual changes to your diet, incorporating more fruits and vegetables and taking out processed foods.

Additionally, by changing your diet gradually and adding exercise into your daily routine, you are making lasting changes to your habits which means that your chances of keeping the weight off increase dramatically!

One of the best tools you can utilize is an accurate food journal. Write down everything you eat and drink, including serving sizes/portions. Be honest and accurate the only one youre cheating is yourself if youre not honest! Keeping a record will help you learn about your eating habits and help you examine the food choices you make.

The only problem with slow weight loss is that you dont get that regular positive feedback you need to stay motivated so you have to reward yourself! Keep a journal and set short-term goals that you can track then reward yourself when you reach them! A new pair of jeans; a pedicure; celebrating with a movie or an outing with your partner or with friends are all positive reinforcements to your ongoing journey.

Thanks for tuning in to Wellness with Wendy! Im a certified holistic nutritionist, a mom, an entertainer and a radio personality so finding balance is the key to my life. I love sharing tips and tricks to help you live your best life so for more health and wellness news and advice, follow my blog on mybighornbasin.com. See you again next time for Wellness with Wendy!

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Slow and Steady Wins the Race - mybighornbasin

Men's Health

The New Science Of Weight Loss Men's Health So you're sitting in a booth at a fast-food chicken joint. Maybe you're there because of a funny commercial you saw on TV, or a nostalgia-induced craving, or it's convenient and you're starving. You unwrap the crinkly paper to unveil a squishy bun ...

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The New Science Of Weight Loss - Men's Health