Editor's Note: This article was submitted by Carol Mabry, Exercise Physiologist at OhioHealth and Strive to Thrive personal trainer.

No matter how you slice or dice it, the basic principle of weight control boils down to calories in versus calories out. Whether your goal is to lose weight, maintain your weight or even gain weight, this same basic principle applies.

To visualize this concept, think of weight control as a balance where one side of the scale represents calories coming in and the other side calories going out.

To gain weight consume more calories than you burn.

To maintain weight consume an equal number of calories as you burn.

To lose weight consume fewer calories than you burn. In other words eat less and move more!

To help you tip the scales in your favor:

Become aware of the caloric value and serving size of the foods you eat.

Find ways to be more physically active throughout the day.

Maintain a healthy balance of calories in/calories out.

Need additional guidance and motivation? Check out our special Strive to Thrive Weight Loss Package available now through the end of January. This package includes a pre/post InBody assessment, 12 weekly personal training sessions, free group exercise classes and our 6-week 40 Days of Fresh support program. For more information, call the OhioHealth Ontario Health and Fitness Center at (419) 526.8900 or the OhioHealth Wellness and Prevention Center at (567) 241-7200.

Sign up for the weekly thrive newsletter and get local inspiration delivered to your inbox every Monday.

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Strive to Thrive week 1: Weight loss basics - Richland Source

Dr. Gregory Pursley, DC ~ PC Wellness Centers

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Weight loss is a topic that has been misunderstood for decades. Products and services have been created and sold resulting in a multi-billion dollar per year industry. The marketing for this industry sells individuals on the idea of quick results with promises of Lose 30 pounds in 30 days or Get a six pack with these quick and easy steps. These results are achievable, they say, if you buy their product or service.

Over the past 13 years, I have helped people get out of pain and lose weight. Ive heard all of the excuses and reasons why someone hasnt reached their goal. I can sum up weight loss in one sentence: if you want to change your weight, change your habits.

There is no need to buy anything, and you dont need a guru or a system. If you want to lose weight, first answer this question: what habits do you have that do not serve you? Is it a sweet tooth? Or late-night snacking? Or lack of exercise? Or unhealthy eating?

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Second, replace the habits that dont serve you with habits that do serve you. It is not enough to get rid of a habit; you must replace the habit with something new. If you find yourself reaching for cookies too often, take notice of it, and when you feel the urge to reach for a cookie, replace the action with something that better serves you. For example, eat an apple, or pick up your favorite book or drink some water. The possibilities are limitless.

Ive started writing a book called Think and Lose Weight which discusses simple and effective ways to change your habits over time to give you a different result. Weight loss is simply the opposite of weight gain. Weight gain occurs slowly over time due to our habits, and weight loss can occur slowly over time due to our habits, too.

If you would like a free digital copy of my book when it is released later this year, email me at thinkandloseweight@outlook.com.

Dr. Gregory Pursley, DC is the owner of PC Wellness Centers.

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Insiders Advice: Think and Lose Weight (1/16/20) - Southeast Missourian

Is it time to eat yet?

By now you've probably heard of intermittent fasting, arguably the hottest health trend of the last couple years. It involves fasting (or refraining from eating) during parts of your day, restricting the amount of time duringwhere you consume calories.

It's been heralded as not only a foolproof weight-loss method, but also a potential cure for things like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, poor sleep, insulin resistance, even cancer and Alzheimer's disease. A new study in The New England Journal of Medicine links fasting to "increased stress resistance, increased longevity and a decreased incidence of diseases, including cancer and obesity."

Want to learn more? And maybe try it yourself? Here's everything you need to know about intermittent fasting (which I'll also refer to as "IF"), including some of my own experiences with it.

Editors' note: You should always consult with a doctor before making changes to your diet or eating behaviors.

Most of us eat throughout the day, starting with breakfast when we wake up and perhaps ending with a dessert or snack after dinner. If you have breakfast at 7 a.m. and a final snack at 8 p.m., you're consuming food for 13 hours; that's your current "eating window." The idea behind IF is simply to shorten that window -- not necessarily to eat less (though of course that's part of it), but to eat less often.

For example, most experts agree that you can start to experience IF benefits with an 8-hour eating window, meaning a 16-hour fast. So you could have lunch at noon and still have your 8 p.m. snack (well, ideally 7:45 p.m, so you're actually done at 8). That's it. If you can stick to that, it may be enough to produce results.

But, wait: Isn't that just skipping breakfast? And haven't we heard for years that skipping breakfast actually leads to weight gain? Yes and yes. However, IF requires a "clean" fast to be effective (more on that below), and once you get accustomed to it, your appetite should correct so that you no longer overeat once your window opens.

Here's what I love about this: It costs nothing. It requires nothing: You don't have to buy books or gear or supplements or meals. You just adapt yourself to a slightly different way of eating (or "WOE") and that's it. The simplicity -- and affordability -- of IF is what drew me to it.

No food is "off limits" with IF, you can eat whatever you want during your window.

Gin Stephens is the author of Delay, Don't Deny: Living an Intermittent Fasting Lifestyle. Those first three words are the key to what makes this WOE worthwhile: You're not denying yourself anything, you're merely delaying it. You don't have to give up, say, pizza because of the carbs or ice cream because of the sugar. You just have to wait until your window opens; then you can eat what you want to eat. No, not the entire pizza or a whole pint of ice cream; you still have to be reasonable. But there are no exclusions. And that's incredibly liberating.

Think about nearly every other diet in history: Atkins, South Beach, paleo, keto, etc. They all require you to either cut out certain things entirely (fat, carbs, sugar, etc.) or eat an excess of something else (protein, cabbage soup, etc.). The reason these diets typically fail is they're not sustainable.

Stephens is fond of this saying: "'Diets are easy in contemplation and hard in execution. Fasting is hard in contemplation but easy in execution.' I absolutely love that quote, because it's so true," she says. "We've all started a new diet and we're all in. Then, as the days go by, the diet gets harder and harder to stick to. Intermittent fasting is the exact opposite. Instead of getting harder and harder, it gets easier and easier."

Lost amid the talk of IF's various health benefits is a very real secondary perk: Saving money. When you cut your diet down to one or two meals per day, your food costs drop accordingly. It's impossible to say exactly how much you stand to save, because it depends on how often you dine out, what you buy at the grocery store and so on.

But even if your total food expenses drop by just 25%, that's ahugedifference. Suppose you typically spend, say, $100 per week on food. If you subtract the cost of seven meals per week, that might realistically lower your expense to $70. Over the course of one month, you'd save $120. Over one year, $1,440.

That's a vacation. A down payment on a new car. And there's a bigger-picture benefit as well: You're lowering your impact on the planet. Imagine if entire populations switched to two meals a day from three. We could get by on fewer crops and animals, which in turn would reduce overall water consumption. Maybe that's a bit of pie-in-the-sky thinking, but there's truth to it.

I mention all this because after I started IF, I noticed I was spending less on food. And then I started thinking about the external benefits of less food consumption, and that made me feel even better about it. Eat less, help the planet. Win-win!

You might have to give up late-night snacking with IF.

There are two schools of thought with regard to how to structure your fasts. The first is fairly different from what's described above; it's commonly known as 5:2, meaning you eat normally for five days of the week and fast for two. That may work for some, but two days of virtual starvation doesn't sound very appealing.

I prefer the daily method: Fast for at least 16 hours per day. The aforementioned New England Journal of Medicine study was based on an 18:6 structure: 18-hour fast, six-hour window.

"16:8 is a great place to start," Stephens says, "but it may not be a weight-loss window for many people. That's because fat-burning ramps up between hours 18 and 24 of the fast. 19:5 was a great weight-loss sweet spot for me, and I lost at about a pound per week when doing it. With 19:5, you fast for 19 hours a day and have an eating window of five hours. Your sweet spot may be different from mine, of course. Maybe it will be 18:6 or 20:4." Experimentation is key, she adds.

If your eating window doesn't include breakfast, you can still drink coffee as long as it's black and unsweetened.

The most important part of the equation, however, is not the length of the window; it's the fast itself, which much be entirely "clean," according to Stephens. That means water, coffee and tea only, with absolutely no added fat, artificial sweeteners or the like. No bone broth, no water with lemon, no flavored teas. No gum, no mints, nothing with calories, period. The goal is to deprive your body of anything that triggers insulin production, because an insulin-deprived body turns to fat stores for energy.

One of the toughest hurdles for many people is giving up cream and/or sugar in their coffee. I was always a sugar man; when I made the switch to black coffee, it sucked for maybe a week or so. Now I'm a convert; I actually like it better. My advice to you: Suck it up and get used to drinking it black.

Stephens can't stress enough the importance of following the clean-fast rule. "For anyone who has ever tried IF in the past but was not fasting clean, now you know why it was so hard for you. The clean fast is so much easier, I promise."

Stephens has a new book -- Fast, Feast, Repeat: The Comprehensive Guide to Delay, Don't Deny Intermittent Fasting -- coming this June, with "a deeper dive into the science" than her first book. In the meantime, she recommends two other titles: The Obesity Code, by Dr. Jason Fung, and AC: The Power of Appetite Correction, by Dr. Bert Herring.

There's also a Facebook group -- Delay, Don't Deny: Intermittent Fasting Support -- that's an offshoot of Stephens' first book. It boasts a whopping 178,000 members who ask and answer questions and share stories and encouragement. You'll also find a lot of before-and-after photos that illustrate exactly how effective IF has been for some.

But not for all. You'll also see posts along these lines: "I fasted clean for two months, ate one meal a day, and didn't lose a single pound." Others will note that it took them six months before the scale started to budge. "It takes time," Stephens says. "We didn't become overweight and unhealthy overnight, and it takes time to reverse these health conditions. Once your body has begun healing, fat loss is more likely." How long that actually takes depends on a variety of factors, including age, sex, starting weight and so on.

I started IF in August 2018. At the time I weighed around 181, which is acceptable for a 6-foot male. But I'd been 175 for years, and suddenly it seemed I couldn't control my eating. I didn't like where my belly was headed.

After about two months, during which my fasting windows varied (but averaged around 17:7), I'd lost 10 pounds. Needless to say, I was pleased with that result and became pretty evangelical about IF. My excitement stemmed from not only the weight loss, but also the total lack of hardship. This didn't feel like a diet; it felt like a smart way to live.

In fact, I discovered that I really liked having a window. When I was feeling a little hungry in the late morning? Just wait a bit longer, I told myself, your window opens soon. Then I'd busy myself with something and forget about it. And if I wanted a snack after 7 p.m.? Too bad, window's closed for the day -- but you can have it tomorrow.

I stuck with it for about 10 months, though I'll admit I got frustrated at times. For one thing, I'd been hoping to lose another 5-10 pounds, and assuming they'd come off as easily as the first 10, but the scale held firm at 171.

Meanwhile, there were times when it was much harder to manage my window, like during family vacations, when we'd all eat later than usual and breakfast was a part of the experience. Then came the holidays and various parties and family gatherings, which also presented window-related challenges. With a little planning it's possible to adjust to these things, but ultimately I just got lazy about it -- probably because I'd lost the weight I'd initially wanted to lose.

Over the summer I decided to pump the brakes. But six months later, the scale is once again showing 180. So hello again, my IF friend! I'm actually excited to get back to it, because I've missed the simple discipline. Now that the holidays are in the rear-view, I'm good to go.

Whether you're fed up with diets or just want to improve your overall health, intermittent fasting is absolutely worth a try. It costs nothing to do and can actually save you money. Maybe even help the planet.

Your thoughts?

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The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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Intermittent fasting: What it is, how it works and why you should try it - CNET

Tis the season for wishful thinking. The start of a new year often sparks new eating habits, well-intentioned gym memberships and the shedding of vices. Its also all about advertising for things to help you with these ambitions and, lately, a weight-loss app called Noom is everywhere we look. Its on every TV channel and our Facebook and Instagram feeds; it has forged a partnership with Novo Nordisks Saxenda and collaborated with Eversana to branch out of weight loss and into chronic disease management.

So we drank the green juice Kool-Aid and signed up. And what we found is that theres actually a ton that life science marketers can learn from the app thats been dubbed Weight Watchers for Millennials.

Developed with behavioral psychology principles in mind, Noom is all about conquering the mental side of weight loss. The apps ability to do this both in the way its program is set up and how it keeps dieters engaged has led to the companys increasing prominence. Since its relaunch in December 2017, over 45 million people have joined Noom. In an independent study, 77% reported achieving their weight-loss goals after nine months.

So what exactly does Noom do thats so darn smart? And how can the healthcare industry repurpose these moves in the realms of disease education, treatment adherence and lifestyle management?

From the beginning, Noom makes it clear that it is focused on you, the person. Its website only offers one action on its homepage: An invitation to start answering questions about yourself.

After you emerge from Nooms extensive questionnaire, you have three things to show for your online confessional:

Nooms focus on personalization doesnt stop at plan development. The app consistently weaves your questionnaire responses into its communications. It asks new questions each day to enhance your experience and results (more on this later) and even pairs you with a personal coach who checks in and offers tips via the apps messaging system.

Borrow this: Noom proves that the sign-up/info-gathering experience for a program cannot be underestimated. Going deep with questions indicates a more personal experience is forthcoming, and the added data creates a wealth of possibilities for both engagement and segmentation.

So dont hold back on those symptom screeners, newsletter sign-ups and adherence programs. Emulate Nooms human approach to getting to know someone beyond his or her gender and age range. Whats holding them back? What motivates them? Where are they looking for extra support?

And dont forget to deliver against that additional info. Encourage physicians to engage the non-symptom topics on your symptom screener, pull through the personalization by sending them relevant content and build behavioral motivators into your adherence program.

Noom is proud to be nerdy so much so that, in its daily communications to users, it concludes many of its scientific proclamations with #nerd. This orientation works especially well for Nooms premise, which is to educate users about the psychological traps and triggers that thwart most diets.

For example, each Noom user receives a daily to-do list containing a bite-sized health lesson and a quiz or questionnaire. Here, Noom shows off its nerdiness by using fun, swipeable cards to educate and test users on otherwise snoozy subjects such as caloric density and psychological behavior chains. Noom enthusiasts rave about all the a-ha! moments that are prompted by these lessons.

Noom also knows that dieters start strong and motivated, only to fade after the first few signs of hardship. They pace their lessons accordingly: a slow-drip of content that is easily consumed while brushing your teeth versus a library full of resources accessible on day one. This pace cleverly keeps users tied to Noom as the teacher and creates constant curiosity of what insights could be waiting in the next days lesson. Isnt it just like a diet app to always leave you a little hungry?

Borrow this: Dont be afraid to blind users with science. Health info-seekers are hungry for answers and often on a personal mission to become as educated as their healthcare providers. Become their one-stop shop by putting more thought and effort into disease education. And for those with chronic conditions, a moderately-paced educational journey may be more engaging and enticing than an info dump.

Chances are that Noom doesnt represent most users first attempt at weight loss. Its likely not even their second or third attempt, which means quitting the program and relapsing on bad habits is a distinct possibility with Noom as well.

Noom knows all of this, partly because you told them about your past failures in the sign-up process. In each communication, it acknowledges the desires you may be feeling to deviate or quit. And then Noom delivers accountability solutions to keep you on track and motivated, whether via periodic check-ins from your coach or pairing you with a virtual support group of Noomers.

Borrow this: Changing a health behavior is hard. Whether vis--vis medication adherence or lifestyle changes, its not reasonable to think theres only a one-way, one-track approach to success. Keep your audience engaged and on-track by acknowledging that there will be stalls, setbacks, and side excursions along the way, and provide support for those moments.

Lisa Varshney is EVP, strategic capabilities at Heartbeat

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Weight loss app Noom has entered healthcare and marketers can learn from its approach - Opinion - MM&M - Medical Marketing and Media

While fitness guruJillian Michaelsis still getting backlash for her controversial comments on popular music star Lizzo, shes clearly moving on and maintaining her message of health and wellness.

Theformer Biggest Loser trainer has always been open about her own challenges over the years when it comes to weight and eating healthy. She recently posted some pics on Instagram to illustrate the progress shes made along the way, hoping to inspire others in their weight-loss journey.

After MichaelsBuzzFeed News interview made headlines for her comments about Lizzos weight possibly endangering her health, the celebrity trainer later took to social media to clarify her message on the topic. As Ive stated repeatedly, we are all beautiful, worthy, and equally deserving, shetweeted.I also feel strongly that we love ourselves enough to acknowledge there are serious health consequences that come with obesity heart disease, diabetes, cancer to name only a few. I would never wish these for ANYONE and I would hope we prioritize our health because we LOVE ourselves and our bodies.

Michaels has always preached on health rather than weight itself, eschewing crash diets and supposedly miraculous meal plans that promise an overnight weight loss.

Stop turning to fad diets and use common sense. This is where so many people go wrong, from cutting out all carbs to eating only fat-free foods to fasting, she said in 2013, according to USA Today. Its all bull crap, and not only is it bull crap, but it harms your metabolism in the process. The fad diets are doing way more harm than good you need to figure out how can you eat more of the good stuff and less of the bad stuff without feeling deprived so your diet regimen feels manageable.

She still maintains this approach, previously voicing her disagreement to regimens like the keto diet. With todays intermittent fasting craze, Michaels recognizes the health benefits but cautions participants of their intentions. If you eat more energy than your body needs in a day, then youll store that energy as fat, period, Michaels explained, as reported by Womens Health. If you want to lose weight, it doesnt really matter when you consume your calories. It just matters how much youre consuming and how much youre burning.

Michaels wanted to show her followers that she understands the challenges of the weight-loss journey. Recently posting an old pic of herself in solidarity, Michaels encouraged her fans to believe in themselves. Heres me at 50 tall and 175 pounds. If I can do it, anyone can, she captioned the photo of herself at the age of 14.

I was overweight as a kid, and if I looked at why that was, there were a couple reasons, she told USA Today. My father was overweight. Food was a way we bonded. As I got a little bit older, I began to see food as something comforting, something I could look forward to, something I could control.

The fitness guru noted how nutrition was not considered an important topic when she was growing up. I was a child of the 80s, and there was a lot of misinformation, Michaels explained. Everybody was drinking pop, and people thought a cheese-and-bologna sandwich was better than a Big Mac. Of course, its not. I was 175 pounds at 13 years old and 5 feet tall.

Michaels has previously posted throwbacks to show the progress shes made with the intention of proving to others that change is possible. Hows this for a#TBT#BeforeAndAfter? she wrote in an old post with an old pic next to a current one. I showed you mine Now you show me yours! I want to see your transformations!!

Crediting her mother for helping her discover martial arts, Michaels attributed her weight loss and healthy living to the empowering form of exercise.

Thats when I began to appreciate fitness. It translated into every other aspect of my life my confidence, self-worth, self-esteem, she said. Nobody bullied me or picked on me anymore because I respected myself. When I carried myself in a confident way, I commanded respect. When I was 17, I started training for my black belt. I graduated high school early, and people would come and ask me if I was a trainer. Did it pay more than my job at a deli? Yes, it did. So I fell into personal training at 17. Now I have four fitness certifications, and Im a certified nutritionist.

She maintains a message of simplicity when it comes to health and nutrition. Being (or getting) healthy doesnt have to be complicatedand it shouldnt require extremes, she toldWomens Health. Healthy living is all about moderation. If you put the word too in front of anythingtoo much food, too little food, too much sleep, too little sleepyouve got chaos, whereas if everything is balanced just right, everything falls into place.

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Jillian Michaels Shares Throwback Photo From When She Struggled With Her Weight - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Are you obese? Do you trust your body is unpleasant and unshapely? Have you made an effort to drop annoying fat before? Are you going to quit after doing all this before reading a good guide like Debatetheweight.com? This information is going to benefit you. Keep reading the guide to be healthy in real means and shedding some weight as well.

By gradually dropping the fats youre exploited to eat, you can remove weight competently. You should be energetic to remove that weight through mind and body as well. You could also use the commonly used equipment by the people for this purpose. By doing work like going for a stroll or bicycle ride, you will burn far additional calories than if you had been to watch television. Just turn off the tv and receive 20 minutes of exercise daily.

A smart way to eradicate some weight is to just dress tight clothes by avoiding wearing loose clothes, your brain is working to be on your own weight more often. When you wear a loose dress, it adjusts your look like you are not so much fat and your shape is fine-looking. This happens most often when you look into the mirror. So, wearing tight clothes is a smart tip you never heard before.

Moreover, a simple thing is that stay away from fast food and do not eat too much. You should make this thing possible to eat delicious food with fewer carbohydrates.

As always, bike riding has made sure that among every fitness equipment bike riding has been considered the finest thing to do to lose some extra fats. You have to filter out from the dozens other models bike riding companies through an incised search for three functions: Affordability, durability, and functionality.

By spending some more bucks you will get a bike that is durable and you will also get the basic features that are needed. You should get a smart spin bike. Most of the people have been giving satisfying feedbacks after using these bikes. These bikes have LCD consoles and memory in them than will record your data. Therefore, you should take a machine that will make you happy for long term goals. Most important thing is to check would this bike will make smart or not.

A running machine is an easy and more interesting thing than running on the ground. Both of them take the same effort, but people work out on the treadmill more. To burnout extra calories in less time with running, you should use a treadmill. It contains OLED in front of them, you can set a target for each day and keep growing with time. If you have a partner exercising with you, maybe he will make more rounds than you then you would try to beat him the next day. Another benefit of using a treadmill is if there is raining outside you couldnt outside to run on an open ground then the treadmill will be the best option.

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Weight Loss Tips And Facts About Fitness Equipment Helping You - - VENTS Magazine

Scary Mommy and Osobystist/Getty

A couple years ago, my husband got a Facebook message from a guy he had never met. It took a few minutes of Facebook sleuthing, but we eventually figured out that we attended the same huge church. Neither of us had spoken a word to this dude when he sent my husband this message:

Hey man, I just wanted to reach out and see if you might need a little help speaking to your wife about her health goals. I am a nutrition and exercise coach, and Id love to help you figure out how to open up the conversation and get your wife moving and eating in a way that will enrich her life and yours.

This coach was actually a rep for an MLM company, and the weight-loss program he sold was many hundreds of dollars every month.

As much as I wish we would have, we didnt give him the scathing response he deserved, and Im still kind of annoyed by it, butI was new to fat positivity. I had just started making the transition from self-hatred and constant weight loss attempts to self-acceptance and understanding my body. At that point, I hadnt built up the deep well of sass and outrage and power that I pull from now.

We just didnt respond at all. I asked my husband to delete the message, and I steered clear of him any time I saw his loathsome face at church.

His message confused me and made me so angry. I always looked my very best for church. Stylish clothes. Hair on point. Winged liner so sharp it could cut a bitch. I took my time on Sunday mornings while my husband dressed and fed the kids. It was our thing.

This guy just assumed that despite all my effort, my husband was so disgusted with how I looked (literally the only thing this guy knew about me) that he needed assistance even figuring out how to bring weight loss up to me?

I assure you, Asshole In My Husbands Inbox, that if he was the least bit concerned about my health and well-being, he would tell me. And the way I look is not a problem for my husband. He chose me exactly like this, and he is into it.

What kind of bullshit was this?

Ill tell you what kind. The same kind that fat people deal with Every. Single. Fucking. Day. Messages from near-strangers about changing our bodies through weight loss are par for the course. People just assume we are potential customers because honestly, who would want to live like this?

Its constant for many of us living in a larger body, and you know who else deals with it?

Brand new moms. While women are fresh out of the hospital, just trying to figure out how to shower and maybe sleep a little bit, some people who run MLM wellness businesses have taken it upon themselves to target moms offering to help them do things like lose weight, bounce back, or hide stretch marks.

If you dont think this is a cruel, shitty thing to do, allow me to correct you.

It absolutely is.

Its a cruel, shitty, predatory marketing technique and people who do it need to knock that shit off.

Rushing into someones inbox with unsolicited offers to help a person change the way their body looks is cyber-bullying. Youre essentially targeting someone in a vulnerable position and exploiting their insecurity for your own personal gain.

Its not okay.

If you think this isnt a huge freaking problem, check out this Instagram post that is literally full of examples. Read every word. Its worth it.

View this post on Instagram

This needs to be said and it needs to stop. Please share this with whomever needs to read it, and consider your fellow humans mental health if you are in the wellness, fitness or direct sales industries Also, please make sure to read this entire caption and examples this isnt a statement about direct sales in general, just the way some reps are doing it. Last January a client of mine {Megan} reached out to tell me that she has been targeted four times that month for weight loss groups and products by people she doesnt even know, likely based on her profile photo. People would add her to weight loss groups without her consent. She did not show interest in their product or ask people for weight loss recommendations. In fact, her entire life she has had a difficult relationship with food that shes FINALLY healing from with the help of trained professionalsand every time she logs into social media shes scared someone will harass her under the guise of making friends or catching up. THIS. IS. NOT. OKAY. Want to know whats even scarier? We posted about this in stories a few days ago and have received over a thousand examples of similar conversations and interactions our followers have had online. Swipe through to read just some of them. Followers tell us that they get these messages daily, especially after having kids. Weve even been told that moms were targeted after posting about losing babies to get their pre-baby self back. These people are reaching out to a new mom who is likely overwhelmed, hormonal, potentially depressed and anxious, worried about her skills as a mom, worried about the welfare of her baby and milk supply and going back to work and her changing body and her changing relationshipsto tell her she needs to lose weight?? Its predatory. Furthermore, it can be unsafe depending on her medical needs. We know that many people make a living and support their families with online wellness products and companies. In some cases, it allows them financial freedom and the ability to be with their kids. Were not saying that selling a product from home or using social media to network is inappropriate. {Contd below}

A post shared by Feeding Littles (@feedinglittles) on Jan 2, 2020 at 5:11pm PST

Moms being targeted about weight loss while on bed rest after emergency surgery. Former coaches admitting companies encourage this crap. Reps taking photos of strangers to use in their marketing plan. Weight loss challenges where the reps invite literal strangers based on nothing but the way they look in photos. Promises to help a mom bounce back, insinuating that her post-baby body isnt already in the shape it was before she got pregnant.

The whole entire post is full of abusive behaviors and tired, frustrated people who just want to exist without being pounced on every five minutes.

Seriously? CAN WE LIVE?

Just a couple weeks ago, an acquaintance sent me the twelfth message he has sent in the last two years. I never, ever, one single time asked for his help. I shouldnt have been surprised though, because capitalizing on big, emotional life events is his thing. Hes done it before. Every time I have a major life event, he runs a weight loss special. Its shockingly unoriginal.

It makes sense that he couldnt resist right now becauseyou guessed it Im about to have a baby.

In his estimation, that means that soon, Im going to be able to abuse my body with unregulated supplements and severe calorie restriction as required by his program.

But he is clearly not paying one bit of attention to a word I say.

I could not be more outspoken about how anti-diet culture I am. I have spent the last two years transforming my mind, and as a result, my body is in the best place its been in years. Probably because I listen to it now. I approach doctors without fear to address any and all of my concerns. The foods I eat nourish my body and the movement I choose makes me strong and happy. Im not thin. But I am good.

I am good, dude.

Also, I am nine mother effing months pregnant. Are you kidding me??

Do I want to lose weight?

HELL YES. I want to lose however much this giant baby weighs, pronto. Maybe a little extra for the fluid accumulating in my cankles.

But I dont need a wellness coach for that. Im going to let my OB handle this one.

Anyway, after eleven previous polite no thank yous, he swooped on in with yet another offer to help me not be so damn fat, and I couldnt take any more.

I told him in no uncertain terms that I finally have a relationship with my body that is healthy and happy, and that I would not be a client for him. Not now. Not ever. I explained that mental health is health, and hyper-focusing on my size and weight loss was a great way for me to ruin my mental health.

Then I deleted him because having a few mutual friends isnt a good enough reason to be continually disrespected, disregarded and hounded.

And listen. This isnt about MLMs. I have a drawer full of kitchen gadgets that I bought at home parties. I dont care what anyone says. That garlic peeler thingy is a lifesaver. I am not anti-MLM.

But I am really, really not okay with the way some people choose to use their multi-level endeavor to make people, especially vulnerable new mothers, feel like shit.

If a fat person or a new mom wants your wrap, patch, shake, subscription, meal plan, sublingual drop or impossible freaking exercise DVD, she knows exactly where to find you. Fat people and new moms do not exist to further your business.

Unless we reach out, can you just, likenot?

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Targeting Postpartum Moms With Weight Loss Products Is Cyber-Bullying - Scary Mommy

Published on January 15 2020 10:05 amLast Updated on January 15 2020 10:06 am

U.S. News & World Reporthas ranked a program created byHealth Management Resources(HMR) and offered by HSHS St. Anthonys Memorial Hospital as the No.1Best Fast Weight-Loss Dietfor 2020. This marks the fifth consecutive year that HMRs diet and lifestyle-change program has held the first-place position.

Reputation of Rapid Weight Loss

Fast weight loss is often linked to gimmicks, crash diets, and other drastic approaches that are unsustainable and potentially unhealthy. In contrast, HMR achieves fast weight loss through a clinically proven plan that has been available in hospitals since 1983.

According to Brooke Welcher-Miner, registered dietitian and HMR program coordinator for HSHS St. Anthonys, HMRssimple plansare nutritionally complete, calorie-controlled, and designed to help people lose a lot of weight quickly without feeling hungry. She explains, Simplicity is key. We have people focus on just a few key variables that will have the biggest impact on weight and health. Because its so easy to follow, people can stick to the diet longer, which can lead to more weight loss in a short amount of time.

Weight Loss without Lifestyle Change is Temporary

Theres no payoff to losing weight quickly only to have it come back again, says Welcher-Miner. Thats why lifestyle-change education is at the core of all HMR diet plans. HMR uses the science of behavior change to help people create new habits around healthier eating and increasing daily physical activity in ways that fit into their daily lives over the long term.

HMRs Published Results

About HSHS St. Anthonys HMR Weight Management Program

To learn more about the HMR weight management program and the plan options, the public is invited to attend a free, no-obligation information session, which is held weekly by appointment at the HSHS St. Anthonys Health Center, 900 West Temple Avenue, Building B. There is no charge to attend, but please call 217-540-2336 to reserve your spot. You can also emailSAE-HMR-Program@hshs.orgor call 217-540-2336 for more information. To learn more about the program, visitwww.stanthonyshospital.org/wm.

HSHS St. Anthony's Weight Management, an HMR Program is a licensee of the HMR Program, a non-surgical, clinic-based diet named a "Best Diet for Fast Weight Loss". U.S. News Best Diets panel of nutrition experts ranked the HMR Program but did not evaluate any products or services of HSHS St. Anthony's Weight Management itself.

HSHS St. Anthonys Memorial Hospital is part of the Southern Illinois Division of Hospital Sisters Health System, which also includes HSHS St. Elizabeths Hospital in OFallon, HSHS St. Josephs Hospital in Breese, HSHS Holy Family Hospital in Greenville, and HSHS St. Josephs Hospital in Highland.

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HMR Program Offered at HSHS St. Anthony's Judged #1 Best Fast Weight-Loss Diet - Effingham's News and Sports Leader, 979XFM and KJ Country 102.3 -...

Is your new year's resolution is to lose belly fat and get fit? Although there's no magic bullet, there are ways to burn belly fat (or 'lose weight' as we used to call it) that are tried, trusted and true. That doesn't make them easy or quick, and this is not about telling you how to get a six pack although we have plenty of articles on that topic. No, this is just about having a healthy lifestyle and feeling comfortable with the girth of your stomach.

To that end we've got here for you proven advice and key tips to lose belly fat quickly, healthily and sustainably. As we just said, there are no quick fixes here; we want you to develop habits that ensure you'll stay trim for good.Weve also got the lowdown on the best exercises to lose belly fat, and all the gear youll need to get started although, of course, the most important 'gear' is the bit between your ears.

There's no hard-and-fast rule for slim-down success: the best way to lose belly fat is the way that works around your lifestyle. If you follow an unsustainable plan, you won't last: it's as simple as that. In this article we lay out five principles that are applicable to everyone, whether you're a total beginner starting your weight-loss journey or a seasoned pro who fell off the wagon over Christmas.

These guiding lights will keep you on the straight and narrow, whether you've got time to hit the gym every day or a shift worker looking to manage your schedule. Dont try to take on more than you can reasonably fit into one day. And, despite the name of this feature, don't fixate on 'belly fat'. It's important to reduce visceral fat, which does tend to lurk around the belly area, but that is best achieved by trying to slim down and tune up overall.

Here are five strategies to help you start losing weight.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The short answer to the question of how to lose belly fat is to burn more calories than you consume on a regular basis. In the fitness world, this is known as achieving a "calorie deficit".

If this sounds like a waking nightmare, there's a trick to it: what you need to do is ensure youre eating the correct kind of food to make sure you feel full and sated, even when consuming fewer calories than you're burning off. Certain foods are "empty calories" while others release energy slowly, keeping you fuller for longer.

But before that, you'll need to find a good way to track your calories burned and calories taken in. The free MyFitnessPal app is one of the best ways to record your calorie intake, but to track your calories burned, you'll need a dedicated fitness tracker. If you already own a smartwatch, most will offer calorie tracking as standard, but for those yet to make the plunge, the Fitbit Versa Lite is the best activity tracker you can buy right now. Check out the deal below.

Oh, and staying hydrated is crucial, as well

Fitbit Versa 2 | was 199.99 | now 159 at AmazonThe Fitbit Versa 2 is getting regular price cuts for the new year and is currently 40 off at Amazon and various other fine online retailers. The Versa 2 features advanced cardio tracking as well as the usual steps and sleep stuff, and has Alexa built in. It's also unusually stylish for a Fitbit.View Deal

Fitbit Versa Lite | was 149.99 | now 116.38 at AmazonThe Fitbit Versa Lite is the best affordable fitness tracker or smartwatch you can buy.It tracks deep and light sleep, steps, distance and calories, but that is barely scraping the surface of its capabilities. Via Fitbit's excellently presented app and sprawling ecosystem, you can use it as the basis of a complete fitness and diet programme. You can also enter your meals to log calories consumed, so you can have all your dietary data in one place.View Deal

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S'Well Marble Drinking Water Bottle | now 25.00 at John LewisIn this case beauty is more than skin deep. This bottle is vacuum sealed, which means it should be able to keep liquids warm for 12 hours and cold for 24 hours. Its stainless steel, has a capacity of 500ml and requires handwashing, and its definitely one for one-upping your co-workers boring flasks and supermarket specials.View Deal

BEEFit Biltong, 10 x 30g bags | now 16.99 on AmazonLooking for a calorie-dense but highly nutritional snack? Swap your bag of crisps or chocolate bar for biltong, a cured meat snack now in handy 30g bags, to keep yourself fuller for longer. It's packed full of protein to help build muscle after a workout, and comes in either BBQ or chilli flavour.View Deal

OXO Good Grips spiraliser | was 14.99 | now 12 on AmazonHand-held spiralisers can suffer from a teeny weeny little problem: if youre not careful you can end up spiralising your own flesh. The Good Grips spiraliser solves that by having a plastic food holder that you can use instead of having your fingers anywhere near the blades.If youre only spiralising for yourself its a simple and effective tool. Its dishwasher safe and easy to clean in the sink too.View Deal

Spiralizing vegetables is a great alternative to pasta

(Image credit: Flickr)

Intermittent fasting is becoming more and more popular. Hugh Jackman's method of choice to get lean for Wolverine, it means significantly cutting calories or abstaining from food altogether for a portion of the day or week, and then cramming all your calories into a much shorter time window.

The best-known intermittent fasting plan is the 5:2 diet, where you eat as you normally would (although hopefully a bit healthier) for five days a week, then scoff no more than 600 calories two days a week.

However, for serious trainees, there's the 16:8 diet (Hugh Jackman's strategy). With this diet you have only 8 hours a day to fit all your meals in, but can only drink water (and maybe some black coffee, if you're feeling naughty) within a 16 hour fasting period. Most trainees choose to eat from 10am to 6pm, but as long as you stay within an eight hour window, you can start and finish at any time of the day.

Why do it? During the fasting period the body will run out of sugar to run on, and so will start eating up the bodys fat stores. The big negative is the adjustment period: if you're used to a big breakfast or an early dinner, a 16-hour fast feels tough at first, especially if you're exercising. You're going to get seriously cranky.

Soylent Nutrition Shake, Cacao (Chocolate), 12 Pack | was 35.00 | now 24.00 on AmazonMarketed as a 'complete meal in a bottle' soylent is a perfect on-the-go quick feed for breakfast or lunch. With 20g of plant protein - to keep you going and slow-burning carbs to help you stay full, Soylent is vegan, gluten free, nut free, dairy free and low GI. At just 2 a shake, it's an ideal replacement to your usual hurried, bland supermarket meal deal.View Deal

Weight training is a great way to tip your muscle-fat ratio the right way

(Image credit: Getty Images)

There are two main types of exercise: cardio training and weights, otherwise known as resistance training.Although cardio burns a lot of calories while you do it, weight training builds muscle which burns more than fat as you go about your day. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you'll burn even when not working out.

Resistance training may seem scary if you're doing it for the first time, especially in the gym when the area's dominated by serious lifters, but you dont have to start adding big plates to the bar right now. There's plenty of ways to get started at home with smaller weights such as dumbbells, kettlebells and even medicine balls.

Were not going to list every single lifting exercise, so why not pick the body part you want to start toning up and check out some of our muscle-building how-tos. One you've done that, grab one of the best dumbbell sets on the market. They're not just for arms: you can use a dumbbell to work your core, shoulders, and even your legs with combination movements. Once you're comfortable in your own home, you can move on to more advanced equipment at the gym.

York Fitness 20 kg Cast Iron Spinlock Dumbbell | now 54.99 from AmazonYou just can't beat a good old pair of cast iron weights, and a testament to this is the fact they can be found under the beds of dads and granddads up and down the country. Get your own and they will last a lifetime and for all of their noisy, palm-chafing downsides, there is a kind of nostalgic loveliness to the spin collar set-up.View Deal

All of this aside, dont neglect cardio, as regular cardio workouts are important for fitness and stamina.

Electric Muscle Stimulation can help your muscles recover faster

(Image credit: PowerDot)

It may seem gimmicky when you unwrap your new six-pack vibrating belt, complete with a picture of Ronaldo on the box, but don't roll your eyes just yet. While you can't just sit there eating crisps and expect to get ripped, Electric Muscle Stimulators can help as part of a controlled dietary and exercise plan.

EMS can cause the muscles to contract, essentially tensing and untensing rapidly. During downtime post-workout, you can continue to encourage muscle growth with EMS, while the right bit of kit can also encourage faster recovery, allowing you to get back in the gym all the quicker. According to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, EMS stimulates the muscle in the same way as a massage, prepping it for the next go-round.

It's not a bona fide shortcut to a six-pack, but it can speed up the muscle-building process with regular use. Check out our choice below: the PowerDot 2.0, a smart muscle stimulating solution you can control from your phone.

Thanks to the physical improvements wrought by SIXPAD, Ronaldo can lift suitcases with ease

(Image credit: American Tourister)

Alternatively there is always SIXPAD as used by Cristiano Ronaldo, a man who takes great pride in his body. Perhaps a little too much pride, the unkind or jealous might say. Amazon also sells all manner of abs belts by brands we have never heard of, for about 20. Needless to say we dont recommend these.

PowerDot 2.0 - Smart Electric Muscle Stimulator | now 185 at AmazonThis neat muscle stimulator works from your phone, allowing you to control intensity, stimulation and goal. Reduce your recovery time and increase muscular performance, as the PowerDot working to support your gym schedule. This model has two stimulators, but you can scale up to four for 325View Deal

Planks are a tough abs workout and a great end-of-workout finisher

(Image credit: Taco Fleur from Pixabay)

As well doing both muscle-building and cardio exercises, if you want to lose belly fat its also important to switch up the pace of your workout.

Every time you workout, you should exercise using both steady state (working hard but not at max capacity, such as during brisk jog) and high intensity (going flat out, like sprinting) to torch your abdominal fat.

Steady state or aerobic exercises include cycling, running or uphill hiking.Its a crucial part of losing belly fat because it burns through your fat stores. However, it also uses your sugar stores for energy first, so you need to do steady-state for long enough to use up all that sugar before it eats into your fat reserves.

High intensity workouts use mainly sugar for fuel, so they don't hit the fat right away, but it does help in building muscle, which will help you torch fat even on days you're not exercising. Explosive weight lifting, sprinting and HIIT-friendly exercises like mountain climbers are all great high-intensity exercises.

A good fitness tracker will help you to gauge the intensity of your workout by monitoring your heart rate. For overall fitness trackers, check out the Fitbit Versa Lite above, but for a dedicated running watch, you can't beat the Garmin Forerunner 645, the best on the market right now.

Find out more about heart rate zone training

Garmin Forerunner 645 | now 274 at AmazonGarmin dominates the running/fitness watch category so totally, it's almost embarrassing for the competition. The most recent addition to their premium line, the Garmin 645, incorporates GPS and wrist heart-rate tracking, which is good for monitoring your resting and all-day rates. The 645 crunches a lot of data to suggest recovery times, make a decent stab at estimating your VO2 Max, tell you how optimal your training load and lots, lots more.View Deal

FitBit Aria 2 smart bathroom scale | was 119.95 | now 79.88 on AmazonThis clever scaletells you your weight, BMI and body fat percentage which is all a lot of people want. It then reports this to your Fitbit account, so you can monitor your weight trends and use it alongside your Fitbit wearable's daily calorie-burn estimates. Add MyFitnessPal or Fitbit's own dietary features and you can then sync your meal-plans, daily calories consumed and weight goals, if you want.View Deal

The most important thing to bear in mind is this: losing weight takes time. You'll have setbacks and slip-ups, but if you stay committed to your goal, you'll be fitter and healthier in 2020, building up great habits for many years ahead.

Need some help to get started? Check out all the latest deals on the kit you'll need to get fit in 2020.To start with, you'll need a killer playlist and a good set of workout headphones to listen to it on:

Beats By Dre Powerbeats Pro | now 219 on AmazonPowerbeats Pro are a 'game changer' for Beats; the quality of them is over and above anything the brand has produced before. Designed for workouts and running, the clever design of these true wireless buds means they stay still in your ears during even the most arduous physical jerks. Battery life is way better than most true wireless buds at 8-9 hours and they recharge incredibly fast.View Deal

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How to lose belly fat: 5 ways to feel better and reveal your abs in 2020 - T3