Throughout 2021, Good Housekeeping is exploring how we think about weight, the way we eat and how we try to control or change our bodies in our quest to be happier and healthier. While GH also publishes weight loss content and endeavors to do so in a responsible, science-backed way, we think its important to present a broad perspective that allows for a fuller understanding of the complex thinking about health and body weight. Our goal here is not to tell you how to think, eat, or live nor is to to pass judgment on how you choose to nourish your body but rather to start a conversation about diet culture, its impact and how we might challenge the messages we are given about what makes us attractive, successful and healthy.Content warning: Discussion of specific clothing sizes.

When I was planning my wedding, I put time and effort into choosing the venue, making the guest list and picking the flowers. One thing I didn't waste mental energy on? Losing weight before the big day.

That might not sound radical on the face of it, but so many women feel extra pressure to drop pounds before their wedding day. In fact, theres a whole phenomenon known as shedding for the wedding or sweating for the wedding, in which women put themselves through varying degrees of rigor to diet and exercise their way into a smaller gown. Ive even been down that road myself, at my first wedding in 2014. But my work since then as a body-acceptance advocate has given me the perspective I needed to embrace my body the second time around and free myself of the pre-wedding weight-loss stress that so many brides are subjected to.

I remember feeling really badly that I couldn't lose weight the first time I walked down the aisle, and it added to the stress of planning a wedding. But life carried on after we were married, and eventually I went through a divorce, launched a successful body-positive platform and happily, I hit it off with someone new that I could tell was a good match for me. That's how, in the lead-up to my second wedding in 2019, I found myself in a totally new headspace. This time around, I thought, What is this phenomenon that as soon as you get engaged and you make a commitment to someone, the second thought you have is, I'd better lose weight?

It's really weird when you sit down and think about it. Theres this idea that you have to start your marriage at your thinnest and most of the time, it has nothing to do with your spouse. It's really about this strange societal moment where it's understood that 1) you get the engagement ring; and then 2) you have to lose the weight. The two should have nothing to do with each other. You're in this exciting time and youve made this really big choice to give your whole self to someone and build a life together, but immediately you feel you have to change your body. Then you take all these photos at your wedding and you print them out and you put them up in your house.

But after the nuptials, most women gain back the pounds they shed. That may well mean that you look like a different person and for the rest of your life, and the pictures are there to remind you, Well, I'll never be as small as my wedding weight.

Going into this marriage, I realized that this concept didnt make sense, and no, actually my body did not need to change so that I could tie the knot. Ive seen so many of my friends do a lot of drastic things to get down to a certain size for their wedding. Instead of radiating positive, glowing energy, they show up tired, stressed, not as themselves and not really in a good mental spot because they haven't been eating properly for months.

COURTESY OF KATIE STURINO

Not only is there pressure from media, social media and sometimes even close family or friends to embark on this weight-loss journey, but its reinforced by the wedding industry. For starters, trying on dresses is a whole messed-up experience because you go in and they only have sample sizes (about 10 or 12 in bridal sizing the equivalent of 6 or 8 in streetwear), which are much smaller than the 16 or 18 in streetwear that research shows the average American woman wears. You can't really see how you're going to look in a particular gown style, which is not helpful.

Then, to top it off, the salesperson or the seamstress might say, Well you'll come in a couple of months before the special day for another fitting because you'll have lost weight. Those are real things that you hear from wedding professionals! And if you're a size 8 and they're implying that you have to lose weight, what will the saleswoman say if youre a size 18 like me?

The entire wedding experience for bigger women can be really upsetting.

I receive messages from women weekly who want wedding or bridesmaid dress recommendations because the entire wedding experience for bigger women can be really upsetting. For sure, the search for a dress is much different for plus-size women than for those who wear "standard" sizes. Bigger brides have to think less about what is my dream dress? and more about what's going to be available to me? In fact, some people don't even have traditional wedding celebrations because they're so scared to go shopping for a dress.

That brings us to the issue of thin privilege. Thinner people don't always understand that when you walk into any clothing store and you assume they're going to have your size, it's not a mindset plus-size women can share, especially when it comes to a big-stakes item like a wedding gown.

All of this takes away from a time in your life when you should be thrilled that you finally connected with this human that you want to spend your life with. You should be able to bask in all that love and energy and focus on treating yourself well, connecting with friends and family and generating a lot of happy feelings instead of generating a lot of feelings of restriction, fear and anger.

But it doesn't have to be this way no matter what size you wear. It's a matter of embracing who you are and marrying someone as you are now and not this version of yourself that you think you have to be at your wedding. Dont get me wrong everyone wants to look and feel like a 10 on their wedding day. I'm all about getting your teeth whitened or your nails done, but this goes deeper than that. Needing to change your body, in my experience, speaks to a feeling of unworthiness in the body that you're in right now.

courtesy of Katie Sturino

My own journey to body acceptance actually started when I was in a much smaller body than I am now; I still wanted to lose weight and yet I felt much worse about it. I started my blog The 12ish Style in 2015 with the intention of creating a place where women who are over size 12 could find cute, stylish clothes and styles for their size. What I learned talking to women was that it wasn't just the big girls who had problems accepting their body. I was hearing from women who were a size 4, a size 2, a size 6, a size 10. So many hated their bodies, wished it were different, wanted to lose weight and were constantly thinking about it and striving for it.

All of a sudden it hit me: So you mean that even if I'm in the size that I think would bring me peace, I will still want to be smaller? Oh my God, what's the point? What is the point of this whole merry-go-round? That kind of snapped something in my brain, and I thought, Well, if she's not going to be happy at a 4, I'm certainly not going to punish myself for not being physically able to get to a size 4.

Then I had a second realization the people who really love me aren't paying attention to my body the way I'm paying attention to my body, anyway. Why am I so hyper-focused on this body and speaking to myself so negatively and punishing myself when no one really notices if I'm a size 12 or a size 14 or a size 16? Like, it's all kind of in the same space. So those are two realizations that I had, and my messaging to women since then has really been to just embrace where you are. It doesn't mean you can't try and lose weight if that's what you truly want. It just means that you should start thinking about your body in a way that is less critical or to stop striving to be something else.

My platform has evolved and now Instagram is where I connect with women every day, through my #SuperSizetheLook and #MakeMySize hashtags. We also launched Megababe in 2017 when I wanted to create a solution for thigh chafe and we currently carry an array of personal-care products for women in all types of bodies. The goal is to create innovations, solve problems and break down taboos.

One thing people don't like to admit is that the journey to body acceptance is never done. Its something you have to work on every day and its very easy to fall back into that negative mindset, but learning to recognize your triggers can help you recover faster.

Body Talk: How to Embrace Your Body and Start Living Your Best Life

When you're not feeling great about your body, youre always feeling negative. Changing your mindset and finding peace and acceptance in your body brings along a new form of confidence and positive energy in every aspect of your life. And once you have more peace with your body, you're able to do more with your brain, which is why I wrote my book Body Talk. I realized we waste so much time thinking about our bodies in a negative way and all of that focus and attention could be going toward solving real problems that we have.

Because so many people assume every bride will attempt to slim down before their big day, it can be difficult to go against the tide. To accept and love your body as it is and say No, I dont need to change myself to fit your beauty standards is seen as weird. The best thing a bride can do is take a deep breath and have honest conversations with people who make comments about "shedding for the wedding."

For instance, if the person selling you a wedding dress mentions ordering a smaller size, consider a response along the lines of, Yeah, Im not going to be losing weight so I can just get fitted right now. Not only will it give your own mental health a little boost, its encouraging for other people to hear that youre confident in knowing that you dont need to fall into this joy-draining cultural phenomenon.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

Read the original here:
Katie Sturino on Why She Refused to Lose Weight for Her Wedding - GoodHousekeeping.com

Are you out of control around sweets, chocolate, or chips? Do you often hear the bag of tortilla chips calling you by name? Read this before you answer the call.

Everyone has food cravings, especially for foods that are rich in fat, sugar, and salt, or any combo of the three. (That's why we find chocolate, chips, baked goods, ice cream, and fast food so irresistible.) In fact, one study found that 97% of women and 68% of men reported having food cravings.

But the answer to your cravings problem isn't to ignore them. Research shows that food restriction and avoidance can increase the intensity of cravings, so the key is to eat foods that can actually help tamp down hunger and cravings. The other strategy is to have healthier options of what you're craving, so you can feel satisfied without derailing your diet. The next time you feel a hankering for an indulgent food coming on, you can cave into that craving without destroying your diet by reaching for one of these hunger-crushing foods. And for more on how to eat healthy, don't miss 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.

Starting our meal with soup has a similar effect as having a piece of fruit before your meals. It fills you up with fewer calories, thanks to its high water content. Studies show that having broth or vegetable-based soup before your meal reduced the amount of calories you'll eat at that meal. Many weight-loss experts advise their clients to eat soup daily to help them lose weight and keep it off. Look for soup that is low in calories, like broth, vegetable, or tomato soup, or choose those that have high fiber counts like minestrone or bean soups. One study found that enjoying soup as your first course helped study participants eat about 20% fewer calories or an average of 134 fewer calories at their meal. What's more, even though they ate fewer calories, they stayed satisfied.

READ MORE:The #1 Best Soup for a Flat Belly, Says Dietitian

Fruit helps increase the fiber in your diet, which helps to keep you full. What's more, water-rich choices will help send a signal from your stomach to your brain that you're full. Some fiber-rich picks: a cup of raspberries packs in 8 grams fiber, and a cup of wild blueberries has 6 grams. A medium apple has nearly 4.5 grams, a pear has 5.5 grams, and an average-sized orange has around 4 grams of fiber. A small study in Brazil found that participants who ate either an apple or pear before each of their main meals lost a significant amount of weight compared to those who didn't eat fruit before their meals.

RELATED: Sign up for our newsletter to get daily recipes and food news in your inbox!

When it comes to cravings, protein-rich foods can be your best friend. Good sources of protein that rank high on the satiety index include eggs, Greek yogurt, fish, and lean poultry options. For the best effect, try to start your day off with some protein (about 25-30 grams at your first meal) to help keep your hunger and appetite in check. This can help jump-start your weight loss. In fact, one study found that eating an egg and turkey sausage breakfast sandwich was more filling and helped study participants eat fewer calories at lunch compared to eating a low-protein breakfast.

RELATED: 19 High Protein Breakfasts That Keep You Full

According to research, chocolate is the most craved food. If you feel like gooey chocolatey candy bars, brownies, or chocolate chip cookies are calling your name, opt for an ounce of dark chocolate that has at least 70% cacao. Dark chocolate has lower sugar and calorie counts and is packed with beneficial antioxidants, so it helps keep blood sugar levels stable to control hunger and cravings. Another great option is to make a chocolate protein pudding by mixing 6 ounces plain Greek yogurt with 2 teaspoons cocoa powder. Stir to combine. The protein in Greek yogurt will help keep you full while the cocoa powder will satisfy your craving for chocolate.

Oats are a fiber-rich whole-grain often recommended for their heart-health benefits but several studies show that they can help control appetite and cravings. Oats are particularly high in a type of soluble dietary fiber called beta-glucan, which has been shown to trigger hunger hormones, keeping you fuller, longer. What's more, beta-glucan slows digestion to keep blood sugar and your appetite in check. A cup of oats has about 150 calories and 4 grams of hunger-crushing fiber. In addition to enjoying oats for breakfast, try incorporating oats into burgers, soups and stews, casseroles, and desserts.

Read this next:

See the original post:
The Best Foods to Crush Hunger Cravings and Lose Weight Fast Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

Jeremy Clarkson, 61, hosted Top Gear for years before moving on to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? The presenter dropped a few pounds in a short period of time following a royal example.

But what made him decide to lose weight and start his fitness journey?

Jeremy explained a trip to Vietnam made him realise he had to change his lifestyle.

I went on a gap year! I went on a gap year to Indochina.

"They just have a better diet out there.

DON'T MISS

Plus I had a bicycle rather than a car.

Cycling is not a good thing to do, Im all broken as a result of it but I did lose a lot of weight.

Where I was staying was separated from the small town by a mountain but it was much bigger than Everest, he told Jonathan Ross.

The presenter also reduced his alcohol intake, which has proven to help a lot of people to lose weight.

"The Queen doesnt go to the gym and she doesnt run and shes 93 and shes all right.

"Apparently she only has a forkful, she only has a tiny bit, thats what Ive heard.

"Shell sit down and just have one little bit of mousse and bit of a lettuce leaf," he told the Sun.

Jeremy has maintained his slim figure and stays in good shape by going on walks and working on his farm.

See original here:
Jeremy Clarkson weight loss: The presenter lost 2st in weeks by following royal example - Daily Express

HONEY G looked incredible as she stepped out last night almost unrecognisable to the woman who found fame on X Factor five years ago.

The 40-year-old, real name Anna Gilford, has completely transformed her appearance after switching up her image and dropping two stone.

2

2

Dressed in a sheer black top and skinny jeans, the singer turned heads at the opening of Lakesides Christmas Wonderland with no cap or gold chains in sight.

Speaking about her weight loss previously, she toldDaily Star: "The weight loss has definitely given me the confidence to put myself out there.

"I've always had a bit of a complex about my weight and now I can shop in the likes of Topshop and Miss Selfridge.

"I used to be Size 16 to 18 but I recently bought a pair of size 12 trousers which feels so good."

Fans will be delighted to see Honey back on TV next year after she landed a place on Celebrity Coach Trip.

Honey finished fifth on 2016's X Factor and was signed by Simon Cowell's label Syco.

But she was axed when her debut release The Honey G Show flopped.

The TV star had thought she could combine a music career with selling homes and joined an estate agent in 2019.

Unfortunately, she was sacked after just a few months, telling The Sun: "They didn't realise how famous I am.

"My boss had told me that he was expecting me to give up my music career which I am obviously not prepared to do.

"Music is my love and passion, and my ambitions are about being a worldwide music artist.

"I had no intention of being an estate agent long-term. I was hoping that a big opportunity for my music career would come in. I do believe I belong on stage."

Exclusive

Read this article:
Honey G is unrecognisable after weight loss and makeover five years after appearing on X Factor... - The Sun

Feeling fabulous! Carrie Ann Inaba served up quite the sexy style moment on the Monday, November 15, episode of Dancing With the Stars thanks to a stunning Marchesa mini dress complete with a cutout.

When I tried it on in my fitting, I fell in love with it as its such a classic design, but with a cool modern cutout in the corset and I thought that was exciting, Inaba exclusively told Us Weeklys Stylish.

The 53-year-old judge, who has lost 18 pounds since March 2020, explained that rather than shy away from showing a little more skin, she welcomed it.

Its been nice to feel good about my body again and lots of hard work and finding my way back to health, she said. The dress, with that feature, was a nice way to celebrate my health. It was a liquid black dress that felt good to wear, slinky yet classic.

Because the look had been in the works for a while, Inaba and her glam squad decided to spend a little extra time getting ready before the show.

Her hairstylist, Glenn Nutley, gave her some fresh highlights and a new tone. To offset the classic Old Hollywood style cut of the dress, but to keep up with the modern cutout, we chose to do a more tossed bed head look which is always fun, the choreographer told Stylish.

When it came to makeup, Inaba and makeup artist Marylin Lee Spiegel eventually landed on a simpler vibe but it wasnt decided on from the get go. In fact, they were actually planning on a lash-centric look.

Marylin and I had put on a double lash, but it was a bit heavy and made me actually feel sleepy, so right before the show, we decided to change it, Inaba revealed, noting that lashes are actually her favorite part of the makeup process.

And when all was said and done, the star looked just as good as she felt for the semi finals. My team does such a great job making sure that when I walk out I feel totally empowered and in my zone, she said to Us. That helps when we have to make tough calls as we did tonight.

To get an up-close look at Inabas fabulous fashion and fierce glam fromDancing With the Stars, keep scrolling!

Read this article:
Carrie Ann Inaba Didnt Shy Away From a Slinky Dress on DWTS After 18-Lb Weight Loss - Us Weekly