Healthy lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is one which helps to keep and improve people's health and well-being.Many governments and non-governmental organizations have made big efforts in healthy lifestyle and health promotion.
Mental Health
Mental health can be considered a very important factor of physical health for the effects it produces on bodily functions. This type of health concerns emotional and cognitive well-being or an absence of mental disorder.
Public health
Public health can be defined in a variety of ways. It can be presented as "the study of the physical, psychosocial and socio-cultural determinants of population health and actions to improve the health of the population.
Reproductive Health
For the UN, reproductive health is a right, like other human rights. This recent concept evokes the good transmission of the genetic heritage from one generation to the next.
Health
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
jeudi 5 octobre 2017
It's Arms and Abs Day With This 10-Minute Barre Workout
This workout is short, but the burn is big! In just 10 minutes, your arms will be toast and your abs will burn. FlyBarre instructor Brandon Goodman keeps the pace quick so you have no chance of getting bored. Grab a set of light weights, between one and three pounds, and a mat. If you don't have weights, no worries. This workout is effective without them too.
On Anna: Spiritual Gangster
On Jenny: Manduka top, Athleta tights, and Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL) shoes
Yeti Yoga Mats
How to Eat If You're Trying to Lose Weight, According to a Dietitian
Like most people trying to lose weight, I listened to the experts. Instead of eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I started scheduling meals and snacks so I was eating five or six times a day. This worked out to noshing on something every couple hours - 7 a.m. breakfast, 9 a.m. snack, 12 p.m. lunch, 3 p.m. snack, 5:30 p.m. dinner, and sometimes a late-night snack. The purpose was to ensure my hunger was satiated to prevent feeling so famished at each meal that I'd overeat. But then I realized I was eating all day long and never feeling hungry. I was also not losing weight. I was watching the clock instead of listening to my body. So which is better?
When I asked certified dietitian Leslie Langevin, MS, RD, CD of Whole Health Nutrition to answer that question, she said, "It's better to eat when you are hungry. This is the concept of mindful eating." Every time you go to put something in your mouth, ask yourself if you are hungry.
She also adds that it's important to know what hunger is, since feeling hungry is important for weight loss. "Some people have stomach growling, some have salivation and increased food thought." Being aware of the hunger scale will help you decide when it's time to eat. You want to eat when you're at about a three on the hunger scale, feeling hungry with a growling belly. And the important thing here is to eat enough until you're at about a six on the hunger scale, where you feel satisfied but not stuffed or tired from eating too much.
Eating when you're hungry and eating just enough to feel satiated is the key. So instead of watching the clock and eating exactly at certain times of the day, eat when your body tells you it's ready to eat. That might mean eating three times a day, and that might mean eating six times a day.
Leslie does say that, "I think if you are a person who is a meal skipper or someone who doesn't really feel that hungry, setting times is a good idea." Some people forget to eat because they're so busy, or their work schedule only allows them to take breaks at certain times, so for these instances, it's important to schedule snacks and meals. But overall, if you're schedule allows for it, "go for the hunger/mindful eating approach."
These 6 Scary Halloween Costumes Will Have Everyone Doing a Double Take
If you want to stand out this year on Halloween, try wearing a bold costume that will shock everybody. One way you can have everyone's heads turning is by getting something that actually scares people, because frightening your friends is way more fun. To make shopping easy, we browsed for you. We looked to Amazon because this popular retailer has so many choices that won't cost you a fortune. So if you're in the spirit to get scary, we found some hilarious choices. From a creepy scarecrow to a terrifying clown, you can choose your favorite. Take a look at our top picks.
15 Double-Duty Moves That Work Your Abs and Booty at the Same Time
Looking to do a quick workout? Then you need multitasking moves! We've rounded up all our fave exercises, both with weights and without, that do double duty by working the abs and the booty. You won't find any crunches or squats here, either. Pepper your next workout with a few of the moves and you will certainly find these areas of your body pleasantly sore the next day, which means you're getting strong.
Why Do Some Women Get More UTIs Than Others? A Doctor Chimes In
Anyone who has ever had a urinary tract infection (UTI) knows that it's one of the most painful things in the world, and you wouldn't even wish it on your worst enemy. The burning sensation when you pee is so bad that you dread going anywhere near a bathroom. The culprit of a UTI is when bacteria enters your body through the urethra and causes an infection in your bladder. If left untreated, the infection could travel to your kidneys and cause some serious damage.
That's common knowledge, though. What a lot of women wonder is why some of us are more prone to getting UTIs than others. While some women are lucky enough never to experience a UTI in their lives, there are others who battle this infection a couple times a year. What gives?
POPSUGAR spoke with Alyssa Dweck, MD, a gynecologist in New York and the author of The Complete A to Z For Your V: A Woman's Guide to Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Your Vagina, who gave us a rundown on why UTIs happen to some people and not to others.
First of all, it's important to note that women are more prone to getting UTIs than men are. This "is sheerly anatomical," Dr. Dweck said. The urethra and anus are much closer on a woman's body than on a man's, which means it's much easier for bacteria from your poop to make its way up into your bladder. Gross, yes, but that's just the way our bodies were made.
"Sexually-active women are more prone to UTIs because thrusting of intercourse may bring rectal bacteria to the urethra and increase the risk," Dr. Dweck told POPSUGAR. Additionally, women who are in menopause experience more hormone fluctuations and have less estrogen in their bodies, which makes the tissue around the urethra more delicate. This could allow bacteria to be introduced much easier than it is for women who haven't reached menopause yet.
However, women who take birth control may experience a dip in their estrogen levels, and this could make them more susceptible to contracting a UTI. There is also speculation that some women have a kind of receptor in their bladder wall that encourages bacteria to stick more easily. This isn't proved by extensive research yet, but it's being looked into.
Dr. Dweck says there are certainly ways to prevent UTIs, though, regardless of whether you're more prone to them. "Wiping front to back" is always helpful, she said, because you don't want to drag fecal bacteria to your urethra. Peeing after sex "helps to mechanically cleanse the urethra." Additionally, the old wives' tale that sitting in a wet bathing suit causes infections "actually has some credence to it," she told POPSUGAR, so change out of your wet or sweaty clothes as soon as you can.
But Dr. Dweck said the method to preventing UTIs is "independent and individualized." Some people urinate both before and after sex, while others take a shower before they have sex to clean off excess bacteria.
For women who habitually struggle with UTIs, doctors sometimes recommend "cranberry concentrate supplements on a day-to-day basis," Dr. Dweck explained. "There's a particular ingredient that makes the bladder more slippery to the E. coli bacteria." There are even some women who are prescribed a one-dose antibiotic to take every time after having sex in order to prevent infection, but this is "mainly for women who know that every time they have sex, they get a UTI."
Of course, if you find that your stubborn UTI problem just won't go away, Dr. Dweck says your medical provider will likely check to see if there are any anatomical issues going on.
If any of this sounds painfully familiar, don't hesitate to speak to your doctor. Although UTIs are easily treated and not dangerous in the long run, you don't want to let the infection go unnoticed, especially if it keeps coming up and continuously affects your life in negative ways.
I Did 20 Push-Ups Every Day For 2 Weeks and Here's What I Learned
Earlier this year, I could string together a solid 14 to 16 push-ups without stopping. It was a skill that took me quite some time to master. And by "quite some time," I mean months and months. For that, my gratitude lays with CrossFit. When I'd see them on the list of to-dos for a daily WOD (workout of the day, in CrossFit speak), I felt excitement over dread. I got to a point where I looked forward to seeing just how many I could crank out before dropping to my knees for that modification. I looked forward to watching what was four up to six, and six up to eight.
But then I hurt my back. Lifting too much weight overhead during the CrossFit Open triggered some nagging arthritis in my lumbar spine, and push-ups were one of the first things to go. Maintaining that tension in my core, rep after rep, bothered my back. Although I was taking the time to work on my core strength, I didn't want to risk the unintentional pain; I started doing push-ups constantly from my knees, reverting back to my pre-gains status. I felt like the last year of strength successes were subsiding.
Here's the thing: I'm not the kind of person to take "subpar" as status quo. So, naturally, after a couple of months of accepting this on-the-knees approach, change was imminent. The logical decision? I was going to work back to stringing together a slew of push-ups, ASAP. The plan? Rise to the challenge. Using the app Spar, I challenged three friends (including my boyfriend) to do 20 push-ups every day for two weeks. The best part is hands down the penalty: if you miss a day, Spar charges your credit card $3. Thus, I present you with four lessons I learned doing 20 push-ups a day for two weeks:
1. Not every goal has to be astronomical.
I knew going into this challenge that just because I started on this goal didn't mean I was automatically going to crank out standard push-ups easy-breezy. Setting a goal of 20 push-ups felt like a lot, but I knew that 10 would be a little too easy. So I started small. I wasn't going to crush all 20 push-ups from high plank from the get-go. So, after doing a few going through the motions from high plank to low plank, I'd drop to my knees and finish the rest of them modified. Being easy on myself made this OK. Being easy on myself made me feel like I could make positive progress. As the weeks progressed, I worked on doing more and more in the standard format before giving in to the alternative.
2. A support network makes everything better.
If I had simply challenged myself to do 20 push-ups each day, I probably wouldn't have stuck it out. Not because I don't have willpower, but because . . . let's be honest: things always get in the way. Watching my friends execute their reps (Spar makes you record a 10-second video every day when you check-in to show the challenge participants you're not fibbing), I felt motivated to do mine. The trash talking . . . well, that motivated me a bit, too.
3. When you think you can't go any more, do one more.
That's when I focused on all the things you're supposed to focus on when executing the perfect push-up: lean slightly forward, keep your shoulders stacked over your elbows, engage your core. When I felt like my triceps couldn't bear lowering my body weight back to the ground (nevertheless pushing it back up), I took a deep breath, paused, and then pushed past my comfort zone. Despite struggling before the rep, I'd say that almost always that last can-I-keep-doing-this push-up was my best.
4. The best is yet to come.
Probably the best part of the challenge was waking up to a "You lost!" email (both my boyfriend and I missed one day each, paying out a total of $3 to our friends). Within an hour, the group text was lighting up with questions like "What's next?" paired with suggestions. Sure, we all like a little friendly competition. But now that I've built up my arm strength, I'm thinking those lunges are a good idea.
This Grandma Accidentally Gave a (Hilariously) Inappropriate Book to a 6-Year-Old
I'm dying. My mom bought this book for my 6 year old and I just called to ask if she had actually opened the book. She hadn't. 😂😂😂😂 http://pic.twitter.com/inYCEaZKpV
- tiffany (@Tiffany1985B) October 4, 2017
Some of the best parenting advice comes in the form of learning from others' mistakes, and this is no different: check your kids' new books before you begin reading them together at bedtime! One mom on Twitter was in for a big surprise (and a case of irrepressible giggles) when she realized that Grandma had accidentally gifted her 6-year-old a picture book that is definitely NOT intended for children.
"I'm dying. My mom bought this book for my 6-year-old and I just called to ask if she had actually opened the book," posted the mom, including photos of a few pages.
I couldn't even talk when I called her. Here's the first page: http://pic.twitter.com/gRvuNrxMCX
- tiffany (@Tiffany1985B) October 4, 2017
You guys this book is amazing. http://pic.twitter.com/q0Bye8h4hQ
- tiffany (@Tiffany1985B) October 4, 2017
Oops! Luckily, Grandma's accident proved hilarious to her grown kids, who enjoyed the profanity-laden pages of If Animals Could Talk and couldn't resist teasing her about the mistake. Fortunately for everybody involved, the 6-year-old's father realized very early on during story time that the book wasn't appropriate . . . but it definitely makes for a hilarious dinner party tale!
Nope! 6 year old was reading with Dad and said "I don't even know what this means" 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
- tiffany (@Tiffany1985B) October 4, 2017
So take it from this well-intentioned grandmother: be sure to do a quick check before buying books for your kids. You never know when the pages will be filled with explicit kangaroos and angry wiener dogs!
This Married Couple Revamped a Van, Hit the Road, and Is Traveling Across America
"The first year of marriage is always the hardest." Spoken like a fraternity brother to a new recruit on day one of initiation. You know the look: slight smirk, soft hand on your shoulder, perhaps even a head nod.
No one was shy about reminding us what a challenge marriage would be. Now imagine our surprise when the honeymoon was but a glimpse in our rearview mirror, and my husband and I were still in marital bliss. Hmm, maybe it hits after a few months. Four months went by, and still no more than a tiffle over the dishes (because if you don't grunt over who does the dishes, you're both Virgos). Fast forward seven, eight, ten months and when friends asked me how married life was I got that faraway look in my eyes like I'd already had three glasses of wine. "Wonderful," I would say, immediately accompanied by, "no, really!"
Our first year of marriage was magic. I know what you must be thinking. Um, this is irritating, where's the lesson learned here? It's coming. See, we've given this time in our lives a lot of thought, and we've reasoned that the big changes that come with marriage didn't really begin for us until about two months ago. It was right around our first wedding anniversary in August of 2017 that we traded in our Brooklyn shoebox for a mobile one . . . about 70 square feet give or take.
Van life is like our marital hazing.
Luke and I live, work, and travel throughout the country in a converted Sprinter van that we built out ourselves with the help of my family back in San Francisco. Living in a van has really grown into quite the phenomenon (ask our parents, they loving finding #vanlife memorabilia and sending it our way). People of all ages have decided to ditch their stationary addresses for a life on the road. Van lifers across the globe commit to this lifestyle for various reasons but for us, it was all about that search for adventure. Safe to say, it's not just adventure we've found but also the biggest adjustment we've had to make in the seven-plus years we've been together. When we got married nothing really changed; same house, same possessions, same friends, same jobs. It was business as usual, but sprinkled with extreme joy at the idea we were with our forever person.
When people ask us about the first year of marriage and the lessons we've learned, it will be these months we refer back to. Van life is like our marital hazing. 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the same person will definitely teach you a thing or two about what it means to be a life partner. Read on and, who knows, maybe there's something that resonates with you a bit more than ye olde, "the first year's the hardest" adage.
The 16 Cheeses You HAVE to Get From Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's cheese section is a magical place where some of the toughest decision-making happens. If your idea of a good time involves a cheese plate and a glass of wine, you've probably spent time mentally debating which cheese deserves a spot in your shopping cart. We've been there too, so we're featuring our editors' 16 favorite cheeses from Trader Joe's so you know what you absolutely have to pick up the next time you're in the market for a new cheese. See which Trader Joe's cheeses you've already tried and discover potential new favorites, ahead.
55 of Jennifer Lopez's Most Jaw-Dropping Outfits Through the Years
Grab a fan and a cold beverage because you're about to see a lot of Jennifer Lopez's crazy-strong abs, toned legs, and, ahem, cleavage. The singer, actress, and producer's name is basically synonymous with the word hot, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that she's given us a fair share of revealing and sexy outfits through the past 20 years in the spotlight. Of course, there are the naked dresses (including that original Versace down-to-here Grammys dress) and '90s crop tops and low-rise pants, but there are plenty of miniskirts and backless looks as well. Keep reading to see them all.
20 Options For Your Coolest X-Men Costume Ever
The X-Men franchise has some of the most unique characters in the cinematic world, meaning you're almost guaranteed to find a costume you like. Since X-Men: Apocalypse came out last year, the mutants have been back in the spotlight - along with a slew of young versions of the characters. If you're thinking you'd rather be Famke Janssen over Sophie Turner any day, you're in luck! (Though, come on, Sophie Turner is awesome.) We're providing both versions of the characters who have had two incarnations. Take a look!
Consider All Your Cravings Answered With These Delicious Vegan Pumpkin Recipes
It's the most wonderful time of year - Fall is here and everything tastes and smells (and sometimes even looks) like pumpkin. Whether you're in the mood for a hearty soup or a sweet treat, these pumpkin recipes will satisfy you, and the best part is they're all vegan. Even if you don't follow a vegan diet, though, you can certainly find pleasure from these dishes. Better yet, make them for your friends and see if they can even tell that there's no dairy involved.
The Exact Diet and Fitness Plan I Followed the Month Before My Wedding
Every bride wants to feel her best on that special day. Even though my now-husband and I chose to elope (which was the best decision of my life, but that's another story entirely) and there was nothing traditional about our wedding day, I still felt compelled to whip myself into shape in time for the ceremony. Having hired our dream photographer and having received my dream dress, I realized that getting married to the man I love was going to be a momentous, memorable occasion - and I wanted to feel and look as great as I possibly could.
I already work out a lot. I go to the gym six days a week, and sometimes I'll do two-a-days. For example, I'll do strength training in the early morning and then go back for a cycling class in the evening after work. My greatest love is weightlifting and that's where the majority of my time and effort goes in terms of fitness. But I knew that I would have to up my cardio, because while developing all the lean muscle from lifting helped me lose weight in the past, I wanted to burn more calories in order to shed that last layer of fat.
The first thing I changed was how much cardio I was doing. Rather than just doing it three or four times a week, I increased it to five sessions. I did two interval running classes, two cycling classes, and one HIIT session. But I wasn't willing to give up my six-day-a-week weightlifting program, so I simply added this on top of what I was already doing.
I admit that this resulted in spending a lot of time at the gym, but I'm one of those people who already loves to work out (yep, I'm one of those people), and it's an activity my husband and I like to share together. He's a marathon runner, so adding in some extra run sessions meant we got to spend even more quality time together, and it was such a rewarding thing to do leading up to our wedding.
The biggest change of all, though, came from adjusting my diet. I've done intermittent fasting before, and the results have always been positive for me - less bloating, more energy, and healthy weight loss. I decided to pick up this diet once again, only a more modified version of it. I chose the 16/8 plan, which is to fast every day for 16 hours and only eat in during an eight-hour window, but I decided to follow this rule Monday through Friday. I wanted my weekends to remain normal so I didn't have to worry about adjusting my social life.
I love to eat in the morning, so I decided to eat between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. each weekday. That essentially meant that I would eat breakfast and lunch, but skip dinner. This worked out well for me because I lift weights in the morning, and getting a good amount of protein and carbs in my system after a big strength-training session is crucial for muscle gain, so eating during the first part of the day worked out perfectly.
These two pictures were taken a month apart. During that time, I lost belly fat, trimmed my legs (especially my thighs), lost mass around my upper arms and chest, and, even though you can't see it, shaped up my back, which was especially important because my wedding dress was backless. As important as it is to exercise regularly if you're trying to lose weight, in my experience, the true change comes from switching up your diet.
I may have been fasting 16 hours a day, but that doesn't mean I was depriving myself of calories or going hungry. In fact, I ate more than 2,000 calories every day, but I would just group my eating during the day before 4 p.m. This gave my body time ample time to fully digest everything before eating again, so I experienced no bloating whatsoever, and I woke up every morning with a flat tummy. Plus, this made me more mindful of the kinds of foods I was eating; I snacked a lot less and gave up all processed and packaged foods. When you're only eating during such a small window each day, you don't have really have time to waste on crappy food that will make you feel terrible.
It may sound miserable to skip dinner every weeknight, but I got used to it within a few days. And this may sound strange, but it felt really nice to go to sleep on an empty stomach each night for a change. It helped me sleep soundly, straight through the night, since my body wasn't working overtime to digest a huge dinner. I initially thought I would wake up insanely hungry, but I woke up with boundless energy and I had no problem getting through my morning workout before digging into a nutritious meal.
The extra weight came off pretty quickly, and within a month, I was feeling like my most confident self. My legs really toned up from all the extra running, which showed through the long slits on the side of my dress. More importantly, though, I felt like I was glowing. My digestion was better than ever, I was getting stronger and stronger in the gym, and I even built up my endurance in my running sessions. I woke up on my wedding day feeling like a total badass.
By no means am I saying that every bride should subscribe to this kind of diet and fitness plan. What you eat and what kind of workouts you do leading up to your wedding doesn't change the beautiful fact that you've found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. I just chose to follow this regimen because I knew I could and because I was up for the challenge. I'm really grateful I did, too, because I actually fell in love with this version of intermittent fasting.
My wedding was two weeks ago, and I'm still following my weekday fasting plan. I eat normally on the weekends, but Monday through Friday, I eat all 2,000 of my calories before 4 p.m. (unless there is some kind of weekday evening event I'm going to, like my monthly book club potluck). I'm still feeling fantastic, so I have a feeling I'll stick with this for a long time.
At the end of the day, my wedding was full of joy and laughter (and tears on my end), and that was because my husband and I were thrilled to start a life and announce our commitment to one another. But having a toned figure I worked my ass off for and feeling fitter than ever before? That was definitely the very sweet cherry on top.
Sip on These Low-Calorie Starbucks Drinks - All 150 Calories or Fewer!
You very well could expect to walk out of Starbucks with a 400-calorie bomb in a cup, but it doesn't have to be that way! There are tons of hot and cold beverages that are half the calories so you can feel like you're indulging without your waistline showing it. Check out this list of Starbucks Tall (12-ounce) drinks, all under 150 calories.
Coffee:
- Caffè Misto; a one-to-one mix of fresh brewed coffee and steamed milk: 80 calories (two percent milk), 40 calories (almond milk)
- Caffè Latte; espresso with steamed milk and a light layer of foam: 150 calories (two percent milk), 80 calories (almond milk)
- Cappuccino; espresso with a thick layer of thick foam: 90 calories (two percent milk), 80 calories (almond milk)
- Caramel Macchiato; freshly steamed milk with vanilla-flavored syrup and espresso, topped with caramel drizzle: 150 calories (nonfat milk), 130 calories (almond milk)
- Vanilla Latte; espresso blended with creamy steamed milk and vanilla syrup: 150 calories (nonfat milk)
- Iced Caffè Latte; espresso with milk, served over ice: 70 calories (two percent milk), 50 calories (almond milk)
- Iced Vanilla Latte; espresso blended with milk and vanilla syrup, served over ice: 140 calorie (two percent milk), 100 calories (almond milk)
- Iced Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte; espresso, steamed nonfat milk, sugar-free cinnamon-dolce-flavored syrup, cinnamon dolce topping, served over ice: 60 calories
- Iced Coconutmilk Mocha Macchiato; chilled Sumatran coconut milk, white chocolate mocha, and espresso roast with caramel drizzle and a swirl of mocha: 150 calories (almond milk)
- Caramel Light Frappuccino Blended Coffee; buttery caramel syrup combined with Frappuccino roast coffee, nonfat milk, and ice: 100 calories
- Caffè Vanilla Light Frappuccino Blended Coffee; blended Frappuccino roast coffee, vanilla bean powder, nonfat milk, and ice: 130 calories
- Coffee Light Frappuccino Blended Coffee; Starbucks coffee blended with nonfat milk and ice: 90 calories
Tea
- Chai Latte; black tea infused with cinnamon, clove, and other warming spices combined with steamed milk, topped with foam: 140 calories (almond milk)
- Green Tea Latte; matcha lightly sweetened, with steamed milk: 140 calories (nonfat milk), 120 calories (almond milk)
- Iced Chai Latte; black tea infused with cinnamon, clove, and other warming spices, milk, and ice: 150 calories (nonfat milk), 140 calories (almond milk)
- Iced Green Tea Latte; matcha lightly sweetened, steamed milk, and ice: 120 calories (nonfat milk), 100 calories (almond milk)
- Teavana Shaken Iced White Tea Lemonade; white tea, ice, and lemonade: 70 calories
- Teavana Shaken Iced Black Tea; black tea lightly sweetened, with ice: 30 calories
- Teavana Shaken Iced Green Tea; green tea blended with mint, lemongrass, and lemon verbena, lightly sweetened, with ice: 30 calories
- Teavana Shaken Berry Sangria Herbal Tea; Teavana Iced Passion Tango Tea, apple juice, with real blackberries and orange slices: 120 calories
Refreshers
- Cool Lime Starbucks Refreshers Beverage; real fruit juice, mint, and a lime slice, with Green Coffee Extract: 45 calories
- Strawberry Acai Starbucks Refreshers Beverage; strawberry flavors accented by passion fruit, acai, and lightly caffeinated with Green Coffee Extract: 80 calories
- Pink Drink (16 oz.); strawberry acai Refreshers Beverage with accents of passion fruit, with coconut milk: 140 calories
- Very Berry Hibiscus Starbucks Refreshers Beverage; real fruit juice, whole blackberries, with Green Coffee Extract: 60 calories
I Made These 6 Changes at Snack Time and Lost Weight
When it came to my sanity, snacking on something between lunch and dinner helped prevent me from wanting to push the entire refrigerator into my mouth by 6 p.m. Sadly though, I wasn't always making the right choices. Instead, my snack choices left me feeling sleepy, famished, and weren't doing anything for my waistline. I decided to get serious about snack time by making these changes, and now feel more alert, less bloated, and the scale is even budging!
Crackers, Pretzels, Chips, Oh My!
Can you say carbs? Yes, a snack is supposed give you energy to get through your day, but munching strictly on chips or pretzels left me feeling sleepy and hungry. On their own, I found that refined carbs were a terrible snack choice because they tend to be low in fiber and protein, the nutrients you need to feel satiated. I started to make sure my snack choice had fiber and protein, which kept me fuller longer. Carrots with hummus or a few homemade banana oat protein balls are my new choices.
I've Got to Have That Cookie!
Whether picking up an enormous 300-calorie peanut butter cookie when out buying my lunch or consuming a bar of dark chocolate, sugary snacks left me feeling foggy, and the empty calories - although super delicious - wasn't helping with my weight-loss goals. To satisfy my sweet cravings, I started enjoying a fruit and protein smoothie or a date with almond butter.
Two Is Key
Certified dietitian Leslie Langevin, MS, RD, CD, of Whole Health Nutrition told POPSUGAR that snacks should contain at least two of the following to help you feel fuller longer: protein (6-10 grams), fiber (at least 3 grams), and healthy fats (6-10 grams). Heeding her advice, I started making sure I wasn't just eating my normal piece of fruit, but would couple it with some protein or healthy fats, like raw almonds. This banana sushi snack is one of my go tos.
But Nuts Are High in Protein, Right?
While nuts offer all three, I was eating handful after handful of salted cashews with raisins - I'm sure I ate almost a cup's worth. One handful is a serving, so even when eating healthy foods, I make sure to stick to serving sizes!
Eating a Meal, Not Snack
A snack is supposed to be a little something - not a lot of something. To keep things in check, I now keep my snacks around 150-200 calories, which means it's important to choose the right foods. Case in point: one of my go-to snacks used to be a Cashew Cookie Larabar (I'm a little addicted to these!) and a banana. This combo was the equivalent of 330 calories, which was almost as much as my breakfast. To navigate around this, I started checking the labels on my protein and granola bars and realized they were higher in calories than I thought. So instead of an entire Larabar, I might enjoy half with a handful of berries.
Thirsty, Not Hungry
One thing I realized is that it became a habit to eat an afternoon snack. I'd get the slightest urge to have a little something and immediately reach for food. So I started reaching for a water bottle instead. I'd drink about 12 ounces, and then give it about 10 minutes to see if I was still feeling hungry or not. Most of the time the feeling subsided, or I'd only need a little bite of something like an orange, which saved me unnecessary calories. So before going straight to crunching, try sipping!
The Easy Eating Formula For Getting Rid of Body Fat
If you feel soft in the middle, you can either thank your mother for inheriting her blessed genetic predisposition for belly flab or your sweet kiddos who were created there. Whatever the reason, if you'd much rather have a sleeker midsection, as a mom of two, I can totally relate.
Although it's impossible to spot-reduce fat from specific areas, we've enlisted the help of Christmas Abbott, CrossFit competitor and author of The Badass Body Diet ($28), to help us ditch our pinch-more-than-an-inch tummies. As a formerly "skinny fat" woman who transformed her body through CrossFit and a dialed-in diet, Christmas understands how real women feel and also what they need to do to get the body they crave. "Food is your foundation, and fitness is the accessory," says Christmas. She believes that every meal and snack needs to embrace the macronutrient trifecta of proteins, carbs, and healthy fats to help reduce overall body fat, which will aid in reducing stubborn belly fat.
Christmas explains that all food can be categorized into a protein, a carbohydrate, or a fat. "You can't go wrong by dividing your plate into thirds and filling each section with a primo protein, primo carbohydrate, and primo fat." There are only two foods Christmas says to avoid - processed foods and alcohol - since these contribute to unwanted fat. If you want to know specifics about how many of each to eat, The Badass Body Diet outlines a diet plan based on your personal body type and goals.
What about exercise? Short, high-intensity training sessions are proven to help reduce belly fat faster than steady-state cardio. Below are some great examples of this type of workout.
- 45-minute walk-run-sprint interval workout for beginners
- 10-minute HIIT video from celeb trainer Astrid McGuire
- 60-minute walk-jog workout
- 7-minute workout that targets belly fat
- 20-minute full-body HIIT video workout
- 30-minute pyramid interval workout for the treadmill
- Tush-toning interval workout with hill repeats
And once the belly fat begins to dissolve, you'll want to reveal a carved, toned core with this 10-minute ab workout. Working out three times a week is great if you're starting out, then you can add additional days as your body becomes stronger. As a CrossFit competitor, Olympic lifter, and head trainer at CrossFit HQ, Christmas also makes a point that your workouts should be fun so you stick with them longer.
This Is Exactly What Happens to Your Body When You Don't Take a Rest Day
If you're someone who has a hard time giving yourself a break, and you've been skipping rest days, then listen up: while we admire your dedication, skipping your recovery is doing you more harm than you think.
We wanted to find out exactly what happens to your body when you train too hard, so we talked to Michelle Opperman, director of group fitness for Crunch, and Jan Milano, CSCS and sports performance coach at DIAKADI. Did you know the effects can be so severe physiologically and psychologically that there's a name for it? It's called "Overtraining Syndrome."
Want to know what Overtraining Syndrome looks like? Here's what happens to your body when you don't take time to recover from intense exercise (or endurance events!):
- Glycogen stores are depleted. Opperman and Milano both noted that your glycogen decreases. Glycogen is your body's energy source, and not something you want to eliminate. Milano says "decreased glycogen may contribute to the lowered lactate responses," meaning your muscles fatigue more quickly.
- Corticosteroids increase. We know that cortisone and cortisol (stress hormones) are not good for weight loss, and even add to belly-fat retention. Milano told us that these elevated levels also depress the immune system by inhibiting the reaction of lymphocytes to antigens (basically, the fighter cells can't fight the bad invader cells). So overtraining equals a higher likelihood of getting sick.
- Your heart goes into overdrive. "Both resting heart rate and submaximal exercise heart rate are increased," said Milano. Be nice to your heart. Take a breather.
- Your performance suffers. Opperman told us that when sufficient rest is not included in a training program, your ability to perform (i.e., continue training, growing muscle, getting stronger) plateaus or declines, because your muscles literally cannot recover and regenerate. So things just get worse and worse.
- You'll lose muscle mass. Consistent breakdown + no recovery = bye, muscles. That's the opposite of what you're trying to do, right?
- You'll feel AWFUL. The tiny tears in your muscles cannot heal, which results in inflammation, swelling, and tenderness. Opperman says the feeling will "become extreme, lasting for days." She also noted that you'll feel physically exhausted for an extended period as well, which could make it hard for you to perform your day to day functions.
- It messes with your mind. Muscular fatigue is not the only thing Opperman and Milano warned about. The fatigue and distress extend psychologically, and Milano noted that you'll notice mental changes before physical ones. "Decreased vigor, motivation, and confidence; raised tension, depression, and anger accompany an individual's recovery," said Milano.
Do yourself a favor. Go to yoga, don't skip savasana, do your cooldowns, and take a day off to recover. Need some pointers? Make sure you keep our recovery checklist handy, or try any of these recovery essentials.
13 Undeniable Traits of an INFJ Personality Type
When I first read about my personality type, I felt like someone had written the description as a personal letter to me. Every word hit the nail on the head and actually helped me understand myself better than ever before. I'm an INFJ, the most rare Myers Briggs type, making up less than one percent of the population. INFJ stands for (I) Introverted, (N) Intuition, (F) Feeling, and (J) Judging. INFJs are "the advocates," with unique strengths and weaknesses that only others who share our type can truly understand. We're contradictory and compassionate, intuitive but also private and sometimes oversensitive. If you're an INFJ, you will be able to relate to these 13 traits the personality type has.
- You're a helper. INFJs are helpers who fight for what they believe in and who work to ensure the well-being and equality of others. They have strong convictions and an instinct for understanding people. However, INFJs need to remember to take of themselves, too. Their dedication to the causes they feel most passionate about is one of their greatest strengths, but it can also leave them exhausted and stressed if they forget to practice self-care.
- You are a private person. Trust doesn't always come that easily to INFJs, and they are generally very private about their personal lives. "A well-developed INFJ knows how to stay well emotionally, physically, and spiritually," says Rachel Green, director of The Emotional Intelligence Institute. "This means they know when they need to take private time to recharge their batteries but they don't stay there. They also know they have to have stimulation from the outer world and to socialize. So they develop a healthy balance between the two."
- You're extremely good at reading people. Don't try to get anything past an INFJ - they are like human lie detectors. "INFJs are known for their abilities to read people with uncanny accuracy," says Green.
- You're a perfectionist. INFJs tend to be overachievers, sometimes to a fault. They don't do anything halfway, but this perfectionism has its downsides. "INFJs too often drop or ignore healthy and productive situations and relationships, always believing there might be a better option down the road," says 16 Personalities. This perfectionism can also lead to burnouts if INFJs aren't careful.
- You're very creative. If someone has a problem, INFJs will find the solution. They are creative thinkers, which is one of their greatest strengths. "Combining a vivid imagination with a strong sense of compassion, INFJs use their creativity to resolve not technical challenges, but human ones," says 16 Personalities.
- You're compassionate. You tend to "catch" the feelings of others. INFJs are often empaths, meaning they have the ability to relate to and absorb the feelings of other people. They are extremely compassionate and are often caregivers. Not only do INFJs care deeply about the people they have allowed into their lives, but they care about the state of the world at large.
- You can be oversensitive. "When someone challenges or criticizes INFJs' principles or values, they are likely to receive an alarmingly strong response," says 16 Personalities. INFJs are vulnerable to criticism and do not like to be involved in conflict - though they will engage, if they feel strongly about the subject of the conflict.
- You're an idealist. INFJs see the world they think it should be, and they believe it's possible to improve it. They're idealists, but not "idle dreamers." INFJs don't just dream about a better world; their characteristic determination leads them to go out and make it so.
- You're both emotional and logical. INFJs are an interesting combination of traits. They are capable of being level-headed and logical, but allow their emotions to play a factor in their decision-making as well. This means that INFJs' actions reflect a unique combination of wisdom and gut feelings.
- It's all or nothing for you. INFJs don't waste their time on people or situations if they are not genuine. If they don't see a relationship going anywhere, or if something doesn't enrich their lives, they have no problems cutting it out completely. INFJs want authenticity in everything, and if it they aren't able to find it, they don't want any part of it.
- You hate small talk. Not only do INFJs have an aversion to inauthentic relationships, they also hate surface-level conversation. This personality type wants to get down to important stuff, and quickly, without wasting time on pointless details. That being said, INFJs are actually gifted with language. They are often creative writers and are able to put onto paper what they can't (or won't) put into words.
- You're determined. Strong-willed, opinionated, and determined - INFJs don't back down if they care about something, and the combination of passion and persistence is a strength that makes the personality type stand out and get things done.
- You're all about the big picture. INFJs are deep thinkers who often reflect both on themselves and the world around them. They are able to see an end goal and seek out the "meaning" behind everything.
If You Only Buy 1 Yankee Candle Halloween Scent This Year, Make Sure It's This One
When we found out that Yankee Candle had a line of Halloween-specific scents hitting shelves for Fall, we cackled like witches here in the POPSUGAR office. You see, we love a good candle sniffathon, especially from a beloved brand like Yankee, and Halloween is by far our favorite holiday. So as soon as we could get our hands - err, noses? - on Yankee Candle's Halloween line, our editors jumped at the chance to lend their opinions on which scent reigns supreme.
If you can only pick up one of these fabulously spooky candles for Fall, read our authentic staff reviews to see which aroma is the unanimous favorite.
Find Out What Popular Workout Program Jenn Did to Transform Her Body
Jenn Chapman's transformation is jaw-dropping. She told POPSUGAR that her weight-loss journey began consistently in April 2016. She had just booked her wedding in Sorrento, Italy, for June 2017, and she "wanted to be in the best shape possible. I've never been happy in my body and I was determined not to feel like that on my wedding day!"
Before
When she began, she weighed about 119 pounds and was 22 percent body fat. Jenn says, "I don't regularly weigh myself as I don't believe what I weigh is of much importance, but the last time I was weighed at the doctor's, I was about eight stone two (52kg)," which is about 115 pounds. Jenn says even though she hasn't really lost weight, "My body fat is down to around 14 percent so my body composition has completely changed!"
How'd she do it? The famous BBG workouts! Jenn says, "I followed them religiously from April '16 through to around the end of July 2017! I just kept repeating guides one and two, and for my HIIT days, I did kettlebell workouts or workouts from Joe Wicks, as I don't like sprinting. I've done everything from home as well, with only limited equipment!"
After
As far at Jenn's diet goes, she said she did have to change it several times throughout her journey due to health reasons, saying, "It turned out I'm gluten-intolerant, so I've had to cut out quite a lot of carby things!"
Jenn's motivation came from her weekly progress pictures, and after seeing her body changing, she's excited to see what else she can achieve! Jenn admits, "I definitely lose motivation sometimes, though; I go through a week of bad eating and being lax with my workouts, but ultimately that makes me push even harder the following week!"
She's also experienced some pretty amazing nonscale victories aside from the transformation photos and losing so much body fat. Jenn says the one nonscale victory she's most proud of is the fact that she couldn't do even one push-up when she started. She adds, "My [workout] plan now contains four sets of 20 push-ups, and although I struggle (a lot!), I can finish them!" Also, Jenn says, "My husband and dad used to laugh at the fact that when I tensed my arms absolutely nothing happened, but now I have some baby biceps that come out when I tense!"
Here's a snapshot of a typical week of meals for Jenn:
- Breakfast: porridge
- Snack 1: half an avocado on two rice cakes
- Lunch: mince meat with rice and veggies
- Snack 3: yogurt
- Dinner: chicken with sweet potato and veggies
- Snack 3: pea protein shake
And here's her latest workout schedule:
- Monday: glutes and quads
- Tuesday: upper body
- Wednesday: rest day
- Thursday: glutes and hamstrings
- Friday: upper body
- Saturday: HIIT and abs
- Sunday: rest and maybe an ab workout
Jenn has a little advice to share for someone starting out on their own journey. "Try and find a program that actually works with your life. If you pick a program that you're going to struggle to find time to do, then the chances are you'll end up giving up." That's why Jenn chose the BBG workouts - they're just 28 minutes long and easy to fit in.
"And with diet," Jenn says, "I wouldn't make too many changes at once, as it tends to overwhelm you and, again, you can give up with it! Little steps at a time work best!" Well, little steps sure worked for Jenn. We're officially inspired!
Sculpt a Strong Booty With This 25-Minute CrossFit Workout
If you can't make it to your CrossFit box or you've never tried CrossFit before, here's the perfect workout you can punch out at home. You don't need any equipment - just your own body and the determination to push yourself hard.
Jade Jenny, head CrossFit coach and owner of Champlain Valley CrossFit, designed this 25-minute workout and says it's very butt- and leg-intensive.
Having a hard time getting up the motivation and energy to take yourself through a workout at home? Jade said, "The biggest piece of motivation in terms of being able to train is just that. You're able, you can, you're well, alive, healthy, and live somewhere where you're able to do that." So be grateful that you can move your body and do it!
The Workout
Set a timer for four minutes. Do 10 burpees. Then for the remainder of the four minutes, do as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) of 10 air squats, 10 jumping lunges, and 10 diamond sit-ups. When the four minutes are up, take a one-minute rest. Repeat this four more times.
Follow These 9 Superstitions to Avoid Bad Luck
Living with my abuela as a kid meant that I grew up with a matter-of-fact approach to the many superstitions that rid Latino culture - there was no asking why, you just followed what she said or risk terrible luck. An egg was passed over my body more than once in my life to eliminate bad spirits; I wore a red string around my wrist; and I still, until this day, put a broom behind my door every once in a while - just in case.
As Halloween approaches, we've rounded up some of the most popular superstitions in Latin American culture. Scroll ahead to find out what you should be doing to guarantee good luck!
Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below.
A Chef Makes Steak Dinners For the Queen's Corgis and Other Fascinating Facts About the Lives of Royal Pets
Their owners live in palaces and wear diamonds and priceless heirlooms, but what about the lifestyles of the much-beloved royal pets? It's been said that the queen prefers dogs and horses to humans, and the homes and grooming and eating habits of her many animals prove that they are surely among the most beloved creatures in all the land. Whether it comes to her majesty's Corgis, Camilla's rescue dogs, or William and Kate's English Cocker Spaniel, Lupo, the faithful friends of the royal family are some very pampered pooches indeed. We take a closer look at the fabulous life of royal pets ahead.
You've Seen Armie Hammer Many Times Before, but Call Me by Your Name Is His Best Work So Far
Call Me by Your Name will probably be the most talked-about love story of the year after its theatrical release on Nov. 24, and deservedly so; it's an aesthetically beautiful, tender love story. The movie works so well because of a lyrical script, adapted from André Aciman's novel of the same name; the sumptuous vision of director Luca Guadagnino; and perhaps most importantly, the chemistry of its leads, Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer, who play Elio and Oliver.
While Chalamet may be less recognizable to you (though perhaps not for long), Oliver is played by Armie Hammer, an actor who's been around for several years with high-profile roles. Despite his considerable résumé, though, Call Me by Your Name may be the movie that makes him more of a household name - and earns him award recognition.
If you're unfamiliar with Hammer - or simply can't place him - let me shed some light on the star. Hammer got his start in movies in the early 2000s, but The Social Network was his breakout role. It's certainly the most remarkable: he has a dual role as both of the Winklevoss twins ("I'm 6'5," 220, and there's two of me," his character reminds someone in that film).
The year after The Social Network, Hammer played opposite Leonardo DiCaprio on J. Edgar, and landed a SAG Award nomination for best supporting actor. Since then, he's had high-profile roles in movies like The Lone Ranger, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Nocturnal Animals, but it's his indie romance set in the '80s that will make the world more familiar with the star.
If You're Exercising to Lose Weight, Don't Make These 5 Mistakes
You're getting into a routine at the gym, feeling stronger and working up a sweat, but you're not losing weight, which is one of the main reasons you started exercising in the first place. What gives?! Here are five common mistakes people make when working out that can prevent weight loss.
You're Only Doing Cardio
While it's true that cardio is great for burning calories, if you only run, bike ride, or swim, there's a missing link to maximizing your calorie burn: strength training. The more muscle you have, the higher your body's fat-burning potential, and weight training will help you burn more fat faster. That means you can do shorter workouts and get better results.
You're Skipping Intense Workouts
If you've heard of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), it's because it works! Experts agree that it's one of the best workouts for weight loss. This works for cardio and strength training and involves following a work-to-rest ratio, a popular one being two to one. That could be 40 seconds of working at 70 to 90 percent of your max followed by 20 seconds of rest. An example of HIIT could be running, biking, jumping rope, rowing, or swimming with sprint or hill intervals included, and/or a mix of strength-training moves like burpees, squats, plyometrics exercises like jumping lunges, or push-ups.
You're Inconsistent
A 20-minute walk once a day is great for getting blood flowing and getting fresh air, but it's not enough if you're trying to lose weight. The same goes for a yoga class or jog here and there - you need to be hitting the gym regularly for about 45 minutes, three to four times a week in order to see results. Commit to that if you're serious about slimming down.
Your Workouts Are Always the Same
If you've been working out and your weight loss has plateaued, it's a sign that you need to mix things up. When you do the same workout three to five times a week, your muscles become accustomed to it, so you need to tweak your workouts at least every six weeks. Or even better, do something different every time you work out. CrossFit or boot-camp-style workouts are great examples of this.
You're Not Paying Attention to What You Eat
What you do after your workout is important, too. Exercising regularly can often make you hungrier that usual, and you think "I worked out so I can eat anything I want!" Uh, nope! If you end up eating an enormous post-workout ice cream cone protein smoothie, or an extra couple snacks throughout the day, your calorie intake vs. calorie burn has evened out. In order to lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit, so make sure you're not taking in the same amount of extra calories that you just burned.
Finally, an Expert Tells Us Exactly How Often We Should Be Working Out
Working out is full of so many numbers, from reps to sets to seconds in between exercises. It's a lot to keep up with! It's like trying to color-coordinate your closet after a huge vacation – no easy task. To make the effort you put in worthwhile, it helps to know you're doing the right amount of exercise in order to see results. Once you've figured out whether to do cardio or strength training, you're left with one important question: "How often should I work out?"
To get you a straight answer on this ever-elusive question, we got expert advice from certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Youfit Health Clubs' Master Trainer, Philip Cruz.
How Many Days Per Week?
A great place to get started is making a calendar and scheduling out all the workouts you plan to check off for the week. Cruz recommends you aim for at least three workouts a week on nonconsecutive days.
"If you choose to work out more often, plan on changing up the intensity of the workouts so that your body can recover after a tough workout," he told POPSUGAR. That means if you just tackled a day full of lower-body exercises, like squats, lunges, and deadlifts, you'll want to balance out that workout with a lower intensity cardio session to help with recovery.
Cruz also cautioned that, if you do work out on back-to-back days, you shouldn't train the same muscle group intensely, so your body can recover and come back stronger.
How Long Should Each Workout Be?
We've got the number of days down; now how long do you need to buckle down for each day? Cruz recommends that "workouts last anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes." The range depends on the intensity of the workout. The rule of thumb is, the more intense the workout, the shorter it should be.
For longer workouts Cruz suggests splitting them up into 30 to 45 minutes of weight training, then finishing off with 20 to 30 minutes of cardio. If you're a bit squeezed for time, Cruz's go-to workout is a 30-minute circuit or high intensity workout.
What Type of Exercise Is Best?
Alright, we know how many days and how long to sweat, but how exactly should you be breaking that sweat? Thankfully, planning workouts is a little easier then perusing meal prep ideas, so you don't go crazy eating the same thing every day.
"There are many different ways of working out," Cruz told POPSUGAR. "You can do an interval style workout on the elliptical, resistance train using cables or free weights, or even take a group class."
Variety and consistency are the key. By continuing to do similar workouts and exercises over time you'll feel the movements get easier, and you'll get that satisfying feeling of moving up to the next pair of dumbbells. If you're sticking with three days per week, Cruz recommends breaking those days up into upper body, lower body, then finishing with a core and cardio workout. You'll be able to get the benefits of strength training and cardio. Plus, who doesn't love a little extra core?
Final Advice
We're idealists, planning to do every workout we ever committed to, reading every book, and even flossing twice a day. But it's important to be realistic. Cruz even admits these recommendations are based on an ideal situation, and to never feel guilty or get down on yourself if you miss a workout or have to cut one short.
"Anything is better than nothing" Cruz reassures us. Ultimately you have to experiment and find what works best for you. Everyone is different and every week is different. Some weeks we're fresh off a rejuvenating Netflix marathon, and others you might feel like your to-do list is never ending.
Just remember that consistency is the most important thing. One moment doesn't define you - and one workout won't make or break your goals.
12 Best Dumbbell Exercises For Strong, Chiseled Arms
When you want to isolate specific muscle groups in the arms, using dumbbells is truly effective - get ready to feel the burn! Depending on your strength, grab at least two size weights ranging from five to 15 pounds so you can switch up the appropriate size dumbbells for each move.
Here's the Reason I Don't Tell People That I Lost 70 Pounds
A sales associate at the mall recently brought up the fact that he lost 70 pounds. A special diet got him on track, he told me, after which he pointed at the filing cabinet in front of him.
"When I was heavier, that would have probably toppled on top of me," he said, rising from the floor. Moments earlier, he lost his balance while rising from a crouched position, clenching on to one of the handles as part of a fast-thinking response. However, his significantly lighter body prevented him from pulling the cabinet over and pinning him underneath.
"Yep, I lost a ton of weight and have never felt better," he said.
As he spoke, I caught glimpses of all the telltale signs of a health-conscious man proud of his achievement: the gallon-sized water container perched by his register, a black Fitbit curled around his wrist, and, most notably, his unending enthusiasm.
Immediately, flashbacks of my own weight loss back in 2007 - interestingly, the exact same 70 pounds he experienced - entered my mind. I vividly remember the days of telling just about every stranger that I met about my weight loss. Of course family and friends saw my transformation too, thrilled to see a new me emerge.
He brought the topic up yet again, momentarily interrupting my own fat-to-thin memories, as if trying to elicit more dialogue. I met his eyes, offered only a slight smile and a congratulatory "good for you!" My comment was genuine, but the conversation - at least on my end - stopped there.
I could have told him that I, too, lost a lot of weight after spending most of my late childhood, teen, and early adult years playing roller coaster with the scale. I could have told him about the kids who puffed their cheeks out from their car window as I pulled up alongside them and how that bothersome thought still lingers to this day. I could have discussed weight-loss maintenance ideas with him, probing deeper into how he keeps it off and what food temptations he overcomes to stay in shape. I could have. But I didn't.
Truth is, I've become drained from the endless conversations I've faced over the near decade I've lost and maintained (ish) so much weight. I'm mentally exhausted from all the "How'd you do it?" and "Is it hard to keep the weight off?" questions. I'm done with the days when others used to glance at my plate, saying, "I'm going to eat what you do so I can be a skinny thing too." I'm even exhausted by my own thoughts as I recall losing weight well after I no longer needed to, including a time when I felt that, as a size 2, I wasn't small enough to justify sitting in the presence of the area's recommended eating disorder counselor. No matter how small, I thought myself physically big yet simultaneously felt invisible in the world. Ironically, I reasoned that making myself smaller would give me a bigger presence. If that makes any sense.
So yeah, I'm over it.
I've been in his shoes, fresh off the scale with numbers I enjoy seeing, beaming with energy and confidence. But now, nearly 10 years later, I simply tire of the conversation more than I did in the beginning, many times inwardly rolling my eyes when people work themselves into a tizzy when they eat a second slice of pizza or cut their run a minute short.
It's not that I'm not excited to be a weight-loss success story or that I don't appreciate others' similar successes. I still enjoy fitness, nutrition, and wellness and believe it's best to be at a healthy weight. My love of the elliptical and getting in my zone at the gym hasn't gone by the wayside, nor has my interest in primarily eating fresh, whole fruits and veggies.
Had this little conversation with the sales associate taken place even a year ago, I would have burst with excitement, piping up that I, too, lost the exact same amount of weight oh so long ago. I know from past discussions with others that several minutes of weight-speak would have ensued, from the treadmill inclines we find ideal to sharing a "But it doesn't taste like cauliflower" rice cake recipe. We'd bond, we'd say goodbye. Then I'd leave, committing a newly learned bicep exercise to memory as I pass Sephora, JCPenney, ultimately making my way to the parking lot.
Except this time around, I'm happy to offer nothing of my experience, oddly satisfied with my silence. I say goodbye, pass a few stores, and then enter the parking lot. I drive away, not knowing where the road will take me next - and I'm excited, even comfortable, with wherever that may be and however ordinary that may seem.
What 1 Woman Keeps in Her Fridge to Maintain Her 99.2-Pound Weight Loss
Weight Watchers is truly the healthy-living program that not only works for weight loss but also helps people keep the weight off. Just ask Bri DeMattia, who joined Weight Watchers in January 2015; by May 2016 she had lost a whopping 99.2 pounds. Even better, she's stuck with Weight Watchers' maintenance plan and kept her weight off. By stocking her fridge with healthy staples and keeping up a rigorous Zumba schedule, Bri is healthier than ever. Keep reading to learn more about her journey.
Bri Before
POPSUGAR: What was the moment or motive that made you decide to start your journey?
Bri DeMattia: After getting married and moving into our new house, I realized I couldn't even comfortably walk up the stairs. There was one instance where I was forced to walk from the basement to the second floor (whew . . . two flights of stairs!) several times in a row, and I was so out of breath I couldn't talk to the person I was on the phone with. That was the last straw for me!
PS: What made you choose Weight Watchers?
BD: I had done Weight Watchers in the past, prior to my wedding, so I knew it worked. Weight Watchers lets you live your life - I couldn't survive without eating out and birthday cake - while helping maintain a healthier lifestyle.
PS: What's your favorite way to work out?
BD: Zumba! Zumba was one of the first activities I eased back into when I joined Weight Watchers. I could barely get through a class at first and hid in the far back of the room. Slowly I learned the choreography, got into better shape, and became a "front-row diva." As of 2016, I'm a licensed Zumba instructor, teaching three to four classes per week!
PS: What's your weekly exercise schedule?
BD: I work a full-time job, so I usually exercise right after work. I pack my gym bag in the morning to make sure I have everything I need - no excuses! I try to get in five to six days of exercise (usually 50 to 60 minutes), but I always have a rest day worked in there.
PS: How do you keep workouts exciting?
BD: I love group exercise classes, so in addition to my Zumba classes, I also mix in weightlifting classes and high-intensity interval training. I think the group exercise classes really help motivate me because I'm surrounded by people with similar goals as I have. Group classes can be a great way to try something new!
PS: How much weight have you lost?
BD: I lost 99.2 pounds from January 2015 to May 2016.
Bri After
PS: What was the first big difference, other than the number on the scale, that really made you feel proud and excited?
BD: Honestly, I was so proud and excited when my youngest sister decided to join Weight Watchers after seeing the progress I had made after being on the program for six to seven months. It made me so happy to know I inspired her to make a change. Now we're Zumba instructors together!
PS: How do you track your weight loss?
BD: During my weight loss, I weighed in weekly at Weight Watchers meetings for accountability. Now that I'm a Lifetime member, I still attend meetings, but on a less-frequent basis (my Zumba schedule conflicts with my regular meeting time), so I weigh myself weekly at home. I use the fit of my clothes as a better indicator of my progress now that I'm in maintenance mode.
Bri Before
PS: What's a typical day of meals and snacks?
BD: I love variety, so I'm constantly mixing up my meals by making different dishes I find on my favorite healthy-eating sites: SkinnyTaste.com and EmilyBites.com. Both ladies are Weight Watchers, so they take the guesswork out of healthy eating. A typical day for me might look like this:
- Breakfast: banana and greek yogurt or protein shake
- Lunch: turkey or ham sandwich with low-fat cheese and guacamole (avocados are my favorite!) plus a big side salad and fruit. Whatever it is I'm eating, I make sure it is heavy on protein and I bulk it up with veggies and fruit. On Weight Watchers, most fruits and veggies are zero points, so I can fill up without adding points to my meal - bonus!
- Afternoon snack (pre-workout): apple or other seasonal fruit and flavored almonds. I'll add a protein shake to hold myself over until dinner if I know I'm teaching a Zumba class and dinner will be late.
- Dinner: Salad to start, homemade cheeseburger made with lean beef, a big pile of veggies (for simplicity, I LOVE the steamable bags and always keep plenty on hand so I have no excuse not to include a veggie with dinner). I also love my new air fryer, which allows me to make homemade french fries, zucchini fries, and basically anything you'd traditionally deep-fry, but in a much healthier, practically oil-free way.
PS: Do you count anything other than SmartPoints? Why or why not?
BD: If I'm exercising a lot more than usual - for instance, when I was training for a long-distance (100-mile) bicycle ride - I also count calories. I found that I wasn't eating enough calories with all the biking I was doing, so being able to see both helped me figure out a better balance.
Bri After
PS: What's the range of SmartPoints you eat per day?
BD: On a standard day, I do my best to stick with the 36 points I get in "maintenance" mode. However, I allow myself to use FitPoints (we earn them through exercise) for times when I need more, like birthday parties, cookouts, or a splurge on dessert for date night.
PS: What are the healthy staples that are always in your fridge?
BD: I keep tons of flavors of greek yogurts, lean lunchmeat, chicken, lean ground beef, salad ingredients with light salad dressings, mini Babybel cheeses and string cheese . . . and always tons of fresh fruit!
PS: How do you strategize for meals out?
BD: My husband and I eat out frequently, at least three to four times per week between lunches and dinners. I wasn't willing to give that up during my weight-loss journey, so I work it into my day. Usually I know in advance if I'll be going out for dinner, so I'll plan a lighter lunch - maybe swap in a large grilled-chicken salad instead of my sandwich - so I have more flexibility with my dinner. My go-to meal usually consists of a protein as my main dish, a vegetable, and a side salad. I always leave room for the bread because I can't avoid it! I've found that you can make healthy choices just about anywhere, especially if you can look up the menu ahead of time and come mentally prepared to make a healthy choice.
PS: Do you use a fitness tracker? Which one? Has it helped you?
BD: Right now I have a Fitbit Blaze, which I really love because it not only tracks my heart rate so I can get a daily and workout-specific calorie burn, but it also lets me control my music when I teach my classes!
PS: What role did Weight Watchers play in your journey? Would you recommend it?
BD: I would highly recommend Weight Watchers to anyone looking to lose weight by making sustainable lifestyle changes. It won't be the quick fix some people are looking for, but Weight Watchers helps instill healthy habits like exercising portion control and balancing meals when you have events later that day or later that week. I also love Weight Watchers meetings for the accountability. The meetings really provide great support because everyone there struggles with the same issues, so you never feel like you're doing it alone.
PS: What advice do you have for anyone starting out on a weight-loss journey?
BD: Making the choice to become healthier and lose weight is difficult, so my biggest advice would be to take it one step at a time. Start by changing your eating habits, and then venture into adding exercise or adding new exercise into your routine. Whenever you feel like you're in a rut, introduce something new . . . new types of food, a new form of exercise . . . anything to keep yourself motivated!
Katie Has Lost 220 Pounds So Far Without Calorie Counting or a Gym
After a weight-related medical scare, Katie Patterson's mother told her enough was enough and recommended a program called OPTAVIA. At 409 pounds, she knew she had to do something to change her life, and her weight-loss journey began.
Katie: Before
POPSUGAR: What made you decide to start your weight-loss journey?
Katie Patterson: I had a wake-up call two years ago! I was visiting my parents' house with my husband and kids for Thanksgiving. That morning I was sleeping in a chair, sitting up, and stopped breathing from having sleep apnea. My parents woke me up and said, "that's enough, you have to change your life and you need to lose weight!" As the unplanned intervention unfolded, my mom then began to tell me about OPTAVIA and how she had already lost 30 pounds since July. She told me how she felt so much better, so I agreed to do it, but I didn't know how I could afford to start the program when we were in the middle of a financial crisis. My mom wouldn't let it go, and I couldn't either, because she kept losing weight and feeling even better. Thank goodness, I eventually was able to start.
PS: What drew you to OPTAVIA specifically?
KP: My mom inspired me with her story. Even though I had never heard of TSFL before, my mom insisted I do it.
"I would knock off items at the store with my stomach and people would stand there and look at me."
PS: What's your favorite way to work out?
KP: I don't work out at a gym, but I get 10,000 steps though my busy daily routine. My exercise of walking is always different and exciting with my kids, husband, and job.
Katie: After
PS: How much weight have you lost?
KP: As of today, I have lost 220 pounds and over 12 feet of fat all over my body! I'm still going! I want to be in the healthy range of the BMI chart.
Katie: Before
PS: What was the first big difference, other than the number on the scale, that really made you feel proud and excited?
KP: Wow! Where do I start? I went from dependent on my husband to take a shower, dress, cook dinner, and much of the care of our children, because my body was in so much pain all the time, I wasn't able to walk a half a mile to the bus stop to get my kids without being out of breath and sweating like crazy. I would knock off items at the store with my stomach and people would stand there and look at me as I attempted to bend over and pick up the items, or I would kick them under something to hide it so I wouldn't have the embarrassment of having to pick it up. I not only couldn't fit in my seat belt, I couldn't fit in our car! I had to always drive our large SUV. Even then, my stomach was tight against the steering wheel, causing rub burns. I fell asleep throughout my day from exhaustion, even while helping my kids with their homework.
So you ask what was the first big difference? Where do I start? I couldn't possibly limit it to one. But it started with the pain going away and the confidence growing.
"All you have to do is say yes to health and do your best."
PS: How do you track your weight loss?
KP: I track my weight loss by measuring myself every month and weighing myself daily. I write my measurements and weight in my food journal every month. For accountability, I talk with my health coach, Pam Carter, regularly and share with our support community.
PS: What's a typical day of meals and snacks?
KP: I am currently on the OPTAVIA Optimal Weight 5 and 1 Plan. It consists of eating five healthy fuelings throughout the day ["fuelings" are snacks from the OPTAVIA brand as part of the program], along with one healthy meal of lean protein and low-carb vegetables that I make on my own. This has taught me how to prepare healthy meals with healthy portion sizes. I love that I don't need to count calories.
Katie: After
PS: What are the healthy staples that are always in your fridge?
KP: I don't go shopping for a full month of food anymore. I shop weekly, so I don't have a lot of food in my fridge. A majority of my food is provided through TSFL, while I'm doing the weight-loss phase of the program. Jalapeños, mushrooms, broccoli, and other salad fixings are my favorite vegetables. Chicken and occasional steak are my favorite lean proteins.
PS: How do you strategize for meals out?
KP: I connect with my health coach and my community of friends that might know what is a great healthy idea when I plan a meal out at a new place. I usually stick with salads with dressing on the side; it's usually the safest meal to choose when dining out.
"I am ALIVE again, and I want to be the best me I can be as a healthy mom, wife, and friend."
PS: Do you use a fitness tracker?
KP: I sometimes use an iPod fitness tracker, but now I am on a routine and know what my usual day-to-day steps are.
PS: What role did OPTAVIA play in your success?
KP: OPTAVIA, my health coach, Habits of Health home study, the healthy fuelings, and the OPTAVIA community continue to provide me with the tools and support needed for long-term success. Before OPTAVIA, I was so fearful, angry, scared, alone, in denial, and sick, yet longing for something more. Now I have a wonderful community of like-minded, fun, loving, supportive friendships, who are happy and uplifting, as we fellowship together on our shared health journeys. They are always there for me when I need support, when I struggle, and when I share and celebrate my scale and "NSV" (nonscale victories). OPTAVIA will always hold a special place in my heart and a big, huge part in my health journey. I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't have these new habits of health and the tools I use every day to get healthier and healthier as I get to my optimal well-being! Matter of fact, I decided to "pay it forward" and become a health coach because I want to make difference in other people's lives, like my coach has done in life.
PS: What advice do you have for anyone starting out on a weight-loss journey?
KP: This is the hardest journey I have ever been on, but the most rewarding! If you are thinking about starting your own health journey, stick to it. I tell myself every week, even every day, do your best today; it will pay off tomorrow. All you have to do is say yes to health and do your best. I've learned so much about healthy habits and about myself. My health coach reminds me regularly, when I am struggling, "You haven't come this far just to come this far. You can do it." She continues to have me ask myself, "What do you want to accomplish most and why?" and "What will your life look like when you get to your healthy BMI goal and beyond?"
How to Tone Your Butt and Thighs Even More on Your Runs
Running is not only an awesome form of calorie-burning, heart-pumping cardio, it also doubles as a strength-training workout for your lower body. Run and you'll quickly see how it can tone your tush without bulking up your booty. Want to get even more out of your runs? Incorporate these strength-training techniques and you're sure to notice a difference when you slip on your bikini bottoms.
50 Kid-Approved Christmas Gifts - All $20 and Under
It's almost time for "How do I budget myself shopping for the kids?" season! Instead of breaking the bank buying gifts because every time you spend too much money, an elf dies (kidding), why not check out our list of 50 hot (cheap) Christmas gifts for the kiddos? All 20 bucks and under, your job as Santa will be more rewarding and less anxiety producing once January comes around and you're looking at those bank accounts wondering, "Did I really need to spend that much?"
Nope! No, you didn't, so shop off of this list and set a few dollars aside for wine once your family or in-laws start to wear you down over the holidays . . .
25 Surefire Tips to Help You Lose Those Last Few Pounds
Maybe you are super into fitness and have sworn off these bad-for-you foods, but it can still be frustrating when you're trying to lose weight and the numbers on the scale aren't shifting. Here are 25 tips to help you along your weight-loss journey, one step at a time!
19 Chicken and Avocado Recipes So Effing Good You'll Just Lose It
Chicken can be plain, but never when combined with avocado. The simple union makes even only-salt baked chicken taste like a brand-new thing - trust us!
Whether you're looking for a quick salad recipe to spice up your weekday lunch or a party appetizer that'll have everyone asking for more, we have 19 recipes that use avocado to bring poultry to a whole new level.
See Why These 5 Eyebrow Serums Have Over 1,000 Reviews on Amazon
If you have thin eyebrows that you've always been insecure about, you're not alone. There are so many people out there who have overplucked or just have naturally sparse brows. Because of this, we've been seeing a rising trend in growth serums and conditioners that help to create fuller hair. The formulas in these products use a combination of amino acids and B vitamins, which help hydrate and improve the thickness and overall health of your brows.
We decided to check out what products people were loving most, so we looked to Amazon. This huge online retailer has a large community of customers who leave unbiased reviews on products they've tried. We searched and found some serums that have over 1,000 reviews and above four-star ratings. Some of these products also work double-duty and can lengthen lashes, too. Take a look at these top products.
Articles
