My name is Katy Allen (@kallen_cooks), and I am 23. I currently live in St. Louis, Missouri, where I work as a labor and delivery nurse. I joined WW (formerly Weight Watchers) and learned proper portion controland I feel like my healthiest, happiest self.

My weight has fluctuated up and down my entire life. As a child and throughout middle school, I was heavier than my close friends and family members, and very aware of it. I was told I was just "big boned" and born "the opposite" of my tall and skinny sister.

My self worth revolved around my body image and how I was perceived by others, even at a young age. I would put myself on cleanses or fad diets, and spend hours exercising in the evening. Then I would binge on anything I could find in the pantry. This was a revolving cycle, and it was just my normal.

Once I began high school, I got into dance and joined the competitive poms team. I was in better shape those years but still had a very poor relationship with my body image. I saw myself as bigger than the other girls, and always felt self conscious in group settings. Throughout this time I had a poor sense of portion control and continued to eat mindlessly.

My senior year of high school through the end of my freshman year of college, I kicked it into high gear with exercise and healthier eating. I lost around 20 pounds. This was the first time I was ever able to lose a significant amount of weight, and I was hooked. I was running more than five miles a day, tracking my calories, and going to the gym before school at 6 a.m.

But gradually this lifestyle became less feasible with nursing classes, an ankle injury, and my first experiences with depression and anxiety. I stopped exercising and returned to an unhealthy diet of fast food, sugar, and whatever was accessible. By the end of college, I had gained around 80 pounds. I graduated college at my heaviest weight ever, 253 pounds at 21 years old.

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I hardly slept and was chronically fatigued. Walking up a flight of stairs would leave me breathless and my joints would ache. My ankles and knees were in pain to the point that I was taking Aleve most days of the week and wearing a brace.

My blood pressure and blood glucose levels were high as well. My doctor was concerned that I was developing prediabetes and hypertension that would need to be managed with medication. These health problems, in my case, were preventableand uncommon for someone in their early 20s.

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Aside from the physical health problems I had encountered, I was extremely uncomfortable in my own body. My clothes no longer fit, and I was wearing sizes bigger than those I was used to. I was also getting ready to begin my career as a nurse, where I would be constantly on my feet and expected to take care of multiple patients at a time. How could I take great care of others when I wasn't taking care of myself?

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I was moving to a new city and starting fresh. I decided that the day I took my nursing boards my journey would begin. I began WW (Wellness Wins, formerly known as Weight Watchers) on June 26, 2018.

I knew that I was going to be in this for the long haul, so a quick cleanse or restrictive diet plan was not going to work for me. I heard of WW from family members and had seen it advertised at work, so I decided to give it a try. What has been the most helpful is adding the foods I eat to a daily tracker. Every food or recipe is assigned a SmartPoint value based on the ingredients and serving size.

With WW, no foods are off limits or considered "bad" foods, regardless of their SmartPoint value. This system has motivated me to measure my foods, rather than mindlessly eating from the bag or dumping a random amount into a recipe.

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For the first year of my weight loss journey, I went to a conventional gym and took yoga classes here and there. I took my first Pure Barre class with a friend in June of 2019 and have been going regularly ever since!

I prefer low impact workouts rather than more strenuous activities such as HIIT or running. Pure Barre, combined with regular yoga, has helped improve my muscle tone, endurance, and self confidence.

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I want other women to know that my weight loss and overall wellness journey has not been linear. There have been highs and lows, physically and emotionally, throughout this entire process. And there will continue to be!

Living a healthy lifestyle is a choice, and it is one that I make every single day. There is a small chance that I will stay this weight for the rest of my life, and that is okay. I now know that I have the tools to remain healthy and make the best choices for my body.

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More:
I Learned Proper Portion Control Through WW And Lost 107 Pounds In 2 Years - Women's Health

By this time next week, the Chicago Bulls will play basketball. Sure, itll be behind closed doors and have zero impact on any kind of win-loss column, but the gang will be together again!

To help the eight teams left out of the Orlando, the NBA greenlit a plan for in-market bubbles back in August. While players have been able to workout on an individual basis at the Advocate Center over the last couple of months, the Bulls havent seen any contact practices or group drills since March. And considering sitting five months without normal basketball activities isnt the healthiest for any team especially one that relies on so much young talent I think we can safely say the Bulls need this.

Today is reportedly the first official phase of the in-market bubble, which pretty much just means the start of daily testing. Not until September 21st can the players all begin to practice together and work with coaches. Once fully permitted, according to NBC Sports Chicago, the Bulls will stay in a downtown hotel and travel via bus to and from the Advocate Center to create the bubble environment.

As I think we all expect, the workouts are voluntary. The NBPA would not sign off on mandatory workouts, but for what its worth Johnson is reporting that the Bulls will have strong attendance. After an offseason that saw massive organizational change and the firing of head coach Jim Boylen, I doubt many find this news shocking. I have to imagine players are not only excited to get back in the gym after such a long hiatus, but also eager to get a taste for the new culture.

Also, if last season was any indication, we have reason to believe the entire roster should be in Chicago over the next couple of weeks. Practically everyone other than Tomas Satoransky who was playing for the Czech Republic national team at the time showed up for voluntary workouts last summer. If Boylen happened to be in the gym again this year, Id say we wouldnt have superb turnout, but since hes gone, these boys are probably ready to get to work (aka CELEBRATE!).

What makes a strong turnout even better, though, is the fact that Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley should get their first real look at this roster in action. The duo should get a better feel for how to approach next season and how to implement a stronger style of play on both ends of the court. Now, the question is: Will a new head coach join them for this evaluation period?

The benefits of having the new head coach in the gym for this training camp are obvious, but we have no real indication that theyre ready to make this highly-anticipated announcement just yet. The last update we received came via ESPNs Adrian Wojnarowski, who reported that the front office had just finished the first-round interviews when former-OKC head coach Billy Donovan came onto the market. We have no idea how long the second-round could stretch on, but typically moving on to this stage signifies that a decision is somewhat close.

If a head coach isnt with the team by September 21st, though, the assistants will carry the majority of the workload. Chris Fleming and Roy Rogers are the top two in command, and both have also reportedly been under consideration for the head coach gig. The chance of either landing the job seem slim, but I suppose this could act as a test for both (if they havent yet been ruled out already). Additionally, if Karnisovas and Eversley are stuck between a couple of possible choices, I could envision this bubble helping them make a decision. A closer look and feel for the players should help them better understand what coach offers the best fit.

Head coach or no head coach, the upcoming bubble will carry plenty of weight for the Bulls. With the majority of the roster and the new front office in attendance, this will be another major step into the new era. Im excited to see how it goes.

Read more:
Bulls Expected to Start Testing Today for In-Market Bubble and Group Workouts - bleachernation.com

NewsPeopleOnly one of Scotlands ice rinks has reopened to the public since the Scottish Government gave them the green light to do so two weeks ago - sparking fears that the sport could lose an entire generation of Scottish skaters.

Monday, 14th September 2020, 12:51 pm

Dundee Ice Arena, which trains elite skaters including British champion Natasha McKay, has opened fully, allowing public skaters onto the rink on a daily basis.

Meanwhile Galleon rink, in Kilmarnock, has also opened, but to skating clubs and hockey players only.

All other rinks north of the border - totalling around ten - remain shut since March, with many still without a date of when - or if - they will reopen.

Rink owners warned that re-opening while social distancing regulations remain in place could be financially impossible without help from Scottish Government handouts, such as those given to the arts sector. Keeping ice frozen costs thousands of pounds a month, requiring large numbers of public skating ticket sales - and revenue from events such as ice hockey matches, which are currently suspended.

A #backontheice campaign backed by celebrity Scottish skater and Dancing on Ice star Mark Hanretty saw the Scottish Government bring forward the date which rinks could legally open to 31 August, however, the vast majority - including rinks in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Fife and Dumfries - have still not reopened.

Hanretty warned that the continued closure of rinks could lead to the loss of a generation of potential stars, who would move on to other sports if unable to practice skating.

In Auchenharvie in North Ayrshire, hundreds of skaters have held protests outside their shuttered rink after management originally announced it would remain closed until January - with a temporary gym having been built on top of the rink. They have now been given a provisional reopening date of the beginning of November.

Parent Kate Lock, whose daughter skates four times a week at the rink, said young skaters were missing the community of their sport.

She said: They love skating. It is a big part of their lives - its not just about being fit, its also being able to achieve something and they form friends and bonds with coaches for life.

KA Leisure, which runs the rink, advised there have been issues with the financial costs of the centre and there are also potential works required to the rink ventilation system so that the rink can be opened safely.

She added: There is now an opportunity for all user-groups and potential user-groups to work together to re-shape the operation of the rink so that it can go forward in a co-operative and covid-compliant manner which will be sustainable for many years to come.

At Murrayfield Ice Rink in Edinburgh, some adult skaters are practising individually on in-line skates specially-created for figure skaters in empty car parks, while others have been forced to drive four hour round trips to access ice.

Murrayfield, which is privately owned, has not yet given any indication of a reopening date.

Mika Bosphore-Ward, a French teacher from Fife, competes internationally and has been forced to drive to England at weekends to train. Without having access to a Dundee coach, he is unable to attend specialised figure skating sessions at the Tayside rink and is not allowed to practice jumps or spins on public sessions. He usually trains at Murrayfield four times a week before work.

He said: Skating is the only sport I have a passion for. It keeps me fit and healthy and there is a whole life surrounding it: with the competitions around the world, the friends you make along the way. It does really help keeping a healthy work/life balance. Without it, I feel like a whole chunk of my life has been taken away from me and it has also led to some unhealthy habits and weight gain.

It is a pity the Scottish rinks havent reopened yet. I have had to travel to Whitley Bay to be able to practice and get a feel of ice again. However, financially, this is not viable in the long run and there is also the physical exhaustion coming with being forced to travel so much. As a teacher, my weekends are needed to recharge, so driving back and forth for so long doesnt help. Learning as an adult, you have to keep on top of your training or you lose it quickly.

Murrayfield Ice Rink managing director Richard Stirling said: For us, it is a case of waiting and watching over the next few weeks until we see if when we can get up and running again. We have costed all of the things we would need to put in place, such as extra cleaning, a one-way system around the building and sanitising but we have estimated it will cost 50,000 in start up costs, including getting the ice back down.

"One thing we are worried about is that we could start up again and then have to close if there is a local lockdown. Without opening to full capacity, it is just impossible to make enough money to run.

He added: They are giving support to theatres and nightclub, but sports facilities seem to be completely left off the radar as far as funding is concerned.

The rest is here:
Fears for 'lost generation' of ice skaters as all but one Scottish rink remains closed - The Scotsman

Gemma Atkinson, 35, is an actress best known for her roles in Hollyoaks and Emmerdale. After giving birth to her daughter Mia, the 34-year-old embarked on a fitness journey to lose weight. What diet plan and exercise did she use?

Before taking part in 2017s Strictly Come Dancing series, Gemma completed a 12-week diet plan with Ultimate Performance consisting of high protein and healthy fat foods to help her get in shape.

She was eating around five to six meals a day consisting of lean protein, lots of green vegetables and healthy fats.

A typical breakfast she ate was often eggs, smoked salmon and spinach.

Having a high protein meal at breakfast helps kick-start the metabolism which aids in losing weight.

READ MORE:Keto diet: Intermittent fasting on plan can help boost weight loss results

For lunch, Gemma would fill up on healthy fats and protein like chicken breast, avocado and green vegetables which would help her to stay full until dinner.

She explained that carbs were mainly kept for the end of the day or at least until she had exercised in the gym.

Gemma would typically enjoy red meat or fish, sweet potato and more green vegetables for dinner.

However the actress revealed that despite intense training, she put on weight during Strictly Come Dancing due to excessive snacking.

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Speaking on the Women's Health 'Going for Goal' podcast, Gemma said: "We trained above the Cadbury's shop, so I had a Toblerone nearly every day, fast food, anything that was just quick and easy really...I think I put on about six or seven pounds by the end of it."

Before giving birth to her daughter in July last year, Gemma was visiting the gym regularly to keep healthy and strong.

Soon after her daughter was born, she was keen to get back into the gym to lose the extra weight she had put on during her pregnancy.

Weighing 11 stone now, the actress revealed that she hit her heaviest at 14 stone during her pregnancy.

Although Gemma lost a lot of weight in just four months after giving birth to her daughter, Gemma has since kept it off and puts this down to gentle but often exercise.

In a recent Instagram post, she revealed that nutrition and exercise was key to her weight loss.

The lengthy post read: Before and after I started strength training. Same happy me 10 years apart! Ive always been happy in my own skin even though my shape has clearly changed in these pictures, I was happy in both.

Obviously the physical difference is clear to see, I got me some bicepsBut the main different, the most important difference between them, you cant see.

Although I didnt see it at the time, in the first picture I was far from healthy. I was tired a lot, eating a lot of fast food or skipping meals, regular nights out on Friday & Saturdays followed by the hangover and junk food Sundays.

But Im so pleased I discovered and realised that good nutrition and regular exercise is key is you want everything else in life to flow better."

Regularly posting workout and exercise videos to her Instagram, the star often focuses on weight training and toning her muscles which is also a crucial part in losing weight.

Her most recent video shows her working out to an exercise video consisting of push ups, high legs and burpees.

She explained how she trains around three to four times a week but it is as equally important to have a rest day.

Read more here:
Gemma Atkinson weight loss: Hollyoaks actress lost 3st by eating a high fat diet - Express

"I began to form this unhealthy relationship with food that followed me into adulthood."

Caroline knew her diet was unhealthy but could not find the motivation to transform her life until she saw an unflattering picture.

She continued: "I hadnt quite realised the size Id got to until I saw a photo taken during a family day out to Madame Tussauds."

On an average day, the slimmer would fill up on three slices of buttered toast followed by a bacon or sausage sandwich and muffin.

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Lunch would consist of a large serving of pasta, shepherds pie or a roast and she would have pie and chips or pizza for dinner.

Deciding that enough was enough, Caroline soon signed up for her local slimming group.

She attended meetings by LighterLife, a weight loss company that offers low-calorie meal alternatives to those hoping to slim down.

While following the programme, Caroline claimed her body entered into ketosis, which is thought of as a fat-burning state.

She said: "In my first week I lost an impressive eight pounds. For someone that always felt hungry on a diet, it was surreal to not feel those pangs on LighterLife.

"Once your body reaches ketosis you no longer crave carbs and the hunger just disappears."

The dieter swapped high carb meals for low calorie dishes from LighterLife.

Previously weighing in at 17st 9lb, Caroline slimmed down to 12st 9lb in just five months.

As well as dropping five stone, she had dropped from a size 24 dress to a comfortable size 16.

She added: "Most of my life all Ive wanted is to feel normal, to be able to shop in high street stores and cross my legs without struggling.

"After just five months on LighterLife, Im delighted to say I finally feel normal!

"Im so much more confident in myself and definitely stand taller now. I cant quite believe Ive gone from a dress size 24 to a 16!

Excerpt from:
Weight loss: One woman shed a staggering five stone in just five months with low-carb diet - Express

Not sleeping enough or getting a bad nights sleep over and over makes it hard to control your appetite. And that sets you up for all sorts of health problems, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.

The link between poor sleep and a greater body mass index (BMI) has been shown in study after study, but researchers typically relied on the memories of the participants to record how well they slept.

Sleep apps on fitness trackers, smartphones and watches have changed all that. In a new study, published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers tracked sleep quality for 120,000 people for up to two years.

The results showed sleep durations and patterns are highly variable between people. Despite that, the study found people with BMIs of 30 or above which is considered obese by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had slightly shorter mean sleep durations and more variable sleep patterns.

It didnt take much less sleep to see the effect. People with BMIs over 30 only slept about 15 minutes less than their less weighty counterparts.

There were some limitations to the study. Naps were excluded, other health conditions could not be factored in, and people who use wearable tracking devices are typically younger, healthier and from a higher socioeconomic status than those who do not wear trackers.

These are quite pricey devices, and remember, they are not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, said sleep specialist Dr. Raj Dasgupta, the associate program director of the Sleep Medicine Fellowship at Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California.

The results would need to be validated by the appropriate FDA-approved devices, and because the study is likely on younger people who are more economically well off, does that really apply to older folks we worry about with poor sleep? said Dasgupta, who was not involved in the study.

However, Dasgupta added, a major plus for the study is that it did monitor people for over two years, and the results corroborated prior research and were not surprising.

While we cannot determine the direction of association from our study result, these findings provide further support to the notion that sleep patterns are associated with weight management and overall health, the authors wrote.

The findings also support the potential value of including both sleep duration and individual sleep patterns when studying sleep-related health outcomes.

There is a scientific reason why a lack of sleep is linked to appetite. When youre sleep deprived, research has shown, levels of a hormone called ghrelin spike while another hormone, leptin, takes a nosedive. The result is an increase in hunger.

The l in leptin stands for lose: It suppresses appetite and therefore contributes to weight loss, he said. The g in ghrelin stands for gain: This fast-acting hormone increases hunger and leads to weight gain, Dasgupta said.

Another reason we gain weight is due to an ancient body system called the endocannabinoid system. Endocannabinoids bind to the same receptors as the active ingredient in marijuana, which as we know, often triggers the munchies.

When youre sleep deprived, youre not like, Oh, you know what, I want some carrots,' said behavioral neuroscientist Erin Hanlon, who studies the connection between brain systems and behavior at the University of Chicago, in a prior CNN interview.

Youre craving sweets and salty and starchy things, she added. You want those chips, you want a cookie, you want some candy, you know?

A 2016 study by Hanlon compared the circulating levels of 2-AG, one of the most abundant endocannabinoids, in people who got four nights of normal sleep (more than eight hours) to people who only got 4.5 hours.

People who were sleep-deprived reported greater increases in hunger and appetite and had higher afternoon concentrations of 2-AG than those who slept well. The sleep-deprived participants also had a rough time controlling their urges for high-carb, high-calorie snacks.

Want more control over your appetite? Depending on your age, you are supposed to get between seven and 10 hours of sleep each night.

Getting less has been linked in studies to high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, weight gain, a lack of libido, mood swings, paranoia, depression and a higher risk of diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease, dementia and some cancers.

So sleep a full seven to 10 hours a night, stick to a regular bedtime and get up the same time very day, even on weekends, experts advise.

Adding exercise to your daily routine is a great way to improve your sleep and improve your health. After finishing one 30-minute physical activity, youll have less anxiety, lower blood pressure, more sensitivity to insulin and youll sleep better that night.

You can also train your brain to get more restful sleep with a few key steps:

Does that sound hard? Then sign up for our sleep newsletter and take steps toward better sleep.

Link:
Poor sleep linked to weight gain in 2-year smartphone sleep tracking study - ABC17News.com