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Diet & Exercise

Weight Loss Motivation Tips to Keep Your Lifestyle Goals on Track
Diet & Exercise

Weight Loss Motivation Tips to Keep Your Lifestyle Goals on Track

Making a lifestyle change is hard work. You often need to override your current habits, get out of your comfort zone and develop new routines. Finding the motivation you need to achieve success isn’t easy. And staying motivated over the long term to hit your goal weight can be just as tough.When it comes to weight loss, so many factors are at play when it comes to sustaining motivation as well as weight loss maintenance. You may be cutting calories, adopting healthy eating, starting an exercise routine and dealing with comments from family members or friends about your new choices, not to mention dealing with everything else in your life. But how to get motivated to lose weight and to keep it off, you may need to adopt new ways of thinking and healthy food intake habits to keep you on track. Here’s what you should know about the (perfectly normal!) struggles many people have when it comes to losing weight, as well as some tested tips for regaining your focus. You can do this! Losing weight: Common strugglesWhether you’re starting an official program or navigating this journey on your own, you may find yourself having a hard time keeping up with your newfound weight loss goal. There are a few reasons you might struggle, even if you’re far along in your weight loss plan and have seen success so far. Maintaining motivation over time takes mental focus and hard work (not to mention a healthy meal or two!)Here are three common weight loss motivation struggles: Focusing too much on on external motivationIf your focus for losing weight is to please other people, or fit into societal standards about what the ideal body should look like, you will likely lose your motivation to continue on your weight loss journey. Why? Because extrinsic motivation—motivation that’s fueled by external accolades and pressure—isn’t as sustainable as intrinsic motivation—the motivation you find within yourself.Extrinsic motivation is categorized by two things. First, there’s avoiding the guilt of not meeting other people’s (or society’s) standards. Then, there’s people pleasing, the desire to win approval from other people. While extrinsic motivation can work well in the beginning, giving you a jumpstart into a new, healthy lifestyle, it won’t allow you to keep up with your weight loss goals over time. Letting your stress go uncheckedLosing weight is sometimes quite a difficult endeavour to undertake. Yet, life still goes on even when you’re working toward this big goal. It’s important to find ways to deal with the stress of everyday life while you’re working on weight loss. Even if this means having to scale back on your exercise so that you can take your dog for a walk and get fresh air, grabbing coffee with a friend so you can get some necessary social time in, or even meeting with your therapist to help manage your stress. (Srdjanns74 / Getty)Too much stress can wreak havoc on your mind and your body. When your body is stressed, the hormone cortisol shoots up. Chronic stress (and that cortisol release) has been linked to increased appetite and weight gain. It can also make you tired, which leads to less energy to work out and a lowered ability to maintain willpower when it comes to keeping up with your healthy habits. Having a perfectionist mindsetWeight loss—like any lifestyle change—is about persistence over perfection. If you’re beating yourself up over every missed workout, every unhealthy snack or every pound gained instead of lost, you’re going to burn out quickly. It’s impossible to maintain perfection when you’re dedicated to weight loss —you’re only human, after all. Operating from an all-or-nothing mentality with lots of restrictions built in (like off-limits foods) can lead you to binging or even giving up entirely. Focus on your journey as a whole, not on every little choice you make having to be perfect. How to stay motivated in your weight loss programStaying in tune with yourself is the best way to maintain weight loss motivation over time. First, harness your inner confidence and autonomy. As mentioned, intrinsic motivation, which comes from within you, is far more likely to help you in accomplishing long term weight loss. Relying on, and pleasing, yourself is far more motivating than losing weight simply to please others or fit in. Just as it is with the American singers Lizzo, weight loss, and Doja Cat's weight loss, body positivity can be a good thing, but not if you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. Accepting yourself as you are outside of how others perceive the way you look is sometimes the better long-term option. (Getty)Check in with yourself periodically about your weight loss goals and intentions. Tuning in to how you are feeling, where your stress levels are at and how you can best work to take care of yourself will be far more motivating than any outside force. When you treat yourself and your body with respect and kindness, you will believe that you are worth doing anything you set your mind to. Tips for staying motivated to lose weightIn addition to finding intrinsic motivation, there are a number of ways you can help inspire yourself to stay motivated. While some of the ideas on this list may seem extrinsic (like enlisting an accountability partner to help motivate you to lose weight), when the ideas come from a place of self worth and self actualization, these outside forces fulfill your goals and desires, not other people’s. Use the tips below as a jumping off point for developing the practices that will help you stay motivated to lose weight. Some of them will speak to you while others won’t fit with your weight loss journey or goals. That’s okay. By curating your own unique motivation techniques, you’ll be successful on your own terms. Set achievable goalsKeep the focus on progress, not perfection. Set a weight loss goal for yourself that you know you can achieve rather than a too-lofty benchmark that you may not be able to meet. This way, when you accomplish your goal, you can feel a sense of pride that will motivate you to keep going. Smallering milestones to meet will create sustainable motivation to keep you moving in the right direction.Zero in your “why”Determine why you really want to lose weight. If you’re focused on meeting societal standards and pleasing your partner (or other family members), remember that these “whys” are based on extrinsic motivation, which won’t be sustainable. Think about what weight loss will bring to your life: Will you be able to stop taking certain medications? Reduce your risk of certain diseases or conditions? Have more energy to do the things you love? Feel more comfortable within your body? Whatever your why is, identify it and keep it top of mind. Build your confidenceIf you’re having a hard time finding the internal motivation you need to keep going with your weight loss goals, work on building your confidence and loving yourself as is, right now. Losing weight is an important, sometimes life-saving, goal. But accepting yourself for who you are, at any size, gives you the necessary inner strength to believe that you are worthy and enough to make changes that will benefit you. Create a vision boardHaving a visual of what your weight loss will bring to your life can inspire you to keep going. Maybe it’s a picture of your kids taped to your exercise bike. Maybe it’s a screensaver of an adventurous destination you want to travel to on your computer. A visual reminder of your why that’s rooted in what motivates you from within can keep you focused on your weight loss goals. Conversely, photos of super skinny models will only make you feel ashamed and unworthy—don’t surround yourself with unrealistic images of beauty and societal standards that nobody can meet without the help of photoshop and filters. Tackle your emotional hurdlesWhat’s stopping you from becoming your best self? Typically when people begin any kind of transformational journey, including a weight loss program, intrusive thoughts and feelings can come up. Sometimes these are voices from people in our past, emotional pain from not-so-great memories and other trauma you may have faced. Give yourself the time and space to work through any issues that arise, enlisting a therapist if you need additional, professional guidance. Keep a journalDocumenting your weight loss journey can be motivating so you can see how far you’ve come. This isn’t a food diary where you write down everything you eat, which usually just makes people feel anxious and guilty. (Ranta Images / Getty)This is more of an emotional diary where you can track how you’re feeling about your weight loss, how you’re maintaining motivation, what’s been hard or easy for you and so on. Being able to write down your thoughts and feelings can relieve stress and serve as a reminder for your future self about where you were in different stages of your weight loss journey. Clean out your fridgeTypically, eating healthy is one of the main weight loss goals people have. One easy way to accomplish this is to clear out any foods that don’t fit with your new lifestyle from your fridge and your pantry. This doesn’t mean that you have to purge everything with sugar or fat. But you can think about what foods are worth indulging in and which ones just aren’t. Maybe you keep your favorite candy on hand as a treat but you toss the (already stale) cookies that you don’t love quite as much. Stocking your home with nutrient-rich foods that you actually like to eat will help you maintain your weight loss motivation. You have to make room for those items. Clear out your closetIt may seem counterintuitive to suggest that you give away any clothing that doesn’t fit you—especially clothes you’ve been saving to wear until after you’ve lost weight. However, when you see these items hanging lifelessly in your closet, they tend to not be very motivating. They just take up space. Instead, donate anything that doesn’t fit you right now and create a wardrobe of items that you feel confident in. Chances are the items you’ve been saving are old and out of style anyway. Feeling good in your body, right now, is better motivation than seeing clothes you can’t fit into—especially if you feel guilty or ashamed because your body isn’t ready for them quite yet. Track your progressFind a way to track your weight loss to help you stay motivated. Some people take a photo each day, do weekly weigh-ins, vlog about their progress—do whatever works for you to have a tangible record of your actual weight loss. (Zinkevych / Getty)This helps you see how far you’ve come, which is motivation to keep going. Do a social media purgeTake stock of your social media feeds and determine if the accounts you follow are helpful, or decidedly not helpful, as you work to lose weight. Follow any unmotivating or toxic accounts—especially any accounts that make you feel bad about yourself physically or mentally. Feel free to block or unfollow toxic people (even people you know in real life). Fill your feed with inspirational people and accounts that encourage you to keep going, make you laugh and help you de-stress in general. You can also limit your time on social media and work toward connecting with loved ones directly. Move your body every dayDo some form of physical activity. Even just five minutes of exercise can boost your heart rate–and your mood. While dietary changes are typically what help people lose weight, moving your body in some way can contribute to weight loss as well. (Prostock-Studio / Getty)Find an exercise routine or workout that you actually enjoy and stick to it. Whether you walk outside, do yoga or crush hardcore weight classes at the gym, exercise can make you feel good inside and out. Find an accountability partnerIs there someone in your life who you can talk to about wanting to lose weight? Someone who you can turn to when you’re feeling your motivation wane? Someone who will check in with you and keep your spirits high? Think about who this person could be: Your partner, a friend, a parent. This person can hold you accountable to your goals and give you the push you need to keep going when you feel discouraged. Be competitiveIf you’re the type of person who thrives in the face of a challenge or friendly competition, enlist a buddy to compete with you, in a healthy way, with your weight loss. You can encourage each other to hit a certain goal by a certain date, compete in how many workouts you can complete in a month or train together for a big competitive event, like a 5K or a marathon. If competition lights a fire under you, it can be a fun way to keep motivated. Work on your self talkThe voice in your head could be your best friend—or your worst enemy. Start being aware of how you talk to yourself when you’re doing what you’d consider a “good job” losing weight. Do you give yourself the credit you deserve or do you downplay your milestones? Also pay attention to how you talk to yourself when your motivation wanes or you do something that’s not in line with your exercise, food or health goals. Do you beat yourself up about it or accept that you’ll make mistakes and gently prod yourself to get back on track? Your inner advocate (or critic) can either inspire you to keep going or hold you back from truly feeling like you’ve accomplished your goals. Reward your milestonesWeight loss journeys need to include rewards for yourself. Make a plan for how you’ll give yourself those rewards, and you’ll contribute a lot towards your personal weight loss success.Give yourself a budget for something fun you can do for yourself, like getting a massage, buying a new outfit or treating yourself to a fancy dinner at your favorite restaurant. (wundervisuals / Getty)Determine when you will get your rewards—is it after losing a certain amount of weight? After a month of sticking with your plan? Figure out how you will measure success and give yourself the credit you deserve by rewarding your hard work. This will help you stay motivated to get the next reward—and the next on, and the next one and so on. Don’t be too hard on yourselfLosing weight is a journey, not a quick fix. Not only is it hard to lose weight, but it’s hard to stick to a diet perfectly and maintain an exercise routine, as well as simply live your life. Weight loss doesn’t happen overnight and you don’t automatically become a totally different person when you start losing weight. You’ll still have insecurities. You’ll still have stress. So be sure that you’re not being too hard on yourself if you’re not changing quickly enough or you feel like you’re not making enough progress with your weight or in other areas of your life. Weight loss takes timeGive yourself the time and space to make the necessary lifestyle changes you need to make in order to be successful in losing weight. It may take years to adapt to a new lifestyle, especially if this includes new ways of eating and moving that don’t come naturally to you. Staying motivated over the long term comes from within: You have to believe that you can do this over the long haul and that means having the confidence to know that these incremental changes will add up over time.(Inside Creative House / Getty)Dig deep into yourself for that intrinsic motivation, knowing that you are worth the time and effort it will take to ultimately lose weight and make your new lifestyle stick. As your confidence builds and you see results, you’ll be inspired to keep becoming the person you were always meant to be.

Gluten Free Diet: Is It Time To Give Up Wheat?
Diet & Exercise

Gluten Free Diet: Is It Time To Give Up Wheat?

The biggest diet craze of the past decade or so is, without question, the gluten free diet. Since the idea of giving up wheat (and other gluten-containing foods) gained traction, there are now special sections in the grocery store—and specified items on restaurant menus—dedicated to those who abstain from gluten.Since going gluten free is so prevalent, you may have considered if this diet is right for you and pondered questions like: Is eating wheat really that bad for you? Can going gluten free be healthier? How hard is it to give up eating pizza?To help you better understand the benefits and drawbacks, here are five reasons why you might consider going gluten free—and five reasons why it may be a bad idea.1. You have celiac disease.The best reason to go gluten free is because you’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease. If you have celiac and you eat gluten, this triggers the immune system to attack your small intestine. Another form of celiac affects the skin, rather than the intestine, called dermatitis herpetiformis. Eating gluten triggers the immune system and causes a bumpy, itchy rash. In both cases, giving up gluten is a good call for sure. 2. You have a gluten allergy or intolerance.(Getty)Some people experience uncomfortable after effects of eating gluten, typically gastrointestinal in nature, that make it worthwhile to give up wheat. If you find that eating gluten leads to gas, bloating, IBS or other distressing symptoms, you might want to reconsider when and how often you eat foods containing it—or simply give it up entirely. Other people have also reported breaking out in hives after eating gluten, which could be another reason to give it up for good. 3. You’re figuring out your food sensitivities with an elimination diet.If you think you might have some food sensitivities or allergies, giving up gluten, which is one of the most common inflammatory food ingredients, could be a good idea so you can figure out what’s causing your issues. Typically in an elimination diet, you’ll cut out things like gluten, dairy, alcohol and sugar for a couple weeks and then add these groups back into your diet to see what you’re sensitive to. This can help with gut issues, skin issues and even things like fatigue and overall mood. 4. You have a thyroid condition.As mentioned, gluten is considered an inflammatory food. Some research shows that not eating gluten can help reduce autoimmune thyroid disease antibodies. If you have thyroid issues, talk with your doctor about any dietary changes, including going gluten free, that may help your condition. 5. You simply feel better when you’re not eating gluten. Some people just feel better when they’re not eating gluten. They may not have a diagnosed condition or sensitivity but simply prefer not to eat foods containing wheat or other gluten containing grains. What you choose to eat, or not, is completely up to you so if you find that eating gluten doesn’t work for you, it’s more than okay to avoid it. Listen to your body. (Getty)And now, the five reasons not to give up gluten:1. A gluten free diet isn’t automatically healthier. In today’s gluten free-friendly world, there can be a lot of backlash against wheat, barley and other gluten-y grains, particularly from health gurus. But it’s worth noting that gluten-containing foods are also full of complex carbohydrates, iron, vitamin D and calcium, all of which are necessary for a healthy diet. Plus, many of the processed gluten free foods are no better nutritionally (and sometimes worse) than their gluten-containing counterparts—and they are certainly less healthy than unprocessed grains. You’re not better off by swapping fresh-baked sourdough for some gluten free crackers, for instance. 2. Giving up gluten to lose weight can backfire.If you want to go wheat-free to shed pounds, you may be setting yourself up for failure. Sticking with a gluten free diet for non-health reasons is difficult. Plus, finding and preparing actually healthy and nutrition-rich gluten free foods can be expensive and time consuming. Instead of cutting whole food groups from your diet in order to lose weight, you might consider filling up your plate with more vegetables, which add nutrients and fiber to keep you full, and minimizing processed foods. 3. Cutting out an entire food group can lead to increased cravings—or even disordered eating.When you abstain from any food or food group, your brain may start fixating on it, making cravings more intense. Soon, you could even start obsessing over what you can’t have. Your thoughts soon become food-focused. Plus, when you cut gluten and don’t replace it with other complex carbohydrates, you can easily feel like you’re starving as your body doesn’t get enough fuel. You may stick to the diet for a while, then binge on pasta and pizza and then beat yourself up over it, creating a vicious psychological cycle. (Getty)4. It’s harder than you think to truly go gluten free.Those who actually have celiac disease will tell you that truly going gluten free isn’t easy. Gluten isn’t just in likely foods (such as bread and pasta), it may appear in trace amounts in other products that you’d never even suspect. Unless you have a medical condition, you likely don’t want to spend the mental and physical energy it will take to vet every single thing you put in your mouth in order to completely avoid gluten. 5. Not eating gluten can mess with a celiac test. Finally, if you think that you might have celiac disease, you may not want to cut gluten out of your diet completely right before getting tested. The reason? You need antibodies to show up in your blood test in order to get diagnosed. If you haven't been eating gluten, those antibodies won’t be there and your test could show a false negative. Since some people who have celiac disease don’t show any noticeable symptoms, getting the wrong diagnosis could lead to you not knowing what was really going on in your body. The bottom line? Everyone has to make their own decisions about diet and nutrition that work for their own bodies. That said, if you’re thinking that you need to go gluten free to keep up with the latest diet trends and health influencers, you may want to rethink your intentions. (Getty)If you’re curious about weight loss or food sensitivities—and certainly if you think you have celiac disease—it’s important to work with your doctor to come up with a dietary plan that’s tailored to you and your specific needs.

Alternate Day Fasting (ADF): Is It Right for You?
Diet & Exercise

Alternate Day Fasting (ADF): Is It Right for You?

Knowing when and how much to eat can be tricky, especially if you are trying to lose weight or reach other health goals. It gets extra confusing since there are so many different diets out there that you could follow. Some meal plans tell you to cut carbs, others want you to nix sugar, dairy, processed foods, or meat. Other diets call for only eating specific items, such as soups, salads, or baby food. Another option is to count calories and/or drastically reduce your food intake. However, your diet doesn’t have to be so complicated or limiting to yield results. In fact, there’s an option that lets you eat whatever you’d like—just not every day. This diet is called alternate day fasting or ADF. It’s a type of intermittent fasting that’s become increasingly popular with celebrities and regular people alike. Anecdotal and research evidence point to some significant benefits to this program, particularly for those that don’t want to limit the foods they can eat but also want to lose weight.Read on for our complete guide to alternate day fasting. Learn what alternate day fasting is, possible benefits of this weight loss regime, whether or not it is a good option for you, and tips for getting started.Alternate day fasting is a relatively simple diet. Its growing popularity is likely due to the fact that it lets you have the best of both worlds: you get to eat the foods you love while also dieting. Essentially, one day you follow a restricted meal plan, while the next you eat normally.What is Alternate Day Fasting?(Getty)ADF evolved from the concept of intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is basically a diet where you have prescribed times when you can eat and others when you can’t. Some of these diets have you limit the hours in the day that you will eat, such as only eating within a 10, seven, or five hour window during the day and abstaining from food for the remaining hours. Others have you fast on some days and eat normally on others. With alternate day fasting, you switch off days of fasting with days of eating as you like. While some people may eat nothing on their fasting day. Most people use a modified fast on those days that allows them to consume about 25% of their normal caloric intake. This typically amounts to about 500 calories. On the feasting days, ADF adherents can eat as their typical meals and snacks.Why Should I Fast?There are many different ways people use fasting–and just as many reasons for doing it. Sometimes, fasting is used to lose weight or gain mental clarity. Often, it has been a part of spiritual endeavors and religious traditions, such as when people fast for Lent or Ramadan. Additionally, various forms of food abstinence have been used for centuries to treat or heal various ailments. Other people take on fasting regimes as part of dopamine fasting, which aims to limit stimulation, such as from screens, food, and sex.(Getty)And just like with the ADF diet, fasting doesn’t have to mean going completely without food. Instead, it can be used in a truncated manner so that you are simply limiting the foods or calories instead of eating nothing.Does Alternate Day Fasting Work?The success of many diet plans, particularly long term, is questionable. However, some are easier than others and offer more convincing evidence of their efficacy. Diets are notoriously hard to stick to. And what works for one person, may or may not work for you. However, alternate day fasting does have a good track record and studies suggest that it may offer some advantages over traditional caloric reduction diets. The bottomline though is that for ADF to work, you need to follow the plan. If so, it’s likely to yield positive results. If you are a person who wants to eat normally half the time and think you will be okay with consuming a very limited diet on alternate days, then this may be a good option for you.Why Does Alternate Day Fasting Work?(Getty)There are several reasons why alternate day fasting, or other intermittent fasting diets, may work for you. The biggest one is probably that it is easy to understand and even easier to implement. It’s a relatively simple concept: eat what you want one day; eat very little the next. Another bonus of this plan is that it lets you eat all the delicious foods you love, while also providing enough caloric restriction on the fasting days to still result in weight loss. Also, as long as you are truly sticking to the 500 calorie limit on the abstinence days, you are primed to lose weight simply because you are consuming less fuel than you’re burning. Plus, the fasting days put your body into a caloric deficit that requires your body to dip into fat stores for energy, which prompts weight loss—and may boost your metabolism.Is Alternate Day Fasting Safe?Assuming you are generally healthy, medical researchers believe that alternate day fasting is relatively healthy, so long as you can tolerate the fasting days. Many doctors and health experts may promote simply adopting a generally healthy diet, with some calorie restrictions if weight loss is the goal, rather than opting for the severe limitations required by ADF. However, many also endorse this plan as a relatively easy way to get to eat the foods you enjoy while also cutting calories to lose weight. Note that just because ADF is safe for many people does not mean it is safe for you specifically. If you have any health concerns or chronic conditions, it’s imperative to check with your doctor before starting any diet or drastically changing your eating habits.Heath Benefits of Alternate Day Fasting: Is It Right for You?Some research has shown impressive health benefits to periods of intermittent fasting. These include losing weight, burning fat, and boosting metabolism. Some scientific studies also point to other potential health benefits of fasting diets, such as some prevention of diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and some cancers. Interestingly, scientists believe that going without food can even improve cognitive function. (Getty)Like any diet, alternate day fasting is only as good as your ability to follow it. It’s important to consider how well you tolerate being hungry. Some people do fine with hunger and acclimate quickly to their fasting days. Others struggle to cope with being famished. They may end up craving food all day and/or end up feeling irritable, light-headed, unproductive, sleepy, or just generally bad. Also, consider if you will be able to stick to the limited food intake on the fasting day. Will you be able to stick to a normal diet on your feasting days? Or might you overindulge on those days, going way over your normal eating? While you can eat what you like on your non-fasting days, if you gorge, you might undercut the benefits of not eating much on your fasting days. Also, think about what your goals are. For some people that will be weight loss. Others seek to improve their will power or mental clarity or simply want to undertake alternate day fasting as a challenge or to try out the popular trend. For many overweight adults, ADF offers a nice balance of getting to eat without guilt on some days, while doing the work of limiting calories only every other day. Ultimately, if the concept of the ADF diet appeals to you, then it might be a good fit for you. Who Should Not Try Alternate Day Fasting?While ADF can be a great idea for some people, others should not try it. Alternate day fasting can be dangerous for people with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, and those who take medications that require food to be taken with their medicine. People who have eating disorders also should not do alternate day fasting as this approach to eating may exacerbate their challenges with healthy eating. Additionally, people who need a steady supply of calories, such as children, teens, and young adults who are still growing, pregnant or breastfeeding individuals, and some people with chronic illnesses, should avoid fasting.(Getty)Things You Can Eat on a Fasting DayTypically, people aim to eat between 500 and 600 calories on a fasting day. These calories can be made up from anything you like. However, most people tend to choose low-calorie foods so that they can eat more quantity to keep their tummies feeling as full as possible. Good choices include fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. Soups are also recommended because they tend to keep hunger at bay. (Getty)No or low calorie beverages are also allowed, such as water, carbonated water, coffee, and tea. Drinking a lot of liquids can help you to feel full, so people tend to sip on drinks to help them get through their fasting periods.Things You Can Eat on an Eating Day While Alternate Day FastingEating days are intended to be your normal eating day. So, aim to stick to the quantity and types of foods you typically ate before starting your alternate day fasting diet. If this was a burger and fries or pasta with chicken, feel free to indulge. However, if you want to boost your weight loss potential (and the general nutrition of your diet) you can also veer toward healthier fare on these days—just eat your normal quantities unrestricted. Leaning towards lean proteins, leafy dark green vegetables, whole grains, and low fat dairy, while limiting processed foods, sugar, and high fat foods is recommended,(Getty)Tips for Getting Started With Alternate Day FastingSet yourself up for success when you start out on your alternate day fasting diet by following these tips:Establish your fasting diet goalsDecide what your goals are. Once you know what you hope to gain from fasting every other day, you’ll be more likely to achieve that result. Also, when you have a specific alternate day fasting result in mind, you can then track your progress. Some people choose to pursue every other day eating in order to reduce fat mass or body weight or to reach a normal weight. Others want to lose weight in order to reduce their likelihood of getting high blood pressure, heart disease, or diabetes.Others want to try a calorie restriction diet but also want to be able to eat some of their favorite foods. You might list the foods you want to enjoy on your feasting days, such as cake, chips, or fried chicken. Then, you can use this list as motivation to make it through any hunger pains you experience on your fasting days.Alternatively, if your aim is to lose a certain number of pounds, generally reduce your body weight, or simply weight management, periodically monitor your dieting results. Then, you can adjust your plan as needed, depending on your ADF results.Create a scheduleIt can help to keep you on track if you create an eating schedule for yourself. Decide which meals, snacks, and drinks you will consume on your fasting days. Having those foods readily available and setting up specific times to eat them can also help you stick to your fasting schedule. You might also want to create an eating plan for your eating days so that you have something to focus on and look forward to when you feel hungry due to calorie restriction on fasting days. Also, be sure that you schedule special events when you want to eat normally, such as birthday parties and dinners with friends, for your feasting days.Mentally prepare yourselfHunger pains can be difficult to handle. Take time to consider strategies for getting through any hunger you will experience. Alternate day fasting also requires a lot of will power. You’ll likely be hungry and may be tempted to eat more than you’re allowed on the eating every other day diet. Knowing what you’re getting into can help you feel more prepared to handle whatever challenges you face as you take on one day fasting and only eating every other day. Additionally, you can remind yourself about the big benefit of this program—that every other day you get to feast.How to boost your self control(Getty)Think about what you will do to help yourself stick to your diet. You might write down your intentions so that you can review them if you will power wavers. You can also come up with ideas of what to do to distract yourself from wanting to eat more than intended. These strategies may include going on a walk, doing some stretching, drinking water, meditating, watching a TV show, talking to a friend, or listening to music.Pick what you’ll eatSelecting the foods you’ll be eating on your fasting and feasting days before you start will help streamline your efforts once you’ve begun the diet. While you can eat high fat foods on your fasting day, it’s optimal to limit going overboard so that you don’t blow all your calories all at once. Pick foods with a variety of textures and flavors, so that you have things to eat that you will enjoy even if you don’t get to eat a lot on your fasting days. Also, aim for energizing foods, such as fruits and proteins that will keep engaged with what you are eating–and feeling full longer. What you want to avoid is fog eating, which is absent-minded, emotional overeating and the consumption of foods that leave you feeling dragged down or tired rather than revived and nourished.Add in exerciseIf you’d like to boost your ADF weight loss potential, exercise regularly in addition to fasting every other day. Burning more calories by adding regular physical activity into your days will accelerate losing weight.Key TakeawaysAlternate day fasting offers a nice compromise between being on a diet and eating what you want. ADF is a fasting regime that can promote weight loss using daily calorie restriction only half the time. For many people it provides an awesome balance of eating and dieting as they strive for weight loss or other health goals. You only need your dieting will power on fasting days and get to enjoy the perks of normal eating every other day. So, if alternate day fasting seems like a good fit for you, give it a try. Knowing you can eat what you like on your feasting days, while putting your body into weight loss mode on your fasting days, is sure to motivate you to achieve your diet goals.

How to Properly Meal Prep and Why You Really Should Be Doing It
Diet & Exercise

How to Properly Meal Prep and Why You Really Should Be Doing It

Meal prepping all your meals for a week can help ensure you have a great week ahead. And what do lots of great weeks add up to? A better life.Life can be hectic. Between work, the commute, the kids’ school and activities, the home to maintain, the errands to run, your fitness routine, and that little necessity called sleeping, time just disappears. That often means another of life’s necessities (eating) can feel like more of a hassle than a pleasure. It often results in an unhealthy diet in the name of convenience.There’s a reason they call it fast food, after all: it’s fast. It’s also fatty, salty, and often nearly devoid of nutritional value. Expert opinion is overwhelmingly in agreement that home cooking is the healthiest way to eat, so it’s imperative you find a way to do as much of your own cooking as you can. One of the best ways to do that is to start meal prepping.Remember, you are what you eat, so eat good food! With healthy meal prep, it’s really not hard to do. And it can even be fun, as we’ll talk about later. But first, let’s get on the same page with a definition of what meal prepping means in the first place.Meal Prepping 101: What Does Meal Prep Mean, Anyway?When we say meal prep, we don’t necessarily mean preparing one of your favorite delicious recipes to eat for dinner. Sure, making a great-tasting, healthy meal takes preparation, what with veggies to peel or wash and slice and cook, regular or cauliflower rice to simmer, chicken or seitan to roast, and so forth. Preparing and cooking a meal you eat right away is quite different from the meal prep in question. What we’re referring to here is really a meal plan, one that will last you for days, saving you time later on and helping you eat foods that are better for you. Work Now, Benefit Later For our purposes, meal prep means the preparation of meals today so you can eat them later. Often, it means preparing your lunches for the coming week on a Sunday afternoon. Or, if you’re truly living the spirit of meal prep to its maximum, it means prepping your breakfast, lunch, and dinners. Meal prep can be as simple as preparing and packaging tomorrow’s dinner today, because sometimes busy schedules just work out that way, and busy people are hungry people too! Meal prep can also be as involved as prepping and cooking ingredients you will use in two dozen dinners over the coming weeks, in which case you’ll carefully package and then also freeze them. Healthy meals: more than just leftoversSo again, meal prep means planning for meals to be eaten later, and that later can mean tomorrow, next week, or even next month. It means doing as much of the rinsing, chopping, cooking, and portioning all at once, so you will have as little work as possible later. As you know, sometimes planning a healthy diet can be difficult when you do it at the last minute, so by planning it out in advance, you not only enjoy the benefit if healthier food, but you save a bunch of time in the process.Now granted, there are plenty of meals wherein the leftovers lend themselves perfectly to meal prep such that batch cooking (making a double batch, that is, or even a triple or quadruple batch) is a great move. Slow cookers are your friendMany complete slow cooker meals where all of the ingredients – meaning proteins, starch, healthy fats, and vegetables – cook together are ideal for the person who meal preps. In fact, slow cooker dishes are almost de facto the best meal prep recipes already, as by their very nature you prepare them well ahead of when you’ll eat them anyway.But don’t think of popping some leftovers from dinner into a food container as meal prepping – it’s unlikely your leftovers will be in the perfect balance to offer individually portioned meals with all needed nutrients and a proper number of calories. And also, leftovers don’t always keep as well (or for as long) as properly prepped foods; they won’t be as easily or as quickly heated, mixed, combined either. A Few Pro Tips for Meal Prep SuccessTo make your meal prep process as easy and efficient as possible, always start with meal plans. You can’t just wing it!In other words, think about what you want to eat in advance, and take your time. You can come at this in terms of thinking about healthy meals and then make sure all of their ingredients work well if cooked ahead, or you can think about favorite ingredients and consider whether they will come together to constitute a proper meal. As you consider meal prep ideas, think about how well each given food keeps in the fridge or freezer and make sure they make sense to serve together, whether it’s roasted vegetables with a glaze of maple syrup or just the lemon vinaigrette salad dressing that you wouldn’t want to make at the last minute. And don’t forget: some items just don’t reheat all that well, so leave them out of your plan if you can. Start with a grocery listOnce you have built out the ideas for some meals, prepare your grocery list and go load up on the foods you are going to cook. And by all means do load up when logical to do so: many of the best foods for meal prepping have very long, stable shelf lives, such as rice and other grains, beans, oils, and so on, whereas other foods can be frozen for long periods of time. Whereas meal prep will save you time each and every day, planning carefully and doing a large grocery shopping will also save you time by reducing the number of trips you need to make to the store.Finally, on the day when you will do all your meal prep work itself, take a tip from professional chefs and practice proper “mise en place,” which is French and essentially means “everything in its place.” That means having your cooking tools out and at the ready, your ingredients measured and prepared, and your meal prep containers at the ready for once a given foodstuff is ready to be stored away.And make sure you put your kitchen to best use, too. If certain foods can be cooked on the stove or in the oven, for example, opt for the stove, where you can set multiple burners to different heats and enjoy maximum efficiency, leaving the oven free for things that must be roasted or baked. Speed up thawing with the microwave when safe, turn to food processors to help with mincing or chopping, and make the meal prep a whole family affair when you can, assigning everyone in the household a role.A Few Different Kinds of Prepped Meals to ConsiderA prepped meal can mean a lot of different things. A sandwich you make one day to eat for lunch on the next absolutely counts. So do a container loaded with pre-portioned chopped fruits and nuts set beside a bottle of almond milk all of which will be quickly blended up into a breakfast smoothie. And so too does a dinner prepared ahead of time then tucked into a glass baking dish that need only be popped into a hot oven count as a prepped meal.Meal prep does not mean that you complete each and every single step of a meal ahead of time, but rather it means that you take care of every step you can logically complete ahead of time, leaving yourself with minimal needed effort prior to a given meal itself.So while a meal that’s 100% ready to go – like that sandwich or a wrap or a hearty salad – might be great, it’s not the be all and end all of meal prep.Another great prepped meal approach is to fully cook a meal that will then need only a quick zap in the microwave to be ready and taste fresh. You can think of it as a healthy homemade take on the TV dinner.If you still have to chop or slice, it ain’t “prepped”And finally, there are meals that still take some time to cook, but that require no further effort on your part save for commencing the hands-off cooking. That may mean adding prepped ingredients to a slow cooker at lunchtime thus to have dinner hot and ready, it may mean starting ingredients simmering while you grab that last cup of morning coffee so your lunch will be ready. It might even mean a few minutes of hands-in cooking in a pot or pan, but what it never means is a meal that requires chopping, slicing, rinsing, measuring, and other such work – that you will do ahead of time.The Five Best Benefits of Meal PreppingMeal prepping is, first and foremost, about saving time. But if you think that’s the only benefit of making full meals well ahead of when you plan to eat them, then you’re in for several pleasant surprises. Seeing all the myriad benefits of meal prep may well convince you it’s finally time to start planning and prepping ahead instead of figuring it out right before each and every meal.Here are five of the primary reasons to start meal preppingYou will save time(Images By Tang Ming Tung / Getty)When you get out all the cooking tools needed – the pots and pans, the knives and cutting boards, the ladles, the strainers, and so on – and use them to prepare one meal, and then clean everything up again, you spend a lot of time on that one meal. However, when you get all that stuff out and prep meals that will keep you fed all week, you save that tool-gathering time five times over. And the setup and cleanup are just one way meal prepping saves you time. There’s also the fact that six cups of brown rice cooks at just the same speed as one cup of brown rice, as long as you have a big enough rice cooker. A rotisserie chicken that can be used as the protein for five meals cooks at about the same speed as chicken breast that will serve for one. The same goes for chopping enough veggies for multiple meals ahead of time. It doesn’t take too much longer than chopping for one dinner, and on the time saving goes.Sure, meal prep for multiple meals takes longer than making one breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but once that longer session is done and all the prepared eats are in those meal prep containers and ready to go, you will enjoy a huge net savings of time.You will save moneyWhen you go to the store with your grocery list clearly thought out thanks to your meal planning, you will buy everything you need for that week’s worth (or more) of meals, and you won’t end up buying a lot of random ingredients you don’t need. Your grocery shopping bill will shrink, you will experience less food waste (a good thing for your wallet as well as for planet earth as a whole), and you will also save money because you won’t spend cash on meals purchased out of necessity.You will eat more healthilyBy preparing yourself healthier meals, it only stands to reason that you will be eating healthier foods. But once you get into meal prepping, making it an everyday part of your life, you will also eat less and less unhealthy food. When you eat healthy food the whole week long, you won’t turn to fast food, snacks, energy bars, candy, and other foodstuffs that are really best avoided if you value a healthy lifestyle. And because meal prep ensures you have a proper portion of food at the ready, you are less apt to eat more than you need, and you are also less likely to still be hungry after eating.You will reduce stressWhen you prep meals ahead of time, the worry about what you are going to eat and when you will find the time to make that lunch or this dinner are simply gone. You can count on having healthy food ready to enjoy and can devote your time, energy, and attention to work, family, hobbies, and really anything else that you want, because you’ll have the food covered. You will improve your cooking overallEver wonder why restaurant meals always taste so good? The first two reasons are usually salt and fat (and not the healthy fats you want, we’re talking butter and olive oil and such). But the third reason is that professional chefs are not only trained but practiced and experienced. When you make the same meal over and over again, invariably you will find ways to make it better and better. By choosing a rotating menu of the best meal prep recipes and making the same healthy recipes every few weeks – not to mention by preparing the same meal multiple times over in one cooking session if it will freeze well – you will get better at making that one meal, and you will also get better at cooking in general.A Few Notes on Meal Prep SafetyWhen it comes to preparing foods that will be not only tasty but also safe to eat, the person who meal preps needs to have a bit more consideration than the person who will be eating their meal immediately thereafter.A food should only be reheated once after it has been warmed, for example, so if you thaw a food to cook it then chill it in a prepped meal, it must be eaten or discarded the next time it’s heated. There are no leftovers with meal prep, in other words.If you freeze your prepped meals and then thaw them ahead of eating, make sure you only thaw them out a maximum of 24 hours before you will consume the foods. And whenever possible, let foods thaw in the fridge, not at room temperature.When you reheat a food, it needs to return to a food safe temperature; use 165º Fahrenheit as a good standard for food safety, that being the temperature to which poultry and well-done red meat needs to be cooked – and also a safe bet for non-meat foods.It’s also a good idea to label your food prep containers or to keep notes on what you packaged and when so you don’t end up eating something potentially past its safety date.And finally, make sure to use the right food storage containers. Not all plastic bags are fit for use in the freezer and some containers may risk cracking if frozen, not all containers are suitable for use in the microwave or oven, and so on. Follow logical food safety protocols and keep yourself safe.One More Potential Meal Prep BenefitBusy people who turn to meal prep as a way to make their lives a bit easier may ironically come to enjoy cooking more, not less. Sure, a big part of the meal prep lifestyle is about making food prep (and even the actual eating) as efficient as possible. But when you do a lot of cooking, you may very well find not only a way to streamline your days but also a hobby you enjoy spending time on during those rare afternoons or evenings when you have plenty of free time.Cooking efficiently is a great skill to have and to hone, but cooking slowly and for fun is a great hobby to enjoy at your leisure when time permits.

Intuitive Eating: A Complete Guide to Eating Intuitively
Diet & Exercise

Intuitive Eating: A Complete Guide to Eating Intuitively

Let’s face it, the priority of crash diets isn’t to develop a healthy relationship with food. However, with over 42 percent of Americans classified as obese, there is a clear need for a more balanced approach to eating, one that makes it possible to lose weight in both a healthy and attainable fasion.Strict calorie-counting and ultra-discipline isn’t likely to last for too long before burning out and succumbing to old temptations. After all, sometimes food tastes just too damn good! Unfortunately, over-indulgence, a reliance on junk food, and a poor understanding of what makes a nourishing diet is far too common. This is where the principles of intuitive eating might come in handy. Intuitive eaters have found an approach to food that is becoming increasingly popular for all the right reasons. So if you’re looking for something different, and prepared to ditch both diets and poor eating habits, this guide to finding a more gentle nutrition will get you heading in the right direction.What is intuitive eating? Intuitive eating sounds great - but what is it? The intuitive eating process is a holistic approach to eating. An intuitive eating practice combines mindfulness, nutrition, body positivity, and diet sustainability. The term was coined in 1995 by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in their book Intuitive Eating, where they describe the overall ethos of how to eat intuitively as a different approach to crash diets and food-shame: “Make food choices that honor your health and taste buds while making you feel good. Remember that you don’t have to eat a perfect diet to be healthy. You will not suddenly get a nutrient deficiency, or gain weight from one snack, one meal, or one day of eating. It’s what you eat consistently over time that matters. Progress, not perfection, is what counts.”Tribole and Resch introduced an approach that recognises a large aspect of diet control is related to emotions, such as stress, anxiety, or sadness. Judging certain foods as bad creates a relationship of shame and guilt when tempted by, or indulging in, certain foods. Instead, intuitive eating focuses on long-term health. In the book, the authors outline 10 principles of their philosophy of intuitive eating:Reject the diet mentalityRather than seeing diets as short spells of extreme discipline, intuitive eating encourages people to instead adopt a long term, healthier lifestyle.Honor your hunger This involves tuning into the signals of the body, and eating when hungry, rather than waiting too long and overeating.Make peace with food(Irina Shatilova / Getty)Humans are curious beings, if something is seen as completely off-limits, there’s a chance it’ll become more tempting. Part of intuitive eating is to make allowances for all types of food, in moderation, to avoid guilt.Challenge the food policeAs an extension, this step extends to the inner-critic that can overanalyze or apply perfectionist tendencies to dieting.Respect your fullnessIn the same way that it’s worth eating when the body signals hunger, it’s important to notice when becoming full, too, and stopping before becoming bloated.Discover the satisfaction factorThis encourages you to savor food by placing your full attention on what you’re eating. Meals become the focal point, not something you do while busy with other things, such as working, watching TV, or traveling.Honor your feelings without using foodThis is where mindfulness comes into play, as it requires the self-awareness to spot eating habits linked to certain emotions. Choosing healthier ways to regulate helps change unhealthy eating habits.Respect your body(FOTOGRAFIA INC. / Getty)This step tackles body image. So often high expectations or harsh judgments around people’s physical appearance lead to unhealthy relationships with food. But by respecting your body, not objectifying it, you’re more likely to look to nourish it than sculpt it to perfection.Exercise and feel the differenceThis incorporates exercise in a healthy way, by focusing on activities you enjoy, such as dancing, walking, or running. The key is to focus on the feeling and connection to the body, not just an approach to losing weight.Honor your healthThis means eating foods that are healthy and satisfying, while always keeping the bigger picture in mind. A few snacks or treats aren’t the end of the world, but they are best in moderation.Giving the full green light to eat any food you like might not seem like solid advice, but it seems to work. “I sometimes call this the ‘permission paradox’,” Tribole says, “because when someone really has permission to eat what food they want—he or she will often discover they no longer want it. Or they eat less of it—because it is allowed—and there is no pressure to eat it while you can.”Why is intuitive eating so popular?Considering these steps were written 25 years ago, it’s quite incredible how much Tribole and Resch were ahead of time. It’s not uncommon for books to gain traction years after they were released. Gary Chapman’s The Five Love Languages was selling modestly before a huge spike in recent years led to his work becoming a cultural sensation. The same could be happening with intuitive eating, with the fourth edition of the book released in June 2020, and total sales to date around 500,000. Tribole and Resch, who are both dieticians, were inspired to write the book having noticed how many clients were disillusioned with dieting. The book was written almost 10 years before Facebook was invented and 15 years before Instagram. When you consider the impact social media has on body image and diet culture, plus the rise of the body positivity movement, intuitive eating is even more appropriate now than when it was first conceptualized. The science behind intuitive eatingThe tentacles of diet culture run deep. Research has shown that American women internalize concepts around restrictive eating as young as five-years-old, particularly when raised by mothers who dieted themselves. A study from 2008 found that 75 percent of American women engage in disordered eating, abnormal eating behaviors that don’t classify as an eating disorder in themselves, such as consistent restricted eating, emotional eating, or ignoring hunger.This really hits home the importance of intuitive eating to reverse cultural conditioning. Such is the popularity of intuitive eating, there have been a number of scientific studies that explore its effectiveness. Although it’s not the optimal choice for short-term weight loss, that’s beside the point, as the approach of intuitive eating is to develop a long-term, healthy relationship to food, and offer a solution to diet culture. Progress, not perfection.Intuitive eating has been found to improve mental health, reduce the risk of obesity, and the risk of eating disorders. Not only that, studies have shown intuitive eating improves body image. (Westend61 / Getty)The intuitive eating website contains many more studies of its effectiveness. Overall, the evidence behind Tribole and Resch’s philosophy is as strong as it can be, from a scientific angle. Looks like their intuition was right.How to start your intuitive eating journeyIf you’ve spent a large amount of time obsessing over different diets of yo-yo-ing between restricting foods and indulging, the approach of intuitive eating might come as a relief. It does, in some ways, seem too good to be true. But the results of this relaxed approach to mindful eating and health do affirm Tribole’s “permission paradox.” So if you’re inspired to apply intuitive eating principles, the following 8 steps will get you started.1. Be aware of diet mentality and thinking processesA big part of the ethos of intuitive eating is to reverse conditioning around diet culture, which is a facet of culture in general. Start by reflecting on your eating history — do you have certain judgments about certain foods? Were you influenced by peers or parents growing up? This part of the process encourages you to surface beliefs around dieting that could be subconsciously shaping your relationship with food.Part of this step is to set the intention of shifting from a diet mentality to long-term health. That means incorporating your thinking processes and beliefs into your nutritional plans and spotting the ways in which thoughts and emotions affect your eating habits.2. Boost your self-awareness(primipil / Getty)Self-awareness is one of the pillars of intuitive eating. That includes paying attention to thoughts and feelings, as well as sensations in the body. Consider starting a mindfulness or meditation practice in order to familiarise yourself with the objective “observing” state of mind. Meditation acts as a training ground to improve awareness, while mindfulness is the deliberate act of being aware of the present moment throughout the day.3. Start learning the language of the bodyFor most people, the default waking state is one of disconnection from the body. There are always ever-changing, evolving sensations in the body that aren’t recognized. For example, right now, place your attention on your feet. Can you notice different sensations? Are they warm or cold? Relaxed or tense? Do you see how, by placing your attention on your feet, you suddenly become more aware of their energetic imprint?As self-awareness improves, you’ll begin to notice more sensations running through the body. More awareness means more sensitivity. And more sensitivity means noticing the ebb and flow of the body’s messaging signals. Through awareness, you’ll start to notice how your body responds to certain foods, what hunger feels like, and when to stop yourself from overeating. It’s also important to learn more about how even supposedly healthy foods can cause issues, which you can do by checking out our article on fog eating.4. Know the difference between appetite, hunger, and cravingAs an extension of increased awareness, it pays to be aware of the difference between appetite and hunger. This is a fundamental distinction that many people are unaware of. The GI Society offers a useful breakdown of the difference. In essence, hunger is physiological, based in the body — it’s a sign that your body needs fuel. Whereas “appetite is simply the desire to eat. It can be a result of hunger, but often has other causes, such as emotional or environmental conditions.”One way to test this is to consider a healthy food you enjoy. If you’re hungry, you’ll likely want to eat that food for nourishment. If you’re craving chocolate or, in my case, peanut butter, but you wouldn’t eat the healthy replacement, you’re more than likely experiencing appetite.Cravings, on the other hand, are an appetite for certain foods. Again, in my case, peanut butter. There’s not much scientific proof around whether cravings are due to the desire for specific nutrients, although a lot of people feel this to be the case, and I do sometimes crave foods in a way that feels like a message from my body, so I honor the craving.5. Spot your triggersGetting a solid understanding of your weak spots is another way of introducing intuitive eating in a way that is sustainable long-term. Emotional eating is one of the biggest factors in disordered eating. Shining a light on your triggers is one way of combating emotional eating. (Getty)For example, some people might be more prone to eat high-sugar, high-fat junk food when stressed, or anxious. Others might lose their appetite. The more you can detect these triggers, the more likely you are to catch yourself in real-time and break the loop of old habits.6. Balance nutritional knowledge with the full permission approachI’m someone who always likes to consider potential drawbacks or ego-traps with any approach to self-development. Like every practice, self-honesty is required. You might convince yourself you’re intuitive eating by giving yourself the green light to eat as much chocolate as humanly possible. While that’s completely forgivable, it’s worth building up knowledge of nutrition to support the eating process.Even “building knowledge” can be based on a deep connection with your body. You might want to research the basic building blocks of a healthy diet, depending on your current level of knowledge. But from there, experiment, and pay attention to how your body responds.I believe the biggest boost to eating healthily is becoming aware of how much better you feel by eating well. With self-awareness, you might spot patterns of feeling more energized from certain foods, and lethargic from others. That’s great! It offers motivation to choose healthier alternatives not because you should, but because you value their beneficial impact on how you feel.7. Check-in with yourself regularlyIt’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day. But intuitive eating is a long game. That means regularly checking in with yourself, and considering how your nutrition is, and if any adjustments have to be made. Intuitive eating is a relaxed approach, so you don’t have to count calories or analyze yourself daily. However, it pays to check in every few weeks. Consider how you’re doing compared to the 10 steps of intuitive eating. Are you feeling in tune with your body? Are you having spells of emotional eating that could be addressed differently? Have you been skipping meals or slightly indulging in certain snacks?I’ve adopted intuitive eating after years of restricted calories due to weight training. At one point I was obsessed with putting on weight and worried I wouldn’t get enough calories or protein. Since then, my relationship has improved immensely. My check-ins are relaxed, too, and often inspired by how my body is feeling. If I notice I’m feeling sluggish, or I’ve not eaten a certain food for a while, I make small adjustments.8. Be compassionate to yourselfI suspect Tribole and Resch were familiar with many fields of wellness when they wrote their book, particularly the Stages of Change model. I say that because they’re careful to note that the ability to accept setbacks is a crucial factor in making long-term change, just as the Stages of Change model makes a distinction between lapses and relapses.Lapses are short-term mishaps that are easily overcome. In a type of reverse psychology, the more someone shames themself or judges a lapse, the more likely a relapse is, which is falling back into unhealthy habits.That makes compassion a valuable final step. After years of conditioning and potential guilt around food, intuitive eating is one way to feel good. That doesn’t mean conditionally good, like only when your diet is completely on-point and full of healthy foods. It means feeling good even if you indulge, feeling good when you eat your favorite treat (like peanut butter), feeling good when you’ve gone a few days without vegetables.(JGI/Jamie Grill/Getty)The more you have compassion towards yourself, the more likely you are to nurture positive habits in a way that feels good for you, and your body. Who knows, before long you might be using our 100 funny food quotes for the perfect, witty Instagram caption. And, you never know. If more and more people feel good about their bodies and the way they eat, then maybe that $75 billion diet market will be reduced to $0.

Vegan Diet: A Beginners Guide to Veganism
Diet & Exercise

Vegan Diet: A Beginners Guide to Veganism

Veganism is one of the fastest growing movements in the world. Between 2004 and 2019, there was a 300 percent increase in veganism, with an estimated 10 million Americans now free from meat and other animal products. The plant-based food market is on the rise, too, estimated to grow to $162 billion across the next decade.With concerns over animal welfare, sustainability, and more options for those looking for alternative plant-based foods, now is the easiest time to consider taking the plunge into veganism. If you’ve been used to meat or animal products making up a substantial part of your diet, the shift can feel intimidating. However, the health benefits cannot be denied.So where do you begin? This article will cover the basics of a vegan diet. More specifically, a healthy vegan diet. Let’s begin.What is veganism?(Alexander Spatari / Getty)Firstly, it’s important to note the difference between veganism and a plant-based diet. Although they’re similar in terms of what foods someone consumes, veganism itself is a conscious movement. The Vegan Society define veganism as follows:"Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals." Why you might start: Animal welfare, environment, health concernsTypically, people follow vegan diets for three core reasons. The first is concerns of animal welfare, due to mass production and animal slaughter. The second is the environment (avoiding meat and dairy foods is the “single biggest way” to reduce your carbon footprint.) The third is concerns over health, particularly the link between a vegan diet and reduced inflammation, which could reduce the risk factor of disease.Personally, I don’t believe in policing labels, or people choosing who qualifies as vegan and who doesn’t. But in a nutshell, if you’re avoiding animal products and your motivation is linked to concerns over ethics or animal cruelty, you’re close to veganism. If your diet is motivated purely for health, you’re closer to plant-based, vegetarian diets, as it doesn’t necessarily fit the philosophy of veganism.How easy is adopting a healthy vegan diet?Vegan diets tend to provide fantastic results, but making the switch can be a difficult challenge to start. A few years ago, my diet consisted of four eggs per day, gallons of milk, and as much animal protein as I could consume. I was into weight training and my diet reflected the conventional wisdom — to get enough protein, and to build muscle, you have to be eating plenty of animal products. Chicken, beef, tuna, sausages, bacon… My fridge was fully stocked, and the thought of ever trying a vegan diet was laughable.I was curious, though. I had an intuitive feeling that my meat consumption didn’t quite feel right, something which surfaced during meditation. But my biggest concern was how to stay healthy and how to continue to fuel my workouts. Would I get enough protein on a vegan diet? Would I get the nutrients I need?Performance booster?As someone who was quite clued up on nutrition, I had a lot of concerns. Like a lot of people, there was a lightbulb moment, which for me came from watching the documentary Game Changers. The focus was not only on the vegan diet, but how many top-performing athletes were able to perform better by giving up animal products.What resonated with me was the focus on a healthy vegan diet. All of this is to say, a vegan diet, within itself, can be incredibly easy — fries, crisps, cookies, plant-based meats and other processed vegan foods (sometimes called “vegan junk food vegan diet”) all qualify, and they’re easy. But there’s a necessity when going vegan to cover the basics of nutritious foods and to educate yourself around essential nutrients.Are vegan diets healthy?At the risk of stating the obvious, a healthy vegan diet is healthy. In other words, vegan nutrition that offers a balance of whole foods and a relevant amount of calories is great for your health. (Tim Robberts / Getty)In addition to reduced inflammation, a vegan diet has been linked with a lower risk of heart disease and cancer, reduced risk of diabetes, a lower body mass index, plus a wide range of other benefits.Myths and misconceptionsThere are a lot of myths and misconceptions around a vegan diet that have been dispelled in recent years. Particularly concerns over malnutrition or a lack of protein. However, there is a need for vigilance. The biggest cause for concern is a lack of vitamin B12, which is easily remedied by fortified foods or supplements. Most nutrients are adequately covered by eating a varied diet full of vegetables and other food sources.There are also valid concerns over the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential fats. “Essential” fats and nutrients are those that the body itself doesn’t produce, and have to be sourced from food. Omega-3 fatty acids are typically found in fish, though there are plant-based alternatives, such as chia seeds, walnuts, and various plant oils. (Lucy Lambriex / Getty)So there does have to be an element of care with a vegan diet. But, considering food is the fuel you put in the body, this ideally would be the case anyway. And what better choice to begin conscious eating than with a shift towards a more sustainable diet?Can a vegan diet help you lose weight?Additionally, a vegan diet can help you lose some pounds, as they are typically lower in calories. Keep in mind that weight loss is exclusively linked to calorie consumption. To lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume — this is known as a calorie deficit. A vegan diet excludes a lot of the stuff you want to avoid putting in your body, but fermented plant foods, peanut butter and vitamin D alone won’t lead to losing weight. There are, however, multiple studies demonstrating those who eat plant-based tended to have lower BMI.That’s partly due to the consumption of fruits and veggies that are high in fiber and packed full of nutrients. Vegan foods tend to be much lower in calories than meat or animal-based alternatives. Think of cheese, red meat, and dairy. So it’s in effect more of a challenge to eat enough calories to put on weight with plant-based foods.Again, though, this largely depends on overall diet and not veganism as a magic solution. A vegan junk food diet, compared to someone who eats meat and dairy as part of an overall balanced diet, won’t be as healthy.What are examples of vegan foods?I went vegan overnight. I watched Game Changers, and the next day went to the supermarket and stocked up on vegan foods, such as beans, lentils, and quinoa. I tend to do things in extremes, mind you. So while I maintained a strictly vegan diet with only plant-based foods for three years, I did recently decided to phase in eggs a few times per week.But the whole process revolutionized my approach to food. I couldn’t rely on meat being the main component. So I got more creative and researched vegan recipes, and discovered foods I’d overlooked. It actually made me appreciate food more, and the variety of tastes that whole foods provide. When I first went home after turning vegan, my mum tried her best to make sure I had what I needed. She’d often ask me, “is this vegan?” and was always surprised when I answered yes to many foods.Point being, any natural food which isn’t meat or animal-based is vegan. I say natural food because many processed foods have hidden ingredients. You’d be amazed at what foods have milk powder, cheese, or eggs listed. The biggest surprise for me was finding milk powder in ready salted crisps! It does take time to adjust to spotting hidden ingredients, but mostly, vegan foods are easily accessible and every. For example:VegetablesFruit(Photo by Cathy Scola / Getty)LegumesLentilsBeansRicePastaOatmeal(Arx0nt / Getty)NutsTofuChickpeasHummusWhat I’ve found most useful is categorizing foods by their nutritional value. It takes time to build up a knowledge base, but it’s worth it. For example, understanding that cashews, spinach, and pumpkin seeds are high in iron will ensure you spread them across your diet.Tips for starting a vegan diet and not eat meat or animal foodsIf you’re considering a vegan diet, you’re more likely to succeed and maintain the lifestyle change for a longer period of time if you’re prepared. Get insight into the Stages of Change Model, and where you’re at in the process. That you’re reading this article suggests you’re already contemplating, researching, and starting to put a plan together. That’s a great start. The below steps will help you take the leap.Research, research, researchThis article is just the beginning. Although I did go vegan overnight, I had already spent years researching nutrition, which gave me a solid foundation. Unfortunately, schools don’t do a great job of educating kids on how to eat healthily, so it might take some independent research. Start with general areas, such as calorie consumption, basic nutritional needs, the difference between carbs, fats, and protein. Then move on to vegan-specifics. Will you take supplements? How will you ensure you’re getting a balanced diet? Do you have recipes or fallbacks for when you’re busy, to avoid relying on junk food? The better the plan, the more equipped you’ll be to do things right.Understand the value of different foodsThe beauty of a vegan diet is that most of your needs are covered by getting a good balance of whole foods — things like broccoli, potatoes, carrots, spinach, beans, legumes, lentils, chickpeas. If you’re mixing things up, you’ll more than likely be hitting your nutritional targets. How much of an adjustment this is depends on your diet before turning vegan. If you eat a lot of processed foods and not a lot of veg, it might take time to develop new healthy habits.As touched upon above, it pays to know which nutrients you’re getting from what food sources. This is as easy as a quick Google search for “which vegan foods contain iron” or similar. Once you’ve researched the main nutrients vegans need to be conscious of (websites such as the Vegan Society contain all of this information) then you can stock up your fridges.Explore recipes based on your newfound knowledgeOne of the benefits of veganism becoming more popular is the amount of tasty, easy-to-make vegan recipes available online. Veganism isn’t a trade-off of taste or satisfaction, quite the opposite! Once you’ve researched and learned about what nutrients you need, and you’ve stocked up on relevant foods, then you can search based on those foods.I always base my meals around a protein source, a grain, and vegetables. For example, I might cook a curry that contains chickpeas, lots of different vegetables, and rice or quinoa, to add extra carbs and density to the meal. You can try searching for recipes based on meals you already enjoy, to find vegan alternatives. This is where the abundance of vegan-alternative foods makes things so much easier.Stay connected to the motivation behind the choiceDespite veganism rising in popularity, it’s still a huge undertaking. If you’ve been used to eating meat, in the beginning, you might feel restricted. You might have friends and family who continue eating meat and expect you to do the same. Or you might find yourself on holiday, or in situations, where you feel limited in your choices. In those moments it’s always powerful to stay connected to the bigger picture.You might even consider getting clarity around what this is. What inspires you? What values do you feel you’re aligning with by making the choice to cut out animal products? This is where it also helps to have a community of people who are also on a plant-based diet, to share inspiration, recipe ideas, or look for support when things get tough.In conclusion It’s never been a better time to give veganism a go. Remember, you don’t have to make a lifetime commitment. Try it out, and see if it’s for you. Know that it is a challenge in the beginning, but many people, myself included, find a whole host of benefits for choosing to cut out animal products and embrace the leafy greens that make it completely worthwhile.From supporting animal welfare, reducing your impact on the environment, and becoming more conscious of the foods you eat, a vegan diet has the potential to be one of the most positive lifestyle changes you can make. Oh, and did I mention you can still eat chocolate? (Getty)If all this was a little serious for you, maybe take a lighter approach and read up on these funny food quotes to get you back in the right mindset

7 of the Best Books on Intermittent Fasting
Diet & Exercise

7 of the Best Books on Intermittent Fasting

Engaging in periods of fasting has deep historical roots. People fast for numerous reasons, including weight loss, scarcity of food, or religious fervor. But over the past decade, intermittent fasting has become an uber-popular dieting trend. A-list celebrities from Gisele Bündchen and Jennifer Aniston to Reese Witherspoon and Halle Berry swear by the on-again, off-again eating plan. And there’s lots of science to back up many of its claims. For the most part, an intermittent fasting plan includes diets that are usually simple to follow, however, there are numerous fast plan structures you could use. There are also many different ways to incorporate intermittent fasting into a healthy lifestyle. So, the real challenge, if you seek to adopt an intermittent fasting practice, is to choose the fasting diet that fits with your health, wellness, and weight loss goals. This is where books on intermittent fasting can really help.There are a number of excellent intermittent fasting books that can illuminate the methodology behind fasting and teach you how to tailor the practice to your needs. Here, we provide an overview of intermittent fasting, explain the pros and cons of this dieting approach, and review the 7 best books on intermittent fasting to help you find the right one.How to lose weight: 7 books on intermittent fastingThere are scores of diet books out there—and dozens more specifically detailing various intermittent diet plans. Some offer a complete guide to the vast intermittent fasting world, while others hone in on specific intermittent fasting approaches. There are a variety of goals an intermittent fasting book may address, such as weight loss, maintaining a healthy weight, improving mental health, slowing aging, or achieving a healthy lifestyle. Other books devote their pages to exploring the science behind intermittent fasting. So, picking the optimal fasting book that addresses your needs is key. This is especially important as you are much more likely to stick to the fasting diet you choose if the plan resonates with you. Below, we review the best books on intermittent fasting. But before we delve into that, let’s review exactly what an extended fasting diet is as well as the benefits of embracing an intermittent fasting lifestyle. What is intermittent fasting, and can it help with weight loss?(shironosov / Getty)Intermittent fasting is a way of eating that incorporates periods of fasting into your daily eating plan. This approach to eating basically involves withholding food for specific time periods. Various fasting plans (and the intermittent fasting books explaining them) each look a bit different, with some offering a complete guide to fasting, while others are tailored to a specific approach. This vast range of approaches to the fasting lifestyle suit different needs, such as intermittent fasting for beginners and intermittent fasting for women. Additionally, some fasting plans will focus on achieving aims like permanent weight loss, intuitive fasting, fasting-mimicking, or how to stay healthy. Others offer meal plans or explore the science behind intermittent fasting as well.However, essentially, those embarking on the intermittent fasting world will be restricted from eating for various stretches of time. For example, you might have set times of extended fasting within each day, alternative days, or every few days. Or you may have periods of restricted calories. In this case, rather than not eating, you are counting your calories to ensure you only consume the allotted amount during proscribed times each day.Types of Fasting DietsWhile the vast intermittent fasting world includes a multitude of ways to utilize this trend, there are several common methods. One of the most popular approaches is to limit the hours you can eat to specific times each day. This can be more or less restrictive. One version is the overnight fasting plan which calls for a 12 hour fast each night, with normal eating allowed during the other 12 hours. A more extreme alternative is called the 16:8 method. In this approach, dieters can eat for 8 hours a day and must not eat for the remaining 16. You may also tweak this method by making your eating window a bit shorter or longer, depending on your preferences.Another well-known approach is 5:2 fasting. With this type of fast diet, you follow an unrestricted diet for five days each week, but drastically restrict your eating on the other two days to just 500 to 600 calories per day. Note that you can also adjust this (and any other) fast diet parameter to suit your health and weight loss goals. So, for instance, you might restrict your daily intake on your two fasting days to 800 to 1000 calories per day, as needed or desired.Other intermittent fasting diet options include having one or two 24-hour fasts per week or only eating one meal per day. Additionally, some intermittent fasters alternate days of fasting (or restricted eating) with days of typical eating.Benefits of Intermittent FastingThe science behind intermittent fasting is somewhat divided. However, a variety of studies conclude that, when followed in a healthy manner, intermittent fasting meal plans can provide a wealth of health benefits. In fact, according to scientists at Harvard University and other prestigious research universities, fasting diets can provide both physical and mental health benefits. The key is that fast diets need to be used with care and only should be used by healthy individuals. Overuse can lead to malnutrition and other health problems. But when used appropriately (this is where a book can be helpful), fast diets offer a range of possible benefits. Some studies show that intermittent fasting may:Boost your metabolismEnhance cognitive function and focusFoster intuitive eating (with periods of intuitive fasting)Help you lose weightImprove mental health(Oscar Wong / Getty)Prevent weight gainPromote a healthy lifestyleProvide some protection against various diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, and heart diseaseReduce the need to count calories or restrict food choicesAdditionally, many proponents of the intermittent fasting lifestyle, enjoy the simplicity of many of these eating plans. Instead of worrying about what to eat, you only need to remember when to fast. Often dieters can still lose weight, while eating whatever foods they like on their non-restricted days or time periods. The secret is that by limiting your window for eating, you’re likely to consume less calories over the course of a day, whether you’re eating french fries or an egg white omelette.Why should I get an intermittent fasting book?Books on intermittent fasting offer a complete guide to this approach to eating. Many offer specific meal plans as well as all the answers to common questions that may come up as a dieter follows a specific fasting method. Additionally, many books provide information on the science behind intermittent fasting. Essentially, getting an intermittent fasting book will explain how fasting works and give you a detailed playbook on how to properly follow the fast diet promoted by its author.How to choose a book on intermittent fastingThe best way to choose an intermittent fasting book is to pick one that aligns with your health and fitness goals, beliefs, and lifestyle. So, if you’re new to the intermittent fasting lifestyle, choose a book for intermittent fasting beginners. If your goal is permanent weight loss, select one geared toward losing weight—and keeping it off. If you hate counting calories, pick one that only restricts when you can eat, not how much.Additionally, you’ll want to pick a book that simply appeals to you. This may mean that its core philosophy just speaks to you in some way. Or that the way it’s structured fits in well with your lifestyle.Make sure intermittent fasting is healthy for youFor many people, fast diets can be a part of a healthy lifestyle. However, they are not safe for everyone. Some people should not try intermittent fasting due to various health concerns that make this eating plan unwise. Avoid Intermittent fasting if you have an eating disorder, as fasting can compound these issues. Likewise, fast diets are contraindicated for those with chronic health conditions like diabetes. Generally, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, children, and young adults who are still growing should also not fast, as restricting their caloric intake can be dangerous and impede their body’s ability to function and develop optimally.(The Good Brigade / Getty)The bottomline is that it’s a good idea to consult your doctor to make sure intermittent fasting (and the version you are considering trying) is a good fit for you.Best books on intermittent fastingWhile there are many great intermittent fasting books, there are several that really stand out. Here is our complete guide to the best books about the intermittent fasting practice.Delay, Don’t DenyGin Stephens’ best-selling “Delay, Don’t Deny: Living an Intermittent Fasting Lifestyle'' focuses on limiting the hours when you can eat, rather than having you count calories or eliminate favorite foods. This book is ideal for people who want to lose weight without restricting the types of foods they eat. This approach changes when you can eat instead of altering the meals themselves. The book explores the science behind intermittent fasting and also offers a variety of ways to adjust the plan to suit your needs. Stephens’ method also shines in its simplicity—all you really need to remember is when you can and can not eat.The Complete Guide to Fasting“The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting,” by Dr. Jason Fung, MD, delivers on its promise of providing a complete guide to the fasting lifestyle. Dr. Fung offers a full range of fasting diet approaches that can be used for a variety of purposes from maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight to simplifying your eating plan, improving health, or boosting your body image. The author explains the difference between starving and fasting and gives you all the tools you need to use fast diets to reach your health and fitness goals. Fast. Feast. Repeat.“Fast. Feast. Repeat.: The Comprehensive Guide to Delay, Don't Deny Intermittent Fasting” is another book by “Delay, Don’t Deny” author Gin Stephens. In this book, she offers an even more detailed guide to her method. It also includes a jumpstart program, “28-Day FAST Start,” which promises: “Change when you eat and change your body, your health, and your life!”Intermittent Fasting for Women Over 50If you’re a woman over 50, try “Intermittent Fasting for Women Over 50: The Fuss-Free Program for Losing Weight. Discover 300 Easy-to-Prepare Recipes.” This fasting lifestyle guide for older women by Anna Evans offers everything from recipes and healthy living advice to information on the best ways to detox and speed up your metabolism. Its comprehensive approach considers the whole woman—and how being over 50 impacts health and eating. The book succeeds by helping women get the weight loss results they want without feeling like they’re on a restrictive diet.Intermittent Fasting Diet Guide and CookbookBecky Gillaspy’s “Intermittent Fasting Diet Guide and Cookbook: A Complete Guide to 16:8” explains the basics of the popular 16:8 fasting plan. The 16:8 plan springs from the idea of simply extending your nightly fast to 16 hours, while also eating what you like during the rest of the day. Still Gillaspy also points out that even more health and weight loss benefits come to those who don’t overindulge during their hours of eating. The beauty of this book is that it also offers a swath of healthy and delicious recipes to enjoy when you’re not fasting.The Wiggle FactorIn Cody Smith’s “The Wiggle Factor: Intermittent Fasting and Dieting Made Easy,” you can learn how to make the fasting lifestyle your go-to eating habit. The book offers easy-to-understand explanations, guidelines, and rules to help you adopt the fast plan diet and timing that will work best for you. Smith breaks down the science of fasting to make sense of how the practice impacts our metabolism, body weight, and overall health. The author also shares foods to avoid and what to eat during your eating window.The Longevity DietThe fasting-mimicking diet detailed in this book was developed by cell biologist and biogerontologist professor Valter Longo, PhD. A prominent researcher on how to extend life, Longo’s “The Longevity Diet: Discover the New Science Behind Stem Cell Activism and Regeneration to Slow Aging, Fight Disease, and Optimize Weight” explains how fasting can help keep you young. The book is less focused on losing weight than it is about combating aging, but it also offers effective tips for achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight.Key takeawaysWhile intermittent fasting is not for everyone, many people find that fast diets can be a sustainable way to recharge metabolism, simplify dieting, and maintain or lose weight. In fact, one of the big pluses of these diet plans is that they are much simpler to follow than traditional diets. Even better, simply you cut down on the hours you can eat rather than depriving yourself of specific foods. (Getty)If you’re interested in giving a fasting diet a try, consider getting one of the best intermittent fasting books detailed above. Reading one of these fasting books will immerse you in the fasting lifestyle. The best of them give you a deep dive into the science of fasting and the nitty-gritty of each specific plan—providing all the information you need to stick with it.

At Nearly 200 Pounds, Woman Makes One Major Realization And Turned Her Life Around
Diet & Exercise

At Nearly 200 Pounds, Woman Makes One Major Realization And Turned Her Life Around

For years, Jennifer Riveira made excuses for her weight gain, even as she struggled to keep up with her young son and often had to say no when he wanted to play.“I was overweight and I was tired,” Jennifer told People. “My son said I yelled from the time I got up in the morning until the time I went to bed at night.”At her heaviest weight of almost 200 pounds, the mom of two was exhausted and miserable.Jennifer felt her relationships with her husband and son break down“My marriage was at an all-time low,” she remembered. “My husband and I weren’t getting along because frankly, I made it really hard to love me because I stopped loving myself.”In March 2017, Jennifer made a doctor's appointment, thinking there must be a medical reason she was getting heavier. Instead, she got a rude awakening.“My doctor said, ‘Your tests all came back fine. But what we really need to look at is what are you eating,’” she said.Rather than address the root cause of her weight gain, Jennifer continued to insist she couldn’t prioritize healthy eating because of her hectic schedule as a busy mom.“In reality, I had just given up on myself,” said the California native. “Everybody became more important than I did and fast-food became my way of life. It was fast. It was easy.”Then, something clicked when she stumbled across a friend’s weight loss post one day on social media.After successfully losing weight, she decided to help others on the same journey “She had posted that she was able to be on the floor and play with her son,” Jennifer said. “I remember thinking, ‘Gosh, I just want that.’ I reached out to her and asked her what she was doing.”Her friend told her about how she’d been able to lose weight with Isagenix, a popular meal replacement program.“I remember thinking, ‘I’m going all in. What do I have to lose?’”She signed up for the Isabody challenge, a 16-week transformation contest and it turns out, it was the exact support she needed.Not only did Jennifer successfully drop 76 pounds, but she was also named the 2019 Isabody grand prize winner and awarded $25,000 for her achievement. “The challenge itself is to feel better about yourself, to be the best version of you, whoever you are.”These days, she is more active and healthier than ever and has made it her mission to help others feel good about themselves too.One of her favourite moments throughout her weight loss journey was when she asked her son to describe her using three words as part of a personal development assignment. “He said: dedicated, loving, and inspiring,” Jennifer said at the time. “It’s about so much more than just the weight loss — I have a happy healthy 13-year-old who now sees what good nutrition can do for you. That means the world to me.”More inspiring stories: At 290 Lbs, Woman Embarks On Incredible Transformation Journey After Making The Wrong ChoicesWoman Dumped And Trolled By Boyfriend For Being Overweight Gets The Last LaughWoman Changes the Game and Loses 55 Lbs Without Depriving Herself of AnythingInspiring Couple Loses Over 200 Lbs Together Before Their Wedding Day

At 290 Lbs, Woman Embarks On Incredible Transformation Journey After Making The Wrong Choices
Diet & Exercise

At 290 Lbs, Woman Embarks On Incredible Transformation Journey After Making The Wrong Choices

After Marsha Parker became a mom in 2010, she fell into the trap of neglecting her health and kept gaining weight until she realized the impact it was having on her daughter.As a single parent, Marsha had to give up her high-paying job as a financial advisor for a job that paid less but provided more flexible hours so that she could take care of her little one.“I had to start from the bottom,” Parker told People. “There wasn’t a lot of money.”Whatever money she did have for food at the time went to her daughter, Kumari, first.Marsha would buy healthy food for her daughter, but eat junk food herself to save money “I made a choice,” said the now 41-year-old from The Bronx, NY. “If either of us was going to eat healthy, it was going to be her. I gave her the green smoothies while I was eating $1.25 fried chicken.”When Kumari was just a newborn, Marsha was already overweight at 210 pounds, but it was the least of her concerns at the time.“I was stressed and I think I was going through a bit of postpartum depression without realizing it,” she said. “Kumari would be asleep and I would be crying, eating chocolate pudding and drinking Pepsi. I would buy foods that I knew were bad, but they gave me comfort at the time.”I know that I have to do certain things and all of them are priority and they all must be done. So I do them.Marsha ParkerShe continued on the pattern of self-neglect until she reached 290 pounds, heaviest weight. Kumari was five when her mom developed high-blood pressure and was diagnosed as pre-diabetic.“Kumari started worrying about me,” Marsha remembered. “She’s very smart, and smart kids will keep you on your toes.”“I would have headaches from the food and she would say, ‘I need you to be healthy, I’m really, really worried about you. Please eat healthy.’ I realized that my health was connected to her wellbeing.”Hearing Kumari say those words inspired her to take action and she signed up for kickboxing classes. Marsha was on a limited budget but she knew that spending the money was the incentive she needed to stick with the program. Then, she discovered The Mile High Run Club, a studio that offers treadmill running classes and she was hooked.Her daughter was a huge support system to her At the same time, she started making changes to her diet, prioritizing nutritious foods that fuelled her workouts in return.“I was so determined, I didn’t miss the foods I used to eat,” said Marsha. “I knew that it was do or die, so I was on board.”A year later, she was down 100 pounds and after hitting a training plateau in July 2018, she decided to give weightlifting a try.“That was a game changer,” remembered Marsha. “I was losing weight and gaining muscle.”She has since run a 10K race, completed a half-marathon and her daughter is her biggest cheerleader, often joining her on runs around Central Park."She'll pat me on my back and say, 'Mommy you're doing great,'" she said.These days, Marsha juggles five-day-a-week workouts with homeschooling Kumari, Ph.D. classes and her job as an online teacher. She is down 155 pounds.“I know that I have to do certain things and all of them are priority and they all must be done. So I do them,” said Marsha.“Kumari saved my life.”More inspiring stories: Woman Dumped And Trolled By Boyfriend For Being Overweight Gets The Last LaughWoman Changes the Game and Loses 55 Lbs Without Depriving Herself of AnythingDedicated Man Loses 150 Lbs During Lockdown After His Scale Read 430 LbsInspiring Couple Loses Over 200 Lbs Together Before Their Wedding Day

At 376 Lbs, Woman Made One Major Mindset Change and Lost 200 Lbs
Diet & Exercise

At 376 Lbs, Woman Made One Major Mindset Change and Lost 200 Lbs

Crystal Benes battled obesity since she was a child and knew something had to change when at 25, she was struggling to breathe and get a good night’s sleep.She weighed 376 lbs at the time. "Every choice I made regarding what I fueled my body with and how much exercised I did was all up to me," Crystal told People. "I had no one else to blame for my poor decisions that led me to being nearly 400 lbs."It took several failed attempts to control her weight over the years before she eventually stumbled across the opportunity that completely transformed her life.Crystal decided that she was the one who had the power to change her life In the spring of 2018, everything changed when Crystal heard about Fort Wayne’s Smallest Winner, a local weight loss competition.The intense boot camp program was open to the public and free of charge, so Crystal decided to sign up and was selected to be a contestant.“That first day was just grueling, just to know you’re the biggest person, you have the furthest journey to go, and for someone to tell me that I would have to lose 200 pounds to even get within a normal range of where I should be is just hard to believe, it’s impossible to believe,” Crystal said in an interview.Over the course of the next 15 weeks, she lost 102 pounds through consistent boot camp classes, diet coaching and the support of a personal coach, and although she didn’t win, she wasn’t far behind.Once the competition was over, Crystal was left to her own devices which was a little unsettling at first, but her dedication prevailed."I had to understand that this was no longer a diet, and that it had to become my lifestyle," she remembered.Determined to transform her life, she continued her regular workouts and nutrition plan until 10 months later she hit another milestone, dropping an extra 100 pounds.At the time, she recalled it felt like a dream. "My weight-loss journey came at a point in my life where my weight was something I faced every day and led me to a constant state of depression," Bene said.She stopped making excuses One of her biggest challenges throughout was having to be brutally honest with herself and stop with the excuses, so she could finally get out of her own way, to pursue the healthy lifestyle she deserved.Through the struggle I encountered during my journey, I came to realize that the most difficult road had led to the most beautiful journey of my life.Since her 200 pounds weight loss, Crystal maintains her exercise routines and balanced diet, while enjoying all the things she couldn’t before.“I want to go out and experience things I couldn’t experience as a kid like ride roller coasters, or go skiing, or ziplining, I can do all that now,” she said.“I always ask myself ‘What if I keep going?’ and that allows me to become stronger, and it shows that it’s possible.”More inspiring stories:Woman Loses Over 200 Pounds By Facing Her DemonsThis Man Lost Over 600 Pounds After Choosing To LiveWoman Dumped And Trolled By Boyfriend For Being Overweight Gets The Last LaughAt 280 Lbs, She Kept Gaining Weight Through Yo-Yo Diets, Today, She’s A Personal Trainer