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Robin Satterwhite and Isaac Miller have finished four months in the Salisbury Post wellness program. The time has flown by quickly but neither participant is content with the results so far.

Satterwhite, a professor and department head at RCCC, has struggled this month. She said, I am not where I thought I would be but am not giving up. I have been battling a knee injury for the past two months with up and down success. With physical therapy and a consultation with an orthopedic specialist, I plan to be back on track soon. I have really missed the gyms and the variety of machines available there. The stationary bike is good for an aerobic workout but also easy on the knee. I love running, but it has been challenging with this particular injury.

Miller, a Salisbury police officer, said, By now I hoped to have lost more weight. But I think Im in a good place mentally and physically. Im not happy where I am weight-wise, but I think Im in the right place mentally to achieve my overall goal.

Both Satterwhite and Miller do have some good things happening. Satterwhite said, I am trying to concentrate on the positives, one of which is an impressive lowering of my anxiety level. I have suffered with mild depression and major anxiety off and on for 20 years. With regular exercise, I have been able to reduce the medication needed for this. My doctor is thrilled with my activity level and improvement. I have also lowered my resting heart rate from 90 to 74. My last blood pressure check was 120/72. I want to begin lowering my blood pressure meds soon as well.

I am particularly impressed with Satterwhites next statement. She said, I really enjoy getting up in the mornings and getting my day started. This hasnt happened in a very long time.

With another view, Miller said, My win would be none of my jeans fitting and my frustration would be none of my jeans fitting. The pandemic doesnt allow me going to a store to get new jeans. My true frustration is my current weight. I run almost every day, but its getting more and more difficult to lose weight. Miller is getting faster and ran a 36:38 5K last week on the Knox track.

Goals for May are really important. It looks likely that we wont have gyms until late in the month. Satterwhite said, My goal for May is to get my knee and its surrounding muscles stronger. I also want to increase my running pace (or maybe I should say decrease my pace.) I am currently between 15 and 16 minutes per mile and would like to reach a 14 pace on a 5K by Bare Bones on Saturday, May 23, if that event can be held. I want to get back to losing weight. I think eight pounds is a realistic weight loss goal. Miller said, My goal for May is to be 15 pounds down from where I am now.

I asked both to look forward and tell me what they want to see by the end of the year, just eight months away. Satterwhite said, No more injuries. For the remaining months, I want continued weight loss and running pace improvement. By the end of the year, I want to weigh less, be more fit and totally off my anxiety and blood pressure medication. Running a 5K in under 40 minutes would be a bonus. Miller added, I just want to be a success in this program and in life, and comfortable in my own skin.

Miller lost another six pounds and is now at 302, down 22 for the year. His results are coming, just not as fast as he wants. His additional regular workouts include pickleball and weight training. Satterwhite is down 5 1/2 for the year but up one for April. Satterwhite had briefly experimented with group classes. Variety will be the key to their future success. Their goals are too high for May based on results so far, but doable with the proper mix of diet and exercise.

As I have said before, this is a long hike toward the summit. Stay tuned! See you at the end of May.

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Robin and Isaac: A month of no gyms, mixed results - Salisbury Post - Salisbury Post

For some people the thought of exercising or going to the gym can be an overwhelmingly daunting experience that causes more anxiety than excitement. The reason this happens is usually because they think a workout needs to be grueling and painful in order to see the results. That is NOT true! In fact, that is the opposite of how you should approach getting in shape, especially if you have not been physically active for a while or ever. In order to understand how to workout, it's important to understand the core concepts of exercise in order to blow the whistle on the ubiquitous myth that the harder and more intense the workout, the better it is for you. To avoid injury, you must prepare your body for high intensity activity in a progressive manner. Here are some tips about the most common types of exercise that will help you understand how to progressively engage in a workout routine to effectively build yourself up to not be so afraid of doing a workout.

CARDIO

Cardio short for "cardiovascular exercise" is any activity that increases heart rate and blood circulation in your body. It's one of the best ways to burn calories and strengthen your heart. There are many types of cardio activities that can help you achieve your fitness goals. Some cardio activities are for advanced participants, while others are for beginners. For example, classes such as the very popular CrossFit and/or HIIT are for advanced students. For beginners, it's best to start with simple cardio. This is where many people go wrong and what usually causes the workout anxiety. Often when trying to get in shape, people make the mistake of going from zero activity to trying to run a marathon immediately. This happens because there is very little information out there about how to safely begin a workout routine. Instead, what you mostly hear is the higher the intensity of the workout, the more calories you burn. And since we've developed into a society of "calorie counters," logically most people want to go for high intensity of the bat. This is not only ineffective for the long term, it is highly dangerous as it increases the chances of injury.

Since you may not have access to exercise machines, I will use running as a great a cardio option to get you started on a healthy cardio routine. Contrary to popular belief, running is actually NOT a natural human motionit is a technique in motion that is very stressful on your ankles, knees and hips. The only way to protect these very essential yet sensitive joints is to build the muscle around them in order to avoid injury. The way to build up your cardio is to start with a simple motion and practice it until you either go faster and/or can do it for longer. For example, if you'd like to get into running and have not run for a long time or ever, start with fast paced walking. See how long and how fast you can do that activity initially, then each time you do it try to increase your speed and/or distance.

Try this workout motivation tip:

Week 1: Walk on a treadmill at a speed of 3.5 for 20 mins for 3 days every other day. If you don't have access to a treadmill, calculate a mile in your neighborhood (with all the navigation apps available, this should be no problem). If walking outside: walk 1 mile every other day for 3 days and see how long it takes you. Week 2: On the treadmill, increase your speed to 4.0, and do that for 3 days. If walking outside, try to cut your mile walk by 2 minutes from the week before.

I suggest 3 days a week to start, because rest between workouts is so essential for muscle recovery, especially when you're just starting to workout. If you stress your muscles too much and do not take rest days your chances of injury increase, which will set your workout efforts back!

Keep this steady 3 day pace and increase your speed each week until you get to the point where you naturally want to jog. This is the best way to build up to running. Not only is 3 days a week for 20 mins not as intimidating as trying to force yourself to run for an hour, it will easily help you get into the swing of doing cardio, which will help your fitness motivation long term without burning you out!

STRENGTH TRAINING

Cardio may speed up the process of burning fat initially, however strength training in combination with a healthy diet is the ONLY way to lose body fat for the long term. Strength training is a type of physical exercise specializing in the use of resistance to induce muscular contraction which builds strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles (the muscles that protect your bones). We lose lean muscle mass naturally with age. If you don't strength train to build and maintain your muscles, they will continue to diminish and over time your body fat will replace it. The only way to have low body fat is to develop muscle, and the only way to develop muscle it to implement a strength training routine into your workouts. Strength training is important to help preserve and build your muscle mass at any age, because without it you will have a high body fat percentage, which may lead to acquiring heart disease, diabetes and/or issues with blood pressure. Not implementing a strength training component into their workouts is another mistake many people make.

There is a common belief that cardio is the best way to lose weight. This theory has developed because when you begin adding cardio exercise to your life the extra calorie burn will usually help you lose weight quickly initially. However, the problem begins after about 2-3 months of engaging in new cardio activities as this is when you "plateau" weight-wise. The plateau happens because without building muscle, the cardio that initially was so great at helping you lose those extra pounds, will eventually eat away at the little muscle you did have and your body fat will begin to replace it.

There are several reasons strength training is beneficial to your health in addition to helping maintain a low body fat percentage:

1. It strengthens your bones. By adding stress to your bones, strength training can increase bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

2. It helps manage your weight. Strength training increases your metabolism to help burn more calories, which can help you manage and/or lose weight.

3. It fixes chronic spinal and joint conditions. Strength training helps with back, knee and/or hip pain, by developing the muscles around your spine and joints, which helps protect them from stress.

4. Strength training enhances your quality of life by improving your ability to do everyday activities. Building muscle contributes to better balance, overall agility and reduces your risk injury.

Like cardio, strength training should be incorporated into your workouts in a progressive manner.

Try this workout motivation tip: I suggest starting a strength training routine twice a week with no more than 2-3 rest days in between. You've probably heard of breaking the workouts into two partsupper body one day, lower body the next, and yes, this is the optimal way to start overall strength training/muscle building. Start with 5 basic upper body exercises one day then 5 lower body exercises the other day. For each exercise do 3 sets of 12 repetitions. Make sure you don't take more than 30-60 second breaks between your exercises for a more efficient calorie burn!

Working out does not have to be a scary experience! Just be patient and start your routine out slowly. As I explained, both cardio and strength training have their individual benefits to overall health, but a combination of both is necessary for weight loss and healthy weight maintenance. The right kind of cardio can help you burn fat, but building muscle is the only way to keep body fat low in the long run. If you only do cardio, you will eventually hold on to more body fat over time. Building muscle not only reduces body fat, it also helps burn more calories at rest. Do both and you'll be in optimal shape! For best results long term, give yourself 3 months to progressively build your workout routine up.

MBX is offering virtual training sessions! If you need extra health and fitness motivation, contact us at: http://www.mbxfit.com/contact/

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Also check out my health and fitness blogs at: http://www.mbxfit.com/blog/

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Dont Be Afraid to Workout! - Patch.com

A care manager who was so ashamed by her weight that she only went to the supermarket after dark told how she shed nearly 8st.

Leanne Wrathall weighed 18st 6lb before her transformation which saw her shrink from a size 24 to a10.

The 36-year-old mum-of-four of Harlow, Essex, said her life was ruined by her weight, leaving her humiliated during nights out and so paranoid about attracting negative attention that she always made her husband fill up their car at the petrol station.

Just 5ft 1in tall, at her 18st 6lb heaviest, she was so big that her body mass index (BMI) used by medics to gauge a healthy weight was 46.8, compared to the NHS recommended range of between 18.5 to 24.9, meaning she was obese.

But Leanne, who has four children, Teagan-Faye, 12, Hayden-Leigh, 10, Teddy, eight, and Xander, three, with her care worker husband, Darren, 38, said her turning point came when she could not fasten an airline seatbelt over her belly prompting her to join the 1:1 Cambridge Weight Plan shedding 7st 10lb and making her a 10st 10lb size 10 to 12.

Recalling how she felt haunted by her massive belly, she said: Id wake up, put my hands on my stomach and think, Its still there.

I couldnt look at myself in the mirror. My husband would have to get out of the car to get petrol at the garage, because I was too worried that people were looking at me. They probably werent but in my head they were.

Leanne explained: I would shop in the supermarket at night when there were less people there to see me, because I was so paranoid.

And if I put something in my shopping trolley, even if it was for my children, I worried that people were thinking, She shouldnt be eating that.

Describing herself as a comfort eater, Leanne who had always been on the bigger side fell into bad habits, grabbing food whenever she could, because of the unsociable hours she worked as a care manager.

Every time she tried to lose weight, managing to shed six stone for her wedding 11 years ago, she could not keep it off.

If I was having a good day, I would celebrate by eating and if I had a bad day or was stressed, I would treat food as my comfort blanket, she said.

I realised I rarely ever ate because I was hungry.

If I was out with friends or my kids, if they did not finish their meal, I would finish it for them, she recalled.

Carbs were my downfall. I would eat a lot of pasta and convenience food, especially because of my work. I work long, unsociable hours and I would not have time to prepare dinner, so it would be pizza or a takeaway, then Id go to sleep.

Sometimes I wouldnt eat all day, then I would think, Well, I can treat myself.

Leanne continued: I felt awful about it. It left me depressed. My weight would be the thing I thought about last thing at night and first thing when I woke up in the morning.

Nights out also filled Leanne with dread weeks in advance, as she stressed about what to wear.

Id have friends come to stay from abroad and I couldnt bring myself to go on nights out with them, because of how I looked, she recalled.

If I did go out, I would sit in the corner, not even getting up to go to the toilet for the whole night. I would hold it in because I didnt want to walk across the room in front of people, she added.

I would stress for weeks if I had something coming up especially if anyone asked me what I was going to wear. I could not talk about it and on the night itself, I would sit in my bedroom crying.

I could not walk up the stairs without getting out of breath and I couldnt play with the kids.

She said: If my three-year-old was having fun in a soft play area, I wouldnt join him, because I was worried about what I looked like.

The final humiliation came for Leanne when she had to ask for a seatbelt extender before take-off on a flight to Romania.

I travel to Romania quite a lot, as I volunteer with charities, so the turning point for me was at the beginning of 2018, she said.

I had to ask for a seat belt extender. Id been stretching the seatbelt as far as I could and trying to hold in my stomach, but I simply couldnt fasten it. It was so embarrassing, she recalled.

That was the moment when I finally knew I had to lose weight.

Finding slimming groups intimidating, Leanne opted to follow the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan, where she met with her consultant Nikki one-on-one, rather than in a group.

Asked not to be told her starting weight, she only found out that she had reached 18st 6lb after she had lost three stone.

Swapping her usual junk food for shakes, porridge, snack bars and healthier meals like spaghetti Bolognese and cottage pie, the weight started to drop off.

I began to see results really quickly and every time I lost a stone, I would get a fridge magnet. Those fridge magnets felt like getting the Olympic gold medal, she laughed.

I lost eight pounds in the first week and a stone and a half in the first month. Then it was an average of a stone a month, she said.

If I went on holiday, Id have a little break from the plan, but I found I would naturally pick the healthier options.

I love the food. I know its full of goodness and nutrients, and especially at the moment, Im doing my best to keep healthy.

I also drink three litres of water a day, Leanne added.

Leanne even started to exercise doing a couple of cardio classes at the gym each week and taking part in charity runs slimming down to 10st 10lb by October 2019.

Now I just feel content. Im not saying I look in the mirror and say, Wow, I look good, but I feel much more confident, she said.

Im the first to suggest to my friends that we go to a concert, or meet up if theres a DJ on in town, she said.

We went on holiday to Ibiza in June and it was the best holiday weve ever had. I just enjoyed it and because I was enjoying it, the kids had a great time too. I was in the swimming pool playing with them.

I bought a different bikini to wear every day for the whole two weeks. In fact, I bought 16, so a couple of times I had to change, because I was determined to wear every one of them and Id never worn a bikini before.

She said: I stopped worrying what people were thinking and felt comfortable walking around the supermarket in daylight.

It takes a while for your brain to catch up with your body, so in my head I was not a size 10 and Id still go and pick up a size 14.

Someone would say, That looks big on you, so Id pick up a 10 and think, Oh my God it fits! As a size 16 I was still wearing a size 22!

Four people who have really benefited from Leannes weight loss are her children.

My kids love it, she said. They used to play a game where they would measure my waist by hugging me. Now they can touch their hands around me, whereas when I was big, they couldnt do that.

My consultant, Nikki, is fantastic. Its not a quick fix, its a lifestyle change and she has been there for me every step of the way.

Now I want other obese people to stop being miserable by following in my footsteps and losing weight. If I can do it then anyone can.

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Size 24 mum who was 'ashamed' of her weight loses eight stone - Nottinghamshire Live

Illustration by Adam De Souza

This week, First Person features the joys and the sorrows of mothering.

First Person is a daily personal piece submitted by readers. Have a story to tell? See our guidelines at tgam.ca/essayguide.

Its been a year and a bit since we almost lost my daughter in a freak accident while on vacation. I used to think the term lost was more appropriate for something you leave in the mall or misplaced keys. You lose teeth, you lose confidence, you lose weight, but a person? Far too precious for such a word.

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The Oxford English Dictionary definition perfectly describes the vast emptiness that would have ensued had things turned out differently for us in Mexico: "lost: unable to find ones way; not knowing ones whereabouts or denoting something that has been taken away or cannot be recovered.

The trip was a much-needed getaway a couple of years ago over the Christmas holiday. We were burnt out from work and school and sports and the normal dramas that come from having three smart and spirited children aged 7, 9 and 11. The bitter cold of our local hockey arena was getting to us all and we finally scheduled some time away with my in-laws and sister-in-law to reconnect. We werent looking to do more than lie on the beach, read, sleep, swim and drink tequila. But what was supposed to be a resort vacation just outside of Cancun turned into our living nightmare.

It was a beautiful sunny day, the kind of day where you never think these things could happen to you. It still feels like it happened to somebody else.

The hotel offered a variety of water sports including hour-long rides on small sailboats guided by a local. There was not space for all of us and so we encouraged our kids to hop on and enjoy some time with their grandfather and aunt. As my husband and I sauntered back to the pool to relax, I turned to him and said I had a bad feeling about this. He rolled his eyes and asked me what could possibly go wrong.

The details of how it happened are unimportant, but they led to my middle daughter being hit in the head with the mast and knocked unconscious. Her skull was shattered and a piece of the skull pierced her brain.

I will never forget the hysterical hotel guest who came to the pool to find us. I will never forget sprinting to the beach to find my daughter on the shore, having been brought in by Jet Ski on her aunts lap by a kind passerby. She gained consciousness and was eerily calm while so many of us were not. I will never forget Mexican lifeguards who spoke no English running around trying to help us. I will never forget trying to communicate with them to call an ambulance and gesturing for them to stop touching her. I will never forget the nice American who ran to get his brother, a doctor who spoke English who told me what to ask when we got to the hospital.

I will never forget walking through the resort in my wet bathing suit beside my daughter, now in a neckbrace and lying on a bodyboard, to reach the ambulance waiting at the gates. I will never forget the ambulance ride to the hospital, playing I Spy and the Alphabet Game in hopes that she wouldnt slip out of consciousness.

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After 45 minutes, we arrived at the hospital. Everything moved very quickly. A CT scan, then a conversation with the doctor in the hallway hallway conversations are never good. She needed emergency surgery to remove that piece of skull lodged in her brain. It was risky.

I will never forget the anesthesiologist who showed up on a Harley Davidson in full leather gear. I remember my husband being calm and asking all the right questions and getting on the phone with the insurance company, and our doctor friends at home. While he took care of business, I stayed with my daughter as the staff prepped for surgery and tried to keep her calm. I didnt cry. I smiled. I wanted her to be calm and it took every ounce of strength and I had to be focused for her. Then I waved goodbye and blew her a kiss and told her I would see her soon and that I loved her.

We were told that the surgery would be about three hours, I remember every second so vividly but, at the same time, remember nothing of what happened in that time. I remember irrationally not wanting to go outside for some fresh air because I needed to be right outside the door of the operating room. I walked up and down the halls until I was exhausted, and all I could do was sit with my head in my lap in the middle of the hallway. I was still wearing a wet bathing suit.

I will never forget the moment when the neurosurgeon came out to tell us that her surgery had been a success and that she was okay. I will never forget seeing her wake up in the recovery room, head half shaved and a zillion tubes coming out of her. I gave a little thank you to God when she opened her eyes, and will never forget that the first words out of her mouth were, Mom, whose clothes are you wearing?

The ICU was colder than our local hockey arena, and my husband had scrounged up a few things to wear so I could get out of that bathing suit.

It has been a year and a half since we almost lost our daughter, and we are forever changed. We have fought through more surgery, endless doctors appointments, months home from school and an encyclopedia of side effects from a variety of medications. Today, my daughter is well. She has survived the unthinkable and her now 10-year-old brain is not your typical 10-year-old brain. She is mature and insightful and self-aware and thankful. I am, too.

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I will never forget that day, that week, that vacation, but it hasnt stopped our family from heading off again. Well continue to jump in with two feet to all of the opportunities that life offers us. I will never forget almost losing a child but I intend to celebrate that we are all here and we are well. We may even go sailing.

Jessica Yaffe lives in Montreal.

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All my mom instincts kicked in the day my daughter nearly died - The Globe and Mail

All pain is not unto death. On the contrary, it is there to make you better, stronger and wiser.

You may ask, How do I know which pain is meant for my good and not harm?

When the pain is not unto death. By no means am I suggesting enduring physical, emotional and verbal abuse. On the contrary, run for your life. That type of pain surely is unto death, either a physical or psychological loss of life.

In some ways, the pain I am speaking of can be called exercising rather than pain. We could even call it resistance-based results. These types of pain are not meant to harm but to benefit us and glorify God. These types of pain require physical and spiritual strength, confident faith in our bodies and the Lord, and to persevere, mental and godly insight.

Pain from exercising holds tremendous benefits. Most recently, my neighbors and I attempted a new biking route. The last two weeks, I have not made it up a particular hill. Once my thighs start hurting and burning, I stop, get off my bike and push it up the hill. I was so disappointed in myself.

As I walked up the hill pushing my bike, I thought: Lisa, you have got to ignore the pain in order to get up this hill. This hill is not meant to harm you. This pain will not kill you but will strengthen you.

In some areas of my life, enduring the pain of getting over the hill serves as an emotional healing as well as a physical accomplishment.

Im grateful for 2 Corinthians 4:16, which reads: Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly, we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

From an outward perspective, it may seem this hill is getting the best of me. Indeed, this hill is as much a spiritual and mental feat as it is a physical one.

Paul wrote: I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:27 NLT).

Paul encourages us to discipline ourselves. Some versions read batter or strike a blow to the body. Strongs Greek Concordance defines discipline as to annoy or subdue. To discipline our bodiesour fleshthrough exercise is annoying.

In a similar manner, to read and act upon the word of God is an annoyance to our flesh. Because our flesh holds no good thingincluding no good thoughts, emotions, feelings and willit must be subdued and annoyed by physical and spiritual exercise.

Exercising our spiritual muscles provides us the opportunity to be faith-full athletes. It is a good thing to deal my body a powerful blow of physical pain through riding up a hill. Spiritually, speaking, a hill is a holy place where Gods glory is experienced (Psalm 24:3).

The pain of resistance-based results through weight training will not last forever, but the benefits are lasting. Despite the pain of a 45-minute to an hour workout at the gym, I walked out feeling like a million bucks.

I experienced this euphoric feeling becausewith the help of the LordI made it through another workout, I overcame the fear of what my trainer planned for the day, and I thought eternally, thereby doing what was infinitely better instead of enjoying a temporary sleep-in.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17 KJV).

As Paul reminds us, it is not that our afflictions are light. My gym weights certainly were not light. It is that the pain passes and sometimes quickly, unlike the eternal weight of glory, which remains forever, firm and stable.

Resistance-based pain is not unto death but brings about positive results. Spiritual weight or pain works for our good, as well. How do we know when it is spiritual weight or pain?

One, remember this pain will not lead to a physical, emotional or mental death.

Two, if we are open and listening, God is faithful to send us a word to keep us going, inspired and hopeful.

Ignore the pain; it will help, not harm.

Lisa M. Rainey, Ph.D., is an experienced educator. She and her husband, Daniel, are members of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield, Texas. The views expressed are those solely of the author.

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Voices: Ignore the pain. It holds a great reward. - Baptist Standard

Image Credit: Pexels

Dubai: The month of Ramadan provides a unique opportunity to reconnect with our bodies, as well as our minds and our faith. When performed mindfully, fasting can create many lasting health benefits and create a natural detox. Gulf News speaks to Dr Ryan Penny, a Homeopathic Practitioner at The Hundred Wellness Centre, and Farah Hillou a licenced nutritionist, registered dietician and a certified practitioner of functional nutrition.

Both give tips for a healthy and revitalising Ramadan.

Exercise while fasting if you want to burn more calories

Ryan: Movement can change your mindset and give your mood a boost. Try to commit to a 30 to 60-minute slow walk just before Iftar. Low intensity exercises are recommended before breaking your fast as they reduce the risk of injury, allow you to burn fat in a fasted state and provide an excellent distraction. But if you want more of an intense training, it is best to wait approximately two hours after iftar for high intensity exercises such as weight training or cardio, so that you can safely digest first.

Is it possible to lose weight in Ramadan?

Ryan: If you are currently trying to lose weight, Ramadan doesnt have to cause a pause in your regime. Try to end your fast with a large glass of water alongside some watermelon or berries. Fruits with a high-water content fill your stomach quickly, which will reduce your hunger and allow you to make healthier choices for the rest of your meal.

Farah: Over-eating is very common, and its important that we stop eating when we are 80 per cent full. We also need to be mindful about chewing food thoroughly.

Eat iftar like this

Ryan: For iftar, start with something light such as a few dates, a salad or a soup. Dates can help balance the blood sugar levels after a day of fasting and stop you from overeating. Make sure you are drinking enough water; it is so important to keep your hydration levels as high as possible.

Farah: Always dates for a burst of energy, followed by room temperature water, a small bowl of soup (usually vegetable or lentil), and then salad (a bread-less fattoush for me). This is usually followed by a saucy stew prepared with mixed vegetables, a source of protein like meat or chicken, and a controlled portion of rice or legumes.

Is meal prepping the solution?

Farah:Planning and preparing your meals beforehand can really save on time and energy.Knowing in advance what will be served for iftar and suhoor can be a relief particularly when several dishes are prepared and there is limited time. Cooking the day before or on weekends greatly helps. Writing down the menu helps envision it and pin-points any missing important key foods or nutrients like more vegetables.

Have a well-balanced suhoor

Ryan: Have a smoothie for suhoor. Smoothies and shakes provide an excellent option for suhoor, as they can be prepared the night before and stored in the fridge to grab when you wake up. Add protein powder, which helps you feel fuller for longer, as well as banana, avocado, berries or peanut butter. The blend of protein, carbohydrates and fat will provide a balanced meal to set you up for the day.

Farah: Or make energy balls instead. I often go for a few energy balls that Ive prepared earlier (with dates, nuts, nut butter, seeds) - or a fruit (banana/berries) with a handful of nuts (almonds/walnuts) - or a slice of wholegrain gluten free toast with hummus and chopped vegetables - or gluten free oats with almond milk, almond butter, pumpkin seeds and fruit.

Consider taking supplements

Ryan: In order to keep your body and immune system in the best possible condition while fasting, it might be helpful to take some supplements and vitamins alongside your daily meals.

With iftar, take enzymes, peppermint oil, ginger or psyllium to support digestion and absorption and reduce bloating. Take an immunomodulator with your evening meal, which supports optimal immune function, strengthening the body against disease causing agents such as viruses, bacteria and fungi.

At suhoor, consider a natural multivitamin with minerals that will further benefit your health.

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Ramadan 2020: 9 simple tips to a healthier Ramadan that actually work - Gulf News

27 April 2020, 16:30

The former I'm A Celebrity contestant has shed the pounds in recent years, but how did she do it?

The Chase star Anne Hegerty has opened up about how her weight loss has boosted her confidence and helped her with her dating life.

TV brainiac Anne, 51, has previously opened up about how dating with her diagnosis of Aspergers syndrome has been a struggle in the past for her.

However, her weight loss has helped her build the confidence re-enter the dating scene.

Back in 2018, Anne appeared on I'm A Celeb, and it's well known that all of the campmates tend to lose a significant amount of weight during their period down under.

This is down to them merely surviving on a diet of rice and beans, with the occasional treat.

Anne has revealed that this experience really helped kick-start her weight loss after she lost a whopping three stone in just three weeks.

Following her stint in the jungle, she appeared on This Morning and told Philip Schofield and Rochelle Humes that she believed that the lack of salt in her diet on the show helped her shed the pounds.

A source told The Sun: What the celebs are eating is very healthy.

From veg to meat protein and fish and that is absorbed quickly by the body.

"The weight loss doesnt do any permanent damage, and most pile it back on within three weeks.

The celebs see it as a detox, although at the same time it is very difficult as they have nothing to distract them from the hunger.

Speaking about her newfound confidence to The Sun, Anne revealed: It took years of psychotherapy before I even considered dating.

I lost weight, replaced my glasses with contact lenses and felt a lot more confident.

But I find it really hard to hold down a relationship.

More:
Anne Hegerty weight loss: how The Chase star lost 3 stone - Heart

LifestyleFood and DrinkAs the story of Weight Watchers founder Jean Nidetch is told is a new biography, Sophie Morris reflects on where her movement has taken us

Tuesday, 28th April 2020, 2:17 pm

Im keeping track of lots of small things at the moment. Checking off minutiae seems one way of grasping at the weeks flying by in this life of lockdown. I know many others are keeping journals or counting steps or eating dinner as a family at the same time every evening, where before they nurtured a relaxed or disinterested approach to any such ritual. But while I track my hours of sleep, ponder my units of alcohol, and shake myself awake if I spot a cul-de-sac of despondency ahead, I am content at the one thing I am not counting: calories.

When people say diets dont work - something that my 35-plus years of experience tells me is accurate - what they really mean is that diets dont work unless you stay on them. For ever. Your whole life. Thats how Jean Nidetch, the Brooklyn-born founder of Weight Watchers who died aged 91 in 2015, managed it.

She had a public image as the figurehead of a global weight-loss corporation to maintain. She lost more than 70lb in the early 60s, started a support group for friends who also wanted to lose weight, and transformed herself from plump housewife to glamorous celebrity.

Most remarkably, she achieved something very, very few people do. She kept the weight off. More or less.

Of course, I can tell you that we can say, 'the hell with it, were going to be how we are, and we dont care'," Nidetch once said. "But deep down, there is a part of every fat person that does care its a pose, a pretence based on denial."

I read this quote in This Is Big, a new biography of Nidetch that is also an examination of the author Marisa Meltzers own relationship with dieting and her body. Nidetch is no longer here to respond, but her view is increasingly outdated.

The modern view of dieting culture

Today we live in bodies that might be fat and also healthy. We are at least partly aware that our reverence for thin is the creation of companies such as Weight Watchers that peddle hope. But as body positivity grows, so does our obsession with attaining narrow ideals of beauty.

Whether you call it dieting, clean eating or wellbeing, the weight-loss industry is worth more than 2bn in the UK alone. Meanwhile, in 2015, 63 per cent of English adults and 28 per cent of children were overweight or obese. The cost to the NHS is over 6bn a year, and 27bn to wider society.

Meltzer began dieting as a pre-schooler, as did I, and went to her first Weight Watchers meetings with her mother, as did I. We have both spent most of our lives if not actually on one completely pointless diet or another, then wishing we were on one, or were able to stick to one. Except that I have been clean for a decade.

I am now above all this. I see the damage and manipulation and wholesale abuse wrought by diet culture on fallible human beings, and I want no part of it.

My cure began with giving up diet foods. There are only full-fat products in my fridge. Twenty years on from having eaten one, I remain offended that Weight Watchers called the compacted sawdust rusks they sold at meetings cookies. This is the kind of snack that pokes fun at your craving and chips out a hole in your stomach and heart the size of the rest of the pack of cookies, topped off with a pile of jammy dodgers and a tub of Ben & Jerrys.

A brief history of Weight Watchers

The group approach

Group therapy, as used by Weight Watchers, is used and praised in all sorts of settings. At its core, writes Meltzer, Jeans group was about giving women a place to listen to and support each other.

She decided to find a Weight Watchers group and to give herself a year on the programme, approaching it in, hopefully, a wiser way than she had her many previous, costly interactions with the industry. Every diet is a promise that if you change your weight, youll change your life. What did transformation mean to me after all these years of chasing one?

When you think about how famous Weight Watchers is, the chain of familiarity that led me to write this article looks more causal than coincidental. I recognised something of myself in Meltzer, just as she found common ground with Nidetch, despite her early assumption the dieting queen was the she-devil to blame for Meltzers own tortured history.

Enjoying food shouldn't feel like a sin

The comedian Jessica Fostekew hosts a podcast about the enjoyment of eating, called Hoovering. Her current tour, Hench (now on hold), explores the power she has found in becoming physically strong while rejecting her own history of dieting.

The night I see the show, Fostekew is heckled by a Slimming World fan, so I call her to find out how her zip-bustingly funny turn about female strength also addressed dieting.

She admits to having only recently stopped wishing she was thin. When a therapist asked her a few years ago, before she began Hoovering, how she was with food, I honestly felt like shed asked me to get undressed. Today, Fostekew appears before audiences in a bra and a see-through top.

Earlier this year I went to a very nice hotel with my mother and sisters. When, in its restaurant, each of us was offered a second slice of bread, the three of them gave the same reply: Oh no. I mustnt. I shouldnt. Oh, go on then. Ill take that small one. Maybe the waiter wondered why we didnt all take 10 slices given what we were paying for it. He certainly wasnt interested in our carb shame.

Greed of almost every kind is rewarded in our society, but physical hunger, which often verges on the greedy, is demonised. Why cant we put our hands up and say, I love eating? asks Fostekew.

As for me, well I didnt need a second slice of that fresh ciabatta oozing with garlic oil. My stance that diets dont work, and make you fat, stands. But the reality is Im mid-relapse with an online dieting app thingy called Noom.

Digital dieting

Noom claims to create long-term results through habit and behaviour change, not restrictive dieting. Therefore I was furious when I paid up and found myself with 1,200 calories to spend each day and the requirement that I track every mouthful. I remained furious for months. But I returned to the app each morning, unsure what else to do as my pyjama waistband dug further into my c-section scar.

I read the cheery posts on exercise and positive thinking, absorbed the subliminal messaging, and grimaced only to myself when my virtual coach suggested I swap glasses of wine for herbal teas. I stopped reading it when lockdown hit.

Nine months in, as Noom promised, the weight hasnt returned. Im guiltily aware that last sentence will smell like a calorie-free Christmas to any lapsed dieter. My sincerest apologies. Ive enjoyed my decade of freedom, and Im well past all the bad stuff. I dont skip meals or deny myself puddings or starve or vomit. When I see people doing any of these things, I feel immense pity for them.

Its all about the food for me. Making it. Eating it. Writing about it. Planning it. Shopping for it. Dreaming about it. I am able to see all of the desirable, indulgent, life-giving and lusty things about food.

The desire to be thin, though, will never leave me. I see you, positivity movement. I rate you. But when you have grown up in a world that reveres slimness as saintliness, its hard to fully buy into you.

The admission of this conflict is one of the many things I like about This Is Big. I wanted to lose weight without losing myself, Meltzer writes. We were supposed to cultivate a healthy sense of wellbeing [at the WW group she attends] but we lived in a world where being fat was looked down upon, and those myriad stigmas affected wellbeing too. US studies show these stigmas stretch to doctors failing their overweight patients by finding them annoying, a waste of time and not referring them for diagnostic tests.

'Peace is not blind capitulation to dieting culture or fat-acceptance culture'

The hour I spend watching the recent BBC Horizon show The Restaurant that Burns off Calories is time I can never be compensated enough for. One half of the restaurant, created for the show, feeds gastropub favourites to happy diners, and in the other groups of fitness addicts work off every calorie eaten.

The nutritional science is explained in a manner surely aimed at five-year-olds, only I would never show a five-year-old such offensive and potentially damaging material. It entirely misses the point of food, and of eating out. If youre only thinking about working off the calories while eating your fish and chips, it will never meet your hunger.

At the end of her year with Weight Watchers, is Meltzer still hungry? Peace is not blind capitulation to dieting culture or fat-acceptance culture, she finds. I am just beginning to understand that I will always live in that paradox. If I can find greater happiness with what I choose to eat and how much I weigh, imagine what I could do when applying it to the rest of my life.

The truth is, my outlook has changed for the better since losing 6kg on Noom. I have five pairs of jeans to choose from, when for a year I had one. Dieting remains evil, but we all need to find a body we can put on with pride each morning. Obesity is a social issue we must work on.

However, I would like to lose another 6kg, and this is where things get tricky. Its not only that losing weight gets harder, though it does. Its the parts of you that you have to give sacrifice to the hollow dream.

I didnt eat chocolate for six months because Noom (it is a very clever app, believe me) brainwashed me into thinking I didnt want it. At the time, I genuinely mourned it. But I do want chocolate, and Ive welcomed it back into my life.Its just a shame I cant wipe from my brain the number of calories in every square I snap off.

See the article here:
I've been dieting most of my life Weight Watchers gave us a world that's worse for its manipulations - iNews

POPSUGAR Photography / Kathryna Hancock Photographer: Kathryna HancockProduct Credit: Stella McCartney jacket, Off-White pantRestrictions: Editorial and internal use only. No advertising, no print.

Losing belly fat can seem like a near-impossible feat. Although there are detox teas and wraps that promise to flatten your belly, these quick fixes won't work. But you can't spot-target fat loss with exercise alone, either; no matter how many crunches you do or how many five-minute planks you hold, your belly fat won't magically go away.

The good news is, you can torch belly fat and lose some inches around your waist if you work hard and work smart. You could even see results in a matter of weeks.

"Reduction in waist circumference can be seen in as little as two weeks," personal trainer and registered dietitian Jim White, owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios, told POPSUGAR. "Although the rate at which inches are lost depends on the person, with increased activity and calorie reduction, it is possible to see noticeable differences in your waistline."

As far as the numbers go, Jim said you have to eat at a 500-calorie deficit each day to lose a pound a week (one pound of fat equals 3,500 calories). Just be sure you're eating at least 1,200 calories a day to keep your body and brain functioning properly. If you are losing weight with a calorie deficit and exercise, you may also be increasing muscle mass while you lose fat, so the scale would not be the best way to measure your progress. Instead, Jim recommends measuring your waist circumference to track fat-loss progress.

Video: Why this wont help you lose weight (Provided by Buzz60)

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"A larger waist circumference is an indicator for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure," Jim said. "It is possible to lose inches from your waistline within two weeks of beginning a diet and exercise program, with the caveat that those with more abdominal fat will see larger decreases more quickly."

In terms of exercise, he recommends a combination of aerobic exercise, particularly high-intensity aerobic exercise, and strength training. One of the best forms of exercise to target belly fat is Tabata, a style of HIIT exercise that involves 20 seconds of intense work followed by 10 seconds of rest.

With the combination of exercise and nutrition, you will start to see results. Just be sure you are measuring your waist and not just paying attention to the scale.

"Those on a weight-loss plan who focus on both nutrition and fitness have been shown to reduce belly fat quicker than those who only focus on fitness or only focus on nutrition," David Chesworth, certified personal trainer and wellness coach, told POPSUGAR.

Slideshow: Healthy and inexpensive ways you can de-stress at home (Provided by PopSugar)

Originally posted here:
Here's How Long It Takes For You to Actually Lose Belly Fat - It's Faster Than You Think - msnNOW

The Chase Anne Hegerty returns in a new spinoff show tonight called Beat The Chasers. Here we reveal how the TV star managed to lose 3st in three weeks

Tonight quiz show star Anne Hegerty will appear on our screens in The Chase spinoff show Beat The Chasers.

Its impossible not to notice that Anne, as well as fellow Chaser Mark Labbett, has lost a huge amount of weight.

Anne, who is known on the show as The Governess, achieved an incredible 3st weight loss in just three weeks.

Her weight loss has helped Anne, who is diagnosed with Asperbergers syndrome, find the confidence to look for love again.

She revealed that she struggled to date in the past.

Here we take a closer look at how Anne managed to lose weight.

What really spurred on Annes weight loss was appearing on Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! in 2018.

There she lived off a basic diet of rice and beans, with the odd bit of meat and vegetables.

She lost a whopping 3st in just three weeks.

On the ITV reality show contestants have to compete in challenges to be able to win food for camp.

A source told The Sun: What the celebs are eating is very healthy, from veg to meat protein and fish and that is absorbed quickly by the body.

The weight loss doesnt do any permanent damage, and most pile it back on within three weeks, especially in the build up to Christmas.

The celebs see it as a detox, although at the same time it is very difficult as they have nothing to distract them from the hunger.

She explained to Philip Schofield and Rochelle Humes on ITVs This Morning that she believes it was the lack of salt in her diet that made her lose weight.

Speaking about her newfound confidence to The Sun, she said: It took years of psychotherapy before I even considered dating.

I lost weight, replaced my glasses with contact lenses and felt a lot more confident.

But I find it really hard to hold down a relationship.

Follow this link:
Anne Hegerty weight loss: How Beat The Chasers' The Governess dropped 3st - Brinkwire

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