Life-Changing Hacks For Coffee And Weight Loss

You may not be thinking of all of the goodness in your coffee when you wake up, stumble to the kitchen, and put on that pot. But, in addition to providing warmth, comfort, and a boost of fuel you need to start your day, that cup of Joe has amazing health benefits.

Your morning cup of coffee is filled with good-for-you antioxidants that can protect cells and combat free radicals in your body that cause illnesses and disease. Caffeine (in moderation) is also effective at boosting your metabolism for fat-burning benefits.

And, if you want to increase those benefits even more, this is the one calorie-burning nutrient nutritionists say you should start adding to your coffee for a flat stomach.

woman holding latte with latte artThanks to the popularity of diets like the Keto Diet, many people are getting on board with the fact that fat isn’t so bad for us after all.

The latest coffee craze is one that may have its roots in Keto logic, but has expanded to become mainstream popular thanks to three factors: it’s unusual, tasty, and, according to many who have tried it, works wonders when it comes to giving you energy and helping you burn stubborn fat.

woman leaning on counter drinking coffee out of mug

Drinking Bulletproof Coffee For Weight Loss

Add Butter To Your Coffee

To those already in the know, “bulletproof” coffee is coffee that has been spiked with butter. A few tablespoons of grass-fed butter can give your coffee a rich, buttery flavor that many say tastes like creamer. But its unusual and unexpected health benefits are what keep coffee lovers coming back for more.

espresso machine making a latteWhile there’s no denying that adding butter to your coffee also means adding upwards of 200 calories to a beverage that contains zero calories, some nutritionists say the benefits may outweigh the negatives.

“This may make the drink slower to digest and absorb, therefore potentially prolonging the effects of the caffeine,” Jaclyn London, MD, RD, CDN, Good Housekeeping Institute told Good Housekeeping. “As for the grass-fed distinction, proponents tout the slightly higher concentration of omega-3 fatty acids and some vitamins that come from cows grazing on an all-green diet.”

woman holding blue coffee mug

Correlation Between Bulletproof Coffee And Weight Loss

There is still a lack of data on whether bulletproof coffee truly helps your health, London says, and the only evidence that currently exists stems from research performed on rats. If it’s any consolation, those rats did experience higher metabolism and energy burn levels after drinking coffee with butter.

woman eating breakfast of yogurt cereal and strawberries in bedAccording to London, bulletproof coffee may help you lose weight — but that depends entirely on your overall diet.

“Bulletproof coffee could help you lose weight if you use it to replace a daily sugary short stack, or if you currently don’t eat breakfast at all,” London told Good Housekeeping. “In that case, BPC may provide a sense of fullness that you might not have experienced otherwise. Eating more calories from longer-lasting sources of energy can help you cut back on random grazing later on.”

But be aware because bulletproof coffee could also backfire on you: drinking your calories and sources of fat could make you feel more “ravenous,” London says. You could end up consuming even more calories each day.

cinnamon sticks and grown cinnamon on a table

If you aren’t sold on the idea of putting butter in your coffee, don’t worry. There are plenty of other healthy coffee additive alternatives that won’t pack on added calories and fat. Alternate coffee add-ons to consider include cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and coconut milk.

Source: Life-Changing Hacks For Coffee And Weight Loss

Entrepreneur Dave Asprey first added butter to his coffee to boost his brainpower. Now, he reveals what he learned about his brain to achieve his weight-loss goals. Subscribe to Dr. Oz’s official YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/1QhiDuv

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I Lost 15 Pounds, and This Is the 450-Calorie Salad I Eat For Lunch Most Days

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I’m a creature of habit. I like to drink the same 400-calorie smoothie every morning after my morning workout, wear the same three black pairs of leggings, listen to the same pump-up jams that I’ve listened to since high school (what’s up, early-2000s pop/punk). And as a creature of habit, I tend to make the same handful of recipes over and over.

Sure, that’s mostly because I’m a terrible cook and not that adventurous in the kitchen, but eating the same things over and over again can help you achieve your weight-loss goals. I have lost about 15 pounds since January, and I find that eating the same lunches repeatedly has kept me on track and takes the guesswork out of tracking my meals.

Since I usually order a takeout salad for lunch anyway, I thought it would be easier if I just made my own salad and brought it in. My 450-calorie salad is actually delicious and provides all three macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat) to keep me feeling full and satisfied all afternoon. To make things even easier, I just bring all my ingredients to work and chop the veggies when I get there. I don’t have time to slice up a bell pepper or a cucumber in the morning before work, but I do have time to throw all my ingredients in a plastic salad bowl with a lid and run out the door — I like the 2.5-quart bowl from this Sterilite 8 Piece Covered Bowl Set ($12). Check out my recipe below.

450-Calorie Weight-Loss Salad Recipe

  • Mixed greens (usually bagged Spring mix)
  • 3 ounces of rotisserie chicken (no skin)
  • 1/4 of a cucumber
  • 1/4 of a red bell pepper
  • 1/4 of an avocado
  • 2 tablespoons Greek dressing

In my opinion, the dressing makes all the difference. That’s why I love Primal Kitchen Greek Vinaigrette dressing ($21 for two bottles). It’s made with avocado oil, so it’s full of satiating, healthy fats. I also get more healthy fat from one-fourth of an avocado. For protein, I opt for a slice of rotisserie chicken; I buy a rotisserie chicken from the store on Sunday night and have it the whole week. I also love a variety of colorful veggies to add some healthy carbs.

If I have had a hard workout that morning and know I’ll be hungrier, or if I want some crunch, I’ll throw in a handful of crushed Parm Crisps ($37 for a 12-pack) or get in extra carbs by crumbling up some Simple Mills Almond Flour Fine Ground Sea Salt Crackers ($25 for six).

Although it’s probably easier to keep a bottle of salad dressing in the work fridge, I don’t trust my coworkers (kidding! sort of . . .) so I use the GladWare Mini Round containers ($7 for an eight-count). I can measure out two tablespoons and store it easily. I love these little reusable containers for not only salad dressings, but also stashing nuts, nut butters, and berries.

I’ve been tracking my calories using the Noom weight-loss app and love how the Noom food database is huge and includes all of my favorite foods, snacks, and salad dressings. It makes tracking so much easier. Using the Noom app, I calculated that my salad is 445 calories.

By:

Source: https://www.popsugar.com/

Sure, a salad isn’t the sexiest lunch you can have. But this simple combo is quick to throw together, delicious, and leaves me feeling satisfied. I can’t argue with 15 pounds down.

Image Source: Getty / jeffbergen
Image

Sterilite 8 Piece Covered Bowl Set
$12

Buy Now

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Primal Kitchen Greek Vinaigrette dressing
$21

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Parm Crisps
$37

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Simple Mills Almond Flour Fine Ground Sea Salt Crackers
$25

Buy Now

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GladWare Mini Round Containers
$7

Buy Now

 

Nurse loses 107 pounds to set healthy example for her patients: ‘I was eating myself into an early grave’

 

Wellness Wins is an original Yahoo series that shares the inspiring stories of people who have shed pounds healthfully.

Rebecca Nicholson is 5’7” tall and currently weighs 148 pounds. In 2017, after becoming a nurse, she was inspired to become healthier to set a better example for her patients. This is the story of her weight-loss journey.

The Turning Point

My final year of nursing school I remember attempting to tie a pair of new shoes and realized it was hard to breathe with all the weight on my abdomen. I knew I was overweight, but I had never truly felt how severe it was until that moment.

Rebecca Nicholson before and after losing 107 pounds. (Photo: Courtesy Rebecca Nicholson)

I decided to start losing weight after I got my first job as a nurse. I really felt the responsibility of my role as a nurse. It was my job to help people attain a higher level of health or functioning. How could I preach exercise and healthy eating, while I was eating myself into an early grave? I had a new role to play and had to make hard changes.

The Changes

I knew I had to start with adjusting my diet. My body was under so much pressure and pain from the weight that I felt exercise would only hurt me at that point. I started substituting items from my diet instead of eliminating them. I had done elimination diets before and only felt restricted, which ultimately lead to binges and a cycle of self-hate for my failure. I switched from regular pop to diet pop, coffee with cream and sugar to black, etc. These changes didn’t make me feel like I was missing out. I was still eating the foods I liked, but in a healthier way.

I also had to tackle the mental health aspect of my weight. Learning to love myself and accept myself despite my failures was key. I had to care about myself to actually want better for myself. Once 50 pounds came off, I felt confident and knew I could start exercising to help with the rest of the weight. I started jiu-jitsu at Niagara BJJ [martial arts class] and that experience changed my life. I was expecting a martial arts club to be cold, unwelcoming, and that I would be judged for my body not being in shape and overweight. Instead I got nothing but support and encouragement from the coaches, Kevin, Scott and Reggie. Once I started getting better at the sport, and seeing what my body could do, my improvement gave me more motivation and discipline to keep going.

At the start of my journey, I wasn’t sure I would be successful at losing the weight, but I was hopeful. I held onto that hope, and with each success I had I let myself feel that accomplishment and empowered myself with positive words and thinking. Changing my mindset from failure to rejoicing in the small victories was essential for my long term success. Seeing the number on the scale go down, and clothes fit looser was definitely a huge motivator too. But I think above motivation is discipline. Motivation is a fleeting emotion. Being disciplined to eat what you set out to eat, to work out when you set to work out is what keeps you on the path to success. If all you’re chasing is a fleeting emotion, then you will only find failure.

The After

I‘m in disbelief over my accomplishment. I still have a hard time saying over 100 pounds lost. A whole person has basically been removed from my body. I feel so full of life now. I want to go out, do new things, explore, go to concerts, and be present for the people in my life that need me. I now have the emotional availability to be there for other people — before I was so closed off. I was exhausted physically and emotionally. I now love exercising. I love healthy foods and what they do for my energy and well-being. I literally am a new me.

I’m surprised that doing activities of daily living is so much easier. Grocery shopping, clothes shopping — everything is easier without carrying around 107 extra pounds.

Nicholson, before and after losing more than 100 pounds, says, “A whole person has basically been removed from my body.” (Photo: Courtesy Rebecca Nicholson)

The Maintenance

I eat a lot of seafood, rarely eat red meats or pork. I love shrimp and rainbow trout. Fresh steamed veggies and seasonal fruit genuinely make me happy now. I try and go to jiu-jitsu a few times a week; if I can go more I am in heaven.

I make an attempt to do something each day and get out of the house. Simply getting some fresh air can totally change your head space. I drink water as much as I can. I keep my fridge stocked with healthy, easy snacks for boredom eating. If I know I have a problem food like Nutella, I simply do not buy that food. Recognizing your weakness for certain foods and not buying them is pivotal.

Jiu-jitsu is my main inspiration, as well as my work. I am training for a tournament, which has me motivated to make weight and to be strong enough to handle myself on competition day.

The Struggles

I struggle with my body after massive weight loss. My body is not the same as someone else at my same weight. I have stretch marks. My skin is loose on the inside of my thighs. My boobs don’t look very good, so I am saving up for augmentation because it is a source of insecurity. I know some people may not agree with my wants, but you have to find a way to be happy with yourself. This is one of those things I just need to do.

Advice

The best advice I can give is to be kind to yourself first. Love yourself and put your physical health and your mental health as top priority. You can’t pour from an empty cup. If you’re not caring for yourself you can’t care for others. It’s that simple. I would never have lost the weight if I didn’t start to love myself. I would’ve kept listening to that voice that says, “You can’t do it, you’ll fail.”

You have control over that voice. You can change the narrative. Live your life as your best life because you deserve it. Eat right, measure your portions, drink more water and love more. You absolutely can do it!

Nicholson then and now. (Photo: Courtesy Rebecca Nicholson)

Need more inspiration? Read about our other wellness winners!

Wellness Wins is authored by Andie Mitchell, who underwent a transformative, 135-pound weight loss of her own.

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Source: Nurse loses 107 pounds to set healthy example for her patients: ‘I was eating myself into an early grave’

42 Weight Loss Dinner Recipes That Will Help You Shrink Belly Fat! | itsyourbiz

Delicious meals make losing weight fast and simple. If you enjoy the food you are sitting down to, it makes sticking to a healthy, calorie controlled lifestyle

Source: 42 Weight Loss Dinner Recipes That Will Help You Shrink Belly Fat! | itsyourbiz

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