In January 2019, Martine Etienne-Mesubi had had enough. She was 42 years old, and she weighed 225 pounds. She couldnt play outdoors with Zoe, her 6-year-old daughter, without stopping to catch her breath. When we went to the park Id say, Hold on Zoe, lets take a break, lets wait for mom, lets sit down.' I hated that, she says.

Her second daughter, Ava, had been born a few months earlier, and Etienne-Mesubi ate whatever she wanted when she was pregnant and nursing. At 10 at night I would pull out a bowl of cereal or make toast, then go to bed right after. My eating habits were down the drain, she says. By the end of 2018 Ava stopped nursing, so the eating for two excuse wasnt cutting it anymore. Plus, Etienne-Mesubi was concerned about developing diabetes and hypertension, which run in her family.

She knew she had to take control of her weight and her health. Being 225 pounds and carrying on the way I was with no-holds-barred eating all the time, I realized cant keep eating like this.

After her first pregnancy, Etienne-Mesubi had lost weight by running and modifying her diet. She trained for 5ks, 10ks, and half marathons, and she watched everything she ate.

I was in that diet mentality. I thought, I cant have this, I cant have that, I dont want to gain weight. Looking back, it was really not a good place for me with food. I was obsessive about everything I was eating and all the exercise I was doing, she says.

She didnt see a path forward for weight loss. In my mind there was no way to do it except the way I did after my first daughter, and I was not feeling that energy, she says. I thought, Im older, we have two kids now, and Im tired. Theres no way Im running anywhere or doing any HIIT exercises, she says.

On Instagram she came across people who were losing weight with intermittent fasting and tracking their progress with the LIFE Fasting Tracker app. I didnt know what that meant. I thought people were just not eating. How do you not have breakfast or lunch? I couldnt grasp the concept, she says.

With a Ph.D. in epidemiology, Etienne-Mesubi put her research skills to work learning about intermittent fasting: I needed some science. I wanted to know what evidence existed to show this was a legit way to lose weight.

She discovered people had been fasting intermittently for years who said they were losing weight, feeling better, and reversing diabetes and hypertension. I was blown away by all the information I was finding, and a lot of it is based in science, she says.

Still, she was apprehensive. I love to eat, I love food, and I love to cook. My favorite store is Costco because theyre always giving you something to taste. I didnt know if I could manage not eating for however long, she says. But I decided to start the new year fresh, and this was how I was going to do it.

There are a lot of different options for intermittent fasting, and Etienne-Mesubi started with 18 hours of fasting and a six-hour eating window. In the beginning it was challenging but within two weeks it became very normal, she says.

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She learned that hunger often comes in waves, and if she drank some water or tea, or read to get her mind off the hunger, the wave would pass. The minute I shifted my mind onto something else I wasnt hungry, and before I knew it, I was at my eating window, she says.

She had no trouble skipping breakfast, and sometimes wasnt hungry at noon, so she would push the start of her eating window to 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. and finish eating by 6 p.m.

She also fasted for 48 to 72 hours every week for about two months. Im not a medical doctor. I do have a Ph.D. in epidemiology, but I wouldnt recommend anybody do that without speaking to your doctor and doing your own research, she says.

By April 2019 she had lost 30 pounds and her eating window had shrunk to two or three hours a day. She decided to challenge herself with one meal a day (OMAD). She figured if it didnt work for her, she could revert to her regular intermittent fasting schedule.

She planned her daily meal for dinnertime so she and her family could all eat together, and she didnt restrict what she ate. Im Haitian and my husband is Nigerian, and we eat everything. I wasnt going to restrict my traditional foods, she says.

Over the holidays, Etienne-Mesubi continued with intermittent fasting but gave herself an expanded eating window of six or eight hours. We were celebrating, and I have no regret and no guilt for extending my window, she says. Even though I allowed myself extended time to eat, I didnt go crazy. I still enjoyed myself and my time with my family and kids. It was so freeing to know if I want to eat longer I can, and if I dont feel like eating anymore Im going to stop, she says.

After seven years staying home to care for her daughters, Etienne-Mesubi returned to work last November as a public health epidemiologist working in global health. She was apprehensive about rejoining the workforce and says her weight-loss success helped give her the confidence to do it. I thought, Martie, you lost all this weight, you can definitely go back to work you got this, she says.

Etienne-Mesubi shares her journey on her blog, podcast and Instagram. Anybody can do this. This is something you have control over, she says.

I feel amazing. I feel fantastic. I have newfound confidence, she says. Im saying yes to so many things. Im excited about life and my future with my family. Im a better mom and a better wife.

One meal a day (OMAD): Shell start with some nuts or guacamole and chips, and then have a traditional meal like Haitian rice and beans with oxtail and cabbage, or a big baby arugula salad with a bunch of things thrown in nuts, beets, broccoli, braised turkey necks, quinoa and chickpeas. Some days they might have avocado toast with eggs and cheese, or fish tacos. Salad is a mainstay.

I have one satiating meal in one sitting. Whatever that may be, I have that meal with my family and then Im done for the day. Thats why its important for the meal to consist of healthy and filling components, she says. Once I have eaten my meal, Im fully satisfied and wont eat until the next day. It takes time for your body to get used to eating this way but once you get into the rhythm of it, it becomes a daily habit.

And if Zoe asks for pizza or wants to bake cookies, Etienne-Mesubi is on board with that.

They always have dessert, which could be ice cream or cookies, or yogurt, granola or fruit. Im a big sweet eater, but I still try to get my daughter to choose fruits over ice cream or cookies, she says.

Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, a nutrition and weight-loss expert with a virtual nutrition counseling practice based in New York City, says its important that Etienne-Mesubi realized that what worked for her in the past wasnt sustainable for her current lifestyle.

At some point, its difficult to maintain that level of exercise and rigidity over your food choices, which is why so many people throw in the towel. But you can eat better, find movement experiences that work for you, and get to a healthier weight without going to those extremes, Cassetty says.

She says that much of the research on intermittent fasting comes from animal research, which is interesting, but not conclusive. Based on the evidence we have, there seems to be some benefit to intermittent fasting, but the rules can be tough to follow, she says.

Intermittent fasting might not be a great choice if you:

Instead, you might want to consider the Mediterranean diet for health benefits, or a regular, calorie-restricted meal plan for weight loss.

She says many people might struggle with just one meal a day: Studies on intermittent fasters have high drop-out rates, suggesting how hard it is to ignore hunger and eat within limited windows.

Cassetty also is concerned that people who eat just one meal a day may not be meeting their vitamin and mineral requirements. Etienne-Mesubi says she chooses nutrient-dense meals with leafy greens, eggs, nuts, grains, and loads of veggies and takes a daily multivitamin supplement to ward off any deficiencies.

But there are some lessons we can learn from intermittent fasting, Cassetty says. For example, night-time eating is linked with an unfavorable metabolic shift that ups your risk of diabetes and other challenging, chronic conditions, so its a good idea for everyone to think about ways to curtail nighttime nibbling. A 12-hour fast is appropriate for most people, and can help create some structure in the evening, when people are prone to snacking.

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Jackson, MS, Jan. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bariatric surgery or weight loss surgery describes a number of procedures that are performed on the stomach or intestines in order to produce fast weight loss. Weight-loss surgeries alter your digestive system to help you lose weight by restricting how much you can eat, and/or by reducing the absorption of nutrients. After surgery, patients tend to feel full faster, reducing instances of overeating and encouraging portion control. Reducing what you eat via surgery can keep weight off in the long-term if you are committed. Quick weight loss due to bariatric surgery in this case isnt for mere aesthetic benefit only, excessive weight gain places strain on the bodys joints and organs which can lead to a number of debilitating health conditions and even early death. Bariatric surgery can quickly decrease risks for common weight related conditions such as: High cholesterol High blood pressure Sleep apnea Diabetes Heart attacks Strokes Acid reflux Circulation issues Chronic pain Chronic infections Inflammatory diseases Who is a candidate for weight loss surgery? Many surgeons will require that the patient shows some degree of commitment to losing weight, particularly if their weight poses a risk when it comes to the safety of an intrusive surgical procedure. Weight loss surgery is performed in patients where diet and exercise either hasnt worked or is made difficult by an individuals weight or health status. Bariatric surgery is geared toward patients whose body mass indexes range in the obesity category rather than those who are just a bit overweight and can use diet and exercise interventions instead. You may be a candidate for bariatric surgery if: Your body mass index (BMI) is 40+ (extreme obesity). Your BMI ranges from 35-39.9 (obesity), and you have one or more weight-related health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or severe sleep apnea. Some people may qualify for certain types of weight-loss surgery with a bit lower BMI 30-34 and weight-related health conditions are present. Is weight loss surgery risky? Still, all forms of weight-loss surgery, including gastric bypass, are major procedures that can pose serious risks and side effects. As with any major surgery, gastric bypass and other weight-loss surgeries pose potential health risks, both in the short term and long term. Some short-term risks and complications associated with weight loss surgery include: Hemorrhaging/Internal bleeding Internal organ puncture Bowel perforation Bacterial infections/Wound infections Gastrointestinal leakage Adverse reactions to anesthesia Blood clots Respiratory distress Rare instances of mortality Possible long-term risks and complications: Dumping syndrome (a cause of gastrointestinal distress) Gallstone formation Bowel obstruction Hernias Ulcers Malnutrition (low absorption of nutrients) Gallstones Hernias Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) Stomach perforation Successful bariatric surgeries can only work as well as the patient will allow. Making permanent healthy changes to your diet and get regular exercise will improve the chances of long-term progress. Diet Demand suggests that anyone considering weight loss surgery should look into medical weight loss as a much safer option. Medical weight loss is a way to lose weight naturally based on your body composition and health profile. As a specialist in telemedicine based weight loss, Diet Demand offers customized diet and prescription plans, along with personal diet coaching by phone. Clients are seeing success rates of over 90%, with long-term weight loss following directly afterward. At DietDemand, all patients gain unlimited access to the best minds in the business. Their staff of doctors, nurses, nutritionists and coaches are available six days per week to answer questions, offer suggestions, address concerns and lend their professional guidance and support. Because of this, more and more people are turning to DietDemand for their weight management needs. Diet plans are tailored to be specific to the needs of those of any age, gender, shape or size and for those who are struggling to lose that final 10-20 pounds to those who must lose 100 pounds or more. Call today to request a private, confidential, no-cost online consultation.

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About the Company: DietDemand is the nation's leader in medical, weight loss offering a full line of prescription medication, doctor, nurse and nutritional coaching support. For over a decade, DietDemand has produced a sophisticated, doctor designed weight loss program that addresses each individual specific health need to promote fast, safe and long-term weight loss.

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How to lose weight and shed fat? Its a complicated question that comes with a wide spectrum of different motivations.

The first step is to be honest and establish your current position. If you are just getting started on the journey towards a fitter, healthier version of yourself then its important to concentrate on the long term and think about forming healthy habits that will last a lifetime, rather than looking for quick fixes.

One major issue with weight loss and shedding fat is that many people make drastic changes too quickly. They lose weight rapidly using some fad diet, but put that weight back on as soon as the diet is over and they return to their old habits.

Giving yourself time to adapt and change will allow you to make changes that last a lifetime, and lose unwanted weight and fat for good!

A great place to start is to take a notebook and record everything you eat over the course of a week.

Get into the habit of doing this. Do what you normally do, eat what you normally eat. Be honest. Accountability is exceptionally important when it comes to learning how to lose weight. This will give you a good empirical base of evidence on which to start your new life, and set you out on the path to transforming your body. You can also use a food tracker for this.

A very simple piece of advice. Often when we feel hungry, it is because we are thirsty instead. Every time you feel hungry outside your meal times, have a large glass of water instead of some unhealthy snack. Start each day with a large glass of water when you wake up and replace sugary drinks such as coke with water instead.

If you arent a fan of the flavour, buy a stevia flavouring. Get into the habit of carrying water with you wherever you go. Keep a big bottle in your car and at work.

Many people simply do not eat enough protein, relying instead on diets that are high in simple carbohydrates to keep them full and satiated. Unfortunately, protein deficiency can have huge negative effects on muscle and tissue growth, healthy hormonal balance and general health. If you already exercise regularly and are not eating enough protein then you are not giving your body what it needs to recover and develop properly.

Try to eat more tofu, eggs, milk, fish, meat, beans, cous cous, oats, cheese etc.

Another simple and easy habit is to buy a quality protein powder and have one or two protein shakes a day.

The100% Natural Whey Protein Concentratefrom Olimp provides 27 gram of protein per serving, perfect for maximising muscle growth!

To reiterate the point above, a large part of learning how to lose weight is learning how to be disciplined and stick to good habits.

If you make this a core part of your life in general, then you will be less likely to buckle and fold when it comes to that tempting snack or deciding to quit.

Try to be more disciplined with the small things in your life, and this will naturally spread to your choices about food. Discipline is doing the right thing, at the right time, even when you do not feel like doing it.

Once you have all the above steps in place, its time to move to the next phase.

Everything begins with a plan. But the key thing with fat loss is understanding your numbers.

That means calculating how many calories you should be eating on a daily basis to support your goals whether thats fat loss, muscle building, strength or performance. There are so many websites now where you can easily work out your daily calorie need, which takes into account your age, sex, height and weekly training sessions.

Once you know your daily calorie total, you can break this down intomacronutrients so the proportions of carbohydrate, protein and fat you need in your diet to hit this daily calorie goal. So for example, that could be 300g of carbs, 180g of protein and 60g of fat for someone with a daily requirement of XXXXX calories.

Calorie balance is the ratio between calories taken in and calories expended in any one individual at any given time. To put it very simply, if you want to lose weight, then you need to expend more calories than you consume.

It is a good idea to measure this out over the course of a week to cancel out most fluctuations, such as drinking more water.

TIP: When measuring fat loss (or muscle gain) over time, weigh yourself first thing in the morning, before you eat or drink anything. Measure your weight 2-3 times per week and record all results. This will give you a clear and consistent record of your progress.

There are 3 states of calorie balance:

It is impossible to be in more than one of these states at any one time.

Anegative calorie balancewill always result in weight loss. Even though body water alterations may occasionally mask this loss of tissue, it is always going to occur, with ZERO exceptions so far discovered.

Optimise your nutrition now

In order to maximize your chances for muscle gain or fat loss, you must know when and how to enter a hypo, hyper, or eucaloric state.

It follows then that in order to lose weight, you must operate in a negative calorie balance (a hypocaloric state). Whilst this is true in the vast majority of cases, there are other factors at play such as the effects of sleep patterns and hormonal imbalances. Always consult a qualified nutritionist to determine the right path for you individually.

The second most important factor for transforming yourself is to consume the correct macronutrients to support your body and the goals that you are working towards. These consist of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Having the right ratio between these three parts of your nutrition will differ depending on your exact goal, weight, sex, age, height and the way that you train.

It is best to consult a qualified nutritionist to find out exactly how many grams of each macronutrient you will need to support your goals.

When it comes to macronutrients, the following points are important to consider

The word protein originates from the Greek protos, which means the first. Proteins are the basic building blocks of the human organism. All tissues and organs contain proteins and they are essential for fat loss and muscle gain. Additionally, proteins also fulfil important signalling functions in the neural system.

Suitable for those, who want to improve their performance. Take post-workout, mixed with water for faster absorption.

Find the right Protein for you

The Amino acid tryptophan, included in the proteins from chicken or turkey meat, is important for production of serotonin, which is an important neurotransmitter, and melatonin, which regulates the sleep cycle.

Albumin is a reserve protein, which regulates distribution of nutrients and maintains the pressure in the blood capillaries. Low albumin levels can signal liver disease or problems with processing the nutrients. A high level of albumin is typical during dehydration.

Transferrin is a transport protein for iron. It is related to immunity-boosting lactoferrin, which can be found in whey protein supplements with lower degree of processing (concentrate).

Carbohydratesseem to have acquired an unjustly poor reputation, but they are the preferred fuel source for our bodies and brains. Without the proper amount of carbohydrates in your nutrition you will lack the necessary energy to train hard. Carbohydrates also supply the nervous system with its preferred fuel, refuel glycogen stores and help the body to secrete insulin all important functions.

What you should know is that there aretwo types of carbohydrates:

Complex carbohydrates will supply you with a slow burning supply of energy.

They typically have a lower Glycemic Index (the rate at which energy is released measured in blood glucose levels) and will not give you spikes in your insulin levels. This in turn means you will avoid the inevitable crashes that follow the consumption of food and drinks that have a high Glycemic Index.

Fat sources heavy in monounsaturated fats are some of the healthiest calories you can take in.

Foods high in monounsaturated fats include olive and canola oils, avocado, natural nut butters, and almost all raw nuts including peanuts and almonds.

Monounsaturated fats and the foods that contain them are exceptional for general health. There is a conventional myth that you should cut all fats out of your diet if you want to lose weight. This is a spurious idea, as healthy fats are essential for hormonal health and effective brain function alongside many other benefits.

TIP: While proteins and carbs have 4 calories per gram, fats contain 9.

Nutrient timing and food composition are also important here, however calorie balance and eating the correct macronutrients should be the higher priority. Once you have them dialled in, then move on to fine tuning your nutrient timing and food composition.

Food composition refers to the quality of the food, and the way that you combine foods to create meals.

For proteins this relates to the bioavailability of the nutrients, for carbohydrates it refers to the fibre quality and the Glycemic Index. With fats a good rule of thumb is to try and stay away from Tran Saturated fats (fast food etc) and consume Monosaturated (Avocado, nuts and their butters, olive oil) and Healthy Saturated fats (Coconut/macadamia nut oils, grass fed animal fats) wherever possible.

Having a structured and well-planned diet is critical to success, whatever your fitness goals be it strength and performance gains to compete in the Olympics or optimal body composition to look good on the beach.

Meal prep is exactly what it says on the tin preparing your meals for the day or week ahead, to enable you to consistently meet your fitness and performance goals.

Now its all about planning your three, four or five meals a day, along with snacks and post-workout nutrition, to hit your macronutrient targets.

So this means taking your 300g of carbs, 180g of protein and 60g of fat (or whatever those measurements are for you) and dividing it between all your daily meals ensuring that youre getting a steady supply of quality protein throughout the day from your meals, while utilising your carbohydrate and fat intake at the right times for maximum impact.

Meal prep then, in its most essential form, is consistently preparing every meal, with the right amounts of macronutrients to ensure your food is there exactly when you need it boxed up and ready to go. This prevents you from straying off course with sub-optimal convenience food and keeps you on track to meet your fitness goals.

Nothing was ever achieved through guesswork alone. Having a clear goal, and then a solid plan to get you there, will invariably yield results whether thats smashing a squat PB, losing 10lbs or finally getting a shredded six pack.

Ultimately, prepping your meals brings consistency. If every meal is pre-planned, has the exact macros your body needs, and is ready to go whenever you need it, you will steadily progress towards your goals.

It stops you veering off course and prevents you from falling back on convenience food or eating to satiate hunger and cravings, which can easily make you overshoot your calorie targets and dent your progress.

Proper regimented prep ensures youre getting the right macronutrients in the right amounts:

Having quality, nutrient-rich whole foods on-hand means your body is getting a constant supply of the right macro- and micro nutrients it needs to function optimally. A properly planned diet can keep your metabolic hormones and blood sugar levels balanced and stable so no more spikes and crashes, just constant energy to help you perform at your best in the gym and be at your most productive and creative at work.

In that sense, getting yournutritionright can be life-changing.

The combination of the above points will help you to optimise your health, performance and body.

Transform your body and performance now

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How to Lose Weight Ways to Shed Fat for Performance and Aesthetics - BOXROX

Want to lose weight? Then ditch the fad diets, say experts. With a new study revealing almost two-thirds of adults in Scotland are overweight, its no surprise that many of us are constantly searching for an easy way to lose weight fast.

But science suggests theres no real quick fix to stop us piling on the pounds.

According to Dr Michael Greger, best-selling health writer and founder of NutritionFacts.org, being armed with the facts and science behind long-term weight loss is key to success.

Every month seems to bring us a trendy new diet or weight-loss fad, and they always sell because they always fail. The diet industry is based on repeat customers, he said.

In his new book, How Not to Diet, Dr Greger outlines in great detail the science behind healthy and permanent weight loss. His findings champion a plant-based diet and mindful eating.

He recommends basing your diet around Green Light foods those that are grown rather than manufactured, low in calories, high in nutrients, colourful, and usually can be eaten raw.

The solution is simple; no magic bullets, no meal replacements or meetings to attend, he said.

The same diet that has been shown to prevent, treat and reverse some of our leading killer diseases just so happens to be the one with the greatest potential for permanent weight loss: a diet centred on whole plant foods.

We should eat real food that grows out of the ground, natural foods that come from fields not factories, gardens not garbage.

Here, Dr Michael Greger shares his top weight loss tips to incorporate into your daily routine

Time your metabolism-boosting two cups of cool or cold unflavoured water to take before each meal.

As the first course, start each meal with an apple or a Green Light soup or salad containing fewer than 100 calories per cup.

Never drink vinegar straight. Instead, flavour meals or dress a side salad with any of the sweet and savoury vinegars. If you want to drink it, make sure to mix it in a glass of water and, afterwards, be sure to rinse your mouth to protect your tooth enamel.

Make sure you eat without distraction, so dont have a meal while watching TV or playing with apps on your smartphone.

Aim for at least seven hours of sleep at your regular bedtime.

Whether through increasing viscosity or the number of chews, or decreasing bite size and eating rate, no matter how we boost the amount of time food is in our mouths it can result in lower caloric intake. So extend meal duration to at least 20 minutes to allow your natural satiety signals to take full effect. Think bulkier, harder, chewier foods in smaller, well-chewed bites.

Enjoy three cups a day between meals (waiting at least an hour after a meal to avoid interfering with iron absorption). During meals, drink water, black coffee, or hibiscus tea mixed 6:1 with lemon verbena, but never exceed three cups of fluids an hour. Taking your tea without sweetener is best, but if you do use honey or sugar, try yacon syrup (a plant-based sweetener) instead.

Make sure your daily servings of wholegrain are in the form of intact grains. The powdering of even 100% whole grains robs our microbiome of the starch that would otherwise be ferried down to our colon enclosed in unbroken cell walls.

There are metabolic benefits to consuming more calories earlier in the day, so make breakfast (ideally) or lunch your largest meal of the day.

Confine eating to a daily window of time, of your choosing, under 12 hours in length that you can stick to consistently. Given the benefits of reducing evening food intake, the window should end before 7pm.

I recommend 90 minutes of moderately intense activity a day as the optimum exercise duration for weight loss. Any time is good, and the more the better, but there may be an advantage to exercising in a fasted state, at least six hours after your last meal. Typically this would mean before breakfast.

Regular weighing is considered crucial for long-term weight control, but there is insufficient evidence to support a specific frequency of weighing. My recommendation is based on the one study that found that twice-daily upon waking and right before bed appeared slightly superior to once a day (about six vs two pounds of weight loss over 12 weeks).

Thanks to our circadian rhythms, food eaten at night is more fattening than the exact same food eaten earlier in the day, so fast every night for at least 12 hours starting before 7pm. The fewer calories after sundown, the better.

How Not To Diet: The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss, Bluebird, 20

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Health: If you really want to burn the fat, don't go on a diet - The Sunday Post

My name is Frances Carpenter (@isfrannyfityet), and I'm a 30-year-old executive assistant in Riverside, California. At 331 pounds, I felt like my weight was holding me back in life, and I decided to commit to a healthy lifestyle. By following a low-carb diet, meal prepping, and trading emotional eating for gym time, I was able to lose 151 pounds.

Growing up, I would always turn to food to make myself feel better about any and every situation, good or bad. My childhood was full of dysfunction, which caused me to constantly overeat. Through adolescence and into high school I gained a lot of weight. I was around 200 pounds my senior year.

I moved to another state after graduation and gained even more weight over about seven years, and I found myself at my highest weight of 331 pounds. I would constantly eat fast food. I was a nonstop snacker, eating between every meal, and I always found myself eating late into the night.

I had limited physical ability when I was at my heaviest and I was very sad and depressed, so I continued to eat to soothe myself with food. It was an extremely hard cycle to break.

I was 26, and I was at my highest weight of 331 pounds. I was always tired because my weight was constantly interrupting my sleep.

I couldn't walk for long periods of time, and I couldn't comfortably fit in restaurant booths or movie theater seats. I was in a horrible place physically, but it was also hurting my mental state. I knew I wasn't living my life to its full potential, and there were so many things I wanted to experience without my weight being the first thing I always had to consider.

Low-carb has always been my go-to approach for weight loss. With my low-carb meal plan, I am able to eat decent-sized meals, feel energized, and lose weight all at the same time. There are so many great low-carb meal plans and recipes available to people now, and I know it will be my long-term lifestyle.

I also have a regular exercise schedule. I currently work out five days a week, alternating between different body parts. Three days a week I do 60 minutes of cardio, and the other two I do 30 minutes of cardio, which is usually the StairMaster. I also spent about three years doing CrossFit, which helped me build a workout routine and get stronger as well.

Before I started this journey, I wish I knew more about the emotional aspect of weight loss and how it would impact me. It's fun and exciting to lose weight, but I found myself having to deal with a lot of emotions, old and new. Before I lost my weight, I was using food to comfort myself and soothe past traumas, and I can no longer do that. Now, I have more time to think about and process things that before I would have shut out with foodbecause I'm not spending that time and energy eating. It's possible to get through it, but its a lot of work from the inside out.

My weight loss has changed me in ways that I did not know were possible. It has of course made me more confident in the looks department, but I have gained a new level of self-love. Even four years later, this lifestyle is still somewhat new considering how much of my life I spent obese. I choose myself now, and have made it my priority to never go back to my old ways. I have a new outlook on life and enjoy the little things that I so desperately wanted before.

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'Meal Prepping And Discovering CrossFit Helped Me Escape A Vicious Cycle Of Emotional Eating' - Women's Health

Daily Mail A former fast food addict who ate four McDonald's meals a day lost 154 lbs. in 18 months by ditching junk food for healthy burrito bowls.

Mother-of-three Kelsey Bonas, 32, from Hamilton, Ontario, spent more than a decade trying yo-yo diets and at her heaviest tipped the scales at 300 lbs. while eating more than 4,000 calories a day.

After marrying her husband Wesley and having three children, Kelsey found herself at a size 28. But she has now shrunk down to a healthy size 6 and weighs 132 lbs.

She would often visit McDonald's or similar outlets two or three times a day and generally ate two of the fast food giant's breakfast sandwiches in the morning and another two burgers for lunch - with nugget meals as a snack.

Kelsey's lifestyle meant she struggled to keep up with her energetic kids, Brooke, 12, Carson, 11, and Scarlet, five and joined a waiting list for gastric bypass surgery in 2017.

Though she had already been waiting nine months for the surgery, her 'reality moment' came in May 2018, when she needed an extender belt on a flight and her kids couldn't hide their embarrassment.

After the bypass she battled with her mind and body, but Kelsey insists she has "no regrets."

Breakfast:Two McDonald's breakfast sandwiches, fries, soda

Lunch:McDonald's Cheeseburger, McDonald's chicken burger, fries, large Coca Cola

Dinner:Meat, potatoes and vegetables (large portion with second helpings)

Snacks: Soda, chips, cookies, McDonald's fries and chicken nuggets

Breakfast: One egg omelette with vegetables and cheese, cooked with coconut oil and some fruit

Lunch: Lettuce burrito bowl

Dinner: Veg, potato or rice, protein (side plate portion)

Snacks: Cheese crackers and meat, peanut butter and crackers, veggies and hummus, popcorn, fruit

At a svelte 132 lbs., she is now able to enjoy her "amazing" life - though body dysmorphia means she is still drawn to the plus-size section in shops.

She said: "[The gastric bypass] was the scariest and hardest decision I've ever had to make. I'm now able to enjoy life. It's amazing. It's hard and definitely not the magic pill people make it out to be, but I have no regrets."

Kelsey had been a serial dieter for years when her doctor suggested she needed to lose weight.

Kelsey had been a serial dieter for years when her doctor suggested she needed to lose weight.

She had dedicated a decade to parenting and before she realized, she was at her heaviest. Soon she noticed her weight was impacting quality time with her kids, who were all under 10 at the time, and vowed to take urgent action.

Kelsey said: "I'd pretty much tried everything you can think of when it comes to fad diets. I have, in the past, suffered with food addiction, which is one of those things you can't escape."

"At one point I couldn't drive past a McDonald's without the urge to stop and get something," she said. "My doctor came to me at one of my appointments and said 'you're not living a full life.'"

"You're living - but are you happy? Are you able to do things with your children that you want to?" the doctor asked.

"Unfortunately my answer was no. I couldn't run, I couldn't play. I wasn't being the best version of myself."

Kelsey was a month away from weight loss surgery in May 2018 when she took a holiday to visit Wesley's family in the UK.

Her final light-bulb moment came as she tried to buckle up and couldn't get her seat belt to fasten.

She was forced to ask for an extender belt while her "mortified" children struggled to hide their embarrassment.

Exactly a year later, she returned, this time with a trimmer figure, and she was able to go backpacking with the rest of the group.

Kelsey said: "Going on an airplane was an example of one of those lows when I thought 'I need to take charge in my life because if I keep going this way, I'm not going to be around to enjoy it.'"

On her return from the trip, Kelsey went into hospital for the surgery that would change her life forever.

Although she had been supported for nine months beforehand by a medical team, nothing could prepare her for the harsh reality of recovery.

Kelsey said: "It was a total shock. You go from eating whatever you want when you want, to having the surgery and having to teach yourself all over again how to eat. It isn't a process that happens overnight. You don't just wake up one day and have surgery. You're in a program for about a year first. You have to see a dietitian to see if you're willing to make those lifestyle changes, because if you can't make the changes, it'll all be for nothing."

Around six months after the surgery she was able to fit into a size 18 - dropping an incredible five dress sizes and no longer needing plus-size clothes.

Although she could easily pick out any clothes she liked, Kelsey still looked in the mirror and saw her larger self - her weight loss had triggered body dysmorphia.

Kelsey said: "The weight started melting off within weeks. Although I very quickly got down to a size 14 pants [UK size 18] from a size 28 [UK 32], my brain still saw my body as a size 28. For a long time when I would look in the mirror, or while I shopped, I still saw and felt like the 300lb (21st 6lbs) woman I used to be. It took a lot of work to recognize and accept that I have a changed in size."

As Kelsey celebrated a year since her surgery, she finally hit a size 6, but was left with saggy skin.

In October 2019, she opted to go under the knife once more for a tummy tuck and breast lift to help remove it.

Now, Kelsey is healthier than ever. "My kids are where I see the big difference. They are proud. They are happy because I can do so much more."

Slideshow: How to set reasonable weight loss goals (Courtesy: Mom.com)

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Mother who ate McDonald's up to four times a day loses 154lbs after leaving her children mortified when she had to ask for a seatbelt extender on a...