Mindfulness 'has huge potential' as a weight loss strategy

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New evidence supports the idea that mindfulness techniques can enhance and facilitate weight loss efforts by encouraging better eating habits.



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December 30, 2018 at 07:08AM

This Fitness Coach Shared a Bare-Naked Photo After Losing 100 Pounds

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Mallory King is a pillar of body positivity. Her Instagram account is comprised of snapshots of her motivational tweets ("The scale is not the problem, you giving it so much power over your happiness is" she recently posted) and #nofilter pictures to document and celebrate body acceptance. Whether it’s about physical or mental health, King is all about transparency with her followers.

So naturally, the fitness and nutrition coach recently took to Instagram to share a personal photo of herself along with a message reminding us that “you can learn to love yourself at any size.” In the photo, King is pictured sitting on her bed completely bare, smiling away from the camera. She looks happy, comfortable, and real.

King explained that she “weighed around 20 lbs more” in the photo than she does currently. She asked, “Now that I’ve lost 20 lbs, do I love myself more? No. Do I feel more confident? No. Do I feel better? Well, yes.”

RELATED: 10 Body-Positivity Moments of 2018 That Were Major Wins for All Women

King said that while her weight loss makes it easier to exercise and run around with her son, Marshall, “my size doesn’t dictate my relationship with myself. I loved myself then just as much as I do now.” 

After struggling with her weight since the fourth grade and shedding 100 pounds over two years, King has had some experience nurturing the relationship between her mind and body. “You can get to a place where your worth is based on who you are, not what you look like. You’re allowed to want to lose weight. You’re allowed to not want to lose weight… you’re allowed to love yourself through it all,” she wrote. That's a message everyone can embrace no matter where they are on their health and wellness journey.

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December 28, 2018 at 12:38PM

How the Keto Diet Transformed Jen Widerstrom's Body In 17 Days

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This whole keto diet experiment started as a joke. I'm a fitness professional, I've written a whole book (Diet Right for Your Personality Type) about healthy eating, and I have a clear understanding of and belief system for how I think people should eat, and how I think they can find success—whether that's weight loss, strength gain, and so on. And the basis of that is clear: One size does not fit all.

But my buddy, powerlifter Mark Bell, kept trying to convince me to do the keto diet. I kind of wanted to give him the middle finger, and say, "whatever, Mark!" But as a fitness pro, I felt like my personal testimony was important: I couldn't speak intelligently about this diet (either in support of or against it) without trying it myself. So, I decided to give the keto diet a try. It was basically a dare—nothing super serious.

RELATED: 10 Keto-Friendly Vegetables You Should Eat More Of

Then, something very unexpected happened: I went to take a "Day 1" photo, and my immediate reaction was, "What?! That's not me." There's been a lot of stress in my life over the last six months: a move, a new job, a breakup, health concerns. I've had a lot going on, and I don't think I realized how much I was subliminally turning to very unhealthy habits to cope: drinking more, eating comfort food. I was making fun pasta dishes four nights a week, and not a small serving. I was loading my plate, putting on a rerun of The Office to make me feel better, and—let's just call it what it is—eating my feelings. To make it worse, I had a hectic schedule and was training in the gym less and less.

So I saw those before photos, and it was a kick in the teeth. Like, "Wait, this is not my body." I posted the picture and it went viral.

RELATED: What Is 'Dirty Keto' and Should You Try It?

Some people were gracious, saying, "Oh Jen, you still look beautiful" and "I would kill to look like that." But I felt it was important to share that this is exactly where it—weight gain—starts. You're in a good place, and suddenly you're up a few pounds. In my case, my weight wasn't actually that high, but I was losing muscle and gaining that bloated, distended belly, and I didn't realize it. That distended belly and loss of muscle mass turns into a soft tummy and then a 10-pound gain, and then it's 15 to 20 pounds. Before you know it, you're 50 pounds heavier and wondering, "how did I get here?" and it's really hard to get back. (And by the way, once you hit 50 pounds, it turns into 150 really easily. That's how slippery the slope gets.) It's not that I think I'm fat—but it's knowing my body and knowing that something was wrong.

After I saw those photos, I decided to take keto really seriously. Yeah, I wanted to understand the keto diet, but I also really wanted to get a grip on my life.

RELATED: Jenna Jameson on How the Keto Diet Has Changed Her Face: ‘It’s As If I’ve Turned Back the Clock’

Starting the Keto Diet

The first morning, I woke up and went to work at Daily Blast Live, and there were some of the best cinnamon rolls in town. That's like one of my favorite foods ever.

I could've just said, "I'll start at noon!" but I didn't. I woke up that morning and committed: I was going to stay on the keto diet for 17 days, until the end of the Shape Goal-Crushing Challenge.

That first day, I already felt better because, mentally, I knew I was doing something to take care of my body. I had a new purpose in my day and it kept me feeling very connected to a better Jen. My work ethic, my whole outlook changed. So even though, physically, Day 1 brought some headaches, grogginess, and digestion issues, I already felt better.

By Day 4, my digestion figured itself out and my headaches went away. I had consistent energy, I was sleeping great, my body felt clean as a whistle. I never felt a crash or cravings. For the rest of the keto challenge, I was excited about sticking to it and getting creative with my keto meals. I made my own meat sauce to put on spaghetti squash, I whipped up a really fun vegetable chicken stew with bone broth. I liked how keto was forcing me to think outside the box with food. Not to mention, I was only eating protein, healthy fats, and vegetables—and I felt really, really good.

RELATED: 13 Keto Breakfast Recipes That People Are Loving on Pinterest

Confession: I got some green grapes at the market on my first day, and I had seven or eight of them each day as a little treat. No, they're not totally keto, but it was natural sugar, and I knew I needed a little something, because that something is what kept me on track the rest of the time. And I've gotta tell you—a grape never tasted so good.

One night I went out and had some martinis (basically the closest thing to a keto cocktail). When I got home, I was hanging with my dog Hank, and remembered that I had some roasted cauliflower in the fridge. Normally, after a night out, I'd head to my go-to pizza place a block away. Instead, I heated up some cauliflower and it was so good. I woke up feeling great, versus bloated.

RELATED: The Keto Diet Is Super Hard—These 3 Variations Are Much Easier to Follow

Vegetables became my main snack. It's so easy to overdo it with the healthy fats (I found myself constantly reaching for nuts and avocado). Instead, I went to Trader Joe's and stocked up on all their pre-cut veggies: carrots, snap peas, jicama, baby zucchini, celery, red peppers. I had to switch to a bigger purse to carry all my snacks.

I also started drinking my coffee black or having this keto coffee with protein, collagen, and cacao butter, and it's better than Starbucks. (Check out Jen's keto coffee recipe these other low-carb keto drinks.)

My Keto Takeaways

I was shocked with how fast my body responded in those 17 days. I can't tell you for sure that I was in ketogenesis, so I can't give keto the credit, because I don't think I actually hit that point. Ketogenesis takes a long time to achieve. (Here's the science behind the keto diet and how it helps you burn fat.) I do think I cut a lot of bullshit out of my nutrition and rewarded my body with vegetables and quality meats and quality fats.

I also don't think I realized how much I needed the boundaries. Discipline is one of the hardest parts of going keto, but it was also one of the greatest assets of the diet. There are no question marks. I knew what was allowed, and I liked that clear boundary. I felt really grateful to know exactly where I stood with my food and my fuel.

My training schedule got more consistent too; I also started doing yoga and working one body part each day while weightlifting. I went from working out once or twice a week to four solid workouts each week.

I'll definitely keep the vegetable snacks and avoid added sugar as much as possible. The way I look at food has changed. I used to order a turkey sub with extra mayo for lunch without thinking twice. I thought: "I'm fit, I can handle it." And, frankly, that's what we all think... and then we buy a bigger pair of pants and a looser shirt, and we don't realize that we're just not paying attention to our bodies.

That being said, if I go to Chicago, I'm going to have a slice of pizza. I'll limit added sugar to unique occasions. I'll probably add in a bit of starch after my workouts, but other than that, I've really adopted a lot from the keto diet.

Trying the keto diet has allowed me to pay greater attention to what I'm eating and how I'm feeling. And it's also pushed me to be more creative in the kitchen. It feels good to pull out healthy ingredients from the fridge and have more confidence making different foods. Now, I'm excited to try new things.

There's no end to getting fit or being healthy. It's an ebb and flow. I know that this is not the last time I'm going to have a hard time. The way I have moved through this experience, though, is evidence that whatever hardship comes, I'm going to get through it.

Should You Try Keto?

It's a great tool for immediate weight management, and, like I said, will help you cut a lot of B.S. from your diet. (Just read what happened when one Shape editor went keto.)

But I'll stand by what I said in the beginning: One size does not fit all. You need to do what works for your body. I really don't like to advocate nutritional programs that aren't sustainable for your life. Some people can live in that extreme, but I'm not built for that, so I chose not to. If you feel like you could do it, go for it, and listen to how your body responds. You need to do what works for your body and your personality type. (Also check out this keto meal plan for beginners to see if you're up for it.)

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This article originally appeared on Shape.com

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December 28, 2018 at 12:38PM

How to Figure Out Exactly How Many Calories You Need to Lose Weight, According to a Nutritionist

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‘Tis the season for New Year’s resolutions, and that means many of us will be vowing to save more money, get enough sleep, and, you guessed it, get healthier by losing some weight. Shedding extra pounds is always a top resolution shared by millions of people. If it's yours too, one question is likely running through your mind: How many calories should I actually take in every day to lose weight?

On average, a moderately active woman between ages 26 and 50 should get about 2,000 calories per day to maintain a healthy weight, according to the USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans. But when it comes to weight loss, calories aren’t a one-size-fits-all thing. How many to consume depends on factors like your age, height, sex, and activity level.

If you’ve Googled this question, you’ve probably seen weight loss websites or apps that use a formula taking these variables into account. After you've entered your personal data, voila—it spits back the magic number of calories you need daily to reach your desired weight. Sound to good to be true? Health contributing nutrition editor Cynthia Sass says it probably is.

RELATED: Do You Really Burn More Calories On a Low-Carb Diet? Here's What Our Nutritionist Thinks

When you sign up with a weight-loss app like MyFitnessPal, for example, you’ll be asked a number of specific questions to help the app set goals for you: your current weight, height, goal weight, sex, age, activity level, and the speed at which you want to lose weight (anywhere from one half to two pounds per week).

Sass says that the formula most of these apps use calculates how many calories you need to maintain your current weight, and then subtracts 500 calories per day if you want to lose one pound per week (or subtracts 1,000 per day if you want to lose two pounds per week). If you think that sounds like huge number of calories will be cut from your daily meal plan, you’re right. “The problem with that is it will often take you lower than you need to get to and stay at your ideal weight,” she says.

The idea behind this formula is that 3,500 calories equals one pound, meaning if you cut 500 calories each day for seven days, you’ll create a 3,500 calorie deficit, and in turn lose one pound. “There are all kinds of problems with that,” Sass says. “If you take someone below the number of calories needed to get to their healthy weight or their goal weight, they may slow down their metabolism, lose muscle tissue or lean tissue, and have other side effects, like intense cravings or hunger, irritability, mood swings.”

RELATED: Weighing Yourself This Many Times a Day Could Actually Help You Lose Weight

So how can you determine how many calories you actually need to lose weight without hurting your health? Sass has a hack: Instead of entering your current weight and your goal weight into the app or formula, enter your goal weight in the box that asks for your current weight, and check "maintain current weight" as your goal instead of "lose one pound per week." For example, if you weigh 150 pounds but you want to weigh 130, enter your current weight as 130, and your goal as "maintain current weight."

“That will give you the number of calories needed to get to and stay at 130,” she says, “and you’ll never undercut your needs or create all of those other side effects.” 

We tried this approach on MyFitnessPal, first entering a 150 pound current weight and a 130 pound goal weight for a 35-year-old, lightly active woman who exercises 4 times a week for 60 minutes each. We marked her goal as "lose 1 pound per week." The app then suggested she eat 1,400 calories per day to reach her goal. Next, we entered the same information, but we said the woman's current weight was 130 pounds and her goal was to 'maintain current weight.' Her daily calorie allowance came out to 1,780. That's a huge difference. 

RELATED: These Are the 10 Diets Everyone Tried in 2018, According to Google

Sure, this approach will have you losing weight a little slower than if you were cutting 500 calories per day, but it's unlikely you'll mess up your metabolism, burn muscle, or experience mood changes like irritability. Plus, cutting 500 calories per day isn’t sustainable for most people. You’ll likely get so hungry or fatigued at some point, you'll have to increase your calorie intake...which could make you gain the weight right back.

Though consuming the number of calories needed to maintain your goal weight is Sass’s preferred method when it comes to tracking your intake, she's adamant that counting calories isn’t for everyone. “You have to know your personality,” she says. “Some people are very data driven, and they like using numbers and trackers, and they can simply look at that as data. Other people who have a more emotional relationship with their bodies and numbers and feel anxiety around counting, and it can actually be overwhelming.”

Never force yourself to track calories if it causes you too much stress. Sass says it could end up being counterproductive and drive you to overeat out of frustration or totally give up on your goal. When it becomes all-consuming, it can even trigger a surge in levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which has been shown to increase belly fat, she adds.

RELATED: You Burn the Most Calories at This Time of Day, New Study Shows

Luckily, if tracking your food intake isn't your thing, there are plenty of other ways to reduce your calorie intake, such as focusing on portion size instead of calories. For example, increasing your portions of non-starchy veggies, like spinach, broccoli, and mushrooms while decreasing your portions of starches, such as brown rice, quinoa, and sweet potatoes, will automatically reduce your calorie intake, Sass says.

Some people might also want to try using a tracker just at the beginning to get a feel for what it would be like to eat a healthy number of calories for their goal weight. Sass says she’s had patients who didn’t think they were overeating, but in reality, they were 400 or 500 calories over where they needed to be. 

One more thing to remember: Not all calories are created equal. If you’re hitting your daily calorie goal but you’re eating fast food all day every day, you might lose some weight, but you won’t feel good doing it. If you want to lose weight and get healthier doing it, whole foods are the way to go.

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December 27, 2018 at 03:04PM

Jenna Jameson Shares the One Trick That Helped Her Stay Keto During the Holidays

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Jenna Jameson knows that the holidays can be hard for dieters, so she’s offering a few tips on how to maintain a ketogenic diet during the festivities.

The former adult film star — who has lost 80 lbs. by following the popular low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein diet — shared her advice on Instagram along with side-by-side photos of her body transformation.

“The holidays are such a tricky time when it comes to staying on track,” she started. “With family visiting and having no clue what #keto is and all too willing to try to talk you into mashed potatoes and grandmas cheesecake, it’s SO easy to fall off the #ketodiet.”

RELATED: Jenna Jameson Just Revealed the Most Unexpected Thing About Her Weight Loss Journey

“I suggest meal prepping!” Jameson continued. “It’s not exciting, but trust in fact, you will be so elated when you power through the holidays staying in #ketosis.”

Still, Jameson said satiating a sweet tooth can be healthy in the long run.

“But let me say this… sometimes allowing yourself to indulge is important,” she explained. “When you feel constantly deprived… it can lead to major week long derailments! So have fun, allow a treat here or there but most of all treasure the time spent with your loved ones!”

RELATED: Jenna Jameson on How the Keto Diet Has Changed Her Face: ‘It’s As If I’ve Turned Back the Clock’

“Merry Christmas my loves,” Jameson concluded.

Jameson, who welcomed daughter Batel Lu in April 2017, has been open about her keto journey. In December, she observed that her face was less puffy and that her skin was clearer thanks to the diet. Later in the month, she got candid about the issues that weight loss cannot address.

RELATED: Jenna Jameson Shares What She Eats Daily on the Keto Diet: 'You Will See the Weight Drop Off'

“Weight loss doesn’t fix everything. Let’s talk,” she wrote. “Being thin wont change sadness. It won’t fix relationships. It doesn’t quiet the demons. It doesn’t make you love yourself more. It doesn’t calm anxiety. It doesn’t take away the nightmares. It doesn’t make you feel social. It doesn’t make you of service to others.”

“It is a step towards all of these things,” Jameson said. “I guess my point is don’t be afraid to take that first step. I love you.”

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December 27, 2018 at 10:33AM

Study finds link between obesity and sense of smell

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December 27, 2018 at 03:55AM

I Tried a Body-Contouring Treatment—and This Is What It Really Feels Like

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Here’s what it’s really like to get the body contouring treatment.



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December 21, 2018 at 08:08PM

7 Keto Christmas Appetizers Even Non-Dieters Will Love

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We wish you a...yummy Christmas, we wish you a yummy Christmas. It’s that time of year again, and that means you’re tasked with navigating the holidays on a low-carb diet. But it doesn’t have to be as tricky as you might think. Thanks to these superstar bloggers, we have plenty of keto-friendly Christmas recipes to make for the perfect low-carb holiday. Here, the seven best keto Christmas appetizers.

RELATED: 9 Keto Christmas Cookie Recipes Even Santa Will Love

Bacon-wrapped scallops

There’s no time to waste when it comes to cooking Christmas dinner. You have a ton of dishes to make and not a ton of time, which is why this 25-minute recipe by Pinch and Swirl is exactly what you need to add to your menu. It’s quick, easy, and seriously tasty.

Cheese and salami kebabs

Name a more delicious duo than cheese and salami...yep, we couldn’t think of one either. These kebabs by Fat For Weight Loss are so easy to make, you could practically whip them up in your sleep.

Salt and vinegar zucchini chips

So your whole family loves salt and vinegar chips, but all of those carbs in a regular bag aren’t going to cut it at your keto Christmas dinner. What do you do? You make this scrumptious recipe by Sugar-Free Mom. It’s as close as it gets to a guilt-free chip.

Sour cream and bacon deviled eggs

Deviled eggs are a holiday get-together classic, and this version by Simply Recipes takes the traditional dish to a whole new level. It calls for sour cream instead of mayonnaise, making the eggs creamy beyond compare.

BBQ bacon-wrapped smokies

When you’re entertaining keto style, bacon is sure to become a staple of your menu. Fair warning: This recipe by Ruled.me is so full of flavor, they’ve been known to get snatched up by hungry guests before the host even has a chance to try one.

Crab-stuffed mushrooms

Just when you thought stuffed mushrooms couldn’t get any better, Peas and Crayons went and added crab meat to the mix, making them totally irresistible. Everyone at the table will go crazy over these, whether they’re keto dieters or not.

Spinach artichoke dip

If there’s one thing keto loyalists and non-dieters can agree on, it’s that you can never go wrong with spinach artichoke dip. This recipe by Keto Connect is exactly what you need to complete your low-carb menu.

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December 21, 2018 at 02:37PM

This Woman's Four-Year Transformation Shows That Healthy Living Isn't a One-Way Road

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Picture this: It's January 1, 2019. A whole year is ahead of you, and this is the very first day. The possibilities are endless. So you sit down and scratch out a few resolutions because you've known for a while that you need to eat more greens, squeeze in more workouts, or whatever else is preventing you from feeling your best. And while those goals might make sense for you, it's easy to forget that actually reaching those goals takes time—a lot of it, usually. This is especially true if you're trying to alter your lifestyle in a meaningful way. Australian influencer Lucy McConnell is here to tell you just that, because she knows from experience. 

RELATED: 5 Simple Tricks to Stick to Your Weight Loss Goal

The personal trainer recently took to Instagram to share four photos of herself, taken over the past four years, to prove that the journey to healthy living is more roller coaster than one-way road.

"If I asked you to tell me in which photo I look the healthiest...In all honesty, I probably couldn't answer that myself," she wrote alongside the photos. "In fact, I don't think I've ever been at a stage where I am the 'healthiest' I could be. I'm still learning what that looks like."

McConnell continued by explaining where she was at, emotionally and physically in each photo. "In the first photo (taken in 2014) my lifestyle was one filled with binge drinking and eating," she wrote. "I was chronically inactive and turned to food during difficult times in my family life. After finishing school I had put on a lot of weight with my newer more sedentary lifestyle and the addition of nights of drinking. I was far from healthy both mentally and physically."

Fast-forward to 2017 and McConnell has lost weight, but she says there's so much more happening than meets the eye. "Photo two may look like a picture of health, however, this was the stage when I lost my menstrual cycle," she wrote. "I was without it for some time. Coupled with that my mental health suffered as a result of being completely obsessed with tracking every morsel of food that I ate, and insistence on not missing a single workout." 

RELATED: 10 Things That Mess With Your Period

In June of this year, McConnell shared that she overcame amenorrhea (when you don't get your period for a long time). "I was pushing 3000 calories a day with no formal exercise," she wrote. "Shortly after this photo, I got my first period in several years. Despite my physical health looking up, my head was in a place of complete discomfort in my appearance. I felt like I was living in someone else's body." 

RELATED: 4 Ways to Spot Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Today, McConnell says she's doing much better and feels the best she has in years. "The last photo is the most recent," she wrote. "I am exercising and eating well. I have been getting periods, although they are not yet regular. My head is in a much better place, but I still have a lot to work on in improving my relationship with food. I can safely say I feel comfortable and proud of the way my body looks. I did a photo shoot in this body, and I felt absolutely amazing."

RELATED: 10 Healthy Eating Habits That Will Change Your Life

All of this internal growth has allowed McConnell to be mindful of the fact that she may not look and feel as she does right now, forever. "Bodies are supposed to change," she wrote. "Life has its seasons, priorities change and bodies don't look the same throughout. That's normal. That's just life." 

To those who might be starting on their wellness journey, McConnell says: "Be gentle with yourself." Remember that as you take on resolutions in the new year, or tackle lengthy everyday to-do lists.

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December 21, 2018 at 11:06AM

The 12 best ways to lose butt fat

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People can reduce their overall body fat and strengthen and tone their butt and upper leg muscles by doing certain exercises and making lifestyle changes. In this article, we discuss exercises and other methods to help a person lose butt fat.



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December 21, 2018 at 10:04AM