Green tea can help you lose weight and burn fat according to studies

Yes, that's right. Green tea includes caffeine and catechins, both of which are considered to aid in weight loss. Caffeine is a stimulant that helps boost your metabolism, whilst catechins are antioxidants that can aid in fat breakdown.

A lot of studies have demonstrated that green tea can aid in weight loss. According to one research, participants who drank green tea for 12 weeks dropped 2.3 pounds more than those who did not. Another research discovered that participants who drank green tea before working out burnt more fat.

It is crucial to understand, however, that green tea is not a miraculous weight loss remedy. It works best when accompanied with a nutritious diet and frequent exercise. Drinking green tea can help you lose weight by increasing your metabolism and helping you burn fat.

1. Here are some suggestions for making the most of green tea for weight loss:Consume unsweetened green tea.
2.  Adding sugar or milk will nullify the caffeine and catechin advantages.
3. Drinking green tea throughout the day will help you maintain a healthy body..
4.  Drinking green tea throughout the day helps maintain a healthy metabolism as the effects of caffeine and catechins wear off after a few hours..
5. Combine green tea with physical activity. 
6. Green tea contains caffeine, which might help you burn more fat throughout your workout.
7. Check to see whether you're getting enough sleep. When you don't get enough sleep, your body creates more cortisol, a stress hormone that can contribute to weight gain.
8. Before consuming green tea, see your doctor if you are pregnant or nursing, or if you have any medical issues.

Here are some further insights regarding how green tea might assist you in losing weight:

• Caffeine is a stimulant that can boost your metabolism by up to 10%. This implies that even if you're not doing anything, you'll burn more calories at rest.
• Catechins are antioxidants that can aid in fat breakdown. They accomplish this by blocking lipase, an enzyme responsible for the breakdown of stored fat.
• EGCG: EGCG is a form of catechin that is regarded to be very useful for weight loss. It has been demonstrated to improve fat burning and decrease appetite.

In addition to these advantages, green tea provides a variety of other health advantages, including:

• Reduced risk of heart disease: we have shown Green tea to help lower cholesterol levels and lessen the risk of heart disease.
• Green tea contains anti-cancer capabilities that have been demonstrated. It may help protect against a variety of cancers, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer.
• Green tea has been shown to assist boost cognitive function and memory.
• It can also help protect against neurological illnesses like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

So, if you want to reduce weight in a healthy way, green tea is a terrific choice. It's a caffeine-free, natural beverage with a variety of health advantages. Simply drink unsweetened green tea and avoid adding sugar or milk, which will nullify the caffeine and catechin advantages.

Here are some extra suggestions for making the most of green tea for weight loss:

• Green tea should be consumed before meals. This will help you feel fuller and restrict your appetite.
• Drink green tea after working out. This will allow you to burn more fat and recover faster from your workout.
• Choose a green tea with a high catechin content. Because EGCG is the most efficient catechin for weight reduction, seek for a green tea with a high EGCG content.

BENEFITS OF AMLA JUICE (GOOSEBERRY)

Amla is often referred to as Indian gooseberries. This fruit is native to India and has a sour flavour as well as several health advantages. For generations, it has been a staple of Indian cuisine. You may acquire its health advantages by adding it to dishes or making juice from it. If you are not from the Indian subcontinent, we will learn about the benefits of amla juice or gooseberry juice in this article.

2. Section I: Table of ContentsWhat exactly is Amla Juice?
3. 10 Amla Juice (Gooseberry) Health Benefits
4. Amla Juice Skin Benefits Amla Juice Benefits for Cancer Treatment
5. Amla Juice Weight Loss Advantages
6. Amla's Applications
7. Amla Side Effects FAQs
8. 
   

What precisely is Amla Juice?
Amla juice is, as the name implies, a juice prepared from amla (Indian gooseberries). Amla juice may be produced in a variety of methods, including grinding it or putting it through a juicer. One thing is certain: it is really beneficial to your health. Amla juice advantages or gooseberry juice benefits range from improved liver health to improved heart health.

10 Amla Juice (Gooseberry) Health BenefitsAmla Juice Benefits Liver Health

Amla Juice promotes good digestion.

Amla Juice promotes heart health.

Amla Juice may benefit hair health.

Amla Juice promotes immunological function.

Amla Juice promotes Kidney Health.

Amla Juice Aids Weight Loss

Amla Juice Reduces Cholesterol

Anti-inflammatory qualities of amla juice

Amla Juice aids in the maintenance of blood glucose levels.

Amla Juice Skin Benefits Amla Juice Improves Liver Health

The liver is an important organ in the body. It stores all of the glycogen stores in the body and also aids in blood detoxification. As a result, it is critical to keep the liver healthy and operating properly, which you may achieve by drinking a glass of amla juice.

Amla juice has several liver advantages. It has anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants that benefit the liver. Amla juice can also help reduce the risk of fatty liver disease if consumed on a regular basis. Read our Weight Loss Blogs to learn more about the advantages of gooseberry juice.

Amla Juice Promotes Healthy Digestion

Good digestion is necessary for a body to operate correctly. Drinking amla juice can certainly help. Amla juice is high in Vitamin C and antioxidants, which aid digestion. It also contains fibre, which adds weight to the diet and promotes regular bowel motions.

You might be shocked to learn that Vitamin C protects digestive tract cells from harm and that the antioxidants in it protect the body from free radicals that can cause cancer in the stomach. You can consume amla juice or gooseberry juice on a regular basis to reap the most advantages. Purchase a diet plan for weight loss

Amla Juice Aids in the Promotion of Heart Health

There are several amla juice advantages and gooseberry juice benefits for the heart. It aids in the reduction of cholesterol, inflammation, and even blood pressure. Amls juice is high in antioxidants, which protect free radicals (unstable chemicals) from damaging cardiac cells.

Amla juice contains vitamin C, which aids in the formation of collagen, a protein that is essential for heart health. Potassium, folate, and magnesium are nutrients that help control and reduce blood pressure and blood clots. As a result, it is reasonable to state that amla juice has several heart-health advantages. Read more about Amla Juice May Help Improve Hair Health When Intermittent Fasting

If you want to improve the health of your hair, try a glass of amla juice. There have been several studies and research that show that amla juice has hair advantages. There are several benefits of using amla juice on your hair:Improved collagen synthesis: Consuming amla juice for hair can boost collagen production. Collagen is what gives your hair its strength. It also keeps hair from breaking.

Prevents hair damage: The antioxidants in amla juice protect your hair from free radicals, which can cause damage.

Can encourage hair development: You should drink amla juice for hair since it contains chemicals that can promote hair growth.

As a result, drinking amla juice on a daily basis will not only ensure optimum hair health but will also provide you with additional amla juice advantages. Purchase Health Insurance

Amla Juice Promotes Immune Function

Your body's immunity protects you from many diseases and is extremely important to have a robust immune system. Fortunately, amla juice can help boost your immune system. The benefits of amla juice for your immune system are listed below. Increased white blood cell production: Amla juice stimulates the formation of white blood cells in the body, which aids in infection resistance.

Stopping free radicals: These are simply unstable chemicals in the body that cause cell damage, and amla juice can assist to stop them.

Anti-inflammtory: Amla juice has several anti-inflammatory characteristics that aid in the reduction and fight of inflammation in the body. It can also help boost immunity.

As a result, you may incorporate amla juice advantages or gooseberry juice benefits into your diet to maximise their effectiveness. Learn more about the Nutrition of Amla Juice.

Amla Juice Benefits Kidney Health

There are several amla juice advantages for the kidneys. They shield your kidneys from oxidative stress and age-related renal disease. The antioxidants in amla juice can also help your kidneys. One explanation is that it aids in the battle against free radicals in the body, which can cause cell damage in the kidneys.

Amla Juice Aids Weight Loss

If you are attempting to lose weight, you may drink amla juice for weight loss and get the advantages of amla juice by including it in your diet. Amla contains fibre, a substance that is essential for weight loss. Not only does it aid digestion, but it also makes you feel fuller by adding weight to the food.

Drinking amla juice can also increase your metabolism, which aids in weight reduction. Also, while amala juice is minimal in calories, you shouldn't hesitate to drink it. To reap the most advantages from amla juice, consume it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

Amla Juice Reduces Cholesterol

Low cholesterol levels are another advantage of amla juice. High cholesterol levels in the body might result in a heart attack or clogged arteries. It is essential to monitor your cholesterol levels on a regular basis for optimum cardiovascular health. Including amla juice in your diet might assist with this problem. Amla juice contains nutrients including folate, magnesium, and potassium that can help lower cholesterol in the body. You may also consume amla juice to lose weight.

Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Amla Juice

Inflammation can occur in your body for a variety of causes, including infection or disease. Anti-inflammatory foods and drinks, such as amla juice, can assist the body combat inflammation. Because of the antioxidants included in amla juice. This is one of the most important amla juice advantages.

Amla Juice Aids in Blood Glucose Control

Diabetics can get the benefits of amla juice by include it in their diet. The chromium in amla juice helps to manage blood sugar and enhance insulin sensitivity in the body. Amla juice also aids in the prevention of inflammation in the pancreas, the organ that creates insulin. If you are trying to lose weight, you can also consume amla juice for weight loss.

Amla Juice Skin Benefits

There are also some skin advantages of amla juice. Certain components of amla might help you get significantly better skin. Here are some amla juice skin benefits:Acne treatment: Nobody loves acne. Amla juice might assist to cleanse the blood and minimise acne on the skin.

Prevents premature ageing: Amla juice is quite efficient against wrinkles. Because of the antioxidants included in it.

Reduces stress: Amal juice aids in stress reduction, which can contribute to better skin.

Amla Juice Advantages for Cancer Treatment

Here's how amla juice can aid in cancer treatment:Antioxidant content: Antioxidants included in amla juice, such as Vitamin C, quercetin, and ellagic acid, can help the body fight against free radicals, which can cause cell damage and contribute to cancer.

Chemoprotective qualities: Amla juice has characteristics that can protect the body from the negative effects of chemotherapy.

Immunity boost: Amla juice aids in the development of white blood cells, which boosts immunity. This can aid in the battle against cancer cells.

You can consume amla juice in the morning to reap the most advantages.

Amla Juice's Hair Benefits

There are other amla juice hair advantages as well. It can be useful in the following ways:Amla juice for hair is quite beneficial in terms of collagen production. The vitamin C in amla juice aids in the formation of collagen, which helps to strengthen and prevent breaking.

Reduces inflammation: The antioxidants in amla juice aid in the reduction of inflammation in the scalp, which can lead to hair loss.

As a result, you should drink amla juice for hair to have strong and healthy hair.

Amla Juice Weight Loss Advantages

The amla juice advantages and benefits of drinking amla juice on an empty stomach are not confined to weight loss. It is because of factors such as:Amla juice is very low in calories, thus it will not alter your regular calorie intake.

Fibre is vital for weight reduction, and amla juice is high in it. Fibre gives weight to food and keeps you satisfied. This can lessen your appetite and the number of calories you consume in a day.

Amla's Applications

So you're well aware of the advantages amla juice provides and how healthy it is to the body. But I'm guessing Amla isn't used to creating Amla juice. Some amla applications are as follows:In recipes and foods: Amla has been used in Indian cooking for a long time. It is used in a variety of dishes, including pickles.

Amla is also used to manufacture amla oil, which is extremely useful for hair development. It aids in the synthesis of collagen, which gives hair strength.

Amla is also used to manufacture various health beverages that provide several health advantages such as improved liver function.and heart health, as well as reduce cholesterol levels. You may incorporate amla juice into your diet to reap its advantages.

Amla Side Effects

Every food has advantages and disadvantages. The following are some of the adverse effects of eating amla:Acidity

Dehydration

FAQs: May cause skin irritation

What happens if you consume Amla juice on a regular basis?

Amla juice is loaded with health advantages

. It can improve your liver and heart health, decrease your cholesterol, control your blood sugar levels, and much more. Due to its acidic character, amla juice should be consumed in moderation.

Can we consume Amla on a regular basis?

There are several advantages of consuming amla juice on an empty stomach, including improved immune system and digestion. However, it is preferable to consume it in moderation.

Can I consume raw amla juice every day?

You can drink amla juice on a regular basis, but it is recommended to check your doctor first.

How much amla juice should I consume on a daily basis?

Every day, consume 1-2 amla in the form of juice or uncooked. It offers several health advantages. It is best to consult your doctor before proceeding.

When is the ideal time to consume amla?

To reap the benefits of amla, consume it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Make careful not to drink too much amla because it might cause certain adverse effects.

What are the advantages of consuming amla juice on an empty stomach?

There are several advantages of drinking amla juice on an empty stomach, including:Improved immune system

Excellent liver health

Excellent cardiovascular health

Skin health is important.

What are the advantages of Indian gooseberry juice?

The advantages of Indian gooseberry juice are numerous, ranging from heart and liver health to cholesterol reduction. This fruit has several health benefits.

What Are The Best Ways To Gain Weight?

Many — perhaps most — people in the U.S. Have tried to drop a few pounds at one time or…

Many — perhaps most — people in the U.S. Have tried to drop a few pounds at one time or another. But not everyone needs to lose weight.

In fact, some people could benefit from gaining weight. About 1.6% of the U.S. Population over the age of 20, for instance, is considered underweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you’re among that group, it’s important to know that while there are many ways to simply add pounds, not all approaches promote overall health and wellness.

Why You Might Need to Gain Weight

In a culture that reveres thinness, it might seem strange to think that anyone would ever want to gain weight. However, there are many health, aesthetic and psychological reasons for doing so.

For instance, some individuals who have active lifestyles may want to increase their body mass to boost their strength or activity levels.

Others shed weight as a result of medications, such as certain kinds of chemotherapy treatments.

Kaylee Jacks, a sports dietitian with Texas Health Sports Medicine in Dallas, also gives the example of individuals with Crohn’s disease, a chronic autoimmune disorder of the intestinal tract. People with this disease often have difficulty putting on and maintaining weight.

In addition, people with a history of an eating disorder and those who are recovering from another chronic illness may sometimes be listed as underweight. These individuals may need to bulk up to avoid additional health challenges.

No matter why you’re underweight, Jacks notes, you may be at a higher risk for certain health conditions, including:

— Developmental delays in adolescents.

— Heart palpitations.

— Infertility.

— Lung tissue complications.

— Malnutrition.

— Osteoporosis.

— Fracture risk.

— Early death.

[READ: Why Do Some People Not Gain Weight?]

Gaining Weight Healthfully

Fortunately, with some sound strategizing, it’s possible to develop an eating regimen that can help you gain pounds without harming your health.

“The key to gaining weight is to consume more calories than you expend for body functions and physical activity,” Jacks says.

This is called a caloric surplus, explains Mary Sabat, an ACE-certified personal trainer and nutritionist and owner of BodyDesigns in Alpharetta, Georgia. This is the flip side to the tried-and-true caloric deficit that nutritionists talk about for losing weight.

To start, you’ll need to calculate your daily caloric needs. These needs are different for each person based on their height, current weight, exercise level, age, sex and medical conditions. It’s best to chat with a doctor or nutritionist to determine your ideal daily intake. Once you know what your target daily total should be, Sabat recommends increasing your intake “modestly” by about 250 to 500 calories per day.

If that surplus of 250 to 500 calories looks familiar, it’s because so many nutritionists and weight loss doctors have recommended cutting your daily intake by that same amount when you’re trying to lose weight.

The key on both the weight loss and weight gain sides is to make slow and steady changes so your body can adapt. Sharp changes in caloric intake can affect your metabolism, but a gentle approach is more sustainable.

[See: Top Plant-Based Proteins.]

Strategies for Gaining Weight

It’s important to consider the quantity, quality and timing of the foods you eat, Jacks says. While every individual is different, if you’re trying to gain weight, adding one to three pounds a week is a realistic rate.

Here are eight strategies for gaining weight healthfully:

— Don’t turn to junk food or quit working out.

— Consume energy- and nutrient-dense foods.

— Don’t skip meals.

— Eat frequently.

— Drink healthy calories.

— Add healthy fats.

— Add toppings.

— Fuel your workout.

— Recover after exercising.

— Indulge in a nighttime snack.

Don’t turn to junk food or quit working out

While it might be tempting to just reach for a carton of ice cream and a family-size bag of potato chips when you’re trying to gain weight, this is probably the worst way to add pounds. You’ll be adding foods that don’t provide the nutrients your body needs to build muscle and create a sustainable change in body weight.

“Eating foods that are considered ‘unhealthy’ can cause adverse health effects, including high cholesterol or high triglycerides,” says Alyssa Smolen, a registered dietitian based in the New York City area.

Similarly, if you’re physically active, you might think an easy way to preserve calories and weight would be to back off your exercise routine, but this is also counter to supporting overall health. Exercise is about so much more than just burning calories. You should strive to be physical no matter what your body weight is or what you want it to be (more on that later).

Consume energy- and nutrient-dense foods

Some people, particularly those who are physically active or growing, may need a lot of calories to attain a caloric surplus.

“This can be challenging when considering the sheer volume of food needed,” Jacks says.

However, there are foods — such as healthy fats — that are high in nutrients and calories. Such foods include:

— Avocado.

— Fatty fish (rainbow trout, salmon, sardines and tuna).

— Nuts and nut butters.

— Seeds and seed butters.

— Oils (olive oil, avocado oil and flaxseed oil).

Jacks suggests adding flaxseeds or chia seeds to smoothies, salads, casseroles or yogurt. You can use avocado as a topping to toast, eggs and salads, or you can easily add it to smoothies.

“Other examples include adding peanut butter or hemp hearts to oatmeal or onto fruit and sautéing vegetables with olive oil,” she says.

You can also consider adding protein powders to smoothies, oatmeal or drinks. But before you add such supplements to your diet, consult with a sports dietitian, a registered dietitian or other health care professional.

[READ: Bodybuilding Supplements: What to Take and What to Avoid.]

Don’t skip meals

Overnight, our bodies expend the energy we’ve stored up as glycogen to pump our hearts, expand our lungs and basically keep us alive.

“Therefore, when we wake up, it is important to replenish the energy used overnight with a balanced breakfast,” Jacks says. “Skipping breakfast extends the fasting period, causing our bodies to rely more heavily on energy from stored fat and muscle tissue.”

This makes gaining weight challenging and may actually contribute to weight loss. Breakfast is also an opportunity to consume a good percentage of your overall daily caloric needs to be in a caloric surplus by the end of the day.

If you’re inclined to skip breakfast because you feel sick if you eat first thing in the morning, Jacks suggests drinking fruit juice or low-fat milk.

Eat frequently

Aim to eat every two to three hours.

“This will help you achieve your overall daily caloric needs while consistently refueling the energy used up for daily functions and physical activity,” Jacks says. “Additionally, this will support muscle repair and growth. Our muscles are breaking down and rebuilding constantly. When we consistently fuel this process, we can optimize our muscle tissue growth.”

Dana Ellis Hunnes, a senior clinical dietitian at UCLA Medical Center, assistant professor at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and author of “Recipe for Survival,” recommends small, frequent meals punctuated with high-calorie, nutrient-dense snacks.

Jacks adds: “When snacking, aim to pair a quality carbohydrate, such as whole grains, fruits or vegetables, with a protein. By doing this, the carbohydrates can restore energy while the protein can help rebuild muscle tissue.”

Snack examples include:

— An apple with peanut butter.

— Carrot sticks with hummus.

— Crackers with string cheese.

— A peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

— Trail mix.

— Yogurt with fruit.

Drink your calories

Consuming nutrient-packed, calorie-containing drinks can help you reach your healthy weight gain goals.

Try drinks such as:

— 100% fruit juice.

— Chocolate milk.

— Low-fat milk.

— Protein shakes.

— Smoothies.

— Sports drinks.

— Vitamin water.

— Lattes made with milk.

— Kefir or yogurt drinks.

Smolen says smoothies are a great way to add healthy calories.

“If you usually make fruit smoothies, add Greek yogurt or milk as a base to your smoothie,” she advises. “Both of these not only increase calories, but add nutrients to the diet by providing healthy fats and extra protein.”

Add healthy fats

Fat is the most calorically dense macronutrient, packing 9 calories per gram — that’s in contrast to the 4 calories per gram of carbohydrates and 4 calories per gram of protein.

Smolen recommends boosting your intake of healthy fats, such as avocado, to increase your caloric intake while also adding lots of other good nutrients, such as vitamins C, E, K and B6 as well as potassium and magnesium. Adding avocado to salads, sandwiches or even smoothies will increase the nutrient content of the meal and add calories without compromising your health, she says.

Add toppings

Specifically, cheese, cheese and more cheese, advises Kelly Coffey, a personal trainer based in western Massachusetts.

“Put cheese on and in everything,” she says. “Go nuts.”

You can add cheese to sandwiches, veggies, salads, fruit slices and crackers, upping your caloric intake. If you’re lactose intolerant, stick to aged cheeses, such as cheddar, Parmesan, Swiss or feta, or try dairy-free cheese substitutes.

Other great toppings that add calories and nutrients include nuts and seeds, Smolen says.

“I recommend incorporating more nuts like almonds, peanuts or walnuts into the diet,” she explains. “Nuts are a great addition because ¼ cup of almonds (one ounce) provides 165 calories, along with 3 grams fiber, 14 grams of fat and 6 grams of protein. Add nuts to oatmeal, granola bowls or salads for extra nutrients and calories.”

Fuel your workout

Always go into a workout with your glycogen (stored energy) stores full.

“Ideally you want to have a fully balanced meal three to four hours before your workout,” Jacks says. “This might be a sub sandwich on whole grain bread with turkey, or cheese and vegetables with a side of yogurt with fruit and granola.”

Then, about two hours before a workout, you want to try to have a “mini-meal,” such as a fruit smoothie or oatmeal with fruit. Finally, top off your energy stores with a fast-acting carbohydrate, such as applesauce, a granola bar, fruit or a sports drink.

“During your workout, aim to consume about 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates every 30 minutes to an hour,” Jacks says. “This can be a few gulps of a sports drink every 15 minutes.”

Recover after exercising

The one to two hours after a workout is a critical time to fuel properly for healthy weight gain because your body is eager to replenish energy and is most active in rebuilding muscle tissue.

Aim to have a snack with 20 to 30 grams of protein and 75 to 125 grams of carbohydrates following a workout. Consume a fully balanced meal within two hours of a workout for proper recovery and to maximize your results.

Lisa Jones, a registered dietitian based in Philadelphia, suggests these post-workout snacks:

— Whole-grain toast and peanut butter.

— Greek yogurt with berries and granola.

— Pita and hummus.

Indulge in a nighttime snack

Take advantage of the time after dinner and before bedtime to add some nutrient-dense calories. Low-fat or nonfat dairy products are a great option for a nighttime snack. Full-fat dairy is typically high in unhealthy saturated fat, while low-fat dairy products have less saturated fat and contain protein.

A banana with almond butter or a high-protein smoothie would be good choices, Jones says. Dark chocolate is another sweet nighttime snack option.

Don’t Forget About Exercise

While your eating regimen is the main factor in putting on weight, engaging in certain types of exercise can help you reach your goals, says Joe Szadok, a Levittown, New York-based personal trainer and owner of Joe Szadok Fitness.

Engaging regularly in weight or resistance training, for instance, can help you gain muscle and keep your body strong and toned, he says.

If you’re trying to gain weight, Szadok also recommends these exercises:

— Rows or other upper-body pulling exercises.

— Squats.

— Kettlebell or dumbbell exercises.

— Pushups.

You don’t need a pricey gym membership to engage in strength training. For example, you can place some heavy items in a backpack — hardcover books or bags of sand — then do squats while wearing the backpack.

Szadok recommends consulting with a personal trainer to make sure your form is correct so you can maximize your results and minimize the chances of injury.

“When you’re getting strong, you’re going to build muscle,” Szadok says. “There’s no way to get strong without building muscle.”

Lastly, Sabat recommends being patient.

“Weight gain should be gradual and sustainable,” she emphasizes. “It’s essential to listen to your body, monitor your progress and make adjustments as needed.”

How Long Will It Take Me To Lose 10 Pounds

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Losing 10 pounds is a very realistic goal over a longer period than 1 week. To lose 10 pounds, a person can follow these steps.1. Follow a low-calorie diet

Cutting calories is key to weight loss.

The amount of calories burned per day depends on:
age
body size
activity level

If someone consumes fewer calories per day than their body uses, they will lose weight.

People should follow a low-calorie diet to create a calorie deficit. This calculator can give an idea of how many calories to eat daily to lose weight.

Most experts recommend that a person should not eat less than 1200 calories per day when trying to lose weight.2. Avoid junk food

Junk foods are:
high calorie
not filling
lacking nutrients
high in carbs
high in salt
very processed

Examples of junk food include:
candy
baked goods
processed snacks
most desserts

People should try to eat whole, single ingredient foods to help reduce calorie and carb consumption.3. Add lean protein

Lean protein helps build muscle. Lean protein also helps a person feel fuller after eating. This may mean that people eat fewer calories during a meal and, as a result of feeling fuller, may be able to cut out some unnecessary carbs, which may lead to weight loss.4. Move more

Simply moving around more can help burn calories, and burning more calories can help a person to lose additional weight in a week.

Ways to add more movement to everyday routines include:
parking further from the door
taking 5 to 15 minute-long walking breaks
walking during lunch
taking the stairs5. Try high-intensity cardio

High-intensity cardio exercise is effective for losing weight in some people. It is an interval training method where people combine periods of intense exercise with periods of rest.

One study found that people who did high-intensity cardio three times a week lost a lot of weight over a 15 week period, compared to people who did steady-state exercising. Steady-state exercise is a type of activity where a person maintains roughly the same heart rate and muscle movements throughout the session.

Before beginning any high-intensity cardiovascular exercise, people should check with a doctor. This intense exercise is not appropriate for everyone.

Anyone with the following health problems or lifestyle issues should get medical clearance before attempting any high-intensity exercise:6. Add weights

Resistance training or lifting weights can help protect the metabolism from the crash that can occur while dieting.

Lifting weights builds muscle. Muscle mass burns more calories than fat cells. The body also uses up more of its carbohydrate stores when doing full body resistance routines.

When someone couples resistance training with aerobic and cardio training, they will burn more calories.

Prolonged exercise of low-intensity to moderate-intensity for over 30 minutes per session will gradually cause the body to stop relying on carbohydrates for fuel and start relying on fat.

This is known as the “fat-burning stage,” which will lead to weight loss.7. Eat fewer carbs

A low carb diet can help a person to shed several pounds in a short time. Some studies support reducing overall carb intake.

One study, for example, showed low carb diets could help people with or without diabetes to lose weight.

When starting a low carb diet, some people might see an immediate drop in weight, as well as long-term weight loss.

Carbs cause the body to store excess water; so when a person reduces their carb intake, the amount of stored water decreases, causing weight loss.

Before embarking on a low carb diet, it is essential to get advice from a doctor or dietitian, as this type of diet can cause health risks.8. Reduce bloating

Bloating occurs when the body holds on to extra water or gas. Removing foods that cause bloating can help reduce weight. This includes foods that are high in sodium, such as canned soup, frozen dinners, and carbonated beverages.9. Follow a meal plan

Following a meal plan can help people stick to a diet and stay more accountable. There is a wide range of meal plans that a person can try. Start by planning each meal for the week and make sure to stick to the daily goals.10. Change behavior

Changing behavior patterns and lifestyle habits can be critical in ensuring a successful weight loss plan. Research shows that when people are aware or mindful of what they are eating, their cravings reduce and they are more successful at practicing portion control, which are two significant components to successful weight loss.11. Seek support

Teaming up with other people who are also looking to lose weight may make individuals more likely to reach their weight loss goals. People can find weight loss support from friends, family, and online communities dedicated to healthful lifestyles. Studies have shown that simply receiving text message support can promote healthful behavior that can lead to lasting weight loss.

The Weight Loss Trap: Why Your Diet Isn't Working

Like most people, Kevin Hall used to think the reason people get fat is simple.

"Why don't they just eat less and exercise more?" he remembers thinking. Trained as a physicist, the calories-in-vs.-calories-burned equation for weight loss always made sense to him. But then his own research--and the contestants on a smash reality-TV show--proved him wrong.

Hall, a scientist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), started watching The Biggest Loser a few years ago on the recommendation of a friend. "I saw these folks stepping on scales, and they lost 20 lb. In a week," he says. On the one hand, it tracked with widespread beliefs about weight loss: the workouts were punishing and the diets restrictive, so it stood to reason the men and women on the show would slim down. Still, 20 lb. In a week was a lot. To understand how they were doing it, he decided to study 14 of the contestants for a scientific paper.

Hall quickly learned that in reality-TV-land, a week doesn't always translate into a precise seven days, but no matter: the weight being lost was real, speedy and huge. Over the course of the season, the contestants lost an average of 127 lb. Each and about 64% of their body fat. If his study could uncover what was happening in their bodies on a physiological level, he thought, maybe he'd be able to help the staggering 71% of American adults who are overweight.

What he didn't expect to learn was that even when the conditions for weight loss are TV-perfect--with a tough but motivating trainer, telegenic doctors, strict meal plans and killer workouts--the body will, in the long run, fight like hell to get that fat back. Over time, 13 of the 14 contestants Hall studied gained, on average, 66% of the weight they'd lost on the show, and four were heavier than they were before the competition.

That may be depressing enough to make even the most motivated dieter give up. "There's this notion of why bother trying," says Hall. But finding answers to the weight-loss puzzle has never been more critical. The vast majority of American adults are overweight; nearly 40% are clinically obese. And doctors now know that excess body fat dramatically increases the risk of serious health problems, including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, depression, respiratory problems, major cancers and even fertility problems. A 2017 study found that obesity now drives more early preventable deaths in the U.S. Than smoking. This has fueled a weight-loss industry worth $66.3 billion, selling everything from diet pills to meal plans to fancy gym memberships.

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It's also fueled a rise in research. Last year the NIH provided an estimated $931 million in funding for obesity research, including Hall's, and that research is giving scientists a new understanding of why dieting is so hard, why keeping the weight off over time is even harder and why the prevailing wisdom about weight loss seems to work only sometimes--for some people.

What scientists are uncovering should bring fresh hope to the 155 million Americans who are overweight, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Leading researchers finally agree, for instance, that exercise, while critical to good health, is not an especially reliable way to keep off body fat over the long term. And the overly simplistic arithmetic of calories in vs. Calories out has given way to the more nuanced understanding that it's the composition of a person's diet--rather than how much of it they can burn off working out--that sustains weight loss.

They also know that the best diet for you is very likely not the best diet for your next-door neighbor. Individual responses to different diets--from low fat and vegan to low carb and paleo--vary enormously. "Some people on a diet program lose 60 lb. And keep it off for two years, and other people follow the same program religiously, and they gain 5 lb.," says Frank Sacks, a leading weight-loss researcher and professor of cardiovascular disease prevention at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "If we can figure out why, the potential to help people will be huge."

Hall, Sacks and other scientists are showing that the key to weight loss appears to be highly personalized rather than trendy diets. And while weight loss will never be easy for anyone, the evidence is mounting that it's possible for anyone to reach a healthy weight--people just need to find their best way there.

Dieting has been an American preoccupation since long before the obesity epidemic took off in the 1980s. In the 1830s, Presbyterian minister Sylvester Graham touted a vegetarian diet that excluded spices, condiments and alcohol. At the turn of the 20th century, it was fashionable to chew food until liquefied, sometimes up to 722 times before swallowing, thanks to the advice of a popular nutrition expert named Horace Fletcher. Lore has it that at about the same time, President William Howard Taft adopted a fairly contemporary plan--low fat, low calorie, with a daily food log--after he got stuck in a White House bathtub.

The concept of the calorie as a unit of energy had been studied and shared in scientific circles throughout Europe for some time, but it wasn't until World War I that calorie counting became de rigueur in the U.S. Amid global food shortages, the American government needed a way to encourage people to cut back on their food intake, so it issued its first ever "scientific diet" for Americans, which had calorie counting at its core.

In the following decades, when being rail-thin became ever more desirable, nearly all dieting advice stressed meals that were low calorie. There was the grapefruit diet of the 1930s (in which people ate half a grapefruit with every meal out of a belief that the fruit contained fat-burning enzymes) and the cabbage-soup diet of the 1950s (a flatulence-inducing plan in which people ate cabbage soup every day for a week alongside low-calorie meals).

The 1960s saw the beginning of the massive commercialization of dieting in the U.S. That's when a New York housewife named Jean Nidetch began hosting friends at her home to talk about their issues with weight and dieting. Nidetch was a self-proclaimed cookie lover who had struggled for years to slim down. Her weekly meetings helped her so much--she lost 72 lb. In about a year--that she ultimately turned those living-room gatherings into a company called Weight Watchers. When it went public in 1968, she and her co-founders became millionaires overnight. Nearly half a century later, Weight Watchers remains one of the most commercially successful diet companies in the world, with 3.6 million active users and $1.2 billion in revenue in 2016.

What most of these diets had in common was an idea that is still popular today: eat fewer calories and you will lose weight. Even the low-fat craze that kicked off in the late 1970s--which was based on the intuitively appealing but incorrect notion that eating fat will make you fat--depended on the calorie-counting model of weight loss. (Since fatty foods are more calorie-dense than, say, plants, logic suggests that if you eat less of them, you will consume fewer calories overall, and then you'll lose weight.)

That's not what happened when people went low fat, though. The diet trend coincided with weight gain. In 1990, adults with obesity made up less than 15% of the U.S. Population. By 2010, most states were reporting obesity in 25% or more of their populations. Today that has swelled to 40% of the adult population. For kids and teens, it's 17%.

Research like Hall's is beginning to explain why. As demoralizing as his initial findings were, they weren't altogether surprising: more than 80% of people with obesity who lose weight gain it back. That's because when you lose weight, your resting metabolism (how much energy your body uses when at rest) slows down--possibly an evolutionary holdover from the days when food scarcity was common.

What Hall discovered, however--and what frankly startled him--was that even when the Biggest Loser contestants gained back some of their weight, their resting metabolism didn't speed up along with it. Instead, in a cruel twist, it remained low, burning about 700 fewer calories per day than it did before they started losing weight in the first place. "When people see the slowing metabolism numbers," says Hall, "their eyes bulge like, How is that even possible?"

The contestants lose a massive amount of weight in a relatively short period of time--admittedly not how most doctors recommend you lose weight--but research shows that the same slowing metabolism Hall observed tends to happen to regular Joes too. Most people who lose weight gain back the pounds they lost at a rate of 2 to 4 lb. Per year.

For the 2.2 billion people around the world who are overweight, Hall's findings can seem like a formula for failure--and, at the same time, scientific vindication. They show that it's indeed biology, not simply a lack of willpower, that makes it so hard to lose weight. The findings also make it seem as if the body itself will sabotage any effort to keep weight off in the long term.

But a slower metabolism is not the full story. Despite the biological odds, there are many people who succeed in losing weight and keeping it off. Hall has seen it happen more times than he can count. The catch is that some people appear to succeed with almost every diet approach--it just varies from person to person.

"You take a bunch of people and randomly assign them to follow a low-carb diet or a low-fat diet," Hall says. "You follow them for a couple of years, and what you tend to see is that average weight loss is almost no different between the two groups as a whole. But within each group, there are people who are very successful, people who don't lose any weight and people who gain weight."

Understanding what it is about a given diet that works for a given person remains the holy grail of weight-loss science. But experts are getting closer.

For the past 23 years, Rena Wing, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, has run the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) as a way to track people who successfully lose weight and keep it off. "When we started it, the perspective was that almost no one succeeded at losing weight and keeping it off," says James O. Hill, Wing's collaborator and an obesity researcher at the University of Colorado. "We didn't believe that was the case, but we didn't know for sure because we didn't have the data."

To qualify for initial inclusion in the registry, a person must have lost at least 30 lb. And maintained that weight loss for a year or longer. Today the registry includes more than 10,000 people from across the 50 states with an average weight loss of 66 lb. Per person. On average, people on the current list have kept off their weight for more than five years.

The most revealing detail about the registry: everyone on the list has lost significant amounts of weight--but in different ways. About 45% of them say they lost weight following various diets on their own, for instance, and 55% say they used a structured weight-loss program. And most of them had to try more than one diet before the weight loss stuck.

The researchers have identified some similarities among them: 98% of the people in the study say they modified their diet in some way, with most cutting back on how much they ate in a given day. Another through line: 94% increased their physical activity, and the most popular form of exercise was walking.

"There's nothing magical about what they do," says Wing. "Some people emphasize exercise more than others, some follow low-carb diets, and some follow low-fat diets. The one commonality is that they had to make changes in their everyday behaviors."

When asked how they've been able to keep the weight off, the vast majority of people in the study say they eat breakfast every day, weigh themselves at least once a week, watch fewer than 10 hours of television per week and exercise about an hour a day, on average.

The researchers have also looked at their attitudes and behavior. They found that most of them do not consider themselves Type A, dispelling the idea that only obsessive superplanners can stick to a diet. They learned that many successful dieters were self-described morning people. (Other research supports the anecdotal: for some reason, night owls tend to weigh more than larks.) The researchers also noticed that people with long-term weight loss tended to be motivated by something other than a slimmer waist--like a health scare or the desire to live a longer life, to be able to spend more time with loved ones.

The researchers at the NWCR say it's unlikely that the people they study are somehow genetically endowed or blessed with a personality that makes weight loss easy for them. After all, most people in the study say they had failed several times before when they had tried to lose weight. Instead they were highly motivated, and they kept trying different things until they found something that worked for them.

"Losing weight and keeping it off is hard, and if anyone tells you it's easy, run the other way," says Hill. "But it is absolutely possible, and when people do it, their lives are changed for the better." (Hill came under fire in 2015 for his role as president of an obesity think tank funded by Coca-Cola. During his tenure there, the NWCR published one paper with partial funding from Coca-Cola, but the researchers say their study, which Hill was involved in, was not influenced by the soda giant's financial support.)

Hill, Wing and their colleagues agree that perhaps the most encouraging lesson to be gleaned from their registry is the simplest: in a group of 10,000 real-life biggest losers, no two people lost the weight in quite the same way.

The Bariatric Medical Institute in Ottawa is founded on that thinking. When people enroll in its weight-loss program, they all start on the same six-month diet and exercise plan--but they are encouraged to diverge from the program, with the help of a physician, whenever they want, in order to figure out what works best for them. The program takes a whole-person approach to weight loss, which means that behavior, psychology and budget--not just biology--inform each person's plan.

"We have a plan that involves getting enough calories and protein and so forth, but we are not married to it," says Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, an obesity expert and the medical director of the clinic. "We try to understand where people are struggling, and then we adjust. Everyone here is doing things slightly differently."

In most cases, people try a few different plans before they get it right. Jody Jeans, 52, an IT project manager in Ottawa, had been overweight since she was a child. When she came to the clinic in 2007, she was 5 ft. 4 in. Tall and weighed 240 lb. Though she had lost weight in her 20s doing Weight Watchers, she gained it back after she lost a job and the stress led her to overeat. Jeans would wake up on a Monday and decide she was starting a diet, or never eating dessert again, only to scrap the plan a couple of days, if not hours, later. "Unless you've had a lot of weight to lose, you don't understand what it's like," she says. "It's overwhelming, and people look at you like it's your fault."

A March 2017 study found that people who internalize weight stigma have a harder time maintaining weight loss. That's why most experts argue that pushing people toward health goals rather than a number on the scale can yield better results. "When you solely focus on weight, you may give up on changes in your life that would have positive benefits," says the NIH's Hall.

It took Jeans five years to lose 75 lb. While on a program at Freedhoff's institute, but by paying attention to portion sizes, writing down all her meals and eating more frequent, smaller meals throughout the day, she's kept the weight off for an additional five years. She credits the slow, steady pace for her success. Though she's never been especially motivated to exercise, she found it helpful to track her food each day, as well as make sure she ate enough filling protein and fiber--without having to rely on bland diet staples like grilled chicken over greens (hold the dressing). "I'm a foodie," Jeans says. "If you told me I had to eat the same things every day, it would be torture."

Natalie Casagrande, 31, was on the same program that Jeans was on, but Freedhoff and his colleagues used a different approach with her. Casagrande's weight had fluctuated throughout her life, and she had attempted dangerous diets like starving herself and exercising constantly for quick weight loss. One time, she even dropped from a size 14 to a size 0 in just a few months. When she signed up for the program, Casagrande weighed 173 lb. At 4 ft. 11 in., that meant she was clinically obese, which means having a body mass index of 30 or more.

Once she started working with the team at the Bariatric Medical Institute, Casagrande also tracked her food, but unlike Jeans, she never enjoyed the process. What she did love was exercise. She found her workouts easy to fit into her schedule, and she found them motivating. By meeting with the clinic's psychologist, she also learned that she had generalized anxiety, which helped explain her bouts of emotional eating.

It took Casagrande three tries over three years before she finally lost substantial weight. During one of her relapse periods, she gained 10 lb. She tweaked her plan to focus more on cooking and managing her mental health and then tried again. Today she weighs 116 lb. And has maintained that weight for about a year. "It takes a lot of trial and error to figure out what works," she says. "Not every day is going to be perfect, but I'm here because I pushed through the bad days."

Freedhoff says learning what variables are most important for each person--be they psychological, logistical, food-based--matters more to him than identifying one diet that works for everyone. "So long as we continue to pigeonhole people into certain diets without considering the individuals, the more likely we are to run into problems," he says. That's why a significant portion of his meetings with patients is spent talking about the person's daily responsibilities, their socioeconomic status, their mental health, their comfort in the kitchen.

"Unfortunately," he says, "that's not the norm. The amount of effort needed to understand your patients is more than many doctors put in."

In an August op-ed published in the journal the Lancet, Freedhoff and Hall jointly called on the scientific community to spend more time figuring out how doctors can help people sustain healthy lifestyles and less on what diet is best for weight loss. "Crowning a diet king because it delivers a clinically meaningless difference in body weight fuels diet hype, not diet help," they write. "It's high time we start helping."

Exactly why weight loss can vary so much for people on the same diet plan still eludes scientists. "It's the biggest open question in the field," says the NIH's Hall. "I wish I knew the answer."

Some speculate it's people's genetics. Over the past several years, researchers have identified nearly 100 genetic markers that appear to be linked to being obese or being overweight, and there's no doubt genes play an important role in how some people break down calories and store fat. But experts estimate that obesity-related genes account for just 3% of the differences between people's sizes--and those same genes that predispose people to weight gain existed 30 years ago, and 100 years ago, suggesting that genes alone cannot explain the rapid rise in obesity.

What's more, a recent study of 9,000 people found that whether a person carried a gene variation associated with weight gain had no influence on his or her ability to lose weight. "We think this is good news," says study author John Mathers, a professor of human nutrition at Newcastle University. "Carrying the high-risk form of the gene makes you more likely to be a bit heavier, but it shouldn't prevent you from losing weight."

Another area that has some scientists excited is the question of how weight gain is linked to chemicals we are exposed to every day--things like the bisphenol A (BPA) found in linings of canned-food containers and cash-register receipts, the flame retardants in sofas and mattresses, the pesticide residues on our food and the phthalates found in plastics and cosmetics. What these chemicals have in common is their ability to mimic human hormones, and some scientists worry they may be wreaking havoc on the delicate endocrine system, driving fat storage.

"The old paradigm was that poor diet and lack of exercise are underpinning obesity, but now we understand that chemical exposures are an important third factor in the origin of the obesity epidemic," says Dr. Leonardo Trasande, an associate professor of pediatrics, environmental medicine and population health at New York University's School of Medicine. "Chemicals can disrupt hormones and metabolism, which can contribute to disease and disability."

Another frontier scientists are exploring is how the microbiome--the trillions of bacteria that live inside and on the surface of the human body--may be influencing how the body metabolizes certain foods. Dr. Eran Elinav and Eran Segal, researchers for the Personalized Nutrition Project at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, believe the variation in diet success may lie in the way people's microbiomes react to different foods.

In a 2015 study, Segal and Elinav gave 800 men and women devices that measured their blood-sugar levels every five minutes for a one-week period. They filled out questionnaires about their health, provided blood and stool samples and had their microbiomes sequenced. They also used a mobile app to record their food intake, sleep and exercise.

They found that blood-sugar levels varied widely among people after they ate, even when they ate the exact same meal. This suggests that umbrella recommendations for how to eat could be meaningless. "It was a major surprise to us," says Segal.

The researchers developed an algorithm for each person in the trial using the data they gathered and found that they could accurately predict a person's blood-sugar response to a given food on the basis of their microbiome. That's why Elinav and Segal believe the next frontier in weight-loss science lies in the gut; they believe their algorithm could ultimately help doctors prescribe highly specific diets for people according to how they respond to different foods.

Unsurprisingly, there are enterprising businesses trying to cash in on this idea. Online supplement companies already hawk personalized probiotic pills, with testimonials from customers claiming they lost weight taking them.

So far, research to support the probiotic-pill approach to weight loss is scant. Ditto the genetic tests that claim to be able to tell you whether you're better off on a low-carb diet or a vegan one.

But as science continues to point toward personalization, there's potential for new weight-loss products to flood the zone, some with more evidence than others.

When people are asked to envision their perfect size, many cite a dream weight loss up to three times as great as what a doctor might recommend. Given how difficult that can be to pull off, it's no surprise so many people give up trying to lose weight altogether. It's telling, if a bit of a downer, that in 2017, when Americans have never been heavier, fewer people than ever say they're trying to lose weight.

But most people do not need to lose quite so much weight to improve their health. Research shows that with just a 10% loss of weight, people will experience noticeable changes in their blood pressure and blood sugar control, lowering their risk for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes--two of the costliest diseases in terms of health care dollars and human life.

For Ottawa's Jody Jeans, recalibrating her expectations is what helped her finally lose weight in a healthy--and sustainable--way. People may look at her and see someone who could still afford to lose a few pounds, she says, but she's proud of her current weight, and she is well within the range of what a good doctor would call healthy.

"You have to accept that you're never going to be a willowy model," she says. "But I am at a very good weight that I can manage."

How 1 Woman Lost 96 Pounds In 1 Year By Walking And Cooking At Home

When Paluch had her first physical done in years, testing showed she had diabetes, high blood pressure, borderline high cholesterol and a genetic marker for heart disease.Courtesy Melissa Paluch She tracked her progress with non-scale victories

Paluch started out weighing herself three or four times a day, but seeing her weight fluctuate wasn’t working for her — if her weight went up, she’d be tempted to skip dinner altogether.

Now she puts her scale away in a closet and only takes it out on Fridays for a weekly weight check. “Hiding the scale was the best decision I ever made,” she says.

Since she knew there would be weeks when her weight plateaued, she made a list of non-scale victories she wanted to achieve. She intentionally didn’t set timeframes for these goals, so she wouldn’t be disappointed if she didn’t reach them quickly. She’s achieved many of them and made progress toward even more:
She no longer needs a CPAP to control sleep apnea.
She’s on track to stop taking medications for blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol in September.
She’s sleeping better, and that’s giving her more energy.
She can sit with her legs crossed, which she hadn’t been able to do in about ten years.
She can walk up the three or four flights of stairs to her favorite restaurant without stopping at the top of every flight to catch her breath.
She can walk three miles in less than an hour.
She’s looking forward to her next trip to Disney, where she’ll be able to ride the rides without feeling the safety bar pressing into her body.

When I looked at how much money I saved from not ordering, it blew my mind.

Melissa paluch

One of her non-scale victories had a surprising benefit. She had been ordering food five or six times a week, and she cut that back to once a week, cooking dinner at home instead. She saved all the money she had been spending on takeout, and she’s put away enough to pay for her family’s vacation at a beach house this summer. “When I looked at how much money I saved from not ordering, it blew my mind,” she says.Paluch tracked her progress by non-scale victories, like going down in pant size.Courtesy Melissa Paluch She eats what she wants, but less of it

Paluch had tried fad diets in the past and lost weight with them, but she always regained it when she stopped dieting. “They didn’t allow me to eat what I wanted to eat. I had to cut out so many things. I want to eat what I like and still see progress,” she says.

She talked to her doctor about starting a low-calorie diet. She wanted to aim for 1,200 calories a day, but her doctor recommended 1,300 to 1,400 and cautioned her to make sure she was getting all the nutrients she needed.

She admits that cutting back on her calories was hard at first: “I went cold turkey on July 1. There was no in-between. I had moments when I didn’t want to do it anymore. My body wasn’t used to it, I was getting headaches, and I never felt full — I felt like I still wanted something. It took about 30 or 45 days to get used to it.”She does meal planning once a week

“Dinner has always been where I really have to focus. It’s my favorite meal of the day, and that’s where I was really packing on the calories. I’d have three or four helpings of something because it was so good,” she says.

Now, she plans her dinners for the week on Sunday nights, and she knows how many calories will be in those meals. She eats foods like lasagna, chicken cutlets, burgers and hot dogs, but she chooses serving sizes that work with her plan. She still eats bread and pasta. “I won’t cut that stuff out of my diet. I grew up with it. But I do control my portions,” she says.

Once she has her dinners planned, she can figure out what to have for breakfast and lunch each day to meet her calorie requirements. Breakfast might be yogurt or cereal, and she’ll have a sandwich or leftovers plus a salad for lunch.

The meal planning makes a big difference in cutting back on takeout, since she always has the ingredients for a healthy meal portioned out and ready to go. “It probably took two months to get out of the mindset of calling Domino’s and ordering a pizza. Now I make my own healthier pizza at home,” she says. She thought her family would miss ordering takeout, but they were happy to try what she was cooking — they had been eating takeout so often they were getting sick of it.

She also drinks 100 ounces of water a day, which is a little more than half her body weight in ounces. “I was never a huge water drinker, so adding a lot more water into my diet was a big change,” she says. But she finds it’s helped her weight loss and has improved her skin as well.When Paluch first started walking with her son, she could only make it half a mile.Courtesy Melissa Paluch She walks every day

Her 18-year-old son walks a lot, so they started walking together. “The first time, I literally only made it a half-mile. I couldn’t catch my breath, and I was so embarrassed. I went home, he finished his walk, and I told him I was going to do this every single day. My goal was to get to a mile,” she says.

By the end of July, she had reached that goal, and she could talk to her son during their walks without getting out of breath. She had to scale back her walking after her hysterectomy in October 2022, but after six weeks, her doctor cleared her for half-hour walks, and after 12 weeks, she could walk as much as she liked. Now she’s up to three miles a day.She manages her mental health without turning to food

Postpartum depression after the births of her sons lingered, and she could be triggered when she got anxious or upset. She had been feeling depressed after her dad’s death. “My coping mechanism was always to eat, and I couldn’t eat like I used to,” she says.

“Now, instead of turning to food, I’m finding myself going for a walk. I talk to myself on my walks, and I talk to my dad, who’s in heaven. I don’t have to turn to food. The walks are my therapy.”She connects with online support

Paluch saw that a friend was in the Start TODAY Facebook group, so she decided to join. Reading the posts of people who started walking programs inspired her, and she found TODAY fitness contributor Stephanie Mansour’s videos, posts and comments encouraging.

She decided to share her own post when she started walking. “I got over 1,000 likes and comments. Everyone was saying, ‘You can do this’ and ‘We believe in you.’ Every time I hit some kind of milestone, I would post, and people were so encouraging,” she says. “This group of strangers has become like a family. They’re so kind and supportive.”Paluch says hiding the scale was the best decision she ever made.Courtesy Melissa Paluch Her advice for others

Paluch shares a few tips that are working for her:
Be patient. "You didn’t put the weight on overnight, and you’re not losing it overnight. Patience is not one of my virtues, but it’s important for this type of journey," she says.
Don’t just focus on the scale. "I started off thinking all I wanted to do was lose weight, but it’s turned into so much more than that," she says. "Make a list of the non-scale victories you want to achieve."
Make yourself a priority. "Remind yourself that you’re worth the hard work it takes to reach your goals," says Paluch.Stephanie Thurrott

Stephanie Thurrott is a writer who covers mental health, personal growth, wellness, family, food and personal finance, and dabbles in just about any other topic that grabs her attention. When she's not writing, look for her out walking her dog or riding her bike in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley.