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Are you confused by all the weight loss diets out there?

It can be hard to know what works and whats healthy. Everyone wants a diet that promises to take weight off quickly. But the best kind of weight loss is slow and steadyabout 1/2 to 2 pounds a week. Youll want to find an eating plan you can live with for the long-term and that keeps the pounds off permanently.

This resource is about three diets that have been proven to work:

Are you ready to lose weight?

The Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating thats common in Greece, Spain, southern Italy, and southern France. Traditional foods in those areas include fish, vegetables, fruits, beans, breads high in fiber, whole grains, and healthy fats such as olive oil or canola oil. Nuts are part of the diet as well.

The Mediterranean diet is low in red meat, cheese, and sweets. Many of the meals are vegetarian. A moderate amount of wine can be included daily. This type of diet can help lower your risk for heart disease, prevent type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, and lower cholesterol. Some researchers also claim that this diet can prevent depression, dementia, and Parkinsons disease.

Sample Dinner Menu

A Moderately Low-Carbohydrate Diet

This diet, similar to the South Beach diet, promotes the use of lean protein foods and high-fiber, nutrient-rich carbohydrates, such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. The diet also includes some types of fat (healthy unsaturated fats) and low-fat dairy products. It excludes white flour products and most starchy carbohydrates like potatoes, rice, and pasta. In general, this type of diet is healthy and can result in weight loss. You dont need to count calories or do other complicated calculations to follow this diet. Nor do you need to deny yourself regular meals. Cooking for this diet is fairly easy. You can also modify the food choices if you are vegetarian or vegan.

Sample Dinner Menu

A Vegetarian or Vegan Diet

A vegetarian diet generally excludes animal products. But some vegetarians do eat small amounts of animal products; for example, some vegetarians eat milk and eggs along with fruits, vegetables, and grains. Other vegetarians might include fish but no meat. A vegan diet is a diet that excludes all animal products. People who follow a vegan diet need to take vitamin B12 supplements and include protein, such as nut butters, beans, and nuts, to make sure they get all the nutrients they need. Most vegetarians eat fewer calories than non-vegetarians. A vegetarian diet can help fight heart disease and high blood pressure.

Sample Dinner Menu

Vegetarian

Vegan

What should I do to get started with weight loss?

First, answer the questions above. Think about what works for your family or the people you live with. Then, meet with a registered dietitian for personalized advice. Seeing a dietitian will help you reach your weight-loss goals. If you have a medical condition, be sure to check with your doctor before starting any kind of diet or exercise program.

How can I keep the weight off?

Once youve lost weight, try these quick tips to keep the weight off:

Questions to ask your doctor

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Diets that Work | Hormone Health Network

Good Food

by Kelly LeVeque, CN, June 22, 2017

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Working with health coachKelly LeVequeis like having a super-smart BFF on speed dialonly, she happens to be ridiculously brainy about all thingsholistic nutrition. Its why celebs like Jessica Alba, Chelsea Handler, and Kate Walsh turn to the wellness guru when they want to fine-tune their diets. LeVequessuper-positivephilosophy (shes all about creating healthy, sustainable eating habits for life) is the foundation for her new book, Body Love: Live in Balance, Weigh What You Want, and Free Yourself from Food Drama Forever.

Here, in a new series for Well+Good, the certified nutritionistand Be Well founderis opening up about the wellness trials and tribulations of some of her most famous clients. (Stars: They really are just like us.)

First up? Emmy Rossum. LeVeque began coaching the 30-year-old actress in 2016 to help her prepare for a few big roles: her eighth season as the fiery Fiona Gallagher on Shameless, an upcoming part in the action-thriller Hard Powderoh, and her wedding this past May. Heres the all-star intel.

I encourage my clients to do what they love, above all else. For me, the most important thing is consistency because it builds a lifestyle. Emmy is passion. It was so apparent after our first meeting. Life makes her happy, her work brings her joy, and her peeps fill her heart. Our personalities clicked right away.

Her goal when we started working together was more sustained energy, and to look and feel her bestespecially [for] her walk down the aisle. She also wanted a holistic approach to managing her PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), which affects about one in four women I coach. With those things in mind, I formed a plan to help Emmy zero in on the healthy habits that are right for her and her body.

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Cool-girl client:As a client, Emmy makes my job easy: Shes diligent, meticulous, and committed. For example, she already had a great workout routine of dance cardio and high intensity interval training when I started coaching her, so I didnt need to make any modifications in terms ofexercise.

Why she came to me for coaching:Shes constantly on the go, traveling between New York and Los Angeles and pulling 18-hour days while filmingwhich is enough to make any woman feel exhausted. Because of her busy schedule, she wanted a clean, sustainable eating plan that she could execute at home, on both coasts, and while on-location.

My nutrition prescription:I tailored an everywhere Fab Four meal plan to help Emmy get more protein, fat, fiber, and greensno matter where she was eating. One big recommendation was to increase her intake of healthy fats and fiber, which kept her energy up all day long on set and sped up muscle recovery after her workouts. It helped balance her blood sugar, reduce cravings, and prevent energy crashes. Like most of my clients, a little light structure went a long way. Emmys a great studentonce I educated her on the metabolism of blood sugar (both glucose and fructose), she naturally pulled back on foods that werent serving her, like dried fruit. (High-sugar diets cause excess insulin production, which can exacerbate PCOS.)

Because of her busy schedule, she wanted a clean, sustainable eating plan that she could execute at home, on both coasts, and while on-location.

The game-changing meal for her plan: For breakfast I had her start drinking a Fab Four Smoothie (1 serving of protein, 12 Tbsp fat, 12 Tbsp fiber, a handful of greens, and 12 cups of almond milk). Another go-to for her is a Fab Four Bowl of eggs with avocado and spinach. These are the cornerstones of her entire day because the protein, fat, and fiber help elongate her blood-sugar curveso shes not starving an hour after eating. She takes the same approach with lunchand dinner, enjoying various combinations of lean proteins, like chicken and salmon, with market veggies and high-quality fats like avocado, olive oil, and coconut oil.

The real-girl hurdle she had to clear along the way:I remember when she went on her bachelorette party and I received a text that said, Multiple Cheetos were consumed. Her messages like this make me laugh out loud, and I love how she isnt afraid to keep it real. The best was that she didnt beat herself up. She just got back in the gym and on her Fab Four plan. Emmy never lets food guilt negatively affect her, which allows her to make the decision to enjoy a choice mealnot a cheat mealwithout overdoing it. Shes a great example of ditching that drama and auto-stabilizing.

What happened when she brought it all into balance: As women, weve been so conditioned on restrictive, all-or-nothing diets. Id like to think I helped Emmy zero in on the lifestyle thats right for her and her body[in her case], she added more fiber and healthy fats to her meals. Shes a phenomenal example for girls and women around the world, and Im lucky to call her a client and friend.

If youre ready to start living that high-fibe life, here are 9 nutrient-dense recipes to get you startedplus 3 healthy green smoothies to mix up your breakfast routine.

Original post:
Emmy Rossum followed this food protocol to majorly boost her energy (and balance her hormones) - Well+Good

How we feel when we wake up in the morning can tell us how healthy we are overall.

Our bodies display many symptoms throughout the day and night that show us what adjustments need to be made in how we care for ourselves.

Waking up with stiff joints, puffy eyes, a stomach ache or still being tired is the bodys way of telling us something is off.

Getting to know our symptoms is a fascinating step towards being our own health detectives and figuring out what changes might help.

Food as a modulator of wellness

Our society overlooks food as an important component of optimal health.

Mainstream medicine spends almost zero time thinking about nutrition and its impact on our health. Big food companies, schools and hospitals sell food that is toxic and lacks nourishment as if it were wholesome.

No wonder everyone is confused about the proper role of food in maintaining and regaining health.

Foods undeniable connection to health

I work in this forgotten realm where food is appreciated for its undeniable connection to human health.

The food we eat builds every single cell in our bodies and makes every single amazing function possible.

From waking up in the morning to sleeping soundly at night, from glowing skin, immune function and hormone regulation, to digestion and high level thought, a wholesome diet makes it all possible.

Malnutrition, stress and toxic load

Much of what people struggle with, from serious chronic disease to general malaise, is a combination of malnutrition, stress and toxic load.

Even those who are overweight often suffer from malnutrition due to the lack of nourishment in todays packaged foods. The frantic feeling of never being satisfied can be alleviated with targeted nutritional therapy.

Simplify. Detoxify. Regenerate.

Simplifying your diet, removing stressful foods and toxic triggers is the first step in helping the body function optimally.

Take notice of foods that cause negative reactions in your body like hives, swelling, joint pain, gas or headaches. Avoid them for a few months and see what happens.

Take note, simplifying the diet is not necessarily easy at first, but specialized strategies can help.

As the bodys stress burden is eliminated, feed yourself abundant nourishing foods. The body will detoxify and regenerate. You will notice the organs and systems spring back to life.

You will notice mornings become easier and more delightful.

Wholesome, plentiful diets

In general, I recommend a diet that is very low in processed packaged foods, and high in fresh, wholesome foods.

Fresh veggies should make up a significant part of your diet, along with humanely raised, pastured or wild animal products, some fruit and if tolerated, properly prepared grains and legumes.

Most people should be eating far more healthy fats than they do now.

These include lard or animal fat from healthy animals, egg yolks, raw full fat dairy if tolerated, and fatty fish. Other great sources of fat are coconuts, avocados, olives, nuts and seeds.

Summer is a great time to take charge of our health

Enjoy the local abundance available throughout the season. Pile your plates high with beautiful, fresh, wholesome, colorful unprocessed foods.

Allow abundant nourishment to color your summer with the contentment that can only be found when you are well nourished. Wake up feeling great and make the most of summer.

Liz Morgan, NTP is a Nutritional Therapist with a nationwide clientele. She lives in Buena Vista and supports her clients back to health with therapeutic diets. She helps people simplify, detoxify and regenerate for optimal wellness. Contact Liz at http://www.LizMorganNutrition.com.

Link:
Wake up feeling great - Chaffee County Times

The paperback cookbook published by Arsenal Pulp Press in late 2015 is essentially sharing native foods and showcasing how popular and healthy they were to indigenous ancestors in the Americas. AuthorsLuz Calvo and Catriona Rueda Esquibel will be sharing their political vision for the book this weekend at The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center.

PartnersCalvo and Esquibel (both professors at California State East Bay and San Francisco State University, respectively) tackled "Decolonize" as a passion project that took nearly seven years to complete. After a 2006 breast cancer diagnosis for Calvo, the pair decided to take a hard look at what they call traditional foods in the landscape of Mexican-American cuisine.

Though both were practicing vegetarians long before Calvo's diagnosis, Esquibel recalls looking at work being done by food writers that concentrated on plant-based diets within the confines of European and Mediterranean fare.

During her experience with cancer treatment, Calvo says the diet focused on European sensibilities that weren't always appetizing. "I knew kale was good for me, and broccoli, but it was torture to me. It made me sad," Calvo says.

Their vision for the book was to help others re-indigenize their diets. With Calvo as the cook and Esquibel as baker, the two fleshed outtheir concept over the course of three summers. Pitching the book to mainstream presses was an entirely different story as they were often met with criticism of the book being "too niche," or lacking mass appeal. Calvo recalled racist rejection letters from publishing houses that argued natives were often "malnourished."

They widened their net and eventually clicked with Vancouver's Arsenal Pulp Press, an independent publisher that supports books on native cook by queer authors.

The result is a lauded tome broken downinto 12 chapters with topics ranging from decolonization that sets forth the books mission trifold. Calvo and Esquibel honor ancestors and future youth though native foods by recognizing food as medicine. They stress flaws in the standard American diet filled with processed foods. And finally they point to the Latino/a Immigrant Paradox as a reason to re-indigenize with urgency.

The paradox cited by researchers points to a decrease in immigrants' health the longer they stay in the states. During their book tour, as people share their food stories, Calvo notes that indigenous food is often shamed. Yet, eating thesame ancestral foods in poverty before coming to the U.S. is often what protected immigrants from diabetes and other maladies.

A chapter in the book is devoted to helping readers become more familiar with Mesoamerican ingredients such as achiote (or annatto), allspice berries, amaranth, avocado leaves, beans, butter, raw cacao, cashews, chaya ("tree spinach"), chayote, chia (not just for smoothie bowls, it turns out), fresh and dried chiles, fresh and frozen corn, masa, honey, hibiscus flowers, epazote and more. Not all ingredients are entirely new either the sweet potato and cabbage slaw tacos are a hit and easy to make. From there, chapters are divided by antojitos, ensaladas, sopas y guisados, platos fuertes, tacos, a la carta, salsas, postres (because we all need a little dessert in our lives), bebidas and desayunos.

What Calvo and Esquibel get oh-so-right is their mellifluous writing and improvisational style. "Luz doesn't use recipes," Esquibel says.

Moreover, though they encourage getting back to the land (Calvo also maintains a expansive garden filled with herbs, beans and hens for eggs), they acknowledge the cultural shift that's taken folks away from knowing where indigenous foods like esquites and verdolagas come from, while also pointing out market culture can be traced as far back to daily life in Aztec Tenochitlan.

"Our book provoked discussions among family members... [it] opens discussions about ancestral foods that nobody necessarily recognized as super valuable, and that's powerful thing for families," Calvo said.

"Decolonize Your Diet" is simple to follow and perfect for beginner cooks to understand, which seems to be a purposeful addition by the authors.

"Not everyone learned to cook from their grandmother," Esquibel said. "There were some things we had to learn how to make ourselves and now it's our turn to teach them to the next generation."

In fact, Calvo wasn't the pro tortilla maker she is now. Delving into fresh maiz andnixtamalization (the process of soaking and cooking maiz into an alkaline solution for consumption) took several attempts with misshapen tortillas before she felt comfortable enough firing up the comal with confidence.

Meet Calvo and Esquibel this weekend, first for a platica and book signing at the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center on Friday at 7 p.m. and on Saturday for a panel discussion withRebel Mariposa of La Botanica, and Ale Tierra of Mama Tierra and Food Not Bombs SA, moderated byLilliana Patricia Saldaa, a Chicana activist scholar raised in San Antonios Southside.

922 San Pedro Ave., (210)228-0201.

See more here:
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center Welcomes "Decolonize Your Diet" Authors - San Antonio Current

There have been plenty of diets and nutritional guidelines out there over the years, some much more bizarre (and potentially dangerous) than others.

To name a few examples, there's the watermelon diet,the baby food diet, the lemonade master cleanse diet.

Apparently, at one point, there was even a diet suggesting you eat a cotton ball every so often to stave off hunger (super healthy, and delicious, amirite??!?).

As strange as some of those diets may be, breatharianism might be the strangest, most like-a-damn-science-fiction-novel of all.

It's a lifestyle centered around the idea that you don't need food or water.

Although not the originators of this strange and difficult-to-spell diet, breatharian loversAkahi Ricardo and Camila Castello have been grabbing attention with their claims that all they need to survive areair and the good vibes of the universe.

Ya-huh.

The two of them slowly weaned off of food together, starting with a vegetarian diet, and slowly working their way to, like, nothing.

The plans for weaning yourself off sustenance of any kind have guidelines that begin with eight- to 21-day plans, in an attempt to rid people of the dependencyon food.

Castello even says she went through an entire pregnancy without consumingvirtually anything, except the universal vibes.

If she eats nowadays, it's with her children to experience the joy of taste (jeez, at least the kids get to eat).

Practitioners of breatharianism say you can train yourself to subsist off of prana (which is what they call all the cosmic energy in the world, or the vital life force in Hinduism).

The main source of prana isthe sun, so that's where they claim you can get everything you need to lead a balanced lifestyle just deep breaths and a little natural vitamin D.

There have been practices based on the same eat-only-air claims dating back to Hindu religious texts and the Renaissance.

In America, breatharianism has been attributed to Wiley Brooksback in the '80s.

Brooks told Vice he is from another planet, and that eating food traps you in the 3-D world.

OK, whatever you say, bro.

While some people work periodic fasting into their lives, it's definitely not something to do without professional guidelines.

And, let me be clear, breatharianismis not a nutrition plan.In fact, some people have actuallydied from trying it.

Doctors are pretty unanimous in calling the idea a lethal pseudoscienceand not a good idea at all.They say it's stilla prettyuniversal truth that humans need food and water to survive and thrive.

And while I may be a bitof a hippie myself at the end of the day, I'm not convinced on this one by a long shot.

I say, if you're interested in trying new dietary or nutritional guidelines, do lots of research and ask for help.

For now, I'm going to stick to eating and drinking.

And yeah, I guess I'll welcome some universal sunlight energy vibes, too.

Subscribe to Elite Daily's official newsletter, The Edge, for more stories you don't want to miss.

Annakeara is a writer and all around barrel of laughs based in Brooklyn.

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What Even Is Breatharianism, And What You Should Know About The Dangerous Trend - Elite Daily

According to national figures diabetes is the fastest growing health threat in the UK, with numbers of people living with type 2 diabetes having doubled since 1996. Last year 14 billion pounds were spent on treating the disease, equating to 25,000 every minute.

Our increased consumption of sugar is largely to blame, along with more sedentary lifestyles, poor nutrition in general and a lack of exercise.

Some nutritionists would argue that sugar is sugar, regardless of the source. The fructose in fruit has the same effect on blood sugars as a processed sugar added to food. It causes a rapid rise in blood sugar levels; this causes a release of insulin into the blood telling the cells to dispose of the sugar through storage in the liver, muscles and fat cells.

If someone is eating too much sugar over a period of time, then the constant release of insulin leads to diabetes the insulin is no longer working properly; its worn out.

Despite nutritionists, bodybuilders and trainers knowing the effects of sugar for decades, its only recently that the media has begun to demonise it. So as we turn away from added sugars, sweet breakfast cereals, soft drinks and biscuits, its easy for sugar to be a villain. Even the sugar in fruit.

An unintended consequence of this new eating pattern is avoidance of fruit, particularly fruit that is high in sugar. As our nutritional knowledge grows, we begin to judge and choose food by the macro nutrients in it; often we are guided by the nutrition label. If the carbohydrate content is high, and the sugars are high, we might avoid that food regardless of any other qualities it might contain.

By this logic an orange can be compared to a full fat coke. Both have 9g of sugar per 100g; but the orange is much more than just sugar, and even the nutritional label bears this out. It contains fibre (helping you to feel full), lots of vitamin C and lots of micro-nutrients. These include carotenoids and phytochemicals that have been shown to prevent obesity and polyphenols which are also great for health.

The coke, on the other hand, is just empty calories; sugar, water and chemicals not the good ones.

So although high in sugar, the orange has much more bang for the buck than its empty counterpart. Is it part of a healthy diet, eaten in sensible quantities? Most certainly. Thus when you consider fruits contribution to overall health and longevity then it should not be avoided.

Some fruits are better than others berries, for example, have low sugar but high nutrient and fibre content. But as part of a balanced diet they are all excellent.

Excerpt from:
Diets Don't Work: Is it OK to eat fruit? It's high in sugar, right? - Maidenhead Advertiser

Kansas City Star (blog)

Prepping the perfect dinner party when you have food allergies and a difficult diet Kansas City Star (blog) Thankfully, the panic quickly subsided when I remembered my friend practices the paleo diet and her daughter has a severe allergy to dairy, so I knew she would be well-versed in nontraditional diets. In fact, after I suggested the dinner party, we both ...

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Prepping the perfect dinner party when you have food allergies and a difficult diet - Kansas City Star (blog)

After Ditching Yo-Yo Diets, Angela Lost 75 Pounds With Jenny Craig

If you've ever felt like you were hitting rock bottom emotionally, Angela Estrada can definitely relate. As a self-described emotional eater, Angela turned to food as a comfort after a terrible loss. Though she was in a horrible place emotionally, she realized that she needed to make a change. With the help of her close friends, she discovered Jenny Craig. This choice created a snowball effect, leading her to not only lose weight, but become happy, confident, and energized.

POPSUGAR: What made you decide to start your weight-loss journey?

Angela Estrada: I've struggled with my weight for most of my life and have yo-yo dieted for years. I am an emotional eater, so when my mother passed away five years ago, I really hit rock bottom. I came to a point where I was absolutely miserable and I knew I could not go on feeling this way; I knew my mother didn't want me living this way either. My days of trying quick-fix diets that I simply hated, with results that never lasted, were over. I knew for my life to change I needed to learn new habits and make real changes. I'd seen two of my friends be successful on (and love) the Jenny Craig program. I walked into my local Jenny Craig office on Nov. 28, 2015 feeling skeptical and desperate.

PS: What drew you to Jenny Craig specifically?

AE: While at a weekend away with some girlfriends, one of my friends was raving about Jenny Craig and how much she loved their food. A few months later a coworker was telling me how she joined Jenny Craig and was loving the yummy food, too. One day after talking with her about Jenny Craig for probably the fifth time she said, "Just go. Give it a try." The staff at Jenny Craig could not have been more wonderful. This weight-loss experience was going to be different. It was not a quick-fix diet, and with Linda, my Jenny Craig consultant, I wasn't going to be alone on my journey to a healthier life.

PS: What's your favorite way to work out?

AE: I love to run! If you would've told me about a year and a half ago that I would be saying that, I would never have believed you! When I started Jenny Craig, I knew I had to find something I enjoyed doing if I was going to stick to it. I started out by walking. I'd walk around a local lake which was five miles. It took me about an hour and a half. As I kept going, and as I lost weight, it got easier. So, I started doing some jogging intervals. Those intervals got longer and longer until I found myself running the whole thing. The last time I ran it, it took me 46 minutes!

It was baby steps, little by little. I find that now instead of eating my feelings, I run them out! It's such a therapeutic thing to throw on my running shoes at the end of a long day of work and just run all the stress of the day out. If gives me a chance to clear my mind and reconnect to what's important. As I lost a lot of weight, I realized I needed to tone up and not just get my cardio in. I discovered Pilates on reformer machines and have found a community of support at my local Pilates studio. It's definitely made me stronger and toned!

PS: What's your weekly exercise schedule?

AE: I work out three to five days a week. I'm not a morning person, so I pack my gym bag in the morning, then I either head straight to the Pilates studio or running trail after work. This way I'm not tempted to skip by going home first. I take my workouts seriously, but I also am kind to myself. If I'm have a busy week at work, I don't stress out. Instead, I find some time to carve out, even if it's just a quick 20-minute jog. I put my workouts into my calendar, just like I would a doctor's appt. or work meeting. By making my workouts a priority, I know I'm working on being a better me, which is going to make me a better daughter, teacher, friend, colleague, etc.

PS: How do you keep workouts exciting?

AE: I have a few friends I go to Pilates classes with, which makes workouts much more fun! I love setting goals, so running races is a great way to keep me challenged, motivated, and consistent to a training schedule. Finding different fun playlists or new places to run or hike keeps things new and fresh as well. I love getting a group of my friends together for a fun weekend hike, too.

PS: How much weight have you lost?

AE: 75 pounds.

PS: What was the first big difference, other than the number on the scale, that really made you feel proud and excited?

AE: I think every woman has clothes in their closest that are a size or two too small, that we're hoping to fit into "one day." I had this pair of shorts my "skinny" friend gave me as a hand-me-down. When I began my weight-loss journey, I would look at them and think, "These are so small, I can't imagine ever fitting into them!" After being on Jenny Craig for a while, I finally had the courage to try them on. They fit perfectly! That was so exciting!

PS: How do you track your weight loss?

AE: I meet with my Jenny Craig consultant once a week. I get weighed during this time, too. I find this is the best way for me to track weight loss. This way I'm not focusing so much on the number on the scale, but more on eating healthy and feeling good.

PS: What's a typical day of meals and snacks?

AE: On Jenny Craig, you eat a lot! On a typical day I'll have a breakfast like their breakfast scramble or Sunshine Sandwich and 1/2 fruit serving in about 6 ounces of nonfat Greek yogurt or I'll blend the fruit in one of their ready-to-drink shakes. I have an Anytime Bar for my morning snack which is packed with protein & keeps me satisfied. Then it's a lunch like my favorite margherita pizza or mac and cheese with a big green salad. After my students leave for the day, I'll have a piece of fruit for snack. Finally it's a dinner like chicken carbonara or homestyle beef pot roast with some steamed veggies (I can even add a soup addition if I'm extra hungry from my workouts) followed by a yummy Jenny Craig dessert. You can have your cake and eat it too!

PS: Do you count calories?

AE: No! On Jenny Craig, you don't have to. You just follow the menu. It's so easy! If I'm not able to follow Jenny Craig for some reason, I track my calorie intake on My Fitness Pal, or keep a food journal in my notes on my phone.

PS: What are the healthy staples that are always in your fridge?

AE: I always have easy-to-grab and snack-on veggies like carrots, cucumber, snap peas, and peppers. I keep lots of salad greens including spinach and kale on hand not just for salads but I like to throw a hand-full in a blender with my ready-to-drink shake too. I drink tons of water, so I keep mineral water in my fridge like La Croix to mix it up a bit.

PS: How do you strategize for meals out?

AE: If I know what restaurant I'm going to, I'll look up their menu ahead of time to plan what I'll order. While on JC I've learned you always have a choice! You can request a dish to be cooked a certain way, and most menus have a low-calorie or healthy options section. One thing I love to do is keep a packet of Jenny Craig dressing in my bag. When I'm out and I order a salad, I put my own dressing on it and save a ton of calories!

PS: Do you use a fitness tracker? Which one, and how do you think it helped you?

AE: I have a Fitbit, and it really keeps me moving and motivated! I tend to be competitive and love to set goals, so when I reach my step goal, it's always a good feeling. I also like Map My Run to help me with my time and pacing during my runs.

PS: What role did Jenny Craig play in your journey? Would you recommend it?

AE: It hasn't just been about losing weight on Jenny Craig. Jenny Craig has been a true education in healthy living, and as an educator myself, I really appreciate that! Before, I had no idea what living a healthy lifestyle looked like. This program gave me individualized support and guidance through my consultant. Meeting weekly with my consultant keeps me on track, inspired, and gives me practical skills to handle the challenges during this journey. Now I have the skills not just to lose weight but how to keep it off by knowing portion control and how to listening to my body when I feel full. I've learned how to find healthy ways to deal with life's challenges and stress like working out, spiritually connecting to my faith and journaling, and enjoying time with loved ones. I would highly recommend it!

PS: What advice do you have for anyone starting out on a weight-loss journey?

AE: Start today! Don't wait! I had no idea how life-changing this weight-loss journey would be, so my only regret now is not having started sooner. Don't let set-backs or failures stop you either. It's a step-by-step process. Just keep moving forward. You can do it!

Image Source: Angela Estrada

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Excerpt from:
After Ditching Yo-Yo Diets, Angela Lost 75 Pounds With Jenny Craig - POPSUGAR

June 21, 2017 Bobolinks molt while in South America for the winter, and the new feathers they grow there reflect their diet. Credit: R.M. Jensen

Influences outside the breeding season can matter a lot for the population health of migratory birds, but it's tough to track what happens once species scatter across South America for the winter months. A study from The Condor: Ornithological Applications tries a new approach for determining what declining migratory grassland birds called Bobolinks eat after they head south for the winteranalyzing the carbon compounds in their plumage, which are determined by the types of plants the birds consume while growing their feathers during their winter molt.

Thanks to a quirk of photosynthesis, rice contains a different ratio of carbon isotopes than most of the native grasses in South America where Bobolinks winter. Rosalind Renfrew of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies and her colleagues took advantage of this, collecting feather samples from wintering Bobolinks in a rice-producing region and a grassland region and from breeding Bobolinks in North America. When they analyzed the feathers' isotopes ratios, the results from South America confirmed that isotopes in Bobolinks' feathers reflected the differences in their diets between regions with and without rice production. The samples taken in North America showed that the winter diet of most individuals was weighted more toward non-rice material, but that rice consumption was highest late in the winter, when rice is nearing harvest and the birds are preparing for their northbound migration.

Rice could be beneficial by providing the birds with needed calories as they prepare for their journey north, but it could also increase Bobolinks' exposure to pesticides and threats from farmers who see them as pests. According to Renfrew and her colleagues, maintaining native grasslands, encouraging integrated pest management programs to reduce toxic pesticide applications, and compensating farmers for crops lost to feeding birds all would be helpful.

"The time spent coordinating the field work for this study may well have been greater than the time spent collecting the data," says Renfrew. "It was truly a team effort, and the assistance we received from our partners was absolutely essential, especially in South America. Aves Argentinas and the Museo de Historia Natural de Noel Kempff Mercado provided priceless logistical support, and this study could not have happened without them. Some of the same partners have provided input on a Bobolink Conservation Plan that lays out actions to address threats to grassland birds in North and South America, based on results from this and other studies."

"As Bobolink populations continue to decline, Renfrew and her colleagues use state-of-the-art isotope analysis techniques to assess the Bobolink's diet on its South American wintering grounds," according to John McCracken of Bird Studies Canada, an expert on grassland bird conservation who was not involved with the study. "The authors conclude that rice may have negative effects on Bobolinks, owing to its relatively low nutritional quality and from exposure to insecticides."

Explore further: Combining techniques provides new insight into bird migration

More information: "Winter diet of Bobolink, a long-distance migratory grassland bird, inferred from feather isotopes" The Condor: Ornithological Applications, 2017.

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Winning the teacher of the year award at Northview High School in Johns Creek, Georgia, should have been a happy day for Jordan Kohanim, but instead she felt profoundly sad after seeing a picture of her with the award. She couldn't believe how overweight she was.

I was mortified about how unhealthy I looked. It was time that I admitted that what I was doing was not working, Kohanim, 38, told TODAY via email.

While Kohanim struggled with her weight most of her life, she did occasionally work out and follow crash diets to try to be healthier. But most often, she went home and crashed on the couch.

My diet consisted of yo-yo and guilt, said the language arts and debate teacher from Atlanta. I was overweight because I believed the narrative that society taught me: I was big because I wasn't worthwhile enough not to be.

After struggling with her weight all of her life, Jordan Kohanim started tracking what she ate and exercising, starting with 15 minutes at a time. In two years, she lost 70 pounds.

These bad habits led the 5-foot-tall woman to gain weight until she reached 190 pounds. After seeing her unflattering picture, which the school shared on its social media accounts, Kohanim realized she needed to change. She asked her father, Brian Aiken, for advice and he shared the 15-minute rule.

"Go to the gym and work out for 15 minutes. If you still feel like not working out, go home. If you go home after 15 minutes, you are not allowed to beat yourself up about it. You tried. You weren't feeling it. Try again tomorrow," he told her.

Kohanim often used crash diets and sporadic exercise to try to get healthier. It wasn't until she changed how she thought of food that she was really able to lose weight.

So, she attempted the 15-minute rule. For a few weeks, she worked out 15 minutes a day, twice a week. Then, she started going to the gym three, then four, then five days a week. She discovered she enjoyed it and before she realized it, she was exercising for 60 minutes.

I vowed to do my at-least-15-minutes workout five days a week. Once the habit was made, I was able to stick to it, Kohanim said. I work out in the morning before I am exhausted from teaching and tutoring.

While exercise helped her transform her body, making better choices when it comes to food made the biggest difference. When she first started, she simply tracked her calories. Now, Kohanim follows a macros diet, where she counts macronutrients, which include carbs, protein and fat, to make healthy meals. Its a different way of tracking what you eat.

People don't realize just how much of weight loss is what you eat. The truisms are truisms because they are surprise, surprise true, she said.

When Kohanim hit plateaus during her weight-loss journey, she'd try different types of exercise.

She faced challenges when shedding pounds and transforming her life. But when she felt frustrated or hit plateaus, she asked for help.

I felt discouraged all the time, but that's when you reach out to your network. You seek out motivation, she said. People admire perseverance, and they will root for you when you feel discouraged.

In two years, Kohanim lost 70 pounds and now weighs 120 pounds, a weight she has maintained for over a year. While shes happy with her body, she is also pleased by her emotional changes.

Before this journey, I felt like my weight was all a product of my own laziness. I worked out to punish myself for that laziness. It wasn't until I started viewing my weight as a health issue, that real transformation took place, she said.

Kohanim provided tips for others hoping to shed weight and become healthier:

While Kohanim works out by doing HIIT training, cardio and weight lifting, her weight loss started simply by tracking what she ate.

It really is 80 percent kitchen, 20 percent gym, she said.

Start by realizing that you are worthwhile that any time you take for yourself: working out, food-prepping, hiking in the woods is not being selfish. It is how you ensure that you are here for a long enough time to take care of those people you constantly sacrifice yourself for, she said.

Kohanim has maintained her 70-pound weight loss.

By including more healthy foods to your diet, people are less likely to turn to junk food.

Consciously eat five cups of veggies a day add them to your diet. Then you will have less room for the other stuff, she said.

It feels frustrating when the number on the scale goes up instead of down. Or you havent lost any weight in weeks. But asking for support can help.

Don't be afraid to tell people that you are struggling. That's okay. They aren't going to condemn you for it, she said. You'll be amazed at how many people will reach out to encourage you.

After the body becomes familiar with certain activities, it slows the metabolism, Kohanim said. So, when long distance running didnt seem to have the same impact on her body, she tried different workouts.

I had to change it up. I had to cut my cardio back and scale up my weight training, she said.

For more inspirational stories, check out our My Weight-Loss Journey page.

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5 steps that helped a teacher shed 70 pounds, transform her life in 2 years - Today.com

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