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It’s a charger sale: Save up to 40% on a trio of ways to power your phone, laptop and more – CNET
It's time to stock up on charging options. Accessories brand Aukey is having a sale at Amazon, and right now you can get a trio of charging gadgets at up to 40% off. There's a fast car charger (40% off), a wireless charging pad (25% off) and a massive 30,000-mAh power bank (30% off) up for grabs. I don't know how long these deals will last, so you might want to move quickly if anything here grabs your interest.
This three-coil charger has a generously large "sweet spot" so you don't have to hunt for where to place your device when setting it down to charge. It can fast-charge Samsung phones at 10 watts and the iPhone at 7.5 watts, in addition to standard 5-watt charging.
Be sure to apply discount code ZPYYVZ66 at checkout to save 25%.
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You won't find a power bank much larger than this 30,000-mAh model. It can top itself off in under eight hours with dual inputs -- USB-C and Micro-USB -- and can charge via the dual USB-A ports and the two-way USB-C connector. And of course, there's a flashlight built in.
You can save 30% when you apply discount code KTOYWZEF at checkout.
Update: Sorry, Aukey reports that they have sold out of the discounted inventory.
Plug this charger into your car's accessory port and you can simultaneously charge two devices at once. The charger includes both a USB-A and USB-C port, and the USB-C is Power Delivery-compatible, so it can deliver as much as 30 watts to charge larger devices such as laptops.
To get this deal, be sure to apply discount code LCHCJL5A at checkout, which nets you 40% off.
CNET's Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on tech products and much more. For the latest deals and updates, follow the Cheapskateon FacebookandTwitter. Find more great buys on theCNET Deals pageand check out ourCNET Coupons pagefor the latest promo codes fromBest Buy,Walmart,Amazonandmore. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page.
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It's a charger sale: Save up to 40% on a trio of ways to power your phone, laptop and more - CNET
Slimming World champion lifts the lid on losing weight in lockdown – Nottinghamshire Live
Slimming World consultant Naomi Wagstaff has helped her members lose 77, 500 lbs on average over the last nine years between them - the equivalent to 193 Welsh ponies.
She loves her job - one she took on a year after she joined Slimming World herself and shed two stone to slip into her pre-bought size 12 wedding dress.
Husband Calvin also shed four stone by eating the same meals as Naomi, who went from 12st 13lbs to 10st 11lbs.
Naomi and Calvin are the smiling faces who usually greet slimmers at meetings with warmth, support, meal tips and plans and an encouraging boost to keep on going.
Now things have temporarily turned to Zoom and Naomi has quickly adapted to this virtual world to continue to still be there for her members during lockdown.
Naomi says: "The secret is: the Slimming World plan that works; keeping members motivated to stay in the group which is where the help and support is from the members.
"Helping them to realise that they are not on their own and that it is a safe, non-judgemental place to lose weight. My role is to ensure that all this happens, give midweek support to members where needed and make group a fun place to be!"
Lockdown posed its own challenges for some. In the beginning, as the panic buying began in supermarkets, shelves were empty - meaning members were not able to pick up their usual staples - like lean meats and veggies and fruit.
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Then there was another test for some slimmers - whether to ditch the diet or be tempted to go off plan occasionally when the boredom of lockdown set in.
Naomi, 52, of East Leake, helped members through this and came up with handy and healthy snack ideas, as well as always being there at the end of the phone.
"People will be worried about coming back, because they have put weight on during lockdown," she says. "We like to keep it lighthearted and fun and there is no reason why they shouldn't come back. People are always welcome".
Naomi's groups in Cotgrave, West Bridgford and Keyworth are now all temporarily on Zoom but the plan is to get back to meetings as soon as it is safe to do so.
She is missing her social team at the moment for each group who help with the set up of the venue, the running of group and the packing away.
Her West Bridgford group "went gold" last year to symbolise over 100 members going every single week.
"Group is fun and that's one of the key things," says Naomi, who is part of the South Notts Slimming World team covering West Bridgford, Edwalton, Cotgrave, Ruddington, Radcliffe-on-Trent and Bingham. She also teaches upholstery at All Things Creative in St Ann's.
"When Calvin is with me in the group, we are like a comedy act," says Naomi, who set up her first group in Keyworth on October 24, 2011.
Calvin says: "When we were first introduced to the Slimming World plan I was blown away with the amount of food that you can eat. I was eating full cooked breakfasts, Sunday roasts and family favourites we have always enjoyed like chilli with rice and spaghetti bolognese and losing weight
"It's a perfect way for men to lose weight as you never feel hungry which is what I was worried about. It's great being a part of group each week and I'm looking forward to seeing all the members when we eventually return to group in our venues."
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Slimming World champion lifts the lid on losing weight in lockdown - Nottinghamshire Live
The 15 Best Expert Tips to Succeed at Your Plant-Based Diet – The Beet
Expert Tip 1. Shop and Meal Prep in Advance.
The first day on the diet you are so excited to get started, finally lose weight and keep it off. But before you hit go, it helps to do a little meal prep. It's so much easier to succeed if you set yourself up in advance. The easiest way for Is to meal prep on Sunday. Only focus on making your Monday through Wednesday lunches and dinners, since breakfasts and snacks you can make the same day.
Most diets fail, we know, but by being held accountable to a partner or group can help you reach, and exceed, your goals. By being accountable to a partner or group, you raise the success of your diet and exercise program to over 95 percent. If no one is around as you embark on this healthy weight loss journey, join a community. The Beet's The VegStart Diet group lets you check-in, compare successes or struggles, and get support. So join The VegStart Diet FB group and success is in the bag.
This meal plan will provide you with a sufficient amount of nutrients, both macros and micros, which is awesome! Still, most people would benefit from taking avitamin D and vitamin B12, since those are harder to get from diet alone. I recommend picking up a Vitamin D3 (1000 to 2000 IU) + a B12 (500-to 1000 mcg). These are two nutrients that you will most often have to supplement on any plant-based diet.
We know that dieting is easier during the week and a little harder on weekends. That's why we built in some wiggle room, so you can be stricter on yourself on weekdays and let out the leash a bit for social events like a Friday dinner, Saturday picnic or Sunday BBQ. But remember: Consistency wins. If every time there is a birthday or holiday or occasion you take it upon yourself to "go for it," you can undo all the hard work you've already put in. A study in Obesity found that losing weight and keeping it off depends on changing the way you eat and sticking with it, daily, and not drastically losing weight quickly since it will make you want to cheat more. For long-term loss stay consistent and eat healthily day after day.
We all have a tendency to stay glued to technology while eating. This leads to more focus on whats happening on the screen rather than the food we are eating. Try to eat attentively during every meal to cut down on overeating or snacking. A study found that mindful eating influences how much you eat during and between meals. The more you are aware of your meals, the more you will enjoy every bite and feel satisfied after meals. Make your technology-free.
For some people going for a walk in nature helps their stress levels, or taking a luxurious bubble bath. Others enjoy reality TV or reading a good book. Whatever makes you laugh, breathe deeply, and relax will lower your stress hormones and help your body let go of stubborn fat. The ancient fight-or-flight response means that stress signals the brain's hormones to hold onto fat, in case you need fuel to fight for your own survival. Unwind this process by meditating, breathing deeply twice a day and focus on positive thoughts. Take a quiet moment to reassure yourself that you are safe: "Life is good, everything is going to be okay."
Stay away from processed foods because they're filled with sodium, sugar, hydrogenated fats and preservatives. They can also be loaded with chemicals such as food coloring, and have been engineered to make you eat more. A recent study found that participants who loaded up on processed foods ate an average of 500 more calories a day than those who stuck to whole foods, which will keep you fuller longer because they're full of nutrients that fill you up, like protein and fiber.
Share your photos of your meals with us, and with your community. Sign up and join the VegStart Diet page on The Beets Facebook account. Make it a party when youre cooking. This doesnt have to be gloomy and un-enjoyable process. Everyone wants to eat healthy, and sharing the recipes is a way of spreading the word about this new plan.. Tell your friends to try it. Hashtag #VegStartDiet and let others know how doable this diet is!
When you practice mindful eating, before you reach for food, first assess if you are truly hungry or bored or stressed or upset over something. Ask yourself: What do I really want? A new job? A more loving relationship? It may have nothing to do with hunger. If youre bored, go for a walk, or listen to a podcast. Cant stay away from the fridge or snack cabinet? Prepare yourself a satisfying snack from the VegStart Diet for a little energy jolt. Look for a new activity. Soon youll get out of the habit of using food to prop up your mood.
I hope youre already aiming for 10,000 steps a day. Taking an early morning walk or after-dinner stroll is a great way to destress and burn calories. But the fun thing about trying a new diet is to challenge yourself to reach a loftier goal, so why not add in trying a new type of movement too? Make it something you dont do often or have never tried. Maybe thats a HIIT workout (High-Intensity Interval Training) which burns an insane amount of calories, or starting a running program, which also burns fat fast. Trying something new and energizing is the name of the game.
A good way to help stay accountable is to keep a journal or log detailing your personal goals, and track your progress. It also serves as a nice reminder of how far youve come. A study on goal-setting showed that if you write down your goals youre much more likely to achieve them. Check out the log in the back of this VegStart Diet book for a great way to start.
Sleep is the unsung hero of your diet. When you sleep the hormones that regulate hungerghrelin and leptinare impacted. Ghrelin is the gremlin, since it drives appetite up. Leptin is the hero, as an appetite queller, it calms hunger down. When youre sleep-deprived, ghrelin spikes, while leptin levels dip, so you feel hungrier the next day. Move your bedtime to before midnight, even if it means waking up earlier for a few days as you reset your clock. Youll have diet success and get your beauty sleep.
Omega 3 fatty acids, typically sourced from fish oil, can also be found in vegan sources such as walnuts and algae. Your body does not produce this fatty acid on its own, so find a vegan source of it that you like. In one study, researchers found evidence that Omega-3s helped to speed up the bodys own tendency to burn body fat. Now, go get those Omegas.
Youve probably heard the phrase a thousand times over, but drinking enough water is crucial if youre looking to lose weight. It helps in three ways, by suppressing your appetite, increasing your body's metabolic rate and increase your energy expenditure. To figure out how much water you should be drinking, multiply your weight in pounds by two-thirds or 67 percent. Then, take this number in ounces, and that's how much water you should shoot to drink. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, multiply by two-thirds to get 94. So at 140, shoot to drink 94 ounces of water per day.
No one likes to count calories, and in fact, you don't need to when you're doing the VegStart Diet. It's much more productive to track things like fiber and protein, and just be sure you are in a calorie deficit for the day, which you will be if you eat according to the plan and get exercise every day.
Get More Fiber. The more fiber you add to your diet, the better. Studies show that 30 grams of fiber in your diet daily will help you lose weight and lower your blood pressure. According to the USDA: Women should aim for a minimum of 25 grams of fiber and men should shoot for 38 grams of fiber per day.
Hit Your Proteins. A high-protein diet has been linked to weight loss. You burn more calories when digesting and metabolizing protein because it requires more work to do so. Protein also leaves you feeling full, helps curb your appetite and is the building block of muscle. Aim for 20 to 30 grams of protein each meal, which for most people is optimal.
Get Into a Calorie Deficit. Everyone hates counting calories and so do we but you should have a general idea of what you're eating. The key is to choose nutrient-dense foods that are lower in calories per nutrient. The opposite, choose calorie-dense foods like sweets, should be avoided.
The VegStart Diet keeps your daily calorie intake to 1500 or so. Going below that can be counter-productive for long-term weight loss since youll slow your metabolism and make it harder to sustain weight loss longterm. If like most successful dieters, youre burning calories as well as counting them, you can probably afford to take in 250 more for every hour of intense exercise or working out you do per day.
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The 15 Best Expert Tips to Succeed at Your Plant-Based Diet - The Beet
How NFL offensive linemen escape the 5,000-calorie lunch and transform in retirement – ESPN
7:30 AM ET
Emily KaplanESPN
It's 3 p.m., and Joe Thomas needs to eat. He's driving with his family but is getting hungry. Is it really hunger? He doesn't know. Throughout his entire NFL career as an offensive tackle with the Cleveland Browns, Thomas was conditioned to eat every two hours, because his job literally depended on it.
Thomas finds a McDonald's on the GPS. It will be quick -- just a bit of fuel between lunch and dinner. He orders two double cheeseburgers, two McChickens, a double quarter-pounder with cheese, one large order of fries and a large Dr. Pepper.
"Or another sugary drink," he said recently. "Just to add 500 calories, the easy way."
2 Related
It wasn't easy playing 10,000 consecutive snaps or fending off football's most explosive pass-rushers. But it was just as hard for Thomas to maintain a 300-plus-pound frame. He had to consume an insatiable amount of food. Here's a potential day in the life:
Think breakfast: four pieces of bacon, four sausage links, eight eggs, three pancakes and oatmeal with peanut butter, followed by a midmorning protein shake.
Lunch? Perhaps pasta, meatballs, cookies "and maybe a salad, great, whatever" from the team cafeteria.
For dinner, Thomas could devour an entire Detroit-style pizza himself, and then follow it with a sleeve of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies and a bowl of ice cream. And finally, he would slurp down another protein shake before getting into bed.
"If I went two hours without eating, I literally would have cut your arm off and started eating it," the former offensive lineman said. "I felt if I missed a meal after two hours, I was going to lose weight, and I was going to get in trouble. That was the mindset I had. We got weighed in on Mondays, and if I lost 5 pounds, my coach was going to give me hell."
Eating in excess isn't as glamorous as it sounds. In fact, laborious might be the better word. Throughout his career, Thomas woke up in the middle of the night and "crushed Tums." He relied on pain medications and anti-inflammatories, and he had constant heartburn.
Then Thomas retired in 2018. "When you start eating and exercising like a normal human being," Thomas said, "the health benefits are amazing." He not only threw away the over-the-counter meds, but his skin cleared up, his yoga practice improved and he felt less bloated. Within six months, 60 pounds melted off from his 325-pound playing weight. By September 2019, TMZ picked up Thomas' transformation, headlining an article: "Ex-NFL Fat Guy ... LOOKS LIKE A CHISELED GREEK GOD."
"I just had a great laugh," Thomas said. "Isn't that the typical lineman life? Eleven years in the NFL, and all I'm known as now is ex-NFL fat guy."
Thomas is the latest example of an offensive lineman who, after retiring, recommitted to a normalized, healthy lifestyle after overeating and over-medicating during his NFL career. His journey might seem dramatic, but it's not uncommon.
Longtime San Francisco 49ers tackle Joe Staley, who played in the most recent Super Bowl, has already donated five garbage bags of clothing and bought all new belts since his waist slimmed from 40 to 36 inches and he lost 50 pounds. Former Baltimore Ravens guard Marshal Yanda dropped 60 pounds in three months by going from 6,000 calories per day to 2,000. Nick Hardwick, Jeff Saturday, Alan Faneca and Matt Birk are all former big guys who now look like shells of themselves, which generated tabloid-like attention. The list continues on and on.
So how'd they pull it off? We interviewed nine retired offensive linemen about the lengths they went to in bulking up and their secrets to slimming down after hanging up their cleats. The players were candid about body image insecurities, outrageous diets, struggles with eating disorders and the short- and long-term health ramifications of maintaining their playing weights for so many years.
Former offensive tackle Jordan Gross started 167 games over 11 seasons for the Carolina Panthers. He was a Pro Bowler three times, made the All-Rookie team in 2003 and started at right tackle for the Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Then he retired in 2014 and lost 70 pounds within six months.
"Fans know me more for losing weight than they do for anything I did in my entire career," Gross said.
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Although that kind of weight loss can be inspiring, it also points to the unhealthy relationship with food many offensive linemen develop, usually dating back to college. Faneca, a first-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1998 who went on to 201 career starts with three teams, recalls his position coach at LSU chastising the entire offensive line once for "looking like a bunch of stuffed sausages," challenging them to lose a pound a day. Later, he was told he had to gain more.
Thomas puts it bluntly: "You're training yourself to have an eating disorder the way you view food when you're in the NFL, and to try to deprogram that is a real challenge." Body image and self-esteem issues can fester, as these athletes are told their worth can essentially be measured in calories and pounds.
"I always had this insecurity of being big when it came to dating life, talking to women and going out being a 300-pound man," said former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons center/guard Joe Hawley. "I didn't want to be that big, but I had to because I loved football and that was my job."
A lot of the weight is artificial to begin with. As Gross points out, "not many people are naturally that big," but bulking up was essential to playing at the highest level and making millions of dollars. Gross, for example, ingested an enormous amount of protein each day while playing, including six pieces of bacon, six scrambled eggs, two 50-gram protein shakes, four hard-boiled eggs and two chicken breasts -- all before 2 p.m. in the afternoon.
It's a somewhat new phenomenon, according to Dr. Archie Roberts, a 1965 draft pick of the Jets who went on to become a cardiac surgeon. In 2001, Roberts co-founded the Living Heart Foundation, which annually conducts health screenings for retired football players. "In the 1990s, there was a push that suggested to some people that putting on more weight might make it a more effective and exciting game," Roberts said. "Because the bigger offensive linemen could hold off the defensive rush for a longer time so that the quarterback could throw the ball down the field, leading to more spectacular passing plays."
Playing weights began ballooning across the league, especially on the line. According to Elias Sports Bureau research, the average weight of starting offensive linemen was 254.3 pounds in 1970. It jumped to 276.9 by 1990, but the largest increase in poundage would come in the following 10 years. A decade later, the average O-line starter checked in at 309.4 pounds. Today the number stands at 315, more than 60 pounds heavier than 50 years ago.
Hawley typically played between 295 and 300 pounds, but during his fifth year in the league, he adopted the paleo diet and ate clean. He lost 10 to 15 pounds and played the following season at 285. "It was hard to keep weight on eating clean like that, but I felt so much better," Hawley said. "I had so much energy; I wasn't as lethargic."
Then, he re-signed in Tampa Bay.
"Because I was getting pushed around a little bit playing on the offensive line that way, they told me I needed to gain weight," Hawley said. "So I went to a more unhealthy diet, which made me feel, well, not as good. But it's what I had to do to play."
"Being skinny as a lineman wouldn't be helpful, because you would have to create more force to stop those big guys," Thomas said. "Inertia becomes an issue. I'm a big, fat guy, you're running at me, you don't have to create as much force because I'm just heavier, fatter and have more mass."
Although that mass helps on the field, health complications can follow. In May, USA Today ran an entire column wondering if offensive linemen were more susceptible to severe complications from COVID-19 because of their size. Roberts warns that massive weight gain can also lead to obesity. "Which then affects their heart, lungs, kidney and their minds," Roberts said. "It's not proven, but it also may be associated with Alzheimer's disease and possibly traumatic brain injury."
Once playing careers wind down, many players must assess whether it's worth it to carry the extra pounds. Many have decided to downsize.
Faneca, the longtime Steelers guard, remembers the day he hit a milestone of losing 30 pounds. He was playing on the floor with his daughter and he got up without having to "do the old-man grunt." "I just stood up, no problem," Faneca said. "And I was like, 'Wow, this is nice.'"
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Thomas said when he was 300 pounds, his body would ache if he had to stand for a few minutes. Gross said he hated the sweating. "I would just sweat profusely all the time," he lamented. "My wife would have hypothermia from me having the room so cold all the time."
Hardwick, a center with the then-San Diego Chargers who maxed out at 308, said his initial motivation to lose weight was to relieve pressure from his body. (According to the April issue of the Harvard Medical School newsletter, each additional pound you carry places about 4 pounds of stress on the knee joints.)
"But then there's this material aspect to it," Hardwick said. "You want to be able to wear cooler clothes, and go into stores and start shopping off the rack. And that's alluring for a while. Then that wears off, and you settle in, and people stop freaking out every time they see you. And you just become comfortable once again in your own skin."
Staley, albeit sheepishly, admits he likes the fact that his muscles are getting defined.
"As an offensive lineman, you're always known as this big, humongous, unathletic blob," Staley said. "Offensive linemen get casted in a movie, and they're always 500 pounds. Then you get the opportunity to be healthy again, and all of the effort you used to put into football, you put into that. It gives you a focus once you retire. It's a little bit vain, but I'm starting to see abs that I've always wanted. And it's kind of exciting."
There are two types of offensive linemen: those who must artificially add the pounds on, and those who are naturally big.
"I'm the latter," said Damien Woody, a longtime NFL lineman and current ESPN analyst. "I could literally breathe and inhale and gain 5 pounds." During a summer growth spurt after his sophomore year of high school, Woody grew 6 inches and gained 70 pounds. By the time he got to Boston College, he already weighed 300. "It was never a problem for me to put weight on," he said.
The other group? Gaining weight can become an all-consuming sport, which often begins in the collegiate years. Consider Hardwick, who wrestled in the 171-pound weight class in high school. He enrolled at Purdue on a ROTC scholarship, got a tryout for the football team and ballooned to 295 by slathering 2 pounds of ground beef on multiple tortillas at dinner. Hardwick also downed a 600- or 700-calorie protein shake before bed and set his alarm to drink a similar one at 3 a.m.
At this year's NFL combine, Ben Bartch was a topic of conversation after talking about his go-to smoothie: seven scrambled eggs, "a big tub" of cottage cheese, grits, peanut butter, a banana and Gatorade. A daily dose of that concoction added 59 pounds to Bartch's 6-foot-6 frame, helping him morph from a third-string Division III tight end at St. John's (Minnesota) to a fourth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars as an offensive lineman.
"I would just throw it all in and then plug my nose," Bartch said. "In the dark. I would gag sometimes. That's what you have to do sometimes."
Chris Bober, a former New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs lineman, showed up at the University of Nebraska-Omaha at 225 pounds, which was too small. He ate everything he could get his hands on, which was difficult as a college student "who was pretty broke." It was especially challenging over the summers, when he inherently burned calories at his construction job. If Bober went to Subway, he wouldn't just buy one foot-long sub -- he'd get two. At Taco John's, his order was a 12-pack of tacos and a pound of potato oles, which adds up to a nearly 5,000-calorie lunch.
When Thomas was at Wisconsin, any player trying to gain weight could grab a 10-ounce to-go carton of heavy whipping cream with added sugars and whey protein after a workout. He surmises the dairy-forward drink went for about 1,000 calories a pop -- and he chased it with a 50-gram protein shake on his way to class.
Like Hardwick, Staley -- who went from 215 pounds to 295 at Central Michigan, as he transitioned from tight end to the offensive line -- used to set an alarm for himself every day at 2 a.m. "I had these premade weight-gainer shakes; they were probably 2,000 calories each," Staley said. "I'd wake myself up in the middle of the night, down that, go back to bed."
Although Staley worked with his college strength coach to make sure he was putting on "good weight" -- gaining muscle without unnecessary body fat -- the unnatural eating habits took a toll. "I was bloated for four years straight," Staley said. "You know when you overeat after a really nice dinner at an Italian restaurant, you just eat all these courses and leave feeling gross? That's how I felt the entire time in college."
Staley no longer fit into the clothes he arrived at Central Michigan with but couldn't afford to buy new ones, so he was constantly borrowing from teammates. Most offensive linemen admit they pretty much lived in team-issued sweats. "I'm lucky, in the late 1990s, early 2000s, everything baggy was in style," Gross said. "So from 250 to 300, it wasn't a massive wardrobe change. The waist got big, but elastic drawstrings were my best friend."
The habits continue in the NFL. Many older players credit the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, which banned training camp two-a-days, as a turning point. Before then, it felt like their college days. "If I was doing two-a-days, in the summer in South Carolina, going up against Julius Peppers, I was for sure burning 10,000 calories," Gross said.
So at the end of each day in training camp at Wofford College, Gross counted to 15 one-thousands on the soft-serve machine, then blended that with four cups of whole milk, plus three homemade chocolate cookies (which Gross believes were about 850 calories each) and Hershey's chocolate syrup. "That's all inflammatory foods, like sugar and dairy," he said, "I'm not going to say it's horrible; it was pretty awesome to eat that stuff. But you're putting so much demand on your digestive system. I always had gas. I always had to use the bathroom. I was bloated because I was so full all the time."
There's a common refrain among offensive linemen: If you don't lose weight in your first year out of the league, you're probably not going to lose it.
Four years after retiring, Woody weighed 388 pounds and agreed to appear on NBC's "The Biggest Loser." Instead of heavy lifting and concentrating on explosive bursts, Woody was asked to do longer cardio and train for endurance. "It was totally different from what I had learned to do and had trained to do my entire life," Woody said. "And it was hard. Like, man, it was really tough."
Woody lost 100 pounds on the show -- then gained it all back.
So he just accepted his weight, until this past year, when the 42-year-old renovated his basement into an exercise room. "I wanted to lose weight the right way," Woody said. "In a sustainable way."
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Woody lured in his wife and kids to join his mission. On Sunday nights, they meal prep. And every day Woody goes down to the basement to stay active. His prefers the Peloton bike -- "I hit that hard," he said -- but also uses the row machine, and does "all different types of exercises so I don't get bored." While he still lifts weights, he focuses on lighter options and higher reps. "I'm not putting any weight on my back anymore; I'm not lifting excessive weight to potentially hurt myself," Woody said. "Because that's not the point anymore."
On June 14, Woody tweeted that he was down 50 pounds since March 23 "and my joints are already jumping for joy."
It isn't easy. And for many years, players have felt like they're on their own in their weight-loss journey.
"The NFL doesn't give you any guidance on how to do it," Bober said. "They're just like, 'OK, see ya!' You need to take it upon yourself to figure it out. And as I've gotten older and older, I've noticed it does become more and more difficult to manage if you haven't lost it right away."
Shortly after the last CBA in 2011, the NFL Players Association launched "The Trust," which interim executive director Kelly Mehrtens describes as a VIP concierge service of benefits players can take advantage of as they transition outside of the league. As part of a holistic approach, the Trust invites players to Exos (where they can train, get physical therapy and undergo a nutrition consultation), offers them YMCA memberships and arranges physicals and consultations with specialists at hospitals across the country.
The Trust, Mehrtens explains, is all about figuring out why certain guys transition to their post-playing lives more successfully than others, and how they could help bridge the gap. "These are earned benefits," Mehrtens said. "So we want to make sure guys take advantage of something they've already earned."
Dr. Roberts' Living Heart Foundation, a partner of the NFLPA, does health screenings for former players three times per year. Anyone with a BMI of 35 or over is invited to join a six-month program called The Biggest Loser (although this one isn't televised). So far, roughly 50 players have gone through it. Most are in their 40s, with the oldest participant 80 years old. "It just shows it's never too late to find motivation to reach your goals," lead trainer Erik Beshore said.
Beshore said most who enrolled in The Biggest Loser program are diabetic or pre-diabetic. However, after six months, as they commit to sustainable lifestyle changes, many have gone off their insulin, eliminated their blood pressure medication, gotten better sleep and reported overall better moods.
"It's amazing how many of them can lose the weight all these years later," Roberts said. "But in terms of if they can reverse the damage that may have occurred in the interim period form when they played football at large size to years later, it's hard to quantitate because we don't have long-term data yet."
To slim down, Staley cut out most carbs, besides vegetables. He purged his house of his favorite vice, chips and salsa, and now snacks on raw broccoli and Bitchin' Sauce -- an almond-based vegan dip. Staley said he now eats with purpose and moderation. "In the NFL, I always ate when I was hungry and whatever was available," he said. "If it was salmon, great. If it was frozen pizza, I'd eat that too."
Hawley, who retired in 2018, donated most of his material possessions to charity and has been living out of a van and Airbnb's across the country. He said it was all about reconditioning his brain to eat only until he feels full, and not eating until he can't eat anymore. Intermittent fasting has been a huge tool for the 6-foot-3 Hawley, who is down 60 pounds to 240. He rarely eats breakfast and tries to do one 24-hour fast per week -- eating dinner at 6 or 7 p.m., and then not eating at all until 6 or 7 p.m. the following night. Sometimes he even challenges himself to a 36-hour fast.
Hawley has connected with other ex-big guys, such as Hardwick, whom he met at "Bridge to Success," a NFL-run transition program for retired players.
"But it's not as big of a community as I would like," Hawley said. "I'm actually working on creating an online community for guys. That's one thing I've been missing. I went through my whole life being part of a locker room with a team, and then you get into the real world at 30, and nobody really knows what that experience is like."
Hardwick said he's working on an e-book with a blueprint of his diet plan for people who want to lose weight quickly and keep it off.
Many players interviewed for this story said while they do feel better and like the way they look, rapid weight loss has led to unsightly stretch marks and excess, saggy skin (which one player, wishing to stay anonymous, said he had cosmetically removed). Hardwick and Gross also warn of something that happened to them: They got so obsessed with losing the weight that it went too far.
Hardwick remembers weighing himself after a hot yoga class in January 2015. The scale read 202 pounds. "Great," he thought to himself. "Another 3 pounds, and it will be 199." But then he got a glance of his profile in the mirror, and he didn't recognize himself.
"If the apocalypse came, there was no way I could defend me or my family," he said. Hardwick went home and started binge eating to overcorrect. He has hovered between 220 and 230 since, which he thinks is a healthy weight for him.
Gross experimented for a while. He was vegetarian for a year and then tried the paleo diet. "You don't have any wiggle room when you're playing -- you just have to eat to keep the weight on," he said. "So I thought it was exciting to try different things." Once Gross got down to 250, he noticed an immense pain relief in his feet and ankles, which were swollen his last few years in the league -- but due to weight, not injury.
When Gross began his transformation, he went to Old Navy and bought three pairs of shorts and two polo shirts. He didn't know where his weight loss would lead him, and he didn't want to waste money. Gross got all the way down to 225, but restricting himself to under 2,500 calories a day didn't feel like a sustainable lifestyle. "That was too much," he said. As he gets ready to turn 40 this summer, Gross eats about 3,200 calories a day and is back to lifting weights. He now happily hovers around 240 pounds.
As for Thomas? As his career wound down, he began consulting with Katy Meassick, the Browns' nutritionist, who began educating him on healthier habits. They came up with a post-retirement plan, which Thomas describes as "low-carb or keto diet, with intermittent fasting." He added swimming and biking as cardio, along with yoga.
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Thomas, too, had to recondition his brain to stop eating when he was full. Throughout his football career, he had taught his subconscious to go beyond that point and keep stuffing his face with family-size McDonald's orders and sugary drinks. It's a new kind of discipline. Now every Monday, Thomas and his wife, Annie, will try to fast for 24 hours. Because of his previous line of work, it's not such a hard transition.
"As an offensive lineman, you just do the grunt work forever and you do the crap nobody wants to do -- our position is the Mushroom Club. We're used to being s--- on a truck in a dark room, and everyone expects us to go out and perform for no glory whatsoever," Thomas said.
"And you almost miss that misery. It's almost a weird thing to say, but getting into the fasting world and trying to discipline yourself and do something that is hard, in a weird, sick way, [that's something] I think a lot of offensive linemen get."
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How NFL offensive linemen escape the 5,000-calorie lunch and transform in retirement - ESPN
Healthy Eating Tips By Experts: Know How To Make Your Meals Perfectly Balanced – NDTV
Balanced diet tips: Include a variety of vegetables and fruits in your diet
Eat a balanced meal including all food groups is something that health experts recommend regularly. Eating calorie-restrictive diets or diets which restrict on limiting intake of food groups like fats or carbs are not sustainable in nature. They may help you lose weight quickly, but may put you at risk of nutritional deficiencies and may also lead to side effects like too much cravings or irritability and mood swings. In order to feel healthy, fit and happy, it is important to consume a balanced diet which includes proteins, carbs, fats and fibre equally.
When you consume a balanced diet, it can help you lose weight and maintain your target weight. A balanced and nourishing diet enables your body to perform all functions effectively and helps you be disease-free.
Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar's 3:2:1 proportion of eating meals involves filling half of your plate with rice, roti or millets, 35% of it with dal/sabzi or meat, and 15% of with papad/pickle/salad/curd etc.
This pattern of eating may seem to technical, but when applied it in real time, you will realise that it is the age-old pattern of eating in a way which allows for maximum nutrients and enhances taste. "In simpler words - maintain a 3:2:1 ration between grains: dal/sabzi: pickle/salad/curd," Diwekar writes in her Instagram post, while sharing the benefits of eating in this proportion.
Divide your plate in 3:2:1 proportion to get all nutrientsPhoto Credit: iStock
Also read:Looking For A Healthy And Balanced Diet? Here's A Complete Diet Plan
Benefits of eating 3:2:1 proportion:
Nutritionist Nmami Agarwal, on the other hand, share another interesting way of eating a balanced diet. Ask her about should a plate look for a balanced meal and she says, "Fill half of your plate with vegetables, a little over a quarter of the plate with whole grains and 1/4th of plate with protein."
Also read:Unable To Decide How Much You Should Eat? Here Are Some Tips That Can Help
Drinking sufficient water is an important part of consuming a balanced dietPhoto Credit: iStock
Also read:Forget BMI; Find Out How Much Weight You Need To Lose With The All New String Method
(Rujuta Diwekar is a nutritionist based in Mumbai)
(Nmami Agarwal is nutritionist at Nmami Life)
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
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Healthy Eating Tips By Experts: Know How To Make Your Meals Perfectly Balanced - NDTV
HEALTH AND FITNESS: The case of the missing beach body – Aiken Standard
Now that summer has arrived you may have noticed that your eating and exercise habits over the past several months (or years!) havent been kind to your body. For some people this comes as a surprise, and they wonder where their beach body from last summer went. For others, their beach body may be long gone, but they are motivated to get back in shape now.
Obviously, this will mean making changes to what you eat and your exercise habits. If you want to lose 510 pounds and get back in shape, this means small changes to your diet and focus on exercise designed to meet your fitness goals. If you have more significant weight to lose you will need a stricter diet and an exercise program that will help you lose fat while building your strength, endurance, and flexibility.
While diet and exercise can help you get back in shape, staying in shape requires making lasting behavior changes. Here are some questions that will help you find your missing beach body now and not lose it again in the future.
Many people can identify a time in their life when their lifestyle changed and weight gain began. Commonly, this is getting married, starting a new job or having children. Other people notice that they have gained weight, but cant point to any specific reason why. In both cases, healthy eating and exercise routines get replaced with other less beneficial habits. The result for most people is gaining weight and losing fitness, either quickly or more slowly over years. Understanding what caused these changes is critical for reversing them.
The longer you have been inactive and eating poorly, the longer you have been developing these unhealthy habits. The consequence is that it will be more challenging to undo the damage these habits have caused and teach yourself new habits that are consistent with better health. Your task is relatively easy if you have just gained a few pounds since last summer. Trying to reverse years or decades of inactivity and unhealthy eating is a bigger challenge, but one you simply must take on.
The environment has a huge impact on our health, largely through influencing our activity and eating behaviors. In many cases, weight gain may be at least partly a consequence of where we spend our time. For example, a new job that involves long commutes by car and workdays spent sitting can make gaining weight almost inevitable. Quitting that job probably isnt reasonable, but knowing how it has affected your health allows you to focus your efforts on increasing your activity outside of work. For many women (and men, too), weight gain occurs after graduating from college, getting married, and having children. While there are many contributing lifestyle factors in this case, the change from an active college campus to a more sedentary environment certainly plays a role.
Once you figure out when and where you last saw your beach body you will have an idea of what you need to do to get it back. Keep in mind that the type of behavior changes you need to make to lose weight and get back in shape are difficult and will take time to adopt. While you shouldnt expect any miracles in the next month or two, developing healthy eating and activity habits can have a miraculous effect on your weight, your health, and how you feel in the years to come.
Brian Parr, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Sports Science at USC Aiken where he teaches courses in exercise physiology, nutrition and health behavior. You can learn more about this and other health and fitness topics at http://drparrsays.com or on Twitter @drparrsays.
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HEALTH AND FITNESS: The case of the missing beach body - Aiken Standard
Remote working is not going away: who wins and loses when workers stay home? – The Guardian
Of all the lockdown restrictions frustrating Australians, working from home is not one of them. In fact, survey upon survey show a vast majority of Australians now want remote working to be a regular feature of their lives.
Many workers are enjoying the flexibility to structure their days as they see fit, from replacing morning commutes with yoga to catching a few rays of sunshine on mid-afternoon walks. And despite the Covid-19 imposed adjustment, workers have remained as productive as ever.
The good news is the benefits arent going unnoticed. Business leaders are wasting little time making the necessary changes to accommodate remote working.
Prior to Covid-19 around 10% of our staff had flexible work arrangements, long term I expect that will be more like 40%, says Allyson Carlile, head of people and culture at insurance firm Metlife Australia.
The rigid corporate lifestyle that compelled workers to long office hours, often at the expense of family and personal wellbeing, is undergoing a pandemic-inspired revolution.
Historically, there was a view that remote working wasnt appropriate for law firms and the sector was somewhat fixated on presenteeism and being seen. The pandemic has put paid to that, says Andrew Pike, Australian executive partner at Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF). The law firm found its employees largely enjoyed the work-from-home benefits, which improved their outputs.
Many have found working from home makes it easier for them to complete tasks that require a great deal of attention or peace and quiet, Pike says. Working from home also means more time with loved ones. Confinement-induced relationship tensions aside, 66% of Australian respondents to a Salesforce survey say remote working has brought them closer to their families.
The new arrangement certainly had its sceptics, particularly at the beginning of the crisis. The insistence on presenteeism is a long tradition stemming from management fears of worker complacency. But with company heads now seeing the tangible benefits of remote working on productivity and employee wellbeing, those attitudes are quickly shifting.
Sending everyone home meant that leaders were forced to trust their people and our people showed that not only could they be trusted but, in a crisis, they would go above and beyond, Carlile says.
But the sudden enthusiasm for remote working over recent months can evaporate just as quickly without guardrails. Working from home can be quite liberating, but it can also end up being a bit of a prison, says Sara Charlesworth, director of RMITs Centre for People, Organisation and Work.
Working from home has the potential to affect the hours people work, and their decision to work at all. Already seen as an alternative to sick days before Covid-19, some research suggests many workers do not feel comfortable taking sick leave while working remotely.
Charlesworth also highlights the risk of overworking, or intensification and extensification as she puts it. Workers are increasing their output to compensate for the lack of visibility offered by an office, and to reassure their colleagues and bosses theyre online and working. This is bleeding working hours into home life, Charlesworth warns. A lot of people dont clock off at 6pm, they continue working.
Its a pattern observed at Metlife Australia, prompting company heads to nudge employees to disconnect from work. We encouraged people to set up proper workstations in a dedicated space where possible so they can leave work at the end of the working day, and set boundaries, such as switch off the computer, Carlile says, adding that employees eventually got used to the arrangement.
Companies are looking to remote working not simply for the benefits to productivity and work culture but to help cut costs amid the economic turmoil caused by Covid-19. It was certainly the motivation that led to energy giant Worley slashing 1,900 jobs and permanently moving some operations to remote working. It also prompted other Australian brands such as Westpac and Optus to announce similar shifts to remote working.
As revenue-strapped companies sift through the tasks that can be done remotely, they are also designating those that can be done without a human hand altogether.
The dangerous flipside was made most transparent by the recent Woolworths decision to cut 1,350 warehouse jobs. In explaining the job cuts, the retail heavyweight said it was building automated distribution centres that could do the work of humans, making warehouse employees effectively redundant.
Remote working is one way to cut costs, automation is the other and they come hand-in-hand as companies plan for survival. While some workers enjoy the luxury of remote life, others could be left without a job.
More companies are exploring automation technologies, and more companies are rapidly digitising their businesses, says Andr Dua, senior partner at McKinsey. As seen at Metlife Australia and HSF, companies have discovered during lockdown that a bulk of their operations can be done remotely. The alarming addendum to this point, Dua says, is that companies are also realising that their work can be performed with anywhere from 5%-25% fewer employees.
And the acceleration towards automation isnt just affecting warehouse workers. Office jobs will not be exempt from automation, Dua warns. In fact, McKinsey identified several office jobs such as secretaries, administrative assistants, bookkeepers and office clerks at high-risk from automation even prior to Covid-19. The pandemic is only accelerating these trends.
Inclusive training by way of wide-ranging, large-scale programs is needed, Dua says, to address the challenges of worker displacement that Covid-19 is accelerating.
If companies are adopting a digital-first, remote-working approach to their operations, then training efforts ought to focus on workers most vulnerable to job cuts and automation.
There is an opportunity to build a new kind of workplace, one that could be more inclusive if we are really committed to doing that, says Dr Niki Vincent, commissioner for equal opportunity in South Australia and convenor of the SA Chiefs for Gender Equity.
Women are overrepresented in automation-risky jobs, such as secretaries and retail workers. Vincent suggests governments can play a role in encouraging more women to study Stem fields, which will open pathways to the very likely-remote jobs of the future. The fact is there are still not enough women choosing to study things like engineering or coding, she adds, noting that only 16% of Stem professionals in Australia are women.
Companies also need to throw their weight when it comes to upskilling, and cease taking the easy road of downsizing. Upskilling is a fantastic idea, but it means youve actually got to invest in your workforce, Charlesworth says.
Downsizes, as witnessed at Woolworths and Worley, are likely to continue until companies acknowledge, or are incentivised, to upskill their employees instead of cutting them off the payroll.
As a country, we have really dropped the ball in terms of on-the-job training, Charlesworth adds.
Attitudes on remote working have shifted so dramatically in the last four months that workers are now setting expectations for flexible conditions as a factor in choosing the right job. Companies who want to go back to a 9-to-5 mandatory working culture will be shooting themselves in the foot, Vincent says.
Cultural acceptance of remote working will encourage more companies to embrace a flexible approach. If they dont, they could lose out on talent. Organisations that are more opportunistic about finding the right talent when they can, wherever they want to reside, will have a competitive advantage, Dua says.
That message has been heard by business leaders, who also see a benefit in accessing a larger talent pool not confined to geography.
[That] we can access talent in remote locations means we can really assess the best person for a role based on capability, with location not being a significant factor, Carlile says.
One of Australias leading law firms appears to be following suit, with Pike declaring the office will now be the exception rather than the rule.
It is an exciting thought living in the Hunter Valley or sitting on a beachfront in Port Douglas while remotely plugging into a decent-paying corporate job headquartered in Sydney or Melbourne.
If the pro-remote attitudes at Metlife Australia and HSF are indicative of corporate Australias thinking, that dream might actually become a reality. The challenge now is ensuring vulnerable workers arent left behind.
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Remote working is not going away: who wins and loses when workers stay home? - The Guardian
Weight watchers keen for gyms to reopen as lockdown has had its ups and downs – The Irish News
LIFE in lockdown hasn't been without its challenges but for many people it's been a time to reflect and reassess goals, priorities and, not surprisingly, health.
Gyms might've been closed for several months but that didn't stop plenty of fitness fanatics working out at home with the help of online body coach Joe Wicks, Zoom classes or daily walks, cycles and runs.
For some, it's been a time to clean up their diet and cook healthier meals, resulting in lockdown weight loss. But for others, too much free time on their hands, a bit of boredom and a slippery slope into bad habits like snacking on sweets or drinking wine or beer on 'school nights' has led to the pounds piling on.
The reopening of gyms in the north next week cannot come soon enough for Dunmurry dad-of-two Niall Jackson. For the last few weeks, the 31-year-old commercial sales manager has been back training outdoors at the side of Magee Health and Fitness in west Belfast but is looking forward to July 10, when it can throw open its doors to its members again.
A regular gym-goer, who trained five times a week; sometimes twice a day, Niall lost two and a half stone between September and Christmas last year. He put on a few pounds around the festive season and had been working out with a personal trainer to shift the slight weight gain, when Covid-19 hit the north and lockdown restrictions were implemented.
Furloughed from his job and living alone, Niall's motivation took a knock and he stopped training. As quickly as he'd lost the weight, dropping from 17 to 14.5 stone before Christmas, he began to put it back on in lockdown. A combination of lack of training, beer several nights of the week and frozen food and takeaways saw a stone and a half go back on.
I really went hard at it from last August/September, doing spin and circuits in the morning and boxing at night, says Niall.
I was very disciplined and lost two and a half stone, mostly through training. I'd just started with a PT from the gym when lockdown happened. To begin with, I did try and do a bit at home with dumbbells.
But training at home, indoors, on your own, just isn't the same and I lost motivation.
Dunmurry father-of-two Niall Jackson is looking forward to gyms reopening
Not wanting to join the long queues outside supermarkets, Niall stocked up on frozen food including pizza, burgers and sweet potato chips, something he'd never done before. He also indulged in takeaway food a few times a week. Unable to see his young son and daughter, he was also somewhat bored and started to drink more beer than was normal for him.
Because I was training five days a week and had the kids either Friday or Saturday, I'd only ever have a few beers on Sunday, while watching the football, Niall says. When I realised I was getting a bit bloated from the beer, I switched to gin and tonic but I didn't like feeling sluggish.
It's very easy to fall into bad habits, once the motivation is gone, and the weight just started piling on. But now I'm back at it and giving it 100 per cent, the pounds will fall off me as quickly as they went on.
Unlike Niall, west Belfast mum-of-two Eimear McKenna has never been a fan of the gym. As a child she carried extra weight and even when she played camogie and was healthy and fit, she still felt bigger than the girls in her team. After having her children, her weight steadily increased and she lost a lot of confidence. She joined a gym but felt too self-conscious and it wasn't an experience she enjoyed nor wished to repeat.
But lockdown has been a game changer for the 48-year-old, who works for the Housing Executive. When she heard that her sister-in-law Fiona Shannon, a PT who runs her own company, Shannon World Fitness, was launching a Zoom initiative Tribe 40, she signed up. Tribe 40 is an online boot camp aimed at women aged 40-plus and it ran from early May to June, over 40 days. In that time-frame, Eimear has lost a stone and a half, is feeling fitter, happier and healthier and is intent on continuing her home workouts and food plan when lockdown is over.
My 86-year-old mum moved in with us and I was looking after her, the family, working from home and I got into a bit of a rut at the start of lockdown, says Eimear. I was eating and drinking a bit more and not feeling great about that, when Seamus, my husband, told me about Fiona's online fitness venture for women in lockdown.
She had talked to other women who had put on weight over lockdown but there are those in the group who just wanted to stay active and fit when the gyms were closed.
For four mornings a week, at 7am, we all did a Zoom workout with Fiona. At the start we used tins of beans then moved on to proper weights. It was tough, she really pushed us, but it was great. And the beauty of it was that no one else could see me huffing and puffing about my own kitchen.
It didn't matter how I looked. I had it set so I could see Fiona but no-one could see me. That way, I didn't feel self-conscious.
During a weekly Zoom catch-up, the ladies in the group discussed other issues such as nutrition and calorie counting and Eimear began to cut back on portion sizes and cut out the starch and sugary snacks. As the weight started to drop off, she felt her mood lifting too. Her sleep was improved, her skin glowed and with a stone and a half off, the people around her began to notice a difference.
I know I still have a long way to go and I'd love to shift another five stone but honestly, I'm buzzing with excitement now. I'm up at 6.15 every morning, sometimes even before the alarm goes off.
I walk every day too to make up the 10,000 steps. The Fitbit's on the moment I get up.
The whole group went for a walk up Black Mountain last week and yes, I'm the heaviest among us all but it doesn't matter to me now. We're all on our own journey. For me it's about losing weight and getting my confidence back and I'm getting there.
As well as shifting a stone and a half, Eimear has lost 27 inches all over and dropped a dress size. But it's the impact on her mental health and wellbeing that her loved ones are commenting on too. While working out, she forgot to take medication prescribed for anxiety but her mood was so chilled, she didn't even notice at the time.
When Tribe 40 finished, Fiona sent me my own workouts to do because I didn't want to lose the momentum, Eimear says. She's starting up the Zoom group again on July 13 and I can't wait to get back at it.
We're off to Donegal for a break and usually, we'd be eating and drinking all round us but I'm sticking to the plan and bringing my weights with me.
I feel better than I have in such a long time. Lockdown gave me the opportunity to start working on myself and for me, fortunately, it's been such a positive experience.
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Weight watchers keen for gyms to reopen as lockdown has had its ups and downs - The Irish News
Katie Price hopes her autistic son Harvey, 18, dies before her because he wouldnt be able to ‘cope without me – MEAWW
Katie Price has opened up about her relationship with her autistic son as she admitted that it is her love for Harvey that kept her alive during a rehab stint earlier this year. The 42-year-old also said she hopes she will outlive her son as he wouldnt cope without her. The statement of Prices came after the 18-year-old was admitted to hospital this week after complaining of chest pains. Though the teenager is back at home now, the incident has left Price terrified since doctors told her that Harvey is at high risk of dying from a heart attack if his weight isn't reduced. The eldest child of the former glamour model weighs more than 27 stone (378 pounds) due to an excessive appetite caused by the genetic condition, called Prader-Willi Syndrome.
When Harvey went into the hospital, I feared the worst. I always do. The doctors have told me hes at high risk of having a heart attack. Hes 27st, wears 5XL clothes and he gets out of breath walking up the stairs. So of course, I panicked. I cant see him living past 50 unless we sort his weight and his breathing out, Price told The Sun as she added: I know its horrible to say, but I wish hed go before me because he wouldnt cope without me. Hed be so heartbroken and wouldnt understand where Id gone.
Price, who is also mother to two daughters 13-year-old Princess Tiaamii, and Bunny, five, and sons Junior, 15, and Jett, six, went to a rehabilitation center, The Priory, in January this year after accepting that she was self-medicating with alcohol and cocaine. She said that it was the thought of Harvey only that did not let her take any extreme step. The doting mother said: I could have gone off and hanged myself, which I wanted to do, but I didnt because I have kids.
I know its a harsh comment but its the truth. If I ever died, my other kids, obviously, would be heartbroken but Harvey would not understand where Id gone. And I just think no one would look after him the way I do, and he wouldnt understand why Im not there. The thought kills me. I hate it. I dont know whats going to happen in the future.
Price also talked about her sons admission to the hospital as she said she had a feeling that something was wrong with Harvey. The media personality said her partially sighted son was not behaving normally. However, when he complained about needles in his chest that Price called an ambulance. I know hes getting bigger and Id noticed in the past month his breathing had changed. It was at Princesss birthday party, just after shed done her cake and Harvey wasnt feeling himself and had a lie-down. And then he was getting worse and worse and I thought, Oh s**t, Price continued. Sometimes hell fake things like if he doesnt want to go to school, hell say Harvey feels wobbly, or hes got a sore throat. But I know him well enough to know if hes trying to pull a fast one or not. He said he was getting pains, and he can deteriorate quickly, so I just used my common sense, stayed calm, and called the ambulance.
After being admitted to the hospital, Harvey was diagnosed with fluid in his lungs and a chest infection. He was discharged the same night. But for Price dealing with his complex medical conditions is getting harder day by day. I love him, and I would never change him, but its constant. Its exhausting. He knows hes got to lose weight but its the Prader-Willi he just wants to eat. Hell steal food, and hes on steroids that make him big. We try everything, but cutting down food is hard, she stated.
Price added: Im not trying to give him a lot of food look at my other kids, theyre not big and fat like Harvey. I dont want him to be in 5XL clothes, or to not be able to go on proper walks without being out of breath. I dont want that, I come from a fit, healthy family. People dont appreciate how big he is until they see him. He cant fit in some cars, and on an aeroplane, the seatbelts dont fit him.
Meanwhile, it has been said the Price along with his eldest son is filming a BBC documentary, called Harvey And Me, about living with him in lockdown. The documentary will reportedly show the mother-son duo daily life and the struggles Price faces as a single mum to her disabled son. It is bloody difficult. Its a constant worry, and I worry about the other kids too. I think people will be shocked when they see what living with Harvey is really like. Im both his mum and his carer and I dont even ask for sympathy, but it is hard work, Price said.
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Katie Price hopes her autistic son Harvey, 18, dies before her because he wouldnt be able to 'cope without me - MEAWW
Top Reasons Why Spinach Is One Of The Healthiest Leafy Greens – Doctor NDTV
Spinach can offer you a wide range of health benefits. It can be used as a ingredient in a variety of recipes. Here are some reasons why you should consume spinach.
Spinach is beneficial for your skin and hair
Your mother might have stressed on consuming a healthy diet since childhood. A well-balanced diet offers all necessary elements that you need for proper functioning as well as for optimum growth of the human body. Green leafy vegetables are power-packed with nutrients. It is advised to add leafy greens to your diet for optimum health. Spinach is one of the healthiest leaf greens that is loaded with essential nutrients offering you amazing health benefits. Yes, Popeye was doing it all right! Spinach provides you a variety of nutrients that your body needs. Here are some notable benefits of adding spinach to your diet.
91% of spinach is water. It is loaded with protein and iron too. Spinach contains iron that supports red blood cells. It is also a non-dairy source of calcium. This leafy green also contains vitamin A, C and K1. You may also receive magnesium, potassium and folate with spinach consumption.
Spinach is a non-dairy source of calciumPhoto Credit: iStock
Spinach can also help in healthy weight loss. One cup of boiled spinach is loaded with fibre and water content. It can keep you full for longer and make you consume fewer calories.
Also read:Spinach For Weight Loss: A Cup Of Spinach A Day Can Make You Lose Weight Quickly, Know How And Other Health Benefits
Potassium in spinach can help in controlling high blood pressure. A healthy diet can help in controlling hypertension. Fibre-rich foods can also help in regulating blood pressure.
Also read:Try These 7 Foods That Have More Potassium Than A Banana To Control High Blood Pressure
Diabetics can also safely add spinach to your diet. This leafy vegetable contains antioxidants that can prevent oxidative stress and stress-related changes in people with diabetes.
You would be surprised to know that spinach is beneficial for your skin and hair too. Vitamin A and iron in spinach can help in boosting skin and hair health.
Spinach can promote hair growthPhoto Credit: iStock
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Also read:Calcium: All The Reasons Why This Micronutrient Is Of Sheer Importance
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
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Top Reasons Why Spinach Is One Of The Healthiest Leafy Greens - Doctor NDTV