Do you worryabout getting back in shape after giving birth? Youre not alone. Returning to pre-pregnancy weight is a common and persistent cause of anxiety, but all is not lost.

The keys to successful postpartum weight loss, according to experts, are to understand the basics, begin with the end in mind, commit to a slow and steady exercise plan, and maintain mental resilience.

We break these down and share tips on how you can set yourself up for success throughout the process.

THE BASICS

Pregnancy weight gain is a natural and necessary phenomenon, said one expert, contributed to by the growing baby, the placenta and amniotic fluid.

Weight gain is also due to the changes a womans body makes to support the pregnancy, such as increased blood supply, uterus growth, increased breast tissue and fat stores, said Dr Ho Xin Yi, an associate consultant at KK Womens and Childrens Hospitals (KKH) obstetrics and gynaecology department.

During pregnancy, women may increase their daily caloric intake to support the babys growth, which causes weight gain as well, she added.

If youre thinking about resisting weight gain, dont its a crucial aspect of delivering a healthy baby.

Gaining the appropriate amount of weight in pregnancy ensures that your baby is of good birth-weight and also means that you do not have too much extra weight to shed after delivery, said Dr Ho.

And how much weight gain is appropriate?

That depends on various factors including how much you weighed before the pregnancy, your health status and whether youre carrying a single baby, twins or triplets.

The recommended weight gain for women of normal body mass index (BMI), who are carrying one baby, is 11kg to 16kg throughout the pregnancy, with the bulk of it taking place in the second and third trimesters, said Dr Ho.

If you have a higher BMI, you are recommended to gain less pregnancy weight, she added.

And once the baby has been delivered safely, it is critical that the woman try to return to her pre-pregnancy weight, unless she is underweight, Dr Ho said.

According to Caroline Chua, a senior principal physiotherapist at KKH, the target weight loss after delivery should be 1kg to 2kg a month.

Many studies show that if the excess weight is not lost from six to 12 months after delivery, it may stay with the woman for a long time. The weight gained from each and every subsequent pregnancy may accumulate, causing obesity, which poses various health risks such as heart disease and diabetes.

Going into a future pregnancy at a higher weight is more likely to put the mother and baby at risk of medical complications such as diabetes or high blood pressure in pregnancy, she said.

Today, one in four women retain more than 5kg of their pregnancy weight a year after delivery, she added.Why is pregnancy weight loss such a challenge for so many women? These are the most common struggles, experts said, while sharing the best way to overcome them.

Originally posted here:
Why it's so hard to lose weight after pregnancy and tips on how to succeed - CNA

School is back and so are extracurriculars kind of. Its still being figured out.

Some clubs are staying virtual, others have gone on pause and lost members, and some extracurriculars have disbanded entirely. Student activists in particular have struggled with an additional test how can they re-energize and sustain their movements after a year filled with anxiety, financial uncertainty, and a lack of in-person connection?

Prior to the pandemic, older youth were already dealing with an intense pressure to retain a sense of financial, social, and emotional stability amid growing national mental health concerns. Now, these students are heading into a new school year with the loaded weight of pandemic anxiety.

Last year's school closures and hybrid in-person schedules left these movements without physical organizing spaces. The pandemic's effect on national employment impacted many teens, as well, from parents and caregivers losing income sources to plummeting rates of student employment last summer.

On top of that, are mental health concerns. According to research by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health policy research group, the number of children utilizing mental health services has only worsened since spring 2020.

The problems posed by the pandemic disproportionately affect communities of color, as well as low income communities. Black teenagers still have the lowest employment rates in the nation. And non-white communities continue to have higher rates of COVID infection and death.

Joseph Williams is the director of operations and campaigns for Students Deserve, a racial justice and education advocacy group partnered with Black Lives Matter Los Angeles. He said that the members of Student Deserve chapters around the city are at a particular risk for disengagement from their form of youth-led activism. Some of our most vulnerable students have been some of the most affected by this shift. Folks who are either dealing with housing instability, or don't have quality internet or have had to step into breadwinner roles because their parents or their caregivers have lost jobs through the pandemic, he explained. These students have had the hardest time plugging back in to consistent activism.

But the last year and a half has offered an opportunity to evaluate what's needed to re-energize student movements, and how to integrate those lessons into new hybrid club settings.

Student activist groups have adapted to the changing world and are heading back into the school year with new lessons for other youth leaders.

Justin Funez is a second year student at the University of Chicago and a leader for Students Demand Actions Summer Leadership Academy, a youth-led program that mentors local activists. Funez helped with the expansion of the academy mid-pandemic, which, before 2020, had hosted only one session in Los Angeles. Funez was an attendee, one of the first things he did after moving from Mexico that same year. Now, the academy has sessions in five cities, with the hope to double that amount by next year.

He said that the academy had to change its priorities because of the pandemic, moving away from getting more people on the ground advocating and rallying in their own communities, and shifting to expanding the education and mental health resources already offered to members. It also tailored sessions to the specific needs of the city, student leaders, and gun violence survivors who participated.

Rather than just finding and developing new activists, it now invests in student activists who already felt committed to the cause. The sessions cover what it means to be an activist, the history of the movement, building a community that will support each other, and keeping your activism sustainable.

The Leadership Academy also allocated resources to help lower-income participants, which the organization recognized have been significantly affected by both rising gun violence and the global pandemic. Students Demand Action, with support from its parent organization, Everytown for Gun Safety, offered paid opportunities and internships for the academy's leadership team, as well as laptops or other technology for those who normally rely on school resources.

For Students Deserve, city-wide leadership stepped in to figure out how to support the needs of students at each chapter to ensure their steady participation, including the recognition that they might need help outside of the movement itself. "There was a necessity to shift towards more of the invisible work with the pandemic, having to figure out different the different needs of our students," Williams explained. "Students are coming back to school after being out for a year and a half or more during this global pandemic when family members have lost jobs, housing, or their lives. They've been dealing with massive amounts of interpersonal, familial, inter-communal trauma... There's going to be trauma."

Always a community-centered organization, Students Deserve continued strengthening its network through local and city-wide meetings with community members intended to connect a wide variety of voices. Williams witnessed different chapters coming up with unique ways to continue safely having direct conversation with each other going into this school year, from hosting outdoor meetings on school property to continuing with virtual meet-ups outside school settings.

Things are in different stages of transition in different places, he explained. But, definitely, one-on-one outreach is always more effective, whether it's calling somebody up, texting them, group messaging them. Many of the students involved in Students Deserve already face hurdles to their participation, and were at more risk of dropping out of the organization as things moved to virtual spaces that felt like less of a commitment. Creating deeper personal connections builds a sense of responsibility and safety in Students Deserve spaces.

Students Demand Action also began reaching out to members through text and phone banking. "We utilized texting and phone banking to continue engaging with our students and making sure that, even though things were going through a drastic change, students who were able to prioritize their activism could still get in contact with their local chapters," Jeannie She, member of Student Demand Action's national advisory board, explained. She joined the organization in 2019, after her father survived a random mass shooting in her hometown.

This ensured that both new and dedicated members didn't feel estranged from the networks that used to meet in-person before the pandemic. These relationships can now carry into chapters that are meeting in school settings.

She believes that one of the most important parts of reenergizing student activism is giving students space to step back from the movement for their own mental health. She, like many of her peers, is taking a gap year before starting her undergraduate degree at MIT. She doesnt view this pause as a hindrance to her involvement, but rather an opportunity to dig deeper into what it means to fight for national gun reform. I definitely had a moment where I was like, OK, I need to reevaluate my priorities, she said. "I know that I need to show up for myself before I can show up for other people, especially in a movement where people rely on my leadership." For She, that means spending the next year thinking about things other than school, finding hobbies that take her mind off of the country's gun violence crisis, her own family's trauma, and reconnecting with the friends she's made in Students Demand Action groups.

Students Demand Action will strengthen its mental health support moving forward, as She and her fellow leaders create more virtual and in-person spaces to discuss and share student experiences of the pandemic and beyond. "These last two years, we have created spaces for students to come together, to speak with others who are going through similar situations. And that can look like our calling team, our texting team, the summer leadership academy, or affinity groups," She explained.

Affinity groups are spaces created by Students Demand Action chapters for students with similar identities to connect, share their experiences, and bond over their particular needs and goals in the movement. This is particularly important to She as a young Asian woman, as she dealt with both racism and targeted violence towards her community this past year. "It made me realize how important it was for every person in the gun violence prevention movement to really own their identity. It impacts us all differently and we need to recognize that," She said.

Funez said opening up spaces for mental health conversations during the summer leadership academy strengthened the organization's activist network. "It really created a safe space where we could connect with other volunteers and understand how we feel just be a team together..." he described. And, like She, he said this should be incorporated into the larger movement. In addition to a 10-week training session for core leaders, which includes conversations about community relationships, mental health, and sexual assault, this year's city sessions (such as Detroit) have made a point to center mental health discussions across their programming, Funez said. These initiatives will remain and hopefully grow moving forward.

"During the pandemic, it was very easy to be able to step in and step back when it was necessary. So we thought people were way more invested in this because they were also able to take some time for themselves, and know that as a community, as a group, other people also have their backs," Funez said.

In February, Students Deserve and a citywide coalition of racial justice and education advocates, convinced the Los Angeles Unified School District to cut $25 million from the school police department budget and allocate $35 million to a Black Student Achievement Plan. In September, Students Deserve successfully advocated against a new proposal that would allow schools to bring back police this school year.

Williams credits these wins with the flexible organizing student activists learned during the last 18 months. I think the pandemic has opened different opportunities for folks to plug in, he explained. Being virtual has allowed a lot of those folks to plug in even more to our citywide stuff, to build connections between folks from different schools in ways that we haven't always been able to before.

This has also allowed chapters to start outreach with younger populations that couldnt participate before, Williams said, like middle and elementary school students whose parents might not feel comfortable sending them into citywide student gatherings. They can literally sit in on meetings with their kids and see what their middle-schooler is engaging in, what they are a part of, he explained.

Students Demand Action has taken advantage of a two-pronged approach, engaging as directly as possible with individuals and local chapters on the ground, while continuing to use the digital strategies forced on them during the pandemic. Most of their national leadership offerings are virtual, including the Summer Leadership Program, and local events and virtual field offices are still hosted online. Its a result of the weird nuances of teens navigating the pandemic, social anxiety, and virtual schooling, who might prefer the comfort of a device.

We actually saw a slow decrease in recruitment when we were reaching out for students who wanted to get involved, Funez observed. But on the other hand, we had other students that said Since I'm virtual, I can do more. And they were more passionate and way more involved than they would have been in an in-person setting. He said that the leadership will continue to include virtual programming since their generation is all just one click away from each other.

As a national leader, She agrees that the pandemic's reliance on digital activism from social media campaigns to Zoom meetings was helpful for younger activists. She said that while the lack of in-person meetings is a kind of "double-edged sword," things like virtual town halls and meetings with lawmakers are still beneficial to young people. They break down some of the barriers between the activists and officials.

"I had experiences in person, where I was speaking to a representative and I felt a layer of judgment between us. Whether it was due to the fact that I was like a teenager or I couldn't vote, they didn't really consider me as a constituent maybe it was just the environment that we were in. But then, we looked to having these conversations over Zoom. And over Zoom, we're literally at the same head level. There's a sense of equality there," She reflected.

The new school year proves at least one thing: the resilience of youth movements. Young people, already in a period designed for change, have navigated a year and a half of extreme transition, and are emerging with new ideas, new motivations, and a desire to reconnect with those around them.

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How to revive student activism after a year of loss and trauma - Mashable

Want to lose weight and get slim to fit into your favorite dress by 14th Feb to Valentines Day or feeling confident in front of your partner. It would also detox your body and get your throwing skin and your partner will certainly notice and appreciate it. To achieve a fast weight loss diet plan lose 5kg in 5 days, youll need some essential rules to start rapidly healthily burning fat. Youll be able to drop from size L to size M in 5 days with considerable inch loss around the waist and belly.

Every individual who has tried everything has tried all the low carb and high protein diets or maybe a ketogenic diet here and there and he is still not able to lose any more fat. Normally what happens is that when you go in these kinds of diets you start losing a lot of weight initially and most of which is water weight and some of it are muscle too.

And after that you get stagnant and you try to reduce your calories or try to treat your cardio and nothing happens. You start becoming weaker you start losing your strength you lose all your muscle and you lose every kind of confidence that you have about losing weight.

Weight loss has always been about how much you intake calories and how many calories out. To fast weight loss diet plan lose 5kg in 5 days, a proper scheduled diet ahead is best. Always keep weight loss-friendly foods in your diet. Here the plan is not stringent like only having thrown some eddies throughout the day its pretty simple and with easily available ingredients you require to follow this plan.

This diet plan promises to help you to lose approximately 5kgs in 5 days.

Start your day with a glass of warm lemon water it helps detox your body.

Breakfast: Two boiled eggs with the yolk. If youre a vegetarian then have a cup of boiled chickpeas salad also include a cup of green tea. Egg or chickpeas are put on a good source of protein and fiber and they will keep you full for a long time.

Lunch: Have a bowl of watermelon or pineapple with a cup of green tea. Pineapple is rich in vitamin C and fiber and is low in calories. Watermelon is 92% water and helps detox your body and lose weight. After lunch has one banana it is high in fiber and low in calories and will keep you away from hunger for few hours.

In the evening have one apple and five to seven almonds (raw or soaked) with a cup of warm green tea. Almonds have loads of fiber which makes digestion slow and helps reducing fat from the belly.

Dinner: Bowl of oats sweet or savory any of your choice with a cup of green tea.

Breakfast: Start your second day with a glass of warm lemon water and in the breakfast have a plain or ham omelet. Whisk 2-3 eggs, 1/2tsp blended herbs, salt, and pepper. Liquefy a handle of spread (close to 1/2tsp) in a container. Try not to include milk. If you want a vegetarian then have a cup of boiled chickpeas salad also include a cup of green tea.

Lunch: Have a bowl of oats sweet or savory any of your choices with a cup of green tea. Post lunch have one banana in the evening have one apple with five Armands raw or soaked with a cup of green tea.

Dinner: A bowl of soup made up of cabbage spinach chicken or sweet potato.Dont have ready-made or instant soups.

Breakfast: Porridge made from up to 75g porridge oats (a quick tip is to just pour boiling water from the kettle on the dry oats until its the consistency you like).Include a cup of green tea.

Lunch: Pork or vegetable kebabs. Skewer cubes of pork or vegetables such as broccoli florets, peppers, onions, and tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and roasted in the oven. In the evening have one apple and one cucumber with a cup of green tea.

Dinner: Bowl of papaya. It has zero cholesterol and contains a large amount of fiber and very few calories. It can be served with a selection of vegetables as a side salad.

Breakfast:Start your fourth day with a glass of warm lemon water and in the breakfast have a bowl of oats sweet or salty any of your choices with a cup of green tea.

Lunch: Have a bowl of pineapple and a cup of green tea. Post-lunch I have one apple and two cucumbers. And in the evening have one banana and five almonds with a cup of cream tea.

Dinner: Boiled dry weight dark colored rice, pan-fry cleaved, blended, vegetables in olive oil and after that blend the rice and veg and fill a seedless pepper shell. At that point heat in a medium broiler until the point when the pepper is delicate to fork contacts. In a study published in Endocrine, the researchers found that weight loss decreased the frequency of low testosterone levels in middle-aged, overweight men in a prediabetic state significantly.

Breakfast: Up to 100 grams of puffed rice oat (rice must be the main fixing). Accessible in the no gluten area of supermarkets.

Lunch: Brown rice plate of mixed salad. Pre-cook 50g dry weight brown rice. Leave to chill. Include a finely-slashed plate of mixed greens fixings (cucumber, spring onions, pepper, celery, squashed garlic clove). Utilize an olive oil and dark pepper as a dressing. In the evening have one apple with green tea.

Dinner: A bowl of soup made up of cabbage spinach chicken or sweet potato. Also please avoid any ready-made or instant soups.

Many people find it hard to get started when theyre advised they need to improve their eating habits. Here are some tips that can help you achieve sustainable positive results.

It is important to take a stepwise approach to make changes in your diet. Making one or two small changes every week will lead to more sustainable change, than trying to make any drastic changes all at once.

Want to lose weight without exercising yourself into exhaustion? Try these tips

This is one of our most recommended fast weight loss diet plans lose 5kg in 5 days.Fish oil can help you burn more fat with the diet and exercise plan youre already doing. Drinking plenty of water will keep you hydrated so that you perform at optimal levels. Dont forget to add physical activities into your routine, also you can visit any diet clinic nearby. If you want to start this weekly diet plan for weight loss again, you may do so after a gap of 10 days. The amount of exercise you need depends on your initial weight.

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Best Fast Weight Loss Diet Plan Lose 5kg In 5 Days - Updated

For many people, weight loss is the first visible sign of cancer.

According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology:

Unexplained rapid weight loss can be the sign of cancer or other health problems. The Mayo Clinic recommends that you see your doctor if you lose more than 5 percent of your total body weight in six months to a year. To put this into perspective: If you weigh 160 pounds, 5 percent of your body weight is 8 pounds.

According to the American Cancer Society, an unexplained weight loss of 10 pounds or more could be the first sign of cancer. The types of cancer often identified with this type of weight loss include cancers of the:

According to Cancer Research UK:

Cancer treatments can also lead to weight loss. Radiation and chemotherapy commonly cause a decrease in appetite. Weight loss can also be attributable to radiation and chemotherapy side effects that discourage eating, such as:

Unintentional weight loss, according to the NHS, can be attributed to a number of causes other than cancer including:

Depending on your specific situation, your doctor might recommend curbing weight loss with medication such as:

Some cancer patients who have difficulty swallowing or chewing are given intravenous (IV) nutrient therapy. People with esophageal or head and neck cancers often have difficulties eating or drinking.

Rapid, unexplained weight loss may an indication of cancer. It can also be a side effect of cancer treatment.

If youre diagnosed with cancer, good nutrition is important for your recovery. If your calorie intake is too low, you not only lose weight, but also lower your ability to physically and mentally cope with your treatment.

If youre experiencing unintentional weight loss, talk with your doctor. They can provide an accurate diagnosis and recommend an effective treatment plan.

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Cancer Weight Loss: How Fast Does It Happen?

My breakfast: I kept it simple, one apple or any available seasonal fruit with a couple of seedless dates, sometimes I also had 1 bowl of mixed fruit salad (whatever fruit is available)

My lunch: 2 chapati with any green vegetable or dal. I also had curd but without sugar. Some cucumber salad in order to make my stomach full.

My dinner: Dinner: I ate a combination of 1 chapati with green vegetable curry or veg soup every alternate day but I made sure to include veg salad to fill my stomach so that I won't go to bed empty stomach and no matter what I had in the night the most important thing was to have early dinner at around 7 pm.

Pre-workout meal: Just an apple with a glass of water

Post-workout meal: 2 boiled eggs. People suggested eating just egg whites but I don't like egg whites alone so ate 2 full eggs.

I indulge in (What you eat on your cheat days): I ate normally so I didn't feel like having a cheat meal but if you can count grilled chicken as a cheat mean then yes I had grilled chicken every week(which is a good protein source as well)

Low-calorie recipes I swear by: Semi-cooked cabbage gravy along with mixed Vegetable soup any day all day is my secret to weight loss and I won't live my life without that anymore.

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Weight loss story: "Eating grilled chicken and salads ...

After months and months of pounding the pavement, pumping iron, and saying no to happy hour, youve finally lost that stubborn gut. Congrats! Were sure you feel more confident about your appearanceand just feel better period.

Dropping weight doesnt come easy (beer and wings on a Sunday afternoon just feels so right!) but it does have some serious benefits, many which you wont see coming.Better sex and brighter skin are just the beginning

Get rid of your fat pants for good, because once you get a hold of these bonus perks of weight loss, theres no going back.

Snoozing probably helped you lose more weight in the first place, but as a result of your weight loss youll actually get better quality sleep now. Research shows that losing 5% of your bodyweight can help you sleep better and longer throughout the night. Whats more, ridding your body of excess fat can also help alleviate sleep apnea and snoring.

When you think of hormones, your teenage years may spring to mind, but they play a role in more than just your burgeoning sex drive during puberty. Your thyroid gland makes and releases two very important hormones which regulate your metabolism and can also affect muscle strength among other things. When you rid your body of excess fat your hormones steady and as a result its easier for you to maintain or even further your weight loss, saysIsabel Smith, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., registered dietitian and founder of Isabel Smith Nutrition.

Too tired? Not anymore. Suddenly you dont have to think twice about getting in the mood, and you may find yourself consciously holding yourself back from going for round threehey, youve got to get some sleep. According to experts, weight loss has been linked to boosted testosterone levels and an increased libido, and dropping just 10lbs is enough to stimulate sex hormones. Whats more, fitting in your workout every morning also increases blood flow to the pelvic area, further boosting your drive.

Between the energy boost you get from losing weight and the uptick in stamina from hours spent at the gym, if you really wanted to go all night you could. Increased physical fitness has been associated with greater satisfaction in the bedroom, according to Smith. So not only do you want to get busy more often, but the actual act itself is more enjoyable for both you and your partner.

Committing to the gym may have pushed your body to the place it is now, but it also enhanced your mental fitness. Working out releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins are responsible for that high you feel post-workout. They interact with the receptors in your brain, reducing your perception of pain, and deliver a positive feeling in the body similar to that of morphine.

Your joints already take a beating from everyday wear and tearextra weight hanging around on your midsection only makes matters worse. Simply put, the less you weigh the less your skeletal frame and joints have to support, which translates into less joint pain.

You may have started your healthy routine with the sole intention of slimming down, but an added bonus of your weight-loss journey surfaces in the form of glowing skin. You can attribute your new complexion to the uptick in nutrients from all those fruits and veggies youre likely eating and also to all that sweat literally pushing the junk out of your pores, encouraging greater detoxification, per Smith. Just make sure to wash your face regularly after your cardio session to avoid unwanted acne and clogged pores.

If you checked off losing weight from your to-do list, youve already got one less thing to stress about. Really though, the things you do to lose weighteating a balanced diet, exercising consistently, and getting lots of sleepare also some of the greatest ways to alleviate stress and anxiety.

Who needs to spend $20 on delivery minimums and $10 a glass on drinks out at the bar? Not you. By cooking more and drinking less, not only are you inching closer and closer to your weight-loss goals, but youre saving money to boot. Its simple math, really. The less you eat, the less you spend on food.

With your pants size shrinking, you can also expect your social circle to grow in number. Youve already become more active by pursuing greater fitness, and in doing so you put yourself in more social situationshey, CrossFit. As a result of participating in more than just a Netflix marathon on your couch, you meet more people and your social calendar grows. Furthermore, the confidence you gain from losing weight also makes you want to be more social and gives you the push to do so.

Ever feel inspired (or guilty) by your partners incessant need to wake up at 5 a.m. to hit the gym and their refusal to grab chips or pasta when they run to the store? Well if you havent, then your partner may be the one feeling that push from you simply by bearing witness to your own transformation. If youve been successful at losing weight and continue to live a healthier lifestyle, chances are your significant other will follow suit, says Smith. If not, perhaps your parents, siblings, or close friends will feel motivated to whip their own butt into gear.

Forget the vitamin C packets, nothing strengthens your immune system better than leading a healthy lifestyle. Getting your eight hours every night, fueling your body with fresh produce andlean protein, and working up a sweat will pump your immunity up far better than sipping on an orange, fizzy drink could.

For once you might actually remember your sisters birthday! Weight-loss benefits go far beyond the physical. Losing weight and being more active boosts brainpower quite a bit. Research has shown that your memory gets sharper when total bodyweight has been reduced. So not only will you be happier all the timeremember, endorphins!youll also remember that thing you really needed to do today, tomorrow, and the next.

The ultimate perk of peeling off the pounds is that behind closed doors youre going to look pretty damn good. However, since we all cantor shouldntwalk around in our birthday suits all the time, its a good thing your wardrobe will reap the benefits of your weight loss, too. Losing weight often gives people the confidence to not only experiment more with style, but want to show off their weight loss with outfits that display the physique they worked so hard to get.

Did you really just say no to those Doritos? It might feel weird at first, but as a result of improving your dietary choices and flexing your willpower consistently, youll find that you dont even crave the junk any more (at least not as often).

Unless youre on a meal delivery plan, youre going to have to cook for yourself if you want to slim down. Ordering in and eating out just wont get you there, and you know that. Getting into the habit of buying groceries every week, planning and preparing healthy meals, and experimenting with different flavor and food combinations youre bound to up your kitchen skills. (Though it might take a while to reach Top Chef status.)

In the kitchen, in the bedroom, and in everyday life. One of the beautiful side effects of weight loss is that youll undoubtedly experience a boost in self-confidence. The funny thing about confidence is that it pushes you to do more and try more.

When you put a microscope to your diet, you really become more in tune to what youre eating over time. This mindfulness works not only to help you to lose the weight, but even after youve lost it you continue to pay more attention to the flavors and textures of your meals. Think to those times you spend mindlessly eating on the couchdoes the food actually taste that good? Do you even remember? When you take the time to plan and prepare fresh, home-cooked meals youre more aware and appreciative of the food on your plateyou literally savor the flavor.

If you kick those stubborn 10lbs, youre not the only one who will be rejoicing. Carrying around excess bodyweight can put you at greater risk for a number of health issues from diabetes to high blood pressure. As you would imagine, slimming down has the adverse effect, making your annual check-ups with your doc a lot less painful.

One can probably assume that the healthier you are, the less medicine you need. It actually works that way (in some cases). Not only does exercise and clean eating strengthen your immune system and support overall body functioning, but actually losing weight decreases your risk for health problems and may also get you to a place where you wont need to rely on certain prescription meds anymore. Of course, give your doc a call before you start self-prescribing (or un-presecribing).

Losing weight and getting fit takes planning. When you form a routine around preparing healthy meals and fitting in daily workouts, it tends to flow over into other areas of your life.

Dont laugh: a side effect of losing weightand doing what it takes to get thereis respecting your body more. It isnt easy for anyone to lose weight. It takes discipline and persistence. Once youve gone through it yourself, you come out the other end with a whole new outlook and respect for others trying to do the same. You also have a new appreciation for what your body endures day in and day out.

Even the fittest get winded walking up and down stairs to the subway. If you live in a big city, you know the struggle all too well. If youre lucky enough to avoid crowded subway trains, standing for an hour on the train or sitting in traffic forever isnt fun either, but youre body will feel better having to endure it when youve shed a few extra pounds. After youve kicked the weight, youll suddenly realize your trek to and from work is a tad more bearable.

For some, carrying excess weight can exacerbate allergy symptoms. Added weight can strain your respiratory system, so any trouble you experience breathing due to allergies will only aggravate your symptoms further. Lose the weight and you might actually be able to breath a bit more clearly when allergy season hits, says Smith.

Really. If you had to choose between a couch potato who chows down on chips and soda or an active, mindful eater, who would you guess might outlive the other? From the healthier lifestyle habits associated with weight loss to the actual physical benefits of carrying less weight, you put yourself in a position to live a healthier, longer life.

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25 Surprising Benefits of Weight Loss | Men's Journal

When youre ready to slim down, you want to make it happen now. But most health experts say rapid weight loss isnt the way to go. It can sabotage your long-term weight loss goals and may hurt your health, too.

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Why is it bad to lose weight quickly? Endocrinologist and obesity specialist Marcio Griebeler, MD, explains why slow and steady wins the weight-loss race and how to do it.

Theres no magic number that qualifies as rapid weight loss. Your weight, age and activity level determine what that term means for you.

Dont worry too much about the number of pounds you should (or shouldnt) lose. Instead, look at the diet plan youre following to lose weight. Extreme diets with lofty promises usually fall under the rapid weight loss category.

Avoid super restrictive diet plans because theyre difficult if not impossible to keep up over the long term, says Dr. Griebeler. If the diet plan isnt something you can stick to for months or years, its probably a fast weight loss plan. And those plans and gimmicks arent a healthy, sustainable way to lose weight.

A more moderate goal of losing 1 to 2 pounds per week tends to be more successful over the long haul.

Its hard to resist the lure of rapid weight loss. Be 10 pounds lighter by next week? Yes, please. But dont give in to the flashy ads. Most of the time, those diet plans are bad news for your health.

Your metabolism is your bodys calorie-burning process. And a metabolism thats out of whack can damage your bodys ability to keep the weight off.

When you lose weight too quickly, your body slows down its calorie-burning process, explains Dr. Griebeler. That is your bodys way of trying to ensure you dont starve. You might lose a good amount of weight right away, but your metabolism quickly goes into survival mode.

The change in your metabolism is a key reason why people regain weight after trying rapid weight loss plans. When you go back to eating a regular diet, your metabolism isnt used to that many calories and the pounds come back.

When you cut way back on calories, you might see that number on the scale drop like a rock. But its not just fat youre losing. Youre also losing muscle.

Sudden and severe calorie restriction will make you lose muscle mass as well as fat, says Dr. Griebeler. Its harder to lose weight when you dont have enough muscle mass because muscles burn lots of calories.

Slower weight loss combined with exercise, on the other hand, gives your body time to lose fat while keeping your muscle mass. And bonus: You keep your muscles calorie-burning power intact.

Your body needs a certain amount of fat, protein and carbs to function. It also needs a whole range of vitamins and minerals. When you slash calories or cut out entire food groups like carbs or dairy, you risk:

Theres nothing wrong with cutting calories if youre eating a variety of nutrient-rich foods, says Dr. Griebeler. Your diet should contain a wide variety of healthy, whole foods. Dont try to cut more than 500 calories a day.

When you go for fast weight loss, you may find that it gets harder not easier to keep losing weight. A couple of weeks in, youll likely feel famished all the time. The temptation to crawl into bed with a box of cookies is real.

Dont blame a lack of willpower. Its your hormones, and theyre doing exactly what they were designed to do.

Cutting too many calories too quickly triggers hormonal changes that make you want to eat, says Dr. Griebeler. Even a very determined person will find it difficult to overpower those hunger hormones. These fast hormonal changes make you so hungry that they set you up for diet failure.

Theres no single diet that works for everyone. But these general guidelines can help you lose weight and keep it off in a healthy way.

Healthy weight loss isnt just about what you eat. You need physical activity if you want maximum results.

Cardiovascular exercise like walking burns calories, but strength training is just as important. When you lift weights or do resistance training, you increase muscle mass. And when you have more muscle mass, you:

Ever notice that when youre exhausted you want to eat more? When youre tired, your hunger hormones barge in and ruin your chances of bypassing that donut. If youre regularly missing out on sleep, even the best weight loss plan is going to feel impossible.

Aim for at least seven hours of quality sleep each night, says Dr. Griebeler. If you consistently have trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor. Many people who have sleep disorders dont know it and sleep disorders are treatable.

Think about your diet plan and whether you could do it for the rest of your life. Cutting a couple of hundred calories a day? Doable. Never having a bowl of ice cream again? Probably not.

The best diet is one you will stick to, says Dr. Griebeler. Changing our habits is hard, but it can be done. Choose a diet plan that allows you to have an occasional piece of chocolate or slice of pizza. Its much easier to keep doing these types of plans for months and even years.

Fast results are fun for a while, instant gratification isnt best when it comes to weight loss. Go slow with dropping pounds so you can be healthier today and stay that way for years to come.

Link:
Is It Bad to Lose Weight Too Quickly? - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

Dr Michael Mosley, inventor of The Fast 800 weight loss plan, regularly advises slimmers to follow intermittent fasting. Although there are various different forms of the plan, it usually involves eating within a specific time period. The expert has shared why those following the plan should consume breakfast.

He said: If youre planning to try intermittent fasting, I would normally recommend that you do it gradually. So start by consuming your food in 12 hours, and fasting the rest of the time, then move on to an eight hour period of eating.

One thing I would say is there is mounting evidence that it is better if you finish your evening meal earlier, rather than having a late meal, skipping breakfast, and then going to lunchtime.

So however you do time restricted eating, I would recommend you try and stop eating by 8pm and then not eat anything again with calories before breakfast the next day.

If you are fasting for 12 hours, you can have breakfast at 8am.

READ MORE:Michael Mosley shares breakfast foods to help feel fuller for longer

For those following the plan who might work later or prefer to consume food in the evening, the expert recommends to stop eating at 8pm.

Dr Mosley explained: For many, a midday breakfast helps to extend the period of non-eating and so draws down the full benefits of fasting.

I encourage people to try and have their evening meal earlier, say 7pm, 7:30pm.

Try and stop eating by 8pm, and then not eat anything with calories after that. The temptation is to snack after dinner, which adds quite a lot of calories late at night.

We know the fat and sugar you eat later at night just hangs around in your system for much, much longer because your body is just closed down for the night.

Your digestive process will be closing down, and it will really not appreciate that late night snack.

Whether you eat breakfast at 8am or 10am, there are certain foods that can help you keep fuller for longer as well as provide the body with many benefits.

The expert recommends eating adequate protein in the morning.

This can not only suppress appetite, but also help to control pre-lunch food cravings.

Protein-rich breakfasts include Greek yoghurt, eggs, protein pancakes as well as lean meat.

Dr Mosley said: Eating protein at the first meal of the day helps you feel fuller for longer because after a protein meal, levels of a chemical called tyrosine rise inside the brain.

By increasing its own dopamine supply as the next meal approaches, the brain experiences a much weaker dopamine hit from high calorie food.

Although dependent on a variety of different factors, the expert recommends eating around 50-60g of protein each day.

Read this article:
Weight loss: Michael Mosley shares best time to eat breakfast in the morning - Daily Express

Doctor Michael Mosley often shares his weight loss tips with slimmers online as well as on television. He is the creator of The Fast 800 a diet plan that helps people lose weight quickly.

According to doctor Mosley, following The Fast 800 diet is a great place to start if youre looking to lose weight.

He said: It provides you with all of the tools you will need to start changing your lifestyle for the better.

Once youve entered your goals, you will receive meal plans, recipes, shopping lists, exercises and mindful exercises to help you achieve your objective.

In terms of the types of foods you should be looking to add into your diet, doctor Mosley recommended a good balance of protein, fibre, and healthy fats.

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This is essentially the Mediterranean diet.

This diet consists of plenty of vegetables, cheese, full-fat yoghurt, fatty fish, lentils, nuts, wholegrains, and more.

Doctor Mosley continued: The good news is, whether you incorporate intermittent fasting or not, a low carb Mediterranean diet has unique power not just to restore your bodys ability to reach its ideal weight and stay there, but also to cut your risk of serious disease.

Losing weight is not about how much you eat but what you eat, Doctor Mosley stressed.

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He said: It doesnt come from a place of restriction but rather its about eating more of the right foods.

Not only will these foods keep you feeling full, but they also offer important nutrients and health benefits, and taste delicious.

However, the doctor highlighted that intermittent fasting isnt for everyone, saying: How you start intermittent fasting very much depends on you and your sort of personality type.

I normally recommend that people start gradually, he added.

So, start by consuming your food in a 12 hour window, and fasting the rest of the time.

Once youve got used to that, move on to a 10-hour period of eating.

Doctor Mosley advised having the last meal of the day at 8pm and not eating anything after that.

He said: One thing I would say is there is mounting evidence that it is better if you finish your evening meal earlier, rather than having a late meal, skipping breakfast, and then fasting until lunchtime.

So, however you do time restricted eating, I would recommend you try and stop eating by 8pm and then not eat anything again with calories before breakfast the next day.

If you are fasting for 12 hours, you can have breakfast at 8am.

Then you might try moving it a little bit later, to 10am or breakfast.

In that case, you might want to have something like a meal replacement shake for breakfast, which might be more convenient if you're at work.

The doctor added: If youre really pushing it towards eating all your food in eight hours, which is trickier, then you'd probably aim for something like skipping breakfast altogether and having lunch around 12pm or 1pm.

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Michael Mosley: Eat more of the right foods to reach ideal weight & stay there - plan - Daily Express

Navratri, the festival of lights, dance, energy and fasting (upwas) is just around the corner. Devotees in this season fast for 9 days and consume limited food called UPWAS foods. The people who are fasting always feel that they will lose weight, but the fact is different. When you go on any kind of fasting for a long time the body goes into starvation mode and converts the food into fats, which for many people turns into weight gain as opposed to the expected weight loss.Also Read - Ayurveda Remedies For Eyes: Best Ayurvedic Home Remedies To Make Your Vision Stronger, Watch Video

We all think that consuming sugar-free or fat-free products will help us in weight loss, but every such product has its pros and cons, Shivani Bavalekar, Sr. Executive Nutritionist, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Navi Mumbai (Vashi) explains. Also Read - Diet And Fasting Tips For Diabetic Patients And Expecting Mothers During Navratri

When we say sugar-free, its means excluding sugar from the diet which technically is not possible hence, what people do they substitute sugar with artificial sugar or saccharine, but it would be to keep in mind that overeating sugar-free products is almost equivalent to eating sugar-filled products and not entirely healthier. Many sugar-free products contain artificial sugar along with hidden sugar, which gives you the same calories as present in normal sugar. Also sometimes the products have other additives added to enhance flavours. Also Read - 5 Reasons Why Crash Diet Should be Completely Avoided For Weight Loss

The main way to lose weight and stay healthy is to eat a well-balanced diet that consists of lean protein, fibre-rich carbohydrates, healthy fats and regular exercise. Hence its recommended to replace your white sugar with jaggery, date syrup etc. (but to consume in moderation i.e. just 4 to 5t tsp per day, only if weight is normal, and you dont have any comorbid condition) as this will give you more health benefits as compared to white sugar.

Cutting down sugar is nothing but cutting down empty calories. Hence doing this will help you in weight loss but you also have to observe on portion sizes of overall meals and foods that you are consuming.

At one point we crave sugars and then there might be chances you end up eating a lot of chocolates or sugary things and also at times it will be difficult for you to identify the difference between added sugar and artificial sugar, as many products have hidden sugar with different names.

Fat-free Products or Diet foods: There are many fat-free products available in the market, but these types of products are loaded with starches, extra sodium and added sugar, which will not help you to lose weight. When it comes to health, it is more important to focus on the type of fat and the quantity of fat you are consuming.

Example: In case you are consuming baked potato chips whole big packet, yes it sounds healthy as it is baked and not deep-fried, but still this might increase your weight as these products are added with sugar, starches and more salt to replace the missing flavors of fats.

If you make an effort to reduce fat intake, you might lose weight, but this shall include restricting carbohydrates too. However, the solution to keeping this weight off is to limit the consumption of visible fat in your diet. Try adding healthy fats as walnut, flaxseed, and safflower seeds instead.

Fat-free diets mostly eliminate fats drastically and this interferes with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, K in the body and might affect our bone health, eyes and skin health.

Hence fats are equally important as all other nutrients. And the recommended amount is about 4 to 5 tsp per day only if your BMI (body mass index) and other factors are normal. Hence whether its sugar-free or fat-free products, what matters more is portion size, the nutritive value of the particular foods and the healthy type selected.

Pregnancy and fasting: It is not recommended to fast during pregnancy for you and your babys health. As it is important to maintain a healthy weight gain in pregnancy for the baby and mother. Fasting will lead to a gap in the daily supply of nutrients that the baby needs for overall development and growth.

Women with pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes, while fasting the sugar might fluctuate a lot; either there will be a low blood sugar level due to inadequate intake and long empty gaps or once you consume a heavy meal in the night after whole day of fasting, then the blood sugar level will spike up suddenly and might give trouble to the mother and the baby and it is not considered safe.

Mothers milk is very important for the new born baby as it has essential nutrients in it which helps to protect the baby from infection and helps in growth and immunity. So, women who are breastfeeding are not expected to fast, as the baby is completely dependent on mothers milk and if they choose to go ahead with fasting they must know that there will be lack of nutrient supply to baby, which might lead to an issue for baby in gaining weight and hampering proper growth.

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Do You Really Lose Weight by Eating Fat-Free And Sugar-Free Foods During Navratri? - India.com