Tag: Weight Loss Trends

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: Christina Stiehl

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
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Sterilite 8 Piece Covered Bowl Set
$12
from amazon.com

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Primal Kitchen Greek Vinaigrette dressing
$21
from amazon.com

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Parm Crisps
$37
from amazon.com

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Simple Mills Almond Flour Fine Ground Sea Salt Crackers
$25
from amazon.com

Buy Now

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GladWare Mini Round Containers
$7
from amazon.com

Buy Now

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Exercise Can’t Save Us: Our Sugar Intake Is The Real Culprit, Say Experts

LEIPZIG, GERMANY - MAY 23: A man with a large belly eats junk food on May 23, 2013 in Leipzig, Germany. Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images

In a fascinating and scorching editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, three authors argue that the myth that exercise is the key to weight loss – and to health – is erroneous and pervasive, and that it must end. The evidence that diet matters more than exercise is now overwhelming, they write, and has got to be heeded: We can exercise to the moon and back but still be fat for all the sugar and carbs we consume. And perhaps even more jarring is that we can be a normal weight and exercise, and still be unhealthy if we’re eating poorly. So, they say, we need a basic reboot of our understanding of health, which has to involve the food industry’s powerful PR “machinery,” since that was part of the problem to begin with.

The major point the team makes – which they say the public doesn’t really understand – is that exercise in and of itself doesn’t really lead to weight loss. It may lead to a number of excellent health effects, but weight loss – if you’re not also restricting calories – isn’t one of them. “Regular physical activity reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia and some cancers by at least 30%,” they write. “However, physical activity does not promote weight loss.”

Plus, in the last 30 years, exercise has stayed about the same, while overweight and obesity have skyrocketed. So something else must be at play – like the type of food we’re eating. That part has gotten steadily worse over the years, as highly-processed sugary foods and sodas have taken over as our go-to choices. “According to the Lancet global burden of disease reports,” they write, “poor diet now generates more disease than physical inactivity, alcohol and smoking combined.” This is a disturbing statistic. But it gets worse.

The related and larger issue is that even normal weight people who exercise will, if they eat poorly, have metabolic markers that put them at very high risk of chronic illness and early mortality. “Up to 40% of those with a normal body mass index will harbour metabolic abnormalities typically associated with obesity, which include hypertension, dyslipidaemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular disease.”

And the crux of the issue is this: We’re continually “fed” the idea that all that’s behind the rise in obesity is lack of exercise, or sedentariness. There have certainly been a lot of studies and popular articles suggesting that sitting is our downfall. Instead of effective messages about diet and health that science actually knows to be true, “members of the public are drowned by an unhelpful message about maintaining a ‘healthy weight’ through calorie counting,” the team writes, “and many still wrongly believe that obesity is entirely due to lack of exercise. This false perception is rooted in the Food Industry’s Public Relations machinery, which uses tactics chillingly similar to those of big tobacco.”

What we know to be true is much simpler: “Sugar calories promote fat storage and hunger,” the write. “Fat calories induce fullness or satiation.” For every additional 150 calories in sugar (i.e., a can of soda) a person consumes per day, the risk for diabetes rises 11-fold, regardless of how much or little we exercise. The single most effective thing people can do for their weight, they write, is to restrict calories – and even more, restrict carbohydrates.

So if this is all true, and research seems to suggest it is, how will it change? It might take quite a lot of work to shift our psychology around food, especially since advertising is so saturated with the message that carbohydrates are good for us. The celebrity endorsements might need to be tweaked, the authors say, and certainly the way foods are advertised and, perhaps, created, need to be shifted. The public should be repeatedly hit with the message that whole, natural foods, where possible and affordable is the best way to go. If you’re trying to lose weight, reduce your calories (especially sugars) – don’t think exercise alone will cut it. And even if you’re normal weight, you can’t subside solely on junk and stay healthy.

The authors end with this powerful finale: “It is time to wind back the harms caused by the junk food industry’s Public Relations machinery. Let us bust the myth of physical inactivity and obesity. You cannot outrun a bad diet.”

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Alice G. Walton

I fell into writing about health shortly after grad school, where I realized I didn’t want to work in a lab for the rest of my life! My main areas of interest are the br…

Source: Exercise Can’t Save Us: Our Sugar Intake Is The Real Culprit, Say Experts

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’

Is Sunscreen Dangerous? A Dermatologist Weighs In — KINDNESS — SEO

Is Sunscreen Dangerous? A Dermatologist Weighs In It’s becoming more and more difficult to figure out what to believe about anything – even something as basic as sunscreen. This is partly because companies, and some individuals, have figured out how to use the power of suggestion and incomplete (or false) information, to direct our thought […] […]

via Is Sunscreen Dangerous? A Dermatologist Weighs In — KINDNESS — SEO

10 At-Home Exercises to Get Rid of Belly Fat In a Month – BRIGHT SIDE

How to get rid of belly fat quickly? 💪 If you have no time to go to the gym, try these 10 at-home exercises to finally lose belly fat once and for all! It will take you a month to reduce excess fat around your waistline. No leaving your house, no special equipment needed, and no excuses!

💥 TIMESTAMPS: #1. 5 Jumping Jacks + 1 Burpee 1:00 #2. 4 Mountain Climbers + 2 Sit-throughs 2:08 #3. Plyo step-ups 3:21 #4. Push-ups 4:08 #5. 2 Split Squat Jumps + 1 Burpee 4:50 #6. Toe Taps 5:34 #7. Plank Walks 6:29 #8. Sprinter Sit-ups 7:28 #9. Squat thrusts 8:15 #10. Sumo Goblet Squat Pulses 9:01 #absworkout #flatstomach #bellyfat

 

 

 

 

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