Lolita Bunde

Losing weight can be one of the most daunting tasks especially when you have to forego all the sweet foods by changing to an all-healthy diet. More often than not, keeping up with strict diets and intense exercises can be frustrating all in the name of losing weight.

However, intermittent fasting (IF) can come in handy as an alternative to help you lose weight. Imagine not having to give up your favourite meals or enroll yourself to a gym and still manage to lose weight.

Here is what you need to know about intermittent fasting:

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is all about creating time periods between when you eat and when you abstain from food.

It involves creating a cycle between periods of fasting and eating. Unlike the conventional method of watching what you eat, intermittent fasting is more concerned with when you eat and not what you eat.

The human body is made in a way that it can adopt to staying without food for extended periods of time.

It is important to note that should put a time frame for when you decide to fast, you cannot practice intermittent fasting every day for the rest of your life.

You can decide to go for up to two weeks of one month, until you accomplish your goal.

Methods of intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting can be done in several ways, depending on what suits you best. All the methods will involve splitting your day or week into periods of eating and fasting, so long as you eat very little or nothing at all when on the fasting phase.

The most common methods of intermittent fasting are divided into three:

All these methods, depending on what you choose can only work if you are committed. After breaking your fast dont go raiding your food trying to make up for the lost time.

The whole point of the fast is trying to help your body adopt to the change, so you reduce some weight.

Intermittent fasting will change your hormone level in order to facilitate weight loss, this is because it will help you eat less and burn more calories, it changes both sides of the equation. Also with time you will notice your calorie intake will start to decrease.

Why you should try intermittent fasting

Unlike other conventional methods of losing weight, intermittent fasting doesnt need you to break a sweat or go to extreme lengths to change your lifestyle.

Dieting can be hard especially when you have to change your lifestyle from what you cook to what you are allowed to eat. You also factor in all the planning that is entailed in cooking healthy meals, not to mention how expensive some of these foods can be.

Intermittent fasting, however, is easier and more pocket friendly. This is because you will not need to cook as much meals or eat as much during the day.

IF is an important life hack because it will improve your health and simplify your lifestyle all at the same time.

Who is eligible for intermittent fasting?

Of course intermittent fasting is not for everyone. IF is all about missing meals at certain periods of the day or week, if you are underweight or you have eating disorders it can be downright harmful to your health.

If you are pregnant, intermittent fasting may not be a good idea. You will be depriving yourself of nutrients that you need through this period. Also, when you are breastfeeding, changing your eating patterns might interfere with your milk production, which can be harmful to your baby.

If you also have conditions like: Diabetes, low blood pressure or taking any medication or any other underlying condition, you will need to consult your doctor first before trying intermittent fasting.

Other than hunger being the main side effect of intermittent fasting before your body adopts to your new meal schedule, there is nothing wrong or dangerous with intermittent fasting if you are healthy and properly nurtured.

Read more:
Everything you need to know about intermittent fasting - The Standard

Gemma Cockrell

Since the government announced its weight loss plan, including the decision to display calories on restaurant menus, there have been a lot of differing opinions on whether this is a good idea, and whether it may cause more harm than good, especially for people suffering with eating disorders.

There have also been many people raising the question of how this plan coincides with the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, as they appear to contradict each other. The Eat Out to Help Out scheme means that on Monday-Wednesday, you can get 50% off your meal during August, for up to 10 off per person. Both schemes were announced by the government within days of each other.

Putting calories on menus encourages people to eat fewer calories when they are eating out, opting for healthy options on the menu rather high calorie ones.

However, the Eat Out to Help Out scheme seems to be encouraging people to go out to eat more often, and it potentially encourages diners to buy the more expensive options on the menu, as they know they will be getting 50% off. The more expensive options are likely to be bigger portions and higher in calories.

How come we are being encouraged to eat healthier, but we are also being offered half price burgers and chips?

The fact that fast food restaurants such as McDonalds and KFC are participating in the scheme also seems to contradict with the governments weight loss plan how come we are being encouraged to eat healthier, but we are also being offered half price burgers and chips?

The Eat Out to Help Out scheme is only running during the month of August to try and encourage people who are wary to leave their houses after lockdown to go to restaurants and support the economy. The government could claim that running this scheme for only 4 weeks means that it will not affect their weight loss plans, and that right now the priority is the economy rather than weight loss.

For people suffering with eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia, putting calories on menus may cause more harm than good

It is not only the mixed messages that the government are sending out that are the problem people are also raising problems with the weight loss scheme itself. For people suffering with eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia, putting calories on menus may cause more harm than good.

Calorie counting is often a symptom of eating disorders, as people suffering with eating disorders often strictly limit their calorie intake per day. Seeing how many calories are in the food they are eating at all times will therefore be destructive. It may mean they dont feel comfortable enough to go to restaurants at all especially as going to restaurants is something many already struggle with.

It may also cause people to develop eating disorders as they become hyperaware of how many calories they are eating. This scheme could lead to people who are a healthy weight feeling as if they are eating too many calories and they may start to limit themselves, creating a destructive cycle of behaviour which may lead to an eating disorder.

Going to restaurants is a special treat for many people. It may be for a special occasion such as a birthday or a celebration. Therefore, surely those people should be allowed to treat themselves without feeling guilty over how many calories is in what they have ordered?

Research suggests that if people eat out, they consume 200 calories more than they would if they had eaten at home but these people may eat healthily for the rest of the week when they are eating at home. Going out for food should be an occasion where it is okay to treat yourself without feeling guilty, as long as you eat healthily otherwise.

The scheme may be very helpful for people who are trying to lose weight, helping them to choose an option which has lower calories. However, it will not just affect those who need to lose weight. It will also affect those who are already a healthy weight or underweight. It may lead them to think that they need to lose weight themselves.

63% of adults are obese or overweight. It costs the NHS 6 billion a year.

There is obviously also a chance that some people who are overweight the ones who the scheme is aimed at may ignore the calories displayed on the menu and continue to choose the high calorie options. If someone is overweight, they may not realise, or they may not care. Therefore, the scheme will not help them.

Obesity is obviously an issue which needs tackling 63% of adults are obese or overweight. It costs the NHS 6 billion a year. But is encouraging calorie counting the best way to tackle it? Im not so sure.

Calories also dont determine how healthy a food is it is common knowledge that brown bread is better for you than white bread, but they both have the 77 calories in one slice.

Calories alone cannot be used to determine how healthy food is

The reason brown bread is healthier for you is because it contains wholegrains which provide more vitamins, minerals and fibre. However, this cannot be determined from calories. Therefore, calories alone cannot be used to determine how healthy food is.

Despite my issues with displaying calories on restaurant menus, I do support other parts of the campaign. Banning unhealthy food adverts before 9pm will mean that people see unhealthy food less often and are therefore less likely to become tempted by it, especially children.

60% of adverts for food between 6pm and 9pm are for unhealthy food according to Cancer Research UK this is the main time of day that children watch TV as it is when they are home from school.

43% of food and drinks in prominent areas of the supermarket are unhealthy

I also agree that ending buy one get one free offers on unhealthy foods will help to encourage people not to buy more unhealthy food than they need. Avoiding placing them near checkouts or entrances will also help.

If the offer didnt exist or if people didnt see the unhealthy food in obvious places, they would be much less likely to buy it. 43% of food and drinks in prominent areas of the supermarket are unhealthy!

This means that if people wish to treat themselves, they can choose to go into the shop and go to the sweet aisle, rather than going into the supermarket to buy healthy food, and being tempted by the unhealthy food last minute.

There is nothing wrong with treating yourself, but this means you can choose to treat yourself, instead of only doing it because its being placed right in front of you in a convenient place where it is easy to pick up!

I also agree that educating people on the calorie content of alcohol may help, because 80% of people are unaware of how many calories are in a large glass of wine. Educating people and making the information more obvious therefore means that they are aware of it, and then can make the decision whether to reduce their consumption.

Overall, I do support the governments plans to help weight loss, except for the introduction of calorie counting in restaurants. I think the risk of it causing more harm than good is too great.

I agree that the information should be available in some form for those who are trying to lose weight, but that this could be done more subtly, for example on the restaurants website, as it means that those who are actively trying to lose weight can search it for themselves.

In this way, it wouldnt encourage people who are not actively trying to lose weight to start calorie counting, and it wont be potentially triggering for those who are suffering from or recovering from eating disorders. I do not know if this would work effectively, but I think it would be less likely to cause harm rather than the information being inescapable when on menus.

Gemma Cockrell

Featured image courtesy of Dan Gold on Unsplash. Image license foundhere.No changes were made to this image.

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Eat Out to Lose Weight? The Mixed Messages And Other Issues Of The Government's New Weight Loss Plan - Impact Magazine - Impact Magazine

A 2016 survey by Mintel reported two thirds of Brits are on a diet most of the time. The problem with these diets is that they tend to be quite restrictive.Express.co.ukspoke to personalised healthcare serviceBioniq.coms in-house nutritionist, Clarissa Lenherr, to find out what you could be missing out on in your diet.

Vegans are quite likely to become deficient in a few nutrients, such as vitamin B12.

Clarissa explains how to do veganism properly, without leaving yourself starved of the nutrients you need.

She said: The vegan diet, which excludes all animal foods and animal by-products, has been linked to numerous health claims including weight loss, cardiovascular health benefits, digestive function and more.

However, like all dietary concepts, there are positive and negatives.

Firstly, for the vegan diet to be beneficial, it is important that the diet is filled with vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, nuts, seeds and vegan protein sources such as tofu and beans.

If the diet is filled with vegan donuts and vegan fast food meals, then it wont provide the same health benefits.

And yet, even a well-balanced and nutritious vegan diet can still miss out on quite a few nutrients.

READ MORE-Veganism benefits: Should I go vegan? Will I lose weight?

So how can you be a healthy vegan? You may need to take supplements.

Clarissa explained: B12, vitamin D, calcium, iodine, Omega3, zinc and iron can all be fairly difficult to obtain adequate amounts when following vegan dietary principles.

Whilst focusing on plant foods rich in these foods can be helpful, it might not be enough to hit your recommended daily intake or to fix a deficiency.

For those who follow a vegan diet, it is worth getting a blood test which checks parameters such as vitamin D, calcium, zinc, ferritin and B12 in order to check for any nutritional deficiencies.

Keto is one of the most popular diets in the world, but was initially invented to treat epileptic children.

Clarissa said: The ketogenic 'keto' diet is focused on high fat, moderate protein and low carbohydrate consumption.

With this high protein consumption, the diet has the ability to provide good amounts of iron, B12 and zinc.

However, the benefits of the keto diet dont come without a few negatives.

Clarissa pointed out: The diet restricts carbohydrates, this means that many fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and legumes are significantly reduced or eliminated.

These foods offer an abundance of nutrients such as magnesium, vitamin C and certain B vitamins, which all contribute to many aspects of health.

Dieters may also lose excess sodium and potassium when following a ketogenic diet, which can lead to symptoms commonly associated with the diet such as headaches, cramping and diarrhoea.

If diarrhoea persists, then this can also leave people at risk of dehydration.

A calcium deficiency may also occur due to the high intake of animal foods, and there is also a risk of putting added stress on the kidneys.

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Pescatarians dont eat meat, but they do eat seafood.

Clarissa said this diet offers wonderful benefits, and pescatarians are less likely to be deficient in nutrients than vegetarians.

However, she also stated: There is still a risk of low B12 on a pescatarian diet, as the richest source of B12 come from meat.

B12 is a key micronutrient that is important for energy metabolism, red blood cell formation and nervous system health.

Meat-free foods high in B12 include seafood, eggs, dairy products and some fortified foods.

Fat is always assumed to cause weight gain and be bad for the body, but this isnt the case.

Clarissa said: A popular dietary concept since the 80s, the low-fat diet is focused on foods that are reduced or low in fat, such as low-fat dairy, lean meat and fat-free dressings.

Whilst this diet might seem appealing for those wanting to lose weight, it can put people at risk of nutritional deficiencies.

Fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K require fat to be absorbed, so when you remove fat out of the equation, the uptake of these nutrients may be compromised.

Clarissa recommends supplementing a low-fat diet with bioniqs IMMUNE.

This is a Swiss micronutrient complex containing all of these fat-soluble vitamins in a granulated formula to help increase absorption and bioavailability.

We all know someone who has tried intermittent fasting, from the 5:2 diet to the 16:8 diet. But are these good for you?

Clarissa said: Intermittent fasting has gained a great deal of popularity over the past few years, starting with the trend in the 5:2 diet to time-restricted-eating, otherwise known as 16:8 (sixteen hour fast, eight out window of eating).

Of all the dietary concepts, those who follow intermittent fasting are probably least at risk of obtaining nutritional deficiencies, as there are no foods that are reduced or eliminated, and the focus is simply on the fast.

However, this doesnt mean the diet is totally risk-free when used alongside the diets mentioned above.

She explained: If someone chooses to eat any of the diets mentioned above when following intermittent fasting or eats a poor diet during their window of opportunity, then they may be at risk of nutritional deficiencies.

If calorie restriction is significantly reduced, then the individual may also be at risk of low intake of both macro and micronutrients.

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Are YOU getting enough nutrients? The 5 diets that could be leaving you malnourished - Express

Like many during the months where COVID-19 has affected the country, Georgia offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer wanted to take the time to lose some weight and better himself. He was hardly the only one to do so, as his own head coach even had a publicized weight loss completion.

But few had a more noticeable weight drop as Salyer. The junior offensive lineman, who weighed as much as 345 pounds during parts of the 2019 season, got all the way down to 309 pounds.

Beyond just wanting to be healthier, there was another reason Salyer made such an effort to slim down.

For me, I just knew that the weight thing was going to be a big contributor to where I could be, Salyer said. It would raise my potential and that was kind of my goal going into quarantine. To raise my potential, to raise the bar for myself. Knowing that I can play guard, that I can play tackle, that I can play anything.

I knew that I could play all of those positions at a much higher level if I lost the weight.

Related:Jamaree Salyer has been one of the big winners of Georgias offseason

Salyer estimates he lost around 20 pounds since March, with him now entering fall practices at 315 pounds. That lower weight should enable him to display more athleticism at whatever position Georgia lines him up at.

Theres a strong feeling that it could be left tackle, as Georgia needs to replace Andrew Thomas, who was taken with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Georgia also must replace Isaiah Wilson, who the Tennessee Titans took with the No. 29 overall pick.

Salyer spent the offseason training with Thomas, as the two have a close relationship dating back to their time as teammates at Pace Academy in Atlanta. As a member of the 2018 signing class, Salyer came from Pace Academy as a 5-star prospect, rated higher than both Wilson and Thomas as a recruit.

But because of the talent on the Georgia offensive line, Salyer couldnt find a starting spot. When Thomas and Wilson sat out the Sugar Bowl against Baylor, it gave Salyer his first chance to start.

He played well at right tackle in the Georgia win, and it offered a potential glimpse of what he could do while taking on a more prominent role.

Salyer now pretty clearly has that opportunity on a full-time basis, which is why he so badly wants a chance to play this season and show off his talents.

I put a lot into this season and for me, I feel like you guys and everybody else deserves to see the work that I put in, Salyer said. Because I know what I can do and Im excited for this season.

Its the opportunity that Ive been waiting for and being a guy who was here for two years and sitting behind two great players, two first-rounders, this is the season for me to go out and prove myself and do a lot of things people say I cant do.

Salyer has already emerged as a leader on both the new-look offensive line and on the team in general. Teammate Trey Hill recognized Salyer as a hard worker and add that Salyers own weight loss inspired him as well.

It actually drove me a lot, Hill said. During the offseason, seeing him working hard, me and talking to each during the quarantine. Just basically having a weight loss competition.

Georgia will be running a new offense this year with Todd Monken as the offensive coordinator. They also have a new offensive line coach in Matt Luke, as Sam Pittman is now the head coach at Arkansas.

Hill acknowledged that one of the reasons for losing weight 10 to 15 pounds in Hills case was so that he could play faster. Under Pittman, Georgias offensive linemen were known for being able to overpower other teams, as opposed to trying to beat them with athleticism.

As for the process of losing the weight, Salyer shared his secrets. It involved a lot of working and cutting out unhealthy foods, such as sugary drinks, fast food and perhaps most challenging of all fried foods.

When I did eat fast food, it was mostly a salad from Chick-fil-A. I pretty much lived off those for a while. Their grilled salad and then the occasional fried salad, Salyer said. It was tough but the hardest thing was the fried food. And when youre a college student the fast food is hard as well.

When youre a college student, cutting burgers, fried chicken and other culinary delights out of your diet seem like a tough challenge. And if Salyer can conquer that, then manning one of the starting spots for Georgia shouldnt be significantly more difficult. Especially when you factor in Salyers talent and drive.

Excerpt from:
Jamaree Salyer explains why its so important to him to play for UGA this season - DawgNation

Former Alabama star Quinnen Williams rookie year didnt quite go according to plan. So the New York Jets defensive end went into the offseason determined to make sure that his second season better reflected his ability.

And after losing weight and changing his body, Williams could be ready to remind the Jets why they made him the third overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. According to ESPNs Rich Cimini, Williams dropped six pounds from last years weight of 303, but more than that, he changed his entire mentality.

"I feel like I'm tapped into that zone, tapped into that level that I'm going to be unstoppable," Williams said Wednesday during a Zoom call with reporters.

Changes included cutting out fast food, chowing on seafood and protein and training night and day.

"This year, I'm feeling it, man," Williams said. "I got my body right this offseason. I got my confidence back this offseason. I got a trainer who I've been training my butt off with. ... I just feel it, man. I'm in great shape, great condition. I got my body fat down.

"I'm rocking and rolling. I feel myself being that person that they drafted me to be. I feel like I'm coming into that person -- a dominant defensive tackle in the NFL."

Williams had 28 tackles and 2.5 sacks in his rookie season, and with Jamal Adams traded to the Seattle Seahawks and CJ Mosley opting out of the season, the Jets needed more.

"I reconstructed every aspect of my life around playing football this year, being on the field this year and not making the same mistakes I made last year," Williams said.

The No. 17 defensive tackle and No. 155 overall player in the 2016 247Sports Composite, Williams redshirted his first season in Tuscaloosa, then played in all 14 games as a redshirt freshman, making 20 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. But that was simply an appetizer for what came in his redshirt sophomore year, when Williams became the most dominant defensive player in college football and finished eighth for the Heisman Trophy.

A unanimous All-American pick, Williams won the Outland Trophy as the best lineman in college football and finished with 71 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks.

That force is what inspired the Jets to take him right after Kyler Murray and Nick Bosa, players who finished their first seasons as the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively. Williams was in that discussion coming into the draft; now hell try to show that hes capable of becoming a foundational defensive piece.

"The biggest thing I keep looking for with him is, how disruptive can you be?" Jets coach Adam Gase said. "[It has to be] within the system, doing your job, but at the same time, making the offensive linemen think about you pre-snap."

More here:
Quinnen Williams puts in work to be 'unstoppable' - 247Sports

ATHENS, Ga. Those seeking a sense of normalcy in life can find it here: Georgia football players are back to dodging questions about the quarterback competition.

Hooray! You know you missed these canned, insincere answers to questions about how the quarterbacks looked, in this years case mainly Jamie Newman and JT Daniels, the two transfers looking to step into the vacant starting role.

All of our quarterbacks are really good, guard Warren Ericson said after Wednesdays practice. Theyre all leaders, and they all have really good skill sets. Personally, I havent had a chance to evaluate either of them. Im just trying to keep them off their back.

Ericson used the keep them off their back phrase in an answer to another quarterback question. Whether he was told to dodge any quarterback questions we will leave up to you.

Then there was receiver Kearis Jackson, who briefly...

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What Ive heard and learned from the first week of Georgia preseason practice - The Athletic

HAVE you ever tried the same diet as a friend, but ended up with completely different results?

If you've answered yes, the chances are you both have totally different body types too.

Well, guess what? People come in a variety of shapes and sizes - and it's uniqueness that makes us special.

But it also means that things like diets or fitness regimes might work for one person and not for the other.

Personal trainer and nutritionist Rachael Attard says successful weight loss comes down to knowing our own body shapes.

Generally, we fall in to one of three different types:ectomorph, mesomorph andendomorph.

Rachael says that identifying what shape you are will help you get results, whether it's becoming stronger or shedding the pounds.

She explained: "In a nutshell, endomorph body types are generally shorter and curvier, ectomorph body types are usually tall and slim and mesomorph body types are typically characterised as naturally muscular, with a medium size bone structure, broad shoulders and narrow waists.

"But, unlike body shapes, your body type focuses on how you gain weight and muscle."

Rachael, who has created a quiz to find out what body type you are, said that an ectomorphs generally find it quite difficult to gain weight or muscle but are naturally low in body fat.

Ectomorphs usually look lean and athletic and are usually the envy of their friends as they can eat large amounts of food seemingly without gaining weight.

4

What exercises should an ectomorph do?

Rachael said that ectomorphs should take part in resistance training around three times a week.

"Since ectomorphs find it quite hard to gain muscle and they lose weight easily they should focus on heavy lifting, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and other resistance training workouts."

She said that cardio isn't needed unless you are trying to lose weight - and added that endomorphs should have one rest day a week.

What should ectomorphs eat?

According to Rachael, ectomorphs do better on a high carb diet, she also highlighted that ectomorphs should try and add proteins to every meal.

"Not all carbs are created equal. A few treats here and there are OK.

"But try to avoid sugar and focus on healthy carbs such as fruit, brown rice, whole grain pasta, quinoa and veggies", she added.

Mesomorphs tend to gain muscle easier than others and usually have large bone structures and muscles.

Rachael said people with this body type can often lose and gain weight quickly and often see results from exercise quickly too.

What exercises should a mesomorph do?

Rachael said that mesomorphs should stick to a regular cardio schedule and said weights should be monitored.

"If your goal is to lose weight, stick to body weight or lighter weight (higher rep) workouts.

"High-intensity cardio, such as running on a flat surface and at a steady pace, works best for fat loss. To challenge yourself, make one of your cardio days high intensity", she added.

What should mesomorphs eat?

When it comes to your food, Rachael said mesomorphs should aim for a balance between carbs, proteins, and fats - she said you should try and add these to all of your meals and snacks.

She added that you should watch the calories and focus on whole foods.

"If your body fat is being stubborn or you just need a little kick start, try a low carb and high protein diet for 4 weeks.

"Then switch it back".

According to Rachael, endomorphs can gain muscle very quickly, have great strength and endurance but may find weight loss a little more challenging.

She also said they may have a higher level of body fat.

What exercises should an endomorph do?

Rachael said that endomorphs should run more and should also power walk.

She said you should aim to power walk at least five times a week.

She added that you should also focus on lighter weights.

What should endomorphs eat?

When it comes to what an endomorph should be munching on, Rachael said a low carb diet it best.

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She added that you should also have a diet that is high in fat and proteins.

"Both of them will keep you feeling fuller for longer and will help you burn more calories.

"Think lean meats, oily fish, nuts, seeds and avocado", she added.

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Knowing your body type could help you hit your weight loss goals so what shape are you? - The Sun